The Ways of Mages: Two Worlds (11 page)

519 years before present... Arathin (Marlhema)

Stars are beautiful in the night sky, but they shed so little light. They are so unbelievably small; specks of illumination in the eternal darkness surrounding them; the worl
d’
s enfolding blanket of night. And night had most definitely fallen. Hard.

Screams tore through the night. Eyes widened in horror in the throne room of the
Sada
né
Mariel
. Ainara Silsharea knelt beside her father-in-la
w’
s thrown. Her fear-chilled hands clutched one of his. Stories of the horrible deaths caused by their enemy, the
searean bre,
flowed through her mind. Stories of how they came without warning and left few alive. Worse were the stories of friends and family becoming monsters at sunset. And now the
searean,
the shadow
,
had come here.

It had happened far too quickly. It left too many numb. Even with the help of the elf-like Lvessa and the unicorn race of the Ucora, the country of Marlhema was losing. Ainara shut her eyes and tried to remember the times when there were no screams, no horror stories of monsters and death. It was so hard. The memories faded like a distant drea
m
…

Ainara felt as if she was too vulnerable kneeling like this. She needed to get up. As if getting up would make her feel safer...  like she could do something against their unseen foe. She stood and made her way to the windows edged in finely tooled silver. And she saw them, heard them. Screams filled the night with terror. Shadows fell about the mountain side palace. They obscured the stars, the glittering water droplets of the great waterfall, even the moon. And the shadows had crazed eyes. Eyes as red as blood and as luminous as flared embers. They came from nowhere; this enemy.

Horror filled her as a shadow swept passed the window. She could just make out its wing thanks to the faint moon light. Ainara whispered its name.
Searean bre
; shadow bird: A shadow that struck like lightning then vanished just as quickly.

Now they were her
e…
At the palac
e…
Spirits have mercy.

Behind her, people were shifting. Those who were not fighters or healers were to stay in the throne room. She could hear the nobles whispering in fear. Screams could be heard echoing down the halls. The throne doors were open as a quick last retreat for the soldiers outside. Hopefully, those doors would never be shut. Because then, it would mean there was no hope in fighting, only in fleeing. There would be nothing left after tha
t
…

Ainara felt a shudder run through the stone floor. Women whimpered. A triumphant shriek rent though the air. Footsteps pounded toward the throne room. Ainara and everyone else looked toward the doors. Armored soldiers and robed wizards raced into the room. The tall Lvessi were bent in exhaustion and pain. Fiery Ucora did
n’
t prance, they limped into the room. All were wounded, some more than others. Those who could, helped wounded comrades into the room. People rushed forward to help their people in. And to know what was going on.  King Plarrean stood before his throne. His face was concerned. Only his eyes showed his fear. Ainara knew what he feared. The Enemy, obviously, but also for his son, her husband. Where was Seith? Was he alive? Ainara turned toward the door. More men were flowing throug
h…
but far fewer then she knew had guarded them. How many had fallen?

Where was Sieth? Oh Spirit
s…
where was he? Panic clawed into her stomach and bit into her heart. Fear started to smother her. Her hands played over her swollen stomach. Her child shifted in response to the fear surrounding it. Ainara tried to sooth it, but desperately needed soothing herself.

Was Seith still alive?

“
Shut the doors! Shut the damn doors NOW
!
” 
 
Ainara gasped. Sieth raced through the door along with a billow of dust. Men scurried to obey his command. The doors slammed with a resounding thud that sounded so final.  Ainara moved toward him, her eyes scanning over his body.  Blood covered his armor and wariness shimmered in his eyes, but other than that he seemed whole.  

He had to be whole. She went to him. His eyes settled on her and filled with warmth and regret. He reached for her. She went into his arms, not caring about the blood and he held her. Ainara closed her eyes for a moment. She was finally receiving that soothing she so desperately needed. For a moment the crazy world was no longer there, no longer real. There was only him and her. Too soon he pulled away.

“I’
m sorry Ainara, my Hope. We ca
n’
t stop the
m…
They us
e
…
”
Sieth grimaced. He turned to his father.

Plarrean had left the dais. His silver-veined blue eyes framed by long golden hair. The long strands where threaded with gray and lank from stress. In that moment, Ainara realized just how heavy the silver cornet upon his brow must rest on his soul. How the deaths of so many had drained the years from him. His powerful gaze slid from his son, so like himself in appearance and temperament, to her. And down to the unborn child. Fear was in his eyes, pain too. Concern and regret.

“
My lord father, they were playing with us. Picking us off
.”
Anger crept into Seit
h’
s voice
.“
And they finally let us see who they were
.
”

“
Do we know them
?
”

“
Sheyestiva
.”
At Seit
h’
s word people gasped, warriors growled. Ainara felt her heart go still. They had been betrayed. She remembered the Sheyestivan delegation. They had seemed so genuine in their desire to become allies, trading partners, friend
s
…

There was a resounding thud on the barred door. As one, all eyes went to it. Clicking could be heard; scratching, hissing, excited clacks. Another thud and everyone was in a panic. Plarrean called for people to take the escape route. Only his advisers and his own family seemed incline to ignore his command.  Then he turned to his son and daughter in-law
.“
Seith, get her out of here
.”
He commanded.

Emotions flowed over Seit
h’
s face. He obviously did
n’
t want to leave his father, but he had a wife and a child on the way. And his father looked ready to throw him out on his ear. Seith grasped Ainar
a’
s arm and pulled her out a small door, into a narrow hall, and away. She had barely enough time to wave good bye.

Plarrean watched his little family go. With them the future rested. He met the gazes of his advisors over the swirl of fleeing people. They knew what must come next. They moved to his side as one, without a whisper of hesitation.
How had it come to this?
Plarrean closed his eyes. He was so lucky in his advisors and friends. And now they all were putting their hope in the words of the prophet, Tarol Lorjan. Him an
d
…

Plarrean met the eyes of the woman with beautiful red hair. They called her Carcha
né
zeil
,
Hidden Jewel of Time, or Carcha but she insisted on Jewel. She was a mysterious and strange one. Her magic was so similar to theirs, but so different too. And strong. One could feel the weight of her power even now. Tarol had said that she was the only one who could anchor their last chance. The question was: what was she? Both she and Tarol said she was dragon, her magi
c’
s similarities said so too. The only thing that did
n’
t were her eyes; eyes a lovely emerald green with flecks of gold. So strange in a room of silver veined blue, Lvessa pale silver, Ucora red-gold, human brown, blue-gray and green. Her eyes were more human, now that he thought of it. What was she? And where had she come from?

But did any of that matter if the heart was true?

In Plarrea
n’
s hand, the
Enaza Terelle
rested in its sheath. There was a cracking sound on the door. He started to draw the silver sword into the light when there was a resounding crack.

The throne doors flew open.  Even though he was prepared for it, it was still a shock. In walked Shan
té
v. Emperor Shan
té
v, he remembered. But the man interested in a peaceful alliance was no longer there. No. Now there was a warlord in his full glory. Gold was worked into ornate black and red leather armor. And a smug, triumphant smile spread across the sun bronzed skin.

“
Shan
tév
…
”
The name was a hiss ground between Plarrea
n’
s teeth.

***

Present Day- Pershara

Bendon led the others down a dimly lit corridor in the lower reaches of Castle Mortia. Despite having worked hard to enter the castle, the group was now trying to exit. Their quest to rescue their friend and King, GrimHolden had been complicated by the fact that the target of their quest had, in fact, escaped on his own.

It was infuriating to be operating in the dark with the same lack of foreknowledge as the rest of the world. Because of a mistake in the application of magical forces, for much of his considerable lifespan Bendon had lived in his own past and thus had at least a limited understanding of the future. But time has a way of catching up on itself and he no longer had the advantage of 'a posteriori' knowledge of the future. He had, in fact, lived the last few hours over a thousand years ago but the memories were lost to him.

"Durn thangs chafe the wrong places" Sergeant Tolivier grumbled under his breath as he pulled at the rough cloth of his robe.

"Hold your voice down." Gawin said. "The three of us are supposed to be nuns."

The burly sergeant looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Yeah... About that..."

"No one is saying a word to anyone." Bendon said under his breath. He was the only one dressed in a monks grey robe having turned his amazing cloak inside out and producing said robe in the process. "Now all of you be quiet or I swear I will do something far worse than making you wear a nuns habit."

They walked in silence for perhaps another ten steps when Tolivier grabbed the hem of his gown and started to curse. Tep gave him a quick jab just as another monk walked around a corner. Bendon nodded briefly to the other monk while the three pretending to be nuns bowed as they had seen others do to Bendon.

"Brother... Take these three to our mistress's chambers. They will join the other porters carrying her wardrobe to the palace. She is ready to teleport so they had best hurry if they wish to avoid our mistress's wrath." The strange monk said.

Not knowing what to do Bendon nodded. 

Apparently this was not the expected response because the other monk paused and watched the four as they moved down the hall.

"Brother..." The other monk said as they finally passed. "Remove your hood... Let us see your face."

As Bendon reached his arms up to lower his hood, the burly nun, who was in actuality Sergeant Tolivier, stepped forward instead and coldcocked the monk with a roundhouse that would have floored a horse.

The monk in question collapsed like a sack of potatoes with a barely audible grunt. The sergeant dragged the comatose man into a small room just off the hall and divested him of his light grey robe. A smiling and infinitely more comfortable Sergeant Tolivier joined the others in the corridor.

"Was that necessary?" Bendon asked.

"Yes. It was fun." The sergeant answered matter-of-factly.

"We need to get to that portal outside the side gate." Gawin said urgently. "Jewel could be giving birth any moment."

"Yeah well, climbing up a sewer is a lot harder than sliding down. We need to find a different way out." Tep grumbled.

"Our friend gave us our way out... We follow Altana's porters" Bendon said as he started the group moving down the corridor again.

Gawin paused and looked at Tep. "He actually wants to find Altana?"

Tep shrugged and responded with as thick an accent as he had ever had prior to Jewel and Kindra's recent and intensive diction lessons. "What'a der be da point of life lessen ya have some citement?"

"'Mind me da have that 'finer points a wisdom' talk wit ya later." Tolivier broke in.

“
Hush... We're here" Bendon whispered.

The hallway turned and they faced a flurry of activity. A mix of white and grey robed novitiates hurried into and out of an ornately decorated door at the end of the hall. Most leaving the room were carrying packages or bags.

The four made their way to the room in question. The plan was simple. Grab a bag and follow the group outside. Even simple plans sometimes become complicated. As they were handed bags to carry, one of the elite white robed monks spotted Sergeant Tolivier and separated him from the rest.