Defying Destiny

by Andrew Rowe

  Edon continued his research for many years, sending expeditions into the “Paths of Ascension” — a dangerous vault filled with traps and monsters left behind by the Xixian Empire — in order to find more magical items to use for his research. He also performed experiments on uvar, rethri children who were generally considered to be terminally ill. It is possible he was searching for an actual cure for their condition, but he also appears to have been using them as research subjects for determining how to safely give magical powers to others.

  At the end of Forging Divinity, he was defeated by Lydia and arrested. Tylan and her son, Byron, took control of the kingdom of Orlyn in the aftermath.

  Rialla Dianis is a rethri sorceress and the older sister of one of the uvar that Donovan Tailor was experimenting on. She managed to keep her brother alive for many years on her own after fleeing home as a teenager with her infant brother. Initially, she was convinced that Tailor could find a cure for her brother’s illness, and willingly gave her service to Tailor in exchange.

  When she discovered that Donovan seemed to be using her brother and other children for testing other types of magic, she was convinced to help overthrow him and take her brother to Aayara for help.

  Rialla is now in Aayara’s employ, serving with the name “Shiver”.

  She has demonstrated a broad variety of magic, including deception, travel, and ice. Some characters have noted that her eye color has changed over the years, which indicates that Edon may have performed experiments on her as well.

  Jonathan Sterling is the assumed name of a vae’kes who infiltrated the Trials of Unyielding Steel, the series of tests taken to join the Paladins of Tae’os. His goal was apparently to assassinate Landen of the Twin Edges, one of the candidates in the exam. While he was stopped from killing Landen, he killed multiple others, including paladin Lieutenant Garrick Torrent.

  During the battle, he also severely injured Lydia, and stole some of her sorcerous abilities. He escaped unharmed, with none of the weapons or spells used against him proving effective.

  Cassius Morn is a former member of the Thornguard’s Bladebreaker division, the group dedicated to countering sorcerers. Cassius participated in the Trials of Unyielding Steel as Susan Crimson, and also trained with the legendary warrior Herod under the identity of Morgan Stern at some point in the past. It is unclear which of those three identities, if any, is the original. Cassius was working with Sterling during the exams and escaped along with him after the assassination attempt.

  Landen of the Twin Edges is a skilled swordsman, as well as a close friend of Taelien and Velas. He once had the name Larkin Theas, of the legendary house Theas, but changed his name and identity at some point after leaving his home city. Unlike most members of House Theas, Landen has never demonstrated any sorcerous talents.

  Nakane Theas is the surviving child of Edrick Theas and a talented young sorceress. She is one of the few survivors of an attempt to wipe out her family by assassins, along with her cousin, Landen, and her absentee father, Edrick Theas.

  Edrick Theas is one of the three legendary “immortal sorcerers”, human sorcerers who have found a means of extending their life far past the normal capability of human survival. He specializes in defensive magic and is responsible for the powerful wards on the walls and gates of the city of Velthryn.

  Blake Hartigan is one of the other three “immortal sorcerers”, and specializes in offensive magic and alchemy. At the end of Stealing Sorcery, he agrees to take Lydia as a student.

  Erik Tarren is the last of the three “immortal sorcerers”, and a famous scholar and world traveler. His books on history and magic theory are used throughout the continent. He specializes in teleportation magic.

  Asphodel is a delaren “oracle” who took the Trials of Unyielding Steel along with Taelien and Velas. She sees a few seconds into the future simultaneously with the present, allowing her to easily avoid most attacks. With concentration, she can divine further into the future, but looking at Taelien shows her someone else entirely, and looking at Velas shows her nothing at all.

  Aladir Ta’thyriel is Lydia’s partner in the Paladins of Tae’os. He is one of the most skilled healers in the organization, blessed with the Gifts of Lyssari, the Goddess of Life. He is capable of casting the “Spark of Life” spell, which can bring someone back from the brink of death. It is not guaranteed to succeed, however, and failed when he attempted to save Kalsiris Theas’ life.

  The Shrouded One is the leader of a dangerous cult (The Disciples of the First) that was responsible for ordering the assassination of the Theas family. While the attempts on Nakane and Landen were unsuccessful, their organization successfully killed Nadelya and Kalsiris Theas, Nakane’s mother and brother. Members of the organization believe The Shrouded One can see the future, and that certain people must be eliminated to save the world. While the future-sight is suspiciously similar to Asphodel’s, currently no connection between the two has been found.

  Prologue I – Edon – Senses of Irony

  Donovan Tailor’s jail cell was surprisingly well-furnished.

  There was a wooden table toward the center, piled high with books and scrolls he dearly wished that he could read. An unused chair sat beside it, looking temptingly comfortable.

  The bed looked like an excellent place to rest, in spite of the dust. No one had changed the blankets or pillows in some time, it seemed. This was unsurprising, since it was little more than a prop to illuminate the potential for comfort just beyond his reach.

  None of those things drew his attention like the mirror, however. It was a tall standing mirror with a golden frame, the surface clean and bright. That, at least, was being properly maintained.

  He stared at it with the full knowledge that someone somewhere might be staring right back at him.

  How had he failed to see it sooner?

  It was a shame that he had no way of taking action. He couldn’t approach the mirror to write a message or smash it apart.

  He was, of course, chained to the wall on the furthest side of the room.

  All it took was one mistake. One minor miscalculation.

  How many decisions will it take to fix things?

  Before he could answer himself, the room’s solitary door began to open.

  “No knock?” Donovan inquired. “How rude.”

  A familiar woman stepped inside, her flame-red hair pulled back into a neat bun. She was not wearing the robe of a court sorcerer, however, as she had when she’d worked in his service.

  No, she wore the colors of a Paladin of Tae’os now. Her true affiliation from the beginning, if his suspicion was not mistaken.

  “Lydia Scryer.” A thin smile played across his lips. “I’m a tad surprised. I’d expected you to flee the country after deposing me.”

  The woman stepped fully inside, waited a moment with a glance toward the doorway, then shut the door. She turned her gaze toward him. “Deposed implies rulership. You were never the true ruler of this kingdom, Edon.”

  He shrugged a shoulder as best he could with the restraints. “Ruler? Not in the sense of being a king, certainly. But a king is a thing of birthrights and bloodlines. I was something greater, something purer. I was a god to the people of this city, and that godhood was earned.”

  “You were a charlatan who took advantage of the population’s ignorance to spread your false doctrine. Then, when there was a threat — the prince coming of age — you never intended to allow him to earn his rightful throne.”

  Donovan’s lips twisted into a frown. “Is that what you believe? I had no intention of denying Byron the throne. I delayed the coronation because of the assassination attempt. I was working to discover who was responsible.”

  Lydia leaned back against the wall opposite from him, her expression neutral. She glanced away for just a moment and then turned back to him. “Regardless of what your intentions were with Byron, you were misleading the people of this city. Why? You believed in sharing knowledge once, didn’t yo
u?”

  Donovan nodded, feeling exhaustion seeping in, deeper than the cold of the chains. “Of course...but they cast me aside. Everyone did. Even the gods themselves. Especially the gods.” He shook his head. “The people of this city needed someone...something to believe in. A god who actually cared for them. Someone who would be present in the world, willing to tend to their needs. I intended, at first, to tell everyone how my new form of magic worked, but as I learned more, I began to see the limitations...and those same limits are why I could not take the risk.”

  “You were hoarding magical items.” Lydia folded her arms. “Because you needed them to fuel your sorcery. If you spread the word that anyone could gain access to magic by linking themselves to enchanted objects, it would have created fierce competition. Moreover, if the queen regent could reproduce what you’d learned, it would have rendered you expendable.”

  “Ah.” Donovan’s eyes gleamed as he gave Lydia a closer look. “You do understand. You read my notes, then.”

  Lydia waved a hand. “Some of them. The queen regent denied me access to your library after we’d apprehended you. But I understood the basics.” She shook her head. “I understand a degree of what you were doing and why. I might have even been convinced to agree with parts of it. But you crossed a couple lines.”

  “Oh? Tell me, Miss Scryer, what invisible lines were so important to you?”

  Lydia pointed to the sigil of Sytira pinned to her tunic. “One. You outlawed other religions in your city and persecuted anyone who wouldn’t follow you.”

  He leaned against the chains, tightening his jaw. “People spend their entire lives with knees bent in hope of being the one in ten thousand that will be blessed by divine gifts. But there is no amount of prayer that will bring the gods to your rescue. Eratar will not visit you and bring you knowledge from his travels. Lissari will not heal your ill. And Lysandri will not cry over your grave when you die.” He turned his head aside. “She won’t even notice. Because she abandoned you, and everyone else, long ago.”

  “You may believe that, but it doesn’t give you the right to deny others the ability to worship as they choose.”

  “Pah. I never sought to punish those who were foolish enough to continue worshipping the absent. Who someone wants to whisper to in the dark of night is their own business, even if I don’t approve.”

  Lydia raised an eyebrow, waving at the chains. “Then why put Taelien in here when he arrived?”

  Donovan laughed. “Is that what this is about? A bit of ironic revenge for how I treated your champion? Please. I didn’t even know your swordsman was in the city until after he’d escaped. If I had, I’d have invited him for dinner, not thrown him into a cell.”

  “I have no reason to believe that.” Her expression showed hesitation in spite of her words. Doubt.

  That was good.

  She never should have let him talk.

  “Believe what you will, but from the moment I heard the Sae’kes was available in the city, I knew it was a potential asset. You understand my style of sorcery, at least to some limited degree. Can you imagine what would be possible with a link to a weapon of that kind?”

  “Unfortunately, I can. That’s part of why I assume you wanted to steal it.”

  “Steal? Quite the opposite. I doubt my body could have handled the strain of connecting with an object like that. I would have made a god of that man, someone malleable. A sign of the old giving way to the new.” He sighed. “It’s a shame that things ended the way they did. I’m still not certain you understand how completely you were manipulated. Tell me, who controls this city now?”

  “King Byron,” she answered automatically.

  Donovan smiled. “It’s cute that you think that.”

  “You refer to his Thornguard contacts?”

  Ah, excellent. That confirms one thing. Let’s see how much deeper I can go.

  “You say ‘Thornguard’, but do you believe a mere Thornguard was the mastermind?”

  She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Byron is king, and he’s reopened the option to worship anyone the citizens please. Even you, amusingly enough.”

  “Ah, yes. They dress me up every once in a while, keeping void-imbued shackles within my robes, and parade me about the kingdom to assure everyone I’m still watching over them.” He let out a bitter chuckle. “I’m sure they’ll find a good enough actor to replace me eventually.”

  “I don’t think acting is the issue.” Lydia glanced to her side again, then shook her head. “I think they’re still hoping to pry how your magic works out of you to make a real replacement.”

  “Oh, they’ve tried, I assure you. But interrogating me has proven less than useful.”

  Lydia frowned. “Why?”

  “I’ve forgotten some pertinent details.” His smile turned victorious.

  “Forgotten...” She frowned. “Knowledge sorcery. Or memory, perhaps? You either overused them...or, lost those memories deliberately?”

  “A bit of both, truly. The intent was to make certain that the full depths of my secrets could only be discovered through a combination of my own knowledge and Morella’s, as well as access to our notes. We did not wish to take the risk that others could steal our work simply by capturing one of us. We were, it would appear, at least somewhat successful.”

  “Such a waste...” Lydia sighed.

  “I agree, dear. I agree. And you can take a bit of responsibility for that loss.”

  Her hands tightened. “I did what I needed to do. You were experimenting on children.”

  Donovan felt an old anger building inside him. “To cure them of a fatal illness. If I’d had enough time—”

  “I read enough of your notes to know that’s not the full story. You weren’t just looking for a cure. You were testing the limits of applying dominion marks on living creatures. The uvar children were a unique opportunity for you, since they had practically no dominion essence to start with. They were even easier to work with than human children would have been...and you always had the pretense of saying you were trying to fix their condition. Moreover, that was only the first step of your plan.”

  “I—”

  “I’m not done. You learned early on that linking them to a single dominion wouldn’t fix their problem — the child’s body would simply be flooded with essence of a single type, which would be fatal. Linking them to items with multiple dominions was the next step, and you made progress by using items linked to protection and stability. That was real progress. Perhaps if you’d continued down that line, you would have found a cure. Maybe linking them to several different items, each containing a fraction of what they needed to live.” Lydia shook her head. “But you abandoned that line of research in favor of another. You were working on linking the children to each other — and to humans.”

  “I didn’t have the kind of resources necessary to find or construct dozens of dominion marked items for every child. But if I could pair a human with a rethri child, sharing their essence...”

  “You might be able to stabilize the child that way, at some cost to the human essence donor.” Lydia nodded. “A reasonable enough plan. Perhaps it could have worked. But that’s not what you were doing, was it?”

  She reached into a pouch at her side, removing a piece of paper.

  On that paper was a six-by-ten grid, with a single rune representing a dominion in each section.

  In the center was a single circle, with lines stretching outward to every single grid space.

  There were scribbled notes on the side and the bottom of the page, illegible to Donovan without his glasses.

  But he knew what they said.

  “A reproduction of one of the pages in your notebook. At first, I thought it was a simple cosmological map. One of many attempts to organize the dominions into a coherent format.” Lydia shook her head. “But upon examining the notations,” she waved a hand at the text on the bottom, “I realized it was nothing of the kind.”

  “Is this what
you’re here for?” Donovan deflated. “To chastise me for ideas that never came to be? It was a concept, a hypothetical. Nothing more.”

  “You were planning to use children as batteries, Edon. You’d mark them with a dominion, keep them in some form of stasis, and link them to yourself. And rather than giving them a fraction of your strength to make them stable, you’d draw on their power whenever you needed it.”

  Donovan set his jaw. “Only the ones I couldn’t save.” He shook his head. “There were those among them that would not have survived even with the best care I could have provided. This would have given them meaning. Purpose.”

  “Right. The purpose of making you more powerful.” Lydia wrinkled her nose in disgust.

  “I never sought power purely for its own sake.” Donovan paused, his breath stolen by the now-familiar pangs of regret. “With one child serving as a self-replenishing source for each dominion, I would have had the means to enchant items of any type that I needed. Eventually, I would have found the necessary combination of items to treat the other children, and I would have had the means to produce them in high quantities.”

  Sadly, Lydia showed no sign of acknowledging how eminently reasonable his plan had been. Her eyes simply narrowed, focused with an intensity he could not understand. “Rialla’s brother. Was he one of the ones you ‘couldn’t save’? Were all those years she spent in your service going to be rewarded by turning her brother into another item to power your sorcery?”

  She sounded...oddly invested in that line of questioning.