“You have lived in Mar’kal for quite some time, haven’t you, Fa’Malaketh? With your unique perspective on our city, what do you think?”
Barely containing a need to squirm in his chair at the description that so closely resembled his reason for being in Mar’kal, Malaketh managed a grim smile as he answered, “Mar’kal has hidden itself in the Dragon Spine for a long time and is just beginning to build stronger bridges with its allies among men. It would be a shame if this thief destroyed your faith in men, but the Dark One has tainted men and monsters both.
“We need to be careful, of course, but still be welcoming or Mar’kal will find itself alone. It is that fine line between vigilance and suspicion that we need to find.”
“Wisely said, Fa’Malaketh,” Theress nodded as he picked up his pipe and tamped in some merlac, the plant of choice in the north. A flame created by magic reminded Malaketh that this was also a wizard, even if he was an old one. His physical appearance aside, Ambassador Theress was still a powerful wizard if his aura was to be believed.
Malaketh excused himself shortly after still wondering at his next move, but it would have to wait until morning without the trackers available for the night.
Chapter 26- Quicksand
Clouds held the day in gray as the first round of the Winter’s Edge tournament began. Cheleya followed the crowd loosely surrounded by her group. Elenek blended into the crowd behind them keeping an eye out for her pursuers while Lystheir spent another morning shadowing the girl. Aside from those they were protecting her from, the little dragoness found that she could actually enjoy herself.
The crowds were in luck as well. Instead of the long walk to the western gates and then to the fields north of the outer wall, the king had authorized his wizards to create a new north gate. The northern part of the inner city had come alive with vendors along the main paths hawking their wares. In an area considered lower class due to its position deep in the city away from the main gates, it was a boost to the local economy and residents were taking advantage of their unusual booming traffic.
While there was a new opening, it was still conservative. At about eight feet high and twelve wide, she could see that the wizards had made sure that it would be easy to seal after the need was gone in a week. The pretty blond also was doing a lot of people watching as well. Unlike Elenek, Cheleya was simply looking at the strange array of humans around her. Her time in Televal had given the dragoness a sample of the northerners, and her walk through the capitol city had shown her even more. It was a revelation as she looked at the faces and fashions, even as covered as they could be with their winter gear.
Cheleya received her own looks in return and many smiles. She was dressed in the blouse with the loose sleeves that was short enough to bare her stomach above a skirt that billowed in the breeze touching the tops of her knees. Her mood was different from the day she had created them and the girl had colored her top a warm red and the skirt was a brown slightly lighter than her leather boots now. The heavy leather cloak hung along her back doing little to keep her warm, which was much of why the pretty girl received some stares. Such a petite little girl tended to be cold and bundled up on days like this, but Cheleya felt little of the winter chill and simply smiled at those who peered at her.
North of the gate, the crowd dispersed as many had friends and favorites to follow to their individual matches. With only three of the ten arenas set inside the city behind black Castle Grimnal; that meant there were seven separate places to watch the wizards. One of the arenas sat below the cliffs in the North Sea where water wizards could use their magic to epic levels. Another used the cliff’s edge to channel strong winds or manipulate earth. The remainder of the duel fields were spread along the plain with large spaces of brown grass between the stands for viewing each match.
“The Colonnades,” Tilana spoke the word of her arena almost too quietly for Cheleya to hear where she walked to the side of the wizard. With a simple uttered name, the woman’s trepidation came through her voice.
Cheleya looked at the field judging the tools that the creators had placed for a wizard to use. Two twenty foot battle circles rested a little over a hundred feet from each other with a deep pool of water exactly midway between them. Six tall columns surrounded the two circles with four more lying on the ground like benches around the pool. Bleachers for spectators sat back from the field on either side of the center. They would be protected by a half dozen wizards to prevent any of the duelers’ spells from accidentally catching the audience should such a problem occur.
While going through a meeting to select the order of their battles, Tilana said that she had been surprised by the simplistic grouping of magic types. Water and earth dominated the entries here, though a pair of fire wizards, a Tolmonan that she believed knew earth magic and one of the elven men from Eirdhen rounded out a total of twenty four. Tilana had drawn the second match of the morning, but the group had decided to catch the first as well.
For Cheleya, getting up early to see the duel meant getting out of the city. While she had been amazed at the difference in the feel of Hala as compared to Mar’kal or even the much smaller Televal, the crowds and relatively tight streets were beginning to feel oppressive in their constriction. There was a risk that the trackers might discover the dragoness away from the city if they decided to watch the crowds coming through the gateway, but Cheleya was feeling equally oppressed from being hunted. With her father and the others for support, she almost wished to run into Malaketh and settle things, even though the dragon mage knew that it wouldn’t truly settle anything.
If she killed or drove away those seeking her now, the council of Mar’kal would only send more trackers to hunt her and Kel’lor. While the mar’goyn’lya might be believed dead by their hunters as well, eventually news of his life being saved would come out and he would be on the run once more. Cheleya felt sadness for dragging her good friend into her troubles, even if they weren’t truly of her making. Now she had brought her father and new friends into her problems, and the dragoness wondered where it would all end.
Her momentary distraction ended as she moved from her own worries to Tilana’s. “You aren’t afraid, are you, Tilana?” she asked softly and sincerely. “There will be wizards to protect you as well as the crowd, so nothing bad should be able to happen.”
Presenting a weak smile, the wizard shook her head replying, “I am not afraid of dying in a wizard’s duel, but I haven’t trained for one in more years than I care to admit.”
Colbie grunted in disbelief as she shook her head and said, “You talk like you’re some old maid, Tilana. You’re not even twenty five yet. If you’re old, then Orlerin is ancient.”
“I’m twenty six!” the man mentioned cried out in indignation. “Don’t make me an old man before my time.”
Saluting sarcastically, she replied, “Yes, sir!”
Tilana laughed as if the two were comedians, but Cheleya could tell that the sound was simply a releasing of tension. The others joined her with smiles or small laughs as well letting her worries rest for now.
Taking seats in the stands on the east side let them put the breezes coming in from the cliff side at their backs. Cool winter winds wouldn’t strike their faces as often when they looked this way while they tried to ignore the cold as the group settled in to witness the first match.
People were still finding their seats in the bleachers or places to stand outside the roped off arena, when a wizard dressed in black with silver striping strode into the center of the field. A man dressed in the brown of an earth wizard and middle aged woman wearing water wizard blue took position in opposing battle circles.
Cheleya could feel the diplomat wizard’s brief casting even while she watched him prepare. When his voice boomed out of his mouth, she knew that he had used a spell to magnify his sound.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our first duel is between Deris Halliman representing Hala,” the wizard had to pause as most of the people surrounding t
he field cheered quite loudly for the local wizard. Though few probably knew him as wizards tended to stick near their own, they were enjoying a chance to cheer someone representing their home.
Deris was the earth wizard.
“Representing Marianis, Isalene Arian,” the wizard said of the dark haired wizard in blue. The woman looked decades older than the blond haired earth wizard, but she also appeared quite confident as she stared the younger man down waiting to use her magic.
“She looks unpleasant,” Evantus stated as he leaned onto his fists while both elbows chose a knee for support.
Colbie elbowed him lightly as she shook her head, “Don’t be that way. The woman is ready for this game. That is all.”
“If you say so, but she looks ready to hand him his head. That is for sure.”
Gauging their magical power, Cheleya wondered. The earth wizard had technically stronger energy, but like Evan had said, the water wizard looked ready for a fight. While Isalene’s visage was that of confidence and a readiness to duel, Deris seemed too busy taking in the adoration of the crowd.
“If he doesn’t give his opponent the respect she deserves, the man will find himself defeated quickly,” the young dragoness stated with a slight frown. Hoping to see a good match of equals, Cheleya was beginning to wonder about this first round.
Brushing back his slightly shaggy, blond hair, the man in brown grinned and waved to the crowd until the wizard in black called, “You have twenty seconds to prepare defenses. Begin now!”
The smile and playing to the crowd disappeared like a cloud covering the sun. Darkness seemed the earth wizard’s friend and his earlier joking around was quickly forgotten as the man was quick to generate his defenses. Stone rose up in three thick embankments almost instantly, a remarkable feat as most wizards would usually use most of their twenty seconds to raise the same walls. He was a dueler after all and skilled enough to be selected to represent the wizards of the capitol. While his earlier demeanor had drawn them all in, his new fierceness had surprised everyone including his opponent.
Water swirled around the other wizard’s circle from ten buckets set behind the ring. It was allowed for wizard’s to bring a minimal amount of tools to assist their magic. Some spells required more than the field had to give and the buckets of water were used in her defensive walls. Thick ice formed from the water creating massive blocks. While most wizards could break through normal ice with a spell, Cheleya could assume that the woman was using magic to create something beyond the norm.
“Begin!” the wizard called as the prefight time limit ended.
Deris reached up as he chanted and the column nearest the wizard shattered. Shaking her head, the dragoness had to clarify the sight as the stone actually more accurately separated shooting upward in an arc to strike at the water wizard. Hundreds of three foot spears spread to attack ice walls and the woman vulnerable to air aerial assault of such heights.
A gasp came collectively from the crowd watching the match as the water in the pool came alive. Like some massive serpent, the current swirled springing towards the water wizard’s circle. Like some giant’s hand, the fluid swatted the spears away. If not for the wizards guarding the arena, many of the shards would have struck the hapless spectators as the serpent of water turned controlled by Isalene.
The wizard’s hands seemed to stir the air as she pushed and shoved in some martial arts like kata. If not for the water moving with her gestures, it would have seemed innocent enough. Spreading her hands and giving a twist, Isalene split the serpent into two as she sought to attack the earth wizard from two fronts in the hopes that he couldn’t counter both.
Rock arose from the fallen columns striking the water like paddles. The serpents crashed into the stone cracking the thin walls sending spray high in the air. Cheleya watched the water wizard as she changed spells and movements. Reacting to the new magic, the mist hardened into ice and rained down on the man in a similar attack to his stone spears.
Quickly forming a dome around him, Deris disappeared like a turtle into his shell, but he wasn’t so easily cowed by the woman. The ground erupted in a line headed straight for the opposite battle circle. With the attack, the stone of the empty pool disappeared into dust before the strength of the ground quake.
Ice dug into the earth from her walls in response. As the earth and ice met, another explosion of the two elements shattered both constructs. Looking like the aftermath of a snow storm, flurries nearly obscured the water wizard’s circle, but only momentarily as Isalene swept up the snow for another attack.
Rumbling warned that the water wizard would be too late, however, as the two columns nearest her circle rolled unobstructed towards the woman. Throwing up her hands defensively, Isalene would have been crushed then if not for the protective spells of the three wizards in charge of keeping her safe.
“The winner is Deris from Hala,” the diplomat wizard shouted triumphantly almost before the woman could stand back up. Technically still in her circle, the decision still stood that she had lost.
“Impressive,” Cor’Dargan stated casually. His statement drew his daughter’s eyes wondering if he truly believed his words. The elder dragon was supposed to be a master, though his daughter had never truly noted anything special from her father magically. If he was a master, perhaps such spells were child’s play to him? She knew so little of the one who had raised her, Cheleya realized about her own father.
Tilana’s tense nod appeared the complete opposite of her father. “Very,” she stated nervously.
Orlerin’s arm clapped around her shoulders giving the woman an almost brotherly shake. “You’ll do fine, Tilana. We believe in you,” the man stated encouragingly.
“Why don’t you give her a kiss for good luck?” Evantus asked with a grin and received a swat towards his head by his leader. It was half hearted as he knew it was a joke; but hearing Tilana laugh, even as she blushed, Orlerin looked almost grateful to the younger mage for his comedic timing to diffuse her tension.
“It will take a few minutes for them to clean up the arena,” the mage leader stated otherwise ignoring Evantus. “Those two made quite a mess of the field.”
“The Southwall event wizards will have a long week as well, I think,” Cheleya agreed. “That is one of the other impressive things about this tournament. Despite all the worries of having the Dark One so near for so long, Hala arranged this competition and dedicated a lot of resources to maintaining it too.”
Lystheir spoke up surprising them as she added, “Mar’kal could never handle such a large event. We don’t have the resources these humans have.”
Cor’Dargan frowned with his look mirrored by Elenek. Discussing the strengths and weaknesses of their country was hardly for public arenas. The che’ther tracker didn’t seem to care as she went on, “These humans are so numerous that even rarities like wizards are almost common comparatively.”
Letting the conversation lie in uncomfortable awkwardness, the group turned to other avenues like reviewing the match that they had just seen. With the first duel over with, they could see what kind of tactics might be more beneficial.
“What kind of wizard do you have to duel?” Evan asked as they avoided Tilana’s actual involvement until the mage’s question. Though they all knew the wizard was next, they had managed to skirt truly assigning the tactics actually to her.
“A fire wizard from New Oapril, she looked pretty young, but that usually means that she’s proved gifted since discovering her powers,” Tilana answered with a frown. Again she put the worst spin on her duel as she fought to have confidence. They knew preparing for combat and duels was a similar thing and going through drills added to comfort and confidence in one’s skills. Tilana had never had time to prepare.
“New Oapril? Where’s that?” Evantus questioned having never heard of the city.
“It is the furthest city from here in Southwall,” Cor’Dargan answered surprising those around him. Mar’kal was considered so separat
ed from the rest of the world that no one had thought that a che’ther would know the answer. “New Oapril is built on the southwest coast and named for a city that sank in the Cataclysm. The Glacian Ocean enters a harbor there and is one of the three biggest cities on the western half of the country.”
Raising an eyebrow questioningly, the mage queried of the che’ther who stated facts like he was reading them from a book, “You seem to know a lot about Southwall for a dragon holed up in your mountain city, sir.”
Giving a smug, tight lipped smile, Cor’Dargan replied, “I wasn’t always a farmer ‘holed up’ in the mountains. After the Cataclysm destroyed your cities sinking coasts and raising mountains, Mar’kal descended from our city and gave aid to those we could. I traveled much of Southwall and many of the cities of North Continent in my youth.”
“And now you’re old and have come again?” Evan chuckled trying to get a rise out of the dragon.
An unimpressed look was followed by the words, “I have followed my daughter and returned to Hala. That is about the extent of my need to travel here.”
Clearing his throat and glancing at the Colonnades field, Evantus noted, “It looks like they’ve about finished the clean up, Tilana.”
Rising nervously, the wizard was joined by Orlerin who held her hand as she walked down the steps of the bleachers. Once on the flat ground, he turned her to face him. While the others couldn’t see his face from where they sat, Cheleya thought that perhaps the mage leader might actually follow Evan’s advice for a moment. Lifting her hand to his lips, the man would only kiss the back of her hand showing his love for Tilana.
Battle Mage: Dragon Mage (Tales of Alus) Page 35
