Wizards First Rule   ::   Goodkind Terry

Bathed in the golden light, Darken Rahl slowly rose a few feet off the ground, above thewhite 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.