The Three Swords (The Ways of Mages)

by Catherine Beery

  ***

  Robert couldn’t keep his eyes open. Bendon noticed and sent him to sleep on the cot. Not wanting to complain, the old engineer lay down and fell asleep…

  The wheat fields were nodding at the stories the wind told in its gentle voice. It could yell, of course, but it wasn’t angry that day. On a hay bale just outside the barn sat Robert. The wind was whispering, but he paid it no mind.

  “Robert!”He looked toward the house and saw his mother wave at him.“It’s time for dinner! Come and get washed up!”she called. Her voice was distorted by the whispering wind.

  “’Kay! Just a minute!”His young voice replied.

  “You make sure it be just a minute!”She called back. He saw her shake her head as she went inside.

  He looked back down at the strange stone in his hands. It was some old family heirloom he had found in the attic. Strange symbols were etched on it. He found if he traced a symbol it would glow. Depending on the symbol, some lit, some darkened. So he played with it feeling like he was close to solving some puzzle. The whispering continued as he succeeded in lighting all the symbols. Before he could celebrate his triumph, the world tilted and pressure numbed the back of his neck.

  The whispering finally made sense when nothing else did. I helped to shape you the first time we met, Robert. The second time we were not ready. The third time that is coming soon we can set things right, son of Al...

  Robert jerked awake. Cold sweat made his skin clammy. He glanced about the room searching for some clue as to where he was. Then he remembered. It was the room that he and Bendon had commandeered to build a new and improved spacial/temporal device. Bendon was muttering caustically as he dumped out the endless pockets of his red cloak. Rolling his eyes, Robert settled back down to sleep.

  This time he dreamed of his beloved wife Joan. She had been the only woman he had ever loved in his long life time. A life time that had drastically changed when the rock he had played with sent him a thousand or so years back in time. But he was grateful that it had because that was how he had met his wife.

  Joan smiled at him, a bouquet of flowers in her hands. He knew, even in the dream, that she was gone. But here she still lived and he savored seeing her, hearing her voice. Her laughter.

  The voice from before whispered softly still. This time Robert could understand it. We both loved her. The voice said tenderly.

  “Who are you?”Robert asked as Joan ran ahead laughing.

  Remember her fondly. The voice said instead of answering.

  Joan called from ahead, encouraging him to join her fun. So he did.

  ***

  The Dark Council

  “I found the Fulcrum and the Child of Light.”Savranious announced calmly into the room of Darkness. The stillness caused by this statement could have been cut by a knife. Savranious leaned back in his chair enjoying the shock of his fellow Dark Lords. It was very rare to see them all this shocked. His own sister was staring at him in surprise. They really did believe that it was impossible for him to affect the world from his domain of nightmares. It was insulting. But it was also fun to see them shaken.

  “How?”Talriken, the Lord of the Conceited, demanded.

  Savranious smirked.“It wasn’t that hard, actually.”He sighed.“It is amazing what grief and longing can do.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”Gula’dar inquired stuffing his face with some kind of meat.

  “Is it really that hard for you to understand?”Savranious asked the other Dark Lord in a bored voice.“She was separated from her lover and new child and thrown back in time about two thousand years. Not only that, she was in an alien world. She stopped shielding herself.”Savranious leaned forward“She letme in.”

  “You said two thousand years. Are you saying that you knew where Jewel has been for that entire time?”Irathaz demanded.

  Savranious glanced at the Dark Lords around him before saying,“of course.”

  “And you didn’t think to tell us sooner?”The Lord of Wrath said, his voice getting higher near the end.

  Savranious shrugged making Irathaz even madder, which wasn’t all that hard considering that he was the Lord of Wrath.“You never asked.”

  The Lady Kaltana leaned forward and asked over Irathaz’s sputtering“What does the Fulcrum have to do with the Child of Light?”

  “Ah, well. I was playing with Jewel when He interrupted using this woman-child. It was quite obvious who the girl was. It was also apparent that the enemy doesn’t know her identity.”

  Maltacken snorted.“Of course they don’t. Arathin is a defenseless, weak thing. Has been ever since my puppet Varcress shattered it with the Catalyst.”

  The circle of Dark Lords and Ladies sighed in fond remembrance. It had been shear joy and child's play for them to destroy the‘mighty’and‘proud’Arathin. They had fed the two powerful families on distrust and hatred for generations until it all shattered. Now Arathin was a vacation spot for them between attacks on Pershara. It had been a stroke of genius separating Pershara from her last hope of aid. The Essensamai hadn’t been as strong and had destroyed themselves shortly after the wondrous Barrier had risen.

  “And to make this even better,”Maltacken continued.“the Shadow War is about to resume.”

  “Beautiful.”The Lord of Darkness hissed.“It sshould not take much effort to arrange an accident for the Child of Light. Kill her and we win. Kill her now before she can develop her abilitiesss.”The Dark Lords about the table shivered in glee. “Irathaz, Acedia, Troukalck; you three have the honor of arranging her demise. Maltacken, Sali’dar, and I shall focus on destroying Pershara. The rest of you join in whichever effort you wish.”The dark announcement was met with enthusiastic hisses and clapping.

  Savranious leaned back in his chair, his eyes half closed. The next few months would be very interesting indeed.

  Chapter Fourteen–Ronair

  Arathin- Just North of Ronair, Marlhema

  One moment Terana had been in a dark cave. The next she was meeting up with Thomas GrimHolden, Jay Dee, and Kadrean just an hour or two north of Ronair. The others came after. Grudgingly pleased that they were so close to their destination, Milisda had taken the lead. It was obvious that the woman did not trust Jewel or any magic related to Jewel. It probably had a lot to do with the Dark Kin attack earlier. But whythat seemed to make Milisda not trust Jewel Terana couldn’t understand. But then, Milisda seemed to have trouble trusting anyone who was not a Marlheman dragon. She was also on edge. Everyone was on edge, even though everyone survived. Terana shivered. The monster that had appeared out of nowhere had been terrifying. Its appearance and attack on Jewel had shocked everyone. If not for the mysterious voice that had aided them, they would have lost Jewel. Because everyone was still on edge, Terana found herself walking in the middle of the line with Jewel, Russy beside her.

  “So, I’ve been wondering this for a while.”Tsoya began, walking next to Terana. Terana raised an inquiring eyebrow at her.“How did you get out of the Plarnese valley without my seeing you?”

  Terana shrugged.“I don’t know. I wasn’t trying to be sneaky about it. I just walked out through the pass.”

  “That is just weird.”Tsoya muttered.

  Russy, who was padding next to Terana, cocked his head at Tsoya and whined questioningly“Why?”

  “I was over-looking the pass. It was my job to be there and meet the Heir. But I didn’t see anything. I only became aware that I had missed you when the shield around Plarn was gone.”

  Terana tilted her head and asked, "What was the point of that shield, anyway?"

  "It was to protect you." Milisda answered.

  "But how could it do that? Wouldn't the appearance of the shield announce that I was there?"

  "It did for the dragons, but not for those who didn't have marana. It served as a cloak, hiding the valley." Milisda answered.

  Razyan nodded. "Yes, and from what I saw, that didn't cause too much distress.”The last he looked towar
d Liam to validate.

  Liam nodded his head.“And considering the state of Terana’s mother when she arrived, they were glad of it.”

  Milisda turned around with a frown.“What state was the princess in?”

  “She was dying.”He answered. Both Milisda and Tsoya stared at him. They had guessed that Prince Sieth had died based on the strength of the nurture shield and the fact that he had jumped, not just himself but his wife, five hundred years in his future. The expenditure of so much power would have drained him of his life. But it had been assumed that the Princess Ainara had survived to raise Terana.

  “What had happened to her?”Tsoya asked

  Liam shook his head.“I don’t really know. All I can tell you is that she had been attacked. It is a miracle that Terana came into the world alive.”Terana turned to look at Liam, her face pale. It hadn’t been till recently that she had learned that the woman who had raised her was not the same who had given birth to her. It had been obvious from what she had heard that the woman had died after giving birth to her, but she hadn’t know her name or that she had been attacked and had already been dying when she gave Terana life.

  “Did she say anything about what attacked her?”Milisda inquired, concerned.

  Liam raised an eyebrow.“She said a lot of things. Most of which didn’t make since. The only words she said in her murmurings that I remember understanding were‘Sieth’and‘shadow’. She only became lucid when she named Terana and begged the Carpenters to care for her daughter.”

  “Shadow…”Tsoya repeated slowly looking a Milisda with a horrified expression. Milisda looked just as grim.

  “Shadow?”Grim asked. He glanced at Jewel, his thoughts occupied with the nightmare struggle in the Dunshire Woods when the servants of Maltacken had attacked Jewel. Maltacken was the Lord of Shadows. Had his minions been here attacking Terana before she was born? Why would they do that?

  “Yes.”Milisda answered grimly.“The Sheyestivans, before our people knew who was attacking them, had been called Searean Breor shadow bird. It would make since. The prince had created a jump window on the night of the Sheyestivans attack on the palace. It is possible that some of the Cursed had followed through the portal. That could be why Seith had created the nurture shield in the first place so soon after jumping. Any enemy under the shield would have died.”

  “He must not have done it soon enough, though.”Liam observed.

  “What was her name?”Terana asked Milisda. Milisda frowned so Terana tried again.“My mother, what was her name?”

  For the first time since Terana had met Milisda, the woman’s expression softened in compassion.“Her name was Princess Ainara Casla Vermvel Silsharea. Understand, I never met her, but I can tell you what had been said of her. She was a kind woman, gentle and loving.”

  “And courageous.”Jewel added. Milisda blinked at her before remembering. Jewel had been there. Terana turned her attention to Jewel, desperate now to know anything of the woman who had given her life. Jewel smiled at the younger woman“It was clear that she care greatly for your father and grandfather. She was the light of court during the war, especially near the end.”Jewel tilted her head studying Terana.“You have much of her kindness. You also have your father’s courage.”

  Terana looked down feeling a mixture of grief, guilt, and something harder to define. Grief for the relationship she had never had with her parents. Guilt because she had never wondered who they were once she found out that the Carpenters were not her birth parents. The other emotion questioned if she was anything at all like them. She stuck her hands in her pockets. Absently her fingers clutched the silver star she had found on the road out of Plarn.

  The party reached Ronair an hour or so later minus three. The first to diverge had been, surprisingly, Liam. He had, in his manner, said that he had to return home. Right then and there. The only explanation he could give was that he felt the need to return. Once it was explained that he was a Seer people agreed, though they wanted to know why it had been so important but he only gave a vague response before turning back.

  The other two to head out were Tsoya and Russy. Tsoya had turned into her dragon form, a sky blue scaled and silver-white winged beauty, and flew to their final destination with Russy. It had been explained that it would be kinder to the wolf then having him go through the large city. Russy had privately told Terana that he was going to check out the place the dragons lived to make sure it was safe. Since Russy didn’t complain, Terana didn’t either.

  Now that Terana was in the city, she could see how Russy would have been uneasy. It was crowded, smelly, and noisy. Terana wasn’t the only one to find the city uncomfortable. Jewel gave her a companionable grimace of understanding. “I don’t like it either.”Sighing she looked about before leaning close to Terana again.“I guess we small town folk will never understand the city folk’s need to live on top of each other.”

  After a quick conference with Milisda, Razyan took the lead. They followed him to an inn called the Keep’s Rest. Like the Keep’s Inn in Ronrend, the Keep’s Rest was a stopping place paid for by Razyan’s Keep. Only mages and those with them could stay there. It had been agreed upon that, considering the eventful day they had already, the company would rest and eat before continuing to the dragon’s home.

  Terana yawned. And it had been a crazy day. It had started with her waking in the nurse’s wing after touching the Keep Stone for the second time. Then there had been the attack on Jewel. The jump via transport symbol and then the walk to their current location. She was tired, but at the same time she was in a new place. A very busy place.

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll go check out the sites of this fair city.”Jay Dee said after packing away her lunch and turning to Terana and Jewel. Milisda had gone to make certain of transportation the following morning. Razyan was talking to the proprietor. The rest of the men were siting at a nearby table playing cards.

  “I’ll go with you. It has been awhile since I’ve been to Ronair.”Jewel said. She turned to Terana.“Would you like to come?”

  Terana grinned.“I would.”

  “I’ll go as well.”Grim said standing. The sailors, Kadrean, and Zeeve stared at him as if he was crazy.

  “I think the boys here want you to stay and play cards with them.”Jay Dee said with a smile.

  Grim smiled in response and mock shuddered.“I don’t have much coin on me at the moment and three of them seem bound and determined to relieve me of it.” Zeeve and Jingles smiled in mock innocence. Captain Willaim took a drink of his beer. Kadrean studied his hand. As Grim and the ladies left, Zeeve’s and Jingle’s smiles turned predatory as they turned to Kadrean. Kadrean, in turn, eyed the two of them warily.

  The largest city that Terana had ever seen before had been Ronrend, so named for the merging of the rivers Seztso and Yankaus into the Torrean. It was there, through the dizzying array of roads that she, Kadrean, Liam, Zeeve, and Russy had spent the night at the Keep’s Inn. Terana could have sworn that a city couldn’t get any bigger. She had been so wrong. Compared to Ronair, Ronrend was a small town.

  Ronair owed its existence to its location, Jewel had explained. The cross roads of both land and sea trade met and diverged from Ronair. Not only was it huge in trade. It was also the seat of political power. The city seemed to breathe, its life felt through the flood of humanity that scurried through its streets. The markets were even busier.

  Jay Dee wove through the crowd with an expertise Terana envied. Grim kept pace with the dark haired woman. Her eyes glittered as she took in the silks, oils, weapons, and food stalls they were passing. It was all fascinating to Terana. Her eyes hurt form trying to see everything. So it was surprising that anything managed to sink in, particularly the old man clinging to the wall of shop. His eyes staring desperately at the cane several feet away.

  Jay Dee grabbed Grim’s hand.“C’mon, Thomas! I need to get a closer look at those!”She said grinning.

  Grim had no choice b
ut to go where she lead; which was to a stall selling beautifully crafted puzzle boxes. Jewel shook her head as she followed with Terana. Her attention was on the wonderful couple that her father and Jay Dee made. She didn’t notice that Terana had gone in a different direction.

  The seller grinned when he saw them come up.“Would the lady like to try her hand at solving one?”He asked Jay Dee.

  “I’ll give it a try.”She turned to Grim.“My father would always get me boxes like these when I was a girl.”

  “Very good.”The seller said.“Pick any box. There is something special inside each.”

  “Oh? Like what?”Jay Dee asked selecting a small box.

  The man smiled kindly and shrugged.“I don’t remember what exactly is in that box, but I cantell you that in each of my boxes is a treasure of forgotten worlds.”

  Jay Dee laughed.“Like what? A charcoal stick?”

  The seller shrugged again.“Perhaps. But then where would we be if it hadn’t been for the charcoal stick? Some of the greatest artwork today was first penciled out with charcoal. There could also be jewels or bits of the Dragon Kingdom within. Perhaps even unknown oddities from places no longer remembered.”

  Jay Dee raised a brow.“So, if I open this box then I get to keep whatever is inside?”

  “Of course. I would need five gold for the box.”

  “Then whatever is inside is probably not worth anything.”Jewel muttered from nearby.

  “Not necessarily.”The seller protested mildly.“All the small boxes are five gold. I price based on the size of the box.”Jay Dee studied the box a moment before shrugging. She pulled out five coins and gave them to the seller. “My thanks, lady. Enjoy your puzzle.”