Read Online The Wizard of Time (Book 1) by G.L. Breedon - Free Book Online
Authors: G.L. Breedon
Tags: Fantasy
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years old. She gave me this.” Elizabeth pulled back the edge of her tunic and revealed a deep red scar along the edge of her collar bone. “She was very unhappy with me. I killed her protégé. Young man. Very pretty. But I digress.
“The second True Malignancy Mage is named Vicaquirao,” Elizabeth said. “He was a general in the Incan Empire in the mid-1400s. A wicked piece of work, that one. He’s nearly four hundred years old. And clever. Too clever by half. Although no one has heard from him in nearly twenty of our years, which is suspicious. Some suspect that he has been killed by Apollyon, but I don’t believe it.”
“Apollyon?” Gabriel asked.
“It’s not his true name, of course,” Elizabeth said, “but he thinks it makes him sound important. His real name is Cyril. The third True Malignancy Mage. He is also the youngest, merely one hundred fifty, but the most dangerous, in my opinion. He actually has a philosophy, a rationale for the destruction he wreaks. It sounds like a hodgepodge of Nietzsche and Nazism, but it draws him a large number of followers. Moreover, he knows how to lead, damn him.
“He was Vicaquirao’s apprentice once. Vicaquirao found him in ancient Greece, during the time of Alexander the Great. Around 310 BCE. He was a soldier in Alexander’s army. We don’t know exactly when, but Vicaquirao educated him over a number of years to be his protégé.”
“That’s all six,” Elizabeth concluded with a stifled yawn. “There can be only three True Grace Mages and three True Malignancy Mages. Nefferati made that prophecy herself. Although part of it has yet to be fulfilled.”
Gabriel yawned, quickly slapping his fist over his mouth.
“Tired?” Elizabeth asked. “I don’t blame you. I could do with a bit of rest myself. What I could really use is a vacation.” She reached into a pocket and withdrew a small coin as she stood up. She handed it to Gabriel. “Here. In case you need a vacation sometime. Sleep well.”
“Thank you.” Gabriel stared down at the coin and saw it was from ancient Greece. He wondered what Time Mages did on holiday. And why Councilwoman Elizabeth had given it to him. How could the coin lead to a vacation? Was he supposed to pay for it with the coin? When he looked up to ask her, Gabriel saw she was gone. Typical, he thought to himself. More questions.
Chapter 7: The Time Machine
The next morning, as instructed, Gabriel stood on the balcony at the top of the Clock Tower promptly at seven o’clock, looking out over the grounds and the fields beyond the castle, watching the sun slowly ascend in the sky. Actually, Gabriel was early. Half an hour early. Only the sheer emotional exhaustion of the long and incredible day before had made it possible for him to fall asleep. Nevertheless, he had awoken with the first hint of sunlight, his mind filled with thoughts about time travel and magic. He had grabbed a quick bite of eggs and bacon in the Waterloo Chamber as soon as the cooks started serving breakfast, then he headed straight for the tower.
He didn’t know if Ohin would be early, but he struck Gabriel as the sort of man one didn’t keep waiting. As he watched the clock, Gabriel remembered Teresa telling him that there were over four hundred fifty clocks spread throughout the castle. There was even a man whose job it was to maintain and repair all the clocks. Teresa had said it was a job with little time off. She had thought that was funny. Gabriel laughed more at her pouting about him not laughing than at the joke itself. Looking down from the castle clock as it struck seven, Gabriel saw Ohin arrive.
“Good morning, Gabriel,” Ohin said as he stepped onto the balcony of the tower with a book in his hand.
“Morning,” Gabriel said, trying to still the tumbling of his stomach. Maybe eggs hadn’t been such a good idea.
“Are you ready for your first lesson?” Ohin asked.
“Not really,” Gabriel said, speaking quite literally
“The second True Malignancy Mage is named Vicaquirao,” Elizabeth said. “He was a general in the Incan Empire in the mid-1400s. A wicked piece of work, that one. He’s nearly four hundred years old. And clever. Too clever by half. Although no one has heard from him in nearly twenty of our years, which is suspicious. Some suspect that he has been killed by Apollyon, but I don’t believe it.”
“Apollyon?” Gabriel asked.
“It’s not his true name, of course,” Elizabeth said, “but he thinks it makes him sound important. His real name is Cyril. The third True Malignancy Mage. He is also the youngest, merely one hundred fifty, but the most dangerous, in my opinion. He actually has a philosophy, a rationale for the destruction he wreaks. It sounds like a hodgepodge of Nietzsche and Nazism, but it draws him a large number of followers. Moreover, he knows how to lead, damn him.
“He was Vicaquirao’s apprentice once. Vicaquirao found him in ancient Greece, during the time of Alexander the Great. Around 310 BCE. He was a soldier in Alexander’s army. We don’t know exactly when, but Vicaquirao educated him over a number of years to be his protégé.”
“That’s all six,” Elizabeth concluded with a stifled yawn. “There can be only three True Grace Mages and three True Malignancy Mages. Nefferati made that prophecy herself. Although part of it has yet to be fulfilled.”
Gabriel yawned, quickly slapping his fist over his mouth.
“Tired?” Elizabeth asked. “I don’t blame you. I could do with a bit of rest myself. What I could really use is a vacation.” She reached into a pocket and withdrew a small coin as she stood up. She handed it to Gabriel. “Here. In case you need a vacation sometime. Sleep well.”
“Thank you.” Gabriel stared down at the coin and saw it was from ancient Greece. He wondered what Time Mages did on holiday. And why Councilwoman Elizabeth had given it to him. How could the coin lead to a vacation? Was he supposed to pay for it with the coin? When he looked up to ask her, Gabriel saw she was gone. Typical, he thought to himself. More questions.
Chapter 7: The Time Machine
The next morning, as instructed, Gabriel stood on the balcony at the top of the Clock Tower promptly at seven o’clock, looking out over the grounds and the fields beyond the castle, watching the sun slowly ascend in the sky. Actually, Gabriel was early. Half an hour early. Only the sheer emotional exhaustion of the long and incredible day before had made it possible for him to fall asleep. Nevertheless, he had awoken with the first hint of sunlight, his mind filled with thoughts about time travel and magic. He had grabbed a quick bite of eggs and bacon in the Waterloo Chamber as soon as the cooks started serving breakfast, then he headed straight for the tower.
He didn’t know if Ohin would be early, but he struck Gabriel as the sort of man one didn’t keep waiting. As he watched the clock, Gabriel remembered Teresa telling him that there were over four hundred fifty clocks spread throughout the castle. There was even a man whose job it was to maintain and repair all the clocks. Teresa had said it was a job with little time off. She had thought that was funny. Gabriel laughed more at her pouting about him not laughing than at the joke itself. Looking down from the castle clock as it struck seven, Gabriel saw Ohin arrive.
“Good morning, Gabriel,” Ohin said as he stepped onto the balcony of the tower with a book in his hand.
“Morning,” Gabriel said, trying to still the tumbling of his stomach. Maybe eggs hadn’t been such a good idea.
“Are you ready for your first lesson?” Ohin asked.
“Not really,” Gabriel said, speaking quite literally
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