Hemlock And The Dread Sorceress (Book 3)

by B Throwsnaill

  “I don’t know. I’m focused on DuLoc. We can worry about everything else when the time comes.”

  “I do love the City. And I…care…for you. If DuLoc is your enemy, I will fight at your side against him. But you have to accept what I am now. I’m not the same man I was before we fought in the desert. Part of me has been consumed by darkness and will never be the same. Some of my abilities are no longer available to me. Whether they will return is anyone’s guess.”

  “Maybe there’s a way to…”

  Falignus engaged her with a smoldering stare. “There’s no way back from this path. My father and his line spent a generation searching for a way to avoid paying the price of dark magic, but found nothing. You will have to accept me as I am. Can you do that?”

  “Yes,” said Hemlock, feeling troubled, but remaining undeterred in her certainty she needed his help.

  “Then it’s decided,” said Falignus, pausing as something on the ground caught his eye. After a time, he pointed to a fragment of slate on the ground. It was only a foot wide, but it still bore the chalk writing that Tored had seen in the room with the cup.

  “I am feeling a bit weak. Can someone retrieve that flat stone for me?” said Falignus.

  Hemlock picked it up and puzzled at the strange writing. She knew of numbers, but had never seen them written amongst odd symbols like these. She looked at Tored as he approached.

  “This is a part of a great wall of writing that surrounded the magical cup I destroyed in the Sorceress’ stronghold,” he said.

  “Is that right? Please bring it here,” said Falignus.

  Tored grabbed Hemlock’s arm as she made to walk toward Falignus. She answered the questioning look he gave her by nodding and breaking free. She gave the piece of slate to Falignus.

  “What is it? Is it magic?” she asked.

  Falignus examined the writing for a full minute before responding. “In a sense, it is. But where magic bends the laws of the universe, these numbers attempt to describe the laws.”

  “Like the Imperial magic?”

  “No, this is different. If I am reading this fragment correctly, the Sorceress was exploring the nature of reality. Tored, can you describe exactly what you saw in the room with the cup?”

  “Hemlock, are you sure you can entrust him with this information? His loyalty is not yet clear,” said Tored.

  Hemlock shot Tored an annoyed look.

  “Fine,” said Tored, describing the room and what he had done to destroy the cup.

  “So, there was an hourglass and then another embedded in this pedestal?” said Falignus.

  “Yes.”

  “Fascinating. I believe the Sorceress was experimenting with the nature of time. It sounds like she was able to measure the relative passage of time at the different layers of the multiverse by teleporting the hourglass then comparing the passage of sand between the mounted one and the returned one. I wish I had realized she was engaged in important research. I might have tried to spare her life.”

  “If she was so smart, why was she so cruel to the people of Ogrun? She behaved like a ruffian. Look at her drawings,” said Hemlock, pointing to the obscene graffiti that covered the interior of the courtyard.

  “It is a mystery, but I have a suspicion. I was able to detect an air of fatalistic despair about her. I think she figured out this world is just an echo of the City, and that she herself was just an echo of something greater. As she discovered the multitude of worlds out there, it must have driven her mad,” said Falignus.

  “She didn’t care about anyone. But how could she see the same things I do and draw such a different conclusion. Every bit of the worlds, and the fire that links them, speaks of my father and his vision. She understood it and decided to destroy instead of heal. I don’t get it.”

  “But the Red Mage is your father, Hemlock. The Sorceress probably considered herself a god until she learned her true place in this existence. Perhaps I, more than anyone, can sympathize with her. How do you think it feels to be descended from a line that contravenes what appear to be the basic laws of existence? It makes you feel like an outcast, and it makes you resent the higher order that seems to be pressuring you to adhere to its laws. It makes you feel rebellious. Maybe this was what drove her.”

  “It’s troubling. Don’t you…I mean…you realize that there’s always time to change, right? My father’s vision was for everyone to be purified. That’s what this existence is all about.”

  “But who understands it? What are the rules?”

  “It’s all been lost. That’s what I’m trying to rebuild.”

  “Really? And when did you come to this realization?”

  “It’s been gradual.”

  “So, what are you? Some sort of self-styled messiah?”

  “You make it sound so arrogant. Remember, I was just another girl from the Warrens. I never asked for this. But it seems to be my destiny, and I’m not shying away from it now.”

  “So, I’m to follow in your messianic footsteps while you purify the world? I get to clean up the mess while you do whatever you see fit under the guise of destiny? Tored, are you actually buying into this?”

  “The reasons I follow Hemlock are my own,” said Tored.

  There were several moments of uneasy silence.

  Hemlock had a sudden recollection. “The Sorceress mentioned something else. She asked me whether I’ve seen the sea beyond time and space. In fact, she asked me twice. I wonder what she meant by that?”

  “A sea? Strange,” said Falignus.

  “What?”

  “Many of my prescient visions included images of a great sea populated with strange towers. But I could never connect those images with anything in our realm. They’ve always been a mystery to me.”

  Hemlock now wished as much as Falignus said he did that the Sorceress still lived. She had many questions, but knew neither Falignus, nor Tored, had the answers.

  “Please have someone gather those fragments,” said Falignus. “Is there somewhere I could rest?”

  “We will return to my mother’s home,” said Hemlock.

  Falignus looked curious, for Hemlock hadn’t mentioned her mother to him, but he didn’t ask any more questions. He simply nodded.

  Hemlock and Tored lifted Falignus and each placed one of his arms over their shoulders. Then they began the long walk back to Hemlock’s childhood home.

  They exited the courtyard and walked down the mountain path. When they reached the outskirts of Ogrun, they saw Tiffan and the man who Hemlock judged was her husband, Canthos, waiting for them. Both looked quite agitated when they saw Falignus.

  “It will take longer, but we should skirt the City,” said Hemlock. Then she remembered Tored’s shoulder injury. “How is your shoulder, Tored?”

  “It is fine. I was able to reset it,” said Tored. He was supporting Falignus with his uninjured shoulder, so while she suspected that he was still in pain, it seemed reasonable to Hemlock that he’d be able to endure the walk.

  They started to turn to the right, but Hemlock realized they would have to cross the river at some point. Tiffan and Canthos waited at the closest bridge in front of them. There were more distant bridges, but it seemed pointless to go out of their way to avoid the two townsfolk.

  “Let’s see what they want,” said Hemlock.

  When they reached the edge of the bridge, Canthos took a step forward. He was a handsome man with a stalwart appearance, though his bearing didn’t suggest a life of labor.

  “We don’t want the Shadow Man in Ogrun,” he said.

  “That’s fine. We’ll go around the town. We’re returning to my mother’s house in yonder woods,” said Hemlock.

  “He looks like a man again,” said Tiffan. “Was he under some kind of spell from the Sorceress?”

  “Something like that,” said Hemlock.

  “We should let them pass, Canthos. He’s wounded and their walk will be difficult. Let’s fetch a cart for them,” said Tiffan.

>   Canthos looked skeptical. “Things aren’t always what they appear to be, Tiffan. I think we’re safer if they stay out of Ogrun. But I see no reason not to give them a cart.”

  “That would be great. Thank you,” said Hemlock.

  Canthos jogged back into the town, though he appeared to be favoring one leg.

  “Esmeralda wants to say goodbye to you,” said Tiffan, eyeing Falignus warily. “Do you think it’s safe?”

  “Yes, it’s safe,” said Hemlock.

  “Alright. Canthos will never allow it, so I’ll tell her to meet you at the edge of the town as you walk. I don’t understand what you are doing with…him, but I trust you have good intentions. Please, just keep him away from us.”

  “We’ll be taking him far away from Ogrun. Don’t worry about it,” said Hemlock.

  Canthos soon returned with a small cart. They loaded Falignus into it, and Hemlock and Tored each grabbed one side of the bar on the front. After they exchanged another goodbye with Tiffan, they set off. But after a moment Hemlock stopped suddenly.

  Turning back to Tiffan and Canthos, she said, “I’m not mad about the burden you tried to place on me back there—but I don’t think it was right. After everything that Sorceress put you through, you should have accepted the duty of killing her yourselves. You need to think about that. There will be other threats to Ogrun, and I may never return. You need to learn to defend yourselves or you will end up under the heel of the next tyrant that comes along. Start a militia and learn to fight. You can’t remain free if you don’t accept that responsibility.”

  Canthos and Tiffan both nodded, and two great screeches rang out from overhead. Hemlock looked up and saw two wyverns wheeling above the couple. The pair both raised an arm and the wyverns descended and landed beside them. They waved and smiled and the wyverns screeched again. Hemlock got the impression the beasts were screeching their thanks as well, though she wasn’t sure what informed her opinion other than a hunch.

  Pulling the cart was nearly as much work as walking with Falignus, though it did go faster and was far easier on the weakened wizard. When they reached the halfway point of their journey and were nearing the edge of Ogrun, Hemlock saw Esmeralda running toward them along with a small wyvern.

  They set the cart down as the girl reached them. Esmeralda ran up to Hemlock and hugged her then did the same to Tored.

  “I want to come with you!” said the girl.

  “What? Are you kidding? Your parents would be devastated! Your place is here, Esmeralda,” said Hemlock.

  The girl looked despondent. “But I could go with you for a few weeks then come back. I want to have more adventures with you! I can learn to defeat sorcery like you do. Then I can protect Ogrun!”

  Hemlock smiled and held the girl’s hand. “I was like you when I was younger. I left my family to seek adventure. One thing I learned is you can never get back home once you leave. You may return, but it will never be the same. Take my word for it—stay here and grow into adulthood with your parents. Then you can decide what to do. Alright?”

  Esmeralda was tearing up, but she nodded affirmatively.

  “Now, run off before your father discovers where you are!”

  “Alright,” Esmeralda said. The thought of her father seemed to break the girl’s melancholy mood, and she dashed off yelling, “Goodbye! Thank you!” as she ran.

  Soon they reached the edge of the forest, and Hemlock turned back to regard Ogrun a final time. Though it was dark, she could still see the towers, and was able to imagine a future Ogrun healed from the blight the Sorceress had inflicted on it.

  Hemlock located the trail that led to her mother’s home and they were soon surrounded by trees and a gentle symphony of nocturnal insects. Falignus’ breathing turned shallow and regular, and Hemlock knew he had fallen asleep despite the rough ride he was getting due to the uneven surface of the path.

  “Have you considered how the wizard council will react to him?” said Tored.

  “Badly, I’m sure. We’ll keep him away from the Wizard Tower. He will stay with us in the Warrens.”

  Tored didn’t respond, so Hemlock turned toward him and saw a scowl on his face before he was able to conceal it.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll find room somehow. And he’ll surely move on once he regains his strength,” she added half-heartedly. An image of Falignus’ abdominal muscles came to her mind, suddenly. She remembered how his white linen bedding had elegantly draped his midsection when they had lain together on that not-so-distant evening that now seemed like a lifetime ago.

  “And what will keep him away from the wizards, then?” said Tored.

  “I will. By then we should be fighting DuLoc. Once that’s over, maybe Falignus can find another world to live on. Or maybe he and the wizards will make friends again.”

  “And what of his ambitions? People don’t change overnight, Hemlock. I know he’s been through a lot, but I suspect the man will return to form once he is restored and rested.”

  “He’ll never be the same, Tored. He said it himself. He’ll have to figure out how to live with himself and with others.”

  A half hour later, they reached the clearing where they originally landed and left the griffin to rest. Penelope was back in the same resting place, and Mercuria knelt beside her, stroking her coat gently.

  “Hemlock!” said Mercuria, rising to meet them.

  Hemlock embraced her sister then noticed the griffin. Sections of her fur were blackened and patchy around her head and front paws. But she was sleeping and appeared to be comfortable.

  “How bad is Penelope?” said Hemlock.

  “She was in bad shape when she got back here. I’m surprised she was able to fly. But I helped her, and she will be alright. It’s just a matter of rest, now.”

  “I know this probably sounds insensitive, but when will she be able to travel?”

  “Hemlock, you have to let her rest. Remember how difficult the passage was for her.”

  “And now we have one more,” said Hemlock, pointing to the cart.

  Mercuria’s features darkened as she peered over the side of that cart at the slumbering form resting within. “So, you did it,” she said.

  “Yes. And now we need to return to the City as soon as possible. We have to make sure DuLoc hasn’t returned already.”

  “Can’t you tell that with your powers?”

  “No, I can’t detect people like I can in the observatory. Not yet, anyway.”

  Mercuria looked uncomfortable. “Well, we should go back to Mother’s house and let her know you’re safe.”

  “Alright,” said Hemlock, giving Mercuria an inquisitive look.

  Mercuria looked chagrined then spoke. “I wanted to wait until we got back to Mother’s, but I guess I can’t keep a secret. I’ve decided to stay here, Hemlock.”

  Hemlock felt a spectrum of emotions rising as she inspected the simultaneously conciliatory and appraising expression on her sister’s face. On one hand, she felt upset and betrayed because her sister had been with her for all her life. But there was relief also. If war was coming to the City, having her sister out of harm’s way would simplify things. Then a dark thought entered her mind.

  What if DuLoc has the same abilities I do? What if he knows Mercuria is here and kills her while I’m in the City?

  But she remembered that she could only sense certain people with significant bloodlines in the observatory. And her sister didn’t share her unique paternal heritage.

  “That’s fine Mercuria—perhaps it’s for the best. If DuLoc attacks the City, I’d rather you be as far away from it as possible.”

  “You’re not upset?”

  “Of course I’m upset! But I realize it will also keep you safe. And we can reunite after the battle. I’m sure Mother is ecstatic. At least you can keep an eye on her, and Ogrun. I’m fond of the place after all of these years.”

  They decided to let the griffin rest and returned to Hemlock’s mother’s home. Once there, they unload
ed Falignus and brought him into the house to rest. This displaced Hemlock from her old room, so she slept on the sofa in the common room since Tored insisted on sleeping on the floor. Hemlock and he agreed to sleep in shifts to keep an eye on Falignus during the night, but Hemlock doubted whether the old warrior slept at all.

  Hemlock was restless, too. The delay caused by the recovering griffin was a great concern to her. Now that she’d accomplished her goal of recovering Falignus, the risks of her choice had come to roost in her mind. She thought of Gwineval and Merit, and hoped her decision hadn’t compromised their safety.

  There was no clear transition, but at some point her awareness of the dark chill of the common room gave way to the sensation of sand underfoot and the undulations of a massive sea. Waves broke on the beach she now stood upon with regularity, and the accompanying sound soothed her. But her comfortable feeling was interrupted when she noticed clouds rolling in at supernatural speed and obscuring the light of three suns.

  Next, a fog rolled in and hung heavily over the surrounding sea, replacing the peaceful blue of the horizon with a hazy gray. And something loomed in the fog. Something she hadn’t seen—that hadn’t been there mere moments ago. And it was massive. A slender, tall form rendered insubstantial by the surrounding fog. It was easily ten times higher than the Wizard Tower. She noticed a wide shadow now fell on the beach.

  Her instinct was to run, but something about the form in the dark fog mesmerized her. There was a sense of danger, but it mingled with the promise of enlightenment.

  A gust of wind howled from her right, and the fog began to clear. The tall tower—for it was revealed to be a tower by the clearing fog—had the surface qualities of a natural stone peak, yet was clearly shaped by a guiding hand. It was covered by cascading water that poured from thousands of holes and gulleys along its surface. The water fell into a myriad of extending basins and also seeped into drainage holes that returned it to the interior of the structure. It was huge and imposing, created by a power she couldn’t comprehend―and it frightened her. She turned to run, but then the scene changed.

  She stood in the ruins of a house nestled in a valley high in a mountain range. Smoke rose from a recent fire that appeared to have destroyed nearly everything inside the structure, but a broad backed man knelt over something on the floor that was obscured from view by his bulk. Hemlock felt curious—something about the man was familiar. She approached him from the side, walking carefully through the debris.