The Book of the Black Earth 01 - Blood and Iron by Jon Sprunk

Author:Jon Sprunk [Sprunk, Jon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pyr®, An Imprint of Prometheus Books
Published: 2014-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

Horace frowned at the watery ball passing back and forth between Mulcibar's hands. “Unless you're thirsty, it doesn't sound very intimidat—”

Horace didn't have time to duck as the ball flew toward his face, turning white as it crystalized into a globe of ice. A feeling welled up inside him like all the nerves in his body came alive at once. For a moment he saw a burst of light. Then a shower of cool mist rained over him. He had closed his eyes during the explosion of sensations. When he opened them, Lord Mulcibar stood a couple feet farther away from him. The nobleman's gaze was focused to the side at the garden. Horace swore as he spotted the smoking bush, its branches blackened, the leaves gone. Behind the ruined flora was a fist-sized gouge in the garden wall.

“I only meant to test your reflexes,” Mulcibar said, his tone subdued. “I've never seen anything approximating your response.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…”

“No, it is I who must apologize, Horace. I've never had a student who could apply the zoana so naturally. It usually takes months to learn the proper techniques for summoning and harnessing the power.”

It felt strange to be praised by the old sorcerer for almost killing him. “So what dominion was that?” Horace asked.

“I'm…not sure. But don't worry. With time and experimentation, it will reveal itself to you.”

“But where does the magic come from?”

Lord Mulcibar walked over to one of the garden benches and sat down with his cane between his knees. “To answer that, I will have to ask your forbearance while I tell you a story. A very long time ago, when the first men came to this land, they fished in the waters of the Typhon and learned to grow wheat on its silted plains. It was during that era, according to our oldest records, that the Wanderers came down from the heavens.”

“The Wanderers? Like angels?”

“They were called the children of the stars,” Mulcibar replied. “The sons and daughters of the elder gods, come to teach mankind the gifts of civilization, including the use of zoana. Under their supervision, the great cities were built, and an age of peace and knowledge was born.”

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