Sefiros Eishi: Chased By Flame Page 17

  The impact rocked Mykel so hard it was difficult to tell bone from sinew, everything was so wrenched. He did not know how he still kept his footing, but he did. Crimson blurs filled his vision, and he blocked, dodged, snatched from the air by instinct, and suddenly the librarian found himself grappling with a demon knight hand to hand.

  “Do you think yourself higher than I, cripple?” Sutyr easily lifted Mykel afloat three inches off the ground, then let him drop to floor. Mykel tried to twist away and failed as Sutyr’s boot connected with his jaw. Laughing, the demon knight slid through the librarian’s defenses and locked his hands with Mykel, grappling with the young fool for footing. “Foolish pest. I give to you in payment for your thievery.” Sutyr’s right hand went ablaze, and he pressed it against Mykel’s good hand.

  Mykel screamed. Both the vertigo and the heinous smell of roasting flesh doubled up on him. His legs gave out as if made of water, and suddenly he vomited. Mykel could feel the Fire cutting into his flesh, burning and searing the frame within. On and on the agony went, till the librarian was pale-faced from the torture; reduced to a shell of his former self. When it was done Sutyr kicked the librarian away like so much rubbish. “Is that all you can muster?”

  He came again, grabbing the good arm, twisting it almost to the breaking point. Mykel knew there was one chance, and he took it. His dead arm flew backwards—and suddenly the demon knight’s hold grew slack. Twisting his head about the librarian saw Sutyr looking down in disbelief. An entire foot of Ifirit’s elbow sword slid deep into the demon’s ribs, dripping fat globules of blood. Mykel launched a back kick, and Sutyr went flying off Ifirit’s blade, crashing into the wall like a hammer.

  Mykel dropped to his knees, panting. He felt Ifirit’s rage over his own anger, but there was something different. There was something... added. Mykel turned his good arm up, seeing the palm etched with the endem mark—usually. Now instead there was the brand of Fire wrapping about the flesh. Not flashing to other motions, but actually growing; twisting about the whole arm to the elbow. The spaces the brand left untouched turned a charcoal black. “What did you do to me?” cried the librarian at Sutyr, now just staggering up on his boots. The demon knight took a step that was more wobble than motion, but it was taken and the next one even more so.

  “Just a little present. Something to remember me by.”

  “Damn you.” Heat flared up in him, heat from the desert sands, heat from the bonfires that warded ancient man from the cold, heat stolen from the sun to preserve life. Heat of the rage that made men monsters. Fire crackled, rebounded off the chamber, filling the air with crisp sounds. The world suddenly receded from the black, and jarred; Mykel realized Sutyr knew of panic himself. In the visor there was a hint of horror. No. He didn’t want to face the thing that would frighten Sutyr.

  Tendrils of crimson light began to lance through the chamber, through the folds of stone where rock met mortar, running like blood through veins. But this blood was mystical, magical. It crackled on and off, appearing and disappearing, slowly rounding about the chamber. The walls lit up at its passing, runes flaring to life where there once was nothing but shadows. A symphony of chimes rose higher and higher as the runes became alive.

  Mykel felt himself tumble to the ground; only peripherally did he see Sutyr back away slowly, awestruck. Slowly Mykel backed away, never taking his eyes off the orb of energy swirling and thrashing at the room’s center.

  It was beautiful. It was water as if fire was liquid in substance. Curling sheets of flame and blood mingled together, snapping with the fury of savages. It gleamed when the tendrils circled back to come into the orb of fire-water, flashing like a bloody star. As the tendrils came quicker and the runes flared brighter, the orb expanded. It drowned out everything else. Thought. Word. Sound. Air. It became everything. The light. The runes. The symphony. Bleeding together, gathering and flaring and gleaming and expanding, until the orb was the sun come to the earth.

  A cord of bloody lightning shot down to the ring, connecting and rebounding back into the orb. For a moment the sphere became an eye of hellish flame. Then it slowly drizzled down to the floor in a scarlet snowflake. It touched the ring, touched the center symbol, then sank into the design and vanished.

  They exploded out of the stone rings in razor slivers of flame, punching holes into the ceiling and beyond. They came in a chain, snapping out and up one after another. They circled the ringed design at four sides, raging pillars of flame that roared with hunger and ruin. They stretched and thickened, curling about the circle of rings until the flame was a single pillar as thin as a sheet. It was grand and whispered of sheer power. Mykel watched the flames scream, and in them he saw something so ageless that it was beyond time and space, beyond life and death. It stood within the flame, naked and shrouded with its timeless glory.

  What do you want?

  Mykel glanced up to the stone and stared. Something was happening. His blood began thrumming in his ears; a rumbling like fire’s crackling laughter echoing off in his skull. It could almost see the fire, great and roaring, the wisp-spiked tips devoured by their own hunger, swallowed by the orange spires below them. It radiated heat in rolling waves and walls that singed the hair from the very skin... and yet Mykel found himself drawn closer. Stranger still were the periodic bouts of clarity amidst the crackling laughter. It stood within the flame, naked and shrouded with its timeless glory. A portal. The word burned itself into the librarian’s mind, as clear and precise as crystal. A portal. That’s what it was. A portal.

  It was also pulling him in. Mykel could feel the fire tugging at him, tasting him. Tendrils of that wild, elemental flame lapped at his heels. Their fangs sank into his heels and began dragging him towards the beautiful maelstrom.

  No. Escape was a dim flame in Mykel’s heart. The uncertainty of his survival chewed a hole in his soul, a hole that fear happily pumped through his veins. The librarian was an ant compared to the terror burning his blood. No. Still the defiance took root. He turned, gritted his teeth, and leapt. It was difficult, being tethered by eldritch cords with the grinding patience of stars burning their lives away. It was a short hop, but it was enough.

  Enough to crash into Sutyr’s crimson form, to hold him tight. Now there were two of them tilting over the abyss.

  “I know what you’re doing.” Up close the dark words were poison to the ears. “Two can play this game.”

  Pain beyond all words filled the librarian. Darkness feathered his vision, promising sweet unconsciousness. But that was what Sutyr wanted. That was what Sutyr expected. No.

  So Mykel hung on.

  The pain boiled the bones from the inside. It moved with the unstoppable haste of spilt magma, churning and swallowing all that stood in its way. Mykel had eyes only for Sutyr, brown retinas locked with that starless night obsidian. He felt Sutyr’s desperation as keenly as if it were his own. The great warrior who carved his path with blood and sweat and steel, the invulnerable demonic knight who never knew defeat, had finally met his match. Mykel gazed upon that eyeless face and saw the reflections of that eldritch flame. The bastard was afraid. Good.

  Finally, the pressure was too much. Mykel felt his boots graze the stone below, then skid, and ultimately lift clear of it. Then the world began to spin in the crackle of that green flame, the maelstrom expanding as if to embrace them. The last thing that Mykel saw was Sutyr scrambling for a battle that was already lost. The librarian smiled. He could live with that.

  Then the jaws of the portal closed upon them, and the ancient chamber was silent once more.

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS

  Areku (AR-wreck-YOU) - A being born with the ability to use Gale (wind) magic. Able to walk amidst others’ dreams. Second most impressive role was to unify separate minds into one, effectively creating a cohesive fightin
g unit under the areku’s control. (Also see Gale, manna, Elements, the).

  Celsius (CELL-see-us) - A being born with the ability to use Frost (ice and water) magic. Common talents were serving as diplomats and scholars, as well as skilled negotiators. Other talents involve quick mastery and application of knowledge (reading a hundred books an hour) and mastery of all known languages (see also manna, Elements, the)

  Circle, the - A Circle is a group of six Weirwynd, one for each Element. These groups were plentiful in the Weirwynd ages, as the gifts of one Weirwynd balanced out the others. Members of circles are called “circle-mates. “Circle-mates are so close they are almost families. Any circle without one or more Weirwynd is referred to as a “broken” circle. Due to the sense of family between circle-mates, replacing lost members is a long and arduous process (see also manna, areku, enshou, celsius, Weirwynd, ikadzu, esuzou, jord, Elements, the)

  Eishi (e-SHE) - The Weirwynd word for “legend.”

  Elements, the - the six elemental forces that encompass the energy of the universe. Magic-wielders (called Weirwynd) are born with the ability to use one and only one Element (the act is known in non-Weirwynd circles as spell-casting, magic, etc). The power depends on birthday and breeding. The Six Elements are: Fire, Frost, Geo, Tesla, Gale, and Steel. Weirwynd use the term “manna” instead of “magic,” though the terms are often used interchangeably. (See also magic, manna).

  Endem (en-DEM) - Play on the word endemic. The term associated with people who cannot manipulate manna (see also Weirwynd, manna, Elements, the)

  Enshou (en-SHOU) - A being born with the ability to use Fire magic. Enshou in Circles strengthen the bond between Circle-mates through empathy, projecting emotions into the Circle-mates. (Also see Fire, manna, Elements, the).

  Esuzou (es-YOU-ZO) - A being born with the ability to use Steel magic. Esuzou usually lend a boost of defensive power to their Circle-mates, depending on the richest mineral in the ground on which they stand. Another, more viable talent is the creation of structures that can harness the powers of a Font, effectively unleashing the raw potential of manna, which in turn allows spell casting that would otherwise be impossible by normal means. (Also see Steel, manna, Elements, the, Font).

  Family (shiisaa) - A set of shiisaa (arcane artifacts) wielded by a group of specific elemental-born wizards to achieve a spell that would be impossible to achieve by one wizard. Also known as oz’shiisaa. (see also manna, Elements, the, shiisaa, oz’shiisaa)

  Fire - The Element of Fire. Most often associated with destruction. Users are called enshou. Enshou are most often born in deserts or areas with hot climates. Talents associated with enshou are manipulation of sand, illusion (desert mirage), smoke, hypnosis and empathy. Other talents were available in ancient Weirwynd civilizations, but records of those civilizations are vague and unintelligible. It is believed those powers faded across the centuries as the Weirwynd died out (see also enshou, manna, Elements, the)

  Font - A space where two or more Leylines intersect. The intersection gathers a “hotspot” of manna, in which allows a Weirwynd to manipulate a greater amount of manna than normal. This, in turn, allows for various phenomena to occur, such as the weakening of dimensional barriers, summoning the dead back to life, or the creation of gateways to eldritch realms (also see Leyline, manna, Elements, the, manna).

  Frost - The Elemental of Ice and Water. Most users are called celsius. Favorable climates are arctic winters. Notable talents include healing and knowledge. It is believed talents faded as the Weirwynd of old died out (see also celsius, manna, Elements, the)

  Gale - The Element of Wind. Most often associated with telepathy and telekinesis. Users are called areku. Areku live in the mountains and in windy climates. Most of the Weirwynd lore that survived the fallen Weirwynd civilizations involves areku. Talents involve manipulation of force fields, walking amidst dreams, “psychic” knowledge of weather, divinity and visions regarding past, present and future. It is believed those powers faded across the centuries as the Weirwynd died out (see also areku, manna, Elements, the)

  Geo - The Element of Earth. Users are called jord. Most often associated with animals and familiars. Favorable domiciles involve mountains and subterranean caves, which puts jords at odds with esuzou, wielders of Steel. Mastery involves communication with plant life, manipulation of healing, dust, stone and minerals (see also manna, jord, Elements, the)

  Ikadzu (eye-KA-do-ZU) - A being born with the ability to use Tesla (lightning) magic. Ikadzu are employed to stealth missions within the Circle (a tribute to the most common shiisaa usage being voice-throwing), or, more commonly, giving life to machinery and inanimate objects. The latter ability suggests a kinship between ikadzu and esuzou. Esuzou would create a metallic body and the ikadzu would give it life, creating golems (eldritch guardians). (also see Tesla, Elements, the, manna).

  Jord - A being born with the ability to use Geo (earth) magic. The role of jords in a Circle usually involves communication to elemental spirits; however the effort is unimpressive since all Weirwynd have an affinity with their own Element. What is impressive is the fact that jords can derive communication with inanimate objects of nature, such as blades of grass and trees. The later can be used in teleportation, though it is a power shared by Weirwynd, again resulting with the affinity of one’s Element (also see Geo, manna).

  Leyline - Source of manna. Invisible currents of energy that roam across the planet’s surface, under the surface, and permeating the atmosphere. It is this energy that Weirwynd manipulate to achieve effects classified by endem as magic. Leyline energy (referred hereon as manna) does not belong to one single classification; it is of all energies, and of none. It is the Weirwynd who change the manna to their respective Element and “cast” the spell through eldritch devices known as shiisaa. While manna is constantly forming and reforming as it travels, there are records that signify the decay of manna as a whole. Something has drained the manna to an all-time low, though the how or why is unknown even to Weirwynd scholars (see also Element, Fire, Frost, Geo, Steel, Gale, Tesla, enshou, endem, esuzou, areku, jord, celsius, ikadzu, manna, Font)

  Manna - Lifeblood of the planet. Is of all elements and none simultaneously. “Spells” are achieved by the Weirwynd drawing and channeling the energy into birth-specific classification. Weirwynd cannot cast spells outside of their birth-element, as is the creation of magic-imbued items called shiisaa. Thus shiisaa are by and large character-specific, although the spell can be altered that shiisaa can be passed down from person to person. The process has been lost to time (see also Elements, the, Fire, Frost, Geo, Gale, Tesla, Steel, shiisaa, enshou, celsius, jord, ikadzu, esuzou, areku).

  Oz’shiisaa (OZ-SHE-sar-RA) – Legendary shiisaa (arcane artifact) created in the golden age of the Weirwynd. It’s construction and use was lost in the decline of that era. (see also manna, Elements, shiisaa)

  Sefiros Cayokite (suh-FEAR-ros kai-YO-kay) - Folklore hero in advanced health traveling the world and the realms beyond, righting wrongs and saving the day.

  Shiisaa (See-SHAW-UH) - Artifacts able to contain and channel eldritch energy (aka spell-casting). Only one spell can be cast through the use of shiisaa. An additional condition is that shiisaa can only cast the spell of a specific element. For example, a Fire-wielding Weirwynd (known as an enshou) can use a Fire shiisaa, but not a Frost, Tesla, Gale, etc. It is the same with other elemental Weirwynd. Shiisaa are best forged from the rare starmetals, which possess an incredible durability able to contain and cast a spell without the elemental energy released backfire and destroy the shiisaa, and in some cases, the wielders themselves. However, the supply of starmetal dwindled with the fall of the Weirwynd. Ordinary materials were used in creating shiisaa, but no historical records show that any of these shiisaa survived the first spell-casting. (See also Family, manna, Elements, the, Wei
rwynd, oz’shiisaa)

  Steel - The Element of Metal. Users are called esuzou. Most common homes are subterranean caverns, due to the deposits of minerals within. It is due to this that esuzou were rivals with jords, since they share the same affinity for caverns. Steel is the one Element that remains relatively unknown to modern scholars, and as such, accurate information is sketchy at best. Associations involve poisons (since all metal rusts) and various degrees of shielding due to the manipulation of minerals, as well as changing one material into another (gold to iron, for example). Some scholars theorize that Steel is not an Element at all but rather an off-shoot of Geo, since their magic share similar qualities, but this theory is relatively small and unpopular.

  Tesla - The Element of Lightning. Users are called ikadzu. Ikadzu used to live in climates known for thunder storms. Talents associated with ikadzu are speed and sound. Other talents were vaguely described in ancient Weirwynd notes; assumedly faded as the Weirwynd of old died out.

  Weirwynd (WE’RE-wind) - The collective name of wizards, sorcerers, mages, witches, warlocks, magicians and spell casters; essentially anyone born with the ability to create physical phenomenon through mental manipulation. Through some unknown incident the bloodlines dwindled a millennia ago; now Weirwynd are all but extinct (see also manna, endem, enshou, esuzou, areku, jord, haru, ikadzu, Elements, the)