Chapter 65 – The Summit.
Petunia squinted, bringing her hand up over her face to block the intense white light. She was still a little groggy from having just woken up, the low hum that was just audible in the background strange and foreign. Her thoughts were all jumbled, which wasn’t helping either, the stark white walls that she could just make out were not something that she was familiar with at all. At the least the bed that she was on was rather comfortable. Her memories started to settled as she took slow deliberate breaths, trying to centre herself. Lots of driving with Carmen, the encounter with the potential disaster that was a Channeller, and the arrival of the dragons. Then she’d make a huge fool of herself in front of everyone.
Petunia felt herself go hot red with embarrassment, but at the same time she felt better for it. Had she actually finally made peace with herself? She didn’t know the answer to that question, but they had taken both her and Carmen with them. Onto the back of the massive dragon. She didn’t remember much after that. Petunia guessed that she’d probably fainted. Heights like that weren’t her thing. It was very different from the walkways in the remains of the vehicle factory – at least there there were railings to grab onto if you fell. In the sky there was nothing but the void beneath you and the certainty of a fatal impact with the ground. That would mean that she was inside Odinsphere somewhere she guessed.
“How ya feeling lass? You’ve finally woken.”
Petunia snapped out of her thoughts, leaning up and staring across the room as her eyes adjusted. A shortish man was sitting in a chair near the open door of the room, a knife and piece of wood in his hand, which was starting to take the shape of something. Some wooden figurines resembling woodland creatures sat on the small table beside him. He had a solid and stocky build, deep bronze skin, short curly black hair and caring red eyes, and was dressed in a thick singlet top and armoured leather pants. However the prominent feature that her eyes were drawn to were his rather adorable bear-like ears on his head. She sat up, unashamedly staring at him. He was vaguely familiar.
“You’re one of Clocky’s team aren’t you? Vorsce?” she asked. But she was certain that the only Touched that had been on Clocky’s team last she knew was the cat-girl. Her passing interest in Clocky wasn’t the reason that she knew the names of some of his team members she swore.
“That’s me,” he said with a smile.
“But you weren’t always a Touched?” she then asked, the words coming out before she had a chance to think about them properly first.
“Nope. Nor am I now. We’re all something different. You included, Petunia.”
“If you’re not Touched, then what are you?” Selective hearing at its best.
“A bear aspected Other Race.”
“Huh?”
A young black haired, black clothed girl poked her head in the door. “He’s a teddy bear! He just doesn’t want to admit it.” she exclaimed, before she then disappeared again, giggling to herself as she waltzed down the hallway outside the room. Vorsce shook his head in defeat. Petunia had no idea who that was, probably another member of the team she guessed.
That did kind of fit him though. Vorsce did indeed look all comforting and cuddly. She’d quite happily snuggle him. Petunia felt herself go hot with embarrassment again. What was she even thinking.
“How?” was all that she could manage, as she tried to reign her thoughts in.
“Blessed by the Ancients is probably the simplest explanation. Surely you’ve been able to sense that Rachael and Crystal aren’t human any longer but something much more. Perhaps that’s part of why your original encounter with them went the way that it did.”
“Yeah.” Petunia stared down at the floor, as spotless as the walls, but a dull grey instead of white, her ears drooping. He knew about that too.
“It’s the same for the rest of us.”
“She looked normal though...” Petunia commented, referring to the girl who has passed by like a whirlwind.
“Looks can be deceiving. Saylin was also changed and has magic. We all do.”
Petunia was getting the strong suspicion that there was a lot more that just that, that was more that what it seemed.
“Ancients?” She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, yet he’d thrown out the term like it was just another everyday word.
“The tip of the iceberg of what you don’t know. We’ll give you a lesson on the secrets of the mess that you’re now in the middle of once your companion wakes up.”
“Carmen! Where is she? Is she alright?” She had forgotten about her briefly in the haze of waking up. Petunia spotted Carmen just as Vorsce pointed in her direction. She was lying on one of the other beds in the room.
“She’s fine. Her body’s just adapting to the gift apparently.”
Petunia hopped off the bed, and skirted over to Carmen’s. She’d been laid there, her katana at her side. Her breathing was soft and regular, a smile on her face. Petunia was glad. She hadn’t been sure at all what to make of it when she’d glanced up from Rachael’s shoulder to find Carmen taking the flame into herself, and then being wreathed in them. Myne’s words hadn’t been that reassuring, given her dominating and terrifying presence.
“How long before she wakes?”
Vorsce shrugged. “Hopefully before the Channellers and their people have their audience.”
Oh yeah, that. She wasn’t really looking forward to that either, if they even had to be involved in the first place. She couldn’t see any reason why they even should be. It didn’t concern her or Carmen at all.
“So, what will you do with us then?”
“Do with you?” Vorsce chuckled. “You’re not our prisoners or anything. Myne brought you here so that Carmen could recover. After that, it’s up to you.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure if she could believe that or not, but somehow, with the words coming from him, she thought that perhaps she could.
“You’re free to do what you want, now that you’re awake. Not sure how much exploring you’ll be able to do – that’s up to Odinsphere, but the common areas are all fair game.”
Even though she had apologized, and the girls seemed to have accepted it, Petunia wasn’t sure if she was ready to run into Crystal and Rachael any time soon. The memory of the battle and everything that had happened since was still fresh and raw, though strangely Rachael had been somewhat comforting during her meltdown, and she had no clue why. She was curious though, about something that had been mentioned. She also realized that she had absolutely no idea what Odinsphere was, other than the massive floating sphere, but it’s inside thus far wasn’t too intimidating.
“So I can look around?”
Vorsce nodded. “Yup.”
“Can I have a look at those vehicles that they mentioned. The skimmers?”
“Yup. Do you want me to show you where they are?”
Petunia nodded. “Yes, please.” She was feeling a little awkward, but wasn’t going to complain about his company.
“So, exactly how are we going to cross the ocean? We’re not dolphins.” Crystal stared at said ocean, the waves rolling in and crashing across the golden sand of the beach. A stiff wind was attempting to assault them, the smell of salt and seaweed strong.
“Hopefully on the deck of Odinsphere, the work already done,” Rachael commented, standing directly behind Crystal, her arms draped over Crystal’s front, hands wandering. “We might be able to use the magic of the Tempest Storms to reinforce the leyline for crossing,” Rachael then mused.
“Think we might be able to get the arrays to manifest in the air?” It was certainly an option if they could get it to work, and there was a lot of power there. As long as it didn’t overload their arrays, which they’d probably need to reinforce even further.
“I don’t see any reason why not,” Rachael pondered. “The mana density would be pretty intense.”
Crystal nodded, continuing to stare out to sea, and enjoying Rachael’s warmth. They’d come back out to the lands edge as part of their double checking of the route. They had time on their hands, not wanting to and not needing to do much more with they leyline till after the ‘talks’ with the Channeller from Caylinhold. Nothing of course had changed from last time, not that they’d expected it to, but they were forming a clearer plan of what they were going to do in the coming weeks.
She wasn’t completely sure how accurate the month time-frame that they’d originally been given was either. Odinsphere was moving faster than in the original calculations, but the route at that point hadn’t been set in stone. A guesstimation really then. Crystal reckoned that it’d still be another two and a half weeks before they reached the coast, and then there was the water crossing into the Tempest Storms after that, which would be inching it ever so closer to a two month total time frame.
Crystal sighed. She’d just be happy when it was all over. It wasn’t just that the sifting of leylines was tiresome and boring, it was also the stress over what lay at the end of it all. Velvet’s return wasn’t going to be straight forward she was certain, not with what she had been shown at the temple. A lot weighed on them. It was depressing what effect that kind of pressure could have on a person.
“It’s all going to work out,” Rachael whispered into her ear.
Crystal turned herself around, holding tight onto Rachael and planting her lips for a deep kiss.
Yeah, one way or another it would.
“You look absorbed. Very much in your element.”
Petunia jumped, startled, banging her head against the open panel of the skimmer.
“Ow, ow,” She wined as she pulled herself away from the side of the skimmer, closing the panel as she did so. One head injury was more than enough. She hadn’t heard Carmen approach at all. Petunia pouted at the amused grin on Vorsce’s face. He could have warned her, but then again the result would have probably been the same.
Carmen looked good. Well, healthy and well. There was nothing off about her at all, and if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes she would have disbelieved that anything had happened to her.
“How are you feeling?” Petunia asked, resisting the urge to just gush over the skimmers with Carmen. There was a time and a place for everything, but these vehicles were nothing short of amazing. There were cars, and these were leagues above that. That Vorsce had offhandedly mentioned that she might have the possibility of being able to pilot one eventually, a strange voice emanating from who knows where agreeing, added to the appeal.
“Groggy and exhausted, but I’m not going to sleep the entire day away.” Carmen made her way over to one of the crates beside the skimmer, sitting down. She was still wearing her heavy boots, yet she was making no noise at all as she walked. Just like in the factory ruins. “You actually look happy for a change,” she then commented.
“Oh, umm. Skimmers!” Petunia motioned to the vehicles around her. That was why of course.
Carmen laughed. “So, whose this? Your guard?” she asked, motioning to Vorsce.
“I’d be Vorsce,” Vorsce stated. “And as I said to her, you’re not prisoners or anything. She wanted to have a look at the skimmers, I showed her where they are. According to Crystal and Rachael there are even more interesting vehicles in other parts of Odinsphere too.”
Vorsce then moved over to another one of the crates and sat down. “However, since you are both awake now, we should probably give you a run down of what exactly you have gotten yourselves involved in. I suspect that you’ll be with us for a little while at least, longer if Petunia’s interest is anything to go by. Not to mention that you’ll probably want some basic training in how to use your magic as well.”
There were a lot of people waiting for them when they arrived at the rendezvous point, milling around four vehicles that were parked at the side of the road, the Peacekeeper van included. They had arrived early, a couple of hours after dawn, but it appeared that the delegation of Caylinhold had arrived even earlier. There was no way that they were going to be able to take them all to Odinsphere. They’d only brought a single large skimmer, the one that they’d used at The Watch, and dragon back wasn’t suitable for everyone. Not to mention there probably wasn’t much point. Crystal suspected that most of them were there for show of power more than anything else, which was a pointless endeavour.
Ashling landed just up the road from the delegation, deliberately throwing up as much dust and debris as he could, and then just sat there in his full form as Crystal and Rachael dismounted, Hope and or Fairweather manoeuvring the skimmer to land in the space in-between. She wasn’t actually sure who was in active control, the two of them sharing the piloting duties. Fairweather was learning fast, but she had said that as Hope was a part of her life now there was no reason to leave her with nothing to do. She did seem rather fond of the fox Arkchild. Myne was powering the skimmer, to save the drain on Fairweather, Clocky having stayed in Odinsphere. The inevitable conversation about what he was was best left for the actual meeting.
Crystal recognised the man that they had met last time, Tsugua, but everyone else present just looked like guards, longswords drawn as they faced towards Ashling. Apprehensive perhaps, but Crystal actually couldn’t tell. They were all dressed identically, long sleeved leather armour that went over the back of the hands, with some metal plates across the chest area and upper legs. Helmets covered their heads, a wave logo on both sides and a scar running along the left cheek section of it, and a mesh neck guard running down their backs. They were also all of a similar height and build, like they were trying to hide someone in their midst.
‘More than like I’d guess. It’s most definitely a certainty. There’s no coincidence here.’
‘Can you tell who?’
There was a pause before Spectre got back to her. ‘It’s hard to tell. As Channellers don’t have their own magic, I can’t sense that aspect of them, unless they use their ability. I am sensing some touched, as well as the presence of technology similar to what Channellers use. Multiple readings, so some are likely decoys.’
“Sheath your weapons dammit.” Tsugua yelled at his men as they approached, Myne also exiting the skimmer. “We’re not trying to start a war.” The guards reluctantly complied.
“I’m really not sure what to make of this,” Myne commented, looking the group over. “Do you distrust us that much that you hide yourself amongst your guards?” She shrugged. “Politics. Never will understand it.”
“Standard precautions,” Tsugua grumbled.
“Whatever. Makes no difference to me in the end.”
“Do you have a name?” Tsugua asked of Myne.
“Myne, of the Innerlands,” Myne said with a grin, releasing a little bit of her aura, some of the guards tensing in response. “That’s Crystal and Rachael, and Fairweather will be your pilot for the day.”
Tsugua seemed unaffected. “Just the one vehicle?”
“Yup. We have a small team. It’s either that, dragon back for the brave and foolish, or staying behind. You can’t all come.”
Tsugua looked over at Ashling with a frown. “Really?”
“Really. The last delegation I had to deal with only had a dozen members, and that was from two separate kingdoms. This is sheer overkill.”
Except in the case that Myne was referencing, a number of the delegation had rather strong magic, and the rest were nothing to sneeze at either. Apart from possibly Senator Carlos. But that was a rather different setting, and not really that comparable. Not that they’d know that of course.
Tsugua sighed. “Very well. Team A and C with me aboard the skimmer. The rest of wait here for our return.”
There were nods of affirmation as the group split apart, fifteen people moving towards the skimmer, Tsugua included. The remainder stayed standing in the same position as they had been.
‘Yes, all the technology is between those two teams,’ Spectre confirmed before Crystal could ask.
“No dragon back?” Myne asked with mock seriousness.
“No. We’ll stick together. Safety in numbers and all that,” Tsugua said with a smile.
“As you wish,” Myne answered, ushering them into the skimmer.
Be it either luck or planning, fifteen was just the right amount to fit into the skimmer, the seats all occupied by Tsugua and his guards, Myne standing behind Fairweather, a convenient excuse given that she would still be powering it. Crystal and Rachael waited until the skimmer had started lifting up off the ground before they made their way back to Ashling, the guards obviously watching them. She had no indication what they might be thinking, their helmets hiding their facial expressions, but they were silent the entire time, which was a bit unnerving on its own. As Ashling launched himself into the air she could see them starting to remove their helmets, which confirmed that they were real people at least. Not that there was any doubt about that.
They followed the road back a bit before ascending up the shallower inclines of the mountain side. If it was just the two of them on Ashling then they would have flown straight over the mountain peaks, but the skimmer wasn’t capable of such flight, so they were going to have to take the longer route back. Ashling was flying a few hundred metres above the skimmer so as to not interfere with it’s flight, the gusts and wind from his wings having proven that they could cause an issue on the trip down.
The road had just disappeared from sight when a chill ran up Crystal’s spine.
‘CRAP!’
There was a deafening boom as the skimmer exploded in a ball of flame and flying shrapnel.
“Fairweather!” Crystal screamed as she leapt off Ashling’s back, wings and tail manifesting as her magic flowed through her. The magical mist of Ashling changing form briefly surrounded her as she plummeted down to where the skimmer had been, her eyes searching for the survivors. There was no way that Myne would have been hurt by that, but as to the others...
It was a mess. Orange flames still licked the ground, the skimmer a complete write off, strewn right across the rocky terrain, no pieces larger than her remaining. Charred bits of bodies were everywhere.
She spotted Fairweather almost instantly, her body completely enveloped in her ethereal violet flames. She was crouched over, up against a larger outcropping of rocks, her back charred and bleeding. Hope was cradled in her arms, some of its scales singed but otherwise undamaged.
“#$^%% that hurt,” Fairweather stated with a grimace. Not usually her choice of words, but the situation warranted it. She also had blood running down one arm, from where she had impacted with the ground.
“Let me have a look at you,” Rachael stated, kneeling down beside Fairweather and placing her hands on the ghostkin-catfolk’s back. Rachael’s hands glowed as she pushed her magic into Fairweather.
“Thanks,” Fairweather said, wincing. “What exactly just happened?”
“That is a very good question.” Myne made her way over, one of the guards slung over her shoulder, Tsugua dragged along beside her with her free hand. “Look at him please before he bleeds to death,” she then asked, letting him go beside the pair.
Rachael nodded, giving a knowing nod to Crystal as she shifted over to the Channeller. There was a trail of blood behind him, his left arm missing at the shoulder and still bleeding badly. The rest of the left side of his body was also burned, though not quite as bad as Fairweather’s back, his breathing shallow and face pale. Rachael laid her hands on his open wound as they glowed the brightest that Crystal had ever seen. Crystal moved her attention back over to Fairweather, placing her hands on Fairweather’s back, and pushing some of her mana into her. Rachael had given her a little training on healing magic in the last few weeks, since it was part of their aspect, but she was nowhere near as proficient as Rachael was. It would help, and could do in a pinch, but Rachael would still need to give her another look. Warriors influence on them probably meant that she would have a much easier time adapting the magic to combat instead, but healing was still an invaluable skill to have, especially because of that.
“What about her?” Crystal asked, glancing at what she assumed was the final survivor, Myne placing her down against one of nearby rocks. Her helmet had fallen off, curly red hair flowing down to her shoulders. Her face was covered in soot, and what remained of her armour was still smouldering in places. Myne not so carefully removed her jacket and pants, burn marks present on her skin where the flames had eaten right through. Her body was fit and toned, and she had a pair of gauntlets on her arms, both rather unique but definitely the trademark of a Channeller. “Is she Catlin?”
“I assume so. The gauntlets aren’t for show. She managed to form part of a shield through them as the blast went off, hence why her wounds aren’t that bad. That and Tsugua did try and shield her from the blast as well, hence his damage. She’s the least wounded of everyone.”
“Apart from you,” Crystal said with a half smile.
“Yeah, well.” Myne rolled her eyes. Crystal dreaded to think what would be required to do some serious damage to her.
“He’s stabilized,” Rachael announced, looking up from Tsugua. “It’s going to be a while before he wakes up, and even longer before he’s moving again. He got hurt bad, much worse than the shattered bones and like that Petunia had. I’ll make another attempt in a bit once his body settles down to what I’ve done.”
“His arms a lot cause?” Crystal asked.
“Yeah.”
“So what now?” Crystal sat back, looking at the others, Fairweather straightening with a grimace and facing them. Crystal had done what she could, Rachael was probably going to be busy for a while.
“We continue back to Odinsphere,” Myne stated. “They’re sending a scouting team this way, but I see no point in waiting for them nor interfering at this point. That blast wasn’t meant for us, we’re just a convenient excuse. We still have a task ahead of us, and these two can provide us with some answers when they wake. In the interim, they’re under our protection.”
“Mind you, they did try and hurt us...” Myne gave a wicked grin as she stood, Crystal feeling a pulse of her magic.
“What did you just do?” Rachael asked, levelling her eyes at the vampire. “I thought you just said that you weren’t going to interfere?”
“Hmm. I believe they’ve just had some engine trouble. That’s all.”
Rachael rolled her eyes. “They deserve much worse than that.”
“Right, now where were we. Ah yes, leaving. Come on Ashling, no lazing about.”
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Damn infighting really escalating something fierce 😱
All is not fine in the Outerlands it seems ^^
Shame about the skimmer. Thanks for the chapter.
Thanks for reading and commenting