The Three Swords (The Ways of Mages)

by Catherine Beery

  Chapter Two- Shockwave

  Arathin- Razyan's Keep, Marlhema

  Razyan watched Terana tentatively touch the Keep Stone. There was a long moment of silence. Silence, but pressure began to build. It messaged the back of his neck with fingers that grew stronger and stronger as the moments ticked by. Razyan could actually feel the air hum. The tension was so high it crackled through the chamber. When the silver-blue flames appeared he carefully avoided them. Raw energy was trickling away from Terana like a dam about to burst. Chaya had fluffed her feathers, disconcerted by the energy tension in the air. He couldn’t say he blamed her.

  The tension suddenly heightened dramatically, making the air too heavy to breathe. A sphere of silver blue light surrounded Terana. It pulsed in such a way that Razyan fancied it was a wild creature that was chained. And didn't like it one bit. She isn’t letting go. Razyan thought. Chaya cried in agreement. The milbre lifted her crystalline voice and sang to Terana. Knowing that the song of a milbre could reach the heart of any who stood in hearing distance, Razyan spoke. He wove his cadence in time with his feathered friend.“Terana, let it go.”

  Suddenly, a breath after he spoke, several things happened at once. Razyan felt the snap in the tension. The sphere about Terana condensed to her skin for a breath. The pressure bore down on his neck. There was a flash as the sphere broke free. The trickle of raw magic became a flood. A wave of blue-white flared out from Terana in all directions. It overwhelmed his senses. The faint magical shield he instinctively erected flared brilliantly before dissolving. He distantly heard Chaya scream.

  Moments passed. Razyan found himself on his knees, panting. The overload of magic had been exhilarating, spirits have mercy…A soft chirp made him glance to his right. He had to blink several times before what he was seeing made sense. Chaya was on fire. Green fire. Other than that, she was acting normally. Razyan knew milbre absorbed magic from nature. They were resistant to spells because their feathers absorbed the spell's power. That wave of magic had turned his little friend into a green sun. Chaya chirped again and looked toward the Stone. Razyan looked and quickly got to his feet.

  Terana lay on her side before the Stone. Razyan knelt and rolled her onto her back. She was pale but breathing. The door he had closed earlier banged open. Kadrean and Liam raced and lost to Russy who skidded to a halt beside Terana. Russy stuck his nose in her face frantically. He growled at Razyan, his amber eyes flashing. Chaya scolded Russy from her place on the floor. Russy glared at her before snorting in dismissal.

  Zeeve slid down Russy’s back staring accusingly at Razyan.“What did you do?”

  Razyan raised an eyebrow.“I didn’t do a thing.”Razyan checked Terana's pulse and found it strong.“She is unconscious, not dead.”

  By that time Liam and Kadrean arrived. Kadrean immediately touched Terana. He nodded, relieved.“Razyan is right. She will be okay.”

  “Does nobody trust me?”Razyan muttered to himself without scorn.

  “What happened?”Liam asked, shaken.

  “Terana released and fully awakened her dormant power. A power no one thought to see again…come.”Razyan said, scooping Terana up.“Let’s get her somewhere more comfortable.”

  ***

  Power rippled outward from its focus point. Like a star gone supernova, but without the world destroying effects. That isn’t to say that it didn’t go unnoticed. Mages young and old twisted restlessly in their beds for a moment. Troubled by sensations few would remember in the morning. It woke several people who were very sensitive to the force of magic. For one young woman, the wash of power was more disturbing.

  Breeya gasped, sitting up straight. Her nightgown stuck to the cold sweat that sheened her body. One hand fisted in her mussed blonde hair, the other tightened on the abused bed sheets. The sleeping drug that had been giving her peace had long since faded away. Now there was a burning in her veins. It didn’t necessarily hurt, but it frazzled her. She gulped, trembling. Her room seemed no different. She couldn’t figure out what had awakened her.

  Trembling she slowly laid back down, leaving herself uncovered, hoping a cool breeze would come and cool her down.

  ***

  Raw power yanked Jewel out of the arms of the nightmare tormenting her. The nightmare hissed at her sudden departure, the sound unsettling her soul. Upon waking, the soul uneasiness faded. Ripped suddenly from the web of unconsciousness, Jewel took a moment to remember who she was and where she was. It took the Nirami's child sitting by the darkened fireplace to remind her. "Was that the sign you were talking about?" She asked glancing about at the fading traceries of magic snaking over the walls.

  The Child's ancient eyes glimmered with the back wash of the magic wave that had gone through. "Yes."

  "Where will I find the one who gave this sign?" Jewel asked.

  "The healing wing by the time you wake the others." The Child's voice replied even though she could no longer see the Child. Jewel looked at where the child had been with a raised eyebrow. Just how long would it take her to wake the others? She nodded any way and got out of bed. She opened her door and went to wake her companions.

  ***

  The Nirami's Grave

  A few moments later, Arité was hit by a force like a brick wall. Warm and full of raw power. Was raw power. Raw marana. Arité gasped, her hand reaching, grasping for a table. Books fell as her hand reached for support blind to the original occupancy. Her other hand went to her heart. The healing power of marana was drawn to her aching bones, soothing away what pain there was. The blue fire in its fire ring brightened and grew taller for several moments before calming down again. The stone basin trembled with the speed of the water. Mist rose off the turbulent surface in a funnel before consigning to fall back. The onyx star with a black opal in its center was spinning faster than when she used it to connect with Terana.

  A thunder crash trembled through the mountain. Moonwing, the owl the Nirami's Child had transported to her cave one evening, woke in alarm. He flapped his wings and flew to her. He was quivering with fear. Arité soothed him as she approached the basin. The restless wind outside was howling, fingering at the metalwood door uselessly.

  Arité made her way to the basin. The water churning magic knew what she wanted to see. The length of the Nirami mountains appeared. There was a vast storm that stretched from west to east. Arité could see the wave of magic come from one point. Razyan’s Keep.

  “Terana.” Arité whispered.

  ***

  Strait of Mardo, Marlhema

  Moments later found Tsoya enduring yet another lecture on vigilance. A moment before she had been wondering, yet again, how she could have missed Seith’s Heir leaving. She had been sitting on her favorite perch watching the road. One moment the failing shield had been there. The next it was gone, meaning the Heir had left the nest.

  But she had seen nothing.

  She had flown around, searching. She would have felt the dormant power within a several mile radius. After all, had she not felt the faint stirrings on the other side of the shield? But, again, she had felt nothing.

  Nothing, nothing, nothing!!

  She hadn’t seen the searean breagain. And, thinking about that, neither Milisda nor Anaelle had come when she had sent the message via owl. And they had no idea what she had been talking about when she mentioned it. She told them what she had done and they commended her for that. Her news concerned them. Why hadn’t the marana message spell worked? Why had the owl not come to them? Why had the searean bre come, than leave so quickly? And if it had sensed something, why hadn’t it come back? Then of course there was the big question: how had Seith’s Heir slip pass them? Okay, more accurately, how had Seith's Heir slip past Tsoya herself?

  And that led back to the lecture on vigilance…Again. She was the youngest and it had been her duty to watch. So of course she got the blame. Tsoya covertly rolled her eyes.

  Tsoya flew between bronze, gold flecked, and silver-gray winged Milisda and gold and silver
Anaelle with the blue-white wings. Tsoya’s own sky blue and white form flew lower than the other two. Her head hanging low. They were returning from yet another search. Below Tsoya was the Strait of Mardo. The island of Mardo was just before them.

  That was when it hit. A wall of raw marana. The three dragons trembled as its energy and healing heat washed over them. Their own wells of power flared in recognition. Nets of blue-silver flame laced their scales for a few moments before fading away. They were hovering, enjoying the sensation. After it passed they came to an agreement in silence. They knew Seith’s Heir was still alive and had awakened his or her power. And better yet, they knew whereSeith’s Heir was. There was no other place the Heir could be.

  In a flurry of powerful wing beats, they flew northwest toward the old palace of Sada né mariel, or as the humans called it now, Razyan’s Keep.

  ***

  Kikel Varcressi, Sheyestiva

  Not long after the three dragons rode the wave of power that same power reached him. It washed over him, fresh and soothing. It had a familiar feel to it, in more ways than one. He knew that it was marana. Enough of it had been thrown at him during the war that he was well familiar with it. And then there was that young dragon’s power that had healed him in the Nirami’s Grave. The one he kept sensing every-damn-where…

  The marana stirred the inner predator. It was like a challenge. It awakened the hunger for victory and, on a baser level, the need to claim or destroy if the claiming was impossible.

  And he was not the only one to feel it.

  Kaishan was standing, one of the few who still was. The rest were sitting in their seats. His hands were pressed against the table in the war room. A shiver of sensation trembled through him. And through the men around him. He glanced up at them after the wave passed. The eight High and Lesser Lords were observing each other, blue black veined eyes nearly glowing. Lesser Lord Crulanova Veilress licked his lips in anticipation. But it was the High Lord Mordurn Maloress who turned to Kaishan first.

  “Well asevi, Airshavieariz,”Heir, winged dagger,“when can we expect to reclaim our victory?”He asked

  Before Kaishan could open his mouth to answer a thunderous roar ripped through the halls of the Kikel Varcressi. Kaishan had not heard that call since the final battle on the slopes on which the dragon's palace rested. And it meant only one thing.

  His father, the Emperor Shantév Varcress was awake.

  ***

  The Barrier

  The wave of magic washed over the entire continent of Arathin. It riled the chaotic magics of the Nirami and its ocean extent known as Death's Eye. It swept over the countries of Marlhema, Sheyestiva, the desert lands of Verail, and Island Kingdoms. It flooded over the boundless ocean on its way to Pershara and Grinley. It would have made it there except... It crumpled into the Barrier that sundered the continents from each other. The already deteriorating boundary writhed under the assault of an awakening star. The Barrier Maelstrom screamed and churned faster, the curtain ripping yet more. The Barrier stuttered before drawing harder upon its anchors. So hard that the tether attaching it to it last Persharan snapped, freeing the age old anchor. The last anchor of twelve groaned but held. The Barrier stabilized, though it was a tattered entity of what it had once been. But it remained, its hold tenuous.

  ***

  Riverdale, Pershara

  Deep underground, three great eggs shifted. Their precious contents finally able to continue growing after being long held bound to the Barrier. They cried softly. They rejoiced at hearing each other. But they wanted their mother. Where was she? She said she would be there, but her voice had long since been silent. They called plaintively to her. They called and called. But their voices were weak.

  "Perhaps our voices are too soft." a little female murmured to her siblings.

  "She heard us before..." A young male whimpered.

  "But that was before the Silence and the draining." The little female replied.

  "That makes sense." Another little male thought. "Let us wait and grow. Once we are stronger we will call to her again. Eventually we will hatch."

  "Yes." the little female said giddily. "Then we can go find her." With renewed determination the dragonets settled in their eggs to wait.

  Chapter Three–Reminiscing

  Above ground in the old monastery of Riverdale Duncan returned home. Father Thomas, when he had found that Duncan had arrived welcomed him warmly. Duncan was amazed to see the older man up and about at this hour. Typically he was asleep in his chair in the library with some old tome open on a dusty page. Father Thomas was one of the most scholarly knights Duncan had ever known, but his old age had dragged him down over the years. Grim and Duncan always made sure to give him the less strenuous of activities because they feared that anything more would tire the man more quickly.

  When the war had come knocking on their doorstep, the knights had no choice but to act. The attack on Jewel confirmed that they no longer had a choice. Grim and Duncan had left to lead their troops. But they couldn’t take everyone. The older knights remained to protect the monastery and to teach the pages. Father Thomas had been left in charge. Apparently Grim and Duncan had had it all wrong. The older man needed to be needed. He was still older, but there was a spring in his step that had not been there the last time Duncan had seen him.

  “Come.”Father Thomas said after being introduced to both Trevor and Kairevasigh. For Trevor the introduction was more of a reintroduction since Trevor’s younger cousin, Jason, had joined the Grimedian Order of Knights several years ago. Father Thomas led the three companions to his study.“Tell me, Duncan, would you be willing to lead mass tomorrow morning? Perhaps you could lighten our hearts again with another sermon on God’s humor?”

  Duncan laughed. Knowing that Father Thomas had not been too enthused with the subject before Duncan said“Sure, Father.”thinking it was all in jest.

  “Excellent.”The older knight said with a grin as he pulled a rope for refreshments.“I look forward to hearing more upon the subject on the marrow.” Duncan stared at him realizing that it hadn’t been a jest. Seeing his expression both Trevor and Father Thomas laughed. Kairevasigh raised an eyebrow at them before making her way to the window. Still smiling, Father Thomas gestured for the companions to sit as he himself took his favorite chair.“Tell me, how went Vandenberg? I trust that it went well?”

  Duncan and Trevor took turns telling the good father what had happened since Duncan and Grim had left after Jewel and Elainia to the Harvest fair. Duncan told his story that started with Grim then diverged when he went back to check up on Elainia who had been following behind and ended up traveling with the girl and Perela. Perela, who at the time had been the incredibly old yet formidable Mistress of the Kitchens.

  “Yes, that was an unfortunate event.”Father Thomas said when Duncan paused in his narrative. A page boy had entered and put down a tray of refreshments before leaving. Duncan bit into a scone and looked at it sadly. The Father Superior nodded in sympathy.“Ever since our dear Perela left after Elainia the food has been rather…Well it isn’t bad, but it lacks a certain…The cooks do their best.”Father Thomas finished.

  “I can see that. Father, there is something that you need to know about Perela.”Duncan began.

  “Oh? She is coming back soon?”Father Thomas said hopefully.

  “Um…eventually. Father, she is a sorceress of the First Circle. She is the daughter of Bendon D’Armis, the First Wizard.”

  Father Thomas’s eyes widened and he blinked.“Well.”He said.“Does that mean there will be no more scones?" At Duncan's confused look he waved a hand and thought. It was clear that he knew what Duncan was saying. He was a scholar after all. He had probably read the written tales of the First Wizard and the Sorceress Perela. The older man smiled after mulling over all the implications.“That certainly explains why there had always seemed to be something more about her. Her and her cooking" after a pause he pulled the conversation back on track. "I think we ha
ve digressed enough, though. Please continue with your story Duncan.”

  Duncan did so. He told how he, Perela, and Elainia had met the thief Tommy T. Toweltaker in the town of Mountview. Then he recounted how they had found the Wizard city of Thioden and found the Dragon’s Eye crystal that housed the soul of the last dragon, Kindra. Father Thomas had been in awe. An awe that shifted toward sadness when he heard that Elainia had lost herself when Altana attacked them and the crystal had been broken with her inside it.

  After a moment of silence Trevor continued the narrative of Grim’s adventures after Duncan had left. Some of which he had heard gathered from others. Grim, Jewel, Gawin, and Bendon had met an old friend named Robert Kimbridge. The Dark Kin had attacked them, killing Robert’s beloved wife. The company had then continued to the shore where Trevor and his rebel’s had followed them to Vandenburg. Father Thomas shook his head as he heard about the affronts the Sorceress Altana and her minions had committed there. The older man nodded when he heard that T’Garen had stepped down so his second could lead under the command of Grim, who had been forgiven his ecclesial vows.

  The story continued to get darker when the two men told of the Grim’s capture by Altana. The party was split then. Duncan and Trevor stayed with the army and marched upon the City of Pershara. The smaller party consisting of the newly married Gawin and Jewel (a detail that made Father Thomas grin), Kindra, Tommy, Bendon, and Robert raced against time to rescue Grim. Something that they apparently didn’t need to do because Grim had taken care of that detail himself. The king had also made an alliance with the Kingdom of Grinley. The problem was, somehow, while sailing back Grim had ended up in Arathin.