Consensus Breaking (The Auran Chronicles Book 2) (6 page)

‘So, do you actually know where we are?’

Barach led, Seb and Sylph near-jogging to keep up as he powered down a wide corridor. They’d left the building housing the business area behind now, and although Seb couldn’t see it, his popping ears told him they were descending, even though they weren’t moving down any obvious decline.

‘No idea,’ he replied honestly. ‘We came in via the home stone.’

‘Of course. You’re in Manchester. King’s Street to be exact. The ground floor of the main building functions as a merchant bank for our business arm. The rest is kept for more,
traditional
purposes.’

‘A public face for the Unaware, eh?’

‘Regardless of what others might say. We need the Unaware. We sell our skills and abilities, even if they don’t know our true nature. It allows us to prosper amongst them.’

‘We’re going down now though, aren’t we?’ There were no windows in this corridor, just a plain beige wall with strip lighting that hurt the eyes.

‘It extends several floors below ground, ending at the Junction. You can’t see it from the outside of course. Just ancient illusions hiding what’s going on.’

Seb nodded, thinking back to Skelwith. When he’d first looked at the place it had appeared as a ruined church. When he’d become Aware he saw it for what it really was, and the illusion had vanished.

Eventually the decline stopped and Barach pushed open a set of large double doors at the end of the corridor.

‘Wow, just wow,’ Seb heard himself say.

It was a giant square, like one he’d expect to see in the city. In the centre, a small garden, intricately maintained and full of colour, encircled an ornate fountain that fired dazzling displays of water into the air. Benches and tables extended from the garden, where what appeared to be quaint cafes and bistros attended to a clientele that clearly did not want for money.

‘This is just, unbelievable,’ Seb said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious in his scruffy clothes.

‘This place is called Central. Many of the Aware, and those Unaware who are part of our world, come through this way. It’s a hub for those privileged enough to know the true nature of reality. A lot of money travels through here.’

‘I can see that,’ Seb said.

Several of the people frequenting Central had slowed to observe the new arrivals. All bar none seemed to be dressed to the nines in designer gear, many showing the tell-tale signs of the surgically enhanced. Several were Aware, but their connections to the Weave were weak compared to him.

They hurried through Central towards a wide arch that descended downwards. Seb was pleased to make it this far, the early wonder of seeing Central had quickly vanished under the almost pitying gaze of its inhabitants. They looked down on him and Sylph. They didn’t need to say it, and he didn’t need to read their minds. It was written all over their faces.

The descent levelled out onto another floor. This one seemed more functional than aesthetic, with muted blues and greys covering the walls and minimal attempts at aesthetics. Several other archways led out from here.

‘Right, this is where you’ll be spending most of your down time,’ Barach said. ‘Up there is the privileged place for those with the power and the wealth. Down here is where the real business happens. The stuff that warrants our particular talents.’

They moved further into the plaza. There weren’t as many people here, but unlike those above, these were all definitely Aware. Unlike the above, none of them spared Seb and Sylph a second glance, although several gave Barach a curt nod of respect if they caught his eye.

‘Down there is the Dome, basically a large training facility for all our members. Through there,’ Barach pointed down a wide corridor where several people seemed to come and go from, ‘are the living quarters. Your rooms will be down there along with the canteen, stores and so forth. In the opposite direction there is Operations.  You will go through there for briefings with your coterie. It links down into the Junction.’

‘Junction?’

‘A network of portals that link the headquarters of all the Families.’

‘So you can get to the other Families from there?’ Seb asked.

‘Yes, but you can’t just rock up and go through. Family relations are formal, and although the initial Families that alighted upon this world decided it was best to remain linked in this way, modern attitudes are not so enlightened. If you try and venture through a Way that leads to the other Families without the right approvals, you could be shot, or worse.’

‘Sounds lovely,’ Seb said, sarcastically.

Barach led them straight on, down towards the Dome. It became obvious instantly why it was called such, the passage opening out into a wide platform that looked down on a cavernous room. Running tracks circled the outside, and Seb caught sight of at least one gunnery range and several matted areas clearly designed for other types of physical training.

‘What’s that?’ Sylph said as they started descending the metallic steps that led down to the Dome’s floor.

‘What?’ Barach followed Sylph’s pointing finger. Seb did too, and then saw what she was looking at.

Odd.

A separate building, with wooden frames and paper walls nestled against the far side of the Dome. A separate garden surrounded it, complete with a running stream and tiny red-painted bridges that crisscrossed the different segments of the garden. Surrounding the building stood several bronze warriors modelled in the same style as the samurai statues that had greeted Seb when they’d arrived via the home stone.

‘Ah, that is Enzo’s place. He insisted that we recreate part of his home here, if he were to agree to join us.’

‘Enzo?’

‘Weave trainer for the magi. A great man, if not a little eccentric.’

They walked between the mats. On either side security forces engaged in training activities. Some practiced hand to hand combat, others focused more on endurance building, clambering across obstacle courses designed to increase strength and agility. None of the security forces were Aware, and even though they were no doubt fit for someone not touched by the Weave, they still seemed awkwardly slow to Seb.

‘I can see why they wanted Cade,’ Sylph whispered as they went past.

Eventually they stopped at the end of a ramp that crossed the stream surrounding Enzo’s house. A woman was coming the opposite way. She had blonde hair tied back in a bun and ice-blue eyes. Barach half bowed as she stopped before them.

‘Mistress Nina, it is good I found you, I bring with me the girl I told you about.’

Nina turned her ice-cold eyes to Sylph, who to her credit met the stare with a gaze equally unyielding.

Nina’s gaze faltered, her thin lips curved into a smile and she let out a delighted chuckle.

‘Oh, I like this one, I like her indeed. Barach was doing you a disservice when he described you,’ she said, holding her arm for Sylph to take.

‘Go on,’ Seb whispered, ‘we’ll catch up later.’

Seb watched as Nina led Sylph away, the older woman chattering away like the two had known each other for years.

‘Nice woman,’ Barach said. ‘Utterly lethal killer, though.’

‘That’s…nice.’

‘Come on, I need to get a move on. I want you to meet your coterie; they’re waiting for you.’

Seb stopped. ‘What, I’m joining them today? My first day?’

‘Archmage Sedaris is keen for you to get started straight away. Training is one thing, but real-world experience is something else entirely.’

Barach carried on walking, Seb followed, suddenly feeling very nervous.

‘And besides, you need to see first-hand the results of your actions.’

Barach led him back out of the Dome and back through Operations. For some reason Seb had imagined this would be like some kind of military command centre filled with giant computer screens and consoles stuffed with different coloured buttons, but in fact it more resembled the offices he’d seen above, albeit more rundown and with many more cobwebs and dust.

An elevator waited at one end, flanked by two security guards dressed in grey body armour. One nodded and swiped a card over a glass panel at the sight of Barach, and the door slid open a few moments later. They stepped inside. Another man was in there, stood behind a trolley filled with an array of cleaning products. His face was weathered to the point of leather, and his eyes had the rheumy look of the very old. The man grunted in acknowledgement as Seb and Barach took up position on the other side of the elevator.

‘Cranks,’ Barach said, nodding at the man.

‘Barach?’ Cranks replied, his face scrunching up like a new-born mole. ‘Is that you?’

‘Yes, Cranks,’ Barach sighed, ‘and don’t pretend you’re
that
hard of seeing. I know you’re old, but you’re not totally infirm.’

Cranks grunted and mumbled something uncomplimentary under his breath.

The lift opened and Cranks shuffled out into a corridor that seemed lit with the barest number of lights to be able to see. The door slid shut. Cranks vanished from view.

‘Caretaker.’ Barach said.

‘Huh?’ Seb replied. Something had rippled up his spine in that moment. It felt as if someone was in the lift with them, but both his eyes and his
sense
revealed nothing.

‘The walking corpse you just saw. Cranks.’

‘Oh. Right,’ Seb replied, still distracted by the disconcerting sensation he’d had of being watched. It had faded now, but his nerves still tingled.

They descended further. The lift doors opened, revealing a wide cavern that had clearly been carved straight into the earth. Powerful lights illuminated the steel platform in the centre. Smaller platforms jutted off at regular intervals from it, each ending in a large, metallic ring that was embedded into the rock.

The first eight rings, four on either side, had armed guards flanking them, impassive faces regarding Seb and Barach as they walked past.

‘These? They lead to the other Families?’ Seb said, slowing as they came past the last of the eight rings. This one had two guards, but the ring itself was barred with crisscrossed sheets of metal.

‘They do.’

‘What’s with that one?’

Seb pointed at the sealed ring.

‘It leads to the Ninth,’ Barach said, not slowing.

‘Why is it sealed like that?’

‘Later.’

They left the eight rings behind and descended another set of metal steps onto a large circular steel platform. Another set of metal rings stood at regular intervals. These were much smaller than those they’d just left. All but one was inactive, just metal rings allowing a view to the rock behind, but it was the one at the far end that caught his attention more than anything else. Surrounded by four other magi dressed in civilian clothing, the plane of the portal shimmered like the surface of a pond. An image popped into his mind.

The entrance to the Nexus.

‘This is a Way,’ he said.

‘They’re
all
Ways, Seb,’ Barach replied.

The four magi turned as they approached. Two men and two women. One of the women, tall, blonde and almost Amazonian in build, stepped forwards. Her face was like stone, her lips thin, pressed together. Seb felt her light
sense
as she approached. He resisted returning the favour. He’d seen what these magi were capable of already. Thankfully, whatever she’d received back seemed to please her, and the icy veneer dropped as she stopped in front of him, a grin spreading over her face.

‘Seb,’ she said, ‘it is you?’

‘Have we met?’

‘No, sorry, but your reputation precedes you.’

‘Oh,’ he said, ‘
that.’

The woman frowned. ‘Why the glum face? We all know what you did. You were damned brave if you ask us.’

Seb dared a lookup. The other magi behind were nodding in agreement. ‘Really? But Sedar --’

Barach coughed.

‘Sorry,
Archmage
Sedaris said that what I’d done had caused all the shit that’s going wrong now.’

‘Ignore him,’ the woman said. She leant closer, ‘but don’t tell him I said that. If I’d been in your situation, with your abilities, I would’ve done exactly the same thing.’

Something swelled inside him. He felt his cheeks lifting as a smile formed. ‘Really?’

‘Really. Now, with that out of the way, shall we make our introductions? We have to get going shortly and it would help if you knew who you’ll be working with.’

‘Of course!’ Seb felt taller now, as if a weight had been lifted somewhat. He’d assumed that this would be another welcome like he’d received at the Magistry when he’d turned up there, a lost soul with a secret message. Apparently this wasn’t the case. He stepped forwards, taking in the other magi who smiled as they held out their hands in greeting.

‘Anna, before you engage in all the pleasantries, can you ensure Seb gets to meet Enzo before the day is out. The Archmage is keen that he catches up as soon as possible,’ Barach said.

Anna gave a mock courtesy. ‘Of course, Barach, I shall take him there myself.’

‘Good.’ Barach turned back to Seb. ‘This is where I leave you, boy. Now, work hard, keep your head down and listen to what Anna and the coterie have to say. Okay?’

‘Okay,’ Seb replied.

Barach gave Anna one last curt nod before stomping back out of the Junction.

‘Ignore him,’ Anna said, ‘he’s nice really, just really dedicated, you know?’

A thought of Cian flashed to mind. Seb smiled. ‘Yeah, I know the type.’

‘Anyway, to introductions,’ Anna motioned him towards the other magi. ‘The small one with the grey hair and goatee is Grim. He lives up to his name in all aspects, including personal hygiene. The lady there is Alex. The tall guy, well, tallish guy with the red hair is Jaden.’

Seb shook each of the magis’ hands in turn. All seemed genuine, none of the distant aloofness from the Magistry. Even Grim managed a smile. ‘And you are?’ Seb said, after all the greetings had occurred.

‘I am Anna. I lead this particular coterie.’

‘What is it, a coterie, really?’

‘It’s how magi group together. We combine our abilities, enhancing their effects. It increases the effectiveness of our
sense
and other powers.’

‘And that’s what’s happening, I’m joining this coterie?’

‘Wow, you’re quick,’ Anna said, her eyes twinkling.

‘Sorry, I just mean. I’m not trained. Not fully. I have Sentio and Avatari, but I’ve never learned Novo. I never completed my training.’

‘I’m aware. You’re training so far has been…unorthodox. You were expedited weren’t you?’

Seb nodded. ‘They wanted that thing out of my head quickly.’

‘So you learned Sentio and Avatari in what, two years?’

‘About six months.’

Grim whistled. Anna’s jaw dropped. ‘Six months?’

‘Give or take a week, why, is that bad?’

‘Bad? No. That’s unbelievable. You must have some real talent!’

‘I think there were extenuating circumstances,’ he said, trying to suppress the heat in his cheeks.’

‘Nonsense, that showed some real skills there. But anyway, going forwards, I’ll lead your daily
hands on
training out in the field. Enzo will teach you Novo and round-off what you already have.’

‘Oh, lucky you,’ Alex said. ‘Hope you’ve got some good padding there, Seb.’

‘Why do I not like the sound of that?’

‘She’s teasing,
ish.’

‘I see,’ he said, not believing her for one instant.

‘Good. Now, with that out of the way. Are you ready?’

‘For what?’

‘To work, of course.’