![]() ![]() Sasmar has made a vow to become the greatest of all wizards, even if it means stepping over the bodies of all who stand in his way."Ĭado's cool was not enhanced by the story. He is the last off his kind, having murdered all his brothers. The monk's name is Sasmar and his order was steeped in the dark arts. He is a monk, a court eunuch, once in the service of old king Bram. The man that seeks us is not a man at all. "Fear not the unknown," he said, "for that is where we draw our power. Sensing panic in the boy's heart, Sudemong took a step back down the stairs and placed a hand on his shoulder. The wizard stopped at the top of the stairs and turned his gray eyes on Cado. "Master," asked Cado, "who is it that we run from?" Given the calculations were correct, anything was possible, for a price. A man could fly like a bird or topple a great fortress with a wave of his hand. A place existed out of space and time, a place where things could be added to or taken from, so long as the balance was preserved. The gods didn't specify, however, how this balance should be maintained. There were equations in nature which must be balanced. It was Sudemong who had shared with Cado that which few mortals dared witness, a window to the Imaginary. Yet he had been a fair master despite his miserliness. In truth, Cado's family still lived in the village below the tower, serfs bound to land, in service to the wizard. This could scarcely be believed since the old man was so stingy. It was said that he was sold to the wizard for a loaf of bread. Sudemong had been Cado's master as long as he could remember. "Come," said the wizard, as he mounted the winding staircase of the high tower. The entrance was now blocked by a giant heap of wood so high not even a night troll could break in. Tables slammed up against the windows, chairs and stools locking them in place. Instantly, the room came alive, furniture flying about in a whirlwind of chaos. The snarl fell from the wizard's face as he let his hands drop. The old man's face was pinched with effort, his hands moving with an inhuman blur. The furniture in the room began to shake as the wizard's hands quickened their pace. It was always with a sense of awe that Cado watched his master work. The old man drew his hands from his robes and, with great concentration, began to draw symbols in the air. He stepped aside from the window and nodded to his master. He searched his master's eyes and found no panic there, but cold resolve, hastened by necessity.Ĭado watched as the last of the servants disappeared into the village outside. What hunted them, the young apprentice hadn't the first clue. The old wizard summoned Cado to the front of the hall where they hoisted a great wooden bar across the door. ![]() Cado watched as his master dismissed the servants into the chill, windy night. Fear pulsed through the cold stone tower imbuing all inside with frantic life. ![]()
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