The five horses and their riders departed as unceremoniously as they had arrived. The townspeople watched them go, then almost without exception, they all turned their eyes back toward Marshal.
He was used to people staring at him from time to time, but this was different. Instead of the usual hostility, they were curious. They were all dying to know what the Lord’s son had to say to their Curse Boy. They could go on wondering, for all he cared. None of them had heard the revelation of his identity, and couldn’t imagine why the two had talked together.
Aelia hurried to his side. “Are you all right?” she whispered. He nodded. She hugged him, but he felt stiff in her embrace.
“I didn’t want him to talk with you, but the guards kept me back.” She led the way past the staring eyes of their neighbors. Past the edge of the town, they arrived at their small cabin.
“I don’t know how much the lordling told you, of course, but he probably told the truth. Mostly.” Aelia looked back at the town and sighed. “Varion is your father. I’ve thought about telling you many times, but your life has been hard enough. I didn’t want to complicate it any further. Now… well, things are about to change. Did that– that pathetic excuse for a man back there threaten you?”
Marshal did not respond. His thoughts were chaotic.
Aelia turned to face him. “Did he threaten you?” she demanded.
Marshal nodded.
She frowned and looked around. A chill breeze swept past them, but even so, the air felt warmer than it had a few days ago. Spring would be coming soon. Marshal wondered if he would be alive to see it.
Aelia came to a decision. “Then it’s time,” she said firmly. “I want you to go find Victor and get him to come to our cabin as soon as possible.”
Marshal obeyed, glancing back to see Aelia enter the cabin. So many strange things in the past few days. The curse-stalker. Titus. Volraag.
He found Victor still in the village center, discussing the brief Lord’s visit. He had to pull on him and point repeatedly until Victor understood enough. “Yeah, all right. I’ll be there shortly,” he answered, scowling.
Marshal returned to the cabin. When he entered, he found his mother moving about their tiny living space, and sorting through her meager collection of clothing on her bed. “Some of this will be useless to bring along. Winter won’t last much longer, and too many heavy outfits will only weigh us down.” As was her habit throughout Marshal’s life, she talked aloud as she worked. “I’ll have to strip down my healing supplies, too. I’ll leave some with the major. I’ve instructed a couple of the young women over the past few years, so they should get on well enough without me.”
Marshal doubted that. Aelia’s healing skills had kept them fed for years. The village would not be the same without her. Without him? They’d be fine. They probably wouldn’t even notice much. He had no real job, no purpose here. Aelia worked hard just to persuade people to give him any extra jobs that needed doing. Usually, he took on the most menial of tasks.
Despite his promise, Victor didn’t show up at the door for another half an hour. Marshal let him in. Victor stared at the cabin’s interior, which now looked ransacked. His eyes glanced briefly at the sign still hanging on the wall: “Nod is yes. Shake is no.”
“What is going on?” he asked.
Aelia tossed her bag back on the bed, and faced him. “Victor, I am very, very sorry about this, but there’s no way around it. We have to go.”
He shook his head a little. “Where are you going?”
“You aren’t hearing me, Victor. We’re leaving Drusa’s Crossing, and because of the Bonding, that means you have to come with us.”
Victor opened his mouth to protest, but said nothing. He scowled.
“As I said, I’m very sorry,” Aelia said. “If there were any other way, I would take it. But the young Lord wants Marshal dead, so we need to leave right away.”
Victor shot a look at Marshal, eyebrows raised. “But why?”
Aelia told him. Marshal wished he could laugh. Victor stood stunned, his eyes frozen and his mouth hanging open.
“I know, it’s ridiculous, and if you think too hard about it, you’ll have another dozen questions,” Aelia said. “Just go make your goodbyes to your family and Careen. Gather your things. I don’t know how long we’ll be traveling.”
“Careen,” Victor repeated. His face fell as he realized what he would be leaving behind.
“Give her an extra-long kiss,” Aelia said. “You may not see her again for a very long time.”
“But… but… where are we going? What will we do?”
“There’s only one thing we can do, something that I’ve put off for far too long.” Aelia looked at Marshal and her eyes took on a strange glint. “We will find a way to remove Marshal’s curse.”
CHAPTER FOUR
SERI SHIVERED, WISHING she could return to her room and the fireplace. She stood facing a semi-circle of raised seats in which six mages looked down at her. They were the Masters, the highest-ranking mages of the Conclave, and she stood within their audience chamber, a circular room that seemed far bigger than it needed to be.
“Do you, Seri-Belit, swear before this Conclave that you are free of all curses and have done nothing worthy of a curse within the past two days?”
“I do.” Seri relaxed. She knew this oath was the most important part of gaining her official position on Zes Sivas. As the island was the only place in Antises where magic could be practiced freely, those with curses could not be allowed. Only the pure could take part. Any more questions after this would be mere formalities, no doubt. She glanced at Master Hain. The wisps of white hair that framed the balding top of his head made him stand out among the other Masters, most of whom had shaved their heads entirely.
“Explain the origins of magic in Antises.”
Seri bristled. Did the Conclave of Mages think her an infant? Any child’s basic education included this. Why not ask her something more difficult?
She took a deep breath and began to recite.
“In ages past, all magic was wild. From what little we know of that time, people of all kinds became attuned to the magic, using it as they pleased, some for good and some for evil. Thus, in a time lost to memory, the Conclave of Mages was formed, its purpose to study, quantify, and ultimately understand and control the magic of our world.”
Seri could recite this in her sleep, but she tried to emphasize individual words and phrases, to show how much she believed this history. She did not want to appear bored over a rote memorization, even if that was how she had learned most of her history.
“Then came the Great Cataclysm. Though its true nature is often debated, the importance of the cataclysm is not the event itself, but the effects of the event. The people of the six nations came together under the leadership of Akhenadom the Great, most revered of all men.
“Akhenadom led the six nations across a wasteland devastated by the cataclysm. In time, they arrived at a body of water and saw an island at its center. Through careful negotiation, the six nations agreed to settle around the body of water, creating new nations and borders. Each land was ruled by a Lord, and all six swore fealty to Akhenadom as the high King over all six lands, now known as Antises.
“The island was named Zes Sivas, and became the home of the new King and his family, as well as the Conclave of Mages. But by this point, the Conclave had reached the height of its study and was ready to implement a radical change.”
Seri paused. The next bit tied into religion, which could be a tricky subject. The mages before her came from all six lands, each of which interpreted religion somewhat differently. Seri wasn’t completely certain of her own beliefs, but she did say a short prayer to Theon each morning. Best to keep things as generic as possible.
“While he led the nations to Antises, Akhenadom also introduced the people to the worship of Theon, the one true god. When he took his throne, Akhenadom revealed Theon’s Book of the Law, which would form the ba
sis of his government. While the Law covered many, many issues, it did not address the use of magic. And this is where the Conclave stepped in.”
Seri felt rather foolish reciting the Conclave’s history to the Conclave itself. When she had arrived on the island yesterday, she had been forced to spend the rest of the day recovering from her swim in the lake. The cold stone structure of the citadel had not helped with her recovery. She had stayed close to the fireplace in her room all day. Otherwise, this meeting would have taken place immediately.
“The Conclave summoned the King and the six Lords and explained their plan. They would unite all of the magic of Antises and place the majority of it in the hands of the Lords and King himself. Thus, their authority could never be questioned by any others.
“This they did, but not before the Lords insisted that magic must be linked to the law. Together, they created the Bindings and Cursings. The magic of the land linked everyone to the law and to their homes, creating curses for lawbreaking and Bindings to hold the people together in community. The remaining magic of Antises was bound and given to each of the six Lords, with the greatest power being given to the high King himself.
“The Conclave did keep some magic centered in Zes Sivas itself, for continuing study, and there are always rumors of wild magic cropping up now and then…” Seri broke off when she noticed one of the Masters scowling. His pale skin indicated he was from Rasna or Varioch. Master Hain also frowned. Perhaps mentioning wild magic wasn’t appropriate.
“Sadly, the Conclave and high King were both soon betrayed,” Seri hastened to go on. “The Lords united their power in secret, and attempted to alter the Bindings and Cursings. They prevented any curses from falling on any Lord or King for his own actions. But being unable to alter the magic completely, the curses fell on their children instead. They lacked the power to eliminate the curses, but managed to divert them.”
Seri gritted her teeth. She still had trouble fathoming the unbelievable selfishness of the Lords’ Betrayal. It twisted everything the original Conclave had been trying to accomplish.
“And what of the Passing?” one of the Masters prodded. Seri realized she had been quiet for too long.
“Ah, um, soon after the Lords’ Betrayal, the Conclave discovered their… oversight.” When she had memorized this history, the word had been “error,” but Seri felt a little uncomfortable using that word in the present company.
“With most of the magic of Antises contained within seven men,” she went on, “the land itself eventually began to fall apart. It seemed that the magic was required to literally hold things together. Whether this was related to the Great Cataclysm is unknown, though many theories have been proposed.” Seri wasn’t entirely sure what “fall apart” meant in this context. Her education had been lacking in that particular bit of history.
“The solution to this problem came about through the once-a-year Passing. At that time, the Lords assemble here on Zes Sivas and willingly lay down their power for one day. The magic restores and binds the land before returning to them. Also at that time, the Lords may choose to pass the power down to their eldest child. If not, the power passes automatically upon their death.”
“Given that all this is true,” Master Hain intoned, “how would you explain what took place yesterday at the time you arrived? If the Passing keeps the land restored and bound, how did it shake so?”
Seri’s brow furrowed. They were asking her? This must be a test.
“I would suppose, Master,” she said with care, “that there are several possibilities.”
“List them, then.”
“First, it could have been wild magic.”
“Ridiculous!” the Master from Rasna snapped. “Wild magic has never been that powerful, nor would it be centered on Zes Sivas!”
Seri winced. “Second, I suppose it could have simply been something natural, not related to magic at all. But that seems highly unlikely,” she hurried to add.
She took another deep breath. “Finally, there is the most likely and most troubling answer. Since Antises has been without a high King for so many years, his power has not been a part of the yearly Passing. Perhaps that lack is having an effect that, while foreseeable, has no immediate solution that I can conceive.”
Silence fell when she finished. Her eyes darted from one Master’s face to another. They all seemed almost made of stone.
“There is a fourth possibility,” one of them said. Was he from Kuktarma? All eyes turned toward him.
“It could have been the Eldanim.”
•••••
Master Hain stalked down the hallway with Seri in tow. “Eldanim!” he snorted. “The shaking earth has clearly addled Master Simmar’s brains.”
Seri hastened to keep up with Master Hain’s quick pace. His narrow frame could move surprisingly fast. “Was he being serious?” she asked. “I couldn’t tell. You all seemed so grim in there, it was impossible to tell anyone’s mood.”
Hain snorted. “Serious? Not really. Your explanation, as simple as it was, is undoubtedly the truth behind the matter. He just doesn’t want to accept it. And he’s not the only one.”
“So he blames a fairy tale?”
Hain came to a stop and looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Fairy tale?”
Seri almost blushed under his scrutiny. “I mean, isn’t it like, that is, isn’t it just the same as blaming the Lilim or Gidim?”
Hain almost rolled his eyes, but stopped himself and started down the hallway again. “Your education, girl, is clearly lacking in some regards.”
“I– I had the finest education in Arazu!” she insisted. “The University of–”
“The university does well enough,” Hain said, “for what they believe. However, speaking of a local fantasy such as the night spirits, the Lilim, is a far cry from speaking of the Eldanim.”
“I don’t see how,” Seri said. “They’re both imaginary creatures blamed for all sorts of mischief and difficulty.”
“The Eldanim are not imaginary.”
This time, Seri stopped. Hain took several more steps before realizing she no longer followed him. He turned back with a bemused look on his face.
“But… but how can that be?” Seri said. “They’re… they’re…”
“Fairy tales?” Hain asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes?”
“The Eldanim are no more of a fairy tale than you or I, acolyte. You would do well to remember that. They wandered Antises long before we arrived.”
“Are you going to tell me they steal one shoe at a time if I leave them out?”
“Don’t be absurd. Just because the Eldanim are real doesn’t mean the silly tales that have evolved around them are anything remotely close to the truth. The only reason such stories have arisen is because the Eldanim avoid us, for the most part. They are far more intelligent, far more sophisticated, and far more dangerous than most humans you will ever meet. You would do well to keep that in mind.” Hain began walking again.
“You didn’t mention the Gidim. Are they real too?” Seri asked, following in his footsteps.
“Ah, good. You caught that. I didn’t mention them because they’re… complicated.”
“Why?”
“Because I have yet to establish proof of their existence.” Master Hain paused at an intersection as if he weren’t entirely sure which way to go. He glanced to the left and turned right. “Stories about these apparitions show up in all six lands, by various names. But since I’ve never seen one myself or met anyone who has, I can’t speak to that. Yet.”
“But you have met someone who has seen the Eldanim?”
“Indeed. But I’ll let you judge that for yourself.”
“How so?”
“Because it may not be long before you meet one of them.”
This time, when Seri stopped, Hain kept walking.
•••••
Master Hain led the way to a nondescript door in yet another nondescript hallway withi
n the Citadel of Mages. Just learning her way around this place would be one of Seri’s most difficult tasks, as far as she could see.
As if reading her mind, Hain said, “I realize we haven’t had much time to orient you yet, what with the shaking and the Conclave meeting. You’ll get used to this place in no time, I’m sure.”
Seri doubted it would be “no time,” but she determined to make it work.
Hain led her into a small room with a window facing the East. He looked out of it. “On a clear day, you can almost see the coast of Arazu from here,” he observed. He turned back to find Seri examining the small desk beside the window. “Yes, well, this is where you will work, for starters,” Hain said. “It’s only mid-week, so you have four full days of labor ahead of you before the next Rest Day.”
Seri looked up. “What will I be doing?” she asked.
Hain pointed to the opposite wall. A lattice rack holding dozens of scrolls filled it from floor to ceiling. “Many of these scrolls are getting old,” he said. “Your job, for now, is to copy them onto fresh papyrus, so as to preserve them.”
Seri tentatively touched one of the scrolls. “Are they instructions for magic?”
“Oh, no, no. These are records. Histories of the six noble families. The line of Kings. And, of course, all of the mages who have gone before us.”
“So… I’m copying the names of dead people? This is my job here?”
Master Hain nodded and looked back out the window.
Seri found herself fighting a growing anger. “But I… this…”
Master Hain turned back. “Yes?”
“I came here to become a mage!” she insisted. “This is a recorder’s work. Why am I being treated like this? Is it because I’m a woman? Is it–”
“Devouring fire!” Hain exclaimed. “Is that what you think? Oh, my. We have work to do, I see.”
“What do… I…” Seri stopped, afraid to go any further. Four days of this before the next rest? Ugh.
Hain moved to the door. “You are being treated this way because you are the newest acolyte within this building. There are others, you know,” he said. “You’ll meet them this evening at supper, I assume. Each one of them has possessed this job before you, just as I had it when I first arrived. In time, you will be given greater tasks. For now, I have seven words of advice for you.” He stopped at the doorway.
Until All Curses Are Lifted Page 3