Shade's First Rule

by A F Kay

  Shade’s First Rule

  Divine Apostasy Book 1

  A. F. Kay

  Shade’s First Rule, Divine Apostasy Book 1 by A. F. Kay

  afkauthor.com

  Copyright © 2019 by A. F. Kay

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law or in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews or articles. For permission requests, contact the publisher at blackpyramidpress.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Black Pyramid Press, LLC

  blackpyramidpress.com

  Editing by coraljenrette.com/editing-services

  Cover by coverquill.com

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Epilogue

  Appendix

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  For Nicole, who never stopped believing.

  Love you to the sea and back.

  Chapter 1

  Today, Ruwen would finally die for the first time.

  He stepped out of his home and into the predawn light, alone. Almost a year had passed since his parents had disappeared, but this morning, their absence was especially hard to ignore. Ascendancy was the biggest event of his life, and they should have been here.

  His revival would take a least a week, and he wondered if they’d be back when he woke up. He knew better though and pushed the thoughts away. This day was too important to wallow in self-pity or false hope.

  Not wanting to waste any more time, Ruwen strode down the packed stone road toward the city’s center and Uru’s Temple. The smell of baking bread made his mouth water and his stomach rumble, but he was too nervous to eat breakfast. If he puked during his ceremony, he didn’t want to make a mess.

  A cool breeze from the mountains west of town made Ruwen’s skin prickle, and he rubbed his arms to warm them. He focused on the top right portion of his vision, just above his map, and read the temperature: forty-eight degrees. He thought about going back and getting a jacket, but he’d worn his best clothes, and the only coat that fit had frayed hems. Today he would rather look presentable than be comfortable.

  He superimposed the map over his vision and placed a marker on the temple. The walk would take twenty minutes at this pace. He blinked the map away and veered to the opposite side of the street to avoid two laborers unloading wood from a wagon. They both had scarves around their necks, gloves on their hands, and long-sleeved shirts. It didn’t seem cold enough for scarves, but maybe they’d worked through the chilly night.

  The three of them were the only people on the street at this early hour, and the larger of the two Workers gave him a curious stare. The man’s eyes looked too big, and Ruwen quickly glanced away. He didn’t bother to bring up the man’s Profile. Worker Profiles never had anything interesting in them. Their days were filled with mundane tasks, not spells or fighting or exciting discoveries.

  Most people ended up as Workers, but not Ruwen. He’d been blessed with brains, and today his life would finally turn around. Today he would start gaining the skills he needed to find his parents and clear their name.

  He tripped as the packed stone of the road transitioned into flagstone. He refocused his attention and saw the name Center Road hovering in the air. The road ran down the middle of town. Whoever had named the streets here in Deepwell had no imagination. He dismissed the name with a thought and turned left.

  He couldn’t wait to get rid of his student interface. Sixteen years with the same basic information and no way to customize what it showed him. Ascension would give him his Class-specific interface, which he could change to his heart’s content. That alone was worth dying for.

  He mumbled a quick prayer to Uru in case the goddess thought him ungrateful. The information and abilities she provided her people were truly blessings. He shook his head. Of all days, today was not the day to upset the protector of his town. The priests said she watched over all the townsfolk and knew their capabilities and strengths. She blessed them with their Class choices.

  And he knew what Class he’d get. He had known as soon as his attributes settled down after the surge of puberty. Now that his body had stopped changing so much, he was ready for Ascendancy. Death, after today, would very rarely be permanent. Ruwen looked to make sure his path remained clear and then focused on the round icon in the upper left-hand part of his vision to bring up his Profile.

  Name: Ruwen Starfield

  Race: Human

  Age: 16

  Class: Not Ascended

  Strength: 10

  Stamina: 10

  Dexterity: 10

  Intelligence: 16

  Wisdom: 10

  Charisma: 12

  He couldn’t wait to see what his other stats where once he received his Class. Ruwen rubbed his hands together. He would make a terrible Fighter, but his natural intelligence made him a sure candidate for a Mage. School had come easily to him, and he had finished the required education three years early. His teachers had given Ruwen over to Tremine, the head librarian, who had let Ruwen spend his days reading.

  A blinking arrow pulsed on his map and he turned right. The Temple of Uru came into view. The building had been made of granite from quarries in the nearby mountains. Bits of mica in the stone caused the temple to sparkle in the early morning light. Only three stories high, it didn’t seem that majestic, but Ruwen knew the temple was constructed in a depression, and most of it remained hidden underground.

  A Guardian stood at each of the four corners. They were identical oblong spheres like an egg had been stretched. Priests ceremoniously cleaned them every month, and the Guardians would gleam white for a few days until the blowing dirt colored them brown again. They were made from terium, the same metal the townspeople mined from the nearby mountains, and were nearly indestructible. The Guardians hovered a few feet off the ground and were completely still and silent.

  The Guardians protected the area from attackers and had come to life twice in Ruwen’s lifetime: once when a band of Fighters approached the town and refused to turn back, and once when some Keld tried to burrow into the city. Ruwen hadn’t seen the battles, but the stories all agreed the attackers had been turned into ash. He had researched the Guardians in the library and had decided they were some sort of high-level golems made by a Grand Master Summoner.

  Three adults and a tee
nager exited the temple, and Ruwen stopped when he recognized them. He looked for somewhere to hide, but there were no options in the middle of the street.

  Ruwen stared, paralyzed, and his interface mistook his focus as a request for name and Class information.

  The tallest adult had grey hair and wore a white robe with a blue circle stitched on the chest. Basic information appeared above his head:

  Name: High Priest Fusil

  Class: Order

  Sub Class: Priest

  Specialization: Administration

  Class Rank: Adept

  The other adult male, dressed in a fine grey robe with blue fringe read:

  Name: Luim Strongspell

  Class: Mage

  Sub Class: Elemental

  Specialization: Cold

  Class Rank: Acolyte

  The only woman wore a light blue dress with a grey vest. She had a ring on every finger, each with a small glass bulb. Even from here Ruwen could see the movement in the glass. He read her information:

  Name: Annul Strongspell

  Class: Merchant

  Sub Class: Crafter

  Specialization: Glass

  Class Rank: Journeyman

  And finally the smirking teenager, who stared directly at Ruwen. His tailored pants and shirt were dark grey, and he wore a blue scarf that hung loosely around his neck. Ruwen gasped as he read:

  Name: Slib Strongspell

  Class: Mage

  Sub Class: -----

  Specialization: -----

  Class Rank: Novice

  A Mage! How could that be? Slib was one of the dumbest kids he knew. Why would the goddess make him a Mage? It didn’t make sense. Slib’s family had a shop where they sold glass figurines with magically trapped ice storms inside them. It was a status symbol to own one of the Strongspell’s figurines.

  The two men shook hands and laughed while Annul looked pleased. Slib strode toward Ruwen, and he forced himself to stay put. Slib was shorter than Ruwen but had to weigh at least a hundred pounds more. Ruwen wished he could see Slib’s attributes, but until he received his Class interface, all he knew was what he could see with his own eyes. It appeared to Ruwen like Slib must have at least a sixteen Constitution. His Strength had to be above average as well since he had felt Slib’s punches on more than one occasion.

  Slib’s bullying had started when Ruwen was singled out for being smarter and then separated from the rest of the students. Slib wasn’t the only one who had bullied Ruwen the past three years, but he was the worst.

  “Hey, Rock Head,” Slib said.

  Rock Head? Even his insults were stupid. Ruwen didn’t think Slib would hit him in front of adults, but there was no reason to risk it, so Ruwen kept his mouth shut. Slib didn’t matter today. In a few minutes, Ruwen would be a Mage as well. Then he could put the bully in his place during their Mage training. That made Ruwen smile.

  “What’s so funny?” Slib asked.

  Ruwen couldn’t help himself. “Your future.”

  Slib took a quick step forward, but Ruwen stood his ground.

  “Oh yeah? If you didn’t notice I’m a Mage now, you traitor piece of trash,” Slib said.

  Ruwen frowned and tried to let the insult go. Slib wanted to get a reaction out of him, which had been a lot easier this past year with all the rumors surrounding his parents.

  Ruwen leaned forward and whispered. “You probably have the Mana of a maggot. I’ll be an Apprentice Rune Mage before you learn to light a candle.”

  So much for letting the insult go. Ruwen needed to work harder on keeping his mouth shut.

  “You piece of —” Slib started.

  “Slib!” Annul called.

  Slib turned around.

  “Let’s go get you settled at the Mage Academy,” Annul said.

  “Coming, Mom,” Slib said.

  Slib turned back to him. “I’ll find you later, Book Brain.”

  Was Book Brain even an insult? Again, he wondered how the goddess could have allowed this to happen. Slib gave him a toothy grin and then rejoined his parents. After a moment, the three of them walked away and disappeared behind the temple. The high priest looked at him and scowled.

  “Come here, boy,” High Priest Fusil said.

  Ruwen didn’t like the priest’s tone or that he called him boy when the man could easily see his name. His stomach turned. Something wasn’t right. Ruwen jogged to the man, gave a small bow, and crossed his arms in an x over his chest.

  “May Uru’s light shine on you,” Ruwen said and then stood up straight.

  The priest narrowed his eyes. “Have your parents contacted you?”

  Ruwen took a step backward. He had expected the priest to return the blessing, not to bring up his parents. The priest didn’t sound worried about them either. The tone was more accusatory as if Ruwen were hiding them.

  “No, I haven’t seen them for a year,” Ruwen said.

  The priest’s expression made it clear he didn’t believe Ruwen.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Fusil said.

  The priest turned and walked through the open door of the temple. Ruwen glanced at the Guardians and then followed, leaving the door open behind him. Inside, large shakers illuminated six statues, three along each wall. They faced the rear of the temple and the large statue of Uru that stood there. Oak benches lined each side of the room, creating a path down the center that led to an altar in front of Uru’s statue.

  The priest had already walked halfway down the aisle. Ruwen had read books on the Ascension, and this wasn’t what they described. The priest should have taken Ruwen to each statue, explained how the Class benefited the community, and compared that with Ruwen’s natural abilities. The statue of your future Class sometimes glowed when Uru decided your destiny. But the priest walked briskly past the six figures.

  “Aren’t you going to present me to Uru?” Ruwen asked.

  The priest didn’t stop. “No need. I know what to do with you.”

  Ruwen relaxed. The priest must have reviewed his school records and his attributes. Why waste time with this ceremony when the choice was obvious.

  Ruwen took a moment to study the statues along the west wall. The first was a robed woman, her head thrown back, arms reaching into the sky, a flame in one hand and lightning in the other. Ruwen stood straight, pride filling him. In moments he would die and be revived as this Class, a Mage. He wouldn’t be a simple Elemental Mage like Slib’s dad. Ruwen wanted to be a Rune or maybe even a Chaos Mage.

  The next statue crouched low, a bow in his left hand, his right reaching back for an arrow. Daggers rested on each hip. This was an Observer, the base Class for Shades, Marksman, and Scouts.

  The last statue on this side was a bulky man with a pack on his back. His left hand held a pick and his right a handful of wheat. The statue represented the Worker, the most common Class by far. Their lives were filled with mundane tasks that were necessary but dreary.

  Ruwen quickly looked to his right. For the Merchant, a man stood with a blacksmith hammer in one hand and a bag of coins in the other. This Class had two main branches, one for Crafters and one for those that made money trading and selling.

  Next stood the Fighter, a woman with a long sword in her right hand and a short sword in her left. A shield was strapped to her back. She wore mail and had a determined look on her face. Both of Ruwen’s parents had been Fighters.

  The last statue was a robed man, his arms crossed over his chest in prayer, his head bowed. The Order Class contained Priests, Judges, and Healers.

  Ruwen faced the back wall of the temple as Fusil disappeared through a door behind the altar. Ruwen hurried to follow but took a second to stare at the statue of Uru. The goddess had many forms but was usually depicted as a young woman with kind eyes. Ruwen crossed his arms in respect and then walked through the door.

  He immediately began descending a circular granite staircase. Taking the stairs two at a time, he quickly reached the bottom. He followed the pri
est down the only hallway.

  The hallway’s floor, ceiling, and walls were made of oak planks, which ended in a doorway with rounded corners. Ruwen stepped into a grey room about twenty feet wide. Chairs lined the walls, and a single closed door was across the room. Since the priest had disappeared, Ruwen assumed he’d left through the far door. Should he follow him? Unsure, he sat on the nearest chair. This was the strangest room he had ever seen. Everything seemed to be made from the same metal, which Ruwen didn’t recognize. What an incredible waste. Why would anyone do this? They could make hundreds of swords with the metal in this room. There were no paintings or tapestries on the walls, and the floor didn’t have a single rug. It felt like he was floating in the middle of a thundercloud.

  The cotton vest he’d worn made it hard to breathe. His growth spurt had made all his clothes too tight. He had tucked his pants into his leather boots to hide their short length. Soon he would be able to afford new clothes. Mages made even more than Merchants.

  Instead of shakers, illumination came from a three-inch line that ran along the top of the wall, its glow providing an even light. The far door opened, and a brown-haired priest waved at him to approach. The priest must have had his settings on private since Ruwen couldn’t read his name.

  Ruwen’s stomach turned with anxiety and excitement. It was finally time.

  He entered the new room and stopped next to the brown-haired priest. High Priest Fusil and a priestess with short dark hair stood next to the Ascendancy Pool. The rest of the room was empty.