Is there something in the sea that makes monsters rush towards it in suicidal abandon? Legendary artifacts that attract or repel monsters are recorded in history, so could the cause be one of those ancient artifacts, perhaps one that sank with Eatuhea?
—Mette Rasmussen, a quote from an interview on “Good Morning Kraej City,” CN5 TV

Asteria

Oren and Katja looked on worriedly as Sofia and I gingerly probed the ancient artifact. We sent anima into its spell formation, but only in short, weak bursts. The spell diagram etched on it lit up each time, giving me a better look at the crucial bits of the shield spell.

I’m screwed.

Last night I calculated the anima needed for the shield. In "Tales of Vesterland," Sofia had cast the same shield spell as her ancestors, but that was hundreds of years ago before Kraej City grew to its present size. The shield Sofia cast only covered the central part of Kraej City. The hero, his companions, and the local monster hunters had cooperated to protect the parts of the city outside of the shield. My plan was to cast a much bigger shield spell, one that would cover the entire city. The anima value I came up with was doable for me, but not for Sofia.

Today I got a closer look at the ancient artifact and realized I’d made a stupid mistake. The notation for the anima had a multiplier that I hadn’t seen last night. The real anima value needed was the value I’d seen multiplied by one hundred multiplied again by one hundred. In short, it was ten thousand times more than what I had calculated.

I could still do it, of course. What kind of world-class overpowered reincarnator would I be if I couldn’t cast a simple shield spell over a mere fifty-six thousand square miles of a megalopolis?

It’s just that this body wouldn’t survive channeling that much anima. It was body-melting time for sure.

Dying was going to be painful. Thankfully, I could use the spell the goddess had used to grow a new body for me. Resurrection wasn’t a problem. I just hoped Seraphiel and the others wouldn’t freak out too much. I mentally patted myself on the back for doing a good job warning them in advance that I was going to be okay no matter what.

“I think I’ve seen enough,” I said to Sofia. “Do you want to try my monitoring skill?”

This morning after breakfast, Sofia had agreed to let me try. Activating the ancient artifact was safer with another magician monitoring her.

“Alright, let’s do five minutes,” said Sofia.

We sat cross-legged on the cushions we’d put on the floor on one side of the ancient artifact. I was wearing my most comfortable blue sweater and a long black skirt. Sofia was in her priestess robes. She placed an old-fashioned hourglass between us then closed her eyes. Anima flared around her.

I kept my eyes open since I was her monitor. I imagined chibis stabilizing her vital signs and mental state. After the sand in the hourglass had run out, I said, “There, what do you think?”

Sofia opened her eyes. Tilting her head, she tugged on her ear as she thought. “I think...yes, let’s do it like that.”

“What’s the situation?” I asked Katja. “When should we start the shield up?”

Sofia and I hadn’t watched the news because we wanted to keep calm. Let the city government and Kraej do their best to prepare for the monster wave. We’d worry about the shield.

Katja and Oren exchanged glances. After whispering to each other for a few minutes, Katja said, “Any time you’re ready.”

Ah. It must have started.

“Thirty minutes then,” said Sofia.

Oren and Katja escorted us back up to the temple. Sofia disappeared into her room. I went to pee and get a drink of water. Since I was all but certain that it was melty body time, I decided to change into my oldest dress from Lieceni that still fit me, the one with the patches. I didn’t want to ruin my favorite clothes.

“Aw, isn’t this the dress you were wearing the first time we met?” said Katja. She gave me a quick hug.

“Is it? It’s from back home,” I said.

“You’re going to be alright?” asked Oren.

“I’ll only be monitoring Sofia. She’ll have to cast the spell herself since only a Parian priestess can use the artifact,” I said.

“Will you be alright?” asked Oren again.

“Yes, I promise I’ll be fine,” I said.

Sofia came out of her room. Her posture was hunched as though she was preparing herself for a blow and her eyes darted around nervously.

“Hey, don’t worry,” I said to her. “Everything will be fine. I’ll take care of you.”

“We’ll stay just outside the chamber since there are still embercats in the maze,” said Oren. “We’ll keep them out.”

“Don’t interfere with what we’re doing inside no matter what happens,” said Sofia. “Casting the spell is going to be hard, and I don’t want you two interrupting us.”

Oren and Katja nodded. We’d discussed this before and, anyway, there was nothing they could do if something went wrong. There was a Kraej medical team on standby in a tent outside the temple. Sofia wouldn’t allow them inside.

“Alrighty then!” I said.

We quickly made our way back to the artifact. Sofia knelt down on the cushion and folded her hands together in prayer. Opposite her, I did the same.

Anima flared around both of us. This time it was so strong that even non-magicians were able to see it. Sofia closed her eyes. The chibis were monitoring Sofia, keeping her calm and her body stable. After a few minutes of prayer, she sent a controlled stream of anima into the ancient artifact. It lit up with a gentle pink glow.

Yes! The artifact had been activated.

I stood up. Time to boogie.

I slammed down a small shield over Sofia so that she wouldn’t feel anything. Oren and Katja turned around in surprise. They must have sensed that something was up. I put the same shield over the two of them.

Oren and Katja were saying something, but I could no longer hear them.

Anima was swiftly filling the artifact chamber, outlining everything in bright golden light. It wasn’t enough. I drew in more and more anima, more than any human body could channel. Sofia was still trying to fill the artifact with anima, but her efforts barely made it glow.

I raised my arms to shoulder height, palms up, and closed my eyes. My body was starting to hurt from the excessive amount of anima I was channeling, but I continued to draw in even more until my body felt like it was on fire. The pain made me grit my teeth to keep a scream in.

An eternity seemed to pass until I had enough anima. Lifting my head to the heavens, I released everything I had. A torrent of golden anima flowed from my body into the ancient artifact.

The bright light had forced Oren and Katja to close their eyes, so I was the only one who saw what happened next. The ancient artifact lit up and sent a blindingly intense golden light into the heavens. The part of the maze’s ceiling above us disintegrated. The pillar of light stopped a mile above the artifact then spread out into a hemispherical shield.

Success!

Now that the spell had been cast, the pain doubled and redoubled. My body fell backward and the shield spells on Sofia, Katja, and Oren winked out. I hadn’t quite melted but my body was done for.

“No!”

“Don’t die!”

“Asteria! Why!”

I must have lost consciousness for a time because when I came to, Oren had my body on his lap and his tears were falling on my face.

The three of them were crying and screaming, but I couldn’t pay them any attention because I was busy rebuilding my body.

“Asteria! Don’t die! Goddess, let her live! I’ll do anything,” said Oren.

Katja and Sofia could hardly speak for crying.

Wait, what did he just say? Oren continued praying to the Goddess, trying to bargain with her in exchange for my life. He kept swearing to do whatever the goddess wanted him to do.

That must be my cue! I immediately cast Celestial Consecration. Now that the goddess’ chosen champion had received her blessing, I could relax for a bit.

I opened my eyes and forced myself to speak. “I’m fine. Let me rest.”

“Asteria,” said Oren. “She’s alive. Get the doctor!”

Katja sprinted out of the artifact chamber.

I gathered the leftover anima in the room and crystalized it to encase my body. Then I cast the resurrection spell. Recovery was going to take a while.

Damn! Seraphiel and those two had better not fall apart while I was in a coma.

That was my last thought before I sank into a healing trance.