Chapter 2

Nick positioned himself beside his wounded father, his breath coming in long slow draws. He closed his eyes and reached out for the charter. He began to form long chains of charter marks forming together in his mind like strings. He weaved the complex chains together and after a few minutes had them all together, save for three.

The master charter marks were very dangerous to cast. If he wasn't a skilled enough mage to resist he could have been completely consumed by the marks he was casting. Nick had done them individually before, but never anything like this. Never with his own fathers life on the line. He took a final deep breath while forming the master marks in his head. He spoke their names while he formed their symbols with his fingers. The master marks of healing, peace, and life flowed out of Nick's hands as white light shot out of his mouth. He could feel the life before him restoring and as Calavern opened his eyes and a great sigh of relief passed thought Nick, as much for his father's safety as for his own. Calavern sat up with newly found strength.

"I owe you my life son. You truly are sent straight from the Charter." Calavern knew that Nick was a very powerful charter mage, but to witness a 16 year old cast three master marks and not even have a swore throat was amazing. "Now what did the demons do to Surry?"

Nick had completely forgotten about his mother, but when he turned around she was still asleep. She seemed almost dead with her eyes closed. Nick released the marks of slumber he had placed and prepared new ones for calming and other mind soothing marks. Nick knew from experience that the body was not the only thing that could be wounded in a battle.

As he released his slumber marks Surry shot bolt upright and started flailing about. She settled herself and began to speak, slowly and muffled as if she was just a puppet.

"Of the nine gates in death, which is the one that is only one way? The stars. Of the nine gates in death, which do the dead fear most? The stars. Of the nine gates in death, which has been broken? The…" Nick could tell she struggled within herself to ether keep in or blurt out whatever she had to say. It was just then that he saw she had a black string coming out of the back of her head. Not a loose strand of hair, but a dark shadow dripping string that was held by something powerful deep within death. Nick kept his composure for fear of whatever holding the other end of the sting killing his mother, but he reached over to a mage's dagger very slowly. "The faithful servant will walk the living world again. The stars cannot hold the one named…" Nick chose that very unfortunate movement to lift the charter spelled dagger out of its sheath and cut the strand all in one motion. It severed and recoiled leaving Surry in a daze with here eyes unfocused looking around the room. It was clear she remembered nothing.

"Its good to see you two back safely enough," the chief mage of the hospital said with a very awed look upon his face.

Looks like this where normal for someone of Surry's status. She was the Abhorsen, a charter and free magic mage that used the powers of the seven bells to walk and work in death. Her job was to keep the dead in death.

Her son Nick, named after the unwilling carrier of Orannis all those years ago, was the Abhorsen-in-waiting and he had already begun his training. Part of that training was to read "The Book of the Dead." In his studies he knew that anything powerful enough to enslave the Abhorsen was no ordinary dead who could be sent away with only a bell and a powerful wielder. This dead or free magic creature must be something particularly nasty. He also didn't like the sound of "the stars" being broken. Nick thought they were referring to the final portal into eternal rest, but they couldn't be overcome. Not even by the Abhorsen.

Suddenly, Nick took charge of the room. He ordered everyone out, his harsh voice surprising even himself. He wanted to know what he was in for, what the kingdom was in for. His father had heard the message, but seemed to have blocked it out. His eyes were tearing up at the sight of Surry in such a condition.

"Father? Father, what happened? I thought you were just out for a ride across the river." Nick's voice wasn't that of a son's but of an Abhorsen's. He was gradually stepping into his inherited life of protection.

Calavern's words came slowly and with much thought behind them as if remembering a fond moment from childhood. Thought the moment described was not happy at all and as Nick listened he felt as if a cold finger rose up and down his spine.