War of the Spark, page 6
Her thoughts raced back to him, spilling out in a loud psychic jumble. I’m fine. We’re fine. What about you? Is Gideon okay? Lavinia? Teferi? Jace, it was the Planar Bridge that Tezzeret stole. It opened up inside your library. Or inside the building. Or through the building. I could only make out a part of its curve, but the portal must be massive. Bigger than the embassy. It could easily have swallowed us whole. We’re lucky to—
Chandra, slow down. Clear your thoughts. I need you to focus. I don’t want to leave this psychic link open for too long or let it create too much telepathic noise. We’re fine. We were halfway across the plaza when the Bridge opened. But it’s a true disaster. There are people dying out here. Do you need help? Can the four of you make your way out on your own?
I think so. I mean, no, we don’t need help, and, yes, we can make it out.
Then I’ll shut off the link for now. I don’t want it to alert Bolas to our presence. He knows we’re coming, but he doesn’t necessarily know we’re here. Not yet anyway. And in any case, I don’t want him to be able to pinpoint our locations. Take care.
The link went dead. Jace’s mind was silenced within hers. Usually, she disliked his mental intrusions—any mental intrusions—but right now the loss of his “voice” felt like an absence, another void. She instantly missed him. And Chandra wondered whether his precautions weren’t pointless. She found it hard to believe the Planar Bridge had opened where it had at random. By now she knew enough of Bolas to know everything he did was done with purpose. Or two purposes. Or twelve.
Still, Jace is right. We don’t need to advertise. If there’s even a chance the dragon doesn’t know where we are, we’ll need to exploit it for all it’s worth. We’ll get him. We’ll get Bolas yet.
If these ants weren’t so insulting, I’d almost find them amusing. Did Nalaar, Beleren and the rest of their little friends actually believe they could hide themselves from Nicol Bolas?
No, the dragon had felt every individual arrival the moment each had landed on Ravnica. How could they not imagine that Bolas was tracking every move the “mighty Gatewatch” made? Truly, these so-called heroes were even more naïve than he had thought.
Beleren, Jura, Teferi and the Azorius woman Lavinia were all in the plaza below him, under the preposterous impression that a little spell of invisibility could hide them from the mind of an Elder Dragon. Even his weak brother Ugin would have noticed their presence. And they thought Bolas could be fooled?
And their allies? Goldmane, Nalaar, Ballard and Karn were inside the embassy. It was, Bolas had to admit, a minor miracle that they had all survived the opening of the Bridge’s portal. But that would be the last miracle any of them would see today.
Vess, of course, was in position. Ready to do her master’s bidding in order to save her own mystically tattooed skin. Another minion, Baan, guarded the Immortal Sun.
Bolas let his mind range wider. What other Planeswalkers were on Ravnica? There was a boy he didn’t recognize, newly sparked, with the scent of Gobakhan upon him. He was close by, as was the thief Fayden. The dragon’s former stooges, Kaya and Zarek, were en route, after separate attempts to consolidate their power within their two guilds, which each now led by default. (Neither had met with tremendous success, as both owed their ascensions to Bolas. When they abandoned his service, the dragon, in turn, abandoned them. And without his support, they had little hope of consolidating a meat pie, let alone a guild.) Likewise, “Guildmaster” Rade was sitting by a bonfire in the Gruul crater trying to lock in his own feeble power base. Bolas could still help him if he chose, and he considered it. He had arranged for Rade’s rise, too. But there was no point. Bolas had no use for Rade now.
No use but one.
At the other end of the city, Tamiyo and Kiora had arrived mere minutes ago and were now seeking to join up with Goldmane. Narset and Samut had each come separately in response to the Beacon.
And just this second another Planeswalker had arrived in Rakdos territory.
Who? Ah, yes. Ob Nixilis. He, at least, is mildly interesting. Well, maybe interesting isn’t quite the right word? Slightly less dull, perhaps?
And more were coming. More would come. Bolas knew all their names; he knew all their abilities. Their strengths and weaknesses. The cracks in all their armors. Bolas had made it his business to know.
Before the day was over, a few hundred Planeswalkers would answer the call of Niv-Mizzet’s Beacon. The invention had been that infant dragon’s fail-safe plan. If all else failed, Zarek would activate the Beacon, summoning the Planeswalkers, who would arrive to save the day. Since all else did fail, since Bolas had reduced Mizzet to a pile of bones, the Beacon was indeed activated. And not a single pathetic-excuse-for-a-sentient-being had noticed that Bolas himself had planted the idea for the Beacon in what passed for Niv-Mizzet’s “Firemind.”
Bolas couldn’t help but smile.
The Planeswalkers are coming—oh, maybe not all of them, but enough, enough.
They’d follow the Beacon in and be trapped on Ravnica by the Immortal Sun, leaving them at the mercy of the dragon’s machinations. His plans proceeded like clockwork. Tezzeret was on Amonkhet and had already activated the first knell of that doomsday clock by opening the Bridge.
Bolas realized he was gloating and wondered for a moment whether such an emotion was beneath him. But it was difficult to engage in any real self-reproach. So far, his enemies had managed to engender literally no surprises for the Elder Dragon. None. The only thing that even verged on surprise was how little the Gatewatch had prepared for this day. After the way he had brutalized them on Amonkhet, he had assumed they’d have come up with some kind of plan to face him now.
Something! It would certainly have been pathetic and hopeless, but at least it would have been a strategy.
But ants don’t strategize. They simply follow their instincts, endlessly repeating the same actions, trodding the same course, over and over and over again, no matter the results.
Oh, yes, this time the ants might march a few feet to the left instead of to the right. But they still march, even if they march toward certain doom.
They simply never learn.
Bolas was actually a little embarrassed for them.
The only Ravnican Planeswalker Bolas couldn’t locate right at that moment was Vraska. His mind scoured the city-world, leaving him confident she was no longer on the Plane. She must have fled to another. That wasn’t a surprise, either, but it was a small disappointment. He had very much wanted to punish her for her stray moments of rebellion. But he’d catch up with her eventually. He’d catch up with every single Planeswalker in the Multiverse eventually, whether they came to Ravnica today or not.
After all, there was time. He was an immortal. Once, he had even been a god. And soon—very soon—Nicol Bolas would be a god again…
Enough was enough.
Jace was, after all, the Living Guildpact. It’s not like he had wanted that power. In fact, he generally resented the responsibilities that came with it. There had been an ancient sphinx, a puzzle, a maze, a bailiff and a gift that generally felt more like a curse. It was all so complicated, but it added up to this: The magics that bound Ravnica through its ten ruling guilds and the leylines of power that ran beneath the city had found their primary locus in the person of Jace Beleren.
The magical muscle that came with being the Living Guildpact was indeed mighty. What Jace declared as law came instantly into being. He had to be careful—or at least selective. He couldn’t abuse the process. Like a judge, he had to interpret the actual written Guildpact in making his pronouncements. He couldn’t simply wish anything into being—or non-being, for that matter. He’d tested that a couple of times on insignificant matters. Wished for a slice of glazed trdeljic cake and the like. No cake had appeared, of course, because there was nothing in the law that said an individual was entitled to a free dessert simply because he, she or they happened to be in the mood. But on much more weighty matters, Jace had wielded tremendous mystic authority by following either the letter or the spirit of the law, or both.
That’s why he had hesitated up to this point. If it had been within his scope, he gladly would have banished Nicol Bolas from this Plane. Or wished him dead. But there was nothing in the Guildpact that made the dragon’s appearance on Ravnica illegal. Even the creation of the pyramid and the statue were debatable offenses, as Tenth District Plaza was neutral territory. If Jace had tried to command them away or used them as an excuse to attack Bolas, it might have worked. But given Bolas’ own considerable power, it might have failed. And Jace would have shown his hand—and the limits of it.
When the four of them had left the embassy, the plan had been simple enough. Use Jace’s own mental powers of illusion and Teferi’s control over time to get them close enough to Bolas so that Jace could issue a magical arrest warrant on charges as simple as disturbing the peace. Jace would “interpret” that warrant as a spell of temporary paralysis, and then Gideon would use Blackblade to kill the dragon. Under the law, Gideon would have to be punished for this crime. But Jace could use a mercy clause in the Guildpact to minimize that punishment to nearly nothing. Community service. Picking up trash, maybe. Gideon might even enjoy that.
But the Planar Bridge changed everything. The portal had killed people and demolished the Embassy of the Guildpact. Any attempt to interfere with the Guildpact was punishable in any number of ways—including death—and any demonstrably devastating threat to Ravnica was clearly within Jace Beleren’s legal purview. Now he felt certain he could use the Guildpact’s power. Close that Bridge and end the threat Bolas presented by ending Bolas once and for all.
Jace, Gideon, Teferi and Lavinia were still invisible to all other eyes. Gideon had started back toward the embassy, but Jace grabbed his shoulder and reached out with his mind. They’re all right, Jace whispered telepathically over the link. I checked. They’re all alive, unhurt and making their way out.
That’s good. But there are bystanders over there, hurting and still in danger. We need to help, Gideon stated.
And we will. But give me two minutes to act as the Living Guildpact, and I can stop all this. Once the dragon’s dead and the portal’s closed, “helping” will be considerably easier.
Jace could see that Gideon was still chomping at the bit to jump into action, but even Mr. Great-Big-Hero could see the wisdom of what Jace was saying.
Two minutes, Gideon thought at him.
Or less.
Jace exchanged glances with Lavinia and Teferi. Lavinia nodded once. It might not seem like much to anyone else, but Jace knew that for her, it was the equivalent of a rousing speech, and it heartened him. Truthfully, Lavinia had always (gruffly) believed in Jace’s potential as the Living Guildpact more than Jace himself ever had.
Teferi shrugged a little and offered, Good luck.
Jace steeled himself, gathering up Ravnica’s magic. Something felt different. Something felt disconnected. Something felt wrong. Or maybe that was just his own insecurity, his own doubts. This was no time for that. With one last touch upon Lavinia’s mind and its firm resolve, Jace Beleren summoned the full power of the Living Guildpact.
“The dragon Nicol Bolas has murdered Ravnican citizens and interfered with the Guildpact by destroying its embassy. As Living Guildpact, this is my decree: Close that portal. Execute Bolas.”
Nothing happened.
“CLOSE THAT PORTAL.”
Nothing.
“EXECUTE THE DRAGON NICOL BOLAS.”
Nothing.
Jace searched for the Guildpact’s power. He reached down deep into himself. He reached out wide across Ravnica.
Nothing. Nothing.
What’s wrong? Gideon asked with a touch of impatience that made Jace want to punch him.
I don’t know.
But Jace thought that maybe he did. He realized that maybe he’d spent the last few minutes talking himself into believing something he already knew wouldn’t work.
I’ve lost it. I’ve lost the power.
Jace—
Damnit, Gideon, I’m no longer the Living Guildpact!
How?
Lavinia thought, The alliance among the ten guilds has always been tenuous at best. When Vraska killed Isperia and we were all betrayed the result was catastrophic. The allegiances among the guilds were totally shattered. Perhaps the Guildpact itself was extinguished.
Then reignite the damn thing! Gideon commanded.
If only it were that simple, Jace thought to himself.
And then grimly over the link: It’s not about the guilds. They’ve never trusted each other, which was the whole point of the Pact. No, it’s the leylines. The leylines of Ravnica converged on the Embassy of the Guildpact. That’s why it was built there. And that’s why Bolas had the Planar Bridge open there. So that the leylines would be disrupted. It did the job. The Guildpact and the magic it commands have dissolved. Perhaps permanently.
And your word-is-law thing?
Gone. Over. Done. One more weapon in our arsenal lost…
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jace Beleren could hear the dragon laugh.
Gideon growled and took off, racing toward the portal to save whomever he could from the disaster.
Teferi shouted over Jace’s telepathic link: Nine Hells, Gideon, wait! I’m not as young as I used to be, and I can’t keep up!
“We have to save those people!” Gideon shouted out loud over his shoulder.
Jace reminded him: Will you be quiet? We’re trying to keep that sword hidden from Bolas!
Lavinia was the only one fast enough to grab Gideon’s arm. He wheeled around on her, eyes wet.
We have to help. Every second counts.
She grabbed his face between two gauntleted hands and whispered for him alone, “I know. This is my world. These are my people. But you must stay hidden. Blackblade is our last hope.”
He nodded once and wiped his eyes.
Jace thought, Obviously, we’re not going after Bolas right now. I’m dropping the invisibility spell around us so I can focus my energies on masking Blackblade and its power.
They all started moving back toward the Planar Bridge.
And that’s when Gideon saw her. She was stepping gingerly up onto some wreckage. She reached the top of a fallen balustrade, stood up straight and paused.
Liliana Vess.
She’d made it to Ravnica after all.
Gideon smiled. He turned to glare at Jace.
I told you so! I told you she’d come!
Jace didn’t respond. He simply stared in Liliana’s direction.
Gideon told him, Link her up. We need to bring her up to speed.
Jace still didn’t respond. Gideon realized he wasn’t looking at Liliana. Jace was staring past her at the portal.
Gideon turned.
Something was emerging from the portal.
An army. An army was marching through the Planar Bridge.
But that’s not possible, Gideon thought. Nothing organic can travel through the portal.
And then instantly he knew. This was not an army of organic beings. Not anymore. They were Eternals from the devastated plane of Amonkhet. The plane that Nicol Bolas had all but destroyed.
On Amonkhet, the Gatewatch had uncovered another of Bolas’ long-term plans. For decades, the people of Amonkhet had trained themselves to be warriors. Then, when the best of the best had trained to perfection, they were killed and mummified, embalmed in layer after layer of the blue lazotep mineral, until they were fully coated, fully shielded. Little about them remained organic at all. Then they were resurrected, with all their skills and strength—and absolutely no will of their own. Now they served only Bolas.
Gideon had seen them in action on Amonkhet. They had murdered everyone in their path. Brothers killed brothers. Parents killed children. Lovers killed those they loved the most.
This was the fate Bolas had in store for Ravnica. This Dreadhorde was Bolas’ invasion force. And once again, the Gatewatch had failed to stop it.
Unless…
Gideon turned back to Liliana. She was the most powerful necromancer Gideon had ever seen.
If she could take control of the Eternals…
He watched her don the Chain Veil, its burnished-gold links glinting in the sun. Gideon bit his lip. The Veil increased Liliana’s power, but that power had come very close to killing her. And he wasn’t always sure just how much she controlled it—or it controlled her.
Still, if any scenario calls for taking that risk…
The Veil covered most of her face. But even at this distance, he could see—and more so feel—its mystic energy flow through and about her. The etchings on her exposed skin—forehead, chest and fingers—began to glow purple. Her eyes began to glow purple behind the Veil. He could see the power rippling off her. He could hear Liliana Vess scream.
She’s doing it…
He turned toward the Eternals. Their eyes glowed purple, too. As one, the marching Dreadhorde halted and turned to look at their mistress.
She’s taken control of them. She’ll use them as a weapon against the dragon…
But then, with a clear wave of her arm, the Eternals turned to march toward the citizens of Ravnica, still recovering from the portal’s destruction and staring as the approaching Dreadhorde closed in. Gideon wanted to believe Liliana was using the undead to aid the living. He wanted to believe that desperately. Still, he started running again.
Please, please…
The Eternal on point reached a young human woman, who was trying to free her husband or boyfriend or brother from under fallen stone. She looked up at the approaching Eternal. Paralyzed with horror, she didn’t move a muscle as the Eternal stepped up and snapped her neck. Gideon was still some distance away, but he heard the crack, felt it in his own body.
No…
They all ran toward the mounting carnage, Jace, Lavinia and Teferi just behind Gideon. Heartbroken, he glanced back over his shoulders at their grim faces. The link was silent. Gideon had expected an I told you so from Jace, who’d been saying for weeks that Liliana couldn’t be trusted, that she had been using the Gatewatch to kill her own personal demons, to free herself from the contract that bound her to their will. They had done that. Gideon and Liliana had together used Blackblade to kill the last of these demons. He had personally seen to it that she won her freedom. Had delayed coming to Ravnica to do it. He had believed that freedom would grant her the power to help them defeat Bolas. He had believed her when she said she wanted to use that power to help them defeat Bolas. Instead she now used it to serve the dragon.
