DarkLight

Part 28: Calm Before The Storm

In the weeks that followed Utopia City remained... quiet. Far too quiet considering Rammachandra had just discovered Sorceress Alexandria and, with the aid of Soran, defeated her for the final time. It worried Soran, and Kisa too. For Soran, on the other hand, the following weeks had been anything but. Since he arrived back in Eresmai, flying through the Shield under his own power and almost being blown out of the sky by the city’s defences Kisa had him under close surveillance. Soran had explained what happened - his encounter with Alexandria, how she had grabbed his arm and left a distinctive white scar and how since then he not only had greater power, but greater control over his abilities. For weeks he had been checked, scanned, hooked up to machines, had blood taken, more scans, mental tests, his abilities measured - it had been hellish to say the least.

Finally after threatening to go back to Utopia City and face the wrath of Rammachandra rather than the prodding and poking he was being subjected to here, Kisa called him into his office.

“You’ve been... changed” Kisa said. Soran had already gathered that and Kisa could tell that he was less than impressed at this response.

“Let me explain - as I told you a couple of months ago Sorceress Alexandria had changed her genertic makeup to allow herself to access her Arcane Energies more effectively, increasing her power but irreversibly changing her perception and leaving her seemingly devoid of her humanity. It seems that there was more to her transormation than we thought”.

“I take it this has something to do with what she did to me and Rammachandra?” Soran asked, getting frustrated with Kisa’s calm and slow explainations.

“Indeed. It seems that Sorceress Alexandria’s powers made her inadvertently change the genetic makeup of those around her too”.

“Does this mean I’m gonna end up like her!?” He was worried now, Soran knew that she had done something but he still felt... himself.

“I do not believe so, Soran. However if she held on to you and Rammachandra longer than you said then that may well of been the case. Alexandria seems to have... reshuffled your genetic makeup rather than mutating it like hers. She has not changed you inherently, although she has somehow re-arranged your genetic makeup to allow for the easier passage of Arcane Energy throughout your body. Its as if a new, straight trench has been dug through a miandering river - the energies do not have to lose potency as they travel through you from your Arcane Cortex, and your Cortex itself can handle much greater excesses of Arcane Energy. Basically Soran, the floodgates have been opened”.

“I gathered that - I can fly now and have far greater control over my abilities - you’ve seen that I can even control the other elements now. But I need to know - am I in danger? Will this harm me?” That’s all he cared about - if this was gonna kill him then he was going after Rammachandra now, while he still could.

“That’s why we’ve been running so many tests. I was concerned that the energy would, frankly, damage you-rip apart your body. But it seems that Alexandria’s power and your human dexterity have prevailed. There’s no risk to your physical wellbeing”.

“That’s good news, thank you Lord Kisa” Soran replied. “But what about her? She received the same touch from Sorceress Alexandria. Why was she looking for her?”.

“Well... I’m afraid that’s where I’ve not been so clear with you Soran. I believe I know the reasons for Rammachandra’s seach for the Sorceress. I believe she wantes to conclude what she started over thirty years ago - The Jubilee Project”.