The morning’s battle passed and the sun rose towards noon before the Sea Dragon limped around the bend in the island with an escort of rune warrior merfolk. Sebastian missed the return of their ship as he continued to heal, but Collin came to the mage alerting him.
“Sebastian, it looks like the Sea Dragon had a pretty rough time of it, but it survived,” Collin stated as Sebastian took another break following his field healing of a woman rune warrior. Little larger than Yara, the young woman looked barely older than Sebastian, but had fought hard to earn some nasty wounds that her rune armor couldn’t withstand.
Looking wearily to the two ships sitting out from the beach, the mage nodded. There were torn and burned sails, broken cross members and some obvious damage to the hull. It would need some repairs before daring to return all the way home, he thought.
“Looks like they could have used Nara to save damage to the hull,” the mage noted critically of his leadership planning. He had known the enemy had two ships waiting for them to spring the trap, but he had left the Sea Dragon to fend for itself. Liam and Annalicia had done well to only take minor damage apparently. “Can you go out to the ship and check if they need any healers?”
Nodding to his leader, Collin responded, “You fought hard here. Make sure that you don’t overdo the healing. You wouldn’t want Yara scolding you again.” The last brought a chuckle as he moved towards the pier already searching for a longboat to bring him out to the Sea Dragon.
It was while he was resting from healing another injured warrior that Yara finally met up with the healing mage. She looked as tired as he felt and knew that the healer had probably used more of her strength than he saving the worst of the wounded. He looked for Nara and found the nature wizard taking a break as she spoke with Serrena and Frell.
“It looks like we have taken care of the worst of the injuries,” Yara stated as she sat on an elongated rock sitting half buried by the sand. It had been his seat alone, but Sebastian quickly made room for her beside him. “They still had quite a few deaths, but considering the odds against us their people came out relatively unscathed. There will be a few buried sadly, but most survived.”
“Did you check on those buying time to the east?” he asked wearily. The battle had been spread across most of the island by the time the battle with the Sea Dragon in the north, the delaying action to the east and the main battle west of the village were all factored into the equation. With so many enemy soldiers and warlocks and as well trained as they were, only the training and powers of the rune warriors had kept so many alive. He still waited on the report from the Sea Dragon, but it looked like most of the warriors returned from the north at least.
Yara nodded and drank from a cup. Apparently one of the village women had offered tea for the busy wizard. The healer’s contribution during the battle wasn’t nearly as important as all the lives she saved after the fighting was done. “They ambushed the enemy several times and wore them down with almost no injuries. The few wounded they had were healed about an hour ago.”
Her eyes took in the ragged looking battle mage. “Maybe I should check you? You look awful.”
He laughed and replied, “You say the kindest things.”
She smiled and the girl shook her head at him. “No, really, I mean it. I hope that you didn’t push yourself too far again. We don’t have Darius to cover anything I don’t understand about your use of magic, if you hurt yourself again.”
Patting the sheath and the Hollow Sword within, Sebastian shook his head as he answered, “No, this lets me do more without risking myself in the process. I do tend to learn my lesson after awhile.” He smiled knowing that he had failed to learn his lesson on the first try more than once in his life. To save others, the mage knew that he would push himself beyond what he should again, but at least for this battle Sebastian had been able to use a little restraint thanks to the abilities of his new weapon.
Unsure that she completely believed him, Yara still decided to ask with a nod towards the ships anchored in the water nearby, “Do you think that we should check on our friends?”
Sebastian looked at the distance to the ships and knew that he would regret getting up, but it was better to do it now before all the aches and pains of battle showed themselves. Once the adrenaline drifted away and he stopped moving for too long, his muscles would begin to tell him just how far he had pushed himself in the battle. Bruises and pain from the battering his body took during the fighting was already beginning to seep into his mind more and more.
Nodding to the woman, who looked even more beautiful to him at times like these, Sebastian stood with a groan before offering her a hand up. Yara smiled and followed him to the pier where people were gathering as several members from each ship debarked.
Ashleen stood with Helena Romonus as both girls were crying when Sebastian arrived. Knowing that at least some of the people from Kardor must have died, he could assume that Lord Romonus must be among that number from their shared tears.
“Sebastian!” Ashleen cried out seeing him walking closer. The wilder surprised him as she ran over to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug. Head buried in his chest she tried to tell him what had happened as the girl sniffled and hiccupped emotionally, “De-de-deiclonus is d-d-dead a-and...”
Her voice trailed off unable to get her words out. The air wizard Themenor tried to help as he related what they had found, “Master Deiclonus and Lord Romonus were found among the dead on the ship the merfolk helped us beach. The lord was stabbed in the back and looked to have been dead well before the ship was defeated. There were dozens of the Kardorian crew killed similarly.
“If I had to guess, I would say that they use the blood sacrifices to power their gates.
“Master Deiclonus was among those drowned, though it was strange that the wizard should have just given up so close to the shore. There were no wounds on him. I wonder if one of the warlocks had him under the puppeteer spell. It would explain why, without a command to save himself, the man might have been unable to do anything at all.” The wizard looked to both girls still sobbing uncontrollably and the man’s eyes looked saddened as he finished, “Her friend, the apprentice Wendle and a fire wizard from our number were on the third ship before it retreated.”
His final words he left at that, but even so Sebastian knew the meaning behind them. If Wendle and the others of the black ship were even still alive, the odds were that they were now well beyond his reach to save. They would be at the mercy of the warlocks and the mage knew at least some of what they could do to a man, even if he was a wizard.
Nodding his understanding, Sebastian did what he could to be a steadying place for Ashleen. His arms hugged her shoulders as more reports came in about the Carnivore. Many of their crew had been taken from the ship to power the black ships during their attack on the Sea Dragon. Those that had remained onboard, Helena among them, had been saved by the surprise attack from the mermen. The black soldiers had watched the shore and never noticed the unit of rune warriors attacking from the ocean side.
There were few casualties among the crew on the Carnivore, but those that had been taken were all lost save a few from the beached ship.
After a time, Ashleen and Helena had managed to settle their emotions more, though occasional new waves of sadness would force tears from their eyes as they continued to mourn. Sebastian could feel for the women and rest of the crew that were all experiencing degrees of loss from companions’ deaths. Wendle had been a friend of his and Deiclonus to a lesser degree after all.
Meeting in the Grimnal’s home, Sebastian and much of his team ate and tried to rest as best they could. Plans had to be discussed as well now that they had defeated the enemy and yet they knew that they could return again.
Gerid sat with his wife and daughters beside him after the food had been consumed and looked at the mage with an even gaze. “You are sure that you can destroy the barrier imprisoning me on this island. Correct?”
He nodded. �
�Of course, my lord, Yara and I can break down the regular barrier then anyone can topple the stones used to create the one that holds you and those most similar to you among your family as well. Whether you choose to return with us or not, I do plan on freeing you to do as you want. With the black ships able to come and go, we wouldn’t want to leave any of you trapped here.”
Sighing, the man leaned back in his chair as it creaked despite its sturdy construction. “I have spoken with Sherari and most of my children,” he used children broadly for the many descendants beyond the first generation, “and we have come an agreement. I will come back with you along with a chosen few of my family. If the enemy returns my children and allies can defend themselves well enough and, without the barrier trapping them, escape easily also if need be.
“This island isn’t the end of my clan’s reach after all. If the island has to be abandoned, there are ways to save everyone. And speaking of children, I guess perhaps it is time to check on those that remained behind in Marshalla and the rest.” He paused and clarified, “Southwall and the others that might still exist might want to see me return, though I have little idea of what I can do for them.”
“You would bring hope, my lord,” Yara stated sitting beside Sebastian. Ashleen leaned against him on the other side, but the healer simply sat holding his hand trying not to become annoyed by the wilder’s attention. She knew loss and as probably her best friend here, Ashleen had come to Sebastian for comfort. Her eyes on the Grimnal, Yara tried to smile though it wasn’t the largest of smiles.
Nodding at her words, the giant managed a freer, larger smile than the healer. “Perhaps you are right and it will give my children here a chance to see more beyond this island and the waves around it. Anyway, if you can give us a little time to repair and recover before heading out, then I will come with you. Your mission to find immortals reminds me of a couple stories that I could tell of my attempts at looking for the ancients.
“With all your looking for me, I wonder if that little compass of yours could find any of them lurking around the continent. A group I searched with once found one hiding in the mountains, you know.”
An elbow from Sherari beside him, caused the giant to start and give an apologetic smile to his wife. “I digress and there will be plenty of time for stories on the return voyage. Meanwhile, take the time to see as much of the island as you all would like. We will bury our dead and mourn them as we must. Then I am yours for a time at least. This is still my home now after all.
“No offense to you all who came so far to find me, but I have less of a tie to your world after all this time than I do here. Though I must say that I feel I do owe the Dark Emperor a return if only to annoy him.”
Sebastian answered after Gerid had said his all, “According to the stories, he broke the world and killed thousands with the earthquakes, floods, tidal waves and other devastation caused in the Cataclysm. You would know the truth better than I. If it were me, I would certainly want to bring down the Dark One and make him pay.”
Wagging a finger warningly, the giant stated, “Be careful that revenge and vengeance don’t take you over with that thinking. He is evil, but such motives can take you down the wrong path also. Don’t become what you hate.”
The mage shook his head. “I know why I fight, sir. It isn’t for revenge though I have a few reasons to want that. I fight to protect my family and friends. Saving lives is more important than taking them to me, but sometimes I have to do both.”
His face suddenly lit up with a smile as he changed the dreary path the conversation had fallen into and added, “But enough of that problem. We can worry about all that later. For now, we get to celebrate defeating our enemies and your return to the world.”
The night would continue as his daughters would sing and the celebration moved into the streets where much of the village joined in singing and dancing. For Sebastian who had finished his mission, it was a relief and he wondered what would be in his future. There was a long voyage still ahead, but he was sure that there would be more for him to do once he was back in Southwall.
Chapter 36- Epilogue
He had heard the warning bells from the harbor again. It was late morning in Ensolus and Atrouseon had left him to his own devices as usual. The warlock was a member of a committee that served near the Dark Emperor. He gave them his orders and they did all they could to meet and exceed his expectations. No one would dare do less than that for fear that the Dark One would find disfavor with them.
Disappointing him had consequences that no one wished to see.
For Palose, that meant his ‘master’ was almost always busy and seldom brought his ‘apprentice’ with him. The council knew what he was and why he was there, but that didn’t mean that they looked at him as a true man anymore. A resurrection man was less than human and rated among the beasts that served the emperor’s forces. He was closer to being a wraith than man.
That was just their opinion, however, and Palose was fine with letting them believe that. The former mage was steadily beginning to have larger ambitions than simply serving a warlock as a pet. Hadn’t he led their forces into Windmeer and nearly wiped the castle out? That had been a simple test of his loyalty and skill, but it mattered little to the warlocks or to Palose either.
The return of another black ship from its mission, and noticeably missing the last ship was another bit of interest to the man.
Looking like it had been through a battle, the ship coasted to the pier where ropes moored the vessel as planks were lowered for the passengers. Leading the way off of the ship was the leader of the wizard hunters and Palose was close enough to see that the man looked worse than his ship. Someone had cracked or broken his armor and he looked like he had been beaten and burned.
Another warlock from the council smirked and said lightly, “Lord Devolus, didn’t the mission go well?”
Whether the man had more to say didn’t matter as the man in black armor punched the warlock in the throat. Dropping to his knees gasping for air, he was kicked aside by the lord whose anger rode so close to the surface that it should have been obvious to the warlock to be quiet. Admittedly, Palose had to smile at the treatment of the obnoxious man.
Giving him a little more space, Atrouseon and the other members of the committee followed trying to find out what had happened on his mission.
Palose let them go and remained nearby as he watched over the clean up of the ship. For a ship to travel through the gate, he knew that either there had to be a great use of several warlocks’ power or a blood sacrifice was made. After having fought a battle that still clung to their leader, the mage assumed that someone had died for the portal.
Wakaraq, as Palose had hoped, was in charge of the clean up. Several other orcs and goblins made their way onto the black ship after being told to remove all the dead bodies. The mage watched as cart after cart wheeled away the dead.
When Wakaraq made eye contact with Palose, he nodded. Something or someone of interest was in this collection of dead. The orc knew what he was looking for and, shortly after the dead lay covered in their carts waiting for an incinerator to fire up for the disposal, the mage met with the orc beside a special cart.
When the covering canvas was pulled back to reveal two men, their boots scavenged but wearing clothing of wizards, Palose knew that he had found the first pieces to a puzzle that he was still trying to put together in his mind. What they could tell him of the battle and the future use of their magic in his cause, thrilled the mage to even think about it.
Trying to look only mildly impressed by the luck of receiving two wizards into his hands, Palose nodded to Wakaraq and said, “Yes, these two will do. Are these the best you could find?”
With a snort of amusement, Wakaraq stated, “Just two wizards for you to play with in this bunch, though there are dozens of sailors stabbed and left for dead as well, if you want more.”
Even though he didn’t truly need them, Palose wandered through the rest checking f
or men of interest. There were no women, so it must have been mainly a crew of men. Whether they were taken in battle before or after whatever happened to the ship, the mage was unsure, but it didn’t take long for him to rule out the rest.
Trying to appear bored to keep his price low, Palose stated with a wave of his hand. “I guess these two will do for now.”
Pulling a pouch similar in size to the one given for the women, Wakaraq shook his head at the weight, “These are worth more.”
“You still owe me,” the man countered from the conversation they had weeks before in the basement. While the orc hadn’t damaged Talia when he had brought her in, it had been implied.
The orc grumbled, but took the pouch and lifted the handles of the two wheeled cart readying to follow Palose once more to the building that he still kept for the girls to live inside. As he led, the dark mage thought to the fun he had been having with the two women and knew that there was nothing wrong with Talia indeed.
His future in Ensolus was certainly beginning to look promising, Palose decided with a smile.
***************************
For World Maps and More Go To:
https://www.facebook.com/BattleMageATaleOfAlus
Previews of Other Books by Donald L. Wigboldy
For the Original Story of Gerid the Grimnal Read:
The High King: A Tale of Alus
Preview
Chapter 11- A Berserker Among Us
Gerid wiped the sweat from his dirty brow. Leaning on his shovel, he turned to survey his progress. The dark line of the new irrigation channel, which he had been working on, appeared dark against the summer sun's bleached earth. The scrawny shoots of the Taltan continent's main staple, cracker corn sprang up in rows to either side.
Summer was half over now. Nearly two months of slavery showed themselves in the hard calluses that were even rougher than from working in his family holdings. His upper body and face were dark brown from exposure to the sun, a stark contrast to his silvery, white hair. The youth still had to smile in satisfaction at his progress. The herculean feats that he had performed had begun to get Holtein's notice by now. New plans to impress the slave holders and ways of finally winning his freedom continually played in his mind. This channel, for instance, would normally take five men to complete in the same amount of time his pace would complete it, if he could keep it up. The smile played about his lips still as he returned to the hard labor.
Battle Mage: The Lost King (Tales of Alus) Page 47
