The archangel looked back at Zauvek and roared, “Begone, betrayer!”
Zauvek stood and quickly took up his staff, moving away from the terrifying being unleashing his righteous destruction. He hobbled as fast as he could and fled to the southern forest, briefly glancing back to see a burst of white light and a mountainside explode into high-velocity shrapnel.
He cried out in fear and stumbled into a tree before disappearing into the foliage.
Chapter 4
Solitary Woes
The fourth will hold the magic of water and ice, able to cleanse and refresh life or bury it in a tide unyielding. The magic heart of balance, both destructive and rejuvenating. It links life and death. Either a nourishing presence or a powerful reservoir with a dormant potential.
The Ikalreev Prophecies 16:18–22
There was a chill to the air. Aili shivered as her eyes fluttered open.
She glanced around and saw ice covering all walls of the cavern she found herself lying in. She had no idea how she had arrived at her current location. The last thing she could remember was crying in the forest.
As the vivid memory returned to her and became fresh again, her eyes welled up with tears, and she began to cry. The deaths of Auvelia and Kellen and the loss of Faolan were too great for her to bear. She covered her face with her hands as she sobbed violently into them.
Her side ached from the intensity, and she curled up on her side.
“Why do you cry, girl?” an unknown voice said.
She frantically wiped the tears from her eyes as she was startled by the sudden presence.
“Who is there?” she said.
She looked around but saw no one.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hello,” the voice said again, but behind her this time.
She turned and saw a tall, slender form in elegant robes standing stoically.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“My name is Deraj,” he said.
She eyed his form and saw his remarkably white skin, with lightly visible veins.
“Why do you cry, Aili?” Deraj said.
She hesitated. “You know my name?”
“Yes.”
“How?” she wondered.
“I have seen you before, and an angel has told me your name.”
“A what?” She was confused.
“Never mind that. You have still not answered my question.”
She glanced away from the unusual being. “I have lost someone, and his parents have died.”
“Oh.” Deraj lowered his head in respect.
She began to cry again.
“So, it is sorrow that has awoken you. An unfortunate emotion.”
Aili brushed her tears away and asked, “Awoken?”
Deraj nodded.
“What do you mean, awoken?”
“I mean the Ikalreev heart of water and ice has come to life inside of you due to your intense emotional response. You are one of the Ikalreev mages.”
“What? Seriously?” She was shocked.
“Yes.”
“Why did it not wake before, when it could have mattered? Before they died!” She became angered. “Why did the magic not understand that I needed it before now?”
“It was dormant. It heard your sorrow when your emotion reached its peak. You must not have felt an emotion as intensely as that before, so it had not awoken,” Deraj said.
“This is my fault?” she whimpered. “I am to blame for their deaths.”
“No.”
“But if I had woken the magic before, then maybe I could have saved them.”
“Perhaps, but you are not to blame. You neither caused their deaths nor foresaw their demise. In theory, your power might have aided in keeping them alive. But it is hard to say and unwise to dwell on the ‘what ifs,’” Deraj said. “How did they die?”
Aili glanced down at the icy floor. “The First Seal opened, and they were killed by the evil creatures that emerged.”
Deraj took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “So, it has begun. Thought we could stop it.”
He turned away and pondered for a moment.
“Did the fifth wake?” he wondered.
“The fifth mage? No,” she said.
“Hmm.” He shook his head while in deep thought. “Time is short.”
“What do you mean?”
“Their numbers will grow, and they will war with the mortal world. A struggle for supremacy over this realm,” he said.
“What can we do to stop them?”
He turned toward her. “The five can buy time with their actions and with wise strategic movement. They can prevent other seals from opening or at least stall their unleashing.”
“Can we stop the Corrupted Temperean Event completely?”
“Yes, but only if you find the fifth mage and the seventh seal.” Deraj nodded.
“What did you say?”
“The six seals are no longer latent, and the first has been opened; they can only be returned to dormancy by finding the seventh seal.”
“There are seven seals? Not just six?” She was shocked.
“Correct,” he said.
“It can stop the six?”
“Yes, it is the sealer of seals. It locks the others and ends the event.”
“How do we find it?”
Deraj shook his head, and his eyes lowered. “We were never told. Our visions failed to show where the seventh seal is located. I was the only one who knew of its existence, and the others failed to believe me.”
“What do we do?” she wondered as she took in the new information.
He looked at her. “It will be up to the five mages to find the seventh seal. Without it, the others will never close.”
“Never?”
Deraj nodded.
“But I do not even know if the others are still alive. They were at the First Seal, and we were separated. They could all be dead,” she said.
Deraj breathed in deeply and let out another long exhale. “Let us hope they still live. Without them, it will be very difficult for the races to survive the Corrupted Temperean Event.”
Aili didn’t know what else to say, still surprised by the new information given to her. She knew if Caedmon was still alive that she needed to tell him as soon as she could.
“We should begin your trial, Aili,” Deraj said.
“My trial?”
“Yes, you are the Ikalreev mage who controls water and ice.”
She shook her head. “But I am no fighter. I am just a healer. I cannot even wield a sword.”
Deraj stood tall and said with a resolute demeanor, “You will learn to fight and learn how to use your magic. Without you the mortals will fall, and no memory will remain of elves, dwarfs, or humans.”
She stood up. “What will you have me do?”
“You must learn to defeat a demon.”
“Wait, no . . .” She stepped backward and waved a hand.
A deep roar sounded from the dark beyond the edge of the frozen landscape.
Aili screamed in fright.
“Do not be afraid,” Deraj said. “You must learn to survive, Aili. If you are alone, then you must defend yourself. If you are with others, then you must defend them. You are an Ikalreev mage now. You hold great power, and the magic heart of water and ice resides within you. Learn to communicate with it in harmony, and you will be able to overcome great odds and dangerous beasts.”
“But—”
“Come now, Aili. It approaches,” he said.
Again, a fearsome roar sounded in the dark, and the ground began to shake as its heavy form stepped toward her.
“Listen for the magic heart. It will communicate with you; it seeks harmony. Hear its call to you, and act in unison with its intentions and guidance.”
“You cannot be serious,” she said. “Communicate with it? How do I even do that?”
“First you must listen. Close your eyes.”
The roar sounded again, close
r.
She cried in fright and closed her eyes, hoping she would hear the magic.
Thud . . . thud. The beast’s footsteps grew louder and shook the ground harder. She could feel herself beginning to wobble under the vibrations.
A terrifying howl came from the dark.
Aili felt something inside, past her fear. It was a warming sensation that filled her core. The magic heart showed her images in her mind and began to nonverbally communicate its will. She could see the vividness of the colors and shapes it was using to communicate. The magic heart pulled the strings of her emotions and led her to the thoughts it wanted to convey. It presented her environment in strategic displays of emphasis with before-and-after imagery of what it wanted to occur.
“I feel it,” she said.
“Good. What is it telling you to do?” Deraj asked.
“It is telling me how to use my magic. It is showing me forms and structures of water and ice. I can feel how it wants me to create them.”
“Then you must try. Use its communication and intelligence to stop the evil creature coming to kill you,” Deraj said.
He looked to the far side of the landscape, and a massive fist three times as tall as Deraj slammed the ground, emerging into the light, followed by an enormous head the size of a castle. Two huge, twisting horns rose into the darkness beyond. Its broad jaws opened and released a great roar, causing the ground to tremble beneath Aili’s feet.
She cried out in fear and put up her hand in defense.
No magic came from her motion.
“You must speak with the magic heart in harmony, Aili, to use the magic at will,” Deraj said.
She shook her head. “But I did. Why did the magic heart not do anything?”
She glanced at Deraj.
Deraj asked, “You did? Are you sure?”
“Yes. It spoke to me.”
The beast roared again, and the cavern trembled beneath its might. They both looked back at the mighty beast and wondered what had happened to the magic.
The roar ended, and the cave fell silent, except for a distant cracking noise.
“Do you hear that?” Aili asked.
“Yes,” Deraj acknowledged.
Unexpectedly, a sharp snap reverberated from the darkness above, and a massive cone of ice descended on the gargantuan demon, piercing its thick skull and driving it into the ground. The beast’s head slammed into the dirt, and the cavern shook from the enormous frozen stalactite’s force.
The beast’s motion stopped, and it seemed dead.
“Impressive,” Deraj said.
“What happened?” Aili asked.
Deraj tapped his jaw with an inquisitive finger. “Powerful, direct, strategic use of your environment, and simple. That is a wonderous attack, Aili. Very impressive.”
She hesitated. “Thank you, but I have no idea what I just did. I did not even see the ceiling or know there was one.”
Deraj stepped to the side in thought. “But the magic did. You were communicating in harmony with the heart of water and ice. And on your first try, too. None of the others have shown this level of aptitude. Quite interesting.”
“What now?” she asked.
“We continue. You have shown great promise with the magic heart. Now, it is time to hone and mold you into a mighty and confident mage,” Deraj said.
She was not so sure about his assumptions on the matter and waited for his lead.
“Come, I have several more lessons for you. Prepare yourself.” Deraj guided her to a new challenge.
She followed cautiously.
Chapter 5
Shaken
A period will come when uncertainty reigns and hope fades. A tenuous shadow will descend over the lands as the seal unleashes its terribleness across the lands. Tribes and kingdoms must band together to withstand the coming storm.
The Ikalreev Prophecies 17:4–6
The shaken band of travelers rode in the creaking wagon without a word. Silence was their comfort. Words would only cause tears or anger; four of their group had been lost.
Caedmon had returned to normal; the magic heart had receded and released its hold on him. The old wolf had been aware of the events at the seal while under the magic’s grip, though he had no control over his own body.
The group kept moving forward. They had no other choice than to leave two of them behind. They moved south along the path, descending from the mountains in defeat. The sun arced across the sky as another day passed. The moon rose and night fell, and the silence persisted.
They exited the southern edge of the Zajena Forest near midnight. The group kept moving without rest, knowing sleep would be fleeting that night.
Leith’s head grew heavy; just before he fell asleep, he bobbed his head back up and opened his eyes. He was trying hard to stay awake and did not want the nightmares that he knew would come.
The others were suffering similar dozing lurches in the back.
Treasach slapped himself a few times to stay awake.
Gavina sharpened her sword with a small whetstone and a dead stare, though her sword was already sharp. It was a repetitive task to keep her awake; she was indifferent to whether it would damage her blade as it helped keep the sorrow from overtaking her.
Ehreion stroked his beard in contemplation as he stared into the distance.
Ireli gazed up into the night sky and located constellations while Caedmon walked nearby.
In the wee hours of the morning, they entered a clearing, the same clearing they had visited a few days prior at the Four Trials.
The wagon abruptly stopped.
Treasach shouted at Leith, “Why did you stop?”
The healer did not answer.
Treasach stood up and looked over the front bench. “Leith—”
Leith was gone, no longer on his bench.
Treasach peered beyond the horses and saw Aili standing a hundred yards ahead of the wagon. Leith was sprinting full speed toward her.
Next to Aili stood the mysteriously clothed stranger, hidden beneath his cloak and hat. The stoic oddity stood motionless.
Leith wrapped his arms around his sister, and she reciprocated.
The others leaped off the wagon and made their way toward the twin healers, though more cautiously than Leith had, due to the stranger. Most were unfamiliar with the unique character and hesitated to approach.
Leith was ecstatic. “You are alive! How did you get here?” Leith paused but did not give Aili time to answer. “And so fast, too!”
Aili was smiling. “Yes, I am safe, but only because of him.” She motioned to Waremasu standing beside her.
Leith looked at the enshrouded individual. “You saved her?”
The conical hat tilted forward in affirmation.
“Thank you,” Leith said.
Leith turned to his sister and asked again, “But how did you get here so fast? We are many miles from the seal.”
“He told me he ran here,” Aili said.
“You were not awake?” Leith asked.
“No, I was unconscious.”
“Wait, ran? Here?” He tilted his head. “Without a horse?”
“Yes.”
“How is that possible?”
“I do not know. Much about him does not make sense, and he can be a bit scary at times.”
“Why did he bring you here, Aili?” Leith glanced around at their location in curiosity.
“Because I had to go in there,” she said as she pointed at the trials. “I would not have woken had he not brought me here. I would have remained lost in the forest, asleep until I died by whatever means.”
“In there?” he questioned hesitantly.
“But that would mean . . .” Caedmon said, trailing off.
“Yes,” she said. “I am a mage.”
Leith’s jaw dropped. “What? How?”
Aili glanced at Caedmon as her face fell. “Deraj told me that my sorrow triggered the magic’s heart in the forest after . . . losing them.”
“Your first time feeling deep sorrow.” The old wolf understood; each of them had an initial emotional trigger.
Aili nodded, and her eyes lowered.
“No way around that one,” Ehreion said. “Only one way to feel that for sure.”
“I assume it was water and ice, the last corridor?” Caedmon asked.
“Water and ice,” she confirmed.
Caedmon nodded, only partially glad. She was the fourth, though even with her they would have been a mage short at the seal.
Aili shifted her eyes back to Leith, longing to ask the question.
Leith could see the pain in her eyes and knew what she sought. He shook his head in answer.
She lowered her head and began to cry, dropped to her knees and sobbed into her hands. Her brother dropped beside her and embraced her shaking form, holding her tight.
“I am sorry,” he whispered in her ear. “There was no way for us to help him. I know you cared for him.”
She buried her face in his shoulder and dampened his shirt.
After several minutes of weeping, Aili pulled away. “What do we do now?”
Leith sadly shook his head in uncertainty.
“We warn the races and their kings. It will be difficult to convince them of the new threat, but we must. They need to be ready to defend themselves against what is coming, or they will die, and their kingdoms will crumble,” Caedmon said.
“We should split up,” Gavina said. “Spreading word across all Verdunmull will take far too long if we all go together.”
“Aye,” Ehreion agreed. “So, who goes where?”
“I will talk to my father,” Treasach said.
“I will go with you,” Gavina added.
Caedmon nodded. “Ehreion and I will go talk to Kvaran. The dwarfs will be stubborn.”
“What about the humans?” Ireli was concerned. “We have no king, no leader. No banner unites us. How will the humans survive?”
Sadly, they were all thinking the thing that Caedmon said next.
“One town at a time. If they listen, then they have a chance. If they do not, then move on to the next village. Warn as many as you can and tell them to make their way to Lesley. Defending against the dark creatures will be easier in a single location rather than many.”
The First Seal Page 4