Aethertide (Chapter 18)

“What a shame,” Aki said with a heavy sigh. “I think it’s time to go. There’s enough aether now to punch a hole right through this world.” Regarding Mrs Mian, her eyes half open and fluttering, he said: “Are you still alive, old woman? If it makes you feel any better, you’ll be vaporised instantly. No lingering.” Aki clapped his hands. “Alright, it really is time to go. I shouldn’t procrastinate any longer. Thank you for everything I’ve taken from you, old man.”

Reaching up to his amulet, he began to concentrate. The glow of the focussing crystal grew both brighter and smaller, ready for his transportation to safety. But as Aki opened his eyes, expecting the elastic tug of movement through the aethertide, something slammed into him, coming in the opposite direction.

Pooph.

Three bodies sprawled across Olivia’s laboratory floor, groaning and breathless. Raisa recovered first, leaping to her feet and scooping down to pick up her friend, pulling her away from Aki as he rolled, spat, and cast his eyes up to them, filled with vengeance. Olivia’s attention flitted between Mrs Mian, Styr, Aki, the crystal, in an effort to take everything in. But it was the billowing clouds of aether that she truly focussed on. So much in such a small space. She gulped.

“Urm…Raisa?”

Raisa cracked her knuckles, focussing down on Aki as he dusted the knees of his robe. “You do what you’re good at, Livia. I’ll do the same.”

Stalking forward, bearing down on the Magi, Raisa cut her way through the aether like a battleship. Aki tried to stand up to her, puffing his chest with its new adornment. The An’Morian warrior did not seem impressed.

“You again,” Raisa said as she reached out to grab Aki by the front of his robe.

“You again,” Aki spat. “But for the last time, I assure you.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Raisa drew back her fist just as Aki grabbed for his amulet.

Olivia circled the focussing crystal, taking in the aether cascading from the polished surface, the high-pitched hum, and finally she reached out a hand to feel the vibration of the crystal itself.

“Maintaining an open connection to the E.P. realm,” she muttered. “That’s what they’re doing. Flooding the area with aether. They could leave London as a smoking crater!” She looked around for her equipment and humphed, her mouth tight and quirked to one side in thought. “The power through this crystal is incredible. It’s far too much for me to redirect. Ooh!”

Running over to her own aether canister, she grabbed one of the thick cables wrapped up by the foot of it and began to drag it back across the room.

Aki let out a frustrated growl as Raisa’s hand wrapped around his own, crushing his fingers around the amulet and stopping him from concentrating his will. He opened his mouth to spit some vile insult but Raisa’s fist cut him off with a flash of pain.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Raisa said, a dire smile spreading across her lips..

“Let me go! I have to get away!” Aki demanded.

“You’ll stop this or die right here with us, you coward.”

She hit him again, Aki’s spittle flying from his mouth. And as he sagged, the string on his amulet snapped, leaving Raisa holding it. Without looking, Raisa tossed it over her shoulder.

With the thick cable in one hand, Olivia searched for somewhere on the pulsing crystal to connect it.

“I hope there’s enough aether stored in the canister. The power needs to be equal in both directions or it’ll only make things worse. And if I make a spark, we’re toast.” She paused for a mere moment, thinking of the excitement she had felt the last time she stood on that spot. The exhilaration tinged with fear. Now there was only fear left.

“My first adventure could be my last. The story ends here. And I’m still talking to myself.”

She felt a hand on her shoulder and knew that it was Raisa. “Nope. I’m here, too.”

“You idiots don’t know what you’re doing!” Aki said as he crawled across the floor toward the crystal and his only hope of returning home. “Give me back my amulet and I’ll stop this, I’ll even let you live.”

Raisa and Olivia exchanged glances. Oliva’s smile was uncertain, Raisa’s was warm, encouraging.

Olivia jammed the cable into the crystal and the air exploded with shards of razor sharp crystal. Aki screamed as the light from the explosion hit him, throwing him back. Olivia and Raisa bounced as they hit the ground, shards of crystal pinging off them. Rolling to a stop, the room fell silent, and Raisa peeled her arms from around her friend.

With the connection broken and nothing to contain it, the aether in the room turned to its grey, discharged state, and dissipated.

“Are you alright?” Raisa asked as her ears rang.

“I appear to be in one piece.”

Raisa gave Olivia a shy smile. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”

“So am I,” Olivia replied. “Only, you know, with you rather than me.”

Beside the crystal, casting a reverse shadow across the boards where the crystal’s explosion had been caught by his body, Aki laid still, one side of his face smoking. His chest moved in shallow breaths.

“It looks like he won’t be causing trouble for a while,” Olivia said. “I almost feel sorry for him.”

Raisa huffed. “I don’t.”