After a time, Taryl motioned for him to step back.
Rahl did, following the mage-guard away from the lower levels of the furnace and then out through the narrow doorway. As he stepped out into the afternoon drizzle, mist and fog surrounded him.
“Your shields still absorb the heat-chaos,” Taryl pointed out. “Let them go slowly.”
The warm drizzle felt cool compared to the residual heat that had been held within his shields, and Rahl just let the pinpoints of rain bathe him for several moments.
“Each of those droplets of molten iron has as much force as a chaos-bolt,” Taryl said. “More than the chaos thrown by most renegade or foreign mages.”
“I didn’t expect that,” Rahl admitted.
“You weren’t supposed to.” Taryl offered a faint smile. “Now…tell me what you feel the difference is between the chaos in the furnace and the chaos when a mage throws a chaos-bolt.”
Rahl considered before speaking. “The chaos in the furnace is…more chaotic. There’s no sense of order about it at all. It’s almost all power. But when a chaos-mage throws a bolt, it’s different.”
“How so?”
“It’s like it has some chaotic order…but the order’s not quite right.”
Taryl nodded. “The chaos of the molten iron is what one might call honest chaos. A chaos-bolt contains a corruption of both chaos and order. That’s one reason why it’s so corrosive. It’s also why an ordermage of equivalent strength can never be defeated by the power of a chaos-mage alone.”
Rahl noted the careful phrasing Taryl used, but did not comment.
Taryl looked northward, where darker clouds were massing. “We need to get moving, unless you want to get soaked-or exhausted trying to hold an order shield against a downpour.” He walked toward the waiting wagon.
With a smile, Rahl joined him.
LXXXIV
All mage-guard actions must be in accord with the Codex of Hamor and taken on behalf of the Emperor’s best interests. Verbal or written ridicule or criticism of either a mage-guard or an administrator, or even of the Emperor, is not a violation of the Codex. Nor shall any book, pamphlet, or leaflet containing criticism be considered a violation of the Codex. Riot, civil disobedience, or physical violence in any form against the Emperor, his officers, any designated subordinate, or a mage-guard is a violation and should be halted instantly, by whatever means necessary. Likewise, incitement to civil disobedience, or physical violence in any form against the Emperor, his officers, any designated subordinate, or a mage-guard is a violation of the Codex and shall be punished as indicated…
In instances where compliance or violation of the Codex cannot be determined unequivocally, the possible malefactor shall be immediately taken into custody, and a superior mage-guard will review the situation and determine the outcome. In all cases, the outcome will be announced publicly. If a person is taken into custody in error, that person shall be released and given a writ that notes the custody was in error, and a public notice will be made. Likewise, if the person is guilty, the sentence will be pronounced and carried out publicly. No punishments or sentences will be administered privately or in secret, and the life of any mage-guard who does so will be forfeit, as will be the life of any superior who knowingly allows such to occur.
In instances of self-defense without witnesses, a full mage-guard inquiry will be undertaken. The results of the inquiry will be presented to the alleged attacker, or the attacker’s next of kin, and a summary of the evidence and the findings of the inquiry shall be made public…
Manual of the Mage-Guards
Cigoerne, Hamor
1551 A.F.
LXXXV
Rahl spent the next eightday having his shields tested in various places, from the mills to the coking furnaces, and while having to spar with Taryl at the same time. By the following threeday, he had the sense that he’d actually recovered his ability with the shields, and he had far more understanding and control than he’d had in Nylan. After all that effort, he’d been happy just to copy reports on twoday.
He’d finished two more reports on threeday morning and was picking up the third when Taryl stepped into the copying room.
Taryl surveyed the three mage-clerks, then nodded at Rhiobyn. “If you’d accompany me, mage-clerk.”
“Yes, ser.” Rhiobyn rose with a bound, sounding far more cheerful than he had moments before.
Rahl paused in his copying, but waited until Taryl and Rhiobyn were well away from the copying room before he spoke. “What was that all about?”
“It’s time for seasonal evaluations,” Talanyr said slowly. “That’s the only time Taryl ever calls anyone ‘mage-clerk.’ Jyrolt must be here.”
“Rhiobyn seemed happy.”
“That’s because he’s got an exaggerated view of his own skills.”
“I wouldn’t know,” replied Rahl. “I’ve never seen him do anything.”
For a moment, Talanyr looked surprised. “I hadn’t realized it…I mean, I knew it, but it hadn’t really struck me. You’ve never sparred against either of us. What mage-guards has Taryl had you work against?”
“Mostly Taryl and Khaill,” Rahl admitted. “One or two others, sometimes.”
“You never did say how you got those bruises, not in any detail.”
“I was having trouble order-sensing things. So I had to go against Taryl with padded staffs in pitch-darkness until I could do it.”
Talanyr’s mouth opened. Then he shook his head. “You’ll pass any arms evaluation.”
“I thought…everyone…”
“No…you have to pass that level to get assigned to the city stations, but some mage-guards can never do that. That’s why Rhiobyn won’t make it. He gets confused in total darkness. He usually gets around it by using chaos to create light.”
“Isn’t that allowed?”
“Oh…it’s allowed, but it takes more strength, and it makes you more vulnerable.”
“As does talking when you should be copying,” observed Thelsyn from the doorway. “Since it is possible that one or more of you might actually pass the evaluation, for the sake of either those who do not or the new mage-clerks who will be arriving in the next day or so, I would appreciate your making sure that there are no reports left uncopied.”
“Yes, ser.”
Rahl went back to work on the report before him, and Talanyr did the same.
Before all that long, Taryl returned and summoned Talanyr, leaving Rahl alone in the copying room. He forced himself to continue copying. He wasn’t even certain if Taryl would have him examined. If not, would he spend more time as a clerk, or would he be sent some place like Highpoint?
He finished another report before Taryl returned and stepped into the copying room with Rhiobyn.
Rhiobyn looked shaken, but said nothing.
“Mage-clerk Rahl, if you would accompany me?” asked Taryl politely.
“Yes, ser.” At least, he would be examined and evaluated, but what if he failed? He really had no idea what level of skill was expected, since he’d never seen what the other two could do-except for Talanyr’s expertise with the truncheon in Guasyra-and the normally cocky Rhiobyn looked like he’d been coldcocked with a staff, if not worse.
Taryl walked quickly, leading Rahl toward the weapons-training area and in through the open door.
The only other figure in the chamber was a stocky and muscular man, slightly shorter than Rahl with broader shoulders and short brown hair. Like all mage-guards, he wore the khakis and black-leather boots and belt, with the sunburst insignia on his shirt collar. His eyes were a brownish green, and an aura of controlled chaos enshrouded him.
“Evaluator Jyrolt, this is mage-clerk Rahl,” said Taryl evenly.