Chapter Six #2
Only now it was him that was worried while he spread out a blanket on the floor.
He wasn’t sure if she’d bared herself to him on purpose to tempt him or simply didn’t understand her actions were not proper.
Either way, he would have to be careful not to give her the wrong idea about their friendship. This is going to be a long night.
~*~
Dagan and Sidonie followed the same path for most of the day, changing to a different trail once they crossed the Cyan River, a long, winding river that flowed from the Valerian Mountains to the Sea of Sovereign, bordering Sire.
They reached Taten at sundown and were led by guards to one of the large towers in the center of the tall castle.
Leitis was in the hallway with a young man when they approached.
“Dagan, Sidonie. You’ve arrived just in time, it seems,” Leitis said. “Luther is about to begin.”
“Luther is the wizard of Taten,” Dagan said to Sidonie. “Since he’s the oldest living wizard, his kingdom was chosen for the summit, and he’ll be the first to test.”
“That is correct.” Leitis nodded in agreement. “This is my son, Zander.” He gestured to the handsome wizard beside him, who was frowning. “I apologize for his terrible mood. He only visits his mother twice a year and I’m afraid the summit came in the middle of one.”
“I’m standing right here,” Zander said, shaking his head. Then he sauntered off into the tower.
“I apologize again. I’m sure you can remember when you were a seventeen-year-old?” Leitis asked, shaking his head.
Dagan smirked. Yes, he could remember. However, his own childish behavior had come at twenty-one years of age, after the death of his mother. He certainly couldn’t blame the boy for being upset. He didn’t want to be there any more than Zander did.
Leitis entered the tower. Dagan and Sidonie followed. As soon as they were inside, Dagan took Sid’s arm and guided her to a stack of crates near the doorway.
“Stay behind the crates,” he said, his voice low. “You should be able to watch from here, but don’t let anyone see you for more than a moment. There is a lot of magic in this room so hopefully no one will be able to sense yours. But if they do, promise me you will run.”
“I promise.” She could have argued, but the worry in his eyes was enough to make her agree to near anything. They’d discussed the summit on the ride to Taten and even though she didn’t regret coming, she didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention and put herself in danger either.
After Dagan left her side, Sid moved around behind the crates until she found a hole wide enough to see most of the large round room.
In the center was a pedestal with a glass ball sitting on top, about the size of her head.
There were stone steps lining the walls, covered with wizards of all ages, some sitting, some standing.
There were probably well over one hundred men and boys in the room. She hadn’t known there were this many wizards living in the realm. Dagan mentioned there were actually more because wizards under the age of ten could not test for the position and some mages would try to avoid coming at all.
Sidonie watched as one came closer to the pedestal. He must be Luther. His age was definitely showing and Sid wondered how old he really was. Luther looked as if he could have easily been the same age as Elric was when he passed. Maybe older.
The wizard pulled the sleeves of his robes up to his elbows and reached both hands down to the ball. Grabbing the sphere on each side, he lifted it off the pedestal. He stood perfectly still for a moment, but nothing happened. Then he simply sat the ball back down on the pedestal and stepped aside.
Soon after, wizards came forward to pick up the ball, one at a time.
When nothing happened, they placed the ball back on the pedestal and another wizard took their turn.
After failing the test, some wizards left, immediately.
Apparently, they weren’t concerned as to who the Elder Mage was—as long as it wasn’t them.
She glanced over at Dagan, who sat watching dozens of other wizards take the test. Sidonie knew he was in no hurry to find out if he was the Elder Mage.
Being the grandson of the previous Elder Mage, there was a good chance he could take Elric’s place, seeing that strong magic ran deep in his blood.
However, it was a position that she knew he never wanted to hold.
He’d said so several times on their journey there.
Finally, Dagan stood and approached the ball. He took a deep breath and pushed his white hair behind his ears then he reached out and grabbed the sphere. Nothing happened. He sighed in relief and replaced the ball. Leitis followed suit, also failing the test.
Satisfied that he was no longer at risk of being named the Elder Mage, Dagan began to relax. He walked closer to the door and was joined by Leitis as they waited for Zander to finish the test. When Zander failed, he just shrugged and put it back.
Another wizard picked up the ball after Zander. When nothing happened, the wizard slammed the sphere back onto the pedestal, but it didn’t stay. The ball fell to the floor with a loud thud and rolled across the room. It stopped beside the crates.
Instinctively, Sidonie picked it up and turned to hand it to Dagan on the other side.
She held the ball out but he didn’t take it.
She stepped forward and shoved it closer, but he moved backward, a terrified expression on his face.
Confused, she glanced at Leitis, who began to smile at her.
His son, however, looked like he was staring at a ghost.
When she glanced down, a feeling washed over her that made her want to vomit.
The clear ball was no longer clear. Instead, it was filled with a shimmer.
A small golden light started swirling around inside.
Immediately, she dropped it to the floor and looked around.
The remaining wizards in the room were standing and staring at her.
Some looked as terrified and shocked as Dagan and some looked more angry than scared.
“What did I do?” she whispered.
Suddenly, the room erupted into chaos. Men were shouting at each other, and a few tried to approach Sidonie. Dagan jumped in front of her and backed her toward the door.
“Go!” Leitis shouted. “Get out of here!”
Dagan didn’t waste any time. He grabbed Sid’s arm and ran out of the room, followed by Zander.
When they made it to the bottom of the tower, a group of guards rushed past them and up the stairs.
Once outside the castle, they slowed to a walk, trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
It was dark now, making it easier to escape unnoticed.
Zander kept looking behind him, hoping to see his father.
“Don’t worry,” Dagan said. “He’ll be fine.” When they reached the edge of the town, Dagan led them into the forest, summoning light to create an orb to guide them.
“Where are we going?” Zander asked. “Shouldn’t we wait for my father?”
“Once the two of you are safe, I will go back and find him,” Dagan said.
He stopped and looked around, hoping they were far enough away from the kingdom to prevent being seen.
Then he took his dagger from his robes and opened the portal.
After making sure Sidonie and Zander were settled inside, he left the portal.
He was just about to close it when he felt a hand on his shoulder that made him jump.
“I’m sorry,” Leitis said quickly. “Is my son with you?”
“Yes,” Dagan replied, trying to catch his breath. “He’s inside. You’re welcome to stay as well.” He followed the wizard inside and closed the portal behind them.
“I have troubling news,” Leitis said as they walked toward the cottage. “On my way out, I overheard guards talking about a fire near Elmber. A small village was destroyed, the day before last.”
“That is terrible,” Dagan replied, shedding his robes which were covered in sweat from running. “Do you know which village?”
“Yes.” Leitis grabbed Dagan’s arm and stopped him before he could enter the house. “The fires were outside of Elmber, in the forest. It was the Sabras. A fire destroyed the homes of the Sabras.”
“What do you mean?” Sidonie asked from the doorway. “Someone tracked down the Sabras and burned our homes? Why?” Then the realization that her sisters could be injured hit her, hard. “Was anyone hurt?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Dagan, I have to—”
“I know,” Dagan said, turning to pull Sidonie into his arms. “We’ll go at first light.”