With those words, he concluded his speech. Letting his hand fall back down to his side, Duncan paused as if waiting for a lively, heartening round of applause from the mass of citizens gathered behind the barricades, who for just a brief moment were still and silent.
Then two things happened, one after the next, and judging from the way Duncan’s posture became rigid and he let out a growl that only those on the stage could overhear, Cah’lia reasoned that neither of these two things pleased him.
First, a chorus of shouts came from the crowd, and it was not by any means a cry of approval from a people whose hearts had been swayed. Instead, hundreds of them echoed their sincerest wish that Prince Patrick had succeeded in killing the Archmage. Then the second thing happened: the guards, as though finally having had enough, began pulling off their uniforms and joining in with the rest of the angered citizens; they too voiced their desire to see Duncan picked up and thrown off the side of the island.
Together, the people of Magia expressed their outrage in a single unified voice, demanding that Archmage Duncan free the prisoners and step down as Holy Magus. Under no circumstance, they made clear, would he ever be accepted. This was their message, and it came through with such clarity that Cah’lia imagined Duncan would no longer be able to delude himself into thinking he could change their minds.
“Have you people heard nothing of what I’ve told you?” he shouted at them. Cah’lia doubted that any more than just a few of the people heard him speak. Their voices had become louder and were only growing more so as Duncan tried to talk over them. “I am offering to bring glory to Magia. I am offering you a chance to become…”
Eventually, the shouts of dissent became too loud for even Cah’lia, who stood on the stage with Duncan, to make out anything the Archmage was saying. A minute or so passed, and then Duncan turned around to look at the High-Mages standing with Cah’lia on the other end of the stage. Each of them regarded him with empty or uncertain expressions on their faces, and a few shrugged. Then, after another short pause, Cah’lia saw the fingers on Duncan’s left hand begin to curl and twitch as though he were fighting the urge to grip them into a fist.
“Very well,” he said—or at least Cah’lia was fairly sure those were his words. The shouting was too loud to be certain. The Archmage closed his eyes for a second or two, his chest inflated, and then abruptly, he spun back around and faced the angry crowd.
“
Do you not hear me
?” he screamed at them. His words sounded just short of a shriek. “I am offering to you the glory that the likes of Issius could never bring Magia! I will bring us
power
!”
“We don’t want power!” young women cried out to him in reply. “We don’t want to execute princes! We want peace!”
A round of applause met her words, and a few laughs were had as several of those nearby remarked that the woman should consider being the next Holy Magus. This prompted more people to mock the Archmage.
Duncan’s shoulders trembled as a young male in the robes of a mage suggested that, despite not being gifted with the ability to use magic, she would still make for a better Holy Magus than Duncan ever would, a notion that nearly all of his fellow mages seemed to agree with.
This banter continued for several moments uninterrupted then came to an immediate end following a shrill hiss of anger from the Archmage. It was a seething, disturbing release of hatred that unnerved Cah’lia and brought an immediate silence to the city square. All mouths were closed at once. A few in the crowd backed away as if anticipating that nothing good could possibly follow the sound of such pure, uncontrolled rage.
Duncan picked up his staff and slammed the base of it back down against the stage. It became apparent right away that the Archmage had done something terrible, because people began pointing to the sky while startled shouts filled the air. Cah’lia looked upwards, and then she, along with Patrick, Shina, Kellar, Orellia, and even the other High-Mages let out a gasp as something blinding and flashing appeared in the sky far above. It was a silvery-white ball of some kind that flickered in and out of existence.
What is that?
She didn’t have long to ponder the question. Whatever it was, it burst apart, and then Cah’lia braced herself as a deafening explosion came from the heavens above, followed by an orange blast of light. The sound of it was loud enough to make her ears ring, and just a few seconds later, a powerful wave of heat descended upon the entire area. Cah’lia narrowed her eyes while beads of sweat began trickling down her neck, back, and arms.
What did he do? What’s happening?
It took nearly a minute before the light dimmed just enough so that she could tilt her head up and observe the result of his magic. High above them, the sky, which had already been bright from the lack of clouds, became even brighter as an inferno turned the previously blue sky into a vibrant orange. Even from so far away, the heat of it managed to reach them.
He’s as powerful as a God,
Cah’lia thought, barely able to believe what he’d done. The very sight of it immobilized her.
All across the horizon, orange flames consumed the skies, spreading further and further out and covering an increasingly greater area. They thinned as they spread, until finally, they slowly vanished along with the smoke and the intense heat—but not before adding an orange tint to every visible portion of the sky. It covered such a massively wide area that it must have been visible even from Elvar.
How can any of this even be possible
?
He’s just one man, and he…
Cah’lia took a deep breath as it finally hit her: the answer that was in front of her face all along but only now became apparent. It was that staff of his—the Item. It was the reason why she was even here at all and not at home, safe and away from all of this horror.
From early on, Cah’lia had known that the goal of this trip was to secure one of the Items in order to prevent the Hawk from obtaining it. But until now, she did not fully appreciate the importance behind the mission—the reason why Patrick was willing to throw the lives of his dearest friends away if such a cost was required.
Of course,
she thought.
This is what it’s always been about. This is…horrifying.
By the time the sky had returned to its normal blue color, the Archmage’s display of power had done the trick of quashing all dissent once and for all, and in a way that his words alone would never have been able to accomplish.
Cah’lia was also affected, but how could she not be after witnessing that? How could she not wonder if it was even worth opposing him anymore? What good could anyone do against this kind of monstrous power? These questions plagued her, and she struggled to rid herself of them.
“Let me make something perfectly clear to all of you,” Duncan said, no longer needing to speak up to be heard. No one seemed willing to contest him any longer, and Cah’lia couldn’t blame them for it. No, not after what he’d just done.
As Duncan addressed the frightened people of Magia, his tone changed drastically. He no longer spoke as an ambitious ruler acting for the benefit of Magia. It was as though he’d discarded any hope of swaying their hearts. Now, hatred and contempt bled through each of his words, and the same darkness to be found in his eyes had at last worked its way into his voice.
“My position and my rule,” he continued, “are
not
open to public discussion. I am the Holy Magus now, and none of you—
none!
—have a say in it. I have explained to you why this is what is best for us all, and while you are free not to take my word on it, there will be some new laws put into effect. For one, speaking publicly—
or
privately—against me will not be tolerated. You are under my rule, and that is how it will be for a very, very long time. There is no choice in it. There is no vote to be held. I tried to appeal to you on an intellectual level, and now we have burned that bridge. Behold!”
He snapped his fingers while keeping his eyes on the terror-stricken citizens. The executioners behind Patrick, Shina, Kellar, and Orellia pulled on ropes that lowered the nooses down a few inches from where they hung off the scaffold, then placed them around the necks of the four of them. Shina cried out, and Kellar tried to soothe her, but from the jittering in his hands, he himself looked like he needed soothing. Both Orellia and Patrick sobbed quietly.
It’s too soon. It’s happening too soon
!
“Watch closely,” Duncan said. “When I give the order, you will see what fate is to befall any who attempt to harm Magia, as going against me is the
same
as going against Magia. Those who act to cause strife to our people will suffer for their treason.”
Duncan pointed his staff at the crowd, and all who stood directly in its path scrambled to get out of the way. Some knocked each other over in their desperate attempt to be anywhere but where he was pointing. Yet Duncan did not use any form of magic, or at least none that Cah’lia could see. He simply chuckled then lowered his staff to his side as if it had all been for the purpose of making a point.
“If any of you are found colluding with other likeminded traitors in an attempt to form a resistance against me, know that I will not just come after those who take part in it. No, that is far too lax of a punishment. From today onwards, those who attempt to undermine my rule will stand on this very platform much like the girl is now, and they will witness their husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, or their
children
hanged for their crimes against Magia and her people.”
At his announcement, Cah’lia could visibly see many faces in the crowd whiten. She pitied these people, whose silence confirmed beyond doubt that Duncan had succeeded in bullying them into submission. If she were in their shoes, she doubted she would react any differently. Sadly, this would be the world they were forced to live in from now on: this was their future and their fate.
Cah’lia could see it in their eyes: they had been beaten. With a moan, she too began to weep, as she knew now that it really was over. There was no one left to oppose Archmage Duncan, and even if there was, they would only end up dead. He was a man—no, a
creature
who could set fire to the very sky, turning it orange with flames. Unable to be challenged in any foreseeable way, the fate of Shina, Kellar, Patrick, and Orellia was now sealed.
As if they too had finally accepted their fate, all four now shouted for their lives. Even Kellar lost his composure in the face of death, though he stood alone as the only one whose eyes remained dry. He also did not beg: his shouts consisted solely of curses and hexes, as well as a great deal of swearing vengeance upon Duncan. And as for Patrick, Cah’lia imagined that the dampness in his eyes were more tears of frustration than sadness. Shina and Orellia, however, were weeping to be sure.
“N-n-no,” Shina pleaded. “Please don’t kill me. Please! I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please!”
Cah’lia tried to run over to her, but before she could take more than a few steps in Shina’s direction, two sets of hands seized her from behind. One of them, for sure, was Ammecia. Cah’lia could tell from the way her chest vibrated as she laughed at their misfortune.
“Enjoy the show,” she whispered into Cah’lia’s ear. A disgusting dampness tickled Cah’lia’s left earlobe. Had the High-Mage licked her? “Maybe if you’re lucky, I can convince Ghell to give you to me instead. It would be a shame to let him waste such a good woman.”
Cah’lia fought to escape her grip, but it was a useless gesture. The only remaining control she still had was the decision of whether or not to close her eyes. And out of respect for all four of them, she decided to keep them open. She would not look away as they died. She owed them that much no matter how much the sight of it would destroy her inside.
“It was never supposed to be like this,” Orellia whimpered. “It wasn’t. It truly wasn’t. I’m sorry, my two wonderful acolytes. I wish I could kiss you both goodbye. You did not deserve this. Either of you. My Shina. My Kellar.”
“I don’t wanna die,” Shina pleaded.
“It’ll be over quick,” Kellar said. “You’re gonna look beautiful in the afterlife. I’ll meet you there, and we’ll be together. I promise.”
Shina bawled like a newborn, opening her mouth wide as if to speak yet failing to coherently say whatever she was trying to get out. “K-k-k d-don’t p-pl.”
“If anyone wants to save these children,” Duncan said mockingly, a disgusting, humorous tone in his voice, “then by all means, step up, and I will kill you along with them. In fact, you can even die first. Any takers?”
Duncan held out his palm, then laughed. “None? No one at all? Does no one wish to challenge me?” He waited for just a second or two, then nodded. “So, I assume this means I’ll hear no more on how much you wish me deposed?”
“Someone, please!” Shina said, her voice louder than Patrick, Kellar, or Orellia’s. “Please don’t let him kill me, please! Please!”
“As I thought,” Duncan said. “Then let’s be done with this so we can focus on more important matters.”
“Where’s my brother
?
” Shina cried. “Sehn! Please! Please, Sehn!”
Duncan craned his neck slowly in her direction, and with a truly sadistic cackle, he said, “Your brother is where no one can find him, girl, and when I see him again, I will bring him your head!”