The Black Magician Trilogy [alternate ending]

The High Lord - Epilogue 2 (Part 3)

   Akkarin's body was aching. He was exhausted, his power drained to almost nothing, and it felt like he'd been run over by a gorin or two.

   He groaned as he blinked the stars away from his vision to find a Magician crouched next to him. Blue robes. Lorlen? No. Lorlen was dead. This must be Osen.

   Why was he on the ground? Had he fainted? Surely not. The last he remembered he had enough power to maintain two shields and fight and now he had next to nothing. It was barely enough to keep him awake.

   'Shield!' Someone shouted.

   Osen slapped a hand on his arm and formed a shield around the two of them before a burst of raw power swept over them.

   What was that?

   There were some dull thuds quickly followed by some cries and grunts of pain.

   That first burst of raw power must have completely shattered his outer shield and had thrown him across the Arena to land at the feet of Administrator Osen.

   'Everyone stay back. Do not approach her.' Balkan's voice rose above the slightly panicked talking of the Magicians.

   Her? Sonea!

   Akkarin pushed himself to his feet, pausing only to push away the encroaching darkness, and looked around for his wife.

   She was exactly where she had started the battle, give or take a few feet, and she was crouched low to the ground warily eyeing anyone that came too close.

   He took a few wobbly steps towards her, ignoring the Magicians that tried to warn him away.

   'Sonea?' He called.

   She doesn't answer; she doesn't even register that he had spoken.

   'Sonea?' Akkarin called again, louder this time.

   No response again.

   —Sonea?  Can you hear me?  Please respond, Sonea.

   There's nothing.  No response.  Not even recognition.

   His heart was beating loud in his ears. Something was wrong.  Really wrong.

   Without taking his eyes off his wife, Akkarin calls to the Magicians around him.

   'Please could somebody heal me?  And if anyone has any power they can spare, I would greatly appreciate it if I could have some power to defend myself if needed.'

   Lady Vinara walked into his line of sight and touched his hand.  The feeling of exhaustion disappeared and his vision cleared.

   'Do you know what's wrong with her?' Akkarin asked, glancing towards Lady Vinara for a second.

   'I don't know, Akkarin, not without getting close to her.  My guess would be some sort of protective instinct linked with some sort of physical or mental trauma.  This is the first time she's fought since the Invasion, correct?'

   Akkarin swore, which earned him a raised eyebrow from Lady Vinara.  

   'Yes.'  He swore again.  'I should have thought about that before I started bringing her into these sessions.  How could I have been so stupid?  I didn't even want her to fight today.  You know the reason why, Vinara.'

   'Yes, and you have to think of that reason and sort this out quickly.  For their sake as well as the Guild.'

   'But how?  We can't get close, and she's not responding to any ways of communication.  What if she just keeps draining her power?'