Ringwall's Doom. Wolf Awert

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СКАЧАТЬ flinched; his caution was shattered. “How do you know—?”

      “How do I know?” Ambrosimas himself was so perplexed at the turn the conversation had taken that he could not think of anything else. He shook his head and abandoned his magic for the moment.

      “Nill, please. You act as though you don’t know what this is all about. Let me help you. Only two things matter in Ringwall: truth and power. The White mages search for the truth, although each has their own understanding of it. And the Elemental mages are only interested in influence and power. You may call it a game, but it isn’t. It’s much, much more than that. It’s a constant struggle for balance. Imagine a young bird sitting on a branch – if the branch sways too hard, the bird must fly off. Mages can’t just fly off. The mages must stay in Ringwall. If a mage could ever depose the magon, he would need the strength to take his place as well; otherwise, the new order he hopes to create will be nothing but chaos. There is nothing we fear more than chaos.

      “And now, for the first time in the history of Ringwall those who want power for the sake of power sit at a table with those who know that any revolution will only bring misery to the innocent. ‘Nothing will be as it was,’ as the prophecy puts it. There could be no worse fate.”

      “I know that. But is that an answer to my question of how you know about my every movement? Or are you trying to tell me that you belong to those who can live without power?”

      Nill had raised his guard again. He knew that Ambrosimas’ mind never followed a straight path; it zig-zagged like a hare, leaping and feinting and doubling back all the time. Nill did not want to get lost in the labyrinthine paths of his mentor’s thoughts.

      Ambrosimas cursed under his breath. One moment of carelessness and the boy had slipped through his net. He decided to ignore Nill’s question.

      “What is the key to power?” Ambrosimas asked, and answered before Nill’s thoughts could scurry off in wrong direction. “Knowledge,” he whispered, “the knowledge of how to rule. And that includes everything that concerns you. Not one of your steps goes unnoticed. Nothing has changed in that regard. Have you forgotten why you’re here in the first place?” Ambrosimas’ voice had become steadily more urgent.

      Nill said nothing. He knew exactly why he was here. He was here because Ringwall was the center of magic, because the collected wisdom of the arcanists was kept here, and because the sorcerers had come together here to find the truth behind the magic. He was here because he had dared to participate in the mages’ tournament. He was here because this was the only place in the world where he could hope to find a hint of who his parents might be. The prophecy was, as far as he was concerned, only the key that had granted him access to Ringwall. After his education he ought to have left. Who had forgotten something – Nill or Ambrosimas?

      “You are here because the prophecy tells of the end of all order in Pentamuria,” Ambrosimas interrupted his thoughts. “Everyone can see that you have a weighty part to play in this game with fate. The only thing everyone disagrees on is your actual role. Are you truly surprised that everyone wants to know what you do, and that those who can follow you and never let you out of their sights?”

      “And what if everyone’s wrong? What if I don’t want to play along?” Nill was outraged. His life was his own, and only his.

      Ambrosimas laughed again. “My dear boy, fate doesn’t ask nicely. Only fools believe they have control over their own destiny. Unfortunately, some of these fools sit on the council. We can be grateful if we’re allowed to decide what happens in the future.”

      “I understand exactly why every last archmage knows why I can’t sleep at night.” The color was rising in Nill’s face. His anger was almost palpable.

      “Well, yes, not all the archmages,” Ambrosimas admitted as he diminished his aura to a small and humble size. “The magon, certainly, and me too. Just a little. The others, I hope, don’t. But that is the reason I wanted to meet with you.”

      Ambrosimas could feel Nill slipping out of his grasp. Slippery as an eel, he thought. I should’ve known the boy would hate being watched, but he must have known. He decided to take a different course.

      Ambrosimas said nothing. He had to think, but there was little time to do so. Nill sat across from him, straight as a candle, shrouded in a fog of annoyance, anger and stubbornness that grew denser and denser. Ambrosimas conjured up a flock of birds that twittered loud enough to interrupt Nill’s thoughts. He raised his head.

      “Do you think you have the patience to listen for just a few more moments?” Ambrosimas asked seriously. “You might have wondered why I never thought to see you as the figure from the mists. Ever since I came to Ringwall, and believe me, that has been a long time indeed, I have tracked and hunted whatever is hidden in our tales and legends. The songs, the myths; the local stories that make no sense anywhere else; the dreams of different people that have taken on a life of their own. And everywhere I look, I stumble upon the remains and fragments of an old book some call the Book of Wisdom. I am unsure whether this book ever existed of if it’s just another fable. But what I do know is that this book is the origin of the five Books of Prophecy. The books of Eos, Arun, Cheon, Mun and Kypt. In these books we have the future in black and white, written at a time in which our history was only just beginning. Almost all the prophecies written in them have become reality over time. Almost. It is my guess that one of these books tells us how the world that follows Pentamuria will look.

      “Whoever finds these books, Nill, finds the future. And when you know the future, you may find hope in situations that seem hopeless. But nobody knows where these books are hidden.”

      “And what does any of this have to do with me?” Nill’s interest was piqued, but he decided not to show it. Better to remain cool and unmoved.

      Ambrosimas’ laughter came back to him.

      “Have you never wondered why the arcanists are so worried at the moment? After all, the legends and myths are ancient, and they have been passed down for countless winters through countless generations. Why would the prophecy of the doom of Pentamuria be dug out so recently?”

      Nill hesitated. There was something to what his old mentor was saying, but Ambrosimas was after all as cunning as a fulux. He took a moment to check whether the old archmage was toying with him again, but there was no magic to be felt. Everything seemed clear and honest – for once. He shook his head. “You will tell me, I’m sure,” he replied shortly.

      “Because the time to know has only just come.” Ambrosimas looked triumphant, but Nill did not understand what it meant.

      “All the truths in the world are scattered, just lying about waiting to be picked up. But if you’re blind, you won’t find them. You have to learn to see, be ready for the truth you seek. Or you might as well never look in the first place.”

      “And how is this connected to the Books of Prophecy?”

      “Simple – they’re just lying around. After all this time. And now they want to be found.”

      Was that what the falundron had tried to tell him? That they wanted to be found, and that time was running out? Nill was uncertain. Out loud, however, he said: “Fine, so go and search for them.”

      “I most certainly will. I will search for them, believe me. I did want to ask you whether you’d be kind enough to help me. You and me, just the two of us. Two archmages on the hunt for the greatest secret Pentamuria has never known. Together, СКАЧАТЬ