The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 110

Part 17

“But when Father fought Zarkog, he cut Zarkog off completely, blocking his access to both the wizards’ power from the stone and the sorcerers’ power from the Source. So Father not only found a way to make collection fields for two kinds of power that he doesn’t even use, he drastically increased the efficiency and… density, of both fields to the point that no power was getting through. Or so little power was getting through that Zarkog could no longer maintain any spells, which is practically the same thing.”

“I did more than that, and I didn’t even realize it until now.” Mark mused.

“How so?” Talia asked.

Mark shrugged. “It’s obvious from the Reading that I not only cast efficient collection fields for wizards’ and sorcerers’ power, but I could hold and store and use that power as easily as I could my own warlocks’ power, or power that I got from you or Equemev. And I can see in the Reading how I did it, but without holding my limit of all three kinds of power like I did then, it’s like explaining eighth year mathematics to a second year student. I’m just not getting it, and I can’t really remember exactly what I did to do it.”

“When we get to Focus Mountain, you should have Somonik set up a big Link with a bunch of magic users of both types to give us all as much of all three kinds of power as we can hold, like you were doing then.” Fire suggested. “We all know how to hold and cast each other’s power, so we should all hold as much of all three kinds as we can, to increase our chances of success.”

“I agree, and I am recruiting volunteers to lend power as we speak.” Somonik told them from the far side of the world. “Tithian, Yazadril, and the other researchers think that this may be the most important experiment ever conducted, and they will be passively following the process through Equemev.”

“All right, but try to keep it on a need-to-know basis until it’s done.” Mark requested. “We don’t want any curious minds sneaking in and disrupting things. And we don’t want the public’s attention on it until it’s all over, in case it blows up in our faces. If it does they’ll need to be told, but they won’t need to see it.”

“Agreed.” The ancient white dragon stated, then psionicly withdrew.

A few minutes passed, as they floated and thought on what they were about to do.

“I think I’m about full.” Six announced. “Of wizards’ power, that is, or very close to it. I’m starting to sweat.”

“Me too, but I think Mother still needs to marinate for a few more minutes.” Val agreed. “Let’s go down and see the chapel.”

“I’m still not done.” Fire told them. “We’ll let you know when we’re ready.”

Val and Six nodded and disappeared, appearing a meter above the center of the dais, in the center of the most revered place in Elven culture: The Laylas Valley Site of Joining, or Wedding Chapel. They gently alighted on the broad, tiered marble dais and looked around at the huge dim circular clearing. It was floored with deep, firm moss, and ringed by the tallest trees in the world; the colossal Laylas Redwoods. Over a third of all elven weddings in the entire history of that race had been performed here, and it had become highly charged with the magic of their many loving vows.

Six gave Val a sudden spontaneous hug, and opened a Link with her. “There’s something I know about you that you don’t know, and that’s not fair. I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you, and this is it; the right time, in the right place.

“I know that it’s not yet the right time for us to act on this, but you should know it.”

He gave her his memory of being the first to contact her psionicly, when she was still in Alilia’s womb, and when he had subsequently had the prophesy that he and she were destined lovers, and what her name would be.

She gave him no response for what seemed like many long moments.