What Once Was One (Book 2)

by Marc Johnson

  We swooped down on an empty table on the other side of the room. It was up against the wall and gave us a good view of everything. Jastillian left to get us food and secure us lodgings, while Rebekah and I kept an eye on everyone.

  I drummed my fingers on the table, staring at the gnomes and centaurs while becoming lost in my thoughts. We would resupply and stay here for a day or two, but then what? Where would we go? The others could be anywhere and they could be in trouble. It was all my fault.

  “It’s not your fault,” Rebekah said, reading my mind. “You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

  I clenched my teeth and shook my head. “I should have known. I’m a wizard. I’m supposed to be the magic against magic.”

  “I should be with her instead of here with you,” she said. “I have faith we’ll see them again. The princess and Prastian are very resourceful people.”

  Rebekah was right. Krystal, Prastian, and the others were very resourceful. However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t worry about them.

  Jastillian returned and sat back down. “I talked to the innkeeper, and he hadn’t seen anyone matching my descriptions of Prastian, the princess, or the others. He also said that we’re about two weeks away from Fairhaven.” Jastillian leaned in close and whispered, “I also got the feeling that we shouldn’t go there.”

  “Why not?” Rebekah asked.

  “The innkeeper seemed surprised that I should ask about it and made it sound dangerous.”

  “Did you find out why?” I asked.

  “I tried, but I couldn’t without rousing suspicion.”

  “By the Inferno,” I said. “We need to find out why. The others may be heading there and may stumble upon whatever’s wrong.”

  “First, we resupply,” Rebekah said. “We have some coin on us, and it should be good here. Next, we ask questions, find out more about Fairhaven, then search for the others.”

  Our food and drinks were served, and we ate and drank until our bellies were full. We drank so much ale it sloshed in our stomachs. We had several helpings of everything. I ate plenty of vegetable soup and bread while the other two tore at legs of boar.

  Afterwards, I leaned back in my chair, feeling guilty over how full I felt and how we would get a decent night’s sleep. Were the others experiencing hardship, or had they stumbled upon a village? Worse yet, did they run across another magical trap? Or were they at another inn in the city? Before we left, we were going to have to scour this city just to make sure.

  The door to the inn was flung open and a young guard scanned the room. His eyes widened when he spotted us. They lingered, then he glanced away and kept his head down. He made his way to the robed figures in the corner.

  The guard gestured wildly. One of the men he talked to leaned to the side. He smiled at us and nodded. I did the same. He returned to his position, and the young guard blocked him again.

  “I don’t like the looks of this,” Rebekah said.

  “Shall we find another inn, or is it too late?” I asked.

  “It’s too late for that,” she said. “We’ve already paid, and leaving would look suspicious. They would track us to the next inn. I know I would. We’re exhausted. We need sleep. Let’s go back to our rooms. I’ll take first watch.”

  We left our table and headed for the stairs, wading through the sea of drinking, eating, gambling people.

  The door to the inn swung open, and an ogre strolled in. This one was well-dressed and armed much like the armor and weapons Premier had given Baal. For a second, I thought it was Baal and that Premier was going to stroll in right after him. Others in the room didn’t do more than glance at the door before going back to their food, conversations, or games. But my two companions didn’t.

  Jastillian and Rebekah drew their axe and sword respectively. Half of those in the room pushed aside their chairs and stood up, drawing their own weapons. The rest of the people in the room got up and crept away.

  The noise in the room ceased, and we three stood back to back, surrounded and outnumbered. I created a fireball and prepared to hurl as many of the simple spells as I could. Those warrior instincts of Rebekah’s and Jastillian’s were about to get us killed.

  The two possible wizards rose from their table. They strolled over to us, and everyone parted around them. The green-robed one put a hand up, and the surrounding warriors lowered their weapons. I crushed the spell with my hand and reabsorbed the fire mana.

  “You’re a wizard,” the brown-robed one said. The color of his robes matched his skin, but I couldn’t see the features of his face with his hood up. All I saw were his unusual gray eyes, trying to assess me.

  I nodded. “Are you?”

  The two ignored my question as they whispered to each other. The green-robed one asked, “Where are you from?”

  “We’re from the south,” I said.

  “You lie,” a woman said from behind.

  Her skintight black leather body suit looked enticing, but the spiked mace she cradled said otherwise. It was pointed directly at me. She glared at me with fierce blue eyes. Magical energy surrounded her, and she poked me with it, trying to delve into me. I pushed it off with my will.

  “You will answer my question,” the green-robed one said.

  The woman chanted and the green-robed one joined her. They worked in tandem, their incantation piercing harder, digging into my mind for the truth. I flared my nostrils and focused, mumbling a spell to dismiss theirs. I created a shield for the three of us. Their power cracked at it like a hammer, but my shield held firm. The gray-eyed one didn’t join in.

  “Hellsfire, what’s going on?” Rebekah asked.

  “They’re performing a spell.” The muscles on my temples flexed. “I’m doing my best to block it, but I’m worried about all these armed people.”

  “Don’t worry, lad,” Jastillian said. “We’ll hold them off.”

  I latched onto my strongest mana and focused on that. The flame burned and all the light in the room grew brighter. Their attempts weakened, devoured by my fire.

  “Enough,” the gray-eyed wizard said.

  The wizards ceased their magic. The gray-eyed one drew back his hood and smiled. It was a kind smile, despite his strange eyes and rough face. His smile widened when he met Rebekah’s eyes.

  “Forgive us,” he said.

  Rebekah nodded, but didn’t lower her weapon.

  “Malik, why did you stop us?” the green-robed wizard said. “We were just about to break them.”

  “No, you weren’t, Dylan. This one’s strong.”

  Dylan pulled back his hood, exposing a clean-shaven face and stern gaze. “He doesn’t look like it.”

  “Things are rarely what they appear to be,” Malik said. “You should know that.”

  Dylan spit in disgust. “Don’t go quoting me the old rules. I know them all. What should we do with them?”

  “Stop being rude for one,” Malik said. He looked at me and said, “We know you had lodgings for the night, but if you would please come with us, Wizard…”

  “Hellsfire,” I said.

  “Hellsfire. We’ll show you and your friends around Romenia and place you in much more secure lodgings. There are also very important people who want to meet you.”

  “Who?”

  “The Elemental Council.”

  My back stiffened and I gasped. They weren’t in Fairhaven. They were here. Out of all the things I’d expected, this wasn’t one of them. This changed everything. They could help us, but what made them abandon Fairhaven? Renak’s warning floated through my mind.

  I regained my composure and nodded. “All right. We’ll go with you.”

  Rebekah and Jastillian put away their weapons. Everyone else in the inn did the same, yet their eyes never left us. The three of us exited the inn and followed Malik and Dylan. The woman with the mace trailed us.

  The large city was oddly quiet. There were no night services at the smaller temples we passed, no plays went on, and even the wome
n who solicited us did so with half-hearted attempts. Romenia was a dead city. There were plenty of people about earlier in the day, but they seemed to have vanished, tired from the day’s activities.

  “It’s a beautiful night,” Malik said, gazing at the night sky.

  “I agree,” Captain Rebekah said.

  Malik focused his gaze on her and smiled. “I’m sorry. We’ve not properly introduced ourselves. I’m Malik and this is Dylan. The sorceress behind us is Adriana.”

  A sorceress? That explained why her magic felt different from the others. Stradus had told me of their kind and said that like different species of animals, we all shared similarities when it came to magic.

  “This is Rebekah and Jastillian,” I said.

  “A pleasure to meet you,” Malik said.

  “Yes,” Dylan said. “Pleasure.”

  Adriana remained silent.

  I stared at the stars, trying to figure out a way to lead our conversation. Rebekah and Jastillian seemed content to let me, since I was a wizard, but I had no experience in these kinds of things. They might be better at it than me, but it was I who had to do it.

  I needed to ask questions about them, the council, Fairhaven, and Southern Shala without giving away that we were from Northern Shala and that the barrier was down. I was going to have to do something I was terrible at—lie.

  Before I could open my mouth, one of the bright stars I stared at grew larger. It hovered and floated to us. The three of us were stunned, but the others paid it no notice.

  “Ahhh, Serena,” Malik said, holding out his hand. “I wondered when you’d be back.”

  The star landed on Malik’s outstretched hand. The glow disappeared, and a little person stood there. Her spiky red hair blended with her pink skin, and she wore clothing that barely covered her. She had a sweet, enticing, magical feel to her.

  “A fairy?” Jastillian said in awe.

  “Hi, Malik. Who are these strangers?” Serena took off, and that shining brightness reappeared. She hovered around Jastillian. “I haven’t seen a dwarf in ages.” She darted to Rebekah. “Pretty blond hair.” Serena flew up to my face, her light green eyes full of wonder. “Who’s he? He’s cute. Very cute.” She giggled. I had a hard time concealing my red cheeks in the darkness.

  “Serena, leave him alone and don’t try anything on him,” Malik said in a stern voice.

  “Awww, but I’m sure he’d like to visit my kingdom. He’d love it there! Humans always do.” Serena glanced at Dylan and Adriana. “Well, most humans.”

  She swooped over to Dylan, who waved his hand as if Serena were a horsefly. Serena dodged it.

  “What’s she talking about?” Jastillian asked.

  “She’s talking about Fairie,” Malik said. “It’s a land that exists in another world. Although some consider it paradise, you lose all track of time and indulge in its beauty and...fascinations. When that happens the fairies there make use of your spirit and heart—among other things. You become lost in a stupor, never wanting to leave. Some say it’s worth it.” He shrugged.

  Serena flew to Malik and stuck her tongue out at him. “It’s not that bad, if you remember correctly.”

  Malik sported a sly smile. “I remember.”

  “How did you two meet, Malik?” I asked.

  “That’s a long story, best saved for another time. Serena, please sit on my shoulder and be quiet. We were just about to get to know our friends here.”

  We continued our slow walk through Romenia, heading towards the center of the city.

  “Where are you two from?” Dylan said. “Don’t say the south. We’ve been tracking you ever since you sent off the trap.”

  “Trap?” I asked. “Then that storm was a trap? What was it doing in the middle of nowhere? We almost got killed.”

  “That’s what traps do,” Adriana said.

  “We’re in the middle of a war,” Malik said with a sigh. Dylan shot him a look. “But now’s not the time for that.”

  “A war?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. That would explain the trap and why the people in Romenia seemed so downtrodden. Jastillian, Rebekah and I exchanged a look of concern for both ourselves and the others. As much as I wanted to find a cure for Krystal, learn more about my powers, and warn the people about Premier and Renak’s threat, we had to find the others and discuss what to do first. I wanted to press Malik on the matter, but he must have read my thoughts.

  “Please, Hellsfire,” Malik said. “It will all be explained to you in good time, but we must know if you’re friend or foe.” He stopped walking, and he and Dylan faced us.

  “Well?” Dylan said, staring down his nose at us. He and Adriana gathered in magical energy. Malik did nothing.

  I glanced at the others. We had discussed not telling people where we were from, but they knew we were lying. We needed their trust, and to see the council. If I lied again, it could only get us into more trouble. I took a deep breath and made a decision.

  “All right, I’ll tell you,” I said. “We’re from Northern Shala.”

  Confused looks appeared on their faces, but they weren’t as surprised as I would have expected.

  “That sounds familiar,” Malik said, scratching his cheek. “But I can’t remember where I know it from.”

  “Where is that, and why is it named after the legendary Shala?” Dylan asked.

  Jastillian stepped forward. “Because Shala was a hero to us, as well, and like the lad said, we’re from the north.”

  Malik put a finger under his chin. “There’s nothing north except…”

  Their calculating looks changed to ones of incredulity and dawning realization. Even Adriana lowered her weapon long enough figure it out.

  Serena flew to my face and asked, “You’re from the land past the Great Barrier?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s impossible,” Adriana said.

  “It was,” Jastillian said, patting my back. “Until the lad here brought it down.”

  I cringed. It was bit much for Jastillian to tell them that part. The shock did work to our advantage, though. Their eyes widened with a momentary fear, their muscles tightened, and they all took a step back. Adriana clenched her weapon tighter and Dylan summoned his magic.

  “We’ve got to hurry then,” Dylan said. “Malik, go and wake them.”

  Malik shook his head and didn’t move. He had a sour look on his face.

  “Adriana?”

  She glared at Dylan.

  “Fine, but you both owe me.” Dylan turned and ran in the direction we had been heading.

  “Where’s he going?” I asked.

  “To wake the council,” Malik said. “Someone has to do it. We were going to introduce you to them in the morning, but this is too important to let them sleep.”

  Malik rushed us to the center of the city, where there was a small castle. The top half had been blown apart; black, burnt marks streaked the remaining stones. There should have been towers in each of the four corners, but only one remained intact. We walked under an arch and past a few guards. A red banner, torn to strips, flapped in the night breeze.

  As we traversed the curved corridors of the castle, I couldn’t help but feel let down. I had expected to meet the council in Fairhaven. From what Stradus told me, they were in charge of a prestigious magical school. People came from every corner of the land to study with them and learn to use and control their magical abilities. The council also made and enforced the magical decisions for all of Southern Shala. They prosecuted those who used their powers for ill, and helped those that needed it.

  My former master also told me that the school in Fairhaven was a beautiful and wondrous place filled with magical artifacts and mesmerizing enchantments. There was nothing like that in this drab castle.

  We passed by a mural that incorporated the symbols of mana, but the colors had smeared down the wall as if it once cried. I put my fingertips to it, carrying away a smudge. I passed in front of a statue of Shala, but he was missing his l
eft arm. He stood proud and was supposed to look heroic, but with only one arm, he looked ridiculous.

  As broken and run-down as the castle was, it did have one thing remaining—magic. Residual magic crawled all over the place. Neither Rebekah nor Jastillian knew it was there, but the force was in every room and on every stone. It was in the mold in the cracks and on the cobwebs hanging from the low ceilings. It reminded me of Renak’s stronghold in Masep, but not as disorienting or scary. The magic in Romenia didn’t linger like a ghost that haunted the place. It was strong magic that was used daily, like that of Malik and perhaps the council.

  It wasn’t long before Malik led us to the center of the castle. Dylan stood with two guards in front of a large set of double doors with bright protective wards moving over them.

  “About time you showed up,” Dylan said, looking agitated. “Did you take the scenic route?”

  “I take it they didn’t like being woken up,” Malik said.

  Dylan glared at him. “Come on. We’ve got preparations to make if what these three say is true.”

  “Good luck, Wizard Hellsfire,” Malik said. He spoke an incantation, and the wards around the doors vanished. “Go through that door and you’ll get a chance to talk to the council. I must warn you, they’re bound to be in a grumpy mood.” He spoke to me, but his eyes settled on Rebekah. “I hope we meet again.”

  Rebekah smiled and nodded.

  Dylan, Malik, and Serena departed. I turned my head, looking down the hallways to see if there were more guards, but I saw none. We could have left, and the two guards wouldn’t have been able to stop us. We didn’t, though. We needed answers and help.

  We huddled closer, discussing what we should and shouldn’t tell them. I forced my hand to stop shaking and placed it on the door handle. I took a deep breath. This was what I had come down here for. Although I’d expected to be in Fairhaven and have Krystal by my side, and not be in the middle of a war.