Chapter

Mikel grimaced and jerked The Jewel from around his neck and set it on the table next to him, disgusted.

“What did I do to myself by going after this?” He gestured at The Jewel as it rocked back and forth on the table.

“You made a bid for power, and found some,” Celine said, “Just like worshiping a god to acquire power requires sacrifice, so too does any power of worth.”

“I’m not worshiping Callisto,” Mikel said flatly, eyes glued to the shivering red gem, “I worship no gods.”

“If you worshiped Callisto, I’d say you were a fool, so I’m happy to hear that. Did you… Know about her?”

“No.” Mikel said, “I didn’t know the history outside the legends. I… Didn’t know The Jewel was part of Callisto.”

“Do you know about her?” She repeated the question, driving the point home.

Mikel glanced away, “I know about many of the Sunken Folk gods - but not Callisto. I’ve never heard her name outside of The Jewel. It doesn’t matter though - those gods are long dead - killed in the great cataclysm that ravaged our world when humans warred with The Sunken Folk. We couldn’t have won otherwise.”

“Which is why I’d say you were stupid to worship Callisto. She is dead - long dead - but that doesn’t mean she has no power in this world - or any world where her artifacts exist.”

“What are you telling me?”

She shrugged, “The more you use The Jewel the more it will affect you.”

“But you said I have no choice in using it. It will… Make me.”

“Yes. It will. And if it makes you it will take everything you are and replace it with something else entirely alien.”

“Like The Market?”

“Yes, just like The Market.”

“Can I get protection, like you?”

She grinned slyly, “You could, but not from me. If your earlier display is any indication, if I gave you Love’s protection, you might explode.”

Mikel’s face burned, “I… Didn’t mean it like that.”

She grinned, “And yet that is how Love offers her protection. But don’t worry - Mine already lies with another,” She glanced up the stairs behind her and smiled sadly, “And yet, I can’t see him.”

“Why not? He… Misses you terribly.”

She nodded, not looking at Mikel, “I know. And yet, I can’t return.”

“Why deny yourself, or Helsket? He’s… not the same on the outside, but he’s still himself. That hasn’t changed.”

“Which is why I’ll always love him. He never will,” She said wanly, “but that time, I fear, has passed, and why I have turned to Gaia instead of Love.”

Mikel didn’t fully understand what she was getting at but nodded anyway, “Okay… If that’s the case… What else should I know about The Jewel.”

She turned back and smiled a final time before she began to instruct Mikel on how best to not lose himself while using The Jewel.

***

“The Jewel will turn you, no matter what you do. You can resist the urge to use The Jewel, but as you experienced, it will win eventually.”

The two had taken up chairs at the table, Mikel on one side and Celine on the other - The Callisto Jewel sat between them, still shivering of its own accord.

“All I can do is use it willingly and keep the damage to a minimum?”

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“Yes. Are you familiar with The Ascendant Cross, Descendent Cross, and the Key Cross?”

Mikel nodded, “Only in passing. Our library had a lot of books, but they’re only mentioned a few times in magic primers and the like.”

“They’re the basic foundation of how we use our magic. The Crosses and your position in relation to each of the nodes determine your Essentia-based abilities. Callisto was a deity strongly associated with the Descendent Cross and one node in particular.”

The Jewel shivered at a higher pace, drawing both Mikel and Celine’s attention.

“Node?”

She nodded, “Yes. Each cross has five nodes - corresponding to one of the base elements of our world. The Key Cross is the most common association for humans. The five nodes are Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Undilute. The four elements circle the Undilute eternally, all trading power - all affecting each other in weakness and strength. Even if someone isn't near enough one of the nodes to exhibit Essentia control over that element, they are always associated with a single node more than others.”

Mikel had read some of this theory before, but hearing it again, from someone who obviously knew what they were discussing blew his current learning out of the water.

“What about the other two? The Descendent Cross and Ascendent?”

“Humans can access these two crosses as well, although it is rare for anyone to exhibit Essentia control over these Cross nodes. The Cross we’re dealing with regarding Callisto is the Ascendant Cross - and in particular the Blood node.”

Mikel glanced at the vibrating Jewel and shivered. He knew cold was pouring off of The Jewel in waves. Even though he wasn’t in contact with it, he still experienced the phantom sensation.

“Blood? Why is it so cold then? When it starts vibrating like that it… It feels as if I plunged into a frozen river. It’s unbearable. Is there a cold node? You'd think blood would be warm... Or at least sticky.”

She smiled thinly, her eyes tracking the shivering Jewel along with Mikel's.

“No. Control over cold is either achieved via a strong Key Cross Association between Water and Air - or, an Ascendant Cross Association rooted in the Time node.”

“So why is it so cold?”

“The Jewel is a relic of the Sunken Folk - people who lived in the depths of our world, both underground and deep underwater. Natural light harmed them, so they only ever journeyed at night, or in specially designed machines which could protect them from the sun’s rays. The sun wouldn’t kill them, but it did weaken them and burn their skin and eyes. Humans thrive in the sun and warmth - The Sunken Folk grew in the cold and dark. What you experience as a painful cold to them would be what we call pleasant. The Jewel wasn’t made for humans, nor even mortals."

“Then why can we use it?”

“It’s part of the design Callisto put in place when she made The Jewel. I don’t know everything… Just what Love thought necessary to pass along to you, but suffice it to say the Jewel was made to enhance and empower the nearly god-like Sunken Folk before their fall. Love hinted at the fact that these types of artifacts were partly to blame for the Sunken Folk's fall.”

Mikel digested the information slowly, trying to parse out exactly what he needed to prolong his life as much as possible.

“Then we have a problem,” He said, “I can’t use Essentia - I’ve been tested twice and… Well, something is wrong with me. What did you call it? Cross Association? I’m not sure what mine are, but Telgil used a black obsidian ball on me and it just seemed to fail when it tested me. He was irritated when it didn’t produce the information he was after. It's still there.” He pointed to the black box on the table as if in defeat.

Celine regarded him for a moment before turning her eyes upward.

She grew as still as a portrait. Several moments passed and Mikel, not seeing her breathe, was about to reach out and make sure she was okay when Celine’s eyes flicked back to Mikel as a grave look passed over beautiful features.

“This isn’t good.”

Mikel’s heart dropped, “What… What do you mean? What did you just do?”

“Love answered my prayer and spoke to me. What she said… Doesn’t bode well for you Mikel Raithson. Your life is in danger far and away above what normal holders of The Jewel experience.”

“Why’s that?” Mikel’s stomach grew tight and sweat shimmered on his skin although the air was pleasant and cool in Telgil’s home.

“Your Cross Association… It’s sealed - your access to Essentia is restricted by something.”

“What do you mean?” He leaned across the table, eyes wide and heart hammering. This was something he’d been looking to find out about his entire life - and now, in this strange market, with a woman so beautiful he could hardly believe existed, one of the core mysteries of his life was being examined.

“Tell me. Tell me what you know.” The air of intensity rolling off Mikel would have frightened him any other day of his life, but this was different. This conversation was dealing with his life.

A troubled look passed over Celine's face, a darkening of the sun of her beauty.

“I… I don’t know. There’s something in the way. Love showed me your position, or rather what you could be. I can’t see what your association is supposed to be though - it’s as if a veil dropped over the image.”

“That’s… Not good.”

“No. Not at all,” Celine said, blinking before turning back to Mikel, “Even now, I can see the shadow. It scintillates and it’s cold feeling. Mikel, I’m not sure what’s going on here, but this isn't good.”

“You’ve told me that already!” He said, growing frantic, “But it doesn’t help me. You said I’m in more danger than other owners of The Jewel - why is that?”

Celine was silent for a long time before she spoke again and when she did her words were parsed and short.

“I can’t tell what your Association is from the image Love showed me - but… I can see what it will be.”

Mikel said nothing, waiting for her to finish. He was about to burst with curiosity, but he held himself back. There was something useful here, finally. Maybe he would finally get answers.

“Your Cross Association is shifting.”

Mikel narrowed his eyes, “That shouldn’t be possible," Mikel didn't know much about Essentia or his relationship to "nodes" but, he did know that changing your position has terrible ramifications. "Your Cross Association is determined at birth and it remains fixed for your life. You can strengthen the bonds to your strengths and distance yourself from your weaknesses. To change your Association would…”

“Change you,” She said, eyes going misty and far away. By the time she came back to the conversation, her expression had darkened even more.

“The Callisto Jewel is forcibly shifting your Association on the Ascendent Cross to the Blood Node - to the detriment of all others.”

Mikel’s eyes were locked on The Jewel, gently rocking back and forth, emitting tiny cracking noises as it did.

“What does that mean for me?”

Celine shrugged, “That’s entirely up to what you turn into as your Association shifts from whatever is hidden behind the veil blocking my sight to Blood.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Probably not,” She agreed