Page 46 of Feral Gods

ZAPHYR

T he ancient stone beneath my fingertips pulses with dormant energy, a subtle vibration perceptible only to one attuned to the deeper magical frequencies of Protheka.

While Thane creates his diversion at the forest's edge—the distant sounds of battle already echoing across the mountainside—I navigate the forgotten passages beneath our original sanctuary, seeking the first nexus point of the wildspont channeling system.

Kaia follows three paces behind, her steps remarkably silent for one not born to stealth.

The detection-blocking charm I crafted for her gleams at her throat, suppressing her magical signature from purna detection.

In the blue-white glow emanating from my skin, her features appear carved from alabaster, her determination etched in the firm set of her jaw and the unwavering focus in her dark eyes.

"The inscription changes here," I murmur, pausing before a section of wall where the ancient runes shift from ceremonial declarations to technical specifications. "This confirms we're approaching the first nexus."

"Can you read it?" She moves closer, shoulder brushing mine as she studies the weathered symbols.

"Parts of it." I trace the pattern with one careful talon, translating as I go.

"Channel... convergence... wildspont... threshold.

" I pause at a specific glyph, its complexity suggesting importance.

"Interesting. This symbol refers to 'transformation potential'—a concept rarely referenced outside theoretical magical contexts. "

"Transformation as in breaking our curse?" Kaia asks, her perception cutting directly to the heart of the matter as always.

"Perhaps more nuanced than breaking," I correct gently. "The ancients conceived of magical energies as neither created nor destroyed, merely redirected. By that principle, our curse cannot be broken in the conventional sense, but it might be... reconfigured."

Her brow furrows in thought, the scholarly focus reminiscent of my own expression when puzzling through complex magical theory. The parallel sends an unexpected warmth through my chest.

"Like water changing states," she suggests. "From ice to liquid to vapor—still water, just in different forms."

"An apt metaphor." I allow admiration to color my tone. "Your intuitive grasp of magical principles continues to impress."

A half-smile curves her lips, though her attention remains on the inscriptions. "I have an excellent teacher."

Before I can respond to this gentle validation, a tremor runs through the stone beneath our feet—evidence of Thane's "distraction" intensifying above. Time grows short.

"This way," I urge, following the inscription trail deeper into the forgotten passages.

The tunnel narrows, ceiling lowering until I'm forced to fold my wings tightly against my back and duck my head to proceed. Kaia, with her smaller stature, navigates the space more easily, occasionally reaching back to steady me when loose stones shift beneath my greater weight.

After several minutes of increasingly difficult passage, the tunnel abruptly widens into a perfectly circular chamber approximately twenty feet in diameter.

At its center stands a crystalline structure resembling a many-faceted obelisk, its surface etched with the same ancient script that marked the tunnel walls.

Unlike the weathered inscriptions, however, these runes glow with faint blue luminescence—dormant power awaiting activation.

"The first nexus," I breathe, scholarly excitement momentarily overriding tactical concerns. "Remarkably preserved after all these centuries."

Kaia circles the obelisk cautiously, her expression thoughtful. "It's beautiful. But... not what I expected for a weapon system."

"That's because it wasn't originally designed as a weapon.

" I join her beside the structure, careful not to touch its gleaming surface prematurely.

"This network predates the Height Wars by centuries.

It was created during the Great Harmony—when all Protheka's races worked together to stabilize the wildspont energy flows that threatened early civilizations. "

"Then how did it become weaponized?"

"The same way most beneficial technologies eventually are," I reply, unable to keep bitterness from my tone.

"Someone discovered that stabilization could become disruption with the right modifications.

The dark elf empirical engineers redesigned the network during the Height Wars to create magical disruption fields that neutralized purna battle magic. "

Kaia's eyes widen with understanding. "And now we'll use it against both dark elves and purna."

"Poetic justice, one might say." I withdraw a small crystal focus from my satchel—salvaged from the temple archives before our evacuation.

"This will serve as the activation key. When Ravik signals through our magical link, we'll insert it here—" I indicate a perfectly shaped depression in the obelisk's side.

"—and channel our combined energy into the nexus. "

Another tremor shakes the chamber, stronger this time, loosening small stones from the ceiling. Dust sifts down around us like ashen snow.

"Thane can't hold them off indefinitely," Kaia observes, concern coloring her voice.

"He knows his role," I reassure her, though my own worry for our warrior brother churns beneath my scholarly composure. "As we must focus on ours."

While awaiting Ravik's signal, I turn my attention to the inscriptions covering the obelisk's surface. Most detail technical specifications—energy flow rates, harmonization frequencies, stabilization parameters—but a section near the base catches my scholarly interest.

"Curious," I murmur, kneeling to study the glyphs more closely.

"What is it?" Kaia joins me, her warmth a welcome presence in the chamber's subterranean chill.

"A warning, I believe." I trace the symbols with a careful talon.

"Something about resonance between blood and stone.

.. transformation potentials... awakening dormant forms." I sit back on my haunches, mind racing with implications.

"This appears to reference gargoyles specifically, though that term wouldn't have existed when these inscriptions were created. "

"What does it say about us?" Kaia asks, her interest piqued.

"Not us—not specifically. Rather, it references 'stone guardians bound by blood-curse' and warns that wildspont energy directed through such beings could potentially break the binding completely.

" My breath catches as I decipher the next section.

"Kaia, this suggests your blood—purna blood— combined with wildspont energy could potentially awaken any gargoyle under similar curse constraints. "

Her expression shifts from interest to alarm. "You mean I could break the curse for others like you? Beyond just you three?"

"Theoretically." I rise, mind already calculating implications. "Though this text suggests it would require direct blood contact with each individual gargoyle, plus exposure to focused wildspont energy."

"Are there others? Other gargoyles imprisoned as you were?"

The question pierces unexpectedly deep, reminding me of brothers-in-arms lost during that final battle, comrades whose fates remained unknown as stone sleep claimed me.

"Possibly. Morwen wasn't the only purna with curse-craft capabilities, and we weren't the only dark elves who defied royal commands during the Height Wars. "

Kaia absorbs this information with characteristic thoughtfulness, her innate compassion evident in the softening of her features. "If there are others trapped as you were, we should help them."

"A noble sentiment," I acknowledge, "but one that may explain our enemies' coordinated pursuit." I tap the warning inscription. "If the dark elf monarchy and purna leadership both possess similar ancient knowledge, they would recognize the potential threat you represent."

"Me? I'm just one woman."

"One woman with the bloodline power to potentially awaken an army of gargoyles—warriors who once served dark elf kingdoms but might now hold grievances similar to our own.

" I meet her gaze directly. "From King Kres's perspective, you're not merely a runaway slave but an existential threat to his reign. "

She finally understands, followed quickly by a complexity of emotions—fear, determination, and something harder to define. Perhaps the weight of responsibility suddenly placed on her shoulders.

"So they're not just hunting me for my personal value," she concludes. "They're trying to prevent a potential revolution."

"Precisely." I place a comforting hand on her shoulder, careful to keep my touch light despite the protective instinct surging through me.

"Your significance extends far beyond our small sanctuary, Kaia.

You represent possibility—change—in a world where power structures have remained unchallenged for centuries. "

Before she can respond, another tremor shakes the chamber—the strongest yet. Dust and small stones shower from the ceiling, forcing us to shield our eyes. Through our magical link, I sense Ravik's silent signal: Time grows short. Proceed with activation.

"We must prepare," I tell Kaia, returning focus to our immediate task. "Ravik will activate his nexus point momentarily, and we must synchronize perfectly."

She nods, determination replacing philosophical contemplation. "What do I do?"

"Place your hands here and here," I instruct, indicating two smooth patches on the obelisk's surface. "Focus your magical energy as I taught you—not forcing, but allowing it to flow naturally through your center."

Kaia positions herself as directed, eyes closing in concentration as magenta energy begins to shimmer around her fingertips. I position the crystal focus in its designated receptacle, then place my own hands adjacent to hers on the obelisk.