Blademage Adept (The Blademage Saga Book 3) (28 page)

“Time was short,” Reko chuckled. “I felt using your voice would help.”

“It worked,” Kevon grasped Yusa by the shoulder as he released Alanna. “That’s what matters.”

“I saved a few,” Alanna’s voice lifted as she drew a shortsword and a dagger, eyes toward the back of the crystal structure as Kevon backed away.

Large azure dragons, shimmering in and out of view as they blended in with the surrounding crystal, shifted and stood near the clear dais that was the focus of the chamber.

“Well, it’s no safer out there,” Yusa shrugged, stepping further into the room.

The others followed, watching the dragons settle into upright, imposing stances, not straying from where they had been resting.

Not even halfway across the chamber, the dragons standing guard roared, throwing their heads back and howling upward. The deep bellows merged, and changed to a twisted parody of the screeching vortex outside.

“Something is happening,” Yusa and Reko spoke in unison, stopping and motioning the others to a halt.

The dragons quieted, settling back into their state of staid composure. The howl of the wind subsided slowly, ebbing and spiking into nearly discernable whispers.

“Up there.”

Kevon craned his neck to see what Yusa spoke of; a fluttering speck of brown far above, where the twisted crystal became transparent.
Or ends?
He wondered to himself. The cavorting shape whirled and contracted. It seemed to pause for a few moments, before it became evident that it was falling at a tremendous speed.

Scintillating wings of the brightest blue unfurled as the falling figure streaked toward the dais. The attending dragons bowed their heads while the new arrival made half a dozen laps around the room, skimming the outer wall, slowing with each turn.

Yusa dropped to one knee, inclining his head as the strange figure before them alighted between the dragons. “Milady,” he murmured.

Kevon and Alanna bowed, and Kevon stepped ahead, taking in the wonder that stood before them.

“Lady M’phes,” he began and the goddess before him craned her neck to get a better look at him. Her folded wings hung like royal banners behind her, fluttering as she moved. Her talons clacked softly on the walkway beneath her, savage looking claws flowing upward into well-muscled, feather-clad legs that were beyond question feminine.

How is it that I am known to you, yet you are strange to me?
The creator’s beak opened as the thought-runes flowed into Kevon’s mind.

“M’lani bade us find you, ask for your help.” Kevon explained.

M’lani… It seems an eternity since…
M’phes uncrossed her raven-feathered arms, smoothed the orange ruffles on her stomach so that the bright oval of color that extended nearly to her neck was perfectly uniform.
Come closer, servants of Light, and speak to me of my dear sister.

“Servants,” Alanna muttered, straightening and striding forward, nearly passing Kevon.

“Easy,” the Warrior cautioned, taking her hand, evening their pace. “We’re guests here.”

As they drew closer, the size of the goddess of Wind became more evident. Half again the size they’d seen M’lani manifest, her talons were large enough to encircle a full-grown man.

Men,
M’phes thought at them, leaning down as they approached.
Enchantment endures?

“Yes, your majesty,” Yusa volunteered, mesmerized by the blue, gold, and green ovals surrounding her eyes, reminiscent of a peacock’s feathers.

M’lani knows, yet has not told any of us?

“She is trapped in her personal realm,” Kevon explained. “Fearful of L’mort, as she assumed you all were.”

The Plane of Magic has grown darker, I am loath to venture there myself,
M’phes nodded, standing to her full height.
Our brother has always been… Difficult to be around.

“M’lani thinks that L’mort’s influence on the Plane of Enchantment has increased his power elsewhere,” Kevon continued. “She wanted us to bring this news, and this weapon, in hopes of…”

M’phes’s wings extended fully to each side as Kevon touched the hilt of the sword. She recoiled as the magic flowed out of him into the blade, the shock of her sudden movement booming through the chamber. The dragons at her sides stepped forward in unison, fangs bared.

“No!” Kevon raised his hands in front of him, shaking his spread fingers to show he held nothing. “This is what M’lani wanted me to show you!”

Kevon waited a moment before reaching for the weapon again, slower this time. He drew it halfway from the scabbard, then gripped the blade, and pulled it free, offering the hilt to M’phes.

A step off the dais, and a lean forward put the sword, and the rest of the group, within arm’s reach of the goddess. As she reached forward, her nearly human hand grew crimson-tipped talons. Ripples of blue ran up along her arm as raven feathers stood, stretched, and flattened into scales that matched the dragons to either side of her. She pinched the hilt between two claws, and drew back in pain, snatching the blade from Kevon’s hand, sending it spinning to the floor.

The blade whooshed through the previously solid surface as though it was not there.

“It cancelled the magic.” Reko chuckled. “We have another plan, correct?”

I’ll get it.

The platform behind M’phes swirled into mist. The goddess backflipped, flapping her outstretched wings at the correct instant to send her hurtling downward, after the falling sword. The thunder of her exit shook the room once again.

Wish she’d said something to the dragons before she left,
Kevon thought as the two beasts advanced, voicing their displeasure.

Kevon felt the Illusion rune form as the crude replica of M’phes rose from the vortex she’d descended into. “Do you really think they’ll…” Kevon trailed off as the advancing dragons turned to inspect the slowly improving image.

“Doesn’t look like it will delay them for long,” Yusa commented, as one of the dragons turned to look their direction. “We may want to…”

The Illusion and corresponding rune winked out in Kevon’s mind as M’phes, sword clenched in her outstretched claw, burst through the mist and the false image at unbelievable speed, banking around the upper reaches of the main chamber to slow herself before landing in front of them.

My sister’s touch lingers on this abomination,
M’phes’s thoughts reverberated through their minds as she advanced with the blade held before her, arms shifting back to raven-feathered covering as the mental volume of her speech lowered.
I do see that her power has faltered, more than even mine. If she claims this will help restore the balance… Please, continue.
The creator’s claws flowed back to finger-forms as she shrank to merely double Kevon’s height, and handed the blade back to him.

My name is inscribed alongside hers, now. Use them to combat the darkness.

Kevon looked at the sword, and could see no change in the blade, feel no difference with his dulled magical senses. “I don’t…”

M’phes clasped both hands around where Kevon held the sword, and tilted her head to the side, an audible squawk escaping before her thought-runes resumed their thrum.

Truly, you do not. Until then, other measures must be taken.

Releasing Kevon, M’phes turned to the dragons that stood behind the dais. The breeze in the room stilled for a moment, and both roared, advancing toward the suddenly enlarging goddess with thundering footfalls that shook the chamber.

Kevon sheathed his sword, not keen on appearing a threat, or having the weapon fall through the floor again.

Transformed clawed fingers received the catlike nuzzles from first one dragon, then the other, as M’phes hissed in an oddly soothing manner.

The dragons stepped back and lowered their heads. M’phes stretched and fluttered her wings, and the magic in the area shifted.

Kevon felt spiraling proportions of Wind magic restrained further than the restricted magic surrounding either Seat they’d visited crackle and flare into the service of the deity before them. The release of power made him giddy just being so near, and he struggled to keep his eyes open as the spell built.

Twin cyclones enveloped the dragons, the focused vortices building in power until they warped the very fabric of the realm, twisting inward on themselves, folding down to a fraction of their original sizes.

The flow of magic slowed, and the winds fractured and dissipated from around the two light blue spheres that remained where the dragons had been.

Love them as I have, and they shall serve you well.

Updrafts lifted and carried the spheres to her outstretched claws, and she cradled them close for a few moments before turning and offering them to Kevon and the others.

Kevon winced, accepting the first sphere M’phes offered. “I still… don’t…”

A sound not unlike the tinkling of wind chimes filled the air, and Kevon realized the goddess was laughing. He smiled and shrugged, clutching the warm life before him as tightly as he dared.

“I’ll pack this out of here for you,” Yusa glanced at Kevon as he took the other egg from M’phes. “But they’re not going on my boat.”

Chapter 45

“Whoa!” Kevon shouted, tumbling over the smooth stone floor, cradling his delicate cargo close to his chest. He rolled to his feet, and stepped aside as Yusa exploded through the portal, turning to slide on his back, holding the light blue sphere he carried aloft.

Alanna hopped through the blustery tear in the world, shifting her balance, finding her footing, and sliding less than a handsbreadth once she touched down. “Amateurs,” she muttered, watching her companions struggle to their feet.

“You weren’t carrying…” Kevon protested.

“Precisely.” Alanna peered at Jacek. “We’re all here. You can stop that now.”

Jacek groaned and released the magic. The portal closed with a
whoosh
and a whistle.

“How long were we gone this time?” Kevon asked. “And where is everyone else?”

“There has been some added excitement the last few days. The new Riders are training.” Jacek straightened and started out of the room. “Oh, and you were gone three weeks this time.”

“A lot less crowded than when we left,” Alanna observed as they entered the observation shelf above the hatching area.

“All of the nesting pairs have left, the young have taken wing.” Jacek explained. “There is much to celebrate, including your return. Seven new riders were Chosen. Only one aspirant remains for next year.”

“I thought there were only seven Aspirants,” Kevon frowned.

“Yes,” Jacek laughed. “That is an interesting story.”

Frantic shadows smeared across the cave entrance, but were gone before Kevon could turn his head. “Training?” he wondered aloud.

“They’ve been out for a while,” Jacek offered. “They should be returning soon… Are those…. What I think they are?”

“We can discuss that later.” Kevon placed the package, already wrapped in his outer cloak, on the stone bench near another bundle. “Can we find something to wrap the other one with?”

The exhausted Warrior sprawled down next to his cloak on the bench.

“It’s nice to be able to relax without focusing on the medium beneath you,” Reko whispered in Illusion-sound. “I may rest awhile.”

“Magi can have good ideas, after all,” Alanna purred, sliding down beside Kevon, twining her arm around his, lacing her fingers into his hand. “Rest elsewhere.”

Kevon’s laugh died in his throat, as the flight of novice Riders returned from their training. Ashera and Stormclaw led, the Claw of the Riders guiding her steed in a wide circle around the back of the cavern, wingtips brushing the wall before alighting below Kevon and the others.

“Aha!” Flynn shrieked in triumph as he and his griffin touched down, taking the direct route toward the back, the first of the group to land. “Ah… ahhh!” He tumbled over his mount’s head, spinning as he shook free from one of the stirrups a second earlier than the other.

“Flynn!” Ashera fumed. “I don’t care if you bust your head open, but you need to protect your griffin!”

“Sorry, sir!” Flynn hopped up, and extended a hand to calm his now skittish charge. Seconds later, his arms were around her neck, face buried in her feathers as she squawked happily.

The other Riders were filtering back toward Ashera, exuberant chatter mixing with the griffin-noise the chamber had felt empty without.

“Lean more into your turns,” Ashera advised one of her students. “Take a few more seconds to land,” she admonished Flynn. “And you, stop showing off.”

“I fly how I feel,” Rhysabeth-Dane giggled. “
We
fly how
we
feel,” she corrected herself, adjusting the shoulder strap on her riveted plate armor. “Oh!” she squealed, noticing the others watching wide-eyed from the bench. She rushed toward the back, slowing as she reached the edge of the shelf. “Guess what happened?”

“Lost interest in the book, then?” Alanna teased, finishing loading her plate with two slices of bread. “Can’t say that I blame you.”

“No, quite the opposite,” Rhysabeth chuckled, setting her lunch down on the makeshift table in the carved dining chamber. “I’ve gotten nearly all of this set of symbols translated. In just two days.”

“How is that possible?” Kevon asked, sitting down between them. “You’ve spent so much time researching with no progress, then everything makes sense?”

“The second set of runic symbols are more artistic, emotionally charged, than the others,” Rhysabeth-Dane explained, gazing past the others. I couldn’t even catch a hint at their meanings until I flew with Brightwing for a while. The Unbound fly in patterns that reminded me of things I’d seen in the book. Knowing the emotion, finding the context…”

“A language based on the flight patterns of griffin?” Yusa’s face scrunched a bit, then he let out a sigh. “Not the strangest thing I’ve experienced today.”

“Riders are connected to their griffin,” the librarian continued, between large bites of food. “I’m not sure if I feel it more, or less, because I’m a dwarf. The connection is there.”