DARKLIGHT

- 6 -

The day passed to late afternoon outside my cell as I slowly got my strength back. When I could easily stand again, I reviewed the magic that I had learned, to pass the time if nothing else. I first recalled the attack spell, Atva. I knew it would sap my energy, but I still wanted to practice. It could come in handy someday. "Atva," I said softly, generating a new Dark orb of magic that slammed against the magic-proof wall and left a familiar ashy circle behind.

I thought back and remembered the spell Kaces had used to reveal the white target in the field, Ortiyano. After trying it out, however, the room I was in showed no secret markings besides a few random lines on the bed frame, which was moderately disappointing. I also tried using Parcalanir, his shield spell. Then, I remembered the first spell, Hareket. It seemed like it was a teleportation spell, though, so I would have no luck trying to use it through magic-proof walls.

That puzzled me. Kaces, as powerful as he appeared, had used a teleportation spell to move both of us through a magic-proof barrier, which was impossible as far as I knew. The only explanations I could think of were that he knew something that I didn't about magic-proofing, the cell walls had a weakness that he was exploiting, or the magic-proofing could be shut off. I hoped for one of the latter two. It gave me the chance to use his opening myself.

I excitedly went to a blank wall and activated my symbol, but instead of directing the Dark magic with a spell, I let it gather above my arm and trail around my fingers. I timed the magic release carefully, aware of how weak I could get if I held it for too long. Then, I put my hand against the cold surface of the magic-proof wall.

As I had expected, the magic was repelled and formed a thin coat over the invisible barrier, spreading in all directions as more magic took its place. Soon, it covered the entire wall, and no holes were revealed. I sighed and moved on to the next side with the table, then to the wall with the window. Even the window's glass was protected. The floor and ceiling were also solid.

Finally, I turned to the wall with the cot near it. To check all of it at once, I would have to move the bed, since it was made of the same metal and was right up against the wall. Then, I realized that it was connected to the floor, not with bolts, but with solid metal that seemed to flow right into the rest of the room. It was part of the ground.

I tried putting a magic layer over the bed. To my astonishment, it touched the metal. The bed was completely unguarded, which Kaces must have known if he was teleporting to and from this room. This also explained the markings on the bed, which would have only been possible to make with magic that would be repelled anywhere else in the room, though I had no idea what spell produced the marks in the first place. This discovery hit me hard. I could escape my cell by using teleportation magic and directing myself through the gap where the bed was attached to the floor.

I walked back to the center of the room, trying to stay calm, and activated my symbol. "Hareket." I instantly felt very strange, and nearly panicked as I felt my grasp on reality dissolve. I tried to focus on where I was going and hoped that I would stay in one piece. After holding the magic for as long as possible, I exhaustedly released it, and my symbol faded again. I looked up to check my surroundings with nervous exhilaration. Clearly, nobody had expected me to find my cell's flaw.

I had appeared in a long, narrow hallway, slightly above the ground, and landed on my hands and toes in a crouch, just like I used to jump off Hecatus as a child. On one side of the hall, pillars split an arched opening that I discovered led to a huge plaza with a floating fountain in the center. It spilled water onto the stone slopes surrounding it. Each side of the plaza had three similarly arched openings with huge doors that looked like they would reveal other hallways if properly unlocked. It was like I had discovered a hidden paradise.

Between the doors, a giant mural traveled around the space under a pillar-supported ceiling. It appeared to start on the right side of the opposite wall and circled past me before going back to the beginning. Near me, I saw a very realistic picture of a female Dark mage who was in the process of turning into a lion-like beast with six wings. In the distance, a horde of Light mages and arkaetres was running forward to attack her. Curious, I moved along the mural and saw the result of the battle. All of the Light mages lay dead before a Dark six-winged lion, who stood proudly on the top of the hill with a series of haloes over her head. It looked like the recreation of a legend, but one I had never heard of.

"You think he listened?" I ran into the cover of a doorway, listening intently, and then heard the voice again and froze. It was Kaces's Master. "I hope you're right. He could be very useful."

"Indeed." The other voice was Kaces. I heard their footsteps approaching and flattened against the wall. "He learns very fast."

"You took him to the practice field today, right?"

"Yes, and he learned Atva."

"Are you joking?"

"Not at all." Their footsteps stopped suddenly, almost right beside me. I could just barely see the back of Kaces's cloak where he was leaning against the wall, obscuring me from the Master's view. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he could learn nonverbal magic later on. He might teach himself."

I took that opportunity to get myself out of there. I activated my symbol while making sure its glow faced away from the Kireveans, and said as softly as I could, "Hareket." Kaces coughed at the same time, which was enough for me to burst out laughing at my good luck, but my form was long gone.

I managed to make it back to my cell and let out a sigh of relief. Then, I remembered that I had been trying to escape. I scolded myself for losing focus and tried to leave the cell again, but the hole in the magic-proofing appeared to have been sealed somehow. At a loss, I sat down on my cot, pondering what had occurred. One thing was certain: I now had the potential for freer rein in this prison than anyone had planned for.