The Power Bearer

by Guy Antibes

  “Up to where? They can’t see where they would be going and if they reached the balcony, they wouldn’t be able to get through a tiny crack. I doubt that they could see us.

  “But they had to have seen me,” Norra said. “I was so overcome.”

  “I don’t think they saw your mage light. You bolt gave you away. It was the color. They must have found out that the rose-gold wizard light came from a woman. Norra’s been seen by plenty of wizards in Taxia and there might even be a Bistomer spy at Tower Win. When they saw the lightning, they knew it came from you. Then they projected their enchantment up towards the balcony and the rest we know,” Namen said.

  Merran winced, but then nodded.

  “So you’ll be using Gristan for more surveillance?” Norra said. “Can any of the mages detect him?”

  Namen shook his head. “I can’t see him when he’s invisible. No light, no nothing and even if they could, what would a mage do? Kill him? Bind him? A being that can walk through walls can certainly shake off ropes.”

  “Norra, I think it doesn’t carry much risk,” Merran said.

  “Gristan, I’d like to know what the wizards think of my bolt and who they think I am.”

  “Good idea. Can you still tell where wizards are?” Merran said.

  Gristan nodded.

  “Go to the brightest blue and you’ll find one of the Nine, see what he has to say,” Norra said.

  “I’ll leave now. Should I wake you upon my return?” He addressed his question to Merran.

  Norra thought, “Only if it is important. You can be the judge of that.”

  Gristan bowed and smiled knowingly at Merran and Namen.

  Norra threw her hand at Gristan. “You… men!” and then she laughed. It felt good to laugh and let some of the grim feelings that had plagued her recede a little bit in her mind. “I know I don’t lead. Everyone has followed my goal to get here and now that we’re in the tower, we’re all acting together. You will note that I readily stand aside for experience.” She gave a little bow to Merran. However, it was as if a weight just lifted from her shoulders. The burden of responsibility for everyone had just vanished and she felt free after that statement. Norra was her own agent, after all, and she didn’t have to submit to their decisions, just as they didn’t have to follow hers. She would have to arrive at a life-changing decision on her own, and soon.

  ~

  Norra couldn’t sleep and drifted in and out dreaming of lightning bolts and mages forcing her to think evil thoughts. She got up, thinking it was midnight, and pulled the drape to look out at the early morning light. Evidently sleep wasn’t so elusive after all. She dressed in her leather outfit and walked out to the sitting room.

  Merran gave her a worried look. “Gristan hasn’t returned.”

  “Oh. He can’t go too far.” Norra looked at Merran’s quizzical gaze. “Gristan is bound to me or rather the power of Master Mage and he can only be so far before he is…”

  “Is what?” Gristan said as he sauntered into the room. “I went out too late for the mages. I’m afraid most were in bed or at least not saying anything useful, so I waited until morning when they all met together just a few minutes ago.”

  “And? What did they say?” Namen said, as he entered the room from the stairway to the dining level. He crunched on an apple making Norra hungry.

  “A parlay. They want to lure you down, Merran. Then they will force your help to capture or kill the woman mage. You’ll do that or they’ll kill you and take over your domain, which isn’t very sporting, is it?”

  “How did they know I was here?”

  “Blue with a tinge of green? Your lightning bolt, or whatever it was, let them know of your personal presence. “

  Norra couldn’t believe they would do that. “But what about my lightning bolt?”

  “They just shrugged their shoulders and talked about being careful around women. The mages thought that the woman who did it is probably, even now, still sleeping off the spell. The failure of their mind attack on you was disappointing, but it was a desperation attack that they didn’t think had much of a chance of working. They knew it was you from your wizard light on the road to Bistomer’s Pass, as they call it.”

  “The mages didn’t know how close they came to success,” Norra said. A feeling of desperation made her stomach feel hollow. “How can they think that I’d be sleeping?”

  “Quite easily,” Merran said. “They would be if one of them succeeded in throwing such a devastating blast. They look at us through their own eyes and I’m sure they are very scared.” He walked to the window and looked down as the sea of wizards parted for the mages approaching the tower from their meeting. “The Nine are so drunk with power that they feel that, despite the gift the Master Mage gave you, it’s only a matter of time before they prevail. What you see out there is a full-scale assault. I went home last night, which was quite a feat, given the fact that that the only place in the tower where my transportation spell worked was above the twentieth floor. He pointed at the ceiling. No one is on the other side of my borders for the first time since I took over Win Tower. Bistomer has everyone here.”

  The thought of the mages turning the people in Merran’s domain back into slaves with their mind spells infuriated her more than anything had done before. Previous thoughts of not harming innocent men were misplaced. “I’ll kill them all now.” Norra said. “Let’s go up to the workshop.”

  Gristan stood in front of her. “Prior to all of the carnage, I think you should get some breakfast.”

  Norra clutched her fists and realized that Gristan was right. It wasn’t the breakfast she needed; it was a bit of time to calm down.

  They went up the stairs to see Lily cooking some mush. She turned around smiling, “There was a bag of rolled oats. I used to make this when I was little. Why are you so glum?”

  “Gristan found out that they want to kill us,” Norra said.

  “That’s not particularly surprising considering there’s hundreds of them camping out there.” Lily turned back to her cooking. “Could someone look for some sugar? I think I’ll be reminded of poor Fenning every time I make this. However, he never tried mine.”

  Norra thought of Fenning and it hurt to remember him. She stood up and folded her arms. “This isn’t working out like I expected. I was supposed to reach the tower, enter and have my power stripped and then I’d be magically transported to my old bedroom at Bordon Forest.”

  “Part of your efforts came true,” Gristan said. “You reached here to find that in order to lose your powers you merely have to die and then the two of us can float all the way back to Bordon Forest, together.”

  “I doubt that Gristan,” Merran said. “You are linked to the Master Mage’s power. I have no idea what kind of spell he laid on you, but if Norra successfully transfers her power, you’ll be bound to the new holder or maybe even to this tower.”

  “Ah. Quite so.” Gristan looked a bit crestfallen with the new revelation.

  “Doesn’t it still make sense to kill them all if they’re here?” Norra looked at all of them and didn’t find any sympathetic faces.

  “I thought you were the one who didn’t like killing?” Namen said. “You struggled with the two wizards on the road and all the rest.”

  “That was then. This is now and I’m frightened out of my wits and I feel that I have to do something, do anything to stop it. Their mind attack was the last straw. The thought of them enslaving Merran’s subjects is very distrubing.” It was as if someone had taken fear and poured into every nook and cranny of her body. She put out her hand and could feel a tremble. She sat down and willed herself to defy the feeling.

  “Aren’t we all a bit frightened out of our wits?” Namen said, clamping his lips for a moment and continuing, “but I will tell you, I know many men out there and not a small number are my relatives. They don’t know I’m in here, but they feel threatened as much as you do.”

  “Except for the Nine,” Merran said. He
went over to the pot and took a spoonful of the mush and blew on it. “I have relatives out there as well. Not all wizards are evil but they have sworn to defend their mage and the domains that they live in.” He ate the spoonful and gave Lily a smile. “Good.”

  “How can you eat at a time like this?” Norra said and sat down with her head in her hands. She couldn’t shake the tension of the moment.

  “I’m hungry. Aren’t you? And I’m not going to kill hundreds of men like you are,” Namen said.

  Norra couldn’t believe her ears, but then considered the situation and sat back. “All right. We can’t stay here forever. If I can’t kill the wizards, then they will eventually kill me.” She closed her eyes feeling the pain of her decision. “If I transfer the power, the spell will kill me, but everyone else will be safe, right?” She looked at Merran.

  Merran’s eyes weren’t reassuring. “I can’t guarantee that. If I have the power of the Master Mage, I’ll still have to prove it and the Mage’s won’t accept anything less than some measure of dominance. But they will have to remain. I took an oath to join with the Nine, too. One I’ll gladly break to save Polda, but I’m responsible for all of the people in my domain. If those men out there decided to overrun Win, all that I’ve worked for will be lost.”

  Norra felt defeated. He told her he would do whatever he could to protect his domain and then try as he might to restrain the invasion of her homeland. She hadn’t taken an oath to protect anything or anybody. She brought up a picture of her father in her mind. No oath was needed for her to want to do what was best for her family. Her future led to her death either way, and that realization fell heavily on her shoulders. Lily had fought for life, even as she contemplated death when abducted. She had sought out freedom. Norra wanted freedom, but perhaps a chance at saving Polda and giving Bordon Forest its freedom, unknown to them, would make some sense out of her demise rather than at the hands of that rabble down there.

  She grabbed an apple and walked out to the dining area. A white flag hung from a pole floating in the air. The word ‘PARLAY’ was written on it in red letters. She looked back, remembering Gristan’s words. “Their offer to talk is a sham.”

  ~~~~

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Death by Transfer

  ~

  They stood on the balcony in the workshop. Breakfast was over and they decided to let the mages wait for a while. Norra looked down at the teeming mass of wizards and mages gathered below. She pulled out her little spell book. “One last message to let them know of our decision.” Gristan put his hand on her shoulder and the rest of them nodded.

  After opening the book and finding the bolt incantation, she restrained herself and used significantly less mental force in blasting the parley sign into burned tatters. She didn’t care at this point if anyone stood in the way. The bolt would be her last spell. It was fitting that destroying the sign was an act of defiance.

  She turned and walked into the workshop and lay down on a padded table that was waist high. She sat up and took another look at the room, as each of her friends came to her and clutched her hand. All except Merran, who sat, removed from the rest, finishing the last few pages of the folio that held the incantation. Norra was all for him getting the series of spells right.

  He looked animated as his eyes crossed a passage and continued to read. He folded up the page and slipped it into his pocket. He stood and came over to Norra. His eyes communicated the gravity of the situation.

  “You don’t have to do this. We can find another way.” Merran breathed heavily. He looked as distressed and nervous as Norra felt. “This is not something I have sought.”

  Norra couldn’t help but snort. “Your life has been one push to the top. This is the culmination of what would have taken the rest of your life in study and dedication and you will get it at an early age. Don’t tell me it’s something you haven’t sought, at least deep in your heart.” Tears began to stream down her face but that didn’t keep her from seeing her words hit the mark. “You can be assured that this is something I have never sought. All I wanted was to become a lady so I could be free to live on my own estate and act as I wished. I loved my life, especially my father. I didn’t ask to meet all of you, although even though I sound selfish, you’ve each given me something valuable in your own way. Gristan has taught me that no matter what condition you are in, you can change. He is the mentor of my conscience and I love him for that.”

  She looked at Lily. “You have taught me that freedom has a price. You had already paid for it when we met. Now I pay for freedom with my life and your example has helped me come to this decision.”

  Namen put his arm around a weeping Lily. “And you, mage. You scared me more than all of those wizards out there combined when we knew you followed us. Cloud told me you pursued us and then you showed up in Taxia…” Norra shuddered. “Now you hold a dear friend in your arms and are a dear friend yourself. I can’t look upon either of you as a single-faceted person again.” Norra got off of the table and walked to the window. “And that realization, right here, right now, proves to me how wrong I was down in the kitchen. A person is not automatically your enemy. There are some of those who are my enemy. Those wizards who wished to take Lily and me into the Bistomer domain as slaves were my enemy, but none of you are and I don’t know how many of those below wouldn’t be as well. You’ve all taught me that in your own ways.”

  She turned and walked to Merran. “And I don’t know what to make of you. Deceit? Betrayal? Love?” Merran began to protest, but Norra put her fingers to his lips. “I’ll never know the truth. But let me kiss Cloud, a dear friend.” She kissed Merran once. “Let me kiss Herran who wooed me although he might have been oblivious to how he affected me.” She kissed Merran again. “And finally, I forgive you for causing my death. I can only hope that you don’t betray my trust. Save Polda for my family…” Norra fought to compose herself and finally whispered, “and for me.” She kissed him a final time and lay back down on the table. “And may you succeed.”

  ~

  Merran

  “Stand back,” Merran shooed the others away from the table. “I will do what I can to bring honor to you, Norra of Bordon Forest.” He leaned over and kissed her long, not at all exultant about the prospect of receiving the Master Mage’s power. Norra’s words put his desire to be Master Mage in a different light. All he could do now was give her the trust in death that she couldn’t quite feel in life.

  He stood and stretched out his arms over Norra, who trembled. Merran reached down and closed her eyes. She twitched as he touched her for this one final time, taking her hands in his own. He leaned over and whispered in her ear and Norra repeated the words. Merran sung the incantation and she responded with a song of her own until tiny motes of colored lights swirled and curled over Norra. They brightened and all in the room covered their eyes except for Norra, who seemed to be in a trance, and Merran.

  He expected her form to rise from her body like she described the Master Mage had done. He looked forward to one last goodbye from this girl who had such a deep affect on him. Yet he was disappointed as she lay still on the table while the power continued to cascade and then the light thrust itself into Merran, knocking him to the ground.

  He awoke, knowing he had been out for mere seconds. Merran immediately looked at the still form of Norra. No heaving of her breasts, no blood colored her now-pale face. A pain deep within him caused him to gasp. Could the Master Mage’s power possibly be worth such anguish? The spell could not be taken back. Norra made her decision and he accepted it. He wasn’t so sure he’d let her go ahead with the transfer, if presented another chance, given how he felt at that moment. He stood and the others surrounded Norra’s body. A chance at redemption sat in his pocket.

  “Am I now yours?” Gristan said, without taking his eyes from Norra. “I truly wish I could cry. She was… unique.”

  “We are all unique,” Merran said, not believing his own words. “And now,” he pull
ed the handwritten document from his robe. “I don’t know if this is a joke, or an experiment or wishful thinking on the part of the Master Mage, but listen.”

  ~~

  “If you read this, you are a mage and know that I am dead. I intended on transferring my power to the son of a non-talented relative I know. I have given knowledge of where the key to my tower is hidden and I hope you are the right mage to take his power.

  The incantation, you read about previously, requires the death of the boy in order to make the transfer complete, however, even I cannot take such a life lightly and have developed the following spell to bring him back as long as you don’t tarry.

  If it works, let the boy go home with my thanks and among any tokens you should wish to award my Power Bearer, you will find some small measure of compensation for him in the red chest on the seventeenth floor.

  You who read this, use my power for the good of all men and women in Polda and that includes those who inhabit Magia. I love them all and it is my greatest wish that they can unite in some rational way. My greatest regret is that I failed to unite the mages. You will need my full powers to invoke the spell.

  Farewell. I have lived a good life, but we all can only go forward for so long.

  ~~

  Merran nodded to the others and said, “I don’t know if this will work, but it is certainly worth the effort. Please stand back.” Again, Merran put his hands over the inert form of Norra and sang the spell. Nothing happened.

  Merran bowed his head as disappointment overcame him. “I don’t have the power, after all.”

  Namen stood beside Merran. “Let me lend you some of mine. I want that girl back among us.” He looked at Lily and nodded. “It’s worth any risk.

  Merran’s eyes had filled with tears and he clasped Namen on the shoulder. “Let’s get it done. Time is not on our side.”

  Namen put his hand on Merran’s bare neck as Merran sang the spell once more. He felt Namen’s power join his. The spell started to activate before he finished. His vision colored with the same hues of the motes he had seen when Norra died and then he felt a violent jerk from his heart and he collapsed to the floor as Namen fell to his knees.