January 13, 2025 • 18 mins
The world has abandoned magic, but magic hasn’t abandoned the world.
Tommy & Naomi make it to Persia, but are surprised by what they find.
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Check out our other drama podcasts!
The Thieves Guild
An epic fantasy centered around the city-state of Ness
Some secrets are worth dying for. Some are worth killing for.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild
Thursday
A cyberpunk VR Thriller
No one can be trusted when nothing is real.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thursday
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Check out our other drama podcasts!
The Thieves Guild
An epic fantasy centered around the city-state of Ness
Some secrets are worth dying for. Some are worth killing for.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild
Thursday
A cyberpunk VR Thriller
No one can be trusted when nothing is real.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thursday
Tommy & Naomi make it to Persia, but are surprised by what they find.
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Check out our other drama podcasts!
The Thieves Guild
An epic fantasy centered around the city-state of Ness
Some secrets are worth dying for. Some are worth killing for.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild
Thursday
A cyberpunk VR Thriller
No one can be trusted when nothing is real.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thursday
----
Find out more about series writer Jake Kerr:
https://jakekerr.com
Check out our other drama podcasts!
The Thieves Guild
An epic fantasy centered around the city-state of Ness
Some secrets are worth dying for. Some are worth killing for.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thievesguild
Thursday
A cyberpunk VR Thriller
No one can be trusted when nothing is real.
https://podcastalchemy.studio/thursday
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Artifacts of the Arcane by Jake Kerr, Season one, The
Staff of Light, episode nineteen Naomi, Where's Spectacles?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I tried to picture how our arrival would go In Shiraz.
Vingrosh had said that the gin were holding my grandfather
and that it was up to me to secure his freedom.
But I had no idea where Vingrosh was, or how
to do that. Would Vingrosh meet us or was he
too far away for that matter, I didn't know how
shadows traveled. I figured we would find out when we arrived.
(00:41):
The fact that we didn't really have a well thought
out plan didn't much bother me. The last organized plan
I could remember was the one my grandfather made for
he and I to watch Errol Flynn and then have
lunch at the Persian Garden. That one didn't turn out
too well. A few hours later, the door opened and
Naomi came back. It was frowning.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It appears our engineer decided to take a detour, which
has cost us about ninety minutes of travel time.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
The idiot tried to lie to me. She shook her head.
I know the roots better than he does.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That's not too bad. A delay seemed like a minor annoyance.
We had at least escaped Kine and the Masters.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But why would he try to delay our arrival? He
knew that he couldn't stop anywhere else, or you'd do
some fearsome arch mage magic to him.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I don't know. She sat down on a chair and
leaned her head back. It looked like she was staring
at the ceiling, but her eyes were closed. She tapped
her foot, and her blonde hair swayed beneath her head.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
I got it.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
She opened her eyes and lowered her head in a rush,
her hair flowing across her face.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
He's giving Kin and the Master's time to beat us there.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
She pushed her hair back from her face. I felt
stupid for not thinking that Kin would try to chase us.
I had trusted so much in our magical rail transport
that I didn't even consider that they would have similar
or faster travel. One thing bothered me, though, How do
they know where we are going?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
I'm guessing the engineer let them know somehow.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
We should keep an eye on him. I stood up well.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I scared him a bit when I found out we
weren't heading directly to Shra's.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
She smiled wickedly, but you're right, we should probably stay
up front.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I walked past Naomi when she grabbed my arm.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
This might get messy.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
They know your darkness trick, and they know you have
the shadows on your side. I'm not sure if they
can actually do anything to stop them or you, but
they'll try, so we need to be prepared.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Of course, I tried to sound confident. Naomi stared at
me as if sizing me up. It was difficult not
to look away. While she was probably thinking about how
well I would do when faced with hordes of gin,
I was thinking how I didn't want her to let go,
that I could feel her fingers squeezing my arm as
if I were escorting her to the prom. She let
(02:56):
go and walked toward the engineer's cabin. Couldn't tell what
she was thinking. It was maddening. Did she have confidence
in me? Was she as thrilled to hold my arm
as I was to have it held. Could she picture
me with her at the prom? All these thoughts and
more filled my head As I followed her into the cabin.
I pressed against the far left wall due to the
(03:18):
small space. Naomi stood near the engineer, rhythmically moving her
hands the energy, occasionally crackling loud enough to be heard
over the wheels of the train. The engineer kept glancing
down at her hands. You can lower your hands now, Miss,
was that fear in the engineer's voice.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I don't think so. I find it calming.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Is that the station? I pointed ahead. We were rushing
across desert, and in the distance was what looked like
a station the size of Sunningdale, at the edge of
a large city. The heat coming off the rails was
so great that the station flickered on the horizon.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Yes, this is a famous station. It has served Persepolis
for many years.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Nice job, engineer. I slapped him on the back. He
turned to me, a smile on his face.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
I know.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
He pulled a lever and the train started to slow.
The train stopped, and Naomi jumped down, her hands at
the ready. Her eyes darted all around, including the sky.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
The station is mostly empty. Looks like we beat them,
so we should move.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I stayed behind. I looked at the engineer, who was grinning.
I couldn't stand his arrogance. Enjoy our departure, but you
won't be heading home, I freed the merit. His grin
grew even wider if that was possible.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
The elemental is bound by a word of power, and
only the engineer can free him.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
He leaned down his grin, turning to clenched teeth, and
I won't free him, no matter what you threaten me with.
I am not suicidal.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Tommy, we gotta go.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
It was at that point that a massive banging and
squeal of iron and steel came from the the engine.
I tapped the engineer on his chest with the cane.
I guess on this trip, I was the engineer. I
almost fell as a tremendous blow shook the whole cabin.
I rushed off the train, the engineer close behind. Naomi
(05:14):
stared at the back of the engine as a flash
of light and a wave of heat hit us. The
marriage shredded the metal, melting the iron as it broke free.
It was magnificent, at least three times the size of
a gin, its body shrouded by a mantle of flames.
It leapt down to the ground and with two massive blows,
knocked the train onto its side, metal screeching under the strain.
(05:38):
Its power was astonishing. I now understood why everyone was
frightened at the Persian Garden. When we were told a
merit approached with a howl that sounded part train whistle
and part triumph. The marriage spread its wings and lifted
itself into the air. It swooped toward us, and we
all threw ourselves to the ground, the engineer crying out.
I could feel the heat as it passed over me,
(06:00):
but it didn't land or shoot fire at us. More
than anything, I felt like it wanted to remind us
of its power before it left for its life of freedom.
I glanced up, and the flaming wings beat on toward
the horizon, away from the city. I felt a hand
on my arm, and Naomi looked at me. She looked
like she was in shock. You freed it, and it
(06:22):
didn't kill us. More than that, it did me a
favor in bringing us here. She didn't reply, but I
could tell that she was doing her best to fit
the intelligence, and more importantly, the generosity of a recently
freed slave marrit into her view of the world. I
stood up, brushed the dust off my pants, and held
out my hand. Naomi took it and I helped her up.
(06:45):
She was surprisingly light. I guess I saw her as
larger than life, mighty and powerful. She looked around.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I don't see any shadow greeting committee, so we should
probably head for Persepolis as quickly as we can.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
And we started toward the double doors into the station.
We entered, and Naomi stopped. Suddenly, something feels wrong. Just
as a shadow flowed over to us from a corner.
We waited as it raised itself into the semblance of
a human archmage. It didn't sound like Ving Grosh, but
it had the same metallic voice, so I assumed he
(07:22):
had sent a message ahead. Have we met no arch mage?
Speaker 4 (07:27):
I am here to escort you to Persepholis. Your grandfather
is held there.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Do we have transportation? I am afraid we are pursued.
I looked toward the track. The engine we arrived in
was a twisted wreck. I hoped that it would slow
Cane and anyone else down at least a little bit.
Before the shadow could reply, Naomi stopped, turned and pointed
to the ceiling. Alarm filled her face.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Tommy, these are electrical lights, but they aren't affecting the shadow.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I looked around and she was right. The entire room
was lit with electrical lights. I looked at the shadow
and it wavered A bit. Then a patch of black
shot out and knocked the cane from my hand. It
skittered across the floor. I turned to run for it
when a fist glanced off my head. I sprawled to
the floor. I heard the explosion of a detonation as
(08:19):
I scrambled toward the cane.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Tommy, this whole station is an illusion. Caine is here.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Naomi was glancing around, launching detonations at anything that moved.
I looked toward what I thought was a shadow, just
as a detonation exploded into its chest. It flew backward,
turning into one of the Masters as it slid along
the floor from the force of Naomi's magic. It was
the Master of Illusion. He lay unmoving on the floor.
(08:46):
I turned back to the staff. I had to get
to it. Caan stood holding it enough. Naomi lifted her
hands to fire a detonation, only to have her arms
bend downward as if made of rubber.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
It is quite difficul to do things when your arms
don't cooperate, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Cain laughed and tapped the cane on the floor. I
stood up and looked at him. He looked like he
did back in London. His eyes had the same tick,
and his body jerked and spasmed every so often.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
He walked over to me. Let this be a lesson
to you, boy. Real magic is power detonations. Please and this.
He waved the staff in front of me light. Seriously,
did you think tricking me with light and darkness could
stop me? Even if you wanted to join me, you
would be useless? The disgust in his voice was clear.
(09:36):
I gauged whether I could grab the staff from his
hand without him hitting me with some painful illusion. But
he stayed far enough away that even the attempt would
have been foolish. Kin waved his hand and the entire
building disappeared around us. It didn't even exist. What we
thought was a station was just bare land in the desert.
We could have been miles from Shiraz. We just thought
(09:58):
we had arrived there. As the station disappeared, I could
see an army truck in the distance. A plume of
smoke came out from behind as it moved toward us.
Cain turned to Naomi, You foolish girl, He pointed at her,
moved to our esteemed otch mage, and if you don't
move quickly, I will illustrate what happens when you face
an illusion of being burned alive.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
She walked over to me, pure hatred in her eyes.
Cain looked at Naomi.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
You have talent. Simon had a fairly strong shield on,
and your detonation ripped right through it.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Impressive. The truck pulled up.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Jonah, the engineer, emerged from behind the wreckage of the train.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
You did well.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
I'll make sure you're promoted to a major London station
for this. The engineer named Jonah walked over, his face red.
He wore glasses that I had not seen during the
entire trip. Cain marched over to him. Where did you
get those?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Jonah put a hand up and touched the wire frame
of the lenses.
Speaker 5 (10:56):
They are a family heirloom. They are a weapon against magic.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Kane grabbed them. The engineer cried out, as Kane tossed
them to the ground. You have no need of these.
I released the illusion. You won't trip over some non
existent step. Cain slammed his boot onto the glasses, crushing
them into the dirt. I recognized the spectacles. They were
identical to the glasses that the quartermaster had given me
(11:23):
at the citadel. He had told me to wear them
for my meeting with Cain, but I had forgotten. Now
I knew why he had said that they allow you
to see through illusions. I padded my pocket. The glasses
were still there. Those are priceless. They should be more
than priceless. They shouldn't exist. Cain turned and made his
way back to us.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
He released a married Cain. A married Richard has handled
if it easily, I'm sure a marriage would be no
more difficult.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Let it attack. Jonah looked alarmed, this is a married Cain.
To reiterate his point, he once again repeat a marriage.
Cain waved his arm at him in response. Cain's response
shocked me. Had he never seen a meriat. If he had,
he certainly wouldn't have been so nonchalant about it. I
(12:12):
noted to myself that if Cain lacked knowledge of magical creatures,
perhaps he had other blind spots as well.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
It worries me not, but you are right that we
should leave. It is safer for us in London. Once
we reach the station, you can make arrangements with the
way master there. He turned to me, We are leaving
for Shira's station. I hope you enjoy the irony of
that young man.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
He turned to the truck. The other two masters were
standing next to it.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Place these two in the back. We can leave them
with the Persians to deal with. Cain turned to me
and bowed slightly. You see, Tommy, I'm not a monster.
I'm not going to kill you. Just leave you with
the natives. He turned to the masters. Don't worry about
the arch mage without this, he held up the staff.
He is just a boy.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
The master named Richard came over and motioned for us
to move to the truck. As we were led away,
I could hear Cain behind me, poor Simmon defeated by
a girl, and then leave his body here. We don't
have the time or resources to bring it back. The
truck was the kind designed for transporting supplies or troops.
(13:24):
It had a small cabin in the front and a
flat bed in the back with bleacher type seats down
both sides. Above the cabin were large electrical lights that
looked dim in the sunlight, but I was sure were bright,
bright enough to keep away shadows.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Climb on and move to the front.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Richard's hands crackled with the energy of an unreleased detonation.
There was a small step, and I climbed on without
much trouble. Naomi had difficulty due to her arms and
hands wobbling around like rubber. I assisted as well as
I could, and we eventually settled near the front. Richard
sat toward the back, his eyes on us the whole time.
(14:03):
I sat to Naomi's left, between her and the Master.
The truck turned hard and moved along what appeared to
be not so much a road as a narrow path
that had fewer rocks and brush than elsewhere. The jostling
was heavy and constant. Every so often I would glance
at the Master, but no matter how much the truck bucked,
(14:23):
he kept his hand steady and in front of him.
I leaned over to Naomi. I have spectacles in my
pocket that will break your illusion. Pretend to fall into
my lap and I'll put them on you. I turned
slightly so that the Master couldn't see, and slid the
glasses into my hand, providing Naomi a glimpse. I leaned
back and looked to make sure she understood. For a moment,
(14:45):
she looked uncertain, but then I noticed a small smile
form on her mouth. I waited, and not long later
the truck hit another rock and bounced. Naomi cried out
and fell forward into my lap. I slid the spectacles
on her nose and over her ears.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Don't be so clumsy, you oth.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
She slid off my lap and down onto the floor
of the truck. Her back was to Richard, and I
could see that she was preparing a spell. It looked
like a detonation, only different.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Don't just sit there, help me up.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Her voice sounded forced. I leaned over and grabbed her waist.
I could tell she was tensing her legs. As I
helped her up, she turned in a crouch and unleashed
her spell at the Master. He didn't have a chance.
The last thing I saw was his eyes go wide,
and then an orange ball of fire hit him in
the head. The spell threw him back with enough force
(15:36):
that as his legs hit the edge of the truck,
he flipped into the air and landed in the dirt
behind us. I looked at Naomi, but she had already
turned to the front of the truck. Before I could
stop her, she launched another fire type spell at Caine
and the final Master. The ball of flame hit the
back of the cabin and tore a huge hole into it.
As it continued through and into the engine, the force
(15:58):
drove the front of the truck into the ground, stopping
us from moving forward. The momentum lifted the back of
the truck into the air with a screech of metal.
Naomi and I went flying into the air. I landed
in the dirt and rolled to a stop. I was
dazed and bruised, but not seriously injured. I stood up
and looked around. The truck looked like it had been
(16:20):
hit by an artillery shell. It was on its wheels,
but the front was twisted and melted. The wheels were
flat and bent to the side. I broke your glasses.
Naomi walked toward me, holding out the spectacles. The metal
frame was bent and the lenses were spiderwebbed with cracks.
I slipped them into my shirt pocket and then ran
(16:40):
over to the truck. I had to get the staff.
Cain was in the passenger side of the truck, unconscious
and bleeding from his head. The Master was on the ground,
also unconscious. I pulled Cain from the seat and dropped
him on the ground. Naomi walked up. There's your staff.
She pointed to the grin near the front of the truck.
(17:01):
I rushed over and picked it up. I didn't realize
how empty I felt without it. As my fingers squeezed
the wood, I could tell that it was unharmed, and
more importantly, that one of my senses had returned, as
if a blindfold were removed from my face.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Are they okay?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I walked over to Naomi, who was bent over Cain
and Master Benham.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
She reached down and put her fingertips against Kane's neck.
They're alive at least. I looked around again, this time
taking in our surroundings. We were in the middle of
a flat plane, and I had no idea how far
we were from Sharraz.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
So street light, do you have a plan?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Naomi brushed some dust off her clothes as she spoke, looks.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Like we're surrounded by a whole lot of dirt.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I was about to just say we had no choice
but to follow the train tracks to Sharraz, when a
black shape flowed toward us from a small tree och.
The deep, metallic baritone voice from the shadow was all
too familiar.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
I have unfortunate newtons.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
The podcast Alchemy production
Speaker 3 (18:32):
H
Artifacts of the Arcane by Jake Kerr, Season one, The
Staff of Light, episode nineteen Naomi, Where's Spectacles?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
I tried to picture how our arrival would go In Shiraz.
Vingrosh had said that the gin were holding my grandfather
and that it was up to me to secure his freedom.
But I had no idea where Vingrosh was, or how
to do that. Would Vingrosh meet us or was he
too far away for that matter, I didn't know how
shadows traveled. I figured we would find out when we arrived.
(00:41):
The fact that we didn't really have a well thought
out plan didn't much bother me. The last organized plan
I could remember was the one my grandfather made for
he and I to watch Errol Flynn and then have
lunch at the Persian Garden. That one didn't turn out
too well. A few hours later, the door opened and
Naomi came back. It was frowning.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It appears our engineer decided to take a detour, which
has cost us about ninety minutes of travel time.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
The idiot tried to lie to me. She shook her head.
I know the roots better than he does.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That's not too bad. A delay seemed like a minor annoyance.
We had at least escaped Kine and the Masters.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
But why would he try to delay our arrival? He
knew that he couldn't stop anywhere else, or you'd do
some fearsome arch mage magic to him.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I don't know. She sat down on a chair and
leaned her head back. It looked like she was staring
at the ceiling, but her eyes were closed. She tapped
her foot, and her blonde hair swayed beneath her head.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
I got it.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
She opened her eyes and lowered her head in a rush,
her hair flowing across her face.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
He's giving Kin and the Master's time to beat us there.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
She pushed her hair back from her face. I felt
stupid for not thinking that Kin would try to chase us.
I had trusted so much in our magical rail transport
that I didn't even consider that they would have similar
or faster travel. One thing bothered me, though, How do
they know where we are going?
Speaker 4 (02:05):
I'm guessing the engineer let them know somehow.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
We should keep an eye on him. I stood up well.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I scared him a bit when I found out we
weren't heading directly to Shra's.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
She smiled wickedly, but you're right, we should probably stay
up front.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I walked past Naomi when she grabbed my arm.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
This might get messy.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
They know your darkness trick, and they know you have
the shadows on your side. I'm not sure if they
can actually do anything to stop them or you, but
they'll try, so we need to be prepared.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Of course, I tried to sound confident. Naomi stared at
me as if sizing me up. It was difficult not
to look away. While she was probably thinking about how
well I would do when faced with hordes of gin,
I was thinking how I didn't want her to let go,
that I could feel her fingers squeezing my arm as
if I were escorting her to the prom. She let
(02:56):
go and walked toward the engineer's cabin. Couldn't tell what
she was thinking. It was maddening. Did she have confidence
in me? Was she as thrilled to hold my arm
as I was to have it held. Could she picture
me with her at the prom? All these thoughts and
more filled my head As I followed her into the cabin.
I pressed against the far left wall due to the
(03:18):
small space. Naomi stood near the engineer, rhythmically moving her
hands the energy, occasionally crackling loud enough to be heard
over the wheels of the train. The engineer kept glancing
down at her hands. You can lower your hands now, Miss,
was that fear in the engineer's voice.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
I don't think so. I find it calming.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Is that the station? I pointed ahead. We were rushing
across desert, and in the distance was what looked like
a station the size of Sunningdale, at the edge of
a large city. The heat coming off the rails was
so great that the station flickered on the horizon.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Yes, this is a famous station. It has served Persepolis
for many years.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Nice job, engineer. I slapped him on the back. He
turned to me, a smile on his face.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
I know.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
He pulled a lever and the train started to slow.
The train stopped, and Naomi jumped down, her hands at
the ready. Her eyes darted all around, including the sky.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
The station is mostly empty. Looks like we beat them,
so we should move.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
I stayed behind. I looked at the engineer, who was grinning.
I couldn't stand his arrogance. Enjoy our departure, but you
won't be heading home, I freed the merit. His grin
grew even wider if that was possible.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
The elemental is bound by a word of power, and
only the engineer can free him.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
He leaned down his grin, turning to clenched teeth, and
I won't free him, no matter what you threaten me with.
I am not suicidal.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Tommy, we gotta go.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
It was at that point that a massive banging and
squeal of iron and steel came from the the engine.
I tapped the engineer on his chest with the cane.
I guess on this trip, I was the engineer. I
almost fell as a tremendous blow shook the whole cabin.
I rushed off the train, the engineer close behind. Naomi
(05:14):
stared at the back of the engine as a flash
of light and a wave of heat hit us. The
marriage shredded the metal, melting the iron as it broke free.
It was magnificent, at least three times the size of
a gin, its body shrouded by a mantle of flames.
It leapt down to the ground and with two massive blows,
knocked the train onto its side, metal screeching under the strain.
(05:38):
Its power was astonishing. I now understood why everyone was
frightened at the Persian Garden. When we were told a
merit approached with a howl that sounded part train whistle
and part triumph. The marriage spread its wings and lifted
itself into the air. It swooped toward us, and we
all threw ourselves to the ground, the engineer crying out.
I could feel the heat as it passed over me,
(06:00):
but it didn't land or shoot fire at us. More
than anything, I felt like it wanted to remind us
of its power before it left for its life of freedom.
I glanced up, and the flaming wings beat on toward
the horizon, away from the city. I felt a hand
on my arm, and Naomi looked at me. She looked
like she was in shock. You freed it, and it
(06:22):
didn't kill us. More than that, it did me a
favor in bringing us here. She didn't reply, but I
could tell that she was doing her best to fit
the intelligence, and more importantly, the generosity of a recently
freed slave marrit into her view of the world. I
stood up, brushed the dust off my pants, and held
out my hand. Naomi took it and I helped her up.
(06:45):
She was surprisingly light. I guess I saw her as
larger than life, mighty and powerful. She looked around.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
I don't see any shadow greeting committee, so we should
probably head for Persepolis as quickly as we can.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
And we started toward the double doors into the station.
We entered, and Naomi stopped. Suddenly, something feels wrong. Just
as a shadow flowed over to us from a corner.
We waited as it raised itself into the semblance of
a human archmage. It didn't sound like Ving Grosh, but
it had the same metallic voice, so I assumed he
(07:22):
had sent a message ahead. Have we met no arch mage?
Speaker 4 (07:27):
I am here to escort you to Persepholis. Your grandfather
is held there.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Do we have transportation? I am afraid we are pursued.
I looked toward the track. The engine we arrived in
was a twisted wreck. I hoped that it would slow
Cane and anyone else down at least a little bit.
Before the shadow could reply, Naomi stopped, turned and pointed
to the ceiling. Alarm filled her face.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Tommy, these are electrical lights, but they aren't affecting the shadow.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I looked around and she was right. The entire room
was lit with electrical lights. I looked at the shadow
and it wavered A bit. Then a patch of black
shot out and knocked the cane from my hand. It
skittered across the floor. I turned to run for it
when a fist glanced off my head. I sprawled to
the floor. I heard the explosion of a detonation as
(08:19):
I scrambled toward the cane.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Tommy, this whole station is an illusion. Caine is here.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Naomi was glancing around, launching detonations at anything that moved.
I looked toward what I thought was a shadow, just
as a detonation exploded into its chest. It flew backward,
turning into one of the Masters as it slid along
the floor from the force of Naomi's magic. It was
the Master of Illusion. He lay unmoving on the floor.
(08:46):
I turned back to the staff. I had to get
to it. Caan stood holding it enough. Naomi lifted her
hands to fire a detonation, only to have her arms
bend downward as if made of rubber.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
It is quite difficul to do things when your arms
don't cooperate, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Cain laughed and tapped the cane on the floor. I
stood up and looked at him. He looked like he
did back in London. His eyes had the same tick,
and his body jerked and spasmed every so often.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
He walked over to me. Let this be a lesson
to you, boy. Real magic is power detonations. Please and this.
He waved the staff in front of me light. Seriously,
did you think tricking me with light and darkness could
stop me? Even if you wanted to join me, you
would be useless? The disgust in his voice was clear.
(09:36):
I gauged whether I could grab the staff from his
hand without him hitting me with some painful illusion. But
he stayed far enough away that even the attempt would
have been foolish. Kin waved his hand and the entire
building disappeared around us. It didn't even exist. What we
thought was a station was just bare land in the desert.
We could have been miles from Shiraz. We just thought
(09:58):
we had arrived there. As the station disappeared, I could
see an army truck in the distance. A plume of
smoke came out from behind as it moved toward us.
Cain turned to Naomi, You foolish girl, He pointed at her,
moved to our esteemed otch mage, and if you don't
move quickly, I will illustrate what happens when you face
an illusion of being burned alive.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
She walked over to me, pure hatred in her eyes.
Cain looked at Naomi.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
You have talent. Simon had a fairly strong shield on,
and your detonation ripped right through it.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Impressive. The truck pulled up.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Jonah, the engineer, emerged from behind the wreckage of the train.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
You did well.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
I'll make sure you're promoted to a major London station
for this. The engineer named Jonah walked over, his face red.
He wore glasses that I had not seen during the
entire trip. Cain marched over to him. Where did you
get those?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Jonah put a hand up and touched the wire frame
of the lenses.
Speaker 5 (10:56):
They are a family heirloom. They are a weapon against magic.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Kane grabbed them. The engineer cried out, as Kane tossed
them to the ground. You have no need of these.
I released the illusion. You won't trip over some non
existent step. Cain slammed his boot onto the glasses, crushing
them into the dirt. I recognized the spectacles. They were
identical to the glasses that the quartermaster had given me
(11:23):
at the citadel. He had told me to wear them
for my meeting with Cain, but I had forgotten. Now
I knew why he had said that they allow you
to see through illusions. I padded my pocket. The glasses
were still there. Those are priceless. They should be more
than priceless. They shouldn't exist. Cain turned and made his
way back to us.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
He released a married Cain. A married Richard has handled
if it easily, I'm sure a marriage would be no
more difficult.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Let it attack. Jonah looked alarmed, this is a married Cain.
To reiterate his point, he once again repeat a marriage.
Cain waved his arm at him in response. Cain's response
shocked me. Had he never seen a meriat. If he had,
he certainly wouldn't have been so nonchalant about it. I
(12:12):
noted to myself that if Cain lacked knowledge of magical creatures,
perhaps he had other blind spots as well.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
It worries me not, but you are right that we
should leave. It is safer for us in London. Once
we reach the station, you can make arrangements with the
way master there. He turned to me, We are leaving
for Shira's station. I hope you enjoy the irony of
that young man.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
He turned to the truck. The other two masters were
standing next to it.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Place these two in the back. We can leave them
with the Persians to deal with. Cain turned to me
and bowed slightly. You see, Tommy, I'm not a monster.
I'm not going to kill you. Just leave you with
the natives. He turned to the masters. Don't worry about
the arch mage without this, he held up the staff.
He is just a boy.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
The master named Richard came over and motioned for us
to move to the truck. As we were led away,
I could hear Cain behind me, poor Simmon defeated by
a girl, and then leave his body here. We don't
have the time or resources to bring it back. The
truck was the kind designed for transporting supplies or troops.
(13:24):
It had a small cabin in the front and a
flat bed in the back with bleacher type seats down
both sides. Above the cabin were large electrical lights that
looked dim in the sunlight, but I was sure were bright,
bright enough to keep away shadows.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Climb on and move to the front.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Richard's hands crackled with the energy of an unreleased detonation.
There was a small step, and I climbed on without
much trouble. Naomi had difficulty due to her arms and
hands wobbling around like rubber. I assisted as well as
I could, and we eventually settled near the front. Richard
sat toward the back, his eyes on us the whole time.
(14:03):
I sat to Naomi's left, between her and the Master.
The truck turned hard and moved along what appeared to
be not so much a road as a narrow path
that had fewer rocks and brush than elsewhere. The jostling
was heavy and constant. Every so often I would glance
at the Master, but no matter how much the truck bucked,
(14:23):
he kept his hand steady and in front of him.
I leaned over to Naomi. I have spectacles in my
pocket that will break your illusion. Pretend to fall into
my lap and I'll put them on you. I turned
slightly so that the Master couldn't see, and slid the
glasses into my hand, providing Naomi a glimpse. I leaned
back and looked to make sure she understood. For a moment,
(14:45):
she looked uncertain, but then I noticed a small smile
form on her mouth. I waited, and not long later
the truck hit another rock and bounced. Naomi cried out
and fell forward into my lap. I slid the spectacles
on her nose and over her ears.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Don't be so clumsy, you oth.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
She slid off my lap and down onto the floor
of the truck. Her back was to Richard, and I
could see that she was preparing a spell. It looked
like a detonation, only different.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Don't just sit there, help me up.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Her voice sounded forced. I leaned over and grabbed her waist.
I could tell she was tensing her legs. As I
helped her up, she turned in a crouch and unleashed
her spell at the Master. He didn't have a chance.
The last thing I saw was his eyes go wide,
and then an orange ball of fire hit him in
the head. The spell threw him back with enough force
(15:36):
that as his legs hit the edge of the truck,
he flipped into the air and landed in the dirt
behind us. I looked at Naomi, but she had already
turned to the front of the truck. Before I could
stop her, she launched another fire type spell at Caine
and the final Master. The ball of flame hit the
back of the cabin and tore a huge hole into it.
As it continued through and into the engine, the force
(15:58):
drove the front of the truck into the ground, stopping
us from moving forward. The momentum lifted the back of
the truck into the air with a screech of metal.
Naomi and I went flying into the air. I landed
in the dirt and rolled to a stop. I was
dazed and bruised, but not seriously injured. I stood up
and looked around. The truck looked like it had been
(16:20):
hit by an artillery shell. It was on its wheels,
but the front was twisted and melted. The wheels were
flat and bent to the side. I broke your glasses.
Naomi walked toward me, holding out the spectacles. The metal
frame was bent and the lenses were spiderwebbed with cracks.
I slipped them into my shirt pocket and then ran
(16:40):
over to the truck. I had to get the staff.
Cain was in the passenger side of the truck, unconscious
and bleeding from his head. The Master was on the ground,
also unconscious. I pulled Cain from the seat and dropped
him on the ground. Naomi walked up. There's your staff.
She pointed to the grin near the front of the truck.
(17:01):
I rushed over and picked it up. I didn't realize
how empty I felt without it. As my fingers squeezed
the wood, I could tell that it was unharmed, and
more importantly, that one of my senses had returned, as
if a blindfold were removed from my face.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Are they okay?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
I walked over to Naomi, who was bent over Cain
and Master Benham.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
She reached down and put her fingertips against Kane's neck.
They're alive at least. I looked around again, this time
taking in our surroundings. We were in the middle of
a flat plane, and I had no idea how far
we were from Sharraz.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
So street light, do you have a plan?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Naomi brushed some dust off her clothes as she spoke, looks.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Like we're surrounded by a whole lot of dirt.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
I was about to just say we had no choice
but to follow the train tracks to Sharraz, when a
black shape flowed toward us from a small tree och.
The deep, metallic baritone voice from the shadow was all
too familiar.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
I have unfortunate newtons.
Speaker 4 (18:27):
The podcast Alchemy production
Speaker 3 (18:32):
H
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.