"How was he able to attack me back then?" Aaron asked. "He only came to this world when the priesthood had their ritual."
"Through his followers," Stavros said. "It was the mage priests, working through the power of the book." He reached under his robes and pulled out the copy of the book that he and Ehlena had found among Aaron's belongings. "Do you remember how you first came across this book, Aaron?"
Aaron stared at the simple, leatherbound book that Stavros held in his hand and he knew exactly what it was, though for some reason he had not thought about it since the storm that had nearly killed him on the way to the pirate island.
"Where did you get that?" he asked.
"It was in your bag that you left at Meer Island," Stavros said. "This is the book of one, Aaron, the book of the priesthood. It is the book that the god of shadows has used to enthrall almost every mage in the world."
"Do you remember showing it to me, Aaron?" Ehlena asked.
Aaron felt a lump growing in his throat as his thoughts went back to the night at the inn, when the two of them were trying to get to Maramyr after Tarnath and Matthius were killed.
"I remember," he said.
"You thought it was just a book of pictures," she said. "Its pages were very beautiful and seductive, but I had no power then so the book had no power over me, which was lucky."
"I am sorry," Aaron said. "I didn't know."
"Of course you didn't," Ehlena said. "I didn't know the things I know now either, and that's what matters, Aaron. The things that happened when you were a child were not your fault, so let them go and let's find a way to make things better."
"She's right, Aaron," Zachary said. "If I could go back and change it all, I would, but the enemy has been in the shadows for a long time and none of us knew what was happening, but now we do."
"So what do we do?" Aaron asked.
"First, we have to find a way to remove the shadow from you," Stavros said. "It is like a sickness inside you, eating away at you."
"If it is like a poison, can't we extract it?" Aaron asked, thinking about how he and Kasha had helped Lexi.
"It isn't that simple," Stavros said. "The shadow is alive and it is somehow part of you. I tried to remove it and truly thought I was successful, but it it is beyond my power."
Stavros turned away, a look of concern on his face and Aarons saw the mage's subtle flows of energy build up inside him becoming far more powerful than he had imagined. It appeared that Stavros kept his magic subdued most of the time and, though he did not seem to be as powerful as Zachary and the nature of the two mages' powers were very different, Aaron wondered if Stavros might be stronger than he let on. Whatever it was that Stavros had felt, Aaron now felt it as well and he turned in the direction the mage was looking as a loud cracking sound sound reverberated inside the cavern and two people appeared.
"Calthas," Stavros said, his voice sharp with anger and his power flaring even more. "You would dare to bring someone here to my home, to my sanctuary, without my permission?"
"Stavros." The young mage held up his hand and smiled nervously. "It's all right."
"I will tell you if it's all right," Stavros said with clear displeasure.
The cloaked figure who accompanied the young mage pushed back his hood and Aaron immediately recognized the man. It was the strange old mage he had met in the libarary at the Academy, the one without a name, who called himself Anonymous.
"Aaron," he said with a warm smile. "It is good to see you again."
"Who is this?" Stavros said, glancing over at Aaron then back at his uninvited guest. "Who are you?"
"Forgive me, mage Stavros," he said. "I did not wish to intrude, but in the spirit of both urgency and expediency, it seemed the most prudent decision."
"You still haven't told me your name," Stavros said.
"He is the god, Stroma," Ehlena said.
Aaron saw Stavros' power waver then slowly begin to subside.
"Is this true?" the old mage asked, looking over at Aaron. "How is it you know each other?"
"Books," Stroma replied with a smile. "And it seems now that we meet once again over books." He pointed to the book in Stavros' hand. "That one in particular. If you don't mind, I would like to have it, now."
His last word had the rumble of thunder and the crack of lightning behind it and there was no doubt that he was who he claimed to be, but Stavros was not about to hand over such a dangerous item just like that.
"And what do you want with it?" he asked.
"Ultimately, I would like to destroy it," Stroma said.
"Why not destroy it now?" Stavros asked.
"Have you tried?"
"No. We were concerned that it might alert Cerric and the god that lives within him."
"A very wise decision, for that would most certainly have happened," Stroma told him. "You would also find that the book in your hand cannot be so easily destroyed. I doubt that even all the power gathered in this place combined would be able to accomplish such a feat?"
"And yet, you know a way to do this?"
"Yes, and it will require that we gather all five copies." Stroma held out his hand to the book that Stavros still held. "Once they are brought together, then they can be destroyed."
"How do you know these things?" Stavros asked.
"I am the one who created the book and am very familiar with its workings."
"You created this monstrosity? Why would you make such a thing as this?" Stavros asked.
"That, dear mage, would requre some time and some tea, or perhaps some wine. Please, give me the book and we can discuss it for however long you like."
"He speaks the truth?" Stavros asked Ehlena.
"He does," she said, with a frown.
"You knew of this?" Stavros looked at her accusingly.
"The goddess knew of this," Ehlena said. "And I am coming to understand such things."
"Mage Stavros," Stroma said. "There are five copies of this book, one for each of the five gods. They were never intended to be used by only one of us, and that is something I would very much like to put an end to. There is more that I can tell you, but first you must give me the book."
Stavros looked down at the book in his hand then he held it out to the god, who took it from him and tucked it into the folds of his robes. Once the book was put away, Stroma smiled at the group of them then he strode forward and reached out his hand toward Stavros. Aaron saw the power flow through Stroma, different from the power of the mages, almost imperceptible at first and truly a part of him, like his own power had become. Ehlena saw it next, and Zachary saw it too, only a moment later, and they moved to stop the god but they were all pushed back by a powerful field of energy that appeared around Stroma. Arcs of power burst forth from his body as he grabbed Stavros by the throat and tendrils of energy plunged into the mage's eyes.
"What are you doing?" Ehlena yelled. "Stop this at once."
"He will not be harmed," Stroma said, his voice thundering inside the cavern. "The book has been playing tricks on this mage and I will not allow such a thing to continue."
"Unhand me," Stavros said, outraged that he would be attacked in his own sanctuary and prying at his hand, trying to remove it from his throat.
"Not until you see," Stroma told him and Aaron saw his power shift to what he could only describe as a pale, grey light, like what one might imagine to find on the inside of a cloud. "Do you see it?"
Stavros' eyes darkened for a moment with power, then their color turned milky white and his body fell limp. The lighting stopped as Stroma's power receded and he let go of the mage, gently lowering him to the ground as tears streamed down Stavros' face.
"What have you done?" Ehlena asked, rushing to the mage as Stroma stepped back.
"I have given him back his sight," Stroma said.
"I cannot see," Stavros rasped. "You have blinded me."
"Your eyes will recover, mage. It is your thoughts that I have cleared. Do you now see?"
"I
see that you have attacked our friend," Zachary interjected, gathering his power. "God or not, I don't take kindly to such things."
"Mage Zachary," Stroma said, glancing over at Aaron, who had become very quiet, then back at Zachary. "You are a very interesting sort, and I would ask you to stay your hand for a moment that I might explain. Hear me out and if you wish to fight me, then I will accept your challenge."
"Go ahead," Zachary said. "Explain."
"Zachary," Stavros said as Ehlena and Calthas bent down to help him. "I am grateful for your defense, but it is no longer necessary."
"Maybe not, but I think an explanation is most certainly in order," Zachary said.
Stroma nodded.
"I could not agree more, but I must first say something to Aaron," he said then he turned to look at him. "Aaron, there are some things we must discuss that I cannot allow you to hear. They are matters that concern you, but it is best that you not know these things for the time being."
"If these things concern me, why must I not know of them?" Aaron asked.
"Because of the darkness within you," Stavros said as Calthas and Ehlena helped him to his feet. "It pains me to say it, lad, but you cannot be trusted."
"I can't be trusted?" Aaron was appalled that Stavros would say such a thing, especially considering what Stroma had just done to him. "What about you? You have been hiding things from me my entire life, along with Tarnath."
"I am sorry, Aaron," Stavros said. "You do not know how sorry I am, and all I can tell you is that everything I did was to protect you."
"All the while you were under the influence of this god of shadows," Aaron said.
"Not quite, Aaron," Stroma interrupted. "Stavros was blinded to certain things, but he was never directly controlled by the power of the book like these mage priests."
"And how do I know that you are telling the truth?" Aaron asked.
"What does your power tell you?" Stroma asked.
Aaron looked around at those who were gathered around him, his heightened senses not only showing him how powerful they all were, but he could see the nature of their energy, which showed something of the truth behind their thoughts. Whatever their reasons might be, Aaron could tell that each of them was genuine in their concern for him, but he felt a nagging sense of doubt growing beneath his thoughts.
"How can I trust my power?" Aaron asked. "You say Stavros was influenced by the power of this god, blinded by the shadow, and the same shadow has made you afraid and distrustful of me. And you say I can't be trusted then tell me to trust myself."
"The shadow within you is not the shadow of the book, Aaron," Stroma said. "I created the book and its copies, so I recognize its power, no matter how subtle it may be. I also know the shadow, the power of the god, Kenra, though I did not recognize it when we last met, for much of my knowledge was trapped outside this world. There is still much that I have lost, but at least I have regained this knowledge and some greater measure of my power."
"Can you not remove the shadow from me?" Aaron asked, remembering how it had begun to affect him when he fought the Ansari leader.
"No, I cannot," Stroma told him. "The shadow within you is not like the power of the book. It is far more powerful for it is the power of Kenra himself. I do not know how it came to be inside you, but it has awakened, very likely because your true power has awakened."
"It was the attack," Stavros said. "Shortly after he was born, Aaron was attacked. The power I saw that night is the same power that grows within you, Aaron. I used my power to take it from you, and I thought I had, but somehow I did not truly see it, but I see it clearly now. It is the same darkness, the same shadow from that night long ago."
"How could Kenra attack Aaron when he was trapped outside this realm?" Ehlena asked Stroma. "The god of shadows had only just returned."
"There are many paths from this world to the next," Stroma said. "He likely had help from those who follow him, these mage priests of his. There are old magics, forgotten magics, that they may have found enabling them to summon some portion of his essence to this world. Kenra knows many things, and through the book, he has communed with his many servants."
"I often dreampt of a man with a dagger," Aaron said. "I was bound to an altar, under the stars of night, and the man with the dagger smiled and laughed as he held the knife over me, before he killed me with it. Like most dreams, it would fade, but this dream was always followed by the headaches caused by the ward that Stavros put on me."
"It is likely because of that ward that the shadow remained dormant," Stroma said then he frowned. "As for the dream, you speak of a very old magic, Aaron. It is a form of death magic, one that I believed forgotten to this world."
"It is not entirely forgotten," Zachary said. "I have studied some of it."
"And it is obvious that others have as well," Stroma said. "This man with the dagger is likely one of Kenra's followers, a mage who has learned of these things."
"Yes," Aaron said. "I did not know who he was, but I do now. His name is Dakar."
"Dakar," Zachary said. "I know him all too well. I should have killed him long ago."
"I do not disagree with that sentiment, Zachary, but such things were not done under the old laws," Stavros said. "It would have made you an enemy of the Council of Mages."
"I should have killed him anyway," Zachary said. "The Council has fallen, replaced by this accursed priesthood, so what would it have mattered? "
"What is done is done," Stroma said. "We must look forward and decide what will be."
"When I see him next, Dakar will meet his end," Zachary said. "That is a decision of what will be, and one I look foward to."
"Tell me more of this Dakar and the priesthood," Ehlena said, curious to know what kind of man would willingly choose to follow Kenra and she had little experience with the black robed mages, who did not have much of a presence at Aghlar, where she had been raised.
"Dakar is one of the key members of the priesthood, in many ways like a high priest, though the black robes do not have a heirarchy, as they are all equally subservient to the book," Stavros told her. "They are obsessed with the book and they do whatever it tells them, which we now know are little more than the thoughts of Kenra, the god of shadows."
"Dakar has been obsessed with dark magics for many years," Zachary said. "I knew him once, long ago, when we were both young mages."
"If he is the one reponsible for the shadow that lives within Aaron then perhaps there is some way he can undo what he has done," Ehlena suggested.
"Dakar would not help," Zachary said. "If he is under the power of this god, then he is lost. And even if he were not, Dakar will only do things that will benefit him."
"This mage, Dakar could no more remove the shadow then any of us could," Stroma said. "He was merely a tool, as with all those who are foolish enough to follow Kenra."
"Then how can I rid myself of this?" Aaron asked. "I do not want to live with some shadow within me, controlling me, making me feel nothing, or with some spell causing me pain. What must I do to be free of these things, that I might decide my own fate?"
Stroma stared at him for a moment and Aaron thought he saw a twinkle of amusement glimmer in his eyes.
"Do you find this amusing?" Aarron asked.
"Not at all," Stroma said. "Think on the things you have just said and the questions you have asked. There is much I cannot tell you, but know this; there are things that you might do, and things that others might do to help you, but if you know what they are, then there will come a point when Kenra will learn of them as well. I do not believe his power has reached that point yet, but it is now growing stronger. Your power is now truly a part of you, which makes many things possible, but when you bring your power forth, you will face the shadow, which feeds from it, and as your power grows, so will the shadow, so you must find clarity within yourself and be sure of your thoughts and your actions. While the shadow lives within you, there is much harm you might do without even knowing i
t, if you let the shadow take control."
A flurry of questions ran through his mind, but as much as he wanted to know the answers, he knew that discussing such things could mean betraying them to the shadow. After a few moments, Aaron nodded.
"I understand," he said.
"He speaks the truth, Aaron," Stavros said. "I tried my best to protect you, but I failed, and for that I am truly sorry."
"Many things have been hidden from me for most of my life," Aaron said. "Those who wished to protect me have kept me from knowing things about myself and about the dangers that I face in the world. I will accept that you have had your reasons and I will accept that you believe you are doing what is right, but I ask that you consider the wisdom of continuing to hide things from me, whether the shadow knows it or not." They could all tell from the look in his eyes that he was not happy, and he smiled bitterly then turned and began to walk away. "I will go see how Lexi and Tash are doing with their training. You discuss what you must, and decide what you will."
"Calthas," Stroma said, turning to the young mage. "Go with him."
"Am I to be guarded now?" Aaron asked, stopping for a moment but not turning to look back.
"No," Stroma said. "Merely accompanied."
Aaron shook his head and sighed then turned and looked at the young mage, who he had not seen for some time, ever since his visit to his workshop in Maramyr with Ariana and Borrican.
"Come on, then. You might find it interesting to learn something of the Ansari," he said as he continued toward the passage that led from the cavern and Calthas hurried to catch up with him.
"It is good to see you again, Aaron," Calthas said, reaching into his robes and pulling out a small, metal flask and uncapped it. "I was glad to learn that Cerric failed when he tried to have you and Ariana killed, and glad to learn that you were not to blame." He took a sip from his flask and Aaron could smell the distinct scent of sweetwater. He offered to Aaron, but he shook his head and declined.
"I fear that he may have succeeded in the end," Aaron said. "The mage, Cerric's high priest, Dakar, killed her himself at Rivergate. I did not want to believe it, but I don't know what to believe anymore.
Book of One 04: A Child of Fire Page 25
