The Orphan's Discovery

by Shawn Robert Smith

  That was it.

  Senectus in the old language meant aged or old. For the Order of the Ox it referred to when their magic aged it became like the substance it adhered to. If someone had reinforced a stone wall, the blue magic turned gray overtime. It also became difficult for a wielder to determine if it was stone or magic, depending on the age. Library was easier to interpret—it meant the library. Thomas happened to know that Buford lived near Castle Claybury and that this library was a replica of the one at the Order of the Ox. Thomas needed to tell Aurora.

  Thomas folded the letter and placed it into his coat. He rushed to the Council of Light hall and found her speaking with the guards.

  “Aurora, a word.”

  She dismissed the guards and Thomas pulled her aside.

  “I think I’ve discovered it.” He tried to speak with his eyes at his meaning. She gave him a soft smile and then it hit him. Her face was flush with sweat and he saw tiredness in her eyes. She must have ingested some poison somehow.

  “Are you okay?”

  “No, I will stay as long as I can but I need to get to the Decayed for help.”

  “Go now.”

  “Thomas, if I leave, I won’t be able to protect you during the sword ceremony.”

  She tried to speak with her eyes. It hurt her to know that Thomas might not survive the assassination even if successful.

  “I’m an old man, Aurora. Stay as long as you can but don’t worry about me. If I die, I’ll go down using the magic I deserved to have when I turned of age so many years ago. Thank you for believing in me, Aurora.”

  “Thomas, it’s time to begin,” King Luther bellowed as he came in.

  “Aurora, the secret I searched for decades is in the library. Look for old magic. For Senectus and you’ll discover the truth.”

  Her eyes widened. She kissed Thomas on his cheek and left to sit with the King.

  Thomas checked the glass orb, readying it for use. He’d stab the King with his ceremonial sword and begin the reign of the Decayed. His time would likely come to an end, but he’d leave his mark on history.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Day 9 — Morning

  The book sat before her and its title brought her hope she’d found what Aurora had wanted. Below the skull it read Masters of the Order of Man. Linette opened the drawer below the book and found a ruler. She used it to open the book, remembering the parchment they took from the Decayed on the way to Pinemere. She found that the insides had been decayed. They were cracked like land suffering from a drought and little text remained. She flipped the pages with care, searching for any answers she might find. She discovered little and what she saw only contained fragments of information. None of it useful. The table of contents, however, remained mostly intact and confirmed that this book served as a guide to become a full master of the Order of Man.

  Linette heard a swooping noise behind her, remembering Falen. A twinge of guilt ran through her body as she turned around.

  “Alone at last.”

  It took Linette a second to realize he’d closed off the wall behind him, her spheres providing enough light to compensate for the loss of light from the library. Her next thought responded to his comment. They’d flirted occasionally, but she had already fallen for Joshua. Then, he shot a sphere at her, locking her against the desk.

  “I’ve been searching for a time to end your life this past week, but I also don’t want to get caught. I’ve tried during your journey between here and the Order but that boy won’t let you out of his sight when you’re not here.”

  He walked over and around Linette to see what they’d uncovered.

  “So this is what you’ve been looking for? It’s useless, whatever it is. Too bad no one will know you found it. When I leave, I’ll say you’re off in the Decayed section and have plenty of time to escape. When they can’t find you, they’ll assume you took off for your Order and no one will realize you’re missing until I’m long gone. I suspect they’ll find you when the stink of death seeps into the library. Now to make that happen I need you to open your mouth.”

  Linette felt the tears forming in her eyes and falling down her cheeks. The magic refused to budge and she couldn’t move or talk. He approached with a menacing look in his face, one she hadn’t seen from him over the past week, but it reminded her of her father. It was a look she hoped never to see again.

  He formed a sphere and used it to release the bond covering her mouth. She screamed, hoping a guard would hear, but her voice failed to reach its peak before he’d filled her mouth with magic. She felt it flow down her throat and fill her lungs. Even if she could manage a way to breathe in air, it’d do little good as the Ox magic began to expand, pressing her insides against her bones and skin.

  Falen left, closing the entrance behind him. Linette’s head spun. She wanted to scream from the agony of her bones and body breaking, but there was nowhere for her voice to escape to. She’d found where they’d hid the book, but failed to pass it on to Winthrop or Knilin. Without this knowledge, someone else might find the book at the Order of the Ox. They’d give it to the Decayed and give them more power. She thought of Winthrop and Markus, wishing she could see them one more time before her end. With each crack of bone, she made the motions of a struggle and a scream, but she could not move or make a sound. The magic inside her made her body stiff.

  From her place on the ground, she saw the door open to the secret room, Viola entering with a man in a blue cloak. It wasn’t Falen. It was someone else. He formed spheres and worked his magic, giving her relief from the rigid magic filling her body. With it removed from her throat and mouth she breathed, but her insides felt like they continued to fail. Her vision dimmed. The last thing she remembered was a bright green light that filled the room with its brilliance.

  She jolted upright and took deep breath after deep breath. Her body no longer hurt and she felt great. Surprised, but great. She did not understand how her body healed. Linette vividly remembered bones breaking inside of her. Viola stood over her, watching her. “It’s okay dear. You’ll be fine.”

  Several thoughts crowded her mind, but the most important jumped to the forefront. “Falen tried to kill me. He’s escaped!”

  “He’s been taken care of.” Viola helped her up.

  “I need to tell Winthrop and Knilin. Both need to be warned.” Linette kept her comment vague, and she didn’t want to specifically say she needed to tell Winthrop where to find the book.

  “Go.”

  Linette didn’t hesitate. She ran out of the library and to the communications room. She scribed a note to Winthrop, relaying her experience, where to find the book, and to watch himself. She had a Decayed with her. How else could she have Decayed the book?

  Having completed her task, she left the castle, finding Joshua waiting for her as usual. They kissed. Her hands shook, but his touch helped her to stabilize herself.

  “Everything okay?” He asked.

  “Yes, I found what I was looking for.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  She wanted to tell him everything. Yet, the time wasn’t right. Instead, she decided to work out her emotions by running.

  “I’ll tell you everything in a few days. I don’t enjoy keeping anything between us.”

  Joshua smiled from ear-to-ear. They ran, competing against each other as they went.

  Day 9 — Morning

  Markus woke up to the sounds of waves. A cold wind blew against his back. Someone clothed him and he sat on the sand. He confirmed the potion was gone after checking his pocket. Before him, the Sea of Sorrows looked as devastating as before. The insurmountable wall of water reminded Markus of his failure to get across. He wasted all that energy getting the concoction, to end up here empty-handed. His sleep left him feeling rested for the first time in the last few days, but that fell flat compared to his expectations of himself.

  He turned around, deciding to head back toward the nearby village to find someone else who might know a
way across. He stopped in his tracks, looked back at the Sea of Sorrows, and then back again. He was in Thurus on the other side of the ocean wall. In the distance, he saw a city. It had to be Hell’s Gate. Markus took off running toward the city. After a few minutes and out of breath, he walked as quick as possible. He needed to work on his running endurance. The wielder from the night before had taken the potion and brought him here. He had no idea how to make it back to the mainland, but he figured the Decayed knew. His clothes remained dry, revealing that the Decayed had built a tunnel to travel under the Sea of Sorrows. It made sense given that members from the Order of the Ox had joined their side.

  Markus eased his quick pace as he neared the city. They used a dark stone to build the walls and the portcullis. It gave the place an ominous feel, not to mention they called it Hell’s Gate. The surrounding grass laid dead and brown. When he entered the unguarded entrance, he proceeded with caution. To his surprise, the inside contained a bustle of activity. People walked throughout the large courtyard, haggling with merchants. No one paid much attention to Markus, so he walked around listening to conversations, hoping to learn anything about the Decayed. He didn’t know what the townspeople thought of the Decayed, so he hesitated to ask anyone directly. Most of the conversations tended toward talk about the weather, goods the merchant was selling, or any news from the mainland.

  Markus grew impatient and hungry. The merchant near him seared meat, peppered with seasonings that made his mouth water. He checked for his coppers, finding them still in his pocket. He followed his nose to the enticing food and requested some meat on a stick. He showed a few coppers, and the man looked directly at Markus’s face. Until now, no one had looked at him face to face.

  “Where did you get these? We don’t take the stinkin’ King’s coin here anymore.”

  Markus hesitated.

  “Wait a second. You’ve the look of a Decayed. Your age tells me you just turned.”

  Markus took off toward the exit. He heard the merchant yelling after him. He sprinted through the town, but saw a group of men block the exit. Not sure where to go, Markus pivoted to his right and went that way. Soon the whole town seemed to surround him. Dozens of men circled him. Markus had no options. Not even his magic proved strong enough to fight off all of them.

  “Where did you come from?” One of the men asked.

  Markus saw no reason to lie.

  “Pinemere.”

  “And you’ve managed to escape after your testing?”

  “Yes,” Markus replied. “I’m looking for the Decayed.”

  The group of men grumbled.

  “They left a long time ago. You’ve come to the wrong place.”

  Markus cursed. What would they do with him now?

  “I’ll be on my way then. Do you know how to cross back to the mainland?”

  More grumbling. “We were just about to ask you the same thing. How did you cross?”

  “I don’t know. Someone brought me here while I slept.”

  “Maybe we should beat it out of you.” Some men punched their fists into their palms.

  Another man stepped into the ring. “No. We bring him to the Order and leave him there just like we do with anyone who turns.”

  Markus liked this one.

  “Don’t fight back, son. Our jailer will place chains on you and a group of guards will bring you there.”

  “What happens there?”

  The jailer cuffed Markus’s hands and feet. He let him — what choice did he have?

  “We don’t know and we don’t care to know. No one ever comes back out and we’re okay with that.”

  They led him outside to a wagon. He jumped in and sat down, resolved to his fate. Guards followed on horseback as they traveled to the Order of the Decayed.

  Day 9 — Afternoon

  Winthrop awoke from his nap. He’d cried himself to sleep. He remembered Fath’s speech and his attempt to discredit the man. Winthrop believed that Fath’s wife’s betrayal blinded him to the truth. The truth that the Decayed lost their way and never would return. The histories of his father led him to only one conclusion: his father didn’t save that village. He may have by accident, but more likely, he tried to save himself.

  Winthrop desperately wanted to put an end to the Decayed. With everything going on, he forgot to ask about the words for Linette. Guilt overwhelmed him and he hustled to the library. Once inside, the librarian held up a rolled-up piece of parchment tied off with some string. He placed it on the desk and went about his business. Winthrop took it and sat a dozen feet away, giving himself some privacy.

  Winthrop,

  I’ve figured it out. Well, sort of. Senectus is old magic. When the Order of the Ox reinforces something, it becomes like that object over time. Aurora found a place where ancient magic was used to conceal a hidden room in the library ceiling. After opening and closing it, she used dye to turn the magic from blue to gray to match the ceiling again. Inside was a book about Decayed magic. It lay on a desk, but Aurora Decayed it somehow. When I opened it, it was cracked beyond recognition. I hope that yours is still intact. To find it, I needed someone with Ox magic to open the door. It’s fortunate that you can perform Ox magic since I suspect that yours is “locked” too.

  At Claybury, it was in the ceiling right above the place between aisle two and three, about halfway down. A member from the Order of the Ox visiting here built a staircase and then used magic to open a hole. The ceiling itself was made of Ox magic centuries ago. Be careful. I was attacked when I found it. I’m okay, but watch yourself.

  Linette

  Winthrop rolled the letter and put it in the inside pocket of his cloak. He went down the second aisle to give him time to watch for followers. The library seemed empty except for the librarian, but Winthrop refused to be obvious. He walked down halfway. He looked around for anyone and listened for sounds of footsteps, but the room remained silent. He entered aisle one, glancing both ways for people. The librarian was in view of the first row, but he occupied himself with sorting books. Winthrop treaded quietly back in between aisle two and three and looked up at the ceiling. He took some deep breaths and prayed that his magic wouldn’t fail him now. Winthrop had to hurry. He flung sphere after sphere until he built a staircase up to where Linette told him to go. He went back to ground level and grabbed a candle from a nearby lantern and climbed back up the steps. He reached up and touched the stone. It felt like solid rock. He panted from his exertion building the steps, wondering what to do now. He waited a few moments, fearing the librarian or anyone might come inside to find him acting strangely.

  He formed spheres and touched the ceiling, searching for magically formed rock. It took several minutes to discover the spot off to his right. He opened the hole. After a few more breaths, he jumped and grabbed the ledge. His forearms burned, and he slipped with his right hand. After wiping off the sweat, he latched on.

  He struggled to pull himself up through the hole, muscles continuing to burn from the quick yet massive use of magic. Once inside, he released the magic, and the steps dissolved into nothing. Winthrop didn’t dare to give an enemy a walkway to him, especially when so weak.

  Safely inside and hidden from view, he took his time looking around. Linette mentioned a desk but Winthrop saw nothing. He let his spheres light the way. He cautiously watched his every step until he found a stone staircase back down to ground level. He walked down a short hallway and found a room no bigger than his sleeping quarters. Inside, only a desk sat against the wall to his right. On top of that desk sat a book. Winthrop’s body tingled with anticipation. The cover bore a skull. He looked closely and saw it had been burned onto the page rather than drawn. Winthrop used the parchment that Linette sent to open the book by sliding it inside and pulling it open. He found the table of contents, glad to find that whoever wrote the book cared to use the one language Winthrop could read.

  Without knowing how long before someone discovered him, Winthrop found the most important topic: The Sev
enth Level of the Order of Man. He turned to that chapter and began reading.

  This secret has been withheld from others in my Order. I discovered it by accident and have kept it to myself for obvious reasons. I write it down here as one day I hope to discover how to reverse it and pass that knowledge to someone else for safekeeping. I’ve lived too long and grow weary of this world. Once I learn how to reverse this, I’ll end my time here and pass the knowledge onto the worthiest of the power.

  To whoever reads this: the Seventh Level of the Decayed is immortality.

  I commanded our Order follow the ‘to’ rules to impede them from obtaining this power. The ‘for’ speaks the truth of the matter:

  1.Protect your Keeper, for without him, you’ll commit unspeakable acts.

  2.Never have children, for—

  Winthrop turned the page to continue reading. A noise to his right caught his attention. He quickly protected himself despite the burn in his muscles. The darkness hid anyone lurking over ten paces away. When no one came, he turned back to the book, but as soon as he did, a ball of dark magic hit the book with force and it cracked beyond reading recognition. Winthrop pushed back, knocking the chair over and formed a blue sphere. He threw it down the middle of the hallway, hoping to at least discover where his attacker stood. The sphere continued until it reached the end and hit the staircase.

  His tingling of anticipation turned into a full-on adrenaline. His response was to flee, but his only choice was to encounter this enemy. He flung more spheres, using the blue light to give him a sign of where he stood. The light showed his outline but Winthrop dodged more magic. One sphere hit him, weakening his protective shield. The impact startled him, but he stayed unscathed. He reinforced himself more before resuming an offensive attack. While he guarded himself, the attacker tackled him. He blacked out for a split second and then managed to grab the attacker’s hands. His attempt stopped the onslaught, but the man proved stronger and pushed Winthrop’s hands to the ground, locking him in place. The hood and darkness of the room hid his face, giving Winthrop nothing to determine his identity. At least, neither could perform magic—at least not well. Winthrop used his fingernails to cut into his wrists so he might identify the man from the wounds later. If he didn’t survive, hopefully whoever found his body might realize what he had done. That was unlikely though.