The Guardian's Apprentice (Beyond the Veil)

by J. Michael Radcliffe

  Unsure of what he should do, he whispered desperately to Nisha.

  “Something has my hand pinned! What do I do?”

  When she did not answer, he came to the grim realization that communication would be impossible until he retrieved her orb from where it had rolled. His staff was out of reach, propped against Cedric’s desk. Stretching his leg outward, Keegan knelt down as best he could without allowing the trap to puncture his skin – the last thing he needed was to be injected with some kind of poison or have his hand severed. He reached forward with his left foot and was just able to nudge Nisha’s orb with the toe of his boot, however she still did not answer. He groaned in frustration and struggled to an upright position once again.

  Maybe the orb has to contact the skin, he thought. Struggling to keep upright, he balanced on his right leg while prying off his boot and sock with his left hand. Now barefooted, he stretched outward again until he could just reach Nisha’s orb with his big toe.

  “Nisha, can you hear me?”

  “Yes, Keegan, I can hear you,” she said with a sigh. “I’m just glad I can’t smell you right now; having your big toe in my face isn’t exactly the highlight of my life at the moment.”

  “Look, it was the only way I could reach you,” he whispered desperately, still afraid of being overheard. “My wrist is pinned inside the gargoyle’s mouth; there’s some kind of needle pressing against it.”

  “I tried to warn you! I really did not expect you to plunge your hand in and try to grab the key! You MUST stay focused and remember that people on this side of the Veil play for keeps; a novice mistake like this could cost you your life!”

  Keegan was losing his patience, not to mention that his leg was beginning to cramp. “Yeah, well, I get it. Now how do I get free?”

  “Twist the gargoyle’s left horn one turn, counter-clockwise. That should release the mechanism and free your hand. Whatever you do, DON’T turn it the wrong way!”

  Keegan hopped back to a standing position, unable to keep his balance any longer. He looked at the gargoyle’s short, stubby horns and, taking the left one gently between his thumb and forefinger, began to turn it counter-clockwise. After one complete revolution, he was rewarded with a soft click and felt the needle retract. Grimacing, he carefully removed his hand while keeping a firm grip on the key, afraid the beast’s mouth might suddenly clamp shut around his arm. Once his arm was free, he breathed a sigh of relief, pulled his boot back on and retrieved Nisha’s orb.

  “Are you okay?”

  “There’s a small red mark on the back of my wrist where the needle had me pinned, but the skin isn’t broken,” he said as he examined his right hand and wrist. Satisfied his life was not in immediate danger, he took a moment to examine his prize. The key that would open the portal to Talith Nor was a small, rectangular object, not much bigger than a book of matches. It was engraved with strange runes on both sides that seemed to shimmer and crawl across the surface like so many spiders.

  “You must insert the key in the slot on the main portal gateway. That will open a portal to Talith Nor, but you must remember to take the key out just before you step inside. Otherwise you will be trapped in the citadel with no way back.”

  “But how did Ducat find the Seal if he didn’t have the key?”

  “My guess is that the rogue dragon, Brimstone, took him to the base of the mountain. It lies deep within the dragons’ territory, far to the north of here. From there he could climb to the fortress above. As to his escape, only he knows.”

  Keegan deposited the key into one of his inner robe pockets and held Nisha’s orb up to his face for a closer look.

  “Now, how do we get out of your prison?”

  “You have to break the hex that binds the spell first, and then release me from the crystal, but…”

  “But what? How do I break the hex and what happens if it doesn’t work?”

  There was a long pause before Nisha finally answered, and even though he couldn’t see her clearly, he could hear the tears in her voice.

  “If you don’t break the hex correctly, it will permanently seal the spell and I’ll be trapped in here until the crystal absorbs my essence. That’s how the trap works; the crystal feeds on the essence of my soul, growing stronger around me while I grow weaker. It is one of the darkest forms of magic.”

  Keegan was dumbfounded. The thought of the crystal slowly draining the life from Nisha made him feel sick. A sense of dread washed over him as he realized he would have to break the hex soon, or else she would die.

  “Nisha, I’m going to place your crystal on the desk while I try to find a way to break the hex, okay?”

  “I’m frightened, Keegan,” she said, the fear evident in the trembling of her voice echoing through Keegan’s head.

  “I know, Nisha. I am too, but I swear I will find a way to set you free. Just stay calm, and trust me.” Although she didn’t respond he thought he heard her choke back a sob.

  He gently placed the orb in the middle of the desk, putting a book and a stack of papers on either side to prevent it from rolling off the desk. Not sure what to do, he sat down in the chair and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. One mistake and Nisha would suffer a slow and painful death – he could not allow that. Uncertain of what to do, Keegan was on the verge of panic when the glint from his family ring caught his eye. Of course! Surely Nekk’ar would know how to free Nisha from the confines of the orb! Keegan clasped his ring, closed his eyes and concentrated on the dragon’s spirit that lay deep within.

  “Nekk’ar! Nekk’ar I need your help! Can you hear me?”

  “Of course I can hear you, youngling! Have you forgotten we are permanently connected?” Nekk’ar did not like to be disturbed even on the best of days, but his tone was even sharper than usual when he snapped at Keegan. “You obviously did not heed my attempt to warn you at the Council – why bother to seek my advice now?!”

  Great, thought Keegan. I’ve hurt his feelings and now he’s going to pout!

  “I can hear your thoughts, youngling! And I do not ‘pout’ as you put it! I am one of the first ones, remember? Of all the dragons, only Seba’an himself is older than I am! Ours is the oldest of races, and you would do well to listen when I try to warn you!”

  “I’m sorry, Nekk’ar! I can’t explain what happened at the Council; I was so blinded by my anger I can barely remember what happened.”

  “Exactly my point! Your control over magic is tenuous and unpredictable; harnessing the sort of power you used to defy the Council is dangerous - it could have just as easily consumed you! You must discipline yourself or I will be unable to protect you.”

  Keegan paused at this – something did not make sense. “Wait a minute – you mean you would not have helped me?”

  “It would not be a choice, young one. The amount of magical energy you summoned was astounding for one so young and inexperienced. Had you lost control of the magic it would have consumed you along with most of the others in the room and I would be powerless to stop it.”

  Keegan was startled that the spirit would admit this, since Nekk’ar was not only very powerful himself but also very arrogant.

  “Then that’s even more reason to help me, Nekk’ar. If you don’t, Nisha will die and I might be consumed while trying to save her! I don’t have much time – I need your help now!”

  “I will guide your hand, youngling, but you must do EXACTLY as I say or your friend will die,” came Nekk’ar’s grave reply.

  Under Nekk’ar’s guidance, Keegan slowly began to chant an incantation while holding Nisha’s crystal prison in his hand. He could feel the energy building within him, the very core of his being beginning to burn. He fought back the urge to release the energy all at once, knowing it would mean Nisha’s death and probably his as well. He could almost feel Nekk’ar’s presence in his mind, acting as a brake to slow the advance of the magic. After what seemed like an eternity, the chanting finally ceased and Keegan placed the orb upon the de
sk. Slowly the orb began to spin in place, gaining speed until it was spinning so fast Keegan was afraid it would fly off the desk. It began to pulse with a blue-white light and finally a sharp crack resounded throughout the room and the orb shattered, leaving a rather disheveled looking raven perched on the desk. Nisha ruffled her feathers, shuddered and transformed into her human shape. Although she looked exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept for days, she appeared to be no worse for wear. She stood up from the desk and her knees immediately buckled, although Keegan quickly caught her in his arms.

  “Nisha! Are you alright?”

  “Yes… I think so,” she said in a hoarse whisper, all the while maintaining a firm grip on Keegan’s arm.

  Keegan eased her down into Cedric’s chair, where she shuddered again and shook her head, as if trying to shake off a bad dream. Even pale and shaking, Keegan thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, in spite of Acamar’s warning.

  “Thank you, Keegan,” she said weakly. “You saved my life. Another hour in the crystal and I would have been dead – my essence consumed.”

  Unsure of what to say, Keegan shuffled his feet and flushed a bright red.

  “I’m, uh…I’m just glad I found you when I did,” he said, thinking it had suddenly become quite warm in Cedric’s office. “Do you know who imprisoned you?”

  Nisha shook her head and looked up into Keegan’s eyes, turning his legs to jelly.

  “No, I had just flown in through the window and landed on the desk when I was hit from behind. It all happened so fast; there was no warning.”

  “But what about Cedric? No one has seen him in days.”

  “In hiding I suppose,” she said with a shrug. “All I know is that he and Portia had a fierce argument about his support of your grandfather. She and her supporters accused him of betraying the Order. He ordered me to leave so they could speak in private, so I left. When I returned later that evening, everyone was gone and there was no sign of Cedric. I’ve been in hiding ever since, afraid of what might happen if Portia found me.”

  “I think you’ve found out,” Keegan said with a sad smile. “You need to go to Pahret T’pur and find Acamar. He’ll help you and give you a safe place to stay.”

  “No,” she said, shaking her head and crossing her arms. “I won’t let you go to Talith Nor by yourself. It’s too dangerous.”

  “Nisha, this may be a one-way trip. I don’t know what will happen when I try to seal the gateway. My grandfather was killed when he sealed the gateway at Pahret T’pur; I can’t expect much better.”

  “It’s not an option, Keegan. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not. I’ve been to Talith Nor before and know my way around. You need my help and you know it.”

  Keegan couldn’t argue with her on that point. He still had a tenuous grasp on magic at best, and required Nek’kar’s help with most complicated spells.

  “We need to be going, Keegan,” she said as she labored to stand.

  She was still unsteady on her feet and Keegan wondered if she could travel like this.

  “Nisha, are you sure you’re strong enough for this?”

  She sighed deeply and then threw her head back and smiled grimly at him.

  “I don’t have a choice now, do I? I’ll have to shift back to my raven form in less than an hour. I can still do most magic when I’m in raven form, but most strong magic is difficult to perform when you don’t have fingers or hands.”

  Keegan smiled as he picked up his staff.

  “You shouldn’t come with me, but I’m glad you are,” he said sadly.

  Nisha returned his smile and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Come on, hero. We’ve got a gateway to seal,” she said grabbing his hand and leading him out into the hall.

  ###

  Chapter 37 – Talith Nor

  Snow was swirling around the blue-white portal that snapped open, breaking the silence around the mountain citadel of Talith Nor. The high mountain pass channeled the wind, forcing it to scream through the narrow passage that led to the entrance at a constant gale force. Keegan was unprepared for the assault on his senses when he and Nisha materialized out of the portal. As the stepped into the maelstrom and the vortex snapped shut behind them, Keegan could see in the dim light that the portal they used had been carved directly into the face of a cliff. A sudden gust of wind nearly knocked him off his feet and interrupted his thoughts. The intense cold cut through his robes like a knife and he was shivering within seconds.

  “Who in their right mind would build a castle up here?” he shouted, trying to be heard above the howling wind.

  “It’s deep in dragon territory and almost unreachable except by the portal or from the air,” yelled Nisha. “What safer place could there be?”

  “So where’s the castle? Is it far?”

  Nisha shook her head as she huddled closer to Keegan to make herself heard over the wind.

  “It’s not exactly a castle. Talith Nor is dragon tongue for ‘dark cavern’; it was carved from a fissure in the mountainside. This passage leads to the entrance, not far from here. It’s the only way in, I’m afraid – there are wards in place that keep us from teleporting into the cavern itself.”

  Putting her arm through his, she pulled him toward the entrance, bracing herself against the wind.

  “Come on! We have to go now, before my hour is up! If I shift back into my raven form I won’t be much use to you in this wind!”

  Arm in arm, they staggered forward against the bitterly cold wind, their footprints quickly filling in with blowing snow. Peering ahead into the dim light provided by the full moon, Keegan could just make out the massive cliff face up ahead. A dark black scar cut raggedly across the stone, marking the rift in the mountain that was the entrance to Talith Nor. They made their way to the entrance, apparently unseen in the darkness and blowing snow. As Keegan stepped over the threshold, the howling of the wind suddenly stopped, as if someone had flipped a switch. From a distance, the dark rift in the mountainside looked tiny; now that he was inside though, Keegan could see it was actually quite large, large enough in fact for several men to walk abreast. The ceiling was last from view, high above in the darkness, while red wisps floating along the walls gave everything below the hue of blood. Looking around the entrance hall, Keegan could see strange glyphs carved into the walls. Nisha grabbed his arm and pointed, directing his attention to the far center of the room. There, shrouded in a thin mist, was an enormous pit. The same glyphs adorning the walls ringed the pit, only they seemed to shimmer with a strange light of their own. This must be the seal opened by Ducat, thought Keegan.

  “Now what? Do you know how to seal the portal?” asked Nisha. Even though she spoke in a hushed whisper, her voice seemed to echo through the cavern, making Keegan wince.

  “The Oracle stone can seal the gateway if it is placed in the primary glyph at the top of the portal,” he whispered.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Beats me – the Oracle told me back in the council chamber,” he whispered with a sheepish grin.

  Nisha grimaced, obviously not encouraged by his answer.

  “We should hurry, before Ducat shows up.”

  Keegan nodded in agreement. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with a powerful wizard, much less one driven insane and corrupted by the Shadow. Motioning Nisha forward, Keegan edged along the wall towards the center of the chamber, watching for any sign of movement. Although it only took a few minutes to cover the distance to the portal, it seemed like an hour. As Keegan drew closer, he looked into the portal and felt a feeling of dread pass over him. The pit was at least fifteen feet across and ringed by smooth cut granite stones, each carved with a different magical glyph. It was what he saw in the center of the pit however, that drew Keegan’s attention. A dark, inky blackness swirled and bubbled there, with wisps of black smoke occasionally curling upward from the surface. It was a darkness that he had seen before, when the Shadow entered the lair of the Alder
drache and it gave him the same cold feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

  “Brace yourself, youngling. It is not the Shadow that you see, only the pathway to their realm,” echoed the voice of Nekk’ar in his mind.

  A tingling warmth spread from his ring and Keegan’s fear began to subside. He moved around the edge of the portal, examining the granite stones as he went. As he came to the far side of the pit, he found one stone set slightly higher than the others with an intricate glyph carved in the center. Keegan noticed a slight depression in the stone at the head of the magical symbol and realized it was the same size and shape as the Oracle stone he now wore around his neck. This must be the headstone for the portal.

  “This has to be it,” Nisha whispered next to him. “Do you know what to do next?”

  “I think so,” he whispered back. “When the Oracle stone spoke to me at the Council chambers there was rhythmic chant being repeated over and over in the background. It’s been stuck in my head ever since.”

  Keegan grasped the Oracle stone and was surprised to find that it was warm to the touch, with a faint throbbing sensation almost like a pulse. Kneeling by the headstone, he placed the pendant in the depression. There was a faint spark, like a circuit being closed, and spidery lines of silver began coursing around the perimeter of the gateway. Quietly, he began reciting the incantation the oracle had planted in his mind, keeping his fingertips firmly on the pendant. Silver lines of energy continued to flow around the perimeter of the portal, moving faster as Keegan continued to chant the incantation. He felt a burning sensation moving through his arms, as magic flowed out through the Oracle stone, which was beginning to glow brightly from the energy passing through it. The light grew in intensity until Keegan was forced to turn his head, his eyelids shut tight against the light from the stone, although he continued to recite the incantation. Finally, he could hear a grinding sound of stone on stone and the burning in his arms lessened. Keegan stopped chanting and looked into the gateway, the light in the Oracle stone having dissipated. The dark pool of intense black nothingness was now gone, covered by a thick stone slab. The seal was covered in the same magical symbols as the stones around the perimeter and was warm to the touch.