Ice Phoenix (18 page)

"Dear Dartkala, that's incredible!" Raimus cried. "The Kartathians actually possess such technology?"

"But why would the demons have wanted it? Is it capable of revealing the pendant's location? If I understood you correctly, you said it was a map of living things. The pendant is not living, surely?" said Baneyon.

The queen smiled sadly. "You are ever so perceptive, Baneyon. The pendant is not a living entity, and it wouldn't be on the map. But there is
something else that I think could appear on the tonien and, even now, I pray that I am wrong."

A glass crashed to the floor and the others looked at Master Morix in surprise. His hands were shaking, his complexion pale. "Don't mind me," he
said, his voice terse. "I'm just suffering the after effects of returning from Olden Kartath."

"The tonien," continued the
queen, "contains the Dream Walker's coordinates."

Talinuk Ferro snorted.
"Fat help that is! It's been more than three thousand years since that 'supposed' war. The Dream Walker's dead, if he ever existed."

The queen shook her head. "He's not dead, Master Ferro."

"What? That's just plain nonsense! No matter how powerful he was, there is no way the Dream Walker could have lived for three thousand years!"

The queen sighed heavily. "Did you ever pause to wonder why the people of Olden Kartath withdrew into their world, Master Ferro? Or why they hallucinate and infect every traveller who crosses their Space with terrible visions? The existence of the Dream Walker and the Kartathians' hallucinations are linked. The Dream Walker is not dead. "

Talinuk Ferro said nothing. Neither did anyone else.

"Even before this came to light, we all believed that something catastrophic happened to the people of Olden Kartath. That belief is founded because those hallucinations are their memories. Those images of death and destruction that were reporte
d
— they were only but a glimpse of what happened to them. Only when the Dream Walker is dead, will the people of Olden Kartath stop hallucinating.

"During my attempt to stop the demons, the people willingly linked with me. That act nearly cost my life, but I was able to glean this muc
h
— should the demons succeed in activating the tonien, it will spell doom for every sector. Just before my link with the people was broken, they told me one last thing, 'the Dream Walker still lives'
.
It is at this point I deliver the worst news ... the demons stole the tonien.
"

There was a long silence, and an unspoken fear grabbed at everyone's hearts as they struggled to make sense of the queen's words.

"This does not bode well," said the grandmaster gravely. "For the citizens to have reached out to you, the situation must have been dire. I trust you knew the difference between the thoughts of the demons and the citizens?"

The queen nodded. "There was no doubt it was the citizens who linked with me. The transmission time was short but they told me enough."

"Whatever the demons' reasons for wanting the tonien, we mustn't allow them to reach the Dream Walker," said the grandmaster. "And it seems we have also uncovered the reason behind the Imeldors' and L-Masters' recent deaths. The demons must have known that it was the united efforts from the lacers and weavers that banished the Dream Walker. The demons will not allow this to happen a second time. They have been eliminating us systematically, from the very top ranks. We must send a group to Olden Kartath to learn more. Your Highness, do you think they will be open to more visitors?"

The queen shook her head. "I do not know, Grandmaster Deitrux."

"Is it too late to stop the demons?" asked Baneyon.

"No. Even with the tonien, the demons cannot cross through the
Voron Cloud. They require Skra's pendant."

"Do we know where that is?"

The queen nodded. "I learned it from one of the demons in Olden Kartath. I don't think he realised I had heard his thoughts. Skra's pendant is somewhere on Si Ren Da, a planet in Sector Five."

Raimus turned pale upon hearing the name.

"Si Ren Da?" he repeated hoarsely.

"What's wrong, Raimus?" asked Master Drummik.

Raimus gulped. "You've never been there before, have you?"

"No."

"Dogs. Mad dogs! Your Highness, there is no way the pendant could be there!"

"That doesn't matter, Master Jigahart," replied the queen. "What matters is that the demons believe it to be there; therefore, we must assume the same. If the pendant is there we'll take it. It will also allow you to observe the demons and learn more about their abilities.

"Time is of the essence. We need to assemble a team to head to Si Ren Da immediately. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you how many demons you will meet, but in Olden Kartath, there were five."

"Will you be leading the team, Your Highness?" asked Lady Fless.

"No, there is too much else to organise. We require joint cooperation from the L-Council and the UWIB Government to retrieve any information about this poorly chronicled war. We also need to determine why the demons are here, who they really are, and why they are reappearing at this particular time. We have a lot of questions and not enough answers."

"Agreed," said Grandmaster Deitrux. "Quempa, you are in charge of organising a team to Si Ren Da. You do not have much time because you must leave by dawn. During that time, Her Highness, Kuldor, and I will meet with both councils to brief them on the recent events. We will continue to update you on any new developments."

The grandmaster, the queen, and Kuldor rose from their seats and began walking out of the room.

"Wait!" Headmistress
Marl called out as the three elders reached the door. They stopped and looked at her in surprise.

"I realise this demon business is urgent, but I have another pressing issue that must be discussed." She looked at the queen. "It involves your son, Prince Gil Ra Im, and ... Baneyon's adopted daughter."

The barest flicker of surprise crossed the queen's face, and Baneyon sat up straighter.

"My son?" she said as she came back to the table.

"Your son and the girl we brought in from Sector Thirteen, Terrana Lee Ondur," said Headmistress Marl.

"Ah yes, the one with the strange power to traverse the void in her sleep," said the queen. "I've not had the time to follow her progress reports, but from what I understand, she is a bright girl. What about her?"

"She and your son fought, and during the fight she managed to injure him. What is more, we believe she has a split personality disorder."

"What?" Baneyon jumped from his chair. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

Headmistress Marl glared at him. "You were unavailable after your attack. We would never have known about it, either, had not the prince admitted himself into the medical ward. The manner in which his wounds were inflicted was most ... disturbing."

"How so?" asked the queen, her expression neutral.

"The girl gained control of your son's qi and forced it out from his body. It was very controlled."

"Dear Dartkala," said Baneyon, hoarsely. "Are you sure it was Terrana?"

Headmistress Marl nodded. "There's more. The dolphin appeared, and both His Majesty and Terrana saw it."

"Very interesting," said the grandmaster. He floated into the air and hovered close to the queen.

"Why was my son with the girl?"

"He
er, apparently took her for a ride on his faar," replied Headmistress Marl. The queen's face darkened.

"
My son
allowed someone else to ride Dragoth?"

No one said a word. They all knew that outsiders were forbidden to ride the faars. If the prince had allowed a stranger to come into contact with his faar, then it had been in direct disobedience of his mother's laws. In other words, it was a family affair in which they could not participate.

Headmistress Marl glanced at Baneyon, her face almost apologetic. "Terrana is a danger to the students around her. We must consider removing her from school."

"You can't do that!" Baneyon said angrily. "She's only just settling in and she has friends there!"

This time Master Drummik spoke. "Baneyon, she almost killed the prince. The faar saved his life. And this creature ... this dolphin that follows her, we have no idea what it is. But if it was able to follow her from Sector Thirteen to Sector One, we are talking about power beyond belief. And what's more, Baneyon, she lost control. There's no guarantee that she won't do it again."

"She's just a child, Drummik! Where do you suggest we place her?" retorted Baneyon. "If we want to help her, removing her from school won't do that! And how did you not notice that she and the prince were fighting?"

Master Drummik's expression changed and he looked worried. "That's the proble
m
— we didn't sense anything. We didn't detect any qi, not even from the prince and his faar. She could kill anyone in school and we wouldn't know until it was too late. We can't keep her at Minda Yerra."

"Any idea what led to her losing control?" asked the grandmaster suddenly.

"The prince asked questions about her family," answered Headmistress Marl. "His Majesty mentioned he was curious about her background. According to him, she transformed soon after, becoming someone else."

"Split personalities are not uncommon," said Kuldor, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The people from
Yerob in Sector Three are known to have at least five personalities on average. Anything less is considered abnormal. Perhaps the child needs to be trained in controlling her other personality."

"From the sound of it, she needs to be monitored closely," said Raimus, walking over.
"Perhaps an implant in her eye to transmit her movements?"

"Absolutely not!" growled Baneyon. "I won't allow it! She's barely recovered from all her injuries. She doesn't have to be told she's a threat to the other students or that she needs to be monitored."

The grandmaster rested a hand on Baneyon's shoulder. "I see you have become attached to your assignment, Baneyon. But Degra and Drummik are right to be concerned. The safety of the other students is their first priority. If Terrana poses a threat to them, then we must deal with her appropriately. We are faced with a dilemm
a
— we brought the girl over and we promised her an education and a new life. We are ultimately responsible for her care, but if she is deemed to be a threat to any person in UWIB, then by all laws and conventions, she must be eliminated."

Baneyon stiffened. "You can't be serious," he growled.

"At the very least, we can wipe her memories and return her to Sector Thirteen. However, Terrana's powers are extremely intriguing and whatever attachment she has to this dolphin, I believe there is more to learn. Also, the lacers know of her existenc
e
— Degra has reported that some of them have been loitering around the school."

Baneyon glared at Headmistress Marl. "More information you've been keeping from me?"

"They appeared only two days ago," she replied defensively. "Like I said, you weren't available. The lacers didn't make it past our ground
s
— the barriers are solid."

"We must come to a decision quickly," interrupted the queen. "We have no time to spare on the girl while the demons head to Si Ren Da for Skra's pendant. In that regard, allow me to aid you with your decision."

Everyone looked at her expectantly, with the exception of Baneyon, who remained sullen.

"My son aside, the girl has not threatened anyone else," she said loudly. "While I do not know what possessed my son to expose her to the faar, it is possible she was influenced by overwhelming factors. It is no small thing to be in the presence of such a creature."

Everyone remained quiet. None of them had even come close to being in a faar's presence, and some were slightly envious.

"Added to that, the girl has been through an extremely traumatic experience, and it is not something that can be discarded and forgotten so soon. She has been in Minda Yerra for only two months. Obviously, she still carries emotional baggage. We do not know enough about her to let her go and neither do we want her to fall into the lacers' hands. Keep her at the school and monitor her closely for now."

"I agree," said Kuldor. "It is unfortunate that we cannot spend more time discussing the girl, but Her Highness is right. The matter with the demons is more pressing. We should observe the child closely for now."

"Very well then," said the grandmaster. "Degra, the girl is to remain in the school and continue her education as normal. Is she doing well in classes?"

"She shows remarkable talent for weaving. She is way ahead of her classmates and has already mastered memory extraction. Her understanding of physics, particle breakdown, and particle manipulation is also astounding," answered Headmistress Marl.

"It's not just natural talent," added Master Drummik. "She is a dedicated pupil and works diligently."

A feeling of pride surged in Baneyon when Master Drummik said this. He hadn't realised how attached he'd become to Terrana until Headmistress Marl had suggested her removal from Minda Yerra. Up until the attack, he'd communicated with Terrana nearly every day. She told him little things about her day, subjects she experienced difficulty in, her ramblings about her classmates, friends, and pet. He smiled while he read her messages, even when she was making unreasonable demands for new clothes. 

"Even the best child will have flaws," said the grandmaster. "We would do well to provide her with a lot more understanding and kindness if she is to survive in this world. Like Kuldor has said, it is unfortunate that we cannot discuss her further but for now, Degra, please continue to care for her. Now, we must be off.
Quempa?"

"Yes, Grandmaster Deitrux?"

"We will need that list of names as soon as possible. Send them to Kuldor as soon as you are done."

"Of course."

Grandmaster Deitrux, Queen Julere, and Kuldor finally left the room, leaving Quempa in charge.

"Right, let's get started," he said. "I need a team for Si Ren Da. As you know, the mission is to retrieve Skra's pendant. Raimus, your knowledge of Si Ren Da will prove useful on this mission, so consider yourself on the team."

Raimus paled.

"Baneyon, you're also coming because you've encountered one of them before."

"Fine with me," said Baneyon. "I have a score to settle with the demon anyway."

"Will the lacers be coming along?" asked Master Drummik.

"Without a doubt," answered Lady Fless. "There's no way they're going to let us handle this by ourselves."

"Lady Fless, you're on the team too," called out Quempa.

In the end, five were chosen for the mission. They were Baneyon, Raimus, Lady Fless, Talinuk Ferro, and Quempa. A quick message from Kuldor also informed them that the L-Council was sending in five lacers to join the team.

"Si Ren Da is a three-day journey from Pa Gumpina," said Quempa. "Since we have no idea of the pendant's coordinates, prepare for days of searching."

Raimus groaned. "The dogs, Quempa. Don't forget the dogs!"

"What
is
it with you and the dogs?" Baneyon asked. Raimus opened his mouth to explain but Quempa beat him to it.

"Si Ren Da is home to a most unusual anima
l
— an animal that is resistant to our qi. It is called the Dratkaar, otherwise known a
s—
"

"The mad dogs of Si Ren Da!" cried out Raimus. "They are wild, vicious beasts that can see through any illusion. Their minds can't be controlled and they are ridiculously powerful. Their saliva is acid and must be avoided at all costs."

"Sounds fun already," muttered Lady Fless.

"We'll need to secure supplies for the mission, and if any of you have special requirements, you'll need to provide me with a list right away. We leave for Si Ren Da in three hours."

As they filed out of the room, Baneyon rushed to Headmistress Marl. "Degra, I need to see Terrana before I leave. I know it's late in the day, but could you give me teacher's clearance?"

"Yes, of course."

"And one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Can you direct me to the nearest Grienna store?" Baneyon said, without batting an eye.