Magician Prince

by Curtis Cornett

  Southernstar caught hold of Byrn and Sane felt a moment of relief before he realized that her dive was not entirely controlled and she risked crashing in the ground.

  The black dragon hit the earth with such force that it shook the ground and nearly knocked over half of the people in the square. Sane barely paid it any notice as he readied one more spell. “Gods, give me the strength…” he offered the words, but could not finish. He swung his staff at the red dragon far above him and let loose with a gust of wind. He did so again and tried to sustain the wind magic to keep Southernstar afloat, but his strength was all but gone. “Help me!” he called out to anyone in desperation.

  “Magicians!” shouted Alia and began to cast wind magic at the red dragon. Her skill in the elements was not on par with Sane’s, but she helped as best she could. Other magicians near the sorcerer grabbed their staffs and joined in. Those farther away moved to join them. None of them truly understood the importance of what they were doing, but Sane was grateful for their assistance anyway.

  Southernstar landed with a thud on her side, but the impact could have been far worse. For a minute there was only silence as they all stared at the still dragon. Then from around Southernstar’s side came Byrn. He limped weakly, but around his arm he held up King Janus who was not in any better condition. The soldiers cheered at seeing their king still alive and the magicians did the same for Byrn, perhaps not realizing that this Byrn was not the one that led the assault in the first place, but perhaps it did not matter.

  “Grab all of the healers you can find,” said Byrn and several soldiers moved to do as he asked.

  Queen Wendi and Alia jumped down from the stage they were standing on and ran over to the hobbling men. Alia grabbed Byrn and squeezed him tightly and Wendi did the same to Janus. Sane wanted to join them, but lacked the energy to move even one more step now that the conflict had been brought to an end.

  Their revelry was broken when Xander stepped forward. He was bloody and nearly broken. He rested heavily against the black dragon’s hide as he edged toward them. There was a hole in his leg that would have led him to bleed to death if it went untreated, but the wound looked like it had been cauterized even as it was inflicted. One of his arms was broken so that it bent at an unnatural angle. His face was twisted by shear malice and maybe some madness. “I am not done yet, boy.”

  Hundreds of black tendrils shot out of Xander’s back and attacked everyone still in the square. No one was spared his wrath, as soldier and magician alike were each stung by one of his tendrils. Sane felt the tendril suck at his life force and fell to his knees. He was dimly aware that even Byrn, Alia, and the royals were each leached to Xander who was rapidly draining them all.

  It was Byrn who dealt him the first blow by sending an intense wave of fire up the tendril and burning Xander with it. Then he did the same for Alia and the royals. Seeing his example Sane along with dozens of other magicians did the same thing and cast their own elemental magic to sever the necromancer’s connections to them and they even helped out the kingdom soldiers by cutting their bonds as well. Xander howled in rage and pain from the hundreds of small assaults that all happened at once. Any reasoning appeared to be lost to him as he turned his full attention to Byrn and started to hurl bolts of black magic at him using the energy he just stole. Byrn held his hands up in front of him and erected a shield to deflect or absorb the bolts, but he was quickly tiring.

  Sane shot a lightning bolt at Xander. It was not very strong as lightning went, but the necromancer was completely taken by surprise and was forced to stop his barrage for a moment to deflect the attack, but that was all the time that Byrn needed to summon forth a massive ball of fire and throw it directly at him. That one moment seemed to stretch out for an eternity to the sorcerer. The fireball hurtled toward Xander even as the necromancer shot another of his tendrils at Byrn. The look on Xander’s face was one of ultimate triumph. Sane thought he understood the half-crazed smile that spread across Xander’s face. Byrn’s attack was meant to kill him and in so doing Byrn would seal his own fate with the gods. In that moment it must have seemed a fitting trade to both men as each was willing to die to see an end brought to the other one, but Sane was wrong. The tendril was not meant for Byrn, but Janus.

  It only took an instant for Xander to grab hold of Janus with his tendril and yank him in front of the fireball so that the king took the brunt of the blast. Xander was still burned by the attack and fell to his hands and knees. He was a retching husk of a man that was made sick by the pain and the smell of his own burnt hair and flesh, but he had won. Janus’ body lied before Xander. He was a scorched mass that was barely recognizable as a person and completely unrecognizable by any other means. Queen Wendi shrieked and was held back from the body by one of her royal guardsmen. Alia grabbed Byrn as his body went limp and she gently lowered him to the ground.

  Sane could not remember how to make his legs work. He wanted to go to his prince and former student. There must be something else that he could do. There had to be some way that he could save Byrn, but his legs refused to listen.

  Then Alia sobbed and looked directly at Sane. “He is dead.”

  Chapter 37

  The world was colored in shades of grey.

  Byrn stood up from where he was lying on the ground. Alia was there, cradling him in her arms, but she did not move. It was disconcerting to look down on himself like this. His birth mother, the queen, was frozen in a portrait trying to run, but one of her guards held fast to her. Sane was there too. He stood not far away from them all, looking like a statue. Southernstar was behind him and Byrn hoped that she would survive this ordeal. Where were those healers he had called for? She was in desperate need of help. Xander was there too. It saddened Byrn that the necromancer had survived the attack, but he took some satisfaction in Xander’s haggard state.

  “Xander is not dead,” he said.

  “No,” answered a sultry voice. It had been a long time since he last saw that face, but he could not forget the beauty of the goddess of death. “He lives… such as it is. However, you, dear child, are very much no longer one of the living. You killed someone and so your soul is mine. I admit I am impressed. The higher races have long known the thrill of killing, but you killed your own brother. Not many men ever do that. Then again it may be a family trait. Your brother murdered your father. Do not look so surprised. Your father tried to have you killed as a baby and numerous generations before yours would drown their magically gifted young. Perhaps it is simply a part of your nature.”

  “But I didn’t mean to kill Janus!”

  “No, you meant to kill Xander Necros,” Kassani agreed. “Unfortunately your intentions do not change the results. You took a life and now yours is forfeit in return. Now come. Follow me to the underworld. There are loved ones waiting to see you: your parents, Avelice Necros, even your old friends from the Collective and the magic school are waiting.”

  “My friends…” Byrn longed to see them again. Tannys. Marian. Avelice. Turshyn. He longed to see them and many others whose lives were cut short. Then he looked to Alia and Sane. Somewhere his daughter was still missing and Kaleb would need him too. “My friends in the world of the living still need me. I cannot go yet.”

  “Do they?” Kassani sounded incredulous. “The higher races always seem to overestimate their value in the world. ‘How will my children go on without me?’ or ‘If I die, the magicians will destroy the world.’ That last one was your brother, by the way. But the world will go on with or without you. It may not move in the way you wish it, but it will continue to turn. People will be born, live, and die in their short existences. Then they will all come to me. It is an undeniable fact of life.”

  “And when will you claim Xander?”

  Kassani shrugged, uncaring. “He will come eventually. Judging from his current state it may well be soon, but even if it is not he will make a hazardous mistake one day and it will cost him his life. I am patient.”

  “Then
can’t you be patient with me? Send me back.”

  “You must not be listening. Everyone wants to go back, but they cannot. Now come with me.” Kassani turned to leave. Byrn did not know where she intended to go, but he started to follow her without thinking. A living darkness was starting to creep around them and Byrn froze. Kassani turned to him. “There is nothing to fear. Now follow me.” She started off into the waiting black void, but Byrn did not follow. Again she turned to him, clearing growing angry, “In death, you are my servant. Now I command you to join me.”

  “No.”

  “Come here!”

  Byrn took a step back. “You can’t make me can you?”

  “Do not be ridiculous. Everyone wants to live, but none of them can ever go back. What makes you think you are so special?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because my death wasn’t natural or maybe it’s because I don’t need to be bound by your mortal coil, but I do know that if you could take me against my will, then you would have done so by now. I read it in the remaining pages of Xander’s grimoire. Magicians have been defying you for who knows how long. Maybe I can too.”

  “They used magic to extend their lives, not to come back from the dead. You are too far gone.” There was a hint of something in Kassani’s voice. Her anger was apparent, but she seemed somehow desperate too.

  Byrn returned to where his body still lied. Alia was no longer holding him. She held onto Xander’s arm, pulling at him, while the charred necromancer stood over Sane. Wendi was at Janus’ side and her guard stood over her protectively. Byrn’s disembodied hand touched his lifeless body and he felt something there. It was like a spark. No it was more of an ember. There was a tiny fire still burning in that lifeless pile of flesh. He attempted to gather magic to him and found that he still could do it as long as he touched that shadow of himself lying on the ground. However, now he was no longer limited by Xander’s old decaying frame. For the first time since Xander stole his body Byrn truly felt like himself and called all that magic around him that he could hold.

  “Stop doing that!” Kassani demanded furiously.

  ***

  There was a great surge of heat as Byrn’s corpse spontaneously combusted. It was not anything like someone would see from a cooking fire or even an out of control forest fire. The flames that shot up from the dead body held the intensity of an all-encompassing inferno focused in one small spot. The hair burned away from the corpse followed quickly by the skin and clothing. Next were the organ and bones that quickly dissolved into ash and the flames fed upon the air. They grew ten feet, then twenty feet into the sky before spouts of flame shot out from the top at angles, forming into enormous wings. His head was next, but as the flames took shape they resembled a bird of prey more than anything human.

  Xander turned to look at him. His body was worn out, but he continued to feed on those around him to stay alive and apparently to exact his revenge, beginning with Sane. No one would follow the grand necromancer now, not after trying to kill his own people. Revenge was all that Xander had left. His intention was clear. First he meant to kill Sane. Then he would turn his attention to the rest of Aurelia.

  Sane looked at the fiery bird in utter amazement. He mouthed the word, “Firehawk.” It was the name that Byrn used while amongst the dwarves taken from their ancient lore, but Byrn now understood what he had become; a being of flame destined to rise from its own ashes. He was now a phoenix.

  Hundreds of black tendrils burst out of Xander’s hands, legs, arms, and back. They snaked around Byrn and tried to smother him while simultaneously taking his power for Xander’s own, but as they touched Byrn’s new form they caught aflame and could find nothing to attach to.

  “Damn you!” roared Xander and began to make one of his black energy bombs, but he would not have enough time. Byrn breathed air deep and converted the oxygen to more fire before breathing it out in a spew that engulfed Xander Necros. The grand necromancer tried to shriek as the flames ate away at him, but all of the oxygen around him was burned away as he was consumed. Still the fire raged over Xander, though he was dead, until there was nothing left of him except for a pile of ashes. There would be no chance of him coming back.

  Byrn’s fire-form started to dissolve with his final objective accomplished. It required great magic to restore oneself back to life even if it was for only a few moments to right one injustice and he felt his power dwindling.

  It was Southernstar who caught his eye. She looked at him wearily. The healers had not yet arrived, but Byrn was thankful that she was still holding on. Then he understood what he needed to do in a flash of inspiration. He focused all of his thoughts on shrinking down his body of flame, but did not allow the energy to dissipate. Instead it became more and more condensed until it became solid like a constructed fire weapon. Then he imagined his human form as he had done earlier that day to regain his appearance and began to bend and shape and change the constitution of his body just as he had done before. The fire died away and Byrn, the true Byrn, stood whole again before Alia, Sane, and all those gathered in the square.

  Sane removed his cloak and came over to Byrn, wrapping it around his shoulders. It was only then that Byrn realized that he had been completely naked when he reformed.

  Then blackness overtook him and he felt his body begin to fall.

  Chapter 38

  “It’s over. You need to give me the baby before this gets any worse for you,” said Tomlin. He managed to catch up to Riona at the outside of the square. They had arrived just in time to see the phoenix utterly destroy Xander Necros. Riona looked to be in shock, but she could turn violent if he was not careful. Tomlin surreptitiously drew his dagger even as he channeled a feeling of calm at Riona.

  “How can this get any worse?” she asked. Tomlin relaxed a little. If there was any fight left in her, then he did not see it in her defeated expression.

  “Do you really need me to answer that? Xander is dead. Alia is not and you know that she will hunt you down to get Avelice back. Give her to me and leave. I will tell Alia that you are dead, if you wish.” Tomlin reached out one hand to take the baby from her, but Riona stepped away.

  “So I can go back into hiding? I was going to have real power. I was going to become a ruler over man. I was going to live forever. Now what do I have left?” Riona held Avelice against her shoulder and bounced her gently to keep the child soothed. “Look at Alia over there, standing with the queen. She’ll sell us all out.”

  “You know she would never do that! Maybe you would, but not Alia.” Tomlin took another step cautiously toward Riona.

  “Maybe I should keep Avelice… just for a while until everything has settled down. It would be best for the baby in case the fighting starts up again.” Riona took another step back from Tomlin. Did she have a transportation rune on her? He could not let her get away with Avelice.

  “Riona, you’re not thinking straight. I’m begging you to give me the baby.” Tomlin took another step. His right hand gripped the dagger hidden beneath his traveling cloak firmly in preparation to strike while the left reached out for Avelice.

  Tomlin stopped short when he suddenly felt the tip of something sharp against his back. It could have been a Kenzai or a soldier that drew his weapon on the bard, but Tomlin knew better from Riona’s sudden wide smile.

  “Sheathe your dagger,” said Ryonus from behind him. He jabbed the staff’s blade a little more into Tomlin’s back to make his point and the bard did as he was told, replacing his weapon in its leather sheath. “Good boy.” The blade point never turned away from Tomlin as Ryonus moved around to stand at Riona’s side.

  “Now what?” asked Tomlin. He could not hope to outmaneuver Ryonus. Instead he looked around carefully to see if there was any aid he could call upon. Alia was too far away to notice him and was distracted by some other concern along with several others looking at something at their feet. There were some soldiers and other magicians not far off, but they were eyeing each other warily. Tr
ying to get them involved could escalate into a new round of fighting.

  “Riona, give Avelice to me,” Ryonus told her kindly and the necromancer did so willingly. She looked relieved to relinquish the responsibility to him, but her expression changed to a look of shock as Ryonus promptly handed the baby over to Tomlin. “It is alright,” he said to Riona, noting her desperate look. “We don’t need the babe and we don’t want to have to watch over our backs for the day that Alia tracks us down.”

  “What will we do now?” she asked.

  Ryonus favored her with a smile. “Whatever we want.” To Tomlin, he said, “You will tell Alia that we died in the fighting?”

  “I will.”

  “Good. Our hopes for freedom will have to ride with Alia now.” Ryonus put an arm around Riona and held her closely. “Do you truly believe she can broker a peace with the kingdom?”

  “Have you ever known her to fail at anything?” Tomlin answered almost certainly.

  “We will be watching,” was Ryonus’ ominous reply before the pair disappeared to only the gods knew where.

  “And I will be waiting if you should ever come back,” replied Tomlin although there was no one there to hear him except Avelice who squeezed his finger tightly. “Let us find your mother. She will be very happy to see you again.”

  The square changed from a general bustling of wary former combatants to a flurry of activity as Tomlin neared where Alia and the queen were issuing orders to their respective people. The old man, Sane, was with them and looked distraught as he bounced from one group of healers who were tending to what appeared to be a naked man covered only by a green cloak although Tomlin could not see his face to find out if it was anyone he knew to another group that was caring for a… he did not know what it was. It was a large creature with a hide of what looked like red plates and as he started to take in its entirety he noticed its wings and tail. He could not see the rest of it, but the only thing that he had heard of that even remotely matched this creature’s description was a dragon.