Prince of the Spear by David Hair

Author:David Hair
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus Editions Ltd
Published: 2018-01-26T10:54:37+00:00

19:

Breaking the Blockade

Hermetic Magic

Ardo Actium describes Hermetic gnosis as Manipulation of the Unseen to affect the Tangible: living energies that can only be sensed intuitively are used to make visible and tangible changes to the natural world, including our own bodies. Thus a Hermetic mage might be a healer, or a shapeshifter, or control the flora and fauna, depending upon their affinities.

Ordo Costruo Arcanum, Pontus

Sunset Isle, Pontic Sea

Octen 935

Her chores done for the day, Jehana Mubarak wandered like a ghost about Sunset Tower, seeking a way out. Her sense of entrapment had grown over the past week, and the resentment of her was more pronounced every day. But she was developing a thick skin. Now her footsteps took her to the engineering chamber beneath the ground level of the tower and she stood for a while, watching the handsome young sentinel Tovar, under Magister Loric’s guidance, manipulating the energy flows, until he glanced up at her and winked. Everyone inside the tower was labouring to keep the gnostic energy flowing via the links to Southpoint and Northpoint into the Leviathan Bridge – everyone except her.

I just clean things, like a dirt-caste menial.

There was little news: only the Ordo Costruo communicated with them, and with so many listening Keshi magi circling the towers, those communications were minimal. No relief ships had arrived; although they still had plenty of water and wine, grain and preserved foods, everything was now being rationed.

‘Remember, Tovar,’ Loric was saying, ‘you’re looking for paler or deeper hues in the four spirals. Reduce the settings when you see darker blues or purples, but increase them when the colours grow pale.’ The mage-engineer coughed into a cloth, then started speaking again, but Jehana had moved past and into the tunnel leading to the Oceanarium.

She smelled a musky scent as she padded along and wrinkled her nose; it was no surprise to find the giant shaggy form of the construct-­creature, Ogre, staring out into the waters intently. She stopped, shocked, watching light bleeding from his fingers.

Ahm on High, he has the gnosis! she thought in alarm. The Gnostic Codes forbade any construct to have human intelligence, let alone the gnosis – he was twice the abomination. Why didn’t they destroy him?

The massive creature turned his big, misshapen skull towards her. His eyes gleamed in the darkness, pale like opals. Instinctively she shielded, although the energy in his fingers had already dissipated. She still felt threatened: his immense strength was clear in his bulging arms and squat legs, his huge clawed feet, his big chest and belly. Three or four big broken teeth jutted through his lips like tusks. When he saw her, she was sure that some surge of violence ran through him, like the currents of energy Loric and Tovar were working on – but when he spoke, his tones were gentle enough.

‘Princess Jehana,’ he rumbled. ‘Sal’Ahm.’

‘What were you doing?’ she demanded, and he flinched guiltily.

‘Watching the sea,’ he answered. ‘There are many shoals today. Levana will cast nets soon.

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