within, the knowledge of several rare portal spells. As I suspected!” He tapped his finger on the scroll. “The World’s Portal spell. Indeed, Aurellia wanted you to find this spell. Without a doubt, he expects you will come to the world he’s escaped to.”
“Then it appears we have no choice.” Talis eyed Mara’s terrified expression. “What do we have to do?”
The sorcerer’s mouth opened in a gleeful expression of victory. “This scroll alone is not enough to cast a World’s Portal. There are many bindings to cast first. Bindings of Shadow Magic.” He glanced at Mistress Cavares. “I believe the archives possess this knowledge?”
“This is unknown to me, I haven’t mastered portals. I would venture to say Talis is the first of our Order to gain this knowledge.”
“How typically stupid of your Order . You possess scrolls of ancient knowledge and yet you fail to put them to good use?” Palarian scoffed in disgust. “I suppose we have no choice but to search your archives. I know the names of the bindings in the ancient language. Do you at least have a key or a method to open the archive cabinets?”
Mistress Cavares narrowed her eyes at the sorcerer. “Do I look like an utter fool?”
“Now, now, I was raised to have better manners than that. A simple yes will suffice. Good. Shall we search?”
As Palarian turned to head up the stairs, the loud clapping of boots against stone could be heard in the chamber upstairs. Talis tensed, was it the guards of House Lei come to arrest him? He fingered a rune in his pocket containing a portal spell to the temple. He would cast it in a moment if he needed to escape with Mara. Perhaps there was a way for him to remove the shell she was encased in.
“Talis!” shouted his father, Garen Storm. He was flanked by his captain of the guard and Master Grimelore. After he paused to catch his breath, Father grasped Talis’s arm. “They’ve gone to destroy the Temple…House Lei and many of the Order, and all their guardsmen.”
Without hesitation, Talis placed the rune and cast the binding near Mara.
“I’ll stay here and search the archives,” Palarian said. “For the sake of the girl’s life, do not attempt to damage or open the cocoon. Only my magic can remove it without killing her.”
Talis scowled at the sorcerer, then stepped on the ground where the ward had been placed, and Nikulo helped him tug Mara’s cocoon through the portal. Thunder rumbled from inside.
12. UNDER THE TEMPLE
Talis could hear the patter of hail and the booming of thunder strike the temple roof. Why were his own people trying to destroy the only thing that could save them? Lightning flashed outside, striking the beams and rafters, sending a shower of dust and smoke over their heads. Nikulo covered his mouth and coughed, and motioned Talis outside.
“She’ll be safe in here,” Nikulo shouted.
Talis studied the heavy wooden beams above, then nodded, and followed him outside. Charna yowled when she saw Talis approach.
“Go inside with Mara, keep her safe.” Charna padded inside the temple.
Talis rushed around a corner and ran headlong into a Lei guardsman wielding a broadsword. Talis dodged the man’s quick thrust, and shot a burst of focused wind at the soldier’s chest, catapulting him a hundred feet back into the arms of several wizards casting spells outside.
A band of guardsmen fell to their knees and raised their shields defensively.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” yelled Talis. “Just leave the temple and go home!”
Archers from the rear flanks sent a barrage of arrows at Talis and Nikulo’s position. Talis inhaled the breath of fire and cascaded a wave of flame into the sky, incinerating the assault. The guardsmen wielding shields had edged up during his casting, and were now dangerously close. Talis shot another windstorm at the men, but their shields deflected most of the power until they could bear no more and the force of the wind yanked
“Then it appears we have no choice.” Talis eyed Mara’s terrified expression. “What do we have to do?”
The sorcerer’s mouth opened in a gleeful expression of victory. “This scroll alone is not enough to cast a World’s Portal. There are many bindings to cast first. Bindings of Shadow Magic.” He glanced at Mistress Cavares. “I believe the archives possess this knowledge?”
“This is unknown to me, I haven’t mastered portals. I would venture to say Talis is the first of our Order to gain this knowledge.”
“How typically stupid of your Order . You possess scrolls of ancient knowledge and yet you fail to put them to good use?” Palarian scoffed in disgust. “I suppose we have no choice but to search your archives. I know the names of the bindings in the ancient language. Do you at least have a key or a method to open the archive cabinets?”
Mistress Cavares narrowed her eyes at the sorcerer. “Do I look like an utter fool?”
“Now, now, I was raised to have better manners than that. A simple yes will suffice. Good. Shall we search?”
As Palarian turned to head up the stairs, the loud clapping of boots against stone could be heard in the chamber upstairs. Talis tensed, was it the guards of House Lei come to arrest him? He fingered a rune in his pocket containing a portal spell to the temple. He would cast it in a moment if he needed to escape with Mara. Perhaps there was a way for him to remove the shell she was encased in.
“Talis!” shouted his father, Garen Storm. He was flanked by his captain of the guard and Master Grimelore. After he paused to catch his breath, Father grasped Talis’s arm. “They’ve gone to destroy the Temple…House Lei and many of the Order, and all their guardsmen.”
Without hesitation, Talis placed the rune and cast the binding near Mara.
“I’ll stay here and search the archives,” Palarian said. “For the sake of the girl’s life, do not attempt to damage or open the cocoon. Only my magic can remove it without killing her.”
Talis scowled at the sorcerer, then stepped on the ground where the ward had been placed, and Nikulo helped him tug Mara’s cocoon through the portal. Thunder rumbled from inside.
12. UNDER THE TEMPLE
Talis could hear the patter of hail and the booming of thunder strike the temple roof. Why were his own people trying to destroy the only thing that could save them? Lightning flashed outside, striking the beams and rafters, sending a shower of dust and smoke over their heads. Nikulo covered his mouth and coughed, and motioned Talis outside.
“She’ll be safe in here,” Nikulo shouted.
Talis studied the heavy wooden beams above, then nodded, and followed him outside. Charna yowled when she saw Talis approach.
“Go inside with Mara, keep her safe.” Charna padded inside the temple.
Talis rushed around a corner and ran headlong into a Lei guardsman wielding a broadsword. Talis dodged the man’s quick thrust, and shot a burst of focused wind at the soldier’s chest, catapulting him a hundred feet back into the arms of several wizards casting spells outside.
A band of guardsmen fell to their knees and raised their shields defensively.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” yelled Talis. “Just leave the temple and go home!”
Archers from the rear flanks sent a barrage of arrows at Talis and Nikulo’s position. Talis inhaled the breath of fire and cascaded a wave of flame into the sky, incinerating the assault. The guardsmen wielding shields had edged up during his casting, and were now dangerously close. Talis shot another windstorm at the men, but their shields deflected most of the power until they could bear no more and the force of the wind yanked
Similar Books
