The power of destiny the.., p.21
The Power of Destiny (The Force of Magic Book 3), page 21
The edge of the bowl was now cool to the touch. The liquid that filled it looked alive, like it was in continual motion. A living, breathing force contained within.
"What did this do to me?" Perin raised her eyes up to look into those of the dragon.
Magic is a powerful force, especially concentrated in this form. All of magic was contained here with me, but magic was not meant to be bottled up. When the bowl is empty, I must come here to release the blood and the fire. There is pain in this ritual, but also release. Over time, the bowl empties. I don't know how, but every time I visit, there is less until there is none, and then I must bring the blood and fire again. It is part of my service.
Ducking down, she looked under the bowl, finding solid crystal leading down to the ground. Perin circled it, trailing her hand around the rim, but saw no place where the liquid could leak out. "Where does it go?"
That is a mystery to me. Once I sat here for weeks watching it, trying to understand, but it never diminished while my eyes were upon it. I left for but a day, and it was lower when I returned.
"Could something be coming in to take it?"
Haerth stretched out his claws towards the entrance. There's no other way to come. Only through the lake. Until I saw you, I didn't think it was possible for anyone to make it past it. What now, Perin of the surface world? Will you take my blood and be on your way? Long ago there was another one who I gave it to willingly. Should I do the same for you?
"No. I mean, I don't know. I wish Trace were here with me. Marda told him what to do. I only know what he told me. We were supposed to find the source of the Elixir, but then somehow she said we would restore magic to the world." Perin collapsed in a heap in front of the spire, as her head dropped towards her lap. She could feel the dragon's gaze, but he said nothing.
To her surprise, Haerth lay down on the ground and curled his head around until it lay next to her, with the front teeth and those fiery nostrils only a hand's length away. Perin looked up and the two gigantic eyes were staring at her. There was depth there, an understanding. She found no judgement there, only concern.
"Haerth, do you understand what I mean? Could such a thing be possible?"
Let me ask you, Perin of the surface world, before you entered my cave, did you think dragons existed?
Perin couldn't help laugh, "No, of course not. They were only a myth."
And now?
"Still mythical, at least in my head, but with my eyes, I see a dragon before me."
In a world without magic, the miraculous is rare and mythical, but that wasn't the world I was born into. As a hatchling, I was not unusual. I was only one of many, and not just dragons. One of many wondrous creatures that spread across the land. But we were not known as wonders, myths or miracles, we only were. We were as we were meant to be.
"That reminds me of something Trace told me, Marda said. 'Magic must be balanced with truth. Only then will there be beauty in the land'. According to her, those who were good and pure abandoned magic to others and chaos spread. In the end, people wanted to get rid of magic. Is that what happened?"
This is a tale of men. Men tell tales according to their own brief lives. For dragons, we lived free of such things. I lived high in the mountains, away from such chaos. It may have been true, but we found our beauty in our high places and the winds of the air.
"If that's true, how did you end up here?"
Haerth raised his head until it towered high above her before bending his neck to look down on her once again.
Even dragons may be foolish from time to time. No, that's not exactly true. I chose my fate. I don't mean to imply they forced me to do this. I repaid one debt with another and here we are. As to your question, is it possible to restore magic to this world? I don't know the answer. But it does make sense that what is done might be undone. If dragons are real and little girls can fly and float through the ground and water, perhaps such a thing is possible.
Standing up quickly, Perin took a step towards the exit. "We should get Trace. Maybe if we bring him here, we can figure it out together."
With one mighty flap of his wings and an extension of his legs, Haerth flew over her and crashed down, blocking the entrance.
Your friend can't come here, Perin. This was for you and you alone to see. I'm still not convinced I will allow you to leave.
Chapter fifty-five
Decisions
He will break down every high tower and every fortified wall.
The Book of Isaiah 2:15
Trace
The cavern seemed limitless when Perin and he first entered it. Now, he'd walked it from end to end and found no surprises. A flat plain, underneath a sparkling roof, with a dark lake on one end and the tower on the other. He'd found no other exits along the cavern walls. Now, Trace was back by the shore, looking at the last place he'd seen Perin before she disappeared below the surface.
There's something down there, at the bottom of the lake. Something deep below. Forever out of my reach.
Trace replayed the images in his mind of the dragon and what he heard of Perin's conversation with it.
No clues. Something happened when she touched the dragon. She felt something that made her think it was okay to climb on his back. I wish Marda was here to talk to.
He could almost see the old cottage and Marda's smiling face sitting across the table from him. On impulse, Trace started talking to the memory of her.
"You said I would find Perin, and I did. You were right about that. How do you know such things, old woman? You must have a magic of your own."
"What then? You believed we would find the Source, whatever that is. Perin said the dragon was the Source's guardian. If the dragon took her to it, does that mean we were successful?"
Trace paused, not expecting an answer out of the surrounding silence, but hoping for something.
"Hold on to your hope, you said. What hope is there in such a dark place?"
As he pondered this question, something else finally came back to him, a brief memory of one of the last things Marda told him.
"I remember now, Marda. We'll part ways again. Perin would have to go on alone. I ignored it when you said it, but now I can hear your words as clear as day. You told me about this. You told me Perin would leave me. I didn't want to think about it at the time, since we hadn't even found each other, but here we are."
What about me? What was I supposed to do?
Trace closed his eyes and tried to remember the scene. It was the last day, just before he left to hike towards the mountains. There was something there. Something important, just on the edge of his thoughts.
"Something about destiny, but that wasn't it. Come on Trace, remember!"
He stood and paced around, trying to grasp it. Trying to do anything to stimulate his thinking, but it wouldn't come. His foot kicked a loose rock, and he picked it up. As Trace moved to skip the rock across the lake, the words finally returned to him.
"I remember. You said there were others who need my help and I shouldn't hesitate. Oh Marda, is this what you were talking about? What others? There's no one here."
But even speaking the words aloud, he knew what it meant. There were others. His friends. He abandoned them to come in search of Perin, but with hope they were still out there, alive. Sanj, Yola, Tantem and the others. They needed him. With a last look at the shadowy surface in front of him, Trace knew he'd waited long enough. Without further hesitation, he turned and ran back towards the tower.
It wasn't long before he was passing through the portal and running up the spiral staircase. When coming down, Perin and he were cautious, but now he needed to find a way out. Trace knew there wasn't one below, so the only option was higher up. He'd remembered seeing an opening at the top of the tower.
The stairs went on and on, an unbroken chain of steps with no exits. The only variation was the pattern of glowing stones, which randomly illuminated his path.
I hope for Perin's sake I'm right. It feels true to be going to help others, but wrong to leave her behind. But Marda wouldn't have said that unless she knew it was what I needed to hear. She must have known I would never leave Perin without good reason.
Even with his great strength, Trace was feeling fatigue by the time he reached a large oak door at the top of the stairs. Like below, an arch of the glowing stones surrounded the door. There wasn't a latch, just an iron ring in the middle of the door. Both the wood of the door and the iron showed no signs of age or wear.
As Trace reached out for the ring, he felt a light buzzing in his ears. He expected to see a fly or a swarm of gnats scattered around his head, but he couldn't identify the source. The closer his fingers came to the ring, the louder it became. He pulled out his knife and touched the ring with the tip. Nothing happened. Using the knife, Trace lifted the ring away from the door. When this resulted in no noticeable change, he put his knife away and reached out again with his fingers.
Even through his glove, Trace felt a surge of power pass into his hand. It didn't hurt, but it caused him to release the ring and quickly back up. No marks on his glove, but the door was still closed. Touching it again, the sensation was gone. Only solid metal firmly within his grasp.
With a tug, the door opened, and he stepped inside. Bright light caused Trace to shield his eyes momentarily. As he lowered his hand, glowing stones filled his vision. They were on every surface of the small room at the top of the tower. It was mostly empty. There was a table and two chairs in the middle of the room and a closed cabinet off to the side. Beside the cabinet was an open window, with only an iron lattice strung across the frame.
Trace stepped in, his eyes adjusting to the bright light. The table was empty, and he opened the cabinet to find its shelves filled with nothing but dust.
Whoever used this place left it long ago.
Outside the window, the stars in the sky reminded him of the cavern ceiling, and the houses and streets of Olmsheld spread out into the distance. Far below, he could just make out torches in the city streets. Even though it was night, something was happening. A quick glance around the room confirmed he hadn't missed anything.
I guess this is the end. No door, only a window, and a barred one at that.
Moving to try his strength against the bars, Trace noticed an inconsistency in the way the bars came together. He followed along until he saw a round grip in the middle of the bars. His fingers fit into the grip perfectly and he pulled, but it didn't give. Keeping his fingers tightly wrapped around it, Trace tried to move it in every direction. By accident, he turned it to himself and as he continued to rotate it, Trace watched as a section of the bars retracted from the wall, until he was able to slide them over, leaving half of the window open to the night.
As Trace stepped up onto the ledge, his body barely fit through the opening. He looked down the smooth slope of the tower to the ground far below and realized he must be highlighted by the light coming from the window. Sure enough, there seemed to be a commotion among the gathered torches below as they looked up at him. From this distance, Trace couldn't tell if they were friends or foe.
He took one look back into the room and then placed his hands on the edge of the windowsill. As he lowered his feet, Trace felt around for any ledge or ridge in which to place his toes. The surface was a bit rougher than he thought, but there was nothing to use to climb down.
No buildings were close enough to be of any help. For not the last time, Trace envied Perin's abilities. He hung there for several long moments before looking down and making his choice.
I can always heal, right?
Trace released his fingers and started sliding down the side of the tower.
Chapter fifty-six
Before the Throne
If a king judges the poor fairly,
his throne will last forever.
The Book of Proverbs 29:14
Slade
The city was chaos. Slade's survival the night before hadn't been easy. After leaving Jeroen's quarters to visit some of his men, something hadn't felt right. An hour later, he doubled back, only to find the place surrounded by dozens of city guards. He was about to pull one of them aside to ask what was going on when all hell broke loose.
Dark smoke filled the street, followed by the sound of fighting. When the smoke cleared, there were several members of the Brotherhood fighting against multiple targets. He knew they were competent soldiers, but the odds seemed too great. Slade rushed into their midst, ordering the guards to stop, only to have the closest turn on him. It was clear the Council gave them orders where he was concerned as well.
In the end, bodies filled the street, but Slade and three of the Brotherhood were still standing, though one just barely. They retreated with him to a private quarters to recover, as they told him about the others who managed to escape.
The next morning, rumors of the Overlord's death and the Council's new rule floated on every street. Slade sent a trusted ally to learn what he could, but facts were scarce. When the second man he sent out didn't return, Slade was done waiting.
He traveled a circuitous route through the back streets towards the fortress. The two healthy Brotherhood members left insisted on coming with him. The towers above them were quiet in the moonlight, silent sentinels looming. Only one street away from the gate, Slade finally saw a lone soldier hurrying away in their direction.
"Hold, man. You're coming from the fortress? What's going on there?"
The soldier tried to turn back the other way, but one of Slade's men cut him off.
"Pardon me sirs, but I'm not to delay. I'm under orders to deliver a message."
"Who's orders?"
The soldier's eyes darted between them, uncertain how to proceed. "There's a new lord, sirs. The city and the Dominion are now his to command. It just happened he's sent meself and others to tell all the city guard."
Slade reached out and placed his massive hand on the man's shoulder. "Then you'd best share your news with us. We're loyal to the Dominion and should know who we serve."
"Lord Karven. He's the new ruler."
"Karven, but what of the Council?"
The man's eyes spread in fear as his lips tightened together.
Slade gave him his most gentle smile and placed his other hand on the opposite shoulder. "We mean you no harm. Just tell us what you're meant to say. We're on our way there now. You can trust us. We are loyal."
The guard's eyes fell and stammered out, "The Council betrayed the Overlord. There's a rumor they killed him. We're to tell all the city guards that and let them know the traitors have been dealt with, and Lord Karven now rules as the successor to the Overlord." He looked like he expected them to strike him down for this news.
"Well, isn't that welcome news?" Slade relaxed his grip and moved aside. "Continue on your mission, soldier. You bring welcome tidings, but we must see this for ourselves."
***
After a brief wait, a guard returned to escort them into the fortress. After the chaos of the day, the halls they passed through seemed orderly. A small group of guards led Slade and the others, but they passed several guards standing at attention, as if waiting for an inspection soon to come.
The entrance to the throne room was open before them and lined with guards wearing the red of the Overlord's personal guard. They all stood evenly spaced with their hands on their weapons. Slade quickly counted six on either side of the door. Their eyes stared straight ahead as Slade walked past them up the stairs.
"Slade, you survived!" Karven's voice thundered down from above, strong and sure. The throne he was on differed from the Overlord's and in front of it lay a blood-stained altar.
How did he have the time to build all of this in just a day?
"What happened after you left us? I survived because of the bravery and vigor of your men. They fought valiantly, even though some fell, as we were greatly outnumbered."
Slade took three steps inside, but stopped well short of the stone altar. More guards in red outlined the walls, standing ready. A pool of blood lay to the right of the throne. Karven's countenance was striking. His face was marked by dark circles surrounding wide and disturbed eyes. He was always thin, but his body, even when sitting, looked stretched.
"We've recovered their bodies. They will be honored. I've had men looking for survivors. Brant and many of them were just here."
"Good, the men I fought beside told me they were fighting so some could escape. Forgive my impudence, but I'll ask again. What happened and how did you end up in this position?"
Karven smiled, grim and full of malice. "They tried to kill us all, starting with the Overlord. Brant, myself, all the Guild and you. They wanted to remove anyone they feared as a rival. Clever schemers, they almost succeeded."
Slade realized Karven wasn't looking at him. His gaze was distant, lost in thought. He waited for him to continue. Finally, his eyes settled on the stone altar and his voice came back, sharper than before. "That ended today. Today will be remembered as a great day. Everything changes now."
"What role will you play in this new Dominion, Slade?" Those hollow eyes were now boring into him.
"When last we spoke, you said you wanted a return of strength. Is this what that looks like?" Slade pointed to the altar and the blood.
"For now, it's necessary. The Overlord and the Dominion were once feared throughout the land. When that was so, there was no opposition within our borders. There was no Fringe or people who would dare to betray him. We must bring this fear again. People will live not knowing from which direction death might come. That is how we restore order to this Kingdom. Will you aid me in this?
Only one answer is welcome here. He brought me before him for my assent and nothing else.
