World Sphere - 229 -

Chapter 229:

Captain Liam waited for me while I met with Talia, Remy, and Selin. Callem should have been here, but was probably at Skyhold for the war council. Mia was absent because she was training new guards at our warehouses in Solaris City. Remy was bouncing in his seat, eager to get back to building the Ravenhawk. “You can go first,” I said to Remy.

“All aether tech devices have been stored at the Black Spire. Once we have trained technicians, we will install them. It doesn’t make sense to start relying on them and have them fail. The Navy is not prepared to buy our surplus radars unless we provide free maintenance.” I rolled my eyes at that. It would take some demonstrations before the admiralty would see they couldn’t live without them. Remy flipped through some papers. “The sky taxis are making significant profits now, discounting their construction and artificing.”

“Who is our competition?” I asked, having not seen anything on the red taxis.

“A young mage lord from a city destroyed by the World Walkers. He has some artificing ability and currently has six taxis, but is only operating in Skyhold and charging insane prices for his services. Who would pay ten gold to save a twenty-minute walk?” Remy questioned in exasperation.

Talia answered for him. “You would be surprised. Some of these new…citizens…” she growled out, “have more gold than sense.” I kept my mouth shut as I certainly fell into that category. Skyholme was relatively poor by comparison in the Sphere. Another reason why outsiders could settle and live in luxury in our capital. Loriel must be making a fortune with taxes and fees from the migrants. She should have been able to balance Skyholme’s books by now.

Remy reviewed the ledgers for everyone before I let him go back to building the Ravenhawk. Talia was next. “We should be up to seven delve teams after the Academy graduation this year.” Selin nodded in confirmation. “Our second dungeon hopper just finished and needs to be artificed.” She looked at me, and I nodded, but I would need to get some powerful aether crystals for it and the skiffs. Also, the trip to the dwarven city was not currently convenient due to the war.

“What is the current skill level of delve teams?” I asked.

Talia frowned slightly. “Aelyn’s team is a five, my team is a four, and the other teams are twos and threes.” That was shorthand for how deep in levels they could typically go in dungeons safely. We were very weak in terms of strength but had high profitability in the dungeons we delved.

We discussed dungeon harvests for a little while before finishing with Selin expounding on the success of the Academy. So far, there had been no issues with getting the lowlands recruits residency in Skyholme. The only hiccup was a modest increase in a processing fee and residency being limited to seven years before requiring either renewal or an application for full citizenship. It was more than enough time for the students to complete the academy and establish themselves as delvers. Since Skyholmes dungeons were not very challenging, I was worried many would seek employment in the lowlands. Maybe with more dungeon hoppers in service, we could attract more of the top prospects.

A quick reminder that the Academy Magic Shop needed to be stocked was given before I finally went to see Liam. Liam hid his agitation well, and I was a bit surprised when I found he had taken one of our taxis. I let the taxi go, and we took the Maelstrom on the roof. I saw Adrial plodding beside me as I ascended the ramp. I scratched behind her ears on her soft fur, getting a rumbling purr. The poor girl was so confused having her sister be human. I may look for a beast essence to help her intellect instead. She still had a feral intelligence.

“Where are you, Kiara?” I asked through our link.

A drowsy response came back. “Sleeping, father. Being humanoid is tiring. I must have tried on a million different sets of clothes.” I laughed mentally, imagining Freya and Aelyn dressing up Kiara. I let her sleep, not worried about encountering any problems in Skyhold.

We arrived at the war council, with Captain Liam subtly trying to urge me to hurry from the docks to the chamber. A war on the ground was progressing very slowly, so there was no need to rush this. We had days to discuss and develop a plan. If the invaders had sky ships, that would justify a sense of urgency. Liam introduced me before I entered, “High Mage Storme Hardlight.”

I looked for Aelyn in the room but she was not here. The room was dominated by a massive table that was a relief map of the lowlands the Skyholme islands traveled over. I moved to the table and explained my absence. “Captain Liam brought me with all due haste. What is the situation?”

Around the table were Sebastian, Lorien, Antioch, Callem, three admirals I recognized from Skyholme Navy, and two I did not recognize from the Sadian Empire. Several junior officers from both powers stood at attention against the walls in observance. Most were skyship captains by their uniforms.

Loriel frowned but did not comment on my tardiness. She indicated the map. “The eastern mountain ranges are spewing out regiments of well-armored bugbears. Kobold infiltrators are destroying bridges and roads throughout the provinces.”

“Why can’t the Sadians just bombard them from their sky ships?” I asked, looking at the map. Small miniatures denoted enemies and allies. The Sadians only had four skyships, it looked like. No, each of those miniatures was likely a unit of three ships.

Prince Consort Antioch answered me. “We lost two skyships so far. We think they flew up invisibly and placed an aether null-field bomb on the ship. The ships’ crystals were instantly drained and crashed. Even the mages aether cores were drained. All hands lost,” he said seriously. “We are now just using them to scout from high above.”

“Null field…that is aether tech,” I said, surprised.

One of the Sadian admirals, a robust man with dark skin, added, “It is just a theory since we lost communication when they fell from the sky, but the most likely scenario.”

“How about engagements on the ground?” I pointed at the army units. It looked like they had already rolled over two dungeon towns and lots of farmland.

“The first attack was two days ago, and we are still assembling a force to counter their advance,” the Sadian admiral said defensively. “Each of these bugbear units is ten thousand strong.”

I gawked a little as I counted nine miniatures in the shape of a bugbear. “What about spellcaster strength?”

The same admiral answered, his eyes steely. “Bugbears typically have weak spell casters and that seems to be the case here. But human mages and ogre magi are supporting them.”

“Bugbears are brutes. Why are they working so well together?” I asked, but the idea of a mind reaper sounded more and more likely.

“Only in dungeons,” Callem answered. “There are cities with tens of thousands of the bugbear race in the Endless Dark. Who could unite so many remains a mystery.”

“In the Sapphire Passage, I was told the mind reapers might have returned. They could be orchestrating this.” No one at the table knew what mind reapers were, so I took time to review what little I had learned. Concern etched on their faces the more I spoke. The greater concern was whether they had been the ones to move the World Walkers. “They will be in the shadows if they are behind this,” I finished.

“What aid will Skyholme send?” another Sadian admiral asked. I had thought this would have been decided before I arrived, so I was interested. Skyholme didn’t have an army, just a navy and a few hundred city guards. We could barely cover all the islands with our existing fleet, another reason that reuniting the islands would make us much stronger.

“Seven wasps, two Harbingers, and six hundred marines,” Loriel said, glancing at me. I groaned silently, knowing she expected me to step in and save the day. I studied the map and indicated one of the units on the flank.

“I will eliminate this regiment—it is just ten thousand bugbears and a few mages?” I asked nonchalantly.

The Sadian admirals scoffed. “Your skyship will be grounded before you do much damage. We don’t even know for sure how they are getting their aether null bombs aboard.”

“I will be going on foot, actually. I will take care of it tomorrow,” I said, turning to leave.

Callem spoke up, “I will go with the High Mage. I know his capabilities, and he is capable of the feat.” Callem walked out with me, and when we were in the hallway, asked: “Are you going to use your lightning elementals?”

“That is the plan. I can continue to send them from a distance unless they have a way to counter them. If they have a mage strong enough to do so, I will try the other flank. If that also fails, I will retreat,” I explained. I was actually looking forward to this, as I suspected the destruction the elementals would cause would increase the power of the spell. Callem accompanied me to the Maelstrom with Adrial.

“I hear your other phantom cat is learning to use her body. Do you wish me to train her?” Callem asked while settling in. An evil smile cracked my face, imagining Callem training Kiara.

“That would be most welcome. How much longer until you retire?” I asked.

“After this war skirmish, if Skyholme remains safe,” the old man said, “I look forward to a comfortable retirement as your commandant.”

We landed on the Shiny Platinum, the hangar currently being used to assemble the Ravenhawk. Callem still had his room here with Wynna and he went there to prepare for tomorrow’s expedition.

I was speechless when I found Kiara in my room, sleeping on my bed in heavy silk robes. Dozens of clothes were scattered around the room, packages torn open from the shopping spree. I was briefly at a loss for what to do. The bed was huge, and she often slept in it with me as a phantom cat. The second bedroom in the apartment had been turned into a workshop and didn’t have a bed. “Kiara, get up.” I said aloud. She slowly stretched like a she did as a feline.

“Sleep more,” she said in my head, curling into a ball and rubbing the silky area around herself, making an odd human purring sound.

“Nope. Couch. You will see Selin at the academy tomorrow. Tell her you're going to enroll next semester and be part of the class,” I said. Kiara sat up quickly, the robe slipping off her shoulders, but beneath it she was dressed in what seemed like four layers of clothing. It was as if she couldn’t decide what she liked best, so she was wearing them all.

“Really!?” she yelled excitedly in my mind.

“Yes, but you need to learn to speak if you want to go,” I chided her child-like enthusiasm. “Callem is going to teach you to fight with weapons, too.”

“Claws are better,” she held up her hand, but was disappointed to realize their short length.

“You can sleep on the couch,” I waved her out. Adrial walked into the room and jumped up on the bed, nestling her large form in the covers that were still warm from Kiara. I sighed and went to my workshop to work on the long list of items I needed to artifice.

In the morning, I took Kiara to the academy and handed my problem child to Selin. Of course, we passed Gareth on our way in, and he did a double take before closing the distance. “Storme! How was the Passage, and who is this?”

Kiara, not realizing Gareth didn’t recognize her, invaded his personal space and was looking for attention. Gareth’s immense confusion quickly turned into a lecherous expression. “That is Kiara, my phantom cat,” I said, causing him to leap backward in shock.

“What? Was she polymorphed? Is it permanent?” Gareth wheezed out.

“She learned how to shape change, but this is her only other form. She is joining the academy, and if anything happens to her, I will hold you accountable,” I said as we continued past.

Gareth regained his composure. “Hey Storme, what do you want me to do about Ardent Torrent?”

I paused. “Has he challenged you already?”

“No, Selin told me he would, though. She said you would only fight him if he could beat me. Do you want me to let him win?” Gareth asked in seriousness. I was surprised Gareth would even ask this.

“No, give him your best, but both of you should only use practice weapons and no magic,” I said. “Make it a test of his martial skill.”

“But you would fight him with your lightning reflexes spell?” Gareth accused. Gareth was insinuating that I couldn’t beat him without the spell, which was definitely true. It would be a much closer match than a year ago, but he still surpassed me in skill.

I shrugged. “He said he wanted to challenge the High Mage. What is a High Mage without spells.”

We continued to Selin’s office and found her talking with three instructors. When she saw Kiara, she smiled. “What a lovely form you have chosen, dear. Very—familiar.”

“I am headed down to join the war effort today. Can you take care of Kiara? She needs to learn the language,” I said.

“I have an artifact to help with that,” one of the instructors volunteered. “I am Abraham, child,” he said, addressing Kiara. His body morphed, and he grew from a dark-haired man with wide shoulders into a seven-foot bipedal bear. His voice was more guttural in the bear form. “This is my spirit body. I will teach you how to shift faster and how to manage your new shape.”

Selin interrupted. “All these instructors are adapt shape changers. Either by spell or ability. Your kitten is in good hands.”

“Not a kitten,” Kiara rasped out aloud and through the mind link.

“She is all yours then,” I said, leaving Kiara in the care of the academy.

Returning to the Shiny Platinum, I collected Callem, and we went to the Black Spire. Tibault, Bleiz, Neoma, and twenty-five other Skyguard were ready and boarded the Maelstrom. As the last one reached the ramp, Aelyn raced up it. “You stood me up for dinner. Don’t think I am going to let you have fun without me again!” She gave me a little peck on the cheek and went to the bridge.

When I joined her on the bridge, she was in the pilot’s seat and frustrated. “Why are the controls not responding?”

“After we went to the Passage, I came up with some new security measures.” I motioned her out of the seat, and she reluctantly yielded. “Rather than remove the aether crystals every time I want to secure the Maelstrom, I hid them behind a heavy obfuscation rune under the bridge. Also, the controls are locked until this key is inserted in the armrest.” I slid the key in and produced another key on a chain to give Aelyn. She beamed as she tied it around her neck.

I took the pilot’s seat and lifted off, quickly clearing the island and activating the invisibility runes. There were enough landmarks below that I didn’t even need the maps to head in the right direction, quickly accelerating past the sound barrier. We descended through the clouds to the lowlands, reaching our destination in minutes.

Callem had joined us, and within moments, we found ourselves flying rapidly above a sprawling tapestry of tents sprawled across the field, doing a quick reconnaissance. Despite the fact that our invisibility might be compromised, catching us would still be impossible due to our speed. Seeing the number of enemies was shocking. I think they had underestimated…

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