Bjorn's eyes moved from the shackled Kelzryn to Ebonheim, who was becoming increasingly engrossed in the Magitech device. From the stance she adopted, the furrow in her brows, and the concentration evident in her demeanor, Bjorn surmised that Ebonheim was venturing into territory both familiar and alien to her. Each component she touched seemed to draw her in further, like a moth to a flame.
Something had changed in the way she behaved. Bjorn had never seen her so fixated on something before. The gears in her mind seemed to be turning, the wheels turning rapidly as she mulled over the puzzle before her. It reminded him of how he used to act whenever he attempted to unravel the secrets behind a particularly difficult problem he had come across during his early days as a blacksmith.
Ebonheim's eyes narrowed, and her lips began to move. At first, her words were but whispers, lost to the vastness of the chamber. But as Bjorn strained his ears, he caught fragments of what sounded like... jargon. Not the arcane terminology he heard Kelzryn and Calyxia exchange earlier, but something distinctly different.
"Integrated circuit here...and this looks like a power relay. Hmm, there’s too much resistance in this conduit. Maybe if I reroute the energy through these diodes, and then modulate the frequency... Ah! There’s the primary circuit board, connecting the transistors and relays," Ebonheim muttered, touching the various components of the Magitech one after the other, reciting its function as she inspected them. "If I reroute the main signal through this secondary bus, it might decrease the load on the central core."
Bjorn's eyes widened as he listened to her speak. His gaze shot over to Th'maine and then to Serrandyl and Lira, who appeared equally dumbfounded by the change in Ebonheim's behavior.
Ebonheim continued her soliloquy, her hands now deep within the guts of the contraption, “There’s too much resistance in this conduit. Maybe if I reroute the energy through these diodes, and then modulate the frequency..."
She suddenly paused, looking up with a flash of realization. "The binary system!" she exclaimed. "The energy flux can be modulated using binary computations. It’s all zeroes and ones, off and on!"
He turned to look over at Calyxia, who, from the bewildered look on her face, seemed to be equally surprised. She remained silent, leaning forward and intently listening to the Ebonheim as she prattled off nonsense to herself.
Bjorn exchanged a puzzled look with Th'maine. "Is she speaking in some ancient tongue?" he whispered, scratching his beard.
Th'maine, equally perplexed, responded, "No. It sounds technical, but not of any arcane sort I've heard. It's as if... she's channeling knowledge from another time or realm."
Ebonheim continued her inspection, her voice gaining in confidence. "These look like cooling systems, probably for the quantum components. The photon emitters here must be what's transferring Kelzryn’s energy. If we isolate the diodes and desolder this junction..."
Her hand moved across the surface of the Magitech and settled upon one of the metallic panels. Her fingers traced the lines, as though she were drawing the components with a pen and paper. A white light glowed from her fingertips, forming a ghostly outline of the panel, the diagrams appearing and disappearing with her every touch.
“The central processing unit... it seems to be interfacing with the core through a series of... bus bars? And there! The memory modules are over-clocked, feeding more data to the main matrix than it’s designed for.” She paused, her expression contemplative. “I need to decouple the power distribution system, isolate the primary circuits, and then reroute the energy flow through the secondary capacitors...”
Calyxia watched her intently. She waited until Ebonheim's mumbling subsided, the glow fading from her fingertips before she cleared her throat. "I've poured through hundreds of tomes written by the greatest scholars of the past three centuries. I've studied the most ancient and complex Magitech that mortals have ever created. Yet, the language you use to describe the functioning of this contraption is completely foreign to me. Is there a reason why you're describing the Magitech like a star-gazing telescope?"
Ebonheim blinked, breaking from her trance-like state. She gazed around, a flustered expression crossing her face as she realized where she was. "Huh? What was I..."
Calyxia continued, her voice rising slightly. "Not only that, but the words you say are conveyed with the utmost confidence as though you have experienced using and working with these concepts before, which is impossible. I can recognize when a mage uses the art of illusion and I can discern when someone is using the language of enchantment, but what I witnessed here is neither. The words you use are not magical in nature. Yet, you seem to instinctively grasp the principles behind this ancient contraption and what makes it tick, even if you struggle to fully understand how. Care to explain, Ebonheim?"
"Ah, um... It's..." Ebonheim stammered, averting her gaze.
Calyxia sighed. "Relax. I'm not angry. If anything, I'm impressed. I had a hunch that you may be of help, and I was right. But to this extent..." She looked over at Kelzryn. "What do you make of this?"
Kelzryn let out a low rumble in response. His voice echoed in their heads.
Kelzryn paused, his eyes glowing a darker shade of gold as he peered down at Ebonheim.
Calyxia nodded in acknowledgment. "Don't mind me," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Focus on figuring out what needs to be done. Take your time and do whatever you need to."
"Uh... okay." Ebonheim turned back to the Magitech, biting her lower lip. She resumed her inspection, slowly pacing around the apparatus as her eyes traveled over each component.
For the longest time, she scrutinized every detail, lingering on certain points longer than others. Her movements became more fluid, almost automatic, and the motions of her fingers traced the contours of the Magitech like those of a sculptor carving clay.
Bjorn glanced at Th'maine, who now stared at Ebonheim with a deep frown. This was the first time he'd seen Th'maine this troubled.
"Th'maine, is everything all right? What's troubling you?" Bjorn asked.
"Bjorn," Th'maine murmured. "What do you think of Ebonheim?"
Bjorn was taken aback by the question. Why would he ask such an odd question now, of all times? He considered it for a moment. "Ebonheim? She's doing well right now. Better than I expected, to be honest. She's vanquished hordes of Kungwan by herself and I witnessed her slay the Kungwan alpha in single combat. She saved my life as well when the beast nearly devoured me. Her feats thus far should be sung and recorded in legends. What brings this up?"
Th'maine shook his head. "That's not what I'm referring to, Bjorn. What I meant is, what do you think of her origins?"
Bjorn's eyes widened and he shot a glance towards Calyxia and Kelzryn before glaring back at Th'maine.
"This is not the place or time to discuss this, Th'maine," Bjorn warned, lowering his voice. "You should know better than to speak of her identity so casually in the presence of outsiders. Even Serrandyl and the Aslankoyash do not know how she came about. Do not forget, it is a closely guarded secret, and we are among strangers."
Th'maine closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I apologize, Bjorn. I misspoke. Forgive my foolish words and careless tongue. But I fear there may be more to this than meets the eye. There is something unusual about Ebonheim, and this incident has further reinforced my suspicions."
Bjorn furrowed his brow, studying the old man's countenance. Th'maine's eyes held a shadow of deep concern and his posture was slumped as though he carried an invisible burden on his back.
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"We'll speak of this with the other elders some other time. For now, let's watch over her," Bjorn assured him, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly.
"Very well," Th'maine responded with a sigh, opening his eyes.
The two of them shifted their focus back to Ebonheim as she worked.
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The minutes turned to hours. Ebonheim’s hands worked tirelessly, deftly handling components and manipulating the Magitech with a finesse that surprised even Bjorn. Occasionally, Ebonheim would step away to rest, confer with Calyxia and Kelzryn, and then resume her work. She seemed to be progressing with her efforts, despite the numerous setbacks and frustrations she encountered along the way.
Calyxia assisted Ebonheim in the finer aspects of manipulating the Magitech. She would summon arcane tools to her and provide them to Ebonheim, which she'd use to dismantle the more complicated and dangerous sections of the apparatus.
Ebonheim's voice was steady as she spoke, "I can create a bypass channel for the energy flow, ensuring it doesn't backfire on Kelzryn. But as I redirect it, you'll need to dissolve each binding rune, one by one."
Calyxia's serpentine eyes gleamed, "A delicate task. We must be precise, synchronized. Let us begin."
Serrandyl stretched her arms, letting out a yawn. She sauntered over to Bjorn, who glanced at her curiously.
"I'm bored," she complained. "Where's the action? I wish Ebonheim and Calyxia would hurry this up already."
Bjorn shook his head. "Patience, young one. They have their work cut out for them, and it seems to be going well."
"Hmph, if you say so." Serrandyl crossed her arms, pouting.
They watched as Calyxia and Ebonheim labored to carefully extract a crystal from the Magitech apparatus. They maneuvered the shard through the maze of wires and conduits, their fingers glowing as they guided it through a series of filaments. When they finally managed to detach the gem from its socket, it floated in midair, suspended in place by the power emanating from Calyxia's outstretched palm. She handed it to Ebonheim, who immediately went to work on the other crystals.
From his restrained position, Kelzryn's voice once again reverberated in their minds.
Kelzryn’s pulsating glow became steadier, the rhythm syncing with the reducing hum of the machine.
Ebonheim's brow furrowed in concentration, sweat forming on her temple. She carefully held the shards, murmuring something about "closed-loop systems" and "feedback mechanisms."
Calyxia, her serpentine form shimmering with a green aura, chanted spells, countering the machine's arcane defenses.
Ebonheim spoke in a distracted tone. "I have to disconnect the energy couplings and remove the secondary nodes before we can continue. Calyxia, once those are severed, I need you to channel a steady stream of arcane energy here, into this junction. But it must be controlled, a modulation that resonates at this frequency." She showed Calyxia a series of symbols, runes that appeared to vibrate with power.
Calyxia nodded, her face calm. "I understand as much as I need to perform the task, but don't flood me with excessive details. I can adapt on the fly, but not if you deluge me with the specifics. I'd rather not implode the mountain, all right?"
"Oh, right. Sorry," Ebonheim apologized, her cheeks flushing a rosy color.
The duo continued with their task. Calyxia cast her spells while Ebonheim manipulated the Magitech to gradually sever the arcane bonds holding Kelzryn in place.
Kelzryn's breathing grew ragged, and the pulsating orb in his chest began to brighten. The machine responded to the combined efforts with an orchestra of hums, clicks, and whirs, as lights flashed in an unpredictable sequence.
"I'm trying! The framework of the containment field is too brittle and volatile," Ebonheim protested, her face dripping with perspiration. "Calyxia, how are you holding up? Can you handle the output?"
"Don't worry about me," Calyxia retorted, gritting her teeth. "Keep going."
The atmosphere intensified, and the air thickened with the miasma of raw magic. Ebonheim's hair billowed about in a windless space as the room lit up with brilliant flashes of light. The temperature rose, and the ground began to quake, dust falling from the ceiling.
Bjorn's eyes darted around the room, keeping a lookout for signs of imminent collapse. "Perhaps we should fall back?"
Th'maine motioned for the others to gather around as he began uttering incantations for a spell. His voice barely audible over the commotion, he projected, "Be still, everyone! I'll place a barrier spell over us."
The group huddled together in a tight circle. Th'maine cast his shield around them, the barrier pulsing with a faint white light as his spell took effect. The sound and vibrations dampened, and they felt more secure in the center of the protective dome.
Ebonheim's voice resounded through the chaotic cacophony, "It's working, I'm almost there!"
"Quickly, do not falter!" Calyxia hissed through clenched fangs.
Ebonheim's hands glided gracefully over the Magitech apparatus. She concentrated on a large section near the center, a section housing a series of crystals interwoven with golden-plated conduits. She gingerly detached the cables from their sockets, connecting each with a tiny tube-shaped tool. Then, with a deep breath, she began twisting a knob protruding from the side, gradually rotating the tool in a circular motion.
As she did, she repeated the process with each cable, continuing until all the connections had been made. With a final flick of her wrist, she removed the last cable.
At first, nothing happened. But as she stepped away from the section, a current of arcane energy rushed through the wires, filling the tubes and causing them to glow.
Bjorn saw the dragon strain against his constraints, and the machine's mechanical whirring grew louder as a thunderous boom shook the cavern. The walls shuddered violently, causing the stalactites above to break free and crash downwards.
Th'maine's barrier flared brightly as a slab of rock plummeted down, slamming into its surface and bouncing harmlessly to the side. Another piece struck the barrier, and the barrier's light dimmed.
Ebonheim shouted, "Kelzryn, keep struggling! I'm almost there!"
The Magitech apparatus let out a shrill whine as its energy flow fluctuated wildly. Her fingers flew over the controls. She flipped switches, tapped buttons, and adjusted levers, seemingly on instinct, adjusting the device with remarkable dexterity. The rumbling grew worse, and the ground cracked under their feet, spreading in spidery patterns across the floor.
Ebonheim's hair whipped about as she called out, "Calyxia, are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be!" Calyxia replied. "Make the move!"
Ebonheim's hands danced across the control panel, inputting a complex string of commands. As she pressed a key, the lights on the console flared brightly, bathing her in a blinding glow.
"NOW!" she shouted.
Calyxia pressed her palms together, and her eyes shone with arcane power. Her serpents opened their jaws wide, and from their mouths issued beams of multicolored light that struck the binding runes and crystalline shards around the dragon's form.
All at once, the restraints shattered. The conduits lodged inside the cavity of the dragon's chest broke free, releasing the amorphous ball of pure energy from within. It shot through the air, careening wildly towards Ebonheim.
The blinding sphere collided with Ebonheim's chest, absorbing itself into her body with a flash. The cave erupted in a maelstrom of violent light, and an intense wave of heat washed over the group. A powerful gust blasted outward from Ebonheim, throwing all within the cavern save for the dragon back with tremendous force.
Ebonheim fell to her knees, and Kelzryn landed on his haunches, the clang of steel on stone ringing in the air.
As the brightness subsided and the cavern stabilized, the group scrambled to their feet. Darkness settled in, only a few streaks of luminescent minerals scattered around providing any light.
Bjorn rose unsteadily, shaking his head to clear his vision. "Is everyone all right?"
Th'maine coughed and spat, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I'm fine, just a little shaken. Are you hurt, Lira?"
"Only a few bumps and bruises." She responded, brushing herself off.
Serrandyl picked herself up, her hands over her feline ears. "Ow... my head...I'm seeing double."
Calyxia lay nearby, unmoving.
Lira rushed to her side, rolling her over gently. "She's unconscious, but unharmed."
"I'm all right," Calyxia croaked, blinking blearily as she sat up. "Just give me a moment to regain my senses..."
"Ebonheim!" Bjorn yelled as he pushed himself off the ground. "Are you injured?!"
There was no response.
Th'maine conjured a ball of light, illuminating the surroundings. As the rest of them made their way toward Ebonheim's prone figure, she stirred. The divine aura that always surrounded her faded, the light receding into her body. Her hair and clothes were tousled, and a trail of blood oozed from one nostril.
Bjorn reached her side, crouching down and propping her body up with a hand. "Ebonheim, can you hear me? Wake up! Speak to us!"
A web of azure veins formed around her skin, spreading from where the energy entered her body. They raced across her, an intricate latticework, coalescing around her chest. She gasped, her eyes snapping open, twin pools of unadulterated white.
Her breaths came in short, shallow gasps. She coughed, splattering crimson onto his armor, and Bjorn winced. He grasped her hand, squeezing tightly.
"Hold on, lass. Lira will tend to your wounds."
Her head lolled limply to the side. Her eyelids drooped shut, and she collapsed into his arms, her body limp.
Bjorn stared blankly at her still form. He shook her, calling her name repeatedly in a frantic tone.
"Ebonheim? Ebonheim!"
Her form shimmered before shattering into ephemeral motes of golden light that dispersed into the air. Bjorn gaped at the empty space where she'd been a moment before, his hands clutching at nothing.