Vault of Silence (The Hidden Wizard Book 2)

by Vaughan W. Smith

  "So, what do we do then?"

  "You come with me and we leave. And I bring you into the fold. I have great plans for us," Wraith said.

  "For the last time, no," Alrion said. As much as Wraith was a liar, there was probably some truth in his words. Alrion drew the Runesteel sword, and the diamond glowed bright blue.

  "You're definitely a piece of work, but I can cut you down to size," Alrion said, readying himself.

  35

  Infected

  Alrion knew he had neither the skill nor the strength to wield the sword properly. But he knew it was effective, so perhaps he could create an opening that anyone could exploit.

  Wraith eyed the sword carefully, which told Alrion he had made the right choice. The creature must have remembered losing its hand. Alrion had one chance to make this work, so he prepared himself. Wraith wasn't ready to wait, and sent multiple waves of fire and earth before following them in himself.

  "This is my shot," Alrion decided. He would not dodge the attacks, he would use them as a shield. As the attacks came in Alrion did not move, he readied his sword in a lunge position, the blade pointing out at Wraith. Alrion gathered his Spark, and deflected or destroyed all the attacks that would hit. When the last wave of earth came, and Wraith was right behind it, Alrion pierced a small hole in the wave and thrust his sword through. He let the rest of the wave hit him, committing everything to enhancing his single strike.

  Wraith thought that his attack had succeeded, and was committed to grabbing Alrion. He noticed too late the sword emerging from the rock straight for his chest. All he could do was twist slightly, which was just enough.

  The Runesteel sword pierced Wraith in the chest, but missed the heart. It sunk in right up to the hilt. Wraith reached out and grabbed Alrion by the neck.

  "So near, yet so far," Wraith said. His second finger turned ash-black and he jabbed Alrion with it. Alrion recoiled in surprise, and fell back.

  "It is done. You are mine now," Wraith said with glee, removing the sword, and tossing it aside.

  "No!" Alrion cried, reaching for his neck. He could feel the wound pulsing.

  "You are infected, it's only a matter of time now," Wraith said. Alrion backed away, stumbling over the littered rocks. He made it over to his sword and picked it up, rocking with the weight. "You are weak now, it is overcoming your system. I must say you seem to be handling it well, some become unconscious immediately," Wraith said. He slowly advanced towards Alrion.

  "This can't be happening," Alrion said, shocked. How had he let this happen? He could have left with his friends, as they had wanted. But he had chosen to stay, and he had failed.

  "Try and use your Spark, I dare you," Wraith said. Alrion reached for it, hoping to find something to throw at his enemy. But the fire was tainted. It wasn't the pure heat he was used it, there was already a smoky black mass over it. Alrion recoiled again. "Ahh that's right. By all means reach through the filth and use the Spark. You may as well speed things up, and you need to get used to it. The real magic happens when you learn to accept it," Wraith said.

  "No, never. I'll die before that happens," Alrion said.

  "Impossible I'm afraid. If you die it just completes the process. The Blight has you now. Welcome."

  "I'll find a way, there's always a way."

  "Oh, there's that ritual you are looking for, but good luck casting that while infected. Not going to work too well is it?" Wraith said. He was right, and Alrion was scared. But deep down, he knew something else. But he couldn't put his finger on it. As Wraith came closer and closer, Alrion scrambled for that thought in his brain, the one that had hope attached to it.

  He put aside all the fear, and emotion and worries that coursed through him and focused on that thought. He found it and spoke it out loud.

  "I have passed the trial of Will, and left the Vault of Silence. The power of will is exercised by persistence, and getting back up. This is not the end, this is another step on my journey. I will not submit to you, in life or in death," Alrion said. Wraith stopped, puzzled by the outburst. Before he could move further Alrion had already decided what to do next.

  Magic was not available to him, and his strength was quickly fading. But he had the power of Will, which was not constrained by those things. He tapped into the reality around it, and remade it into his design.

  The ground underneath Wraith suddenly dropped hundreds of metres, and sand filled its place. It was if it had always been so, and the change was instantaneous. Wraith was now trapped within a prison of sand.

  Alrion didn't revel in the victory he stumbled over to the back of the room. He found the secret passage and tumbled down the stairs. With great difficulty he picked himself up, and dragged himself forward, using the sword as a walking stick.

  "Just … have … to … get … out," Alrion thought. He pushed on for as long as he could, before collapsing on the ground.

  "Please, help me," he thought finally.

  36

  Recovery

  Vincent started to slow down, and Certan did the same. The rest of the monks continued their escape. Lara stopped suddenly, looking at the other two.

  "What is it?" she said.

  "Something has happened.” Certan paused and listened carefully.

  "I can't explain it myself, I just felt like Alrion needed us," Vincent said.

  "Let us just wait a bit, we are far enough for relative safety," Certan said. The three of them waited in silence, staring back at the darkness behind them.

  The tunnel they were in was long and straight, with no indication of how far it went. As the footsteps of the monks ahead became softer and softer they were surrounded by true silence as they waited patiently under the earth.

  A strange sound surrounded them. It was like an immense amount of sand just shifted incredibly quickly.

  "That shouldn't be possible. We must head back.” Certan looked at the tunnel ahead, and back at where they had come from.

  "Go to the monks, they may need your assistance. The two of us can handle this. Just keep the door open for us at the other end," Vincent said.

  "Thank you, I will accept your offer. Hurry back, I will see you soon.” Certan ran off into the darkness and Vincent and Lara ran back the way they had come.

  "What do you think happened?" Lara said.

  "Some sort of gigantic shift happened, that's what we heard. It doesn't matter who did that, it is bad news. Certan seemed to have felt it too, and he seemed quite shaken," Vincent said.

  "He was definitely spooked. But was equally worried about the other monks."

  "We don't know where that shift happened. He is right to be concerned."

  "I have a bad feeling about this. Let's keep quiet and see what we can find.” Lara increased her pace and Vincent kept up.

  The going was tough as the only guide they had was the tunnel wall. There were no lights and they weren't going to try and create any. Lara's pulse quickened as they ran, more from worry than from exertion. Alrion had seemed off, like it was his last chance to do something. She hoped he hadn't run into more trouble than he could handle. "He managed to survive last time, maybe he's fine," she thought. The start of the tunnel was approaching, and a thin light crept in from the room above. "Is someone there?" Lara said. As they continued they could see better.

  "It's Alrion?" Vincent said. He fell to his knees and cradled his son in his arms.

  "He's alive, but he feels cold. Help me get him up," Vincent said.

  Together the two of them hauled the young wizard up onto his feet, but he couldn't stand by himself.

  "He seems a bit out of it, and his forehead is burning up. This doesn't feel right," Lara said.

  "Let's just get him out of here," Vincent said. Together they moved forward at a fast walk. "Alrion can you hear me?" he said. There was no response.

  "He must have passed out. It's like he's sick. You don't think?" Lara said.

  "We don't know, let's not jump to conclusions. Whatever has happene
d, he got away. Our responsibility is to ensure that he gets to safety," Vincent said.

  "Of course, let's see if we can pick up the pace," Lara said. `

  Alrion felt himself be picked up, but his body was so heavy. He couldn't help whoever was helping him. He had brief flashes of awareness, but it was so dark he couldn't distinguish them from when he blacked out.

  There were more voices soon, some calling his name. But they seemed so distant, so far away. He didn't have the energy to respond. He could sense the concern, but he couldn't address it. All he could do was what he was already doing which was letting them take him.

  He could feel the light and heat building around him, but he couldn't open his eyes. It was too difficult. The more he tried to exert himself, the more he felt the strange thumping in his heart. Better to rest, and not stir that unwelcome addition.

  Finally, he was laid down, and he felt like he could finally rest. He let himself sink into the depth of sleep, and forgot all his worries. They were for another time, when he had the strength to deal with them. For a while, he was at peace.

  Alrion could sense the light, and it was annoying him. He tried opening his eyes. They did as instructed, and the room slowly became visible. His surroundings were familiar. He was in Ashra's hut.

  He sat up too quickly, and nursed his head.

  "Alrion, you're awake. How are you?" Lara said. She was sitting by his side. The concern in her eyes was obvious.

  "I've been better. What happened?"

  "We found you at the entrance of the secret tunnel. And we brought you here as quickly as possible. You're safe now," Lara said. Vincent walked over and crouched by Alrion's other side.

  "Welcome back to the land of the living. You did well son. Everything's alright now, although you probably need more rest before you can get back on your feet," Vincent said. Alrion nodded. He thought back to what had happened. He remembered the infection, and quickly felt around his neck. "The wound has healed, but you have been tainted," Vincent said.

  "This, this isn't right," Alrion said. The memories came flooding back.

  "There is a cure, you're working on it right now remember?" Ashra said from the other side of the room.

  "But I can't learn the spell like this?"

  "There's always a way. But in the meantime, you need to know a few things. The Blight travels different speeds in different people. Some change overnight, for others it is a gradual process. I have done what I could do to slow it down, and I feel like time is on our side. But it cannot be stopped with the tools we have at our disposal," Ashra said.

  "What can I do?"

  "Have you felt your Spark?" Ashra said. Alrion thought back and remembered the feeling when he tried to access it before.

  "Yes, I tried immediately. Wraith was quite pleased with himself at my reaction," Alrion said.

  "Then you know not to touch it. Not under any circumstances. Not only will it speed up the transformation, but it may also put the cure at risk. We don't know how it works," Ashra said.

  "I understand."

  "This is very important. It's not worth it, you must find another way of dealing with things," Ashra said. Alrion looked around the room.

  "I have your sword, if that's what you are after," Vincent said.

  "Now's as good a time as any. I'm not particularly skilled with it," Alrion said.

  "We can work on that, when you get your strength back. Can you tell us what happened back there?"

  "I passed the trial, and I fought Wraith. Even with my best spells and tricks all I managed to do was injure him with the sword. But my aim was off, it wasn't a fatal strike and he had the opportunity to infect me," Alrion said.

  "It was an achievement for you to keep up with him in battle, he had us all beaten," Vincent said.

  "From what I have been told, he is a formidable foe. An unnatural fusion of Shade and Wizard. How did you get away after he infected you?" Ashra said.

  "I had only one tool left, my Will. I remade the structure of the temple, trapping him in a deep pit below the ground. I doubt it will kill him, but it was enough to escape," Alrion said.

  "Remarkable that you mastered your Will so quickly," Certan said as he joined them.

  "I can't really talk about that, it's called the Vault of Silence for a reason," Alrion said, forcing out a shaky laugh.

  "You are talking like one of the masters already," Certan said, chuckling.

  "Are you able to do the same here?" Ashra said. Vincent shot Ashra a strange look and was about to speak up, when Ashra signalled him to be quiet. Alrion focused on his will, and tried to replicate what he had done at the temple. It didn't feel the same though. He couldn't seem to tap into the fabric of reality the same way.

  "No, it's different. Maybe I don't have the same strength," Alrion said.

  "It's not that, although I'm sure it is a factor. I believe the temple itself is either built in a unique way, or sits upon a unique location. The temple facilitates the use of Will, and the bending of reality. It would explain why it's in the middle of the desert. That's my theory at least, and your experience cements that in my mind," Ashra said.

  "So, what happened to the temple?" Alrion said.

  "Scouts have suggested that all the Tainted have left. The temple is still intact, although heavily damaged. The remaining monks will be returning and building it back up," Certan said.

  "Will you be joining them?" Alrion said.

  "I'm sorry, but I must. With the loss of Rengin and many others, our numbers have dwindled. It is my first responsibility to help repair what was done."

  "It sounds like they have accepted you back though," Alrion said with a smile.

  "Yes, the flask didn't even factor in. It turns out, my behaviour is not unique. In many cases, it is expected. Thank you for convincing me to return. I would like to believe that I would have returned eventually, but how many years would have passed?"

  "You are welcome, in fact I should be thanking you. With your guidance, I made it in time, and completed the Trial of Will."

  "You are now my senior. I will catch up to you, and I'll find you again to help with the completion of your quest," Certan said, bowing to Alrion.

  "I look forward to it. Please, don't hang around on my account, if you are needed there please go," Alrion said. Certan approached Alrion, and kissed him on the forehead.

  "Where I come from, that is how we say goodbye to family that we will not see for a long time. Take care young wizard, when we meet again I will be your equal.” Certan bowed again and left the hut.

  "Bye, Certan, I'll always consider you my teacher," Alrion said quietly, after the monk had left.

  "For now, you need to rest more. You will be safe here until you are ready to leave," Ashra said.

  "I don't even know where to go next," Alrion said.

  "We'll figure it out, don't worry. That's not a job for today.” Lara stroked his arm softly.

  "Are you hungry?" Vincent said.

  "I think so?"

  "Let's get you some food and rest. You need to build up your strength for our journey," Vincent said.

  "If you insist," Alrion said, and rearranged himself to be in a better seated position. He had to focus on his recovery first, and worry about the next steps later. And with sleep, came dreams.

  37

  A New Dream

  Alrion dreamed. Again, the rush of images and scenes, a massive blur. Everything settled, and he saw his grandfather once more sitting at a desk. Alrion walked over.

  "Grandfather, I need your help," Alrion said.

  "I cannot help you. I am merely a guide to the knowledge within you," Granthion said.

  "I am infected with the Blight. Can you show me the cure?" Alrion said.

  "I already gave you the spell. You will know it when you are ready."

  "How can I be ready when I am tainted?" Alrion said with frustration. Granthion thought carefully, then responded.

  "How can you cure others, before you cure yourse
lf?" he said.

  "That's exactly what I am talking about!" Alrion said.

  "You have the knowledge and you have the Will. What's missing?"

  "Well, the third component would be Spark. But I already have that."

  "No, you have only half."

  "What do you mean?" Alrion said. Granthion stood up from the desk and gestured into the distance. A shimmering doorway opened and Alrion ran through without a moment's hesitation.

  He was cold, really cold. Snow was falling, and covered the ground. It was so thick as he walked he seemed to be sinking into it. Alrion instinctively went to cast a fire spell, but stopped himself.

  "Even if this is a dream, I can't use it," he thought. He trekked forward through the snow, towards what looked like a summit. As he stepped onto it, he saw a woman with black hair and purple robes standing with her back turned to him.

  "Hello!" Alrion shouted over the wind. But there was no response. She raised her hands and looked to be casting some sort of spell. Her body shimmered with magic, and within her pulsed a strange glow. Alrion walked closer fascinated. As he approached he noticed a strange heat within himself. He looked at his own body, and noticed a fierce core burning inside. If he concentrated he could also see a black tinge on the edges.

  He looked again at the woman and noticed she was different. Within her was a core of pure water, still and at peace. As he stared, she suddenly turned and looked directly at Alrion. Her eyes glowed an icy blue and she reached out for him.

  Alrion awoke suddenly, feeling the heat of his surroundings immediately. Part of him wished for that cool to return.

  "Did you have another strange dream? You seemed unusually restless," Lara said.

  "Yes, I think it's a clue for my next step or trial," Alrion said.

  "Let me hear it," Ashra said, coming over and sitting down. Alrion looked around.