Kastori Restorations (The Kastori Chronicles Book 4) by Stephen Allan Page B
Authors: Stephen Allan
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Cyrus.”
Crystil laughed, unsure how to respond to the statement, whether she should be agreeing with the emperor or politely argue against it. Nah, let’s be real. He’s right.
“Cyrus and Celeste are as much here for me as I am for them,” Crystil said. “I hope they are doing well on Vostoka. I wish we had a way of watching them.”
The Emperor nodded but did not appear concerned at all.
“Of all the things to worry me, the least of them are my children, in all honesty. They are going to a planet in which my father sent about a dozen young men and women. There are no Kastori there, and as far as our records show, no threats of any kind either. They could not be going to a safer planet.”
“Well, when they do get back, maybe we show their power to the world,” Crystil said. “It could motivate the people. It could show them we have the firepower to fight Typhos.”
“And expose their Kastori blood?”
Crystil didn’t think it was as bad an idea as before her unification speech, but every time she heard the word “magicologist” muttered by a human, she was reminded of the difficulty of changing everyone’s mind. Only the obvious threat of total annihilation brought them together.
“In time, I suppose,” Crystil said wearily.
The Emperor gave a quick smile.
“I should be getting back to work. But Crystil, do think of ways to rally everyone. It doesn’t have to involve me. You will find a way, I’m sure of it. And if you do need me… make it a last resort. As for myself, I can only say I will think on this more.”
Crystil really wished the emperor hadn’t deflected her request still, but when Caius closed the door and casually headed back to the third ship under construction, she saw his defiance as a challenge that she could overcome.
18
On the peak of Mount Ardor, the son of Erda and the brother of Cyrus and Celeste recovered, eating ursus, directing the magic of the planet toward his body, and plotting his next step. Typhos could not wait to test his newfound powers on the Orthrans, but could barely stand at this point. Perhaps on the next one, I will absorb its power first, wait, and then destroy the planet. Stagger it.
No. You know what to expect now. You will be able to better handle the pain that comes. Do not back down from your plan.
Take Tapuya. Then annihilate Vostoka. If they happen to get—
He sensed a profound shift in magic. It was so great that Typhos ignored the pain and rose off the ground. He placed his mask back on and focused on the source of the great shift in power.
His view warped through space and honed in on Vostoka. It dipped into the planet’s atmosphere and came to two figures outside a great source of energy—one standing, one resting on the ground. They did get the power. They have white magic that rivals mine.
No!
Even though he had anticipated one of the Orthrans getting to Vostoka before him, the sight still enraged Typhos and pushed him out of recovery mode and into fury mode. He stood and tried to teleport himself, but the magic required for such a spell left him in such pain that he stopped a third of the way through, collapsing to the ground, feeling nauseous. He laid on his back, breathing slowly to recover, and then rose to his knees.
I cannot teleport myself.
But another…
He smiled deviously at the thought that came to mind.
He closed his eyes and brought himself back to the same state he had gone into when he created Calypsius and the Caliphae. The process went by much slower in his weakened state, but he did not rush, knowing Celeste would need time to recover as he had. He saw a creature with the face of Calypsius but the body of a giant aviant, with a thirty-foot wingspan and twenty feet from tail to nose. The monster had talons which could grip any Kastori or human, and the ability to breathe magic endowed with great electrical properties. The monster would destroy any technology on Vostoka and lift Cyrus and
Crystil laughed, unsure how to respond to the statement, whether she should be agreeing with the emperor or politely argue against it. Nah, let’s be real. He’s right.
“Cyrus and Celeste are as much here for me as I am for them,” Crystil said. “I hope they are doing well on Vostoka. I wish we had a way of watching them.”
The Emperor nodded but did not appear concerned at all.
“Of all the things to worry me, the least of them are my children, in all honesty. They are going to a planet in which my father sent about a dozen young men and women. There are no Kastori there, and as far as our records show, no threats of any kind either. They could not be going to a safer planet.”
“Well, when they do get back, maybe we show their power to the world,” Crystil said. “It could motivate the people. It could show them we have the firepower to fight Typhos.”
“And expose their Kastori blood?”
Crystil didn’t think it was as bad an idea as before her unification speech, but every time she heard the word “magicologist” muttered by a human, she was reminded of the difficulty of changing everyone’s mind. Only the obvious threat of total annihilation brought them together.
“In time, I suppose,” Crystil said wearily.
The Emperor gave a quick smile.
“I should be getting back to work. But Crystil, do think of ways to rally everyone. It doesn’t have to involve me. You will find a way, I’m sure of it. And if you do need me… make it a last resort. As for myself, I can only say I will think on this more.”
Crystil really wished the emperor hadn’t deflected her request still, but when Caius closed the door and casually headed back to the third ship under construction, she saw his defiance as a challenge that she could overcome.
18
On the peak of Mount Ardor, the son of Erda and the brother of Cyrus and Celeste recovered, eating ursus, directing the magic of the planet toward his body, and plotting his next step. Typhos could not wait to test his newfound powers on the Orthrans, but could barely stand at this point. Perhaps on the next one, I will absorb its power first, wait, and then destroy the planet. Stagger it.
No. You know what to expect now. You will be able to better handle the pain that comes. Do not back down from your plan.
Take Tapuya. Then annihilate Vostoka. If they happen to get—
He sensed a profound shift in magic. It was so great that Typhos ignored the pain and rose off the ground. He placed his mask back on and focused on the source of the great shift in power.
His view warped through space and honed in on Vostoka. It dipped into the planet’s atmosphere and came to two figures outside a great source of energy—one standing, one resting on the ground. They did get the power. They have white magic that rivals mine.
No!
Even though he had anticipated one of the Orthrans getting to Vostoka before him, the sight still enraged Typhos and pushed him out of recovery mode and into fury mode. He stood and tried to teleport himself, but the magic required for such a spell left him in such pain that he stopped a third of the way through, collapsing to the ground, feeling nauseous. He laid on his back, breathing slowly to recover, and then rose to his knees.
I cannot teleport myself.
But another…
He smiled deviously at the thought that came to mind.
He closed his eyes and brought himself back to the same state he had gone into when he created Calypsius and the Caliphae. The process went by much slower in his weakened state, but he did not rush, knowing Celeste would need time to recover as he had. He saw a creature with the face of Calypsius but the body of a giant aviant, with a thirty-foot wingspan and twenty feet from tail to nose. The monster had talons which could grip any Kastori or human, and the ability to breathe magic endowed with great electrical properties. The monster would destroy any technology on Vostoka and lift Cyrus and
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