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

“Did I stutter, Mage-Lord? See that my orders are carried out.”

Kiani swallowed, his face paling. “Of course, your Majesty.” He withdrew and closed the door behind him.

Once they were alone again, the Sorceress-Queen faced him. “Do you wish to find the Orb of Psionics, Lucian?”

Lucian couldn’t deny that he did. “Of course.”

“And would you like to learn to control these Orbs, and not have them betray you?”

At this, Lucian remained silent. But the Queen’s gaze bored into him, to the point where he couldn’t deny her an answer.

“It would be nice.”

“Then work with me, at least a little bit. What say you?”

“I will consider it, as soon as you let my friends go.”

“It will be done. But first, we must take to the air.” She gave a cunning smile. “And as one who holds the Orb of Binding, it will be the perfect opportunity for you to learn.”

34

The Sorceress-Queen led Lucian to the bow of the Zephyr. The crewmen and Mage-Knights she passed bowed so low as to almost be groveling. She didn’t pay them any mind, as if they were insects. Several crewmen and even Mage-Knights watched Lucian with widened eyes, as if in disbelief that he could walk beside her as an equal. Even Mage-Lord Kiani kept a respectful distance, his face lowered to the deck. No doubt he was regretting his rough treatment of Lucian earlier.

Her mannerisms signaled not only her power, but that Lucian was an exception to it. Many of the airship’s crew were also bowing to Lucian, albeit uncertainly, especially when the Queen rested her hand on his arm, as if to claim him. Lucian wanted to slide away, but there was no way to do that without being too overt about it.

Thankfully, she let her hand fall as she gestured toward the bow, where six blue-robed Binders stood at the ready.

“No doubt you are wondering how a vessel of this size maintains course in the air,” the Sorceress-Queen said.

All Lucian wanted to do was remind her of his friends, still imprisoned belowdecks. Fergus had told him the airship used Binders to move along, but for now it would be best to humor her. “The thought had crossed my mind.”

Mage-Lord Kiani’s eyes widened, and it took a moment for Lucian to realize why.

“Your Majesty,” he added, the honorific sounding unnatural.

She continued, not seeming to notice the blunder. “We have a motor, of course, but fuel requires Atomicism to synthesize, as does the helium we fill the envelope with. Atomicism is not my strength, and my court Atomicist is back in Dara, anyway.” She gestured ahead, to the long bowsprit jutting ten meters from the front of the ship carved in the likeness of a wyvern. “Binders provide both direction and speed for the ship. Working in confluence, they can get the Zephyr moving very quickly indeed.”

The Sorceress-Queen nodded at Captain Rawley, who stood to attention near Mage-Lord Kiani. “Captain Rawley. It’s far past time we embarked.”

Captain Rawley’s face paled as he swallowed the lump in the throat. “Of course, your Majesty.” He turned smartly to the Binders. “Binders, ready!”

“Aye, Captain,” came the unified response.

He nodded to a nearby crewman. “Raise anchor.”

“Aye.” The crewman marched sternward, barking some orders to the nearby crew who stood at the ready to turn the capstan. So heavy was Zephyr’s anchor that the wheel required six men to raise. Almost as soon as it was raised, the ship began lifting off, rising from the ground below.

“Binders,” Captain Rawley said. “As soon as we clear that ridge, full ahead. Set course for the Golden Palace.” He clenched his jaw a moment. “Overdraw if needed.”

The mages gave no response but following the order to overdraw could not have been easy. Lucian watched from the railing as the rift dropped away. Wind buffeted the ship, causing it to drift to starboard toward the rift’s steep slopes.

“Cross-bind that breeze,” the Captain said. “Keep her on an even keel and in the middle of the rift.”

“Aye, Captain.” At once, three Binders went to the port side, raising their hands and streaming tethers connecting the bowsprit to a mountain peak on the rift’s opposite side. At once, the ship steadied, despite the blast of wind.

“Ahead full,” the Captain said.

The other three blue mages joined in, streaming their own tethers on a mountain peak in the distance. The six tethers intensified in brightness, and Lucian felt the ship picking up speed. The wind rushed past his face.

Lucian noticed one of the blue mages stood at the fore, a middle-aged man with a full, graying beard. It seemed the other Binders were taking the lead from him. As the mountain pulled closer, his tether switched to another mountain, more distant. A moment later, so did the others, and the ship was pulled along toward that one. Having to keep this up all day must have been exhausting. But Lucian had to admit they were moving quite fast, and were only getting faster.

“We shall make Dara in four days’ time, at this speed,” the Sorceress-Queen said. “Isn’t this far better than braving the Darkrift?”

Lucian had to admit it would be far faster this way. Despite her general disagreeableness, perhaps joining forces with the Queen, at least temporarily, was the best option. It was the only thing that made sense. But what would the others think of it? Lucian did not look forward to that conversation.

The Queen stood next to him at the railing, awaiting his answer. But all he could think about were his friends, imprisoned somewhere on this ship.

“My friends need to be freed still,” Lucian said. “Their talents are wasted belowdecks.”

“Your friends will be freed in due time,” she said. “Just watch for a moment. Learn. Allow yourself to relax. Or are you forgetting your most basic lesson of magic?”

“What basic lesson?”

“From silence, power builds,” she said. “You can only be powerful if you are calm and in control.”

Why did Lucian get the feeling she was already trying to train