Darkstorm (The Rhenwars Saga Book 1)

by M. L. Spencer

Quin whirled toward her, lashing out viciously with a thought designed to rip her blackened heart to shreds in her chest.

  Casually, she blocked his strike.

  Laughing in delight, Arden Hannah strode toward him, gesturing with her hand in the air. A shield of amber light appeared about her, nebulous, golden and scintillating. Quin cringed back as he took in the characteristic color of the vibrant energies that sustained her.

  Each magical lineage was distinguishable by its own unique color. That shade of amber had been his brother’s signature. Seeing such obvious evidence of Braden’s legacy wielded by Arden Hannah was too much for him to stand.

  With a howl that seemed ripped right out of his battered soul, Quin drew his sword and lunged toward her. But before he could land the strike, something tackled him to the ground from behind.

  Quin rolled out from under the thanacryst’s attack, wiping its fetid slobber off his face. Staggering to his feet, he lifted his sword to ward the beast away. It stood there growling, hackles raised, eyes fiercely menacing.

  “Do you like my new pet?” Arden inquired with a grin. “I think it’s hungry.”

  Quin edged away from the creature, backing up toward the pulsating light of the Gateway. With a sinking feeling, he realized that her own strength by far exceeded his own. Arden was sixth tier, just as Braden had been. Never in all of history had there ever been a mage more powerful. Added to that was the sinister threat of the thanacryst.

  Quin glanced up into the sky, knowing there was very little he could do. There was nowhere to go. She had him cornered against the shivering energies of the gateway.

  “You can’t win.” The silken texture of her voice was full of confident satisfaction. “So tell me, Quinlan Reis, are you ready to die?”

  Quin grimaced. Then he smirked, startled by a moment of insight. To Arden, he observed, “Yes, remarkably, I believe I am.”

  He didn’t have to win, he realized. He didn’t even have to fight. All he had to do was turn and walk away. He smiled, a toxic sneer that emphasized the harsh angles of his face.

  He tipped his hat in her direction. “Madam, I will see you in Hell.”

  The confidence in her expression faltered as she guessed his purpose too late.

  The sound of her piercing scream was the last thing Quin heard as he stepped into the gateway. The column of energy collapsed behind him, delivering Arden and the rest of her kind to their Master in the Netherworld.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Aerysius, the Rhen

  INSIDE THE HALL of the Watchers, a forest of stone pillars chiseled into the semblances of massive trees spread their branches in support of the vaulted ceiling. All across the floor were gathered hundreds of mages in formal black robes, assembled together in ordered ranks across the lines of power of Aerysius’s great Circle of Convergence.

  A clanking noise echoed loudly as one of the enormous doors shuddered open, admitting a brilliant sliver of sunlight into the dim chamber beyond. From out of that harsh glare emerged the figure of Sephana Clemley, moving at the head of a long train of attendants. Throughout the Hall, the gathered onlookers receded toward the walls, clearing a path before her.

  Sephana moved with a dignified grace as she mounted the sweeping curve of marble steps. Her face was blank and without expression, eyes trained straight ahead. She wore a flowing gown of purest white, golden hair adorned with sprigs of floral herbs. Arriving at the mezzanine balcony, she took her place at the edge of the balustrade. There, Sephana paused, gazing solemnly out over the gathered crowd of onlookers.

  Two women in formal black robes approached from behind, bearing between them a thick cloak of white embroidered with the image of the Silver Star, renowned vestment of the prime warden. Together in unison, the women spread the fabric out between them and ceremoniously drew the cloak of office over Sephana’s frame, securing it in place with a silver brooch. They dropped to their knees at her sides, carefully arranging the drape of cloth.

  A white mantle of luxurious ermine was spread across her shoulders, the signet of office thrust onto her finger. Into Sephana’s hands were placed the traditional regalia of Aerysius: a tapering rod made of crystal and a lapis orb topped with the image of the Silver Star.

  There, standing on the balcony before the faces of the Watchers of the Hall, Prime Warden Sephana Clemley swore her oath of office. After she pledged her vows, there was a momentary gap of silence. Then, together as one, every Master of Aerysius dropped to the floor in a great wave that spread throughout the entire crowd, falling forward over their knees with heads and palms pressed against the ground in a humbling display of deference.

  When all had risen from their homage, Sephana gave a nod, gazing down upon her subjects. Then she turned, replacing the rod and orb back onto their cushion.

  A murmuring tension swept throughout the Hall as mages reacted to her break with time-honored tradition. Sephana glared down upon them, her face severe and authoritative, aware that what she was about to do next went far beyond any action ever taken by a prime warden to come before her.

  Above the gathered mages, Sephana raised her naked hands, shaking back the wide sleeves of her gown. She rotated her arms slowly until the palms of her hands faced toward her, spreading her fingers wide.

  “I, Sephana Clemley, Prime Warden of Aerysius, hereby institute an Oath of Harmony, decreeing this pledge obligatory upon all Masters from this day forward unto the end of time. Please repeat each word I say exactly as I say it:

  “I swear to live in harmony with all of creation.”

  She paused then, listening with a sense of triumph as her words were echoed back to her from the gathered mages, the sound of their voices resonating in choral unison off the high dome of the Hall.

  “To use my gift with temperance and wisdom;

  Always to heal and never to harm,

  Or my life will be righteously forfeit.”

  As she completed the oath, Sephana paused to listen as the voices of the crowd beneath her faded away into silence.

  Then she glanced up, rotating her arms before her face. On both of her wrists now glimmered a matching set of metallic chains, binding her and all of Aerysius firmly to the constraints of Braden’s oath.

  She allowed herself a smile of satisfaction, gazing down at a hall full of mages who, spreading their hands before them, stared with wonder and curiosity at the fresh set of markings that would forever remain an indelible reminder of the vow they had collectively taken.

  Sephana wondered what Braden would be feeling if he could be here with her now, staring out at such a sight. She suspected he would be very humbled and very gladdened at the same time. Sephana reached down, caressing the slight swelling in her middle where their baby had taken root and was growing deep inside. It was greatly comforting to know that something of him would yet remain in this world, a child of Braden’s lineage that could carry on his legacy. Sephana smiled, blinking back tears of grief and gratitude that tried to fill her eyes.

  She wiped the tears away; this was no time for mourning. She wasn’t done yet. There was still one last hurdle to overcome. Sephana had to insure that what had happened to Caladorn could never happen to the Rhen. She had to guarantee that there would never be another Cyrus Krane or Zavier Renquist. To the gathered Assembly, she continued:

  “Let it be known that, by my own decree and proclamation, the Order of Battlemages is hereby forever disbanded and dissolved. In its place, I formally institute the Order of Sentinels, to be chartered with the solemn duty to watch over, defend, and protect the nations of the Rhen in a manner consistent with the moral principles and imperatives of the Oath of Harmony.”

  THE END

  Glossary

  acolyte: mage in training in Aerysius who has passed the Trial of Consideration and sworn the Acolyte’s Oath.

  Acolyte’s Oath: first vow taken by every acolyte of Aerysius to serve the land and its people, symbolized by a chain-like marking on the left
wrist.

  Aerysius: city where the Masters of Aerysius dwell.

  Al’thartier: Venthic title that means Greatest Battlemage.

  amplification: character of increasing a mage’s permeability to the magic field.

  Anassis, Myria: ancient Querer of the Lyceum.

  apprentice: mage in training in the Lyceum who has passed the Trial of Consideration and sworn the Oath of Apprenticeship.

  arches: enchanted monuments that guard the Hall of the Watchers and the Lyceum, allowing only mages access.

  Arman, Nashir: Grand Master of the Lyceum and second in command of the Order of Battlemages.

  artifact: heirloom of power that has been imbued with magical characters or properties.

  Assembly: the Masters of Aerysius or the Lyceum, as a collective entity.

  Athera: Goddess of Magic.

  Atrament: the realm of Death, ruled by the goddess Isap.

  Battlemage: (see Order of Battlemages in Appendix)

  Bryar, Merris: acolyte of Aerysius mentored by Master Sephana Clemley.

  Bryn Calazar: capital of Caladorn, home of the Lyceum.

  Caladorn: nation north of the Rhen.

  Cerulian Plains: large grassland region in the Rhen.

  Chamber of Egress: rooms containing transfer portals between both Aerysius and the Lyceum. Relics left behind of an ancient past when the two schools of magic enjoyed better relations.

  Circles of Convergence: ancient foci of magic designed to draw on the vast power of a vortex.

  clan: in Caladorn, a kin-based group of close, interrelated families belonging to the same tribe.

  Clemley, Sephana: third tier Master of the Order of Querers, First Minister of the Assembly of the Hall.

  colleges of magic: the Hall of the Watchers in Aerysius and the Lyceum in Bryn Calazar.

  Connel, Byron: Warden of the Order of Battlemages of the Lyceum.

  Craghorns: mountain range in the Rhen.

  dakura: derogatory term used by the Jenn for the city-dwelling people of Caladorn.

  dampen: to shield a person from sensing the magic field.

  damper: a person or object that has the ability to dampen a mage.

  darius dreoch: formal salutation of the Jenn that translates to, “May you offer protection.”

  darkmage: a mage who has abandoned moral principles.

  Dreia: Goddess of the Vine.

  Elessar: warlord of the Omeyan Jenn.

  eye: area at the heart of a vortex where the lines of the magic field converge and combine additively.

  field lines: currents of the magic field.

  Gateway: portal to the Netherworld.

  Grand Master: any Master of Aerysius of above the third tier.

  Great Lady: title of honor applied to any female Master or Grand Master.

  Great Master: title of honor applied to any male Master or Grand Master.

  Hall of the Watchers: stronghold of the mages of Aerysius, where exists Aerysius’s Circle of Convergence.

  high priest: title of the religious leader of one of the ten Holy Temples.

  Isap: Goddess of Death.

  Jenn: nomadic, clan-based horse culture of the Khazahar Steppe in Caladorn.

  Khazahar Steppe: large area of sprawling grassland in northern Caladorn.

  Krane, Cyrus: Prime Warden of Aerysius.

  Lor-Gamorth: heavily guarded pass through the Mountains of Cedar from Caladorn into the Rhen.

  Lyceum: stronghold where the Masters of Bryn Calazar dwell.

  magelight: magical illumination that can be summoned by a mage that takes on the hue of the mage’s signature color.

  magic field: mysterious source of magical energy that runs in lines of power.

  Master: any Master of Aerysius or the Lyceum; more specifically, a Master of the first-through-third tier.

  motive character: in an artifact, the ability to create a force that produces motion.

  Mountains of Cedar: vast mountain range separating the Rhen from Caladorn. Sajar-Asharu in Venthic.

  nach’tier: word for darkmage in the Venthic language.

  Natural Law: law that governs the workings of the universe that can be strained by the application of magic, but never broken.

  necrator: demonic creature that renders a mage powerless in its presence.

  Netherworld: realm of Xerys, God of Chaos.

  node: place where the lines of the magic field come together in parallel direction but opposite in energy and cancel out.

  Nym: river in northern Caladorn considered sacred, rumored to have many spiritual and healing properties.

  Om: God of Wisdom.

  Omeyan Clan: clan of the Jenn led by Elessar.

  Onslaught: the corrupt power of the Netherworld, also known as Hellpower.

  orders: different schools of magic among the Masters of Aerysius and the Lyceum.

  prime warden: leader of the Assembly of the Hall of either Aerysius or the Lyceum. Literally, the ‘First Guardian’.

  potential: the ability in a person to sense the magic field.

  Qadir, Sareen: Grand Master of the fifth tier of the Lyceum.

  Raising: Rite of Transference, during which a mage inherits the legacy of power from another mage.

  Reis, Braden: Ambassador to Aerysius from the Lyceum and Warden of the Order of Chancellors. Brother of Quinlan Reis.

  Reis, Quinlan: Grand Master of the fifth tier of the Order of Arcanists of the Lyceum of Bryn Calazar. Brother of Braden Reis.

  Remzi, Devrim: first tier Master of the Order of Empiricists.

  Renquist, Zavier: prime warden of the Lyceum.

  resonance: acceleration of the magic field within a vortex caused by a Circle of Convergence.

  Rhen: name of the collective kingdoms south of Caladorn.

  sharaq: Caladornian honor code system.

  saturation: Battlemage tactic of overloading with magical power in anticipation of creating an enormous discharge of force.

  Silver Star: symbol of the colleges of magic, indicative of the focus lines of the Circles of Convergence.

  temples: various sects of worship. Each temple is devoted to a particular deity of the pantheon.

  thanacryst: demonic creature that feeds off a mage’s life force.

  Thar’gon: magical talisman that is the symbol of the Warden of Battlemages of the Lyceum. Also known as the Silver Star of Battle.

  tier: additive progression of levels of power among Masters. The higher a Master’s tier, the greater that mage’s ability to strain the limits of Natural Law.

  transfer portals: magical portals that allow rapid relocation from one place to another.

  Transference: process by which one mage inherits the legacy of power from another mage, resulting in the death of the Master who gives up his or her ability.

  Trial of Consideration: rite by which the potential to sense the magic field is tested in a person.

  Vintgar: ice fortress in the north of Caladorn and source of the River Nym.

  vortex: cyclone of power where the lines of the magic field superimpose and become vastly intense.

  Venthic: ancient language of Caladorn.

  Warden: mage in charge of one of the eight orders, or schools of magic, of either the Lyceum or Aerysius.

  Well of Tears: well that unlocks the gateway to the Netherworld.

  Xerys: God of Chaos and Lord of the Netherworld.

  Xerys’s Pedestal: crag on the edge of the Cerulian Plains where exists a Lesser Circle of Convergence.

  yurt: a portable, round lodge or tent covered in felt used as dwellings by the Jenn.

  Zanikar: magical sword and artifact created by Quinlan Reis.

  The Eight Orders of Mages

  Order of Arcanists: order of mages chartered with the study and creation of artifacts and heirlooms of power.

  Order of Architects: order of mages chartered with the construction of magical infrastructure.

  Order of Battlemages: order of mages chartered with martial a
pplications of the magic field.

  Order of Chancellors: order of mages chartered with governance of the Assemblies.

  Order of Empiricists: order of mages chartered with the theoretical study of the magic field, its laws and principles.

  Order of Harbingers: order of mages chartered with maintaining watch over Athera’s Crescent.

  Order of Naturalists: order of mages chartered with the study of Natural Law.

  Order of Querers: order of mages chartered with practical applications of the magic field.

  Preview of

  DARKMAGE

  Book Two of

  The Rhenwars Saga

  Prologue

  Aerysius, The Rhen

  THUNDER RIPPED THE SKY, amplified to a throbbing din by the stone walls that rimmed the square beneath the Hall of the Watchers. Meiran Withersby felt the sound of it physically in her chest. Sheets of rain poured from blackened skies overhead, pounding down on the roof of the cloistered passage above her. She glanced out through the narrow arches that lined the walkway but could make out nothing. Just a thick, choking blackness so complete that it seemed as if a dark pall had been draped down over the entire city, perhaps the entire world. The only light was the dim glow of the lantern that dangled from her fingers.

  Lightning crackled, and for the briefest instant Aerysius winked into existence around her and then disappeared again as abruptly. Meiran hastened her pace, wrapping the black cloak she wore more tightly about herself. Her feet moved with a pressing urgency, motivated by more than just the desire to find shelter from the elements.

  In her right hand she fingered a small strip of parchment she had found on the pillow in her bedchamber. It was written in the same bold script as other similar notes she had received in the past. The last one had been two years before and had contained an almost identical message: Meet me in the greenhouse. Fourth Watch. There had been no signature; there never was. But Meiran did not need one to know whom the author must be.

  She couldn’t wait to share her secret with him, the one she had been waiting two long years to whisper in his ear.