“I guess it might be true,” he answered. “It seems everybody heard about it...”
“I wasn't sure before but now I'm almost certain Elisa is hidden somewhere in the black spot,” I said thoughtfully.
“Are you worried because of it, my lord?”
I nodded. “I don't know what to expect there.”
“Martell wouldn't hide his only child somewhere, where it's not safe.”
I gave a sigh. “I hope so...”
“Are we going to continue, my lord?”
“Yes.” I got up, still tired a little.
After two days the river became broader and large birds above its waters, such as cormorants and sea gulls, increased in numbers.
Kwazzo spent the last days under water but now he sprang up suddenly.
“What's wrong, my friend?” I watched him with amusement. “Water is too cold?”
“No, my lord,” he shook itself as a dog. “It's salty! I hate salt!”
I laughed out loud. “Can you see the blue line down the river? It's the sea, Kwazzo! The river flows into the Little Sea here.”
And Elisa is at the other side of it...
I stopped for a while. “We must cross it somehow. Are you able to get me to the opposite coast?”
“Unfortunately not, my lord. I have never flown more than ninety miles without a break, and this sea is three times longer…”
I weighed our options.
“We have to find some ship then,” I decided. “In Mag’reb I have seen a port near the river's mouth. Perhaps we are going to find some ship ready to sail away.”
The smell of fish guided us to the small port with two piers and about a dozen ships. The Good Fortune, a large, multi-decked sailing ship with black-red flags was preparing to set out by a handful of sailors.
“We are extremely lucky, my lord. This galleon is put to sea right now.”
“So let's not miss the opportunity...”
I entered the deck with Kwazzo transformed into a leather bag. I paid two silver coins after a short haggling with the captain, and half an hour later the port disappeared under the horizon.
But we were not lucky long, though...
The storm blew up unexpectedly. The whole gale tore sails apart, ten feet high waves played with the ship, forcing it to sway like a drunkard.
“I don't like it!” I screamed to Kwazzo. “Have you ever experienced something similar?”
“Yes, my lord. When I traveled this way with Zo’har, the same storm appeared.”
We were watching the inferno from the upper deck. From the sky a lightning came and hit galleon's main mast. It broke down with a terrible squeaking just a moment later...
“It was a long time ago, my lord. And you didn't ask...”
“Damn! What did you do back then?”
“Zo’har drove the storm away.”
I had to think. Sailors and passengers were screaming in horror.
Zo’har undertook the same journey... And he is dead. I must avoid his errors...
“Are you going to save us?” Kwazzo asked uneasily.
Our situation was truly miserable.
Before I could answer another powerful lightning split the air with a strong thunder. Poor galleon broke in two in a moment.
The deck under my feet bent in a ludicrous angle.
The good fortune was definitely over.
I was falling into an abyss with Kwazzo under my left arm...
THE END (The story continues in The War of the Spells)
LIST OF CHARACTERS
KING AND HIS FAMILY
Rodan the Third – the King
Tyra Leia – the Queen
Jonas – the oldest son of the King
Miria – the youngest daughter of the King
OTHER HUMANS and HALF-BREEDS
Bernal – a deputy
Elisa (supposedly)
Lokmi – Syrdan's brother
Quasim – an innkeeper
Syrdan (supposedly)
Martell – the Supreme
Cid’rel – the deputy of the Supreme
De’ren
Ol’wen
Rae’sel
WARLOCKS
A’dan – the first warlock
Tor’lak – the tenth warlock
Far’horn – the fifteenth warlock
Zo’har – the thirty-eighth warlock
Gael – the thirty-ninth warlock
Ver’del – the fortieth warlock
OTHER WIZARDS
Elisa
E’van – Elisa's uncle
Illara – Martell's spouse
Laetia – Gael's spouse
Ne’zzar – Ver’del's envoy
Yorrel – Syrdan's watchdog
TEPHIRS
Kwazzo
Beheimon
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank several people:
- DANIEL DRUMMEY, who read the book and spent a lot of time with proofreading,. He also helped me with the publishing;
- JAROSLAV MAZUREK, my father, who designed the website cityofwizards.com;
- RENÁTA PLOUHAROVÁ, who did final proofreading and editing.
AFTERWORD
Dear reader, thank you for buying and reading this book. I hope you have enjoyed it. From my point of view, I have little in common with the brave heart Syrdan but I would certainly fall in love with Elisa too.
The presented story is a revised and extended version of the story published (in Czech language) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2011.
This book has two sequels: The War of Spells and The Shadow of the Tower.
If this one is successful, the others will follow soon. In the first sequel Syrdan sets out a dangerous journey to find Elisa. In the last sequel the city of Averot’h is restored to its former greatness, but new evil emerges.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
George Mazurek (Jiri Mazurek in Czech) (*1974) is a Czech writer of fantasy and science-fiction. Since 2005, he published 5 books and over 30 short stories in the best Czech and Slovak magazines. Several of his short stories were broadcasted by the Czech national radio (Radiozurnal). He was awarded Karel Čapek prize and other minor prizes. Currently, he is an assistant professor at Silesian University, and he is living near Ostrava with his wife and two little sons.
BOOKS:
The Ironwood (2007), nominated for the best fantasy/sci-fi novel by the Czech Academy of Science Fiction and Fantasy,
The Legend of Rennard (2009),
The Legend of Garonna (2009), Karel Čapek prize for the best fantasy/sci-fi novel,
The City of Wizards (2011),
The Streams of the Ironwood (2012) (electronic version).
IINTERNET PROFILES (in Czech) with George's works and hundreds of reviews:
http://www.legie.info/autor/2064-jiri-mazurek.
http://www.databazeknih.cz/autori/jiri-mazurek-3543.
CONTACT E-MAIL:
mazurekgeorge@gmail.com.
Remarks, questions and suggestions are especially welcomed!