by Ben Hale
"Practice," she said finally, and Hawk smiled.
"Then go back into your sight and imagine yourself looking into the next few minutes. If you do it right, the colors should fade to gray. The farther you go the more objects will diffuse into something akin to grayish clouds. Your own body should appear almost ethereal, and blue in color."
She tried for an hour, but made little progress. Several times she thought the colors had faded to a degree, but they never disappeared completely. By the end of the hour her fatigue was causing her to regress in her ability, so Hawk stopped her.
"That's enough. You need food and more rest, especially after last week. Get dinner and some sleep. You can practice more throughout your week."
She nodded and did her best to hide her discouragement. She was glad that he'd called for a halt because she'd been unwilling to admit defeat. Wiping sweat from her brow, she stood.
"There is one last thing I need to tell you, Tess." His brow creased slightly, as if he were worried.
She indicated for him to continue.
"After what you did, things have changed. As I am sure you have heard, someone brought up the possibility of you being the oracle. People in the city are clamoring to know if it's true, and the school is getting pressured to find out who you really are. I am doing what I can to slow them, but I believe they are going to hasten your presenting."
He rose to his feet. "If that happens, they will find out exactly what you can do, and your current scrutiny will be nothing compared to then."
"I thought I would have until the next quad," she said. She hated that her stomach had tightened in fear.
"Frankly, I doubt I can hold them until then. The high council has summoned the school directors to a special meeting about the upcoming vote. The event is unrelated to you, but if they are all in the city . . .”
"They may decide to stop by the school." She felt like an iron band was constricting her lungs.
Hawk nodded. "If they do, you will lose the shield of anonymity, and there will likely be more attempts on your life." His expression tightened in apology. "I am sorry, Tess."
"Thank you for the time you gave me," she said, her face frozen.
"For now, I am putting more of my friends to guard you. They will be discreet, I assure you, but you should be on your guard from here on out. I can't promise I will be here all the time, but I will be by your side as much as I can."
"I know, Hawk." She gave an empty smile. "It's the only thing that's keeping me sane."
She called for Stel, who leisurely crossed the room and hopped toward her. A moment later he'd turned into a necklace around her neck.
"Until next time, Hawk," she said.
"Be safe, Tess," he replied.
And don't get killed, she thought as she departed.
Chapter 29: The Heart of Fire
Hawk remained in the library until Tess had soared into the distance. Then he sighed and turned away. Was he doing the right thing? There was so much that she still needed to learn. His time was slipping away like water in his hands. His thoughts heavy, he strode from the chamber and descended through the ancient castle.
He passed the main hall and continued to the lower levels. Reaching a painting of a phoenix, he ignited the likeness of a firebird in his palm. In the painting the phoenix turned into a man and nodded at him. Then the painting swung away from the wall. As he descended into the secret passage he heard the door grind shut behind him.
The moment reminded him of a very good friend, and how she had showed him the passage for the first time. It brought a smile to his lips, and he wondered how she would be faring in his place.
He reached the bottom, and turned into a long, dusty tunnel. Lit by a faint glow from the ancient lamps, it stretched away into the distance. Hawk strode down the corridor. Although he passed several side paths, he walked to the very end and opened the ironbound door. He stepped out onto a small balcony with a view of the cloudwall. Cleverly hidden behind a curve of rock, the opening was invisible to any but those who knew where to look.
As he closed the door a tinkling sound issued from a pocket in his cloak. Donning his spectacles, he was surprised to see a message from Breaker waiting for him. He flicked his gaze to it. Anger blossomed within him as he read the garbled message. It ended abruptly, so he read it again. Then he activated a trace spell that his senior technology mage had created for him. A faint purple swirled around his glasses and leapt away, a moment later the location appeared in his field of vision. He frowned in surprise, and stared at the cloudwall without seeing it.
He carefully examined the options that lay before him. Then he sent a brief message to a trio of representatives within the Guild. His course set, he removed the glasses and strapped them into place. Then he jumped from the balcony.
In ten minutes he was flying hard toward Brazil in his true form. Since it was still the afternoon he stuck to the storm clouds and settled into a pace that would get him to his destination by morning. By dawn he'd reached the source.
But there was nothing there.
He crisscrossed the location a few times in the pre-dawn light, wondering if he had been mistaken. Then he saw the water ripple like it were moving through an invisible mesh. A moment later his superior vision caught the movement a second time. Realizing what it was, he folded his wings and plummeted toward the water. A moment later he banked out of the dive and angled his path to the east side of the invisible wall.
Just as he pierced the line he morphed into a human form and landed on a previously unseen rocky beach. Invisible from outside the magic, a towering castle rose into the sky. Built onto a tiny outcropping of rock, the forgotten fortress lay only forty miles off the Brazilian coastline.
Hawk scanned for any heat signatures that would indicate his arrival had been noticed. There was nothing he could do about monitoring motes, but at least he could still check for bodies. Seeing no one, he began to climb. Ignoring the path that led to the front of the castle, he used his magic to melt handholds into the stone wall. When he was fifty feet off the ground he paused so a sentry could pass below him. When the hooded figure had moved on Hawk continued. By the time the sun had started to rise, Hawk had reached the top.
Selecting a darkened window, he peered through it. With an empty storeroom to welcome him, he climbed through the window and began his search. It quickly became apparent that the level he was on had been dedicated to prisoners. Bars fashioned of anti-magic closed off the numerous empty cells.
He paused when he discovered a room with a handful of bars missing. Entering it, he found a few sets of broken shackles. Three were enormous, and could only have been used for rock trolls. The last was evidently for a human. Satisfied, he slipped from the cell.
He kept his footfalls silent, his eyes wary. Upon finding a discarded cloak and hood, he donned them and moved on. Once he had thoroughly searched the highest level, he followed a set of stairs down one floor. Unlike the one above it, this one was occupied with countless bedchambers—and many of them were occupied.
Hawk walked past them with long, purposeful strides, and no one paused to question him. After a discreet search he descended deeper into the castle. Again he moved through scattered Harbingers, and again he found nothing.
One by one he searched each floor on his way to the bottom. He took his time to ensure he missed nothing, and to avoid scrutiny. Lunch had come and gone when he reached the dungeon. After two empty corridors he found what he sought.
A pair of guards flanked a large strongdoor. Both turned at his approach, but Hawk didn't respond to their queries. Ten feet away they dropped into a battle stance and gathered their magic. Hawk was quicker.
Rather than launching a fireball, he ignited one between them. The small detonation slammed them into opposite walls. Stone crunched as they struck and slid to the floor. Hawk moved to the strongdoor and sent a surge of heat into it. It melted into a puddle of steaming liquid, and then solidified as he drew the heat from it.
He felt a wave of relief as he saw Breaker—but it blossomed into rage when he realized that the man had been tossed to the floor like a pile of trash. Hawk darted to his side and felt for a pulse. Finding one, he rolled the man onto his back.
"Guildmaster?" he mumbled.
Breaker fell silent as his strength failed him. His face was a mask of dried blood and old wounds. His arms and chest bore the same marks. Hawk's jaw tightened as he realized the probable time of the injuries was weeks ago. Drawing a pouch from his side, he dribbled the cool liquid into Breaker's mouth.
The stone mage coughed, but managed to keep it down. With his throat clear, Breaker accepted Hawk's help to rise. Then he attempted to push Hawk away.
"You have to go," Breaker growled. His one good eye was searing in its intensity. He took another swig of water, and it gave him more strength. "Varson meant for you to come."
"They presume to try and trap me?" He gave a wry smile that dissolved into rage. Then he spoke with the timbre of vengeful indignation. "Then they have invited death to their door!" Seeing fear lance through his friend, Hawk took a breath to steady himself. Then in a normal voice, he said, "Let's get you out of here."
"Wait," Breaker said. Hawk tried to shush him, but Breaker brushed his arm out of the way. "The deaths among the mages and aurens weren't what we should have been looking at . . ."
"Why?" Hawk asked.
Breaker's good eye was bright as he said, "Because the ones who were killed were only those that refused the Harbinger's efforts. The ones I recognized here indicate that nearly every branch of the mage government has been infected."
Hawk's jaw tightened at the revelation, and he mentally cursed himself for not seeing it. "How do we stop them?"
Breaker shook his head. He winced at the movement, but his eye sparkled with anger. "If the judges are Harbingers, the laws will not hold them."
Something shifted within Hawk, causing him to straighten. Like a pendulum had swung to the opposite side, he realized what Breaker was saying. In the stillness of the cell, he asked, "Has justice been compromised?"
Breaker gave a reluctant nod. "I think we have to assume it has."
"Then I have no reason to stay my hand." His tone was still and quiet, yet it seemed to chill the air inside the cell.
Without waiting for a response, Hawk helped Breaker to his feet. Then he guided him from the room. He stopped only to take one of the guard's cloaks and put it on Breaker. Then he lifted his own hood, dropping his face into shadow.
Cautious and slow, they worked their way up to the main floor. Twice they ducked into a dark alcove so hooded men could pass. A moment later they reached the stairs upward, but found them to be blocked by a handful of guards descending toward them.
Hawk and Breaker dodged away before they could be seen, and moved to the only clear path, the front door. Sensing the trap, Hawk decided to forego the subtle tactics. He strode down the empty corridor and entered the courtyard in front of the keep. Hundreds of cloaked figures surrounded the square. Hawk noticed the signs of battle at the main doors to the keep. Ignoring the Harbingers, he helped Breaker walk through the gap in the middle.
Someone called his name, but Hawk kept going. Striding under the portcullis, he walked Breaker to the end of the dock. Again he ignored the voice that called him as he placed his friend into the boat.
"There's no motor," Breaker whispered.
"Just stay down," Hawk said. "When it's over, head back to Auroraq. I will meet you there soon."
For a third time the voice called his name, and this time it carried a trace of irritation. Breaker looked over Hawk's shoulder, his unswollen eye wide. "There are too many, Hawk. There's no way you can fight them."
"I don't mean to fight them . . .," Hawk said, and felt the fury of his true self rise to the fore. He didn't suppress it. "I mean to punish them."
The voice from the castle barked at him, but before it had finished his name Hawk spun to face the gathered crowd. Hundreds of hooded figures stood on the battlements, on the rocks, and on the pier itself. The ones closest to the water had already begun to gather water into their hands, preparing for the onslaught that was about to begin.
In the face of their might Hawk bared his teeth, and interrupted the black-eyed man that had been calling his name.
"Hawk, do you see—"
"Harbingers, mercy is not in my nature to give, but I will grant you a solitary chance. Those of you who wish to live . . . may flee. The rest will accept the full punishment for your crimes."
Hawk folded his arms and stared at Varson, who appeared flustered at the statement. Regaining his composure, he sneered.
"We have planned this moment with great care, and will end you, Guildmaster. Our plan is finally in motion, and you will not live to see us rule this world."
"A hunter should know his prey before he sets a trap." Hawk's words were spoken in a deadly calm, causing more than a few in the ranks to fidget and look at one another. When no one was looking, a few slunk away and disappeared from view.
Varson appeared confused, but his confusion was soon replaced by anger. "It's time for you to—ˮ
His features froze in horror as he watched Hawk begin to change shape. Boards groaned in protest as Hawk's feet were replaced with massive claws. Hawk's body swelled and added feathers, and his arms became massive wings.
The hooked beak and piercing eyes of an enormous bird looked down on the trembling ranks of men. Wreathed in the flame of his birthright, the phoenix spread his wings and shrieked his war cry, causing the very marrow in their bones to quake.
To a man, the gathered Harbingers fell to their knees and covered their ears, screaming in stark terror of what lay before them. His challenge issued, Hawk launched himself into the air. Fire from his wings poured into their ranks as most fled into the castle. The rest panicked and counter-attacked. Streams of water lanced into Hawk's flanks, bursting into steam as it came in contact with the fire on his body. A pair of earth mages launched blocks of stone at him.
Hawk sent fire at the group, shredding them and sending their charred bodies into the sea. Then Hawk turned his attention to the ones inside the castle. Varson had managed to rally his troops, who were manning a collection of anti-magic ballistae. One bolt released before Hawk could destroy it, and it pierced the lower part of his wing. Liquid fire and sparks burst from the wound.
Hawk shrieked in pain and rage and launched himself upward. Landing on the battlements, he used his wings to strike two ballistae. Each detonated into kindling, sending chunks of flaming wood and iron to rain down on their operators. Before anything else could be fired at him he pounced on the next two in line, and annihilated them as he had the first. In seconds the last two had been pulverized.
Then he turned on the castle itself. He'd searched it thoroughly, so he was confident it contained nothing but the enemy. The thought was fleeting as he dropped into the courtyard and gathered his might. The flame coursing across his great body changed from red to white, and then phased to blue.
Magnified a hundredfold by his innate power, the flames on his back seared the stones of the courtyard, setting everything within fifty yards ablaze. The flagstones themselves began to crack at the mounting heat. Then Reiquen, ancient phoenix of Lumineia, Son of the Ancient, unleashed his supreme spell.
The blue fire detonated, shattering the courtyard walls into oblivion. Stone and mortar disintegrated and exploded outward, shredding the supports and base levels of the keep. The concussive blast cascaded into the upper floors of the castle, obliterating them before they could begin to fall, and tore into the island itself. The resulting shockwave of sound was like an avalanche of thunder across the ocean.
Torn asunder, most of the island collapsed into the sea. Piles of molten stone and metal released great plumes of steam as they sank beneath the surface. Hawk launched himself skyward as the island sank beneath him. He issued a shrieking cry of triumph as he flapped his way into the sky.
&
nbsp; Breaker huddled in the boat, the sole witness to Hawk's justice.
Chapter 30: Tipping Point
Iris stopped dead in her tracks, her face rigid. Tess turned to face her. They were on their way to the mind school after Tess had finished Remedial Magic. Since the first day of classes they had done so, and without fail Iris had been her usual self. This time, Iris's expression caused a spark of fear in Tess.
"What?" Tess asked.
"We may have a problem," Iris said slowly, her eyes flickering back and forth as if she were scanning various documents.
Tess was tempted to write it off as normal techno behavior, but something in Iris's gaze caused her to stand fast. "Tell me," she said.
"Our friend Hawk got a message after you met with him in the library. The note was damaged, which is very odd. The only reason I can think that would cause that, is if the sending device was destroyed in the same moment the message was sent. It was also heavily shrouded against detection. I've been trying to crack it all night."
Tess rubbed her forehead, but didn't question how Iris knew about her lesson with Hawk. "What was the message about?" she asked.
"It's a warning from a Rayth, and mentions a sword and a key. That's all I can make out."
"What did Hawk do?"
"He traced the signal to its source and went after it."
"Can we contact him?"
She jerked her head. "Hawk disabled his glasses, just as he does every time he leaves the city. I don't think he wants someone tracking his movements."
"Someone like you?"
"Someone like them," Iris corrected, frowning at her tone.
"Can you track the message as well?"
"I already did," Iris said with a trace of annoyance.