Not willing to let his friend go alone, Evantus joined Colbie without a word exchanged between them. The young woman knew better than to try to push him away. They had been friends almost since they arrived at the battle mage school in Estaria. While she often protested Evan’s attention, she was always glad that her friend stuck by her despite her protests. He seemed to know when she actually needed to be alone and respected her privacy, but he also knew when Colbie needed him as well.
They walked quietly side by side towards the hospital. She hadn’t said where she planned to go, but Evantus must have guessed as he always seemed to know these things.
When they arrived at the guarded entry gate to the wizards’ hospital, Colbie explained who they were there to visit as she had previously. There were no concerned guards reading their ledgers this time. They did have the same apprentice come to direct them to his new room however.
Following the young wizard, Colbie asked, “Has he recovered alright?”
The girl nodded and said, “He was moved from the emergency room to a regular recovery room. With the poison out of his system, he has been coming along very well, or so my master told me anyway. I’m still learning, so I haven’t used my magic on him like that.”
“Your mistress is Wizard Rilenier, I take it, and you are Tavil?”
The girl looked back at the mage in surprise. “You have a good memory.”
Returning a faint smile, the mage thumbed in Evantus’ direction and said, “He’s so absentminded I’ve had to remember for two over half my life.”
“Sheesh, Colbie, now I don’t even have to say anything?” the man played at being hurt bringing a giggle to both girls mouths. In the quiet, somberness of the sterile white hospital halls, the sound of happy laughter managed to brighten the walk and a couple wizards working nearby looked to see the source of the sounds.
Patting his arm, Colbie apologized as the humor could still be heard in her voice, “Sorry, Evan, it’s getting to be a bad habit, that and it’s so easy.”
Her smile up at him made the man roll his eyes at his friend.
“Here,” the apprentice stopped to gesture before an open door.
The two mages entered as Tavil moved away to her duties, which most likely meant finding Wizard Rilenier elsewhere in the halls of the hospital. To their amazement, Kel’lor looked very healthy. Back in his human form, the large man, brown hair tussled from resting on a thick pillow, looked like the picture of health. Even his dark eyes looked well rested and alert.
“Kel’lor, you look well. The last time I saw you, you were coming back from the dead,” Colbie said quietly as if there were anyone else to hear them. Her awe at his recovery from the near death experience led unconsciously to trying to be delicate with the man.
With a tight smile, Kel’lor dismissed the remark casually and moved to a greater worry for the mar’goyn’lya, “Is Cheleya safe? Malaketh found me and used his amulet to make me channel my power to the point of nearly dying as you said.”
“Malaketh!” the two mages exclaimed in unison.
Colbie continued after a quick glance to her teammate, “We thought maybe the poison had gotten to you. Malaketh using his amulet on you is upsetting, but it makes more sense. Cheleya didn’t think you would try to kill yourself even under great pain.”
Noticing the dark eyes of the man lying in the bed growing impatient with the woman’s musing, Evantus interrupted and said, “Cheleya is safe enough. Her father and two che’ther trackers found us and have been hiding her from him ever since.”
“Cor’Dargan is here as well?” Kel’lor questioned as his eyes already revealed his mind taking the idea in as he tried to consider the ramifications. “Her father is a farmer, but also a retired earth wizard. I am surprised that he would come to help capture his daughter, though the che’ther do have great respect for family and those who would ruin their name are often dealt with harshly. You say that he and two others are hiding her from Malaketh though?”
They nodded and Colbie tried to explain, “Like you, he doubted that Cheleya would do such a thing. He even stuck up for you, I believe. The biggest reason being that it made little sense since she, and you of course, had no real motive for such a thing.
“Malaketh was sent with several mar’goyn’lya and che’ther trackers to bring you two back to Mar’kal. Cor’Dargan says he has a writ giving him the right even in Southwall.”
“Though that doesn’t explain why he chose to try and kill Kel’lor instead,” Evantus mused bringing the others’ eyes to him in incredulity. “I understand his need to prevent you from coming back to testify against him. I am not stupid, but what I meant is that the poison was likely to kill you anyway. Why take the risk of being caught by the wizards of Southwall here in the middle of their capitol city and the hospital as well?
“If he has the writ, he could have killed you two on the way back if the poison failed.”
“He’d have more witnesses,” Kel’lor said with a frown. “The other trackers would be hard to get past to murder anyone in their care. It makes more sense to sneak into here and use his talisman to control my mind to cause my powers to overload and die.
“No one would have suspected anything more than what Colbie said. They would think either I couldn’t handle the pain and wanted to end it all, or they’d think it was some side affect of the poison.”
Sighing at the thought, Colbie added dejectedly, “Unfortunately all our hiding failed and now some female tracker named Mor’treya has given Cheleya the ultimatum to give herself up.”
“Mor’treya is here too?” the man questioned with a frown. “She is no tracker, but you say that she is the one who found Cheleya first?”
With a quick nod of affirmation, Evantus took over saying, “She saw through our ruse to escape the trap set by the che’ther trackers. They were covering the gates out of the inner city trying to catch us off guard, but we drew them away. Well, apparently all but your friend anyway.”
“She probably used an invisibility spell and hid in the right spot to see Cheleya,” Kel’lor stated knowing Mor’treya’s abilities as well as anyone having known her so long. His mind moved from what couldn’t be helped to the next problem. “When is Cheleya supposed to meet them to go back with them?”
Evantus answered, “She told her to meet at the Colonnades when Turas rises or she would lead the others to the inn where it would be even more inconvenient. We still don’t know how she could do that with Lystheir masking her presence, but the woman definitely appeared confident that she could find Cheleya back again.”
“She probably tagged Cheleya with a spell that she can track. Even a magician who isn’t a tracker could follow their magic like a lodestone. It’s also something very hard to remove from their target,” the man replied considering the facts given to him.
“I assume that Cheleya plans to follow the order. Perhaps I can throw a little wrench in Mor’treya’s plan. Malaketh believes me dead. Don’t tell her that I am well enough to return, since I can also assume that you told her I live.” At Colbie’s nod, he continued, “Warn Cor’Dargan and the others about his black amulet again. If he can force me against my will when I knew what he was doing, then I doubt that anyone wearing an amulet can stand up to him.”
“Anyone wearing an amulet?” Evan questioned in surprise at the specific wording.
“I could feel his power coming through the two amulets being linked in some way. Cheleya had said something along that line during the trip and until he attacked me I couldn’t be sure. She was right that he is using our amulets against us.”
“We’ll tell them,” Colbie assured him, but asked, “Is there anything else that we can do for you, Kel’lor?”
Shaking his head as he still looked distracted trying to devise a plan, the mar’goyn’lya said dismissively, “I will be fine here. Like I said, Malaketh believes me dead and the wizards here will take care of me better than at some inn.
“Go warn them and I will do
what I can from here.”
Dismissed, the two mages spent a few more minutes trying to understand what the man was thinking before giving up to return to the inn.
Chapter 30- On a Crimson Field
“Why didn’t you signal us?” Malaketh questioned his apprentice angrily. The other mar’goyn’lya stood around uncomfortably as the master started to berate his student. Their school taught apprentices to be quiet and learn no matter how harsh a master’s teachings. Even as full wizards and magicians, they were bound by their culture and training to let these things be.
Despite the teacher/student bond, Mor’treya appeared unaffected by her master’s tirade. Calmly she replied, “You would have been too late since you were all chasing some ghost that they set for you. For trackers, you all were fooled easily enough.
“Even so, I set a tracking spell on Cheleya that will last for weeks. She can’t escape my senses even with a tracker trying to cover her. It is my spell after all.
“If she doesn’t actually show at the battle fields when Turas rises, I would be surprised, but my spell ensures that she can’t flee this time.”
“You are making too many bets for council business. This little dare that you have thrown out to Cheleya means that they can prepare a defense. They know our numbers and strength, so now they are the ones that can set a trap for us. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking this will end our pursuit tonight and that is all that matters. You are a master and we outnumber those from Mar’kal with her. Her friends from Staron should remain out of it or they would risk the alliance between our people. Since Kel’lor is dead as you say, then that leaves them at four members and we have five. You and Fa’Alk’leyal are masters. What do they have? Two trackers, a farmer and Cheleya.”
Malaketh frowned as he wished her summation was so simple. “Lystheir and Elenek are highly skilled and should not to be dismissed in a fight. You have never beaten Cheleya in training despite your life with wings, so I marvel at your confidence if it should come to you facing the girl. You may be older and have trained in more styles of magic, but she verges on being a prodigy. Then there is her father.
“I don’t trust Cor’Dargan. His betrayal was calculated and his use of earth magic is master level despite your words. He will not be easy to subdue and he will need to be as well; so that Cor’Dargan can answer to his crime of treason.”
There were confused looks on the faces of the mar’goyn’lya at that proclamation. Alk’leyal contested his words as he asked, “Treason? That would seem to be an extreme view of the situation.”
Malaketh put a stronger spin on the idea reinforcing his words saying, “Cheleya and Kel’lor stole powerful artifacts from the academy most likely to sell to other countries for profit and possible subversion of the city. If Cor’Dargan and the che’ther are defending her, then such an act must be viewed as treasonous. When they put the girl and their own views ahead of the safety of Mar’kal, they became part of the same crime.
“Perhaps this is why Cheleya decided to break into the vault and steal the items. Maybe Cor’Dargan is the real leader behind this act? Kel’lor was never likely to be someone creative enough to think of such a thing. It is another question that will have to be answered by the council once these two are returned with the other treasonous che’ther.”
Spreading her hands, Mor’treya capitulated and gave her master what encouragement she had in the face of all the talk of treason, “Fine, then in a few hours you will have the chance to capture them and maybe even talk sense into the che’ther that are apparently following Cor’Dargan on misguided trust. We mar’goyn’lya have often solved the matters of right and wrong with our weapons and magic. I merely follow our right to judge these traitors as you call them for ourselves.”
The other mar’goyn’lya began nodding at the woman’s words and Malaketh could see that this fight was inevitable. On the other hand, he also viewed such a thing as another way to eliminate a potential threat. An accident that might kill Cheleya and remove her hazard from his life might not be so bad after all.
“Fine, then you all should prepare yourselves. If they put up a fight, we need to be sure that we are the winners,” the human stated hoping that he was siding with the more powerful force. He wished that he could call on Toban and Delever to bring whatever reinforcements that they could bring to bear with their portal magic, but that would certainly set the mar’goyn’lya against him and point the finger at his duplicity.
The matter was settled and the night would tell who would be returning to Mar’kal and who might never see the city again.
Cor’Dargan had disappeared during the morning matches and Cheleya wondered what her father could be doing now that they had been found by Mor’treya. She didn’t doubt that whatever had led him away had a purpose and it was probably to help her as well, but that didn’t mean the girl wasn’t curious and wished to be in on his plans. For Cheleya, the afternoon would have been enjoyable, if not for the deadline hovering over her head.
The matches didn’t run as late as the previous day, since there were half as many due to the eliminations. With most of the latter half of the day to kill, the group returned to the inner city. When they passed one of the mar’goyn’lya trackers, Lystheir merely nodded in his direction bringing a surprised look to his face. Apparently word of Mor’treya’s threat hadn’t reached him.
After his momentary shock, the dark haired man moved to join them. “Hello, Stas, were you not informed that we were to meet you in the north fields at the rise of Turas?” Lystheir asked casually as if they hadn’t been working to hide Cheleya from the mar’goyn’lya for nearly three days.
Stoically stiff in his posture as the tracker walked alongside them, Stas’kel replied, “If I had been informed, I doubt that I would have remained waiting here. Why have you given yourselves up all of a sudden? I had figured this game of cat and mouse would end differently. We would have found you eventually.”
Cheleya stopped causing the group to stall in the street. Traffic was light, but still they served to block and annoy a few traveling the street during the lull in the tournament games. “You still follow Malaketh. Has he told you why he chases me?”
Confused by the girl’s words, the mar’goyn’lya’s brow furrowed slightly as he replied, “The council sent us with a writ to bring back a pair of thieves. If we found who they were selling stolen artifacts to, then we were to capture or destroy them to prevent any further contact. Malaketh was chosen by the council to lead the trackers, so he also chases you for that reason.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Cheleya’s eyes narrowed as she closed the distance a step motioning for the tall man to bend closer to hear her words. Appearing dubious as he feared an attack, but doubting such a little girl could truly harm him bare handed, Stas’kel ducked his head. “I have no artifacts and the others can verify that fact. Malaketh is the one who stole from the Academy of Magic and is using black magic to control the council’s minds.
“I know that you won’t believe me, but inform the others and watch him closely. Malaketh used his black amulet to kill Kel’lor, one of your race, here under the noses of the wizards in their hospital. He tried to kill me and framed me for his thievery. If you watch for it, I am sure he will show his true colors again.”
Pulling back with disdain on his face, Stas’kel looked unconvinced. “A thief will say anything to displace blame, if she thinks it will get her free of those chasing her. I am just a tracker. It isn’t my place to judge, but simply to bring you back for justice with the court.”
Shaking her head, Cheleya tried a different question, “Did Malaketh tell of Kel’lor’s condition?”
“He said that he found him dead from poison.”
“Then go to the hospital and talk with Kel’lor yourself. Don’t tell Malaketh he still lives, however, or he will surely try to kill him again and maybe this time the wizards won’t be able to save him.”
Noting the nods from those aroun
d her, Stas’kel shrugged. “I won’t go against the council’s wishes.”
Cheleya stabbed a finger at his chest as she argued, “If you follow orders without thinking, you will come to a sad end, mar’goyn’lya. You aren’t some soldier blindly following orders. You are a wizard and are supposed to have a mind of your own, but do as you wish. Just keep your eyes open and tell the other trackers as well, so they can at least try and make up their own minds.”
Dismissing the man, the little blond turned and went on in the direction of the Two Circles Inn.
Taking a moment since she no longer needed to shadow Cheleya, Lystheir looked at the dark haired man. His green eyes glittered with intelligence, but the woman shook her head at his willingness to be stubborn in the face of the truth. “I believe her not just because Fa’Dargan’zer believes in her. Watch the human closely. He isn’t to be trusted and if the girl is correct about Malaketh’s amulet, then you need to be careful or he will make you his slave.”
She left Stas’kel no chance to answer as the che’ther turned to hurry after those returning to the inn.
Epsilon, the first moon, lit the evening along with oil fueled lamps posted along the city streets. The silver light was much stronger on a cloudless night and Cheleya could see the streets clearly as they followed their path towards the north gate.
No guards stopped them within the city, though the girl carried her bag since it held the evidence of her innocence. She had given shrike blades to Lystheir and Elenek lightening her pack somewhat and only her father declined the black swords. He was a wizard and farmer. Using weapons such as the shrike swords meant that he would be defeated anyway, he had said. He was no warrior or battle mage.
The idea almost amused her when paired with the fact that she was a dragon mage and was trained to the sword. Cheleya was still learning, but she was already more than a match against most soldiers without using more than her basic enhancement magic. Given the chance to use her wings and dragon magic, however, the petite, little, blond beauty could destroy squads of soldiers by the dozens.
Battle Mage: Dragon Mage (Tales of Alus) Page 40
