Ardeen, Volume 1: The Circle of Magic

by Sigrid Kraft

  “In the face of death your life will begin. The world as you know it will be gone.” Everything had taken place exactly as it had been foretold. Perhaps I had to go to Naganor first so that I can come back to Aleroth now. No one was ever cruel to me in Aleroth. Master Agland, Master Talasin and Master Elderon, they all tried their best to lead me on the way to magic. Knowing what I know now, I realize that I was really rather stubborn and foolish. I should apologize to Master Talasin and Master Elderon for my behavior.

  ”You had better rid yourself of that thought right now!” Prince Raiden’s voice boomed in Eryn’s mind so suddenly that he gasped in fear, then dared to ask: “I should not apologize, my Prince?”

  The Prince is always so obsessed with etiquette and courtesy. I would have thought he would welcome such behavior. But there seems to be something else afoot.

  “It was their inability to teach you that sent you to Naganor, and it is thanks to me that you have recently made some – ever so slight – progress in the art. There is no need to apologize for the failings of others, and especially not to Master Talasin!”

  Oh, they don’t seem to be the best of friends. “As my Prince commands.”

  Then Prince Raiden dug deeper: “What were you thinking before? About the prophecy.”

  Is he eavesdropping on me all the time? A tomato spell hit home.

  "You think so loudly, it is impossible not to hear. And now please answer the question."

  “In Finngul’s cauldron I glimpsed parts of my future and also heard a voice speaking to me. It was about the time I stood on the gallows platform, right before the seeker claimed me for the Brotherhood. It all happened exactly as I had seen it.”

  The Prince sounded astonished: “A seer. That is a rare and mighty gift.”

  The Prince’s bad mood seemed to have vanished and Eryn was intrigued, so he carefully went on: “I saw some visions at the ruins just now too. About a fight between dragons and mages and how the stronghold was destroyed...”

  This immediately grabbed Prince Raiden’s full attention. “Visualize it!”

  What is that supposed to mean? “I beg your pardon, my Prince?”

  Prince Raiden sighed. “Put simply for simple minds: Think again about what you have seen. In the right order preferably, and I will look at the pictures directly. This is faster and more precise than if you blather on. And so I say: VISUALIZE.”

  Eryn did as the Lord of Naganor requested. When he had finished, Eryn hoped that the Prince would enlighten him, but His Highness fell silent, lost in thought. Eryn waited a little while, but it seemed that the Prince did not intend to talk about it. Eryn’s curiosity had grown so great that, in spite of the consequences, he dared to ask: “My Prince, what does it all mean?”

  Disturbed by Eryn’s question, Prince Raiden replied gruffly: “You have a real talent for interruption. But I would not want you to die ignorant. Those visions were from the past, seen in the magical aura. You could see the light of magic while everything else was gray and pale. And then you got trapped in the vision and would still be staring at the ruins if I hadn’t woken you up. Once more you have me to thank for saving your foolish life.”

  Unbelievable, Eryn thought. He kicks me in the belly and then turns it around so that I should be thankful for that. But the visions are making him think. There is more to it than he is telling me.

  Eryn’s thinking was suddenly cut short – this time by normal speaking.

  “Enough laziness, Nurin. We should practice a bit. It is time for shield spells, and after every defence spell you will shoot a medium fire-blast into the air. Wait! It is better that I give you a target.”

  A small winged manikin appeared directly in front of them, fluttering back and forth.

  “That’s your target. Don’t worry, you will not be killing the cuddly beast. It’s only an illusion.”

  They began, and whenever Eryn hit one of the illusions, it vanished in a puff of smoke. Then the Prince created a new macabre target for the next round. Eryn still felt tired, but happily his headache had gone. Combining different spells quickly one after another was difficult, and Eryn’s efforts were seldom successful. It was like casting spells for the very first time. It was only after a lot of practice that he managed any kind of skill.

  They set up camp in the evening after a long day. After making the usual arrangements, the master-mage conjured a trough out of a tree trunk. Then he raised a hand to summon Eryn in an unmagical way. The young man had been watching suspiciously, afraid of the kind of task which was coming next. “My Prince?”

  “Fill the trough with water for the horses. Not from a well this time, but draw it out of the surroundings. Water is everywhere. Collect it in the same way as wood or berries.”

  That sounded simple, and Eryn noticed a large tree nearby.

  That must have a lot of water inside.

  He concentrated his power and drew the water from the tree into the wooden trough. It happened all at once, and the trough was filled to the brim. But not only the trough unfortunately. They were now standing ankle-deep in a small pond, which had also flooded the main part of the camp. The poor tree on the other hand was completely mummified and the slightest wind would now shatter its dried branches. Brood was also prancing nervously and glared at both the water and Eryn in disgust. The Prince only shook his head.

  “Nurin, nuance is a stranger to you, is it not? The third tree in two days. I fear, Master Tellenor will never allow you near the Green Tower, and you fail as a water-mage as well.”

  As if others do better at the first attempt! Eryn grumbled silently, but free thinking was neither desired nor permitted in His Highness’s presence.

  Others are of no concern to us and others are not wasting my time.

  “My Prince, Master Elderon will certainly decide to keep me in Aleroth.”

  This time the Black Prince’s smile was genuine: “That is my greatest hope and also the reason why I am working so hard to teach you the very basics of magic. So that Master Elderon does not decide to send you back to Naganor, because you have not learnt enough yet.”

  The longer this journey takes, the more I see how I need to try my very best... if only to escape all this forever. I really hope Master Elderon keeps me in Aleroth, because I can’t stand this kind of charity much longer.

  “I bestir myself to fulfill your expectations, my Prince.”

  “Nicely said. Little white lies are permitted for the purpose of polite blandishment. I will organize the ingredients for today’s meal. Just to make sure that yesterday’s debacle does not repeat itself.”

  The table was soon filled with various foods. A young boar, apples, pears, mushrooms, herbs, roots and even some eggs. A great feast could be prepared from all this, and this was now Eryn’s duty.

  He started working, thinking contentedly: at least today there will be enough leftovers for me too. And what’s even better is that I, the cook, can taste everything while the Prince has to wait until all is properly prepared. Oh, how my heart bleeds.

  Eryn cleaned and chopped the vegetables and mushrooms, while Prince Raiden dried the campsite again and cut down the shriveled tree so that it could not cause an accident by falling down. Then the Prince sat down and thought about what had happened today. In Naganor he had spent a lot of time studying the Dragon War and today he had hoped to find some remains of Sefira Visaer, the Black Dragon.

  Things did not turn out as I had hoped today and it is not even the Nurin’s fault.

  I only need one of her scales, a piece of skin or a claw. She was the mate of the Great Gray and who else but she would have access to the dragon’s stronghold? The scrolls say that Dunkin Dun, a mage of the Circle of Blue, fought against Sefira Visaer and both died. But I could find no trace of Sefira, no matter how hard I searched. And then that Nurin stumbles into a vision of the past. Not that the greenhorn is even aware of what happened there. The past turns out to be different than the historians thought and brings more questions than a
nswers. So Dunkin Dun did not kill Sefira, but he had something that the dragon wanted. And then another mage came and killed the dragon lady, stealing the item from her. I could not see what it was. Probably some artifact of great power.

  Is it not artifacts that most mages are looking for? And this mage has kept silent. Anyone else would have boasted of his victory, of having killed the dragon Sefira Visaer. At least after the other dragons vanished in the Nimrod. This means one of two things. Either the mage died himself and is unable to talk about his deed any more or he keeps it secret because he has something to hide.

  Then the Great Gray himself – what an unbelievable aura of magic! Even my not-inconsiderable powers are nothing compared to his. Master Ador was too sure of himself to challenge the Great Gray. Or is history not telling us the truth of what happened fifty years ago? Hmm, nothing is as it seems.

  Prince Raiden scratched his chin and considered. Should I report this to the other mages?

  Better not. I will keep it a secret.

  Since his last meeting with Master Elderon, Prince Raiden had been troubled even more by the soulban and he felt sick if he even thought about the first mage.

  The ban has been a burden to me for so many years now and I still have not come to terms with it. So how does the little Nurin manage all that? He hops around in my presence as if it does not bother him. Maybe the ban works differently on him?

  The Prince kept an eye on Eryn always and he read the lad’s thoughts most of the time too. It is a necessity, because the fool puts himself in great danger far too often. Especially when he plays around with magic. And I would rather not tell Master Elderon why the young man died a tragic death on our lovely journey in a magical accident. Just a little longer and then I will be rid of him. Until then I must watch over him.

  Eryn was a skilled trapper, but Prince Raiden’s magical powers of observation located him without his knowledge. The Lord of Naganor watched Eryn and everything around too. Nothing could come close without been seen. Prince Raiden let his gaze wander across the camp, and occasionally his attention strayed to the wooden cross, where his armor was now hanging.

  The polish had dulled and there were even lumps of mud clinging to the metal.

  A job for the Nurin. Magic for beginners: Clean your armor magically. Let us see how he does. But not before dinner. I am ravenous.

  The smell of roasted meat filled the air enticingly, mixed together with the aroma of herbs and mushrooms.

  The rascal can cook... as long as he does not use the wrong ingredients. I am waiting patiently and he is already filling his belly. Spoon after spoon - you can hardly call that tasting any more.

  “How much longer do I have to wait for my food?”

  Eryn called back, his face a picture of pure innocence: “Just a moment, my Prince. Almost done!”

  The Prince took a seat, while Eryn laid the table and served the meal.

  Mushroom soup and boar with vegetables – truly delicious.

  “Have you ever thought about becoming a cook, Eryn?”

  Is this some kind of trap? I don’t have the option of choosing what I want to do anyway and if I say that I really want to learn the art of magic, he will laugh at me. Oh! No comments on my thoughts – incredible! “My Prince, I enjoy cooking but I don’t want to do it as my job for the rest of my life.”

  Eryn hoped that was the end of it, but the Prince wanted to know more about Eryn’s intentions:

  “And what else do you want to do? What hopes do you have in life?”

  Eryn tried to change the subject. “My Prince, I don’t want to bore you with the banality of my wishes. More wine?”

  The Prince held out his cup and Eryn poured in the liquid.

  “Sometimes a sovereign has to grapple with the trivial lives of his subjects. So that I can make wiser decisions in future.”

  Eryn hated this friendly questioning. For one thing, he did not actually know what he wanted and, for another, it was none of the Prince’s business either.

  “Do I have a choice anyway? So far it seems that other people decide my fate, my Prince.”

  Although the Prince had been in a foul temper in the morning, now he was perfectly relaxed.

  “I am asking very politely and getting nothing but impudent answers. I see, I have become too indulgent and let you get away with far too much.”

  Eryn fell silent. What should I say to that?

  Then he suddenly thought about his comrades.

  They have no idea how good they have it. By now they will certainly be resting in their quarters, left to their own devices and unobserved. They certainly do not have to worry about every movement they make or what they are thinking. And they will not be judged for every single word. Silence is probably the best strategy for me.

  In contrast to Eryn, the Prince was most talkative and continued with his interrogation.

  “Why have you not tried to run away? There have been many opportunities during the journey.”

  This question is a trap. “My Prince, why should I run away? I have no reason to.”

  "You lie." Prince Raiden commented.

  “I wouldn’t get far, and where would I go anyway? Into the Unhaer?”

  "True."

  The Prince laid down his cutlery gracefully, and Eryn started to clear away at once, hoping to avoid any more questions. But the Prince ordered him to sit down.

  I’d best say something myself to change the subject, before he keeps on at me.

  Unfortunately Eryn could not think of anything sensible just then, and the Prince soon asked him another question:

  “How can you bear this so easily?”

  Eryn could have played dumb and pretended not to know what the Prince meant with that. But he knew exactly.

  The soulban. Master Lionas warned me that the Prince is very temperamental on that score. Thin ice, very thin ice. He is waiting for an answer though. Preferably a true one.

  “My Prince, in the beginning it was very hard and I suffered a lot. But seeing your outstanding brilliance has helped me overcome that feeling. You are a powerful mage with great knowledge, and it is an honor for me to be taught the art of magic by you. The cruelty in the citadel’s dungeon... I have forgiven. ”

  The Prince interrupted Eryn: “That was your own fault, wasn’t it? You always had the choice to surrender your obstinacy. I merely fulfilled Master Elderon’s instructions, to cast out your foolishness by all possible means. And my success proves me right.”

  Certainly, as always.

  Don’t be impertinent, lad. A magical reprimand flew towards Eryn, who sensed the danger and even managed to build up a shield, as he had learned to do in the never-ending lessons. But the spell went right through and hit him with a hard smack.

  “I am pleased at least to see that you have learned something. How about a bet? A hundred pieces of gold if you actually manage to catch one of my spells. Just as an incentive for you. Not that you will succeed for the next ten years at least.”

  Eryn sent a simple healing spell to his burning cheek. “I accept, and won’t forget about the bet, my Prince. Even if it does take ten years.”

  A deprecatory glance was flung at Eryn. “So eat, mage of the future, I have a new task for you.”

  Eryn gladly obeyed this command, eating as much as he could. With a bursting stomach, he walked over to the Prince to hear about his new challenge. Prince Raiden pointed at his dirty armor. “Clean and polish it till it shines.”

  That’s not difficult work, just boring and tedious.

  Eryn fetched a rag out of his saddlebag, yawning as he approached the armor.

  “Sometimes I wonder if you are able to follow logic at all.”

  Eryn froze. “I don’t understand, my Prince.”

  “All orders I give you are to be carried out how?” said the Prince, emphasizing every word.

  Now Eryn realized: “I should clean the armor magically?”

  “Exactly!” The Prince smiled a mocking, friendly s
mile.

  “Yes, my Prince.” Thanks for that!

  Eryn scratched his chin and sat down on the fallen tree opposite the troublesome armor. His eyes gazed on its sections as he tried to find a satisfying solution to the problem.

  Hmm, it is not so easy to use a rag, especially if I have to do it from a distance.

  So he threw the rag at the armor in a most unmagical way. He looked nervously over his shoulder, to see if Prince Raiden was watching him. But he didn’t seem to be.

  At least throwing the rag has saved me the effort of conjuring it through the air. Eryn got the cloth moving with gestures and incantations. The rag moved in circles above the armor plates. Master Raiden had not taught him any magical extras for new spells, such as incantations or gestures. But Eryn knew the extras for this spell and was pleased to have this kind of help. So he managed to control his powers much better. He made rotating movements with his hands and also spoke the intonation for this spell: “Aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss.”

  It helped maintain the pressure and the cleaning movement too. All the same, it was much more difficult to do this task magically than without magic. Eryn soon realized it would take a very long time to get the job done.

  “Aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss, aaafiss-fiss.”

  The Prince interrupted Eryn’s spell with a hiss: “Please stop that now!”

  “My Prince, the cleaning of the armor?”

  “No, Nurin. This constant muttering and the wild movements. They are disturbing my meditation.”

  Eryn conceded with a mix of devotion and resignation, before returning to the task. Without gestures or intonation, the rag almost did what Eryn wanted it to, but that was not enough. In the meantime the sky had begun to darken, so Eryn struck a light to see more clearly the slow progress he had made.