Read Online Dearest Mother of Mine (Overworld Chronicles) by John Corwin - Free Book Online
Authors: John Corwin
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balls of light that would flit around the room and emit alarms if they noticed hostiles. She'd obviously raided the Templar armory for a rainy day.
After touring the room and determining it was safe, we signaled the others to come through. Adam and Shelton, staffs held at the ready, walked over to the exit door and inspected it.
"Many of these arches appear damaged," Cinder said, surveying the room.
I joined his gaze and saw broken structures just as I had in Thunder Rock. Only a handful of the numbered arches remained standing. The row of omniarches to the side of the room seemed mostly intact.
Shelton pulled the lever on the door, and opened it a crack. Beyond lay pitch black. He gulped, and shut the door. "I haven't felt like this since the first time I went to a haunted house," he said.
Adam unpacked a couple of industrial-sized magical glowballs, and activated them. They hovered in the air, casting bright white light in all directions.
"Before we step into the unknown," I said, "maybe we should look at the arches in here. Maybe activate the Alabaster Arch and see if it works."
"Hey, anything to delay going out there," Shelton said, jabbing a finger toward the control room door.
I ran a finger along the surface of the spherical modulus on the pedestal in front of the world map. Stars located all across the map—each one indicating the location of an Obsidian Arch, lit in succession. If I wanted to request a connection to a particular arch, I would flick my finger once the appropriate star lit, and wait for the arch operator on the other end to verify.
"I don't see a star for El Dorado," Shelton said. He pointed to the star indicating Bogota, Colombia where the La Casona way station was located. "I see all the known arches like the Grotto and La Casona, but not El Dorado or Thunder Rock."
I removed my finger from the modulus. "I wonder what would happen if I requested a connection."
"I don't think we want to find out," he said. "We don't want to risk Gloom fractures."
I didn't want to bear responsibility for killing anyone in a freak Gloom rift accident. "Without a star to mark this place on the map, we don't even know if we're in El Dorado or one of the other abandoned way stations like Thunder Rock."
"This appears to be the symbol for the Alabaster Arch," Cinder said, pointing out a large icon consisting of a solid circle with an upside-down "V" in it. In Cyrinthian, it was the symbol for zero. A line of symbols ran down the left side of the map, each one a number corresponding to the rows of small black arches behind me. Touching one of the symbols should light one of the arches, provided the device still worked. Unfortunately, it wouldn't light a corresponding star at this location.
Shelton stared at the symbol for activating the Alabaster Arch. "Should we turn it on and send through an ASE?"
I met eyes with Elyssa. She shrugged. "Sure," I told him. I pressed my hand against the symbol. A deep klaxon bellowed throughout the room. Meghan jumped and shrieked.
Elyssa's arms blurred, reaching for the swords strapped across her back. She stopped with them halfway out. Shoved them back in and gave me a dirty look. "Next time you scare me like that, I might take off one of your fingers."
I smirked. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
The black-and-white-striped arch pulsed with ultraviolet and white energy, jagged bolts arcing from the twisted columns to the silver circle bordering it. The klaxon thrummed again as the arch continued sparking massive amounts of energy into the circle around it. We waited for several minutes, but no destination appeared within.
"Can I have an ASE?" I said, holding out my hand to Elyssa. She deposited one of the marble-like spheres in my hand. I walked to within a few feet of the silver circle, not daring to get another step close to the deadly looking storm of lightning bolts dancing across its surface, spun the ASE, and directed it to go through the arch.
The ASE obediently hovered
After touring the room and determining it was safe, we signaled the others to come through. Adam and Shelton, staffs held at the ready, walked over to the exit door and inspected it.
"Many of these arches appear damaged," Cinder said, surveying the room.
I joined his gaze and saw broken structures just as I had in Thunder Rock. Only a handful of the numbered arches remained standing. The row of omniarches to the side of the room seemed mostly intact.
Shelton pulled the lever on the door, and opened it a crack. Beyond lay pitch black. He gulped, and shut the door. "I haven't felt like this since the first time I went to a haunted house," he said.
Adam unpacked a couple of industrial-sized magical glowballs, and activated them. They hovered in the air, casting bright white light in all directions.
"Before we step into the unknown," I said, "maybe we should look at the arches in here. Maybe activate the Alabaster Arch and see if it works."
"Hey, anything to delay going out there," Shelton said, jabbing a finger toward the control room door.
I ran a finger along the surface of the spherical modulus on the pedestal in front of the world map. Stars located all across the map—each one indicating the location of an Obsidian Arch, lit in succession. If I wanted to request a connection to a particular arch, I would flick my finger once the appropriate star lit, and wait for the arch operator on the other end to verify.
"I don't see a star for El Dorado," Shelton said. He pointed to the star indicating Bogota, Colombia where the La Casona way station was located. "I see all the known arches like the Grotto and La Casona, but not El Dorado or Thunder Rock."
I removed my finger from the modulus. "I wonder what would happen if I requested a connection."
"I don't think we want to find out," he said. "We don't want to risk Gloom fractures."
I didn't want to bear responsibility for killing anyone in a freak Gloom rift accident. "Without a star to mark this place on the map, we don't even know if we're in El Dorado or one of the other abandoned way stations like Thunder Rock."
"This appears to be the symbol for the Alabaster Arch," Cinder said, pointing out a large icon consisting of a solid circle with an upside-down "V" in it. In Cyrinthian, it was the symbol for zero. A line of symbols ran down the left side of the map, each one a number corresponding to the rows of small black arches behind me. Touching one of the symbols should light one of the arches, provided the device still worked. Unfortunately, it wouldn't light a corresponding star at this location.
Shelton stared at the symbol for activating the Alabaster Arch. "Should we turn it on and send through an ASE?"
I met eyes with Elyssa. She shrugged. "Sure," I told him. I pressed my hand against the symbol. A deep klaxon bellowed throughout the room. Meghan jumped and shrieked.
Elyssa's arms blurred, reaching for the swords strapped across her back. She stopped with them halfway out. Shoved them back in and gave me a dirty look. "Next time you scare me like that, I might take off one of your fingers."
I smirked. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
The black-and-white-striped arch pulsed with ultraviolet and white energy, jagged bolts arcing from the twisted columns to the silver circle bordering it. The klaxon thrummed again as the arch continued sparking massive amounts of energy into the circle around it. We waited for several minutes, but no destination appeared within.
"Can I have an ASE?" I said, holding out my hand to Elyssa. She deposited one of the marble-like spheres in my hand. I walked to within a few feet of the silver circle, not daring to get another step close to the deadly looking storm of lightning bolts dancing across its surface, spun the ASE, and directed it to go through the arch.
The ASE obediently hovered
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