The Young Magician

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Samuel found the tower now completely deserted as he staggered down its many stairs. His body had been almost ruined, but the power he had found within the Argum Stone had supplanted it, somehow sustaining him when he should have been destroyed. Even the wound that had pierced his abdomen seemed to have healed almost completely. The power he had touched had been incredible. It was no wonder that Ash had been overcome by the force of the Elder Staff. It seemed that the moment Ash had reached into that vast source of power, it had changed him, smothered him completely. In mind and body he had no longer been a man, but something else-something horrible, something craving only more and more power. It had overwhelmed him. Ash’s lack of understanding had been his downfall, just as much as Samuel’s depth of understanding of it had been his salvation.

Samuel passed down several levels and, with each, his legs became heavier and heavier as if slowly turning to stone. He passed the Argum Stone chamber, where the doorway still smouldered, broken and twisted in place. Floor by floor he descended the mighty tower, until he heard someone coming up tentatively from below.

‘Samuel?’ came a cry and Lomar appeared, rushing up the stairs at the sight of him. ‘You’re alive!’

‘Yes,’ Samuel replied, utterly exhausted.

‘Everyone fled the tower. We thought the whole thing was going to come down.’ Lomar came to Samuel’s side and held him by the arm, supporting him.

Samuel nodded. ‘What happened with you and the others?’

‘Lord Hathen proved to be the weakest link. He tried to escape from the Magicians’ Game. His weaves collapsed and the game fell in upon him. He, Lord Irshank and the other magicians were all killed. Master Glim and Master Sanctus tried their best to limit the damage, but I’m afraid the palace is in desperate need of some reconstruction now. Half the city’s engineers are there right at this moment. The other half are trying to decide if the tower will stay up or not-so we should probably hurry along.’

Samuel nodded distantly. ‘Ah…I see.’

‘What of the Staff? And the Argum Stone?’ Lomar asked with interest.

‘Destroyed,’ Samuel said. ‘I managed to get the Argum Stone from Ash and I used it against him. In the end, they destroyed each other.’

Lomar nodded thoughtfully. ‘Then the legacy of the Ancients did, indeed, prove itself.’

Samuel nodded numbly and they started back down the winding tower stairs.

Samuel could feel the Argum Stone jiggling in his pocket, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. If anyone were to find out, the Order would certainly confiscate the relic for their own purposes. After this latest experience, he still did not trust any of them.

They made their way down the many steps, with Samuel using the shoulder of his friend for support. The feeling in his body was returning, like jagged glass thrust into his joints, and the pain would not be dulled as it slid beneath his skin.

They finally made ground level and staggered out into the palace grounds, where crowds of people had gathered by torch-light and mage-light. Samuel could see that Lomar had not been exaggerating, for there was a great hole in the side of the palace beside the High Tower and a pile of broken rubble lay sprawled out beneath it. Magicians were busy casting spells onto the tower while soldiers and engineers were propping great beams against the palace to keep the remaining walls supported. General Ruardin’s booming voice could be heard shouting out orders and instructions.

Eric was the first to throw himself onto Samuel, and Master Glim and Goodfellow were not far behind. ‘Samuel! You did it!’ he cried. He had a bloodied length of bandage around his middle and a swathe of spells around his wounds.

‘Eric, you made it,’ Samuel said. He tried to push some excitement into his voice, but he barely had the strength to make the words, let alone fill them with emotion.

‘Of course,’ Eric declared. ‘I can’t feel a thing. Isn’t it great?’

Samuel looked to Master Glim with puzzlement.

‘I know, Samuel,’ the old teacher explained. ‘He should be in bed, but he refused to rest until we found you. In a few minutes, he’ll drop like a horse when he realises how tired he is.’

‘Good,’ Samuel said, with Eric’s arms still locked around him. ‘I think he’s killing me now. Maybe you can speed things along a bit?’

Master Glim nodded and, with a wave of his finger, set a spell upon Eric, who immediately retracted his arms from Samuel and sighed. He staggered backwards, eyes closed, and fell gently into Master Glim’s embrace and was fast asleep. Master Glim, in turn, placed Eric tenderly onto the soft lawn.

‘He should be well once my spells have had a chance to mend him. It’s a deep wound. His own attempts to stop the bleeding were pathetic, but I do admit he was in no state to cast much of anything. I think it was actually just his sheer stubbornness that stopped him from bleeding to death altogether.’

‘We should get him to a bed,’ Samuel suggested.

‘You, there,’ Lomar called to a wide-eyed servant who was standing nearby and gawking at the scene of destruction. ‘Take him to a bed and be careful.’

‘Yes, My Lord,’ the man replied and, with the help of another couple of men, picked up the drooping form of Eric and lugged him off into the palace.

‘Don’t bump his head!’ Master Glim shouted after them. ‘And be careful with that dressing!’

‘It seems as though you need some attention, as well, Samuel,’ Goodfellow stated. ‘You look terrible!’

‘Perhaps, you’re right,’ Samuel said, feeling the weariness in his bones and the pain in his muscles. ‘I think the day is starting to catch up with me.’

‘We’ll find somewhere for you to rest, too,’ Master Glim said. ‘It’s been too long since any of us had some decent sleep.’

‘Very well,’ Samuel conceded. ‘But which way is the tower going to fall? I don’t want to be in that direction.’

Master Glim laughed and summoned over some more servants and together they helped Samuel inside. Samuel was barely aware of what was happening but, when he felt his head falling against a soft pillow and a mattress beneath his body, he knew it was time to finally let go and sleep took him firmly into its folds.

‘Samuel?’ a voice called through the deep darkness.

Samuel let his eyes flutter open, for he was still trying to decide if he was really awake or still dreaming, and at once noticed Tulan Goodwin seated on a small stool beside him, next to the bed.

‘Tulan?’ Samuel asked groggily.

‘I wanted to see you one last time before I left.’

‘Where are you going?’ Samuel asked wearily; then some realisation came back to him. ‘What…what are you doing here?’

‘I’m sorry, Samuel. I’ve been hiding in the city all this time, but now matters have finally been sorted, I must leave. The Royal Guard and half the Empire are still after me, so I must be away quickly while I have the chance.’

‘Have you really been working for the Gartens?’ Samuel asked, sitting himself up in bed and waking up a little more.

‘Yes,’ Tulan admitted. ‘I have lived almost all my life in Turia, but I am a Garten by birth. I came to Turia in my youth to explore my skills with the aid of the Order, hiding my true lineage. I soon found, however, even at that youthful age, that the Order was just as hollow and shallow as the Turian Empire itself, so I tried to keep to myself as much as I could and concentrate on my studies. Unfortunately, when government agents in my home learned I had been accepted into the Order, they began to demand favours. If I did not do everything they asked, my family would pay for my “treachery”. At first, I only needed to drop a message here, a note there, but each time they demanded more and more from me until I was deeply involved within their network of spies. Finally, they demanded that I find a way to kill the Emperor. I used my friendship with Master Kelvin and others around the Empire to gain a place on the Council and, when the opportunity arose, as you know, I took it. I’m sorry I used you. You and the Grand Master had your own plans, I know, but I could not take the chance that you would fail.’

‘It doesn’t matter, Tulan,’ Samuel said. ‘Everything has ended up for the best. You did what you had to do and the Emperor is dead. But how will you escape? I’m sure you must be the most wanted man in the Empire.’

Tulan smiled. ‘The Empress now owes me quite a favour, so she is giving me one week to disappear forever. You see, my contacts had learned of hidden rooms and dungeons in the palace many years ago. After killing the Archmage, I left my men to finish their work with the Emperor and went down to wait for them. You can imagine my surprise when I found that someone else had also found the dungeons. Dividian had set up a laboratory there to practise all his dark rituals unseen. When I heard of the Empress’ disappearance, I had to find a way back into the palace and check there for myself. Inside, Dividian had several prisoners, with the Empress and Grand Master Anthem among them. They were quite glad to be freed, as you could guess.’

‘So now everything is over, will you return to Garteny?’

‘Yes. Hopefully, I may even receive a reward for my success and my family will not be threatened any longer-or so I hope. I will find a quiet place in a quiet town and disappear as well as I can. I certainly cannot stay here or anywhere within the Empire’s reach.’

Samuel nodded in understanding. ‘Where are the others?’ Samuel asked.

‘The others? Oh, yes. They’re all still trying to organise some order in the city. The last of Ash’s mercenaries and any rogue magicians have to be routed out. Until a short time ago, everyone was still helping to reinforce the tower, but I’ve heard it shouldn’t fall any time soon and they’ve already begun reconstruction of the fallen palace walls.’

‘How long have I been asleep?’ Samuel asked, looking out to the grey sky beyond the window.

‘Two days. It’s morning now. I thought you would feel like some breakfast.’

For the first time, Samuel noticed the tray of fruits and bread on the small bedside table. He looked around and wondered whose room this was.

‘How’s Eric?’

Tulan laughed, rubbing his dark, stubbled chin. ‘I heard your friend is already up and around, but he won’t be doing anything energetic for a week or two.’

Samuel sat up and took some bread, chewing on it with a sudden clawing hunger. There was something hard pressing against his leg and Samuel reached down and pulled out the offensive object. It was a silver ring. Tulan was staring out the window and so Samuel quickly pushed the thing under his pillow. Someone had changed his clothes and bathed him, but somehow he still managed to have the ring in his possession.

There was a soft knock at the door and then Grand Master Anthem popped his head in. On seeing Samuel, he smiled and stepped lightly inside, closing the door behind him and nodding in greeting to Tulan Goodwin.

‘Everything’s ready,’ the old man spoke and Tulan stood and picked up his travelling bag.

‘Then it’s time for me to leave, while I can,’ Tulan said with a slight smile. ‘I hope we can meet again, Samuel, sometime in the future once everything has settled down a bit.’

‘As do I,’ Samuel returned. ‘If I come to Garteny one day, I will hope to find you.’

Tulan went to leave, but looked back once more before carefully closing the door behind him. ‘Farewell.’

With Tulan gone, the Grand Master came nearer to Samuel and sat on the stool. ‘Well, my boy, I’m certainly glad to see you pulled through.’

‘So am I,’ Samuel replied, pushing more grapes into his mouth to appease his rapidly growing hunger.

‘And I hear you saved the day, no less, facing Ash and blasting him to smithereens. I can’t say how pleased I was to hear it.’

Samuel nodded again, swallowing. ‘It’s true. Master Dividian finally awoke the Argum Stone using the power of the Staff of Elders but, in the end, both were destroyed.’

‘So the thing was truly another ancient relic?’ Anthem asked with interest.

‘Oh, yes-perhaps even more powerful than the Staff of Elders.’

‘And it was also destroyed?’ Anthem asked, giving Samuel a suspicious glance.

Samuel paused, before remembering to swallow the corner of bread still in his mouth. ‘Yes. The two relics incinerated each other.’

Anthem nodded and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. ‘It’s a shame, but there may be more ancient relics in the world still. With the prospect of this war ended, perhaps we can direct our efforts to finding them.’

‘Is that such a good thing?’ Samuel asked. ‘Such power seems to bring out the worst in people. Perhaps such things are better left unfound.’

‘That may be, my boy, but we can’t hide our heads in the sand because of the foolish and the greedy. Everything in life can be turned sour in the wrong hands. We just have to be vigilant and rely on our wits and the goodness of our friends. People usually get what they deserve in the end.’

Samuel shrugged and finally agreed. ‘I guess you’re right. Ash is dead, the Emperor and the Archmage are dead-even Dividian is dead.’

‘Dividian? What happened to him?’

‘Ash killed him in the end. He had outlived his usefulness, although I must say he was a fool not to have seen it coming. Tell me, how did Ash manage to capture you?’

‘Lord Hathen asked to meet with me and slipped something in my cup. The next thing I knew I was waking up in Dividian’s awful lair, bound and tied. They kept feeding me extract of Scour Spice to keep me weak and addle-headed. The Empress was there, too, although she looked in much better condition than me. They had her locked in an old cell opposite mine, but at least she was free to move around and not tied up on the floor like a roped pig. Scour Spice also has some nasty side effects, but I won’t go into detail.’

‘What of High Lord Rimus? Was he there, too?’

Anthem sighed. ‘He is dead. It seems he, too, had been put to use by Ash. I can’t say what deal they had done-perhaps Rimus had been part of Ash’s schemes in return for the Staff, who knows-but it was obvious they had some collusion together. Ash summoned Rimus to the dungeons and he obviously knew what was going on, but it was there that he met a terrible end. After some initial small talk that I could not hear, Ash and Rimus began to tussle. Dividian joined with Ash and together they overcame the poor man and subdued him into senselessness with the same wretched root. It was then that poor Rimus suffered a terrible fate. I would not have wished it upon him or anyone.

‘Dividian had prepared a great bath of some vial liquids and had been chanting over it all day. They dropped Rimus into it. He began to thrash and squirm at once, but Ash held him under with a broom handle. I called for the Empress to look away and I’m glad that she did, for it was not a pleasant sight at all. Rimus struggled, but not for long. When it was done, Dividian began stirring the fluids, and it became evident that Rimus had been dissolved altogether-such foul black arts as I have never seen. Dividian scooped out the bones one by one with his tongs and threw them into the corner. He began summoning more of his black magic and Ash took off his clothes. Stark naked, he stepped into the bath and lay down into the vile fluids, submerging himself completely. When he stepped out again, he was wearing Rimus’ skin like a cloak.’

Samuel shook his head. ‘That’s abominable!’

‘Yes,’ the old man agreed. ‘I can’t say how glad I am that Dividian met his end. Who knows what else he was capable of or what else he had already done?’

‘And what about you, Grand Master?’ Samuel asked. ‘What will you do now?’

‘I will go back to the school and do what I do best-teaching young fools like you to use their magic and be polite to their elders.’ Samuel laughed at this. ‘Well,’ said the old magician. ‘I still have a lot to do. The Empress will have every magician’s head in a basket if I don’t go and plead some reason to her. She’s still quite shaken by the ordeal and her ministers are already clamouring to have her ear. Rest well. I’m sure the others will come to see you soon.’

With that, the old Grand Master bade farewell and Samuel ate the rest of his platter quietly in bed. Afterwards, he reached back under the pillow, pulled out the ring and held it up, inspecting it in the daylight that streamed in through the window. It looked so small and insignificant, yet it was the key to so much power. Samuel closed his eyes a moment and could feel the ring almost shivering in his fingers, as if its magic was bursting to be released. How incredible, he thought, that such a small thing could hold so much power. He thought about slipping it onto his finger and feeling its energy inside him, but then he thought better. The relic had already proved too powerful and was dangerous.

Still, he had a great desire to put it on for, since waking, Samuel had come to a terrible realisation. It was the same terrible feeling as being in the Mage Cell, as if some great force was stopping him from tapping the ether. He had tried to call his magic several times, but it would not come. He was starting to feel, with dread, that somehow he had been damaged during his duel with Ash. Somehow, using the Argum Stone and opening himself to its vast power had destroyed some vital part of him that could summon magic. He hoped it was only temporary and his power would return as his body healed, for the very thought of not having any magic made him tremble with anxiety.

Each time he felt nervous, however, he squeezed the Argum Stone in his fist and he felt a little better, for he knew, should he desire it or should he really be in need, he could simply call on the vast power within the ring.

Samuel finally roused himself from the bed. After his small meal, he felt much better and decided he should go and find something more substantial to eat. There was a new set of fine black robes folded on the dresser, and so Samuel dressed himself and then combed his hair in front of the mirror.

Before leaving, Samuel’s heart began racing a little more. He was still trying to convince himself that his magic would return any moment, but he felt an unsettling fear inside. He just needed to feel the tiniest touch of magic to calm his nerves and then all would be well.

He turned away from the dresser and faced the opposite wall. He held the Argum Stone firmly in his fist and called to it gently. He could feel its magic beginning to seep out into his hand, so he directed a spell towards the centre of the room. A simple mage-light would do the trick nicely. Suddenly, there was a rush of power and a huge sphere exploded into being, filling the room with blinding light. Samuel yelled and released the ring to shield his eyes. It dropped to the floor and, at once, the enormous mage-light vanished, leaving the room devoid of magic once more. The ring bounced once with a soft clink and then spun around a few times before rattling over onto the timber floorboards.

Samuel’s heart thudded in his chest. He was at once relieved and anxious, for the feeling of magic had calmed his nervousness, but now he was feeling alarmed at the very power of the thing. It was far too powerful for him to use for commonplace tasks. Using it felt like trying to shell an egg with a sledgehammer. He would be much happier when his own spells returned but, in the meantime, Samuel had little choice but to pick up the ring and he dropped it back into his pocket.

Another soft knock sounded on the door just then and Samuel called, ‘Enter!’

‘Well, well, well, Samuel,’ said a man as he stepped through the doorway and Samuel was surprised to see it was Soddan. The mysterious man was dressed in plain clothes, as usual, but he had a beaming smile on his face that was quite out of character.

‘What are you doing here?’ Samuel asked accusingly.

Soddan raised his hands defensively. ‘No need to get upset. I merely came to congratulate you and, with the stream of guests you’ve been having, I had to wait my turn.’ He closed the door carefully behind him and sat on one of the cushioned wicker chairs, avoiding the hard stool. ‘What a grand job you did, Samuel. I must say, I’m very impressed.’

‘Why is that?’ Samuel asked suspiciously. ‘After you sent me off to meet Ash, I thought you wanted me dead?’

‘Dead? Oh, goodness, no. I told you the truth. You needed to leave the city before Jarrod’s men found you and you also needed to develop your skills. It seems you accomplished both tasks quite well. It was pure coincidence that you and Ash had some sort of disliking for each other and I wasn’t going to interfere with that. Grown men should deal with their own differences, after all. And I thought it would be a good chance for you to hone your skills. I really thought a man like him would be no match for a magician of your calibre. Of course, he was in Tindal retrieving the Argum Stone for me at the time, so his death would have been inconvenient, but one of my other men could have returned it without too much of a fuss. He did prove to be much more cunning than he appeared, I must admit-working both the Circle and Lord Jarrod from the beginning, gaining spells from us and black magic from Jarrod and Dividian. He had promised to deliver the Argum Stone to us once he and Master Dividian had found out how to awaken it, but it looks as though he had been planning to keep the thing for himself all along. I blame myself. I really didn’t have time to keep a proper eye on him. I have to thank you for taking care of him for me. It turned out he nearly had the better of everyone.’

‘So he was working for you all the while?’

‘So to speak. You’d be surprised to learn exactly how many people do work for the Circle. Although, Ash was using us as much as we were using him. He was quite the conniving trickster, as you learned. I’m sure you must be quite glad he’s dead?’

Samuel nodded darkly. ‘That’s an understatement.’

‘Good. Then with that out of the way, it’s time we set to business. My leader is a man called Cang and he has just given me some disturbing news. It seems time is growing short and your assistance will be required sooner than we expected.’

‘Wait, wait, wait,’ Samuel insisted. ‘How can you just shrug off the loss of the Staff of Elders and the Argum Stone like that? They were the two most powerful artefacts in the world!’

‘The destruction of the Staff of Elders is of no real consequence to us. We would have liked to have added the Argum Stone to our collection, but its loss is not so important. The fact that it was so easily destroyed only proves that it was not one of the particular items we have been looking for. The world is a much bigger place than just the petty Empire of Turia and the lands of Amandia, Samuel. The Circle has all manner of ancient artefacts at its disposal. We have been scouring the earth for them since this Age first began, and now there is something even more important to consider. All such artefacts are merely a means to an end.’

‘So you’re telling me that you could have killed the Emperor at any time-that you could have stopped the Empire long ago and halted all this infernal trouble whenever you felt like it?’

‘Yes,’ Soddan replied, as if the answer should have been obvious in the first place.

Samuel was infuriated. ‘Then, why didn’t you?’

‘As I’ve already told you, these things are inconsequential. It’s better to let such matters play out in their own time. The Circle does not meddle with such things. You just don’t seem to believe me no matter how many times I tell you, Samuel. There are always wars and tyrants to deal with. If we stop one, another just pops up in its place, but the Circle of Eyes is the one thing that can save this world and all our precious souls.’ His brow furrowed and he leaned a little closer towards Samuel. ‘What would you say if I told you that everything we have come to believe is untrue-that everything we take for granted is just an illusion?’

Samuel had no idea what Soddan was talking about and it was written plainly on his face.

‘There is a war of good and evil taking place in the universe that has been waged over time and space immeasurable. Our world is nothing more than a larder and a breeding ground for that evil. Every thousand years, the demons return here to feast upon us and revitalise their numbers, fuelling their eternal war. They wait until a specific time, when our lands are full of life, and then they come though from their world and into ours, and they consume everything they can find.’

Samuel looked steadily at the seated man, trying to gauge him for seriousness. ‘What are you saying?’ Samuel asked him. ‘That this is going to happen here, in Amandia?’

‘Not just in Amandia, Samuel, but all over this world. The demons found a way to come here in the time of the Ancients and they have returned many times since then. They devour everything, leaving only just enough life so that our world can slowly recover, then they come again.’

Samuel shook his head. ‘That’s ridiculous.’

‘Is it? We have a collection of books you would be interested to read-things not found in your Great Library. Even Dividian believed us, for he had practised many dark rites and had begun to hear their whisperings in his ear, the foolish man. Listen to me, Samuel, and listen well. These things I tell you are true. We have little time and we need your help. Anthem and his Lions are too caught up with their own petty struggles to believe us but, when it’s too late, when the gates of hell open and the beasts surge forth, everyone will believe, and it will be too late. We have only one hope. Before the demons can enter our world, two great items of power must be brought together. The Staff of Elders we had already examined and the Argum Stone’s destruction has proved that it was also worthless. The power of the things we seek is so great that they can crack open the barriers between our realms and allow the demons to cross.’

‘So why would you want to find such things if they are so dangerous?’ Samuel asked.

‘To destroy them, of course,’ Soddan answered, ‘or at least to keep them out of the wrong hands.’

‘Then you’ve been retrieving all the relics so you can to try to find the correct ones?’

‘That’s right, but so far we have been unsuccessful. What’s more, we believe that in every Age before ours there has been some awareness of this fate, as we have now, and they also tried to find these two relics. So far, none has been successful. Every Age has ended tragically, to say the least. Our Age is nearly at an end, perhaps even within our lifetimes. To save all our lives and our very souls, we must find those two artefacts and stop them from ever being used. The demons leave them somewhere, perhaps at completely opposite ends of the world, easily in view where people can find them. When the time comes and people have become accomplished and learned to travel, they will inadvertently bring them together and thus signal humanity’s own demise. They must be powerful things, immediately recognisable as a pair, so that people would have the notion to put them together.’

‘But you haven’t a clue where or what they are,’ Samuel assumed.

Soddan nodded. ‘That’s right. All our efforts so far have been in vain, and the signs all point to the fact that our time is quickly running short. Somewhere, we are sure, they have already been found and whatever witless dotards have them will surely be coursing them together as we speak, like puppets fulfilling the demons’ plans. If we cannot find these two great icons of power and destroy them, or at least keep them safely apart, we are doomed. If we can achieve our goal, our world will be safe forever more. You can see how the politics and affairs of nations are inconsequential compared to this.

‘Can you not see why we need you, Samuel? Your skills are great, and will become ever greater with time, for you are still young. You even proved Master Celios to be correct, although I’m sure few others would guess it. Help us, Samuel, I am pleading with you.’

Samuel shook his head as he began pacing back and forth across the room. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ he said. ‘It sounds…fantastic.’

Soddan stood. ‘Very well. Come and see for yourself. I can arrange for you to visit our library, or go browse through Dividian’s collection yourself. I’m sure you will be convinced.’

‘Dividian’s collection was destroyed by Ash.’

Soddan scowled. ‘Unfortunate.’

‘I need some time. These last few days have all been too much. Give me some time to think about it.’

‘Time is something we cannot afford, Samuel.’ Then he rubbed at his chin a moment. ‘Very well. Take what time you need, but do not dally long. Leave word for me at the smoking den when you have decided-use my contact name-but I must tell you this, Samuel: I am a patient and forgiving man, despite my appearances. Cang, however, is not a man to anger. He has told me that your assistance is not optional. There are many, many ways to gain your aid should we require it and Cang will not hesitate to use them. He has charged me with gaining your help but, if he hears my efforts have been fruitless, he will not be happy. The fate of the world is at stake, and he will not accept failure-he cannot. Keep that in mind. I’m sure you still have friends, loved ones, even ambitions. Cang will take those away without a moment’s thought.’

Samuel stopped and looked at Soddan darkly. ‘Don’t threaten me, Soddan. Everything even remotely precious to me has already been taken away. Everyone I have known and loved is dead and my only ambition has been to revenge them. That wish was fulfilled the moment I killed Ash. There is nothing you can do to me to bring me down any further.’

Soddan again raised his hands in defence. ‘Please, please, Samuel. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not threatening you. I am merely telling you what will happen should you decide not to join us. You may think you have nothing, but you would be surprised at the things a man finds valuable when they are taken away. I know you still have friends in the Order, but there are other things also. Pray you do not find out. Past ages have had powerful magicians, too, but none has managed to survive. The Circle of Eyes is everywhere, ever vigilant, ever searching. We rebuild after every Age in our bid to undo the foolishness of the Ancients. I know you will come to the right decision, Samuel. You are not a foolish man.’

‘Very well,’ Samuel conceded. ‘I will let you know soon enough.’

Soddan continued to look at Samuel, perhaps weighing up his final statement. ‘As a measure of my trust, I will reveal to you my true name. I am Balten.’ And he even made a slight bow and gave a flourish with his hand.

‘You are Balten!’ Samuel said with surprise.

‘You see? When even young magicians know my name, you can see why I need an alias,’ the man replied light-heartedly. ‘Now, I shall bid you good day. Enjoy your celebrations,’ he added, as he let himself out and closed the door softly behind him, leaving Samuel to dwell on all that had been said.

Eventually, Samuel stepped out into the hall, although still with some uncertainty. Servants, nobles and courtiers passed by, seemingly unbothered by the events of recent days, although some eyed Samuel warily as he began making his way down the long corridors on his still unsteady legs. At one junction, a youthful mage came along and stopped upon recognising him.

‘Samuel!’ he said.

‘Artam?’ Samuel asked.

‘Yes, it’s me.’

‘I’ve not seen you since the old days in the school. Where have you been?’

‘Not far-in Duli since my graduation. I returned as soon as I heard word that the Emperor had been killed and many Masters had been slain. I am an apprentice Keeper of Records in the school.’

‘Congratulations then, Master Ritter. Do you know where Lomar and the others are?’

‘Lord Lomar? He and the other councillors are meeting with the Empress in the meeting chamber. I just came from there.’

‘Can you take me there?’

Artam momentarily glanced at the papers he held under one arm before discarding their importance. ‘Of course. This way.’

He led Samuel through the vast palace, through halls and across yards and along balconies. They crossed a great echoing chamber where a hundred men and women sat at a hundred desks, all furiously scribbling and making calculations and none bothered to look up as they passed. They passed a series of rooms, each resounding with a different music and Samuel could just catch a glimpse of youths in each one, busily practising their instruments. Finally, Artam brought him before a simple, yet finely polished, wooden door. He remembered it as being the same room where he had accepted his dispatch to Hammenton just after the Emperor’s death, although he never would have found it on his own.

‘Farewell, Lord Samuel,’ Artam said, and he left Samuel to knock and enter. The young man had changed much in the short years, but he seemed to have completely dismissed their prior conflict.

Around the long table sat about a dozen men and women. Empress Lillith sat at one head, wearing a regal gown, and General Ruardin, enormous in contrast to her small frame, sat by her side. Two ladies-in-waiting stood behind her. Lomar sat closest to her, with Master Glim beside him. The others present were various court officials and representatives. They were all looking at Samuel as he entered.

‘Empress Lillith,’ Lomar began, ‘you may remember Samuel. Samuel, I’m sure you remember the Empress Lillith. Take a seat. It’s good that you have now arrived.’

Samuel bowed to those present and closed the door behind him before taking a place in a vacant seat near the end of the table. The men opposite him nodded to return the greeting.

‘Welcome, Master Samuel,’ the Empress began. She was slender and beautiful. Her proud cheek bore a vivid pink scar-perhaps a souvenir from Ash’s dungeon. ‘I must begin by thanking you. I understand it was you who brought an end to the horrid magician, Master Ash, who had imprisoned us.’

‘Thank you, Empress,’ Samuel returned politely.

‘As a result, I would like to offer you a place on the Magicians’ Council-as a temporary measure in recognition of your skills. I understand this is a great honour for one so young. Never has the Council had such a youthful member in its ranks. The permanent members will need to be elected in the coming months, but there is much to be done and the Empire needs the Council at full strength. I trust you will make good of the opportunity.’

‘Thank you, Your Highness,’ Samuel responded. ‘I will be glad to fill the role, if only for the time being.’

‘Also,’ she continued, ‘I have nominated Lord Lomar to be High Lord. Again, it is only a temporary measure to fill the coming weeks, but if he and the Council agree, perhaps he can take on the role permanently.’

‘That sounds fitting.’

‘As you know, the Emperor was obsessed with the desire to conquer Garteny and complete his expansion of the Empire. I, on the other hand, wish only to maintain the law and keep the people secure. I’m sure you all realise a woman has never ruled the Empire before, and this will only last until my son becomes fit to take my place. I am not entirely convinced I will have the same power that my husband did, and the officials even now have created ways to stop me from making many important decisions. Know this at least, that I will do my best to serve the Empire and its peoples well, and I hope the magicians of the Empire can serve me in turn.

‘We all know that Cintar has been host to Garten spies, but we also have our own spies in Garteny and we have just received word from them. It seems that the Gartens are not content with only my husband’s death. They seem to feel that the Empire is still a threat to them and King Otgart sees this as a time of opportunity. He has marched his armies into our northern lands and has already taken several towns. I have begun a diplomatic process to try and maintain the peace, but I don’t know how far King Otgart is planning to go with this. If he insists on pushing his soldiers further south, we will be forced to send our own troops to dissuade him. For the time being, I have asked our men to keep their distance.’

Samuel sighed. Despite all their best efforts, it seemed the threat of war had still not yet been staunched.

‘What the Empress is saying,’ Lomar explained, ‘is that even though we are not planning to continue with the war, we may have little choice if the Gartens bring the war to us. She is counting on the aid of the Order of Magicians, should the need be required.’

Samuel nodded. ‘I understand.’

‘Very well,’ the Empress said. ‘I shall leave you to discuss the matter further. I have much other pressing business, as you can understand.’

With that, her ladies helped her up and she and her entourage filed from the room with General Ruardin striding out beside her.

The various nobles and ministers each took the opportunity to introduce themselves to Samuel, for it seemed he had developed quite a reputation after felling Ash. They were all smiles as they shook his hand and offered their congratulations and assurances of support. Slowly they left the room, followed by the remaining officials, until Lomar, Master Glim and Samuel were left alone, standing beside the long table.

‘Well,’ Master Glim said. ‘That went well.’

‘Yes,’ Lomar agreed.

‘What does the Grand Master think of this,’ Samuel asked.

‘Well, we haven’t exactly had time to tell him,’ Master Glim explained. ‘But if we prepare him enough, and tell it the right way, just maybe he won’t lose his temper and explode.’

‘I doubt it,’ Lomar added with a grin. ‘I think he will have a fit either way.’

‘Perhaps, but I believe I heard mention of a celebration,’ Master Glim said.

‘Preparation is well under way,’ Lomar informed with a smug smile. ‘Tonight, the Empress will take her vows and choose her ministers. Mourning for the late Emperor shall end and then there will be a great celebration. The entire city will herald the beginning of a new era and the palace grounds will host the greatest event of recent times.’

‘It sounds wonderful,’ Samuel said. And, indeed, it was.

That evening, as magicians’ spells coloured the night sky, Samuel stood with his closest friends-Grand Master Anthem, Lomar, Master Glim, Eric Pot and Eric Goodfellow-and marvelled at the crackling explosions and lights that sounded above them. The Imperial Engineers had prepared a host of rockets and they whistled up above the city to explode and shower the city with shimmering embers. The sounds and smells made the rockets as thrilling as any magician’s efforts. Several magicians were trying to outdo the display and had set the sky afire with all manner of glittering and streaking spells that crossed and hung in the sky.

The palace grounds were covered in tents, pavilions, ribbons and decorations, with music and singing coming from every corner. Soldiers, ministers and courtiers alike rubbed shoulders and clinked their cups together with merriment. With so many men present, serving girls, maids and ladies of the court were precious commodities and all barely had a breath to spare as partner after partner swung them around to the joyful melodies.

Empress Lillith had strictly forbidden any magician to appear in his robes or any form of black on this occasion, marking them as too dark and sombre, and so the younger men of the Order had gone out of their way to wear as brightly, and ridiculously coloured threads as they could find. Never before had such bright reds, blues, yellows and greens been seen in such stripes, circles and swirls! It seemed that years of monotony had resulted in the most colourful burst of imagination that each magician could muster, and they did it well.

Many of the older magicians could not break their age-old habits and gathered on the border of the celebration, still in their drab magicians’ robes, but nonetheless smiling and tapping their toes. The Empress declared that they should at least have a coloured ribbon around their waists, and they each submitted to that with only a slight grumbling.

Eric danced with as many young ladies as he could, but Samuel noticed he had settled for one particularly fair lass while the night was young.

‘I see young Eric still has a little fire left in him,’ Lomar mentioned to Samuel as they watched the pair embrace. ‘I wonder how young Master Goodfellow is faring?’

Samuel glanced around and found his other friend talking to a group of young apprentices, deep in conversation. ‘He’s never been one for romance. He’s always been logical and precise, so I’m not sure he will even notice the change when it comes upon him.’

‘And what about you, Samuel? Will you make the most of your youth while you still can?’

‘No,’ Samuel replied forlornly. ‘That’s not for me. I think that part of my life has finished. I thought I would feel better once I killed Ash, but I don’t. Strangely, I still love Leila as much as ever, even though I know she is gone. I still think about her every moment, even now.’

Lomar nodded. ‘Perhaps time will help to heal your sorrow. I can’t know what you must be feeling, but I can advise that you do your best to think about the future and forget your woes. Life must go on and heavy days lie ahead. We have much left to do.’

‘Of course, you’re right,’ Samuel said to his friend.

‘Go on, have a dance,’ Lomar urged. ‘You’re too young to give in to bitterness just yet.’

Samuel nodded and took a few breaths in preparation, for he felt his friend was quite right. He latched onto the hand of a passing young lady, who was red-faced and panting, and dragged her back into the dance from which she had just barely escaped. His melancholy began to shed with each moment as he lost himself in the merriment and shook loose his woes. He spun, danced and laughed with the young lady, and each step felt lighter than the last. He could barely believe he had done it. He had finally killed Ash-the man who had stood by and watched as his men had murdered Samuel’s entire family; the monster who had killed Leila; the man who had filled his nightmares for all these years. Finally, Samuel realised he did feel better. A weight seemed to have lifted from his shoulders and he felt the ghosts of his past could finally be at peace.

‘We did it!’ Samuel cried out with joy, as Grand Master Anthem came into view, skipping past him with a maiden on either arm. ‘He’s gone!’

The old Grand Master looked equally happy and carried on merrily by. ‘I know, lad! I know! Wonderful, isn’t it! After all these years, we’ve done it!’ But perhaps the old man was thinking about something else altogether.

After all the dancing, Samuel finally had to stop and catch his breath and he let his partner stagger off to rest. Despite his merriment, an uneasiness still nagged at him. His magic had not yet returned and he was beginning to think that something within him may have been damaged beyond repair.

Forget all that, he finally told himself, feeling the reassuring presence of the ancient ring tucked firmly into his pocket. With this, he could destroy a mountain if he chose to. Tonight is for celebration!

‘Come on, lad!’ cried old Master Sanctus, swinging past Samuel with a young lass in his arms. ‘What have you got to be so sour about? Kick up your heels!’

Samuel could not help but laugh at the sight and, with that, the old magician cackled with glee and continued spinning off through the crowd. All the while, the girl was giggling herself to tears in his wiry, old arms and making a great show of trying to escape him.

A moment had barely passed before Samuel’s hand was grabbed by another flushed-cheeked young lady and he, too, was pulled away to rejoin the dance, lost in the music, laughter and fun.

The entire city celebrated that night, and the music and singing and the booms of rockets floated over the great city walls and echoed far out into the waiting harbour. Flashes of light lit up the bobbing wave-tops as each rocket burst into bloom above the palace. The resulting pops and crackles, muted by the distance, took their time ambling out over the battered rocks-still cluttered with the broken splinters of the Merry Widow from years before. The sea might have fallen back into complete darkness between those explosions, if not for the constant, many-coloured glows of magic emanating from the city. From here, the docks and the city walls and the palace towers themselves seemed to be shining jewels set into the blackness, surrounded by the lilting music that rose and fell as it twirled upon the wind. For the time being at least, Cintar was a beacon in the void, separated from the dark of night by little more than mirth, and the gentle caress of the magicians’ lights.