The Path of the Storm (51 page)

Authors: James Maxwell

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #Fantasy, #Genre Fiction, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Epic, #Sword & Sorcery, #Romance, #Women's Adventure, #Coming of Age, #epic fantasy, #action and adventure

BOOK: The Path of the Storm

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Ella blinked, and felt a tear roll down her cheek. She wanted nothing more than for Miro and Amber to be happy. Why did they have to endure such pain?

She thought about the alchemist's dying words. He'd spoken those words to Amber and Miro, asking them to pass them on. What had he meant exactly?

"Tell them everything is toxic, and small amounts of things considered poisonous can do good, while large amounts of safe substances can kill."

Whatever he had meant, he considered it important enough to say those words with his last breath.

Ella knew she had made the counteragent properly. Was Tomas too far gone to recover? Only time would tell.

She looked at Miro's face. He seemed unaware that outside the palace they were waiting for him. Every High Lord had travelled incredible distances to be here, and Alturans had travelled far and wide to be present to welcome their new ruler. Yet Miro's concern was for Amber, and the son that wasn't his by blood, but would always be his in every other way.

An eyelid fluttered, but Ella swiftly crushed the hope that began to swell in her breast, unwilling to face the disappointment that would follow. Then the other eyelid moved.

Miro knelt until he was beside Amber. He took the child's hand in his.

Amber looked at Miro and there were tears streaming down her face. Miro put his arm around her, and Ella saw his eyes were reddened also. Ella sniffed and wiped at her own eye.

The face that had until now been so calm, so serene, began to twitch. "He squeezed my hand," Miro whispered. "He squeezed my hand!"

Tomas opened his eyes.

"Mama?" the child said. He licked his lips. "What's happening?"

"I'm here, Tomas," Amber sobbed. "I'm here."

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm crying because I'm happy."

Ella squeezed Amber's shoulder. Deciding it was time to leave them alone, she exited the room without a word, her own sense of relief and joy overpowering.

She walked through the softly lit chambers of the Crystal Palace, finally reaching the open doors to the main entrance. Ella could see them all waiting, the lords of Altura dressed in their finery and hovering around the steps, waiting for her brother.

She descended the steps as the distant bell pealed. A man in an elegant maroon doublet tugged on her sleeve, leaning forward. "Your brother," the lord whispered. "Where is he?"

Ella whispered in the lord's ear, watching the expression on the man's face shift from concern to elation.

She smiled as the lord turned to address the people around him, raising his voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have wonderful news. The High Lord's son has recovered."

His words were greeted with a cheer and suddenly the tension in the lords' bodies left, and they were grinning and passing the news. It travelled through to the guests who stood by the river and a second shout of approval came from the river. From the riverbank the news travelled to the Alturans who crowded the streets and bridges.

Miro exited the Crystal Palace to a mighty roar.

Ella grinned when she saw that he couldn't stop smiling, and she only realised now the tension he'd been under when she saw how much its absence softened his face.

She decided to leave him to his moment. This was his time, and she had important work to do in Mornhaven, where the future of the Empire depended on the new machines.

Perhaps, sometime soon, she would also go to Seranthia.

L
ATER
, much later, Miro and Amber strolled along the riverbank, watching the ferry boats crossing the Sarsen and the students crossing Victory Bridge on their way to the Academy of Enchanters in their green woollen gowns.

"Miro," Amber said. "I think you can give me a better honeymoon than that. The beach was very nice, but I'm not sure if the journey was enjoyable."

Miro laughed, the sound filling the air as he roared. Finally he was able to speak. "Would having a second honeymoon make you feel guilty?"

"Sometimes guilty pleasures are the best. We need to go to Seranthia for Killian's coronation anyway, what if we left a little early? Ella told me there's an incredible eating house that I'd really like to try. It's called Barlow's. Apparently they give you these little pastries before the meal, and at the end they give you handmade chocolates."

"Sounds wonderful," Miro grinned. "Do they serve children?"

"Apparently fish dishes are their specialty," Amber said, "although I'm sure you could ask for stewed child if you really wanted it."

Miro laughed again. His wife was back.

Amber grew serious. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"It's about Ella. She's always alone. Do you think she'll find someone?"

"I sensed something between her and that man from the desert, Ilathor."

"No." Amber shook her head. "She loves Killian."

"I said something to her on the
Infinity
. About love." Miro stopped walking and took Amber's hand. "I told her how happy I am now that I've found you."

Amber smiled and leaned forward, brushing Miro's lips with her own. "What did she say?"

"She changed the subject, and spoke to me about essence and lore. She asked me about the Alchemists' Guild and the technology of the Veldrins."

"That sounds like her," Amber said. "I said something to her too, you know."

"What response did you get?"

"She said she doesn't have time for love."

Epilogue

E
LLA
again travelled alone, back the way she'd come long ago when she'd left Evrin on a journey that started with her brother's wedding and took her to Seranthia, Ku Kara, Stonewater and the nightmare world of Shar.

Summer was moving into autumn, and the road from Sarostar to Mornhaven was crowded with men and women hauling carts bearing the fruits of the harvest. Ella again passed the inscription bearing her brother's name, running her hand over it and smiling. More than once she overheard locals discussing the new Emperor, the nephew of the old one, a man reputed to possess incredible powers.

This time Ella saw the nine-pointed star flown from buildings in both Altura and Halaran. There was hope in people's eyes and food in their bellies. The rulers of the nine houses were working together for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. Each voice was equal, and all would be heard.

Ella saw the peaks of the Ring Forts long before she saw Mornhaven. She was glad now they'd chosen this place. When the essence flowed, it would flow from here, the mid-point of the Empire, bringing it quickly to those who needed it. The Ring Forts would provide the best possible protection, and the machines' location in the catacombs deep beneath afforded a second level of defence.

Ella arrived at Mornhaven, passing several checkpoints and immediately heading to the tunnel. She found Evrin Evenstar scratching his head and looking at the gaping mouth of the harvesting plant.

Nearby was a wheeled handcart filled to the brim with black lignite. The rare ore was dug up all over the Empire. Now it was being sent to this place.

"Ah, my dear," Evrin said without turning around, "I've been waiting for you. I expected you tomorrow."

"How did you know I was coming?" Ella said.

"News travels fast. I'm pleased to hear your brother's son is well. You were at his inauguration. I knew you would come here next."

"Why were you waiting for me?"

Ignoring her, Evrin called out to half a dozen men entering the massive chamber. "Quickly now. Don't dawdle. Come on, you know what to do."

Ella's eyes widened when she recognised the white robes, and the symbol of a black sun on the breast. "Templars!"

"They know how to do this best," Evrin said. "They're good men. The first is Felyan and the second is Maurix. I've forgotten the names of the others."

"Enchantress," one of the templars bowed, the others following suit.

"Come on," Evrin said, "hurry up. We don't have all day."

"Yes, Skylord."

"And don't call me that! My name is Evrin. Come on, load it up."

The six templars rolled the handcart towards the massive entry port of the harvesting plant, finally disappearing inside. When they came out, their hands were black from handling the lignite.

The energy of a million blades of grass was pent in each lump of black ore, waiting for the magical machines to unlock its potential.

"Now go and stand over there." Evrin said to the templars, pointing. "Further! If it explodes you'll be better off against the wall."

Ella looked at Evrin in alarm, but his twinkling eyes told her he was jesting.

"Why have you been waiting for me?" Ella repeated.

"Why, because I thought you might like to do this. You deserve it, Ella. Without your help we would still be a year away from completion. Now, tell me something, do you know that rune over there? The one with the triple whorl and the inverted bridge..."

Ella walked over to the harvesting plant. "I know it."

"What does it mean?"

"Loosely translated, it means 'awaken'."

"Fitting, don't you think? Say the rune, Ella. Speak it loud."

"
Alitas
," Ella said softly.

"No, loud! Say it so the world can hear. When you speak, all of the machines will become alive. Let the world know!"

"
Alitas!
" Ella shouted.

The symbol Evrin had pointed to flared up with emerald light. The colour travelled from rune to rune, sending prismatic colours scattering across the walls of the huge cave. A rumbling noise came from the harvesting plant, and the ground began to shake. Ella could hear nearby hisses and hoots from the extraction system, and a sizzling sound like lightning from the distant refinery.

"Thank you, Skylord," one of the templars said, "for allowing us to be present at this historic moment."

All of the templars bowed in Evrin's direction.

"I told you not to call me that!" Evrin said.

Ella watched, filled with awe, as the work of nearly three years bore fruition, barely noticing as another cart of lignite was brought into the chamber.

The lignite would enter here, at the harvesting plant. It wouldn't become a liquid until the substance was taken through the extraction system, and only at the refinery would essence come into being.

Essence would allow drudges to till the earth and haul goods from one land to another. Pathfinders would shine, heating stones would warm, and timepieces would count the seconds.

But there was more.

Nightshades would come from the forest, the tree warriors bearing the power of nature itself in their gnarled limbs.

Avengers would twist and slash, scattering their enemies with a flail in one arm and a black sword grafted to the other.

Colossi would make the earth tremble beneath their massive forms.

Elementalists would call forth walls of fire.

Bladesingers would fight to their very last breath.

The enemy was coming.

But essence had returned to the Empire.

Acknowledgements

Thanks go to my readers:

Mark, Jeremy and Sam.

It's hard asking friends for feedback,