Book of One 04: A Child of Fire Read Free

gods. He began as the god, Kenra and when he murdered Kroma, he took his power and his identity as well. His reason for doing such a thing escapes me, but perhaps his thirst for power overruled whatever powers of reason he might have had, although, truth be told, Kenra was never the reasonable sort."
    "I have wondered why Kroma would do such thing," Calthas said. "I worried that the stories of what he stood for, the things the people who worshipped at his temple for so long believed, might not be true."
    "The stories are fairly accurate, though perhaps not entirely. Such is often the case with stories that are passed down over time. Mostly they become exaggerated, but Kroma was certainly an honorable god, and it is saddening to think that he is no more."
    "You say that Kenra took Kroma's identity and power, which suggests he used some kind of death magic," Calthas said.
    "You've got the right of it, mage. Death magic has long been forbidden and I wonder where he might have learned of it, but the answer to that question is a curiosity that may never be known. The problem now is finding a way to stop him from enslaving more people, and the first thing we must do is collect the copies of the book."
    "There are five true copies if I understand correctly, but what about the other, lesser copies?"
    "We will only need the five originals. The others have no true power, though it might be useful to have a copy or two."
    "Well, there is one original copy at the temple, here in Maramyr," Calthas said, then he remembered something and held up his finger, for Stroma to wait a moment, and he exited the workshop then came back with a book in his hand. "I worried that they might have taken it, but I have one of the lesser copies here. The priesthood has made quite a few of them."
    "Good," Stroma said, taking the book. "This will prove useful." Stroma placed the book on Calthas' work desk then waved his hand over it and four more copies appeared. "We now have five lesser copies that Kenra and his priesthood won't be able to distinguish from the originals. When you steal the book from the temple, you can replace it with this one." He held up one of the books.
    "When I steal the book?"
    "Of course. I can see that little spell you have used that makes them think you are one of them. It is very clever, Calthas. I should think that a mage of your skill would be able to sneak in and out of the temple with little problem."
    "I did have a little help from a mage named Stavros," he admitted.
    "Yes, I know of him," Stroma said, nodding thoughtfully.
    "What about the other four books? How do we find them?"
    "Oh, finding them should not be a problem. I know exactly where they are. Getting our hands on them without Kenra finding out, that might be a little more of a challenge."
    *****
     
    The ship rolled gently over the waves as the crew of the Al-Andor looked ahead to their home port as the great Aghlar city rose up from the horizon before them. With Ehlena aboard, the winds had been most favorable the entire journey, which had buoyed the morale of the crew, restoring their confidence, which had been shaken by the things they had witnessed at the pirate island. Ehlena and Stavros stood at the fore of the ship, enjoying the fine mist of the salt air and watched a pod of dolphins playfully leaping in and out of the water alongside the fast moving vessel.
    "How long do you expect to stay at Aghlar?" Stavros asked.
    "There are a few things we must do," Ehlena said. "A few days at most, then we can carry on and search for Aaron."
    "I am concerned about the lad," Stavros said. "I wish he had not left so suddenly, and just when I had finally managed to find him."
    "Stavros," Ehlena said with a smile. "You worry too much. Aaron must walk his own path if he is to achieve his potential, and sometimes that means letting him face challenges for himself. He is now free of the ward, which may have protected him, but it also held him back. Aaron has much to learn and