mogust

In the lead up to the conclusion of arc four, I am releasing chapters daily from chapter 62. If this is the first one that you have read, you may have missed some of the others.

Chapter 64 – Stepping On Others Toes.

“I’m sorry. I’m not sure what exactly you’re asking.” Carmen’s eyes were still on the road, her words carefully chosen.

Petunia looked back at the man that they had picked up off the side of the road. Correction, the Channeller that they had collected. There was no mistaking what he was, an intricate gauntlet laced with technology on his left hand, the most advanced rifle that she had even seen slung over his shoulder. Sure, the gauntlet could have been a fake, at the risk of a fate worse than death, but his was certainly real, mana flowing through it and powering it as parts of it faintly glowed, small lights or panels lighting up or blinking. As to why Carmen had done so, Petunia had no idea. Channellers were dangerous people, especially to the obviously Touched, and that this one had been just walking along the road by himself made it even worse. Channellers don’t just walk places, which meant that all of the reasons for him to be doing so could not be good.

He wasn’t that bad looking all things considered, though not to her tastes. Fit with well defined muscles that she could even make out through his clothes, and just a tad shorter than she was. His hair was an earthy brown, short cropped, his eyes almost cyan in colour, no doubt due to the mana that flowed through him whenever he used his abilities. His face had the hint of stubble, with the chiselled edges that some would die for. He was wearing a close fitting grey t-shirt under a heavier sleeveless leather jacket that was unzipped at the front, a single black leather glove on his right hand and a series of aged fox tattoos running up the arm above it. A pair of dark grey trousers and combat boots rounded out his attire. He had a small pack over his back and a knife on his belt, but from her limited experience he didn’t have nearly enough stuff on him for someone going for a trek.

Tsugua gave her a predator like smile, making her flinch involuntarily, before he continued. “In some way, both of you are linked to Odinsphere and it’s movement. I know this for a fact, so there is no pointing disputing it. I am just kindly asking what it is.”

Petunia narrowed her eyes at him. His concept of nicely seemed a little skewed. They really shouldn’t have picked him up. He was going to cause trouble for them.

“I am not aware of any links. We are however searching for some people who we believe may be involved in its movement.”

Tsugua looked thoughtful, like he was weighing up the validity of what Carmen had said. It was true, just not the full extent of it.

“For Bowser?” he finally asked.

“No. For ourselves. I was formerly a Peacekeeper, but have left their ranks. The van was left available for our use, as I’m sure you’ve been wondering about that.”

“You’re a very careful one with your words Carmen.”

Petunia turned back to the road, staring at it as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. He’d picked up on that. They really should have just left him there, or better yet, run him over. One less Channeller in the world couldn’t be a bad thing.

“You would be too, around a person of superior power. It’s something that you get taught from a very young age.”

Tsugua sniggered. “Nobles huh. Former though I gather.” He paused. “You’re looking for some ladies with draconic horns, one in white and gold armour, one in black and green gear, and the final one in a back and red body suit. Along with their dragons.”

Petunia froze. She couldn’t help herself. The last of the three meant nothing to her, but the brief description of the first two was a little too familiar. She knew Carmen had said that she’d seen them with Myne and her dragon, but to get the additional confirmation left her unsure yet again of what she was going to do.

Tsugua then sighed. “Look, I am not your enemy. I am not going to send you back to your families or have you arrested. There is no point, and I’m sure that you are aware that there is little cooperation between the cities beyond trade agreements. Not to mention that there is more to both of you than meets the eye. You both bear their marks.”

Petunia turned again to stare at him. “What do you mean that we bear their marks?” she snapped. Not the best way to respond, but he was causing her a lot of stress, and right now she wasn’t handling it well at all.

“Touché. Exactly that. Call it an instinctual awareness on my part, but it is there. Perhaps you should ask them yourself when you meet them again.”

“That is not something that a Channeller can just pick up on either,” Carmen stated casually. “I suspect there is much more to you as well.”

That was not something that Petunia had heard. Either Carmen knew more than just the common knowledge, or she was deliberately probing based off her own instincts. Or perhaps it was just her audacity showing through. Growing up hadn’t really tamed that aspect of her it seemed.

“Fair call. Careful, but not too restrained in what you say. I like you.” Tsugua grinned.

Carmen rolled her eyes.

“What do you know of these people?” Tsugua then asked, obviously not finished with the topic.

“Less than you think,” Carmen answered. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be here. The latter of the three you mentioned, assuming that they are indeed the same people, is Myne. She called her power the Hellfire, and she hails from the Innerlands. She is powerful. Fast, strong, and her fire will eat anything. Just waltzed her way into the Peacekeeper barracks, and uncovered something that the nobility will probably try and forget if they ever find out about it.”

Tsugua looked contemplative as he digested what she’d said. Petunia turned back to the road, bringing her legs up against her, staring back along the road again. The satin of the dress felt nice against her skin, and it was by one of her favourite designers, but she suspected that this would be the last one that she ever got to wear.

“The other two are also dangerous,” she grumbled, mostly to herself, but loud enough that he’d be able to hear above the sounds of the engine, “and most definitely not normal.”

Petunia flinched as she felt magic wash over them. Deliberately not masked or subtle, shouting its presence. From a source that was very powerful, and dangerous. In the distance she could see a small group of vehicles coming in their direction. Tsugua swore behind her.

“Catlin, get the others to return now, and not to engage under any circumstances.”

“No, I’m serious. There won’t be anything left of them otherwise.”

“I’m fine. Hopefully. I’ve been given a lift. A rather curious couple.”

“No, they aren’t a threat.”

“What’s going on?” Petunia looked at Carmen. She had an amused grin on her face as they watched the vehicles ahead suddenly stop and turn around, heading back towards the city. Carmen mouthed Myne at her.

“Stop the van please,” Tsugua said, his voice indicating that it wasn’t really an optional request.

The van shuddered to a halt. “You have some care for your team then,” Carmen stated as she turned the engine off, grabbed her katana and hopped out of the van.

“You’re the better driver I assume?” Tsugua asked Petunia as he got up and also made his way out of the vehicle. “I doubt you would have made it this far with her driving the entire way.” Petunia just smiled at him as she also left the vehicle.

The road had been steadily climbing for a while as it worked its way to the fortress city, the shadows now long as the sun threatened to dip below, out of view. Petunia had never seen the city, but it was apparently built into the side of the mountains and overlooked a shear cliff, the large sheltered cove at the bottom serving as a defensible harbour. In fact the entire coastline in the vicinity of Caylinhold was high and rocky cliffs, but fortunately the road was still a ways from the edge of the it. It was never a good idea to have a key road in a position where it could just collapse and fall away. The smell of the sea salt was still strong though.

Carmen looked like she was relaxed, but Petunia knew that she was nervous underneath the facade. Tsugua looked like he was on edge. Petunia did up her jacket, and walked over to them. She still didn’t know why exactly they had stopped, and what had made the Channeller so panicky, but it was obviously connected to the magic that she had felt.

Her eyes went wide when a sudden gust of wind battered them and a deep shadow went over them, the largest creature that she had ever seen flying over them and out to sea before it circled around and headed straight back towards them. It was indeed a dragon, and it was massive, just as Carmen had described. Terrifying, but also kind of beautiful, in a strange way. The dragon swooped at them, Petunia stepping back defensively, before it seemed to vanish in a puff of mist, three figures dropping down to the ground. Two rather gracefully, the final one seeming to take pleasure in creating an impression in the ground as she impacted. Dressed in a back and red armoured bodysuit and boots, she fitted Carmen’s description of Myne, a small dragon sitting on her shoulder.

The other two she recognised instantly, the girls from Cannonsgate. The ones that she had had treated with such contempt and jealously. They seemed even more beautiful and confident now, and she just stood there confused. She could sense that Tsugua had started to say something to Myne, but she wasn’t registering it, her entire focus on the girls. Emotions warred inside her, tears welling up and pouring down her face. She clenched her fists, and took a couple of steps forward.

“It’s all your fault!” she screamed at them at the top her lungs, before the tears took her over, he body racked by sobs. The two girls looked at her confused, and then looked at each other.

“You did this to me!” she sort of managed to wail in between the sobs. “Why!”

“All I did was heal you after you and your men tried to defile us,” the taller of the two said softly, taking a step forwards towards her. She then halted, surprise on her face. “Oh!” she exclaimed quietly.

“My life got ruined because of that encounter!” she continued, the floodgates opened. “I’ve lost all that I had. Everything. Become one of them.” She almost spat out that last bit, but she couldn’t. She was one of ‘them’ now, and she was well aware that the discrimination was because of fear, of jealousy.

“I hate you. Hate you, hate you, hate you,” she screamed at the top of her lungs, before collapsing to the ground, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. “I’ve even started liking what I’ve become!” The readiness and certainty of the vocal admission surprised her, but it was true. She had actually become quite proud of her new body, her time travelling with Carmen just reinforcing that sentiment. Especially her ears, that she had initially tried to rip out. Was it the magic making her so she didn’t know, but deep down she was grateful for the acceptance. She was after all so much more than what she had been before. The last few days she could even feel the magic flowing within her, a sensation that she had never experienced before, and one that she would never give away now that she had.

“Maybe I’ve just been hating myself, what I was beforehand,” she then mumbled quietly, letting the tears flow freely, her ears drooping over in reflection.

“Umm... I’m sorry I guess, for what you’ve lost. We didn’t know that Dragon would intervene, but we couldn’t let you die. Yet what you tried to do to us...”

“A cruel irony indeed, yet she has been gifted so much more than she deserved.” Petunia didn’t recognise the voice, so she assumed that it was Myne saying that. Now she just wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear.

She felt a warmth and a familiar magic as one of the girls leaned in to give her a comforting hug. Yes, she didn’t deserve it, but she most certainly needed it right now. She leaned into the hug, her head against their shoulder, her body still racked with sobs as she let it all out, everything that she had held tightly within herself ever since that encounter. Letting it all go in an unstopping flood.

Crystal looked over towards the other two people from the van. She vaguely recognised the lady with the katana, as one of the hit squad members that had been there when they’d departed Brightswater. Myne had called her Carmen, but the other, the Channeller, she was completely unfamiliar with. He’d only managed a preliminary greeting before the screaming had cut him off.

“I didn’t quite expect that,” Carmen said as she looked over at Petunia, looking slightly embarrassed. “Did you two actually do that to her? Make her a touched?”

“She’s not a touched. She’s... more than that. And yes, it seems so,” Crystal replied. The Progenitors of Dragon title suddenly made a lot more sense, especially with the Ancient telling them that, yes, they had indeed being the source of her change. What did worry her is that the title applied to both of them, and Crystal had no idea why that was so. She had never attempted to heal anyone. Hopefully though it didn’t happen every time the did try and heal someone. That would be rather inconvenient.

No.

Just in certain circumstances.

The man cleared his throat, before he spoke again. “As I was saying, my name is Tsugua, one of the Channellers of Caylinhold. I would appreciate it if we could talk about what is going on with respect to Odinsphere and what intention you have with regards to well, everyone else.”

Myne gave him a wicked grin, Tsugua flinching, though holding his ground rather well. “Ah yes, you were the one who contemplated trying to kill one of us with your toy. A rather deadly one at that.”

Tsugua gave her a hard stare. “How the %$#@ did you even sense my magic?” he questioned defensively, obviously annoyed at whatever Myne had sensed. “It’s not like I actually did anything. Wouldn’t have done with the result that it gave me. Not to mention you toasted my ride.”

Myne shrugged. “Payback for the slight. I’m sure you can build another one. I’ve seen a similar ability, and your type can be rather dangerous.”

“Not to you it seems.” Tsugua then motioned at Crystal. “She wouldn’t have even taken a scratch.”

“They’re an exception to a lot of things it seems,” Myne said, giving him a curious look. “You might be a more reasonable man than I had first thought however. You did send your comrades away.”

“No sense in wasting lives.”

“If you say so. The other one’s listening in, isn’t she?”

Tsugua blinked. “Yes, Catlin is.”

“Do you want to hold the talks here now, in your fortress, or aboard Odinsphere? We have no ill towards you at all, but I’m guessing that you probably want to have some sort of official discussion, as one sided as it will end up being. At least you don’t appear to be as stupid as Bowser, which is a good thing.”

Tsugua paused, looking like he was just about to say something. Possibly listening to whatever reply Catlin had for him.

“Where is the other Channeller?”

“Did the message from The Watch mention a Channeller?” Myne sighed.

Tsugua nodded.

“He’s not a Channeller, at least not in the sense that you think of them, but I think you’ll find that much is not as you expect. These two young ladies here,” Myne motioned to Crystal and Rachael, “are as much Channellers as you are in some respects, but not in others, with their ability to mess with the leylines. Clocky is in Odinsphere at the moment I believe though.”

“Your actions have been playing havoc with the lines flowing through are city,” Tsugua stated.

“It could be much worse,” Crystal interjected. “Landscaping is very much a real side effect, and it’s only happened the once.”

“How would we get to Odinsphere if we hold the talks there?” Tsugua asked.

“Skimmers. Flying vehicles. We have some useable ones. Dragon back isn’t for everyone. You might even get something out of the visit.”

“Give us a few minutes to think about it,” Tsugua stated, walking off to the side of the road, standing in a shadow.

Myne turned to Carmen, the girl suddenly becoming visibly nervous. “Have you decided what you want to be?” Myne asked her.

Carmen appeared to mull over her choice of words for a minute before she answered. “Be my own person. Not bound to my family, and able to protect those that I care about.”

“And where will you go from here?”

“Gods know. The world is a vast place, and I know so little of it. My current aim was just to find you. After that, I have not thought on at all.”

“Then I have a gift for you. Once forged into an ancient weapon, it has chosen you.” Myne held her hand up against her chest, a flame forming in it. Unlike the flames of the Hellfire, which were a dark black and red, this flame was an intense black, with small stars seeming to dance within. She held her hand out to Carmen. “It is yours to accept or reject. Know that there will be changes.”

“What changes?” Carmen asked, stepping closer, her eyes on the flame.

Myne just shrugged. Tsugua’s eyes went wide as he watched, his conversation with Catlin temporarily on hold. Crystal could feel the magic within the flame. It was potent, so much more than what Carmen already possessed.

Carmen tentatively reached out, taking the flame into her hand, the magic readily making the transition. She held it out in front of her, staring at it for a moment, before she brought it up to her chest, and then pushed it in, the flame disappearing into her body. For a moment nothing happened, and then her body pulsed, her body wreathed in the black flames, before they then flowed back inside her, Myne stepping forward to catch her collapsing form.

“She’s probably going to be out for a bit as her body adapts to the new magic,” Myne commented as she picked her up in a princess hold.

“That’s probably the only time you’ll ever see something like that happen,” Myne said to the still agape Tsugua. “Free magic like that is incredibly rare. Have you made your decision?”

“No. You’re going to take them both back with you, aren’t you?”

“Yes. For their safety.”

“Those creatures are from Odinsphere, aren’t they?” Tsugua then asked, pointing at the cat-foxes.

“Only just noticed us. Quicker than most though.’ Crystal was still amazed at the Arkchildren’s ability to stay out of sight even in plain view.

“Yes.”

“It is going to pass over us?”

“No.”

“Two days then. We’ll have a delegation here ready to go to Odinsphere.”

“Sounds fine to us.” Myne looked at the cat-foxes.

‘Mother sees no issues with whatever you have in mind. She does not fear Channellers. She knows them. Unlike you lot.’ There was amusement in Spectres voice.

Given what they were, and what Odinsphere was, Crystal somehow doubted that they would want to go back empty handed. Especially after the hint that Myne had given for whatever reason. At the least, a working relationship with a Channeller would be immensely beneficial to the Channeller. She wasn’t sure what Odinsphere would get out of it, given that it already had Millie, and she seriously doubted it needed another nor would one be willing to such a role. But you never knew.

“Good. I will see you in two days then, in the middle of the morning. I will take the van, since they’ll no longer have need of it.”

Myne shrugged, Tsugua making his way over to the van. He climbed aboard, the engine roaring to life as it took off up the road.

Petunia looked worriedly over at Carmen in Myne’s arms, her eyes red and puffy from the crying. “Is she going to be alright?”

“Yes. It just takes time. Feel any better?”

Petunia stood up, stepping back from Rachael, and shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m just tired now.” She then looked at Crystal and Rachael. “I know it doesn’t mean much, and it’s well past the point, but I am sorry.” She then looked at the ground. “Please don’t separate me from Carmen. We’re meant to be travelling together.”

“Oh, no worries there, you were always going to be coming with us,” Myne stated with a grin.

mogust

Sometimes things just don't go as you'd expect ^^

Thanks for reading the chapter. Comments always are welcome.

The next chapter (65 - The Summit) will be up tomorrow.

Yeah, it's a shorter author note than normal, but it's late and I'm tired :P