Wizard's First Rule

Bathed in the golden light, Darken Rahl slowly rose a few feet off the ground, above the white sorcerer's sand, a satisfied grin on his face, his blue eyes sparkling. His head rolled back in rapture, his eyes closing, his blond hair hanging away. Sparkles of light rotated about him.

The white sand turned a golden color, continued turning darker, to a burnt brown. The light around Rahl darkened to amber. His head came down, his eyes coming open, his smile fading.

The sorcerer's sand crisped to black. The ground trembled.

A smile spread on Richard's face. He went and retrieved the Sword of Truth, the anger of the sword's magic flooding into his gray eyes. Zedd came to his feet. The light around Darken Rahl turned an ugly brown. His blue eyes went wide.

A wailing roar came from the ground. The black sand under Rahl's feet split open. Violet light shot up, engulfing him. He twisted in it, screaming out.

Richard, his chest heaving, stood transfixed, watching.

The invisible prison around Zedd shattered. Chase's hand abruptly completed its journey to his sword, yanking it free as he flew toward Kahlan. The two guards released her arms and met him halfway.

Michale's face paled. He stared in shock as Chase cut down one of the men. Kahlan drove her elbow into Michael's gut and grabbed the knife, twisting it from his hand. Disarmed, Michael scanned about with quick jerks of his head, his eyes wild, and raced off down a path between the trees.

Chase and the second guard tumbled to the ground, both grunting with lethal intent as they rolled over each other trying to gain advantage. The guard cried out. Chase came to his feet. The other didn't. He gave a glance at Darken Rahl, and ran off down the path Michael had taken. Zedd saw a glimpse of Kahlan's dress as she disappeared in another direction.

Zedd stood as Richard did, spellbound, their stares riveted to Darken Rahl as he struggled, trapped in the grip of the magic of Orden. Violet light and dark shadows held him tight in the air above the black hole.

"Richard!" Rahl shrieked. "What have you done!"

The Seeker stepped closer to the circle of black sand. "Why, only what you wanted, Master Rahl," he said innocently. "I have told you what you wanted to hear."

"But it was the truth! You told the words true!"

Richard nodded. "Yes, I did. I just didn't tell you all of them. I left out most of. the paragraph at the end. Be cautioned. The effect of the boxes is fluid. It shifts with the intent. To be Master of all, so you may help others, shift one box to the right. To be Master of all; so all will do your bidding, shift one box to the left. Rule as you have chosen. Your information was correct; the box with two shadows was the one that would kill you."

"But you had to do as I said! You were touched by a Confessor's power!"

Richard Smiled. "Was I? Wizard's First Rule. It's the first rule because it's the most important. You should have guarded better against it. That's the price of arrogance. I accept my vulnerability, you don't.

"I didn't like the choices you gave me. I couldn't win by your rules, so I made some new ones. The book said you had to confirm the truth with the use of a Confessor. You only thought you had done that. Wizard's First Rule. You believed because you wanted to. I have beaten you."

"It can't be! It's not possible! How could you have known how to do this!"

"You taught me: nothing, including magic, is one-dimensional. Look at the whole, you said; nothing that exists has only one side. Look. at the whole." Richard shook his head slowly. "You should never have taught me something you didn't want me to know. Once you teach me something, it's mine to use. Thank you, Father Rahl, for teaching me the most important thing I will ever learn-how to love Kahlan."

Darken Rahl's face distorted in pain. He laughed and screamed.

Richard looked around. "Where's Kahlan?"

Zedd pointed a long finger. "I saw her leave that way." Richard slid the sword back into its scabbard as he turned his eyes to the figure held in the shadows and light. "Good-bye, Father Rahl. I trust you will die without my watching it."

"Richard!" Rahl shrieked as he watched the Seeker stride away. "Richard!"

'Zedd stood alone with Darken Rahl. He watched as transparent fingers of smoke entwined around the white robes, pinning Rahl's arms to his sides. Zedd stepped closer, the blue eyes coming to the old wizard.

"Zeddicus Zu'1 Zorander, you have won this much of it, but maybe not all of it."

"Arrogant to the end?"

Rahl smiled. "Tell me who he is."

Zedd shrugged. "The Seeker."

Rahl laughed, struggling in pain. The blue-eyed gaze, came back to Zedd. "He is your son, isn't he? I have at least been defeated by wizard blood. You are his father."

Zedd shook his head slowly, a wistful smile coming to his lips. "He is my grandson."

"You lie! Why put a web around him, hide his father's identity, if it is not you!"