Chapter 16-423: A Big Eye to the Heavens (1/2)

They all watched her as she rose into the sky, and there was a crack and flash of silver-edged jet streaking off for the horizon.

They were all stone cold sober now, staring after her, and feeling that ringing in their hearts, like nothing they had ever felt before.

They could recall her saying those Words in her videos, and just thinking back on it made their hearts skip as they realized what she said, and the Truth flowing through it all. They were going to have to watch them all again...

“I’m gonna have to talk to my dad,” someone muttered. “Anyone, anyone’s granddad still around? We should talk to them...”

“Yeah, yeah, my grampa’s still around...” someone else replied.

“Don’t forget the women. Their job’s a lot different now, too...” another man mentioned. “I don’t think my wife can sew...”

“What’s alchemical ammo cost?” one guy asked hesitantly, glancing at his shotgun on the ground.

“’bout a hunnert times normal ammo,” someone said after a moment, which sobered them all.

“Heard they are trying to make engines, run on gear-winding or magic,” another one offered.

“Small. Four, eight-rows you can plow at most,” another agreed. “Got the plans on the site. Know a guy tryin’ t’ get the designs right.”

Harry Hopkins reached down, picked up the rifle on the ground, and sighed. “I think we should put the guns away, and sit down and watch the sky open up, boys. Get the girls out there, and stare at the shit out there that wants to take it all away from us.”

“Fuck them!” another guy spoke up, and got some quiet murmurs of agreement.

“My gramma cried her eyes out when they opened the sky this winter. Said she could die happy.”

“Having that around all the time, sure would be sumthin’.”

“Go getcher women,” Harry waved, heading towards his truck, rifle held at ease. “I gotta call my dad...”

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“Alright, everyone. We take this slow and proper and we do it Right.”

My Voice carried for a mile in all directions, so there was no doubt everyone was hearing it.

The sun had quietly gone down, and I’d given Aethra’s Salute with a thousand others, solemn and acknowledging everything.

But there was magic and readiness crackling in the air now. This was more than just defiance and ceremony. This was WILLPOWER.

The entire second Ring was stronger than the First Ring had been in prior years. There were more Warlocks, and pretty much all of them were as strong as the strongest Warlocks of prior years.

Legion and Shvaughn could participate while standing watch, sending out their Wrath to Azaia and The Mick, who was wearing an Eldritch Theurge Bracer attuned to Shvaughn. That didn’t surprise me, nor the fact that he swapped it with Amaretta regularly.

Over two thousand Chinese, Korean, and even Australian Casters had shown up to participate, in addition to Priests, Arcanists, and Heartsingers from all over the country.

It was a lot of people. The Church had borrowed a nearby high school soccer field in an open area to make room for everyone and arrange the circles. We could easily return it to grass tomorrow.

Idle conversation fell away at my words, and people focused, especially as I began to Sing.

Well over half of those present were in The Jet and Silver, and many more were intending to join. Those in my Allegiance had naturally heard me Sing, and there was no way recordings could do it justice. +64 with the Words was no joke at all, and magic thrummed for hundreds of miles around as my Voice rose.

Other Voices rose to join it, trying to find that note, the power, and touch the Sublime Chord’s wordless Song. I wove it all together with Cooperative Spell, and it began to rise, rise towards the Haze above, which was already churning before I had even started the spell proper.

Divine magic piled into Heartsong. Arcane magic reverberated and joined in. Eldritch energies from Pacts were an unending torrent, and even the Natural magic of Druids was flowing organically through the whole.

Winding, spinning, Singing in the Sublime Chord. Ley Lines were sparkling, visible for hundreds of miles at the power flowing through them, visible to everyone in hues beyond what mere eyes could see, swirling and building in a massive, gentle vortex towards the grey Haze above.

The souls trapped within the Haze hereabouts had already vacated the area, knowing what was coming. The earth and wind rumbled together as I wove together the Control Weather, the amount of energy available this time at least five times what it had been six months ago, which amounted to about another +20 to the check... which was really freaking impressive.