RIFTWATCH
Here’s the next chapter of this new Valley storyline. Made to order! Fresh to death! Filled with fictional characters that are barely-masked renditions of real NC characters! Feel the wave of nostalgia wash over you, soaking you to the bone with sopping wet memories! Get all misty-eyed and shit. Or just read this thing for the made up characters that I created from pop culture figures or off the top of my goddamn head. Not to mention dinosaurs! And PORN!!!!
there is no porn.
there is only Zhul.
WHAT LIES BENEATH
Chapter 1: Riftwatch
Sunlight streamed in through the window onto his face. He opened his eyes a crack and groaned. He hated having the curtains open; the direct light hurt his eyes and dried out the gearworks. But she liked it. Natural biorhythms or something. She had always been something of a morning person. Even before…
“I hope you’re happy. I’m up.” Peter turned on his side to speak to his girlfriend, but the bed was empty. She had probably woken up an hour earlier. He wished she had thought to close the curtains. He didn’t need to be awake just yet. His shift at the mechamechanics didn’t start for another two hours. He rolled out of bed and slowly walked to the kitchen. It was spacious, with counter and shelf subunits that rose from the tile floor on voice-activated response modules. Everything was sealed away except for the long dining table, where she sat with her hands laying flat on the table, palms down. Spread out before her was a virtual banquet of prepared dishes of all kinds from a dozen culinary cultures. She looked up at him, her dark eyes slightly sunken into her face. She looked so tired. And…
“I’m hungry, darling.”
“Well, we have plenty to eat, babe. Take a look around. I can get you some better breakfast food if you want.”
“No, Peter. I’m hungry.” She looked at him again, but this time with slight desperation in her eyes.
“Oh. Since when?”
“It started last night. I haven’t slept.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“It’s never been this strong. It used to fade in and out when I first got the hunger. It never used to plague me.”
“Alright. We’ll figure something out. Listen, we have a meeting later. After work. I’ll talk to Sam about this. He can help.”
“I don’t know. Do you really think he understands…?”
“He knows us, Shannyn. We need friends here. He has his reasons for helping us. We have to trust him. We always have.”
“Yes, well… we’re not in college anymore, Peter. All of our lives are a bit… different in this place.” Shannyn smiled for a minute and ran her fingers down his arm, tracing the outlines of the interlocking gearwheels. But soon a shadow crossed over her face and her eyes lost their gleam. “I’ll need to eat in the next day or two. At most.”
“You will. And our bond will strengthen. Beyond our emotions. Body and soul, my love. Body and soul.”
________________________________________
“Order! Order! Can we please have some order?!”
Cammy Devereaux was frustrated and upset. The Council was having another chaotic meeting, filled to the brim with the clashing of egos and squabbles over authority where none should exist. Their mediator was gone. The one authoritative voice that could project over the others but never sought reigning power. The insectoid mage. Tarsala. But she had left the Valley, it seemed, immediately following the departure of the strange man called Curare. There was an electronic message sent to Ms. Devereaux placing her in charge of mediation, despite the fact that she was not an official member of the Council. Her position within the Heroditus Club, however, afforded her a degree of authority wherever she went. And apparently, the personalities of the other Council members were ill-fitted for a mediator role. She could see why.
“SILENCE!!!”
The Council finally fell silent at her resounding shout. A few of them seemed taken aback at her outburst, while others acted impassively or even nodded appreciatively.
“The discussion on forest development is closed, ladies and gentlemen. The guidelines for mod placement and carno territories has been submitted by Chief Muldoon and approved by all of you. I trust this has not been forgotten.” The members of the Council murmured and grumbled, but they did not contract her. “Good. Now… to new business. The young Lady Muldoon is here to give us an update on the state of security from the Trainers. Miss Muldoon, the floor is yours.”
“Thank you, Lady Devereaux.” Alita Muldoon walked to the small podium before the Council benches, and felt the eyes of the Council members following her. It was no secret that several of them believed her position to be a product of pure nepotism, and that she did not have the expertise or experience to be a Lead Trainer. There could be little question when it came to her father, Lord Muldoon. He had been a powerful presence in the Valley, and had single-handedly led an effort to build stronger and better relationships with the ancient, original inhabitants of the Valley. The people were now educated about the animals that they lived near, and fear had been replaced with knowledge and preparedness. But the young Alita… was she truly well-versed in all the programs of the Trainers, or was she merely the successful product of a doting father? And besides, after the bizarre behavior of the dinosaurs during the battle with the Weeping, it was difficult to believe any of the “experts.”
“First of all, I wish to assure everyone on the Council that the dinosaur issue has been resolved. We have witnessed absolutely no aberrant behavior from our resident animals, and field reports indicate that carno patterns are falling within standard parameters once more.”
“How about in English, my dear?” A swarthy pirate flashed a toothy (as Valley pirates go, at any rate) grin.
“Or any other language other than… jargonese,” added a thin spectacled woman in a purple and white striped dress. “Some of the other members might not have understood.”
“I apologize,” Alita muttered, feeling foolish. She would soon prove a poor representative if she couldn’t communicate clearly. “The point is, the dinosaurs are acting normally again, and we have seen no signs of any more… attacks.”
“This is good to hear,” Cammy Devereaux spoke with a soft nod. “We don’t want any repeats of the prior attacks. Is there any other news on your end, Miss Muldoon?”
“Not too much. We’ve been maintaining our surveillance on the Broken Pyramids with the Skybax Riders, but there hasn’t been any overt activity that we can pinpoint. Actually, that brings up a point of discussion…”
“Go on.”
“Well, with the permission of the Council, I would like for a mage or two to accompany the Skybax Riders on a couple of recon missions. I believe that we need assistance to detect magic use in the Broken Pyramids region that we have not seen during our surveillance.”
Cammy Devereaux nodded thoughtfully and looked at the members of the Council questioningly. There was some murmurings and finally one of the Council members stood.
“You are aware, no doubt, that our regular moderator is absent. She served this council and the mage community of the Valley as head of their Riftwatch organization. It will therefore be more difficult now to establish contact with the mage community and request what you propose.”
“Yes, I understand perfectly. But I still feel that this is important. The security of the Colony rests on our knowledge of the security of the rest of the Valley. The mages can help with that.”
Cammy Devereaux stood once more as moderator.
“I think your proposal is worth considering. We can contact another mage from the organization and ask for their assistance. They will no doubt wish to discuss it amongst themselves. Is this acceptable, Miss Muldoon?”
“Of course, Lady Devereaux. I imagined a request like this should be submitted to the Council before I approach any of the mages personally.”
“I can be of assistance in that regard. I have a contact in the organization; one of the top mages here in the Colony. I will send a message concerning your request to him immediately, and he can bring it up in their next meeting. These meetings are private, you understand, but I can forward any response your way.”
“That would be wonderful! Thank you, Lady Devereaux. Thank you, members of the Council. Of course, I will keep you up to date on any changes that might interest you in the next meeting.”
________________________________________
“Let’s face it, we have problems.” The young man’s face was serious, his voice grim. Every other face in the room watched him with expressions of concern. The man only took a serious tone when a terrible threat loomed. He had spoken this way when the Weeping had risen anew. And few other times. The others waited with baited breath for his words. “We’re out of beer.”
Lord Byram Ozer grinned and chuckled as every mage in the room sighed, laughed, or cursed at the joke. A young woman in the corner of the room started coughing with laughter and had to take several sips of elixir to calm herself down. Lord Byram was often called the natural successor to Hephaestus Gryphon, and it was easy to see why. With a jovial, relaxed demeanor and a natural affinity for the guitar, the young bearded mage was difficult to dislike. He had a rapport with the ladies that could not be denied, and he always managed to win over his detractors and challengers at the first hint of conflict. His area of concentration, so to speak, was potions, but he seemed naturally endowed with such a charming personality that magic was barely necessary. His charisma, powers, and intelligence made him a natural leader among the mages of the Colony.
But he had not been in the leadership position before. There was a mage with greater power, skill, and experience than he could hope to amass. A powerful mediator and ambassador for the mage community, despite a rather… unorthodox appearance. This mage had first proposed and led the organization of mages in this section of the Valley, known as Riftwatch. The position held by the mage on the Colony Council provided a voice for the magical community within the Valley bureaucracy. But the insectoid Tarsala had vanished along with the mage stranger after the tumultuous battle with the dinosaurs and the Weeping. Nobody knew where she had gone, but Riftwatch had been left leaderless until Byram stepped forward, offering his services to the group. The vote had been unanimous, of course.
The doors to the meeting hall swung open and several crystalline kegs filled with golden ale were rolled in. The mages grinned and laughed, although there were a few dissenters who felt that a meeting should be treated with more gravity. And naturally, there were a few mages who tried to argue the superiority of the Gregorian brand. But Lord Byram’s private label was certainly nothing to scoff at, and the gathered members were all too happy to partake. When everyone had a frothy mug and a content look on their face, Byram stood.
“Alright, I know this is a little unorthodox, and Tarsala would probably question the reasons for having beer at our meeting, but I don’t think it should hinder our discussions. On the contrary! Nothing wrong with a little conversational lubricant, is there? Now, is there any new business on the Colony front?”
A stout mage with a thick beard and Ming Dynasty armor stood and addressed the gathered mages.
“As we’ve mentioned in the last few meetings, we haven’t seen any signs whatsoever of the Weeping since it was banished. Dinosaur activity appears normal; at least, the Trainers have reported this, and our own monitoring of Colony worker dinos haven’t shown anything strange. Whatever caused their sudden behavior shifts disappeared as suddenly as it came.”
“So the status of the Colony is secure?”
A tall wizard stood up, his expression grim. Evidently, the beer had done little to lighten his mood.
“The absence of the Weeping hardly signifies that the Colony is secure. I assume everyone at this table is aware of that. And even if we have no direct threats reported from within our city, the Valley is hardly free of dangers. Again, I propose that our surveillance for Riftwatch be expanded to include other areas in the Valley…”
At this, several mages at the table rolled their eyes. A thin, bald wizard stood, gear mechanisms implanted within his arms and legs whirring in activity.
“I can guess what you’ll say next, Zeller. We have already agreed that Riftwatch should be limited to the immediate vicinity of the Rift Gate itself. If we spend our time and energy patrolling the whole damn Valley…”
“And the Broken Pyramids? Will we just ignore them, Peter? Given the history…”
At this point, Lord Byram cleared his throat loudly, and everyone fell silent.
“Tempers are rising in this room, gentlemen. It’s hardly what we need right now. Zeller, I understand your concern. But given the problems we had with the Weeping and the chaos immediately following with the Windmill Gangs, we have to focus where we are strongest. But Rift security is improving, as Peter will attest.”
“Without a doubt. I have been working on small mechasentries and golems to replace the dinosaur guards currently in place at the Gate. It was an obvious weakness when battling the Weeping and the dinosaurs.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, Riftwatch will be instrumental in securing the Colony and the Valley at large. I understand that several of you have concerns, particular in the absence of Tarsala. But we are making excellent progress… Zeller, I understand that you are departing through the Rift Gate soon.”
“Yes, Lord Byram. I owe my people an inspection tour of a roving moon in my old system. I shall be gone for three weeks. Perhaps when I return, there will be an opportunity to survey the Broken…”
“Perhaps, Zeller,” Byram interrupted him in a relaxed, charming manner that was difficult to resent. “But for now I believe the issue is closed. As for the rest of the meeting, I think we could all use another round!”
________________________________________
“Zeller. He’s persistent, that’s for sure.” Peter was pacing the wide sitting room after the other Riftwatch mages had left for the evening. Lord Byram was reclined in his favorite chair, absently playing softly on his guitar. He never seemed worried.
“He is persistent, but his trip will buy us time. It is a rather unfortunate coincidence, however…”
“What is it, Sam?”
“Well, Zeller is the most vocal member of Riftwatch who wants surveillance of the Broken Pyramids and other unknown areas in the Valley. And just today, I received a request from Heroditus Club that we discuss the possibility for mages to fly out there with the Skybax Riders for recon or some such crap.”
“You have a contact in the Heroditus Club? Crap, that’s good news.”
“Yes. Lady Devereaux seems to trust me quite implicitly and believes that if she gives me a message, it will reach all mages.”
“You must have treated her to some of your brew, to get her on your side so swiftly.”
“Ha ha! Quite true. But if that news reaches Zeller or others, it would only add fuel to the fire. We can’t compromise our partnership with the Count by having our mage friends watching his every move.” Byram glanced down at his fingering of the guitar, trying a few complex chord combinations that caused the glass doors of a nearby bookshelf to vibrate and bend in ways not explicable by physics. Then he looked up. “I may have a solution…”
“What is it?”
“No. We shall discuss it later. I have to consider this carefully. It’s risky…”
“Just let me know what you want to do. I’ll be ready.”
“Peter… did you happen to see the visitor who aided with the Weeping battle? ‘Campbell’ or whatever he said his name was?”
“No. But he’s gone now, and I don’t think he’s a concern of ours.”
“Very presumptuous, my friend. Very presumptuous.”
“Oh, come on, Sam. He left and Tarsala left soon afterward. If anything, he was a blessing for us. Why, do you know the man?” Peter smiled as he turned away, absently twisting a gear inlaid in his forearm.
“It was Smith, Peter. One of Bulick’s.”
The clockwork mage spun back to face Byram, gears twisting of their own accord in both arms. “Smith?! Are you certain?”
“Indeed. There is no doubt.”
“Well… shit! What are the odds of that? You think he might prove useful?”
“He’s a risk, especially if he returns. Smith… in this place. He could be dangerous.”
“Look, he was not nearly as invested in magical study as we were. He probably doesn’t have any powers…”
“Don’t underestimate him. His departure was too close to the vanishing of the Weeping for my tastes. It appeared with him, and then it was banished.”
“Now, we did our part with the Weeping!”
“We didn’t take it out. Our magic could not have defeated the Weeping. Smith relied on cunning and strategy as his primary weapons. He always did. If he returns, we will have to take steps…”
“We’ll worry about it if he returns. At any rate, I should go…”
“Is there something else?” Byram reacted to the barely noticeable hesitation in Peter’s turn towards the door.
“Well… yes. She’s hungry again. It’s stronger than before.”
“Ah, Shannyn. You realize that it may get much worse with time?”
“Of course, Sam. But if we succeed, she will be able to feed whenever she needs. Besides, her strength grows with the hunger.”
“But will she lose herself, Peter? We need her to behave when the time is right.”
“She remains herself. Our bond is strengthened by this, not weakened. I am sure of it.”
“I hope you’re right. If she becomes a liability…”
“Damn it, Sam. You’re talking about Shannyn!” Byram stared back into Peter’s flashing eyes with a cold indifference and spoke calmly.
“She wouldn’t be Shannyn any longer at that point. And I don’t trust strangers.”
Peter thought for a moment, and then backed down. “True enough. Do you have any suggestions?”
“For her current state?” Peter nodded in response. “Well, you might think of taking advantage of Zeller’s foray through the Rift. He’s not expected back for several weeks. But you’ll have to keep it quiet. Quieter than last time, certainly.”
“Zeller…,” Peter looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yes. He will do nicely. And his energy is quite strong.” He glanced down at the elaborate gear mechanisms in his arms, which began to spin on their own.
“So Shannyn’s not the only one who hungers, Peter.” Lord Byram grinned. Peter nodded and grinned as well. Then he glanced at the floor as he spoke.
“Shannyn and I are driven by our own needs and desires, while you are doing all of this for one reason and one reason alone. You risk a lot for this ‘Power Chord’… what will you do once you have it?”
Byram reclined in his chair, playing a few familiar notes on his guitar.
“I’ll stand up next to Mount Jennifer,” Lord Byram said with a sneering grin spreading across his lips, “and chop it down with the edge of my hand.”
(mmmm, Zhulporn)
there is no porn.
there is only Zhul.
Chapter 1: Riftwatch
Sunlight streamed in through the window onto his face. He opened his eyes a crack and groaned. He hated having the curtains open; the direct light hurt his eyes and dried out the gearworks. But she liked it. Natural biorhythms or something. She had always been something of a morning person. Even before…
“I hope you’re happy. I’m up.” Peter turned on his side to speak to his girlfriend, but the bed was empty. She had probably woken up an hour earlier. He wished she had thought to close the curtains. He didn’t need to be awake just yet. His shift at the mechamechanics didn’t start for another two hours. He rolled out of bed and slowly walked to the kitchen. It was spacious, with counter and shelf subunits that rose from the tile floor on voice-activated response modules. Everything was sealed away except for the long dining table, where she sat with her hands laying flat on the table, palms down. Spread out before her was a virtual banquet of prepared dishes of all kinds from a dozen culinary cultures. She looked up at him, her dark eyes slightly sunken into her face. She looked so tired. And…
“I’m hungry, darling.”
“Well, we have plenty to eat, babe. Take a look around. I can get you some better breakfast food if you want.”
“No, Peter. I’m hungry.” She looked at him again, but this time with slight desperation in her eyes.
“Oh. Since when?”
“It started last night. I haven’t slept.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“It’s never been this strong. It used to fade in and out when I first got the hunger. It never used to plague me.”
“Alright. We’ll figure something out. Listen, we have a meeting later. After work. I’ll talk to Sam about this. He can help.”
“I don’t know. Do you really think he understands…?”
“He knows us, Shannyn. We need friends here. He has his reasons for helping us. We have to trust him. We always have.”
“Yes, well… we’re not in college anymore, Peter. All of our lives are a bit… different in this place.” Shannyn smiled for a minute and ran her fingers down his arm, tracing the outlines of the interlocking gearwheels. But soon a shadow crossed over her face and her eyes lost their gleam. “I’ll need to eat in the next day or two. At most.”
“You will. And our bond will strengthen. Beyond our emotions. Body and soul, my love. Body and soul.”
________________________________________
“Order! Order! Can we please have some order?!”
Cammy Devereaux was frustrated and upset. The Council was having another chaotic meeting, filled to the brim with the clashing of egos and squabbles over authority where none should exist. Their mediator was gone. The one authoritative voice that could project over the others but never sought reigning power. The insectoid mage. Tarsala. But she had left the Valley, it seemed, immediately following the departure of the strange man called Curare. There was an electronic message sent to Ms. Devereaux placing her in charge of mediation, despite the fact that she was not an official member of the Council. Her position within the Heroditus Club, however, afforded her a degree of authority wherever she went. And apparently, the personalities of the other Council members were ill-fitted for a mediator role. She could see why.
“SILENCE!!!”
The Council finally fell silent at her resounding shout. A few of them seemed taken aback at her outburst, while others acted impassively or even nodded appreciatively.
“The discussion on forest development is closed, ladies and gentlemen. The guidelines for mod placement and carno territories has been submitted by Chief Muldoon and approved by all of you. I trust this has not been forgotten.” The members of the Council murmured and grumbled, but they did not contract her. “Good. Now… to new business. The young Lady Muldoon is here to give us an update on the state of security from the Trainers. Miss Muldoon, the floor is yours.”
“Thank you, Lady Devereaux.” Alita Muldoon walked to the small podium before the Council benches, and felt the eyes of the Council members following her. It was no secret that several of them believed her position to be a product of pure nepotism, and that she did not have the expertise or experience to be a Lead Trainer. There could be little question when it came to her father, Lord Muldoon. He had been a powerful presence in the Valley, and had single-handedly led an effort to build stronger and better relationships with the ancient, original inhabitants of the Valley. The people were now educated about the animals that they lived near, and fear had been replaced with knowledge and preparedness. But the young Alita… was she truly well-versed in all the programs of the Trainers, or was she merely the successful product of a doting father? And besides, after the bizarre behavior of the dinosaurs during the battle with the Weeping, it was difficult to believe any of the “experts.”
“First of all, I wish to assure everyone on the Council that the dinosaur issue has been resolved. We have witnessed absolutely no aberrant behavior from our resident animals, and field reports indicate that carno patterns are falling within standard parameters once more.”
“How about in English, my dear?” A swarthy pirate flashed a toothy (as Valley pirates go, at any rate) grin.
“Or any other language other than… jargonese,” added a thin spectacled woman in a purple and white striped dress. “Some of the other members might not have understood.”
“I apologize,” Alita muttered, feeling foolish. She would soon prove a poor representative if she couldn’t communicate clearly. “The point is, the dinosaurs are acting normally again, and we have seen no signs of any more… attacks.”
“This is good to hear,” Cammy Devereaux spoke with a soft nod. “We don’t want any repeats of the prior attacks. Is there any other news on your end, Miss Muldoon?”
“Not too much. We’ve been maintaining our surveillance on the Broken Pyramids with the Skybax Riders, but there hasn’t been any overt activity that we can pinpoint. Actually, that brings up a point of discussion…”
“Go on.”
“Well, with the permission of the Council, I would like for a mage or two to accompany the Skybax Riders on a couple of recon missions. I believe that we need assistance to detect magic use in the Broken Pyramids region that we have not seen during our surveillance.”
Cammy Devereaux nodded thoughtfully and looked at the members of the Council questioningly. There was some murmurings and finally one of the Council members stood.
“You are aware, no doubt, that our regular moderator is absent. She served this council and the mage community of the Valley as head of their Riftwatch organization. It will therefore be more difficult now to establish contact with the mage community and request what you propose.”
“Yes, I understand perfectly. But I still feel that this is important. The security of the Colony rests on our knowledge of the security of the rest of the Valley. The mages can help with that.”
Cammy Devereaux stood once more as moderator.
“I think your proposal is worth considering. We can contact another mage from the organization and ask for their assistance. They will no doubt wish to discuss it amongst themselves. Is this acceptable, Miss Muldoon?”
“Of course, Lady Devereaux. I imagined a request like this should be submitted to the Council before I approach any of the mages personally.”
“I can be of assistance in that regard. I have a contact in the organization; one of the top mages here in the Colony. I will send a message concerning your request to him immediately, and he can bring it up in their next meeting. These meetings are private, you understand, but I can forward any response your way.”
“That would be wonderful! Thank you, Lady Devereaux. Thank you, members of the Council. Of course, I will keep you up to date on any changes that might interest you in the next meeting.”
________________________________________
“Let’s face it, we have problems.” The young man’s face was serious, his voice grim. Every other face in the room watched him with expressions of concern. The man only took a serious tone when a terrible threat loomed. He had spoken this way when the Weeping had risen anew. And few other times. The others waited with baited breath for his words. “We’re out of beer.”
Lord Byram Ozer grinned and chuckled as every mage in the room sighed, laughed, or cursed at the joke. A young woman in the corner of the room started coughing with laughter and had to take several sips of elixir to calm herself down. Lord Byram was often called the natural successor to Hephaestus Gryphon, and it was easy to see why. With a jovial, relaxed demeanor and a natural affinity for the guitar, the young bearded mage was difficult to dislike. He had a rapport with the ladies that could not be denied, and he always managed to win over his detractors and challengers at the first hint of conflict. His area of concentration, so to speak, was potions, but he seemed naturally endowed with such a charming personality that magic was barely necessary. His charisma, powers, and intelligence made him a natural leader among the mages of the Colony.
But he had not been in the leadership position before. There was a mage with greater power, skill, and experience than he could hope to amass. A powerful mediator and ambassador for the mage community, despite a rather… unorthodox appearance. This mage had first proposed and led the organization of mages in this section of the Valley, known as Riftwatch. The position held by the mage on the Colony Council provided a voice for the magical community within the Valley bureaucracy. But the insectoid Tarsala had vanished along with the mage stranger after the tumultuous battle with the dinosaurs and the Weeping. Nobody knew where she had gone, but Riftwatch had been left leaderless until Byram stepped forward, offering his services to the group. The vote had been unanimous, of course.
The doors to the meeting hall swung open and several crystalline kegs filled with golden ale were rolled in. The mages grinned and laughed, although there were a few dissenters who felt that a meeting should be treated with more gravity. And naturally, there were a few mages who tried to argue the superiority of the Gregorian brand. But Lord Byram’s private label was certainly nothing to scoff at, and the gathered members were all too happy to partake. When everyone had a frothy mug and a content look on their face, Byram stood.
“Alright, I know this is a little unorthodox, and Tarsala would probably question the reasons for having beer at our meeting, but I don’t think it should hinder our discussions. On the contrary! Nothing wrong with a little conversational lubricant, is there? Now, is there any new business on the Colony front?”
A stout mage with a thick beard and Ming Dynasty armor stood and addressed the gathered mages.
“As we’ve mentioned in the last few meetings, we haven’t seen any signs whatsoever of the Weeping since it was banished. Dinosaur activity appears normal; at least, the Trainers have reported this, and our own monitoring of Colony worker dinos haven’t shown anything strange. Whatever caused their sudden behavior shifts disappeared as suddenly as it came.”
“So the status of the Colony is secure?”
A tall wizard stood up, his expression grim. Evidently, the beer had done little to lighten his mood.
“The absence of the Weeping hardly signifies that the Colony is secure. I assume everyone at this table is aware of that. And even if we have no direct threats reported from within our city, the Valley is hardly free of dangers. Again, I propose that our surveillance for Riftwatch be expanded to include other areas in the Valley…”
At this, several mages at the table rolled their eyes. A thin, bald wizard stood, gear mechanisms implanted within his arms and legs whirring in activity.
“I can guess what you’ll say next, Zeller. We have already agreed that Riftwatch should be limited to the immediate vicinity of the Rift Gate itself. If we spend our time and energy patrolling the whole damn Valley…”
“And the Broken Pyramids? Will we just ignore them, Peter? Given the history…”
At this point, Lord Byram cleared his throat loudly, and everyone fell silent.
“Tempers are rising in this room, gentlemen. It’s hardly what we need right now. Zeller, I understand your concern. But given the problems we had with the Weeping and the chaos immediately following with the Windmill Gangs, we have to focus where we are strongest. But Rift security is improving, as Peter will attest.”
“Without a doubt. I have been working on small mechasentries and golems to replace the dinosaur guards currently in place at the Gate. It was an obvious weakness when battling the Weeping and the dinosaurs.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, Riftwatch will be instrumental in securing the Colony and the Valley at large. I understand that several of you have concerns, particular in the absence of Tarsala. But we are making excellent progress… Zeller, I understand that you are departing through the Rift Gate soon.”
“Yes, Lord Byram. I owe my people an inspection tour of a roving moon in my old system. I shall be gone for three weeks. Perhaps when I return, there will be an opportunity to survey the Broken…”
“Perhaps, Zeller,” Byram interrupted him in a relaxed, charming manner that was difficult to resent. “But for now I believe the issue is closed. As for the rest of the meeting, I think we could all use another round!”
________________________________________
“Zeller. He’s persistent, that’s for sure.” Peter was pacing the wide sitting room after the other Riftwatch mages had left for the evening. Lord Byram was reclined in his favorite chair, absently playing softly on his guitar. He never seemed worried.
“He is persistent, but his trip will buy us time. It is a rather unfortunate coincidence, however…”
“What is it, Sam?”
“Well, Zeller is the most vocal member of Riftwatch who wants surveillance of the Broken Pyramids and other unknown areas in the Valley. And just today, I received a request from Heroditus Club that we discuss the possibility for mages to fly out there with the Skybax Riders for recon or some such crap.”
“You have a contact in the Heroditus Club? Crap, that’s good news.”
“Yes. Lady Devereaux seems to trust me quite implicitly and believes that if she gives me a message, it will reach all mages.”
“You must have treated her to some of your brew, to get her on your side so swiftly.”
“Ha ha! Quite true. But if that news reaches Zeller or others, it would only add fuel to the fire. We can’t compromise our partnership with the Count by having our mage friends watching his every move.” Byram glanced down at his fingering of the guitar, trying a few complex chord combinations that caused the glass doors of a nearby bookshelf to vibrate and bend in ways not explicable by physics. Then he looked up. “I may have a solution…”
“What is it?”
“No. We shall discuss it later. I have to consider this carefully. It’s risky…”
“Just let me know what you want to do. I’ll be ready.”
“Peter… did you happen to see the visitor who aided with the Weeping battle? ‘Campbell’ or whatever he said his name was?”
“No. But he’s gone now, and I don’t think he’s a concern of ours.”
“Very presumptuous, my friend. Very presumptuous.”
“Oh, come on, Sam. He left and Tarsala left soon afterward. If anything, he was a blessing for us. Why, do you know the man?” Peter smiled as he turned away, absently twisting a gear inlaid in his forearm.
“It was Smith, Peter. One of Bulick’s.”
The clockwork mage spun back to face Byram, gears twisting of their own accord in both arms. “Smith?! Are you certain?”
“Indeed. There is no doubt.”
“Well… shit! What are the odds of that? You think he might prove useful?”
“He’s a risk, especially if he returns. Smith… in this place. He could be dangerous.”
“Look, he was not nearly as invested in magical study as we were. He probably doesn’t have any powers…”
“Don’t underestimate him. His departure was too close to the vanishing of the Weeping for my tastes. It appeared with him, and then it was banished.”
“Now, we did our part with the Weeping!”
“We didn’t take it out. Our magic could not have defeated the Weeping. Smith relied on cunning and strategy as his primary weapons. He always did. If he returns, we will have to take steps…”
“We’ll worry about it if he returns. At any rate, I should go…”
“Is there something else?” Byram reacted to the barely noticeable hesitation in Peter’s turn towards the door.
“Well… yes. She’s hungry again. It’s stronger than before.”
“Ah, Shannyn. You realize that it may get much worse with time?”
“Of course, Sam. But if we succeed, she will be able to feed whenever she needs. Besides, her strength grows with the hunger.”
“But will she lose herself, Peter? We need her to behave when the time is right.”
“She remains herself. Our bond is strengthened by this, not weakened. I am sure of it.”
“I hope you’re right. If she becomes a liability…”
“Damn it, Sam. You’re talking about Shannyn!” Byram stared back into Peter’s flashing eyes with a cold indifference and spoke calmly.
“She wouldn’t be Shannyn any longer at that point. And I don’t trust strangers.”
Peter thought for a moment, and then backed down. “True enough. Do you have any suggestions?”
“For her current state?” Peter nodded in response. “Well, you might think of taking advantage of Zeller’s foray through the Rift. He’s not expected back for several weeks. But you’ll have to keep it quiet. Quieter than last time, certainly.”
“Zeller…,” Peter looked thoughtful for a moment. “Yes. He will do nicely. And his energy is quite strong.” He glanced down at the elaborate gear mechanisms in his arms, which began to spin on their own.
“So Shannyn’s not the only one who hungers, Peter.” Lord Byram grinned. Peter nodded and grinned as well. Then he glanced at the floor as he spoke.
“Shannyn and I are driven by our own needs and desires, while you are doing all of this for one reason and one reason alone. You risk a lot for this ‘Power Chord’… what will you do once you have it?”
Byram reclined in his chair, playing a few familiar notes on his guitar.
“I’ll stand up next to Mount Jennifer,” Lord Byram said with a sneering grin spreading across his lips, “and chop it down with the edge of my hand.”
(mmmm, Zhulporn)
