The Tomes Of Magic

by Cody J. Sherer

  “Kieren, how fare the city-dwellers?” Sev asked as he approached their sentry.

  “Our spirits are high today, sir,” she replied.

  “Good, the last thing we need is to turn on each other. See to it that the soldiers don’t get too rowdy. Tell them the order came straight from me. I want them prepared for the worst.”

  “Something amiss?”

  “I can’t shake the feeling that we are being followed.”

  A shout went up among the city elf camp, causing Kieren to rush to try to keep them under control. It had been something of a disappointment for Sev to meet so many of his half-kin. Those elves that served with him in the rangers were far closer to the honorable elves of the stories than these ones that had accompanied him to assist the dwarves. The humans and elves of legend were among the most noble in history. To see both groups fall so far from their decent beginnings was quite the shame. It often made Sev wonder if the stories were embellished to make entire people groups as upright as their paragons. The answer, if any, would be found with the high elves. Their camp was far smaller than the other two, but also much cleaner. The high elves were either reading or debating different histories. Though far from being a scholar, Sev enjoyed learning about the history of his people among other things. Their watchman put down his book and stood up as the half-elf approached.

  “Hail, Emerich, how fare the high elves?” Sev asked.

  “Our people try not to let our heavy losses affect us, but it is a difficult task,” the elf answered.

  “I am sure it is. No doubt some of you feel the blame lies with the dwarves.”

  “You are correct, as usual. We are fortunate to be led by one as bright as you. Our libraries are always open to our cousins if you ever wish to learn more.”

  “One day, I hope to take you up on that offer. In the meantime, deaths are either my responsibility or Ector’s. We both knew that there would be casualties when we agreed to lead these armies to help the dwarves. Your comrade’s blood is on our hands.”

  Emerich nodded, the pain behind his eyes spoke volumes to Sev. The high elves knew well the risks of battle and gladly took responsibility for the deaths of those serving under them. That such a young man would have to remind them of that was a sore thing for the high elf. The ranger left their camp with an even greater measure of respect than before. Sev modified his path so that he could consult with one of the outer sentries. They were his best chance of confirming or denying his suspicions of anyone following them. As always, he had posted his own rangers as the outermost sentries. They were the soldiers that he trusted most. Though the majority of the army felt the same way about him, he didn’t feel the same about everyone in the army. The three closest sentries all came toward him as he approached.

  “I’m glad that all of you are here. It is my belief that we are being followed,” Sev said as they got near.

  “We all agree. They are good at hiding their presence, but all of us are in agreement that someone is out there. By our estimate, there are a lot of them,” one of the rangers replied.

  “I will deal with it, but I want the three of you to watch my back.”

  *

  Rodric was pacing back and forth when Janessa arrived. He started to say something to her, but changed his mind when he saw her expression. She paused to stare at him, unsure of how to deal with his latest actions. While she was away, he made a power grab by replacing several mayors with men and women loyal to him. Most of the old mayors were far from competent, but Rodric’s move sent a bold message to both Janessa and the people of the Gloomvale Isles. He was every bit as ambitious as always, yet something about his actions made her feel that he suspected her ability to lead. Whether true or not, such a perception among the people would undermine her authority. She desperately wanted to reprimand him and show off that authority, but she also knew that it would be a poor way of dealing with him. Rodric had always admired her for her mind. If she wanted to flex her authoritative muscles, she would need to show that she was at least on par with his intellect.

  “We will discuss the mayors later, something far more important has come up,” she said, finally breaking the silence.

  “What could be more important than consolidating our place with the people? These new appointments will go far in increasing your already impressive popularity,” Rodric replied.

  “My Uncle has reported that the dragons are enforcing a tax beyond that which we agreed to. He wishes to move against the dragons as soon as his troops are ready.”

  “Then we have him jailed before he can strike. This is a simple situation, let us get back to discussing what to do next.”

  “Simple! How can you make such a claim? The dragons are taxing our people without our permission!” Janessa yelled.

  “It would be folly to side with Tarick over the dragons. Remember the endgame, Janessa. We can bring glory to Gloomvale once again. Just think, we can build influence and power while paying the dragons to leave us alone. Our nation will become prosperous and the portion that they get from us will be greater than any other kingdom. Once we have the power, we pull the rug from under them. They will be so dependent on our money and goods that it will cripple them just before we attack them.”

  “Though it sounds good, your plan is a foolish one. The dragons will only grow in power. Time is not on our side in this matter. They are far more intelligent than you can even imagine. Kimeth knows things that I could never have hoped to have known. It is only a matter of time before their King is able to perfect his mind control over Wizards. What then? Can we dare to stand up to Wizards and dragons?”

  “Enough!” Rodric yelled as he drew his sword.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  “I had hoped it would not come to this, but I am going to have to take you into custody.”

  Two of Rodric’s men joined him and three more flanked her from behind. She shook her head as she raised her staff into the air. Rodric was the only one who did not hesitate. He lunged at her with his sword, but she knocked it away with her staff. His men followed behind him, but were interrupted by a gust of wind shoving them back. Janessa then slammed her staff on the ground, sending out a shock wave to hit the already off balance guards. She ran to the nearest window, dodging an attack from Rodric as she passed him. Without so much as flinching, she dove out the window. The rush of air was more surprising than she had expected. It was her first time performing such a move, but she had seen James do it before and knew that her knowledge of magic would be enough to save her. She used a spell to slow her descent and then landed on her feet. The guards were already forming up, some to fight with her and others to fight against her.

  “This is not the time. If you are with me, leave quietly and come find me later. I still hope to settle this without spilling any blood,” both sides stared at her as she spoke.

  It was something of a longshot, but she hoped that her words would sway them enough to prevent some bloodshed. She sprinted through the town for as long as she could before slowing to a jog. Guards and townsfolk alike gave her strange looks as she passed. She dared not slow to a walk until she reached the edge of town. It was when she finally slowed down that panic began to hit her. Rodric’s actions could easily have started a civil war. It still remained to be seen how many people would join each side, but even a small army would endanger her war with the dragons. She sighed as she trudged down the dirt road. It would take Rodric some time to figure out where she was headed, but she remained alert nonetheless.

  *

  Thanos stood at the bow of the ship. Cassandra and Talia had elected to stay in the captain’s quarters, Leoth was steering the ship, and Septimus was controlling the wind from his spot at the aft portion of the ship. The death magic expert peered out over the water with a menacing grin. Everyone had agreed that the combination of black sails and Thanos’ visage would strike terror into the hearts of their enemies. They were not worried about coming across any other fleets, as Leoth was the
only Warlord that kept a strong naval presence. Their ship sped toward shore as Septimus continued to provide a steady wind. Without his magic, the wind rarely blew in the direction of the island they were assaulting. It provided a natural defense for the Warlord names Jarok. Unbeknownst to him, it was also providing Leoth and his allies with a stealthy approach. The boats slowed as they came in closer to shore. Leoth took the lead skiff with ten of his best warriors. Septimus, Talia, Thanos, and Cassandra all took the second skiff along with five more of the new Emperor’s finest soldiers. Cassandra took charge of the unloading of the rest of the army as Leoth and Thanos scouted ahead. Septimus and Talia used their magic to bring in a fogbank to cover the unloading of the ships.

  Jarok’s paranoia about the other Warlords had led him to fortify his island with two castles. One protected the small patch of farms near where they landed and the other protected the only city of importance on the island. Leoth, already having knowledge of the island, took the lead. Thanos fell in behind him as they made their way closer to the castle. The mere sight of it made Leoth annoyed. He felt that way of the Warlord was to fight in open battle. It was a trait that Cassandra was desperately trying to change in him. Thanos could not help but agree with her on that point, but knew better than to mention that to the former Warlord. The castle was falling into disrepair and they didn’t see any guards or even any peasants. They entered the castle courtyard to be sure of their findings.

  “This is strange,” Leoth said as they headed back out of the courtyard.

  “Perhaps Jarok’s paranoia is spreading,” Thanos replied.

  “It is certainly a possibility. I would have thought he would at least station some sentries about to ensure the safety of his farmlands.”

  “Perhaps the years have not been so kind to the Warlord. Come, let us return to the others.”

  Leoth nodded and fell in behind Thanos. The Wizard nearly stopped when he realized that the newly christened Emperor was not about to take the lead. There was a time when few would have followed his lead. He shivered when he thought about the events that led up to his newly acquired assertiveness. The loss of life had been something that had nearly crippled him. It kicked in well after he had escaped the clutches of the Holy Order, but the delay did nothing to dull the pain. He thought about his fellow council members that were undoubtedly dead or scattered throughout Canai. The dragons could not have found a more inopportune time to return. Their actions alone had thrust the Wizard’s Council into chaos. The Holy Order had their hand in the result as well, but not to the extent of the dragons. It was because of this that Thanos felt the need for revenge against the great winged beasts.

  “The castle is empty and in disrepair. It seems that our enemy has retreated back to his cave in fear. We are unsure as to whether or not he knows of our presence, but a fast march will catch them by surprise either way,” Leoth said with no small measure of confidence.

  “We should still be on the lookout for an ambush. One can never be too careful,” Cassandra added.

  Leoth nodded and assembled the vanguard of the army and started their march toward Jarok’s main castle. Several of his Generals formed up their own groups and followed in the formations that had been agreed upon in planning. Thanos, Talia, and Septimus all joined Cassandra as she led the archers. The death Wizard considered riding to the front with Leoth, but decided that a full view of the battlefield would be more beneficial. His partners seemed content on sharing the role of ranged support. He knew that, in the end, it would be the three of them who would decide the battle. Leoth had not even gone to the trouble of building any war machine to siege the castle. Thanos was unsure if it was because he hadn’t thought of it or because he had faith in the magicians. The truth of the matter was that the Wizard could easily break through the enemy’s walls. He knew that Septimus would also be able to do so, but he had yet to see Talia’s full potential. Even if she was able, Thanos knew better than to ask both of them to assist him. They would still need one magic user against whoever was brave, or foolish, enough to face them after what he had in store.

  This castle was much more extravagant than the first that they had come across. In fact, calling it a castle was almost a fallacy. It looked more like a giant leisure home than anything else. Thanos’ confusion only became greater when he noticed that the walls didn’t encapsulate the entirety of the keep. It was as though Jarok thought the purpose of a castle was to intimidate his enemies. Perhaps it is that foolish Warlord style of thinking, Thanos thought as he continued riding toward their objective. Somebody had spotted them. Jarok’s army was forming up in the gap between the two wall sections. They were blocking the way to their leader, but also trapping him inside his castle. Thanos wondered if they even realized the latter. He glanced at Septimus to see if the Warlock wanted to take the lead. As usual, the man was too caught up in his own machinations to catch anything. It seemed that the quest for the tomes was eating up his entire consciousness.

  “I’ve got a little surprise in store for them, will either of you be joining be at the front?” Thanos asked.

  “I think I will hang back and see how things begin to unfold before making any such decision,” Septimus replied.

  “My spot is with Cassandra,” Talia said.

  “Then we can both join him at the front,” Cassandra added.

  Talia’s look of surprise was quickly replaced with a mischievous grin. Thanos didn’t much like the idea of straying from the plan, but the enemy had presented themselves as such a pathetic target that it was hard to argue against them coming along. He took one look back at Septimus before quickening his pace toward Leoth. The former Warlord was already hurling insults at his enemy when they arrived. He looked at them with mixed emotions. Thanos couldn’t tell who the emotions were directed at. He was just as likely to be upset with Thanos as he was Cassandra. Neither of them had followed the prescribed plan, but neither had the other Generals. Leoth had expressly told two of them to hang back. The only thing protecting their flank was Septimus and the archers. Thanos pulled Leoth, Cassandra, and Talia aside.

  “Perhaps that was a foolish move. Do you think that Septimus and the archer can protect our flank if necessary?” He asked.

  “Why would they need to?” Leoth asked.

  “Because they may have a trap laid out for us, dear,” Cassandra replied.

  “I think they will be able to hold any enemy off long enough for us to pull back,” Talia added.

  Satisfied with Talia’s answer, Thanos turned to face Jarok’s men. Their force was less than half that of Leoth’s. It would have been a strong case for keeping more men back, but it was too late for them to make a change now. Leoth was still seen as something of a Warlord, meaning his Generals would take matters into their own hands during battle. It was both a blessing and a curse. Their willingness to adapt made it more difficult for the enemy to get the drop on them, but it also made for a less disciplined army. Thanos was certain that Cassandra would want to talk to her husband about it after the battle. The Wizard cleared his thoughts as he prepared his first spell. They will soon know the pain of contending with a mage, he thought as he raised his staff into the air. Massive chunks of the wall began to break free and rain down on Jarok’s men. Thanos quickly whipped his staff around, causing even more wall chunks to fall. In the midst of the chaos, he tapped the ground with his staff and then thrust it violently into the air. The earth underneath the enemy army exploded into the air, crushing many of them between large chunks of dirt and massive stones. A roar sounded among Leoth’s men as they charged in behind their leader.

  Thanos ended his spells and watched as the armies clashed. His eyes drifted back and forth between the battle and the forest not far from Septimus’ position. The very thing that he was afraid of began to happen. Another portion of Jarok’s army began to pour out of the forest. They headed straight for Septimus and the archers. He could hear bowstrings in the distance, but it was too far for him to see if their arrows were f
lying true. Leoth sounded a partial retreat and his men pulled back to regroup. Thanos continued to watch as the new army descended upon the archers. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost for their ranged support, Septimus sprang into action. A large cloud of black formed around the newcomers. It wove itself around them just as they were about to crush the archers. The blackness pushed the troops back toward the forest. Thanos could not tell what it was doing to them, but their screams were unmistakable.

  *

  Septimus released his spell and called for the archers to follow him. By his estimation, the rest of the army would be mopping up what little was left of the enemy by the time they arrived. He wanted to ensure that he was there to find the Tome of Magic. So close, he thought as he quickened his pace. Leoth and the others had reengaged their enemies and the battle was going quite favorably. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw the enemy surrender. There was a small chance that Jarok’s personal guard would mount some type of resistance, but the largest of his obstacles to finding the tome had been eliminated. Leoth and his men were already cheering about the victory. Thanos had left the army was standing in the middle of the courtyard of the castle. He waited for Septimus to catch up before following him to the front door. The Warlock burst the door into pieces with a spell, causing the soldiers behind to shriek in fear. Thanos created a jet of fire with each of his hands and aimed them at the covering guards. Jarok’s men fled in terror from the two magicians. Septimus laughed as he headed for the throne room.