XXXVIII.

Trapped

Bwooooom!

An explosion of repulsive magic echoed around Ivalié. Cedric slid away. His form vanished into nothing at all.

Jirtu thrust a hand out and clenched the fingers toward Ivalié, raised him out of his seat by telekinetic magic. The man's head shuffled loosely as he stirred and moved. He groaned quietly. Then Ivalié gently began to float toward the robed man, away from Cedric. The leylines constricted around him so tightly that they soon became a barely visible warping of the air, like viewing the man through a bubble. A ley barrier will let me know if any should try for his life. And I'll have ample time to reply.

Then Ivalié was safe with Jirtu, floating overhead a few paces behind him. The robed man's eyes darted back and forth, waiting for any sign of where his quarry was hiding.

A gentle brush upon the ley — the twice-ley. He reached up to feel one of the necklaces tucked beneath his robe. Trying to freeze time, now? It won't affect me, though it may the others.

He looked to the balconies and catwalks above. There were onlookers from atop the distant bridges. Some were indeed frozen, as though time had grown still around them. The rest looked on with scowls and disdain stuck to their faces. Combat was prohibited in the library, else they'd be foolishly putting all knowledge of the worlds at risk. But who will enforce the rules if not I?

Okella was gone, too, though he wasn't worried about her. She was, as he said, nothing more than an overgrown slime. Waste. Useless. Powerless.

"Keeping them invisible, Okella? For how long can this farce remain before the leylines reveal your...?" He looked down with a hum of surprise. His chest had become damp.

An expression of self-doubt filled his face. The twice-ley had grown tight.

Damn!

He grimaced. It was over already. His amulet of protection from frozen time was shattered. All he could do was buy time, pray for an exit.

He slammed the base of his staff to the floor. Twelve blue-hued daggers burst from crystalline bulbs in the air around him and floated, watching every angle for an attack.

Then came a horrible burst of fire from every direction, sending books even much farther out into frenzying flame, decaying eons of knowledge to ash in an instant. The jellyfish on the table hissed out at the heat and buckled, succumbing into a thin blue goop.

The flames began to quench before him, even as the spray to his peripheral grew greater still. The heat was unbearable — he almost thought to pull his hood down, rip his robes from his body as the sweat had already begun to run down his forehead.

Cedric approached through the center of the encroaching flames.

"I'm not going to kill you, Jirtu. I—"

Jirtu left his staff standing beside him, slammed his palms together faster than Cedric could react.

But Serkukan's flames grew hotter, and dispelled the magic that Jirtu attempted to cast around Cedric. The boy took another step forward.

"It's over." Cedric declared. "I control time, I control reality, and with Okella, I can read every move you even think of."

"This is closer than I'd have liked, but do not think me out of options!"

Jirtu's hands were still held in a clap between them. He rotated his palms outward. Then went a shot of multicolored, platinum light. His own insect eyes flared with that platinum, rainbow light.

They sensed it before it came. But there was nothing they could do, except—

"Auuuuuuuuuugh!"

Okella materialized before Cedric. She fell to the floor with a horrible thud, a glowing mark was burned into her chest.

A bluff. She can't read my mind.

Cedric's face became apparent horror. He reached out for the girl.

Jirtu's hand was around the staff again. He spun it in an arc from the ground, launching Cedric up and locking him in place midair.

"As I said — too close for comfort."

His staff began to churn with a horrific dark magic, suddenly swarmed by raging storm clouds and red lightning. There was not so much as a breeze upon either ley barrier. Silent magic. Something none of them had ever experienced before.

Ithlo! Serkukan!

Time froze. Jirtu froze with it. Cedric's breaths became breathless gasps. He looked to Ivalié, floating just a few paces away. Then to Okella, stuck on the ground at Jirtu's feet.

But as they hung there in midair, the world began to shift into a crimson glow. He hadn't summoned just Ithlo's draw upon the ley, but Serkukan's as well. And soon, all was red. He twitched. His mind began to race. His heartrate came to a thousand-beat pace while his legs began to tremble and burn as though restless.

He was suddenly aware of everything in the fusion of their abilities. But mostly, he was aware of the taste of metal in his mouth, the iron smell of blood. He thought his nose was bleeding. It wasn't.

He could already sense them, no — he knew everything about the artifacts that were protecting Jirtu, and every other one. All at once, he knew. One called to him, a whispered voice, a chill down his spine.

A black tourmaline necklace crudely shaped as a skull, one of many necklaces, many rings, many… many Etherians.

There were three, no, four to the necklace. Two black pieces, one of… it was familiar. He didn't know the name, he was sure he'd felt it before. One of… Algirak!

A piece of Algirak yet lived within that amulet. It pulled taut around his neck, Serkukan was tugging it closer. His rage swelled unlike it had since Freiya. Cedric felt that rage, felt his fists clench, his breaths become rasps, gasps of hatred and pangs of roaring anger.

And then peace. A white glow broke through the murky red haze, the veil of his mind. Tirolith.

I can't. I can't kill Jirtu just like that, it's… it's counter to our goal, he told himself, it's…

He shut his gasping mouth. His boiling anger subsided for cool lethargy. He took a breath. Released it.

Serkukan boiled still. There was no stopping his anger. He pulled the amulet tighter.

"No!" recoiled Cedric. The red-veiled world faltered. Okella writhed on the ground. Jirtu was midway through another spell. Then all was frozen again. There was no time to think. It wasn't like frozen time, it was like… there was a pressing weight of impending doom. A rush, like he was exposed, about to die, about to kill. The heat of the moment in a high stakes battle. The dribbling sweat of heated summer. A rolling sensation, like tumbling down a ravine, down into a valley overlooked by marauders, slavers, murderers… He was in Kylinstrom, in Calamon, in Aeon. In every moment he'd ever faced, every moment he ever would, and none of them at all. He hissed in a breath.

There was a pang that made him flinch. The world wavered again. Like the string of a lute, snapping upon his fingers, flexing back across his cheek.

He doesn't need to die. There's another way.

We are burning esera fast, Cedric.

His mind searched Jirtu. All of his possessions. They were breathing. Little breaths all over his body. Three, eight, twelve, twenty-one… There were so many! So many Etherians trapped within his jewelry. Not a one Etherian to his mind — but who needed the burden of extra voices when it could all be avoided in this form?

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

An earring. Blue beaded, golden, on his left ear. Two deep blue Etherians, one gray like steel. The earring shattered. The Etherians turned to mist and dissipated.

Now his mind is penetrable. Okella can… Urgh!

Another broken string. The red reality faltered. That ensuing bolt of blackened, foreign magic was rushing.

Cedric's panic seemed to reestablish his control over the world easily enough. Everything froze once again.

And now, the magic holding me up! Return the leylines as they once were!

Another broken string. Serkukan's reality collapsed. Jirtu's magic swarmed forward. Cedric fell from the sky. The bolt went over his head.

Okella, quick!

She was still on the ground. She looked to Ivalié, then Jirtu. There went her hand, and the tendrils with it, plunging into the robed man's mind.

Yes!

And the conscious world was traded for the unconscious…

X

"We're fucking caved in!" Lezat screamed and pulled at this thin hair. They'd made it back to the entrance by Faunia's light alone. Stones were blocking the mouth of the river, letting only a small trickle into the cave, forming a shallow puddle where the river once ran. No way out.

Eson fell against the cold stone wall beside the rubble. His limp had only taken him so far, even with the other Orphans' support.

Ana released from Percy's side, rushed to the water with a gasping stumble, and quickly dropped down to lay her scorched back in it. Percy shuffled away to the corner.

"Ana, stop! Get over here, beside Eson, I can heal you!" Faunia demanded.

She quickly stood up and laid forward on her stomach to expose her blackened back. She refused to move any further.

Faunia sighed and rushed to her side. She knelt down. Her hand began to glow as it ran across her scorched skin. "What about the other way, Lezat, through the tunnels?"

"We never found out how far it goes, or if it goes anywhere on the surface. We can't risk it in this state."

"We may not have a choice… Percy, are you alright?"

The boy was huddled up opposite Eson, beside the tricking water. He was mumbling to himself. Mumbling to…

An Etherian… Please, no. Don't say it's true. He wouldn't be able to handle it…

"F-Faunia…" Eson muttered. She left Ana and rushed over to the battered Eson. Her hand began to glow again as she ran it along his body. His leg had broken in a few places, and the other one sprained. His opposite arm had shattered as well, leaving him hopelessly useless. Her healing spell could only reduce the pain, and hopefully set the bones back well enough that he'd be able to recover once they returned to Alisa. If they ever did.

"Faunia," he mustered through a wince, "do you remember when we were recruits together?"

"I'd really rather not…"

"When we started out together, we were... you know. And the things we'd do..."

"Eson. Don't."

"That time that we both got locked up for insubordination—"

Lezat shouted, "Fuckin' Eson! She said shut up, so shut your fucking mouth!"

Eson growled, half in pain and half in frustration.

Percy whimpered again in the corner.

"Percy, you killed a fucking dragon today! Be grateful!"

"Lezat, that's enough!" Faunia spat. She stood and stormed over to Ana. Her hands glowed a third time as she rubbed the girl's back, and the horrible, bubbling burns began to flatten into darkened skin.

This will be easier to heal. Focus, Faunia. Breathe.

A shuffling of armor came over the precipice. Lezat grabbed at his sword.

But it was only the few remaining sel soldiers, two of them, escorting Kyvir between their arms.

Percy's eyes turned on the man immediately. Faunia glanced between them.

Oh no. Please. Please, no. Evra, Azafel, I'm begging you. Don't do this.

Percy grabbed his sword. Faunia felt her own hilt.

"Faunia…" groaned Ana. She looked back down. Her hand had stopped glowing. Faunia shifted her focus back to the ley, back to the mending shape she'd learned decades ago. A memory of her time as a recruit crept into her mind, bringing a cold shudder over her skin, through her body.

Kyvir snorted. He choked and coughed as they laid him down against a wall. "Orphan girl, uhm…"

"Faunia." she said.

"Faunia. Bring some of that healing over here, if you would. I fear they'll send me back to Alisa in this state… I can't fight like this."

She frowned slightly. The glow faded from her hands. "Oh — the leylines just gave out. I can't reach them anymore…" she lied. Ana whimpered.

Kyvir swore. "They'll send me back. We're meant to end the etherian reign once and for all, we're meant to... Fuck. Fucking damn it all…"

The other two sel looked dejected. Nobody wanted to go back.

Percy stood. He stammered, "I—I can accompany you back. I know the route well. I can…"

"We don't need Orphans with us." said a sel with a stern expression.

"You do. I promise." he said.

No!

The sel all shifted uncomfortably, as though they'd felt something.

Lezat shouted, "We don't even have a damn way out of this place! Nevermind who's going with who!"

"I promise we'll be out within just a few moments."

"I promise that you're losing you're fuckin' mind!"

Ana lifted up from the ground slightly. A glimmer of light had landed on the floor of the cave beside her head. "Look!"

They all turned. Sunlight shone through the cracks of the cave-in. Water began to trickle in at a more pressing rate.

Lezat scrambled to his feet. "We can get out! Hit it with your hilts, break the rubble apart!"

And they did. The sel and the few Orphans who were still capable swung their hilts at the rocks until they fell apart and let the stream of water break in, then further until the hole was just large enough to escape through.

Lezat threw his blade down as soon as the opening was wide enough. He climbed through and took a deep breath as he desperately reached out for the hand of a frey. Soon he was grabbed, and his boots vanished from view.

Faunia helped Ana to the hole, then Eson. The other two sel were helping Kyvir when Percy said, "Wait, I can help him through—"

Faunia stepped between them. She said, "Percy, a word."

He flinched, but obeyed. They stepped away from the other three, and he watched longingly as Kyvir was brought into the water, out of reach.

"You're not going to kill Kyvir. I won't let you."

"What?"

"I can see it in your eyes, you damn fool. You're no good liar. So tell me the truth; the dragon was an Etherian, wasn't he? He invaded your mind. I can help—"

"No!" Percy swatted away her hand. He began toward the opening again. "None of that is true! Stay away from me, Faunia. The cave's driven you mad."

She bit her teeth together in anger. Percy was gone through the gap. She rushed through the hole after him, almost forgetting to take a breath before the frey beyond took her hand.

The surface was immediately much hotter than the cave. Even the water was almost boiling now, with the sun directly overhead. Her head popped out just in time to see the two sel mounting Kyvir atop a sturgoth, preparing their route back to Alisa no doubt. One climbed on the front to control the animal. The other one called his two-beat whistle to summon another sturgoth to his side, and he quickly mounted up.

Lezat had already taken the remaining Orphans south, toward the next encampment. They were passing through the woods by the time Faunia emerged after Percy. She threw down her sword and bow, and the two remaining arrows she'd taken, then began to tear off her dripping Calamoni armor, starting with her helm, then the buckles of her chestplate.

"Damn thing is stuck…"

"Vleren." said the lone sel as he approached atop his mount. "Kyvir wanted me to inform you, we're headed back to Alisa. Transfer ownership of this company to officer Vorez."

She saluted.

Percy's face went pale as Kyvir's sturgoth rushed away through the northern trees. The second sel began to turn after them.

He lunged for the bow and an arrow, raised it, nocked an arrow—

Thwip!

—and he missed.

Faunia turned in alarm. "Percy!" But her fingers were caught in the buckles of her armor. She pried them out. Her chestpiece dropped to the dirt.

The sel's mount raced on without noticing.

He grabbed the second arrow.

"No!" She lunged.

Thwip!

Down the soldier went. Percy rammed his shoulder into Faunia's stomach. She grunted and immediately went down — he jumped onto the beast's back, grabbed the reins, and escaped after Kyvir.

"Fuck!" she shouted, then let out the same two-beat whistle to summon another sturgoth. She came to her knees first, then struggled up just as the beast arrived to her side.

She threw herself over its back, and just like that, she was off to the north…