Curse of the Shadowmage - Mark Anthony [63]
Suddenly his entire body went limp.
For a terrified moment Mari thought he was dead. She clasped a hand to Morhion's wrist. His pulse was strong and even.
Abruptly, the plant began to wither. Its purple leaves turned black and curled upon themselves. The stem broke, and the brittle plant crumbled as it fell to the floor. The only trace it left on Morhion's flesh was a tiny violet circle, and even this began to fade. The mage took in a deep, shuddering breath and sat up, eyes open wide. Immediately he grimaced, touching a hand tentatively to his wounded brow.
"What happened?" he asked in a dazed voice, and the others let out a collective sigh of relief.
*****
The witch's name was Isela, and as far as they could tell from the bits and fragments she told them, she had dwelt in the ruined city-she called it Talis-all her life. She left them for a brief time, only to return to the window with dried fruit, nuts, and a leather jug of water. The others accepted these gratefully, and thanked Isela when she told them she had retrieved and picketed their horses.
"Though I suppose we'll have little need of them if we cannot find a way to escape this trap," Morhion said darkly. Thanks to Isela's magic, the mage had largely recovered from the lightning strike. "I wonder what this prison was originally for. And the pyramid. Do you know, Isela?"
"I think I did once," she said wistfully. "I've forgotten so much… so much I wonder how I ever knew it all. It seems to me that the wizards who dwelt here long ago used the pyramid and the orb to defend Talis from its enemies. The orb remembered the touch of magic, and when the boy laid a hand upon it, it called down the lightning to protect the city. But you had no idea what was coming, and so were caught by the trap that would have served to guard the wizards of long ago." She paused, licking her thin lips. "There is a way to rotate the sphere, you know."
"How?" Mari asked intently.
"A wizard could do it." She gave Morhion a piercing look. "But you are too weak from the heartroot."
Morhion took a deep breath. "I'll try it," he said solemnly. "Tell me how."
"It would kill you," Isela said flatly. "That is not important." Anger flashed in his icy eyes. "We dare not delay our quest any longer. If the price is death, then I will pay it."
Isela gave a derisive snort. "A lot of good that would do your friends. Especially when there is one other who has the power." Her sharp gaze drifted toward Kellen.
"He's only a child," Mari said scornfully. "You would truly have him attempt something so perilous?"
"He has already faced grave peril once." Isela's gaze flickered back toward Morhion. The mage fell silent. "What do I need to do?" Kellen asked quietly. Mari started to protest, then halted. What choice did they have? All she could do was watch Kellen closely, and stop him if he appeared to be in danger.
"Close your eyes," Isela instructed in a low voice. "Imagine that you are not inside the sphere, but rather that the sphere is a small black orb you hold in your hand."
Kellen sat cross-legged and shut his eyes. After a moment, he spoke in a dreamy voice. "I can see it." He cupped his hand as if holding a ball. "Now, you must turn the orb a half-turn to the left."
"It's hard," Kellen protested, his brow furrowing. "Try!" Isela hissed. "You must try-!"
Kellen shook his head slowly. "No, it's too heavy," he said with a moan. "It's… it's crushing me…"
Alarmed, Mari started forward, but Morhion was faster. He knelt beside the boy and whispered in his ear. "Do not fight the weight of the sphere, Kellen. That is its magic you feel. Let that magic fill you."
"I can't," Kellen gasped. "It hurts…"
"Do not resist it," Morhion said in a chantlike voice. "Clear your mind. Imagine your body an