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THE STORY The second book in the Sword Of Truth series continues the tale of Richard Cypher 's adventures, from where we left him at the end of Wizard's First Rule . Since his defeat of Darken Rahl Richard travels on the back of a dragon with Kahlan to the land of the Mud People to return Siddin to his home. After the death of Darken Rahl, Richard is afflicted by a series of painful headaches. He also learns from Shota of his lineage as the bastard son of Darken Rahl and the grandson (on his mother's side) of Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander and that the opening of the Boxes Of Orden has torn the veil between the living world and the Underworld . While trying to receive guidance on how to repair the veil, Richard inadvertently brings his father Darken Rahl through the veil, and back into the world. Darken Rahl vows to continue his task bringing the Keeper into the world. Richard later gets a visit from the Sisters Of The Light who inform him that his headaches are caused by the gift awakening in him and are fatal and unstoppable. Richard is forced by Kahlan to visit the Old World, where he can study and learn to control his power at the Palace Of The Prophets , staffed by the Sisters of the Light. They see their job as spreading knowledge of the creator to the world via their trained Wizards . On his way to the palace, Richard risks his life to save his captor, Sister Verna. Before reaching the palace, he is forced into a battle with thirty Baka Ban Mana blademasters, whose job it is to teach the Seeker to dance with the spirits -- using the Sword Of Truth 's magic to access the collective knowledge of all previous users of it... ''Be a feather, not a rock. Float on the wind of the storm.'' is the first tactical advice he receives from the Sword's magic. During his stay at the palace, Richard comes to terms with the fact that he has the gift of magic, and moreover discoveres he is a War Wizard, one who has the gift of both additive and subtractive and learns later from Nathan Rahl he is the first to be born with such power in three thousand years. Near the end of the book, it is revealed that the Prelate took Richard to the Palace to flush out the Sisters Of The Dark , a secret society within the Sisters of the Light dedicated to the task of unleashing the Keeper into the world of the living. As the Prelate herself says: "When your house is overrun with rats, the only thing you can do is bring in a cat. This cat sees us all as rats. Maybe with good reason...." It is here that Richard finds an outlet in the Hagen Woods , where he can brood and kill Mriswrith . Richard also realizes (too late) that the Palace of the Prophets is the "trap in time" foretold by Shota the witch woman. Escaping the trap after months of "imprisonment" and nearly being killed by a woman he believed to be his friend, he is forced to allow another prophecy to come to pass, one he received in the Valley of the Lost: ''Of all there were, but a single one born of the magic to bring forth truth will remain alive when the shadow's threat is lifted. Therefore comes the greater darkness of the dead. For there to be a chance at life's bond, this one in white must be offered to her people, to bring their joy and good cheer.'' This allows him to close the veil and thwart Darken Rahl, by casting the Keeper back into the underworld with the Stone of Tears. Fortunately, the prophecy is about appearance more than actual fact. The First Wizard uses a death spell to fool everyone into thinking the Mother Confessor is dead, thereby both saving her and allowing the prophecy to occur. Wizard's Second Rule In this volume we discover the Wizard's Second Rule : "The greatest harm can result from the best intentions." |
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