The Rise of Isaac, Books 1-3, page 68
His heart swelled with pride as he climbed up onto the stage. The hall was packed with people, more than he and Isaac had hoped for. The crowd was a mixture of curious observers and hardcore Arclites standing beneath a high wooden roof that rose to a peak. Isaac had convinced him that it was time to make their first public appearance, he had even hired a camera crew so they could send the recording to the press.
William raised his hands and the hall fell silent.
"Today I want to talk to you all about the devotion you have shown to the Arc. Above all the other worlds, Theald has taught its children to love and worship the Arc with rigour. And this city, here in Bellgrade, holds the highest population of Arclites in the seven worlds." He paused for effect and the crowd cheered him wildly.
He raised his hands again for silence. "And that is why we come to you today, to share with you before anyone else, the long awaited embodiment of the Arc itself."
The crowd whispered excitedly in hushed tones.
"I will now welcome to the stage a man you have been taught to fear. A man whose name has been soiled by the Council of Heptus. A man who risked his life for the Arclites, including myself. A man who is not only my dearest friend, but who took my life then returned me to my body with his own hands. A man who was never a mage but merely an outcast Dud. A man who will not only stand before you with magic in his palms as keen as my own, but who now embodies the Arc itself. Please welcome, Isaac Rimori!"
Isaac climbed onto the stage and held his hands up as the crowd screamed in shock and dismay. Some of them backed away from the stage in fear but no one ran.
William embraced his friend then moved to the side of the stage.
"I will ask all of you to listen to me before I am judged," Isaac started. "If you are not satisfied I will willingly allow you to arrest me here today. Do I have your permission, fellow Arclites, to share with you my story?" His words were fluid and enticing and William could see curiosity in people's eyes.
The crowd muttered amongst themselves.
A man's voice shouted from somewhere near the back. "I will hear you!"
"And I!" a woman's voice joined him.
The crowd nodded and many shouted their agreement.
"Thank you. You will not regret it," Isaac said. "Now, you all know me as a man who murdered his friend to enter Vale, am I correct?"
The audience muttered their agreement and William's heart thudded in his ears.
"And yet, the very man I supposedly murdered stands here beside me today. Did you not recognise, Mr William Knight?"
William stepped forward again and used magic to project an old photograph of himself, Isaac, and Eugene Fox onto the wall. They were sat around a table in Glacio in a small tavern. William remembered the day with fondness. The crowd gasped as their eyes flitted between William and the picture behind him.
"Don't be frightened. Yes, it is true that I took William's life to enter Vale. He gave it willingly and was rewarded by the Arc for his sacrifice. I returned him from death using the Arc's power. A power I now possess today." Isaac threw his hands up and black fire engulfed the image William had projected on the wall. "I am the Arc embodied."
The crowd was stunned into silence and William wet his mouth, bracing for their reaction.
"We are on a quest to destroy the Gateways between the worlds to create a united, peaceful society," Isaac continued. "For your devotion I will provide each of you with power even greater than that of a mage and we shall begin the creation of an equal society where everyone will receive the same privileges. No longer will you look to your fellow mages for their services. You will have the power to protect yourselves and your families. To prove this to you, I now ask for a volunteer."
No one raised their hand and William heard the distinct sound of the door closing as someone left.
"Do not be frightened. I am offering to grant you the gift of magic," Isaac said, moistening his thin lips.
Tentatively, a young woman raised her hand up.
"Yes, you. Help her up, Will," Isaac instructed, a gleam of excitement entering his grey eyes.
William reached forward and pulled the girl onto the stage by her hand. She looked at Rimori but didn't step towards him. She had a tangle of mousey brown hair, pulled around one shoulder into a braid. She dressed plainly and her heart-shaped face was void of makeup, looking like a girl that easily blended into the background.
"Don't be afraid. Come here to me." Isaac held out his hand. She took it slowly and he pulled her across to stand in front of him, releasing her. "What's your name?"
"Aliyah," she said quietly.
"And are you a mage, Aliyah?"
"No, I'm a Dud."
"I hate the word Dud, don't you?" he said, smiling warmly.
She nodded, her tense shoulders dropping. "Yes, I always have."
"And did your parents look after you growing up?"
"Yes, they were kind. But I always felt I didn't belong."
"You will belong, Aliyah. Now, please give me your hand."
She did so. "Should I kneel?"
"No. We will always be equals. You should never kneel for anyone." Isaac shut his eyes in concentration.
William knew he was talking to the vark, Kogure, inside his head. Everything hung on them successfully deceiving the crowd that the vark's power was that of the Arc's.
Black smoke engulfed their touching hands. The girl flinched but didn't pull away.
"I grant you power. A gift from the Arc," Isaac said loudly.
The smoke crept up the girl's arm, swirling and twisting. Her legs shook and she fell to the floor. As quick as it had appeared, the smoke evaporated. Isaac knelt at her side and pulled her unconscious body into his arms. William caught the flash of cameras going off all around the room.
Aliyah's lids flickered open to reveal entirely black eyes. Isaac helped her to her feet.
"Raise your palms at the wall," Isaac instructed softly.
She lifted them up, her hands quivering. "Like this?"
"That's it, a little higher," Isaac said, placing his arm under her wrists to guide them. "Now, imagine your hands are full of fire. Imagine it so fiercely that you can almost feel the flames licking them. Then force that fire away from your body."
Aliyah squeezed her eyes shut. Nothing happened for a moment then black fire burst from her palms and the back wall exploded. A roaring crash sounded as rubble tumbled out into the street beyond it. The rain pattered down outside, quickly settling the rising dust from the crumbled wall.
The crowd screamed in shock then started applauding and crying out. They raised their arms, praying to the Arc and screaming for more. William's heart rate increased excitedly.
Aliyah blinked several times. She dropped her palms, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. William took her to one side and helped her sit down on the edge of the stage.
"We will return here in exactly one week. If you wish to join us on our quest then meet us here. Tell your friends, families, neighbours. Spread the word of the Arc and we shall reshape the seven worlds together!"
The crowd applauded again. William felt the grip of Kogure as he readied to transport them. He descended from the stage and took Alison's hand firmly in his. Her palm trembled and he planted a soft kiss on her temple to calm her.
"Bring the girl," Isaac said to Kogure out loud.
Aliyah sat up straight in surprise as Kogure enveloped her. She looked to Isaac who smiled at her warmly. "Don't be frightened. It is the Arc."
She stared up at him with trust in her eyes and nodded. The four of them disappeared and William just caught the sound of screams and the sight of a hundred pointing fingers as Kogure whisked them away out of sight through a black portal.
5
The White Wall
Oliver followed as everyone climbed aboard the blue fishing boat one at a time. Port ushered them to the far end where they could perch on small, wooden ledges, jutting from the inside of the boat.
"We're going to Annalise Island," Ely said.
"Annalise Island? You're goin' to visit the old mage?" Dargon asked curiously.
"They say no one's seen him in nearly ten years," Port said mysteriously.
"Yeah, well, we're hoping to change that," Oliver said with a frown.
Dargon shrugged. "Good luck to ya." He entered a small cabin behind them and the boat hovered above the water with a whoosh of air.
"Hold on tight," Port said, leaning against the cabin wall.
The boat took off at a surprising speed, exiting the harbour and splashing through the waves as it entered the vast sea. They veered sharply to the right so they were parallel with Barlin island, running along the length of it.
Oliver gazed back at the city as it rushed by. The housing thinned out, giving way to a lush forest, rising over high ridges and hills.
The boat curved around the tapered end of the island, feeling like it was floating above the water as it moved. It took several minutes to circle Barlin then they sped away towards a host of smaller islands, stretching towards the horizon. Some were comprised of golden beaches and others were simple mounds of high rock, covered in dense green foliage. Larger islands loomed in the distance, the midday sun highlighting their peaks.
They swerved around a tall outcrop of rock then took a direct route towards a small island. A singular green hill rose up from a sandy beach that ran around the base. As they drew closer a mansion came into view atop the hill, white walls glaring at them in the sunlight. A large yacht was moored at a lone pier. The fishing boat pulled up opposite it and Port jumped out, tethering it to a post with a thick rope.
They exited and Port jumped gracefully back into the boat. "Do you want us to come back for you?" he asked, turning to them.
"Yes but we're not sure how long we'll be here for. I'll pay you now," Ely said.
Dargon stepped out of the cabin, held out a Flash Screen and chucked Ely something small and metal. Ely caught it and eyed the object. It was an oval, silver disc with an emblem marked upon it.
"That's my symbol," Dargon said expectantly.
Ely looked down at him blankly.
"You ain't from around here are ya?" Dargon said with a dry laugh.
Ely shook his head. "No. How does it work?"
"Focus the amount ya wanna pay with the symbol in mind. Easy as that," Dargon replied.
Ely nodded and gazed at the symbol. A moment later the number two hundred accompanied by a picture of a shark-like fin appeared on Dargon's Flash Screen in gold writing.
"Cheers," Dargon said. "Just contact me via the earpiece when ya need us to come pick ya up."
"Thank you," Ely said, passing the symbol back.
Port untethered the boat and the fishermen pulled away, the rubber base causing small, foamy waves in the water as it hovered an inch above it.
Oliver gazed up at the sandy beach, spotting a pebble trail leading into a woodland. The white house they had seen from the boat was obscured by the trees.
They walked along the pier past the immaculate yacht and started up the pathway into the wood. The large leaves provided shade from the sun as they climbed higher and higher up the hill. The trees were alive with wildlife, flying and scurrying around them.
They were stopped from progressing by a high white wall, curving through the forest. The path led them to a stone gateway set into the wall. A Flash Screen was fixed into it with a symbol etched on the stone beside it. The screen provided a small, rectangular window through to the other side.
Oliver peered through the glass. The pathway continued beyond the wall, winding up through a perfectly kept garden towards the white mansion. Flowerbeds were in full bloom and ornamental trees were dotted around in the finely trimmed grass. Exotic, flightless birds wandered around the garden displaying a rainbow of colours.
"Can you call him with that?" Oliver asked, pointing at the symbol.
Ely stepped up to it, the screen sitting just higher than his head on the wall. "I'll give it a try." He squinted, focusing on the marking.
The Flash Screen turned green and pulsed with light.
They stood back and waited.
The green light turned into a thin, horizontal line across the centre of the screen, moving up and down in time with the female voice that emitted across it.
"Wallace Ganderfield is not currently taking visitors. Thank you. Goodbye."
"Wait," Oliver tried but the screen went blank. "Try it again."
Ely nodded and concentrated.
The process repeated and the voice emitted again. "Wallace Ganderfield is not currently taking visitors. Thank you. Goodbye."
"It's a recording," Rogan said with a frown.
"Can we try and get over the wall?" May suggested, gazing up at the high structure that disappeared above them into the canopy.
"Might be easier to blast a hole in it," Rogan said, raising his hands.
Ely looked at him thoughtfully then nodded. "Well we didn't come all this way to be stopped by a ruddy wall."
A storm of purple lightning gathered in Rogan's hands, building and building until his arms vibrated with the pressure.
"STOP!" a voice shouted across the intercom.
Rogan gasped with exertion and dropped his hands just in time, dispelling the magic.
"Don't you go blasting holes in my wall!" the man's voice demanded. "Leave immediately or I'll call security."
"Dad? It's me, Rogan," he said, stepping up to the screen and looking into it. "Can you see me?"
Silence stretched on.
"Please leave," the man said abruptly.
Rogan stiffened. "Dad, I need your help."
"Leave, Rogan. It's not safe here."
"What? Why? Please, just listen," Rogan implored.
"No. I'm sorry but you need to leave this second."
Rogan stepped back and raised his palms up, balling purple lightning between them once more. His expression hardened to angry determination and Oliver stepped aside warily, giving him some space.
"Don't you dare, Rog-" the voice was cut off as Rogan released the magic and it blasted away from his body.
They all stumbled backwards with the force of it as it ripped the wall apart, leaving a gaping hole before them. Oliver steadied Anna as she bumped into him.
The Flash Screen had been destroyed, the pieces crackling and sparking amongst the rubble.
"Bloody hell, Rogan," Oliver exclaimed with half a laugh.
Rogan folded his arms in response.
Ely chuckled. "Come on, let's move before he calls security on us."
They trod carefully through the rubble and emerged in the immaculate garden. The birds had scattered. A pink one with pluming feathers on its head had taken refuge in a small, ornamental fruit tree. It squawked at them indignantly as they passed.
Oliver squeezed May's arm encouragingly as they hurried towards the stone porch. There was a large, bronze knocker on the door which Rogan quickly rapped.
"You are not coming in," the man's voice came from the other side of the door. "I am older and stronger than you Rogan. You will not get in."
"You might be the best mage at alchemy in the seven worlds but I trained in defence at university. I reckon I have a pretty good shot at getting in," Rogan said confidently.
"This is for your own safety you stupid boy. Get out of here!" Wallace shouted.
"No," Rogan said simply. "We'll camp on your porch if we have to. Trust me, I don't wanna see you as much as you don't wanna see me but this is a life or death situation and you're the only person who might mean life."
May shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Rogan then the door.
"Life or death you say?" the voice asked hesitantly. "You're not in danger are you, son?"
"Just let us in and I'll explain," Rogan said, leaning his head against the door. "Or I will blast my way in."
"Rogan. Please listen to me. I've barricaded myself in here for a reason. I don't want you at risk."
Oliver clenched his fists and stepped forward. "Mr Ganderfield, my name's Oliver Knight and I've come all the way from Earth to see you with my sister. She's had a curse put on her."
"Curse?" Wallace asked through the door. "What kind of curse?"
May leant a palm against the door. "I'll show you if you let me in. Please, Mr Ganderfield. I need your help. You're the only one who might be able to cure me."
Wallace didn't reply. Quiet hung between them then Oliver bashed a fist on the door in frustration.
The sound of several locks clicking made them jump. Oliver put a hand on May's shoulder and, as one, they stepped backwards.
Anna hovered anxiously next to Ely, biting her lip as she shared a brief look with Oliver.
The door swung open and a man stood there dressed in baggy grey trousers and a dirty t-shirt. The clothes hung from his thin body and his jaw and cheekbones were overly prominent. His hair was jet black like Rogan's but was scraggly with a thick layer of stubble along his chin to match. He looked as though he might once have been handsome in the same way but was now dishevelled due to a lack of basic care.
He sighed as he looked at them, looking utterly defeated. "I suppose you'd better come in then."
6
Captive
Quinn flinched as Hector cut the rope tethering her to the tree. This time, he had left her for a few hours under the shade. The sunlight had shifted so a shaft had been blazing down on her for the past half hour. She sweated in the heat and felt a little dizzy.
"Why are you doing this?" She tried to keep her voice level, forcing herself to control her anger.
Hector ignored her and gripped her shoulders, yanking her to her feet. He tied her hands in front of her instead of behind and knotted the end of the rope around his waist. As he started walking, she dug her heels in but his momentum roughly tugged her forward and she almost lost her footing. She continued to resist but Hector barely missed a step, seemingly unaware of her efforts.
"Where have you been?" she snapped, unable to remain calm.
He ignored her and continued through the trees, weaving between the thin trunks that shot up toward the sky. Huge, paper-thin leaves clustered together at their peaks, sheltering them from the glaring sunlight.
