Light Bringer (The Young Ancients: Second Cycle Book 2)

by Power, P. S.

  Terry looked pleased at that news, and started nodding a bit.

  "I do think that we can get things going in the next twenty or thirty years. I know that seems like a long time, but after thousands of years living a single way, it will take the Tellerand a little time to adapt."

  Dareg was running out of things to say, not really knowing the man on the other side of the handheld very well. They'd met twice, he thought. Four times if they were going to count speaking on the handheld like they were.

  Thankfully Tor wanted to talk to his brother, and gestured for the handheld, with a big smile. It had nothing to do with him, just setting up trade between the lands. There was some already going on, but it seemed that Vagus was actually starting to put out real products, for the first time in its history. Not just horse hides, or ox pelts. Working from a base of magic. Tellerand was kind of primitive that way, not trusting to things like that, so they made everything by hand, but had some things to trade as well, it sounded like. Cloth and finished goods, mainly. Things of wood, and metal.

  Alyssa moved over to him, and patted his shoulder. Her blue eyes sparkled in the sun as she looked down at him.

  "Tor told me... About the battle the other day? We need to get together and work out what this means. Two people that look the same like that... Was it a mistake? Or is it something we can use to find these things?"

  Dareg had no better clue than she did, but got what she was saying. It could very well be that Bill and Will being identical was a weakness in the structure of the Adversaries. That if they could put out his likeness, and maybe that of Kevin Straughan, it would be possible for people to find others. Then of course, they needed some way to fight them that would work. What he'd done simply wouldn't, not all the time. For one thing, he didn't have a bunch of spare jump ships laying around.

  The first fight... Well, they'd won.

  Thinking about it now though, he realized how very special that probably had been. The two evil beings would have bested any ten ordinary fighters and wizards, even if they were all alone. It had taken a room filled with near super beings to get the task done, and even at that, several had died. The cost for that win was simply too high. Not to mention the strange wave of blackness at the end, that Will had produced. It might not do anything. The odds of that being the case were pretty small however.

  No, that was a weapon of some sort. A powerful one, too. No one had gotten back to him with information on that part of things, even though the Austrans were looking into it. Part of that was probably just down to the fact that it took time to figure things like that out. The other was simpler than that even. He wasn't anyone all that special in their system, and while he was known to some of them, that didn't mean Austran scientists would dance to his tune.

  Alyssa had kept talking, and had changed the topic, he realized, which got him to grin.

  "I was thinking... I should go to Noram and work on the wedding planning with Queen Constance. If... Is it all right for me to act as your mother? I didn't want to presume." She sounded almost shy about the idea, though the feeling coming of off her was more calculated than that.

  He nearly blinked at the idea she was really putting forward, because it was different than he would have figured from anyone. This woman, who really did want to help with the wedding planning, was also thinking of ways to get him alone. For sex. It was, she thought, wrong of her. The thing there was that she didn't feel that way at all.

  That nearly got him to snort, and say no, since doing that would probably be a poor plan as far as family relations went. Then he thought about for himself for a while, and let his smile become bigger.

  "That sounds like a great idea. Can you get with Constance on that, or should I?" After all, the woman wasn't going to hold him down, and force him to do anything. She knew the difference between right and wrong, she just didn't feel it directly, in a few areas. That meant he could just mention the idea to her, and she'd probably get it.

  The thing was, Dareg understood what was going on. All of it. At least with her. That made it easier to manage than if he were going in blind. Before she could answer, Tor walked over, smiling, and handed the speaking device back.

  "Thanks. This is great. We'll have to do it all by ship, but we can manage that. Now, the mages here are all muttering about how to best pry one of the new light units from you? I think the current plan is to trade Hsian for it?" He smiled and waved at a serious looking girl, who was in the middle of a red circle of older people. She was at least sixteen, but from her face she didn't particularly want to be sold off like that.

  She was cute however, her face slightly round and childlike. Even if she did have that exotic look about her that all the people there did. She was the one that had taken down the light statue of Hess, which had probably gotten everyone's attention to focus on her for their teasing. It was clear that she was intelligent too, having figured out how to do most of what was needed to make the device work. She'd even made a small figure of her own appear. That was of Alyssa, and really wasn't bad. It was only about three feet high, however, but a better than decent likeness, otherwise.

  "Tempting. We don't have slavery in Noram however, and I'm engaged, so marriage is out. Plus, I do have some spares of these left. About a thousand of them. What do you think I should do?" Dare looked at Alyssa, since she seemed to be the one less likely to tease him about what was going on.

  For her part, she made a considering face. It seemed real too, and not like a game to her.

  "Well, Hsian is one of the better new talents here. How about a trade? One of your light devices, for one of her magical sleeping pads? They're nice and kind of handy to have around. The basic idea is a bit simple, but if you need to sleep outside, or sit on the ground they're not bad at all."

  He nodded, and the girl, who probably hadn't heard them, only noticing him looking at her. That got her eyes to go wide, but she stepped forward, as Tor spoke in rapid Vagish.

  The girl answered by smiling suddenly, and pulling a stone from a pocket that was hidden in her robes. Then she put the light tile away, and held out the rock for him. It had etching on the surface, rather than a glowing sigil, but he could feel the strong magic inside, that did indeed seem to want to make a large, flat, piece of shield appear on the ground. It would only do that one thing, in one size, but it felt solid and very clear.

  The rock was about the size half his hand, so he slid it into the left hand side pocket of his shirt. The girl moved back then, not speaking to him, but now she looked over, a bit flirtatiously. Several times. That left him feeling a bit better. Before she'd been worried about being traded away. More than just as a joke too, unless that kind of fear was how they responded to teasing there. It had seemed pretty real to him, her worry.

  Now that it was taken away as a threat, she seemed to think he might be all right. Even if he did look different, in his strange outlander clothing. The bald head, as well. The idea rippled at him through the air, but he was able to catch it, clearly enough. That one had a lot more to do with how focused she was, rather than any special skill of his own.

  Tor and Alyssa were both a bit like that, Dare noticed, but the other mages weren't. They seemed more like regular people. Calm ones, that were pleased, and trying to get Hsian to lend her new light device to them for copying. Their thoughts were far more muddled than the girl's was, however.

  Tor patted his shoulder.

  "So you have extra time? Since going to Tellerand is out? Or do you need to get straight to Afrak?"

  "Probably that one. I should get in touch with their Ancient first. Let me see. Farlo Ross?"

  Alyssa nodded, smiling a bit.

  "That's right! I keep forgetting that she's their person. Tell her I said hello?"

  Setting up the right name took longer this time, since it was under the letter C. For Conserina Farlocenian Ross. No one helped him find the name, but most of the mages vanished while he did it. Just walking away. Tor and Alyssa stood there, with the o
ldest looking man, Deshi. Mage Deshi, if everyone wearing those red robes were students at the school. He certainly had enough magic on him for that. Dareg could feel it.

  When he hit the sigil this time, there was a very, very long wait. He was about to disconnect when a rather harried looking tan girl appeared in his hand.

  "What?" It was kind of mean sounding, and a bit breathless. She was also very disheveled. He would have wondered if the woman, who had to be older than the fourteen she looked, had been entertaining in bed, except that she had feathers all over her, and a fine sheen of sweat. She also had a rather pretty chicken under her left arm. One that didn't seem to wish to be there at all. It clucked loudly at them, to show its displeasure with the whole situation.

  "Dareg Canton here. I was planning to come visit the space port there, today, to see what was needed? Is that allowable?"

  The Ancient, who was dressed in white flowing robes, that reminded him a bit of what the High Servants wore, shook her head.

  "Of course. Do you need me for that? I'll come, but today might not be good for me. It's pretty much just a focus stone disk right now. Some of the local women have been caring for it, so there are some plantings in the area. Trees and that kind of thing. A few buildings dug in around it. We have water... Not much else, I'm afraid. Then, we do have one ship landing each day now, which is a lot more than before! No one really comes to stay for long yet." The chicken escaped then, and the picture and sound went away, the Ancient clearly running after the ornate bird. It had a lovely black, red and gold coloration really.

  What she described sounded promising, so Dareg put his handheld away and smiled at the Bakers.

  "That sounds like my signal to leave then! We should... I don't know, have dinner or something, soon? The times don't really work for that, but we can figure it out." He shrugged, feeling stupid, but Tor smiled, and Alyssa hugged him again. Pressing both her breasts into his face. On purpose.

  He laughed as he stood back.

  "Hey, watch it. I'm your son. Kind of." He grinned though, and so did she, knowing exactly what he was going on about. Tor got it too, and shook his head.

  "Dinner sounds good. We can get in touch to make plans? We really need to go and visit Noram soon. A real visit. Take you off to Two Bends for a few days? You need to meet the rest of the family." There was a firmness to the words, as if it were an actual duty to this man's mind. There was family, so you had to meet them. That was all. You just did.

  "Okay. Maybe next week? I think I have to arrange that kind of thing ahead with people. Petra and Sam? Though, I guess I can fly from that place, Two Bends?" He looked directly at Tor then, and saw the man's brown eyes glint a bit. He nodded however. "I can go from there for my fighting lessons as well as anyplace else."

  Tor didn't seem to know what to say about that, so bowed, which got Alyssa to do the same. After returning it, going lower by far, since these strangers were his parents now, plus the Ancients of this land, he said goodbye and managed to get airborne. He could feel them watching him do it. For real, he thought. Like their eyes, their very gaze, had a real impact on the world.

  Getting to Afrak's port, which was in the center of the continent, was easier to do than almost anything he'd ever tried. It was as large as the one in Noram, and while there were no buildings or lights to section off landing areas, the whole thing was already surrounded by a very nice garden. In fact it was more like the place had been put in the center of one, rather than it being built around it. The greenery stretched out for miles in all directions.

  When he landed several tiny, very dark skinned, women came out of a small hill. There were several of them around the place, he realized.

  One of the women, who was a bit older looking, and had orange eyes, along with bright blue hair, walked up to him directly, and bowed. It was a little awkward about it, but he did it back going lower than she did, since that just made sense, given the location. They both grinned, and she spoke first.

  "He' loo? You are... Strange man?" She didn't seem to mean anything by that, so it wasn't a label, just her asking if he was a foreigner. Which given his much lighter skin and raw size was apparent, no doubt.

  Still, she was making the effort to speak in Standard, and make him feel comfortable, so if he had to be the strange man, he could live with that.

  "Yes! I'm Dareg." He tapped his chest, and realized that might be a bit of a mouthful. "Dare."

  "Dare?" The woman looked happy enough still, and reached out to touch his chest. It wasn't flirtatious though. More like she was just being extra careful. "Dare."

  "Yes." He'd almost said exactly, but that was probably outside of what this woman would easily understand. "Here, let me..." He waved to the women, so they'd follow him, and got out one of the light devices. Then he pushed it to its limit, making three decently large landing areas, each rimmed in a different color. They were rectangular in shape, since most of the larger ships would be able to put down on half of it, leaving them the other half to get out, stretch their legs and stage equipment.

  He didn't know if these women would get what it was for, but they seemed pleased with the basic idea of light.

  One of them, who was standing in the back, said something, but it was in Afrak, so he didn't understand it. The leader of the group didn't seem to know how to say it either, so, curiously enough, she pulled out a handheld, which was nearly identical to his own, and smiled at him, then connected with someone.

  He didn't know who it was, since all the speaking was in that different language, until the device was turned around, letting him see her. Princess Abbey.

  "Prince Dareg! That makes more sense then. Mother was just saying that she found a small, light skinned, giant, who made a show for them. Pretty lights?" The older lady, Abbey's mother clearly understanding more than he'd thought, moved the device to show the girl what that was about, then pointed it at him again.

  The Princess smiled. It was a very bright and happy thing. Big, and showing sparkling white teeth.

  "Oh, I do wish she wouldn't do that. It's disorienting! One of the women there offered one hundred planted hectors for you, and fifty silk-goats. That's a nice offer. Definitely not an insult. You're engaged to Princess Karina however... As her sister under the law, it is my place to defend her hold on you. Let me handle this..."

  That started a conversation. It didn't take that long, about five minutes, but one of the other women, the ones not talking at all, came over and started touching him. It was very academic, and nearly medical seeming. She looked at his teeth, like she were testing a horse for age, and patted several different parts of his body. It was a bit annoying, but he just took it, not wanting to be rude.

  Then the woman, who was dressed in a bright blue and deep green striped robes of what seemed like silk, spoke over the others. Her hair was short, extremely curly, and plain brown, but her eyes were almost pure black in the center. Dare could make out an iris, but it was very hard to do. It was eerie, but also kind of compelling.

  After a bit of interruption, Abbey spoke to that women directly, then filled him in on what was going on.

  "Doctor L'stapha was asking if you'd be willing to let her have some tissue samples? She can tell that you're slightly different and would like to find out exactly how much. Is that allowable? You don't have to say yes. She's curious, but asking things like that of strangers is rude." The tiny face on the screen, being held by her mother, smiled then. "Which is why she asked me to get you to do it. Also, mother wishes to know if the lights here are supposed to stay? Afrak has lights, but none so bright, or large. We have glowing plants for that function."

  "I'm planning to do the whole port like this. All of them, eventually. We can get them more than that, if it will help anyone? Oh, do you think that they'd be open to meeting with the Ysidril here? I have some teams of botanists coming... This place is nearly finished that way already, which is a treat since no place else is, but from the sound of it, those folks might be interested in
seeing it." He didn't know that for certain, but when it was explained, everyone seemed fine with it.

  Even though he had to get out the last of the light devices and set it up to show them Neesa. While being stabbed, plucked, and swabbed inside his mouth. Even if he hadn't said yes to the Doctor. With her, at the very least, not shouting no, and running away was consent. She did back off once the statue was up, and everyone seemed properly impressed, but not scared. Not even when told that this was the image of a real person. One who wanted to come and visit them.

  Instead of seeming intimidated, they just started making plans to host the coming visitors. Dareg had to like that, since the Afrak were well known for being timid. That might honestly have been true, in a fight, but they were certainly willing to talk to people, and make friends.

  As soon as Abbey got off the device, he waved and left, since conversation wasn't really going to happen. Not unless he learned to speak Afrak. Which, of course, he needed to do. Tellerand, too, though that one he'd do last. Soam needed a visit soon, but their port was actually in the same rough time as far as daylight as the Capital in Noram, so he could go on any given morning. That would mean getting in touch with Taman. Which was kind of difficult for him still. The last meeting had turned out fine, but others had been around. That could make a difference in how the woman acted toward him.

  The time before that had been a horrible scene of death, and the one before that Taman had basically tried to use her magic to force him to father a child with her. She'd had that portion of her being fixed now, but Dareg didn't know if he trusted that or not. There was no outward sign of it. That being the case, it seemed prudent not to be around the girl too much.

  The big problem was that she was incredible. Not just good looking, but so intelligent that just that would have made her valuable in any sane world. That she was gifted magically as well... It meant she was one of a tiny, powerful and awe inspiring group of people.