Chapter 67 – Engaging Tempest.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” The voice screamed with rage and hate, audible even above the howling of the Tempest Winds and the rumbling of the thunder. Familiar, yet not, but very much physical.
Crystal sat with her back against Rachael’s, her mind groggy and hazy, her body racked with pain, as if an immense amount of power had brutally torn through her, bruising her very soul. Which is exactly what had happened. If it hadn’t been for her bond with Rachael, perhaps they would have both died. She stretched out her hand behind her, feeling for and grabbing Rachael’s hand, Rachael giving her a comforting squeeze.
An unnatural dense white mist surrounded them and out in all directions, crackling with energy, gently flowing in mesmerising patterns, unaffected by the Tempest Storms through which it also went.
“I have done what you promised, but never intended to deliver on. They have made their choice, and you are bound to respect that.” Another voice that was also familiar yet not, spoken softly and quietly, cutting through any noise that would seek to quell it.
That’s right. Choices and promises. What had brought them to this point.
The weather had been absolutely brutal when Odinsphere had finally reached the coast, torrential rain bucketing down, the swelled waves assaulting the beach, tearing rocks and soil back into its depth. Winds flinging the wet sand around chaotically. Erosion at its most obvious. An ominous sign perhaps, or maybe even a side effect of their meddling with the leylines. But rather inconsequential to the floating city.
“Really?” Crystal had stood there, looking over the beach, saturated in seconds, Odinsphere a shadow in the background. It didn’t matter in the end what the weather was, they’d still a task at hand, and they were going to complete it. They were so close to the end that she could practically taste it, and she wasn’t going to let something like a storm delay them. Especially one that had been raging for a couple of days and that they had already waited on for the off chance that it’d finish. But it hadn’t and they needed to do the final boost to the leyline, and they were going to get it done.
“Seems so,” confirmed Rachael. She was oh so very hot, standing there, soaked to the core, staring definitely at the storm, a small smile on her face. It was quite something, passionately kissing your lover while the forces of nature raged around you. An opportunity that you don’t miss.
After having braved the winds of the Tempest Storms themselves during their crossing with Myne, the cyclone was rather weak in comparison. Though that was tempered by the fact that they actually needed to get close to the Tempest Storms anyway, in order to tap into the leyline there. Their observations had confirmed what Arcane had told them, that a rather potent leyline ran through the Tempest Storms, the storms feeding off it. Most of the leylines that went through the Circle Sea joined it, but none actually passed through it, the leyline a termination point, taking but not giving, making it unique in nature. Something that they were about to change, albeit temporarily.
There weren’t any other options either. The Tempest leyline was the only one powerful enough for Velvet’s return, both from Odinsphere’s scans as they’d flown close, and from Arcane’s statements. It was just a pity that none of the other leylines seemed to want to flow close to each other in the vicinity of the coast, acting as if they were scared of what lay in the water. While they could have potentially still dragged them across the larger distances, given that they were going to be needing to tap into the Tempest one anyway, it made sense to just use it to boost the one that Odinsphere was travelling on. No point in doing something that would probably end up being a waste of time, and they were up to the task anyway, as far as they were concerned at least.
Once they had finally parted lips and horns they had flown across the ocean, towards the Tempest Storms, following the leyline, which had taken the most direct route through the sea to the superior line. Like it was being dragged there, now under its influence. Leylines were naturally wide, and the Tempest one was even more so, Crystal and Rachael able to get within manipulation range of it before the winds became too intense. For them at least. If any sailing ships or smaller flying creatures had tried, they would have been torn away. Hovering in the air with Ashling as a wind shield, they both formed the arrays, pleased to discover that Rachael’s assumption had been right. The density of mana was indeed high enough that with the array manifested they were able to stand on it. It made manipulating them that much easier.
They had to do some significant modifications to the arrays this time, as the pulling and dragging was neither viable nor needed. Their understanding of the array, and arrays in general, was now at a point where they were fairly confident that they knew what they needed to do, and if they made a mistake, they had the time to try again. Not that they would need to. Their aim was to use the array itself to pull the mana out of the Tempest leyline into the one Odinsphere was travelling in, and stabilise the flow for long enough that Odinsphere could reach the Tempest Leyline itself. Once close enough, Millie should be able to draw on the power of the leyline herself to power Odinsphere, as per Arcane’s promise to the aspects of Odinsphere, and the arrays would then be unnecessary.
That part of the plan went better than expected. Way better. Activating the array took a lot more power than they had anticipated, but once it flared to life the mana readily flowed out of the Tempest leyline, through they array, and into the target leyline. Perhaps almost too readily, like a dam that had been broken. They scrambled to make some adjustments, hurriedly adding in decaying delays and regulation aspects to it that they’d thought unnecessary, so that they didn’t end up with a repeat of the scar. Not that it would matter under the sea, but it could get rather messy at the beach end, especially considering that the flow here was magnitudes above what had caused it last time. The creation of a new large bay would not be the best start in explaining Odinsphere’s purpose in the area.
Then all that was left for them was to return to Odinsphere and wait for it to transverse across the ocean to the Tempest Storm. And have a nice hot shower. Together of course.
In an unforeseen complication, Odinsphere’s size turned out to be a hindrance in it reaching the Tempest leyline. Crystal and Rachael, and probably everyone else as well, had assumed that with its massive size that it would be easily be able to fly through the winds to the centre or even perhaps through the storm, but it was not so. They were informed by Driver two days after having passed over onto the ocean that Odinsphere had travelled as far as it was able, the engines that powered its movement no longer able to overcome the force of the winds. They were now at a standstill, with the engines still full powered. If it cut the engines, then they would be pushed back.
It did however make Crystal appreciate how powerful Velvet’s familiars were.
Arcane on the other hand seemed indifferent to it, stating that everything would still go ahead as planned. Given what they had managed with it thus far, she couldn’t see any issue with the two of them tapping into the full power of the leyline for the ritual, Arcane providing them with some additional modifications to the manipulation array which she stated would give them unfettered access to it. Looking over it themselves when they returned to the point at which they had tapped into the leyline, it appeared that was indeed what it would do, though only for a short period of time. Combined with what they already had there, it would likely generate a massive pulse of mana. As to how they’d get Odinsphere closer to the Tempest leyline post ritual, or provide it with more permanent access to some of its power, was an unknown at this stage, but a problem for the not too distant future. Arcane had made her deal with the aspects of the city, and Crystal was sure that she’d honour it. Or get them to do so in her stead, given that they were her champions as well.
With no real reason to delay, they set about making the preparations. Not that there was actually much to do. They modified the array to generate the pulse upon their trigger, which would ironically be a pulse of their own mana, specifically keyed to the array, and then returned to Odinsphere. Arcane finally filled them in on the remaining details for the ritual, most of which they already knew courtesy of Velvet, not that they let her know. Crystal and Rachael would be situated on the outer platform of hanger six, with everyone else staying near the back of the hanger, within view but out of any harms way. Myne put up a fuss about this, and after a rather short argument about trust, bonds, and Myne's stubborn nature, Arcane relented, allowing her to stand at the edge of the door to the platform.
All of the arrays were stored in the cat-foxes, no surprises there, Arcane unsealing them so that Crystal and Rachael would be able to pull them out and power them. Citing that they wanted to be properly prepared, Arcane agreed to let them have a look at them beforehand, which they did. The arrays were massive, stretching out deep into Odinsphere and out across open air. Dismissing them and then resummoning them once they were a ways from Odinsphere, they were able to have a decent look at them, much of it beyond their understanding, but nothing obviously detrimental within them. However both of them got the feeling that there were segments of it that were missing, likely hidden somewhere else, the sense mutual across their bond. As to where, they had no idea. Even at this point, Arcane was keeping her secrets. Even from them. Or perhaps, in particular to them.
And that was it. Preparations complete.
They stood on the platform, facing each other and holding hands, the wind rushing past them, the rain still falling in sheets. The Tempest Storms raging on in the background. Soaked to the bone again, their horns glowing as beacons from the ambient mana. Light sat on Rachael’s shoulder, Avain on Crystal’s, which Arcane surprisingly did not comment on, the two cat-foxes at their feet.
“This is it, isn’t it?” Crystal said to Rachael, suddenly nervous, and giving her lovers hands a squeeze.
“Yeah. The dawn of another new chapter.”
Crystal smiled at the irony in Rachael’s words.
Rachael stepped in and gave her a kiss, then stepping back. “Let’s do this.”
‘We’re with you all the way,’ Spectre stated as they sent out their combined pulse of magic along the leyline to the array.
They saw the pulse as it sped back towards them, a bright searing light tearing through the air, the winds dying down for a moment. All of the arrays manifested around them, lighting up the sky and Odinsphere in a rainbow of colours, as they activated secondary ones to pull the mana to them. It came to them readily and hungrily, surging into them with the force of a freight train, coursing through their entirety and beyond, both becoming blinding pillars of light. The pain was intense, and just beyond it Crystal could sense more arrays activating, ones hidden deep with the leylines far beneath them, and in Odinsphere, as well as the ones in Avain, additional ones being channelled through Light and Ashling. Arrays from both Arcane and Velvet, the Sisters of Magic.
“Love you Rachael,” Crystal managed, before she felt her consciousness slipping. That much power was not meant for mortals.
Crystal had thought that she’d black out. Not that you were actually aware of yourself when you did, but the sense of falling into that state was usually there. Instead she felt her sense of self shift, her eyes snapping open. To a possibility.
She was standing in front of a large, opulent temple, high on the side of a mountain. Spires reaching into the sky, mana flowing around its reaches, small dragons flying around its heights. A single statue dominated the entrance, a smattering of pilgrims visible on the path up. A priestess stopped on her way past her, bowing deeply, face flush, before she then scampered away.
Crystal could feel immense power flowing through her. Like nothing that she had ever felt before. The benefit of being her arbiter. Everything felt complete. How it should be. All the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
A massive golden dragon landed beside her. Her dragon, putting even Light to shame. She manifested her wings, settling herself on its back as it launched itself into the sky.
The world was at peace, as it always would be, people content with what they had. Not much had changed, nor would it. A paradise.
‘As it should be.’
Crystal shook her head. There was a slight fuzziness to it, undercurrents that she couldn’t place. Blood lurked in the background, and she couldn’t quite place her finger on something else. She shrugged, the ground flowing by beneath them as they raced across the plains. She had a date with her lover after all.
Her sense of self shifted again, the mana of the leyline still tearing through her. Intense, pulling at the very fabric of reality. Then it shifted again. Another possibility.
Sadness washed over her, as she held the body of one dear to her. A very close friend. One who should not have had to die. Crystal screamed out in grief. One of the many who had fallen here, the battlefield strewn with bodies, the ground a lake of blood. Another battle, and so much senseless loss. She was tired, exhausted, but it was all far from over. Not the first loss, and it would not be the last either.
Rachael leaned over, looking just as exhausted as her, giving her a comforting hug, Fairweather reassuringly placing her hand on her shoulder. A fleeting but appreciated gesture. The others stood by, on full alert. Crystal stood. It was time for them to move on. They moved towards the heavily damaged skimmer that waited nearby.
Great changes had swept the world, and people were not adapting well. Violence and hate were at an all time high, and even their group had been rejected from the last town that they had stopped at. Paranoia at its worse. The number of factions had skyrocketed, as each vied for power and their view of what was right. The balance of power was now even more skewed than what it had been previously. An obvious repercussion when you went from almost none to a multitude.
‘We knew it might be so, but we had hoped.’
It hadn’t just effected this world either, but the other one as well, and with so many marks they felt it clearly.
Everything shifted again, the world fading from view, replaced by a soft darkness that she floated in. She couldn’t see Rachael with her, but she could still sense her through their bond, her feeling reflecting her own.
You must choose.
She sent her decision to Rachael through the link, in a way that only she would understand. She wasn’t quite sure why she knew how to do it, as they hadn’t been able to manage anything quite so detailed before, but she wasn’t complaining. Rachael sent exactly the same message back, well almost, with her own twist on it. Crystal smiled. They were in complete agreement. As she knew they would be. They were soul mates after all.
Crystal waited, feeling the power still coursing through their bodies, growing even more in intensity. She hadn’t thought that even possible.
You have decided?
“Yes.”
Crystal sent out her thought, detailing which of the two she had chosen.
Her sense of self shifted once again as a huge pulse of energy radiated out from them.
The soft darkness wrapped around them, their astral bodies floating together, as the silence slowly cracked, and reality then came rushing in.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” The voice screamed with rage and hate, audible even above the howling of the Tempest Winds and the rumbling of the thunder. Familiar, yet not, but very much physical.
Crystal sat with her back against Rachael’s, her mind groggy and hazy, her body racked with pain, as if an immense amount of power had brutally torn through her, bruising her very soul. Which is exactly what had happened. If it hadn’t been for her bond with Rachael, perhaps they would have both died. She stretched out her hand behind her, feeling for and grabbing Rachael’s hand, Rachael giving her a comforting squeeze. Something that she so very much needed.
An unnatural dense white mist surrounded them and out in all directions, crackling with energy, gently flowing in mesmerising patterns, unaffected by the Tempest Storms through which it also went.
“I have done what you promised, but never intended to deliver on. They have made their choice, and you are bound to respect that.” Another voice that was also familiar yet not, spoken softly and quietly, cutting through any noise that would seek to quell it.
Crystal smiled as she sent her magic into herself, cutting through the fog in her mind, the practice paying off. Not a particularly powerful use of healing magic, but a useful one none the less. She’d need Rachael’s help with everything else, though Rachael was in exactly the same state. And probably doing exactly the same thing. In some areas, they were very much alike now.
“Love you too,” Rachael whispered back. Crystal squeezed her hand in response, managing a happy smile on her face.
The first voice was Arcane, wasn’t it. Or whatever she was going to call herself now. The quiet one was Velvet. Her recognition of it confirmed it to herself, as weird as it was. You knew because you knew. A paradox, but one for another time.
“There was good reason for that.”
“No there wasn’t. Pure selfishness.” Velvet’s voice was far more human than Arcane’s but in it Crystal could sense the connection between the two. They truly were sisters now. Just like the statues in the temple.
“You are all fools.” Arcane was certainly not happy.
“Leave them alone.” Huh. That one was Warrior. He voice spoke of battle, of conflict, and at the same time it was also rather... sexy. That was something that had never been present before, a feature that likely only belonged to a select few Ancients.
“They have the potential to kill any of us.” Arcane wasn’t giving up at all.
“But they won’t. They’re not like you.” Warrior again, her voice floating through the mists.
“Perhaps they won't, but their offspring may not hold the same values.” Arcane, the unrelenting.
“Then that we will face if it ever comes to it. You helped make them what they are, but they are not yours, even if they still retain your mark. You will not take their lives.” Warrior’s voice had an edge of finality to it.
“You have no idea at all what your meddling has caused.” Arcane’s voice was dripping with venom, and Crystal couldn’t help but shudder with fear.
The mist shifted around them, three figures appearing before them as Myne also stepped towards them, the Hellfire burning around her. Crystal and Rachael both turned their heads to the side, looking at them. Velvet and Arcane. There was no mistaking either. They resembled the statues that Crystal had seen in the temple, uncannily so. Velvet was wearing the dress that she said that Myne had given her, bright red and gold, fitting her form perfectly and making Crystal a little jealous. It was indeed a beautiful dress. Dragon armour covered her ample chest and shoulder, and forming knee high boots, her hair glowing a brilliant sun yellow, her body radiating power. Avain was nowhere to be seen, Light hopping off Rachael’s shoulder and flying over to Velvet’s, resting happily there.
Arcane looked like she was almost Velvet’s twin. Almost. Her features were similar, but not quite the same, her face a little more angular and noble, her nose a little longer. Her eyes were solid black, her long hair blood red in colour. Six white angelic wings were held up against her back, the very tip of each feature on them red. She wore a long flowing white silk dress, hugging her top half tightly, and with long slits on both sides from the waist down, her sensual legs on full display. It didn’t really hide any of her body, but that was probably the point.
The last figure was also a woman, not beautiful in the traditional sense, her body lacking the sensual curves. Rather she was fit, toned, and powerful. A face that had seen countless battles, scars marring her features, sky blue eyes that saw the possibilities that lay within. Her hair was a thick deep green, styled in a loose braid starting at the front and running over the top and part way down her back, free flowing hair around and underneath it. Sword earrings hung from her ears, her lips a luscious rose. She wore armour that was identical to Crystal’s, but coloured the same green and black of Rachael’s clothes. Warrior. And Crystal couldn’t help but find that she was rather attractive. Just like her voice.
Arcane stared at Crystal & Rachael. “I had hopes for you both. I offered you everything.”
“And at the same time, nothing.” Rachael glared at her. “You don’t understand us at all. Not then, and still not know. You never tried.”
Arcane tensed, like she was about to try something, then relaxed as more power started emanating from Velvet and Warrior. Myne just remained on edge.
Arcane pursed her lips, and glared at them. “I rescind my titles from you,” she stated, and then vanished. Crystal felt a little something slip away from her. A connection gone, but surprisingly nothing else lost.
Warrior looked a little startled. “Can she do that?”
“Yes,” Velvet replied, her aura fading, and her hair returning to a chestnut brown colour. “An exception, because she is now no longer what she was, and because I share her nature. Twins.” She then looked at them. “It may not be a bad thing though.” Myne also let her flames dissipate.
“Is she really gone?” Rachael asked, a tinge of sadness in her voice. She’d had the bond with Arcane longer that Crystal had, Arcane having shaped much of her life, brought them together, and brought them here.
Velvet nodded.
‘Mother confirms that she is gone. Arcane/Angel has left the building.’ Spectre looked up at her, before climbing into her lap.
“What just happened?” Crystal asked, looking at Warrior in particular. She got Velvet and Arcane, as that had been the point of the ritual, but Warrior? “Why are you here, like that?”
“The promise,” another voice stated, as the mist started to evaporate.
Crystal’s eyes opened wide with shock. All around them, everywhere, both inside Odinsphere and outside, just floating in the air, were people and creatures. Multitudes of them. Then one by one they started to vanish, in the same way that Arcane had.
“A connection. A manifestation of our selves, on this plane. A physical body, vessel, avatar, call it what you will.” The speaker was a young looking man, short cut light blue hair with a small pair of spectacles on his nose and a bulky pair of headphones on his head. Something that no longer existed. He held a hardback book in his hand, and was dressed in rather nondescript pants and shirt. “Real, in the same way that you are. Both a blessing and a curse, but a necessity, for the new age.”
“However, for many of us, our power is currently nowhere near that of those that have had the connections for a long time. Even for those with rather broad definitions. Just born, as it were.” He stopped, and gave them a bow. “On behalf of us all, thank you,” he then said, before also disappearing.
You have done well.
It is all far from over however.
Crystal looked up to see Dragon perched on the outside of Odinsphere above them. His form, wasn’t that big.
It doesn’t need to be.
There was amusement in his voice. So they could still communicate that way, even with their new forms. Dragon gave them a smile, and also vanished.
“Awesome!” Saylin declared, making her way out through the hanger as the last of the Ancients disappeared from the interior of Odinsphere, a number still to go from outside, mostly a silent affair, with only the occasional acknowledgement of their presence. The rest of the team followed her, looks of shock on their faces. No one, not even Crystal, had expected this.
“You, god lady, fix Abigail.” Saylin pointed at Velvet. “Please,” she then added quietly, the words almost torn away by the winds of the Tempest Storm. Which seemed to be weaker than before, or perhaps it was just her. It was hard to tell at the moment with all that was going on, and how she currently felt.
“He said that it has to be you,” Saylin then added.
“Soon,” Velvet replied, instead walking over to Myne and giving her a huge hug and a long passionate kiss. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said quietly to Myne.
“Me too,” Myne whispered back quietly, an unusual tenderness in her voice. Crystal could understand that though. A decade was a long time, to be without the one most important, most dear to you.
Crystal sighed, leaning back into Rachael, pushing what magic she could into her body. She was starting to ache something fierce, and even the healing magic made her feel tender.
“You two will heal fine naturally. You just need to rest. That much power was always going to make you tender, but rest assured it hasn’t done anything detrimental to you.”
Crystal looked up to find Warrior standing right in front of her.
“Thanks for everything.” Crystal said, meaning it. In a strange way, she actually felt quite close to the Ancient. Warrior had been there, right from the beginning, even if she hadn’t been fully aware of her presence. One of those things that she just instinctually knew now.
Warrior gave her a smile, and then knelt down, giving her a passionate kiss on the lips. Crystal looked at her startled.
“Till we meet again. Which we will, though I won’t really be gone either.” Warrior gave her a grin, and then vanished as well.
Crystal tried sending a confused thought in Warrior’s direction. However it actually worked. The intent was probably what mattered. Usually Warrior had just communicated when she had seen fit.
reasons.
Yup, she was still there, something akin to amusement in the voice. As well as something else.
She sighed again, the bond stronger than ever. Tiredness started to take her over, Crystal shifting around to face Rachael.
“Yours always,” she whispered to Rachael, snuggling up close and wrapping her arms around her.
“As I am yours,” Rachael replied, hugging her back and kissing her horns.
“Even if someone else also seems to have the hots for you,” she added with a chuckle.
[[Arc 4 end.]]
Patreon
That one was Warrior. *He* voice spoke of battle,
Missing an 'r'
Arcane/Angel has left the building.
Lol 🤣
heehee
Arcane was ejected.
Loved it. Can't wait for what's next. But please don't burn yourself out writing, you have talent, and the technical ability to go with it.
Thanks for reading and the kind comments
Glad that you've enjoyed it.
Thanks for the chapters!
Thanks for reading and commenting
Thank you for this story. So well put together
You're welcome
Thanks for reading and commenting, and I'm glad you've been enjoying it.
Wow! What a great way to end the arc, truly world-changing!
Now I have even more questions!
The gang keeps picking up companions. I wonder if the group will eventually split up to follow different goals? I'm sure Myne sees her job as done and just wants to spend some time relaxing with Velvet.
Though I wouldn't be surprised if Velvet has different ideas and will rope her back into the action eventually.
Now that Millie's able to draw power directly from the Tempest leyline, will Odinsphere begin to repair itself and become fully operational? A massive highly advanced city floating in the sky surrounded by a perpetual magically-powered storm out at sea has "adventure" written all over it.
Looking forward to seeing what Ueana is up to. Onward to the next arc!
Glad you enjoyed it
The gang is indeed rather large. They've already split up once (Alison and Dudley have gone their own ways for the moment, though they aren't out the picture - expect to see more on them at some stage), and it's highly likely that will happen again, just as much for character reasons as for logistical ones. I made a list of everyone who is on Odinsphere for the beginning of the next arc (5), and it is large (fifteen people were present on Odinsphere when the arrays were activated). They won't all be journeying together though; at the least Catlin and Tsugua have their own agenda in mind, and Carmen and Petunia have to work out what it is that they want to do now.
Myne will just be wanting to spend time with Velvet now, as will Velvet with Myne, but things have also got a lot more complex for them. Things are not the same as they were (though their love for each other is still strong and true), and they do have their own things to deal with as well. I'm sure that Velvet will be wanting to stay out of the public eye.
As to Odinsphere, it certainly has a massive power source now. The question is, how much was Arcane hiding from the aspects of Odinsphere? As you've probably guessed from what I've already said, arc 5 of the story will be looking at that somewhat ^^
Thanks for reading and commenting. It's always nice to hear peoples thoughts, and I'll often provide some tidbits as well ^^