“Not quite. I’m just being courteous, is all,” Belgarath explained. “But, since you want to jump right into it, I will speak plainly with you, Andrades.”
Andrades smile turned curled and his eyes tightened as he waited to hear what he had to say.
“To be clear, you and I have never seen eye-to-eye and probably never will. The Commission voted you in unanimously and I have no problem with that, you’ve served as Flamekeeper several times, and you know the job well,” Belgarath explained. “What I do have a problem with, is the potential for—how should I describe it—yes, interfering with the integrity of the War.”
“I’m at a loss Belgarath; I don’t know what you’re speaking about.”
Belgarath smiled for several seconds before speaking. “Magnus Rathbone has filed a formal complaint, accusing you of hiring Marques Montcroix to break into his estate and steal his Avatar contract, preventing him from participating in the Avatar War. There are no rules against any such action of course, but with your recent history and the rumors that have been spreading about you, I do find the timing of his accusation and the return of Marques Montcroix very peculiar.”
“Magnus Rathbone? I should have known,” Andrades responded with disgust. “He’s been trying to sully my name for months now, all accusations, but with no proof. And as far as rumors go, you didn’t strike me as the sort of man to believe them. Or am I wrong?”
“You’re right, I don’t believe in rumors, I believe in what I can see,” Belgarath explained with a smile. “And what I see are a lot of accusations being thrown your way. Even after the ceremony ended, there was a confrontation in the hallway with yourself, you butler and Marques where Commissioner Quinch had to interfere and Marques had to be pulled away. And there you were accused of the same thing, Andrades.”
“So what?”
“Excuse me?”
“You say I’m accused of all these things by different people. Tell me, have you considered the other possibility? That Magnus and the boy are working together in an attempt to have me removed from my position on the Commission? It wouldn’t be the first time for him. He openly plotted with agents of the M.A.N.A to frame me. Director Falco can vouch for that.”
Belgarath took a moment to think, looking at the ceiling for a couple of seconds.
“I hadn’t heard, but that is possible. It’s highly unlikely, but it is possible,” Belgarath concluded. “I’ve come to a decision, Andrades.”
“Which is?”
“You’re hereby banished from Star City, until the War begins ensuring that there is indeed no collusion between yourself and Marcus Montcroix. After the War begins, you’ll be allowed back inside Star City.”
Andrades bit his tongue and pushed his anger deep into the depths of his mind. Thoughts of killing Belgarath were drawn out when he thought about the bigger picture. Leaving Star City before the War would be of no consequence and could actually work in his favor.
“If that’s your decision Flamekeeper, then I will not question it.”
“Thank you, Commissioner Archibald, for understanding,” said Belgarath before standing and extending his hand.
“You’re welcome,” said Andrades. He rose and shook Belgarath’s hand. “Before I forget, my wife, Narcissa wanted me to invite you and the other commissioners to our estate—once I return after the War of course—for a banquet in celebration of the War. She insists on having them every year and would be delighted if you and the others would join us.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Andrades smiled and bowed slightly before turning on his heel and walking toward the chamber door, cursing Belgarath with every step.
“Oh, before I forget, Andrades,” said Belgarath. Andrades turned to him, stopping in front of the door. “If you ever question my authority again, I’ll remove you from the Avatar Commission and see to it you never step foot inside Star City. Am I understood?”
“… Yes.”
Both men stared into each other’s eyes. Their hate for each other was palpable, and it turned the air in the room thick and the temperature rose slightly. Andrades turned away, walking to the door.
“Give my best to Narcissa,” Belgarath shouted before Andrades walked out of the door.
Chapter 12
Nemesis
Rook held his orb tightly in his hand, admiring the energy inside of it. It was two weeks since the Flame Ceremony and less than thirty minutes before the War was to begin. After seeing his sister in the hallway of the Bell Tower, Rook had time to think about everything that occurred leading up to that point.
His found his sister, and he didn’t have to scour the world to look for her. She was closer than she ever was before and he knew in his heart he would see her again. He had come to grips with the fact that none of what happened to him was by chance. He didn’t know how, and he didn’t care. Knowing he would see his sister again was all that mattered now.
Bishop walked into the room and placed a map on the table in front of Rook.
“This just arrived.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a map of Star City. From what the Messenger told me, when the War begins, it will reveal the locations of all five Sanctuaries, Links, Yields and their badge count, all information we will need for the duration of the war.”
“This thing looks ancient,” Rook commented, analyzing the flimsy parchment. Its edges were ripped and its damaged was extensive. It reminded him of the old maps he’d seen in countless pirate movies Bishop would force him to watch when they had movie nights.
“Oh well, it’s what we got,” Bishop responded. He sat and the table and turned to Rook. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay—ready even.”
“Just remember what we taught you during your training and you’ll be fine,” Bishop responded. “You took well to it, given we only had eleven days to work with.”
After Bishop calmed Rook down and keep him from breaking his contract by confronting Edgar Killshaw again, he prepared him for the War. The first day, they determined which of the nine traditional magecraft combat forms best suited Rook and settled on the Duality form, as it best suited Rook’s natural affinity with evocation magic, while his nature affinity was chosen to be his defensive form. Every mage had an affinity to one of the nine schools of magic, a primary and a secondary where they excelled in over all others. Rook’s primary was the school of evocation, having the ability to manipulate raw magical energy and use it for whatever he deemed necessary. His secondary was the school of nature, giving him the ability to manipulate the natural forces of the world. Although mages could use magic in all nine schools, they excelled in their primary and secondary schools to which they had an affinity for.
“I will, Bishop. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to handle whoever gets in my way.”
“You make it sound easy, but unfortunately it won’t be,” Bishop remarked. He sat across the table and stared at Rook. “You’re strong, and capable, but the others, they won’t hold back and will not hesitate to kill you. Remember that. We need to be strategic and focus on the best course we can take to succeed.”
“Okay, I get it Bishop… who would have thought it’d be you giving me the third degree.”
“You haven’t made the best choices recently,” Bishop remarked.
Rook didn’t respond, his gaze only fell to the clock on the wall of their hideout as the clock stroke midnight. Bishops words rang true, but it was too late to change anything. They had to move forward, working together to survive. The distant sound of the Bell Tower’s bell ringing signaled the official start of the Avatar War. Bishop rose from his seat, spreading the map open. The names of every Link appeared on the side of their map and their location was indicated by a flame symbol that marked their movements. The nearest person Link to their location was less than three miles away while the other was over eight miles away. This meant they had plenty of time to make their final preparations before venturing into Star C
ity.
“It’s time.”
Rook grabbed his orb and followed Bishop to the basement of the main floor of their hideout. It was a large room, with a steel door entrance. Bishop chose it for that reason. The entrance was obvious, but there were hidden exits throughout and living on high ground gave them an advantage without risk of a sneak attack. Bishop prepared the bottom floor for their Avatar summoning ritual. Their contracts lay on the floor when they arrived. Bishop’s Avatar orb sat in the circular symbol inside the contract as Rook placed his orb onto his own.
“I’ll let you do the honors, Rook,” Bishop suggested. He stood to Rook’s side, his arms buried deep in his jacket pocket.
Rook fell to his knees before placing the hand that adorned the Link crest onto the symbol. “Link”, he whispered.
The crest on his hands ignited in a white aura while the Avatar orb mirrored the radiant light. They watched as the light of the orb took a humanoid shape standing behind the orb. Several seconds passed before the light disappeared and standing behind the now clear and empty orb was a human male.
He wore a black cowboy hat, covering his unkempt blond hair. His eyes were crystal blue and a red bandanna hung from his neck. Standing in cowboy boots with silver spurs on the back, with brown leather pants, a long sleeved white shirt was covered by his brown leather jacket. Two revolvers sat on either side of his hips while two more sat inside dual shoulder holsters. Two pump-handle shotguns were holstered behind his back. Thick black leather gloves covered his hands.
“Well what do we have here? I reckon you must be my Link?” He questioned with a strong southern drawl. He tilted the tip of his hat. “Howdy. Six Gun Colt Cassidy, at your service!”
An excited smile overcame Rook’s face. “Marques—I mean Rook, you can call me, Rook.”
“Well which is it, son? Rook or Marques?”
“Rook and he’s Bishop. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Colt. I wasn’t expecting—”
“What—a cowboy as handsome as I am? You could have had worst, I’ve seen worse, trust me,” he responded. “You’ll see what I’m talking about sooner than later. Rest assured, I won’t let’cha down, Rook.”
“I hope not, I got a lot riding on this… like… my life among other things.”
“Rook and Bishop,” Colt repeated. “So, you two are teaming up or something?”
“Yes, we’re team Don’t Let Rook Die and I’m the captain,” Bishop remarked. “Now, it’s time for the other member of our team to be summoned.”
Rook and Colt turned to Bishop as he knelt down and reciting the incantation.
“Link.”
They watched as the energy emitting from the orb materialized into another humanoid being. After the light dispersed a man with tan skin appeared before them. His hair was black, long and fell behind his shoulders. White war paint was covered over his eyes from one side of his face to the other. A red bandanna lined his forehead with three feathers attach on either side of his head. He wore a black leather vest with black paints and boots. A long wooden bow and quiver hang from his shoulders while dual tomahawks hang from his hips.
“I wonder who—sonava—” Colt’s shock cause him to draw one of his shotguns and take aim at the Avatar. “Chief Nightblood—I promised the day I died that if I ever saw your stupid face in hell, I’d kill you all over again!”
The Avatar matched Colt’s threat and drew his bow, loading an arrow in the same motion. It’s arrowhead glowed white as his eyes studied Colt’s.
“Six Gun… You just won’t stay gone will you?”
“Bishop, what’s going on?” Rook asked, while slowly stepping away.
“Looks like an Avatar rivalry—uh, perhaps we should calm down. The War has just—”
“This bastard cost me my life!” Colt roared. “I swore on my mama if I ever saw him again I would make him pay for it!”
“I warned you, fool.”
“That does it,” Colt roared, followed by firing a shot of magical energy from his shotgun.
Nightblood evaded, rolling to his left. The blast of magical energy that erupted from the gun connected with the wall behind him, exploding destroying most of the wall. During his evasion, Nightblood fired his arrow, reloading another before it missed its target as Colt ducked, evading as well. The arrow targeted a steel support beam which exploded into pieces on impact. Their battle continued for several minutes, coming to an end when Bishop and Rook stepped in between them. By the time they stopped, half the room was destroyed and turned into rubble, with neither landing a single blow on the other.
“Enough!” Bishop roared. “I order you to stop!”
“As you wish,” Nightblood responded, withdrawing his weapon and lowering his head.
“You too, Colt!” Rook added.
Colt scoffed, and holstered his shotgun, turning away from them in a huff.
“You’re lucky my Link stopped me, otherwise you’d be vulture dinner, Chief!”
“Even after two hundred years, you’re still delusional.”
Colt turned to respond, but looked at Rook’s face and relented. He crossed his arms and threw his nose in the air.
“Alright, I don’t know what is going on with you two or what history you have together, but right now it’s not the time to relive it. The War has begun and we are a team. We need to work together and strategize on how we will proceed going forward. Do you two understand?”
“Yes,” said Nightblood. He sat and crossed his legs and arms and closed his eyes.
“Fine,” Colt responded, following Nightblood’s lead.
Bishop and Rook looked at one-another and shook their heads in disbelief. They were amazed at the power the Avatars possessed. In only several minutes they nearly reduced their hideout to rubble all while evading one-another’s attacks. Their skill and use of magecraft was unprecedented. Both used the evocation magic, but lacked any use of magecraft. Their skills were heavily focused on their conduit use, but they’d mastered it and had no use for magecraft. Bishop and Rook had just witnessed the true power of legendary Avatars and why they were considered elite mages. They joined the two Avatars on the floor hoping to form a plan.
“We need to come up with a plan of attack. Find out which enemies we have the best chance at defeating,” Bishop suggested as he and Rook sat between the two Avatars forming a cross.
“You’re wasting your time,” Colt scoffed.
“How do you figure that?” Bishop asked.
“You can’t have a plan of attack if you don’t know what enemies you are facing. Even if the Link is weak and can barely use magic, until you know what the Avatar is capable of, you’re wasting your time.”
“What say you, Chief?” Bishop asked.
“While I believe planning ahead is the correct strategy, unlike the cowboy here, he has a point,” Nightblood responded, before getting a glare from Colt. “We do not know of whom we are facing. So the only plan is to watch. That’s what the Link’s of the past did, anyway.”
“This isn’t your first War?” Rook asked. “How many Wars have you fought in?”
“This would be my fourth and unlike your Avatar, kid. I’ve won all of mine.”
“Because the Link did all the work,” Colt muttered under his breath. “Sat around waiting for them to get killed too probably…”
“Try speaking louder,” Nightblood scolded.
Bishop intervened, trying his best to avoid another Avatar showdown in their hideout. As Bishop spoke to Nightblood about past Avatars and their strategy, Rook’s attention followed Colt’s eyes as they shot to the steel door inside the room. He said nothing as he slowly retrieved a revolver from its holster, pulling the hammer back. The sound of the hammer locking in place, grabbed Bishop and Nightblood attention. No one turned to the door, they simply watched Colt, waiting for him to make a move.
“Colt, what is it?”
“Someone’s outside, Rook.”
Bishop rolled out the map in front of him, to see his and Rook’
s flame together, but now there was another hovering above theirs. Colt took aim at the door within half a second.
“Reveal yourself!”
A sudden explosion shook them, and caused Colt to fire his weapon at the door, completed destroying it. The rook of the hideout peppered chunks concrete and dust over them as they covered their heads to avoid the falling debris. After the dust settled, they rose, bolting outside to find out the source of the explosion. The artificial full moon and stars of Star City illuminated the lights them as they exited. Scanning the street outside the hideout they found the building across from them turned to rubble. An unfamiliar voice called out to them, grabbing their attention as they turned to see its source.
“Up here!” A girl demanded.
She stood on the roof of the hideout. Rook remembered seeing her during the Flame Ceremony. Her hair was long, brown and bell behind her black jacket. Piercing green eyes struck a chord in Bishop as a woman appeared behind her. She wore a violet robes over a long black dress and held a black wand in her hand. It took Rook a few moments, but he finally remembered her name: Giselle Baptiste.
“You!” Giselle stabbed a finger at Rook. “I challenge you!”
Rook didn’t respond immediately as he watched her. Confidence radiated off of her and began to shaking his, until Colt placed a hand on his shoulder, stepping to his side.
“What do ya say kid? Think we can take’em,” Colt said confidently as Rook settled himself.
Rook turned to Colt, then back to Giselle and smiled. “I accept.”
Chapter 13
The Violet Witch
The appearance of a fissure of blue energy grabbed everyone’s attention as a Judge materialized from it causing the fissure to disappear. The Judge wore a black cloak over his black robe and a steel mask that hid his face.
“A challenge has been issued. Marques Montcroix has accepted the challenge of Giselle Baptiste. Both Links have their Yields and will wager one badge a piece. Those not participating in this battle must fall behind me and watch. The battle will begin in ninety seconds.”
Magecraft (Magik: The Avatar Wars Book 1) Page 8
