Dawn of Man (Thanos Book 1) (3 page)

“You have nothing to fear here, Ahnon. We just wanted to know how good you really are,” the Grand Mage told him as the prime mage sat back down. “We do have some questions before we begin,” he said, looking at Ahnon then at a sheet of paper in front of him. “You studied for five and a half years as a seamstress?” he asked, not believing what he was reading.

“Yes,” Ahnon replied.

“Can you explain why?”

“I can, but I don’t think you would understand.”

Letting out a chuckle, the Grand Mage said, “I’m not stupid as you believe, so try me.”

“I know how a seamstress acts and moves. Since seamstresses are around royalty for fittings, I know how they should act and how they move.”

The Grand Mage nodded, agreeing. “Gods, that’s thinking ahead,” one of the mages said to the mage beside him.

“I have to agree with you,” the Grand Mage said, looking at the mage who spoke with an irritated glare. “So all these mundane studies were to watch for an assassin?” the Grand Mage asked, looking through the stack of papers, making a quick count. “Over a hundred different professions,” he said, looking up.

“Yes,” Ahnon replied.

A paper was passed down the line to the Grand Mage. He looked at it then at Ahnon. “We’ve heard rumors that you have amassed an incredible amount of wealth.”

“None of your business,” Ahnon told him in a flat voice.

“Oh, I think it is,” the Grand Mage said. “It was over a thousand years ago the three brothers amassed a fortune, then after their infusion, they left their sires, defecting to the kingdoms of the north to start the kytensa,” the Grand Mage informed him.

“I’m well aware of the three brothers and their defiance to the kingdom and honor of Nazar,” Ahnon said. “I studied and became a kytensa, reaching second rank. If the opportunity would have arisen, I would’ve killed the brothers,” Ahnon told the group. All of them jumped back at the revelation.

“That’s impossible. They’re dead by now!” the prime mage who had wanted to throw a fire ball shouted. The Grand Mage didn’t say anything but looked up and down the table, silencing the council.

“Oh no, they’re alive. My guess is they know how to do the infusion,” Ahnon told them.

The Grand Mage turned to him. “I find that hard to believe. Very few know the spell and how it works,” he said with confidence.

With a devious smile, “I have crept into every major castle in the southern kingdoms, northern kingdoms, and more wizards’ towers than I care to admit to. If I wanted to know the spell, I could’ve done it long ago,” Ahnon told him.

With a dire look, the Grand Mage asked, “They are the Triad of the Kytensa we hear about, aren’t they?”

“Yes, and from what I’ve heard and seen, they are very good at what they do,” he answered.

“Well, you see why this fortune has us concerned,” the Grand Mage said.

“I’m not a fool; nor are any of the other sho-kas. We know a binding element was added to the infusion after the brothers’ little experiment,” Ahnon informed the Grand Mage.

Shock hit the Grand Mage like a glass of cold water. “How?” he asked.

“You forget we are bhari first, warriors in plain sight. Trained in espionage and assassination along with many other things,” Ahnon said, glancing at the others. “We find out what threats are in front of us. Another reason you need to learn more than just magic.”

“How would you rate the kytensa to the bhari?” the Grand Mage asked.

“One on one in fighting about the same upon graduation, but the kytensa keep learning in a constant state of war. That is why they have rank. They have to pass tests to move up. Then you have to look at the kytensa, who teach and stress magic more than the bhari do,” Ahnon told him. “To make matters worse, they have summoners in their ranks.”

“I knew the northern kingdoms were lustful for power, but to use demoncraft…” the Grand Mage said. “Well, tell us more about them.”

“No. I gave a report to the king three years ago,” Ahnon told them.

“Impossible. I never heard of it,” the Grand Mage snapped.

“Take a little advice,” Ahnon said. “You aren’t as important as you think you are, so quit acting like it. When you realize that and stop acting like a pompous troll, you’ll move into higher circles.”

Anger flared in the Grand Mage’s eyes as he glared at Ahnon. Then he slowly relaxed and smiled. “There might be some truth to what you say, Ahnon,” he admitted. “Why did you tell us about it today? I’m sure you were aware we didn’t know.”

“The king said I could give you that much yesterday when I arrived in Nepon before coming to the conservatory,” Ahnon said as another mage passed a paper to the Grand Mage.

“You looked into the Seeing Stone at the bhari school in your second year. Only one other sho-ka has ever done that, almost seventeen hundred years ago, and he committed suicide. Why did you look?” Grand Mage asked him.

“It was my choice, and I did it. You may not ask about it again or hold it against me, or you will become hunted by the bhari. That was the bargain. I could take the chance to see my sire and what type of person he would become,” Ahnon said.

The Grand Mage held up his hands. “I don’t mean to pry, but Seeing Stones show the future, and the future is always changing. It was purely an academic question. Several of us have studied them and found out they only got the future right about ten percent of the time,” the Grand Mage told him. “But if you go through the visions slowly, you see small things changing the outcomes of larger events,” he added.

“I’m well aware of how the stones operate and have studied them myself,” Ahnon told him.

“We have all three,” the Grand Mage told him.

“Oh, I’m sorry; I didn’t know you were supposed to have all of them because I know of four more,” Ahnon said, getting tired of the questioning.

The entire table started to buzz with chatter until the Grand Mage cleared his throat. “Gentleman, I know we have never had a subject like Ahnon before, but please remain professional,” he said, looking to his right and left down the table. The Grand Mage started gathering all the papers. “Ahnon, will you continue your duties as sho-ka in the event your sire dies of unseen natural events that are beyond your control?” he asked as a formality.

“No, I will serve only my chosen sire. Then, my duty to my kingdom and family is done. I will live my life after that the way I want,” he said, making the Grand Mage gasp in astonishment.

Slowly shaking his head as he spoke, the Grand Mage stared at Ahnon. “You speak of this as a punishment. You are almost three hundred years old and look like a regular man in his fifties. You have years left in you now without the infusion. Look at what you’ve learned. This is a gift and an honor to be chosen for sho-ka.”

Slowly at first, Ahnon started to chuckle then broke into a soft laugh. When he stopped laughing after few seconds, he wiped a tear from his eye. “Grand Mage, I don’t see you standing here to be a sho-ka. Nor do I see you running to the bhari to start the path. Don’t talk to me about how it’s an honor. I’m a crown prince that will be a servant for several hundred years. I will do my duty for my family, honor, and country to the best of my ability, and if it costs me my life, then so be it, but if it doesn’t, I’m free.”

“You are not a crowned prince anymore,” one of the prime mages said.

Looking back and forth along the table, not knowing who spoke, he said, “Oh, you’re wrong. Look at the treaty of Antlas. I only gave up my place in the line of succession, not my title or privileges.”

“You’re right, Ahnon; you are still a crowned prince, but I think you’re wrong about this not being an honor,” the Grand Mage said, standing up.

“Let’s just do this before my sire is born and I’m still here answering questions. You damn well better be glad I even looked through the stone otherwise you would’ve given me the wrong sire to protect.”

A small grin arose on the Grand Mage’s face. “If we would’ve, you would be done or getting close to the end of your duty. Then you would be free. Isn’t that what you want?” the Grand Mage said, looking at Ahnon. For the first time, Ahnon jumped back, startled. “Remember, it only takes one small thing to change the future. If this is a burden on you, I truly hope you fulfill your duty and live your life in peace. If I’m around, I would like to sit and talk to you for a few years,” the Grand Mage said, holding a hand over the stack of papers.

The Grand Mage looked at the rest of the council. “Are all documents here about Ahnon’s years of learning?” he asked, and they all nodded. “Any not here will be a death sentence to the holder,” he said as he started waving his hand over the stack. Slowly, the stack started glowing green then turned a very bright red with a
whoosh
. When the people in the room looked at where the stack was, they saw only a pile of white dust.

The Grand Mage looked up at Ahnon to still see him thinking about what he said. “I meant no disrespect, Ahnon.”

For the first time, Ahnon looked at the Grand Mage sincerely. “None taken, but I know what was chosen for me and who I must serve. Otherwise, everything I have sacrificed and lost is for naught.”

“May the Gods of Just and Fairness, Lynor and Octin, watch over you with their parents,” the Grand Mage told him, lifting his arm and pointing at a table next to the wall. “On the table is the potion you must drink before we can start. You can only wear your amulet around your neck. Leave your robe and staff on the table. Only bring the amulet for your sire back to the inner circle in your hand.”

Nodding at the Grand Mage and hiding his apprehension, Ahnon walked over to the table and stripped off his robe. Laying it on the table, he reached inside a pocket, grabbed something, and then placed his staff on the robe. Picking up the mug, he smelled it and jerked his head back. “This isn’t going to be fun,” he mumbled and poured the drink down his throat. Gasping, Ahnon dropped the mug as he grabbed the table. With his stomach revolting, Ahnon fought to keep the drink down.

When Ahnon’s robe stripped off his robe the council gaped at Ahnon not because he was naked nor because he was very lean and muscled like the statues of the Gods even at such an advanced age. His body was covered in scars. There were so many linear scars across his back running all the way down to his legs one couldn’t even count them. His tan skin made the scars appear like white stripes across his back. On his chest and arms were more scars though nothing like his back.

“I’ve never seen—” the Grand Mage started to mumble. He knew those marks on Ahnon’s back came from whips, but he never in his life had seen so many on one person. The only places free of scars were Ahnon’s face and neck.

Ahnon never noticed the stares as he grabbed the table, fighting to keep the drink down. Then slowly, his body started to tingle. He stood and brought his left hand up, looking at it. Blinking as his hand blurred in his vision, he said, “Whoa, what a ride,” as his body went from tingling to numb.

Shaking his head, trying to clear his eyes, he glanced around the hall. Strangely, his brain wasn’t numb or impaired, but the rest of his body was. He could think clearly but had trouble telling his body what to do. Stumbling over to the inner circle, he was waiting on his mind to completely separate from the body it couldn’t control anymore. “Maybe it won’t hurt now,” he said, which only came out in gibberish.

The council moved from the table to stand on the outer circle, one at each spoke engraved in the floor. The Grand Mage was directly in front of Ahnon. “Your sire’s amulet?” he asked.

Fumbling, Ahnon held up two necklaces with medallions like the one around his neck. Mumbling several times, he bit his tongue to let it know he was still in charge. “Have them,” he finally got out, holding a necklace in each hand.

“I thought you were only going to serve one, sire?” the Grand Mage asked, never hearing of an infusion with two amulets.

Struggling to make his mouth and tongue work, he slurred, “Need two.” He knew what he wanted to say, but none of his muscles were listening.

“Very well, Ahnon. Prepare yourself the best you can,” the Grand Mage said as a door opened on the left side of the hall. Twelve nude people were led in, men and women, and one was placed in front of each mage. The Grand Mage looked at Ahnon with some sorrow in his eyes. This was the tenth infusion he had done since taking over the council and countless others when he was a prime mage, but this was first time he felt true regret for the recipient. He felt remorse for all of them after the first time, but this was different. In his heart, he admitted to himself, he really liked Ahnon. “I hope you get your freedom one day, Ahnon. I really think you deserve a little happiness in this world,” the Grand Mage said, startling several of the other mages.

He reached in his robe and pulled out several spell components then raised his arms toward the mages beside him. “Let’s begin,” the Grand Mage said, and the group started reciting the spell.

Outside the citadel, a mile away to the high, stone walls surrounding it, a scream was heard resonating from inside the hall. The pain that could be heard in the scream made servants and soldiers who had never been at the conservatory during an infusion drop to their knees. The scream only stopped long enough for another breath then started again. As the afternoon wore on, many wondered how someone could even stay conscious with that much pain as the solitary scream continued resonating out of the citadel as dusk fell.