The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series Read Online Free PDF

Some of them had rooms with fragments of furniture in them and some even had book shelves. All of them were bare with only coats of dust on them. One room in particular caught Marko’s eye, as it had a dome ceiling much like the main entrance hall. This ceiling however had pictures painted that covered the entire ceiling. Every inch was covered with stars, planets and a night sky.
     
    “It appears that studying the constellations was a major pastime of our ancestors,” his uncle lectured. “Although the books here are long gone, I have uncovered many tablets with pictures of constellations and mathematical calculations. As best I can tell, the positioning of the stars lent power in some way to their spells. It is similar to how Imperial mages use the moon phases to enhance their work, but on a much more advanced scale. If we can understand the science behind this, our mages can become much more effective in their craft.”
     
    Their travels down the bottom floor passageways did not take long. Most of the entrances were still covered with rocks. “This is where we will be spending our time Marko. These are the last areas to clear out. The residences were on the top floor. I think these passages lead to rooms where our ancestors conducted most of their research.”
     
    The days and weeks that followed allowed Marko to fall into a routine. His mother was in charge of all the meals and general upkeep of their home. The day started with an early breakfast. His mother had found that his uncle had stockpiled lots of food and supplies from his last visit to the city. Most mornings his breakfast was comprised of sausage, eggs and bread. His uncle had shown them the small chicken coop he kept just outside of the cave. His uncle had cleared out the kitchen and pantry months ago and was able to get the oven in good working condition. Marko was surprised to learn that the inhabitants of the cave (it was too depressing to think of it as a tomb) carved out an exhaust shoot all the way up to the surface. His uncle tried to describe to him the ingenious design that not only allowed smoke to leave the cave, but is also trapped rain water into a cistern. That was, he later found out, the main source of their drinking water.
     
    Marko spent his day helping his uncle clear out hallways and rooms. When they found something interesting, his uncle would take the item to his workshop to study, while Marko continued with the cleanout. He liked to view his work at “excavating” not “clearing out”. When he was alone he would imagine that he was on his own searching for lost treasure. He often spent time in the great hall reading or staring at the statues. His uncle talked to him about the history of each statue. He knew the names of most of them and the role they played in their little society. Marko’s favorite was a man that stood taller and broader than the others. He was the only figure that wore full armor.
     
    “That man was Lonza Kuhn.” instructed his uncle. “He was a general that fought in the great battle. Lonza brought his wife and friends to our land. You see the rest of them in this hall. We know that Kuhn was the man who trained the indigenous people of the land that had some magic ability and turned them into soldiers. He was constantly worried that the army he had fought would find him in this new land. Kuhn wanted to put up the best defense possible. Much of the Imperial Mage training comes from his teachings, although I am sure the mages don’t know any of this history.”
     
    “But why doesn’t he have a sword in his scabbard?” asked Marko. “The other two statues of soldiers have them.”
     
    “You’re an observant one m’boy. I don’t rightly know. I think it might be symbolic; a way of showing that Kuhn was a soldier but preferred a life of peaceful existence.”
     
    Marko had starred at the statue’s face many times. He felt like he could read Lonza Kuhn’s character. One thing he was sure of