Chaos Descending (39 page)
Tiberius noticed that Rafe kept glancing at Lady Olyva. His friend hadn’t admitted to having a crush on Tiberius’ future sister-in-law, but it was obvious just the same. Not that crushes among the young people of the royal court were uncommon, but in this case Rafe’s passion was distressing. Lady Olyva was already matched and promised to Brutas. If Rafe had just had a secret crush, it would have been no big deal, but Tiberius also noticed that Lady Olyva stole her fair share of glances toward Rafe. That spelled trouble for the Sword Master’s son, and Tiberius was frustrated that there wasn’t anything he could do to help.
Finally, the festivities ended, and Tiberius excused himself from the table. He hurried back to his room, where Robere was waiting to help him disrobe once more. Tiberius was dressed in warm woolen sleeping clothes, and candles were lit around the room. Normally, Tiberius had lessons to study or reports to prepare for, but on this night he merely waited impatiently for Robere to leave.
“Do you require anything else, Master Tiberius?”
“No,” Ti said. “I’m fine for the night. Thank you.”
“Of course, my lord.”
Tiberius smiled, Robere was the only person who ever called him lord. He waited until the older man had left, then he flipped the small latch to lock his door and hurried back to the bed and the treasure waiting underneath.
Avondale Chapter 5
Tiberius
His hands shook as he pulled the trunk out from under his bed. He opened the lid and carefully took out the book fragments. The leather was old and worn, puckering around the edges and torn at the corners. The paper was different than the parchment he was used to handling. It was thin and stiff, but hardy at the same time. He carried the fragments to his small table. The water and basin had been set on a high shelf and a polished silver candelabra with half a dozen beeswax candle tapers burned brightly.
He set the book down and looked at it again. The title, which had been pressed into the leather, probably with some type of gold leaf, was completely worn away. The once smooth texture of the leather was now rough and dry. Tiberius was careful not to get the book too close to the candles, knowing it would catch fire easily.
He opened the cover, and looked down at the first yellowed page. His heart was racing. He held in hands the work of an actual wizard. He had no idea who Horace Masstivus had been, but he felt a sense of gratitude for the long-dead wizard. He wondered what it meant to be a Wizard of the Third Order, but again he had no idea. The only thing he’d ever been taught about wizardry was the danger of working magic and that it was the cause of the great cataclysm which had destroyed most of Valana. Everything with references to wizards or magic had been gathered up and set ablaze in the great purge. There were no history books about magic, and no one ever spoke of the wizards of old.
Tiberius turned the page and looked at the carefully written script. It was not as perfect as the scribe work from the Temple of Addoni, but it was clearly legible. He glanced at his door one more time to make sure the latch was closed and he was truly alone, then he began to read.
The essence of magic isn’t spells or working wonders, but rather a mastery of the will, combined with a judicious use of knowledge. There are four ordained orders of magic, and a wizard must master five spells in one before moving on to the next.
Tiberius felt his heart pounding in his chest. He simply couldn’t believe he was actually reading a book about magic. He wondered briefly what it meant by
a mastery of the will, combined with a judicious use of knowledge.
He had always imagined wizards chanting spells, but he’d never thought of having to will the magic to work. It made sense to think of bending the power to your will, but it also made him nervous. The wizards had lost control of their magic, that much was known to everyone. They had delved into powers too great and destroyed so much that was good. Tiberius wondered briefly if he should just throw the book into the fire. Perhaps even reading it would unlock some ancient evil that he wouldn’t be able to control. But he had no fire, and the truth was that he wanted to know more. He wanted to know about the four orders of magic and the spells one had to master to work through those levels. He decided to keep reading.
The first level of magic is the healing arts. It is the most useful of all magic and grounds a wizard in the first and most important principle of wizardry: Magic exists to benefit all mankind. Healing magic, or Sana Magus, is a complicated art combining a knowledge of the human body with a strong grasp of magic fundamentals. It is important to remember that magic power is first and foremost a creative act, in the sense that magic is meant to build up, not tear down.
Tiberius closed his eyes and said the name of the First Order over and over again in his mind. Sana Magus, Sana Magus, Sana Magus. Healing magic—the thought made him giddy. He imagined himself hovering over a sickbed, whispering powerful incantations and restoring health. He couldn’t imagine how that would ever be a bad thing. If he could just learn enough magic to heal people, he could be the greatest physician in the entire realm.
His first impulse was to take notes, but then he realized that writing notes would only make getting caught more likely. He would have to memorize as much of the book as he could. There were Priests who had memorized huge sections of the ancient scriptures; surely he could memorize the precious information in this book. He looked back over what he had read, searching for the most important things to remember. The first principle of wizardry seemed obvious:
Magic exists to benefit all mankind.
He quoted the short axiom to himself over and over again.
It didn’t seem to make any sense that magic, which was intended to benefit mankind, had ended up destroying most of the world. No one really knew what the blighted lands were like. A thick layer of fog and mist covered it so that even in the floating airships, there was little to be learned. When the catastrophe had occurred, only a few of the luckiest people made it to the highlands; the others were lost, that was common knowledge. What wasn’t so common was a reasonable explanation for the huge, monstrous creatures like the Forkus that sometimes lumbered up the mountain out of the mist. What had created those beasts? What did such huge creatures live on if the land below the mist was ruined and uninhabitable?
Tiberius had heard of people occasionally leaving Avondale and venturing down the mountain. Most were criminals banished to the wastelands. None ever returned, and the mystery grew, but it didn’t make sense that magic meant for good could do such irreparable harm. He turned back to the ancient text.
The Second Order is Defensive Magic, or Sepio Magus. It focuses on levitation and shielding spells which require a much greater mental focus than healing. It also requires more physical stamina, as defending oneself or others can sometimes transfer kinetic energy directly from the attack to the wizard. Learning to contain your opponent’s magic, without absorbing its destructive energy, is a prerequisite to moving to the Third Order.
Tiberius groaned a little at the idea of needing physical stamina. He was strong enough in short doses, but he’d never had much endurance. Once again he realized that magic was more than just chanting mysterious spells. It took a force of will and physical strength to master powerful magic, but Tiberius was intent on becoming a wizard, so he told himself he would do whatever it took.
Then, the realization struck him—he was going to be a wizard. He was going to learn magic. Thinking such simple, yet profound thoughts rocked his world. He’d never been happy in the roll he was expected to play as the third son of an Earl, but at the same time he realized he’d never really considered what following his own path really meant. He’d dreamed of magic for so long, and now it was at his fingertips. Yet he knew that if he really became a wizard, he couldn’t hide it. And once his secret was known, he wouldn’t be allowed to remain in Avondale. He would be killed or exiled. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was really worth it. At least as a Paladin, he could savor a few of life’s simple pleasures, even if he was miserable most of the time. Once more, he contemplated destroying the ancient book, but he knew he couldn’t do it. He was set on a path now; there was no going back. He’d go insane knowing he’d given up his dreams just to avoid the hardships that came with it.
But he didn’t want to be exiled either. He loved Avondale; it was his home. He loved the city, the people, the beautiful lake that sat nestled in the forest like a well placed gem in a ring of pure gold. Still, he couldn’t stay, at least not in the city, if he was going to become a wizard. And if his family found out, they would hunt him down mercilessly. He would need to make his plans and then sneak away, perhaps find himself a small cottage in the forest, away from the game trails and narrow roads that led to the lake. He could live in solitude—at least he thought he could—but he would need to start making preparations now so that when he broke away from his family he wouldn’t be left destitute.
The Third Order, Immutatio Magus, is known in laymen’s terms as transmutation. It involves, among other things, changing one object to another. It begins with moving an object from one related state to the next, for instance changing milk into butter and cream. As a wizard’s mastery of the Third Order grows, more substantive transmutations become possible. At its highest form, a Grand Wizard of the Third Order can transform lead into gold, although such feats have only been documented in a few rare cases and the time and effort involved is substantial.
Tiberius could hardly keep reading. He’d never heard of the word transmutation, but suddenly the world seemed full of possibilities. He hadn’t imagined being able to transform objects, or turn lead into gold. He felt giddy; the excitement was nearly overwhelming, but he kept reading.
The Fourth Order, Nativus Magicus, is the most arduous of magic, and should only be attempted after mastering the other levels. It involves controlling nature itself. The will of the wizard delves into the very heart of matter, taking control of the building blocks of creation. Magic of the Fourth Order has created wonders that defy explanation and stand as the greatest magical achievements known to man.
The essence of magic is the study of the divine, and therefore the greatest of the mental disciplines. True wizardry taps into the very power of the gods, and by its nature aligns the practitioner with not only the wizards who have come before, but with the immortals, whose power and practices make up the essence of magic. It is not for the weak, nor for those with malice in their hearts. For while magic requires self-control and force of will, it also reveals the desires of one’s heart. Many have fallen into the Dark Orders because they rushed ahead, delving into magic that was too powerful for them to control. In those instances, the magic that was meant for good—to heal the sick, defend the helpless, and make the world a better place for all mankind—gets twisted into something destructive. Like a child wielding his father’s sword, wizards who do not dedicate themselves to mastering each order before moving to the next often wreak more havoc than they ever imagined. And many weak-hearted wizards have fallen under the spell of immeasurable power, despite the fact that they cannot control that power.
Therefore, this book is a wizard’s guide. It was written eons ago by wizards of the Fourth Order so that those wishing to learn the magical arts will not blunder along aimlessly, or delve into magic that is outside one’s control, but follow the prescribed orders and master the divine arts as a boon to all mankind. In the pages that follow, a more thorough exposition of each of the Four Orders is offered in an effort to illuminate the reader. There are also spells, with instructions for casting them, as well as detailed explanations of what the spell should accomplish, so that at each stage a wizard will know without question that he has correctly cast and controlled the desired spell.
Tiberius leaned back in his chair, tilting the wooden seat back and expertly balancing on the two rear legs. He thought about what he’d read, then read it all again. He wanted to savor everything he was learning. It was the first time in his life that he really felt excited about studying. There was more to the book, but his candles were burning low. He returned the book to his trunk, even placing some of his other keepsakes on top of the ancient manuscript so that it wasn’t the first thing a person saw when they opened the box.
Then he blew out all of the candles except one. He crawled into his bed and watched the flame flickering in the darkness. It seemed so small and weak, the darkness of his room crowded in on every side, the flame wavering as it burned. He felt like he was the candle. The world was dark without magic, but the book he’d discovered was kindling a flame inside him. He would nurture it and make it grow, until the goodness of his magic filled the world with light.
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