Black Magician fic: New Endings
Fic based on The Black Magician Series by Australian author Trudi Canavan
Title: Different Endings
Rating: PG-13
Note: As mentioned, I just finished this series today. Loved the series, hated the ending. Hated hated hated hated it. So.... I rewrote it :P Honestly, if I had known about That Thing Call Fan Fic the first time I read and watched Gone With The Wind, mini-Koala could have been spared much Childhood Trauma. As to this series, as far as I am concerned this is what happened. La la la la la I am not listening, la la la la la, I am not listening to anyone who says different .... . The first part of the fic is from The High Lord, it when kind of segues / morphs into koala-speak ... Hopefully it's seamless :P Unbeta'd of course.
Spoilers of course. I realise that only darksilvermoon and possibly dancinggoldfish have read these books so profuse apologies to everyone else for the clutter :) Dedicated to my favourite pingwing darksilvermoon who didn't ask for the fic, but I feel bad because I made her feel bad for not telling me about the ending ;)
Something sliced up the side of her calf. Sonea stumbled and heard Akkarin gasp. Looking down, she saw the leg of her robe flutter open to reveal a long cut. Akkarin grasped her arm.
But instead of supporting her, he let his full weight drag her to the ground. She landed on her knees, turned to look at him and her heart froze.
He crouched beside her, his face was white and twisted with pain. Bright red drew her eyes to his hand, which was wrapped around the glittering handle of a Sachakan knife.
The knife was buried deep in his chest.
"Akkarin!"
He dropped to his side, then rolled onto his back. She leaned over him, her hands fluttering over the knife as she tried to decide what to do. I must Heal him, she thought. But where do I start?
She tried to prise his fingers from around the knife's handle. He let go and grabbed her wrists.
"Not yet," he gasped.
His eyes were full of pain. She tried to pull out of his grasp, but his grip was strong.
Then laughter, cruel ahd humourless, cut through the silence.
"So that's where I left my knife," Kariko crowed. "How good of you to find it for me".
Sonea suddenly understood how it had happened. Kariko had dropped the blade into the disturbed earth. As their shield passed over it, he had sent the knife upward. A trap. A trick. Not unlike what she had done to get into the shield of the murderess.
It had worked.
"Sonea," Akkarin gasped. His eyes shifted beyond her, and she saw the University reflected in them.
From somewhere above, she heard shouts. Flashes of magic lit Akkarin's face, but she could not bring herself to look away.
"I'll Heal you," she told him, struggling to twist out of his hands.
"No," Akkarin's grip tightened. "If you do, we may lose. Fight them first. Then Heal me. I can hold on like this for now".
She went cold. "But what if - "
"We will die anyway". Akkarin's voice was firm. "I will send you my power. You must fight. Look up, Sonea".
She glanced up and felt her heart stop. Kariko stood less than ten paces away. He was staring up at the University, from which strikes were raining down. Looking up, she saw two familiar faces next to Balkan's.
"You're not even shielding, Sonea," Akkarin whispered.
She felt a chill run down her spine. If Rothen and Dorrien hadn't attacked, she and Akkarin would both be -
- Take my power. Strike while he's distracted. Don't let everything we have done and suffered for come to nothing.
She nodded. As the strikes from the University lessened, she drew in a deep breath. There was no time for fancy tactics. Something direct, then. She closed her eyes and drew on all her power and all her anger at Kariko for what he had done to Akkarin and Imardin. She felt Akkarin send his strength to join hers.
Then, opening her eyes, she focussed everything at Kariko and his allies.
The Ichani leader staggered backward. For a moment his shield held, then his mouth opened in a silent scream as heatstrike burned through his body. The next man backed away, but managed only a few steps before her magic shattered his shield and burned through him. She felt a surge of triumph. The last Ichani stood his ground. She felt her strength slipping away. He began to advance and she felt a rush of fear. A last trickle of power came to her, and she sent it forth. The Ichani's eyes widened as his shield wavered. Then, as the last of her magic flowed out, it fell. Heatstrike tore through him, and he crumpled to the ground.
All was silent. Sonea stared at the three bodies lying before the University. A wave of exhaustion washed over her. She felt no triumph. No pleasure. Just emptiness. She turned to Akkarin.
A smile curled the edge of his lips. His eyes were open but fixed somewhere beyond her. As she moved, the hands about her wrists loosened and fell away.
"No," she whispered. "Akkarin".
He had given her too much power.
He had given her everything.
With shaking hands, Sonea ran her fingers over his face, then bent forward and kissed his mouth. Her body wracked with tears, she grabbed his hands, she sent her mind inward, searching desperately for a spark of life.
There was a flicker in his eyes. "No, Sonea," he whispered. "For once - heed me. Let me go .... you're injured ... exhausted ... you cannot do this ..." he told her.
Dorrien! I need you! she howled through the air and her scream caused every single magician to sink to his or her knees in pain at her anguish. From above, Dorrien pushed passed the others to make his way down to where Sonea lay crouched beside the prone body of her lover.
Although almost completely drained of power herself, she gripped his hands and began to transfer power into him. All she needed to do was keep him alive until Dorrien could come to her ....
Akkarin realised what she was doing and tried to pull away. "No! This will kill you," he hissed, his eyes blazing but he was too weak and Sonea's grip was inexorable. She did not care, she continued to pour what remaining power she had into him.
"I will not lose you ..." she promised and the world went black ...........
"It's a miracle that she is alive," Vinara said softly. "I had no idea that you were so very skilled, Dorrien".
"Her power was almost completely gone by the time I reached her," Dorrien said soberly.
"Your father is a brave man, he himself was injured and had little power left in him".
Dorrien nodded. A group of magicians, Rothen included had stood by the side of both Sonea and Akkarin and transferred what power they could spare into the crumpled magicians who lay slumped on the ground, barely breathing.
"My father loves Sonea like a daughter ... and for Akkarin, he feels much remorse for having mistrusted him."
"We all had doubts about the High Lord - for which we all blame ourselves," Lady Vinara said softly. She was to remain the Head of Healers. After the Ichani Invasion, the Guild grounds were remarkably untouched despite the devastation in the city but Guild numbers were sadly diminished.
"How is she?" Rothen asked at that point, entering the room and looking down at the young woman who lay so still and broken on the bed.
"She has not yet awoken," Lady Vinara said softly. "And you Lord Rothen should also be resting," she told him, staring at him with faint anxiety in her eyes. "You gave away much power when you yourself were still very weak."
Rothen had been badly injured by Kariko and as he lay unconscious, his body had used his returning powers to being Healing the broken bones in his arms and shoulder. Unfortunately, although Unconscious self-Healing was a benefit of being a magician, it was not a reliable reflex and the bones had set themselves back at twisted, crooked angles. It had restricted his movement considerably and caused him much pain.
It had been Lady Vinara who had been left with the grim task of breaking his bones and resetting them again.
"I'm fine," Rothen said with a faint smile. "Glad to be alive ... " The three stared at Sonea again as if they could will her to awaken.
When her eyes finally fluttered open, Sonea was aware of feeling incredibly drained. Her body lay back against sheets. She could smell the scent of herbs, flowers and medicinal plants in the air. Outside the window a birdsong tugged at her senses and she could feel her body starting to return to life - albeit reluctantly.
She stared up into familiar blue eyes, her gaze moving over green robes that were half-covered by a heavy black cloak. Dorrien.
Her eyes moved anxiously over the three faces that looked down at her intently. The face she sought was not there and panic started to build in her. Throwing her thoughts out, she sought out Akkarin's mind with hers, using her blood gem to try to find him.
Akkarin! Where are you? Akkarin! she called. When she could not find him, her voice became a scream both mental and physical that echoed through the entire Guild as her anguish ripped through the air.
Make her stop! The voices of the other magicians snapped at Dorrien who staggered under the force of Sonea's emotion.
"Sonea! Stop!" Rothen roared at her. "Akkarin lives!"
Sonea went rigid and stared at him, her eyes wild. "Where is he? Why did he not respond?"
Rothen sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his. "Look .. you do not wear the blood gem. While you were both recovering, both of you were in a great deal of pain and your thoughts were wild and uncontrolled. We took off your rings because we were fearful that you might damage one another during your delirium ..."
"I want to see Akkarin now," she demanded in a low voice. "I dreamt that he died ..."
"He almost did," Vinara told her. "And so did you ... if it were not for the intervention of Dorrien and Rothen we would have lost you both," she said firmly.
Dorrien gently lifted Sonea into his arms, his jaw grim and his face distant. It seemed a very long time ago when the possibility had existed that Sonea might one day be his. That day was long past, as for a very long time, she had belonged to the High Lord Akkarin.
He carried her through down the hall to the High Lord's bedchamber.
Sonea slid from his Dorrien's arms, pushing past him, stumbling slightly as the room swam around her. The figure in the bed lay completely still, his hair and long lashes startlingly dark against his pale face.
"You said he lives!" Sonea said accusingly.
"He does, but he has not yet regained consciousness. His wounds were far more grievous than yours," Dorrien said, indicating the healing chest wound.
"Please leave me with him," Sonea told them and the three magicians bowed slightly and then left the room quietly.
Sonea's hands went to touch Akkarin's pale face. She traced his mouth with a fingertip. "Akkarin ... love .... it's Sonea. Don't be angry with me," she whispered with a smile as tears slid down her cheeks. "I disobeyed you ... again ....."
She lowered her head, her hair falling about her face as she kissed his cheek, kissed his brow and then kissed his firm mouth. "You said to let you go ... but I couldn't do it. Will you come back and scold me, love? It was a terrible thing for me to do, disobey you yet again .... I'll be positively uncontrollable if you are not around .."
Akkarin did not move and Sonea shook her head, smiling through her tears. "Are you ignoring me, Akkarin? The cold shoulder? That's very churlish of you ... I saved your life you know .. the least that you can do is answer me ..." She wiped her eyes with her hands and stretched out beside him, putting her arms around him.
Although she was still very weak, she transferred power to him, allowing it slip through her hands into his body, willing it to heal him.
"I suppose you think we're even because you saved me...... but I'm going to tell you something now Akkarin and it will make you very angry ...."
She hugged him tight, whispering against his ear. "Come back to me, Akkarin. Please. Please. You have to live. If you die - then I promise you that I will also cease to live. I do not want to live if you are not with me to smile at me, scold me and protect me. This is a promise that you know that I will not break," she told him fiercely and her eyes were black with resolve.
She kissed him once more and then rose to crouch beside him holding her hand to his lips. "Come back to me Akkarin ..."
She lay curled against him, tears sliding down her face.
Sonea!!!!!!!
The raw, visceral scream of Akkarin echoed throughout the Guild and the magicians were filled with equal measures of joy and exasperation. Joy that it appeared that the High Lord had recovered consciousness, but exasperation that the mental voices of Akkarin and Sonea were starting to get quite crippling in their intensity.
A glass slipped through Sonea's fingers, shattering on the ground and before either Vinara or Dorrien could stop her, she had vanished and run up to the High Lord's bedchamber, bursting through the doors unceremoniously.
Lord Balkan, Lord Osen, Director Jerek, Lord Telano and Rothen were already there before her and at her entry they turned. She ignored them, interested only in the man lying on the bed, his dark eyes open and staring at her.
"The High Lord's favourite has clearly not learned manners during her convalescence," he said quietly in his deep voice. His dark eyes were gleaming with amusement. "It never occurred to you to knock?"
Sonea's eyes were blazing with relief and emotion. To the shocked astonishment of all present, most of all Akkarin's, she did not retort in kind but sank to her knees on the hard, polished floor, bowing her head low in uncharacteristically humble obeisance.
"I beg your pardon, High Lord," she said with complete seriousness.
"Do not let her kneel before me!" Akkarin said harshly and Balkan was beside her in an instant, drawing her to her feet despite her resistance.
"Leave us," he ordered and the other magicians bowed low and respectfully before departing the bedchamber.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows and Sonea stood a short distance from the bed. Colour had returned to Akkarin's face, his dark eyes were once more filled with watchfulness and his firm mouth curved slightly as he studied her.
"As always, I find you uncontrollable," he said softly.
Sonea said nothing.
"You disobeyed my express orders during the Trial and confessed to learning Black Magic when I would have shielded you from punishment."
"Yes, High Lord," she conceded.
"You insisted on following me to exile to Sachaka although the King was prepared to pardon you ... following me to what was likely to be certain death ..."
"Yes, High Lord," she said taking a step closer to the bed. His eyes kindled in slow, burning anger.
"And I learn from Dorrien that you poured your power into me, at the possible cost of your own life even though I told you ...."
"I could not let you die, High Lord".
"It was an order."
"And I chose to disobey it."
"And if you had died?"
"I do not want to go on living without you, High Lord," she said with a sob in her voice and sank onto the bed beside him.
He pulled her tight against him and his laughter was shaken. "You are a formidable young woman ..... "
"Yes, High Lord," she said and silenced him with a kiss.
Akkarin's strength had returned completely and as he sat in conference with the other magicians, he saw their looks of respect and awe. His position as High Lord of the Guild had never been so strong. Grief went through him at the loss of Lorlen. The only comfort he had was that his old friend had finally realised at the end that Akkarin had taken the steps he had taken for a purpose. There had been an understanding.
"And as for the position of Sonea ...." Lord Garrel said insultingly.
"That is the Lady Sonea," Akkarin said quellingly and Garrel blanched.
"Quite." He cleared his throat. "The position of the Lady Sonea ....."
"Is by my side," Akkarin said flatly. "Now let us move onto other matters that are more pertinent to our defence strategy against the Ichani."
"As you wish, High Lord," Garrel said respectfully and the discussions continued late into the night.
When they were finished, Akkarin went in search of Sonea, finding her standing in the gardens almost hidden from sight. Something was clearly troubling her.
Sonea turned her head and shivered as she saw Akkarin striding towards her. He was dressed in full magician's robes. Black magician's robes. He had indeed fully recovered. Taller, more powerful and overwhelming than ever he was at his peak both in terms of physical strength and magic. A dangerous and virile man, he had always drawn the eye of everyone around him. Now it was almost as if people could not look away. The female novices and magicians in particular were completely mesmerised by him. Akkarin didn't notice, his mind was too full of thoughts of the Ichani and Sonea, but Sonea certainly noticed.
A thrill ran across Sonea's skin as she saw the look in Akkarin's dark eyes as he studied her.
"You're leering at me again, Sonea," he said.
"And you're imagining things. I'm not a blushing novice to be impressed by the High Lord," she told him as she stood by the column staring out at the garden.
"You forget that I have already bedded you," he drawled. "More than once in fact," he said, coming to stand by her side and raising an eyebrow as she blushed hotly.
He cupped her face and stared down at her. "Sonea ...." he began. "I ..."
She pulled his head down to hers so that she could kiss him. His hard mouth slanted against hers, tasting hers, his thoughts searching for hers. She smelled of fresh flowers and an elusive scent he associated with her alone. After a moment, he drew back with a faint frown on his brow.
"These past few weeks ... you have been avoiding me ...."
"You have been recovering," she told him.
"I am fully recovered ... in every sense," he said, his gaze raking over her and she flushed again. "Can it be that you no longer desire me?" he teased her. "Is it that you have already tired of me and have moved onto a new conquest? Tell me his name so that I may challenge him to a formal battle in the Arena."
"Of course not," she said, glaring at him and he laughed at her indignation.
"You shield your thoughts from me .. you do not wear your blood gem ....What are you trying to hide from me, Sonea?" he asked her, trailing a fingertip along her smooth cheek. She could see herself reflected in his dark eyes and she could see the love he felt for her without the need to read his thoughts.
She knew that he could see her love in her eyes as well and she lowered her head, unable to meet his searching gaze.
"There is something that I wish to tell you, Akkarin ..."
"You can tell me anything , love ... what is wrong?" he asked her.
"I ...uh ... we .. well ....." she mumbled and Akkarin looked at her, not sure whether to be amused or concerned.
In the end, Sonea gave up trying to speak and took Akkarin's strong slender hand in hers and placed it firmly on her swelling stomach.
Akkarin stiffened, his eyes widened and he looked as if he had been hit with a heatstrike in battle. Joy and disbelief dawned in his eyes.
"Oh ..." he said inadequately, his mouth starting to curve.
"Yes," Sonoea nodded. "I'm frightened Akkarin," she confided in him. "Neither of us planned for this .... I know the Healers will look after me, but they can't cure my fear .. and ...."
Her words were cut off as his mouth covered hers and she was crushed against his body. His kiss was fierce and he said in a low voice.
"I'm here for you, Sonea. There is no need for fear. And we will ask your Aunt Jonna to come and stay with you. Will that help?" She nodded and Akkarin found himself counting the months since their exile. Three and a half, maybe four. Her robes had hidden it well and they had not been intimate for some weeks now as they were both recovering from their grievous injuries. His hand rested on the curve of her abdomen, marvelling over the thought of new life within her. It was almost impossible to believe that their illicit joy during their exile could have resulted in a child.
"You don't mind?" she asked him, her heart in her eyes.
"Mind? Of course not!" Akkarin exclaimed. "I just don't understand ..."
Sonea blushed. "I never knew that they only teach the skill of controlling quickening to girls ...."
Akkarin stared at her. "Usually the female novices are taken aside as soon as the Healers feel that they're likely to be showing an interest in boys ...I was sure that you would have been taught ..."
Sonea looked at him wryly. "I was so unpopular that nobody thought of teaching me..... so I was assuming that you were taking care of things ...."
"And I assumed that you were taking care of things ..." Akkarin murmured with a smile.
Sonea nodded. "We were both so preoccupied with the me learning Higher Magic that along the way both of us forgot to pay attention to certain more basic aspects of my education," she told him.
His mouth twitched but he spoke gravely. "In any case, although this is long overdue. Please allow me to ask you for your hand in ..."
"That's a given," she told him, interrupting him. "Of course you're going to make an honest woman of me," she told him.
"You dare to interrupt the High Lord in his formal proposal of marriage," he said with a dark glare at her.
"As the future .... High Lady, I presume I have the right," she told him and Akkarin shook his head in disbelief, his arms tight around her.
"I quail in fear as I think of how headstrong our child will be ...his or her temper will be the scourge of many kingdoms ... "
Sonea smiled and her arms slid around her lover's neck, wondering at herself for ever having been afraid of this man.
A group of magicians walked past and stared in astonishment. "What on earth is the Guild coming to with such public displays of unseemly affection, and from the High Lord no less," one magician said shaking his head disapprovingly.
Another, much older magician turned his head and smiled whimsically. "I have great hopes for the future of the Guild," and the group walked past the oblivious couple who continued in their unseemly embrace.
The End
Cross posted here to higher_magic.