other, and soon the pain subsided into something he could bear.
When Ramie regained his composure he opened his eyes to total confusion. Multitudes were on their knees, clasping their heads with anguished faces. Others ran to the gates, desperate for a quick escape. Guards from all over the lands hurried toward the castle, others fought the throng, and others, many of whom were Ren’s guard, were sprawled in their own blood.
Trumpets blared as Valor walked out on the stone balcony above the courtyard. A few murmurs started. Fraul pushed Ramie back until they were at the outskirts of the crowd. Fraul’s grip tightened on Ramie’s arm as Valor’s gaze swept the assemblage.
“Lords and Ladies,” Valor said. “What you have just felt was magic being reborn. As some of you know, I’m of the order of the Collective. We knew this day would come. Today we have been proven right. Each of you now has a choice. You may join us or to join the one who opposes us - Ren Razon.”
Valor turned and held out his hand to the open balcony doors. A wrinkled hand caught hold of Valor’s and a horribly deformed woman emerged from the shadows.
She was rail-thin, with long black patches of hair reaching her waist. Her piercing green eyes had almost sunk to her nose, or what was left of her nose. Two small fissures formed it, and no bridge or bone remained.
Breaths caught and a few women shrieked in terror. The deformed lady seemed to grow even more hideous as her smile withered. Heartbeats later the air around her wavered. As the magic worked she became a beautiful woman with straight jet-black hair and green eyes that scanned the crowd with both sorrow and authority. Multiple gasps filtered through the throng.
“I’m sorry to frighten you, my children,” Ista said, her voice a sweet titillation, “but I wanted you to see me for who I truly am instead of who I once was. My name is Ista Deus and I’m a sorceress from the Alcazar.” She paused as a wave of excited exclamations filtered through the throng. She took another step forward and placed long slender hands on the marble railing, stilling the crowd to silence.
“When magic was destroyed I thought I would die with the rest, but miraculously my life was spared. As a young girl a fall cracked my skull, and the healer had to insert a metal plate to aid in reconstruction. Although the plate blocked the deadly effects of wizard’s destruction, enough of it caught me to melt the plate and change my form. The fire that destroyed the Alcazar did the rest.”
She paused and bowed her head. A few in the crowd murmured about the horror of her story. Ramie felt ill. When Ista looked back up there were tears on her cheeks.
“I formed the Collective in the hopes of preparing you for this day. Prophecy warned me I would have to emerge to fight an evil in the Lands. Ren Razon is that evil. Everyone here knows Ren has battled the Collective’s influence, shunned our prophecies of magic and rebelled against the voice of the people. He cherishes the old religion that glorifies prostrating ourselves before an unknowable Maker, one who cares little about our dreams or ambitions. Ren opposes change and progress, and abhors everyone who has answered the Collective’s call.
“Wyrick worried about Ren’s unyielding attitude and planned to renounce him as heir. That is the very reason Ren took Wyrick’s life. But now, my children, we have the power to stop the evil one. When I saw Ren might escape I called upon the power in you all to fight him. I rebirthed the Quy.”
A few surprised exclamations echoed across the courtyard, and this time there was an underlying current of excitement. Fraul muttered under his breath as Ramie uttered a curse. Only they knew Ren had unleashed the power, but they couldn’t prove it. Everyone had seen the battle, and they had seen Ren flee.
Ista scanned the crowd again. “There’s more grave news, I’m afraid. Valor’s children, Manda and Chris Kahn,
When Ramie regained his composure he opened his eyes to total confusion. Multitudes were on their knees, clasping their heads with anguished faces. Others ran to the gates, desperate for a quick escape. Guards from all over the lands hurried toward the castle, others fought the throng, and others, many of whom were Ren’s guard, were sprawled in their own blood.
Trumpets blared as Valor walked out on the stone balcony above the courtyard. A few murmurs started. Fraul pushed Ramie back until they were at the outskirts of the crowd. Fraul’s grip tightened on Ramie’s arm as Valor’s gaze swept the assemblage.
“Lords and Ladies,” Valor said. “What you have just felt was magic being reborn. As some of you know, I’m of the order of the Collective. We knew this day would come. Today we have been proven right. Each of you now has a choice. You may join us or to join the one who opposes us - Ren Razon.”
Valor turned and held out his hand to the open balcony doors. A wrinkled hand caught hold of Valor’s and a horribly deformed woman emerged from the shadows.
She was rail-thin, with long black patches of hair reaching her waist. Her piercing green eyes had almost sunk to her nose, or what was left of her nose. Two small fissures formed it, and no bridge or bone remained.
Breaths caught and a few women shrieked in terror. The deformed lady seemed to grow even more hideous as her smile withered. Heartbeats later the air around her wavered. As the magic worked she became a beautiful woman with straight jet-black hair and green eyes that scanned the crowd with both sorrow and authority. Multiple gasps filtered through the throng.
“I’m sorry to frighten you, my children,” Ista said, her voice a sweet titillation, “but I wanted you to see me for who I truly am instead of who I once was. My name is Ista Deus and I’m a sorceress from the Alcazar.” She paused as a wave of excited exclamations filtered through the throng. She took another step forward and placed long slender hands on the marble railing, stilling the crowd to silence.
“When magic was destroyed I thought I would die with the rest, but miraculously my life was spared. As a young girl a fall cracked my skull, and the healer had to insert a metal plate to aid in reconstruction. Although the plate blocked the deadly effects of wizard’s destruction, enough of it caught me to melt the plate and change my form. The fire that destroyed the Alcazar did the rest.”
She paused and bowed her head. A few in the crowd murmured about the horror of her story. Ramie felt ill. When Ista looked back up there were tears on her cheeks.
“I formed the Collective in the hopes of preparing you for this day. Prophecy warned me I would have to emerge to fight an evil in the Lands. Ren Razon is that evil. Everyone here knows Ren has battled the Collective’s influence, shunned our prophecies of magic and rebelled against the voice of the people. He cherishes the old religion that glorifies prostrating ourselves before an unknowable Maker, one who cares little about our dreams or ambitions. Ren opposes change and progress, and abhors everyone who has answered the Collective’s call.
“Wyrick worried about Ren’s unyielding attitude and planned to renounce him as heir. That is the very reason Ren took Wyrick’s life. But now, my children, we have the power to stop the evil one. When I saw Ren might escape I called upon the power in you all to fight him. I rebirthed the Quy.”
A few surprised exclamations echoed across the courtyard, and this time there was an underlying current of excitement. Fraul muttered under his breath as Ramie uttered a curse. Only they knew Ren had unleashed the power, but they couldn’t prove it. Everyone had seen the battle, and they had seen Ren flee.
Ista scanned the crowd again. “There’s more grave news, I’m afraid. Valor’s children, Manda and Chris Kahn,
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