by John Corwin
"No." Thomas's voice was resolute. "Kaelissa is the biggest threat and we need to know what she's after. I had the skyways leading into Tarissa deactivated so it'll take Meera and Kohval at least a week to reach the city using cloudlets."
Elyssa smiled proudly. "Good thinking. That'll buy us the time we need."
"Find out what Kaelissa wants in Voltis and return to Tarissa," Thomas said. "Keep me apprised if possible, though I suspect the communications interference will get worse as you travel northeast into the ocean."
Elyssa stiffened and almost reflexively saluted. "Yes, sir."
"And Elyssa?" Thomas's voice grew softer. "Be careful. Borathen out." The link chimed off."
"Holy fartburgers," Shelton said. "How in the hell are we supposed to stop Kaelissa and a civil war?"
"If she takes Pjurna, she'll have no problem wiping out the army we brought from Eden," Adam said. "Once she figures out how to reopen the Alabaster Arch, our realm is toast."
"It's time we stopped thinking these defeatist thoughts and figured out how to stop Kaelissa." Elyssa set her arms akimbo and stared down Shelton and Adam. "If all else fails, we have a bloodstone to use on her."
"We don't even know how to use it," Shelton said.
"Then we'll just have to figure it out." I slapped him on the back. "After all, that's what I have you two for, right?"
Shelton looked at me dubiously. "Well, we could run our analyzer spells on it. Maybe that'll turn up some answers."
"We should get started right away," Adam said.
I tapped my gem and thought of the person I wanted to contact. "Maybe my mom has some answers."
The link chimed open, but the connection was even worse than the one with Thomas. "Justin?" Mom's worried voice emanated from the gem.
"Hey, Mom—"
"Thomas just contacted me told me where you're headed," she said, voice trembling with worry. "The Voltis Maelstrom?"
"Yes, but—"
"Are you insane?" Mom's voice crackled with disbelief. "I know you've fought against the odds and won before, but Voltis is the most dangerous place in this realm. There's a reason no one dares venture inside."
"The Mzodi have a way in," I said. "We'll be fine."
Mom sniffled. "I'm sorry. I know you can take care of yourself, but—"
"It's because of Ivy, isn't it?" My sister was trapped all alone in Eden while the rest of her family was here.
"Nothing has gone right since we've been here, Justin." Mom sighed. "It's like we weren't meant to interfere with Seraphina."
"I know, but we have to keep pushing and do our best." I caught a sad look from Elyssa. "The reason I contacted you is because I need to know about bloodstones."
Mom gasped. "Bloodstones?"
"You've heard of them?"
"They were banned long ago and for good reason, Justin." Mom sounded like she was scolding me for riding a bike with no helmet. "I hope you aren't planning to use one."
Technically, I had thought of it, but didn't want to disappoint my mother. "No, of course not, but it seems Kaelissa has plans to use them. I need to know how they work and if they can be countered."
"Daelissa once sought bloodstones," Mom said, "but the Mzodi refused. I only know a little about them because I studied the ancient legends. The Fallen subverted the will of King Thussor and caused the civil war that split the Darklings and Brightlings apart."
That part really got my attention. "Hang on—you're saying the two factions were getting along until then?"
"The population of Seraphina had increased greatly by the third generation—the first generation to realize that they were no longer equally powerful in both Brilliance and Murk, but had an affinity for one or the other." Mom had switched to the story time voice that used to lull me to sleep. "In those days, a king ruled, though his decisions could be reviewed and overturned by the Quinvectus, a body of five representatives."
"Kind of like a Caesar and senate?" Elyssa asked.
"Precisely." Mom's holographic image flickered on in front of us and she flinched. "Oh, I guess the signal strength improved enough to allow visuals."
I grinned. "It's good to see you, Mom."
She held out a hand as if wanting to touch me and a look of regret crossed her face. "It's wonderful to see you too, son." Mom took a deep breath as if steeling herself. "I'm sorry if I sound emotional, but I can't stop thinking about Ivy."
Neither could I, but unless our people found a way to reopen the Alabaster Arch, there wasn't a damned thing we could do about it. "Me too, Mom."
Mom looked down. "Three Darklings and two Brightlings comprised the Quinvectus. When Sithain, Gallifer, and Purah took over King Thussor's mind, they did everything they could to undermine the Darklings."
"Did they hate Darklings?" Elyssa asked.
Mom shrugged. "I don't think so. I believe they saw a difference to exploit and only wished to divide the empire and make it easier to take power."
"While I think this is really interesting, what I really want to know is how to use and counter a bloodstone." I tapped a finger on my temple. "Can I protect myself against a takeover?"
"A bloodstone links the souls of the user and target," she said. "I don't know how to protect against it. I believe it requires channeling through the stone and into the subject, but couldn't tell you the specifics."
"How do you rescue someone who's under the control of a bloodstone?" Elyssa asked.
"You must destroy the stone," Mom said. "Unfortunately, aether stones are extremely durable. I don't know how to destroy one."
"I assume the bloodstone controlling Thussor was destroyed?" I asked.
"Yes, a Mzodi was able to do it." Mom sighed . "Unfortunately, he'd been under the influence for too long and his mind never recovered." Her forehead wrinkled with worry. "The best advice I can give you is that if you ever find a bloodstone, throw it into the deepest part of the ocean."
In other words, we had nothing to counter a bloodstone and still no idea how to use them. The best thing we could hope for was that Kaelissa never found another one.
Chapter 15
After ending the call with Mom I gave the others a hopeless look. "Looks like we're on our own with this one."
Shelton, as usual, had something to say about it. "A bloodstone enters a bar. There was no counter."
That earned him a groan from the rest of us.
"You need to go back to joke school," Adam said. "That was indescribably awful."
Shelton thrust out his chin. "It was a classic and you know it."
"Maybe you and Adam should start analyzing the bloodstone," I said, "while Elyssa and I offer prayers and incense to the gods in the hopes that we can find a way to prevent these things from latching onto our minds."
"We'll do what we can," Adam said.
Elyssa and I returned to the top deck and looked over the side where the ship had been damaged. The hull looked good as new aside from a few scratches that the crew polished by channeling magic through various gems.
"How do they figure out what gems work best for certain purposes?" I wondered aloud.
Elyssa tapped a finger on the railing. "Probably the same kind of people who decided boiled okra was edible and not a little green pod full of barfy slime."
I cast a curious look at her. "I never knew you were so passionate about okra."
"Boiled okra," she said. "I'd rather eat raw snails."
I gagged at the thought. "I'll remember that."
Eor thrust himself between us and looked down. "Thank goodness they're almost finished. I can hardly wait to embark on this epic voyage."
After I recovered from the mini-heart attack of his sudden appearance I decided to ask him a few pointed questions about gems. "Can you explain to me how gems are sorted and how you know their purpose?"
"Absolutely not," he said. "It takes years to learn all the types and how to properly enchant them. I would never reveal ancient Mzodi secrets to a land dweller."
I resisted the impulse to punch him and fell back on a pleasant smile. "I'm not looking for trade secrets, just a general understanding."
Eor narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips so tight, they turned white. "Very well, I suppose I can indulge you." He removed a light green stone from within his robes. "First, you must understand that color doesn't matter. Aether is neither limited to the ultraviolet of Murk nor the white of Brilliance, but spans an infinite rainbow. What land dwellers refer to as gems are technically called aetherium. True gems are geological formations—stone. Unfortunately, the ignorant masses think aethids resemble gems, so that's what they call them."
I tried to get a handle on what he was saying. "So an aetherium gem is called an aethid?"
"Precisely," he said. "Just as you have diamonds, rubies, garnets, and names for all the various precious stones, so do we have names for different sorts of aethids. As for sorting, we channel into an aethid to discover its inner structure. This helps determine what enchantments would be most fitting."
Eor held up the gem and channeled a small shaft of white energy inside. "Aethids either resist energy or amplify it, depending on the way they crystalized. Some are more multi-purpose, while others are fit for specific tasks."
"How do the ones that make cloth work?" Elyssa asked.
"Those aethids soften energy while also breaking a single channel into tiny threads which can be woven together in different configurations." He produced an opaque brown gem from his fanny pack and held it up. "If you want tougher material, this type of crystal hardens aether and produces coarse threads."
It made sense, though I wasn't particularly interested in digging much deeper. "What makes a bloodstone operate the way it does?"
Eor's gaze darkened. "That is not for you to know."
"I need to know if I can protect myself from one," I said imploringly. "Believe me, I'm a prime target for mind control."
"I find that hard to believe," Eor said disdainfully. "You're but a boy."
"A boy who saved you from Brightling soldiers," I reminded him. "A boy Xalara spoke with in private."
He squinted and looked back and forth between me and Elyssa as if that might help him see what was so special about us.
I tried a little ego stroking to see how far it got me. "I've heard you're the best gem sorter in the entire fleet. If anyone knows about bloodstones, that would be you."
Eor quirked an eyebrow. "Did Xalara tell you that?"
"What do you think?" I waggled my eyebrows.
"Well, I have long suspected my superior sorting and management skills earned me the most coveted position on the newest ship in the fleet." He ran a hand through his short brown hair. "Xalara is correct, of course. Whenever there's an aethid that cannot be identified, it is brought to me, no matter what that fool Hudor tells people."
"Is Hudor also a sorter?" Elyssa asked.
"He likes to think he's the best because he's stationed on the Uorion." Eor wiggled a finger side to side and scowled. "As anyone knows, the flagship rarely fishes the maelstroms. The real sorters are out here on the frontiers." He jabbed a finger north. "The real sorters strike forth into the very heart of danger. Once we've cast our nets in Voltis, I am certain I'll discover gems the likes of which none have ever seen!" Eor struck a grand pose, arms akimbo, nose and chin tilted skyward.
Elyssa looked at me and rolled her eyes. "I'll bet that means you know a lot about bloodstones."
"Indeed," he said. "I took the time to study several before disposal."
"What can you tell me about them?" I asked.
Eor lowered his gaze back to us mere mortals and frowned. "Though I don't believe you're as important as you think you are, I can certainly ease your mind." He folded his arms and assumed a lecturing tone. "Bloodstones must be used in very close proximity, about ten feet or less, to be effective. I can't be certain how long it would take for one to finish the soul-linking process, but I would guess several minutes."
I wasn't sure if I should prod him for specifics, so I let him continue at his own pace.
"Therefore, the best counter to a bloodstone is to stay out of range." Eor might have looked down on us just then if we weren't taller.
"Let's say I'm captured and they start using the stone on me," I said. "What then?"
Eor sneezed and rubbed his nose vigorously for a moment. "I would say you have little chance of retaining your mind."
Elyssa's eyes flashed with alarm. "How do you destroy a bloodstone?"
"That, you see, is a rather complicated question," Eor said. "Aetherium is not easily destroyed by magical means since it is a solid, compressed form of magical energy." He tapped the brown rock against the railing. "Formed by intense pressure, they are also difficult to destroy by physical means."
"Like diamonds," Elyssa said.
Eor nodded. "Yes, much like diamonds. The only way to truly destroy aetherium is through normal usage." He channeled a beam of Murk into the brown stone. It was like running dough through a pasta machine, resulting in hundreds of aetherial noodles on the other side of the stone. "Channeling through a stone gradually wears away the concentrated aether and reduces the force holding it together. After a year of normal use, this particular gem will lose cohesion and revert to aetherial state."
That certainly brought the supply and demand side of the gem industry into focus. Since they didn't last forever, there was a constant demand for them. Unfortunately, it also made clear that I couldn't simply zap a bloodstone and blow it up.
Eor steepled his fingers and pursed his lips. "It's possible I could create an aethid that would allow me to destroy other aethids through amplified usage." He dug through his fanny pack and pulled out a clear gem. "Yes, it might be doable."
"If anyone can come up with a way, it'd be you," Elyssa said in an admiring tone. "You'd be the hero of the fleet and show Hudor who's the best once and for all."
Eor's eyes lost focus on the outside world, most likely turning inward so he could envision scores of Mzodi cheering him on while Hudor huddled in a corner and cried.
One of the crew repairing the ship shouted up at another person who relayed a message to the first mate, Tahlee that repairs were complete.
Eor offered a condescending smile and pat on my back. "I believe you have very little to fear since you certainly aren't valuable enough to squander a bloodstone on, but rest your mind, child, and I'll see what I can do."
I was about to show Eor how valuable his teeth were by breaking a few of them, but Elyssa grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "Thank you, Eor."
"You're quite welcome, children." Eor pocketed the brown stone and headed toward the aft ramp to below decks.
"Children," I muttered. "That guy gets on my last nerve."
Elyssa quirked her lips and nodded. "I think he does that to everyone."
Shouts echoed from the aft ramp as Mzodi soldiers led a struggling Racha to the top deck. The Brightling soldier wore a simple white tunic and no shoes. Her eyes shone with anger and fear.
"I demand you take us to Guinesea!" Racha shouted.
Illaena stepped from the deck cabin and motioned toward the railing. The soldiers dragged Racha there and bent her over the side.
"I am a soldier of the Brightling Empire!" Racha screamed. "Harm me and there will be retribution."
Illaena stood to her side and spoke calmly. "You held my crew and ship for ransom, and nearly killed one of my sorters. Why should I not demand blood for blood, soldier?"
"You refused a lawful order from the empire." Spittle flecked around Racha's lips. "You left us no choice but to enforce the order."
"The Mzodi are not subject to the whims of the Brightling Empire." Illaena nodded at her soldiers and they dumped Racha over the side.
Elyssa and I gasped. It was nearly a five-story fall to the ground below. Racha's scream cut short as the Mzodi soldiers caught her feet and let her dangle.
"You are fortunate the Muhala Kajeen asked me to spare your life, land dweller." Illaena
flicked her hand and the soldiers roughly jerked Racha back onto the deck. "That does not mean you'll escape punishment."
Tahlee stepped forward and ripped away the tunic, leaving Racha nude. The Brightling soldier wrapped her arms protectively over her chest, but the soldiers gripped her arms and held her spread-eagle.
Elyssa gripped my hand and we backed up a step as Illaena channeled a thin strand of Brilliance. She touched the white-hot energy to Racha's right shoulder blade. Flesh sizzled and the soldier screamed in agony over and over until her throat went raw. Illaena dragged the sparking beam across Racha's back, drawing several neat Cyrinthian symbols. When she finished, Tahlee channeled Murk around her hand and pressed it to the burnt flesh.
Racha slumped forward, sobbing as the Murk cooled the wound but left behind the scar that spelled "Criminal" in her skin.
"Remind me to never ever commit a crime on this ship," I murmured.
Elyssa gave me a worried look and whispered, "Let's hope they don't find out about our attempted hijacking."
Illaena shook her head at the soldiers and they dropped the weeping Racha on the deck. The captain stood over her and snarled, "You and your people will remain on this ship until we discover what reception our other ships receive in Guinesea. If it pleases the Muhala Kajeen, you will be dropped near the island."
Racha wiped tears and snot from her face and glared defiantly up at Illaena. "You have made a terrible mistake harming me, Mzodi filth." She cast a disdainful glare at Tahlee. "You are abominations, all of you—Darklings and Brightlings mingling with one another."
"Perhaps I should have your eyes put out so you do not have to watch," Illaena said. She backhanded Racha hard enough to send the other sera skidding a few feet along the deck. "All were created equal in the eyes of the universe. Only fools believe they were made better than others, you tiny insignificant speck." She turned her back to Racha. "Take her back to the holding cell."
"At once," one of the soldiers said.
The Mzodi yanked Racha unceremoniously off the ground by her arms and legs and hauled her below decks.
"Secure the deck," Illaena said.