Firebrand

Chapter 505: The Spellbreaker's Tale

The Spellbreaker's Tale

Leaving the western courtyard, the three young wizards and their guest made their way up the astronomy tower, going to the classroom near the top. As they settled down on chairs or tables around Atreus, he took a deep breath and began to speak.

"I trained as a spellbreaker. My brethren and I, we were taught how to combat maleficars and all the evil creatures they might conjure." He caught himself, shaking his head. "No, that is the wrong place to start." He cleared his throat and began anew. "Before its fall, Archen was the pinnacle of magic and knowledge on the continent, and our greatest discovery had just been made. I did not know of it at the time, mind you; only members of the Conclave, our ruling council, were informed."

"What was it?" Eleanor asked eagerly.

"Portal magic. The ability to travel across vast distances in the blink of an eye. I'm sure you can imagine how powerful this would be, hence the secrecy. A handful of wizards began working on this, setting up portals across the continent and exploring the magic while the Conclave debated how it should be used."

Martel's eyes widened at the thought. He imagined crossing the length of the Asterian Empire to find himself home in Engby, seeing his family without having spent a single day of travel. And that was the least of it, of course; there would be no need for dangerous sea journeys, as goods and people could cross the oceans to Sindhu or the Western Isles. As could armies, he thought, realising how the Empire would use such magic.

"Around this time, the fiends of the Nether appeared. My brethren and I fought them on more than one occasion, often taking heavy losses. Because of the secrecy concerning the portals, it took us a while to understand the connection."

Martel could guess the reason, but he still sat with bated breath, waiting for Atreus to continue.

"Using this wondrous magic had consequences. Each time the portals were used, it opened a rift to the Nether, allowing the dreadful creatures to enter our world. As this became clear, the Conclave banned further use of the magic, but that did not prove enough." Atreus coughed. "At this point, I became aware of a threat. Unexplainable defeats, signs of forbidden magic used by our own people, and the like. My fellow spellbreakers and I investigated and realised some manner of cult had taken root in the heart of Archen, our own people corrupted. And their aim, their work, was connected to the portals and the fiends."

"Such treachery," Maximilian growled. Martel agreed. Even if he did not know exactly what the fiends were or what they could do, he imagined them much like the jinni; dreadful monsters, whom ordinary people would be defenceless against.

"A small group of us tracked them to a secret location in Archen. As we did not know who among the Conclave we could trust, we did not seek aid, nor did we dare wait while they conducted their malevolent rituals. We charged in." Atreus' voice had grown low, and they all leaned in to hear his every word. "We found a dozen or so of them, including who proved to be their leader and the mind behind all of this. Elena, a prominent member of the Conclave and among those who had discovered the lore of portal magic."

"Disappointing." Maximilian shook his head.

"Do not interrupt," Eleanor chastised him.

"She was deep in the casting of some great and complex ritual. The magic is unknown to me, but the symbols carved on the ground looked familiar. If I were to guess, she was opening a portal inside of Archen. I cannot be certain of her deeper purpose, but it was undoubtedly sinister. So we attacked."

Nobody else spoke anymore.

"As my brethren engaged the maleficars, I feared the consequences should she finish her ritual. Rather than simply fight her, I intervened to disrupt and destroy her spellcraft. I succeeded far beyond my ambition. The vast amount of magical energy, built up by their long labours and foul sorcery, was released beyond anyone's control. A cataclysm struck, no doubt enhanced by all the magic present everywhere else in the city." Atreus swallowed. "When I finally came to, nothing but ruins remained of the once great city of Archen. I cannot say why I survived. Perhaps because I was in the eye of the storm, or maybe fate saw fit to punish me in this way, for when I woke, I was cursed."

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"But how did that happen? We have been told that curses are very complex and intricate spells," Eleanor argued. "The opposite of the magical mayhem you describe."

"That I do know. As her spellcasting became interrupted, Elena turned on me to curse me. It was her spellwork that left me the way you saw me this morning. But she also received more than she bargained for. I realise that now that my mind is once more my own."

"How so?" Martel asked.

"Maleficars have ways to bind themselves to the victims – that is how they steal their life and strength. Perhaps this is the reason, or maybe the maelstrom of magic being unleashed changed her curse in unforeseeable ways. In any case, it created a bond between us. That could be why I survived, just as she did."

"What kind of bond?" Martel tried not to shiver at the thought of such foul magic.

"I find it hard to describe, as I don't fully understand it. And even now, it is hard to recall," Atreus confessed. "It was like a string tied between us. No matter where she went, I felt a pull in her direction. She would travel from city to city, hiding among other people. But when I did come close – you have seen the servant she can conjure up. Besides my mind and senses, the curse also bound my magic, leaving me powerless to fight it. All I could do was pursue and hope to one day get close enough to finish what I failed to do, all those years ago."

"But if you had no magic, why would this maleficar flee from you? She must be a powerful witch," Maximilian pointed out.

"A good question, and I can only think of one reason. The bond between us must have imposed the same constraints upon her. While I was robbed of my magic, so was she."

"But not anymore," Martel mumbled. It dawned upon him that they had not only released Atreus; if all he said was true, a maleficar of unmatched power had been let loose in Morcaster.

"Yes," Atreus simply said, as if he had read Martel's mind. "She must be stopped. But herein lies the tragedy that you have freed me. While my powers are returned, I have lost the thread that bound me to her. I can no longer sense her presence. I must somehow find her, and swiftly, in case she tries to flee. If she does so, there is little hope I can ever find her again."

"Good luck," Maximilian told him. "Martel here has tried for over a year, as have lots of inquisitors. Why is it you are dressed as one of them?"

Atreus looked down at his tattered clothes. "I'm not sure. I don't know who these inquisitors are."

"You must have realised they hunt maleficars as well," Eleanor guessed. "Disguising yourself as one makes sense."

"It is possible I had such cunning even with my mental capabilities diminished. I do remember going to places where she had attacked new victims, trying to find any signs left behind of her. That is where I saw you," he suddenly exclaimed, looking at Martel. "Your red clothing. It made you stand apart. I had seen you before on my hunt for her. That is why I followed you, hoping you would lead me to her."

"But what has she been doing?" asked Martel. "You say her magic was restricted like yours, but she has attacked victims for two years or longer, carrying out her vile rituals to leave them dead or as good as. How and why?"

"When I hunted her, even before the curse struck me, I surmised she possessed three artefacts of great power. Although unable to cast spells, she must have been able to use them still. One of them is a talisman of leechcraft, which should explain your second question." Atreus' expression turned into a sorrowful smile. "How else could someone live for three hundred years? And so through her bond with me, I have also survived far longer than I should, and the blood of her crime flows through my veins."

Martel's mind reeled from one revelation after another. He almost hoped that all of this was some cruel jest.

"What will you do?" Eleanor asked.

"First, I must sleep and regain my spells," Atreus admitted. "After that, maybe I should return to where we met. She was there as well. As I noticed and followed you yesterday," he said, directed at Martel, "so she must have noticed and followed me. When I lay incapacitated on the ground today, she summoned the jinni to kill me. That is the second of her artefacts, as you can guess."

"At least we got rid of that," Maximilian growled.

"Only temporarily. A spirit like that cannot be slain so easily."

Eleanor furrowed her brow. "What is the third artefact she has?"

"A most devious device that allows her to change her appearance entirely, though it can only influence one person at a time. Useful for luring victims to secluded places, as she may appear as somebody harmless. An old crone, an innocent young woman, or someone else entirely." Atreus exhaled. "In public, she must appear as herself. Maybe now that I can actually speak to people, I should look for witnesses to the attack the other night."

"It's doubtful you'll find any," Martel interjected. "The maleficar, she uses the sewers to move around unseen." Still strange to realise they had been hunting a woman all this time. A woman, hiding in the sewers. And with that, a dreadful thought struck Martel. "Could she disguise herself as a child?"

"I suppose. I'm not intimately familiar with the powers of her artefact. But a girl of fourteen or older, I can imagine that."

A girl terrified of inquisitors, though she possessed no magic. Who feared that a specific mage hunter was on her trail. Who hid in the sewers and only met Martel when alone. "I think I know who she is, and where." All eyes turned towards him. "She calls herself Julia, and she hides in the catacombs."