17-year-old Avera Ibori is a girl who has always longed for a life of adventure, but when her father mysteriously vanishes, she gets more of it than she can stand. Thrown into a hidden world of magic, intrigue, corruption, and kings, Avera must choo...
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It was a reasonably accommodated area, a remote military installation of the intelligence corps in the eastern woods, nearer to Pergum than it was anywhere. The tent which they were given was comfortably sized with seats and tables for each of them, especially equipped with advanced technological gadgets and magical enchantments for each of them to use according to their needs. Zahaynei had prepared the tent area in haste while being mindful to maintain careful consideration, willing that Kallida would want for nothing and all should go well for them in this final mission to apprehend the enemies of their Lord the King.
Kallida has spent much of the time in a sort of trance, controlling the shadow creatures he had conjured and instilled with the life of the enemy's blood and causing them to thirst for it. All the while, Zahaynei was handling the recording and technical work while Blackridge monitored the situation, ensuring that no unexpected complications should present themselves. Everything that his partners did and all of the results they gathered were sent directly to him, also, as he kept watch over the reports of the personnel, magic, and technology in use.
He sat at the table, frantically reading through the reports as the machine spit them out at him with exceptional speed, the magic levels and vitality of their blood hounds being constantly monitored through Kallida's magical life force.
"I've got him," Kallida told them, his eyes glazed over in shimmering blue. "Opening the portal."
"Energy levels look good," Zahaynei replied. "I'm upping the electrical current to support the demands of the vortex. We should be ready for them. I've sent word to my men at High Palace. Once we have him through the portal, we can recover the memory tapes and we'll have them."
"Right," Blackridge acknowledged nervously. "No problems with the systems. Everything's running according to plan. Execution looks fine. All tech is sending properly. Kallida, your power levels are high, but so is your expenditure. Please, watch that for me."
"The vortex takes power," Kallida responded, "but I need it to bring the little brat in alive, and we need him alive to recover the memory."
"I understand," Blackridge said. "As long as you're aware of it. You don't have much in reserve."
"Yes, yes," Kallida said, as if it was more a bother to him than it was a concern. "Also..." he began to go on, but something happened and he cut himself short. "What?" he breathed, and there was a brief cut to the sorcerer's connection. "Alhor, more blood," Kallida urgently requested. "I've encountered a problem. Blackridge, I'm upping expenditures."
Blackridge held the paper in his hand and stared at it, wondering at the sudden drop. 'He... lost connection. What was that cut to his thread?' The readings continued to print furiously and unmonitored, the paper which he had been guiding to the ground folding over itself and piling sloppily on the table in front of him.
"No, no, no, no!" Kallida was muttering angrily. "Darn it! They're not..." he growled. "Listen to me!" he shouted, rising up and slapping his hand against the table. "Attack them!"
