A Darker Shade of Magic
Chapter 18: Black Stone IV
by Schwab, V. E.Kell, pursued by unknown assailants, flees through alleys until he reaches the Ruby Fields, a safe haven marked by hidden charms. Inside his concealed room, he examines a stolen black stone that resonates with his magic, its surface bearing a glowing rune. The stone’s power unsettles him, evoking tales of Black London, a lost city where magic was once a universal language. The rune, “Vitari,” symbolizes magic itself, a relic thought eradicated during the purge of Black London’s influence, making its existence both thrilling and alarming.
The stone’s origins hint at a deliberate setup, as Kell discovers a tracing spell on the fabric it was wrapped in. Before he can unravel the mystery, intruders breach his warded room, forcing him to escape through the window. A hooded pursuer wields a royal guard’s enchanted sword, its magic-dampening properties posing a grave threat. Kell recognizes the weapon’s significance, realizing its presence implies either a fallen guard or a betrayal within the royal ranks.
A fight ensues, revealing the attacker’s unnatural composure and resistance to pain, suggesting forbidden magic at play. Kell, wounded and outmatched, struggles to defend himself as the assailant demands the stone. The stone’s hum in his pocket reinforces its connection to him, making surrender unthinkable. The confrontation escalates when a second attacker appears, but Kell uses his magic to block one while fending off the other, though his powers falter under the sword’s enchantment.
The chapter climaxes with Kell cornered, his dagger ineffective against the relentless cutthroat. The stone’s significance deepens as the attacker demands it specifically, hinting at a larger conspiracy tied to Black London’s forbidden legacy. Kell’s refusal to yield underscores the stone’s importance, leaving the conflict unresolved but setting the stage for a deeper exploration of magic’s hidden history and the forces manipulating Kell’s fate.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of the black stone Kell finds, and why does it unsettle him?
Answer:
The black stone is significant because it bears the Antari rune “Vitari,” the true word for magic, which Kell recognizes from his studies. This unsettles him because the language of magic (Antari) was supposedly eradicated after the fall of Black London to prevent the spread of its corrupting power. The stone’s existence contradicts historical accounts of the purge, suggesting forbidden knowledge or relics survived. Additionally, the stone resonates with Kell’s innate magic, amplifying his power, which both tempts and frightens him. Its discovery implies someone deliberately planted it for him to find, tying into a larger, dangerous scheme.2. How does the chapter illustrate the tension between Kell’s curiosity and self-preservation?
Answer:
Kell’s curiosity drives him to investigate the mysterious stone despite sensing danger, as he feels compelled to understand its origins and the rune it bears. However, his self-preservation instincts clash with this urge—he hesitates to handle the stone, fearing its power, and immediately flees when attackers pursue him. This tension peaks when he pockets the stone instead of discarding it, prioritizing knowledge over safety. The chapter highlights his internal conflict as an Antari: his role as a magic-wielder demands he seek answers, but his survival depends on caution, especially when facing enchanted weapons and traitors.3. Analyze the implications of the royal guard’s sword being wielded by a cutthroat. What does this reveal about the world’s political or magical state?
Answer:
The cutthroat’s possession of a royal guard’s enchanted sword suggests corruption or infiltration within the monarchy’s ranks. These swords are tightly controlled and only carried by guards, implying the wielder either murdered a guard or was given the weapon by someone in power. The sword’s enchantments—designed to suppress magic—being used against Kell, a royal ally, hint at a conspiracy targeting Antari or the crown. This breach of trust underscores a fragile political landscape where power is being weaponized covertly, possibly to destabilize the kingdom or seize forbidden magic like the black stone.4. Why is the tracing spell on the fabric significant, and how does it connect to broader themes in the chapter?
Answer:
The tracing spell confirms Kell was deliberately lured into retrieving the stone, reinforcing themes of manipulation and hidden agendas. The spell allowed his pursuers to bypass his protective charms, showing advanced magical knowledge that rivals his own. This ties into the chapter’s exploration of erasure and preservation of magic—while Antari was supposedly purged, the tracing spell and stone prove fragments of its power persist in dangerous hands. The betrayal also mirrors the historical destruction of Black London, suggesting cycles of power being sought, suppressed, and weaponized.5. Evaluate Kell’s reaction to the Antari rune. How does his emotional response reflect his relationship with magic?
Answer:
Kell’s visceral reaction—shivering at the sight of the rune—reveals his awe and fear of true Antari magic. He views it as both sacred and dangerous, a remnant of a lost history he feels connected to but wary of. His tutor’s lessons framed Antari as a fragmented, phonetic tradition, so encountering the rune in its pure form overwhelms him with the weight of his lineage. This moment underscores his isolation as one of the few who can wield such power, and his dread that others might exploit it, as seen with the cutthroats’ pursuit.
Quotes
1. “It was small enough to nest in a closed fist, and as black as Kell’s right eye, and it sang in his hand, a low, deep vibration that called on his own power like a tuning fork. Like to like. Resonating. Amplifying.”
This quote introduces the mysterious black stone, a pivotal artifact in the chapter. It vividly describes the stone’s supernatural connection to Kell’s magic, hinting at its significance and foreshadowing its role in the unfolding conflict.
2. “Black London. The language of magic had belonged to them. But after the city fell, every relic had been destroyed, every remnant in every world forcibly erased as part of a cleansing, a purge—a way to ward against the plague of power that had devoured it.”
This passage provides crucial world-building context about the lost civilization of Black London and the dangerous history of magical relics. It explains why the stone is both significant and forbidden, setting up the central conflict of the chapter.
3. “If magic had a name, it would be this… Vitari.”
This powerful statement from Kell’s tutor Tieren defines the essence of magic in their world. The revelation that the stone bears this sacred rune underscores its immense importance and connects to the chapter’s themes of hidden knowledge and magical heritage.
4. “The swords of the royal guards weren’t just beautiful or sharp; they were enchanted. Kell himself had helped create the spellwork that ran through the metal, spellwork that dampened a magician’s power with only one cut.”
This quote reveals critical information about the royal guards’ weapons and Kell’s involvement in their creation. It heightens the tension of the fight scene while demonstrating the irony of Kell being threatened by a weapon he helped design.
5. “Someone had set him up. Someone wanted him to bring a forbidden relic out of White London and into his city.”
This realization marks a key turning point in the chapter where Kell understands he’s been manipulated. It encapsulates the central mystery driving the plot forward and raises important questions about who is pulling the strings behind the scenes.