Magefall

by Stephen Aryan

Tianne didn’t want to leave her room. She didn’t want to see the smug faces of the Royal Guards waiting in the corridor who were her constant shadows. They were only there for her protection, of course, not because she was a prisoner. Despite not being able to go anywhere by herself outside the palace walls.

  People were slowly getting used to seeing mages in uniform walking through the city. They wouldn’t risk offending the Regent and, even if they tried, any of the mages could take care of themselves. Crudely trained as they were, even the weakest of the cadre could push back an angry mob long enough to run. The patronising smiles and constant reassurances that it was all for her safety were starting to wear a little thin.

  There was a rapid knocking on the door and a moment later Kalina bustled into the room, not waiting for permission to enter. Tianne was about to ask her what she was doing when she was struck by Kalina’s expression. A second later she saw the tattoo.

  “What have you done?” asked Tianne, pointing at her face.

  Tattooed above Kalina’s right eye and just below was an intricate design comprised of overlapping black sickle shapes. The one above her eyebrow had been made to resemble Tianne’s scar.

  “Do you like it?” asked Kalina with a big smile. Tianne bit her tongue to stop herself from saying the first thing that came to mind.

  “What is it? Why have you—”

  “It’s to show our loyalty,” said Kalina. “To the Regent and to our country. This way, even out of uniform, people will know us and who we serve. They wouldn’t dare risk causing offence to the throne. I thought you’d be pleased.”

  “I’m just so surprised,” said Tianne, forcing a laugh. She noticed that the skin was still inflamed on that side of Kalina’s face. “Did it hurt?”

  “Only a little, but it will be healed up in a few days.” Kalina shrugged as if what she’d done wasn’t significant. “You gave us the idea for this.”

  “Me?” said Tianne, putting a hand over her mouth in shock.

  “It was just after you rescued me from the cells.”

  “You did that by yourself,” said Tianne.

  “You told me about the warrior monks in the desert.” It was true. She’d told Kalina about the Jhanidi who tattooed their faces. This was so that any person who met them immediately knew who they served. To offend them was to offend the Desert King and no one would dare in the far east. “The Regent was very impressed by our dedication.”

  Tianne was only half listening. She was still in shock by what she’d inspired. She’d told Kalina that story to show her that mages were treated better in other parts of the world. In time she’d hoped the people of Zecorria would see magic as a good thing. But they weren’t ready yet and now the tattooed children would only inspire fear.

  “Wait, did you say our dedication?” asked Tianne, glancing at Kalina.

  “We’ve all had it done,” she said with another broad smile. Tianne was horrified but found herself copying the other girl’s expression as she teetered on the edge of hysteria. “I’m proud to be a mage,” said Kalina. “I shouldn’t have to hide or feel ashamed of my power. That’s what you talked about.”

  “Yes. It is,” said Tianne, a wild laugh bubbling up from inside. She couldn’t believe Kalina and the others had been so stupid. They had permanently branded themselves and tied their fate to the Regent’s. Right now, he was on the throne and in favour of mages, but only a few months ago he had banned all Seekers. Rumours had indicated he was about to ban all mages until Garvey’s rampage. It would take many years before the people would trust mages and by then Choilan could have been replaced. Or he could have changed his mind to protect his position and keep the people happy.

  “So, do you like it?” asked Kalina.

  “It’s amazing,” lied Tianne and the girl hugged her, laughing as well.

  “I nearly forgot,” said Kalina. “That’s not why I rushed in here.”

  Tianne felt her stomach begin to churn. “What’s happened?”

  “Garvey is here. He’s being held prisoner below the palace.”

  “Are you sure?” It was hard to believe. Impossible, in fact. He was the most ruthless man she’d ever met and one of the most powerful Sorcerers in the world. Their cadre was a crudely trained group of infants in comparison. They couldn’t have stopped him.

  “I was spending time with one of the guards,” said Kalina with a wink. For once Tianne was glad not to know all the details and didn’t ask. “A patrol found Garvey near the southern border and they brought him back here.”

  “How did they restrain him?”

  “He was injured when they found him. He’d been in some huge battle. Half of a village had been destroyed.”

  “What about his students?” Tianne was suddenly aware that they could be on their way right now to set him free. She wasn’t ready. None of them were. Those who had fled with Garvey were older students who’d been studying at the Red Tower for years. They had more experience than her and were more familiar with wielding magic. They’d also spent the last few months on a rampage, killing or maiming anyone who got in their way. She didn’t think they’d have any compunction about murdering a few more people, especially if they were holding Garvey prisoner.

  “They vanished. Whoever beat Garvey sent them running. They probably fled south rather than face us.”

  Kalina’s opinion of herself and the other Zecorran mages was vastly inflated. They’d never fought another mage, never even sparred against one in the dormitories. This cadre of mages was doomed to fail unless they were trained by someone with experience. Tianne had been doing her best to show the others some of the basics, but her own skills were still developing. She’d taught all of them how to sense magic in others and it was this skill that the Regent was putting to use. It was what happened after all the charlatans had been revealed or chased away that worried her. What would the Regent ask them to do next?

  “Don’t look so worried,” said Kalina, misinterpreting her frown. “He can’t hurt you any more.”

  “Why not?”

  Kalina’s smile made her skin crawl. “He’s blind.” Tianne swayed on her feet and Kalina grabbed her arm to hold her steady. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”

  “You don’t know what he’s like. The things he did to us at the school.” They sat down on the edge of the bed and Tianne put her head in her hands. Kalina put a protective arm around her shoulders. “He pushed all of us so hard. At least one student collapsed in all of his lessons.”

  “He sounds like a bastard.”

  Tianne didn’t disagree but a small part of her wondered if Garvey had been right. Not his methods, of course, but the reasoning behind it. In his own brutal way he’d been preparing them for a time like this, when the whole world was turned against magic, and they weren’t ready. She had walked into the palace and been soundly defeated by two unarmed thugs. That’s all it had taken.

  In the Red Tower they’d been living comfortable lives in seclusion, far away from the real world and its problems. Only Garvey and other teachers had been leaving the school to tackle them head-on.

  “He’s the most dangerous mage I’ve ever met,” said Tianne, giving Kalina’s hand a squeeze. “I’m not sure blinding him will make much of a difference.”

  “My friend told me some stories about what they’ve done to him.” The way she said it made Tianne feel sick. She knew that Kalina expected her to ask what had been done but she couldn’t.

  “What will happen to him?” she asked instead.

  “There’s going to be a short trial, but the Regent also wants him to make a public confession.”

  “He won’t do that,” said Tianne, shaking her head. “Ever.”

  “He will, once they break him,” insisted Kalina. “They tried beating him, but that didn’t work. So they dropped him into a water cell, but he just froze the water and climbed out. They tried burning him, but the flames and brands couldn’t touch his skin. At one point they hung him from his neck, but it didn
’t seem to have any effect. Why didn’t he choke?”

  Tianne shrugged, even though she could guess at some of the reasons why their torture was proving ineffective. Even without his eyesight Garvey could still freeze water and create a shield to protect himself from the fire. It made her wonder what else he could do and why he’d allowed himself to be taken prisoner.

  “I want to go and see him,” said Kalina. “I think I can persuade my friend to let me down there.”

  Tianne grabbed her hands. “Don’t. Don’t do it. He’ll hurt you.”

  “He’s chained to a wall. What’s he going to do?” scoffed Kalina, proving what Tianne had suspected. She was incredibly naïve. “I’m not afraid of him.”

  “You should be,” said Tianne. “He’s incredibly dangerous.”

  “I’m so sorry,” said Kalina, but her sympathy burned Tianne. “I didn’t realise what they’d done to you at the Red Tower. I’m so glad I wasn’t made to go there.”

  She didn’t understand. In spite of all the problems Tianne had experienced with other students, the school had been a refuge. Garvey was only one out of many teachers, and while his presence loomed large there were so many bright spots in her memory. The most recent was time spent dozing on the grass beside Danoph and Wren, daydreaming about what they’d do once they became Battlemages in the real world.

  “We’ll make sure he suffers,” promised Kalina with a smirk. Tianne tried to say something before she left but her throat closed up. The ease with which Kalina spoke about torturing someone scared Tianne. Garvey was a bastard and she knew he’d murdered people since the fall of the Red Tower. He deserved to be punished for his crimes, but torturing him for pleasure made her feel sick.

  A few weeks ago she would have wondered how the Regent could allow it. Since then she’d made a number of disturbing discoveries from people working inside the palace. As long as she didn’t leave the building Tianne could visit parts of the palace without her escorts.

  In the last few weeks she’d been frequenting the servants’ part of the palace. At first they’d been wary and her presence had made them uncomfortable. Once they realised she wasn’t there to spy on them some had started to relax. Over time she’d become friendly with a handful of the kitchen staff, although many still viewed her with suspicion. Tianne was also still adept at getting people to talk. Several members of staff had told her about the meals being sent down to prisoners in the cells.

  After that it didn’t take her long to notice a pattern. Soon after one of the cadre apprehended someone with a minor Talent, they spent some time in a cell under the palace. Tianne had believed they were being offered a choice. To use their magic in service of the Regent or they had to leave the country. She’d even risked asking the Regent about those who were arrested and he’d given her the same story.

  At first she didn’t want to believe it, but after a while she couldn’t ignore the truth. Faith in the Regent, for all that he’d done for her, made her think the best of him. Now she knew different. None of the people arrested were ever released.

  It wasn’t just the servants in the kitchen she spent time with. The wagon drivers loved to chat and were happy when she offered to help them unload. Without her uniform they didn’t know who she was and assumed she was just another servant. It was when they refused to let her load the wagons that she knew. A quick look when one of the drivers was distracted confirmed it. Frohake’s corpse had been covered with bruises and other injuries. It also looked as if someone had sliced open his chest then sewn it up again.

  Since then she’d mostly kept to herself and stayed in her rooms except when she had to leave as part of her duties. Seeing his body made her wonder about many things. She thought about how easily Kalina and the others spoke about using their magic to hurt people. She thought about all of the mages with minor Talents rotting in cells beneath the palace and if they had even been given a choice. She wondered about the future of the cadre and her place in it. But mostly she wondered what would happen to her now that she knew coming back to Zecorria had been a huge mistake.

  CHAPTER 35

  Wren kept staring straight ahead as she walked towards the raiders’ camp. The last time she’d been here, five days ago, it had been to send a clear message to Boros. This time she was here to bring the fight to all of the raiders.

  As Wren had anticipated attacks on settlements and the merchant trains had stopped. Boros couldn’t risk sending people out in small groups to collect a tithe. She knew Wren had at least six mages, but not precise numbers. A small group of raiders working by themselves would pose no threat to one mage, never mind two or more. A bold move would have been to empty the entire camp of all raiders and risk everything in one huge fight. But Boros had no way of knowing what traps Wren had set up before showing herself so brazenly. It would also be an incredibly stupid decision. After their last encounter at Gillen’s Jaw, Wren knew better than to underestimate her enemy.

  And so Boros had been watching and waiting for her next move. If this was a game of Stones, Wren would have been doing the same. Playing it safe until the other player’s strategy revealed itself. Now, after five days of careful planning, Wren was ready to make her next move.

  The last time she had been here the camp had been a jumbled mess of structures with no fortification. Boros had not been idle since her last visit. A waist-high drystone wall now surrounded the front of the settlement in a wide semicircle. In addition, there were also two elevated watchtowers at the corners of the camp where raiders armed with bows watched her approach. Their weapons were strung but none of them had nocked an arrow. Not yet at least. A dozen more armed men and women knelt behind the wall, showing only the top half of their heads. Standing brazenly in the middle of the wall was Boros, watching as Wren walked closer. After five days of stewing Boros was struggling to hide her annoyance.

  “What do you want?” asked Boros.

  “I’ve come for your surrender,” said Wren. A few of the raiders glanced around for other mages but she seemed to be alone.

  “You want all of us to surrender to you?” said Boros with a laugh. Some of the other raiders chuckled along with her. One or two smiled at the notion, but Wren could see they were nervous. No one would be stupid enough to walk into their camp by themselves and start making demands. Hands were gripping weapons tightly, bows were being strung and they were all waiting for something more.

  Somewhere nearby Wren felt a slow build-up of energy and couldn’t help smiling at Boros.

  “Lay down your weapons and surrender,” said Wren. “In return I’m sure the Queen will give a fair trial to those who come peacefully. If you don’t then—”

  “Then what?” said Boros. “What will you do? Do you think I’m impressed by this?” she said, gesturing at Wren, before scanning the trees. “I know you didn’t come here alone. Even you’re not that stupid, girl. So, where are your friends?”

  “Oh, they’re not far away,” said Wren, rubbing her forearms as her skin began to tingle.

  “Neither are mine,” said Boros, putting a hand to her mouth and whistling.

  A dozen raiders appeared from the trees on either side of Wren. All of them were armed and focused on her. More raiders poured out of the camp until sixty or seventy of them were standing behind the wall. All of them were grim, weathered and seasoned warriors. These men and women, from across the world, had chosen this path and this life. They brutalised, stole and murdered other people and they liked it. Wren reminded herself of that as the pressure on her skin became worse. She could see there were a few raiders moving around inside the camp, but that could not be helped.

  Boros was asking questions and making demands but Wren wasn’t listening. It was just a dull buzzing sound, like the irritating drone of a fly. Instead she reached out towards what sounded like the rushing tide, drawing power from the Source into her body.

  The energy coursed through her flesh, amplifying her senses until she could smell the fear sweat coming off the dozen
raiders that surrounded her. They’d drawn the short straw. Boros must have told them she was a mage and they would have heard from the others about what she could do. Ironically, they would be the lucky ones.

  The build-up of energy continued until it felt as if the air around her was writhing with insects, clawing at her skin. The air reeked with a sweet tang that made her nostrils twitch. Nevertheless, Wren took a deep breath and braced herself.

  When Boros realised Wren wasn’t listening she fell silent but kept searching for the source of the danger. Her instincts must have been screaming that something was about to happen, but she had no idea what it was.

  “Now,” said a voice. It was whispered in Wren’s ear as if they were standing right beside her, but she was alone on the road. With that she knelt down and started weaving a dense shield about herself, adding layer upon layer as fast as she could make them. Thinking it was the beginning of an attack the raiders on either side rushed towards her with their weapons drawn. Arrows were nocked and Boros started shouting orders at her people on the wall, scanning the trees for the enemy.

  The first fireball streaked out of the sky with a roar, trailing a line of black smoke like a burning comet. It was as big as two or three horses and even Wren marvelled at its size. With a huge crash that shook the ground it landed in the middle of the raiders’ camp, knocking people down and setting buildings alight. The shockwave from the impact travelled outwards in all directions like ripples on a pond. Screaming raiders fell out of the lookout posts to the ground below. Those closest to Wren were knocked off their feet before they had a chance to attack. It wouldn’t have made a difference. Her shield was too dense and the shockwave of the fireball rolled over and beyond, stirring the trees around her.

  As Boros scrambled to her feet Wren saw her mouth widen in surprise. A dozen more fireballs, not as large as the first, were falling towards her camp. She started shouting orders but it was too little, too late. Tents and lean-tos were already on fire with men and women trying to smother the flames. The whole settlement was so focused on putting out the fire at the centre that they didn’t hear the other fireballs racing towards them.