Kriki's Gift, Chapter 29, Reading 29

The excitement builds as the release of 

Kriki's Gift, Book Two of the Geometry of Power 

draws near.

The scene in the cavern had turned into bedlam. Two men seemed to be exercising some control and were intentionally whipping the mob into a lathered fury. The crowd responded by waving their weapons in the air and screaming hysterically.

"'Tis an ugly scene, Sire," Gegen warned ominously. "We need to act quickly before the mob is unleashed."

"Agreed. Flindra, do you have any suggestions how best to generate an energy wave capable of collapsing the roof?"

"I do. Gegen, you did an excellent job visualizing a barrier. If you do that again, Kalmar and I can work to fill the inside with energy. Then when we're ready you can drop the barrier."

"I can do that."

"Kalmar, you and I need to think of the powerful forces of nature, such as spring floods, gale force wind storms, powerful thunderstorms and the like. I think our thoughts will be translated into energy just as Gegen's visualization of granite worked so effectively to create the barrier which trapped the Valkea."

"Let's get to it," Kalmar agreed. His tone with filled with urgency.

Gegen instantly threw his thoughts into creating the barrier. He drew from his recent experience holding in the Valkea, but this time he added the image of a powerful dam to the attributes of his granite wall. This was a structure capable of holding back the raging waters of a flood. In his mind he could see the crests of wind-swept waves crashing against the dam face to be effortlessly deflected by the massive stonework so the water, soundly chastened, flowed back into the lake.

Flindra drew upon her memories of the ferocious summer thunderstorms that would build all day above the Greyfell Mountains. The wind would grow strong as the clouds drew in surrounding air along with moisture from Lake Eghero. Clouds would rise to unimaginable heights, fueled by the power of the roiling and churning internal winds. By afternoon, the thunderheads would darken, lightning would flash, and thunder would echo against the distant peaks. Then the monster storms would sally forth and batter the forest, the lake and surrounding lands with deafening thunder, pounding hail, torrential rains and tempestuous winds so formidable they transformed Lake Eghero into a wild and dangerous thing capable of swallowing up any craft, regardless of how skilled the fishermen and sailors aboard. Howling gales could effortlessly uproot decades-old trees, snap off branches or even split trees asunder. Hail would strip trees and bushes bare of leaves, making the forest floor look as if it had snowed in green once the hail pellets melted. All creatures, feathered or furred, sought shelter for to remain in the open could mean death. Such times also ended all human activity as well for nothing could be done outdoors until the storms were finally spent of their fury.

She poured details and distinct memories of such storms into the White and the crystal took her images and translated them into a dominating force. A whirlpool of power exploded into existence inside Gegen's barrier and pressed mightily against the restriction of his containing field. His barrier held against her storm of energy just as his imaginary dam repelled the pent up anger of surging waves.