Arcanius Read online

  Arcanius

  Avondale Book IV

  by

  Toby Neighbors

  Arcanius,

  © 2015, Toby Neighbors

  Published by Mythic Adventure Publishing

  Idaho, USA

  Copy Editing by Allison Hagan

  Books By Toby Neighbors

  Avondale Series

  Avondale

  Draggah

  Balestone

  Arcanius

  Five Kingdoms Series

  Wizard Rising

  Magic Awakening

  Hidden Fire

  Fierce Loyalty

  Crying Havoc

  Evil Tide

  Wizard Falling

  Lorik Trilogy

  Lorik

  Lorik the Defender

  Lorik the Protector

  Other Novels

  Third Prince

  Royal Destiny

  The Other Side

  The New World

  Zompocalypse Omnibus

  Short Stories

  Dark Origin

  Dedication

  To Millie

  You’re it, you’re the one.

  Avondale Spell List

  Spells of the First Order

  •Simple Cuts - Sano Grasilis Abscido

  •Fever - Sano Frebricula Reducto

  •Seasonal Ailments - Sano Retrorsum Adgravesco

  •Broken Bones - Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis

  •Lacerations - Sano Sarcio Acies Deprimo Abscido

  •Internal Bleeding - Acies Penetralis Deprimo Sano Crudus Viscus

  •Burns - Acies Sano Cuticula, Acies Penetralis Resarcio Viscus

  Corporeus Adfectus - The physical connection with another person, so that you feel what they feel

  Spells of the Fourth Order

  Basic spells:

  •Fire - Accendo

  •Light - Fulsi

  •Wind - Flabra

  Intermediate spells:

  •Lightning - Fulguralis

  •Focusing Light - Specula Fulsi

  •Cyclone - Furibundus Nimbosus

  Advanced Spells:

  •Crucible - Conflo Fervefacio Aestifer

  •Destruction - Motus Tellus Aboleo

  •Sealing - Phoca Obduresco Aevum Infragilis

  Princess Ariel’s Practical Spell List

  •Fire - Ingesco Exsuscito

  •Far Sight - Ultimus Conspectus

  •Find North - Repperi Arctoa

  •Find Water - Repperi Amnis

  •Calm Minds - Quievi Adfectus

  •Cloaking Spell - Abdidi Incantatio

  •Shielding Spell - Scuti Incantatio

  •Summon Wind - Vocavi Ventus

  •Sleep Spell - Somni Incantatio

  Prologue

  The chamber was dark and cold, but the men inside continued their ritual. Each held a candle, letting the wax drip down the long tapers and scald their hands. They held shades over the flames so that the feeble light only revealed their feet and the narrow passage that led back out of the cave, never revealing the faces of the men. It was better that they couldn’t recognize each other, better that they only knew their secret brothers by voice. The men weren’t important, how they made a living or their level of social standing wasn’t important, only the truth was important. It was remembered and retold. The purge had wiped out any trace of magic in the nine cities of Valana, but the stories remained. Each one meticulously retold as the brotherhood met. The stories were true, and while they weren’t known outside of the secret society, they were known by the members whose collective memories ensured that the stories weren’t exaggerated or that the potency of the truth wasn’t diminished.

  The brotherhood always met at night, each member finding their way through the curved streets of Avondale and down to the lowest level. The entrance to the chamber looked like any other hovel carved into the soft, volcanic rock that formed the foundations of Avondale. But the door was marked with a small symbol, an upside-down triangle with a circle just below it. To most people the small symbol, which was burned black into the dull gray wood, looked like a keyhole, but to the brotherhood it too told a story.

  Three stones, the story went. Common stones, yet not ordinary stones. Each possessing a unique power. From the Four Orders came the Emerystone, a tool to help all mankind. From the Dark Orders came the Portentstone, a gem to guide the masterful. And from the Nether realm came the Balestone, the key to enduring vengeance. Three stones, three points of the triangle, three treasures with the power to seal or to lay bare the entire world.

  Once the stories were all told, the brotherhood disbanded. They left the cavern one by one, making their way down the narrow corridor that was little more than a crack in the mountainside, to the empty home where they could reemerge without drawing attention to themselves. It was a solemn ceremony, and no one hurried, even though their secret rites lasted late into the night. Every full moon they gathered, twelve men in all. New members were only admitted once a fully vested brother had died. There was no gain for the brotherhood, only sacrifice and the knowledge that they kept the truth alive. And the truth was not only valuable, it was needed—they all knew that. One day their truth would save Valana, but only if they kept the truth and kept it secret.

  Chapter 1

  Tiberius

  The sky ship was flying just below the thick layer of mist that covered the blighted lands. It had been difficult to convince the captain of the huge vessel to dip down into the unknown, and many of his men had been terrified, but Tiberius had healed Rafe’s wounds and then his own broken nose and swollen eye. That little bit of magic had been enough to convince the captain that Tiberius could be trusted, and the captain’s fury was potent enough to spur his men into action.

  They had rescued Lexi from a pack of graypees and then coaxed their horses onto the floating ship. Tiberius had used his summon wind spell to propel the sky ship away from the mountains, and they were now headed south over the great, sweeping plains that were the home of the nomadic Hoskali tribes. Every sailor not busy in the rigging of the huge vessel was busy peering down at the bright green mossy grass and the magnificent tamaka herds that were roaming far below them.

  Olyva’s sisters watched in awe from the bow of the sky ship, while Tiberius healed their mother’s broken ribs.

  “Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis,” Tiberius chanted softly.

  It was not a difficult spell to cast, but it did require Tiberius’ complete mental focus. He had to direct the flow of healing magic into the countess’ broken body. She had been ruthlessly beaten, although her torturer had not struck her anywhere that might show the extent of her abuse.

  “It was a nightly occurrence since he returned from Sparlan Citadel,” Countess Mauryn had explained. “He was never a violent man. He never raised a hand to me before, but he was different once he returned.”

  “It wasn’t Father,” Olyva said. “Just his body.”

  “I had no regress,” the countess went on. “I tried to fend him off, but that only seemed to make him enjoy beating me even more.”

  “What kind of animal would do such a thing?” Rafe had said.

  “A vicious one,” Lexi said. “Abuse like that is common in Avondale.”

  Tiberius and Rafe both looked at Lexi as if she had lost her mind, but she merely nodded and went on.

  “I saw men beat their wives and their children. I saw bodies tossed outside to die with absolutely no remorse. The paladins rarely did anything more than dispose of the bodies.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Rafe said.

  “You can believe me or not,” Lexi said. “My point is that some men are depraved and will do anything to ease their own pain, eve
n if only for a few moments.”

  Dancer, the furry little wind glider who was constantly on Lexi’s shoulder, trilled sadly.

  “Earl Marcus or whoever it was didn’t do it to ease his pain,” the countess said. “He enjoyed it.”

  “Oh, Mother,” Olyva said, sitting down next to her mother on the bed.

  Countess Mauryn took Olyva’s hand, but Tiberius noticed that she seemed to be enjoying the attention. He had cast his healing spell shortly thereafter, and normally he would have done his magical work and been done, but something was distracting him. It wasn’t the noise of the sailors as they saw the wonders of the blighted lands or the creaking of the rigging above their cabin. It was the Balestone. The small rock seemed to come alive whenever Tiberius worked magic. He felt the stone calling to him. It was distracting at best, but at times it almost seemed to be taunting him.

  Tiberius had no idea how an inanimate object like a stone could possibly speak to him, even if it was a magical stone, but the Balestone seemed to call to him. It promised him power and strength, both of which were tempting to Tiberius, but it also seemed sly and disingenuous, which gave Ti an ill feeling. He had suspicions that the Balestone was evil, but he had no proof, only his intuition. Still, he was learning to trust his gut. So he kept the Balestone wrapped in the cheesecloth and packed in one of his leather saddlebags.

  Tiberius felt a deep ache in his side as he continued to chant the bone-mending spell. He had expected the pain; it was part of the healing process. The wizard was forced to endure the patient’s pain as he worked the spell into their broken bodies. It was called Corporeus Adfectus and was almost like a magical empathy. Still, no matter how prepared he was for the pain, it was always difficult to manage.

  The pain in Ti’s side made it difficult to breathe. His chanting became weaker, and the cadence he naturally fell into as he recited the words to the spell suddenly became disjointed and choppy. Tiberius felt the magic begin to slip away, and the Balestone seemed amused by his struggle. He forced his mind to remain on the countess’s injuries and he continued to chant through gritted teeth.

  “Acies Intrinsecus Accipio Ceptum Sarcio Adiflictus Ossis.”

  As the bones mended magically back together, Ti’s pain lessened and then vanished altogether. There was bruising that Tiberius didn’t bother trying to heal. The countess would be sore for a few days, but she was no longer in great pain.

  “I feel better,” she said, breathing deeply.

  “Good,” Tiberius said. “You’re still bruised, but there isn’t anything to worry about. Get up and move around. It might even help work out the soreness.”

  “You’re a gifted healer,” the countess said, sitting up on the bed.

  “He’s a wizard, Mother,” Olyva said.

  Tiberius noticed that Olyva was watching her mother closely as she called Tiberius a wizard. The old prejudice against magic took time to overcome, and from the way Countess Mauryn stiffed at the sound of the word wizard, Tiberius was convinced that his patient wasn’t at ease with the idea of magic, even if it had just been used to heal her broken ribs.

  She got slowly to her feet, and Olyva helped her mother out onto the deck. Rafe and Lexi moved in closer to Tiberius. Rafe leaned against the wall near the head of the bed, and Lexi sat down on the floor. Dancer nestled down into Lexi’s lap and closed her eyes as Lexi stroked the little animal’s back.

  “So, what’s our next move?” Rafe asked.

  “Are we really going back to Avondale?” Lexi asked.

  “I can’t imagine any safer place for Olyva’s family,” Tiberius said. “I can’t see them living with the Hoskali.”

  “No,” Rafe said. “That would never work.”

  “It might be their only option, but we should at least try Avondale. We might not be popular there, but Olyva’s family has done nothing wrong. My father would have granted them asylum, at least until he figured out what else could be done.”

  “Your father’s not in power anymore,” Rafe said, trying to be delicate. “Otherwise he would have been in Sparlan Citadel for your brother’s coronation.”

  “I know, but it’s the only one of the nine cities that isn’t under Leonosis’ control,” Tiberius said.

  “So what do we do once we get there?” Rafe said.

  “Speak to whoever is in control of the city. There must be someone in charge. They may not want to deal with us, but they won’t turn away a countess.”

  Olyva came back in the cabin, smiling. Tiberius knew she preferred to be out on the deck in the amber sunlight that filtered through the barrier of mist, but she also wanted to be near Rafe. The young warrior seemed more accepting and affectionate since their escape from Hamill Keep, and Olyva was eager to be close to him.

  “There’s a tribe of Hoskali down below,” Olyva said. “Their tents look like tiny mushrooms from up here.”

  “There are times when I wish we had never left them,” Tiberius said.

  “Your brother was busy while we were away. Eventually he would have come after us,” Rafe said.

  “Do you really believe that?” Ti asked. “Do you think he would have come down into the blighted lands?”

  “You were the one who said he wanted that stone you found,” Rafe explained. “So yes, I think at some point your brother would have found you. When you defied him in Avondale, you made an enemy for life.”

  “He has everything he always wanted now,” Tiberius said. “Perhaps he wouldn’t have wanted to come after us.”

  “He killed and bewitched the earls of seven cities,” Lexi said sadly. “And somehow arranged the king’s death. Let’s not pretend that things will be safe for anyone, and if your brother sends his armies into the blighted lands, the Hoskali will be massacred.”

  “She’s right,” Rafe said. “We have to do something.”

  “Well,” Tiberius said. “I’m open to ideas.”

  “What do we know for sure?” Olyva said calmly. “We should think through it all before we decide to do anything.”

  “We know that Princess Ariel is a witch,” Lexi said.

  Rafe laughed, and Tiberius frowned.

  “Queen Ariel now,” Ti added. “We know whoever was controlling Earl Marcus’s body wants the Balestone.”

  “And we know who has the magic rock,” Rafe said.

  “What else?” Olyva asked.

  “We know that Leonosis is King of Valana,” Tiberius said.

  “Oh, Ti, could you use your magic to heal your father?” Lexi asked.

  “I don’t know,” Tiberius said. “Maybe, but I’m not sure I want to.”

  “Earl Aegus was never a kind man,” Rafe added.

  “No, but he wasn’t bewitched like the other earls,” Lexi said. “Maybe he would fight against them.”

  “He would be fighting against his own son,” Rafe said. “Who is now his king.”

  “Well, it was just a thought,” Lexi said.

  “It’s worth considering,” Tiberius replied.

  “It is?” Rafe asked in surprise.

  “Well think about it, Rafe,” Tiberius argued. “If the queen wants the Balestone, she’s bound to send someone after it. Avondale is the only logical place for us to go. If we could convince my father to maybe stall for a while, it would give us a chance to escape.”

  “Better yet, we don’t heal Earl Aegus and help Tiberius take over the city,” Rafe said.

  “I can’t do that,” Tiberius said.

  “Why not? We’ll be heroes. We survived the terrors of the blighted lands, rescued Countess Mauryn’s family and returned to a city without an Earl.”

  “Leonosis will want Brutas to be Earl,” Tiberius said.

  “He’s a lout, and everyone knows it. They’ll follow you if we ask them to.”

  Tiberius felt the Balestone flaring to life. It was coaxing him forward, urging him to take control of Avondale. Part of him wanted to take the rock and throw it overboard, but he knew he couldn’t. If Leonosis and Ariel wanted
the stone, then they had some evil purpose in mind for it. Tiberius had no illusions that the Balestone would resist being used for evil. The small stone was literally pulsing with magical power and begging to be used, but Tiberius knew he couldn’t dabble with something he knew nothing about. He needed to keep the stone hidden until he could discover what it really was and why it was always coaxing him to seek more power and control over the people around him.

  “No,” Tiberius said. “And please don’t bring that possibility up again. Our first priority has to be keeping the Balestone away from Leonosis and Ariel. We need to find out why they want it and what it was made for.”

  “Or we could just throw it into the lake at the middle of Avondale,” Rafe said. “The water is too deep and too cold for anyone to find it there.”

  Tiberius was suddenly reminded of a dream he’d been having. It was a nightmare, really. He was climbing up a mountain that was on fire. He was forced to climb up bones and skulls as smoke belched from the summit of the mountain. Ashes floated down like dirty gray snowflakes. Tiberius could hear a mocking laughter as he struggled up the mountain, and even though he was terrified, he couldn’t stop. He always woke up sweating, his body tense from the strain of the climb in his dreams.

  “I don’t know what we should do, but one thing is certain,” Tiberius said. “I have to find out what the stone was created for and what to do with it. I’m sure that will take me away from Avondale and back into the blighted lands. I won’t ask you all to come with me, but I know that’s what I have to do.”

  “You never have to ask,” Rafe said. “You know that.”

  “I left Avondale to be with you,” Lexi said simply. “I won’t stay if you’re not there. To be honest, I don’t know that I want to stay.”

  “I feel much the same,” Rafe said. “I don’t think I can go back to standing watch on a city wall.”

  “And I want to feel the soft turf of the plains beneath my feet again,” Olyva said.