Jarok was sitting on his makeshift throne with several of his finest soldiers around him. He seemed surprised to see the two men standing before him. Leoth pushed past them in a fit of rage. Jarok stood up and grabbed his battle-axe. Both men squared off in the middle of the throne room. Leoth pulled out his sword and lunged at the Warlord. Jarok dodged to the side and responded with a massive swing of his axe. The Emperor brought his sword up to block with astonishing speed. His next move was equally fast. He knocked the axe aside and then stepped in close and elbowed Jarok in the neck. The Warlord stumbled backward, dropping his weapon to the floor. He gasped for air as he fell down onto one knee. Leoth brought his sword up to the man’s neck with a laugh. Jarok’s men grabbed their swords, causing Septimus and Thanos to spring into action. Before any of them could act, Jarok bowed his head.
“It is over. We have lost and Leoth is victorious. Our honor requires us to surrender to him,” the Warlord said with resentment.
“An honorable move. We accept your surrender and welcome you into the fold. As the new Emperor of the Valorian Isles, I pardon all those who are willing to be a part of the new empire,” Leoth announced.
Septimus ignored the rest of the conversation and went to look for the tome. Thanos was close behind as he climbed the stairs to the upper section of the castle. They found what was as close to a library as the Warlord owned. The Warlock nearly tore the bookshelves asunder as he dug through the books in search of his prize. It caused some hesitation in Thanos, but he joined in nonetheless. The two of them turned the room upside down in their search for the tome. Septimus came very near to destroying any books that were not the tome he was looking for. Thanos stopped in a bout of frustration. The Warlock was too obsessed with finding the book first to even take a break. It must be here, he thought as he started to go back through the books.
“Give it a rest, Septimus. We need to think about this from another standpoint,” Thanos said.
“What do you mean?” Septimus asked.
“We are looking for either the Tome of Fire or the Tome of Air. From what I know about these books, they will be quite unique. It should either be somewhere that is resistant to fire or somewhere that can withstand a lot of wind.”
“Of course. A master magician would be able to fix that with a spell or two, but there are no magic users here.”
Thanos nodded, waiting for Septimus to say something more. The Warlock turned back to the pile of books and began shoving them aside. He grabbed a stone box that was a bit larger than a book. I’ve been a fool, he thought as he tried his best to find an opening. Thanos joined him and pointed out a small outcropping on the side. Septimus pressed it in and part of the stone slid to the side. Flames leaped out of the opening, causing the Warlock to drop the box. He used a spell to put out the flames before picking the box up again. They both examined it for a moment to ensure there were no other traps. Septimus gently took the book out of the box. The front read “Tome of Fire” and both the front and back cover seemed to move back and forth like a flame. Thanos placed a hand on the Warlock’s shoulder in congratulation.
“We’ve done it. That gives us Fire and Death. There was little doubt in my mind that we would be able to find Air as well, but now there is no doubt,” the Wizard said.
“Yes, it is the first step toward being able to subdue the dragons. Come, let us help strengthen Leoth’s hold on this island. With any luck, we should be able to conquer the islands and raise an army worthy of facing those flying menaces,” Septimus replied.
Septimus ignored Thanos’ raised eyebrow and headed out of the makeshift library. I will be unstoppable now, he thought as he descended the stairs. He knew that there were plenty of things he could do with his newfound power, but his focus was solely on the dragons. The Holy Order was a distant problem, but it was something he resolved to deal with after the Dragon King’s death. Things that had seemed so far out of his grasp were coming together faster than he had imagined. Leoth and Jarok were already discussing things when Septimus returned to the throne room. The Warlock moved to join the conversation, but Cassandra and Talia stopped him. He clenched his fist as he waited for them to explain themselves. Talia took a deep breath as she stepped aside for Cassandra to do the talking.
“It would be an insult to both of them if you interfere. We may be looking to put away the old ways of the Warlords, but they would never join us if we do not honor their ways. I don’t care how powerful you think you are, you do not want an enemy in me,” Cassandra said.
“Fine, but ensure that your husband does not slow my plan,” Septimus replied.
*
Amy waited behind the inn, periodically peering in the windows. She had set up a meeting with the mayor, but her informants had yet to get her the necessary information for the meeting. There was a small part of her that relished making the mayor wait. She had no love for elected officials, especially those who seemed to find their way into the position via their deep pockets. This mayor was no different. He overtaxed the people of Carmalia and underpaid his supervisors. She had put her best people on finding a paper trail that would prove that information. They had informed her that he had an accomplice. She had been happy to hear the information, but still needed proof. Her informant was supposed to meet her behind the inn. He was running late, so she walked around the side of the inn in search of the man.
“Hold a moment,” her informant called out when he spotted her.
“You’re late,” she said.
“I am sorry, but I have what you need.”
She took the envelope and stuffed it in her pack. The informant left and she stepped in the side door of the inn. She ignored the others as she made her way to the private room in the back of the inn. The mayor squirmed in his seat as she entered the room. He was thin, shifty-looking man with a goatee. His hair was thinning and he was conscious of the fact. Amy took the seat across from the mayor and placed the envelope on the table. She tapped her fingers on the table as she watched for his reaction. He raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. They both stared at one another for nearly a minute while trying to figure out how to get the upper hand.
“There is information in this envelope that I think you will find to be quite intriguing.” Amy said.
“What exactly is in that envelope?” He asked.
“Information about taxes.”
“How did you come by it?”
“I have my ways, mayor.”
“What do you want?” The mayor asked.
“I want you to sabotage the dragon King, not openly. It needs to be in secret.”
“If I don’t?”
“We will give this information to the dragon King.”
*
Rolin patted Lethos on the neck, knowing that the dragon would read his mind. The majestic creature snorted, but acquiesced to his request of landing outside of town. Archwizard Rolin slid off the dragon’s back as soon as he hit the ground. Castle Cardinia was busier than usual. The dragons’ overly aggressive expansion of their territory sent masses of refugees fleeing to Cardinia. This had allowed King John to raise an army to replace the one that had been destroyed months prior. It was far weaker than his old army, but the Sardinians had pledged their help in bolstering any weak points. Between the new recruits and the assistance from their allies, Cardinia’s army was strong enough to protect the refugees. Through King John’s acumen and management skills, the kingdom was able to thrive with the population boom brought from the evacuees. Rolin was pleased to see the King turn chaos into prosperity. The kingdom provided something of a beacon of hope in the dark times that had so quickly engulfed an entire continent. Don’t let me down, old friend, the Wizard thought as he passed through the gates and into the castle.
The townsfolk hustled by Rolin as he slowly made his way down the main street. It was a pleasant walk from the entrance gate to the keep. The original builders of the castle felt that direct routes through the castle were more important than confusing an enem
y that broke through the gate. They made up for the lack of architectural mazes with flat roofs for archers in case of enemy invasion. Rolin moved along, making note of the changes that had been made since his last visit. The King had added sentry towers so that his guards could quickly assess the situation and ensure that there were no riots breaking out. With the influx of villagers, everyone agreed that something was required to help keep the peace. The Archwizard explained who he was when he reached the keep and they let him in without question. They informed him that King John was currently meeting with an adviser and would be available to join him for dinner momentarily. Rolin thanked them and made his way to the King’s private dinner room. John entered after a few minutes.
“My apologies for making you wait,” he said.
“Not at all, old friend,” Rolin replied.
“To what do I owe the honor?”
“I am sure you have had enough business talk for the day, we can discuss it in the morning.”
“That is very kind of you. It is true that things have been quite busy here in Cardinia. Our allies in Sardinia have been a great help, but there is only so much we can do with the state of things. The dragons and their thralls have us on edge. They’re not dared strike against us in open war, but we suspect they are behind some of the recent accidents.”
“There is no doubt in my mind that the dragons have tried to meddle with your people. They’ve struck some of the outlying villages, but most of their focus is on the Holy Order. The Wizards are stuck with the dragons for now, but even some of the dragons are willing to turn on their King. Now is the time to strike. Help me in this. I am sure we can get some others to join us in our conquest. Perhaps even the Holy Order would help us in our endeavor.”
“Speaking of the Holy Order, one of their delegates is supposed to meet with me later tonight. I would be honored if you joined us.”
Betrayal, Assassination, and Treaties
Sev tightened the grip on his sword hilt as he waited in the shadows. The group that was following the elves and dwarves was creeping closer to his position. He needed to figure out if they were hostile or not so that he could decide his course of action. They were shorter than humans, but didn’t look to be shaped like goblins or dwarves. Sev hesitated for a moment before jumping out and confronting them.
“Show yourselves,” he said as he held his sword out in front of him.
“Best do as he says,” King Aithen replied.
“Who are you?” Sev asked as one of the gnomes lit a torch.
“We are the gnomes and we apologize for trailing you for this long. There was no way of telling that you wouldn’t attack us.”
“You haven’t given us any reason not to.”
“Please, we mean you no harm. Our people have already been through enough tragedy.”
Sev was about to reply when one of his sentries loosed an arrow. The Ranger sprang into action as soon as he saw the first goblin. He hadn’t the slightest clue where they had been hiding, but they would pay for their attack. His sword sliced through the nearest goblin’s arm. It squealed in pain before retreating back to its brethren. Sev pressed his attack and ran another goblin through before taking off a third one’s head. His fellow Rangers had switched from bows to swords and had joined the fray. Three more goblins fell before the gnomes surged into battle as well. One of the larger goblins lunged at Sev and he battled away its weapon. He slammed the hilt of his sword against the creature’s forehead, knocking it backward and spraying blood onto its companions. His sword plunged into the goblin’s gut and then he pulled it out and slashed at another. The goblins were quickly routed and Sev ordered his men to give up the pursuit.
“How many injured?” He asked.
“Just one,” one of the sentries replied.
“A handful of gnomes, but no casualties,” King Aithen replied.
“We are fortune, an ambush like that could have cost many lives. Good work, all of you,” Ector said as he approached.
“Well met, elf. I am Aithen, King of the gnomes,” the gnome King bowed in reverence of the elf.
“My name is Ector. That is Sev,” Ector motioned toward the Ranger, “we are in charge of this army. I presume you are the ones who have been following us?”
“Aye, that would be us. As I was trying to tell your friend, we have been through more than enough tragedy recently and we are not looking for a fight.”
“What tragedy do you speak of?”
“Our ancient home was invaded due to our own lust for power. We happened upon a dwarven mage who took interest in our situation. He was looking for allies and we sought to use his power to strike a blow against a mortal enemy of ours. In the end, he paid the ultimate price to ensure that my people survived. We are indebted to both the dwarves and the Wizards for his sacrifice.”
“This could be some kind of ploy. How do we know that you speak the truth?”
“You cannot rightly know. Cormac would have known what to tell you, but I never ventured to guess that we would meet up with you without his guidance.”
Ector hung his head at the mention of his fallen comrade. Sev could not remember a time that he has seen the Archwizard act in such a way. He knew that elves and Wizards rarely shed tears, but it was the first time he had seen an elven Wizard cry. It was difficult for the Ranger to hold back his own emotions. Something deep down within him seemed to understand what Ector was feeling. The Archwizard glanced over at him for a moment as if he could sense the connection. He cleared his throat as he wiped away the single tear. Sev moved to say something, but thought it would be better to let the Wizard recover and then reply. Ector nodded to him before taking a deep breath. Even the gnomes and dwarves gathered could tell that something impactful was happening. Ector looked to the dwarves for a moment before addressing Aithen.
“We would be happy to take you in as allies. Understand that it will be a dangerous life. We are preparing to march to war against an enemy that we may not be able to defeat. You may join us or you may seek refuge in our cities, the choice is yours,” the Archwizard remained as professional as he could when he spoke.
“Your offer is very kind. We are not a warlike people, but we can offer our craftsmanship and innovation to help bolster your army. There are even a few of us who might raise a sword alongside you against this enemy that you speak of. It is the least that we owe you,” the King replied.
“It is settled then. We will find a place for you among our army until we return to the safety of our territories.”
The gnomes bowed and thanked their new protectors. It was something of a comical sight for the dwarves. Sev heard the whispers about how the gnomes were too afraid to fight for themselves. He gave one pack of dwarves a dirty look, but they ignored him. If any of the Rangers were to speak like that, he growled as he thought of what he would do to his own men in such a situation. The feeling quickly passed when he spotted Ector hanging back behind the others. He dropped back and joined the Archwizard at the back of the column. The elf nodded to his half-elven friend, but held back any comment. Sev opened his mouth to speak, but Ector shook his head. The Ranger nodded and the two continued walking alongside one another for several minutes. Finally, unable to stand the silence, Sev spoke.
“Would you like me to tell them?” He asked.
“It should be my place, out of all the non-dwarves, I was his closest friend,” Ector replied, knowing exactly what the Ranger was referring to.
“You might have been his closest friend in the entire world. I know he meant a lot to you. It isn’t something that I can explain, but I felt something of your pain and remorse when you heard the news.”
“I know you did, but I didn’t think such a thing was possible. You are neither a full elf nor a Wizard, yet there was a bond between us. There is more to you than meets the eye, my young friend. You exhibit magical tendencies at times, but show no real aptitude for magic itself. I wish that we were not at war, there are others who would know more about this sort of t
hing. Rolin, Septimus, perhaps even Thanos. No matter, we will just have to see things through to the end so we can discuss the matter with them. Until then, be careful. We do not know the full extent of your abilities and you will be pressed by our allies to do a great many things. You are already well-known among the elves and I would not be surprised if they thought of you as one of the keys to our offense. I wish I could offer you something more, but I’ve already gone on about this far too much. You have a good head on your shoulders, just make sure it stays there.”
*
Emily tapped her finger against the desk as she ignored the lesson from the Wizard. All of her lesson had become much less interesting since Paul’s visit. She suspected that Kadegar and the others were discussing their next course of action. The teachers seemed distracted when they showed up to class and sometimes they even missed class altogether. It wasn’t much of a problem for the students, as they learned quickly on their own. What they didn’t like was being held back by distracted teachers or their unqualified substitutes. The teacher, a shorter Wizard who rarely cracked down on his students, frowned at Emily. She stopped the tapping and grimaced. Her thoughts drifted to Paul, which made her smile. Though they had not known each other long, they had developed a bond which was quickly blossoming into something more. She longed for the wars to be over so that she could concentrate more on their relationship. Whether they were right for each other or not, she wanted to try to make a life of her own. Growing up as a Wizard and a Princess had been far too restricting and Paul presented a real chance at freedom.
“Any questions?” Arkin, the teacher, asked.
“When will classes return to normal?” Emily asked.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Sometimes we get substitute teachers and other times we get teachers who seem too preoccupied to teach. I’m certain that I am not the only student who has noticed this.”
“It is hardly something that the students need to worry themselves about.”
The Tomes Of Magic Page 14
