by Philip Blood
CATHEXIS
Book One
Necromancer’s Dagger
by
Philip Blood
SMASHWORDS EDITION
2.0
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY:
Philip Blood on Smashwords
Cathexis: Necromancer’s Dagger
Copyright © 2011 by Philip Blood
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
* * * * *
Dedication
There are a lot of people I would like to thank on this series. I started this four book series many years ago and over time, many people have helped me along the way. First, would have to be Rhonda St. Laurent, who was there from the first page, helping me with her knowledge and skills in writing. Ron DeRuyter was my primary reader and editor during the bulk of the entire Cathexis series, and I really, really, really appreciate it! (He just hates when I repeat ‘really’).
But there were many others, Todd Blood listened to me read the daily pages from beginning to end and added many ideas to the story. Dan Althouse read the raw work and bet me a dollar I couldn’t finish the series in four books (making his dollar my first one earned). Kathy Van Allen gave me the kindest compliment on this story when she said that she found herself laughing and crying within the same page. And to Marianne Wilhelm, for listening to me and putting up with my mind living inside this fantasy world for two years straight.
I had many test readers, like John, Mary and Leah Savage, Will Ware, and others, I wish I could thank them all, but that would take several pages. You all know who you are, so thanks!
Finally, I’d like to thank my father, Philip R. Blood, who passed away recently, for reading and editing the novels, and for getting me into writing in the first place, thanks, dad.
* * * * *
Cathexis:
Necromancer’s Dagger
* * * * *
PROLOGUE - MICHAEL
The heir to the kingdom of Lindankar was born with the first rays of morning light, and by the fall of evening darkness, his death was planned. On his day of birth the just gathered to celebrate and the wicked conspired to murder, and exactly one year after Michael Ardellen's birth the necromancer's dagger would strike.
- Headmaster Lucent Margraves
Light and focus parted the darkness like the opening of a theater curtain. Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered open as she returned from the land of dreams. Fear for her child’s safety brought her swiftly awake, but she relaxed when she felt her newborn son snuggled and safe against her side.
The new mother looked up to see her husband’s concerned face staring down; the skin between his intense blue eyes creased like the furrows of a farmer’s field. Elizabeth smiled and reached up to his face with her slim right hand to try and smooth away his worry wrinkles.
She spoke to him with a voice sounding slightly of sleep, “You shouldn’t scrunch up like that, your face might take an imprint like cathexis metal, and then you would go through the rest of life scowling at everyone.”
Jatar’s brow relaxed, yet his voice betrayed his contained emotion, “G’lan, I thought I had lost you!”
Elizabeth gave him a warm yet serious smile and replied, “If all the evil in the world stood between us, they could not keep me from coming to you.”
At her smile and words, Jatar's concern was replaced by a warm flood of emotion. In all ways, Elizabeth was the most beautiful person he had ever met. Her physical beauty took away his breath each time his eyes caressed her features. Her long auburn hair framed her exquisitely shaped face. Her small nose accented her generous and perfectly formed lips, and her high cheekbones gave her an exotic trait that showed her royal Hevarnan lineage. They balanced the shape of her face and drew his gaze to her brown eyes. He often found himself falling into those dark wells of smoldering power. She was beautiful by any man’s standards, but her physical beauty always seemed dull compared to the compassion of her soul, and there Jatar found beauty unmatched in the world.
He reached out and touched the side of her soft alabaster cheek with the back of his battle rough fingers in a gentle caress and he spoke softly, “I was worried when the stone burned our son, and then you collapsed, what happened?”
“It’s Michael’s aura, my quick look at his aura strength just after his birth was not a detailed probe. I knew he had a strong potential, but I hadn’t realized his aura was so intense!” Her voice rose with excitement, “The Aurora stone test showed the strongest potential aura I have ever seen! It was so strong it caused the Aurora stone to emit light into the range of heat, and that was powerful enough to burn his skin. When I saw what was happening I removed the stone as quickly as possible.”
“But why did you collapse?” Jatar interjected, as concern again etched his face.
She smiled wanly and said, “Well, I tried to use my powers to heal him, but my aura is still replenishing from this morning's extreme expenditure of giving birth. I went beyond the usable limits of my power, but do not fear for me my love, I will recover, but let's see how well my healing went for our newborn son.”
Elizabeth started to open Michael’s wrap, but she paused a moment when she saw the bandage on her left hand.
“He was not the only one burned,” Jatar explained simply.
Elizabeth nodded and continued opening Michael’s wrap. On his infant’s white chest there was a faint faceted shaped scar right where the Aurora stone had lain against his skin.
Elizabeth inspected the scar for a moment, but since there was no current danger she did not reach for her weakened powers. “I can heal the rest of this scar away as soon as my powers have a chance to recuperate,” she explained to her husband.
“I don’t think you should,” Jatar replied.
Frowning slightly, the sorceress asked, “Why?”
“The mark on your hand matches the mark on his chest perfectly. It will serve as a reminder of his wonderful aura, discovered by his mother on the day of his birth. Think of it as a kind of aura birthmark, and since it matches yours it will also remind him of his mother’s love. It’s really only a faint scar anyway.”
“Well, I’ll do as milord desires; after all, I can always remove it later if he doesn’t want the mark. Jatar, Michael has the strongest child's aura I've ever seen or heard of, even through my Adept memories! Do you realize what his aura strength means?”
“I have a fair idea; he can be trained as a sorcerer, which also means he must eventually travel to the Kirnath School for instruction. I can’t say I like the thought of his being away from our protection.”
Elizabeth reached out a hand and took hold of his forearm and then said, “But Jatar, you’ve told me many times how important it was to your education when you spent time fostering in the kingdoms
of Bralter, Tazlany, and Belorn.”
“I hate it when you use my own words to make your point,” he scolded, playfully. “Fostering at another kingdom is good training for a future ruling Lord, and the friendships he’ll form are vital to future peace.” Jatar noted that Elizabeth was about to speak and headed her off. “Next, you’re probably going to remind me that you left your country to grow up at the Kirnath School, but our son is not in the same situation. You weren’t in Autrany’s direct line of succession and both of your parents had already passed away,” Jatar reasoned gently.
“You’re right, of course; I was but a first cousin in the Hevarnan line, while Michael will be your heir. It is true that he must go to the Kirnath School for part of his training, but remember, I can give him much of the instruction here,” she promised. “Let’s put that aside for the moment; instead, imagine the things he will be able to accomplish! Our hopes and dreams of uniting more of the kingdoms into a coalition will have an even better chance. With the skills of a Kirnath sorcerer at his call, the necromancers will have trouble opposing his moves. With proper training, he may be able to do more than any Adept alive. G’lan, I don’t even know his limits! Until he goes through the change at puberty no one will know his full capabilities, a child’s aura only shows potential, but what a potential he shows!”
Excitement danced in her eyes as Elizabeth took hold of Jatar’s arm and squeezed. “Think of it, a future ruling Lord with more than full Adept powers! What a legacy for your throne!”
The dreams of her son’s future successes brought another thought and a cloud of worry shaded her expression. “Jatar, we must downplay this episode, and quickly. We should put out a story blaming a faulty Aurora stone for the display of light. Let people think that Michael was re-tested with above average results, but only slightly better than normal.”
Jatar wore a puzzled expression at his wife’s sudden change in tone, and he asked, “Why the secrecy?”
“Remember the necromancers, I’ve told you of their link with the Dark Plane. They wield evil powers and use their connection to the darkness toward the enslavement of every country where they can gain a foothold. The Kirnath sorcerers are the only organized force capable of opposing their dark powers. The last thing the necromancers wish to see is a ruler with Kirnath training wielding strong aura power against them from the throne of a powerful nation like Lindankar.”
Jatar sat next to Elizabeth and took her soft right hand between his calloused fingers. “We have you here to protect our son from their evil plots. There aren’t too many of these necromancers, are there?” He asked, already knowing the answer.
Elizabeth conceded the point, “No, the ordeal of becoming a full necromancer tends to destroy the majority of neophytes making the attempt.”
Jatar sprung his point, “Then with your training and powers you should have no trouble protecting Michael if they dare to show themselves in Lindankar, just as you have guarded me from their evil plots up to now.” Jatar knew her capabilities and truly trusted her to protect him and his child on that front.
Elizabeth was warmed by Jatar’s belief in her aura skills, but she knew it was imperative that he understood the full danger of the necromancers. “I will do my best, but remember, I am only one sorceress, and though their numbers are few, there are enough necromancers to overcome me if they make a concerted effort. Until now they have not thought it worth the risk of public exposure, but your moves toward creating a united Council of Lords must have them worried. If they thought a sorcerer of extreme power was going to rule from Lindankar's throne, furthering your direction toward unification, they might think the risk of exposure worth the assassination of Michael while he is still untrained.” As she spoke, Elizabeth hugged her newborn son protectively to her soft breast.
Jatar strode across the room with clenched fists to gaze out the window at his capital city. “They wouldn’t dare.”
Elizabeth shook her head in negation and said softly, “For something as important as an extremely powerful Kirnath ruler, they might risk coming out of their dark holes. I’ve often warned you about the necromancer’s lack of fanfare, you may not see them, but trust me when I tell you that they are the true enemies to your aims of peace.” Her deep brown eyes held Jatar’s gaze for a moment and then she added, “Humor me about hiding the true strength of Michael’s aura.”
Jatar bowed formally from the waist and said, “It will be done as you ask.” He was becoming concerned about his wife; he didn’t want to stress her further with worry about these necromancers, he figured that she had been through enough on this day of giving birth.
Elizabeth sighed and eased herself against her bed cushions. She adjusted Michael’s wrap and then again spoke to her husband, “It’s time you go out and placate the nobles. Even as we speak, the mill that produces rumors is probably in full production of that tiresome product called gossip.”
In an attempt to lighten the mood and ease her worries Jatar turned and struck an exaggerated, regal pose, raising one hand as if ready to speak in oratory fashion. “I go to make meaningless pleasantries with spying conspirators and cryptic nonsense with tiresome court cretins… or was that the other way around?” he asked, stopping his proclamation as if puzzled and going back over his own words.
Elizabeth shook her head in amusement.
Far away from Tarnelin, the capital city of Lindankar, where Jatar just left his wife and newborn son, an old keep sprouted from a granite ridge like a broken rotted tooth pointing at the sky. Deep in the corrupted roots, three conspirators gathered to plot murder. In a dim chamber, a single torch cast twisting shapes of shadowy creatures on the rough-hewn stone wall, but the true monsters faced each other across the top of the coarse wooden table.
You would be hard pressed to find three more different men, yet some dark force had brought them to an uneasy alliance.
The first conspirator looked like an ancient wrinkled corpse. His thin emaciated body was concealed by a dark hooded cloak. Only the tip of his gnarled nose projected from within the shadows of the cloak's cowl. His crinkle-skinned hand never strayed far from the hilt of a dagger that was tucked through a black cord belt at his waist. His name was CAracusS, and he wielded the dead powers of necromancy.
He addressed the other two men in a monotone whisper as rough as a death rattle. “I traveled by projection on the Dark Road and have just returned from Tarnelin; the sorceress bore her cursed husband an heir to the Lindankar throne. The child must die one year from today.”
The second conspirator wore rich garments of the nobility, which were made from silk and soft leather with white fur accents. He was on the young side of middle age, and he sat back in his chair as if surveying the world for his own amusement. There was the hint of a smirk in the corner of his mouth and an amused sparkle deep in his dark eyes.
He spoke and his jovial tone was in stark contrast to the necromancer’s graveyard whisper, “Then we are agreed on this plan: I will supply both of you with inside information and use my position to manipulate the necessary people to get Major Von Dracek into Lord Jatar’s palace at the appropriate time, one year from now.”
He turned his smiling eyes on the third member of the conspiracy and said, “Major, you will spend the year preparing Lord Tysol to be our tool. He must be fashioned into a diversion worthy of Lady Ardellen's attention. The sorceress must be too concerned about her husband’s safety to notice the presence of a necromancer in her very palace. With her attention diverted, CAracusS can summon his evil creature and let it loose on Lord Jatar.”
The third conspirator was obviously a military man; he was in a simple but well-groomed uniform of the Tchulian mercenary corps. His face was clean shaven, his jaw hard, like wrought iron. His light brown hair was cut so short that he nearly seemed bald. His eyes were deep set and dark brown. The hovering brows and long thin nose gave him the look of a bird of prey. The Major nodded curtly to the noble and said, “And once your beast has consumed Jatar’
s soul, what of his wife, the Sorceress? I want that Kirnath bitch and all her kind… dead.”
The necromancer rasped out his reply. “She dies, but that is his job,” CAracusS said and turned his yellowed eyes on the nobleman.
“I suppose I can do away with one unsuspecting woman,” the nobleman noted with his habitual smirk, picking at some dirt under one of his fingernails.
The Tchulian mercenary officer frowned and leaned forward to stare at the man's smirking face; he pounded the flat of his hand onto the table top to get the smirking noble to look his way, and then pointed a finger at him as he said, “Never underestimate the powers of the Kirnath sorcerers.”
The nobleman chuckled as he held the mercenary’s eyes boldly for a moment, but he did not answer.
The necromancer pointed at the nobleman with a shriveled finger that was little more than skin-covered bone and spoke in a death-bed whisper, “On the day we are ready to move on Jatar, you will go to the church with Lady Ardellen and her young spawn. There you will arrange for them both to die, swiftly and without a mistake! At nearly the same moment I will use my necromancy to open the bridge between the worlds and bring forth a Darknull. I will bargain with the beast and arrange for it to consume Lord Jatar’s soul. With his body empty I will use this cathexis dagger to switch my consciousness into Lord Jatar’s body and take his body and place as ruler of Lindankar!” CAracusS paused briefly as he withdrew a highly polished blade from his belt and then drove the sharp point into the wood of the table.
