The Tower of Sorcery

by James Galloway

  That seemed strange. He did read the book, and understood the difference between the Elder and Younger gods. The Elder gods were the ten gods created at the beginning. First there was Ayise, the Allmother, and she bore the other nine. The Elder gods represented the primal forces in the universe, the forces of nature and the forces of life. Earth, air, fire water, time, creation, life, death, and magic, those were the forces that were represented by the ten Elder Gods. The Younger gods are all those gods who came after the Elder gods, after the human civilizations took hold. Civilizations that had a need for gods to look over them, gods that weren't busy with running the universe. Many Younger gods had spheres of influence that overlapped the Elder gods, like Talon, who was the Younger god of the forests that also fell under the influence of Leia, Elder goddess of nature, but many Younger gods occupied niches that the Elder gods did not. The Younger gods represented civilization and human nature more than elemental forces. Love, war, hatred, peace, these were represented by Younger gods. Many Younger gods were patrons of entire kingdoms, the way Dallstad was god to the Ungardt, Karas was the god of Sulasia, and Sheniia was goddess to the island folk of the Stormhavens. But some gods, like Talon and Dommammon, god of the moons, overlapped with the Elder gods, and when they did, the Younger gods served the Elders in that regard, taking a bit of the burden off the Elder gods and letting them have more time to deal with mortalkind. The Elder gods were different from the Youngers in that they couldn't be destroyed. A Younger god's power was tied to the mortals who worshipped him, and if there were no worshippers, the Younger god died. If the Younger had been born mortal and ascended into divine status by other gods, then he returned to being a mortal, to live out his natural life. But Younger gods born of other gods, or who were created to fill a need, these simply died. The Elder gods were true immortals, and they existed without the need of mortal followers.

  And because they didn't need mortals, that restricted their ability to interact with them. All the Elder gods had temples and priests, just like the Younger gods, but the Elder gods didn't gain any additional power by this association the way the Younger gods did. From what the Goddess was saying, an Elder god couldn't really put a hand into the world unless it directly affected one of their own worshippers.

  Precisely, she confirmed. And even with our own people, we are somewhat limited. Because we only give power, we do not get any in return, it is considered a gift and not a symbiotic relationship. That means that we can't be as demanding as the Younger gods in what we want our priests to do, mainly because it isn't something that we couldn't do ourselves. Unlike the Younger gods, we Elder gods can and do directly affect the mortal world with our power, so we don't really need priests. The Younger gods have to work through their priests to directly affect the world when it doesn't involve their portfolio of control. That's why that restriction is there, to keep us from taking our priests for granted. It keeps us humble.

  "I'm still not sure I understand that," Tarrin said.

  Tarrin, gods are powerful, but they're not wise, she told him impishly. Many of us are just as immature and silly as humans are. The Elder gods especially, because we really don't have to answer to anyone but Ayise. Ayise saw this, so she put limitations on us so that our actions couldn't disrupt the mortal world. Right now, I could, with a thought, kill every single living being on Sennadar. It's within my power. But I can't, because I have my own rules to follow. Kitten, it's very complicated. Let's just say that we have our own little hierarchy up here, and one of the rules is that Elder gods can't directly influence mortals. Anything a mortal does at the behest of an Elder god is because they choose to, not because we force them to.

  "Alright, I can understand that. But why can't you make the Council listen to you? Couldn't you just take away their power if they disobey?"

  I don't give you your power. You're tapping into the power that I maintain to keep magic in the world, so you're accessing my power without me directly giving it to you. If you were priests, and I was supplying you with your magic, then I could make you do anything I want by threatening to withdraw my support. But it doesn't work that way with Sorcerers. To answer your question, no, I can't take away your power. It's a natural ability, not a granted power. They only way I could take away a Sorcerer's power would be to kill him, and I'd rather not bump off the ruling Council. It would take me years to rebuild the order.

  "Just bring in priests to convince them."

  Kitten, I'm not allowed to have priests, she explained. My association to the katzh-dashi came at a price. To support the order, I had to give up priests, because an Elder god can only have one organized following of mortals. It's part of our rules. To make it a bit more plain, the Sorcerers are my priests. They do do my work, kitten. Sometimes I have to push them very hard, but they do it. The situation makes it hard for me to directly control the katzh-dashi, because I can't force them to do what I want.

  "But isn't it a rule that no mortal can access more than one type of magic?" Tarrin asked. "If the katzh-dashi are both Sorcerers and priests, then that's two orders of magic."

  Why, I do believe that you're right, she said in an impish voice. That does seem to violate the restriction, doesn't it?

  "So you do grant power to the katzh-dashi," he said triumphantly.

  Only for important religious ceremonies, she replied calmly. Consecration, rites, things like that. No, I don't grant them priest's spells. They don't need them. They are Sorcerers, after all. Not much of a threat for me to say "do what I want, or you can't consecrate ground anymore," now is it?

  "Oh," he said quietly, leaning back and thinking. "I guess not."

  Watching you try to outthink me is very amusing, kitten, she told him with a silvery laugh. If I weren't pressed for time, we'd be arguing all day, but I do have other things to do. So we need to cut this short.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't think about that."

  You are dear to me, kitten, but you're not the center of the universe, she teased. Yes, I love you. There, your fears are abated. Can I go now?

  Tarrin laughed. That was something he certainly never expected to hear from a Goddess. "Well, I guess so," he said.

  I'm so glad that I have your Royal permission, she said dryly. I want you to think about something for a while, my kitten. A puzzle for you.

  "What?"

  Isn't it curious that katzh-dashi are allowed to defy the rules? Kind of makes you wonder why.

  "It does," he said honestly.

  Keep your eyes open today, kitten. The answer to that riddle will be right in front of your face. All you have to do is see it.

  And then she was gone, leaving him feeling hollow and empty inside.

  "Were you talking to someone, deshida?" Allia asked as she opened the door to the communal closet. The fact that she was carrying her shirt in her hand and was topless didn't even register to him. Modesty was a loose concept to the Selani, and Allia had no fear of walking into Tarrin's room nude. She had done so, many times.

  "Sort of," he replied calmly, and she simply nodded and said no more.

  There was a knock on the front door, and Allia opened it without bothering to put on her shirt. But it was only Keritanima. She gave Allia a curious look as she came in, and her boxy muzzle had a worried frown on it. She waited for Allia to close and lock the door, then she started immediately. "We're going tonight," she said in Selani. "Things are starting to happen. We have to move."

  "What happened?" Tarrin asked.

  "I had an informant close to the king, and I was supposed to get some important information from her today," she said. "Well, this morning she turned up dead. She was poisoned. I think someone's trying to put a leash on my operations. I think it's Jervis, but I have no idea why. He has no real reason to interfere."

  "Why do you think that?"

  "Because I bought a man in Jervis' office, and by now Jervis knows about it," she replied. "He'll try to feed me misinformation, but I bought the man to keep Jervis' eyes off the fact that I'
m using Sorcery to rifle his desk."

  "What?" Tarrin asked in surprise.

  "Lula taught me a weave that lets me see into places where I can't usually see," she replied with a smirk. "I have to be rather close to where I want to look, though. That's the only drawback. I'm literally looking over his shoulder when Jervis is reading his daily reports."

  Tarrin laughed, and Allia smiled. "I knew you were devious, sister, but that is masterful," she said appreciatively.

  "Only what, less than a month since you touched the weave, and you can already weave Illusions and other spells," Tarrin said respectfully. "You're a natural, Kerri."

  She shrugged. "Lula thinks so too," she said. "She said she's never seen someone that can learn weaves so quickly. I hate to burst her bubble, but it's only because I can precisely recall things I see. All I have to do is see her weave a spell once, and I can copy it perfectly. Then she just has to explain how to alter the effects with varying the flows, let me practice it a few times, and I'm set."

  Keritanima once told him that she could just remember everything she reads. When Tarrin asked his father about it, Eron called that an eidectic memory. Whatever it was, it was proving to be a godsend. In a shockingly short time, Keritanima had already progressed further than most Initiates who had been so for years. With Tarrin incapable of using his power, and Allia just learning how to control it, she was much, much more important than either of them in this little game.

  "Anyway, something's going on, and it looks like someone else is actively trying to stop me from finding out what. So that means that we need to step things up," she continued. "We're going on our field trip tonight. Dress warmly." She sat down on the chair. "I hate moving so fast. After all, I've only had my network up for a couple of weeks at the most."

  "What is this 'week'?" Allia asked.

  "A Week is a Wikuni term for measuring days," she replied. "There are five days in a week. Kikal-day, Arga-day, Bor-day, Tori-day, and End-day. Two of our weeks make up one Selani March or Sulasian Ride, which are both ten days. My men are reputed to be good, but I haven't had the time to settle them in," she fretted. "Robbing the Cathedral will make things tense, and I just hope they can deal with the increased security."

  "Why not send them instead?" Tarrin asked.

  "They don't know what to look for," she countered.

  "Neither do we," Allia pointed out.

  "Well, we have a better chance of figuring that out than they do," Keritanima said defensively. "Besides, I think the three of us will be rather good burglars. With you two's stealth and my experience, we should be able to pull it off without raising a whisper."

  "Experience? You've done this before?"

  Keritanima gave Allia a wolfish grin. "Many times," she winked. "I was a thief before I was the High Princess, Allia, and the increased attention forced me to stop sneaking off. I was trained by the best in Wikuna."

  "You have had quite an education, Kerri," Tarrin chuckled.

  "A girl has to have a hobby," she said with a wink. "We'll discuss the plan tonight, before we go."

  "You have a plan?" Tarrin asked.

  "Tarrin, you never go thieving without a plan," she told him with a huff. "The planning is the most important part."

  "I thought you just snuck in and took things."

  "That's sloppy work," she said critically. "The objective of a thief is to take the most valuable things in the fastest possible time, without getting himself caught. A good thief makes a plan. He knows where he's going and what he's looking for before he ever sets foot in the place he's robbing, because that maximizes the profit while minimizing the danger to himself. I have a copy of the plans for the Cathedral, including most of their secret passages and chambers. We'll meet in my room after dinner and make our plan."

  "But we don't know what we're looking for," Allia said.

  "True, but because I have a copy of the Cathedral's plans, I have a good idea of where to look for it," Keritanima told her. "There are three hidden rooms large enough to serve as a secret library. Our plan will mainly focus on what path we take through the Cathedral to cover each room."

  "How did you get your hands on a copy of the Cathedral's plans?" Tarrin asked.

  Keritanima only winked at him in reply.

  "Have I told you lately that I love you, Kerri?"

  She laughed. "I love you too, brother," she replied. "I can't stay much longer, or Jervis will think I'm up to something."

  "You are."

  "But he's not certain of that," she winked. "And Allia, remember to put your shirt on before you leave today," she told the Selani with a teasing smile. "I'm sure you walking around topless doesn't bother Tarrin, but it'll give the other Initiates a fit. Brel would probably have a heart attack on the spot."

  "Perhaps I should do that, if only to make the man shut up," Allia said sourly. "I'm growing tired of his moralistic ravings. I don't see why he can't understand that Tarrin and I are brother and sister, and not lovers."

  "Maybe he has those kinds of thoughts about his own sister," Keritanima said with a wicked little smile.

  "That's a very sickening thought," Allia grunted. "Humans can be so depraved."

  "True, but they're interesting. I have to go. See you two in my room after classes."

  "We'll be there," Tarrin replied.

  "Hmm, maybe I should go knock on Brel's door bare to the world," Allia said with an evil look in her eyes. "That man has been on me for days about our living arrangements. He accuses me of being a harlot and a tramp, though he never comes out and says it directly, and it's obvious he thinks that I'm seducing you on a nightly basis. Perhaps some revenge is in order."

  Tarrin laughed. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it, sister," he told her with a broad grin.

  Allia meaningly put her hands on the waist of her trousers, and that sent Tarrin into gales of laughter. It only intensified when she pulled them down, exposing her every intimate charm to him, and then stepped out of them. She stood there wearing nothing but her boots, and that seemed to be even more amusing to him for some reason.

  "Excuse me for a moment, my brother," she said with a flat voice, though her eyes were dancing with delight. "I have some vengeance to exact."

  "Have fun," he managed to say, as she opened the door, and then stepped out into the hallway wearing nothing but a pair of boots, her long silver hair, and a vicious grin.

  "Oh, I will," she promised, closing the door.

  Allia was a treasure. He had no idea how he managed to live so long without her in his life.

  Tarrin started counting. By the time he reached thirty, there was a strangled bellow from further down the hall, with Brel, Master of Initiates, telling Allia hysterically to go back to her room and put some clothes on! About two minutes later, she calmly stepped back in through his door, and the look on her face was absolutely evil. It only made Tarrin fall off the bed in bouts of helpless laughter.

  "That was definitely worth the effort," she said idly to herself. "The look on his face will keep me smiling for a month." She slipped off her boots, righted her pant legs from where they had been pulled inside out when she took them off, and then stepped back into her trousers.

  Perhaps it was the ultimate in bad luck that an enraged Brel opened Tarrin's door forcefully just as Allia bent down to pull her pants up, and she had her back to the door. He took one look at the Selani's shapely backside, her posture leaving absolutely nothing to his imagination, and then he simply fainted dead away at the threshold.

  Tarrin was basicly a loss at that point. It took him almost twenty minutes to recover control of himself, and Brel lay there the entire time, as other Inititates crowded around him around Tarrin's door. Allia dressed herself with a calm certainty that told everyone she felt absolutely no shame in what she had done, and stood by the door and waited for Brel to wake up. Her icy blue eyes kept the other Initiates from questioning her, and most simply meandered off to spread wild rumor and stories of the event to the others.

/>   After recovering control of himself, Tarrin stood up and gave Allia a grin, patting her on the shoulder just as Brel began to stir. His eyes looked up at the pair blearily, then raw horror crept into them.

  "Never question my morals again, Brel," Allia told him coldly. "Else what I do next makes this look innocent by example."

  The shrivelled old crotchety Sorcerer blanched at the cold-eyed Selani, his wrinkled face turning pale, then scrabbled to his feet and rushed away hurriedly.

  "You're an evil woman, deshaida," Tarrin laughed. "And I love you for it."

  "I love you too, deshida," she said with a wicked little smile.

  Darvon's scent touched Tarrin's nose just as the man came into view at the door, with the massive Azakar trailing behind him. "I take it you were having fun with Master Brel?" the aged Knight asked idly.

  "He could not accept that Tarrin is not my lover," Allia said bluntly. "I decided that it was time for him to understand a few things."

  Darvon took one look at the hot-eyed Selani, and he chuckled. "I'm sorry I missed it. It must have been good."

  Just thinking about it made Tarrin laugh again. "It was priceless, my Lord General," Tarrin assured him. "I always knew my sister is an evil woman. She proved it."

  Allia only gave Darvon a wicked smile, which made him laugh. "I never doubted it," he said.

  "What brings you into the Inititate's quarters, my Lord General?" Allia asked.

  "Business, my sister, business," he said. "I had a talk with the Keeper yesterday, Tarrin. Some changes were made."

  "Really?"

  "She agreed to allow you off the grounds, but only if you give her a day's advance warning," he told him. "But she refused to allow you to go alone. So if you leave the grounds, you have to go with Azakar here to accompany you, and at least one Sorcerer. You may be a Knight, but even you have to admit that someone is out to get you. It isn't Knightly to refuse the help of the order, and we look after our own. So Azakar here has been assigned to accompany you and act as your bodyguard, and you get to choose the Sorcerer you want to go with you. You have to admit, this is much better than the complement of katzh-dashi that the Keeper was demanding on. I had to make some ugly threats to bring the Keeper down to this."