Magi Nigri, Prologue 1. by Ross Camsell

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They went instinctively to the altar, where they found a book. It wasn't big, and it didn't look any more special than the books at the library, but again, they could feel in their hearts the awe this mysterious book radiated. They knew this was the source of the power they could feel.
One went to pick up the book. As soon as he touched it, his eyes glazed over and he fell to his knees, dead. The other two knew they had stumbled on something huge. So they went, as fast as they could, to City of the Shadow, the capital city of Ulunda, and to the Shadow Council. This was where the captains and vice-captains resided, along with other political figures. The two remaining explorers told the council of their discovery, and requested help right away. Help was given, as Captain Cyni had a hunch as to what the book may have been. So, one magic expert and Captain Cyni went to find this book – and when they got there, Cyni appeared to be right.
The book they had stumbled upon was the very same book that the four elemental Magi had used to rise to power. It was a book that nobody knew had come to be, but had always been; it described how to create magic. This is how the Magi had created their respective elemental spells, and how they'd grown to power. In the old world, before the Magi, there was no magic. But then the Magi, before they were Magi, discovered the book. Only a person destined to be a Magus could touch the book – otherwise, they ended up dead, like the other explorers.
The captains were told about this discovery. In return, they decided that when a certain person made it clear that they should be the single leader of the Shadow Resistance and turn it into a new faction against the magicals, that person could become a new Magus: the Magus Black. He (or she) would create a new type of magic and lead the Shadow Resistance (or whatever the Magus chose to call it) to victory against the other Magi. Only the captains knew of the book.
The Magus desperately wanted this power. All his life, he had lusted after one thing: more power. And this was the opportunity to get it. He had two options: either prove to the other captains that he deserved the title; or – and this option seemed much more logical to him – assassinate the other captains.
So, he hatched a plan. He spent a sleepless night preparing his plan, making sure it was foolproof, making sure he knew every single little detail off by heart, and could recite it flawlessly. At the next meeting of the Shadow Council, he brought with him his dagger, Shadowblade. He hid it in an appropriate place on his person, just in case the guards searched anyone who went in.
The guards didn't search him. The meeting went on, as usual; this time, the debate was over something about an attack on a small regiment of Wizards of the Air that had been spotted prowling the Orcs' country of Tak'Kar. After the inferior ministers had left to let the captains have a private discussion, as happened every Shadow Council meeting, the Magus put his plan into action.
The room was small, and circular.