The road to nowhere, p.1
The Road to Nowhere, page 1
Copyright 2023 by Ivy Press
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotation in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America.
First Printing 2023
Map created by sellswordmaps.com
Book cover and interior created by The Illustrated Author Design Services
ISBN (e-book - 979-8-9873409-2-9)
ISBN (hardback979-8-9873409-0-5
ISBN (paperback - 979-8-9873409-1-2)
Ivy Press
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Kerrville TX 78028
www.brookshiresaga.com
Table of Contents
Copyright
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Twenty-Three
Twenty-Four
Twenty-Five
Acknowledgments
About the Author
one
In Which Nothing Is As It Seems
Kasper peeked from behind the tapestries that lined the main hall. Like every other child in the palace, he maintained a reverent fear of the Court’s Master Talmid. As soon as the Talmid turned the corner, his midnight blue robe billowed out, seeming to fill the entire hall. His long brown hair blew as if an indecisive wind swirled around him. With his brow furrowed and a piece of parchment crumpled in his fist, there was no doubting his fury.
The black-haired boy watched through almond shaped eyes as the Talmid raised his empty hand. A loud bang at the opposite end of the hall made everyone jump as a pair of double doors flung open. While Kasper could not see beyond the doors, he knew that his father and the rest of the Council also watched the Master Talmid storm through.
The Talmid made it nearly halfway down the hall before Kasper noticed a white light on the floor, spotlighting the way before him. He could not explain how he knew the light was magic; he just knew. Tiny glowing embers, no bigger than grains of sand, moved around the Talmid, like nothing Kasper had ever seen before. The more he looked, the more he saw. Thousands of them. They billowed his robe, blew his hair—and most impressively—covered his fist that held the crumpled parchment.
Kasper noticed wet black ink on the page. Despite trying, he could not make out the writing. He determined that the marks on the page said nothing at all.
Distracted by the wet ink, he failed to notice that the Master Talmid had stopped his progress down the hall. It wasn’t until the hairs on the back of his neck stood that he noticed the Talmid’s penetrating gaze. A wave of glowing embers swarmed across the room, coming right for him.
He attempted to hide behind the tapestry. “Please don’t hurt me,” he quietly pleaded.
The glowing embers pulled the tapestry back, and once again, Kasper found himself the subject of the Master Talmid’s gaze. The embers continued to billow out the Talmid’s robe and swirl his hair. He dared not look away but in the corner of his eye saw tiny sapphire blue lights keep the glowing embers at bay.
The Master Talmid narrowed his eyes at the boy before he turned back and continued following the white light that led toward the open doors. They slammed shut behind him. Glowing embers filled the gaps around the doors, sealing them.
After the doors closed, more children stepped out from their hiding spots behind the furniture, the tapestries, and the silk drapes. All of them looked at Kasper. He tried to pull the tapestry to hide once again, but the glowing embers refused to let go.
“The Master Talmid stared you down!” Kasper’s older brother, Dariun, cackled from behind a table. “I bet he’s going to turn you into a toad, a great big fat one that will give warts to anybody who touches it.”
The worried glances between the other children told Kasper that his brother’s words very well could be true.
Dariun slunk past his little brother and made his way to the ember-sealed doors. He leaned his ear against the wood before turning back to Kasper with a gleam in his eye. “He sounds really angry. I wonder if he’ll let me watch when he turns you into a toad.” He laughed at the terror his words instilled on his little brother’s face.
The other children gasped at the thought. One by one, they dashed from the room in a desperate attempt to avoid whatever horrible consequences came from being noticed by a Master Talmid.
“You can’t hear anything through that door,” Kasper said with a shaking voice. He looked at the glowing embers and knew that there was no way any sound could get through.
“Oh my! What’s that?” Dariun pointed at his brother’s face with a tormenting grin. “Is that a wart? I think you’re starting to look a little green.”
Kasper touched his face but felt nothing.
His older brother’s eyes widened. “There’s another one!”
He did the only thing he could think of: he ran.
Glancing over his shoulder once he was out of the main hall, he saw glowing embers fill each footprint he left behind on the flagstone floors. Terrified, he ran across the courtyard and out the servants’ exit to the vegetable gardens and did not look back again until he heard the door close behind him. Glowing embers continued to mark his every step.
He stumbled and fell, rolling in a heap between rows of carrots. Panic filled him as embers fell on every bit of the earth he touched. In the corner of the garden, the large sycamore tree offered refuge. He tiptoed to it, trying to touch the ground as little as possible, and climbed until he reached a comfortable branch and looked down. Glowing handprints followed him all the way up the tree.
Nothing could stop the tears from welling up in his eyes.
Master Talmid Tobias could not help but enjoy the surprised looks on the faces inside the king’s council chambers.
Tobias, stay focused, a calming voice only he could hear reminded him. Remember why I brought you here. This is only the first move. Find the source of this magic you do not know. Learn your opponent.
The Talmid looked at the present members of the Council and took note of the empty seats around the table. All Magi on the Council appeared absent, no one with magical abilities remained. Even Satrap Schwartz, while not a Magi himself but whose daughter was a Magi training to be a Talmid, was missing. His eyes fell on his own empty chair. His fist clenched around the crumpled parchment tighter.
“What is the meaning of this?” King Darius bellowed, rising from his seat at the head of the table.
With definitive and menacing steps, Tobias stormed toward his empty seat and slammed the page down on the table making everyone jump. “I should ask you the same thing.” He slid the paper toward the king.
A few necks craned to see as the king picked it up and read. “All this pomp and circumstance over an edict?” His words appeared to ease the tension. Tossing the page on the table, he sat back in his seat. “And one that does not affect you at that. It has nothing to do with any Talmid or even the Magi for that matter. Seriously, Tobias. Why all the fuss?”
“Was this so important that it could not wait until Court was in session? And if it was so important, why wouldn’t you consult your entire Council?”
“I did.” The king motioned to those seated at the table.
“Then why so many empty seats, mine included?”
“Do not expect me to take the blame for you, or anyone else, not showing up when I call my Council to meet.”
Those seated at the table nodded in agreement.
“I expect you to take every bit of responsibility for not informing your entire Council.” Tobias spat, “I will wager those missing also knew nothing about this.”
A low hiss of an unfamiliar and sinister magic emanated from the page on the table. Lie. While the Master Talmid knew no one else there could hear it, he noticed one man responded to the sickening sound. He vaguely recognized him from the Court.
“I personally sent notices to every member of the Council,” the man said, tugging at the collar of his shirt as if it was strangling him.
“Funny. I didn’t receive anything.” Tobias listened as the hiss emanating from the paper grew louder.
“It must have been lost in the post.”
The Talmid eyed the stranger who adjusted his collar once again. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Satrap Iskari, of the Cove District.”
Tobias raised an eyebrow.
“Regent satrap for my father-in-law until my youngest son is old enough to fill the seat.”
“So, you are not a native of the Cove District.” Tobias watched him nervously shake his head. “I believe you are sitting in Satrap Saetang’s seat.”
Do not let him displace you, the hiss from the page said.
“He retired,” Iskari uncomfortably explained.
“And what about his son?”
Do not let him displace you, the page hissed again. Show some confidence.
“Deemed unfit to serve in this capacity.” Iskari sat up in his ch air and squared his shoulders. In a moment of bravery, he looked the Master Talmid in the eye but the bob in his throat gave away his nervous swallow. Once again, he adjusted the collar on his shirt before looking away.
“Please, Tobias. Saetang’s son is a bumbling fool,” the king interjected.
“Soft-spoken and socially awkward hardly makes one a fool,” the Master Talmid said. “His people are some of the most prosperous in all of Khwarree.”
“Which is why he bears the title of satrap and sits on the Court. But that doesn’t mean he has a place on my Council.”
“And what of Saetang’s younger son? What about your in-laws or other satraps actually from the Cove? Why have a regent sitting on your Council?” Tobias could still hear the hiss coming from the paper and knew it was dangerous to allow anyone influenced by it so near the king.
“Captain Saetang is away in the Navy, and I am free to choose whichever satrap I want to advise, Regent or not. You did not come here to discuss my choices for my Council.”
“No, I came with concern as a member of your Council. Why would you make a decision such as this without your entire Council to advise you?”
“You would have been included if you had bothered to show up,” King Darius said, his ire becoming more apparent. “Iskari sent you a notice.”
“Notices to me do not get lost in the mail.” Tobias raised his voice. “He sent me nothing.”
“What’s done is done. Leave it be Tobias,” King Darius warned.
The sinister magic in the page hissed in victory and Tobias’ hand shook in restraint to keep from grabbing the paper to silence the sound. “What you have done, sire, is a detriment to your kingdom. Khwarree is no better off for it. I cannot leave it be.”
King Darius rose to his feet again and faced the Talmid. “Magic is Dangerous!”
“Ignorance is dangerous, yet you do not fight it by regulating knowledge. Lies are dangerous, yet you do not defeat them by withholding the truth. Magic is NOT dangerous, Your Majesty. It’s in the nature of everything, meant for everyone.”
“If it’s for everyone, then why am I, or anyone else here, not a Magi?”
“Because you don’t want to be!” Tobias yelled. “I have served as a member of your Council since you ascended the throne. I served on your grandfather’s Council and countless others for your ancestors. I have always been a friend of this kingdom. If my friendship with you is not enough for you to reconsider, then remember my friendship with all those who came before. Disregarding my counsel is unwise. An edict restricting magic in any way will only weaken Khwarree as a whole.”
Do not let him sway the king, the hiss came again.
“Are you threatening to bring ruin to Khwarree if the king does not bow to your wishes?” Iskari inquired, still tugging at his collar.
“I am not the one bringing ruin to this kingdom. This edict will do that all on its own. It will devastate the people’s way of life. It will divide your people and pit one side against the other. I advise you to rescind this order. Bring your full Council and hear what they would say.”
“It could take a month for them to get here,” the king said. “This matter has already been decreed.”
The paper hissed in victory once more.
“I can have all of them here by tomorrow,” the Master Talmid offered.
“Let it go, Tobias.”
Tobias drove his finger down on the hissing page in front of him. The hiss grew into a manic growl, and he did everything he could to expel it from the parchment. King Darius and his Council watched as black ink oozed from the words until nothing but a large black stain leaking off the edge of the paper remained.
“That is the poison being fed to you with the purpose of tearing Khwarree apart,” he said. “Learn to recognize it before it’s too late.”
A bright light flashed and everyone but the Master Talmid turned away. One by one they glanced back and saw the black stain gone.
The peaceful voice that guided him spoke, calming his anger. You have said what I needed you to say, Tobias. Now I have another important matter for you to address. Say nothing else. It is time for you to go.
Tobias thought of the boy in the hall and turned to leave.
“Parlor tricks,” Satrap Iskari muttered.
You go, Tobias. I will deal with him.
The Master Talmid turned his head just enough so that he could see Satrap Iskari in his periphery and gave the silent voice a half smile and an obedient nod. He left the room in search of the boy.
Kasper sat in the tree, trying to wipe the tears from his face, but they fell faster than he could clear them away.
His efforts to quell his tears did not prevent him from noticing when the Master Talmid stepped from the palace. Kasper tried to convince himself that he no longer appeared angry since his robe didn’t billow and his hair didn’t blow. As he walked past the rows of vegetables and followed the glowing ember footprints, the embers lifted from the soil behind him and dissolved into the mist of burning sand that hung around the Talmid. Intent on watching these strange lights, Kasper’s eyes widened when the Master Talmid climbed the tree to join him.
“How old are you, Prince Kasper?” Tobias asked, sitting on the limb next to the quivering boy.
Kasper tried to answer but his voice got stuck. He held up his fingers, four on each hand.
“Eight then. Why you are practically grown up.”
Kasper sucked in a quivering breath.
“I’m Tobias.”
Kasper gave an almost imperceptible nod.
“Are you afraid of me?” Tobias asked with a smile.
He thought to answer this question aloud too, but his voice was still stuck, so he shook his head no. The Talmid raised an eyebrow, and he changed his answer to a slow nod and scooted a few inches away.
“Please don’t turn me into a toad,” he begged when words dislodged from his throat.
Tobias could do nothing but chuckle. He thought about the edict he was too late to stop and the dangers it could eventually mean for the young prince and every other Magi in the kingdom.
This young prince will do great things. Keep him safe and guide him on the road that leads to me, while you are able. There will come a time when he will be out of your reach. Teach him to follow me before that time comes.
Tobias nodded.
Kasper’s eyes grew wider as the white light he had seen in the main hall backlit the nodding Master Talmid. His chest tightened in fear, and he looked down at his hands, searching for a green tint.
“You have nothing to fear,” Tobias finally said. “I prefer not to turn princes into toads. Or any boy for that matter. They would make terrible toads. Would you care for an apple?”
The Talmid reached into the sleeve of his midnight blue robe and produced the reddest apple Kasper had ever seen. He held it out, and the young boy looked at it skeptically. He then reached into his other sleeve and produced another apple for himself. Kasper took the offered fruit and held it in his hands, turning it over and over but never taking a bite.
Tobias finished his apple and tossed the core to the ground. Kasper half expected the Master Gardener to come running and give a lecture, but as the apple core fell, it disappeared into a swarm of glowing embers.
Kasper looked back at his apple and noticed ember magic moving beneath the bright red peel. “What will happen to me if I eat this?”
“It’s protection. It will keep you safe.”
“Safe from what?”
“From those who would not be happy to discover what I have discovered.” The Talmid looked down at the boy and studied him.
Kasper noticed the glowing ember lights dancing all around himself before returning to the Master Talmid as if reporting to him what they had found. “What’s it telling you?”
Tobias’ eyes looked around the garden in all directions before he put a finger over his lips to hush the Prince. “Eat the apple. Then we’ll talk.”
Kasper watched the Talmid skeptically. The glowing ember lights flew around the garden in every direction as if looking for someone or something before returning, settling in a cloud around the Talmid, and then disappearing altogether. The Talmid looked from him to the apple, and back. Slowly, Kasper raised the fruit to his lips and took a bite.
He half expected it to taste funny, but it didn’t. He then wondered if he should feel any different. He wiggled his toes, rolled his shoulders, flexed what little muscles graced his scrawny arms, and discovered that nothing had changed at all. He did not feel any safer. Nevertheless, the Master Talmid seemed to relax as if whatever was supposed to happen had occurred.
