A Resurgance of Magic: The Restoration Series, #1

By Cody J. Sherer

Caedmon, strongest of the surviving wizards, must come out of hiding when Andros' war on magicians escalates to new heights. His powerful magician allies, Jaeger and Alyssandra, move forward with their plan to expand their wizarding society by recruiting wizards to help in the cause. The evil Andros continues his conquest to eradicate all magic with the introduction of his mage hunters. All the while, the enigmatic Voldwyn plots from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike at his enemies. As the war between the Inquisitors and the mages heats up, multiple groups surge forward to destabilize Andros' kingdom. Will the uprising of the wizards be successful? Only time will tell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cody J. Sherer
• Release date: May 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781540151179

Cody J. Sherer

Born and raised in Southern California, Cody J. Sherer was always fascinated with Science Fiction, Fantasy, and other similar genres of movies, books, and shows. He began his writing career at the age of 20, though he did not publish his book until a few years later. His journey from reader to writer started when a friend had the idea of writing a non-fiction book of short stories together. At the time, the then Accounting major thought that writing sounded enjoyable. They began writing the book and writing stuck with Cody. Now, he mostly writes Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but also tends to dabble in Mystery and Detective genres as well. You can find his books on various major book selling websites. Cody is currently working on more books that are scheduled to be released out in the coming months and years. You can also find Cody on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Codyjsherer

Book preview

Chapter 1

Caedmon took up his broom and began to sweep the tavern floor. After a long week at the smithy, cleaning the tavern felt like a good way to break the monotony. Boone, the tavern owner, and his son, Ruben, were having a conversation with a customer. They looked similar despite not actually being blood related. Ruben’s tanned skin matched that of his step-father, but his black hair was darker. They were both tall, but Boone had a much thicker frame. The townsfolk were always willing to lend a hand for Boone, especially after his wife’s passing. That particular night had brought strange tidings. According to four separate tavern patrons, three strangers were looking for Ruben. The lack of customers was something of an anomaly for the tavern. Boone had ignored the first three, but he knew better than to ignore father Thomas’ warnings. The priest was the reason for much of the prosperity within Aldrun’s Tear. He had also taken on a sort of grandfatherly role to young Ruben.

They were moving from house to house at the far side of town. I can’t see them taking much longer to reach the tavern, Thomas said.

Did the townsfolk give any information to these strangers? Boone asked.

Not a whisper. Aldrun’s Tear cares for their own, as you well know. That is due in no small part to your own generosity.

Their conversation fell flat as the door swung open. Two men entered, each large enough to fill the door frame. They stepped aside for a young woman. Her long, white dress and red shawl identified her as one of the Queen’s Inquisitors. Caedmon wondered how Ruben had managed to bring the attention of such a dangerous woman. She pulled her shawl up closer to her face as she scanned the room. The look of contempt she held put Caedmon on edge. He shook off the feeling and went back to sweeping, but made certain to keep an eye on the newcomers. His height gave him the advantage of being able to see over whatever obstacles were present. The other taverngoers turned their attention to their food at the sight of the three. These dangerous looking newcomers approached Boone’s table and the woman sent the priest away as she took a seat.

This must be Ruben, she said as she motioned toward the boy.

I don’t know what my son has done to call forth your attention, but I promise you that he is a good kid, Boone said.

It has come to our attention that Ruben might have a certain power that is outlawed by our Queen.

What power? Ruben asked, his eyes going wide."

Don’t play ignorant with me, child. The truth is the only thing that can save you now, the woman replied.

Caedmon watched as Ruben closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Not a good time, lad, he thought. The Inquisitors were nothing more than mercenaries that specialized in hunting mages, but it was possible that the boy was unaware of their specialty. Boone reached over to stop his son, but the woman held up her hand. The broad-shouldered blacksmith inched closer as he continued sweeping. His actions were in stark contrast to the others in the tavern. He did his best to appear inconspicuous, but his attention was fully on Ruben and the woman. More than anyone else in the room, Caedmon had good reason to want to know what was about to transpire between the young mage and the Inquisitor.

It is as we surmised. You can try as hard as you like, boy. We mage hunters can dampen all magic, the woman said.

That’s not fair. You cheated! The boy yelled as he slid his chair back.

Even a single Inquisitor can ensure that no mage can use that power, she said as one of her companions slid the boy’s chair back in place.

There are mages who are too powerful for the hunters to control, Caedmon said as he approached the table.

That is what the collar is for, one of the woman’s companions said as he snapped the collar around the blacksmith.

That was a mistake.

Perhaps the boy will learn from your foolish error, the woman said.

I’m not the one who made the mistake, Caedmon said as he used his magic to shatter the collar.

He took a deep breath as the pure energy surged through him. His hands shot out toward the woman’s two companions. They were thrown back against the wall with such force that everyone in the room could hear the bones shattering. The woman gasped as she stood up from her seat. She reached down for her sword, but Caedmon used his magic to push her against the wall. He checked to make sure that she didn’t have any more lackeys before he slowly walked toward her. The taverngoers watched in anticipation as the two started at one another.

I want you to deliver a message for me, he said.

What message? She asked.

Tell your Queen that the wizards are tired of being hunted down like animals. We will have our revenge soon.

Caedmon released his magic and she fell to the floor. She scrambled to her feet and ran for the exit. The mage let out a sigh as the door slammed behind the fleeing mage hunter. It would only be a matter of time before the Inquisitors returned to the village with an even larger force. His father’s warning echoed in his head. Don’t challenge fate unless it is absolutely necessary. He had no way of knowing how many mage hunters he could handle. His only option was to leave the town before anyone in Aldrun’s Tear could be connected to him or his actions. He turned back toward the rest of the tavern patrons and, much as he expected, most of them refused to make eye contact. Such is the burden a mage must bear, he thought.

Thank you, Caedmon. I was afraid they would hurt Ruben, Boone said as he approached the wizard.

You may want to hold off on the thanks. The Queen will send a larger force next time. It would be best if anyone who has been seen treating a mage favorably kept quiet or left, the mage said.

Won’t you and your colleagues be here to protect us?

The closest mages besides myself and Ruben are more than a day’s travel from here. Neither of them is particularly fond of mage hunters, but I haven’t the means to easily contact them nor do any of us want to drag Aldrun’s Tear into this war.

But they couldn’t stop you from using your magic. Surely all of you together could take on any force that the Queen can muster.

They haven’t the ability to nullify a mage hunter. I am not abandoning the people here, I just need to be able to pick my fights. They have me greatly outnumbered.

What about Ruben?

Hide him until one of my colleagues arrives to take him in as an apprentice. They shouldn’t be more than a week away if everything goes well. If it takes more than a week or two, take him and run.

The tavern went quiet as everyone took in the gravity of the mage’s words. His words only told half the story. Less than two decades prior, when Caedmon was just an apprentice, magicians were fairly common across the land. The reigning King had a loving wife and a daughter who was full of life. They were considered to be the kindest and most understanding royals in recent history. The people thrived under the rule of Jonas. That all changed when a traveling sorcerer arrived at the castle. He used his magic to kill the King and Queen, leaving a ten-year old Princess alone and afraid. The event shaped the future Queen into the magic hating royal that would later rule or so everyone believed. Caedmon knew the story well, for it was the same sorcerer that killed his master and his parents. For a short time, the young wizard’s apprentice had thought the Princess could be an ally against the nefarious sorcerer.

Chapter 2

Queen Myrana pushed aside her tray of mush and peeked out the window. Her once average frame had slowly whittled down over the years from lack of proper nutrition. Aside from the occasional visits from castle staff, the window was her only access to the outside world. Her spirits were particularly low of late. In a cruel twist of fate, she had learned that the very magic she despised ran through her veins. Her parents had been killed by a sorcerer and her uncle had been all too happy to champion the antimagic cause. The very thing that her parents had always said made her special had also brought on their death and her imprisonment. It was something that she could never forget. A knock on the door drew her attention. She spun to find her uncle standing in the doorway. Why can’t you just return to the old uncle I used to know? she asked herself. He motioned for the guards to leave as he stepped into the room.

My dearest Myrana, this must be a horrible burden for you to bear. If only there were some way for me to assist, he said.

Save it for those who will believe your lies. Why do you do this to me? She asked.

You already know the answer. Magic is uncontrollable and, ultimately, evil. We can’t have it festering in our alleyways.

It’d be much easier to kill me. Why won’t you grant me that solace?

Things are actually easier this way. If I were to kill you, and somebody were to somehow find the body. That would not bode well for me. Not to mention that even some of my men might not be ok with killing an unarmed woman.

How very chivalrous of them.

What can you tell me of these so-called chief wizards? Her uncle asked.

Just hearsay as far as I know. They claim that it is a title bestowed upon the most powerful magicians. Legend has it that they were far more prevalent long ago. Only a master magician can be named as such.

For clarification, what level would you be?

Apprentice or journeyman at best. I’ve never taken the trials and have barely been trained. My parents always said that they believed I could be a journeyman or an expert. My father always said that I should try for master, but it never seemed realistic to me.

And the man who killed your parents?

An expert, possibly a master. Though the ranks only tell part of a magician’s full power. Your little crusade solidified him as one of the most powerful living mages. Masters were rare before you began your hunt, I imagine they are all but extinct now. As for Chief Wizards, if they did exist, you changed that.

Sir Andros, urgent report from Rotterham, a man said as he entered the room.

Don’t mind her, the uncle said.

Candice was assaulted while searching for Ruben.

The boy is no more than twelve. How did she fail to capture him?

Reports say that he is closer to fifteen, sir. That wasn’t the reason she failed, though. There was another mage, sir.

That is what the collars are for. Has she forgotten this already?

She had him collared, sir. He broke free with magic.

Impossible, the Queen said before her uncle could reply.

CAEDMON SLID HIS CUP back to Boone and pulled two gold coins out of his pack. He handed them to the innkeeper and told him to keep the difference. The town was full of whispers about what had happened the night before. Most of the stories would be false, but the truth was slowly making its way through town. Caedmon wanted to be out of Aldrun’s Tear by the time the residents knew the full story. He knew they would side with him and couldn’t stand the thought of anyone being punished for his actions. Boone took a deep breath as he put away the gold coins. The mage turned back to look at him.

Something the matter? He asked.

I have a favor to ask of you, the innkeeper said.

What can I do?

Take Ruben with you. He deserves better than what I can give him.

Nonsense, a boy’s place is with his family.

I was hoping you would say that.

What do you mean? Caedmon asked.

He isn’t my son. The two of you have the ability. That means you are, at the very least, distant relatives, Boone replied.

It is common knowledge that you aren’t his father, but magic blood running through his veins does not necessarily make him my relative. You might have as much of a chance of being his relative as I do. Who were his parents?

I knew his mother. Her name was Jemma.

The mage nodded before closing his eyes. He knew all too well the story of his cousin’s demise. She had been one of the few unfortunate enough to openly stand up against the Queen. Her death had shocked most of the kingdom. The order had come from a fifteen year old Queen. There were some who questioned whether or not she had truly ordered the killing, but there was no doubt that her mage hunters had acted upon the order. Though it was hardly an isolated incident, it had proved to be the catalyst that had driven the kingdom to split on the idea of magicians. The majority sided with the royalty against practitioners of magic, but there were enough pro-magic residents that one could still live a normal life despite being a mage.

JAEGER LEANED BACK in his chair, letting the two front legs come off the floor. He surveyed his two opponents and then looked back down at the cards. The thin, brown haired wizard on the card in front of him stared back at him, making him feel as though he were looking in a mirror. His hand was nothing to scoff at, but his opponents that day were particularly cunning. He clicked his tongue as he placed the card on the table. The dragon depicted on the card let out a roar as it leaped onto the table. Several of the younger spectators began hooting and hollering as the creature stalked across the table.  The mage smiled as he caught sight of the kids staring in awe at the dragon. Seeing new spectators react to the game was always an added bonus.

One of the wizard’s opponents smiled as he played an elf card. The other competitor played her earth elemental card. Jaeger suppressed his grin as he put down his dwarven juggernaut card. Play continued with a tower card, a fire elemental, a cleric, a troll, and an air elemental. The elves rushed into the tower as the troll blocked the entrance. Jaeger’s juggernaut charged the troll with the cleric in tow. All three of the elementals attacked his dragon as the elves proceeded to bombard the battlefield. The pieces came to a halt as the final round started. Having gone first in the placement round, the wizard would now have to wait.

His female opponent used her earthquake spell card to weaken the foundation of the tower. The other adversary used a booster card to strengthen his troll. Jaeger hesitated as he looked down at his cards. Mana pool, web, and gravity dome. None of them would provide the offensive punch that he had hoped for, but mana pool would work nicely in conjunction with his cleric. He played the card and watched as the game continued. The board shook rather violently, knocking several elves off the tower. His opponent’s troll nearly doubled in size. The cleric began with a bless spell and followed up with several heal spells as the juggernaut and troll fought. Jaeger’s dragon took out all three elementals before turning toward the tower. The elves pelted the creature with arrow after arrow, causing it to lose altitude. It slammed into the tower, sending the building crashing to the ground. The troll knocked the juggernaut aside with a massive swing. His cleric unleashed one final spell, turning the ugly beast to stone.

Gentlemen, it has been fun, Jaeger said as he stood up.

Hold up, you can’t expect us to let you leave without a chance at making our money back, one of his opponents said.

I’m afraid that’s all I can muster tonight. Will you be around tomorrow?

Aye, that we will.

You’ll have plenty of time to win back your hard earned gold tomorrow. In fact, I’ll let the two of you choose the game.

Jaeger didn’t really need the money anyway. He needed time with the locals. The likelihood of finding a mage in a small town such as this was almost nonexistent, but the crystal never lied. He excused himself and made his was upstairs, handing a small share of his winning to the crowd of youngsters along the way. His room was smaller than he was used to, but it was nice and cozy. He opened the small box on the nightstand and gazed inside. The small crystal inside pulsed two different colors, green for his own more advanced level of magic and blue for a low level magician somewhere in the vicinity. This was how he knew that there was another magician nearby. He hoped that the townsfolk would be able and willing to give him enough tidbits to piece it all together.

WILL WE GET TO SLAY dragons? Ruben asked.

I’m afraid not. Dragons don’t exist, nor do elves or dwarves. With very few exceptions, wizards are the strangest thing you’ll come across no matter how far and wide you travel. Most people think our constructs are awe inspiring, but the reality of it is that nature is far more impressive than anything I’ve ever seen a mage create, Caedmon replied.

Where will we go?

To find you a proper teacher. I’ll take you on as an apprentice for now, but I’ve got a dangerous task ahead of me.

Who will be my teacher?

Perhaps Jaeger or Alyssandra, they’re the closest you can get to a proper master.

Why can’t you teach me?

Rather inquisitive aren’t we? That’s good. I can’t teach you because I am a wanted man. That and it isn’t safe to travel with me.

Wanted for what? The boy asked.

Being a mage is enough for some. Others will come after me for what happened at the tavern. There are those who hate mages by default. None of that is as important as getting you trained, Caedmon answered.

What does a mage learn? How to be responsible with magic?

Not really. While the teacher is responsible for their student, the idea of responsibility with magic has less to do with the teachings and more to do with the choosing of the student. We don’t believe that magic is good or bad, it all depends on how one uses it. For example, I could conjure up water and flood or village or do the same and save a village from a fire. One act is good, the other bad.

"Who decides whether the