Arcanius

Arcanius

Avondale Book IV

by

Toby Neighbors

Arcanius,

© 2015, Toby Neighbors

Published by Mythic Adventure Publishing

Idaho, USA

Copy Editing by Allison Hagan

Books By Toby Neighbors

Avondale Series

Avondale

Draggah

Balestone

Arcanius

Five Kingdoms Series

Wizard Rising

Magic Awakening

Hidden Fire

Fierce Loyalty

Crying Havoc

Evil Tide

Wizard Falling

Lorik Trilogy

Lorik

Lorik the Defender

Lorik the Protector

Other Novels

Third Prince

Royal Destiny

The Other Side

The New World

Zompocalypse Omnibus

Short Stories

Dark Origin

Dedication

To Millie

You’re it, you’re the one.

Avondale Spell List

Spells of the First Order

•Simple Cuts -
Sano Grasilis Abscido

•Fever -
Sano Frebricula Reducto

•Seasonal Ailments -
Sano Retrorsum Adgravesco

•Broken Bones -
Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis

•Lacerations -
Sano Sarcio Acies Deprimo Abscido

•Internal Bleeding -
Acies Penetralis Deprimo Sano Crudus Viscus

•Burns -
Acies Sano Cuticula, Acies Penetralis Resarcio Viscus

Corporeus Adfectus -
The physical connection with another person, so that you feel what they feel

Spells of the Fourth Order

Basic spells:

•Fire -
Accendo

•Light -
Fulsi

•Wind -
Flabra

Intermediate spells:

•Lightning -
Fulguralis

•Focusing Light -
Specula Fulsi

•Cyclone -
Furibundus Nimbosus

Advanced Spells:

•Crucible -
Conflo Fervefacio Aestifer

•Destruction -
Motus Tellus Aboleo

•Sealing -
Phoca Obduresco Aevum Infragilis

Princess Ariel’s Practical Spell List

•Fire -
Ingesco Exsuscito

•Far Sight -
Ultimus Conspectus

•
Find North - Repperi Arctoa

•
Find Water - Repperi Amnis

•
Calm Minds - Quievi Adfectus

•
Cloaking Spell - Abdidi Incantatio

•
Shielding Spell - Scuti Incantatio

•
Summon Wind - Vocavi Ventus

•
Sleep Spell - Somni Incantatio

Prologue

The chamber was dark and cold, but the men inside continued their ritual. Each held a candle, letting the wax drip down the long tapers and scald their hands. They held shades over the flames so that the feeble light only revealed their feet and the narrow passage that led back out of the cave, never revealing the faces of the men. It was better that they couldn’t recognize each other, better that they only knew their secret brothers by voice. The men weren’t important, how they made a living or their level of social standing wasn’t important, only the truth was important. It was remembered and retold. The purge had wiped out any trace of magic in the nine cities of Valana, but the stories remained. Each one meticulously retold as the brotherhood met. The stories were true, and while they weren’t known outside of the secret society, they were known by the members whose collective memories ensured that the stories weren’t exaggerated or that the potency of the truth wasn’t diminished.

The brotherhood always met at night, each member finding their way through the curved streets of Avondale and down to the lowest level. The entrance to the chamber looked like any other hovel carved into the soft, volcanic rock that formed the foundations of Avondale. But the door was marked with a small symbol, an upside-down triangle with a circle just below it. To most people the small symbol, which was burned black into the dull gray wood, looked like a keyhole, but to the brotherhood it too told a story.

Three stones,
the story went.
Common stones, yet not ordinary stones. Each possessing a unique power. From the Four Orders came the Emerystone, a tool to help all mankind. From the Dark Orders came the Portentstone, a gem to guide the masterful. And from the Nether realm came the Balestone, the key to enduring vengeance. Three stones, three points of the triangle, three treasures with the power to seal or to lay bare the entire world.

Once the stories were all told, the brotherhood disbanded. They left the cavern one by one, making their way down the narrow corridor that was little more than a crack in the mountainside, to the empty home where they could reemerge without drawing attention to themselves. It was a solemn ceremony, and no one hurried, even though their secret rites lasted late into the night. Every full moon they gathered, twelve men in all. New members were only admitted once a fully vested brother had died. There was no gain for the brotherhood, only sacrifice and the knowledge that they kept the truth alive. And the truth was not only valuable, it was needed—they all knew that. One day their truth would save Valana, but only if they kept the truth and kept it secret.

Chapter 1

Tiberius

The sky ship was flying just below the thick layer of mist that covered the blighted lands. It had been difficult to convince the captain of the huge vessel to dip down into the unknown, and many of his men had been terrified, but Tiberius had healed Rafe’s wounds and then his own broken nose and swollen eye. That little bit of magic had been enough to convince the captain that Tiberius could be trusted, and the captain’s fury was potent enough to spur his men into action.

They had rescued Lexi from a pack of graypees and then coaxed their horses onto the floating ship. Tiberius had used his summon wind spell to propel the sky ship away from the mountains, and they were now headed south over the great, sweeping plains that were the home of the nomadic Hoskali tribes. Every sailor not busy in the rigging of the huge vessel was busy peering down at the bright green mossy grass and the magnificent tamaka herds that were roaming far below them.

Olyva’s sisters watched in awe from the bow of the sky ship, while Tiberius healed their mother’s broken ribs.

“
Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis
,” Tiberius chanted softly.

It was not a difficult spell to cast, but it did require Tiberius’ complete mental focus. He had to direct the flow of healing magic into the countess’ broken body. She had been ruthlessly beaten, although her torturer had not struck her anywhere that might show the extent of her abuse.

“It was a nightly occurrence since he returned from Sparlan Citadel,” Countess Mauryn had explained. “He was never a violent man. He never raised a hand to me before, but he was different once he returned.”

“It wasn’t Father,” Olyva said. “Just his body.”

“I had no regress,” the countess went on. “I tried to fend him off, but that only seemed to make him enjoy beating me even more.”

“What kind of animal would do such a thing?” Rafe had said.

“A vicious one,” Lexi said. “Abuse like that is common in Avondale.”

Tiberius and Rafe both looked at Lexi as if she had lost her mind, but she merely nodded and went on.

“I saw men beat their wives and their children. I saw bodies tossed outside to die with absolutely no remorse. The paladins rarely did anything more than dispose of the bodies.”

“I don’t believe you,” Rafe said.

“You can believe me or not,” Lexi said. “My point is that some men are depraved and will do anything to ease their own pain, even if only for a few moments.”

Dancer, the furry little wind glider who was constantly on Lexi’s shoulder, trilled sadly.

“Earl Marcus or whoever it was didn’t do it to ease his pain,” the countess said. “He enjoyed it.”

“Oh, Mother,” Olyva said, sitting down next to her mother on the bed.

Countess Mauryn took Olyva’s hand, but Tiberius noticed that she seemed to be enjoying the attention. He had cast his healing spell shortly thereafter, and normally he would have done his magical work and been done, but something was distracting him. It wasn’t the noise of the sailors as they saw the wonders of the blighted lands or the creaking of the rigging above their cabin. It was the Balestone. The small rock seemed to come alive whenever Tiberius worked magic. He felt the stone calling to him. It was distracting at best, but at times it almost seemed to be taunting him.