“Your darker side has come back. I’ve missed him.” She smirked.
Thomas shook his head. “No, I won’t. I promised my father.”
“Embrace it Thomas. It’s who you are.”
“It’s not who I’ve been for twenty years. I abandoned the search when my father did.”
She brushed the back of her fingers on his cheek.
“Is it now? Then, why did you come to Castle Claybury?”
He pushed her fingers away. “You invited me, Aurora.”
She brushed her hair to one side and tilted her head, exposing the skin on her neck.
“Yes, I did but was that the only reason?”
He looked down. She knew. She must have kept tabs on his research.
“No, I’ve been looking for a letter sent by a Buford Wilke.”
Thomas pulled out the chain from around his neck. He held it before him and Aurora. The coin had two holes right above the horns of the Ox it depicted. Thomas never learned why someone punched through the metal but it allowed him to attach a chain to it so he could wear it wherever he went. After an intense time of research, Thomas learned that Buford was Master Buford from the Order of Man and wrote several letters to Gornd about troubles within the Order of Man. He’d kept his comments vague; none of them helped Thomas to learn more about the seventh progression or the four rules.
“Any why is that?” She put her hand on his thigh.
“He sent a letter with a clue on how to find the last progression for the Order of Man.”
Over the years, he’d told Aurora about the task Master Fiona had given Higel. She discovered Thomas’s abilities and his decision to no longer pursue them. Aurora kept a small sliver of his darker side alive. She tried to fan the flames regularly and Thomas allowed it to a certain point but he refused to embrace it. Why the lines came back now, he wasn’t sure.
“Thomas, I’ve been in contact with the Decayed.”
“What? Why?”
“Because might makes right. The Decayed are taking over and soon. I’m joining them. With the seventh progression and the King’s head, they’ll give me a place of power.”
“No. Aurora. I won’t. I can’t. My father.”
“Your father is old, once he dies your promise dies with him.”
“Don’t talk like that about my father and my promises!” Thomas jumped up. His muscles contracted and his eyes bulged. He grabbed Aurora by the throat and lifted her off the ground. She gasped for breath and pulled on his hands. Thomas may have been old, but he kept his body in peak shape.
Aurora managed to form a blue sphere and grew a hard structure between his hand and her throat. She added more magic to it, growing it outward. Her legs wiggled and her face began to turn blue. His grip slipped on the magic and eventually it separated him from her. Aurora, fell to the floor and formed spheres in her hands. She encased Thomas, stopping him from further attack. She coughed and gasped, her lungs searched for air.
Thomas watched as color returned to her face and she composed herself. Their relationship had never turned violent before. He feared a reprisal from Aurora but she only approached him and caressed the small bit of cheek that hadn’t been covered in magic.
“Join me, Thomas. Help me assassinate the King and swiftly bring power to the Decayed.”
He nodded. After the door closed behind her, the magic released and Thomas was alone.
Day 9 — Morning
Winthrop left the auditorium feeling energized. How could Fath’s idea of diplomacy overcome Dymnos’s strength and resolve? He walked backed to his room with Shannon, Jared, Mikael, and the rest of his class. They all were primed to take on a Decayed and threw spheres at phantom traitors and even each other in their exuberance. Winthrop performed magic with no obstacles, feeling like he’d found his home. They laughed and retold portions of their teacher’s speech. When Winthrop found his bed, his exhaustion from the day hit him like a club and he fell asleep as his head touched the pillow.
He awoke the next morning to banging on his wooden door. He opened it to find Jared.
“Time for our run. Let’s go.”
Winthrop threw on some clothes and followed Jared. They ran around the Order’s grounds several times at their fastest pace, taking breaks between each lap. Winthrop woke up after the first sprint and thoughts about the night before began to form. How would they discover traitors in the Order? What about those not here? His thoughts perplexed him, but he imagined Dymnos knew. Soon, they finished with their exercise and left to clean up before their next lesson.
Winthrop rushed to dry off his sweat and change. He left for the library and had a message from Linette waiting for him.
Winthrop,
I found a lead. I’m not sure what it means and could use your help. I went to search Thomas’s office and spoke to his apprentice. He mentioned that on the morning of Thomas’s death, he discovered a letter that had immense importance to him. He’d taken it with him. It wasn’t pretty, but I dug up his remains and found the letter. It had the words Senectus and Library on them. Can you ask around if that means anything? I will ask around after I get some sleep. It’s nearly sunrise already.
Your Friend,
Linette
Winthrop went to talk to the librarian but someone had claimed his attention. A warning bell rang and Winthrop rushed to class. He’d arrived before anyone else. Dymnos sat at a desk, scribbling something on a piece of parchment. He noticed Winthrop.
“Winthrop, good to see you. I saw you tossing spheres around last night with your classmates. Feel better about your abilities?”
He smiled. “Yes, sir. Thanks to you. Your speech helped give me some confidence…. some resolve. The Decayed have ruined enough lives. I’d like to make sure they hurt no one else.”
“Me too. That’s why I want to become the leader of this Order. Will you support me?”
“Yes, sir. Don’t be concerned, I doubt Fath will stand a chance.”
“You’d be surprised. Fath deals in manipulation and half-truths. He can be persuasive.”
At that moment, Winthrop felt he could truly trust Dymnos. His kindness mixed with his unbridled resolve brought respect.
“Sir, I’m also here on a mission from Knilin.”
One of Dymnos’s eyebrows perked up. “Do you feel comfortable sharing that with me?”
“After the attack on King Luther, Aurora murdered the guards and librarian at Castle Claybury. He believes that Aurora did something to one of the books. He’s not sure what, but my friend Linette is searching, hoping to find something out of place, so I can check the library here and compare.”
Dymnos leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin.
“Thank you for sharing this with me. I’m sure Knilin hoped you’d keep it secret. Your mission is safe with me. I hope you’ll share what you find with me. It might hold the key to rooting out the Decayed once and for all.”
Winthrop smiled. He was about to ask what Senectus meant when his classmates began to arrive and Dymnos started their lesson.
CHAPTER TEN
Day 9 — Morning
The men reeked of breakfast as they returned to the barracks to get into gear for duty. Her stomach growled, begging her for some sustenance. She rushed through, grabbing a small plate of the juicy meat, devouring it on her way to the Amanuensis. She doubted Winthrop had responded, but she checked anyway. The door wouldn’t open, leaving her question unanswered. Linette diverted her path toward the library, finding only one guard at the entrance. He let her pass without difficulty. Joshua’s kiss distracted her and fought for her focus. The guards must no longer think the library was a security concern. It nagged at her but too many things fought for her attention. The letter she found on Thomas’s body jumped to the forefront of her mind. She grabbed the key ring from Viola’s desk, wondering where the woman had gotten to.
“Viola?” she called. She had hoped the librarian might help her with the letter. The library remained quiet until she st
arted off toward the Decayed section. Her footsteps and the plethora of keys filled the room with a constant noise.
“Hello.” Falen peeked around from the aisle next to her.
Linette stopped and smiled. She liked his slightly disheveled hair. It had a rugged look to it. Linette stopped herself. She liked Joshua. She shouldn’t allow Falen to pull similar feelings out of her. He held a book in his hand and she watched as the blue magic that covered the binding lost its color and turned from a bright blue to a dull brown.
“How’d you do that?”
“Do what?”
“The magic, you turned it brown. I’ve never seen that happen before.”
He smirked at her. “It’s a secret.”
She could strangle him. “It’s important that you tell me.” It happened again. Her hands formed bright white spheres, and she floated off the ground. It wasn’t as surprising as the first time, which gave her a moment to give him a serious look.
“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. It’s a dye that I use.” He pulled out a tube from his cloak. He opened the top and pulled out a dropper. He squeezed it and brown liquid stained his palm. He grabbed a book from the shelf nearby and formed a blue sphere in his other hand. He rubbed it along the spine. The magic took, healing the book. Then, he rubbed the dye along it. It took a few minutes to absorb, but when it did, the book looked like magic had never touched it.
“But I’ve noticed some books still have blue on them.”
“This dye is expensive to make, so most don’t use it. I’m a purist, if there is a label for those of us that insist on returning things to their natural look and feel.”
“Would you know if someone had used Ox magic on something even if someone changed the color?”
“Where are you going with this?”
Linette found a volume nearby and handed it to him. The cover was brown and the paper a light tan. “Has this been reinforced with Ox magic? Would you know if it had?”
He touched the spine. “No, it lacks magic. Yes, I can tell.”
She grabbed his hand. “Come with me.” She brought him over to the Decayed section.
“Check this area for Ox magic. Not just the books, but the shelves and the walls. Tell me if anything has been hidden with magic.”
He touched everything in the area methodically. He moved from right to left, from top to bottom. The process took about ten minutes, but felt like an eternity.
“Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing?” She almost grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
“I mean nothing is out of the ordinary. There is magic here, but it’s all for the bindings. Nothing is out of the ordinary.”
Linette thought back to the letter. “Falen, do you know what Senectus means?”
He gave her a curious look. “Where did you learn that word?”
“I can’t exactly tell you.”
“It’s a secret from my Order. It’s not something I’m supposed to share.”
Linette put her hand on his arm. Not romantically, but to connect with him and relay the importance of what she asked. She might have to flash the ring Knilin gave her but that remained a last resort.
“It’s important.”
He sighed. “It’s old magic from the Order of the Ox. Like the dye that turns the books back to the color of a book, when our magic ages, it takes on the properties of what surrounds it, including color. Eventually, it becomes difficult to determine if something was ever magic.”
“Have you noticed any area in the library that may have Senectus magic?”
He looked around the library, contemplating her question. “No, nothing.”
Linette slumped her shoulders, but determined to hold on to this idea, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to the first row. “We’ll walk slowly up each row and when you sense magic, point it out.”
He looked at her like she was crazy. “Do you know how many books have been repaired? We won’t make it past twenty paces without looking at thousands of books.”
He was right. Her options were infinite, but the problem lay in choosing the correct one. She looked down the row to the wall with the ring on it. She pulled him along the aisle. “Try here at this wall.”
He pressed his hands against it.
“Nothing.”
Another idea formed in her mind. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the stain on the floor. “Try here.” Linette pointed to the floor.
“There is magic here. Quite fresh.”
“Is there an underground room of some sort?”
He laughed.
Linette punched him in the arm as hard as she could.
“Ouch. Sorry. The magic here is only on the top layer. Below that is solid rock. I’m sure.”
Linette sat down, thinking. Not below, but up. Then, she looked up. It was difficult to tell from the distance and with the shadows at work.
“Can you check up there?” Linette pointed to the ceiling.
Falen looked around. “Move over there.” He pointed down a few rows to give him space. She obliged. Falen formed two large blue spheres. He went to work building a staircase of magic. He threw sphere after sphere after sphere for several minutes until a large set of stairs led up to the ceiling.
He climbed slowly, sucking in deep breaths of air. He put his hands against the stone. “I feel something. It’s strong.” He took off his blue cloak, revealing his forearms and a green circle-shaped tattoo. He moved his arms too much to get a good view. Then, he formed spheres in both hands, the brilliant blue light reflected off the ceiling before them. His forearms grew taut, his veins bulging through his skin. Sweat began to drip down his face and onto the floor. He grunted from exertion. It took several minutes but when he finished a hole stood above them and opened into a dark room. She climbed in and helped him inside. He slumped to the ground, panting. He closed his eyes and appeared to have gone unconscious. Linette put her hand on his chest, feeling his chest rise and fall as it took deep breaths in his body’s attempt for normalcy. She was torn between staying with him and checking the room. His heart was beating, and he continued to breathe, so Linette formed a sphere of her own, using the white light to let her see inside the room. It reeked of rot. She covered her face with her sleeve, leaving the other hand to light the way.
Her sphere helped her see that the room contained only a desk and what appeared to be a book on it. She approached it with caution, searching the room for traps. Finding none, she stepped up to the book and noticed a skull was branded on its cover.
Day 8 — Afternoon
Markus started to form spheres, but the master wielder proved quicker. She had him locked against the wall with blue Ox magic.
She approached him and looked deeply at his face. “Yes, I thought so. Why else would someone so young try to come south? You’ve avoided testing by the Council of Light and you hoped to find any lingering Decayed on Thurus. Well, you’re in luck. I know how to cross the Sea of Sorrows.”
Markus watched her dispassionately. His body lacked any ability to move, other than anything above his neck. His face gave away what he was. Denying it wouldn’t help matters. He tried to form spheres, but she left him no room to finish them. The woman wore a blue cloak and had long, blond hair. She moved away from him and laid on the bed. One of her legs peaked out from the cloak, revealing skin up to her thigh. Her actions had a sensuality to them that made Markus wonder.
“Aren’t you going to turn me in?”
She sat up. “And waste this opportunity? Never.”
“What do you want?”
“There is a village not an hour’s walk from here. A healer lives there, and she plans to give one of her concoctions to a dying man, but I want it for myself. You will bring it to me and then I’ll help you cross the Sea of Sorrows.”
“Why don’t you take it yourself? Aren’t you supposed to be of the light, not the darkness?”
“Let’s just call this a gray area. The people around here depend on me to open th
e portal and to protect them from the Decayed, but if I took it myself word might get around that I abuse my power. I can’t let that happen.”
“I don’t understand. What do you need it for?”
“Money. The man will die anyway. I plan to sell it to a wealthy family who has a sick child.”
“Doesn’t the Council of Light and the Kingdom provide you with your needs?”
“Needs, yes. But wants? Never. I do my job and do it well.”
“You sure about that?”
She jumped up and stood a few inches from his face. “You dare to tell me otherwise?”
Markus tried to move back, but his head already leaned against the wall. “I was following Decayed here. They destroyed Pinemere.”
She stepped back to the bed, acting nonchalant. Markus wondered at how well she did her job or did she know?
“I don’t have a clue what you’re referring to. The Decayed don’t pass through here.” She smirked and flashed more leg at him.
“Do we have a deal?”
Markus nodded.
She released her magic. Markus lifted his hand, but the translucent blue glow around her body reminded him that she had experience that he lacked. She handed him a piece of parchment with a map on it.
“When you leave the city, turn right and walk along the coast. You won’t miss the village. The healer lives in a hut with a green front door. I recommend you don’t allow her to speak to you.”
Markus scrunched his eyes at her and began to put his clothes back on. He shivered when putting on the wet, cold clothes. He left without another word and found the coastline. The wind brought cold chills each time it hit him, never letting him become accustomed to his wet clothes.
His body ached, and his head bobbed every few steps, waking him. The events of the last few days refused to let him rest. He trotted along at a snail's pace, too tired to rush and get this task over with. What was becoming of the world? He’d now encountered several traitorous wielders and now one that edged on the bOrder of becoming one. Markus grew up believing in this Kingdom and its stance for justice and all that was good. Like his avoidance of Linette’s suffering, King Luther ignored the decay of the culture and loss of virtue.
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