Chương 16: Corrupted by Dragonfire

Harrold put his goblet on the table, then sat back and interlocked his fingers.

"I'm glad we've come to an understanding. But before we get started, I want to show you what I can offer you. Once you've finished your food Thomas will show you to the library. I'll be waiting to talk some more when you're ready" Harrold dabbed the corners of his mouth delicately with the corner of a serviette and folded it nearly on his plate. The waiter in the corner of the room rushed over and opened the door for him. Aaron waited a moment for him to leave the room.

"He's your father!" Aaron said, outraged, "Why did you lie to me?" Thomas looked up from his plate sheepishly, "Harrold is my step-father. He married my late mother."

"Why weren't you honest with me? Has he really taken your son hostage?" Aaron said.

"No, well not really. He's gone crazy since his daughter got sick. He's unpredictable and I get scared sometimes that he's going to do something." A tear welled up in the corner of his eye.

"And all this talk about needing your foot to work to feed your kids? Them taking your son? Were they all lies to get me to do what you wanted?" Thomas poked around with his fork at a carrot on his plate.

"I'm a coward," he muttered, "I owe him so much and I wasn't lying about his daughter. She's like a sister to me and could really use your help." Aaron stood up abruptly. His chair creaked as it scraped back across the floor.

"I will not be manipulated and lied too!" He walked through the doors and into the room with the flower painting. A suited guard followed them closely.

"Aaron stop! Please hear me out! She's dying! I had to say something to get you here!" Aaron sped up.

"Oh yeh? Don't you think I would have helped if you just told me the truth?" Thomas grabbed his arm and yanked him to a halt. He turned in anger only to see Thomas on his knees grovelling, "Please hear me out. What if someone in your family was sick, wouldn't you want to be able to save them? You deserve more respect than in that infirmary. We can help you here. We have masters, books and knowledge that you wouldn't believe" Aaron stopped and took a moment to center himself. Maybe this is what I need to help Tim.

"We can promise you our absolute discretion." Thomas continued, "you can practise magic however you like here. There is no master to loom over you and tell you what spell is best. You can learn to really truly help people""I can help people already." Aaron said. He looked down at the man knelt on the floor begging him. It was a pathetic sight, but he couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Harrold said there are secrets here not found in the Sacred Library?" Thomas' eyes widened, "Yes! You're not going to believe your eyes."

"And as for my safety?" Aaron asked.

"You have my word, no harm will come to you!" Fat load of shit that's worth, Aaron though. Aaron rolled his eyes.

"Fine, now what were you going to show me?"

"Thank you, thank you!" He jumped to his feet and led Aaron back though the dining room. They must have passed through seven or eight equally extravagant rooms, including another two dining rooms before finally reaching their destination. Thomas opened the door to a grand hexagonal room. Each of the six walls was covered by a gigantic bookshelf. There was a ladder on two of the walls leading up to a balcony above and again above that to a second balcony.

The room must have been twenty feet tall with multiple levels. The smell of rich wood and paper filled the air, like a freshly printed book. Aaron could tell the room was old; it had probably been there for generations. However it was obvious that the library was beautifully curated and cared for. Thomas gestured to one of the bookshelves.

"This is Harrold's collection of rare books. Knowledge is currency in his line of work and no expense is spared in procuring books from off continent. You will find information in here unavailable anywhere else in the northern expanse. Thomas was right; Aaron couldn't believe his eyes. His imagination ran wild with the thought of the history and power contained within these walls. If anywhere had the information he needed to help Tim, this was it.

"What is it you're looking for?"

"Books about healing, curses and Necromancy." Thomas didn't look startled in the slightest at the mention of Necromancy.

"There isn't a doubt within me that you will find what you seek within this library." Did he know about Necromancy? Aaron walked closed to a bookshelf and scanned through a few of the leather-bound tomes. Signs were placed around the bookshelves describing various categories. Sacred Library transcriptions, Southern Expanse Literature, Magical and corrupted fauna and flora, forbidden and forgotten magic. Aaron pulled out a book at random and started to read, fifth log of the exploration of the corrupted lands.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. We have just returned from our month-long mission to explore and cleanse the areas surrounding the city. The corruption is growing and each day brings new challenges. One day, we hope to open the city walls and bring the northern expanse back to its former glory, but there are dark times ahead for the people outside of the city before this can be a reality. Mission log day one…

Aaron gasped, "This is the personal mission log of the captain of the Black Guard. It talks about the world beyond our walls!"

"Like Harrold told you, there are untold secrets here. You will not find them anywhere else."

"Okay, let's go and speak to Harrold again, but I'm not agreeing to anything until I hear what it is I need to do." Thomas led Aaron back through the maze of rooms and up a different staircase at the back of the building. At least, Aaron thought they were at the back of the building, but they could have been anywhere. You could spend hours exploring these halls and hours more finding your way out again. The staircase opened out to a grand room, with plenty of fine chairs with side tables.

Aaron suspected it was intended to be a waiting room. There were four guards positioned around the room, two of which stood outside of a door at the back with the words " Duke Umber" crisply painted onto it. Aaron gawked at the large window at the back of the room. This much glass must have been worth a fortune. He could see a beautiful garden at the back of the house. A hedge maze swirled around below leading to an old wishing well in the centre.

In the distance, he could see the Sacred Library and several other gigantic houses. The guards looked like they recognised Thomas. They stood to the side to let him pass and he knocked on Harrold's door.

"Come in," Harrold called. Aaron entered the room. It was much larger on the inside than expected. Harrold's hat and coat were hung on a stand next to the entrance. Immediately on their right, a comfortable leather chair large enough for three people sat in front of a large, circular oak coffee table, filled with scrolls and books. On the left, there was a small chest of draws with a decanter of whiskey on top. Several shiny silver jewel-encrusted goblets were neatly gathered around it.

Towards the back of the room was a sturdy well crafted desk with a couple of potted leafy plants on top of it. Harrold sat behind the desk, scribbling something on a scroll. Aaron jumped as the door slammed shut behind them. One of the guards had accompanied them and had closed it.

"Don't worry, Gus, I'll be fine in here with these two on my own." Said Harrold, warmly.

"Very well, sir," replied the tall, smartly dressed man. He left the room and gently closed the door behind him. Harrold took his glasses off, folded them up and placed them on a document in front of him. He got up from his chair and walked round to the decanter and poured some whiskey into three goblets. He handed one to Aaron and Thomas.

"I trust my boy has shown you around, what did you think?"

"It's incredible. I'd like to spend some time in your library," Aaron replied.

"Please sit, enjoy the drink," Harrold said as he gestured the men over to the leather seat.

"I suspected you would enjoy the library," Harrold chuckled. Aaron took a sip of the drink as he sat down. He wasn't much of a fan of whiskey, but the rich bodied flavour and smoothness felt like silk down his throat.

"Good, right? This was a little project of mine. I have a few Altheons on the staff who distil it for me and store it in old port barrels. The trick with this one is a Chronomancer. I have my friend distort the time around the kegs to age them fifty years in a matter of months." Harrold seemed passionate about his whiskey.

"Chronomancer?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, a type of mage who can alter the very fabric of time," Harrold explained, "it's a lost craft, but we found a book last year which I lent it to my friend for his studies. Thanks to my research, we have the finest whiskey distillery in the city!"

"That's impressive," Aaron said.

"Thank you Aaron, your compliments mean a lot!" Harrold smiled. He took a sip of his whiskey and delicately swirled it around in his mouth.

"But this is only a fraction of what we can achieve. I want to clear something up with you. I have great power as a duke, but there are too many rules and laws restricting progress. Dabbling in illegal activities is just a means to progress. I only want what's best for this city."

"You're not what I expected." Harrold laughed heartily, "Not all crooks are evil, and not all lawmakers are good! The world is not black and white like that." It was difficult to trust a man with so much power, especially after the lies Thomas made to get him here. He might have been a gang leader, but he was charismatic and well spoken. Aaron had to remind himself who he was dealing with as it was too easy to fall for his charm and believe him.

"So what is it you need of an apprentice healer?" Aaron asked.

"Don't be coy with me, we both know you are more than that." Aaron took a sharp breath in. How could he know his secret?

"I've been looking for someone for some time now who can do more than heal the spirit. I'm looking for a Necromancer." Aaron felt sick the stomach. The word " necromancer" echoed around between his ears and his vision went blurry for a moment.

"A necromancer?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, a necromancer," Harrold repeated, "No normal healer could have done that you did for Thomas. I have healers here, but I send my most trusted men out to the city's infirmaries when they get injured. I've been looking for a long time for someone like you." It was too late for secrets now. Harrold clearly knew exactly what he was.

"What do you know about Necromancy?"

"The books say they are created when Spirit Healer's magic becomes corrupted. I have read reports of the effects of dragon-fire. It's so powerful that it burns Althea's very soul out of the land, leaving a corrupted waste. Creatures living on it become twisted and sick. It would only make sense that it can warp the souls of those exposed to it," Harrold elaborated.

"But I was never struck with dragon-fire, or been near corrupted land." He knew Tim's curse was the cause, but it was best not to mention he had a brother, let alone tell him that he has a curse capable of corrupting magic and making Necromancers. Who knows what he would do with that information.

"There is much I don't know; information about Necromancers is difficult to come by. And this is one of the reasons I want to work with you. If we can understand your magic, who knows what we can do for the continent." Aaron was intrigued, but unconvinced. The stories tell of powerful liches raising armies of undead and clashing against entire armies. Harrold might have plans for his power other than just healing his daughter. He needed to tread carefully.

"Thomas says his sister is sick and you want me to heal her?" Harrold put his goblet down on the circular oak table and sighed deeply.

"Yes, she has been sick for years, but this past year it's been getting worse. The Spirit Healers have been unable to help her. I fear we might lose her."

"I want to help," Aaron said. And he wasn't lying to please the gang leader.

"But I need to warn you. I am only just discovering what I can do and I'm not sure I can heal her without the risk of hurting her."

"The healers say she has weeks to months left to live. You have all my resources at your disposal. Read, prepare, practise. Do whatever you need to do. I can't let her die."

"And what about my job and my master at the hospital?" Aaron replied.

"Don't worry about that, I will write to Master Addison. He easily owes me enough favours for a few weeks of your time." Aaron felt backed into a corner. He remembered Thomas' warning, do not make them angry. Was Thomas just trying to manipulate him with more lies? What choice did he have anyways. This was the best shot he had at getting strong enough to help Tim.

"I'll do it." Aaron said.