*
 

Kalach continues to fall, as the wounded Traveller struggles to carry it through the sky. The Elves, Daric and Virmira, have successfully reached the device known as the Amplifier. The military have called off their pursuit of the trio, and Rocan is plugging himself into the machine. With its help, the budding Magician might be able to summon the power to guide Kalach gently down to Earth. It is a slim chance, but Daric and his companions remain the only hope to save the Traveller and its city.

                                                            *


"I'm in." shouted Rocan.  
I sprinted over. Virmira eventually turned her attention from the window, just in time to catch the blue tendrils leap from the console. They hovered for a second, the light refracting through their intangible bodies. On reflex I drew my weapon as they suddenly wrapped themselves round Rocan's arm.
"Don't!" he warned, holding up a hand.
I didn't shoot, but kept the gun levelled. The ropes tightened, and Rocan yelped as they pulled him to the console. Virmira and I both started forward, but what could we do? This was an entirely magical process.
There was a hiss, and Rocan gasped, falling to his knees. A rush of red flooded through the magical tendons, mixing with the blue to form a deep, angry purple.
Then they released him. The Acolyte jerked his arm away from the console as the tendrils sucked themselves back inside it like spaghetti down a drain.
He smiled nervously at us.
"It was a test."
"For what?" Virmira asked abruptly. She looked unnerved.
"Don't know. I passed it, that's all that matters."
Rocan glanced at the Amplifier, and sighed. Dragging himself up, he moved reluctantly towards it.
"Need help?"
He didn't turn. "I'll be fine. Leave me be - I need to get myself in this thing and I don't need you staring over my shoulder."
"He moves like he's already dead." Virmira muttered to me.
"He thinks it'll kill him." I muttered back, averting my eyes and inclining my head towards her. "Whether he saves Kalach or not."
Virmira turned and stared at the Traveller. Hesitantly, I followed suit. It was a lot closer now, having covered four or five miles since I last saw it. The Wyrms were swarming it, buzzing around it like flies as they landed, collecting who they could, dodging the buildings that were still crashing down around them. A small group of them kept pace with the Traveller, but did not join in the rescue efforts.
I knew which ones those were.
"Why haven't the military burst in here yet?" Virmira asked, her voice returning to normal volume. "Borr's in command now, he's not usually this reserved."
I stole a sideways glance. "How much did you hear?"
"Pretty much just that." Her eyes didn't meet mine, and I wondered if she was telling the truth.
"Apparently his commanders are giving us the benefit of the doubt." I replied. "For now. The soldiers are holding the building, and their reptiles are saving who they can."
She didn't reply, eyeing the separate group of larger dragons.
"Do you think Rocan's up to this?" she asked suddenly, her voice hushed once more.
"He has to be."
"But what if he's not?" she pressed.
"Then everyone dies." I snapped.
She was silent, still watching the Traveller.
"What do you want me to say?"
Still nothing.
Then: "I'm scared, Daric."
I glanced at her. I put an arm on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off, continuing. "I've not seen my sister in years. Decades. I'll be quite happy never seeing her again, but I don't know what I'll do if she dies today."
"She won't - "
"Don't patronise me, Daric." she hissed. "If Rocan fails, they're not going to risk the Traveller destroying Hundra."
"How do you know?"
"I just know." She snapped. "Ruyeri and thousands of other Elves will die. I'm not asking you to tell me they won't. You've not got any family, so don't try and pretend you know how I feel."
I shook. I couldn't say anything.
She spotted it. "What?"
"Just...because..." I said the words slowly. It took an effort not to spit them at her. "Just because I've got no family...doesn't mean I don't know what it's like - what it's like to lose people. No, I've got no siblings, but I've lost friends."
There was a pause. I cracked my knuckles.
"You're right." she said. "I'm sorry. That was a shit thing to say."
"It's OK." I said, after a few seconds. "This entire thing is fucked."
I put my hand on her shoulder again, and she took it this time, crossing her arm across her chest to squeeze my fingers. We stared at the Traveller, gliding gently to oblivion.
"Ruyeri will be fine." I said.
"You're lying." she replied immediately.
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Depends on if the Amplifier works."
"Well, I appreciate you saying it anyway."
The lights from the machine suddenly faded, the colours dying on the walls.
"OK." said Rocan from behind us. "I can't do this bit by myself."
I turned. He was standing nervously in the centre of the alcove carved into the heart of the Amplifier, which was now completely dark, looking like a regular sphere of metal. He'd clamped the manacles around his feet and one hand, but needed one of us to do the other.  He'd managed to cut himself on one of the spikes as he got in, and there was a red streak running down his arm. The sharp constructs were pointed at his back, side and right shoulder, but he was doing his best to ignore them.
Virmira and I exchanged a glance. She sighed, and stepped forward to buckle the Acolyte in. I watched.
I couldn't stop myself from thinking it, but I was reminded of a hangman, securing the noose around a convict. Angry with myself, I shook the thought from my head. This would work.
Virmira came back to stand near the console. We stared at him for a second.
"What do I touch to start this?"
"Nothing." he replied quickly. "I'll start it. Once I... I'll start it."
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
"Rocan." Virmira blurted.