Elfhome

The last brought the rage he needed.

Iron Mace surged up out of the water and caught hold of the lowest rung. Jumpfish were bouncing off the elf’s shield, trying to snatch him off the wall. Oilcan waited until male had heaved himself up, swearing and grunting with effort and got a foot unto the rung and grabbed the second rung tight.

Oilcan tapped the Spell Stones. Iron Mace looked up, eyes going wide in surprise. Oilcan closed his fist tight in the force strike. Iron Mace’s hand and foot shattered along with the steel of the ladder. The male screamed, falling backwards, his shield vanishing as he flailed in pain, and the jumpfish took him.

45: Impatience

For reasons that weren’t clear to Tinker until much later, Oilcan, Tommy Chang, and Riki Shoji all showed up after all the fireworks were over.

“Hey,” Oilcan called as he scrambled through the wreckage of what had been their home. She whimpered at the sight of him, his eyes and ears proof that he wasn’t human any more. He looked young and haunted, but at least he was alive. She caught hold of him and hugged him despite his efforts to check her for new cuts and bruises.

“You had me worried with that last explosion.” His voice was his own, rough with emotion. “I’m sorry about the hotel.”

She closed her eyes and focused on his voice and the hammering of his heart, like he had just run a race. “It’s just a thing. All things wear out eventually.”

“Usually not so spectacularly,” he unknowing echoed her thoughts about Ginger Wine’s.

She clutched him tighter, giggling. “Well, you’re finally showing the family destructive gene.”

He head-butted her gently. “One occurrence doesn’t indicate a trait.”

“We’ll see. Time will tell.” Tears filled her eyes as she realized that they had forever to see. How could something be in theory a good thing and yet feel so awful?

“Hey, don’t.” Oilcan wiped at her tears. “Or I’ll sic Pony on you.”

“No fair.” She scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her good hand. “I’m fine.”

“Is — Is this Chloe Polanski?” Riki had discovered the body that the kids had covered up with a deflated seahorse float.

“She’s a Skin Clan intanyai seyosa.” Tinker said. “She engineered all this so I would figure how your kids tapped their ability and god knows what else. Oh, Oilcan, I’ve screwed up bad. I’ve lost Rustle.” Tinker waved a hand at the gleaming spell shell. “Well — sort of lost him. I think he’s still right here — but I don’t know how to get him out. Yet.”

Oilcan stalked around the spell, eyeing the gleaming runes. “It’s just a two layered spell? The divination spell from before and a focusing array?”

Tinker sighed. “Yeah. The weirdness is all Rustle. Look at this.” She knelt beside the gleaming spell to point out the ear buds and the pinpoints of blues and greens. “It’s reacting to the music. Really it’s resonance that I think is key. Providence spoke of worlds in harmony. If you think of each world represented by a single note, then the linked worlds will…” Tinker’s knowledge hit a void and she looked at Oilcan to fill in the words.

“Next note in a chord.”

“Yeah, something like that. String theory states that subatomic particles behave like vibrating strings. Subatomic particles make atoms; atoms build into molecules, which forms our DNA. If each world has one grand note, then every living creature would have that note built into their DNA. We resonate to the world of our DNA, so the kids, having dragon DNA, have at least two different ‘notes.’ They might have a ‘chord’ structure. Heck, since the dragons can travel between matter and worlds, the dragons might even start with a chord structure. I think applying a large amount of magic to Rustle allows him to change notes, sliding to the next world in harmony.”

“He’s on Onihida?” Oilcan said with alarm.

Tinker made calming motions. “It’s possible that he’s on all the worlds at once. It depends on how defused he is.”

“What?”

“I don’t think it’s hurting him. The iPod is still playing!”

“How do we free him?” Oilcan asked.

Tinker blew out her breath and tugged at her hair. Yeah — how? “Just need to figure out what this world’s note is…and tell it to him…somehow…and…something.”

“Quiee.” Baby Duck said.

They glanced in unison at the other children, huddled close together.

She really hated to say it aloud but there was no other logical choice. “Since the other kids have the same ability, they might be able to figure out the note.”

“No!” Oilcan snapped.

“I didn’t say I was going to experiment on them!” Tinker cried. “Not directly. We could see if they recognize the note and then tell it to Rustle.”

“Can he even hear us?” Blue Sky asked.

This was how it always went, and there was comfort in the familiar. “We’ll tackle that after we figure out the note. By now you should know the steps of scientific method. Ask a question, do background research…”

“Now I know we’re in trouble.” Blue grumbled. “You only say that when the shit about to hit the fan.”