The Laws Of Elios (Book 2) (6 page)

With the last rays of the sun about to disappear she hurried back off of the platform and rushed to where she thought the rail had ended only to find open ground.  Like a light coming on she recalled Shane telling her how he had hidden the towering obelisks that he had set up forming the border wall to repel the possible invasion from Infin.  Closing her eyes she sought any signs of lumen
. To her amazement the golden rail was still shimmering and nearly right in front of her where she had hoped to find the end of the rail that had spanned the gorge was a golden disk about a cubit in diameter.  Crouching down on to her heels she could see the lumen of the device with her lumen sight but not the physical disk.  Carefully she reached out to it and she could feel the cool metallic surface although it remained invisible.  Studying the glyphs through their lumen she soon saw the cloaking glyphs but decided against deactivating it for fear of shutting down the entire route.  Standing Ava smiled with a satisfied expression.  She now knew how to trace the path of the monorail to Coh Y Nord.  Pulling the portal device from her belt she soon stepped in from the rapidly darkening plains and back into her office.

Seeing her Instructor on her desk next to her now closed notebook she scooped up the notebook
after a quick glance and walked to Leo’s office; hoping that he was still at work.

The door to Professor Wetz’s office was slightly ajar as she approached.  Hearing conversation she knocked politely before entering.  The office was transfigured from its prior disarray and was now the embodiment of organization.  Leo was sitting at his desk with his instructor set up with a large screen and he was teaching glyphs to a fascinated Kaysee.

Ava looked around at the loaded book shelves and the immaculate cabinets and credenzas and couldn’t help wondering where all the paper had gone.  “Wow! “She exclaimed, “This is quite the transformation.  Did you discover a set of glyphs that organize offices?"

“I’m afraid the magic that controlled the chaos that once had hold of my office was
more of your doing my dear Ava; after all it was you that provided me with such an amazing assistant.  The true fact is that it was all the magical organization of Kay.  She is incredible.”

Kaysee’s face reddened at the compliment as she brushed an errant wisp of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes; her hair tied up in a bun but looking remarkably lovely in spite of the smudge or two that clearly told the tale of her day’s hard work.  “I just put a few things away and dusted a little.  Leo is quite organized, I just imagine he hasn’t had a lot of time for filing,” replied Kaysee.

“It looks amazing in here,” Ava answered as she plopped into a chair next to Kaysee.  “Is it alright if I interrupt your training for a few minutes?  I need to know how hard it will be to manufacture a few very, very, complex devices.”

Leo deactivated his instructor and it transformed into a large Wonstrowd “W” hanging on the wall.  “Absolutely, what is it you need made?”

Ava pulled out the note book and tossed it on the desk in front of the professor causing it to slide, spinning to a stop in front of him.  Kaysee leaned in to look as he picked it up and began scanning through the pages.  “What is it?”  He queried as he thumbed to another page, “Ah… the monorail.”  He turned back a couple of pages read a bit then went back again.  Pretty complex but I think we can manage.  There are a few parts that I will probably have to defer to you and Shane as they will either require mastery or I’ll have to make a few machines to engineer some of these materials.  This will really test our mettle but with Alicia, John, and Lance now training to be mages this will be a good practicum for them.”

“How soon can you get started and how long for the first prototype,” asked Ava.

“I need a few hours of study and a couple of days with the instructor.  This will be the most complicated device for me so far.”  He reached into his desk and pulled out another notebook and began writing.  “Kay, I’m going to need a medium sized lab.  I would like to use Shane’s but if he has things set up in there find me the next biggest room.  Ask Alicia what she has, also ask her, John and Lance to see if we can get together tonight before we close up for the night so we can plan the rest of the week.”

Kaysee looked at Ava and at the dark window with a frown.  Ava stood laughing and walked to the window.  “Leo can I ask you something
,” she asked patiently.

“Sure, Ava what do you need,” he answered without looking up.

Ava rolled her eyes and then using mastery she levitated Leo, chair and all, from behind the desk to the window.  “Leo, take a look out of the window and tell me what you see.”

With a sigh Leo looked out the window.  “I can’t see anything
, it’s too dark.”

Ava winked at Kaysee.

“Ha, ha, very funny, now kindly return me to my desk.”  He began to float gently back to his desk.  “When did it get dark, Am I the last one here again?”

Ava walked to the door, “Get with me tomorrow and see if you can give me an estimate on how long and
what you need from Shane or me.”  Turning to Kaysee she added,” Case, as Leo’s assistant I’m going to have to add the task of making sure he cuts back on his “All-Nighters” at the research center.

Leo
, why don’t you have Kaysee give you a tour around Yllyan; since we have acquired a few more people I believe we now have a few nice cafés and restaurants open late enough still for you two to grab supper.  As hard as she has worked I’m sure she is starved.”  Stepping out she closed the door behind her.

Ava left Leo and Kaysee and went back to her office.  Sitting
down at her desk she looked at her “list”.  Surprisingly she was slowly crossing off the many items that had been in need of her attention since she began preparing for the war.  Alicia was now a glyph mage trainee and had taken over the medical device and healing magic research.  Lance and John were planning on taking the test that Shane and Leo had devised to ascertain the readiness of a mage tech to become a glyph mage in the next day or two.  In the meantime they had taken the lead in breaking in lesser experienced magetechs teaching them the expectation of the knowledge, focus, and dedication that it took to become a glyph mage. 

Shane and Ari met regularly with the prime minister of Luion but mostly were gone doing who knew what
and at the moment were in the midst of trying to locate her aunt and rescue her; the thought of them being in danger sent a chill down her spine.  Shaking off her worry she reconciled herself to trusting that Ari’s talent for pulling off the impossible would keep Shane safe she tried to concentrate on other things. 

Looking on the list Ava circled her goal to get the infrastructure restored on the continent of Coholo.  She felt she was making large strides in that direction but she felt that it wasn’t getting done quickly enough. 
Tomorrow
, she thought to herself.  Tomorrow I’ll start looking to see what has to be replaced and if the city builder that the records center had hinted at will work.   If her plans to restore Coh Y Nord, she would be on her way to restoring one of the most marvelous lands the world of Eliom had ever known.  With a sigh Ava straightened her desk and summoned her instructor to her wrist as a bracelet and stood; without much thought now that she was starting to use glyph mastery she opened the portal to her parents’ home in Luion and turned off the lights as it closed behind her.  

~~~~~

Ari, Leslie, and Shane stepped through the portal on to the wheelhouse deck of the sloop.  Roger looked up from the viewer; he had been watching the entire rescue unfold from the monitor.  “Welcome home Mademoiselle.  It is such a relief to see you safe and sound,” he said emotionally as he stepped forward and gave her a warm hug and a traditional Luionese kiss on each cheek.

Leslie still a bit overwhelmed by the rapid rescue, the unexplained magic
, and the dramatic change of venue smiled at Roger and immediately grasped to the first semblance of reality that she had experienced in several days. Reaching to her natural propriety as if it were a life line that would restore her sanity she held tightly to her social graces and calmly responded, “Roger, how delightful to see you again.”  Then looking with a half-smile, half-frown and a raised eyebrow, she looked at Ari then Roger, “I should have known you two would know each other.”

Roger shook his head and said, “Alas dear
Lady, I only knew monsieur Stafford as a grain broker until the war started.  It was quite the shock to learn that one of my best friends and longest customers was also the head of the CSS.”

“
Come on Leslie,” Ari said in an uncommonly gentle tone, “we need to get you some where comfortable, you are still in shock and you need a nice, quiet, and familiar set of surroundings.  Shane can you open a portal to Gerard’s home please?”

Shane didn’t bother with his device but merely used mastery to open a gateway to his future in-laws.  Leslie’s mouth opened but words failed to materialize as the image of her sister’s kitchen f
illed the far side of the wheelhouse.  As Ari and Shane steered the rescued Leslie through the gateway Ari turned to Roger.  “Stay here until Shew and the kid get back.  Have the kid stay here and guard the boat then you and Shew head over to the capitol for our meeting with the Prime Minister’s war staff. We’ll get Leslie settled then meet you there.”

As the portal closed Leslie found herself in a familiar kitchen with a busy cook bustling over a stove top.  She was just about to ask Shane and Ari what and how she had been whisked out of a dungeon and across the continent to her sister’s home in Lu Y Onton when her sister walked into the room.

“Leslie!” exclaimed Louisa, dropping the bag of fruit that she was carrying.  “Are you okay?”

Leslie rushed and hugged her sister.  “I’m fine,” then not realizing the emotional stress and the shock that Ari had recognized she staggered as she was suddenly light headed.

Ari was suddenly at her side to steady her.  Shane pulled a chair out from the kitchen table that was next to a large bay window that over looked a garden.  Ari skillfully steered her to the chair and she gratefully sat down.  Turning to the Desmond’s cook he asked, “Mademoiselle, a cup of hot tea and a pastry s'il vous plaît, something with a lot of sugar if you have it.”

“Oui monsieur, right away,” responded the effic
ient cook with a concerned look.
At the Desmond home you never knew what to expect these days
.  She thought to herself as she set a cup and saucer before Leslie who was now chatting rapidly to her attentive and worried yet relieved sister.  Moments later she was pouring a blended herbal tea and honey into the empty saucer followed by a plate with a large cinnamon pastry dripping with a sugary glaze.

Leslie, somewhat revived
after she was halfway through the tea and the cinnamon roll, turned to Ari and Shane who were bent over picking up the fruit that Louisa had dropped.  “Ok, what in the world is going on?  I’ve seen some things in the last several days that are so far beyond real that I’m half expecting to wake up from a strange dream.  The light show in that horrible cell and the - She was at a loss for words, unable to describe what she had heard and seen as Shane and Ari had removed the Allyant influence from her - whatever it was you did, and the sudden relocation to where ever it was that Roger was and now I’m herein Lu Y Onton hundreds of milos from Jehhet.

Placing an arm load of fruit on the counter Shane turned to Leslie. 
“Aunt Leslie, it’s good to see you again.   I’m sorry we didn’t get to chat much on the boat,” at her blank look he added, “Where Roger was,” he explained.  Continuing he said, “If you recall back when you , Ava, and I went to lunch when we first met I asked the question regarding what would the law be in regards to creating one’s own artifacts?”  Leslie nodded.  “As it turns out, I figured out how to do it.”

Leslie’s jaw dropped and she brought her delicate hands to her face in wonder.  “This is incredible, this will change the world.  No wonder we are at war, how did the king find out?”

Shane shrugged and Ari dropping the rest of the fruit into the sink interjected.  “I don’t think he does.  The war started over the smuggling and Allion’s desire to control the artifact trade.  I had no idea that Shane could do what he did until we met up at the Ox the night after the Warball championship.  If I didn’t know then Allion didn’t either.  By the time we got back from trying to rescue Ava off of the island, he not only had created magic that hadn’t been seen in over two thousand years, he began teaching me how to do some of the same things.”

“Rescue Ava,” Leslie jumped to her feet and turned to Louisa.  “Louisa is she
okay, what happened?”

Louisa held her hand patting it calmingly, “Sit down Leslie
, Ava is fine.  A lot has transpired while you were away.  You need to rest you’ve had a trying day.”

“Like I was saying,” Ari continued.  “
I met up with Shane just before it all occurred the day before the war started.  A lot has happened in a rather short time.  I’ll let you visit with Gerard and Louisa and they can fill in the blanks.  Shane and I have a meeting this afternoon with the Luion Department of War so we need to leave.

Leslie sat and shook her head
, “So all that light and those miraculous things I saw in the dungeons were due to artifacts you created?”