The Ways of Mages: Two Worlds (6 page)

“
Fault or not, the memories remain; and they will haunt me until the end of my days
.
”

“
I do
n’
t know half of what you two are babbling about
,”
Gawin said firmly
.“
But I know this; the man who stands before me is a good man. He saved the life of the woman I love, not once but twice. He is a good man and one
I’
m proud to call friend
.
”

The older ma
n’
s eyes widened. He then inclined his head to the young engineer.
I hope I am worthy of your friendship.
He thought to himself. He then glanced at Tep.

Tep approached the bed cautiously, as if afraid of what he might see. When he saw the pink but healthy skin of Tolivie
r’
s back he wiped half formed tears from his eyes
.“E’
s gonna be alright
?
”

“
H
e’
ll be fine
.”
Robert said with a genuine smile for the boy
.“
He needs a week of bed rest to build up his strength
.”
He pointed to several areas of the portly soldie
r’
s back and spine
.“
Ther
e’
s still quite a bit of deep muscle damage; here and again here.
I’
ll work on repairing those over the next few days
.
”

“
A week
?”
Tep asked, his eyes widening in alarm.

“
A week
.”
Robert confirmed sternly.

“
I got a go withou
t‘
em
.”
Tep said softly.

“
Where do you have to go, young one
?”
Kindra said in a motherly tone.

“
We was hea
d’
n north to find King Thomas and le
t‘
em kno
w‘
e was riding towards a trap
.
”

“
Then put your mind at ease. Stay here with your friend. W
e’
ll send some food up for the two of you. When he wakes, w
e’
ll hear his story and get a message to the Kin
g’
s army by magic
.
”

“
You can do that
?”
Tep said breathlessly.

“
My daughter is with the army
.”
Bendon replied having returned to the present from chasing that elusive memory.

Kindra and Jewel smiled and tousled the bo
y’
s hair with a hand by way of answer.

“
As for the King himself
,”
Gawin said firmly
,“
w
e’
re on a mission to rescue him ourselves
.
”

3000 Years before present- Arathin

Kairevasigh covertly watched her friend as the two walked down the hallway. Kaizir wanted to show her something. She had a feeling that it had been on his mind for a long tim
e
…

Kaizir and his retinue had returned home from a fruitful trip to Pershara. But long before they had left that land o
f‘
tru
e’
dragons, Kaizir had been having trouble sleeping. A recurring dream. A dream that concerned him greatly. He prayed about it often.

She asked him why he prayed to something he could
n’
t see
.“
I do not see the wind, but I can feel it. In the same way, I know God is there. He has always been and will always be
.”
He had answered her with calm assurance
.“
He is my rock in this crazy world. I
know
He is there for me. After all, He gave his son so I could be free from evil and live with him when I leave this world
.
”

Kairevasigh had wondered if he was crazy. But he did
n’
t rave like a mad man and he treated not just her, but everyone around him with a respect that she had never seen before. Everyone here did. There was joy even when times were hard. There was
a…
something she could
n’
t explain around her that she had never felt before. She longed for it, but knew not for what she yearned.

When they had returned to Arathin, Kaizir had started to work on something during the dark hours of night. She knew because she often practiced her magic at night. Several times she had been sorely tempted to follow him, but then she would shrink back. She did
n’
t want him to think she was a snoop.  But the mystery still gnawed on her. Her mind would
n’
t ever let her sleep, so she turned to reading. None of the histories she picked up made any since. The names were foreign and many, if not all, she had never heard of before. So tonight she had looked for something else to keep her mind occupied. That was when she found a book describing the art of creating Swords of Power (with a capita
l‘s’
an
d‘p’
). The book said that Swords of Power were, in a way, alive. They could, based on their forging, pick their masters.

According to the book, there were three very powerful Swords. Two were forged by the swordsmiths of Arathin. The third was forged in Pershara.

Tonight, while she was reading in fascination, Kaizir had found her. He knew that she worried about his lack of sleep and that she was very curious about what he was up to
.“
Do you want to know what
I’
ve been working on
?”
He had asked.

“
I would
.”
She had replied. He had smiled and beckoned her to follow him. So that was how she had ended up walking down this incredibly long, winding hallway. Eventually they came to a spiral staircase that went down, down, down. Kairevasigh had a moment of foreboding. Age the rock a bit, add worn depressions in the stairs and the staircase became the twin of the one in the Ulai
sé
kan, the Sheyestivan library. Sure enough the floor they came to was the same she had gotten off at. Or was that will get off at? The hall was different. The stone showed no sign of wear. It also shown brightly. The hall was well lit by mage torches. Kairevasigh wondered to herself how she had not recognized the building she had spent some time in.

She reasoned that the upper levels of what would become the library had been redone over the years till it became what she knew. It was interesting to see that the old library used to be a palace.

The tight maze of hallway lacked the forgotten smell it would gain in her time. As they walked, she had a feeling she knew where they were headed. Sure enough, they came to the Room of Mysteries. Same room, but empty of shelves and junk.

The twenty-five foot across by forty foot long room was glorious. The floor, at least in the section lit in the doorway, was a polished white marble edged in filigreed gold. Alcoves sporting glyphs of old Araathin appeared in regular intervals. Compared to the hallway, the room was dim. The only light came from the glyphs. In the center of the room were the four pillars that would be responsible for bringing her to this time.

Kairevasigh stared in awe. Kaizir caught her expression and nodded to himself
.“
What
?”
She asked.

He smiled sadly
.“
You know this place
.
”

“
Yes, though it wa
s…
. U
m…
a little more cluttered. But I recognized those
.”
She said indicating the pillars
.“
How did you know
?”
She asked glancing at him.

“
My dream. The Lord answered my prayers by making the dreams clearer. The purpose of them, I know it now
.
”

Kairevasigh stared at the man who had become her friend; was like the brother she never had aghast
.“
Did
n’
t you tell me that your Lord is love? That He longs to give blessings
?”
Kaizir nodded. His gaze bemused
.“
Then why does He give you dreams with such horrible occurrences? And if they are true, He is going to send the world into an apocalypse
!
”

“
Ah, you misunderstand, Kair. The Lord does not wish for that to happen
.”
Kaizir raised his hand to stall her questions
.“
God made the world and it was good. But creation fell away from Him. In doing so, evil was allowed in
.
”

“
But if your Lord is so powerful, why did
n’
t he destroy the evil
?”
She demanded, thinking of the customs her people lived by, that she knew now, wer
e…
ugly. Wrong. Life meant very little to the customs. Only power and the attainment of power mattered.

“
He could
.”
Kaizir replied
.“
But he loves us
.
”

“
How can he lov
e…?
”

“
Let me explain
.”
When she nodded Kaizir continued
.“
God made everything. Logically, you would think he could give himself everything too. But there is one thing that He cannot. You see, it cannot be made. It can only be given. And to be worth anything, it must be freely given
.
”

“
What is it
?”
She asked curiously.

Kaizir leaned against the doorjamb
.“
Love
.”
Kairevasigh blinked. Kaizir continued
.“
To give creation the chance to choose him, He let the evil exist. It cannot gainsay Him, which it probably hates. The world has been in a balance ever since. A balance evil will try to tip in its favor. My dream warns what is to come and gives a basic plan to keep evil in its place
.
”

As they talked, Kairevasigh drifted into the room
.“
What you say makes some sens
e
…
”
She admitted. Her gaze snagged on one of the alcoves
.“
What does that say
?
”

“
I
t’
s a prayer
.”
Kaizir said stepping into the room
.“
A prayer that nothing wears away or changes what is written
.
”

“
It is carved in Kales Amei; timeless glass. It ca
n’
t change once carved in that
.”
Kairevasigh pointed out.

“
Consider it a precaution. I want at least one copy to survive
.
”

She turned away from the pillars, they kept snagging her gaze, to look at him
.“
There is more than one
?
”

He nodded
.“
There will be at least two others.
I’
m sending them to Pershara. I was thinking Thioden and Vandenburg
.
”

By this time they were standing before the dark pillars
.“
Why are they dark? They were glowing in my time
.
”

“
I have
n’
t kindled them yet
.”
Kaizir touched her shoulder, turning her toward him
.“
You are going on a journey, Kair.  Indeed, you have already started. I have three things to tell you before you go. First
,”
he paused to give her a fatherly kiss on her forehead
.“
I know you have just met God. Trust him, Kair. He is worth it. Second, take this
.”
He flicked his hand and the book on Swords of Power appeared out of thin air. There was no betraying trace of magic.

“
I wish I could do that
.”
She said wistfully as she accepted the book and put it into her sack.

He grinned
.“
Keep practicing. Yo
u’
ll get there
.”
His expression grew somber
.“
Third, you need to pay attention to this
.”
Kaizir stepped into the middle of the pillars. The sword he carried as the King of Arathin appeared in his hand. Its black edged blade made the glowing silver-blue core that much brighter. Kaizir faced her. The tip of the sword rested on the floor
.“
Ja
v’
la
.”
He whispered. In response, a pulse of light flashed from the swor
d’
s hilt, down the blade, and into the floor.

There was a strange chiming sound and all four pillars began to glow. Kaizir spoke again, but his voice had changed subtly. His ey
e’
s glazed over
.“
The way of the world is tied to the Three. It is done in threes. When the blood of Kings, Dragons, and mages mix first in love then later forced in lust will the beginning meet the end. What once was broken will be re-forged. The two that were shattered will meet their Breaker and upon that Swor
d’
s edge will faith be tested. The Alpha and the Omega will meet face to face and the stronger will prevail. But their strength depends upon the Three of Three: The Fulcrum, the Sta
r’
s Sword, and the Catalyst
.”
Kaizi
r’
s eyes unglazed. He met her eyes and saw the need to continue her journey was strong. In his normal voice he continued
.“
Be careful, my friend. I fear your road is long and full of strange places. Have faith and remember the prophecy I told you. The world may very well depend upon it
.
”

No pressur
e
…
She thought as she stepped to the nearest pillar. She met Kaizi
r’
s black and silver veined blue eyes which were shockingly framed by copper hair
.“
Good bye. It has bee
n
…
”
she trailed off, unable to find the right words. She smiled brightly in their stead
,“
meeting you
.”
She finished with her hand a breath from the carved surface.

Kaizir smiled in return
.“
The honor was min
e
…
”
Kairevasig
h’
s hand touched the pillar. A short intense spike of pressure coupled with bright light filled the room. When it faded Kaizir was alone
.
“
…
my friend
.”
He finished softly. He went to his knees. His forehead rested against the silver and onyx braided hilt and prayed. A tear ran down his face for all the pain Kairevasigh and the rest of his people and Pershar
a’
s descendants would suffer
.“
Please, Lord, be with them and all your childre
n
…”

***

Present day - Pershara