Tag short-story

Chapter Four

Anthony Panariello Leave a comment

1 year ago

Caldren wasn’t one for taking risks or making foolhardy choices but he knew if followed procedure gave that book to his superiors he would lose his chance to track down the explorers writings and find that map he had made. He quickly hide the slim book on the inside of his robes and made some excuse that he was unwell and forced himself to walk slowly back to his quarters to hide the book behind a loose stone in the walls of his living quarters.

He read that entry and every other one written in the journal daily, imagining finding this lost school of mages that the imperial pogrom failed to uncover. He spent his time not in the library searching for copies of books by the explorer and putting out a quiet word to some less than official contacts that the he would pay good coin for a copy of the explorers writings.

Months had gone by and he was starting to despair that there wasn’t a surviving copy of the book when he got a message slipped under his door to meet a man at fishmongers the next morning at first light to discuss certain books that he was looking to procure. He immediately grew nervous as the fishmongers were a set of ramshackle stands down by the docks that were far away from the city center and the watch that patrolled it. As he was considering his options he started with a sudden fear that his superiors had somehow found him out and he was being setup to be quietly eliminated in a place where no one would see. He barely got any sleep alternating between excitement at possibly getting his hands on the map and the anxiety of being robbed, imprisoned, or outright killed for violating imperial law.

The next morning found him walking carefully down the fog shrouded streets wrinkling his nose in distaste as they changed from the well maintained city streets to dirt roads caked in mud and debris. In his excitement he hadn’t thought to change into more appropriate clothing and his scholars robes and sandals were quickly caking with mud. As he was getting closer to the waters edge the pungent smell of rotting fish and the low tide added to his tally of miseries for the day. He started his trip jumping at every sound and motion in the corner of his vision but now he marched doggedly up fishmonger square looking at the etchings on each stall to find the correct one wanting to get this over with so he can go back to the library with its polished floors and incense scented air.

As he was walking around the market searching for his contact he was starting to draw looks from some of the men sitting on the seawall waiting for the day’s catch to be brought up to the market so they can start gutting the fish. Caldren tried not to draw any attention as he kept searching for the right stall but he could feel them looking at him and he suddenly remembered the large sum of coin he had hidden beneath his robes. Did his contact set him up to be robbed? Perhaps these men just saw him as a target? While there would be repercussions if an imperial scholar was killed, rolling his body off the side of the boat was skirt any entanglements with the watch.

“Hey Book Boy, maybe I can help you find what you seek” one of the gutters yelled as he levered himself off of the seawall and slowly walked over to Caldren, swinging his gutting knife slowly on the catch rope in an almost hypnotic pattern. Caldren hurriedly kept looking for the correct stall cursing the size of the market. While he understood that the bay was a critical commercial element of the city right now he found its size more frustrating than helpful.

“No, I’m OK I think what I’m looking for is right over here” he said angling towards a section of the market that already had some stalls up and running, mostly selling food and supplies for the fishermen. It was better lit and had witnesses who he belatedly noticed were finding anywhere else to look but at the scene unfolding in front of their stalls.

Caldren reached for his belt knife which was substantially shorter than the blade the gutter was still twirling around as he approached. It was then that he really wished he had paid more attention to his father when he was trying to teach him how to hold and use a blade. Caldren had little patience for martial training as it took time away from his books and as such gave only a token effort before his frustrated father would rap him with the wooden training sword hard enough to bruise,then walk away without word.

The gutter got close enough that Caldren could make out the scars that crisscrossed his arms, evidence of a lifetime of using that sharp blade that he now realized was pointing right at him. When did they get that close?

“Hey now lad – how about I guide you to your location and you can pay me.. let’s say the standard navigators fee. I’m sure you’ve got enough coin to cover that as well as some extra coins for good service an’ all”

“I’m afraid I don’t have much coin on me, I’m here to uhh.. get some fish for the school and I’m looking for the correct place to pick it up”

Caldren hoped the lie was convincing enough as he edged his way towards the stall he was pretty sure was the one mentioned in the message. The gutter kept pace with him seeming to give Caldren’s excuse some thought

“Well, I’m sure for a school they need plenty of food to feed you, so I’m thinkin’ you’ve got some coin there that could be diverted towards more deservin’ folks, wouldn’t you agree?”

As his back slammed into a pole Caldren realized he’d run out of room to backtrack and started calculating ways he could get out of this without having any parts of himself filleted. It didn’t take long as the only options he could see were to throw the bag of coins on the ground then run like mad hoping the thug would more concerned with grabbing the money than stabbing him, losing out on the only lead he had in years or try to escape through the mud in long scholar robes and sandals, probably get stabbed and robbed and thrown into the bay to be a fish’s breakfast.

“I don’t suppose there’s an arrangement we can come to that doesn’t involve you robbing me of everything or stabbing me?” Caldren ventured

“Not as such – now slowly take off your robe and leave it on the block there, that should be nice on the cold nights on the waterfront. Then put anything you have that is valuable on top of the robe and take three steps back. I don’t want to stab one of you imperials but mistakes can happen”

Caldren swore under his breath, his cowardice winning out over his desire for knowledge. He raised his hands slowly and started pulling the robe over his head. As he finished pulling it off and went to put it down he started as they were no longer alone.

The gutter had dropped his knife and had his hands up as there was a sword point pressing lightly into his neck. Caldren frowned and his eyes followed the sword from the point to the man holding it. He was of medium height with long sandy brown hair tied back with a black ribbon. He was wearing dark blue shirt with silver lining and a black cloak with blood red trim . His eyes were pale blue and hard with anger as he regarded the gutter at end of his sword. Caldren’s eyes widened slightly with recognition and he scrambled back unsure of who to be more afraid of.

“You were trying to rob me” the newcomer growled moving his sword point ever so slightly causing a trickle of blood to run down the gutter’s neck.

“Wait! I’ve never seen you before sir I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding” the gutter was looking around the best he could without moving his neck to see if he had any support but everyone was still studiously looking in other directions including his comrades on the seawall who Caldren noticed had all vanished when the stranger had appeared.

“This man is here by my invitation to make an exchange. In attempting to rob him you were in fact stealing coin meant for me”

“I wasn’t stealing – I was trying to simply collect a fee for guiding him to the right location!”

The newcomer raised and eyebrow and turned to Caldren with an inquisitive look

“Oh, no. He was most certainly trying to rob me”

“Then what do you suggest we do in this situation?

Caldren really wanted to suggest he stab the gutter through the neck and throw his body into the bay but he was not a violent man by nature and couldn’t bring himself bear the burden of someone’s death so he tore his gaze away from the bright blood at the gutter’s neck and looked him in the eyes

“Go – run. I want no blood on my hands today – especially yours as you stink. I don’t understand. You’re literally right next to the water, maybe once a week or so jump into the water and swim around a little. There’s no reason for you to smell like that”

The man lowered his sword and the wide eyed gutter took off running back into the market quickly losing himself in weak early morning light. Caldren slowly turned towards the man in the cloak and weakly said “Are you here about.. the book?”

The man was still staring into the gloom as if he could still see the gutter running then slowly turned back towards caldren.

“Well done scholar – its a measure of a man how he acts when he has another in his power and I’d have been disappointed to have had cut that man down as he is beneath me and such acts bring no honor”

Caldren swallowed hard. He knew this man to be dangerous and he didn’t want to offend him in any way. “I’m sorry sir you had to deal with that” he stated and started to bow.

The man raised his hand to cut him off “Please scholar – do not address me by title or name. Today I am simply a bookseller looking to sell an old book to a scholar of such tomes”

He reached into his satchel and took out a thin book, worn with age and held it almost reverently. He looked at Caldren and asked “why do you seek this book scholar?”

Caldren ran through all the lies and excuses he’s used over the years while tracking down the book trying to decide which one would work best in this situation but something in the man’s eyes told him that only the truth would get him what he sought. The only problem is the truth might also get him cut down as a heretic as this man was an imperial officer.

Caldren right then wished he’s been stabbed and robbed instead as that seemed preferable to the situation he was in now. He fought an internal battle between his cowardice and the desire for the knowledge he spent years chasing. The man seemed to sense his fear and smiled slightly sheathing his sword. “Do not worry scholar – I am not here to arrest you, I simply wish to ensure that this book is given to someone who understands what is contained in it and what they plan to do with that knowledge.”

“What is that supposed do mean?” Caldren ventured, unsure of what was happening. Why was an imperial officer here in the the fish markets before sunup and why did he seem to know more than he let on about the book? Overwhelmed by indecision he took an involuntary step backward and froze when he heard the sharp rasp of a blade being drawn.

“Make no mistake” the office said – you will answer, and answer truthfully. I have seen the recognition in your eyes and I cannot let you leave here with that knowledge until I am assured of your answer”

Caldren got a sinking feeling that if the officer didn’t hear the answer he wanted he was simply going to cut him down where he stood. He wasn’t going to let him walk out of here with the knowledge of who he was and what he held in his hands. So he gathered himself and took a deep breath and raise his eyes to me the officers

“I seek a map contained in that book – one of the eastern mountains. I believe the map will lead me to a place of learning. My interest in one of a scholar seeking knowledge.” Caldren hoped this half truth would be close enough to the real truth to fool the officer and get him out of this mess.

The officer’s eyes held onto Caldren’s for what seemed like forever before they softened and he spoke, his voice which was until now filled with the command of his station became a whisper. “I’m sorry scholar – that is not the answer I sought” and he drew his blade.

The workers who were up until now pretending they didn’t see anything bolted into the shadows. One look at the way the man held his blade as he advanced convinced them that there wouldn’t be any witnesses left alive.

Caldren couldn’t run. The fear overwhelmed him and he stood there staring at the blade as he saw all his dreams coming to a swift and abrupt end. Time seemed to slow as thoughts rushed through his mind. Why did he take such a foolish risk as to seek the book in the first place? Why did he come down here to an isolated location before dawn? It’s pretty much the perfect place to kill someone why was he only thinking of this now. As he saw his death approaching he thought of his mother and the promise he made to her.

“I just wanted to find the magic” he closed his eyes and whispered

The killing blow never landed – the officer altered his swing at the last moment shallowly slicing across Caldren’s arm, leaving a gash which started to bleed freely. Caldren fell to his knees, grabbed his arm and kept his eyes shut thinking that maybe he just missed the first swing and the killing blow would be coming very soon.

The officer was quiet a moment and Caldren cracked one eye open to see him standing there looking at him, absentmindedly wiping blood on a cloth like it was an ingrained habit perfected by repetition- The officer, having finished cleaned his blade looked over at Caldren with a thoughtful gaze and repeated his first question “What do you want this book for scholar?”

Caldren shocked by the fact he wasn’t dead and reeling from the pain of the sword cut spoke the words he never dared to speak out loud, the secret he held in his heart since he was a child “I seek a way to learn magic, not the sanctioned magic of the (find a neat work for imperials mages here)the old magic thought removed from the world by the empire”.

He knew those words were heresy and punishable by imprisonment or summary execution and here he was telling them to an imperial officer. He just shook his head wondering what he was getting himself into. He had a nice safe job in the library, he was a scholar and from what he heard, on track to be promoted to the central library. He was set for a life of relative ease and comfort why was he here on his knees on the hard cobbles among the detritus of fish guts and human refuse, bleeding freely, a red bloom staining his already filthy robes. I don’t die in the next few minutes, this is probably going to be infected” he mumbled to himself as he tried in vain to get the bleeding to stop.

The officer crouched down close to him and said in a low voice “Look at me scholar”. Caldren looked up but couldn’t meet his eyes, afraid of what he would see. The officer continued “Your lies could have cost so much more than just your life, Scholar”

“What does that mean? Why are you here – if not to arrest me? What secret were you ready to cut me down to protect? I’m just a scholar looking to fulfill a promise I made a long time ago I’m not even sure what to do even if I found what I’m looking for” frustrated tears filled Caldren’s eyes as the emotions started to overwhelm him. “What do you want?” He cried out softly

The officer paused again tilting his head as if he was trying to hear something then nodded to himself and sheathed his sword. He carefully placed the book on the ground right in front of Caldren and stepped away. “What I want scholar is the same thing as you. Why I want it, is my business alone. I’ve sent many of my agents to try to find this place but they all came back empty handed. So either the entire thing is fabricated or it is hidden in some way that my people cannot figure out. You, however, have dedicated your life to this secret and my hope is that your study will be able to discover what has been lost and return it to the world. I cannot spare anyone to accompany you as this must remain a secret and there is no one I trust with this knowledge”

Looking around the market to assure himself they were still alone he lowered his voice so that Caldren could barely hear him and anyone hiding in the shadows would certainly hear nothing. “Scholar, I hope you find what you seek. Be wary however, if you seek to use this power and unleash it upon the world again you will hunted and no where will be safe for you. You will spend your life on the run and as long as the emperor sits on his throne his hounds will sniff you out and they will not be gentle. Knowing the risks you must decide if taking up this power is worth the cost. “

“So it’s either travel halfway around the world, by myself, and seek to find answers that may set an entire empire against me or be cut down right here and now by you to protect this secret”

“I don’t think that will be necessary” The officer chuckled which seemed so out of character that Caldren started to laugh as well, just at the ridiculousness of the situation he found himself in.

The office rested his hand on the pommel of his sword and tapped it slowly then nodded to himself again and looked to the east where the sun was starting to rise above the horizon spilling a soft light that infused the fog with a soft pink color. “There is a wagon that leaves here in a week as part of a caravan to the city of Riverside which borders the gap that leads to the eastern mountains. I’ve secured you passage under the guise that you are a scrivener bringing documents to the imperial offices there. Once you are there deliver the packet and then find a reason to leave the city. The path to the location mentioned in the map is blazed with a small imperial sigil look for it among the roots of the trees. These will guide you to where the expedition was camped. After that, you are on your own.”

While it was infuriating Caldren knew the officer was right – he was going to take the book. He’d spent ten years of his life searching for this knowledge and while he was terrified of pretty much everything after that part he had a promise to keep. He reached down quickly and slipped the book into his pocket. His hand brushed up again the money he had brought and he hesitatingly asked “So… do you want the money that we agreed on?”

The officer had pulled his hood up to hide his face but Caldren saw a slight smile on his face “Oh no, Scholar you are going to need that money much more than I am” then he turned and walked away quickly fading into the growing crowd.

With the sun now rising higher in the sky, Caldren felt a bit safer but he started picking up his pace wanting to put as much space between him and the fish markets as he could. As he reached the docks he saw that the gutters were all back on the seawall and were staring right at him, so he broke into a full run which didn’t last very long as he leaned towards a sedentary lifestyle but it was enough to get him to the watch post between the fish market and merchant’s square where he collapsed against the wall breathing hard from the exertion.

The watchman on duty leaned out to look at him, saw him sprawled on the street his dirty robes caked with blood and raised an eyebrow as if to say “I see you, but I don’t want to fill out any paperwork today”. Caldren tiredly waved him off, got up and trudged back to the library.

Chapter Two

Anthony Panariello Leave a comment

Caldren’s first instinct was to run. He edged back towards the trees quietly hoping he wasn’t noticed. His food and all his equipment were still by the fire however including his knife. Not that I’d be able to do much with that, he thought to himself but maybe if I hide whoever this person is would just leave. They hadn’t reacted to his presence yet so he crouched behind some trees to get a better look.

He took a few steadying breaths, then edged around a tree for a better look. Whoever it was, their back was to them and Caldren couldn’t quite make out what they were doing. Once the panic subsided he found that he missed a bunch of small details in those first few seconds. Instead of some bandit or imperial this was a slight woman with flaxen hair pulled back into a tight braid. She was wearing what looked like a uniform, but not one that he’d ever seen before. Once the thundering of his heart subsided he could just make out that she was humming to herself. She has the air of someone who was patiently waiting and Caldren was really hoping it wasn’t for him.

Caldren shrunk back a bit further behind the trees trying to decide what to do. She didn’t seem armed so he probably wasn’t in danger of physical violence unless there were others hiding about. He peered into the lengthening shadows trying to discern if there was anyone there but as far as he could tell they were alone on this ridge. The temperature was starting to drop and the rational part of his brain started lecturing him on the dangers of cold exposure and wild animals. Then the emotional part of his brain started getting indignant that he’d let someone half his size take his fire and food and demanded he march in there and take it back. Caldren told them both to calm down and that they all needed to work together to form a rational plan.

Caldren rubbed his face running his hands through his beard. Muttering under his breath that he needed to stop talking to himself so much. Not that he had a choice as he had been alone for almost a month. He felt a sudden longing to go to the fire, if at least to have someone to talk with to help alleviate the loneliness he’d been enduring. He looked over again and she hadn’t moved from her spot seeming content to wait for however long it took.

Caldren cast his gaze around and found a rock that was passable sharp and palmed it. If this turned violent at least he’d have something to defend himself with. He took a stilling breath then quietly circled around the clearing until he was facing his visitor. She still was staring into the fire and hadn’t seemed to notice him. She was younger than he initially though and had fair skin with a light crop of freckles on her cheeks with green eyes which were fixated on the fire which was now burning a bit brighter and giving off waves of heat into the cool night air. After staring for a bit rom his hiding place he started as he realize the first wasn’t shimmering, it was her.

This is definitely getting a lot weirder, he thought to himself. What if she’s some sort of vengeful ghost that I angered in some way and she’s here to haunt me until I go crazy and fling myself from this ridge? Shaking his head to clear out that thought he mentally chided himself “Ghosts aren’t real, there has to be a rational explanation for this. Maybe it’s a trick of the mountain light or something”. He stood there for what felt like a long time trying to come to a decision on what to do. Currently his cowardice was winning, as usual, and he just crouched there in the dark and cold watching someone else enjoy the fire he worked so hard to build.

As he was wrestling with his choices the girl moved for the first time and looked right into the woods where he was hiding. The corner of her lips turned up a bit and she called out “It has to be cold out there. Please, come sit by the fire I mean you no harm” then she waved to a log on the opposite end of the fire, inviting him to come sit.

Caldren sheepishly came out of the woods and walked slowly over to the log ready to bolt like a spooked deer at the very first sign of danger. She didn’t say anything as she tracked him moving to sit across from her. She didn’t seem dangerous but that didn’t mean she wasn’t. She gave him an encouraging smile and waved again to the log. “Please, sit. The night grows cold and things stir in the woods. You shouldn’t be in the darkness on this eve”

Caldren was intrigued by her very formal way of speaking and his curiosity won out over his fear and he finally sat down heavily on the log as his adrenaline ran out and his legs just gave out. He noticed that the fire seemed larger than when he left which was odd as he didn’t collect enough wood to fuel a fire that big. He looked across the fire at the girl and he noticed that the shimmering was less pronounced up close but it was still there It was as if she was made of light somehow. Some sparks flew off from the fire and seemed to go through her which Caldren found fascinating. The silence wore on as Caldren tried to make sense of what he was seeing but she didn’t say anything just looked at him expectantly.

“Who are you?” He ventured

“My name is Imogen, thank you for sharing your fire this evening scholar”

“You’re welcome” he replied then what she said seemed to register “Wait, how do you know that I’m a scholar? What else do you know about me?” He asked hesitantly as the fear that he took so long to suppress started bubbling to the surface again. She stared into the fire for a few minutes then looked up to meet Caldren’s eyes.

“I miss a good fire on a cold night – the heat soaking into your bones to drive away the cold. I miss mostly the camaraderie of friends around a fire as the wine is passed around and stories are shared getting more outrageous as the wineskin is emptied” she turned back to the fire with a wistful look on her face. Caldren was taken aback by the switch in tone from her initial speech and just stared at her unable to form any cogent questions.

She sighed and looked back up from the fire “To answer your question, scholar I’ve been watching you since you entered the pass. Instead of those men with their swords and their avarice you came with only a book, so it wasn’t hard to determine that you came seeking knowledge. You’ve been here for weeks when other men gave up after a few days so I ask you what you are seeking here”

Out of habit Caldren started running through his usual lies and half truths but something about his guest seemed to want to draw out the truth and since he was already out here in the middle of nowhere there didn’t seem to be any reason to pretend anymore.

“I seek Temerith” he said quietly

She tilted her head and considered him. Caldren felt stripped bare by the look as she seemed to be seeking way to see inside of him. The fire crackled into the cold night as the silence dragged on. They sat opposite each other and the tension built but Caldren was afraid to say anything f that might cause her to leave.

“Why?” She asked leaning closer to the fire. “A Promise I made” he said softly. She seemed to consider this for a moment then replied “Who did you make this promise to?”

Caldren stared at the ground as the memories of that terrible night, long pushed down started to rise to the surface. He struggled with himself for a moment trying to get his emotions under control. Angrily wiping away his tears he couldn’t meet her eyes or bring himself to relive that night. He simply shook his head and said “I made a promise to someone who meant the world to me and that’s why I’m out here in the middle of nowhere talking to someone who I’m not entirely sure isn’t a figment of my imagination. What are you? You aren’t really here I can see the fire smoke going through you” the anger he was feeling at reliving the night his mother was taken from him was bleeding into the conversation but if Imogen was bothered by it, she didn’t show it.

She held his gaze for a long moment, then sighed. “I… am not what I once was.”
She spread her fingers. A faint shimmer of light danced along her skin, slipping between the flickering firelight. “I am a Lucent.”

“What is that?” Caldren asked. He’d never heard the term nor read it any of his books. She raised her eyebrows with a shocked expression and said “Surely you know of us? Has all knowledge of this place been destroyed?”

“If you mean Temerith, then yes. The empire has done a very thorough job in removing all traces of this place or any reference to magic” He very pointedly did not bring up his part in that effort, small as it was. “In fact most people believe this place to be a myth” The expression on her face turned from one of surprise to one of true sorrow “A myth? How long has it been? I sometimes have trouble with the flow of time” Caldren did some quick math in his head using historical records from the time and gave her his best guess “I’d say approximately five hundred years give or take a decade”

Imogen let out a gasp. She sat there quietly and to Caldren she seemed to be trying to come to terms with what he just told her. He wasn’t sure what she was or why she was here but he felt like she might have the answers that he really needed so instead of pestering her with questions he simply patiently waited for her to speak again. There were a mix of emotions playing across her face but the final one seemed to be a determined look like she had made a decision.

“Has it truly been five hundred years Scholar? She asked quietly. He nodded and she continued “Again, I am a Lucent – a being created to be responsible for managing the great library. Once there were many of us but I am the last. I am.. alone” she paused, hugging herself, as if the weight of that statement was almost too much to bear.

Caldren wanted to shoot out of his seat in excitement. Temerith was real – he was speaking with someone from the library. One of the beings of legends and most importantly she knows where the library is! He held himself back however as the aura of sadness around the girl seemed to have a physical presence. He knew, even in his excitement, that she needed time to process what she was feeling having been there that night many years back when his life was ripped apart.

Closing her eyes, she spoke again “Once, I was alive. I was orphaned as a child by the wasting and took to begging and stealing to survive until a passing templar caught me trying to rob him on the road. He was a kind man who served the God of compassion so instead of punishment he took me here since he frequented the library and knew they always had a need for servants. They took me in and I worked in the library as one of its clerks. While it was hard work I felt like I had finally found a family after all that time alone.” Her wistful expression fled her face and something bleak replaced it. Then one morning I started coughing up blood and was swiftly brought into isolation away from my new found family. In a cruel twist of fate the wasting that had remained in my system dormant suddenly started to spread. The prognosis was grim and that’s when they came to me”

She paused to collect her thoughts then continued “They explained that the wasting was a disease created by magic and as such their healers were unable to purge it from me. They asked me if I wanted to become a Lucent. They explained it was completely voluntary and painless. They would transfer all my memories from my failing body into the beings of light who manage the library. The only restriction was that I couldn’t leave Aethervale and had to follow a set of rules that governed access to the information. I would still be me – I would have the same thoughts and emotions but I would be a soul trapped in an immortal construct of magic.”

Caldren just stared at her as he tried to take in all that information. The soul was inviolate, even the darkest of magics couldn’t strip you of it unless you allowed it. To be trapped fully aware in a place for eons, how does one remain sane? Who would make that choice?

She must have read the expression on his face because she grew angry and pointed at him saying “I had just found my family, scholar and I couldn’t lose them again. I knew I would likely watch them grow old and die but I could have that time with them, so the choice for me was easy” She turned away and said with disgust “Then the emperor’s hounds came and killed them all anyway and there wasn’t anything I could do to protect them. They somehow had a way of harming us as well – swords of an oily metal streaked with red.”

“Arcinium blades” Caldren breathed – the fabled captains of the empire carried these swords and something about the properties of the metal interfered with magic effectively negating it. He could see how striking beings like Imogen would destroy them. “How did you survive?” Caldren asked, his voice hushed in awe.

Imogen’s eyes belied the anger she was feeling and she grounded out her reply “I hid, scholar. Not just myself I hid the entire library. When the hounds and their masters reached the library proper they just found empty rooms. That was the failsafe and it could only be triggered by a Lucent as we were bound to the laws of the library and to protect it. It was my duty as the only remaining Lucent to activate the failsafe and pull the entire library through the veil into the resonance.”

“The Resonance?” Caldren asked

“Have we truly lost so much knowledge that even the fundamentals are lost to time?” She asked sadly. “The resonance, scholar, is the place where magic resides and the veil is what separates that raw chaos of magic from this world, do you understand?”

“I don’t understand much of anything you’ve said since I sat down here” he said shrugging apologetically.

“Would you like to learn?” She asked.

Prelude

Anthony Panariello Leave a comment

Prelude | 15 years ago

CCaldren curled up by the fire as his mother settled into her customary spot in the old wooden chair by the hearth. Sleep tugged at his eyelids, but he fought it, as small boys often do, afraid he might miss something important.

“Tell me a magic story,” he said, stifling a yawn. The stories of the old magic were his favorites—the ones where her voice wove spells of its own, making his imagination come alive.

His mother smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Cal, my dear, it’s time for bed.” She shifted in her chair, reaching for him as if to scoop him up, but he wriggled away.

“I’m not tired! Please?”

She sighed, though her lips still carried a ghost of amusement. “Fine, but only a short one. And you must go to bed after—do you promise?”

“Yes, Mom,” he said solemnly, excitement barely concealed as he settled against the warmth of the fire.

His mother turned toward the window, staring out for a long moment, as though watching something unseen in the night. When she faced him again, her usual playfulness had vanished, replaced by something heavier—something that made Caldren’s skin prickle. Then, she spread her hands in a familiar motion, the one she always used to begin a story of the old magic.

Only this time, her voice was different. This time, it carried a warning.

“Before the Empire came, there were men and women who could tap into magic, a power as vast and untamed as a storm. It was a river that could grant great miracles—or consume those who touched it. Only those with the strongest will could wield it without being burned to ash. There were those who healed, those who built, and those who destroyed. Wars were fought, fire rained from the heavens, and men vied for dominion over magic itself.”

Her green eyes met his, and for the first time, Caldren wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the rest.

“But there were others who twisted the power in forbidden ways—ways so dark I will not speak of them, for even knowledge of such things can stain the soul.”

A chill crept over Caldren’s skin. His tiredness evaporated.

“Mother… what’s wrong?” he whispered.

She stood, pulling back her auburn hair and fastening it in place with practiced ease. Her hands trembled. “I’m sorry, Cal. This story won’t end the way you want it to.”

Three sharp knocks at the door shattered the moment.

Caldren flinched, turning wide eyes to his mother. Out here in the marshlands, visitors were rare—especially at this hour.

Her expression hardened. The air around her shifted, crackling with something Caldren had never felt before. Her green eyes flickered, their depths catching an eerie, azure glow. Shadows danced across her face as she lifted her hands—not to weave illusions as she often did, but with intent.

When her fingertips touched his forehead, a jolt ran through him. A force pressed against his chest, like an unseen tide pushing him backward. Yet, somehow, he hadn’t moved at all.

“Cal, listen to me,” she murmured. “I’ve hidden you from them, but I must focus on maintaining the spell, or they will see through it. I cannot protect you if I do anything else.”

Tears stung his eyes. “They’re here for you, aren’t they? They’re going to take you away.”

His mother’s face twisted with pain, but she nodded.

The Empire’s Seekers. The ones who came for people with magic. The ones who were never seen again.

“I thought we were safe here,” she whispered. “I was wrong.”

More pounding. This time, a voice followed.

“Naeris, open the door. If my men have to break it down, it will go harder on the boy.”

The local watch captain. Elam. Caldren had never understood his hatred—only that it had always been there, simmering beneath the surface.

His mother closed her eyes for a brief moment, then turned to him with urgency. “Behind the cupboard, there’s money. Take it. Go to your uncle in Vaelkaris—he works in the Imperial Library. He will help you.”

The door shuddered under another blow.

Her hands found his face, warm and trembling. “Seek the old magic, Cal. Promise me.”

His breath hitched. The old magic? That was impossible. The Empire had eradicated it long before he was born.

But this was his mother. And she was about to be taken from him.

“I promise,” he whispered.

“Whatever happens, don’t move. The magic will make them overlook you, but you must stay still.”

The door finally gave way, crashing open. Elam strode in, followed by soldiers.

They seized his mother, binding her arms. She didn’t resist. Didn’t fight. Just watched them, defiant, as they pulled a hood over her head.

Then the Seeker entered.

Tall, gaunt, dressed in the Empire’s midnight-blue uniform. He walked with a slight limp, his polished boots whispering against the wooden floor. But it was his eyes that made Caldren shudder—or rather, his lack of them. In their place, silvery metal gleamed, streaked with pulsing veins of red.

Caldren froze. Arcinium. The Empire’s cursed gift to its hounds. If the Seeker looked at him, the magic would not hide him.

“Is this the witch?” the Seeker asked, his voice cold, tinged with an islander’s accent.

“Yes, sir,” Elam replied. Then, to his men, “Search the house. Find the boy.”

Caldren’s breath caught in his throat. His mother had healed these men. His father had trained them before he was sent to die in the Emperor’s wars. And yet, they turned on them without hesitation.

The Seeker’s gaze swept over the room, lingering on the table stacked with books. His mother’s books. Stories of heroes. Of magic. Of things the Empire wanted forgotten.

“Burn it,” he said with a dismissive wave.

A small sound escaped his mother’s lips.

Elam grabbed her arm. “Where is the boy, Naeris? My men have searched the house. I’ll see him sent to the Fifth Legion—he’s literate, so they’ll likely put him with the scribes. A hard life, but at least he will live.”

His mother’s voice was calm. “He is somewhere you cannot follow, Elam.”

Then, she stumbled. Fell to her knees. The soldiers yanked her upright and dragged her into the night.

Elam scowled. “Burn this place to the ground. And find that boy—I want him in chains by sunrise.”

The men rushed to obey.

Caldren crept toward the back of the house, easing the cellar door open with a faint creak. He stilled. Did they hear?

The sound of oil sloshing, of fire crackling, answered his question. No time.

He slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Crawled to the far wall, fumbling for the loose brick. His mother had shown him this tunnel long ago, but he’d never imagined he’d need it. Who would want to hurt them?

He pushed the brick. A faint click. A hidden door swung open.

Smoke seeped in from above. The house was burning.

He crawled into the darkness, gripping the guiding rope. His hands bled from rough stone. His knees scraped raw. The panic clawed at him, whispering of men waiting at the other end—waiting to drag him away.

Then—he slammed into the wall.

The tunnel’s end.

He slumped against the stone, chest heaving. She was gone.

His knuckles throbbed, split and bleeding. He punched the wall anyway.

“Why?” His voice cracked. “What did we ever do to them?”

He sank to the ground, pulling his knees to his chest.

And when sleep finally took him, it was not rest.

It was escape.