McGough, Scott - Magic, The Gathering - Artifact Cycle 04 - Bloodlines

875 Pages·2016·1.26 MB·English

by  McGough Scott

Loren L Loren L. Coleman

“Bloodlines”

(Magic: the Gathering. Artifact cycle. Book IV.)

Preface

THE LEGACY

Barrin paused in the classroom’s open doorway, his

charitable mood fading.

Barely an hour returned to the Tolarian Academy, the

master mage had decided to walk a quick tour of the main

building before retiring, a habit he formed over his many

years as the academy’s chief administrator. Tonight it
years as the academy’s chief administrator. Tonight it

possessed the added benefit of giving Rayne a chance to finish

her own unpacking. Her private apartment was not far down

Scholar’s Row from his own, and when she finished, he thought,

they might linger over a second exchange of goodnights

Seeing light spilling down the tiled hallway, Barrin

decided to offer assistance to what was certainly tutors up

late preparing the next day’s lessons. Students, of course,

obeyed a strict curfew, and the academy’s full scholars

rarely, if ever, required such late-night preparations. Rayne

was likely to be waiting for him-a slight twinge against his
conscience-but he knew that in his place she also would be

checking in to offer advice. Besides, adding his personal

touch helped to keep Barrin in contact with the daily

functions of the academy. This had been, after all, his first

real leave of absence.

The first thing Barrin noticed was that someone had

punched a new door into the classroom. The rough hole in the

previously complete wall stood open, not even framed, and at

odds with the smooth plaster and elegant woodwork finishes put

on academy facilities. A curiosity turned slightly alarming
when he recognized the room beyond contained Urza’s primary

laboratory. That alarm lasted mere seconds, as Urza himself

walked from the back room followed by the silver golem Karn.

Both of them carried books and scrolls which they added to a

growing pile surrounding the lectern. Barrin frowned over the

activity. His scowl deepened as he realized that Urza was too

distracted to have yet noticed the mage’s presence-a fact

which should have been instantly registered by the

planeswalker’s preternatural senses. A distracted Urza could

be a most dangerous thing.

The man standing in front of Barrin was known throughout
history as the defiler of Argoth and the harbinger of the Ice

Age, though Urza himself could not-or would not-admit with one

hundred percent certainty that the global catastrophe resulted

from his efforts. Barrin was inclined to give the planeswalker

the benefit of the doubt, especially since his track record

had improved since coming back to Tolaria after the last major

disaster, but benefit of the doubt was one thing, careless

blind faith was another. The master mage was feeling a bit

unnerved by the sight of the deeply focused Urza. As he

approached the lectern, Barrin recognized in the ‘walker’s
intense stare and disconnected manner that same fanatical

drive that motivated and created the last set of cataclysmic

events. He knew that Urza was again obsessing on his personal

crusade: Phyrexia.

Those creatures had once been the ancient Dominarian race

of the Thran-who at the height of their achievements had

mastered a level of artifice unknown to anyone since-save

perhaps Urza himself. Then some kind of war tore the Thran

from their advanced ways and sent them hurtling down a darker

path toward wicked corruption. They were forced to leave

Dominaria for an artificially created plane-nine spheres
nested inside one another turning blacker and more torturous

the closer they get to the center-and after a time they

emerged from their exile as the twisted, hideous abominations

that have plagued Urza for millennia. For the loss of his

brother, for the death of his one-time traveling companion

Xantcha, for replacing that which was human with corrupted

artifice the realm of Phyrexia had earned its place as Urza’s

enemy, one planeswalker against nine nested spheres of

malignant, venomous force. His vendetta had nearly cost him

his life-existence rather-several times over. So far, others
had paid that price for him.

Though obsession was doubly dangerous in a being so

powerful, Barrin could understand Urza’s pain and nearly

forgive the planeswalker his costly mistakes. Barrin believed

in Urza’s war on Phyrexia, believed that they would return to

Dominaria (had seen them with his own eyes), and that without

Urza and the efforts of the Tolarian Academy there would be

little in the way of stopping them. For that reason Barrin had
helped create the

Weatherlight, the skyship that would presumably be the

ultimate weapon against the day of invasion. Barrin always

doubted the veracity of such an assertion, but Urza had stood

adamant-convinced.

If this weapon was capable of defending Dominaria from

invasion, why was Urza again demonstrating the distracted

intensity which Barrin had learned to recognize and fear?

Karn noticed the mage’s approach first, his deep-set eyes

widening with recognition. The silver golem certainly would

have spoken a greeting if Barrin had not been prepared and
have spoken a greeting if Barrin had not been prepared and

spoke first. Seldom it was that Barrin could take Urza by

surprise, and usually he learned something from it-never too

old to be a student.

“I had not heard of your return, Urza. Welcome back.”

Urza had disappeared six months ago, after helping to

settle the refugees from Serra’s Realm across Dominaria and

returning only once with a handful of new students and three

new scholars, including Rayne.

Urza did not bother to turn around. He simply reformed the

patterns of energy which made up his body so that suddenly he