Chapter 4

The Map

Lacardia had changed little since Meredith last visited.

The island country, surrounded by its tremendous wall of wind and wind-based monsters remained ever the sight of marvel, even from high atop the clouds. Much of that felt bitterly humorous to her. She was entering Lacardia the same way she had last time, atop the Defender, with the purpose of gaining information on a Legendary Weapon. Just as well, the monsters were being taken down with magical cannons (or “the girls”, as Kenny called them). Everything felt so different, however.

For one, Vivian was at her side, looking surly. Her demeanor hadn’t let up since the meeting yesterday, filled with annoyance over the mission. Meredith couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but she knew she likely shared the same feelings of ambivalence. Of course, Vivian’s trepidation might also have had to do with just where they were going over the mission, itself.

“My father was the one who requested I go to Lacardia. Family tradition,” she said amid the blasts of the cannons. Wind shuddered over them, and it was clear she’d hoped her confession would be lost. There was no such luck when Eddie, free from the confines of the Corps’ kitchen, approached her and put a hand on hers. She jumped.

“He’s not here, Viv,” the boy reminded her. She blinked, watching his windswept hair as he stared off with a smile to the Academy. The sun was rising, its first rays warming Meredith’s face after the cold wind. “Just you, okay? I’m sure Autumn doesn’t hate you anymore…much.”

“Ugh, what does that mean, Eddie?” The two shared in their good humor, letting Meredith smile. Hearing her, Eddie looked back to Meredith and grinned, perhaps the most they’d conversed in weeks. “I’m just saying I don’t have particularly fond memories of Lacardia.”

“You and me, both,” Emil said. He was hanging sideways, arms folded across his chest while his legs clung to the railing of the skyship deck. Vivian turned her nose at him. “I spent ages trying to avoid it, and now I find myself going back.”

“Yeah, I’m not you, Emil.”

“Oof, they’re frosty…” Eddie muttered, close enough so just Meredith could hear. “Not surprising, though. Vivian still blames Emil for what happened, and he…I think he’s feeling guilty. You never hear him complain about his work, and when he mentioned that we were going to Lacardia…not even a word of protest.”

“Long as they don’t make trouble together,” Meredith said. The skyship turned, making her stomach lurch; Emily may have safeguarded her from nausea, but there were still bouts of sickness she was forced to endure.

“I’m sure if they do, you’ll keep ‘em in line, Mera. You always do.” There was no arguing with that one. Eddie quickly stretched his hands to the sky when the Defender dipped low, angling for an airstrip upon which to land, near a residential area that abutted the government sector. “Ah, it’ll be good to see Felix and Autumn again if we can. Do Conrad and Summer even know we left for here?”

“We weren’t allowed to tell anyone, since the mission was so short-notice,” Meredith said. Eddie accepted the answer, almost falling when the skyship touched down, jerking all of their bodies. Grateful to be on solid ground once again, Meredith led her friends out of the skyship and to the streets of Lacardia below, where Tempest Squad had gathered.

“Kenny, Sal, you know the drill. Keep on the Defender and keep her safe. Bruce, Trent, restock the ship. Em and Jay are with me, as usual.”

“Always are, captain. We’ll patrol Lacardia while you get done what you need to,” Jay said, saluting. Raymond had no feelings towards the support, instead turning his gaze elsewhere.

“Our escort should be here soon.”

“If they come at all,” Emil said, walking forth with his hands in his pockets. Raymond didn’t like hearing this and the dirty-blond winced, tugging at his scarf with a cough. “My parents are remarkably busy people. They may send just an escort.”

“Is that what you think of us, Emil? I’d have thought you’d learned better. We take our country and relationship with other forces very seriously.” The voice, familiar from the Games, announced the arrival of Emil’s mother. Much like her son, she was hanging in the air, though she touched to the ground in rapid time. Once she’d smoothed her professional skirt and blouse out, she held a hand forth to Raymond. “Excellent to see you again, captain. We received word from Commander Chavez late last night. Headmistress Unda, and I believe you wanted to see Mr. Margrove? Yes, they’re waiting at the Academy.”

“Excellent. Then this shouldn’t take long at all. Do you mind if we move ahead?”

“No need. I plan to accompany you. My husband is dealing with my affairs, and given the, erm, topic I was informed of, having me with you will make things quite a bit smoother.” Meredith’s eyebrows scrunched in. The minister revealed nothing, but she had to wonder just what Amelia had communicated about their intention there. Was it the removal of the Violent Staff? Or something more? Curiosity overtook as she moved her feet in the direction of the Academy, but she kept an ear open when Emil and his mother reunited. “You’re looking well, Emil. Better, I’d say.”

“Thanks…for your concern…” Emil’s cheeks puffed out, looking as awkward as Meredith felt in the situation. “How’s dad?”

“Busy, as ever. The fallout from the Games is…challenging. We’ve had to place extra security on the border.” To that, Emil looked down at his feet, nearly tripping over stones. “Oh…you…you mustn’t think I blame you, Emil.”

“Mom. Don’t.” His words were one of warning, and the woman’s cold front returned. “I did what I did. I’m partly responsible, but I’m trying my best. So, don’t treat me any different than you have. We agreed to that.”

“I also agreed to try and understand you.”

“Oh please…understand each other on your own time!” Vivian snapped. Her exasperation became more evident with her exaggerated eye rolling when she rocketed ahead into the crowd of Raymond and his subordinates. Meredith and Eddie shrugged while the Baronés became, perhaps, more awkward than before, falling into silence.

Well, he’s not raging against his parents. That’s a plus. Terrill, having heard her, huffed. He wasn’t that happy either, but had resigned himself to whatever she was going to hear, if it was even useful at all. Answers…

They’ll only get you so far, Meredith, he pointed out. She knew that, just shy of admitting it. Yet being back in Lacardia, walking its streets and seeing all of the mages doing their daily work brought her back to when she first discussed re-forging the Earth-Splitter with Matthew. How she had hoped it would bring her answers. Why she had Soul Magic. Why he had chosen her. What the Beastmaster had planned before his incarceration.

Only now did she realize she just had more questions.

“What’s on your mind, Mera?” Eddie asked. Their contingent had entered the marketplace, and the lovely scent of the chocolate fountain besieged her nostrils, relaxing her. She put on a brave face for her best friend.

“Just thoughts. Lacardia’s a great place, isn’t it?”

“Sure. It’s nice to be back. Wish my parents could see it, too, but after the Games, they might not want to leave Lumarina. Though that might be for the best. When I called them last, they said Captain Clive nearly burned the place down!” Meredith shared a laugh with him.

“I’m not surprised. Wonder what he’d say now, though?” Meredith said, thinking back to the kind, if gruff, leader of the Corps’ division in their hometown. Though it had only been a few months since they’d left home, it felt like ages. The familiar faces could still be recalled in her mind, lending a more genuine smile to her lips. “He doubted us a lot before we left, but now we’re interns for the Corps!”

“That’s all you, Mera. I’m just the chef…even if it’s nice to stretch my legs and magic once in a while. I wouldn’t mind more missions if Amelia gave me the chance.” Meredith could see that, with Eddie almost bouncing off the balls of his feet. His excitement was contagious, but taken down a clear notch as their group walked the cobbled roads past the forge.

She could feel eyes on them, scrutinizing every action. Though Felix and the rest of A-Class had proven themselves instrumental in resolving the conflict at the Games, she could feel the resentment linger. A dash of worry was tossed in with it, and Meredith could understand. Her head hung, the confusion returning to her.

That confusion lightened when they reached the lawn of Lacardia. Amidst the scores of students heading to class that day, including some young members of the Guardian Corps, two striking figures stood out at the entrance to the Academy, itself.

“Mr. Matthew!” Meredith called. Her steps increased and she ran past her brother to her former teacher. They didn’t hug, but the grin behind Matthew’s eyes said all. It was a bit covered up by his beard, looking scragglier than before, but she knew her teacher didn’t have a single malicious bone in his body. She wasn’t as sure about the woman next to him, dressed in flowing blue robes, with dyed hair and jangling earrings, though she had ditched the pointed hat for the day. “You got the Corps’ message?”

“Well, it was like a garbled phone message,” Matthew said. He nodded to Raymond and the others, who stopped behind Meredith and bowed to their elders. “Madam Minister.”

“You’d spoken of your student before, Matthew, but I’m surprised to find her to be the same one that resolved the events at the Games,” the woman said, and Meredith took stock of her. It wasn’t the first time she’d been up close to Headmistress Unda…well, if one counted a television screen as close. She was more tanned than expected, and there was a closeness with Matthew that Meredith hadn’t expected. When the headmistress caught her staring, she gave a coy smile, her earrings ringing. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Childs.”

“Um…erm…likewise…” The two shook hands. At this, Emil’s mother bustled forth, the awkward air she exuded around her son gone. She was back in business mode.

“Enough chitchat Unda, Matthew. The Corps isn’t here to sit down over tea and biscuits. You’re here on a mission, correct?” Her snap brought everyone in the immediate vicinity to attention, and prompted Matthew to clear his throat.

“Yes, of course, Madam Minister. If you’ll follow me,” he said. His robes flapped behind him as the older man led their procession back into the Academy’s vaunted halls. Meredith could hear Raymond issuing some orders to his subordinates, something about checking on members of the Corps that were training there, but he was quick to follow with them. “Mr. Baroné, Miss Lacroix, it’s a pleasure to have you back in Lacardia again. Yourself, as well, Eddie.”

“Glad to be back! How’re Felix and the others doing?”

“Occupied,” was Unda’s answer. “Since the Games, their professor has kept them quite busy with projects. I think he hopes to have them graduate soon, as it were.”

“Lacardia has been busy the last month. I, myself, had to cancel a class today.”

“Ah, sorry to inconvenience you.” Matthew took Meredith’s apology in stride, waving it off once they were in the entrance hall. Drawn by magnetism, Meredith looked up, and she wasn’t alone. There, framed right in the entrance hall, was the Violent Staff. Violet…

You know Violet.

Of course. You do, too. She couldn’t tell me anything. Terrill hummed upon hearing this, lost in the reverence of everyone observing the staff. To any normal passerby, it couldn’t have been anything more than a vessel for greater magic, but Meredith knew, and her curiosity piqued, she faced the direction of Matthew’s office. It was only heightened at Terrill’s concluding words.

The years grow long…and memory old.

“Well, best not dilly-dally. Let’s get some answers,” Matthew said. He coughed to gain their attention and led them down the corridor to his large office.

Meredith was the first inside, soaking in the familiar feeling of returning to what was once her learning space. Eddie was next, running to the window and staring out at the magic core that was at the center of Lacardia and the Academy, its swirling wind a comfort to all those there. She had to think that Jay was feeling pretty good by being in its presence. Standing with her best friend, she watched the students and some teachers gambol or relax in the courtyard where the core was, enjoying the sunny morning weather. Her companions were less prone to enjoying their time or reminiscing. Vivian sat in a chair like a prim and proper student, while Emil hunched in a corner, looking unsure as to why he was there. His mother stayed near the door, prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, and Raymond was no different, upright in stance while he glanced around, like he expected an enemy at every turn. Unda was the most relaxed, propping herself on a table with lazy posture.

It was Matthew’s shuffling around his desk and the multitude of paper that surrounded it which pulled Meredith’s attention away and back to the matter at hand.

“I’m afraid my office has become a bit messier since the last time you were in it, Mera,” Matthew said, his mirth toned down but nonetheless present. Meredith inched closer to the desk, now right next to Vivian, the girl crossing her legs. There was a humming present in Meredith’s ears, familiar, like the last time she was here, but she ignored the resonance of the Legendary Weapons and their souls to glance at the map above Matthew’s head. He shuffled around, giving her the time to look. It was as odd as ever, the edge of the sea on the map being different from what she knew. When Matthew spoke, she disregarded it. “Ever since the Games, I’ve had new theories in my head that took hold. That night, in the stadium, atop the tower, it was eye-opening when it came to the Weapons.”

Meredith’s eyes were magnetically drawn to the Earth-Splitter, remembering that night, and she snapped her neck back so fast it was a wonder it stayed put. “Wait, you saw it too?”

“Saw it?” Vivian asked. Her legs were done being crossed. “That…those people, when we fought Rico…I thought I was hallucinating from delusion…”

“You girls want to fill us in?” Raymond asked. He was close now, a hand on each of their shoulders. Matthew answered for him.

“It was hard to miss: three people manifesting without physical form in the middle of a clash between Legendary Weapons, each fighting with their weapon of choice,” he said. He was giddy, no doubt, and gave a short “aha!” upon finding the book and scrolls he had been searching for. “To some, it would’ve been a mere apparition. But to those in the know, it was no less than three Weapons coming together in a clash they did not wish to fight. I was unsure, though, about whether it was from your Soul Magic, or the properties of the Weapons themselves…”

“Couldn’t say,” Meredith said in musing, stroking her chin before she realized. “Rico used Soul Magic, so it could have been from any one of us, but…”

“But you think it was the Weapons, themselves.”

“Mm…they were crying.” It was an image Meredith couldn’t forget, even if she’d just remembered. Terrill and the other two, weeping as they were forced to battle.

“Then that all but clinches it.” Matthew sat, his weight making the old chair groan beneath him. “The souls inside the Weapons…when forced to fight, they come out. Perhaps not corporeal, but they are still very much there, and it means they are of formidable strength and magic. What really fueled my theory, though, was every subsequent clash…it eroded away pieces of reality.”

“Oh, come on, no way!” Vivian argued, but her expression told a different story. It wasn’t one of surprise, but fear.

“Very much way,” Matthew said. Eddie turned from the window, matching eyes with Emil as they listened intently. “It wasn’t immediately noticeable, but every clash led to a shudder, and pieces of the tower were broken off. Had your battle consisted of yet greater power or lasted longer, we may have seen a very different result.”

“What does that mean?”

Eddie’s question received an unraveled scroll by way of response. All but Unda and Emil’s mother leaned over it. The aged parchment reflected something unusual, nothing that Meredith had ever seen before. Just six strands that led to a crest, as if it was in the sky. The crest itself tugged at the corners of Meredith’s brain, looking vaguely familiar, but it took Raymond to identify it.

“That’s…Crea’s crest, isn’t it? It looks similar to some that you’d find on murals.”

“You’d be correct, captain,” Matthew said. He didn’t roll the parchment up, allowing the others to run their hands over it or otherwise scrutinize it. “It’s less known today, since worship of the goddess has fallen out of favor, but that symbol still exists in older churches.”

The Earth-Splitter and Bow of Torrents resonated with an emotion that Meredith couldn’t discern. She just knew they were getting close, and she looked to her mentor. “What’s it mean?”

He held a finger, then bent down and slammed some books on the table, opening them to various pages as quick as he could. He leaned forward, his fingers lacing together and his head inclined, letting all look at him. “I posit this theory: the Legendary Weapons hold great power, bound by souls such that when they clash, it unravels the very fabric of reality. What if, then, the Weapons were created to prevent just that?”

The theory washed over them all like a tsunami. Eddie stumbled back, banging into the corner of the desk. Meredith eased her breath, nearly slipping into the Soul Realm to speak with Terrill, but keeping herself grounded in reality. Had that been it? Was that the terrible truth he had been trying to hide?

You were…put inside this blade to seal something…

Yes. My choice, though. My plan.

Why?

Silence, and then… To prevent worse. I fear I failed.

“What kind of disaster are we talking about? And could the seal break?” Raymond said. He was in full interrogation mode, leaning over the desk to get as close to Matthew as possible. “If this is a serious issue then we need to put all people on it if it happens.”

“And what do you plan to do, captain? You think the Corps can contend with reality breaking down?” Unda asked. Her gaze was a straight line to Raymond. Meredith’s brother stood, his lips twitching at the mere thought of being helpless.

“The damage itself is already done, I fear,” Matthew said. His labored sigh followed and he pushed the books forward. They weren’t books, but maps. Emil was the first to voice what was on all of their minds.

“They look different.”

“That’s our world.”

“What?” The flat response from each and every person settled around the desk was enough to make Matthew flinch, but he still nodded.

Meredith pored over the maps presented to them once more. It seemed impossible. The farthest book on the right, clearly the newest and best-maintained volume, held the map she was most familiar with. One of the giant looping continent, and the smaller continents of Lacardia and where Corps Castle sat, alongside the Silacian Archipelago. Yet next to it, dated a mere two hundred years ago, looked very different. The sea was larger, the archipelago fuller, and what was now one connected continent was two.

Going further back, to five hundred years, was an even scarier sight. Not because of how many continents seemed to have started merging together, shrinking in size, but because of one particular loop that was logged as something entirely different, when it was barely even a loop!

“Is that…Matthew, is this Seaman’s Trough…the Desert Loop?”

“Desertification!” Eddie shouted. “It’s always long been speculated that it began in the Desert Loop…Is that the truth?”

“No one could say definitively, but after this, I think there’s only one conclusion that could be made. The Legendary Weapons were created to seal something, something in our world’s history that, left unchecked, would erode away at our world. Obviously, in that time, the seal weakened, and we’ve been feeling the effects,” Matthew concluded. He sat back, rubbing at his eyelids. There was relief in the groan that followed, but everyone else was wound so tightly they wouldn’t have noticed it.

It’s true then…the world was different. Looked different.

Very, Terrill said. There was a rushing white around them, and Meredith found herself back in the Soul Realm, standing across from the Earth-Splitter. He looked tired, as though reliving the past upset him. “When I lived, there were many continents. Many countries. The sea was vast and great. The falls at the edge of the world still existed, but even with skyships, we never developed a way to go beyond it.”

“So, what happened?” Meredith questioned. “No more running away from it. We need the truth, because if the Order’s planning something, it must have to do with when you lived.”

He didn’t want to. That much was obvious. He closed his eyes, and Meredith was certain a tear slid from beneath his lashes. “There was a battle we fought for this world, and in doing so, the world was irreparably fractured. At first, we didn’t realize it, but over time, we knew. The waters had already begun to dry, the falls growing ever larger into the space beyond. The edge of the world closed in on us.

“We studied and studied, but there was nothing we could do…except offer our own souls.”

“You…had your soul placed into the weapon…how?” Terrill now stepped forth, and he took Meredith’s hands, staring her in the eyes. Seeing it with clarity for the first time, Meredith could look beyond the veil of strength that Terrill Jacobs held. He was insistent, and scared…traumatized.

“Know this, Meredith. What we did was a choice only we wished to make, so that others wouldn’t suffer. Just those of us who made our decision…and the progenitor of Soul Magic as we know it,” he said. His hands, though gripping tightly could not be felt. Meredith still swore that there was a pressure upon her hands. “She placed our souls there, though it pained her. She’s now long passed from this world, but that legacy lives on in those who can hear us. It’s mere coincidence that soul-users have been woven in and out of history, but there is some merit to it.”

“Terrill…are you saying…do you mean to say that souls are what form the fabric of reality?”

“Yes,” he insisted. “And some of our souls have faded, gone dormant. We were not left as inanimate objects, unable to do naught but watch and wait. Yet to defend ourselves comes at a price.”

“Your broken blade…”

“Yes, and no. I staved off the worst. I didn’t let my soul grow dormant, though my strength grew weaker. There’s no doubt in my mind, however, that at least one of the Weapons has gone quiet. Power, they still retain; that ability to rend the earth and heavens above. There is little else they can do. With that lack of their own consciousness, the seal has withered. I may have played a role as well, but there was no other fix we could find.”

Souls. Seals. Weapons. The world. What lay beyond it.

Meredith’s head was spinning at the revelations. It felt like she was brushing up against the answers she so desired about her magic, but wasn’t quite able to grasp it. She was close. So close it was there, but slipping through her fingers, her soul passing beyond the sight of it.

Souls…

“That’s what they’re after…” Meredith had been jerked back into the real world, all eyes on her. She turned to each of them, the cavalcade of information from Terrill and Matthew flooding every neuron while she swiftly worked it out. “They used souls to seal the disaster. They could have only done that if it was because of a multitude of souls…so what if…and this is just me spitballing…

“What if the world, itself, has a soul?”

Hush fell across them, the implication inherent in Meredith’s words. It was, perhaps, the first time even Terrill’s soul had been stunned. He hadn’t considered the implication, not in that way, and having not used the magic, himself, but Meredith knew it was the only answer. She could remember from that one time, the wailing and the cries that were unearthly. They weren’t of people, but of souls deep inside the world itself, trapped in an endless cycle. Matthew rapidly fiddled with his beard.

“The implications that could have would be tremendous. Souls are the birthplace of magic, so if the world itself has a soul…that could unravel the very fundamentals of what we know,” he muttered. He shoved the maps off his desk, not caring for the mess they made while he frantically searched for other copies. Eddie and Vivian watched Meredith, and there was no doubt they both remembered her reaction all that time ago, at the Gash.

Some things weren’t lining up, but a great deal many were.

Emil bent low, picking one of the maps up, concerned by how it looked. Raymond took in its contents as well, and then his face morphed into a scowl.

“So, that’s their game.”

“Huh?” Emil asked. Raymond swiped the book from his hand and slammed it upon Matthew’s desk. The man jumped, but quickly resumed his searching. “Whose game? What’s a map got to do with it?”

“The map has nothing to do with it but fuel Mera’s theory. You said the Reaper has your magic, right sis?” She confirmed. “If there is a soul to this world, and the Legendary Weapons are tied to this seal or whatnot, then the Order’s goal is obvious. Whether it’s about breaking this seal entirely or not, I couldn’t say, but the intent of the Reaper lies within this information.

“They’re going to manipulate the soul of this world for their own purposes. Harness it for themselves.”

“That’s…that’s crazy,” Vivian uttered, shaking her head like she didn’t believe it. Eddie had no trouble with it.

“Not too crazy. Look at what Mera can do…is it so hard to believe that the Reaper could when they made us into whimpering messes at the alchemic settlement.”

“But this is the soul of a world, Eddie, not just a couple of teenagers.”

“Can we really rule it out? I mean, if they have the Legendary Weapons, souls strong enough to seal back the erosion of our world,” Emil pointed out, his feet lifting unconsciously off the ground, “then who’s to say those souls wouldn’t provide enough strength to manipulate the very fabric of our world.”

“All of this is mere conjecture,” Raymond said harshly, undercutting the chat. “There is just one clear thing, and it is that the Weapons are of immense power and the Order is targeting them for nefarious purposes. As a proxy of the Corps and its chief commander, I, Raymond Childs, request that the Violent Staff be placed in our custody for the foreseeable future.”

“Out of the question,” Emil’s mother snapped. Her tone carried with it a chill that made goosebumps rise on Meredith’s arms. Eddie turned away with Emil, the latter stating that his mother could be scary. “The Violent Staff is a national treasure of Lacardia. We cannot just hand it over.”

“Now, now, minister, technically the staff belongs to the Academy.”

“Be that as it may, headmistress, there is still protocol to be observed here. Allowing such a precious, and might I add dangerous, artifact to leave our home and go to the Corps would be irresponsible.” The minister sighed, rubbing at her temples while her own toes lifted off the ground in emulation of her son. “There are various hoops to go through, so one can submit a request.”

“The Order is acting now. You heard what we’ve just learned as well, Minister Baroné. Do you really think it wise to sit back and-?” Raymond began to argue. Not wishing to intrude, Meredith backed away to join her friends at the window, rubbing her arms and looking through the frosted glass.

“Mom can be scary when it’s government business…never really saw how dedicated it was, though.”

“See the kind of things you notice when you stop being angry?” Eddie said, his back-thumping causing Emil’s head to hit the glass pane. When he withdrew, it left a mark on the window, one that could be seen through once the condensation was wiped away.

Meredith let her breath out in a rattle, the moisture fogging into the space around them. Eddie’s breath was the same.

“Phew…it’s cold in here…” Vivian chattered, arms folded and teeth clacking together. “I don’t remember Lacardia being this…”

Her trailed-off words brought attention to something else in Meredith’s mind. Things had gone quiet, all ambient sound lost, and that included that of the wind core outside. Her heart clenched, and Meredith ran forward to wipe away the pane to the courtyard.

It was encrusted in ice, the tempestuous core turned to an orb of frost.

“Ray!”

A beeping came from Emil’s mother, and she grabbed a tablet, prematurely ending her argument with the headmistress and captain. All they needed were a few words to confirm what Meredith already suspected. “Minister, the wind wall has been breached. It’s fallen.”