Myne calmed herself and concentrated, her focus on the magic around her. She could feel the power of the land swirling around her, caressing her curiously, as she sent her own deep into it, following its flow through its numerous branches. They were all connected she had realized. The natural pools of magic all over the kingdoms weren’t isolated. Rather they were part of a large network that flowed through the land, and Myne was going to make use of that fact. It was taking her full concentration though, and the sensation was very strange. She was using a combination of her sensing and seeking magic, tiny tendrils reaching out everywhere, each sending back some small snippet of information to her. On a small scale it had never been an issue, but as she was currently receiving thousands of tiny little pulses back simultaneously it was almost overwhelming. Fortunately she had had the practice on a small scale, so she was just managing to keep herself together and not pass out. She knew what to filter out and what to pay attention to, so it was like she was staring at a massive map of the lands in her minds eye, little blips showing up whenever she found something interesting.

She had gotten the idea around the time that they had realized that Kyla had also disappeared, Myne unable to find any trace of her using her seeking magic, just like she was unable to do so for Velvet. She was confident that she wasn’t dead, as the seeking magic would have pointed to the body, but they were still very worried about her, given that she had fled in tears following the conversions. While it appeared that Alice had some inkling as to what was going on with respect to that, she hadn’t elaborated much and everyone appeared to be clueless. Which didn’t help much with trying to work out what had happened, but Alice had her reasons. And that in part had led to her current attempt.

While Myne was certain that they weren’t anywhere near the capital, as it fell with in the range of her normal seeking magic when boosted by the pools, she wasn’t going to double check now as the magic there had been fully corrupted. It appeared pitch black and icky to her, even with the nature of her own magic, coiling in on itself, held at bay by the mass of the rest of the network. Myne did not dare send any of her magic into it. It was the work of the Demon King, and she could do without any tainted returns from it. She was also sure that it would grow, fuelled by his actions, and if they didn’t stop him there would be a tipping point where the corruption could no longer be held back and all of the magic of the land would become black. Time was not on their side for this, and she was certain that the massacres of the villages had been part of what had caused the change. Lyrissa had said something about the Demon King using blood magic, and that certainly would be blood magic. What purpose the corruption had was a worry, as well as what effect it would have on the land itself, and she had no clue if it could be reversed. Not a pleasant discovery at the least.

Myne sent her tendrils out further and further, canvassing the entirety of the six kingdoms. She was both pleased and disappointed to discover that the area of taint only existed in their kingdom, a good sign that the other five kingdoms were not suffering the same problem that they were, and perhaps the Demon Kings reach hadn’t gotten that far yet. Of Velvet and Kyla however there was no sign. If they were not in the kingdoms, then where could they be? Desperate she sent out her magic even further, the network responding in like to her, raw magic flooding into the room in which she stood. She was surprised to discover that the network extended beyond the limits of the known world, going through the Outer Sea into a landmass that surrounded it completely, larger than that of the six kingdoms. She hadn’t expected that at all, as history books had said that the sea could not be crossed and there was nothing beyond it. Mind you, Lyrissa had known of history that wasn’t correctly recorded as well, and who knows what other truths were out there to be discovered. And then she found them, deep within these new lands, and not too far from each other either, relief flowing through her body. She felt so much better knowing where they were, even if she didn’t know how they had ended up there in the first place. Actually, maybe she did, at least for Velvet. Her magic must have taken her through the magic network, perhaps to protect her. If she could sense through the network, then there was no reason that Velvet’s magic couldn’t travel along it. Though that didn’t help explain how Kyla had ended up there. They also had no way of getting out there, but knowing where they were was a good first step.

Myne recalled all of her magic, almost missing something important close to home, her focus having been on things further away. As she let the magic fade she clearly felt the presence of a demon just outside the boundaries of the ruins wards, and more much further away. She swore. She had clearly felt the pulse of magic that had travelled through the natural network at around the time Kyla had vanished, and it didn’t take much to guess who was responsible. It was harsh, intrusive and unpleasant, and she wasn’t sure at all what it’s purpose had been. It wasn’t at all similar to what she had just done, although it had given her the idea, but it appeared to have had an unwanted consequence. The Demon King had found them. He hadn’t directly of course, as the wards of the Academia de Magica prevented that, but he would have sensed the rebuff of his magic instead she guessed. Myne wasn’t sure how many locations around the kingdom were like that, but he wasn’t stupid. He’d assumed that they were here, and sent his demons. The last thing they needed with Velvet and Kyla out of the lands, but it couldn’t be helped.

She watched as the last of the magic faded from the room, the soft blue glow slowly dying as the magic went back to lie just beneath the surface, before she summoned Ruby to her. The process of stabilizing the magic of the broken Riders had resulted in more side effects than they had initially realized, more than just their hunger and its associated issues. There was now a permanent connection between Myne and the two others, similar to the bond between a Rider and her dragon. Myne could tell if they were hungry, which had consequently let Myne know when Ruby had finally fed. Ruby though hadn’t divulged from whom she had taken the blood, and that Myne could understand. She could sense where the other two were, and they her, and she could also communicate directly to them, which again they could do in like, though their mastery of it was well below hers. It wasn’t telepathic talking like for Velvet and her dragons, but more like conveyed feelings, and on her side it was almost instinctual. As soon as she had realised that they shared the bond, she knew that she could send the messages.

Ruby turned up at the chamber shortly after, a huge grin on her face.

“We hunt, child?” she asked of Myne. She already knew the answer though, as her summons had inadvertently carried over the intent of the message as well, something that Myne had been unable to separate. Ruby still carried her air of superiority from having been a Lady Knight and being older, even though she was more like a vamperic daughter to Myne now. Their relationship was odd.

“We hunt,” Myne replied, grinning back. She might actually enjoy this.

Fang raced along the metallic corridors of Odinsphere, Kyla riding on his back, lying flat and hugging him close. The ride was a lot more comfortable than she had thought it would be, the impact of each footfall absorbed by Fang’s body. He really was a wonder, and Kyla did not understand at all what he actually was. Yes, he had said that he was a machine of war, but that didn’t really tell her much. He wasn’t of flesh and blood, nor magic, but some kind of technology. Yet he had been aware of her when she had arrived in the Ark, and her magic had brought him to life. He was fast as well, and intimate with the layout of the city, having done something he called ‘syncing with Architect’. When she had asked what Architect was, he had said that it was one of the minds that monitored and looked after the Odinsphere, along with Guardian, Mother, Driver, Engineer, Priest, and Librarian. That was a lot of minds, and left Kyla understanding less of the place than before. Fang had tried explaining to her about who they all where, and what the Odinsphere actually was, but a lot of it she didn’t understand. He used terms that she did not recognise and concepts that were foreign to her. What she had gathered was that Odinsphere had been built during the time of the Great War as a weapon against the Demon King, but he had been defeated before it had had the opportunity to be deployed. Its construction had been completed anyway as by that point it was self contained, and then it had gone to sleep, into a ‘Rest Mode’ as Fang had put it, till it would be needed again. The person who had commissioned it and been heavily involved in its creation, Dr Aranei Mordlaw, had long since passed away, though Fang had said that they still existed within the system, however that worked. Odinsphere ran on the protocols that it last been given, which pretty much amounted to self preservation at the moment. Kyla had also asked why no other animals had been awakened, to which he had shrugged, saying something about a test case. He suspected that she was the first visitor that they had had that the Guardian had accepted, or something.

Following Fang’s awakening Kyla hadn’t been sure what she was going to do next. She wasn’t ready to go back yet, not that she knew how anyway, although Fang had told her that as she had made it into Odinsphere surely she would be able to leave the same way, and she knew deep within herself that he was probably right, even if she didn’t share his confidence. She did however feel more confident to further explore Odinsphere now that she had Fang by her side, as he was a lot larger and more powerful than the spiders. Fang had laughed at her when she had mentioned the spiders that she had fled from, stating that they were maintenance and housekeeping ‘creatures’, designed more for construction work and repairs than combat, though they could be a hassle if provoked. But now that he was with her they would leave her alone, as they would see her as part of Odinsphere. That left her feeling a bit silly about her run in with them, but she put it down to panic. They had been terrifying to her at the time, and even now her skin crawled at the thought of them. It had all worked out in the end though. She might not have found Fang otherwise.

When Kyla had reluctantly admitted that she was hungry Fang had suggested that they take a trip to the outer limits of Odinsphere. Given that it had been uninhabited for so long the likelihood of any food suitable for her having survived was virtually nil, Fang mentioning that all of the auxiliary systems were still offline. However apparently there were birds nesting on the landing platforms, and water naturally pooled around the area as well. Kyla was actually a competent cook, from her life as a slave, so she was sure that she would be able to do something with whatever they found, as long as she could find some form of kitchen. Fang had informed her of those there were plenty. The trip to the outer layer took a lot less time than she had expected. The landing platforms were on the lower sections, and the Ark was also located near the outer layer, so it was just a matter of taking a path that headed up and in, and Fang had already acquired that information. He seemed almost too good to be true, to which he assured her that he had no hidden agenda. He was built to fight and serve, and he was pleased to finally be able to do so.

Their journey ended in a large chamber that was lined on either side with strange looking boxes, massive doors on the opposite side. The boxes reminded Kyla of carriages and wagons, but with no wheels nor mounts.

‘This is one of the hangers, and those are Skimmers,’ Fang informed her. ‘They were intended for the residents of Odinsphere to access the outside world. Some are armed as well as for combat against flying demons.’

‘And those are defence bots,’ Fang continued as Kyla spotted the guardian machines of the hangers. ‘They here to stop intruders breaching the outer layer, from a different branch of research of research to my kin.’

“Are they more powerful than you?” Kyla asked. They looked frightening, and a little silly.

‘Different. In firepower, possibly right at this point in time, but that can be rectified. Their rotary cannons are pretty deadly. Agility, not even close.’ Fang replied.

“They’re not going to wake up are they?”

‘Nope.’

They made their way across the hanger to the doors, Kyla still walking gingery, secretly afraid that at any moment one of the defence bots would spring to life. They didn’t though, and they reached the doors without issue, which opened with a hiss and a thunk as they approached, a swarm of birds flying away in fright. The platform was one giant mess of bird nests and guano, obviously having been used as a nesting ground for a very long time, but it was the view that took Kyla’s breath away. She had no idea how high up they were, apart from it being really high, but it was like the view from the back of Light when she was in flight, the landscape stretching away in front of her, everything so very small. Bathed in sunlight, it was absolutely beautiful. In the close vicinity of Odinsphere was plains, of greens, yellows and browns. Much further out she could see the beginnings of thick deep green forests, as well a snow tipped mountain range. Off to one side, almost hidden behind the mass of Odinsphere she could make out the form of a large city, sunlight glinting off its buildings. She didn’t see any signs of people however, though she wasn’t sure if she would be able to do so at this height. She also didn’t recognise anything that she saw. Wherever they were, she was far from home. It made her miss flying, and made her realize just how much she enjoyed it. Kyla turned her attention to the mess that was the platform. It looked to have rained recently, as there were still some pools of water evident, including some nearer the edges and away from the nests which were her preference, least likely to be contaminated. There were also plenty of eggs, many of which would be fertile, but with a little testing she’d hopefully be able to find some that weren’t. None of the bird had been stupid enough to kill themselves in their panicked fleeing, which was a pity, but at least their eggs were decently sized. She collected some eggs and water in the bowls that she had picked up earlier, and then headed back in with Fang, the doors sliding closed behind her once she was inside. At least she had something to eat now, and it had also confirmed one other thing. The only way they were leaving was via the same way that she had arrived. They were too high up to go out the door without wings.

It took her more attempts than she would have liked to make an omelette, as everything in what Fang had said was a kitchen was foreign to her and it took her some time to get used to it all. She made it eventually though, Fang watching the entire process with curiosity. Once she had fed she found a bed in the same apartment, and curled up on it, Fang lying down beside it protectively. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep, Fang’s presence making her feel safe.

Kyla spent the next couple of days exploring some more of Odinsphere, including the collecting of some more eggs, and a few more trips back to the Ark to have another look at the animals there, which she was still fascinated by. They really were quite different to anything else in Odinsphere, and she spent far too much time staring at them. Outside the Ark everything else was very similar. Whoever had designed this place hadn’t put a lot of thought into variety, but instead focused on making it functional. Which was fair enough, but it made the place boring to her. She did briefly contemplate going back to the shopping district area, but even if as Fang had said the spiders were mostly harmless, she hadn’t quite convinced herself of that. They might not have forgotten that she had destroyed a few of them. At least that was her excuse for the moment. She’d get around to going back there eventually. Anyways, on the other hand she had found a few items of interest that she pocketed from the remains of those who had once lived there. As the residents were long gone she didn’t feel bad about poking through the contents of some of their rooms. While some things disintegrated on touch, other things had survived quite well, and she acquired for herself quite a few items of jewellery that were to her liking. Most of them were also more intricate than anything she had ever seen before, wonders of techniques that were no longer possible. Her explorations were cut short when red lights started flashing.

“INTRUDERS DETECTED AT HANGER SIX. ACTIVATE TEST PROTOCOL ALPHA.”

Startled, and suddenly afraid, she hugged tightly onto Fang.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

‘Someone has opened the door to hanger six from the outside, and Guardian has assessed them to be a threat,’ Fang responded.

“Oh. Is that the one we went out of?”

‘No. That was hanger five.’

“What do we do? Has this happened before?”

Fang paused for a minute.

‘I don’t think so, but I’ll check.’

“INTRUDERS DETECTED AT HANGER SIX. ACTIVATE TEST PROTOCOL BETA.”

“INTRUDERS REPELLED. NORMAL OPERATIONS RESUMING.”

“They’ve been defeated or they’re gone?” Kyla asked as the flashing red lights all stopped.

‘It would appear so. And that was the first alert since the last of the residents died. Guardian’s protocols are still in their test stages! Shall we go have a look?’

Kyla couldn’t think of any reason not to.

The hanger was a hive of activity, which surprised Kyla given how dead everywhere else was. It smelled of smoke, the wreckage of two defence bots lying in plain view. One had been cleanly cut into pieces, while the second one was in multiple jagged segments which had been thrown around, some of which were still smouldering as if it had caught fire. The side of one of the skimmers had been caved in, like something had hit it with great force. Skittering around were dozens of the mechanical spiders, busy cleaning up the mess and attempting to perform repairs on the bots. She hugged close into Fang, hoping that they wouldn’t spot her. There was no sign of any other combatants.

“They all escaped then?” she asked Fang. “They did a lot of damage.”

‘All the damage was done by one person,’ Fang replied. ‘Hold on, I’ll pull up the footage.’

“Footage?”

‘You’ll see,’ Fang stated, as his eyes glowed a greeny blue, and images formed in the air in front of them. ‘From the security cameras.’

Kyla watched on in amazement as the scenes from earlier played out in front of her. Fang was right. One person had been responsible for the damage, and while she didn’t recognise the other two figures, she did recognise her.

“That’s Velvet!” she exclaimed happily.

Velvet had been here, and she looked to have recovered fully. In fact she was using techniques that Kyla hadn’t see before.

‘Someone you know?’ Fang asked.

“A very close friend. She went missing a little while ago. It’s good to see that she is well.”

‘Is she dangerous? Guardian’s worried about her.’

“She’s powerful, and more than just a Rider. She’s a good person though. She saved me after all,” Kyla answered, her tone reinforcing her trust in her.

Fang smiled, zooming on a replay image of Velvet before letting the footage fade.

‘Guardian’s paranoid about her still, though he seems to trust you for some reason.’

“That’s comforting I guess. Has Guardian suddenly become more talkative?”

‘Indeed.’

Kyla took one last look at the scene in front of them before she turned to Fang.

“I think it’s time I headed back to home, or at least tried.” She then looked a little worried. “You can come with me, can’t you?”

‘I am yours now. Where you go I do also.’

Kyla sighed in relief. She liked Fang, and hadn’t wanted to give him up.

The next few hours were spent trying to work out what she had done to get here in the first place. The first walk had been out of curiosity and she was pretty sure that she hadn’t been responsible for that crack. The second walk, which she had formed the path for, had been in a moment of panic. She tried calming herself and meditating, imagining the opening of a gate, and visualizing of the place that they currently called home. She could feel something stirring within her, but that was it. The use of magic was still new to her, and all that she really had practiced thus far was reinforcement. She also tried changing locations a few times to see if that would have an effect, but here everywhere seemed just as good. And then suddenly it clicked, the magic welling up within her, a rift in the air opening in front of her. She jumped up happily, letting out a shout of joy, pleased with herself, before she then climbed onto Fangs back. She didn’t want it closing between them, so they would enter it together.

With Kyla holding on tight, Fang entered the rift in the air, Kyla suddenly hearing the sound of a faint alluring song just as the blackness engulfed them.

mogust

And that concludes Kyla's exploration of Odinsphere for the moment. Will they return at a later point? That is indeed a good question. She returns with good news and more powerful than when she left, though she still hasn't thought on what she will say upon her return.

Myne's leyline seek/sense. It's kinda overpowered, but at the same time also conditional. Will she be able to do it again? Was someone/something helping her with it that time? Both very good questions. At the very least she has also grown in power.

The last part of this chapter will be up tomorrow. I had originally intended to post it as 5 parts, but have changed that to four instead.

As always thanks for reading. It really does wonders for writers, seeing that people are reading and enjoying their work :)