Bloodflowers Bloom (The Astral Wanderer Book 2), D'Artagnan Rey [essential reading .txt] 📗

one of the photos, supposedly a sighting of one of the creatures that had streamed out of the anomaly, but it merely looked like a black blob gliding above the grasslands of Levirei.

“Those are useless.” Farah sighed. He looked at her and she offered him a sketch. “These creatures don’t have a form unless you can see them using anima. We even tried using cameras with enchanted film and glass infused with traces of cobalt but it didn’t help much and those pictures are the best we have. These sketches are slightly more accurate.”

He put the picture down and took the sketch. Jazai and Asla looked over his shoulder. On the page was nothing more than a shadowy, human-shaped being with little white dots for eyes and no discernible features. “This was the best you could get?” the diviner asked.

“That’s what they look like to most people,” she explained. “At least that is how I’ve seen them when I’ve patrolled. They aren’t particularly strong but they are tenacious and direct physical attacks don’t do anything against them. We’ve had strong guards attack with all manner of weapons, but unless they use weapons enchanted with certain magics, like light, even if they do injure the creatures, they simply reform themselves.”

“Abyssal fiends,” Wulfsun muttered and tossed another sketch onto the small folding table in the center of the carriage.

“You do know of them, then?” Farah asked and her tone indicated surprise and even a trace of hope. “What is an abyssal?”

“They are creatures formed using magic from the Abyss. It’s a realm that most aren’t familiar with and has no real inhabitants like the other realms or even much fauna. In fact, from what we have been able to tell in the order, it might be nothing more than energy. This abyssal magic is similar to shadow magic in that it can copy things and has a dark bent, but it does more than simply copy. It is almost viscous when used and it seems to absorb—or more accurately consume—whatever it touches. I’ve been on a couple of missions into the realm. The typography, flora, and rocks all seem to be from different realms and are combined somewhat haphazardly there with dark traces left from the realm itself.”

“The Abyss?” Devol inquired. “Isn’t that where—ow!” He rubbed his side where Jazai had elbowed him. The diviner focused on him and tried to tell him to keep quiet but also nodded his head to give him a clue that he was right. That was where the Templar imprisoned the malefics.

“Then if you are familiar with it, can you deal with it?” Farah asked.

Wulfsun nodded. “More than likely, this isn’t controlled by a single magi. I’ve yet to meet one who can wield it properly as one would any other type of magic. The reason these dark spots have been appearing all over is probably due to a tear.”

“A tear?” Asla asked. “As in a tear between realms?”

“Aye. Someone tore a fissure open between our realm and that one.” The Templar sighed and clenched his fist. “The dumb bastards. It would explain why they are stuck in one place and simply grow outward. The magic is slowly dripping into our realm as time goes on. It would also explain how you can hold it off with certain wards for a while but eventually, the abyssal magic will adapt or simply consume the wards and continue to expand.”

“We’ve had that happen already,” Farah admitted. “The size of the spot was only around a hundred and fifty meters when we set the first wards up. It remained that way for about a week before the wards disappeared and it continued to grow. The scholars created more complex wards that halted the expansion again.”

“And how long ago was that?” Wulfsun inquired.

“About ten days ago,” she revealed and turned to look out the window. “We have another set of wards ready to go in case but they are the most complex wards they can muster. Even if they stop the dark spot from growing again, once those wards give out, there isn’t anything else we can do.” She pointed out the window. “You can see it from here.”

The team peered in the direction she indicated. Over the next hill, a large dome sprawled across the land, pitch-black like light could not escape it. It stood tall and wide and was easily far bigger than the one hundred and fifty meters Farah had said it was at one point.

“How long did it expand for once the first set of wards collapsed?” Jazai asked.

“Only two days. Now, it measures at least four miles.” She grasped her sword handle. “If this is a tear, we’ll have to venture into it and find it to shut it, won’t we?”

Wulfsun nodded solemnly. “Aye, and it is probably in the center of the blasted thing. This will certainly be a trip.” He pointed to the three young magi. “If you have any food or drink, enjoy it now. Once we get inside, almost anything without magic will be suspect.”

The three friends nodded, delved into their bags, and quickly devoured whatever food they carried. The carriage continued its trek. They were only a few minutes away and the abyssal dome loomed in front of them.

When they arrived, several guards surrounded the carriage quickly and only relaxed when Farah was the first to disembark. Wulfsun followed, then Asla, Jazai, and Devol, who hung onto the doorframe for a moment while he stared at the dome. This close, it seemed like it was swallowing the sky. His gaze settled on an archway that appeared to be made of cobalt with several intricate runes and wards etched into it. He finally stepped off and followed the others to where a group of scholars, guards, and soldiers waited.

“Captain Malik!” one of the guards exclaimed and saluted her. “I’m glad to see you ma’am. Is this the Templar?”

“It is, Haldt.” Farah nodded. “And these are his soldiers. We’re here