075 - Resonance

A cluster of white lights had a halo of golden light shine from behind, the closer they got the clearer it became; someone deliberately intended to hinder their efforts. The white lights smothered every other speck of light in the whole star system, thickest around the source of the gold light.

Deliberate obfuscation! Pontius shivered in anticipation. What sort of being was able to reach out and interfere with the chanting of Mithraic Seers and the Mens of the Martial Court? Celestials? Never before had a Celestial displayed such abilities . . something else? Something beyond the knowledge of Alchemists?

"Valerius, mark the star system! Set an anchor glyph."

"Sir!" Three beams of blue light shot from Valerius fingertips forming the outline of a glyph and shooting it out into the void.

Chi-chi-chi-chi-chi . .

A ringing noise like chirping bird sounded through the ether. The many specks of white twinkled, shining bright and flickered out - more lights, this time of a multitude of colours - red, blue, yellow, green, and white - appeared, dancing through the space above and below the seven. A thick curtain of many coloured lights descended, covering the golden light, soon covering every direction.

For the first time since entering the body Goddess both Baqir and Zaynab fell entirely silent, their chants dying in the back of their throats.

"Don't stop!" Pontius eyes blazed. "Chant! Sing, damn your eyes! Dong-Geun! Focus on the direction of the gold light - see us through these bloody lights!"

"Magister, the anchor glyph, it won't stick!" Valerius shot a second glyph out after the first, watching it with a hopeless expression as it fell apart after traveling a few feet from the disc.

"Forget the blasted anchor, what star system is this? Where are we?"

"Um . . sorry Magister . . there is no . . no identification. We are not in known space." Domitia responded.

"No marking? No Anchor? Baqir! Zaynab! Chant! For the love of all things holy . . ."

"With respect sir Magister," Baqir bowed his head, licking his lips nervously. "Chant what? Our Mithraic chants do not deal with such . . such strange events."

"Sing a bloody birthday hymn, just do something! Dong, you and your scar faced pal - see anything?"

"Straight ahead. In the same place . . faint . ."

Valerius and Domitia each maintained a steady stream of glyphs, moving the disc of blue light forwards into the curtain of colourful lights. A thousand colours . . all the lights spinning and dancing above their heads, a nauseating rainbow filling the minds of each of the seven with a profound dizziness and unease.

The two Mithraic Seers stood at the front of the disc, their chant now a low murmur. Around Prince Dong-Geun and Sung Hu hung a thick yellow aura, they repeatedly sent out a tendril of energy attempting to touch the many coloured lights, only to have it dissolve to nothing.

"Steady . . steady as it goes . . " Pontius maintained a forceful grip on the control of the two discs, Animus poured out endlessly from his hands feeding into the formations. With every passing second the pressure on the discs, on all of them, increasing tremendously.

Fisss . . fisssss . . fisssss . . .

Crack!

The body of the Goddess trembled, suddenly splitting apart, all the lights, all the colours burst all at once, each speck of light exploding into a cloud of colours smothering them whole.

"Glyphs! Faster!"

The air around the disc vibrated fiercely, a deep buzz becoming higher and louder, pressing down on them from all directions.

"Soooooo . . Neeeeee . . . Yaaaaa . . ."

"Soooooo . . Neeeeee . . . Yaaaaa . . ."

The two Seers chanted as one, forcing a song against the noise and colours. Zaynab bled from her ears and mouth, her eyes sunk and face increasingly pale. Baqir was in no better shape, but the gold within their eyes shone on; their voices never once faltering.

Pontius called out commands and encouragements one after another, keeping the disc clear on a course following the yellow threads Dong-Geun and Sung Hu kept shooting out.

A break . . ahead in the coloured clouds, a thin pale break, a golden light!

***

The white fog rolled out between the trees, rising and falling as if it were the lungs of a giant. Kujata sat on her hands, rocking back and forth on a stone bench within the small garden she'd created. Should I call out to Magnus? No rush . .

From right next to the forest and fog she'd not seen anything untoward, no lights, no golden aura; from the time Magnus had summoned up the forest and the mist she'd been entirely unable to see into it. His aspect is one of concealment? Strange . . she never would have pegged him as someone who kept secrets.

The first time she'd found her own place in the Ether she had spent days, weeks just delving into the intricate memories of those who'd become a part of her. Magnus was still very young, especially as a Celestial . . it wouldn't be long now.

There was nothing for her to do but wait for Magnus. The other Celestials . . her plan . . one way or another sacrifices need to be made . . the big picture . .

SMASH!

Chi . . chi . . chi . . chi

"Steady! We're through! Set an anchor! Mark the damn system!" Pontius roared, his eyes lit up like two burning coals.

The sky of the Ether distorted in a single huge bulge, blistering and popping open spilling lights and colours over the ash-grey grass expanse. From the burst sky came a rush of noise, two spinning blue discs stacked one on another, and standing between them the seven; Pontius at the helm, blue threads streaming from his fingertips.

Kujata gawked, staring up at the disc. Alchemists! They've tracked us here! How? How? Her mind reeled, her reactions slow, too slow to hide or throw up any proper defences before a stream of Mens washed over the her.

"There! A reaction! Celestial!"

"And the golden light? That . . is that a forest?"

"Mark it! Anchor us! For heaven's sake, Domitia!"

"Not possible Magister, we are unable to anchor or find our bearings . . there is something blocking the glyphs."

"Good Gods . . a real Celestial . . ha! Out in the wild!" Pontius laughed madly, taking the discs lower.

"It looks just like a girl . . ."

Kujata trembled under their gazes. Three Alchemists, two Seers, and two Martial Court Cultivators . . a full Ether tracking party.

"Lock it down!" Pontius clicked his fingers and the upper disc broke apart, threads of blue energy flying in every direction. "Contain her!"

Omm . . buuuu . .. neeeyaaa . .

The Seers chants changed, shorter, faster words in nasal harmonies.

Kujata reacted at last - from her hands emerged a clatter of coins, coppers, silvers, and thick gold pieces tumbled out into her illusory courtyard, rushing out to fill the expanse of grey grass. From them rose countless edifices; houses, blocks of flats, pubs, inns, taverns; entire towns and cities worth of buildings of all descriptions grew in seconds as far as the eye could see. The forest and the white fog were swallowed whole, covered up by rooftops and cobbled streets.

"Hehehe . . looks like she's running. Prepare for engagement! Domitia, Valerius - have you been trained in magical combat in the Ether?"

"Yes, Magister!"

"Yes, Magister!"

"Good! Follow my orders . . steady now . . we're going in!"