Bridgeworlds: Rise of the Magi

by Randy Blackwell

  “She is a person of note on her side of the world, which is how I know about her. I have my ways of getting information. Shall I deal?”

  “No. Let’s change it up a bit. If I win, you bring her to Omar, not me. And you tell me how you know she is Omar’s sister.”

  “Agreed.”

  Hay-lale dealt after Myles cut the deck.

  Myles looked at his hand and was dumfounded. He had absolutely nothing—his highest card was a ten. Hay-lale had to be cheating, but Myles had caught nothing even though he had paid close attention. He wasn’t slipping extra cards in or dealing from the bottom of the deck. When Myles thought back to how fast Hay-lale had caught his knife, he realized the guy’s hands were fast. Myles decided that if this guy wanted to cheat, perhaps no one would be able to tell.

  Hay-lale took three cards while Myles took four, leaving his ten in. Myles had two tens and the rest of his hand was junk. It was an easy hand to beat.

  Hay-lale looked up over his cards. “Let’s show.”

  Myles showed his hand. When he saw Hay-lale’s, he noted that Hay-lale had two kings and decided that Hay-lale had not only cheated but he was a pro at cheating. An amateur would cheat and win with a straight flush, but a good con-artist always just barely beat his opponent.

  “You got me. You are a cheat, but you got me.”

  “Sir, you don’t even know me, and you accuse me of cheating? Besides, you as an illusionist should be able to catch me if I had done so.”

  “Enough games, what do you want me to steal?”

  Hay-lale touched his chin in thought. “Oh, I could really use your skills. Kasey told me you were a good fighter, a good pickpocket, and a former con man.”

  “She told you all that, huh? You and Kasey must be great pals.”

  “Oh, no. She told me all of this in one meeting.”

  “OK, let’s say you met Kasey, and she betrayed half my secrets to you. Why do you need those skills?”

  “I need you to get a sword Kasey has and bring it to me.”

  “You have got to be kidding me. You want me to steal something from my friend? No way, pal.”

  “You think she is your friend? No, that ship has sailed, from everything she said to me over a cup of ale. She said you were too immature for her and she was ready to move on. Besides, saying no is not an option at this point if you want Misaki to live.”

  “I helped save that woman’s life.”

  “She gives all of the credit to her beloved Master.”

  “All right, I will get it for you. Now tell me your secret. Tell me how you walked through the table.”

  “Close your eyes.”

  Myles closed his eyes.

  “Now open them.”

  He opened his eyes, and he sat on the throne in Castle Enigma in Caelsis. He jumped out of the seat with a yell. All of it started to shimmer and dissipate. He was suddenly thrust back into the gambling hall.

  Hay-lale wore a look of pure amusement. “I can tell you how I did that. And thus give you the ability to do it.”

  “Well, stop teasing me and get to it.”

  “Everything in its time, sir.”

  “Buddy, I would steal from my own grandma to know how to do something like that.”

  Hay-lale turned to walk out the door, and Myles could have sworn he heard him say under his breath, “Oh, I know.”

  “What did you say?”

  “Meet me back at this place when you have the sword. I will be waiting. When you have the sword, I will tell you what you need to know.”

  Myles went to his hotel room and went to bed. The next morning he set off for Marasimlah.

  ~*~

  When Myles had finally reached Marasimlah, he had to hire a Daqad ranger to help him get to the mountain entrance. The Mountain was white with snow, and Myles had been told it was a deadly mountain to try and climb alone.

  Iaspis, his guide, though not talkative, did inform Myles that only Daqad were allowed inside the mountain. Myles would be treated like a foreign dignitary. A tent would be set up where they would all eat together and discuss the Order of the Magi.

  As they approached the entrance to the mountain, Myles saw the camp set up outside. Over one hundred armored soldiers encircled the tent where the banquet was to be served. Myles wondered why none but the Daqad were allowed to enter Marasimlah.

  King Alagaar, oddly enough, seemed to be the only Daqad with a beard. Alagaar stood a good three-and-a-half feet tall and wore full plate armor with a war hammer strapped to his back. He had the look of a seasoned soldier. That look reminded Myles of Clint Eastwood in his movies. A man could give you that look when he was weighing your soul. Alagaar approached and greeted Myles with a firm handshake.

  “Come; let us dine together before we delve into serious matters. I would like to get to know you.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.”

  They took their seats at opposite ends of the table. A servant came, poured ale, and served covered dishes.

  “Excuse me, but may I ask you a blunt question?”

  “Those are my favorite kind. Being a king, I rarely hear them.”

  Myles uncovered his food and saw a large hunk of white meat with colorful garnishing. “Well, I was wondering why you were the only Daqad with a beard.”

  “Before I was king, before I taught the Daqad to sing the rock song, all Daqad wore beards. However, when I became the King of this cold, hard rock, I decreed that only I could grow a beard. I have earned this right, unlike those under me. I have set myself apart and over my people in many ways. The rule of the beard is only one example.”

  Myles had grown up with a complete ego-maniac, Conor, the oldest of his siblings. He had been second in command to his parents on the farm. Ever since, Myles could not stand arrogant people. Myles was good at hiding his contempt for others, but he had a feeling this meeting might not go well.

  “Ah, wise to set yourself apart from and above your people.”

  Alagaar slammed his mug down. “I’m glad you agree.”

  “So what is this meat? It is delicious!”

  “It is a Daqad delicacy. Raphakabish is rare since the wars, but the breast is incomparable when properly grilled.”

  Myles fought his gag reflex at the thought that he was eating giant spider meat. Myles focused on the fact that it really was excellent food.

  Throughout the meal Alagaar and Myles made small talk about Soterion. Finally, when the last scraps were thrown to the dogs, Alagaar asked, “What is it that the Order of the Magi wishes of me?”

  “We only want you to permit any Daqad from Marasimlah to openly join the Order of the Magi.”

  “I imagine you believe that these abilities I have heard about will be desirable to my people. All right then, give me a demonstration of what you can do.”

  Myles got up from his seat and grabbed his walking stick. He walked out of the tent and King Alagaar followed. Once out of the tent he turned to King Alagaar. “Please, your majesty, stand back, for your own safety.”

  King Alagaar stopped. Myles went another 20 paces away from the tent. He looked around and found his target. A nearby tree had a single limb sticking out with a bit of snow on it. He took the stick, aimed it, and pulled the secret trigger. The shot rang out and echoed loudly through the mountain range. Fire exploded from the top of the stick. The bullet hit the tree limb dead-on and it fell to the ground.

  Every single soldier drew his weapon. Even King Alagaar freed his war hammer. “Magic is evil and not welcome in Marasimlah. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t smash in your skull with this hammer right now.”

  “There are a dozen reasons why that would be a bad idea. The best of them is that I did not use magic.”

  “Then what is it? Show me how you did it.”

  Myles shook his head. The soldiers gasped.

  King Alagaar pointed the hammer at Myles. “You are within my kingdom. You will do as I say, or you will die.”

  Myles took two steps for
ward, towering over King Alagaar. The soldiers made a tight circle around him and King Alagaar. The king’s eyes blazed.

  “I will not do as you say, and you may not live to see tomorrow.”

  Alagaar swung the hammer at Myles’ head, but Myles was already touching the coin. He disappeared and reappeared behind one of the soldiers. Myles picked up the soldier and heaved him into the midst of the circle. The soldiers turned and chased after him but he was gone again. Alagaar screamed in rage, until he felt Myles’ arm around him and the point of a sharp knife against his throat.

  Myles' low voice spoke in his ear. “I came here in peace. I came seeking allegiance, but you are a fool.” King Alagaar blustered, but Myles pressed harder on the dagger and until he felt the king's Adam's apple bob and no more sounds came from him.

  “Listen up. I am leaving this place. If you try to wage war against the Magi, I will suddenly appear in your bedchamber one night while you are asleep and kill you before your eyelids open. I am but one Magi. By the end of the week, there will be hundreds with just the same skills. If you bring your people against us, we will crush you into dust. Sleep well, King Alagaar, and know that I am watching and waiting.”

  Myles teleported himself to the bottom of the mountain. He waited, invisible, until nightfall. Myles made his way into the mountain of Marasimlah, through the city, and into the king’s bedchamber. There he woke the king with the point of his dagger. In the dark he whispered, “Now you know that I can do it.” Then Myles teleported himself back to Teknon. Myles slept that night in the inn, knowing that there was a monarch to the north that would have at least one sleepless night.

  Myles woke the next morning and made for Phlox, the capital of Suchikos. What got into me yesterday? Something about the king of Marasimlah just completely rubbed me the wrong way, but am I losing my mind? I don't remember ever threatening anybody like that, even when I was a serious crook.

  On the ride to Phlox, Myles purposed to make the trip better than the one to Marasimlah. He wanted to give the Magi a better image and knew he needed to turn up the charm.

  A huge wall surrounded the inner city. The architecture, ornaments, and clothing all reminded him of what he knew of Jewish settlements back on Earth. This city clearly had been built by the Jews who had escaped Musterion. A gatekeeper gave him a message as he entered. The note was from his Magi companions.

  Master Myles,

  We had planned to stay and wait for you, but pressing matters called us south. This departure was approved by Omar. We hope to see you back in Caelsis.

  —Darius

  Myles shrugged. The less baggage the better.

  Myles made straight for the palace, where it seemed he was expected. People crowded around him because Ganan drew a lot of attention. It took Myles some time to get to the palace due to the children who wanted to pet Ganan and begged to ride on him.

  Myles bent down and spoke to Ganan. Ganan generally got the gist of what he meant when he spoke. The bond between them was strong. “Ganan, I want you to be on the watch from the air. When I am ready to leave or when I need you, come back to me. Stay out of sight though. Some local might shoot you down out of ignorance.”

  Ganan licked him in the face to show he understood. The Kuon vaulted into the air. Myles turned and walked through the palace doors.

  The meeting with this king went smoothly. Myles was given citizenship and even asked to join their armies as a general. Word had traveled already of how he had stood up to Alagaar. It seemed that Alagaar had earned himself a reputation for being difficult and the king of Phlox respected Myles for humbling "the bearded one".

  Once everything was wrapped up and a deal was struck, Myles turned to his other task within the city… betrayal.

  28

  Queen Elizabeth

  Kasey had been in Phlox for a month, trying to complete her mission. She searched for the carpenter to give him the sword, but she didn’t have a clue who he was or where he was. Since her arrival in Phlox, there’d been three attempts on her life, and it was getting a little tiring. She had been set upon in an alley the first time. Twice someone had tried to poison her. Thankfully Kasey had brought along the healing moss from Musterion, so these attacks had all failed.

  Kasey and Tyree had resolved to try to help each other until Tyree found the portal to Musterion, so they searched the city together. At the city gate they spoke with the scribes about ancient lore when Kasey felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and discovered Nekar.

  “Nekar! It’s so good to see you.” She tried to throw her arms around him, but he backed away as if he didn't know her. “You made it out of Musterion!”

  Nekar asked, “Are you Kasey?”

  “Nekar, don’t you remember me? Of course I’m Kasey.”

  Tyree whispered in Kasey’s ear, “This must be Nekar from a time before you met him in Musterion. Be careful what you say.”

  Nekar bowed. “The Master sent me here from Musterion to find you. He has a message for Tyree and Kasey.”

  Tyree nodded his head. “I’m Tyree. How can we trust you?” Nekar responded, “Are you an enemy of the dragon?”

  Tyree spat on the ground. “I am the enemy of that wretched creature.”

  “Then you’ll want to listen to what I have to say, but not here. Follow me.”

  Nekar led the way down several streets until he walked up to a wall and pushed on a brick. The wall gave way to reveal brick stairs leading down. Nekar grabbed a torch from the wall and lit it. They followed him down into what seemed like an underground house. It was an old and apparently unused.

  “Where are we?” asked Kasey.

  “We’re in the home of my brother. It matters not, though. What matters is what I have to tell you.”

  His brother would have to be hundreds of years old if he was still alive! Is it possible that the founders of Suchikos are still alive? Now that would be news.

  Nekar continued. “The Master warns that the Great Red Dragon is moving. He’s become active in this world because he wants the sword badly. Myles has been poisoned by the Subsurface Drakoni’s ability to corrupt the hearts of any who don’t follow the Master. Now the Great Red Dragon has appeared to Myles in his human form and planted seeds of doubt in his head about you, Kasey. Myles is here in Phlox, and he plans to steal the sword for the Dragon.”

  Kasey couldn’t contain herself. “That idiot! When I get my hands on him I’m going to wring his neck. He’s so stupid!”

  But Nekar shook his head. “No. That’s not the Master’s plan. You’re to let him steal the sword, and you’re not to go after him.”

  Kasey slumped in disappointment. This was a plan that made no sense. “Why?"

  “It’ll be a long time before you see Myles again. And when you do, he’ll need you to care for him. But he will be ready to follow the Master then, so you’ll need to treat him with great care.”

  Tyree waved. “Hey, remember me? What do I have to do with all of this?”

  Nekar turned to Tyree. “You’re probably the only person on Soterion besides Kasey that has a chance to take down Myles. You’ll need to knock him out from behind when you find him, or he’ll slip away.”

  “Then what?”

  “Bring him back here.” Nekar walked toward one of the brick walls and held the torch up to it. An archway had been built into the wall and at the top was an inscription written in Greek that said, “I am the Way.”

  “After you bring him here, you’ll walk through this wall and take him into the entrance to Musterion. Once there, you’ll inject him with the moss from the wall. This will rid him of the Drakoni venom that has poisoned him. You’ll leave him there at the entrance and depart to continue your work. The Master will take care of the rest.”

  Tyree nodded. Kasey, however shook her head. “I’m not letting the Dragon have that sword. This is all wrong!”

  Nekar smiled. “No, you’re not giving up the sword. But he will take it, and you’ll have to wait until Myles is safe
ly in Musterion. Then you’ll get the sword back and take it to a carpenter named Matthan.” Nekar gave her a small map. "This is where you'll find him."

  “But I still don’t understand."

  Nekar silenced her. “It’s not for you to understand, Kasey, but for you to do.”

  Kasey muttered, “So be it.”

  Kasey and Tyree met up with Iaspis, the Miyka that Kasey had saved.

  They told Iaspis everything that had happened and then turned in for the night.

  Kasey felt certain she was on her guard now, but it had been a long day, so she quickly fell asleep. The next morning, the sword had been replaced with a rose.

  Omar was an analytical man, a man of science and logic. But when he arrived at Chliaros he felt and acted like a little child seeing the ocean for the first time. He wanted to move there and study every amazing thing.

  When his party reached the top of the mountain, Omar got a full view of the city. He could see the palace at the highest elevation of the mountain. It was a great, thick, spiraling tower with other towers on each side. Below it was the nobles' district. Below that was the commoners' district. All the buildings were beautiful and had an almost Victorian look. The people were dressed in garb similar to that of Earth’s renaissance age. The commoners were friendly, and the Akana immediately took to Omar and Kleis. Omar sent Ischus ahead to the castle to announce their arrival and prepare a time for them to meet with the queen.

  Omar loved traveling the streets of Loefel Meren. Bards sang and performed on almost every street corner. Ischus returned with word that lodging had been prepared for them within the castle. No matter how Ischus protested, the queen had insisted that to turn away such an offer would be a slight against her and the king. So he’d accepted.

  Omar grabbed his things and made his way up through the nobles' district, where he got a good view of the palace grounds. A waterfall flowed from a spring in the face of the rock wall in front of the palace. Omar and Ischus went up the passage to the palace. The queen herself greeted them at the entrance.

  Queen Elizabeth Meren was the most beautiful creature that Omar had ever laid eyes on. Unlike all of the other Miyka that Omar had met, she had chocolate brown hair and light brown eyes. Her skin was even a shade darker than normal for a Miyka. She gave off a dazzling light.