Emergence: Return of Magic book 1 Read Free Page B

even Charites is in the dark, though it won’t
take her very long to learn all there is to know.  Only a question in how
much she will share with her priestesses.”
    Sianne nodded and turned to him, “Kurien, I want you to lead
a small party, and search for the new bearer of the mantel, also study the
world and what changes you see, and report them back.  It was Merlin’s
intention to inform humanity before we returned, but we can’t depend on
that.  Most likely, if this wasn’t planned, that wasn’t done.  Avoid
combat if you can, this is a scouting mission only, am I clear?”
    He nodded, annoyed.  He was hardly a child, he’d
reached his majority over seventy years ago, yet she still acted as if he were
a hundred and forty at times.  He supposed it was just worry.
    “I will do so, and be careful.”
    Lian said, “Good, I will send Brianthenia with you.”
    He nodded, Bria was a good friend, even if she was a different
species.  The Elves and Dragons have always been allies.  Ironically,
that tight bond was mostly thanks to the humans giving them a common
enemy.  Between their elemental magic, and of course teeth and claws in
their other form, and his own nature magic and sharp sword, he thought they’d
be ready for anything.
    Trielle added in a thoughtful voice, “I will send Arielle.”
    He almost groaned, but held his tongue.  Arielle was
old enough, but just barely past her age of majority, though he had to admit she
was a talented priestess.  Still, he usually felt… hunted whenever she was
in the same room as him, and now that she was of age… and beyond beautiful, it
was more than a little temptation to deal with.  She would also enable
them to keep in touch easier with the council, she could speak directly to her
high priestess with magic, while he would only be able to send one way messages
through nature, a bird or other animal.
    He said without a trace of his misgivings in his voice,
“Very well, I’ll go prepare.”
    Trielle said, “The storm should pass in three hours as the
magic equalizes and the realm steadies from our return, I’d advise you wait
until then to leave.”
    He just nodded, and then looked out the window.  Their
return was to have been one of peace, with the hope of finally living with the
humans in harmony.  Relative harmony anyway, some conflict was always
expected.  He wondered just what they would face out there.  He also
worried about the bearer of the mantle, what would she be like, and would she
follow in Merlin’s footsteps and work for peace, or take a different path
altogether.
    He would find out soon.
     

Chapter
4 – Tarrock
    Tarrock growled as he floated up off of the captain’s chair,
in the dark.
    “Report!”
    The science officer said, “We’ve lost power captain.”
    He growled, “Idiot!  Of course we lost power, tell me
why.”
    He heard his first officer, and lifelong friend Garrock
snicker lightly under his breath.
    He grabbed his chair with his lower limbs to secure him, and
put a hand on his knife.  He was big for his race, the Mateera. 
Almost eight feet tall, greenish blue skin, and four arms.  His black eyes
narrowed at the science officer and promised death if he didn’t get information
and now.
    The science officer replied, “Yes captain.  There was
an energy wave, of a type unknown to our science.  It originated in the
Northern hemisphere of the planet, in a mountainous region.  It spread
across the planet.  Captain, I know this is going to sound crazy, but
there were many life forms, both animal and plant, added to our scans as the
wave passed.
    “I can’t tell you what the energy was, but we were the lucky
ones’ sir.”
    “Explain,” Tarrock demanded.
    He’d really like to know why being powerless and caught in
Earth’s gravity field was lucky.  They’d been at a fairly low orbit to
burn out the life in the cities, and it required constant anti-gravity drive
support to maintain their altitude.
    “The