Part 21
Mark could no longer be seen in the maelstrom he was creating. Within seconds, even the blazing light of his spells was blocked in the storm of flying shattered rock and clouds of dust he was blasting out of the mountain he faced.
Talia hurriedly cast to protect the reflector and the research facility on it’s north rim from damage from flying rocks and boulders. The facility’s blast protections had automatically activated, but would soon have been overwhelmed. It was more than Talia could deal with alone, and a second later those with her joined her efforts, then Val cast an automated, self-powered spell that relieved them of the task. Any unprotected living thing within twenty kilometers would certainly have been killed, but nothing visible lived there.
“Have you noticed that we’re almost in the focus of the reflector, and we’re not getting any extra power from it?” Val absentmindedly asked as she watched the destruction-storm with captive fascination. “Father’s got his collection field over this entire area, fifty kilometers wide, and no warlock power is getting through it at all. I had to cast that automated spell with pure wizard’s power, or it would’ve drained my warlock power pretty fast.”
“He needs to vent his anger, and I can’t blame him.” Alilia angrily stated. “I don’t know what the hell the poor boy is going to do about this. Damn it, we’re supposed to be getting married in four hours!”
“We are getting married in four hours!” Talia stated with fierce determination as she gave Alilia a sudden firm hug. “Nothing is going to change that, and nothing could diminish our love for you!”
“Damn, are my insecurities so very transparent?” Alilia bitterly asked as she returned Talia’s embrace.
“Only to me, dear love.” Talia assured her.
“Is he going to be all right in there?” Kragorram worriedly asked.
“He has all his Shields and Pure Breath running.” Fire observed. “He should be okay.”
“I know, but that mountain is a dormant volcano after all, and barely dormant at that. It’s most recent eruption was only two centuries ago. If he keeps going like that, he’ll break through into the lava at the core of the mountain. It may be under incredible pressure, and he may break through suddenly, which would cause a cataclysmic explosive eruption aimed directly at him, and at us.”
A second later Talia reported; “I warned him of the possibility, but he’s still too angry to care.”
“We should prepare to act to contain the eruption enough to protect him, us, the reflector, and the facility.” Povon decisively stated, then Linked with Somonik and demanded; “Give me the Command Link and our available power now!”
“Done!” Somonik responded almost instantly.
The eight over Focus Mountain were already Linked with Povon when she felt control of the Command Link come to her, and they were aware of the minds and power of the two and a half million military spell-casters who were on stand-by duty at the moment. Hundreds of thousands more were joining every second, then millions.
“That’s enough, thank you.” Kragorram reported as he and Six analyzed the volcano and what Mark was doing to it.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2