Fire Mage by John Forrester Read Free Book Online Page B

alleys and side streets, trying to avoid city guards and prying eyes.
    At the bare temple grounds situated at the peak of Naru, the stars flooded through the blackness. Below, the city shone pale-grey in the light of the four moons hanging in the sky. Talis glanced around, trying to spot any temple priests observing the stars. But only silence possessed the bleak landscape.
    Now was the perfect time to practice. He stared at the leaves racing across the ground, whipped up by the wind gusting in from the Nalgoran Desert far below.
    He lifted his hands and sharpened his mind.
    Remembering his training dreams, he focused on the leaves once more. Remember the wind, remember the feeling of power swirling through you , he thought. He stretched his long fingers towards the leaves, and exhaled a hissing breath through his teeth. There was wind from his breath, but not the kind that laid armies low. He bashed his fist on his forehead. Why couldn’t he do magic?  
    He tensed his face and shouted at the leaves, as if the leaves could be moved by the sound of his voice. Would he ever learn?
    “I doubt that will work,” said Nikulo. Talis jumped, turning as Nikulo emerged from the shadows.  
    Talis flopped his arms at his sides. Bad enough he’d failed, but worse still that Nikulo had been skulking out here, watching his ridiculous attempts.
    “What are you doing out here?” Talis frowned at Nikulo, and crossed his arms.
    “Relax…we’re not in the Arena.” Nikulo glanced up at the Observatory. “I couldn’t sleep. My dad was furious that we lost the Blood Dagger. All he does is push me to win.”
    Talis raised an eyebrow. “I couldn’t sleep either.”
    “How is that coming along?” Nikulo flourished his hands. Why was he trying to help him?
    “How does it look.” Talis sighed. “Nothing ever seems to work. I just don’t get it.”
    “Keep at it.” Nikulo studied Talis, his eyes black pools of curiosity. “Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. You and Mara won today…that surprised me. Soon you’ll be casting spells…just you wait.”
    “You think so?” Talis wasn’t as sure. Three years he’d been in the Order of the Dawn and he still couldn’t do magic outside of training dreams.
    “I’ll let you in on a secret. It took me four years before I cast my first spell. And that happened under the strangest circumstances.” Nikulo motioned him over towards the cliff’s edge, and they walked together, until they could stare down out over the vast expanse of the Nalgoran Desert. “I was assigned as a healer on a caravan, and we were attacked by marauders. I tended to a soldier’s wound, but couldn’t staunch the flow of blood. Something just flicked on inside and the next thing I knew my hands were glowing all red and I had this crazy feeling running through me. That was it. I’d used magic to save him.”
    “Sounds so easy.”
    “It’s not like that. I’d been doing training dreams for years with my Master. So when the time came, I think all that training just kicked in…”  
    Talis exhaled, more confused than ever. “I hope I’ll figure it out soon.”
    Nikulo crinkled up his forehead and pointed at the sky. “That’s weird.” A slow-moving meteor was flying low. It left an enormous trail of smoke. But the meteor kept getting bigger and brighter.
    It was coming towards them.
    “What’s that?” Talis bent low as the meteor sped faster until it roared over their heads and towards the city. Great bursts and crackles of orange and yellow and blue flame scintillated around the core. With a dull thud it exploded against the vast dome of the Temple of the Dawn. Embers shot into the air like fireflies. He gaped, unable to move. After a few pounding heartbeats, he felt a shock wave strike his chest and a rush of heat knocked him backwards.

7. JISERIAN INVASION
     

    Talis pushed himself up and stared at the explosion, his stomach clenched from the shock wave. Several smaller flaming meteors tore