The Shadowmage Trilogy (Twilight of Kerberos: The Shadowmage Books)

by Matthew Sprange

  “Maybe,” Forbeck said. “It is certainly fascinating. Lucius, I have always said you are something of a mystery to me. Most Shadowmages are confined to the study of just one or two forms of magic. But you are different. You have access to all forms of magic, and I don’t know why. My interest, of course, is whether this is something that all Shadowmages should be able to do, but have just forgotten over the ages.”

  “So what type of magic is it that is formed of nothing?”

  “I really don’t know. Maybe some strand of magic is missing...”

  He trailed off, prompting Lucius to speak.

  “Yes?”

  Forbeck smiled. “I can give you a legend, for whatever that is worth. What do you know of the Old Races?”

  “They built the harbour outside the city thousands of years ago. Apparently. Every now and again we hear about some artefact of theirs in the guild. That’s about it.”

  “The two Old Races formed two great empires, elves on one side, dwarfs on the other. These two empires were far more advanced than we men have ever been. There are tales of huge towers a mile high, of great magics that could fulfil any desire, of mighty sky ships that, some say, could even voyage to Kerberos itself.

  “For millennia, these two empires worked together in peace and mutual prosperity, but something went wrong. Elf began to fight dwarf, and a terrible, terrible war broke out. The land shook and the sea boiled – even the sky itself burned with the magic the two empires unleashed upon one another. The death toll was catastrophic, but still they fought on, each determined to construct bigger and better war machines or destructive spells. In the end, one side went too far. Think on this for a moment. The wizards of Pontaine long ago classified the types of magic: necromancy, natural magic, spells of shadow, elemental forces, and battle magic. Once the wizards had this structure and began classifying individual spells, however, certain issues became readily apparent.”

  “What issues?” Lucius asked.

  “They soon discovered that necromantic castings were naturally more powerful than those rooted in natural forces. In their turn, spells governing natural forces had dominance over shadow.”

  “That means one wizard will naturally be better than a peer, no matter how hard they both study,” Lucius said.

  “Well, sort of,” Forbeck said. “Effort and raw talent still count for something, I am happy to say. But you have the essence of it. However, think about it in respect to your own abilities.”

  “If I understand the relationship of magic, then when I face another practitioner, I can gain a natural advantage over him.”

  “Precisely.”

  “So why did you not explain this to me before? It might have come in useful!”

  “I was interested to see whether this would have been something you discovered for yourself. You may have come across something altogether more fundamental.”

  “Which is?”

  “Well, there are some contradictions with this view of magic. Imagine a circle. We’ll call it the Circle of Power. Start with necromancy at the top. It is ascendant over nature, which is next around the circle. Nature, in turn is dominant over shadows. Then follow the elemental forces and battle magic.”

  “So battle magic trumps necromancy, completing the circle,” said Adrianna.

  “You would think so, wouldn’t you?” said Forbeck. “That is exactly what every master wizard thought for centuries. However, it has never been proved. There has never been one successful experiment or casting that proves that battle magic is ascendant over necromancy, or that necromancy is subservient to battle magic.”

  “So what is dominant over necromancy?” asked Adrianna.

  “Nothing. Or, at least, nothing that we have found.”

  “So...” Lucius began hesitantly, not sure he had understood where Forbeck was going. “It is like a part of the circle is missing?”

  “Precisely!”

  “But what can cause magic to go missing?”

  “The two empires fought, and one of them went too far. Everything I have ever heard and read has said it was the elves that pushed too hard and brought destruction to both empires. It is said that they had such a mastery of magic that they were able to bring one of your threads, as you call them, into the physical world – permanently. Imagine that, the essence of raw magic, made physical. It would be like... being able to wield the power of the sun. You could control the stars themselves!”

  “That didn’t happen, though,” said Adrianna flatly.

  “Of course not. They could not control that much magic. A cataclysm befell them. Huge portions of their empires fell into the sea, which began to churn with endless storms, as it does today. Elf and dwarf were completely wiped out, leaving our race behind. All their knowledge, all the grandeur of their civilisation, wiped out in an instant because of greed and the desire to massacre their enemies. In doing so, they took some part of magic with them.”

  “Is all that true?” Lucius asked.

  “No idea!” Forbeck grinned. “It fits all the known facts, but could still be completely wrong. We may never know the answers! We’ll continue your training and see what happens. Still, we have done enough for today. Rest and reflect on the tale. For my part, I must bid you farewell – affairs of other guild members call upon my time.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Adrianna said.

  “Foolish girl, don’t worry for my safety – I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”

  “She’s right,” Lucius said, suddenly thinking of Magnus, the previous guildmaster of thieves. “You should not wander the streets alone.”

  “I thank you both for your concern, truly. But there are some things, I confess, that I must do alone, and I will not suffer interference from those seeking to protect me from an illusory threat.”

  “Well, just keep an eye open,” he finally said.

  “My dear Lucius, coming from a thief, that is indeed good advice!”

  Lucius became aware of Adrianna standing close behind him as they both watched Forbeck leave the warehouse. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “He knows more about our craft than you and I are ever likely to know, but I believe he is underestimating the intentions of Vos this time. Keep your ears open, Lucius; see what your thieves can find out about this Preacher Divine. You and I have to work together if we are going to keep Master Forbeck alive.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  STARING IN DISBELIEF across the Five Markets, Ambrose shook his head, unable to reconcile what he saw with any kind of sense. He had worked the Five Markets for years, managing children the thieves’ guild recruited as pickpockets within his own franchise. It was a lucrative business, and served the guild as a tool for bringing young blood into its ranks. He had grown used to working under the shadow of the Vos Empire, personified by the soaring towers of the Citadel that loomed darkly over each of the separate markets.

  Now, his worst nightmare had come true. Being so close to the Citadel, small patrols of red-liveried guards were common enough, and it was his role to keep his pickpocket teams on the move, timing patrols so the guards did not see the same familiar faces in the crowd time and again.

  As soon as he arrived in the Five Markets that morning, Ambrose saw what had changed. The guard were present in force. Pairs of guards stood at every conceivable entrance to the markets, from the wide Ring Street that linked all the markets, to the smallest alley. Larger squads marched past gaudily coloured stalls, ever vigilant for thievery. Ambrose had also noted that a single guard armed with yellow and black flags stood at the top of each tower, using his vantage point to direct patrols to anything suspicious.

  He had already visited the other four market plazas, and the same system was in place in each. Standing beside a statue of the Anointed Lord, Ambrose fumed. Vos had promised to close in on the thieves’ guild, and their first target was all too clear. They had shut his franchise down.

  Already, several three-child teams had been apprehended befo
re Ambrose could give orders for them to halt their business, and he had seen them led into the Citadel, furious at his inability to help.

  “What are we going to do, Mr Ambrose?” asked Jake, a young boy of perhaps nine or ten, already a superior pickpocket who had taken over the leadership of his own team.

  Ambrose sighed. “Go home, Jake. Tell everyone to go home. We can’t work like this.”

  SIPPING AT HIS wine to hide a self-satisfied smile, Reinhardt Perner relaxed back in his chair, eyeing the official seated opposite him. He cast a glance past the sacks of wheat, barrels of ale and stacks of bread, over to the Vos guardsman standing outside the front door of his store. A warm feeling spread through him, and he knew it was more than just the wine working through his system. For the first time in a very long time, he felt free. Free to do business and free to earn a decent profit through his labours.

  “You have my sincere thanks, Councillor,” he said to his companion, a short man dressed in a dark tunic, tidy but not ostentatious. “My business has been terrorised for as long as I can remember by those rogues. Your man there will serve to be an admirable deterrent.”

  “It is the least we can do, Master Perner. Merchants such as yourself are the backbone of this city, and we consider it our utmost duty to protect your business. As the Preacher Divine himself has said, we are here to ensure decent people do not have to struggle to make a living.”

  “And you say your man will be relieved every day?”

  “Twice a day,” the councillor assured him. “And if the thieves are foolish enough to come here in force we can have a full squad here in minutes. Our men are drawn from the core of the Vos army, and many have fought against the finest Pontaine has to offer. A few thieves will be no contest.”

  “That is all to the good, Councillor. I cannot tell you the fury and frustration I have had to endure over the years. Helpless, I have been, as the thieves and their thugs visited me every week, seeking their ‘insurance’ money, as they called it. I had to pay them. I saw what they did to Roman’s store next door.”

  The councillor frowned. “There is no store next to yours.”

  “Exactly. It was burned to the ground overnight.”

  “Ahhh. Well, you need not worry yourself about such things any longer.”

  “Again, you have my gratitude.”

  Reaching into his tunic, the councillor produced a leather scroll case and, unscrewing its lid, withdrew a single sheet of paper.

  “There is just one more thing we need to attend to,” he said.

  “Oh?” Reinhardt set down his wine glass, suddenly feeling uneasy. He took the paper handed to him and started to read. It took him just a few seconds to comprehend what he was looking at.

  “This is an increase in taxes – it will be nearly triple what I pay already!”

  “In effect from this morning,” the councillor said. He took up his own glass and drained it. When the merchant did not respond, the councillor leaned towards him. “Guards cost money, Master Perner. Catching thieves costs money. Charity costs money, and I am sure you wish to contribute your part to help those less well off than yourself.”

  Reinhardt looked as though he was about to argue, but the councillor spoke first. “You are going to be better off, Master Perner, believe me. You will be able to operate your business in peace, without interference from the lawless elements of the city. You don’t need my promise for that, you will see it for yourself over the next few days. You will have to pay for law and order, but with peace comes prosperity. Already, immigrants from other Vos cities are arriving, and we will draw more people in from the Anclas Territories. Lord alone knows they will be happy to move out of that hell hole. More people means more customers, Master Perner. I am sure someone with your acumen will find a way to take advantage of that.”

  Setting the demand down before him, Reinhardt sighed in frustration. Without running precise figures, he already guessed he would be paying the Vos government more than he had ever paid the thieves’ guild. On the other hand, he had already seen business start to grow since the Preacher Divine had arrived in Turnitia so maybe, just maybe, there was something in what the councillor was saying. He forced himself to smile.

  “Of course, Councillor, you are quite right. We must all pay our share to maintain this fine city. You certainly have my full support.”

  “That is good to hear, Master Perner. And I am sure we will be seeing you at the service tomorrow morning at the Cathedral. You and your entire family.”

  “Tomorrow morning? I am afraid that will be quite impossible, Councillor. I have deliveries to take in and customers to–”

  “It was not a request,” the councillor cut in. “The priesthood of the Final Faith have some important messages to tell you. I am sure you would not want to miss them. Ever. I am telling everyone in this quarter the same thing.”

  Reinhardt frowned, but he took the councillor’s meaningful look on board. He cleared his throat.

  “Of course, Councillor. Our spiritual health is just as important as the maintenance of the city’s economy.”

  “I am glad you agree. As I said, decent people like yourself are what this city needs. You work for the betterment of Turnitia, and you will find yourself prospering in ways you cannot yet imagine.”

  The councillor stood and bade him good day before leaving. Reinhardt watched him depart, a worried expression on his face. He always knew the city would pay a price in accepting Vos, but for the first time he began to wonder just who they were all making a deal with.

  HARKER REACHED DOWN to feel the mule’s leg, pretending to locate a sprain. His eyes, however, were roving up and down the street, searching for any sign of a patrol of Vos guards. He had timed the patrols, of course, and was reasonably sure that his thieves would be undisturbed for at least a half hour, but it always paid to be prepared.

  The rest of his team was inside the warehouse and, every few minutes, they trotted out with boxes, sacks and crates. It was a straightforward theft, a relatively easy job here, in the merchants’ district. Rows and rows of warehouses supported Turnitia’s economy, with goods coming in every day by both sea and road. The city had not lost its reputation for independent trading, even with Vos now in control, and it was still discreetly a hub for merchants of no political affiliation who wished to trade across the divide between Vos and Pontaine.

  The thieves’ guild monitored the district daily, and Harker specialised in low-cost commodities from warehouse break-ins. Though individual hauls generated smaller profits, they were largely risk free and he could run several in the course of one profitable afternoon, whereas other thieves might spend a week planning one job for a precious prize guarded by mercenaries, soldiers and traps.

  A loud rattle arrested his attention, and he saw another cart pull out of a side street, laden with boxes destined for the port, or perhaps just another warehouse. The labourer leading the mules looked tired and bored, but nodded at Harker as he passed.

  Harker inclined his own head in greeting; just two low paid labourers sharing the common bond of their work. He returned to his mule’s leg, keeping the labourer in his peripheral vision, but the man and his goods kept on plodding wearily down the street. Harker’s own cart was about half full, and he tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his thieves to return with more ill-gotten gains. One more trip after that, and they should be done, he reckoned.

  Looking back up the street, he noticed the labourer had stopped opposite one of the many alleyways that ran between the warehouses. He squinted to get a better look, then realised with alarm that the labourer was gesturing towards him. Seconds later, a squad of six Vos guardsmen shot out of the alley, and started running toward him. They did not shout after him or demand his surrender, but their spears were levelled with clear intent.

  “Fire!” he shouted into the open door of the warehouse, the pre-arranged warning he had agreed with his team. Bad experiences in the past had taught him that shouting “Guards!” when
being pursued was a very, very bad idea.

  Trusting his team to make their own escape, he slapped the rump of his mule and dragged it forward into an uneasy trot, hoping it might outrun heavily armoured men. Another squad of guards appeared from an alleyway ahead and he cursed as they spotted him, drawing their weapons.

  Hauling his mule around, the animal rumbling its protest at his mistreatment, he headed for the side street the labourer had appeared from.

  He skidded to a halt, the mule bucking its head in confusion. In front of him, a third squad waited, spears lowered to receive him, forming a prickly barrier. Behind, the first two squads appeared, the soldiers manhandling Terri, one of his team.

  “Excellent work, men,” said one of the Vos soldiers – a sergeant, Harker saw from the golden insignia woven into the chest of his red uniform. “Are the secondary squads in place?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good, they’ll catch the rest of the scum.” He cast a disgusted look at Harker. “Someone arrest that man. I want to get at least one more lot before shift’s end.”

  LEANING AGAINST THE wall of the alley, Sebastian fumed as he watched what was happening in the Square of True Believers. He knew exactly what Vos was doing but, as yet, he could not see a way around it.

  The square was filled with street traders, entertainers and, of course, believers seeking to make their prayers known to the priesthood of the Final Faith in the new Cathedral. They all stayed away from the western side of the square, however. That had been reserved for the beggars.

  Even now, they watched the beggars with a strange mixture of contempt and pity. Massive wagons had been brought into the square, and there was polite applause from onlookers as Vos guardsmen began throwing bundles from the wagons into the outstretched hands of the beggars. More soldiers were on the ground, ready to break up any fights in the desperate crowd clamouring for alms, but there was a strange sense of order in place. The beggars had been promised that there was more than enough for everyone and, looking at the size of the wagons, it was easy to believe, despite the many hundreds of needy people that had gathered.