Bloodlord (Soulguard Book 3) (5 page)

Chapter 8

              "The weapon, itself is a pretty simple design," I said, "The stock is a simple, shaped composite. The Source doesn't actually connect to that part, so the electronics inside are relatively safe from damage on that front."

              Each of them held a black piece of composite, roughly shaped like the stock of a rifle with grips for hand holds. There was a slot on the bottom about three inches in diameter.

              "Inside this piece is the circuitry that makes the whole thing work. There is no access to this part. It's a solid mold around the parts so it's water-proof, shock proof, and all that. You can throw it on the ground and not hurt it. Very durable."

              I picked up the next part of the four parts to the weapon system.

              "This is the barrel," I said, "It's roughly the size of a large shotgun barrel. Maybe a little bigger. It's made of hardened steel. Inside the barrel is a focusing lens. It focuses the three inch stream that is released into the barrel to a one and a half inch stream. This makes the barrels last quite a bit longer, since they don't have to squeeze it down with channeling through the metal tubes."

              "The third piece is the part that is connected to the Source by a shield that is shaped like a six inch soul stream."

              I lit up the shield that had been made by Jacobs. I wanted a Mage to do it and Jacobs was more than happy to do it. It was just a shield tube that fed itself with two small tendrils down into the ground.

              "It wasn't too complicated for our test Mage to build and it serves as a channel for the Source to follow as the weapon is activated. The Source will follow the easiest path when that happens and we just gave it a shortcut."

              The piece looked, like a plumbing reducer, to be honest.

              "It's also made of hardened steel," I said, "and inside is another shield lens. This focuses the six inch down to a three inch as it enters the clip or magazine."

              "Now the most important part," I picked up a combat helmet.

              "Inside this helmet is the key to make the whole thing work. When someone puts on the helmet, the tech inside is scanning their brain and sending an exact replica to the gun. In effect making the gun a living being."

              The guy who had tested the gun for me stepped forward. John Hiner was an ex-Air Force mechanic I had run into some time back. He'd volunteered to test the gun from the beginning and had shot it several times already.

              As I handed the helmet to John, I lit up the shields so everyone could see them. John placed the helmet on his head and held the gun stock. The shield to the clip was still a shield. He then snapped the barrel in place.

              He lifted the clip and slid it into the bottom of the gun with a click. As soon as it clicked, the connection from the helmet to gun reached the conduit to the Source.

              "Holy shit!" Polo said, "Look at that."

              The Source had taken the easiest route to the gun which was the shielded tube already in place. For all intents and purposes the gun now had a six inch Soulstream.

              "Now John tells me it's pretty easy to tell when that happens and it's not too hard to learn to Pull the Source. Unlike a Mage, it's not going to get past the focus and reach the body. Basically anyone can use it, focus or not."

              "Where a Mage can use the Source for all sorts of things, this has just a single way to use it. But an effective way."

              "Fire it up, John."

              As John fired the weapon he braced himself. An inch and a half of pure hell hit the target about a hundred yards out and ripped it to shreds.

              "It's got a kick to it," I said, "He wasn't braced for it the first time he shot it and landed on his ass."

              As he finished firing the gun, John stepped back to the table and unclipped the magazine. As it slipped free the Soulstream was gone, leaving just the shield it had before.

              "That," Marco said, "is impressive. Your first contract will be signed before the day is out."

              "I'll have to put you with Warren Grimes on that part," I said, "I just blow stuff up."

              "I see a rude surprise for the Kresh if we can get these out there in time," Paige said.

              "I certainly hope so," I said, "That's the idea."

              Kyra and several Guards stood at the back of the group. Kyra had a huge grin on her face. We owe the Kresh so much for what they have done to all of us. It's so nice to be a part of the paying back of that debt. A debt of blood and death. This would just be a small part of the Hell I planned to bring to them.

              "You'll have whatever you need," Paige said, "Mages, Guards, just let us know."

              "They'll be paid for their efforts," I said, "Support Mages will be fine and we're about to find out if Guards can make the small shields for the lenses. I'll get back to ya on that."

              "For the actual work we have planned," I said as Kyra approached, "Warren has some guys settin up a holograph projector for the lenses we need."

              "I don't see any reason we can't make these lenses," Kyra said, "The shield around the stream might be a possibility as well. You may be able to use Guards for all of it, with as small of feeders that we're dealing with."

              "Now that would be great," I said, "Our Mages are stretched thin as it is. Speakin of Mages, when are you planning to do the deed and join the Mageguards, Mom?"

              "Hell, Son," she said with a shake of her head, "I'm just a teacher, now."

              "You should come out Sunday, anyway," I said, "You can join the others we're goin to raise."

              "I'll think about it," she said.

              "You should," Paige said, "You are needed where you are, regardless of Guard or Mage strength. And when the ship hits the sand, you're more powerful than you were before. Every bit helps."

              "Not to mention," I said, "if Dad gets mouthy, you can throw him through a wall."

              "Now that is a valid argument," she said.

***

              Sunday was a beautiful, sunny day. Perfect for burning the sky. It never seemed to fail, any time Lyrica or I did this particular act, there would be a lot of spectators. A couple of Senators had actually flown in to see this one.

              "Senator Deacons," I said as Trent's father approached, "How are you today?"

              "Doing well, Colin," he said, "I understand you are doing this ascension process on my boy today. I thought I should come and see it in action. I've heard about it numerous times."

              "He's ready for it," I said, "I wouldn't do it, otherwise."

              "I've trusted you for years, Colin," he said, "I don't see a reason not to trust you now. He trusts you, and I will, too."

              "We're careful, sir."

He nodded and headed toward his seat under a canopy that had been set up for VIPs.

Of course it's dangerous to do what we do but we had a pretty good handle on it since we did this every week. It still looks damned impressive though when one of us Pulls that much power.

The first five of my group stepped forward and my support Mages opened their portals on the tether that we formed between us some time back.

Today there were five of my ten Mages from my own squad. Damaris, Tovah, Rostov, Xhosa, and of course Prada. I felt the Source start flowing into me as I lit the five Soulguards' Streams up, as well as mine.

"This is what I need you to form," I said as I showed them the shield tube that led out of my stream and pointed to the sky. "Don't let any into you, steer it out that tube."

I looked at each, received their nod, and watched all five form the tube I asked for.

"And don't touch it after the Pull until you get some classes in. With the backlog we have at the Academies, You'll just be using the strength and shield benefit for some time."

When they were ready I Pulled gently through their streams and I felt the Source being pulled into my body from the links to my Mages. I don't have a clue why it's like this but it is.

Perhaps there is some sort of balance that has to be met. Who knows, it just is what it is.

After watching to be sure they were channeling the power away from themselves, I Pulled harder.

Soulfire Poured into the sky in five gouts. The harder I Pulled, the larger the gouts of fire became. This time I stopped before they reached the outer limits of their stream to hold the power.

We had learned that a Soulstream that is about fifteen inches in diameter was much easier to learn to use than some of the ones I had done earlier on. A Stream like Gregor's would be a beast to learn to use if you had come straight from Soulguard to Mage.

So that's where we stopped our Pulls under most circumstances. There were a few that we would take further, such as Mom. Her Stream was huge for a guard because of her age. When we ascend an Elite, we tend to take them further.

"Don't play with it or you'll go blind," I said to the new Mageguards in front of me.

"They used to always tell me that," Alex Campbell, one of the new Mageguards said, "It's all lies."

"I don't know," I said with a chuckle, "I heard of this guy over in Scotland..."

Chapter 9

I was back on the dark plains where I had fought the hordes of darkness in my Source Coma.

This time I was not alone. All around me were my friends, my family. All of the people I cared for stood with me on the plains.

The darkness began to close in and I felt immobilized. I couldn't do anything as those on the outskirts of my dream fell away from us into that darkness.

My rage beat at my senses as the darkness grew ever closer. I saw my friends Trent and Mattie fall and I screamed. I saw Rictor tumble into the darkness.

Closer and closer it came and more and more it consumed until it seemed within arms' reach. I still couldn't move and my screams became inhuman roars.

Kharl and Kyra, Paige, Gregor, all fell from the tiny precipice where I was held.

Something cold and hate-filled came out of that dark spot in my soul.

I was staring into Lyrica's green eyes as she fell away from me into that darkness and that Presence inside me came striding out of the dark spot. Every step shook the ground below me and when it stepped forth, Power came with it.

I came awake with power blasting upwards through the roof of the house Lyrica and I shared. My roar of fury didn't even sound human. It reverberated through the cluster of residences where we were housed on base.

It felt like a vice settled around me as Lyrica grabbed me. She grabbed the power I was Pulling and threw it skyward. I finally got control of myself as the dream receded and so did the awful presence of that monster inside of me.

The dream had felt so real but now the cold hate was replaced with shame.

"It's ok, my heart," soft words in my ear.

Her hand stroked the side of my head as I fought with the rage inside me that sprang from the shame of not being able to control myself enough to even have a nightmare.

I didn't know what sparked that nightmare. Perhaps the eminent meeting with Kil'Sin'Deres had done it. But the roof of the house certainly paid a hefty price for it.

"Maybe we should just sleep outside," Lyrica said, "of course then they would get a show from bedtime explosions of one sort and morning explosions of another."

"Wouldn't that look good on a television report?" I said and looked up, "It seems we need a new roof."

"It would appear," she said as she lay back and looked up, "Always liked skylights, though."

***

              "Should I come with you?" Lyrica asked.

              We were in Montana where there still was a Soulguard presence. The Academy had moved back there to train new Mages since there were so many new Mages to train.

              Paige and Gregor were still in Kansas but they had left a goodly part of the Council in Montana for any major decision making. Darrel Barnes was acting as, I guess it would be called Dean of the Academy.

              He hadn't come to meet me, but Sam Keller had been waiting on the edge of the runway as we landed.

              "I think I need to do this alone, Honey," I answered, "He is putting a lot of trust in us not to attack. I should give him the same respect, I suppose."

              "Probably so," she said with a frown, "But I still think you get in too much trouble when you go off alone."

              "You do have a point there," a voice came from our right.

              Sam Keller had walked over from the side of the runway.

              "I'd say he shouldn't even be let out of the house without a chaperone," he said with a grin.

              "That hurts my feeling, Sam," I said, "It cuts me deep."

              "I'm sorry about your feelin, but truth is truth."

              "Amen!" Lyrica chimed in.

              "Et tu Brute," I said.

              "Damn skippy, me too," she said, "but you call me Brutus one more time and it's on."

              Sam laughed aloud, "I certainly miss you two around here. It's just not the same."

              "Yeah," I said, "you just wait till you hear what's in store for you in the future."

              "That sounds ominous," he said with a serious tone, "Is this something I'm gonna like?"

              "Depends on you," I said, "If it was me, I'd be thrilled. But I'm a little nuts."

              "Damn, quit holdin me in suspense," he said, "Spit it out."

              "There's about to be an opening for a very important job," I said, "let's retire to the cafeteria and I'll tell you all about it."

              Fifteen minutes later, as we waited for our food to get ready, I told him what had happened and the solution that Paige had suggested.

              "Ain't that a Hell of a thing," he said, "You're serious about this?"

              "Afraid so, Sam," I said, "I really wish they hadn't Marked those people, but it is what it is and I have a responsibility to them. Paige thinks it is a good idea and we get a whole new army of Soulguards ready to join the fight. Or to hold their ground till we finish here."

              "That involves one great big assumption, Colin," Sam said.

              "Yes it does," I said.

              "Can we win, here?"

              "We have to," I said, "and I'll be going under that assumption until they read me my Last Rites and burn my bones."

              "I see," he said, "I can see where I would be a fair choice for this. I got no family left here, the Guard is my family. Barnes is in a different position, though. He's got family and I don't know whether he would want to leave them behind."

              "See, this is where Paige and Gregor are hashing out details. We're possibly talkin about relocating whole families if it's what they want."

              "I see," he said, "Well, I'm in. But I have to have a lot more detail before I jump in the water."

              "That's to be expected and I'm workin on getting more details about Cerres before this begins. I told Paige I would sound you out on the subject while I'm here."

              "And just why are you here?" he asked, "You never actually said."

              "You probably don't want to know," Lyrica said, "But he's here for a meeting with a very big Demon."

              "Ya know," Sam said as he shook his head, "There was a time I would have thought that was a joke. Then, along comes this kid with the whole Council out to get him. Then this kid stands the world on its ear and kicks it a couple of times to see what he can shake out of it. So, now that statement doesn't even phase me."

              Lyrica's musical laughter brought an automatic smile to my face.

              "So who is this great big Demon?"

              "His name is Kil'Sin'Deres," I said.

              "He's the one you convinced to go back home without fighting last year."

              "Yeah," I nodded, "He's different. I have a feeling I'm about to find out how different he is from the rest em."

              "Let's hope he's a great deal different, then."

              "Speaking of the meeting," I said, "It's almost time."

              "Good luck," Sam said.

              "I'll be watching," Lyrica said, "If he tries anything, I'll be there quickly."

              I smiled at her, "I don't think he came here for a ruckus. But if he did, he'll get more than he bargained for."