《Soulmage》Closure is Dust
Advertisement
The first order of business was to get as far away from here as we possibly could. It was impossible to know how badly we'd been hurt by Iola's final spell, but none of us were vomiting up blood, so it could've been worse. And so the four of us retreated until the frozen battlefield faded into the snow. I had the presence of mind to channel disgust into a repulsion spell, scoring the earth with a wide X to warn future travelers away from the tainted land.
Even in death, Iola did nothing but radiate toxicity.
Lucet stumbled as Iola's corpse faded into the distance, peeling off her frozen gloves, and I hesitantly stepped next to her. She slumped into me, shivering, and I helped support her weight as we staggered away. Her fingers found mine, and though they were stiff and frostbitten, she still managed to give my hand a weak squeeze.
Wordlessly, Meloai creaked over towards us, and I held out my other arm. She was heavy, all metal and clockwork that had seized up in the cold of Lucet's grand spell, but the connection between her body and soul would knit her back together in time. Together now, the three of us supported each other as we bore onwards through the cold. I turned to Sansen, expecting to offer the old man a shoulder, but stopped as something caught my eye in the storm.
A soul.
His soul.
Sansen must have seen it too—it was blindingly obvious if you knew where to look. Because the soul was a candle against the dark, a beacon of fire in an empty night.
Sansen broke out into a dead sprint, nearly slipping and bashing his head in, and Lucet reached out to catch him before his journey could come to a premature end. He gave her a thankful look, nodded, and settled down beside us, making the final leg of our journey together.
Advertisement
The storm's teeth had tried to bury Jiaola whole, but the stubborn old man had resisted the fury of the entire Silent Peaks before. He wouldn't let something as mundane as an extradimensional winter take his life. A memory of the house he'd built with Sansen shone around him in my soulsight, air that had been hardened into a substance stronger than steel.
And in the middle of that house of soul and memory, Jiaola sat cross-legged, chewing on a brick of bread and smiling his knowing smile.
"Why don't you come in?" he said. "It's terrible out there."
Sansen couldn't restrain himself any longer. With a cry of ragged joy, he surged forwards, and Jiaola stood in response, holding his arms wide, tears shimmering in his eyes as he dismissed a section of his spell to let his husband in. Sansen crashed into him hard enough to send the two of them spinning around, simply delighting in being with each other for the first time in months.
Then Jiaola looked up at the three of us, huddled in the storm, and beckoned. "Come in," he said. "Door's always open to family."
I swallowed, something tight and warm in my throat, and managed to croak, "Thanks." The three of us collapsed as soon as we got inside the shelter of magic that Jiaola had woven, the floor of solid air strange beneath my feet.
Sansen finally pulled back from his husband and whispered, "I missed you so much."
"I never gave up hope," he whispered back, kissing him on the forehead. Embarrassed, I looked away. "I don't have much, but there's bread and water to spare. Are you all okay?"
And in the silence that followed, I felt Jiaola's soul flicker in uncertainty.
Advertisement
"Iola... he cast a spell on us," I finally said. "Some variant of the light magic he uses to kill people. We had shields up—darkness spells—but... well. If we all start sprouting tumors and losing hair in a week, we'll know who to blame."
"We—we're not going to die. Right?" Lucet asked. "I mean—with the secrets of attunement on our side—"
"All the knowledge of magic in the world won't save us if we die of cancer before we use it," I said. "Besides, what good does that even do us? Cancer's a thing of biology, not magic. By all the rules of magic, cancer's just an unusual arrangement of flesh in realspace. It might as well not exist."
"Magic's not the only thing that can help you," Jiaola said firmly. "There are doctors—good doctors—who I'm sure can undo any damage that Iola did to you."
"Right, because five broke spellcasters can afford that kind of medical care," I said. "What, are we going to go begging for Odin to save us again? I don't have any more secrets to sell. Or are we going back to the Peaks? Trade one Iola for a hell-mountain full of them?"
"We'll find allies." Jiaola's gaze grew distant. "Trust me. Not everywhere is like the Silent Peaks. Politics and money aside, cancers are everyone's enemy. There are healers who won't turn us aside if we're battling that particular oblivion."
I let out a tense, quiet breath. "I missed you, Jiaola."
He smiled. "I missed you too, kid. There's a lot of that going around." He paused to think. "Now that I think about it... there's a place I know that was good with healers. Good in general, aside from... some bad memories."
"We don't have to go if—" Sansen began, but Jiaola was already shaking his head.
"It was a lifetime ago. Besides, you're on a deadline, if Iola really got you with that spell of his. You need the kind of care that only they can provide." Jiaola stood up, packing away his bread into a knapsack. "So unless any of you have a better idea, we're headed to the Crystal Coast."
I got to my feet, struggling a little, and a chill went down my spine. Were those aches and pains from the long walk here, or were they the first sign of something worse? Was that numbness in my fingers from the winter cold, or were my nerves being slowly killed by a sickness that would turn my body against itself? As I looked around the room, I could tell that the same fears were quietly gnawing away at Sansen and Lucet.
Then Jiaola broke the silence with a polite cough. "Now, I don't suppose any of you know which way is north? I seem to have gotten turned around in this storm."
And I let out a rueful laugh. Times may have been tough, but we'd suffered worse.
We'd get through this, like we always had.
Together.
Advertisement
The Order and The Lost
An ensemble cast on both sides of the line between good and evil walk towards disaster. Every chapter is a different lead from the previous. I apologize for the sometimes awful character names. Part of the Demonsword Project universe (First Age). Started during NaNoWriMo 2018 but never finished. Updates Monday and Friday for now.
8 160Midnight Origins: Arrival
On a lush planet known as Bhar, Verun is now the leading nation in the development of the rivaled schools of Magic and Science. Having brought forth an era of peace and prosperity for themselves through the development of Magitech, The High council was eager to spread their knowledge and beliefs to the furthest reaches of the continent, with the goal of ending senseless conflicts and prioritizing advancements in Magitech and improving the quality of life. This ambition, however, is not without opposition. Most followers side with one school or another, believing it is superior in nature. This conflict dates back to the very beginning of civilization itself, where it is believed by both sides that their gods descended from the heavens, bestowing upon them the knowledge that would bring the world into a new age. And though some took great interest in their differences, others would seek to convert each other through any means necessary. That being the case, The High council, leaders of Verun, had made the necessary preparations to handle threats and attempt diplomacy between the remaining opposers. Talented volunteers were hand chosen to be among the military, tasked with protecting the nation from both internal and external threats. And although non-biological creations have improved quality of life, they are not yet capable of replacing the military. The necessary research and development for such a thing was thought to be decades away, until Councilman Eranor encountered an anomaly in his facility…
8 79My Lovely Tokkis Question Book
Just some random questions I'll be asking you guys. I got inspired of the book similar to 'Cubicle Gigglers Squad'😄
8 193Brains and Brawn (BxB)
Based on the prompt: "I'm not stalking you, exactly, it's just that you accidentally put my notebook in your bag and I'm waiting for a good moment to steal it back before you see the doodles of you I did in it."Matthew Lynwood was a normal teenager, even if most people thought of him as a nerd. He was just trying to go through high school with his two best friends, with as little bumps on the road as possible.So what happens when resident Quarterback and Matt's long time crush, Leonardo Bryant, finds a notebook containing doodles of himself inside it?A whirlwind of emotions, that's what.
8 127Adopted by Dr. Schneeplestein
You were left behind. Unintentionally, as a baby, your mother died giving birth to you in Dr. Schneeplestein's operating room. Since then, he has adopted you as his own child. "(Y/N), I will always love you, no matter what happens.""I know, Dad..."(This can go both ways, as a male or a female reader. All are welcome to read.)🏆: #1 in henrikschneeplestein
8 192Guns and Giggles
Completed!Highest ranking: #15 in HumorAriana Iglesias tends to go to extremes when she's BORED. Being a genius doesn't help either. Her sharp mind mixed with crazy theories she can't wait to try, lands her in a pit full of major events she never thought would be so... EXCITING! Even though there are guns involved which she likes to describe as 'physics in a metal case', she is determined to enjoy her life to the fullest, however long it may be.•°•°•°•°•°•°•Alexander Dimitriou, the epitome of ALPHA male, the Greek Gangleader of land as far as you can see, or atleast that's what the Legendary stories of The Dimitriou family said. Alex would go to any lengths for his family name and his...hair? Oh yes, as weird it may seem the Gangleader had a mind of his own, unlike his ancestors, who knew only about kills and guns.Alex was as SMART as a trained killer can get.•°•°•°•°•°•°•But would he be able to understand Ariana, even when her eyes tell a different story than her mouth? Would he be able to handle the storm and thunder brought in his life by this ADORABLE peice of shit?Find it out for yourself! In this Steamy Romantic Comedy Mafia Book available at your nearest screens!!!(Okay I may have been exaggerating a tiny bit, but please just give it a try, and constructive feedback is always appreciated;)High Rankings constant:#1 on YoungAdultReads#1 on #Romcom #6 on #Steamy THANKYOU FOR VOTING !!!!!!!!!!
8 227