by Clayton Wood
“...and so a five percent global tax increase is the only realistic option we have left,” Hewes concluded. Councilman Goran shook his head.
“I cannot endorse that,” he stated firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. “And neither will our citizens...not after their fortunes evaporated with the attack on Stridon Central Bank.”
“Then how do you propose we pay for rebuilding the Southwest Quarter?” Hewes demanded. “We're suffering from the largest deficit in twenty years...”
“I am well aware of the state of our budget,” Goran interrupted. “We'll pay for it by raising the cost of the properties we rebuilt.”
“Some of the Quarter's residents won't be able to afford a rent increase,” Hewes retorted. “You'd be effectively kicking them out of their homes right after we celebrated their return!”
“A tax increase won't do the same?” Goran countered.
Just then, the front door of the War room opened. Kalibar twisted around in his chair, spotting High Weaver Urson standing at the entrance.
“My apologies, Councilmen,” Urson stated. He walked up to Kalibar's side, leaning in. “I have news,” he whispered. Kalibar nodded, pushing himself away from the table, then rising to his feet. He turned to face the Council.
“I'll be back,” he stated. Goran and the other Councilmen nodded, and Erasmus stared at Kalibar questioningly. Kalibar ignored the look, turning about and following Urson out of the room. They made their way to Kalibar's suite. Kalibar unlocked the magic door, then ushered Urson in, closing it behind them. Urson turned to face Kalibar, his expression – as usual – impossible to read.
“We found the Defiance,” Urson declared. Kalibar felt a chill run down his spine, and he struggled to maintain his outward calm. The Defiance had been crippled in international waters, with Verhanian warships searching for it. There were only two possibilities: either the ship had been rescued, or it had been destroyed...and Kyle and Ariana with it.
“And?”
“Docked at an island called the Shimmering Isle, eighty miles north of Verhan,” Urson replied. “A neutral territory without extradition to Verhan. It docked today. The captain and crew are alive.”
“And my children?” Kalibar pressed, trying his best to hide his sudden frustration. Get on with it, he thought.
“Missing.”
“Missing?” Kalibar exclaimed incredulously. Urson nodded.
“The island's officials are refusing access to the captain and the crew,” Urson stated apologetically. “We haven't been allowed to interrogate them.”
“Get access,” Kalibar ordered. “Bribe them. You have clearance to mobilize whatever funds you require.”
“Yes sire.”
“Find my children, Urson,” Kalibar urged, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. “Make it happen.” Urson nodded crisply.
“Will that be all?”
“Yes,” Kalibar answered. “Get to it.” Urson saluted, then turned about, leaving the suite. The door shut slowly and silently behind him, leaving Kalibar alone in his room. He stared at the door for a long moment, then lowered his gaze to the floor.
They're alive, he thought, a wave of relief washing over him. He felt lightheaded suddenly, and walked over to one of his couches, sitting down on it and leaning back into the plush cushions. Somehow, the Defiance had escaped, sailing across hundreds of miles of open ocean in a few days despite being all but crippled. It was an impossible feat, one that could only have been achieved with magic.
And that meant his children had been aboard to save the ship.
Kalibar sighed, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs. He rubbed his face with his hands, then stared at the tabletop before him.
My children are alive, he thought. And they've made it to Orja.
He smiled despite himself, shaking his head and chuckling quietly. He hadn't given them enough credit, it appeared. He should have realized that Ariana's incredible talents would keep them both safe. With her shard protecting her, not even a fleet of warships stood a chance.
Still, against one of Sabin's Chosen, she would be utterly helpless.
Kalibar sighed, standing up from the couch. He began to pace, his boots clicking on the granite floor below with every step. Then he stopped suddenly, pivoting about and walking to his bedroom. His eyes went to the desk in the corner, where he'd put the stack of books from the Archives. Or rather, to the roll of paper next to them. He walked up to it, unrolling it and placing it on the bed. It was a huge map of Orja, the most current one they had. His predecessor, Grand Weaver Rivin, had gotten it as a gift from the King of Verhan. He traced his finger over the Orjanian coast, finding Verhan there. He went north, finding a small series of islands off of the coast. One was labeled “Shimmering Isle.” He paused, staring at it.
Kyle said Ampir had given him a map...
Kalibar cursed under his breath, wishing that he'd taken a look at that map when he'd had the chance. He had no idea where Sabin's lair was...no idea where Kyle and Ariana were going. And, as Erasmus had recently admitted to him, Kyle had specifically asked to learn the invisibility pattern before running away. Which meant that if Kyle and Ariana were using the pattern, his Battle-Weavers would never be able to find them...even if they knew where they were going. His Battle-Weavers could be standing a hundred feet away from the two, and they wouldn't even know it.
But I would, Kalibar thought.
He – and only he – had the ability to see magic. While sensing magic normally required the subject to be close by, Kalibar could sense magic as far as his eyes could see. He would be able to see the invisibility field surrounding Kyle and Ariana. That made him the only person who could possibly find them.
Kalibar stared at the map for a moment longer, then stood up straight, taking a deep breath in, then letting it out.
“Alright,” he muttered, turning away from the map and walking up to his nightstand. He streamed magic to the communication orb there, then walked out of the bedroom, back into his suite. He stopped a few feet from the translucent front door, then closed his eyes, taking another deep breath in.
Alright.
* * *
“You're doing what?” Erasmus exclaimed, staring at Kalibar in disbelief. Kalibar sighed, sitting down on one of Erasmus's chairs around a large table in the Grand Runic's suite, meeting his bewildered gaze. Kalibar had gone back to the Council meeting soon after talking with Urson, and when the meeting had finally adjourned, he'd asked Erasmus to speak with him here.
“I've made up my mind,” Kalibar stated firmly. Erasmus continued to stare at Kalibar, shaking his head slowly.
“You're out of your mind!” the portly Runic exclaimed. “You're out of your damn mind,” he added emphatically.
“I'm going after them,” Kalibar insisted.
“You're the goddamn leader of the free world!” Erasmus retorted heatedly. “You can't just pack up and leave to get your children!”
“I'm not 'getting' my children,” Kalibar countered calmly.
“Is that so?” Erasmus stated, putting his hands on his hips. “Then what the hell are you doing?”
“I'm going with them.”
Erasmus stared at Kalibar for a long moment, his eyebrows furrowing.
“You're going with them?” Erasmus asked. “What does that even mean?”
“My duty,” Kalibar replied, “...is to protect the Empire.”
“Exactly,” Erasmus agreed. “Which means you need to stay here and lead the damn country with me.”
“Erasmus, please...hear me out,” Kalibar insisted. Erasmus rolled his eyes, then gestured for Kalibar to continue. “My duty is to protect the Empire,” Kalibar repeated, “...but my position as Grand Weaver prevents me from doing just that.”
Erasmus started to say something, but in a rare moment of self-control, he stopped himself.
“Kyle and Ariana are in possession of the one weapon that has the capability of destroying Sabin,” Kalibar stated. Erasmus nod
ded, having already been told about Ampir's death, Xanos's true identity, and Kyle's bomb. “They're bringing it to Sabin so they can activate it.”
“I got that,” Erasmus grumbled impatiently.
“As far as I know,” Kalibar continued, “...I am the most skilled Battle-Weaver in the Empire, and the only Weaver with experience...and success...in fighting the Chosen.”
“Granted.”
“If Kyle and Ariana fail to destroy Sabin, the Empire will either be destroyed, or it will be subjugated. There is no other likely outcome.”
“But you know damn well they'll never make it,” Erasmus complained. “You said yourself that it's a fool's errand!”
“I did,” Kalibar agreed. “But it is the best – and only – chance that we have left.” He sighed then, lowering his gaze. “And so, in order to serve my people to the best of my ability, and to save my children, I must step down as Grand Weaver.”
“This is madness,” Erasmus protested, running both hands over his bald pate. He started to pace. “You know who's going to take over if you step down,” he added darkly. Kalibar tried to hide a smirk, but failed.
“Goran isn't so bad,” he soothed. Erasmus stopped pacing, turning to glare at him.
“Not that bad?” he exclaimed indignantly. “I hate that bastard and you know it!” He started pacing again. “Ever since that conniving, two-faced son-of-a...”
“Erasmus,” Kalibar interrupted gently. “It's only temporary.”
“Easy for you to say,” Erasmus retorted, throwing his hands up into the air. “You get to go on some hare-brained adventure with your kids while I'm stuck with that pompous, arrogant...”
“It'll be a week at most,” Kalibar stated, cutting his friend off. “I'll claim a week of vacation, and appoint Goran as acting Grand Weaver until I return.”
“If you return,” Erasmus muttered darkly. Kalibar nodded.
“If I return,” he agreed. “If not, then Goran will replace me permanently.”
“Which is exactly what's going to happen, by the way,” Erasmus stated, crossing his arms over his chest. “This is a suicide mission and you damn well know it,” he accused.
“Perhaps so,” Kalibar admitted. “If you have any better ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.” Erasmus snorted.
“You know I don't,” he grumbled. He sighed then, lowering his hands to his sides, then walking up to the couch and sitting down beside Kalibar. He turned to look at Kalibar for a long moment, then gave his old friend a weak smile. “You'd better make it back,” he warned. He put a hand on Kalibar's shoulder then. “I wouldn't know what to do without you.”
“You did fine while I was holed up in Bellingham,” Kalibar countered, returning Erasmus's smile. Erasmus chuckled.
“Never expected you to turn into a shut-in,” he admitted. “You were really pathetic for a few years there, you know.” Kalibar laughed, then nodded reluctantly.
“I was, wasn't I?”
“Hell yes you were,” Erasmus replied with a grin. “Down in your dank basement in Boringham, wasting your life away on hopeless projects. If I'd had your looks, I'd have spent my retirement drinking wine and chasing women.”
“In all fairness, I did drink a fair bit of wine.”
“Not enough,” Erasmus retorted. “If you'd had enough, you'd have a damn village filled with illegitimate children by now!”
“I think I would've enjoyed that particular project,” Kalibar admitted with a grin. Erasmus laughed, and so did Kalibar. But when the laughter died down, Erasmus sighed, standing up from the couch and facing Kalibar. Kalibar stood as well.
“Good luck old friend,” Erasmus said. He stepped forward then, wrapping his arms around Kalibar, giving him a hug. Then he stepped back, holding Kalibar's shoulders at arm's length. “If anyone can do it, you can.”
“Thank you,” Kalibar replied. Erasmus smiled then, but his eyes were sad, moisture lining his lower lids.
“You'd better come back, you old bastard,” he warned, his voice cracking. “You're my best friend, you know.”
“I know,” Kalibar replied, feeling his own eyes grow moist. “I love you too, old buddy.”
“Yeah, well,” Erasmus muttered, clearing his throat and blinking rapidly. “We'd better go tell the Council about your vacation.” He chuckled then, despite himself. “The worst timed vacation in history, by the way.”
“I never did take a vacation in my first term,” Kalibar countered. “I'd say I'm long overdue.”
“One of these days,” Erasmus groused, “...you'll have to take a real vacation.” Kalibar smiled.
“All right,” he replied. “If I make it back alive, I promise I'll take a real vacation.”
“With a date,” Erasmus insisted, giving a lecherous wink. Kalibar smirked.
“Fair enough.”
“Now I know you're hoping to die,” Erasmus said with a chuckle. Kalibar shook his head.
“No, I think it's about time I settled down,” Kalibar countered. “Not having a woman in my life is one regret I don't want to go to my deathbed with.”
“You obviously haven't been married for a while,” Erasmus quipped. Kalibar grinned.
“I should tell your wife you said that.”
“Do it after you come back,” he said with a wink. Then he sighed. “Come on then old friend,” he urged, turning toward the front door of his suite and pulling Kalibar toward it. “Let's get to it.”
Chapter 22
The sun chased Kyle and Ariana as they flew northwest through the warm, humid air, well above the horizon now. The wind howled in Kyle ears as they pressed ever forward, the landscape whipping by beneath them. Kyle had no idea how long they'd been flying for, but it must have been at least a couple of hours. They'd stopped a few times so that he could rest, and to check their position on the topographical map that Grotes had given them. By comparing nearby landmarks – a hill here, a lake there – they'd been able to track their progress rather accurately. The First Mate had been right; without that map, they would definitely have gotten lost.
Kyle frowned, peering beyond the treetops whizzing by a hundred feet below. There, in the distance, were a cluster of mountains rising up into the sky. Trees grew at their bases, growing sparse and stunted the higher the elevation, until there was only bare gray rock all the way up to the mountain peaks. These were capped with snow, which seemed impossible given the sweat pouring from Kyle's body. Down here, it was oppressively tropical.
One mountain stood head and shoulders above the rest, however. It had to be Mount Grimore. It was exactly as Grotes had described: impossible to miss. Ever since Ariana had spotted it – long before Kyle, of course – they hadn't had to recheck their map. The mountain was their guide now, to the dark forest that surrounded its massive base.
The Barren forest.
Kyle stared at that forest, unable to make out much. Thick white mist surrounded it, making it impossible to see very far in. Not to mention that they were still miles away.
“Slow down,” Ariana yelled in Kyle's ear, her voice cutting through the shrill screaming of the wind around them. He complied, gradually decreasing his magic stream to his gravity boots. The wind grew quieter as they slowed.
“That's got to be it,” Kyle said, pointing to the mist-shrouded forest. “Not sure why they call it the 'Barren' forest,” he added. It was the exact opposite of barren, actually. The trees were tall and lush, and from what he could see, the undergrowth was dense, with bushes and ferns sprouting from every inch of mossy ground. It was a veritable rain forest, like the ones Kyle had seen in his biology textbook back on Earth.
“You should make your gravity shield now,” Ariana suggested. “A completely closed one, so no one can hear us.”
“Good idea,” Kyle agreed. He wove magic, and a spherical shield appeared around them.
“Maybe a little bigger,” Ariana suggested. “So you can fit more air in.”
“Oh, right,” Kyle mumbled. He stopped his stream to the
first shield, creating a second – much larger – one. It extended about four feet above and below them, glowing a faint blue to Kyle's eyes. “We're almost there,” he added. The edge of the forest was only a few hundred yards away now. “We should fly over the trees slowly, so we don't make too much noise.” While his gravity shield blocked any noise that he might hear, blasting through the sky at a hundred miles per hour would make quite a racket outside of the shield. Going slow would take a lot longer, but they'd be less likely to be detected that way.
“Good idea,” Ariana agreed. “Let's go over our plan again.”
“Refresh the gravity shield every few minutes to get more air,” Kyle stated, having already gone over it many times before. “Stay above the treetops. Fly as fast as I can back to the Shimmering Isle if you tell me to run.”
“And don't come to get me,” Ariana added. Kyle sighed, then nodded.
“I won't.”
“Seriously Kyle,” Ariana insisted. “The Empire can't afford you risking yourself.”
“You sound like Kalibar now,” Kyle grumbled.
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
Kyle continued to fly them toward the tree line, now only fifty feet away. He slowed even further, until they were going maybe ten miles an hour, and brought them down to just above the treetops...far enough above to ensure that his gravity shield didn't accidentally hit a tree branch. They flew over the forest, peering down into the dark, misty depths. The forest floor was practically invisible, even from here, the mist too thick to see through.
“Can you see anything?” Kyle asked. Ariana shook her head.
“Not really.”
They continued forward, looking straight down, past his boots. The mist around the treetops directly below was a faint blue color, and he couldn't make out much of anything beyond it. The mist faded to white all around them, swirling with the wind of their passage.