Mage- The Guardian's Oath

by S A Edwards

  Power tingled through me, and flames sparked on my fingertips. Fire flared across the symbol, following the curves with impressive speed, until every part of it burned with blue light.

  Then, they extinguished.

  An intrigued smile tugged on my lips.

  “Okay, how about this?” Water splashed against the stone. It spread, glimmering in the moonlight, and flawlessly covered each ring before melting away.

  One by one, each gift ignited, filling the symbol with violet light, shimmering frost, and billowing purple smoke. A sharp Beast claw extended from my fingertip and turned the whole symbol green, and then I finished off with a cloud of darkness.

  White light spread from the rings, glowing brighter until I had to shield my eyes from the glare. A spear of light burst from the middle, tore across the clearing and barrelled down the gaping mouth of a cave.

  I stared at it. Had that been there, hidden, all this time?

  The symbol returned to dull rock, leaving me once more in darkness.

  My gaze strayed briefly to Verum, and then, deciding against waking him, I stepped off the soil onto rock. My heart pounded, my Hunted’s face in my mind, afraid of meeting Zantos again.

  A narrow passage twisted and turned, leading deeper into the heart of the cave. The tunnel widened, and a cavern opened up before me.

  It was exactly as it appeared in the vision of my Dark gift. Seven rocky pillars extended from the ground with a shining stone hovering above, each a different shade. They revolved slowly, their gleam fluctuating in the strange light.

  A wooden tray rested between the pedestals with bread, cheese, and fruit. I tore toward it, grasped the bread, and bit through the crunchy exterior.

  “Hello, Clara.”

  I spun to the voice and dropped the bread to the tray.

  Zantos stood by the wall. A light-green cloak hung on his shoulders, cut off just above his ankles.

  A shiver of fear fluttered through me and sweat broke out of my pores.

  My fingers flexed under the warm air. It had always been so cold when he appeared. “You’re not Zantos.”

  The stranger laughed. “No. I’m Esté. Zantos is my brother.”

  “You look so alike.”

  He chuckled. “Help yourself to the food. It’s for you.”

  “It is?”

  “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

  I sank down next to the tray. “If he’s your brother, then you must be the Light Keeper.”

  “Of course, you won’t remember me.”

  I frowned at my rising irritation and picked up the bread. “Nothing new there.”

  “Once your oath to me is over, I believe your memories will be restored.”

  Hope welled. “Really? So, I made the oath to you? Why would I agree to this, to dying and forgetting over and over?”

  Esté approached, his expression gentle. “Because you understood the consequences of failing.” He smelled similar to the forest, but there was something else, too. Something I couldn’t quite place. His gaze roamed to my crystal. Reaching out, he touched the golden surface.

  I tensed and bit the inside of my lip.

  “I worried you weren’t going to come on time,” he muttered.

  “What do you mean?”

  His hand dropped. “The Alignment takes place in two days.”

  “So soon? But I’ve no idea how to stop it.”

  “That, my dear, is why you’ve been training. Without all seven gifts, you couldn’t hope to complete your task.”

  “So, what do I do now?”

  “You take my power.”

  “I what?” Tingles slithered down my arms at the thought of more power. He sounded like his brother. “I already have all seven, and they hold corruption enough. I don’t want any more.”

  “There is no way to prevent the Alignment, only harnessing the magic. The enemy must be destroyed, but you can’t do that unless you remove the gifts.”

  “Remove them. You mean make them Mortal?”

  He nodded.

  “But I did that before, in a past life. That’s why I’m Hunted.” And it destroyed my life.

  “You remember that?” he asked.

  “Vitora told me.”

  “Ah.” He retreated and sank down on a rock. “You made a Mage’s gift dormant. It is not the same. His magic could be reactivated. What is required here is to remove them completely. And you can only do so with my power.”

  “Why can’t you do it?”

  “I am bound by the laws of magic.”

  My jaw tensed. “You sound like Zantos.” Would he get angry now, too?

  “We may be brothers, but we are completely different, I assure you.”

  “What are these laws of magic exactly?” I asked.

  “We are Keepers, born of pure magic when the comets created this land. It is our responsibility to guard the Gates. Together, we locked the Hellions in the Hellion prisons. We each take an equal charge. I take the light Gates, Zantos takes the dark. If someone asks to pass through certain Gates, we must let them. Other Gates, like the use of the gifts, are restricted only to Mage. We must ensure the gifts are activated at the correct time in a Mage’s life, and that if someone passes through into a Hellion prison, the Hellion does not escape.”

  “Why would anyone go into a Hellion prison?” I didn’t know what that was exactly, but it didn’t sound good.

  “Why did you go into the Forbidden Pass?”

  “That was a prison?” The monster that had lured Lallana and me off the path, and then chased us through the ancient site had been terrifying. “How can you stop them getting out? That was such a big monster,” I said.

  “Hellion. And the boundary of his prison was the edge of the path. Zantos kept that up because he was bound by law not to let it free. Just as we are bound by law to give access to those entitled to the Gates. That is why I cannot take the gifts myself.”

  “But I’m not bound by the same laws.”

  “Precisely.”

  I pressed my tongue against my cheek. “So, I take your power, make the Council mortal, and prevent them harnessing the magic of the Alignment? Sounds simple enough. But there’s got to be a catch.”

  “You’ll need the Death Head.”

  And there it was. The name alone confirmed this wasn’t going to be simple.

  “They give temporary power,” he said. “Forbidden power.”

  “It sounds like a dark object.”

  He nodded.

  “I couldn’t use it. Not after everything I’ve been through. The corruption –”

  “Won’t touch you if you only use it once.” Esté ran his fingers through his hair. “There is no risk of losing your soul the first time.”

  “Great. That fills me with confidence.” The half-eaten bread rested in my hand, no longer appealing to me.

  His lips twitched. “You’ll be fine. It is located within the Gates of Omen.”

  “Omen?”

  “A Hellion prison. The Daemon collects prizes and has had the Heads for many thousands of years. Be prepared to sacrifice something of value. The Daemon will ask nothing less than what you are most reluctant to give up. A prize to him. He will offer you a choice, and if you fail to make a deal with the Daemon, you will be his eternal prisoner.”

  50

  I swallowed the lump in my throat at the thought of serving a Daemon. “Eternity is an awfully long time. What will he ask for?”

  “I cannot say. He will decide in the moment,” Esté said. “But in your first life you knew of this. I believe you told Sil you had prepared something.”

  In my first life? Sil had been there all that time ago? I knew he was old, but eighteen hundred years? “What was it?”

  “I didn’t get a chance to ask you before you died. He would be the person to speak to.”

  I bit my lip. The idea of using a dark object after my battle with the corruption filled me with dread. “There must be another way,” I said. “Can’t you do anything
else that doesn’t involve the Death Head?”

  “No more than I can see through the Void.” He stood and gestured to the tunnel.

  “The Void?” Another forgotten term from my pasts? Irritation stabbed within me.

  “A Gate both Zantos and I can open,” he said, “neither light or dark – and the only one we cannot see beyond.”

  “Hasn’t anyone been through the Void to find out?”

  “There’s no telling what’s on the other side. And without seeing, we couldn’t bring them back.”

  Interesting, but it didn’t matter. “I can’t risk the corruption.”

  He frowned. “There is no other way. If you don’t do this, the magic will be harnessed, and by then, it will be too late.”

  *

  The cave entrance melted back into the shadows the moment I stepped to the soil. Pink tinged the sky, and I slumped on a root.

  The unknown price for the Head troubled me. What could the Daemon want? My treasures were ripped from me when the arch opened. All I held dear now was Charlie. And I couldn’t give him up, even in this new Beast form.

  There had to be something else to offer the Daemon. Something it would consider a prize. Finding the Gates of Omen could wait.

  Verum still slept soundly. I couldn’t travel with him from here. To get to Sil, a dip into the Shadow Realm would be needed. He couldn’t come with me there.

  I knelt and shook his shoulder. “Verum. Wake up.”

  He stirred and peered up at me. “Are you alright?”

  “I found him.”

  He sat up, and his gaze flitted around the surroundings. “Where is he?”

  “Gone. I know what I have to do, but you can’t come.”

  His confusion grew in his features.

  “I need to use the Shadow Realm,” I explained.

  “I see.” His confusion twisted into a frown. “Then, I will join the hunt to build our own army and meet you by the wasteland.”

  “You’re okay with this?” I asked.

  “It doesn’t seem there’s another option. Go. There’s no time to lose.”

  I traced my fingers traced through my hair, fighting the fear of returning to the Shadow Realm. But I didn’t have a choice. Three weeks had passed. The Alignment was so close. And I still had nothing to help stop the Council.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Smoke billowed around me at my silent command, engulfing me in the whispers.

  “Clara. Wait.” Lallana’s voice sounded over the whispers.

  White spectres glided forward, reaching with pale, distorted hands.

  I imagined the Healer Capital, the walls like water, the intricate patterns, the mesmerising fountain.

  The wisps thickened before they cleared, light grew, and crashing waves reached my ears. The smell of the salt replaced the sweet soil and musky bark still clinging to my nose.

  Sil stood before me, slightly obscured in the fading vapours. He lowered his hand, releasing the twisting ball of water above his palm. “How are you, my dear?” His gaze roamed to my crystal, and he smiled.

  The pattering of water in the fountain sent peace flowing through me, and I relaxed. “You know, of all the gifts, I love this one the most.”

  He gestured to the marble around the large tree. The canopy held tiny pink blossoms, a new sight since my departure all those weeks ago, and a basket of silberries rested on the soil.

  I perched on the edge beside him, eyeing the fruit. “You’re awake.”

  “Morning isn’t far off.” He grasped the basket and placed it in my knee. “What can I do for you?”

  “In a past life, I told you about something I had prepared to get a Head.” I shovelled a handful of berries into my mouth, revelling in the juicy taste.

  He pulled water from the fountain, slipped a golden goblet from his cloak, filled it, and then handed it to me. “I predicted you would come back for that, eventually.”

  My fingers strayed to my crystal and up the fraying strands of Charlie’s string. “The Keeper told me this was in my first life. Could you …” I gaped at him. “You’re the Dalrene. You all are! The original Elders. The first who came to this land.”

  He chortled. “We are. We were given our crystals in the cave.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  His smile faded. “Like you, with all the power you possess, our gifts are also greatly coveted. You see, the longer we live, the stronger we become. Concealing our identities makes it easier to do our work.”

  “But you came here thousands of years ago.”

  “The crystals gave us immortality. Until our work is complete, we’ll continue on. Much like you, we’re Guardians. We protect this land, where you protect magic. If the Council harnesses the magic, the land will need more protecting than it has since the Dark Ages.”

  “The thing I prepared. What was it?” I asked.

  “A medallion. The medallion of Orashae.”

  My vision blurred, and a golden medallion swam before my eyes, a yellow gemstone set in the centre. I reached out, placing it over a razor claw surrounded by bright blue scales. Then, Sil and the fountain returned to view.

  Another vision? “I think I remember it,” I said. “But I’m not sure I understand.”

  “That will be your Sight. It will give you clues, hints, riddles of your past.”

  Tenebris had said as much. “So where do I find this medallion?” I asked.

  “There’s a cave in the forest, seven eona from the Preserver Capital. Turn northeast from the village. It’s located beside a river.”

  The village below the mountain. Thankfully, a quick trip through the Shadow Realm would get me there in no time. It would take weeks to walk – time we simply didn’t have.

  “Thank you.” I grasped a handful of silberries and popped the basket down beside him before pulling the image of the village border to mind.

  Purple smoke engulfed me, changing the scene. Darkness touched my sight, whispers hissed, and then crisp pine touched my nose. A biting chill dominated the air, sending shivers along my arms. My heart thudded, fresh sorrow coursing through me with the thoughts of Lallana.

  The low wall surrounding the village lay several steps from where I stood among the trees. All quiet, only moonlight lit up the scene.

  Slipping some silberries into my mouth, I hurried northeast, trying to force my feelings of anxiety aside.

  My flames added to the silver light and sent comforting warmth through me. The corruption still hung in the air, but so did the chance of losing control of my fire if I didn’t practice. Torn between my fear of losing one way or the other, I allowed the heat to engulf me, washing away the pain of Lallana’s death.

  I reached a wide river and followed it uphill for several eona before spotting the mouth of a cave on the opposite bank.

  Hints of pink streaked across the sky, marking the beginning of a new day by the time the cave became visible on the other side of a rushing river. Spikes protruded from the roof and speared through the ground before the entrance. Flowing water roared over the rocky bed, and Riparians lined the tangled bank.

  Assuming it marked my destination, I closed my fists on my fire and leapt from the bank.

  Icy water soaked over my boots and through my trousers, drawing gasps from my lips.

  I flexed my fingers, longing to touch the water, to direct it away, but I ignored the urge and focused instead on the brown rock of the cave. I needed to resist using my gifts where possible. The corruption would grow if I didn’t. Considering what Esté required of me, I wouldn’t give the corruption any more ammunition than needed.

  Reaching the other side, I clambered out, my boots squelching on the grass, and paused.

  My neck prickled, and my cheeks flushed at the thick magic in the air. Something lingered here. Something ancient, something with far more power than I currently held.

  Gripping one of the spikes with a trembling hand, I clambered into the mouth and let the darkness engulf me.r />
  The tunnel sloped downward, and soon it became so dark that even my Beast eyes struggled to see. Orange flames sparked to life across my palm, making shadows dance across the smooth stone. My breathing and the tapping of my feet scattered the silence, and the surge of magic grew stronger.

  The path opened into a huge cavern. Star stones studded the ceiling, casting a silvery light. Large rocks jutted from the ground, obscuring the other side.

  Sweat rose in the thick heat, so I let my flames die and crept further into the cave, struggling for breath in the ancient air.

  A flash of shimmering blue darted through my periphery between the rocks. It shifted above me. Giant wings outstretched, a huge creature dropped, battering me with eye-watering heat, and lighted before me with barely any sound. Sapphire light glowed from its scaly body and emitted a heat that made my cheeks flush.

  Its head hovered inches from mine, bright white fangs bared. It twisted, and a startling blue eye reflected my pale, shocked face.

  My heart hammered, locking my muscles in fear.

  It leaned back, keeping its head level with mine.

  “There is corruption within you.” Her voice echoed through the cave and pierced my mind.

  The power she wielded sent heat tingling through my bones, my very skin.

  “But there is also light. You are fighting the darkness.” She shifted again, and her wings flapped. “Why do you fear me?”

  I swallowed back the lump in my throat. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

  She blinked, slowly. “We are old friends.”

  “Are we?” I frowned and retreated a step. “Who are you?”

  “I am Sapientia.”

  A flash of memory returned to me: falling from the overhang, Matriarch transforming into a Beast, a giant creature rushing toward me. “You caught me,” I said, “when Matriarch pushed me from the overhang back at my home village.”

  She blinked again, one eyelid moving quicker than the other.

  Many a night in my childhood had been spent listening to stories of the Ancients: the oldest and wisest of the beings. I thought she was a myth.

  “There is truth in every legend,” she said.

  I shivered. “You heard my thoughts?”

  “Your eyes are your windows. I see all.”