“Nonsense, you were overeager to see me become an Emperor. These things take time. It took you nearly a year to adapt to our ways. With your help, we can speed up the process, but you must understand that it will take time.”
Cassandra turned to say something to him, but she was interrupted by a knock at the door. She let out a sigh and answered with a “come in.” Both Leoth and his wife were surprised to see Talia enter the room. The majority of their interaction had been with Septimus. Beyond that, they conversed little with Thanos and even less with Talia. Leoth looked to Cassandra for any indication as to whether he should stay or leave. He could not detect an opinion either way and decided to stay for the moment. Talia slowly walked into the room and took a seat on one of the chairs. She looked as though she had much to say, but knew not how to say it. Cassandra took a seat next to her and Leoth headed for the door. He could hear them whispering about something, but could not make out the words.
“Hold a moment, dear,” his wife said as he reached the door.
“You have need of my opinion?” He asked.
“I believe that your ability to judge a man’s character will do Talia much good. You see, she is worried about the Warlock. In between training you and making sure that we don’t allow Septimus too much freedom, I began consulting with Talia about his past. It seems that he lives by a different moral code than most would consider normal.”
“He seems to be a man that is willing to go to the very ends of the earth for what he seeks. I would not like to get between that man and his goal. Let us hope that his cause is just.”
*
Cormac raised his head off the ground. His entire body felt as though it had been torn apart, yet he remained in one piece. King Aithen and the gnomes had warned him of the treachery of the naga, but, in his arrogance, he had ignored their advice. The gnomes, with their newly working automaton machines, had fought bravely against the vile creatures. Though the naga had been driven deep underground, it came at a great cost. Cormac was the lone survivor on the island and was in bad shape. His wounds were as much his own fault as the fault of the overeager gnomes. The two months of preparation had been nullified in a matter of seconds. If only they had listened, he thought as he surveyed the rubble. The once terrifying symbol of the naga’s might, their strange stone castle, had been leveled. Many gnomes had given their lives to trap the naga beneath the structure.
The dwarven Archwizard surveyed the scene. His boat was still intact, but the gnomes would not be happy if he returned alone. On the other hand, he had promised his assistance as a Wizard. To break a dwarven oath was bad enough, but to break a Wizard oath was punishable by banishment or death. Cormac took one last look at the dead gnomes in among the debris with their massive machines. There must be a better way to deploy these creations of theirs, he thought as he walked back to the boat. He instantly wished that Janessa was with him when he realized how difficult it would be to sail the boat alone. It took several minutes to get the ship ready to leave. As he took the wheel, he conjured up a wind to drive him back to the gnomish shores. His attention was drawn to the other side of the lake. The once booming minotaur town could be seen from the island in the middle. While the craftsmanship was terrific, the town itself was nothing short of eerie. A shiver went down the Archwizard’s spine as he stared at the ghost town.
He was quickly drawn back to the gnome city when he heard shouts coming from their shores. It seemed that the gnomes had seen the naga structure collapse and were eager to find out what had happened. Cormac could see the faces of those on shore change when he got close enough for them to see that he was the only survivor. Many of the gnomes left, but Theros stood at the shores with a small contingent of the King’s guard. The Archwizard waved to them as the boat slowed before slamming into the dock. His expertise at magic allowed him to control the ship, but his lack of experience kept him from easing it back into its place. He jumped down from the boat and walked straight to where Theros was standing. The gnome looked at him with animosity in his eyes.
“You must allow me to explain,” Cormac said.
“Make it quick, my patience is already worn thin,” Theros answered.
“I foolishly ignored the advice that was given to me. We entered the lair of the beasts and were quickly outnumbered. I instinctively ordered the retreat, but your men knew better than I. We had awoken the naga once again and they knew that falling back would only doom the entire city. They bravely gave their lives to bring down the structure. I tried to use my magic to shield them from the collapse, but I failed.”
“Your honesty is appreciated, dwarf, but it will not absolve you of your fault. The King will decide your fate, though your openness may work in your favor. Know this, the gnomes will not soon forget how you threw away so many of our kin in this reckless maneuver.”
*
Sev pulled an arrow out of his quiver and readied his bow. They had gone too long without contact from friend or foe. He was not the only one who was on edge. Borfin and his dwarves hid it well, but the half-elf could tell they were nearly as tense as the elves. The group slowly moved through the caverns with the elves at the front. Sev and his men acted as the first line of defense against a frontal assault. A small contingent of elves had fallen back and stuck to the shadows as it watched the main group’s flank. This tactic had stopped one ambush already. It had been nearly two days since they had defeated the small group of goblins that attempted to flank them. The move had been uncommon for the goblins, which caused worry for both Sev and Borfin. However, there was little choice other than forging ahead.
A strange dog-like bark could be heard in the distance. Neither the dwarves nor the elves recognized the sound. Sev pulled back on his bowstring as he crept forward. The sound got louder and the half-elf could make out shapes in the darkness. He loosed an arrow and reached back to grab a second one. A yelp followed by a gurgling sound told him that his first arrow had hit its mark. The elves behind him each fired their own arrows, taking down several more of the unknown enemies. Two arrows flew out of the darkness at them, but Sev knocked them aside with his bow. The elves watched in awe as their leader fired two more arrows within the span of seconds. Sev drew his blades in anticipation of a miss, but the two thuds informed him otherwise. He sheathed the swords and lit a torch so they could examine the bodies.
“What are they?” Sev asked as Borfin joined him in examining one of the bodies.
“I think they are kobolds, but we’ve only heard stories of them. Some of our ancient history speaks of a war between the gnomes and the kobolds. In the end, the gnomes came to us for assistance and together we drove the creatures deeper into the caves. Cormac’s cave-in was not far from here, it could have something to do with this,” the dwarf replied.
“We can check that later. For now, we need to find where the dwarves have taken refuge. There is no telling how long the other factions will stay focused on each other. If they were to turn on us, we would need the strength of the dwarves as well as the elves.”
Borfin nodded as he glanced around at the chamber they were in. Sev hadn’t noticed it before, but the caverns had changed. The long, narrow caves had given way to a much larger room. Judging by the columns and carvings, they were in an ancient dwarven city. It was the first of its kind that Sev had seen. Unlike the newer dwarven towns, which were carved out of stones brought into the caverns, this city was carved out of the cave system itself. It was impossible to tell what portion of the city they were in as the entire town had deteriorated long ago. Sev ran his fingers across the smooth stone that made up the side of some building. He glanced around and saw that Borfin and the other dwarves were staring in awe at their discovery. The dwarven leader ran over to Sev and began to explain the significance of their find.
“This is one of the lost dwarven cities!” He said at a near shout.
“As fascinating as that is, what good does it do us now?” Sev asked.
“In times of trouble, the dwarven Kings ar
e supposed to seek refuge in the greatest of the lost cities. The Stronghold of the Deep is straight out of legend. I can only compare it to the fabled Fortress of Tartum. If the dwarven Kings are looking for the Stronghold of the Deep, then we are on the right track in finding them.”
“And if they are not?”
“Then we are no further than when we first started.”
The half-elf nodded at the dwarf’s comment. Though it was far from compelling, the dwarf’s point rang true. Sev could see that the lack of contact with the dwarven kingdoms was beginning to weigh upon Borfin. He placed his hand on the dwarf’s shoulder and smiled. If my people were in danger, he cut off his own thought. True, he was an elf, but he was also a human. At the same time, he was neither fully human nor fully an elf. It had not given him much pause in the past, but his travels had only brought more doubt into his mind. Other than Tyric and Wyric, Caitlyn was the only half-elf he had ever met. It was not often that the races would mingle and far less often that they would marry. He had heard of places like Alamor where one’s race mattered very little, but he had never witnessed it for himself.
His upbringing in the Druid and Ranger camps had been quite unique. Among the Druid’s Council, he was seen as a meshing of the best of both races. The elves had always seen him as a fellow elf and it was not until he visited Riverton that he became aware what some humans would feel about him. He found his mind wandering back to the day where he had escaped the town with Caitlyn and Solin. It would be a lie to say that he did not miss both of them, though for much different reasons. Solin had taken to assisting with the refugees that had chosen to flee into the Old Forest. When Sev had first heard the news, he was saddened. The stream of refugees that sought help from the Druid Council was unlike anything he had seen before. They came from all walks of life and, as was required by the Council, adopted an entirely different lifestyle upon reaching the Council territories. He found himself thinking about Caitlyn and wondering what the Druid’s Council would assign her to do.
The rest of the group trudged along behind him, wondering if he knew which direction to take. It hadn’t occurred to Sev that he could be leading them the wrong way until Borfin requested to stop and look at the map. The half-elf gave no protest and even helped the dwarf find their position on the map. Their heading had been correct, but Sev still felt relieved. Had they come to a fork before consulting the map, he could have easily led them the wrong way. He slowed his pace a bit and allowed Borfin to take a small lead. According to the map, they were nearly to the spot where the Stronghold of the Deep was supposed to be. Though many of the army felt that it was a fool’s errand to even search for the fabled fortress, none was brave enough to protest. Sev smiled as he ordered his elves to fan out and start exploring the offshoots in the cave. It was the first time that he sent off scouts to check the tunnels ahead. His fear of the unknown had stopped him from sending out any scouts prior to that point. The appearance of the kobolds put him on edge and changed his mind about scouting the area.
*
Ector looked down at his map. They had reached the main tunnel system and already encountered two small groups of enemies, one made up of orcs and the other of goblins. The Archwizard glanced up at his surroundings. Borfin had given him three separate destinations on where to meet. The first one had been deserted and the second appeared to be no better. He ran his finger along the map, tracing his way to the third spot. It read “the lost cities.” Ector tried to remember if he had heard any talk of such places by Cormac, but the only thing that came to mind was an old legend. His dwarven friend had often made reference to the Stronghold of the Deep and talked about how the dwarves desperately wanted to find and reclaim it. Whether or not it existed, the dwarf had no idea. It didn’t matter to him or many of the other dwarves. The Stronghold of the Deep was a symbol for the dwarves to aspire to. It was a somewhat foreign concept to the elf. Unlike the dwarves, elves held to specific principles as opposed to symbols of them.
None of that mattered at the moment. Even if Ector and his men thought the dwarves were foolish, they had still pledged their support. There had been a small faction among the elves that felt the dwarves undeserving of their aid. Ector had nearly brought the building down upon them with his magic, but had been able to stay his hand. The elves had always sworn to protect the world against the spread of evil. They had never asked for anything in return and Ector felt that they should not start now. His argument had proved to be stronger than that of the opposition. However, another band of elves tried to argue that the orcs were no more evil than the dwarves. The discussion had gone on for days until Sev finally interrupted by saying that the orcs had struck first. He reminded the Druid Council of how the orcs had infringed upon the elves’ territory as well. It was his final question that convinced the Council to devote its full resources on defeating the orcs. Ector thought that he quite brilliantly pointed out that the orc’s lack of opposition to the greater enemies made them enemies in their own right. In situations such as the one they faced, the elves felt that standing idly by was nearly as bad as joining the enemy.
It was the greater situation faced by Canai that worried Ector. The elves were at war, the Wizard’s Council broken, the dwarves retreated to their sanctuaries, the Holy Order was on the move, the dragons had returned, and the Warlocks had disappeared. He knew little of the specifics, but what he had heard was no less worrisome. The sorcerer, Arcantos, had forged an alliance with the dragons only to see it broken by the treacherous beasts. In his thirst for power, the mad magician may well have doomed the entire world. Ector shuddered at the prospect of war with the dragons. He shook off the feeling and looked up at where he was headed. Now is not the time to worry about the future, he thought. The caverns seemed to stretch on forever. It made him long for the Old Forest. He let out a sigh and ordered his men to pick up the pace. Wherever the dwarves had retreated to, he meant to find them.
The Tome of Illusion
Paul eased his dragon down closer to the water. He enjoyed the thrill of flying fast and low. They traveled south from Alamor, swing slightly to the east so that they could fly over the ocean. Now it was time for the Wizard to make a choice. The dragons would not be happy if they found out he had visited Emily. It is something I must do, he thought as Argos dipped his claws into the water. The dragon’s actions brought back Paul’s worries. No one knew the effects of the mindmeld, not even the dragons. What Paul did know was that he had to fight to keep Argos from reading his thoughts. He was unsure if the other Wizards faced the same obstacle or not. It was a subject that he wanted to keep under wraps until he had done more research.
“The others are calling us back. They want to hear our report on the town,” Argos said as he lifted higher into the air.
“There is no need for me to hide the truth from you. You know that I want to see her. I suppose it will have to wait,” Paul replied.
“The dragons will not be pleased. She was not granted a place among us.”
“I do not fear the dragons. Not even you, Argos. I’ve heard your thoughts and read your mind. You would be a worthy foe, but not one who I would be afraid of.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“I am afraid of making another costly mistake.”
No need for them to know what mistake I need not make, he thought as he shielded himself from the dragon’s mind. The slight pressure at his forehead informed him that the dragon was seeking answers. Paul gritted his teeth and removed the glove from his left hand. He reached forward and pressed his hand against the dragon’s neck. Argos knew well what the Wizard could do with a simple grip from his bare hand. The mindmeld had made the young man with great potential into a force to be reckoned with. Paul wondered if the others could wield magic at a higher level due to their mindmelds. It was one of the many questions that he wanted answered before he made his move to see Emily. He pulled the glove back over his hand and patted the dragon on the side of the neck. The dragon snorted as it dodged its he
ad back and forth.
“You are more a friend than you know, Argos. Let us try to keep it that way,” Paul said.
“There are some things that you cannot ask a dragon to do, Wizard. Do not push the dragon King too far or we will all feel his wrath,” Paul could sense fear in the dragon as it spoke.
“I will not make you do anything that you would protest.”
*
Emily sighed as she placed the book back on its shelf. Two months of studying and she was still not allowed to take the test. The Trials of Magic, as they were known, were a set of tests that had been designed to assess a student’s aptitude for the different schools of magic. Being the only student to arrive in over a year, Emily was the only Wizard on the island who had yet to take the test. Because of this, she was not granted access to the main areas of the school. Most of her time was spent studying and, in her free time, she took to walking the gardens. Other students spent much of their time in the taverns and inns at the dock on the south side of the island, but Emily preferred to stay away from that atmosphere. Owyn had always instructed her that a Wizard needed to be fully alert as much as possible. Drink, games, and the other activities that the students pursued in the town were seen as distraction by Emily.
She grabbed an unfamiliar book and opened it. The title page read “Tome of Illusion.” I wonder if Rolin read this, she thought as she flipped through the pages. Each individual page seemed to change every time she turned back to it. She kept flipping through the book, trying to find the beginning. It continued to elude her to the point of frustration. She shoved the book back into its place and grabbed another one. It was a much simpler book about how Kadegar, the Supreme Wizard, had established the Isle of Magic. The history of the island was of some interest to her. Its original name, which was still used on occasion, was the Isle of Wizardry. Kadegar had originally thought that he needed to connect it to the Wizards in some way. In more recent years, the Wizards of the isle got together and decided to change the name and open up the island to all practitioners of magic. Anyone could join on one condition; they were required to follow the code of ethics put forth by the Wizards.
The Tomes Of Magic Page 4
