The Book of One: A New Age

by Jordan Baker

  “Thank you, ” said Aaron, not sure how else to respond.

  “So, this means Aaron's not some kind of enemy or spy or something,” Borrican said.

  “Hardly,” Calthas commented.

  “He's sort of a friend of the family, in a way,” Ariana added, though she still kept some reservations about him.

  “Happiness," Calthas added with a smile then clapped his hands together and turned to Aaron. “Aaron, would you wait out here for a moment while I speak with the other two.” he asked.

  Aaron followed him, happy for a moment on his own. While he was feeling a bit restored from Ariana’s renewed friendliness toward him, he could definitely use a few moments to get his mind around everything that had happened in Calthas’ study. Calthas closed the door behind him and Aaron waited patiently in the outer room. He noticed a volume on one of the young wizard’s shelves and picked it up. It resembled one of his own books except where his had been marked with the Maramyrian symbol for One, Calthas’ was called The Book of One.

  Curious to see if it was the same, Aaron opened it and was greeted by similar images to the ones he usually saw in the copy he had back on his shelf at the Academy. It was different, though. Its images did not move and shift like in the other. Aaron guessed that this book was perhaps a copy of the one he had in his possession. He heard a conversation begin in the other room but could not make out the words of the muffled voices behind the door so he resigned himself to wait and leaf through the book. He hoped Calthas did not mind.

  Inside the room, Borrican was beginning to raise a protest with the Princess. She scowled at him even more now as he argued on his friend’s behalf.

  “It’s not like you just get into the High Academy, Princess. Plus he’s been an honourable sort all the way through. He’s my friend and I can’t say that I’m too pleased at the way he is being treated. Besides, you said it yourself. His uncle was a friend of your parents.” He stuck out his jaw in defiance and Ariana shot him a steely look.

  “Did you look at his eyes? Did you watch them? I have never seen that before. Even Calthas’ eyes don’t do that.”

  “What’s that?” Calthas asked.

  “His eyes,” repeated Ariana. "I have seen mages flowing with power so much that the air around them practically burned, and their eyes would change, glowing with the power they were harnessing, black with the sight, but his eyes were something else completely. It was unnerving."

  “Yes, I noticed that. He’s got some power," Calthas commented, uncomfortably. It was said that the eyes were the window to the soul and that a mage's eyes were a reflection of the power held within. Only once had Calthas seen the kind of depth he had glimpsed in Aaron's gaze, when he had been a very young trainee, and the mage had been a man of exceptional power. If Aaron truly held such potential, then it was imperative that he have the ward removed sooner rather than later. Confining such power could only lead to disaster.

  “So he really is a mage?” Borrican asked, breaking Calthas' train of thought.

  “Oh yes, but he's not capably of anything, really. Not at the moment. He has power, but he’s disconnected to it because of the ward on his mind. It obscures his magic from him and from everyone else. But you saw, when I did manage to find a weak spot in the ward, I pushed with my own power and his own manifested itself, for just a moment, but it was enough to set off alarms all over the kingdom, had this room not been heavily warded. Even then, the amount of power that flowed through that tiny connection I found almost broke the spells I put on this place and despite all that, he just stood there, passive, as if totally unaware of it all." Calthas shook his head and continued.

  “Princess, if you’re worried about being in safe company I think this fellow is about the safest, so long as you have his trust. Like I said, from what I was able to understand of the ward, if he hadn’t totally submitted to what I just did, I would be the one laid out for a week at least. He trusted me completely and from what I could tell, he did so on your behalf. With that and what I could read of his aura, I can safely say he is not hiding anything from you and has no threats toward you or such plans, and I know how much of a concern that is for you.”

  “But won’t the wards be dangerous to us?” Ariana asked gesturing to both Borrican and herself.

  “Not unless you start throwing fireballs at him,” Calthas joked, and he laughing a little uncomfortably then threw her a serious look. “Frankly, I don’t envy the person who tries it. That ward is really a wonder. I wish I could explain it to you but it’s so complicated even I barely understand it.”

  Borrican had been listening and was curious now about this mage business.

  “As I'm sure you know, Kandaran magic works differently than it does in other realms. We don’t have many mages in Kandar and the few that I have met were all capable of some pretty dangerous things. You say that Aaron is unable to use his power, and is basically unaware of it? Couldn't it be dangerous if he accidentally used it?”

  Calthas thought Borrican’s question was pertinent, and interesting coming from a Kandaran royal. He had sensed something very different about Borrican's own aura but decided to leave his many questions about that for another time. For now, he did his best to clarify his thoughts.

  “It is possible, but of course anything’s possible, now isn’t it. That’s the theoretical beauty of what we do,” Calthas said with a smile. “Don’t worry, but don’t press him on the subject and don't put him under magical pressure. Someone more skilled than I needs to probe that ward and, while I think your friend isn’t in any danger for the moment, the ward on his mind could be dangerous to someone who pried too forcefully.” Ariana pursed her lips at Calthas’ words, catching the warning. The mage was well aware of her insatiable curiosity and her tendency to forget some of the rules he had tried to teach her. Borrican considered how all of this was his fault for bringing Aaron along in the first place.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know,” he offered an apology to the princess. “Aaron is a friend from the Academy and I figured it would be okay to bring him.” Ariana smiled at him.

  “It’s okay, there’s no way you could have known any of this,” she told him. “Besides, it's probably good that we brought him here.”

  “It is most definitely a good thing you did,” Calthas said. “It is better that this problem was discovered sooner rather than later. This could kill him if the ward is not removed, and soon.”

  Ariana and Borrican exchanged a look that conveyed their feelings about it. While Ariana still had a few reservations about Borrican's friend, they both agreed with Calthas that it was safe to trust Aaron and they should probably do what they could to help him. At the very least, the young man warranted keeping an eye on, given his peculiar circumstances. They exited the room to where Aaron was waiting for them.

  Aaron heard their footsteps creak on the wooden floorboards and started to replace the book on its shelf. The door opened and Calthas entered, followed by Ariana and Borrican. Calthas stopped when he saw Aaron pushing the book back into its place on the shelf.

  “I wasn’t sure how long you were going to be. I hope you don't mind.” Aaron said, inwardly kicking himself for nosing through the mage’s things.

  “I see you’ve found the book,” Calthas said with a note of derision as he looked at the volume on the shelf

  “The book?” he asked. “Oh, I thought I might read something while I waited. I hope that's okay,” Aaron said.

  “That’s fine. Curiosity is the mark of a mage and you probably should read some magic books at some point, but some of them can be dangerous.” Calthas picked the book from its shelf and showed it to Ariana and Borrican. “This book is a copy of the book of the Priesthood. They call it 'The Book of One' or 'The One Book' respectively. I have already warned you about it, Princess, but it is important that your friends understand what it is. From what I understand, just looking at the pages of one of the original copies can turn a lesser mage into an instant follower of the one god.
This one is a copy of a copy and has no such power. Still, the images are very powerful. When you get to Blue Island, stick to your studies and keep your distance from the book. If you are shown a copy, do your best to focus on any other thoughts you might have and do not allow the pages of the book to entrance you,” he warned. “It is powerful magic, and a sheer test of your will, and though I suspect you would probably be able to resist its pull, even I do not dare look at an original copy.”

  As if making Princess Ariana uncomfortable had not been bad enough, Aaron now felt guilty that he had nosed into Calthas’ book. He wondered whether his own copy of the book might be as dangerous as Calthas said, but he figured that perhaps it was something like the books of Anonymous, or perhaps whatever the ward was that Calthas said he was under made it so he would not be affected. Whatever the case, he had no business looking at some stranger’s things, let alone the private books of a mage. Aaron resolved that perhaps it would be better that he should return to the Academy but before he could get a word out, Ariana held up her hand, already determined to say some things of her own.

  “I am sorry I over-reacted Aaron,” she told him. "I’ve been having some trouble at the palace and I fear I have more enemies than friends at the moment.”

  “It’s okay,” Aaron reassured her. “I didn’t know about any of this but if there are people threatening you then it is better to be careful. Let me know if I can be of any help, though from what Calthas just told us, I don’t know what use I might be. I just hope there’s nothing dangerous about me.”

  “No, I think you’re quite safe to those around you,” Calthas said with a smile. "This ward appears to be dangerous to mostly to you, and perhaps to anyone who might try to use magic on you."

  "As long as the princess, and Borrican are not in any danger," Aaron said. "I would not want to put them at risk, even by accident."

  Ariana believed Aaron's words were genuine.

  “Good. Now that’s settled, we should go out and enjoy the city,” she said, even smiling at Aaron. After all the things that had just happened and what they had just discovered about him, she felt she should learn more about this young friend of Borrican’s, this nephew of one of her family's closest and trusted friends.

  “What I don’t understand is how you have enemies at the palace,” interjected Borrican. “It is your palace.”

  Ariana shook her head glumly.

  “It is not my palace yet. Right now it's my uncle Cerric's palace and, to put it plainly, we do not get along. I’m surprised he waited this long to start planning to ship me off somewhere. It is just over a year before my coronation as Queen of Maramyr, and I'm sure he would love nothing less than to see me disappear,” she said, darkly then spun on her heel and headed toward the door. “Why don’t we go? I’ve had enough of worrying about things and looking over my shoulder and such. I want to have fun today. I think it’s about time we went out and enjoyed the festivities.” She turned again and looked at Aaron.

  “Calthas says you’re probably safer company than Borrican because of that stupid ward spell that’s on you, so I suppose you’re welcome to accompany me and his highness of Kandara to Autumnfest,” she said, still a little tentative toward him. Aaron nodded his thanks. Borrican clapped his friend on the back and they both began to follow Ariana out the door.

  “Thanks again, Calthas. I will be in touch soon,” Ariana said to the mage then gestured to Borrican and Aaron. “Shall we?”

  Aaron and Borrican followed her out, bidding Calthas goodbye as they left. Calthas closed the door and stared at the book that Aaron had held in his hand only moments earlier. He had obtained the copy of the book some time ago but desperately feared to open it. Though the princess did not entirely believe his suspicions about the book, several mages he knew had been interviewed by the Priesthood and had quickly become converts. When next he saw them, they had desperately tried to get him to join them. They had even given his name to the Priesthood whom, he had heard, were even now trying to ferret him out. Luckily, he had cast the ward on his workshop long ago, before the Priesthood had any presence in the kingdom, his original intention to hide some of the more controversial magics he was investigating. Only those he permitted knew of its location and could find their way to his abode. And thus far, he had remained safe, but he knew that just as the ward on Aaron's mind appeared to have weakened over time, the ward on his abode within the city would soon weaken also.

  The day would come very soon when he too would have to leave Maramyr. Princess Ariana had worked hard to learn how to shield her power but Calthas knew that every passing day brought her more fully into her power and she would not be able to hide it much longer, not with the little bit of training Calthas had been able to impart to her. His magic on its own which he practiced in veritable solitude was too much of an imperfect art and he wondered whether the mage priests would not soon discover him, despite the precautions he had taken.

  If he was right about the Priesthood, if they did turn their followers into fanatics and if they turned Ariana to their will, she would immediately tell them about him. And she would do it blissfully, just like any good convert. It was a hard time for mages. The Priesthood had cleverly embarked on a campaign of public works in Maramyr, healing and helping the poor and downtrodden, so it was difficult to warn others of their true nature. Most people in the city considered them heroes and to overtly criticize the priesthood was becoming something akin to heresy. Ariana had told him she understood the dangers, but he suspected that she did not entirely believe him.

  Calthas shuddered when he thought of how many mages had become priests of late. He would have to leave Maramyr soon. He wondered where he would be able to go. There were a few places he had heard of where mages were supposed to be safe from the Priesthood and he had heard of there being a sanctuary somewhere, but nothing was for sure. He looked around the room and wondered how he would be able to carry all of the books and magical objects he had collected. He would probably have to leave most of it behind where it would eventually be found by the mage priests. But if they found it, then they would know about him. They would be able to use the residual magic in many of the items he had handled to locate him and track him down. Perhaps, he thought, it would simply be better to destroy the things he could not take with him rather than leave evidence of his existence. Calthas felt his face redden in anger at the thought of destroying such precious magical items. He cursed the Priesthood for making him even consider doing such a thing. Magic was sacred. He would have to find another way.

  *****

  Aaron and Borrican arrived back at the Academy just before sunrise. After a full day and a longer night out enjoying the city, they had long since missed their curfew and knew that they would have to sneak back into the barracks or face the Captains’ discipline. Neither of the two friends looked forward to being reprimanded and having to scrub floors or shovel manure in the stables so they set about scaling the outside wall of the fortress that was the Academy.

  Borrican joked that their Academy teachers had made it easier for them to succeed at their task since they had recently trained them on techniques for sneaking into an enemy fortress. This one would be easier since there was no one at the top ready to pour boiling oil on them. They climbed the wall and, once over, silently made their way across the grounds. They successfully snuck past the sentries and into the barracks. They made it as far as Aaron’s room when they heard the regular steps of the watch making their rounds.

  Quickly they dashed inside and waited until the footsteps had past. Still feeling the effects of too many draughts of the sweet summer ale the whole city had been drinking to make room for the next brewing, they laughed at the seeming hilarity of not getting caught. Tired, but not quite ready to sleep, Aaron sat on his floor, leaning his back against the side of his bed. Borrican threw himself into the reading chair, which was identical to the one the Academy provided for all the resident students.

  “So,” Borrican started. “W
hat do you think?” Aaron forced his eyes open.

  “Of what?” he asked.

  “The Princess, you numbskull.” Borrican laughed. “What do you think of her?”

  “She seemed nice?” Aaron said, not sure whether it was appropriate to voice any other kind of opinion about someone who would be his future queen. Borrican, on the other hand, as a Crown Prince of Kandara could have any opinion he wanted to about the girl.

  “Nice?” Borrican looked around for something to throw. Finding nothing, he threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. “Nice! She’s gorgeous! A waking dream! Are you telling me you didn’t find her completely stunning?” Aaron could tell the Borrican was clearly infatuated with Ariana.

  “Of course, she’s very beautiful,” Aaron agreed, “but she's a royal. Who am I to think of her in that way?”

  “I didn't say to think of her in that way,” Borrican teased. “I just asked what you thought of her. You are allowed to have an opinion. You know her mother was Elven.”

  “Really?” Aaron was surprised. He had read all the histories of Maramyr and there was no mention of Queen Alia's ancestry except that she had been a princess of a noble house.

  “Nobody talks about it, and you would never know it to look at her, but Ariana is half-elf,” Borrican told him. “I heard it was more of a scandal among the elves and Ariana's mother was banished for marrying King Gregor.”

  “Have you ever met an elf?” Aaron asked.

  “Once,” Borrican said. “When I was young, a delegation came from Elvanar to Kandara to visit my father. I was very young at the time but they wanted me to attend for some reason. I'm glad I did, too. Interesting people. Mysterious too. And beautiful.”

  “Why doesn't the princess look different?” Aaron asked.

  “She does,” Borrican said. “But not different enough that anyone would notice, except the elves. Apparently, when elves and humans marry, their children end up looking mostly like humans. I'm not sure why. That's just the way it is, but if you look carefully, you can see a little bit of the Elven in her.”