by R W Caron
“Hello.” Alina replied, pushing herself further behind Nahan. Nylala’s eyes then shot to Cento.
“Barton will want to know of this. Go now.” She said calmly. Cento stared at her and shook his head defiantly.
“I need to tend to...” Nylala slowly opened her hand and a fireball started to form. She slowly grew larger as she stared at it then looked back to Cento. Cento nodded his head. “Nahan can tend to them. I will go to Barton.”
“Smart.” She replied and then looked back to Nahan. “So, this is Alina.”
“Yes.” Nahan replied coldly. He stared at Nylala who still held the fireball in her hand.
“Interesting,” Nylala as she looked at the fireball which had started to shrink. “I was under the understanding that she was dead.”
“As was I.” Nahan growled.
“Maybe now your powers will come forth.” Nylala responded. She stared at the fireball and is suddenly disappeared. “Take her to your room, enjoy today for tomorrow we start training again.”
“Yes Master Croak.” Nahan replied. He grabbed Alina by the hand and quickly led her past the woman. He froze for a quick second and looked back at her. She smiled a toothy smile at him and nodded her head assuring him it was ok. Nahan breathed a sigh of relief and lead Alina through the door and out of sight.
“Interesting indeed.” Nylala Croak said to herself as the fireball erupted back to its original glory. She stared at it for a moment longer and then closed her hand on it. She smiled to herself and rushed off towards her husband’s chambers to tell him the good news. She believed she had figured out Nahan’s power.
∆∆∆
The fires rage high as men, women and children lay covered in blood on the steps of a grand staircase. Armored men lay prone on the steps as the Citadel burns. Nahan stares up the steps at a humanoid beast, his head resembling that of a serpent, his large greenish yellow scaled muscular arms wielding a long board sword. A strap ran across is muscular chest into a shoulder guard and its deep yellow eyes bore into his very sole. Nahan looked to his right where his bow lay broken in half and reached for his daggers. In place of his Daggers he found two short swords handing from his belt, he drew them and started up the stairs as more serpent like humanoids came into view Nahan sliced them down with ease as he made his way up the stairs.
Suddenly he was bound by chains and pinned to his knees. The humanoid serpent pulled his head up for him to see as Alina was placed in front of him. She looked up in sheer terror as Nahan tried to fight back but it was no uses. The serpent raises the board sword and sliced downward onto the back of her neck.
Nahan erupted out of his bed, beads of sweat rolling down his face and naked chest, his breath came quickly and his heart was hammering in his chest. He looked next to him and found his love Alina laying beside him wrapped in the warm blankets of his room. Nahan rolled his legs off the bed and placed his bare feet on the cold floor. The chill of the floor sent a shiver though his body, as he closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing and calm himself.
“Bad dreams?” T he smooth voice of Nylala erupted in the silence as she showed herself from the shadows. Nahan’s eyes shot to her in surprise.
“How long have you been there?” Nahan demanded more forcefully then he intended.
“Long enough.” Nylala replied. “She is your weakness.”
“She is not.” Nahan growled.
“She is also your strength.” Nylala responded. “Walk with me, Master Corer wishes to speak with you.”
“Yes ma’am.” Nahan replied. He raised himself out of the bed and Nylala smirked. Nahan suddenly released by the smirk that he was wearing no cloths. He quickly grabbed his trousers from the floor and slide them on, trying the beige string at the waist to keep them from sliding down. Nahan quickly realised that Nylala’s robes had changed and he was now in her training robes. Her training robes where far less elegant but she somehow made the hard leather look beautiful. Nahan slipped his boots on and walked to the door of his room. He paused in the doorway looking back at Alina, the moonlight that shown in from the window highlighted her bare back and perfect skin and he had to smile knowing that she was finally safe. He turned and exited the room, if he had not been so mesmerized by her beauty he may have seen the second shadowy figure looming in the corner of the room, but he had not.
Nahan and Nylala walked the halls in silence, neither wishing to speak of Nahan’s dream. The dream was tormenting him now however. Who where these serpent people? Why was he the only one left standing? Is this from the future, is it the past or is it just a dream? Nahan wanted to ask these questions but did not wish to know the answers. As they continued towards master Corer’s chambers, Nylala seemed a little uneasy. Nahan had started to notice it in her walk and now he shoulders had started to slump forward. She was very old but he had never once seen her looks posture, never before seen her look less than perfect. As they walked Nahan took note of her breathing as well, it was as if she was struggling to breath. Nahan’s heart started to hammer in his chest as his eyes met hers and he could see the battle she was raging inside herself. Nahan did not know what this battle was but she did not seem to be winning it. “Is everything ok?” Nahan asked.
“Everything is fine.” She replied with a cold stern tone. All of the imperfections disappeared in a moment. She was back to standing tall and walking defiantly.
“You seem off.” He dared say. She turned quick as lightning and backhanded him hard. Nahan absorbed the smack, refusing to give her the gratitude of a block.
“I’m sorry.” She said a second later. She looked at his face and Nahan could tell it was a sincere apologies.
“It’s ok.” Nahan replied wiping the trickle of blood from his lip. “You know you can tell me anything, you and the other masters have shown me so much. I will listen.” He replied. “It is not for me to tell.” Nylala replied and continued to walk. As they arrived at Master Barton Corer chambers she pushed the heavy door open and walked in. Master Corer was sitting behind a large glowing ball. The room was smaller than Nahan would have been let to believe. Many books lined the walls, and a stone desk stood to the far left. In the center of the room was a ball, floating in mid air, blue and green smoke seemed to fill the ball and Master Corer stared intently into it.
Master Corer was a large man, standing nearly two feet taller than Nahan. His black beard was trimmed nearly to his face and his eyes where as white as the snow on the mountain top. The large black pupils started out at you as if two specs trying to free themselves from the winters grasp. He looked like a young man, but Nahan knew he was as old as Master Cento. He had just focused on making sure his appearance stood up to the test of time. It was foretold that the Wizards of the north often went to the settlements, only to be updated on the works of the world. They could not pass unnoticed looking like Master Cento that much was certain. Nahan looked at the man who seemed to have not noticed their arrival and could not help but admire him. There was an aura that flowed around him, like a spark of electricity with the burning of a flame. His robes hung loosely to his features and where as plain as a peasant’s cloth but his presence made your chest feel having and your knees weak.
“Barton,” Nylala whispered. “You requested Nahan’s presence .”
“Nylala,” The master replied in a deep powerful voice. “Leave us.”
Nylala stepped back and exited the room, leaving Nahan standing alone in the chambers of the first wizard of the north. Nahan could feel the man’s power as he turned his hollow looking eyes towards him and away from the glowing ball. The ball suddenly stopped glowing and the room became very dark. Nahan could hear his heart beating in his ears. Master Corer quickly twitched his hand and all the candles in the room ignited, bathing the room with a soothing, if not eerie glow. He had learned early with Master Corer to not speak unless spoken too. The master stared at him and Nahan could not get a read on his emotions. Nahan had never been able to read Corer, and had just assumed the man had
no emotion. As the silence got thinker, Nahan dared speak. “Why have you brought me here?”
“You speak out of turn.” Barton replied. If he was shocked or angry it did not show in his voice or face. “Why do you believe I have brought you here?”
“Alina.” Nahan replied plainly.
“Why?” Corer asked.
“No one is supposed to come here. She should not be here I know.”
“If she was not welcomed here, she would be gone by now.” Corer replied.
“Then why have you brought me here?” Nahan asked, frustrated.
“I have brought you here to explain something to you.” Corer replied. “Nylala believes Alina is the key to you powers. She told me when she was holding a fireball and almost threatening to throw it at Alina is slowly got smalls and then disappeared. As soon as you left the room it ignited back to its previous glory in her hand.”
“Are you saying I did it?” Nahan asked confused.
“You very well could have done it without your knowledge.” Corer replied. “We have bigger issues then your power though.”
“What do you mean master?” Nahan asked.
“What do you know of Magmas Nor?” Corer asked.
Nahan thought for a moment trying to place the name from the studies. “The Master of Control?”
“Very good. Magmas has returned to us with information about the rebellion that is starting in Esmos. He has done everything in his power to control the people, to stop them from starting this rebellion but he has failed.” Corer said. He’s shifted to ball that was still floating but no longer lit up. “I have seen what is too come.”
Nahan realised this was the first time his Master had faltered with his emotions. His face was one of sadness, then suddenly returned to the strong emotionless face it was. Nahan believed he might have even imagined the face change. “What does that have to do with me?”
“Everything.” Corer replied hastily yet still monotone. “Alina is going to want to fight. She is going to want to go to the people and help them take up arms. She is going to try to convince you to fight as well. If you do Nahan, you will die.”
“Nothing is certain.” Nahan responded echoing the words where his Nipawin father had told him as a young man. Nothing is certain except the changing of the seasons and the welcoming of the spirit world. “Besides, my people need me by their side.”
“Exactly. Your people need you. You are the last Azrael. You are not Nipawin. They are not your people.” Corer reminded him.
“I owe them my life.” Nahan growled. “They cared for me.”
“You owe them nothing. They think you are dead. They believe Alina has been killed as well. You owe them nothing.” Corer tried to explain.
“You are wrong.” Nahan snapped. “If a war is to come, I will consider your words. However, i will choose my own destiny. I would sooner die with the people I love then to watch them die without me.”
“You are brash.” Corer explained. “If you do go, know that Alina is too live. She watches you get taken away from her, she watches you die and it destroys her.”
This stopped Nahan in his tracks. He did not wish to cause Alina more pain. She had been through enough. Nahan looked into the Corer’s white eyes and could feel that he was telling the truth. “What do you wish of me?”
“I wish you too stay.” Corer responded. “For the sake of Alina.”
“I,” Nahan paused and held his words. He could not commit to Corer’s wish without risking losing Alina. He knew she would go if there was a war, without him on the battle field to protect her she would die. “I will stay with Alina. Whether it causes her pain or not, she is the only one I need.”
“Then convince her to stay with you here, and you both shall live.” Corer replied. He motioned with his hand for Nahan to leave. Nahan exited the room and started towards his room. The halls seemed darker, quieter. As he entered his room a man stood staring out his window as Alina slept peacefully. Nahan instinctively reach for his weapons, but he had none. The man turned towards him the moonlight shining off his balled tattooed head. He had a long red beard and hard blue enchanters robes.
His sharp brow line and deep brown eyes stared at Nahan for a moment before he smiled a toothy grin. He had two gold teeth and as he smiled the scares from battles past appeared. “Nahan,” the short man said in a gruff voice. “We need to talk.”
Chapter 14
Taking Back Our World
Time was something they did not have, but time was what they needed. Carmae Massey paced her chambers as she had done for many days following the appearance of Andrew and his tan skins accomplice. Andrew was lucky that she had arrived with her wolves when she did or he would have surely perished in the cold. Truth be told she knew he was coming long before he had entered her territory. Carmae was a mage, not to be confused with a wizard or a talent. Mages had to learn their craft; they were not born with the powers like the other two. Wizards know they are Wizards from birth, though few have been born in hundreds of years to her knowledge, they could create magic from nothing. They could use magic from the elements, form it, shape it and control it. Talented on the other hand are born with powers that need to be unlocked in their minds. Assassins that can pass unseen in front of people, the warrior who sees a fallen comrade and defeats a horde of enemies by swinging his mighty axe and so on. The talented do not know they possess their abilities until they are needed the most or brought forth my training.
Few of people in the world are born with a talent, some never know, some never let is show, others don’t even know it’s a talent. Carmae sneered at that thought. She was like most people, she was not born with a talent, she was not born a Wizard but she was in love with Magic. She was a mage, she had studied her craft and learned to communicate with the animals of the world. Some were curious, like the wolves. She had learned to speak with them and they excepted her as their leader. Other animals, where not so easily talked to. Carmae looked down to the scare that hid under her leather corset. A mighty bear had talked with her, they had become friends she believed until one day she went into the forest to find him and came across his children murdered.
The king had wanted furs and had sent his men to find and kill any bears in the region. The clubs did not know any better and had climb trees to flee, easy prey for archers. They had killed them, stripped them of their hides and let them in the forest. She found her friend by the river and he attacked her. She was like the rest of them in his eyes. The claws had ripped her wide and if not for the wolves she would have died there in the river.
Now she paced, her mage followers had worked on saving Andrews life and repairing him for almost a month now. She had sent word to his Settlement with no reply. Many thoughts crossed her mind; had her message been received? Had it been intercepted? Would anyone know how to return the message? The doors to her chambers opened and a petit woman in a blue and white robes walked in. Her face was young and her skin pale but her smile was bright. He moved into the room and waited to be addressed. “What is it?” Carmae asked in a tone she intended to be warm but came across cold.
“The man, Andrew, he is awake.” She replied and lowered her eyes to the ground.
“Have you and the other sisters finished repairing him?” Carmae asked, as she looked at herself in the grand golden mirror that stood in the corner.
“Yes ma’am.” The young woman replied. “He was in bad shape and it took us-…”
“Too long.” Carmae said coldly.
“The sisters and I apologies for our tardiness madam, he was in very rough shape when you brought him to us. We lost him several times. ” The young girl explained.
“I will meet with him.” Carmae exclaimed.
“Yes ma’am.” The girl replied as she lowered herself to a knee.
“Sister Echo,” Carmae’s said the girls name and she winced. Carmae’s face softened and she smiled. “Thank you and your sisters.”