A/N: *hopping up and down excitedly*
Finally, the first two chapters of my sequel „The Black Magicians´Destiny" . I know the title is rather cheesy but for lack of another it remained that way.
This sequel starts directly after my alternative ending "The Black Magicians´Fate", so I advise to read that first should you not have done so already. And of course you are welcome to reread, as well :-)
I am planning to explore the characters in greater depth, so, if you enjoy Akk/Son moments and Dan/Tay moments and are up to some suprises you´re right here ;-)
At first I wanted to make this sequel link the BMT with the TST, but after some sleepless nights I found that this just doesn´t work and I had other things in mind...
Thank you to jaycest for many enlightening and funny discussions and a great idea concerning architecture in Imardin (see ch 3 when it´s on). Thanks to NhuAngel for teaching me what excessive use of abbreviations means (I tried to behave this time honestly :-) and most of all thank you very much to MoonMyst for beta-ing my story. You are awesome!
I am going on holiday next week, BUT...if you are nice and review I might just have some more finished chapters on my pc somewhere ^^
Disclaimer for all chapters: Still don´t own BMT or any of the characters...quoting another member of this site: I do however have a right on this insane storyline of mine and should anyone steal without my authorisation I´ll send him a nice volley of mindstrike! *dark unwavering stare*
Ok, but here we go!
Enjoy and please R&R!
CHAPTER 1
The woes of an Administrator
Lord Osen looked out of the window of his office and sighed. What eventful times to take over the post of Administrator. The City had been attacked by the old enemy Sachaka. Many magicians and commoners had been killed and Kyralia was still in a state of shock.
The High Lord of the Magicians´ Guild, Lord Akkarin, had been found guilty of learning and using black magic and had been exiled only to return and become the Saviour of the City by fighting the invading foreign magicians. Then he had been reelected – something that hadn´t happened in the Guild´s history before and had raised not only favourable voices in the Houses.
Then there was the High Lord´s favourite novice. Sonea had become a Black Magician, too, sharing his exile and fighting alongside her guardian when he came back. The Higher Magicians had lifted their restrictions on her allowing her back into the Guild. That had caused at least a few angry stares and some shaken heads. People thought she did not deserve the same treatment as the High Lord. After all she was only a slum girl and her origins did not make her trustworthy with a power like she now supposedly possessed.
In addition to the pressure the Houses were exerting on the Guild from the outside, life still had not turned back to normal inside. What had happened these last few weeks had shattered the foundations and innermost beliefs of the Guild. It would take a long time for the Guild to heal.
Administrator Osen rubbed his temples and stiffled a yawn. He remembered how he used to reprimand the former occupant of this office, the late Administrator Lorlen, whenever he had worked until late into the night, which had been nearly every night. And now here he was, Osen thought ruefully, worrying the night away. Already he felt aged in a way he had not felt before.
At least he had the man at his side, who he considered to be the only one able to deal with all these problems – High Lord Akkarin, Black Magician and skilled player of the game of politics.
Osen still did not like the High Lord, but he found that this did not mean that they could not work together effectively. In fact, both of them had taken on a polite but forward behaviour concerning each other, treading warily only where personal or even intimate subjects were involved. Still, there were a lot of situations in which Osen did not grasp what the other man wanted from him immediately. The High Lord would have to explain things to him, elaborate on hints and even repeat instructions from time to time.
Akkarin never let annoyance or anger show, but the Administrator knew that the Guildmaster missed his predecessor. I am not Lorlen, Osen thought. And every time he has to deal with me he is reminded of his dead friend.
The High Lord had changed since the Ichani invasion − at least outwardly. He was trying to be more approachable and open. However, Osen had realised quickly, that this did not mean that he had a better understanding of what was in this man´s head. He remained secretive, elusive and often unpredictable. The Guild magicians, however, seemed to accept the High Lord´s new demeanour gratefully. They wanted a strong leader they could trust and he was providing them with exactly this image.
The Administrator sat down at his desk and started reading yet another report of the damages done to the City during the invasion. He sighed again. It would take scores of magicians to fix all the houses and streets Kariko and his allies had destroyed in their mad quest. How was he to provide the Houses with enough magicians if they had to start to teach and control their volunteers and teach the graduated magicians how to store power? How indeed, when there were still so many doubts as to how they should proceed with these tasks. And then there was the impending graduation of the fifth year novices.
Osen uttered a heartfelt curse and indulged himself with a few blissful moments of hating the current High Lord for having brought that upon him. Then he let reason return and began to organise his resources of magicians in his mind, shifting and changing and arranging and rearranging their positions. The High Lord would expect him to come up with a reasonable suggestion of how to divide the magicians and appoint them to their respective tasks. And rightly so, Osen acknowledged grudgingly.
Well, you always wanted this post, so stop complaining, Osen. Lorlen was the best teacher you could get for this task. Honour him and serve the Guild as best as you can – the Guild and its leader.
With new determination the Administrator set about his task in spite of the late hour. A wind was blowing outside and the falling raindrops made a soft soothing noise on the pavement. He had worked for another three hours when two short knocks on his door made Osen look up to find the High Lord striding into the room.
"Good evening, High Lord."
"Good evening, Administrator," Akkarin replied smoothly, his gaze taking in the whole room, Osen and his desperately messed up desk all at once. "I see you have been working on the assignation of our resources. Have you come to any solutions yet?"
"Yes, High Lord." The black-robed man sat down and the Administrator explained about his calculations and plans. In spite of himself he found that he was nervous. What would Akkarin think about his suggestions? Would he find them satisfactory? After all he had been working with Lorlen for years so the High Lord was used to the highest standard from his Administrator.
Osen swallowed an unacknowledged disappointment when Akkarin only nodded and told him to progress the way he had planned it. The High Lord rose from his chair and turned to the door.
Before closing it behind him, however, the dark-haired man turned around and said, "You are working until late into the night, Osen. I hope I will not find you have become as efficient in imitating your predecessor in that field as in the others. I would dislike to constantly remind you of your health."
The Administrator drew in a breath and slowly released it. Although this had been delivered in a stern and commanding voice, he found that his heart was beating faster with relief after the High Lord´s praise.
Osen shook his head and snorted. So, you don´t like him, but still you are scared he isn´t pleased with you, aren´t you?
The blue-robed man decided that he didn´t need to answer his own question and followed the Guildmaster´s advice and went to bed.
