by Dan Neil
“He killed every king. How could you have been made a Valkhar if—” Matalo asked.
“I named him,” a thin voice called out.
Matalo, Scipion, and the others turned to see a young man on horseback trot forward. He wore gilded armor lined with expensive fur, and a wooden crown rested upon his head. His light brown eyes betrayed sadness within—a pain he wanted not to show.
Matalo asked, “And who are you?”
“By Aion!” Zel Yano cried out as he fell to one knee. “Those are the eyes of the queen as I’ve seen them. The rumors are true. Prince Logan Barradi.”
Zel Rybeck corrected the Valkhar. “He’s a king now.”
“It’s fine.” The king smiled weakly. “It is good to see survivors for once.”
Scipion turned to Zel Yano, and they shared a glance.
If he believes it’s him, it must be him.
Scipion, Matalo, and all the others fell to their knees before King Barradi. The Lost Prince had found them.
Chapter 12
Into Shadow
Day 120 of the Season of Aion, 1020 YAR
Aliya awoke with a headache. She and Friedrich were encamped a few miles out from Greerwood. The forest had come into view two days ago; the moment that she had laid eyes on the lifeless gray trees in the distance, a sense of unease had washed over her.
She announced under her breath, “Today’s the day.”
Friedrich was still sleeping, and she decided to wake him after making coffee. She reached into her supply pouch and produced the necessary spellstones for a hot breakfast.
After seasoning a healthy slice of bacon, she cooked it lightly with a weak fire spell and shook it under Friedrich’s nose. Without opening his eyes, he took a bite, grunting his approval.
“Come on, then; it’s time to get up. I’ve let you sleep as long as I can.”
“Mmmmrrrr.”
“And you say I’m difficult to wake up.”
“Mrrrrrmmm. Mmm.”
Aliya shook him until his eyes opened.
“All right, fine. Ugh—can’t you just let me sleep for five more minutes?”
“No. The sun’s up, bandits are about, and Greerwood’s less than a day’s travel.”
Friedrich sat up and stretched. “You’re up early,” he remarked.
Smiling, she asked, “Coffee?”
“Of course. Thanks!” He eagerly accepted a piping hot cup with both hands.
Clapping her hands together, Aliya began, “Now then—I scanned the area. It’s a good thing that we didn’t go to Northstead; the place is crawling with enemies. There’s something big happening there.”
“Are we going to get involved?”
“I don’t think we should; time is of the essence when it comes to saving Carter. If he’s still alive—well, that could change at any moment.”
Friedrich nodded. “Fair enough. We push forward, then—get ourselves into the forest. Then what? Do you have any idea of what we will encounter?”
“Why would I?”
“Well, didn’t Carter ever talk to you about what he saw in there?”
Aliya stared toward the forest in the near horizon. “Cats as large as men with teeth like daggers and wolves with ice pelts. Starving and freezing bandits so desperate for food that they’d eat anything that moved. Shadows that follow you and whisper in familiar voices.”
After a healthy sip of hot coffee, Friedrich’s mouth twitched. “Not exactly comforting.”
“We’ll be fine; I’ll sense anything coming our way. Nothing can hurt us if we know it’s there,” she explained.
“Can’t you just scan the entire forest or something?”
Aliya shook her head. “I don’t think that I could reach far enough. And even if I could, I don’t know if it would work. I’d need a lot of energy to sustain that spell long enough to identify every living creature within.”
“So, we search the forest section by section.”
“That might be the only way. Hurry up and eat your bacon; we can talk on the go.”
Aliya packed up their makeshift camp while Friedrich finished his breakfast. Then, she ripped a chunk of earth from the ground—taking only as much as she could easily carry while flying—and they soared over the last few miles of the Plains of Ithera. From their vantage point, they saw the endless gray of Greerwood extending to the horizon.
Hopefully, it looks less foreboding up close, Aliya thought.
Without a word, they soared over the sea of grass. On the last mile of their journey, the sky began to darken, and the air grew thicker. Friedrich began to shiver.
Wanting to keep the mood as light as possible, Aliya teased him. “Cold already?”
Rubbing his arms, he retorted, “Oh, shut up.”
“It’s about to get a lot colder.”
“I realize that.”
“Should we stop to put on our freeze suits?”
“No; I don’t think that’s necessary yet.”
A coy smile spread across Aliya’s lips. “Are you sure? Might prevent shrinkage if we did it now.”
“What the hell?” Friedrich chuckled. “Am I taking this more seriously than you?”
“We’re about to jump into the heart of danger. Usually, you tell jokes when we do that.”
He nodded. “Usually, I do—but this feels different.”
Aliya frowned. “Yeah; I guess it does.”
They arrived at Greerwood. Aliya landed their makeshift vehicle. Shudders ran down her spine as they stood before the forest. The wickedly curved and spiked trees blocked out all sunlight; only the white winds carrying endless snow were visible. They were hardly able to see five feet into the forest.
Turning to her, Friedrich asked, “So, why can’t we just fly above it?”
“We won’t be able to see anything from above the treeline.”
“Can’t you just scan everything?”
Aliya’s lips curled into a taut frown. No—because if Carter is dead, he won’t show up on a scan.
Staring ahead, she nodded. “It’ll be faster if we go on foot.”
“I don’t think we’ll be able to make anything out with the winds, either.”
“We’ll use a heat spell to increase our visibility,” Aliya said as she and Friedrich pulled out their specialized cold weather freeze suits—skintight, gray suits with a metal circle upon the chest, in which several spellstones for heat were embedded—and donned them beneath their regular clothes. They flipped up the hoods and adjusted their goggles. “If we get separated, stay put, and I’ll come to you. I’ll be constantly scanning for threats; so, I need you to guide me and look out for me. Sound good?”
“Sounds about right. So, I just make sure you don’t slam your face into any trees.”
“More or less—I know you can handle it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh, your faith in me means so much.”
Aliya faced Greerwood. It towered over them like a gray, dead monolith, and her hope shrank before it.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. An image appeared in her mind—that of her entire family together and happy.
You can do this. Just remember why you’re doing this.
Something grabbed her hand, and she turned and saw Friedrich, whose face wore a serious expression. Their eyes met.
“You ready?” he asked.
She nodded. “I think so.”
They took their first steps into the cursed forest.
—
Lorinal twirled her dagger, deeply lost in thought. She sat on a stone bench in a park near Diligence Square, her tenth day of waiting for Captain Alrick to make contact. Morning light broke between the trees, appearing as beams scattered on the ground.
A portal opened not ten feet away, and Oliver Alrick stepped through it,
his face stern.
Lorinal jumped up. “Well? What’s going on?”
He scowled. “Pertaining to your case? You are still suspended from the militia.”
“I meant Keia. What are you going to do to Keia?”
Oliver seemed surprised. “I do not know what you are talking about.”
Lorinal’s frown deepened. “Really, Captain Alrick?”
“I am not on duty right now. I have not come as your captain, Lorinal. I have come as your friend.”
A scoff broke out of her lips. “No, you haven’t. You’re taking her side!”
“You endangered her life,” Oliver said. “You attacked a fellow soldier. And when I gave you a chance to say you would try to work together, you immediately threw it in my face.”
“Here’s another theory: since you’re so close with Aliya and the rest of the oh-so-prestigious Atlos family, you’ve suspended me to cover for her. Wouldn’t be the first time, would it? It’s not like she ever paid for killing my grandparents!”
Through clenched teeth, Oliver replied, “That is not what is happening here.”
A feverish heat swelled in her face. “I can’t believe this! You’re really letting her get away with it? She’s playing the victim!”
“Lorinal, please.”
“No, don’t ‘please’ me, Oliver! You aren’t listening! I’m telling you she’s harassing me—me! I earned my spot in the militia! I earned my spot in Crown’s. I’m here because I’m good enough to be, and she’s not! So why are you protecting her?”
“You are mistaken!” Oliver shook his head. “Keia belongs in the Fifth Magician’s Division just as much as anyone. I have seen that girl give more of herself to this than any other. I have seen her bleed and suffer and fight for her right to be here.”
Lorinal was smoldering. “You’re in league with her.”
“There is no conspiracy against you, Lorinal.”
Voice dripping with cold rage, she said, “That witch has turned you—and everyone—against me. Just when I thought she could never take anything else from me, she takes everything I have left. And yet, still, you stand by her side.”
His eyes begging, Oliver said, “You are not in a clear state of mind, Lorinal. There are other forces at work. Myrddin believes you may have been controlled by an outsider—someone who wanted to manipulate your hatred and counted on you being an easy target.”
“So, you and Myrddin are inventing some wild fantasy to explain what happened? It’s easy enough to see what happened, and we don’t need to conjure dark entities in cloaks to explain it!”
He said, “You will not even consider the possibility! Think, Lorinal. Why would Keia do this to herself? Why would she control you and force you to traumatize her?”
“Because she knows I’m better than her. She’s afraid of me! That’s why she’s trying to get me kicked out!”
Oliver sighed. “I am sorry. This conversation has become counterproductive. I must go.”
“That bitch is clearly after me! You and Myrddin really aren’t going to do anything about this? How could you?! I’m sorry the wrong person killed the people who raised me! I’m sorry that my sister isn’t a knight, and I actually had to earn my fucking keep!”
When Lorinal finished shouting, she took a few deep breaths and realized Oliver was gone. She growled in anger and punched the bench.
Those idiots. Those fucking idiots. How can they not see that she obviously set me up! She’s had it out for me since the day she killed my grandparents. That lying, murdering bitch isn’t going to win!
Lorinal walked home in a hurry and paced in her room. She shook her head and muttered to herself.
“Dark entity—get real, Oliver. You’re fucking lying to protect her. Because she’s an Atlos—or maybe she’s giving him some. Or maybe she’s got everyone under a spell. That would explain why a second-rate mage like her is allowed within ten feet of the militia.”
From this point onward, Keia was her enemy, and everyone was against Lorinal. After all, there could be no way Oliver was telling the truth. If some dark entity was probing the depths of her mind, she would know.
Just to test their assertions, Lorinal centered herself and looked inwards.
If there is anybody—else, please let me know.
She heard and felt nothing; so, she became bolder.
If there’s something in my mind, show me how to cast a spell to rid myself of Keia once and for all.
After a moment, she sighed. “Nothing—so much for their theory.”
Lorinal paced and muttered until exhaustion overcame her. She rested her head and fell asleep instantly.
Plunged into a new dream, Lorinal soared above the world, twirling freely in the gales. She could go anywhere and do anything—even Keia was incapable of taking this from her.
As she soared through the skies, something appeared in the distance: a pyramid. An unseen force tugged at her mind, drawing her toward it. As she neared the structure, she made out tattered decorations and idols.
Must be some sort of temple.
A hooded figure sat near the entrance. Two glowing red eyes and a bright, spinning golden mark on its forehead were all she could discern. A black cloak covered its body as it sat cross-legged.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“Only a figment,” the figure replied in a smooth but menacing voice. “A remnant. I will cease to exist when you wake up.”
“Is that so?” Lorinal asked. “You’re not out in the real world influencing my mind, making me hate the person who killed my grandparents?”
The figure chuckled. “I think you know what you believe about that.”
Lorinal smiled. The hooded menace was almost comical—exactly what she imagined when dark entities were invoked by Oliver.
Scowling, she asked, “What is this place?”
“It was once a temple. Now it is a ruin—a testament to a greater world than yours.”
“A temple? And who is prayed to here?”
Its gaze unceasing, the figure replied, “An old god. The only god. One who was worshipped long before you were born and will be worshipped until all life is extinguished—until the last light is buried in darkness. The creator of all.”
Her head tilted. “Aion? That doesn’t sound like him.”
The figure did not reply.
“Why are you in my dream?”
“I believe you had a question,” the figure said. The golden mark was spinning and pulsing. The deep, silky voice echoed throughout Lorinal. “Something about somebody you hate—and what you want to do to them. Is that not true?”
How did he know that?
“It is true,” she replied. “But I didn’t really mean it.”
“Didn’t mean it?” The figure’s head snapped toward her. “You certainly seemed to. You could have asked for any knowledge, and you asked for that. The first thing that appeared in your mind—I think that means something.”
“It doesn’t mean anything.” Lorinal turned her back on the entity. “Why should I even listen to you if you don’t exist? You can’t help me.”
“Just because I don’t exist doesn’t mean I can’t offer insight.” The figure smiled menacingly. “Quite the opposite, really. If I don’t exist, and nothing will come of it, what’s the danger? I’m just a figment in a dream.”
Lorinal frowned. Her hands slowly curled into fists as she weighed her options.
Maybe there is no justice in the Kingdom of Gaddeaux, except the justice I create.
“Well?” she asked. “Do you have an answer?”
Chapter 13
Forbidden Magic
Day 125 of the Season of Aion, 1020 YAR
“I must admit,” Myrddin said to begin Keia’s nightly training session, “I didn’t think you’d still be here.”
&nbs
p; Keia cocked her head to the side. “Why’s that?”
“I was under the impression that you wanted to leave.”
Her voice was drenched in melancholy. “I thought about it a lot, and it’s not like I’d be much use out there. Besides, I’ve never really left Genievon before. I’d be lost and outmatched.”
“Your reason for staying matters not. I’m glad you made the right choice. Tonight, we will be talking about something different. I speak of Forbidden Magic.”
Keia’s heart skipped a beat. “Wh-what?”
“Forbidden Magic.”
Half of Keia’s mouth curled downward. “Do we have time for this, Myrddin?”
“There is not much time at all, I’m afraid,” the wizard said.
“Exactly—less than two months until a test I can’t afford to fail. So shouldn’t we focus on something a little more—realistic? I don’t want to end up in the Lockout.”
She shuddered to think of stories from the king’s cruel super-prison. It was the last place in the world she wanted to be—especially because it was under Gaheris’s control.
“I won’t teach the spells themselves,” Myrddin explained, detecting her anxiety. “They are of no use within the kingdom. The Eternal Laws of Magic have domain here. Within that boundary, any use of Forbidden Magic will result in a fate worse than death—eternal preservation in indestructible Crystalia, an unbreakable magical stone.”
“Crys-what now?”
“Crystalia. A spell created by the previous Adviser on Magic. Yes, all who attempt any form of Forbidden Magic within the laws’ range will be covered in stone for eternity—a cruel punishment to prevent further cruelty.”
Morbidly curious, Keia had to ask, “How many have been frozen in it?”
“Six individuals—though I will not bother detailing their exploits. More importantly, you must know the spells. If and when you leave the kingdom to fight your enemies in the north, I can at least rest assured that you know how to defend yourself from those who do not share our inclination to refrain from casting certain spells.”
“I’m not going to leave until my training is complete,” she said. “I want to do this the right way. I need to pass that stupid test, or Gaheris will make sure that I end up imprisoned. I need to stay in the King’s Militia—it’s the only way.”
