They sat in silence while they waited for the return of the other four. Freedic called and dismissed a sword over and over as if it was a muscle he flexed. Helien did something similar, but slightly more involved. He would set a digit on fire, put it out, and then set fire to the next. The smell of burnt hair was unpleasant, but it was better than Helien if he wasn't entertained.
Vyra and Ruephen returned after only a few minutes. She had a smile on her face, but her eyes told a different story. Ruephen, on the other hand, wore a straight face, but it was clear that he had to work to hold that expression. They took seats nearby, and Rueuphen began to gush over how talented Vyra was and how fast she learned. She forced an embarrassed blush and shy smile, but in her eyes, Forec saw her annoyance. Either Ruephen didn't notice or didn't care about her reaction. He continued to talk about her many accomplishments and his pride in her.
Mauvia and Ausa came in last. Mauvia sat right beside Forec and Ausa walked to the corner of the room, as far from Helien as was possible. She was a strange one, even amongst mages. She rarely spoke, and when she did, it was meek and apologetic. When she learned about the group of mages training to fight, she forced herself in without any hesitation. Forec wasn’t sure how she had found out about them but allowed her to join. He had expected her to leave after she saw what they did. It wasn't long after that he learned what was beneath her calm facade though. She was as close to a demon as Helien was. Maybe worse.
“Shall we?” Forec asked.
“Shall we what?” Vyra asked.
“Oh, right,” he said. “Another rift has opened. The High Mage will be calling for us any minute.”
"Then we're waiting to be called?"
"We're going to her chamber," Mauvia answered.
"Oh, right," Vyra lowered her head. Her eyes screamed in rage.
"Then shall we go?" Forec said as he stood up.
There was a buzz of activity outside of the High Mage’s chamber. The two guards blocked off the hall with their staffs crossed. An angry group of mages jostled around the hallway much to the aggravation of both the guards and Forec. The two guards began to bark orders that were impossible to hear over the mages. Forec saw the starts of something ugly in the crowd and didn't like it. Before Forec could open his mouth, Mauvia had already started. An orb of light drifted over the group of mages, then grew brighter. The hall quieted. She began to shout orders, and the mages began to scramble away as quickly as they could.
The hall was soon clear save for a few stragglers and the two guards.
"The High Mage did not call for you," one of the guards said.
"Would you like me to bring back the crowd?" Mauvia asked.
"Just threaten him with violence. It works better," Forec said.
"No one is allowed to pass," the guard repeated.
Mauvia blasted him in the chest with a burst of air. He flew backward, into the back wall and slid down it. The lifeless body slumped to the side.
"She's not as friendly as I am," Forec said.
The second guard stood aside and allowed Forec and his squad to pass by. Forec opened the door to the High Mage’s chamber, where she sat across from Kura'Gasa and Ters.
"Ah, just as I expected," the High Mage said. "Come, join us."
Ters turned in his chair and looked over his shoulder. “You’re being sent to Quisen. Another rift opened in the Warring Kingdoms. Worse this time,” he said. “An army of the elves appeared and has started moving. King Pharris has requested assistance from you specifically, Forec.
“He’s right. I’ll spare you the details,” Insmith said. “Ters, go ahead.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Chapter 15
Freedic listened as High Leader Sepherance shouted orders to the fifty or so men. Sepherance said very little of substance despite the strings of words. His shouts were interrupted by a series of messengers who would whisper to the High Leader. He would whisper something back, and then the messenger would run out of the meeting hall. They would then relay a message who whoever else. From what Freedic had managed to hear, the messages were from scouts near the broken border wall.
Forec had allowed him to take control of the squad of mages. It was a shock, but he took the opportunity as quickly as it was offered. Of course, it included meetings like this where he had to listen to an idiot with no experience spout whatever nonsense he wanted. Maybe it made sense why Forec had allowed him the position.
As the meeting came to an end, Freedic still hadn’t gotten any instruction. The High Leader walked over to him and smiled. They waited for the room to clear. Sepherance held his shoulder until the last of them cleared.
“You are the one the mages sent to me?” High Leader Sepherance asked.
“Yes, sir,”
“But you were once a ranger of Auverance, is that right?” Sepherance asked.
“Yes,”
“There are some things your mages will need to hear,” he said. “Bring them to me, and we will discuss your role in this upcoming campaign.”
Freedic shouted for the mages and not long after they walked into the meeting hall. Sepherance greeted each of them with respect and reverence. It was strange, but Freedic tried not to think much of it. Many people saw the mages as superior. It was likely Sepherance was one of them. When Sepherance had greeted all of them, he cleared his throat and began.
“I’m sure you are aware of our situation to the west,” he said. “We’ve estimated their numbers to be over twenty thousand.”
“Twenty thousand?” Freedic asked. “What is the count of your army?”
“Mine?” Sepherance asked. “Approximately one hundred thousand. The entire force of Auverance’s standing military is around four hundred thousand.”
“Then what’s the issue?” Freedic asked.
“How many of them did it take to enter the city? Five hundred?” Sepherance said. “And from what the King’s Hand has told me, they weren’t even soldiers.”
“You’re expecting this to go poorly,” Forec said. “We’re here to help bail you out, then?”
“Yes,” he said. “We’re trying to force them through a pass in the mountains, where we believe we’ll stand the best chance against them.”
“And at the pass, you’ll want mages to do the brunt of the work,” Forec said.
“You’ve already proved your effectiveness,” Freedic said. “Where his soldiers failed against elves that weren’t even soldiers.”
“Exactly,” Sepherance said.
“Fine, what will you have us do?” Forec asked.
“March with us to the pass,” he said. “Whatever you require will be provided for you.”
“How much autonomy will you allow us?” Freedic asked. “Will we be forced under your orders?”
“As much as you need,” Sepherance said. “Just try not to kill my men, please.”
“Under High Mage Insmith Crissing’s orders, we will assist you,” Forec said. “We’ll need rations and a list of all talents within your army.”
“A list of talents?” Sepherance asked. “I suppose--”
“We’ll be taking them,” Forec said. “We may need the help. We’ll have them sent to Krux Aev’then after.”
“I suppose you don’t leave me with many options,” Sepherance said. “Your terms are accepted. Ranger, a moment of your time, if you could.”
Freedic lingered as the rest exited the room.
“How long were you a Ranger?” he asked.
“Around five years,” Freedic said. “But I have no loyalties to Auverance. This country can burn for all I care.”
“Perfect,” Sepherance said. “I need you to examine as many squads as you can. Find the weakest amongst them.”
“Do you want me to train them?”
“No, just report them to me,” Sepherance said.
“But why?” he asked. “If not to train them, then what is it?”
“We need to know who’s going first in the pass,” Sepherance said. “I’d r
ather not waste my best men.”
“You’re asking me to choose who’s going to die,” Freedic said.
“No,” Sepherance said, “I’m asking you to choose who will die first.”
Forec stepped out of the darkness of the meeting hall and into the warmth and light of Quisen. He and the mages returned to the sitting area outside. Vyra sat on one of the white stone benches with her eyes closed, head propped up on her hand. The mages took seats on the benches around her. Forec leaned against a pillar, carved from the same white stone as the benches.
Freedic stepped out from the room and rejoined the group and stared into the distance. Fantastic, both talents were now vacant, Forec thought. Freedic, at least, didn’t conceal how he felt. The look on his face was evident. Dread. Mauvia and Ruephen seemed to notice but said nothing. Ausa sat on the ground with her knees before her face. Helien burned his fingers and toes, much to the amusement of Vyra.
They sat in relative peace, save for the laughter from Helien and the occasional crackle from his skin. Forec knew the list of talents would be soon be delivered. He assumed if he waited nearby, it would hurry the process some. But Sepherance hadn’t as much as peaked his head out of the door.
Minutes passed and Sepherance still hadn’t left the meeting hall. Forec decided he had waited long enough. He walked over and shoved the door open. The High Leader sat on the floor in the far corner. He rocked with his knees tucked under his chin. His hands shook, and his mouth moved, but he said nothing. His head snapped to Forec a few seconds after the door had opened. Fear filled his eyes.
“I’m not an idiot, you know,” Sepherance said, still sat on the floor. “I’m not a true leader. The captains do that. I just make sure their pay is on time.”
“I need the list, still,” Forec said.
“It’s on the way. Had to request it from the captains,” he said. “Your Ranger, did he tell you yet?”
“He wasn’t very talkative,”
“I asked him to evaluate as many squads as possible,” the High Leader said as he pushed himself to his feet. “Find the weakest ones. My grand strategy is to stuff the pass full of them to tire the elves. Then the best fighters will pinch them from the sides as the pass opens.”
“That’s far from the worst idea I’ve heard, High Leader,” Forec admitted. “But have you considered the place of the orcs?”
“Not at all!” he laughed. “The orcs, what to do with them? Allow them to do whatever they wish, I suppose.”
“You have no orders for my mages and no plans for the orcs,” Forec said. “I suppose you can see the glaring issues that are presenting themselves.”
“I see them, yes. But as for what I can do about it,” Sepherance shrugged. “I’ve never led men into combat, mage. For the past twenty years, my job has been to eat and drink.”
“Get the list of the talents now,” Forec said. “I’ll make sure that Freedic completes the job you’ve given him.”
Forec stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him, disgusted with the High Leader. Sepherance was pathetic, but he knew he was, most people couldn’t say that much. To be that pathetic took a toll on a person and obviously had on Sepherance. There was little room for Forec to feel pity for him, though he was nothing if not pitiable.
Forec rejoined the group who still sat in peace. He sat on the same bench as Mauvia, her on one edge and him on the other. Freedic stared still, but it was understandable now. Vyra stood and walked from where she had sat beside Helien and took the small gap between Forec and Mauvia. He had noticed how strange her behavior had become, but this was bizarre even for her. Not to mention uncomfortable for two of the three of them. Vyra reached into her shirt and pulled out folded papers and handed them to Forec.
“I got the list of talents,” she said.
“How in the world-”
“Don’t ask,” Mauvia said. “The little psycho said she wanted to practice.”
Vyra smiled at him then stood and walked back to her seat beside Helien. She watched again as the mage set different body parts on fire.
After some hours passed, Freedic started to come to, and conversations began. It was another tragedy, in Forec’s opinion. He read through the list of names and found only that. Only names, no reference to where they could be found or even what their talent was. He knew that he should have expected as much, but he was still annoyed. There were well over a thousand names on the list. He tucked the papers into the pocket in his robe and sighed.
There were too many names for him to cover alone. Even if all five mages tracked them down, they would barely scratch the surface. He grumbled and continued to mull over the possibilities. The others were too steeped in their conversations to interrupt. He threw his head back, closed his eyes, and waited.
Sepherance stepped out of the room, now calm and composed, and approached Forec. A flurry of men swarmed around him as he crossed the small courtyard. He dealt with each one before they scurried off. It was a near constant stream of people as soon as the High Leader stepped from the meeting chamber. There were more people than Forec would have wanted to ever deal with. By the time Sepherance managed to free himself from the stream of uniformed men and reach the area where the mages sat, the stress was visible on his face.
He gestured for Forec to join him away from the group. Forec agreed and began to walk with the High Leader. They walked in silence for some time, before they entered a small public garden. He led Forec into a small gazebo and sat on a bench of intricately carved wood, then gestured for Forec to sit. The High Leader closed his eyes and took deep, forced breaths. Forec sat and watched as he continued to take the breaths.
“We’re sending the order to begin the march now,” High Leader Sepherance said. “It’ll be around forty days before we reach the pass.”
“Is there something you need from me?” Forec asked.
“No, of course not,” Sepherance said. “I merely wanted to know if you would need more time. If forty days isn’t enough, we can-”
“Just get there as quickly as possible,” Forec said. “We’re following you, High Leader.” Thousands of men were going to die because of this idiot, he thought.
“Ah. Yes. Of course,” Sepherance said. “As you know, if there’s anything I can do for you, do not hesitate.”
“Is there anything else?”
“Yes, well,” he said as he rubbed the side of his face. “Some of the men are nervous about your involvement in this.”
“We’ll make sure our presence is barely noticed,” Forec said. “I make no promises about the safety of you men. If we’re fucked with, we’ll respond.”
Forec stood and left the High Leader to deal with himself. The High Leader was clearly out of his element, but his behavior bordered on an embarrassment. He hoped that the soldiers under him were competent enough to fill whatever roles they held but had little confidence in them. There had been peace for too long. The soldiers had barely trained in combat. Now they were about to march out to war. They hadn’t even seen what it was like to fight. Then again, he thought, no mage had seen combat or war, and he had done fine. Maybe they would adapt as well as he had.
As he walked through Quisen to rejoin the mages, the little faith he had in the soldiers was dashed. Men ran through the streets in all directions. They slammed into each other in the chaos. No one took control of the situation, but plenty stood on the sides and watched it. They redirected men who approached them to another. The men they redirected the men to would then redirect them again.
It was pathetic to watch. So many men who had climbed to powerful positions, yet none of them behaved as if they were capable. He understood them well enough. It was a burden, but for them, it was a burden they worked for. Nothing like himself, he was appointed, forced into the position by the High Mage. He didn’t try to pretend he had earned or even deserved the position. He had given Freedic the responsibility to lead the mages as soon as he could. If it were possible, he would have done the same with hi
s position as a Council Mage.
Vyra stood up as he as approached. She walked over and met him well before he reached the mages.
“I have an idea,” Vyra said.
“I’m sure you’re going to share,” he said. “Go ahead.”
“Send me ahead and let me scout the elves,” she said excitedly. “They won’t be able to see me, and I’ll be able to get a count of what we’re facing.”
“You want to go alone to spy on the elves,” Forec said, “so you can count how many there are.”
“And provide additional intelligence,” she said. “It’s better than having me do nothing as we walk to a mountain, where I will also be doing nothing.”
“Insmith will hang me by my feet outside of Krux Aev’then if you die,” Forec said. “You know what kind of position you’re putting me in, don’t you?”
“It won’t be my problem, will it?” Vyra asked. “But I’ll try my best not to get killed.”
“Do you have supplies?” he asked. It would be easier just to let her go than to fight her the entire time they marched. “Food, water, clothes?”
“I can steal food and water and have a pack of extra clothes,” she said with a wide grin. “So you’ll let me go?”
“Tell me when you’re ready,”
As their conversation came to an end, the march out of Quisen began. No one had told them, of course. Nor had they told many of the soldiers who scrambled to join the exodus from the city. Thousands of citizens gathered to see the soldiers off. They cheered and clapped as if it were a party. As far as they knew the soldiers went to beat back the foreign enemy that had attacked then some weeks ago.
After only a few hours, Forec had made up mind on the march. It was an intensely dull activity that he loathed. You would walk in a crowded group until you were told to stop, only to start up again some minutes later. He managed to look over the list of names as they walked, at least. He even had the opportunity to ask the men underneath Sepherance—captains— about the individuals he looked for. Most of the captains were nothing like the High Leader in how they felt toward mages, nor were they shy about them. Most of them feared the mages. Forec could accept that. But many among them hated him. It was difficult to work with someone who hated you. It made the already dreadful march that much worse.
Homecoming (Homecoming Chonicles Book 1) Page 12
