She could see the campfires and torches of Kelvanis’ army scattered in a broad circle around the city. They were outside of easy firing distance of the city, and spread out far more thinly than she was certain the besiegers would prefer, but even so it was a frightening force. That wasn’t why she was hesitating, though. Doubtless some of the men and women among the besiegers were relatively innocent, and doing what they were because they had little choice. Worse still were the handful of slaves she’d seen, which made her even more annoyed. The very concept of the slave brands chafed at her, as did the conduct of the various nations since the Godsrage. Why did they—
Shaking off her thoughts, Kassandra stepped off the parapet decisively, muttering under her breath. “Enough of that. Times have changed, and one must be an example. Phynis has begun well, but one can only become an example if they survive. The least I can do is help with that.”
Just before she hit the ground Kassandra sent a thread of mana into her cloak, causing it to billow outward and slow her so she touched the ground like a feather. She smiled thinly as she started toward the enemy lines, murmuring a spell to meld into the darkness once more. She’d start with the orcs, then try to rescue a handful of slaves. A siege tended to take a long period of time, and though she was strong, Kassandra didn’t want to face the entire camp at once. A few dozen at a time was more than enough.
As she walked, Kassandra drew on her magic more, her words a faint murmur as she flicked through the gestures of the spells purely in her mind. The shadows surrounded her like a shroud, solidifying into armor under her cloak, deepening the shadows over her face so that the only thing left visible were her fangs.
Slipping past the sentries was child’s play, as most of them were spread out. While the lines were close enough that it would have been difficult for most people to get through, it was very different for those who could all but turn invisible. Truthfully, Kassandra imagined that the sentries likely had some among them who could magically detect invisible foes, but that wouldn’t be much help in her case. Most likely not… she had to admit it was possible that some of them had the ability to see her. Since they didn’t see her, it didn’t really matter.
The orcs were in dozens of minor camps of their own, near those of Kelvanis’ soldiers, but not too near. If things were like she’d heard, the orcs tended to be very clan-oriented and hostile to outsiders, which would explain their camps. Each likely was populated by a single tribe, and that would suit her just fine.
She approached one of the smaller camps, looking at it speculatively. There were perhaps a few dozen orcs within, prompting a smile from her, right up until she saw a dozen posts in the middle of the camp, each with iron manacles hanging from them. Most of the manacles were empty, but one wasn’t, and the sight of the scarred, brutalized human woman in them made her smile vanish and her eyes harden.
A single orc stood guard on her side of the camp, and Kassandra came closer before melting out of the shadows and approaching him openly, looking up at the tusked, obese creature. The orc grunted, blinking and hefting his mace before letting out a deep, rumbling chuckle.
“Whatcha doin’ here, little birdy? Your human camp is over there,” the orc told her, gesturing toward the nearest camp, then grinned as he asked, “Or did ya want big company?”
“No,” Kassandra replied, looking up at him as she spoke. “I’m here for something else.”
“Oh? What’s dat?” he asked, frowning.
Kassandra lunged forward and upward in a blur as shadows coalesced around the gauntlets she’d forged from the imbued metal Vendis had brought back, creating shadow-like claws. Her charge was explosive, faster than the orc could react, and he quickly proved that the shadows were quite real. An instant later she landed on the other side of him, and her voice was soft. “I’m here for your deaths.”
Behind her the orc slowly collapsed, clutching at the shredded ruin where his throat had once been.
“…Evrial? Why do you look so pale this morning?” Phynis asked, pausing as she nibbled at the pancake with bits of apple baked into it. “Did something happen last night?”
It was fairly early, and the Queen was in her private dining room trying to wake up, Ruby with her. The previous night had been Diamond’s turn with Sistina, so neither of the other two women were present for Evrial’s morning briefing, while the remainder of the priestesses were either keeping an eye on Zenith or the city’s defenses.
“Well…” Evrial said, taking a deep breath and letting it out with a shiver. “You could definitely say that. Nothing too bad, just disturbing. Last night Kassandra disappeared for a few hours. I wasn’t too worried, as she tends to do that.”
“What happened? She’s important, so I hope she wasn’t hurt or something.” Phynis blinked, paling slightly at the thought.
Ruby reached out to take Phynis’ hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling at Phynis as she interrupted. “Evrial would have told you if something that bad had happened, Phynis. Let her speak.”
“Of course, sorry, Evrial. I’ve just been stressed by the siege,” Phynis admitted, shaking her head.
“Not at all, Your Majesty. I entirely understand. As for last night, well, no one saw Kassandra leave the city. However, about three hours before dawn she came back from one of Kelvanis’ camps, with a few women who’d been given to a band of orcs,” Evrial said, shivering again as she looked away. “I… well, they weren’t treated well, let me leave it at that. It’s going to take a great deal of time and magic to help them recover, if it’s even possible. From what Kassandra said, the orcs won’t ever do it again, but it’s horrifying to hear about.”
“Gods above! Is Kassandra alright?” Phynis exclaimed, dropping her fork. “I mean, I know she’s a vampire, but that sounds like it’d be horrible!”
“If she was hurt I couldn’t see any sign of it, and the women she rescued seemed almost as terrified of her as they were of the orcs. Not quite, but almost,” Evrial replied, swallowing and hesitating before continuing. “From the look in Kassandra’s eyes, I couldn’t blame them. I’m not one to judge others normally, but she seemed angry and almost… well, it was far easier for me to understand why people consider vampires monsters.”
“I… no, don’t think of her that way, Evrial. I’ll speak with her a little later and figure out what was going through her head. I’m glad she rescued the women,” Phynis said firmly, glancing at Ruby. “Would you like to accompany me, Ruby? I’ll admit that I have a hard time relating to her, so company would be preferred.”
“Of course I will. Now, finish your breakfast,” Ruby replied with a smile, turning to her own food. “Did anything else of note happen during the night, Evrial?”
“Not really, though Kelvanis seems somewhat… unhappy about Kassandra’s visit to their camp. I’m not sure how many she killed, but they’ve been swarming the area like ants after you’ve kicked their hill,” Evrial explained, seeming to relax.
Phynis just smiled, nibbling on her food. “Seems fair to me.”
Knocking at the door, Phynis waited respectfully, looking down the bare halls of the Academy with a pang of regret. The undead which had infested the place had destroyed the vast majority of furnishings in the Academy over the intervening millennia, as well as a number of priceless magical items. It was a tragedy, further exemplified by the emptiness of the halls.
“Come in.” Kassandra’s voice was clear despite the door between them, and Phynis entered the windowless office. It wasn’t much different than a cell in some ways, but several bright crystals helped mitigate how closed in it felt. Kassandra was sitting behind a desk, and her eyebrows rose on seeing Phynis, rising to her feet. “Your Majesty! I didn’t expect for it to be you, please, why don’t you sit?”
“Thank you, Kassandra, but there’s no need for that. You were born in a completely different age than my own, and I feel awkward trying to claim authority over you,” Phynis replied, studying the vampire carefully as she moved to take a chair.
>
Kassandra had jet black hair, ivory skin, and coal-black eyes, perfectly offset by her outfit, which was normally a pair of black trousers and a blouse, though today she was wearing the more typical robes of a mage. She wasn’t showing her fangs, but the vampire smiled at Phynis’ words.
“You misunderstand, Phynis. I actually deeply respect what you’ve managed to do and what you’re trying to accomplish. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have volunteered to rebuild the Academy,” Kassandra told Phynis directly. “Things have changed greatly since my age, and not necessarily for the better.”
“Oh? How do you mean?” Ruby asked curiously, laying her hands on Phynis’ shoulders. As she spoke, the Queen’s gaze drifted across the vampire’s desk. There were a number of neat piles of paper, but a silver amulet she thought she recognized caught her eye.
“Nations were larger before the Godsrage, as I’m sure you’re aware, considering how large Everium once was, and each country had, oh… a dozen archmagi? It’s unimaginable for you, I’m certain, but any war was almost assumed to lead to the destruction of too much land if high magic was involved. The loss of that is in some ways better, but there are things that are worse as well. For instance, most of your academies only teach those who can afford to pay the tuition,” Kassandra explained, a frown crossing her face as she sat again. “That means most of the power ends up in the hands of those who have wealth. Not that it wasn’t the case back then, but… serfdom and slavery were unknown in Everium. Those who start in the worst position tend to be forced to stay there, which breeds resentment and rebellions.”
“I see. That makes sense. I assume Phynis banning such practices in Beacon made you so pleased?” Ruby asked, smiling as she glanced down at Phynis.
“Indeed. She’s proven much more enlightened than my cursory research about our neighbors has shown,” Kassandra agreed with a smile. “Now, enough about that. What brings you to the Academy? It obviously isn’t another class, as Cortin isn’t teaching one today.”
“I was informed that you decided to go out and raid Kelvanis’ encampments last night without telling anyone,” Phynis told her directly, meeting the vampire’s eyes. “Is this true?”
“It is, though I did tell Wenris beforehand,” Kassandra admitted readily, a single fang revealed by her slight smile. The mention of the succubus made Ruby’s fingers tighten, but Phynis didn’t say anything, surprised by the information. When had the succubus gotten close to Kassandra?
“May I ask why you didn’t tell anyone?” the Queen asked, setting the thought aside for the moment. “When I heard… well, it worried me.”
“That, Your Majesty, is exactly why I decided to go out on my own,” the vampire replied, her eyes darkening and smile fading. “You all seem to be treating me like I’m made of glass. I’m a vampire and a sorceress, one who was recruited to teach in Everium’s Academy of Magic due to my mastery. Give me a dozen master magi and I could rip this siege apart with a high magic ritual! I just wiped out three dozen orcs in an evening, without using more magic than I needed to shield myself from detection and harm and to arm myself. I’m not going to just sit behind your walls like a dainty flower to be protected. My only limitation is that my nature means that the sun is my enemy, and summer is my bane because of it.”
“You can use high magic?” Phynis asked, her eyes going wide with shock at the woman’s vehemence.
“Of course! The problem is that we don’t have enough people with the necessary skill. Your Jewels might barely qualify, but most of the priestesses are at least a decade’s practice short of being able to manage the ritual, and of the other defenders, only Farris and some of the adventurers qualify, and the latter I don’t trust with the information,” Kassandra explained, frowning deeply. “High magic is hard, Your Majesty. What Sistina did, entirely on her own? That’s unheard of, save for some of the most powerful magi in history. She could only manage it because she invoked dozens of spells simultaneously, and had done an enormous amount of preparation of spell circles. Even if she is Marin, the author of Marin’s Codex, this is nigh-impossible, for high magic was built off Marin’s theories, not something she ever performed herself.”
“I… I think I see. Well, I’ll have to keep all of that in mind,” Phynis admitted, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “Just please, tell us before attacking them next time? I promise I won’t object, I just want to know it’s coming.”
“That much I can do,” Kassandra agreed, seeming to relax a little on her own. “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Phynis assured her, standing and taking Ruby’s hand to give it a squeeze. But before she was more than a step toward the door, she paused and looked back. “Actually, I had another minor question, Kassandra.”
“Hmm? What might that be?”
“That locket looks like one Sistina found before she woke you. Is it the same one?” Phynis asked curiously.
Kassandra’s expression fell, and she looked toward the silver locket sadly. It took her a long moment to reply, and when she did, Phynis could all but hear her grief. “Yes, it is. This was Tann’s locket. He was one of my students, before the Academy sank. He… showed a great deal of promise. It’s partly for my long-dead students that I’ve chosen to defend the city as well. I never got a chance to really defend Everium, the end came too fast. May the gods strike me down if I allow it to happen again.”
Phynis’ heart tightened at the response, and she nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. “That certainly drives home what we’re dealing with, doesn’t it? I promise, we’ll do everything we can.”
Kassandra smiled and nodded, not bothering to hide her fangs this time. “Good.”
Chapter 43
The thunk and hiss of the ballista was almost therapeutic for Reva, and he grinned as he saw another cluster of Kelvanis’ soldiers fall back from the disintegrating wreckage of one of Skythorn’s old walls. Dislodging them was proving as time consuming and painful as he’d expected, but bit by bit they were making progress. Each passing day both eased and heightened his fears, but unless they chose to surrender entirely, there was no real choice that lay before Sifaren. Reva knew that the vast majority of his army would rather die than be enslaved, which made them fight still harder.
That fervor had actually led to a few more casualties than Reva would have preferred, mostly due to sometimes foolhardy risks. He’d done his best to quell such actions, but there was only so much he could do as the acting general.
As the wall crumbled, Reva watched the enemy troops closely, praying that this was the moment where Kelvanis’ army would break and run. He’d seen signs of their morale crumbling several times over the past week, but each time they’d recovered from it. The bulk of their army was still intact, so the only way Reva would dare engage them directly was if he thought they were actually on the verge of breaking.
“Sir Lucien, look there.” Baron Galthor nodded toward one side of the battered fortress.
“Hmm? What is it? The walls and tower there look battered, but hardly vulnerable,” Reva replied, looking the section over critically. The tower was listing slightly, though.
“Perhaps not at the moment, but if we could make the tower finish falling, it would crush most of the good firing positions along that wall, and would block a good number of the others from being able to attack from the southeast,” the Baron replied, smiling thinly. “It isn’t obvious from outside the fort, but I know the layout inside. It isn’t ideal since the southern fortress is the smaller of the two, but I think it’s a good opening.”
“I think I see what you mean. It all depends on if the tower falls where you’re guessing it will,” Reva murmured, his eyes brightening at the thought. The tower should fall along the path it was currently leaning, but something in the way could always redirect the structure. “We can’t be certain that it’ll work, but it’s definitely worth a try!”
“Glad I can be of help. I wish we could do more, damn it all,” Galt
hor replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “I feel useless back here.”
“Well… how is your arm doing?” Reva asked, feeling a little awkward. He hadn’t gotten used to the Baron insisting that Reva not use his title. Even if his father outranked Baron Galthor, Reva was just his heir.
“It’s in good shape, according to the healers. I’m fit to fight, though they frowned heavily at the idea,” the Baron replied with a chuckle. “They seem to think I shouldn’t be risking myself.”
“I can understand that. But if you really want to do something, why don’t you take three of your companies and prepare to take advantage of the opening if it appears? If it appears,” Reva stressed, his eyes narrowing. “No over-enthusiasm, please. We’ve lost enough people to rash decisions.”
Baron Galthor’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like a wonderful idea! I give my word that I won’t attack if there isn’t an opening, though. If there is, I’d love to give these invaders a taste of their own medicine.”
“Good enough.” Reva chuckled as the older man quickly walked off, purpose to his stride. Signaling a messenger, he told the man, “Signal the ballista crews to target the sagging support on the southern tower.”
“Yes, sir!” the man replied, turning and murmuring a communication spell to relay Reva’s orders.
In less than a minute the crews were orienting the gigantic crossbows toward their new target, and Reva smiled thinly. While he wasn’t happy about the death and destruction on either side, he could appreciate the skill with which his army worked.
Halls of Power (Ancient Dreams Book 3) Page 33
