“Why should I ask? You don’t own the table. Even if you said no, I would still be seated.”
Boris looked at the young man. “You’re a cocky lad, aren’t you? I’d drop the attitude if I were you, boy, or you’ll wind up dead even faster.”
Clarence leaned forward conspiratorially. “I heard from some of the other slaves that in the gladiatorial ring, if you win one hundred matches you’ll be set free and given a grand reward by the emperor himself. Do you think it’s true?”
“No,” Boris said, shoveling a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. “It’s a way to give hope to men like us. If we believe we can one day be free, we’ll be less likely to attempt to flee. That saves the slavers money and costs them literally nothing. Put such hopes out of your mind, for I expect you and I will not survive half a dozen matches.”
“Speak for yourself. I plan on being alive for a long time.”
Oh, the bravado of youth, Boris thought. He will soon learn that his bravado is naught but a shield of paper and the first blade will tear through it.
Chapter 13 - The Tower
As the group crested the ridge, John felt his breath leave him. Having lived in the modern era of Earth, John was used to technology and large cities. The city before him, while not large by Earth standards, was breathtaking. Black walls that reflected the light like mirrors towered over the plains that led to the gates of the city. In the very center of the city sat a shining silver tower, the tip of which tapered up into the sky, where it was lost among the clouds. Never before had John seen such a large tower. The way the light reflected off of the tower in the overcast conditions, John could envision what it would look like in full sunlight, for it would shine like a beacon, blanketing the land in light.
Dawyn turned in his saddle and saw the look of wonderment in the eyes of John, Ashley and Jason. He smiled. “Behold, Tar Ebon. One of the seven great cities of the world, seat of power for the kingdom of Tar Ebon and home to the Tower of the Seven Stars.”
“Wow,” Ashley said. “That tower is so tall!”
“How could they have built that?” Jason said. “They wouldn’t have had the architectural technology to build a tower that high without a strong infrastructure of steel or another firm metal.”
“Hey,” John said, slapping Jason on the back. “Stop with the analyzing for a moment and just enjoy the sight, will ya?”
“The Tower was built a thousand years ago,” Dawyn said. “The legends tell that the Founders came from beyond this world. If they were able to reach this planet in spaceships, don’t you think they would be able to build a really tall metal tower?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Jason said.
“Come on,” Dawyn said, whipping the reins and sending his horse, Shadow, into motion. The others followed after him.
Once through the gates, Dawyn led them to a tavern named The Dancing Mare. There he introduced them to the innkeeper, Paul and his wife, Elizabeth. Dawyn told the three from Earth that they would always be safe in The Dancing Mare, and that they should trust the innkeeper and his wife.
Next, the group made their way to the Tower of the Seven Stars. The grounds of the Tower were fenced in, with four gates positioned around it, but the guards made no move to stop anyone entering. Upon entering the Tower, Dawyn approached the desk at the ground floor and asked the woman there if she would call Alivia O’Leary and tell her that Dawyn Darklance was asking to see her.
The woman turned to a console behind her and punched in a series of numbers. A few moments later, the woman was talking into the headset atop her head. She nodded several times and then hit a button on the console. She turned back to Dawyn. “Master O’Leary will be right down to see you, sir.”
Minutes later, the distinct red hair of Alivia O’Leary was visible as she exited one of the lift tubes in the lobby. As her eyes fell on Dawyn and Anwyn, she smiled. “Dawyn, Anwyn, how good to see you. How have you been?” She strode forward and gave them each a hug.
“We’ve been great,” Anwyn said. “It’s wonderful to see you again, old friend.”
“We’ve been well, thank you Alivia,” Dawyn said. “I would like to introduce you to our new friends.” He gestured to where John, Ashley and Jason were standing. “Allow me to introduce Johnathan, Jason and Ashley. They are from far away but my understanding is they have the potential of magic. We were wondering if you might consider training them.”
Alivia eyed the three Dawyn indicated. She smiled. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Yes, Dawyn, it would be my pleasure to train them if they have the potential.”
Jason snorted. “I still don’t think we have any magic. It’s all a bunch of mumbo jumbo if you ask me.”
“You’ll have to excuse Jason,” Ashley said as she stepped forward to shake hands with Alivia. “He is very skeptical of the things we have seen so far during our journey.”
“I understand your skepticism. Many children doubt that they have any power or that anything is special about them when they first come to the Tower. But, like them, we shall show you how to recognize your potential and make the most of it. Will you be staying within the tower or elsewhere?”
“I’ve secured them rooms at the Dancing Mare,” Dawyn said. “They will make the trek to the Tower for their training.”
Alivia nodded. “Very good. If the three of you will follow me, we can get started.”
John turned to Dawyn. “Aren’t you coming with us?”
“Unfortunately only the initiates of the Tower or potential candidates are allowed beyond this point. Anwyn and I will return to the Dancing Mare. We will remain there until tomorrow. Please return to the tavern tonight so that we can hear how your day went. Beginning tomorrow we are going in search of the slave master.”
Following Dawyn and Anwyn’s departure, Alivia led the three Earthlings to one of the large rooms off of the lobby. Within the room sat several chairs and couches. Orbs along the walls cast a strange glow throughout the room. The orbs reminded John of the light cast by light bulbs back home. “Please, sit,” Alivia said as she indicated the furniture. “We want to make this process as comfortable as possible.”
Once the three were seated, she stood before them and began to speak. “Before we begin with the testing, do any of you know what a mage is?”
Ashley raised her hand and began to speak. “Dawyn told us mages have the ability to manipulate matter and energy, is that correct?”
Alivia nodded. “At the most basic level, yes. A mage has the ability to view the world at a different, deeper level, than normal humans. A mage can feel the flows of energy and see the building blocks of matter. A mage can extend the energy contained within their mind out into the world to manipulate the energy and matter that is all around them. Part of the training a mage undergoes involves first tapping into the ability to view the world, and then focusing on tuning it out. Without the ability to focus their attention, a mage would be flooded by their deeper perception of the world and paralyzed by sensory overload. Only once both steps have been successfully completed can teaching of the act of manipulation begin.”
“So how do we start sensing this world?” Ashley asked as she leaned forward.
“The first step is to test if you have the ability.” Alivia walked to a cabinet that lined the wall, pulled open the door and lifted a metal circlet from within. “The Founders created devices that could detect magical potential within an individual.” She moved toward the three, circlet held out in front of her with care. When she reached them, she placed the headband on her own head. The circlet remained the same, a cool silvery color, for a few moments, before suddenly lighting up and casting a bright red glow throughout the room. “The headband lights to indicate the potential of the individual. The more powerful the glow, the more powerful that person’s potential.” She held up a finger. “Note that I said ‘potential’. This does not mean you will automatically have that much power - only that the circlet predicts that you could have that much power, given
proper training. Who would like to go first?”
John raised his hand. “I will go first.”
Alivia removed the circlet from her head, causing it to return to its previous unlit state, and stepped forward to place the circlet atop John’s head. Like before, nothing happened at first. Several moments passed, and nothing. John sighed. “Well, I guess…” he was cut short by an explosion of pure white light from the circlet. The intensity caused the others to shield their eyes immediately.
“Take it off,” Alivia said.
John reached up and removed the circlet, extinguishing the intense aura. He held the circlet in his hands. “So, uh, I guess that was good, right?”
Alivia uncovered her face and opened he eyes. “Never in all my years have I seen the like. And the color! It was pure white light. For most mages, the circlet emits only one color, such as blue or red or green - never all of them at once.”
“Does that mean I’m powerful?”
“It means you have great potential.”
“Try me next,” Ashley said.
Alivia placed the circlet on Ashley. The result was the same as it had been with John. The circlet emanated a brilliant glow that caused the others to shield their eyes until Ashley removed it.
Ashley handed the circlet to Jason. “Here, you try.”
Jason eyed the circlet, but made no move to take it. “I don’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t.”
“That’s a childish answer,” John said. “Just put it on. What do you have to lose?”
Jason sighed but took the circlet from Ashley. Placing it on his head, he closed his eyes, as if willing the circlet not to light up. The circlet defied his will, however, and illuminated the room for a third time.
Alivia clapped her hands together. “Excellent! You can remove it now, Jason.” She took the circlet from him. “That confirms it - the three of you have the potential to be very powerful. How powerful, I do not know.”
“That’s great,” Ashley said. “How do we start to use magic?”
Alivia replaced the circlet in the cabinet and took a seat in the chair across from the others. “To start, close your eyes. Clear your mind of all thoughts and emotions. Once you have done that, feel yourself drifting outside of your body. Try to envision yourself as you would be perceived by someone standing nearby. Can you see yourself?”
“No,” John said.
“Keep trying. It can take time for you to tap into your magical perception.”
For a time the three Earthlings sat in the chamber, attempting to clear their minds and extend their perception outside of their bodies. Just as John was about to give up, he felt something. Like a veil being lifted, he could suddenly see himself. He did not look like he had expected, as if he were viewing a photograph of himself. Instead, his body glowed. Waves of what had to be energy radiated from his body, while the rest of his body was made up of tiny particles. He drifted closer to his body and inspected his hand. He saw the tiny particles of skin that made up his flesh. He moved “forward” and felt his perspective shift deeper. Instead of the particles that made up his skin, he saw his blood vessels and his bones. Moving forward again, he isolated a single particle in his bones. Within the particle, he laid bare a single electron and saw the atoms within it. He marveled at the depth he could view within his own body.
“John,” a disembodied voice came from somewhere. It reverberated within the world he was seeing. He didn’t recognize the voice at first. He continued his study of the atoms that made up his body. “John.” The voice was more insistent, and it seemed…familiar. Ashley, he thought. “John, snap out of it. You have to come back.” It was Ashley. How had he forgotten? Anchoring his mind on her voice, on the image of Ashley, John felt his mind withdraw from its molecular inspection and snap back into his body. Before his eyes were his friends, staring at him with concern in their eyes. “What happened?” John asked.
“You weren’t responding,” Ashley said. “Your eyes started glowing white and I started to get worried. It’s been several minutes. What did you see?”
John pressed his hand to the side of his head - it was pounding. “It was amazing, Ash. I saw - I saw everything. I saw every piece of myself at the deepest level. I could have spent eternity examining just my body. It’s hard to describe it any other way but, wow!”
To the side, John saw Alivia nod. “That sounds like a deeper experience than most novice mages have. What you describe is something that most mages do not experience until they have been practicing magic for many years. I only recently experienced such a deep connection with the world around me. I must caution you though - mages have died from remaining in such a state for too long. They forget to eat, drink and even breathe. It is important that you not allow yourself to go so deep until you are more comfortable with your magic and how to return your mind to your body.”
“How did you do it?” Ashley asked.
“It was just like Alivia said,” John said. “I just let everything go and sort of drifted outside of my body. You try.”
Ashley closed her eyes. For several moments nothing happened, but then her eyes snapped open and glowed with an inner white light. Her breathing slowed.
John turned to Alivia. “Is this how it was with me, too?”
“Yes. The same thing happened with you. A mage’s eyes take on a white color when they are using their magic. As you gain more training, you will learn to split your attention so that while you are manipulating matter or energy you are still able to see your surroundings with your eyes and detect it with your other senses.”
“I see,” John said.
A short while later, Ashley’s eyes returned to their normal green color and she blinked. “Wow, that was amazing,” she said. “I felt so alive, like I could do anything. I didn’t go as deep as you, John, but I was able to inspect the entire outside of my body.” She turned to Jason. “Your turn.”
Jason groaned. “Ugh, do I have to?”
“You should try,” Alivia said.
“Fine. Here it goes.”
Jason closed his eyes. Like before with Ashley, nothing happened for several minutes. Finally, his eyes snapped open and were glowing. His breathing slowed and he remained in that state for several minutes.
During that time, John noticed something glowing on Jason’s wrists. He took his wrist and turned it over. The blue symbol on his wrists was glowing with an intense blue light, as if lit from within. John inspected his own symbols and they were not glowing in that way. “What do you think he’s doing?” John asked.
“I don’t know,” Alivia said. “What are those strange symbols?”
“They’re special marks we were given when we came to this land,” John said.
No sooner had John spoken than Jason had awoken from his trance. He looked around. “I was wrong, you were right. Magic does exist.”
“What did you see?” Ashley asked.
“I saw everything the two of you described on the outside. But I was curious, so I came closer and focused on the symbols and the nanites within. They really are tiny machines. I could literally see them in these visions, feel the energy radiating from them and touch them with my mind. It was amazing.”
Alivia clapped her hands. “That’s wonderful. You all caught on so quickly. I have taught new initiates who have taken weeks to view their body from the outside, let alone anything further. I predict your training will advance quickly.”
Chapter 14 - A Daring Plan
Boris crept down the hallway toward Darin’s quarters. The gladiatorial instructor slept in the compound along with the rest of the slaves, though he was at the opposite end of the building. As Boris neared his room, he remained vigilant for the first sign of guards near Darin’s quarters. There were none that Boris had been able to locate.
Boris’ plan was to kill Darin and escape. He wanted to kill Darin as payback for the brutal tactics the man employed. During the last week, even more men had
been killed for failing to live up to the standards of their instructor. Even Boris felt the strain in his muscles from the harsh day-long training sessions.
The knife in Boris’ hand slid up between the door and the door frame and lifted the latch. Very gently, Boris moved the latch enough that he could open the door. Sliding inside, he took a moment to gather his bearings. Darin’s quarters were functional, with a single person bed, small chest of drawers and table illuminated by low lantern light. Darin occupied the bed. His breathing suggested he was sleeping, so Boris crept up to the bed, using all of the skills he had learned during his years as an assassin, and raised his knife over Darin’s prone body. Before he could thrust the blade downward, however, he was startled by Darin’s leg lancing out and kicking him backward. He caught himself before he tumbled to the floor, but Darin was already standing. In the man’s hand was a scimitar, and he drew a knife from the sheath at his waist.
Darin studied Boris in the dim light. “Boris, is that you?” he asked. He reached over and turned up the illumination cast by the lamp on his table. “It is you. Did you think I would not be prepared for would-be killers?” He laughed. “I have not lived for this long without learning to always keep a weapon close and sleep light. Why did you try to kill me?”
Boris pointed his knife toward Darin’s chest. “You’re brutal. These men don’t deserve to die - not in this way.”
Darin was silent for a moment. “And you think that by killing me those men would be saved? That’s not how the world works, my friend. I die, and Victor either comes in here and has every man gutted or Victor brings in an even more brutal instructor. What I do, I do because I’ve been instructed to do it if I want to live. Besides, those men I kill now would have died in the arena eventually anyway.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“I’ll tell you what, my friend. You kill me,” Darin let his scimitar and knife drop to the stone floor, “and you can watch as all the men who might have lived die before your eyes. You will be no better than I then - condemning men to die.” He stepped forward, grabbed Boris’ hands that still clutched the knife and pressed the tip of the blade to the space just below his ribs. It would be an easy thing for Boris to thrust upward and pierce his heart.
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