by JD Franx
Should I fail, whomever finds these last records of our town and surrounding area, please take my journal to Corynth and make the Wizard’s Council aware of our deaths, and say a prayer to the Gods for our souls. I am terrified that none of us will even reach the afterlife because of what this dark wizard and his followers are capable of.
Kael sat silent and still after finishing the entries, too aghast to utter a single word.
“That is terrifying what happened to that poor man,” Lycori said at length.
“I… don’t know what to say,” Kael stammered. “Is that what’s going to happen to me?” he asked, trembling. “God, how could anyone do such a thing to another person? To a whole town?” He turned as fast as he could and lunged out the door, his stomach no longer able to hold down his supper. Vomit splattered the ground and the side of the stone wall of the house. The mere thought of becoming such a creature more than he could handle.
Lycori did her best to comfort him and helped him back to the fire where she handed him a waterskin. “Here, drink. Did you not have evil where you come from, Kael?” she asked, trying to keep his mind from what he had read.
Rinsing his mouth and spitting into the fire, he nodded. “Of course we do, but nothing like that. The worst of the worst where I come from may kill several people, but desecrating bodies and evil like that is extremely rare. I think that with no magic on Earth, the opportunity for evil of that depth just isn’t there.” He winced as he finished speaking, recognizing how wrong he was as names like Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot leapt to the front of his mind. Recognizing that his answer had unintentionally hit a nerve with Lycori, he added. “I’m sorry, what I said isn’t right. Earth isn’t void of evil, especially in the past. There have been plenty of monsters, human monsters, corrupted by hatred, greed, and power over others.”
“Magic is not evil, Kael. People are. You must understand that. Magic has no morals, no feelings and no desires. It is a tool. Only the person who wields it has the propensity for such staggering depths of evil. You know this, don’t you?” She waited for his nod before continuing. “I have only known you for three weeks now, but even so, I can tell that you are the purest soul I have ever met. Magic can change people, yes, in many ways, but you decide how that change takes place. I know DeathWizards are known to be pure evil, but you have been using the same magic they have for weeks and the worse thing to happen is that your temper is getting worse. Considering everything you’ve lost and what has been done to you, that’s understandable. You weren’t raised here. Perhaps that alone makes all the difference? You also know right from wrong. Those born with magic like yours never get the chance to learn that before the magic corrupts them.”
“Okay, I see what you’re saying, but eventually, my presence here is going to start a lot of trouble because of evil like this,” he sighed, as he shook the book of journal entries.
“You’re right. So, are you gonna sulk about it? Maybe have a little cry?” she said, taunting him.
“Of course not. I want to find out more about why and what the hell I am,” he snapped.
“Good, then let’s start with my clan elders and see what happens.”
“All right. Maybe one of them will know where else to go to find more information. Someone has to know something… or at least some place where I won’t lose my life for what I’m supposed to be.”
“You never give up, do you? Even that first night with that darga pushing through your shield and scared shitless, you never gave up until my collision knocked you out.” She smiled as she got up to add more logs to their fire. “You’re gonna need that stubbornness. Get some rest. I’ll take first watch. Fair?”
“Yeah, okay.” Sighing his way into his bedroll, a war of emotions rolled through his thoughts. The more he found out about those born like him, the more disgusted he became, yet the more he wanted to know. For nothing more than being born, he was the most hated and hunted person alive.
“How does one live like this?” he muttered, scoffing out loud as he closed his eyes. “Not for long would be my guess.”
The dark thought followed him into his nightmares.
Chapter Twenty
We have been asked by both Giddeon and King Joran Bale to keep an account of our experiences. I have always kept a diary so it will be a small piece of normalcy for me to hold onto in this strange new place. Giddeon and Saleece informed us the day we arrived that nothing but our clothes came through the vortex with Max and I. My diary, which was in my purse, and Max’s sidearm have somehow disappeared. Five years of my thoughts were in that diary, I can’t help but wonder what happened to it.
We’ve been here one week, Max and I. This world is very strange, perhaps similar to ours many thousands of years ago. Life is very simple here. There is no technology and no firearms. I have seen bows, swords and shields, and one thing that our dimension never had: magic. It is absolutely amazing. To see wonders our world could never contemplate is exhilarating, yet utterly terrifying at the same time. I cannot imagine what more we will witness during our time here.
My only wish is that Kael was here to see it with us. The wonders of this city called Corynth would have brought a smile to his very soul. Tomorrow morning, we leave with Giddeon and the others in our attempt to find him. I’m excited to see him again, but fearful of what this place will do to him. Kael sees the best in everyone. He is not a naturally suspicious person, yet the best and most honest traits I have seen since coming here belong to an assassin. What a frightening thought.
TAKEN FROM EMBER TOLLEN-SYMES’ DIARY.
CORYNTH END-WINTER, 5025 PC
CORYNTH, CETHOS
By dawn the following morning, Giddeon, Ember, and the others were packed, loaded, and ready to leave. The assassin, Yrlissa Blackmist, had been stowed away inside the false bottom of one of their worn wooden supply wagons. Ember assured everyone she could handle the horse and carriage, again refusing to leave the Elvehn woman’s care to anyone else. Not wanting to jeopardize Yrlissa’s safety, they had no retainers or servants. If needed, they could always pick up help along the way in one of the smaller villages. With the hope of avoiding any attention, they left Giddeon’s mansion and headed for the town market. Leaving through the northern gate, located on the edge of the city’s slums, was more discreet than using the main gate on the west side.
As they arrived at the marketplace, King Joran Bale and his personal guard were there waiting for them.
“Ah, shit. This can’t be good,” Max mumbled, quietly implying that the king might be aware of their hidden cargo.
Everyone reigned in their mounts as Kasik whispered, “Everyone stay calm. We don’t know why they’re here.”
“ArchWizard Zirakus,” King Bale said, raising his voice so it carried across the market. Two lone stall merchants, setting up for an early start to the day, scurried away with their heads down. “I see you are leaving as planned. Would you be kind enough to give me a word?” Seeing Giddeon’s hesitation, the king added, “In private?”
Giddeon had no choice but to comply. “Of course, Your Majesty.” He climbed off his horse and joined the king.
“Your Majesty.” Giddeon bowed as he approached. “What can I do for you this morning?”
King Bale glanced at Giddeon’s travel party and nodded before he spoke. “I wanted to make you aware of something, should you encounter them in your travels. I’m glad I caught you before your departure. After your son’s return, I commissioned the Bounty Mercs Guild to find him…”
Though it was far from wise, Giddeon interrupted. “You told me you would let me bring him in. Why would you hire them, of all guilds? They’re a bunch of crown-sponsored killers. Your Majesty,” he added as an afterthought.
Fury flashed across the king’s features and it let Giddeon know that he had over-stepped his bounds, something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. “First and foremost, Giddeon, I am the king and I do not answer to you. Second thing, old friend… Those killers are my br
other-in-law’s men. They have fought beside you in two wars during my time and one during my father’s. I know how you feel about them, which is why I debated telling you at all. Though you didn’t object to them during the wars, did you?”
Giddeon shook his head, but failed to see the comparison. This situation was far different than war against savages from the WildLands, a time when every sword, bow, and Wizard counted.
King Bale continued, unabated. “Lastly, this is your son, and there is always the chance you may not be able to do what has to be done. I am not a young man any more, Giddeon. I do not have the luxury of living for several more centuries as you do. I want this DeathWizard killed before my daughter takes the throne and before starting a war that may destroy our world. Corleya will be sixteen in two months’ time. If something were to happen to me, she would become Queen. I will not leave her a realm that has to go to war against another Jasala Vyshaan. Do I make myself clear, old friend?”
“Perfectly, Your Majesty,” he replied curtly. It was clear that the stress of the situation had begun to affect the king. Giddeon had always been more of a friend than an adviser, and had always been able to speak his mind freely with no worries of repercussions. However, lately, his opinion seemed to matter less and less. The king’s commands had been made very clear. Kael would be hunted to the death on many fronts, by many people, regardless of who his father was.
“Now, have you decided on a direction to begin your search?” King Bale asked.
“We’re going north, Your Majesty. The Forsaken Lands, to be exact. The veils between dimensional barriers are the weakest there. It is likely Kael punched through into our dimension somewhere north of the DeadZone. If he had been captured by the Dead Sisters already, I don’t believe they would have been so brazen as to attack us here in the city. Their ambush at the bridge yesterday was an attempt to stop or at least slow us down in finding him.”
King Bale remained quiet for a few seconds, as if in thought. “Sounds right, Giddeon,” he finally said. “I would recommend you head north and check it out then.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Giddeon replied. “We are leaving now.”
“Come now, Giddeon. This isn’t how it’s going to be between us from now on, is it?” King Bale asked.
“That, old friend,” Giddeon said sarcastically, “was your decision.” He turned and walked back to the group who would help track down his son, a dark mood enveloping his features. The king glared at Giddeon, frowning at the disrespect shown by the ArchWizard by turning his back without being dismissed, but said nothing more.
It was clear to everyone that something had happened between the ArchWizard and King Bale, but no one dared to ask what.
Leaving the city, Ember, Giddeon, and the others turned north, each with goals of their own: Giddeon, Saleece, and Kasik, secretly, would stop at nothing to end the threat to their world, even if it meant their lives. Ember and Max would give their lives in order to save Kael’s. Finally, Yrlissa. The assassin. The motive that drives an assassin is usually gold, but the members of the Broken Blade Guild were different from most killers, even those sanctioned by other guilds. No one knew the true motives of a Broken Blade assassin. Only time would reveal hers.
The first day passed uneventfully, and they stopped for the night within the shadow of the Corynthian Mountains. Thirty miles north of the city, they set camp beside a clear, freshwater river.
Ember managed to get Yrlissa down to the riverbed with the help of Max. They laid her on the soft sand of the riverbank with her back against a warm, smooth rock. It was just the opportunity Ember had been waiting for to talk with the wounded assassin away from Giddeon’s spying ears.
“All right, we’re alone,” she said as Max nodded to her from the top of the riverbank where he was keeping watch.
With a sigh of pain, Yrlissa said, “Tell me, healer. Why would you trust the word of an assassin over the famous Cethosian ArchWizard, Giddeon Zirakus? You said before that you knew not to trust him. Why?”
Ember explained as best she could about what had happened. “Max and I are not from here, Yrlissa. We come from another dimension, one that has no magic, now, or ever in its history. Someone tried to bring my husband, Kael, to this world using some kind of a magical dimensional bridge. It went wrong and he ended up somewhere else. According to Giddeon, Saleece managed to pull Max and I into their tower after my husband inadvertently dragged us into the bridge with him. I don’t understand any of it.”
Yrlissa’s face went pale for only a second before she held up her hand and interrupted. “Why would someone want to bring your husband here? You are talking about powerful magic and many lost lives just to attempt such a thing. The fact that all three of you made it is beyond a miracle. It is an absolute one time thing. A true, god-touched event. You shouldn’t have survived the crossing.”
“Giddeon said the same thing and then told us that Kael was born here during a Black Sun and that he sent him to another plane twenty years ago to avoid some prophecy about him,” Ember replied. The look Yrlissa gave Ember made her uneasy.
“Did the mighty wizard tell you that means your husband is a DeathWizard?”
“Yes, actually, he did. We’re going to look for him now. That’s why we’re here.”
“I would imagine so. You do know they are going to kill him, don’t you?” Her words didn’t seem to surprise Max. He grunted, but continued to keep a look-out from up the river bank.
Ember, on the other hand, was shocked. “They told us Kael was Giddeon’s son. Why would he kill his own son?”
“Because he is a DeathWizard, Ember. I have studied their kind my entire life. I make my living the way I do because it allows me to travel freely and research his kind. The Wizard’s Council calls his kind the Kai’Sar.”
Confused, Ember asked, “Kai’Sar. What is that?”
“A Kai’Sar is a DeathWizard. They are the same thing. The Council believes the term is Ancient and means ‘a wizard who walks with death’. The wizards who sit on the Council and some nobles will use the term like poor people and the less experienced wizards use the term DeathWizard. I think they like to feel important or intelligent using the Ancients’ language. It is no longer spoken and long forgotten. Simply, your husband is a DeathWizard, and that is the only usage that matters. His kind are normally killed at birth. I don’t know why they would have plane-jumped Kael to your world instead. Believe me, Ember. When they find him, they will kill him. It will be the decreed royal order from the king of Cethos, as well as the rest of Talohna’s rulers. Except maybe DormaSai. No magic is illegal there. They might not want him dead.”
Her words hit Ember hard, but infuriated Max. “It will be a cold day in hell before I allow that to happen,” he said, loudly, as his right hand dropped to rest on his sword handle, the implication clear.
Yrlissa didn’t seem impressed and hissed at him. “Shh. You need to be quiet or we will all die here and now. I am in no shape to fight. You two may be new to this world, but I’m not. Kasik’s battle prowess is well known throughout Talohna. He has never been defeated in battle. And those two wizards? Giddeon is the only living ArchWizard in all of Talohna and his daughter is a prodigy, a century ahead of others her age. We would all be dead before any of them exerted themselves. Play along until we can go our own way or until we find your husband. Then we can try to protect him.”
Ember, already upset, chewed her bottom lip as the new knowledge clearly added to her distress. Even so, she asked, “Why would you help us? Everywhere we turn, people tell us that DeathWizards are evil and that he needs to die. I know him. He won’t hurt anyone, maybe not even if he’s forced to.”
Yrlissa shook her head, her response taking Ember and Max by surprise. “I would imagine that you two have figured out by now that some people and other beings in this dimension live longer than on your plane right?”
“Yes, but…” Ember started.
Yrlissa held up her hand as she continued. “Well, ev
en here some live longer than others, some a lot longer. I have lived for a long time, Ember. Too long, I sometimes think, but in that time I have learned a lot of things that I can’t tell either of you right now. It’s safer for you both. I am Elvehn. My people never used to persecute others for what they are, only for their actions. I still adhere to those beliefs, even if others do not. For now, let’s leave it at that. I will help you, fair enough?” Ember and Max both nodded.
“Now, help me to loosen my rib bindings so I can breath fully, and then I’ll show you one of the reasons why I’ve had the distinct displeasure of living longer than most.” Yrlissa chuckled, which caused her to wince. Ember helped her with the bindings after telling Max to turn around.
Yrlissa merely smiled. “Don’t bother, Max. You wouldn’t want to miss the show, would you?” Her response sent Max into a stammering fit and his face turned bright red.
Yrlissa laughed out loud at his reaction. “So easy to blush. My, this will be an interesting trip. That’s not what I meant, handsome, but you can enjoy that show too, if you like. Now watch.” She winked and continued smiling, her happiness genuine.
With the top half of her body exposed to the evening chill, her lightly tanned Elvehn skin quickly turned to gooseflesh, but as Ember and Max watched, she chanted quietly under her breath while the deep purple and green bruises swiftly receded from her flesh and the shallow cuts closed on their own. Ember winced sickeningly at Yrlissa’s grunt of pain when a rib bone snapped and twisted itself back into place with a final pop. The entire process took no more than a minute. Entranced by the incredible sight, Ember knelt beside Yrlissa.
“That was amazing, how did you do that?” she asked, running her hand over the healed flesh of the assassin’s stomach and ribs where the bruising and contusions had been the worst.
Yrlissa smiled again. “It is very old Dyrranai Elvehn magic taught to my ancestors by a race that were very close to them,” she said, as she put her finger to her lips. “I hope it will remain our secret.”