Swept

Bre was more tired than he had ever been in his entire life. The Azmin guard had divided into six divisions and were rotating in and out of battle. Two of those damn knots took two days each to bring under control. The third took a day but seemed just as taxing and now the fourth seemed to promise to be even more harrowing.

His division just finished their shift at the front and moved back as Zolon's moved forward. Bre wanted to sleep but he was scheduled to meet with Cer, Cramnal, and Shain.

He moved quickly toward the meeting place. Their terra firma wielders built elaborate buildings. They were meeting in a red and grey structure made of blocks and wood. It was a two story broad building and it radiated magic because it had no mortar or nail. Only magic kept it together.

Bre wanted sleep. He would need to return to the fight soon and rest was vital but his brothers wanted to speak without the guard commanders. At first Bre was opposed to it. Why shut them out? They needed to know everything to be truly effective. Especially Yanira, Zolon, and Tillynia.

When he entered the room relaxed as if they had been anxiously waiting for him.

"Bre needs to rest let's begin now."

"Cer is right." Cramnal looked at his siblings. "Rachel has been wounded. Rebecca has reported that she is wounded and not healing simultaneously. Even though she is in this condition she sent Rebecca back to our position."

There was silence in the room for a long moment.

Bre looked to Shain. He knew that Shain was the one that wanted to keep the guard out of the meeting. "If this is the case we need to inform everyone. This will drive them to want to complete the task as soon as possible to get to Rachel."

He looked suspiciously at his brother. "Or are you up to something Shain?"

Shain smirked smugly. "Are you sure that is what the information will do? They may realize that their Milana has become ineffective." Shain began speaking faster when he saw Cer's eyes widen.

"We need to be honest with ourselves. She could not sense the problems in the realm. She put forth plans that were completely ineffective and…"

"Stop! Stop talking right now!" Bre shouted, his hands waving in the air in protest and his nerves rattled. "Shain! We all know how capable you are at manipulation. Especially after what you did to Anis. How in the hell did you decide to go back to that? How could you feel…"

Bre stopped talking. Too frustrated to speak to his brother. He just sat heavily in his seat and shook his head.

The room was absolutely silent. The brothers merely looked at each other in disbelief. Shain quietly contemplated what he would need to do next.

Cramnal spoke first. "We will continue. I called this meeting not Shain he only demanded the commanders be left out." He looked to the door. "Rebecca please bring them in."

The door swung open and Rebecca, Yanira, and Tillynia entered the room. Rebecca had an accusatory smirk on her face. She looked at Shain and saw the two small swirls of smoke on his shoulders. Shain's manipulation ability was dampened due to them but she could tell that he continually used it to a lesser degree.

When she spoke she addressed the other brothers and ignored Shain. "Now. We need to talk about Rachel. I think she is okay but I would not be her protector without telling you about her condition."

Yanira looked between Rebecca and the others with concern. "What has happened to the Milana?"

"Hmph! She has failed again. That is what happened."

Everyone looked to Shain. Their expressions varied from disgust to frustration. He simply averted his eyes and remained silent.

The two Alyanna on Shain's shoulders stirred. The smoke swelled to cover his shoulders, chest and neck. Shain strained a bit but said nothing. When they returned to miniscule swirls of smoke Shain's eyes became blank and his face was expressionless.

Yanira stepped forward. "We need to help her. What do we need to do Lady Rebecca? "

"We have to finish with these knots quickly and the complete a diamond formation that will be focused into the abyss."

Tillynia looked to Rebecca. "A diamond formation focused there could destroy the realm." She thought for a moment. "Has she given a location for us to focus the formation? "

Rebecca shook her head. "Not yet."

Tillynia nodded "If we have the exact location it will not be a problem. I will gather guard together that will be optimal for creating the formation."

Yanira looked to Shain. "This behavior can not go on."

He looked at her expressionlessly "It is necessary. You all need to understand how her flaws effect us."

She rolled her eyes at him. "We are all flawed. She is exalted because she is the Milana not because she is perfect." She shook her head. "You do not understand our realm or the importance of our race."

She looked to Cer and nodded in respect. "Tillynia and I will prepare for the formation." She looked to Rebecca. "Please tell us the abyss location as soon as you know."

Rebecca nodded her ascent.

Cramnal walked to Rebecca. "He is subdued but still a problem?"

Rebecca shook her head in frustration. "He is a sky writer and they are fate manipulators of a high order. But if my guard sense danger they will bring him down without harming him. They are lost within fate and counter fate magic well."

"Okay. The three of us will need to go to the front next. Let's make sure our people are ready."

Rachel was bleeding profusely. She had been for longer than should have been possible for any being who had blood circulating through their body to live. Still she was lucid, she had stamina, and her mind was clear.

The abyss was a dense unfathomable black but it was not empty and it was not bottomless. It actually had a bottom of terra firma harder than granite. It was considered an abyss due to its structure and its anomalies.

First it encircled the sky. Most did not know this due to how high the sky stretched. Second it could injure people, mind, body, and soul, just by the person entering.

As she sat a fresh wound appeared on her right upper arm. It was a jagged thing and fresh blood spilled from it and down her elbow.

As she continued searching the abyss more wounds appeared and the deeper she searched the graver the wounds became.

She was searching an area beneath Sibba when she found it. It was a hill rising high through the dense abyss. Atop it was a large gold and silver monument. It looked like a large coin or medallion with an eight sided star shape cut out of the center. It hung suspended from an obsidian arch marred by gold and silver veins.

Her spirit sight rose to see the underside of Sibba. She and Rebecca had just been there and there had been no indication of a knot. As she looked there was still no indication. But she could see the roots from the vines that created Sibba's newest sacred building.

The vines wrapped around the crystalized underside of Sibba. Rachel looked in wrapped fascination. She could see defensive magics pouring from them.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at a fate map of Sibba. She saw black tendrils approach the crystal, seeking entry, and being roughly sent away. She watched as thicker and thicker tendrils approached and all were rejected with many being destroyed.

'Is grandmother protecting this place because of this monument? What is this monument?'

She looked at the hill and the coin and realize there was an alter beneath the hanging "coin". She used her sight to see below the hill. Inside there was a cave with runes carved on the walls and a second alter directly below the one on the hill.

'How could I not know this place?' Her confusion became frustration as she realized many of the previous Milana did not see a need in knowing about the abyss.

Rachel knew instantly that she needed to examine ancient Milana memories and begin the explorationof the abyss.

How could there be an unexplored area of their home?

She told Rebecca and Struns the location for the formation focus, stood, and teleported in the opposite direction.