Looming Shadow: Journey to Chaos book 2 (5 page)

She left her tent and
saw someone standing about eighteen feet away. The sight was such a morale
booster that she laughed. It was an avian woman – tall and very pale with
purple hair, purple eyes, and white-blue earflaps. She cloaked herself with a
pair of wings resembling a snowdrift and about her waist twisted a water eel
glowing with divinity. She raised a taloned hand and beckoned. Kallen took one step
forward and, all at once, the world changed.

The wind grew stronger,
the snow grew deeper, and the cold penetrated to Kallen's soul. Snowflakes
deliberately blew in her eyes and the chill made them sting. A gust came out of
nowhere and nailed her in the gut. Kallen gasped and fell backwards into the
snow's cold embrace.

 Gritting her teeth,
she clapped her hands and drew them apart to reveal a staff. It was made of
white rowan, had a pommel stone at the butt, and a head shaped like a crescent
moon lying on its side. Inside the arch, her crystal was attached with amber
sap. Two lights glowed from within. She jammed it into the snow and pulled
herself up until she walked above the snow. Brandishing her staff like a plow
and forming a barrier of light at its tip, she pushed forwards.

The pale woman stood in
the distance, staring impassively at the struggling human. She was as far away
as ever and getting further with each step Kallen took. Snow and ice obscured
her from view.

With a deep and chilly
breath, Kallen shouted, “Snow's Tool! I want your power!”

 Tehehe, foolish
child,
a silky cold voice said in Kallen's mind.
You cannot handle my
power.

“I can take anything
you've got!”

Hail the size of
boulders fell from the sky. Kallen pointed her barrier at the assault and
braced herself. It pounded on her barrier like the bolts of an army. Each one
cracked it until one finally shattered it. She fell to her hands and knees and
the last boulder struck the ground behind her. It completed the circle the
others made as they recoiled off her barrier. As one, they grew into
full-length mirrors.
See yourself and despair.
Kallen looked up and her
knuckles turned white: a chimera stared back at her. She looked away, eyes
stinging, and came face to face with another mirror: herself bullying a younger
girl. She shut her eyes and plunged her head into the snow.

Behold the power you
seek. Show me someone worthy of it.

The cold and silky
voice was accompanied by one deep and rumbling. Kallen stared wide-eyed at the
power rushing towards her. A mountain's worth of snow bore down on her.

When Eric heard the
avalanche, he turned around and ran away. Winged Feet gave him just enough
speed to stay ahead of cold, crushing death, but his spell was flawed. It
improved his lungs and legs but didn't account for cold air. Each breath burned
his throat and strained his focus. The avalanche gained ground with every
passing second.

It ran over rocks,
trees, and ledges that Eric was forced to dodge. One rock escaped his notice
and sent him sprawling head over heels down the mountain. Snow punched him over
and over until he soared through the air; he'd gone over a cliff.

“Just like a wooden
boat, support me now so I may FLOAT! AIR DISK!”

Wind gathered beneath
him and he fell on a disk of air. The mage jumped out further as the snow
followed him. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.

Eric watched the snowy
horde continue its conquest and anxiety bubbled in his stomach. If Kallen was
caught in that, then she could be dead or buried. It was a strange feeling; she
annoyed the abyss out of him and yet here he was worried sick about her. The disk
started to shimmer and blink. He scurried back to solid ground before it
vanished.

With the natural
steamroller wiping away all tracks, physical and magical, Eric thought it would
be hard to find her and he was right. For hours, he searched the snowy
blankness without success. His fear for Kallen grew by the second. It was a
pain that filled his heart and anxiety that ran in his limbs. If she were
buried by the avalanche, then she'd be dead by now. Then he noticed something
peculiar.

There were trees in the
carnage with burn marks and animal corpses that appeared charbroiled.
A fire
during an avalanche?
Then he saw a third strange sight and his curiosity
was piqued further. It was a large rock formation that stood in the field of
white. It looked like a horseshoe with a comb-over. Everything within the
circle was scorched black, except the girl at its center.

Kallen was on her knees
and propped up by her staff, unconscious. Her cloak was a solid sheet of ice and
her hood had holes in it. Her coat and pants were streaked with chunks of ice
that looked suspiciously like slash marks. Eric fearfully checked her pulse and
again sighed with relief.

This is why you do
not taunt the ice goddess...

Carefully, he laid her
flat and completed a more thorough check for injuries. As he did, the crystal
on her staff caught his eyes. Inside, there was a purple light chasing an
orange one around a grey, or maybe it was the other way around. Eric had seen
the first light when he originally met Kallen and the orange a month ago, but
the purple was brand new.
Is that the real reason she came out here?

From inside his pack,
he pulled out a bottle of glowing green liquid. Its official name was “Mana
Juice” and it was liquid mana that replenished magical reserves. Eric tipped
Kallen's chin and held the bottle to her lips, careful not to let her choke.
With the additional mana, Kallen's body would heal on its own. His other
potions specifically treated injuries and hypothermia.

 He shifted Kallen into
a makeshift piggyback and carried her down the mountain. He didn't have to
worry about monsters because nothing on this mountain could withstand the
avalanche’s might; nothing except the girl on his back. By the time he reached
the base, she stirred.

 “I feel like a sack of
potatoes,” she said sleepily. “A bridal carry would be more romantic.”

Eric groaned. “This way
is more practical.”

“Safer too if Emily
sees us.”

She wrapped her legs
around his waist and her arms around his neck to anchor herself. Then she
settled her head on his shoulder and shifted into a comfortable position.

“Your walk is too bumpy,”
she said with her eyes closed. “Can't you make a float spell?”

Eric sighed and cast
the spell. They continued like this all the way to Mambi.
I really am her
pack mule...

Somehow, he didn't
mind. It felt...natural. A clicking feeling like when he met her at the New
Scepter Competition. Just shaking her hand created the “missing puzzle piece” feeling.
Now it flowed to every part of him and made him accustomed to it.

Emily was waiting for
them at the gate. She was happy to see them alive and well, but her attitude
swiftly soured. One look at how at Kallen was wrapped around him, asleep no
less, was enough to furrow her brow. Eric laughed nervously and the motion
jostled Kallen.

She shifted again and,
completely by accident, nuzzled Eric's neck. Emily tapped her foot and Eric
hastily explained the situation and proved it by pointing to Kallen's frozen
state.

He carried her to the
local hospital and she was immediately assigned a room. The healer diagnosed
her with mana depletion, willpower exhaustion, and a case of frostbite. When
asked what she had been doing, Kallen simply said, “Collecting data. I have a
slot at the Mana Mutation Summit.”

“You taunted Snol, the
avatar of the goddess of cold,” Eric added. “Why aren't you dead?”

“All right, Eric, since
we are best friends and all, I will give you a simple and easy-to-understand
explanation.” With one hand, she pointed at her chest with purpose. “I'm Kallen
Selios.”

The proud girl was much
cheerier during the last week in Mambi. She claimed to have had a breakthrough
in her research and so the trio had a special dinner to celebrate; genuine home-cooked
food instead of instant ramen. Kallen proposed a toast in which she thanked
everyone who helped her to succeed – mostly herself. Eric groaned, but a smile
wormed itself across his face.

“I would also like to
thank Eric Watley for dragging me out of the snow.” She wrapped her arms around
Eric's neck and stared deeply into his eyes. Eric swallowed convulsively. “And for
saving my life,” she purred.

Eric's face burned,
Emily slammed down her glass, and Kallen cackled. She withdrew from Eric,
leaving him uncomfortable. “And of course, Emily Tompson, for the wonderful
dinner to celebrate my success.” She gave Emily a peck on the cheek, which made
her blush, and Eric choke on his drink. Kallen had another good laugh before
sitting down to eat.

“Ataidar, here we
come!” Kallen said. “Watch your head.”

In ages past, Mambi was
a bundle of houses in the middle of nowhere. Great distance, sheer cold, and
the presence of large monsters deterred all but the hardiest of settlers. Only
once airships became common did travel to and from become feasible. This made
the Airship Dome Mambi's sole link to the outside world.

A grand white/light
blue dome that was wide at the base and became slightly narrow towards the top
fanned out into a cone for larger airships. Snowdrifts settled on its slopes
and were only dislodged when hatches opened. Ironically, the day-to-day
business had nothing to do with the airships inside and all to do with the dome
itself.

A yeti on skis zoomed
over Eric's head and crashed in a landing zone set up twenty feet away. Another
guy, this one human, recorded the distance and signaled the next jumper, also
human. Kallen explained this was Mambi's official sport: dome jumping. They
used to do it on mountains, but the dome was monster-free. Nowadays, the
mountains were only used for “extreme dome jumping.”

A gust of warm air
ruffled them as the glass doors slid closed. Eric spotted inns and hunter
stores in the terminals, but a curious lack of big box advertisements and gift
shops. The closest thing was a monster head declaring a local butcher shop.
So
far north, I guess few companies care
.

The ticketing and
security lines were both empty, but Kallen bypassed them anyway. Off to the
side was a small door guarded by a human and a Fizger. Emily drew a dagger, but
Kallen grabbed her hand before she could throw it.

“Did you forget what
demons are?”

“…Sorry.”

“What are they?”

Emily thus recited,
“Demons are basically intelligent monsters. The difference between them is
precisely this intelligence. Other names for them are ‘beastfolk,’ ‘mana breed,’
‘meta human,’ and ‘
Chliste ollphéist,’
depending on their nature,
connection to mana, and their origin. Intelligent Fizger are beastfolk. They’re
no more dangerous than any given human.”

Emily put away her
dagger and bowed in apology to the Fizger.

“Please forgive me. I’m
an Otherworlder.”

The Fizger nodded in
acceptance.

Kallen showed them her
ID, they nodded, and she passed between them. This was the private airship
hangar. Everyone from the local lord to visiting adventurers docked here. It
was small and bare-boned but brightly lit with floodlights. There were only a
handful docked here at the moment, but even in a crowd, it would be easy to
spot Kallen's. With its golden-brown paint job, it shouted, “Look at me!”

As big as a Threan
trailer, it stood on four hydraulic legs. Slits in the belly around them
implied that they could be retracted while in flight. Expanding from the
center-rear of the ship was a pair of folded wings. Although they resembled an
eagle's, Eric doubted they worked the same way. A segmented tail ending in a
club sprouted from the back and rested on the ground. The face of a lion with a
sculpted mane looked proudly into the distance.  

“Subtle much?” Eric
asked.

“It belongs to my
parents,” Kallen said. “Blame them if you don't like the color.”

“Your parents?” Emily
asked excitedly. “Are they waiting for you at the presentation?”

“Maybe...” Kallen said
with a shrug. “Welcome to
Albatross IX
.”

Albatross IX
was
composed of four main rooms. The cockpit had four seats and a variety of
gadgets, dials, and screens for piloting, all of which was scratched and
chipped and faded. The cargo room contained supplies and equipment and freeze-runed
boxes of monsters. It also bore slash marks, acid stains, and the ambiance of a
dungeon. The final two, a tiny bedroom and living room, contained all the
comforts of home: foldout bed, closet, mini-fridge, microwave, bathroom, and a
computer on a desk. Instead of “worn out” like the other two, the damage here
gave it a cozy “lived in” atmosphere.

“Kallen, is this thing
your home?” Emily asked.

Kallen shrugged. “Why
would someone that's constantly traveling need a house?”

“All by yourself? What
about your parents?”

“My parents don't work
anymore and the other grunts have their own tiny airships.”

“Don't you get lonely?”
The subtext was clearly: “Where are your parents
now
?”

“I wouldn't be...” She
glanced sidelong at Eric. “…if someone joined me.” 

He shook his head. “The
only nuthouse I need to be in is the Dragon's Lair.”

“I'll go with you!”
Emily blurted. Eric looked at her in surprise and she blushed. “Uh...I mean...I
need a steady job and... I might run into Ta-The Trickster.”

“Well...” Kallen slung
her arm around Emily's shoulder and pulled her face close to her own. The move
intensified her blush. “I can't offer you much in the way of pay...but the
fringe benefits are pretty good:  See the world at taxpayer expense, hunt
exotic monsters, and all in the name of science.”

Eric had never seen
Emily light up like that before. The image of her beaming at Kallen while under
her wing burned itself into his memory.

“Deal!”

“Welcome aboard! Second
Mate Emily Tompson. Cabin boy, take care not to break anything.”

“I'm not a cabin boy!” 

Nevertheless, Eric
loaded what little baggage they had between them and cooked the morning's ramen.
Kallen was too busy teaching her new protégée to do anything of that sort.
There were mechanics, navigation, best practices for trekking through hostile
environments, etc. Emily ate it up.

Like all airships,
Albatross
IX
was powered by mana. Panels on its wings and chassis drew mana from the
surrounding area and channeled it to the fuel tank, where it was redistributed
to the engine and basic appliances. In case of an emergency, two tanks of
liquid mana waited in cargo. The airship’s claws allowed it to land on uneven
surfaces but required time to slow down. At the end of the briefing, Emily
asked, “Why's it called the
Albatross
? It looks more like a lion with
wings.”

“Because
Griffin
s
are a dime a dozen and
Sphinxes
are even cheaper,” Kallen replied.
“Seriously, they are. I was amazed at how much make-up they wear.”

Mambi was a small town
on the northern continent of Actrat, while Ataidar was far to the south on
Isaryu, separated from Mambi by the Yuki Sea. With its rough waters, frigid
temperatures, and sea monsters, airships were the safest way to cross it. The
monsters that flew in the air were just as vicious the ones in the sea, but
they were often smaller, and while the winds were capricious, they could be
harnessed for the flying craft’s use. One just had to mind the Roc and fly away
with all speed when encountering them.

Kallen powered up
Albatross
IX
and set a course for the coast. Emily sat down next to her to watch her
and listen to her. Eric sat down behind them both and pulled out
Introduction
to Magecraft
.

What a fascinating
parallel,
Dengel’s voice said.
You need me as much as Emily needs
Kallen.

It’s just my imagination,
Eric thought.
I’m still used to hearing him, that’s all. I wanted
magical company on Threa and so it will fade away in time.
 

 The ship took off,
retracted its claws, and soared away from the snowy city. From above, the
country looked like a single sheet of white in all directions. Even the water
for miles and more beyond the coast was covered in ice of varying thickness.
Kallen explained that Snol favored this place and so it was cold all year
around.

As the griffin-like
ship flew across the ocean, a whale-like ship flew into position over it. The
difference in size was so great it cast a night-like shadow. Eric looked out
the window and saw it open its giant mouth. It swallowed
Albatross XI
whole.
Inside another hangar, hydraulic arms grabbed the ship's wings, neck, and
chassis. When a voice ordered them to leave the vessel, Kallen sighed.

“I don't have time for
this...”

It was with great
reluctance that she lowered the door and stepped out. Eric followed and they
stepped into the belly of a large metal beast. The immediate area appeared to
be a holding cell. It was empty except for a group of sapients with assorted
blades.

“Could you guys shake
me down some other time?” Kallen asked. “I'm in a bit of a hurry.”

“You’re not a slaver,” said
a man at the front. He wore a sleek brigandine and a red visor over his eyes.
His hair was a contrasting blue. “You’re Kallen Selios!” He dug into his pocket
and pulled out a scry made of crystal. “James, smack Jessie on the head for me;
she ID’d the wrong ship!”

“Aye, aye, captain.”

The sound of leather
hitting flesh was heard over the scry.

“I’m flattered you’ve
heard of me, but who are you?”

“I'm Captain Raguc of
Flying
Whale
.”

He clenched his left
fist and a tattoo appeared on the back of his palm: a griffin bearing its wings
and claws. The tattoo faded and he shook hands with Kallen.

“I've heard of you too.
You're a Sky Outlaw that eats ships to avoid boarding.”

“Safer that way for all
parties involved. Are you the captain?”

“
Acting
captain.
The captain is my mother, who is indisposed at the moment.”

“Very well, Captain
Selios.” Raguc inhaled deeply and recited, “As decreed by our mighty Queen Wiol,
the Astral Griffin, Master of the Skies, and Voice of the Wind, and by
agreement in the Avatar Alliance, this is our territory. Neither you, your ship,
nor your crew will be harmed in any way, shape, or form. If I lie, may this
mark on my left hand turn black and kill me where I stand.” 

“Impressive,” Kallen
said. “All that in one breath.”

“Are you actually The Trickster?
It would be just like him to put us off track like this…”

“No, but I’m one of his
followers. Are you looking for slavers?”

“Yeah, the new queen of
Ataidar…what’s her name?”

“Kasile, captain,” a clerk
at his side said.

“Yeah, Queen Kasile put
a bounty on the heads of slavers with a bonus if they’re ferrying elves. We
were on the trail of one when we spotted you.”

“Captain Raguc!” an intercom
blared. “We've found the slavers! Permission to eat the main ship and scramble
the cleaner fish.”

Into his scry, Raguc
shouted, “You’d better be right this time!” To the rest of his crew, he shouted
a mixture of orders and curses. At once, they ran to their stations.

While he ran to the
bridge, Kallen caught up and argued mid-stride. He flashed his griffin tattoo
and, in reply, she showed him her crystal and its three lights. Raguc face-palmed
and waved her off. Kallen grinned and ran towards the deck.

“Kallen! What's going
on!?” The field agent turned around to see her second mate running towards her
and then lurching to a stop, wide-eyed and gasping.

“The guy said it was a
slaver fleet, but there could be Liclis bodyguards or other outlaws.”

Emily’s eyes grew even
wider and her mouth fell open. Kallen looked with longing at the hatch where
the sounds of battle could be heard. Sighing, she put an arm around Emily and
guided her back to their ship.

“Let me explain the
Outlaw section of the International Avatar Alliance...”

  Eric followed the
outlaws out of the holding cell and into a steel hallway. An explosion knocked
him off his feet, but it barely slowed down the crew. They were as organized as
the cells in a body and wordlessly moved to maximum effect despite the
turbulence. Several ladders, many hallways, and countless explosions later, he
finally reached the upper deck.

He slid across it
before grabbing a nearby line. The bitter cold stabbed him as surely as an
enemy. High above an arctic ocean, the air was thinner and colder than anything
on Mount Takij and the deck was slick with water and ice.

Gun emplacements
pivoted and fired mana-based weapons at the enemy ships flying overhead. Solid
beams of mana streaked the skies and fireballs the size of carts lit them up.
Bolts of lightning zigzagged back and forth between the combatants and streaks
of ice added to the natural hazards. Localized air currents downed the smaller
targets but could not affect the large whale. When those targets fired back,
they were deflected by a barrier. Eric estimated over a hundred such
emplacements on the deck alone, excluding the fuselage and belly. They blanketed
the
Flying Whale’s
airspace with projectiles, yet one ship evaded the
flak and reached the ship itself.

“Thunder bolt, make ‘em
jolt!” Eric pointed his staff at the ship. “Stun Gun!”

So busy was this ship
in evading the flak, it flew straight into Eric’s lightning spell. The
electricity channeled through the vessel and overloaded the power crystal
onboard. It crashed into the
Whale
's surface and, even from across the
deck, Eric could feel its heat. Warriors burst from the wreckage armed with
swords and axes and daggers. Charred by flames and with smoke streaking off
their bodies, they charged toward the open hatch behind Eric.

“To speed my journey,
make their vision blurry! Blind!”

Globs of darkness shot
from the crystal on his staff and attached themselves to the enemy fighters.
They yelled in shock and futilely tried to clear their eyes. Eric bashed the
butt of his staff on the deck.

“If steel would now be
ice, and only around these annoying lice, that would surely suffice.
Trackless!”

 A trail of energy
raced to blinded soldiers and enhanced the thin ice already on the deck. They
slipped and stuck fast.