The Chronicles of the Myrkron: Book 01 - The Nine Keys of Magic

by Timothy Woods

  "I know what you say is true, Reek, but I can’t help feeling sick. All those lives ended by my hand and for no better reason than one man’s insane desire to rule. What makes it worse is…I actually enjoyed it while it was happening. I wanted them all to die. Perhaps I am no different from Mortow," Michael said dejectedly.

  Branik’s eyes lit with fire.

  "You are nothing like that swine! You did what you did to save lives. The fact that you now feel bad about it, should tell you so. Mortow would not even think twice about the killing. It is a means to an end for him. Do not think for a minute that what you felt on the battlefield was enjoyment. It was nothing more than battle lust. It is an emotion all warriors feel at one time or another. It is the mind's way of dealing with the atrocities of war so you can do what needs to be done. Without it, you would be struck numb and senseless, unable to react. Without it, you would have been cut down before you could even think to raise your sword. This was your first true battle, Michael. You charged in to save a young dwarf. You ended up saving many. Mortow would never put himself in danger to save another’s life. No, Michael, you are nothing like him!" Branik’s voice had grown louder as he talked. He now continued to stare at Michael in silence.

  Michael looked at the big Avari, wondering what caused such a tirade from this man who, up until now, had displayed little to no emotion. He looked to Reek and saw him slightly shake his head and cast his eyes down at the ground.

  "I think I should get something to eat. It must be getting close to lunch time. Would you two care to join me?"

  "You go ahead, Michael. We will be right behind you," Reek replied.

  Michael walked to the back door and went inside. The cool darkness of the hall suited his mood better than the sunlit garden. At the intersection of the corridor, he looked left towards the dining hall then turned abruptly right towards the classrooms. He heard the back door open and close and waited until Reek and Branik walked into the intersection. They turned and followed him down the right corridor. He had a sudden need to talk to Mieka. He went to the open door of the classroom and gently knocked on it. Mieka looked to the door upon hearing the knock and smiled when she saw that it was Michael. Michael felt as if a shadow had been lifted from his mind. He smiled back and saw several of the students looking at him, a couple of the older ones with knowing smiles. He saw Morgan quirk a quick grin at him and raise an eyebrow. Michael felt his face flush and was thankful the hall was dimly lit.

  "Hello, Michael. I thought you would be with Merric," Mieka said from the front of the room.

  "I was. I hate to interrupt your class, but could I talk to you for a few minutes?"

  The smiles left the faces of Mieka and the students as they noticed the dark expression on his face.

  "Of course. Martin would you take over for a bit please?" Mieka asked.

  "Yes, Mistress Mieka," Martin said, climbing from his chair and walking to the front of the classroom.

  Mieka walked between the desks and came up to Michael.

  "What's wrong, Michael?" She asked in a lowered voice.

  "Can we go somewhere and talk? I am not feeling very well, and I’m really confused right now."

  Mieka turned back to Martin.

  "This may take a little while. Run them through the illusion we practiced yesterday."

  "Yes, Mistress," Martin replied.

  Mieka took Michael’s arm and lead him down the hall towards the library. Reek and Branik gave them some room then followed, stopping at the door. Mieka closed the door softly and led Michael over to a table with blue, velvet, padded chairs around it.

  "Ok Michael, what’s wrong? I have never seen that look in your eyes before."

  "I just came back from The Slot. A battle was being fought there. There were Weres everywhere, and they just kept coming up out of the marsh. There were dwarves and humans, too. I…"

  "Wait a minute. What were you doing in The Slot?" Mieka asked.

  "Merric was showing me how to use the scrying basin. He wanted me to do a blind search for something. Micah mentioned to me that there were dwarves here on Thelona, and I wanted to see what they looked like; so I did a search for a dwarf," Michael explained.

  "Good choice for a blind search," Mieka commented to keep Michael talking.

  "Yeah. The search only took a few minutes, and suddenly I was focused on this blonde dwarf surrounded by all these creatures; bears, wolves, and tigers. It looked like a zoo had burst open, and the animals were on a rampage. Then I saw this very young dwarf in a gray tunic. He was bent over a human. I saw him heal a terrible wound on the man’s neck, and then I saw a big bear heading straight for him. Something in my mind snapped, and I teleported myself to him."

  "Michael that was very dangerous. Teleporting into a shifting battle like that can get you killed very quickly," Mieka admonished.

  "I know, now. But, I couldn’t let the boy die. He was working in all that chaos to bring comfort to the injured." Michael clenched his fists.

  "I was not about to let him get slaughtered. So I teleported in and killed the bear."

  "How did you kill it?"

  "The same way I killed the man who shot my wife. I incinerated it. I made sure the boy was safe then picked up a sword. I was forced to kill a tiger that was coming at me. Then Merric was there. He threw a big ball of flame into the advancing Weres. Reek and Branik were down in the thick of the battle moving towards me. I assume Merric brought them along with him. I pointed out where I was headed, and they cut a path through the Weres ahead of me. I was trying to reach the blonde dwarf since he seemed to be the center of the Weres' attack. Mieka, men were dying all around me. I saw that there was no way for the men to defeat the increasing number of Weres, so I cast a spell." Michael’s voice fell to a whisper, and he looked down at his hands resting on the table.

  "It was the most horrid devastation I have ever seen, and I was the one responsible for it."

  Mieka leaned forward across the table and placed her hands on Michael’s. In a soft voice she asked.

  "What did you do, Michael?"

  Michael looked up at her, and she could see his eyes glisten with unshed tears.

  "They all just exploded and then were gone. It was like they were vaporized, leaving no trace. I killed them all, Mieka, every Were in sight was gone."

  Seeing how distraught and vulnerable he was, Mieka smiled to try to lighten his mood. She patted his hand.

  "Let me take you someplace. I want to show you something."

  "I shouldn’t go anywhere without Reek and Branik. Branik scolded me once today for going to the battle without them," Michael told her while looking again at his hands.

  "We will not be gone long and, besides, where we are going, it would be too cramped for that many people."

  Giving her a slightly perplexed look, Michael shrugged.

  "Ok, as long as we aren’t gone too long. I don’t think I could handle another dressing down from Branik. I already feel low enough."

  Mieka smiled at him again.

  "Do not worry about him. I think this will take your mind off of what is troubling you." Mieka stood and walked around the table. She took Michael’s hands and raised him to his feet.

  "Are you ready?" She asked still smiling.

  "Aye," Michael answered with a sigh, finally smiling back at her.

  "I am in your hands."

  Mieka whispered softly the words of transport, and they vanished from the library.

  Michael looked around and saw he was in a narrow corridor with light globes on the wall. He turned and looked behind him, noticing a flight of stairs leading up. Behind Mieka was a blank wall, a dead end.

  "Are we at the scrying chamber?"

  "No, but this is another room of that type." Mieka let go of his hands and turned around. She placed her hand on the wall and mumbled a few words that were spoken too low for Michael to hear. The wall in front of her faded away. She stepped aside and gestured for Michael to enter.

  Michael
looked inside to see a small table with four chairs around it. There were candles burning in wall holders around the room and two candles on the table. He walked into the small room. The table and chairs took up most of the floor space, leaving only enough room to slide the chairs out. Michael saw nothing of particular interest in the room. Other than the table, chairs, and candles, it was barren. The entry wall resealed itself after they both entered.

  Mieka brushed passed him and motioned for him to take a seat. She went to the chair on the right and, pulling it out, sat down. Michael went to the opposite side and sat facing her.

  "So what did you want to show me?" Michael finally asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the wall he had come through fade, and a tall figure in black robes folded itself down to fit through the doorway. The man stood up straight, his head almost brushing the ceiling. Michael could see the long black hair and ice blue eyes of the man he had seen in the mirror at Micah’s house. Michael came hurriedly to his feet moving to place the table between himself and this grim specter. Michael yelled out.

  "Contego ab vulnero!" His face twisted in surprise. The familiar wind did not blow through his mind. He felt no connection to the magic. Michael saw the man smile, a mocking, half smile with only one side of his mouth.

  "I see you have now discovered the unique properties of this room." Still maintaining that wicked grin, the man bowed slightly, patronizingly, at the waist.

  "Greetings, Michael, I have been waiting a long time to meet you. My name is Mortow."

  Michael could not catch his breath. He looked from the giant man to Mieka. She sat calmly at the table with her hands folded in front of her. She glanced up at him and smiled. The smile was no longer the warm, inviting smile of the woman he had come to care about. It was now the smile of a predator looking at its trapped prey, and the betrayal cut him to his core.

  Michael felt his head pound. Suddenly, the final door in his mind exploded open. He could see the light pouring out into his mind. Nine shimmering doors stood open. But, his external vision was tunneling and reducing to a faint point. Michael thought to himself, now isn’t that odd. There are three more doors, golden doors. I wonder why Merric never told me about them. Then his legs started to give way and blackness closed over him.

  Here ends the first book of:

  The Chronicles of the Myrkron.