Part VII. Sacrifice
Gordon Halloway, the 13th Guardian, was suspended in on the Throne of Balance
with the light of the Balance cascading through his body. All seemed as it should
be, but April could sense in her guts that something was wrong. It was colder than
ever. The ozone smell in the air was strong. Lightening and earthquakes rocked
the Tower. The twin beams of logic and magic were coming together towards the
vertical. When they joined, the worlds would be forced together again.
She approached the rotating wheel of order and chaos, in the center of which was
the World Disc. If she touched it she could perhaps communicate with Gordon's
mind. As she reached for it, there was a crackle of intense energy. She jumped
back.
"You are too late, Shifter," spoke the flat voice of Gordon Halloway from all
around her. "My Master, McAllan, programmed his instructions deep into me
when he split me in two. Within the Disc your work of joining has been undone. I
am now free to carry out his instructions. You cannot stop me from completing
the reunification. When the worlds join I will make it all as he wishes, with Jacob
McAllen and the Vanguard ruling forever."
"I can't let you do that. His rule will be so corrupt it will unleash Chaos and drag
everyone down. That's what almost happened before, why they split the worlds in
the first place!"
"McAllen doesn't care if the pathetic human race is engulfed by Chaos. And for
me it's irrelevant. I have no emotions to get in the way of doing what he wishes,
regardless of the consequences."
April raised the Silver Spear of Gorimon.
"You can't harm my astral self with a weapon like that, Shifter" said Halloway's
cold mental voice. "And don't think you can kill my body either, even in your
grown Kin form. No magical or physical force can touch the Guardian while he
holds the Balance."
April asked, "How could you be free of the Disc? I thought the Guardian's soul was
in cold storage here for a thousand years."
"The Master placed hidden spells on me. He revived after his battle with the Red
and called upon the deep-laid spells and I was able to divide from my chaotic
emotional self. The Chaos Vortex was also free again. From here it could reach
any place. I sent it into the War of the Balance against you."
"It didn't stop me."
"No matter. There is no way McAllen's plan can be thwarted. You must simply
give in and join him. This is the dawn of a new Age of Dragons."
The essence of the Mother spoke through the Spear to April's mind. "There is a
way, if you are willing to make a great sacrifice. If you cut yourself with the tip of
the Spear, let it drain your essence, and then cast it into the center of the disc, our
two essences will be able to enter the disk and drive out the influence of the Green.
But it will cost you much of your Draic Kin power and longevity. You will live only
as long as a human."
April hesitated for a moment. What was she going to be? She'd had a taste of the
power of a full Draic Kin. It was intoxicating, wonderful, and it could go on and on.
But even for a Draic Kin life wouldn't be pleasant under the rule of the Green. For
the human race, for the people she cared about, it would be sheer hell.
"All right," said April in her mind, "I'll do it!"
In an instant, April poked the tip of the Spear into her left index finger. There was
a ripping sensation as part of her essential being was pulled into the cursed
weapon. Now she was in two places at once - April Ryan standing, and the White
of the Draic Kin in the spear.
"What are you doing?" demanded Holloway. "Vortex, stop her!" The Chaos
Vortex appeared and rushed at her once again.
April managed to throw the spear shakily towards the disk. The true-aim spell
made it fly right to the center. The two immortal essences flowed into the stone.
April experienced the brief but terrible conflict as the Mother and the Daughter
fought the power of Jacob McAllen. It was a fiery, clawing fight of three Dragons,
all in a mental realm. The physical April slumped to the floor, eyes shut tight in
concentration.
At last the two Kin prevailed over the one. With a terrific scream the two divided
parts of Halloway's soul were pulled back into the disc once more and united. Now
the two looked to the Guardian. The twin beams of logic and chaos were nearly
joined now in a single vertical beam.
"It's too late to stop the merger, isn't it? If we try, the Balance will be torn apart,"
said April's essence.
"Yes, but we can help the Guardian to ease the worlds together," said the Mother's
essence.
"So this is how I'll fulfill the prophecy about ending the world. It's the end of two
old worlds and the beginning of a new."
Together the two of them reached out to help the Guardian. Gently they made
alterations in the joined world that would allow magic to be used with the order
and disciple of the best of science, and science to be used with the humanity and
emotion of the best of magic. Those who abused science or magic, be they
corporation bureaucrat or twisted alchemist, would find that it would not serve
them.
There was a brilliant light all around. The world seemed to spin around her in
every direction and then slowly it came to rest.
Gordon Halloway, the 13th Guardian, was suspended in on the Throne of Balance
with the light of the Balance cascading through his body. All seemed as it should
be, but April could sense in her guts that something was wrong. It was colder than
ever. The ozone smell in the air was strong. Lightening and earthquakes rocked
the Tower. The twin beams of logic and magic were coming together towards the
vertical. When they joined, the worlds would be forced together again.
She approached the rotating wheel of order and chaos, in the center of which was
the World Disc. If she touched it she could perhaps communicate with Gordon's
mind. As she reached for it, there was a crackle of intense energy. She jumped
back.
"You are too late, Shifter," spoke the flat voice of Gordon Halloway from all
around her. "My Master, McAllan, programmed his instructions deep into me
when he split me in two. Within the Disc your work of joining has been undone. I
am now free to carry out his instructions. You cannot stop me from completing
the reunification. When the worlds join I will make it all as he wishes, with Jacob
McAllen and the Vanguard ruling forever."
"I can't let you do that. His rule will be so corrupt it will unleash Chaos and drag
everyone down. That's what almost happened before, why they split the worlds in
the first place!"
"McAllen doesn't care if the pathetic human race is engulfed by Chaos. And for
me it's irrelevant. I have no emotions to get in the way of doing what he wishes,
regardless of the consequences."
April raised the Silver Spear of Gorimon.
"You can't harm my astral self with a weapon like that, Shifter" said Halloway's
cold mental voice. "And don't think you can kill my body either, even in your
grown Kin form. No magical or physical force can touch the Guardian while he
holds the Balance."
April asked, "How could you be free of the Disc? I thought the Guardian's soul was
in cold storage here for a thousand years."
"The Master placed hidden spells on me. He revived after his battle with the Red
and called upon the deep-laid spells and I was able to divide from my chaotic
emotional self. The Chaos Vortex was also free again. From here it could reach
any place. I sent it into the War of the Balance against you."
"It didn't stop me."
"No matter. There is no way McAllen's plan can be thwarted. You must simply
give in and join him. This is the dawn of a new Age of Dragons."
The essence of the Mother spoke through the Spear to April's mind. "There is a
way, if you are willing to make a great sacrifice. If you cut yourself with the tip of
the Spear, let it drain your essence, and then cast it into the center of the disc, our
two essences will be able to enter the disk and drive out the influence of the Green.
But it will cost you much of your Draic Kin power and longevity. You will live only
as long as a human."
April hesitated for a moment. What was she going to be? She'd had a taste of the
power of a full Draic Kin. It was intoxicating, wonderful, and it could go on and on.
But even for a Draic Kin life wouldn't be pleasant under the rule of the Green. For
the human race, for the people she cared about, it would be sheer hell.
"All right," said April in her mind, "I'll do it!"
In an instant, April poked the tip of the Spear into her left index finger. There was
a ripping sensation as part of her essential being was pulled into the cursed
weapon. Now she was in two places at once - April Ryan standing, and the White
of the Draic Kin in the spear.
"What are you doing?" demanded Holloway. "Vortex, stop her!" The Chaos
Vortex appeared and rushed at her once again.
April managed to throw the spear shakily towards the disk. The true-aim spell
made it fly right to the center. The two immortal essences flowed into the stone.
April experienced the brief but terrible conflict as the Mother and the Daughter
fought the power of Jacob McAllen. It was a fiery, clawing fight of three Dragons,
all in a mental realm. The physical April slumped to the floor, eyes shut tight in
concentration.
At last the two Kin prevailed over the one. With a terrific scream the two divided
parts of Halloway's soul were pulled back into the disc once more and united. Now
the two looked to the Guardian. The twin beams of logic and chaos were nearly
joined now in a single vertical beam.
"It's too late to stop the merger, isn't it? If we try, the Balance will be torn apart,"
said April's essence.
"Yes, but we can help the Guardian to ease the worlds together," said the Mother's
essence.
"So this is how I'll fulfill the prophecy about ending the world. It's the end of two
old worlds and the beginning of a new."
Together the two of them reached out to help the Guardian. Gently they made
alterations in the joined world that would allow magic to be used with the order
and disciple of the best of science, and science to be used with the humanity and
emotion of the best of magic. Those who abused science or magic, be they
corporation bureaucrat or twisted alchemist, would find that it would not serve
them.
There was a brilliant light all around. The world seemed to spin around her in
every direction and then slowly it came to rest.