CHAPTER 76
* FANTASMAL MOUNTAIN *
“Sharanel, perfect timing.” Honsmordin called the moment he saw the quickener emerge from a translift cave.
Sharanel looked around when she heard her name. Though the transportation corridor was normally quite active, it was surprisingly empty except for a few guards and the lone mind mage who was rushing down the stairs. She hadn’t expected to find him so quickly.
“Have you had contact with Fantasma?” Honsmordin asked when he reached her.
She shook her head. “No, wherever he is, I can’t reach him or Isabelle. What’s going on?”
Honsmordin quickly explained the raid on Gilmore. “I just learned that Fantasma was summoned because something went wrong,” he said in conclusion. “Apparently, there was some sort of ambush and most of the troops we sent there were killed.”
“What!” Sharanel’s hand shot to her mouth in shock.
“And now, they’ve completely lost contact with the base camp. That’s why when I saw you, I hoped that perhaps you somehow heard from Fantasma and had a message from him.”
Sharanel shook her head. “No, I just came from Leviton. Henry has his staff, but he can’t quicken his friends yet because they are all behind quartz barriers. When I tried to come here to report, I couldn’t get back through any of the quickener caves.”
“The civilian markers were taken down in preparation for the raid,” Honsmordin explained. “The military had to use every quickener cave in the mountain to connect to one near Gilmore.”
“Well, they must not be in it now,” Sharanel said, “because I can’t reach Isabelle, Fantasma or anyone else there that I’m connected to. Is there any other way to reach them?”
Honsmordin thought for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. “There is one way. It’s only supposed to be used in extreme circumstances, but I believe this qualifies. Follow me.”
***
At the top of Fantasmal Mountain, in a restricted area of the Fantasmal Residency, at the end of the hall that led to the private offices and residential areas of the top members of the government, including the Fantasma, there was an unmarked door with no knob and barely any seam, such that it almost blended into the wall. Very few people knew it existed and only three people had access to it: The Fantasma, the Fantasmal Mind Mage, and the Fantasmal Quickener.
However, even though Sharanel was privy to all the secrets of the mountain, and had access to this mysterious room, she’d never been in it. She’d only been Fantasmal Quickener for less than a year and hadn’t learned everything she had access to in an emergency or crisis, mostly because such situations were rare.
Honsmordin, on the other hand, had been the Fantasmal Mind Mage for years. This was the formal title of Fantasma’s chief of staff because it was always held by a mind mage. He was highly familiar with the mountain’s secrets as well as the protocols surrounding their use, which is why he knew that now was exactly the time he needed to take Sharanel to this room.
“This is it,” Honsmordin said as they reached the barely visible door at the end of the hall. “Put your hand on the door.”
Sharanel gave him a quizzical look but did as instructed. Immediately the door slid open to reveal a small room. Honsmordin ushered her inside and the door slid shut behind them. The room was about the size of a large closet, with non-descript quartz walls. In the center was a small quartz tablet affixed to a black metal pole anchored to the floor.
“What is this place?” Sharanel asked as she looked around for any sign of explanation.
“It’s the emergency core access interface. From here you can access the entirety of the mountain’s defensive protocols as well as other high-level systems and functions.”
“Core access?” Sharanel repeated. “Isn’t the core under the mountain, below the subterrane?”
“Yes, but getting to it in an emergency takes too much time, so this room was created. We are the only ones who can open that door, other than the Fantasma. There are only a few others that can even access the core, but they typically do it from the core chamber itself. This room is for emergency situations and it’s highly secure.”
“This is amazing,” Sharanel said as she stepped up to one of the walls and put her hand on it. “What type of quartz is this? It doesn’t look familiar.”
“It’s called varius quartz, it’s a synthetically made quartz hybrid specific to this room and the mountain core. I’d love to explain it all to you, but we need to hurry.”
“Oh yeah, sorry,” Sharanel said sheepishly. “So why are we here?”
“I believe the solution to both of our problems lies in one of the ancient characteristics of the mountain, Echo Cavern,” Honsmordin said.
“That place is real?” Sharanel asked excitedly. “There’s really a hollowed-out space at the top of the mountain that allows Fantasma to use mentus or mandamus on the whole planet?”
“Indeed; the special properties of the cave magnify adimus abilities to the point where you can breakthrough even the strongest of quartz barriers.”
“But it’s at the top of the mountain, is it safe?” Sharanel asked worriedly.
“Absolutely, the peak is shielded; you won’t have to worry about wind or other elements,” Honsmordin assured, “More importantly, from there you’ll be able to contact Fantasma and quicken him back here. Henry will also be able to reach his friends and quicken them to Echo Cavern, regardless of where they are.”
“You want me to bring Henry to Echo Cavern? Are you sure?” Sharanel asked.
“It should be fine. Once you reach Echo Cavern, you can quicken him up to you directly. You won’t be able to bring them back here though,” he warned. “If someone without core access steps into this room, they’ll be automatically transported to a cell deep in the mountain. I’ll return one of the civilian markers to the transportation corridor. When you’re done, just quicken everyone there.”
“So how exactly do I get to Echo Cavern?” Sharanel asked looking around.
“There used to be direct physical access but that was blocked off ages ago. So now the only way is by using Lexi.” Honsmordin gestured to the tablet. “She’ll teleport you to the translift near the peak.”
Sharanel gave him a confused look. “Lexi?”
Honsmordin chuckled. “That’s the name of the core interface system. It was named after the daughter of one of the early Fantasmas. I believe it was once an acronym for something, but it doesn’t make sense in the Common language.”
“I’ve never heard of a core having a name,” Sharanel said bemused.
“Well apparently the core’s original chief engineer was one of the Fantasma’s siblings, and Alexandra was his favorite niece,” Honsmordin said with a shrug, “so the core’s interface was modeled around her. It’s interesting to say the least.”
“Okay, so I just put my hand on this tablet and…”
“Let Lexi do the rest,” Honsmordin assured. “Only one person can access the interface at a time, so you’ll have to do it yourself. Don’t worry, it’s very straightforward, just tell her what you need.” Honsmordin put his hand on the wall that held the door, and it slid open again. “Hurry, we need to get this done as soon as possible. I’ll go put the marker in place.”
As the door slid shut behind him, Sharanel stepped up to the podium that held the quartz tablet, and with only a slight bit of hesitation, she placed her hand on it. Immediately, her surroundings went completely white. It was as if the room didn’t exist, and she was just standing in a white void. She couldn’t even see the tablet she was touching.
Just as suddenly, the semi-transparent image of a young girl appeared before her. She had light-olive skin, long black hair that came halfway down her back, and wore an ankle-length white dress. She looked to be around eight years old and her slightly pointed ears indicated she was half-elf.
“Access Granted, Sharanel Quicksilver, Fantasmal Quickener,” the young girl said with a serene smile. “What command would you like to initiate?”
“Holy moon!” Sharanel almost took her hand off the tablet in shock. “Who are you?”
“I’m Lexi, the core interface,” the young girl said placidly. “What command would you like to initiate?”
“Uh, I need to get to Echo Cavern.” Sharanel was still confused by the visual interface but realized she didn’t have time to marvel.
“Access to Echo Cavern is restricted to all but the Fantasma. However, as Fantasmal Quickener, you have the ability to execute a one-time override for emergency use.” Lexi’s voice had a slightly gleeful tone to it, like a child sharing an exciting secret.
“This is definitely an emergency,” Sharanel said.
“Override accepted. Please note: you will not be able to access Echo Cavern again until this access is validated by the Fantasma and override privileges are restored. Stand by while the translift link is established.”
There was a swirl of color underneath Sharanel’s feet and she felt the flow of energy throughout the room. She wondered how a translift could work without translif quartz, but again thought better of asking. Honsmordin said that varius quartz was a unique hybrid, so she assumed this must have something to do with it.
After a few seconds, Lexi spoke again. “Link established; transport initiating.”
Before Sharanel could brace herself, she was immediately transported. The shift was so jarring that she almost lost her footing. She was standing in a translift cave with a single poll, though it was more like a shallow cavity in the rockface than a full cave. It was on a small landing in the middle of a stone staircase. Going down, the stairs led to solid wall as if the path had been blocked off. Going up, they led to an opening, and she could see the early evening sky above. Seeing no other choice, she took the stairs up and soon found herself on a large ledge. It was so high that when Sharanel chanced a peak over the edge, she could only see clouds. Despite this, she felt normal, and she could see the faint glimmer of a barrier surrounding the entire area.
From the ledge she now stood on, the mountain stretched another thirty feet high before culminating at its peak. However, most of this was hollowed out to form a large cave that was open on all sides. This was Echo Cavern.
Sharanel hesitantly stepped inside and felt a swirl of energy around her as if the wind had suddenly picked up. Gripping her quickener staff tightly, she reached out with her mind’s eye and immediately found what she was looking for.
Deep in the Lumarian Mountains, Fantasma heard his quickener’s voice in his mind due to the link she had with him through her staff. Without preamble, he called for her. “Sharanel.”
Sharanel beamed. With the connection established, she tapped her staff once and the semi-transparent image of Fantasma appeared before her. “Sir, you’re okay!”
From Fantasma’s standpoint, a semi-transparent image of Sharanel had appeared before him. He was still near the quickener cave at Gilmore, but most of the people around him were busy assisting in the cleanup or search teams. No one was close enough to overhear the conversation.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Fantasma said. “How are you able to reach me?”
“Honsmordin had me use Echo Cavern,” she told him.
“Brilliant, so that means you can transport me back to the mountain.”
“Yes sir, also Henry’s staff is repaired. He was able to find all the others, including the Daughter of the Sun, but he can’t quicken them because the places they’re located are behind quartz barriers. Honsmordin wants me to have Henry use this place to bring his friends together, then I’ll quicken them down to the transportation corridor.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Fantasma thought about this. “Yes, that should work, but remember not to reveal too much about the nature of Echo Cavern. There are a few things that I need to handle here before I leave. Take care of Henry first, I’ll contact you when I’m ready.”
Sharanel nodded. “Yes sir.”
She tapped her staff on the ground again and Fantasma’s image disappeared. She was about to reach out to Henry mentantly, but then changed her mind. Instead, she tapped her staff once more and Henry immediately appeared, his back to hers.
“Whoa! What the—where am I?” Henry said, flustered.
“Now you know how it feels,” Sharanel teased as she turned to face him.
“I knew I was going to regret keeping us bonded,” Henry said with an eyeroll. “Where the heck are we?” he asked, looking around.
“You’re in a special place where you can quicken anyone from anywhere,” Sharanel said vaguely. “You’ll be able to reach your friends and bring them here regardless of the quartz barriers.”
“Really? You have a place like that?” Henry said in awe.
“Yup, I’m really talented,” Sharanel quipped with a grin. Though she was usually mature and levelheaded, it seemed that around Henry, she was able to be more relaxed and playful even when the situation was serious. “Now get to work, we don’t have all night.”
“All right, Chief, I’m going.” Henry closed his eyes and focused, deciding on which group to contact first.
***
Jandor looked around confused. “Henry?”
He was sitting at a table in the commons with Terri, Daniel, Stephanie, Lori, Sarah, and Burk. Aside from them, the commons were empty. The floor hadn’t been repaired, so most of the order members were eating elsewhere. Because of this, it was easy for him to tell that the person he’d heard was nowhere nearby.
Terri looked up. “What?”
“I just heard Henry’s voice in my head.” Jandor clarified.
“Are you sure?” Daniel looked from Jandor to Terri. “Could it be?”
“Maybe.” Terri shrugged. “He did have a staff. There’s only one way to find out. Jandor, call for him.”
Jandor gave her a confused look. “Do what?”
“Focus really hard, imagine Henry in your mind, and then call his name like you want him to come here,” Daniel instructed. “That should establish the connection.”
“Uh…okay.” Jandor still looked uncertain as he stood and shouted, “Henry!”
Immediately a semi-transparent image of Henry appeared in front of him. “Hey Jandor.”
Jandor jumped back alarmed. “What the—how did you do that? Where are you?”
“It’s just a quickener visual,” Daniel explained as he walked around the table so that Henry could see him as well. “Henry, are you in Cirinian Valley too?”
“Cirinian what? No, I’m someplace else, some special place that allows me to reach you guys. Anyway, sorry it took so long, but I can now bring the whole group together.”
Terri jumped up excitedly. “Seriously?”
“Yup,” Henry assured. “Are you guys ready?”
“Wait, if you can quicken, there are other people who are stuck here, can you get them too?” Daniel asked, looking at the others with them.
“Sure, I guess.” Henry shrugged. “Just make sure you’re holding their hand since I’m not connected to them.”
“What do you say, guys?” Jandor asked Lori, Sarah, and Burk.
Sarah shook her head. “No, I’m going to stay. We can’t go back to Munio anyway.”
“Plus, the order needs all the support it can get,” Burk added.
“What about getting to your other preserves?” Daniel asked.
“It’s much easier to get messages to them by bird than trying to reach them from the outside,” Burke explained. “The other preserves aren’t as easily accessible as Munio.”
Terri hugged Sarah and Burk in turn. “I hope you guys stay safe.”
“Let Chief Wheaton know that we left,” Stephanie added as she also hugged them.
“Will you take your companion?” Sarah asked her.
Stephanie thought about this for a moment. “No, I think I’ll have Lunox stay for now.”
“What about you Lori?” Sarah asked her friend.
“Ya know, I kinda feel like Jandor and his mates have somethin’ goin’ on that I can’t miss out on.” Lori stood and grabbed the large claymore that was leaning against the wall. “If ya don’t mind me hangin’ around, I’d like to stick with ya, at least for a while.”
Jandor smirked at this. “Sounds good to me.” He picked up his staff and Lori took his free hand. “Okay Henry, we’re ready when you are.”
In an instant, the group was quickened away.
***
“I don’t understand; shouldn’t we be heading out of the city if we want to make contact with Henry,” Alyson asked.
After feeling the restored quickener connection, Ben had his personal quickener, Marybeth, take him, his wife, and his friends back to his manor. Hamen decided to stay behind so that he could start teaching the dwarf engineers.
“We will, but there are a few things I need to get first, and besides, I’m not going to leave without saying goodbye to my daughter,” Ben said as they walked up the path to the manor.
Even before they reached the door it was opened by his manservant and Melanie came running out to greet her parents. Ben scooped her up. “Hey there, what’s the rush?”
“Mommy said when you came back, we could go to the park,” she said excitedly.
Ben and Maria exchanged the briefest of looks before mother addressed daughter in a calm tone. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry. We can still go to the park, but Daddy won’t be able to come. He has to go on a trip.”
“Boo!” Melanie gave an overdramatic pout.
Ben chuckled. “I know, but I always bring you a surprise when I come back, right?” Melanie nodded at this. “This time, I may be gone for a lot longer than usual, but I promise to come back whenever I can, and I’ll be sure to bring you something every time,” he told her.
Melanie beamed at this. “You have to bring back lots of cookies then.”
“Okay, it’s a deal, I’ll bring you lots of cookies,” Ben promised.
“Why don’t you and I say goodbye to daddy now before we go to the park,” Maria offered.
“Okay,” Melanie said. She still seemed a little sad, but she gave her father a hug. “Bye Daddy. Come back soon, okay?”
“I will, sweetheart,” Ben kissed her on the forehead before placing her back on the ground. “Be good for mommy and Marybeth and Parson and Alysa and Lenna.”
“I will!” Melanie declared exuberantly.
Maria gave her husband a long hug and a meaningful kiss. “Goodbye dear,” she whispered in his ear. “Stay safe and come back to us.”
She stepped back, doing her best to not cry in front of her daughter. “Marybeth, shall we go?”
“Right you are,” Marybeth said. “See ya, Boss. If ya need anything, I’m just a call away,” she gave Ben a wink before guiding Maria and Melanie past the gates. Within seconds, they all disappeared.
“You have an awesome family Ben,” Alyson said.
“Yeah man, you’re really lucky,” Bernie added.
“I know,” Ben nodded sadly. “Okay, I just need to grab a few things and I’ll be good to go. Just wait here,” Ben rushed up to the house, greeted his manservant, and disappeared inside.
“Henry?” Becky said looking around.
“Who are you talking to?” Melvin asked confused.
“I heard a voice…like, in my head. It was Henry.” Becky sounded confused.
“Henry?” Alyson repeated, “Are you sure? There’s no way he could reach us in here.”
Becky nodded, “I’m positive.”
“There it is again. Henry!” Becky called.
A semi-transparent image of Henry appeared before the group. “Hey there.”
Becky jumped back in surprise. “Whoa! How did you do that?”
“Becky you just did a quickener call. I didn’t even know you knew how,” Alyson said.
Becky seemed even more confused. “A what? I didn’t do anything; I just—”
“Uh, is everything okay?” Henry asked.
Alyson walked around to face Henry. “Yeah, Becky’s just not familiar with quickener connections,” she explained. “Where are you anyway?”
“Does someone want to tell me what’s going on?” Becky said before Henry could answer.
“Henry’s using visual communication,” Alyson said. “It’s a quickener technique, but it requires an active connection, which you just made by calling him.”
“But I didn’t—You know what, never mind,” Becky said with a shake of her head. “Henry, how did we all end up separated? Where are the others? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through these past three days?”
“Whoa, calm down,” Henry said defensively. “I’m sorry it took me so long, but I’ve already got Jandor, Terri, Daniel, and Stephanie here. Now I’m going to bring you guys. Once we get back together, I can explain everything.”
“We need to wait for Ben,” Melvin said but as soon as he did, Ben emerged from the manor. He had a small satchel with him.
“Okay, I’m back. Wait, is that Henry? How was he able to connect to us in here?”
Henry sighed. “It’s a long story. You guys ready?”
Before they could indicate readiness, the group was quickened away.
***
“So let me get this straight,” Derrick said, rubbing his temples. “You had a dream last night where your ancestor came to you and told you all about being the Daughter of the Sun and also that you needed to help the kids we freed.”
“Basically.” Ashley nodded.
Derrick turned to Salov. “And you’re a member of a powerful merchant family that serves the Daughter of the Sun.”
“Essentially,” Salov said.
“And you guys were able to fix the orphanage, and every other building around here, with ancient Daughter of the Sun voodoo?”
Ashley chuckled. “It’s not voodoo; it’s the power of restoration.”
“Using supernal energy stored in the city core,” Salov added.
“And you’re a sensor?” Derrick said turning to Amber now.
“Sensant, and yes,” Amber nodded.
“And you guys found and took down the slave hideout on your own?” Derrick looked to Wayne for confirmation.
“Pretty much.” Wayne shrugged.
“Wow, this has been a crazy day,” Derrick concluded, shaking his head.
The group was standing outside the orphanage in the empty streets of the northeast district as twilight descended on the city. With no one around to overhear them, they were able to freely discuss their current situation.
“I’m just glad we’re able to trust you with our secret,” Wayne said to Salov. “You’ve been such a great help, and I’m sorry we had to keep so much from you.”
“It’s quite all right,” Salov said dismissively. “I completely understand. Now that things are settled here, what are your plans?”
“You know, with everything that happened today, I haven’t even had a chance to figure—”
“What’s up?” Derrick asked when Wayne stopped abruptly.
Wayne seemed to be deep in thought for several moments, and then a smile crossed his face. “I think I just figured something out. Let me see if I can do this right. Henry!”
Before his friends had a chance to ask what he was doing, the semi-transparent figure of Henry appeared before them.
“Hey guys,” he said with a beaming smile.
“And the day just keeps getting crazier,” Derrick muttered.
“I didn’t realize until now, that weird feeling we had, it was Henry connecting to us,” Wayne explained. “I read about quickeners in Salov’s library, but I only just realized Henry was one. Does that mean you’re the quickener that brought us here, Henry?”
“Sort of,” Henry said with a shrug.
“I’m confused,” Ashley said. “What do you mean he brought us here? What’s a quickener?”
“It’s—never mind; I’ll explain later,” Wayne said.
“I’m just glad you guys are okay,” Henry said. “I have most of the group here already, and I can bring you too. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, just give us a second,” Wayne told him before he turned to Salov. “Well, looks like our ride is here,” he quipped.
“I’m sad that you’re leaving so soon, but I understand,” Salov shook Wayne’s hand.
Ashley hugged him. “Thank you so much for everything. Please tell Lizzy we said bye and take care of the orphans.”
“Don’t worry, things are well in hand, and if you have need of anything, you know where to find me.” Salov bowed.
Derrick and Amber both shook Salov’s hand and thanked him as well.
“We’re ready, Henry,” Wayne said to his semi-transparent friend.
In an instant, the group was whisked away.
***
“Your quickener friend has his staff, and he will be contacting you soon,” Fantasma said.
He’d pulled Ace, Tabatha, and Mrs. Guardman into a private conference along with Alice, Pathos, Karmandrian, Sherrilynn, and Illusion.
“But how?” Ace asked. “We’re deep in the mountains; no quickener can reach us here.”
“It’s complicated,” Fantasma said. “Suffice it to say, in emergency situations, we have ways of doing just about anything.”
Tabatha smirked at this but said nothing.
“What about everyone else?” Mrs. Guardman asked. “If we can be transported, can’t they?”
“There’s way too many people for one quickener to handle,” Ace explained.
“Plus, I do not want them all privy to what you’re about to see,” Fantasma added.
Rockwall joined the small group. “I’m ready. I’ve given Isabelle instructions on what to do.”
Fantasma nodded. “Once we get back, the first priority is to start determining our strategy so we can deploy troops as quickly as possible. We’ll need to use every resource we have.”
“Now that our group is coming together, we can help too,” Ace added.
Fantasma seemed hesitant. “I can’t deny that you have been an invaluable help, but before you fully commit yourselves to this, I believe you should speak with all of your friends. You have no idea what they may have been through.”
“Yeah, and I’m sure a lot of them just want to get home as quickly as possible,” Tabatha added pointedly. “You heard him, he’s about to send troops all over the world. They’re literally about to start a world war. Do you really want to get caught up in that?”
“I’m just saying that if we can help—”
“Ace, Fantasma is right,” Mrs. Guardman interrupted. “You can’t make this decision for everyone, and it’s imperative that you weigh the pros and cons before you commit yourself to something like this. I think the best thing you all can do is sit down and discuss things, just like you do for A&A.”
Tabatha nodded, glad to have Mrs. Guardman to back her up.
“But this is bigger than A&A, much bigger,” Ace said.
“All the more reason for you to calmly sit down and discuss everything,” Mrs. Guardman said sagely.
Ace shook his head. Even with forty additional years of experience, he still couldn’t seem to out reason the matriarch. “I guess you’re right.”
“There he is: Henry!” Ace called and Henry’s semi-transparent form appeared. “Henry, I’m really glad to see you. How many of the others were you able to find?”
“I’ve already got everyone except you three,” Henry revealed.
Ace brightened. “So, everyone’s okay; Alyson, Bernie, and Becky too?”
“Yeah, everyone’s fine,” Henry confirmed.
Ace let out a long sigh. “Thank God,” he whispered.
Even though he’d been focused on rescuing Alice and Mrs. Guardman, the uncertain status of his friends, especially those caught in the mentus bomb, had been weighing on him.
Alice rubbed his arm affectionately. “I’m glad your friends made it back safe.”
Tabatha gave them a sour look. “So, are we going or what?”
“Yes, are you guys ready?” Henry asked.
Ace came out of his musings. “Yeah, but I need you to bring a few others. Can you handle that?”
“Aside from you, Tabatha, and Mrs. Guardman, I can already connect to Fantasma, the general, and the three guardians with you through Sharanel. Is there anyone else?”
“Yes, Sherrilynn and Illusion,” Mrs. Guardman said.
“He won’t be able to transport me. It’s fine though; I will go to the void,” Illusion said. “Summon me when you next need me.” With that, the black border terrier disappeared.
“Just take my hand, Sherrilynn,” Alice offered.
Sherrilynn took Alice’s hand and Alice slid her free hand into Ace’s with a small smile.
“We’re good to go,” Ace said.
With that, the group disappeared.
***
“We’re at the top of a mountain!” Tabatha swore loudly as she looked over the ledge.
“Tabatha, language,” Mrs. Guardman rebuffed, though it was with a chuckle. She realized in that moment how insignificant such a thing was in the grand scheme.
“Sorry ma’am.” Tabatha laughed too. Their exchange seemed so out of place, yet so nostalgic to her. “But seriously, we’re on top of a freakin’ mountain!”
“Too right!” Lori added, “I’m with the red-headed girly, this is wild!”
Echo Cavern was big enough that it could easily hold the large group of people that had been amassed there, and they were all talking excitedly.
“That’s everyone,” Henry said triumphantly.
“Yes, and I think it would be prudent to leave now,” Fantasma added in a soft voice to the two quickeners. “This is not a place intended for outside spectacle, and any mentus or mandamus performed up here could have devastating effects.”
Sharanel nodded in understanding and turned to Henry. “We’re slightly over capacity; there’s twenty-five of us.” She held out her free hand. “Want to do it together?”
Sharanel could just as easily make two trips, but she felt it was only right to include Henry in what would be the first transport of his entire group since leaving Earth. Because of their bonded staffs, the two could transport larger groups when working together.
Henry smiled knowingly. “Yeah, let’s do it.” He took her hand confidently, and they closed their eyes, both focusing on the bond between them.
“You ready?” Sharanel asked.
Henry nodded. “Lead the way.”
In an instant, the entire group disappeared from Echo Cavern.