The Sorcerer's Return (The Sorcerer's Path)

by Brock Deskins

  Barely two seconds passed between the first warning shouts before the ravagers leapt over the wagons and proceeded to slaughter the humans just beyond their feeble barriers. Crossbows thrummed, but only a few bolts found their marks before the terrifying creatures were amongst them.

  “What in the abyss are these things?” Aaron shouted.

  “I think you got it right. Only the abyss could spawn this,” Owen cursed.

  Aaron was as capable as any man Owen had ever seen, but the ravager cut him down with little effort. He had almost no time to process the death occurring around him before the creatures leapt upon him and ended his life. The battle was brief, and in just a few short minutes, a hundred and fifty men and women met a brutal end. The ravagers destroyed the wagons and killed any animal unable to flee, before turning eastward toward Bruneford’s Mill.

  ***

  Azerick, Ellyssa, and Raijaun were spending their fourth night in Bruneford’s Mill. Ellyssa was asleep and Azerick wrote in his book, as he always did and would continue to do so until morning. Like Azerick, Raijaun needed little rest and was drawing letters and sigils on a piece of parchment.

  It had been several days of travel to reach Bruneford’s Mill, and they all enjoyed the decent rest and good food; Ellyssa did, at the very least. Azerick merely preferred being out of the elements, and Raijaun seemed immune to the hardships of travel.

  Their journey was nearly halfway through, and Azerick decided he would soon need to split his time from writing out his training manual and teaching Raijaun how to work magic. He was already working some small castings on his own. He had set a swath of plains grass on fire with a localized lightning storm, but Azerick and Ellyssa were able to quickly put it out. His son’s inherent knowledge and ability to call upon and weave multiple sources of magic amazed him. Azerick was eager to take the time to sit down with him and shape his raw talent into something more controlled.

  Azerick put down his quill and listened. He thought he heard the faint sounds of distressed voices but was unsure. However, as he sent his senses out into the town, he found an undeniable tension in the air. There was violence being enacted and on a large scale. It called to his demonic nature like the insistent allure of an ardent lover.

  “Ellyssa, get up,” Azerick called out hurriedly.

  Ellyssa stirred and sat up. “What is it?” she asked groggily.

  “Trouble. Quick, throw something warmer on, and grab your pack. We may have to leave town quickly. Raijaun, stay close to me no matter what.”

  Azerick packed up their meager belongings and the Codex while Ellyssa threw a sturdy cloak over her shoulders before following him out of the room. The cries throughout the town were now clearly distinct, and other patrons of the inn began shuffling out of their rooms, their nervousness evident on their faces and in their voices.

  “What’s happening?” a serving maid who lived at the inn asked.

  “I’m not sure, but I suggest you all stay in your rooms and lock the doors,” Azerick advised before he stepped out into the night.

  Screams of sheer panic and the smell of smoke assaulted them the moment Azerick opened the door of the inn. Far more people than would normally be out at this hour ran wildly through the streets. Men raced through town with weapons in their hands while women fled in the other direction holding babes.

  “Azerick, what is happening?” Ellyssa asked anxiously.

  “Something is violently attacking the town. I can feel the people’s terror and death. Whatever it is, it is awful.”

  “Are we going to help them?” Ellyssa asked.

  The internal conflict so evident on Azerick’s face and posture shocked her. She remembered the Azerick who would have leapt to the defense of these people without hesitation. This new Azerick was cold, dispassionate, and he scared her.

  Ellyssa breathed a sigh of relief when he answered, “Yes. Keep Raijaun close. I do not know what is attacking the town, but I feel the Scions’ hand in it, and I doubt he can protect himself from whatever they are.”

  The three pushed toward the west side of town, struggling to avoid those who fled eastward away from the source of destruction. Howls, snarls, and maniacal laughter joined the chorus of screams and death knells as they drew closer.

  It took only minutes for them to spot the first ravagers. Bruneford’s Mill was far from any hostile lands or people and sported no defensive walls, which allowed the ravagers to quickly push deep into the town. Only the time it took to tear through doors and slaughter the inhabitants slowed their progress.

  Several ravagers leapt from out of the darkness, the blood painting their bodies almost indistinguishable from their own skin in both color and coverage. Two of the creatures leapt into the air with their strange punch daggers cocked back and ready to slash their foes to pieces. Azerick lashed his hand forward and across, cleanly bisecting both of them with a whip of arcane energy.

  Ellyssa conjured a shard of stone from the street, sent it hurling toward the third ravager, and pinned it to the wall of a building. A keening howl erupted across the town as the ravagers sensed the use of magic. Wizards and sorcerers were their masters’ most hated enemy, and they would stop at nothing to destroy them. The ravagers immediately ceased their chaotic, wanton destruction and converged upon the source of magic use.

  Azerick and Ellyssa quickly found themselves in the heart of a maelstrom of death as the ravagers leapt from rooftops and raced at them from all directions, heedless of their own lives. Arcane energy split the night air with fire, lightning, and bolts of power as the pair fought furiously to keep the monsters at bay.

  Azerick could not know if there were still people around and avoided unleashing his most destructive magic. It would be easy for him to scour clean several blocks of the town and destroy the bulk of invaders—too easy. He felt Klaraxis’ constant but subtle urgings and refused to give in to them, but that could change soon if the ravagers kept coming. In the coming battle, the death toll would be measured in the hundreds of thousands. The few thousand lives of Bruneford’s Mill were expendable in the greater scheme of things.

  The Ravagers continued to press their attack, hurling stones, timber, and even human bodies at the two magic users who were devastating their numbers. Several climbed to the roofs of nearby buildings, took a running leap, and dropped down upon the defenders. Neither Azerick nor Ellyssa were taken completely by surprise, having beaten back this tactic before, but there were several of them and a few broke through their defenses.

  Azerick and Ellyssa instantly turned their attack onto the ravagers in their ranks, but before either of them could respond, one of the creatures grabbed up Raijaun and leapt away, disappearing into a dark alleyway.

  “Raijaun!” Azerick shouted.

  Fear and rage suffused Azerick’s soul and he lashed out, heedless of the damage he caused. His fear turned to terror when Raijaun’s shrill screams emanated from out of the alley. Pure terror fueled his spells as Azerick blasted a hole through the ravagers’ ranks in an effort to get to his son.

  As Azerick fought his way to Raijaun, he sensed an immense build up of power. It took a moment for him to comprehend what was happening. Mingling with the familiar arcane energy was a strange magic very similar to that used by Lissandra. Azerick grabbed Ellyssa, pulled her down, and covered them with the most powerful ward he could conjure in an instant.

  The world seemed to explode around them as fire washed over his ward like a tidal wave. Buildings burst into flame and crumbled under the intense heat, but the destruction did not end. The ground buckled and split open, spewing molten rock into the air, which came down like a meteor storm. Azerick could not hear Raijaun’s terrified screams, but he could feel his son’s fear and panic. Lissandra said Raijaun would be the most formidable weapon he had, but Azerick could not have imagined this. Not yet.

  Driven by fear, Raijaun would destroy the entire town and its inhabitants if he did not destroy himself first. He was a frightened child, lashing out
with everything he had without thought of the consequences. He was channeling far more power than his body could safely manage and was probably moments away from being consumed by it.

  “Ellyssa, I have to get to Raijaun and try to calm him down!” Azerick shouted to be heard over the chaos. “Keep those things away from me as best you can; I have to keep my focus on this ward.”

  Despite the rampant destruction, ravagers continued bounding out of the shadows, leaping the flaming fissures, and dodging the falling molten rock. They both fought their way to the remains of the alley now made up of little more than piles of stone and charred timber. Ellyssa sent her magic into the ground and raised four enormous constructs from the cobblestones. They were not true golems; these had very little autonomy, and it took almost all of Ellyssa’s concentration to direct their attacks toward the Ravagers.

  She used them to block the opening to their tiny oasis within the hellish destruction, lashing out with huge stone fists to crush any ravager trying to fight their way past. Several tried to leap over the constructs, only to be plucked from the air and pulped against the ground or hurled into a nearby fissure.

  Azerick pressed into the remains of the alley and spotted Raijaun, seemingly lost in his terror and caught up in the grip of the magic he wielded. Like a fire, the magic had taken on a life of its own and raged out of control. The fact Raijaun was able to keep it from destroying him for this long was amazing. Azerick looked into the ether where normal eyes could not see, and watched this boy wrestling with forces that would have already consumed an experienced wizard.

  Azerick reached into that invisible, arcane maelstrom and began gathering up the threads of magic in an attempt to control and safely release it back into the Source. Grabbing those strands was like trying to snatch loose lines on a sail flailing around in gale-force winds. The strands lashed out at him, fighting his attempts at control. The magic was like a living creature now and it did not want to be vanquished.

  “Raijaun,” Azerick called out loudly but gently. “Raijaun, I have it now. You can let go.”

  Raijaun finally opened his eyes and Azerick could see the tears streaming down his face, glinting on the light of the surrounding inferno. “Father? Father, help me!”

  “It’s okay, son, I am here. I have the magic. Let it go.”

  Reluctantly, Raijaun let his grip slip away and finally let go. He looked once more at Azerick and crumpled to the ground. Azerick released the pent up energy into the sky in a massive column of searing white power, illuminating the countryside for miles around. He scooped Raijaun into his arms and tore open a portal.

  “Ellyssa, time to get out of here!”

  Ellyssa glanced over her shoulder, spotted the gate, and ran through. Her constructs fought on for perhaps a score of seconds before crumbling back into piles of useless stone. Azerick carried Raijaun’s limp body in his arms and followed after, snapping the portal shut the instant he stepped through.

  “Azerick, what about the people in town and those creatures?” Ellyssa asked desperately, looking at the orange glow of the burning town in the distance.

  “I do not believe there were many left. The townspeople will have to deal with them the best they can.”

  Azerick opened another gate and stepped through; giving Ellyssa no time to voice any further concerns or protests. Twice more Azerick hurried them through his gates before stopping.

  “If we do not use our magic, I do not think those creatures can find us, if any still live.”

  “What were they? Where did they come from?”

  Azerick pulled the Codex Arcana from his shoulder satchel. “Show me.” The book fanned open. “Ravagers, the footmen of the Scions. They are fast, strong, and savage.”

  “I thought the Scions were still locked away?”

  “They are, otherwise the entire kingdom would like Bruneford’s Mill right now. My guess is there was a flaw, a minor breach the Scions were able to exploit. It has happened in the past. I do not think we have as much time to get home as I had hoped. I need to get back to my tower and establish a base from where I can better watch the Scions’ prison. If there are more of these flaws, it could prove disastrous. I do not have the time to go stamp out small fires like this all over the kingdom,” he said impatiently.

  Ellyssa was taken aback by his callousness. “A lot of people are dead. I think the entire town will burn to the ground, and you call it a small fire?”

  “In the larger scheme of things, that is exactly what it is. Ellyssa, I am glad to see you still care about the lives of people, even strangers, but this is going to be a war like no other with death on an unimaginable scale. If we allow our sentimentality to guide us away from what we must do, we will lose not just our homes or even our kingdom; we will lose our existence as a species.”

  Ellyssa’s mind simply could not process horror on such a scale, so she turned it toward more local and immediate concerns. “How is Raijaun?”

  “Exhausted. The amount of power he had coursing through him was something that would make even me pause for concern. It is either a miracle he survived, or he is far more than any of us can imagine.”

  Ellyssa shivered. “What was that? I felt magic like none I have felt before.”

  “It was the magic of the Guardians, which is an amalgamation of elvish and dragon magic. That is why it is so elemental in nature. Both elf and dragon magic is powerfully elemental, but unique to each of the races. Because elves use the Source just as human wizards and sorcerers do, they can shape it into spells only with far greater effect when directing the power of nature.”

  Ellyssa looked at Raijaun lying unconscious upon Azerick’s lap. “Will you call Sandy back to take us home then?”

  “No. It is now more important than ever to teach Raijaun control before we return, but I cannot afford to dawdle like I was. I am nearly finished with what I need to write and, to be honest, I was procrastinating our return.”

  “Why?”

  Azerick bowed his head. “Miranda and Daebian. I am not who I was, and I am afraid. I fear their reaction, what they think of me, and how I think of them. I am not coming home to be a loving husband and father, but a general who must prepare a nation for war. I have no time for familial sentiments, and I am ashamed for it.”

  Ellyssa could not control the tears that came unbidden to her eyes. It was the first spark of humanity, of the old Azerick, he had allowed to slip through the iron façade since his return. She sidled over and put her arms around him.

  “They’ll understand.”

  Azerick smiled at the top of her head. “I wish I could be so young and naïve again. But we can wish, can’t we?”

  CHAPTER 5

  Raijaun woke the next morning. Azerick chose not to sleep, instead staying awake and watching over his son and apprentice. He hurried to his son’s side as he sat up and looked around.

  “How do you feel?” Azerick asked.

  “Hungry,” Raijaun answered.

  “I’m sorry, but I did not think to grab any food before we left. How are you?”

  “My body hurts really bad. What happened?”

  “You panicked and channeled too much power.” Azerick gripped Raijaun’s shoulder firmly. “Raijaun, you lost control last night. You let fear take over, and it cost some people their lives, and more importantly, almost your own. You cannot ever lose control like that again.”

  Raijaun looked at the ground and his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Father. I was scared.”

  “I know, but you must not let your emotions control you. You are very powerful and very important. Everything and everyone is counting on your ability to control your power and use it wisely. I will need you in the coming days, and I must be able to rely on you and your judgment. You must never lose control again.”

  “I understand, Father. I won’t.”

  Azerick smiled at his son. “Do not feel too bad. I did the same thing—twice—just on a smaller scale. I will start working with you more so you can
learn control and focus.”

  “Okay, Father, but not today please,” Raijaun begged, his pain and exhaustion evident in his eyes.

  “Are you sure you are all right?”

  “It hurts. It feels like my blood is hot and burning me.”

  Azerick squeezed Raijaun’s shoulder. “I am sure you will be fine. You just pulled in too much power and your body is protesting its abuse.”

  Ellyssa sidled over and sat next to Azerick as Raijaun lay back down and went to sleep. “How is he?”

  “He is afraid, and in a lot of pain.”

  “He channeled a lot of power, more than I ever could, and I almost died when I overreached.”

  Azerick shook his head. “I think it is more than that. Did it ever feel as though your blood was burning in your veins?”

  “No, more like someone had beaten me with a stick for the better part of the day,” Ellyssa commented wryly.

  “I would use a similar analogy for what I felt. It was more exhaustion and muscle pain. I will need to consult the Codex, but I think he may be experiencing some sort of conflict between his differing magics.”

  “You wield different magic, don’t you? Does it hurt you?”

  Azerick thought a moment. “It conflicts, but I can force it to work together. I think that conflict is what makes the combination so powerful. It is uncomfortable but bearable. Raijaun also controls whatever magic the Guardians possessed. It is similar to dragon magic, which is natural and elemental as I said. Abyssal magic is nearly its opposite, and is wholly unnatural. Wizard and Sorcerous magic lies somewhere in between.”

  “How bad could using his magic hurt him? If it does hurt him, how is he going to be able to fight the Scions?”

  “I do not know. It may be something he will have to avoid unless absolutely necessary, and simply suffer through it when he does. For now, we must teach him control.”

  Azerick allowed Raijaun to rest another day before guiding them onto the path home. Raijaun still hurt, but he kept up and never complained. His sullen expression and body language spoke of his shame for losing control and hurting people in Bruneford’s Mill. Azerick was relieved at his son’s ability to empathize. It meant his heart was much more human than demon.