Mack let out a low whistle. “That’s impressive. I’ve heard the stories. Some of those shards were two stories tall and Toh’sellor itself dwarfed them.”
“Exactly,” I confirmed. “I guarantee you that with him here, we’re in no danger. Emily is a childhood friend but also a healer who helped us subdue Toh’sellor the second time it went out of control. Both of them are very, very good at what they do.”
Putting a hand to his heart, Mack admitted, “I feel better hearing that. I haven’t breathed easily since Rena told us what was in there.”
I glanced down, surprised Dag hadn’t asked me another question yet, only to find him staring at Maksohm with open fascination. Right, of course, he could see the agent on a magical level. “He looks really different from Rena, huh?”
Dag nodded absently, agreeing, eyes still studying in minute detail. “He’s strong.”
Some part of me had always wondered how Rena compared to other magicians in terms of sheer strength. Mary had never given me an answer when I asked her, and Rena wasn’t the type to boast, but Dag could see it and didn’t know to dodge the question. I hunkered down next to him and whispered, “How strong? As strong as, say, Rena?”
“No. Close?” he offered. “But she’s stronger.”
Ha! Knew it. My chest puffed out in pride.
Finally, Maksohm realized he’d been a little rude and cleared his throat, heading toward us. “My apologies, I got completely sidetracked by the problem. I’m Special Agent Dah’lil Maksohm of the MISD.”
“Mack Sumner,” the foreman responded, accepting the offered hand in a firm shake. “Very glad to see you, Agent.”
“I’m sure. We’ll try to figure this out quickly, sir, and rest assured that we’ll pull all of you at the slightest hint that it’s become dangerous.” Bending down to put himself more on Dag’s level, he offered his hand again. “You’re Dagwood?”
“Yes, sir.” Gamely, Dag accepted the handshake even though his own palm was swallowed by the adult’s.
Maksohm looked him over a little curiously. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I understand from Rena that you spotted the energy first, is that right? That’s very impressive.”
Dag’s chest puffed out a little. He looked entirely too pleased with himself. “I’m going to be an MISD agent too,” he informed Maksohm, tone a little boastful.
“So I hear. I’m glad, we’ll need talent like yours in the future. Can I count on you to help Rena keep an eye on that mountain?”
Becoming as serious as an eight-year-old boy could, Dag promised, “You bet.”
“Good.” Straightening, he requested of Mack, “Please introduce me to everyone else. Let’s lay some good groundwork while we wait for Vee and Chi to arrive. Dagwood—”
“Dag’s fine, sir.”
“—Dag, then, will you come with me? I want you strictly at my side and watching the mountain while I put the initial barriers in place.”
Pleased as punched to be asked, Dag nodded vigorously and tagged along as the men moved off, going to the watching crowd hovering near the cook fire. I found it a little strange Maksohm had asked this of Dag so soon upon meeting him, and stepped in closer to Rena to ask in a low tone, “What’s he doing?”
“Partially testing him, see how sharp Dag’s paying attention,” Rena answered just as quietly. “Partially to see how well he can obey orders. If Dag can’t stick with us and stay under protective shielding, one of us will have to take him out of here.”
I did not like that idea, because I knew very well that it would have to be me. Rena couldn’t leave, and everything in me revolted at the idea of leaving her side in this situation. “He’s been great at obeying so far.”
“I know, and I told Dah’lil I didn’t think Dag would be a problem, but you know how cautious he is.” She chewed absently on a thumbnail, staring after them. “Still, if it gets bad, we need a place of safety to send him. Do you think Vee can portal him to Gargan, have him stay with her family?”
“I’m sure they would.” I liked that option a lot better. With Gargan being so close, it wouldn’t take a lot of magical energy to portal a small child through. “We’ll ask once she arrives.”
Letting her head thump onto my shoulder, she complained against my chest, “I really, really don’t like this.”
I rubbed a soothing circle on her back. “I know, I know. None of us do. I’ve been praying it’s just a leftover spot of energy from when Toh’sellor was defeated. It hasn’t been all that long, and you told me once magical energy takes a while to fully dissipate.”
“Toh’sellor’s energy wasn’t even magical, but something else entirely, and I don’t know how long it would take.” Sighing, she lifted her head and stared at the tunnel entrance. “There’s too many unquantified variables here. It’s giving me hives.”
Knowing how orderly Rena liked things, I didn’t doubt that. “I promise you a two day stay in Njorage’s onsens after this is done.”
“I’ll hold you to that, don’t think I won’t,” she warned, but it brought a smile briefly back onto her face, which had been my whole goal. “I do feel infinitely better now that Emily and Dah’lil are here. Maybe Vee and Chi will arrive soon too?”
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
No one felt at ease in the camp and the men on the crew secretly kept bribing Dag to come over and take a look at the mountain, see if anything had changed. I noticed at least three different occasions, and perhaps I should have put a stop to it, but it not only gave Dag good work experience, it boosted his confidence. I tried to not interfere with anything that would raise a child’s confidence.
Rena caught it too but watched from afar, letting it continue as she, Maksohm, and Emily discussed the best way to breach the tunnel. Seeing how this played out, it gave me an idea of how to solve a logistic problem of my own.
Lloyd and Westley had Dag sitting with them near the fire, all of them with their backs toward me, and I approached with plenty of noise to avoid spooking them further. I’d normally play with their nerves, but those were stretched to the breaking point already. When I took a seat on one of the logs, the men looked abashed, although I didn’t blame them for the paranoia.
To Dag I asked, “Helping them keep an eye on things?”
“Yup,” Dag answered, more than a little cocky. “Bannen, when your other friends get here, will there be fighting?”
“Maybe, maybe not. I doubt we’ll do it tonight—you want full daylight when you fight something like Toh’sellor.” I had to pitch this right, otherwise it would go over like a lead balloon. “Dag, I need you to do something. You’ve got the best eyes here, you’re going to know when things go pear-shaped. If Rena does uncover a shard, and we do have to fight it, I want you to warn everyone here and lead them straight down the mountain.”
He listened seriously, showing maturity above his age, watching my expression like a hawk. “What about all of you?”
“Trust me, we’ll be fine, we’ve got Maksohm covering us. But you might have energy splashing this direction, and that’s seriously dangerous. It will ruin your whole day.” To the waiting men, I instructed, “Head straight for the train station and meet us there if something does happen. We’ll have to temporarily relocate, contact the MISD for more support, and then tackle it again.”
Westley swallowed loudly, Adam’s apple bobbing in his thin neck. “You think that’s what’ll happen?”
“This is absolutely worst-case scenario, nothing more. I give it low odds of playing out like this. If there really is a shard of Toh’sellor in there, we’ll be able to tackle it. But we don’t know the size of it now, so I want to plan for the worst and hope for the best, you get me?” They all nodded, some more hesitantly than others. I didn’t want to scare them, but prepare them, and I felt I had succeeded. “Dag. When we go in, you stay right in this spot and watch from here. Any closer puts you and them in danger.”
“Okay,” he promised and I could tell from his tone,
he meant it.
Something that sounded like a herd of elephants crashing through the woods came up the trail at a rapid pace. Having run alongside Vee before, I knew that sound very well. No one else recognized it and they spun around in alarm, hands reaching for weapons. I hopped up, spreading my arms wide and reassuring them, “It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll bet you that’s Vee. Giants make a horrendous amount of noise when they’re sprinting.”
As if on cue, I could hear Chi’s plaintive call echoing through the woods: “Vee, wait for me! I can’t keep up with those long legs of yours!”
“Run faster,” was his wife’s unsympathetic response.
I chuckled. “Yup, that’s them, alright.” Cupping both hands around my mouth, I called loudly, “About time you two showed up!”
It took a few seconds more, then Vee came into view, her pace slowing as she breached the clearing. She didn’t look at all winded despite the fact she had what looked to be both hers and Chi’s packs on her back, as well as another bag in her hand. Chi came puffing up behind her, weapons slung along his back, uniform shirt already the worse for wear from the sweat, and a dark scowl on his face as he looked at his wife.
“Would it have killed you to go just a hair slower?” he demanded of her.
Vee patted him on the head, like an errant puppy. “Yes, it would. Blame all those baked goods you keep stuffing in your mouth. Bannen! Rena! Wow, even Dah’lil and Emily beat us here.”
“You’re slow,” Maksohm informed them with a wide smile on his face.
We all converged in the middle, exchanging handshakes and sometimes hugs, relieved to see each other for varying reasons. Dag, naturally curious, drifted up to the group and stared wide-eyed up at Vee. We’d told him the stories but it never sinks in just how big a giant was until you saw one in real life.
Chi, of course, spotted him and sank down onto his haunches. “Secret love child!”
Dag and I spat out in unison, “Ewwww.”
Chortling at his own joke, not fazed in the slightest, he greeted Dag cheerfully. “Hey there. I’m Chi Franklocke.”
Trying to be adult, the little mage thrust out a hand in greeting. “I’m Dag.”
Accepting the hand, Chi shook it solemnly, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Dag, eh?” Tilting his face up to mine, he asked, “Secret love child?”
“Chi,” Rena said in exasperation, coming around to stand behind Dag and putting her hands on both shoulders, “you know very well he isn’t. I’d have to have been an eleven-year-old mother to have a child this age.”
“With love, all things are possible,” he assured her gleefully.
Apparently Bannen liked this joke too much to let it go. “Absolutely, he’s our secret love child and has inherited a healthy talent for magic and a Void Mage’s eyes.”
“No, truly?” Vee went down on a knee to get a better look, which still made her tower over Dag, but at least she didn’t loom quite so much. “Wow. They certainly are similar. That’s amazing. Dag, do you know if you have a Void Mage ancestor?”
“Wouldn’t matter if he did,” Rena corrected. “Remember? Nothing of a Void Mage’s magic is hereditary, not even their eyes. It’s just an interesting manifestation of his magic, is all. But Vee, Dag was the one who spotted the energy signature first, so we can’t discount whatever he sees. He’s still learning to decipher the schematics of the world and what it means, but I’ve gone over every type of rock inside that mountain. He knows them well. If any of you hear him say that he sees something strange, heed him.”
“We certainly will, young Magus,” Vee assured Dag directly, nothing about her tone or expression the least bit condescending. “Report to any of us if you see something, alright?”
Dag seemed a little awed that a mage would ask him for help and it took him a second to find his voice. Then he squared his shoulders, craning his neck to meet her eyes directly. “I will.”
“Good.” Standing again, Vee looked around at the group and asked, “Are we going in tonight for a look?”
“I’d like to,” Rena answered honestly. “I’m not sure if any of us will get any sleep otherwise. We have another thirty minutes or so of daylight left. If we’re quick, we can go in and take a good look and at least get an answer before we lose the light completely.”
“I’m for it,” Maksohm agreed readily. “Bannen, Emily, Chi? I figured you’d agree. Alright. Vee, that last tent on the row is yours. Throw everything in there. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll go investigate.”
Words could not express how much better I felt having my team with me. Part of me still didn’t believe that an active shard of Toh’sellor lingered in there, but whether there was or not, I had the right people to combat it. I knew Bannen agreed with that one hundred percent, as he looked less inclined toward homicide.
We all gathered up weapons, Chi downed half a canteen of water to recuperate from his mad sprint up here, and I knelt down to give Dag some last-minute instructions. “Toh’sellor’s energy isn’t like anything else in the world. That strange mixture of gas, and dust, and chaotic energy. You remember what that looks like?”
Dag nodded faithfully. “I do. It looked all snarled, like a kitten played with it.”
I had yet to hear a better description than that. “Yes, exactly. There’s nothing clean about Toh’sellor’s schematic. If there is something in there, you’ll see it out here, as it will be a larger, more intense version of what you saw before. Alright? If you see that, you take everyone down the mountain immediately. When it’s safe, we’ll come fetch you.”
“Okay.” Dag stared hard at the mountain, looking a little uncertain, but his chin tilted up in a determined slant.
It seemed a bit much, to leave this kind of burden on an eight-year-old, no matter how smart he might be. Still, I didn’t have anyone else to trust and I didn’t want to send him away from us if I didn’t have to. This was probably a false alarm. But previous experience kept us from taking the situation lightly.
Tousling his hair, I stood and headed for the mountain. The workers already had their instructions, Mack especially, so I passed by them without another word. Bannen fell in at my right side, and Maksohm lifted a barrier as soon as I was close enough to him. Vee and Chi took up positions at my back and left side, as usual, with Emily and Dax positioned in the center with me, and I couldn’t begin to describe the relief I felt having them surround me like this. I’d never been harmed with these five watching my back. It might’ve been foolish, but I felt like little in this world could prove a real danger to me with these people at my side.
We marched further into the tunnel, Vee keeping a mage light hovering above our heads. The bright white glow cast eerie shadows along the smooth rockface. I ignored that and looked beyond the surface, into the land of power, elements, and numbers.
It took no effort for me to spot the haze of energy. I tunneled further in at full range, Vee hitting the area with a wind spell to clear the dust so people could breathe without choking. Tunneling in went much faster with her here to clear the air, thankfully. Before, I had to wait a few minutes for the dust to settle before I could continue. I was grateful for it, as each minute that it took dragged at my already tight nerves. I wished, for the millionth time, that I could put my spells on a grimoire like other mages. It would make my life so much easier. Unfortunately, my magic flat didn’t work that way and nothing I did could convince it to conform to normal magic traditions.
Another hundred and sixty feet into the mountain, a good twenty feet from the energy, I stopped and stared hard. Everyone stopped with me, holding their breaths, waiting to see what I would say. It was clear to me at a glance, but I looked beyond, not wanting to make assumptions or speak carelessly. Still, there was nothing else to see at this juncture. “This pocket of energy is dormant, just a trace residue.”
Chi let out a breath. “That’s great. No sign of a shard or anything?”
“Not at this point,” I admitted slowly. “But you know w
hat this looks like? A fallen minion. The energy was just trapped there because it got caught in the rocks.”
They all exchanged glances that spoke volumes.
“Rena.” Maksohm took in a breath, let it out, and asked the obvious question. “Can you confirm whether a branch of Toh’sellor is up here or not?”
Grimacing, I tasted the words, hot and sour before I said them. “Not at this point.”
“Do you feel that if you continue to tunnel, you’ll be able to answer that question?”
“I sure hope so. Otherwise I have to dismantle a mountain range to get an answer.”
“It’s completely sexy when she says stuff like that,” Bannen observed to Chi with a manic smile, “because I know that she can literally do that.”
“Dangerous women are hot,” Chi agreed in perfect accord.
I ignored the byplay. Their bantering was how they dealt with the stress of having a potential danger nearby that they couldn’t actively attack. “For now, I vote we back out. We don’t have any real daylight left and I can say for certain that there’s no active energy of Toh’sellor in our immediate vicinity. It’s safe enough for tonight.”
Relieved, Maksohm dropped the shield and motioned us back out. I trudged, feeling exhausted even though I technically hadn’t done a lot of magic that day. The emotional rollercoaster was no doubt to blame for it.
“Did anyone actually check on Toh’sellor’s status in Westhaven?” Emily abruptly asked.
“Yes, actually,” Maksohm answered steadily. “I called Magus Trammel while I was packing up. He assured me that Toh’sellor has been completely contained since its arrival in Westhaven. It hasn’t even grown a millimeter since Rena saw it last.”
Of course, I’d heard from Maksohm already about this, but I had a feeling I knew why Emily asked the question. “Em, this energy that I’m seeing, it predates the first time we battled Toh’sellor. I think this was one of the side branches that it sent out all over the world. The difference here is that there shouldn’t be any trace of energy after so many months have passed, which is why I’m freaking out a little. There’s either something about this mountain that resonates with Toh’sellor’s energy and preserves it, or this was the one shard that Toh’sellor sent out that managed to become independent before we took the main body down.”
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