Authors: Serena Yates
The Magic Thieves
Total-e-bound
www.total-e-bound.com
Copyright ©2010 by Serena Yates
First published in 2010
The Magic Thieves
ISBN #978-0-85715-375-3
(C)Copyright Serena Yates 2010
Cover Art by Lyn Taylor (C)Copyright December 2010
Edited by Delaney Sullivan
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author's imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated
total-e-burning.
Algor city
Bak'omir family name (linked to lightning)
cam thief
Dok'lal family name (linked to water)
Fifthday Friday
Firstday Monday
Fourthday Thursday
Ged'opek family name (linked to air)
kas strong
loyd force
loyst wipe, destroy
muyd magic
muyd'cam magic thieves
Muyd'omir family name (linked to lightning)
Muyd'Othar Magic Shield
Muyd'pol magic test, usually given to five-year olds
Muyd'Zel Magic Key
nut world
odiz earth
olal water
omir lightning
opek air
othar shield
ozaz fire
Pak'odiz family name (linked to earth)
payd council
pol test
rah mind
Rah'Loyst re-programming procedure, destroys memories
reyd assembly
Secondday Tuesday
Seventhday Sunday
Sixthsday Saturday
Tah God
Tah'Algor name of the capital city of Tah'Nut
Tah'Loyd Law Forces
Tah'Muyd temple in the magical realm
Tah'Nut name of the planet
Tah'Payd Magic Council
Tah'Reyd Ruling Assembly
Ten'lasam family name
Thirdday Wednesday
urr loyal
Vs'urr family name
Xoh'kas family name, current rulers
zel key
Everything changed on the day true magic came to Earth.
At first, most humans were shocked to discover that inter-dimensional gateways were real rather than the stuff of science fiction and fantasy. A few courageous scientists were sent to explore the phenomenon, accompanied by military protectors. When the first people emerged from the swirling colours of the gateway, everyone was relieved that the ‘aliens’ looked so human. They identified themselves as diplomats from the planet of Tah'Nut and conveyed a message of peace and an offer of help with humanity's problems.
After a week of adjusting to a new world order, the human consensus was gratitude. Magic may not have been what most had expected from a different dimension, but there was hope that it might help avert many of the global threats that were about to overwhelm humanity's ability to deal with them. Everyone thought the gateway's appearance and the Tah'Nutian offer of help was a serendipitous miracle.
Elryk Muyd'omir knew better.
The Tah'Nutian government had no intention of selflessly helping the humans save their planet. The price of total subjugation to their will hadn't been mentioned yet, but it would become obvious soon enough. The cruelty of the current government was the only reason Elryk had left his home planet. He'd refused to work with the illegally ruling Xoh'kas family. As a consequence, they'd declared him an enemy of the law, making him a wanted man.
His only choice had been to find a suitable planet outside the magical realm, one that was unknown to the Xoh'kas or anyone else on Tah'Nut. He wanted to make it as difficult as possible for them to find him, so he looked for a planet with no magic at all. When he'd found Earth, he'd used the gateway to briefly connect the two planets. Three years ago almost to the day he'd finally escaped, closing the gateway down from Earth's end as soon as he'd made it through.
Earth had become his home, and even though he'd had to do without his magic, he'd been mostly happy here. He'd never had many friends on Tah'Nut, so he didn't miss them. He'd made a few new friends on Earth, and wasn't looking forward to leaving them behind.
Unfortunately, he hadn't succeeded in hiding his whereabouts well enough, nor in closing down the gateway permanently. He knew that its appearance wasn't a lucky coincidence, miraculous or otherwise. It was the result of a concerted effort to track him down.
Now that the Tah'Nutian Law Forces had located his refuge, he needed to make a decision—accept his punishment or fight.
Elryk stood on the white sands of his favourite beach and stared out over the stillness of the blue-green ocean waves. The sun was high in the sky, creating an almost oppressive heat. There wasn't even a breath of wind in the physical world. The magical realm was another matter. Now that the gateway gave him access again, he could feel its energies expanding outward. As soon as they touched him, the Law Forces would be able to pinpoint his location. Hiding wasn't an option much longer.
"You're going to leave, aren't you?” Parker Stokes was his best friend, sharing his beach house with him and keeping Elryk company when not working as a physicist.
"I'm sorry.” Elryk saw no other way. Even though the gateway had opened on the other side of the planet, the energy would eventually envelop this entire planet, just like it surrounded Tah'Nut. “When the gateway energies reach me, there'll be no escape. The Law Forces will come for me, and if they find out that you helped me hide, your punishment will be as severe as mine. I can't risk that."
"You've always said this might happen.” Parker smiled, showing the dimples so at odds with his serious demeanour. “I wish there was something I could do to help. For the first time in my life, I wish I was a wizard, not a scientist."
"I'm glad you're a scientist.” Elryk smiled. “We may not have science on Tah'Nut because we never needed it to help us. Magic was always a much easier solution. But having seen what science can do if used correctly, I can't help but think that it may come in handy at some point."
"You'll know where to find me when that happens.” Parker patted Elryk's arm. “I may not be able to help you fight them in a magical battle, but I'd love to support you in some other way. My fingers are itching with the need to do something useful. To help you stop them."
"I can't fight them, not yet.” He sighed. “I'd hoped that my magic would return more quickly now that the gateway is open. But it seems that I need more time to recharge than I thought. I can do a few spells, the simple ones they teach kids, but the ones requiring more power are still beyond me."
"So it's like a muscle that hasn't been used for a while?” Parker looked thoughtful.
"Something like that.” Elryk nodded.
Leave it to Parker to find a way of translating what was happening into scientific terms he could understand.
"But when it does come back fully, you will fight them, right?” Parker's green eyes shone with the force of his conviction. “You can't let those Xoh'kas ‘re-programme’ you and make you a mindless zombie."
Elryk had told Parker the whole story of his useless resistance against the dictatorial rulers and its consequences when they'd caught him. The Xoh'kas had spent the last two hundred years since they'd come to power via a coup refining, not just their level of control over the population, but the punishments that were used when someone didn't do what they wanted.
His friend had sworn to never tell another soul. While Parker had been disgusted with the political situation, he'd been fascinated that magic existed in another dimension. The physicist in him had unsuccessfully tried to develop an explanation. With the gateway open, he was sure that Parker was going to be studying the phenomenon until he was satisfied he could explain it in terms any physicist could understand and relate to.
"Yes, I'll fight.” Elryk snorted.
The Law Forces were sure to hand him over to the Xoh'kas. He wouldn't really have a choice but to fight unless he was ready to accept losing his personality.
The Rah'loyst procedure was a cruel mind invasion technique developed and refined by wizards working for the Xoh'kas. It was designed to wipe the victim's memory and personality, then neutralise his magic. Permanently. The ruling Xoh'kas family may have wanted more docile citizens, but Elryk shuddered at the thought of losing his personality. Anything was better than that.
"Good!” Parker slapped him on the back. The man's lean frame was deceptive, and his strength was tangible in his touch. “They don't deserve to control your Ruling Assembly."
"I never thought they did.” Elryk sighed. “I just wasn't ready to step up and face them three years ago. I'm not a fighter, you know?"
"I know.” Parker nodded, his black hair bobbing around his patrician face. “But you can't let them take over Earth as well. We've got so many problems of our own, we can't even agree on which is the most urgent. And I don't just mean the unprecedented levels of pollution."
"Right.” Elryk grimaced. “You've certainly managed to make life difficult for yourselves. You do realise that magic isn't going to solve everything, don't you?"