Evalyce: Worldshaper Vol. 1: Mother of Wolves

Chap. 8- Xibalba

Stymphalian, 10000ft above Evalyce, Year of the Mythril Serpent, 2014 CE

    Kalla stared out the window of the ship, her mind still trying to puzzle out the past several days. As she sat and thought, she idly petted the frost wolf's head. Vander sat wedged between the gunner's and captain's chairs with his head in the mage's lap. The touch was a comfort to both, for it helped Kalla to think and it soothed the wolf's nerves. Grateful to be alive, he still felt guilty because he had been the reason the three had been forced to leave. For two of them, Chryshal had been home for the majority of their lives.

    For herself, Kalla had no regrets in her choices. Warryn had been unhappy with her voluntary exile, offering to accompany them. She had gently turned him down, as she had Dogin, the Dashmari Alchemist. That had been a surprise, the Alchemist's offer to travel with them. However, Kalla felt she had more than enough company with not one, but two magisters tied to her. Nor would the Stymphalian be pleasant quarters with two more people added. The three of them were pushing the limits as it was.

    Kalla had been allowed to visit Hauss before they left. The gruff Healer had taken the news in stride, sure that she would be successful and back home where she belonged before long. Hauss had been worked on for the better part of a night and day, but the burns he suffered were gone now. All that was left were a series of scars that dappled the lower left of his face, trailing down his neck and into his collar. His left hand also had burn scars and Kalla guessed that there were a great many more along his left side that she could not see. He wore the scars proudly, as any Arkaddian warrior might. When Vander had shyly approached and offered his apologies the Healer had laughed and thanked the War Mage, for how often does a Healer get the opportunity to earn such? Another example of the Arkaddian ability to take things in stride and find the good in any situation. Surprisingly, Hauss shared Kalla's view of said situation, considering Vander a tool rather than the problem itself. For that, Kalla was silently grateful, for her mentor's opinion still meant a great deal to her.

    Her bigger concern was the unexpected upsurge in power. Now that she was aware of them, she could feel the locks blocking that extra power, though she couldn't yet actively shift them. Though her eyes had turned back to normal, she was still graced with the crescent moon marking on her forehead. Her sense of smell and hearing had stayed more sensitized, making her far more conscious of people's moods and true feelings than even her magick did. Had Balgeras given her the power boost? Or merely released the potential already within her?

    Then there was the issue of attempting to enter Xibalba. The strongest hotspot was located in Arkaddia, the same spot that the others had tried. Kalla wracked her mind for an answer to the question of traveling to the realm of Xibalba. It should have been a simple thing for any mage to gain entrance. Entry wasn't usually the hard part.

   The hard part came after, when confronting the guardians.

    Unfortunately, if the Lord of Living Nightmare had sealed the portals, there wouldn't be much she could do. Kalla sighed in frustration. Two days of travel hadn't brought any sudden insights.

    Beyond the Stymphalian's windows, towering columns of inky black clouds marked the borders of Arkaddia. Even from this distance, Kalla could see the sheets of rain pouring from the unnatural thunderclouds. As the first drops of rain pattered against the ship, a scarlet blur swooped by, leveling out on the mage's side. Amaterasu made a face at the rain, causing Kalla to laugh.

    As they flew under the leading edge of the cloudbank, Aleister triggered the ship's shields as Kalla wove a shield around the wyvern. Doing so from this distance was more of a challenge, but she managed to complete it just as lightning forked between the Stymphalian and Amaterasu. The wyvern's bellow was swallowed by crashing thunder that shook the ship. The scattered rain turned into a torrential downpour as they crossed the border, causing visibility to drop to near nothing.  Aleister flew lower, following Kalla's mental nudges.