Crystal Doors #3: Sky Realm (No. 3) (17 page)

“Here we go,” Vic said, urging the larger carpet through. Vic saw pale dawn light and puffy clouds, a rising sun glittering off a smooth ocean. It was a different time of day in a different world. And below them was the coastline of an island studded with buildings, a harbor full of ships.

“Bull’s-eye!” he said. “I got us right over Elantya.”

At the back of the rug, Tiaret faced the impromptu crystal door. She raised her arms and made a flinging motion, as if heaving a massive gate shut. The crystal door shimmered and vanished as if it had never existed.

Thinking fast, Gwen yanked open a window to watch what was happening behind them.

In the night sky of the other world, King Raathun and his many muscular warriors put on a burst of speed. They might not understand how, but they seemed to sense that the five companions were about to escape. A few of the violent and unsettled terodax crashed into the lead aeglors, and a brawl ensued. Raathun seemed to be bellowing at them.

Several aeglors and terodax fell, still slashing with swords and battering with clubs. Raathun, in the lead, swept through the space where the rugs had been moments ago. In the silent image, the king of the aeglors let out an enraged cry.

Gwen let the window close.

Vic wanted to collapse with relief, jump up and down, and shout all at the same time. Sharif, however, looking stricken and grim, flew directly down toward Elantya without a word. Vic followed him. He knew they were safe for the time being, but Elantya was still in great danger.

21

AFTER THE ESCAPED APPRENTICES arrived back in Elantya, essential personnel from all over the island were hastily summoned to a meeting in the Pentumvirate hall. Gwen was glad to see everyone arrive so quickly. Vir Questas brought the apprentices’ crystal daggers with him and also returned the unbreakable teaching staff to the girl from Afirik. Tiaret spent the rest of the short wait in serious conversation with Questas and the raven-and-gold-haired Helassa, no doubt briefing them on the various forms of attack Azric could now bring to bear.

When Groxas, Kaisa, and Xandas got there, they headed straight for Lyssandra and enveloped her in a warm family embrace. Admiral Bradsinoreus entered the rotunda with a cluster of his captains. Uncle Cap arrived shortly thereafter, followed by the clanking walker forms of anemonite Sages Polup and Gedup, along with the rebel merlon Ulbar and a handful of his scaly companions. Dr. Pierce rushed to throw his arms around Gwen and Vic and refused to leave their sides even when Vir Etherya called the meeting to order.

Watching Sharif standing erect, silent, proud, and utterly alone, his left hand resting on the hilt of his father’s curved sword, Gwen reflected on the absolute cruelty of a fate that had given him so much and taken away even more. The death of his mother, the murder of his brother, and the indifference of his father and sisters had shaped the young man’s personality. He had built a fortress around his feelings and only gradually allowed a few friends in to see who he really was. Then Piri had been snatched from him in the lavaja fields, presumed murdered by Orpheon, after which the merlons had proceeded to break down the Prince’s haughty, protective façade.

The emotional roller coaster had continued with Piri’s return and the apprentices’ escape from the merlons. Through all of that, Sharif had grown and changed. Then, shortly after learning that he was truly part of something greater than himself, Piri had been taken from him again. And at the very moment that the Sultan had undeniably proved his love for his son, Sharif had lost him forever. Gwen had wept for Sharif and with him — a luxury she had rarely allowed herself — and she wondered how he could hold up under the strain. But when his olive eyes met hers, she saw the strength there.

He moved closer to her on the side opposite Cap and took her hand, and suddenly Gwen understood that her friend’s silence was not part of the fortress he had once built around himself. It was part of the chrysalis in which he was being transformed from boy to man. She also understood that she, Vic, Lyssandra, and Tiaret had been undergoing similar changes, undeniable transformations.

Gwen forced her mind back to the current urgent situation. Vic was just finishing an overview of what had taken place in Irrakesh. Gwen quickly described for the Virs how she and Vic had “forged” a Ring of Might and that they had already discovered some useful new skills. Sharif filled in details of his father’s death, and Lyssandra talked about their escape.

“So,” Vic concluded, “Azric’s going to pull in all of his allies to attack Elantya by sea and land
and
air. We know for certain that he’ll have aeglors, terodax, all of the merlons and any creatures they’ve enslaved.”

“Not all,” Ulbar said. “Many merlons do not follow mad King Barak, and as for his planned attack from the foundations of Elantya, the anemonites and my people have removed every lavaja bomb from the catacombs beneath the island. That is one danger at least that we do not face.”

“Even so,” Tiaret said, “I believe Azric means to attack soon, within a few days at the most.”

“That is a sensible estimate.” Ulbar rippled his headfin. “My scouts report large numbers of Barak’s warrior merlons on the move already.”

“How can we be certain of the timing?” Vir Helassa asked.

“My spies cannot risk revealing themselves too soon, but they will find a way to warn us when the merlon attack is imminent.”

Vir Pecunyas cleared his throat. “But what of Azric’s flying armies? Will they arrive before, after, or
with
the merlons?”

“Maybe we can find out what they’re saying.” Gwen motioned up into the air and a window appeared that showed Azric with several terodax and the king of the aeglors.

After listening intently for several seconds, Lyssandra relayed their words.

“It is time to bring in the rest of your men,” Azric said. “I want them all ready by the time the city is in position by the crystal door tomorrow. We will launch the aerial attacks from here directly through the door. I could transform myself into an aeglor or terodax, of course, but I believe my present form is more likely to strike terror into the hearts of the sages. I am, after all, the most powerful wizard who ever lived.”

The terodax and King Raathun swept their wings wide in salute and took off while Azric tapped the tips of his fingers lazily together. Gwen let the window close.

“This matter is urgent,” Bradsinoreus said, stepping forward. “We must not allow Azric’s forces to reach Elantya by air, if it can be helped. They will be far more difficult to defeat. At present, however, they are bottled up in another world.”

“And the neck of that bottle is the crystal door itself,” Tiaret said.

“So, head ’em off at the pass, huh?” Vic asked. “Kinda has a ring to it.”

“But be warned,” Tiaret said, “I can close the door, but as long as Azric has a Key, he can open it again and again.”

“Even so,” Bradsinoreus said, “we can more effectively defend ourselves
at
the crystal door than by waiting for all of our enemies to come to Elantya.”

The rose decision crystals on the Vir’s carved stone chairs lit in unanimous agreement.

The gold-robed Vir of Resources looked at the other members of the council. “Then it is decided?” Parsimanias said in his clipped voice.

Vir Etherya’s expression was grave. “Yes. The Pentumvirate will take this fight to the crystal door.”

“Ven Rubicas, we will need you and your apprentices,” Vir Questas said.

Helassa shook her head with impatience. “We must bring
all
of our brightest sages, our bravest fighters, our most powerful weapons. By containing our enemies at that crystal door, we will not have to fight them in Elantya.” Vir Helassa stood. “Alert the fleet, Admiral. We leave at sunset.”

ON THEIR WAY TO prepare for their journey, Vic and Gwen stopped by Kyara’s tank with Vic’s father, who had been immersed in his defense projects. Vic knew that he, Sage Groxas, and the anemonites had been working hard on several kinds of weapons. His dad’s design for the pistol-sized crossbow called an arrowpult was popular among civilians. His team had also augmented Polup’s Grogyptian fire cannon, produced hundreds of the weapons, and installed them in several war galleys, in the cliffs on the northern boundary of the harbor, and at other strategic places around Elantya.

“I’m afraid we haven’t had as much time to spend on Kyara as I’d have liked,” Vic’s father admitted. “But think about it — if we don’t save Elantya, we’ll lose Kyara, too.”

“I know, Dad. Elantya first, Mom later.” Vic put his hand in the water and touched the ice coral. “I miss you, Mom. I’m sorry we struck out in Irrakesh. I was hoping that the Air Spirits would be more helpful or that we’d find a clue in the Grand Library.”

“Don’t worry, son,” Dr. Pierce said. “We’ve got a lot more tricks up our sleeves than you think. A bunch of us sages and anemonites brainstormed and came up with a list of possible solutions to this problem. We’re only a third of the way through that list.”

Vic could feel inside him that they would find a way to solve the problem, once Elantya was safe. He gave his dad an encouraging grin.

Gwen said, “Who knows? Since Taz and I are the children of the prophecy, maybe once this is all over we’ll learn that one of our new talents is thawing ice coral.”

Vic shrugged. “Why not? Stranger things have happened. Now let’s go put a serious kink in Azric’s plans.”

22

WHILE THE SHIPS PREPARED to leave at sunset, Gwen and her friends offered to fly patrol around the island on the two magic carpets. Lyssandra and Tiaret flew with Vic on the larger carpet, while Gwen rode with Sharif.

Since the five had hurried back to Elantya and sounded a warning, the already frenetic defensive preparations had gone into overdrive in addition to the battle fleet being readied for departure. Lookout towers flashed signals with quicksilver mirrors and wind crystals.

“We’ve got company,” Vic said. “Look.” He pointed down toward some wavelets well beyond the breakwater, a thick spit of stacked rocks and packed gravel that extended along the outer edge of the deep harbor.

Gwen nibbled at the edge of her lower lip. “Could Azric have gotten here this fast?”

“Not a chance,” Vic said, but his voice was not as certain as his words.

“And Ulbar said his people would send warning, if the merlons were making an all-out assault on the island,” Lys sandra said.

“We must prepare, nonetheless,” Tiaret replied. “I am glad to have my teaching staff again.”

Gwen saw the smooth waves begin to churn outside the harbor. Not far below the five friends, a group of scaly creatures lifted their fin-fringed heads into the air. Their thick-lipped mouths were filled with needle teeth. The merlon warriors bobbed in the water, peering around with wide, slitted eyes.

Sharif and Vic both took their carpets into a sharp climb and hovered high above, watching from a safer distance.

“Good idea,” Gwen said. Tiaret gripped her teaching staff, as if wishing she were close enough for hand-to-hand combat.

Farther out in the water, a sinuous, curving head broke the surface and rose up like the towering neck of a dragon. Gwen groaned. They had battled the merlons’ giant sea serpents before. “Why aren’t they doing anything?” she asked.

From a pocket, Lyssandra pulled a spell scroll that she had brought for the fight at the crystal door. She read it quickly and said,
“S’ibah
.
”
When Vic raised a questioning eyebrow at her, she explained, “Translation spell. I thought it best that all of us be able to understand what the merlons say.”

A gaudily armored merlon male rode a metal plate attached to a chain-mail harness on the back of the lead sea serpent, a green-scaled monster with black leopard spots. Six more sea monsters rose up, each carrying another heavily armed warrior. High-ranking merlons, Gwen guessed.

“There is King Barak,” Sharif said, putting a hand to the curved sword at his side. “I would recognize that mad merlon anywhere.”

“We’ve had more than enough of that nutcase,” Vic said.

Tiaret pointed to a sleek female merlon who carried a pointed trident in her grip. “And Goldskin. I had hoped for a second chance to defeat her.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Vic snorted. “
I
hoped I’d never see her again.”

“Or any merlons,” Gwen added.

Triangular fins sliced like daggers through the waves as sharks circled. A merlon army had indeed arrived — threatening, but not the overwhelming force Gwen had expected for the grand attack.

Though the merlons had brought a great deal of pain and death to the people of Elantya, Gwen could not hate the entire aquatic race. The merlon king was fanatical, but kindly Ulbar had shown them that not all merlons had been corrupted by Azric. Not every sea-dweller wanted to destroy the island of Elantya and kill all air-breathers.

Holding high a long scepter crowned with a spiny metal-plated sea urchin, Barak bellowed in a threatening voice, his words burbling and hissing, “Elantya will fall. We will blast it apart, tear your buildings down, drop every rock into the water. You are all doomed.”

The merlon soldiers swam closer to the breakwater barrier.