Fifty-Third Post - Sword Mage

Greetings all. Yes, I’m still alive. So sorry it’s been two weeks since the last post. The Saturday after that one I decided to remove the old reverse osmosis system from under the kitchen sink and replace it with a far superior new one. It required five days for my body to finally forgive me for that. Much sleep was required before I could start writing again. Add in the usual life distractions and here we are.

The Sword Mage is back in action. First, she builds a new weapon for her plane, then goes on a new mission to save a family in trouble. Stay tuned, more to come after that as we roll to the shocking conclusion of the Sword Mage saga. Enjoy.

Tim G. Sends.

Chapter Ninety-Four – The Sword Mage Creates a New Weapon

On top of the highs and lows of her return to the Kingdom, Kalara was practically dragged to the Collegium. The current Chancellor offered the huge office back to its original occupant. She chuckled and turned them down. “In return for some guest lectures I only need a small space with some worktables. There are some ideas I would like to pursue.”

The workspace Kalara settled on was twice as big as she intended. She also received a quartet of advanced students who had won the competition to assist the Goddess’ Chosen Avatar. Before she could start her own research, she felt obliged to provide at least one lecture.

The largest lecture hall couldn’t hold everyone who absolutely insisted they needed to be there to hear Kalara personally. They finally set up a large stand with a podium outside in the huge courtyard between the five buildings. She had both a voice amplifier and her images would be projected on a thirty-foot tall screen. To let everyone see it properly, the talk started at dusk. The large buildings on the Western side provided early shade.

Kalara started with a quick introduction. “I remember a few of the front row as youngsters, but for most of you I’m only a wild story. Right, maybe more than a few wild stories.” A wave of laughter passed over the crowd. She continued, “Now that we have our levity out of the way, what I wish to talk about this evening must be confronted with the greatest seriousness.”

Over the next hour she spoke at length about the extended version of the Periodic Table she had reconstructed with help from the Dragons’ Mother computer. At last, the talk came to the Trans-Uranic elements. She spoke about the ‘device’ that destroyed the Demon Lord.

“The dragons used these devices to power their way across the stars. In my former world, they were known as the ultimate weapon. If the very weakest one were activated on this spot, it would burn the entire city and leave the soil poisoned for a long time.” Kalara paused to let her words sink in.

“I am telling you this because the dragons don’t hide anything. They are the most open of books. This information must come from me because you should all know that I will be watching. If there is even the faintest suspicion that anyone on this world is attempting to build one, I will know it. The builders will absolutely regret it.”

Kalara took a deep breath and continued on less grim topics until the bell sounded for the evening meal. As the students departed for their dining hall and the nobles and other guests left for their inns and restaurants, the faces were a wide range of thoughtful, excited and determined. The students all discussed the lecture and what it would mean for their studies.

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After a few more standing-room-only lectures, Kalara felt that she could start on her project. She pulled the cloth covering of her very basic first draft of the design. The Avatar had been very mysterious about this new project. Her assistants were expecting another radical aircraft design. The drawing showed an odd arrangement of fire and earth gems.

The four youngsters stared at the image. Finally, one of the two senior students spoke up. “Kalara, I’m sorry but it still feels strange to address you so familiarly.” She gave him a look and he continued. “Is this a device to help start campfires? I can see the fire gems at one end and the earth gems along this tube help focus it.” She smiled and replied, “In a way, you could say it starts fires. It is actually meant to be a weapon.”

Eyebrows rose among the group. None of them were stupid and caught the idea at once. The other senior said, “These are meant to be high powered fire gems that make a hot plasma. The earth gems take advantage of our research in using them to control magnetism. You want to make a plasma…um.” Kalara finished her thought. “It will be called a plasma beam. A bit like a light beam but far more dangerous.”

None of them had the nerve to ask why Kalara needed the plasma beam, but she saved them the trouble and explained. “Bombs are the only weapons we have for our aircraft. It’s like having only a massive hammer when you need to make a delicate sculpture. It would help if we had something more precise.”

“My former world had other weapons that threw projectiles. Like arrows they needed to be aimed carefully to hit exactly the target you wanted. I am sure we can do better with magical components.” She began explaining the theory behind the device. Kalara had their lunch brought in as everyone was too deeply into the planning for building, testing and revising their prototype.

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The Collegium made clever use of the limited knowledge Kalara had left forty years before. The clever uses her former students found for magic gems left her in awe.

The new communicators removed the need for sientest horns. The knowledge of electromagnetism and radio waves led them to use a mixture of fire and earth gems to build them. It was just one example of how they took Kalara’s stories of her former world to heart.

If she thought that her students’ brilliance would make the new project easier, they soon learned differently. The first two tries created a hot fuzz and a hole in the side of their unit. The third try exploded and needed the shed to be rebuilt on the old bombing range.

Their experiments and calculations became more precise, and Kalara’s device took shape. After a little less than a year they could consistently produce a fine beam that could burn through all but the toughest armor in two shots. Kalara even acquired a piece of the gold-titanium alloy that made up Julian’s armor. That one needed six shots to penetrate.

The weapon was a masterpiece with just a pair of flaws. First, the power needed to make it practical was enormous. Each shot needed five fire mages to charge the large gems that created the plasma.

Their magnetic earth gems were not so difficult but still required precise placement and control. They could focus ten shots from the fire gems before they must be checked and recharged.

The final product, that Kalara installed in her aircraft, was judged by every military professional to be utterly impractical for anyone with less magical power than Kalara. It was beautiful, deadly, and quite useless for anyone else. Those same professionals still hailed it as an excellent academic experience.

Chapter Ninety-Five – A Sword Mage Meets the Hot Blood

“Mother, please don’t hurry back. It’s the curse of your Perfect Health. No parent should watch her child die.” Kalara’s daughter was elderly. The former King’s health was failing and not even Kalara’s extensive knowledge and healing power could reverse his course. She knew that her eldest daughter would soon follow him.

The Goddess had given Kalara her latest mission the night before. It meant cutting short the time she could spend with her eldest daughter and son-in-law. She felt it was one of the hardest things she had ever done to hold back her tears. The pair would be long gone before she could return.

Kalara went back out to the rest of the family. Her four other children were waiting in the outer room. Their lined and graying faces regarded their ageless mother with sympathy. Her husband, best friend and now her family were all being claimed by Time. She began to understand what the Goddess had meant that her life, her missions, would require more patience than a mortal could bear.

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King Brean swore on his throne her Afgère grandsons and Istacal guests would be well cared for. “We will make sure there are multiple ways to travel to the Valley. You will leave no concerns behind you, Grandmother.”

With many hugs all around, Kalara boarded and checked her supplies one more time. Her cold weather clothing was secure but readily available. Food and medical supplies were stocked in abundance. A last wave out the window and she was off.

The new mission would take her North. She would be flying along the Western side of the mountains to the lands of the Vayree. The Kingdom called them the Snow People. They called themselves the Hot Blood. The Goddess told her exactly where to find the people she must help. A wordless sense of urgency pushed her throttle to the limit.

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The being was old. His species lived long but he was ancient even by their standards. The Elder Tross had wandered the Arctic lands for almost five hundred years. “The Goddess still won’t let me die. She won’t even explain why. I just have one more task, she says.” He trudged along a ridge through a harsh blizzard. The snow and the cold meant nothing to him. The land itself changed little each time he crossed it.

Ahead the Elder saw a familiar little cave. A quartet of small lives occupied it. Perhaps not for long. He could feel their small flames of life flickering. As he watched, one seemed to waver and dim. He let out a heavy sigh. These mountain tops were no place for such, even if they were the ‘Hot Blood’.

The Elder tensed as a large group of predators arrived. There were eight of the fierce snow-white creatures. All muscle and ferocity, the Velt had a reputation for teasing and tearing at their prey before devouring them. Even if the small lives in the cave were doomed, they didn’t deserve that. He advanced close to the cave mouth and emitted a single, sharp bark. The creatures backed away. A few of the younger ones wanted to attack until their leader turned and gave them sharp bites. The pack scattered shortly after.

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Rillya’s attempt to build a fire had failed for the fourth time. Her husband was across the cave. His breathing was slowing. His dark fur with the swirling tan patterns she had learned to love so well barely moved. Her sharp, large golden eyes watched him only for another minute.

She had the strength to shepherd them the last mile to this shelter, but it was almost gone. She had pulled the pack from Shant’s back as he collapsed to the floor and pulled out their fire-starting kit. The sparks had no effect on the pile of damp wood she had collected. Even for their cold-loving people, this place and this storm were deadly.

She leaned back against the wall of the cave and sighed the last of her energy. Her two boys leaned against their mother and tried to share their warmth with her. They both jumped as a loud noise sounded just outside the cave. Muted whimpers and growls started then soon faded.

Shonnen and his little brother shook Mother so she could help them understand the noises. She did not, could not respond any more. Young Shava looked up at the other boy, his elder by only two years, and his eyes filled with tears. “Shon, are we going to die?” After a minute, the older boy nodded. “I don’t see how even the Goddess can get us out of this.” He stood and led his brother out of the cave.

“We should try to die quickly. Father and Mother can’t help us anymore.” They stepped out into the storm to see the huge form of Elder Tross parked just outside. The creature stood eight feet at the shoulder. His legs, thick as trees, were covered by his long, thick black fur. He grumbled in a low voice and somehow the boys understood.

“Small ones, this storm will kill you soon.” Shonnen frowned as he replied, “Sir, can you help us? We know it is our fate to die here.” Now the Elder understood. This was his final task. He would help these little creatures pass quickly. He showed his seven-inch fangs. “There will be no watching the other one die. I can take you both in one bite.” He stepped forward with his jaws gaping. Shonnen pulled his brother’s face into his chest. “Don’t look.”

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“Faster.” The voice and the overwhelming sense of urgency pushed Kalara to send her craft into a reckless dive. She could see nothing in the swirling snow. Growling, she muttered, “Goddess, you had best not send me into a mountain top.” A few seconds later the snow parted to show a large creature next to two of the small lives she was sent to protect. As the creature’s jaws opened, she pushed the switch that unlocked her weapon. In a moment it was ready just as her craft entered maximum range.

Just before the massive jaws could close, Kalara fired a blast into the massive creature’s side. As it staggered and fell, her craft swooped by in a blast of thrust. She pulled back on the throttle and executed a tight turn to dump speed and switch to her vertical jets. The craft landed barely fifty feet from the children and the large creature. The whine of her jets had hardly stopped before she was bounding out of the door and running to the children.

The Vayree youths stared at the Human running to kneel in front of them. Their next surprise followed quickly as she said in their language, “Are you injured? That creature was about to eat you!” Shonnen replied, “We asked him to. Father and Mother are dying and we can’t survive here.” She looked up at the being and thought, “Asked him to?” She stepped closer and looked into its eyes.

Kalara heard the old creature’s voice in her mind. “Ah, you are my death. Thank you. The Goddess said I would die soon. I see now my final task wasn’t to end these small lives but to protect them from the other predators. I pass their care to you. Be well, holy one.”

She stepped back as the Goddess’ light appeared in front of the great being. Her eyes widened as the creature’s spirit appeared as a vast, faint light above its body before it and the bright light disappeared together.

Turning back to the children, she picked them both up. They could feel the warmth of her body through the thin clothing. Marveling at this strange power, they watched her face as she strode back into the cave. She set them down and started the pile of wood blazing with a casual wave of her hand.

Checking the mother, Kalara saw slow but even breathing. She crossed the cavern to find the father’s breathing had stopped. The cold that was taking his life would be a blessing, now. She squatted by his head and poured warmth into his body. As she had done with the demon elder so many years ago, Kalara pushed air into his lungs and pulsed his heart with more wind magic. After only a few pulses, he gasped and coughed. The father wasn’t awake just yet, but it wouldn’t take much more care.

Stepping out to her aircraft. Kalara made a few trips to bring in supplies and a small but powerful magical heating unit and some lights. She smothered the smoky fire and built a quick stone wall across the opening to the cave. The space began to warm quickly as she pulled out travel food and blankets for the family. Satisfied that they were all arranged close to the warmth, she saw that the children ate a small meal and settled in to sleep for the night.