The Rogue Mage (The Age of Oracles Book 1)

by Ben Hale

  “Of the forty in your party, fewer than a third will join the honored ranks of the Runeguard and have the privilege of killing the oracles’ enemies.”

  Alydian noted some of the Verinai whispering and smiling as they glanced to the group of single mages and magicless. If Commander Othan felt disdain for them, he kept it hidden as he described the trials of endurance, unity, and will.

  “Mages, with me,” he barked. “The rest of you, with Captain Devkin.”

  Surprised, Alydian turned and spotted Captain Devkin striding across the courtyard. He motioned the acolytes that did not possess magic to follow him, and led them to the training chambers situated beneath the citadel. Their eyes connected briefly, but the only sign of recognition was a twitch at the corner of Devkin’s lips.

  When they were gone, Commander Othan strode among the remaining acolytes, looking the mages up and down. “Captain Devkin is the only magicless captain in the Runeguard,” he said. “As he measures the capacity of your common companions, I will test your magical limits. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

  Chapter 9: The Trial of Endurance

  Alydian slipped to the back of the group as they were guided to a set of stairs adjacent to the outer wall. Descending beneath the courtyard, Commander Othan led them past storage rooms and armories to a large ironbound door. Alydian had lived in Dawnskeep her entire life but had never visited the training rooms, and she craned to get a look. Commander Othan pressed on the door and it swung open with barely a whisper, revealing a massive chamber.

  Alydian sucked in her breath, shocked to see a room the size of the entire citadel courtyard. Enormous beams arced across the ceiling, connecting the exterior walls to the great pillar at the center of the chamber, the foundation for the oracle tower above. At a hundred feet tall and hundreds across, the hall contained training circles, open armories, and full archery ranges.

  A handful of forges dotted the outer wall, and the ring of hammers striking steel echoed from within. Special trees grew beside them, their branches enchanted to grow perfectly straight so they could be made into arrows.

  Despite the wonders of the hall, the objects around the central pillar drew her gaze. Giant trees surrounded the tower foundation, their branches dropping to the earth to hold large spheres. The spheres glittered like enormous diamonds, the light dancing off them and shimmering.

  “All the training circles have adjacent magic sources,” Commander Othan said, gesturing to the training circles. “Find one that matches your talents and cast an entity,”

  “What if we have multiple talents?” Holan asked, his expression smug.

  Othan stared at him until Holan’s smile faded. “Then cast one from every magic you possess.”

  “At the same time?” Holan asked.

  “Is that too much for your frail sensitivities?” Othan asked.

  “No,” Holan said hastily.

  Alydian looked away to hide her smile, her eyes connecting with a human woman nearby. They smirked together and a moment later stepped into training circles adjacent to each other. When Othan had passed on, Alydian appraised the woman.

  Slim and short, the woman had black hair and dark eyes. Her tanned skin suggested she spent a great deal of time outside. She lacked the mark of a Verinai, and instead wore the mark of the human guild of sound on the customary left shoulder. When it came time for them to separate, Alydian chose a spot closer to her.

  The woman raised an eyebrow at Alydian’s choice in position and cast a jungle cat out of sound magic. The orange energy swirled into shape and the small cat began to pace. Alydian nodded in approval. Every magic could cast an entity, but some were more complex than others, and the larger the entity, the harder the spell. Sound magic was notoriously difficult to shape into solid form, and the size of the beast suggested a great deal of skill for one so young.

  Alydian cast five entities from the sources of magic around her. Devkin had warned her about displaying her power too early, so she cast a small golem from earth magic. Focusing, she added a golem from the green sphere of energy. She spotted a dark brown sphere of magic and drew on it, shaping its power into a dog. The animal padded around the two golems, sniffing at their legs. Alydian conjured a cat out of healing magic, the pink energy swirling into a tail, back, and legs. Lastly, she reached for one of the silver sources, using the body magic to cast a tiny knight.

  She gritted her teeth as she struggled to maintain the spells. Entities were sentient pieces of magic, but their life was linked to the caster. A permanent entity took months or even years of reinforcing the spell until its consciousness became enduring, elevating the entity spell to a sentient. To maintain five entities at once—from different magics—pushed her more than she was used to. Sweat beaded her forehead in seconds, and she fought to keep them from dissipating.

  All around her the Verinai struggled to hold their entities in place. Holan had chosen four matching knights, but their heights varied. The fire knight was the largest, and stood as tall as he did, while the swirling knight of air came to his waist.

  The single-talent mages displayed the largest entities, until Othan shouted an order and they divided them into two or three. With every mage straining under the weight of maintaining their spells, the area was filled with golems, small soldiers, and animals. Commander Othan strode among them, his disapproving gaze sliding off the acolytes.

  “The entity spell is one of the most versatile in your arsenal,” he said, passing Erona with a nod of approval at her three tigers. “But a weak mind casts a weak entity.” His lips curled in disdain at Alydian’s small creatures.

  “Small entities can be broken with steel,” he continued, “while larger ones can endure more damage unless the blade is fashioned of anti-magic.”

  He nodded to the gnome who stood before a tiny mouse of anti-magic. Renowned as the most difficult magic from which to cast an entity, the inky mouse shuddered and twitched in the direction of a nearby golem, the gnome struggling to contain the entity’s hunger.

  Othan stopped in front of the woman at Alydian’s side. “To become a Runeguard you must master three simultaneous entities—and be able to lead them into battle. Today we wish to measure your mental strength. Those who cannot maintain their entities will be dismissed at the end of the day.”

  Smirking, he strode away, leaving the group of acolytes straining to maintain their magic. Other Runeguards in the hall grinned, clearly enjoying the spectacle. After several minutes of solitude it became clear that Othan was not going to return, and whispered conversations broke out. Alydian took advantage of the noise to drift closer to the woman at her side.

  “What’s your name?” Alydian asked.

  “Toala,” she said.

  “Alethean,” Alydian said, trying to keep her dog from attacking Toala’s cats.

  “Why are you talking to me?” Toala asked bluntly.

  “Am I not supposed to?” Alydian asked. Fearing she’d erred, she glanced about for the one of the captains but none were visible.

  “Verinai do not talk to single mages,” Toala said.

  “This Verinai does,” Alydian said.

  There was a long pause, and then Toala offered a small smile. “Holding five magic must be difficult.”

  “I’ve had some practice,” Alydian said. “And my mother taught me well.”

  “Mine taught me, too” Toala said. “She was an Amazon.”

  “Ah,” Alydian said, unsurprised. Many Amazons possessed sound magic. “You’re very talented,” she said, gesturing to the jungle cats.

  “For a single-mage,” Erona muttered, causing nearby Verinai to laugh.

  Toala flushed, her jungle cats wavering before she regained her focus. Then she pointedly looked away from Erona.

  “What do you suppose those are?” she asked, using her chin to point in the direction of the spheres.

  “I don’t know,” Alydian said, and then blinked into her magesight to examine it. “But an oracle helped make them.�
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  “How do you know that?”

  Realizing she’d revealed more than she cared to, she shrugged. “A guess. They look like they have every type of magic.”

  Overhearing her words, a nearby Verinai laughed scornfully. “Those are the Requiems. You won’t survive the first week, so you’ll never get the chance to use one.”

  Toala’s features clouded with anger and she took a step toward him. “We’ll see who survives the week.”

  “Don’t,” Alydian warned, stepping between them. “He’s trying to bait you.”

  The absence of officers was an illusion, and the Runeguard wanted to see what they would do. Devkin had made it clear they would be using light magic to study the acolytes form a nearby room, the officers evaluating the acolyte’s restraint as much as their talents.

  Toala heeded her warning and reluctantly withdrew, as did the Verinai, who stepped back with a smug grin. Caught in the middle, Alydian joined the single mages. Her action caused looks of disapproval and confusion among the Verinai, and surprise among the single mages.

  “What are you doing?” Toala hissed.

  “Standing with a friend,” Alydian said quietly.

  She would have liked to examine her future for the ramifications of such a choice, but maintaining the entities was taxing enough. Still, Toala’s smile was worth any cost.

  As the day wore on her entities shrank, as did those of the other mages. All were drenched in sweat, but still the captains did not return. A smattering of conversation broke the labored breathing, but Alydian found it difficult to speak. Magic of any type wanted to dissipate, and it took all her will to hold the entities together for so long.

  Shortly after noon a human slumped to the floor. His entities disappeared, and for the first time a pair of officers emerged. Retrieving the acolyte’s unconscious form, they carried him from the hall. An hour later another dropped, and then another.

  Alydian’s vision began to blur, distorting the image of her entities. Several times her dog went after Toala’s cats, and she was forced to retreat in order to give them space. Other Verinai did the same.

  In the afternoon, the Runeguard in the hall began to call out to each other. Although they spoke to their companions, their scornful words were meant for the acolytes. Devkin had warned Alydian about the verbal abuse, and she kept her anger in check, but one of the Verinai and another single mage began to shout. The effort cost them their focus, and the captains returned to lead them away.

  “They’re trying to break us,” Toala said, her voice strained.

  Alydian didn’t respond. Devkin had warned that the first trial was meant to test their talent and endurance. But knowing the trial didn’t make it easier to listen to the chorus of disdain from the Runeguard. Struggling to hold her magic together, Alydian focused on a single thought.

  Please don’t fail on the first day . . .

  Chapter 10: The Secret Shipment

  Raiden and his companions tracked the Verinai shipment for four days, watching for any hint of its contents. Their patience was in vain and they were unable to catch a glimpse of the interior. Jester even risked riding past the wagon to determine if he could see through gaps in the door’s window, but the soldiers shouted and drove him away.

  Feigning shock and fear, the assassin retreated and took another fork before rejoining Raiden and Red on a hill overlooking the road. Dismounting, he growled his frustration and stepped to Raiden’s side.

  “They’re cautious. A scout ahead and a scout behind, and they aren’t letting anyone near the wagon.”

  “And they’re not alone,” Raiden said, motioning to Red.

  Red scowled and pointed down the road. “While you were gone I scouted ahead. The Verinai have a pocket of soldiers further down the road. They’re well hidden, but it’s obvious they are here to protect this shipment.”

  “Then why not ride with it?” Jester asked.

  “It’s a trap,” Raiden realized. “They want the Soldier to attack.”

  Jester motioned to the wagon ambling along the road below. “The wagon is probably empty.”

  Raiden shook his head. “I don’t think so. There’s a wariness about the guards that cannot be feigned.”

  “You still want to take it?” Red asked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

  “Perhaps they’re expecting us,” Jester said, a sly smile playing on his face. “I do hate to disappoint.”

  Of the two, Jester inclined towards caution, but he hated losing a target. He would attack the shipment for the opportunity to shame the Verinai, and then laugh in their face.

  “They’re expecting a small army,” Raiden mused. “They aren’t expecting the three of us.”

  “That’s not an advantage,” Red said.

  “It can be,” Jester said. “If they don’t see us coming.”

  “How?” Red asked.

  “We don’t have to attack the shipment,” Raiden said. “We can steal it.”

  Red’s irritation shifted into a wild grin. “I like it. The road passes through a shallow canyon before the road forks. If we steal the shipment in the canyon, we can take the wagon west away from Verinai trails.”

  “Let’s go,” Raiden said, and climbed into his saddle.

  The trio departed their vantage point and followed the game trail back into the trees. Raiden set a blistering pace. When the trail curved back to the road he let Red take the lead, and she guided them to the group of Verinai lying in wait.

  When they drew close, they dismounted and left their horses behind, pressing through the trees to the canyon. The gap had evidently once been a tunnel, and the gurgling creek had bored a hole through the hill, gradually widening the canyon with every spring runoff. The walls of the gorge were shaped like an arch without a keystone, the two sides nearly touching each other above the road.

  Breathing hard from the rush, Red kept her voice low. “The Verinai are located there, where the canyon walls nearly touch above the road,” she said, gesturing to the top of the cliff.

  Raiden nodded, considering the possibilities. The road came from the north and twisted its way through the canyon. Since he knew where to look, Raiden spotted the faint splash of color in the trees, and the shift of bodies as someone moved through them.

  “How many?” Raiden whispered.

  “Ten,” Red replied. “And three sentries, one north, one south, and one across the canyon.”

  Raiden withdrew the mask of Soldier and donned it, and they donned theirs. He stabbed a finger south. “Red, south. Jester, come from below and take out the sentry on the opposite side of the canyon. The wagon will be here soon, so make it quick. Three minutes.”

  They nodded and slipped away, and Raiden drifted through the trees, mentally counting the seconds. He slowed as he approached the camp and spotted the third sentry leaning against a tree. Instead of paying attention to the forest, the man had his eyes on a ball of magic in his hand. Clearly bored, he was rolling it through is fingers, a task which required focus and skill. Raiden crept forward, and then heard a low growl at his back.

  Raiden dived into the dirt as heat brushed his back, the passage of a fire entity scorching his tunic. In an instant Raiden realized why the man thought he was safe, he had entities prowling the forest around him. Rolling to his feet, Raiden rose and twisted, plunging his anti-magic blade into the wolf’s open mouth. Mid-leap, the wolf disintegrated with barely a whimper, its flames turning to ash that dusted Raiden’s mask.

  Raiden rotated and surged forward, closing the gap to the mage—but the Verinai was already turning, fire sparking in his hands. Another wolf appeared on Raiden’s flank, and another on the opposite side. Raiden kicked off a tree, twirling in a full circle, his sword cutting through both entities before plunging into the Verinai’s body. The wolves died with their master, and Raiden stepped away, letting him slump to the ground.

  He darted forward, bursting into the camp at the same moment Red struck the opposite flank, her sword bloodi
ed from the sentry she’d dispatched. A campfire burned at the center of a clearing while a man stirred food in a pot. Earthen tents had been erected, the ground folded to allow men to sleep beneath.

  Jester appeared on the other side of the canyon and leapt the gap, dragging the third sentry with his whip. Then he came to a halt and yanked, the magic of the whip sending the body soaring across the gap to crash into the camp. The heavy form collided with a pair of men at the fire, knocking them both into the flames.

  Unprepared for the attack, the Verinai cried out, desperately drawing on their magic. Raiden streaked forward, deflecting a hasty fireball with his sword and whipping his blade down, killing the caster. Then a woman stepped into his path, her face twisting with fury.

  “Elsin knew you would come,” she snarled.

  She sent her magic into the stone at Raiden’s feet, and it formed hands that reached for his boots. He danced past them and leapt for her. She relinquished her hold on the ground and drew on the stone around her, summoning a goliath charm. Rock turned fluid and ascended her form, wrapping around her legs, torso, and arms before covering her face, grinding into supreme armor.

  Raiden slowed and retreated, wincing as a sound mage nearby shrieked at Red. She raised her blade and cut the banshee cry in two, the sound striking the trees on either side, shattering wood and knocking branches to the earth.

  Next to the canyon, Jester fought two Verinai at once, a third dead at his feet. They cast their magic into a pair of golems but Jester spun between them, cutting them into shards of magic that sputtered and melted away. In a deft twist he sent his whip to catch a Verinai by the throat. He yanked, the whip smashing his foe into a second Verinai, and Jester plunged his sword through both their bodies.

  “One cut,” he said with a laugh. “Two kills.”

  Red lacked the poise of the assassin, but the farmwoman made up for it in sheer aggression. She charged a huge man, heedless of the asunder hex streaking toward her. The light split on her blade, igniting fires on her shoulders as it streamed past her. Cleaving her way through the magic, she snarled as she closed the distance. The man dropped the magic and tried another tactic, but Red drove him back, hacking at his attempts at magic.