Soulguard (6 page)

Chapter 12

              The Dome is a huge cavern located on the bottom level of the underground compound. It stretches at least five hundred yards across the bottom and is shaped like a dome. There are hallways leading off in three different directions from the Dome.

              Two of them lead to locker rooms and showers, one for the men and one for the women. The other leads outside to where the Soulguard barracks is located.

              The whole inside of the Dome is a giant shield with portals at the three hallways. As I looked around, I could see several massive tendrils leading down into the ground. The shield was fed by the Source with no one Pulling the power to do so.

              “This is the Dome,” Gregor motioned to the area in front of us, “It took twenty five mages to build the shield that covers the whole area. It’s there so that Mages can use power inside without damaging their surroundings. Any power that hits the shield is absorbed and feeds its strength.”

              As I looked around I could see a few Soulguards sparring and at the far end there were several Mages. They looked like they were shooting balls of fire at shielded target dummies.

              Gregor noticed where I was looking and chuckled, “You’ll learn about fireballs soon enough. Today we’re going to check this shield of yours and our weapon trainer will assess your weapon skills.”

              I followed Gregor across the open area toward an empty section, noticing several more guards coming inside.

              “Jaegher’s kid...new mage...a Wraith, don’t believe..." I could hear voices in the distance. They were unaware I could hear them.

              “First, I need to see a personal shield,” Gregor began, “Raise one and I will inspect it.”

              I opened the portal on my privacy shield and it shimmered with power.

              Gregor looked closely at it and looked puzzled, “If you look very closely, you can just see the shield around a person. It takes a bit of concentration but I can see it. Why does it not cover your palms?”

              “To hold my swords and still use Soulfire in them,” I answered.

              He smiled, “If you were a Guard that would be a good idea, but a Mage can channel power without touching the sword. You can fill the shield in across the hand and still use Soulfire.”

              I nodded.

              “Can you shield something while you stay outside of your shield?”

              “I can try.”

              We approached an unshielded Target dummy. “Put a shield around the dummy and step as far back as you can and still hold it.”

              I built a shield from my stream about two feet around the dummy and anchored it into the earth. When it was done I backed up to where Gregor stood, about twenty feet from the dummy.

              “You can hold it this far away?” Gregor asked.

              “I think so, maybe farther. I haven’t ever really tried to shield something with me on the outside.”

              “Back up until it falters and we’ll see how far away you can get,” He motioned back the way we came.

              We walked fifty feet from the dummy before the shield began to dim a little.

              “It dimmed a little, just now.”

              “Ok, I’m going to shoot a fireball at it and see how strong it is from this distance.”

              I watched as he formed a shield between his hands and Pulled from the Source. The power glowed as it flowed up his stream, but before it reached his body it formed a tendril to the shield and Soulfire began rolling within it. When the power level reached a certain point the far end of the shield ruptured and the fireball shot forward to slam into my shield.

              All of this took place in just a few seconds, and when the fireball hit my shields, I jerked. I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. But my shield held.

              “Sorry about that, I can see you felt that one,” he put his hand on my shoulder, “It hurts less the closer you are to the shield.”

              “Most Masters can’t make a shield like that, so I would say your shields are quite impressive. Shields are stronger as well when you are inside so that all the power radiates the same amount outward on all sides.” He laughed, “But I really didn’t want to shoot fireballs at you on your first day here.”

              “The biggest thing I can see that will need work is speed. And it won’t hurt to learn how to make a conventional shield as well. I can see uses for both when dealing with Demons.”

              I actually agreed on that subject. I’d seen him make a shield around us at home, and it had been almost instant. Much faster than weaving one from my stream.

              “You can drop the shield now, one fireball is enough for the first day,” He laughed softly.

              “Ah, here comes Justin. He’s our weapon trainer for the Mages.”

              I watched as a tall, muscular man with blonde hair and large mustache made his way toward us.

              We all turned as a small commotion took place at the other end of the Dome. I recognized Tien Yueh as he walked toward us. Justin nodded to the small Asian and Tien smiled.

              “If you don’t mind, Justin, I’ll do this assessment,” Tien spoke softly.

              Justin smiled at Tien, then looked at me in pity, “Sure, Master Yueh, go ahead.”

              A Guard with a smirk on his face came forward carrying four practice wands, much like the ones I had used at home while sparring with Kyra. I read the anticipation in his aura. There seemed to be much of that in the Guards around the Dome as they gathered to watch.

              There was another small commotion as Kyra also entered the dome and headed our way. She joined the group to watch. I could read humor and pride in her aura.

              I accepted the two wands offered to me and made my way to an area that was painted just like the sparring ring at home. I stepped to one of the marked spaces for the contestants and nodded to Tien as he watched from the other contestant’s space. He nodded in return and I heard the countdown begin.

              “3...2...” The world slowed to a crawl, “1...Go!”

              We met in the middle and began the Dance of Blades. At the beginning, we started slower than Kyra and I do, but this gave me time to work out some of his moves.

              “Faster,” he said softly and I sped up. He met my speed and we danced faster and faster. Our wands were striking faster and faster. He hit me several times to show me he could, and I strove harder.

              “Halt!”

              I hadn’t hit Tien even once, and he’d hit me at least ten times. About what I’m used to anyway, they say spar, I say a Colin butt-kicking fest.

              “I’m glad Tien took that one,” Justin laughed, “That would have been embarrassing. Who trained you, Young Man?”

              I looked toward Kyra and she gave me a small nod, “Kyra Nightwing is my mother and Kharl Jaegher my father. She trained me with weapons, Kharl trained me in unarmed combat,” I answered.

              He laughed loudly, “That explains a lot. Thanks Tien, you just got a new student.”

              The same Guard came and retrieved the practice wands. The smirk was gone and I read that he was impressed in his aura.

              “About time we got a fighting Mage,” He said with an approving smile.

              Gregor approached and smiled, “I’m going to drop you with an instructor who is already having a session. But I think you’ll probably benefit from the discussion.”

Chapter 13

              “Focus is the most important weapon of a Soulmage. If a Mage loses their focus, the Source is an unforgiving teacher. If a Mage loses their focus while Pulling strongly, the Source will turn them to ash. Always, remember that focus will save your life and lack of focus will kill you.”

This was the beginning statement from the Senior Mage teaching the newest Mages. Her name was Nora Kestril and her Soul stream was nearly as big as Gregor’s.

              I could see the raw power rolling around inside of her aura as she stood in front of us.

              “The larger the Pull a Mage attempts, the more danger to the Mage and those around them,” she said, “Some of you know, personally, how dangerous Pulling can be.”

              She looked straight at me when she said that. “Some of you may think that a Mage has limitless power, but you’d be wrong. The more a Mage Pulls, the more bleed over flows into their body. Each Mage has a different tolerance level in their body. After you reach the limit, you burn.”

              I nodded in understanding. I can see how focus would be much harder if you can’t see the streams and the power around you.

              My focus doesn’t have to be as great as most Mages because of my abilities. But it sounded like it needed to be as great as possible while using the Source and I needed to learn as much as I could about it. It might play a much larger part of my skills later, and nothing could be worse than needing something you just didn’t bother to learn. If it helps me kill Demons more efficiently then I’m all for it.

              “When we start with shield training, we will ascertain how much focus each of you possesses. From there, we can ascertain what skills in Mage craft to specialize in your training. Some Mages just aren’t able to cope with some of the things needed to be a Battle Mage. There are a great many things a Mage can do whether or not he can master shield work or fireballs.”

              “Soon we will break for the day, and Colin, Someone will come to show you to your new quarters in the dorm,” she motioned toward me, “Tomorrow at nine o’clock sharp, everyone is to meet in the Dome. Uniforms are required. This is a formal dispensation of the sentence passed on Warren Grimes for abuse of power. He will be permanently blocked from the Source. You are dismissed. Colin, follow me, we will go get your uniforms and meet someone to take you to your quarters.”

***

              I followed a woman through the hallway with my arms loaded down with four uniforms and a pair of boots. We had gone up three floors to the dorm ring.

              “All of the student Mages are quartered in the dorm ring,” she said, “The newest always gets the smallest room and we move up as others graduate. Gavin Price is the current Top, which is what we call the student with the most seniority.”

              The short red-headed woman really liked to talk. She was cute and her voice was easy to listen to, “He probably would be Top even if others were higher. He’s the Archmage’s son and he is the strongest of us in the dorm. He’s always dropping his privacy shield so we all know it, too.”

              “He’s actually a colossal prick but he has a group of followers who hang around swelling his ego even larger than it already is.”

              “Is it true, you killed a Wraith?”

              It took me a minute to notice she’d actually stopped talking and was looking at me.

              “Yeah,” I answered, “It was pure luck though. I was almost burned alive.”

              “Everyone is talking about it. They say that you are as strong as Gregor Kherkov and he’s the second strongest Mage in the US. The Archmage is the strongest in the whole world. If you are that strong, Gavin will probably die. He’s been the strongest Mage in the dorm for two years now. It would kill him to find someone stronger just coming into the Guard. I know I’m not supposed to ask but are you? As powerful as Gregor Kherkov?”

              “No,” I said more sharply than I had intended, “I’m nowhere near that strong. I’m not here to replace this Gavin guy. I’m here to learn how to kill Demons.”

              I’d seen over a hundred people die at Morndel, and if I had been trained, they might have been saved. It still eats at me that all those people died because the Demons wanted me dead.

              “I’m sorry,” she said, her face red, and I didn’t need to see her aura to tell she was embarrassed. “Sometimes I don’t know when to stop talking.”

              “It’s ok, I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” I returned, “I’m just a little nervous, this is my first day here.”

              “Oh, it’s ok, sometimes people just get tired of hearing me talk all the time. My parents used to yell at me a lot when I got on their nerves. I catch myself just rambling on and on sometimes.”

              We stopped at a door, “Here are your quarters, there’s a room, a closet, and a bathroom in each one. It’s been nice meeting you, Colin, maybe I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

              As she walked away, I realized that I hadn’t even got her name. She talked nonstop all the way here and never said it. Being around her all the time would be exhausting, I thought and chuckled as I opened my door and stepped inside.