Resurgence of Ancient Darkness (27 page)

“A containment unit?” I asked.

“Yes. I did not know what those crystals were, but figured they might be dangerous to carry around, so I was careful not to touch them,” he said.

“Wise move. It saved your life. Do go on,” I said.

“Well, I met him at the time we’d set up, and he was not happy at all with me for bringing only one of the crystals. I told him: no money, no goods, and went to take back the crystal and leave. As I did, several men dressed in dark robes came and surrounded him. They started arguing in a language I did not understand, so I figured I’d better forget the crystal and get out. I got in my shuttle and took off as fast as I could. I was no more than a few light-minutes from the station when it blew. I was able to pitch my shields and ride the shockwave to safety, but most ships in the area were destroyed,” he said.

“Did your contact survive?” I asked.

“I don’t see how he could have. There was nothing left of
the station. I have never seen a blast like that. Whoever he was, he must have upset some powerful people because all record of the station has been purged, and if anyone talks about it openly, they disappear,” he said.

“I suspect he could have been the reason the station exploded, and if so he would have had an escape plan. He had the crystal you brought with you?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“That would explain how he could have caused the explosion,” I said.

“What, one of those crystals has that much power? What are they?” he asked.

“We call them spirit traps. They literally suck the life out of anyone who touches them and stores it in such a way that a sorcerer can tap into it, either to create an undead army or to power their spells,” I said.

He sat there in stunned silence for a while. Then he asked, “Is that how my men died?”

“It is likely,” I said.

He thought on that a bit and said, “So, is this guy that I saw building an army?”

“He might very well be. If so, there are likely to be more of these boxes drifting around out there collecting life force,” I said.

“Then the fact he wanted to buy this one off me is a bad sign,” he said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because that means whoever is behind this is gathering their forces to make their move,” he said.

I leaned back in my chair and considered that. He had a valid point; the only reason to call the boxes back was to harvest what they had been collecting. Whether that was to get at the raw power, or to raise an army, I did not know. The crucial point was that it meant time was running out.

“We need to find this man who tried to buy the box. Can you relist the box?” I asked.

“Sure, but only if you wait to destroy it until after we use it as bait,” he said.

“Why?” I asked.

“I can't list something for sale that I don’t have. That could cost me my guild membership,” he said.

“That is fair. I will get back to you on that,” I said. I had no desire to keep that crate even a minute longer than I needed to.

“What is going to happen to me now?” he asked.

“What would you like to have happen?” I asked.

“I guess to get on my ship and try to rebuild my life,” he said.

“I see, and how would you do that?” I asked.

“I would restart my trading business. It is all I have,” he said.

“Maybe it is not,” I said.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Stay with us a while, and I can show you a whole new life you never expected to live,” I said.

He looked at me with an odd expression that I could not quite work out. “Well, I guess I will stay at least long enough for you to lure that man who destroyed the station.”

“Great! Now I must go, but Flame and I would love to have you to dinner tonight,” I said. After making the arrangements, I left. On the way out I told the guards to allow him freedom to explore the open areas of the ship, but to keep him under watch.

The week passed without incident, and it was time for me to weavewalk back to the Shadow Fox and make sure our rendezvous was precisely set. For two ships to meet while traveling under cloak through the vast emptiness of interstellar space, very precise planning was needed. Even the slightest error in calculation could have us light years apart.

As I stepped into the weave I wondered about the way everything was starting to play out. It seemed that we had found part of the shadow, but only because the old man had helped us. The old man who, I guessed, was the rising head of the sorcerers of our realm, was helping the wizards. This was the second time he had done this. There had to be some motive to his actions, and I feared that he was tricking us into making him a more powerful enemy.

Soon Spectra’s marker appeared. It was a pleasant, glowing light with her color signature on it. The markers were as unique as their casters, making finding hers easy. I set it as my target and walked out of the weave into their conference room. Seated in the room was Dusty’s command staff.

“Welcome aboard, Master Shadow,” greeted Dusty.

I handed Dusty a pad and said, “Thank you. Before we start, here on this pad is the updated rendezvous route.”

“Great, Master. I will see that this gets to navigation,” he said.

“Master Shadow, how is Kymberly?” asked Spectra.

I smiled. Despite outward appearance, she really did care about people. “She is fine now, but it was quite a fight. The crate those gems are in apparently magnifies the call of the gems, and it told her to kill me.”

“Oh, no!” gasped Spectra. “Master, was she hurt badly?”

“Oh, no, I am sorry. She fought the gems, not me, and she won,” I said. “I moved the crate into a training room. Do you think that will be sufficient to constrain its influence for now?”

Spectra hesitated, but eventually said, “Maybe, Master. Just maybe.”

“Spectra, what are you not telling me?” I asked.

“Master, as you know, spirit energy is really life force, but it does have some mind of its own. If we were talking about one, or even a dozen gems, it would be nothing; but with so many together, it is possible the crate could be alive.”

“And if it is alive?” asked Dusty.

“If so, we will have a really big problem. After all, what is the main driving force behind anything living?” she asked.

“Self-preservation,” said Skryth.

“Yes. Master Shadow, you could have locked in the training room the creature with the most power in the universe,” said Spectra.

I did not like the sound of that at all. Until then I was sure I could handle the box if I had to fight with it, but if it was alive and had somehow linked all that spiritual energy into one collective being, I doubted I could be any match for it. “Shea, are you sure you can destroy it?”

“I myself am no match for it. However, the Light is far greater and will destroy it through me,” she said.

“We need to get you to it somehow,” I said. A thought occurred to me. “Spectra, when you exit the Spirit Realm, how do you choose where you come back?”

“The same way you do, when you weavewalk, Master. I have a marker bound to this ship, and I always leave a marker behind whenever I travel anywhere by gate so that I can return to any specific point I need to,” she said.

“So, if I were to weave a marker for you, you could open a gate to the Spirit Realm, and once there gate back to the Nevermore II?” I asked. We were too far away to gate directly, and I could not take Shea with me via a weavewalk, but linking gates through the Spirit Realm would allow her to travel back to the Nevermore almost as fast.

“Yes, Master,” she said but something was odd about her answer. Something was bothering her, but I was not yet sure what. I watched Dusty wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her close, and I wanted to ask what was wrong, but decided to wait to see if they said anything.

“Shea, if Spectra creates the gates, will you travel that way?” I asked.

“Sure, Master. Normally I would not, but since it is Spectra, and the need is dire, I will,” she said.

“Normally you would not?” I asked.

“Master, I am not welcome in the Spirit Realm. It is best for me to stay out of it, unless there is a real need like there is now,” she said.

I wanted to hear more about that, but before I could Spectra said, “Master, please don’t ask this of me.”

She looked genuinely scared. Nothing could have worried me more at that moment than seeing Spectra so distraught. “What is wrong?”

“Master, Spectra says there are two things that affect the strength of the influence the gems exert on someone. The first is purely exposure time: the longer you are near it, the more influence it has. The second is how powerful a connection you have to the Spirit Realm. Spectra is not sure she can resist it,” said Dusty.

“It wants you dead, Shadow. What if it tries to make me attack you like it did with Kymberly?” asked Spectra.

Something in her voice told me she was worried she might not be able to resist the box. “Can you stay in the Spirit Realm? Open the gate, let Shea through, and then close it?”

“I think so, Master,” she said.

“That is what we will do. There is no need to put you through that ordeal, though I think you would be fine. If there are no objections, I would like to do this right now. I do not like the idea of leaving that thing on my ship any longer than need be,” I said.

Shea indicated that she was ready, and I asked Spectra to open the gate to the Spirit Realm.

Spectra cast her gate spell, and Dusty, Shea, and I followed her through to the Spirit Realm. I had not been there before, and was sure that it was not a place I would visit again without good reason. It was like walking into every child’s worst nightmare at once.

Spectra and Dusty looked perfectly comfortable here, and there was something more. With my weave sense I could see the power flowing around, and it was channeling into them. They were getting stronger the longer they stood here.

Shea was a completely different story. The natives of this realm obviously feared and despised her. She glowed with pure white light that seemed to protect her from their attacks, but I understood now why she wanted to rush through.

“Now, I am going to weavewalk back and set up the marker for you. Let’s make this fast,” I said.

Spectra was already at least twice as powerful as she had been when we arrived, and growing more so. “Yes, Master. I will need to close the gate as fast as I can to prevent the crate from reaching out and tapping the power here.”

I nodded and weavewalked back to the conference room on the Nevermore II. Once there I weaved the marker, and before I could finish it a gate opened and Shea came running through. The gate was quickly closed, leaving Shea and myself alone in the conference room.

“Well, that seemed to work,” I said.

“Yes, Master. I am glad to be back in the physical world,” said Shea.

“
Flame, I am back, and I brought Shea. Please bring Kymberly to the conference room,
” I sent and said, “Do you need anything?”

“No, Master, just a moment to catch my breath. It got fairly heated back there for me,” she said.

“
Hey, that’s great! Be right there!
” Flame sent.

“I saw the creatures attacking you,” I said.

“Yes, Master. In a way, I am their natural enemy,” she said.

“Interesting. Would that make you Spectra’s enemy also?” I asked.

“Oh, in a way, Master, but not in practice. She is a good friend, and I trust her completely,” she said.

“Do you think she could have resisted the crate?” I asked.

“Yes, Master. She is far more powerful than she lets on,” said Shea.

Her answers created so many questions that I wanted to ask, but just then Flame and Kymberly walked in. “Hey, Shadow! Hi, Shea!” said Flame.

After proper greetings were exchanged Shea said, “Master, I can feel the box. It is not happy. We should deal with it now before something happens.”

That was not good. That meant it could penetrate the shielding on the training rooms. “Let us go,” I said. As we walked, Kymberly told Shea everything she knew about the box.

When we neared the training rooms, Kymberly said, “Master, may I return to my quarters now?”

“Master, I recommend she stays. She needs to face this fear head-on, or forever be haunted by it,” said Shea.

“Sorry, Kymberly. Doctor’s orders: you stay,” I said.

“Yes, Master,” she said.

“
Flame, be ready, just in case,
” I sent.

“
Of course
,” she sent.

The Dark Knights were standing stoically at their position as we approached. “Knights, Shea is here to take care of our package. Ready your minds; the box will try to make you help it. I will need you to protect us from a rear assault in case it reaches out to the crew.”

“Yes, Master,” they said.

I was never more grateful to have them on my ship than at that moment. Their discipline and training would make them more than a match for the controlling power of the box. “Are you ready, Shea?”

“No, but it isn’t up to me, so open the door,” she said.

Even now, when she was about to face the most powerful force of evil we had ever encountered, she was calm and untroubled. I envied her courage and strength.

“Here we go,” I said as I unlocked the room and slipped us in through the shields. At first, when we walked in, everything was calm and normal. Suddenly everything around us changed. The energy in the room was violent and angry. I could see streaks of power flying everywhere. The box was fighting hard against the magical chains that I had put on it, trying to get at me. Flame screamed in anger and threw a massive fireball at the box. I reached out and wove a shield around our position as raw malicious power flooded the room.

Kymberly was clutching her staff and straining not to move. Shea looked at Kymberly and said gently, “You can beat this. Just focus on who you are and whom you represent.”

“Shea, finish this,” I said.

“Yes, Master,” she said.

I watched her walk over to the box. As she approached it, it tried to pull away from her. She passed through my shields, but no matter how hard the energy in the room attacked, she seemed immune to it. It became apparent that the box greatly feared her, as it was no longer trying to get free to attack me, but instead it was fleeing from her. Shea raised her hands in the air and began to sing. I had heard her sing before, usually while she worked, but it was always calm and cheerful. This song was different. I could not understand the words, but I could tell it was a victory song.