Thinking of you

Particularly the "you" that reads this blog. As I've run Circles here, I've noticed a definite drop off in page views and length of time "you" stay on this blog. Why?

Perhaps one of the reasons is because you aren't interested in my fiction, but are interested in my life because we are friends or family. Another could be that Circles is not to your taste. However, I've noticed -- and other bloggers have, too -- that readership drops off when the posts are longer. By necessity, excerpts from Circles are longer. The various scenes and characters require the space.

A good friend of mine who works for a newspaper says that readers today only want short items. He says the general public lack the attention span and the concentration to focus on anything for any length of time. He points to Twitter, Facebook, TV and the Internet as the major causes of this. "People are plain lazy," he said.

Perhaps so. We have filled our lives with too much, it seems, and now everything gets a short shift. Relationships, jobs, church, family, health, charities, all must compete for our attention. We do not have time for complexity. Or so we've told ourselves.

Some people deal with this by choosing to delete parts of their lives. Less is more. A simpler life. Less TV,  fewer relationships, one or two particular charities. This is not a bad approach. We only have so much time in this life. To choose everything is to finally choose nothing.

Other people seem content to skim the surface. Among my friends are those who boast of their "connectiveness." They have iPhones and iPads, they follow Facebook and Twitter religiously, they adopt the latest and greatest, they are never away from their email accounts of which they have seveal. They embrace this electronic life.

Most of us live our lives somewhere between the "simpler" and the "connectiveness" folks. The difficulty before us is learning how to choose what's truly important to us, particularly since so many advertisers and politicians and preachers and scientists are telling us what they think is important.

(A side note: If you truly believe the Republicans or the Democrats or the Tea Party or the Coffee Party or the conservatives or the liberals ... have our best interests at heart, you are misled. They care only about gaining more power and making money. I wish this wasn't true, but it is.)

This blog has remained important to me. Perhaps more out of nostalgia than actual usefulness. I still remember when it was the best way for me to reach out to friends, family, and readers. I remember when it was a great way to meet new friends. And it remains my own place. I don't deal with Facebook rules or Twitter's tweet lengths or any subject that I choose not to. There's a lot to be said for that.

Anyway, thought I'd ask what you think, those of you living the simpler life, the fluid life, the feline live, the canine life, the zoo life, the lab life, the connectiveness life, the sports life, the writing life, the teaching life, the preaching life, life in general -- how are you choosing what's important? And beyond the simple answers of family or God or friends, what are you actually doing? What real actions show your priorities?

Waiting to hear from you.

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Circles, Chapter 1.8

Circles

Chapter 1.8

Maze of Madness

"When you enter the Maze, it will be different for each of you," Mage Cinnamon said. "For some, it will be simply a maze with traps and beasts to overcome. For others, it will present their worse fears or their greatest temptations." She looked around the room at the Aspirants, all of whom hung on her words. "Or it can be totally different, something completely unexpected. The Maze is beyond our ken. It always has been. It always will be. Only the foolish believe they master the Maze, and the foolish will not exit because they will be dead."

As Alissa led them slowly across the shattered courtyard, Thomas found himself split, one part of him horrified by the carnage around them, the other part remembering the meager information that the Mages had shared with the Aspirants about the Maze.

"Every Circle has a Testing building, and every Testing building has a Gate into the Maze," Cinnamon said. "You will find that the histories are incomplete. We do not know if the Circles were founded on Gate sites, or if Gates were conjured where Circles were built. If they were conjured, such magicks are lost. The Gates that exist are the only Gates that have existed for the past two thousand years."

The unschooled believed Mages could do anything, including becoming invisible. But Aspirants soon learned the limitations of the magick. True, a Mage could do almost anything in theory, but a Mage soon exhausted the available magick in an area in reality. Or a Mage could draw too much magick and burn to ashes in moments. Or Mage could get a spell wrong, perhaps by losing concentration or misdrawing a conjure circle or forgetting a word. A Mage who made a mistake several hundred years ago made the crater that now was known as Habais Lake in southern Nolo Farnatho. The Mage, of course, didn't survive.

And other limitations had to do with the nature of the world itself. The laws of gods put strict boundaries on magick. Priests believed the gods did this to protect mankind from evil Mages. Some Mages believed the gods did it to protect themselves. Still other Mages didn't believe in the gods; they believed the boundaries arose from the very nature of the universe. Whatever the reason, Mages could not become invisible, but they could fade.

If an Imperial soldier looked closely, he would see the vague outline of Thomas and the other Aspirants as they crept toward the Testing building behind Alissa's fade shield. But he would have be attentive and be looking at just the right angle. And he would have to do so while the Verdant and the remaining Mages tore down the heavens to throw spheres of fire and bolts of lightning at their foes.

By necessity, they could not move fast, Thomas with his hand on Glemma's shoulder, her hand on Derry's, and his on Alissa who led. The fade shield wavered the faster it moved. They had to walk around bodies and rubble. And they had to stay away from soldiers. More swarmed into the courtyard, shooting their rifles and pistols at the shield maintained by Mongarth's Mages. The cannon, half melted from the magick thrown at it, smoldered under the dirgible. The far end of the dirigible had crashed against the dining hall. It burned as soldiers attempted to fight the fire.

Overhead another dirigible hung in the sky. It shone arc lights in the courtyard revealing the carnage. Thomas could hear Glemma whimpering as they made their way past body after mangled body. Many Aspirants had died on the courtyard, but many more soldiers had learned the final lesson about the power of magick. Blood pooled in areas, and Thomas thought about how hard it would be to clean the blood up and wondered if they would use mops. He fought hysterical laughter.

Verdant still stood as did Red, Oak, and Sandollar. But White, Rose, and Blanc had fallen, their bodies collapsed inside the shield. Thomas couldn't see Cinnamon, either. Across the courtyard, only Forrest still stood. Both Violet and Midnight lay behind him. Forrest no longer threw power at the other Mages, only maintained the shield surrounding him.

For a moment, Thomas felt a flare of hope. Perhaps the Imperials had miscalculated the troops needed. But at that moment, Red fell, her body smoldering. She had drawn too much magick for too long and paid the price. Their shield wavered. Oak shored it up, but Thomas could see it wouldn't hold much longer. Sandollar collasped. The shield blinked once and nearly fell. Pulling so much magick that he nearly stole Alissa's power from her, Oak brought the shield back up.

"Surrender, Verdant," Forrest said, his voice magically cast to everyone in the courtyard. "You cannot win."

Verdant flashed a feral grin. "Burn, you volking bastard." She threw lightning at him. His shield easily absorbed it.

"Foolish woman," Forrest said. "Your Aspirants are dead. Your Circle is destroyed. Argent has left you here to face the wolves. What say you now of your lover?"

"He will return," Verdant said. "And he will make you pay. Every last whoreson of you."

"No," Forrest said. "He will not. You think he is safe in the Maze, but soon I will lead more Mages in there after him."

"You cannot!" Verdant said. "It is forbidden!"

"So many things are," Forrest said. He made a sign with his hand. The dirigible overhead shot its cannons at the shield. The explosions nearly knocked the Aspirants off their feet. When the smoke cleared, Verdant and Oak sprawled motionless on the ground.

"Check them," Forrest said, motioning to the soldiers. He dropped his shield and walked toward the downed Mages.

Only two more steps and the Aspirants would enter the Testing building.

At that moment, Forrest stopped and looked directly at them. He looked startled and then laughed. "More babes for the slaughter."

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without prior express written permission. Thank you for reading.

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Circles, Chapter 1.7

My life sort of imploded again the past two days. Sorry for those reading Circles or waiting on Murder by the Acre. Trust me, I'd rather been writing on them than what I was doing. Sewer troubles, stomach troubles, money troubles, depression, etc. The usual Black Dog Gang. There were good things, too. A couple of nice lunches. Sold three greeting cards. Managed to get a few things done around the house. And sewer is fixed, and stomach is settling down. So ... back to the grind. Oh, here's my participant badge for Camp NaNoWriMo. 

Without further ado, here's Chapter 1.7, where we learn more about Emperor Tanalos.

Circles

Chapter 1.7

Maze of Madness

His Majesty Tanalos III -- Emperor of the Seven Honored Lands, His Royal Highness of the Undaunted Freed Lands of Stemtis, King of Glorious Nola Farnatho, Protector of the Overson Territories and Principalities of the Blackened Throne, Governor of Serene Nola Scrone, High Lord of the Glori and Thorn Converges, Exalted Chief of the Endless Plains, Over-Knight of the Order of Fire, Arch Priest of the Church of Sandtros, Duke of Sorin, Grand Master of the Merchant Guilds, High General of Armies, Chief Admiral of the Navies, Sky Commander of the Imperial Arial Warriors, Source Lord of Beatifically Waters, and Defender of the Faiths -- looked around the table of his advisors and wished he was dead.

Or if the gods wouldn't grant that -- and he would rather they didn't -- he wished terrible death upon his advisors, particularly the First Concubine and General Abetis. High Mage Granite could die along with them. The rest of them could be exiled. Except for good old Arch Priest Severn who seemed the only advisor appalled by the latest atrocities committed in the Emperor's name but executed by the Councilors.

As if catching his thoughts, Allanna glanced his way. He dropped his gaze and continued to play with his game, a ball and cup. The cup, of course, was carved of crystal, and the ball of rare blood wood. He had become proficient with it over the years, once going 300 times without missing one. Immediately, Allanna called a Court Celebration of his accomplishment. And because of the role forced upon him, he had to pretend to be pleased and excited as did the courtiers, although he knew they held only contempt for their imbecilic emperor.

Except he wasn't an imbecile. He should have been one. From the time his great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Maxicus the First took the Blackened Throne, his family married only those deemed noble enough. Maxicus the First married his second cousin. Their son Maxicus the Second married his first cousin. Their son Tanalos the First married his half sister. Their son Tanalos the Second married his niece. Their daughter Queen Tanaicus married her brother. And so on. With each generation, more undesirable traits arose. Naturally the Councilors said that royal blood was not subject to the laws of trait inheritance. In a way, Tanalos thought, his family had been the subject of an extensive breeding program to produce a line of easily controlled idiots.

But trait inheritance didn't follow the dictates of the Council. From what Tanalos had read in the rarely used Imperial Library, he was a throwback. A fluke. Although no one would call him a genius, he easily held the highest intelligence of his line for several generations. He also had regained an ability no one besides him and his poor father knew he held. If Allanna or Abetis ever found, he would die of a mysterious aliment soon after, one of his many idiotic sons would take the throne, and the Council would continue to rule.

Since childhood, he and his father had planned to change that. And after his father's death, he had continued on. Carefully he had gathered allies. Lais, the Third Concubine, stood with him, mostly because she desired the status of First Concubine. Hashan, his wife and second cousin, also supported him. He could count on Archpriest Severn and perhaps Admiral Melleon who hated Abetis. The Emperor's Guard would stand for him. Unfortunately, it had taken him seven years to gather this meager amount of allies. They weren't enough. He wasn't enough. And there wasn't not enough time for him to change this mad course the Council had embarked on.

Allanna had turned her eyes away from him. He focused once again on Councilors' discussion.

"All the Southern Circles have signed a loyalty pledge," Mage Granite said. "And most of the Western. Of course, we expect the Eastern to do so. Only Gritgarth might be a problem."

"I have two airships on route to Gritgarth," Abetis said.

"What of Mongarth?" Allanna said.

Granite smiled coldly.

Tanalos shivered.

"Unfortunately, Argent didn't sign the pledge," Granite said. "We were forced -- regrettably -- to act with extreme prudence toward Mongarth. The battle is going on now, but I expect a favorable report soon."

"Was the pledge even offered to him?" Severn asked, his face severe with anger.

Allanna slowly turned her head to look at the old man. The priest met her gaze firmly, impressing Tanalos. He couldn't do that. Not even when he had to do his yearly duty. He always made certain the servants extinguished all the lamps and closed the drapes before he joined her in the Imperial bed and touched her icy body. He couldn't repress a shudder thinking about it now.

"The records will show he was offered and refused," Granite said. "The loss of life is upon his head."

"See to it that the Criers know of his refusal," Alanna said. "We do not want to be charged with his crimes."

"What of the Aspirants?" Severn asked.

"Naturally, our troops will do everything they can to protect the students," Abetis said smoothly. "Battles are unfortunately beyond the control of anyone. The early dispatches say the majority of the students chose to stand with Argent. May the gods give them wisdom to submit to the proper rule of law before any of them are harmed."

Melleon snorted, but said nothing. The only Circle that his ships could reach sat on the Island of Lone, and for now, the Council had decided to not risk a conflict with a Circle that could easily shut down shipping through the Three Arms of Dovus if provoked.

"I still don't understand why this action was taken," said Councilor Cyran of Nola Scrone. Tanalos would have approached Cyran, but the man approached every problem with the finesse of a hammer.

Most of the nineteen Councilors sighed, but a couple looked as if they supported Cyran. Tanalos noted their faces and names.

"We've already discussed this exhaustedly," Allanna said, her voice sharp. "The Circles were not promoting loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor. The other schools teach obedience and citizenship, but the Circles were refusing to do so. Many were contemplating open rebellion, perhaps in league with the Blood Horde."

"Not all the Circles," Granite broke in, looking sharply at Allanna. "Only a handful of Mages who have grown too powerful and arrogant. Idiagarth, my Circle, has always served the Empire with unswerving loyalty."

"Of course," Allanna muttered. "Of course. If only the other Circles were so wise."

"Hear, hear!" one of the other Councilors, a toady of Granite named Ferus.

"I still don't understand why we didn't hear of this so-called rebellion by the Circles until a month ago," Cyran said. "This seems to be a failure of our intelligence division!"

Melleon bristled on that. "There had been nothing to find until then. The Circles had been very careful--"

"Or perhaps your spies weren't diligent enough," Cyran cut in.

The Council dissolved into bitter shouting as it often did.

Tanalos continued to play with the cup and ball, but he noted Allanna's face. As the discord grew, she smiled slyly. For some reason, the First Concubine was pleased by the fighting. He wondered why.

He also wondered why she and Abetis had attacked the Circles. The trumped-up charges had been quickly brought into the Council and acted upon with just as much haste. He knew Abetis hated Mages -- the general delighted at any chance to strike at them -- but what did Alanna have planned? And why was Granite helping them, particularly since he and Abetis had always been enemies until this?

He couldn't shake the feeling that the Empire was in terrible peril. And he, its supposed protector, could do nothing to save it.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without prior express written permission. Thank you for reading.

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Circles, Chapter 1.6

Circles

Chapter 1.6

Maze of Madness

Jasone saved their lives. He had thrown protection shields around each of them, intending on confining them while he alerted the Imperials. When the cannonball exploded, they were protected.

Protected until Jasone died. He was barely sixteen. Proud to the point of arrogance of his skill with a bow and sword, known to flirt with every girl whether she was noble born or not, earning excellent scores in all his Writtens except Mathematics. The cannonball didn't care. It exploded, scattering his burning remains across the room.

But his shields had given Alissa time to act, time to pull enough magick together to shield everyone. But her hasty shields didn't hold against the explosive force.

Then the floor collapsed.

Thomas fell into the room below. He hit a dresser and rolled off, barely avoiding a falling floor joist that smashed into the floor and continued on. Thomas hit his head and his vision clouded. He moaned. More explosions sounded outside.

Someone -- Glemma with blood dripping down her face -- pulled on his arm. "Get up! Get up!"

He shrugged her off and pulled himself to his feet. Alissa lay on the floor across from him, Derry across her.

He stumbled over to Derry who was already stirring.

"Alissa," Derry said. "Alissa!"

The swamp witch didn't move.

"Thomas!" Derry yelled.

Thomas fell to his knees beside the girl. He checked her pulse. "She's alive. Barely." He took a moment to steady himself. He called the magick to him and directed the flow into Alissa. "No broken bones, but she's taken a bad hit to the head. No brain swelling, though." He increased the blood flow in the area and healed her other numerous scratches and bruises before he turned his power to Derry. The older boy had two broken ribs, one dangerous close to a lung. He healed them both.

Derry grunted in pain.

"Sorry," Thomas said.

"It's all right," Derry said. He looked at Thomas and marveled. "Not a scratch on you."

"Already healed myself," Thomas lied. His senses reached out to Glemma, but she had already healed herself. She gathered up the fire and heat in the room in a round blazing globe that she cradled in her hands. Thomas had never seen anyone -- not even a Mage -- do that with fire.

"Glemma?" Alissa said. Derry helped her up.

"They have to pay," Glemma said, her voice taut with concentration. She walked to the broken wall and stood. The other three followed her.

They looked on a scene from a nightmare. The dirigible had blasted the dining halls and all the residence halls. Everything was burning. All except the small Testing building, and Verdant and her fellow Mages stood in front of it, protected by a shimmering shield of greater power than the Aspirants had ever seen. Soldiers shot bullets at it, but the iron pellets couldn't penetrate. The dirigible was lowering a cannon in a metal cage. Across the courtyard, Mages Forrest and Midnight threw lightning at the shield while Violet protected the three with a shield of their own.

"They're helping the Imperials," Thomas said.

"They're the traitors," Derry said, helping Alissa to stand beside him. "They sold us out."

"Then here's their reward," Glemma said. She shouted a wordless cry and threw the fireball across the courtyard.

It impacted the three Mages' shield and exploded sending flames rolling into the sky.

"Gods," Thomas said.

But when the smoke and flames cleared, the shield still shimmered.

"Not enough," Glemma said.

Soldiers ran toward them.

"We need to go now!" Derry shouted. The four Aspirants climbed over smoking timbers and fallen columns. Glemma threw fire behind them, blocking the way. When they reached the hall that ran down the building, they found it mostly clear of debris, although filled with smoke and unfortunate Aspirants who didn't survive the initial attack.

"Now what?" Alissa asked.

"We can't stay here," Derry said. "They'll finish leveling this building soon. Or the soldiers will find us."

Glemma paused and put up her hand. The others waited impatiently until she opened her eyes. "They've surrounded the Circle. I can sense dozens, maybe hundreds of foot soldiers."

"There's nowhere to run," Thomas said. "We're going to die."

"Maybe so," Derry said. "But we'll make them suffer before we do." Alissa took his face in her hands and kissed him.

The kiss shocked Thomas, but not Glemma. He told himself, Time to grow up. The world's not what the Silver Folk told me. If I want to survive, I must adapt to it.

"There's one place we can go," said Glemma. "We won't be safe, but at least the Imperials can't touch us."

"The Maze..." Derry said.

"It's our only chance," Glemma said. "And it's where Mage Argent went. We might be able to find him."

"This is madness," Thomas said.

"Do you see any other option?" Glemma asked him.

"No," said Thomas after a moment.

Glemma turned to Alissa. "Can you fade us?"

"Yes," Alissa said. "But it won't stand up to a Mage. If we get near Midnight or Forrest, they will see us."

Thunder boomed throughout the Circle. Glemma smiled grimly. "I think Verdant is keeping them busy." She led them down the hall to the far door. It still hung to its hinges. Several Aspirants' bodies slumped on the floor or laid against the walls. Most had been shot. A few stabbed.

"Oh gods," Alissa said. "How can they do this? Why? WHY?" Her voice climbed.

Derry took her in his arms and held her tightly.

Thomas tried to find somewhere to look where there wasn't blood or a dead body. He turned his head and looked into the blank open eyes of an Aspirant that he didn't know, but he had seen in various Writtens or in the dining hall. Thomas knelt. With a trembling hand, he reached out and closed the eyes. He rose and turned back to others. He met Glemma's gaze. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she held herself proud.

"His name was Leo," she said. "Leonard, I think, but we called him Leo." She turned to Alissa. "Are you ready?"

Alissa swallowed and nodded her head. "Yes. Give me a moment." She walked carefully toward the door, stepping delicately around the bodies. She bowed her head.

Thomas felt the magick rise to Alissa's wavering call. For a moment, he thought she couldn't do it, but as the magick rose, her command of it steadied. She waved them closer.

"Well," Glemma said.

"Nothing for it but to do it," Thomas said.

"I love you," Derry told Alissa.

She smiled and led them into chaos.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without prior express written permission. Thank you for reading.

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Circles, Chapter 1.5

Circles

Chapter 1.5

Maze of Madness

Somewhere else ...

In a stone room that had never known light, a woman stood, letting the blackness fill her eyes, her mouth, and her heart until she could See. In the corner, something whimpered. She ignored it as she ignored the screaming of a part of her that she had thought long since died.

In the midnight silence, she softly breathed two words. "Come forth."

She waited, patient as slow poison.

With a metallic scraping, the wall of the universe tore, letting a Void flow into the room.

She threw herself to the floor, not daring to raise her head. Not daring to breathe. She would die before she drew another breath unless her gift was acceptable.

She waited until her head spun and her heart pounded, her lips clamped fiercely shut.

When she could hold her breath no longer, when false spots swarmed before her unseeing eyes ...

"You are worthy in your worship," a quiet voice said that held no human emotion. "Your Gift is acceptable. You may live to serve me. Tell me of your actions."

"The Empire moves against the Circles as you desired," she said. "But Argent has escaped into the Maze of Madness."

The Great Void laughed. "Then he will be ours soon enough."

The whimpering thing -- that is what she forced herself to think of it as -- moved, the sound of its shattered limbs scarping along the floor.

She held herself still, afraid that such noise would anger the Great Void, and it would devour her. A moment passed. She still lived. Perhaps it even enjoyed the small sounds of pain made by -- she forced herself to think of other things.

"What of the Silver Folk?" she asked.

"They must not interfere," the Great Void said. "They must continue to dream until they are devoured. Do not worry. Other of my servants move against them. But I have a task for you. In Mongarth, there is a boy. His name is Thomas Alltree of Leeson. He is an Aspirant. Slay him. Bring me his head."

"Yes," she said. "May I know why?"

"No," the Great Void said. "Do not ask again." The Great Void swirled. "Now receive my power so that you may accomplish my wishes."

Power thundered into her. She gasped and moaned, shuddering in the terrible burning pleasure as the Great Void burned away more of her humanity. She laughed until her laughter became a scream. Finally, the transference ended, leaving her both spent and surging with magick.

"Serve me well," the Great Void said. It moved toward the corner and passed over it. The whimpering thing -- the women's son, tortured and tattered by her own hand as a gift -- was gone as was the Void.

Allanna, First Concubine of the Emperor Tanalos, rose and walked steadily from the room, never noticing the tears on her face. She had a world to conquer.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without prior express written permission. Thank you for reading.

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Circles, Chapter 1.4

Circles

Chapter 1.4

Maze of Madness

The Imperial soldiers spread out across the courtyard. Small groups of them went to each hall. They carried swords and pistols. Thomas could see students pulling up protection shields. He could sense other students calling magick to offensive spells.

"This is going to get ugly if no one does anything," Derry said.

"Those fools!" Jasone said. "Don't they realize this Circle can tear them apart?" He draw enough power to throw lightning, but Derry and Alissa threw a protection shield around him.

"Idiot," Derry snapped at Jasone. "That dirigible has cannons and bombs and who knows what else! They'll slaughter us."

Jasone's magick strained against the shield, but Alissa held it steady with almost no effort.

"Derry's right," Glemma said, her face sharper and her voice more focused than Thomas had ever seen. "The Mages might be able to stand up to it if they were prepared, but most of us would die." She looked to the east and raised her hand. "And I can sense at least two more are coming."

Thomas didn't know any Aspirant who could perceive the weather and winds better than Glemma.

"Two more?" Alissa asked. "Why two more? That's enough to kill us several times over..." Her voice trailed away.

Derry, Alissa, and Glemma locked stares. Thomas couldn't follow what they were thinking, and Jasone still strove against the shield currently holding him.

"That's got to be it," Derry said. "We've got to get out of here now!"

The three pushed Thomas into the common room. Alissa dropped the shield on Jasone who fell to the floor with a yelp.

"Pack as quick you can!" Derry said. "Any food, waterskins, warm clothing, weapons. Alissa, bring your healing kit."

"No!" Thomas shouted. "What's going on?" He reached out and flooded the room with magick. Alissa attempted to shield him, but his rage allowed him to top her power. "What's going on? You three know something."

Glemma stepped toward him. "Mage Argent has been secretly organizing a rebellion against the Empire. Several of the other Circles have allied with him. The Imperials must have found out. They'll destroy this Circle, torture us for information, then kill us."

Thomas's head swum. He felt like he had fallen into a bard's tale. He dropped his magick and slumped into a chair. "How do you know this?"

Glemma looked all of them. "Because I was part of it."

Alissa breathed a cry of surprise. Derry didn't move.

"Argent recruited me when I came to this Circle," Glemma said. "And because you're connected with me, they're never going to believe you weren't part of it. If we don't get away right now, we'll be tortured without mercy and killed like vermin."

"Traitors!" Jasone shouted. He stood in the entrance of the balcony, magickal currents swirling around him. "Traitors! You won't take me down with you!"

He blazed power into the room.

The room exploded.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All right reserved. No copying without prior express written permission.

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Anniversary of my birth

It's my birthday! And I'm giving myself the day off. See you tomorrow!

Circles, Chapter 1.3

(Author's Note: I realized I made a mistake on my approach to Circles. I had chosen the First Person viewpoint, but have realized that I need to use Third Person because the story is larger than I realized. It's always a joy when the Story takes hold and leads you to new unexplored places. The first three entries will be converted to Third Person soon, but here's today's entry. Enjoy! Oh, tomorrow is my birthday, and I may give myself off. We'll see. But if so, Circles will return Sunday. One last thing: our viewpoint character is Thomas, who's been talking to you himself until now.)

Circles
Chapter 1.3
Maze of Madness


Thomas would have questioned Alissa and Derry further, demanding answers to the questions they had raised even though he knew they had no answers. His world had shifted, and he felt like he teetered on the edge of abyss. But movement caught his eye.

"Look!" Thomas said, pointing below.

Mage Argent ran across the courtyard, his black robes billowing behind him. Mages White and Verdant ran after him.

"What the gods?" Derry said.

A low rumble filled the air. Alissa jerked her head to look to the sky.

"It can't be," she breathed. "What would they..." She bit her lip.

"What's happening?" Thomas asked, his voice quivering despite his best efforts to steady it.

The three Mages below reached the Testing building. Argent stopped and talked to the other two Mages, but Thomas couldn't make out the words.

The rumbling grew louder.

Argent clasped hands with White. He looked at Verdant for a moment and then swept her into an embrace and kiss that would have delighted all the Aspirants who had privately talked about the possibility of a romance between the Head Mage and his Second.

A silver streak flashed through the air and buried itself in the courtyard, throwing bricks and dirt into the air. Aspirants and Mages ran out of the halls and gaped at the huge metal spike that had embedded itself in the ground. Thomas's gaze followed the chain that was attached to the spike that led to the lowering clouds.

Argent entered the Testing building. Verdant watched him go. She spoke to White. They turned to face the metal spike. Other Mages joined them: Red, Cinnamon, Sandollar, Blanc, Rose, and Oak.

But Forrest, Violet, and Midnight stood across the courtyard from the other Mages. A protection shield shimmered around them. Forrest stood in front of the other two.

"What's going on?" Jasonne ran out onto the balcony and nearly knocked Derry over the edge. Thomas grabbed Derry's shoulder.

"They're coming!" Glemma shouted. "They're coming!" She stepped out and looked to the sky. A vast shadow descended steadily toward the Circle.

"You know nothing," Glemma shouted. "Nothing! No matter what they ask, you know nothing! It's our only chance!"

Thomas gripped the iron railing. "Nothing about what? What? WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

The rumbling shook the building. A bright light stabbed from the sky and focused on Verdant and the Mages gathered around her.

The clouds parted, rolling away as if the gods descended to earth.

A huge cylinder hanging in the air suddenly lit up, revealing a crossed dragon crest. The rumbling began to wane as the four engines to its sides powered down. Lines dropped from it, and men in blue and gold battle-gear slid down.

"It's an Imperial dirigible," Glemma said. "Gods help us all. Gods help us all."

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying in any way without express prior written permission by the author and publisher.

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Circles, Chapter 1.2

Circles
Chapter 1.2
Maze of Madness

"It can't be true," I said again.

"It is," said Derry. He stood in the doorway. "I broke into the Archives."

"We did," Alissa said.

Derry reached out his hand, and Alissa took it.

I gaped at them. No Aspirant was allowed in the Archives. It was expressly forbidden, and two people who had done so would be Tested with me.

And because I was so shocked -- at least that's what I'm going to say -- it took me another few moments to register they were holding hands and what that implied.

"It's forbidden for Aspirants--" I started, but stopped. They knew the Strictures. They both gave me a humoring look.

"Yes, but few of us keep it," Derry said. "Perhaps we should, but rather than distracting from our Writtens, we found it helped us."

"We're both strong in different Writtens," Alissa said.

"Does everyone ... know about the tenth?" I asked, stopping myself from asking if every other Aspirant had a companion while I did not. And besides, I wasn't completely oblivious. I would have noticed. Wouldn't I?

"No," Derry said. "Just Alissa and I and a few others. And now you."

"Why tell me?" I asked.

"Because the more of us know, the more chances we have of the information spreading," Alissa said. "There have to be Journeymen who realize the attrition rate is higher than we had been told."

"Do the Mages know?" I asked, but as soon as I said it, I realized how stupid it was. "Of course, they do. They could have to."

"We think they're sending in quintets to give us a better chance to survive," Derry said.

"Why don't they stop the Testing?" I asked. "Find out what's going wrong before more of us die."

Derry looked at Alissa. "We don't know. Obviously, the Empire insists on the Testing."

"But whether or not that is the reason the Mages allow this to continue..." Alissa spread her hands.

"The Empire has always distrusted the Mages," Derry said. "And Emperor Tanalos is open about it. Like magick, apparently there is only so much political power available. The Emperor doesn't want to share."

"Then why doesn't he order his armies to kill us?" I asked. People think Mages are invulnerable, but they are not. A knife in the back, a poisoned cup of soup, a carefully shot arrow, a concubine with venomed lips ... all those and more had been used in the past to remove a Mage who sought the Blackened Throne of the Empire. And Aspirants and Journeymen died like other men. We would inflict much damage and kill many troops, but we would die.

"I don't know," Derry said. "This game is beyond me. Perhaps he only wants to keep our numbers down. Mages are useful for many things."

"I don't think it's the Emperor," Alissa said. "How could he interfere with the Testing? How could anyone? The Empire may be the reason the Testing continues, but I cannot see how they could manipulate the Testing when even the Mages cannot do that."

The sun had set while we talked, and I shivered in the rapidly cooling air. In another month, the snows would sweep down from the Glori Mountains. I suddenly realized I might not be alive when that happened. And I shared a sudden terrible thought.

"Perhaps the Mages want the Testing to continue for their own reasons," I said slowly. "Perhaps it is in their best interests if we don't survive."

From the looks on their faces, I realized Derry and Alissa had already thought of this. I shivered again, but it wasn't from the cold.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying of any kind without express prior written permission.

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Circles, Chapter 1.1

Circles
Chapter 1.1
Maze of Madness


Alissa pulled out her pipe and packed it with derva leaves. She called up a flame and lit it.

"I don't know how you stand that stuff," I said, pulling enough power to create a wind to blow the smoke away from me.

She shrugged. "Reminds me of home."

I reminded myself again to never visit Nola Scrone. Bad enough that her home was mostly swamp, but if everyone smoked derva, it would stink to the heavens.

"Why do you think the Mages are sending groups of five?" Alissa asked.

"Because we have 50 Aspirants," I said glibly. "Makes 10 groups."

She snorted. "Answers like that are what makes Mage White dislike you so much."

I disliked the Geomapper as much as he disliked me.

I shrugged. "In three days, it won't matter."

Then she looked at the small Testing building. "I suppose not." She blow out three perfect smoke rings. Despite myself I was impressed. She hadn't used magick.

"Why does the Empire want us dead?" she asked. "It's different in the swamps. Witches are revered. We heal people. We call the fish. We clean the water."

I had great difficulty imagining any of the Mages doing such menial tasks. I certainly wouldn't. Or would I? I hadn't thought much about what I would do if I survived the Testing. I would probably be employed by a noble or merchant. That's the lot of most survivors.

"It's not a matter of wanting us dead," I said slowly. "They want us controlled." It had been explained to me by my father when my magick first manifested itself. "Magick is a finite resource. Too many mages drawing on it leaves too little for anyone to use. So it makes sense to winnow out the weak and stupid."

She shook her head, her charms tinkling. "I don't believe that. In the swamp, the magick is mighty. It's a torrent."

"Because you have fewer mages and more wildlife," I said. "Life generates magick."

"I know that," she said impatiently. "But magick is powerful here, too. I think it's not that we have fewer mages, but we simply have more life. Your cities are so ... lifeless. Other than humans, of course."

"Well, maybe," I said, not willing to argue but disagreeing. "But there are political reasons, too. And it's good for the Mages. We get paid more for our services."

"Do you repeat back everything they tell you?" Alissa asked. "Have you never really thought about it? In three days, we will be Tested. And even in groups of five, most or all of us won't survive."

"A fourth of us--"

"Bah," she sneered. "The numbers are closer to one tenth."

I turned to her. "That's not right."

"Yes, it is," she said. "I've been here four years. I counted the number of Aspirants who survived each year. One in ten became a Journeyman."

"Perhaps they were poor groups."

"Four years in a row?" She arched an eyebrow. "You truly could believe that? What about eight years in a row?"

"Eight?"

She puffed on her pipe for a few moments.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Her face lost all expression.

"My sister Lelisa didn't return from Testing," she said finally. "She died the year before I came here. But she also keep track of those who survived."

I leaned against the iron railing. My stomach clenched. One in ten. The Mages never spoke of the odds of surviving the Testing, but I had heard that a fourth survived for most of my life.

"It's not only Mongarth," she said. "The other Circles are the same."

"It can't have always been like that," I said. "People would have noticed."

"The Mages keep it quiet," she said. "And it hasn't always been like that." She stepped over close to me. "My sister broke into the Archives."

"Gods," I breathed. Only Mages were allowed into the library Archives.

Alissa conjured a protection shield around us.

"She found out that almost everyone survived the Testing in times past. It's only been in the past two hundred years that Aspirants began to die."

"That can't be right!" I said. "It can't be."

Alissa dropped the shield and moved away from me. "It was in her last letter. She sent it to me the day before her Testing. She never returned from the Maze."

"What are you saying?" I asked. "What does this mean?"

"I don't know," said Alissa. "But let me tell you a terrible thing. The Mages don't know, either." She shivered. "Something is killing off Aspirants, and they can't do anything to stop it."

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without express written permission.

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Circles, Chapter 1.0

Circles

Chapter 1.0

Maze of Madness

"I'm not going to do this," I said, throwing down the overshirt.

Jasone looked at me. As always, his mouth twisted as if he couldn't imagine how stupid I was.

Alissa frowned at us both. Not that I cared what a swamp witch thought.

"Please," Glemma sighed, pushing her long blonde braids away from her face. "Must we go through this again?" She stomped over to me and waved her finger in my face. "We have to wear matching overshirts for the Test. We voted. You lost. We wear Jasone's dragon."

"I'm not going to do it," I said again, although I knew I would have to. I hated the smug expression on Jasone's face just like I hated his rich family, his noble line, his perfect scores in Written, and his athletic skills. Why he got grouped with us remained a mystery. The only redeeming value about it was that he hated being with us as much as we hated him being there.

"I don't like the dragon, either," Alissa said.

Glemma rounded on her. "You voted for it! It's too late now to change your mind."

Alissa shrugged. "Not changing my mind. I didn't like it when I voted for it. But at least it's real."

"The Phoenix is -- was real," I said.

"No proof of that," Alissa said. "None." She stepped over to her desk. "And Mamaboy there wouldn't have paid for any other design."

Jasone scowled at her. "I told you not to call me that."

"Yes, I know," Alissa said, looking unconcerned.

With My Othereyes, I saw magick build briefly in Jasone before he thought better of it. Alissa's home might be the backward swamps of Nola Scrone, but she was easily his match.

"I get so tired of all of you," Glemma said with an exasperated sigh. "Why my parents sent me to this godsforsaken Circle is beyond me!"

"Because they're poor and can't afford better," Jasone said bluntly.

Glemma glared at him. "Then why did you get sent here ... Mamababy?"

Light flared around Jasone. He might be daunted by Alissa, but Glemma didn't carry the swamp witch's power.

"That's enough," Derry, the fifth member of our happy quintet, said quietly. He looked up from his book. "We will be Tested tomorrow. Perhaps we shouldn't waste magick."

Jasone sneered, but he turned away. While Alissa may have held more sheer raw power, Derry wielded his with a careful competence that intimidated everyone. If we had a leader, the unhappy role fell to Derry. But even his skills couldn't forge a unit out of the misfits in this room.

"I don't understand," Alissa said. "Why?"

She left the rest of her question unsaid. We had certainly discussed it endlessly over the past three weeks, ever since Mage Argent announced Aspirants would be Tested in groups. He gave no explanations for this change that upended more than hundred generations of tradition. Not that anyone asked him for one. Circle Mongarth be the poorest Circle in the Empire, but everyone feared Mage Argent. No one understood why he choose this backward Circle when any of the richer ones were his for the taking. People whispered the death of his wife had driven him insane years ago. Perhaps so. Argent didn't share his mind with other Mages and certainly not with Aspirants.

"What difference does it make?" Jasone said abruptly. "When we're dead, the reasons won't matter." He left the main room and entered his room, slamming the door behind him.

"It's to give us a better chance of surviving," Glemma said. "Five of us are better than one of us. That's why they did it. That's what my father says. And he should know." She frowned when none of us agreed. "I'm going to bed."

She stomped into her room.

Derry returned to reading his book. Alissa rose and walked out onto the little balcony. I followed her, not seeking her company, but not ready to go my little room.

In the crisp air, I looked out over the huge circular courtyard. Like all the Circles, Mongarth's buildings were arranged around the courtyard like spokes of a wheel. Three dorms for the Aspirants, one of which was empty due to the rotten roof; the dining hall; two buildings where we were schooled in the Written Ways; a stable; a guest house reserved for use by nobles; the gym; the library; and the two halls that housed the Mages. Flaking paint and weathered wood revealed the shabby condition of the Mongarth in general, but the Mages insisted we keep the courtyard tidy, replacing the paving bricks as necessary and trimming the grass back.

One more small building squatted to our left, but I chose to not look there. We would enter it in three days, and unless the gods smiled on us, we would die.

(Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without prior express written permission.)  

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No jokes

Dear God,

My car died tonight. It nearly bought me home to see You by first dying in front of an oncoming truck. I'm only here because the driver swerved madly at the last minute. I think he was swearing. Forgive him for that. It was a close call, and I'm sure he was as scared as I was.

The car limped home, and now it squats in my garage. My roomie and I changed out the fuel filter. I hoped this simple fix would be enough, but it didn't help. The car needs a mechanic, and I don't know how I'm going to pay for it. Probably borrow the money from a friend. Or put it on a stinking credit card. I don't know what else to do.

I need the car for job interviews and running errands and all that other stuff that we have to do because America has never been pedestrian friendly and my town is no different. But when I think about what a mechanic will charge, I just want to cry.

Yeah, cry. I feel beat up tonight, Lord. The never-ending job search, the worries about bills, my health problems, the problems of my family and friends, the state of the nation, the sorrows of the world, it's all too much tonight. I'd like to run away, but I know that doesn't work. I'd like to hide, but problems will find the hiders. No jokes tonight because I can't find anything funny right now.

This is an open letter to You because I don't know how to carry on. I mean, I will, because that's what I do. I pick myself up, I figure out a plan, I blunder on, trusting that You will keep me from the hideous mistakes if I let You.

When I was a child, sometimes I'd fall asleep at church, curled up on a pew, my head on my mother's purse. I remember how peaceful it was to let the preacher's words flow over me and feel Your presence around me. How I miss that. How I miss the comfort of Your peace.

Of course, I know You're still there. Even tonight when I can't feel You. Tonight when I feel beaten, I know You're there.

If it's not too needy of me, I have a favor to ask for tonight. I wish I could feel Your comfort and peace. Tomorrow, the problems will be there, but tonight, I want to feel Your presence around me. I want to go asleep in Your arms of comfort.

Anyway, that's me for tonight. Thank you for my many blessings. Forgive me my many failings. I pray this in Your name.

Amen and much love,

Stephen

Words to the Future

In 1959, mathematician-philosopher Bertrand Russell had two things he wanted to say to people of the future. He's worth listening to.



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Starboard

Starboard refers to the right side of a ship (or airplane) when you're facing the bow (front). Another bit of knowledge that you probably won't use unless you go on a cruise. Still, it feels like a handy thing to know.

Here's almost my complete store of nautical knowledge.

Starboard: the right side of a ship or airplane when you're facing the bow (front)
Bow: the front of a ship
Stern: the rear of a ship
Port: the left side of a ship or airplane when you're facing the bow
Knot: one nautical mile per hour (about 1.15 miles per hour)

And that's about it. I've only been on a boat a couple of times (loved it) and have never been on the ocean or even seen it.

There's something terribly romantic about sailing. The idea of gliding over the dark blue depths heading toward the place where the sky touches the sea. I want to do it before I die. I hope I do.

Talk to you tomorrow.

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Headache

I have a monstrous headache tonight, so I'm not posting. Going to bed and hope the darkness helps stop the pounding in my head.

If my head doesn't explode, I will return tomorrow same blog time, same blog channel.

Talk to you then.

Sideways

Author Holly Lisle has a marvelous course titled "How to Think Sideways." It teaches writers how to go sideways around obstacles in their life and their writing. I recommend it, but it's aimed squarely at writers. If you're not a writer, you might not get much out of it, but you would get the idea of going sideways.

If you can't go forward and you can't back up, maybe you can go sideways. I don't what that means in all instances, but in publishing, it might mean self-publishing or ebooks or serialization of novels by email. In life, it can mean surprising people.

People have a tendency to pigeonhole other people around them. We categorize people, and sometimes we don't like it when they climb out of the convenient hole we've placed them in.

I'm climbing out of the hole. I don't know what I will be, but it's going to be better than this.

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Down

My energy level remains down, but I think it's getting better. I'm taking my Vitamin D supplements, getting at least 15 minutes of sun a day, drinking a cup of Vitamin D fortified milk a day, taking my iron supplements, attempting to eat dark green leafy veggies once a day, having lean red meat when I can, and so on. I'm following the doctor's orders, I am.

Slowly oh so slowly, I'm regaining my zip. I hope it returns. I used to be a blur. But some days it's hard to even drag myself out of bed. Fewer days now. I'm hoping the doctor knows how to fix me.

I still have a lot of things I want to do in my life. I don't want to spend the rest of it in bed or in a barely aware stupor. I'm getting healhier. My blood sugar is slowly responding to the exercise and diet.

I miss the days when I could just down a tall glass of caffeine enriched Dr Pepper, tho.

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