The Equilibrium of Magic

by Michael W. Layne

  CHAPTER 86

  THE QUEEN HAD ALWAYS been a careful planner, and long ago she had created a system of secret passageways that led out of the mountain in case she ever had to retreat from an enemy inside her city.

  She never imagined that she would have to use them to flee her own people.

  As she made her way through the secret corridor that began at the back of the council chambers, the Queen was already plotting her revenge on Merrick. She cursed the day she had shown weakness and let her emotions guide her to lay with Merrick’s father.

  But the King of the Fire tribe was so much different than her husband, Ohman. Ohman was not Merrick’s father, but the two men were very much alike, from what the Queen had heard. Ohman had been a good ruler to her people, but he had not been much of a husband. He had never been cruel, but his sin had been one of neglect. He was always working, and when he one day declared that he had been chosen by Terrada to follow a secret quest, his work life doubled in intensity. The Queen admired his dedication, but he was never able to enjoy the moment, much the same as Merrick, she suspected.

  On the other hand, when the Queen had first met Pacal, the King of the Fire Tribe, she had been instantly mesmerized by his passion and the way he devoured each day as it came.

  Their connection had been immediate and their spark volatile.

  Terrada had never allowed the Queen to visit Annoon, but Sigela had been more than willing to break her truce with the other dragons to let the her and Pacal onto the sacred island. There, they spent weeks together in joyful bliss, both physical and emotional, away from the stresses and responsibilities of their respective thrones.

  They had gone to Annoon for more than just an escape, however. Both of them were also dreamers and were not content to let the world unfold around them without having a say in its future.

  The result of their passion had been the inception of Merrick and Eudroch.

  When they had lain together in Annoon, they had both believed that they were doing the work of the dragons—that their actions would one day result in the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Sons of Earth and Fire, where the world would be remade, and the Drayoom would once again rise to dominate the planet.

  Despite the fact that she had just lost her throne in one horrifying moment to her own son, she was still hopeful that their dreams would be realized. The ways of the dragons were almost always impossible to discern or to predict, so maybe Merrick was destined to rule the Earth Clan after all. Perhaps she had inadvertently accomplished what she and Pacal had wanted all along.

  If she knew Merrick as well as she believed she did, he would try to unite the Earth and the Fire families. Together, they would have twice the power that the other two families had on their own. Whether Merrick would use that power remained to be seen, but it was possible that bringing the two families together might be the beginning of a unified Drayoom family that would be better poised to rule the world once again.

  As the Queen came to the end of her secret corridor, she faced the solid wall of the mountain. Beyond that slab of quarter-mile-thick rock lay the outside world into which she hardly ever ventured.

  She had found and prepared a remote location for this type of eventuality, but her destination was halfway around the world, and she would need Terrada’s help to reach it.

  Quietly, she sank to her knees and touched the ground—reaching out to the very essence of the Earth Dragon herself.

  The Queen intoned the correct words from Terrada’s tongue that would allow her to travel through the mountain wall and along the dragon’s spine.

  But for the first time ever, the words did not work, and Terrada’s body did not open for her.

  CHAPTER 87

  TAMAMI STOOD just inside the Earth Mountain, at the top of the cliff that overlooked the city. From her vantage point, she had seen the slaughter of the Prince and his elite unit of Wind Warriors.

  She was both frightened and amazed at what she had witnessed.

  She placed her hand on her stomach and tried to feel the life force growing inside of her.

  Merrick, with the blood of only two dragons in his veins, was able to unleash enough power to destroy hundreds of the Emperor’s finest warriors and her dear brother, the Prince, in a single instant.

  With the blood of all four dragons coursing through its body, Tamami shuddered with religious fervor to think of what the child she carried inside her womb would one day be capable.

  CHAPTER 88

  MERRICK AND CARA returned to Tysons Corner that same day with Mona’s body. It was the saddest he had ever been while traveling as a part of Terrada, and the journey felt completely different to him.

  Instead of a rapid-fire series of becoming different parts of the Earth, the trip home felt to Merrick like he was being slowly poured onto the ground and allowed to slowly seep through its layers. Merrick also paid no attention to focusing on a thought that would remind him of who he was and help to keep himself whole.

  In some ways, he almost hoped that he would literally lose himself during the trip and be dispersed throughout Terrada forever.

  All he could think about was how he had brought Mona to her end, perhaps inadvertently, but conclusively just the same.

  Merrick and Cara had talked about it before returning, and at Cara’s gentle suggestion, he had agreed that the best thing would be for Mona’s body to be found amongst the rubble that was still being sorted through outside the Rune Corp building.

  It would allow her to be taken by the authorities and put into the human system of grieving with no questions from the authorities. Cara had convinced Merrick that this would be the best thing for her friends and family. Having a body to say goodbye to was essential to reaching closure.

  Placing Mona’s body peacefully amidst the wreckage was simple. And just as expected, the rescue workers found her the next morning.

  When the police officer asked Merrick if he could identify the body, his grief flowed from him as he put his head on her bosom for the second time in as many days and wept for his loss and for their loss.

  Over the last year, Merrick had experienced more death than he had ever known before. He had also been given a new perspective about the ending of life. He understood that Mona would be returned to the Earth—her energy recycled and reborn in some other way.

  That knowledge did not ease his sorrow in the slightest.

  After attending her funeral and consoling her parents as best as he could, Merrick reluctantly returned to Rune Corp that next week.

  Although there was no joy in it for him, on his first day back, he made it clear to both Cara and the others that even though he saw Rune Corp and the Earth Clan as becoming part of a single force one day, he would provide his guidance from the seat of power at the Earth City.

  For better or for worse, he had made his bid for the throne, and with Mona gone, he would pour every last bit of his energy into being the type of Ard Righ the clan deserved.

  He was their king now, and as such he had an obligation to protect each of Terrada’s followers from the threats of today and the dangers of tomorrow.

  And as far as Merrick was concerned, the main threat to the Drayoom as a people was the Emperor of the Wind Family.

  Merrick was just as sure that the Emperor considered the Earth Clan, the Fire Tribe, and even Rune Corp to be obstacles standing in the way of building the empire he desired.

  The next day, Merrick returned to the Earth Clan, and the people came out in droves to welcome him back. As he walked down the main road that led to the center of the city, he saw hope and happiness in their eyes, even if his own eyes were still filled with sadness.

  He hoped they would remain as hopeful when he explained that it would be better for their clan to be at war, filled with pride and purpose, than to be at peace but unprepared for when the inevitable threat of the Emperor was realized.

  He would soon find out.

  The biggest surprise of all had come during the ceremon
y where Merrick had officially taken his rightful place on the throne.

  Two mighty yew trees outside of the Earth Council’s meeting room twisted together and formed a wide, royal perch on which Merrick could sit so that all of the clan could see their king. Such a thing had not been done since Ohman’s rule—the last time the people had a ruler whom they had truly desired.

  Cara stood on the ground at the foot of the throne, looking out at the crowd before turning her gaze first to the Master Keeper, who nodded, and then to Merrick.

  She stepped up to where Merrick stood, close enough that he could hear her above the noise of the crowd.

  “Merrick—seeing you here—I can tell, just like all of these people, that you were meant to lead them.”

  Merrick glanced at her solemnly and nodded with only the slightest dip of his head.

  “But I know what you plan on doing,” she said, “and waging war against the full might of the Wind Family won’t be an easy task. What you did to the Prince and his men was...unprecedented, but you have to assume the Emperor will be better prepared for you next time and that many more lives will be lost on both sides before a war is over.”

  “It will be what it has to be,” Merrick said.

  “I know,” Cara said, looking up at him even as he continued to avoid her eyes. “But to make the clan whole, and to lead them through what is to come...they will need both a King and a Queen.”

  For several moments, Merrick was quiet.

  “What are you saying, Cara?” Merrick finally said, as he turned to look at her.

  “Let me sit with you and be your Queen. I’m not trying to replace Mona, but this is the right thing to do for these people—our people. We make a good team. We know that already. Let me help you. It would also go a long way toward joining the Earth Clan and Rune Corp together as a single group.”

  Merrick opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. He looked at the Master Keeper standing at the front of the crowd below him.

  The Master Keeper nodded with grim assurance.

  Merrick’s heart was closed and would remain so, but he already loved Cara like a sister, and he trusted her like one as well.

  “I’m not just going to war with the Wind Family, you know,” he said. “I’m going to unite all of the Drayoom just as I will unite our languages. You have to understand that.”

  “I do,” Cara said.

  He couldn’t bring himself to say it without breaking down in front of his subjects, but he extended his hand to Cara and welcomed her to stand next to him.

  When the crowd realized what had just happened, the noise from their shouts doubled in volume.

  The Master Keeper walked up to the foot of the throne and raised his hands toward the mass of people. In an instant, the huge crowd went silent.

  Turning to face Merrick and Cara, the Master Keeper held out his hand, palm down, and both Merrick and Cara kneeled.

  Merrick saw the crown handed to the Master Keeper from one of his attending Keepers. It was both grand and simple at the same time, made of gold and tree branches woven together with sparkling divinium intertwined throughout.

  When the Master Keeper set the crown upon Merrick’s head, he felt its weight in more ways than one.

  Then the Master Keeper was handed a similar but smaller crown, which he placed on Cara’s head.

  Together they stood as the Master Keeper bowed and backed away from the throne.

  The crowd was silent as Merrick and Cara sat together on the throne of yews.

  With their new King and Queen in place, the citizens of the Earth Clan erupted once again in elation.

  Merrick looked out at the cheering crowd, but he felt no joy. He did, however, sense that a balance had been restored—one that had been missing since Ohman had abandoned the clan so many years ago.

  And for now, that would do.

  Merrick leaned over, placing his mouth close to Cara’s ear.

  “Who will run Rune Corp?” he said.

  “I’ve already taken care of that. Our company is in safe hands,” Cara said. “As soon as you are ready, we can meet with the new CEO and begin our planning.”

  “Thank you, Cara,” Merrick said as he gently placed his hand on hers, “for everything.”

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER 89

  BRADLEY SAT at Cara’s old desk, in what had been her office, and Ohman’s before that. Through his circular window, he could see the clouds forming outside, another day of storms in the forecast.

  He looked down at his right leg. It was hidden by the material of his pants, but he knew that at least one part of him was closer to being a Drayoom than before.

  Of course, that wasn’t the only change Bradley was dealing with. When Cara had approached him about taking over the company, he hadn’t known how to respond.

  His first thought was that he was unworthy of her trust. After all, he had spied for the Queen, even though Cara had most likely never unearthed that fact.

  He almost told her, but he knew that part of his life was behind him now. He had moved past his own weakness of character and in the end had fought for what was right.

  Bradley had no doubt that his actions against the Wind Warriors had played significantly into why Cara had asked him to run the company. The fact that he had become something of a hero to the Rune Corp employees didn’t hurt the situation either.

  After only a few seconds of thinking, Bradley had accepted the position from Cara, along with the understanding that Cara and Merrick would serve as Rune Corp’s Board of Trustees, along with Oodrosil in whatever way a tree could serve in that kind of a role.

  Bradley chatted with Cara for an hour or so before she gave him the papers to sign and went over some of the things she wanted him to work on until the next time they met.

  She talked about ramping up hiring, and expanding the advanced weapons section that Bradley was so familiar with. There was a time of war coming, she had told him, and when he looked into her eyes, he believed her.

  Bradley had suggested expanding the building into a campus—turning it into its own fortified city within the heart of Tysons Corner. They had both agreed that the expansion should begin immediately, since they had to repair the building anyway from the damage sustained in the assault.

  Cara had also assured Bradley that she would talk to Merrick about getting him more divinium. They would never have as much as they wanted, but Merrick would get as much as he could to help with the weapons production and with the language unification initiative.

  The Emperor’s troops had been turned back due to individual bravery and extreme defensive measures, but the power of the Wind Family was immense, and Bradley agreed with Cara that they would be back one day. Bradley’s job was to ensure that the company and its people were ready when that time came. He was thankful that he had Master Banzo and Jonathan as his two new vice presidents to help him prepare.

  Bradley had plenty on his plate, and he felt the stress of his new role after only a few days, but with his promotion, he was also doing much better than he had ever dreamed would be possible. He allowed himself a moment to take pride in his accomplishment.

  But only a moment.

  Bradley took a deep breath and exhaled before standing and walking out of his office. He signaled to Betty as he passed by her door and mentioned that he was heading down to conduct the first interview of the day.

  Betty turned from her computer screen and smiled knowingly before returning to her keyboard and continuing to tap away.

  As Bradley approached Oodrosil, he stopped and reached out to touch the trunk of the mighty yew tree. He didn’t know how, but he could sense that Oodrosil knew his secret about spying for the Queen, and that the tree still accepted him anyway. With his hand still on its rough bark, he said a silent thank you before moving on.

  CHAPTER 90

  EVEN WITH THE FOOTAGE she had of one of the most amazing things ever to happen, Joanna knew that she still needed more before going to
her editor. The last thing she wanted was to be known as the crazy lady reporter who believed in ninjas dropping down from the sky.

  Fortunately, only two weeks after the attack on Rune Corp, the company was flooding the area with news about hiring for some new contract they claimed to have been awarded. Of course, no matter how hard Joanna looked on the U.S. Government’s procurement notification site, she couldn’t find any mention of an award going to Rune Corp. This could mean that the contract was classified, or that the whole thing was a farce.

  She had a lot of pieces to what she was calling the Rune Corp Puzzle, but none of them fit together into anything that made sense.

  She was hoping that the interview she was scheduled for in a few minutes at Rune Corp would shed some light on something for her.

  Joanna parked across the street and walked over to what used to be the Rune Corp parking lot. She glanced at the sky as she made her way to the front door of the building as the first drop of rain hit her forehead.

  She was met outside the building by a nice enough young lady who handed her a badge and ushered her into a vestibule where she had to listen to a recorded message about keeping everything she saw or learned at the company strictly confidential.

  Joanna had to stifle her laugh in case they were watching her through hidden video cameras.

  After she made her way to the lush lobby filled with more plants and flowers than she had ever seen indoors, she was escorted to a small office where she met a thin man named Bradley.

  She was surprised when Bradley introduced himself as the new CEO of Rune Corp, but Joanna went along with it as the interview got underway.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joanna,” Bradley said as the two of them took their seats on either side of a plain but gorgeous table carved out of exotic wood. “I see from your application that you are interested in a job with our company.”

  “As a matter of fact, I am,” Joanna replied. “Excuse me for saying, but your ad was a little...vague.”