Part 1 recap: Magus Avilus Bellarax, a professor of War Magic at Sistarra Academy takes a secret portal to the coast of Ivarium where he meets Domatra, a Forcemaster and old colleague. The two examine a curious stone tablet that has washed ashore, covered in glowing runes. Upon examination, it appears to be Drakkonian, the language used by Drakkon archmages centuries earlier. Excited at what the discovery could mean, the couple begin their translations.
Now, enjoy part 2! -- Sabrath Kell
BATTLE LINES: Part 2
"Well?" What does it say?" said Domatra, as she huddled close to the tablet and Bellarax.
Bellarax took a moment to look up from the runes to see Domatra's face, her eyes fixed on his, a look of intensity on her face, as if she could somehow cast Drain Soul on his scholarship and take it for her own. This was the Domatra he remembered from the time they were both students in the Academy. While all students underwent basic study, only the truly gifted are accepted into one of the elite Lyceums. When Domatra had been accepted to the Limitless Vista (the Lyceum dedicated to the study of Mind Magic) she had walked around with that same look for days -- as if she were just sucking the manna from everyone whom she came into contact with.
It was also the same look she had when she had been accepted into the elite Society of Everlore, the organization that had arranged this rendezvous. The Society was a well-funded, scholarly organization that was dedicated to seeking out ancient civilizations, undiscovered creatures, and emerging insights in magic theory. It also had friends in high places. Though it was primarily a Sortilegian organization, over the course of the years, it had attracted scholars and academics from across Etheria. Now, the Society had scores of members, many of them well-placed in organizations with considerable politcal or economic clout. Both he and Domatra fell into that category -- he was the Professor of War magic, strategy and martial training at Sistarra, the topmost Academy of Magic Sortilege, and Domatra sat on the Empress' Assembly, an organization of senators and Mages that advised the Empress on a range of topics, foreign and domestic.
Bellarax turned his attention back to deciphering the mysteries of the tablet. He ran his finger along one set of glowing runes, reading in a strangely guttural-whispering manner. The words were reminiscent of the rush of wind and waves, and flowed from his lips and throat rhythmically, like the surf crashing upon the shore. "That's my best Drakkonic, such as it is. I believe it talks about something called "a Nexus". My best guess is that might be someplace that borders on Voltari."
"What about the passage about the V'Torrak?" asked Domatra. "What does that one say?"
Again Bellarax read the Drakkonic, his fingers lightly tracing the glowing scripts as he did so. "To the best of my knowledge that sounds something like 'The path to the portal will awaken the V'Torakk', or perhaps it should be translated 'When the portal is opened, so shall the V'Torakk await.' It's hard to say exact--"
He broke off abruptly as the stone tablet suddenly flared to life, the hardened grey stone blossoming into a tablet of shimmering white light. The air around the two suddenly became thick and muted, and small motes of twinkling dust danced around the corners of their vision. Bellarax and Domatra instinctively formed a back to back posture. In an instant, Domatra called forth her forceblade, it's blue energy blade crackling with an odd sound of feedback. Bellarax's blade made no sound, but was entirely at the ready. A smell of ozone filled the air, mixed with the smell of the deep ocean. All about them, they felt the deep vibrations of a primal hum, and a strange purple mist began to rise. It quickly filled the air, blocking their outward views. The light of the tablet cascaded through the mist, casting them in shimmering violet hues.
The hum changed to a roar, and then the light of the tablet overtook their senses, and everything became light as if the world were new again and just beginning for the first moment. They closed their eyes to the power of it, the brightness...
...then suddenly it was over. The two found themselves on an island of sorts, an island that floated free deep within what appeared to be the night sky. All around them, they saw the stars of Etheria, moving through their celestial orbits at speeds that seemed unnaturally tied to normal time. The twin moons of Etheria, Celestia and Ves, spun around and over their island, each eclipsing the other in seconds rather than their normal cycles of months.
But the thing that truly captivated them, that drew their attention back to the floating island that they found themselves upon, was the object that pulsated at its center. It's spherical shape and serpentine adornment left little doubt about what the object was. It had to be a V'Tar Orb, a Drakkonian artiftact crafted to control the V'Torrak. And if there was a V'Tar Orb, then chances were good that the V'Torrak was nearby, or at least accessible.
This was the mother lode of Drakkonian studies. Wherever this strange island happened to be, the two scholar-warriors cast booklearning aside, and raced forward to examine what lay at its center.
...to be continued...
