Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

“ T hank the flames you’re here. We can’t keep him under control. This differs completely from anything we encountered before,” the academy’s headmistress, Isabella Thalberg, called out from her position.

Two other adults were in the room. Solomon believed they were part of the secret society that ruled his life, The Guild of the Blind Eye. The adults were the guides that assisted and protected children while they traveled from the different magic testing bureaus to one of the chosen academies that accepted these special students.

Students with the forbidden arcane magic.

He moved closer to where everyone stood around the barrier. “Where did the child come from?”

“The Testing Bureau of Lybster in Allemond Realm. He spiked after we left the mag-train station in Rosemire Village,” the man said. “I noticed he was sweating on the mag-train and knew something was wrong. The headmistress opened a portal so we could rush him here before he spiked again.”

“Do we know anything about him or his background?”

“No. Other than he tested strong for arcane. His main base element is water.”

The boy shrieked with pain. His body spasmed. Then his uncontrollable arcane magic flared. It filled the room with a bright whiteness.

Solomon raised another barrier around the boy to protect their eyesight from the brilliant light.

After another shriek, the boy’s limbs trembled. Suddenly, he collapsed into stillness.

Bella reinforced the barrier. “What’s his status?”

The man called up a medical rune. “Dead. The boy is dead.”

“But not his magic,” the lady said. “It’s about to break the wards. If it leaks…”

“The Carmine will find us. All of?—”

“Quiet!” Solomon wrapped his magic around the flare and condensed it down into a manageable ball.

The boy’s magic flared and fought against Solomon’s control.

If he couldn’t get this under control, the magic would flare and consume everyone. The release could alert the blasted Carmine’s sniffers.

Forcing more magic to flow through him while drawing up the power from the layers of laumeldite, Solomon whipped around more layers and condensed the flickering ball. Red and black flares flashed within the white flames. The threatening color of dark power. He had to release this soon.

Where could this energy be absorbed?

The dryad grove. Actually, the meadow that was near it because he couldn’t bring this mess to Julian’s home.

The meadow would give him more room.

The Gloriosa would help.

“Dark flames!”

“What do you need, Solomon?” Bella asked.

“Is Julian’s class done for the day?”

“What? Wait…” Bella paused. “Yes. Why?”

“Create a portal to the meadow. Need the Gloriosa to absorb and disperse the magic.”

“What about?—”

“The vines can add protection.”

“Why not?—”

“Bella, please, do it before I lose my hold. It’s fighting me every second.” Solomon grimaced while he fought another whiplash from the ball. “Something is off with this entire scenario, down to the magic itself. I can feel a darkness to the magic. The vines can help figure out what’s wrong.”

“Count it down…” Bella prepared to drop the protective barrier and open a portal.

Rising carefully, sweat dripped down his spine while he exerted more pressure on the writhing ball, Solomon stepped away from the circle. He nodded to Bella. “Three… Two…” he started the count.

“One!” they said together.

Simultaneously, Bella dropped the barrier and opened the portal. “Go! Solomon, go!”

With a few stumbling steps, Solomon tumbled through the portal.

Appearing on the open meadow, he dropped to his knees with the wrapped ball wavering between his hands. He struggled to connect with the sentient vines, the Spiny Leaved Gloriosa Vine, that protected the Scarlet Crystalline Laumeldite.

Several thick, glossy green vines broke out and circled him. Large leaves unfurled from multiple places. A couple of them curled around his legs to support him. ::The Gloriosa are here. We hear you, arcane mage. The magic reaches out for us. We feel the energy.::

A relieved sigh slipped out at the Gloriosa’s touch against his mind. /Thank you for reaching out. Can you absorb and disperse this energy? Something went wrong with a boy, who came for help and training. His magic was wild and flaring./

::We are here to assist. We are created from the arcane energy. May we touch the energy?::

/If you can ? —/

The Gloriosa lifted multiple vines. Some wrapped around Solomon to further support him. Then a pair of vines slid and moved around the protective barriers.

Without the vines asking, Solomon opened a few cracks to allow the Gloriosa to slide through and touch the energy.

The vines wiggled and leaves curled in. More vines joined the original pair. :: The energy is tainted. A spell or addition designed to cause the magic to flare. The boy is dead.::

/Yes, he died while his magic escaped./

::It was yanked out of him. Designed to be released.::

/The Carmine ? —/

The leaves trembled along with the vines. Several dozen more vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around him and the ball. The sheer mass of them slipped between Solomon and the energy ball. Leaves unfurled around him.

::Protect yourself!::

The protection wards cracked and burst open. The bright light flared and almost blinded Solomon. He dropped and protected himself with a shimmering barrier that he desperately pulled together to shield against the energy wave.

More vines piled and curled around and forced the ball to the ground. Then the ground cracked open. The vines thrust the ball underneath. Deep, deep down into the earth and the layers of laumeldite.

A massive, but smothered explosion happened seconds later.

The ground rumbled and rolled from the waves of energy. An earthquake flowed through everything. No flares rose into the sky.

Solomon blinked until his vision return.

Utter devastation was around him. Some vines blackened and withered from the explosion. Many broken dead leaves scattered around the ground.

“Oh, sweet flames, no. Gloriosa, no…”

There was a soft flicker against his cheek.

Turning, Solomon saw more vines rising out of the ground. /Gloriosa?/

::We are here. We are many vines. Some sacrificed to protect. Not all.::

/Does it hurt?/

::A flicker of pain, but our senses are different. The laumeldite absorbed the remaining energy and will disperse it. The energy replenishes the empty veins.::

/Replenishes?/

The vines wiggled along with a laughing like sensation in Solomon’s head.:: How do you think the laumeldites are created?::

/Pressure and time like all other stones./

::Not with magical gemstones. They require a spark of arcane along with certain natural chemicals and pressure. Only arcane can create magical gems. Arcane is the foundation magic of the creators.::

/How long have the laumeldites and vines been in Nucira?/

::Since the realm’s birth at the will of the Circle of Elysium. Twelve master arcane mages created the realms and spread them out from the initial five center realms. They created us, the Gloriosa, to protect the laumeldites, and to connect to certain mages. We grow from arcane, like the laumeldites. That is why we are sentient.::

/Are there other realms like Nucira with gemstones and sentient protectors?/

::Multiple realms spread throughout. They are the anchors. Unless the gems are removed. Then the power of the sentient protectors withers.::

/What would happen if we lose the anchors?/

::If all the gemstones are removed, the realm will die. When the anchors are lost, the world will lose all of its magic and slowly die. One realm at a time.::

/Julian calls them the collapsed realms./

::Yes. There are many in the South and West.::

/Can they be recovered?/

::We do not know. Strong arcane mages are lost. Only they could build or assist a realm. If things continue on their path, the central realms will be the last to collapse. Then all life will be lost.::

/I hope I’m not alive to see that come to fruition./ Solomon pushed up, but the vines held him in place. /Can you release me?/

::There was something wrong with the boy’s magic. Our Protector and Dryad of the Grove arrives. He will assist us.::

/Dryad— Julian…/

Solomon peered through an opening in the woven vines.

His dearest friend literally stepped out of the center tree, a magnificent scarlet oak. Julian Scarlett, a rare male dryad of the Legacy Grove of the Lunore Academy, remained barefoot while he walked across the grove. Dressed in a simple tunic and pants that he preferred while napping within his oak, he crossed the soft meadow-like grasses.

“Was that an earthquake? Gloriosa, what happened to your vines? Burnt. Why are these vines burnt?” Julian paused at the border with the meadow filled with grasses and raised groups of boulders and laumeldites. He tilted his head while he concentrated on something else.

Solomon recognized the hesitation when someone was using their mind or gifts to speak with the vines.

Slowly, the vines rattled and uncovered him.

“That is rather unexpected,” Julian said. “Bet you have a good explanation for all of this.”