Soulbreaker (31 page)

The ability threw him several hundred feet into the air. At his apex he lightened his weight, manifested wings, and guided himself toward the Farlander vessel. As he drifted toward the ship he increased his mass slowly. At the same time he called on the
quintessence
cycle.

His scales burst through his skin, spreading in a rippling, golden wave. The wind was a cold thing, not so much that he felt it, but because he knew how it
should
feel. Tingles raced through him in hopes that a Kargoshi might be aboard the ship. If not, these Farlanders would have to do. When he landed he was like a golden God or one of Hells’ Angels, emerald blue reflecting from his scales as a wave of lightning swept forth, its crackles joined by a hundred death throes.

******

Keedar and Winslow waited on Tiolin’s docks. The wind was a chill creature, whipping the sails and flags. Near two months and they’d heard nothing from Keshka or had any news concerning Delisar. Two months spent traveling and training. Finally, his father had arrived, and aboard a Farlander ship of all things. Keedar braced for the worst.

Dressed in dark fur and leather, Keshka strode down the hauler’s wide ramp. His hair was tied in a ponytail, the whiteness of it standing out against his cloak. Not once did his gaze waver from them.

That grim expression, the tightness behind the eyes, and somehow Keedar knew, he
knew.
A glance at Winslow revealed that his brother must have suspected the same thing. Tears already streamed down his face. Keedar felt wetness on his cheeks.

Keshka stopped in front of them. “I would tell you that you both look well, but that’s not what you want to hear.”

Keedar’s heart lurched, but he allowed himself a trickle of hope. “Greetings, Father.” Winslow offered his own welcome.

“Thanks to the two of you, Delisar was freed from Ainslen’s dungeons.”

The trickle threatened to become a flood until Keedar noted the tears that welled up in his father’s eyes. Yet, Winslow had not scratched his beard. He glanced at his brother to be sure. Winslow nodded. Truth! The words were true! Delisar was free. Before Keedar’s elation swept him away there came a sense of reason, a sense of what Keshka left unsaid.

“Delisar died a free man, not some caged animal. He died a hero to our people, never surrendering our secrets.” Keshka’s voice choked up. “I was too late to save him from his wounds, but at least he passed in my arms.”

“No!” Keedar screamed. “Nooooooo!” Beside him Winslow was sobbing. Numb, Keedar stared in the direction of Kasandar, images of Delisar spiraling through his head. He lost track of time, memories the only things he had. He clung to them, recalling the first days that he discerned his soul, the time in the Parmien Woods when he gained his ability to hide, induced by a derin that had stalked him, a derin that eventually became Snow. There were his falls as he learned how to run Kasandar’s roofs, following Delisar’s path. On and on the recollections swirled, Delisar at his side always. Within them he kept seeing Ainslen’s face. It was not until Keshka held him away and shook him that Keedar realized he’d been in his father’s embrace.

“You mustn’t blame yourself for this,” Keshka said. “You did what you could.”

“I don’t. I blame Ainslen and whomever else held my uncle.” Saying those words felt good. After witnessing the fight between the king and the counts he knew he could have done little to save Delisar.
But at least I tried. I really tried.
He could live with that.

“I bring other news, good news. First,” Keshka said, reaching over to brush at Winslow’s cheeks, “your son, Jaelen, is alive and well. A plan is in place to see that he gets to know you. Second, Ainslen’s fall is all but assured. You two will be key in that. There are several tasks for which I need you here.” He gestured behind him.

On the ship, several crewmembers opened the cargo hold. A bellow, somewhere between a trumpet and a bray, echoed from inside. The ship shook. A massive head with horns and tusks appeared from the hold, followed by a slate-grey body bigger than several
wagons combined. Keedar recognized it almost instantly. Ereskar.

“This is my pet,” Keshka said. “We will have a few more like it, and with it we will wreak havoc on the Farlanders.”

A dozen questions tumbled through Keedar’s head, but he was speechless. He stared as the crew led the beast down the ramp by ropes.

“One more thing,” Keshka said. “You can start calling me by my true name, Tharkensen. Oh, and your mother is alive and well.”

Keedar became numb with shock.

******

Uncle Keshka’s words hit Winslow like a sledgehammer blow. His uncle was really Tharkensen, the legendary Lightning Blade. He did not know what to think, how to feel. On one hand he’d lost a father, but he’d also been assured of his son’s wellbeing, and his mother was alive.

Lys. Elysse the Temptress. My mother.
He savored the words.

He wanted to weep, not just for himself, but for the pain he knew his brother was enduring. At the same time, joy resided in his heart. Even the fabled ereskar meant little in the face of such revelations. Dumbfounded, he barely heard much of Keshka’s words as the old man led them away.

He was a melder. He was a father. He had a real family. Together, they would find vengeance. Those thoughts made the day a little brighter.

I
nto the Farlands

An Excerpt from Etien’s Compendium

Today, our Darshanese vessel made landfall in the Farlands. The trip was a nightmare of storms and giant waves, and we lost several ships to lida seaworms. The wisemen aboard our vessel claim it was only the will of the Dominion that saw us through. I say it was the strength of the wisemen’s melding. The land here consists of baking deserts with fertile patches in between. While it is winter in Kasinia, here it is as hot as our worst summers. We saw a city in the distance and continued on toward it.

Cortens Kasandar leads us. Although not a big man, I can see why so many of the Order believe in him. His persona belies his size. His charges follow him fervently. They swear he is doing the Dominion’s work.

We have been met by the locals. They vary in size and skin color, as do our people, and they had one silver-scaled Dracodar among them. This Dracodar was a slave, confirming stories many thought to be untrue. He carried the bags of the lord, a large flame-haired man named Kierin.

What was even stranger and shocking was that one among the Farlanders spoke our tongue. And no, not just Kasinian, either. We had a few Thelusians and Marissinians among us, and of course, Darshanese. He spoke all their languages.

His name was Akari, and for some reason I swore he was Kasinian. He had our olive skin and sandy hair. I asked the others about it. Everyone mentioned seeing the man differently, but all of them felt he was no threat. He befriended everyone, and I myself found that I wanted to trust him. I concluded that he had to be a Mesmer, that his appearance was a mindbend of some type. I cannot summon
sintu
so I cannot tell if my suspicions are true. When I confronted him over his knowledge, he said he spoke all tongues, that such understanding was a gift passed to him by one of their Gods, Azuth.

Akari was forthcoming on most questions I asked. What we call the Farlands is known to them as Jiantona. He became guarded when I asked after the Pillars of Dissolution. He then had some odd questions of his own for me, about forging and binding, and I was forced to tell him that I was no smith or artisan of any kind. He noted that I was no melder, either.

Cortens took the man from me soon after. The Elder was curious to know how it was that the Farlanders had Dracodar as servants. I have an ill-feeling about it. I will write more when I can.

M
usings on Soul

Excerpt from Etien’s Compendium

T
rying to quantify all the aspects of soul is an impossible undertaking. Mysteries abound that cannot be resolved, and would require the original creatures that we call the Gods to explain exactly how our magic works. Even then, I’m not sure we would discover all the answers. Why? It appears that when the Gods crossed the Great Beyond, they did so because of some cataclysmic event among their kind. As with any such catastrophe, there’s sure to be lost knowledge. There’s evidence in the archaeological digs in the far west, past the Fringes that support my theories. Drawings, glyphs, paintings, ancient bits of architecture, as well as unexplored ruins that would have taken abilities beyond what we possess to create. At times I’m tempted to visit them and then continue on to the Pillars of Dissolution in search of a way past its barrier. There’s a wealth of information and power to be gained on the other side. I’m sure of it.

What we do know of soul magic is limited by what has been passed down from the Dracodar and our own discoveries through experimentation. I will chronicle what I can here. And fill in more as I learn.

Soul or spirit as the Helaganese call it, is energy or essences stored within every living being. It flows around the body in definitive patterns, much like blood. Much the same as the heart and veins control the flow of blood to our body, so does a man’s thirty-two vital points for his soul. Controlling those points and manipulating that energy is what we call melding. However, there are certain criteria that must be met to be considered a melder.

Like many things, the ability to touch your soul and melding can be learned. They can also be induced by a master, but that comes with its own set of risks and a price, the least of which is lesser power, the worst: death. A person’s ability is like any other physical or mental gift, spanning from those who cannot sense their soul to those who have a talent and thus can achieve extraordinary feats. While everyone possesses soul, not everyone can open their vital points enough to activate the cycles, which are effects that govern what you can accomplish with soul.

The detriments to melding are numerous as it affects the internal organs, often in adverse ways. The more violent and active the melder, the shorter their life span. They essentially burn out or destroy their insides. Some tear apart their brains and their ability for coherent thought. It’s not uncommon for a melder to become an invalid before eventually dying.

As of now, there are ten known cycles. The first three are outer cycles, the next three are median cycles, and the last four are the inner cycles. A person must master the first six cycles to become a melder. People can influence others or have a basic skill, but that happens naturally without actually being a melder. Attaining the title of melder means the ability to control all that you do with soul. Here is what we know of the cycles thus far.

1. Sintu – The ability to hold one’s soul steady, making it flow evenly. It stops soul from leaking, creates a nimbus. The nimbus is sort of a container and a shield and helps protect against mental attacks, but not physical. Only those strong in soul can see another person’s nimbus or sintu. It appears in a wavy, white haze like mist.

2. Koren – The ability to stop one’s soul energy, thus hiding it. Helps with aging and fatigue.

3. Tern – The ability to take soul energy from one part and apply it to another, creating less or more soul. When combined with sintu, it can help protect against physical attacks but not mental.

4. Sera – The ability to mentally project one’s soul energy onto another person. Can influence a person’s mind if the user’s will is strong enough.

5. Hyzen – The ability to move all of the soul to a specific body part.

6. Shi – The ability to create a physical or mental effect by distributing one’s soul outwardly. This gives a person a unique skill or a melding. Can also be used to determine if what another person is doing is a meld or simply an effect of a cycle.

7. Lumni – The ability to expel the majority of one’s soul from one’s body.

8. Entope – The ability to steal someone else’s soul energy.

9. Baltus – The ability to take soul energy from something dead.

10. Jin – A combination of sintu, sera, and lumni that allows a person to stretch sintu to incredible distances.

Many of the cycles can be combined in different forms to bring about unique skills. The full extent of this is unknown and relies on a person’s individual emotional state, persona, and bloodline.

To go along with the cycles are the types of melders. Often a person’s type is discovered through a plethora of vigorous and at times dangerous exercises. Since soul becomes active for a normal person only when faced with an extreme situation, such exercises are used to bring about a faster reaction. A person’s strongest cycles dictates their type.

In essence, there are five main types of melders:

Casters – They can project their soul and expel it from their bodies over short distances. They often carry minor Alchemist abilities, which allow them to apply a property to their essence, like fire, ice, lightning, or almost anything else that exists.

Magnifiers – As the name might suggest, magnifiers have the ability to change the substance of their souls and apply it physically to their bodies or to increase the natural state of an item, depending on what the situation requires.

Manifestor – Manifestors can recreate any physical item they have ever possessed, giving it similar or better properties. They are able to change their soul into the actual item. However the manifested item is restricted by a life span of anywhere from two days to a week.

Mesmer – These are to be feared. They are adept at mind control. Ever thought to do something and suddenly decide otherwise? There might be a Mesmer in your midst. A Mesmer usually has to have some type of physical contact with their victim. Rumor has it that some can project their thoughts for communication or even influence another mind without touch.

Alchemist – Alchemists are the most diverse among normal melders. They can copy properties of anything and apply it to their soul. They generally have incredible control over tern, to the extent that they can take a piece of their soul and attach it to inanimate or animate objects and still have control over it at short distances. Alchemists usually make the best trackers.

Having the use of two types is a common trait. Restrictions apply depending on strength and weaknesses in the corresponding cycles. Having three types at once is rare. This brings us to the special half-breeds and the actual original melders. Their ability to combine various cycles and possibly use cycles not known to us, makes them the most dangerous and coveted of creatures.

Philodar – They possess three types at once, and have mastered 7 cycles.

Aladar – These have four types and eight cycles.

Finally, we have the Dracodar, a race unto themselves. They possess all types, and known cycles. The effect of this is reported to be a shortened life span and stunted reproduction. Some remain in a perpetual combination of sintu and koren, which can extend their lives. During the Thousand Year War, it was discovered that ingesting anything from a Dracodar increased a human melder’s powers by incredible amounts. Since then, Dracodar have been hunted almost into extinction.

I believe some original Dracodar still live, hidden behind the Pillars of Dissolution and the magical barrier that protects the legends of the Ten Purgatories. I have made up my mind to find a way beyond the Pillars. My answers to bypassing the barrier lies with the Dracodar remnants enslaved in the Farlands. I leave in two weeks.