The Irispire Portal Page 21

  "We will do everything we can go find the faults in our methods of detection but—"

  "Nevermind that now," says The High Councilor. His voice, once again, fills the room without any apparent effort. "Our focus should not be on the past. We need to prepare for an invasion. I hope that they give us time to evacuate our people into the palace. King Hurdalin, may we have access to your underways, should we get overrun?"

  "You have it," says King Hurdalin.

  "Thank you. We are in your debt for your willingness to aid us in our time of need."

  They start talking about the defense of the city. I turn away from their conversation and look at the true-to-life display of Superior's mountain valley. There's something strange about all this. Something doesn't feel right. I know Thaddeus, and if he is on that thing, he wouldn't be waiting.

  "Why is he staying there?" I ask myself.

  "I beg your pardon, former Bearer," says The High Councilor.

  Lev tugs on my robe. "What's goin' on? I think they're talking to you."

  I turn around and face the council. "Okay, can we all stop talking in Elven," I say. "I can't keep translating for my friend."

  "What did you say, former Bearer?" asks The High Councilor in English. His accent is thick with power. There is a lot of magic in that man. Elves normally have that note of the celestial in their voice, and it is stronger in him than most.

  "This isn't right," I say. "If Thaddeus is in there, he wouldn't be waiting. He'd be going in hard and fast."

  "Perhaps they seek to negotiate," says one of the councilmen.

  "Or it could be an intimidation tactic, meant to incite panic," adds Captain Haloran. "And by the looks on our people's faces, it is working."

  I shake my head. "No, this is something else. Thaddeus, with someone as powerful as Marchosias backing him, won't be looking to negotiate or trying to amp up the suspense by patiently waiting. He and his army would be right at that barrier trying to break it down, and he’d be wanting to take you all out."

  "What are you thinking, lad?" Tamon asks.

  "Something is holding him back," I say.

  A flash of realization shoots through my mind, and I start laughing.

  "Former Bearer, this is no laughing matter," says Councilman Antenetsu.

  "Oh that idiot," I say. "This isn't an invasion."

  "I do not understand," says The High Councilor.

  I turn to Lara. "I told you he didn't plan on the Treaties being broken."

  "Explain yourself, Nyyx," Lara says.

  "Don't you get it?” I say to her. “The Omega Treaties did a lot of things; most importantly, it diluted the power of The Destroying Angel. You guys were scared that the defender of the human race, my mom, would become a tyrant and unite all the humans against you to take over the world. So what did you do, you crippled her with a divine decree."

  Lara's eyes widen.

  "Astraea," she says.

  "Exactly. This was the point I wish I'd made at the trial," I say. I walk to stand before the Superior High Council's platform. "You all want to punish Kyle for breaking The Omega Treaties, but this is exactly why you shouldn't. The fact that he broke those divine laws has given us the key to stopping all this."

  "Speak sense," says Councilman Antenetsu.

  A smile creeps onto The High Councilor's face. "I know what he's trying to say. If we can get Azrael into the hands of the new Bearer..."

  "Marchosias doesn't stand a chance," I say. "That's why Marchosias left the sword behind. She wanted it as far away from Astraea as possible. Whoever bears Azrael shall be the commander of legions of heavenly angels, and shall be the avenging hand of God. But that was before. The Omega Treaties changed all that. Now that those Treaties are broken, the Bearer of The Destroying Angel has her former power. Marchosias knows this. She needs time to summon her thirty legions. She's been on this realm for a little over two days. She hasn't had the opportunity to cross her full force over to our plane. She knows that you elves have the best chance of finding where she is. Out of all the races on this planet, you are the closest and most in-tune with The Field Eternal. She knows this was where we were going to go. Or if she didn't know, she damned well knew you would be the biggest threat to her. This isn't an invasion."

  "It's a blockade," says Lara. "They're trying to keep us, and the sword contained in this valley so Marchosias has enough time to summon her full army."

  "Where are you guys with tracking her?" I ask.

  Captain Haloran speaks up.

  "We need time. We have only been looking for two days."

  "Surely, that should be enough," I say. "I mean, Marchosias is trying to summon an army, I would think that'd cause a huge disturbance in Ashyanthinasi."

  "She is doing well to keep hidden," Captain Haloran answers. "But we are doing our best."

  "So what do you propose we do?" asks The High Councilor.

  "We break through," says Lara.

  "No!" says Councilman Antenetsu. "We cannot lose the advantage of our barrier."

  "We won't have to," I say. "They're not going to make a move until we find her. But once we do, they are going to do everything they can to keep us here, and we have to do everything we can to get past them."

  "I concur with Captain Uthanasa," says Captain Haloran. "I say we attack."

  "We don't know what we're dealing with," I say. "We don't have any idea about what kind of numbers they have in there."

  "Then let's thin their numbers. If we have to go through them anyway, why not do it now?" says Captain Haloran.

  "High Councilor?" I say.

  We all look up to Lara's father.

  "We wait," says The High Councilor. "Two hours. Former Bearer, I would like to see you in my private chambers. I want Councilman Antenetsu, Councilman Kareen, and Captain Uthanasa to join us as well."

  Thirty-Four

  The High Councilor's private office is located in the tallest tower of The Palace of Souls. He sits behind a large heavy desk made of dark wood. Behind him is a fifteen foot, arched, and windowed door, leading out to an immense balcony overlooking the lake and all of Superior. The sun has dipped beneath the mountain wall to the west, and the western skies are a shade of dull orange and pinks — colors which match The High Councilor's mane of hair, and beard.

  The crystal walls of his office play scenes of diplomacy throughout the ages. There is even one with my mother. My eyes get misty when I see her. These were the memories of past High Councilors, I assume, and the memory playing is of my mom kneeling, out of respect, before an elven court. She has The Destroying Angel sheathed proudly at her hip. She is lightly armored with dark brown leathers. Her long black hair is tied back, and I watch as she mimes something to the delegation. There are no sounds, only visuals. Then the memory switches to that of another High Councilor, and my mother disappears.

  "Please sit," says The High Councilor.

  The memories playing on the walls blink out, and the crystal walls settle into a dark green. I sit across from The High Councilor. Lara sits beside me. Councilmen Kareen and Antenetsu stand behind The High Councilor—one on the right, the other on the left.

  "All right, Nyyx Mara," says The High Councilor. "Let us hear your plea."

  "My plea?"

  "For the fate of Kylanthansa Uthmandir," he says. "In the war room, you said had Kylanthansa not broken the Treaties we would have no way of stopping Marchosias. I agree with your logic, so let us have your plea."

  "High Councilor, this is all out of order," says Councilman Antenetsu.

  "Easy, councilman," says The High Councilor. "I am exercising my right to make executive decisions in this office. An option available to me in times of emergency. And I am sure you can agree that this is indeed a sufficient time."

  I mull over what to say next. Should I go big? Why not? Let's start with the improbable and make our way backward.

  "I wish to enter a plea that the accused Kylanthansa Uthmandir be set free," I say.

  "Y
ou have it," says The High Councilor.

  Lara looks at me, dumbfounded. I return the look. Councilman Antenetsu looks like a blood vessel on the side of his neck is about to pop, and Councilman Kareen looks lost but is the first to speak.

  "High Councilor, are you sure?" asks Councilman Kareen. "I was prepared to accept a lighter sentence, but the release of such a prisoner will come with some repercussions."

  "Like what?" I ask, "So what if he's free? What difference does that make? He's not a bad person."

  Councilman Antenetsu ignores me and moves close to the side of The High Councilor.

  "High Councilor, I'm sure I need not remind you that your family ties will come into play. The same arguments we had three hundred cycles ago, concerning the fate of Kylanthansa, will resurface. Old suspicions will soon follow."

  "What happened three hundred years ago?" I ask.

  "Your position as High Councilor will become tenuous once more," says Councilman Kareen, ignoring my question. "The Nanthanoshi, especially, will call for your blood, and declare war."

  "The Nanthanoshi? War?" I say.

  "They are right, father," adds Lara. "We will relive our old shame. Problems once forgotten will resurface."

  "Which is why I have included you all in the discussion," says The High Councilor.

  "Hello! What are you all talking about?"

  The High Councilor looks at me. "I'm sorry, Nyyx Mara. It has been over a thousand cycles since the Bearer was involved in our politics. I apologize for your being in the dark on such matters. We will answer your questions as best we can."

  "Okay first, what happened three hundred cycles ago?" I ask.

  "That was when Kylanthansa began to manifest," explains Lara. "Ten cycles after his hundredth."

  "Manifest what?"

  "You have seen what human magic can do," says Lara.

  I have. While the elves concentrate arcane Field energies into focused points of light, humans can directly tap into Field energies, resulting in raw and unpredictable effects.

  "There have been few who could combine both elven and human methods of wielding Ashyanthinasi," says Lara. "And, those who could were the most powerful arcanists in the world. There had been only three who were able to do so in our history."

  "Wait, so you're saying Kyle—"

  "Yes," says Councilman Antenetsu. "The half-elven Kylanthansa Uthmandir began to manifest in this powerful manipulation of Ashyanthinasi soon after reaching adulthood."

  "That's how he was able to bring me back."

  "Yes," says Lara. "No one on Earth has enough power to do so, but my brother was able to, damaging his body in the process."

  "That makes sense," I say. "Ever since he raised me, spellcasting takes a toll on his body."

  "That is correct," says Lara. "Just as it would on any human, but the celestial element in his elven blood mitigates the deterioration."

  "Okay. So how do the Nanthanoshi fit in all this?"

  "The Vokscragan Act, former Bearer," says The High Councilor. "The policy which forbade our race to share arcane knowledge with yours, or use magic to influence human destinies."

  "That thing you all added to The Omega Treaties because you were scared of us becoming too powerful,” I say.

  "We were not afraid of you becoming too powerful, Nyyx Mara," says Councilman Antenetsu. "The Elven Nations were afraid of each other."

  "What?" I ask.

  "When we diluted Azrael's powers, it became evident that those wielding the arcane forces of Ashyanthinasi had the upper hand over those who didn't. It gave us elves the advantage over the planet’s other races," explains Councilman Kareen. "Thus, the Vokscragan Act was added to prevent contact between our races, and the use of magic to shape human destinies were forbidden. It was done out of fairness, but also as a form of control. All who have been able to wield Ashyanthinasi in both the elven and human ways were those of mixed heritage. The Vokscragan Act sought to rid our world of such unions."

  "Are you serious? That's why you put that act in?"

  "As per the act, the law demanded my wife be executed for her mistake," says The High Councilor.

  "The child was supposed to die as well," says Councilman Antenetsu.

  "What happened?" I ask.

  "I made a plea to Silanthanos' High Council that the child survives," admits The High Councilor. "Kylanthansa was blameless in all this, and as stated before, it is rare for such powers to manifest, even among half-bloods, so I felt it could not harm. They called me a fool, a cuckold. It weakened my position considerably. And others suspected I had ulterior motives. They thought I wanted to raise him so I may, one day, use his power to secure position for myself, not only in Silanthanos but with the other Elven Nations as well.

  "Their fears were assuaged when Kylanthansa showed no sign of being more powerful than the rest. And when he began to manifest, only those in this room knew about it. We decided to exile Kylanthansa. The timing was fortuitous."

  "Fortuitous? Wait a minute. Three hundred years ago? The Nanthanoshi?" I say, remembering the circumstances of my meeting, Kyle. "You're talking about Jaqu."

  The High Councilor nods. "And so now you know the pressure we are in to condemn Kylanthansa to death. Others could see the kind of power he possesses in Silanthanos as a threat. Now, too, the Nanthanoshi to the south have their cause for war."

  "Okay. I know it was my plea to set him free, but if there's so much on the line, why agree to it?"

  "You have not heard my conditions, former Bearer," says The High Councilor.

  Thirty-Five

  I'm standing in the back of the erolith's map room. It's a circular room, about sixty feet in diameter. The floor has an auditorium-style slant, moving forward with a steady decline towards the front of the room. At the front is a six foot tall, red, yellow, orange, and green crystal, similar to the one projecting the Superior mountain valley in the erolith's war room. This crystal, however, projects a globe ten feet above it made of swirling reds, yellows, oranges, and greens — the colors pulsing, and mingling together, with undefined borders.

  The High Councilor, Councilman Antenetsu, Councilman Kareen, Lara, and I are at the back of the room, overlooking terraced rows of long desks. The place looks like mission control in those astronaut movies I used to watch back in the twentieth century. At these desks, sit erolith personnel, thirty in total. In front of them are little crystals made of yellows, reds, oranges, and greens — a palm-sized replica of the big crystal at the front of the room. These little crystals project three-dimensional images in front of them like a holographic computer screen. And the images displayed are of people, looking like infrared blobs, walking around, and going about their day-to-day.

  Before I could even open my mouth to ask the question, Lara volunteers the answer.

  "Yes, we have erolith embedded in your cities," says Lara. "These are their scans of Ashyanthinasi. The reds are the energies given off by complex living beings."

  "So you got people watching us," I say. "Since when?"

  "Ever since Jaqu," she says. "Three hundred cycles ago."

  "I suppose you're gonna tell me it's for our own good."

  "Jaqu was the closest we elves ever came to destroying your race," says Lara. "This was our way of policing and making sure that no elf can violate the Treaties, use magic against you, and bring us to the brink of war ever again."

  "But it backfired," I say.

  "Yes. The Nanthanoshi had their people embedded in your cities as well. And when my brother used his magic, the disturbance it caused in Ashyanthinasi was immense."

  "Even with all this surveillance, how have you never detected Thaddeus or his vampires, using magic?" I ask her.

  "We don't know,” Lara says. “The same way we don't know how they were able to sneak that giant black mountain into our valley, I suppose."

  The doors behind us open, and in walks Kyle, in restraints, escorted by two erolith soldiers. The doors close behind them, and Kyle turns to face his
stepfather.

  "Kylanthansa Uthmandir," says The High Councilor, his dark face a mask of stone. "You have been informed of the conditions of your release. What say you?"

  Once again, his voice fills the room with little effort. How does he turn it off and on like that? I think I'm the only one affected by it. Everyone else seems used to it.

  Kyle nods. "I agree to the terms of my release," he says.

  The High Councilor gestures to the erolith escorting Kyle, and they release Kyle from his restraints.

  Once freed, Kyle steps past us and walks toward the front of the room. He looks up at the shining, infrared globe. He positions himself ten feet away from the spinning red, orange, yellow, and green crystal on the floor. Then Kyle holds out his hands, and from them comes a huge pulse of energy as if he's warping reality in front of us. He's reaching out and touching the Field. He grits his teeth and growls. The warped reality bubble he created grows bigger until it envelops the spinning, six foot tall crystal.

  "I've seen him use magic like this before," I say to Lara.

  "When?" she asks.

  "In the sewers.” I say. “He sent a force ball hurtling down a sewer tunnel at the erolith who were chasing us."

  The colors on the globe change. The infrared representation of Field energies disappear. The floating globe turns into a true representation of the Earth, with blues, greens, browns, and topographical details ranging from barren desert, to thick forests, and mountain snow caps. Next, the water from the Atlantic disappears, showing deep canyons and underwater volcanoes. Yellow specks of light come back, one by one, as billions of sea creatures, from the biggest sea mammal to the smallest bit of algae radiates Field energies. Then comes huge writhing oranges, coming from currents, undercurrents, whirlpools, underwater volcanoes, winds, and storms. Kyle screams.

  I hurry to the front of the room to stand beside him. Even as I approach, the Field energy surrounding him causes subcutaneous tremors through my body. Then he screams again and terminates the spell. The globe goes back to the original Field map, with oranges, yellows, greens, and reds writhing and swirling with undefined borders. Kyle falls to his knees, panting. I bend down and put an arm around his shoulder.