Life Sorcerer: Life Sorcerer: Book One - Return of Magic: Book Two

by D. R. Rosier

  Mara started them off, before Lori could speak.

  “I’m the high priestess of Vadea, and what you’re doing right now is wrong. You know that, don’t you? The men in the community behind us may be guilty of being afraid, but they’re not the ones that harmed you. Those evil men are behind you.”

  At the same time, he pulled a life force or two from his zombies, and he struck the two sorcerers hard. His power flowing out of him as he tried to break through and take them out.

  The two sorcerers grimaced under the assault, and one yelled, “Attack.”

  One sorcerer blasted a simple fireball directly at him, and Cassie blocked it almost contemptuously with a barked word and a flashing wall of water. The other sorcerer was quite a bit smarter, and he used his magic indirectly.

  He grunted as the earth below their feet exploded sending several of them off balance, and it knocked down both Mara and Lin. It also would’ve caused a lot of damage, if not for Katie’s quick shield to enhance Mara’s protection spells.

  The sorcerers’ shields fell as shadows gathered around a scowling Lori and raced across the short twenty-yard distance they’d stopped at. The two sorcerers screamed in agony for a very short time as he ripped their life forces out. Considering a sorcerer had a much bigger life force, he’d just gained a positive amount of life energy as the addictive nature of his power filled him with sensations of pleasure, power, and lust.

  He was no stranger to resisting urges while feeling that, except that’s when Lori’s shadows hit them all and sunk into their bodies.

  He screamed in agony, and he felt the priestess’s will crush his own, as she demanded he serve her. The largest source of life in range, just happened to be a very large silver dragon, and his power reached for her life with a burning hunger that couldn’t be denied, not when the priestess had stolen his will. A will he needed to resist his horrific temptations.

  He was hard as a rock as he seized Bria’s life force, but thank the gods that’s when Mara’s spell knocked him and everyone else effected by Lori right on their asses, before he tried to tug it out. A peaceful sensation suffused their bodies as they were surrounded by a white light. He was horrified by what he almost just did, and he turned back to look at the enemy force.

  Lori looked enraged that her power had been broken, and shadows buzzed around her like fireflies. He got the impression it was a very good thing this fight happened in mid-day, because in the night the power of Myzasis would’ve defeated Vadea’s, not the other way around.

  The men finally snapped out of their shock at all the magic, and seeing their sorcerers and generals die, most charged while others tried to run again.

  Bria reared up behind them, her sinewy neck holding her head at least fifty feet above them as she took a deep breath.

  That’s when Emily made her move, and she stood in front of Lori and cast a spell. A bright white light blinding in its brilliance surrounded them, and not a moment too soon as Bria roared and the entire road turned into firestorm. Hot air blew back into his face, and he felt like he was roasting, and he wasn’t even really near the fire. He could imagine what it was doing to all the hundred and fifty men that’d been charging or running away.

  The billowing fire cleared quickly when Bria stopped breathing it out, and there was nothing but charred corpses lying on the cement that were still burning merrily. She’d taken out the whole army in one blow. A lesson in humility perhaps. He couldn’t have killed that many at once, and Bria was a relatively young and small dragon.

  The only ones still standing were Lori and Emily, both of them cocooned in the powerful protection spell of Vadea.

  He was a little distracted by his shame at what just almost happened, but he knew it was just Lori’s domination spell. He’d never do such a thing of his own free will. He was also all confused in his lust and the strain of his hardened cock, not to mention the disgust and wicked pleasure from the recent kills. He was also no stranger to his head being fucked up with conflicted emotions during battle because of his magic, so he pushed it all aside.

  Lori screamed in frustrated rage as her army was just destroyed around her, leaving only her, Emily, and the women far back on the road that had accompanied the force. She looked conflicted by confusion, caring, and rage, as she looked down at Emily who was hugging her and protecting her.

  And who had clearly betrayed her to save her.

  Mara said, “The community didn’t deserve your form of justice, priestess. Then men that just died, did. Your anger and pain have been twisting your perceptions, leading you down the wrong path. The men in this community didn’t save you, but they didn’t harm you either. The killers, the rapists, the ones responsible for what happened to you and so many others, they have paid for their crimes with their deaths.”

  Lori frowned, “What are you saying?”

  Mara smiled, “I’m saying it’s time to let go, sister. You can’t punish the whole world, you’ll destroy the balance. And not in the way you probably think. You’d turn the human race against your goddess, if you had followed through with your plans. They need you, the balance needs you and Myzasis, for those that should be punished, and to protect the innocent. The women in that community don’t need your justice, and the men don’t deserve it. Even if they are cowards.”

  Lori looked down at Emily, and her voice sounded small, “You betrayed me. You brought them here.”

  Emily shook her head, “I promised to protect you, and I did. From yourself. Nothing you’ve done up until now has been irredeemable, or even wrong, but attacking that community would’ve been crossing a line you couldn’t come back from. The darker gods can be seemingly cruel, but they are not evil, and neither are you, sister.

  “I hoped my older sister in Vadea could show you the truth, whereas I knew I would fail. Your greatest enemy is yourself. You turned it all around in your anger and hurt for what was done to us. Those men with us were the ones you should’ve punished, not used as some army of empty vengeance. You’re just… scared, and you wanted to beat the world into a semblance of safety, but that’s not what we do sister. We’re here to serve the gods and give others what they need, and in your case also what they deserve when they go too far. Even if you turn away from our offered hands, I will protect you, and die with you as I promised. Right here, right now.”

  Lori looked pained, afraid, and conflicted.

  He got the impression she knew she’d gone around the bend a bit. He could relate, he’d known it too when he had, but he’d gone after those that deserved it at least.

  Lori asked doubtfully, “Wouldn’t my goddess abandon me if my path would work to her detriment?”

  Mara said, “Ask her.”

  Lori bit her lip, and then closed her eyes to pray.

  He smiled, and then put an arm around Cassie as she pressed into his side.

  Lori

  Lori felt shaken as she prayed the prayer of communion. Her goddess filled her mind with her vast presence, and the cold seductive voice caressed her thoughts.

  “Priestess, you have a question?”

  Lori asked, “Are they right? Would my actions have harmed you? If so, why do you still answer to my call?”

  The goddess replied, “You are my faithful priestess, and your heart and mind have not betrayed me. What you were doing, you were doing in service to me, so I answered your calls for power. That doesn’t mean you weren’t making a mistake. You can be faithful to an ideal, and still do the wrong thing. I can see you’re considering it. Also re-consider my lecture on balance when it comes to you and your actions. I’d hoped you’d come to the right answer on your own. I can only guide you. I can’t take away your free will. That includes telling you when you’re wrong, unless you ask. I can only judge you by your intentions and faithfulness, your actions are your own, as I told you in our first meeting.”

  Lori asked, “What should I do.”

  The goddess’s cold seductive voice had a tinge of amusement in it, as she answere
d, “Whatever you want, as long as it’s in service to me and the shadows.”

  Lori snorted in her mind, “That’s not very helpful.”

  The goddess laughed, “Free will is messy, daughter,” and then faded from her mind.

  She sighed, as she opened her eyes. It felt right, what they were saying. Her power was for more than punishment, and she’d been letting the power and rush of pleasure dictate her course. She was afraid, and very angry that she’d suffered for so very long. She also wasn’t sure how to serve at that point.

  Betty and Nancy, helping them take a step toward healing by blunting their memories had felt as right to her as punishing others for their transgressions. The two of them were almost sane now and were still recovering. They were also still slavishly devoted to her, if not more so. She felt conflicted, both angry she’d been thwarted in her goals, but ashamed of her desire to crush all men for their failures, for letting her suffer so long in the hands of evil men.

  She needed time to figure it all out, but her gut was telling her she had gone too far. She should’ve been killing all those men, not recruiting them. She also supposed the women she’d been punishing had paid enough for their crimes, had suffered enough.

  Point was, she had no idea what to do next. Perhaps Emily had betrayed Lori’s purpose, but she hadn’t betrayed her. The young woman was even willing to sacrifice herself, perhaps as a wakeup call to Lori so she would reassess.

  She opened her eyes, and with a simple prayer sent shadows back down the road, to summon her six attendants and two lovers. The others… she didn’t care, but she didn’t owe them shit. They could sit there and rot or go to join the community down the road. She no longer cared about them.

  “What now?” she asked.

  Mara said, “We would offer you a new place. A safe place to recover, and somewhere you could spread the word of your goddess through a hundred communities, as I do word of my goddess. Who knows, maybe one day Emily and I will set up a temple right next to yours. The world needs all of us, but you have to come to terms with what happened to you first, forgive yourself, and forgive those that couldn’t save you. Those that didn’t know about you.”

  She scowled, “They knew of me. They knew there were raiders out there with women captives, yet they chose to protect themselves only, and fuck the rest of the world. But I take your point, they haven’t harmed me directly. As for the rest, you’re as crazy as I am.”

  Mara snorted, “You’re not far wrong. We have a fairly large mansion, large enough for you and your three lovers, and your six attendants to join us. It’s isolated, and safe with a nature sorceress, life sorcerer, and three of us priestesses there. Not to mention guards. My mate controls the whole west coast. He did go out, and helped form over a hundred communities, while finding and destroying raiders and rape communes. There’s a whole lot more to tell you, but that’s a good start. A new life, and somewhere you can do your goddess’s work alongside me and Emily.”

  She shook her head, “What do you get out of it? I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I won’t be a beggar or accept charity. I think half the reason I formed an army was to take control of my own life. I won’t be a victim anymore, and I refuse to be a bystander and take what’s offered too. I need to control my own life.”

  Mara said, “It’s not like that. This offer is more than simple charity or pity. We are sisters, or we can be. We offer much, but you have much to offer in return as well. Personally, you would make us stronger and safer, but in service to our goddesses you will also benefit our communities. It’s all done in the service of the balance, and our gods. This isn’t charity we’re offering you, you will work for it, but its work in service to your goddess, and not on your back. Work you’d be doing anyway. It won’t be easy, but I believe our two families can live in harmony, each of us making up for the other’s lacks in our service. Not to mention the access to those communities to search for more like Emily. More priestesses for us both, as they are found.”

  Emily nodded and looked up at her with pleading brown eyes. Damn, that was hard to say no to. Emily’s love and attention, and her exquisite talent in bed, had warmed her the last few days. She was in no hurry to lose it. She worshipped and followed Myzasis because she believed in giving people exactly what they deserved, but that didn’t mean she had to be cold and miserable inside herself, did it?

  She’d been coming to believe that it didn’t. Maybe she did need a place to heal, and to come to herself before she could judge others with an unjaundiced eye.

  She shut hers tightly, still trying to get past the idea that the people that destroyed her army were offering to open their home to her. That was crazy, wasn’t it?

  She said, “I will give it a chance, but if I choose to go my own way?”

  Mara replied, “We will wish you luck, but if you resume your old course we would once again stand on opposing sides.”

  That seemed clear enough, and they weren’t wrong. She still hated them for it, but she knew she’d been wrong to want to punish them for it. Going with these people wouldn’t be the same as meekly looking for charity and work like it would be walking into that community either. She took a deep breath.

  “Alright?”

  Emily giggled in relief, and to Lori’s embarrassment threw her arms around her neck and pulled her down into a very sensuous kiss. She sighed softly despite their audience, and she lost herself in it.

  Epilogue

  It was a little awkward at first, especially for him, since he was the only one in the house with a dick. Lori was as skittish as a colt around him, and Betty and Nancy weren’t much better that way. The attendants had become servants in the house and assistants for the cooks, so the only zombies he had left around were his personal guards and a few as perimeter guards around the property.

  The only exception to that seemed to be Emily, who despite her similar trauma to the rest trusted him immediately, and she had never shown fear or nervousness. Perhaps because he was mated to her high priestess, or perhaps because she was a priestess herself of the goddess of healing and protection.

  He also slowly healed Emily over several weeks, in a way even her priestess magic couldn’t match. She’d been finished growing, her body had entered the phase of adulthood, and had been highly stunted from starving herself during her formative years. Regardless, he was a bit shocked at the change in her, as she grew more to resemble his ripely curvy and toned Cassie as well as gaining about five inches in height. They’d become friends of sorts, but it was obvious to him she held no attraction toward the male of the species.

  Regardless, her, Lori, Betty, and Nancy were like a second family living in the house, they shared one of the other large bedroom suites. It seemed to be working, but he did his best to avoid all the others as much as possible.

  He didn’t know what was next, but life was good. He had his two lovers, and his family in Kim and Lin. He was also getting used to the others in the house. There was some tenseness, but nothing too bad, and they mostly got along in their day to day activities.

  They’d decided to hold off on their schedule another few weeks, and they’d start it back up soon. That way Lori could get a handle on herself and how she wanted to introduce her goddess and work with his people. She was kind of terrifying a little bit, but she never attacked him with her shadows again, so far.

  The only other thing he’d done was recruit about fifty birds to his cause, to watch the roads that led into the westernmost states. No more surprise armies. Speaking of which, his stolen army had decimated the general and his staff, and they’d given the message that needed to be sent. Invading the west was a bad idea.

  As for Kim and Lin, he still didn’t have an answer for that, but talking about it had helped a bit, he thought. Life was messy, hopefully they wouldn’t give up on him before he worked it out.

  Katie and Bria had also stopped by a couple of times for dinner, and he was fairly sure she was in contact with Cassie often via magic. They’d
definitely formed another friendship there. His job was definitely shifting. His society was built and thriving, and there was little trash to be taken out.

  Who knew what would come next for him?

  Afterword:

  I hope you enjoyed the story. This second return of magic book is the first of three focused mostly on Sean Anders and his Life Sorcerer story, as well as the story of the west coast and all the people in his life. Obviously, there’s a smaller focus on other people as well. The epic storyline may continue with a different lead character if this part of the series goes well. I chose to stick with the overarching name of return of magic and break things down into sub-trilogies and arcs.

  If you haven’t read it yet, you might want to pick up the first book, emergence, which starts out Sean’s and Katie’s stories, and how emergence came about in more detail.

  If you can, please take the time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Reviews are the lifeblood of independent authors, and they have a bigger impact than you’d believe.

  About the Author: If you have any comments or suggestions you can send me an email at magicwrtr@gmail.com. I started out posting short stories online and at readers’ requests started to publish them. If you like my work, or even if you don’t, please consider leaving a review of this book.

  Other erotic fantasies by D. R. Rosier:

  Cirenthian Chronicles – Book one is Out of Darkness.

  Marcus, an ancient vampire, finds himself moved to another world where suddenly he is alive again, and magic is a known and powerful danger. No longer a vampire and dealing with emotions he hasn’t felt in over a millennium, will he be able to start a new life? This series is now complete.

  Necromancer Chronicles – Book one is The Necromancer.