Stormwielder: The Remastered Edition by Aaron Hodges

Author:Aaron Hodges [Hodges, Aaron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: The National Library of New Zealand
Published: 2017-07-24T06:00:00+00:00

***

“Thank the Gods!”

Eric jerked awake as a voice shouted out, quickly followed by a door slamming. Blinking sleep from his eyes, he looked around and saw Alastair stalking towards him. The old man towered over the bed, his face dark with rage. Reaching down, he grasped Eric by the shirt and hauled him from the bed.

“What did you do?” Alastair yelled.

Eric gaped, fighting for breath as the collar of his shirt bit into his neck. His mind was sluggish with sleep, and he struggled to understand what Alastair was saying. “Wh… what?”

“What? You damn well know what! You summoned your magic!”

A strange calm settled over Eric as he looked up at the old Magicker. He had no idea how Alastair had found out, but he did not regret what he’d done.

“I had to do it, Alastair,” he said softly. “Or the fear would have overwhelmed me. But how did you know?”

Alastair shook his head, his expression grim. Gently, he set Eric back on the bed. “Every Magicker in the city would have sensed what you did. All magic is entwined, Eric, and such a massive expenditure of power sent shockwaves across the city. When I felt it… I thought the worst had happened.”

Eric stared up at the old man, seeing the dark rings beneath his eyes, the hard set of his jaw. Alastair was exhausted, worn down by the last few days, and Eric had only added to his anxiety.

“Sorry,” he said at last.

Silence fell between them then, and Eric heard then the pattering of raindrops from the roof. Looking across at the window, he saw water running down the glass. He grinned as a weight fell from his chest.

“You took a terrible risk, Eric,” Alastair spoke softly. “You have no idea the destruction you could have caused…”

Eric turned to meet Alastair’s gaze. “I know, Alastair. I’ve lived with the fear of what I might do for years.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Because I had too. What happened in the desert, it unmanned me. I was terrified of what lurked inside me. If I had let that fear fester, it would have destroyed me,” he took a breath. “And I knew I could make a difference here, could do something good for a change.”

Alastair closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Eric waited for him to argue, but the old man only shook his head, and smiled. Reaching out, he placed a hand on Eric’s shoulder. “You did well, Eric. The people of Chole will celebrate this day for years to come. I only hope it lasts. Jurrien tried to do the same thing a century ago, and failed. But perhaps Archon’s curse has weakened with time.”

“I felt something, when the storm crossed the mountains. Like something shattering.”

Standing, Alastair moved to the window and looked out into the street. “I’m glad you succeeded, Eric. I’m glad you mastered your fear. But this is just the beginning. Your magic is a fickle beast, and it will never stop trying to take control.

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