A Trickle of Soulfyre

Chapter 5 - Objective

Lyrani swallowed. "How exactly are we to do that? I fear expecting two agents to eliminate a clan of unknown size on our own would be a stretch on our combined skills and talents."

"You make an excellent point, Lyrani." Lord Dundor nodded as he leaned forward in his chair, leaving no doubt that he had thought of this point before it crossed Lyrani's mind. "That's why Camlir has beacon rocks to issue to you."

"Beacon rocks?" Agent Phen blinked, frowning.

Like Lyrani, she hadn't heard about ECISI's newest gadget either.

"Beacon rocks," repeated Lord Dundor.

Behind him, Camlir rose to his full, lanky frame, setting two spheres carved from stone onto Nash's desk with long fingers. They were hollow with windows looking into their internal emptiness. They were like suits of armour, but for what?

"What goes inside them?" asked Lyrani.

"Good question," said Lord Dundor.

Camlir held a calloused hand out to Lyrani, his voice both soft and steady. "Agent Esch, your call crystal, if you please."

She fumbled in her backpack until her fingers brushed against the cool, smooth surface of her deep blue crystal. She withdrew it and dropped it into Camlir's palm.

The call crystal had barely touched his hand before his fingers were closing around it and slipping it into the window cut into one of the stone spheres. It clattered to the bottom of the bubble of rock.

Camlir offered it to Lyrani. She took it, uncertain what to expect.

"Say your name," the gadget master said.

"Lyrani Esch."

Inside the beacon rock, the call crystal hummed in recognition of the name and voice it had heard so many times before.

"Press your fingers against the top."

Lyrani touched her four fingers to the stone surface as Camlir commanded. The call crystal burst into blue light that emitted from the slit through which it had entered the beacon rock.

The gadget master held up the second beacon rock, which was still empty, to demonstrate his instructions as he spoke. "With two fingers, tap the top twice to see a map of the agents nearest to you. Note that these are only the agents who are also carrying a beacon rock."

Once again, Lyrani followed his order. A bird's eye view of Vlitavia Forest spread into the air in front of her. She was the only golden spot in sight, labelled by name with bold letters.

"If you need help, tap the top twice with three fingers. A distress signal will be sent to all agents carrying a beacon rock. If any of them are near enough to be of assistance, they are obliged to aid you, but not at the risk of their own mission, and you are to do the same." Camlir's round, grave eyes held Lyrani's.

Lyrani nodded, rolling the new gadget around her palm, into which it fitted comfortably. The gadget master had outdone himself this time. Lyrani had never seen or heard of anything like this beacon rock before.

It would no doubt be useful, and now that it had memorised her name and fingerprints, there was no threat of its two life-saving functions being used against her.

Camlir had really thought of everything, proving that yet again as he handed Lyrani a glistening pouch. "Put your beacon rock inside this. It will be safe and protected by the elf-made leather."

"Thank you," Lyrani murmured.

"No problem." Camlir gave her a faint smile and a formal nod before holding his hand out for Agent Phen's blood-red call crystal.