The Ancient Ones (The Legacy Trilogy Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

return. You seem to have none of the charm of the brave youth I remember.’
    ‘How true,’ the magician said, waiting to be shown the way.
     
    ****
     
    Their home, sheltered away from the brackish wind, was modest and comfortable. The magician called Samuel sat at the end of the table, while Leopold, his mother and father sat at the other facing the man like combatants across a field of war. There were enough chairs, but the magician’s companions happily sprawled on the floor, with the old man slapping the boy’s hand each time he neared the stove or stuck his fingers into the fire.
    ‘So, tell me, why you have come?’ Leopold’s father asked at last.
    ‘I’ve come to you for help, because no one else can help me.’
    ‘And what of these two? Why have you brought them? An idiot child and the witless brother of Janus Anthem?’
    ‘I thought Salu would shed some light on my worries, but he is rarely lucid. Even then, he does not seem to care enough to offer his advice. I hope he may one day divulge his wisdom, but I am not holding my breath. The boy communicates with him and I am thankful for that, and the old man keeps the boy from harm. Between the two of them, they get themselves fed and dressed, but not much more than that. Still, Salu is perhaps history’s greatest magician, so I put up with them both despite their failings.’
    ‘So you drag them along with you to see if they can be of some use, until they meet some terrible end by your side?’
    The magician nodded. ‘Yes. If that is what is required.’
    ‘I cannot fathom what has turned your heart to stone, Samuel,’ Leopold’s mother said, shaking her head. ‘I once had such faith in you, like no other. I remember the time you saved us, when you pulled my boy from the jaws of that Paatin beast. You were my champion; now I shudder every time I hear the stories of what you have done.’
    Leopold had no understanding of what she spoke, but she looked tearful at the thought of it.
    Samuel turned his chin towards her. ‘I cannot feel sorry for what I have become, good Lady. I must admit I have engrossed myself in my task, and the search for my son has no doubt affected me. After the loss of his mother and the Darkening falling upon us, the magicians’ change came upon me, and all love was drained from my heart. I cannot fathom what purpose it is supposed to serve, and only sorrow is left to keep me company.’
    ‘The Change is not a natural thing, Samuel,’ Leopold’s father revealed. ‘It was imposed to keep magicians sedate, to keep them focussed on their task of aiding mankind.’
    ‘Then perhaps that is also something I can address.’
    ‘And is that all you have accomplished all these years, searching for your child without result? Finding these two instead?’
    The magician answered with indifference. ‘I went hunting for Lomar and his master Poltamir. Eventually, I found them.’
    ‘And what happened?’ Leopold’s father asked with interest.
    ‘They were too powerful for me. We battled for three days before I learned they were merely playing games, toying with me for their own entertainment. They have my son, trapped inside an infernal box that keeps him from ever awakening. I almost had my hands on it—at least, that is what I thought at the time. Thankfully, during those moments I did have the chance to study it and memorise its workings. They cannot destroy him, but neither can he ever escape while the lid remains firm.’
    ‘Then that is why Lin has not yet shown his head,’ Leopold’s father said, stroking his moustache thoughtfully, ‘and perhaps why his influence over me has waned. They have him trapped. But surely they cannot hold him indefinitely?’
    ‘So far, it seems they have, but I cannot tell if they have yet benefitted from doing so—except to prolong their own existence.’
    ‘The pool of magic grows,’ Leopold’s father stated. ‘I feel it. Every life lost is power freed upon the world, and without Lin