Soul of Light (The Hidden Wizard Book 4)

by Vaughan W. Smith

  What’s he doing? Surely, he’s not going to reveal anything?

  “The last companion that you don’t see here is known as the Hidden Wizard. He helped us from the shadows, fighting battles we weren’t aware of, and ensuring that we as a group could continue to advance in our quest. He asked for nothing, save that his identity is kept secret. To thank him, I have a special announcement.” Alrion closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly a pillar of light appeared in front of him and shot up into the sky, exploding into a shower of golden sparks that dissipated above the crowd.

  “Today, I am announcing the formation of a new organisation. I am calling it the Order of the Hidden Wizard. As a tribute to that wizard’s mission, this organisation is dedicated to watching and preventing the spread of the Blight. The world has been cleansed, but without a watchful eye, it could easily slip again.” Discussion started immediately, the square filling with the sounds of multiple conversations. Lara looked at Alrion, confused.

  “Is that it?” she said. Alrion smiled at her.

  “No, there’s more.” Alrion held up his hand and the commotion slowly died down.

  “That’s not all. There’s little point creating an organisation, but not empowering it. So, I am therefore opening all the Wizard Stores to members of the Order of the Hidden Wizard. For the first time, we will openly share our secrets and resources. And, once I figure out a way, I’m also going to open access to Wizard Gates.” The commotion was a lot louder now.

  “You’ve certainly got this lot talking,” Lara said. Alrion laughed.

  “I think it’s what my grandfather would have wanted. Open cooperation against the Blight, preventing another disaster. It’s the only way to protect the world.” Alrion looked over to Falric, and the master wizard smiled and nodded. Ashra, too, seemed to agree. Alrion walked over to his companions.

  “I hope you are all fine with this?”

  “Of course we are.” Alyx spoke up but looked at the others and nobody raised a complaint.

  “Good. I’ll work with Falric and Ashra to figure out how to provide you with the entry tokens you need for Wizard Stores, and the locations of each. But for now, where will you go?” Alrion looked to Certan first.

  “No surprises here, I will return to the temple. My service is promised there. But I will take a meandering path. I wish to see for myself the fruits of our labours. I want to see the new world we have created together.” Certan stepped forward and offered Alrion his hand. They shook and Certan stepped back.

  “I’m going to visit my hometown. It’s been a long time. After that, who knows. I think I’ll spend some time in Valrytir. I owe them that much. If I run out on them again…” Alyx smiled sheepishly. Alrion walked over and gave her a big hug.

  “I’m sorry again for everything we put you through.”

  “Don’t apologise, I was party to it all. I made all my choices, and I stand by them.”

  “I was going to go home. It’s been a long trip, and I don’t know what I’ll do next. At the least, I’ll spend some time with what Vincent left me.” Celes sighed. Lara could see the tears welling up, but they were being held back.

  “Do you mind if we join you? I’d like to go visit as well. And maybe I can look through the papers too.”

  “Of course, I would be delighted.” Celes looked at Lara then back at Alrion. “And you’re bringing a girl home? I’m not sure if I approve.” Celes winked and laughed.

  “You better win her over,” Alrion whispered to Lara loud enough for everyone to hear. They all laughed. Falric and Ashra walked over to join them.

  “Enjoy a break. You’ve done enough for a lifetime. When you’re ready for something else, we can work out all these things you promised.” Falric slapped Ashra on the shoulder. “Or should I say, Ashra will work them all out. I have urgent business to attend to.” Falric waved goodbye and wandered off.

  “I’ve never seen anyone run so fast to paperwork,” Lara said.

  “Exactly. I fear I have maybe committed to too much.” Ashra grinned. He wished them well, and the companions all walked to the main gate together.

  “You know where to find me.” Certan waved.

  “Me too. Don’t be a stranger.” Alyx waved as well. With that, the two rode off on horses supplied by the Academy. Alrion and Celes wanted to walk.

  I don’t think they’re in a rush to get home. Especially with him gone.

  56

  The Return

  They made the wise decision of borrowing horses at Carford. As much as Alrion had enjoyed the walk and the change of pace, he was now eager to get home. It felt like an age since he had ridden out with his father and Falric.

  One of them I thought had died, the other one now has.

  “This is new territory for me, I never travelled this far,” Lara said.

  “I felt the same way, long ago. I’m not quite sure why Vincent insisted on us living here. It was quite an adjustment, coming from the big cities. But we built a nice life here. It was a different pace, and a different focus.” Celes looked around as she spoke. Alrion recognised the terrain quite well. They would be back in Hamley soon.

  “Is that it?” Lara said, pointing. Alrion peered into the distance.

  “That’s it. That’s where I lived my entire life until recently.” Alrion realised just how small the town was. It looked like nothing from a distance, and as they approached, he realised that unlike other places, it didn’t really expand into something else. What you saw at long range, was it.

  “Cute sign,” Lara commented as they rode by. They were entering the town proper now.

  It’s like I never left.

  The usual hustle and bustle of the small town continued. Men and women travelled from place to place, visiting artisans and buying or delivering goods. The familiar smells of the carpenter and leatherworker wafted over before he spotted the buildings. The noise and smells from the blacksmith were noticeably absent. He couldn’t remember a time when the shop hadn’t been open.

  He noticed a few townsfolk regard them, but nobody said anything.

  “Why aren’t they greeting us?” Alrion said to his mother.

  “You and your father left in a hurry, and then I left. There’s been no word, and we’re returning without him. They don’t know what to think, let alone say. Don’t worry, that’ll change. They just need a few days to get used to having us around again.”

  “I suppose that’s fine.” Alrion turned to Lara, “It’s not much, but this is home.”

  “I have a good feeling about it. Don’t worry about a few people you haven’t seen in a while.” Lara gave him a reassuring smile.

  I wasn’t sure what she would think, but I’m glad she’s giving it a shot. Even if we don’t stay a while, this will always be home.

  Soon Alrion pulled up before his home. It looked exactly the same. The white paint was a little more faded, as was the red door. But it was minimal. They dismounted and tied up their horses, and Celes approached the door, unlocking it.

  “We’re home,” she announced as she walked through the front door. Alrion noticed a musty smell from the house being closed, but otherwise, it was unchanged.

  “Don’t worry, I wasn’t sure when I was returning so I prepared the house appropriately. The only downside is that there’s no food.” Celes disappeared into the rear of the house, and Alrion sat on the couch, inviting Lara to sit with him.

  “It was here that Falric announced I was a wizard. A lifetime ago.”

  “Your father was quite surprised. Although now I’m not sure what to believe.” Celes started to keep talking, but she abruptly stopped.

  “Don’t worry, I told Lara. She needed to know.”

  “Well, yes that’s fine.” Celes gathered her thoughts and began to talk again. “He must have known you were a wizard, perhaps he was surprised at Falric appearing to take you away.”

  “I think so. Have you had a chance to read through much of what he gave you?”

  “Not real
ly. I’ve been waiting. Now that we’re home, it makes more sense.” Celes started to cry and turned away. Alrion was about to rise to comfort her when she quickly turned around, hiding it. Celes sat on the nearest chair.

  “You discovered it was him, didn’t you? In your investigation?” Lara said.

  “Oh yes, it was quite a shock. I suspect he intended it that way.”

  “He did tell me that it was the best way to make you believe it. And, he wanted to find if there was any evidence tying him to that persona.” Alrion watched his mother. She shook her head and chuckled.

  “I suspect he didn’t know how to tell me. It’s quite a secret to keep all those years.” Celes looked far away, lost in some sort of memory. She abruptly addressed them again.

  “When I confronted him with the information, he didn’t even formally acknowledge it. Even though we both knew. It was like he didn’t want to say it out loud. But he did reference a story about the Blind Tiger heist. That said a lot.”

  “I’m not familiar with that story,” Lara said.

  “It’s an interesting one. Well, perhaps it’s worth sharing.” Celes eased back into the chair and made herself comfortable. “It all started with a thief, who was part of a larger group. His name was Michael. He was tasked with stealing a pristine jewel, known as the Coded Citrine.”

  “I’ve heard of that!” Lara said, excited.

  “What is it?” Alrion asked.

  “It’s an orange gem inscribed with tiny characters. We’re not quite sure what it’s for, but it looks incredible. Anyway, it was held in a special vault, and only one man knew the precise method to open the vault. And he never did it in the presence of anyone else. This group had investigated every angle, and they had no way of breaking it out.”

  “How did Michael play into it?” Lara said.

  “Well, he proposed a plan whereas he was introduced to them as a blind man. But a specialist servant, one who could assist with tasks in a way that was capable, but also discreet. The thieves weren’t convinced by the feasibility of the plan, but they let him try it. Michael found a way into their service. He was an advisor as well as an organiser. They tested his blindness in every way they could conceive, and he passed.”

  “Wow, so he found a way to convince them he was blind, even though he could see.”

  “Precisely. Although in many respects, he needed to almost be blind, to continue his cover. As he gained their trust, he became enamoured with the family’s niece, who had come to stay at the estate. Over time, they developed a relationship and married. And had a daughter.”

  “Over what period? What happened to the thieves?”

  “Years. The thieves were split apart by a rather terrible heist gone wrong, and Michael believed that he could just abandon his mission and live out the new life he had made for himself.” Celes paused and shifted in her seat. Alrion was about to ask another question but she continued.

  “You’re probably wondering what went wrong? Well, one day he was confronted by two men. The leader of the thief group, and the man who had assigned the task to Michael. They had remembered about him and had come to collect what they were owed. When Michael refused to help them, they took his daughter hostage.”

  “What happened?” Alrion asked.

  “He was forced to help them. He had seen the way to open the vault and helped them get the jewel. But he confronted them both and died in the process.”

  “But what of his daughter? And the jewel?” Lara said.

  “The head thief fell in the tussle, but the other man got away with the jewel. The daughter, thankfully, was left in the middle of nowhere by the gang and found her way home. She was fine but traumatised by the whole ordeal. The family, however, did not discover Michael’s treachery. They assumed that he had been coerced by the thieves and died honourably.”

  “How did you get involved?” Lara said.

  “I overheard the thief that got away bragging at an inn. His name was Morgan, by the way. It didn’t take much to convince Vincent to help me. I can see now that he obviously identified with Michael.”

  “What did you do?” Alrion said.

  “It wasn’t hard to liberate the jewel. We just followed Morgan home. Vincent kept watch while I located and stole the gem. Morgan was so out of it we had no trouble.”

  “And the gem? What of it?”

  “Vincent wanted to return it to the original family, but we didn’t get around to it right away. It was some distance to travel. Over time, we just ended up keeping it. I think it’s stowed away here somewhere.” Celes finished the story, and the energy seemed to leak out of her. She slumped back in the chair.

  “So that’s how I figured out that he wasn’t coming back. And he was right. Of course, he was right.”

  “I thought we had a chance to do it, and both survive. But I think deep down he knew what would be required. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t work up to it until Falric involved me.”

  “Maybe that’s true.” Celes stood up and walked into another room.

  “Are you alright?” Lara said. She looked really concerned.

  “I’m alright, it’s just weird being here. I keep expecting him to walk in the door, returning from the workshop.” Alrion paused, remembering something. “If you don’t mind giving me a moment, there’s something I need to do.” Alrion stood abruptly.

  “Of course, I’ll be here.” Lara gave his hand a squeeze and let it go.

  “Thanks.” Alrion strode over to the door and left immediately.

  He left something for me at the workshop. I need to see what it is. It must be important if he didn’t include it with what he left for Mum.

  Alrion saw people he recognised in his peripheral vision. He ignored them and kept walking. Strangely, though, they didn’t pay him any attention either.

  Maybe they don’t recognise me?

  For now, it was one less distraction. Alrion stopped before the workshop and fished around for the key. He found it and unlocked the door. He slowly swung it open, surveying the shop.

  It looked exactly as they had left it.

  Dad knew we wouldn’t be coming back. That’s why he was so adamant about finishing everything.

  Alrion walked through the workshop, running his hand over some of the counters. Everything was packed away, nothing was left out.

  He left something for me. Where would it be?

  Alrion stopped and looked over the room. Perhaps he had left something, but it had always been there. If that was the case, it had to be in a safe location.

  Where was he always working?

  Alrion walked over to the bench that his father always worked at. Without fail. In fact, he always ensured Alrion used another bench.

  It must be here.

  Alrion slowly pushed the workbench away, sliding it into an open space nearby. There was a rough, threadbare mat underneath it.

  That’s curious, why put a mat under a workbench?

  Alrion pulled the mat aside and noticed a trapdoor. He gingerly pried the top off, sliding the cover off. There was a ladder leading into a dark area.

  Now, this is promising.

  Alrion stood and walked to the front door, locking it from the inside. He couldn’t afford to be interrupted. Returning to the open trapdoor, Alrion peered inside. He could see a ladder leading down. He created an orb of light and sent it down before starting to climb.

  This is oddly reminiscent of that place in Stonebridge.

  He climbed down carefully and took stock of where he was. It was a tiny stone cellar. Completely empty save for one thing.

  There’s a Wizard Gate under the workshop!

  Alrion couldn’t believe it. All this time he had lived and worked here, never knowing that a portal to another place was just sitting here. He rushed over, curious to see it. The gate looked like any other. He impatiently examined the pillars and saw only one symbol. He activated it, curious to see where it went. The gate roared to life, the blinding flash subsiding quickly. Alrion
could see what looked like a room, but there wasn’t a lot of other details he could glean from it.

  Is it wise to take this? I have no idea where it goes, or how I could get back.

  Alrion paused before the open gate. He thought carefully. If this was a place his father used, it had to have a return function. Because his father never went on strange unexplained trips. He was always around.

  He asked me to find something here, I must try.

  Alrion stepped through the gate, unsure of where he would end up.

  Alrion stepped into a study. It was made from stone, the walls filled with shelves and books. A single window lit the room. But what caught Alrion’s attention was the desk in the middle. He recognised that desk.

  It’s Granthion’s desk. From the dreams.

  Alrion rushed over, spotting something on the desk. He touched it reverently.

  “Granthion’s spellbook,” he whispered. His father had had access to this the whole time. Alrion stepped back, curious about where he was. He walked through the room, seeing no entrances or exits. Just the Wizard Gate, and the window. He wandered over to the window, peering out. It looked like Avaria. There was a rather large hill that dominated the view.

  You don’t suppose.

  Alrion let the thought mull over. Was that hill the place his grandfather had cast the spell over Avaria? He walked back to the desk, looking at the spellbook.

  I have so many questions now. I wish I could talk to someone about it.

  But Granthion and his father were gone. Alrion started leafing through the spellbook. He could read all the words. Mostly they were mundane spells, but he had a realisation.

  Now I can find more spells that I need and consciously learn them. This will be amazing!

  He set the book down and turned to leave. As exciting as it was, he needed to go back and make sure everything was fine at home. He would have plenty of time to come back and forth, as his father had.

  57