Authors: S. G. Rogers
Secrets of Yden
By
S.G. Rogers
Published by Astraea Press
www.astraeapress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead,
are
purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.
SECRETS OF YDEN
Copyright © 2013
S.G. ROGERS
ISBN
978-162135-243-3
Cover Art Designed b
y
AM DESIGN STUDIO
This book is dedicated to the Norse god Týr, who sacrificed himself to save the world from an ominous prophecy.
Sharks in the Water
His hands shaking, Jon magically filled the enormous seashell washbasin with icy cold water and submerged his face until he was forced to come up for air. As he shook water from his eyes, he realized his fellow apprentice Max Lee had appeared in the bathroom doorway.
Oh, great. A witness to my misery.
Instead of delivering his usual smart remark, however, the young Unicorn Clan wizard handed him a towel.
"Thanks," he murmured.
"Nightmare again?"
Jon managed a nod.
A flicker of sympathy crossed Max's handsome Asian features. "I thought your bad dreams had tapered off."
"I thought so too." Jon tossed the towel and his clammy sweat-soaked T-shirt into a hamper, and jerked his head toward the door. "Want to get some air?"
"Sure. Can't sleep with all that snoring anyway. Finn talks in his sleep, and some nights I swear Ian has bagpipes for lungs."
Chuckling, the two apprentices traded their pajama bottoms for jeans and left the spacious thatched bungalow, barefooted. Yden's suns had not yet risen, but dawn glimmered on the horizon, lifting the gloom of night. Jon glanced over his shoulder at his grandfather's tree house, nestled in the branches of the enormous vanyean tree seventy-five yards off. No one was astir, but the same breeze cooling his skin rippled the tree's thick green leaves and set its gnarled branches swaying. On the opposite side of the camp, an equal distance away, clan flags waved atop poles in front of the girls' two neat wooden bungalows. In the center was the fire pit where apprentices often gathered at night to chat.
Jon and Max set off through Quixoran's garden on their way to the beach. Ophelia, Jon's Dragon Clan ring, glowed with a white light to illuminate the path. The garden, which was arranged in a series of rectangles, was a work of art, a delight to the senses, and a labor of love. Colorful flowers grew in abundance, but Jon's grandfather had added his own sculptures carved from wood, stone, or volcanic heat-sensitive rock that glowed bright blue in the sun. Some of the sculptures were of people or animals, but many were of fantastical creatures â including the dragons from which the Dragon Clan had drawn its name.
Ten minutes later, Jon and Max passed through the arch of honeysuckle marking the end of the garden and the beginning of Dragon Isle beach. The fine white sand felt great against Jon's bare feet and the rhythmic sound of the ocean surf eased his anxiety. He and Max sank down on a dune to watch the suns rise.
"Maybe the summons to the Executive Council meeting later today freaked you out more than you realized," Max said. "I mean, last time you and I were there, the council threw Dorsit out for heresy."
"Quixoran said the meeting was nothing to worry about, but I'm not so sure."
"If it was anything but routine, Dorsit would have warned you. The Executive Council may have reinstated him as a member, but there's no question where his loyalties lie."
"I'd trust Dorsit with my life, but I don't trust the Executive Council," Jon said. "If the council had just admitted the existence of Yrth when you and I first went to testify, we could have recruited the children of Yden properly. Instead, Guinn got his hooks into most of the kids and warped their hearts and minds."
"I don't much like the Wizards' Consortium, but I'd be happy to ditch runes class and come with you to Castle Ytherium."
"Thanks, but I don't know how long it'll take. Anyway, I'm transporting to Earth afterward to get ready for school."
"You'll be training here on the weekends again?"
"Yeah. I really hate going part-time."
"Maybe a change of scenery and schedule is exactly what you need right now." Max paused. "I really feel for you, Jon, but at some point you've got to put this thing with Guinn to rest."
"You don't understand. He disintegrated in that portal from the feet up. I can't forget how he screamed." As Jon shuddered with the memory, Ophelia gave his finger a gentle, comforting squeeze.
"Only you and Brett can know what it was like because you were there. But it's not as if the man is dead. Guinn of the Fox Clan rematerialized on Earth, he can't work magic anymore, he can't remember all the bad things he did, and he's now a great father to Brett. The way I look at it, you did everyone a favor."
"But Guinn doesn't remember much of
anything
about himself, and I can't help feeling guilty. I tricked him into using the Portal Key copy, knowing it was dangerous."
"He deserved it, dude. If Guinn had succeeded in opening a portal, life as we know it on Earth would be a memory. Magic happens on Yden and should stay on Yden."
Jon touched the silver ankh he always wore around his neck â the original Portal Key. "You're right. I'm going to make peace with what happened and not look back."
If I can.
****
The tall, sparkling white spires and graceful lines of Castle Ytherium were beautiful to look at, thanks to the unique architectural magic of the Leopard Clan wizard, Dorsit. The castle, built around a large courtyard, was the seat of the non-magical United Territories government, helmed by President Rampen Szul. One wing of the castle, however, was occupied by the Wizards' Consortium, which had been established to regulate the wizardry-at-large. Many wizards, including Jon, felt the Executive Council of the Wizards' Consortium did more harm than good.
As Jon paced in the unoccupied waiting room just outside the council chamber, he glanced around for something â anything â to relieve his anxiety.
Too bad waiting room magazines don't exist on Yden
. A smile crept over his lips as he invented possible magazine titles:
Young Wizard Digest
for him and his fellow apprentices,
Wizard Sophisticate
for Dorsit, and
Silver Wizard
Monthly
for Jon's grandfather.
Time marched on and Jon's smile faded.
It's too quiet around here.
He whipped out his pocket-sized sketchpad and began to draw musical bubbles. Although his magical skills had broadened since he'd first discovered he could draw things to life, it was still one of his favorite ways to create magic. The iridescent bubbles materialized off the page, floated toward the ceiling, and popped. The bubbles were quite pretty, but the best part was the music; whenever a bubble popped, a different guitar note rang out. Jon tried for a riff from the classic heavy metal song running through his head. After some trial and error, he had it down.
This is awesome.
When Dorsit finally stepped out of the chamber and into the waiting area, Jon was almost a little disappointed to see him. "Greetings, Dragon Wizard. We're ready for you," Dorsit said.
Several lingering bubbles landed on the Leopard Clan wizard's glossy, long black hair and popped with a lingering vibrato chord.
Jon winced. "Sorry. I was bored."
"That's about to change."
Dorsit waved him into the chamber. When Jon passed through the door, a familiar, yet unpleasant sensation made his skin crawl. "Why the suspension-of-magic spell, all of a sudden?"
"I know it's uncomfortable, but after I was reinstated on the Council, I asked that it be made standard procedure," Dorsit explained. "I don't want wizards playing underhanded tricks anymore."
Three of Guinn's former apprentices glared at Jon from the center of the chamber. Jon's hackles immediately rose, and if not for the suspension-of-magic spell, Ophelia would have warned him of danger so hard he would have felt her sting run from his finger, up his arm, and into next week.
The Australian apprentice, Bailey, curled his lip as Jon met his gaze. Bailey had stabbed Jon's father during the battle at the Fox Clan stronghold, and Jon would never forget the horror of it. He clenched his fists, but Dorsit steered him clear of Bailey and toward the podium on the far side of the chamber. Without Dorsit's intervention, Jon would have pounded the Australian into oblivion.
The podium was positioned in front of a huge stained-glass window depicting Yden's two suns. Jon had always thought the window an incredible piece of art, but at the moment his attention was riveted on the Executive Council. As he scanned their faces, Jon did a double take.
Lady Marla is now a member of the Executive Council?
The handsome older woman was one of the Andresen Waterfalls nymphs who'd battled the Fox Clan alongside the Dragon Clan. Although the nymphs lived on the far side of Dragon Isle now, they kept mainly to themselves. Lady Marla answered Jon's smile with a sober nod.
Besides the addition of Lady Marla, other changes had taken place since Jon's last visit to the chamber. Treefoul of the Fox Clan was gone, having been kicked off the Executive Council for conspiring with his son Guinn. Dorsit had been reinstated, having been cleared of the unfair accusations of heresy. Given all the intrigue that had transpired under Chairman Lux's watch, Jon wasn't sure how the Spider Clan wizard had retained his leadership role.
Dorsit stood next to the podium to address the Council. "Chairman Lux and my esteemed colleagues, I present Jon Hansen of the Dragon Clan. We have called him forward to offer testimony in these proceedings."
No fan of public speaking, Jon felt his palms grow damp and his heart begin to race. Nevertheless, he squared his shoulders and tried to stay calm. Chairman Lux beamed at him in a seemingly benevolent fashion, and Jon wondered if having been proven wrong about the existence of Earth â or Yrth, as it was known on Yden â had mellowed his outlook.
"Many thanks for your assistance, young wizard." Lux said.
"Sure. How can I help?" Jon asked.
"As you know, the Fox Clan recruited scores of apprentices from Yrth who are now without a master. Many applied for and have already been accepted into the Certified Apprentice Program. We have three applicants, however, who are problematic. The Council would like to hear your testimony regarding the character of these individuals."
Although Jon itched to accuse Bailey of attempted murder, Quixoran had strictly forbidden him to bring it up, lest probing questions reveal the healing energy Jon had inherited from his father, Greggoran. When Jon's father had been a teen on Yden, several warlords had threatened his friends and family in an attempt to coerce the talented young wizard into an alliance. The warlords had wished to harness Greggoran's power, believing his ability to heal and bring people and animals back from death would make the warlords invincible.
To remove this source of conflict on Yden and to protect his loved ones, Greggoran transported to Earth and used his interest in medicine to become an ordinary doctor. After the Fox Clan battle, Jon had discovered he could heal as well, but he was obliged to keep quiet lest history repeat itself.
"After Guinn of the Fox Clan lured me away from President Szul's wedding celebration, his apprentices beat me to a pulp," Jon said. "These three were the worst of the bunch. Any wizard who trains them had better watch his back."
The scribe's writing instrument made scratching noises as it passed over parchment.
Chairman Lux addressed the trio of former apprentices standing in the center of the chamber. "Have you an answer to these charges, young wizards?"
Bailey ignored Lux and glared at Jon instead. "Yeah. I'm going to hunt you down, Jon Hansen, and make you eat your charges."
"Order!" Lux exclaimed.
"Bring it, Bailey," Jon spat. "I'll be waiting for you."
"Silence!" Lux roared.
The apprentice to Bailey's right possessed a squashed nose, a sneering expression, and a nametag marked Owen Plimpten. "Hansen's imagining things," Owen said. "If he'd ever had his pretty boy nose broken, he'd look like me."
"I never said anything about my broken nose," Jon pointed out. "And you wouldn't know it had been broken unless you'd been there."
Owen sputtered, seemingly tongue-tied. Sensing an opening, the third apprentice spoke. "It wasn't me. I didn't lay a finger on Hansen."
"Baloney," Jon replied. "You cut your knuckles on my teeth, don't you remember? I bet you have scars on your right hand to prove it."
Dorsit moved over to check the apprentice's hand. "Let the record show applicant Kurt Tery of the Turtle Clan has freshly healed wounds on the knuckles of his right hand."
"I believe we've heard enough to make a ruling?" Lux glanced at the council members, who all nodded in agreement.
"Jon Hansen's a liar!" Bailey yelled.
One of the council members, Nedd of the Bee Clan, cleared his throat. "You'd be wise to hold your tongue, young man."
"Indeed, this Dragon Wizard is not the only witness against you, Bailey Usser of the Shark Clan," added Lady Marla.
Jon frowned.
Bailey's a Shark Clan wizard?
The Shark Clan was one of the thirteen original Clans on Yden.
It's too bad he turned out to be such a waste of skin
.
"I move to reject these applicants to the Certified Apprentice Program. All those in agreement, please so indicate," Lux said.
Twelve members of the Executive Council, including Lux, raised white paddles of assent. To Jon's shock and disgust, the thirteenth member held up a black paddle. Jon peered at his wooden nameplate marked Homa of the Shark Clan.
He must be related to Bailey somehow
.
"The record will reflect the Certified Apprentice Program applicants now before us are hereby rejected," Lux said. "You three are dismissed."
"What am I supposed to do now?" Kurt exclaimed. "Without a master, I can't learn any magic!"
"Go home to Yrth and reflect upon your transgressions," Nedd suggested.
Kurt, Owen, and Bailey glared at Lux and Nedd with so much heat they looked as if they'd each downed a pint of jalapeño sauce and were about to burst into flames.
"Chairman, I would like to see further punishment handed down against these applicants," Dorsit said. "Many of you attended President Szul's wedding and saw Jon Hansen after he was attacked. He was in a great deal of pain and his injuries made him nearly unrecognizable."
The eyes of the Executive Council members swiveled in Jon's direction, and he couldn't help thinking they were visualizing his face as grotesque, bloody, and misshapen. Self-conscious, he suddenly didn't know what to do with his hands.
Homa stood. "The Dragon Clan has already taken retribution against the Fox Clan, which has impacted its apprentices adversely. Guinn was killed and Treefoul has been banished from the United Territories. In my opinion, justice has already been served."
Jon gritted his teeth in frustration. Not only had he been forbidden from discussing his healing ability, but he also had to let people continue to think he'd killed Guinn in ordinary battle instead of fighting over the Portal Key. If Yden's wizards knew the ancient magical Portal Key had been found, it might ignite another Wizards' War. Dorsit knew the truth, but as Jon met his gaze, the Leopard Clan wizard shook his head slightly to indicate he was to remain silent.
"Justice was done regarding Guinn and his father Treefoul, this much is true," Dorsit said. "But as to these three former apprentices, I propose banishment from Yden for one turn."
One turn on Yden was equivalent to a year on Earth, and Jon bit back a protest. Considering his injuries, one year's banishment didn't seem a long enough punishment to him, but he decided to let Dorsit handle it.
It's probably pretty difficult to get the council members to agree on much of anything, and Dorsit knows how far to push them.
"All those in favor of Dorsit's proposal?" Lux asked.
The vote was twelve in favor again, with Homa abstaining. Lux ordered Bailey, Kurt, and Owen to return to Yrth.
"And if you are found anywhere on Yden during the period of banishment," the chairman continued, "you'll be detained under a suspension-of-magic spell for the duration of the turn. Is that clear?"
"
If
I'm found?" Bailey retorted. "What an empty threat. You wizards couldn't find your way out of a paper bag." His expression was ugly as he strode toward the exit. "Be seeing you, Jon Hansen."
As Kurt and Owen followed Bailey from the chamber, Jon decided for once in his life to say nothing.
Sometimes when you've won, it's best to shut up.
Besides which, he wasn't especially worried about Bailey. In a magical firefight on Yden, Jon could more than handle any threat the man would pose. He wasn't worried about any physical altercation on Earth, either. Bailey lived in Australia, which was half a world away from Southern California. Furthermore, it wasn't as if the Shark Clan wizard knew where Jon lived or could discover his address.
As soon as the former Fox Clan apprentices had left the chamber, Chairman Lux announced a break for lunch. Jon was surprised, and not altogether pleased, when Homa approached him.
"Sorry about the vote. Bailey is the son of my niece. If I hadn't pretended to support him, I would never have heard the end of it."
"I guess you can't always pick your relatives," Jon replied.
Homa guffawed. "We cannot all be as lucky as Quixoran of the Dragon Clan in having you for a grandson. Should Bailey ever cause you a problem, please feel free to come to me right away."
Jon thanked the Shark Clan wizard, but experience had taught him to be wary of elder wizards, who too often had agendas of their own.
