In vortexes, principles had a far greater importance than the final form. Dallion had experienced a bit of that in the realm of the phoenix feather as well as when invading Aether’s realm itself. Compared to the experience now, back then he had been completely blind, considering the realm as firm reality. Now even with just an inkling of magic vision, he could see that form played no role whatsoever. Principles determined everything; they were the things that determined the shape beneath the ever-changing forms that composed a realm.
The mountain wasn’t at all a mountain; it was a cone-shaped barrier that divided the rest of the realm from what was inside. Adzorg had described it as a realm within the realm. Each time Dallion or Diroh tried to pry more information from him, he said they’d find out once they breached it. Of course, that was easier said than done. In addition to having minor nuisances pop out and attack the moment they got near, the surface of the cone seemed impenetrable. Dallion had attempted using a few black hole pearls, but to no effect. The barrier had caused them to bounce off to the ground, where they started drilling their way down. Seeing the result, the old mage had shaken his head and made a sarcastic comment that it wouldn’t matter anyway once the realm was absorbed.
Nil at his best, the Armadil shield noted in Dallion’s realm. He does have good advice, though.
“We should try further up, dear boy,” the mage said. “There aren’t any openings here, either.”
“You’ve been saying that for the last hour.” Dallion glanced at him. “Why don’t we just go to the top?”
“Normally I’d agree, but this isn’t a standard vortex. The top will be just as protected as the bottom. Think of it as a bridge with a fort on either side. No matter which side you choose, you’ll have to fight your way through walls and armies.”
The example was quite bad, but it made its point. Of course, it posed the question why would the cone be protected on both ends. In Dallion’s trial, it was the top of the vortex tower that was the weak spot. In the one beneath Nerosal, it had been the bottom.
“What’s so special about this one?”
“I thought you would have figured it out by now.” Adzorg crossed his arms. “Slacking off again, are you?”
A short distance away, Diroh chuckled.
“Well, I suppose you haven’t had too much experience. It’s a double vortex,” the old man said. “A vortex within a vortex. Quite rare and very sought after.”
“There’s no such thing.” Dallion’s tone hardened. “A vortex absorbs everything inside, or tries to. A vortex within a vortex is just a single vortex.”
“Ah, you’ve been reading the notes in the archmage’s library.” The man smirked. “Absolute crap. Why do you think I didn’t bother getting any of those during… well, the events accompanying your training? Just because someone got the title doesn’t mean they know what’s what.”
“Clearly.” Dallion had no mood for such conversations. “How long do we have before the vortex sends its next wave?”
“There’s still a bit of time.”
In the distance, the spot that was the thread jungle had halved in size. The old man’s explanation was that the vortex was assimilating it bit by bit. Once it was “mostly gone,” Dallion could expect another absorption attempt.
“It’ll be more cautious since we’re close to the separating barrier. Of course, that doesn’t mean we can waste time.”
“Why don’t we split up?” Dallion asked abruptly. “I know what to look for, and so do you.”
The tone was unmistakable. Adzorg opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. A blob the size of a grapefruit appeared within him—a blob of regret.
“I see,” he said after a while. “Very well. I’ll keep examining this side. You two go around the mountain.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Dallion looked at Diroh. The fury hesitated for a moment, then joined him. The two flew a short distance away, after which Lux was summoned to give them a boost. After all, despite being a cone, the “mountain” remained rather large.
“Will he be alright on his own?” Diroh asked.
“Yes. He’s not an old man.” Not to mention that he was the reason the vortex appeared in the first place; no doubt a result of him meddling with the contraption of his. “He’ll find a way to call us if he’s in trouble. Or if he finds something.”
“You’ve really become cynical.”
“Where’s Skye?” Dallion changed the subject.
“Back at Learning Hall pretending to be me,” the fury said with pride. “It was Cheska’s idea. Skye could pull off the shape and Cheska made sure no mage could see the difference.”
“How did she do that?”
“She has access to artifacts. Since I only have natural magic, people find it normal when they don’t see the standard threads of magic within me.”
That still sounded too convenient. Still, that was better left for another day. Even if this was an illusion, Dallion needed its strength.
Examining the cone took a lot of effort and diligence. The most efficient way for Dallion was to resort to instances. It also helped a lot that Diroh was there to serve as backup. The fury had learned from her mistakes and now covered any ice she created with magic symbols, rendering it inedible by the vortex. Meanwhile, he focused on the threads, trying to make out the instructions. Several times he tried to cut through using his harpsisword, but each time the effort proved unsuccessful.
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“Lux,” he said. “Go and check how Adzorg is doing.”
“Sure thing, boss!” Without delay the firebird popped away, accelerating to the point that even Dallion couldn’t keep track.
“He’s always amusing to watch,” Diroh said.
“Yes, he certainly is.”
“You told me where you would be,” she said.
The same story again. The echo in Dallion’s realm had already mentioned that to him a few times. The theory was rather sound. It was very possible that Jiroh had convinced the echo he had lent her to give her some details. Being a fury, she could get to the dwarf kingdom with time to spare, and also be let inside. Furies weren’t human, after all. On its own, every single fact had a valid and reasonable explanation. And still, Dallion felt something was off. Nil had taught him not to believe in coincidences, and this was a major one.
“It’s fine. I know.” Dallion did his best to smile. “I just wish you would have told me.”
“Why? So you could forbid me from coming?”
“Facing Adzorg in one of the most dangerous places in the world isn’t a good idea. The only reason your sister hasn’t torn my head off is because I haven’t slept since you popped up.”
That sounded worse than it was. In reality, it had been only a few short hours since Diroh had appeared. Even so, it felt like weeks… and Jiroh was going to be furious about it when she learned.
“I didn’t want you to kill each other.”
“Di…” Dallion turned around, then floated closer, placing his hand on her cheek. “Whatever happened between me and Nil is in the past. You have nothing to do with it. He was my mentor, my second father in a way, but… Some things are difficult to forgive.”
He knew that she could understand. She had gone through the same with the hunter who’d placed the magic gem within her realm. He too had been like a father, teaching her everything about the world. He had protected her, given her a home, and still he had done something she couldn’t forgive even now. Dallion could see all that thanks to his music skill.
The fury nodded.
“You called him Nil,” she said.
Did I really? “That’s how I think of him sometimes. Anyway, let’s get back to work.”
A few potential flaws in the cone were found in the next hour. Initially, they seemed like a way in, but after managing to break through using a combination of portal spells and spark cutting, Dallion found another layer underneath. The barrier was clearly a lot more solid than one would expect. Given the level of the vortex, it was no wonder. The spell Adzorg had used to initially get them in was anything but simple.
Meanwhile, it didn’t seem that the old man had had any luck later. From what Lux described, he hadn’t even bothered making any attempts, just floating about as if on a sightseeing tour. The secret, as he had explained to the firebird, was only to act when there was reason to, never before. That made him either very enlightened or very lazy.
Close to another hour later and purple clouds started gathering on the horizon. It was a safe bet to assume that the vortex had consumed Dallion and Adzorg’s spells and now was preparing to absorb them.
“I think I saw something weird,” Diroh said all of a sudden. “That place is knotted.” she pointed to a spot on the mountain.
“Where?” Five of Dallion’s instances moved to look.
At first glance, the spot she was pointing at seemed as normal as all the rest. However, upon closer inspection, Dallion found that she was right. It wasn’t so much knotted as twisted like a sort of hook, keeping two clusters of neighboring threads.
“How did you see this?” he asked.
“It was visible when it turned into a tornado.” The fury shrugged. “I might not know magic, but I know air.”
“Air…”
“Think you can use that?”
“Maybe.” Dallion looked closer. The intricacies were too complex for him to make out completely, but it was better than anything else he’d seen. Given that time was running out, it didn’t look like there was a better option.
Lux, tell the old man about this, he said in his realm. Then bring him here.
He moved back. The number of instances quickly fell to ten as he stopped examining for other flaws in the cone.
Just go for it, the armadil shield said.
It was a tempting suggestion, although Dallion doubted it would work. The vortex had too much raw power to submit to his.
It took slightly over a minute for Adzorg to pop up. The calm fashion in which he did so suggested that the mage was used to quick acceleration and turbulence, not to mention Lux.
“Thanks, Lux,” Dallion said instead of addressing the old man. “Go back to the realm.”
“Aww,” the firebird chirped in a sad tone. It didn’t seem to want to miss the fun. Even so, Dallion didn’t want any of his familiars out just yet, especially those who could be easily consumed. If he had a way to place Ruby in his realm, he would have done so.
“Where is it?” Adzorg asked, apparently not in the mood for pleasantries, either.
Dallion pointed.
“Let’s see what we have here.” Casting an intricate spell with both hands, the mage projected himself into the air, like a magic hologram. It was through it that he flew the five hundred feet to the spot in question.
Spikes shot out from the ever-changing mountain. Some pierced the projection, though to no avail—it simply continued on as if they were air.
“Did you find it?” he the mage turned to Dallion.
“Di did.”
“Ah. That explains it. It’s just a node. Not what I would have preferred, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“Why?”
“A node is like a stitch up. Think of it as a scab. Actually, no. Think of it as the skin over a blister. Once you pop it a lot of nasty stuff will pour out.”
“Thanks for the image.”
“What I mean, dear boy, is that once this is undone, it’s going to get very messy, no pun intended. You’ll have to fly in and fight at the same time.”
“Wasn’t that the plan all along?”
“Well, I was hoping for a more gradual approach. Once I do this, there’s no turning back.”
“Was there ever?” Dallion held both his words.
“No.” Adzorg replied, then cast the spell.
VORTEX BREACHED
A crater the size of a village formed as the surface of the mountain burst open. Hundreds of aether insects resembling giant wasps poured out… along with dozens of chainlings.