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Chapter LXVI : Pyrrhic Victory
Latemorn of Primoris, Sixteenth Day of Autumnmoon
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Samuel Cortez arrived on the Goliath using his spell of translocation. He had prepared the room beforehand with a quartet of sorcerers, ready to receive him. Their faces were hidden within gray, hooded robes. Not Abaddon’s thrall, but rather rogue scholars that he had recruited over the years. They served him, and only him. The alternative would have given Abaddon direct visibility into his affairs, and he had no desire to give the Ahrimen any power over him.
At least, that was his intent. Until today.
He unstrapped his Gnostic armor and exposed the injury on his shoulder. The blade had cut deep, and the wound was bloody and bruised. However, the greatest ache came from his wounded pride. He had Abraham right where he wanted him. But then, he saw that Gaian child. He thought they had all been destroyed, but here was the exception, with the answer to all his problems on a chain around their neck. At first, he was unsure. But now, there was no doubt. It was a moonstone. Uriel’s moonstone, no less.
He had combed through Canaan’s memories of the destruction of the Ur valley, but they were jumbled and frenetic. It was hard to tell if anything had survived, much less a child. But now, it all made sense. Somehow, Uriel’s spirit worked through them. Their powers, including their access to the planet’s most powerful aeons, was all Uriel’s doing. He was sure the Master would want to hear about it. If only he hadn’t let the moonstone slip through his fingers.
While the sorcerers cleaned his wound and repaired the damage, he wondered how things could have gone so wrong. He had studied the mechanism behind the AMF in the sunstone’s chamber, and he was certain Libicocco’s powers were stronger. All AMFs had their weaknesses, but he never expected Abraham to exploit them and break free of the Ahriman’s spell. His powers were clearly awakening. He even knew about Remiel. All in a few short weeks. It was all very unexpected.
In the end, it didn’t matter. Abraham was dead, or close to it. Samuel’s rage had gotten the better of him, and he unleashed one of his more powerful spells. Even if Abraham received the best medical care in Koba, he’d never be the same again. The damage to his body and organs were unrecoverable. He would never set foot outside an emergency ward, much less lift a sword again. Had he obeyed, he would have made a fine asset. But now … just a pity.
Samuel felt the sting of defeat. He had triumphed in gaining Koba’s sunstone but had failed to bring back Abraham alive. And that was compounded by his failure to seize the moonstone. And the price he paid … was immense.
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He gritted his teeth. The sorcerers finished dressing his wound, but it still stung.
“Leave me.”
The four men bowed and silently left the room.
When he was alone, Samuel drew a deep breath and unfurled his palm. The Sagittarius Stone was still there, glowing menacingly. What was done could not be undone. His carelessness and desperation had resulted in a colossal error in judgment. He had laid his hands on two sunstones at the same time. Now, he was marked.
Most men could handle one sunstone at a time. Depending on a person’s mental strength and fortitude, they could withstand the Ahriman’s corruption for days or even weeks, especially if they only called upon the demon’s power sparingly. It required superior mental restraint to part with a sunstone, given its addictive powers. But it was still possible, especially inside a mirrored AMF to block the Ahriman’s influence.
However, handling more than one sunstone amplified the Ahriman’s corruptive powers. In a mere instant, one of the demons would lay claim to a person’s soul in the form of a mark. Short of nullifying this curse with the power of a moonstone, it was permanent. When marked, a person could not relinquish their sunstone, no matter how hard they try. Worse, they would feel compelled to use it, thus accelerating the Ahriman’s corruption … and their demise. The cycle would last until there was nothing left of a person’s mind, and they became one with the demon.
Samuel could have had a moonstone in hand before the corruption even started. But now, it was a race against time to find one.
Nephilim ….
As he walked through the Goliath’s narrow corridors, he heard the voice, clear as if it whispered in his ear.
Laughter filled the air. I have you now ….
“Sir Cortez, please wait. Sir.”
“Silence!”
He spun around, having no patience for Belial’s mind games. But all he found was the ship’s captain, who shrank under his gaze.
“Forget what I said. Report.”
The man stood straighter, but he looked like he wanted to run and hide. “M-mister Harding has arrived on board, My Lord. Along with a prisoner. Your orders, Sir.”
Samuel wondered if this captain was so stupid as to allow the ship to remain in Koban airspace. Clearly, his patience had run thin.
He glared at the increasingly timorous officer. “Return to Angkor, and get a count of our remaining ships.”
He was almost ready to leave, when he added, “Also, the prisoner is a sorceress. Make sure she’s taken to a properly configured holding cell with no less than four scholars on duty. I want hourly reports until we’re ready to transfer her. Understood?”
The captain nodded and ran off.
Samuel drew a deep breath. It was too soon to be hearing voices. It must have to do with the Gemini Stone, which was still close by in his waist bag. He no longer touched it directly, but he knew that sunstones in close proximity tended to weaken the border between the physical and magical realms. Like any artifact to come from the protochondrian, they made the space around them unstable, especially when multiple artifacts came in close contact.
He needed to be rid of it. As for the one in his palm, he’d do whatever it took to stave off Belial’s encroachment. He knew of certain meditation routines that would bolster his restraint, but it would only delay his demise. He needed a moonstone. There was no other way. He had so much to accomplish. With this new handicap, his challenges multiplied. Worse, he would need to face the Master, sooner or later. And based on his failures, he hardly expected any sympathy.
He needed rest to think clearly. That was the first step. With his mind set, he returned to his cabin.