Forging of Souls

Book 2 of The Soul Saga

Chapter 1

The Arrival

Meredith Childs was sick.

It wasn’t world-ending, poisonous or even a viral sickness. Not at all.

No, to her, it was something much worse. Her olive-tinged fingers held so tightly to the railing of an elaborate skyship that her knuckles were turning white. Below on the ground, her green eyes peered through her curtain of black hair to see the land zipping past, becoming ocean. The sight made her want to hurl, which she did.

“I hate skyships…” Meredith groaned out. A hand soon touched her, rubbing circles on her back.

“This, coming from the best mechanic I know?”

Meredith squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stabilize her queasy stomach. It stopped lurching, and she looked back to the owner of the hand. “I’m good at fixing things, Eddie. Flying? Not so much.”

Edwin “Eddie” Montgomery laughed at that. His hand retracted, running through his windswept brown hair and grinning. Meredith’s vision stopped swimming, turning her body around to no longer stare over the edge. Now, she was facing the deck of the skyship, a marvel of machinery that cut through the air, and those that populated it. Her back pressed against the cool railing, supporting her while she looked to her best friend in the whole world.

Eddie’s face was one that was full of mirth, his lips turned up in an effervescent smile while his chocolate-colored eyes glimmered with life. The reason was obvious.

“Well, you’ll have to endure it a little longer, Mera. We’ll be in Lacardia soon! Home of magic!” Meredith rolled her eyes, tucking her hair behind her ear. She contemplated tying it into a ponytail, but the ensuing snicker stopped her before she could.

“Who knew you got airsick.” The chuckling voice drew Meredith’s annoyed gaze to the form of a boy her age. He, too, was leaning against the railing, though not from sickness. If anything, he looked a cross between joyful and disgruntled. From his white, tattered scarf, whipping in the wind, to his hazel eyes and dirty-blond hair, Emil radiated the aura of one who didn’t quite want to be there. Therefore, he took every opportunity possible to make light of it. “Funny, though. You never got sick all the times I carried you through the air.”

“Shut up, Emil.” Meredith’s response brought another wave of nausea. Emil laughed some more. The grating sound made Meredith whip around, back over the edge, to hurl once more. “I hate this…I’m on a Guardian Corps’ skyship, the great Defender, and I can’t even appreciate it.”

“Why? There are hundreds of others just like it,” Emil said. Meredith would have snapped a retort back, but her stomach had finally settled down, allowing her to look up, back the way they came.

It wasn’t distinctive by this point, but Meredith could still just see the gleaming buildings of the Metropolis in the distance. Some, taller than others, stood out amidst it all, particularly the one they had left from not a couple hours prior. A frown came to her face.

The Metropolis. It had been just a day since the most protected and vaunted city in the world had been besieged by a horde of monsters, controlled by a Beastmaster as fearsome as he was creepy. That was bad enough on its own, but when Meredith remembered the whole reason he had attacked the city, her own heart became rather unsettled. Legendary weapons, or so he’d said, to the point he’d come after two people she knew. The only consolation was that he’d been wounded and fled from the battle before he could hurt anyone else. He’d also gone empty-handed, not getting his hand on a single weapon, legendary or otherwise. That included the one at her waist.

She looked down to the blade on her belt, broken and dull, the spark of its soul so dimmed that she couldn’t sense it any longer. Meredith’s fingers tingled, brow creased. She tried to find the soul she knew was there; she had connected with it. Silence, however, ensued.

“Looks so small from here, huh?” Emil said. She hadn’t heard his footsteps, but a slight turn of her head revealed him right next to her. “Who would have guessed we were fighting for our lives just yesterday.”

“Not me!” Eddie said. He was now on Meredith’s other side. Her eyes narrowed; she had the feeling both boys were aiming to give a sort of comfort to her sickness, but they just made her feel closed in. Her hands extended and pushed them both away, giving her room to breathe. “If it wasn’t for the Corps, we wouldn’t have made it, though.”

“I guess,” Emil said, shrugging his shoulders. Meredith kept watching him, his own eyes observing her. She swallowed. The words he’d spoken near the end of their battle came back to her. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something about it, himself, but the action was precluded by a door to the depths of the skyship opening. He curbed his tongue.

“Mera, you still tossing your cookies overboard?” The deeper voice made Meredith find the strength to push up and look at her brother. He wasn’t alone, though.

Flanked on the observation deck of the Corps’ skyship was Tempest Squad, the single greatest combat unit that the Guardian Corps had to offer. From her glasses-wearing, black-haired brother down to the mostly unfamiliar group, they were all a capable bunch. Not that Meredith could be bothered to remember any of them in that moment. Her nausea returned in waves, to which her brother, Raymond, chuckled.

“You’ve worked on skyships for years and still not gotten over your airsickness, sis?”

“I’m a mechanic…urp…not a pilot…”

“Your sister’s a bizarre one, Ray.” The jovial tone briefly registered as one of those she’d met back in the Metropolis, possibly named Jay. She didn’t like his insult. “I mean, she knew we were riding a skyship, right?”

“Probably thought she’d gotten over it.”

“Age can do stuff like that, you know.”

“What would you two know?! You’ve barely aged a day since we met!”

The sudden shouting and a light jerking of the skyship made Meredith clench at her stomach tightly. She let out a groan. Eddie and Emil both stepped away, yet Meredith felt a calming hand on her back. The pain she had welling up began to subside, a light permeating her backside. Her throat became dry, but her urge to heave had vanished. “There, now. Better?”

Meredith closed her eyes. She no longer felt sick, able to pull herself up to her height. She turned to face the young woman that had apparently healed her, and the soul inside flared brightly. It was warm and inviting, unlike some of the other souls she could see around the deck. Looking past the soul, Meredith could see the physical appearance of the woman, with vivacious red hair and brown eyes. Gratefulness soon gushed from her.

“Thank you! I thought it would never end!” she expressed, bowing low to the woman.

“Anything for Ray’s little sister,” the woman said, tucking her hair back. If Meredith didn’t know any better, she’d have said her savior was wearing a blush.

“Aw…someone has a crush, Emily!” Jay remarked.

In only a moment, Meredith watched as Jay’s remark gave credence to the name of Tempest Squad. Emily had but twisted around before her fist sunk into Jay’s stomach, causing him to double over with a wheeze. The other two male companions of Tempest Squad began to laugh, but when Emily leveled a glare at them, they shut up.

“She’s a scary one,” Emil said, his voice now next to Meredith’s ear. Eddie, on the other hand, had no such compunctions.

“So cool! It’s light-based magic, right? That’s how you were able to do your Healing Magic, right?” Eddie’s excitement knew no bounds. He appeared ready to jump right over to the surprised redhead, but Meredith put a stop to that. No longer feeling queasy, Meredith snapped her hand out to drag her best friend back.

“Stop that.”

“Eddie’s right, though,” Raymond said, adjusting his glasses. “Em uses light-based magic, typically as Tempest Squad’s healer. Without her, we’d all be dead, and some would do well to remember that.”

“Aye-aye captain…” came the wheeze from Jay’s lips.

“You’re all a varied bunch,” Emil said. His arms were folded now, legs lifting off the ground. He was starting to float off the ship before Meredith yanked him back down by his scarf. Having detained both boys, she focused on her brother and the squad before her. Raymond appeared proud, placing his hands on his hips with triumph.

“That we are. Mera, Eddie, Emil, welcome to Tempest Squad!” Raymond announced, throwing his arms wide. With his proclamation, every member of his squad filed in, looking stoic. Meredith’s hands rose to her chest, eyes gleaming with admiration. This was the Guardian Corps; the best of the best and protectors of the world. “You’ve met our healer, Em, and our frontline fighter, Jarvis. The two interchangeable ones are Bruce and Trent, but they’re the best defense force you’ll ever find. They can survive anything.”

“Hey, we’re not interchangeable!”

“But we do appreciate the compliments.” Meredith watched the two grin and give a fistbump to each other, though she had to agree with her brother’s words. Other than Bruce wearing red robes and Trent a royal blue, they could have been the same person. Jay was less so, his practically white hair offset with his silver earring and smirk. Emily just let her eyebrow twitch.

“Anyway…” Raymond stressed with a cough. “These guys are the primary force of Tempest Squad, the ones to charge into battle. But all of us have nothing on Kenny and Sal, do we, you two?”

As if it was on cue, Meredith watched two people step out of the door and on to the deck. One was an older man, goggles strapped to his face as he rubbed his bald head. All it did was bring focus to his bushy mustache, clashing with his pasty skin. The woman next to him, far darker in skin tone, barely paid attention. She was busier on a tablet, constantly swirling her fingers around on its touchpad. She did, however, look up, her frizzed hair bouncing just a little.

“Well, you wouldn’t survive without us. Mechanic skills you have, Raymond, but a mechanic and pilot, you are not,” the woman named Sal said. She was evidently preoccupied with what was on her screen, but spared a quick smile for Meredith.

“Hoh hoh! No, he’s not! Ray, you’re better suited for the battlefield as a leader,” Kenny spoke. He brushed at his mustache, his beady eyes crinkling with the mirth of a funny joke. Raymond looked mortified. “Let’s not forget the last time you tried doing maintenance on the cannons. Damn near blew the hull and a wing off!”

“It was one time!” Raymond shouted. It didn’t stop the others from laughing raucously at the implications. Meredith raised an eyebrow, looking to her gathered friends, both of whom were nonplussed in the situation.

“They have a fun dynamic, I guess. Seem tight,” Emil said. His fingers were playing with his frayed scarf while he watched them, lips pursed. Meredith slid her eyes over to him. Every muscle grew more tense, the closer they approached the Magic State of Lacardia. There was a reluctance there, both in where he was going and how he was getting there. She wanted to know why, but was unsure how to approach it.

“Must have tons of cool magic. From a healer to a guy that can create blades of wind. Solid blades of wind!” Eddie said, cutting off any attempt she might have made. “Wonder what their pilot and mechanic use…ooh, and Ray’s! Did you see that lightning magic he used?!”

“Probably a side effect of his metal-conducting magic. I’ve seen it from one of the teachers at the Academy,” Emil said. His tone was even more bitter now, but his facial expression softened considerably. “Speaking of magic, Mera…back in the Metropolis…”

“Soul Magic, you said?” The two teens watched each other. Eddie pricked an ear, but otherwise ignored their mutual staring. There was a question there, on the tip of Meredith’s tongue, and the memory of what had happened. Of light stirring deep inside her, tying itself with the light inside the blade on her belt and rampaging forth as colossal spires of earth. It was within her…and beyond her. “What did you mean?”

“I honestly don’t know much myself, but you spend enough years at the Academy, and you hear things,” he said. Meredith’s eyebrow twitched lightly, face dropping into a gaping and annoyed expression.

“Then how do you know it’s Soul Magic, genius?”

“Your elements,” Emil answered. On cue, Eddie began to distract himself from boredom by creating small ice shards and burning arrows in his hands. It was more advanced than he’d started off with, and certainly more advanced than her own newly-discovered magic, but a far cry from the techniques that Emil was able to pull off. “I’ve never seen a person use two elements at once in that way. It’s damn near impossible.”

“Two elements?” Eddie said, investing himself in the conversation. “But I use multiple elements…”

“Sure, but that’s because you have four elements based around your magic. Light magic and earth magic, though…never seen it,” Emil said. He sighed, turning around to look back towards the Metropolis. “More than that, when you used your magic…that earth power didn’t come from you, because that’s where the light came from. If you had multi-elements like Eddie, that wouldn’t have happened.

“Of course, it’s only a hypothesis based on old texts at the Academy. Nothing definitive.”

“Even a guess is good enough,” Meredith said. She raised her hand up, stretching towards the clouds. Looking past it, she could swear that a multi-colored hue was swirling around the sky, a large body of land beneath it. Magic rested within the tips of her fingers, but even after all her work, she’d no idea how to draw it out. Whether Emil was right or not was irrelevant: she had the tools to learn more. “After all, that’s why we’re heading for Lacardia Academy, right? To up our magic game.”

“Sure.”

“Speaking of, is that Lacardia?” Eddie asked. He’d practically thrown himself over the railing with a gleeful grin. Meredith pulled him back.

“That it is, Eddie,” Raymond replied. He had finished his conversation with his squad-mates, now joining the teens. Emily led the rest of the squad back inside, with only Sal remaining as she looked over readouts on her tablet. “Lacardia, home of the greatest magic users and the Lacardia Academy of Magic. It’s a brand-new world, and I’m sure there’s a lot to learn, like I told you.

“You may want to be ready for a bumpy ride first, though.”

“Bumpy ride?” Meredith and Eddie asked simultaneously. Emil just tapped the railing and pulled away from the edge of the deck.

Static crackled out over the deck and through Sal’s tablet, as though it was the exact reason she’d been standing around this long, waiting. The voice was unfamiliar, but its origin wasn’t hard to remember or locate. The sound of another revving skyship engine vibrated through the air, and rising slightly above their own was the Corps’ flagship, the Heron. Standing at the front of it was a familiar face, but he wasn’t speaking. Raymond, nevertheless, saluted in his direction as the voice relayed orders to them.

“Monsters ahead! Engage forces! Prepare for landing in Lacardia!”

“Sal, everything good to go?” Raymond asked. Meredith hit the deck, though Eddie had long beaten her to it. Questions were bubbling up, along with a worry that she couldn’t shake. Her wide eyes stared at her brother, taking in the confident young man that was the captain of Tempest Squad.

“Got cannons A and B primed and ready. Give the commands and Kenny will fire. Hopefully I can maintain control of the ship from here.”

“You’ve never failed me yet,” Raymond said, clapping his companion on her shoulder. She was too engrossed in her work to notice. Meredith had no problem speaking up, however.

“Monsters? This close to Lacardia?” she said. No one answered her right away, a whirring invading the air to indicate the priming of the cannons below them. Meredith noticed Emil standing nearby without a care. Feeling a bit silly, she hauled herself and Eddie back to their feet. “Is it the Beastmaster?”

Emil snorted, earning a glare, but Raymond was far more patient.

“No, this is completely routine,” he said, hands in his pockets. From the swirling hue ahead, shapes were flying forward, right at the skyships. “You’ve taken part in two trials already, Mera, so I’m sure you’ve seen one: a magic core.”

“There’s one in Lacardia?” Eddie said, hands alighting with fire. Raymond reached out and lowered those same hands.

“You bet, but more than that…” Raymond’s statement wasn’t completed on account of a winged creature, one that was comprised of wisps of wind, flying past with a screech. A whirring sound ensued and a cannon locked on from the skyship. It fired, making a perfect impact that made the creature explode and disappear. Raymond’s robes fluttered in the wind, but he wore a confident smirk. “This is the country of magic! It’s only natural that monsters would be created from that.”

“Think of it as a rite of passage into Lacardia, yeah?” Sal spoke out. She whirled her hand around on her tablet and the skyship pitched to the side, avoiding a long sky-eel. That was easily dispatched by one of the blades of wind that Meredith had seen in the Metropolis. “At least they’re doing their job. Now it’s time for mine. Get ready, kids. We’re landing!”

“Take it slow. I’m sure the president’s entourage is below, and we’re here to defend, not blow everyone up!” Sal threw Raymond a dirty expression and an even coarser gesture, to which he looked bemused.

“I thought I’ve never failed you yet, Raymond.” He didn’t challenge it, but she disappeared back inside the ship as it leveled out.

Meredith drew closer to Eddie, but her body felt oddly relaxed, watching as Tempest Squad and those atop the Heron ripped through the magic-created monsters. It was a far cry from the violence of those created by the Beastmaster, and when they began to thin, rather than relief, Meredith felt excitement. She hadn’t even seen Tempest Squad in action, and barely got a glimpse of the cannons firing, but the coolness with which her brother had handled the situation made her internally squeal with delight.

“Ah! They’re so cool!” she cried out. Raymond flicked across his nose, accepting the compliment. The pressure in the air began to change and the sky lightened to a more pristine blue. A trickling, invisible shower danced over her skin, her blood pumping. “Ray, you’re the coolest captain ever!”

“Who’s the one getting over-excited now…?” Eddie said. Meredith aimed a nonchalant kick at him, but he dodged it, earning Emil’s trembling laughter. Raymond was merely proud at his sister’s praise.

“Maybe when you join the Corps, I’ll transfer you to Tempest Squad!” She held her fists to her chest, nodding furiously. Eddie smacked her on the back of her head, bringing her back to reality. “In the meantime, welcome to Lacardia.”

On Raymond’s welcome, Meredith and Eddie ran back for the edge of the deck and leaned over the railing, staring at the great and unknown country below.

It was unlike anything Meredith had ever seen.

Nestled in the cyclone of monsters and magical auras was the island they were descending towards. It popped with color, fireworks exploding in the air with every shape and hue imaginable. In the center of the island was the largest building Meredith had ever seen outside of the Metropolis. From the way it was designed, she concluded that it was Lacardia Academy in all its glory. There was a large courtyard visible and other smaller buildings surrounding its campus like dormitories. Eddie’s own eyes were glued to that area, while Meredith’s looked away.

The whole island was a magic-user’s paradise.

Fountains arced through the air, sustained without falling, and there were vehicles zipping back and forth. Even when compared to the sleekness of the Metropolis, the Magic State had something more going for it. That was evident in all the different sections of the country spread out on that large island. There were living quarters, a military base (if the skyships were anything to go by), a place for the government to do business and all other assorted activities. Meredith could see an entertainment district with only the popping and whizzing of magical spells indicating that there was a show being put on. There was even a forge, which reminded Meredith of the blade again, and the promise she’d made.

She was here not only to grow with her magic, but also to forge the blade that remained broken.

“It used to be a large continent…well, not that large, but big enough,” Raymond explained while the skyship continued its descent. Meredith noted they were heading for the border of the government sector, near enough to the Academy. “The centuries have eroded the island away, which is why the Academy started looking into the desertification of the land.”

“I’d love to learn more. Emil, get ready, we’re heading straight there!” Eddie said, pointing to the blond boy. He didn’t answer. Emil was wearing a rather sour pout, his arms folded, but after realizing his companions’ eyes were on him, he jerked his head in a nod. “Lacardia. We made it, Mera.”

“As promised,” she said, taking Eddie in a one-armed hug. Raymond chuckled, but turned around. Meredith’s ears were pricked to the changing sound of the engine, a low whine that indicated the final descent. Her breath was expelled in relief; despite Emily dispelling her queasiness, she was glad to touch land again. Checking over the contents on her person, Meredith felt quite assured she had everything. “Let’s do this.”

Eddie’s grin said it all when she hooked her arm in his. Emil was quite a bit more reluctant to follow. The last groan of the Defender’s engines and the light shudder gave him no choice. Meredith watched him take a look past the deck, to the buildings that were surrounding them, but she was more interested in seeing it from the ground. So was Eddie, her best friend dragging her through the halls of the skyship, towards the exit that had once been their entrance.

The light that was their destination soon enveloped them, and the two teens from the coastal town of Lumarina took their first steps on Lacardian soil.

It was a large area they had arrived in, with many people dressed in official garb and wearing a symbol on their robes, strutting here and there. The nearest buildings were large and made of a beautiful alabaster, surrounding them in a half-circle. They had landed in a square, a large contingent of people standing there and waiting for everyone to disembark from the skyships. Meredith took notice of the familiar Commander Royston Masters of the Guardian Corps approaching the other skyship, before she looked to the remarkable constructs. There was no way the wavy forms and precarious shapes of the different government buildings had been made by anything but magic.

That went doubly so for the fountain, spitting six different elements in a stream that rotated like some sort of strobe light. Meredith and Eddie both found themselves entranced by that fountain, and eventually the man standing in front of it. He had slicked-back gray hair, tied into a ponytail, and wore black robes that looked akin to a suit but matched those that surrounded him. His small eyes were crinkled and he took a step forward at the man approaching from the other skyship. Meredith also paid attention.

Approaching that man from the skyship was none other than Chief Commander Marcus, the leader of the Guardian Corps. With his own graying hair and his magnificent armor, he gave a smile to all those that were near him, even Meredith and Eddie. He shook hands with Masters and offered an acknowledging nod to Tempest Squad, who moved to the sides in a defensive formation. Meredith walked forward as Marcus finished approaching the robed man. Both men offered their hands and clasped them in respect.

“Welcome back, Marcus,” the robed man said. Marcus reached out with his other hand and patted him on the back. “You left so suddenly, I wondered whether our discussions had broken down or not.”

“Fear not, Nestor. Just had a duty to take care of in the Metropolis,” Marcus answered. Meredith remained rooted to her spot, eyes flicking between all the players involved, including her brother, who didn’t even look intimidated by all the high-level players in that square. She straightened herself, and was glad she did. Marcus briefly looked over to her, a nod and smile offering her gratitude for the information that had led him and Tempest Squad to the Metropolis. Eddie wasn’t as taken aback by Marcus, though.

“That’s Nestor Parradyne,” he whispered in her ear when the Chief Commander had turned away. “He’s the current president of Lacardia, and one of the most popular. Was a top student at the Academy.”

“It’s almost like you’ve lived here, Eddie,” Meredith said. He took no offense, as the two adults resumed their conversation.

“Yes, I saw the news.” Parradyne said. The two men separated hands, but remained genial with each other. “Would have been a real tragedy if you weren’t there, so I understand. Not that there’s anything like that to fear in Lacardia. I would hope we can continue our negotiations safely?”

“Of course,” Marcus replied, “there should be no more interruptions on my end. If anything needs doing, I’ll put Amelia on it.”

“A good choice, sir,” Masters said from nearby, his baritone voice resonating. Footsteps echoed behind Meredith as Emil emerged from the skyship, scowl on his face against the shining sun. “Amelia has been…a handful recently. I don’t think she’s one for negotiations.”

“Yes, I may have to send her back to base; we’re short-staffed there currently,” Marcus said. His hands came to his side, touching to his weapon while he bowed to the president before him. “By your leave, then, Nestor, shall we continue? I’ll deal with internal Corps affairs later.”

“Certainly, though I’d assume your guests won’t be joining us. They look a bit…young…” The president’s words trailed off. Meredith frowned as she realized he was looking in their direction, though his eyes were fixated on what was behind her and Eddie. She looked back and saw Emil there, arms folded as he glared at the man. “Well…if it isn’t the prodigal son returned. You’ve looked better, Emil.”

“It’s only because I’m here,” Emil said. He walked past Meredith and Eddie, drawing attention from everyone. Meredith looked to her best friend, but neither had an answer for the president’s knowledge of their companion. Nevertheless, he approached the man without repercussions. “I take it your Minister of State and Minister of Defense have been working hard? Probably forgotten all about me.”

“I doubt that,” Parradyne said, his crinkled eyes turning sharp. Meredith wasn’t sure what to think, but the president’s next words chased all thought from her head. “Your parents have long awaited your return, though I doubt they expected it like this, Mr. Baroné.”

The name was familiar, but Eddie confirmed it by pointing a tremulous hand at Emil and uttering the truth to the disgruntled young man. “Wait…you’re a Baroné? Emil…you’re…”

“Eddie…”

“You’re the runaway son of two of the most prominent ministers of Lacardia, itself!”