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The Crier’s Sacrifice

Part I: Infiltration

Chapter Eleven: Temple of the Dawn

Nathan Black

Global Fiction

First publication: January 2000

http://badosa.com/n071-11

The sun was rising when Nilrid finally awoke. Rubbing his bleary eyes, he shook his head in amazement. He had been much more tired than he thought, and had slept for over fourteen hours.

Going down to the first floor of Tamaya’s cottage, he saw her calmly sipping a cup of tea. “Good morning!” she said, cocking her head at him. “You certainly don’t take teleportation very well, do you?”

“I suppose not,” Nilrid replied, sitting down across from her.

“Well, nothing of interest happened. This is a fairly quiet town, unless you live by the main road. Then you’ve got traders coming in at all hours, to and from Ulist. That’s why we chose to put the Temple of the Dawn on the southern outskirts.” She paused. “But I haven’t told you about that, have I?”

The boy shook his head.

Standing up, Tamaya headed for the back door, and motioned for him to follow. “Come on, then. We’ll discuss it on the way there.”

They didn’t speak at all first, making their way through the winding streets and alleys of Tsatira. No one was up this early in the morning, and the two magic users weren’t disturbed on their journey. The wizard woman seemed to be enjoying the town much more than she had yesterday, quieting a riot.

Finally, when they passed the southern walls, she turned onto a narrow, dirt path and said, “There must be hundreds of paths like these around the farming areas of northern Wystarin. But this one leads to the most important single location in the civilized world.”

Stopping, Tamaya pointed her finger at an old, withered tree. “You see that spot? That’s where humans first emerged, in the year 173. Very interesting, certainly, but not where we’re headed.”

“So what is the Temple of the Dawn?” Nilrid asked. He was beginning to wonder if she would ever tell him.

“First, you must understand the creation of the world, and indeed all worlds. The traditional method, as outlined by powers that we know nothing about, is that a planet is made, and then the deities that will rule it. But the particular high god—or Archgod, as they’re often called—didn’t want Gelz or Malthan interfering in his work after they were born. So he made each of them a small home, and basically imprisoned them for a hundred years. When he finally felt that Derenda was stable enough for his children to rule, he let them out.

“Twenty-seven years after the release, Malthan became somehow corrupted, and ruined the most fertile soil in all the world, what today is the Esanta Desert. Gelz, who hasn’t nearly the mastery of destructive magic that Malthan does, feared for his life and re-imprisoned himself in his Temple. But before he left, he spoke to the Archgod, and convinced him to hand over a Ritual of Summoning.”

“So that if humans needed him, they could let him out?”

“Exactly. Of course, there are only a few humans that know about the Ritual, and it’s currently hidden in a place that even I don’t know about, but we can still communicate with Gelz here—if we’re lucky.”

“Is that what you’re doing today?”

“Of course not. That’s what you’re doing.”

The boy stopped, and stared levelly at his companion, who smiled back. “What did you say?”

“Every magic user who wants to become a wizard must stand before Gelz and be recognized. They must be skilled in their art, strong-minded, and devoted to the preservation of Derenda. And now you’re here, with a level of ability that rivals a dragon’s, and you expect me to stand by and not do anything? Of course not. I realize that this violates the original plan you made with Morgan, and that with Gelz’s blessing, you can be detected on sight. But I think you’ll have a much better chance in Tanaveri as a proclaimed wizard than as a talented spy.”

Nilrid shrugged, and began walking again behind the wizard woman. “I’ll take your word for it. I probably will be able to defend myself better once recognized by Gelz. But how does that help me when I come up against this Beynar, or Ranyeb, or whoever he is? He may not have as much raw strength as me, but he’s still got his army, and the support of the largest country in the world.”

Tamaya sighed. “Do you really think that Beynar won’t have noticed you by the time you reach Pakil? Don’t be a fool, boy; he may have noticed you already! For the first time since the meeting about the assassination of Corlais, I have some hope in your quest, so don’t throw it away.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and then the path abruptly ended. Nilrid and Tamaya were standing near the entrance to a small clearing, surrounded by a low, wooden fence. It looked the same as anything the boy had seen during the rest of their walk, or all of his time in the lowlands of Mallsey.

“Here we are!” the wizard announced cheerfully. “Doesn’t it look just stunning?” There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“Gelz certainly didn’t have a very large ego,” Nilrid muttered.

Tamaya laughed. “Congratulations, Nilrid! You just fell for one of the most ancient illusions in the world. Now, walk right beside me as we enter the clearing. I think you’ll be very impressed by how much this ingenious disguise really hides from the casual onlooker.”

The two magic users stepped in unison past the fence, and instantly, the world around them changed. The clearing blipped out of Nilrid’s sight, and was replaced by a huge, indoor chamber. It was a circular room, of about two thousand square feet, and the ceiling stretched up several yards to end at an elaborate dome. A number of brass vessels had been attached to the walls, each holding a different item. One had a glowing sword, another had been filled with dirt and had a small tree planted in it, and still another contained a reflective, circular disc.

“Do you see the object there?” Tamaya asked quietly, pointing to the circular item. “That’s the Firedisc that was used to help end the Indimer War. There was quite a bit of dispute—secret, of course—as to which nation should keep the weapon. Querisia, of course, wanted it because they had made it, but Wystarin still claimed partial sovereignty over all of the western countries at that point, and desired it for that reason. Finally, the Council of the Arcane decided to keep it here. Everything else you see is an item needed to release Gelz, so that in an emergency the only thing we’d have to transport here are the words to the Ritual.”

In the center, fastened securely to the white marble floor, was a simple, translucent glass ball, the size of Nilrid’s fist. A gold plaque beside it read:

Herein lies the essence of Gelz, God of Daylight, Benevolent Deity of the World of Derenda. May His grace shower all who enter this sacred Temple of the Dawn, and His protection cover those in need, wherever Malthan may strike.

“That’s him, in there?” the boy asked. He had expected something more impressive for the most powerful ally of the human race.

“IT CERTAINLY IS,” a voice boomed. Gelz sounded like an old man, but aged ten times more than was humanly possible. His tone was kindly and pleasant, and power radiated from the glass ball in amounts that nearly keeled Nilrid over. “YOU ARE WELCOME IN MY PRESENCE, TAMAYA OF HYNLOF AND NILRID OF GASTRIN.”

“I am honored to speak with you once more, Exalted Lord,” Tamaya said smoothly, as though she had been in this situation hundreds of times. All Nilrid could do was stammer.

“YOU NEED NOT BE NERVOUS, NILRID. I AM MORE CONCERNED WITH ACTIONS, NOT WORDS. I HAVE BEEN OBSERVING YOU FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND AM SURE YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE AN EXTRA-HUMAN ABILITY FOR MAGIC. I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO ORDAIN YOU AS A WIZARD UNDER ME.

“FIRST, HOWEVER, YOU MUST UNDERGO SOME TESTS. THESE ARE GIVEN TO EVERYONE WHO COMES HERE, SEEKING TO BE A WIZARD, AND SINCE SOME OF THEM ARE A LITTLE DESTRUCTIVE, THE TEST SITE HAS BEEN PLACED IN ANOTHER WORLD. SO, TAMAYA, IF YOU WILL JUST WAIT HERE, YOUR COMPANION SHOULD BE BACK IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.”

A gateway suddenly opened in the middle of the chamber. Taking a deep breath, Nilrid stepped in.

The landscape changed once more, this time to another clearing. This one, however, was much larger, stretching beyond the boy’s vision. White paint had been used to make an enormous circle, at least a thousand feet in diameter, over the unnaturally-green grass, and a much smaller circle was in the center of that.

“STAND IN THE SMALL CIRCLE,” Gelz commanded.

As Nilrid took his stance, the God of Daylight continued his instructions. “THE FIRST TEST WILL BE FOR RANGE, AND NOTHING ELSE. I WANT YOU TO DRAW ALL OF YOUR POWER, AND EXPEND IT UNMODIFIED. DON’T EVEN CAST A WHITEFIRE SPELL OR TRY TO CHANGE THE FORM OF YOUR ENERGY IN ANY OTHER WAY; JUST SUMMON, AND RELEASE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

“Yes,” the boy replied, managing to keep his voice steady.

“THERE IS NO TIME LIMIT. BEGIN NOW.”

Relaxing his mind, and trying to ignore the fact that one of the two most powerful beings on Derenda was watching him, Nilrid closed his eyes and found his energy within an instant. As quickly as his eyesight flashed white, it turned to black again, and a deafening roar filled his ears.

The sight that met the boy’s eyes when he opened them took his breath away. He had tested at full power before, but that was always in the small, padded room with a mass of straw dummies. Here, with a vast expanse of wasteland stretching before him, he realized just how strong he was.

“GOOD,” the god murmured deeply. “WAIT A MOMENT WHILE I MEASURE THE RANGE OF EFFECT.”

A pink line suddenly appeared between Nilrid’s feet, and began moving briskly outward. It passed over the first circle, and made its way across the barren, dusty plain to the edge of the second. There, the line paused, and Gelz said, “YOU HAVE PASSED THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF ONE TENTH OF A MILE. I AM SURE YOU NOTICED BEFOREHAND.”

The boy smiled slightly as the line began its arrow-straight movement again, and watched with amazement as it passed out of sight.

A minute later, the voice boomed, “DONE. YOU CAUSED COMPLETE DESTRUCTION WITHIN EIGHTEEN MILES OF WHERE YOU ARE STANDING, PARTIAL OBLITERATION OUT TO 442 MILES, AND MINOR DAMAGE TO 765 MILES. VERY IMPRESSIVE.”

“Seven hundred and sixty-five miles?” Nilrid gasped.

“WOULD I LIE TO YOU? WOULD I LIE TO ANYBODY? I REALIZE THAT YOU ARE SHOCKED, BUT YOU MUST LEARN TO RESPECT WHAT YOU HAVE, AND USE IT APPROPRIATELY. IN OTHER WORDS, NEVER DO THAT IN THE REAL WORLD.

“NOW, STEP INTO THE PORTAL AND WE’LL CONTINUE WITH THE SECOND TEST.”

A new portal opened, and the boy walked in. He was on another green clearing. A wooden fence circled a rectangular area of about 80 by 50 feet.

“DON’T EVEN TAKE A STEP,” Gelz ordered. “THERE ARE NUMEROUS EXPLODING TRAPS BURIED UNDERGROUND IN THIS AREA, AND IF YOU STUMBLE ON JUST ONE, YOU WILL BE BLOWN TO PIECES. YOUR NEXT TEST IS TO REMOVE OR INCAPACITATE THESE EXPLOSIVES, SO THAT YOU MAY WALK FROM FENCE TO FENCE SAFELY.

“YOU HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES. BEGIN.”

Nilrid almost chuckled. How could a test from a deity be so easy? But he silenced himself for the sake of respect, and set to work. Quickly, he created a sheet of cold, clear water and placed it under the ground. Opening his eyes, he calmly waded his way along the saturated surface, covering the rectangle in rows from top to bottom. When he reached the lower right hand corner, he stopped, and called out to the unseen presence, “There.”

“GOOD THINKING. THAT TOOK FIFTY-THREE SECONDS. YOU HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL, MY BOY, BUT ONE TEST STILL LIES AHEAD OF YOU. COME WITH ME.”

Stepping through a third portal, the boy was surprised by the sudden change in landscape. Instead of yet another clearing, he was standing on a ledge of a high cliff, overlooking a beautiful panoramic view of what was obviously still a different world. Turning around, he saw a large, dark entrance to a cave.

“I WILL NOT OFFER INSTRUCTIONS FOR THIS TEST, BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO. THERE IS NO TIME LIMIT. GOOD LUCK, NILRID.”

The instant Gelz had finished speaking, a huge troll suddenly appeared at the mouth of the cave. Brandishing a club in its raised arms, it gave a yell and bolted towards Nilrid.

He almost jumped off the cliff with surprise, but he was able to recover in time to close his eyes and shape a vicious fire spell. The troll was five feet from Nilrid when its ferocious war cries abruptly stopped, leaving nothing but the sickening odor of its unpleasant death.

“AH, SO YOU DON’T KNOW THE WHITEFIRE SPELL. IT IS GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE HUMAN, NILRID.”

A shining, gold medallion on a silver string appeared in mid-air, in front of Nilrid’s face. “YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE ATTRIBUTES OF POWER, INTELLIGENCE, AND COURAGE THROUGH THESE TESTS. YOU ARE WORTHY OF THE HONOR YOU SEEK. BY THE GRACE OF MY ESSENCE AND THE SPIRIT OF DERENDA, I ORDAIN YOU, NILRID OF GASTRIN, AS A WIZARD UNDER MY AFFILIATION. TAKE NOW THE MEDALLION, AND REMEMBER THAT YOUR PURPOSE IS TO USE YOUR MAGIC TO SERVE THE FORCES OF BENEVOLENCE, NOT EVIL.”

Beaming in spite of that fact that he was still shaking, the boy took the medallion and slipped it around his neck and under his tunic. As soon as the cold metal touched his chest, Nilrid sensed a new presence in his mind, and recognized it as the God of Daylight’s spirit.

“AS A WIELDER OF MY OWN POWER, I SHALL NOW WATCH OVER YOU PERSONALLY. THIS WILL AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO HIDE FROM OTHER MAGIC USERS, BUT I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THE BENEFITS OF MY PROTECTION OUTWEIGH THE ADVANTAGES. NOW, SHALL WE GO BACK TO MY TEMPLE? I DOUBT YOU ARE TIRED, BUT YOU PROBABLY WANT TO REUNITE WITH TAMAYA AGAIN.”

As the boy prepared to return to Derenda, he couldn’t help fingering the medallion, now warm with the power of Gelz. Being a wizard and a spy at the same time would be dangerous, but it was certainly satisfying!