Star Druid

by Skyler Grant

  "You should have gotten the Spellweaver to help," Astra said, reaching out to touch the pillar. For a moment the runes seemed lit from behind with flames. "Urania was a magical scholar, but this is ... very different from the arts of the Void."

  Banok remembered Vanwyn saying something like that. Both the Dwarven and Elven traditions were about drawing power from nature, but the Void was something entirely different. Vanwyn had also said that Druid magic came from both. Could he use that in some way to his favor?

  "Tell me what you do know. You promised me your wisdom," Banok said.

  "I did," Astra said, flames tickling along her neck as she nodded. "Dwarven rune magic is all about order. Carved into stone, layer upon layer built on each other into increasingly complicated forms. This is as advanced as anything I've ever seen."

  "Does that mean if we break even a tiny part we break the whole?" Banok asked. If there was anything he did well, it was destruction.

  "Probably, but the dragon is the focus of this working. Knock the magic out of alignment and it doesn't fade, it goes wrong. All of that cascading power is directed at her. Maybe you kill her, maybe this entire planet explodes," Astra said.

  The dragon gave Astra a look that seemed almost approving.

  That must be part of why she was trapped. According to legends of past wars, dragons had been no slouches themselves when it came to destruction. But in this case, if she tried to free herself it could very well kill her.

  Banok thought he had a solution. While his powers as an elementalist were new, his abilities as a Tender were older. And although Astra was a powerful portion of his magic, she wasn't the whole of it. This wasn't a problem to be solved with fire. This was a problem to be solved by the Head Druid.

  Banok focused his attention on the dragon. "I think I can free you, Astraxia. But if I can you must not harm this world."

  More puffs of fire, not so approving this time.

  "What are you thinking?" Astra asked.

  "I'm thinking the Druid home world has been destroyed. I hadn't planned to claim this one, but I think I can. I can't get rid of this power, and if I channel it into destruction I'll kill us all, but I can channel it into life," Banok said.

  Astraxia peered at him, her eyes dark and deep.

  "I can't control what will happen. I think a lot will die. Whatever vengeance you want it's likely to happen anyway," Banok told the creature.

  The dragon still stared at him. She was expecting something else, wanted something else.

  Nyx flew up and kicked Banok hard in the ear with an armored foot.

  "Oww!" Banok said, swatting at the fairy.

  "She's the last of her kind, dummy. Think," Nyx said, before flying off back to her computers.

  The dragon had nowhere else to go.

  Banok was making friendships when and where he could—but a dragon?

  "Treat this world and the life on it with respect and ... you can stay. We'll figure it out," Banok said.

  The dragon dipped its head. That would have to do for an answer.

  It was time to shake things up.

  "Get ready," Banok told Nyx. "You might have to do work quickly when I'm done here. Call Cleo and tell her to get back on the ship. I don't think she wants to be on the ground."

  29

  The Dwarven magic was drawing on the power of the stone, the power of the planet. While Banok didn't understand how it was channeled, the core of that power was familiar.

  Banok extended his senses through the runes, following the flow of power backward. His awareness sunk even deeper into the planet, the molten core a heart of fire that was in some ways similar to him.

  The sense of the planet was something new and strange. Banok's druid senses had always been able to reach out some distance, however something on this scale was far beyond what he'd ever achieved before.

  And it was astonishing just how much this world was dead.

  There were parks, a few tiny carefully groomed, green spaces on a planet that was almost all skyscrapers. Tiny pets, all with so little difference between them. And humans, humans everywhere.

  Nature was impossible to completely erase, for all that it had been paved over for centuries. There were seeds in the soil, however deeply buried. Waiting for sun and rain they would never see. Bones of the life that had once roamed this world remained too, savage feral things. The Dwarves had gone underground for the reason. The surface had once been deadly.

  Banok began to pull the power out of the runes and shift it towards those remnants of life. Seeds sprouted and met resistance, but they had lifeforce being channeled into them, and they could overcome.

  One generation quickly spawned a second, and a third, and where moments before there had been hundreds of seedlings underground now there were thousands. A thriving vegetative mass buried beneath the cities, beneath the streets and the buildings, yearning to break free.

  Stone was strong, but it wasn't infinite in its strength. When finally a sprout burst through, the crack allowed a dozen more to quickly follow.

  Banok knew that above him the streets would be breaking apart, the towers crumbling. There was so much more power yet to expend. What he was doing was going to have dire consequences—but that had never been in doubt.

  A few tendrils of green were growing into trees, and at their feet the ancient predators were coming back to life. Birds with dozens of razor-sharp, tiny teeth taking to the sky, hunting the streets for prey. Wolf-like creatures with jagged talons hunted in packs.

  Around Banok, even this far beneath the ground the structures shook.

  The pillars surrounding the dragon were lit now, the runes glowing with a brilliant blue light—but that light was flickering. The magic powering them was fading, being diverted elsewhere.

  Instead of abruptly collapsing the magic was slowly diminishing, weakening by the moment.

  Banok was still going. The center of a Druid world was the Grove, a single mass of trees that shared resources, root structure, and lifeforce. This network ultimately became a thing that druids too could tap into, a nearly inexhaustible well to help them work their magic. Above Banok on the surface, a Grove was expanding rapidly, growth fueled by the last vestiges of power in this place.

  The light faded from the pillars, the last of the power fuelling the magic finally diverted. With the magic gone, the stone began to crumble, an ominous shaking coming from overhead as the supports to the room were collapsing.

  The dragon swung about, an eruption of fire from her mouth so intense it turned stone molten as she breathed fire, transforming a wall into a tunnel.

  Without any sign of thanks Astraxia ambled off through it.

  Banok supposed that some days you had to take just still being alive as a win.

  "You're good to start the transfer," Banok said to Nyx.

  The fairy was buzzing between terminals. "I know that, dummy! I'm working! If it wasn't for me you'd really be screwed. It is going to take awhile."

  More rumblings from the ceiling as another pillar shattered, filling the air with dust and debris.

  Banok focused, drawing in a bit of power from the new Grove on the surface and feeding it to the stones of this room. Strengthening the structure, slowing the inevitable collapse of the chamber.

  "At least she left you an exit," Astra said, kneeling down to run her fingertips through the molten stone left in the dragon's wake. "I always wanted a pet dragon. Probably best I never met one."

  "Instead you got a pet dummy. You really got screwed, lady," Nyx said, scowling at Astra as she kicked a computer terminal.

  Banok's senses extended far enough into the bank to know that most of it was imploding, whole levels of the tower falling into another, and cave-ins were everywhere on the underground sections. The dragon-created tunnel would be their best way out now.

  "Was this supposed to take so long?" Banok asked.

  "How long did you think hacking into very secure bank computers would take? Maybe if some over-
sized idiot hadn't decided to literally bring down the roof it wouldn't be a big deal," Nyx said in agitation as she buzzed around. "There is more here than we thought. I don't know how much, but I don't want to leave any behind."

  Well, if their reason for staying longer was greed, Banok was all for it. Although he didn't quite know what reputation he'd have after this, he didn't think it would be a good one. But there were few crimes that enough money couldn't wash away.

  He couldn't hold the room's collapse at bay much longer. Things were still shifting around out there, changing. Nature had been subdued on this planet for a very long time, defeated and buried. Now that it had been set free, it was angry.

  Groves weren't supposed to be angry, at least Banok had never encountered one. Nature might be cruel, but not the Groves, they were always places of tranquility and sanctuary. Not this one, whether because of some flaw in Banok himself or the nature of this world, the Grove above was predatory.

  It was still growing. Much like magic the energy of life was never truly destroyed. The death of so many on the surface was helping to fuel the further growth of the Grove.

  "Can I walk on that stuff?" Banok asked Astra, who was still playing with the molten rock.

  "You'll want to shield yourself a bit so the rock doesn't hurt you, but you're immune to the heat," Astra said cheerfully. "I should melt more things. I really like things when they're melted."

  "Maybe we can set people on fire together sometime. I mean, if you want," Nyx said, as she yanked a data drive and flew it over to Banok.

  Banok tucked the drive into a pocket and together they headed for the tunnel. Nyx wouldn't make direct contact with the molten rock, but he still gave her a magical shield for protection from the heat of the air.

  The passage angled upwards. They quickly left the bank behind and they passed layers of underground city infrastructure. They went through a train tunnel where the dragon had cleaved straight through the track. Then a sewer, the air noxious.

  When they reached surface they found it to be a killing ground. Where not that long before the streets had teemed with pedestrian and vehicle traffic, they now were still. Crumpled vehicles were everywhere, tossed aside by trees that had erupted from the ground. Those skyscrapers that hadn't been destroyed had pillars of smoke rising from them.

  There were bodies as well, so many bodies.

  "It's beautiful," Astra said, spinning around with her arms spread wide, tendrils of flame dancing through the air as she laughed.

  Banok hit his comm. "We're clear and at street level. I hope you two made it out of there."

  "We did. We're on the way," Cleo said.

  "Does it all look this bad?" Banok asked.

  "Within ten square blocks of the bank there isn't much living on the ground. People in the towers are okay, mostly. It isn't quite that bad elsewhere," Cleo said.

  "Destruction and creation. This is what it's all about. This is us," Astra said, skipping over to Banok and taking his arm in hers.

  Banok believed her. The seed he had planted here would continue to grow, and that growth would mean the destruction of all that had been here before. In time this would all be ruins, apart from whatever home the Druids eventually built here.

  It was kind of terrible. It was kind of beautiful.

  Less than five minutes later the Catspaw hovered overhead and extended a ladder, and Banok climbed aboard. With the resources of the ship Nyx began to figure out just what their take was. Meanwhile, they figured out their next goal. They'd dealt a crippling blow to their enemy. Now it was time to make them bleed.

  30

  Two days later the Catspaw was in orbit around a dead world, far from any normal shipping lanes. The crew had gathered in the lounge to discuss their haul, along with a special guest. They'd no more than hit orbit than the Spellweaver Delilah opened a comm channel and they'd lingered just long enough for her to come aboard.

  "Nyx has spent the past few days going over what we've gotten. Everybody here has a share, so I wanted to make sure we did the unveiling in the open and fair," Cleo said.

  "What took so long? Aren't these tokens supposed to be good anywhere you take them?" Banok asked.

  "They are, but they still require verification and this is a massive haul. I've been verifying in batches, handling them through proxies," Nyx said, pacing back and forth on the tabletop. "We're way easier to steal from, don't want to give anyone ideas."

  Cleo said, "And we don't want to just assume money is there that might not be. But you've got a proper count now. Our estimates were around three billion credits. Were we accurate?"

  Nyx gave a smile that almost looked a little sick. "We were off. We were, uh, way off. The final total came to somewhere around one point two trillion."

  That caused a moment of shock around the table.

  "No wonder they were able to pay me so well," Delilah said.

  "How?" Cleo asked, leaning forward, "I can stand being a little wrong, but that is ... tremendously off. Where did it all come from?"

  "We stole their tokens, not their financial records. How would I know?" Nyx said.

  "You didn't see any signs of that in the data you hacked?" Banok asked.

  "Nothing. The records were actually far cleaner than I'd suspected for someone that is up to as much shady stuff as we know Baxtech is. Which, in retrospect ..." Cleo said.

  "The bank must be a clearing house for Baxtech. They are implicated more than we'd thought," Vanwyn said.

  "One hundred and fifty billion," Delilah said, the words rolling on her tongue like a taste being savored. Her cut of the haul.

  Cleo looked at her. "We have an agreement and we honor those, but you can work a bit more for it. If you were the bank's resident magical expert, they must have tried to get you more involved."

  Delilah clasped her hands together. "Good. So long as I can get my payout I'm willing to entertain your questions. They have their fingers in a lot of pies and I've always known that. The dragon is just one example. That location wasn't chance, you can be certain they acquired that property specifically for what was beneath it."

  "The seeking of ancient power. It fits with what we know of our adversary," Cleo said.

  "That makes Baxtech what?" Banok asked.

  "They are the ones building the Orc fleet. We know that much, even if they aren't the one directly pulling the strings," Cleo said, pursing her lips.

  "With our people in the past it was our kings and queens who went bad. So great was our respect for order we'd follow them into the dark. For the Dwarves, it was their clans, and they originally made their bargains with the dragons for an edge over other clans. A pattern that repeatedly played out," Vanwyn said.

  "Astra, could we talk?" Cleo asked.

  Astra arrived in a puff of flame, seated in a chair with her feet kicked up on the table.

  "Interesting. This is part of what was backing your power," Delilah said.

  "Astra is my familiar, although she has a few other identities. One of them is the Lady of the Void," Banok said.

  Delilah made a complex shape with her hands, a blue rune for a moment glowing in the air as she dipped her head deeply. "M'lady."

  "The Dark Wood were friends. I'm glad you two are getting along," Astra said with a smile beamed at Delilah. "You're wanting to know how Urania built her power base?"

  "History has tended to repeat itself within the races, and you are the first, great, human darkness," Vanwyn said.

  "Not done yet," Astra said with a cocky grin. "Money is everything. People hated the thought of the Void until Urania figured out how to put it in the right terms. No more defiling of planets for power. Clean, cheap energy from the Void. Something for nothing."

  "Wouldn't that have made all the existing business hate you?" Cleo asked.

  "Only if they believed I might actually succeed. I gave people something to believe in, a cause to rally around—one that old power thought was doomed to failure. So they were happy to fund me, support
me—humor me, if you like. By the time I proved them wrong it was too late," Astra said, her mood turning a bit vicious. Wafts of smoke rose from the chair.

  The words seemed to spur something in Cleo who leaned forward, swiping her hand to pull up holographic screens and she started to tap away at them furiously.

  Banok knew enough to leave her to it. Inspiration would take her where it would.

  "You're not done?" Delilah asked Astra.

  "Not hardly. Want in?" Astra asked with a feral expression.

  "Could you not go forming the next great darkness at a meeting to discuss trouncing the current great darkness?" Banok said.

  Astra stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't be a spoilsport. You and Urania reborn will get on great."

  "Put me down as interested. I'm powerful, and rich," Delilah said.

  "You two should get closer too," Astra said to Banok.

  "Floozies," Nyx said, with a scowl between them.

  "Is your elemental actually trying to set us up?" Delilah asked.

  Banok gave a long sigh. Of course she was. Of course, he was incredibly interested in the idea—he couldn't help himself. This whole passion thing was getting very distracting. So was his familiar not quite giving up on her goals of galactic domination.

  "She does that," Banok said.

  "It's a good idea, if you're going to be working with us going forward. It gives you a bit of a power boost," Cleo said absently, still tapping the screens.

  "That makes sense. The Druid interconnection to all life," Delilah said.

  "Got it," Cleo said triumphantly, touching one display and expanding it so it could be seen around the table.

  "The Exoworlds initiative. All about discovering new worlds and terraforming them for human habitation," Cleo said.

  "The Dabo helped to fund that," Vanwyn said with a frown.

  "Survey vessels built and equipped by Baxtech, with bioforming and genetic manipulation of species by Cygnus Biological, and magical reclamation by Mana Industrials. The funding for all passing through the Caspi Banking Conglomerate," Cleo said.