Beyond the Sapphire Gate: Epic Fantasy-Some Magic Should Remain Untouched (The Flow of Power Book 1) (51 page)

BOUND

Garn followed the Alchemist at a respectful distance, not too close to intrude, but not so far back he’d waste precious moments reaching the man in case of attack. The Alchemist never mentioned how far behind he should be, though he did give him a look of modest approval at the beginning. Garn didn’t care for the Hooded Man’s approval, but he accepted it. He needed the proximity to him if the man was assailed, no
when
, he was assailed. The Alchemist had many enemies, but no one was going to slay his captor, not before him.

The Alchemist strolled with purpose away from the massive obelisks they’d used yesterday to enter the great underground hall. Garn had nearly missed a step when they’d appeared at the towering obelisk’s threshold. The two brown crystal obelisks they’d stepped through had been about the same size as the blue ones that had brought him here. He would’ve liked to examine those closely, but the Hooded Man’s command had been as specific as Codar’s had been the first day after his captivity in Corteezsha’s room. Keep up or die. He chose to keep up, at least, until he killed the Hooded Man or found his missing daughters, whichever happened first. So far, no one at the Keep had heard of his daughters’ whereabouts, but he hadn’t given up. They had to be somewhere on this world.

The Alchemist’s pace wasn’t taxing, nor was it slow, unlike when they’d left the meeting with the man in dark chainmail and the red-robed one, when the huge man in his dark plate armor had shown up. Garn took it then that the meeting hadn’t gone well: the Alchemist had left in a rush.

As he noticed the day before, anyone they passed in the great hall reacted much the same toward The Alchemist as the townspeople had when he’d followed Codar in Grit Eye City. Armored or robed alike, it didn’t seem to matter. All avoided eye contact to the point of crossing to the other side of the wide hall, or turning to look the opposite direction. Garn preferred it that way; it made his job easier. Ambushing a man without looking in his direction was hard to accomplish. Therefore, when three red-robed men kept glancing surreptitiously their way as they strolled along a wide intersection, Garn’s instincts took over.

*****

Holding Broth back by a slight pressure on his shoulder, Crystalyn motioned for Lord Charn to precede them through the Sapphire Gate. Casting a last look around, the tall, dark-armored man vanished through the gateway. Crystalyn breathed easier. Lord Charn was used to giving commands and having them followed without question. Well, he’d have to get used to following her commands now, if he was going to live in harmony on her world of Terra. He’d have to rely on his scientist side, if he truly had such an inclination. Perhaps she’d get him researching the glaring commonalities between their two worlds. Astura’s ancient name is Earth; Terra was another name for Earth. Coincidence? There was no way she believed that.

His giving up supreme power here on Astura in order to live a menial life on another world was a little hard to concede. Yet, she could understand how taxing it would be to constantly fend off the younger, up-and-coming Great Lord wannabes attempting assassination after assassination, challenge after challenge. Eventually one of them would get in a lucky blow by moving a tad bit faster as he slowed with age. If Lord Charn was truthful, he’d lived half as long as Atoi, if not longer. The Dark Lord hadn’t said it, but Crystalyn suspected there now was a potential threat strong enough to displace him from his black throne, or at least, there might’ve been as Darkwind honed his battle techniques. Lord Charn had to know it was just a matter of time before someone else came along.

No challenge would come from Darwin now, not after what he’d done. He’d wanted to use her as a weapon and not just any old weapon; a weapon he’d helped create when he’d cunningly put her in harm’s way several times on the journey, forcing her to build power. At the back of her mind, she’d known it as soon as she’d seen his connection to Malkor.

By convincing the brigands to attack as she climbed Glacier Mountain, possibly even staging the battle blocking their way forward, and sending Malkor to kidnap Atoi, he’d begun the process of creating a weapon of great destruction to destroy half the known world here. It was an ambitious undertaking. One he’d nearly pulled off, probably would have, had it not been for Jade finding the hidden entrance to the secret passage. Though he claimed to have a total disregard for the vessel—for her, the Hooded Man had seen otherwise.

Crystalyn struggled to understand.

Her dark and handsome Darwin Darkwind had betrayed her right when they were getting along well, so well she’d made the choice of convincing him to leave Astura and go back home with her. If he hadn’t done what he did, he’d likely be here with her instead of Lord Charn.
Oh Darwin, why did you throw it all away?

Crystalyn quelled her budding tears. She needed a good cry, but not now. What was she going to do with Lord Charn on her crumbling, technological world? He couldn’t walk around, seven feet tall and wearing a pile of black armor. For that matter, how would she explain Jade’s raggedy-man. Not to mention, a four-hundred-season-old child and a larger-than-average canine with cat eyes. Animals were rare enough as it was. How would they all fit in?

She had no idea, but they’d all been friends to her or to Jade, helping them when it mattered most.

Broth’s thoughts flowed beside hers.
My excitement to see the home world of my Do’brieni is high.

We are bound together now Broth, whatever world. Nevertheless, I must warn you, Terra is a dying world. Overuse of technology has polluted it and turned the once-vibrant mountains into a barren, artificial wasteland.

Nudging Broth forward, Crystalyn stepped through the Sapphire Gate alongside her most intimate friend. She couldn’t help but feel Broth’s apprehension that stemmed from her last declaration of thought.

DARK FLAMES

Jade curtailed her excitement at finally setting foot back on her home world. Not everyone had come through the gateway yet, and there was more information she wanted to gather. Putting the topaz gate beside the conference table, she motioned for Burl to do likewise, and then slipped the white crystal candle from her beaten wayfarer bag. It was too dangerous not to know. The hammer in Crystalyn’s image concerned her. Lord Charn chose, no
insisted,
on accompanying them. The hammer had to mean something, but she’d failed twice to get but a few shadowy images from the Dark Lord—besides the red-eyed dragon—no matter how hard she concentrated. It was time for the heavy hardware, the white candle, and her newfound knowledge of how the amulet worked. She’d begun to suspect that at least one of them was a great artifact the hooded man had mentioned. Perhaps she could force a reading. Now she needed a subject.

She didn’t have to wait long.

Lord Charn materialized next. Showing no interest in the technology in the room—odd for one wishing to play scientist studying a new world—the plate-armored man turned to face the wall where they’d arrived.

Holding the white candle in one hand and palming the arrowhead amulet in the other, Jade concentrated on slowing the shadowy storm spinning around the man. It took enormous effort, but finally the images whirled slower, the shadows drifted lazily as they came into focus. Was the dragon still in there?

The horned helm of Lord Charn swung her direction. “Desist what you’re doing,” he said, his voice as hard as the great hammer hanging from his side. “It has been no small task to keep you at bay.”

Startled, Jade lost her hold. The image twisted into the dark raging cyclone she normally viewed. So, he’d been resisting her all along. Perhaps she should’ve known. Was it why some people were harder to read than others were? It made sense. Some she’d read must’ve resisted her, likely not even aware they were doing it. Even then, she’d been able to force a reading from most everyone. This attempt had some little success too. The shadows around Lord Charn had slowed enough she’d glimpsed two of them. The dragon, in flight this time, came before a great hammer trailing it. The dragon she couldn’t fathom. She might never find out what it represented for the man; it wasn’t like Lord Charn begged to volunteer information. Perhaps she could wheedle it out of him later, now that he was on her world and away from his fortress.

Broth popped through the Sapphire Gate, with Crystalyn not far behind. Crystalyn glanced around the room. Running her thumb along the arrowhead’s edge out of habit, Jade slowed Crystalyn’s rotating aura. The hammer rolled around to the front, displacing a symbol with a pattern she’d yet to see, only to be displaced by an azure crystal so covered in blood it was hard to recognize it. Jade shivered. Concentration broken, the aura whirled. Jade frowned. She’d wanted to stop the hammer and focus on it. Now, she’d have to start from the beginning. Perhaps she’d seen enough to tell if it was identical to Lord Charn’s hammer.

Jade looked at the big man, the terrible war hammer was in motion, swinging toward Broth. A brilliant purple flash engulfed The Warden. Taken unaware, Broth smashed into Crystalyn, propelled by the unnatural force of the dark-flamed hammer.

Jade wanted to scream, but her lungs refused to draw breath.

Crystalyn smashed into a shelf. Splintering it to pieces, she crashed to the floor gasping for breath with Broth on top of her.

Broth didn’t stay down long. Snarling, he sprang through the air, latching onto Lord Charn’s weapon arm. Faster than Jade thought possible, the dark-armored man spun Broth in a circle. The force of the spin ripped Broth’s grip from his jaws, flinging him into a smoky glass wall. The wall shattered. Broth crashed into the warehouse and lay still.

Ignoring the angry red gashes streaking down his arm, Lord Charn advanced on Crystalyn, raising the cruel double-headed hammer high. The dark flames arced back and forth on the hammer’s head, glowing with the intensity of a silent lightning strike.

Jade found her voice and screamed.

HER BLOOD RAN COLD

Crystalyn was delighted when the Big Ugly sprang into view. She hadn’t been quite certain the Sapphire Gate would open to the same place they’d left—though Lord Charn had seemed confident it would. The Dark Citadel’s Great Lord stood tall and forbidding, his back to the wall beside Broth, as if he were cautious about stepping too far from the gateway. Atoi gazed in wonder at the images flickering on the desk.

Crystalyn sought her sister. Jade and her doll man, Burl lounged by the conference table ahead, watching for her arrival. Jade had grown cautious from their trials on another world. Rubbing the arrowhead with one hand while holding the white candle, Jade stared at her, but not into her eyes, then moved on to look at Broth. Was she using her ability?

Jade’s eyes widened with shock.

Something heavy crashed into Crystalyn, ripping her legs from under her, smashing her against something that crumpled under her. White-hot pain ripped through one of her legs as the weight fell across her chest, stealing her breath. The world began to blacken.
No!
She hadn’t fought this far to lose it all now. She pushed with all her might against it. Incredibly, the weight sprang away. She gulped for breath, watching as Broth latched onto Lord Charn’s arm. Lord Charn spun in a tight circle, hurling Broth through one of the walls of tempered glass.

Arrup!
The lone yelp rang through Crystalyn’s mind as Broth crashed into the warehouse and lay still.

Broth! Broth!
Stark silence rang loud through the link. She couldn’t feel his presence, the link empty.

“Nooooo!” With the last of her scream dying in her ears, Crystalyn looked up at Lord Charn standing above her, the glowing hammer raised high. Jade screamed. Inching backwards, Crystalyn met the glass wall. She reached for a symbol, knowing it was too late.

Absorbing the light around it, the double-headed hammer fell, trailing a shadow of blackness.

With a sharp ping, the hammer froze. Atoi’s dagger stood between it and her skull, inches away. Gazing upward, her face as passionless as ever, the tiny girl stood to one side, the hand gripping the dagger outstretched.

Lord Charn bellowed. “What is this? You
dare
to interfere, Dark One?”

A voice resounded from Atoi, hollow and distant. “Your selfishness
will not
ambush the vessel, to triumph, you must defeat the prophecy on equal terms…” the ringing voice said, dropping away. The dagger withdrew.

Atoi’s distraction was enough. Grounding the symbol to her, Crystalyn released it.

The hammer continued its downward arc.

She threw out her translucent black symbol with its intricate weave-like pattern, and wrapped it around her head and torso. The hammer bounced harmlessly away, inches from her skull.

“Blast you!” Lord Charn cursed, swinging the hammer in rage. He pounded on her absorption symbol as if trapped inside a cave. Quickly, she wrapped the symbol around the rest of her.

The pounding drained her somewhat as she reinforced her symbol, but otherwise didn’t hurt her. Even better, it gave her time to prepare another symbol during the rampage. Crystalyn sat up. Blow after blow did pound on her symbol, but
not
with abandon as she’d first thought, but with expert
skill. Each blow landed on or near the same spot near the top of her head. Jagged cracks, purple in color, had begun to spread. Alarmed, she cast away the net symbol and shored up her shield with another protection symbol. The cracks vanished. She pushed her way to her feet, wincing from a stab of pain in her leg.

Breathing harder, Lord Charn lowered the hammer. “I may not be able to reach you yet, but there is someone else here mentioned in the codex.” Whirling, he threw the dark hammer. Its double head leaving a trail of deep purple in the air, the hammer flew toward her wide-eyed sister’s heart. Shocked, Crystalyn couldn’t even shout a warning.

A shape appeared in front of Jade only to vanish behind the far end of the conference table along with her sister as the hammer collided with a loud thud.

Jade! NO!

Lord Charn laughed. “The scrolls mean nothing now.”

Anger pulsed, clouding Crystalyn’s vision red as it soaked into her coherence. Lord Charn would pay! The red haze blew away as coherence reestablished in her mind. Her anger dissipated leaving behind an empty place devoid of emotion. The pain in her leg dulled beyond notice. She knew what to do. Holding nothing back, grounding be damned, she released the knockback symbol.

Accelerating faster than the eye could follow; her symbol’s concentric circled struck the Great Lord full in the chest. Lord Charn smashed through the wall of glass, soared into the warehouse, and landed heavily on his back, where he lay still.

Five beats of her dull heart passed. Perhaps she’d finished him.

Lord Charn jumped to his feet, vanishing deeper inside the warehouse.

Crystalyn’s anger pulsed back, swamping her vision with the red haze. How could she have been so stupid? Her angry heart thumped, cold clarity settled in. Crystalyn clung to the coldness, following the shattered trail toward the Path of Gloom. She would
destroy Lord Charn, no matter the cost to herself.

As she stepped through the broken panes, a dark cone streaked toward her. Leaning to one side, the cone zoomed over her shoulder, shattering some of the tempered glass, peppering her with sharp shards. Blood blossomed on her bare arms, a warm wetness on her cheek trickled into a corner of her mouth. The taste of blood brought the red haze back.

She’d tasted her own blood before during an act of aggression against her. The Hartwig kid had been the one then, hitting her repeatedly after she’d refused to lie down with him. Ramming her med cylinder into his eye had been instinctive then. She’d lashed out in a rage.

She hadn’t meant for him to die.

This time was different. Lord Charn had killed Jade and her one true friend, Broth. He would pay!

Crystalyn released a symbol, the one she’d not wanted to use again. Whirling faster than a hover engine, the splinter symbol threw its wicked spikes throughout the room, punching through crates. Wood, metal, it made little difference. They ripped into it all. A walk-in transport container’s steel bent outward emitting a loud, metallic groan, as it shredded into large, pointed strips. Lord Charn hid behind it; a shadowy glow surrounded him. Destroying a good portion of the room, her symbol wound down and then broke into wisps of smoke that dissipated quickly.

The glow around Lord Charn winked out.

Crystalyn brought out her wall symbol, barely in time. A string of Lord Charn’s dark cones mixed with fireballs smashed into it, forcing her back a step. Pushing her wall outward, Crystalyn moved forward one difficult step at a time, remembering to ground it to the floor. The Great Lord’s onslaught lasted several drawn-out moments, stopping abruptly as the last few missiles bounced off her barrier and exploded into containers.

Lord Charn moved from behind the ruptured transport, dragging a leg behind him, a wide strip of shrapnel protruding from his shin.
Your bloody armor did you no good there, murderer,
Crystalyn thought.

Lord Charn hopped over to a rectangular container and flung the splintered lid to one side. Inside, polished silver lances gleamed. One of the few containers in the area she’d dot mapped long ago. Her blood ran cold. The symbol she had out was set to repel magical attacks. The lances wouldn’t have anything magical infused in them. Anything mundane could penetrate her symbol wall. Crystalyn halted her advance.

Snatching a lance from the crate, Lord Charn cocked his arm and threw. Wobbly, the lance missed its mark by a wide margin. Taking his time, Lord Charn reached for another.

Crystalyn was at an impasse: she couldn’t dissolve her wall to launch a symbol or Lord Charn would attack with the Flow, nor could she stand by and wait for his aim to improve either. She had to finish him off somehow, but even wounded he was as strong as she was. Perhaps stronger, given he had armor and a container full of weapons at his disposal.

She was at a loss what to do.