Chapter 25

The Future

“Careful now! You come into contact with her, you could cause a chain reaction, and I’ll singe your eyebrows off!”

“M-ma’am!”

The sound of the surf overpowered the students’ grumbles, though not the whipping glare of the person who was busy ordering them around. The only thing louder than the waves was the banging and hammering on the island, dwellings being constructed for those who would remain. It was a constant hustle and bustle, but to Terrill’s ears, it was the liveliest that the island of Priscus had been in a millennia or two. Most of it was courtesy of Torry and her father, the former of which stood close to the great rock and crystal construct that jutted out from the center of the island, barking orders.

Mayor Rainert on the other hand, sighed at his daughter’s overzealousness. “Torry, perhaps you should calm yourself a moment. You know the students will act with full regards to their actions.”

“Father, now is not the time. No one understands the Lifebloods the way I do, and this is our friend here. Besides, don’t you have something more important to be readying for? I’m sure Walter will be here any moment.”

Whatever argument the father and daughter would have, Terrill chuckled, tossing a stone up and down. Under the glittering sun of the northern sea, wrapped in a warming light, Terrill looked up at the Lifeblood of Light, ignoring those setting up the place for their research. He’d been hesitant at first, allowing the Academy to do research into the Lifebloods, and perhaps he would have remained a staunch advocate, were it not for the changes that reverberated around the world that day.

“We need to study them!” Torry had told him, a couple weeks after the battle with Golbrucht and the Fiends. They had convalesced, most of them dealing with the fallout, but Torry’s mind was the one constantly racing ahead towards the future. The next thing to study or look into. Terrill wondered if it was born from a desire to complete the research her mother hadn’t, or perhaps a way to protect Krysta and all she had worked to uphold. “With Krysta’s light, the lines of the Lifebloods have been rejuvenated, but the other Lifebloods are now all above the surface. If we don’t study them, they can be used for nefarious purposes, just like the Fiends!”

She had made a solid point, and Floyd was quick to agree on the matter. Unlike many other times, Terrill didn’t think it was just because Torry had suggested it, either. Rather, the redhead had taken it upon himself to look into any signs that the Fiends had returned.

There weren’t even whispers.

That, in and of itself, was one less burden that Terrill felt in a world that had been changed overnight. Although, the more he thought about it, staring up at the Lifeblood, things hadn’t quite changed as much as he expected. Tossing the stone once, Terrill turned and sent it flying across the sea, skipping on the waves with only minor control of his powers. No one even blinked.

Of course, they had almost a month ago, when magic had come pouring into the world, the memories along with them. The shock and awe over this ethereal energy had frightened some, placated others, and in still fewer, caused the same split reaction that Walter had been afflicted with during his own Blessing.

The world had been saved from magical implosion, but had been left with a new set of problems, with each country having their own thoughts on how to handle it.

To no one’s surprise, Sayn was the worst, now adrift with their Chosen One alive and well, but Golbrucht vanquished at last. Not even the Lifeblood of Darkness had returned, the one change kept permanent. It made Terrill’s mind wander to Krysta, and how she hadn’t spoken since that day. He wanted to talk with her, reflect on all that had transpired in the world since their battle, but could never find the words.

It didn’t help that whenever Floyd was near, he slung his arm around the young man with his infuriating grin.

“Your mind’s elsewhere again,” he said. Terrill didn’t shrug him off, the two looking out over the waters. Torry could still be heard barking orders in the background, but neither of them paid her any mind. Even her father had given up with a sigh, approaching the pair at the waterfront. “Whatcha thinking about? Old friends?”

“Maybe. Turning my eyes to the future, too,” Terrill said. Floyd offered a sagely nod.

“Yeah, you’ve been giving a lot of thought to it. Figured it all out?”

“I should hope so,” Mayor Rainert said, clearing his throat as he approached the two. “The summit is in but a few hours, and you still wish to make your case, Mr. Jacobs.”

“At least I have your endorsement,” Terrill said, taking Floyd’s arm off him and facing the mayor. He bowed to the older man, but with a wave of his hand, the mayor told him that wasn’t necessary.

“Well, after everything, between the pirates and the war and that madness a month ago, I think we can use something like it now more than ever. I’m grateful to you.”

“Aw, what about me?” Floyd asked, sidling up to the mayor and earning a snort from Terrill. The mayor glared at him, but soon transitioned into a shrug.

“Yes, I suppose you as well, Floyd. I wouldn’t have made you my deputy mayor, otherwise. Goodness knows, someone needs to keep you in line while Torry’s on her expedition.” Floyd was willing to cheer at that, drawing the mayor’s exasperation, but a familiar sound cut the air.

Unlike the use of magic, this drew some modicum of attention, with many of the students and engineers on the island turning to see the ship approaching through the sky. Even a month after the first one had taken flight, the advent of the skyship remained an absolute marvel to all the world, aided even further by the magic that had made it possible to create more and at a faster pace.

Its engines drew Torry away from her commands, the girl skipping over rocks and grass to reach them as the skyship touched down to the island. The ramp lowered and Walter’s familiar voice called out from within. “Ready to go? Every other emissary is waiting on Ardoris!”

“Ah, so the other delegates are already waiting on us. Excellent. Mr. Margrove, if you’ll join me.”

“Aye-aye, Mr. Mayor. Torry, hold down the fort! Watch over Krysta!”

“You watch over my father,” Torry said with a stern smile and hands on her hips. The couple let out a laugh, and Terrill was surprised that the mayor wasn’t rolling his eyes at the two of them. Perhaps that was because, Terrill reasoned, he had long accepted that they were a thing and would never be anything but. “You take care, too, Terrill. Wish I could be there, but there’s a lot of work to be done!”

“Yeah. I’m sure we’ll see each other quick enough. Tell Krysta I’ll see her real soon.” He waved to his friend and Torry nodded. Hands still placed at her hips, Torry turned back to the Lifeblood and the settlement growing at its base.

“All right, then. Specs, I need an update!”

“It’s Theodore!”

The arguing voices were cut off by the ramp raising, Terrill completing his journey up it and into the cabin of Rotarin’s latest skyship. Seated at the console for it was Walter, greeting the three with a hearty wave.

“No entourage, Mayor Rainert? That’s unusual.”

“I think I have the best entourage to ask for, all things considered,” was the response, the mayor glancing over at Terrill. The young man nodded, throwing himself into a seat and taking in the interior of the updated skyship. Only a few adjustments had been made, courtesy of Walter’s experience with the Rotarin craftsmen, but it was enough to make it feel like a whole new wave of skyships was just on the horizon.

Walter took no notice of any of those changes, already familiar with them, and offered an amused shrug at the mayor’s words. He fired up the skyship again, and Terrill felt it lift off, finding it humorously odd that it wasn’t under dire circumstances as it had been before.

Mayor Rainert, being the most unused to the flight, took a seat to calm his stomach, while Floyd pestered Walter at the front. Terrill took to staring out the new installation of windows at the ocean and land passing beneath them. Far as the land was concerned, the greatest change was to that of Priscus, already a place being dubbed as Light Island. Some minor erosions of land had been made on Gladius, those pieces eaten away by the Shadow long ago, but for the most part, Krysta had returned everything to the way it once was.

It made the issue of dealing with the rushing onslaught of memories just a little bit easier. Things were still where people remembered them, the Lifebloods having kept their order for all that time.

No more was this obvious than by the approaching desert resort of Turtle Stone, still on Ardoris and more thriving than ever. Though, Terrill supposed that was because of the largest gathering of royals and officials that had ever been seen in living memory. Some scars from Blaise’s fire remained in the resort, and the damage of the elements going haywire had not been forgotten, but the resort was intact, just as neutral a place as ever. It became evidenced the second the skyship landed, the ramp opening to a welcoming Micah, his arms held wide.

“Welcome, mayor! We’ve been expecting your arrival,” the swarthy man said with many conciliatory bows. Mayor Rainert didn’t need them at all, grasping the man’s hand before gesturing for Floyd to do the same. Terrill was the last off the ship, watching Walter prop his feet up, spear resting on his shoulder. “Ah, and Mr. Jacobs, a pleasure. I do hope you will be staying instead of running off to pilfer warehouses or investigate volcanoes.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. I’ve got something bigger in mind,” Terrill said to the man, winking at him. It left Micah confused, but not Floyd, who snickered. The mayor had none of it, beckoning them on to the large clay building in the center of the resort. Numerous troops were stationed outside, each of a different country and flag, some of which Terrill didn’t quite recognize. It didn’t make a difference to his idea, and he crossed over the cooling threshold into the building, only to find a different set of arms around him and Floyd.

“You both made it!”

“Of course, we made it, Lumen. Cut it out.” Terrill extricated himself from Lumen’s hold, bringing the royal to an arm’s length, marveling at the brilliant smile upon the boy’s face. It was also a smile he was familiar with, all the way from his youth. Checking on all of the others in the building, Terrill leaned forward. “How…how’s Atrum?”

“He’s fine,” was Lumen’s answer, placing a hand against his heart. “It feels strange, having a soul that’s both mine and not mine inside me, but…we’re learning to get to know each other. For now, we’re just relishing in having averted the destiny we always believed we had.”

That kind of talk attracted some attention from within the building, including those of Leopold and his father, the royals of Sayn staring at those they once deemed traitors. They were likewise wary of Charles, standing with stoic pride as he conversed with his sister, there as a protective envoy for the very people who had once condemned him. Terrill shuddered to think what would have happened to any of them if it had been Sayn and not Invaria that had fished them out of the ocean following the battle. Their testament of peace had counted for much in exonerating them.

Golbrucht having been killed helped immensely, as well.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I hear you’re planning to serve in parliament.”

“I fear I’m still too young for that, Terrill. I’m not you, with such big dreams. I just want to help my country.”

“Then you’re never too young, my boy!” The boisterous, booming tones of Phillip made themselves evident, the king of Valorda striding over and clapping Lumen on the back with a toothy grin. “Many of us were young when we took the reins of ruling. So long as you have your good heart and a wise head, I think you’ll be able to do well for Sayn. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?”

Whatever the king of Sayn might have expected, it wasn’t that. He pursed his lips with a grunt. Terrill thought he wouldn’t answer when the king turned away to stride for the stairs upwards, but he supposed that the Blessing of the land had given way to miracles. “I’ll look forward to your service, my nephew.”

Lumen’s eyebrows disappeared in his hair, still pleased with the recognition, and Phillip laughed. His grin only expanded when he met eyes with Terrill, the men understanding one another before the Valordan king walked off towards an entirely different entourage that was also heading upstairs to the meeting room. “Excellency Gregor, it’s been a long time. How fares the empire these days? Ah, young Lumen, have you met those from the Xactan Empire? Given your line of profession, I think speaking with Matthias here may benefit you. Didn’t you join the imperial senate at a young age?”

Lumen offered a sheepish grin but allowed himself to be dragged over by Phillip into the conversation with those Terrill didn’t know. Charles had watched him go like a hawk, still entertaining his sister in conversation before they, too, began to work their way upstairs. Floyd let out a low whistle.

“Lots of big names and faces here. You sure we’re ready to tangle with all this?”

“Oh, come on, Floyd. We’ve fought monsters. What’s a little bit of politics?” This time, Terrill put his arm around Floyd, and the two’s laughter echoed over the building as they followed Mayor Rainert up the stairs to the round room, where all the world’s leaders were seated around the circular table. Micah was standing at the hole in the center, and all eyes were on the three of them waiting to be seated. Once they had, the leader of Ardoris clapped his hands.

“I now call this meeting of rulers to order, the first summit of nations.”

The final clap of his brought silence to the room, no one quite sure where to start, and no one daring to say a word. Floyd cleared his throat, drawing wayward, incredulous looks, but not a single word, until Gerald Rainert stepped up.

“It is an honor to be amongst such fine people, and to know we will all begin discussing the path to the future together,” the mayor spoke. Phillip clapped at his words, drawing an appreciative applause from Prince Ricardo of Invaria, seated next to him. Others nodded, save for those from Sayn, who looked particularly subdued in the moment. “Our world has changed. None are more aware of that than my daughter, and my deputy mayor, both of whom were at the sight of what is called the Lifeblood of Light.”

“Magic and fantasy,” Leopold spat, the prince surlier than usual. “If I hadn’t seen the power myself, I’d not believe it.”

“But believe in it we must,” spoke the elderly voice of the one named Gregor.

“Hear hear,” Phillip chimed in, his shared look with the mayor showing that the two were quickly coming to take reins of the meeting with their combined wisdom. “Magic nearly tore my beloved kingdom apart, and more than once at that rate. These Lifebloods in particular have had a profound effect on our lives that we did not know until now, save for some people.”

“We of Invaria were not aware that it was some font of magic.”

“The Wind Fortress was sworn to secrecy,” Titus spoke, the elder winking across the table at Terrill. His own dual knowledge between the worlds had proven a boon already in smoothing over the conflicting memories. While those such as Ricardo and Micah had found it odd to reconcile a world where they had met and one where they hadn’t, Titus had helped Phillip take it all into stride, and with that, took sweeping control over the discourse.

“Yes, indeed, but now they are in the open for all of us to know, and care must be taken to ensure our countries do not fall to the same folly as we did in this…otherworld.” Phillip took a pause here to drink from a glass, leveling his gaze to the king and princes of Sayn. “Or allow ourselves to practice barbarism in the name of it.”

“Your opinion on this is quite plain, Phillip,” the king of Sayn said. “Already, we are being faced with sanctions.”

“You should be grateful,” Mayor Rainert said, drumming his fingers along the table, “were it not for your nephew, they would have been worse.”

“I still advocate for worse,” Chloe grunted out, tapping her cane on the floor. That kind of commanding growl pulled the rulers towards her, but she wasn’t intimidated, which Charles found himself chuckling at. Knowing that she now had their attention, she leaned forward on the table. “But aren’t we here to discuss the future rather than the past. Or are you other nations still so behind on things? My guild is moving forward. Already, production on further skyships has, well, skyrocketed. Magic is not to be all feared in this wave of the future.”

“Indeed. Our Academy is already adept at magic, though still reconciling the difference between it and ‘science’. While we continue to search for a new headmaster, or headmistress as the case may have been, it is Serotin’s firm belief that in the research of magic, we will find our path forward.” The mayor was finding more confidence in the setting, urged on by Phillip and Ricardo’s constant nods. “To that end, my daughter is leading a research and expeditionary team to engage in finding out more regarding the Lifebloods, so we will never have to deal with the threat of our world failing us again.”

“And what of the monsters?” Leopold spat. The other rulers could tell his impetuousness, but lent him their ears for the serious matter he was bringing up. “Golbrucht might be dead, but ever since this magical infusion, there are more creatures stalking the lands than ever. There’s no way we can protect your stu-” Leopold jerked, and Terrill wondered if Lumen had kicked at his cousin under the table…or perhaps Atrum had done it. That gave him some satisfaction. “We can’t protect a research team and our people from all of that.”

“You won’t need to.” They were the first words to leave Terrill’s mouth as he came to stand, placing himself in more prominence than the rulers around him. It may have been bold and brash, and Leopold disapproved with his scowl, but Mayor Rainert and King Phillip offered the floor to him, the twinkle resting in their eyes. Terrill cleared his throat, receiving an approving nudge from Floyd, and continued on. “You’re right that there are more monsters now, and the advent of magic and the memory fusing makes things complicated. Countries on their own can’t deal with this, not when they have their own interests to protect. I get that.

“That’s why I’ll reform the Guardians.”

“You’ll what?!” Leopold said, almost lunging over the table until his brother held him back, shaking his head.

“For a long time,” Terrill continued on, heedless of the prince’s reaction, “I strove to uphold the tenets of the Guardians: protect the Chosen One. That might have turned out to be a lie, but that belief in protecting others is no less real. I know there are others who believe the same. That’s why I want to bring together those Guardians with nothing left to do, who still want to help others, and act as a group to protect all nations, if we can.

“The world is in flux right now, and no one’s path is certain, but if I can act by that choice, and that belief…then I want to believe we’ll be okay.”

There was confusion at some of the things he spoke, but Terrill sat back in his seat, having said all he needed to say. He wasn’t worried about the outcome of that, not with Phillip and Mayor Rainert arguing in his corner for the formation of his small group. Terrill was even surprised by the attaché to Emperor Gregor, the man named Matthias, finding it a prospect worth investing in. As a result, the topic lasted little time before turning to other matters, ones that Terrill had no investment in.

He turned away, leaning on his elbows, head in his palms as he stared out the windows to the crisp blue sky. The path forward would be difficult, it always had been. There was a lot left to do, and figure out, if he wanted to make that road to peace work.

But he was determined, and knew he could make his decision to live on as a Guardian real.

Because it was his choice; one that he felt would help light the way to the future just as much as Krysta had. Her sacrifice would be worth something. Knowing that, Terrill smiled.

They’d be all right.

END OF PART ONE