The Fallen One

by Lexy Wolfe

  Anger abating, Nolyn turned back to crouch in front of Marcus, putting a hand on his arm lightly. "It is not you I reject. It is the principle—"

  "You are very kind, Master Nolyn, but regardless of who or what you assign as the cause of your rejection, it is irrefutably a rejection of me. And the rest of us who are still alive." Marcus smiled, eyes sad. "I do not fault you. I had read a great deal of the lupine attack, but only from witnesses or second hand observations of those journals in the Archives. I know you lost many comrades, but I did not realize any were formal students of yours. Master Ellis was right not to include me for your consideration." He looked away. "I am too arrogant. It is presumptuous of me to even dream of replacing those you still mourn for."

  At a loss, Nolyn could only stare at the boy for a time. Finally, he smiled. "You are wrong, Marcus. You are not arrogant; you are thoughtful and considerate and the perfect candidate for my apprentice. Even for someone as antisocial as me."

  "But, my application was not included," Marcus began, confused.

  "Because Ellis sent you here for your interview." Marcus blinked, confused more. Nolyn chuckled softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Ellis knew full well I would not pick anyone from those pages. Hell, you realized yourself I was going to duck out of the meeting altogether. But he must have figured that we would talk. You are not afraid to ask questions, even personal ones. You are very observant, very clever, and inquisitive. But respectful." His chuckle made Marcus smile shyly. "Ellis had both our best interests at heart, manipulative bastard that he is."

  Unsure what to say, the boy said, "Thank you, Master. It means a lot to me."

  Nolyn clapped Marcus on the shoulder. "Come on. We need to inform Miss Kelafy so she can prepare your quarters and have your belongings brought from the dormatories. Then we will meet with the Se'edai Magus to discuss the formal arrangements of my apprenticeship of you." He muttered, "It will distract her persistent matchmaking for a little while. I hope." He arched an eyebrow when Marcus failed to repress a snigger, then smiled, winking at him.

  Chapter 12

  "I thought I might find you here, Unsvet Valerian," Ellis stated as he emerged from the thick greenery into the jagged crevice of the cliff face, home of mist-enshrouded waterfall. Valerian looked over his shoulder to regard the Se'edai Magus from his seat on a heavy, fallen branch. "Nolyn said you had a tendency to disappear."

  A small smile touched Valerian's lips as he glanced over his shoulder, then turned his gaze back out towards the water. "I would have thought Nolyn would be glad to be rid of me. He seems rather put out with my presence, despite welcoming me into his home."

  "Oh, I wouldn't worry about Nolyn," Ellis assured as he joined the Vodani man. "He has never been terribly social. If he could avoid people and still properly serve as Edai Magus, he no doubt would." He studied the waterfall, then the man staring at it. "You commune with the Timeless One?"

  "Hm? Oh, no. I am seeking to learn the feel of Forenta's voice and songs through Vodanya, so I know where I should begin." Valerian looked troubled. "My vision is... often unclear for some reason when I try to scry." He looked sideways at Ellis. "I will not lie to you and say I am not bothered by this phenomenon. I have never before experienced this... myopia of my inner eyes."

  Ellis's brows knit. "This has nothing to do with the former Se'edai Magus who had been possessed by a darkling?"

  Valerian pursed his lips then shook his head. "I do not believe so. Besides, there are other ways to sense temporal shifters... forgive me. I should use the local terminology. To sense darklings, other than using my Guardian abilities." He smiled faintly. "I rather prefer doing it without relying on my Guardian abilities. It allows me to remain in the world longer."

  "Remain... in the world?" Ellis wondered, puzzled.

  "Surely you noticed that Dusvet Almek had aged rather rapidly between when you first met him and by the time he left?" Valerian shrugged. "Guardians are not immortal. We have never claimed to be, though many of us like to let those who are not blessed by the Timeless One believe we are. We do outlive most regardless, and few die of old age away from Sanctuary. Those who remain in Sanctuary can endure more than a thousand years. Given our longevity, I suppose we are as close to immortal as a human could get."

  "So, aging is a price you pay for using your abilities?" Ellis looked confused. "Yet you can live for so long. That seems to negate itself.

  "No." Valerian smiled a little. "Well. Not exactly. See, direct manipulation of temporal energy ages the person doing the manipulation because you become a conduit for temporal energy. Even you could learn to manipulate time as I do. We are all children of the energies of the ancient trinity, after all. Her blessing extends our lives by halting our aging at our physical primes.

  "However, the weight of time on a mortal body is considerable. The more years we have, the more it weighs on us, and just living will age our bodies. Faster the older we are. Channeling temporal energy becomes more costly. Fortress is our sanctuary within Her protection. We are buoyed there, much as you are when floating in water and the pull of the world is eased from your body. Periodically, if we want to extend our lives for as long as possible, those of us who wander must return to Her for several years so She may restore us."

  "Interesting," Ellis murmured. Valerian smiled in amusement. "It shames me that I have never really thought much of what lay beyond Forenta's borders. So much knowledge going undiscovered, remaining unlearned. So many talents developed outside of our influence and Forenta has remained ignorant of them."

  "Tunnel vision is a common ailment across all the nations," Valerian sighed. "Even among Fortress, we rarely looked beyond ourselves or our concerns." He looked sideways at Ellis. "Do you know you bear an incredible likeness to Illaini Magus Ash? More than I would have expected for simple familial ties."

  "My twin brother Bennu was his grandfather." Ellis looked up as a colorful bird alighted on a bush growing along the edge of the water, smiling faintly. "But strong familial resemblances are quite normal among the highborn of Forenta, usually for one gender. Stories say it was because of the gifts of knowledge and power that the familial patrons among the divine servants of the Knowing One bequeathed on us. Their power leant us their likenesses. The men of the Avarians, for instance, tend to look quite similar. If not for Bennu's and my advanced age, we would never have been able to obscure Ash's heritage for as long as we had."

  Valerian remained silent, watching the waterfall. After several heartbeats, he spoke again. "Master Nolyn's apprentice Marcus was kind enough to provide me with a map of Forenta's territory. It is taking some time learning to understand it, with it encompassing levels as well as direction." He looked at Ellis. "How was it that your Illaini Magus knew where to go when there was trouble?"

  Bitterness infused Ellis's smile. "Often times, we simply received a message there was something that could not be handled locally and we asked… or told… him to assist. It was especially necessary to go to him, since the former Se'edai Magus discouraged supplicants to the council. Ash listened to all who approached him. And often, when he was at that place, he would hear of trouble nearby and continued onto that location."

  Valerian turned his eyes back to the waterfall. "Rather young to have such a burden placed on him," the Vodani observed, a question hanging in his voice.

  "He did not mind because it kept him away from the Edai Tredecima. And from me. Until the Dusvet Guardian decided to winter in Ithesra, he never took on the servants he was due for his rank. He said it would be a waste of resources since he was never home for long."

  "Whatever had transpired in the past, Master Ellis, you must believe he has accepted and moved on from." Valerian put a hand on the other man's arm lightly. "I was able to glimpse the past... strife between you both, when I scryed the past."

  "Strife. That is a very politic way of saying he despised me and I was cold and distant towards him." Ellis shook his head. "Forenta is slow to change. Despite your station, man
y of the highborn will not welcome you with the warmth or respect you are owed. Many lowborn follow the lead of the highborn they are beholden to. It has been a fight to pull my people out of the morass of insularity we had buried ourselves in."

  The Vodani man regarded Ellis for a time before he spoke, his voice heavy with gravity. "Se'edai Magus Ellis Avarian, I do not expect warmth or respect from anyone. I would rather honest hatred than false affection. At least then I know where I stand. I can work to earn honest respect instead of grudging. And if that respect is born of love or fear, I care little." Touching his right cheek, he added, "I have my duty to the Timeless One. Success in that pleases Her, and Her approval is all the approval I need." Finally, a small smile softened his expression. "I am sure the same love for your Knowing One as I have for my mistress drives your Illaini Magi."

  Ellis stood, walking to the edge of the water. Arms crossed, he stared into the mist for several minutes. "Something else drives my grandnephew. I know that. Zoe says our great mother tells her as much, but She does not share details, not even with Zoe. I do not know what torturous shadows he locks away inside himself, and I wish to gods that I could have given Ash a better life than I had. If I had known what the future would have been like—"

  "Even if you had the ability to scry the future back then, Se'edai Magus, I doubt it would have changed much of anything. As much as it pains you, the path your grandnephew walked is what made him who and what he is today. The path he chooses to walk now will make him who and what he will be tomorrow." Valerian put a hand on Ellis's shoulder. "Help me to help protect Forenta while your Illaini Magi are away, so there are no new shadows to weigh upon his heart."

  After a time, Ellis turned back to Valerian. "Tell me what you need, Unsvet Guardian. I will do everything I can to assist you."

  Chapter 13

  In the main area in front of the house, Valerian stood with Nolyn, gesturing animatedly as he spoke. "Within the Timeless One's territory, temporal shifters have less need of seeking hosts than they do further away. The trick for those without Guardian skills is to affect the part of them that is not outside of their perview."

  Thoughtful, Nolyn mused, "So, if I can deal with the corporeal part of them, I can be rid of them?"

  "Unfortunately, no." The regret for that restriction was obvious. "It still requires the ability to manipulate time to send them back to the river of time outside of the physical plane or simply slay them altogether. However, they are still restricted by the forms they commandeer. Trapping them until a Guardian can be summoned, and preventing them from taking another host body, human or beast, is sufficient. Even if the darkling is strong enough to animate a dead body, a strong enough physical prison will hold it."

  Nolyn sighed and nodded. "I suppose that will have to do."

  Tobias and Marcus sat on a bench nearby the mage and Guardian together. When Tobias heaved a bored sigh, Marcus looked over at the older boy with annoyance. "I am trying to listen. If you are bored, why are you here?"

  "Because the last time I went into Ithesra by myself, I got lost so I had to ask someone to bring me back here. It was embarrassing" Tobias shook his head. "Does he have to live so far away from everyone else? It would be so much easier if he was closer."

  Marcus rolled his eyes. "It isn't that hard if you stick to the main paths."

  "But where is the fun in that? There is so much to see here!" Tobias arched an eyebrow as the younger apprentice just covered his eyes and shook his head in exasperation. "You can't learn without having some adventure."

  "It is rather pointless to have adventure if it will just end in disaster," Marcus responded, his tone chill. "At least get to know the normal paths so you can find your way home. Then explore new paths!"

  Kelafy emerged with a tray and glasses of drink. Approaching Nolyn and Valerian, she looked over towards the young men. "Your students are like oil and water."

  "Tobias is more of a companion than a student," Valerian replied, taking a glass with a word of thanks. "He is from the same healing temple as Almek's healer master turned student." The Vodani man smiled indulgently as the pair of young men got into a loud discussion on the virtues of planning versus spontaneity. "He has aspirations of matching Master Taylin's achievements."

  "Well, if he is anything like his older sister, I am sure he will succeed. However, he seems more focused on trying to get out from under her shadow than skill mastery. That rarely leads to excellence." Nolyn and Valerian stared at Kelafy blankly. She arched an eyebrow. "You both met Master Taylin. Surely you can see the family resemblance."

  "I had not met Master Taylin for long," Valerian replied, looking over at the pair of young men speculatively. "Though now that you mention it, I should have noticed his inordinate focus on her success."

  "Too busy focusing on the Dusvet's successes?" Nolyn asked blandly as he raised his glass to his lips. Valerian shot an annoyed look at the Edai Magus who met the look without wavering.

  "Stop acting like children," Kelafy scolded. "You are setting a bad example for Apprentice Marcus and Journeyman Tobias." She wagged a finger at the pair. "Duty before pride. You both should be old enough to know better." As they put their glasses back on the tray, she said, "The Se'edai Magus wished to speak to you before the Edai Tredecima's public meeting, Master Nolyn. Unsvet, I believe you had plans today as well." She turned away to head towards the quarreling young men. "I will take care of your charges until you return."

  Nolyn and Valerian watched in bemusement as Kelafy spoke to Marcus and Tobias. Both went from belligerent to ground-scuffing embarrassed in a heartbeat. "She is something else," Valerian observed as she made a shooing gesture towards the house, herding the pair inside. "I have to ask. Did she speak to Dusvet Almek like that?"

  "Only when it was warranted," Nolyn replied, shaking his head and chuckling. "She was more subtle I think out of respect for his age and pride. We won't be so lucky."

  "Huh. She gives me new insight into Illaini Magus Ash." When Nolyn arched an eyebrow at the statement, Valerian shrugged. "An overly prideful and arrogant man would not have accepted so bold a person as a servant. He possesses a certain humility I would not have anticipated in a master. Most of us Guardians were expecting more arrogance with accomplished masters becoming students, but..." Valerian stopped, staring at, or more precisely, around Nolyn with a frown.

  "What is it?" Nolyn asked, looking down at himself as if seeking whatever caused the odd behavior.

  After several moments, Valerian shook his head. "Just a slight temporal shift around you. Probably nothing."

  "You are sure it is nothing?" Nolyn asked dubiously.

  "Relatively. It was not ominous seeming, at least. It just is rare for me to see one as it happens." He walked over to retrieve his hat. "My business today happens to be in the direction of the Magus Academy. I shall join you on your journey."

  "I thought your business today was..." Nolyn began, pointing in the other direction towards Ithesra. He shook his head as he cut off his words. "Nevermind. Though if you are planning to attend the public congress of the Edai Tredecima, do not set your standards too high for excitement." He rolled his eyes as he said, "Just the initial reports from the twelve realms each Edai is responsible for can take nearly two hours alone."

  Valerian smiled faintly. "I am sure I can keep myself properly entertained without causing a distraction."

  Chapter 14

  The huge, vaulted chamber of the Majestic Hall the Edai Tredecima met in echoed with the sounds of people moving about their day in the upper levels. Valerian stood in the shadow of one of the grand support pillars on the main level, watching with unveiled curiosity.

  The image of a giant tree emblazoned on a setting sun with thirteen rays dominated the floor. At the point of each ray stood a throne-like chair carved with the elegant symbols of its representative district. Each dressed formally in regal, deep blue robes, the twelve Edai filed out to take their places at the half circle. The twelve members stood
before their seats, waiting on the Se'edai to emerge to take the central chair bearing the symbols of the Knowing One.

  The growing impatience was palpable. The pinch faced man occupying the other chair flanking the central one complained loudly. "While I realize the Se'edai Magus and the Voice of the Oracle Stone are free to come and go as they please, they are setting a terrible example with their lack of punctuality. We all have business for our regions to attend to."

  Nolyn did not look at the man, reigning in his irritation with effort. "And what, pray tell, is it that the Edai Magus of Gallilae does for a realm that has been abandoned for so long, Draustus Oberlain?" His eyes met the other mage's without flinching. "Oh, yes. Entertaining and feeding the gossip squirrels to keep them chattering."

  Draustus sniffed his arrogance, turning his nose up. "My realm was thriving before the Avarians saw fit to erect a barrier. If there is no population there, it is hardly my fault."

  "Uh huh. Gallilae thrived in spite of you because it belonged to the Avarian family. I read stories about how they forebade the Edai Magus assigned to them by Ysai entry into their library." Nolyn's smile was cold. "I believe that was you, wasn't it? It was quite the scandal for many years."

  Eyes narrowed with hatred, Draustus pointed out, "The Avarians are long past their prime, no matter what anyone claims. Only two full-bloods left. No heirs to speak of. Not that having an heir would help restore them. They've proven they couldn't even train a barely highborn correctly."

  Nolyn's fists clenched. "Are you implying some sort of criticism of me, Edai Magus Draustus?"

  Draustus waved a dismissive hand. "I do not have to imply anything, the facts speak for themselves. You have no circle to speak of and your first apprentice as an Edai Magus is some lowborn boy? Pity for the weak does not strengthen the bloodlines. Now I have taken on an apprentice of much higher caliber. One that you turned your nose up at."