“Void take it!” Thearo cursed. “There isn’t supposed to be a guardian here.”
He looked across the tidal flats at the elemental that towered before the forest hidden ruins of Co’mala. The only way that thing had been placed there was by decree of the Ciralys council, the self-appointed custodians of all knowledge that had once belonged to the Summoners.
The hypocrites. No-one could know the secrets of the Summoners, except the Ciralys themselves whose powers came those same secrets. A power they didn’t even know how to use properly!
The sun beat down hard on his cloaked form and sweat beaded his brow, but he did not move to find shelter. It was too late for that. The elemental had already seen him.
If only he could get to Co’mala. The records the court advisors of the Shepherd Kings had cobbled together claimed Co’mala was once a central city of the Sahrin. There had to be records of the Summoners arts there. It could even contain remnants of their artifacts. Though, truth be told, if a guardian was here then the Artificers of the Ciralys would have already combed through every inch of the city and taken whatever they could fin-
The elemental roared and slammed its great fists into the ground. Such was the strength of the blow that Thearo could feel the earth vibrate.
Taking a deep breath he opened himself to the first emanation, and centered himself. With another breath he opened himself to second and energy flooded him.
He raised his sword, crafted by drake-forges of Serjere, and the silver dagger gifted to him by his liege. If he wanted to find the ruins and – impossibly – the confirmation that the Ciralys did not know everything, then he was going to have to fight.
- fragment from the ‘Foundations of the Magi’, backstory extract from the #WIP
