Battle Mage Bonds (Tales of Alus Book 13)

by Donald Wigboldy

  Ashleen asked the two mages as they stood looking at the gate, "How are you going to explain this to Kharrik and Xander? Are you going to give them rune wells also?"

  The gate winked out of sight and Sebastian looked towards the girl with a frown, but it wasn't for her so much as the question that she posed. Looking at the ground for a moment, the owl wondered what they could say. He wasn't comfortable giving the other mages the rune wells yet. Elzen had been a friend for years and they were a close match in magical ability also. He thought that Xander was close as well, but he was just a cadet and new to him at this point. Giving the boy more power before he was fully trained was like giving an untrained wilder even more power. It would be too dangerous.

  "I'll think of something, I guess."

  Looking at the descending sun, he asked, "Does anyone want a swim or should we return home?"

  Enjoying the warm air, the four removed the extra clothing that they didn't need and tested the waters of the ocean before they had to return to the cold of the north.

  Chapter 26- Warning Bells

  With his official release from the mage corps into the king's employ, life became both free and yet busier than it had been in ages.

  Though no longer an official falcon or owl, Sebastian knew that he would have to work with the ravens and white wizards from time to time. He worked for the king and Alain needed him to work with them in the interest of Southwall. The first of those shared duties involved heading to the lodestones west of New Harbor.

  Sebastian wished that he could take the time to teach Ashleen and the others how to fly as dragon mages, but New Harbor was too important to ignore that long. The mage returned to the stones and flew east along the coast. Passing over several small towns, no one appeared to notice the flying man. He was both high enough above their heads and far enough out over the water that the townsfolk went about their business without thinking to look up from the everyday lives.

  By the time he reached the second to last town, Sebastian decided to land and check on whether the sedition had spread so far from the city.

  There were no unusual amounts of soldiers in sight. The mage entered one of the town's taverns striking up a conversation with a few of the locals. He had learned from Captain Drayden that such places were the best place to learn of the life in a town. His friend was a spy that was so good that Sebastian wasn't even sure if Drayden was his real name.

  Over a meal and a few drinks, the mage learned that the next town had become strangely unfriendly in trade. There were enough merchants in town speaking of their concern with both it and New Harbor for their business. The soldiers and officials in the city had taken to pressuring their visitors in such a way that many had become too afraid to return. When refugees began to pass through telling of families being pushed to cite their loyalty to the lords of New Harbor and to refute King Alain, it began to worry the locals even more.

  Most of those fleeing the city didn't even stop here before moving even further away from the changes happening dozens of miles away.

  Sebastian planted a new set of lodestones and returned to Hala to let the ravens and wizards know what he had learned. He wasn't supposed to interfere with their interests beyond telling them where the new gate was. Their gate wizards were trained to find the gates and he only had to help them for a short time before they could begin sending agents through the protected gate in Hala to the town called Haertah.

  It wasn't like him to leave something unfinished, but the owl couldn't be in more than one place at a time. If there was magic that could do that, he certainly hadn't heard of it. He also had to step aside since the ravens and white wizards wanted to keep him out of the dangerous city. Even though Sebastian had become an agent of the king, it didn't mean that he could just go around defying their wishes even so.

  With New Harbor left to others to deal with for now, Sebastian and his team continued with trying to build up their ally, Kardor. It had begun as an excuse for Ashleen to see her family again, though her disappointment in the way that meeting had gone had been plain to see. Still they began splitting time between Velius and Interus testing the wizards gathered in the two largest cities in the country.

  Wizards and soldiers were spread around Kardor, but the bulk of the country's army held the cities and forts along the Aderan River. The northern border, the Delester River, had its own fortifications; but the danger had always come from the east. Interus served as the center for it all and they used magic to communicate with defenders from Atellan to the forts along the Delester.

  It was still the backside of winter and the cold weather limited what they could do to a point. Sebastian was forced to split time between training the Kardorian wizards and using his magic to send more lodestones to the main fortifications along the rivers. Weeks passed as the mage and his team worked to train new portal wizards that could in turn begin to train their own people and send them out to man the new gates as well.

  During that time, Sebastian noticed Ashleen appeared a little sad. Despite the substantial amount of time spent in the two cities, her family had rarely deigned to visit with her at all. The words expended the first day seemed to have built a chasm between them and Sebastian did what he could to comfort her. It wasn't something that he could fix whether he had magical power or not. He was a man of action, but some things had to run their course whether he liked it or not.

  The noise in the courtyard as a dozen wizards struggled to create portals using the practice frames told of their effort to learn, but like in Southwall and the other countries, it seemed to be a rare talent among wizards. Sebastian didn't have any forts to seed with stones today. After three weeks, he had covered all the forts and defendable towns along the Aderan River up to a massive fort city called Tenalin. It was one of the most powerful fortresses on the river because it was notably the closest point in Kardor to a known fortress of the Dark One's empire.

  "How is the training going?" a familiar voice asked as the blonde haired lord strode lazily towards them from behind. It was a stunt that Daerdan often liked to pull on his little sister when she was busy.

  Ashleen turned to look at the young lord doing her best not to look expectantly for her father. The duke had taken little personal interest in the magical proceedings as he left it to his younger son for the most part. Sebastian had a feeling it was more to avoid his daughter than because Cerrus didn't care about this project. It would help strengthen Kardor and keep him tied to his king with the ability to travel to the capitol no matter the distance or weather. Certainly it was an important change, just as being able to move across vast distances had benefited Southwall.

  Sebastian spoke for the two of them saying, "I think half of these wizards should be able to make a gate soon. Some have come close already with the practice squares."

  "Only half?" Daerdan questioned disappointedly. "We've brought over a hundred wizards here and this group was the one you said had the most promise, but only half of these might be able to do it? That seems like a waste. Surely more wizards should be able to learn this spell."

  Shrugging at the slightly taller lord, Sebastian explained, "In Southwall perhaps eight percent of the wizards and mages tested have been able to feel the magic. Of those, another third could never fully create solid doors with the spell. Those might be able to work with other wizards without talent for the magic and manage to work as a team to make gates that way.

  "Those who can actually use portal magic properly are even rarer than those who can heal."

  Frowning at his assessment, Daerdan countered, "With that few, we might not be able to have even one or two gate wizards in the cities where we need them. This magic is quite disappointing, Owl Sebastian."

  Uncertain of what title he should have as King Alain's agent, Sebastian had chosen to continue using the moniker he had been given by the corps leaders. Hearing it said like this didn't feel right to him, however.

  "I would guess with continued practice and determination, some o
f the three percent might figure it out as well."

  Ashleen stepped towards her brother with anger plainly written on her face whether the girl wanted her feelings easily read or not. "It isn't like we caused the problem, Daerdan. Magic can be fickle. I can do some of Sebastian's new spells, but I can't do all of them either even though I have done my best to learn everything I could from him.

  "I've been with him almost every day for about half a year and there are simply things that I can't do."

  "Well, you are a wilder," her brother stated matter-of-factly. It was a blow as cold as the weather; Sebastian thought barely keeping his irritation from his face. He had found his ability to keep his emotions contained pushed to their limit since meeting Ashleen's family. Their disappointment in Ashleen, unfounded in his opinion, continued to irk him. He didn't even care that they didn't want her to think of settling for a battle mage.

  "She is a true wizard as well," Sebastian stated for the man. "If you underestimate her talent, you would be the one who would look like a fool. Of course, you judged me as less because I am a battle mage; so I suppose your lack of knowledge in magic isn't surprising."

  Daerdan stiffened thinking rightly that Sebastian had just impugned his knowledge and judgment. Before either man could say something more, Ashleen slid between them extending her left hand as if she needed to hold him back.

  "Mage, wilder, wizard, warlock: all these are just terms for people who can use magic. Some learn differently, but I can keep up with any of the wizards that have come to Interus to learn this magic. For those who have already left in disappointment, you might ask them if it was because I started as a wilder that I couldn't use the spell. Of course, they couldn't either, so they would likely be uncertain anyway.

  "Now is there a reason that you have come down here, Daerdan? Did you only come down to insult me or perhaps did you bring that complaint from our parents who refuse to see me?"

  Her rebuke made her brother frown at first, but the last of her questioning made him blink in surprise.

  "I didn't really mean to...," he cleared his throat and straightened his posture once more. Sebastian wondered if perhaps the young lord didn't want to show the other wizards any weakness. Unlike Ashleen, he had no ability with magic and only his position as the duke's son might dissuade a wizard's retribution if he earned it. "I don't think mother and father are as disappointed in you as you think by the way."

  Daerdan looked at Sebastian and added, "Maybe they don't like the idea of you being with the mage, and certainly you talk as if you are already his wife; but you have always been father's favorite."

  Shaking her head at him incredulously, Ashleen questioned her brother again, "Are you serious, Daerdan? I might have been the baby of the family and been 'daddy's girl' once upon a time, but I think I lost that when I developed magic. Since I couldn't even control it and he needed to hire a wizard to 'fix me' that certainly didn't make the duke look any better."

  With a sigh, Daerdan answered, "All of that didn't matter. He always looked so happy when he knew that you would be coming home for a visit. When you're gone, it's like a bit of his light is gone."

  "Then why are you all treating me like I am a pariah in my own home?" the younger girl asked in complaint.

  A glance towards Sebastian was unlikely intentional, but he was caught by both of them.

  Ashleen turned red with anger and Sebastian could see and feel the electricity building along her skin. He reached over to take her hand receiving an initial shock that he had expected. The electricity ran through his body even as the girl looked at his hand and sighed. Her calm returned and with it the threat of lightning was gone. Even her cheeks receded to the light pink caused by the cold air.

  "You and father should look at who he is a bit closer. If your opinions don't change; then not only should father forget about trying to marry me to some lord you may all expect me to leave and never return again. You can forget that you had a little sister and he can just pretend that they only had you boys and Tremara."

  "Ashleen," Sebastian said quietly drawing her attention, "don't write them off so quickly. You wouldn't like losing your family from hatred."

  "Your family still loves you," she began.

  "My parents have trouble accepting who I am also. It is part of why I rarely return home, even though White Hall isn't that far away. My last trip home reminded me of the love I have for my family. Certainly my siblings and I grew closer." He looked at Daerdan as the mage added, "They've come to accept who I am, even if my parents still can't.

  "My youngest sister turned out to be a wizard with wilder tendencies. Her magic bends minds. It frightened my parents, but I think that they will understand her more than me because she is a wizard.

  "If you have to be born with magic, at least be a wizard, right?"

  The young lord frowned again. "She was meant to be the wife of a lord."

  "I am a wizard!" Ashleen exclaimed in frustration. "You know as well as I that no lord would accept me in marriage, unless they hoped to use my power. Why do you all still not see that?"

  Before Daerdan could think of a response, the bells in the towers began to ring.

  Sebastian asked, "What is going on now?"

  "Warning bells," Ashleen answered even as the wizards training around them ceased their efforts and looked towards the young lord. "The border forts must have sent word through the communication artifacts about an attack."

  "Maybe an army used a gate like your people in spite of it being winter," Daerdan retorted with a frown.

  Ignoring his jab, the three hurried towards one of the doors leading into the castle. Elzen and Serrena followed quickly. They were only four today. Sebastian had left the cadet and apprentice behind so that they had time to learn more of their magic. Haylee remained with her student while Kharrik could now help in teaching other mages his knowledge of making gates in the school. They were still working on creating a program where some of the wizards would help battle mages in the hopes of finding others with the talent.

  "What's going on, Bas?" Elzen asked as they followed behind the others.

  "That's what we're going to try and find out," the owl replied succinctly.

  A long walk brought them to one of the duke's main receiving rooms. It was a beehive of activity already as Sebastian could still hear the bells ringing outside.

  "Father, are we being attacked?" Daerdan asked leading the way.

  "Tenalin sent word of an army that suddenly appeared approaching from the east. They said that magic was in use as well as seeing creatures that were unknown to them also," Duke Cerrus answered his son before looking at a map on the table surrounded by several other men.

  "Do they have information on their numbers and whether they look like they will lay siege to the city?" Sebastian asked quickly.

  The duke frowned at the mage appearing annoyed as he was questioned by someone that wasn't even Kardorian. "We are still getting that information," he answered gruffly. "The communication through the wizards' links isn't always perfectly clear, or so they say. It can be hard, especially if the enemy has warlocks capable of affecting the air around the city."

  "We have been attacked before where the enemy managed to cut their tie to Interus in some way that no one ever figured out, even after investigating the problem," Daerdan added as he moved closer to the table and map.

  Sebastian considered the idea of magic capable of interfering with something like the Kardorians' communication apparatus and wondered how the Dark One's warlocks could have known to create spells just to keep them from alerting the other forts and Interus. It reminded him of New Harbor's runes that had trapped his portals. The idea of them being connected in any way seemed farfetched until he realized that the Dark One had sent men to the city to incite sedition. There were warlocks among them and he knew that first hand, so perhaps it wasn't as unbelievable as he had first thought.

  "I can bring you to Tenalin or go on ahead to check it out first hand,"
the owl mage offered.

  Duke Cerrus looked at him appraisingly before saying, "But this isn't your fight, young man."

  Shaking his head, Sebastian retorted, "If it is the Dark One's armies; that is our fight as well. Kardor and Southwall are allies after all, besides this is Ashleen's home too. I wouldn't be able to step aside and not protect her people when I can."

  The duke listened to him and after a moment's thought, he glanced to his son and said, "Take Daerdan with you, but try and keep him safe. If you can find out what we face before we try to send reinforcements, it would certainly be appreciated, Owl Sebastian."

  Nodding to his friends, the mage opened the door with a single word. Elzen took point just in case before the other three followed the mage. Taking up the rear, Sebastian closed the portal behind him.

  As his eyes adjusted to the sight of a stone wall only a few feet ahead of him, Sebastian noticed blowing snow striking him even in the shelter of the courtyard where his lodestones had been placed. He had yet to create the rune activated frames in Kardor. The mage had been too busy either teaching in the two main cities or seeding the forts with his lodestones to make his gates available.

  Other stones had been sent out by the duke and king by horse, but with winter snow often remaining as an obstacle fewer of those had made it to their goals so far.

  Seeing his team being pelted by snow, Sebastian wondered if the battle had come with the unfortunate timing of a blizzard as well. Soldiers were already speaking to Daerdan and Ashleen by the time the owl crossed the short distance to where an officer was trying to answer the young lord's questions.

  "Wind riders spotted out a large force setting up across the river after our gate wizards noticed several large portals opening up over there. It looks like an invasion force, my lord," the man in frost coated armor told the young man.