by Dan Neil
—
Myrddin could not help but laugh at his predicament. Time was shorter than ever. As he walked through the hall to the Upper Magic Chamber, he wished he could stay in Genievon forever.
It was not meant to be.
If shadow telepathy was no longer governed by the Eternal Laws of Magic, Myrddin could be reasonably certain that Gaheris had intercepted his reach. It would not be long before he was branded a traitor. Nialarix’s impatience forced his hand. Now, Myrddin had mere minutes to escape.
The wizard rushed to the Upper Magic Chamber. The future was uncertain; he only knew that he would miss his home. He had lived here for seven hundred years, and he loved it now as he always did. He wished he wasn’t fleeing the capital like a criminal. What would young Keia think?
Poor girl—I do hope she doesn’t blame herself for this old wizard’s foolishness.
He shook his head. The kingdom he would miss was not the kingdom of today. And, as he always said, time was short.
—
Gaheris arrived in the throne room out of breath. He found Lord Gerhardt Rheinley speaking to Symon about some trivial matter.
“Lord Rheinley,” Symon said, sensing Gaheris’s urgency. “If you would excuse me for a moment.”
“Of course, my king.” The old man bowed.
Gaheris could tell by Rheinley’s glare that he suspected his and the king’s extralegal activities. Once the Adviser on Law had gone, the king greeted his Keeper of Secrets.
“Gaheris! What news do you bring?”
“I’ve discovered the traitor’s identity.”
“Excellent work, as I’ve come to expect. Who is it?”
“Time is of the essence, my king,” Gaheris urged. “The traitor is trying to abscond with the King’s Spellbook. If he takes it, the Wild King will be able to disable any law he desires, and the kingdom shall be in mortal peril!”
“By Aion!” Symon jumped to his feet. “Then, explain it to me on the way—and assemble the Master Knights of the Noble Order immediately!”
“I’ve already informed them, my king,” Gaheris said as they left the throne room. “He’s going for the Upper Magic Chamber. We may be able to stop him!”
“I’d like to know who it is!”
“I am afraid this news is quite grave. You may want to prepare yourself.”
“I have no time for games, Gaheris. You will tell me who it is and what crimes they have committed.”
Giving a nod, Gaheris began, “Very well. The traitor’s first crime I am aware of began years ago. I discovered that he had tampered with magical division assignments to reduce one division’s size.”
“Why did he do this?” Symon asked. “And what does this have to do with treason or the King’s Spellbook?”
“It’s all connected. He did this, I believe, to gain access to one student. He imposed harsh training hours upon her, driving her to mental and physical exhaustion, and covered up this blatant violation.”
A confused expression had taken hold of the king. “And how did you not learn about the illegitimate training sessions months ago?”
Turning away, Gaheris admitted, “I had not thought to look into it.”
“This is beginning to sound very bland,” Symon said. “I hope you have more than minor policy violations. What of the spellbook?”
“I was just getting to that, my king,” Gaheris assured him. “I monitored a communication between the traitor and Paz Beoras. The Wild King’s servant told the traitor to bring them the King’s Spellbook. The traitor agreed to do so. I believe he has been working with them for an extended period of time.”
Symon’s jaw clenched. “I want a name for this traitor, Gaheris.”
They came to the Upper Magic Chamber’s Portal. Gaheris stopped and said anxiously, “My king, I—are you sure you do not want to learn for yourself?”
Myrddin had raised Symon. The king would not take the news well.
Symon drew Hellfire from its sheath, and the sword was consumed by flame. Gaheris felt the raging heat and began to sweat profusely. King Symon was the only man who could be near the sword without falling victim to its magical fire.
“Gaheris,” Symon said, “we are about to go fight a man who betrayed his kingdom. I want to know who we are going up against. You will tell me, or you’ll become ash.”
Frozen, staring at the dancing flames, Gaheris babbled, “P-please, you can’t—”
“Can’t what?” Symon towered over the sweating Gaheris as he continued, “I am the king. I can do whatever I feel like. Tell me.”
Gaheris gulped, then nodded. “V-very well, my king. Behind that door, we will find Myrddin.”
Symon’s eyes widened. “No. It can’t be!”
The king stared at the ground, his hand shaking. His expression was equal parts confusion, anger, and grief.
“Shall we go find out?” Gaheris gestured to the portal.
Symon jammed his finger in Gaheris’s face and hissed, “If you’ve wrongly accused my oldest and most loyal friend, I’ll kill you on the spot. If this is some trick—”
“I assure you, that is not the case, my king. You will see,” Gaheris said, trembling under the weight of Symon’s threat.
Upon exiting the portal, they saw the Master Knights of the Noble Order standing outside the locked doors of the Upper Magic Chamber, their weapons drawn.
One of the younger knights said, “My king. The intruder barred himself inside. We can’t get through. He’s sealed the chamber with magic.”
Symon’s gait did not slow. The other knights watched as the king rammed Hellfire through the door without hesitation, his fiery blade aglow with a red hue as he ferociously hacked through the entrance. The metal door was no match for the blessed weapon’s overwhelming heat. After six or seven strikes, the door was sufficiently destroyed.
Symon froze—before him stood the man he trusted most, holding the King’s Spellbook in one hand and his wand in the other.
Myrddin spoke first. “Symon—”
“Myrddin!” he exclaimed in disbelief. “What are you doing with that?”
The wizard offered no reply.
“Myrddin, not you!” Symon said, “Not you! Please tell me that this is all a mistake.”
“It’s not.” Gaheris entered the chamber. “He manipulated assignments, attempted to brainwash a soldier, and plotted to descend the realm into lawlessness! He conspired against you with the Wild King to end your reign. We must apprehend him.”
Symon’s face darkened. His expression was torn between disbelief and pure wrath. “Speak.”
“There is nothing to say,” Myrddin quietly responded. “The charges are true.”
Gaheris breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Aion. Looks like I won’t be killed. Not today, at least—by Aion.
“And the King’s Spellbook,” Symon said between clenched teeth, “you would hand it over to the man who intends to depose me.”
“If he is no more trustworthy with it than you, I intend to safeguard it.”
Symon’s voice cracked as he said, “Why are you doing this to me?”
The wizard grimaced, and then replied, “Because you’ve become obsessed with power. Spying on them—using them as pawns in a game you’ve already won! I can’t trust you with this spellbook any longer. You changed the laws—allowed your own people to be manipulated and harmed. You’ve brought the forces of darkness to your own doorstep! What’s next—what won’t you do to stay in power?”
Symon threw his hands up. “I’m sorry that I don’t live up to your lofty ideals! This is the world we live in. You’re not the one with the crown on your head—the target on your back!”
“This is the last thing I wanted,” Myrddin said gravely. “You used to have compassion, Symon. You used to love. Now there doesn’t seem to be any left.”
/> “I can’t keep a fucking kingdom together with love! Were it anyone else,” Symon growled, “I’d have you gutted and strung up—but I’ll give you one chance, Myrddin. Give back the spellbook—pledge your loyalty to me once more. Abandon this foolishness. It’s me, Myrddin. It’s Symon. Your Symon. You know me—you can’t—you can’t do this to me. Not me.”
Myrddin’s frown deepened. “You aren’t the Symon I knew.”
“I’m giving you a chance,” the king begged through gritted teeth. “It doesn’t have to be like this. Please—I can change, please...”
Kings shouldn’t beg. Gaheris took a step back and rubbed his sweaty palms against his robe. Don’t do it, you pathetic old man. Accept your death.
Myrddin’s eyes were distant, as if he were searching for something, anything, to convince him to turn away from his chosen course. They settled on the king. In a low, sad voice, he said, “I’m sorry, Symon. You and I both know that I made a mistake that day in Camlann.”
The king became tense and rigid.
“Silence, traitor!” He pointed Hellfire at the wizard’s neck. “You’re betraying your king! The man you raised—the man you put into power! And for what? Because I’ve disappointed you? Because you—an immortal—deem it a mistake to have shared your unnatural curse with me? Because you can’t stand to witness what you created? You haven’t learned, after all these years, that when you play god, there are things you can’t take back!”
Myrddin opened his mouth to protest, but Symon interrupted, “You have no right to speak, no right to anything. You must die for your crimes.”
“Symon,” Myrddin pleaded. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”
Symon’s eyes were pure fire. “You know the fate of a traitor.”
He lunged at Myrddin, who calmly flicked his wrist. A gust of wind burst from Myrddin’s wand and sent Symon and his knights backward. Myrddin, with an anguished look on his face, cast a portal to leave the kingdom. He was gone before anyone could react.
Symon struggled to his feet, screaming, “Find him! Follow him! I want that bastard killed!” His eyes bulged from their sockets, and his face glowed red with pure, unbridled hatred.
One of the knights asked, “How are we supposed to find him?”
“I don’t fucking care! I want him found. Burn down the whole bloody kingdom if you have to! By the grace of Aion, I want that traitorous bastard found and burned alive!”
The king took a few deep breaths. Disbelief, more than anger, was written on his tired face. Symon stormed to the portal and left.
Gaheris set to work immediately. He traced the spell Myrddin used to escape, but he was already too far. His instruments could not reach the traitor—but this would not stop him. He would find Myrddin and give him the King’s Justice.
—
Axl sat in his cell, awaiting the knock at the door—the final knock. The closer the moment came to his inevitable end, the more at peace he felt with it.
It’s not like I have a choice.
Axl jerked when a portal opened on the far side of the cell. Through it stepped an elderly man with bifocals. Axl stared at him for a moment before rubbing his eyes.
“Uh, who the fuck are you?”
“My name is Myrddin the Wizard. We met when you first arrived here.”
Axl’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, that’s right. Sorry, time—time is weird in here. Fine, then. If that’s how Symon wants this done, so be it.” He spread his arms. “Do your worst.”
Myrddin stared at him incredulously. “Are—what? No! You’ll be run through by Hellfire in front of a ceremonial crowd, not murdered in a cell.”
Axl took a step backward, his shoulders slackening. “Is that supposed to comfort me?”
“I’m not here to comfort you. You’re an interesting person to me. How would you like to live?”
“What? We can’t get out of here. You’re trapped in here with me.”
The wizard smiled and retrieved his wand from his sleeve. “They might be able to keep you contained without one of these—but they can’t keep me in here. I can take you with me.”
Axl studied the wizard up and down, then asked, “Why?”
“This is urgent. I have no time to explain. You must choose life in service to helping Keia, or death.”
Axl hung his head and stared at the ground. Helping Keia…
The wizard opened a portal. “There’s no time.”
Just before he stepped through, Axl stood. “Wait!”
Myrddin turned.
“I’ll come with you, old man. But I expect an explanation at some point.”
The wizard stepped aside and gestured toward the portal. “Off we go, then.”
Axl stepped through the portal. A wave of cold passed over him, but then, the sky opened up. Gray walls were replaced with a bright blue ceiling and a green floor. Still, dead air gave way to fresh, rolling wind. The sun presided over the Plains of Ithera.
He took it all in. Tears nearly formed as his eyes fell on something he never thought he would see again. The wizard opened a portal nearby.
“Come. There will be time to take this all in later. For now, we must get out of their range.”
“Right.” Axl hesitated for one more moment of bliss. He wanted to enjoy every last moment of freedom, of his second chance. Then he followed Myrddin.
—
The next morning, Keia arrived at the usual time for meditation. Upon walking through the portal at Diligence Square, she surveyed the field for her teacher. Myrddin had skipped their nightly practice for some reason. Keia turned her head, but there was no wizard to be found.
Huh? Made it here before him.
Keia yawned and stretched out a bit.
Maybe he won’t notice if I sleep during meditation today.
She had been up nearly all night reading The Poems of Feldergast, an ancient epic tale that Captain Alrick had assigned. It was said to predate even the Old Masters; the original tome was recovered from their library some years after their fall. It told the story of Feldergast, one of the oldest known users of magic. According to legend, Feldergast discovered magical properties in the bones of centaurs, faeries, and wood-elves; centuries later, these species would be wiped out in the Forest Wars.
After a few minutes of waiting, Keia sighed and sat down. She muttered, “If I knew he’d be this late, I’d have brought the book. Where the hell is he?”
Boredom numbed Keia’s brain. Ten minutes passed, then thirty, then an hour. Finally, she gave up, wondering what reason the wizard could have for missing two practices in a row.
Keia walked back through the portal. Diligence Square was silent. The sun was barely rising, shading the morning sky reddish purple.
Deep down, Keia knew something was wrong. Myrddin took their training very seriously. She was growing more worried by the moment, especially after the previous days’ conversation with Gaheris.
Keia returned to her room and paced. Before long, she returned to her book. She read for the next two hours before making her uniform presentable again and eating a bit of bread. Then she was off to Diligence Square, which was packed with soldiers.
So this is what it looks like at this time.
Keia struggled to reach her own portal and stepped through just in time. Captain Alrick stood next to Gaheris once more; Oliver looked completely dejected.
Gaheris smiled as soon as he saw Keia. “Good. Now the entire division is here—captain, let’s begin.”
Captain Alrick stepped forward with a grimace on his face and gulped.
“I have an announcement to make to the division. Yesterday our old leader, Myrddin”—he struggled to continue, shaking his head as if in disbelief—“our old leader, Myrddin, committed treason and fled the kingdom.”
The words hit Keia like a fireball, making her flinch. No. It ca
n’t be.
Oliver continued, “He stole the King’s Spellbook and fled the capital. Gaheris has—”
“Lord Gaheris.”
Through clenched teeth, Oliver said, “Lord Gaheris, yes. Lord Gaheris has evidence that Myrddin intends to give the spellbook to the Wild King in the north. He has betrayed his king, his kingdom, and he has betrayed us.”
Filling with bitter emptiness, Keia blinked rapidly, trying to keep tears down. Just like Aleister. He didn’t even say goodbye.
“I’ll take over from here,” Gaheris interjected and stepped forward. A wicked grin spread over his face as he announced, “By order of the king, I’ve been promoted from Keeper of Secrets to Adviser on Magic in Myrddin’s stead. This also means that I’ve assumed ownership over this division. I intend to keep it running for now. If it becomes more trouble than it’s worth, though, I won’t be so inclined. There will be evaluations and cutbacks.”
Keia felt her blood boil. That bastard is holding the entire division hostage.
“To that end, I see no point in lying to any of you. My primary concern is the capture of Myrddin. Seeing as he’s fled north, we can’t officially ask you to undertake any missions to find him. But we can gather information elsewhere. Some of you may be saddened by this news, but I promise you, it’s an opportunity—to prove yourselves and where your loyalties lie. Choose wisely.”
Keia’s nose wrinkled in disgust. That worm.
Gaheris surveyed the Fifth Magician’s Division and smirked before walking off without another word. Once he had stepped through the portal, the division collectively sighed. Whispers began to fly, all saying the same things:
“I can’t believe it—”
“Never would have guessed—”
Keia stared at the ground in disbelief.
First Aleister—now Myrddin. I didn’t want to believe it. They both left because of me.
Oliver stepped forward. “I am sure we are all processing this in different ways. If any of you have questions, please ask them now; I wish to put your minds at ease as much as I can.”
Hitch raised his hand. “He really stole the King’s Spellbook?”