Staff of Shigmar: Chapter 1, Part 2

9 March 2026

We return this week with the second part of the first chapter of Staff of Shigmar: Book 2 of The Redemption. We take up the story with the masters of Shigmar’s school and their attempt to wrest the truth from the dead, using a powerful and dangerous orthek with disastrous results. . . . (11 August 2014) We remind all readers that this book, Staff of Shigmar, as the first book, is free for download from Smashwords! Glossary links: Book 2, Book 1

Chapter 1, Part 2

Mistress Storga shook her head. “I cannot understand, Headmaster, how you can still defend your apprentice after seeing all this,” she said, waving her arm over the devastation in the dungeon guards’ common room. “Master Ghelvon and his apprentice killed, the contingent of soldiers manning the dungeon all killed, your apprentice and the others escaped, set free by the two soldiers on duty: how can you still believe they are not agents of Gar?”

“Ghelvon’s neck was crushed,” Master Ghreis noted, “the renegade kortexi is certainly strong enough to have killed him.”

“But there was no mark on his apprentice,” Myron said, “and his heart lying on the floor nearby: how could any of them manage that? And what about the room no one had ever seen? How did they create that?”

Master Wegex shrugged. “They were obviously deeper into the evil of Gar than we would have thought.”

Avril shook his head. “You are not thinking,” he noted, “how could they have deceived all of their masters? If there had been even a hint that they had become corrupted, we would have known.”

“Perhaps,” Myron said, “or perhaps not.”

Avril looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“We had a traitor among us that no one recognized,” Myron replied.

Storga laughed. “Yes, your apprentice, Headmaster. How can you deny the evidence?”

“I think, Storga,” Myron began, “it is you who are denying the evidence, although it is right in front of you.”

Storga snorted; Ghreis shook his head, but Wegex was outraged. “How dare you accuse us of ‘denying the evidence’ when you will not admit the possibility that you could have been wrong about your apprentice?”

“The chosen did not kill anyone in this room, or on this level of the school,” Myron said. “Look just at this room,” Myron pointed to the corpses, moving his arm in a circle. “Look at the way they are all circled around their captain, who lies at the center, his sword arm burned, as if he had. . . .”

Mistress Storga interrupted. “There is a way to answer this question.”

“What are you suggesting?” Master Ghreis asked.

She spoke hesitantly. “We could use aneksaro,” she whispered.

The others looked at her suddenly. Only Avril spoke.

“That is dangerous teka,” Avril said, “and we are one master short.”

Myron looked around. “That teka must be used soon after death, so we do not have the time to raise someone to master.”

“We are strong enough,” Storga said.

“We have a quorum,” Wegex added.

“Then let us vote,” Myron said. “All in favor, raise your right arm.”

Storga and Wegex raised their arms immediately; Ghreis followed. Avril took and held Myron’s eye for a moment before speaking.

“I am opposed to this action,” Avril said, still looking at Myron.

“Do you doubt our strength?” Storga asked, still holding up her arm with the others.

Avril shook his head and turned his eyes on Storga. “I do not doubt our strength; I feel there is a threat close by, one that we have not recognized, one that is waiting for its moment.”

“Yes,” Myron agreed, “there is some threat nearby.”

“The only threat nearby,” Storga said, “is your escaped apprentice, and the others you name the ‘chosen.’”

“Do we use aneksaro?” Ghreis asked.

“It will give us a clear answer,” Wegex said.

Avril again looked at Myron. After a moment, Avril raised his arm very slowly. Myron sighed. “Very well,” the Headmaster said, “form a circle around the corpse.”

Myron stood at the head of the fallen captain, Avril at his feet; Wegex and Ghreis stood on his right side; Storga on his left; all planted the heel of each staff sharply against the stone floor. A circle of green fire flared to life on the floor around the corpse from the heel of each staff. When the circle completed itself, a shimmering green dome of transparent light covered and encircled the corpse. Myron spoke the word of power, “mortiswera,” then asked the question, “How did you die?”

A breath of air circled the room, causing things around the room to move slightly; a low whispering sigh came out of the ground, moved around the circle, then entered the green shimmering dome, then the corpse, causing the dead captain’s chest to rise, as if he were taking a breath. As the chest fell, the sigh came out of the corpse’s mouth, forming words: “the kortexi’s sword, I drew the kortexi’s sword.” The magluku lighting the room winked out, plunging them into momentary darkness before winking back to life; the sound of two boulders slamming together shook the floor of the room, causing the five masters surrounding the corpse to sway.

Storga asked a second question. “How did the others die?”

Again, a breath of air circled, followed by a whispering sigh; the chest filled, then emptied slowly, forming the words: “the sword exploded.” The magluku winked; the sound of boulders slamming together shook the floor; the five masters swayed. Myron lifted his staff, ending the orthek.

“He has been dead many hours,” Myron said, “we dare not risk further questions.”

“We did learn something important,” Avril added, “the kortexi’s sword is genuine: artifacts of great power generally take care of themselves.”

“We did not learn the sword was genuine,” Storga protested, “only that it is an artifact of great power; the kortexi is still a renegade, in my mind.”

Wegex nodded his assent; Ghreis looked puzzled.

“Let’s try the others,” Storga suggested, “perhaps we can get more from them, since they have been dead only a few hours.”

Avril shook his head. “We must be very cautious,” he said. “Ghelvon was powerful in life; if we question him too long, he could return as a powerful purgle.”

Myron nodded. “His behavior during the trial was odd, unlike his normal self.”

Storga snorted. “Only odd because he accused your apprentice. We know of the rivalry between your two apprentices, involving Avril’s apprentice.”

Ghreis rubbed his gray stubbled chin. “Yes, but Klaybear won that contest, so reason for revenge would have motivated Malkonik, Ghelvon’s apprentice, rather than Klaybear.”

Myron looked up at Ghreis suddenly, pieces of a puzzle falling into place, but still not enough to detect the pattern, or what it meant; he looked at Avril, then frowned.

Avril shrugged. “A few questions only, I think,” he said.

The others nodded, then all moved out of the guard chamber and down the dungeon hall to where Ghelvon’s body lay, head turned in an odd angle. His apprentice lay a few yards away, his bloody heart nearby. As they had done before to the captain’s corpse, so they surrounded Ghelvon’s body, Myron at the head, Avril at his feet, Wegex and Ghreis to his right, and Storga left. The five staff heels clunked against the stone floor, circle of green fire flaring to life, completing and creating a dome of shimmering green light that surrounded the corpse. “Mortiswera,” Myron commanded, and a breeze raced down the hallway, became a low sigh that entered and filled the lungs. As the chest rose, Myron asked, “how did you die?”

The chest fell slowly, the moan becoming words. “I do not know. I remember Malkonik coming to my study, a red haze, then I stood beside my broken body as you see it.” The words trailed into a sigh; the magluku lighting the hallway winked out, followed by the sound of boulders crunching together; the magluku winked on; the five masters swayed.

“When you saw your body lying here as it is,” Storga began, “did you see anyone else in this hallway?”

A breeze slid down the hallway, becoming a low moan that filled the corpse’s chest; the chest fell, and the moan formed into words. “Malkonik lay where he is; I saw his beating heart hit the ground.” A breeze became another moan; the chest rose, and the moan formed words. “I saw a kortexi flung into the wall, limp. Then I saw others coming down the hall; Myron’s apprentice went into this strange room.” Another breeze, another moan forming words. “He came out of the room leading Avril’s apprentice, then all went back down the hallway toward the cells.” The chest fell, the magluku winked out, boulders crashed together, and the magluku winked on; the five swayed.

“How long, Ghelvon, since your apprentice came to your room, and you saw the red haze?” Storga asked.

The breeze came howling down the corridor this time, and the low moan became a howl of rage; the corpse twitched, hands clenching, head turning, dead eyes opening, and a snarl beginning to form on the dead lips.

“Release the orthek!” Avril shouted.

“No!” Storga countered. “We must know!”

Ghelvon’s corpse started to sit up. Myron lifted his staff and broke the orthek, but the corpse continued to struggle to rise. Avril leapt forward, feet crashing into the corpse’s chest; his staff in one hand, and the symbol of Shigmar in the other, both brightly glowing with green light, thrust toward the corpse.

“Remoryet!” Avril commanded.

The snarl turned into a wail, sailing away from them down the hall; the magluku went out; the sound of mountains crashing together shook the hallway, hurling the five masters from their feet; flakes of stone and dust fell around them. The magluku stuttered, then grew from dim spots of light to their normal brightness. The dust was lit suddenly by a bolt of green power, shot from Avril’s staff toward the ceiling.

“What are you doing!?” Wegex spat; he knelt next to Storga, examining her. “Are you trying to bring the ceiling down on us?”

“Kwalu,” Avril hissed through gritted teeth.

“Here?” Ghreis coughed.

“I saw it hovering above us,” Avril said, “as I fell, watching us.”

Myron got slowly to his feet, then reached out a hand to help Ghreis stand. “That would explain much,” he noted, reaching out to help Avril get up.

Avril nodded as he stood. “Particularly, why he could not remember what happened to him after his apprentice arrived, so he must be the traitor.”

Wegex’s hands glowed green over Storga’s head, then she coughed and opened her eyes. “Are you all right?” he whispered.

“Yes,” she replied, “just knocked out from the concussion.”

Above them, the other three continued to speak.

“I caught a glimpse of something as we fell,” Ghreis was saying. He looked at Avril. “Are you sure it was a kwalu?”

Avril nodded. “I am fairly certain.”

“That would explain the heart,” Ghreis said, “since that is a kwalu trick.”

“Ghelvon said he saw a kortexi nearby,” Myron mused. “Isn’t it odd that he did not recognize Sir Blakstar?”

“How do you know it was he?” Ghreis asked.

“There was no other kortexi in the school,” Myron replied.

Wegex was helping Storga to her feet. She brushed the dust off her robes before speaking. “How do we know it was not another kortexi, who entered the dungeon from the sewers and released the traitors, causing all this devastation?”

Avril laughed. “Can you honestly imagine,” he began, still chuckling, “any kortexi sneaking anywhere? It is against the kortexi creed!”

“All right,” Storga replied, “I was reaching.”

“Ghelvon also said,” Myron went on, “that he saw Klaybear lead Klare out of this strange room; what was she doing here?”

Storga pointed to the lifeless form of Ghelvon’s apprentice. “I’m sure he can tell us.”

“With a kwalu floating around,” Avril snorted, “you want to try again? Have you lost all sense?”

“He was only an apprentice,” Storga said. “Four of us could make him speak, while the fifth keeps the kwalu at bay.”

“We need to recapture the renegades,” Wegex said. “They will answer our questions before they are punished.”

“Have you been asleep, Wegex?” Avril retorted. “They are not renegades! Their trial was orchestrated by a kwalu possessing Ghelvon; are Myron and I the only ones who noticed how odd his behavior was, how he out-thought the son of Kalamar? Ghelvon was never that smart!”

“How dare you accuse another member of the Council!” Storga exclaimed.

“Are you all so blinded by fear,” Avril went on, “a fear woven so neatly together by one of Gar’s most trusted servants? Open your eyes and see what is right in front of you!”

“Enough, Avril,” Myron said softly, but firmly. “We will solve nothing by bickering. We must enact the aneksaro again to have our answers.”

“No, Headmaster,” Avril began, but stopped when he looked at Myron.

The Headmaster held his friend’s eye for a time before releasing him and turning to the others. “Avril will guard against the kwalu. The rest of us will enact the orthek.”

For the third time they surrounded the body, with Myron at the head, Storga took Avril’s place at the feet, Wegex to the left, and Ghreis to the right. The four staves clunked on the floor, green circle of fire flared, completed the circle, and a green dome shimmered and surrounded the corpse. The Headmaster spoke the word, and a breeze moaned down the hallway, circled the dome, then filled the corpse’s chest. The Headmaster opened his mouth to ask the first question but stopped suddenly, hearing the corpse’s choked laughter. The corpse was raising both arms, holding a ball of red power, a ball that was humming and growing. Disembodied laughter came out of the ceiling, then trailed away, covered by the growing sound of the ball of pure elemental force.

“Run!” Myron shouted, and felt himself pulled away by Avril, who was pulling them into the strange room. They both barely erected shields before red light filled their vision, and the wave of force slammed into them, hurling them against the wall of the small room. . . .

Come back tomorrow for another installment of our tale! Get the full ebook from Smashwords for free. If you prefer print, purchase your copy from the link provided. Good reading!