《Shattered Dawn [An Isekai Sci-Fi Adventure]》


 1. Kidnapped in the Night

    Elion lounged on his bed, playing on his Xbox. He yawned, then rubbed his eyes and checked the time: 1:15 am. Liora hadn¡¯t come home yet.


    Reaching into the bowl of Doritos next to him, he used the gaming chopsticks he wore to pick up a chip. Two loops allowed him to wear them on the index and middle finger of his right hand, and a hinge connecting the sticks provided a springing action for easy operation. He liked using them because they let him eat chips without getting grime from his fingers on his game controller.


    He also felt smart when he used them, since he used the 3d printer at school to make them. Elion had fiddled around a lot to make the print turn out right. Beside him, his cat, Snickers, lay on the bed, purring contentedly.


    Sighing heavily, Elion unpaused his game and continued playing. He could at least stay up and make sure she got home safely.


    A door slammed downstairs.


    ¡°Elion!¡±


    At the sound, Snickers leaped from the bed, bolting out of the room. Elion recognized Liora¡¯s voice, noting an unusual hint of intensity in her cry. He paused his game and sat up, listening carefully, his brotherly instinct activated. She¡¯d been hanging out with her new boyfriend, Keith, and his buddies who were in college.


    I hope she¡¯s not drunk again.  Liora was his twin sister, and at only seventeen, she shouldn¡¯t be out drinking. Uncle Zev had promised to talk to her, but he was only home for two or three days in ten. Elion hadn¡¯t seen him for nearly a week, and he had no idea when Zev would be back.


    Elion had always tried to protect Liora. As children, when other kids bullied them about their white hair, Elion would defend Liora. When their parents had died in a car accident, he took his role as protector even more seriously. But as they¡¯d gotten older, Elion grew more and more confused about what he was supposed to do.


    Liora had started dying her hair black, trying to fit in more with the kinds of people who had bullied her as a kid.


    He knew Keith was a bad influence on his sister, but she wanted to spend time with him. What could Elion do? He was her twin brother, not her dad. All his entreaties had proved ineffective, so he¡¯d settled for staying up late and waiting to make sure she made it home.


    ¡°What!¡± he yelled back. Images of Keith¡¯s friends flashed through his head, and he hoped that one of them hadn¡¯t followed her home. But she had an annoying habit of pestering him unnecessarily, and he was still annoyed at her for telling him off about his pudginess earlier.


    The other day she¡¯d purposefully embarrassed him by calling for his help. Keith had laughed at the way Elion had stumbled over himself, looking for danger. She¡¯d just wanted him to open a jar of pickles.


    ¡°Elion!¡± she screamed again, and this time he couldn¡¯t ignore the note of panic in her voice. She sounded genuinely upset. Tossing his headset onto the bed, he grabbed the baseball bat he kept in the corner of his room.


    As he planted his bare feet on the cool floor a loud splintering crash rocked the house. Adrenaline flooded through him now, and he ran, throwing open his bedroom door. Down the stairs he saw Liora, grabbing at the floor as something dragged her out of his vision.


    She screamed again. ¡°Elion, help!¡±


    Gripping his baseball bat in both hands, he sprinted down the stairs into the living room, ready to smash Keith¡¯s brains out. A jagged hole in the front of the house marked the place the front door had once been, splinters of wood and bent siding panels littering the front room.


    Cool night air blew through the opening, the peaceful scent of fields and fresh cut grass mixing strangely with the chalky mustiness of crushed drywall.


    A huge spider-like creature dragged Liora by her ankles through the hole, its articulated mechanical joints glowing from within. Teal light flickered, the whine of motors loud as it moved. The vision of the otherworldly entity shook Elion. He rubbed his eyes. Adrenaline surged and protective instinct pushed him forward. He sprinted across the room, grabbing Liora by the hand and pulling.


    The spider machine pulled back. Liora gasped in pain as her body lifted off the floor. Elion swung his bat one handed, over his head, striking at the spider¡¯s metal skin.


    With each strike the bat vibrated, stinging the palm of Elion¡¯s hand. Liora screamed and writhed, blood dripping from her ankles where the creature bit into her flesh, one high heel still miraculously clinging to her foot.


    Elion hit again, and the spider stumbled to the side. He dropped Liora¡¯s hand and gripped the bat, swinging two-handed down onto the spider¡¯s body. The bat splintered as it wrenched itself from Elion¡¯s hands.


    The spider-machine groaned with a sound like grinding gears, then, with a sudden burst of speed, whipped Liora through the hole in the front of the house. She yelped, clawing at the grass, pulling up handfuls of sod as she attempted to free herself.


    Elion grabbed the double barreled shotgun from its place over the mantle. He ran to the hole in the front of the house and looked out across the yard. A dozen black cloaked beings occupied the front yard. A gigantic sphere hovered over the front lawn, like a snow globe filled with thousands of purple streamers, casting a strange amethyst light over the yard.


    Liora struggled, her braids flailing around her head as cloaked figures grabbed her. They pulled her upright. One of them placed a hand on her forehead, and she slumped, her screams dying to whimpers. They dragged her toward the purple sphere. The spider-machine released Liora¡¯s legs and scuttled over to stand beside another of the strange machines, waiting for further orders.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Elion shouted, bursting through the hole in the front of the house. Splinters from cracked 2¡Á4s pierced his bare feet, the chill night creeping in at the edges of his bathrobe.


    Leveling the shotgun, he took aim at the nearest intruder. He didn¡¯t want to accidentally catch his sister in the spray of pellets. As he did, the tallest of the cloaked beings beckoned toward Elion. He spoke, his voice thick, rasping, menacing.


    ¡°Bring me that boy!¡±


    At the command, the two spidermechs loped forward with frightening speed. Elion fired. The gun blasted, noise stabbing into his unprotected ears. Cyan sparks exploded from the body of one of the spiders as it staggered a few steps sideways. Elion shook his head, ears ringing.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Elion aimed at the other machine and pulled the second trigger. The shotgun bucked in his hands, knocking the spider back a step.


    Liora sagged limply between her captors as they dragged her into the purple sphere and disappeared.


    The giant spiders recovered from Elion¡¯s attack and charged again. With no time to break the barrel and reload, Elion gripped the gun like a bat. He squared up, but the first creature pounced at him, metal mandibles grasping at his body, his bathrobe.


    Elion staggered backward and fell to the ground, crying out as sharp pincers dug into the skin of one leg. The shotgun fell to the ground nearby.


    Elion kicked with his free leg, fingers grasping in the wreckage of the front of the house for anything that might be used as a weapon. The other spider reached him, and bit into his calf, sharp pain stabbing through his knee.


    Together the creatures dragged Elion across the front lawn. His bathrobe rode up, exposing his boxers as the wet grass slid across his back.


    Two men wearing black robes grabbed him by the arms, hoisting him to his feet as the spiders released their grip on his legs. Elion¡¯s legs stung, crumpling beneath him as he tried to stand.


    ¡°Give my sister back,¡± he demanded, his voice shaking as he tried to show strength.


    The tall man who had spoken turned toward Elion. He reached up and pulled his hood back from his face, letting it fall over his shoulders. His face contorted into a smile, lit with purple light cast by the gigantic glowing sphere. A shock of hair, white like Elion¡¯s, spilled down over the man¡¯s shoulders. Golden eyes glared beneath a strong brow.


    Elion did not know the man. But¡­ he looked familiar. Kind of like Uncle Zev. Elion had only ever seen white hair and amber eyes among his own family members.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the man said, ruffling Elion¡¯s hair. He grabbed Elion¡¯s chin and pulled his face close, inspecting Elion¡¯s eyes. ¡°I did not know that Aria had a son as well.¡±


    Elion tried to pull away, but the man¡¯s grip was iron. ¡°Get your hands off me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am,¡± the man said, eyebrows raised. ¡°Did Aria never speak of me?¡±


    Elion shook his head. His mother had never talked about her past.


    ¡°A shame,¡± the man said, his smile turning contemptuous. ¡°She did you a disservice.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Elion asked.


    The man shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me? The same blood runs in our veins. No? Nothing? I am Dorian.¡± He declared this last part as though it explained everything.


    To Elion, it explained nothing.


    The man, Dorian, looked disappointed. ¡°She really never mentioned me? Never spoke my name to you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of you,¡± Elion said, glancing nervously at the cloaked men now encircling him.


    Dorian¡¯s face twisted into a scowl. ¡°I am Dorian Starholder,¡± he declared. ¡°I sit upon the throne of Erod.¡±


    Elion stared blankly.


    Dorian¡¯s face reddened with anger as Elion¡¯s face betrayed no recognition, no understanding. ¡°I caused The Breaking of The Sky. I freed us from the binding lies. I shone a light on the myth of Tephalian Invaders.¡± The man¡¯s boasting did not impress Elion, confusing him more than anything. But the man continued. ¡°I am He Who Glitters in the Night!¡±


    Elion shook his head, bewildered and confused.


    From across the street, a dachshund barked. Mrs. Phillips¡¯s little wiener dog, Hamilton, ran over the asphalt and bit Dorian¡¯s cloak, snarling.


    The wizard kicked at the dog, but Hamilton did not let go of the robe. ¡°Get away from me, you filthy¡ª¡±


    Hamilton pulled, and the thin material of the robe ripped, a strip of it coming away in the dog¡¯s mouth.


    Dorian sent a small bolt of purple lightning snapping through the air, striking Hamilton. The dachshund whined, and, tucking his tail between his legs, ran off down the road. The scrap of robe flapped from his mouth, jerking the small dog around with a life of its own.


    Dorian scowled, turning back to Elion. ¡°My name is Dorian,¡± he said coldly. ¡°They call me the Black Fist. Master of the Black Wall.¡±


    Elion shivered in the cold night. ¡°N-n-never heard of you before. I¡¯m serious.¡±


    ¡°I am your uncle,¡± Dorian said softly. ¡°I am your mother¡¯s elder brother.¡±


    ¡°Mom only has one brother. And he¡¯s younger,¡± Elion said. ¡°Maybe you have the wrong house?¡±


    But as he spoke Elion saw the truth of Dorian¡¯s words in his face. The color of his hair and eyes, the shape of his jaw, the curve of his nose, all hinted at the relationship. If Zev had a brother, this man could definitely be him.


    Dorian gestured toward the other cloaked figures. ¡°Venya, bring him through the portal too. We¡¯re lucky to have caught them both in the same place. Zev must be losing his edge.¡±


    The two men holding Elion began dragging him toward the purple sphere through which Liora had already disappeared. Two of Dorian¡¯s cloaked acolytes stood beside it, turbulent purple light flowing through their staves and crackling around them as they wrestled to contain and maintain the portal.


    A pang of fear gripped Elion and he struggled with his captors, his movements energized by panic.


    He fought against the vice-like grips on his arms, struggling to break away. His legs slipped on the grass as they approached the portal, struggling weakly in response to his mental commands. Air and light bent strangely around the orb, as guttural, clicking sounds emanated from it.


    ¡°What are you doing with us?¡± Elion shouted.


    A woman stood beside the portal. She removed her hood, allowing raven black curls to spill down over her shoulders. Her dark eyes flashed alluringly in the dim light, and she smiled meaningfully as Elion met her eyes. With a flourish, she gathered power in her hand and tapped his forehead. A wave of numbness washed over him like ice cold water.


    She turned, her robe flapping around her legs in the strange wind of the portal as she stepped into the sphere, disappearing.


    Elion stared into the swirling patterns of the portal, unable to tear his eyes away, mesmerized by the twisting ribbons of light. He felt it catching at him, tugging on the edges of his soul like a strong current. The portal seemed to be downhill, dragging, sucking everything into it.


    The sound of an engine revving pulled Elion¡¯s attention from the portal. A pair of headlights split the darkness as a vehicle raced down the road toward them.

 2. My Uncle is a Magical Knight from Another Planet

    With a roar, a gigantic black truck jumped the curb and flew across the lawn. The dark robed wizards sprang into action, dodging away from the vehicle.


    The truck slammed into one of the mechanical spiders. Glowing legs and chunks of metal flew into the air, even as the remainder of the beast was crushed beneath the wheels of the truck.


    Light burst from the cab of the truck, shining through the windshield. The truck skidded to a stop on the grass. Several blasts of purple energy struck the truck, rocking it as the door opened.


    Translucent shields shimmered in the air around Dorian as wizards produced sticks from within their robes. Too short to be staves, and too long to be wands, these sticks hummed and shone with a purple light similar to that of the portal, rippling through runes carved into the wood.


    Two of the nearest wizards sprinted toward the truck.


    Uncle Zev sprang from the driver¡¯s seat. As he jumped through the air, golden wisps of light surrounded him, weaving together and solidifying into a protective suit of golden plate armor.


    Zev¡¯s arm, now encased in a glittering vambrace, slammed into the face of the nearest wizard, dropping him like a felled tree.


    Wizards scrambled away from Zev, running back toward the portal.


    A blast of violet light shredded the dark night, striking Zev directly in the chest and flinging him backwards. He smashed into the side of his truck, bouncing off in a spray of sparks. The impact tipped the truck up onto two wheels.


    Zev rolled, throwing himself away from the vehicle as another blast of purple energy struck the truck. It groaned and crunched, tipping over on its side. Zev landed in the grass, face down.


    The remaining spider crawled over the toppled truck, pouncing toward Zev from behind.


    ¡°Look out!¡± Elion screamed, but the numbing spell turned his words into a mumbled groan.


    Zev unholstered a golden cylinder from his belt, gripping it in both hands. A white blade ignited like a lightsaber, growing from the hilt in a blaze of light as Zev whirled toward the spider.


    The spider lunged at Zev, mandibles snapping. Zev sidestepped, rolling with agility despite his full suit of armor, and the spider caught nothing but air. Zev¡¯s blade flashed, severing one of the machine¡¯s legs. The spider stumbled.


    One of the wizards cast a spell, a bubble of amethyst pearlescence. The bubble grew and enveloped Zev, lifting him off the ground. Zev grabbed onto the mechanical spider as the bubble grabbed him.


    ¡°Got him!¡± the wizard yelled. Then the bubble began expanding to envelope the spider, and the wizard gasped as he fell to his knees. ¡°Help!¡± His wand arm trembled as he tried to maintain the spell.


    The spell collapsed, and Zev fell to the ground atop the spider, slashing down with his blade and removing two more legs. Zev dropped off the spider, sending it staggering away.


    Zev turned to face the remaining assailants, his glowing blade casting a stark light across his furious face. He stepped off the body of the spider.


    ¡°Through the portal!¡± Dorian shouted, grabbing Elion¡¯s escort and pushing them toward the sphere. ¡°We¡¯ve got what we need!¡± Elion stumbled and fell through the air. The ground turned into a steep slope, and he slid down it, tumbling toward the portal.


    Zev threw his blade. It whipped past, a spinning boomerang of death, decapitating one of the portal stabilizing wizards in an explosion of purple and yellow light. The shockwave knocked the other wizard back, and he dropped his staff. The portal began to unravel, purple tendrils flicking out through the air.


    One of Elion¡¯s captors let go of Elion and dove into the portal. Elion struggled weakly against the other wizard.


    The maimed spider-machine renewed its attack on Zev, stabbing at him with spiked legs. Zev caught one of the legs in his hands and tried to force the spider back. A blast from a nearby wizard threw Zev off balance, and the spider pounced, dropping with all its weight atop Zev, crushing him into the ground.


    Zev shouted, his sword reappearing in his hand. He slashed, severing a limb, then slashed again and again, his assailant falling into several pieces. Zev pulled himself back up to his feet.


    Panicked wizards dove into the portal, abandoning the scene as the portal collapsed.


    Zev raised the visor on his helm, and made eye contact with Dorian across the yard. Dorian met the gaze, then turned quickly to the portal, tumbling through.


    One of the portal tendrils snagged Elion¡¯s wrist, and he floated off over the grass. The portal expanded, swelling to fill his entire field of view as the world shrank behind him. He was falling, falling¡­


    A gauntleted hand seized Elion¡¯s shoulder, nearly ripping his arm from his socket. Zev seized Elion, grunting with exertion as he pulled him from the portal. It collapsed, a violent whipping tornado of destruction which evaporated into the night sky. A thunderclap split the air.


    Elion lay panting on the grass of his front lawn. After a moment he sat up, surveying the damage. Part of the front of the house was missing. Zev¡¯s truck lay on its side, blocking the front walk. Dark robed shapes lay motionless in the grass; the bodies of dead wizards. Crushed and dismembered spider limbs lay strewn across the yard, Where the portal had been, a perfect hemisphere of sod and topsoil had disappeared, leaving a smooth indentation in the ground.


    Zev flopped to the ground beside Elion, gasping for breath. His magical armor dissolved into the night. Elion pulled his bathrobe more closely around him.


    ¡°What was that? What just happened?¡± Elion babbled.


    ¡°Where is Liora?¡± Zev exclaimed, looking around. ¡°Where is your sister?¡±


    ¡°They took her! They dragged her out of the house and pulled her into the portal!¡±


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Zev muttered, the words sounding like a curse as he clutched his head in his hands.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Elion asked.


    Zev nodded grimly. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to get her back.¡±


    A light came on in the house across the street. Zev and Elion looked at each other, then at the surrounding carnage. Mrs. Phillips¡¯ thin voice floated through the air, calling for Hamilton.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Mrs. Phillips isn¡¯t going to be happy about this,¡± Zev said.


    Elion moaned, distraught and overwhelmed. He clutched at his legs, slick with blood where the spider-mech had bitten into him. Pain washed over him, and his head spun.


    ¡°Liora,¡± he gasped.


    ¡°Your leg,¡± Zev exclaimed, noticing the blood. He ran across the yard to his upended truck, and recovered a first aid kit. A splash of cleansing alcohol and some gauze pads later, Elion¡¯s legs were no longer bleeding.


    Zev began rounding up pieces of destroyed spider-mech and pulling them into the garage.


    Elion, still in a daze, wandered over to stare at the hole in the side of his house. On the sidewalk he found one of Liora¡¯s high heels. He picked it up, turning it over in his hand.


    He remembered Liora leaving earlier that afternoon, heels clicking on the front walk, braids bouncing. She hadn¡¯t dyed her hair recently, and he could see the true white color coming in at the roots.


    ¡°I might not be back till late,¡± she said. ¡°Stay out of the snacks in the pantry cause you¡¯re getting fat, and you need to eat some actual food once in a while.¡°


    A shiny blue-green dress stretched over the curves of her body, with a plunging neckline showing off a bit too much. The hemline of the dress lay well above mid thigh, with a high slit running up nearly to her hip. Liora had been working out a lot lately, and liked showing off her legs.


    She wore a bright red lipstick and a lot of makeup, highlighting her cheekbones and making her golden eyes pop. Elion didn¡¯t like the idea of strange dudes leering at her in clubs, and wished she¡¯d cover up a bit more. At least she still wore the star pendant her mother gave her; a golden 7-pointed star dangling on a chain just beneath her collarbones.


    ¡°A bit early in the day to be clubbing isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, then added, ¡°I don¡¯t think you should hang out with those guys. They¡¯re in college.¡±


    ¡°Knock it off,¡± Liora said. ¡°You¡¯re not my dad.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not my mom,¡± Elion said. ¡°But you¡¯re still too young to be drinking.¡±


    Zev broke through Elion¡¯s reverie. ¡°Hey, Elion, go put that shoe in Liora¡¯s room. It¡¯ll raise questions if it¡¯s laying around out here.¡±


    Elion complied, stepping carefully through the wreckage in his bare feet.


    As he returned, he paused in the living room. On the wall hung a picture of Elion, Liora, and their parents. Elion had grown up a lot since the picture was taken 7 years ago. Elion and Liora had both inherited their mother¡¯s white hair and amber eyes, though Elion had his father¡¯s square jaw.


    He liked the picture, because when he looked at it he remembered good times with his parents. Last year Liora tried to take the picture down, insisting that they needed an updated family picture with Zev in it. Elion disagreed, and when Zev refused to dress in matching outfits for the picture, Liora gave up.


    Elion came back outside to find Zev standing with his hands on his hips, looking over the scene.


    ¡°The police are going to be confused about this,¡± Zev said. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll believe it was a drunk driving accident.¡± Elion surveyed the destroyed front yard, the wrecked truck lying on its side near the hole in the wall.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°They won¡¯t believe the truth,¡± Zev disagreed. ¡°But they¡¯ll have to come up with something.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can do anything about the crater.¡± He gestured to the hole left in the sod by the wizard¡¯s portal.


    The body of a wizard nearby began to evaporate, steaming in the night air with wisps of purple mist. Zev cursed and ran over to the body, grabbing the long staff which lay beside it.


    They watched as the rest of the wizards dissolved, along with their staffs. Zev gripped the recovered staff tightly.


    ¡°The shotgun pellets could be a problem, if police look that closely,¡± Zev said.


    The other houses on the street stayed dark, no signs of movement from any of them. Even Mrs. Phillips had apparently not noticed the mayhem yet. Zev guessed the effects of some kind of sound absorbing spell had masked the incursion.


    Still stunned, Elion hadn¡¯t managed to ask any of the millions of questions swirling through his head. Now it was nearly 3:30 am, and the cumulative effects of shock and the wizard¡¯s spell began wearing off.


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Elion demanded. ¡°Are you going to explain who those freaky wizards were, and why they kidnapped Liora? And that dude Dorian, what is up with him? Is he really your brother?¡±


    Zev sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the garage,¡± he said.


    Zev closed the garage door and then turned on the lights. The pile of mechanical parts twitched and glowed teal with an internal energy, as if chopping up the spiders had only maimed them, not killed them.


    ¡°Hold this for me,¡± Zev said, handing the staff to Elion. ¡°If you let go of it, it¡¯ll probably disappear like everything else and we need it. So don¡¯t drop it.¡± He held firmly onto the staff, refusing to release it into Elion¡¯s care until Elion made eye contact and acknowledged the order.


    ¡°I got it.¡±


    Zev released the staff. It did not dissolve into mist.


    ¡°Why did they all puff away?¡± Elion asked. ¡°What¡¯s up with the purple mist? Are you going to explain to me what the heck just happened? Is Liora okay?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zev snapped, ¡°She¡¯s probably not okay, and we need to do something about that!¡±


    Elion jumped back, surprised by Zev¡¯s ferocity.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Zev said. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how they found us. I can¡¯t believe that Dorian managed to lure me away, I was stupid to fall for his trap.¡± Zev pulled at his hair, pacing across the garage. ¡°The good news is he didn¡¯t kill you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good news?¡± Elion didn¡¯t feel reassured.


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Zev said. ¡°He came here with a few of his warlocks, not his strongest, but an adequate force, and only a couple of arachnatronics for support. He wasn¡¯t expecting much of a fight. But he should have known that I would rush back to defend you¡­¡±


    Elion stared at Zev, eyes wide.


    ¡°If he knew I was away from the house, why not act faster, pull you through the portal before I could react?¡± Zev spoke mainly to himself, but Elion soaked it in.


    ¡°He did,¡± Elion said, starting to understand. ¡°He tried to move fast. He got Liora before you could show up. He could have left but I distracted him. He wasn¡¯t expecting me.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t expecting you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°He made his wizards grab me and then asked me some questions. He seemed mad that I didn¡¯t know who he was.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like him,¡± Zev said. He spat on the ground. ¡°Vain mother¡­¡± but he glanced at Elion and didn¡¯t finish the curse. ¡°Sorry, go on.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all. He said some weird stuff about the sky, and fighting invaders, and being sparkly at night or something but I don¡¯t know what he meant.¡±


    ¡°He Who Glitters in the Night,¡± Zev muttered.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it!¡±


    ¡°He always cared more about his titles than his duties.¡± Then he muttered angrily, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I fell for his distraction. I should have been here. I should have stopped him.¡±


    ¡°Is he really your brother? What did he do with Liora?¡±


    Zev scowled, shaking his head. ¡°I suppose I owe you an explanation.¡±

 3. You Cant Come

    My Dearest Aria,


    I pray that I might live long enough to deliver this letter into your hands. I will not attempt to uncover the secrets of your hiding place, but will patiently wait for your return. If I depart from this plane before you return to the Palace, I pray that these words find their way to you. With this letter I fulfill the dying wishes of your mother, the Queen.


    Your brother, Dorian, succumbed to the seductive lure of power and abandoned his Aurelian oaths. He surrounded the palace with his forces of the Black Wall, claiming dominion over what remains of the glory of house Starhold. The Crystalline Guard has fallen. In the quiet places of my mind, I still hear the sounds of battle through the halls.


    <hr>


    ¡°Where to begin,¡± Zev said, running a hand through his white hair. He opened up a tool box, and began picking through the tools.


    ¡°How about you start by explaining what just happened!¡± Elion exclaimed. ¡°How are we going to get Liora back? Where did those wizards take her? What are we going to do?¡± Elion realized he sounded hysterical but couldn¡¯t stop himself.


    ¡°Well first I¡¯m going to use parts from these Arachnatronics to trace their origin,¡± Zev said, selecting a tool and clearing a space on the workbench. ¡°Those guys were not wizards, they were Warlocks; they¡¯re Zelian Ascended. I¡¯m guessing they took her to Kylios. We should be able to use the staff to reopen the portal, if we¡¯re fast enough.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything!¡± Elion exclaimed, his emotions getting the better of him. ¡°You¡¯re just saying nonsense!¡±


    Zev kept rubbing at his head, grimacing and scowling. He fished around in a toolbox.  I¡¯ve never seen Zev this stressed out. He always knows what to do.  Zev took a deep breath, then let it hiss out between his teeth.


    Still holding onto the wizard staff, Elion tapped it on the ground nervously.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Zev said without looking.


    Elion stopped. He had so many questions but didn¡¯t know how to ask them.  And Zev is really agitated.  He didn¡¯t want Zev to snap at him.


    ¡°Okay, fine, probably a bad time for this, but it¡¯s not looking like there¡¯s going to be a good time.¡± Zev rose from his work, crossed the room and grabbed Elion by the shoulders. He looked him square in the eye. He took a deep breath, and Elion braced himself for the truth.


    ¡°Your parents didn¡¯t die in a plane crash,¡± Zev said.


    Elion frowned. ¡°I know,¡± he said, returning Zev¡¯s gaze.


    Zev relaxed slightly, confusion on his face. ¡°You know?¡± he asked. ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Figure what out? My parents died in a car accident, not a plane crash.¡±


    Zev smacked himself in the forehead and groaned. ¡°Plane, car, train, whatever. I forget the official story. They didn¡¯t die in an accident. Your uncle killed them.¡±


    Elion¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ that man¡­ Dorian? He¡¯s really my uncle? But you don¡¯t have a brother!¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Zev said with a shrug. ¡°Or I did. He tried to kill us. Your mother and I, so we had to flee, and we came here to Earth to escape from him.¡±


    ¡°He tried to kill you? Why?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Wait, what do you mean you came to Earth?¡±


    ¡°Elion,¡± Zev said. ¡°Take a seat.¡± He gestured at a stool.


    Elion sat down, resting the staff across his knees but still holding firmly onto it, squeezing it tightly as though it might somehow slip away from him. His hands ached, and his fingers turned white.


    Zev began explaining as he sifted through the Arachnatronic parts scattered across the floor. ¡°Your mother and I are from the planet Kylios. For generations our house, House Starhold, ruled from the Throne of Erod. Your mother, as the eldest daughter, was heir to the throne; this was the Starholder tradition for generations. Dorian tried to kill her and take the throne for himself. He almost succeeded, but at the last moment we were able to escape through a portal to Earth.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Elion said. ¡°Stop. You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re from another dimension or from another planet? Which one?¡±


    ¡°Not another dimension. Kylios is another planet in our universe. It¡¯s far, far, far away from Earth. It is very difficult to open a portal at such a distance¡­¡± Zev trailed off, his eyes glazing over as though remembering.


    The statement offered something for Elion¡¯s mind to catch hold of, something other than the pain and failure and sense of loss that burdened him.


    ¡°Holy¡­ So¡­ you¡¯re an alien?¡± Elion exclaimed. ¡°And, my mom was an alien too? So I¡¯m only half human! How does that even work, like evolutionarily? I thought different species couldn¡¯t, um¡­ successfully have kids.¡±


    Zev frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Kylian are human, anyway, so¡­¡±


    ¡°How? There are humans on other planets? And by the way what is up with your magic power ranger armor?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zev said, exasperated. ¡°There are humans on other planets. Can you save your questions till I¡¯m done?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Elion said. ¡°There¡¯s just a lot for me to process. So my human Uncle Dorian tried to kill you and mom because he wanted to be king, but you both escaped and came to Earth. Continue please.¡±


    ¡°We hid here on Earth. We thought we were safe. If Dorian even realized we were still alive, he¡¯d never be able to find us, let alone reach us here. But¡­¡± Zev¡¯s face darkened, his eyes growing distant.


    ¡°He found you,¡± Elion prompted.


    ¡°He found us,¡± Zev agreed. ¡°And for some reason he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He wanted Aria dead, and I wasn¡¯t able to stop him. Your father died trying to help me save her.¡±


    Elion remembered the day that Zev had told him both his parents were dead. His heart clenched.


    Zev stopped, his brow furrowed with the pain of the memory. Elion thought of Liora, in the hands of his homicidal uncle on a distant planet. The wounds on his legs from the Arachnatronic mandibles ached, skin itching beneath the bandages.


    ¡°Why?¡± Elion whispered. ¡°Why did he have to kill her?¡±


    ¡°She refused to abdicate.¡±


    ¡°But she was gone,¡± Elion protested. ¡°He could have told everyone she was dead and then been the king. He didn¡¯t have to come here!¡±


    ¡°There are powers on Kylios that are only accessible to the true heir to the Throne,¡± Zev said. ¡°And he wanted them. He was second in line to the throne for my whole life, and thought that by killing Aria he would become the heir. He didn¡¯t know that she had children.¡± Zev laughed wryly. ¡°I wish I could have seen his face when he realized.¡±


    ¡°We have to stop him!¡± Elion declared. ¡°We have to get there and save Liora!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do,¡± Zev said, crouching down beside the pile of Arachnatronic parts. He had selected a small pile of the more energetically glowing pieces, and methodically began cracking them open. Each crackled with teal light, like static electricity, before going dark. Zev tossed the dark chunks of metal aside, not finding what he searched for.


    Elion shifted the staff in his hands, careful to keep one hand clamped onto it at all times. Strange how hard holding onto a stick could be. He examined the runes etched into the side of it as Zev worked.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ''¡°I have a minor gift from Sentinel Artefix that will help me to do this, left over from when we fled from Kylios. The staff is just an energy source so it doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m not a warlock. Artefix craftsmanship means that each machine has a unique tie to the place of its creation, and I just need something to direct the portal to Kylios.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t understand this, but nodded.


    ¡°Ah.¡± Zev located what he was looking for, a cube about the size of one of Elion¡¯s fists, shining with the same rippling cyan light which animated the arachnatronics. It didn¡¯t look alive to Elion.


    Using this cube and some of the other parts he had set aside, Zev began building something. His hands moved with surprising dexterity, and he made pieces fit together in ways that Elion didn¡¯t expect they would.


    Zev recovered an etching needle from the tool box, a sharp piece of metal with a wooden handle. He used this to etch glowing teal shapes into the metal. When pressed together, these fused separate pieces into one. A ring formed in Zev¡¯s hands.


    ¡°So how come humans on Kylios have magical powers?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Not everyone does,¡± Zev said. ¡°Power comes to us from the Sentinels, and it must be earned.¡±


    ¡°Is that where you got your magical armor?¡± Elion asked. ¡°And that sword?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zev said. He was focusing now, and the parts he was working with shone with a vibrant blue-green light. Energy pulsed between Zev¡¯s hands, chaotically at first but growing more and more rhythmic as he worked.


    Zev drew lines and shapes across the metal ring he¡¯d formed.


    ¡°Most of the time I only have snatches, whispers of the power I had on Kylios,¡± Zev said. ¡°But when they opened that portal I felt my full strength flowing through. It fades quickly.¡±


    Elion watched Zev work, mesmerized by the craftsmanship.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an Artificer,¡± Zev muttered to himself. ¡°But whoever made these arachnatronics sure was, and thank goodness for that.¡± He pulled the glowing cube from his pile of parts, and fixed it into the middle of the ring he had made. Power flowed from the cube into the grooves and channels Zev had etched, as well as into the joints and gaps between pieces. Arcs of energetic light crackled off of sharp edges and points.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very stable, but it¡¯ll work for a little while!¡± Zev exclaimed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°A warp heart,¡± Zev said. ¡°It¡¯ll serve as an anchor point for the violent turbulence of the portal. And focus the energy back toward where the arachnatronics were constructed. I¡¯ve tried to direct it to Liora. It would be easier if she had something from Kylios that I could call too¡­¡±


    ¡°Her necklace!¡± Elion exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s from Mom, she always wears it. You know, the golden star? It has to be from Kylios, right? She had it on earlier!¡±


    ¡°Oh, good thinking,¡± Zev said. ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s a Starholder pendant. Let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    He scratched a few more glyphs onto the side of the warp heart, which now hummed a clear tone. The sharp, slightly sweet smell of ozone wafted through the air.


    ¡°I¡¯d better suit up for this,¡± Zev said, setting the warp heart down in the middle of the garage. The light from the glowing ring cast a teal hue over everything, drowning out the pale yellow light from the bulb overhead. ¡°The transfer is going to be rough, so protection is necessary.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t notice Zev doing anything special to start the process, but golden threads of light wrapped themselves around the man, condensing into shining plate armor. From head to toe, armor wrapped itself around Zev.


    ¡°Wow, armored shoes too?¡± Elion said. ¡°Is it heavy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s made to be light,¡± Zev said, lifting the visor on his helmet. His voice sounded richer and more commanding, but Elion wasn¡¯t sure if that was magic or not. ¡°So not really. Also in this state I get some strength buffs.¡±


    ¡°And you got this from the Sentinel Artefix?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°No. This is power from Sentinel Aurelia, Lady of the Dawn.¡±


    ¡°How many Sentinels are there?¡±


    ¡°Seven True Sentinels,¡± Zev said.


    ¡°What about the sword?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Where is that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it right now,¡± Zev said. ¡°But I can summon it.¡±


    Elion waited eagerly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to. We need to get this portal open before the warp heart collapses. Are you ready?¡±


    Elion nodded.


    ¡°Okay. Touch the staff to the warp heart. It should draw power automatically¡­¡±


    Cautiously, Elion touched the tip of the staff to the glowing center of the warp heart. Strands of purple spun like silken cloth out of the tip of the staff, wrapping around the warp heart, overwhelming the teal light and darkening the room. The staff vibrated in Elion¡¯s hands as power flowed through it.


    The purple strands of power swirled around the warp heart, like a tornado, or like a whirlpool forming as water flows down a drain. Elion had the same strange sensation of gravity shifting, reorienting so that down was towards the whirlpool of power. A faint scent of vinegar filled the garage. Elion looked around to see if they¡¯d knocked something over, then realized the smell came from the portal.


    Zev wrinkled his nose.


    The portal did not form into the same purple sphere that Elion had seen in his front yard earlier, but instead stayed in the whirlpool shape.


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s working,¡± Zev exclaimed. He started walking toward the portal.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t I need some protection?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Zev said.


    ¡°Um, why did you just put on that armor then? That¡¯s like putting on a coat and telling me it¡¯s not that cold outside.¡±


    Zev stopped walking and met Elion¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not coming,¡± he said. ¡°Way too dangerous. You¡¯d be killed by the transfer without some kind of extra protection. Besides, I need you here.¡±


    Elion almost dropped the staff. ¡°But Liora¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going after Liora,¡± Zev said. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to jump through after me. You¡¯ll be ripped to pieces. If you care about your sister, stay here. I need your help. Dorian and his warlocks must have been planning this for a while. Go find whatever traces you can of them. When I come back here with Liora, I¡¯ll need to know as much as possible about their operations on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Traces of them?¡± Elion asked. ¡°They dissolved in purple mist; What am I supposed to look for?¡± Even as Elion protested, he recalled the strange figure watching him from the fields behind the house, and the scrap of cloth Hamilton had torn from one of the warlock¡¯s cloaks.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know it when you see it,¡± Zev said. ¡°Stay here.¡±


    ¡°But the house?¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Tell the cops I was drunk driving and crashed,¡± Zev said.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to send me to a foster home! And what do I say about Liora?¡±


    ¡°She ran away or something, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°But what if Dorian comes back?¡± Elion protested. ¡°What do I do if he comes back for me?¡±


    ¡°By tracking Liora¡¯s pendant the portal should take me straight to her,¡± Zev said. ¡°Dorian will have his hands full in Kylios. His powers are limited here so he needs to be careful. He has to plan and scout things out.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in one day,¡± Zev said. ¡°Twenty-four hours. If I can¡¯t get in and out with Liora in that time, I¡¯ll come back and we¡¯ll reassess.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I have to go before this whole thing breaks down!¡± Zev shouted. He reached up and closed his visor. ¡°I trust you, Elion,¡± he said, stepping into the whirling vortex. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Violet streamers whipped around wildly, twining themselves around Zev¡¯s limbs, ripping him into the air. Elion watched as Zev fell into the middle of the portal, and had the feeling that he stood on a tall cliff, watching his uncle fall down down down into a void of nothingness.


    The staff in Elion¡¯s hands sputtered and began smoking. He pulled it away from the warp heart, and the swirling portal faded. The warp heart flashed brightly, and Elion realized the staff he was holding was on fire. He threw it away, and watched as it dissolved into a purple mist.


    The air filled with pungent smoke, burning Elion¡¯s nose and eyes, and making him cough. The warp heart burned out, its glow fading, leaving behind nothing but a lump of slag. The other arachnatronic parts in the garage smoked, slowly dissolving in a teal haze, disappearing like the wizards, but much more slowly.


    Elion looked around the garage, his heart sinking. He¡¯d been standing on the threshold of an incredible adventure, a world of magical wizards and armor made of light. And it had all just faded away from him, taking away his only remaining family and leaving him behind to clean up the mess.

 4. Lying to the Police

    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen him since?¡± The police officer asked, looking up from her notepad. A name tag on her chest read ¡®Sergeant Marsden.¡¯ She had pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail that hung down over the collar of her uniform. The sky to the east grew lighter, the first rays of light heralding the rising sun.


    After Zev abandoned him, Elion had called the police.


    ¡°No, sir, uh, ma¡¯am¡­ Miss Marsden,¡± Elion said. He shivered in the chill morning air, and pulled the emergency blanket given to him by the EMTs tighter around his shoulders. He still wore nothing but his bathrobe and boxers underneath.


    I should have changed into something warmer.  But he¡¯d been so overwhelmed. And his current state of dress supported his story better.


    Elion had not slept, and a raw numbness coated his body like a shield, allowing him to continue functioning despite the cocktail of anguish, confusion, and uncertainty which swirled inside.


    ¡°Did he drink a lot?¡± Marsden asked.


    The true answer was no; Elion had never seen Zev drinking. ¡°Yes,¡± Elion said. ¡°He came home drunk a lot, but never crashed the car before.¡± He watched the cop carefully, hoping that the woman wouldn¡¯t notice the lie. So far, everyone had seemed ready to believe his story.


    ¡°And your sister,¡± Marsden asked, ¡°She wasn¡¯t here when it happened?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°She went out and hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡±


    ¡°Does she often stay away all night?¡±


    Elion shrugged, remembering Liora¡¯s screams as Dorian¡¯s warlocks dragged her through their portal. ¡°Her boyfriend picked her up,¡± he said. ¡°Keith. I don¡¯t know his last name, but he drives a red mustang.¡± As he said this he wondered if he should have come up with a different lie. Keith would certainly tell the cops that he¡¯d dropped Liora off.


    Elion wondered if Keith had seen the warlocks or the arachnatronics standing around in the front yard. Probably not. Keith didn¡¯t seem like the kind of guy who made sure a girl got safely inside her house after dropping her off.


    ¡°We¡¯ll look out for her,¡± Marsden said. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re worried about her.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Elion said. Not that the cops could do anything to help with that.


    ¡°And your uncle can¡¯t have gone far on foot,¡± she added. ¡°We¡¯ll find him too.¡±


    Elion wondered how long the police would look before giving up. Did stepping into a magical portal count as traveling by foot?


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure your legs are okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re fine,¡± he said, glancing down at the bandages. ¡°I just scraped myself in the wreckage.¡±


    Marsden looked over at the hole in Elion¡¯s house. He looked with her, scanning the scene in the early morning light. A fire truck and two police cars sat on the road in front of Elion¡¯s house, lights flashing. Zev¡¯s truck still lay on its side, near the hole in the house.


    To Elion it didn¡¯t look like Zev¡¯s truck had hit the house. Crime scene tape blocked off the area, and a few crime scene investigators were taking pictures of the damage. The cop glanced back at Elion, and he could tell that she didn¡¯t quite believe his version of events. But she wasn¡¯t likely to believe what really happened here, either.


    Elion wondered if the investigators had found shotgun pellets, or if they¡¯d even looked at the shotgun, carefully hung back over the mantle. Surely someone in the neighborhood would have heard the shots. Didn¡¯t the police have ways of identifying what bullets came out of what guns?


    Mrs. Phillips appeared on her front porch, drinking in the scene of devastation with gusto. Elion guessed that she felt vindicated. She loved to tell Elion that nothing good would come from his lifestyle.


    Zev had mentioned a sound absorbing spell, but surely the old woman heard something last night, between the screaming, the shooting, and the fighting. Elion bounced on his toes, wondering what she might tell the police. He might have to get creative with his explanations.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let you stay here. The house is damaged, and your legal guardian is missing. You¡¯ll have to come downtown with us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re taking me to prison?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Marsden said. ¡°Child Protective Services has a temporary shelter where you can stay until we contact a suitable relative.¡±


    ¡°Can I at least go get a few things before you take me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the structural integrity of the house¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Elion said. ¡°I was in there when it happened. The stairs up to my room aren¡¯t near the hole.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re an expert, huh?¡± Elion could see her making the calculation in her mind: let a minor go into a potentially dangerous house, or fight with a distraught teenage boy. An investigator inside the house snapped a photo through the hole, drawing her attention. ¡°Well, if they¡¯re in there you may as well,¡± she said. ¡°But don¡¯t take too long. Just get what you need for a few nights.¡±


    What about my cat?¡±


    ¡°You can bring your cat,¡± Marsden said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Elion said. The crime scene tape at the front of the house didn¡¯t seem worth disturbing, so he walked around to the back door.


    He slipped past the crime scene investigators to his room, and a few minutes later came back down the stairs, now fully clothed. He¡¯d pulled on some jeans to cover up the bandages on his legs, and a nice hoodie to keep him warm in the crisp autumn air. The house smelled strange now, open and exposed to the elements, and Elion wondered if he¡¯d ever come back here.


    When Zev comes back, where will he stay?  Elion hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to stay with the Walkers. He¡¯d rather hide out in a tent with Zev.


    Snickers picked his way through the wreckage at the front of the house, bothering the investigators by getting into their pictures.


    ¡°Snickers!¡± Elion called, but the cat ignored him. Elion went to the kitchen and started running the can opener without a can in it. He saw Snickers¡¯ ears perk up, but the cat didn¡¯t even look in his direction. He knew Elion¡¯s tricks.


    ¡°Pspspspsps,¡± Elion called. Snickers continued weaving his way through the splinters of 2¡Á4s and crumbled drywall, back and forth, back and forth. Almost like he was searching for something. The investigator trying to photograph the wreckage threw up his hands in annoyance and dropped his camera, letting it swing from his neck.


    ¡°Come grab him,¡± the investigator said. ¡°He¡¯s getting in the way.¡±


    Elion walked over and stood beside the door, which now lay on the ground in the front entry. Snickers disappeared beneath a pile of rubble. The investigator sighed, hands on his hips.


    He could have been a bit more patient.  Your house didn¡¯t just get smashed in.


    ¡°Come on Snickers,¡± Elion said.


    A moment later Snickers emerged, covered in chalky drywall dust. He had something in his mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Elion said, picking up the cat as dust puffed everywhere. Elion sneezed. Snickers snorted.


    Elion lugged the big cat into the kitchen and pulled some deli meat out of the fridge. Snickers was a massive blue-grey Siberian, bigger than half the dogs in the neighborhood.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Elion asked, dangling the sliced turkey in front of the cat¡¯s nose.


    Snickers dropped something golden onto the counter and snatched the meat from Elion¡¯s hand. Elion stared at the slobbery necklace. A seven pointed star on a gold chain. The chain had snapped.


    Elion picked up the necklace¡ªLiora¡¯s necklace¡ªand groaned. ¡°This is bad,¡± he muttered, stroking the cat¡¯s head. The chain must have broken when Liora was pulled from the house. ¡°This is very bad,¡± Elion said again.


    Elion did not know how Zev¡¯s magical portal worked, but Zev had seemed confident that targeting this pendant would bring him directly to Liora. But Liora no longer had the pendant, so what did that mean for Zev¡¯s chances of finding Liora? A knot formed in Elion¡¯s stomach.


    He slipped the pendant into a pocket. What had Zev called it again? A Starholder pendant? He tapped his shoulder, and Snickers climbed up, laying across his shoulders and top of his backpack.


    ¡°Well Snickers, it¡¯s just you and me now,¡± he said, trying to put on a brave face for the cat. ¡°We¡¯re going on a little trip, and hopefully everything is going to be okay. I¡¯m sure Zev will find Liora and bring her back here soon, and then we¡¯ll fix up the house and get everything back to the way it was.¡± Elion frowned at the lie as it left his mouth. He wished he had some way to contact Zev.


    When Elion reached the front yard again, Sergeant Marsden had crossed the street and now stood on Mrs. Phillips¡¯ front porch, talking to her. If Mrs. Phillips had seen anything through her windows, or heard anything, she was probably telling Marsden all about it.


    Elion watched for a moment. Marsden held her notebook down by her leg, and glanced around as if she didn¡¯t want to be standing there anymore. If Mrs. Phillips had been talking about hearing gunshots last night then Marsden would be writing it down, right?


    Hamilton had escaped last night, but Elion couldn¡¯t imagine the little dog getting far away. He hoped that the pup made it home safely.


    Elion walked across the street.


    ¡°Good morning Mrs. Phillips,¡± he said. ¡°How¡¯s Hamilton doing this morning?¡± Snickers hissed at the old woman.


    Mrs. Philips looked hurt. ¡°How dare you? You mock my pain,¡± she said. Mrs. Phillips could be a bit prickly at times, but this surprised Elion.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    Mrs. Phillips ignored him, turning back to the cop. ¡°I told you so,¡± Mrs. Phillips said. ¡°That man was not a good guardian for those kids. He was hardly ever home, and just let them run wild. I always knew he¡¯d come to no good. I¡¯m just glad nobody got hurt.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t hear anything last night?¡± Marsden asked.


    ¡°I saw Liora driving off in that awful car,¡± Mrs. Phillips said. ¡°It¡¯s so loud, it should be illegal to have a car that loud. And so red.¡± Mrs. Phillips shuddered. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let your sister hang out with boys like that,¡± she said.


    Elion shrugged sadly. ¡°I know,¡± he said.


    ¡°If you were a good brother, you¡¯d take better care of her,¡± Mrs. Phillips said. ¡°It¡¯s too bad your parents are dead. It¡¯s not good for boys to grow up without a father, you know,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know,¡± Elion said again, trying to smile, though her words stabbed at his heart.


    Glad that he hadn¡¯t lied to Sergeant Marsden earlier about Keith, Elion watched the cop closely looking for her reaction.


    She nodded, and glanced at Elion¡­ approvingly? ¡°But you didn¡¯t hear anything after Liora drove off in that car, did you?¡±


    ¡°Well Hamilton started barking, so I let him out into the backyard to take care of his business. That was probably around midnight, or¡­ oh, no, I remember looking at the clock. It was 1:23. But Hamilton just kept running around in the back barking and barking, and he wouldn¡¯t come back into the house. I couldn¡¯t stay up all night waiting for him to come back in, so I closed the door. When I woke up, he was missing! That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to tell you!¡±


    How could Mrs. Phillips not have heard anything? Nothing at all? The warlocks must have cast a powerful spell to prevent the nosiest of neighbors from noticing the battle across the street.


    Will Marsden think it¡¯s strange that Mrs. Phillips didn¡¯t hear anything? Even though she was awake?


    ¡°I understand,¡± Marsden said. ¡°I¡¯m sure your dog will come back¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that concerned,¡± Mrs. Phillips countered. ¡°My precious baby is missing. I hope that horrible cat didn¡¯t do anything to him. Can¡¯t you call for backup and go look for him? Oh, here, you¡¯ll need a picture.¡± She disappeared inside her house, and Marsden shot Elion a long-suffering glance.


    Elion breathed a sigh of relief.  Strange that Hamilton seemed to notice the warlocks.  He thought that Marsden could have been a little more sympathetic to Mrs. Phillip¡¯s plight, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He wondered where Hamilton had gone, recalling the dog scampering away, wrestling with a strip of warlock robe.


    Mrs. Phillips returned with a huge, framed picture of Hamilton. She struggled to navigate the large frame through her front door. ¡°Here, take this,¡± she said, trying to hand it to Marsden.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Marsden said. ¡°I can take a picture of it.¡± She pulled out her phone and snapped a shot. Elion tried to decide if this would make his job easier or harder. Zev had told him to look for traces of the warlocks.


    Hamilton ripped one of their cloaks and ran away. Maybe if I find him I will find something helpful for Zev.


    Snickers jumped down from Elion¡¯s shoulders and began licking his hind paw. Mrs. Phillips gasped and staggered backwards, leaning against her door frame and clutching the picture to her chest.


    ¡°I hope that your evil pet hasn¡¯t hurt my poor puppy,¡± Mrs. Phillips said.


    ¡°Snickers didn¡¯t hurt anyone,¡± Elion said, grunting as he picked the cat back up and cradled him in his arms.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see what we can do about finding your dog,¡± Marsden said. ¡°But right now I have to take Mr. Walker downtown.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Mrs. Phillips said. ¡°It¡¯s about time you arrested one of them. Book the cat too!¡±


    Sergeant Marsden rolled her eyes as she walked down Mrs. Phillips front steps, gesturing for Elion to follow her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about Hamilton?¡± Elion asked, feeling partially responsible for Hamilton¡¯s disappearance. Besides, he needed some excuse to keep looking around the area. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we look for him?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Marsden asked.


    ¡°Mrs. Phillips dog,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s the only friend she has, really. She¡¯ll be miserable until she finds him again.¡±


    Marsden shrugged. ¡°Pets run away. They go missing. I¡¯ll send someone over here later and put out a notice. He¡¯ll probably be home by then anyways.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I could come help look for him?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine. But we have to take you to the station first.¡±


    Elion sat in the back of the police car as Sergeant Marsden drove him to the CPS temporary shelter. The car smelled musty, like a hint of body odor and cigarettes that someone had tried to cover up with an air freshener.


    Snickers stretched out on the bench beside him, taking up two seats and kicking Elion in the leg. Elion shoved the cat.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve already got most of the bench.¡±


    He pulled the star pendant out of his pocket, turning it over in his hands, examining it. The seven-pointed star was hollow in the middle, a single line crisscrossing over itself to form the shape. The clasp on the chain still functioned, but one of the chain links had broken.


    A sick feeling settled in Elion¡¯s stomach as he looked at the pendant. The same horrible, oppressive feeling that had washed over him three days after he¡¯d found out that his parents were dead. Like he¡¯d accidentally eaten a jar of icy hot, his insides burned and froze at the same time.


    For three days before the feeling sank in, Elion had wandered around in a daze. He didn¡¯t remember much of what had happened during that time period, just a vague sense of numbness. He¡¯d probably been in shock.


    Finding this pendant had triggered that feeling again, the sense that Liora and Zev were gone forever, like his parents. Elion¡¯s breath quickened, the oppressive sense of loss intensifying. He¡¯d gone through this before; he didn¡¯t think he could do it again.


    Twenty-four hours. Zev will be back tomorrow morning.  He fidgeted with his phone. If Elion wasn¡¯t at home when Zev came back, he¡¯d call or text. He wouldn¡¯t come to the police station, not with the police looking for him. He¡¯d have to hide out somewhere.


    Tears welled up in his eyes, and his chest tightened as he struggled to hold back a sob. He squeezed his fist tightly around the star, feeling the sharp pain as the star¡¯s points dug into his skin. The bite in his palm pulled in his focus, grounding him. Closing his eyes, he squeezed harder, desperate for something real and concrete.


    His breathing slowed. He could get through this. The fear began to fade away. The pain remained, though. A tear splashed on his hand, and he squeezed his eyes shut more tightly.


    Someone whispered in his ear. Indistinct syllables muttered as warm, humid breath brushed against the skin of his cheek.


    Elion snapped his eyes open, looking around the cab of the police car. Snickers groomed himself on the seat beside Elion. Sergeant Marsden tapped on her steering wheel, muttering to herself as she drove.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Huh? What? No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Elion looked around, confused. His right ear tingled, and he wiped at it. He really needed to get some sleep.

 5. Looking for Hamilton

    Sergeant Marsden left Elion in an interview room. Beige walls and a table bolted to the floor provided nothing interesting to look at. Rings welded to the table offered a place to lock handcuffs. A plastic water bottle sat on the table next to a package of Oreos, but Elion wasn¡¯t hungry.


    A mustiness filled the room, accompanied by the burned smell of a heating system fired up for the first time that fall. Elion looked at the door, wondering if Marsden had locked it. Snickers prowled around the room, circling it repeatedly in a way that made Elion feel anxious.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if he was a prisoner or not.


    Elion examined the red marks in his hand, welts formed from squeezing the Starholder pendant. Pulling the pendant out of his pocket, he held it in the air in front of him, watching it spin on the broken chain, glittering in the light. He set it down on the table and rummaged around in his backpack until he found a loose paper clip.


    Slipping the paper clip through the links on the end of the broken chain, he fixed the loop, and put the necklace on. The newly repaired chain barely fit over his head. The paperclip rested on the side of his neck, right where he imagined the jugular vein ran. The star hung just between his collarbones. He tucked it beneath his hoodie.


    He thought about what Zev had told him, before jumping through the portal. ¡°Find traces of the Dorian¡¯s warlocks,¡± Zev had said. Elion couldn¡¯t decide if that was just something Zev said to make him feel better about staying behind, or if Zev really needed Elion¡¯s help.


    Elion thought about Hamilton, ripping a strip of cloth from a warlock¡¯s robe and running away. He could look for that. Besides, he would feel terrible if something bad happened to the dog.


    A few minutes later Sergeant Marsden returned.


    ¡°Well, it sounds like they got in contact with your aunt,¡± she said. ¡°She said she¡¯d send someone down to pick you up this afternoon, so you won¡¯t have to stay at the temporary shelter tonight.¡±


    Elion groaned internally.  Too bad. I¡¯d have preferred staying at the shelter.  He never really got along with his cousins.


    ¡°Okay. Thank you for helping me.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s still no sign of your sister, but we¡¯ve got patrols out looking for her boyfriend, Keith.¡± Elion appreciated the gesture and tried to show it on his face, but he knew they weren¡¯t going to find Liora.


    I hope they scare the crap out of Keith when they find him.


    He wondered what had happened to Zev.


    Since Zev had targeted the pendant that Elion was now wearing, he half expected Zev to appear in front of him, confused about why the portal had brought him here. Elion didn¡¯t know how long the portal¡¯s teleportation would take. If Zev had landed somewhere on Earth, would he come find for Elion? Or would he stay away until the police stopped looking for him?


    Maybe the portal had trapped Zev. He¡¯d given it bad directions, so who knew what would happen to him. Nothing Elion could do about that.


    In the mean time, I¡¯d better find as many traces of the warlocks as I can. I have to assume that Zev is coming back. If he doesn¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t worry about that now.


    ¡°What about Hamilton?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Who?¡± Sergeant Marsden looked confused.


    ¡°The dog,¡± Elion explained, trying not to let his exasperation slip into his voice.  She really did not care at all about anything Mrs. Phillips said to her.


    ¡°Mrs. Phillips dog? You said you¡¯d send someone over. Can I go with them to help look? I¡¯d rather not sit in this room all day if I have a choice.¡±


    Marsden chewed on her cheek. Elion could tell that she hadn¡¯t intended to send anyone back over to check on Mrs. Phillips and Hamilton.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°I was just going to go get a CSO.¡±


    ¡°I can go with them? I¡¯d rather not wait around in here all day.¡±


    <hr>


    A short time later Elion stood back on Mrs. Phillips¡¯ front porch, knocking.


    ¡°She¡¯s probably out looking for Hamilton,¡± Elion said. ¡°We should put up these posters.¡±


    Earl Porter, a volunteer Community Service Officer, stood beside him. The tall black man was soft spoken, carefully choosing his words as he spoke.


    ¡°Maybe the dog came back, and she¡¯s just out running errands?¡± Porter asked.


    ¡°She always leaves Hamilton in the backyard when she¡¯s gone,¡± Elion said. ¡°He¡¯s not really house-trained, so¡­¡± he finished with a shrug.


    They walked around to the gate at the side of the house and looked over it into the backyard. Hamilton did not come running up to the fence yapping at them. What if Hamilton had somehow been captured by the warlocks?


    ¡°He¡¯s not back here,¡± Elion said, worrying about what the search for Hamilton might reveal.


    ¡°Maybe she took him on a walk?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. If she did then we can find her. She always walks around this block with him. She says she never walks across the road because it¡¯s too dangerous. All the reckless young men in speeding sports cars and gigantic trucks, you know?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait here until she comes back then.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Elion said. ¡°We should put up the posters.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help Zev rescue Liora, but at least he could look for Hamilton. If the warlock¡¯s robe had done something to the dog, then Elion needed to track him down.


    Twenty-four hours. It¡¯s more like twelve hours now. When Zev comes back in twelve hours, I¡¯m going to have¡­ stuff to show him.


    ¡°But if she found the dog¡ª¡±


    ¡°I bet she¡¯s out looking for Hamilton,¡± Elion said. ¡°How about you walk that way, and I¡¯ll go this way. If we run into her and Hamilton is safe, we can meet back here. We can put up these posters as we go!¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He handed Porter half the stack of missing dog posters they¡¯d printed out at the police station.


    Porter eyed Elion. Elion guessed that Porter¡¯s implied assignment was to keep an eye on Elion.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go faster that way, and it¡¯s not that far,¡± Elion said. If he could split up with Porter, he figured he stood a better chance of being able to investigate anything he found. ¡°Or you can wait here for her.¡±


    Porter shrugged. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, taking the posters and starting down the street.


    As soon as Porter¡¯s back was turned, Snickers darted into Mrs. Phillips¡¯ backyard.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Elion said, following the cat. He didn¡¯t want Snickers to become the next missing animal. Lifting the latch on Mrs. Phillips¡¯ gate, he cautiously followed the feline.


    Snickers sat along Mrs. Phillips¡¯ back fence, looking bored. Beside him disturbed earth marked a shallow hole dug under the fence. Elion examined it, and decided that he looked at Hamilton¡¯s handiwork. Or should it be paw-work?


    Elion guessed that Hamilton had somehow sensed the magic happening across the street in Elion¡¯s front yard, and had been whipped into a kind of frenzy. He didn¡¯t want the dog to escape through that hole again, so he started pushing the dirt back, inhaling the smell of freshly turned soil.


    Apparently the warlock¡¯s distraction spell didn¡¯t work on Hamilton.


    Before he could make any progress, Snickers slid through the hole. Elion watched the cat, surprised the big creature could fit through.


    ¡°Come back Snickers,¡± he said. ¡°We need to find Hamilton!¡±


    But Snickers disappeared into the yard on the other side of the fence. Elion sighed, and refilled the hole, then made his way out to the sidewalk. Marsden had already disappeared around the corner in the other direction.


    Hoping he¡¯d find Snickers on the other side of the block, Elion made his way down the street, occasionally taping a poster on a telephone pole, but mostly hurrying. A few dead ends interrupted the sidewalk on his path. He scanned them for any signs of Mrs. Phillips before crossing the road, not sharing her fear of reckless drivers. He saw no sign of her.


    This block was larger than most in the city, because one end of it held Clear Creek Park. Elion suspected that he would find Snickers there; and maybe Mrs. Phillips and Hamilton as well. He had to hurry to get there before Porter, even though he¡¯d sent the CSO around the long way.


    Elion had only put up a couple of posters by the time he reached the park, and wondered if that would seem suspicious. He scanned the park, looking for any signs of life.


    The creek the park was named after ran from near where Elion stood through a densely forested part of the park. He followed the water into the woods, listening.


    Over the sound of running water and rustling trees, he thought he heard an animal whimpering.


    Sounds like Hamilton.


    Rounding a bend in the river, he came to a small clearing. A rough circular crater several feet across had been scooped out of the ground; bits of severed tree roots sticking up out of the dirt. The hole looked an awful lot like the one in Elion¡¯s front yard, where the purple portal orb had been.


    He walked around the crater, examining it. A crater caused by an impact would have a debris ring, where matter from inside the hole was flung outside the hole. This crater didn¡¯t show any signs of impact. All the roots had been cleanly severed; the inside of the hole almost smooth. Like someone had surgically removed this chunk of earth.


    Zev had mentioned being lured away from the house. If Dorian and his warlocks had been preparing this for a while, this must be where they had been hiding. Elion remembered the dark figure standing out in the fields, watching his house. Had that been one of them?


    Apparently the wizards or warlocks or whatever had teleported in here, maybe to avoid alerting Elion and Liora before they were ready to make their move.


    Elion walked around the clearing, examining the ground carefully, desperately looking for anything that might let him help his sister.


    Zev will want to see this when he comes back. I hope it doesn¡¯t rain.


    The wind whistled through the trees, and the babbling sound of the creek nearby drowned out any other sounds. A scrap of cloth fluttered from a nearby tangle of brambles. Oddly, the scrap seemed to be flapping against the direction of the wind.


    Elion reached up to grab the scrap. The moment his fingers brushed the cloth, he felt an energy thrumming within the fabric. He tugged the cloth away from the thorns. Little more than a few silky threads woven together, the scrap seemed to have torn away from a larger garment when someone brushed up against the branch.


    A buzz of energy vibrated through his fingers, like when he had held the wizard¡¯s staff earlier, but weaker. He wondered if the cloth would also dissolve into a purple mist when he let go of it. Come to think of it, why hadn¡¯t the cloth dissolved already? Maybe¡­ the tree had been holding onto it?


    Elion gripped the scrap in his fist, and felt a strange tugging, like something very far away was trying to pull it out of his hand.


    A dog growling caught Elion¡¯s attention. He headed down the path in the direction of the sound. The creek narrowed here, running stronger and faster.


    A small dachshund hung over the fast running stream, suspended from a dead branch. Hamilton¡¯s hind legs dangled uselessly in the air, occasionally scrabbling for purchase. The dog wrapped its front legs around a fork of the branch, holding on for dear life.


    ¡°Hamilton!¡± Elion exclaimed, springing into action to help the struggling dog.


    Hamilton still held a long strip of black cloth in his mouth. Snarling, growling and whimpering, Hamilton refused to let go. The cloth pulled the small dog¡¯s head around, flapping back and forth in the air with a mind of its own, paying no heed to the wind.


    Elion pushed through the brush at the side of the creek, careful not to slip into the rushing water. He reached out towards the dog with one hand, but nearly lost his balance.


    Elion still held the black scrap of warlock robe he¡¯d found earlier. Regretfully, he let go of it, watching it vanish in a puff of purple smoke. Both hands now free, he steadied himself and reached out over the creek. He grabbed Hamilton by the scruff of his neck and pulled the little dog off of the branch.


    As he collected Hamilton, he slipped, one foot plunging into the cold stream.


    Hamilton collapsed into Elion¡¯s arms, and Elion scrambled out of the stream bed, cursing his wet foot.


    He cradled the dog, and wondered how long the little creature had been dangling from that branch. The strip of black cloth continued flapping around, hitting Elion in the face, and trying to pull itself from Hamilton¡¯s grasp.


    A closer examination revealed torn edges, and material similar to the scrap Elion found earlier. He eased the scrap from the tired dog¡¯s jaws and felt the same energy puslating through the cloth. This larger piece of robe pulled at Elion more strongly than the other scrap had.


    The cloth wanted to go somewhere, in a specific direction; but not a direction Elion was familiar with. It didn¡¯t pull him left or right, up or down, forward or backward. But still it tugged on him.


    Is it somehow pulling toward Kylios?


    He carefully wrapped the cloth around his left arm and tied it off, then let go, watching carefully. The cloth did not dissolve into purple haze, so he figured that wearing it counted as holding onto it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you back home,¡± Elion said.


    Hamilton whimpered. Elion walked down the path, his wet shoe squishing with each step.


    Heading back out of the grove of trees, Elion started feeling strange. Not sleeping at all in the last twenty-four hours will do that to a person, so he pressed on. But things started looking different, unfamiliar. The sound of the creek faded, the trees grew larger and older around him. Ground cover gave way and the path opened up into a larger clearing.


    A ray of sunlight cut through the canopy overhead and illuminated a marble shrine. The statue of a woman stood behind a basin of water, glowing with reflected sunlight. A sense of calm radiated through Elion, and Hamilton stopped whimpering. The tugging sensation from the black cloth wrapped around Elion¡¯s arm faded.


    Elion took a few steps forward and felt cool grass brushing against his bare feet, which was strange because last time he checked he was wearing shoes. He looked down and saw that his clothes were gone, replaced by a simple, white drape, like a toga.


    This was definitely not Clear Creek Park.

 6. An Invitation at an Aurelian Altar

    Queen Loreign stood firm until the end, her courage scintillating like the Palace¡¯s million stars. I stood with her in the throne room when we learned of our defeat. The messenger staggered into the room, wounded, and gasping for breath.


    His face delivered the message at once, his words only confirming what we already knew. ¡°We are defeated. They have breached the gates. Dorian is coming.¡±


    Loreign rose from the throne and stood tall, shoulders back, head held high. She watched the doors to the hall as she spoke to me. I steeled myself, preparing to die alongside my Queen.


    ¡±My son covets the power of the throne,¡± Loreign said. ¡°He cannot have it.¡±


    <hr>


    A soft, soothing, woman¡¯s voice spoke through the glade. ¡°Welcome, weary traveler,¡± it said. ¡°Won¡¯t you rest awhile?¡±


    A strange dreamlike sensation washed over Elion, like his eyes were closed but he could still see. Waves of weariness rolled over him like waves, and the offer to rest tempted him. Hamilton curled up in Elion¡¯s arms, sleeping soundly. Had everything been a dream all along?


    ¡°Um, thanks for the offer,¡± he said, looking around to see who might have spoken. He saw only the statue, standing there serenely behind her basin of water. ¡°I have to get Hamilton back home though,¡± he said. ¡°I think Mrs. Phillips is worried about him.¡±


    He rubbed his eyes, expecting to awaken at any moment. For once he¡¯d be relieved to hear Liora pounding on his door as his alarm went off.


    ¡°Your bravery has been recognized,¡± the voice said. The sound came from everywhere, as though the woman was inside his head. ¡°Your courage marks you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± Elion looked down at Hamilton. ¡°It was nothing, really. Anyone would have helped out. It wasn¡¯t dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Come to me,¡± she said.


    Elion turned around. The path he¡¯d been walking on was gone, swallowed up by forest. He looked back at the statue. ¡°Are you a statue?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I am Aurelia,¡± she said. ¡°Come to me.¡±


    Zev had said that his power came from the Sentinel Aurelia. He¡¯d also mentioned that his powers only fully worked because of the portal Dorian¡¯s warlocks had opened. Did that mean another portal had been opened somewhere, allowing a Sentinel to reach through and communicate with him?


    Is Zev coming back? Or could it be more warlocks?


    Elion took a cautious step forward.


    ¡°Come to me, and join the Knights of Dawn, Elion Starholder!¡±


    Liora¡¯s star pendant hanging from Elion¡¯s neck glowed. Light blossomed around the statue of the woman, filling the glade. The light flowed through the air, into Liora¡¯s pendant. Everything glowed, brighter and brighter, until Elion squinted against the blinding light.


    ¡°Accept this boon; let it guide you, brave adventurer.¡± The words reverberated through his skull.


    The light faded to blackness, leaving Elion floating in a void. A dialogue box popped up in front of him, floating a few feet away.


    <<Accept ¡°Aurelia¡¯s Protection¡±? Yes/No>>


    Elion turned his head, trying to look into the darkness around him, but the text box remained centered in his vision.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± he waved his arms around, and wondered what had happened to Hamilton. He¡¯d better not have lost the dog in some kind of weird space void. The popup didn¡¯t seem to care about Elion¡¯s gestures.


    What was Aurelia¡¯s Protection? Wasn¡¯t Zev¡¯s armor given to him by Aurelia? Was Elion being offered a magical suit of armor?


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Elion asked aloud. The text changed, answering his question.


    <<Aurelia¡¯s Protection>>


    ? <<When all hope fails, Aurelia grants you her protection. When on the verge of death, receive improved defense, shielding, and purification.>>


    Shielding? Purification? Elion looked around for something else that would help him to understand. ¡°Can I get clarification on that?¡± he asked.


    The text did not change. Apparently he could not get clarification. After a moment, the text box faded, replaced with the original question.


    <<Accept ¡°Aurelia¡¯s Protection¡±? Yes/No>>


    He didn¡¯t like the sound of the protection very much. If this ¡®protection¡¯ only activated on the verge of death, well¡­ Elion preferred to avoid situations where he might need that kind of protection. He didn¡¯t want to find out what it felt like to be beaten within an inch of his life.


    How did it know when he was about to die? Was a text box going to pop up and ask him if he wanted to activate it? That seemed like a bad idea. Elion had never been about to die before, but it didn¡¯t seem like a good time to be using dialogue boxes.


    He had no way of knowing what would happen, at least not without experimentation, and he didn¡¯t want to know that badly. Besides, what if the buff was one use only?


    As ominous as the offer felt, he couldn¡¯t think of any downside to having additional protection, in case something happened to him.


    ¡°Sure, I guess,¡± he said aloud. The ¡°Yes¡± option highlighted, and the popup disappeared, a new message taking its place.


    <>


    This too disappeared, engulfing Elion into darkness. The pendant burned against his chest, red-hot. He clutched at it, and the world spun beneath him.


    A final message flashed into his vision, not lingering long enough for him to fully process it.


    << Name: Elion James Walker >>


    ? << House: Starhold >>


    ? << Ascendency: None >>


    ? << Level/XP: 0/0 >>


    ? << Abilities (Level): None >>


    ? << Boons: Translation, Aurelia¡¯s Protection >>


    ? << Quests: Follow the Path of Dawn >>


    ¡°What is the Path of Dawn?¡± Elion asked aloud.


    << The Path of Dawn, Aurelia¡¯s Ascendency, is the path followed by Aurelian Knights. Knights of Dawn swear three oaths, and, as they demonstrate excellence and integrity, receive power and abilities. >>


    Cool.


    The text box snapped out of existence, and Elion plunged into the darkness.


    Something cold and damp pressed against his face. The fishy odor of cat breath filled his nostrils. Elion cracked his eyes open, his vision filled with Snickers¡¯ face. He groaned, pushing himself up off the ground and looking around. Leaves and pine needles stuck to the side of his face. He brushed them away.


    Snickers sat smugly on the ground beside him while Hamilton ran around in circles, yapping.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Earl Porter asked, running over. Behind him, Mrs. Phillips hobbled over the knobbly ground.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Elion asked, sitting up, his stack of posters strewn across the ground. ¡°One minute I¡­¡± He trailed off, thinking about what he¡¯d just seen. Then he checked his clothes. The toga was gone. He still wore his hoodie and jeans. One foot still squished in a damp shoe.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. Just heard the dog barking and then saw you lying on the ground.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Elion said, head spinning as he took in the scenery around him, looking for the strange statue. Had that all been in his head? ¡°Just didn¡¯t get enough sleep last night I guess.¡±


    Mrs. Phillips scooped Hamilton up in her arms, smothering him in a hug. The dog yapped and whined, resisting her affections, but the old woman was too strong.


    ¡°Well, good job finding the dog,¡± Porter said.


    Elion sat in the back of Catherine Walker¡¯s Escalade. He leaned his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes, trying to drown out the conversation his aunt was having with his cousin Cara in the front seat.


    Cara was 11, and the star player on her club soccer team. After Cara¡¯s game this afternoon, Aunt Cathy made a detour to come pick up Elion from the police station. When the police had told Cathy they had no leads on Liora¡¯s whereabouts, Cathy had sighed heavily.


    ¡°Well that won¡¯t reflect well on our reputation, now, will it,¡± she¡¯d said to the officer. ¡°Can you please keep this out of the news for as long as possible?¡±


    Since Elion had gotten into the car, nobody had said a word to him.


    Elion gathered that Cara¡¯s team had won the game, but apparently Cara had a problem with one of the other players on her team.


    ¡°She¡¯s just so full of herself,¡± Cara said. ¡°She won¡¯t pass the ball to me ever. I would have scored two more goals if she bothered to think about anyone but herself.¡±


    ¡°What do you expect? With parents like hers, she¡¯s probably never been told no before in her life,¡± Cathy said.


    ¡°I know, she¡¯s such a spoiled jerk. She always acts like we only win because of her. And every time she scores you¡¯d think her parents just won the lottery. They¡¯re so annoying.¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, I know, that can be so frustrating. I¡¯ll talk to your coach and see if we can do anything about it.¡±


    Elion rolled his eyes behind his eyelids. Cara could teach a class about being a spoiled jerk.


    Eyes closed, Elion tried to recall the strange scene that presented itself to him earlier; the grove of trees, the statue, the woman¡¯s voice. It all rose fresh in his memory. Had it even been real? Or just something cooked up by his overwhelmed and exhausted brain?


    If it was real then what did it mean? What was the Path of Dawn? Elion shifted his legs, trying to stretch them in the uncomfortably small space.


    That explanation wasn¡¯t very helpful. Swear oaths, receive power and abilities¡­ Can you be more vague about something?


    He placed one hand over the strip of black cloth tied around his arm. Power still hummed inside the fabric. Another piece of evidence that he would give to Zev. Tomorrow. When he was coming back.  Not sure what Zev will do with it, though.  He would also show Zev the crater in the ground, where the warlocks had likely made a portal.


    Were there other things out there he should be looking for?


    What if Zev doesn¡¯t come back?


    He groaned, punching his thigh. He wished Zev had spent more time explaining things.


    The fabric still seemed to be tugging on his soul, pulling him into a direction that his body could not go.


    As he considered his situation, he touched Liora¡¯s pendant. He heard whispering again; this time he recognized the voice. The woman¡¯s voice that had spoken to him in that strange forest, whispering softly, ¡°Come to me, come to me.¡±


    As before, he thought he could feel the brush of her breath on his ear. Elion started, looking around the car. So the strange experience at the statue in the woods had been real? Or else Elion was losing his mind. Both seemed equally likely at this point.


    He drummed his fingers on the armrest, leaning to the side so he could look out of the windshield at the horizon. Taking several deep breaths, he settled his stomach. Cathy would be furious if he threw up in her car.


    The Escalade rolled down the long drive of the Walker estate. Elion fought the sinking feeling in his stomach as he gazed at the nicely ordered trees lining the road like pillars. Then the SUV plunged into the darkness of a garage, swallowing Elion like a monster.


    Elion remembered the last time he had visited the Walker¡¯s mansion. He¡¯d been 12, and the Walkers were having a fancy dinner fundraiser as a party. Elion¡¯s parents had brought him and Liora with them, to play with their cousin, Kyle.


    At some point in the evening, Elion had tried to find his mom. He wandered into the dining room. Dozens of people dressed in beautiful dresses and fancy tuxedos mingles, drinking expensive drinks from delicate glasses.


    Before Elion had made it far into the room, Cathy had caught him, her perfectly manicured hand like a vice on his arm. She ushered him away, a chilling smile etched onto her face.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be a problem,¡± she muttered, and soon Elion found himself in a guest bedroom, the lock clicking behind him. He stared out the window for the rest of the evening, wondering what he¡¯d done wrong. Eventually his mom had rescued him.


    No mom to rescue me this time.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to figure something out about your sister,¡± Cathy said as she parked the Escalade. ¡°But you¡¯ll stay here for now. We are going to a campaign event tonight as a family, so you¡¯ll have to entertain yourself. You like video games, right?¡±


    Cathy lead him to the clubhouse, a smaller building behind the mansion that held several bunk beds, gaming systems, and a ping pong table. ¡°You can stay here for now,¡± Cathy said. ¡°Until after the election, and we figure out what¡¯s going on. Is you cat housetrained?¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± Elion said. ¡°He won¡¯t ruin the furniture.¡±


    ¡°Better not,¡± Cathy said.


    Then she left. Elion flopped down on the bunk bed, exhaustion rolling over him like a log.


    Apparently he was expected to stay here and stay quiet so as not to interfere with the campaign.


    Corbin Walker, Elion¡¯s dad¡¯s brother, was running for Senate. The election was coming up soon and the race was tight, so Cathy was clearly worried about what reporters might do with the news that Senator Walker¡¯s brother-in-law and niece were missing after an apparent drunk driving incident.


    She probably only agreed to pick me up so that she could make sure I couldn¡¯t talk to any reporters.


    He thought about trying the door to the clubhouse. Surely she wouldn¡¯t have locked him in here?


    It wouldn¡¯t be safe. What if the building caught fire and he died? Wouldn¡¯t that look a lot worse in the news? Still, he wouldn¡¯t put it past Cathy. The thought drove him out of bed.


    He crossed the room to the door and tried the handle. It didn¡¯t move. The door was locked, from the outside. What kind of clubhouse had a door that couldn¡¯t be unlocked from the inside?


    Elion felt the same tinge of panic he¡¯d felt as a 12 year old, locked in the guest bedroom. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly through his nose. He was old enough now to recognize Aunt Cathy¡¯s obsession with appearances, to understand how his Sponge Bob pajamas and messy hair in the middle of her perfectly planned party would upset her.


    It didn¡¯t make it right, but at least he could understand why she might do it. Still, he was older now, and didn¡¯t deserve this kind of treatment.


    Snickers pushed through a small doggy door, leaving Elion alone. The cat jumped into the window sill outside and stared at Elion with an expression that clearly said ¡°What, like it¡¯s hard?¡±


    Elion sighed. At least there was a small kitchen here. Maybe he could survive on the snacks in the fridge. If he got too desperate, he could probably use the oven to set the place on fire. That would definitely get him some attention.


    Right now he was too tired to eat. He walked back to the bunks and flopped down on the nearest one. Exhaustion gripped him.


    ¡°Come to me.¡± The words echoed in his head.


    He didn¡¯t know what that meant. ¡°Come to me and join the Knights of Dawn.¡±


    Locked in the Walker¡¯s clubhouse, Elion would join anyone who could get him out of here. Sure, he¡¯d join the Knights of Dawn. He just didn¡¯t know how to. Did he have to go to Kylios? How?


    A pressure built in Elion¡¯s head. If something had happened to Zev¡­ Elion might be the only one who even knew that Liora is in danger. Who else would be going to rescue her?


    Calm down. He¡¯s coming back in soon. It¡¯s almost been one day. When I wake up, he may already be back.


    The thought did not reassure Elion. What was he going to do if Zev did not return?


    Pale rays of the setting sun beamed in through the windows. Sitting up in bed, he peered outside, the last glimpses of daylight disappearing from the sky. He could see across the large grassy yard and into the shady forested area toward the back of the Walker property.


    There, in the shadows, he thought he saw a light; a flickering purple light. The strip of warlock robe around his arm seemed to be pulling him toward it. His heart raced. He scrambled for the blinds, pulling them up to get a better view.


    They were here for him. Scouting, again, watching, waiting for their time to strike. Or was it just his mind playing tricks on him? Staring across the yard, Elion searched desperately for any other signs of life in the trees beyond. Nothing moved. Elion tried the door again, but found it still locked.


    He stared out the window for a long time, watching, searching for any sign of movement.

 7. A Watcher in the Woods

    The next morning Elion awoke to the sound of someone opening the door. Bright light streamed in through the windows, making bright streaks across the floor.


    Elion sat up in bed and came face to face with Kyle.


    ¡°Sup dude,¡± Kyle said, clapping his hands on Elion¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Sleep okay? You look pretty rough. Why¡¯d you sleep in your clothes?¡±


    Elion rubbed his eyes, groaning, trying to figure out where he was. He stretched and yawned.


    ¡°Mom said I should come check on you and play some games. No news about your sister yet, by the way, which I guess is good.¡±


    *Good for the campaign, probably.*


    Elion stretched, then ran his fingers through his hair. He probably did look terrible.


    He grunted but didn¡¯t say anything, not trusting his groggy brain. He hadn¡¯t expected any news about Liora, because he knew she wasn¡¯t on Earth anymore¡­ he knew she was now on Kylios. That didn¡¯t stop him from resenting how Kyle talked about it.


    Kyle crossed the room to the game system and turned it on.


    *Twenty-four hours is up. Zev should be back.*


    Elion grabbed his phone, checking for any message from Zev. He had no notifications. A sinking feeling formed his stomach. He typed up a text telling Zev he was at the Walkers.


    *Maybe I should call him instead.*


    ¡°Who are you texting?¡± Kyle asked, brushing brown hair out of his eyes.


    ¡°Nobody,¡± Elion said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m trying to contact Zev. I hope he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too. We¡¯re all worried about him. Have you heard from him at all?¡±


    ¡°No. You shouldn¡¯t worry about us,¡± Elion said, glancing around the clubhouse. He suddenly remembered the purple light he¡¯d seen shining from the trees the night before.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Kyle said, ¡°We¡¯re family, and family needs to help each other out.¡±


    *Right. Just as long as your dad is trying to win a Senate race.* The Walker¡¯s definition of family changed depending on what was more convenient.


    Elion¡¯s phone buzzed. He whipped it out of his pocket, expecting a message from Zev. Instead he got a ¡®Message could not be delivered¡¯ notification. He hit resend, his heart sinking.


    ¡°Is that him?¡± Kyle asked, a little too eagerly.


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°None of my messages have gone through.¡±


    ¡°Dang. Let us know if you hear from him,¡± Kyle said. He rubbed his jaw; the same square jawline that Elion inherited from his father. ¡°Also tell me if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one thing. I think the door is broken,¡± Elion said. ¡°I tried to open it last night and couldn¡¯t get out.¡±


    Kyle¡¯s eyes darted around the room, avoiding meeting Elion¡¯s gaze. ¡°Um, I think it was just locked,¡± he said, tapping his foot. ¡°Mom said you need to stay in here.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Elion said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lock me in.¡±


    Kyle shifted, tapping his hand on his pants.


    ¡°I just wanted to get some fresh air. It could be dangerous to lock the door, if there was a fire or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, um, I can ask Mom, but¡­ I¡¯m not¡­ I mean you¡¯re not supposed to go out, really,¡± he said. ¡°Hey I brought breakfast burritos with me, are you hungry?¡±


    Elion pushed a bit further, but knew he wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere. ¡°Isn¡¯t it going to be bad press for your dad if I die in a fire or something? I promise I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I can ask,¡± Kyle said. He pulled a burrito out of a plastic bag on the counter and offered it to Elion.


    Elion sighed, letting the matter drop. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have a burrito.¡± At least they had remembered to feed him.


    Kyle played FIFA by himself, seeming to forget that Elion was there. Elion sat and ate his burrito quietly. Kyle had a football scholarship to some state university, so he didn¡¯t share a lot of Elion¡¯s interests.


    After a half hour of awkward silence, Kyle excused himself and left, locking the door on his way out.


    <hr>


    Nobody bothered Elion for the remainder of that day. He tried playing video games on Kyle¡¯s console to distract himself. Zev could have come back by now. He could be hiding out, waiting to make contact with Elion.


    Elion tried calling Zev¡¯s phone periodically, but every time his calls went straight to voicemail. Zev would come back. He might be back already. How would Elion know?


    Zev was often in and out of the house, but he generally kept his appointments. It didn¡¯t seem like Zev to lose track of time.


    Elion had to face reality. Zev would contact Elion first thing when he returned, to make sure Elion was okay. Zev hadn¡¯t done that, so he probably hadn¡¯t come back yet. If Zev didn¡¯t come back, it meant something bad had happened to him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    The implication made Elion uncomfortable.


    *I¡¯m the only one left who knows that either of them are in trouble. I¡¯m the only one who can do anything. And what can I do?*


    In the fridge he found a few old bags of frozen foods. For dinner he microwaved himself a plate of frozen pizza rolls for dinner, and sat at the counter staring out the window toward the trees, waiting for his food to cool.


    He didn¡¯t see anything in the trees. *Maybe the purple light was just another dream or hallucination.*


    Something moved through the trees. A dark shadow, flickering between other shadows.


    Elion sprang to his feet, running to the window, watching intently. Nothing else moved. He stared out the window for so long that his pizza rolls were cold by the time he ate them.


    Cara and some of her friends played soccer on the grass outside Elion¡¯s prison. He watched them playing, staring over at the trees. A boombox on the porch nearby blared some popular song across the yard. If Dorian had come for Elion, would he wait until Cara and her friends were gone before he struck?


    Or did he simply not care? He was going to another planet. It didn¡¯t matter if people saw him here on earth, did it? On the other hand, Dorian¡¯s warlocks had been careful to mask their prior attack, casting some kind of spell to prevent the neighbors from noticing.


    *What if Dorian kidnaps Cara and her friends too?*


    Elion had no reason to believe that this might happen. Liora was a Starholder, a member of Dorian¡¯s family. Cara might have been Liora and Elion¡¯s cousin, but on the Earth side. Not the Kylios side. So it was unreasonable to think Dorian might kidnap her.


    But as he gazed out the window, he couldn¡¯t shake the idea. He kept imagining arachnatronics bursting from the trees, clattering over the ground and snagging the girls in their mandibles. He rubbed his leg where the creature had bitten into him and winced.


    Even if Cara was annoying and spoiled, did anyone deserve to be snatched by giant spidermechs?


    Elion needed to get out of the clubhouse. At the very least, he had to see what was going on in those trees. He wasn¡¯t going to sleep well knowing that at any moment a gang of warlocks might burst from the thicket atop their mechanical spiders and drag him from his bed.


    Elion searched the clubhouse for a weapon and came up basically empty-handed. Between two ping pong paddles, a twenty lb. dumbbell, and a butter knife, he figured he didn¡¯t stand much of a chance in a fight. Heck, a shotgun blast hadn¡¯t been enough to finish off the arachnatronics back at his house.


    Then Elion had an idea. He carefully examined the surroundings of the clubhouse, looking through every window and noting the environment. He selected a window on the back side of the clubhouse, facing away from the mansion and away from the playing field.


    Before he could change his mind, Elion hurled the dumbbell through the window. Worried about failing to break the glass, he threw it as hard as he could.


    The dumbbell sailed through the air, smashing through the glass like it wasn¡¯t even there. The window shattered, dissolving into thousands of tinkling shards. Elion ran back to the other side of the clubhouse and looked out the window.


    Cara and her friends didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the noise over their music. Elion grabbed the butter knife from the kitchen. Better than nothing, he figured. Then he carefully knocked the more jagged shards of glass out of the window frame, and climbed through.


    Elion¡¯s shoes crunched onto glass, pressing shards into damp grass. He considered picking up a large, sharp spike of glass. It would be good to have something if he ran into a warlock. But he thought better of it, since he¡¯d be more likely to hurt himself with the sharp edges. Picking his way out of the mess he¡¯d made, he crept over to the edge of the clubhouse.


    He was committed now. If Aunt Cathy caught him running free with a knife she¡¯d probably chain him up in her basement. He really hoped he hadn¡¯t been hallucinating the lights and the movements in the grove of trees.


    The sun hung low in the sky as he considered the best route across the Walker¡¯s yard. If Cara or her friends spotted him, he was done for.


    He opted to slink along the edge of the yard, staying close to the wall that enclosed the property. A few hilly flower beds and trees offered concealment from most of the house, as well as from Cara and her friends.


    Elion wished Aurelia had given him a buff to stealth instead of protection. He really didn¡¯t want to end up in a situation where the protection perks activated.


    Scampering from cover to cover, Elion didn¡¯t dare risk checking to see if he¡¯d been seen until he lay behind a low rise in the ground, shaded by trees. He absolutely knew how suspicious he looked.


    He pulled himself slowly up high enough to check on the yard. Cara and her friends had stopped playing soccer. They were arguing about something, but didn¡¯t seem to have noticed him.


    Cara pulled out her phone. A few moments later Cathy came out of the house, and pulled one of Cara¡¯s friends aside, giving her a talking-to.


    Elion took advantage of the distraction to dart across a larger gap in cover, edging his way closer to the wooded side of the yard. Cathy, having resolved the fight between Cara and her friends, now headed toward the clubhouse.


    Cursing under his breath, Elion gave up hiding and started running for the trees. Cathy was going to find the broken window, and he¡¯d be busted.


    Elion reached the trees. A small cobble path wound through the copse, and he thought he could hear the burble of a fountain nearby. He listened carefully, scanning the shadows for any sign of Dorian¡¯s warlocks, but detected nothing.


    Creeping carefully forward, Elion gripped the butter knife in his hand. This was stupid. He probably hadn¡¯t seen anything, his tired brain had played tricks on him. Now he¡¯d gotten himself into big trouble by breaking that window for nothing.


    Rounding a corner, Elion froze. Someone was here. Someone about his height, wearing a black hood and robe. Talking. Talking to someone else, softly, so quietly that Elion could barely make it out. A female voice. Even looking straight at the figure, Elion¡¯s eyes struggled to see the woman, her shape blending smoothly with the trees around him.


    The cloaked figure stood with her back toward Elion, facing toward the Walker mansion. Even exposed as he was, Elion didn¡¯t dare move, for fear of alerting the intruder of his presence.


    ¡°¡­others will not see,¡± the figure said. She paused, and Elion got the impression he was overhearing a phone call.


    ¡°Yes. It is still with him.¡±


    Another silence.


    ¡°I understand. We will strike when darkness falls.¡±


    Elion couldn¡¯t wait around for Zev. Dorian was coming.


    At that moment Cathy must have discovered the broken window in the clubhouse, because she started yelling. The woman in the black robe stepped backward, turning as she did so. He recognized her; the same woman who had been at his house, who Dorian had called Venya. She had cast some sort of spell on him.


    In trouble with his aunt for breaking out of the clubhouse, Elion guessed he¡¯d end up chained down in the basement when the warlocks came to kidnap him tonight.


    He saw only one way to get out of this; a way to pin the blame for the broken window on someone else. And maybe Elion could get some information that might help Liora.


    As the warlock turned around, Elion ran at her, hoping to knock her out of her hiding place in the trees and into the open, where the Walkers could see her.


    Venya saw Elion at the last moment and tried to raise her arms. Elion was already on top of her. They collided, the impact a dull crash of rippling magical fabric, the warlock¡¯s robes billowing around them.

 8. Portal to Kylios

    Elion collided with the warlock, his world vanishing, blocked out by the billowing robe. Venya staggered backwards under the force of Elion¡¯s surprise attack, falling to the ground with Elion on top. She was lighter than Elion had expected.


    Trees still obscured their presence. Elion cursed, grappling with the woman as she tried to free her long stick from her robes. They rolled, and Elion threw his weight backward, pulling the warlock over him and throwing them both out into the daylight.


    ¡°Help!¡± Elion shouted, trying to draw the attention of the Walkers.  See how this reflects on your family reputation , he thought. He dove on top of the warlock, pinning her, trying to prevent her from reaching his wand.


    ¡°I¡¯m under attack!¡± the warlock gasped. ¡°He¡¯s found me!¡±


    Their eyes met, and she struggled beneath him. Her hood fell away, black curls of hair spilling out across the lawn as her pale skin shone in the sunlight. Her red lips no longer smiled knowingly, her dark eyes widening in fear and surprise.


    The warlock regained some composure and used one hand to cast a spell. A small blast of purple twisted through the air, hitting Elion in the mouth like a tennis ball.


    Elion¡¯s jaw popped, and he tasted blood, but he didn¡¯t let go, leveraging his relative weight advantage.


    Nearby the air cracked, a tremendous boom that rattled Elion¡¯s teeth. He glanced and saw a cube of metal erupting from a swirl of purple ribbons. These evaporated into mist as the metal cube slammed into the sod and began unfolding itself into an arachnatronic, teal light glowing from within.


    Cara and her friends screamed, now noticing the fighting going on. The warlock threw Elion, who landed hard on his face in the lawn. The taste of grass mingled with blood in his mouth as Elion rolled over. Scrambling to her feet, Venya drew her wand and blasted. Elion dodged out of the way as the blast struck the ground, sending chunks of dirt flying.


    The air cracked twice more, and two more arachnatronic cubes slammed into the yard. The first contraption had nearly finished unfolding itself. Then, rapid as a string of firecrackers, six dark robed warlocks popped into existence, accompanied by thunderous booms and twisting purple ribbons of light.


    Snickers came flying across the yard and leaped at Venya¡¯s face. The warlock went down again. The first arachnatronic finished unfolding. A warlock climbed atop of it, riding across the yard toward Cara and her friends. Two other warlocks began using their staves and a warp heart to create a new portal.


    Elion looked at the butter knife in his hand. The black cloth wrapped around his arm tugged him toward the portal.


    A security guard came running around the corner of the house, gun in hand. One of the warlocks immediately enveloped the man in a bubble of shimmering violet. The man floated slightly off the ground and hovered in the bubble, firing his gun. The bullets struck the bubble, warping it as they slowed to a stop and forcing the warlock to renew the spell.


    The guard ran out of bullets and dropped his gun, and the bubble burst as the warlock staggered, gasping for breath. The guard fell to the ground flailing his arms and legs.


    The screaming from Cara and her friends intensified as a the arachnatronic reached them. Even from across the yard Elion saw the sheer panic on their faces. The arachnatronic grabbed Cara, lifting her off the ground, the warlock atop it casting a numbing spell over her. Elion caught sight of Aunt Cathy, huddled near the clubhouse, phone to her ear.


    Snickers howled as Venya gained the upper hand and pinning Snickers down. Snickers¡¯ claws tangled in the warlock¡¯s robes.


    Elion pulled himself to his feet and ran to help the cat, as the remaining two warlocks ran toward him. He threw his arm beneath Venya¡¯s shoulder and behind her neck, and reflexively brought the butter knife to the woman¡¯s throat. He felt the softness of her flesh as he breathed in her scent; fresh, floral, and invigorating.


    The warlock stopped fighting. Snickers snarled and hissed, extricating himself from the woman¡¯s robe and dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Please,¡± the warlock whispered. Elion realized that the woman had no way of knowing that Elion¡¯s weapon was as dull as a¡­ well a butter knife.


    ¡°No need for this,¡± boomed a voice that Elion recognized. Dorian. The man walked toward Elion, and everyone stopped to watch. The screaming had stopped, Cara and her friends hanging limply from the maws of the Arachnatronics.


    ¡°What did you do to them?¡± Elion demanded.


    ¡°They¡¯re fine.¡± Dorian edged closer to Elion as he approached. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything too hasty there. Let Venya go.¡±


    ¡°You let my family go first,¡± Elion demanded.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Dorian said, taking another step forward.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Elion said. ¡°You need to leave.¡±


    Dorian dropped his wand, the large rod landing on the ground with a dull thud. He gestured, palms up, arms wide. ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight,¡± he said.


    ¡°Where did you take Liora?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s safe. She¡¯s home, Elion, where she belongs,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Put down your weapon. Come to Kylios with us.¡±


    Elion looked around, at the warlocks and arachnatronics which had invaded the grounds. He looked at all the other people caught up in this mess; the security guard, Cara and her friends.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± he said. ¡°You killed my parents.¡±


    Dorian looked hurt, like Elion had slapped him across the face. ¡°Is that what Zev told you? He¡¯s a liar. I am trying to help you. Rescue you and your sister, bring you back to your birthright.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about Zev,¡± Elion spat.


    ¡°He abandoned you,¡± Dorian said. ¡°He¡¯s not coming to protect you this time.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡±


    Dorian just smiled.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t kill my parents, who did?¡± Elion asked. ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can understand the truth,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Not through your earthly perspective, not until you have gazed upon the secrets of Erod, and seen true power with your own eyes. Come with me. I promise you, safety, protection. You seem fond of these people here,¡± Dorian said with a gesture at Cara and her friends. ¡°Come with me, so that we can leave them alone. Aren¡¯t you curious to see your true home?¡±


    Elion¡¯s strength slackened. Dorian made a good point; he had never really felt like he fit in here, like he belonged. Kylios sounded like an incredible place, full of magic, power, and mystery. Curiosity gnawed at him.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°You¡¯ll leave everyone else alone?¡± he asked.


    Snickers rubbed up against the back of Elion¡¯s legs, hissing at Dorian as though he could understand the conversation.


    ¡°Come with me to Erod,¡± Dorian said. ¡°Visit The Palace of a Million Stars. See the land of your people, your heritage. Reclaim your birthright, as a Starholder.¡±


    If I don¡¯t help Liora, nobody will.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Just don¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± Elion released Venya. The woman staggered away from Elion, rubbing her throat.


    ¡°Seize him,¡± Dorian commanded, and two warlocks cast tendrils of power which bound themselves around Elion¡¯s arms, pulling them roughly behind his back.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Elion exclaimed, struggling. He stumbled forward, approaching Dorian and the portal. ¡°I said I¡¯d come willingly!¡±


    ¡°A precaution,¡± Dorian said with a shrug, as the two warlocks approached to grab Elion. One of them raised his hand, preparing to cast the numbing spell.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Elion said, feeling betrayed and frustrated with family members imprisoning him. A sinking feeling in his stomach told him that he¡¯d made a bad decision, that Dorian was not a man to be trusted. At the same time, his mind told him that only one way out of this mess remained.


    He looked at the swirling portal just a few steps away.


    Zev had said that portals like these could be hard to direct. If Elion could cause some chaos¡­


    The warlocks were nearly upon him. He closed his eyes, preparing to charge between them into the portal.


    <<Use '' Warlock¡¯s Robe ¡¯ to cast ¡®Loombreaker¡¯? Yes/No>>


    The text box floated in his vision behind his eyelids. Elion didn¡¯t know what any of it meant, but¡­


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. Immediately the strip of cloth wrapped around his arm came alive, crackling with purple lightning. A small shockwave of purple warlock energy burst out of Elion as the bonds tying his arms down collapsed. The approaching warlocks staggered backward. Elion¡¯s bonds and the cloth tied to his arm evaporated around him.


    Freed from his bonds, Elion charged forward. Surrounded by warlocks and arachnatronics closing in on him, he saw no escape.


    The portal pulsed nearby, a faint acidic scent in the air. Gravity twisted around the portal, so that it appeared to be down a gentle slope from Elion.


    This might be a really bad idea.


    But if something happened to Zev, who remained to rescue Liora?


    He ran for the portal, dodging past wildly flung bursts of energy as the surprised warlocks shouted to each other.


    He reached one of the warlocks powering the portal with her staff. Clearly focused on her job of opening the portal, she hardly seemed to notice Elion as he ran into her, sending them both stumbling into the swirling orb.


    The world zoomed out, zoomed away from Elion as the gravity of the portal sucked him inward, in and down, away. His body stretched, his feet still standing on grassy ground as powerful tides pulled his head deep into nothing.


    Snickers leapt into Elion¡¯s arms, just as Elion fell totally into the void, and then all signs of Earth disappeared. They plummeted through darkness.


    As he fell, the darkness scraped past him, tearing at his flesh and clothes. Snickers yowled, and Elion pulled the cat more tightly to his chest. The energy of the darkness grew stronger, painfully buffeting Elion around.


    He felt like he was drowning, at the bottom of a wave, spun around so that he had no sense of direction, no knowledge of which way to go for air.


    The turbulence increased as Elion fell, head first into the darkness around him.


    Elion tumbled in a washing machine full of rocks. Sharp snapping sounds made him think of breaking bones. He clung to the edge of consciousness, desperate to stay alert enough to hang onto Snickers.


    He hoped the cat was okay.


    Elion screamed aloud. He had to be dying.


    Good a time as any for Aurelia¡¯s Protection, if it would even work in this endless pit of torment.


    Elion remembered the armor Zev had donned before jumping into his portal. Would be nice to have some of that right about now. Sentinel Aurelia?


    A sound like a sonic boom reverberated through the air around Elion, as he smashed into some kind of barrier, bursting through the other side. The impact knocked him out entirely.


    When he regained consciousness, a golden light shimmered around him. Liora¡¯s necklace glowed around his neck, and the surrounding air burned with a turbulent light, forming a protective shield.


    Elion marveled at the effect, but still felt minorly disappointed by the lack of armor.


    He fell headfirst, particles of energy thundering into the shield and glowing, like the plasma glow of superheated air around a rocket ship reentering the atmosphere. He still clutched Snickers in his arms.


    Elion had no way to tell how long he¡¯d been traveling for; it felt like hours. He began to wonder if this was his life now, he¡¯d failed to properly use the portal, and now he was condemned to fall forever to his destination.


    Did he have to pick a destination? Did the other end of this portal not open up inside Dorian¡¯s house? Or headquarters, or castle, or whatever his uncle used as a base of operations. Elion tried thinking of places on earth, hoping that he might be able to return, but nothing happened.


    He shifted his thoughts to places on Kylios that Zev had mentioned, but he didn¡¯t know these places and couldn¡¯t really imagine them.


    Elion really, really hoped that he wasn¡¯t stuck here forever.


    Maybe this is what happened to Zev. He targeted Kylios and the pendant on Earth, and got trapped in this eternal void, half-way between the two places.


    His thoughts turned to the strange way Dorian and his warlocks had acted when Elion had threatened one of them with a butter knife. Maybe stainless steel was some kind of powerful weapon on Kylios? He still clasped the knife in one hand.


    If they were allergic to the metal of the knife or something, then all Elion would have to do is find a way back to earth, get a truck load of the metal, bring it back to Kylios and rescue Liora¡­


    Easier said than done, he supposed.


    What if they simply don¡¯t have butter on Kylios, and therefore no need for butter knives?  Elion didn¡¯t want to visit a planet that hadn¡¯t invented butter.


    Memories flashed through Elion¡¯s mind.


    Liora. Her face as she screamed, dragged across the yard by Dorian¡¯s arachnatronics.


    ¡°Liora, you¡¯re swinging too high!¡± Elion watched as his sister slipped from the swing, arm cracking as she crashed into the ground.


    ¡°Elion,¡± Dad said, sitting beside him as Liora showed off her new cast. ¡°Your sister is fearless. She can be reckless, even. And I¡¯m counting on you to watch out for her. That¡¯s what our family does¡ªwe stand together and keep each other safe."


    Without warning, the protective sphere around Elion collapsed. He slammed back into the turbulence of the portal around him. Then the darkness shifted, and light poured in. He saw a world laid out below him, like a map. He wasn¡¯t falling; exactly, but the ground zoomed closer to him.


    He cocooned Snickers in his arms, bracing for impact.

 9. Kasms Runes

    ¡°Kessendra,¡± the queen said to me. ¡°The world must know what happens next. It must be witnessed. Hid behind the tapestry, there. Watch, listen, and record all that you see. When my daughter returns to her rightful place on the throne, she must know what happened here.¡±


    ¡°My queen, I cannot do this.¡± I pleaded with her. ¡°Do not make me leave your side. I have served you faithfully for these many years¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go now, Kessendra,¡± the Queen commanded. ¡°I know you will serve my daughter with the same loyalty you have served me. Witness these events.¡±


    A tear slid down my cheek. I knew she was merely trying to protect me. But I would not disobey her.


    Tremors in the foundations of the palace stopped. Distant shouts faded to silence. For a moment, everything was still. The fighting had ended.


    <hr>


    Kasm leafed through his book. Aged paper whispered softly as he turned the delicate pages. The smell of the leather binding rose from between the dry pages.


    Sitting on a small stone, Kasm set the book down on his lap, open to the familiar set of runes. Sketched in concentric circles in the book, the runes were an ancient incantation. He ran his finger around one circle, then looked at the ground in front of him.


    A matching set of runes had been sketched in the dirt. Kasm had cleared away weeds and leveled out this area in a hollow of the earth. With a stick, he copied the runes from the book, doing his best to match the symbols exactly.


    In the end he created a dozen large concentric circles, the largest more than six feet across.


    But so far, nothing had happened. Kasm checked the runes, comparing his renditions to the ones written in the book.


    The book had once been his mother¡¯s. The smell of it made him think of her, a vague, distant memory, half imagined. Kasm had never known his mother. She died ten years ago, when Kasm was born.


    A fact Tael often reminded him of.


    Tael was confident that Kasm¡¯s rune circle would do nothing. Perhaps this motivated Kasm¡¯s persistence. He¡¯d been coming here for weeks, up to the top of the ridge behind their home, and sitting in this ring of stones, working on his circles of runes.


    When rain or wind ruined parts of the message, he redrew it, improving his work each time.


    Since the book suggested choosing a place that could focus the power of the runes, the natural hollow surrounded by stones felt like the ideal place. He¡¯d always liked coming here. It felt calmer, more peaceful than the town.


    Kasm¡¯s mother lay buried just over the ridge, but her grave marker wasn¡¯t visible from where he sat. Sometimes he would stand at her grave and imagine her, trying to construct memories from the stories Dad had told him.


    When he grew overwhelmed by emotion, he sought refuge here, in this shallow bowl.


    He turned the pages again, finding the runes for ¡®hero¡¯ and ¡®Heranan.¡¯


    Carefully he set the book down on a rock. To prevent the slight breeze from turning the pages, he used a pair of small stones. He picked up his drawing stick.


    Brushing out the runes at the top of his circle, he carefully redrew the shapes in the dirt. Then he stood in the center of the circle, turning as he deciphered the runes.


    Kasm had spelled out a plea for aid. An ancient call to an Ascended hero. A follower of one of the True Sentinels who watched over Kylios. According to the book, these runes would signal Kasm¡¯s need for assistance, summoning someone who could help.


    They had Ascended in Aterfel already. Two of them, actually. But they were both Artefin; gifted in crafting and constructing machines.


    He considered his message, then flipped through the book again. There he found the runes for ¡®healer.¡¯ He scratched these into the dirt near the word ¡®Heranan.¡¯ It would be a shame for Kasm¡¯s attempt to succeed, only to summon the wrong hero. Not just any Heranan would do; he didn¡¯t need someone to help him grow food. He needed a healer.


    According to Tael, Kasm was an idiot. Chicken scratchings in dirt didn¡¯t have any power; Mom¡¯s book was instructions for Ascended, people who could call on the power of the Sentinels.


    Kasm was not one of the Ascended.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Gorman was though, and Keyla too. Gorman had done his best, using his knowledge of machines to repair humans. But he wasn¡¯t a healer.


    Maybe one of them can power the runes for me somehow,  Kasm thought. Gorman had laughed at the idea. Keyla might humor him. But Gorman was more powerful. The book didn¡¯t say anything about powering the runes, but Kasm thought it might be worth a try.


    He¡¯d better get the runes perfect first though. If he could convince one of them to help, they¡¯d probably only do it once.


    Kasm almost brushed out the runes for ¡®Heranan.¡¯ Was a healer really the kind of ascended that they needed? Everyone else thought that they needed to fight against the infected; that the only way to stop them was violence.


    From where he stood, Kasm could just make out the top of the Shard in the distance. Its strange power infected people and animals who came too close to it; making them fight viciously against any non-infected life they found. Kasm assumed that a Heranan could heal the infection, and make the fighting unnecessary.


    Maybe Tael was right. Perhaps a warrior would be better; an Aurelian, to lead the town Guard against the infected in battle. But so many people had already been hurt or killed. Kasm felt sick thinking about it. He didn¡¯t want more fighting. He wanted healing.


    Kasm sighed, and closed his book. A bit of dirt crumbled down one of the ridges made by drawing the runes, a small clump lying in the channel.


    Maybe this was a stupid waste of time, like Tael said. But what else could Kasm do? He wasn¡¯t old enough to join the Aterfel Guard. So, whenever Tael went off to train with the men and women of Aterfel, preparing to defend the town, Kasm came here.


    He¡¯d already spent several hours studying runes today, correcting several errors in the grammar of his plea. It was time to call it a day.


    Holding his book under one arm, Kasm plodded up toward the ridgeline.


    The air behind him buzzed. The ground trembled beneath his feet.


    His breath caught in his throat.


    He turned, and saw the dirt in the middle of his rune circle vibrating.


    Kasm¡¯s eyes widened, and he stepped back, his mouth hanging open.


    A tendril of purple light flashed, spiraling around in the hollow like the first whisps of a dust devil. A stiff breeze picked up, whipping dirt and dust into the air. Kasm staggered away, falling onto his back as he stared in amazement.


    More flashes of light; purple, gold, and green. Then, like the sound of a projectile rifle, three loud pops split the air, leaving Kasm¡¯s ears ringing. White light flashed and somebody crashed into the ground, sending dirt flying and partially destroying Kasm¡¯s rune circles.


    Kasm watched in awe as the breeze died down and the dust settled.


    Lying on the ground before him was a young man, maybe a little older than Tael. He lay flat on his back, arms and legs spread. His white hair was swept back from his face, and his golden eyes glowed. A star pendant dangled on a chain around his neck.


    A strange, fluffy grey animal sat atop the man¡¯s chest, pawing at the man¡¯s face. Then, yawning, the creature padded toward Kasm.


    Kasm scrambled away, but the animal didn¡¯t seem to care about him. It walked up to the ridge and disappeared toward town.


    The man groaned.


    Kasm sprang to his feet, mouth agape. He didn¡¯t know what to do. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t really expected this to work.


    Tael wasn¡¯t going to believe it.


    Suck it Tael.


    He¡¯d better get Dad.


    <hr>


    Elion flopped onto dry, stony ground, with a flash of lightning and crack of thunder. The impact knocked the breath out of him, and as he gasped for air he stared up at the sky overhead.


    The view startled him. Strips of darkness filled the sky, intermingling with shards of orange, red, pink, and gold, like a painting of the rising sun on a shattered pane of glass, the midnight blackness spilling through the gaps.


    The sight was breathtaking.


    Someone, a child, by the sound of his voice, babbled nearby.


    ¡°Dad, dad! It worked! I did it!¡±


    Elion sat up, looking around for the source of the noise.


    Where is Snickers?


    A boy, about 10 or 12 years old stood nearby. Around Elion, runes and glyphs of some kind had been drawn on the ground in concentric circles.


    Elion made eye contact with the boy, who gasped, and turned, running away from Elion.


    ¡°Dad! I summoned a hero!¡±

 10. Welcome to Aterfel

    Elion watched the boy climb a grassy ridge and disappear behind a large grey stone. The kid looked just like a regular, human boy who¡¯d been out playing in the yard.


    His head spinning, Elion tested his limbs, feeling for any injuries. His whole body ached, and his skin felt raw, but other than that he was in one piece.


    He sat at the bottom of a shallow hollow, the earth sloping up and away from him at a gentle slope. Irregular standing stones lined the ridge. Beyond these, the strange sky shimmered.


    His butter knife quivered in the ground beside him, embedded in the dirt. Tufts of grass and small flowers grew sporadically on the slopes. A small pile dried out plants lay nearby, suggesting someone had worked to clear the dirt area where Elion had landed.


    In the dirt, a trail of paw prints led away from where Elion sat. Elion groaned. Why did that cat always have to run off? At least Snickers could walk; he must have shared in Elion¡¯s protection.


    Elion examined the glyphs and symbols which someone had drawn in the dirt around him. They seemed familiar, and he thought he recognized some of them from the warlock staff which Zev had used to power his portal.


    The strange, beautiful sky cast a golden light over the ground. Elion couldn¡¯t tell what time of day it was, but a cool crispness in the air suggested early morning. Was this place Kylios? Elion pinched himself.


    ¡°Ouch.¡±


    Not dreaming then.


    Does that even really work? I¡¯ve never tried to pinch myself in a dream.


    He wasn¡¯t on Earth anymore. His hands trembled; was the air here safe to breathe? Of course it was, he¡¯d been breathing it all this time. He took a deep breath, savoring the freshness.


    He had expected to emerge from the other side of the portal inside Dorian¡¯s palace, wherever Dorian and his warlocks had traveled to Earth from, but Elion saw no sign of the purple wizards.


    Rising to his feet, he brushed dirt from his jeans, then pulled his knife from the ground. The blade, if it could be called a blade, had worked well enough against the warlock at the Walker¡¯s house. He shoved the butter knife into the front pouch of his hoodie.


    Elion hoped that the Walkers were okay.


    Dorian said he wasn¡¯t interested in them. I hope they left Cara and her friends alone when I jumped into their portal.


    If the warlocks had come after him, then where were they?


    He had to find out if Zev had made it to Kylios. If he did, then he must have gotten into some kind of trouble that prevented him from coming back to Earth after twenty-four hours.


    Then he had to get to Dorian¡¯s palace. What had he called it again? The Palace of Stars? Elion looked around again and decided that this place certainly was not the Palace of Stars. As far as he could see, no stars.


    So if he hadn¡¯t made it to Dorian¡¯s palace, then where had he ended up? He touched the Starholder Pendant around his neck, wondering how he would find Liora.


    I¡¯m their last hope. Nobody else knows what happened to them.


    He climbed the side of the hollow, heading in the direction Snickers had walked, which also happened to be the way the boy had run. Stepping between two large stones, he saw a small village laid out before him. Twenty or so houses surrounded a central square, haphazardly scattered about.


    Built of a combination of scrap metal, reclaimed plastics, and lumber, the buildings appeared haphazardly assembled, rooms and floors added on as needed. Many of the buildings seemed abandoned, and one of them had collapsed completely. A few looked lived in and cared for, paths beaten through the dirt and vegetation, small planter boxes filled with neatly growing rows of plants.


    The houses surrounded a tower, thrusting from the ground of the central square like a spike. Taller than all the surrounding buildings, the tower pulsed with the same teal light as the arachnatronics which had attacked him before. Maybe Elion had gotten lucky, and he would find Zev waiting for him in town.


    Trees encircled the town and the ridge where Elion stood, preventing him from learning more about his surroundings. He decided to take his chances with the town, rather than risk getting lost in an alien forest on an alien planet. He started down the slope.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As he walked, he wondered what he should tell people. Would they be hostile? What would they think if he told them he came from Earth? Would they even know what Earth was?


    Zev said humans live on Kylios. But being from another planet means they¡¯re still aliens. I should be careful.


    He heard a voice from the nearest house, and recognized the voice of the boy from earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, I¡¯m serious!¡±


    A small text in the corner of his vision appeared.


    << Translation Active >>


    ¡°Either help me with Dad¡¯s oil change or go away Kasm!¡±


    Whoever responded sounded older, though still young. Elion, uncertain of his status here, stood awkwardly in the yard, looking for a door.


    Do aliens expect you to knock or do they prefer doorbells?


    A narrow path of trampled dirt led to an opening in the side of the building. Planters made of plastic tubs lined the path, filled with dead and dying plants. A partially filled rain barrel collected water dripping from the corner of the roof, and a clothesline strung between two poles dangled with faded fabrics.


    ¡°Come on Tael, please, come, come see,¡± the boy, pleaded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay for a minute, Tael,¡± an older, deeper voice said. ¡°Go see what Kasm wants you to look at. I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Tael said.


    The ¡®Translation Active¡¯ text disappeared from Elion¡¯s vision. He wondered if translation only worked one way; translating whatever he heard. Would other people understand him when he spoke?


    The wiry boy Elion had already seen emerged from the opening in the building. Elion decided he was around ten years old.  He would fit in with ten-year-olds from Earth. Maybe age works differently on Kylios.


    Brown hair flapped around the boy¡¯s head, sticking up in places. Smudges of dirt and grease marked his face and arms. He wore a pair of heavily patched jeans and an oversized jacket. Elion recognized him and guessed he was Kasm.


    A second boy, older, probably Tael, followed closely behind Kasm. He looked to be about fifteen, taller, and wore his hair swept back behind his ears. He carried a long rifle in his arms. They ran across the yard, Kasm pulling his older brother Tael along behind.


    Since they hadn¡¯t seen him yet, Elion tried to look non-threatening. He held his hands out in front of him. The pose felt a little too much like a statue of Christ he had once seen, so he held his hands further out to the side.


    Now he was T-posing, so he gave up and just folded his arms. He tried to put a friendly look on his face, so that they didn¡¯t just start shooting at him.


    The boys both noticed him standing on the edge of their yard at the same time. They stumbled to a stop and stared at Elion.


    ¡°Um, hi,¡± Elion said. ¡°Where am I?¡± As he spoke the ¡®Translation Active¡¯ text reappeared in his vision.


    Kasm, the younger boy, recovered first and began approaching. ¡°Hi,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Kasm, and this is my brother Tael. You¡¯re in Aterfel.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Tael said, catching his brother by the arm. ¡°Stop. Are you sure he¡¯s not infected?¡±


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Kasm said, shaking himself free. ¡°He¡¯s a hero, come to help us!¡±


    Tael lifted his rifle. ¡°Get out of the way, Kasm,¡± Tael said, pointing the gun at Elion.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Elion said, lifting his hands into the air, eying the gun. A long black barrel glinted angrily in the daylight. Teal light coursed through channels along the body of the gun, emanating from a glowing circular core mounted in the stock. The bipod attached to the lower rail was folded up. Tael pulled the gun into the crease of his shoulder, not bothering to look through the scope.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Tael demanded.


    ¡°Stop it, Tael,¡± Kasm said. ¡°Look at him, he¡¯s clearly not infected. Look at his eyes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Elion. Elion Walker?¡± Elion bit his tongue after speaking, feeling he had made a mistake. If Dorian came looking for him here, then it would be better if people didn¡¯t know his name. He resolved to conceal his identity better. If he knew more about this place, he could lie more convincingly.


    ¡°He¡¯s a hero, Tael.¡±


    ¡°What if he¡¯s infected? A Tephalian?¡± Tael countered, keeping his gun pointed at Elion. ¡°He could kill us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill anyone,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Tael said.


    ¡°Take him to Dad,¡± Kasm said. ¡°He¡¯ll know.¡± Elion watched Tael¡¯s face closely as the boy considered the suggestion.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°Come with us, Elion Walker.¡±

 11. A Strange ATV

    Tael waved his rifle, gesturing for Elion to lead the way back to the house. Elion walked slowly down the slope, heading toward the house. He kept his hands in the air, wondering what infection made Tael so afraid.


    Should I worry about catching it?


    Elion followed the dirt path that led to the house. He glanced uncomfortably at the dying plants, drooping in their plastic tubs as they passed. Against one side of the house, a few old tires had been partially consumed by twisting vines with small red flowers on them.


    They reached the house.


    ¡°Open the door, Kasm,¡± Tael ordered.


    The younger boy pulled the door open and held it for Elion.


    Elion peered into the dim space beyond. A cramped workspace presented itself, cluttered with boxes, scraps of wood, and other paraphernalia. Light from windows high in the far wall illuminated the space, along with a couple of work lamps placed strategically around the room. In the center of the room, a hoist held an ATV lifted over an oil pan.


    The smell of sawdust and grease hung in the air, along with the tartness of decaying wood and rusting metal.


    The ATV had two seats and a roll cage, but no doors. A cargo rack at the back bore scuffs from heavy usage. The tire treads were bald in places.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Kasm called into the garage. ¡°We¡¯re bringing the hero in, but Tael says he thinks he¡¯s infected.¡±


    ¡°Bring him in,¡± the deep voice boomed from inside. The voice, Dad, had a strange quality about it, an artificiality which oddly reminded Elion of ordering at a drive-thru. He clenched his jaw, a sense of claustrophobia warning him away from the space.


    Elion glanced back at Tael, meeting the boy¡¯s hard eyes. Tael gestured with the gun, so Elion stepped through the door, palms sweating. Elion tried to stop just across the threshold, but Kasm and Tael pushed in behind him, forcing him out into the center of the workspace. He now saw a garage door at the far end.


    ¡°Come closer and stand in the light,¡± Dad said. Elion looked around the garage but couldn¡¯t tell where the voice came from. Tael pushed Elion with the gun, forcing him closer to one of the nearby lights.


    ¡°Put the gun away Tael,¡± Dad said. ¡°He¡¯s not infected.¡±


    ¡°But Dad¨C¡±


    ¡°Away Tael,¡± Dad said. Tael complied, but grumbled as he hung the rifle up near the door.


    ¡°His name is Elion,¡± Kasm said. ¡°Elion Walker, and he¡¯s a hero. He¡¯s going to help us defeat the infected.¡±


    Elion looked around, still unable to spot Dad. He noticed more strange shapes cluttering the garage. A device with several cranks on it might have been a vice; and an oblong object with a point on the top looked something like a rocket. A futuristic looking dirt bike leaned against one wall.


    ¡°Calm down Kasm,¡± Dad said. ¡°I thought you were trying to summon a Heranan, and he is clearly Aurelian.¡±


    Kasm blushed and started to protest, but thought better of it. Elion glanced down at himself, wondering what features marked him as Aurelian. How did one become an Aurelian? Perhaps by accepting Aurelia¡¯s Protection? He touched the star pendant at his neck, still concealed by his hoodie.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Elion,¡± Dad said. ¡°My name is Domas.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Elion said. ¡°But where are you?¡±


    Kasm and Tael snickered.


    ¡°Right in front of you,¡± Dad/Domas said. One headlight on the ATV blinked on and off, as though the vehicle was winking at him. Elion furrowed his brow, leaning around to see if the man might be hiding beneath the ATV.


    ¡°Pardon my appearance,¡± Domas said, and this time Elion saw a set of lights at the front of the ATV, lighting up in sync with Domas¡¯s voice. A small, circular grate beneath the lights appeared to be a speaker.


    Elion guessed that Domas was remotely connected into the ATV, perhaps giving his son guidance on performing an oil change. That made more sense than Domas  being  the ATV, but the chuckles of the boys gave Elion pause.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Elion said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting¨C¡±


    ¡°Nobody is,¡± Domas said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that I¡¯m totally used to it myself. It¡¯s a shame that we¡¯re so low on parts these days. Gorman is an excellent artificer but even he has to work within the limitations of his supplies.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Elion nodded, even though he didn¡¯t understand what Domas was talking about. He needed them to keep talking, give him more information. Then he could figure out what to tell them about himself.


    ¡°So tell me, what is an Aurelian doing here? And how did you get across the bridge, onto this island?¡±


    Elion decided not to lie about this. The fact that he was on an island was news to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t cross a bridge,¡± Elion said. ¡°I came through a portal.¡± He glanced at Kasm. ¡°I wasn¡¯t exactly trying to come here.¡±


    ¡°See!¡± Tael nudged Kasm. ¡°He isn¡¯t here to save us.¡±


    Elion¡¯s heart twinged as Kasm¡¯s face fell, full of disappointment.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d like to help you if I can,¡± Elion said. ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do for you¡­¡±


    ¡°You are a hero?¡± Kasm asked, his eyes brightening. ¡°You¡¯re going to help us?¡±


    ¡°Stop being naive,¡± Tael said, elbowing his brother.


    ¡°Tael, the oil is all drained now,¡± Domas said. ¡°Finish the job, would you?¡±


    While they talked, Tael started working on finishing the oil change, replacing some pieces underneath the ATV and adding new oil, then cleaning up.


    ¡°So, young hero, what is your name?¡± Domas asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m Elion,¡± Elion said. ¡°Elion Walker.¡± He noticed the text in his vision, still there.


    << Translation Active >>


    ¡°Welcome to Aterfel, Elion,¡± Domas said. ¡°Some might not take kindly to your presence, but you¡¯re welcome in our home.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elion said, though Domas¡¯s statement worried him.


    ¡°I apologize if Kasm¡¯s runes interfered with your portal. I let him do it because I didn¡¯t think it would hurt anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a problem,¡± Elion said.  Did those runes have something to do with me ending up here?  ¡°I¡¯m happy to help if I¡¯m needed here.¡± He could probably play the part of wandering Aurelian hero. As long as he was clearly identifiable as an Aurelian, he may as well also be a hero.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t trying to come here, where was it you were going?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story,¡± Elion said, racking his brain for something reasonable to say. ¡°Has anyone else passed through recently?¡±


    Maybe they¡¯ve seen Zev.


    ¡°No,¡± Domas said, laughing. ¡°Nobody from outside Aterfel has been here in around a year.¡±


    Elion pursed his lips.  How much should I reveal?


    Domas didn¡¯t wait for Elion to continue. ¡°Ah, well, I assume you¡¯ll be wanting to see the Altar as long as you are here. When Tael is done, I¡¯ll take you there. No sense in dallying, waiting for the rabble-rousers to start causing problems.¡±


    A phantom curl of warm breath on his neck made Elion¡¯s hair stand on end. A distant whisper; ¡°Come to me,¡± brushed against his ears.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elion said. ¡°Of course. I am an Aurelian, after all. I¡­¡± he glanced at Kasm. ¡°And I¡¯ll help you however I can. I would love to see the Altar.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Domas said.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± Kasm cried. ¡°I told you, Tael! He¡¯s going to destroy the scavengers and cure the infection, and we¡¯re going to go back to Kairn Tol!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Elion fiddled with his hands nervously, not wanting to dampen the boy¡¯s enthusiasm. It didn¡¯t seem like the right time or place for it.


    Tael rounded the ATV, wiping his hands on a cloth, still eying Elion suspiciously. The boy did not believe Elion¡¯s lie.


    ¡°If you¡¯re an Aurelian, where¡¯s your sword?¡± he asked.


    Elion immediately thought of the butter knife in his pocket. Not really an impressive weapon, but then again, the warlock had seemed afraid of it. Elion repressed the thought. Stupid to think he¡¯d impress a teenage boy with a butter knife.


    ¡°Tael, be polite,¡± Domas said from the ATV speaker. ¡°Aurelians don¡¯t walk around with their blades summoned all the time. They only draw them when there is a serious need.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Tael grumbled. He hit a switch on the lift, lowering the ATV to the ground.


    The ATV engine started up, revved a few times, then the vehicle rolled forward off of the lift.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Domas said from the ATV speaker. ¡°Nothing like that clean oil feel. Thank you Tael. Everyone climb on, we¡¯re heading out!¡±


    The two boys scrambled onto the ATV, Tael taking the driver position, and Kasm settling into a basket at the back of the machine. Elion climbed on beside Tael. Frowning at the place where a steering wheel should have been, Elion wondered how the vehicle would navigate.


    A garage door opened up in front of them, and the ATV rolled forward, out into the central square of Aterfel.

 12. Ambush at the Bridge

    Footsteps sounded in the halls. ¡°They are coming,¡± the Queen hissed. ¡°Hide, now.¡±


    Shamefully I took up a position in the shadows behind the tapestry. From atop the dais, hidden in shadow, I watched Dorian and his Acolytes enter the throne room.


    Dorian strode down the hall, his white hair flowing. He wore the robes of the Black Wall¡ªhis band of traitorous warlocks¡ªeschewing the traditional Aurelian garb.


    Madness flashed in Dorian¡¯s eyes. The lucid, clear-thinking blindness of a man consumed by a singular goal. Loreign faced him boldly, staring down from the dais. Her voice boomed through the hall.


    <hr>


    The ATV jolted under Elion as it rolled across the rough dirt road.


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m not used to carrying three people,¡± Domas said from the ATV speaker. ¡°I hope my differential doesn¡¯t act up with the extra weight.¡±


    Should I offer to walk? Would that be considered polite or rude here?


    He decided to try. ¡°I can walk,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, no, we¡¯ll just take it slow. Not in a rush today.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± Elion said, ¡°You are in the ATV?¡±


    ¡°In a way!¡± Domas said. The machine grew louder as it picked up speed. ¡°I am the ATV.¡±


    This did not really clear things up for Elion. How could an ATV have sons? He wanted to ask more questions but was wary of revealing his ignorance. Maybe this kind of thing was common on Kylios. Besides, the ATV was too loud for causal conversation.


    They drove around the tower in the center of the village, a spike that jabbed up to the sky. A few garage doors and windows lined the lower portions of the tower. The skin of the tower, mostly rusted sheet metal, had the look of something repaired many times with whatever was on hand. At the pinnacle, a variety of antennas extended into the air like a tuft of spiky hair.


    A girl about Elion¡¯s age carried a crate across the road toward the tower. She wore overalls and heavy combat boots, with her hair pulled back into a braid. She looked strong. The sound of the ATV caught her attention, and she set down her load and waved. Kasm and Tael waved back.


    When she saw Elion, she frowned, freezing mid wave. Elion met her eyes as they passed, and they widened, her brow knitting and jaw tightening.


    The road led them out of the village, and along a precipice. Water ran through a cleft in the earth, around 100 feet below. The river forked around the island, cutting through two deep gorges on either side of the island.


    A path branched off from the road they followed, winding steeply down the cliff side. A dock area nestled into a shallow cutout in the cliff on the near branch of the river, sheltered from the swift current.


    Rising from the far bank, a strange, pale yellow-green crystal sprouted from the ground. Elion felt a strange sensation as he looked at it, before it disappeared behind an outcropping of rocks.


    As they drove, Elion watched the far river bank fall away. Beyond the chasm, a vast grassy plain spread across the land.


    A city rose up out of the plain, great skyscrapers and thousands of buildings illuminated against the morning sky. Even from this distance the buildings appeared abandoned, crumbling and corroded.


    Domas slowed down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to take the track to the Altar extra slow. Not a lot of reason for us to go there, since we have Gorman¡¯s Tower right in town,¡± Domas explained. ¡°So the track isn¡¯t maintained.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem,¡± Elion said graciously. Then he took advantage of the opportunity to fish for information. ¡°So tell me your story,¡± he said, priding himself on the tactful question.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Domas laughed, the chuckle crackling through the ATV speaker. ¡°I didn¡¯t used to be an All-Terrain Vehicle. It¡¯s a long story though¡ª¡±


    ¡°No it¡¯s not, Dad,¡± Kasm said, turning to Elion. ¡°Gorman saved him after he got caught in the bridge gears, but he didn¡¯t have enough android parts.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving out the best parts Kasm!¡± Domas protested. ¡°See, I once had a human body, and¡ª¡±


    The road rounded a corner, a swell in the land obstructing Elion¡¯s vision. A black streak sprang from atop the swell, flying through the air toward them.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Tael screamed. The ATV swerved, nearly throwing Elion. The black streak landed graceful and cat-like behind them. Big as a horse, covered in glossy black fur, it turned and charged back toward them, claws and fangs flashing.


    The ATV skidded to a stop as Tael aimed his rifle. The cat sprang again, and the rifle fired, a solid laser of teal light lancing through the air. Tael fired again, the laser rifle cracking the air with a wet, splatter-like sound combined with a muted thump.


    A line of bright light connected the rifle and the creature for a split second. The attacking beast stumbled, crashing down into the gravel road. It groaned once then lay still.


    ¡°How did that get here?¡± Domas asked. ¡°Everyone out, I¡¯m going to check the bridge!¡± Elion and the boys dismounted, and the ATV sped off down the road, traveling much faster than when it had been weighed down. Elion stood there for a moment in shock, looking from the dead creature to the speeding ATV.


    He turned back to the cat creature lying on the ground. Tael prodded it with the barrel of his rifle.


    The creature looked like a panther, though it had long antenna and six eyes on top of its head. Elion grimaced at the sharp fangs.


    ¡°Tael be careful,¡± Kasm said. ¡°It¡¯s infected!¡±


    Tael ignored his brother, continuing to inspect the beast. He was careful not to touch it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Are there more?¡±


    ¡°A pemalion,¡± Kasm said. ¡°An infected pemalion.¡±


    ¡°There might be more,¡± Tael said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it would have crossed the river unless the bridge was lowered.¡±


    ¡°What infected it?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°The Shard,¡± Kasm said, unhelpfully.


    Domas¡¯s engine roared as he sped back around the corner. ¡°The bridge is down, somehow!¡± he exclaimed, screeching to a stop in a cloud of dust. ¡°The guards are all dead. I¡¯m going to raise the alarm. Cut through the woods, you¡¯ll be safer at the Altar. Infected pemalion are coming down the road! I thought I saw scavengers too!¡±


    ¡°I can go with you,¡± Tael exclaimed. ¡°Let me help. I¡¯m part of the Aterfel Guard now!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Domas shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll go faster unloaded. Take the rifle, protect your brother!¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Dad¨C¡±


    ¡°Go Tael,¡± Domas said, ¡°Get to the Altar, it will protect you. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± He sped away down the road, heading back toward the village. Before Elion could react, Tael started climbing up the rise where the pemalion had ambushed them from.


    Kasm ran after his brother. To his left, in the opposite direction the boys ran, tall trees offered concealment.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Elion said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go that way?¡±


    ¡°I want to see the bridge!¡± Tael called back.


    Elion muttered under his breath, then ran after the boys. Tael was the one with the sci-fi laser gun, after all.


    He gripped his butter knife as he ran, determining to upgrade the thing for a real weapon as soon as he got a chance.


    He reached the top of the low hill, just behind Tael and Kasm. The boys crouched behind a log, peering out over the valley beyond.


    To Elion¡¯s right, the chasm opened up, the river running through it. On the other side of the gorge, grass grew across rolling plains, leading to the desolate city in the distance.


    Ahead, the road wound down to a black truss bridge which spanned the gorge. Cables ran to tall pylons on the near side of the chasm, connected to the bridge in the center. Gears and machinery sat at the base of the pylons.


    ¡°It¡¯s a drawbridge?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s down,¡± Kasm said. ¡°Who put it down?¡±


    Elion scanned the bridge again, and this time saw several dark, sleek shapes prowling across it. More pemalion had already reached the other side, and were fanning out, roaming around the rocks and scrub brush.


    Where had Snickers gotten off to? He hoped the cat hadn¡¯t been eaten by a pemalion or gotten infected by ¡®the Shard,¡¯ whatever that was.


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Tael said. ¡°There are too many of them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t swear,¡± Kasm chided.


    Tael rested the rifle on the log, peering through its scope.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot Tael,¡± Kasm said. ¡°You don¡¯t have enough shots.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking.¡±


    Elion scanned across the bridge once more, then continued searching the far bank of the gorge. He again found the shining, yellow-green crystalline spike.


    ¡°Is that the Shard?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kasm said.


    The Shard was embedded into the ground at the bottom of a shallow crater. All kinds of animals, pemalion and otherwise roamed around it erratically. Groups of people mingled with the creatures, circling the shard in some kind of strange ritual. Several packs of creatures ran along the cliff top, heading toward the lowered bridge.


    ¡°This is bad,¡± Kasm said, worrying his hands. ¡°What are we gonna do?¡±


    Both the boys turned to look at Elion. Kasm¡¯s lower lip trembled like he was about to burst into tears, and even Tael seemed uncertain.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Elion said, remembering Domas¡¯s last order. ¡°We need to get into the trees.¡±


    The forest provided little cover. Old growth trees drowned out much of the sunlight, preventing ground cover from flourishing. Dead leaves hid gnarled roots, which tried to snag and trip Elion as he walked.


    ¡°We should head away from the bridge,¡± Elion said. ¡°Hope the pemalions don¡¯t roam this far this quickly.¡±


    ¡°Pemalion,¡± Kasm corrected Elion. ¡°Not pemalions.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Elion said, though the comment made him curious about how translations worked.


    ¡°So where is your sword?¡± Tael asked, scanning the area. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you get it out? Don¡¯t you want to go help the Aterfel Guard?¡±


    ¡°Um, it doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± Elion said, trying to maintain an air of authority. Tael seemed to respect the fact that he was an Aurelian. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if we stay back here and wait for help to come.¡±


    They continued deeper into the forest, burgeoning canopies overhead blocking out the light. Shadows deepened, shifting as limbs swayed in a gently breeze. Elion scanned desperately for lurking pemalion, flinching at movements in his peripheral vision.


    ¡°We need to go this way to get to the Altar,¡± Kasm said, pointing.


    ¡°You lead the way,¡± Elion gestured. ¡°But keep your eyes peeled for pemalion.¡±


    ¡°Naw,¡± Tael said. ¡°They¡¯ll head for the town, where the people are.¡±


    ¡°Just stay alert.¡± Elion wasn¡¯t convinced by Tael¡¯s bravado.


    Elion and Tael followed Kasm through the woods. As long as they headed away from the bridge, swarming with pemalion, Elion didn¡¯t care what direction they headed, but he was curious to see this Altar. Why did Domas assume he was here because of it?


    He wondered what he would find there, remembering the strange forested glade he had dreamed of when trying to rescue Hamilton. The trees he had seen there had been different from the ones around him now. The forest had a similar atmosphere though; a deep, quiet solace. It had seemed peaceful before, but now it felt ominous.


    A dull thumping sound reached them, repeating in quick bursts, coming from the direction of the bridge.


    ¡°The Aterfel Guard!¡± Tael exclaimed. ¡°They¡¯re at the bridge. I should be with them!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Elion grabbed Tael by the arm as the boy tried to run off. ¡°You need to stay with us!¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t,¡± Tael said, ripping himself free. ¡°I have a gun, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°What about us?¡± Elion demanded. Tension built at the back of his head, anxiety swirling in his gut.


    ¡°Use your sword,¡± Tael said with a shrug. He turned and ran through the woods, back the way he had come.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Elion yelled, but Kasm grabbed him.


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Kasm said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to attract attention.¡±


    Elion stood beside Kasm in the shade of the forest, watching Tael disappear. He glanced down at the boy beside him. Fear swelled inside, as he imagined a pemalion springing out of the shadows, tearing into them with its claws.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kasm said, though Elion could see him glancing around uncertainly. ¡°We just need to get to the Altar.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Elion said, trying to keep the nervous quaver out of his voice. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. Is it far?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    They continued picking their way through the woods, the occasional muted thuds of laserfire reaching them. Elion hoped the sound would draw away any creatures who¡¯d made it into the woods.


    A short time later they emerged from the forest, standing at the edge of a gorge, a river running below.


    Did we walk in a circle?


    Elion scanned the horizon, but it had changed.


    ¡°We¡¯re back here? Where¡¯s the bridge?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re on the other side of the island,¡± Kasm said. ¡°Now we just follow the path to the Altar.¡±


    A winding dirt track wove between the trees and the edge of the cliff. Kasm and Elion followed it. As they walked, Elion noticed the sky changing. Shards of vibrant sunset colors still hung in the sky over them, but the black darkness of night no longer shone between them; instead, clear blue sky was visible.


    Kasm froze, and Elion nearly knocked the boy over before he saw what Kasm had seen. A pemalion, crouched in the shadows beneath a large tree near the path ahead. The creature stared right at them, six black eyes glittering in the sunlight. A low growl rumbled from its throat.


    ¡°Get your sword,¡± Kasm whispered.


    Elion wished he had a sword. He didn¡¯t think his butter knife would be much use here.

 13. Battle with a Pemalion

    Elion stared into the black, glassy eyes of the pemalion as it advanced. He raised his hands, stretching out to make himself seem as big as possible. ¡°Hey, bear!¡± he said, remembering something he¡¯d learned on a camping trip once. ¡°Hey, bear. Hey pemalion, whatever!¡±


    << Translation Active >>


    How would ¡®bear¡¯ be translated? Will it translate to a language the pemalion understands?


    The pemalion snarled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± Elion tried. ¡°Please go away.¡±


    The pemalion continued advancing, paying no heed to Elion¡¯s entreaties. The pemalion limped slightly, favoring its right leg. Something had gouged three long, cuts into the creature¡¯s shoulder. A thick black, oily liquid leaked from the wounds, like puss, or alien ichor.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Elion yelled. ¡°I promise I don¡¯t taste that good. I¡¯m like 90% made of Costco frozen burritos. I did eat a lot of Doritos the other day, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d like how they taste.¡± Elion¡¯s knees shook so badly they knocked together. If he kept talking, maybe the creature would get scared?


    ¡°You can¡¯t frighten it away,¡± Kasm whispered, casual optimism gone from his voice. ¡°It¡¯s infected.¡±


    Elion fought the urge to run, his heart pounding and his breath shallow. To his left, only a few paces separated him from the steep cliffs of the gorge. To his right, the woods grew thick, dark, and foreboding.


    If he ran, the pemalion would catch him quickly and pounce on him from behind. Fighting the creature might give Kasm a chance to escape. The pemalion approached, muscles rippling beneath its glossy coat. Claws extended, long and sharp, like knives.


    Real knives, not butter knives.


    Elion reached into his hoodie pocket and gripped his butter knife, drawing it slowly out. The knife had seemed to frighten a warlock on Earth. Would it work on a pemalion?


    The pemalion padded across the ground toward them, bared fangs flashing and dripping with saliva. It growled, a low, guttural sound full of power and ferocity. The growl was not translated.


    ¡°Um, is that¡­¡± Kasm spoke from behind him, his teeth chattering in fear. ¡°¡­is that your Aurelian Sword?¡± he asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it supposed to be bigger?¡±


    Elion pushed Kasm behind him, placing himself between the pemalion and the boy. He drew the knife from his pocket, and held it in a shaking hand, pointed at the monster. If he did have access to a bigger sword, he had no idea how to get it.


    May as well die fighting.


    Strange how now, even as he stared death in the face, he felt embarrassed at Kasm seeing his small knife.


    ¡°Kasm,¡± Elion said, his voice trembling. ¡°Run.¡± No sense in letting the pemalion kill them both. If Elion could slow it down for long enough, maybe Kasm could escape.


    ¡°Run, Kasm,¡± Elion shouted again. ¡°Get to the Altar!¡± Dirt and leaves crunching behind him as Kasm stumbled away. Elion bent down and grabbed a rock in his other hand. Maybe he could throw it, hurt the creature before it got close enough to use it¡¯s claws.


    As he bent over, the pemalion sprang. Fear caused Elion¡¯s limbs to collapse, going limp as a marionette with cut strings.


    The flop saved him. The pemalion sailed overhead, claws cutting bright arcs through the air inches from Elion¡¯s face. The creature landed behind him. Kasm yelped and sprinted across the road.


    Elion scrambled back to his feet as the pemalion started after Kasm.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Elion shouted, throwing his rock, trying to get the attention of the monster as Kasm ran into the woods. The rock struck the pemalion¡¯s rear flank, and it turned, growling angrily.


    Elion reversed, pressing his back to a dead tree a few feet from the edge of the gorge. If he could somehow get the monster to jump off the cliff, maybe he stood a chance.


    I shouldn¡¯t have let Tael run off with the laser gun.


    The pemalion¡¯s movement, hampered by its injury, was slower and more ponderous than the creature which had first attacked them. Elion picked up another rock and threw it, forcing the big cat to jump to the side, avoiding it.


    In a flash, the pemalion surged forward. Elion dodged to the side, but the cat reoriented itself in midair. Its claws extended and caught Elion in the thigh, cutting deep.


    Elion staggered, crying out as searing pain ripped through his mind. He flailed blindly as he tried to hit the pemalion with his knife. He missed again, still unsure if the blade would even do anything to the beast.


    He stumbled, his leg burning, moving toward the edge of the cliff. The trick would be getting the pemalion to jump off without falling himself.


    The cat pounced again, and Elion fell to the side as the weight of the creature slammed into him. He skidded across the ground on his back, feeling pricks of pain in his chest. He brought his knife upwards, stabbing into the soft underbelly of the pemalion with all his strength.


    Elion¡¯s dull blade pressed into the pemalion¡¯s leathery skin, the momentum of the creature carrying it forward. Skin gave way as the metal punctured through, piercing into the pemalion¡¯s gut. Yowling, the pemalion sprang back. Elion gripped the knife, its tip covered in an oily black fluid.


    Elion glanced behind him, at the edge of the cliff. His head spun at the sight of red blood leaking from his leg, soaking into his jeans. A sickening black taint discolored his torn flesh. It didn¡¯t matter, anyway; he was going to die. He only hoped he bought Kasm enough time to escape.


    Kasm burst from the trees, a huge stone held over his head. He screamed as he ran, flinging the rock at the pemalion¡¯s head.


    The pemalion easily dodged to the side, the rock flying through empty air and over the edge of the cliff. In one fluid motion the pemalion turned and pounced on top of Kasm, knocking the boy to the ground. Kasm shrieked.


    Elion dove into the pemalion¡¯s side, striking the creature with his shoulder. He impacted with a thud, the hot, heavy musk of the ravaging animal filling his nose. The hit knocked the pemalion off of Kasm. Elion stumbled to his feet, ignoring the burning pain in his thigh.


    Leaving Kasm lying in the road, the pemalion pounced, snarling as it reached for Elion, stretching its claws to tear out Elion¡¯s throat. In the last moment of his life, Elion wished he had been a better brother to Liora. He wished he could have done something to save her.


    He raised his knife.


    Light burst from the starholder pendant around Elion¡¯s neck. A surge of energy poured into him as the pemalion struck, air solidifying around him into a semi-transparent protective shield. Elion fell backward and rolled, feeling claws catching at his hood. He nearly stumbled over the cliff, but caught himself, grabbing a dead tree branch.


    The cat charged in again. Elion leaned hard on the dead tree, trusting it with his weight. He swung out over the cliff, catching a glimpse of the long drop down to the river below. The tree creaked, crackling threateningly as the pemalion clawed at Elion.


    A golden bubble of light glittered in the air around Elion, consolidating around the pemalion¡¯s paws and deflecting the swipes. Elion dangled over the gorge, each blow from the pemalion weakening the shield around him.


    The pemalion lunged, tearing through the protective barrier with its claws, golden threads of light unraveling. Elion aimed a kick and struck out hard, just tree branch he clung to splintered, breaking away from the dead tree.


    As Elion fell, his kick landed squarely in the pemalion¡¯s face. Paws snapped around Elion¡¯s leg like a bear trap, claws raking down Elion¡¯s shin as the creature fell. Elion struck the side of the cliff and grabbed hold of a gnarled root. The pemalion tore Elion¡¯s sneaker from his foot as it tumbled into empty air. A hundred feet below, the pemalion landed on a rock with a loud crunch.


    Elion cried out, pain and terror gripping him, taking control of his mind. He clung to the roots of the dead tree, his body half dangling over the cliff edge. With a desperate heave, he hauled himself back up onto solid ground. His tattered, bloody pants revealed torn flesh, deep cuts bleeding freely.


    A wave of relief washed over him, until he remembered Kasm. The boy lay in the middle of the path, unmoving.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    An external force drove Elion on, a hidden strength powering his movements. Ignoring his injuries, he dragged himself across the ground.


    The boy¡¯s side bled profusely, but as Elion watched the blood turned black, clotting and oozing like some kind of infection. He needed to get the boy medical attention. They both needed it. Elion checked his own wounds but found only red blood. The black infection was gone.


    Feeling dizzy, Elion felt for a pulse on Kasm¡¯s neck. He couldn¡¯t remember how to do it. His hands shook too much anyway, his own heart beating too loudly in his head. Elion hauled himself to his feet, and scooped Kasm up in his arms. Elion¡¯s legs shook traitorously. As Kasm¡¯s body hung limply in his arms, he thought boy¡¯s chest moved with shallow breath.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be dead, please don¡¯t be dead,¡± Elion said, tears in his eyes.


    Elion knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to find his way back through the forest. Besides, that was back toward the bridge, where the pemalion were. If they ran into another one, it would kill them.


    Instead, Elion continued forward along the path. Blood ran down his leg, dripping onto the ground. The rocks in the path stabbed at his bare foot as he hobbled along, cuts in his legs burning with every step.


    They had to get to the Altar. They would be safe there.


    His vision tunneled, blackness encroaching, eating away his peripherals. A notification appeared.


    << Aurelia¡¯s Protection exhausted>>


    ¡°Crap,¡± Elion muttered, as a wave of exhaustion flooded over him. The ground rolled beneath him, as though someone had grabbed the road and was shaking it like a sheet. A trail of bloody footprints marked his passing.


    He had fallen to his knees without noticing it. Picking himself up, he struggled to stay on his feet, following the path as it dipped back into the forest. The trees loomed around him, phantom pemalion snarling at him from the shadows.


    ¡°Please, please, please,¡± Elion muttered.


    Darkness billowed up around him as his blood pressure dropped, his vision fading. He fell and felt the ground pressing up against his body.


    Blackness spilled over him.


    A whisper in his ear awoke him. Elion cracked his eyes open, feeling like he¡¯d rinsed them with sand. He saw a light ahead, a glittering, golden light through a gap in the trees. A warm, kind voice called to him.


    ¡°Come to me. Come to me.¡±


    Kasm lay unmoving beneath Elion, still clutched in his arms, his chest not moving. The wound in Kasm¡¯s side leaked putrid ooze, black and filthy. Blood and black puss soaked Elion¡¯s clothes. He pulled himself back to his feet, gasping as injuries on his legs burned.


    Elion stumbled between the two trees and into a clearing. A statue of a woman, like the one he had seen before, stood in the clearing, light shining through the canopy overhead to illuminate her.


    The woman smiled gently at the sun, her marble hair golden and flowing in the light. Her hands gestured to an empty basin in front of her, a warm smile decorating her face.


    ¡°Drink, weary traveler, and find peace,¡± the statue said, her lips unmoving.


    ¡°There¡¯s no water,¡± Elion rasped.


    The statue did not respond.


    Elion stumbled forward and laid Kasm in the empty basin.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come for your protection,¡± Elion said. ¡°As was granted to me.¡±


    Silence from the statue. Aurelia, he assumed.


    Elion leaned on the basin, scanning the clearing. Small tufts of grass grew here and there, with red and yellow wildflowers blooming throughout. The trees created a kind of living barrier against the darkness of the forest beyond.


    The statue showed signs of weathering, once sharp details now crumbling and pitted. Lichens and moss mottled the marble, and dark streaks traced the paths of rain.


    He felt safe here, but had no way of knowing for sure. Perhaps some kind of magic protected the clearing, or perhaps not. Elion then remembered what Aurelia had last told him. He remembered his quest.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to join the Knights of Dawn? Um, follow the Path of Dawn, that is,¡± Elion said weakly. He cleared his throat and tried again. With all the confidence he could muster, he declared, ¡°I¡¯m here to join the Knights of Dawn! As I was told to!¡±


    ¡°Your invitation is recognized, and your soul is not found wanting,¡± Aurelia said, her words soothing in his mind. ¡°If you desire to follow the Path of Dawn, kneel and present your sword.¡±


    Elion knelt, cuts on his legs stinging as he did.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a sword,¡± he said.


    The statue did not reply. Elion scowled. If this was a ritual of some kind, how was he expected to know what to do next?


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to save this kid,¡± he screamed at the statue, his words falling on deaf ears. ¡°Is that such a bad thing? Why can¡¯t you help me? Save him!¡±


    Then he realized what he had to do. With a sigh, he produced the butter knife from his pocket. He examined it briefly, looking more closely at the blade than he ever had before. On one side was engraved ¡®Catherine Martin¡¯ in swirling cursive. On the other was stamped ¡®925 Sterling.¡¯


    Not stainless steel. It¡¯s made of silver.


    The design was the same simple butter knife design found in every silverware set in the world. Black gunk from stabbing the pemalion still smeared the tip of the knife.


    ¡°Here, I guess,¡± Elion said. He extended the knife out in front of him hesitantly.


    ¡°Elion Starholder,¡± the voice declared, ¡°you will stand as a shield to your people.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°You will wield your blade in defense of the truth.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°You will fight to save your friends and your enemies.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Elion said, his voice growing stronger.


    ¡°Elion Starholder, you walk the Path of Dawn as a Knight thereof!¡±


    Nothing else happened.


    Elion remained kneeling on the ground, butter knife extended toward the statue. He felt silly. After a moment he rose.


    ¡°I need help now,¡± he said, voice trembling with emotion. Kasm lay deathly still in the basin. ¡°I need to help this boy. He needs to survive.¡±


    The statue did not reply.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me?¡± he shouted.


    A new message appeared in his vision.


    << New Ascendancy: Path of Dawn >>


    ? << Select your first ability, brave knight. >>


    ? << Aurelian Starting Abilities: >>


    ? << Shield Your People >>


    ? << Know The Truth >>


    ? << Save a Friend >>


    Elion tried to read the list, his mind whirling as the words danced meaninglessly in front of him. ¡°This is a stupid system,¡± Elion said. ¡°I need healing, or something, come on!¡±


    He looked at the list floating in front of him again, forcing himself to focus.


    ¡°Save A Friend,¡± Elion said. ¡°I select Save A Friend!¡±


    ¡®Save A Friend¡® glowed briefly, then the text disappeared, replaced by a new set of information.


    << Name: Elion James Walker >>


    ? << House: Starhold >>


    ? << Ascendency: Aurelian Path of Dawn >>


    ? << Level/XP: 0/0 >>


    ? << Abilities (Level): Manifest Armaments (0), Save a Friend (0) >>


    ? << Boons: Translation >>


    ? << Quests: None >>


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that right now!¡± Elion exclaimed, dismissing the screen. He returned to Kasm, where the boy lay in the basin. A pool of black ooze puddled in the bottom of the basin. Elion grabbed the Kasm.


    << Save A Friend? >>


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elion declared, ¡°How many times do I have to say it? Save him!¡±

 14. A Gruesome Garage

    Elion clapped his hands on Kasm as the ability activated. A rush of energy flooded out of him, like a gush of freezing water. He gasped, the icy shock shaking him. A swirl of golden threads twisted from his hands, wrapping around Kasm, forming into a protective cocoon. The weave tightened until it sank into Kasm¡¯s skin.


    Kasm gasped, his body tensing, shuddering, then falling still again. The boy¡¯s chest began moving, breath flowing thin and shallow. At least he was breathing. Blood stopped running from his wounds.


    Elion leaned heavily on the basin.


    << Quest completed: Follow the Path of Dawn >>


    Air swirled, energy pulsed, and water bubbled up into the basin, soaking Kasm¡¯s clothes. A crack in the bowl allowed the water to drip out, preventing it from filling by more than an inch or two. Red blood and black puss swirled in the water.


    A glowing blue gem glittered in the basin alongside Kasm¡¯s body. Elion grabbed the gem, and shook water and blood from it. He caught the small stone between two fingers and held it up to the light. The gem sparkled. Elion frowned, disgusted. He didn¡¯t need gemstones, he needed a first aid kit.


    Maybe it¡¯s a magical first aid gem?


    He rubbed the stone over Kasm¡¯s wounds, to no effect. He pressed it to his own injuries, the deep gouges on his legs, and the more shallow cuts on his chest. Nothing happened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with this,¡± he grumbled. ¡°How does this heal me?¡±


    Praxis offered no enlightenment. With a frustrated flick of his wrist, he tossed the gem back into the basin.


    Elion examined the deepest cuts on his right thigh. They were not as deep as he expected. His blood had already clotted, starting to scab over the injury. None of the malingering black ooze remained in his skin. The only sign it had been there a discoloration of his jeans. Whatever the pemalion infected him with was gone.


    Aurelia¡¯s Protection had saved him, he realized. Mentions of purification and healing hadn¡¯t been a joke, providing him with just enough strength to make it here, to the statue. And he¡¯d been given a power that seemed to stabilize the boy. His prior frustration with the statue melted away, exhaustion filling the void.


    Too bad I used it all up already. Going through the portal, and fighting a pemalion is a lot of almost dying for one day.


    He hoped they were safe here; that Domas or someone would find them, help Kasm, and save them from the pemalion. Elion tried to look around, scanning the clearing for signs of danger, but he struggled to focus his eyes.


    His arms, leaden in their sockets, weighed him down. He should probably recover that gemstone, it might be valuable. He¡¯d make sure to pick it up before he left. Now he was too tired.


    Elion slumped to the ground, all strength gone out of him as he leaned his head against the base of the statue. His head dipped, resting beside the foot of the statue of Aurelia.


    ¡°Thank you, Aurelia,¡± he muttered. His mind began wandering, drifting through strange images of Zev and Liora, tumbling endlessly into purple voids.


    The rumble of an engine in the distance pulled Elion back to the present. He looked up as Domas rolled into the clearing, the tires of his ATV too wide for the footpath. Tael leaned forward in his seat, gun slung on his back, staring ahead anxiously.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± Tael shouted, and other people were riding in behind them, filling the clearing. A man Elion did not recognize ran to the altar, picking up Kasm.


    ¡°Here he is!¡±


    ¡°Is he breathing?¡±


    ¡°We need to get him back to Gorman!¡±


    The trip back to the village passed by Elion¡¯s eyes like a whirlwind. Someone helped him onto an ATV, which might have been Domas. He caught snatches of conversation as they traveled.


    ¡°¡­not breathing¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Aurelian Protection¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­bad luck to keep him¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­killed pemalion¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­he¡¯s lucky to be alive¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­throw him out¡­¡±


    He made little sense of the words he heard. He focused on the only thing which did not seem to move or sway; the constancy of the << Translation Active >> message in his vision.


    They passed bodies along the road, pemalion and human. Elion felt an irrational pressure in his mind; disgust, disappointment, and horror at the death. He wished he had been here. He wished he could have done something to help them. Elion let his eyes fall closed, his mind wandering as they drove on.


    The caravan brought them back to the village, to an open garage door of the central spike tower. A young woman rushed out and took Kasm into her arms, hurrying him back inside. Elion recognized her as the girl he¡¯d seen in front of the tower earlier.


    A stranger helped Elion off of Domas, and supported him as he limped to the door, his shoe still missing. Elion¡¯s helper left him standing at the door, unwilling to enter the structure. A small group of people milled around in the sunlight, peering into the dimly lit room beyond, but making no move to help.


    Elion leaned against the door frame. The entire first floor of the tower opened up before him. A central pillar packed with technology glowed and pulsed with light. The rest of the room was packed with various arrangements of workbenches, power tools, machines, and shelves.


    Things had been pushed aside to clear an area where several injured men and women lay on cots. Two people bustled about, the young woman who¡¯d taken Kasm, and an older, grey-bearded man.


    The man placed one of the injured on a table. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to take his leg off at the knee before the infection spreads too far,¡± he said, his patient groaning loudly. ¡°Bring me the sheers Keyla. And the saw!¡±


    Keyla collected a circular saw and a pair of shears with blades as long as Elion¡¯s forearms. She placed theses on the table beside the man.


    ¡°Go check on him,¡± the man said, gesturing to Elion as he took the tools. ¡°And close that door; if there¡¯s no one else to bring in. I can¡¯t work with them all staring at me like that!¡±


    Keyla ran to Elion and helped him into the room, easing him into a seat nearby. She hit a switch, and the door began closing. Several bright lamps overhead activated.


    Keyla fetched a bucket of water and a rag, then returned to Elion and examined the scratches on his legs. She dabbed the wet rag at his injuries, softening the dried blood. Using a pair of scissors she cut away Elion¡¯s torn jeans.


    Elion watched her face as she worked. She wore her brown hair pulled back in a braid, and stared at Elion¡¯s wounds intently through crystal blue eyes. Stray hair escaped from her braid, and she occasionally pushed these back behind her ears. Freckles spattered across her face were partially hidden by smudges of grease and blood. She wore a grey shirt beneath her patched overalls, and a blue bandana tied around her upper arm.


    The motor of the circular saw started up, screeching loudly. Sounds of cutting mingled with cries of pain from the patient echoed around the workshop. Elion craned his neck instinctively, trying to see around Keyla.


    ¡°Sit back,¡± she said, placing a hand on his chest. ¡°You don¡¯t want to see.¡±


    Elion allowed her to push him back.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°How does he look, Keyla?¡± the man shouted, not looking up from his work.


    She did not respond immediately, but prodded Elion¡¯s leg with a slim metal probe, a look of bewilderment on her face. Elion gasped in pain, grasping the armrests of the chair, but the inspection did not let up. If anything, she probed him more aggressively.


    ¡°Were you hurt anywhere else?¡± she asked.


    Elion nodded, pulling up his hoodie. She helped him remove it, and poked at the small cuts across his chest.


    Shaking her head, she declared loudly, ¡°He¡¯s uninfected, sir.¡±


    She stopped harassing Elion¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°Are you sure these are from a pemalion?¡± she asked.


    Elion nodded. ¡°Same one that hurt Kasm.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°Bring me a peg, Keyla!¡± the man shouted, gripping the leg stump of his patient as the man thrashed on the table.


    Keyla rushed to help him. She delivered the object and light flashed like lightning as something metal fused with the leg stump.


    The patient screamed, and the man working on him muttered an apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kile, I wish I had a better replacement for you but we¡¯re plumb out of parts.¡±


    Keyla uncapped a small tube and waved it under the nose of the convulsing man. The fight went out of him. He trembled, then drooped over the table.


    ¡°You can do this before you start cutting, Gorman,¡± Keyla said, recapping the tube, but the man, Gorman, didn¡¯t seem to notice her.


    ¡°Who¡¯s left?¡± Gorman asked, picking up his patient and carefully laying him down alongside the other injured people. Faint wrinkles marking Gorman¡¯s face around the eyes and mouth, his hair mostly grey. He wore a well trimmed beard, and his massive arms suggested many years of hard labor. The amputation he just performed left his thick welding apron smattered with blood. He picked up the dismembered leg and dropped it into a nearby bucket, the foot dangling over the lip.


    ¡°Just Kasm,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Unless they bring in anyone else.¡±


    They approached a table in the center of the room, where Kasm¡¯s still body lay. Keyla pulled a light over to illuminate the scene.


    Elion rose from his seat and limped to the table. Keyla and Gorman watched him approach, but said nothing. They returned to their inspection of Kasm.


    The man¡¯s face twisted with consternation, mirrored by Keyla, who¡¯s wide eyes reflected a more innocent fear. Elion¡¯s stomach knotted.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Elion said, more an assertion than a declaration.


    ¡°This wound in his side is bad,¡± Gorman muttered, running his hand through his greying hair. ¡°We can¡¯t just cut it out; the infection may have spread too far.¡±


    ¡°It should have spread a lot farther,¡± Keyla said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°Barely,¡± the man muttered, grimly. ¡°Something is fighting the infection. If I had my old workshop, or even just the right parts, we could replace the whole thing, but¡­¡±


    Gorman leaned heavily on the table where Kasm lay, and everyone stared at the body of the boy. Two deep gashes in the boy¡¯s side oozed black puss, which dripped and puddled on the table.


    Kasm¡¯s face was ashen, his chest still. He looked dead to Elion, despite the shallow movements of his chest.


    Gorman raised his eyes, locking with Elion¡¯s. Filled with grandfatherly concern, they glittered in the harsh overhead light, the same crystalline blue as Keyla¡¯s.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Aurelian,¡± he said. ¡°Can¡¯t you do something for him?¡±


    Elion wilted under the intense stare.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± he muttered weakly. ¡°To be honest I have no idea what is going on.¡±


    ¡°What did you do to yourself?¡± Gorman demanded. ¡°How did you purify your own injuries?¡±


    Elion shrugged. ¡°A protection boon, I think,¡± he said. ¡°But I think it¡¯s exhausted.¡±


    ¡°You used it all on yourself, and you didn¡¯t think to help Kasm with it?¡± Keyla demanded, eyes blazing.


    ¡°Is that possible?¡± Elion asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¨C¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done,¡± the man said, placing a soothing hand on Keyla¡¯s arm. She pulled away from him. ¡°You stabilized him somehow; he doesn¡¯t appear to be getting worse.¡±


    Elion nodded. ¡°I protected him,¡± he said, searching for the words to describe the way he had cocooned Kasm in protective light.


    ¡°How long will it last?¡± the man asked.


    Elion shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Can you renew it? Do it again?¡±


    Elion met Keyla¡¯s gaze. He sensed a frustration in her look, a desperation, met by his own surging desire to help.


    ¡°I can try,¡± he said. Keyla coughed, emotion showing in her face as she turned away from the table.


    ¡°Keyla, why don¡¯t you go¡­ clean up over there. I¡¯ll call you back when I¡¯ve decided what to do.¡±


    ¡°Useless Aurelian,¡± Keyla muttered.


    ¡°Now. Keyla,¡± the man ordered, and she rolled her eyes but left the table.


    The man raised a gloved hand in greeting, smiling at Elion. ¡°Hello,¡± he said. ¡°My name is Gorman. I¡¯m the Artificer here in Aterfel. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Elion,¡± Elion said, raising his hand to mirror the greeting.


    ¡°You have Aurelian features. You¡¯re a Knight? Recently joined?¡±


    ¡°Today,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Today,¡± Gorman said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re a generational Aurelian,¡± Gorman said. ¡°You follow in your parents footsteps? A bold move to make in today¡¯s world.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Why do people immediately assume that I¡¯m Aurelian?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get white hair like that anywhere else,¡± Gorman said. ¡°If you joined the Knights of Dawn today, like you say, then you must have been born with it. So your parents were Knights. Where are you from? This is pretty basic stuff.¡±


    Elion glanced down. He knew that sharing too much information about himself might help Dorian track him down. But then again, he didn¡¯t know what else to do. Gorman seemed like the kind of person who might be able to help him.


    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± Elion asked.


    Gorman shrugged. ¡°Well a word of advice. Not everyone has had good experiences with Aurelians around here.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said, pondering the information. He looked at Kasm¡¯s body lying on the table.


    Gorman did not press the issue. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± he said, also looking at Kasm. ¡°We have a more pressing issue. I am a mechanic, not a doctor, but I¡¯ve learned a few things over the years.¡±


    Gorman probed at the wound, gloves on his hands protecting him from the black ooze. ¡°Highly localized,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Hopefully nothing vital¡­ only need one kidney¡­ Maybe a modified oil filter if we need¡­¡±


    Something clattered behind Elion. He turned and saw Keyla watching him, hands on her hips. She pretended to tidy up as soon as he looked.


    ¡°We can work with this,¡± Gorman said, finishing his investigation. ¡°As long as your spell keeps the infection from spreading, I think we may be able to draw it out of him.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said, exhaling slowly. ¡°What do we need to do?¡±


    ¡°Keyla,¡± Gorman called. ¡°Get the hand pump and some tubing for me.¡±


    The girl brought the items and set them on the table. As she collected them, Elion watched her. He caught himself thinking she was quite pretty, then looked away before she could catch him staring. She seemed like the kind of girl who would hit people.


    Gorman dismissed Keyla, and Elion¡¯s attention turned back to the man. He worked on Kasm with the equipment Keyla brought him.


    I hope he¡¯s going to be okay.

 15. Save a Friend

    ¡°Dorian, my son,¡± said the queen. Emotion choked her voice.


    ¡°Mother,¡± the betrayer declared. ¡°This is not the welcome I expected. Where are my siblings? Where is Aria? Where is Zev? Why have you alone come to witness my glorious moment of triumph?"


    ¡°Dorian, I order you to stand down at once. Lay aside your madness.¡± The Queen spoke tenderly, but her words bore iron resolve. ¡°I will not fight my son.¡±


    Dorian mounted the steps of the dais, climbing toward the Throne. ¡°Mother,¡± he said. ¡°You will abdicate the crown. We have cowered in fear for too long. The false threat of the Tephalian Invaders has prevented us from flourshing. No longer will we cower behind our shields and defenses.


    His voice dripped with condescension as he spoke. ¡°I have silenced all the mocking voices,¡± he said. ¡°Those who criticize our weakness, who laugh and scorn our our wealth. We have been enslaved to the weakest among us for far too long. Now we are free. Today, we triumph.¡±


    <hr>


    This workshop was clearly not a hospital, and the tools Gorman worked with looked more suited for a garage. He punctured a hole in a sheet of plastic and threaded transparent tube through it, then taped the plastic around the tube. He wrapped the plastic sheet around Kasm, covering the wound.


    He secured the other end of the tube onto a shining metal cylinder with a lever on one end; a lever-action hand pump.


    ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing Elion the hand pump. ¡°Pump this.¡± Then, placing an empty drum on the ground beside Elion, said, ¡°Into that. Don¡¯t spill.¡± Elion began working the lever, which actioned a piston through the cylinder. Air pumped through the tube, suctioning the plastic down over Kasm¡¯s injury.


    Gorman wrapped ratchet straps around Kasm¡¯s torso, securing the plastic. He cinched the straps tighter and tighter, squeezing the boy. As Elion pumped, the tube filled with thick black fluid.


    When it reached the hand pump, it began gushing out of a nozzle, dripping into the drum Gorman had provided. As Elion pumped, Gorman tightened the straps, forcing more black ooze down the pipe and into the drum.


    Elion¡¯s forearms burned, but he continued working. Frustrated by the way Keyla spoke to him¡ªjudged him without knowing him¡ªand irritated by his confusion about everything around him, he focused in on the ache of his arms. This, he could do. If pumping black ichor out of Kasm would help, Elion would continue pumping until his arms fell off.


    Inky goo dribbled into the drum as Elion worked the hand pump. Exhaustion loomed in the back of his mind, beaten back by the adrenaline surging in his veins.


    Kasm groaned, the first sound he¡¯d made since the pemalion attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s wearing off,¡± Gorman said, his voice low. ¡°The infection is still too strong. Can you use your skill again?¡±


    Elion tried to remember what he had done in the first place. ¡°Maybe,¡± he said.


    ¡°I can help. How familiar are you with Praxis?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°So not at all. That doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Gorman looked, checking to see what Keyla was doing.


    Keyla had wandered back over to the table, and stood just behind Gorman, arms folded as she watched them work. Out of the corner of his eye, Elion saw her staring at him.


    ¡°Keyla,¡± Gorman said, a note of warning in his voice. ¡°You¡¯re hovering. Go check on the other patients. Make sure they¡¯re still out.¡±


    Keyla bit her lip, her eyes flashing slightly. Annoyance blossomed on her face, but she reined it in, respecting Gorman¡¯s authority.


    ¡°Keyla can be a bit feisty, but she¡¯s smart, and a good apprentice,¡± Gorman said when she was out of earshot. ¡°She¡¯ll make a great artificer one day. I¡¯m training her.¡±


    Gorman met Elion¡¯s eyes like he expected something. Elion didn¡¯t know what the man was suggesting.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to learn to navigate your abilities, without someone to help you,¡± he prompted. ¡°Praxis can be confusing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re offering to teach me?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, if you already have a mentor, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Elion said. ¡°I have no idea what to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a Knight,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Artificers have a different Ascendancy, but the basics¡ª¡±


    ¡°If you can help me at all I would be grateful,¡± Elion said.


    Gorman glanced over at Keyla, where she crouched over one of the patients from the pemalion attack.


    ¡°You must be from far away,¡± he said to Elion, his voice low. ¡°You clearly don¡¯t get it. You have to ask me to mentor you.¡±


    Elion stopped pumping and nearly asked why, but caught himself. If Gorman was willing to teach him about things on Kylios, Elion was willing to play along with his customs.


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Elion said. ¡°Would it¡­ be permanent? Could others teach me?¡±


    Gorman chuckled. ¡°Of course you could learn from others. Why would you think otherwise?¡±


    Elion shrugged. ¡°Will you mentor me?¡±


    ¡°You are an Aurelian Knight,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Many things I will not be able to help you with. But seeing no other who might take my place, I am willing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Elion said.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Now keep pumping. And don¡¯t say anything to Keyla. I¡¯ll have to figure out how to explain things to her¡­¡±


    Elion returned to pumping black goo out of Kasm¡¯s side.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need you to cast your spell again,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Or knack, boon, whatever Aurelians call it. As an Artificer, I tend to call abilities talents or skills. ¡®Spell¡¯ is more of a warlock thing.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know either.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Elion agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°You obviously have Aurelian parentage. They didn¡¯t teach you  anything ?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Elion said. ¡°They died when I was young.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. You seem a little young for your parents to have died in The Breaking of The Sky. What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°An accident.¡± The words left Elion¡¯s mouth even as he considered everything he had learned over the last several days. Years of believing his parents died in an accident, only to discover that his uncle, Dorian, had killed them.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll start at lesson zero. I won¡¯t assume you know anything. First, close your eyes.¡±


    Elion closed his eyes. ¡°Should I keep pumping?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, you can leave that alone for a minute. It won¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t use your talent again.¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡± Elion asked. He could see nothing against the blackness, except for the << Translation Active >> notification.


    ¡°How have you interacted with Praxis before?¡± Gorman asked. ¡°How have you selected options? Used your talents?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I saw text.¡±


    ¡°How did you interact with it?¡±


    ¡°I usually said things aloud.¡±


    ¡°Then say, ¡¯Praxis,¡¯¡± Gorman instructed.


    ¡°Praxis,¡± Elion repeated, and text appeared in his vision.


    << Welcome to Kylios, Elion Starholder of Earth, Knight of Dawn >>


    ¡°Now what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What do you see?¡±


    ¡°My name.¡±


    ¡°Good. Praxis is like a control panel. You can learn to interact with it without speaking, which I highly recommend. For now, ask for your abilities.¡±


    ¡°What are my abilities?¡± Elion asked.


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    ? << Summon divine armaments to your aid in battle >>


    << Save a Friend >>


    ? << Protection, Preservation. Stabilizes and slows, stopping infections from spreading, wounds from bleeding, and other malicious effects from spreading >>


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said, even as he wondered about the ¡®Manifest Armaments¡¯ ability. ¡°It¡¯s called Save a Friend. It says that it helps stop malicious effects from spreading.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what we need. Can you cast it?¡±


    ¡°Do I just say it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been working so far.¡±


    ¡°Save a Friend,¡± Elion said. Nothing happened.


    Gorman sighed. ¡°One of the first things we teach apprentice Artificers is how to order Praxis so that it works more concretely and logically. At its core, Praxis depends a lot on your intentions, and it takes some training before things work the same way every time.¡±


    Elion listened, keeping his eyes closed as Gorman spoke.


    ¡°Try putting your hands on Kasm, and focusing on your desired outcome. Clearly visualize in your mind what you expect the talent to do.¡±


    Elion placed his hands on Kasm, lightly resting his fingers on the boy¡¯s chest. Kasm felt cold beneath his touch. He imagined light flowing into and around Kasm, like it had before, protecting the boy.


    ¡°Save a Friend,¡± he said. ¡°Save him, save Kasm.¡±


    This time it worked. He felt the cold rush of energy flowing out of his body, strands of light twisting from his hands and weaving into a shield around Kasm, settling into the boy¡¯s skin.


    Black infectious ooze spurted down the hose, into Elion¡¯s bucket.


    A wave of nausea washed over Elion. The floor of the garage tipped, jumping up and hitting him in the side of the head. He curled into the fetal position, trying not to throw up.


    ¡°Keyla!¡± Gorman exclaimed. ¡°Keyla get over here and help!¡±


    Keyla shuffled grudgingly over, and knelt beside Elion. She seemed suspicious at first, her bright eyes intense and searching. Elion groaned, clutching his stomach, and her face filled with concern. She helped him roll toward her so that Gorman could look at where he hit his head.


    Holding up a finger, Keyla tried to get Elion to follow it with his eyes. She moved brusquely, clinically checking him for signs of concussion.


    Elion stared past her finger and smiled at her. Then he vomited, a geyser of stomach acid and chunks of partially digested food spewing from his mouth, splashing off her overalls.


    ¡°Ewww,¡± Keyla screamed, disgust twisting her face as she sprang away.


    ¡°We¡¯ve asked a lot of him today,¡± Gorman said. ¡°It¡¯s probably skill exhaustion. Help me get him upstairs to rest.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m covered in barf,¡± Keyla protested.


    ¡°So is he. You can clean up after we get him situated.¡±


    ¡°I never expected so many bodily fluids when I apprenticed to your garage,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Besides, what are we doing helping out an Aurelian anyway? He¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough. He saved Kasm, and that¡¯s what matters. Help me get him upstairs and let him rest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elion groaned, though he felt so weak that talking was a struggle. He allowed them to lift him from his pile of puke, Gorman on one side, Keyla on the other. He listened to them talking about him in a daze, not quite processing their words. His legs wobbled as they walked, knees buckling beneath him.


    The moment they reached a bed, Elion¡¯s eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep.

 16. Unwelcome News

    When Elion awoke, he saw Keyla sitting on a stool beside his bed. She held her arms folded across her chest, and had cleaned up since he last saw her. Her face was no longer smudged with grease and blood, and her clothes were clean and neat.


    She gazed at him, care and concern showing in her features, until she noticed him watching her, and her face hardened.


    ¡°Well, well, well, look who¡¯s finally awake,¡± she said.


    Elion¡¯s mouth felt dryer than the inside of a cotton ball. He licked his lips, rasped, ¡°Thank you. For watching out for me.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Keyla looked surprised. ¡°Oh, Gorman told me I had to. Besides, this is my room and I wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t going to puke in my bed.¡±


    Elion blushed, glancing down at the bedspread. Not that he was doing anything wrong, but it felt strangely intimate to be lying in the girl¡¯s bed. Elion shifted, sitting up. His shirt and pants were gone; he wore only his boxers. He blushed again at the thought of Keyla undressing him.


    He touched his neck, relieved to find the Starholder pendant still dangling there. The paper clip holding the chain together still seemed sturdy enough.


    Keyla rose from her seat aggressively, knocking the stool over. She clomped out of the room. ¡°Gorman, he¡¯s alive!¡±


    Elion scanned the room. Small and utilitarian, the room presented a distinct contrast to the clutter of the garage below. The outward curving wall of the tower formed one wall, a circular window set too high to see out of letting in diffused light. Shifting in the bed, Elion pulled a scratchy blanket up over his bare chest.


    A sturdy dresser stood beside the bed, a picture frame and a few neatly arranged tools lying atop it. The picture was of a smiling woman woman with a younger Keyla.


    A scuffed and dented metal chest rested in one corner. The room was clean, too. No greasy fingerprints smudged the edge of the door, no piles of metal shavings or dust in the corners. Nothing cluttered the floor, and no decorations adorned the walls.


    Thinking about the perpetual disaster in Liora¡¯s bedroom, Elion struggled to imagine this space belonging to a girl.


    Gorman entered the room, carrying a steaming bowl of food. He set this on a small table beside Elion on the bed, then picked up the stool Keyla had toppled. Sitting down on this, he watched Elion, appraisingly.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± Elion asked. ¡°How is Kasm?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Gorman said. ¡°He¡¯s still sleeping under the power of your talent. But we cleaned out the wounds as best we could, and cut away the diseased flesh. He¡¯ll probably have major scarring, but I didn¡¯t even have to replace his kidney, so we¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything else I can do?¡±


    ¡°Just rest up, kid,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Your talent took a lot out of you, and I¡¯m afraid you are going to be in for a fight.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably easier if I show you. Eat and then if you¡¯re feeling up to it, we can go for a ride.¡± Gorman left the room.


    The bowl was filled with soup. Warm and savory, it reminded him of chicken noodle. Elion slurped it down, hungrier than he had realized. After he finished eating, he felt greatly restored. Gorman returned with a pile of neatly folded clothing for Elion, then left the room again.


    Elion dressed. In the pile of clothes Gorman brought him he found clean underwear and socks, a new shirt and a new pair of jeans. Examining the jeans, he found them to be not too different from a normal pair you might find in a department store on Earth, except they didn¡¯t have any belt loops, which was weird.


    The pants were probably Gorman¡¯s because they were tight on his waist but baggy through the thighs. The shirt was probably also Gorman¡¯s, hanging loose over his shoulders but fitting snugly over his belly. Elion wondered how the old man got so muscular.


    The scratches on his legs didn¡¯t look nearly as deep as he¡¯d imagined them to be, but they still stung when he prodded them. Maybe his overactive imagination had remembered them being worse than they really were. Maybe Aurelia¡¯s Protection had hastened their healing. Probably both.


    Gorman had also brought him a pair of the combat style boots that Keyla wore. He pulled these on and laced them up. Uncomfortable, heavy, and an ugly beige tan, they looked like something from a military surplus store.


    At the bottom of the stack of clothes he found his hoodie, washed and mended. Whoever had patched the it had done an excellent job. Elion detected no signs of blood, black ooze, or holes from the pemalion¡¯s claws. On the inside it felt softer than it ever had before.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    He wasn¡¯t cold, but Gorman¡¯s clothes made him look fat. Liora might have a point about his weight. He pulled the hoodie on, then checked his pockets. Where was the knife? He felt a pang as he realized that he¡¯d lost Catherine Walker¡¯s butter knife somewhere along the way. He¡¯d grown attached to that blade.


    Maybe he¡¯d dropped it in Gorman¡¯s workshop. He¡¯d have to ask about it.


    Elion scanned the room to make sure he had everything. The picture frame on the dresser caught his attention, and he gave it a closer look. It contained a picture of a younger Keyla, and an older woman, probably Keyla¡¯s mother. She smiled brightly, her hair pulled back into a blue scarf with yellow polka dots on it.


    Keyla looked genuinely happy.


    I wonder what happened to her,  Elion mused.


    Elion found Gorman downstairs in his garage, tending to Kile, the man whose leg Gorman had removed just below the knee. Kile now had a metal pipe fused to his stub, an articulating footplate at the bottom of it.


    ¡°I wish I had a better leg for you, Kile,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to cook up something for you, but this should work in the meantime.¡±


    Kile took a few experimental steps. ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± he said. ¡°I can live with this just fine.¡±


    ¡°After you get a couple of days in with it, you let me know if I need to adjust the length. You¡¯ll have some awful aches if it¡¯s too long or short.¡± Gorman clapped Kile on the back as they walked to the exit.


    ¡°Will do,¡± Kile said. ¡°Thanks again.¡±


    Kile and Gorman both saw Elion at the same time. Kile¡¯s face twisted uncomfortably, and Gorman pushed him out the door, making the man stumble on his new peg leg. Gorman closed the door.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Elion asked. ¡°What¡¯s his problem?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor going around that you are responsible for lowering the bridge,¡± Gorman said. ¡°A group of people came to the tower last night to confront me about it, but I was at the bridge. You¡¯re lucky they didn¡¯t try to confront you.¡±


    ¡°A rumor that I lowered the bridge? Why? How?¡±


    ¡°Well, you showed up in town at the same time as the infected did. How else would you have gotten here?¡±


    ¡°I got here through a portal,¡± Elion protested. ¡°I never crossed the bridge.¡±


    Gorman shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re mainly followers of Artefix around here, and you¡¯re Aurelian. There are still some hard feelings left over from The Breaking of The Sky, so it¡¯s easy to blame you.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that, what¡¯s up with the sky?¡± Elion asked. ¡°What happened to it?¡±


    Gorman gave Elion a peculiar look. ¡°You don¡¯t know about The Breaking of The Sky? The civil war in Erod, when the Celestial Sphere was smashed?¡±


    Elion sighed, not understanding half of what Gorman said, even though Praxis informed him << Translation Active >>.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know a lot of things,¡± Elion groaned. ¡°By the way, did you find a knife in your workshop? I¡¯m missing mine.¡±


    ¡°Listen, son, you seem hesitant to talk about your past, but you¡¯re going to need to start explaining yourself. You¡¯re asking questions about things that every Kylian knows by the time they can walk. As your mentor, I will answer all of your questions in due time. But first, I need you to be honest with me. Where are you really from?¡±


    Elion shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a good idea for people to know that.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Gorman said, folding his arms. ¡°But if I¡¯m going to help you, I need to know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being chased. It¡¯s probably better if I just leave.¡±


    ¡°All Aurelians are being chased,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But you didn¡¯t know that, did you?¡±


    Elion shook his head.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right, it would be better if you could just leave. But you can¡¯t. First we need to talk. In private. I won¡¯t risk having you overheard.¡± Gorman drummed his fingers on the table. ¡°I still need to figure out what went wrong with the bridge. Keyla won¡¯t like it but it might help the others trust you if you come with me. And we¡¯ll be able to talk there.¡±


    Elion looked across the garage at Kasm¡¯s sleeping body. Had Elion somehow caused the bridge to lower? His presence here seemed to only be causing problems. He needed to get off of this island somehow. If he could find a way to contact Zev, see if his uncle was on Kylios, he might be able to help him. At least Zev would know how to get back to Earth.


    If he¡¯s still alive.


    If not, then maybe he could find Dorian¡¯s palace. Elion sincerely doubted he would be able rescue Liora single-handedly, but he had to at least try. Right now, trusting Gorman was his best bet.


    Maybe I can use my new abilities to help Liora.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bridge then,¡± he said.

 17. Gormans Tour

    Gorman and Elion rode on a 4-wheeler along the dirt road, following the same path Domas had taken the day before. Elion inspected the vehicle as they rode. He wanted to be ready if it started talking.


    Gorman began explaining things, yelling back to Elion over the sound of the engine. ¡°Aterfel is one of the more successful settlements along the Ater River,¡± he said. ¡°We do a lot of tech scavenging in Kairn Tol, which used to be the technology hub of Erod before The Cataclysm. Find a lot of useful, valuable technology there. Can¡¯t reproduce a lot of it anymore, though.¡±


    ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± Elion said. ¡°Is your 4-wheeler¡­ alive?¡±


    Gorman laughed. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of Domas! No, he¡¯s the only person like that. Didn¡¯t he tell you about his accident at the bridge? He loves telling that story.¡±


    ¡°I think he was about to, when we were attacked,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to ask him sometime. The bridge ate up a lot of him, legs, torso. I didn¡¯t have much left to work with, and I certainly didn¡¯t have time to construct a more humaniform housing for him. We went with what we had on hand. I¡¯ve offered to try to build him a set of arms and legs, make him into a more proper cyborg, but he always declines. I think he likes the mobility.¡±


    Gorman lifted his chin, sitting up a little straighter on the 4-wheeler. ¡°He¡¯s one of the reasons people are calling me the ¡®Father of Cyborgs.¡¯¡±


    They rounded the bend in the road where the Pemalion had attacked before. Gorman wore a large rifle slung over his back, similar to Tael¡¯s.


    ¡°Are there more pemalion?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The guard did a sweep,¡± Gorman said. ¡°They killed the rest that got over the bridge. Might have missed one or two though, so it pays to be safe.¡± He tapped the stock of the rifle.


    The bridge stood before them, the path ahead winding down to it. Now the bridge was raised, cables fully retracted, opening a massive gap above the river.


    ¡°So you¡­ put parts of his body into an ATV, to save his life? How much of him was left?¡±


    ¡°Not a lot. I fused parts of his nervous system to the controls, so he could drive, and piped in some sensory inputs. He still has part of a lung, and his heart, and brain.¡±


    ¡°Does he eat?¡±


    Gorman chuckled. ¡°Occasionally. It¡¯s a bit of an ordeal. But his sons help him out with that, and he does well enough.¡±


    Elion¡¯s stomach churned at the thought.


    Gorman pulled the 4-wheeler over and walked up to the cliff, overlooking the scene.


    ¡°Look at that bridge,¡± he said, pointing at the drawbridge. ¡°There are only two ways on and off this island: that bridge or on a trader¡¯s boat. Now look at that Shard.¡± He pointed at the massive jagged wedge embedded in the soil on the far banks.


    The chartreuse Shard must have stood 30 feet above the ground. Slender and jagged, it glittered weakly in the noon-day sun. Darkness and shadow pooled around its base like oil. The ground around it paled in sickly shades, like the Shard had sucked color straight out of the earth.


    Creatures roamed around the base of the shard, a strange mingling of predators, birds, humans, and other animals. They didn¡¯t act like normal animals though, moving around with purpose and intention. Instead, they meandered aimlessly around, generally ignoring each other.


    ¡°That crashed down there nearly a year ago, and it¡¯s been infecting everything in the area ever since. Plains pemalion aren¡¯t normally so aggressive. They prefer small game, but that thing is doing something to them. Other animals too. And tech scavengers. They get ferocious, whipped into a fury by any living thing that isn¡¯t infected.¡±


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Elion asked, transfixed.


    "It coordinates them somehow,¡± Gorman said. ¡°When it senses a vulnerability. I watched a caravan pass by, and they all split into groups, rushing and surrounding it with single minded purpose. And every time a trade ship tries to sail down this river, it gets attacked. Ships have stopped trying; it¡¯s been six months since the last one.


    ¡°Yesterday you got to see what happens when the bridge is lowered. Several months ago we lowered the bridge on purpose to similar results. So good luck convincing anyone here to lower the bridge so you can leave.¡±


    ¡°But I need to get out of here.¡± Elion said. ¡°I need¡­ People need me. I need to get to¡­ a place. It might be dangerous for me to stay.¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s leaving,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Unless you can leave the way you came. If you can, I highly recommend you do so as soon as possible. Since you haven¡¯t, I assume you can¡¯t, so you¡¯d better explain yourself. We need to figure out what we¡¯re going to do with you.¡±


    I have to trust someone, and Gorman seems to be the one in charge.


    ¡°I¡¯m not from Kylios,¡± Elion said, cautiously, searching for the right words while watching Gorman¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°One of the outer planets then?¡± Gorman said. ¡°That would explain your ignorance of Praxis, to a degree.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an outer planet¡­ I¡¯m from a place called Earth.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± Gorman said, scratching his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s different. A lot different from here. And I think it¡¯s far away. Like, really far.¡±


    ¡°So how did you get here then?¡±


    ¡°A portal,¡± Elion said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know where it would take me, but I wasn¡¯t expecting to end up here.¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ Maybe Kasm¡¯s glyphs did something after all. Start at the beginning. Tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the full story. But as best I understand it, my mom was Kylian. Her older brother was¡­¡± He decided to leave out the part about the throne, and his mom being some kind of princess. ¡°He was threatening her. She took her younger brother and they fled to Earth. She met my dad, had me and my sister, and I guess planned to live happily ever after.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Elion wrung his hands. ¡°After¡­¡± his voice caught in his throat. He took a deep breath. ¡°My parents died,¡± he said. ¡°So my sister and I lived with my uncle, and he never told us the truth. I only learned about Kylios like a week ago, when my other uncle portaled into my front yard and kidnapped Liora.¡±


    Elion stopped, realizing he was rambling, but telling his story to someone felt good. A weight taken off his shoulders he hadn¡¯t realized was there.


    Gorman placed his hand on Elion¡¯s shoulder, gripping it tightly.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Look me in the eye.¡± Elion complied, a cold chill slithering down his spine. ¡°What was your mother¡¯s name?¡± Gorman searched Elion¡¯s face for any sign of dishonesty.


    ¡°Aria,¡± Elion said. ¡°Aria Walker, but I don¡¯t know before she got married.¡±


    ¡°And your uncles? Would they happen to be named Dorian and Zev?¡±


    Elion nodded, white hot fear burning in his gut, wondering how Gorman knew about his family. Gorman¡¯s grip tightened on Elion¡¯s shoulder. He looked around nervously, checking to see if anyone might have been listening to their conversation.


    ¡°You were wise to be cautious about sharing that information,¡± Gorman said. ¡° Never  repeat what you just told me to anyone.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said. ¡°I thought it might be better to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°It would be better if nobody knew you were a Knight, but they probably already assume that. Don¡¯t show off any of your abilities. It¡¯ll be bad if people realize that you¡¯re new to this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ll assume you¡¯re stronger than you are,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Knowledge is power out here, and it¡¯s better to keep your cards close to your chest.¡±


    That made sense to Elion. ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep it hidden,¡± he said.


    ¡°Continue your story,¡± Gorman prompted. ¡°How did you get here?¡±


    ¡°Zev tried to fight Dorian and his warlocks,¡± Elion said. ¡°He saved me from them, but Dorian already had Liora. He made a portal in our garage and went to save Liora. I don¡¯t know if he made it. He was trying to track this pendant that used to be Liora¡¯s.¡± Elion fished the pendant out of his shirt, showing it to Gorman.


    Gorman inspected the star, probing it with a thick finger. ¡°A Starholder Pendant,¡± he grumbled. ¡°If I didn¡¯t believe you before, this proves it. But that doesn¡¯t explain how you got here?¡±


    ¡°A few days later, Dorian came for me. I tried fighting back, and then I jumped through his portal. I guess I thought that I¡¯d end up in his palace and have a chance to look for Liora. They were attacking my cousins. I couldn¡¯t fight them. I thought they would stop if they followed me through the portal. But then I ended up here and¡­¡± Elion trailed off as Gorman¡¯s face twisted into a deep frown.


    ¡°Portals are unstable. They¡¯re dangerous and challenging. It takes a lot of power to run them,¡± Gorman said. ¡°They¡¯re not worth the risk for most people. Sane people. If your Uncle Zev Starholder messed his up¡­well, who knows? It might have worked.¡±


    ¡°You think Zev died?¡± Elion asked, panic creeping into his voice. ¡°You think he messed up the portal and died?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But if you really are Dorian¡¯s nephew, he¡¯s going to come for you. It may only take him a matter of days to figure out where you ended up. You have to leave before he does. We don¡¯t want his attention here.¡±


    ¡°Why? How?¡± Elion protested. ¡°You said there was no way for me to leave the island?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a way,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But first, let¡¯s go down to the bridge, so that I can explain a few things to you.¡±


    They climbed back onto the 4-wheeler and began winding their way down the road. Elion considered what Gorman had said. Everyone here must be afraid of Dorian. After all, why not? He had usurped the throne and killed his family. Not a way to endear yourself to others.


    The 4-wheeler rolled up to the base of the bridge. Two men and a woman hung out at the base of the bridge, rifles in hand. Blood still stained rocks and trusses nearby, a reminder of the fates of the prior sentries.


    ¡°Any trouble today, Tilly?¡± Gorman asked.


    ¡°No,¡± the woman said. ¡°But some of the infected have been fighting with each other.¡± She handed Gorman some binoculars, which he used to peer across the gorge at the Shard.


    Elion took in the woman. She had large hands and a ruddy face. She wore a thick leather coat that seemed too hot for the weather, but she looked like she knew how to work.


    ¡°Looks like more people than normal,¡± Gorman said.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t as fast to get across the bridge yesterday. We might have done them a big favor, killing so many pemalion.¡±


    Gorman grunted, handing the binoculars back to Tilly. ¡°So much for our plan to thin them out and get a ship through.¡±


    "Have we figured out how they got the bridge down yet?¡± the woman asked, glaring at Elion.


    ¡°No,¡± Gorman replied. ¡°But it didn¡¯t have anything to do with Elion. And he nearly died yesterday trying to save Kasm.¡±


    Tilly scoffed. ¡°Where¡¯s Keyla?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not replacing her, don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s caring for the injured today. Anyways, I¡¯m taking a turn down here as sentry, going to look over the mechanisms while I¡¯m here. Why don¡¯t you all head back into town and take a break.¡±


    The woman looked like she was about to protest, but the two men with her grinned. One of them slung his rifle over his shoulder and jogged to a row of dirt bikes.


    ¡°Thanks Gorman,¡± the other man said, then followed the first toward the vehicles.


    ¡°Go on, Tilly,¡± Gorman prompted. ¡°Kile could use some time with you right now. He needs to get used to that new leg.¡±


    Tilly glanced over at the two men starting up their bikes and sighed. She headed over and started up her own vehicle. A moment later they zoomed away, spitting dust into the air behind them. Gorman stood and watched them go.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at our bridge,¡± he said.


    A building on the bridge housed the winch equipment. Two long cables extended out of it, looped over pulleys high overhead, and attached to the end of the bridge. Gorman walked to the door and placed his hand on it.


    A disc in the center of the door rotated, a flash of teal light hinting at Artificer magic as it unlocked. The door swung open, and Gorman stepped inside. Elion followed after him.


    Massive drums held coils of cable, attached to a large engine. Large gears connected to a drive shaft through the engine transferred power to the winch drums. Nothing prevented someone from walking right up to the gears while the machine was running. Elion grimaced, remembering what Gorman had said about Domas being caught in the gears.


    He didn¡¯t notice any bloodstains, though.


    ¡°One of my oldest constructions. How I realized that people weren¡¯t all that different from machines.¡± Gorman said, patting the engine fondly. ¡°Hello, dear.¡±


    ¡°Is there a person in this one, too?¡± Elion asked.


    Gorman laughed. ¡°No!¡± he said. ¡°This is just a beautiful machine.¡±

 18. Aterfel Bridge

    ¡°Triumph?¡± Loreign asked, her face flushing with anger. ¡°Is that what you call this? You have destroyed us. You have shattered the Celestial Sphere. You have crushed the Crystalline Guard. We will be destroyed by the Tephalians.¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Dorian said, his voice strained. A harsh laughter escaped his lips. ¡°Why do you repeat those lies? Can¡¯t you see that with myself upon the throne, we will usher in a new area of peace and prosperity? A golden age of wealth for all Kylians?¡±


    ¡°Where did I go astray?¡± Loreign whispered to herself. ¡°When did I lose my son?¡±


    A golden sword formed in her hands. Dorian¡¯s acolytes shifted, readying themselves for a fight.


    Dorian frowned. ¡°You cannot stop me, Mother. I am immortal. I cannot be hurt or killed. Do not stand between me and my Throne. You and Aria will not deny me. I am tired of killing.¡±


    <hr>


    Gorman led Elion up a set of stairs within the equipment room of the bridge. The steps wound up several flights before opening up into a control room, where someone operating the bridge would have a clear view of the whole thing.


    A control panel in the center held knobs, dials, switches, levers and displays, which seemed a bit more complicated than necessary for something that only went up and down. Broad openings broke the walls in every direction, providing a panoramic view of the plains and ruins of Kairn Tol.


    Gorman stood beside Elion, gazing out at the remains of the city. ¡°I used to live out there,¡± Gorman said, wistfully. ¡°Rebuilding among the ruins. A bustling town we called New Kairn Tol. When the sky broke, well¡­ you know.¡± Gorman laughed. ¡°Ah, I guess you don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Elion agreed. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°The story starts around two hundred years ago,¡± Gorman said, unlocking a tool locker on one of the walls. ¡°Across the plains you can see the ruins of Kairn Tol, which used to be a cultural and technological center. It was bombed during an event we call The Cataclysm, by the Tephalian fleet. Most of the critical infrastructure escaped unscathed, but the social fabric fell apart and people went crazy.¡±


    ¡°Two hundred years ago?¡± Elion said. ¡°That¡¯s a long time.¡±


    ¡°Sure is.¡± Gorman began popping panels open, peering into the mess of wiring behind them. ¡°Scavengers have been picking over the corpse of Kairn Tol ever since the Cataclysm, stripping out every bit of technology we can find. Much of this bridge is made of stuff we couldn¡¯t fabricate today.¡±


    Gorman handed Elion a flashlight and made him direct the beam into a dark corner behind the control panel, where he sorted through something that looked like a fuse box.


    ¡°For many years roaming bands of scavengers ruled the land, like so many tribes. Until the promise of New Kairn Tol.¡± Gorman spoke as he worked. ¡°We were hoping to one day reclaim the greatness of the city. Re-civilize the region. Point the light here,¡± he said, gesturing for Elion.


    ¡°For most of my youth we had peace in the land, prosperity and stability. Things were great, under the protection of the Aurelian Starholders. We were protected from the chaos of the Tephal by the Celestial Sphere, the shield that your great-something grandfather spent many years constructing. It envelops the planet, and took the collaboration of the ascended of all Seven True Sentinels.¡±


    Gorman pulled a clump of frayed and melted wires out of the panel, eying them curiously.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Elion said.


    Gorman gestured nonchalantly. ¡°Sometimes when we¡¯re working with scavenged parts, they go in like this. The bridge wasn¡¯t designed to be permanently raised. We have to constantly power it to keep it up. It¡¯s possible we overstressed or short-circuited some control logic.¡±


    ¡°So what happened?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Why are you living here, and not in New Kairn Tol?¡±


    ¡°We blame Dorian for that,¡± Gorman said. ¡°When he betrayed your family, everything fell apart. Nobody knew who to trust. Much of Erod was destroyed in the fighting. The Sphere was shattered, what you see in the sky is what¡¯s left of it. Tephalian probes, like that Shard across the river, started landing. Aurelian society collapsed, and civilization dissolved into bands of roaming scavengers, like it was before.


    ¡°We tried to live in Kairn Tol for a time, but soon we retreated here, and I repaired this old bridge. Things were going well for us here. Biding our time. Growing in strength until we can bring civilization back to the plains of Kairn Tol. Then last year that probe landed there, cutting off our access to the bridge and travel by river.¡±


    ¡°What exactly is that probe?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Why do you say it is infecting things?¡±


    ¡°Grab that laserarm,¡± Gorman said, pointing to a long barreled rifle resting on a rack nearby. ¡°Use the scope. Inspect the Shard, and tell me what you see.¡±


    Elion rested the barrel of the gun on a window sill, and found a stool nearby to sit on. He peered through the scope, and the landscape leapt up at him. Scanning across the ridge of the far bank of the Ater River, he located the Shard.


    Organic facets caught the light, reflecting it back yellow-green. It emitted an oily haze, blurring its edges. It shone in the sun with the sickly colors of an oil stain against the land. The land around it lay black and barren, like the smoldering remains of a fire.


    Elion watched the creatures roaming around the base of the Shard. Pemalion, birds of some kind, and other small animals snarled and snapped at each other. Then he located a group of men, resting in the shade of a large rock.


    ¡°People?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Infected scavengers,¡± Gorman said. ¡°They fell under the influence of the Tephalian infection. It¡¯s like a kind of rabies, and all they want to do is fight now. They shoot and throw firebombs down on any ship that tries to come through the river. They seem particularly interested in trying to kill me, for some reason.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re not fully rabid though,¡± Elion guessed. ¡°They can still think, and reason?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Gorman said. ¡°They are single-minded on destroying non-infected life.¡±


    Elion looked through the scope again, scanning the base of the Shard. He spotted a dozen people standing in a group, seemingly arguing with one another. One of them broke off from the group, and clambered down to the edge of the river. A few others were gathered there, building something.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Down by the river?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re building something,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I think it might be boats, or rafts. They captured a ship once, several months ago, and tried to assault the village. Unfortunately for them, they damaged the engine, and it didn¡¯t have enough power to get across the river to our island. The current is strong through here, and it swept them right on through under the bridge.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re trapped here then. No boats, no lowering the bridge.¡±


    ¡°There is a way off the island,¡± Gorman said. ¡°If we had a small boat, you could simply ride it down the river. You wouldn¡¯t be able to get back, though.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°But you have a plan,¡± Elion said. He could see it in the way Gorman moved, in the optimistic way he spoke of their practical imprisonment.


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Gorman agreed. ¡°But there¡¯s a problem. Sentinel powers break down in the presence of the Shard.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your rifle is powered by Artefix. The power it generates, the laser it fires, it''s all possible because of the Artificer¡¯s Talent.¡±


    ¡°You made this gun?¡±


    ¡°Keyla did,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But it can¡¯t touch the Shard. Aim it at the Shard, and take a shot.¡±


    Elion hefted the laseram, impressed by Keyla¡¯s craftsmanship. He rested it on the ledge, holding it steady as he peered down the scope at the Shard. It wasn¡¯t a small target, but that made it worse if he missed. Calling back to his shotgun training with Uncle Zev, he exhaled as he gently pressed the trigger to the back of the gun, seeking a surprise break.


    The rifle fired, with the same muted thumping sound, splat, and flash of teal light. The scope darkened automatically against the light. He saw a laser, burning through the sky toward the Shard, but fizzling away to nothingness before it got close.


    ¡°Whatever that thing is, it confounds Praxis,¡± Gorman said. ¡°All my machines fall to bits when they¡¯re in range of it. The infection doesn¡¯t just make men go mad, angry and vicious. It dissolves the power of the Sentinels.¡±


    ¡°But I saw people killing pemalion with these guns,¡± Elion said, gesturing at the firearm. ¡°They worked.¡±


    ¡°The distortion field is just around the Shard,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Anything foolish enough to leave the range of the shield is no longer protected by it.¡±


    ¡°So you can¡¯t hurt them when they¡¯re protected by the Shard.¡±


    ¡°We can,¡± Gorman said, grunting. He now lay on his back, partially submerged in the guts of the control panel. ¡°It just takes non-Sentinel power to do it. You might have noticed some guns around town modified to fire projectiles.¡±


    Elion had not noticed, but kept quiet.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have the same range or accuracy, but it makes some people feel better. We¡¯re going to have to launch an attack at some point, if we¡¯re ever going to get off this island. We need to get back into Kairn Tol to scavenge more supplies. It¡¯s all I can do to keep the town supplied with energy. Can you hand me that power wrench?¡± Gorman pointed to the tool lying on the floor nearby.


    ¡°What good would assaulting the Shard do?¡± Elion asked, retrieving the wrench and handing it to Gorman.


    ¡°If we could damage or destroy it¡­¡± Gorman raised his hands. ¡°I have some ideas. Who knows? But things couldn¡¯t get much worse.¡± Gorman scooted deeper into the mess of electronics and cables beneath the control panel.


    ¡°So everyone¡¯s getting desperate,¡± Elion groaned. ¡°That¡¯s why Kasm was trying to summon a hero. And instead you just got me. A kid from Earth who doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing. If I stay here too long, I¡¯ll just attract unwanted attention from Dorian.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than that. You¡¯re an Aurelian,¡± Gorman added, his voice muffled. ¡°When Dorian broke the sky, the Knights of Dawn also shattered. Many of them died in the fighting. The remaining went into hiding, and Dorian¡¯s Warlocks hunted them down. The last time an Aurelian was seen in Aterfel was about a year ago, which, well¡­ that means it¡¯s been 20 years since The Breaking of The Sky. Has it really been 20 years?¡±


    ¡°Is that why everyone looks at me suspiciously?¡± Elion asked. ¡°They know Dorian¡¯s warlocks are going to come looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Not just that,¡± Gorman said. ¡°It¡¯s also because of the last Aurelian through here. His name was Prator. He talked big, got people to dream, to hope again. A lot of them followed him when he left.¡±


    ¡°Where did they go?¡±


    ¡°They went to refound New Kairn Tol,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But communications cut off abruptly, and then the Tephalian probe landed preventing us from going out there to find out what happened.¡± Gorman hesitated before continuing. ¡°We did get one garbled message through the tower. It was full of noise, and we couldn¡¯t understand it. Some people think that their loved ones were betrayed by Prator.¡±


    Elion leaned on the railing, staring out across the plains at the ruined city of Kairn Tol. He tried to imagine what the city would have been like in its heyday. ¡°It must be hard, living here, looking at everything falling apart around you, every single day.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Gorman agreed. ¡°So you understand why you can¡¯t stay here, then,¡± he said.


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    A panel clanged to the ground.


    ¡°Ah ha!¡± Gorman emerged from the jungle of wires and sat on the floor, looking up at Elion. In his hand he held a charred lump of metal. ¡°I think I¡¯ve found the culprit,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the mechanism was even working with this relay fried like this,¡± he said. ¡°It should be shielded better. I wonder how it¡ª¡± A purple spark flashed off of the dead relay.


    Dropping the relay on the ground, Gorman yelped in pain. ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± he swore. ¡°Warlock magic.¡± Turning to Elion he asked, ¡°What kind of portal did you come through?¡±


    ¡°A purple one?¡± Elion said. ¡°One made by Dorian¡¯s warlocks, powered by their staffs.¡±


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Gorman cursed again. ¡°I should have guessed. I should go check on the sensitive equipment in the tower. Warlock power has a way of randomly destroying the most delicate things.¡± Gorman glanced up at the shattered sky.


    ¡°Are you saying that I caused this?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Not intentionally,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But let''s add this to the list of things that we¡¯re not telling anyone.¡±


    Lights flickered on the control panel as Gorman fiddled with the relay. ¡°It¡¯s shorting out internally,¡± he muttered, ¡°It was in just the right position before¡­.¡±


    The entire control panel died, all the lights winking out together. A loud creaking groan from the winch drums drew their attention. The drawbridge tilted, screeching as it started slowly lowering, massive cables unwinding as it tipped.


    Gorman yelled a lot of technical things that Elion didn¡¯t understand as he frantically poked around inside the control panel, quickly replacing parts.


    ¡°Come on, dear,¡± he muttered to the machine. ¡°You can hold this. You can do this for me.¡±


    Infected creatures near the Shard noticed the commotion at the bridge, and rushed toward it. Pemalion, with their lithe speed, ran more quickly than the other creatures and humans.


    Gorman grabbed a power cord and plugged it in beneath the control panel. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to tap into auxiliary power to keep the bridge up!¡± He ran down the stairs, unspooling the cord as he pulled it down to the engine beneath them.


    Elion ran with him. The cord did not reach all the way to the bottom of the stairs, so Gorman dropped it. He reached the large engine on the lower floor and hit a few buttons, powering it up.


    ¡°Elion,¡± he called, pointing. ¡°Go grab that plug and connect it to the extension cord! I¡¯m rerouting emergency power to recoil the winches. The emergency stop has been deactivated by something. Maybe another side effect of your portal.¡± The bridge groaned, picking up speed and momentum as it lowered a few more degrees.


    Elion found the plug and pulled it over to where the extension cord lay on the stairs. Still more than 6 feet away, it jerked to a stop, whipping out of his hands as it caught around a pole. Elion gasped, his hands stinging. He recovered the plug and rerouted it. He got closer this time, but they were still several feet too short.


    Gorman grabbed the plug from Elion, then stretched to pick up the extension. He held one in each of his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll route the power through me,¡± he exclaimed. His eyes burned with a turquoise light, and the ends of the cords sparked with a teal energy. Machinery groaned and growled as power surged through the cords.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± Gorman commanded, his mouth crackling with teal light.


    The bridge¡¯s descent slowed gradually, until the upright span hung at a forty-five degree angle from the ground. The scent of smoke and burning air filled Elion¡¯s nostrils. Gears ground and rusted joints screeched as the bridge slowly began ascending again.


    Pemalion waiting on the far end of the bridge howled in dismay.


    ¡°Go!¡± Gorman gasped. ¡°Get Keyla! Tell her to bring an extension cord.¡±

 19. Gormans Tower

    Elion ran out of the bridge control house, windows glowing turquoise behind him. The bridge mechanisms continued groaning as the drawbridge returned to its upright position. Elion jumped onto Gorman¡¯s 4-wheeler. He fumbled with the controls but managed to start the engine.


    Gunning the throttle, he raced back up the road.


    The setting sun cast long shadows across the road, camouflaging rocks and bumps.


    ¡°Don¡¯t crash, don¡¯t crash,¡± he muttered to himself as he drove. He hit a pothole with one wheel, which jolted him sideways and made his hands tremble, forcing him to slow down and watch where he was going.


    He wound along the curving path back into town, and headed toward the tall central spike looming over the town.


    Driving through the central square, he looped around the back of the tower to the garage doors. On one side of the structure a group of people had gathered. The people moved around restlessly, and Elion sensed their anxiety.


    Worried that they might be there about him, he kept his head down and sped past, getting the tower between him and them.


    As he pulled up a garage door opened automatically. He rolled the 4-wheeler into the garage as the door closed behind him, then jumped off.


    ¡°Keyla?¡± he called, looking around the workspace. ¡°Keyla? Where are you?¡±


    The girl came a few steps down the stairs. ¡°What do you want?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Gorman¡¯s in trouble,¡± Elion said. ¡°At the bridge. He needs an extension cable.¡±


    Keyla stood atop the steps for a moment, then sprang into action, running around the shop and collecting things. ¡°Is this long enough?¡± she asked, looping an extension cord over her shoulder.


    ¡°Should be.¡± Elion said, moving to climb back on the 4-wheeler.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± she said, pulling the back of his shirt. Elion dropped to the ground, and Keyla clambered onto the vehicle. ¡°We don¡¯t need your help.¡±


    She hit the ignition as the garage door opened, then roared out into the evening light.


    Elion watched her go, silently fuming. She just kept making him feel like he was in the way. Worse than that: she was probably right.


    She didn¡¯t bring a gun. I hope she doesn¡¯t get ambushed by a rabid pemalion.


    Pursing his lips, Elion picked his way across the garage to the table where Kasm still lay.


    Someone, probably Keyla, had turned the table into a bed, with blankets and a pillow. A small automatic pump sat on the ground, providing suction to the wound on Kasm¡¯s side. If the infection returned or started spreading again, the clear tube would fill with black oily gunk again.


    Elion placed a hand on Kasm¡¯s forehead, and found the boy warm to his touch. His chest rose and fell gently, breathing soft and shallow, joined by the repetitive hissing sound of the pump.


    ¡°Thank you for coming back to help me,¡± Elion said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not the hero you were hoping for.¡±


    The boy stirred softly in his sleep.


    Elion left Kasm to rest, and walked over to the dirty windows at the front of the building. Though the light outside was fading, he could still make out a dozen people standing in a circle. He recognized Kile, with his new peg leg, and Tilly. They were engaged in a heated conversation with other townsfolk.


    Maybe they were talking about him. Maybe they were worried about Dorian¡¯s warlocks coming to their city. Maybe they blamed him for the pemalion attack.


    Was he responsible for the bridge opening? It had happened around the same time as his arrival here. Gorman had found parts of the bridge damaged by warlock magic, the same power that had sent Elion here. And he¡¯d warned Elion to keep it a secret.


    Elion tore himself away from the window and began searching for some way to distract himself from his worries. He returned to Kasm¡¯s side. One thing he¡¯d been able to do to help so far was ¡®Save a Friend.¡¯ Maybe it would help if he did it again.


    He placed his hands over Kasm, and remembered how nauseous he¡¯d been after the last time he tried it. His head throbbed in the place where he¡¯d hit his head on the ground. Maybe experimenting with this was a bad idea, with nobody around to help him if he passed out.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Practice would make him stronger, though. If he wanted to help anyone, he needed to learn how to do this better. He called on Praxis.


    ¡°What are my abilities?¡±


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    ? << Summon divine armaments to your aid in battle >>


    << Manuscripts/Book 1 - Portal to Kylios/Save a Friend >>


    ? << Protection, Preservation. Stabilizes and slows, stopping infections from spreading, wounds from bleeding, and other malicious effects from spreading >>


    For a moment Elion considered trying ¡®Manifest Armaments,¡¯ but decided against it. The name of the ability conjured up images of cannons and artillery pieces. If someone from that group outside caught him summoning a rocket launcher, they¡¯d probably freak out. Gorman had warned him not to use his power where other people might see him.


    But they already know about ¡®Save a Friend.¡¯ And if it can help Kasm, then it¡¯s worth it.


    ¡°Save a Friend¡± Elion said.


    << Save a Friend >>


    As before, strength and energy left his body, flowing around Kasm as threads of glowing light, settling into his skin like a protective cocoon. Elion gasped, his head spinning. He sat down before he could pass out, and breathed deeply until the ground stabilized beneath him.


    Feeling more stable, he checked Kasm. Nothing seemed to have changed with the boy.


    Elion decided to try helping out with something a little simpler; tidying up. Whenever Elion felt stressed or directionless, cleaning things up helped him calm down and think more clearly.


    The entire first floor of the tower was open, with no walls dividing the space into separate rooms. A large pillar rose through the center of the space, the room forming a ring around it.


    Areas of the room were clearly portioned off for designated uses. One part of the garage for the vehicles, one part held workbenches and tools, another dedicated to storage of some kind. Despite the generally chaotic feeling of the space, Elion had the impression that if he started moving things around, Gorman would know.


    Or Keyla would. He wondered about her animosity toward him. Did it have anything to do with the story Gorman had told him about Prator, the last Aurelian who¡¯d come to Aterfel? Maybe he¡¯d been a jerk to her or something. Still, Elion wasn¡¯t Prator, and he didn¡¯t think it was fair for her to judge him just because he was an Aurelian.


    As he moved around the room, a few things clearly out of place attracted him. He righted a bucket of rags that had tipped over, then used one of the rags to clean dark splatters off of the edge of a table. He hoped it wasn¡¯t blood.


    Gorman had seemed confident that the Aterfel Guard found and killed all the infected who had crossed the bridge. But if one was still on the loose, it could be dangerous out there. He should have insisted that Keyla let him go with her. Then again, she could probably handle herself better than he could.


    Keyla and Gorman needed to figure out what to do about the bridge. If the bridge dropped again, and they were hurt or killed, Elion didn¡¯t know what the people of the village would do. How would they fight against the infected creatures which would flood over the bridge?


    They should come back soon, if they were successful, shouldn¡¯t they? Elion resolved to wait a little longer. He crossed to peer out the window again.


    Maybe I should send that mob to go help Gorman.


    The townsfolk were still there, discussing something. Elion doubted they¡¯d be much help. Gorman and Keyla knew what they were doing. But if they didn¡¯t come back soon, he would have to do something. A dirt bike rested in the garage area, beckoning.


    I could go to Domas.


    Elion found a broom in a corner, and worked his way around the workbenches, sweeping up. He suddenly remembered the gemstone from the Altar¡ªhad he forgotten to collect it? His mind hadn¡¯t been fully functioning at the time. And the butter knife he stole from Aunt Cathy. She¡¯d probably want that back. He¡¯d probably also dropped that at the Altar.


    He needed something better than a dull lump of silver to defend himself with. A rack of rifles caught his attention, glowing softly in the corner as they charged. Remembering how easily Tael¡¯s gun had brought down the pemalion, he determined to get his hands on one.


    Using the broom to reach underneath a workbench, he found a few abandoned drill bits. Pleased by his success, he reached deeper, and recovered a shriveled human finger. Elion shuddered, morbid fascination overriding his gag reflex. He swept it into a dustpan and examined its blackened shriveled skin, molding fingernail, and the nub of bone protruding from the base.


    He tried not to imagine what butchery might have led to the severing of this finger, and discarded it with the rest of the dirt in the pan.


    Elion wanted to help, but didn¡¯t know how. Keyla had made it clear that she wanted him to stay out of her way. If he went back to the bridge, he¡¯d probably just be annoying them.


    I¡¯ve got magical powers now. Why am I sweeping up a garage?


    He rolled his shoulders, and looked around for a clear area in the garage. The empty parking space of the ATV beckoned.


    Elion walked over and stood in the middle of the space. He looked down at his hands. They seemed strange to him, like he¡¯d never really looked at them before. He remembered the sensation of power flowing from him, preserving and protecting Kasm.


    I wonder what I can do.


    ¡°Praxis,¡± he said.

 20. Praxian Experimentation

    At Elion¡¯s command, a Praxian menu appeared, hovering in his view.


    << Name: Elion James Walker >>


    ? << House: Starhold >>


    ? << Ascendency: Aurelian Path of Dawn >>


    ? << Level/XP: 0/0 >>


    ? << Abilities (Level): Manifest Armaments (0), Save a Friend (0) >>


    ? << Boons: Translation >>


    ? << Quests: None >>


    He remembered the screen from the Altar, when he¡¯d agreed to the oaths and received his power. In a rush to help Kasm, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it.


    He reviewed the information line by line.


    << Name: Elion James Walker >>


    I know my name. That¡¯s not that helpful. Although I wonder how it knows what my name is. If I legally changed it, would Praxis know?


    << House: Starhold >>


    Zev had talked about that. Starhold was his Kylian family name.


    Weird that Praxis doesn¡¯t include it as part of my name, then. Maybe they don¡¯t use family names the same way here.


    It also meant that Elion was in line for the throne.


    << Ascendency: Aurelian Path of Dawn >>


    This line opened up a few interesting questions for Elion. Gorman was an Artificer. Was that a different kind of Ascendency? Gorman had distinguished between Aurelia and Artefix.


    Is the Path of Dawn the only Aurelian Ascendency? Or are there others?


    Elion wondered what the Artefin Ascendency was called. Could someone have more than one Ascendency? Zev had used Artefin power, when making the warp heart, though his other power was Aurelian. So there was a way to use powers from different Sentinels.


    << Level/XP: 0/0 >>


    Level Zero? That sucks. I wonder what I have to do to earn XP. Practice?


    He could stand over Kasm and keep administering ¡®Save a Friend¡¯ over and over. But the skill drew on his strength, leaving him drained and tired afterwards. He didn¡¯t want to pass out and puke again.


    << Abilities (Level): Manifest Armaments (0), Save a Friend (0) >>


    Level zero abilities too. Interesting. I really want to try out Manifest Armaments.  He didn¡¯t want to draw attention to himself though. When Gorman got back, he¡¯d ask him about it. Maybe there was a quiet place away from the town where he could experiment with it.


    << Boons: Translation >>


    Elion was especially grateful for this boon. He had no clue how he¡¯d manage to communicate with out it.


    << Quests: None >>


    He¡¯d had a quest before he came to Kylios. ¡®Join the Path of Dawn.¡¯


    ¡°How do I get more quests?¡± Elion asked.


    << Quests: Special missions granted to an Ascended by their Sentinel >>


    Could be more helpful.


    ¡°What are quests?¡±


    No response.


    ¡°I¡¯d like a quest please.¡±


    Again, no response.


    Fine, time to do some testing.


    Elion held his hands out in front of him. It might be a bad idea to try a new skill, but maybe he could learn more about Save a Friend.


    ¡°What does Save a Friend do again?¡±


    << Protection, Preservation. Stabilizes and slows, stopping infections from spreading, wounds from bleeding, and other malicious effects from spreading. >>


    Elion looked around for something to try it on. The skill seemed obviously intended to be used on a person, but maybe it could work on an inanimate object? Did it have to be used on a human?


    A rusty strip of metal leaned in the corner. Elion picked it up.


    Rust is a negative effect on metal. But I guess it¡¯s not malicious.


    He looked at the strip of metal, turning it over in his hands.


    ¡°Save a Friend,¡± he commanded.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The metal remained rusted. No light shone, and no golden threads enveloped it.


    Okay, so clearly doesn¡¯t work on rusty metal. It might have to be a human, preserving human flesh from injury or decay. Maybe ¡®Save a Friend¡¯ is a clue, and it has to be used on a friend. Or¡­  A terrible thought struck Elion.


    He returned to the rubbish bin, where he had discarded the finger. If his ability only worked on human flesh, this was one way to find out. He pulled the finger out of the bin, using a scrap of cloth so that he wouldn¡¯t have to touch it directly.


    Rummaging around in the bin, he noticed the some kind of blue apple-like fruit. Someone had taken two bites out of it, then discarded it. The apple was starting to rot.


    Elion pulled that out too. He set the finger and the apple on the table.


    He took a deep breath and tried again, hovering his hands over the finger.


    ¡°Save a Friend.¡±


    Nothing happened. The finger was pretty shriveled and dried out, and it definitely wasn¡¯t Elion¡¯s friend. The finger definitely wasn¡¯t healthy, but it also wasn¡¯t bleeding. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was infected or not, and whatever malicious effects had touched the finger seemed to have stopped. It was already as shriveled as it was going to get. Even if ¡®Save a Friend¡¯ did work on it, what would it even do?


    He wondered if the rot on the blue apple-fruit would count as a malicious effect. Rot was a part of the natural cycle of things, but it certainly wasn¡¯t desirous on foods you were going to eat. Not that Elion was planning on eating the fruit.


    Could the skill only work on alive things?  he wondered, looking around for something more alive than an apple core or a disembodied finger. He¡¯d already used the skill on Kasm. He wanted to try it on something else.


    Maybe if I was less of an introvert I¡¯d have more friends I could use the skill on,  Elion thought.  Where has Snickers gotten off to? I bet it would work on him.


    Failing to find any other likely candidates, Elion tried using the ability on the fruit.


    Again, nothing happened.


    Elion groaned. Fine, the skill didn¡¯t work on inanimate objects. He should have guessed that. He swept the trash back into the can, feeling a little embarrassed that he¡¯d even tried. He¡¯d have to see if there were people willing to be his experimentation dummies before he could learn to deal with this power better.


    He wandered back over to the window, where he could see the people outside arguing. He noted Kile, the man with the new peg leg. The guy who had glared at him earlier as Gorman escorted him out.


    None of these people were friends. Elion wondered what might happen if he tried to use his ability on one of them. Were they too far away? Probably better not to try it on a stranger.


    Kasm lay on the table across the room, a few dozen feet away from Elion. Elion raised his hands, pointing them toward the boy.


    ¡°Save a Friend,¡± Elion ordered.


    Nothing.


    He took a few steps closer and tried again.


    Still nothing.


    I know this works when I¡¯m right beside him,  Elion thought. He halved the distance between him and Kasm, standing only about ten feet away now, and tried again.


    He felt a tingle of something at the back of his head, but couldn¡¯t be sure.


    He moved closer still, separated from Kasm by only three feet.


    << Save a Friend >>


    Elion was immediately lightheaded. Strength rushed out of him, surging like when he¡¯d tried before and fallen to the ground, throwing up.


    A mere trickle of golden threads rushed out of his fingertips. His whole body numbed briefly and he had to lean on a nearby shelf until he could recover his breath. His knees shook. He sat down on the ground, and waited for the world to stop spinning around him.


    So distance does matter. Don¡¯t try to save a friend unless you¡¯re right beside them.


    Elion refused to vomit again. He laid down on the ground.


    As he lay there, recovering, he called up his Praxian menu.


    ¡°What does Manifest Armaments do again?¡±


    << Summon divine armaments to your aid in battle >>


    The same message he¡¯d gotten before. Not very informative.


    Come on, you can¡¯t use the word armaments in the definition!


    What were ¡®divine armaments¡¯ anyway? What made them ¡®divine?¡¯ He really wanted it to be armor, like Zev¡¯s.  That would be awesome.


    It has to be that. What else could it be?  He remembered Zev leaping from his truck, light coalescing around him into golden plate armor.


    He was tempted to try it, but given his current, weakened state he decided against it. Gorman¡¯s warning also made him wary. He didn¡¯t want to rock the boat, given the already tenuous situation.


    Does that ability have the same energy drain as ¡®Save a Friend¡¯? If it does, I¡¯d probably just pass out when I tried it.


    He also remembered Gorman¡¯s warning. ¡®Don¡¯t show off any of your abilities.¡¯ When Zev¡¯s armor had formed, it had lit up the whole area. Nobody was here in the room right now to see it, but Keyla could come back at anytime. And the mob outside would probably notice.


    Don¡¯t get too excited. It might not be armor. It might be something lame. I don¡¯t think I can handle that kind of disappointment right now.


    If he was going to experiment with the ability, he should at least wait until he was feeling better.


    It took around ten more minutes of laying on the ground for Elion to feel steady enough to stand up.


    He climbed to his feet shakily.


    I can only really use ¡®Save a Friend¡¯ once every couple of hours. Otherwise it seriously drains me. Hopefully that changes as I get more experience.


    Elion decided that was enough experimentation for the evening. He still felt weak from his earlier overexertion. What if this was like  The Wheel of Time  books, where channelers of the One Power could burn themselves out by drawing too much of it?  Don¡¯t risk it.


    Elion thought about Liora. It was possible that he was the only person left alive that even knew she needed help. If he was going to rescue her from Dorian, he had to be smarter. He¡¯d been pretty reckless lately, but now¡­


    Now he had a path forward. He had access to power. In his current state, he was far too weak to have an impact. But if he could level up his strength and abilities, he might stand a chance.

 21. Exploration

    Loreign pointed her sword at Dorian¡¯s chest. ¡°My son,¡± she said, tears dripping from her cheeks. ¡°I cannot allow you to proceed.¡± Though the betrayal in his eyes was clear, she did not falter. The very picture of elegant nobility, she faced him as a queen¡ªand as his mother.


    ¡°You would also betray me?¡± Dorian asked. ¡°You will not abdicate? You insist on your own death?¡±


    ¡°Turn around, Dorian. Dismiss your followers. Lay aside your weapons.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Dorian screamed, his shout echoing in the silent hall. ¡°I have restored the name of our family. No longer will the name Starhold be derided, laughed at in the streets. You cannot take my Throne from me!¡±


    <hr>


    Frustrated by his lack of understanding his new powers, and overwhelmed by the alien feel of everything in the garage, Elion decided to try and orient himself. There had to be a place to get a view of the surrounding landscape higher up in the tower.


    He went upstairs, toward the living space. Passing Keyla¡¯s room, where he¡¯d slept last night, he noticed another door on the other side of the hall. Elion tried the door, but it was locked. Further down the hall, a living room opened up.


    Blankets and a pillow strewn over a sofa suggested that Keyla had spent the night out here, while Elion occupied her bed. A small wash basin was set up in the corner of the room, near a machine that might have been a fridge. Drying dishes rested on a rack over the wash basin.


    Most of the room was taken up by a large work table, well-lit by a broad window looking to the west, away from Kairn Tol. A clean white cloth lay atop the table. On the cloth, various parts of a laser rifle lay in a carefully organized pattern, awaiting assembly. Elion walked over and examined the precise ordering of the parts, marveling at the complicated intricacy of the rifle¡¯s internal mechanisms.


    He didn¡¯t dare touch anything and wondered if he should stop poking around. But a nervous energy buzzed inside of him.


    Another window looked to the east. Looking through it, Elion could see the edge of the island, but not the river. Part of the Shard was visible, looming in the darkness. With his eyes he followed the road out of town, but he couldn¡¯t see the bridge.


    A ladder in the corner of the room suggested additional floors higher up in the tower.


    If he could find a place to see the bridge from here, he could see if the bridge was still up. He could watch for Gorman or Keyla coming back.


    Elion climbed the ladder. Passing into hole in the ceiling, he did not discover another room, but found himself in a dark tube. He climbed up through this. The humming in the air which he had noticed around the central pillar grew stronger here, intensifying as he climbed.


    Twice, he had to stop and rest, catching his breath while hanging onto the rungs of the ladder. The cuts on his legs still stung as he climbed. Once he looked down, the drop sending tingles down his spine, muscles puckering. His hands and feet grew sweaty. He nearly climbed back down, but a glance upward revealed that he had basically reached the top of the ladder, so he continued climbing.


    At the top of the ladder, he emerged into a small, circular room. There were no windows in the walls, nor was there anywhere higher to climb. At the center of the room, a column glowed with a pale yellow-green.


    Bunches of cables looped overhead, and cords lay strewn across the floor. Meters and other readouts clustered around the base of the glowing glass columns, numbers flashing on screens. Equipment wrapped around the yellow-green core flickered with teal lights.


    An inscription on a long strip of metal wrapped around the column near the top. At first Elion could not read the strange characters, but then the familiar << Translation Active >> notice appeared in his vision, and the characters subtly shifted to English.


    He had to walk all the way around the column to read the entire inscription.


    << ¡°Bound in love by shared purpose, your legacy serves us still.¡± >>


    The space, though cluttered with equipment and technology, had the sacred feel of a monument. Elion wondered what the people of Aterfel memorialized here, at the heart of this tower in the middle of their town. Elion took a closer look at the column.


    Layers of what looked like clear glass jars composed the bulk of the column, with metal rings securing the jars in place every foot or so. Glowing fluid filled the jars, a misshapen, floating object beating inside of each.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Cables ran from the column and out the top of the tower. Elion marveled at the intricate construction of the device.


    Drawing power or producing it?  Elion wondered. A clatter from the ladder startled him.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Keyla said, emerging from the hole in the floor. ¡°What are you doing? You shouldn¡¯t be up here. The Threnody Core is off limits. If you messed something up the whole city would lose power.¡±


    Elion jumped. ¡°Just looking,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Who said you could look? You need to leave this room. Stuff keeps breaking when you¡¯re around, and I don¡¯t want to have to replace Threnody Modules in the core. Besides, this space is special.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elion apologized again. ¡°I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    Keyla pulled herself the rest of the way back into the room, gesturing for Elion to lead the way back down. He obliged.


    ¡°How is the bridge? Did you get it fixed?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Temporarily,¡± Keyla said. ¡°It¡¯ll hold for now, while we work on a longer-term solution. Gorman¡¯s still there, keeping an eye on things, and I sent a few of the town guard to keep watch.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Elion said. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Just stay away from anything sensitive, if you actually care.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I care?¡± Elion retorted. ¡°Of course I care.¡± He wondered if Gorman had told her that his teleportation here had damaged the bridge.


    Keyla did not reply, and they continued in silence down the ladder.


    ¡°Gorman says you¡¯re staying in my room again tonight,¡± Keyla said when they reached the living room area. ¡°He said making you sleep on a couch would be bad hospitality. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m the one that has to give up my room though.¡± She sighed, exasperated.


    ¡°I can sleep on the couch,¡± Elion said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Stop it. You¡¯re sleeping in my room.¡± She walked down the hall and opened the door, gesturing for him to enter.


    ¡°But if you¡¯d rather¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rather Gorman find out I disobeyed him,¡± Keyla said. ¡°So you¡¯re going in here. I¡¯ll bring you some food. But I don¡¯t want you snooping around, or trying to help, or anything like that. So go to my room and stay there. And if you come near me while I¡¯m sleeping I swear I¡¯ll punch you in the throat.¡±


    Elion raised his hands defensively, but walked into Keyla¡¯s room. He¡¯d tried to be respectful of these people, of their culture. He didn¡¯t understand half of the things happening here, but he knew he hadn¡¯t done anything to deserve that statement.


    He turned to face her in the doorway, prepared to politely defend himself. In that moment, standing there with her hand on her hip, fire in her eyes, she looked just like Liora as she ordered him around. Elion¡¯s frustration broke through, and he snapped back at her. ¡°What did I ever do to you?¡± he protested. ¡°Why are you such a jerk?¡±


    Keyla shut the door in his face.


    He stood in the middle of the room, waiting for her to yell something back at him, or open the door to get the last word. Liora would have done that. She never let Elion win a fight.


    But Keyla didn¡¯t respond to his insult. Her boots clomped away down the hall, and suddenly felt a wave of homesickness wash over Elion. Liora always had a special way of getting under his skin, but he missed her. He missed Zev.


    He fumed, questioning every decision he¡¯d made in the last week. Maybe he had messed everything up here in Aterfel. Maybe he did accidentally break the bridge. But Keyla was still being a jerk to him.


    Still, he could have been more tactful. He wished she would come back and yell at him so that he wouldn¡¯t have to feel like such a meathead.


    Everything was so different here, so strange.


    Elion began pacing the room, trying to figure out what he needed to do next. He wasn¡¯t making friends here. Kasm, the first person he¡¯d met, had nearly gotten killed. Possibly his fault, too, if stray warlock magic from the portal he¡¯d stepped through had damaged the bridge.


    People in Aterfel were already angry about Aurelians thanks to Prator, and worried that he was going to bring the attention of Dorian¡¯s warlocks with him. Maybe Keyla was justified in the way she treated him.


    The immensity of what Elion had done by stepping through that portal weighed down on him. He had no plan. No knowledge. No abilities. He was trapped here, in Aterfel. He was trapped on Kylios, with no way to get back to Earth. Even if he could find Liora, what did he expect to be able to do?


    Even with his Aurelian abilities, it could take him years to improve them enough to make a difference.


    Flopping back onto the bed, Elion realized a terrible truth. He was useless here. Worse than useless, he was a danger. A menace. Nobody wanted him here, and the longer he stayed, the worse things would get. He needed to get off of this island.

 22. A Call in the Night

    Elion was still laying on the bed, considering possible ways off of the island, when Keyla came back into the room with dinner. She placed a plate of steaming vegetables on the bedside table, but didn¡¯t look at him. Avoiding her eyes, he noticed her hands; tough, strong, and calloused from working on machines, but with delicate, precise fingers for intricate craftsmanship. She wore her nails practically, cut short, and unpainted.


    He expected a quip, an angry jab, or some other retort from her, but she said nothing. Elion squirmed. Liora hadn¡¯t been the type to use the silent treatment. She usually yelled and screamed, and Elion yelled back, fighting with her until their emotions blew over into a tenuous truce, the peaceful existence of people too tired to keep fighting.


    Keyla¡¯s silence bothered him. It highlighted his immature outburst, somehow throwing it back in his face in a way he didn¡¯t know was possible. Keyla left the room without saying a word. Depressed, he ate what he could of the strange vegetables, then lay back on the bed.


    From Gorman¡¯s explanation of the island, Elion listed possible methods of escape.  I can cross the bridge, or find a boat  Obviously he couldn¡¯t cross the bridge, not unless something could be done about the Shard.


    The Aterfel Guard would never allow him to lower the bridge, and even if he managed to do it without getting shot, he¡¯d be killed by the pemalion on the other side. Besides, it would leave the town vulnerable to another attack.


    By boat though¡­ If he could find a boat, and get it into the river, he would probably be able to float downstream until the gorge widened and the river slowed. The steep cliffs around the island might present a challenge. He would have to put into the river somewhere that wouldn¡¯t float him past the pirate scavengers. Or hope they wouldn¡¯t notice a single guy in a small boat.


    Gorman had mentioned ships traveling up and down the river, so there probably weren¡¯t killer waterfalls in the way. It would just be a matter of finding a boat, or even just something he could float in. Maybe there¡¯d be something like that in Gorman¡¯s garage.


    Then what? He didn¡¯t know what happened to Zev, but he had an idea of where Liora was: Dorian¡¯s Palace.  Step one: Get off the island. Step two: Find the palace. Step three: We¡¯ll come back to that. Step four: Rescue Liora. And Zev too.


    Elion sighed. He really had no idea what he was doing.  Just focus on the next step. Get off the island.


    Soon he would be away from this place, and he¡¯d never have to think about Keyla again.


    But when he closed his eyes, he saw her face. Her crystal blue eyes, sparkling beneath a fringe of brown hair that had escaped her braid. A smile beneath her freckled cheeks, accusing him.


    Her cold, icy demeanor, bullied, blamed him for everything that had happened. Worse than this; Elion worried she was right.


    Elion sat up in bed, furious with himself. He paced across the room, wrestling with his feelings.


    He had to act fast. Dorian would find him soon if he stayed. He had to get a move on, get away from here.  Revised step one: Find a boat.


    Gorman had stayed behind to monitor the status of the bridge. Keyla would go to sleep, and then Elion could slip down into the garage and start searching for a vessel. A large barrel should do the trick. He turned off the light, pretending to be asleep, but listening at the door, fighting drowsiness from his eyes.


    When everything had been quiet for a long time, he carefully opened the door and slipped out into the hall. He had to be sure she was down for the night, so he crept into the living area.


    Keyla¡¯s form lay strewn across the couch. Her boots and overalls lay discarded on the floor beside her. A heavy blanket pulled up to her chin obscured her body, but she lay with one bare leg propped up on the back of the couch.


    Remembering Keyla¡¯s earlier threat to punch him in the throat, Elion stayed well out of range. Her toenails were painted bright red, a surprising contrast to her pragmatic exterior.


    The rhythmic sound of breathing filled the room. Elion peered through the gloom at Keyla¡¯s face. She slept soundly, chest rising and falling gently. He forced himself away before he caught a stray fist in his esophagus.


    Back through the hall, Elion slipped down the stairs to the garage area, ready to start searching for materials to build his boat. The other patients had all been removed to their homes, but Kasm still lay sleeping on his table-turned-bed.


    A chair scraped, and cloth rustled nearby. Someone else was in the room. Elion stood perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe as he listened carefully.


    A sharp click from a switch being flipped pierced the silence. Light on the other side of the central column glowed teal in the darkness. From where he stood, Elion saw the edge of Gorman¡¯s broad shoulder, the rest of the man hidden behind the central column.


    Gorman sat at a set of equipment in the central pillar. A few more clicks and taps, and Elion heard the hiss of static, then silence.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Gorman said softly. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Yeah, definitely. It¡¯s him for sure,¡± he said.


    Another pause as Gorman listened.


    ¡°I want him gone before we make our move,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s a distraction. People are getting worked up about it. Besides, I want to claim the reward.¡±


    Elion¡¯s heart began pounding in his chest.  Is he talking about me?


    ¡°We¡¯ve got it temporarily patched up, but I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll hold. Don¡¯t have a great replacement for the relay yet¡­ I know that moves up the timeline, but with your help¡­ Yes, that makes sense¡­ You know we need your help to get trade flowing again. Okay. Okay. I¡¯ll wait to hear what he says.¡±


    Another sharp click, and the call ended. Gorman stood, his chair screeching across the concrete floor as he stood. The big man rolled his neck and stretched out his shoulders, then started walking toward Elion.


    Elion slipped to the side, keeping the pillar between him and Gorman. He ducked behind a set of shelves, hiding in the shadows. Peering through a gap, he watched Gorman climb the steps out of the garage.


    After several minutes, when Elion was confident the coast was clear, he slipped over to the transmitter.


    Several knobs and dials on one portion of the machine reminded Elion of an old radio transmitter. A headset hung on a hook nearby. Could this be a way to try to contact Zev?


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    He sat on a chair beside the transmitter, and put on the headset, pulling the microphone down toward his mouth. He fiddled with the knobs, adjusting dials and listening to static.


    ¡°How do I use this?¡± he muttered to himself. His vision immediately populated with tags and translations, like an augmented reality overlay on his sight.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said, startled. ¡°Thanks Praxis.¡±


    He scanned through the labels, and realized he was missing a piece of headwear. A large helmet fit over the top of the headphones, like he was some kind of fighter pilot.


    A prominent button indicated as the << Transmission >> switch tempted him. How did this machine even work? Was there a way to send a message to Zev directly?


    ¡°How do I contact someone specific?¡± he asked. Praxis did not offer any additional information.


    A blinking red light in the corner of the screen was labeled ¡®insufficient power level.¡¯ Another notification said ¡®missing target.¡¯


    Should I try it?  His fingers hovered over the << Transmission >> button.  Bad idea.  He¡¯d be more likely to catch the attention of Dorian than to reach Zev. He needed to figure out how to use this transmitter. Maybe Gorman or Keyla would drop some information.


    Riding a barrel down an unknown river on an alien planet now seemed like a horrible idea. If Elion could reach Zev, they¡¯d be able to make a plan. Zev might even come here. He could risk another day or two, and use his raft plan as a backup.


    Assuming Zev was still alive.  Don¡¯t think about that.


    Elion tiptoed back to bed. Quiet and careful, so as to not wake Keyla or Gorman, he eased the door shut. In bed, he drifted off to sleep, exhaustion overtaking him as he imagined joining with Zev to rescue Liora.


    Gorman made good on his offer to help Elion learn. They sat in Gorman¡¯s garage together, light streaming in through the windows.


    ¡°As Artificers, we follow a different path from you,¡± Gorman explained. ¡°But the fundamentals are all the same. We interact with Praxis, the keeper of Sentinel power. Various factions hold differing beliefs about the nature of Praxis, but that doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not interested in philosophy, I¡¯m interested in action.¡±


    Elion nodded, trying to pay attention to Gorman, but finding himself distracted, wondering who the man had been talking to the night before. Gorman had definitely been talking about him, telling someone about him. Innocent? Or sinister? Elion leaned toward sinister, considering talk of collecting a reward.


    ¡°Now, I know you¡¯ve found it easiest to speak aloud your intentions to Praxis,¡± Gorman continued. ¡°But this is not necessary. Intention is what matters. I want you to call up the interface without speaking aloud. It¡¯s important, because if you¡¯re ever stuck in a situation where you can¡¯t speak, you still need to be able to access your skills.¡±


    Elion tried. He closed his eyes. He thought about Praxis, remembering all the times that the floating text had appeared in his vision. His mind wandered back to Gorman¡¯s late night call. Could Gorman have been contacting Dorian? Elion hoped not. He tried to remember what else Gorman had been discussing on the call.


    He turned his attention back to the task at hand. ¡°I¡¯m not getting anything,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡¯m focusing on Praxis. I want it to open.¡±


    ¡°Try to be more specific. Praxis isn¡¯t like a program that you activate or deactivate. It¡¯s always there, helping you. Try to access something, like your profile.¡±


    Elion remembered seeing profile text before, and tried calling it up. Rummaging around in his head, trying to find the right intention and focus, he felt something switch, and text appeared in his vision.


    << Name: Elion James Walker >>


    ? << House: Starhold >>


    ? << Ascendency: Aurelian Path of Dawn >>


    ? << Level/XP: 0/0 >>


    ? << Abilities (Level): Manifest Armaments (0), Save a Friend (0) >>


    ? << Boons: Translation >>


    ? << Quests: None >>


    He reviewed the text, information suddenly much more meaningful to him than it had been before.


    ¡°You got it,¡± Gorman said, noticing the look on Elion¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Elion said, reading the lines of the profile. ¡°Level zero, with zero xp,¡± he commented. ¡°So I guess this is my tutorial island. How do I get experience?¡±


    ¡°How do you expect?¡± Gorman asked, grinning. The man was being oddly friendly today. ¡°You practice. It¡¯s hard to get experience, though. It can take weeks of focused training to gain a single point.¡±


    Elion wondered what practicing something like ¡°Save a Friend¡± would look like. Did using it on Kasm count? ¡°What about levels?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Everyone starts at zero. You level when you hit experience thresholds, and you improve your skills or select new ones. The cumulative equation is two to the power of the level you¡¯re trying to reach, so the additional experience requirement doubles every level.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± Elion said, trying to follow. ¡°What does that look like in non-math terms?¡±


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Gorman said with a laugh. ¡°I forget that not everyone likes measurements, plans, and figures as much as Artificers. For the sake of simplicity, think of level ten as a lifetime of training. There are ways to climb that ladder more quickly and reach higher levels, but most will cap out at around fifteen.¡±


    ¡°What level are you?¡± Elion asked.


    Gorman raised his eyebrows. ¡°That¡¯s personal,¡± he said. ¡°And there¡¯s no use going around asking people their levels, because many will just lie to you. Besides, base levels don¡¯t tell you as much about an Ascended as what their skill levels are. Those matter more.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t see why the man would be testy about sharing his level, but decided not to press the issue.


    ¡°What is the highest level anyone has ever achieved?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°There are rumors,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Again, most Ascended don¡¯t go around sharing that information. But heroes in legends are often said to have forty or more levels.¡±


    Gorman groaned, stretched, and stood from his chair.


    ¡°You keep practicing,¡± he said. ¡°Refresh your ability on Kasm. I need to get back to the bridge and make sure everything is holding up. We¡¯re going to add a locking mechanism so that the bridge doesn¡¯t drop back down if the power fails. Something I should have done back when we first adapted the thing to go up and down, but never got around to it.¡±


    ¡°I have another ability too,¡± Elion said. ¡°Manifest Armaments. Do you know what it does?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, I¡¯d imagine that¡¯s your Ascended state,¡± Gorman said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it yet because you warned me to be careful. Is there somewhere I can go to experiment with it in private?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can figure out something. I¡¯ll think about it and let you know. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re reigning in your impulses.¡±


    Elion nodded. ¡°I want to practice and gain experience, but I don¡¯t want to cause more trouble for you. Thanks for the lesson,¡± he said. ¡°And for your hospitality here. I¡¯ll need to be getting out of your hair soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, I suppose that¡¯s true,¡± Gorman said. ¡°No need to rush though.¡±


    Gorman left, leaving Elion to wonder at the man¡¯s sudden change of tune. Before, he had seemed so worried about getting rid of Elion.

 23. The Power of Herana

    Something woke Elion in the depths of the night; the sound of scratching on the floor boards, growling softly in the darkness. Elion¡¯s eyes snapped open in his bed, certain that somehow a pemalion had found its way into his bedroom.


    More sounds, a low snarl. There was definitely something in his room. Elion tried to remember what Gorman had said to him about using Praxis without speaking.


    ¡°Armaments,¡± he whispered. ¡°Give me armaments.¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t remember the name of the ability. He heard panting, the scraping of claws against the floorboards.


    ¡°What abilities do I have,¡± he breathed out.


    The menu reappeared:


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    ? << Save A Friend >>


    Before he could speak further, a weight landed on his chest, knocking the breath out of him. He gasped, wheezing for breath as adrenaline flooding through his veins like ice. In one motion he flung the creature from him, diving from his bed for the door.


    A large black shadow flew across the room, crashing loudly into the dresser, sending tools clattering to the floor. Elion scrabbled for the door, but, unfamiliar with his surroundings in the darkness, couldn¡¯t find it.


    The creature yowled angrily, its cry piercing the night. Elion tripped over a stool in the darkness, tumbling hard to the ground. He pushed himself back up against a wall, looking for his assailant, breathing fast, heart racing.


    A door opened and the lights came on. Keyla stood in the doorway, wearing a long t-shirt, arms folded across her chest. She hadn¡¯t said a word to him since their altercation, when he¡¯d called her a jerk.


    ¡°What in the name of¡ª¡±


    In the newly illuminated room, Elion identified his attacker.


    ¡°Snickers!¡± he exclaimed. The cat walked calmly across the room, turning his nose at the mess he had just made, as if to say, ¡®How can anyone live like this?¡¯


    The cat walked straight past Elion, without so much as a glance, and began nuzzling his head against Keyla¡¯s legs, purring.


    ¡°Aww,¡± she said, scooping Snickers up in her arms. ¡°You¡¯re a fluffy critter, aren¡¯t you!¡± She stroked his head, scratching behind his ears. He purred, nestling deeper against Keyla¡¯s chest.


    ¡°What were you doing in here?¡± Keyla demanded. ¡°Besides making a mess?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Elion said, groggy mind struggling to respond to her questions. His heart still raced, his body prepared for another fight. ¡°That¡¯s my cat,¡± he muttered.


    Keyla shrugged, then turned, taking Snickers with her as she closed the door. Snickers seemed to smirk at Elion as he left.


    Elion breathed deeply, relieved to see Snickers safe and unharmed. But he was still annoyed at the way the cat had snuck up on him and then immediately left with Keyla.


    ¡°Traitor,¡± Elion growled at the closed door.


    He got up from where he sat on the floor, rubbing at his bruised shins. He righted the stool that had tripped him, then replaced the things which had fallen off the dresser. A couple of books, some tools, and the picture frame, which luckily hadn¡¯t broken.


    Elion placed the picture of Keyla and her mother back on the dresser, noting the woman¡¯s eyes. They were not the same crystal blue as Keyla¡¯s, but had the same shape.


    Once he had righted things in the room, he decided he¡¯d better go rescue Snickers from Keyla. The cat was probably hungry, and he doubted she knew what to feed him.


    Keyla clattered around in the kitchen, probably trying to find food for Snickers. The cat had a way of getting people to feed him.


    Elion pulled on his shirt and pants, then walked down the hall to the living area.


    Keyla sat on a chair at the table. She had pulled her overalls back on, over her pajama shirt. Snickers sat on the table, eating from a bowl of food, while Keyla brushed his hair out with a hairbrush.


    ¡°What are you feeding him?¡± Elion asked as he walked into the room. He wasn¡¯t sure if the cat could eat Kylian food.  What if he¡¯s allergic to it?


    ¡°Just some fish paste,¡± Keyla said. ¡°He pulled it out of the fridge.¡±


    Elion grimaced, though that sounded like the kind of thing Snickers liked to eat.


    Keyla glanced up at him, wisps of hair floating around her face, her blue eyes amused for once. Her face lacked hardness it normally took on when she looked at him.


    ¡°He seems hungry,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Look at him eat. You¡¯ve clearly been neglecting him.¡±


    ¡°Snickers is independent. He knows how to take care of himself,¡± Elion said, walking over to the table. ¡°He ran off when we landed here.¡±


    ¡°Probably just looking for food. He¡¯s starving. What is he, anyways? A snickers?¡±


    ¡°No, Snickers is his name. He¡¯s a cat.¡±


    ¡°A cat,¡± Keyla said, the word sounding forced and strange in her mouth.


    ¡°Yeah. I guess they¡¯re more common where I¡¯m from,¡± Elion said. ¡°Maybe something like a small pemalion?¡±


    Keyla laughed, stroking Snickers more as he continued eating. ¡°A pemalion? He¡¯s not nearly vicious enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he can be vicious,¡± Elion said, standing awkwardly over them. He sat down at the table. ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Keyla brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. ¡°Where did you come from, anyways?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re weird.¡±


    ¡°Gee thanks,¡± Elion said, furrowing his brow. He didn¡¯t want to have a heart to heart with her. Gorman had warned him about revealing his identity. ¡°Why?¡± he snapped, ¡°Did Gorman order you to talk to me or something?¡±


    Keyla looked hurt, and Elion backpedaled quickly.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m imposing already. I just didn¡¯t want you to feel like you had to take care of Snickers if you didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t come here to be insulted.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Keyla said, eyes flashing. ¡°You¡¯re the only one allowed to call people names?¡±


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    Elion got up and turned to leave. ¡°I was feeling upset and you were reminding me of¡ªnever mind. Besides, you  were  being a jerk.¡±


    ¡°Reminding you of who?¡±


    Elion hesitated. So far he¡¯d had no luck getting any information on the transmitter from Gorman. If he opened up to Keyla, maybe she¡¯d start talking to him.


    ¡°Just my sister,¡± he said, turning back toward Keyla. ¡°We used to fight a lot, and I guess I¡¯m just worried about her. I miss her. We¡¯ve pretty much always been together, since we¡¯re twins, and I just don¡¯t know what to do without her around.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Keyla asked, attention shifting away from Snickers. ¡°Where is she?¡± Her eyes searched him appraisingly, scanning for signs of deception.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Elion said. ¡°I was trying to find her, and I ended up here in Aterfel by mistake.¡±


    ¡°Because of Kasm¡¯s summoning,¡± she said.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Elion shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how any of that works. I don¡¯t know anything about this place. I just hope Liora¡¯s okay.¡±


    Keyla¡¯s face softened briefly, a layer of hardness and suspicion melting away. ¡°You¡¯re telling the truth,¡± she said.


    Elion nodded. ¡°Seems like I¡¯m just causing problems. I¡¯ll be getting out of here soon, and you won¡¯t have to worry about me messing stuff up anymore.¡±


    She stiffened in her seat, then whisked away Snickers¡¯ empty food bowl. She crossed the room, bringing the bowl over to a washbasin.


    ¡°Well none of us are going with you,¡± Keyla snapped. ¡°You¡¯d better go back to bed.¡± She didn¡¯t turn to look at him. ¡°It¡¯s late.¡±


    Elion¡¯s neck prickled, his face flushing with anger again.  What happened to her? She¡¯s so hard to read, jumping from interested to cold in a split second.  He clenched his fists, biting back an angry retort.


    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want you to feel like you had to take care of my cat,¡± he said. ¡°Come on Snickers.¡±


    He reached out for the animal, but Snickers sprang away from him, running between the legs of the table. Snickers pawed at Keyla¡¯s legs, mewing.


    ¡°He can stay with me,¡± she said, picking him up and stroking his head.


    Elion scowled, thrusting his lower lip out in a pout. Keyla didn¡¯t turn to look at him. He spun on his heel and stormed out of the room.


    Behind him, Snickers purred loud enough for Elion to hear.


    Elion fumed as he walked back down the hall, leaving Keyla and Snickers to explore their budding friendship without him. The hall ended in darkness, a set of stairs leading down into the garage.


    Something flickered in the darkness ahead. Elion froze in the hall, wondering if Gorman had gone back to his transmitter to make more calls. But the color was different, not the normal, ubiquitous teal light that powered everything in Aterfel. The light was green, a pure shade that reminded Elion of freshly cut grass.


    He headed down the hall to investigate.


    The heavy padding of Snickers running behind him reached him too late to react. The huge cat struck him from behind, knocking him flat on his face.


    Elion grunted as the floor knocked the wind from his lungs. Snickers ran forward into the darkness, bounding down the stairs. Keyla laughed softly, an annoyingly pleasant sound, as she came up behind Elion.


    Ignoring her, Elion picked himself up off the ground and ran after Snickers. Keyla was getting on his nerves.


    ¡°Snickers,¡± Elion called, keeping his voice low to avoid disturbing Gorman. He thumped down the steps into the dark garage, but stopped abruptly before reaching the bottom. Keyla bumped into him from behind, causing him to stumble down to the last step.


    ¡°What is it,¡± she asked, pushing her face over his shoulder, where he could feel her breath on his ear. Elion flinched away. ¡°Oh,¡± she gasped, seeing what had stopped him.


    The garage had transformed into a jungle. All the workbenches, tables, power tools, and other equipment were still there, but faintly glowing bands of energy had woven through and around everything. Almost invisible at first, the pulsing green light grew subtly stronger as Elion watched.


    Green motes flickered in the air like fireflies. The central pillar looked like an enormous tree trunk, a grandfather of the forest. The stink of the garage was gone. Instead, the air smelled fresh and clean, like a garden after the rain, with a hint of floral perfume.


    Everything pulsed rhythmically as waves of light swept around the room. A peaceful sound like a distant spring grew, matching a gentle rustle of foliage. At the heart of it all lay Kasm, still peacefully sleeping on the table, blankets tucked up around him.


    Snickers sat beside Kasm, licking the boy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Heranan cultivation,¡± Keyla whispered, startling Elion. He¡¯d forgotten she was there.


    Elion took a cautious step down onto the concrete floor of the garage. He did not feel the cold hard ground on his bare feet, but instead found himself stepping on soft, loamy soil. Walking as if in a dream, he and Keyla crossed the room to stand beside Kasm¡¯s sleeping form.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Elion marveled.


    ¡°Healing,¡± Keyla said, placing her hand on Kasm¡¯s forehead. Her face glowed in the soft green light, eyes filled with wonder. Keyla pulled the blanket back, uncovering the boy. Shimmering threads grew from Kasm¡¯s body like roots or vines, bursting out of his injured side.


    Elion reached forward, brushing his hand through the strands. He felt nothing as they dissolved, crumbling into a spray of twinkling particles. The weave of light regrew as his hand passed through, twisting in the air, forming a new pattern.


    A wholesome warmth crept over Elion, a sense of peace, relief, and relaxation. He looked down, and found his legs wrapped in green filament, like vine-covered tree trunks. The cuts in his legs warmed, tingling as they healed.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Elion asked. ¡°How is this happening?¡±


    Gorman¡¯s boots clomping down the stairs signaled his entrance. He glanced around briefly at the foot of the stairs, looking mildly annoyed.


    ¡°A Heranan and an Aurelian?¡± he grumbled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing this,¡± Elion said.


    Gorman raised his eyebrows, surprised.


    Kasm¡¯s eyes opened, and he inhaled sharply. He shifted, but Gorman¡¯s straps held him to the table.


    Gorman and Keyla quickly undid the restraints, and Kasm sat up. He pulled his knees to his chest, unseeing eyes skipping around the room. His breath came more quickly now, in shorter, more panicked gasps.


    Green light dwindled from the room as glowing threads faded, plunging everyone into darkness.


    Kasm screamed, then gasped for air, hyperventilating.


    "Someone get the lights,¡± Gorman shouted, and Elion heard Keyla shuffling around in the darkness. Elion grabbed Kasm and felt the boy shaking in his arms, wheezing for air.


    Kasm whispered something, but Elion couldn¡¯t distinguish the words.


    The bright overhead lamps turned on, shedding blinding light over the scene. Elion blinked in the light as Kasm screeched again.


    Gorman pulled bandages away from Kasm¡¯s side, even as the boy shivered and rocked back and forth.


    ¡°He¡¯s totally healed,¡± Gorman said. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of an injury.¡±


    Smooth skin rippled over Kasm¡¯s exposed side, revealing no scarring or damage. Kasm moaned.


    ¡°He¡¯s obviously not okay!¡± Keyla shouted, picking up Kasm¡¯s blanket and wrapping it around the boy.


    Kasm¡¯s eyes stopped rolling, locking on a space in front of him. He continued whispering.


    ¡°What¡¯s he saying?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming. They¡¯re coming. They¡¯re coming,¡± Kasm said, his voice growing louder. ¡°They hate Gorman. They¡¯re going to kill us.¡±

 24. At the Dock

    Queen Loreign held her sword steady, pointed at her son. Dorian stepped forward, pressing his chest against the tip of her blade.


    ¡°It is not your Throne,¡± Loreign said. ¡°It belongs to the people of Kylios, which is something you never understood.¡±


    ¡°Stand aside, whore!¡± Dorian snapped.


    ¡°I cannot, so long as I draw breath.¡±


    Dorian¡¯s face flushed, his brows furrowing, his eyes bright with fury. ¡°I am your son.¡±


    ¡±Duty to my people comes first.¡±


    ¡°So be it,¡± he growled. In an instant, he slapped your mother¡¯s blade aside, stepping inside her guard. A sharp blade flashed in his hand, and he gripped her neck with his other. He stabbed her, viciously, drawing the knife back and plunging it repeatedly into her chest.


    <hr>


    Snickers poked his head out of Keyla¡¯s backpack, and Elion could swear the cat smirked at him. They hiked down a dusty, overgrown trail, Keyla taking the lead. This was their second trip of the morning.


    Keyla had roused him, dragging him out of bed and telling him Gorman had a job for them. So they¡¯d hiked down from the village, to the top end of the island, where the river split to run around both sides.


    There the cliffs had crumbled, allowing for a steep path down to the river. An alcove, out of the swift current, sheltered the old shipping dock. Constructed of scavenged scrap metal and repaired with lumber from the forest on the island, the dock hadn¡¯t seen much use since the crystal Shard had appeared on the far bank.


    A few crates and barrels still sat expectantly on the dock, alongside a rotting coil of rope that hadn¡¯t been moved in months.


    The dock house ran alongside the dock, extending over the water on one end but resting on the sandy shore at the other. It held cargo waiting for a boat to come through, along with several crates filled with equipment that hadn¡¯t yet been brought up into the town.


    As they reached the shipping house, Elion breathed heavily, sweating beneath his hoodie even in the chill of morning. Keyla didn¡¯t even seem phased by the exertion, even though she carried Snickers in a backpack and a rifle slung over her shoulder.


    For some reason Keyla had decided to start talking to him again. She¡¯d also insisted that Elion carry a rifle. At first he liked the feeling of toting the weapon around. The sling held it close to his chest, and the weight of the weapon made him feel powerful.


    Considering the amount of fighting that Elion had seen since he¡¯d arrived, the weapon was a reassurance. He liked having something a little more powerful than a butter knife at his disposal.


    Still, the novelty of toting a laser gun around had quickly worn off, and he every time the weapon bumped against him or got in the way, he felt more annoyed at Keyla for insisting he carry it with him.


    Kasm waking up from his coma had put the whole town on edge. His healing from the infection was a miracle. But he asserted that he¡¯d dreamed of an assault on Aterfel; that a malevolent entity within the Shard drove the infected to try to kill them all. So, everyone had been carrying weapons around, and the guard at the bridge had been doubled, just in case.


    Elion walked out onto the dock, wooden planks thunking beneath his feet as the soothing slosh of running water calmed him. The fresh scents of the water, of wet wood, and of growing vegetation filled his lunges.


    From here he could see through the gorge to the bridge, where Gorman still struggled with the machinery. Keyla followed his gaze, inspecting the bridge. Not fully raised, the movable span of bridge leaned over the chasm, like it longed to be reunited with its other half.


    ¡°It¡¯s not designed to be permanently raised,¡± Keyla explained. ¡°A lot of stuff has worn out over the past few years. The bridge wants to be lowered; he¡¯s fighting gravity and inertia as best he can.¡±


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he just weld it or something?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°He probably will.¡±


    From here, the gap in the bridge seemed too small. Not enough for a person to get across, but a few prowling pemalion had to be driven off by shots from the sentries rifles.  They probably can¡¯t jump that gap, but good to be save,  Elion figured.


    Down here by the water they were already much closer to the river¡¯s far bank. The pale facets of the Shard jutted into the sky, just visible over the lip of the canyon. The far shore was still several hundred yards away, but it wasn¡¯t as steep on that side, and around the bend upriver he could make out scavengers.


    The infected scavengers had beaten a path down to the riverside, and carried things down to the water, working on whatever they were doing down by the shore. They were upriver a way, before the place where it split to flow around the island.


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    ¡°What are they doing up there?¡± Elion asked, raising his rifle to peer at them through the scope. He had a hard time tracking them, their movements covered by foliage.


    ¡°Just making sure that no ships get through,¡± Keyla said. ¡°They blew up a ship, stole another, and killed a lot of people before the settlements upstream gave up. They actually tried to use the ship to cross over to the island, but the engine was damaged in the fighting, and they didn¡¯t have enough power to escape the current.¡±


    ¡°What about downriver?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Don¡¯t they ever send ships up?¡±


    ¡°Mostly we shipped things downriver, and the empty boats traveled back upstream. It takes a strong engine to move against the current here. And we don¡¯t have much to trade with them now. Used to be that we had the best access to Karin Tol, for scavenging. Since nobody wants to risk getting past the infected, no ships come here anymore.¡±


    ¡°Surely a crew could fight them off. Or an armored ship could just ignore them.¡±


    Keyla shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Nobody seems willing to try.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they close enough that you could come down here and shoot at them?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes people do. They¡¯re pretty far for accurate projectile shooting, and they are close enough to the crystal shard that the energy beams start to fizzle. So the infected just duck behind cover or move away when people shoot at them.¡±


    ¡°They never shoot back?¡±


    Keyla shook her head. ¡°Their guns aren¡¯t as good. They¡¯ve only got projectile weapons, and they use those sparingly.¡±


    They entered the dock house, and Keyla handed him a crate, about the size of a carry-on suitcase. ¡°Here, you take this box,¡± she said, turning back to the stack to pick up another one.


    ¡°I think I can take two,¡± Elion said, hefting the crate. It wasn¡¯t too heavy, and if he could save himself another trip, it would be worth it.


    ¡°Did you listen to Gorman?¡± Keyla asked. ¡°We¡¯re not taking any risk with this stuff. It¡¯s too delicate. What if you trip?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t trip,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    ¡°One crate,¡± Keyla said, picking up one of her own. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Elion shrugged. Gorman had been emphatic about that point. The equipment in these crates had been delivered just before the Shard landed, over a year ago. Apparently the equipment inside was so highly sensitive to being jostled, Gorman hadn¡¯t bothered to carry it up the hill to his tower and risk damaging things. Elion couldn¡¯t decide if that made sense or was just lazy.


    But now he needed it for work on the bridge, which is why Elion and Keyla were carrying the crates across the island to him.


    ¡°What if we just bring all the crates up to the top of the cliff, then load everything up into a wagon hitched to an ATV and pull it really slowly down to the bridge?¡±


    Keyla scoffed, rolling her eyes. ¡°The road is too rough for that. We¡¯d have to go way slower. Don¡¯t be lazy, just carry the crate. It¡¯ll only be one more trip.¡±


    So they hiked back up the switchbacks toward the main road. About halfway up, the cliffs gave way to steep slopes, littered with broken stones, and a narrow track cut around the edge of the island; a dirt bike shortcut from the docks to the bridge.


    Gorman apparently couldn¡¯t ask anyone else to help carry these boxes of precious equipment. Elion wondered what he¡¯d done to deserve Gorman¡¯s trust.


    Keyla still carried Snickers around in his backpack, and the smug little cat kept poking his head out to look at Elion. The cat definitely winked at him this time.


    After depositing their second load at the bridge, the temperature had risen significantly. Wondering what the UV index was here, Elion wiped his brow. He tended to burn easily. Beneath his hoodie the shirt soaked up sweat. Feeling insecure, he kept the hoodie on.


    Elion followed Keyla back to the dock, but he struggled to maintain her pace and fell behind. She didn¡¯t seem to notice the heat and sun, and her tanned skin suggested a familiarity with the outdoors. She moved nimbly over the uneven path, lithe body balancing effortlessly. Elion knew she was walking fast just to bother him.


    When she disappeared around a bend in the path, Elion sat down on a partially shaded rock to rest. He unslung the laser rifle and leaned back, recovering his breath, staring out across the water.


    From where he sat he could just make out the edge of whatever the infected were constructing upriver. Some kind of structure, he guessed, which they could use as a platform to assault any ships that might try to pass them on the river. He raised his rifle, peering through the scope to get a better look.


    He couldn¡¯t see much from this angle, his view blocked by trees and a shallow bend in the river. Out on the water, he spotted a floating platform with a strange contraption atop it. A long spear appeared to have been shoved down the barrel of a cannon, and a coil of cable nearby fastened to the spear. Elion guessed they might use it to try to harpoon a passing ship.


    There did seem to be a lot of activity along the shoreline, as infected scavengers ducked in and out of cover, working on their project. Elion had imagined the infection would make scavengers wild and rabid, but these worked in a calm, coordinated manner. They had a strange aura about them, working like ants or bees¡ªsome kind of hive insect. Every once in a while Elion caught a glimpse of the inky blackness that filled their eyes, the visible indication of the infection.


    Still, Keyla hadn¡¯t seemed too concerned about them, so Elion guessed it was normal.


    Refreshed after his short breather, Elion continued along the path, mentally preparing to defend himself from Keyla¡¯s quips about his slow speed. The path wound lower down the side of the cliff, weaving between gigantic boulders and trees which blocked his view of the river.


    A loud boom cracked the air, echoing up and down the canyon. Elion glanced back at the bridge, but it hadn¡¯t moved. He ran down the path toward the river. Rounding a corner, the dock came into view.

 25. Infected Assault

    Another explosion rang out, accompanied by a puff of smoke from a platform floating down the river. A spear soared through the air, cable coiling out behind it. Crashing into the dock, the spear embedded itself into the planks, sending wood splinters flying.


    Several large rafts drifted in the water, the current hauling them along. Two harpoons had embedded into the wood of the dock. Large cables secured to the spears tightened as infected scavengers cranked winches, pulling the rafts out of the current and toward the docks.


    ¡°Keyla,¡± Elion yelled, running down the path toward the dock house. Rifles cracked as scavengers on the rafts took shots at Elion, projectiles whizzing through the air around him and smashing on rocks. Luckily, the motion of the rafts on the water prevented more accurate fire.


    Splatter-thumping shots sounded from the dock house, the telltale sound of Keyla¡¯s laserarm returning fire. Teal light flashed in the windows, and streaks of energy cut across the water. Elion slid down an incline to the back of the dock house, unslinging his rifle.


    Snickers burst out of the dock house, a streak of gray fur. The cat ran past Elion, sprinting up the cliff toward the safety of the village.


    Elion raised his rifle, leaning out of cover to find a target. A snarling scavenger waved a makeshift sword, a long heavy blade with an unevenly ground edge. He rode the bow of a raft, water splashing over him as the river bucked the raft up and down. The winch pulled the craft forward against the current, the scavenger shouting some kind of war cry.


    Elion took careful aim and fired, a beam of energy lancing through the air, momentarily connecting Elion¡¯s rifle to the man¡¯s chest. The man tumbled backward onto the raft, a swirl of smoke and steam billowing around him as he fell.


    Another boom, and a third spear flew through the air, splashing down in the water nearby. Elion counted at least 4 more rafts coming down the river, each with their own grappling cannon and winch, crowded with armed scavengers.


    The crew of the raft that had missed their harpoon shot hurriedly cranked their winch, trying to recover the projectile and fire again, but they were already being swept out into the fastest part of the river.  That current is fast and strong. They¡¯re not going to make it.


    Elion scrambled into the dock house as Keyla fired off another round of shots, the thumping splat of energy beams lighting up the interior in stark contrasts. The smell of seaweed and rotting wood confronted him.


    ¡°Keyla,¡± he exclaimed, ¡°There are too many! We need backup!¡±


    ¡°Go get help,¡± she said, moving to another window for a better shot. Scavengers screamed, their cries growing louder over the sound of the river.


    ¡°You¡¯re faster,¡± Elion said, finding his own target. He missed, but his shot clipped a different scavenger, sending the woman tumbling off the back of the raft.


    ¡°I¡¯m also a better shot!¡± Keyla said. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off while¡ª¡±


    A spray of bullets, fired from a machine gun mounted on a raft further back, peppered the wall of the dock house, blasting holes through the woodwork.


    ¡°I¡¯m never going to make it up that hill,¡± Elion protested. ¡°And I¡¯m not going to leave you behind. You go!¡±


    ¡°We need to do something about these crates,¡± Keyla said, indicating the few remaining crates of sensitive equipment that they had not yet transported to the bridge. She grabbed one of the boxes and carefully moved it to the back of the dock house, setting it gently behind one of the metal pillars that held up the roof.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t get help soon, I don¡¯t think that will matter.¡± Elion said as he peered out the window, his statement going unanswered as Keyla moved the remaining crates.


    The raft that had missed its first shot was not going to get a second chance; the current had already swept them out past the first three rafts. They were headed quickly down the river toward the bridge.


    Elion prayed that someone at the bridge would notice and send help.


    Three rafts had now succeeded in anchoring themselves to the dock. These had swung out parallel to the cliffs, the current pulling against them as the winch pulled them in closer to the slow eddies near shore.


    The rafts would swing down and smash into the rocky cliffs of the island if they didn¡¯t continue reeling in their harpoons. At their current speed, they¡¯d be on the docks before Elion could even make it halfway back up the hill.


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    Another boom, another harpoon sailing through the air. This one crashed through the metal siding of the dock house, barbs catching onto a structural beam. The building groaned.


    ¡°We need to unhook their harpoons!¡± Elion shouted as Keyla moved the second crate. ¡°If they make it to the dock we¡¯re done for.¡°


    He raised his rifle and fired a few more shots, trying to hit one of the cables or winches. One of his shots hit, causing the scavengers working the crank to dive to the ground. A spray of fire from another raft sent Elion scrambling. Bullets pinged off of metal joists.


    ¡°Stop attracting their fire,¡± Keyla yelled, setting the last box down. ¡°At least draw their attention away from here, away from this equipment!¡±


    Elion peered out the window, disappointed to see the winch he hit still in operation.


    ¡°Cover me,¡± he said, running to the door of the dock house.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Keyla called after him, but he was already through the doors. He ran a short distance to the nearest harpoon, where it had smashed through the planking of the dock. Keyla¡¯s rifle thumped behind him.


    The harpoon here had punctured a plank, and nearly pulled it out of the dock. Nails screeched as scavengers turned the winch, hauling on the cable. Elion kicked the plank hard. The nails came loose and the board sprang up and out of the dock, flying through the air as the raft pulled it away down the river.


    Keyla ran away from the dock house and up the dock, leaping the new gap in the dock and sliding down behind some barrels. Elion crawled over to her, keeping his head down. A rat-a-tat thump of bullets pounding into their cover kept him cautious.


    Another boom sounded, followed by the heavy thwack of a harpoon biting into wood nearby, splinters flying into the air. Elion¡¯s body trembled, but he had to do something.  We can¡¯t let them get to the dock.


    ¡°Good move,¡± Keyla gasped, crawling further down the dock until she reached the edge of the barrels. Resting her rifle on a coil of rope, she took two shots. Something exploded, louder than a cannon, and without the accompanying whistle of an incoming harpoon.


    Elion peeked over a crate to see that Keyla had destroyed the cannon on one of the rafts. The raft burned, floating away down the river as scavengers dived into the water, trying to board neighboring crafts.


    ¡°Good move yourself,¡± he said, pulling up his rifle and taking aim at another harpoon launcher on a raft further up the river. Fire from a nearby raft forced him to duck back down before he could shoot.


    A harpoon embedded itself into a nearby dock piling. Elion screwed up his courage and dove for the piling. He tried to wrench the harpoon out of the wood, but it was buried too deeply. He scrambled back to cover.


    Keyla leaned against the crate beside him, breathing hard. ¡°There¡¯s too many of them,¡± she said.


    ¡°We need help,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°They¡¯ll see the rafts from the bridge and come, but it¡¯ll take too long,¡± Keyla said. ¡°We need to cut the cables of their rafts!¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an Aurelian. Use your sword!¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡± Elion bit off his rebuttal.


    ¡°Abilities,¡± he muttered.


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    ? << Save a Friend >>


    ¡°What does Manifest Armaments do again?¡± Elion asked, trying not to draw Keyla¡¯s attention.  If I have a sword, it¡¯s going to be that ability.


    ¡°What?¡± Keyla asked aloud, peering curiously at Elion. Another harpoon whistled through the air, lodging itself into a piling of the dock house. ¡°You¡¯re talking to Praxis?¡± she said, shock widening her eyes. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re doing!¡±


    << Summon divine armaments to your aid in battle >>


    ¡°I dropped my sword at the Altar,¡± Elion said, thinking of how he¡¯d presented his butter knife there.


    ¡°Summon it back,¡± Keyla called back. ¡°You¡¯re an Aurelian!¡±


    ¡°Manifest Armaments,¡± Elion commanded, sounding more confident than he felt. He remembered Zev, leaping from his truck, suit of golden armor forming a protective casing around him, his sword blazing in the night.  I really should have tried this out earlier.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to die,¡± Keyla groaned, blindly shooting over their cover. Returning fire shook the crate Elion hid behind.


    Elion breathed deeply, feeling strength surge through his limbs as threads of light gathered around his body.


    << Manifest Armaments >> activated.

 26. Manifest Armaments

    ¡°Yes!¡± Elion shouted. Golden threads of light swirled in the air. Vitality surged through him. A cool breeze prickled his skin as something formed around him.


    The handle of a weapon coalesced in his hand.


    Elated, Elion sprang toward the nearest harpoon. Keyla began firing her laserarm, providing a distraction.


    Swinging his blade down onto the harpoon cable, Elion found in his hand the butter knife he¡¯d borrowed from Catherine Martin¡¯s clubhouse. A sting of disappointment struck him in the chest, and he nearly dropped the knife.


    The blade had changed slightly; a vein of gold now ran along its spine. Momentum carried Elion¡¯s hand to the cable, and the blade struck it. The knife bit into the twined strands of metal, far deeper than a normal butter knife should have.


    Elion grinned. Something had sharpened his butter knife. He continued hacking, twists of the cable breaking away with each strike. After five or six cuts the cable snapped, whipping backwards toward the raft it had been attached to.


    Elion forgot where he was. He raised his hands in triumph, thrusting the knife into the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s your sword?¡± Keyla asked, incredulous.


    A bullet struck Elion in the leg, knocking him over before he could retort. Pulling himself up, he felt strangely weakened. He clutched at his thigh, surprised to find his leg bare but not bleeding. Bullets bit into the dock nearby as he scrambled to hide behind one of the pilings of the dock, near where another harpoon anchored itself.


    The dock house screeched loudly, tilting sideways as pressure from the two rafts anchored to it overcame the strength of its pilings.


    Elion broke from cover, chopping at the cable. It was attached to the closest raft, three scavengers still on board. One with a rifle fired, the air popping around Elion as bullets whizzed past his head. He dropped, crouching back behind the piling before he managed to sever the cable.


    Keyla¡¯s gun thumped twice, and two scavengers fell into the water. Elion pulled himself back up, hacking at the cable, nearly cutting through it. His leg throbbed where the bullet had struck it.


    A panel of the dock house dislodged itself, pulled into the water and towed downstream by a raft of scavengers. The scavengers cried out in dismay as their raft was smashed into the cliffside. It disintegrated into splinters, and the wreckage was washed away.


    The building tilted precariously, then collapsed sideways into the water, as the other harpoon came free.


    From the river another raft fired its harpoon, this one splintering the dock not far from Elion and Keyla. Sharp splinters blasted across Elion¡¯s back and side. More than a dozen scavengers crowded on this raft. Two of them aimed rifles at Keyla and Elion, their shots smashing into the dock and crates nearby.


    Elion struck the cable again as Keyla moved into cover alongside him. A single scavenger remained on this raft, a dirty, scraggly woman. A dirty blue and yellow rag tied her hair back. She abandoned the winch and recovered a fallen gun, taking careful aim.


    Keyla froze, scavenger in her sights. Her eyes widened, color draining from her face. Her finger flexed on the trigger of the gun, but she did not fire.


    The scavenger woman was so close, Elion could see her eyes. They were totally black, like pits, reflecting no light.


    The scavenger fired her rifle. The bullet struck Elion in the side, a blow like a hammer knocking him backwards. He grabbed his ribs, again surprised to find nothing but bare skin and a stinging welt.


    ¡°Shoot her!¡± Elion yelled, cutting through the last of the cable. The woman fired again, this shot going wide as the freed raft bucked, swinging out into the current of the river. Keyla did not move.


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    Elion ran down the dock to the anchoring spear of the final raft, and severed the line with three powerful strokes of the knife. The cut cable flipped back through the air, and the freed raft changed direction, towed by the current of the river. The sudden movement sent several scavengers tumbling into the river.


    Behind Elion the remains of the dock house exploded. A pressure wave from the detonation burst Elion¡¯s ears and sucked the breath from his lungs. A fireball consumed the remains of the structure, sending flecks of shredded metal flying into the sky.


    With a woosh, air swept past Elion, funneling black smoke upward into a billowing mushroom cloud. Heat washed over everything, and the smell of burning hair permeated Elion¡¯s nostrils.


    Keyla remained paralyzed on the dock, rifle aimed down river. Flecks of smoldering debris rained down around them. Elion gasped for air, scrambling to his feet and yelling Keyla¡¯s name.


    He couldn¡¯t hear himself. She did not move. The dock burned, wind fanning the flames and pulling smoke upwards into the swelling cloud of smoke. Larger chunks of flaming debris rained down around them, crashing through the dock and splashing into the water.


    Elion ran down the docks. A second, larger explosion erupted violently behind him. He grabbed the stunned Keyla, hauling her off her feet as the blast smashed into him, hurtling them into the river.


    The splash of cold water snapped Keyla back to reality, and she struggled out of Elion¡¯s grasp, thrashing in the river. More debris splashed down nearby as the current pulled them away from the docks.


    Keyla pushed Elion underwater, forcing him to swim away from her as she flailed. He tried yelling at her, but she didn¡¯t respond. Elion didn¡¯t know if she could swim. Heck, Elion could barely swim. They floated out into the river, bobbing among the wreckage of the dock house.


    As the river pulled them around a corner, Elion saw people running along the cliff, down the path from the village. Fire burned on the dock, and a large portion of it collapsed.


    Keyla disappeared under the water, and he tried to swim to her as water splashed into his nostrils and eyes, blinding him. She resurfaced nearby, her eyes alert and intent as she treaded water. She yelled something, but Elion didn¡¯t understand¡ªcouldn¡¯t hear her over the sound of the river and the ringing in his ears.


    She gestured toward the cliffs of the island and started swimming toward them. Elion did the same, but the current of the river surged around him, pulling him viciously along. He continued, half swimming, half flailing, desperate to escape the grip of the cold water. It was all he could do to stay afloat, buffeted by chunks of the destroyed dock.


    The sides of the canyon rushed past, the river sweeping them beneath the bridge. Elion panicked, swimming as best he could. He gasped for breath, sucking in air and water, spluttering with each stroke.


    Aches built up in his arms and legs. The creeping cold of the water numbed him, leeching his strength as continued trying to swim. His lungs burned as he gasped for breath with each stroke, swallowing mouthfuls of water. The current twisted him around, making it almost impossible to keep his heading.


    Elion wasn¡¯t going to make it back to the island. The river was going to take him.  I¡¯m going to drown.  A wave pulled him under. He inhaled water, choking as he searched for the surface. His shin banged against a rock.


    Kicking out, pushing against the bottom of the river, Elion burst from the water. Nearby a scavenger gurgled, caught in an whirlpool, spinning helplessly as rapids repeatedly dragged him under the water.


    Elion swam with renewed strength, fear propelling him, face buried in the water as his arms and legs churned. Desperation and water suffocated him.


    His hand brushed sand, striking against the bottom of the river. He lifted his head and saw that he had managed to pull himself into a shallow eddy. Keyla stood ahead of him, splashing through the water toward shore.


    Elion pulled his legs up beneath him, kneeling in the water on his hands and knees. He coughed up a gallon of swallowed river water, gasping for breath. His legs shook, and he thought he might collapse back into the river, but he rose and waded forward, water streaming from him.


    Keyla pulled herself ashore and collapsed on dry land, nestled between the roots of a tree. She¡¯d lost her heavy boots and her rifle in the river. Her thick overalls seeped water onto the ground around her, her hair slicked back from her face.


    She saw Elion walking toward her and burst out in laughter. Elion scowled at first, but she only laughed harder, grasping her sides.


    Elion looked down at himself, and found he was totally naked, except for a strip of golden cloth wrapped around his waist and between his legs like a speedo.


    Something about the way she smiled and her hearty chuckle wormed its way through his embarrassment. Too tired to disagree, he began laughing too, and when he reached the shore he flopped down beside her. They both laughed until they couldn¡¯t breathe.

 27. A Shallow Peace

    Keyla¡¯s laughter faded to chuckles and Elion¡¯s face ached from grinning. Under other circumstances Elion might have been embarrassed, but lying exhausted on the shore, he was just grateful to be alive.


    ¡°Nice armor,¡± Keyla said, wiping tears from her eyes.


    Elion looked at his shining loincloth and shrugged. ¡°Protects the most important parts,¡± he said. He touched the place on his ribs where the scavenger had shot him. A black and purple bruise blossomed there. Another bruise formed on his thigh, looking like a welt from a paintball gun. ¡°And I guess I got some protection from their bullets, too,¡± he said.


    ¡°What happened to your clothes?¡±


    "I have no idea,¡± Elion said. ¡°Might have saved my life though. I don¡¯t think I could have made that swim if I was bogged with boots and my hoodie.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better figure it out soon, before someone comes looking for us,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯d be a scandal.¡±


    Elion blushed and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Praxis,¡± he said. ¡°How do I get my clothes back?¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Keyla said. ¡°You¡¯ve really never done this before? You didn¡¯t even know what would happen when¡ª¡±


    ¡°I had an idea,¡± Elion protested.


    ¡°So you¡¯re really not a normal Aurelian, then,¡± she said.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you didn¡¯t go to their school or whatever. You weren¡¯t trained by them?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. He shook his head sadly. ¡°To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I¡¯m doing. I didn¡¯t join the Knights of Dawn until I got here to this island.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you were doing at the Altar?¡± she asked.


    Elion nodded.


    ¡°You came here for that?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly,¡± he said. He started to shiver as a light breeze picked up. ¡°I was trying to help my sister, but, I guess I really messed things up.¡±


    Keyla wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been snapping at you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡¯m not upset.¡± His teeth chattered as he spoke.


    ¡°Disarm, probably,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Or maybe restore? You could try power down¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Commands. Every follower of a Sentinel has an Ascended state. Artificers generally use mental versions of ¡®power up¡¯ to activate it and ¡®power down¡¯ to deactivate it. You said ¡®Manifest Arms¡¯ or something, so I¡¯m just guessing what the opposite would be.


    ¡°Um,¡± Elion said, covering himself as best he could. ¡°Will I be naked if I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Keyla said, eyeing him curiously.


    Elion shuffled over behind a bush.


    ¡°Disarm,¡± Elion said, and he felt a tension slacken inside of him, like a rubber band dissolving. His golden loincloth disappeared, his boots, pants, and hoodie rematerializing around him like a warm hug, all totally dry.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Pity,¡± Keyla said. ¡°I was enjoying the show.¡± Elion blushed, hard, and turned away from the girl.


    ¡°Not fair,¡± he said. ¡°Just when I was starting to think you might not be a jerk.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± Keyla prodded. ¡°You were asking for it.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be getting back?¡± Elion asked, scowling.


    It was Keyla¡¯s turn to shiver, her torso shaking and teeth clacking in her mouth. ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± she said. ¡°I kicked my boots off so I could swim.¡±


    Elion surveyed the steep slope rising away from the river. Large, craggy rocks stacked atop one another led up the side of the island. It might be climbable without a rope, but littered with sharp rocks and gnarled roots, it did not look like an easy path with shoes on.


    ¡°We were really lucky to get here,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t many other places on the island where you can get out of the current,¡± Keyla agreed.


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°They¡¯ll run patrols along the perimeter of the island to make sure that none of the scavengers made it ashore.¡±


    ¡°So we just wait then?¡±


    Keyla shivered again, her wet clothes still dripping on the ground. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡±


    ¡°Do you want my hoodie?¡± Elion asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got a shirt on underneath.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Keyla said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to baby me.¡± She shuddered.


    Elion rolled his eyes and stripped off his coat. ¡°I¡¯m too hot with it on.¡±


    "Fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    He handed the hoodie to her.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± she said, undoing the straps of her overalls. Elion turned, clapping his hands over his eyes. ¡°I swear, if you peek, I will cut your throat and dump you back into the river,¡± she said.


    "I would never,¡± he declared.


    He heard sounds of Keyla undressing; squishing noises as she rang out her shirt.


    ¡°What¡¯s taking so long?¡± he asked, hearing the wet whipping sound of overalls being removed.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to ring out my pants,¡± she said. ¡°Unless you happen to have a spare pair?¡±


    ¡°I could always put my armor back on,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°What happens if you put on clothes while you¡¯re Ascended?¡± Keyla asked. ¡°Would they disappear when you Power Down and come back when you Power Up again?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Elion said. ¡°You¡¯re the expert here. What happens when you do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an Artificer,¡± she shot back. ¡°My clothes stay on all the time.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m not a magical stripper if that¡¯s what you¡¯re suggesting,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡¯m a Knight of Dawn.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Keyla said. ¡°You have to do something about that armor if you want anyone to take you seriously.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t make fun of my clothes when you¡¯re literally wearing them.¡±


    ¡°Okay I¡¯m done,¡± Keyla said.


    Elion turned around, opening his eyes. She had put his hoodie on underneath her damp overalls. A few stray strands of hair had dried, freeing themselves from behind her ear and floating around her face. Her blue eyes shone, as she gazed at him with an intentness he hadn¡¯t seen before.


    Her face did not harden as she looked at him. Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them. The lingering tension in the air drowned everything else out. Keyla bit the inside of her cheek, her eyebrows furrowing slightly as freckles danced across her cheeks.


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that,¡± Elion said. ¡°I feel like a motorcycle you¡¯re about to repair.¡±


    Keyla laughed and glanced down at the ground. ¡°Thank you for helping me,¡± she said. ¡°I judged you harshly when you showed up, and I was wrong. You were really brave to fight those scavengers without even knowing what your abilities were.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Elion said. ¡°I am curious, though. The first time I ever saw you you glared at me. Does it have something to do with that other Aurelian who was here?¡±


    Keyla nodded. ¡°I thought you were just another Aurelian, like Prator.¡±


    ¡°What did he do?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Keyla said. ¡°A lot of people followed him, believing in his lies about rebuilding New Kairn Tol. My mother went with him. I worried that you were here to do the same. But that¡¯s besides the point.¡± She wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°Thank you for trying to help. I don¡¯t think Prator would have done that.¡±


    Elion sat on a branch beside Keyla, folding his arms across his chest. ¡°You did the same for me, running out to provide cover.¡±


    ¡°Hah. I was just worried about protecting Gorman¡¯s equipment.¡± Keyla gasped, clapping her hands to her cheeks.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ about that¡­¡± Elion said. ¡°Is that what caused the explosion? Or was there something else in the dock house?¡±


    Keyla clasped her head in her hands. ¡°He¡¯s going to kill me! He¡¯s going to be so mad.¡±


    A strange urge rolled through Elion; and he nearly wrapped his arm around the girl¡¯s shoulders. He resisted, imagining Keyla punching him in the throat.


    ¡°Would the other crates have blown up like that if we dropped them?¡± Elion asked. ¡°I just don¡¯t think I fully grasped how careful we were supposed to be with those.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Keyla said with a shrug. ¡°Gorman said to be careful with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand,¡± Elion said, but he was thinking about the way that Keyla had frozen up on the docks, standing there, letting the scavenger woman shoot him.


    ¡°What happened back there, anyways?¡± he asked. ¡°Why did you stop shooting?¡±


    Keyla shrank into herself, tucking her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone,¡± she whispered. ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone that I froze up.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Promise!¡± Keyla demanded.


    ¡°Okay, fine, I promise! As long as you promise not to tell anyone about my armor.¡±


    ¡°You mean your underwear?¡± Keyla asked with a smirk. ¡°I was going to get a lot of mileage out of that.¡±


    ¡°What happened on the docks stays on the docks,¡± Elion said. ¡°You don¡¯t tell, I don¡¯t tell.¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Keyla said. She glanced around, tongue working in her mouth as she searched for words.


    ¡°I thought that scavenger¡ªthat woman¡ªwas my mother,¡± she said finally.

 28. Keylas Mother

    Loreign gasped, eyes wide as she looked down at the bloody knife in her chest. Her brow creased as she turned her gaze up to meet her son¡¯s eyes. I do not think she truly believed that her son would take this final step.


    Life drained from her, and she staggered backwards.


    Dorian screamed in anger as his mother¡¯s body fell to the ground. Blood coated his hands, dripping on the tile floor. ¡°Mother! It didn¡¯t have to be like this! Why did you have to be like this?¡± Dorian sobbed.


    He stood, staring down at Loreign¡¯s body, watching her blood pool beneath her, draining away through grouted tile joints. A tear dripped down Dorian¡¯s face. He wiped it from his cheek, unknowingly replacing it with a smudge of her blood.


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you all listen to me?¡± he asked, but the dead did not answer him. ¡°Why do you make me kill, kill, kill. So much unnecessary death. I invite you to share in my victory, but you repay me with sorrow.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Your mother?¡± Elion leaned back, eyes wide, eyebrows raised as he looked at Keyla in shock. He recalled the image of the smiling woman he¡¯d seen on Keyla¡¯s dresser, and tried comparing it to the memory of the snarling infected scavenger who¡¯d shot him in the side.


    Both of them had a blue and yellow bandana. But the scavenger woman had seemed so much wilder and thinner. And dirtier.


    His fingers strayed to the place on his side where the bullet had struck him, a tender spot under his shirt.


    ¡°She was my mother,¡± Keyla said. ¡°She must have been.¡±


    ¡°How do you know? What was she doing with the infected scavengers?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure at first,¡± Keyla said. ¡°She looked so different, so strange but somehow still the same. Then I noticed her wearing her blue head scarf. And she had the scar on her neck, the same one. She got it when she was cooking with hot oil and it splashed onto her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure,¡± Elion said, more a statement than a question.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you recognize your own mother?¡±


    Elion stared at the ground.  Would I recognize her? It¡¯s been a long time.  ¡°I think I would,¡± he said.


    ¡°I know it was her,¡± Keyla said. ¡°And she¡¯s still in there. The infection did something to her, but she¡¯s still in there, I know it. My mom was the best shot with a rifle in all of Aterfel. She could have shot me, but she missed on purpose.¡±


    ¡°How did she¡­ catch the infection?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen her since she left. With Prator.¡±


    ¡°Gorman warned me about that,¡± Elion said. ¡°He told me a lot of people were suspicious of Aurelians, because of that guy. He said a lot of people followed him.¡±


    ¡°He was really nice at first. My mom talked to him a lot about her old life in New Kairn Tol. Told him about how it used to be. How they used to extract Thrandicite from the ruins.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s Thrandicite?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mineral or something,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Apparently they used it a lot pre-Cataclysm. It dissolves in water, so they would collect and refine it, then sell the Thrandicite. New Kairn Tol was wealthy because of it.¡±


    ¡°And Prator wanted to go back and rebuild New Kairn Tol?¡±


    ¡°He was really interested in mom¡¯s stories about it,¡± Keyla said. ¡°But going back was her idea. Most people in town thought it would be too dangerous, but with an Aurelian on her side, she thought she could do it.¡±


    ¡°So he took half of Aterfel with him,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to at first,¡± Keyla said. ¡°But then they were married, and Mom talked him into it. He caught the vision, and started talking about it to everyone. He made plans for reclaiming the city, establishing peace among the scavengers, and setting up trading networks. And he wasn¡¯t like you. He was powerful.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°I mean he was competent. Highly leveled. I couldn¡¯t imagine a world where he failed. Thought he¡¯d be a king or something. Maybe even establish a new nation. People were talking about reconstructing the Celestial Sphere.¡±


    ¡°Mom trusted him. Believed in him. We all thought he wanted to help us. A lot of people went with him when he left, then something must have happened, and now¡­¡±


    Tears dripped down Keyla¡¯s face, and she sniffled, dabbing at her eyes with the sleeve of Elion¡¯s hoodie. Tree canopies rustled softly overhead, and the sound of the river flowing added to the soothing calmness of the alcove.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go?¡± Elion asked.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Gorman was suspicious of him. But he couldn¡¯t stop him. And I¡¯m Gorman¡¯s apprentice, so I had to stay and learn to follow the Thread of Creation. But in the end, my mother left. Nearly half the town went with him.¡±


    ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Everything seemed to be going well, and then¡­ we stopped hearing from them. All communication just cut off.¡± Keyla crossed her arms. ¡°Then we received a call. Several weeks after communication stopped. It was garbled and impossible to decipher. It sounded like there was fighting going on in the background. But it was my mother¡¯s voice. Everyone who heard it agrees on two words.¡±


    Keyla closed her eyes, remembering. ¡°Prator lied.¡±


    They sat in silence together, watching the river coursing past, speeding through the canyon.


    ¡°Gorman didn¡¯t tell me that part,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°He thinks we were all making it up. He says the message was too garbled to distinguish anything. But I know what I heard.¡±


    No wonder everyone is suspicious of me.


    He could see it from their perspective, now. It didn¡¯t mean they were right, and he¡¯d been unfairly judged, but at least he could understand it. Water lapped at the shore nearby. Elion wondered what happened to all the scavengers who had been swept down the river. Would Keyla¡¯s mother be among them?


    ¡°The infection is curable,¡± Elion said, searching for something hopeful to say. ¡°Kasm was healed.¡±


    ¡°Somehow,¡± Keyla agreed. ¡°Herana has the power to heal. We need to find a Cultivator, one following the Way of the Seed to help us.¡±


    ¡°Someone in the town must be a Cultivator, right? Someone healed Kasm.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Keyla said. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Cultivators. Maybe Kasm¡¯s attempts to summon one opened a channel for his healing from a distance.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but you know it¡¯s possible,¡± Elion said. ¡°We just have to hope that your mother landed on the island, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Keyla exclaimed. ¡°If she made it to the island, they¡¯ll find and shoot her. I hope she drifts down the river. I need to find her. I need to help her.¡±


    They sat in silence together. Elion stared at the ground between his feet, his boots scuffed and muddy. Keyla¡¯s brightly painted toenails stood out against the dark dirt.


    ¡°Why do you paint your toes?¡± he asked.


    Keyla laughed. ¡°They¡¯re usually protected by my boots,¡± she said. ¡°I tried painting my fingernails once but I kept chipping the paint off.¡±


    Elion felt silly for asking, but¡­ something had changed between them today. The coldness had melted away, replaced by something softer, warmer. Here, in this cool, sheltered alcove, a bond had been forged. Elion reveled in the moment.


    He closed his eyes, trying to take in the moment, but was greeted by a message.


    << Your bravery in battle has been noted. Aurelian Tear Awarded. >>


    Air swirled and pulsed, a glittering vortex appearing just above Elion¡¯s head. It spun, condensed into a solid blue mass, and then popped gently. A sparkling blue gem dropped to the ground at Elion¡¯s feet.


    Elion flinched back, nearly knocking Keyla over. The gem lay on the ground, motionless. Elion had seen one before, in the basin at the Altar, when he had joined the Knights of Dawn and tried to save Kasm.


    Keyla glanced from the gem to the startled look on Elion¡¯s face. She grinned at him, then bent and picked the gem out of the dirt. Small in her hand, the stone glittered with a ferocious internal fire. Its teardrop shape suggested its name.


    ¡°A Tear,¡± Keyla said. ¡°An Aurelian Tear. These are valuable.¡±


    ¡°Where did it come from?¡±


    ¡°Aurelia,¡± Keyla said. ¡°I think  you  earn them for fighting and doing quests or something. You can do a ton of stuff with them, like leveling up your abilities. Sometimes when I¡¯m really focused on my craft I find an Artefin Skillstone lying on the table beside me.¡±


    ¡°You use these to level up?¡± Elion asked, taking the Tear from Keyla and turning it over in his hand. If he could become more powerful and develop new abilities, then maybe it was possible for him to save Liora.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Keyla said. ¡°You can.¡±


    ¡°Faster than normal experience grinding?¡±


    ¡°They give you experience, if that¡¯s what you mean. Different amounts, depending on your level.¡±


    ¡°I saw one before,¡± Elion said. ¡°At the Altar. Another one popped up in the basin.¡±


    ¡°Do you still have it?¡±


    ¡°I was a little preoccupied at the time. I don¡¯t know what happened to it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s still there somewhere,¡± Keyla said, a sparkle in her eye. ¡°We should go back and look for it. Did I mention that they¡¯re really valuable? Ascendency stones can be used to buy things.¡±


    The sound of engines on the road above interrupted their conversation. Elion slipped the tear into his pocket.


    Keyla sprang to her feet. ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡±


    ¡°What if they don¡¯t see us?¡±


    ¡°Wave, they¡¯ll see us. They¡¯re looking for infected, to make sure none of them made it onto the island!¡±


    Elion started waving, then stopped suddenly. ¡°What if they think we¡¯re infected, and shoot us?¡±


    ¡°Wave, silly,¡± Keyla said, flailing her hands over her head. ¡°Infected don¡¯t wave!¡±

 Bonus Chapter - The Walkers

    Cara Walker strolled into the living room and flopped down onto the couch, turning on the TV. She wore a bandage around her ankle where the strange, spider-like machine had bitten her. She pulled up the latest ¡®idiots in cars¡¯ video on YouTube as her mom sat in the kitchen, eating a slice of cake and texting.


    ¡°Mom, have you seen Elion?¡± Cara asked.


    ¡°Hmm? No I haven¡¯t seen him. Go to channel 7, Dad¡¯s going to be on TV.¡±


    Cara watched a sedan drive straight over a roundabout, catching air and then sliding along a concrete barrier. She moved to start changing the screen, but had to watch the next clip of a truck trying to drive under a too-low bridge, tearing off it¡¯s top.


    ¡°Cara honey, change the channel,¡± Cathy said.


    Tearing herself away from the carnage and destruction of the next clip, Cara flicked through the channels.


    Corbin Walker¡¯s face came up on the screen, his official ¡®US Senator¡¯ photograph. A reporter was talking.


    ¡°¡ªattack on the Walker family home yesterday has lead many to question whether an expanded Secret Service might be necessary. Others are calling for a crackdown on extremist groups¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mom, this is boring,¡± Cara said. ¡°I¡¯m going to¡ª¡±


    In a flash Mom crossed the room and snatched the remote out of Cara¡¯s hand. Cara sighed and looked down at her phone.


    The screen changed, showing both Corbin Walker and the President. Dad looked furious, and the President was wearing her trademark ¡®concerned leader¡¯ look.


    ¡°Yesterday,¡± Dad said, ¡°Extremists wearing hoods and black robes broke into my house and attacked my family. This kind of attack cannot be tolerated in our country, for any reason. An attack on any of us is an attack on all of us.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too worked up about it,¡± Cara said. ¡°It sounds fake.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really upset, honey,¡± Cathy said, eyes glued to the screen. ¡°Just wait for it.¡±


    Cara kept looking down at her phone.


    ¡°My daughter was injured by these freak,¡± Dad said. ¡°And I will not stand by. I will not be frightened. They thought that they could make me drop out of this race, but my resolve is stronger than ever!¡±


    Cathy clapped her hands, grinning at the line she¡¯d helped write the night before.


    Cara rolled her eyes. ¡°When is Dad going to come back?¡± she asked. ¡°If he really cared about me, he¡¯d have come home to see me first. Instead he¡¯s hanging out with Madam President.¡±


    The news cut to blurry images of actors dressed in black robes, chanting ominously.


    ¡°While no groups have taken credit for the attack,¡± the anchor droned, ¡°police have identified several suspects¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not even what they looked like,¡± Cara protested. ¡°And what about those machines they had?¡±


    ¡°Shh,¡± Cathy hissed, shushing her daughter. ¡°This is going to play so well with suburban women. We¡¯ve been struggling in that demographic.¡±


    Cara rolled her eyes even harder.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Cathy¡¯s phone rang, and she answered it. ¡°Uh-huh. Yes, I know. I know. Seriously?¡±


    Kyle walked into the room. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s dad,¡± he said. ¡°When is he coming home?¡±


    ¡°That is amazing news,¡± Cathy said into the phone.


    ¡°Never,¡± Cara said to Kyle. ¡°He¡¯s married to his office and we¡¯re going to be orphans.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so mad I wasn¡¯t here for the attack,¡± Kyle said. ¡°That would have been so cool.¡±


    ¡°Kyle have you seen Elion since then by the way?¡± Cara asked.


    Cathy hung up the phone and squealed. ¡°They¡¯re getting some preliminary polling numbers,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s only been a day, but early numbers are showing as much as a 5 point bump, can you believe it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, mom,¡± Kyle said.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± Cathy said. ¡°I should have thought of something like this before. If I had known it would work so well¡­¡±


    ¡°Are we really talking about intentionally planning a terrorist attack against ourselves?¡± Cara asked.


    On TV, the President looked directly into the camera. Cara looked away, not meeting the woman¡¯s dark, piercing eyes. ¡°We will not be intimidated,¡± she said. ¡°We will fight on!¡±


    The broadcast cut to the Walker family photo, the one they¡¯d sent out with the Christmas card last year.


    ¡°Please no,¡± Cara groaned. ¡°I look like I¡¯m being held hostage!¡± Her phone pinged, and she saw a message from a friend on the soccer team. The notification showed a partial image, a picture someone had taken of Cara on TV. She didn¡¯t open the message. Instead, she chucked her phone away from her.


    Standing behind the sofa, Kyle snorted. ¡°You¡¯re a meme now!¡± He shoved his phone in Cara¡¯s face. Someone had cropped in close to Cara¡¯s face and added the caption ¡°When you voted for the other guy.¡±


    Cara scowled. ¡°That¡¯s not even funny.¡±


    ¡°There are more, look,¡± Kyle said, flipping through images. Cara pushed his hand away.


    ¡°Stop tormenting your sister, Kyle,¡± Cathy said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t anyone wondering what happened to Elion?¡± Cara said. ¡°He just disappeared!¡±


    ¡°Cara, have you ever heard the saying ¡®Don¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth¡¯?¡± Cathy asked.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we at least tell the police he was here and now he¡¯s missing? He could be in trouble,¡± Cara said.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Cathy said. ¡°The election is in two weeks. These crazies have done us a huge favor, and I don¡¯t want to dampen that by digging up baggage that might be distracting! As soon as the election is over, we¡¯ll make sure to find him.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s still alive,¡± Cara grumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he is,¡± Cathy said. ¡°He¡¯s probably just with Zev. They¡¯ll turn up asking for money or whatever soon enough. We don¡¯t want to do anything that will detract from the momentum we¡¯ve got right now!¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Cara said, folding her arms.


    ¡°If I can think of a way to get some more sympathy from people, then maybe I¡¯ll spread the word. I just want to make sure the next two weeks go smoothly. Early voting has already started, you know.¡±


    Cara snatched the remote from where Cathy had tossed it on the couch, and changed the channel back to ¡®idiots in cars.¡¯


    Cathy made another phone call and wandered off. ¡°Another idea for you. Could we throw some out some suggestion that Corbin¡¯s brother¡¯s death might have been related? I know there were a couple of unanswered questions about that car accident. At the very least, we¡¯d get a lot of sympathy from people if they knew¡ª Yes, that¡¯s a great idea. I¡¯d love to see a huge pile of flowers there¡ª A commemoration¡­. I can hardly believe what¡¯s happening. We¡¯ve got this election in the bag!¡±


    Kyle dropped down onto the couch beside Cara. He tried to grab the remote but she was faster.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think this whole think is weird?¡± Cara asked. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the news talk about the machines and the magic and stuff?¡±


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t any magic,¡± Kyle said. ¡°That¡¯s not real.¡±


    ¡°I watched a man in a robe use a wand. He made a purple bubble of light and floated the security guard into the air,¡± Cara said. ¡°It was magic.¡±


    ¡°You were stressed,¡± Kyle said. ¡°You probably weren¡¯t thinking straight.¡±


    ¡°It was magic. You weren¡¯t there. They had some big sticks, and made a big swirling ball of light on the lawn,¡± Cara said. ¡°I think I saw Elion jump into it.¡±


    ¡°If it was magic then why isn¡¯t any of the stuff you¡¯re talking about on the security footage?¡± Kyle asked. ¡°They only blocked out parts of the footage to hide their magic?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Cara said. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They were doing magic though. And they kidnapped Elion.¡±


    Kyle shrugged. ¡°Well, as mom says, maybe that¡¯s for the best.¡±


    ¡°I keep having bad dreams,¡± Cara said. ¡°Those creepy guys are trying to drag me away, pull me into their portal. I hate it.¡± She felt tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Did you tell mom? She¡¯d love it if you could tell the story and cry on camera.¡±


    ¡°No way,¡± Cara said. ¡°And promise me you won¡¯t tell her.¡± She grabbed Kyle¡¯s arm, pulling his phone away so that he was forced to look at her. ¡°Promise me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fine, I promise.¡± Kyle said, pulling his arm away. He gave Cara an odd look then got up and walked out of the room, leaving her alone to watch ¡®idiots in cars.¡¯

 29. Discussing the Problem

    ¡°What we witnessed today was proof that we cannot wait around any longer,¡± Gorman declared, standing on a low porch near one of the entrances to his tower. Most of the town gathered around, about 40 people in total, including a few kids.


    Gorman had called this meeting shortly after Elion and Keyla were brought back to the tower by the perimeter patrol. After the Aterfel Guard concluded their sweep of the island and determined that no scavengers had managed to swim ashore, the town gathered to discuss what happened.


    This was the first time Elion had seen most of these people, and he was astonished to see how many of them had missing body parts. Gorman had been hard at work, replacing human limbs with machinery. A hook hand here, a peg leg there. Elion wondered how many of these people had old motor vehicle pieces instead of internal organs.


    I guess that¡¯s why he¡¯s called the Father of Cyborgs. I wonder if he gave that title to himself, or if other people call him that too.


    Domas pulled up behind the crowd, Kasm riding in his cab. Tael stood near other members of the Aterfel Guard, like he didn¡¯t want anyone to forget he was a member. He was the youngest member by far, so Elion understood his concern.


    Trying to read expressions of the people in the crowd, Elion saw anger, fear, frustration, and even disgust. Some of them scowled at him. He understood it, now that he¡¯d learned more about Prator. The man had left a bad taste in their mouths when it came to Aurelians.


    They probably blame me for this attack too.


    The warm afternoon sunlight bore down on them. Sweat darkened Gorman¡¯s shirt at the small of his back. The air smelled like sweat, dirt, and desperation.


    ¡°The infected grow craftier, more capable, and stronger as we speak. They capture and infect roaming scavenger bands. The river will not hold them for long. Taking advantage of our distraction at the bridge, they nearly reached our town. It is the quick action by Keyla and Elion that saved us.¡±


    ¡°How do we know it wasn¡¯t him that caused it in the first place?¡± A woman in the crowd asked. She was dark-skinned, and muscular. She did not appear to have any kind of mechanical augmentation. ¡°They¡¯ve been getting more aggressive since he¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sophira, please,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Let me say my piece before we get into the questions.


    Keyla and Elion stood on the porch behind Gorman. Keyla lounged, leaning on a railing, fiddling with the strap of her laserarm. Elion stood awkwardly straight, arms folded, uncomfortable as everyone stared at him.


    ¡°The bridge is failing,¡± Gorman continued. ¡°I have been working day in and day out to repair it, but we lack the materials needed to return it to full functionality. The mechanisms were never designed to hold the bridge open for so long. We will have to secure the bridge in the open position, or dismantle it.¡±


    Kile shuffled forward. He was still getting used to his new peg. He leaned on the arm of Tilly; Elion remembered her from the first time Gorman had taken him to see the bridge. She had been working as one of the sentries there.


    ¡°If I may?¡± Kile asked.


    Gorman gestured, welcoming him. ¡°I asked Kile to speak his mind on this.¡±


    Kile stepped up onto the porch. ¡°You all know that I¡¯ve been opposed to dismantling the bridge. To me, it symbolizes a return to the past. A time when we could freely scavenge from Kairn Tol, and trade with other settlements on the river. I hoped to return to these times, like many of you. But I now see the danger of allowing the bridge to remain. I should have listened to you sooner, Gorman. Maybe I¡¯d still have a leg.¡±


    This drew dry chuckles from the crowd.


    ¡°Thank you Kile,¡± Gorman said, clapping the man on the shoulder. ¡°But as we saw today, dismantling the bridge will not protect us from the infected. We have waited too long and need to take more drastic action.¡±


    Murmurs from the crowd.


    Gorman cut to the chase. ¡°We need to destroy the Shard.¡±


    Keyla yelped, and Gorman turned to her, surprised.


    ¡°Wait, no,¡± she said. ¡°We can¡¯t do that,¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Gorman asked, pressing his lips together and narrowing his eyes as he turned toward his apprentice. ¡°I assure you we can. We have the necessary¡ª¡±


    ¡°I saw my mother today,¡± Keyla said.


    Gasps from the crowd, and all eyes fixed on Keyla.


    ¡°She was infected. She was on the rafts, her eyes black and her mind not her own. She shot at Elion, but¡­ She missed me. And we know that Selna Aerden never misses a shot. She¡¯s still in there and needs to be healed!¡±


    ¡°What about my son?¡± an old woman cried out from the crowd. ¡°Did you see my son?¡± The meeting dissolved into a hubbub of people asking about their family members, those who had followed Prator out of the town.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Keyla yelled. ¡°I barely recognized my own mother. She changed a lot, but we need to help them. After Kasm¡¯s healing, how can we not at least try?¡±


    Gorman grabbed Keyla by the arm, his face furious. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he snarled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before? We need to do something to stop the infected. You don¡¯t have a plan, you¡¯re just riling people up!¡±


    Townsfolk argued with one another, and the whole scene nearly devolved into a brawl.


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    ¡°Be quiet while I fix this,¡± Gorman hissed.


    He turned to the town, his face melting back into the warm, benevolent mask.


    ¡°Clearly we have a lot to discuss,¡± he shouted, but his appeal could not penetrate the noise of the crowd. ¡°Give me that,¡± he growled, pulling Keyla¡¯s rifle away from her.


    Gorman fired the gun into the air three times. The thump-splatter of the rifle immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention, and all eyes turned to rest on Gorman.


    ¡°This is new information,¡± Gorman said. ¡°We need to be certain about what we know before we commit to any course of action. We will discuss any alternative plan that Keyla may have, but for now we will proceed with the effort to destroy the Shard. I have been in contact with our friends in Upprifer, and they are willing to help us fight the infected.¡±


    ¡°How will we destroy the Shard?¡± This question from a thin man with curly blond hair. He was missing a hand; it had been replaced by a claw with three articulated grippers. This clenched and unclenched as he spoke. ¡°What will we do about the distortion field?¡±


    Sophira took the opportunity to renew her question. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem strange that this all happened after the Aurelian arrived?¡±


    ¡°My son is still out there!¡± The old woman yelled again. ¡°And your brother is too, Zayven, so we shouldn¡¯t even be talking about blowing things up!¡±


    The man, Zayven, shoved his hand and claw into his pockets, looking embarrassed.


    ¡°Quiet, Brynna,¡± Gorman yelled. ¡°We all care about our missing friends and family. And we all agree we have to do something about the Shard. I wanted to discuss this more with everyone,¡± Gorman said, ¡°and we will. But clearly we have more to talk about than I was ready for. Everyone go home.¡±


    He slung Keyla¡¯s rifle over his shoulder, then grabbed Elion and Keyla, pulling them back into the tower.


    The door had barely closed behind Gorman when he pushed Keyla up against the wall, grabbing her wrists as she struggled.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he protested, but Gorman shoved him away.


    Keyla bowed her head, tears pooling in her eyes.


    ¡°Never contradict me in public again,¡± Gorman spat. ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re hurting my wrists.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention that you thought you saw your mother? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that before I went out there?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d believe me.¡±


    Gorman groaned, releasing Keyla from her grasp. She rubbed at her wrists, weeping softly.


    Scratching at his beard, Gorman scowled. ¡°You¡¯ve messed things up here. Now nobody¡¯s going to want to fight infected scavengers, worried that they¡¯re fighting a family member.¡±


    ¡°But what if they are fighting a family member? Shouldn¡¯t we try to save them?¡±


    ¡°How, Keyla?¡± Gorman demanded. ¡°We¡¯re not Aurelians. We¡¯re not Heranans. We don¡¯t sit and hope and wait for things to grow. We¡¯re Artificers. We make plans. We execute them. So tell me what your plan is!¡±


    Keyla shook her head, tears spilling into her lap.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Elion said, stepping up beside Keyla. ¡°Who can make a plan with someone shouting at them? Back off.¡±


    Gorman glared at Elion, but took a half step back. ¡°This is Artificer business,¡± Gorman said. ¡°We don¡¯t need your input, Aurelian.¡± He spat the word like a curse.


    ¡°Look,¡± Elion said. ¡°Someone healed Kasm. Maybe they can heal other infected too. If other people from Prator¡¯s party are at the shard, infected, shouldn¡¯t we try to help them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a plan,¡± Gorman said. ¡°People need leadership. We need to take action to defend ourselves. We shouldn¡¯t wait around for the infected to kill or infect us all, just because you hope there is a nicer, cleaner way to do it. If you want to present an alternate plan to me, we can talk. Until then, we have work to do.¡±


    Gorman turned and started across the room, heading to the open space by the garage door where two scavenger bodies lay.


    ¡°Keyla, you don¡¯t have time to sit around crying,¡± Gorman said. ¡°We¡¯re going to need all the firepower we can get for our attack on the Shard. Help me with some Threnody Modules while they¡¯re fresh.¡±


    Keyla grimaced, and Elion placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    Keyla shook him off. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s right. We need to follow the best plan. I don¡¯t have a plan at all. Just hopes and wishes, like my mom and Prator.¡±


    She left Elion standing there and crossed the room. Gorman produced two glass tubes, either end capped in electronic circuitry pulsating with a teal glow. He pulled one end off of the tube, and set it beside one of the bodies of the dead scavengers.


    A pit burned inside of Elion¡¯s stomach as he watched the procedure, furious anger directed toward Gorman, mostly, but also at himself. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had failed to protect Keyla.


    They both pulled on long gloves, and Keyla filled the tube with a viscous, clear liquid. Using a pair of scissors, Gorman cut away the shirt from the dead scavenger. The woman lay on the ground, eyes blackened, staring blankly at the sky.


    With a knife, Gorman cut along the woman¡¯s abdomen, below her ribcage. Black infected pus and blood bubbled from the wound. Inserting a pair of spring-loaded tongs into the cut, Gorman opened the wound, peering up into the chest cavity.


    Holding a scalpel in one hand, he reached inside and began cutting away internal organs. Each of these he passed to Keyla, who laid them carefully on a clean sheet of plastic nearby. Elion¡¯s stomach turned, anger forgotten as he observed the gruesome work. He wanted to leave, but couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the scene.


    Finally, Gorman pulled a blackened heart from the torso. He clipped several wires to the heart, then plunged this into one of the glass tubes, muttering as he sealed the lid. The tube began to glow yellow-green, the heart pulsating, beating in the sickly pale light.


    Every time I¡¯ve seen someone use Artefin magic, it¡¯s always been accompanied by teal light,  Elion thought.  I wonder why this is different.


    Gorman moved to the next body, but Elion couldn¡¯t watch any longer. He turned and left the building, fighting back bile.

 30. A Cultivator Among Us

    Elion found Snickers outside, preening. ¡°Why do you look so smug?¡± Elion grumbled. ¡°You ran off as soon as the fighting started. Snickers stretched and yawned. ¡°What¡¯s your secret anyway?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Why do girls like you so much?¡±


    Snickers did not reveal his secrets.


    Elion picked up the cat, letting him lay across his shoulders like a heavy fur mantle. He started walking around the tower, breathing deeply to clear his head. Snickers flicked his tail lazily in the air as they walked.


    After a few laps around the outside of the tower, Elion dared to peer back inside the garage. Gorman and Keyla were gone, having finished their work. The bodies now lay covered by tarps and Keyla had cleaned up the gore.


    Elion walked upstairs, past the bedroom doors and into the living space. He found Keyla at her workbench, assembling a new rifle. She didn¡¯t look up when he walked into the room. She used a metal etching needle like a pencil, carving small runes onto each piece, causing them to fuse together. He stood and watched her work, wondering what he should say.


    ¡°How did you learn to make guns?¡± he asked finally.


    Keyla didn¡¯t look at him, continuing to work on her firearm. ¡°From my dad,¡± she said. Elion searched for a follow up, but she continued without a prompt. ¡°He invented this design. Laser rifles, I mean. People came from all over to buy them from him.¡±


    ¡°He was an Artificer?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Keyla said. ¡°But he was also a smart engineer. He had other Artificers who worked for him to build the guns.¡±


    Elion looked at the workbench, and the tools lying around. The small area felt so different from the garage. So much more¡­ Keyla. And so much less Gorman.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do this down in the garage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like being around¡­ them. Besides, stuff down there uses Gorman¡¯s organizational system.¡±


    Elion understood. He also did not like being in this tower, knowing about the mutilated dead bodies lying in the garage below. And the tubes of beating human hearts sitting at the top of the tower.


    ¡°Why did you¡­ do that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We have to,¡± Keyla said. ¡°The Threnody Core powers the whole town, and the bridge, and everything.¡±


    ¡°Is that the thing that I saw, up in the top of the tower?¡± Elion asked. He remembered the equipment too clearly, the vials of pale fluid filled with beating hearts. ¡°A Threnody Core?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Keyla grimaced.


    ¡°And you use¡­ dead people¡¯s hearts to run it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of Gorman¡¯s inventions,¡± Keyla said. ¡°He has learned to harness the machine of the human body. When people die, a lot of their parts are still useful and valuable.¡±


    She leaned back in her chair, turning to face Elion. ¡°We used to only use hearts from people dying of old age. But since the Shard, and scavengers attacking, we¡¯ve been using those. We make Threnody Modules by harvesting hearts, and the machine changes remaining lifeforce into usable energy for the town.¡±


    ¡°Ew,¡± Elion wrinkled his nose. ¡°That seems ethically questionable.¡±


    ¡°We wait until people are already dead,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Then instead of burying them, we reuse the parts that they don¡¯t need anymore. It makes sense.¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Elion said. ¡°It¡¯s just like weird magical organ donation.¡±


    Keyla turned back to her work.


    Don¡¯t people get kidnapped and have their organs stolen all the time on Earth?


    Elion¡¯s stomach churned again as the image of Gorman cutting into the dead scavenger came back into his mind. He tried to settle his rising gorge.


    He wondered if he had any obligation to protect the dead. Or the infected. He recalled the promises he had made as he knelt before the Altar and he begged for the power to help Kasm.


    ¡°You will stand as a shield to your people.¡±


    ¡°You will wield your blade in defense of the truth.¡±


    ¡°You will fight to save your friends and your enemies.¡±


    He wanted to do all of them. He wanted to help protect Keyla from participating in the butchery he had just witnessed. Should he have done more to defend her from Gorman? But his promises offered him no guidance on what to say or do now.


    Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡ª¡± he began. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let him¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop bothering me,¡± Keyla said. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Elion stopped. He watched her for a few more minutes, his mouth open as he tried to find words. Eventually he turned and exited the room, leaving her to work.


    Back in the garage he looked around for some large drums he could use to construct a boat. He needed to get away from this place, to get off this island. His search was halfhearted, remembering the finger he had found before. Besides, the presence of the two corpses disquieted him.


    He did find a few barrels, but they were heavy and there was something inside of them.


    His attention kept coming back to the transmitter in the middle of the room. He¡¯d been turning the idea over in his mind¡ªit was a risk, but if he could get it to work, it would be worth it. If it didn¡¯t work, he needed to have his boat ready for a quick escape.


    Always in the back of his mind the memory of Liora lingered, screaming as Dorian¡¯s Arachnatronic pulled her across the front lawn. She dangled limply between two warlocks as they pulled her into the swirling portal.


    If Zev is dead or captured, then I¡¯m the only one left who can help her.


    Somehow, Elion had to find her. The goal felt more impossible now than ever, but he clung to hope. Strange and incredible magic operated on Kylios, and somehow he had tapped into those powers.


    He wasn¡¯t a Knight like Zev though. Zev had a full suit of armor, and a powerful sword. All Elion had was a stupid loincloth and a butter knife.


    But every game I¡¯ve ever played I started out as a noob. When you¡¯re underleveled for an area, you just have to get out there and grind.


    He pulled the glittering blue gemstone from his pocket and examined it, admiring the way it sparkled in the light. An Aurelian Tear.


    Elion closed his eyes. ¡°What do I do with this?¡± he asked. ¡°How can I use it to level up?¡±


    << Place your Ascendency Stone on the Altar >>


    Right. Of course. Why did everything have to be at the Altar?


    Someone knocked on the door. Elion tucked the Ascendency Stone back into his pocket and peered through the window. The crowd had dispersed. Kasm stood outside, knocking gently.


    Elion opened the door. ¡°Hey, Kasm.¡±


    ¡°Elion Walker,¡± Kasm said, hugging Elion tightly. Elion returned the hug half-heartedly. After the strange green Heranan magic had healed Kasm and the boy had screamed about attacks by the infected, they had brought him back to his home. Elion hadn¡¯t seen him since, though everyone in town had been talking about him.


    ¡°How are you doing? How¡¯s your side?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly healed,¡± Kasm said, breaking off the hug and pulling up his shirt to show off the smooth skin. ¡°No sign of scarring or anything. Even the birthmark that I used to have here is gone.¡± He pointed at his side. Elion didn¡¯t see anything there.


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Elion said. His own pemalion wounds had also left no trace after wading through the magical glowing vines.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point though,¡± Kasm said. ¡°Something happened to me.¡± He grabbed a potted plant off of the porch and brought it into the garage, setting it on a table.


    The plant, little more than a stick poking out of the dirt, had seen better days. Elion raised an eyebrow but did not interrupt. Kasm closed his eyes, cupping his hands around the twig.


    A distant rushing noise filled the air, like the sound of a waterfall a long way off, or the wind rustling through tree branches. Green light glimmered between Kasm¡¯s hands. Elion leaned in to get a better look, and saw a small bud swell on the end of the stick.


    Leaves sprouted beneath the bud, stretching out to brush against Kasm¡¯s hands. The bud swelled, then opened, folding out a layer at a time, revealing a small red flower within. Elion¡¯s eyes grew wide as he watched.


    Kasm gasped for breath, wiping perspiration from his forehead. He beamed at Elion, his face pale. ¡°It¡¯s hard, but I can push it further. I can make it grow into a fruit. Want to see?¡±


    He started cupping his hands around the flower again, but Elion stopped him.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it,¡± he said, remembering his first experiences using his Aurelian abilities. ¡°That is incredible!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Kasm said. ¡°I needed to show you. Maybe I can help save Keyla¡¯s mother, and all the others!¡±


    ¡°Slow down,¡± Elion said. ¡°I imagine healing an infected is much harder than making a flower grow.¡±


    Kasm shrugged. ¡°Maybe. But I¡¯ll do it. I think I¡¯m a Cultivator now!¡±


    ¡°How would you not know?¡± Elion asked, recalling his experience at the altar. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have to¡­ swear oaths or something?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Kasm said, shaking his head. ¡°I was just taking care of our plants and I started seeing the Praxis messages that said I could ¡®Cultivate,¡¯ and the plants started growing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly how it worked for me,¡± Elion said. ¡°Maybe this is something different.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an Aurelian. Of course it¡¯s different. I¡¯m a Heranan Cultivator now. I can heal things!¡±


    ¡°So were your parents Cultivators or something?¡± Elion asked. ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as I know,¡± Kasm said. ¡°I read in a book once that you just need a Cultivator to vouch for you to gain acceptance to the Way of the Seed.


    ¡°Have you tried healing anything yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. But I think I can. It says I have the Heal Flesh Seed.¡±


    Elion was not convinced. ¡°It might not be  that  easy,¡± he said. ¡°And you¡¯re probably not  that  strong, since you just started.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Kasm said, undeterred from his enthusiasm. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯ve been blessed with the power we need, the power we¡¯ve been asking for! I sat outside at my runic rings for months, working on them and trying to make them perfect. I read the whole book about runes of power. I know I didn¡¯t mess them up. They were beckoning, summoning the power of Herana. Not Aurelia. No offence.¡±


    ¡°We should probably tell Keyla,¡± Elion said. ¡°Gorman was mad because she didn¡¯t have a plan to help her mother. But if you¡¯re really a Cultivator¡­¡± Elion still felt like Kasm wouldn¡¯t be strong enough to heal infected yet. He shouldn¡¯t be. It wouldn¡¯t really be fair, after all, Elion¡¯s abilities still felt quite weak.


    The boy would have to train, level up, grow his skills before he could really be useful. He touched the Aurelian Tear in his pocket.


    ¡°Where is Keyla?¡± Kasm asked. ¡°Let¡¯s show her.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s upstairs,¡± Elion said. ¡°But she¡¯s a little grumpy¡­¡±


    Kasm ran up the stairs with his potted plant.


    Keyla watched in wonder as Kasm caused another flower to sprout and bloom atop his potted plant. All the pain and frustration from Gorman¡¯s reprimand melted from her face, as though it had never happened.


    ¡°Kasm!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°You really think you can heal infected?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my rune message was asking for! It¡¯s why I made it in the first place. We needed a Cultivator hero who could heal the infected, and save Aterfel from that Shard. If I got Cultivator power but not enough to do anything, that would be stupid.¡±


    ¡°Your rune circle also brought him, though,¡± Keyla said, jabbing a finger at Elion. ¡°So maybe everything you got is stupid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid,¡± Elion protested, wounded by the comment.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Keyla,¡± Kasm said, taking the teasing comment too seriously.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Elion said, but they ignored him.


    "I¡¯ve been thinking about that,¡± Kasm continued. ¡°I think he might be here for a reason too.¡±


    ¡°What might that be?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kasm said with a shrug.


    ¡°How do we test your abilities?¡± Keyla asked. ¡°Have you tried to heal anything?¡±


    Kasm shook his head.


    ¡°Bruises!¡± Keyla exclaimed, and before Elion could stop her she was pulling his shirt up, revealing the marks where Elion had been shot. They stood out from his skin, circular welts surrounded by deep black and purple stains.


    Elion reluctantly took his shirt back from Keyla and held it up so that they could inspect the damage. Keyla probed one of the bruises, her finger cold as ice.


    Elion flinched away.


    ¡°Hurt?¡± Keyla asked.


    ¡°No, your hands are just cold,¡± he whined.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Keyla muttered, but tucked her hands inside her armpits to warm them.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see,¡± Kasm said. He placed his hands over one of Elion¡¯s bruises, and closed his eyes.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Text?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kasm said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal for Ascended,¡± Keyla explained. ¡°It¡¯s how most people interact with Praxis.¡±


    Kasm did not reply. A pale green light shone from the seams where Kasm¡¯s hand met Elion¡¯s skin. Elion felt a frail warmth, but couldn¡¯t tell if it came from healing magic or just Kasm¡¯s touch.


    ¡°Is it working?¡± Keyla asked.


    Elion shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not fair that he already figured out how to use Praxis without saying everything out loud. I feel like a baby.¡±


    Keyla rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯ll get there.¡±


    Kasm swayed to one side, then crumpled to the floor. Keyla caught him before he fell entirely.


    ¡°Kasm!¡± she cried out.


    The boy opened his eyes, looking woozy.


    ¡°Did I heal it?¡± he asked.


    Elion pulled his shirt back up and checked. The welt had nearly disappeared, and the black and blue discoloration had faded to a sickly yellow.


    "It looks a little better,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Kasm muttered.


    ¡°Watch your tongue,¡± Keyla warned.


    ¡°Sorry bud,¡± Elion said. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re going to have to get stronger before you can heal infected.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re not infected,¡± Kasm said hopefully, standing back up. Keyla and Elion shook their heads.


    ¡°Where did you get those bruises from, anyway?¡± Kasm asked.


    ¡°Someone shot at me,¡± Elion said.


    Kasm¡¯s eyes grew wide as dinner plates. ¡°And you only got bruised?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªuh, was wearing my Aurelian armor,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°You have armor?¡± Kasm exclaimed. ¡°I want to see it! Can I see it? Tael will be so jealous. Why didn¡¯t you put it on when that pemalion attacked us?¡±


    Keyla met his eye and grinned. No way was Elion going to show Kasm his shiny golden speedo. Not after the way the boy had reacted to seeing his knife.


    ¡°Probably not a good idea right now,¡± Elion said, using his eyes to tell Keyla to stay quiet. ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to work with¡­¡± Kasm¡¯s face fell. Elion seethed. Why did his armor have to look so stupid?


    ¡°Maybe we can use your Tear,¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°You have a Cend?¡± Kasm asked, eyes wide.


    Elion fished around in his pocket and recovered the blue gemstone. ¡°This?¡± he asked. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s mine. I mean, it¡¯s Aurelian.¡±


    ¡°We call them Cends for short,¡± Keyla explained. ¡°Any Ascended can use any kind of Ascendency Stone. Wealthy families purchase them so their children can skip over the early levels and get to the more interesting stuff faster.¡±


    Elion frowned. ¡°That¡¯s some serious pay-to-win nonsense. You have all these amazing powers and rich people still get to skip the grind?¡±


    Keyla shrugged. ¡°It works out for everyone. If you don¡¯t come from a wealthy family, you can sell Cends and help your family. That¡¯s what Gorman used to do, before.¡±


    ¡°Surely leveling up is a better way to help?¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Not when you need food or shelter. You can buy a lot of things with Cends. Ascendency power tends to be too focused.¡±


    ¡°Still sounds sucky,¡± Elion grumbled. ¡°Next you¡¯re going to tell me about the microtransactions.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Keyla asked, and Elion wondered how Praxis translated his last sentence.


    ¡°You really think that would work for me?¡± Kasm asked. ¡°You think I could use that gem to gain more power?¡±


    Elion shook his head and opened his mouth to say ¡®no.¡¯ After all, the Ascendency Stone was his. He earned it. And he needed it. He needed more power if he was ever going to be able to find Liora.


    Keyla caught his eye and warned him off with a shake of her head. He closed his mouth abruptly.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she said. ¡°Worth a try.¡±


    ¡°How would that even work?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the Aurelian,¡± Keyla said. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°The Altar I guess,¡± Elion said. ¡°I think that¡¯s where I have to go to use the Tear. Besides, I think I lost another of these Tears there.¡± Elion silently cursed himself for losing the other one. Maybe if they could find it, he would feel better about giving one to Kasm.


    ¡°Can we go there?¡± Kasm pleaded. ¡°Can we try it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Aurelian Tears and it¡¯s an Aurelian Altar,¡± Elion said, ¡°So don¡¯t expect too much¡­¡±


    Keyla hit Elion in the arm as Kasm looked crestfallen.


    ¡°Sure Kasm,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Let¡¯s go try it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Kasm exclaimed, running out the front door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up,¡± Elion called after him. ¡°It probably won¡¯t work, and you¡¯ll just be more disappointed if we can¡¯t figure it out.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a kid, let him be excited,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m like 65% sure that it should work!¡±

 31. The Plan to Level Up

    Elion, Keyla, and Kasm rolled up to the Altar clearing on Artefin powered bikes. As they entered the clearing, Elion noticed a faint golden shimmer of light, a protective bubble they had to pass through to reach the statue.


    A calming, peaceful sensation pressed on his mind as he stepped through it, tension melting from his shoulders. Last time he was here he hadn¡¯t really been in the right state of mind to appreciate it.


    Birds chirped in the trees and insects hummed, a peaceful music set against the serene location. Clumps of wildflowers, yellow, red, violet, and orange decorated tufts of grass, reflecting the colors of the sunset shards hanging in the sky. Trees cast shifting shadows over the glade, standing tall and sturdy, like guardians swaying gently in the breeze. The air was heavy with rich smells; decomposing leaves, damp earth, and pine needles.


    The statue in the center of the clearing looked dilapidated. Its once sharp edges had crumbled away. The statue¡¯s hands were missing fingers, and a chunk of her flowing locks had disappeared. What had once been smooth, white, polished marble now appeared grey and pitted, covered with lichens and weather stains.


    The three of them approached. The basin had drained, a crack in the bowl letting all the water spill out. Dark streaks left black stains on the stone, a reminder of Kasm¡¯s injury.


    No gemstone twinkled in the basin, though that was where Elion remembered leaving it.


    ¡°Maybe it fell on the ground somewhere,¡± Elion said. Keyla and Kasm began sifting through the dirt around the base of the statue. Elion pulled the Tear from his pocket and held it up to the statue.


    He examined the teardrop shape, the facets catching the light and shimmering. Trying to call up Praxis, he closed his eyes and asked, ¡°I just put this on the Altar?¡±


    << Place your Ascendency Stone on the Altar >>


    Elion obeyed.


    << Offer Ascendency Stone to the Path of Dawn? >>


    Elion nearly said ¡®yes.¡¯ He wanted to know what would happen. How much the stone would help him improve, what leveling up meant. He could just say it was an accident. Kasm could use the other stone when they found it.


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said with a sigh. ¡°Not yet.¡± He picked the Cend up from the altar, mentally cursing himself for not keeping the first one. He wished Praxis was more helpful.  Why didn¡¯t you tell me how important these things were earlier? I wouldn¡¯t have lost the other one.


    The text disappeared. Elion gazed at the crumbling statue. He noticed flecks of color in the hair and around the eyes. The statue had once been painted. When brand new it might have looked like a living, breathing person. He wondered if the crumbling state of the statue affected its power.


    Kasm and Keyla had stopped combing through the dirt and watched him intently. Neither had found the missing gemstone.


    ¡°Maybe someone in town found it,¡± Keyla said. ¡°We could ask around¡ª¡±


    ¡°You mean stole it?¡± Elion said. ¡°They must know it isn¡¯t theirs. If they¡¯re as valuable as you say.¡±


    Keyla shrugged and Kasm frowned.


    ¡°Nobody would steal something like that,¡± Kasm said. ¡°That would be wrong.¡±


    ¡°Well it was here before,¡± Elion said, his face warming. ¡°I know it was.¡± He had been partially delirious at the time, but he felt certain the gemstone had been here.


    He needed to find that Cend, to help him level more quickly. Who knew what Dorian was doing to Liora? How much time did he really have?


    ¡°So what do you think,¡± Keyla said, changing the subject. ¡°How do you use it, Elion?¡±


    ¡°I just put it on the Altar and tell Praxis I want to use it,¡± Elion said. He still held the gemstone in his hand, fingers curled around it.


    ¡°Give it to Kasm,¡± Keyla said.


    Elion extended his arm and Kasm reached out to receive it. But Elion did not release the Tear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use it yet,¡± Elion said. ¡°We just want to know if it¡¯s possible. What you have to do to make it work.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kasm said, nodding impatiently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use it,¡± Elion repeated. ¡°We need to be sure that¡¯s what we want to do first.¡± He dropped the gemstone into Kasm¡¯s outstretched hand. Kasm cupped the stone in the palm of his hand, cradling it.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± he asked, looking between Elion and Kasm.


    ¡°How does it work for you, Keyla,¡± Elion asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t you done this before?¡±


    Keyla shook her head, blushing. ¡°I¡¯ve received three Skillstones, but Gorman took them to keep them safe. He says it¡¯s better to take things slow when you¡¯re first starting out, and improve your abilities the slow way.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Elion asked. ¡°I thought you said that people use them to skip early levels.¡±


    ¡°Rich people do that,¡± Keyla said. ¡°There¡¯s an equation for how much experience you get from an Ascendency Stone, and it goes up the higher your level is. So if you wait longer, you get more out of it.¡±


    ¡°Geeze,¡± Elion said. ¡°How much do these gemstones cost?¡±


    ¡°One stone could feed a family for several months,¡± Keyla said. ¡°They¡¯re worth a lot. Or they were, back when we could trade on the river.¡±


    ¡°If Kasm can use other Ascendency Stones,¡± Elion said, ¡°maybe we can get yours from Gorman, and he can use those. How many other of these gemstones can we find in Aterfel?¡±


    Keyla didn¡¯t look hopeful, but she also didn¡¯t object to the idea. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re likely to find any other Cends here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Does Gorman have any?¡± Elion asked. ¡°You said he saved them up to trade, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Keyla said. ¡°He might have used them, if he had any. They¡¯re not super common.¡±


    ¡°How many do you think we¡¯ll need?¡± Elion asked. ¡°To level Kasm so that he can heal infected?¡±


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a book back at the tower that might be able to help us figure that out,¡± Keyla said. ¡°But the whole thing is moot if Kasm can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Kasm,¡± Elion said. ¡°Close your eyes and ask Praxis what you need to do to use the stone. But don¡¯t do it, don¡¯t confirm even if it says you can. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Here goes nothing.¡± Kasm closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    Elion and Keyla watched attentively.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Kasm said, eyes flickering beneath his eyelids. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Altar matters for me,¡± he said.


    Elion pursed his lips. ¡°I guess we didn¡¯t have to come here,¡± he said. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t have to put it on the Altar.¡±


    Keyla shrugged, watching Kasm¡¯s face. He sat on the ground, his legs crossed, eyes closed. He looked peaceful, healthy and strong; a stark contrast to his appearance when suffering from the infection, tied down to the table in Gorman¡¯s garage.


    ¡°He might still have to,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Besides, we were looking for the other one.¡±


    ¡°Who stole it?¡± Elion wondered. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people around here.¡±


    "Shh¡­¡± Keyla chided, holding a finger to her lips. ¡°Give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they are just keeping it safe for you.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t buy it, but didn¡¯t want to argue with Keyla. Now that he was getting to know her better, he found her to be annoyingly optimistic at times. She turned her attention back to Kasm, watching him intently though wide eyes.


    ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s something wrong with this Altar,¡± Elion said. ¡°Sometimes I feel like its slow to respond to me, or like the woman isn¡¯t able to hear what I¡¯m saying. I know it¡¯s not supposed to be cracked like that.¡±


    ¡°A lot of Aurelian Altars have been destroyed,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Not many Knights remain to maintain them. This one is probably the only one for hundreds of miles. When I was little Knights came through Aterfel to visit it, but¡­ Not so much anymore.¡±


    ¡°Would that affect Praxis?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Sometimes it seems less than helpful.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you just need to learn how to use it better,¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°Guys,¡± Kasm said, opening his eyes and standing up. ¡°I think I know what I need to do with this.¡± He held up his fist, the cend gripped tightly inside. ¡°I think I figured out how to use it.¡±


    Elion wiped his brow, releasing a sigh of relief. He hadn¡¯t realized he was holding his breath. ¡°Give it back,¡± he said.


    Elion extended his hand and Kasm placed the stone into it. Elion marveled at the small gem. ¡°We should find the other one,¡± Elion said. ¡°We should figure out how many we would need before we do anything.¡± He shot a look at Keyla.


    ¡°What do you have to do with it, Kasm?¡± Keyla asked, ignoring Elion.


    ¡°I have to bury it in the ground,¡± he said. ¡°But not here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a plan,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°We should go back to the tower and get the reference book,¡± Keyla agreed.


    Back at the tower, Elion stalked back and forth across the room, behind Keyla¡¯s couch. Keyla and Kasm sat at Keyla¡¯s work table.


    Keyla had cleared away the laserarm she was working on, making space for a large book that now lay open on the table. Flipping through the pages, Kasm read various figures off as Keyla noted them on a sheet of paper.


    Elion checked his pocket for the gemstone. The little rock was so small he worried he was going to lose it like he did the other one. For something so valuable, his pocket didn¡¯t seem sufficient. He needed a better way to store it.


    Someone in town must have found the other Ascendency stone when they rescued Kasm and Elion at the Altar. Maybe Kasm and Keyla were right, and whoever found it didn¡¯t know what it was and they¡¯d return it if asked.


    But the stupid little rock was so valuable, that if the thief realized what they had in their possession, they¡¯d be foolish to just hand it back over.


    ¡°Is it even going to work?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Shh,¡± Keyla said, ¡°We¡¯re working on that.¡±


    She continued working out math equations on a piece of paper by hand.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you guys invented spreadsheets yet?¡± Elion asked, but received no answer.


    Elion paced back and forth a few more times as Kasm and Keyla continued whispering to each other. Curiosity overcame his frustration, and he pulled a stool over and sat down.


    ¡°Okay so then at level 3 you¡¯d get 16, so that would put your total to 31, which is almost level 5¡­¡± Keyla jotted down notes while she spoke.


    ¡°But not quite?¡± Kasm said.


    ¡°You¡¯d be one point off,¡± Keyla said.


    "What a scrap heap,¡± Kasm groaned. ¡°One point?¡±


    "We¡¯re not even sure that level 5 is enough,¡± Elion reminded them. ¡°Just because your book is referencing minor illness healing at that stage doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯ll work.¡±


    Keyla flipped the book closed and pointed at the cover.


    ¡°Saint Hendreston¡¯s Complete Compendium of Ascendency Paths and Guide to Praxian Systems,¡± she read aloud. ¡°Complete, Elion,¡± she said. ¡°Saint Hendreston is the best, and his book is accurate.¡±


    ¡°But the infection isn¡¯t minor,¡± Elion protested.


    ¡°Then it might take a long time. A lot of minor healings can add up to a major one,¡± Keyla said, with such confidence that Elion wanted to believe her.


    ¡°But what if the infection isn¡¯t even an illness?¡± Elion said. ¡°Just because we call it an infection¡ª¡±


    ¡°It has to be,¡± Keyla said, ¡°It has to be.¡± Her eyes watered, and she wiped them with her arm, turning away angrily. ¡°It must be an illness, because Kasm got cured and there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to get him to level ten and unlock his toxin purification skill.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kasm said, nodding his head in agreement. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make sense. It lines up too well. We have just enough cends here to get me to level five, and unlock Treatment of Sicknesses.¡±


    ¡°No we don¡¯t,¡± Elion said. ¡°We only have one Ascendency stone. We think there¡¯s another one around here, but we don¡¯t know who has it, and we need Gorman to agree for us to use the other three. Besides, even with five stones that still leaves you one point short.¡±


    ¡°I can earn an experience point,¡± Kasm said, folding his arms and pouting. ¡°I¡¯ll grind.¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t think this is really a good plan at all,¡± Elion said. ¡°Earning an experience point takes like a month!¡±


    Is it worth wasting Ascendency Stones on a plan that probably won¡¯t even work? I¡¯d be better off using them myself. I¡¯m going to need all the help I can get to save Liora.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help us make it better then?¡± Keyla said. ¡°Please. It¡¯s for my mother. Help us save her.¡±


    Elion looked out the window and sighed.


    ¡°We need to find the other Tear,¡± he said. ¡°None of this works if we can¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°None of what works?¡± Gorman asked, walking into the room. ¡°What are you doing? Keyla, you¡¯re supposed to be¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gorman, we have a plan,¡± Keyla said. ¡°We have a plan that we think might help my mother and maybe all the other infected.¡±

 32. Search for Zev

    ¡°I¡¯m getting better at it,¡± Elion said with a smile. Gorman nodded back. This training session had gone well, and Elion had been able to trigger several Praxian menus without speaking aloud. ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°I enjoy seeing you improve,¡± Gorman said. ¡°You¡¯re a fine student.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about everything that has happened since I got here,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡¯d like to help Keyla make her plan work.¡±


    ¡°I do too,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I think that the town will want to try it. But we need to do something about that Shard, and soon. We can¡¯t wait around forever, not with the bridge failing.¡±


    Elion sighed. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°But as long as you¡¯re here,¡± Gorman said. ¡°You may as well try.¡±


    Elion nodded.


    ¡°Speaking of which, you mentioned that your uncle Zev might be on the planet somewhere,¡± the big man said. ¡°You thought he jumped through a portal to Kylios?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elion said, wondering what this was all about.


    ¡°There might be a way for us to find out.¡±


    Hope spiked in Elion, a sudden rush of adrenaline. ¡°How?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We can use the tower¡¯s transmitter. It¡¯ll probably draw a ton of power, though.¡±


    ¡°When?¡± Elion asked. ¡°When can we do it?¡± Gratitude bloomed within like a seedling bursting from the soil.


    ¡°We can do it now. But it¡¯s not without risk,¡± Gorman cautioned. ¡°It could catch the attention of Dorian¡¯s warlocks, bringing them here more quickly. But if it helps you get out of here sooner, then that¡¯ll be worth it.¡±


    Elion frowned, pondering the motivation behind the man¡¯s offer.  Sometimes he seems worried about getting me to leave, sometimes he doesn¡¯t seem to mind. Is he stalling? Trying to prevent Keyla¡¯s plan from moving forward, somehow?  Still, Gorman was offering the chance to find out if Zev was alive, and here on Kylios. That was worth any risk.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Elion said.


    Gorman led Elion over to the transmission station; the same one he¡¯d overheard Gorman using in the middle of the night. Elion still wondered about the conversation Gorman had been having. It had seemed sinister to him.  Is this a trick, to expose my location to Dorian and collect a reward?


    ¡°There¡¯s an old Aurelian Communication Network on Kylios,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I made a few modifications to our communication antenna up on the tower and I think we should be able to tap into it. Since it¡¯s a bit of a hack, it¡¯s going to draw a lot of power just to identify your uncle¡¯s location. That¡¯s all we¡¯re going to do. You won¡¯t be able to talk to him.¡± Gorman gestured apologetically.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said. ¡°If I know where he is, that¡¯s a start.¡± He tried not to seem overeager, but inside he was singing. Knowing that Zev was alive, and where he was? Gorman did not have to apologize for that. Even the implication that it might be possible to talk to Zev excited Elion.


    Elion sat in the chair at the transmitter. He took a deep breath, calming himself as he tried to remember that Zev could be dead. Or somewhere else; maybe on a different planet. They might not be able to find him at all.


    Gorman helped Elion put on the headwear and then fiddled with the machine for several minutes, making sure all the settings were correct and all the instruments calibrated.


    ¡°Focus on your uncle,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Hold him in your mind as vividly as possible. This could take a few minutes, so it¡¯s important for you to stay focused. If he¡¯s on Kylios, we¡¯ll find him.¡±


    Static crackled through the headset. Elion called up memories of Zev.


    He thought about the first time Zev had taken him skeet shooting. Zev handed Elion the shotgun, made him pull it into the crease of his shoulder, holding it tightly against his body. A clay pigeon soared through the air, and Elion tried to track it with the gun, tugging on the trigger.


    The shotgun bucked in his arms, nearly knocking him over, shot going wide.


    Zev laughed and corrected Elion¡¯s stance, throwing another clay pigeon. This time Elion tracked it through the air. He caught the clay disc in the spray of pellets from his shotgun and it exploded into a thousand pieces.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Zev exclaimed, ¡°Second try! You¡¯re a natural, kid.¡±


    Elion swelled with pride, and didn¡¯t hit another shot for the rest of the day.


    Then there was the time just after his parents died, when Elion and Liora had temporarily moved into Zev¡¯s apartment. A designated wilderness area covered hundreds of acres nearby, and Elion would walk there sometimes to be alone.


    One day, a two-year-old boy wandered away from his parents in the woods. After 12 hours, search and rescue hadn¡¯t found the boy and began calling for volunteers to help them sweep through the forest.


    Elion persuaded Zev and Liora to come volunteer with him, and together they joined with other members of the community to search. At first Zev resisted, making excuses; he couldn¡¯t afford the time off work, other people were already helping, and so on.


    He remembered the look on Zev¡¯s face when he said, ¡°I know how that little boy feels right now. Lost, alone, and sad. I just want him to be with his parents again.¡±


    Zev¡¯s gruff face melted, his scarred, worn exterior dissolving as he turned to wipe away tears. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Zev said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We need to help.¡±


    They beat their way through the forest, rain sprinkling down around them. The smell of damp bark and decaying leaves swirled through the air. Cold, wet, and miserable, Elion pushed forward, driven by his desire to see a family reunited.


    Six hours later, as the light faded, Search and Rescue started sending volunteers home to rest. They didn¡¯t want anyone else getting lost in the woods.


    Zev knelt beside Elion. ¡°It¡¯s been nearly 24 hours since the boy was last seen,¡± he said. ¡°We have to consider the possibility that¡ª¡±


    ¡°We have to keep looking,¡± Elion insisted. ¡°He¡¯s cold, and scared, and alone, and we can¡¯t leave him out here alone all night. He needs his mom and dad.¡±


    Zev gave in. ¡°30 more minutes,¡± he said. ¡°After that it will be too dark; we don¡¯t want to miss him in the dark.


    A dozen steps later, Elion¡¯s flashlight illuminated small footprints in the mud, heading back through the area that had already been searched. He followed them, dragging Zev and Liora along with him.


    The footprints vanished across hard stone. Elion scrutinized the rocks, finding flecks of dirt fallen from the missing toddler¡¯s shoes. Darkness grew in the forest, and Elion turned on his flashlight, continuing to follow the trail.


    Then, just as the last vestige of light faded in the western sky, Elion peered down into a dark crack between two rocks. Wedged there, in a space too small for an adult, he saw a tiny body.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Two big eyes glittered in the beam of Elion¡¯s flashlight. The little boy shivered and stared, too cold and afraid to cry. Elion reached down and pulled the boy out of the hole. In an instant, Zev wrapped the child in his coat, crying out with joy.


    Elion remembered the look of exultation on Zev¡¯s face, the rush of finding the child alive. He struggled to keep up with Zev as they raced back through the forest, calling for help.


    The boy¡¯s parents sobbed when they were reunited with their son. Elion did not feel happy. He felt a desperate, crushing longing to be that boy, wrapped in the arms of his parents.


    That night Zev wrapped his arm around Elion, and told him he was proud.


    Elion wondered if he¡¯d ever see his uncle again. Was Elion the little boy, lost in the woods, while Zev searched for him? Or had Zev died, another member of Elion¡¯s family gone forever?


    ¡°Ah ha!¡± Gorman exclaimed. He tapped on a readout screen, jotting down a string of numbers. ¡°You found him. He¡¯s here somewhere.¡± He began adjusting knobs and switches, speaking to the machine as he worked. ¡°No, don¡¯t establish a communication link¡­ Power running low¡­ not as precise as I hoped, but we can¡¯t afford to keep looking.¡±


    With the flick of a switch, the entire system powered off. Elion touched his cheek, realized it was wet. He wiped his face. ¡°You found him?¡± he asked. ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on Kylios,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Not too far, I don¡¯t think. Not on the other side of the planet at least, probably in Erod. We¡¯ll have to pull out the atlas and look up the coordinates.¡±


    The words rolled off of Elion, not penetrating through the strong emotions whirling within him.


    ¡°He¡¯s here?¡± Elion said. ¡°Where?¡±


    Gorman flipped on a screen. It filled with a large rotating globe diagram. Elion did not recognize any of the landmasses, and assumed it was Kylios. Gorman typed the coordinates in on a keyboard and the globe rotated as the screen zoomed into the place the coordinates indicated. ¡°In Erod,¡± Gorman said, pointing. Elion peered at the map, but the shapes on the screen meant nothing to him.


    ¡°Several days up river,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Then over the Iron Mountains and across the Plains of Valnor.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to Zev,¡± Elion said. ¡°He needs to know I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Gorman insisted. ¡°It would draw too much power. And it might catch Dorian¡¯s attention.¡±


    ¡°Then I need to go, now!¡± Elion said. ¡°I need to get to where he is. If I had something I could float in, I could go down river, then hike back up along the banks. I could get to where he is.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast young man. No need to be hasty.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted me gone. Aren¡¯t I endangering this town by being here?¡±


    Gorman shrugged. ¡°In a way, you are. But I think it would be better for you to stay here for a few more days.¡±


    ¡°I thought you wanted me to leave. To avoid conflict with Dorian.¡±


    Gorman waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Sorry if I gave you the impression that was super urgent. A few more days here won¡¯t matter. Take your time to prepare, don¡¯t act rashly.¡±


    ¡°I need to go soon though,¡± Elion said. ¡°I need to build a boat, something. I have to get to Zev.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But you probably lose time sailing down the river. Be patient, and if everything works according to plan, you should simply be able to cross over the bridge and travel on the paths. That would be much faster for you.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Elion said, unconsciously pulling the Ascendency Stone from his pocket, turning it over in his hand. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m sorry, I just get more anxious the longer I¡¯m here. Knowing that my uncle is alive, well¡­ I need to get to him. I need him to know I¡¯m here.¡±


    What happened to you, Zev? You told me you¡¯d be back in twenty-four hours.


    ¡°No need to apologize,¡± Gorman said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome here for as long as you want, though I understand your need to leave.¡±


    Elion placed the gemstone on the table, admiring the pattern of light refracting through it onto the hard surface. He was grateful for Gorman¡¯s hospitality, but a little confused by the sudden change in the man¡¯s demeanor. Gorman had been so worried about attracting Dorian¡¯s attention to Aterfel, it seemed strange for him to have dropped that concern.


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°I can keep that safe for you if you¡¯d like,¡± Gorman said, gesturing to the Ascendency Stone in Elion¡¯s hand. Elion realized he¡¯d been playing with it and closed his fingers around it. ¡°Don¡¯t want to lose it before you get a chance to use it, do you?¡±


    Is that a jab at the fact that I already lost one?  Elion inspected Gorman¡¯s face, but didn¡¯t detect any sign of aggression from the man.


    ¡°Should I just use it?¡± Elion asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t totally following Keyla¡¯s math before, and¡­¡±


    Gorman slapped his thigh. ¡°No way, not yet. The formula for gemstone experience is the square of one plus your current level.¡±


    Elion blinked, tilting his head.


    ¡°Rule of thumb for you? Don¡¯t use a cend until you¡¯ve reached level two. That¡¯s going to maximize the value you get out of them. They become less useful once you get to around level nine or ten.¡±


    ¡°So you think it¡¯s a waste to let Kasm use Ascendency Stones to level up right now?¡±


    Gorman nodded. ¡°If he trained for three or four months, he could probably get to level two naturally. At that point, each stone he uses can help him skip a level. Remember that levels require exponentially more experience to reach. If he uses five Ascendency Stones now, he¡¯ll still be one experience points short of level five; at thirty-one experience points. That¡¯s about two and a half years of training. If he waits until level two, those same stones take him past level seven; one-hundred and thirty-nine experience points. That would take him about eleven years of training.¡±


    Elion thought about this. ¡°I guess that the exponential nature of the curve isn¡¯t intuitive to me.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense when you study it out more. I can pull up some charts¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°I believe you. I get your point. It doesn¡¯t make sense for me to use an Ascendency Stone at this point. But if there¡¯s a chance that Kasm could heal infected¡­¡±


    ¡°A big if,¡± Gorman said.


    ¡°I get it.¡±


    ¡°Just offering to keep that Tear safe for you until you decide what to do with it. It would be a shame to lose another one.¡± Gorman looked down, scratching the back of his neck.


    Elion rubbed his palms together, then slumped his shoulders. ¡°I guess my pocket isn¡¯t the safest place to keep it.¡±


    ¡°Offer¡¯s always open. You can put it in my safe,¡± Gorman said. ¡°That¡¯s where I keep our Skillstones.¡±


    "That would be safer,¡± Elion said. ¡°But what if I needed to access it in an emergency?¡±


    ¡°Why would you need to do that?¡± Gorman asked. ¡°You either use it now, or you use it later. Or trade it away. None of those are emergencies. Like I said, you have several months of training to do before it makes sense to use it.¡±


    ¡°Where is your safe?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Give me the stone,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I¡¯ll put it there.¡±


    Elion tightened his lips, blowing air into his cheeks. He glanced sideways at Gorman.


    If I have to leave in a hurry for some reason, it might be hard to get back. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep on my person?


    Then again, he had already misplaced one stone.  At least this way I won¡¯t lose it.


    ¡°Anytime you want it back, just tell me, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± Gorman extended his hand.


    Elion relented, picking the Tear off the table and dropping it into Gorman¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go put it away now,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Besides, I have to go check on the Threnody Core and make sure we didn¡¯t damage it with that power draw. He started climbing up the stairs. As he left, Elion felt the urge to follow Gorman, and see what the man did with his Ascendency Stone. He clenched his fists as he fought against the feeling, telling himself not to worry about it. If Keyla trusted Gorman with her Skillstones, then Elion could trust him too.


    Then Gorman¡¯s words struck him. He¡¯d said ¡®our Skillstones.¡¯ That must mean¡­ Gorman had his own Skillstones hidden in the safe. Why didn¡¯t he offer them up to help with their plan?

 33. Artificer at Work

    Dorian sat upon the Golden Throne. He shuddered, his eyes rolling with ecstasy. I held my breath, fearing detection. He sat near enough to me that I could have struck at him, perhaps dealing the avenging blow.


    My cheeks wet with tears, I restrained myself. If I acted in violence now, I would be killed. Better to honor Loreign¡¯s final request. I would be a witness.


    Overhead, the ceiling glittered, millions of gems scintillating like stars in the night sky. Sounds of violence echoed in the distance: explosions, screams, and the telltale crackle of Sentinel power.


    In this moment, I admired the beauty of the Throne. Intricately crafted and filled with delicate internal mechanisms, the Throne holds the power of House Starhold. I watched through ornamented windows in the throne¡¯s back as gears and wheels ticked steadily along. The Throne would not betray us.


    Dorian tapped at controls, flipped switches, and adjusted knobs. But the infinite wisdom of those who crafted the Throne prevented him from taking control. Its powers are only accessible by the true heir.


    Hope surged within me as I understood Loreign¡¯s final gambit. In remaining here, to face down her son, she bought time for you, Aria. She enabled your escape from the palace. When she died and you became heir, you were already out of Dorian¡¯s grasp.


    <hr>


    At the bridge, Gorman had cleared a large area inside the small structure that housed the drawbridge machinery. Tools and parts lay strewn about everywhere. Keyla was back at the tower, busy working on constructing more laserarms.


    His normal assistant otherwise employed, Gorman had brought Elion to the bridge to fill in. ¡°I¡¯ll do some teaching while you help me,¡± Gorman had said. Elion¡¯s stomach had fluttered as he remembered the last time he¡¯d helped Gorman at the bridge. But he¡¯d gone along with it anyway.


    It does feel like Gorman is just trying to keep an eye on me,  he thought.


    ¡°This device is going to have to function inside of the distortion field of the Shard,¡± Gorman said, gesturing to the two metal half-spheres lying on the ground. ¡°So, while we can¡¯t use any Artefin magic to hold it together or make it function, we can use the power to build it.¡±


    Elion shifted his weight from side to side.  I need to get to Zev. I wonder what happened to him? Why did he not come back to Earth like he said he would?


    Gorman knelt beside one of the half-spheres. Using a measuring tape and a pen, he marked out points on the dome, spaced two hand-widths apart.


    ¡°Use this to draw three inch circles,¡± Gorman said, tossing a compass to Elion. Elion caught the device and stared at the markings on it until Praxis translated for him.


    Zev must be trapped, somehow. If he didn¡¯t come back for me, it¡¯s because he couldn¡¯t.


    The compass had two legs, one ending in a sharp point, the other holding a pen. Elion pulled these apart until the angle measure at the top indicated three inches, then twisted the knob at the top to lock the angle in.


    He bent over the sphere, and then placed the sharp part of the compass into the center of one of Gorman¡¯s marks. He twisted the compass, rotating the pen around on the surface of the dome, leaving a perfect circle around Gorman¡¯s mark.


    What could have stopped Zev from coming back? Dorian? Could he have been captured?


    ¡°Where is Dorian¡¯s palace?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Where does he live?¡±


    Gorman looked up, surprised. ¡°What did you say? The palace?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Palace of Stars or whatever it¡¯s called. Where is it?¡±


    ¡°The Palace of a Million Stars,¡± Gorman corrected him. ¡°It¡¯s in Erod.¡±


    ¡°Where Zev is,¡± Elion said. ¡°How accurate was our location for him? Could he be in the Palace?¡±


    Gorman shifted suddenly, turning to watch Elion intently. ¡°Maybe,¡± he said. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just wondering why Zev didn¡¯t come back like he said he would,¡± Elion explained. ¡°If he somehow was also trapped by Dorian, that would explain it.¡±


    Gorman relaxed, a smile touching the corner of his mouth. ¡°That would explain it,¡± he agreed.


    ¡°So could he be there? Held in the palace?¡±


    ¡°He could be,¡± Gorman said. ¡°We weren¡¯t triangulating long enough to get a precise location in Erod. So he definitely could be.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯re both there,¡± Elion muttered. He drew another circle on the dome with his compass. ¡°Both are trapped. I¡¯m the only one who can do anything about it.¡±


    Gorman grunted, inspecting Elion¡¯s circles. ¡°Good work,¡± he said.


    Elion finished the first dome, then moved on to the second. Gorman began cutting the circles out of the domes. He used his pointer finger, tracing it lightly over the lines Elion had drawn.


    Light crackled and sparked from the tip of his finger as he cut. Elion averted his eyes from the light to avoid being blinded by Gorman¡¯s magical plasma torch finger. He didn¡¯t want to give Gorman an excuse to replace his eyes with cameras.


    A small metal disk clattered to the floor inside of the half-dome, cut away by Gorman¡¯s Artefin skill. Elion continued drawing circles on the other dome.


    So I have to rescue them both. If I¡¯m going to have any hope of helping Zev and Liora, I¡¯m going to have to level up, fast.


    Elion touched his pocket, where he still had the Tear.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°How do you get Ascendency stones?¡± he asked.


    Gorman finished cutting another hole in the dome.


    ¡°Cends are granted in exchange for excellence,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Think of it as a reward for embodying the ideals of your Ascendency.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little vague,¡± Elion said. ¡°Isn¡¯t there some kind of formula for that kind of stuff? There¡¯s math for everything else.¡±


    Gorman chuckled. ¡°No. Not that I know of. Maybe there is.¡± He sat back on his heels and rubbed his ear. ¡°I guess the other way to earn them is through quest completion. But quests are very uncommon these days, since The Breaking of The Sky.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You can be granted quests in two ways,¡± Gorman said. ¡°By a Sentinel, in a time of great need, or through the more formal organization of Ascended that oversees the Ascendency. Since the Breaking, much of the formal organization has disintegrated.¡±


    ¡°What are the quests like?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Could I get one?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re usually involving tasks that help us fight against the Tephalians,¡± Gorman said. ¡°But again, with fewer centralized structures, there just aren¡¯t many quests available.¡±


    Gorman rubbed his beard. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I need to help Zev,¡± Elion said. ¡°If he¡¯s been captured by Dorian along with Liora, then I¡¯m the only one left who can do something. So I have to level as fast as possible, if I¡¯m going to stand a chance. What do you recommend?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely going to need to find an Aurelian to train you,¡± Gorman said. ¡°They will know what kinds of things you should be doing to gain more experience, and help you to level faster. That will be the best path forward. Don¡¯t try to cheat the early levels with cends, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    ¡°Where could I find an Aurelian mentor? In Erod?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, to be honest. Dorian has done a thorough job of hunting down Aurelians.¡±


    ¡°Why is he hunting them down?¡±


    ¡°They were very loyal to your family, for the most part. There are some of them who are working with Dorian, but many of them refuse, and are hunted.¡±


    ¡°Could we use your transmitter to locate or call other Aurelians?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Not if we don¡¯t know who we¡¯re trying to call,¡± Gorman said.


    Elion sighed.  I have to find some way to progress. Maybe it is a bad idea to share my cends with Kasm.


    Gorman lifted up the half-sphere and collected a handful of the circles he had cut from the dome, setting them on the table.


    Elion watched, wondering about Gorman¡¯s power. ¡°So if what you¡¯re doing now won¡¯t be affected by the disruption field of the Shard, then what kind of skills will be?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Gorman said. ¡°A common one is rune warping.¡±


    He picked up one of the metal disks and produced a sharp metal stylus, like the one Elion had seen Keyla using to construct her laserarms. He etched a shape onto the disk. The thin lines glowed turquoise.


    ¡°With this I can modify the properties of the metal,¡± Gorman said. ¡°This rune makes makes metal adhere to other metal. It¡¯s a simple one, but I can do much more complicated runes that are very specific.¡±


    Gorman selected another metal disk from and pressed it over the top of the rune. He tossed the fused plates to Elion.


    ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to pry those apart,¡± he said.


    Elion caught the chunk of metal and tried forcing the two plates apart. His efforts were useless. For all intents and purposes, he held one solid piece of metal.


    ¡°That will just fall apart inside the distortion field,¡± Gorman said.


    ¡°I thought you said that Sentinel power is used to fight Tephalians,¡± Elion said. ¡°If they can make it fall apart, what good is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great question,¡± Gorman said. ¡°There are differing power levels. The more powerful the Ascended, the deeper into a distortion field his power will work.¡±


    Elion turned this information over in his mind. Yet another reason to level as quickly as possible.


    Gorman got back to work cutting holes in the dome. Elion finished marking circles out on the other half dome.


    I need to get away from this island. There are no cends here. Nobody to help me train.


    Elion waited for Gorman to stop his work.


    ¡°So the fastest way for me to level up would be finding a huge store of cends,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°How many would it take to get to level twenty?¡±


    Gorman burst out laughing. ¡°Level twenty? Why would you ever¡­ that¡¯s so¡­¡± He gasped for breath, unable to complete his sentence. ¡°That¡¯s so high. You could train for¡­¡± He trailed off, his eyes flickering sightlessly around the room as he performed the calculations.


    ¡°That¡¯s about one-hundred-seventy-five thousand years worth of training, to get to level twenty. Although I assume you get faster at gaining experience points with that much training.¡±


    ¡°I mean cends,¡± Elion said. ¡°How many Ascendency stones would it take?¡±


    ¡°One second,¡± Gorman said, drumming his fingers on his leg as he continued calculating.


    ¡°That would take¡­ 2977 Cends, to level you from 0 to 20. That is a ridiculous amount. That¡¯s Starholder kind of wealth.¡±


    Gorman stopped and looked at Elion. ¡°Oh,¡± he said.


    ¡°So Dorian could be that strong,¡± Elion said. ¡°Or stronger.¡±


    ¡°He also has the support of the Black Wall.¡± Gorman said. ¡°Even if you were able to rise to and match his level, you¡¯d never stand a chance.¡±


    ¡°What else am I supposed to do?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Any better ideas?¡±


    Gorman rubbed the back of his neck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a hundred thousand years to sit around and wait. So I¡¯m going to need to find a lot of Ascendency stones somewhere, and use them to help my family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still going to take you a long time,¡± Gorman said. ¡°If you can manage at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m anxious to get going,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°I understand that. We¡¯ll get you on your way, as soon as we can.¡±

 34. Town Meeting

    Elion sat in a narrow strip of shade provided by one of the heavy steel girders of the bridge. Gorman stood nearby, atop a crate set against the building which housed the machinery for the drawbridge. The air hung over the scene, still and heavy.


    The entire town, around forty people, gathered in the large gravel area on this side of the bridge. In the past the space had been used as a vehicle parking lot and a space for sorting scavenged goods brought in from the ruins of Kairn Tol.


    The townsfolk stood in clumps, by family. The only people not present were stationed at lookout points, watching the infected scavengers for signs of another attack. Aterfel would not be surprised again.


    Keyla lingered nearby, hope on her face. She really believed in this chance of rescuing the infected scavengers. Keyla had been scanning the scavengers, searching their faces through her rifle scope, looking for her mother, but had not found the woman.


    For her sake, I hope that the woman didn¡¯t drown,  Elion thought.


    Other townsfolk had been doing the same, searching among the ranks of the infected for missing family members. None had been located. Unsure whether to be relieved by this or upset, the townsfolk murmured uneasily. Theories abounded, none of them satisfying, none of them provable.


    Everyone in town knew about Kasm¡¯s Ascendency by now, and held differing beliefs about what it meant. Lines formed as people solidified their opinions about the best course of action. Brynna, an older woman stood to one side of the crowd. She was a vocal advocate for not fighting or killing the scavengers, ever since she found out there was a chance her son might still be alive.


    Around her gathered other people who had been particularly anxious about searching for their missing family members.


    Opposed to Brynna, standing to Gorman¡¯s left hand side, were several of the leaders of the Aterfel Guard. Kile, his wife Tilly, Zayven, Sophira, and others stood together.


    Domas and his sons watched from the back of the crowd, in the middle. They hadn¡¯t lost anyone when Prator¡¯s group had left. Elion noted that Tael remained with Domas and Kasm this time, rather than joining with the Aterfel Guard.


    ¡°There is a possibility that Kasm could develop the ability to heal infected,¡± Gorman was saying. A few people in the crowd turned to stare at Kasm, and the boy shank behind the chassis of his father.


    ¡°We believe that there are enough Ascendency stones in Aterfel to help Kasm reach level five,¡± Gorman continued. ¡°We need five of them. But we only know where four of them are right now. If anyone found an Aurelian Tear near the Altar, that belongs to Elion, and I would invite you to return it. If anyone has any cends stashed away, now would be the time to reveal that.¡±


    Brynna scoffed. ¡°We spent the last of our Cends years ago. Hasn¡¯t been much trade since the The Breaking of The Sky. The rest of us can¡¯t make them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying; if anyone happened to find Elion¡¯s missing Tear, we need you to come forward. Without it, this plan doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    Elion watched people in the crowd, eying each other suspiciously.


    Gorman continued his explanation. ¡°On reaching level five, Kasm should get a chance to choose the ability Heal Sickness. Then we will need to isolate and capture one of the infected¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sounds dangerous,¡± Zayven said, flexing his mechanical hand. People around him murmured in agreement.


    Gorman ignored the interruption. ¡°We will capture one of the infected, and Kasm will try healing them. Kasm was healed by Heranan power, so it¡¯s not impossible that it works. We will hope that, like most infected we have observed, Selna Aerden makes her way back to the Shard. Or perhaps we will find other Aterfelians among the infected. When they are healed, they can tell us what happened.¡±


    Gorman raised one eyebrow, steepling his fingers in front of him. ¡°But all this depends first on finding a fifth cend.¡±


    ¡°I say we keep looking,¡± Kile said. ¡°If we don¡¯t recognize anyone we know among the scavengers, we fight.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any other choice,¡± Gorman said before anyone else could chime in. ¡°Even if Kasm is able to heal infected, we will still need to destroy the Shard.¡±


    ¡°Destroy the Shard?¡± Brynna called out. ¡°With what? The distortion field destroys your magic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Keyla, would you wheel it out?¡±


    Keyla opened the garage door on the side of the drawbridge machine house and disappeared inside. A minute later, she carefully wheeled a large cart out onto the bridge. A sphere, 3 feet in diameter, hung suspended from a frame mounted to the cart. It swayed slightly in its harness.


    Elion felt a pang of pride. He hadn¡¯t contributed much, but he¡¯d still helped Gorman make the thing.


    Keyla walked over to stand beside Elion in the shade.


    Black cables and wires ran around the dull grey sphere, plugging into various ports. To Elion it looked like underwater mines he¡¯d seen in movies. None of the telltale teal light that marked an Artificer¡¯s magic touched it. The object weighed heavy on the eye; threatening, imposing.


    ¡°The explosion at the docks was caused by one vial of hordizine. I received a shipment of these, hoping to use them as a fuel source to power a new reactor design. But when the Tephalian Shard crash landed from space, we were cut off from the resources I needed to complete the project.¡±


    Gorman gestured to the Shard as he spoke. ¡°I stored the crates down at the dock, away from town. If anything went wrong I didn¡¯t want to cause an explosion in town. Hordizine is highly explosive when combined with oxygen, so even though the crates are insulated and protected, an accident could cause the vials to burst open and the hordizine to explode. We saw the results of two vials exploding the other day.


    ¡°Elion and Keyla successfully transported 18 vials of hordizine here, to the bridge. I compiled them into the bomb that you see before you.¡±


    Gorman carried on. ¡°Composed entirely of organic and mineral compounds, this bomb will not be affected by the disruption field around the Shard,¡± Gorman explained. ¡°The destruction at the dock was caused by the explosion of uncontained samples. With almost ten times that quantity, in a carefully focused arrangement, the explosion will be much larger.¡±


    ¡°What makes you think the Shard can even be destroyed?¡± Kile asked, leaning awkwardly on his peg leg.


    ¡°When the Shard first landed, before it started to infect everything with its taint, you recall that I drove out and investigated it briefly. Flakes of the Shard lay on the ground around it, and I experimented with these. They were easily destroyed by heat.¡±


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t find the missing Tear? Is Keyla¡¯s plan even possible then?¡± This came from a man standing beside Kile. His ear had been replaced by a partial cone of metal.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°No,¡± Gorman said. ¡°It isn¡¯t. It also requires Kasm to earn an experience point.¡±


    Keyla grumbled softly. ¡°He¡¯s not being fair. He¡¯s making it sound impossible.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why we shouldn¡¯t at least try,¡± a man said. ¡°We don¡¯t have to attack the Shard right away!¡±


    ¡°How long will the bridge hold?¡± a woman shouted out.


    ¡°Perhaps another week, unless we destroy it,¡± Gorman answered. ¡°But I can¡¯t say how long before the infected figure out how to cross the river and get to our island. They nearly made it the other day.¡±


    ¡°We should blow them up now, before they kill more of us,¡± someone shouted from the back of the crowd. Kile and Zayven nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We need to wait and prepare better! We don¡¯t want to risk killing anyone we know.¡±


    ¡°All because of one woman!¡± Tilly exclaimed. ¡°We can¡¯t wait and see, we need to take action!¡±


    ¡°That woman is Selna Aerden, though!¡± someone else yelled.


    ¡°You¡¯d want the same if it was your son!¡±


    ¡°But it might not even work!¡±


    The crowd buzzed, its hum growing into a low roar as neighbors argued with one another.


    ¡°I have already coordinated with the leader of Upprifer,¡± Gorman said. ¡°They are willing to join us in our fight, come down the river banks and distract the infected so we can lower our bridge and bring the bomb across. They have already started the journey and will be arriving in 3 days.¡±


    ¡°Call them off!¡±


    ¡°I can tell them to wait, but if there is any chance of Keyla¡¯s plan succeeding we need to figure it out soon. Will someone come forward with the missing Ascendency stone?¡±


    Silence fell across the townsfolk.


    ¡°If we do not have that, there is no possibility of rescuing the infected,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Tomorrow we can go back to the Altar and comb the ground more thoroughly. Everyone go and search their homes. If you happened to pick up the cend, and are considering keeping it to yourself, remember this: you won¡¯t be able to spend it. It¡¯s not worth anything to you right now.¡±


    Gorman surveyed the crowd. ¡°We need to be ready in 3 days to fight the infected.¡± He looked to Keyla. ¡°You have until then.¡±


    Keyla kicked a rock, sending it skittering across the road. ¡°Three days!¡± she yelled, frustrated. ¡°We¡¯re not going to be able to do anything in three days! Even if we find the cend, we¡¯d still have to find her. Not to mention getting Kasm some experience! It¡¯s like Gorman doesn¡¯t want the plan to work.¡±


    Elion walked with her, but stayed just out of arm¡¯s reach. He¡¯d already been hit by a few wild gesticulations, and he thought it wise to stay out of the danger zone. Kasm had gone home to practice his new skills, since their plan depended on him earning an experience point.


    Elion wanted to help Keyla¡¯s mom too. He just didn¡¯t know how they could do it.  This isn¡¯t even your fight.  But he needed Aterfel to succeed, clearing his path to journey on to Erod.


    ¡°Maybe we can capture her,¡± he said. ¡°We can get her and hold her captive until we figure out how to cure the infection. Maybe blowing up the Shard will make the infection go away?¡±


    ¡°But where is she?¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°Probably heading back here,¡± Elion said. ¡°All infected things seem to love that Shard. Unless they¡¯re trying to kill us, they just hang out and bask in its presence.¡±


    ¡°What if she shows up when they¡¯re blowing up the Shard? She¡¯ll be killed.¡±


    Gorman is right. They can¡¯t wait forever. They have to make a move against the infected,  Elion thought. But he didn¡¯t say anything to Keyla. He empathized with her desire to help her mother.


    ¡°We can keep watch along the river bank,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll set up a rotation, watch around the clock for any sign of her returning.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Keyla growled, her brow creasing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it from you. You¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Elion immediately remembered the conversation he¡¯d been having with Gorman. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked. ¡°How am I going anywhere?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to try to build a boat and float away. I heard you talking to Gorman about it. Don¡¯t try to lie to me.¡±


    Elion stammered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ Obviously I need to leave. My sister¡ª¡±


    ¡°I thought you were a hero, here to help us,¡± Keyla said. ¡°But you¡¯re just like Prator. Always talking about making things better but just leaving them worse than before you came.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you. I¡¯m going to help you rescue your mother and destroy the Shard. Then I need to go. I need to find my uncle and save my sister. But after. Besides, I need to go to Erod. It will be faster for me if you destroy the Shard; then I can cross over the bridge.¡±


    ¡°Why bother,¡± Keyla asked. ¡°Why pretend like you even care.¡±


    ¡°I do care!¡± Elion protested. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be that helpful. I¡¯m not very good at anything, and even if the Shard didn¡¯t inhibit my abilities, they¡¯re not very strong. I¡¯ll help you find your mother. I promise!¡±


    Keyla punched a fist into her palm, her face red with anger and frustration. In an instant, she changed, her body relaxing, face freezing into an icy mask. ¡°Well I appreciate your help so far,¡± she said, her tone cold and distant.


    Elion¡¯s eyes widened, and he took a step back from her. She did not react to him, keeping her eyes locked on the horizon ahead.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go look for your missing Tear,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    The chill in Keyla¡¯s voice eviscerated any inclination Elion had to offer to go with her. He watched as she walked away from him. He recalled a statement Gorman said earlier, one he¡¯d been turning over in his mind ever since Gorman had offered to keep Elion¡¯s Tear safe.


    ¡°You can put it in my safe,¡± Gorman had said. ¡°That¡¯s where I keep  our  Skillstones.¡±


    Gorman also had Skillstones set aside, saved for future use.


    Keyla¡¯s entire plan turned on leveling Kasm high enough that he stood a chance of healing infected. That meant using at least five cends, two from Elion if they could find the missing one, and three from Keyla. It also counted on Kasm earning an experience point.


    But if Gorman even had just two, they wouldn¡¯t need to find Elion¡¯s missing Tear or get Kasm to earn an experience point. If Gorman had more, they could potentially level Kasm even higher, giving him a much better chance of success.


    Besides, what downside was there to improving Kasm¡¯s healing capacities? Gorman wouldn¡¯t have to work so hard replacing limbs with steel. Why hadn¡¯t Gorman offered any of his reserve of Ascendency stones?


    Elion had a sinking feeling. If Gorman was unwilling to contribute to their plan¡­ maybe Ascendency Stones were worth significantly more than he understood. Or maybe Keyla was right, and Gorman wanted their plan to fail. He sincerely hoped not.

 35. Practicing in the Woods

    Elion walked through the town alone, heading back to the tower. Then he changed his mind, and aimed for the woods. He needed to get more practice in with his abilities, if he was ever going to level them up. He wanted to help Keyla, but didn¡¯t see what he could do for her right now.


    The woods seemed like the best option, because he wasn¡¯t sure how Gorman would feel about him using the tower as his training ground. Besides, he wanted to find someplace a little more private, where he wouldn¡¯t be disturbed.


    He was glad he¡¯d listened to Gorman¡¯s council about not revealing his low level to everyone in the town. Keyla knew, now, but that was it.


    He didn¡¯t want her walking in on him wearing his golden speedo again.


    So he wandered into the woods.


    The forest came right up to the edge of town. Tall, dark trees stretched high overhead. It wasn¡¯t difficult moving between their broad trunks.


    Elion didn¡¯t want to get too deep into the woods and get lost. Or attacked by another infected creature. He worked his way through thickening trees until he found a secluded corner. A massive boulder shielded views from one direction, and a clump of trees provided cover in another. A few shrubs had managed to sprout up nearby.


    He could still see the lights of town through the trees.


    He stood in the middle of the space, turning around slowly to make sure nobody would see what he was doing. Kicking a few rocks aside, he leveled the ground a little, then sat down.


    I have no idea what I¡¯m doing. I really need to find someone to teach me more about this.


    How hard could training be? Was it like flexing a muscle, where the more you did it the stronger you got?


    He kept his rifle slung over his shoulder, just to be safe. He didn¡¯t want to meet another pemalion while unarmed. Sure, he had magical armor and a sharp butter knife now, but the rifle was obviously the superior weapon.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, breathing in deeply, then exhaling slowly.


    He tried calling up Praxis. For several minutes, nothing happened.


    This is an important skill to develop, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to earn me any experience points.  He kept on trying anyway.


    Something shifted in his mind, and he saw his list of available skills in front of him. Grinning, Elion tried to select Manifest Armaments.


    He couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± he muttered. ¡°Manifest Armaments.¡±


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    A chill breeze wafted in, goosebumps prickling on his skin. His clothing had disappeared, replaced with his golden loincloth. The butter knife rested in his right hand.


    Elion scanned the forest, looking to see if anyone had spotted him. Satisfied that he remained hidden, he threw the knife into the trunk of a nearby tree. It embedded into the wood, the handle vibrating softly.


    He closed his eyes.  I know there¡¯s a way to summon it back.


    ¡°Praxis, how do I get my knife back?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, Praxis did not respond.


    ¡°Manifest Armaments.¡±


    This did not work either.


    Interesting. Maybe there isn¡¯t a specific command?  Elion sat quietly for a moment. Then he noticed a strange tugging at the edge of his mind. A gentle thread, connecting him to the knife.


    He pulled on it.


    The knife disappeared from the tree in a faint mist, instantly reforming in his hand.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Elion exclaimed, springing to his feet.


    A twig snapped in the woods nearby. He reached to his back for the rifle. It wasn¡¯t there. It must have disappeared along with his clothes.


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    ¡°Disarm,¡± he hissed.


    His clothes returned, warm and comforting over his bare skin. The rifle strap jerked, and the weapon fell to the ground behind him. Elion turned, grabbing for the laserarm.


    It lay on the ground in several pieces, completely unfunctional. Something about Elion¡¯s ability had ruined the rifle.


    A bush rustled and someone walked into the clearing. Elion spun, preparing to reactivate his ability and summon his blade.


    He came face to face with an old woman, who looked as startled as he did. She wore a green shawl over her shoulders, and clutched a canvas bag to her chest with both hands.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she gasped. Elion recognized her from the town meeting.


    ¡°You¡¯re Brynna?¡± he asked. She had been shouting a lot at the meeting about looking for her son among the infected.


    She regained her composure, color coming back into her face. ¡°I am,¡± she said. ¡°And you¡¯re Elion.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry to have disturbed you.¡±


    You just startled me,¡± she said. ¡°I was looking for mushrooms.¡±


    Elion climbed to his feet. He stood head and shoulders over her stooped form, and offered her a hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought this might be a place where I could get some peace and quiet.¡±


    She accepted his hand and met his eye. ¡°It is,¡± she said. ¡°I have a lot of mushrooms at home. Sometimes I just come looking for more when I need a break from everything.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to be in these woods alone,¡± Elion said. ¡°I was attacked by a pemalion the other day.¡±


    The woman waved an arm dismissively. ¡°The town guard does a good job sweeping the woods. Besides, I¡¯m old. I¡¯ll die soon anyway. Better to enjoy the last days of my life rather than cowering in fear.¡±


    ¡°Okay then,¡± Elion said, collecting pieces of his rifle up in his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your gathering then.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late,¡± Brynna protested. ¡°How about you escort me back home instead. Here, you can put those into my bag.¡± She started plucking rifle components out of his hands and dropping them in her bag.


    A few minutes later they walked through the town. Elion carried the bag of laserarm parts and mushrooms on one arm, and Brynna held onto his other. She was small and light, like a stiff breeze might pick her up and blow her away.


    ¡°You¡¯re like my son, you know,¡± she said. ¡°Handsome, strong, polite. He was always so helpful to have around.¡±


    ¡°Why did he leave?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°He wanted a better life for us,¡± Brynna said. ¡°He always told me, ¡®Mama, you can¡¯t live in this shack forever!¡¯ He went with Selna and Prator because he believed that they could build a better place for us to live.¡±


    The reached a fork in the road, and she gently led Elion to the left.


    ¡°I know a lot of the people in town don¡¯t trust you,¡± Brynna said. ¡°Because you remind them of him.¡±


    Elion nodded. ¡°I wish they didn¡¯t judge me,¡± he said.


    ¡°But I can tell that you¡¯re different. You¡¯re a boy who respects his mother, and cares for the people around him. Your parents raised you well.¡±


    The reached a small shack. ¡°Won¡¯t you come inside for a minute? I have some delicious stew warming. All it needs are a few freshly picked mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t impose,¡± Elion said as they walked up to her front door.


    ¡°Oh, it wouldn¡¯t be an imposition. I¡¯d welcome the company.¡±


    Elion resisted. ¡°I should probably be getting back.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Brynna said, pulling him along. She pushed her door open. They entered a small room. A pot steamed over a cooker in one corner. Brynna pulled out a small table that had been pushed up against the wall, and offered Elion a seat in a rickety chair. The shack was neat and clean, even though it was small. Everything was in its proper place.


    ¡°That¡¯s Hol¡¯s chair,¡± Brynna said. ¡°He¡¯d be glad to see it getting some use.¡± She brought over two bowls and some utensils. She recovered a long carving knife from a drawer. A minute spent chopping mushrooms, and she dumped them into the pot. She stirred it with a ladle, then brough it over to the table and served up a helping to Elion.


    He sampled the hot food. It tasted delicious. ¡°This is really good,¡± he said.


    ¡°It¡¯s Hol¡¯s favorite recipe,¡± she said. ¡°I hope to make it for him again, before I die.¡±


    Elion ate his entire helping, and she dished up more for him. After finishing seconds and then thirds, he leaned back in the chair.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he said. ¡°If I eat any more I¡¯m going to explode.¡±


    Brynna grined. ¡°Stop by anytime you¡¯re feeling hungry. I know Gorman doesn¡¯t do a lot of cooking over in his tower, and Keyla has more of a mind for machines than for meals.¡± She handed him her bag, still holding his rifle components, but emptied of mushrooms. ¡°You can borrow my bag,¡± she said.


    He accepted it and rose from his seat.


    Brynna opened the door for Elion. She grabbed his arm as he walked out. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    ¡°No,¡± Elion protested. ¡°Thank you. That really was delicious.¡±


    She waved from the open door until Elion was out of sight down the road.

 36. Ascendency Stones

    The following day, Elion and Gorman sat in the garage for a Praxis training session. After a few of these sessions, Elion felt like he understood Praxis better. Gorman walked him through interacting with the system, and Elion had gotten better at navigating menus without having to say everything out loud.


    The scattered pieces of Elion¡¯s inert laserarm lay on a table, and Gorman picked one up, inspecting it. ¡°Interesting. You said that it disappeared when you used your Manifest Armaments ability?¡±


    Elion nodded. ¡°It went wherever my clothes go when they swap with the armor.¡±


    ¡°It seems like your ability is incompatible with other forms of Sentinel power,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Anything you¡¯re wearing goes to some kind of Aurelian void, where Artefin power doesn¡¯t exist. There is no trace of Artificer power on these rifle parts.¡±


    ¡°What should I do with them?¡±


    ¡°Leave the parts on Keyla¡¯s desk; she can probably rebuild the gun.¡±


    Elion pushed all the rifle parts back into Brynna¡¯s bag and set it aside as Gorman retrieved a book and lay it on the table.


    Gorman started flipping through Saint Hendreston¡¯s Complete Compendium of Ascendency Paths and Guide to Praxian Systems.


    I wonder why he¡¯s doing this. He acts helpful, but there¡¯s something he¡¯s not telling us.


    Gorman began explaining something on the page.


    ¡°So it is possible to call up the underlying mathematics behind the¡ª¡±


    Elion struggled to pay attention, distracted by thoughts of Gorman¡¯s motives. Why was he no longer worried about Elion getting off the island as soon as possible? Why, if he had a stash of Skillstones, did he not offer to help with their plan to heal infected?


    There¡¯s still a lot I don¡¯t understand. Gorman probably has really good reasons. His Skillstones probably wouldn¡¯t work for some reason.


    ¡°Can we talk about Ascendency stones?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Gorman said, looking up from the book. ¡°What do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious about what they all look like. And how other Ascendencies use them.¡±


    Gorman flipped through the book, finding a page with some rough sketches; gemstones in different shapes. He pointed to a few of the cends. ¡°Aurelian Tear. Zelian Splinter. This one¡¯s a Heranan Seed. Here¡¯s an Artefin Skillstone.¡±


    Elion looked at the charcoal sketches, rough and uncolored. ¡°Not much like the real thing,¡± he said, recalling the way his Aurelian Tear burned and sparkled in the sunlight.


    Gorman considered Elion¡¯s statement. ¡°I could go get a Skillstone and show you. I¡¯ll only be a minute.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Elion said. ¡°That would be interesting.¡±


    Gorman rose and headed for the stairs.


    Elion waited, feeling the urge to follow Gorman and discover where he kept his safe. He listened, and thought he heard the man rummaging around in his room.


    The lights flickered in the garage. Then everything turned off, lights, equipment, and otherwise.


    Elion heard Gorman cursing from overhead, then heard the man¡¯s boots as he ran across the floor. The ladder creaked, protesting as Gorman climbed it, up higher into the tower.


    Elion rose from his seat and walked cautiously to the base of the stairs, listening. More creaking from the ladder. Elion climbed the stairs to the living area. Gorman¡¯s door, normally closed and locked, sat ajar. He slipped inside.


    Gorman¡¯s bedroom was filled with clutter. Much like the garage below, things had been piled everywhere. A work bench stacked with parts and tools had a small space cleared on it, where Gorman seemed to have been working on some kind of chip with very fine circuits engraved into it.


    Elion blinked, overwhelmed by the chaos for a moment, then spotted the safe.


    It sat beneath a workbench. Several boxes of bolts had been shifted away to allow space for the door to swing open. Elion crossed the room and knelt before the small box.


    The safe was still cracked open. Elion pulled it wide. There, lying on the shelf, was Elion¡¯s Ascendency Stone, the one he had given to Gorman to keep safe. Beside it, identical in shape, color, and size, was another Aurelian Tear.


    Elion gasped, then bit his tongue.


    Next to the Aurelian Tears were two small velvet bags. Elion withdrew one from the safe and hefted it in his hand, hearing the clink of gemstones inside. He pulled the bag open. Inside he found several small rough crystals; yellowish-green, irregular in shape and size. They looked exactly like miniature versions of the Shard across the river.


    Elion hissed, pressing air between his teeth, then dropped one of the crystals into the palm of his hand. He recalled Gorman¡¯s speech earlier, how he had mentioned collecting pieces of the crystal Shard to experiment with.


    Would these also have a distortion field effect on Ascendency magic?


    Elion gripped the shard. ¡°What is this?¡± he muttered to himself.


    Praxis responded.


    << Place your Ascendency stone on the Altar >>


    Elion rocked back from the safe, his head spinning. An Ascendency stone? He did not recognize these; they certainly hadn¡¯t been among the drawings Gorman showed him. Maybe Keyla would.


    Could the entire Shard be an Ascendency Stone?  Something told him it wasn¡¯t.


    Overhead, the lights flickered back on. Elion jumped, feeling exposed. He examined the pale yellow-green gem in the full light for a moment. It reminded Elion of a chunk of green apple Jolly Rancher.  I need to show this to Keyla.


    He pocketed the crystal, pulled the drawstrings on the pouch, and carefully laid the bag back in the safe. A creak from the ladder warned him of Gorman¡¯s imminent return.


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    A second velvet pouch lay beside the first; Elion peered into this one and found a handful of rectangular teal gems; Skillstones. More than Keyla¡¯s three. Gorman did have his own stash. Elion carefully replaced this bag where he had found it.


    Should I take my Tear?


    If he took it, it would be more obvious when Gorman looked in the safe. He left the Tear there with the other Ascendency Stones.


    Elion swung the safe door back to where he had found it.


    Quietly, cautiously, Elion darted from Gorman¡¯s room.


    Elion waited for Gorman in the garage, fiddling nervously with the pages of the book. He heard Gorman return to his room, and the sound of the safe closing and locking.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Gorman said, coming down the stairs. ¡°A Skillstone.¡± Gorman held the gem between his two large fingers. Elion tried to look at it, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Elion said. ¡°It¡¯s pretty,¡± he muttered. He tried not to meet Gorman¡¯s eye, afraid of revealing his knowledge. Gorman had Elion¡¯s missing Aurelian Tear.


    Gorman sat at the workbench in his room. The room was filled with useful things he had salvaged from broken machines. He would find a use for all of it, eventually. His desk was stacked with projects, tools, and other items arranged in what might look chaotic to the unfamiliar eye. But Gorman knew exactly where everything was.


    If someone were to come into his room, sort through the stack of papers piled on a chair in the corner, remove one, and leave, Gorman would notice its absence. His mind naturally held a three-dimensional map of everything in the room. That wasn¡¯t explicitly an Artefin ability, but the way his brain worked made him a natural fit for the Thread of Creation.


    Through his window, the top of the Shard was visible in the distance.


    Gorman sighed, running his hands through his hair and scratching his beard. He stared at the small chip lying on the workbench in front of him, no larger than his thumbnail. The chip was made of a dark blue metal alloy, with teal lines tracing intricate circuits¡ªa marvel of miniaturization and interconnected antennas.


    Nobody else had been able to marvel at it yet. Gorman wasn¡¯t done with it.


    It had taken all of his Artefin craftsmanship to construct this small device, but Artefin work alone would not suffice. Another power was needed for the chip to reach its full potential. Gorman picked up the chip, turning it over in his hands and inspecting it under a lens. Still, he had not quite mastered the techniques he was using¡ªor rather, developing¡ªto create this small chip.


    He had started the project about a year ago. Ever since that Aurelian, Prator, had shown up in Aterfel, Gorman had been working on it. Prator had astonished Gorman with his ability to persuade people to follow him. Gorman still wondered if the man had been using some kind of Sentinel power, but he knew of no Aurelian abilities that could compel a man to obey.


    Gorman had always thought about people and their minds as if they were machines. That analogy¡ªminds as machines¡ªhad served him well in leading Aterfel. Admittedly, Aterfel had been falling apart ever since the Shard had grown across the river.


    He likened people''s minds to computers: input certain signals, and the mind would process and evaluate those inputs, resulting in a given output. Over time, Gorman had come to understand that not every mind functioned the same way¡ªpeople were different, after all. What worked for one person might fail for another. So Gorman had learned to analyze people individually: their levers and buttons, the words and actions that could gently guide them toward doing what he wanted.


    Despite his efforts, the strategy proved frustrating. He¡¯d been forced to adopt a kind, grandfatherly appearance, speaking softly and soothingly to people. It only seemed to work about twenty or thirty percent of the time.


    So when Prator had arrived, spilling kind words and flashing a vigorous smile that convinced nearly half of Gorman¡¯s people¡ªAterfel¡¯s population¡ªto follow him into the wastelands, Gorman had been stunned.


    Gorman picked up the chip and turned it over carefully in his fingers. He inspected it, then set it aside, and picked up a second, uncompleted chip. He selected a sharp engraving tool, and began carefully etching circuits onto the chip, in the shape of miniature runes.


    Somehow, Prator had mastered the ability to manipulate minds in a way Gorman had never thought possible. The realization had opened his mind to new ways of thinking.


    Gorman had not meant to summon the crystal Shard. He was lucky he¡¯d thought to perform his experiment across the river; and that nobody else had been around to refute his explanation for it.


    He still congratulated himself for his quick thinking in that particular instance. The Shard did have many of the same effects that the Legends said Tephalians had.


    At first Gorman had watched the Shard with fascination. It took control of living things, directing their minds and efforts toward one goal. He had learned a lot, watching as the infected scavengers coordinated like ants.


    He¡¯d loved watching it, until he realized what the Shard¡¯s goal was.


    It was trying to kill him.


    For a year, the town of Aterfel had fought against that Shard and its infected. Still, the number of infected grew, and their attempts to kill Gorman grew more sophisticated.


    Selecting a thin sheet of transparent plastic from a small pile, Gorman traced a rune onto his chip with a stylus. The shape glowed, a faint turquoise on the clear plastic. He pressed this over the top of the chip he was making, sealing the circuits beneath the plastic.


    Elion¡¯s arrival had derailed everything.


    The damaged bridge was forcing Gorman to act before he was ready. His plan to destroy the Shard had involved a bit more meticulous preparation. But with the bridge out, he¡¯d scrambled to assemble the bomb.


    Gorman hadn¡¯t believed Elion¡¯s claims to be the lost heir of the Erodian Throne at first. But the boy¡¯s ignorance and naivete had gone a long way to convincing him.


    And then he¡¯d learned that Dorian¡¯s warlocks were searching for someone matching Elion¡¯s description. They were also searching for Zev, and offering a significant reward to anyone who could help them.


    Gorman had sat on that information for a time. He didn¡¯t want to draw Dorian¡¯s attention to Aterfel. He didn¡¯t want people asking questions about the Shard.


    But he¡¯d decided that if he could get both rewards¡ªfor Elion and Zev¡ªit would be worth it. So he¡¯d sat Elion down at the transmitter, and used the boy to locate Zev.


    But the fact remained; the Shard had to be destroyed. Gorman regretted that. He¡¯d learned a lot from studying the Shard. But it had gotten too close with that last attempt.


    If Elion and Keyla hadn¡¯t been there when the infected launched their attack¡­ Well, he didn¡¯t like to think about that.


    Gorman finished working on his chip, and picked up the next one. He had to make a lot more of them before he could fully set his plans in motion.


    As he worked, something niggled at the back of his mind. Someone had been in his room. A sheet of paper had slipped off the top of a stack. A box of bolts near his safe had been disturbed.


    Had he done this, when rushing out of his room to check on the Threnody Core?


    Or had Elion slipped into his room, and helped himself to the contents of the open safe?


    Gorman hadn¡¯t noticed any disturbance to the safe, but he¡¯d been flustered by the glitchy Threnody Core.


    Bending down, Gorman entered the code to his safe and pulled the door open. Everything was as he remembered it; two Aurelian Tears and his small pouches of Cends resting on the shelf.


    If Elion had opened the safe, he would guess Gorman was lying to him.


    Gorman started to close the safe, then reached in and withdrew the velvet pouches. He dumped them out on the table.


    In an instant he knew one of his Festrin Shards was missing.


    Elion.


    He would have to try to get it back from Elion, before Venya and her warlocks came to collect him. He would be sad to lose it. He would have to be careful though, because he¡¯d be even more sad to lose his finder¡¯s fee when Venya captured Elion. That would be worth a lot more than a single cend.

 37. A Conspiracy

    Elion knew he needed to talk to Keyla. They hadn¡¯t spoken to each other since she had confronted him about his intentions.


    But Elion needed her insight. He didn¡¯t fully understand what he had seen in Gorman¡¯s safe. The man had a hoard of Ascendency Stones; Aurelian, Artefin, and another strange kind Elion could not identify.


    Could it just be a coincidence that they look like the Shard?


    He had seen that color somewhere else before, too; in the machine at the top of the tower. The Threnody Core glowed the same pale yellow-green, with its strange glass tubes filled with beating hearts. Perhaps the Threnody Modules had something to do with the strange Ascendency stones, and both were totally unrelated to the Shard.  Seems unlikely.


    Elion also reconsidered his initial judgement that Gorman had stolen his first Tear. Perhaps Gorman had one of his own already. In his heart, Elion doubted this, but he had no real evidence otherwise.


    Gorman did have more than enough Ascendency stones to level Kasm well past level five. He pretended he did not; made no hint or suggestion of this fact. Maybe it was within Gorman¡¯s rights to withhold his own wealth, not offering it up to support their plan.


    Then again, how could Gorman pretend to be on their side, helping them, when he held the key to their success hidden away in his safe?


    Elion found Keyla just outside of town, lying on a rock. Her rifle rested on a bipod, its stock pulled into the crease of her shoulder as she peered through the scope. She shifted slightly, adjusting the aim of her weapon.


    The sun set behind them, leaving the sky to the east a coruscating blend of midnight blue firmament and sunset shards of the Celestial Sphere. Elion tried judging Keyla¡¯s attitude based on her movements; would she be cold and silent to him, or would she be willing to talk?


    He thought about how he would feel if there was a chance of seeing his mom again. That made him think of Liora, and how she was out there somewhere, as Dorian¡¯s captive.


    ¡°Keyla,¡± Elion said softly, unsure which version of the girl would greet him. Keyla did not react, so he moved closer. ¡°Any sign of her?¡±


    Another moment of silence. ¡°No,¡± Keyla said. ¡°She¡¯s not there.¡±


    ¡°She could have been swept a long way down the river,¡± Elion said. ¡°It could take her several days to make it back here.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Keyla did not look at Elion, but continued searching through her scope. Elion waited as light faded from the sky. In his hand, Elion held the shard he¡¯d stolen from Gorman¡¯s safe. He gazed across the river at the large, pale yellow-green crystal, and knew that the two objects must be related.


    Soon it was too dark for Keyla to see anything, and she lowered her rifle.


    Maybe I¡¯m wrong about this.  Elion didn¡¯t want to make a false accusation.


    ¡°Is there any reason that Gorman would have an Aurelian Tear?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Maybe Prator gave him one?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Keyla said, still facing out across the river. ¡°They¡¯re very rare. Prator bought cends from people when he was here. That¡¯s one reason nobody has any of them anymore.¡±


    Elion sighed.  Here goes nothing.


    ¡°Then I found it,¡± Elion said.


    Keyla snapped her attention to Elion, her head turning quickly.


    ¡°Where did you find it?¡± Keyla asked. ¡°Did you go back to the Altar? I had a feeling we didn¡¯t search the ground there closely enough.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°I found it in Gorman¡¯s safe.¡±


    Keyla¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What were you doing in Gorman¡¯s safe?¡±


    ¡°He offered to keep my other Tear there,¡± Elion said. ¡°He said ¡®that¡¯s where I keep  our  Skillstones.¡¯ Not ¡®Keyla¡¯s Skillstones. So I started wondering. This afternoon when we were training, I asked him what a Skillstone looked like and he wanted to show me one. While he was getting it, something went wrong with the power.¡±


    Keyla grunted. ¡°The Shard has been flickering strangely today,¡± she said, half to herself. ¡°I wonder if the distortion field has gotten stronger and is interfering with the Threnody Core. But I haven¡¯t noticed it affecting anything else. Did he fix it?¡±


    ¡°I assume so,¡± Elion said. ¡°While he was gone I snuck into his room. He didn¡¯t close the safe all the way when he ran to fix it. He already had a Tear in the safe.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Keyla asked, voice tinged with disbelief. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he tell us?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re valuable?¡± Elion suggested.


    Keyla shook her head, her braid bouncing. ¡°But¡­ He can¡¯t spend them! We¡¯re cut off by the Shard!¡±


    ¡°I also found this.¡± Elion extended his hand, revealing the crystal. It glowed with a sickly aura in the dying light. ¡°Gorman mentioned taking samples from the Shard when it first appeared, so I thought it might simply be that. He had a whole bag full of these. But they¡¯re Ascendency Stones of some kind.¡±


    Keyla took the crystal from Elion, holding it up, inspecting it. Her face twisted into a scowl. ¡°Ascendency stones,¡± she muttered. ¡°A bag full?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got seven Skillstones too,¡± Elion said. ¡°Enough to level Kasm to seven or eight, if I did the math right.¡±


    Keyla held the shard in her hand, still staring at it. She glanced up at the larger structure across the river. She stiffened.


    After a long moment, she wiped a tear from her eye.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± she said, her voice quivering. ¡°I knew something was wrong. It¡¯s the Threnody Core. All along he claimed that his abilities with the human body were due to a flash of insight, seeing how bodies functioned like machines. It felt wrong to me, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°What Gorman is doing, with people¡¯s bodies and with the Threnody Modules, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Artefin power.¡±


    ¡°Gorman is using the power of another Sentinel?¡±


    ¡°A false Sentinel,¡± Keyla said. ¡°These cends are not from any of the Seven True Sentinels.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Elion shook his head, blinking. ¡°False Sentinels?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Saint Hendreston calls them ¡®the Tephalian Simulacra,¡¯ or ¡®the training grounds.¡¯ Unlike the True Sentinels, which give us skills and gifts and abilities to improve our lives, the False Sentinels imitate the Tephalians. They prepare us to fight against the invaders.¡±


    ¡°Who are these ¡®Tephalian¡¯ guys anyways?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Why does everyone keep talking about them?


    Keyla¡¯s eyes widened, and she stared at Elion. ¡°How do you not know about the destroyers? The invaders? Where are you from?¡±


    Elion started to lie to Keyla, remembering Gorman¡¯s counsel not to share his story with anyone.


    Gorman hasn¡¯t exactly been honest with me. Why should I trust what he told me?


    ¡°I¡¯m from far away,¡± Elion said. ¡°Another planet. It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°From the outer colonies?¡± Keyla asked. ¡°What¡¯s it like? You don¡¯t worry about the Tephalians there?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Elion said. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I was sheltered.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you never heard of Tephalians,¡± Keyla said, rubbing her temples.


    ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°The Tephalians are monsters,¡± Keyla explained. ¡°They came from the darkest void of space, and have powers that tear apart the fabric of reality. We¡¯ve been at war with them for centuries, and only stand a chance because of the powers of the Seven.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re like aliens,¡± Elion surmised. ¡°But then where do the false Sentinels come from? They¡¯re alien creations?¡±


    ¡°Hendreston says they are a gift, created by the Sentinels to test and try us, preparing us for the true fight.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re like practice dummies?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Why is that so bad?¡±


    ¡°Because,¡± Keyla said, ¡°they also sift our souls. They appeal to the corruptness within our hearts, the weakness that needs to be purified. If Gorman has truly begun following a False Sentinel, then he must be stopped. We have to do something.¡±


    Elion sat down on the rock and pressed his forehead into his hands, trying to take in everything. He dangled his legs over the edge, listening to the rushing water far below.


    ¡°So that Shard over there¡­¡± Elion said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ imitating Tephalian powers? Or is it really a Tephalian Probe?¡±


    Keyla held up the pale green Ascendency stone that Elion had given her. In the darkness, its feeble glow matched that of the Shard, looming over the chasm beyond.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that Shard is Tephalian,¡± Keyla said finally. ¡°I doubt it even fell from the sky.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Once when I was little, a meteorite fell. It passed through the sky nearby. I¡¯ll never forget the sound; a boom and then a whistling roar. And the the whooshing of the wind, stirred up by its passage. The Shard didn¡¯t do any of that.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Did you see it?¡±


    ¡°Gorman was the only one who saw the Shard appear. We heard a terrible noise, like thunder and the earth splitting apart, and people ran to the bridge and saw the Shard. When we got there, Gorman was already on his way across the plains toward it. He came back, telling us how he had seen it fall to the ground, how he had gathered samples of it, and how it must be a Tephalian probe.¡±


    ¡°But he was lying,¡± Elion guessed. ¡°I wonder if he had something to do with it appearing.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Keyla said. ¡°But if you really found this gem in his safe¡­¡±


    ¡°Why does he want to blow it up? If it is really the result of some false Sentinel power that Gorman was using, then didn¡¯t he want it to come?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it was a mistake. Perhaps he didn¡¯t realize what power he was dealing with?¡±


    ¡°But the Ascendency stones,¡± Elion said. ¡°He has a few of them. I thought you got them for completing quests, or showing excellence?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. In either case, he had to have known what power he was using.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s not an Artificer?¡±


    ¡°He is. He must use both powers. It¡¯s rare to walk the path of more than one Sentinel, but not impossible. I don¡¯t know how it works with False Sentinels.¡±


    ¡°I am in big trouble,¡± Elion muttered. He recalled overhearing Gorman talking to someone through the transmitter about him. ¡°I¡¯ve been ignoring it, but I think he might have told Dorian where to find me.¡±


    Keyla¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why would he do that? Prator lived here for a year. Gorman was glad when he left because he didn¡¯t want warlock attention.¡±


    ¡°Does Dorian offer rewards for turning in Aurelians?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Keyla said hesitantly. ¡°He works with Aurelians sometimes, he¡¯s not trying to kill them all. Why do you ask.¡±


    ¡°I overheard Gorman talking on the transmitter. He mentioned something about a reward. I¡¯m pretty sure he was talking about me.¡±


    ¡°A reward for you? What makes you so special?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story. I told you that my uncle kidnapped my sister.¡±


    Keyla nodded.


    Elion shifted uncomfortably on the rock where they sat. He pulled his legs up and tucked them underneath himself.


    ¡°Well¡­ My uncle is Dorian.¡±


    ¡°Your uncle is Dorian Starholder?¡± she said, mouth hanging open in astonishment. ¡°Are you the lost heir to the Golden Throne?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ I might be¡­¡±


    ¡°Start at the beginning,¡± Keyla insisted, leaning in closer, her eyes locked on his. ¡°I don¡¯t care if the story is long, tell me the whole thing.¡±


    So Elion started at the beginning. He told her everything, about Earth, about Liora, about Liora¡¯s no-good stupid boyfriend Keith. He told her about his parents, about how he¡¯d felt when they died. In detail he described the night Dorian appeared on his front lawn, ripping Liora from the house, and how heroic Zev had been as he burst from his truck.


    Occasionally he had to stop and explain specific things that didn¡¯t make sense to Keyla, weird, pointless earth things like how an xbox worked or what a dachshund was. When he protested that the details didn¡¯t matter to the story, she punched him playfully in the arm.


    ¡°I want to know,¡± she would say, and Elion carried on. He talked about Zev not coming back. How he was the only one in the world who even knew Zev and Liora were in trouble.


    He talked about the Walkers, about what a brat Cara could be, and how Cathy enabled her. He talked about how envious he was of Kyle¡¯s popularity, and normality, and how he hated himself for being envious about it.


    He explained how he stole Cathrine Walker¡¯s butter knife, and how the Aurelian Altar had accepted it as his sword.


    Keyla gazed at him, her brow furrowed. The fading light from the sky reflected off her lightly freckled cheeks. A strand of hair, escaped from her braid, hung down over one eye. She didn¡¯t seem to notice it.


    ¡°You¡¯re really the lost heir,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°And there¡¯s no way off this island,¡± Elion said. ¡°I was so relieved to find out that Zev was here on Kylios, in Erod, but now I¡¯m afraid that he might be a captive. If I¡¯m still the only hope that they have¡­ It seems like an even more impossible undertaking now than it did from back on Earth.¡±


    ¡°So what are you going to do,¡± Keyla asked. ¡°You really can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    ¡°I need to call Zev,¡± Elion muttered. ¡°Find out if he¡¯s a captive. He would know what I should do.¡±

 38. Placing a Call

    Aria, when Dorian killed Loreign, her mantle fell upon you. No pretender to the Throne could command its powers, access its systems and controls. In Dorian¡¯s moment of near victory, he failed. The Throne remained a cold, lifeless chunk of metal as he sat down, not activating as it would for the true monarch.


    And though it breaks my heart, Aria, you understand why I must not search you out. When the time is right, you will return to Erod, and take up your rightful place. I will be here, waiting for you.


    ¡°Korel!¡± Dorian screamed, his voice echoing through the empty hall. ¡°Korel!¡±


    Pattering footsteps preceded a dark robed warlock, small and insignificant against the majesty of the hall. A few lesser warlocks filed in behind Korel, but they knelt as they entered, not daring to approach the throne.


    <hr>


    Elion and Keyla sat in the tower workshop. Keyla held a portable screen, and Saint Hendreston¡¯s Complete Compendium of Ascendency Paths and Guide to Praxian Systems lay open on a workbench nearby.


    Gorman had gone back to the bridge, making his final preparations for the assault on the Shard.


    Keyla pulled up the KUD, or Kylios Universal Database on the screen, and navigated to the entry for ¡®False Sentinel.¡¯ A brief description, along with a list of several entities appeared.


    Skimming through the list, opening likely entries, Keyla searched for anything resembling the pale yellow crystal Elion had found in Gorman¡¯s safe.


    Elion sat at the transmission station, muttering to himself as he asked Praxis what various knobs and switches did, trying to figure out how to get a message to Zev.


    ¡°Here¡¯s something,¡± Keyla said, pulling up the entry. ¡°Festris. He was a Heranan Cultivator, who became obsessed with decay; molds, parasites, and funguses. He developed breeds of mushrooms that would bend the will of people around him.¡±


    ¡°Like a real person?¡± Elion asked. ¡°He really lived, or it¡¯s just some kind of legend?¡±


    ¡°All the Sentinels were real people,¡± Keyla said. ¡°The True Sentinels created the Ascendency Paths that guide their followers.¡±


    ¡°How did they become Sentinels?¡±


    ¡°Dedication and excellence,¡± Keyla said. ¡°They fought against the Tephalians, and gained access to Praxis. I think the Throne might have something to do with it as well.¡±


    ¡°You said Festris used mushrooms to bend the will of people around them?¡±


    Keyla nodded.


    ¡°Something seems to be controlling the infected,¡± Elion said. ¡°I played a game once where a fungus infected people and turned them into zombies. But that doesn¡¯t explain the Shard.¡±


    Keyla shrugged, turning back to the book and paraphrasing. ¡°Festris was eventually killed for casting a spell over a whole town, forcing them all to do his bidding, slaving away to make a kind of yellowish crystal. It was known as a Festris Shard. Look.¡± She pulled up a picture.


    Elion looked and saw an image of the small yellow-green crystal he took from Gorman¡¯s vault.


    ¡°Is Gorman controlling the infected then?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Keyla said. ¡°He seems as upset about them as everyone else. If he could control them, then we could just lower the bridge, right?¡±


    "That makes sense,¡± Elion agreed. ¡°Maybe something happened, and he¡¯s using Festrin power to fight against it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Keyla said.


    They locked eyes.  She doesn¡¯t believe that.


    ¡°Does this mean that Gorman is definitely following the path of a false sentinel?¡± Elion asked, producing the crystal from his pocket.


    ¡°He must be,¡± Keyla said. ¡°You are only rewarded with Ascendency Stones through displays of excellence respected by the Sentinel. If Gorman has as many as you say he does, he must have developed significant skill in Festris¡¯s power.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said. ¡°That confirms it. Let¡¯s call Zev.¡±


    He sat down at the transmission station, and pulled on the headset and helmet.


    Again he stared at the controls, trying to remember what Gorman had done to use the transmitter. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He needed Praxis to help him.


    ¡®Help me please,¡± he muttered under his breath. When no help appeared, he tried again. ¡°How do I use this?¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Instructions appeared once more in his view, and Elion decided that this might be one of the more useful features of Praxis. Did this count as a translation?


    ¡°You¡¯ve never used this before?¡± he asked Keyla.


    ¡°Nope,¡± she shook her head, walking over to stand behind him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Gorman using it but I have no idea how it works.¡±


    Elion and Keyla spent the next few minutes trying to understand the labels Praxis gave to all the switches and buttons, then adjusted the settings to attempt contacting a single individual through the Aurelian Communication Network.


    ¡°Gorman said something about it drawing a lot of power,¡± Elion said. ¡°Is that going to be a problem?¡±


    ¡°It might be,¡± Keyla said. ¡°The Threnody Core has been weak recently. Acting up ever since¡­¡± A look of realization spread over her face. ¡°It¡¯s related,¡± she said. ¡°Gorman has been using Festrin power to run the Threnody Core. Ever since that Shard appeared, the Core has been acting up. Modules have been malfunctioning. And it¡¯s been getting worse.¡±


    ¡°Is it going to be a problem?¡± Elion asked again.


    ¡°If you strain the modules too much, you might blow them out. It can cascade; as modules blow out it puts more stress on the other ones.¡± She walked over to stand beside Elion. ¡°This is the power relay.¡± Keyla reached up and grabbed a lever. ¡°I can shut the whole thing off with it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said, tapping his fingers anxiously. He activated the transmitter and adjusted a few of the settings.


    As before, when Gorman had helped him to locate Zev, Elion tried to focus on his uncle. He hit the transmission button. His heart pounded in his chest.


    ¡°Keep watch for Gorman,¡± he said to Keyla. She nodded, but stayed by the relay switch.


    The machine hummed, and the lights in the workshop dimmed as power usage spiked.


    Elion focused on Zev.


    A pleasant chime sounded.


    << Link Established >>


    ¡°Zev?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Zev¡¯s voice, from the speakers of the headset. A wave of relief rushed over Elion.


    ¡°It¡¯s Elion,¡± he said. ¡°Where are you? Why didn¡¯t you come back?¡±


    ¡°Elion?¡± Zev sounded frustrated. ¡°How? Why? How are you using this network?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, on Kylios,¡± Elion said. ¡°I waited for you but you never came back. I was afraid you were captured¡ª¡±


    ¡°How did you get to Kylios?¡±


    ¡°Dorian came for me,¡± Elion said. ¡°I jumped in his portal.¡±


    ¡°Idiot! How are you alive?¡± Zev demanded. ¡°You can¡¯t just jump through a warlock portal.¡±


    ¡°I thought you might be dead!¡± Elion protested. ¡°I had to do something! Why didn¡¯t you come back? You said twenty-four hours. Are you safe? Is Liora okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Zev said. ¡°My plan got derailed and I wasn¡¯t able to get back to Earth. I haven¡¯t made contact with Liora yet. Where are you?¡±


    A series of lights on the transmitter illuminated. << Warning: High Power Draw >>


    Keyla reached to shut the transmitter down. Elion grabbed her arm, mouthing the word ¡®wait.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m in a place called Aterfel, but I¡¯m trapped,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s something called a Shard and it¡¯s infecting things so nobody can leave this island. And the guy in charge here is using False Sentinel power or something.¡±


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Zev cursed. ¡°You have to get out of there. I¡¯m going to send someone to get you. How did you get access to this network?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an old radio here that can connect to it,¡± Elion said. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    Elion heard rustling, and murmured whispers through the headset.


    ¡°It¡¯s compromised then,¡± Zev muttered. ¡°We¡¯ll have to stop using it. You are in serious danger; Dorian could come for you anytime he realizes where you are.¡±


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Elion asked again.


    More warning lights. Keyla tried reaching for the relay again.


    ¡°We have to shut it down,¡± she said. Elion wrestled her arm away from the switch.


    ¡°Wait. Hide,¡± Zev said. ¡°We¡¯ll send a Skyskimmer. It can be there in under a day.¡±


    ¡°But the Shard? The infection?¡±


    ¡°Stay away from it. Get away from people. When you see the Skyskimmer get to it as fast as possible and they¡¯ll get you out of there.¡±


    A loud pop echoed from somewhere in the tower. Keyla shook Elion off and lunged for the relay.


    ¡°Be waiting, and we¡¯ll pick you up. Watch for the skyskimmer. Don¡¯t miss it! And especially watch out for¡ª"


    Keyla threw the switch. The transmitter lights died, and Zev¡¯s voice abruptly cut off.


    Three more loud pops sounded. Outside, pale yellow-green light flashed. A few tendrils of smoke curled down out of the ceiling, from the central column of the tower.


    Keyla clutched her head and cursed. The ground rumbled.


    ¡°Crap,¡± Elion said. He sat and stared at the dead controls for a moment, acrid smoke filling his nostrils.

 39. Fight for the Tower

    Fight for the Tower


    Elion hardly noticed the turmoil around him. A creeping elation pierced through his panic and distress, a sense of relief welling up inside of him. He was going to be rescued; he was going to see Zev again.


    Keyla panicked. ¡°The Threnody Core!¡±


    Elion¡¯s relief evaporated.  I¡¯m going to have to abandon Keyla. Aterfel is collapsing and Gorman is losing control.


    A flaring light shone through the windows, brightening the room like flashes of lightning. ¡°You¡¯ve damaged it!¡± Keyla exclaimed.


    ¡°What?¡± Elion asked, jumping up, stumbling across the garage in the darkness.


    ¡°We overdrew power from the Threnody Core,¡± Keyla said. ¡°That light; it¡¯s from Threnody Modules breaking apart. There¡¯s no way Gorman won¡¯t see it! He¡¯s going to come back here, what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Can you fix it?¡±


    ¡°No! Gorman was using Festrin power to make it work, remember?¡±


    Elion sprinted up the stairs, Keyla following after him. He slammed his weight into Gorman¡¯s door. The solid metal door held firm, not budging from the blow.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Gorman¡¯s already not going to be happy with me,¡± Elion said, rubbing his shoulder. ¡°So I¡¯m going to get my Ascendency stones back.¡±  And steal his, while I¡¯m at it.


    He activated his power. After training with Gorman over the past few days, he no longer needed to talk aloud to Praxis. Like pulling a lever with his mind, he channeled his intention, flipping through the menu and activating ¡®Manifest Armaments.¡¯


    ¡°Wait!¡± Keyla shouted, as power condensed around Elion. His clothing vanished, replaced by his golden loincloth.


    Elion¡¯s knife reformed in his hand. He felt energy surge through him, his muscles hardened, strengthened by the magic. Slamming into the door again, he felt it give slightly.


    ¡°Wait, stop,¡± Keyla protested. ¡°Are we sure about this? What if we¡¯re wrong? Shouldn¡¯t we talk to Gorman first?¡±


    ¡°You can,¡± Elion said. An image flashed through his mind, something he must have dreamt: Gorman, bent over Keyla¡¯s body, grinning as he pulled her heart from her chest. The idea made him sick. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen enough. We need to get away from him.¡±


    Elion bashed into the door twice more, feeling it bend. Keyla hovered nervously in the hall beside him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going crazy,¡± Keyla said. ¡°What did Zev say to you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s coming to get me,¡± Elion said. ¡°What¡¯s a skyskimmer?¡±


    Keyla¡¯s face fell, and Elion could see the accusation.  You promised to help us.


    ¡°It¡¯s an airship,¡± she said. ¡°A fast one.¡±


    ¡°Go check out the window for Gorman,¡± Elion said, grunting as he slammed into the door once more.


    Keyla ran to a window, looking out toward the bridge. From her vantage point she would be able to see down the road leading into town.


    ¡°Elion!¡± she cried out. ¡°Something is happening at the Shard! It¡¯s glowing.¡±


    Elion took a running start down the hall, lowering his shoulder as he collided with the door again. The door buckled, latches pulling away from the frame, and Elion staggered into Gorman¡¯s room. He ran to the safe. It still sat on the ground beneath a table.


    Elion grabbed it and tried to shift it. About the size of a microwave, the safe did not budge as he tugged on it. A closer look and he realized that the safe was bolted to the ground.


    He started hacking at the bolts with his knife, the magically sharpened edge biting into the metal. But not enough. It would take him ages to cut through the hardened bolts.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming!¡± Keyla yelled from the other room. Elion could hear the distant rumble of an engine. He began sawing at the bolt with renewed vigor.


    "Um, Elion,¡± Keyla said, entering the room. ¡°The Shard out there, it¡¯s¡­ growing larger.¡± She saw what he was doing.


    Elion grunted as the head of one bolt popped off.


    ¡°Let me do it,¡± Keyla said, pushing Elion aside and placing her hand on the front of the safe. ¡°I might be able to glitch out the panel¡­¡±


    Elion watched. Teal sparks crackled between her fingers, then the safe popped open.


    Keyla stepped back, a satisfied look on her face. ¡°He taught me that,¡± she said. ¡°I bet he¡¯ll be furious when he realizes.¡±


    Elion pulled the safe open. ¡°Nice,¡± he said. He grabbed all the Ascendency stones from the safe. He dropped his two tears into the pouch with the Skillstones, then slipped both bags into a pocket. The sound of Gorman¡¯s engine grew louder. People outside were yelling, and the splatter thumps of laser rifle fire sounded.


    ¡°What are they shooting at?¡± Elion asked, pushing the safe closed, but Keyla was gone. He ran to the nearest window, and saw what Keyla had been talking about.


    Against the dark night sky, the Shard crackled and glowed, a pale green-yellow. An appendage of the crystal had grown, extending itself across the ravine, forming a new bridge to the island. Black figures moved across this crystalline arch; loping pemalion and running scavengers.


    Townsfolk ran from their homes toward the commotion, rifles in hand. Teal streaks of light seared Elion¡¯s vision, leaving glowing afterimages.


    ¡°How did that happen?¡± Elion asked, staring at the pale light of the Shard.


    Realization spread across Keyla¡¯s face. ¡°The Threnody Core?¡± she suggested. ¡°It¡¯s the same power.¡±


    ¡°Would overloading the core do that?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. But¡­ maybe some kind of resonance? it makes sense.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Take this,¡± Keyla said, tossing a rifle to Elion. ¡°Let¡¯s go help.¡± Elion dropped his knife and caught the rifle. As it fell, the knife dissolved in a puff of golden mist.


    ¡°But Gorman¡ª¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t know what we did yet,¡± Keyla insisted, pulling him along.


    They exited the tower and Elion gazed wistfully toward the trees, recalling Zev¡¯s instruction to run and hide. Instead, Elion followed Keyla around the side of the building, rifles raised.


    Zev was about to warn me to watch out for something. Watch out for what?


    A pemalion ran across the street, snarling viciously. Elion raised his rifle, fired twice, missing both times. Keyla¡¯s shot hit home, and the pemalion crashed to the ground, sliding across the gravel.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot if you¡¯re going to miss,¡± Keyla yelled as they ran. ¡°You don¡¯t have unlimited shots!¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°How many shots do I get again?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°About thirty if the battery is fully charged,¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Should be,¡± she said.


    They ran fast, Elion only able to keep up with Keyla due to his enhanced Ascended state. Even then, he started to fall behind. As they reached the edge of the town, the green glow of the Shard grew in the sky. Flashes of teal hinted at the fighting on the other side of the hill.


    At the sound of an engine, Elion turned. Domas sped along the road toward them, Tael and Kasm on board, both carrying rifles.


    ¡°Climb on,¡± Domas called, and Elion jumped onto Domas¡¯s small transport bed. He crouched there, holding onto the roll cage as Domas pulled up alongside Keyla. She scrambled up beside him.


    ¡°Why are you naked?¡± Kasm asked, twisting around to inspect Elion¡¯s outfit as they drove.


    ¡°It¡¯s my armor,¡± Elion said, shrugging.


    ¡°Prator had real armor,¡± Kasm shot back. ¡°Do you even have a sword?¡±


    Elion sighed, then summoned his knife into his hand.


    Kasm grinned roguishly when he saw it. ¡°You¡¯re a noob!¡± he declared. Elion couldn¡¯t help but agree.


    They accelerated along a flat stretch of road, then powered up the hill. Something hissed, and Domas stopped.


    ¡°Everyone off,¡± he grunted. A strong burning smell stung Elion¡¯s nose. Tael and Kasm ran up to the top of the hill.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Keyla asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the differential,¡± Domas said. ¡°Hauling too much weight up the hill. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Elion and Keyla ran up the hill to join Tael and Kasm.


    Below, Gorman and a few members of the Aterfel Guard protected the road into town, blasting infected as they came across the crystal bridge. They had abandoned the drawbridge, coming here to fight against this new threat.


    There weren¡¯t enough defenders to stop the infected from crossing over to the island, but their fire did deter scavengers from the road.


    Instead, the infected ran across the road, disappearing into the woods.


    Elion took a shot at a scavenger scrambling across the crystal bridge, satisfied to see him tumble into the ravine below.


    Tael and Kasm both fired, somewhat recklessly into the charging infected, but Keyla didn¡¯t say anything to them about their accuracy.


    More townsfolk joined them, and steady firing from the laser rifles beat a rhythmic tattoo in the night air.


    But the flood of infected did not stop. Pemalion, scavengers, and smaller, slower creatures came across the new bridge, taking cover in the forest.


    ¡°We¡¯ll never clear them from the forests,¡± Keyla said, voicing Elion¡¯s thoughts.


    Dark heaps littered the road below, bodies of animals and people. Someone shouted, and a wave of scavengers rushed from the woods toward the defenders, firing their projectile guns as they ran.


    Lasers pierced the air, the smell of burning hair and flesh heavy on the air. Elion raised his rifle. He caught hints of movement as scavengers, dark as shadows scrambled across the slope, but he didn¡¯t dare take a shot.


    He watched as Keyla took three, each finding its mark.


    ¡°What if we¡¯re shooting your friends?¡± Elion asked. ¡°Your mother?¡±


    Keyla scowled. ¡°I would have seen her,¡± she said. ¡°Watch out for her though. Just in case.¡±


    The assault pushed the townsfolk back. Gorman climbed atop his 4-wheeler and signaled a retreat. ¡°To the tower!¡± he called. ¡°Defend the tower!¡±


    Kasm, Tael, Keyla, and Elion ran back to where Domas waited.


    ¡°You can take the weight?¡± Elion asked


    ¡°Downhill is not as bad,¡± Domas said. ¡°Jump in!¡±


    Domas revved his engine and everyone climbed aboard. He zoomed back down the hill and into town.


    People were still running from their houses, trying to figure out what was going on. ¡°Defend the tower!¡± Keyla shouted as they sped past. ¡°Defend the tower!¡±


    They reached the tower ahead of Gorman and the others. Keyla jumped down and manually pulled the garage open, since the power was out. They pulled inside.


    Keyla ran to the equipment in the central tower and stuck her arm into a socket. Her eyes flared, teal light running from them as the mechanism powered up. She began activating lockdown protocols. Armored shutters closed and sealed over doors and windows. Townsfolk poured in through the open doors, and Elion heard Gorman shouting outside.


    ¡°Keyla,¡± he whispered, his voice intense. ¡°Gorman will see what we did.¡±


    Pulling her hand from the central column, Keyla powered down. All the lights turned off. She thought for a moment, then ran up to Gorman¡¯s room. Elion followed. The damaged door still hung open, dented in the middle.


    Keyla pulled the door as closed as it would go, a large gap still exposing Gorman¡¯s damage. She placed her hand on the center of the door.


    Elion¡¯s hair stood on end, and he felt the energy in the room change as Keyla used an Artefin skill. She pulled, her hand sticking to the middle of the door. As she pulled, the door straightened out, the dents disappearing.


    Then she ran her finger along the seams of the door frame, light crackling from her finger as she welded the door shut.


    ¡°Hopefully he won¡¯t try to go in,¡± she said, examining her handiwork. ¡°But this should prevent him from noticing for a little while.¡±


    Elion¡¯s eyes bugged. ¡°Cool! You¡¯ve been holding out on me, I didn¡¯t know you could do stuff like that!¡±


    She eyed him, and he suddenly felt terribly exposed wearing only his loincloth. ¡°Maybe you should find a shirt,¡± she said, ¡°Or power down, since we¡¯re probably safe.¡± She headed back down the stairs. They could hear Gorman¡¯s booming voice below, addressing all the people gathered in the base of the tower.


    Adrenaline still coursed through Elion¡¯s veins, and he flexed, feeling stronger and sharper thanks to his Ascended state. He liked how he felt right now. He felt buff.  Maybe I should find a mirror and see if I look stronger.  Besides, if something were to go wrong, he wanted to be ready for it. He found a shirt, and a pair of pants. He pulled these on over his loincloth, wondering if the shimmery fabric offered any combat benefits or if it was just a style choice.


    When he got back downstairs, Gorman was trying to shut the garage door. Kile, Zayven, Tilly, and a few other members of the Aterfel Guard gathered around him.


    ¡°Leave it open!¡± Kile protested. ¡°Not everyone is here yet!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re swarming the island,¡± Gorman countered. ¡°We¡¯ll all die if they get inside!¡±


    A man and a woman staggered in through the opening, pursued by a group of a dozen scavengers. A half dozen rifles fired in unison, killing two of the scavengers and forcing the rest of them to fall back.


    ¡°They got Brynna back there,¡± the man said between gasps. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help her.¡±


    A pang struck Elion¡¯s heart. He had hoped she¡¯d be able to make dinner for her son again one day.  Maybe she¡¯s not dead. Just infected. Maybe Kasm will be able to figure out a way to heal them.


    Gorman shoved Zayven aside and hit a switch, then pushed power into a nearby mechanism. The door slid shut with a loud clang, and armored shutters slid across the opening.


    ¡°There are more¡ª¡± Kile started again, but Gorman cut him off.


    ¡°They¡¯re already infected then,¡± Gorman said. ¡°We can¡¯t help them. I can¡¯t let the infected get to me.¡±


    Gorman stopped powering the circuits. The lights turned out.


    Darkness covered the room, and people muttered and shifted until someone turned on a flashlight. ¡°What happened to the power?¡± Zayven asked.


    Several more flashlights turned on, and a few people spotlighted Gorman.


    Gorman turned to face the townsfolk, desperation and panic in his eyes. Gorman breathed heavily, his world spinning out of control. Elion guessed that more than one hundred scavengers had come across the new bridge. Not counting pemalion and other creatures, the townsfolk were easily outnumbered, at least three to one.


    Banging on the panels outside the tower drew everyone¡¯s attention. The room stank of sweat and desperation.


    Everyone watched their leader, looking for a sign of hope, an indication of what to do next. Gorman did not look ready to provide it. Silence fell.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack,¡± Gorman gasped. ¡°The island has fallen.¡± His eyes danced around wildly. ¡°We have to stop them from breaching the tower. I can¡¯t let them take me.¡±


    He took a few deep breaths, then climbed atop a table, nearly touching the ceiling. Flashlight beams illuminated him from below, giving his face an otherworldly cast.


    ¡°We stick to the plan,¡± Gorman declared, shifting into his role as leader of the town. ¡°The timeline has moved up. We have no choice but to destroy that Shard now. We have to get the bomb from the bridge. We should be safe here tonight. We have some food, a little water. But tomorrow, we win or die.¡±

 40. Ascendency Fatigue

    Elion sat on a bucket, in the corner of the garage. In the darkness, people muttered and grumbled. A few used flashlights, but most of the room remained dark.


    Gorman grabbed Elion and Keyla, bringing them upstairs. Elion held his breath as Gorman passed the door to his room.


    We need to get away from here before he notices. I need to do something to help Keyla


    Gorman walked by his door, giving gave no indication that he detected anything amiss.


    Maybe she can come with me. Is there room on a skyskimmer?  Elion didn¡¯t know.  Would she even want to go?


    A few people had gathered in the upstairs living space. The large windows here had also been shuttered, leaving this floor in darkness.


    Gorman reached the corner, where the ladder stretched up into darkness.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Gorman asked finally, staring up through the shaft. Something had shaken him. ¡°I saw a flash from the core, and¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Keyla said, her eyes wide and innocent as she gazed up at Gorman. ¡°Do you think it had something to do with the Shard?¡±


    Gorman¡¯s brow furrowed, and he glanced from Keyla to Elion. ¡°Why would it?¡± he asked, sounding suspicious.


    ¡°Just because they seemed to happen at the same time,¡± Keyla said. Elion nodded his agreement.


    ¡°I was just sitting on the sofa there, and everything started going crazy,¡± he added. Keyla elbowed him subtly.


    "Hmm¡­¡± Gorman did not seem to believe them. ¡°Let¡¯s get up there and see if we can get some power back up and running.¡±


    Elion wondered how he was going to know when Zev¡¯s skyskimmer arrived. He was currently locked up in this tower. If it showed up and Elion couldn¡¯t get to it, would they just leave him?


    Gorman led the way up the ladder, followed by Keyla and Elion. The climb in total darkness was disconcerting, but in his Ascended state, Elion hardly broke a sweat. A cool breeze touched Elion¡¯s face as they emerged into the upper room. An odd odor lingered in the air.


    Chaos greeted them. The Threnody Core had partially exploded, blowing holes in the walls. Glass, drying fluids, and tissue from shattered Threnody Modules was strewn across the floor. Wires sparked and crackled, and the sound of the wind filled the chamber.


    Above all else, the smell heaved, the putrid, cloying smell of rotting flesh and decay, mixed with a sharp, antiseptic aroma that reminded Elion of dissection day in his biology class.


    Now that Elion knew what he was looking for, he could see the differences between the Artefin constructed components, glowing with an internal turquoise color, and the sickly, pale yellow-green Festrin parts, where flesh fused with metal.


    Keyla held a hand over her nose. Gorman cursed.


    ¡°Something drew down a lot of power,¡± Gorman groaned, poking through the wreckage. ¡°We might be able to get some power back on, if we¡¯re careful with it.¡±


    Elion walked to a hole in the wall, avoiding scattered bits of heart tissue as he walked. He gazed out of the hole, and was greeted by a bird¡¯s eye view of the city, the bridge, and the Shard. His breath caught, and as he wondered why Gorman had no windows in this room, he realized the answer.


    Gorman did not want anyone to know what power the Threnody Core ran on. If the town saw the pale light of the Threnody Core glowing atop the tower, they¡¯d eventually recognize it as matching the color of the Shard. Gorman didn¡¯t want anyone to suspect that he was drawing on the power of a False Sentinel.


    The sun, long set, left the sky in darkness. Shards of the celestial sphere shone silvery and shimmering against the star speckled night. The Shard and its newly grown extension glowed. Dark shapes still ran across the bridge.


    Scavengers moved through the streets below, grouped together in gangs or packs, going from house to house and searching for anyone who had not made it to the safety of the tower. Shouts and the sounds of fighting reached the top of the tower. Below, someone hammered on one of the tower doors.


    Gorman and Keyla discussed what they would have to do to repower the Core.


    ¡°If only we had a fresh module,¡± Gorman grumbled.


    ¡°We might be able to get a little bit of power from these,¡± Keyla said. ¡°But they seem strangely drained. Why would they react like that to the Tephalian probe out there?¡±


    ¡°Tephalian reality warping,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Obviously.¡± He squatted beside the core, probing parts of it with his finger. ¡°Anyone dying downstairs?¡± he asked grimly.


    Elion caught Keyla¡¯s eye and she scowled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a dark thought,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Let¡¯s just see if we can get the lights on with what we have, sir.¡±


    ¡°Elion, make yourself useful and go get something to clean up this mess with. There¡¯s a vacuum in the garage,¡± Gorman ordered.


    That didn¡¯t seem like the most important thing they could be working on at the moment, but Elion didn¡¯t protest. He made the long climb back down the ladder to the garage. He looked for a vacuum, but didn¡¯t see anything that he recognized.


    Kasm moved among the people, doing his best to heal minor cuts and scratches. Elion touched his pocket, feeling the gemstones inside.


    ¡°Kasm,¡± Elion said, pulling the boy away from a woman whose arm was bleeding profusely. Kasm looked frail, faint, and clearly did not have the energy or power to heal the woman¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Kasm, can I talk to you for a minute?¡± Elion asked.


    Kasm nodded, following Elion.


    Elion patted his pockets, looking for the Ascendency stones, but they weren¡¯t there. He felt a tinge of panic, then realized that he was still in his Ascended state, and the stones were in his other pants pocket, the ones that disappeared when he summoned his armor. He hoped they were still in that pocket.


    ¡°What do you need to do to use an Ascendency stone?¡± Elion asked. ¡°You need to bury it?¡±


    Kasm nodded. ¡°In a special place,¡± he said.


    ¡°If I can get one for you, will it help?¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s a good idea,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to heal people much better!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll level you up?¡± Elion asked.


    Kasm grinned enthusiastically. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing a lot. I got one XP this morning, so an Ascendency stone will get me to level one.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± Elion asked. ¡°That¡¯s amazing, why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡±


    ¡°I was going to when I saw you.¡± Kasm said, ¡°But didn¡¯t get the chance till now.¡±


    ¡°Where do you need to bury a cend to use it?¡±


    Kasm¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Oh, that might be hard. How can we get out of the tower?¡±


    ¡°Is it far?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just in our yard, by the house.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I think that¡¯s do-able. I¡¯ll see what I can figure out,¡± Elion said.  If I can help Kasm level before the skyskimmer comes, then at least I¡¯m not totally abandoning them.  ¡°And take a break. Don¡¯t overdo the healing.¡±


    Kasm took a deep breath. ¡°Fine,¡± he said. ¡°I might need my strength.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a vacuum?¡±


    Kasm pointed to a device in the corner. Elion picked it up, and discovered shoulder straps attached to a chrome cylinder. A hose connected the cylinder to a broom-like appendage. Elion thought he¡¯d seen industrial vacuum cleaners like this before, so he slung it over his shoulder and headed back.


    He climbed up the ladder, wearing the vacuum and trying to keep the broom attachment from clanging on the rungs. The feeling of strength and energy that he received from his Ascended State, Manifest Armaments, still coursed through him. He felt a growing weariness at the back of his mind, but he figured that was just aftershock from the emotional extremes of the day.


    I actually feel great, all things considered. I should Ascend more often, not just for emergencies.


    Three rungs before the top, Elion found himself growing lightheaded. The ladder swayed and rippled as he climbed, panic welling up inside of him as he imagined falling all the way back down. In desperation he pulled himself up into the Threnody Core room where Gorman and Keyla worked, then collapsed on the floor.


    ¡°Hey are you okay?¡± Keyla exclaimed, running to his side.


    ¡°Is it the smell?¡± Gorman wondered, waving the air by his nose.


    ¡°No, look, he¡¯s still Ascended,¡± Keyla said. ¡°His eyes are glowing. Elion, you have to power down.¡±


    Elion groaned, overwhelmed and sick to his stomach. His body shook, drained of energy the same way it had been when he cast Save a Friend too many times.


    ¡°Elion,¡± Keyla said, placing her hand on his arm, ¡°You¡¯ve been ascended for too long. You need to power down. Disarm, I mean.¡±


    Trying to mentally pull up the appropriate Praxis menu, Elion laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes. The mental effort proved to be too much, so Elion resorted to muttering his commands out loud.


    ¡°Disarm.¡±


    A tingle on his skin and the shifting of fabrics signaled Elion¡¯s change of state. The clothes he wore over his golden loincloth disappeared, like they were part of his armor. His original outfit returned, and he immediately began to feel better. He sat up and looked around, breathing deeply.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he moaned.


    ¡°If you stay in your Ascended state too long, it can overwhelm you,¡± Gorman explained, not looking up from his work. ¡°It¡¯s called Ascendency Fatigue. The higher you level, the more you¡¯ll be able to tolerate it.¡±


    ¡°I did not like that,¡± Elion groaned. ¡°Ugh.¡±


    He felt his pockets, and found that the Ascendency stones were still there. He breathed with relief. Where did his clothes go, anyways, some kind of pocket dimension? He wondered if there were any unintended uses for the ability. If he had an ice cube in his pocket would it melt?


    ¡°Where did the vacuum go?¡± Keyla asked.


    ¡°I brought it¡ª¡± Elion felt at his back, but the vacuum was gone.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Gorman said, walking over. ¡°You¡¯ve adopted it as a part of your armor. I¡¯ve read about how Aurelians upgrade their kit, but I¡¯ve never witnessed it before.¡±


    "Where did it go?¡± Elion asked. ¡°The vacuum turned into my armor?¡±


    ¡°As far as I understand it,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Aurelian armor exists in an extradimensional void, waiting for a summons. It seems like anything you¡¯re wearing while Ascended gets sent to that void.¡±


    ¡°So how do we get the vacuum back?¡± Keyla asked.


    ¡°Can you Ascend again Elion?¡± Gorman asked.


    The thought of it made Elion sick. He took a deep breath. ¡°I can try,¡± he said. ¡°Briefly.¡±


    He called up Praxis.


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    His head spun, and he felt the weight of the vacuum as it materialized on his shoulders. Keyla clapped her hands and cried out in delight.


    Elion unslung the vacuum and immediately disarmed. The Ascendency fatigue faded rapidly. The vacuum remained on the ground in front of him.


    Intricate golden designs had been etched into the metal of the cylinder. Golden fibers wove through the fabric of the shoulder straps.


    ¡°You can probably summon specific parts of your armor separately,¡± Gorman mused.


    Keyla inspected the designs of the vacuum. ¡°It¡¯s been imbued with power,¡± she said. They all stared at the vacuum. The golden designs faded away.


    ¡°Not a part of your armor anymore I guess,¡± Gorman said.


    ¡°Well, back to work.¡± Keyla took the vacuum from Elion and started sweeping glass shards and heart tissue into a pile. Most of the liquid had dried into an amber crust. With a bit of kicking, Keyla broke this off the ground and swept it into her pile.


    ¡°Pass me that power wrench,¡± Gorman said, and Keyla handed the tool to him. Gorman grunted, then stepped back from the Threnody Core. ¡°Hit it,¡± he said, and Keyla flipped a switch.


    The device hummed and pulsed, then about a third of the Threnody Modules began glowing with their sickly, pale yellow-green glow, clearly Festrin, now that Elion knew what he was seeing. Teal lights flickered around the contraption, the Artefin constructions which contained the modules and channeled their power into something the city could use.


    ¡°That should be enough for lights and rifle recharging,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Probably not to cycle the doors.¡±


    He¡¯s created some kind of fusion between Festrin and Artefin power.


    Keyla caught Elion¡¯s eye from behind Gorman. She grimaced at the core, uncomfortable with the use of a false Sentinel¡¯s power.


    We have to get out of here.


    A wooshing sound from a hole in the wall drew Elion¡¯s attention. He climbed to his feet and peered out the hole, wondering if Zev¡¯s skyskimmer had already arrived for him. The view out the hole revealed nothing, the sound merely the wind blowing past the tower.


    ¡°You two finish cleaning this up.¡± Gorman said, holding his head. He headed to the ladder. ¡°We need to get organized down there.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Keyla said.


    Gorman climbed down the ladder, his boots clanging on the rungs. Keyla switched on the vacuum and sucked up the detritus.


    She turned it off, then they both stood quietly, listening. No sounds came from the ladder. Elion peered down the hole. With the lights now on, Elion could see all the way down to the bottom.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Elion said, his voice quiet, tense.


    ¡°This is horrible,¡± Keyla said, gesturing to the Threnody Core. ¡°I always felt strange about it, felt like it wasn¡¯t very Artefin, but Gorman insisted. He swore that his study of mechanics allowed him to understand the human body as though it was a machine. Now that I know¡­ I just feel sick looking at it.¡±


    ¡°How long before he notices his door?¡± Elion asked. ¡°He¡¯ll know it was us.¡±


    ¡°We still need his help to destroy the Shard,¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°What if he¡¯s lying about that too?¡± Elion asked. ¡°The bomb, everything?¡±


    ¡°I know him,¡± Keyla said, then she reconsidered. ¡°Or I thought I knew him. But I can tell. He¡¯s worried, stressed. Things have gotten away from him. He¡¯s trying to blow up the Shard as a way to fix things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you,¡± Elion said. ¡°What are you going to do? If Gorman¡¯s plan works tomorrow. If you blow up the shard, if all the infected go away, are you going to stay here?¡±


    ¡°Gorman is a great teacher,¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°You broke open his safe,¡± Elion said. ¡°Won¡¯t he know it was you?¡±


    ¡°I can tell him you threatened me,¡± Keyla said, her eyes falling. ¡°He¡¯ll understand. He¡¯s been like a father to me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s also cutting people up and using their hearts to generate power.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Keyla said, staring at the ground between her feet. ¡°And I need to help my mother. Find her, cure her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe blowing up that Shard will release her from the infection,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m hoping,¡± Keyla added. ¡°Or that Kasm really can heal the infection.¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± Elion said, pulling the pouches of Ascendency stones from his pocket. He dumped the first bag out, Tears and Skillstones tumbling into his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my two Tears,¡± Elion said. ¡°And three of these are yours, right?¡±


    Keyla took the three Skillstones, leaving four in Elion¡¯s hand. He pulled out the other pouch and dumped three Festrin Shards into his hand.


    ¡°Will these work the same? Increase your experience, even though they¡¯re not from one of the Seven?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Keyla said.


    Elion looked at the gems in his hand. Two blue Tears, five teal Skillstones, and four pale Shards. If he used them all, enough experience to take him to level eight. Would that be sufficient power to face down Dorian? To fight through the man¡¯s warlocks, and rescue Liora?


    No way. He¡¯s probably one of those legendary level forty guys.


    Every level was supposed to be twice as powerful as the one before it. An Ascended who had reached level fourteen would be sixty four times stronger than Elion at level eight. But every point counted; every step forward was a better chance of success.


    He thought about Kasm, down below, trying to heal the wounded. Kasm, just trying to help others out, and truly being a hero.


    ¡°I want to help Kasm use these,¡± Elion said. ¡°We need to get him out of the tower so he can bury it.¡±

 41. The Battle Plan

    ¡°My lord,¡± Korel called out. He stepped carefully around the spilled blood and knelt on the stairs, bowing before his master.


    ¡°Bring her to me. Bring my sister to me, Korel,¡± Dorian commanded. ¡°It is time to complete our conquest.¡±


    "Ahem, my lord,¡± Korel said, his voice trembling. He still bowed his head, but shifted his weight from side to side. ¡°She seems to have vanished. Perhaps she was killed in the confusion of the fighting¡­¡± Korel raised his head as he spoke, trailing off when he caught sight of the burning fury in his master¡¯s amber eyes.


    <hr>


    Townsfolk gathered in the living area above the garage. Gorman still hadn¡¯t tried to go into his bedroom, or if he had, he hadn¡¯t mentioned the sealed door.


    Elion sat down on a stool at the edge of the room. Keyla slouched in the chair at her workbench. The other townsfolk filled the remainder of the room, sitting on the couch, leaning against the wall, or, in one case, pacing back and forth. Gorman stood at the front of the room, reviewing their plan.


    Snickers curled up in the corner, lying on a blanket Keyla had placed there for him. Elion rolled his eyes. The cat was probably the only one around here that would be able to get any rest.


    A small device projected a map of Aterfel on the wall, and Gorman used his finger to draw on it like a whiteboard.


    ¡°The plan is simple,¡± Gorman said. ¡°Each of you accurately execute your assignment, and like a well oiled machine, we will break free from this nightmare.¡±


    The people in the room shifted, but everyone watched intently.


    ¡°Scout Team,¡± Gorman said, ¡°Led by Sophira, will be our eyes in the sky.¡±


    Sophira straightened. She was a lean, dark-skinned woman. She wore a tank top which revealed her muscular shoulders.


    ¡°You¡¯ll slip out first,¡± Gorman continued, ¡°under cover of darkness. Make your way here.¡± He circled a ridge, between the town and the bridge. ¡°Make your way through the woods; you¡¯re going to have better cover there and will be less likely to run into large groups. Track the movements of scavengers, and signal when you think we have a good opening. Bring a drone.¡±


    Gorman tossed a small chip, flipping it into the air and catching it in his hand. Teal circuits glowed on a black, shiny surface. Elion recognized it; he had seen something similar in Gorman¡¯s room. ¡°This is something I¡¯ve been working on,¡± he said. He walked across the room and pressed the chip to Sophira¡¯s temple.


    Pale green light flickered beneath Gorman¡¯s fingers as the chip adhered to Sophira¡¯s skin.


    ¡°You can use this to communicate,¡± Gorman explained.


    Sophira shuddered, her eyes rolling around aimlessly. She shook her head, blinked, and then focused on Gorman. She held a hand to her head. ¡°I can hear you,¡± she said.


    ¡°And I you,¡± Gorman said with a grin.


    He turned back to the map.


    ¡°Bomb Team is Zayven¡¯s team. You¡¯ll take all the fastest vehicles we have, and go directly to the bridge when Team 1 gives the signal. The engines will be loud, and attract a lot of attention, so you¡¯ll have to go fast. Get to the bridge maintenance house.¡±


    Gorman walked to the short, wiry man with curly blond hair. The man¡¯s left arm was robotic, with three oppositional grippers on the end. Gorman placed a chip onto Zayven¡¯s head. Elion wondered if anyone else noticed the flash of clearly-not-Artefin magic.


    He caught Keyla¡¯s gaze. Her nose curled in disgust, eyes wide with disbelief. She turned away, hiding her expression.


    ¡°Overwatch Team will be Jaxen¡¯s.¡±


    A tall, muscular man with dark hair standing in the corner nodded grimly.


    ¡°You¡¯ll go with Zayven¡¯s team through town, drawing fire and engaging the enemy so that they can go more quickly. When you get here,¡± Gorman marked a fork in the road on the map. ¡°Go up to this hill and set up a defensive position. You should have a good angle on the run from the bridge to the shard from there.¡±


    Jaxen also received a communication chip.


    ¡°Distraction Team, led by Kile, will try to draw the infected away.¡±


    Kile, the man with a newly replaced leg, sat on the couch. Gorman fused a chip to Kile¡¯s forehead and continued talking. ¡°Take loud stuff, slower vehicles. You¡¯ll do a loop around town, like this.¡± Gorman drew the loop on the map. ¡°Depending on how this progresses, you can circle back around and hole up in the tower, you can join up with Scout Team, or you can join Overwatch Team here.¡±


    ¡°Bomb Team, once you secure the bridge maintenance house, you¡¯ll move into phase two. Get the bomb out and load it onto the cargo hauler. Lower the bridge. Hole up at the bridge, drive the hauler down into the Shard. Overwatch Team will deal with any infected that try to stop the hauler, and Scout Team will watch the road to the bridge.¡±


    Gorman scanned the room. ¡°Any questions? No?¡±


    He stood quietly for a moment. All the team leaders stood up.


    ¡°Good. You can all hear me. And each other?¡±


    Silence.  They must be communicating telepathically somehow,  Elion realized.  Through those chips.


    Gorman broke the silence. ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°I wish I had chips for everyone, but this will do for now. Go gather your teams and fill them in on the plan.¡±


    The leaders of the Aterfel Guard filed from the room, heading down to the garage.


    ¡°Keyla,¡± Gorman said. ¡°I want you with Scout Team. You¡¯re fast and a good shot.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Keyla answered.


    ¡°And Elion, you¡¯re with the Bomb Team.¡±


    Elion pointed at himself, surprised. ¡°Me? I¡ª¡±


    Keyla shook her head slightly, and Elion cut himself off.


    ¡°You might draw fire, and I understand that you can take a few shots in your Ascended state.¡±


    Elion fought back a yawn, wondering what time it was. How long until the skyskimmer came for him?


    ¡°Sure, okay, I¡¯ll go with the Bomb Team¡± he said. Elion did not want to miss his ride. But he also wanted to help; if they could destroy the Shard before the Skyskimmer came, that would be good for Keyla. He also wanted to give Kasm some Ascendency stones. And he needed to avoid suspicion from Gorman for as long as possible.


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    I¡¯ll probably be on a skyskimmer out of here before the fighting starts, anyway.


    ¡°Meet with your teams, then try and get some sleep,¡± Gorman said, and left the room. Elion and Keyla watched him walk down the hall, past the door to his room. Did he notice anything amiss? He continued down the hall to the garage, without trying to enter his room.


    Elion met with Bomb Team down in the garage. Zayven had assembled 4 other members of the Aterfel Guard, including Domas. They gathered in one of the bays, checking over their equipment, vehicles, and discussing contingencies. Zayven¡¯s hair bounced around as he spoke, gesturing vigorously with his hands


    The ATV that would carry the bomb was a 6-wheeled cargo hauler with two seats and a large flat bed. It was the only vehicle large enough to comfortably carry the bomb, even if it wasn¡¯t as fast as the motorcycles and dirt bikes that the rest of the team would be riding.


    Zayven and another man checked over the cargo hauler, looking for elements crafted with Artefin power. Since the distortion field around the Shard interfered with Sentinel powers, they wanted to make sure nothing vital on the cargo hauler would break apart on the approach to the shard.


    Elion took a seat beside Domas. ¡°They¡¯re going to drive the bomb into the Shard?¡± he asked.


    ¡°They will drive to the Shard, unload the bomb, and then drive back,¡± Domas said. ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re checking the cargo hauler, they want to know what¡¯s going to break down on it when they drive into the distortion field.¡±


    ¡°Looks good Tharnen,¡± Zayven said, checking a clipboard. ¡°We can replace some of this stuff, and do some welds over the Artefin joins. It should work.¡±


    "What about the rear suspension?¡± Tharnen asked.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be a rough ride, but if we secure the frame, here, and here,¡± Zayven pointed out the locations, ¡°Then it should hold together.¡±


    Elion watched the two men as they prepared to make the necessary modifications to the vehicle. ¡°What happens if they don¡¯t do any of that?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Those pieces would just fall apart,¡± Domas said. ¡°The power holding them together would melt away. When the Shard first appeared, a few scouts went to check it out, and their guns crumbled to pieces in their hands. I thank Artefin that I didn¡¯t drive out there to take a look. Sentinel power is the only thing keeping me alive.¡±


    Like the gun that I accidentally ruined,  Elion thought.


    ¡°So you can¡¯t go with them to the Shard,¡± Elion said. ¡°Why are you on Bomb Team?¡±


    ¡°Same reason you are,¡± Domas said. ¡°We¡¯ll wait and hold the bridge. Your power doesn¡¯t work in the distortion field, does it?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t tried,¡± Elion said. ¡°But I guess not. I mean, why aren¡¯t you on Distraction Team or Overwatch Team?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fast enough to keep up,¡± Domas said. ¡°But I can keep pace with that old cargo hauler just fine.¡±


    ¡°Elion, right?¡± Zayven approached Elion. ¡°You¡¯re a Knight?¡±


    Elion nodded, immediately on high alert, unsure of where the man was going with this.


    ¡°Can you shoot?¡± Zayven asked.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m an okay shot.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Zayven said. ¡°If you have to use your sword, things have probably gone very wrong. We¡¯ll have you on Domas.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Is that okay with you Domas?¡±


    ¡°Roger that,¡± Domas said. ¡°But just one rider; my differential starts acting up if I¡¯m weighed down too much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Zayven said.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Domas asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty simple,¡± Zayven said. ¡°We saddle up here in the garage. Wait for Scout Team¡¯s signal, then Distraction Team will go. After 2 minutes, we bee-line for the bridge and hold the maintenance house. We load the bomb up onto the cargo hauler, then deliver it to its final destination.¡±


    Elion nodded, and wondered how much they were counting on him. If Zev¡¯s skyskimmer came for him, he was going to have to abandon the team. Maybe it would be better if he could get one of his own vehicles to ride? But Zayven had already moved on.


    Elion scanned the room. People filled in the spaces, lying on the floor between shelves, sitting on tables. Nearly everyone seemed to be nursing an injury of some kind. Elion looked for Kasm, and saw him helping bandage up a boy¡¯s hand, still trying to help heal people.


    Kasm is going to overdo it.


    He saw Keyla with Sophira¡¯s Scout Team, along with Tael and another man. Zev had said to watch for the skyskimmer, but Elion couldn¡¯t do that from inside the locked down tower. What if the skyskimmer didn¡¯t come before the assault? Should Elion join the attack? Everyone expected that he would.


    He could go watch from the top of the tower, in the Threnody Core room, but he¡¯d still have to get out of the tower somehow. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to be around when Gorman realized that his safe had been raided.


    Keyla would take the blame for that. She seemed confident that she could talk her way out of it, but Elion still worried. His thoughts turned to Gorman.


    What is he doing with those communication chips?  Something about them seemed sinister. Maybe Elion was just overthinking it, seeing lies in everything Gorman said now.


    He pushed the thought away and crossed the room, lingering just outside the small circle formed by Scout Team.


    Scout Team, formed of Sophira, Keyla, Tael, and a man Elion didn¡¯t know, prepared their equipment. Keyla worked on a couple of small drones, capable of relaying a video feed back to the operator. Sophira and the man were syncing their comm devices, and Tael worked on his rifle.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Tael said, noticing Elion. The boy followed Elion¡¯s gaze to where Keyla sat, then grinned. ¡°Ohh,¡± he said smugly. ¡°Do you think she likes your golden underwear? And your tiny sword?¡± Elion blushed even as he scowled.


    ¡°Knock it off Tael,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡±


    ¡°Not in the mood for Keyla?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I¡­¡± Elion trailed off when he noticed that Tael¡¯s eyes still watched Keyla. ¡°You¡¯re jealous,¡± he said.


    Tael blushed this time.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she too old for you?¡± Elion asked. He guessed Keyla was about two years older than Tael.


    Maybe in a place like this, where there aren¡¯t that many people, age doesn¡¯t matter as much.


    Tael grimaced, squirming in his chair. ¡°She treats me like a kid,¡± Tael growled.


    ¡°Maybe because you are,¡± Elion said. The quip tasted bitter as it fell from Elion¡¯s lips, and Tael¡¯s face darkened. He had no reason to pick on the young man. Elion pushed past and tapped Keyla on the shoulder.


    His heart pounded in his chest as she turned to gaze up at him. Behind him, Tael kicked over a bucket and stormed away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Keyla asked, gazing over Elion¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, probably just stressed,¡± Elion said, wiping his brow. He leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially. ¡°How are we going to get Kasm out of here, to plant a cend? He¡¯s going to make himself sick trying to heal everyone.¡±


    ¡°Give it an hour,¡± Keyla said. ¡°We¡¯ll turn out the lights soon, let people try to get some sleep. I¡¯ll open a side door.¡±


    Elion yawned as she spoke.


    ¡°Maybe you should get some rest,¡± Keyla said. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone is up in my room right now. You could get some sleep and I¡¯ll find you when the coast is clear.¡±


    Elion went upstairs to Keyla¡¯s room. There were a few families already gathered there. The lights were out. A child whimpered in the darkness, and Elion thought he saw three people on the bed.


    Oh well,  Elion thought.  It¡¯s not like I was going to be able to sleep anyways. Not with everything going on.


    Instead he paced, wandering around, keeping an eye on Gorman, wondering when the man would realize he¡¯d been robbed.

 42. Planting the Ascendency Stone

    Elion watched Keyla as she pressed her hand against the mechanism which powered the door lock. A half hour earlier, the main lights had been turned out, partially so that people could try to rest before the attack in the morning, partially to conserve energy. Cloaked in shadow, this corner of the room covered their activity.


    Kasm bounced nervously on his toes behind them.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Elion hissed. ¡°We don¡¯t want to attract attention.¡±


    Kasm planted his feet on the ground and began swinging his arms. Someone snored nearby.


    ¡°You¡¯re making me nervous,¡± Elion whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Kasm replied. ¡°And excited.¡±


    ¡°Just stop fidgeting please.¡±


    Keyla¡¯s eyes glowed, and teal sparks crackled from her fingers. Elion felt a pulsing of energy through the air, coming from her. The door lock mechanism powered up, and she unlocked it.


    The light from her eyes winked out, and she eased the door open. The three of them slipped out of the tower and into the darkness of the night.


    Elion and Kasm crouched behind a large rain barrel, and Keyla slowly closed the door behind them.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t lock it,¡± Elion said through the gap in the door.


    ¡°I know.¡± Keyla let the door close slowly. When only a sliver remained, she whispered through the crack. ¡°Good luck.¡± Then the door clicked shut, leaving Elion and Kasm alone.


    Elion scanned the road ahead of them, checking the dark windows of Domas¡¯s house across the street for any signs of infected. He saw none. Someone had left the garage open.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Kasm said, shifting anxiously.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Elion placed a hand on Kasm¡¯s arm, restraining him. ¡°Not yet. Just watch; see if anything moves.¡±


    They waited a while longer, but detected no movement in the darkness.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Elion said. "Now.¡±


    The two of them ran across the road, the moonless night hiding their movement. They reached Domas¡¯s house, and slipped inside the open garage, scanning for scavengers.


    Across the street the tower loomed, windows dark, protected by the defensive shutters. Elion imagined Gorman noticing his sealed, damaged door. The man would break through it and discover the pilfered safe. He¡¯d know Keyla had glitched it out. Who else could do that in Aterfel?


    Would he believe her lie, when she said I forced her to do it?  Elion wished she¡¯d just let him cut the safe open. He pressed his hand against his pocket where the Ascendency stones were.  Should I give more of them to Kasm?


    ¡°Back here,¡± Kasm whispered. Elion followed Kasm through to the back of the house. They peered through a window, scanning the yard. A trail ran from the back of the house, up a slope to the hollow where Elion had first landed.


    ¡°Looks clear,¡± Elion said, starting to move.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Kasm hissed, pointing.


    A light flickered along the ridge, then a dark figure moved, silhouetted briefly against the night sky. ¡°They¡¯re watching from up there,¡± Kasm said.


    Elion watched, but didn¡¯t see any further movement. The position provided a relatively good view of the town; it wasn¡¯t a bad place to keep an eye on the tower.


    ¡°I hope they didn¡¯t see us crossing the road,¡± Elion said. They watched intently, looking for any other sign of movement.


    Across the yard Elion spotted the grave marker. A large stone, blackened by the night, part way up the slope of the ridge. ¡°It¡¯s in plain view to anyone watching from above,¡± Elion said. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the right place?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m supposed to plant the stone in a special place,¡± Kasm said. ¡°My mother¡¯s grave is the most special place I know.¡±


    Elion groaned, scanning the yard. ¡°It¡¯s risky,¡± he said.


    ¡°I know. But I want to help.¡±


    ¡°If you get hurt or killed here, you won¡¯t be able to help anyone.¡± Elion said these words, feeling like a hypocrite.  If I get hurt or killed, what will happen to Liora? Have I endangered her by distracting Zev? What happened to prevent Zev from coming back after twenty-four hours?


    ¡°It¡¯s worth the risk.¡± Kasm did not waver in his resolve.


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Elion asked.


    Kasm shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Elion ran a hand through his hair.  Nobody but Keyla knows about the gems we stole from Gorman. If Kasm suddenly reaches level five and starts healing people, Gorman will know. But I could give him three Skillstones and tell him they¡¯re Keyla¡¯s.  ¡°If this one works, then we¡¯ll give you more of them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll work,¡¯ Kasm said. ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Fine. You go there, plant the stone,¡± he said, pulling an Aurelian Tear from his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll cover you from here. I have a good angle out this window. If you can crouch behind the gravestone, you¡¯ll have some cover.¡±


    Kasm reached out for the gem. Elion held the stone in his hand, wondering if it wouldn¡¯t be wiser to keep it for himself.


    ¡°This will really help you level?¡± he asked. ¡°You managed to get an experience point?¡±


    Kasm nodded. ¡°I have been practicing a lot,¡± he said.


    ¡°Gorman told me that it can take a month of dedicated practice to gain experience. You¡¯ve had your power for what, a week? Isn¡¯t that kind of fast?¡±


    Kasm shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never done it before.¡±


    ¡°I just want to be sure. Keyla says your first stone will only get you one experience point, so if you didn¡¯t already earn one, you¡¯d still be at level zero.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Kasm hissed. ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ll be able to help heal people at a higher level.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Kasm said.


    ¡°You could help more people if you used more Ascendency stones.¡±


    ¡°I wish we had more,¡± Kasm replied. ¡°But even with Keyla¡¯s three, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get to level five.¡±


    ¡°But it would still mean you could heal more people. Even if you didn¡¯t reach level five?¡±


    "Obviously.¡±


    The eerie silence around them weighed heavily in the darkness.


    Elion wondered if he should give Kasm more cends.  Liora is in danger. I need to level myself up if I¡¯m going to help rescue her. I could support Zev.  Elion felt the other cends in his pocket, the ones he had stolen from Gorman. Kasm could heal more people at a higher level.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    What about me? Without these cends, I¡¯m literally useless. Do I owe these people anything? Liora is my sister. Heck, she¡¯s heir to the Throne. Aterfel is going to be better off if Zev and I can thwart Dorian¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Elion,¡± Kasm hissed.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t even give him this one,  Elion thought.  It¡¯s dangerous. If we were going to do this, we should have done it before the scavengers attacked.


    Elion released the cend, dropping it into Kasm¡¯s hand. He did not retrieve any other gems from his pocket.  Kasm might be able to heal infected if you give him four more right now.


    ¡°If they spot us, come back,¡± Elion said, moving his hands away from his pockets. ¡°We¡¯ll have to run back to the tower before they can close in on our position.¡±


    Kasm nodded, then slipped out the back door. Elion moved, setting his rifle on a counter and aiming it toward the ridge. He could barely make out Kasm moving through the yard, a dark splotch against the ground. Hopefully the scavengers wouldn¡¯t notice him at all.


    As he watched Kasm sneak away, Elion groaned.  Stop it. You made the right decision. You need to use the cends to level yourself.


    Kasm reached the edge of concealment provided by clutter in the yard. An open stretch of ground separated him from the grave stone. Elion scanned the ridgeline, watching through his scope, searching for enemies.


    He checked for Kasm again, but couldn¡¯t find him at first. Then he spotted a movement, a shadow as Kasm dashed up the hill. Elion held his breath.


    Kasm reached the gravestone and crouched behind it, not moving. Elion searched for scavengers or pemalion. He could barely make out Kasm¡¯s shape against the dark gravestone.


    ¡°Come on, bury it,¡± Elion muttered.


    Somewhere in the house, a door squeaked. The hair on the back of Elion¡¯s neck stood on end, his chest tightening. Someone in the house, or just a phantom door pushed by a draft?


    Elion¡¯s ears perked up, his other senses dulling as he listened for the merest whisper of a sound. Should he Manifest Armaments? He tried to remember if any of his buffs improved hearing.


    Is there a way to armor up without glowing? That would definitely attract attention.


    He heard a faint scuffing noise, like the sound of a shoe brushing against a floorboard. Elion moved, creeping across the room so that he could keep the entrance to the room in his vision.


    A green light blossomed outside, radiating from the tombstone, casting harsh shadows across the ground. A pemalion howled somewhere in the distance.  That¡¯s not good!


    Elion felt the air in the room change before he saw the man. A dark shadow stepped through the doorway, crossing the room quietly, stealthily, catching the last glimmer of green light through the window.


    He stood with his back toward Elion, staring out the window.  Stay there, Kasm, don¡¯t come back yet,  Elion thought.


    The man wore the dingy, damaged clothes of an infected scavenger. A faint odor of sweat and dirt wafted across the room.


    Elion slowly raised his firearm, aiming directly at the man¡¯s back. Were there more of them in the house?


    Through the window Elion saw Kasm¡¯s shadow picking its way back down the hill. The watching scavenger chuckled to himself, a quiet, rasping sound. A long blade flashed in the man¡¯s hand, and he crouched, preparing to ambush Kasm when he entered the room.


    Elion realized that he¡¯d been holding his breath. He carefully exhaled slowly through his nose, as quietly as he could manage. It felt wrong to shoot an unsuspecting man. But this scavenger was waiting to stab Kasm.


    The flash of light from Elion¡¯s rifle would attract more attention. Did he have another option? Maybe the scavenger would just decide to leave.


    Another howl from outside, and Elion spotted the outline of a Pemalion on the ridge above Kasm. Three more of the creatures joined the first, and they scrambled down the hill toward the house. Kasm sprinted across the yard.


    Kasm reached the door, starting to pull it open. The scavenger lunged. Elion¡¯s rifle flashed, blinding him. The door slammed, a man shouted, and something heavy hit the ground.


    Elion blinked and saw the figure of the scavenger sprawled out on the floor, a sickly sweet stench of burned meat filling the room. Kasm stood in the doorway, stunned.


    Grabbing the boy, Elion pulled the door closed as pemalion charged into the yard. He jerked Kasm into a shadowy corner and hid there with him.


    ¡°What¡ª¡± Kasm started, but Elion shushed him.


    ¡°There might be someone in the house still.¡±


    They stood quietly, listening, Elion covering the entrance to the room with his rifle. Pemalion growled in the yard. One of them scratched at the door with its claws.


    Without warning, two more scavengers burst into the room. Elion fired his rifle twice, and was rewarded with the sound of two bodies hitting the ground.


    Elion breathed heavily, his whole body trembling. He listened for other movement in the house, but only heard pemalion moving in the yard.


    ¡°Did it work?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kasm said. ¡°It worked.¡±


    More lights flashed along the ridge line, and Elion saw human shapes moving down the hill toward them.


    ¡°We caught their attention,¡± Elion said. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    They made their way through the house to the open garage, then sprinted across the street back toward the tower.


    Something loud rumbled overhead, and a large black shape flying low to the ground soared over them. Kasm stumbled, sprawling onto the road. A scavenger rifle cracked behind them as a bullet whirred past Elion¡¯s head.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Elion asked, helping Kasm to his feet.


    ¡°A skyskimmer?¡± Kasm said. ¡°Who is it? Why would one come here?¡±


    ¡°Crap,¡± Elion said. Scavengers filled into the street nearby, shouting.


    ¡°Run!¡± Elion pushed Kasm forward, turning to stare at the sky in the direction the skyskimmer had gone. Kasm sprinted for the safety of the tower.


    Elion fired a few times toward the infected scavengers, sending them scrambling out of the road. When Kasm reached the tower, he turned and ran back toward Domas¡¯s garage. He was not going to miss his ride out of here.


    Sprinting back toward Domas¡¯s garage, Elion hoped he wasn¡¯t causing more trouble for the people of Aterfel. Just inside the garage, Tael¡¯s dirt bike leaned on a kickstand. Elion jumped onto the vehicle.


    ¡°How do you start this thing,¡± he muttered, pressing buttons on the handle bars.


    He found the right switch, and the bike hummed to life. Elion hit the throttle, shooting out of the garage and nearly wiping out on the gravel. A pemalion sprang past him as bullets whizzed by. Elion sped down the road and around the edge of the tower, leaving a cloud of dust behind him.


    The bike whined in the night, its electro-magically powered motors quieter than an internal combustion engine, but by no means stealthy.


    Elion found the switch for the headlights and shot away down the street, heading out of town in the direction the skyskimmer had gone.


    ¡°Manifest Armaments,¡± he said, and felt the cool shifting of fabrics as his outfit swapped; one set of clothes were replaced by his ¡®armor¡¯ set. Golden light flashed around him, lighting up the streets around him like a beacon in the night. He sped down the dirt roads, doing his best to avoid potholes in the darkness. The occasional scavenger took a shot at him as he whipped past.


    A lucky shot clipped off his right arm. His ability deflected the bullet, but drained strength from him.  Better not get hit too many times. Or hit a pothole and crash. Passing out from Ascendency fatigue would probably be the same as dying.


    As Elion cleared the town, he saw the skyskimmer hovering in the sky ahead. The ship was oval shaped, and lights flickered around it like a UFO. Elion hoped that this was actually his ride. Would someone else have sent a skyskimmer to this island? He would hate to roll up into the waiting arms of Dorian.


    His pace slowed slightly as he worried about crashing. There didn¡¯t seem to be any immediate danger around, so he disarmed, saving his ability. He kept following the track that would eventually circle the entire island. He drew near to the turnoff that lead down to the drawbridge.


    Several bright flashes of light from the skyskimmer caught his attention, and he watched as the craft began descending.


    As he came closer, he realized he was going to have to turn off the road; the craft was landing in the woods. He continued driving until the road started leading him away from where he thought he skyskimmer landed, then pulled his bike over, shutting it down.


    Driving through the woods without a path seemed dangerous. He didn¡¯t have a light with him, but maybe that would be safer because he¡¯d be less likely to attract attention.


    He dropped his bike on the road and started into the woods. He hadn¡¯t made it a dozen feet when he remembered Snickers. The last time he saw his cat, Snickers was curled up in the tower, sleeping. Elion almost started back, but that was a stupid sentiment. Keyla would take care of him until Elion could come back.


    Elion pushed through the trees, trying to walk in a straight line from the road. He spotted lights after a moment, and worked his way toward them. In the darkness he stepped carefully, not wanting to turn an ankle.


    Then the trees thinned, and he saw the ship.

 43. Skyskimmer

    About twenty or thirty feet long, the polished silvery skin of the skyskimmer reflected the night sky and trees around it. Oblong and devoid of any sharp angles or edges, it appeared strange and ethereal in the dark forest. Strips of softly glowing lights traced its outline, pulsating rhythmically, organically.


    Elion watched it for several moments, standing in the shadows, his heart pounding. He didn¡¯t know how to approach or hail it. Something in the back of his mind warned him, suggesting that he make sure this was his ride before barging in. If someone had overheard Elion¡¯s communication with Zev, they could have sent a decoy.


    The craft hovered about ten feet off the ground, humming softly in the cool night air. The lights around the skyskimmer flashed, then turned off. With a mechanical hiss, a triangular platform descended from the bottom of the ship. Light poured from the interior of the ship, a bright gash of light on its belly.


    The platform¡¯s shadow was a large wedge on the ground, shrinking rapidly as it descended. Elion blinked, his eyes adjusting to the bright light.


    A man stood in the light. For a moment, he thought it was Zev.


    Elion¡¯s breath caught, his hands instinctively tightening on his rifle as the platform came to a rest on the ground. The man did not move, but stood boldly illuminated beneath the skyskimmer. It was not Zev.


    Raising his rifle, Elion inspected the man through the scope. He was bald and dark skinned, wearing a long leather coat. He peered out into the darkness of the forest around him, turning as he scanned.


    He didn¡¯t look anything like Dorian¡¯s warlocks, so that was probably a good sign.


    Elion recalled Zev¡¯s words. He hadn¡¯t mentioned sending someone else.


    He had said ¡®We''ll come for you.¡¯ Maybe that guy is working with Zev.


    Three infected scavengers burst from the woods, accompanied by two pemalion. The pemalion charged at the man, who fell smoothly into a defensive stance, facing the enemy.


    As the man shifted his stance, light warped into strands around him, consolidating into a golden breastplate. A massive sword formed in his hands. The sword looked like a prop from an anime convention, ornate, unrealistically large, and glowing with light. Elion would have guessed the blade was very heavy.


    But the man swung the sword one-handed through the air, slicing through the first pemalion as it lunged at him. The scavengers fired their rifles, bullets hitting the man in the chest. They ricocheted away, whirring through the air. The man staggered from the impact, but did not fall. The second pemalion sprang, already inside of the man¡¯s guard. He pivoted and punched the pemalion.


    His blow landed on the pemalion¡¯s jaw, flipping the alien feline over backward, a backbreaking crack rending the air. The man, still slightly off balance, tripped and fell onto the ground. He rolled, raising his arm to shield his face as more bullets flew. They pinged loudly off his vambrace.


    A bright light flashed from the front of the ship, and the three scavengers evaporated, leaving behind only a smoking crater. Elion closed his eyes, the afterimage glowing in his vision.


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls, Isalyn,¡± the man yelled. ¡°I had them!¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice echoed from inside the ship. ¡°You fell over! Admit it, you¡¯re getting old Rennick.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to save those charges for emergencies,¡± Rennick yelled back.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just recharge it when we get back. Come on, I never get to use the cannon.¡±


    Rennick climbed back to his feet, leaning his sword over his shoulder.


    ¡°Any sign of the boy?¡± Isalyn¡¯s voice from the skyskimmer called. ¡°How long are we supposed to wait for him?¡±


    Rennick shielded his eyes, scanning the forest. ¡°As long as we can.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a good pilot but they know what direction we were heading,¡± Isalyn said. ¡°The minute I pick something up on the screen we¡¯re going to have to jet.¡±


    Elion had heard enough. ¡°Hey!¡± he yelled, jogging out of the trees. ¡°Are you my ride?¡±


    He approached the ship. As he entered the ring of light surrounding it, Rennick waved at him.


    ¡°Elion?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Zev sent us for you,¡± Rennick said. ¡°Hurry, we don¡¯t have a lot of time. Isalyn already pissed off the warlock patrols.¡±


    Elion jogged up to Rennick¡¯s platform, but didn¡¯t step onto it. He peered up into the hole overhead, into the belly of the skyskimmer. It looked like the cargo hold of an airplane; shiny metal, crates secured with straps.


    "Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Rennick said. ¡°We don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    Elion wanted to go with them. But the thought of abandoning Aterfel in their moment of need held him back.


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    I can¡¯t just leave them to fight the infected alone.


    He also didn¡¯t want to leave Keyla to Gorman¡¯s mercy. He shuddered at what the man might do when he discovered the theft of his Ascendency stones.


    ¡°Can you help me with something first?¡± Elion asked. ¡°The people here need help.¡±


    Rennick rolled his eyes. ¡°Everyone needs help. Right now we¡¯re here to help you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a Shard out there, it¡¯s infecting people and animals,¡± Elion said. ¡°They¡¯re going to try to blow it up tomorrow, with a bomb. But I just saw you blast those scavengers; do you think you could destroy that shard on our way out?¡±


    Isalyn yelled from inside the ship. ¡°You mean that glowing thing out there? It stinks of false Sentinel to me. We¡¯re not going anywhere near it!¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Elion begged. ¡°Could you try?¡±


    ¡°Sorry kid, stuff like that is super dangerous. Could kill us all. The cannon beam interacts with different matter in unique ways, so we¡¯re not going to just shoot it at a mysterious crystal.¡±


    ¡°Well, then pick up the bomb?¡± Elion said. ¡°You could fly over the Shard, drop the bomb on it.¡±


    ¡°You coming or not?¡± Rennick asked. ¡°We had Dorian¡¯s forces hot on our tail coming out of Erod, and even though Isalyn managed to shake them, they¡¯ll be back on our tail soon enough. It¡¯s now or never.¡±


    ¡°Can we pick up a friend?¡± Elion asked. ¡°She¡¯s going to be in big trouble if I just leave¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got like five minutes,¡± Isalyn yelled. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    Rennick reached for Elion, but he stepped back, out of reach. ¡°We¡¯re here for  you , kid,¡± he said. ¡°Not getting involved.¡±


    Elion glanced over his shoulder. The people in Aterfel needed him. Keyla needed him. Gorman had to be stopped.


    Liora needed his help too. He needed to get to Zev, be somewhere safe from Dorian¡¯s warlocks. It would be easier for Zev if he only had to worry about rescuing Liora.


    I¡¯m not the only one working to save Liora now. Zev can train me. I''ll be able to help him with whatever problem he¡¯s facing.


    Elion extended his hand, and Rennick grasped it, helping Elion step up onto the platform.


    ¡°Welcome aboard, son,¡± he said. The platform started to rise, and a miserable feeling settled on Elion¡¯s shoulders like a millstone.


    Keyla didn¡¯t deserve this.


    The platform lifted them toward the ship. Elion¡¯s head had nearly reached the belly of the ship.


    He thought about Keyla, desperately searching the faces of the scavengers across the river, searching for her mother. He knew what it felt like to miss your parents. To long to be with them again.


    The last time he had seen his mom, she tucked him in bed and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He could still see her outline against the door of his bedroom as she left. When he woke up the next morning, she was gone.


    His heart ached.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. He ducked through the narrowing gap between the platform and the ship, leaping to the ground. He tripped, sprawling on the uneven terrain.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Rennick called behind him, but Elion scrambled to his feet. ¡°Get back here!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave yet!¡± Elion said, running into the forest.


    Branches whipped Elion¡¯s face and arms. Roots and undergrowth tried to trip him up. He ran hard, unsure if Rennick followed him. The darkness hindered his speed, but he moved as quickly as he could. When he narrowly missed impaling himself on the branches of a fallen tree, he stopped, listening for signs of pursuit.


    The only noise was the sound of the skyskimmer, rumbling as it streaked past overhead. Rennick hadn¡¯t been joking about it being now or never. Elion tripped, tumbling into the dirt.


    What have I done? That was my ride out of here!  Rennick had said that warlocks were after him. Even if Gorman hadn¡¯t sold out Elion¡¯s location, they were certainly going to come here now. He should have just gone with them, and then gathered resources to come back and help. That would have been the smart move.


    Climbing back to his feet, Elion continued through the forest, trying to stick to a straight line. He thought he was heading back the way he came, angling for the bike he¡¯d left back at the road. He¡¯d made his decision, and now he¡¯d better get on with it.


    In the darkness, without a path, Elion got the sense that he was walking in circles. Even if he did get lost, the island was small enough that he¡¯d eventually find a road. But he had to hurry if he was going to make it back in time to help.


    Then, as the first shades of blue colored the sky to the east, he stumbled onto a track he recognized.


    This was the trail that led from the town to the Altar. Elion started toward the town, then he stopped, patting the Ascendency stones in his pocket. He remembered what Keyla had told him, about saving them up and getting more value out of them at higher levels.


    He had five Ascendency Stones; four of Gorman¡¯s Skillstones and his one remaining Tear. He also had the three Festrin Shards, though who knew if those worked the same way as cends from True Sentinels.


    If he remembered Keyla¡¯s math correctly, eight stones would bring him all the way up to level seven.


    The Altar was close. A quick stop there, and he could return to the town, having improved his abilities. Gorman had mentioned that leveling up meant he¡¯d be able to spend more time in his Ascended state before starting to feel ill.


    Elion turned away from the town, jogging toward the Altar. To make sure he was back before the attack started, he had to be quick. He passed the place where he¡¯d fought the Pemalion. Dark splotches of blood on stone marked the fighting.


    He did not stop to reminisce, but carried on toward the Altar. As he rounded a bend in the path, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. A dark shape sprang out of the woods.


    A body collided with him, knocking him to the ground. Blinding pain ripped through his back.

 44. Old Woman in the Woods

    ¡°She lives,¡± Dorian said, voice cold and hard. He tapped at buttons and switches on the armrest of the throne, gestured at blank displays. ¡°The Throne will not be mine until she recognizes my claim. Continue to search the palace; she cannot have gone far.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, my lord,¡± Korel bobbed his head. ¡°We did find something¡­ a residue¡­ someone created a portal¡­¡±


    In this moment, my heart burst with song. You had done it. I knew that Dorian would not win.


    Dorian sprang to his feet, face twisted in rage. ¡°You allowed her to escape?¡±


    Korel whimpered, collapsing to the ground in complete prostration. A slew of words rolled from his lips, but the pleadings fell on deaf ears.


    <hr>


    Elion¡¯s breath turned into a shout. He twisted, throwing his assailant off of him. His hand grabbed at his back, and came away bloody.


    He gasped, panicked mind reeling. Then he activated his ability.


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    As his clothing changed and his knife solidified in his hand, the burning wound in his back cooled.


    His attacker scrambled to her feet, foaming at the mouth and rasping for breath. Elion recognized her.


    Standing before him was Brynna, the old woman who¡¯d fed him at her house. She¡¯d been so worried about finding her son among the infected. With a long carving knife¡ªbloodied to the hilt¡ªclutched in one hand, she snarled at him. Stooped over, she scrambled forward. She moved faster than he expected an old woman to move.


    ¡°Brynna, stop!¡± Elion exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s me!¡±


    But she was on him in an instant, throwing him backwards with surprising strength. Elion grappled with her as she stabbed him in the gut. Each strike hurt, a sharp, stabbing pain so strong Elion wondered if his ability had stopped working. He grabbed the woman¡¯s wrists, struggling to contain her, already feeling exhausted from the stress she¡¯d placed on her armor.


    ¡°Stop!¡± he yelled again, but she couldn¡¯t hear him, continuing to struggle.


    He wrenched the carving knife from her grip and threw her back, lifting his his own blade. A single blow could end the fight. He had to hurry.


    But he couldn¡¯t kill Brynna.


    She leaped at him again. He threw her blade away, out toward the cliff, and caught her, falling to the ground. She wasn¡¯t heavy or strong. He could handle her.


    Wrapping his arms around her, he pinned her arms to her sides. Using his weight advantage, he rolled over, pinning her to the ground. She kicked out at empty air and gnashed with her teeth, trying to bite him.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Elion hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you but you have to leave me alone!¡±


    She worked an arm free and clawed at Elion¡¯s eyes.


    Strength drained from him as his ability protected him from the onslaught. He grabbed her arm, slamming her back to the ground. Her head cracked on a rock and she fell limp.


    Elion sprang back, horrified.  Is she dead? I didn¡¯t mean to kill her.  His head spun as Ascendency fatigue set in. He disarmed, and the pain in his back returned. His laserarm clattered to the ground in dead pieces.


    He¡¯d been wearing it slung over his shoulder, and when he used his ability the rifle got sent to whatever void his clothing waited in until he disarmed. In the process, Artefin power had been removed from the rifle.  Crap, I needed that. Maybe Keyla will lend me another one.


    He clamped his hand to his back. His shirt, damp with blood, squished against the wound. He tried Save a Friend. Nothing happened.


    Another infected emerged from the woods, firearm raised.


    Elion desperately reactivated his armor.


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    The first bullet from the infected¡¯s rifle tore through golden threads of light before Elion¡¯s clothing-armor appeared, slamming into his chest just below the right collarbone. Pain blossomed there, washing over him with a wave that took him to his knees.


    As his Ascended state set in, the pain faded as quickly as it had appeared. Elion charged the infected, taking two glancing shots in the ribs before he was on the woman.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to be gentle with her.


    His knife cut through her unprotected flesh as she grabbed desperately for her own blade. He forced her back into the woods, and up against a tree.


    She hammered at his head with her fists, each blow strengthening Elion¡¯s growing Ascendency fatigue.


    He struck at her chest with his knife, his hands growing slick with her blood as they struggled.


    In the growing light of morning, he saw the blackness drain from her eyes. She looked around, astonished by her surroundings. Then her eyes clouded, and she slumped to the ground. Elion repressed the shout of distress welling up in his throat as he stepped away from the dead woman.


    Elion disarmed before Ascendency fatigue overwhelmed him. He stumbled back to the path, looking for Brynna¡¯s body.


    She was gone.  At least she¡¯s still alive,  he thought, and then:  Maybe I should have killed her too.


    Praxis opened up a message in his vision. Elion could barely read it through through the pain.


    << You have persevered in developing your abilities. You progress along the Path of Dawn. 1 Experience Point rewarded. >>


    << Name: Elion James Walker >>


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ? << House: Starhold >>


    ? << Ascendency: Aurelian Path of Dawn >>


    ? << Level/XP: 0/1 >>


    ? << Abilities (Level): Manifest Armaments (0), Save a Friend (0) >>


    ? << Boons: Translation >>


    ? << Quests: None >>


    Great. Nice. Super helpful right now.  The stab wound in his back burned. The bullet lodged beneath his collarbone burned, sending lances of pain through his shoulder whenever he moved his right arm.


    Using his left hand to clutch the wound in his back, Elion stumbled along the path toward the Altar. His shirt squished beneath his hand. Blood ran down his right arm and dripped from his fingers.


    Blue sky ate away at the darkness overhead, the shards of the Celestial Sphere glittering in sunset shades against the sunrise.


    The clearing of the Altar appeared ahead. He remembered stumbling through these woods, Kasm¡¯s body in his arms.


    Elion entered the Altar clearing, passing through a faint golden barrier.


    Using his left hand, he fumbled at his pockets, staining his jeans with his own blood. He gasped with the pain, collapsing to his knees.


    He placed all the Ascendency stones on the altar.


    << Offer Ascendency stones to the Path of Dawn? >>


    ¡°Wait,¡± Elion said, removing the Festrin Shards. ¡°Just the true ones.¡± Four Skillstones and one Tear lay on the Altar.


    << Offer Ascendency Stones to the Path of Dawn? >>


    Elion thought of Kasm, trying to heal the infected. At the fifth level he could unlock a new ¡®seed,¡¯ Heal Sickness. And his other abilities would grow. Kasm would need four more ascendency stones to reach that level though.


    Elion needed to use these stones for himself. So that he could rescue his sister from Dorian.


    But if there was a chance that Kasm could heal the infected, wasn¡¯t that worth it? He thought about Brynna, the kindly, abrasive old woman, who just wanted to see her son again. He felt the weight of her body, the crack of her head as he slammed her to the ground.


    Elion removed the four Skillstones from the Altar, then looked at his remaining Tear.


    He¡¯d just earned an experience point, so this would get him to level one. That didn¡¯t seem like enough.


    He placed the three Festrin shards onto the Altar, beside the Tear. Four stones should get him to level three, if he remembered the math correctly. Maybe level four since he already had one experience point. But if there was some kind of side effect from using the Festrin shards¡­  Maybe using an Aurelian Tear at the same time will balance it out. Or maybe it doesn¡¯t matter. Kasm used a Skillstone and seemed to be fine.


    Elion didn¡¯t have time to worry about that. Blood dripped from his shoulder onto the altar beside the stones.


    He needed to get back to Aterfel and help the people there. A higher level would let him stay in his Ascended state longer.


    << Offer Ascendency Stones to the Path of Dawn? >>


    Elion shifted his weight. His injuries screamed out in protest. He grit his teeth.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Elion declared. ¡°Offer the stones!¡±


    Each of the gems on the altar flared brightly, glowing with an internal light. One blue, three yellow-green. Their colors brightened, mingling with a golden aura from the statue, until Elion had to close his eyes and look away.


    He breathed deeply, and a buzzing, energetic sensation washed over him, like being plunged into a pool of ice cold water.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± he gasped.


    << 30 XP gained >>


    ? << New level: 4 >>


    ? << You have 4 ability points to assign >>


    ? << Which abilities would you like to improve? >>


    ? << Manifest Armaments (0) >>


    ? << Save a Friend (0) >>


    ¡°What does improving Manifest Armaments do for me?¡± Elion asked.


    << Each additional ability point assigned to Manifest Armaments improves protections granted while in the Ascended State. >>


    ¡°What about Save a Friend?¡±


    << Each additional ability point assigned to Save a Friend increases the duration and stabilization power of the ability >>


    Elion considered the matter briefly. When he played games, he had a history of not committing to a build, either saving up his skill points or spreading them broadly. But now, things were different. He knew what he needed. And he¡¯d saved Ascendency stones for Kasm, so that he could do the healing. He probably should have given them to Kasm all along.


    Besides, if he couldn¡¯t use Manifest Armaments long enough to get back to the tower, he might bleed out on the way.


    ¡°Put all four into Manifest Armaments,¡± Elion declared.


    << Confirmed. Respec permitted upon reaching further level thresholds. >>


    << Name: Elion James Walker >>


    ? << House: Starhold >>


    ? << Ascendency: Aurelian Path of Dawn >>


    ? << Level/XP: 4/31 >>


    ? << Abilities (Level): Manifest Armaments (4), Save a Friend (0) >>


    ? << Boons: Translation >>


    ? << Quests: None >>


    ¡°Awesome,¡± Elion said.


    One more experience point and I¡¯ll hit level five.


    The stones had disappeared from the altar.


    Elion activated his ability.


    << Manifest Armaments >>


    He stood, feeling refreshed and renewed. Blood stopped flowing from his injuries.  Even though ¡®Save a Friend¡¯ doesn¡¯t work on me, it seems like my Ascended state has a similar effect.


    He looked at the Skillstones in his hands, wondering what it would feel like to use them right now. Would a level four Manifest Armaments last long enough to get him back to Kasm?


    I have to save these Ascendency stones for Kasm. Keyla needs someone who can heal her mother. A lot of people might get hurt today.


    He slipped the remaining cends back into his pocket.


    It was time to get back to Aterfel.

 45. The Battle Begins

    Elion ran back through the woods, hurrying recklessly back to the town. The sky continued growing brighter, allowing him to move more quickly. But the rising sun also brought a deadline with it. Aterfel would launch its counteroffensive soon.


    I already missed my ride. It would be really stupid of me if I missed the fighting too.


    He kept an eye open for signs of enemies.  Be careful. You¡¯re already injured and you¡¯re depending on your Ascended state.  Perhaps he felt over confident because of his new levels, or blinded by his single mindedness. Either way, he had to hurry and get back to Kasm before Ascencency fatigue set in again. But so far, he was feeling great.


    Teal laser fire cut through the trees ahead. The crack of a projectile rifle responded. Elion picked up the pace.


    He crashed right into a pair of scavengers, shooting their guns toward a pair of shadows further up the trail. Two other scavenger bodies lay on the ground beside a dead pemalion, laser wounds still smoking.


    The first scavenger fell to Elion¡¯s knife in his spine, instantly collapsing to the ground. The second turned, but Elion was in too close for him to use his rifle. He killed this man too, leaving the dead scavengers behind on the trail.


    Elion ran toward the place where he¡¯d seen the laser fire originate.


    Two figures burst from the trees, rifles leveled. Elion skittered to a stop, throwing his hands into the air. His knife disappeared in a puff.


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Tael said, pointing his laserarm at Elion¡¯s head.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Keyla demanded, keeping her weapon trained on Elion¡¯s chest. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Kasm said you¡¯d run off after the skyskimmer!¡±


    ¡°Wait, stop!¡± Elion waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m coming back to help!¡±


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Keyla demanded.


    ¡°At the Altar,¡± Elion said. ¡°I used the Ascendency stones.¡±


    ¡°You used them?¡± she demanded. ¡°Why did you only give Kasm one?¡±


    ¡°I saved four for him,¡± he said. ¡°What are you doing out here? I thought you were supposed to be watching the road?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re circling around,¡± Tael said. ¡°Sophira sent us around this way to take up a position on the ridge over the bridge.¡±


    Keyla lowered her gun slightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t go on the skyskimmer?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Elion said, a bit too much zest in his tone. He didn¡¯t like the way they held their rifles, like he was an enemy.


    ¡°Are you infected?¡± Tael asked.


    Elion looked at the blood covering his arms. Some of it came from the scavengers he¡¯d fought, but most of it was his own. He hadn¡¯t been able to check the stab wound in his back. He¡¯d done most of his bleeding in his normal state, so his Ascended state outfit wasn¡¯t nearly as bloodied.


    ¡°No,¡± Elion said. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I just got shot before I could armor up.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Keyla asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you leave?¡±


    ¡°I realized that I needed to help here. I couldn¡¯t just leave you here like this, with infected everywhere. I couldn¡¯t leave you to take the blame for stealing from Gorman.¡±


    ¡°You stole from Gorman?¡± Tael asked.


    Keyla trembled.


    ¡°Gorman¡¯s been lying to us,¡± Elion said. ¡°He had my missing Tear all along.¡±


    Keyla dropped her rifle, letting it hang from its sling. She seemed stunned, like when she had seen her mother on the raft in the river. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d see you ever again,¡± she said. ¡°I thought you were just full of big talk and optimistic dreams like Prator.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am,¡± Elion said. "But I just couldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    Tears filled Keyla¡¯s eyes, and before Elion could react, she wrapped him in a hug. He winced in pain as his injuries flared through his Ascended state.


    ¡°Oh,¡± was all he could muster up, returning the hug as she buried her face in his chest.


    ¡°All this time I¡¯ve just been thinking you were just another Aurelian like Prator, only interested in yourself. Then you defended the docks with me, and I thought maybe you were different, I hoped you might be different. But you called Zev, and arranged for the skyskimmer, and¡­ I knew you were just going to abandon us. Every step you took to help made me even more afraid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Elion said, trying not to get too much blood on her. He didn¡¯t mind having her pressed up against him like this. She smelled nice, not flowery, like a girl, but like sawdust and gun grease.


    ¡°Kasm said a skyskimmer flew overhead and I knew you were gone,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t believe in you.¡±


    ¡°Stop,¡± Elion said. ¡°You were right about me. I nearly did leave. I did go to the skyskimmer. I was planning on getting away.¡±


    ¡°What matters is that you came back,¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°Erm, Keyla,¡± Tael interrupted, glaring daggers at Elion. ¡°We have to get into position. The sun is coming up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re right,¡± Keyla said, giving Elion one more squeeze before releasing him. She wiped her eyes, then looked Elion over.


    ¡°Stay safe today,¡± she said.


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Tael grabbed Keyla¡¯s arm and pulled her away, continuing their route into the woods. Elion stood, watching them disappear. He ran back toward town.


    Elion reached Aterfel just as first light cracked over the horizon, crepuscular rays shining through fragments of the Celestial Sphere. He ran down into the town to the sound of men shouting and laser rifles thumping.


    Distraction Team ran through the streets, going to houses and garages, collecting vehicles, shooting at scavengers and pemalion. Elion waved his hands over his head, remembering Keyla¡¯s admonishment that ¡®infected don¡¯t wave.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to get shot.


    He ran by Kile, the leader of Distraction Team, hobbling along on his peg leg. Kile shot him a strange glance as he passed.


    Elion reached the open garage of the tower just as Jaxen and his Overwatch Team rode out, leading the Bomb Team.


    Running into the garage, Elion scanned the room, looking for Domas. Kasm sat beside his father, as the ATV prepared to take off.


    ¡°Kasm,¡± Elion said, running over. ¡°Take these,¡± he thrust the pouch of Skillstones into Kasm¡¯s hand. ¡°They¡¯re from Keyla,¡± he said. ¡°No, don¡¯t open it right now. Keep it secret, and if you get a chance go bury them.¡±


    Kasm¡¯s eyes widened as he felt the bag, understanding Elion¡¯s instructions. He nodded.


    Elion winced.


    ¡°You¡¯re injured,¡± Kasm said. ¡°Let me see!¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°No time,¡± Elion said, grunting as he stood. ¡°Get someone to protect you while you go bury those cends. The scavengers are going to be distracted right now. I bet there¡¯s going to be a lot more for you to do today.¡±


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Kasm asked. ¡°Show me.¡±


    Elion disarmed and Kasm gasped. ¡°I was shot,¡± Elion said.


    Kasm reached up and probed Elion¡¯s wound with his finger. Elion cried out in pain. ¡°Not now,¡± he said. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°Not with a bullet in your shoulder,¡± Kasm insisted. Green light flared around his hand, and he drew the squashed disc of metal out of Elion¡¯s flesh. The pain subsided somewhat.


    ¡°Thank you, but that¡¯s enough,¡± Elion said. ¡°Other people need your help.¡±


    He crossed the room to the rifle rack and grabbed one of two remaining laserarms. Then he found Domas and climbed inside.


    ¡°Welcome aboard,¡± Domas said.


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m a little late. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Glad you made it,¡± Domas said. ¡°I was starting to think I wasn¡¯t needed!¡±


    As Domas began pulling out of the garage, following Zayven in the cargo hauler, Elion heard a shout.


    An angry noise from upstairs, he recognized the voice as Gorman¡¯s. As muffled as it was, Elion knew Gorman had just discovered what Elion and Keyla had done to his safe.


    ¡°Too late now,¡± Elion muttered.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Domas said.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Elion said, carefully setting his rifle in the seat beside him.


    ¡°Manifest Armaments,¡± he declared, and his clothes switched. A glitter of light, and he noticed that the t-shirt and pants he now wore had been imbued with threads of gold, woven throughout.


    Cool. So when whatever I¡¯m wearing goes to the void, something does happen to it. It wasn¡¯t just the vacuum.


    He immediately dismissed his butter knife and shouldered the laser rifle. It hurt, pressing into the crease near the bullet wound, but Kasm¡¯s healing had helped, and the Ascended state numbed the rest of the pain.


    I wonder if there¡¯s a way for me to swap the knife for this laser gun, without it falling to pieces.


    They sped out along the dirt road, a convoy of motorized bikes, atvs, and 4-wheelers. Up ahead Elion heard the occasional shot, but the Distraction Team seemed to be doing their job well. Dust filled the air, kicked up by vehicles ahead of them. Elion pulled his shirt up over his mouth.


    As Elion and Domas reached the outskirts of town, they rode just behind Zayven and a woman in the cargo hauler. The hauler jolted and rattled along the road, the side effect of having removed the Artefin enhanced suspension.


    Elion¡¯s ride in Domas was smooth, even if Domas complained about his differential.


    Bodies lay in the dirt as they drove past, mostly scavengers the Overwatch Team had dealt with. A few members of Overwatch team lay among the dead. They reached the separation point, and Overwatch team turned off, heading to the outcroppings of rocks that would let them clear the far side of the river.


    Three men on motorcycles zoomed alongside Elion, Domas, and Zayven¡¯s cargo hauler; Bomb Team.


    They passed the motorcycle Elion had abandoned in his attempt to reach the skyskimmer. Elion felt a tinge of regret that someone on the Distraction Team wouldn¡¯t be able to use that vehicle.


    A bend in the road, and they quickly approached the crystal bridge which had grown from the Shard. This end of the crystal bridge had landed a dozen feet away from the edge of the road, and down a shallow slope leading to the top of the steep cliffs of the chasm.


    As they approached, Elion felt an unusual vibration through his body. His clothes hummed, and the lights of his rifle flickered. He wished he¡¯d gotten one of the dual function firearms, or at least one that would work in the distortion field.


    Domas veered far from the crystal bridge, to the extreme opposite end of the road. ¡°Feel that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I do,¡± Elion said. ¡°Must be the distortion field of the crystal.¡±


    ¡°I feel sick,¡± Domas groaned. ¡°I never want to get that close to it again.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope Gorman¡¯s bomb works,¡± Elion agreed.


    The convoy rumbled along the road, approaching the fork that marked the beginning of the switchbacks leading down to the bridge. Elion scanned the trees, wondering where Keyla was.


    ¡°Not as much resistance as I expected,¡± Elion mused as they rounded a bend.


    Bright lights bloomed in the woods, and a half dozen shoulder mounted rockets spiraled wildly through the sky, hissing as they flew. Bomb Team vehicles swerved as the attack landed, explosions pitting the road and sending sprays of debris geysering into the air.


    Rocks rained down on Elion, and he raised his arm to protect his head, thanking his Ascended state for absorbing most of the damage.


    One of the motorcyclists served too hard and lost traction, the bike skidding out from under him across the gravel road. Elion winced as he watched the man slide, picking up a brutal road rash. The bike flew off the road, nearly sliding off the cliff.


    Zayven swerved the cargo hauler, trying to avoid a crater, but caught a back wheel. The tire exploded, and the whole back of the truck bounced several feet into the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it has six tires,¡± Domas said.


    A few streaks of laser fire from the Overwatch position lanced into the trees.


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls!¡± Domas yelled, pulling up alongside the biker who¡¯d fallen. Elion extended his hand, pulling the man up into the empty passenger seat.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± the man said. His face was scraped pretty badly, his pants and jacket dirty and ragged on one side. Elion recognized him as Tharnen; the man who¡¯d been working on the cargo hauler with Zayven.


    ¡°Too heavy?¡± Elion asked Domas.


    ¡°Not now that we¡¯re headed downhill!¡±


    They powered forward as rifle fire snapped through the air around them, answered by flashes from laser guns. More rockets flew from the trees, but these exploded behind them as they turned off the main road, heading for the bridge.


    Scavengers poured from the trees, pursuing Bomb Team as they dropped below the ridge, firing from above.


    Laser fire from Overwatch pinned the scavengers down as Bomb Team rounded the first switchback.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Elion breathed, his heart pounding, exhilarated. He tried to keep his rifle trained on the ridge above, but struggled to hold steady as they took the first turn.


    A light flashed from Overwatch position, followed by a thunderous shockwave that rattled Elion¡¯s bones. Massive stones that formed the outcropping there tumbled down the slope, splashing into the river.


    No longer threatened by suppressing fire, scavengers began scrambling over the ridge, firing down the switchbacks at Bomb Team. Pemalion sprang down the slope, charging beneath the bullets of the scavengers.


    A rocket whined in the air, and Elion watched as it approached them from behind. Because they both moved in the same direction, it seemed to fly slowly.


    Elion leaned back and smacked the rocket out of the air, sending it flying into the side of the cliff where it exploded.


    Ahead a motorcyclist took a shot and lost control, tumbling with his bike down the slope, then plunging down into the river.


    Elion¡¯s chest tightened as they rounded the next switchback. Pemalion sprang down onto the road ahead. He fired with his rifle, recklessly. Tharnen fired too, but amped up on adrenaline, Elion couldn¡¯t tell if they were hitting anything. Domas wove through the creatures, dead and alive, staying close on the cargo hauler¡¯s tail.


    One more switchback, then a short slope down to the base of the bridge. The cargo hauler jolted into the last turn just ahead of them.


    A rocket whistled past Elion¡¯s head, and he watched in slow motion as it smashed through the back window of the cargo hauler. Shards of glass sparkled like a cloud of diamonds in the air.


    The explosion blew out all the windows with gouts of flame.


    Shrapnel and heat blasted Elion. Shards of glass and metal smashed into his armored skin, draining his strength. Tharnen wisely ducked down in the seat, avoiding the brunt of it. Domas swerved.


    The force of the explosion sent the cargo hauler flipping end over end through the air, tumbling off of the road.


    He smelled burning plastic, and noticed that Domas¡¯s front bumper was on fire. Elion leaned forward, batting it out with his hand.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he called.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Domas replied. ¡°On to the bridge!¡±


    The cargo hauler rolled off the edge of the cliff, cartwheeling down into the river below. A sinking sense of dread hollowed Elion out from the inside.

 46. Transport the Bomb

    Domas pulled up to the maintenance house of the bridge as four pemalion sprang down the hill toward them.


    Elion leaped from Domas, firing his rifle. With each press of the trigger, his gun clicked a half dozen times, no lasers firing. He¡¯d grabbed a gun that wasn¡¯t fully charged. Discarding this, he summoned his knife, and stood his ground as the Pemalion charged.


    Black, glossy fur shimmered over rippling muscles. Six black eyes of the lead beast locked onto Elion, and the creature pounced, antennae quivering.


    Laser blasts from the dismounted biker took two of the beasts, then his gun also clicked the out of charge signal.


    Elion stood his ground, squaring up and raising his blade toward the charging pemalion. The first crashed into him. Elion had fought a pemalion before, but this time he was stronger. His newly leveled Ascended state lent him strength and protection. He staggered backwards but stayed on his feet, grappling with the creature as he rammed his blade into its shoulders and neck.


    The pemalion¡¯s claws and teeth tore at Elion¡¯s clothes, but his Aurelian strengthened ¡®armor¡¯ did not tear. A scratch across his upper arm did not draw blood, but with each blow he felt strength going out of him. How long could his abilities turn the claws of this monster?


    His injured shoulder throbbed with a dull pain.


    A weight struck Elion from the side and he went down, the other pemalion snapping at his throat. Elion rolled, slashing his knife blindly, stabbing at the creature¡¯s underbelly.


    Both pemalion pounced, tearing at Elion, who thrust frantically with his blade, black blood and gore spilling over him as he struggled.


    One pemalion bit at his face, and Elion thrust the blade through the roof of its mouth, releasing the knife and tossing the cat aside, staggering to his feet. The other pemalion slumped on the ground nearby, dead already. Elion shook ichor from his hands.


    A muscular infected scavenger rounded the corner, leading the charge of scavengers swarming down the road. The scavenger¡¯s inky black eyes glared, threatening. He hefted a metal rod, vicious spikes welded onto one end.


    Tharnen worked at the lock on the door of the bridge house.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± Elion yelled, scrambling back away from the scavenger.


    ¡°I need a sec,¡± Tharnen called back.


    Elion stopped backing up, squaring up with the incoming scavenger, hoping he might be able to stall the man without engaging. The man smiled, raised his weapon, and charged.


    Elion recalled his blade to his hand.


    Feinting to the right, Elion tried to duck beneath the man¡¯s swinging mace. Elion ducked too early, and the man adjusted his swing, bringing it down on Elion¡¯s arm. The powerful strike reverberated through Elion¡¯s bones, his arm numbing.


    The rush of strength pouring out of him nearly brought him to his knees; if not for his Aurelian abilities, the blow would have snapped his arm like a toothpick.


    A snarl from the scavenger warned Elion as the man swung again. Elion managed to dance out of range of the swipe. The scavenger was taking Elion more seriously now, as his attempt to brush him aside failed.


    Scavengers swarmed down the road toward him. Bullets smashed into the stony ground nearby. Elion backed into the relative shelter beneath the pylons of the bridge, his magically reinforced clothing hanging from him in rags, pemalion gore dripping from his arms and face.


    His opponent charged after him, club flailing furiously. Elion raised his knife and deflected a blow, slicing one of the spikes from the end of the club. His smaller weapon allowed him to move more quickly, and as the man brought the club down over his head in a two handed swing, Elion caught the club handle on the blade of his knife.


    The force of the blow caused the sharp knife blade to cut clean through the metal pole. The spiky head flew free, landing in the dirt behind Elion.


    Stumbling, the scavenger tried to adjust to the sudden weight difference in his weapon. Elion twisted, bringing the knife up under the scavenger¡¯s rib cage. He stabbed the man twice, then stopped, staring at the blood running down his arm and dripping from his elbow. Elion was overcome with the mental image of Gorman pulling a heart out of a dead scavenger¡¯s chest.


    The scavenger took advantage of Elion¡¯s faltering and shoved him to the ground. Elion tripped, landing on his shoulders and striking his head on a rock. The blow nearly knocked him out, as his armor sapped his strength.


    Elion¡¯s earlier blows proved too much for the scavenger. The man staggered forward two steps. A bullet from behind caught him in one shoulder, and he collapsed. Scavengers charged toward Elion as he scrambled to his feet. Bullets snapped past him in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± Tharnen yelled, behind him.


    A bullet struck the ground nearby, and Elion realized that if his armor took another hit, it would probably knock him out.


    He stumbled through the door. Gritting his teeth, he deactivated his armor. The weight of ability fatigue bearing down on him suddenly lifted, but he became painfully aware of his lack of protection. Pain from his wounds roared back into the forefront of his mind, momentarily blinding him.


    Tharnen was closing the larger bay door, already having admitted Domas.


    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Elion shouted as the other man finished unlocking the door.


    ¡°Move the bomb,¡± the man said, slamming the door shut as bullets punctured holes in it.


    Gorman¡¯s bomb sat near the loading bay, ready to be transported to the crystal Shard. Outside small arms fire pinged on the metal of the bridge.


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    ¡°Do you know how to lower the bridge?¡± Tharnen asked.


    Elion looked at Domas, then understood the plan. ¡°Domas can¡¯t do it! The distortion field will kill him!¡±


    Tharnen grunted. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll lower the bridge.¡± He headed for the stairs to start operating the controls.


    ¡°I can do it, Elion,¡± Domas said. ¡°I may not be the fastest vehicle, but we need to do this.¡±


    ¡°If you get too close, you¡¯ll fall to pieces! The magic holding you together will dissolve, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know. I have lived a lot longer than I should have already. But let¡¯s be honest, Elion. If I don¡¯t do this, who else can? I have to do this for my sons.¡±


    Elion clenched his fists, shaking with frustration and rage.


    ¡°You can drop the bomb. Get close to the distortion field, drop the bomb and let it roll to the Shard.¡±


    ¡°Elion,¡± Domas said, his voice soft, concerned. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Overwatch¡¯s position might be overrun. I need you up in the bridge tower with your rifle, clearing my path.¡±


    A siren started up, and the bridge began groaning as massive winches unspooled, lowering the span. Tharnen stumbled back down the stairs. ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± he shouted, as bullets punctured the thin metal walls of the structure. ¡°Help me load the bomb!¡±


    Elion ran to the bomb. A sphere, around four feet in diameter at the widest point, Elion and Tharnen had to lift together to get it off the ground. They shuffled over to Domas, setting the heavy orb down on the small cargo rack.


    Domas¡¯s shocks compressed, the frame of the ATV nearly rubbing on its tires. Tharnen tossed Elion a strap, securing his end on the other side. Elion fumbled with the hook, feeling tears well up in his eyes.


    ¡°What about your differential?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly downhill from here,¡± Domas said.


    Elion and Tharnen secured the bomb as the bridge completed its decent, the span booming down on the far side. Tharnen moved to the garage controls.


    ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Elion, I know this isn¡¯t your fight, but thank you for joining us,¡± Domas said, his voice crackling from the speaker on the dash. ¡°Tharnen, look out for my sons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch over them like my own,¡± Tharnen said, resting his hand gently on Domas¡¯s hood for a moment.


    Then Tharnen pulled open the garage door, and Domas charged out across the bridge. Tharnen fired at a few scavengers lingering outside, then closed the garage door. A spray of bullets punctured a constellation of holes into it.


    Elion and Tharnen sprinted up the steps into the control room. Tharnen tossed Elion a laser rifle from the locker on the wall, and Elion started firing at the scavengers swarming down the hill toward them.


    ¡°Not them!¡± Tharnen yelled. ¡°Protect Domas!¡±


    Elion joined Tharnen on the other side of the tower. Domas crossed the bridge, rolling slowly as his load threatened to overturn him. A smattering of scavengers seemed to have noticed the incoming ATV. Some fired with rifles at him, others charged with clubs.


    Elion and Tharnen did their best to take out the threats. Occasional jabs of light from the Overwatch position and along the ridge behind them reassured Elion. They were not fighting alone. Where was Keyla? And Tael?


    Domas picked his way across the landscape, down the gentle incline toward the crystal Shard. Generally smooth terrain, with occasional boulders strewn about, the going was only limited by Domas¡¯s mechanical issues. He had made it nearly halfway across the distance to the Shard.


    Wisps of smoke trailed behind the ATV.


    ¡°Is he hit?¡± Elion asked, steadying his rifle and blasting a scavenger.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s his differential,¡± Tharnen said. ¡°He¡¯s losing power to his rear wheels.


    ¡°Is he going to make it?¡±


    A tremendous crash shook the tower, and Elion leaned out the window far enough to see scavengers pounding on the door below, trying to get inside. He ignored these, and continued shooting at any possible threats to Domas.


    Across the field Elion heard a noise like a trumpet. Domas¡¯s headlights blazed, even in the sunlight, and the vehicle surged forward, entering the disruption field.


    Elion¡¯s bones tingled, and he watched as three scavengers dived onto the ATV, hacking at the straps with long blades. Elion fired. The laser started to dissipate as it entered the distortion field, but still stabbed through chest of one of the scavengers.


    Domas had nearly made it to the Shard. Parts began falling off of him, as the magic holding the ATV together crumbled. Domas swerved drunkenly, throwing a scavenger to the ground.


    A tire flew free, and, with one final blast on his horn, Domas rolled over. The bomb slipped from its restraints as the ATV collapsed, crumbling into pieces.


    The bomb continued to roll, coming to a stop at the base of the Shard. It sat quietly there for a moment as infected scavengers ran toward it. Tharnen lifted the detonation device in his hand, and thumbed the trigger.


    The explosion began as a brilliant flash of white light, instantly consumed by a rapidly expanding fireball. Sound rocked the tower, shaking the ground and causing the bridge to screech. Shockwaves kicked stones and dust into the air. Red flames swirled outwards, consuming the crystal in an explosion that stretched a thousand feet into the air.


    The crystal, and the bridge it had grown across to the island, shattered, splitting into twinkling splinters in the instant before being eaten by the flames. Everything within one-hundred yards of the crystal evaporated.


    A wave of heat rolled across the plains, dry tufts of grass igniting. Elion ducked down to avoid the scorching wind.


    Smoke billowed up into the clouds, joined by wisps of hundreds of small fires nearby, growing into a louring cloud. Debris rained down, small chunks of rock and earth not vaporized by the initial detonation beating like hailstones on the sheet metal overhead.


    The smoke began to clear. Elion and Tharnen cautiously peered across the gorge. The Shard was gone, a massive crater in its stead. The crater glowed red-hot, superheated stones melted by the blast now resolidifying into a glassy bowl.


    Beneath them, the scavengers had stopped their assault. They lay strewn across the ground as though dead. Some of them certainly were, their bodies or heads smashed open by debris from the explosion.


    Elion panted, clutching his laserarm to his chest. Fresh blood soaked his shoulder and his body trembled, overwhelmed with emotion.

 47. Aftermath

    Elion and Tharnen left the bridge maintenance house, stepping around the bodies of unconscious scavengers. Tharnen slowed, then stopped, staring up at the switch backs leading to the main road.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Elion said, holding his bleeding shoulder. The stab wound in his back burned.  How long before I can Ascend again? I need to stabilize my wounds so Kasm can heal them.


    Tharnen grimaced, clutching at his side. His pants, ripped up, dirty and bloody from his fall, soaked blood from a gash in his side. Elion hadn¡¯t noticed how badly beat up the man was amidst all the chaos.


    ¡°We did it,¡± Tharnen gasped. ¡°The bomb worked.¡±


    Elion took Tharnen¡¯s arm over his shoulder, helping the man limp along. ¡°Come on, man,¡± Elion urged. ¡°We have to get you healing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to make it,¡± Tharnen wheezed. He coughed, flecks of blood spraying from his mouth. ¡°Broken rib. Punctured lung.¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± Elion insisted, but he could feel the strength draining from Tharnen. ¡°Okay, okay, sit down here.¡±


    He helped Tharnen over to a shady spot, leaning the man against a girder. ¡°Wait here, we¡¯ll come back for you.¡±


    Elion placed his hands on Tharnen¡¯s chest. Wondering if this effort might be too much for him in his weakened state, he activated his ability.


    << Save a Friend >>


    A cold wave of vitality rushed out of him, leaving him seeing stars and leaning heavily on the injured man. Threads of gold wove through the air, sinking into Tharnen¡¯s skin. The man¡¯s eyes closed and his breathing slowed. Blood stopped dripping from his shirt.


    Elion breathed heavily for a moment, trying to center himself enough to stand.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming back for you,¡± he said, gazing down at Tharnen¡¯s still form. Blood dripped from Elion¡¯s shirt into the dust at his feet.


    As Elion scrambled up the switchbacks and to the main road, he only stopped to check the occasional body. Many of the scavengers were still alive, simply lying unconscious in the dirt. Elion wondered what they¡¯d do when they started waking up.


    By the time Elion reached the main road, only one question remained in his mind. What happened to Keyla? Was she safe? Was she okay?


    The beating worry in his chest pushed him along, running faster than he thought himself capable. Thoughts of his own wounds faded, replaced by images of her body, broken, beaten and gouged flashed unbidden in his mind.


    She had to be back at the tower. That¡¯s where she¡¯d be if she was okay. If she wasn¡¯t at the tower, Elion would go find her. He hoped Tael had stayed with her.


    Tael didn¡¯t stick with me and Kasm in the woods though.


    Elion reached the motorcycle he¡¯d ridden the night before, still lying on the side of the road. He tipped it back up onto its wheels, his muscles aching and exhausted. Seeing the motorcycle reminded him that he hadn¡¯t slept in 36 hours.


    Relief invigorated him as the cycle started up, and he sped down the road. Rounding a bend in the road, a group of bedraggled townsfolk staggered toward the tower; the remains of Overwatch Team. The muscular, dark haired man who lead them looked dirty and worn out, but uninjured.


    Elion pulled up on the motorcycle alongside the group, waving in greeting. A small cheer from the team as they recognized him made Elion smile. He searched the party, hoping to see Keyla.


    ¡°Jaxen.¡± Elion addressed the team leader. ¡°What happened? I saw the explosion¡­¡±


    ¡°Those rockets surprised us,¡± Jaxen said. ¡°They hit our weapons reserve and the whole thing went off. It knocked everyone flat and destroyed most of our cover and vehicles, so we were hard pressed until you knocked out the Shard. What happened back there? I saw the cargo hauler go into the river and I thought we were done for.¡±


    ¡°Rocket killed Zayven and took out the hauler,¡± Elion said. ¡°Domas took the bomb to the crystal.¡±


    Understanding spread across Jaxen¡¯s face. ¡°Ah,¡± he said, choking up.


    "Did Scout Team ever link up with you?¡± Elion asked.


    Jaxen shook his head.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Keyla?¡±


    Another shake of the head.


    ¡°Do you have wounded?¡±


    ¡°Several,¡± Jaxen said. ¡°They¡¯re back at the rocks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell them.¡± Elion pulled off, his motorcycle humming along the dirt road in the morning sun.


    He remembered laser fire coming down off the ridge over the bridge, which must have been from members of Scout Team. If they hadn¡¯t met up with or passed Jaxen on the road back to the tower, where had they gone?


    Keyla had been in the woods, heading to her position on foot when Elion had seen her that morning. Maybe cutting through the woods provided a faster route.


    Elion pushed the cycle faster, speeding recklessly into town. The wound in his shoulder sent sharp jolts of pain into his neck every time they hit a bump.  At least it¡¯s drowing out the burning from the stab in my back.


    He skidded to a stop in front of the tower, to discover members of Distraction Team laying wounded in the space in front of the tower.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t just going to shoot them!¡± Kile shouted. ¡°You don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll do!¡±


    A Tilly pushed back against Kile gruffly. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, they¡¯ll wake up and start fighting us again!¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t yet! He seems confused,¡± Kile said. Elion saw the scavenger they were talking about, across the street. He walked in a circle, dazed look on his face.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to, I know it,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out there and tie them up or something. Maybe destroying the crystal destroyed the infection!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still got the black eyes!¡± the woman protested. ¡°We need to kill¡¯em.¡± She raised her rifle. Kile pushed it down.


    ¡°Stop it, let¡¯s bring them to Kasm. See if he can heal them!¡±


    Elion ignored the arguing townsfolk. Spotting Kasm moving among the injured, Elion ran to the boy.


    ¡°Elion!¡± Kasm exclaimed with delight. His smile turned to horror as he noticed the fresh blood and gore on Elion¡¯s arms and clothes. ¡°Are you injured? More injured I mean?¡±


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    ¡°No,¡± Elion said, looking at the ground. ¡°Same wounds.¡±  Someone has to tell Kasm what happened to his dad.


    Kasm grabbed Elion and sat him down. He produced a small pair of shears, and used them to cut the shirt and get better access to the wound on Elion¡¯s shoulder.


    He clapped his hand over the wound, focusing. Sweat broke out on his forehead.


    ¡°Is Keyla here? Did she come back?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her,¡± Kasm said, breathing hard. ¡°But I¡¯ve been busy, and if she didn¡¯t get hurt, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°Crap,¡± Elion muttered.


    Removing his hand, Kasm examined his handiwork. ¡°I mostly stopped the bleeding,¡± he said. ¡°And stitched it up. But it could tear open again if you¡¯re too rough. Give it a second and then let me check it again.¡±


    Elion moved his shoulder and winced. ¡°See what you can do about this one,¡± he said, turning to reveal the stab wound in his back. The burning sensation retreated as Kasm worked his healing power on the injury.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Thanks to you.


    ¡°You used the Skillstones?¡±


    Kasm nodded. ¡°I used all four of them,¡± he said. ¡°Took me up to level five, and I¡¯m way better at healing people¡¯s injuries now.¡± He continued working on Elion¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Hey where did Keyla get the extra Skillstone from?¡± Kasm asked. ¡°I thought she only had three. And you gave me four¡­¡± Elion held a finger to his lips, scanning for listening ears. He pulled Kasm away from the injured.


    ¡°Elion,¡± Kasm said, his voice low and intense. ¡°Where did you really get those Skillstones from? Why didn¡¯t Keyla give them to me before she left?¡±


    ¡°Where is Gorman?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him for a while,¡± Kasm said. ¡°But he¡¯s here somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I need to find Keyla before he does,¡± Elion said, standing.


    Kasm grabbed Elion by the arm. ¡°But I¡¯m confused,¡± he said. ¡°Did¡­¡± realization spread over Kasm¡¯s face as he trailed off. ¡°You stole from Gorman.¡±


    Elion didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°There¡¯s a wounded man down by the bridge. Tharnen. I used Save a Friend to stabilize him but he¡¯ll need help, he¡¯s got a broken rib and probably a punctured lung.¡±


    ¡°I think I can help with that,¡± Kasm said, beaming.


    ¡°And others at the Overwatch position,¡± Elion added.


    He shook Kasm¡¯s hand from his arm, heading away.


    ¡°Wait! Where is my dad?¡± Kasm asked.


    Elion froze, but did not turn back to look at Kasm.


    ¡°Elion?¡± Kasm asked, his voice quivering. ¡°He¡¯s on his way?¡±


    Elion turned to face the boy, and Kasm immediately read the bad news in Elion¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kasm,¡± Elion said. ¡°The cargo hauler got hit by a rocket, and Domas stepped in. He drove the bomb to the Shard.¡±


    Tears dripped from Kasm¡¯s face. Elion bent to meet Kasm¡¯s gaze. ¡°He¡¯s a real hero, Kasm. He saved all of us.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the best Dad,¡± Kasm said, wiping his eyes. They stood there in silence for a moment, before Kasm turned. ¡°I need to heal more people. They need my help.¡±


    ¡°They do,¡± Elion agreed.


    Inside the tower, Elion scanned the room for Keyla, but she was nowhere to be found. He saw Sophira, beside the rifle charging rack and approached her.


    ¡°Have you seen Keyla?¡± he asked.


    Sophira looked over his torn and bloodied clothes. ¡°Yeah, she just headed upstairs.¡±


    Elion¡¯s hands shook, adrenaline surging through his veins. He grabbed a rifle from the charging rack and ran upstairs.


    He reached the top of the steps, his heart racing as he looked down the corridor.


    Gorman¡¯s door was ajar.


    Pale light flashed through the crack. The door had been beaten in, clearly damaged in Gorman¡¯s efforts to reenter his room. Elion listened, his palms clammy.


    Gorman moved around inside his room, muttering to himself. Elion slipped to the door, peering through the gap in the frame.


    Keyla lay on the floor, spread eagle, unmoving. Her muscles tensed and rippled, her eyes locked onto Gorman as she tried to move.


    Gorman¡¯s hands flashed with pale yellow-green light as he used the power of Festris, restricting Keyla¡¯s ability to move. In one hand he held a communication chip, the same as what he had given to his team leaders. Kneeling beside Keyla, he gripped her face with one hand, holding her shaking body still.


    Elion pushed the door open and raised his gun. ¡°Step away from her.¡±


    Gorman looked up and grinned. ¡°Every thief should know to never return to the scene of the crime,¡± he said. ¡°You make things too easy for me.¡±


    ¡°Let her go,¡± Elion insisted.


    Gorman did not move, but lowered the chip toward Keyla. ¡°Let her go?¡± Gorman scoffed. ¡°Put your gun down. You¡¯re going to kill her. What I¡¯m doing is for her own good. I¡¯m helping her.¡±


    Elion hesitated, but did not put down the gun. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need your help,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dying,¡± Gorman countered. ¡°And I¡¯m trying to help her.¡±


    Elion stared at Keyla¡¯s rigid body, quivering on the ground. ¡°You¡¯ve restrained her,¡± Elion said. ¡°If you¡¯re helping her then let her speak, let her tell me.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Gorman grumbled, pressing the chip against Keyla¡¯s skull.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Elion took two steps forward, pushing his gun towards the man. ¡°Let her go!¡±


    Gorman ignored him, light flashing in his hands.


    Elion fired. The laser struck Gorman¡¯s bicep, blasting away flesh and exposing the bone, knocking the man back onto the floor. He beat at his arm, extinguishing the burning embers of his shirt.


    Keyla gasped, wrenching herself up from the floor and tearing the chip from her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s mind control,¡± she breathed, shuddering. ¡°He¡¯s using Festrin powers of mind control.¡±


    Gorman laughed, sitting up on the floor, his eyes blazing with anger. ¡°You¡¯ve both proven your incapability to make good choices,¡± he growled. ¡°I¡¯m merely going to upgrade your system.¡±


    His arm hung uselessly at his side as he scrambled to his feet. Elion kept the gun trained on the man, as Keyla hid behind him.


    ¡°You did this,¡± Elion said. ¡°You sought the powers of the false sentinel Festris. You¡¯re responsible.¡± Elion shook as his voice grew stronger. ¡°You killed Domas!¡±


    ¡°I saved Domas,¡± Gorman growled. ¡°He would have died without me.¡±


    ¡°You used him as a way to experiment with Festrin power,¡± Elion spat back. ¡°That the Shard has more to do with you than with Tephalians.¡±


    Gorman scowled. ¡°I never meant to do that,¡± he hissed. ¡°I am going to upgrade my people. I¡¯m building them into more powerful, effective machines. We will return to New Karin Tol! We, not Prator, will rebuild that city.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to go back,¡± Keyla spat back. ¡°Aterfel is our home now.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t get to choose! I have mastered the Festrin powers, and¡ª¡± As he spoke he lunged forward, and Elion shot him in the chest. The blast knocked Gorman across the room against a wall, his body falling into a smoking heap.


    Elion and Keyla stared at Gorman¡¯s fallen form.


    ¡°I had to shoot him,¡± Elion said, shaking. ¡°I had to. I had to shoot him. He killed Domas. And Zayven, and¡­ and all the others. It¡¯s all because of him.¡±


    Keyla stared wide-eyed at Elion. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± she asked.

 48. Flight

    Pointing his staff at the groveling man, Dorian called upon the power of Zelian. Purple lightning crackled through the air as power surged through the staff. Runes glowed along its length, and a potent blast of energy erupted from its tip.


    Korel vanished in a wave of amethyst power. As the blast dispersed, only a black smudge of ash remained on the ground.


    Dorian screamed, striking his staff down on the ground, beating it against the steps.


    He turned to the lesser warlocks, lying flat on the ground as a sign of their total devotion.


    ¡°Which of you is most powerful?¡± he demanded.


    A woman rose from the ground to a kneeling position, her head bowed deeply.


    ¡°I am my lord.¡±


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°I am Venya.¡±


    ¡°Venya,¡± Dorian said. ¡°I have one task for you: FIND ARIA!¡±


    "Yes my lord,¡± Venya said, rising. ¡°I will not fail you.¡±


    She turned and strode from the room.


    In the blink of an eye the other warlocks scrambled to their feet, disappearing out the door as they ran to do their master¡¯s bidding.


    <hr>


    Elion and Keyla stood, staring at Gorman¡¯s body. Smoke still rose from his wounds. Keyla leaned against Elion, and he pulled her in. With his arm around her shoulders, he guided her out of Gorman¡¯s room, checking up and down the hall to see if anyone had noticed them.


    ¡°What happened to Domas?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°He carried the bomb to the Shard,¡± Elion said. ¡°Zayven¡¯s hauler got hit by a rocket.¡±


    ¡°Do Tael and Kasm know?¡±


    ¡°I told Kasm,¡± Elion said.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me from him,¡± Keyla said. ¡°He was going to use that chip to take over my mind.¡±


    ¡°How? Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been trying to control people all along,¡± Keyla said. ¡°He was always cagey about his ability to fuse people with machines, and now I realize it was a Festrin power. He loved how machines would always do what he wanted, but it frustrated him that people weren¡¯t the same. He developed that chip that would make people obey him.¡±


    Elion squeezed Keyla closer to him, still overwhelmed by what he¡¯d just witnessed. ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°He told me. Somehow he accidentally summoned that Shard, out of town, and it was taking over the minds of people, the way he wanted to be able to. He¡¯s been studying it, and it¡¯s been trying to kill him, sending its infected to attack. He thought I would be impressed. He thought I would help him plant the chips in people. He accused you of manipulating me to steal his cends.¡±


    ¡°He was insane,¡± Elion breathed.


    ¡°When I refused he was furious. I was terrified he would succeed.¡±


    ¡°All that stuff about the Shard falling from space? From the Tephalian Invaders?¡±


    ¡°Lies,¡± Keyla said. ¡°He lied to us all.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Elion asked. ¡°We¡¯re going to be in trouble with the town.¡±


    ¡°Tell them the truth,¡± Keyla said. ¡°Gorman is responsible for the infection, that¡¯s why you killed him. You can stay here.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already suspicious of me. Like you were, at first. They won¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll believe me.¡±


    Elion shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they do. I need to leave. I¡¯ve been here in one place for too long. There were warlocks chasing the skyskimmer. Dorian is going to find me.¡±


    Keyla¡¯s face clouded.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for Aterfel if I leave this place. Tell everyone whatever you want. Tell them I killed Gorman. But I should leave before they find out. It¡¯ll be easier that way.¡±


    ¡°Where will you go?¡± Her eyes sparkled as she gazed up at him, clear, blue, and earnest.


    ¡°To find my sister,¡± Elion said.


    Keyla held him to her, pulling him into a full embrace. Elion returned the hug, holding the rifle in one hand. He breathed deeply, nostrils filling with the smell of her hair.


    << Your bravery in battle has been noted. Aurelian Tear Awarded. >>


    A rush of air followed by a pop, and an Aurelian Tear dropped onto the ground just in front of Elion.


    ¡°Another one?¡± Keyla exclaimed, breaking the hug. ¡°Three in a matter of weeks!¡±


    Elion sighed, bending to pick up the gem. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t get to earn another one of these for a long time. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± He put the gem into his pocket.


    Something rumbled outside the tower, and Elion¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Skyskimmer,¡± Keyla breathed, and they ran to the window. A ship zoomed past overhead, coming to a stop in the sky over the forest. ¡°Is it your uncle?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Did they come back for me?¡± Elion wondered.


    The skyskimmer hung in the sky, levitating.


    ¡°That¡¯s over by the Altar,¡± Keyla said.


    ¡°I¡¯d better go meet them,¡± Elion said. ¡°Now that we blew up the Shard and you are all free, it¡¯s time for me to move on.¡±


    A ray of power blasted down from the skyskimmer. A golden shield from the Alter formed in the air, taking the impact. For a moment, the shield deflected the blast, dispersing it into the air. Then the shield burst, popping like a bubble, and the ground shook as the ray from the skyskimmer smashed into the ground.


    Keyla gasped, and Elion¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°They found me,¡± he declared.


    He ran for the door, but Keyla grabbed his hand. She pulled, and he turned, meeting her gaze. Their eyes locked for a moment as she inspected him.


    Elion¡¯s bewildered mind could not react, and he stood stiff as a board. Keyla nodded to herself, having resolved an internal question.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± she gasped. She picked up her gun and pulled him out the door. As they passed her bedroom, she reached inside and grabbed a stuffed backpack.


    ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Elion asked.


    ¡°Supplies,¡± she said, slinging it over her shoulders.


    ¡°What kind of supplies?¡±


    She ignored him. ¡°Snickers!¡± she called, and the cat prowled out of the room, following them as Keyla pulled him down the stairs.


    They crossed the tower to where Elion left the motorcycle, and Snickers climbed into the cargo basket on the front of the bike.


    Everyone had run out of the tower and stood outside, stunned as they stared at the skyskimmer.


    A familiar crack boomed across the town square, as a warlock sprang from a swirl of purple ribbons. Elion recognized the woman he had tackled in the Walker¡¯s back yard. Her eyes glittered venomously as she saw him, corners of her mouth turning up in a malicious grin.


    She no longer wore the thick, figure obscuring warlock cloak, instead showing off her elegant curves and chiseled limbs in a flowing black gown. Her midnight black curls floated behind her as phantom winds from the portal vortex whipped them around.


    Elion climbed atop the motorcycle, slinging his gun over his shoulder. This wasn¡¯t Aterfel¡¯s fight, and he wasn¡¯t going to bring them into it.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± Keyla growled as Elion fired up the engine. ¡°And why is she so hot?¡±


    ¡°Venya,¡± Elion hissed. ¡°I¡¯ll lead her away. She¡¯s trying to get me.¡±


    ¡°Not if I have anything to say about it,¡± Keyla said, raising her rifle and firing at the woman.


    The woman casually raised her long wand, creating a purple shield in front of her that absorbed the laser blast. She nonchalantly strode across the road, long legs flashing through the slit in her gown. She quirked an eyebrow at Kelya, unbothered by the rough terrain even though she wore high heels.


    Several more loud cracks heralded the arrival of more warlocks.


    ¡°Zelian¡¯s Halls,¡± Keyla swore as she jumped onto the back of Elion¡¯s bike. ¡°Get us out of here!¡±


    Elion slammed on the throttle and they sped away, spewing rocks and dust into the air behind them. Several of the people gathered around outside began firing their weapons at the woman, distracting her as Elion and Keyla swerved behind a nearby building.


    ¡°Keyla, I¡¯ve got to go, I have to get out of here,¡± Elion said as they sped along the road out of the town.


    ¡°I know,¡± Keyla yelled over the noise of the wind, her braid flapping behind her. She pressed herself against Elion¡¯s back, arms wrapped around his waist. ¡°I¡¯m coming with you!¡±


    Elion swerved, dodging around three scavengers meandering down the road toward the bridge.


    ¡°Keyla, no!¡± Elion shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off in the woods, before I cross the bridge!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you!¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left for me in Aterfel. And you¡¯re going to get yourself killed without me.¡±


    They raced along the road, following the destruction and damage from the fighting that morning. When they reached the bridge house, Elion pulled the bike over.


    ¡°Keyla, you can¡¯t,¡± he said, dismounting and running to where Tharnen still lay against the strut of the bridge. ¡°Stay here, make sure Tharnen gets the help he needs!¡±


    Elion checked over Tharnen. The man seemed to be alive still, and Save a Friend hadn¡¯t worn off yet. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the Skyskimmer still hovering in the air over the forest.


    Closing his eyes, he used Save a Friend again, the ability draining him further. Hopefully that would be enough to help the man until he could get proper medical support.


    ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± Keyla declared, petulantly. ¡°You killed my mentor, Gorman. My mother might be alive somewhere, out there, and I need to help her.¡±


    ¡°And I need to help my sister!¡± Elion shouted back at her. ¡°I need to find my Uncle Zev!¡±


    ¡°See, we¡¯re trying to do the same things,¡± Keyla said. ¡°We should work together.¡±


    ¡°No we¡¯re not. Those are totally different things. We¡¯re looking for different people.¡±


    Elion could see in her eyes that Keyla understood what he said. She searched for a different angle, a different way to convince him.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she said as Elion crossed back to the bike where Keyla sat. ¡°I¡¯m going. You need someone who knows the area.¡±


    She crossed her arms, but did not get off of the bike. Snickers watched lazily from the basket. If the cat had hands, he probably would have started eating popcorn.


    The skyskimmer moved, heading toward them.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Elion pleaded.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get away from them without my help,¡± Keyla insisted. ¡°I can guide you. Besides, you don¡¯t have any food or supplies.¡± She patted the stuffed backpack she wore. ¡°I do.¡±


    Elion folded his arms, glaring at Keyla. ¡°Get off the bike.¡±


    ¡°Elion,¡± she said, voice level. ¡°You promised me you¡¯d help me find my mother.¡±


    Elion remembered that. He¡¯d hoped Keyla had forgotten.


    He shifted his weight from foot to foot. The skyskimmer drew closer.


    ¡°Fine. You win.¡± He ran over, climbing back onto the bike. Part of him glad that they would not be parting here, part of him worried to have another person to look out for.


    Elion drove the bike across the bridge, crossing over the Ater river and leaving the town behind.