It was a great burden to hold the stone, and a relief to press it firmly into the moist ground. Talis packed soil over the crystal. Master Jai chanted the ancient words needed to summon a crystal to life. The stone grew so much that the earth lifted under their feet. Talis felt himself rising higher into the air, until the crystal finished forming a hill over two hundred feet high and over twice as wide.
Where there was sand, now flowers and lush green grass covered the hill. A spring bubbled at the top and the water tasted sweet. A seedling shot from the ground near the spring. Mara bent over, watching it grow into a young sapling. After hours marveling at the sight, Talis was amazed to see it form into a towering black oak. The desert for a mile around had transformed into meadows and grassland. The spring bubbled in all directions, sending spidering creeks to nourish the land.
“We should extend the northern walls to surround the temple,” Talis said. “This is a place of power and will be the protector of Naru.”
“I’m fearful on that point.” Master Jai sighed and bent down and dug his fingers into the earth. “We’ll see what the signs from the gods say. Whether this is an ill-omen or yet another trick.”
Talis felt the dark, loamy soil, imbued with life. How did the crystal have so much power to transform the desert?
“Look!” Mara pointed at a beam of light knifing through the thick clouds. It shone upon the black oak, illuminating its leaves in a brilliant emerald swath.
Nikulo waddled up next to Talis. “Our enemies have fled. The worst is over.”
“For now.” Talis stared north at the desert horizon, past the grasslands surrounding the temple. The sands of the Nalgoran Desert swirled up into a storm, obliterating the distant view. The path where they’d started. What an immense cost. He could picture Master Jarvis, guiding them. He hoped he was in a better place now; that the gods had given him wings to fly past the Underworld. And he could picture Rikar, shielding his eyes from the blinding storm. Where was he now?
Over the course of winter the Temple of the Sun was built, slowly at first. They blessed the soil and prepared the land. Then master woodworkers came and brought carved cedar beams from the mountains to the northwest. These were also blessed and spells were cast to infuse them with the power of the crystal.
Talis had been tasked with designing the entire project. He tried his best to remember every detail from the original Temple of the Sun. Through much convincing on the part of his father, construction began on the city walls expansion around the new complex.
The rebuilding of Naru went on throughout the winter, repairing the damage from the war. One part of the city remained untouched: the destroyed temple of the Order of the Dawn. A vivid reminder of the battle against the demon. Now there was much talk amongst the wizards. A search for a new crystal would begin once the land had been purified.
One crisp early spring morning, Talis and Mara went into the swamplands to hunt for game. They’d waited a week before going out, as a late winter storm had left the swamp impassible. There was a fine mist, and the air still smelled of storm.
He swung his backpack around as he crouched, pressing his fingers into the mud near a fresh deer track.
“My stomach is grumbling for roasted venison.” She wagged a finger at him, and punched his arm. “Did you remember to bring lunch?”
Talis whistled as he realized he’d forgotten. He flashed Mara a smile and rummaged through his backpack. Whenever he was hungry, he knew his mother put extra snacks in his pack. Not finding anything, he frowned. He opened the flap wider and peered inside.
A flash of light made him stop and stare. What was that? He fished around and withdrew the case that held the Surineda Map. He kept it with him at all times since their journey. His good luck charm and guide if he ever needed help. Although it was one of the most revered artifacts in the known world, it was his, earned by right.
“What is it?” Mara slid next to him and gazed as Talis withdrew the Surineda Map.
“It just turned on by itself…like it was trying to talk to me.”
The map displayed the swamplands and two dots glowed next to each other. “So why show we’re here? That—” She stopped short as the map changed, zooming away from the swamplands, farther out, showing Naru, the Nalgoran Desert, the continent, then the whole world until it was a blue planet set against stars and black space.
“Look! The stars and the four moon sisters.” Mara beamed in excitement. The moons hovered like white orbs around the blue planet.
“That’s odd.” Talis felt his mouth go dry. “It’s never done that before.”
One bright star blinked, as if a beacon. The map seemed to focus on that star and it zoomed forward through the universe, racing faster until the star grew larger on the map, and finally showed planets revolving around the star. The map centered on one dark grey planet. Dust consumed the atmosphere. As the map took them closer down onto the surface, Talis could see thousands of islands set against a dark cobalt-blue ocean. And on an island he saw a shining, twisting, flicking light, of silver and black.
It hit him like a hammer. Rikar was there, on that planet.
Talis felt it, deep inside his heart. Rikar was out there with Aurellia, on a dark adventure gone wrong. Talis could feel Rikar calling him through the map. Calling for help, calling out in terror.
So against everything Talis knew was right and true, he reached out and touched the map. What he glimpsed, in his mind’s eye, made him wish he’d never looked.
Table of Contents
SUN MAGE
1. Enslaved
2. Seraka
3. The Hidden Arena
4. Evening Prayers
5. Breaking Away
6. The Descent of Shadows
7. The Devil's Spine
8. The Graveyard of Kirthgar
9. The Power of the Heart
10. Into the Night
11. The Unsteady Hand
12. The Depths of Urgar
13. The Underworld
14. Zagros
15. Royal Blood
16. Haldrax
17. The Temple
18. The World Portal
19. Demon of War
20. Light Magic
21. The Black Crystal
Table of Contents
SUN MAGE
1. Enslaved
2. Seraka
3. The Hidden Arena
4. Evening Prayers
5. Breaking Away
6. The Descent of Shadows
7. The Devil's Spine
8. The Graveyard of Kirthgar
9. The Power of the Heart
10. Into the Night
11. The Unsteady Hand
12. The Depths of Urgar
13. The Underworld
14. Zagros
15. Royal Blood
16. Haldrax
17. The Temple
18. The World Portal
19. Demon of War
20. Light Magic
21. The Black Crystal
Sun Mage Page 12
