Eric grinned at her. “It doesn’t matter for the moment,” he said, and reached for his wife. Hind had long since given up wondering if they were legally married or not, even though it was a charge that Herod’s former allies had levelled at them. The rings bound them together and that was all there was to it. “We may have to go to work in the morning, but there’s no reason why we can’t have fun at night.”
Hind laughed as he pulled her into his arms, his lips coming down to meet hers and kissing her deeply, his hands roaming over her body. Afterwards, they held one another close, finally going to sleep together. Tomorrow was another day, but for the moment, they were at peace.
***
Kuralla entered her quarters and slid the bolt shut, before walking through the seven rooms of the apartment to check that no one had slipped inside while she was reading in the library. It was a pointless exercise – the wards guarding her rooms should have kept out anyone who wanted to enter without her permission – but it helped to focus her mind. She needed to be calm and collected for the ritual.
She hadn’t told anyone, least of all Eleanor, but ever since their escape from the Golden Palace her gift had been weaker, with fewer visions bursting through her head. It had been something of a relief at first, yet now – when she needed her gift – it was a dangerous liability. It wasn't something she could discuss with anyone, particularly not anyone who might intend to take advantage of her, but she needed her gifts. If anyone outside the Sages had known just how powerful and capable Oracles truly were, it would have led to a pogrom against Oracles. Kuralla, with a word or two in the right place, could have a staggering influence on events.
Kuralla stepped back into the washroom and studied her reflection in the mirror. It was funny how the Oracle robes felt so confining now, yet they had helped people take her seriously back when she’d started out as a nine-year-old girl. They’d seen the robes, not the tiny girl with frizzy brown hair and mousey eyes. She reached for the clasps and pulled off the robe, standing in front of the mirror wearing only her underclothes – what anyone else would have considered a decent dress. She unclasped the tiny badge at her collar and allowed the clothes to slip to the floor, standing naked before the mirror. The ritual demanded nothing less.
She walked over to the washbasin and washed herself, scrubbing every last speck of dirt from her body and hair, before using a towel to dry herself. Naked, she stepped into the prayer room and stood before the altar, bracing herself. The last time she’d performed the ritual, the sages had been there to assist and protect her, but now she was alone.
“My Lords,” she said, her words hanging in the air, “I call upon you to show me the future.”
She knelt in front of the altar, spreading her thighs wide and placing her hands on her head, a gesture of total submission to the gods. “Your servant kneels before you,” she continued, “calling on you to open her eyes to what is yet to come and…”
Kuralla felt the sudden vision boiling up in her mind, yet somehow she held the pose, knowing that she didn’t dare anger the gods. The vision boiled up and…
…Herod falls from the sky; he lands on the ground; he hits it hard enough to hurt. He staggers to his feet and ignores the pain; the pain fades away into the background. It no longer matters to him, for very little matters to him now. He stumbles through the rocky ground until he sights a pool, calling him to its clear blue waters. The sight gnaws at him for reasons he can’t understand and perhaps never will. The water is the promise of life, yet Herod is confused and uncertain. Does he even live?
He looks into the pool and recoils in horror as he sees his reflection. His face has gone, replaced by a grinning skull with bright red eyes. His hands reach up toward his face and touch solid bone; he looks down at his hands and sees nothing, both bones. The sight horrifies him, yet he stands up and looks down at himself. He is nothing, but bones…and power. His flesh is gone.
Herod throws back his head and laughs. He knows he should care about what the necromancy has done to him, yet somehow it matters not. His laughter rises to a horrific cackle, a mocking presentiment of doom for the entire world. He may have been stripped of most of his power, but how he has been rewarded!
Despite herself, Kuralla fell back as the visions continued to burn through her mind.
…There is a girl wielding a sword made of shadow, confronting a man who has fear and loathing in his eyes. The shadows are alive, forming into monsters and waiting patiently for the time that they would be free and then all of humanity would know why they were scared of the dark…
She blacked out. When she awoke, she found herself lying on the stone floor, naked and alone, yet with the memories of the visions clear within her mind. That too was her curse; she had perfect recall of visions that had not yet occurred, or had not been averted. She rolled over and was violently sick, before she staggered to her feet and looked for her clothes. She had to find Prince Eric and tell him the horrifying truth.
Herod was alive.
It was far from over.
The End
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Appendix: The World of Touched
The one major difference between the world of Touched and our own is the fact that Touched is surrounded by a magical field that provides, in effect, a fifth force in the universe. That magical field can be drawn on by creatures that have evolved to draw on it (dragons, for example, can use the field to fly) and humans who have the correct genes to utilize the magical field. The ability to use magic serves as the dividing line between high-born and commoners, although there are plenty of kingdoms in which the line is blurred.
Politically speaking, Touched is a number of tiny kingdoms united under an Emperor (rather like the Holy Roman Empire). In practice, the smaller kings, dukes and lords press against the Emperor as hard as they can, making it harder for him to rule effectively. Outright rebellion is rare, but there are plenty of places where the Emperor’s voice is barely heeded, if at all. This is partly because the Emperor is also King of his own lands and, if he sends forces to deal with one rebel, problems might pop up in his rear.
Because of the existence of magic, the noble families of Touched (including the Emperor’s family) are all magic-users. (Non-magic aristocrats are generally pushed to the background or killed outright, depending on the exact situation.) The noble families attempt to maintain a monopoly over magic, although this is not always possible. The problem is that magicians pop up, from time to time, among the commoners and can cause problems for the aristocrats. Generally, the noble families are encouraged to invite magic-using commoners to marry into the noble families and trade their ‘Touch’ (see below) for wealth and status. While some of the snootier noble families have tried to avoid doing that, it cannot be denied that families that do accept commoners into their ranks enjoy stronger magical children and thus greater status. Some of the smaller kingdoms (before the Empire) killed or kidnapped commoner-born magical children on sight, but they tended to decline when compared to the more ‘liberal’ kingdoms.
While the Emperor’s family is ‘first among equals,’ it should be noted that the exact status of the lesser noble families is dependent on the twin factors of age and power. The older the family, with the greater number of magic-users, the more status it has. This does not always correspond to land held by the noble families as their own private kingdoms, although it generally does. Some of the most powerful families choose not to rule over their own kingdoms.
Below the nobles, there are a growing number of trading and industrial families, which have smaller numbers of magic-users of their own. Although they have, as yet, little political power, that is expected to change rapidly in the very near future.
The Empire is effectively polytheistic, with many different gods as part of their belief system. (Not unlike the Roman tradition of adopting foreign gods in foreign lands.) The greate
st god – effectively a version of Odin or Zeus – is Solaris, God of the Sun. According to legend, Solaris seduced a number of innocent maidens back in the early days of history and impregnated them, leaving them with children who possessed some of his gifts – the first magicians. This is partly why bastard children – when the father remains unidentified – are regarded as blessings, rather than burdens. The various religious factions will be happy to adopt them if the mother is unwilling to bring them up, if only to please Solaris.
Other important gods include Locari (The Trickster, a version of Loki + Mercury), Geda (The Mother, Jord + Gaia), Diancecht (Healing), Luna (the moon) and the Dark Servant. The latter is effectively a devil-figure, although the mythology states that the Dark Servant is actually a servant – of a far darker master, whose name is never spoken. The cults built around the Dark Servant are the most dangerous and bloodthirsty in Touched and are officially banned by the Emperor.
Touched has no version of a monotheistic religion (i.e. no Jews, Christians or Muslims.) Generally – depending upon the exact location – ordinary people will pay their respects to each god at a different time in the year, while priests are devoted to one god alone, although obliged to show respect to other gods. (This is, of course, a recipe for conflict.)
Outside the Golden City – the Seat of the Emperor – the second-most important place in Touched is the Academy of Magic. The Academy serves to teach magic to everyone born with a magical talent – touched, as they say – although it generally ignores the weaker commoners as their numbers have been rising. The magicians are ranked as apprentices (taught in classes), journeymen (working with a Master) and Masters. The most powerful Master in existence is declared the Grandmaster, who serves as one of the three Academy chairmen. He is joined by the Castellan (the administrator, elected by the teaching body) and the Chancellor (selected by the Emperor.) In theory, the three of them (The Triad) hold absolute authority over the magical world, but in practice this authority is often limited.
Under the Triad comes the Heads, one for each magical discipline. Each discipline - Alchemy, Healing, Corporealism (control of matter), Cosmology, Enchantment (magical items), Etherealism (control of energy), Mentalism (mental magic), Metamagic (magic on magic) and Defence – has one Head and a limited number of subordinate tutors. At one stage, Necromancy (see below) was a discipline, but after it was banned the seat was left empty. The Council of Thirteen (the Heads and the Triad) is really, therefore, the Council of Twelve. No magician would dare consider changing the name.
Aside from the Heads, who are supposed to be the most learned mages in their various disciplines, most magicians tend to draw on all of the schools, apart from necromancy. It is quite possible to combine knowledge of Corporealism, Etherealism and Enchantment to create an end result. Master Magicians are expected to know at least the basics of all nine disciplines, although few choose to specialise.
Magic is either internal or external. Internal magic involves creatures like vampires, werewolves and mermaids (see below). External magic involves the ability to control and direct the magical field consciously, without using instinct. The Academy generally teaches each new magician – magic generally appears in puberty – how to control their powers and then isolates them depending on their talent. Some may have pretty restricted powers – say, over fire and nothing else, or specific talents – while others may have wide-ranging generalist powers. The latter tend to be the most dangerous and versatile and the Academy works hard to keep them under control. Their powers can range from mental communication to transfiguration…and everything else in-between. The greater the magical act, the greater the concentration required to carry it out and maintain it. A magician can become very tired very quickly.
Commoner-born magicians pay for their studies by working for the Academy once they reach Journeyman rank. Aristocrats can pay their own way from childhood, although it is not uncommon for a noble to learn the basics – i.e. control – and not bother to learn anything else. It is not unknown, therefore, for a commoner to rise quite high among the Academy ranking system.
(Hedge Witches, Wizards and suchlike exist, but they’re very low level and generally not taken seriously. Precognitive talents generally go into the priesthood.)
While almost all kinds of magic are studied at the Academy, there is an absolute ban on any form of necromancy. Killing someone for their magical power, raising the dead (zombies) or anything along those lines is strictly forbidden. Any kind of trafficking with the dead is believed to lead to madness. It is most often committed by cultists of the Dark Servant.
Although there is no time for a detailed discussion of magic and how it can be used, it is important to note that there is a difference between voluntary and involuntary spells. Certain spells (transfiguration, mind control/slavery) can be imposed on a willing or unwilling victim, but if the victim is willing, the spell cannot be removed save by the consent of their master. An involuntary spell can be broken (either externally or internally.) Most servants serve under limited voluntary spells that make it impossible for them to betray their masters.
In addition to internal magic, there are thousands of magical items (generally, the older they are, the more powerful they are) on Touched. These can range from healing stones to the Three Great Swords, magical blades that cut through armour and magical wards alike. Enchanters and Alchemists are trained to infuse magical power into items, granting them their special tricks, but many of the techniques used to create the really old and powerful items have been lost. This is a constant challenge for the Enchanters and they will risk everything, even death, to learn new techniques for making items.
Almost anyone, given the proper knowledge, can summon Sprites or Demons from Beyond. (In reality from alternate dimensions, where the rules are different.) This is not quite as useful as most people would believe. These creatures always extract a high price for their services and they operate under very strict limits. Bargaining with them – particularly Demons – is incredibly dangerous. The slightest misstep can cause disaster.
(There is a school of thought that says that the gods are really extremely powerful Sprites or Demons, but all of the religions regard such beliefs as blasphemy.)
Precognition (oracles) is extremely rare and generally consists of flashes of future events, rather than any detailed knowledge of the future. Most oracles are capable of changing their flashes, with a single exception; their own deaths. Oracles are regarded as being whispered to by the gods and are forced into the priesthood, where they are effectively forced into a gilded cage. Oracles are always female. There appears to be no male counterpart to this magic, although researchers are sure that one must exist.
Outside the mundane human communities, there are communities made up of magical creatures. Werewolf packs tend to have frosty relationships with nearby human communities, not least because some werewolves become savage and very dangerous – effectively invincible – beasts during full moon. Mermaids live in the sea and sometimes trade with the human community, although their music is considered nothing more than a cacophony to human ears. Some Mermaids go very bad and become sirens, luring sailors to their destruction on reefs.
Humanity’s relations with the other magical creatures are sometimes a little vague. The Dragons prefer to have almost no contact with humanity, although sometimes they do take an interest in individual humans. Orcs, Goblins and Dark Elves prefer to keep themselves to themselves. The Mermaids need human help to reproduce (there are no mermen), often assisting fishing boats in exchange for services rendered. The smaller fairies and suchlike have a habit of playing jokes on humanity. Brownies tend to help out in exchange for food and drink. Some Elves (mainly High Elves) are allied with the Emperor. Wood Elves are regarded as incredibly silly, childish and effeminate. Regardless, they serve as protectors of some woodland creatures and can be very dangerous enemies.
There are hundreds of magical wellsprings scattered across the world, where wild magic seems to
flow through from some unknown source. (Some magicians have been known to try to locate this source, but so far none have returned to tell the tale.) Some of these are tamed and used as power sources – the Academy sits on such a source – while others are deadly dangerous. Magical creatures tend to congregate around them, attacking humans and other life forms on sight, convincing most humans to stay well away from them.
Outside the noble families, there are a wide range of societies. There are some cities that are fairly representative, with elected mayors, freedom of speech and so on. There are areas where the commoners are effectively slaves (slavery is common in Touched, enforced by magic) and at the mercy of their masters. Rebellions are not unknown, but often put down by magic, leaving the survivors to hide in the woodlands to escape capture.
(Apart from magicians and some of the noble families, women are generally second-class citizens, even in the more liberal kingdoms and states.)
The technological level is very low, although there are some interesting parts. The Clockwork Guild constructs quite interesting devices out of clockwork, including clocks and watches. The Printers Guild has produced a workable printing press (this does not please many of the nobles) and has been spreading it across the world. The Healers Guild generally uses magic to heal people, but has a surprisingly advanced understanding of the natural process and encourages people to take basic precautions like boiling water before drinking it, or eating lots of fruit. The poor, who cannot always afford a Healer, often fall back on folk remedies that are quite effective.
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