Shadow Mage Read online

  When she had spoken the word “heavy,” every guardsman wielding their blades sank to their knees in unison, faces pale and strained, and dropped their swords like it was the heaviest thing on earth.

  “Now what weapon do you have left to wield?” Mistress Cavares laughed and covered her mouth shyly. “Men…all grown up but still boys.”

  Through the gate marched a unit of guardsmen flying the colors of House Storm. Father’s men, thought Talis, feelings of hope and pride rising. Would they be able to keep this nightmare from turning far worse? He recognized Father’s captain of the guard, Rallian, and waved.

  “No one is to touch young Master Talis except his father’s guard,” shouted Rallian. “We’re here to escort the boy home.”

  “Home?” yelled the captain of House Lei. “As this witch commanded, he must be taken to the Order. We will help escort him to the Order’s chambers and see to it that no trickery happens.”

  Talis couldn’t believe the feuding between the royal houses had gotten this bad. The air was bristling with the threat of violence. Mara’s father would be furious. There would be blood on the streets tonight, and all because of Ralakh Lei’s death and House Storm’s involvement.

  Mistress Cavares patted his shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself, boy. I should have undone the spell once I heard horses.” She sighed a heavy sigh. “It is hard to explain…the mood that possesses me after summoning the gods. The gods care little for ways of mortal men, and a good bit of that attitude can rub off on me when they have shown their presence. It’s a merciless and cold feeling.”

  Talis understood little of what she was talking about, but nodded as if understanding anyways. She was strange, indeed. He locked his eyes on Rallian and marched forward through the crowd, allowing Father’s men to envelop him. But he wasn’t fooled for a moment that he was actually safe inside Naru. The only place he really felt safe was in the Temple of the Sun.

  They marched through the lower city, the soldiers pushing their way through a crowd that had formed around the arena. Talis scanned around and spotted several instigators shouting curses at him. Probably paid by House Lei to start a riot, Talis thought. Rumors had swirled that Mara’s father had eyes on the throne. King Balmarr Merillia remained silent. Everyone knew he was old and his mind was failing. The stress of the Jiserian siege had taken its toll.

  As they left the tunnel to the upper part of Naru, children above tossed cabbages and tomatoes and onions onto the soldiers. An egg landed on Rallian’s silver helm. He glanced angrily around the crowd as if he intended to maim the source of the attack. His eyes found nothing but a scattering group of vagabond boys.

  He whistled and gestured for two lines of soldiers to push the crowd back and open up a pathway towards the Temple of the Dawn. The temple dome still remained broken, but many of the administrative buildings and teaching facilities were undamaged. Other deeper, secret chambers, including the Order’s crypts and archives, were locked shut and guarded well.

  “What have you done?” Master Viridian stood with an expression of contempt and disappointment on his face. “First you bring black magic into our midst, and now this?”

  “It’s not black magic—” Talis was interrupted by Master Viridian’s raised hand.

  “Enough talk here. Mistress Cavares, he is your pupil, lead him down to the Order’s chambers. We will conduct our interrogation there. House Lei has brought formal charges against Talis.” He frowned at her. “They have provided credible witnesses.”

  “Credible?” Mistress Cavares scoffed. “Now those drunkards are credible in the eyes of the Order? My how the wind changes.” She looked at Master Viridian with mistrustful eyes.

  “They are members of House Lei, and Viceroy Lei vouches for them.”

  Master Jai of the Order motioned Talis inside. “This way, if you please.”

  When Talis arrived at the Order’s chambers, he couldn’t help but notice the lack of magical energy compared to the last time he’d visited. The air no longer crackled with power from the old temple crystal. Golden candles lined the stone interior of the vast, underground chamber. Comfort was not an option here. There were no seats or table like the Sej Elder’s chambers. The far side of the room contained seven levels of ranking where wizards now stood and stared accusingly at Talis.

  These were familiar faces, those Talis had fought with side by side in the battle against the Jiserians. He thought he still had allies here, but from the expression of suspicion and mistrust in their eyes, he knew all that was gone now.

  Master Viridian ambled up the stairs to the top level and turned to address those gathered around the room. “We are here to judge the case of murder…murder against one of our own. Ralakh Lei was slain today by the power of dark magic.” He jabbed the air with his finger pointing at Talis. “And this young royal and student of the Order is accused of this crime.”

  The crowd murmured and glanced around at each other and at Talis.

  “Let me continue.” Master Viridian raised a hand to settle the crowd. “Justice for this kind of heinous crime can be only one thing.” He glanced at Talis with cold, doubtful eyes. Talis remembered Master Viridian’s distant expression after he’d shown him the black crystal and wondered if that was the reason his old master was treating him like this.

  When silence returned to the room, Master Viridian focused his gaze on Talis.

  “The penalty if proven guilty is death…and we will not be lenient.”

  6. DARK HAND OF THE GODS

  Talis felt himself shrink at his former Master’s words. The penalty is death… From the time he was a boy, he’d always looked up to Master Viridian. He was the strongest and most powerful wizard in the Order, the only one able to cast Light Magic. That is until Talis had returned, armed with the power of the sun…and the power amplified by the black crystal. He despises the black crystal and the Temple of the Sun, thought Talis. But why did Master Viridian hate a temple for the Goddess Nacrea?

  “Let all witnesses assembled before the Order hear the testimony of those sworn to defend and uphold the honor of Naru.” Master Viridian stared solemnly at the House Lei guardsmen. Talis recognized them from the swampland. Would these men tell the truth? Talis glanced around, trying to spot a friendly face, and found his father pressing his way through the crowd.

  “Talis, you must listen to me,” Father whispered. “Speak the truth or they’ll know, and tell everything that happened. I will be right here with the other Elders.” Father gestured at the Sej Elders gathered to the right. Talis cringed under Mara’s father’s glare, feeling his hatred ooze out from his eyes.

  The scribe clapped his hands and called out for the first witness to stand and present. Master Vellar Lei raised his hand and pointed at Taige, first guard to Ralakh Lei, and the guardsman lumbered over to stand before the wizards. He raised his eyes to the wizards, his face tense and fearful.

  “This young royal killed my master, killed him with a strange kind of dark magic.” The room echoed with murmurs. “It was a trap I tell you.”

  “It was a trap,” Mistress Cavares shouted and wove her way forward through the startled crowd. “A sanctified trap of the gods, created by myself. Who amongst the Order dares challenge the will of the gods? I bear witness that I myself crafted this trap, and summoned the gods… They heard and answered the call. Ralakh Lei was chosen to die by the gods themselves. If you are to blame anyone, blame me. I am his master of runes and teacher of ancient languages.”

  Cries of protest and surprised shouts raced through the crowd, and many lifted clenched fists at her in anger.

  “I tried to warn him!” Talis said. “I didn’t understand what it was all about. I never intended for the magical ward to kill anyone.”

  “Magical ward?” thundered Master Viridian. “You know how to place a magical ward?” He gazed in horror at Mistress Cavares. “You dared teach him this? I asked you to teach him runes and ancient languages. But traps and wards and summoning the gods? Don’t
you realize you’ve brought the dark hand of the gods upon us? Leave Zagros and the other dark gods hidden in the shadow realm!”

  A loud, shrill hiss suddenly spread across the room and extinguished the candles all at once. The chamber was enveloped in pitch blackness. Terrified voices and shuffling feet told of the chaos all around.

  Master Viridian illuminated the room with his hands beaming the radiance of Light Magic. His eyes were alert and flared open in alarm, scanning the room as if something horrible had arrived. Talis followed his gaze, noticing swirling clouds of darkness bubbling beneath the ceiling. What was happening?

  “Begone darkness, begone dark gods!” Master Viridian shouted, beams of brilliant light shooting from his palms, attacking the dark clouds. “Let light fill this land and free our city from dark—”

  But a barrage of lightning bolts amidst inky-black shadows struck Master Viridian in an instant. He cried out, his eyes flared open in terror. He moaned in pain as sickening jolts of electricity wracked his body in convulsions. Some hidden force lifted him off his esteemed position atop the seventh level, higher into the air, a burning, shining figure illuminating the dark chamber.

  The vile smell of charred flesh stung Talis’s nostrils and he turned his head away from the terrible sight. He couldn’t believe this be happening, especially here in this sacred building….

  “The gods! Appease the gods!” many wizards shouted in unison. Other wizards shrank back as more lightning bolts and shadow blasts slammed into those vocal wizards. Screams and shouts of terror ripped across the chamber.

  Mass panic possessed the room, and the crowd quickly devolved into a riot. The wizards and guards shoved people aside, trying to flee the room, caring little about stamping on fallen ones. Talis backed to the wall and collapsed, unable to take his eyes off the scene. He fought back tears welling in his eyes and stifled a whimper as a burned and bloodied man shambled around the room, eyes glazed over. Then more cries of the dying and those in pain, shrieks and wails as the gods struck more wizards down.

  Then the barrage ceased as if the sacred force had left the chamber. Talis could heard sobbing and moaning and pleas for help. Frightened of displeasing the gods, he kept quiet and stumbled over bodies littering the floor, wincing when flashes of light illuminated the wreck of charred and trampled bodies. He had to find his father.

  Mistress Cavares came hobbling over, a look of shock and disbelief in her eyes. “Talis, you must leave this place quickly. I fear you’ll only find refuge within the Temple of the Sun.”

  Talis shook his head, refusing to retreat. “We need to get help for the injured. I can’t leave now…not after all this.” He glanced around the room, and cupped his hand around his mouth. “Father! Where is he? I saw him just a moment ago….”

  “Over here,” Mistress Cavares said, and led him around the room to where the Elders had once stood. They stepped around a pile of bodies, a few still pleading for help.

  Talis recognized Mara’s father, Viceroy Vellar Lei, cringing in the corner. The old man stiffened as he saw Talis, and raised himself up, jabbing a finger at Talis.

  “You! You caused all this… Your meddling in the dark arts brought the displeasure of the g—” Elder Vellar glanced in fear at the ceiling for a moment, then turned and glowered at Talis. “I’ll see you bleed for this. Guards, guards!” He scanned around as if expecting his men to arrest Talis, but none remained in the chamber.

  “Talis,” groaned Father, his voice was muffled from being underneath a pile of bodies.

  Talis rushed over to where he’d heard Father. He carefully pulled aside an old, dead elder, and felt his heart drop as he saw his father’s face panting heavily, eyes wide and panicked. How could they trample on their own people?

  “Are you alright, Father?” Talis scanned his father for injuries, hoping he hadn’t been struck by the gods.

  “My leg… I think my leg is shattered.” Father winced as Talis pulled a slain wizard off of him.

  “It will mend…I’ll ask the healer to tend to you. Thank the gods you’re alive.”

  “My life is not important, Talis…but yours is. You must survive all this, you must keep the Storm family name alive.”

  “Guards!” shouted Elder Vellar, limping over to the entrance, casting angry eyes at Talis.

  “You have to leave.” Mistress Cavares clasped Talis’s shoulder. “If you stay, I fear for your life…and the lives of others. We must avoid bloodshed between the Royal Houses. There’s a way of escape over there, behind the fifth pillar…a crane’s head…pull it and a tunnel will open for you.”

  “She’s right,” Father said, fixing his gaze on Talis. “This has gone too far in the wrong direction. You’ll be safer in the temple.”

  “But what about you? What about the others?”

  “I’ll be fine. And as for the others…” He glanced around the wrecked chamber. “The gods have spoken their displeasure. Go now, son, go quickly.”

  Talis opened his mouth to object, but his father raised a hand to stop him. “You must survive, don’t hesitate, go now!”

  After he bowed hurriedly to his father and Mistress Cavares, Talis ran towards the fifth pillar. He could hear the marching of guards outside the chamber and the shouts of Elder Vellar Lei. The crane’s head was old and resisted pulling, but Talis finally yanked it far enough out until a stone doorway opened. He dove inside and glanced around for a way to close it, and found another extended crane’s head. He shoved it back in the wall and the door sealed shut.

  Talis sighed and allowed himself to rest against the stone wall. What had just happened? Did the gods attack the Order, did they really kill Master Viridian? All because Master Viridian had tried to banish the darkness. The image of his old master’s charred body flashed in Talis’s mind. He found his heart racing as he leaned back, listening to the muffled sounds of soldiers’ boots clacking against stone floors outside. This was the end of their peaceful city. Certainly House Storm and House Lei would be officially at war… And Mara, how would she take all this? Would he ever see her again?

  The tunnel was completely dark and the air smelled of dust and rat droppings. Talis summoned a tiny amount of Light Magic, enough to faintly illuminate spiderwebs and rats scurrying down the tunnel. Where did the tunnel lead? Talis suspected it was built years ago to protect against the peoples’ suspicion of magic. Always have a way of escape, Master Viridian had said. Talis couldn’t believe he was really gone. His old master dead…slain by the gods. It was so sudden and unexpected. He thought of Zagros, Lord of the Underworld, and frowned, believing he was behind all this….

  Why did Mistress Cavares have to create a trap and summon the gods? Maybe when the gods came they stayed around and followed Talis to Naru. Or maybe only the dark gods.

  Talis reached a winding stone stairwell leading down and around, ancient runes engraved in each step. He must be somewhere near the massive walls of Naru on the north side of the city. The way had to lead outside. He thought he knew all the secret entrances, but here was one hidden right inside the Order. The same Order that wanted to put him to death, thought Talis.

  At the bottom of the stairwell Talis followed a narrow corridor. Beams of late afternoon light stabbed the stone wall through slits. He was deep within the northern wall. He peered through one of the slits and gazed out over the vast Nalgoran Desert. The northlands, barren and cold, filled with memories of their expedition. He shuddered, picturing Rikar and Zagros and the Underworld, but forced himself to continue on.

  He reached a dead end, with the only exit through a narrow archway leading to a ledge outside. Talis stared down. The cliff fell more than two hundred feet to the desert below. How was he supposed to escape? Off to the left, the Temple of the Sun shone under light piercing through the clouds. He could feel the magic of the black crystal from here. It was close enough for Talis to channel its power. But he doubted he could survive such a fall without knowing the flying spell that Master Jai had refused to teach hi
m.

  A sudden gust blasted Talis, pushing him back then pulling him dangerously close to the edge. His heart pounded and a chill prickled his skin. One more inch forward and he’d fall to his death. Or would he? Since Mistress Cavares had taught him to control the wind, could he use it as an ally and help soften his fall? Then an image flashed in his mind. The characters on the rune for slow fall. Even though he didn’t have the rune with him, he was determined to try and write the characters on the ground and cast the binding spell anyways. A sudden thrill went through him. What if it worked?

  He bent down and traced the characters on the sandy floor. Focusing his intent, he cast the binding spell over the symbols for slow and fall. Nothing happened. The wind picked up again and blew the stone floor clean. He sighed, and wracked his memory to recall any hint that Mistress Cavares might have given him in the past. Out of the corner of his eye the Temple of the Sun sparkled. Maybe if he drew from the power of the black crystal, the binding spell might be strong enough to work.

  So he tried again, desperate to escape to a place of safety. He drew the characters, summoned the energy from the black crystal, and focused with all his willpower to cast the binding spell. The characters glowed faintly, shimmered, and disappeared. Did it work? Talis stepped onto the spot where he’d cast the binding, and felt a prickling along his feet and ankles. He jumped up, and sighed in relief as he fell slowly to the ground.

  He glanced out again at the Nalgoran Desert. Fixing his eyes on the Temple, he steeled himself and leapt off the cliff.

  7. PORTAL SPELL

  Talis didn’t realize that by binding the spell to sand, the slow fall spell wouldn’t last very long. He started plummeting fifty feet above ground, his stomach lurching up to his throat, and quickly thrust out his palms towards the ground and cast the wind spell Mistress Cavares had taught him. Twenty feet from mangling his body on protruding rocks at the base of the cliff, the wind spell caught purchase on the ground and pushed him up and away from the mountain. He cast the spell several more times until he finally landed and rolled on the soft sands of the Nalgoran Desert, his heart pounding in his chest.