The first confessor

THE FIRST CONFESSOR The Legend of Magda Searus Terry Goodkind Books by Terry Goodkind THE LEGEND OF MAGDA SEARUS The First Confessor RICHARD AND KAHLAN The Omen Machine THE SWORD OF TRUTH Wizard’s First Rule Stone of Tears Blood of the Fold Temple of the Winds Soul of the Fire Faith of the Fallen The Pillars of Creation Naked Empire Chainfire Phantom Confessor CONTEMPORARY FICTION The Law of Nines We Appreciate Your Support This novel is an Author self-published release It is supported directly by you, the reader Your purchase is vital to the success of this novel and our ability to continue offering these stories Thank you for purchasing The First Confessor CONTENT PIRACY Are you considering (or have you already) downloaded one of our books and did not pay for it? Tell us why and let us know what we could differently instead Honest question We have our eyes and ears open Stealing/pirating this content is not strictly a moral issue Our extended concern is with quality control, provisioning updates and supplemental content, providing fixes, book enhancements, and sub-versioning control, consideration of the work we have produced, supporting our self-release endeavor, compensating the people that have worked to support us, and enabling us to continue providing stories You are vital to this chain and we appreciate your concern This is a work of fiction All the characters portrayed in this book are either fictitious or are used fictitiously THE FIRST CONFESSOR: THE LEGEND OF MAGDA SEARUS Copyright © 2012 by Terry Goodkind ISBN-10: 0615651011, ISBN-13: 978-0-615-65101-9 All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form First Edition: July 2012 terrygoodkind.com facebook.com/terrygoodkind terrygoodkindstore.com vimeo.com/terrygoodkind If you have a question, comment, or correction, please email: officialterrygoodkind@gmail.com Dedication To one of my best friends, Rob Anderson, whose support and encouragement have been invaluable in making this book possible Besides being one of the smartest people I’ve ever known, he is also a man of tremendous integrity, scrupulous honesty, and boundless enthusiasm His considerable talents have brought stunning visual imagery to my words and a beautiful social environment for friends of my books and visitors alike His deep appreciation for both my work and my readers keeps him working tirelessly behind the scenes to create cool things that bring people closer to me and the books than was ever possible before We are all indebted to him This one’s for you, Rob Chapter “I have heard it told,” the old woman confided, “that there be those walking among us who can more than merely speak with the dead.” Coming out of her distracted thoughts, Magda Searus frowned up at the woman leaning in close over her shoulder The woman’s intent expression drew heavy creases across her broad, flat brow “What are you talking about, Tilly?” The woman’s faded blue eyes turned to check the shadowed corners of the gloomy room “Down in the lower reaches of the Keep, where those with exceptional talents go about their dark work, it is said that there be gifted among them who can speak with souls beyond the veil of life, those souls now in the world of the dead.” Magda placed her trembling fingers on the creases in her own brow “Tilly, you should know better than to believe such gossip.” Tilly’s gaze again lifted to search the somber room lit only by thin streamers of light coming in the slits between the ill-fitting, warped shutters The narrow slices of light revealed specks of dust floating almost motionless above the heavy wooden worktable set hard up against the stone wall The table bore the age-softened evidence of dark stains, cuts, and scars collected over centuries of varied use The edges of the thick top had been irregularly rounded over and worn smooth by the touch of countless hands that had over the passage of time given the wood a polished, chestnut-colored patina Sitting at the table, facing the shuttered windows, Magda stared down into memories held in a small silver box sitting alone before her as she thought of all that was lost to her Everything was lost to her “Not mere gossip,” Tilly said softly, compassionately “A friend I trust works in the nether reaches of the Keep She knows things, sees things She says that some of those whose work it is to know about the world of the dead have not merely spoken to those passed on, but have done more.” “More?” Magda couldn’t bring herself to look up from the memories in the box “What are you saying?” “My friend says that the gifted down there may even have ways to bring people back from the world of the dead What I’m saying is that maybe you could have him brought back.” Elbows on the table, Magda pressed her fingertips to her temples as she struggled to keep the tears from springing anew She stared down at a dried flower he had once given her, a rare white flower he had climbed all day to retrieve He had called her his young, fierce flower and said that only such a rare and beautiful thing befit her So why would he choose to abandon her in this way? “Brought back? From the dead?” Magda slowly shook her head as she sighed “Dear spirits, Tilly, what has gotten into you?” The woman set down her wooden pail and let the washrag she was holding slip into the soapy water She leaned down a bit more, as if to make sure that no one could hear, even though there was no one else in the cluttered, rarely used storage room “You have been kind to me, Mistress,” Tilly said as she laid a gentle, wash-wrinkled hand on Magda’s shoulder “More kind than most folk, even when you had no need to be Most ignore me as I go about my work Even though I’ve worked here most of my life, many don’t even know my name Only you have ever asked after me, or offered me a smile, or a bite to eat on occasion when I was looking haggard You, of all people.” Magda patted the warm, comforting hand on her shoulder “You’re a good woman, Tilly Most people don’t see the simple truth in front of them I have offered you nothing more than common decency.” Tilly nodded “Common decency is what most of your standing would offer only a woman born noble.” Magda smiled distantly “We are all noble, Tilly Every life is ” Magda had to swallow, fearing that another word would put her over the edge “Precious,” Tilly finished for her Magda managed a smile for the woman “Precious,” she agreed at last “Maybe I see things differently because I wasn’t born noble.” She cleared her throat “But when a life is over, it is over That is the way of life We all are born, we live, we die There is no coming back from beyond the veil.” Magda considered her own words and realized that they weren’t entirely accurate It occurred to her for the first time that it might have been that he had brought death back with him, that even though he had succeeded in returning from his perilous journey to the world of the dead, perhaps he had never really escaped its grasp Perhaps he couldn’t Tilly fussed with the end of her apron strings as she mulled something over for a moment “I don’t wish to upset you, Mistress,” she said at last “It is only because you have been kind to me and always treated me with respect, that I would tell you that which I would dare not speak of to another But only if you wish to hear it If you don’t, you have but to say the word and I will never again speak of the matter.” Magda let out a deep breath “Tell me then.” Tilly ran the side of a finger along her lower lip as she took a final glance around the somber room before speaking “Down in the burial vaults, Mistress, down in the tunnels running far underground near where some of the departed are placed and most visitors aren’t allowed, my friend says that the wizards working for the war effort have found a way to bring the dead back to life Though I admit that I have not seen such things with my own eyes, she swears on her soul that it be true “If it be true, then perhaps perhaps there be a way to have Master Baraccus brought back.” Tilly arched an eyebrow “You are one with the standing to ask for such indulgences.” “Do you forget so soon exactly who my husband was, Tilly? Take it from me, wizards are masters of deception They can conjure all sorts of illusions and make them seem real.” “No, Mistress, I have not forgotten who your husband was He was loved by many people, me included.” Tilly picked up her bucket She paused to consider Magda’s words “It must be as you say You would know of such illusions far better than I.” She dipped her head respectfully “I must be on to my work, Mistress.” Magda watched the old woman make her way toward the door She moved with an ever so slight, rocking, hitched stride, the result of a fall the past winter Apparently, the broken hip had never healed properly Tilly turned back before reaching the door “I didn’t mean to upset you, Mistress, with talk of returning a loved one from the dead I know how you are suffering I only thought to help.” The woman probably couldn’t begin to imagine that Magda’s husband, a man of great power and ability, had already returned once from the world of the dead After others had been lost in the attempt to answer the warning of each night’s red moon, a desperate call for help from the Temple of the Winds beyond the veil, her husband had undertaken the unprecedented journey himself He had traveled to the world of the dead, and returned Magda knew that, this time, he would not be returning With nothing left for her in the world of life, Magda wanted only to join him She managed another small smile for the woman “I know, Tilly It’s all right Thank you for thinking to help.” Tilly pursed her lips, then thought to add something “Mistress, perhaps you could at least visit a spiritist Such a woman might be able to contact your husband for you There be a woman of such ability down there I believe those wizards consult her in their work.” “And what good could it really to visit such a woman?” “Perhaps you could at least speak with her and ask her to help provide the answers that would let you be at peace with what First Wizard Baraccus did She may be able to bring you his words from beyond the veil, and put your heart at peace.” Magda didn’t see how her heart could ever again be at peace “You may need help, Mistress,” Tilly added “Maybe First Wizard Baraccus could still somehow help to protect you.” Magda frowned at the woman across the small room “Help to protect me? What you mean?” Tilly took a moment in answering “People are cruel, Mistress Especially to one not born noble As the beautiful wife of the First Wizard, you are widely respected, despite being so much younger than him.” Tilly touched her own short hair, then gestured at Magda “Your long hair is a mark of your standing You have used your position of power to speak before the council for those in the Midlands who have no voice You alone give them voice You are widely known and respected for that, not just because you were the wife of the First Wizard “But with Master Baraccus gone you have no one to protect you, to give you standing before the council or anywhere else for that matter You may find that the world is an unfriendly place to a widow of a powerful man who herself is not gifted and was not born noble.” Magda had already considered all of that, but it was not going to be a problem she would live to face Magda nodded “Yes, you asked me to take the book, through the sliph, to your secret, private library When I was gone, you killed yourself How could I forget such a thing?” “That journey you undertook was a portion of the part I was able to play in setting the future on a course that gives the world of life a chance in that future that you have now made possible because you took your path Had you not undertaken that task for me, the world would have been doomed Now, if the right choices are made by the right people for the right reasons at the right time, then mankind still has a chance to escape the fate that Sulachan and Lothain tried to impose “But until those others can be born, I had to let you save what we have I could see that the only part I could play if I lived would be to keep you from blossoming I saw that I had to die in order for you to undertake the journey you took to search for answers, fight the dream walkers, take up the oath, seek me in the underworld through a spiritist so that you could discover that the dead down in the catacombs were serving evil, then choose to find Merritt, help him find what he needed to create the key, and in the end come to understand why you would choose on your own to be altered to become a Confessor who was able to unmask the corruption in a way that all could see it “Had I lived, none of that would have happened I had to let you take the path that would save the world for now That allows you and others to live to fight another day “My death gave you the drive to find out why I sacrificed my life, which in turn opened your own truth In that search for truth, you would expose what I could not, in a way I could not, to accomplish what I could not “You think of me as a great man, Magda In your eyes I may be, but I was just a man I had faults, I had weaknesses, I had limits I couldn’t everything But I like to think I had a noble mind, and with that reasoning mind what I saw when I was at the Temple was that what needed to be done, I could not “But I also saw that you could “Merritt is similar to you in that he has a unique chance There is no one else who has the knowledge, creativity, and skills that he has No other ever envisioned what he first envisioned No other ever would have Only Merritt could have envisioned and created the Sword of Truth, and only Merritt could have envisioned and created a Confessor “The world needed you to be there to be that Confessor at that moment, and in moments to come “I know, Magda, your heart, and your loyalty to your love for me But don’t let that be the end of your ability to love That love wouldn’t harm me, or diminish me, or change what we had It can only add to you and who you are You need to embrace the reality of what is, not what was “What you and Merritt have is different from what you and I had It can be more “You share more with Merritt than I could ever share with you You share an understanding, a partnership of souls, in a way that you and I never could You share the Sword of Truth with him, and you share the new beginning of becoming a Confessor with him You have been reborn into that new life Merritt made that possible “You did not see what I saw when Merritt pushed that sword through your heart He did that not because he wanted to make you a Confessor, but because you wanted it It was the choice you made It was killing him inside, but he did it anyway “It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, and though it was killing him, though it was breaking his own heart, he did it because you wanted it He wanted to give you what you wanted, no matter how much it hurt him.” Magda swallowed back her sobs She tried to bring her voice forth, but she couldn’t form words “Don’t let what we had limit the even greater experience you can have with Merritt Don’t let a misguided loyalty to me limit your heart and what you can have in greater abundance for yourself “To love another, you must first love yourself Love yourself, Magda, so that you can love him Love yourself enough to let your memories of me ease away from closing your heart “Love yourself enough to know that you deserve happiness “Know that I have nothing but love for Merritt, as I have for you You have walked the path that has taken you to the possibility of something wonderful Don’t lose sight of that path because you are looking back at a memory of me “I am no more Let me go, Magda I am at peace now, let me go deeper beyond the veil.” Tears ran down Magda’s face as she sobbed “Thank you, Baraccus You’ve given me so much Thank you for my life I won’t waste it, I swear.” “I know you won’t, Magda I know you won’t.” Chapter 103 Magda stood in the center of the dais, before the half circle of the council’s desk, before the council, in her white Confessor’s dress There were only three councilmen there, Sadler, Clay, and Hambrook, but they would soon add to those numbers so that they could their work The center chair sat empty That center chair was hers, now She presided over the council, now She balanced the council, now, with a Confessor’s voice Behind her, in the great council chambers, there were a limited number of people It was not a council session opened to the general public It was invited guests only General Grundwall was there, much chagrined that he had ever expressed faith in Lothain to her just because he thought that Magda had agreed to marry him He had apologized countless times Magda had to finally order him to never apologize to her about that again Tilly was there as well, healed, in good health, and in good cheer She beamed with pride at seeing Magda in her white Confessor’s dress, at seeing Magda having the important place at the Keep that Tilly always thought she should have Quinn, likewise all smiles, was there as well, as was Naja Magda missed Baraccus and Isidore and all those like them who were no longer with them and were now with the good spirits, but she was thankful for the friends they did have with them Merritt stood beside her, looking as handsome as she had ever seen him look The Sword of Truth, in its ornately worked gold and silver scabbard, gleamed against his dark outfit Since she was to his left, she could see the word Truth standing out in gold letters on the hilt Councilman Sadler beamed with pride as he addressed them “Magda, Merritt, we at the Keep all owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude.” Magda’s hand found Merritt’s “Now,” he said, “we must call upon you both to help the people not only of the Keep, but of the Midlands, D’Hara, and in fact all of the New World to stand against the threats we face “Merritt, we have taken your admonition under consideration and we agree that we should abide by your recommendation, and Magda’s, that a Confessor’s power is better suited to women than men We agree that the Confessor’s power should rightly only be invested in women “We need the ability of a Confessor to help us discover truth as we go forward in this struggle for our survival We therefore ask that you create a new force in the world, the Confessors, a band of sisters who can stand for truth.” Merritt bowed his head as he squeezed Magda’s hand “I can that.” “And Magda, we ask that you be their leader, the Mother Confessor, and help make them as effective, as dedicated, as noble in fighting for truth as you have shown yourself to be.” Magda bowed her head as she squeezed Merritt’s hand “I can that.” “And Merritt,” Councilman Sadler said, “we have come to understand, as you have explained it, the particular vulnerabilities of a Confessor Especially in the time following the use of her power, when she is weakened and less able to protect herself Even more critically, because of the nature of the power that she possesses, she is going to be a prime target for a great many dangerous people “We therefore ask that you be permanently assigned to be protector to Magda, the Mother Confessor Once the band of sister Confessors is created, they too will each need a wizard to be their protector and to help them in their duties “But for now, there are only you two, the Mother Confessor, and her wizard That is, if you both agree, of course.” He looked to each of them in turn “Do you both agree to this?” Magda smiled as she and Merritt shared a look Looking into her eyes, Merritt said, “Wizard Merritt agrees and promises to always protect Magda, the Mother Confessor.” Looking into Merritt’s eyes, Magda said, “And Magda, the Mother Confessor, will always stand by her wizard, Merritt.” The people in the room erupted in cheering As the people were celebrating the news, Merritt leaned close “You look positively stunning, Mother Confessor.” Magda’s cheeks hurt from smiling “Oh, I forgot to tell you about your hair,” he said in a private tone She smoothed her hair back, then pulled out the white confession flower she had placed there, the flower Baraccus had once given her that she had kept in her silver box of memories She twirled the little flower in her fingers, thinking about the path she had taken “What about my hair?” “You can’t cut it.” Magda twitched a frown up at him “I can if I want.” “No, actually, you can’t.” “What are you talking about?” He leaned a little closer, looking a bit guilty “The power won’t let a Confessor cut her hair.” Magda was truly puzzled “Won’t let me? What in the world are you talking about?” “The length of a woman’s hair denotes status in the Midlands You are the Mother Confessor There is no woman of higher status than the Mother Confessor Cutting your hair would be lowering your status in the eyes of many, so the magic of a Confessor’s power won’t allow it.” “Won’t allow it,” she repeated in a flat tone “That’s right, won’t allow it.” “Well, what if it needs to be trimmed?” “Someone else has to it.” Magda’s brow lifted “Touchy, isn’t it?” “It can be when it comes to matters of power It expects you to be respected.” “The length of my hair can’t earn me respect.” Merritt shrugged “I’m just warning you.” Magda leaned into him, smiling as she tucked her shoulder under his arm “Thanks for the warning.” Merritt grinned as he put his arm around her “Sure.” He pointed “Is that the confession flower from your box of memories?” Magda nodded “I wanted to wear it today Baraccus sacrificed his life so that this course for our future could come to be He gave his life that we all might be standing here today and have this chance I think he would be pleased.” “I think he would be, too,” Merritt said Magda twirled the little white flower between her finger and thumb, watching it spin, thinking about all that had brought her to be the Mother Confessor As the flower was spinning in her fingers, it began to become transparent She could see right through it And then, the flower vanished It was gone Simply, gone “Did you see that?” Magda asked in astonishment “I sure did.” She looked up at Merritt’s handsome features “What you think it could mean?” “I think it means whatever you want it to mean.” Magda looked down at her empty fingers a moment “Everything,” she finally said “It means everything.” END Manifesto Let me say up front that I love printed books Always have, always will But first and foremost, I'm a storyteller As a storyteller, I now have a better way to bring you books Stories have been with us since the dawn of mankind Long before people invented writing, they told stories around the fire Fantasy was born under the stars as parables of man's place in a mysterious universe Later those stories were set down on clay tablets, and then scrolls and animal skins, and later yet, in the last, thin sliver of story-telling history, printed on paper Stories in spoken form were only recently able to be recorded so people could listen to them at their convenience Comic books and graphic novels told stories with words and drawings When film came along, stories became movies The important thread through every form in which stories are told is the story itself Every change throughout history has brought improvements and benefits to those who are eager for the stories themselves I have long wanted to tell the story of Magda Searus, the First Confessor Because this is such a special book, I wanted to bring it directly to readers myself, without the filtering middleman of a traditional publisher, the long wait, and the higher price Now, with ebooks, I am able to bring this story I have long wanted to tell directly to readers and also be much more involved in the entire process than was ever possible before Publishers have long had total control over books, over what is printed and what you read Now, they stand against change by refusing to buy any book from any author unless they also control the ebook edition They this to prevent any author from publishing his own ebook They want to maintain total and absolute control over books in all forms For me, bringing this book directly to readers myself was far too important to give up that right I wanted to be involved in every aspect of the book, in its design, in the way it is promoted, in its presentation, in the messaging about it, and to be there for readers at every step along that path I wanted them to see it all unfold I wanted this to be a first, a partnership between author and reader, without the heavy hand of publishers By not selling the whole bag of rights to a publisher, I gave up a substantial advance It also meant that I can’t have a hardcover edition featured on book shelves Why then am I willing to forego a big advance, not be able to offer hardcovers, and go to all the effort and expense of doing this myself? Because I believe that strongly in this book The story is what matters and I wanted it presented better than was ever possible in traditional publishing I wanted to present it artfully, with my creative control, my vision, my passion I wanted to breathe life into it the way I knew could be done I also believe strongly in the future of electronic publishing and all the tremendous advantages it holds for both authors and readers Though it is a huge risk, I wanted to be the first among bestselling authors to this because I wanted to show that it can be a remarkable, memorable, exciting experience for readers I hope to have your support on this new path to bring great books directly from me to you at a great price I love printed books so I completely understand why some of you prefer a paper book But this story is more important than a mere format I will have books in printed form in the future, but this one is special For this special book, I'm asking you to try something new—after all, I am Journey with me on this new path for a little while and let me tell you a story you have never before imagined and will never be able to forget As many of you know, when Richard was taken to the Old World he was told what to carve, how to carve it, where it would appear, and when It was all out of his hands What did he do? He carved his own statue, his own way, and revealed it on his terms, one man taking his work directly to the people THE FIRST CONFESSOR is my statue, my own creation through and through The subtitle could very well be “It’s my life I am rising up and living it.” Welcome to the New World I've made the book less expensive and easy to get from anywhere in the world, day or night, without leaving home I hope you will try this book that is so close to my heart and discover this moving story Think of all you have to gain It's true that this is not a book you stick on a shelf This is a story you will instead always carry in your heart Thank you all for your trust and your support Terry Goodkind Supplemental Content Coming August 2012 as a free enhancement to this ebook Author Terry Goodkind Goodkind was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, where he also attended art school, one of his many interests on the way to becoming a writer Besides a career in wildlife art, he has been a cabinet maker and violin maker, and he has done restoration work on rare and exotic artifacts from around the world each with its own story to tell, he says He and his wife, Jeri, have created a home in the desert Southwest, where he now spends the majority of his time Table of Contents Books by Terry Goodkind Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91 Chapter 92 Chapter 93 Chapter 94 Chapter 95 Chapter 96 Chapter 97 Chapter 98 Chapter 99 Chapter 100 Chapter 101 Chapter 102 Chapter 103 .. .THE FIRST CONFESSOR The Legend of Magda Searus Terry Goodkind Books by Terry Goodkind THE LEGEND OF MAGDA SEARUS The First Confessor RICHARD AND KAHLAN The Omen Machine THE SWORD OF... cut the attacker down, to cut them down to their very soul The ruby red stone in the center of the intricate lines represented the blood of the enemy He said that the amulet represented the dance... against the entire Temple team, the men who had, at the direction of the Central Council, gathered dangerous items of magic together into the Temple of the Winds and then sent it all into the underworld