The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series (3 page)

Marko walked back and sat next to his mother as his uncle sat down on the other side of the table.

“Marko, what I am about to tell you must stay in our family. There are others that know, but the knowledge I am about to share with you is considered an Imperial secret. If you told any of what I am about to say to anyone unauthorized by the Emperor’s Council, you would find yourself in a prison cell for the rest of your days.”

“Uh, don’t worry uncle, but why is this so secretive?”

“Because history can be destructive to a society, especially if it is incomplete. That is one of the reasons why I am living here.”

“The first thing you need to know Marko is that part of our society is very old. I know that you’ve been told our history is over five hundred years old. The truth is that some of us have ancestors that came from an older land.”

“Our side of the family descended from those ancestors. Indeed, they sailed to our land about five hundred years ago, but their society had been around for over thousands years.” 

Marko’s eyes got wider as he listened to his uncle speak. In his wildest dreams he never thought there was anything beyond the shores of the Empire’s immediate reach.

“In fact, the language you speak and write today comes from the people you see on these walls. They were refugees from the battle you looked at just now. I have spent the better part of my career researching their culture. Very little of it remains as you can see here in this tomb.”

“This tomb!” shouted Marko. “What are you talking about?”

His uncle’s eves smiled back. “Tarnith Mor, is loosely translated as “tomb cave”. This was the final home and resting place of the last refugees that left the old word. They ventured out from this very cave to interact with the savages that lived here hundreds of years ago. They taught them about trade and farming among other things.”

“And the statues I saw as I entered the cave…I mean tomb?” asked Marko.

“That is them, or at least
was
them. It is hard to be sure. I am sure that they looked exactly like those statues.”

“Uncle, I still don’t understand. Why does this have to be kept a secret? I mean everyone has ancestors. What does it matter if they came from another land?”

“Marko, both the King and Emperor need their populations to think that all of humanity is confined to our shores and the island of Kiev. If they knew that there might be a society beyond these lands, then it would put their rule in jeopardy.”

“Citizens would go on expeditions to try to make contact with these societies. There is nothing the Emperor could do to stop every merchant from trying to establish contact with another land. If they left, two things would happen. They would either get lost and eventually die on the ocean. That is a loss to the Empire. Or they would make contact with the ancient land. In that case, the Empire might be lost and die.”

“How would the Empire die just by making contact with another land? After all, these refugees came from that land,” challenged Marko.

“Those refugees you saw entering the hall, were good people. They were fleeing a tyrannical ruler. Marko, I don’t know the whole story, but you cannot imagine the evil that existed in that time.” As he said that, Marko’s uncle pointed to the picture of the great battle.

“Look at the people you see in those robes. Those were wizards. The power they possessed dwarfed the power of Imperial army mages or Kastav priests.”

Marko just stared at his uncle. Imperial mages were the Emperor’s best soldiers. Although he had never seen one, his father often talked about how they could turn the tide of battle. Mages were also the best defense against the Kastav priesthood. The priests were the administrators of the state religion in Kastav and powerful magic users. Sako’s father had told him that King Kastav convinced the Lord Bishop to lend many of his Initiates to the King’s Army. This had become a key factor that created a stalemate between the two countries. The border at the Ulma Mountains had basically not changed in over five years.

“There were also a lot more of them. As far as we could tell at the Universite, there was a wizard born for every one thousand people. We know that we only trained one mage for every ten thousand people. If we had ten times more mages, the Emperor would be spending his summers vacationing in Kastav City. Wait, make that Rau City,” he said with a chuckle.

“But why do you live here now, and not at the Universite, Uncle? If you are doing research for the mages, don’t you have to report back to them?”

His uncle rubbed his chin and looked at Marko squarely. “I not sure if I can answer that m’boy.”

“You better tell him Kris.” his mother said. “You have gone this far. You don’t want my son thinking that you ran away.”

“I guess you’re right, Danira.”

“Marko, I said that what I am doing is an Imperial secret. I think I need to elaborate. As soon as General Rau ascended to the throne, he created a council to oversee the administration of the Empire. He put on it a representative from the military, mages, merchant’s guild and bankers. Later he added a regional governor, but that person changes every year. The other members stay on the council so long as they are the head of their respective organizations.”

“My last position at Comte Universite was to teach Zerik history. Since I am not a mage, I was not permitted to instruct on the practical side of the craft. One of the council members attended a lecture of mine on the origins and evolution of our written language. It is a particularly important subject, as many spells our mages use have been adapted from earlier dialects.”

“The next day I was summoned to the palace by no less then three mage officers. It was one of the most stressful moments of my life. Those guards never showed a hint of why they whisked me away from the school. When we arrived at the palace, I was immediately escorted to the Imperial Council chambers.”

“It was the Headmaster of my school Philippe Beaumont that was in attendance.”

“Welcome Professor Norac, there is nothing to be afraid of.” he said. “In fact we are happy to tell you that you may be of special service to your Emperor.”

“Beaumont went on to explain how a goat herder no less found several stone tablets in a ruin not far from Kutjevo. The Headmaster understood enough of the writing to know that it was likely the oldest recorded history ever found. He then made me swear an oath of secrecy, while under a binding spell. Death is usually the only result once can expect from breaking an oath under a spell that strong.”

“But uncle, you just told me the secret. How are you still alive?”

“That brings us to where we are today Marko. I was able to decipher enough of the tablets’ inscriptions to understand that I was reading a map. Well, not a map exactly, but a description of a place that was named Sanctuary. I was given a grant by the council to search out Sanctuary and, well, you are standing in it.  I have been digging out and researching this old tomb for two years.  I report back to the council every three months with my progress.”

“Oh, and one of the things I discovered is that this place dispels magic. So oath spells don’t work here. Well, anyway, it looks like I have some extra hands now to help me with my research. After dinner, get yourself some rest, and I will show you around tomorrow morning.”

Early next morning, Marko’s uncle showed the both of them around the tomb. There were many passages off the main hall that his uncle had already cleared out. Some of them had rooms with fragments of furniture in them and some even had book shelves. All of them were bare with only coats of dust on them. One room in particular caught Marko’s eye, as it had a dome ceiling much like the main entrance hall. This ceiling however had pictures painted that covered the entire ceiling. Every inch was covered with stars, planets and a night sky.

“It appears that studying the constellations was a major pastime of our ancestors,” his uncle lectured. “Although the books here are long gone, I have uncovered many tablets with pictures of constellations and mathematical calculations. As best I can tell, the positioning of the stars lent power in some way to their spells. It is similar to how Imperial mages use the moon phases to enhance their work, but on a much more advanced scale. If we can understand the science behind this, our mages can become much more effective in their craft.”

Their travels down the bottom floor passageways did not take long. Most of the entrances were still covered with rocks. “This is where we will be spending our time Marko. These are the last areas to clear out. The residences were on the top floor. I think these passages lead to rooms where our ancestors conducted most of their research.”

The days and weeks that followed allowed Marko to fall into a routine. His mother was in charge of all the meals and general upkeep of their home. The day started with an early breakfast. His mother had found that his uncle had stockpiled lots of food and supplies from his last visit to the city. Most mornings his breakfast was comprised of sausage, eggs and bread. His uncle had shown them the small chicken coop he kept just outside of the cave. His uncle had cleared out the kitchen and pantry months ago and was able to get the oven in good working condition. Marko was surprised to learn that the inhabitants of the cave (it was too depressing to think of it as a tomb) carved out an exhaust shoot all the way up to the surface. His uncle tried to describe to him the ingenious design that not only allowed smoke to leave the cave, but is also trapped rain water into a cistern. That was, he later found out, the main source of their drinking water.

Marko spent his day helping his uncle clear out hallways and rooms. When they found something interesting, his uncle would take the item to his workshop to study, while Marko continued with the cleanout. He liked to view his work at “excavating” not “clearing out”. When he was alone he would imagine that he was on his own searching for lost treasure. He often spent time in the great hall reading or staring at the statues. His uncle talked to him about the history of each statue. He knew the names of most of them and the role they played in their little society. Marko’s favorite was a man that stood taller and broader than the others. He was the only figure that wore full armor.

“That man was Lonza Kuhn.” instructed his uncle. “He was a general that fought in the great battle. Lonza brought his wife and friends to our land. You see the rest of them in this hall. We know that Kuhn was the man who trained the indigenous people of the land that had some magic ability and turned them into soldiers. He was constantly worried that the army he had fought would find him in this new land. Kuhn wanted to put up the best defense possible. Much of the Imperial Mage training comes from his teachings, although I am sure the mages don’t know any of this history.”

“But why doesn’t he have a sword in his scabbard?” asked Marko. “The other two statues of soldiers have them.”

“You’re an observant one m’boy. I don’t rightly know. I think it might be symbolic; a way of showing that Kuhn was a soldier but preferred a life of peaceful existence.”

Marko had starred at the statue’s face many times. He felt like he could read Lonza Kuhn’s character. One thing he was sure of was that it Kuhn was not a person used to a
peaceful existence
.”

“Wake up!”

Marko rolled over to see his uncle’s smiling face. “No point in sleeping your life away. Besides you get to work the east corridor by yourself today.”

One of the things Marko could count on was a positive attitude from his uncle.
But why does it have to be all the time?

For the past week, his job was to haul the debris from a new hallway the started. His uncle promised that he would take the lead in excavating today. He was looking forward to a change. If nothing else it was easier work than pulling carts of debris up to the surface.

After a quick breakfast of bread and berries, Marko grabbed his pick and shovel and headed down to the lower level. They had cleared out the western corridor a few weeks ago. There was not much to find. The corridor was perfectly straight with only a few rooms off of it.

The eastern corridor was more interesting. It somehow seemed older and was not as precise. Marko could see the chisel marks in the walls from the former occupants. The corridor itself was not straight. It curved to the left and then the right, with no apparent purpose. His uncle had cleared out about thirty feet so far. Fortunately, there was relatively little blocking Marko’s way. The stone rubble was about up to his waist.

Marko started moving the smaller rocks. No sense in tiring himself out early in the day. He often hummed to himself to pass time. He guessed it was a habit he picked up from his mother. He stopped when he realized that he was humming a song he never heard before. What was even more strange is that he swore he could hear the song in his head after he stopped.

I am finally going crazy in this place,
he thought to himself.

As he moved more rocks out of the way, the song seemed to get louder.
Wait, that was not true.
The song was just as loud. It was getting clearer. Marko could not understand the words. It was like someone talking to him in a language he used to know but was now out of practice. What he did know is that the singer was a woman and exceptionally talented.

Marko moved the rocks with renewed interest. Something was there; he just had to find it. After about ten minutes and some small cuts later, the song just stopped. He brought his lantern just over the ledge of rocks and gasped.

A skeletal hand was lying on the ground holding a silver chain. He carefully climbed over the pile to get a better look. The chain actually held a small emblem with a green stone. The emblem looked like two birds facing back to back. Although the stone was not large, he realized that it reflected the light from his lantern beautifully. Marko finally blinked. How long was he starring at the gem?

The hand was upturned and opened. Very carefully, Marko took a part of the chain on the ground and picked it up. As soon as the emblem left the hand, there was a small popping sound. He looked down and the hand was gone. In its place was a pile of white ash.

This is getting stranger and stranger
, he thought to himself.
I better get out of here
.

Marko found Uncle Kris walking in from the entrance to the cave. “A little early for lunch?” his uncle said with a smile.

“Uncle, you are not going to believe this! Look what I found!”

His uncle smile faded as his eyes shifted to the necklace Marko was holding out in his right hand.

“Where did you find that?”

“It was in a pile of rubble. Well, there was actually a hand holding it. A skeleton hand. It just kind of dissolved when I picked up the necklace….Do you know what it is?”

“Let me see it.” Marko’s uncle very carefully reached for the necklace by the chain. He held up his hands so that the pendant was at eye level. He spent several minutes looking at both the front and back.

“It is very beautiful. The gem is not from here, I can confirm that. I have never seen it before. The chain is obviously gold. The symbol is the most interesting part. See the two eagles? Those were a symbol of the old mages. I have found some etchings on walls here with the same mark. The Emperor actually added the mark onto his coat of arms. Not really sure why.”

Uncle Kris handed the necklace back to Marko. “It is yours, since you found it. I am not sure how valuable it is, but it is certainly old. I will help you clear the rest of this area out. Let’s see if we can find anything else.”

The rest of the day filled Marko with anticipation. Unfortunately, the only things they uncovered were more rocks. It seemed like this part of the hallway had caved in many years ago. The rocks were irregular, and there were no support beams for the ceiling.

That evening Marko was so tired, he went to bed after barely touching his dinner. He didn’t even have the energy to take off his clothes or the new found necklace he had been wearing all afternoon.

All he could remember was that he had the most vivid dream of this life. He was standing in the middle of a huge city with rolling hills and buildings made of white stone. He began walking along on of the streets but had to constantly swerve to miss other people walking to and fro. Almost every building had a sign hanging over the door. There was a symbol that was easy to make out. He saw a golden pair of scissors. He assumed that it was a tailor’s shop. What he could not make out was the writing above the picture. It was some sort of cursive script with several dots over what he thought were some sort of letters. It was if he could almost make out the words, like they were on the tip of his tongue.

As he was staring into the window of the shop, he heard a massive explosion. The ground rumbled and he almost lost his footing. Suddenly everything was quiet. Marko looked around and saw faces staring at a large keep at least a half mile away. Half the keep had been blown away and there were flames dancing over the broken walls. Just as he tried to figure out what must have happened, another explosion could be seen to the left of the keep. A large mushroom cloud of fire and smoke billowed over the roofs of buildings.

Instead of quiet, Marko started to hear screaming up the road. The people around him started to look around frantically, not sure what to do. The sky suddenly got bright and Marko looked up. A fireball at least the size of a small house arched lazily in the sky towards Marko. The last thing he remembered, were the screams of people around him and the feeling of him being thrown through the tailor’s window.