“This is a suicide mission.”
“So are all our other plans, Julia. That didn’t stop us before.”
Drenar peered at the gathered table–at former enemies, allies, fellow trauma survivors, and his friends. “If we don’t successfully crack Gaia out of this prison? If Val and Davos get to her, and they kill her? Val’s delusional wish fulfillment means the rest of the planet has a very grim future. We need to play a giant game of keep-away.”
“How, Drenar? This could end badly,” James countered. “King, explain this to me. You’re telling me, that the Kilnstar’noth has been actively suppressing Gaia, keeping her imprisoned?”
“Along with the charge of aether energy that is supposed to sustain this world. The aether is a…strange place, from what you’ve told me.” King sat at the table, hands folded together gently, and eyeing each of them in turn. “The drakensouls were imprisoned similarly–the physical body was annihilated, but the aether core of the dragons, their souls, their memories, remained intact.
“When Crosomer cracked open the aether by accident, three years ago during the first experiment, I knew we had a breakthrough moment. It took every bit of convincing Val that this should be our plan. I don’t think she fully understood the device as we did, and we kept those secrets buried close. I also didn’t expect the mana crystals in various locations to start transforming, either. However, the aether-charged crystals have always occurred in small deposits, in isolated locations. Remnants of their true grandeur.”
“Where did my shard come from, King?” Angela demanded. Her mother bowed her head behind her, and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“...From the remnant that Samarina was bound to. That is the connection. I took unprecedented risks to bring you back, on a wild theory that your body needed to be…whole. My gamble paid off. That’s why we still have a chance.” Ever composed, King still had control of the room, and the mood was tense. No one spoke errantly, but listened intently. “We need Gaia, in whatever state she’s in, to survive. I believe that with Drenar’s slip into the aether in the proximity of our immutable associate, Rick’s slip into the aether with the crystalline shard, and Amaranth’s discovery of the temple, I can calculate a way to find her, in the aether.”
“You can’t measure things in there. The place gives me a headache,” Drenar sighed, human hands tensed at the table. His arm was still healing, but they couldn’t fit every dragon into the room. “Okay, let’s pretend we can pull this off, and find her. How do we get her out? You fools left the Kilnstar’noth in Val’s hands.”
“It was that, or die,” Crosomer rebuked, with a ruffling of his feather crest and preening at his mottled coal, green and blue scale. “When she came back from…the place called Jersey?”
“New Jersey,” King corrected.
“Right, when she came back, she also happened upon our little science experiment. Then Davos got wind of it. Then those two…looked at each other, and something happened. Like someone else was at the wheel.” Crosomer looked fatigued…older than the last time she’d seen him, on Mount Syren. A man, broken by so many failures. “Then, the killing started.”
“So now the Conclave is subverting control of the Talons. Zacharias is consolidating power.” Drenar let a breath of air through his teeth. “How do we even win this? We have the Valkyries, but...”
“They’ve steered clear of us–for now. But once this is over, Drenar, they will come at us with everything. That includes those loyal to King and Crosomer’s vision of a better world.” Kiera did not look happy to say that, but had been in radio contact with her various teams. “It’s time to stop sitting on the sidelines. We need to act. For the future of our world."
“And to do that, we need to keep Gaia alive, in whatever state she’s in, find a way to kill Davos and Val–or, we’re going for the golden ending,” Drenar stated with contempt as he stole a glance at Julia, “Find a way to kill the outsiders themselves. Oh, and turn the mage world against Fellwoven. And supercharge the device to resume the flow of mana to the world, so we don’t all die. Easy.”
“Except it won’t be,” Volkir fumed. “I’ve been able to figure that there is a continuity to the aether–based on your dream state when you first Awakened, and on the other instances you entered. It becomes a realm of…manifest fantasy, in a sense.”
“Charming. So, we have no idea what we’ll find in there, assuming we can pull this off, and enter the Aether.” He glanced around the room. “We need a tight, fast-moving team to go into the Aether. King, you’re with me. Julia, Kiera, Angela, and Joey are going in, too. We don’t know how many we can pull in at once. Assuming we don’t, you know, disintegrate if this goes badly. Everyone else is going to hold the fort. Nick, Levine, you guys need to rally every SAF agent you can get a hold of, and find someplace shady to hide out in. Asqualia is not safe.”
“Splitting the team is risky, Drenar,” Nick stated irritably. “Remember at the prison?”
“We have no choice. We need to buy time and rally forces that will stand up with us. Hit everyone in town who can help. Sierra, the staff of Asqualia, anyone and everyone who we've had a hand in bettering their lives, or they stand to lose just as much as us.”
“Ragnarök Protocol,” Kiera spoke succinctly. “The Valkyries have a contingency if the Conclave was to ever overtly start to be a detriment to the mage world. We just never thought it would come to this. I will rally everyone to Valhalla, it is the safest place in the world for us, right now."
“And we’re all just chill with letting Crosomer and King do this?” James demanded, before glaring at them. “We’re in the shit, because of you two. And don’t get me started on those unkillable killers. No wonder why Angela couldn’t finish Val in Asqualia. They took a dragon and gave her eldritch monstrosity powers. Like that was ever going to be a good idea.”
“Save the complaints, James, we’re doing this. I know you don’t like it, but things are starting to fall apart across the world.” Drenar hated the fact that James had a point, but the past differences needed to be set aside, immediately. “Guys, this has a good chance of getting everyone killed. We need to do this. For the good of all.”
“Then let’s get started, before Zacharias and her monsters on a leash figure out what we’re up to,” King stated, as he rose from the table.
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The crystals weren’t just singing. It was almost a choir of crystalline chimes, in the grotto that Joey and Kyle had discovered, two months ago. Drenar eyed the hastily erected teleportal platform, now wired into the crystals in some Frankenstein magitech mad science, and the hastily erected enclosure, where the team was gathered.
“So, yeah. This is a bad idea, for the record,” Julia commented beside him, even as she geared up. Every bit of armor, every weapon they’d need, and extra supplies were packed into a compressed dimensional case. They had no idea what to expect. “Remember when we were fighting a Saturday morning cartoon villain, and that was all we had to worry about?”
“I resent that,” Crosomer growled. “And I don’t even know what that means.”
“Better than you don’t,” Drenar sighed, before throwing his last rounds of autobow bolts in the case, Joey’s alchemical concoctions, and every other gadget that Kyle had for prototypes into a dimensional case. He still could rely on his own magic and draconic strength, but…
Could they do this? Could they actually pull this off, and save the world? It seemed impossible. Mom would try to stop me. She'd tell me this was a death wish. That I had no chance of victory.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
He glanced over his shoulder to see Julia slinging that massive anti-material rifle, and hoping the firepower was a precaution. Angela was gearing up in her armor, looking calm, regal, even–like old-world nobility. But the shaking of her hand, as she peered at the grotto of glowing mana crystals, betrayed her inner feelings.
She was just as afraid of this as he was.
“Drenar, there’s no guarantee we come back from this. We might need to find another way home, once we’re there.” Angela pointed to Rick. “Do you remember anything in the aether?”
“Not much. I remember seeing strange shapes, and landscapes. They appeared and disappeared with the whim of the mind. I…I don’t know how to describe it. A kaleidoscope of reality, even. An amalgamation of a lot of places I’ve seen and been, over the years. A lake in a mountain valley. Sun-kissed beaches with gentle breezes, with playful gulls skimming the waves. A dark mine, filled with mana crystals that warded off the shadows within.” He let out a shaky breath. “Why am I staying?”
“Because you’re the backup, in case we don’t make it home,” Angela stated while she tied back her hair, and secured it with a small bandanna. Joey was doing much of the same–and going in her kitsune form, with her armor now wrapped around her slightly altered form. She secured every chemical in her hopper, and more in the reserve cases. “Joey, how much medical triage do you know?”
“Enough to keep us alive. I have no idea what to expect, so I’m preparing alchemical mixers that can be combined for a variety of effects.” She secured her pack, her launcher, her compact staff, and ran her fingers across her elongated ears, gently. Drenar noted she still kept two studs in one ear–one colored with a brilliant green gem that seemed to almost shine, that was recent. “Well, this is not how I thought my life would turn out. I never thought I’d be about to embark into the aether again. Or, you know, launch a rescue mission for a goddess.”
“We’ll get through this. We always do.” He took a few short steps to hug her, which he also needed at the moment. “How good is my arm going to be?”
“Don’t push it. I’ve sped up your healing and the stress fracture is healed, but you shouldn’t be doing anything strenuous,” she cautioned. She peered at Crosomer and King, also gearing up. “What about you two?”
“We’ll be fine.” King wasted no breath on that response and secured his pistol, and several potions, adorned in his light armor that she’d witnessed before. A longsword hung on his back gently, that she didn’t recall seeing before. “Robespierre, you set?”
“This armor wasn’t meant for my physiology. But it’ll do.” he had finished securing greaves to his draconic legs, and grunted softly, orange eyes looking diminished. “Not exactly how I thought this plan would go. I should have killed Val when I had the chance.”
“I don’t think you could have, even if you wanted to. And I have a theory on what she is. Because the outsider does not hold absolute on her, as it should. That is a mystery I’ve yet to fully grasp, just yet. Are we ready?” King asked. Crosomer nodded after a second of hesitation.
“Ready.” Kiera was succinct and dressed for war in her Valkyrie armor, helmet secured, and the magical visor flickering to life, and peered at him, her face etched in cocern. “Drenar…you don’t have to do this.”
“Yeah, I do. I have to see this through, to the end. There’s no way you’re talking me out of this, Kiera. You’ve been a second mother to me, and…I’d like to think that the lessons you imparted on me, and Julia…weren’t wasted, ya know?” It took all his willpower to not choke up with those few words.
“Pfft. You’re like an honorary brother, Drenar,” Julia teased before tousling his hair. “Everyone looks so grim! Let’s go smile in the face of pending death, because you guys are all in a mood! Let’s fix that, and go save a goddess! Then the world! And then kill an eldritch abomination or two! And not in that order, maybe!”
“Oh, dear. Well, maybe a few more lessons are required,” Kiera sighed, before drawing him and Julia in a loving hug. “Angela, Joey, do be dears, and come over here.”
“Okay, no pressure or anything.” Angela gazed at her parents after joining in the embrace. Her parents stood there, holding each other. Drenar knew that she had more than lingering resentment toward her mother. But, she broke off to give a loving hug to them. “Mom, Dad…you know why I have to do this.”
“I wish you didn’t. I wish none of this had happened.” Her mother shuddered under the overwhelming guilt she must be feeling. “Angela…come back home in one piece? Drenar, Joey, Julia...I know you guys would do anything for each other. Stand by each other, no matter what.”
“I should be going, too,” James commented bitterly. “Someone needs to reign in Drenar’s impulses."
“James, you guys have a task, I need a tactical mind here. We need to rally everyone we can get, because when we do get back? Everyone will be gunning for us. Davos, Val, Zacharias, the whole world. But we’re going to show them that we aren’t alone in this fight. You guys have the harder task.”
“I'm not exactly envious of this task,” Jonaleth sighed. “King, don’t come back dead, either?”
“I don’t think that’s a possibility that I’ve calculated to a high chance of occurrence. But, I appreciate the sentiment.” King gazed at Jonaleth with a subtle nod. A father that Jonaleth had never had his entire life. Jonaleth broke first, and gave the man an unexpected hug.
"No, you cocky bastard. Come back home alive. You're the man with the plan, you always have a solution." King didn't respond, but...for the first time, Drenar saw an emotion other than a slab of marble: genuine compassion
King nodded quietly, before Jonaleth stepped back, and cleared his throat, fighting to keep his composure. “Well, shall we, Bertance?”
“You guys bring the ‘mad’ to the term ‘mad science’ by the way,” Kyle quipped, even as he typed in console commands for the teleportal, and shivered in his power armor, warding off the effects of the crystals. “I’ve disabled the portal itself, but the guidance system should ‘read’ the trajectory of the aetherial charge in these crystals. Though ‘direction’ means shit when we’re talking about fifth-dimensional space. Who’s doing this?”
“I’ll do it,” Angela stated calmly, as she pulled away from her family, and approached the crystals in the hastily cleared-out area. The crystals had grown, according to Joey and Kyle and were now encroaching above the ground, despite the light snow, and the hastily erected tent provided a modicum of relief from the elements. “Just need to…you know…do the impossible. Like usual.”
“Angela, we’ve got this.” Drenar gave her a firm hand on her shoulder, and smiled lightly. “We’re right with you.”
Everyone was ready, now. Drenar glanced down at his weapons, his equipment. The contingencies they’ve discussed. He hoped it would be enough.
“Alex…is it time for us to have one last adventure? For old times’ sake?” Drenar glanced to see Crosomer gazing at him, hands at his side loosely. Drenar gave a gentle tap of the armband, and Alex came forth, in a hissing mist of aetherial vapors. He regarded his old friend, before dipping his snout low.
“You were right. You were always right, Robbie. The Conclave…I tried to believe in it, tried to look past its flaws. I didn’t trust you when they told me you did terrible things.” the dragon sitting just above his shoulder, let out a soft exhale. “You were always trying to do right for all of us, weren’t you?”
“Not like I told you that a thousand times, Alex. Now, let’s have one last adventure, for the sake of the world. For Lyssa. Hanna. Gerard. All our friends, who fought for a better tomorrow.”
Angela took the cue, and stepped toward the crystals, which began to hum with energy. Energy arced through the air, and Kyle stepped back hastily from the platform. Drenar could feel a charge of energy across his skin, and those crystalline chimes coalesced into a symphony. The energy felt like pinpricks of heat, that quickly faded. A low breeze built in the area, rustling the tent, and all the onlookers took several steps back.
“Platform is picking up a telemetry. Standby.” Kyle tapped furiously into his arcane data pad, running calculations and furrowing his brow. “Angela, you’ll be the bridge between this platform and the aether. Stand strong."
“I’ve got this, guys.” Her hand shook as she reached out to a spire of crystal, and a sound like a violin began to emanate in a bright note, filling the air with a sound that gave Drenar resolve. All of them drew close to Angela, as crystalline scales emerged on her body, and the glow of mana pulsed through her veins. Luminari reacted in the same way, glowing brightly. The metal shone, sang with a sharp chime, like it always did when it was near him and Angela, and then began to turn translucent.
He looked on in amazement as the true form of Luminari was a single crystal of mana, carved in the shape of a blade, and thrummed with power. He could hear the whispers of a goddess, trying to break free from a prison constructed by someone beyond his comprehension.
“Off we go, into the wild aether yonder,” King spoke softly, gazing at the shimmer of light, and Angela shuddered to control the energy arcing off the crystals.
“Approaching maximum theoretical charge! Hold tight!” Kyle shouted out over the gale building. The tent flapped and ripped–suddenly they were exposed to the cold, snowy day, shadows starting to drip down from the pending evening. Twilight was a specter on the horizon behind the trees, and Drenar focused on the dying light of the world.
“We’re the Luminaires, guys. We’re the light to guide the way.” He didn’t know if the others heard him, and he felt a magnetic pull to Angela, and the others instinctively held close. The charge built to a peak. It was Angela that finished the motto, and she glanced at him, Julia, Joey, and the others.
A belief they all held to their hearts, as the world flared with an impossible white light.
“A beacon to a better tomorrow…”
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The Legend of the Luminaires: End of Volume III, Arc One