The Rifts of Psyche by Kyle West (i love reading .txt) 📕

it,” Elder Gia said. She turned her attention to Lucian. “I believe you were meant to go to that island, to find that cave, and finally, to hold that Orb. And likewise, you were meant to come here to Psyche to find the Orb of Psionics.”

“The Queen-Mage means to use him to locate it,” Elder Erymmo said. “But we can never allow that.”

“Tell me about her,” Lucian said. “Why is she so bad?”

All stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief, before Elder Ytrib held up his hands placatingly. “He is new to this world, friends. He knows nothing.” That only seemed to mollify them a little bit. Ytrib continued. “The Sorceress-Queen is an evil woman. And a powerful Psionic, quite possibly the most powerful there has ever been. She has a rare gift that is a curse for the rest of us. Her magic is so advanced that she can create brands that last for years. These brands allow her to keep track of her subjects, even to directly control them, if need be.”

“Elder Erymmo told me a bit about brands, but what does that mean in terms of the Queen?”

“It means that she can keep tabs on her subjects without needing to be present,” Elder Sina said. “Of course, she can’t directly possess all her subjects, but certainly she can do so at need with one or even a few people. The brands allow her to sense the mental state, and even the thoughts, of those who carry them. If ever you were to meet her face-to-face, no doubt branding you would be her first action.”

“Could she do that to me in a dream?”

“No,” Elder Sina said. “She must physically see you. And if it happened, it’s something you would certainly be able to feel. Whether the unarcane would feel the same thing, I can’t say.”

Unarcane. That must be the term that mages used to describe non-mages.

“The brands lose power over time and need to be refreshed,” Elder Gia said. “It’s not known how long it takes, exactly. But once it weakens, the Sorceress-Queen can simply renew the brand with a new infusion of magic and it’s as good as new. That is how she lays claim over Dara, how none can stand against her. She streams little active magic – every one of her brands drains her total ether supply, but she need not be physically powerful when her branded Mage-Lords and Mage-Knights can do the fighting for her. She trains her Psionic Mage-Knights to brand their own minions. She’s like a spider, trying to weave a web large enough to ensnare all of Psyche. She’s the reason that we, long ago, were driven from the Golden Vale and into the deep Riftlands, the only place on Psyche we can hide from her patrols. Rarely do they pass through here, but sometimes, her slavers come and take who they may, labor to fuel her growing empire. They are destined for the fields, the mines, her armies, or even for sport in the Blood Arena.” Her eyes looked at him intensely. “If she ever found you, Lucian, everything would be lost. Psyche would be as good as hers if she had your Orb.”

So, it was safe to say that her desire to work together with him was all a lie. She most likely wanted him to find the Orb of Psionics, though Lucian didn’t understand why she needed him for that. It made him wonder why she ever thought she could fool him in the first place.

“She thought I’d be lost and alone,” he realized. “She thought I’d be happy to have her help.”

Lucian realized that the Elders might want his Orb, too. Was there any reason he should trust them? Maybe he should be reaching for his Focus right now.

“We will have to discuss this among ourselves,” Elder Ytrib said. “Suffice it to say, Lucian, you are under our protection. If it’s the Orb the Sorceress-Queen is after, then she must never learn that you’re here. You have an artifact of great power, and I suspect you don’t have the faintest idea how to use it.”

“I used it to kill the wyverns.”

“Yes,” Elder Jalisa said. “And almost killed yourself in the process by bringing down the Snake Pass.”

“And there’s no doubt that the Sorceress-Queen will learn of that destruction,” Elder Sina said. “And you already mentioned she detected you from the fluctuation in the ethereal field.”

The prospect was terrifying. Kiro was just a day’s walk from the Snake Pass. She or her agents could easily track Lucian to Kiro.

“We’ve gotten ahead of ourselves,” Elder Ytrib said. “Go to the meeting hall and get Captain Fergus. Tell him to come here.”

“Am I still going down to the valley today?”

“Yes,” Elder Ytrib said. “We need you now more than ever, Lucian. You must train as you’ve never trained before. There is no room for failure. You must make up for the shortcomings that caused you to be exiled from the Volsung Academy. You hold one of the Orbs now, and if it falls into the Sorceress-Queen’s hands, she will be able to bend all of Psyche to her will. With the Orb of Psionics, none could stand against her.”

“So, she’s one hundred percent lying that she wants me to keep the Orb?”

“I suppose it’s possible she has some other plan we’re not aware of,” Elder Jalisa said. “However, she would not allow you to keep it unless she knew some way to control you.”

“She hinted that the Orb of Psionics could take control of the defenses above Psyche, somehow,” Lucian said. “How would that even be possible?”

“I’m not sure,” Elder Erymmo said. “All we do know is that the Sorceress-Queen has been a constant presence on Psyche since the end of the Mage War. If the fraying has not worked on her body, then it has surely warped her mind, especially since she is not known to restrict her use of magic. Then again, her strength with Psionics is such that