Grand Wizard, you are in danger. Your Chief of Wands, your Secretary of Forbidden Magic, and the Head of Spell Casters, they all work for the Black Sword Riders.”
Dindrane took a deep breath, trying to make her hands stop shaking. Claudas and Ector threw her approving glances while Galehaut tried to suppress a smile of satisfaction.
“Um, well,” Merlin added after he cleared his throat of the lump Dindrane's speech had caused. “Ms. Astolat... um...what's your first name?”
“Dindrane.”
“Dindrane. Beautiful name. May I call you Dindrane?” Merlin added as he smoothed his grey suit-jacket.
“Of course, my Lord.”
“Well, Dindrane, what on earth is going on?”
“Grand Wizard, I would recommend you be seated. It's quite a long story.”
After Merlin took his place behind the dark cherry rosewood desk, Dindrane turned to Claudas.
“Claudas, would you like to take over from here? You are more familiar than me with the events that followed the end of the War of Wizards,” Dindrane proposed.
“With pleasure,” Claudas said as he moved at the edge of his seat on the yellow-cream couch. “Grand Wizard, I hope you’ll allow me to stay seated. I'm old enough to remember those dreadful events.”
With a gentle gesture, Merlin expressed her approval.
“It all actually started before the Order of the Silver Lake defeated Black Sword Riders. I was a young aspiring spellcaster working for a Black Sword Riders mage named Taliesin in old Celliwig. Grand Wizard, don't be alarmed,” she said as he noticed Merlin becoming uneasy. “I was a Celliwig native, and I was obliged to serve my homeland. Taliesin was a great mind, but his brightness reached the edges of insanity. The creation of a Super Mage was his main goal, and he would probably have succeeded if he had more time. After the war ended, Taliesin disappeared from the face of the earth, along with his notes about some of our incredible experiments.”
“Was Taliesin ever seen again?”
Dindrane exchanged glances with the Grand Wizard, and after she received his approval, she took the floor.
“He was considered dead until one of our spies snuck into a secret society that was founded by former Black Sword Riders that fled Celliwig when the Order of the Silver Lake won the War. They built houses and shops, and they called their new city Ynysville. They have remained faithful to the Black Sword Riders’ beliefs and way of life. They eat sausages, drink beer, even celebrate the Feast of the Black Swords annually. They have used magic to block the entrance to their town to anyone non-believer. There, in the forests of the Red Ridge Mountains, they live as if they didn't lose the war. They live life in secrecy and under the radar; no one who is not a member of their cult has ever been allowed to rent or buy property in Ynysville. Now you may understand why it took us so long to break through the barriers of their secrecy.” Feeling more confident, Dindrane tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“In time, their security measures have loosened. As the years passed, they’ve started feeling more comfortable sharing their views with other cults. Luckily for us, they looked for a spell caster outside their town walls.” Dindrane resumed her narration. “That was the opportunity we had been waiting for. One of our spies, Daniel Tal, volunteered to go undercover, and in a short time, he managed to win the trust of their chief mage. Guess who that scientist is. Yes, Dr. Taliesin is very much alive and continues to conduct the atrocious experiments he started in Celliwig.”
“And he has my daughter-in-law, whom we thought to be dead for years, working for him,” the Grand Wizard said.
“Is this true? A secret Black Sword Riders sect? How could this be possible? Why hasn’t anyone ever taken notice of them and shut them down?” Merlin gasped with surprise and disbelief.
“I am afraid it is very true, my Lord.”
“And why have I never been informed of their existence?” Merlin asked.
“You should ask your Whisperers Director, my Lord.” Dindrane smirked.
“Holly Mages.” President Merlin puffed out a breath, exhausted.
“And here is where you come in.” Dindrane stood up and stepped towards Merlin’s desk. “Alfred Roetter, Anni Sauer and Harold Schaefer: Your Chief of Wands, your Secretary of Forbidden Magic, and your Head of Spell Casters.”
“Do you have solid accusations against them except the fact they all have ice-blond hair and Celliwig-sounding names?”
“They are all members of Black Sword Riders. And you have been their way into the Academy. You were their Trojan Horse.”
“This is absurd,” Merlin objected.
“I am sorry, but you are wrong. I have intelligence on them back to when they were students of the Academy,” replied Dindrane.
After a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on forever, Merlin finally uttered. “They were some of the best of my students. They never gave me a reason to doubt their loyalty,” Merlin said, shaking.
“We have accurate information that there is more to come,” said Dindrane.
“What is next?” Merlin asked, darkness in his eyes.
“They want to eliminate us all,” Dindrane stated, his voice steady.
Sweat trickled down Merlin’s face, and his hands trembled as compunction filled his soul.
I felt I had to take action. I had been sitting quietly, monitoring their reactions and trying to get to know better what each of them stood for. Something in my gut told me that Merlin was a good guy and that the treason committed by the people he trusted the most had shaken him.
Moving slowly, I stood up and approached him. I put my hands on his shaking shoulders, and surprisingly to me, he accepted the comforting gesture.
“Grand Wizard, I believe in you. And I am still convinced that you were not aware of the mad plan they had. All of us here in the room, we have your back. All we ask is that you believe us and trust us. We can stop them. There is still time to stop them,” I told him.
Merlin turned his glance at me.
“I have failed. I trusted people I should not have trusted. My Chief of Wands, my Secretary of Forbidden Magic, my Head of Spell Casters... I chose wrongly... I put the Academy in danger. It is because of me that Avallon faces the greatest danger in history. I do not deserve to be the Grand Wizard. I have to resign,” Merlin mumbled, entering a state of shock.
His body started shaking under my hands. His eyes were wide open as if he had seen a ghost, and he kept repeating the same things. “I failed... I am dangerous... I have to resign...”
“Grand Wizard! My Lord! Merlin!” Dindrane said with a sweet tone in her voice. “It is not your fault. These guys are powerful mages and I know well that Tal had to sell his soul to convince them that he is one of them and gain their trust. I trusted you. Now, please prove me right.”
“My Lord, I trust you too,” I said.
“Me too,” Ector agreed.
“Me too,” Guimora said.
“I trust in you”.
One after the other, we gave our pledge of loyalty and our confidence in his leadership.
Merlin’s chest started moving up and down as he tried to take deep breaths.
“I am responsible for you. I must stop this. And I will stop this,” he said declared.
One by one, they erupted in cheers.
A knock on the door brought us back to order. The smiles froze on our faces, as the young student announced, “There has been another attack.”
CHAPTER 14
*
Everything was so peaceful there. Time ran awfully slow and there was a deafening quietness that was only broken by birds chirping and singing.
I was having a picnic on a green hill looking over Afall Island. The spot was only five minutes walking time away from the Academy that had been my home for the last couple of weeks.
Apart from the Avallon Academy, there also was a small village on the island. It was such a small village that, alongside some village homes, it only hosted one corner shop, a
library, a couple of gifts shops, and a pub. The village had a doctor, a blacksmith, a seamstress, and a wandmaker. Living there could not compare to life in London and Paris, but I had always been a small-town girl so I did not bother.
After the latest Black Riders attack, everything was again quiet and peaceful on the island. That had started to become an issue. It was too quiet and too peaceful.
“Centuries ago, there was an ancient legend about the powerful creature that will appear in our world and will bridge the differences between mages. That creature was called the Sorceress,” Arthur had once told me. I was supposed to be that Sorceress. I did not have any evidence that he was right. Oh, I had also killed a mighty Time Hopper in an alternative timeline, but I believed that was the result of a magic dagger and a mysterious ring I wore. Because if I had been the powerful Sorceress, I would not be unable to protect myself.
“You’re wearing the Malkvien ring and you are holding my hand which has the Claitleeff ring on. The creature which you just killed has left behind the Bariah ring. When the Carnwennan’s edge penetrated the Bariah’s body, you connected to the power of three supreme ancient cults. I have seen many portraits depicting the Sorceress. It had long purple hair, just like you,” Arthur had told me.
I had recalled that scene in mind over and over again. I had plenty of free time and so little to do, anyway. I was tired; tired of boredom, tired of being afraid. It was time to go back to the village, but it was still too early to go back home. So, I decided to have a piece of apple pie at the pub.
The tiny place was crowded, full of thirsty students of Magical Arts, but I was lucky enough to find a place to sit. It was time to start playing my new favorite game; reading the minds of people who were complete strangers to me. There were so many inner voices that I could target in my playing game. I decided to start with the young waiter’s mind. “Halò àlainn,” I read his thought and felt flattered by the compliment. “Smile if you want to have sex with me,” the young man’s voice echoed loudly in my mind.
I did not want to have sex with him, of course, but I was really tempted to smile just to enjoy his confused face. However, I had to stand still and patient, as if I had not listened to the words that had formed in his mind. I could not let him know that I had read his mind, I shouldn’t publicly reveal that, with Arthur’s training, I had gained weak telepathic powers. That was a “no-no”.
Arthur was adamant; no one should know, or I would be in life-threatening danger. I did not believe him, to be honest. I thought that he was exaggerating. I was forbidden to let anyone know. Forbidden. That was the keyword. It was a word I had always hated. I hated restrictions. I hated being on a restricted diet. I hated to love with restrictions. I hated places available only to authorized persons; that is why I learned how to break in locked places. I hated being in locked places; that is why I learned how to break free.
I loved my new gift of reading the thoughts of everyone around me. It made me feel less lonely in a reclusive island with no friends and no social life. I was learning how to filter the voices that would sneak into my mind. And it was so fun. Only if you knew what there is in someone’s mind, you can really know what kind of person they really are, with all their flaws and virtues. Everyone was weird within and no one was as proper as they would like to appear.
“Do you want me to help you with the menu?” the young waiter asked me.
“Oh, no, thank you. I am ready to order. A sticky toffee pudding,” I replied, and I sensed him caressing my boobs with his eyes while his thoughts were mostly concentrated on how he could get me to stand up so he could check my butt too.
“Forget that, I’m not going to the loo,” I said out loud as I handed him back the menu and I was amused by the mixed expression of confusion and shock were quickly painted on his face.
After the young waiter went away, I looked around to get a better view of the crowded place.
“You are going to die.”
A cold male voice intruded into my calm mind and made my hair stand on end.
I looked around to locate where that cold voice had come from. I scanned everyone’s brain, but I was unable to locate the man whose voice sounded unwelcomed into my mind. That was weird. It had never happened to me before.
The male voice insisted. I turned around, and then I saw him.
He was sitting at a table close to the main entrance, dressed in black, pale skin, and piercing eyes. I froze. Something seemed wrong about him. It was like there was nothing beyond his face, like there was nothing inside of him; like he had no soul. It was not the first time I met a soulless creature. I had fought with one of them during my trials.
I grabbed my bag and rushed to get out of the pub. However, I had to pass by him to get to the door. I took a deep breath and I started walking. I was just a few steps away from the door when he grabbed my hand. A shiver went down my spine. His hand was cold as ice, no feeling had been transferred to me through his fingers.
Terrified, I tried to free my hand from his tight grasp. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor made him turn his head and lose his grip, giving me the chance to draw my hand away. Much to my relief, the young waiter started walking toward us with a questioning look on his face. I freed my hand from his grasp and ran toward the exit. Panic-stricken, I pushed the door and got out.
The last time I had met a person whose mind I was not able to get into, it had ended badly.
With shaking hands, I removed a curl off my sweaty forehead. But before I started walking again, everything went black around me and I felt like I was diving in a black hole.
THE WET SOIL PRESSING on my body was the first thing I felt when I woke up. Mud mixed with dried leaves, damp with morning dew, covered my body. I tried to open my eyes and a soft light blinded my body. I moved my legs abruptly and an eerie rustling broke the silence.
Where the heck was I?
I propped my body up on my arms and raised my torso with difficulty. Anxiety, panic, and fear flooded every molecule of my body. I had never been so frightened before. How did I get here? What had happened to me? Was I hurt? Was I bleeding? Had I been assaulted? I did not know. I could not remember. Nothing made sense and I felt so dizzy.
I wrapped my arms around my body and then groped my legs in search of any wounds or injuries. Everything seemed to be fine, no bleeding, no bruises. Suddenly, my fingers got numb. “I’m having a panic attack,” I thought and shook my hands and slapped my cheeks to calm down.
“I need to stand up,” I told myself as I placed my palms into a thick layer of dried leaves on the damp ground. I took a deep breath and I put all my effort to support my body weight with my arms. I exhaled with relief when my muscles obeyed what her mind commanded. I quickly stood up on my feet and looked around. I was in a forest. Breath bated I took a step forward. Dry leaves crunched underneath my feet and a couple of birds fluttered away from their nest, frightened by the noise. There was no one around. It was only me and the forest.
“But which forest?” I muttered to myself.
I pierced my eyes closed and I tried to turn back time. No use. Merlin had blocked again my time manipulating powers. If he knew that I was able to read minds, then he would have blocked this ability as well.
The sun had begun to set, and I had to get out of there. I started walking fast, not knowing where I was heading. I was nimbly descending a steep talus slope when the sound of a twig breaking made me lose my balance. I fell and started rolling down the steep hill. Sharp rocks and broken twigs scratched my bared arms. Hot air ebbed and flowed in waves over my back. Was it the air? Was it someone’s breath? My backpack slipped from my hands. When the painful descent stopped, I looked back, searching for my belongings. I recollected my backpack and, breathless, I ran towards the clearing that had suddenly appeared ahead.
Thunder echoed in the distance and lightning flashed. The skies opened and a stream of rain started splattering hard. I raised my bag over my head like an umbrella and I started runni
ng towards the clearing. And then I saw it.
A medieval castle was standing at the end of the clearing, ivy-covered and proud. The autumn foliage formed a yellowish umbrella with purple touches above its entrance. The rain trickled down the back of my neck and my clothes were soaked. I had to protect myself from the thunderstorm. I ran towards the entrance which stood between two large impressive stained-glass windows. The castle looked empty; however, it did not seem abandoned. Carefully, I pushed the heavy wooden door and it cracked open to a large dim chamber.
I looked through the open door and the first thing I saw was a wrought iron lantern over the entrance to a stairwell. Like something was calling me inside, I headed to the staircase and began ascending timidly. The dim light from the starry sky passing through the skylight above the stairs lit the balustrade which was decorated with little angel cupids holding bows with arrows. The end of the staircase led to a long hallway. I opened the first lancet arch door at my right, and I ended up in another hallway with an arched stained-glass window between two ogive doors.
I picked up a lit candlestick that was placed on top of a wooden table and I opened another door that led to a cold room with a few pieces of furniture, a burning fireplace to the left, and two stained glass windows on the right. After I closed the door behind me, I passed by a window and looked outside. The moon had broken through the low clouds signaling the end of the rain. Holding the candlestick tightly, I turned the knob of the door on the left and pushed it timidly. A half-lit chamber was revealed behind the small opening. On the opposite wall, there was another door leading to a strong light source. As I was crossing the long chamber, I noticed an arched bookcase full of old books. Spider webs and dust covered the walls.
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