The Raging One

by Lexy Wolfe

  THE RAGING ONE

  Copyright © 2013, 2017 Lexy Wolfe

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Indigo

  an imprint of BHC Press

  Library of Congress Control Number:

  2017932239

  Print edition ISBN numbers:

  ISBN-13: 978-1-946006-55-4

  ISBN-10: 1-946006-55-6

  Visit the author at:

  www.bhcpress.com

  Also available in trade softcover

  Cover, interior, and eBook design by

  Blue Harvest Creative

  www.blueharvestcreative.com

  In Memory of my beloved Charlie.

  Though I thought you were nuts,

  you loved everything about me,

  including my writing.

  My greatest fan,

  my cheerleader and

  often needed boot to the tush to

  get me moving past my uncertainties.

  I miss you so very much, beloved.

  Preface

  WRITTEN in the Holy Scrolls of the Guardians:

  Before all else existed, there were the three ancient elements: The Creator, the Destroyer, and Time.

  The Creator, as was in its nature, created. Many wondrous things came into existence, all beautiful, all perfect. But Time revealed the flaws to the Creator, for all that was created was empty, sterile and unchanging.

  The Destroyer abhorred the static, unchanging world, the stagnation repugnant. As was in its nature, it destroyed many of the things created to bring change to the sterility of the world. But Time revealed the flaws to the Destroyer, for once the destruction was done, the ruins remained as sterile and unchanging as everything else that had been created.

  For reasons lost to antiquity, the Creator and Destroyer joined their essences together, and in doing so, gave birth to the core of the universe. Every part of everything held some degree of the nature of order and chaos. Where alone they were nothing, together a panorama of eternal change, of perpetual renewal and decline was produced.

  Once the universe was made, it still felt like it was missing something. So the Creator and Destroyer came together once more and created the gods as caretakers, entities that were equal parts of order and chaos, immortal save by the hands of one of their own. In time, gods created entities to serve them that were a part of themselves as well the matter of the mundane world.

  An enigma to even the Creator and the Destroyer, Time watched the ripples in its river. Seeing that those which lived oblivious to the river’s currents were vulnerable to certain predators, Time finally stepped into the world its siblings the Creator and Destroyer had made, whispering the secrets of the Guardians to chosen humans. Those chosen to serve Time itself would bear the blessed symbols that would mark them as Guardians of the balance between order and chaos.

  Chapter 1

  A gust of wind swept through the thick trees, shaking the clinging drops of rain free from the new leaves of the upper canopy to fall on the three riders far below. Dead leaves soaked from the early spring rains muffled the sounds of the horses' hooves as they picked their way along the narrow road. A forlorn howl nearby brought the mounts up short. The nervous horses pawed the ground, forcing their riders to take a moment to soothe the animals.

  At least, two of the riders were soothing. "Stupid beast!" the middle rider seethed, jerking the horse's head around. The sharp movement caused the rider's hood to fall back and reveal a young blonde woman who was quite beautiful save for the scowl that twisted her delicate features. "As if it is not already bad enough we must be out here, you must misbehave?"

  "Relax, Journeyman Amelana." The lead rider lowered his hood, leveling a cold, disapproving look on the woman as the wind ruffled hair black as midnight. "Making your beast thrash like it is wounded is a certain way to attract lupines. Is that your intent?"

  The woman looked up sharply, her pale blue eyes wide. She shook her head with tiny, furtive motions, loosening the reins immediately which allowed her mount to calm. "Of course not, Ash." She averted her eyes from his darkening glare. "I mean, Master Ash."

  "I did not think so." Ash looked to the third rider. "Apprentice Terrence, is all well?"

  Terrence lowered his hood, glancing skyward with a troubled expression as he ran a hand through dirty blonde hair before giving his attention fully to his master. "I am not sure, Master. Something doesn't feel right." Hesitantly, he added in answer to his master's expectant silence, "Like there is something sucking the life from everything here."

  Amelana made a disdainful gesture. "Oh, don't be ridiculous. The only thing wrong here is these backwater people aren't civilized enough to build their roads up in the branches away from these filthy beasts." Terrence pressed his lips together, lowering his eyes.

  "I did not ask for your opinion," Ash stated coldly, deep azure eyes flashing with annoyance in the sunlight filtering through the leafy canopy. The woman flushed deeper and looked away at the pointedly annoyed expression Ash directed towards her.

  Guiding his horse to join the young man, Ash stated with a kinder voice, "You have good instincts, Terrence. You are right." He looked away, scanning the thicker brush that only partially obscured the huge roots that swelled as if they were giant legs. "There is something in this area that is wrong. Something that is disrupting the natural order of things here."

  Straightening with pride, Terrence started to open his mouth to speak when Amelana said petulantly, "Master Ash, are you certain? Because I do not sense anything at all, and you know that Avarians are known for—"

  Looking annoyed, Ash interrupted the woman. "Yes, I am well aware of what the Avarians are known for. Or did you forget that my master and guardian was Bennu Avarian?"

  The edge in his voice was not lost on the woman. Dropping the petulance, Amelana asked in exaggeratedly pleading tones, "Could you show me how to see what you see? You are my master, after all." She barely concealed a look of self-satisfaction when Ash turned his attention to her and away from Terrence.

  Sighing softly, Terrence tucked his hands in his mage robe sleeves briefly. Watching Ash focus his attention on trying to instruct Amelana, the apprentice shook his head, riding towards the rise they had been approaching to wait for the pair. The sight that greeted Terrence made the young man's blood run cold.

  A wagon rested on its side, surrounded by several mutilated bodies, both human and beast. In the midst of it all, a single, one-eyed lupine savaged the body of a man, wrenching an arm free, shaking it viciously before flinging it aside to tug at the other arm.

  At first shocked at the unexpected sight, the apprentice mage realized what was wrong. "It isn't eating him," Terrence whispered aloud to himself. He inhaled sharply when the creature, easily twice the size of a man, shifted to reveal a small, terrified child huddled against the bottom of the wagon behind the axle. Seeing Terrence, the child moved a little. He froze when the lupine raised its head sharply, snarling.

  "Master Ash!" Terrence yelled, drawing the attention of both his master and the creature. "Rabid lupine!" Grabbing the reins, he kept his horse from bolting in terror as the blood-covered lupine focused its attention on the intruder. He raised his hand, speaking the arcane words of magic that directed a burst of wind that blew the maddened animal back several yards.


  Hearing the thunder of hooves behind him, Terrence did not wait, urging his horse forward towards the toppled wagon. The horse skidded to a halt, nervously prancing as the lupine staggered to its feet, shaking its head. "Come on!" Terrence urged the child, leaning down and extending his hand to him. "Hurry!"

  The lupine fixed a malevolent glare on Terrence with its one good eye. The apprentice could almost feel its fetid breath, even though it was several measures away. He looked at the frozen child, and closed his pale blue eyes a moment, expecting the beast to lunge onto him or his nervous horse.

  Both lupine and humans flinched when Amelana's shrill scream filled the air. Making use of the distraction, Terrence willed the air behind the boy to push him close enough to catch him by the back of his tunic. Keeping a firm grip, Terrence raced the horse back towards his master.

  With the maddened lupine pursuing his apprentice and the boy, Ash held both hands up, his voice harsh with the spell he gave voice to. Fur burst into flame, staggering the animal. It howled in enraged pain, but defiantly continued to follow.

  Narrowing his eyes as the pressure in his skull increased painfully, Ash commanded the energy at the very heart of the matter around the animal. An embedded boulder shifted, shaking dirt loose as its shape altered and a stone spike erupted and impaled the lupine.

  The lupine yowled, trapped in place by the bloodied shaft of rock protruding from its ribs. Despite the mortal wound, it was impossibly still alive. All three mages were taken aback by the look of intelligence behind its single eye as it raised its head to glower at them before the light of life finally faded and it went limp.

  With the child clinging to him, Terrence went to his master as Ash staggered a few steps and caught himself against his apprentice's horse. "Master? What... what was that? I have never seen an animal that... that took such pleasure in killing but not... not eating its kills. I thought it was rabid at first, but now..."

  Swallowing hard against the pain the manipulation of the fabric of the rock had caused him, Ash shook his head slightly, pressing his fingers against his temples. "I do not know. But I have seen its like before."

  Amelana inhaled sharply. "If all lupines are like that, every one of them should be killed!" she declared staunchly.

  Ash squinted sideways at Amelana, scolding her sharply. "That is not our way, Journeyman! It is as much our duty to protect the balance of the land as it is to protect our people. The lupines are part of the land." Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention to the devastation. "And it has not been only lupines that display such irregular behavior. There are other beasts that have gone rogue similarly." His words stopped as he looked at his apprentice, expression hardening into an impassive mask.

  Terrence quietly hushed the child as he sobbed, tightening his hold on the mage. Ash watched his apprentice for a moment, and then looked at Amelana with some displeasure. "Terrence, attend to the child." With grudging reluctance, Ash turned to Amelana. "Journeyman, I will need your assistance seeing to the deceased." He put a hand to his temple as pressure of the magic backlash increased. "The chlayxin is particularly sharp again."

  Amelana looked horrified. "You want me to handle dead bodies? But I am senior! Terrence should be the one who-" She went silent at the hard look in Ash's deep azure eyes nearly black with pain and irritation, swallowing nervously. "Y-yes, Master Ash," she said meekly, dismounting her horse and walking reluctantly towards the bodies.

  With a sense of guilt for the difficulty that Amelana gave Ash, Terrence spoke. "Master, perhaps it might be better if—" He fell silent when Ash shook his head.

  "I have no faith Amelana would not traumatize that child more." Ash's voice was low and bitter as he looked after the woman. "I have every faith in you." Putting a hand on Terrence's knee, his voice reflected much more patience and approval. "You did well, Apprentice. I am proud of you."

  Terrence flushed, squaring his shoulders with pride. He looked down at the trembling child he held. "Master? What now?"

  "This is no anomaly. We're here because there have been enough reports about these strange happenings that Edai Magus Ellis Avarian insisted someone investigate." Ash continued to rub his temples. "And the rest of the Edai Tredecima agreed because they considered it a suitably menial task to occupy me, not because they have taken any of the warnings I have given seriously."

  "But you are the Illaini Magus!" Terrence exclaimed, affronted on his master's behalf. "You were chosen by the goddess herself to serve all Forenta! You shouldn't be answering to—"

  Ash managed a faint, affectionate smile for Terrence. "Perhaps not, Apprentice. However, being god chosen does not erase the fact I am still just an unwanted orphan in the eyes of many. They simply cannot or will not accept a lowborn could be their equal, much less better than any of them."

  The Illaini Magus sighed, shaking his head again. "It is just as well I was here." Ash's expression grew troubled. "Something is definitely not right. I almost wasn't able to stop it." The senior mage ignored his apprentice's shocked expression. "It felt different like the others. Beyond the life energy that we Forentan mages have dominion over."

  "But what else could it have been, Master?" Terrence wondered, soothingly stroking the child's hair until he had finally calmed. "The only other type of magic I know of is—" Light blue eyes widened as his voice lowered to a bare whisper. "Temporal energy?"

  "Perhaps," Ash admitted. "The first priority right now is to put these poor souls to rest." Sourly watching the journeyman as she walked aimlessly among the carnage, doing nothing productive, he muttered, "Apparently such a task is beyond Amelana to manage without guidance." He looked back to Terrence. "Find out what you can from the boy so we can return him to his family. Then we can determine if we need to contact the Fortress of Time."

  "The Edai Tredecima won't like it if the Guardians become involved," Terrence stated unnecessarily. "Especially the Se'edai Magus."

  "That is not for you to concern yourself with, Apprentice," Ash said tersely, more irritated with the prospect of confronting the Forenten mage council's leader than Terrence's words. Sensing Terrence flinch at the censure in his voice, Ash closed his eyes a moment, regretting the sharpness to his words briefly before he had to turn his attention to Amelana and her ineptitude.

  Chapter 2

  SUN streamed into the alcove, flecks of dust sparkling like tiny motes of gold in the warm light. Seated on the ground, a woman with light brown hair drawn back in intricate braids focused on the mirror-like surface of the pool that resided in the alcove's center. She jumped when something crashed echoingly on the stone floor down the corridor, her turquoise eyes going very wide.

  Her tension was not lost on the other in the room. "Relax, Taylin." The shadowed figure moved into the light, lowering himself to one knee. Grey hair streaked with brown fell forward as the older man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You are defeating yourself with your own doubts."

  Taylin lowered her eyes, cheeks coloring in shame. "Dusvet Almek, I do not think I can scry water, either. I can barely scry crystal." She looked up sadly. "And when I try to scry flame or wind, I am not sure if I really see anything or I just want to see something so much that..."

  Almek smiled gently and patted her shoulder before settling himself to her right by the pool. "The wind blows whispers from the past, and the flame illuminates the darkness of the future. It is not uncommon for young Guardians of Time to focus on everything but the present. Especially those born of Sevmana or Forenta."

  The woman's light tan cheeks darkened to a deep red. Nervously fidgeting with her pale grey robes, she pointed out, "I am not that young, Dusvet—"

  "Oh, do stop being so formal," Almek chided mildly. He touched his right cheek below two slashes of color, one a vivid blue, the other a softer green, both shimmering as if they were polished metal. "One day, the Timeless One will accept you as one of Her chosen, just as She had chosen me, and you will earn your colors as I had."

  "I
am already a master of the healing magicks," Taylin argued. "There is no such thing as anyone possessing the ability to touch more than one energy."

  Almek regarded Taylin with disapproval. "You've been listening to Unsvet Dremmen again." As the woman looked away, the Dusvet stated with tried patience, "You are my student, not his. And you were deemed worthy by the Unseen to continue your training. Are you going to believe Dremmen over Our Lady's servants?" Taylin shook her head mutely, eyes averted.

  Taking a deep breath to push his irritation with the other Guardian away, Almek took Taylin's hand, squeezing lightly in reassuring encouragement. "I now suspect there have been many who were gifted in more than one talent over the centuries. But given only Guardians are blessed..." His smile faltered a little. "Or cursed with living longer than those who are not Guardians, latent talents were ignored."

  "But you saw it in me." Taylin's voice was hushed, her eyes staring at the water that shivered with the light touch of a breeze over its surface. "Even though I am just a healer."

  Snorting, Almek shook his head once. "There is nothing 'just' about your strength, Guardian Adept." His voice took on an edge. "Tell me. Who else among the Zeridian Temple can mend bodies riddled with old, poorly healed wounds that others declare impossible? I watched you heal that child who would not have survived to adulthood but for you."

  "No one else can heal flawed and aged injuries as I can, Dusvet. But—"

  "But nothing!" Almek's pale blue eyes flashed with his vehemence. "Most who have no ability to manipulate any energies cannot see their flow at all, save for when a strong healer works. Even a layman can see healing as a white glow then. But you."