Duality : Book 1 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 26 (edited)

Chapter 26

Present time: Elysium

Out of all the druids on the wall, the calmest was the youngest. Alexia stood like a statue. She was focusing on something unseen. Sweat was beading on her brow as she focused on the sea below. Nothing else mattered to her, not the legion of the damned, not the others on the wall, not Cassie's stream of swear words, not even the screams of the falling children, there was only the sea and she was the sea. With a cry of effort Alexia raised both her arms high above her head, the sea foamed and surged as a great wave rose to meet the falling children. Screwing her face up in concentration Alexia focused harder on the next task.

The children hit the water but didn't get wet, instead they bounced on the surface like they had landed on a jumping castle. Tiberius raised both eyebrows at the sight. He had expected Alexia to raise the sea and break their fall but he hadn't seen this coming. The children's screams of fear turned to cries of joy as they harmlessly bounced up and down on the waves. Alexia began to falter and sway. She had never done magic on this scale before and it was starting to take its toll. Tiberius placed his hands on the young girl's shoulders and focused. Alexia became steadier again as she felt new strength flowing into her body. Refocusing she began to draw the wave away from the cliff and back towards the island. Janus was snarling in fury as he watched the wave receding.

"Impressive," muttered Hel. "It seems there are two with the powers of the Aesir."

The only answer Janus gave was another snarl of fury as he watched the wave reach the island and gently deposit the children ashore. Cassie stood with her jaw hanging open, tears streaming down her face.  She felt something in her mind break, an invisible wall collapsing. How could I ever think magic didn't exist? There was absolutely no other explanation for what she had just witnessed. Alexia fell to her knees, breathing like she had just ran ten miles, her face was paler than normal but she was grinning.

"Well done girl!" said Tiberius.

"Yeah that was truly awesome!" said Cassie.

On the mainland Janus let out a demonic roar. Hel joined in, wailing like a banshee. The demons simultaneously raised their arms and pointed at the children. Brilliant white lightning shot from their fingers across the gap. Cassie raised her arms and let out a blood curdling yell of her own.

***

Brutus stood in the courtyard, the other four cats stood patiently behind him. All of them were in their large sabre-toothed forms. Sniffing the air, Brutus was tracking Jason's progress as he made his way down the side wall outside of the compound. The telepathic connection between them was growing all the time. Even at this distance Brutus could clearly track the train of Jason's thoughts. His plan was basic and simple but sometimes that was the best. He was planning a simple surprise attack and hoping to do some damage to the demon and get revenge. If the cat could frown, he would be doing it right now as the thoughts he was picking up from Janus were very similar. Brutus was snapped out of his thoughts and he looked at the gate above him. A huge surge of magic was coming from up there and it wasn't from little Alexia. Brutus arched his back and hissed and the other cats joined in.

****

Jason stood frozen in horror, knowing that there was absolutely nothing he could do to save the falling children. That horror quickly turned to surprise and fascination as the sea rushed up to catch them.  Since when is water bouncy? Jason wondered. And when does a wave move backwards against the tide like that? Since coming to this island, the only person Jason had really spent time with was Eva. He didn't know what powers the others possessed, he had a theory that between the five of them they each had one of the main five elements at their command. Jason didn't have long to ponder these things. The demonic roar from Janus filled the air and then a banshee began wailing. Realising his time to intercede was coming, Jason began making his way down the wall again only to be pulled up by another blood curdling cry. Was that Cassie? The whole island seemed to respond to that cry. The ground trembled and shook. Jason fell to his knees as the earthquake got stronger. Loose stones and dirt began showering off the ledge into the raging sea below. Jason cursed violently as he began sliding off the edge as well. The ground continued to heave and shake as Jason desperately clawed at tufts of grass and dead plants, trying to stop himself from falling. His boots were swinging in thin air gripping at nothing when the earthquake stopped as quickly as it had started. Jason breathed a huge sigh of relief and gave thanks to all his gods as he began dragging himself back onto the ledge.