by Clayton Wood
“Yeah right,” he grumbled. He knew better than to think that Darius cared about anyone, much less her. But Ariana ignored the comment.
“There was one night where I thought about...” She paused then, staring down at her feet as she walked. “...about ending it. I'd been awake for five days straight. When I told Darius, he said the funniest thing.”
“What's that?”
“He said: 'Forever is a long time to waste.'”
Kyle frowned, mulling that over. Then he glanced at her; she was still staring at her feet.
“I didn't try to end it that night,” she continued. “You know, I don't think I could end it, even if I tried.” Kyle nodded, knowing that Darius had secretly placed runes in her bones, enormously complicated magical patterns that would heal any injury she happened to suffer. That, combined with the Dead Man's crystal in her brain, made her nearly invincible...as long as she had magic. She was utterly unable to make magic anymore, and had to pull it from her environment when her reserves ran low. This was made possible by a small Void crystal in the center of the Dead Man's shard in her brain.
“How are you now?” he asked. Ariana glanced at him with her pretty brown eyes, a warm smile on her lips.
“Better,” she admitted. “Especially now that you're back.”
“Master Owens said you made a lot of progress?” Kyle asked. As the head instructor of the Battle-Weavers for the Empire, Owens had been grooming Ariana for early admission into Battle-Weaving school. Normally students had to be at least 18 to enter, but Ariana was quite gifted when it came to sparring with magic.
“Well, I used to take walks at night,” she replied. “Now I just practice Weaving.” Kyle's eyebrows raised.
“All night?”
“Yeah,” Ariana replied, giving him a rueful smile. “It's an unfair advantage over the other students, but it gives me something to do.”
“So you're super-strong and really good at magic?” Kyle pressed. “Remind me not to make you mad...” Ariana laughed, punching him lightly on the shoulder. Or rather, what she must have considered lightly; Kyle nearly toppled over with the blow. He barely caught himself, rubbing his injured shoulder and glaring at her. She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening; at first he thought she was horrified, but then he realized she was holding back laughter.
“Sorry,” she said, hardly seeming to be. Kyle shook his head at her. She reached out to rub his shoulder, giggling when he flinched as she came close. “Aw, my poor boyfriend,” she added, giving him a pitying look. “So fragile, like a delicate flower.”
“Ha ha,” Kyle grumbled.
“You're right,” Ariana stated, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close, leaning her head on his shoulder. Her hair tickled his neck pleasantly.
“What?”
“You shouldn't get me mad,” she murmured.
* * *
The sun passed its zenith in the sky, sending its warming rays down atop the seemingly endless lawn of the Secula Magna. It had long since evaporated the glistening dew from each blade of grass, and having given its warmth to the sprawling campus, it threatened to retire behind the safety of a passing cloud. Kyle and Ariana had finished their long walk together, returning at last to the Great Tower in the center of the campus.
As they drew near the massive structure, they had to maneuver through a large crowd of pedestrians coming in and out of the Tower's double-doors. Most were Runic and Weaver students, wearing their customary white and black uniforms, respectively. More than one of the students stared at Kyle as they passed, and Kyle remembered that he was a bit of a celebrity here. Not only had he invented the K-array and helped take down the Void Behemoth, but he was also the adopted son of Kalibar, the most powerful man in the Empire.
“Where's Kalibar?” he asked.
“Probably meeting with the Council,” Ariana answered.
“Let's go to our room then,” Kyle stated. They both lived in Kalibar's retirement suite, a large room with several bedrooms attached. Kalibar had earned the suite after finishing his first term as Grand Weaver six years ago. Kalibar himself lived one floor up, in the Grand Weaver suite. Ariana nodded, following alongside Kyle as he made his way out of the lobby and down a long hallway, toward the riser at the end. The riser was essentially an elevator powered by magic, a circular stone disc that carried passengers up and down the 42 floors in the Tower. They reached the riser, and it quickly rose, flying upward at dizzying speed until it reached the 41st floor. They stepped off, walking down another long hallway until they reached the door to Kalibar's suite. Ariana opened the door, and Kyle went to his bedroom, slipping out of his bedclothes and into the white Runic uniform the butler Jenkins had so thoughtfully prepared for him. When he stepped back out into the main suite, he found Darius standing there, next to Ariana.
“Hey,” Kyle greeted.
“Darius told Erasmus you were here,” Ariana notified. “He should be here any minute.”
As if on cue, the front door burst open, and a short, balding man dressed entirely in white appeared, striding quickly toward them. He was in his sixties, with twinkling blue eyes and a long white beard that ran all the way down to his impressive belly. His eyes widened as he spotted Kyle, and he sprinted up to the boy, a huge grin on his face.
“Kyle!” he exclaimed, giving Kyle a big bear hug. He held Kyle at arms' length then. “Thank god you're back,” he said with a sly grin. “I was getting sick of Kalibar's moping around all the time. Poor bastard had himself convinced you'd never come back.” He shook his head. “Half-expected him to take a swan dive off of his balcony yesterday.” He glanced at Darius then, as if noticing the bodyguard for the first time. “I was hoping you'd show him how it's done,” he quipped. There was no love lost between Darius and Erasmus, and Erasmus took delight in insulting the bodyguard every chance he got. Darius gave as good as he got, and usually even better, much to Erasmus's consternation. This time, however, the bodyguard said nothing.
“Good to see you,” Kyle replied, grinning at the portly Grand Runic. Erasmus glanced at Ariana.
“Hey, you tell him about the K-Array?”
“Yes sir,” she replied. Erasmus rubbed his pudgy hands together excitedly.
“Six new patterns in one week!” he exclaimed, slapping Kyle on the shoulder. “Can you believe it? At this rate, we'll double the known patterns in a few months!”
“Wow,” Kyle murmured. Erasmus snorted.
“Wow?” he exclaimed. “Wow? That damn K-Array is the single most important invention since the Ancients!” He grinned at Kyle, putting an arm around his shoulders. “You got any more brilliant ideas in that brain of yours?”
“Uh...”
“Already had one more than you,” Darius observed. Erasmus glared at the bodyguard.
“Don't you have a job to do?” he countered. “Or are your delicate bowels acting up again?”
“I left your legacy in the toilet,” Darius replied smoothly. Erasmus narrowed his eyes, his jaw working as he tried to come up with a clever retort. Failing this, he turned back to Kyle.
“Next time you go to Urth, take that metal-head with you,” Erasmus growled, pointing at Darius. “And leave him there.”
The front door opened then, and a tall man dressed entirely in black walked in. He had short white hair cut into a crew-cut, with brown eyes and a white goatee. His expression was grave – until he saw Kyle, and then he broke out into a big smile.
“Kalibar!” Kyle cried, running up to the man and leaping into his arms. He gave Kalibar a big hug, and felt Kalibar give him a tight squeeze in return.
“Good to see you, Kyle,” Kalibar stated, holding Kyle for a moment longer, then disengaging. “How was your trip?”
“Short,” Kyle replied.
“Are you going to stay for a while?” Kalibar pressed. Kyle nodded. “Good. Erasmus is eager to have you continue your training.”
“I've got the perfect teacher for you,” Erasmus cut in,
his blue eyes twinkling. “How about we start your lessons tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Kyle agreed.
“Excellent,” Erasmus stated. He turned to Kalibar. “I don't know about you,” he added. “...but I'm starving. How about we catch up over lunch?”
“Good idea,” Kalibar replied. He smiled at Kyle then, putting a hand on Kyle's shoulder. “Welcome home, Kyle. We missed you.”
“Thanks,” Kyle replied, smiling back. “It's good to be back,” he added.
“Come on,” Erasmus stated, walking toward a glass orb laying on one of the many side-tables in the massive suite. The orb glowed faintly when touched, then turned clear again. It was a communication orb, allowing one to summon someone from anywhere within the Tower. “It's time that butler of yours got us something to eat!”
* * *
Kyle dug his fingers into the steaming slice of roasted duck on the plate in front of him, shoveling the delicious meat into his mouth. He devoured it rapidly, washing it down with small sips of water. Erasmus and Darius both drank wine, while Ariana sat next to Kyle, neither eating or drinking. She had no need of food or water, a fact that had initially depressed her greatly. She seemed to have come to terms with her condition, watching Kyle eat with a small smile on her lips.
“So how was the meeting?” Kyle asked Kalibar, after he'd finished his plate. Jenkins appeared out of nowhere, the butler whisking away the plate immediately, then replacing it with another. Kalibar sighed, taking a sip of water from his own glass.
“Not terrible,” he replied. “Councilman Goran is playing nice for a change, but without a majority in the Council, we're losing votes.”
“I told you we shouldn’t have revoked the Right of Dictatorship,” Erasmus grumbled.
“The immediate crisis is over,” Kalibar countered. “The Constitution was created for a reason, and we need to respect it.” Erasmus snorted, but Kalibar held up a hand to stop his old friend's retort. “And the Council agreed not to have us tried and executed after our terms ended,” he added with a wry smirk.
“Good point,” Erasmus conceded.
“How is the city doing?” Kyle asked.
“The Southwest Quarter is being rebuilt,” Kalibar answered. “Erasmus's Runics have been working around the clock to repair it.”
“We're not just repairing it,” Erasmus retorted. “We're completely redesigning it.” He grinned, leaning back in his chair and patting his rotund belly happily. “The first of the original tenants are about ready to move back in.”
“Good,” Kyle replied. The people who’d lived in the buildings had been mysteriously teleported to safety right before the Void Behemoth’s deadly beam had destroyed their homes. Kyle stole a glance at Darius, who seemed to be ignoring everyone, having summoned Jenkins to provide a third plate of steaming duck. The corpses of his two other culinary conquests lay defeated on their plates.
“Undoubtedly,” Kalibar agreed. “There's no doubt that it was Ampir,” he added. “What I wouldn't give to speak with the man.”
“If we could just get him on our side,” Erasmus agreed, “...Xanos wouldn't stand a chance!”
“He is on our side,” Kalibar corrected. “Or at least he appears to be.” Erasmus snorted.
“Well if he'd killed that damn Behemoth before it decided to melt a few city blocks, he wouldn't have had to teleport those people to the countryside,” the Grand Runic retorted. “If the guy really wanted to do us a favor, he wouldn't keep waiting till the last minute to pull our asses from the fire.”
“Agreed,” Kalibar replied. Kyle forced himself not to look at Darius again, staring down at his own plate instead. He agreed with Kalibar and Erasmus, of course. He'd said something similar to Darius in the past, when he'd realized that Darius had let Kalibar be tortured by the Dead Man.
“He's the only reason we're still alive,” Ariana interjected, brushing a few hairs from her face. Erasmus glanced at her, then nodded silently. Everyone knew that Ampir was the reason she was still alive, in a manner of speaking, having modified the Dead Man's crystal to prevent Xanos from controlling her.
“Who can understand the mind of such an ancient being?” Kalibar mused. “Ariana is right...we should be thankful. And if Ampir wants to reveal himself to us, he will.” He took another sip of his water, then leaned back in his chair. “We should concentrate on doing what we can do, not what he can do.”
“And what can we do?” Erasmus asked rather snidely.
“Continue our work on the K-Array,” Kalibar answered. He turned to Kyle. “We've selected magical plants that use patterns we think will be the most useful against the enemy,” he explained. “The K-Array has allowed us to reverse-engineer these patterns. If we expand our knowledge of magic, it may provide an advantage.”
“Damn right,” Erasmus agreed, perking up. “And the patterns are just the beginning...each one might have dozens of applications!” He turned to Kalibar. “The invisibility pattern we just learned should prove quite handy.”
“That's why we've made the K-Array our highest priority,” Kalibar stated, nodding at Kyle. “Your idea might just give us the edge we need in this war,” he added. “Ideas change the world...and yours has already done so. Now we have to develop your ability to bring your ideas to life.”
“That's where I come in,” Erasmus stated eagerly, his blue eyes twinkling underneath his bushy white eyebrows. “Tomorrow morning you'll start your Runic training...I've set up an accelerated course for you.”
Jenkins arrived then, the blue-clad butler removing everyone's finished plates and glasses from the table. Darius had finally finished his third plate of food, and leaned back in his chair, pulling on his golden gauntlets and crossing his arms over his chest.
“I need a day off,” the bodyguard declared, his eyes on Kalibar.
“Give him the rest of his life off,” the Erasmus offered with a wicked grin. “He deserves it.” Kalibar smiled, but didn't take Erasmus's bait.
“Of course,” Kalibar replied, nodding at Darius. “May I ask what for?”
“To visit an old friend,” Darius replied. Erasmus's bushy eyebrows went up.
“I wasn't aware you had any,” he quipped.
“By all means,” Kalibar answered, “...take the day off, and another if you need to.”
“I leave tonight,” Darius declared. Kyle stared at the bodyguard for a long moment, then glanced at Ariana. She appeared lost in thought, her eyes on the tabletop.
“Well,” Kalibar stated, standing up from his chair and glancing at Erasmus. “We should get back to running the Empire. Ariana, why don't you and Kyle spend the afternoon catching up,” he added. “I had Master Owens cancel your evening classes.”
“Thank you,” Ariana said with a grateful smile. Kyle felt her cold hand grasp his, and he gave it a squeeze. The rest of the adults left the table, leaving Kyle alone with her. He stifled a yawn then, and Ariana stood, pulling him up with her.
“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn't get much sleep.”
“Why don't you take a nap?” she offered.
“You want to take a walk first?” Kyle asked.
“You're sure?”
“Yeah,” Kyle confirmed. “I'll get plenty of sleep afterward.”
“Okay,” Ariana agreed. “I'll watch over you when you sleep,” she added. Kyle raised an eyebrow at that.
“Creepy,” he replied. But of course he didn't really mind.
“Come on,” she urged, pulling him toward the front door of the suite. “Let's go!” Kyle hardly had a choice in the matter; her grip was as firm as a statue's, and she soon led him out of Kalibar's suite and down the hallway to the riser, which brought them swiftly to the ground floor. They walked hand-in-hand down another long hallway to the lobby, past throngs of students going busily about their day, until they'd made it through the huge double-doors leading outside. They had plenty of company, classes having ended recently. Hundreds of Runic and Weaver students were filing out of the Tower toward the
dormitories nearby. Kyle and Ariana weaved through the crowd until they'd reached a little-used path off of one of the main roads. It wasn't long before they'd left the crowd behind; the only sound was the faint clop, clop of boots on the path behind them. Kyle turned about, but didn't see anyone there.
“Our guards,” Ariana explained. “They started practicing the invisibility pattern today.”
Kyle nodded, knowing that Kalibar had insisted that elite guards follow Kyle wherever he went, particularly after his kidnapping by the Dead Man. It wasn't long before Kyle and Ariana had reached a lone tree in the center of a grassy field.
“This is my favorite tree,” Ariana declared. I come here every day to sit down and meditate.”
Suddenly Kyle heard someone clear their throat behind them, and they both turned to find none other than Darius standing on the path behind them. The bodyguard was dressed in his usual attire, of course. His golden armor gleamed in the fading sunlight, his blue eyes staring at them expressionlessly.
“Oh,” Ariana gasped, tensing for a moment. “Darius, I didn't hear you coming.”
“Neither did your guards,” Darius grumbled, pushing outward with his left hand. There was a yelp, followed by an elite guard appearing out of thin air, tumbling to the grass beside the path. The elite guard scrambled to his feet, glaring at the bodyguard.
“How the hell...” he began, but Darius cut him off with one gauntleted hand.
“Leave,” he ordered. The guard's jaw dropped, and then he glanced off to Darius's right. The other elite guard appeared, glaring at Darius, then at his fellow guard.
“Grand Weaver Kalibar...” he began.
“Made me their bodyguard,” Darius interjected. Both guards glared at him, then turned about sharply, marching back to the Tower in the distance. Darius turned to Kyle. “We need to talk,” he stated. Kyle glanced at Ariana, who smiled at him.
“I guess I'll see you back in the Tower?” she asked. Kyle nodded. She waved, then turned back toward the Tower in the distance. The sun was setting, and lights shone in each of the countless windows that ran up the magnificent structure. Brilliant rays shot outward from the crystalline pyramid that topped it. Kyle watched Ariana's retreating form, then turned back to Darius.