Chapter four: The Great Tower.

Twenty minutes before the eleventh hour, Lirael came down to the courtyard in the grounds.

It was a large cobbled square, to the side there was a porch area which housed a rack which held many weapons of different types.

The class being taught was an intermediate class. It ranged with people between the ages of 15 and about 25. Lirael could see that they lacked the skill and power that would be needed to move higher in the fighting arts, but they had potential.

"NO! NO! NO!" Araniel bellowed, evidently exasperated at her students, "How many times do I have to say it! Do not alternate between physical and magical attacks! Ah, Abhorsen."

Instantly the class whipped around, keen to have an excuse to break eye contact with their fearsome instructor.

All of them bowed, then reluctantly turned back around.

"We will try this again, please try to impress our guest somewhat."

The group paired off, each facing their partner they took a bow and waited, weapons out, fingers crooked.

"BEGIN!" yelled Araniel sounding rather too irritable for a woman in her early twenties.

Duels ensued between the pairs. Each swiftly attacking the other with a volley of marks and physical attacks. However, Lirael could see the flaw just as Araniel could.

Each apprentice mage would attack with their weapon and then back off to cast marks.

"STOP! None of you seem to have understood what I have said. We need a demonstration here. Is there anyone willing to fight me? Don't worry you wont be hurt."

The silence that followed this request was deafening. All of the apprentices looked as far away from Araniel as they could without turning. They were clearly terrified of her.

"I accept your challenge Araniel." stated a charter mage standing before her.

"Excellent, choose your weapon." The challenger picked up a quiver, bow and sword from the rack, walked to the square and stood opposite Araniel. Both bowed and stood ready.

"BEGIN!" called one of the apprentices. The effect of this command was instantaneous. Araniel drew her axe and swung it just in time to slice through the quickly spelled arrow that Lirael had fired.

Immediate threat overcome. Araniel again swung her axe, a mark placed into the axe which left a trail of golden fire lingering in the air. This propelled by magic sent a blade of power towards the Abhorsen, but this too was deflected by a shimmering shield.

The two combatants then leapt towards each other, both swinging weapons. Quick jabs and attacks all deflected by equally skilled and aggressive blows. On one pop-thrust Araniel sent a blast of charter lightning ricocheting through her axe, this shot up Lirael's sword and caused her to leap back. But not before sending a missile of charter flame. However, this was blocked as a spelled wind tripped the Abhorsen.

By the time that Lirael recovered Araniel was standing over her, axe held to her throat.

"And that is how you attack." explained Araniel, helping Lirael to her feet with a friendly smile. "But I would like to point out that the Abhorsen is fighting without bells or her normal weapons, were she to be doing so it would have been an even match."

It was evident the lesson was over. All of the apprentices bowed and returned to their other classes.

"Sorry about that Lirael."

"Oh its ok, I knocked you out yesterday so now we are even."

Both women linked arms and walked towards the castle. That afternoon Lirael wished look over the castle especially the great tower. They had to get permission from the master, but as Lirael's ancestor had created the bells, it was not a challenge.

Once they got to the base of the tower they were faced by a pair of sendings, each brandishing a vicious looking double edged sword. They touched the charter marks on both Lirael and Araniel to check them. They then gave way to a thin spiralling staircase.

Each step was flowing with marks for binding, purity and protection they were so densely spelled that they seemed to be more charter than stone.

The first real obstacle in the tower was a solid wall of charter symbols, each wielding it's own destructive trait. Araniel spoke the marks that would part the flow, quickly stepping through to allow Lirael passage.

The next part of the tower was a simple but effective trial. The sides of the tower were sheer, carved completely smooth, and to add to the effect had been rubbed with whale oil to prevent any possibility of climbing.

"This will take a minute," explained Araniel, "its quite a complex spell."

Before Lirael could answer, Araniel started to summon many marks. Around twenty marks went into a lattice on the floor, this in turn propelled by marks for strength and some whistled marks for wind lifted the two women to the base of the second spiral staircase.

As they came into the next room Araniel drew her sword and motioned for Lirael to do the same. Just before Lirael walked into the room, Araniel held her back. And not a second too soon.

Lirael heard a quiet whooshing sound, closely followed by a thunderous crash as an enormous circle of granite plummeted to the floor, sending up a hail of dust. The stone filled the entire shaft and would probably have weighed over a tonne. It was lifted by a thick rope to a height of about 20ft above the floor.

"RUN!"

Both women ran across the tower room, Araniel calling out charter marks which revealed the staircase to them, escaping into the charter illuminated passage just before the stone again crashed behind them.

This stair brought them to the next room which was entirely covered in flowing charter marks.

Like the first gateway, these were marks of defence and destruction, immense in power but immediately stilled by a spell, passed through Araniel's sword. This strip of path run along the floor and up the wall, allowing for passage through this precinct.

There was no obstacle to get into the next section, apart from overcoming the nausea that the paths righting of gravity seemed to induce.

This room had no obstacle, but the path to the next tower only appeared periodically, after it was summoned it would appear but only for a short time. At the end of this was a wall of charter fire that had to be quenched in order to allow passage.

But both women passed this without difficulty.

"I was of the impression that this tower was built by a charter mage?" questioned Lirael.

"Yes it was. Sayec Sildra built it and spelled the bells placed by the Abhorsen."

"But I am certain that the man who built this tower walked in death. All of the obstacles that we have passed are replicated from the precincts and gates of death. The path that we have been walking is he path that I myself walk."

"It must be mentioned in one of the books in the library, for some reason it always reminds me of somewhere I have been. Prepare your shielding spells Lirael, whether they appear in death or not, the charter fire that burns ahead is real!"

i'm hoping that you all realised that it was like death before lirael told you, i did try to make it obvious.

hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be up soon!

charterfire