“I wish I could stay here and talk to you. Why can’t I do that?”
“Because your mind is not open or strong enough to join too much information together at once. There are protections in place.”
“How do I overcome that?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“Because you don’t know, or you won’t?”
“Who takes care of the Pool of Knowledge?” Granthion said. Alrion paused then answered.
“Nominated guardians. They also drink from the pool.”
“And would these guardians know how to expertly access the available knowledge?”
“They should.”
“And what happens when they drink from the pool?”
“Their knowledge is added to the rest. So, I must have the knowledge myself. You’re just having fun with me, aren’t you?”
“You’re asking the wrong person.” Granthion smiled.
“Fine, I get it. I can’t rush this. Surely you can give me something else.” Alrion was desperate. He needed to know more. This revelation by itself opened up too many questions. Which was probably why he wasn’t being shown more. Granthion looked thoughtful, and finally spoke.
“The crystal amulet that you wear. You should figure out what’s inside.” Granthion smiled once more, then vanished. The room itself started to break up and Alrion was swallowed by blackness.
Alrion awoke with a start, thrashing his arms around. He realised he was in bed, and it was still dark. But that was just because nobody had lit any lamps, he couldn’t tell what time of day it was. As his eyes adjusted he looked over at everyone else. His parents were asleep, as was Lara. He couldn’t sleep again, so he crept out of bed, pulled on a coat and boots, and left the quarters.
The first light was breaking across the mountain, the bright rays and pink sky looked stunning. Alrion realised how much natural beauty he was surrounded by. He felt like he understood why his grandmother had lived here for so long. It wasn’t just access to the source of Soul power. It was the beauty, quiet, and isolation. Something that made sense to him now.
Without a direction he wandered, but found himself standing before the great hall. Temporary doors had been built from wood and placed there without any decoration. He pushed one aside and stepped inside the room. There were a few candles lit, and the minimal glow from the water fountain helped illuminate the throne. Marla was sitting there.
“What brings you here so early?” she said. Her voice carried through the hall.
“I couldn’t sleep, and found myself here.”
“It must be for a reason.” Marla seemed to stare at him as he approached.
“Are you their leader now?”
“I am not the eldest, but I feel as though I was meant to be her successor. I will gather all the Mystics and we will vote. Together we will reach a decision.”
“You have my vote, if that counts.” Alrion stopped just in front of the fountain of water. He peered into it, wondering how his grandmother had used it to see visions. The slight glow of the water reminded him of something.
He pulled out his crystal amulet and looked at it. It was the same as always, a thin black tendril stuck within it. He remembered the final words from his dream. There was something to discover.
“I’ve never seen a Soul crystal like that.” Marla walked over to get a better look. Alrion removed it carefully and handed it to her. She turned it over in her hands, inspecting it. Alrion saw her eyes flash as she used her Soul power.
“As expected. And there’s a strand of Blight in there too. This is incredible. Where did you get this?”
“My grandfather made it. Every wizard gets one as part of the initiation ritual.”
“A wizard made this? That’s unbelievable. To think that a wizard could manipulate Soul power.” Marla handed the crystal back, and Alrion put it back over his head.
“It’s strange, but I noticed that before when I was fighting. The Spark seemed to attract the Soul power and drag it along. I’m guessing that is why it worked.”
“I still haven’t learned how to put Soul power into vessels like that. It is a difficult and restricted skill. The eldest never taught it to me.”
“But did she have it written down?” Vincent said as he approached. Alrion hadn’t even heard his father enter the room.
“Possibly. Why?”
“She told me that Alrion and I must learn as much as we can. There’s a manual of some kind in her quarters.”
“The forbidden tome. Very few of us were even told of its existence, but I never thought it would be so accessible. I assumed it would have been hidden away somewhere else.” Marla looked shocked.
“What safer place than under her watchful eye?” Vincent said.
“Very true. Well, we must honour her wishes.”
“If you’re to lead, you must lead from the front. You must learn with us,” Alrion said.
“Of course, you’re right. It’s time I stopped fearing the unknown. The eldest spent so much time instilling in us the dangers of other techniques.”
“She must have known that she would not be around to guide you in them,” Vincent said. Marla grew very still and quiet.
“I must learn everything there is about storing Soul power in objects. It’s the key somehow.” Alrion started peering into the water fountain.
“I’m sure everything we need will be in that book. The eldest was always prepared.”
“Good. I have a few ideas already, but I need to think them over.”
“Such as?” Vincent gave Alrion a suspicious look.
“Why ruin the surprise now? Let me figure it out more, then I can show you instead of just telling you.”
“Fair enough. We’ll just have to wear protective clothing.” Vincent laughed and even Marla smiled a little. Alrion looked at his father, thinking of the key revelation he received from his dream. He considered asking the question, but thought better of it. For now, there were more important things to focus on.
“I need to go for a walk. Can we all look at the book together later today?”
“Of course. I will coordinate with your father,” Marla said.
“Thank you.” Alrion turned and started walking away. He realised that he still hadn’t achieve the whole purpose of his initial walk. He had to think through what he had learned in his dream.
Each time, he had been shown his objective. First it was the vault of silence, then it was his grandmother, and the power of Soul. This time it was a little different.
But what if it’s not?
If he took the information on as presented, then he needed to find the source of the Blight and cure it from there. As his grandfather had so foolishly tried many years ago.
He also knew that wizard spells would not work. And since the dream had showed him his grandfather, he had to suspect something else as well.
“My grandfather sacrificed himself to cure Avaria. What will this do to me curing the whole world? Especially if I’m doing it at the source of the Blight?” The thought sent cold shivers down Alrion’s spine. He felt his stomach churning at the idea of it all.
Whatever the situation is, you need to expect that it will end in sacrifice. It’s worth it, isn’t it? Alrion thought carefully. His life was still so young, and he had so much more to do. But he couldn’t live on knowing that he had a chance to stop the Blight and he had not taken it. What had happened to Alyx was tearing him up. He had no choice.
Plan for a better way, but know that if it comes to it, you can do this.
“You have that look on your face,” Lara said. Alrion looked up in surprise.
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t seen that look since you last had one of those dreams. Do you know how to end this?”
“I only know the location. You’re not going to like it.”
“Where?” Lara’s face was a picture of concern.
“The source of the Blight.” Alrion watched her face go ashen.
F
or her sake, be strong, he thought and put on a brave face. Lara said nothing, and when Alrion started off again she joined him. It was a difficult path ahead, and for now at least, it was a relief to know that he would not need to walk it alone.
DID YOU ENJOY THE BOOK?
If you enjoyed Spark of Truth please leave a review on amazon to help other readers decide on the book!
You can also sign up for my newsletter for notifications about future releases and special promotions!
THE STORY CONTINUES
Soul of Light - Book Four of The Hidden Wizard
The final exciting chapter in Alrion’s story.
A wizard like no other.
An uneasy alliance.
An impossible choice.
Can Alrion fulfil his destiny, and at what cost?
COMING 2018
Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when it is ready.
WANT MORE FROM THE HIDDEN WIZARD?
I am publishing a series of free short stories on my website chronicling the adventures of a younger Vincent. They are called Tales of the Wandering Blacksmith.
Check them out today, the first one is called Pillars of Light.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vaughan W. Smith is a fiction writer from Sydney, Australia, who explores big life questions through story. His favourite genres are Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction and Thrillers.
Sign up to Vaughan’s newsletter for notifications about future releases and special promotions!
www.vaughanwsmith.com
For Katarina
Copyright © 2017 by Vaughan W. Smith
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ISBN: 978-0-9874694-9-6
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. A New Battle
2. A Kindred Spirit
3. Left Behind
4. Path of the Sword
5. The Healer's Secret
6. An Unusual Ally
7. Generals of the Blight
8. Hunted
9. A New Type
10. Renewed Focus
11. Tracking
12. A Surprising Foe
13. Slow Progress
14. Poison
15. The Tracker’s Stand
16. The House of Healing
17. A Difficult Conversation
18. Further North
19. The Divisive Message
20. The Way Forward
21. Hidden by Snow
22. Fast Follower
23. The Mystical Destination
24. Family Reunited
25. A New Power
26. Faltering
27. Meeting of the Minds
28. The Strength of Soul
29. Sacred Ground
30. First Strike
31. Elder Intervention
32. A Timely Appearance
33. The Price of Light
34. Aftermath
35. Gone
36. Spark of Truth
Did you enjoy the book?
The Story Continues
Want more from The Hidden Wizard?
About the Author
Dedication
Copyright
Spark of Truth (The Hidden Wizard Book 3) Page 29
