Reality's Plaything 4: Savants Ascendant Read online

  He looked up through the case to the distorted images of Dulcere and Daena. Dulcere nodded to him then turned away.

  Bannor closed his eyes and relaxed. Focusing down into his nola he pushed into the darkness that freed his astral form. In what seemed like no time at all he was floating above his body looking down at it.

  His face looked haggard, as though he had not slept in a long time.

  Damn, I look tired.

  “So far, so good,” Daena said.

 

  He noticed the others were all hovering around the circle in astral form.

 

  Vanidaar said.

  Wren laughed.

  Euriel had her arms folded. “I don’t like it.”

  “Nor I,” Idun growled behind her.

  Ziedra said. She flitted around her husband, who trailed a hand through her ephemeral body.

  Azir told them. His form was much dimmer than the others. He was the only one who was not a prime savant.

  Bannor floated to a point over the new body he was supposed to inhabit. Damn, that was a burly shape, what would that feel like to be inside? Odd, even with the body not being animate, he felt a subtle tugging as he grew close.

  he said.

  Wren said.

  “Prepare yourselves,” Marna said. The ancient Kriar went to a device in the center in the ring of cylinders and worked for a few moments. “All right, is everyone ready?”

  All of the savants gave their assent. Bannor felt the muted thumping of the heart of his body. He steeled himself. What would this be like?

  “Okay, beginning the count. Ten—nine—”

  Bannor focused on the body, allowing the pull to guide him to the point of entry. He set his target and prepared himself as the Kriar matriarch reeled off the last of her count.

  “Go.”

  Around the circle a flickering light illuminated the bodies, and they twitched and arched their backs.

  The pull on Bannor redoubled and he followed it down into the body. Unlike when he remerged with his own body, his perception filled with a red illumination. A giant thumping sounded around him, the sound picked up speed as he felt himself twisted and pulled. A shaft of pain lanced through him and the redness went black…

  * * *

  Chapter Ten

  Ascendants

  « ^ »

  That feeling was back, a feeling I never thought I would experience again—a feeling I dreaded, coveted, and reveled in. Would I have to give it up? Would I have the strength to let go? If I didn’t, who had the strength to force me? What if I let myself become that other creature? How long before temptation and hubris drew me in to make the same mistakes my ancient forebears made…

  —Liandra “Wren” Kergatha,

  Second Princess of Cosmodarus

  Bannor opened his eyes. Something must have gone wrong. He was back in his body. It felt wrong too—somehow askew. He drew a breath and with the intake of air his whole body tingled. He blinked. That felt strange. He drew another breath. The sensation did not go away, it grew stronger. A warm rush that made him bite down on a sound. The third breath made every muscle in his body seem to swell.

  This was definitely not right.

  He lifted his arm to press against the case lid, his fingers splaying against the crystal.

  His eyes widened. He had transferred after all. These feelings were so strange.

  The lid lifted and Daena looked in on him. “Well?” She reached out to him.

  Brow furrowing he took hold and swung up to a sitting position. That movement seemed strange. He didn’t even feel himself shift. There was no sensation of weight. He pushed on the cushions with both hands, quite surprised when he lifted up off the dais. Did he weigh nothing then? He could do that in his original body but it took effort.

  He pushed off the padding and dropped to the floor. His feet struck the metal with a thud that made the cylinder behind him vibrate. Okay, he not only weighed something, he weighed a lot.

  He looked down at Daena. It had been a while since he had been able to do that. He opened and closed his hand. He drew another deep breath feeling an electrifying sense of euphoria flow through him, every tendon and muscle seeming to flood with potential.

  Bannor shook his head. “Does it feel—” He stopped as an echoing baritone voice spoke as he did. No, that was his voice. “Whoa.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Does it always feel like this for you? How do you focus to do anything?”

  “Huh?” Daena stared at him for a moment. “Oh that, yeah, you get used to it. For a little while, you just stand there and breathe.” She giggled, green glowing eyes flashing.

  “Oh good,” Ziedra said in an echoing voice across from them. “I thought it was just me.” She thudded down to the floor and looked around tossing her long black hair. Radian was right, that form had assets aplenty and they were beyond well developed. Like Daena and her husband Radian, the magic savant’s eyes had become glowing orbs that now gave off a purplish light.

  Radian stepped up to his wife and touched her dark hair. He reached down and took her hand. She reached around him with her free arm and pulled him close. The woman lolled her head to one side and made a gurgling sound.

  Bannor glanced to Wren. The blonde savant stood outside of her cylinder feet planted and head tilted back, hands spread out as if she were appealing to the sky. A dark swirling gathered around her limbs and bolts of lightning crackled and flashed around her now statuesque form.

  “Whoa,” Daena murmured with wide eyes.

  The air in the room gusted, and there was a boom like thunder as she closed her hands into fists. A reddish glow flickered and rasped around her body. She let out a shuddering sigh. “Yesss.” She drew the word out. She bounced up a pace in the air and came down with a thud. “Damn. I thought Desiray’s body was great.” She looked to across the circle to her mother. She drew a breath and her eyes fluttered. “This one… wooo.”

  “The feelings are—disconcerting,” Damay said behind her.

  The elder savant moved a few paces across the circle, opening and closing her hands, rising up to her toes and coming back down to her heels. Before, she had been a moderately attractive if unassuming person, without his savant senses he never would have guessed at the power she possessed. Now, garbed in a first one body, the elder had a room-filling presence and cut a figure that would have even the most jaded male fawning over her.

  Azir thumped across the room and stood by his sister. He posed and made a muscle. “What do you think?”

  The blonde savant put hands on hips. She bit her lip and glanced over at Marna. “Damay is right, nothing subtle…”

  “Is that good?” Azir asked with a raised eyebrow. “Damn, I feel like I don’t weigh anything.” He shook the hair out of his eyes and slid back into what was obviously a practiced unarmed battle stance. Sparkles danced on the surface of his skin. His eyes, which glowed white, grew brighter. He tightened a fist. The area around his hand grew dark and the whole room appeared to distort and grow dim.

  The effect seemed to startle him and he staggered back. White flames danced and flickered on the surface of his skin. He looked down at it. “Whoa. I never—it’s so strong…”

  “Well yeah, that was the point wasn’t it?” Wren chided her brother. She reached out and touched his shoulder. She seemed to study her own hand for a moment as if not believing this was happening. “I must admit, you’re—”

  “Attractive? Handsome? Gooorgeous?” Azir prompted with a grin, pushing a hand through his hair in a fay gesture.

  Wren frowned. “Incorrigible.”

  “Hey, ‘incorrigible’ wasn�
��t on the list.”

  Bannor heard a humming behind him. He turned to see Vanidaar. He had his arm around Euriel. The daughter of Idun had her head propped against his chest. The two of them, along with the goddess were watching Wren and Azir, no doubt enjoying the sibling camaraderie. Azir was joking, but it was to cover up his discomfort. The bodies did make their powers stronger, on a level Bannor was still afraid yet to explore. With that power came the sense of being on the verge of losing control.

  Wren stepped over to Damay who seemed focused inward. “Are you okay, Sister? That’s a lot of ‘being’ you got there.”

  The elder raised her head. “Indeed it is—being as I never imagined I would ever taste.” She reached out and touched Wren’s face. In a careful gesture, she pressed her cheek to Wren’s then drew back.

  The elder turned and walked over to Aarlen who put hands on hips as she approached. Though she was far larger than in her previous body she still had to look up at the huge white-haired Magestrix.

  “Alas, I must still look up at you,” she said in a dark tone. “I had hoped to look you in the eye.”

  Aarlen raised an eyebrow.

  Idun who had been studying Vanidaar and the rest of them spoke up. “Lady Marna, there does seem to be something missing.”

  The Vatraena turned. “Missing?”

  “How will they function effectively without flux stones? They cannot assume battle shape without one.”

  “Ah,” Marna nodded. “Yes, that’s one of my improvements. As you noticed, Daena no longer needs a flux stone in order to achieve that effect.”

  The goddess looked over and her brow furrowed. “Yes.”

  “I created an organic solution to replace that inorganic vulnerability.”

  “Oh, nice,” Wren murmured. “But I didn’t feel it.”

  “The mass absorption and distribution are instinctive. The body knows what to do.”

  Wren pursed her lips. “Oookay.” She looked over a Daena. “A little coaching perhaps?”

  The auburn-haired savant brightened like Wren had given her a handful of candy. “You want me to teach, you, Sis?”

  “Yeah, we don’t have much time,” Wren answered. “We must be on borrowed moments now. I’m so surprised they aren’t already beating the walls down.”

  Daena walked over to Wren. In her enhanced first one shape she was only hairs bigger than the blonde savant. Glowing green eyes met luminous blue. “Ready?”

  Wren nodded.

  Daena held out her hand. Wren clasped it. “Sister, it goes like this.” She rocked her head back. Light gathered around her limbs and energy crackled. Her flesh frothed and bubbled, going from dusky dark to a metallic sheen. The decking under her feet groaned and she leaned forward with a sigh her skin glinting in the diffuse light. She gave Wren an arch look. When she spoke her voice had a ringing hollow sound to it. “Pretty wizard, huh?”

  The blonde savant stared at her with wide eyes. “Frelling awesome.” She let go of Daena’s hand and rubbed her fingers together. It was then that Bannor realized she hadn’t meant the transformation.

  Wren leaned back and closed her eyes. She clenched her fists. The light in the room seemed to be sucked into her body. The air stirred and grew warm as everything appeared to bend toward her. The reddish glow around her sparked and flashed and her flesh bubbled, slowly transforming from its light tan to a steely gray. The floor creaked under her as she snapped out of the focus.

  “Oh ack. That feels weird.” She looked at her hand.

  “You can’t feel much,” Daena said. “That’s normal.”

  “Indeed,” Idun said. The goddess came over and rubbed Wren’s shoulder. She walked around surveying her granddaughter. “It needs work,” she determined. “Too much mass and not enough cohesion.” She held out her hand, which turned to a bright silvery consistency with a crackle of energy. “See the color?” She held her polished appearing skin next to the gray of Wren’s.

  The blonde savant nodded.

  “As you see, it does work,” Marna said, obviously proud of her accomplishment.

  “Yes,” Idun said with a nod. “You are truly a worker of magic.”

  “Come on, guys,” Daena said waving to the rest of them. “Get over here so I can ‘skin teach’ you.”

  “Skin teach?” Ziedra said with a dubious expression.

  The younger woman shrugged. “What else would you call it?”

  “Skin teach?” a deep voice said behind them. “Too bad I’m married, or I’d want some of that action.” Bannor looked back to see the rest of the team enter the chamber. The big man whistled. “Wow. That’s some serious body upgrades you guys got.” He shook his head. “I hope you’re nearly ready to move. The Baronians are rallying.”

  “We’re still kind of learning,” Bannor said. “It’s new to some of us.”

  “Better learn fast,” Algernon added. “They’ve made four or five drops since they backed off. That’s why they waited so long. Whatever is coming, there’s going to be a lot of it.”

  Wren’s body shimmered to a shiny silver like her grandmother had showed her. She looked to Loric. “Do you have Mon’istiaga with you?”

  The elder’s eyes widened. “Yes, but…”

  “Tal says the only thing that cut these dreads is a shaladen. That’s the closest thing we’ve got. It’s all fine and well for me to go out there and let those things pound me, but it would be better if I could hit back.”

  “Are you talking about that thing you creamed Hecate’s avatars with?” Tal asked.

  She nodded.

  “Ain’t that thing a little dangerous?”

  She nodded again.

  “It is a lot dangerous,” Damay said. “In our quest to destroy these creatures, let us not destroy ourselves in the process.”

  “Amen,” Algernon rumbled.

  Wren let out a breath. “I’m open to suggestions. So, Mon’istiaga as a last resort?”

  “Am I misunderstanding,” Quasar said. “Why are you hesitant to use this weapon?”

  “It’s the sword of Shiva,” Aarlen said. “I know it’s hard to credit, but it is capable of destroying worlds—or so the legend goes. Its power is equal to a shaladen at the very least—one with almost no controls.”

  “I am of Wren’s mind in this,” Vanidaar spoke up stepping forward. “Our nola powers will only do so much, we need the supplement of weapons.”

  Dominique snapped her fingers. Her gold eyes sparkled. “I have an idea. I’ll be right back!” She vanished in a blue flash.

  “Okay,” Daena said. “While she’s busy, let’s do this teach.” She held out her hand. “Everyone take hold.”

  Bannor took her hand, the others gathered close, their fingers and palms tangling. It was strange—that touch—it was like the savant affinity only far stronger.

  “Here’s what I know,” Daena told them. Her eyes fluttered and Bannor felt an odd crawly sensation on his skin. In his mind, it was like shadows flitted around, there were voices, impressions, sensations, but it was all compressed and abstract. Without really knowing what she had conveyed, he sensed it was a great deal. “There,” she said, withdrawing. “That should help.”

  All of his savant brothers and sisters stood with contemplative expressions. What Daena had communicated were more like instincts than anything else. She had been in a first one form longer than the rest of them, and as they had said, with time came familiarity and confidence.

  Azir was nodding to himself. “Daena—nicely done!” He gripped her shoulder and gave it a shake.

  The girl looked down at his hand and up at his face. She blushed. “Thanks.”

  The air crackled and then thumped behind them, Dominique was back and she held two large cases, one in either hand. “For those of you who don’t know me,” Dominique said throwing the cases across two of the cylinders. “My mother is a fairly renowned mage. One of the projects she and her apprentices were working on was the creation of a new alloy. The alloy is a mixture
of the Kriar material krill, and a magical element called ishtite.” She opened one of the cases revealing four large swords made of a milky metal. The surfaces of the blades looked strange. Colors flowed through them like rainbow reflections seen in a soap bubble. “These blanks were never enchanted but they are practically indestructible, and the edges are wicked sharp.” She threw open the other case and pulled out one of the swords and swished it experimentally. She walked over to Ziedra and handed it to her. “Maybe the first one of magic can do something?”

  Ziedra held the weapon in her hand. “This is beautiful. Yes, yes, I could!” She looked to Quasar and Eclipse. “How much time do we have?”

  “They’re on the far side of the domicile,” Quasar said. “Less than a quarter bell.”

  “Damn.” She turned to Algernon. “Let me try an experiment, pull out your shaladen.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Please.”

  He shrugged and unsheathed the massive weapon and held it out between them.

  “Tell it not to attack me.”

  “Done.”

  She stepped over to Algernon and wrapped her hand around his. She rocked her head back and a cascade of illumination flooded around her and the shaladen. At the same time, a reddish light illuminated the sword Dominique had given her.

  Clouds formed around her feet and energy crackled and snapped. A wind rushed around them.

  At the sword’s tang, a deep violet radiance began to reach up the length of the blade. Ziedra gritted her teeth as powerful magic resonated through her body.

  When the violet color had completely encased the sword, she relaxed with a gasp. The purple hue vanished. In its place, the blade looked like a piece of glass, almost transparent, a shimmering like water danced across the clear surface.

  “There.” She determined. “It’s not as strong as a shaladen but it doesn’t need to be. The magic can be reinforced with our nolas.”

  “Zee,” Wren exclaimed. “You’re awesome.”

  The woman wiggled her eyebrows. “I know.”

  “Damn, that’s pretty frellin wizard… but we don’t have the time,” Tal said.