The Lost Mage (The Age of Oracles Book 2)
The
Lost Mage
By Ben Hale
Text Copyright © 2017 Ben Hale
All Rights Reserved
To my family and friends,
Who believed
And to my wife,
Who is perfect
The Chronicles of Lumineia
By Ben Hale
—The Age of Oracles—
The Rogue Mage
The Lost Mage
The Battle Mage
—The Master Thief—
Jack of Thieves
Thief in the Myst
The God Thief
—The Second Draeken War—
Elseerian
The Gathering
Seven Days
The List Unseen
—The Warsworn—
The Flesh of War
The Age of War
The Heart of War
—The White Mage Saga—
Assassin's Blade (Short story prequel)
The Last Oracle
The Sword of Elseerian
Descent Unto Dark
Impact of the Fallen
The Forge of Light
Table of Contents
The Chronicles of Lumineia
Map of Lumineia
Chapter 1: The Hunted
Chapter 2: Call to Arms
Chapter 3: Raiden’s Gambit
Chapter 4: Lost
Chapter 5: Fighting Shadows
Chapter 6: The Lone Vale
Chapter 7: The Mage Empire
Chapter 8: The Trapped Princess
Chapter 9: Flight
Chapter 10: Elenyr’s Secret
Chapter 11: Goyle
Chapter 12: Escape
Chapter 13: Marrow
Chapter 14: Skykeep
Chapter 15: King Zoric
Chapter 16: Whisper
Chapter 17: Hummingbird
Chapter 18: Father
Chapter 19: Hidden Allies
Chapter 20: Two Lives to Save
Chapter 21: Roq
Chapter 22: The Second Target
Chapter 23: Sorn’s Fate
Chapter 24: Teriah’s Offer
Chapter 25: A Family Broken
Chapter 26: Seeking the Lost
Chapter 27: The Demon Dwarf
Chapter 28: The Darkforge
Chapter 29: Broken
Chapter 30: Elsin’s Intrigue
Chapter 31: Marrow’s Choice
Chapter 32: An Oracle’s Mantle
Chapter 33: Elenyr’s Burden
Chapter 34: Home
Chapter 35: Lost in Memory
Chapter 36: Promoted
Chapter 37: The Mercenary
Chapter 38: The Gift
Chapter 39: Augmented
Chapter 40: First Strike
Chapter 41: Dawnbreak
Chapter 42: Arcship
Chapter 43: The Pheonix of Therendor
Chapter 44: Empowered
Chapter 45: Enraged
Chapter 46: Death of Dawnskeep
Chapter 47: Reunion
Chapter 48: The High Oracle
Epilogue: Alydian’s Might
The Chronicles of Lumineia
Author Bio
Map of Lumineia
Chapter 1: The Hunted
Raiden slammed his fist on the table. The sound startled the others, ending their argument and drawing all eyes to him. In the ensuing silence he struggled to contain his anger, the muscles of his neck clenching as he spoke.
“It’s been two months,” he said. “Alydian didn’t just disappear.”
“Easy,” Jester said, and offered a faint smile. “She’s too beautiful to be dead.”
Red snorted. “Although his logic is ridiculous, Jester is right. They wouldn’t have killed her.”
Raiden looked between them, wanting to shout, to rage against their logic. But they had fought together for years and he trusted them with his life. Their words also carried the ring of truth.
A former assassin, Jester was tall and slender, a perpetual smile on his face. For weapons he favored a sword and shadow whip, but he carried a number of other blades. He could have armed a small army with his collection of knives alone.
Sitting beside him, Red was Jester’s opposite in many ways. She’d been raised on a farm and married a soldier, and had never touched a sword until her husband had been killed. Then she’d armed herself and gone to war, throwing herself into training with unmatched zeal.
They had been Raiden’s lieutenants since he’d become the Soldier. Both had suffered at the hands of the Verinai, and together they had started a war with the mighty guild. He’d thought the Verinai were a threat, but never realized the magnitude of the Verinai’s ambitions.
Comprised of mages with multiple talents, the Verinai had existed since the Dawn of Magic. For thousands of years they had been a beacon to the races. They had built cities, increased the yield of crops to stave off famine, and created hundreds of new spells, all to aid the people of Lumineia. But over the last century they had secretly turned themselves into an army. With the oracles as allies, they had positioned themselves to turn the divided races into a Mage Empire.
Until Alydian defied them.
As the youngest oracle on the council, Alydian had known nothing of the coming betrayal. Then she’d begun secretly training as a Runeguard, and learned the truth of the impending treason. She’d united with Raiden to bring the guild’s actions to light, ultimately facing another oracle on the council. In the ensuing duel Oracle Raine had been killed and Alydian had disappeared.
The next week the Verinai and remaining oracles had overtaken the human and elven kingdoms in a single swift strike, eliminating political and military leaders that opposed them. Verinai guards turned on their royal masters, leaving nobles dead and their lands in control of the Verinai. Rather than condemn the action, the oracles had joined with them, and now called themselves oracle empresses. Shocked and bereft of leaders or allies, the people woke to find themselves living in a Mage Empire.
Many tried to resist, but the Verinai were positioned throughout the human and elven kingdoms, and the insurrection died before it began. Soldiers loyal to their kingdoms filled the prisons, with the more vocal scheduled for execution.
With any potential rebellion quelled, the oracles launched an Empire-wide hunt for Raiden and his band of Defiant. With the noose tightening by the day, Raiden and his lieutenants had searched for Alydian, but failed to discover her fate. When the hunters began to close in, Raiden and his companions had taken refuge in an abandoned inn several days outside of Terros.
Raiden turned to the last person at the table. “What do you think?”
Devkin sat with his arms folded, his eyes staring into the distance. His salted black hair had grown disheveled in recent weeks. Grizzled and formidable, he’d risen in the ranks of the Runeguard without a shred of magic, becoming a weapons master, tactician, and warrior. But that had ended when he’d lost his foot.
Devkin had been captain of Alydian’s guard prior to her disappearance and had joined her in their infiltration of Verisith. They had retrieved evidence to prove the Verinai’s assassination of King Talin, but Devkin had lost the lower half of his leg during their escape. His clothes were rumpled and he’d grown a beard. A shadow tinged his gaze and he looked like half a man.
“They would not kill her,” Devkin finally said. “Her mother is too old to bear another child, so killing Alydian would end another oracle bloodline.”
“They would force her to bear a child?” Jester asked, incredulous.
Devkin rubbed his beard and looked away, but did not answer. Raiden
sighed and sank into his seat. “If she is alive, that means they hold her captive.”
“How does one trap an oracle?” Red asked, folding her arms. “They can do every type of magic—even see fragments of the future.”
“Enough anti-magic would cage anyone,” Jester said, reaching back to flick his anti-magic sword.
Raiden leaned back in his chair, his anger fading into doubt. “The question remains, how can we help her if we cannot find her?”
Devkin growled at the question. “We can’t,” he retorted, stabbing a finger at the room. “Not from this hole of a refuge.”
Raiden couldn’t argue with that. The inn had been abandoned decades ago and the forest had sought to claim it. Vines lined the walls, with some threading their way into the dilapidated interior.
Barrels and crates lined the basement, their bulk hiding a secret door leading to their private room. The hidden chamber contained dingy beds and a table in the center. The room had been their home for weeks while the patrols of soldiers hunted for them. Devkin stood and grabbed his crutch, hobbling to the door.
“You’ll be recognized if you go outside,” Red warned. “The Verinai might have lightcast birds in the air.”
“They won’t recognize me,” Devkin said bitterly, pointing to the absent leg.
Raiden made to rise but Devkin managed to swing the door open and exit. As it clicked shut Jester sighed.
“He’s right,” Jester said with a sigh. “The patrols won’t look twice at a man with one leg. They’d never suspect he’s a Runeguard captain.”
“Former captain,” Red corrected him. “He helped Alydian infiltrate Verisith to free a criminal, and the Verinai have branded him a criminal and traitor. If he is recognized they will execute him.”
Raiden blew out his breath and stood to pace. “How did we get into this mess?” he asked. “Eight months ago we’d gathered over two thousand to our cause. We weren’t exactly winning, but we were making a difference against the Verinai.”
“Then you attacked Alydian,” Jester said, a sly grin on his face. “Who knew you would fall for her?”
Red grinned. “He has a point. That was the moment everything escalated.”
Raiden laughed sourly, realizing they were right. He’d attacked her hoping to send a message to the council, never suspecting she would ultimately reveal the depth of Verinai treachery. Or be the one he loved.
Raiden sank back into his seat. “We didn’t know that the entire Eldress Council had signed an accord with the Verinai.”
“We’re not out of this fight yet,” Jester said. “The Verinai’s attempt to wrest control of the kingdoms has only been a partial success. They only control the human and elven regions, and their Empire is rife with conflict.”
“The commoners are seething,” Red said, nodding her head in agreement. “The Verinai are hard-pressed to keep them in line. Even with prisons full the people continue to resist.”
“Many still follow the oracles,” Raiden replied. “And we all know that the majority of the populace is undecided. Rumors make it hard for them to discern truth from falsehood.”
Jester snorted a laugh. “A week ago I heard that a dragon had attacked the Dawnskeep and killed Teriah and Alydian—sent on orders from a rogue assassin.”
Red laughed. “You’re the only Guild Assassin left. What have you been up to?”
“I would never kill Alydian.” Jester grinned. “Teriah is another matter entirely.”
“What do we know of her location?” Raiden asked, the levity grating on his thoughts.
“We’ve lost two trackers when they tried to follow her,” Red said. “She is an oracle, after all.”
Raiden shook his head. “Don’t send any more.”
“We need a plan,” Jester said, folding his arms. “We are stuck down here trying to send orders by messenger, but the Defiant are itching for action. I know you want to find Alydian, but we need to focus or we’re going to lose everyone.”
Raiden hated to admit it, but Jester was right. They’d spent weeks searching for Alydian without so much as a hint to her whereabouts. While they’d been preoccupied, the Verinai had been busy preying on the fears of the people. Claiming a desire to protect them against instability, they were spreading their forces throughout the kingdoms.
Raiden resumed his seat and forced himself to consider their choices. “What are our assets?”
Jester and Red exchanged a surprised look at his willingness to discuss anything outside of Alydian, a distinct shift from past conversations. Jester recovered first and leaned in.
“We have two thousand Defiant scattered across the former human kingdom, with another five hundred in the elven and dwarven realms.”
“Allies?”
“None,” Red said, folding her arms. “The Verinai are still claiming you killed King Talin, and his daughter hasn’t been seen since the Empire took the kingdom. The Verinai also insist that the Soldier killed Raine, so portions of the populace have turned against us.”
“And the other bandit groups?” Raiden asked.
“Most won’t talk to us,” Jester said. “The Mage Empire has issued an execution order on anyone found to be an associate of the Defiant.”
Raiden rubbed his forehead, for the first time regretting his insistence that they focus on Alydian first. Jester and Red had tried to warn him that their situation was becoming more dire by the day, but he’d thought that finding Alydian would return them from the brink. Now he was forced to admit that if she was alive, she was lost.
“Anything else?” Raiden asked. “I may as well hear it all.”
Red leaned back in her seat. “A Verinai patrol found a Defiant camp in Keese. All but Shalin were captured or killed.”
“How many did we lose?”
“Two score,” Jester said. “Maybe more. Shalin’s message wasn’t clear.”
“They will use the captured to learn of other camps,” Raiden said. “Order the others to abandon their camps and separate. Until we figure out our next move, they can hide in the cities.”
“I’ll dispatch a bird,” Jester said, rising to his feet and heading to the lightcast bird on the roof, their primary means of communication with the Defiant.
When he was gone Raiden looked to Red. “Are we doomed?”
Red regarded him for several moments. “At least we’ll die together.”
“That’s not what I want to hear,” he said.
“What do you want me to say?” Red asked with a shrug. “You risked everything on helping Alydian get the proof of Verinai treachery. Now she’s gone and the proof is probably destroyed—and the Verinai know that you’re the Soldier. That was our greatest advantage and now it’s gone.”
“I know,” Raiden said, his anger rising. “Why do you think we’ve been stuck here?”
“I’m just pointing out that we don’t really have any options,” she said. “The noose is closing about our necks.”
“I kept the Soldier alive for six years against the Verinai,” Raiden said, pulling out the mask and dropping it on the table.
“Our foe was the Verinai,” Red said, “now it’s the oracles of Lumineia. Our fate was sealed before we even started the fight.”
That set Raiden back. “You thought we would fail?”
“I thought it probable,” she said.
“Then why did you join me?” Raiden asked.
“Because I didn’t care,” Red said. “I wanted to hurt the Verinai for what they did to me and that’s what I’ve been able to do, because of you.”
“I didn’t want to hurt them,” Raiden said. “I wanted to end them.”
“Only Ero can do that,” Red said with a smile. “Or maybe Alydian.”
“Ero may be a god,” Raiden said, “but he hasn’t been seen since the Dawn of Magic. He’s not going to save us. We have to save ourselves.”
“If anyone can break the Empire, it’s you.”
Raiden looked away. “But how?” he asked. “We are
surrounded by foes and have no allies.”
She laughed without humor. “Perhaps an ally will come to us.”
“Not likely.”
The door suddenly burst open and Toron entered. Tall, with long black hair, the man was a shadowmage and Verinai, the only one that Raiden trusted. His expression brought them to their feet.
“Someone is at the door,” he said. “And they’re asking for the Soldier.”
Red snorted. “I didn’t really think an ally would appear.”
Raiden stepped to the secret door and swung it open, the false barrels swinging open as well. He stepped into the basement and followed Toron up the stairs to the basement door. Devkin sat at a table, and didn’t even glance up from the full mug of ale resting in front of him.
Raiden made his way to a window to peek outside. He’d expected a small army but it was merely a single elven woman in a cloak and cowl. The material was of impressive make, marking her as one with means, but little else was visible.
Night had fallen an hour ago and the forest was steeped in shadows and moonlight, the illumination insufficient to discern her identity. She was slender and beautiful, and something about her seemed timeless. Raiden frowned and glanced to Toron, lowering his voice in case the woman was a sound mage.
“Sweep the woods. If there is an ambush waiting, I want to know about it.”
The man nodded and darted outside, taking Red with him. As they left Jester entered and joined Raiden at the window. Raiden returned his focus to the woman—and found her staring right at him. Although there was no way she could see him through the gap in the curtain, she smiled and reached up to remove the cowl.
“Hello, Soldier,” she called. “Care to invite me in?”
As Raiden sucked in his breath Jester leaned close. “You know her?”
“Of course,” Raiden said. “That’s Elenyr, first Sister of the Eldress Council—and Alydian’s mother.”
Chapter 2: Call to Arms
Raiden stepped to the door and swung it open, but remained in the darkened interior. His gaze swept the forest. Verinai were adept at using their magic to hide but if they had come to kill him, why not just strike at the house with him inside it? Elenyr smiled at his caution and gestured to the anti-magic sword in his hand.