"Mickey Zucker Reichert - Renshai 01 - The Last Of The Renshai" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reichert Mickey Zucker)

Shadimar recalled his own success with the Tasks of Wizardry, remembered feeling triumphant,
confident, and revitalized at the conclusion, despite the difficulty of the challenge. Scanning the memories
of his predecessors, Shadimar found the same remembrance of their own trials. Concerned by Haim's
weakness, Shadimar frowned, glancing at his colleagues questioningly.



Tokar and Trilless had raised icy lack of expression to an art form. Reading nothing on their faces,
Shadimar turned his attention to the least patient Wizard. He glanced at Carcophan just in time to see the
keeper of evil draw a dagger from the folds of his cloak. Carcophan lunged at the returning apprentice.



Haim recoiled with a gasp. Slowed by fatigue, he did not move quickly enough. Carcophan's knife
jabbed through his robes at the level of his heart.



Instinctively, Haim clasped his chest, staring at the Southern Wizard in wide-eyed horror. He fell to one
knee.



But the knife emerged bloodless, as Shadimar knew it must. There could be no wound. Those who
survived the Seven Tasks could not be harmed by any object of Odin's world. Like the Cardinal
Wizards, nothing short of the conjured magical creatures called demons or the Swords of Power could
harm Haim; though, until Tokar's passing, Haim could still fall prey to mortal illnesses and old age.



Carcophan returned his knife to its hiding place. Turning on his heel, he calmly returned to his seat at the
farthest end of the table from Trilless, chuckling beneath his breath along the way.



Haim rose with a slow shakiness that caused Shadimar to worry that the youth had survived the attack,
only to die of fear. Trilless scowled, but she did not come to the aid of Tokar's apprentice. Any lessons
or comforting must come from the Western Wizard.



The room lapsed into uncomfortable silence. Concerned by the weakness and insecurity of the one who
would become trained to the position of Western Wizard, Shadimar discarded propriety and extended
his mind to touch Tokar's. He hoped to catch a thread of the reason why Tokar had chosen Haim as his
successor.
But Shadimar's projection entered only the most superficial corner of Tokar's mind, neatly enclosed by
mental defenses he could never hope to defeat, even if he had wanted to enrage his stronger ally.