The Mage's Limits: Mages of Martir Book #2 (35 page)

But Mom had insisted that Darek join her. She said that she trusted Darek with the conversation she was going to have with Skimif, and if Skimif had a problem with that, then he could bring it up with her later.

That's Mom, all right,
Darek thought, looking at the back of her head as they walked down the staircase.
She's not even afraid to speak up against Skimif if she has to. If she stays as the Magical Superior, she'll lead the school very differently from the last one, that's for sure.

Of course, thinking about the old Magical Superior caused Darek to choke and wipe away tears that had suddenly appeared in his eyes. As much as he understood the Superior's sacrifice, he could not help but wish that it hadn't had to happen. Even though the funeral for the Magical Superior had been a week ago—one of the very first things that the school did after Jakuuth and the Limitless Army were defeated—Darek still didn't feel like he had gotten the closure he needed.

I wish I hadn't tried to break through the ceiling while the Superior was alive,
Darek thought with a sniff.
I should have listened to him. He only had my best interests at heart, just like everyone else in the school here. I was too stupid to realize that.

Darek was still a Limitless. He had worried that the Mysterious One might have restored his magical energy to its original strength, but every time Darek sensed his own magical power, he felt as strong as ever. He wondered if the Mysterious One actually trusted Darek with that power or if the God of Mystery and Magic was simply too busy to take the time to take Darek's power away from him.

Either way, Darek didn't really want to lose it, even though he regretted it. He liked feeling Limitless, as if there was no peak too high for him to reach. It made the world seem a little less scary and uncertain, even though he knew that having limitless power did not necessarily mean you had no problems.

Finally, they reached the stone door at the bottom of the steps, only to discover that someone had apparently left it open. Mom and Darek looked at each other for a moment, but as neither of them sensed any malevolent forces beyond it, they entered through the open door into the Chamber.

As it turned out, Mom didn't need to bring the Skimif statue—the only statue to survive Jakuuth's attack in one piece—in the first place. Skimif himself was already there, leaning against the stone podium as if he had been waiting in this Chamber for quite a while. When he saw Mom and Darek enter, he pushed himself off the podium and stood up straight.

“Jenur, Darek,” said Skimif, folding his arms. “Good to see you two. I see that North Academy is already back on its feet.”

“The damage that the Limitless Army inflicted on the campus buildings and grounds was easy enough to fix,” said Mom with a shrug. “The worst damage was the lives lost in the conflict. We lost two teachers and about thirty students, not counting … well, not counting the Magical Superior himself.”

Skimif nodded. “I am sorry for your losses. We at World's End also suffered casualties. Fifty dead Soldiers of the Gods, plus a still unknown amount of katabans citizens who died in the initial assault. Most of the katabans citizens survived, thankfully, by escaping via the ethereal, although now they're stranded all over the Northern Isles with no way to get back to World's End.”

“Couldn't you just teleport them back?” Darek suggested.

“That's what I've been doing,” said Skimif. “Everyone is helping rebuild World's End, so I think that will be fine after a while. Also, I've been busy helping the other gods to find and destroy the rest of the half-gods.”

“How's that going, by the way?” said Mom. “Are they back in the Void yet with Jakuuth?”

She said Jakuuth's name as casually as any, but Darek caught a tinge of anger bubbling under the surface of her words. He chose not to mention it.

“No,” said Skimif, shaking his head. “The half-gods were numerous, at least two hundred of them, and when Uron was banished into the ethereal, they scattered everywhere. Some are in the southern seas, some are in the Northern Isles, and a handful returned to the Void, but most of them are still unaccounted for. Ghatmos, the God of Hunting, has been leading the hunt, though I think it will take a while to find them all.”

“What about the Limitless soldiers who allied with them?” Darek asked. “And Rema and Gonar?”

“Most of the Limitless soldiers lost the ability to use their magic soon after Uron vanished,” said Skimif. “None of us know why, but it worked out well for us. The Soldiers of the Gods rounded up all of the Limitless and sent them back to Rock Isle. As for Rema and Gonar, they are currently being tried before the Katabans Council and will probably be executed for their crimes before the end of the month.”

“Good,” said Darek. “That's what those idiots deserve for all the trouble they caused us.”

“Also, the Northern nations have reasserted control of Rock Isle,” Skimif continued. “Though they're now considering shutting it down and putting the criminals in several different prisons scattered around the Northern Isles. Quite a few people seem to think that putting all of the world's worst criminals in one place is not the wisest move, to be frank.”

“Aorja?” said Darek. “Is she still there?”

Skimif frowned. “She's missing. Last I heard, when the Carnagian and Shikan Navies arrived to reclaim control over Rock Isle, they found Aorja's chains empty. Even I don't know where she is, though I doubt she'll stay hidden for long.”

Darek grimaced. He had been hoping that Aorja would be thrown back behind bars, but if Skimif's report was accurate, then Aorja was free again, no doubt planning to kill him in the most gruesome way possible.

“Besides that, peace seems to have returned to Martir at last,” said Skimif. “Well, for now, anyway. Uron can't get out of the ethereal and no one can enter it, as I locked it from the inside and outside.”

“Will he escape?” said Darek.

“Not any time soon,” said Skimif. “As powerful as Uron is, he has no way of entering or exiting the ethereal on his own. Of course, Uron is dangerously clever, so his imprisonment is a temporary delay at best.”

“How did he get in the ethereal, anyway?” Darek, scratching the back of his head. “Did you banish him there?”

“No,” said Skimif, looking a little embarrassed. “Wish I'd thought of it first, though. It was actually a katabans named Durima who did it. You know, the one who used to serve the Ghostly God?”

“Her?” said Darek. “How—”

“I don't know,” said Skimif, shaking his head. “She and her partner, Gujak, were supposed to be banished beyond the Void for their accidental killing of the Spider Goddess. I don't know how they got out, but I'm glad they did. Otherwise, I think World's End would be little more than pretty rubble by now.”

“Where is Durima?” said Mom, tilting her head to the side. “And the other one you mentioned, Gujak. They sound like heroes to me.”

“Gujak … was killed in the Battle of World's End,” said Skimif. “He was given a funeral yesterday, though one I did not attend. Nonetheless, Gujak helped save the katabans and our world, which is what makes him a hero in my eyes, even though he died before Uron was stopped.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” said Darek. “How is Durima holding up?”

“As well as anyone who loses a close friend holds up,” said Skimif. “She's currently back on World's End, helping rebuild the city. I've pardoned her, so she doesn't have to worry about being banished beyond the Void again. Though,” he added with a scowl, “I will still need to speak with the Katabans Council about dishing out such harsh punishments to 'criminals' who aren't even criminals.”

Skimif's angry tone made Darek feel unsafe, especially in such a cramped space. Darek may have been a Limitless, but he was still nothing in comparison to Skimif's power.

“Changing the subject,” Skimif continued, his tone returning to a gentler one, “Darek, I wanted to thank you for a job well done.”

“Me?” said Darek, putting a hand on his chest. “Why me? Both North Academy and World's End suffered serious damage and plenty of casualties from Jakuuth and Uron's forces. All of which could have been avoided if I had killed Jakuuth earlier.”

“No doubt,” said Skimif. “But it would have been much worse if you hadn't infiltrated the Limitless Army and learned about Jakuuth's true plans. I have informed the Ghostly God of your hard work, though he didn't seem interested.”

“Yeah,” said Darek, nodding. “He hasn't talked to me at all since Jakuuth and Uron were defeated. Did he tell you to tell me anything?”

“Not really,” said Skimif. “I suspect that the Ghostly God was actually pleased with your work, though he's a hard one to read. He did say that he might have another job for you in the future, although he didn't elaborate on what that might be.”

Darek's shoulders slumped. “Right. I still owe nine years of service to him, don't I?”

“See, Darek, that is why I always, always told you to be careful about the promises you make to gods,” Mom said, jabbing him in the shoulder. “Because if you don't, then you might find yourself becoming the servant of a southern god for ten years.”

Skimif shrugged. “Not much I can do about that one, to be honest. I usually try to stay out of the dealings between individual gods and individual mortals, mostly because the gods don't like it when I get too nosy about their dealings.”

“It's fine,” said Darek. “As horrible as it is, I'll live. Unless the Ghostly God gets hungry and decides to invite me over for dinner, that is.”

“I'll make sure the Ghostly God doesn't eat you,” said Skimif. Then he leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked on Darek. “Now, Darek, I heard that Jakuuth and his soldiers here at North Academy were defeated by a walking, talking skeleton wearing auburn robes and carrying a gold-and-crystal wand.”

Darek started. “How did you know that?”

“I stopped by Rock Isle briefly to speak with some of the re-captured prisoners,” said Skimif. “They were rather angry, but they told me more than enough. Now, who was that being?”

“The Mysterious One,” said Darek. “You know, the God of Mystery and Magic?”

“Him?” said Skimif. He sounded genuinely surprised. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am,” said Darek, folding his arms over his chest. “None of the other gods can shut off magical power or banish half-gods beyond the Void, can they?”

Skimif stroked his chin. “No, they can't. Still, I never thought that the Mysterious One would ever directly intervene like that. Did he say where he's been for the past thirty years?”

“No, he didn't,” said Darek. “I didn't even think to ask him. And before you ask, I don't know where he is right now, either.”

“Very well,” said Skimif. “I was hoping to speak with him, but I can see that I won't be getting that opportunity any time soon. Anyway … I am sorry about Chen's death. I didn't know him very long, but he was a great mage and an even greater man.”

Darek felt the tears in his eyes returning, which he wiped away as casually as he could. “It's fine. The Magical Superior gave his own life willingly to save us. It's nothing to cry about.”

“I just wish I could have spoken to him one last time before he died,” said Skimif. “As the God of Martir, I can do a lot of things, but one of the few things I can't do is bring mortals back to life. Once their souls are resting in the Heavenly Paradise, there's nothing any of us can do about them.”

“He was getting old anyway,” said Mom, who was not crying at all. “I'm sure he thought he'd lived a long enough life. I don't even know how old he was exactly. Old enough, I guess.”

Though Mom's words were somewhat blunt, the sadness in them was obvious to Darek. He didn't bring it up, however, because he didn't want Mom bursting into tears on him again, which she had gotten into the habit of doing even after the Superior's funeral.

“I'm glad to see you've both received some closure,” said Skimif with a smile. “But we will need to appoint a new permanent Magical Superior of North Academy, and soon. Jenur, how are you holding up?”

“Fine,” said Jenur. “There's a lot more work and responsibility, even more than I had as a teacher, but so far I've been able to handle it.”

“Very well,” said Skimif. “Since Chen died without a pupil, I will be coming back sometime within the next few months to determine the new Superior. I will talk with you about possible candidates, Jenur, so I expect you to have a list of students or teachers who you think would make a good permanent Magical Superior.”

Jenur nodded. “Yes, sir. I will work on that list right away.”

“Excellent,” said Skimif. “Now, I must go. I am calling a meeting of the gods on World's End in order to discuss ways how we can permanently deal with Uron. The meeting is in a few weeks, as World's End is still under construction, but I have some things to do in the meantime that require my immediate attention. I'll be in touch.”

Darek blinked and Skimif was gone, leaving Darek and Mom all by themselves in the Godly Chamber. What little warmth Skimif had brought with him also left, leaving the room feeling as cold as a freezer.

“So, Darek,” said Mom, turning to face her son, “what are you going to do now?”

Darek scratched the top of his head. “What do you mean?”

“You're a graduate now, remember?” said Mom, a smile on her face as she playfully slapped his shoulder. “You don't have any schoolwork to do, and the Limitless Army has been disbanded. Don't tell me you forgot about your new freedom, did you?”

“Uh, I guess I did,” said Darek. “There has just been so much happening over the last month or so that it completely slipped my mind.”

“I'll give you time to think about it,” said Mom. “But you should figure out soon, because you should have started your new life a long time ago. You can go anywhere, do anything, and be whatever you want now.”

Darek nodded. “Yeah. I know I was thinking of visiting those Xocionian Ice Monks, the ones who live on the edge of the Great Berg, and training with them to become an even better pagomancer.”

“Sounds great,” said Mom. “You should send them a letter first asking for permission to stay with them, though. Trust me, they don't like uninvited guests, even if you're a pagomancer like them.”