by Dean Cadman
“Lusam read a Guardian book?” Hershel managed to half-whisper through his utter shock.
“No, actually he read two,” Renn replied, his grin now so wide that his jaw began to ache.
“What!” Hershel replied, dropping into his chair with his hand pressed to his forehead. Renn nodded slowly, as if that would legitimise his words further. It took a long time before Hershel spoke again, all he could do was stare at Lusam shaking his head in disbelief. Eventually he found his words.
“So, how powerful is he now?” Hershel asked Renn, as if Lusam wasn’t even in the room with them. Renn turned to Lusam and nodded his head. Instinctively Lusam knew that Renn wanted him to reveal his aura to Hershel, so he slowly lowered the shutter around his mind, revealing a blindingly bright aura to him, before concealing once more a moment later. Lusam thought Hershel had looked shocked before, but now his face went way beyond the look of shock. It was quite possibly the most hilarious sight Lusam had ever seen, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t help himself grinning at it.
“Seven Gods!” Hershel swore, surprising everyone in the room, most of all himself. “How is that even possible? We need to inform the High Priest at once, this could change everything,” Hershel said, jumping to his feet and knocking his chair over in the process.
“Wait old friend, I have even more incredible news to tell you,” Renn replied, holding up his hand to his old mentor. “And, if you thought what I just told you was hard to believe, wait until you hear this. Hershel, we have found strong evidence to suggest there is a Guardian book right here, in the High Temple—one that Lusam must be allowed to read, before those Empire magi discover just how weak we truly are, and launch an all-out attack.”
“But… there can’t be, or we’d know about it already, surely,” Hershel said, mainly to himself.
“That’s exactly what I said at first, but the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming. I ask that you trust us on this old friend, and arrange a meeting for us with the High Priest as soon as possible, so we can discuss the matter with him in private. It’s quite possible that only he knows of its existence, or maybe even he isn’t aware of it himself, either way, we must find it and allow Lusam access to it as soon as possible,” Renn replied.
Hershel thought about Renn’s words long and hard before he replied, but when he did, it was to Lusam, not Renn he spoke. “Lusam, I know the question I’m about to ask you would sound crazy to anyone else, but having seen your aura I must ask it. Could you defeat those Empire magi outside alone?”
“I’m sure I could kill a large number of them, but no, I couldn’t survive against that number of magi alone,” Lusam replied shaking his head.
“And if we did find another Guardian book here… what then?” Hershel asked. Lusam thought about it for a moment, not really knowing the answer to his question. All he could go on was how much more powerful the previous books had made him after reading them.
“Possibly, but I’m not certain. It would depend on what knowledge the Guardian book revealed to me. I would certainly stand more of a chance if it increased the size of my magical reserves the same way the previous books did,” Lusam replied honestly.
“That’s if he survives reading the next one,” Neala said quietly to herself.
“Survive?” Hershel asked curiously.
“Yes, Survive! The last one he read almost killed him. Not to mention the amount of time he might be unconscious if he does survive reading it. After reading the first book it was only about forty minutes, but the second one was more than two hours. Who knows how long he would be unconscious for this time?” Neala said, sounding extremely worried at the prospect of losing him.
“It’s okay, Neala, I’ll be fine,” Lusam replied hugging her, and trying to sound more confident than he actually was. He knew he had barely survived reading the last Guardian book, and knew if he had remained unconscious a few more minutes, he probably would never have woken up again. The incredible headache, and the damage it had done to the blood vessels in his head were still vivid in his memory. He pulled back from the hug, forcing a smile onto his face and kissed her gently on the lips. “I have to do this, Neala. You know I do,” He whispered to her. She nodded her head, as a small tear trickled down her cheek.
“So, any more revelations I need to know about?” Hershel asked, obviously trying to lighten the mood a little within the room.
“Actually, yes,” Renn replied, taking Hershel by surprise yet again.
“Oh?” he asked, looking slightly overwhelmed.
“Our two young friends over there,” Renn said nodding towards Rebekah and Kayden, who were busy playing a guessing game with Alexia at the back of the small room. “We rescued them in a coastal village called Prystone on the east coast. Their parents are… missing, but we discovered something incredible about not only their village, but apparently several more up and down that area of coastline. I don’t know if you’ve noticed their auras, but I believe with the correct training they could both become capable magi. It seems that the local tradition of giving birth far out to sea has spared them from the Empire’s culling of newborn magi. The girl told us that everyone in her village, and the neighbouring towns and villages was born at sea, and have been for generations. Other than our two young friends here, Prystone’s population was completely devastated, but maybe, if we’re lucky, the other towns and villages were spared. If they were, can you imagine the potential there? It may very well save magic itself in Afaraon, providing of course we survive this attack first.”
“Well, you’re certainly full of surprises today old boy,” Hershel replied, shaking his head slightly whilst checking out Rebekah and Kayden’s auras.
“I’m afraid I must ask a favour of you Hershel. I was wondering if your sister still lived here in Lamuria? If she does, do you think she would mind looking after them both for a while, at least until we can find a more permanent home for them. I’m sure the High Temple will be more than happy to offer them both a place at their School of Magic once this is all over. Besides, if we do survive this attack, I fully intend to go back to Prystone myself and search the surrounding villages and towns for any more survivors. Who knows how many potential untrained magi are out there, and if I’m lucky, I might find one of their family members there who can take care of them,” Renn said.
“Yes, she still lives here, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind looking after them at all, given the circumstances we’re all in at the moment. I’ll ask her about it as soon as I get a chance, but for now old boy, I suggest we don’t waste any more time and see if we can get this young man an audience with the High Priest,” Hershel said looking towards Lusam.
“Of course,” Renn replied, knowing he still had other important things to discuss with Hershel, such as the creation of a new female branch to the paladin’s order: one that he hoped Alexia would lead someday. The paladins’ entrance had only led into the barracks, and not the main part of the High Temple, so they were soon back outside making their way around towards the main front entrance of the High Temple.
Lusam was completely overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the building. It towered high into the sky above them, its white marble-clad walls reflecting the sun’s light, making it appear to almost glow against the backdrop of the blue sky behind. The incredible detail carved into every slab of marble took his breath away. ‘It must have taken decades, if not centuries to complete the work,’ he thought to himself. Each and every one of the countless windows was a work of art in its own right. The colours were so vibrant and real that Lusam was convinced they must have been created by Aysha herself. Then he noticed it for the first time. High above the tallest tower, floating in what seemed like mid-air, was a massive jewel-like structure. It was barely visible as it reflected the blue of the sky across its multifaceted surface, making it almost invisible against the sky beyond.
“Whoa! What’s that?” Lusam gasped looking up at the indescribably beautiful object in the sky above him. He re
membered seeing the painted picture of Lamuria on the ceiling in Coldmont. That too had shown a floating gem up above the highest tower, but he had thought it was only an artist’s impression of something else, and had never expected it to actually exist.
“You can see that, lad?” Renn asked in awe.
“Of course, can’t you?” Lusam replied, not taking his eyes off the beautiful object.
“No, I can’t, lad, and I doubt anyone else here can either,” Renn replied confidently.
“What is it?” Lusam repeated.
“It’s called The Heart of the City. It’s what powers the city’s defences. In the past, it was visible to almost everyone, but its power has diminished so much over the past few centuries that some people now believe it to be only a myth. How they think the city is actually shielded I have no idea, but I’ve found that if people can’t see something with their own eyes, they often deny its existence,” Renn replied, looking up at the spot where he knew it was, even if he couldn’t see it himself.
“Shall we?” Hershel said, gesturing towards the huge stone staircase in front of them, one that Lusam hadn’t even noticed while he was busy taking in the full splendour of the High Temple building itself. It was nowhere near the scale of the stone staircase in Coldmont, but it was still impressive all the same. The handrails were so ornately carved that he dare not even touch them, in case he somehow damaged them. He couldn’t believe they had withstood centuries of daily use, not until he looked at them using his mage-sight, and noticed the subtle enchantment on them: one that had no doubt been used to strengthen them, and still, to this day drew its magic from the city’s own power source. Although the handrails were certainly beautiful, it saddened him to think of how many other—unnecessary—things in the city were protected in a similar way, all slowly sapping the city’s precious power source. He suspected that when the city had first been built, magic had been an abundant resource, and such frivolous use of it would have been commonplace. But ever since magic became so scarce in Afaraon, those same luxuries had slowly been killing the city.
“Is there a problem, lad?” Renn asked, startling Lusam out of his reverie.
“No, sorry,” Lusam replied, quickly catching up with the others, who had almost reached the doors of the High Temple. As Lusam approached, he could clearly see that even the doors of the High Temple were enchanted with some kind of spell. Hershel entered first, beckoning the others to follow, with Renn entering last.
“Wait here, I’ll go and speak with one of the acolytes and see if we can gain an audience with the High Priest. I won’t be long,” Hershel said quietly, then headed off to find his acolyte. Inside the High Temple was even more breathtaking beautiful than the outside had been. The stone vaulted ceiling rose high above them, forming a procession of intricate arches running the full-length of the immense building. Huge stone statues of former Kings, Queens and High Priests lined the outer walls, each one many times taller than a man. The incredible stained glass windows which had looked so beautiful from the outside, looked positively divine from the inside as the sunlight streamed through the multicoloured glass, flooding the entire floor of the High Temple with its rainbow of colours. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceilings, each one powered magically, and each one another drain on the city’s vastly depleted power source.
A few moments later Hershel reappeared and announced that the High Priest would see them as soon as he had finished dealing with a visiting dignitary—one who had been visiting the King before being trapped in Lamuria by the current Empire’s siege. Apparently he had been petitioning for days to the High Temple to allow him to contribute towards the magical reserves of the city—something that only the priesthood and the well-known magi of Lamuria were ever allowed to undertake—and he had just been granted permission to do so by the High Priest himself. ‘A most unprecedented decision to take’ according to Hershel, ‘but, no doubt one undertaken due to the current dire needs of the city.’
They all waited patiently for what seemed like an awfully long time before the High Priest and his visiting dignitary finally appeared in the main chamber. Lusam had been reading the many inscriptions carved into the stone walls before they arrived. Most of them were about the history and creation of the world, and Lusam recognised many of the stories as the same ones Renn had told him in The Dark Forest. The High Priest had already bid farewell to the visiting dignitary and signalled for Hershel’s party to approach. The dignitary casually nodded his greeting to them all as he walked by, and continued towards the main temple doors. Something felt oddly familiar about the man to Lusam, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. As the man walked slowly away, the coloured sunlight streaming through the windows momentarily glinted off his hand. ‘No, not his hand… his ring! ‘ Lusam thought, realising too late why he looked familiar. He slipped into his mage-sight and gasped when he saw the crimson aura. He immediately knew the man was an Empire agent, one no doubt sent to infiltrate the High Temple, and find out how depleted the city’s power source actually was. A few more steps and he would be outside the protective walls of Aysha’s High Temple and able to communicate with with his brethren outside the city. If that happened, and they learned of the fragile state of the city’s defences, they would launch their attack without delay, killing everyone inside the walls of Lamuria, and gaining access to everything the city had, including the Guardian book if it was there. Lusam knew he could not allow that to happen.
“Excuse me, sir,” Lusam called loudly in the man’s direction, whilst moving towards him at a fast walking pace. The man already had one hand on the door, but when he heard Lusam’s calls he glanced over his shoulder.
“I’d like to thank you, sir, for helping with the city’s defences,” Lusam said holding out his hand.
“No need, I was happy to help,” he replied, turning back to the door.
“No, I insist,” Lusam said, finally catching up with him at the door. The man turned to face Lusam and offered him his hand half-heartedly. Lusam took hold of his hand and turned it over so he could see his ring.
“Oh, I have a ring just like that one,” Lusam said, surreptitiously removing the dead Empire agent’s ring from his pocket.
“I doubt that,” the man said arrogantly.
“Actually, I do… look,” Lusam replied, holding out his other hand with the Necromatic ring clearly visible in his palm. The man’s eyes widened when he saw the ring in Lusam’s hand. He desperately tried to form the words of a spell, but Lusam had already located the man’s magical reserves, and a heartbeat later he had drained all but the tiniest amount of magic from the man. The man collapsed unconscious on the floor, and Lusam heard the running footsteps and concerned voices behind him.
Chapter Forty-One
“What have you done?” the High Priest asked sounding extremely concerned as he approached the unconscious man.
“I just saved all our lives, and everyone else’s in Lamuria,” Lusam replied calmly. “He’s an Empire agent, and if I had let him step out of that door he would have contacted his people and reported exactly how much power you had left in the city’s shield. I’m certain if the Empire had discovered how weak you are, they wouldn’t have hesitated to launch everything they had at Lamuria.”
Lusam was fully expecting the High Priest to ask him how he could possibly know that he was an Empire agent, but to his great surprise—and relief—he didn’t. Instead he smiled at Lusam and offered him his hand.
“You must be Lusam, the one Hershel has told me so much about. He informed me of how you discovered the spy at The Sanctum of Light in Stelgad. I presume you used a similar method here?” the High Priest said pointing towards the unconscious Empire agent. Lusam nodded as he shook his hand in greeting.
“Well, it seems Aysha has delivered you to us safely, just in time to save us all, thank you, Lusam. And speaking of our sacred and beloved Aysha, I believe you have had the great honour of meeting her not once, but twice in person, as well as receiving h
er blessing several times before that. I have to admit, Lusam, even though it is unseemly for a man in my position to say so, I am more than a little envious of you,” he said smiling at Lusam.
Lusam didn’t really know how to reply to that, and thankfully Renn broke the awkward silence between them. “How long is he likely to be unconscious?” he asked nodding towards the Empire agent.
“I’m not sure, but probably a couple of hours at least I would say. He won’t be in any fit state to be throwing his magic around for a little while longer than that though,” Lusam replied, not envying the man’s headache when he did finally wake up. Renn then formally introduced the others to the High Priest, explaining briefly how they had rescued Rebekah and Kayden in Prystone, and soon after had noticed their magical potential. He decided not to mention their curious local tradition of giving birth at sea, and how it might mean a new source of magic for Afaraon—if any of the surrounding towns and villages had been spared the fate of Prystone. That was something they could revisit after the current crisis was over, if any of them survived it.
The High Priest signalled for one of his acolytes, who promptly came over to assist him.
“Your Grace?” the acolyte said bowing his head slightly.
“Please inform today’s duty officer that we require the immediate removal of this Empire agent. Tell him that the prisoner is currently unconscious and likely to remain that way for some time yet, but to make the necessary preparations for when he regains consciousness so he is unable to use his magic. And under no circumstances is he to be allowed outside the High Temple walls, is that clear?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” the acolyte replied bowing once more, then he rushed off to find the duty officer. The High Priest waited until the acolyte had gone before turning back to Lusam.
