Bridgeworlds: Rise of the Magi (25 page)

Myles shook his head and interjected another issue. “Magi ambassadors should also be excluded. We plan to send out a small group of Magi to every city as ambassadors and also to study the races and regions. They’ll need to have dual citizenship.”

Ariana shrugged with a smile, “Okay, that’s fine. Now, I have another thing. I’ll exchange the resources of the throne for the protection of my kingdom.”

Myles touched the rim of his hat as he probed her suggestion. “What do you mean by that, Your Majesty? Do you want us to be your army or police?”

Ariana giggled, flew up, and patted his shoulder. “Of course I want both.”

Myles felt that this was presumptuous and shook his head vigorously declaring, “No! The Order of the Magi was formed to acquire knowledge. You’re asking that we abandon that quest.”

The queen shrugged in frustration and pronounced, “Then you may not buy supplies in all of Caelsis. You’ll get no food, no supplies, or anything. You may exist here, but you’ll be cut off from any resources.”

Myles balked at that and asked, “You’re going to cut off any trade? Why would you shoot yourself in the foot like that? This would also destroy the usefulness of residing in your kingdom. No…I call your bluff. We’ll leave the island and find another place to build the order.”

Queen Ariana turned red with anger and shot back, “That’s assuming I let you leave without a proper execution for trespassing onto my lands. Or perhaps I could make you servants in the castle.”

Her arrogance was irritating Myles, and his anger was growing by the second. Feeling that he’d had it with her, he gave Ariana a wicked smile and declared, “Very well then, if it’s war you want, it’s war that you’ll get.” Then, in a cloud of smoke, Myles suddenly disappeared.

Queen Ariana was enraged at his action, and her face turned a crimson red. She darted up to Erestar and whispered fervently with him for some time. It appeared to the other Magi in the room that Erestar was trying to calm the queen down. As the two of them talked, she grew less agitated and finally when she was sufficiently calmed, there was another puff of smoke and Myles stepped out from it.

But before Myles could say or do anything, Erestar grabbed Myles and lifted him up. It was a gentle but firm grab and Erestar’s entire hand fit around Myles’ body, not allowing him the freedom to move or even pull off one of his tricks. Erestar remained calm, but Myles felt panic throughout his entire body. When the other Magi saw that he couldn’t move or squirm out of Erestar’s hold, they took up defensive stances. Myles decided to avoid a deadly conflict since he was the most vulnerable at that moment, so he yelled, “Get back! He doesn’t intend to hurt me. Back away unless you want war with an army of Raphad too!”

Erestar stood towering over the entire group and pulled Myles up to his face where they could speak eye to eye. “I don’t like or condone violence. But I need to speak to you without you rudely leaving in the middle of our negotiation. Queen Ariana has good reason for desiring an army of Magi. She’s seen you training your Alexandros, your warrior group. So don’t feed me a lie that you’re all about acquiring knowledge.

“She’s been watching you for many months without your knowledge, and you’re training an army on her lands. If you wish to continue doing so you need to provide that army’s service and allegiance to the queen, or she can only conclude that you pose a threat. Now if you don’t agree to this with her, we won’t harm you. But we will have to cut you off to protect ourselves. I’m allied with all of the kingdoms of Soterion and I’ll make sure that your order never sets foot in those kingdoms either. Do you really want to live the rest of your life on this island with no resources and no more knowledge to gain?”

Erestar had spoken calmly and he didn’t lose his temper. Myles was impressed by his demeanor. His expectation was that normally big guys lose their tempers, but this one was different. Understanding more clearly what their concerns were and the limits they could put on the future of the Magi, Myles decided they should accept their terms. He looked down at the Council, and every member was nodding their head enthusiastically, telling him that he had their backing in the decision. So he turned back to Erestar and announced, “You’ve made your position clear, and we’ll agree to do what you’ve asked.”

Erestar smiled at Myles’ pronouncement. “I’m glad that we could see eye to eye,” he said as he bent over and put him back down.

Myles brushed himself off as he regained his composure. Then he pointed a finger up at Erestar and jokingly said, “And don’t you forget it!”

Everyone laughed loudly and the tension disappeared. Myles proved again to be the consummate entertainer. He knew how to work an audience, and this was one of his best performances.

The mood became lighter and things went better. Omar joined the proceedings shortly afterwards and at first he balked at the agreement. But when Myles explained the concerns of Queen Ariana and Erestar’s strong support of her, it was clear that this was the best outcome for the Magi and he agreed. There were other minor issues to resolve and they continued into the evening with their discussions. As night fell, Erestar and Seux marveled at the glow from around the tower and wanted all the more to join the Order of the Magi. After the negotiations were completed, everyone was invited to stay and share a large feast. They laughed as they sat telling stories from each other’s realms.

No one could have known that there was death waiting in the jungle.

24

Caelsis

The Magi journeyed to Caelsis for the official meeting with Queen Ariana to finalize their citizenship in her kingdom. She would then announce their presence to the rest of Caelsis. Omar had decided they would travel by Kuon. He knew they would get the Magi to Caelsis with only a day’s travel. The Kuon were becoming a valuable asset to the Magi, but Myles thought they were just a lot of fun. It reminded him of his days at the circus when he’d ridden the various animals. He was looking forward to the trip.

Myles had his bags packed and the Kuon he had bonded with was saddled and ready. The bond didn't give him anything like telepathy, but Myles felt he understood the meaning behind things the Kuon did, like the looks that it gave him. He patted the creature on the back of its neck, and it turned and gave him a “Can we leave yet?” look.

“Wait, I have to name you first. I think Ganan is a good name. Come on, Ganan, let’s take off.” Ganan didn’t really understand the words, but he understood the meaning behind them, so when Myles gave the go-ahead Ganan rocketed into the air. Startled at first, after a minute or so Myles was urging Ganan to fly faster. Omar and Sebastian were also attending this gala as dignitaries. Kleis and Ischus would follow them, but they’d be using invisibility devices because Queen Ariana had agreed to let the Magi run their own security. Darius, Peel-off, and Leon would also attend as security, but they would blend into the crowd. They left Roca in charge of the Magi on the island until they returned.

Myles had been waiting for this moment. He had no intention of returning to the island for at least a year or two, even though he hadn’t told Omar yet. He meant to explore this place, to find out what it had to offer. This new world was too tempting for him to ignore. He just didn’t want to stay cooped up on an island any longer.

Omar and Sebastian raced each other on their Kuon. Myles just climbed higher and higher on Ganan. He had wanted to see how high Ganan would go, but when Myles looked down, he realized he’d rather fly at the tree line. He clicked his tongue to get Ganan to dive, but when the Kuon obeyed Myles could barely handle the force of plunging at such a speed. When Ganan leveled out, Myles sucked in a breath.

They flew all day until they could see the suns begin to set, eclipsing the silhouette of Caelsis in the distance. Myles saw that he was not quite as close to Omar and Sebastian as those two had gotten to each other. They’d been working together and teaching each other and now they acted like best buddies all the way to Caelsis. It brought a smile to Myles’ face as he watched them. Every once in a while Myles would look back and remember that dark moment when Omar almost let Ischus die. This attitude and playfulness from Omar seemed such a stark contrast to the man he saw that day, a day that seemed as if it had been ages ago when he watched Omar and Sebastian swoop at each other and then laugh. He was glad for them and thought it was good for the Magi, as well as hoping to never see that dark side of Omar again.

They could see Caelsis now as they drew closer. The city was built on a delta in the shape of a keyhole and all the buildings were made of a sparkling rock. On the horizon they could see a tower much larger than their own and beyond it they saw Castle Enigma, the royal palace of Queen Ariana. They flew over the southern gate and followed the one main road in the middle of the city where they could see shops on either side.
This must be the market district,
thought Myles. They passed over a mammoth oak tree and saw Remmys entering it. Caelsis had more trees and flowers than Myles or Omar had ever seen in an earthly city. Nepsah flew about in the air and Kat-ken walked around as if they were the nobility here. In the middle of the city there was a large pond where Myles could see ’Am Mayim swimming, and others moving about in the city.

They passed the large tower in the middle of the city and landed in front of the gate of Castle Enigma at the northern center of the city. Remmy guards stood on either side of the gate. Myles wasn’t impressed.
No wonder she wants the Magi to guard the city
.
A Raphad would squash these guards like bugs.

Omar, always the research scientist, studied the castle rather than the guards. He’d never seen the kind of stone that its large blocks were made of. They were an iridescent purple and green that sparkled and changed with any shift in the light. The castle had obviously been made to accommodate larger races like humans or Akana-sized people, but it wasn’t quite large enough to invite a Raphad in.

The Magi dismounted their Kuon, left them with the guards, and entered the castle. The plan was for them to rest for the balance of this day. All formalities would take place the next day, with all of Caelsis watching.

Seux greeted them at the door. “Greetings, greetings and welcome! Let me show you to your quarters.” Seux darted in spiraling circles down the great hall like an excited kid. The Magi followed him, hiding their smiles.

When they were settled in their quarters, Seux returned and gave them a warning. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Be careful if you wander from this hallway tonight.”

Omar asked, “Why?”

Seux just smiled at them, waved his hand, and darted out of the room.

Myles shot Omar a bewildered look. Omar sniffed. “He’s trying to make you curious. Odds are good that Queen Ariana told him to tell us not to wander the halls. But he really wants us to explore.”

Sebastian laughed at the idea. “Omar wouldn’t fall for it. It’s likely you were his target, Myles. If anyone of the three of us is curious and mischievous, it’s definitely you.”

Myles shrugged. “Guilty as charged. Maybe I
will
wander the halls.” Omar put his hands over his ears and turned away.

~*~

It was late that night, after Omar had fallen asleep, that Myles got up quietly. The name Castle Enigma just rang in his ears, and he loved puzzles, so he thought he’d snoop around a little to find out why this castle was called Enigma. Myles was like a kid in a candy store. He rummaged through his bags and grabbed some rope, some moss-imbued knives, and an invisibility device. He also grabbed the goggles that gave him the ability to look at things from different views like infrared, x-ray, NVG, electric vision, and chemical energy vision.

Myles quietly opened the door and peeked out into the hallway. He saw an ’Am Mayim guard at the end of the hallway who had an invisible Nepsah with him. Myles wondered if the ’Am Mayim’s true vision would allow him to see Myles through the invisibility created by Omar’s device. He was also intrigued that the goggles he wore allowed him to see through the Nepsah’s invisibility.

Confident that they couldn’t see him, Myles stepped out into the hall and waited. The ’Am Mayim turned his head when the door opened, but they didn’t seem to notice as Myles stepped into the hallway. He watched as both guards came down the hall and went into the room. They didn’t see anyone, and shut the door again. Myles looked up and noticed that the ceiling seemed to give off some form of chemical energy that he could see with the goggles. He realized that he couldn’t use the goggles to see through the walls.
Oh well, I’ll just have to actually peek into the rooms instead of snooping from the outside like I’d planned.

Myles carefully walked to the door at the end of the hallway and knocked on it. An ’Am Mayim guard opened the door and looked through as Myles slipped past him. Now he was in the Grand Hallway.

This hallway seemed to go on forever, with smaller hallways leading off from it. One hallway had a door at the end which gave off large amounts of cold air and chemical energy. The goggles were working as he’d hoped. Myles went down that hallway and tried to turn the knob.
When did locked doors ever stop me?
It took him much longer than usual to pick the lock. Someone with great skill had created this lock. Finally the tumblers clicked into place.

All he saw inside was complete darkness. It was cold too. The goggles didn’t help him in this room so he took a step.
Is this happening? Am I really falling
up?
Is that even
possible? He finally hit the ceiling…
or is it the floor?
All he could think of was that gravity had shifted on him. It took a moment for Myles to adjust and begin thinking of up as down and down as up. Then with his new orientation, Myles stepped forward again. He felt in his pocket for a match to at least try to warm his hands, even if it didn't let him see in this bizarre place where up was down and dark might be light. He struck the match and before him stood what he could only describe as an Ice Dragon.

The dragon had white light glowing from its eyes and fins protruding from its cheeks. It had large pointed ears and what looked like sharp icicles hanging from its chin. In the center of its nose was one large ridge shaped like a shark fin, and at the top of its head on either side were two horns that spiraled up like giant icicles. Cold mist came from its mouth as it breathed, and Myles could feel how powerful it was. The hairs on his arms stood up from the sheer energy surrounding the dragon.

It’s humongous!
was his only thought. It had lowered its head so that it was eye to eye with him, and Myles cried out and dropped his match. Blue flame and ice shot from the dragon's mouth and streamed to torches on either side of the room. The blue flame lit the torches and the ice crystallized around the flame, creating a globe that magnified the light from the blue flame and lit up the entire room.

The room was as large as a football stadium. Heaps of treasure surrounded the dragon. Most of it was armor and weaponry, but it looked like it was valuable.

Myles immediately realized that this dragon was different than Gabriyel. It was much larger and had a fierceness and beauty about it that Gabriyel didn’t have. Its icy scales radiated a white glow and created a strange, alluring appearance. The dragon spoke in his mind, whispering, “Myles Callaghan, because you have seen me, I will grant you one gift from among my treasures. But in return you must promise that you will never speak of meeting me.”

Myles was more fascinated by this dragon than its treasure so he shrugged and replied, “That sounds good to me.” He looked around at the various weapons and armor but finally answered, “I don’t believe you have anything I need.”

The dragon pawed through a pile of shimmering coins, then it flung one at Myles. “This coin will increase your odds of success when trying to perform something outrageous and fantastic. It will also transport you to anywhere in Soterion that you’ve already been.”

Myles caught the coin and looked at it for a second. On one side was a map of the world of Soterion and on the other was a picture of a man blindfolded, shooting at a bull’s-eye with a bow and arrow.

Myles looked up, feeling a bit bold since the dragon seemed interested in negotiating. “If you don’t mind, I want some answers to some questions. I’ll take this coin and some answers, and I promise never to tell anyone that I’ve seen you. What do you think?”

“You speak the truth. I will answer your questions unless I am bound to a secret. Ask.”

This dragon can probably answer any question I could ask him. This could really be good.
“All right, Blue, I’ve got one for you. Can you know things that will happen in the future?”

“Yes, time is not relevant to me,” said the dragon.

“Then I want to know if Kasey is going to be my wife.”

“How human of you. You can ask whatever question you wish, and you ask about a woman. Yes, she’ll be your wife, but you have a long road to travel first.”

Myles looked down at the coin. “Then this will come in handy. I guess I should ask a better question though…something harder… hmm, let’s see. Oh, I know, is Omar’s sister alive and on Soterion? And if so, where is she?”

The dragon scowled at this question, as much as a dragon can scowl. “If I tell you, you mustn’t tell anyone else. Do you agree?”

“All right, I agree.”

“Misaki is in the far east. She is beyond the lands of the Great Red Dragon, beyond the Brugmos Sea, in the uncharted and mysterious lands that the Raphad call Tanniyn’erets, which means 'Land of Dragons'.”

“So she’s actually here? Wow, old Omar was right.”

The dragon moved closer to Myles. “Remember, you’re bound by your oath. You may not tell him.”

“Oh, I won’t. I promise I won’t.” He promised that because he was already scheming to find Misaki and retrieve her for Omar himself.

The dragon pushed its way further into Myles’ mind, and Myles felt a cascade of pure pleasure flow into his mind. Some force pushed through his mind and shaped it. It spoke and what it spoke became reality for Myles. It wasn’t a command. It was more than that. It became part of Myles and part of his desires, his own thoughts.
I will not seek Misaki, until I have met the Great Red Dragon, I have touched the Spirit sword, and the Shepherd has laid his hand upon me.

Myles opened his mouth, speaking in an emotionless, trancelike manner. “I will not seek Misaki until after those things happen.” Afterward he felt better, like he was waking from a wonderful sleep. Myles rubbed his eyes. “You know what, I’m done, I think. I don’t want to know anything else.”

The dragon breathed on a wall, and formed a door that was completely made of ice. “It’s time for you to leave.”

Without hesitation, Myles stepped toward the door.

“Myles, beware the Great Red Dragon.”

Myles tipped his hat to the blue dragon and walked through the door. When he looked around, Myles realized that he stood outside the castle. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was at least two hours before the suns came up so he wondered what other secrets Castle Enigma held. He decided to explore the city instead, and come back to the gates at the rising of the first sun.

~*~

Omar rolled over and began to stretch as he awoke from a night’s rest with a cramp in his neck and soreness from the hard ride into Caelsis. He had slept soundly though. He was sure that a bomb could have gone off, and he wouldn’t have heard it. As he opened his eyes he was greeted by Myles standing over him with a steaming mug. Omar wiped the sleep out of his eyes and gratefully took the cup from Myles. When he did, Omar did a double take because of what Myles was wearing. Here he was in full illusionist costume, wearing a con man’s smile. Omar started to worry.