Zall Destus was accompanied through a doorway full of hanging scarlet beads that signified the entrance to Empress Bahn’s chambers. The circular room was as cold and stony as Bahn’s demeanor, its walls a mixture of obsidian and gabbro drenched in warm orange embers. Bahn’s wicker throne had been moved to the center of the room, across from a pond of flowing lava. She gave Zall an icy glare as he entered.46Please respect copyright.PENANAXnpZhxtmu6
“That little show of yours was unappreciated,” Bahn bristled. She leaned forward in her throne and waited for a bow. The tension in the air was palpable. Zall stood at the edge of the pond and basked in the fiery warmth instead, stance spread and arms behind his back. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAgIWpRmFQVW
“The others seemed to enjoy it,” Zall uttered belligerently. He turned his nose up at her for extra emphasis.46Please respect copyright.PENANAzrie3euGr8
“You think you can come into my chambers and disrespect me, your Empress? The one chosen by our people to lead?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAqzU78Ejf8n
“When I’ve been chosen by our very god himself, yes,” Zall replied.46Please respect copyright.PENANAL61GniAKtP
Bahn stood in anger and her throne was knocked back by the force. A handful of her Cinderion guards rushed into the room, lances drawn. She held her hand up to stop them. Zall was unphased. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAGvuuBks32E
“You think your toys can stop me?” He threatened. Embers and ashes gathered from the lava pond and coalesced in his hand. “You took away my life, Bahn. Give me a reason why I shouldn’t do the same to you right now.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAXeVj7EoXen
“I wasn’t responsible for the things that happened to you or your family. That was entirely on your father,” Bahn replied. Zall could sense that there was something different in her tone. Fear, perhaps. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAw5yQRKHJtu
“I’ll give you a reason,” a nasally voice interrupted from behind Zall. He rotated around and the Cinderions moved in closer. Imperator Asmedeus Cole, Bahn’s right hand man, walked up to Zall. His lanky figure was hidden under his bright red robes, but the wrinkles on his skin and his bony arms still gave him the appearance of a desiccated corpse. He outstretched a long, skeletal hand in Zall’s direction. “You have been given great power, but if you truly think that you can run things around here, you are sorely mistaken. I will cut you down where you stand, even at the sacrifice of my greatest troops. I would rather lose a Tomekeeper than be held under the thumb of one.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAyNCyc682me
He inched closer, his breath rancid in Zall’s nostrils.46Please respect copyright.PENANAIK6VZmiAaf
“Do you honestly believe that you can kill the entire Pryolite army before they slice you down to ribbons?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAleQ2JXieya
“I can damn well try,” Zall growled.46Please respect copyright.PENANA0eJ1sBl1rJ
Cole leaned into Zall’s left side. “Yes,” He whispered. “But then you wouldn’t be able to find out what happened to your family’s kithronk.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAEJwBowd1qs
Zall let the flames in his hands dissipate. The kithronk was the last remnant of his family and its legacy, a literal spirit totem carried through the centuries that contained detailed records of his bloodline. To lose it or have it destroyed was the biggest dishonor a Pyrolite could face. Zall refused to let his family’s name be besmirched. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAgtMth5VPI8
Cole’s sunken eyes narrowed. “As I thought.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA65G08rUQcl
‘So that’s how they’ve kept the muzzle on you, yeah?’ Hilaster echoed. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll play their game for now. But after we get to Prodigium and get that tome, let’s destroy it all. I’m talking about a full-forced scorched kingdom moment.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAl9qXh1y8NS
Zall mentally agreed. He relished the thought of watching everything crumble. A scraping noise caught his attention from the beaded doorway. Two Wingsong Celenians, personal guards to the Monarch of Prodigium, forced their way past Bahn’s guards outside. Their wings, fluffy and vibrant white, took up an unnecessarily large amount of space. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAO4yNQAhxK8
“Empress Bahn of the Pyrolites, we apologize for the interruption,” One of the Celenians, an older man with shaggy gray hair and a bushy beard, stated with a bow in Bahn’s direction. “We’ve been sent on behalf of Monarch Mivano to investigate the truth behind rumors of your Tomekeeper.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA7IxdKypSMj
“I’m right here,” Zall grumbled. He raised his hand and summoned a wave of fire around it as proof. “Consider the rumors true. You want to assess my combat ability too?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAMRHsZKhx5W
“That won’t be necessary,” said the other Celenian, a younger woman with a brunette knotted braid. She seemed overly stern for someone her age. Bred and born a soldier, if Zall had to guess.46Please respect copyright.PENANAthL8d3rKIe
‘What’s going on with you, keeper?’ Hilaster asked. ‘I can sense your nerves building.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAXndpK7kCtA
‘There are too many people crowded into a small space,’ Zall answered. ‘I don’t like it. Too much talking as well, and not enough of it with fists.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAtR4Plaay0o
‘Agreed, keeper. Why don’t we go get some air?’46Please respect copyright.PENANAvwIedh7ioW
Zall looked past the beads of Bahn’s doorway and caught sight of the Wingsong’s golden-trimmed chariot outside. It beckoned him, open and unguarded. He couldn’t think of a better way to insult Bahn, anger Cole, and set off on his journey to the capital with a bang. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAFLNXduWEp4
‘Hilaster,’ Zall called out mentally. ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’
46Please respect copyright.PENANAEoUD4SgGic
Kliev dry-heaved over the edge of the airship’s railing. His breath was quick and shallow as his body and mind begged to be placed back on the ground. The sea sparkled under the airship like a thousand jewels dancing in unison. There was no escape. He felt the gaze of one of the horrid creatures locked on to him. He turned to face it, the thistlewisp’s sharp and hungry eye declaring him its next meal. His ears twitched.46Please respect copyright.PENANAEdMdh9gxjg
“Isn’t this great?” I’el said, pressed against the railing next to him. She was staring off into the sky and soaking in the sunlight like an exquisite flower, lost in her own world. Kliev didn’t know if she was aware of his panic and pain and chose to ignore it, or if she was just ignorant to it as a whole. Given what little he knew of I’el so far, though, her lackadaisical nature seemed to point to the latter. She was fierce when she wanted to be, sure, but outside of that she was relatively carefree. Unless, of course, Kliev said something about her beloved Fritton or Tristen or whatever the name of the elf boy back in her village was.46Please respect copyright.PENANA9qT5CMAM10
‘Aw, is someone feeling a bit jealous?’ Wogiwoj teased. ‘You have to man up, keeper! Take life by the horns of its helmet and bend it to your whims. Go get the girl!”46Please respect copyright.PENANAjpVCAlp0tK
‘I’el?’ Kliev questioned. ‘You think I’m feeling some sort of way about her? Sure, she’s stunning and smart and a great warrior, but she has no interest in me whatsoever. It’s so unusual. I mean, I’m me. I’m Kliev Rorn, one of the best - and most dashing - fighters in all of Krijya. What’s not to love? Plus, Wogi, don’t you find the ears perturbing? They’re not like ours, but not like a normal Human’s. They’re sharp but long. It’s so odd.’46Please respect copyright.PENANApkX68b19LT
‘I’ve known my fair share of love across the realms, my boy,’ Wogiwoj said with a mischievous chuckle. ‘You learn to appreciate all shapes and sizes.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAhbMXtpCks4
‘Of ears?’46Please respect copyright.PENANA4uFLXoCPbT
‘Hm? Oh. Yes, of course.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAg8uiAPTlUV
Kliev shrugged and put his back against the rail, then slid down next to I’el.46Please respect copyright.PENANAvcB8X7syWJ
“How are you holding up?” She asked as she tucked her hair behind her ear. The three silver rings running up the side glinted. Kliev looked around for a moment.
‘Tomekeepers can’t hear each other’s thoughts, right, Wogi?’
‘Not unless things have changed, keeper.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAR7ViTSXsgR
“Hello? Are you going to answer?” I’el inquired. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAcHxChTRaEj
“I’m fine,” Kliev stuttered. “I don’t know what you mean.”46Please respect copyright.PENANALRJ3y8jGCW
“You’ve been awfully quiet since we left. And your ears keep twitching.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAsUFjY977uf
Kliev reached up and grabbed his ears. They betrayed his attempt to be cool and collected. “I just don’t like those horrendous things pulling the airship.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAqbY6d2vJC6
“You mean the thistlewisps? They’re just birds, Kliev.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAZJoQH7ka7a
“You don’t seem to understand the nature between bird and bunny,” Kliev asserted. “It wants to eat me.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAcfyRFUz4aa
Before I’el could respond, a hiss of air escaped from the balloons above them. The body of the ship swayed and descended toward the sea. Kliev popped his head up over the rail and caught sight of the approaching city. It was a sprawling metropolis of white and red buildings that stretched from the edge of the ocean and up into the vast greenery of the Varlan Plains. Rich blue canals snaked through the city.46Please respect copyright.PENANA8cvtZcchW8
“It seems like we’re landing,” I’el said, unmoved.46Please respect copyright.PENANAzR4Nm3HGwG
“That’s Selenti?” Kliev uttered. “It’s such a far cry from the frosted wonders of Krijya, but what an incredible sight.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAXai4D0k7eO
“Really?” I’el said in surprise. “I just think about all the trees that were cut down to make room for it.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAFqr9a41RBQ
“You’ve been before, then?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAhF7Je3ZnZV
“A handful of times. All the families in Farnen’s Grove take turns delivering food from the Orchard to Selenti. It’s all dispersed out from there.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAB69z26LHqm
“And you don’t think it’s a sight of wonder?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAZv32kHobly
“Maybe when I was younger,” I’el shared. “I had a bad experience that changed my outlook.”46Please respect copyright.PENANADieE6W0ybg
Kliev understood. “How about this: at some point, when you’re comfortable with sharing, you tell me about what happened in Selenti, and I’ll tell you about what happened to me as a kid and why I don’t like birds. A share for a share, if you will.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAawPfy0Avmo
I’el looked at Kliev and gave him a soft smile, then rolled her eyes as it turned into a bigger grin. “Alright. How can I resist the temptation to learn more?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAe8dHDPgU0F
“It’s a deal, then.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAofhfEoSm8t
The ship came to a soft landing against a stone pad on the edge of Selenti. The rest of the air in the balloons released and the brown canvases deflated. The thistlewisps cawed and chirped as their talons tapped against the stone, flower-covered wings outstretched in the sun.46Please respect copyright.PENANA2PgvgGiuoe
“Don’t worry, Ms. Rivini,” Kliev proclaimed as he stood and held out a hand. “You’ve got the Tomekeeper of the storms here to protect you. I have the best combat skills in all of Krijya.”46Please respect copyright.PENANALehX0zijmR
I’el laughed and stood on her own. “Thank you for the offer, Mr. Rorn. I feel much safer in your overwhelmingly masculine presence. Please don’t let me out of your sight.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAp0vwGXIJqN
“Alright, alright,” Kliev said as he waved his outstretched hand. “I’m just saying that I’m here for support.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA4W3QyvGdMK
“That’s better,” I’el responded as she playfully tapped his nose and walked past him. Kliev felt his cheeks get hot. The wooden ramp of the airship dropped against the stone and the passengers aboard disembarked. He followed I’el’s lead down the ramp and around the ship’s side. Further down, a number of boats were docked along the pale cream sands of Selenti’s beach. One in particular caught his attention.
“What do you think happened there?” He asked and pointed towards a black ship full of holes with burned navy sails. The carrack had definitely seen better days and barely held together. It was a shame such a magnificent ship had met such a terrible fate. 46Please respect copyright.PENANA3PJzKZxp1R
“Hey, look out!” I’el warned.46Please respect copyright.PENANAUDIAfOhUuj
Kliev felt himself bump into the crowd entering the pier ahead. He took a step back and the jade-cloaked figure in front of him whipped around. Her face was painted over in the style of a decorated skull that sent fear straight through Kliev’s whole body. The last thing he wanted to do was anger a Terrolaff. They were all a little too crazy.46Please respect copyright.PENANAzFn4TUCfNy
“You’d better watch where you’re walking, furball,” the woman hissed. In the blink of an eye, she had withdrawn a dagger and placed it against the side of Kliev’s neck. He held his breath as the tip of the blade started to dig in. The woman looked at him with cold, malevolent eyes. “Tell me why you shouldn’t die right here, right now.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAzNVPzPRm4T
A hand grabbed the Terrolaff’s arm and slowly pushed it down. “Not here.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAPYrDsURA5R
Kliev let out a breath and his attention turned to the harlequin’s side where another woman, with eyes that burned like fire in the dead of night, stared him down.
46Please respect copyright.PENANAQW7CVxZNdy
Fwen looked the Wojlidoj over. He was sturdily built, more so than most of his kind, and his posture was different as well. It was straight and refined instead of the usual hunch Wojlidoj tended to have. Something was off, but she couldn’t gather what yet.46Please respect copyright.PENANAs8THBr9Ehm
‘This one is a Tomekeeper as well,’ said the voice of death incarnate. ‘Make that two.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAFuUBvhweej
A young elven woman around Fwen and Verina’s age ran up behind the man. “Kliev,” She said just loud enough to be heard. “I told you to look out.”
Fwen squeezed Verina’s arm and gave her a quick look. She nodded in affirmation. She could sense it too.46Please respect copyright.PENANALXIGJFOqr3
“He’s perfectly fine,” Fwen said to the duo. “I would actually like to apologize on behalf of my friend here. We were attacked by pirates on the way and she’s a bit jittery.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAv0vnF3d5Ca
Verina shot Fwen a look of displeasure over the comment, but it didn’t matter. There was an advantage to maintaining the element of surprise, and they ran the risk of revealing their identities the longer they stayed near the other two Tomekeepers. ‘They can’t tell what we are yet, can they, Netot?’ Fwen double-checked.46Please respect copyright.PENANAhN3BOY2hJz
‘No.’ Netot answered. ‘You and Istio’s pet have been scarce in your usage of the abilities we’ve bestowed. These two have been quite the opposite. I can smell the magic wafting off of them. At worst, they could sense there are Tomekeepers nearby, but not trace it back to you.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAmZ7LancF41
‘Understood.’ Fwen responded. She cleared her throat and gestured at Verina. “Come along, Nirave. We’re running behind.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA9WzTqqXozO
Verina thankfully played along and pointed her dagger at the other two Tomekeepers before sheathing it in her robe. Fwen adjusted her own cloak and led Verina back into the crowded pier without another word. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAV10HdhFhQv
“Don’t ever speak for me,” Verina scowled. “I’ve had enough of that in my life.”46Please respect copyright.PENANACv5YA7Z9NC
“Duly noted,” said Fwen. “But as long as we’re working together, I will do whatever it takes to maintain our advantage. Reflect on that.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA4W2Yv74SIo
The pair traveled silently through the pier and over the bridge that connected it to the city proper. The oceanic vista faded into a maze of canals and silver-roofed villas that comprised Selenti’s crowded blocks. Fwen slipped into an alley and Verina quickly followed. She made her way through to the other side and into an older square. A handful of stone buildings lined the square and a dried up fountain caked in grime stood in the center.46Please respect copyright.PENANARF3KlNBLLr
“If I may ask, where exactly are we going?” Verina inquired. A hint of exhaustion lingered in her voice.46Please respect copyright.PENANA1FTmwg7OLp
“We’re hiring our transport to Prodigium.” Fwen stated.46Please respect copyright.PENANAdEXzSlyIDN
“In a run-down district at the edge of Selenti?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAwfGm99X9cl
Fwen walked up to the door of the middle building and knocked seven times. It opened with a creak and the sound of music and joyous shouts drifted out. “Don’t judge a book by its cover, Verina. You should know that.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA24nBZy7JKl
“Are you saying that because of the artistry across my face?” Verina let out a squeak of a laugh as the two entered. “Come now, Fwen. Must you always be so drab? You should try to inject some color into your life. Some shades of red would look great on you.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAnCrrxiCnpS
‘Why do you insist on making the pet yap?’ Netot sighed.46Please respect copyright.PENANAKiBWWx1jRU
Fwen ignored them both and followed the music and shouts down the hall and into an open tavern. Cups clinked and flagons thudded on tables as the patrons inside cheered and jeered at one another. Fwen walked to a table in the far corner where a lone Noctide sat with his head against the wall. She pulled out the chair with a loud scrape and sat.46Please respect copyright.PENANA45005o0Ggj
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” The Noctide grumbled. He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAMumJ8WVs2h
“I need passage to Prodigium. Quickly and quietly,” Fwen answered. Verina took a seat next to her. The Noctide scooted away uncomfortably.46Please respect copyright.PENANAqtdUwMrwPI
“What is this?” He hollered and pointed at Verina. “You go and bring one of them in here? She’ll kill us all!”46Please respect copyright.PENANAF5z7rf9pF6
“The Terrolaff is working with me. Don’t do anything dumb and she won’t be forced to step in.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAnYGPWB5tNi
The Noctide sneered and the black ring in his nostril twisted. “The agreement your parents sent was that you get to Prodigium. You. Alone. The extra will cost you.”46Please respect copyright.PENANApNyUbAFWOH
“And if I refuse to pay? Where I go, she goes.” Fwen argued.46Please respect copyright.PENANAYJeyEjsZXd
“Then best of luck getting across the Plains and through Keprahm’s, even with your little powers,” The Noctide sneered and slammed his hand against the table.
Verina stood, withdrew her dagger, spun it around and slammed it through his hand before Fwen could even process a response. The man screamed in pain and tried to grab the blade, but Verina slapped his hand away. The Terrolaff leaned in close.46Please respect copyright.PENANA3nLOHPqH2S
“You’re making this more difficult than it needs to be. You’re going to take us, or it’s your hand. Then your head.” Verina threatened. She twisted the dagger a bit for extra emphasis. The man screeched accordingly. 46Please respect copyright.PENANARzsv4np3yd
“Yeah, alright!” He cried out. “Please, no more!”46Please respect copyright.PENANALpjvS7ODCo
‘Perhaps she has her uses after all,’ Netot commented.46Please respect copyright.PENANAkBSVEDxW38
Verina sat back in her chair and kicked her boots onto the table. Fwen was impressed, a feat not easily accomplished. She reached across the table and tugged the blade out, then handed it to her companion. “I’m glad you’ve come to see things our way. Now walk us through your plan.”
46Please respect copyright.PENANAxBNnDQZ0Yl
Fuchsia smoke erupted from Ramji Wrine’s lab with a sizzling bang. She kicked open the door into the outer quarters to avoid the noxious smell of sulfur and petrol, coughing as the fumes filled the air. Her hands waved wildly to try and dissipate the smoke. Footsteps rushed down the hallway outside.46Please respect copyright.PENANAA6Pvq05LVD
‘I told you that wouldn’t work,’ an ethereal voice that was concurrently male and female said mentally.46Please respect copyright.PENANAIja0SO0utC
“Actually, you said that there was a high probability that it wouldn’t work,” Ramji corrected aloud. “Your words. Not mine.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAJ49GOve6MJ
She tousled her messy black bun and pulled the strings of hair that had fallen out of it behind her ears, then readjusted her circular glasses. They slipped slightly back down the bridge of her nose. She pulled out a small piece of parchment and jotted a note.46Please respect copyright.PENANAribNwCqhwb
“Three parts of archimehacy is too much for this particular recipe. Two parts may yield more satisfactory results.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAcCoRBROkwC
‘Use of archimehacy at all will make the solution more volatile, Tomekeeper. It would be better to use galenilly or some parsed down form of woodryhme.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAY1iocIvNJe
“Incorrect, Shoroux,” Ramji stated. “Since your last venture on our side of the spiritual boundary, galenilly has become scarce and woodrhyme has been known to serve as a leading cause in esper poisoning.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAP7m2PSbgPT
‘My apologies then, Tomekeeper,’ Shoroux expressed. ‘I was not aware of such advances in knowledge.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAegE22cBEJE
‘Apology accepted,” Ramji replied. The footsteps from the hall grew louder until they stopped outside of the door. She stepped back and it opened. Her father gasped for air in the doorway.46Please respect copyright.PENANA6IXxIzqt2r
“My. Brilliant. Daughter,” He huffed between breaths. The long, gray ponytail that ran down his back swung with each one. “What happened? What was that explosion?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAZbeNssaZGB
“I was adapting the recipe for our combustible fuel to make it more… well, combustible,” Ramji explained. She placed one hand behind her back and shrugged. “I figured if I used three parts of archimehacy that it might give it the extra kick I was in need of. Alas.”46Please respect copyright.PENANANAJ4nsRAZo
Her father shook his head. “Where did you even get archimehacy? It’s banned in most of the realms.”46Please respect copyright.PENANANNwUqnx3XG
“From your personal inventory, of course.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAAbFbL84TFK
“Great Ghantei,” He sighed. “Please ask before you do such things. Archimehacy is an unstable compound. Even just the tiniest measurement over can, quite literally, explode in your face. If something happened to you, I…”46Please respect copyright.PENANATh1KrQxB0W
He trailed off and Ramji adjusted her glasses once more. “I’ll be careful, father. I promise.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA5lGLoUHNiA
Trescoise Wrine let out a heavy sigh and stroked his pointed goatee. Ramji figured he needed a moment to determine if the situation was worth doling out a mild punishment or if he should just let it slide. He beckoned her. “Come along,” He finally said. “I want to show you the newest development I found with the aether engine.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAuuT6JyFvT8
Ramji jumped for joy. The mysterious box hidden away deep within her father’s lab had been the main topic of her mind for weeks since it was first uncovered. It was a remnant of lost times that held far too many secrets, and the sheer possibilities were too enticing to leave unexplored. She followed her father as he walked down the hall and led her around the corner into a rectangular room with tables and tools of every variety scattered across. Towers of yellowed books were placed haphazardly along the surfaces of his lab, many a small push away from toppling. Scribbled notes of parchment covered in her father’s handwriting were nailed into the walls.46Please respect copyright.PENANAOx0HNMz3Su
In the room’s center was a large cube with abstract etchings full of pulsating mercury. It emitted a dull hum that was like an unending bottom C on a chromatic lyre. The sound always managed to calm Ramji’s often chaotic mind, and hearing it in the background of her studies tended to help her focus as well. She walked over and ran her hands over it. The cube vibrated ever so slightly. It was emitting power but, to what, it was still unknown. That was why her father dubbed it an “engine”. They just needed to determine how it worked.46Please respect copyright.PENANA3yuma6NzOg
“I’ve found that the engine responds to ionized charges,” He informed her. “I believe that it needs to be given a hefty and constant dose of ethereal energy in order to power. I’ve traced the etchings and have reason to believe they’re not artistic in nature, they’re -”46Please respect copyright.PENANAvmPwiMc1XC
“Pieces,” Ramji finished with a smile. “Pieces of a puzzle that need to be shifted into place.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAelICsdqEMs
‘Good deduction, Tomekeeper. You two are indeed correct,’ Shoroux confirmed. ‘This “engine”, as you call it, is a gate. One not intended for mere mortals to pass. I did not want to reveal its true nature until I was sure I could trust you, for within there are many things that the rest of Lidaesea can not know about. I can tell you how to unlock it, but you need to promise me one thing.’46Please respect copyright.PENANACaLU00MSrf
“Anything,” Ramji whispered. 46Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZOrL69va7
‘Your father cannot enter.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAI3VYhqpdSy
Ramji’s smile dropped and she turned back toward the man who raised her, deep in his notes. They had researched the engine together. Everything she knew in life and science, he had taught her or encouraged her to learn. To not include him in what was their biggest discovery felt like a betrayal.46Please respect copyright.PENANARSDadyUzbv
Yet the temptation was too strong. Ramji needed to know what the engine could do. There was no way around it. 46Please respect copyright.PENANA4bDEUvp1Jl
“Tell me,” Ramji said.46Please respect copyright.PENANATX6FtlMNoO
Shoroux imparted the words and Ramji placed her hand on the middle of the cube’s front side. She looked back at her father, who was still distracted, and took a breath. “Kantehnfuosho.”46Please respect copyright.PENANA6zjZVRR3l6
A pulse of energy reverberated from her hand into the aether engine. The cube rumbled and the hum it emitted escalated notes. It clicked, then popped apart and reshifted into an archway as each piece snapped together. The arch began to glow and pink light spilled across from the edges to meet in the middle. Ramji’s father toppled over the books next to him in surprise.46Please respect copyright.PENANAMnDLsrRGkD
“Great Ghantei!” He exclaimed. “It’s absolutely astounding. How?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAurmF8m0OXd
Ramji swiveled around to face him. Her heart felt heavy at the sight of his unbridled excitement. She fidgeted with her hands. Her nerves had kept her from revealing Shoroux’s existence to him. He was a man of hard science, and there was no place for magic in his mind. The claws of anxiety gripped her chest and her breathing quivered.46Please respect copyright.PENANAMYIx4581qh
“It’s magic, father,” She admitted. “And so am I.”
46Please respect copyright.PENANAIyW9PlNRGA
Tuvhe had been riding along the trail from Senna to the Font of Drinex for what felt like days when he spotted the smoke drifting above the treetops. While not an usual sight on its own, the fact that it was in the middle of the Crystalands, an expanse of dead vegetation and rock that connected Eslen’s Mark with the Dunes of Verna and the Varlan Plains, made it more curious. Nothing could survive for more than a day out in the Crystalands, and not even the local wildlife cared to call it home. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAu6bnZ4cLmG
‘There’s something over there that’s pulling me in,’ Eslen informed him. ‘Something familiar. I can’t tell what it is, though.’46Please respect copyright.PENANAWVCzlp7ct7
Tuvhe climbed down from the wagon and withdrew his blade. His survival instincts screamed that he was walking into a trap yet, like Eslen, he felt a tug in the direction of the smoke for some unknown reason. He gripped his hilt tightly. It was better to be prepared either way. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAArasmGER8u
Tuvhe walked through the dead trees and over the thin patches of clear ice that blanketed the ground. Spiked crystalline structures that gave the area its name jutted out in every direction. The heels of his boots cracked through the ice to give him some semblance of solid footing. As he approached the cause of the smoke, the ground began to rise into a hollowed-out hillside. A rusted sand barge was tied down into the snow with a singular fire crackling atop it. Four older men laughed around the flame.46Please respect copyright.PENANAru0drdHtvH
“Excuse me,” Tuvhe called up to the men. “I was passing by and saw your fire. Can a traveling soul rest by the warmth for a moment?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6kXdyVWAr
One of the men, tall and rotund, tilted his head toward Tuvhe and said something to another, much older and with a beard. Tuvhe could barely make out the spirals that encircled his eyes before he covered them with a pair of tattered goggles. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAGN2ae6Gbwp
‘What’s a Pyrolite doing out here so far from Hilaster’s Peak?’ Tuvhe wondered.46Please respect copyright.PENANABrdFCI3EGT
‘Nothing good,’ Eslen muttered. ‘Those spirals were a symbol of death. There’s also something magical within the hull. No, more than one. Other Tomekeepers, perhaps?’46Please respect copyright.PENANAVLW7vxkbF5
‘Why don’t we find out?’ Tuvhe suggested as the barge’s ladder fell to the rock.
46Please respect copyright.PENANA1QAF9f3V2a
Zall held the side of the chariot as it flew up and over the rocky path down the volcano. It landed with a crack and the wheel’s bounced against the frame, spinning wildly as the vehicle continued to pick up speed. Zall leaned his head back and let out an excited howl. Adrenaline coursed through every part of him. The sound of flapping wings followed behind. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAl1tszW9DpB
“Tomekeeper, cease this absurdity at once!” the older Celenian shouted at Zall. The duo had been close behind since he first took the chariot and zoomed away from Bahn’s residence. The thrill of the chase had lit a metaphorical fire behind him. Zall pulled his arm back and felt the power flow to his palm.46Please respect copyright.PENANARbeCcyznGh
“Hilasev!” Zall shouted as a flaming sphere manifested. He flung it toward his pursuers and made them split apart. He glanced in each direction at his potential targets before he decided on who he wanted to pester more. He called forth another fireball and launched it in the male Celenian’s direction. It curved and the Celenian rolled to the side to avoid it, just as Zall had planned. “Behfuohil!” He said as the fireball slipped under the Celenian. It stretched upward into its pillar form and ripped through the edge of the Celenian’s left wing. The soldier cried out and lost altitude, careening to the ground where he impacted and rolled. 46Please respect copyright.PENANAPTAHmv4Y1R
‘Great job, keeper,” Hilaster complimented. 46Please respect copyright.PENANApTBfyLH6BE
“Coltiel!” the Celenian woman yelled as she watched her companion crash. She faced forward and placed her arms at her side. Her wings arched in and she dived toward the chariot. Zall braced for an attack, but the woman flew past and further down the pathway.46Please respect copyright.PENANA8LANG7ma4S
“Giving up already?” Zall mocked her as they continued their descent. He flicked more fireballs at her for fun. “That’s right. Run away!”46Please respect copyright.PENANASMjYqewmsq
The woman suddenly opened her wings and caught the heated draft of the volcano. She launched backward toward Zall and the chariot, narrowly avoiding both as she flew above his head. She reached out, grabbed the back of his vest and yanked him off of the cart. The two landed on the path and tumbled down violently. Zall felt the jagged edge of one rock stab into his side and a couple of smaller ones scraped against his hand and knee. His head smacked into the road and made his vision spin. He finally landed on his back and slid across the path, feeling the burn of his leather vest against his skin as he skid. The Celenian landed next to him, her body wrapped in her wings. She forced herself up as soon as she came to a halt and wasted no time as she made her way over to Zall.46Please respect copyright.PENANAZiW9mQC1O7
“Listen well, Tomekeeper,” the woman said as she stepped onto Zall’s chest. A deep cut ran across her forehead and her right arm was limp. “By the power invested in me by our great sovereign, I’m placing you under arrest.”46Please respect copyright.PENANATD9b6pmzAR
Zall laughed and felt his ribs stab into his lungs. “What makes you think I won’t just melt down your restraints and burn you as badly as I did your partner?”46Please respect copyright.PENANAkWCw7aTc5k
“Simple,” She responded. “You won’t be awake.”46Please respect copyright.PENANAt06s2KXQb1
The Celenian swung an armored boot back and kicked the side of Zall’s head with all her might.
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