This story is part of the Wanderer series.
Stopping the castle a kilometer or two out from the wall of swirling clouds, Lev ascended the castle. Given the opportunity, the two mages decided to see if they could fly over this swirling wall. In addition, Chiyoko was not keen on weathering another storm, especially one that appeared more impenetrable than the previous.
However, as their vessel ascended, the wall seemingly rose with it. Given the steady pace they rose, it did not feel like they were ascending at all. Contrary to that, the swirling, turbulent clouds rising faster than their vessel inflicted a sense they were descending.
“Are you certain we are getting anywhere?”
“Certainly, my dear!” Lev assured with faltering confidence. “Although… certainly it is a bit taller than I expected!”
Chiyoko gripped the wall and leaned outwards. Indeed, the weight on her body as they accelerated upwards told her they were rising. Still, she could not help but feel she was put under a spell, some kind of illusion, by this swirling wall of clouds.
“Can the castle even levitate that high?”
“Theoretically, there is no limit! Other than the continent curving away from us, but that is accounted for!”
Chiyoko was not assured. “But… the stone… Will it not wither if you tax it this hard?”
“The stone is healthy and well! I assure you, dear! It has made the journey with us! Certainly it can make this journey into the heavens as well!”
She withdrew for a moment, only to open her mouth again.
“And the air,” Chiyoko reminded. “This high up… At some point, we will struggle to breathe.”
“… That too…”
The hesitation in his voice and expression told Chiyoko he was well aware of this already, and simply moving ahead with this plan despite the fact.
Rather annoyed, she began to think through their other options. Shielding them from the dropping pressure was beyond her capabilities. Pressing forward through this storm was certainly not a desirable option. Diving beneath seemed questionable, as there was no telling if the whirling wall dipped below the sea of clouds.
All of a sudden, Chiyoko felt a strong presence. An overwhelming presence. Pulling her as if there was a force reaching out and engulfing her. Engulfing her whole. A feeling so strong that it grounded her feet and pushed her back. However, she felt the presence wane, diving below them and fading just as quickly as it came.
“Wait!” she exclaimed, diving forward and gripping the ledge again.
Lev looked up at her in alarm.
“Halt the castle!”
“Halt it?”
“Return below! There’s something there!”
Albeit puzzled, Lev humored her, slowing the castle to a halt in the sky. Gently, he let the castle crawl back down, releasing his hands.
“What did you find, dear?”
“Wait… I will tell you when to stop.”
Gradually, the presence returned, growing stronger and stronger until she was sure it was blasting out from the storm in front of her.
Lev seemed to notice it this time, knitting his brows and stopping the castle himself. “This, my dear?”
She whipped around. “Do you sense it too?”
“Why, yes… There seems to be some distant power emanating from deep within.”
“No, it is here, for certain,” Chiyoko insisted. “Can you not feel its overwhelming power?”
The mage puzzled over her words, not quite understanding what she was getting at. Then, his face lit up. Lifting his eyebrows, he turned towards Chiyoko. “Do you reckon—?”
“I think there’s a seal here,” she blurted out.
He snapped his fingers. “Exactly what I was going to propose.”
But Chiyoko had a bigger realization, animating her body. “Or a node…! in the barrier! I wager this whole storm is a colossal seal!”
Such a presumption brought astonishment to Lev’s face. “Why, I never!”
She turned back towards the storm. “Can you decrypt it, do you think?”
“I will certainly give it a shot, my dear. Although, I do not believe my life force is compatible with this type—”
“It is with mine. This is strength magic, I’m certain. Just tell me how to change the pattern.”
“Right, then. Give me a few moments.”
And several moments it took. Lev did not need to probe very much to discover the diagram used for the node was very complex. He got down onto the stone and started sketching it out with a piece of charcoal. Chiyoko got down with him and, having some knowledge about seals herself, pored over this puzzle with Lev.
Eventually, after several recounts of the subnodes in this diagram and the positioning of them, they had a drawing of the seal they were confident in.
“Blimey,” said Lev. “What a diagram.”
“I suppose that is what you need for a system as colossal as this.”
“They don’t call it a legend for nothing,” he mused. “Now to reverse it.”
“That is outside my expertise. I leave it to you.”
“Certainly, my dear. It will be but a few moments.”
“Sure,” she sarcastically quipped, but Lev did not respond.
Chiyoko silently watched him rearrange the diagram, taking note of where he moved each stroke. Drawing down the final line, Lev set down the charcoal and turned to his companion.
“There you go, my dear!”
“Great.”
“Do you need an expla—”
“I think I got it.”
Standing up, Chiyoko clapped her hands together, resonating her energy and releasing it, reaching out to the node with her aura. Making contact with it, she carefully placed her own nodes on the diagram, frequently tilting her head back down to reference the drawing on the stone. After they were in place, she dropped her arms and took a step back, nodding to her companion.
“They are in place,” she warned. “Stand back.”
“Good luck, dear.”
Bringing her hands together again, she accelerated her resonance, energy pulsing from her faster and faster as her body grew brighter and brighter. She felt the seal weaken, yet retain its structure, dissuaded by the counter-seal on top of it. Exclaiming her annoyance with its resiliency, she kept on pouring more of her energy into the seal, feeling it gradually give away. With the sound of her own resonance deafening the air, she shouted towards her companion.
“Ready yourself!”
“Already on it!” Lev replied, clearly studying the seal up ahead. “Just a tad more! Almost there!”
The castle crept forward as Chiyoko continued to nullify the seal, a gap starting to emerge in the center of this node. The storm visibly altered as well, its dark winds swirling around the gap to reveal a sort of wind funnel. Once the gap was wide enough, Lev hollered a warning.
“Hold on tight!”
With a jerk, the castle shot forward, diving straight into the turbulent tunnel. Darkness engulfed them once more. The ground rumbled, the whole world shaking as the vessel plunged through. Chiyoko tensed, holding control of the counter-seal for dear life. But the journey did not last long, as there was soon a light at the end of the tunnel. The castle barged out, flying into the bright sun. Squinting, they saw what the wall was hiding on the other side. The giant floating fortress.