Prologue
Eliza spoke, her voice weak and rasping, “It seems that I have become sick with this epidemic that has taken over the Realm.” A sudden coughing fit violently overtook her, causing her to stop speaking.
Adicia had been summoned to the Luminary’s chambers early that morning. The Tower Leadership Envoy was set to leave that morning for the southern kingdoms, but now it seemed that Eliza would not be able to go with the other Tower leaders. Adicia had arrived to find Eliza, the Luminary, laying pale and sweating in her bed, propped almost into a sitting position by pillows. Adicia had heard of the many men and women throughout the Realm suffering from this unknown epidemic, and no one she had heard of had survived more than a couple of days. Thousands of men and women were randomly falling ill and dying within days of the first symptoms, but the healers in the Tower of Clerics could find nothing to explain what was causing the illness.
Once Eliza’s coughing had subsided, she continued, “As my Second, I need you to go in my stead to search for Apprentices. The Mahatma has declared that only the Tower Leaders should make the circuit and invite new apprentices. As you know, every Springtime Celebration we go to the southern kingdoms, and during the Fall Festival we go to the northern kingdoms. It will be up to you, the Champion, and the Divine Cleric to find more apprentices than we have been able to locate the last several years.”
Adicia looked at Eliza in horror; the realization that her friend was dying hit her deeply, and being asked to take her place to represent the Towers was staggering. Eliza had been the Luminary for much longer than Adicia had been in the Towers. She had also elevated Adicia to be her Second mere moons after Adicia had become a full Tower Member. That position was the closest confidant of the Luminary, able to assist the Luminary by being the Second in command if needed. “Eliza, you can’t have that illness. It must be something else,” she objected quickly, tears filling her eyes. “I will call for the Divine Cleric Tavis to come and heal you. He will be able to help.”
“I have already had him and half of his Tower here to try and heal me. They have given me more time, and they seem to have pushed much of the illness back, but I will not live another two moons. When I am gone, you will most likely take my place as Luminary,” she replied, smiling at Adicia. “You are a strong Sorceress, and we need to find more able-bodied Apprentices for the Tower of Apprentices. We have some three hundred students studying right now, and they are less than impressive. Our Tower has shrunk too much, and we need to find more Apprentices to fill our Tower,” Eliza replied flatly. She liked Adicia, but now that she was dying and had little time, all she could do was ensure that Adicia fell in line and did what was asked of her. Of course, Adicia would do what was best for the Towers. She was tenacious, smart, and magically adept, more so than most of the men and women left in the Towers.
Nodding, Adicia agreed. “Madame Luminary, of course I will go on this mission for you. I will not give up on finding a way to heal you. The Divine Cleric and I were in the Tower of Apprentices together, and I am sure that he can think of something to save your life.” Pausing, she looked at her friend and mentor and, seeing that Eliza didn’t want to argue about whether she would be healed or not, she took a deep breath and continued. “Regardless of his ability to heal you, I have been thinking about the apprentice situation. I know that the Silverheart area seems to not have many suitable youths, but since that was where I came from, I think that we are missing something down there. In the few history tomes that I have located in my search for the old prophecies, there have been suggestions that we should have far more than the twenty-five hundred men and women currently residing in the Tower. In fact, they suggest that each Tower should have at least five or six thousand members. We have to find out what is happening to the magically talented youths and try to fix it.” Her eyes flashed with determination and Eliza inwardly sighed. At least she would be gone soon and not have to worry about what plans of the Mahatma’s Adicia was going to destroy single-handedly. She had told the Mahatma that Adicia would be dangerous to Merila’s plans. Adicia had a tenacious heart that was singularly focused on the good of the Athanasian Realm, regardless of what anyone advised her. However, Merila, had decided that Adicia was young enough to mold into the leader she wanted her to be, dismissing Eliza’s arguments.
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