Star Mage (Book 5) by John Forrester Read Free Book Online

hideous creatures who turned my entire city into a horde of undead!”
    Talis sought agreement from Mara and was surprised to find her face fuming with fury. “The Order of the Dead calls Master Relech as their leader, I suppose? The same master who forced me to kill so many innocents over and over again. So much needless blood spilled… And all for what? To train me in the way of the assassin? Is this how your Order operates in Ishur? Twisting and warping the minds of the young for some nefarious purpose? You wanted us to swear a blood-pact to such an Order? Are you mad?”
    Master Goleth looked genuinely ashamed of himself and injured by her outburst. His eyes now appeared desperate and placating as he faced them. “I believe I can still help you, help prevent unnecessary war and bloodshed from striking your city. Hear me out first before you leave.” He sighed in frustration and ran a hand over the stubble of his bald head. “It’s absolutely inevitable that the Order of the Dead will soon discover that Naru is not vanquished. And you know what will happen? Unless you want to stave off wave after wave of armies, undead and sorcerers and necromancers alike. How will you be able to protect your city? You are only one person—”
    Mara huffed and interrupted him. “Don’t be so dismissive of the girl! Why do boys and adults treat girls as if they don’t matter?”
    “I apologize for insulting you, it was not my intention to slight your ability to help defend your city.” The Builder looked perplexed and studied Mara as if trying to ascertain the right moment to proceed. After her fuming subsided, he spread his hands wide in a gesture of acquiescence. “Listen to one final plea from me and I will not say another word. If there is any possibility of peace between Naru and the Jiserian Empire it lies with Emperor Ghaalis. He is the only one who wields divine authority over the magical Orders of our Empire. And only I can make an introduction and open the Emperor’s Court to you and your people.”

7. THE EMPEROR'S REVENGE
     

    Much to Mara’s disbelief, Talis agreed with Master Goleth’s proposition. They didn’t really fight about the decision, more like a disagreement over their next course of action. She wanted to immediately return home and seek out an official diplomatic engagement with the Emperor, while Talis felt it best to go to Carvina directly. In the end she agreed with Talis, realizing that likely no one in Naru had any leverage at the Emperor’s Court.  
    The position of diplomat to the Jiserians had been held by her father, Viceroy Lei. Mother had remained quiet on the subject of her father’s death, although rumor had it that the Viceroy was slain by wizards of the Order of the Dawn. Wizards that were now far from Naru.
    After they had taken a count of the citizens still alive in Naru, the truth of the wizards’ disappearance was clear. Talis had gone through the official list of wizards and witches of the Order and crossed off names slain by the war and added those names to prayer lists for the Rites of Zagros, ensuring their souls swift passage to the Fair Seas. A grim task, Mara told herself, remembering her dark and bitter mood at the performed ritual. Most of the original names of wizards belonging to the Order had been added to the prayer list. So many men and women and children were slain senselessly in the war, she had thought.
    The few surviving wizards received a notation on the original list as to their current location. Talis had utilized the Surineda Map to plot their position in the world. Master Jai was west with Talis’s family along the Ursulan Coast. Mistress Cavares had been located inside the City of Carvina, which at the time Talis had found incredibly strange, as he was both unwilling to believe his former runes master imprisoned or a traitor. The other remaining wizards and witches were scattered across the lands mainly to the west and northwest of Naru.
    They