Cathexis: Necromancer's Dagger

CATHEXIS

Book One

by

Philip Blood

SMASHWORDS EDITION

2.0

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Philip Blood on Smashwords

Cathexis: Necromancer’s Dagger

Copyright © 2011 by Philip Blood

All rights reserved. Without limiting the
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the
author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

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* * * * *

Dedication

There are a lot of people I
would like to thank on this series. I started this four book series
many years ago and over
time,
many people have helped me along
the way.
First,
would have to be Rhonda St. Laurent, who was there
from the first page, helping me with her knowledge and skills in
writing. Ron DeRuyter was my primary reader and editor during the
bulk of the entire Cathexis series, and I really, really, really
appreciate it! (He just hates when I repeat ‘really’).

But there were many others,
Todd Blood listened to me read the daily pages from beginning to
end and added many ideas to the story. Dan Althouse read the raw
work and bet me a dollar I couldn’t finish the series in four books
(making his dollar my first one earned). Kathy Van Allen gave me
the kindest compliment on this
story
when she said that she
found herself laughing and crying within the same page. And to
Marianne Wilhelm, for listening to me and putting up with my mind
living inside this fantasy world for two years straight.

I had many test
readers,
like
John, Mary and Leah Savage, Will Ware, and others,
I wish I could thank them all, but that would take several pages.
You all know who you are, so thanks!

Finally, I’d like to thank
my father, Philip R. Blood, who passed away recently, for reading
and editing the novels, and for getting me into writing in the
first place,
thanks,
dad.

* * * * *

Cathexis:

Necromancer’s Dagger

* * * * *

The heir to the kingdom of
Lindankar
was born
with the first rays of morning light, and by the fall of
evening
darkness,
his death was planned. On his day of birth the just gathered to
celebrate and the wicked conspired to murder, and exactly one year
after Michael
Ardellen's
birth the necromancer's dagger would
strike.

- Headmaster Lucent Margraves

Light and focus parted the darkness like the
opening of a theater curtain. Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered open as
she returned from the land of dreams. Fear for her child’s safety
brought her swiftly awake, but she relaxed when she felt her
newborn son snuggled and safe against her side.

The new mother looked up to see her
husband’s concerned face staring down; the skin between his intense
blue eyes creased like the furrows of a farmer’s field. Elizabeth
smiled and reached up to his face with her slim right hand to try
and smooth away his worry wrinkles.

She spoke to him with a voice sounding
slightly of sleep, “You shouldn’t scrunch up like that, your face
might take an imprint like cathexis metal, and then you would go
through the rest of life scowling at everyone.”

Jatar’s
brow relaxed, yet his voice betrayed his contained emotion,
“
G’lan
, I thought I had lost
you!”

Elizabeth gave him a warm yet serious smile
and replied, “If all the evil in the world stood between us, they
could not keep me from coming to you.”

At her smile and
words,
Jatar's
concern
was replaced by a warm flood of emotion. In all
ways,
Elizabeth was the most beautiful person he
had ever met. Her physical beauty took away his breath each time
his eyes caressed her features. Her long auburn hair framed her
exquisitely shaped face. Her small nose accented her generous and
perfectly formed lips, and her high cheekbones gave her an exotic
trait that showed her royal
Hevarnan
lineage. They balanced the shape of her
face
and drew his gaze to her
brown eyes. He often found himself falling into those dark
wells
of smoldering power. She was
beautiful by any man’s standards, but her physical beauty always
seemed dull compared to the compassion of her soul, and there
Jatar
found beauty unmatched in
the world.

He reached out and touched the side of her
soft alabaster cheek with the back of his battle rough fingers in a
gentle caress and he spoke softly, “I was worried when the stone
burned our son, and then you collapsed, what happened?”

“It’s Michael’s aura, my quick look at his
aura strength just after his birth was not a detailed probe. I knew
he had a strong potential, but I hadn’t realized his aura was so
intense!” Her voice rose with excitement, “The Aurora
stone
test showed the strongest potential aura I
have ever seen! It was so strong it caused the Aurora stone to emit
light into the range of heat, and that was powerful enough to burn
his skin. When I saw what was happening I removed the stone as
quickly as possible.”

“But why did you collapse?”
Jatar
interjected, as concern again etched his
face.

She smiled wanly and said, “Well, I tried to
use my powers to heal him, but my aura is still replenishing from
this morning's extreme expenditure of giving birth. I went beyond
the usable limits of my power, but do not fear for me my love, I
will recover, but let's see how well my healing went for our
newborn son.”

Elizabeth started to open Michael’s wrap,
but she paused a moment when she saw the bandage on her left
hand.

“He was not the only one burned,” Jatar
explained simply.

Elizabeth nodded and continued opening
Michael’s wrap. On his infant’s white chest there was a faint
faceted shaped scar right where the Aurora stone had lain against
his skin.

Elizabeth inspected the scar for a moment,
but since there was no current danger she did not reach for her
weakened powers. “I can heal the rest of this scar away as soon as
my powers have a chance to recuperate,” she explained to her
husband.

“I don’t think you should,” Jatar
replied.

Frowning slightly, the sorceress asked,
“Why?”

“The mark on your hand matches the mark on
his chest perfectly. It will serve as a reminder of his wonderful
aura, discovered by his mother on the day of his birth. Think of it
as a kind of aura birthmark, and since it matches yours it will
also remind him of his mother’s love. It’s really only a faint scar
anyway.”

“Well, I’ll do as milord desires; after all,
I can always remove it later if he doesn’t want the mark. Jatar,
Michael has the strongest child's aura I've ever seen or heard of,
even through my Adept memories! Do you realize what his aura
strength means?”

“I have a fair idea; he can be trained as a
sorcerer, which also means he must eventually travel to the Kirnath
School for instruction. I can’t say I like the thought of his being
away from our protection.”

Elizabeth reached out a hand and took hold
of his forearm and then said, “But Jatar, you’ve told me many times
how important it was to your education when you spent time
fostering in the kingdoms of
Bralter
,
Tazlany,
and
Belorn.”

“I hate it when you use my own words to make
your point,” he scolded, playfully. “Fostering at another kingdom
is good training for a future ruling Lord, and the friendships
he’ll form are vital to future
peace.
” Jatar noted that Elizabeth was about to speak and
headed her off. “
Next,
you’re
probably going to remind me that you left your country to grow up
at the Kirnath School, but our son is not in the same situation.
You weren’t in
Autrany’s
direct
line of succession and both of your parents had already passed
away,” Jatar reasoned gently.

“You’re right, of course; I was but a first
cousin in the Hevarnan line, while Michael will be your heir. It is
true that he must go to the Kirnath School for part of his
training, but remember, I can give him much of the instruction
here,” she promised. “Let’s put that aside for the moment; instead,
imagine the things he will be able to accomplish! Our hopes and
dreams of uniting more of the kingdoms into a coalition will have
an even better chance. With the skills of a Kirnath sorcerer at his
call, the necromancers will have trouble opposing his moves. With
proper
training,
he may be able to
do more than any Adept alive. G’lan, I don’t even know his limits!
Until he goes through the change at puberty no one will know his
full capabilities, a child’s aura only shows potential, but what a
potential he shows!”

Excitement danced in her eyes as Elizabeth
took hold of Jatar’s arm and squeezed. “Think of it, a future
ruling Lord with more than full Adept powers! What a legacy for
your throne!”

The dreams of her son’s future successes
brought another thought and a cloud of worry shaded her expression.
“Jatar, we must
downplay
this
episode, and quickly. We should put out a story blaming a faulty
Aurora stone for the display of light. Let people think that
Michael was re-tested with above average results, but only slightly
better than normal.”

Jatar wore a puzzled expression at his
wife’s sudden change in tone, and he asked, “Why the secrecy?”

“Remember the necromancers, I’ve told you of
their link with the Dark Plane. They wield evil powers and use
their connection to the darkness toward the enslavement of every
country where they can gain a foothold. The
Kirnath
sorcerers are the only organized force capable of
opposing their dark powers. The last thing the necromancers wish to
see is a ruler with
Kirnath
training wielding strong aura power against them from the throne of
a powerful nation like Lindankar.”

Jatar sat next to Elizabeth and took her
soft right hand between his calloused fingers. “We have you here to
protect our son from their evil plots. There aren’t too many of
these necromancers, are there?” He asked, already knowing the
answer.

Elizabeth conceded the point, “No, the
ordeal of becoming a full necromancer tends to destroy the majority
of neophytes making the attempt.”

Jatar sprung his point, “Then with your
training and powers you should have no trouble protecting Michael
if they dare to show themselves in Lindankar, just as you have
guarded
me from
their evil plots
up to now.” Jatar knew her capabilities and truly trusted her to
protect him and his child on that front.