Will McDermott - The Moons of Mirrodin

Bruenna waved her hands at the third guard and muttered a quick spell. The guard flew up into the air and smashed its crystal globe into the ceiling. Glissa covered her face as the guard exploded. When she opened her eyes, the sword was in front of her. She grabbed the sword and swung it at the guard behind her, slicing through the guard’s silver arm as it reached forward to grab her again. A second swing cut off its head. The guard’s body fell to the ground, and its head rolled down the stairs past Pontifex. The researcher was reaching for his staff.

Out of the corner of her eye, Glissa saw the last guard raise its weapon arm and point it at her. She dived past the advancing vedalken just before the guard shot. She rolled to a stop and looked back. The vedalken was pinned against the wall of the stairs, a harpoon jutting from his robes. Before the guard could get another shot off, Bruenna waved her hands and tossed it down the steps with a blast of air. The resulting explosion told the women they were now alone with Pontifex.

The vedalken had all four arms on the harpoon and was trying to pull it out. His arms were thin and frail. Glissa wondered if vedalken bodies were as pathetic under those robes. She picked up his staff and watched him struggle.

“I’m guessing those spindly arms can’t do much beyond hold this staff,” she said to the pinned researcher. “All of your power is right here, isn’t it?” Glissa snapped the staff over her knee and tossed the broken pieces down the stairs.

“Your only hope of getting out of this alive,” continued Glissa, “is to do exactly as we say.”

“Kill him,” said Bruenna, coming up behind Glissa. “If you won’t do it, then get out of my way.” Bruenna waved her hands at Pontifex and sent a blast of wind at the vedalken. He slammed back against the wall and the harpoon barb.

Pontifex screamed in pain. Luckily, his scream was just one of many echoing through the corridors. Human mages ran up and down the stairs as explosions continued to reverberate throughout the complex. Nobody seemed to know what was happening or what they should do. Their little tableau on the stairs was just a minor drama amidst the chaos of Lumengrid.

Glissa wheeled on Bruenna. “We need him alive,” she said.

“He killed my father. He deserves to die.”

“Then your father died for nothing,” said Glissa. “Pontifex can get us into the Pool chamber. He can probably get us the serum we need. We can enter the Pool together. Use the man who betrayed your father to realize your father’s dream.”

“Why should I help you?” moaned Pontifex.

“Because I will let you live if you help us.”

“Why exactly should I trust you, you who blaspheme our god and come here to destroy us?” asked Pontifex.

“You can’t,” said Glissa. She grabbed the harpoon and wrenched it to the side. Pontifex screamed again. “But your only other choice is to die right here.”

“Fine,” said Pontifex. “I will take you to the Pool chamber, and I’ll even get the serum for you, but you’ll never get out of here alive.”

“We’ll see,” said Glissa. “But for now, shut up. You talk too much.” She turned to Bruenna. “Hold his arms still.”

Bruenna cast a spell, and a vortex of wind surrounded the vedalken, pinning all four arms against his side. Glissa reached up just outside the swirling vortex and grasped the harpoon. With a quick twist of her wrists, she snapped the shaft off. She then took her sword and sliced through the head of the harpoon behind Pontifex.

Pontifex slumped forward, perhaps weak from loss of blood. The whirlwind kept him from falling. Glissa put her hands up near the wound and summoned her own mana. Her palms glowed green and she grasped the broken shaft again. She fed enough healing energy down the harpoon to close the wound around the weapon.

“I’ll get that out after you deliver the serum,” she said. “Until then, it’ll be a reminder of who’s in charge here.” Glissa twisted the shaft before letting go, then pulled his robe over the broken end of the harpoon to hide it. “Lead the way.”

They followed Pontifex through the chaos and panic of the tower. Glissa held her sword ready under her cloak and told Bruenna to keep a reserve of mana ready should she need to bind Pontifex again. Most of the humans they saw rushed past the trio, giving the vedalken a wide berth. Luckily, the group didn’t see any other vedalken.

After a while, the explosions stopped, but the chaos didn’t. The tower continued to sway, and the humans seemed intent on getting out as quickly as possible. Pontifex had trouble walking through the rocking tower. It seemed to be a lot harder for him than for Glissa or the humans. He kept falling into the wall as he moved. She hoped that was what was keeping the other vedalken holed up in their chambers.

They reached another stairway, but it was jammed with people pushing their way down toward the lower levels of the swaying tower. When the humans saw Pontifex, though, they fell silent and parted in front of him, just like in the market. The sea of people closed much more quickly behind the vedalken as panic made the humans reckless, even around one of their masters. Bruenna and Glissa had to jostle their way through to keep up.

As they walked down yet another curving corridor, Glissa saw another vedalken coming toward them. He was having trouble walking as well. “Who is that?” she hissed.

“Iapetus,” said Pontifex.

“Synod?” asked Glissa.

“No,” said Pontifex. “A minor researcher.”

“Get rid of him,” said Glissa.

Pontifex stopped in front of Iapetus. Glissa motioned to Bruenna to stay behind Pontifex, while she moved up beside him to keep an eye on the exchange.

“What is happening, Lord Pontifex?” asked Iapetus.

“I do not know,” replied Pontifex, “though I have heard rumors of an invasion of some sort, and I think you should get to the lower levels and secure the humans.” Glissa shot Pontifex a glance and prodded him with the butt of her sword from underneath her cloak. Pontifex continued more succinctly. “I will secure the upper levels.”

Iapetus turned to pass them, but Pontifex stopped him with a hand on the younger researcher’s shoulder. “If you see Janus …” he began, but Bruenna bumped into him, jarring the harpoon lodged inside his body. Pontifex moaned. “Tell him I have the situation under control here. Now go. Hurry.”

Iapetus trotted down the corridor and out of sight around a curve. Glissa prodded Pontifex again with her sword. “Watch your mouth,” she said. “Who is Janus?”

“Lord Janus is the leader of the Synod, who will-”

Glissa pushed Pontifex forward. “That’s all I need to know,” she said, and fell in behind the vedalken as they made their way on down the corridor. “Sounds like someone I should like to meet.”

“I believe you already have,” said Pontifex, “and the next time you two meet, I don’t think you will be so lucky.”

“Just keep moving,” said Glissa. “How much farther to the Pool chamber?”

“It is just ahead,” said Pontifex. As they continued around the curve a door came into view. Two guards stood to either side of the door. Pontifex broke into a run and screamed, “Guards. Attack the humans!”

“Flare,” said Glissa. She whipped off the cloak and brought up her sword. She ran after Pontifex, using his flowing robes to shield her from the guards. Two harpoons flew past her on either side of the running vedalken. She heard a whoosh of wind from behind her. Glissa thrust her sword down between the vedalken’s legs to trip him and dodged to the side as he fell.

Another harpoon came directly at her, but Glissa rebounded off the wall from its path. The large missile skidded off the wall, gouging out a chunk of the silvery metal before clattering to the floor. Glissa stepped on Pontifex and leaped at the nearest guard. She flew through the air, leading with her sword, and embedded the blade into the chest of the metal creature.