“You all get something to eat. I’ll see what she wants.” The wizard refused to talk to anyone but Moz anyway.
“You sure?” Callie asked.
He nodded and turned toward his tent. When he arrived, he pushed through the flap and found his counterpart pacing around the small space.
As soon as she saw him, she said, “That was a colossal failure. Your planning leaves a great deal to be desired. I’m tempted to take my people and leave you to your own devices.”
“You were there too when the plan was made and teaming up was your idea. If you want to go, then go. I’m sure if you give up, the Dark Sages will be happy to accept Carttoom as part of their new empire.”
She stared at him as if she was just seeing him for the first time.
“What?” he asked. “Did you think I was going to beg you not to go? Maybe offer to put you in full command of both groups? My people wouldn’t take orders from a Carttoom wizard any more than yours would from a Rend ranger. Now, are you done posturing? If so, we should try and come up with a new plan.”
She actually cracked a smile. It was a wonder her face didn’t shatter.
“It seems I have underestimated you. The truth is, I’m out of ideas. Our magic is useless against dragons and worse, that man turned our power against us. If the elemental dragons couldn’t take down the tower, I can’t imagine how we can. Even the siege will be difficult to maintain with that man’s power facing us.”
“Leonidas Black is a problem, as are the dragons. That said, I think trying to maintain the siege is a good idea. He can’t be everywhere at once and if nothing else our attack proved that the dragon is useless against a single opponent. That’s why he got personally involved.”
“You make good points. As long as we don’t use our magic against Black, we should still be able to eliminate any ordinary foes that press us.” She nodded once as if making up her mind. “Very well. I agree that maintaining our alliance is still the best course. We’ll handle our sides. Good luck.”
She marched out of the tent. Moz let out a long sigh and muttered, “Good luck. To us all.”
Moz, Callie, and a pair of rangers approached the Dark Sages headquarters on foot after tying their horses up in a grove of trees half a mile away. They waited a full day after their battle with mercenaries before leaving to explore the place. Nothing seemed to be happening in the ruined city and Moz was eager to see if they could learn anything useful about Leonidas’s plan. Not that he expected to find a journal with My Evil Plan written on the cover, but any clue would be valuable.
There were a pair of guards on duty, but neither of them looked overly keen on their work. In fact, they were so intent on arguing with each other that they hadn’t yet noticed Moz and his companions approaching.
Moz pointed at his rangers then at the two guards then drew a finger across his throat. The men nodded, strung their bows, nocked arrows, and loosed. Rangers were among the best archers in Rend and these two proved it. Their shots took both guards right through the throat. They dropped, clawed at their wounds, and went still.
Moz and his companions sprinted over to the open gate and paused. Inside, the courtyard was empty. Moz expected a servant or something at the very least. The total lack of people made him more nervous than a waiting force of guards.
“Are you sure just the four of us is enough?” Callie asked.
“No, but I didn’t want to weaken our forces more than I absolutely had to. Besides, this place looks practically deserted.”
“If that’s true, why are there guards?”
Moz shrugged. She had a point, but they weren’t going back now. Not without taking a good look around anyway.
He led the way across the clearing, forcing a path through a foot of snow to the keep’s main gate. He pushed and found the doors unlocked. The grand entry hall beyond was every bit as empty of people as the courtyard. A huge red carpet covered the floor and there were leather chairs for visitors. Two doors led out of the room and deeper into the keep. All in all it was a nice room for the lair of a group of crazy wizards.
Moz held his breath and listened. Not so much as a squeak. The Carttoom wizard had said there were a few servants, but as far as Moz could tell, there weren’t any here now.
“Which way?” Callie’s voice sounded loud in the silence.
“I don’t know. One way is as good as another. You can’t sense anyone?”
She closed her eyes and hummed softly. “No, but my power’s range is only about ten yards.”
Moz picked the right-hand door at random and set out. The hall beyond was lit by magical lamps placed at regular intervals. Four doors lined the hall and behind each was an empty room. They kept looking for most of an hour before they were finished with the ground floor.
“I saw a flight of stairs a little way back,” Callie said. “Shall we try the second floor?”
“Might as well,” Moz said. “It has to be better than the first floor.”
They retraced their steps to the staircase and Moz stopped dead. An older woman in a red scholar’s robe stood at the foot of the stairs. Gold sparkled at her neck and on her fingers. This lady had never been a servant in her life. And if she wasn’t a servant, then she was a Dark Sage.
Moz’s swords were in his hands before he made a conscious decision to draw them.
The woman raised her hand.
He expected a spell of some sort but instead she said, “Calm yourself. I’ve been expecting you.”
Moz didn’t relax a fraction. “You’ve been expecting us?”
“Let me clarify. I’ve been expecting someone like you. One of Leonidas’s enemies. It is only natural that you would come here to search for information. I’m happy to help you find it.”
“Why? Who are you?” Moz asked.
“My name is High Sage Southmore. As to why, the answer is simple. I don’t believe that what Leonidas is doing is good for the group. We have flourished for decades by remaining hidden. This stupid empire business of his threatens to ruin all our work.”
“But if he succeeds, won’t that make the Dark Sages the most powerful group in the world?” Callie asked.
Southmore’s laugh was harsh and bitter. “Hardly. It will make Leonidas the most powerful man in the world, but he’s not the sort to share. I am no one’s lackey, even if he wouldn’t have called me so.”
“Why is he doing this?” Moz asked. “As far as I can tell, he’s pretty close to the most powerful man on the planet already.”
“You’re quite right, but for all his power, few actually know who he is. Power without respect and fear doesn’t suit him at all. Being an emperor, on the other hand, suits him very well indeed.”
Moz sheathed his blades. If she’d meant to attack, she’d have done so by now. “I’m happy to accept any help you can offer.”
Her smile held true warmth. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to hear that? My whole life I’ve been surrounded by arrogant men who would rather cut off their own arm than listen to me. I wish I could do more, but if you’ll follow me, I believe I can set you on the right path.”
Southmore strode away from the stairs and down one of the halls they’d already searched. Moz couldn’t imagine what they might have missed, but for now he was content to follow and be proven wrong. They trailed their guide to a spot near the center of the keep where she stood facing a blank wall. Southmore made a mystic pass in front of it and a section sank into the floor.
“This is the passage that leads to Leonidas’s pet alchemist’s lab. He believes none of us know about it, but there’s nothing in the keep I don’t know about. You may find something useful down there or you might not. Either way I’ve given you all the help I can.” So saying she walked away without a backward glance.
When she’d gone around a corner, Moz nodded after her. One of the rangers set out only to return seconds later. “She’s gone,” the man said.
Of course she was. Moz hated wizards. “You two keep watch up h
ere. I’d don’t want anyone closing the door while Callie and I are looking around.”
The rangers offered crisp salutes and he led the way down a twisting flight of steps. Every twenty feet or so a magical lantern burst to light. At the bottom, a large room opened up in front of them. It was a mess. Broken glass lay scattered everywhere. Some caustic liquid dripped through a hole it had burned in one of the wooden tables.
“Not what I expected. It looks like a tornado hit this place.” Callie moved past him, deeper into the lab.
Moz followed Callie’s lead. He wasn’t a scholar and knew next to nothing about alchemy. If he touched anything, he’d probably blow up the fortress.
They picked their way across the room, careful not to step in anything that might melt their feet off. Callie brushed some debris aside and came up with a leather-bound journal. She flipped it open to the last page.
“Fascinating. Apparently, Ariel isn’t fully human. According to this she’s got dragon blood in her.”
“Makes sense given her ability,” Moz said. “Is there anything in there about the tower or how to shut it down?”
“No, this is all about alchemy.” Callie paged through the journal a little further. “This is interesting. Apparently, they used a magical device called the Crown of Domination to control Ariel. It forces her to do exactly what Leonidas tells her.”
Moz grinned. “That’s why the dragons’ attacks are so slow and clumsy. She’s doing what she’s told with the worst possible execution. Smart girl. I suspect he came against us himself for the same reason. It was just easier to do it himself. I bet right now, Emperor Black is cursing his decision to rule secondhand.”
“Maybe he’ll just quit and go away,” Callie said.
“Good one.” Joking aside, Moz doubted anything short of a sword through his heart would stop Leonidas Black. “Let’s check the second floor and get out of here.”
Callie nodded and they retraced their steps back upstairs.
“No activity while you were gone, sir,” the rangers said.
It was a short walk back to the staircase where they met Southmore. The wizard was nowhere to be seen this time so they could climb the staircase without trouble. At the top was a door-lined hall. Moz scrubbed his hand across his face. More door-to-door searching. His very favorite thing to do.
Well, they’d best get on with it. They methodically went room by room, finding little beyond expensive furniture too heavy to bother hauling away. At last they came to a door that was different than any he’d seen. It was decorated with intricate designs and set with gems of various colors. Something important had to be behind it.
Considering whose house they were visiting, it was probably also trapped.
Moz drew his sword and touched the door.
Nothing happened.
He scratched his chin and shrugged. They weren’t going to get anywhere pussyfooting around. He drew back and kicked the door open. Nothing blasted him and no angry monsters appeared. Maybe he was wrong about the room being important.
One look inside dispelled that notion. There was a long, rectangular table made of polished wood in the center of the chamber. Fine leather chairs surrounded it.
“This must be where they meet,” Callie said. “The leaders of the group.”
That was what Moz figured as well. But what really interested him was the black, leather-bound book sitting in front of the chair at the head of the table. He stepped over for a closer look.
The cover was embossed with the letters LB in a stylized design.
“Leonidas Black,” he muttered. “Another gift from Southmore do you think?”
“Must be.” Callie joined him at the head of the table. “I doubt he’d leave this just sitting around.”
She picked it up and flipped the cover open. The writing inside was unlike anything Moz had ever seen. It wasn’t written in Imperial that was certain.
“Can you read it?” Moz asked.
“Afraid not. I’ve never even seen letters like this. We’ll have to find someone to translate it.”
“Good luck with that. The only one who probably could appears to have vanished on us. We’d best get back to camp before something happens.”
Chapter 12
Silas stood at the edge of the Well of Darkness and stared down at the shiny black surface. Every spell he’d attempted was swallowed up by whatever black substance filled the hole. He couldn’t sense Yaz’s life force at all. It was like when he went under, he ceased to exist.
There was certainly something fascinating about the black stuff. He crouched and reached out toward the surface. Silas had done that many times over the past two days but had yet to work up the nerve to actually make contact. There was something inside him, something primal, that screamed at him not to do it. That if he did, he’d be sucked down, never to be seen again. As a wizard, Silas believed in reason and study. Giving in to some primitive fear rubbed him the wrong way. That said, he wasn’t stupid enough to ignore such a powerful feeling.
“How long is he going to be down there?” Brigid asked.
She was pacing around the well and had been for hours. Not that there was much else to do while they waited for Yaz to emerge, but he wished she’d give it a rest. At least Helena seemed content to sit quietly. In fact, she’d hardly spoken a word since Yaz entered the pool. The waiting had to be as bad if not worse on her as it was on Brigid. It was bad enough on Silas and he wasn’t nearly as close to Yaz as Brigid and his mother.
“It will take as long as necessary,” Helena said. “I had hoped for a faster result, but we must be patient.”
“How can he even breathe? That black stuff is thicker than water. And what were those tentacles that grabbed him? Does something live down there?”
“I have no answers for you. We spent weeks studying this place and the substance never reacted to us the way it did Yaz. That is the main reason I’m hopeful that something good may still happen. It recognized something familiar in him.”
“I don’t want to sound negative,” Silas said. “But we’ve only got about four more days’ worth of food. If he hasn’t come up by then, we’ll need to make a supply run. Eventually…”
Helena and Brigid both glared at him.
“I’ll wait here as long as it takes,” Helena said. “My husband is dead and the village no longer exists. If I lose my son too I might as well dive in the well after him.”
“If it was me down there, Yaz would wait,” Brigid said. “I can’t do any less.”
“Okay, okay. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere either, I was just asking.”
Brigid shot him one last hard look before he turned his attention back to the well. When he did he found the surface rippling.
“Something’s happening,” Silas said.
Helena and Brigid joined him at the lip of the well. The black slime churned and roiled. Silas backed away even though none of the stuff was splattering around. He really didn’t want to get any of that on his skin.
At last a hole opened and Yaz came flying up and out. Black wings had sprouted from his back and a dark aura surrounded him. He landed a few feet away and looked at him with the coldest, deadest expression Silas had seen. He knew that look. Last time Yaz wore it, he threatened to burn a family alive.
Brigid took a step toward Yaz and Silas quickly moved in front of her.
“What are you doing?” Brigid asked.
“That’s not him. It’s Yaz’s body, but it’s not him.”
“What?”
“You recognized me, wizard.” The cold tone of Yaz’s voice sent a chill up Silas’s spine.
“Wrath.”
“Correct. Our father is having a deep conversation with his wayward son. While they chat, I thought I’d take this body for a ride. There’s a mess that needs cleaning up and I’m just the one to do it.”
“You have access to his full powers?” Helena asked.
“I do. Submerging him in the pool allowed the door to fully open.
Not only that, we absorbed more power from the well itself. This body has more power than you ever dreamed when you were cooking us up in Kranic’s lab. I need to go crush the Dark Sages. No need for you to wait around here, Mom. I don’t plan to return.”
Yaz gathered himself to leap into the air.
“Wait!” Brigid pushed past Silas. “Will he come back? Will the real Yaz return?”
“I’m as real as he is,” Wrath snarled. He shuddered and his expression smoothed. “In truth I don’t know. Nor do I especially care. If dear old Dad lets him go and he can retake control from me, then yes. Otherwise, this body is mine for the foreseeable future.”
Wrath took to the sky and was gone.
“What have we done?” Brigid asked.
“At least he’s alive,” Helena countered.
Silas watched until the black dot that was his friend vanished. Was he really alive? Maybe, but his mind was trapped somewhere and Silas had no idea how to help him escape.
Jax Umbra stood at the helm of the flying ship and waited for the last of the mercenaries to board. Leonidas had allowed them a day to rest and recover from the earlier battle before paying them and ordering them off to begin their new assignment. Delivering them fell to Jax. There was no way they’d risk their remaining soldiers by sending them on foot. The dragon had proven worthless as a protector. The beasts were much more valuable as a threat than an active weapon. At least that was Jax’s opinion and Leonidas was beginning to agree.
He glanced up at the heavy, metal dome installed on the new mast. Anyone dumb enough to attack his ship would soon learn that dragons weren’t the only weapons at their disposal. The Iron Dome could deal with almost anything that might threaten them in the sky. Ironically, the only thing he really feared was a true dragon.
A piercing whistle drew his attention back to the ground. Shade waved and shouted, “That’s the last of them. You’re good to go.”
The Dragonspire Chronicles Omnibus 2 Page 44
