“We may be students, but that does not make us children. Most of us are old enough to be informed on such matters.”
“Age is not the issue, Emily. These are matters that require a profound knowledge of the situation. If we felt that it would help to inform you, we would. Once we have resolved the issue, everyone will be filled in,” Arkin appeared to be getting annoyed.
“I know the situation as well as anyone and I think that the students deserve to be told what is happening.”
“Now is not the time to question this. Speak to Kadegar after classes today, I will let him know that you are interested in discussing the matter with him.”
Emily nodded and sighed. The other students looked over at her, some impressed and others not so much. She knew better than to press the matter in class, but she had been unable to hold back her opinion. The classes she had been taking had already felt like nothing more than an attempt to weed out those who the Supreme Wizard and his minions saw as unfit. Add to that the lack of progress that had been made recently and it really felt as though they were not worth much to the teachers and administrators. War changes things, she thought as she waited for Arkin to finish his closing comments. The prospect of meeting with Kadegar gave her a small measure of hope, but it wasn’t enough for her to want to attend any more classes for the day. Not that she even had much of a choice. The Wizards claimed that their students were free to move about the island, but the reality of it was that most of their time was spent in class or studying for class.
Paul’s arrival had changed things for her. The feeling she had felt while riding the dragon had been one of absolute freedom. They could have gone anywhere they had wanted to go. Being stuck in class and libraries was such a stark contrast. Three more classes today, she thought as she rose from her seat. Her options were limited, but there was one thing she wanted to try. If she could find the Tome of Illusion again, she might be able to use it to skip the next three classes. Rolin told her that it was likely that Kadegar would keep it circulating throughout the island’s three libraries. Ensuring it wasn’t in the same spot all the time would make it more difficult for somebody to steal. Luckily for Emily, her plan only required her to find and read it. She pushed open the door to the first library and began searching in the closest section. It took three more sections before she was able to find it. As before, the pages were confusing. She did what she could to concentrate, but felt herself slowly drifting. It felt as though the book had some sort of hypnotic effect on her.
She blinked several times, not understanding why the library was gone. It had been replaced by a magnificent throne room. The throne itself was adorned with jewels and fine fabrics. Everything was just as she would have made it were she in charge. The walls were adorned with tapestries of heroes of Canai. Some of them were familiar to her, but others were not. There were four statues in total, two at the entrance and two flanking the throne room. The statues at the entrance were of her, grand and regal. She looked up at the other two statues. They depicted Paul standing vigilant behind her throne. All four statues had been built in such a way that her allies would feel protected, but any enemies would feel intimidated. She walked up the steps and ran her hand along the throne. It seemed to be inviting her to take a seat, so she obliged. The world changed once again. Now the throne room was bustling with people. Paul was standing back and to the right of her throne. There were several other guards, but none of them were close enough to act if an audience went awry. Her trust in Paul was complete.
The first of the villagers to approach her was a baker. He complained about how the farmer was charging more than he had the year before. She pushed the matter further and learned that both men were going through hard times. It seemed that a grain merchant had recently arrived in town and was spreading lies about the farmer and the baker. She ordered her guards to inspect the situation further and shooed the baker out. The next visitor was one of the Wizards she had appointed to recruiting more magic users. He boasted that enlistment numbers were up for the fourth straight month. Unfortunately, along with the boosted numbers came a sense of distrust for the Wizards. Emily asked who specifically seemed to be behind the spreading of such distrust and then sent guards to look into the matter. Three more audiences went in such a way and soon she felt herself getting exhausted. Perhaps ruling isn’t the thing for me, she thought. The room swirled around her yet again. Now, she was in the bedroom of a cottage.
“Have you sent the children out for their daily chores?” Paul asked as he entered the room.
“Yes, I think so,” she answered, not knowing why she felt the urge to reply in such a way.
“Good, it should give us some peace and quiet. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
“I am always willing to listen,” she spoke without even realizing what she was saying.
“It isn’t that I have no faith in Janessa, but I can’t help but feel as though we are no longer safe among the isles. It has been almost a decade since we ran off together, but the mainland seems to be continually embroiled in war and chaos. How long until it spread to the isles?”
“Where would we go?”
“There must be somewhere we can escape from the worries of the world. If you like, I can begin the search for a new home tomorrow.”
Emily closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. There was something terribly wrong with the whole situation. She was replying to Paul even though her eyes were shut and her mind wandering. It felt as though she were stuck in another person’s body or living another person’s life. This cannot be right, she thought. When she opened her eyes, the room had changed once again. Paul was standing atop the skeleton of a dragon that was much larger than Argos. Some of the others were around as well, but many of them had perished. She didn’t understand why she knew they were dead, but she just knew it. Everyone was rejoicing and pushing for Paul to be crowned as King of something. It was too loud for her to make out exactly what they wanted from him. Things didn’t quite seem right here either. She closed her eyes once again.
“You must be careful what you choose,” a voice said.
“What do you mean?” She asked as she opened her eyes.
“The Tome of Illusion is an incredibly powerful book. You will see things that might be, things that may never be, and things that only dwell in your wishes. If you get too involved in any one place, you might find yourself stuck,” the man’s hood hid his face.
“How is any of this possible?”
“You do not simply read the Tome of Illusion, you enter into it. The more time you spend with the book, the more you learn about the magic behind it. Your friend Rolin has spent a fair amount of time here.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t have to understand. In fact, most people who venture into the pages of this book don’t understand. You see, I am not actually real. My author wanted to give the book a sort of personality and I am what came of it. He was quiet the illusionist. They’ve spread nasty rumors about him and his book though.”
“Who has?” Emily asked.
“His rivals, all dead now, I’m sure. He was a very gifted Wizard, one of the most powerful to have ever lived. They say that when he was young, he was a scourge to all who opposed him. All true, I’m afraid. It wasn’t until later in life that he changed his course in life. His previous shortcomings are what made it so easy for others to believe the lies about him and his writings. They claim that he was so enamored by his own writings that he became a part of them.”
“They want people to believe that you are the author of this book?”
“That is the gist of it. I don’t want the tale to be completely ignored though. There is some measure of truth in it. He poured enough of himself into this book that he might as well be a part of it. It also warns against the dangers of becoming too absorbed in the tome. I was the original. Unlike the others, I was never a part of the outside world.”
“There are others like you?”
; “Oh yes, but you needn’t worry yourself about them. There is no escape for them and they have accepted that. Enough about that, you need to get back to the real world so you can skip your classes.”
“How did you know?” Emily asked.
The reply never came. She was, once again, standing in the library with the Tome of Illusion in hand. When she looked down at the book, it changed into a simple book about earth magic. A loud gong sounded in the distance, signifying that the next class was about to start. She turned about to see if anyone was watching and then disappeared into thin air. The spell had been incredibly simple for her, as though she had known it her whole life. She held back a giggle as she snuck past the librarian. It was a quick walk to her room, but she wanted to see if she couldn’t figure out more about why the Wizards were being so secretive. Seemingly out of nowhere, a thought popped into her head. She cast a quick spell of illusion that made it seem as though she were riding a horse. To the world around her, she was still invisible, but to her own eyes she was riding a horse. The spell had the strange effect of allowing her to see things as though she were atop a horse. It was something that Rolin had tried to explain to her once, but she hadn’t quite grasped how it worked.
“We mustn’t be late. Kadegar will be fuming!” One of her teachers said.
“He seems to be quite on edge lately,” another replied.
Emily followed the two of them into the main hall and through to the area where the students were not allowed. Part of her felt bad for breaking the rules, but it was not enough for her to actually stop doing so. The two Wizards continued their conversation, but only small bits and pieces of it were worth listening to. By the time they arrived at Kadegar’s office, Emily had pieced together that the entire staff of the Isle of Wizardry had been discussing something about the dragon threat. Until Paul’s arrival with Argos, the Wizards had all thought the island was impenetrable by dragon. Emily still had her doubt as to whether it was Paul or Argos that allowed them to arrive. As Kadegar had explained it, whether hostile or not, any powerful non-Wizard would be blocked by the numerous wards. Paul’s presence in the matter complicated things, but the Supreme Wizard felt that the wards should have held the dragon back regards of who was with the creature.
“Are we all here?” Kadegar asked as the two teachers entered his study.
“Yes, we are all the teachers you invited for the day,” Arkin replied.
“Good, we need to move forward on our decision. I realize that it may split the island, but we need to make a stand on this matter. This might seem drastic, but I vote that we separate ourselves from any Wizards that are not a part of our island. We have already seen that many of our brothers are influenced by those flying menaces.”
“What about those who have not merged with a dragon? Ector, Cormac, Thanos, and Emily are all free of the taint.”
“You bring up a good point, but I am afraid we cannot risk any of them siding with those who have been infected.”
“Emily is one of us now, you can’t surely believe she would side with them,” another teacher said.
“I can and I do. You all saw how she acted when Paul arrived. We need her to think that we are still on her side though. I’ve already limited her access, though she does not know that she is the only one. As for Thanos, Cormac, and Ector, we don’t even know if they are still alive. Even if they are, their connection to the others is too strong. The world needs to be purged and we can only properly do so if we are willing to start by purging our own numbers,” Kadegar replied.
*
James paced back and forth as the others discussed his proposition. It was a dangerous proposal, but he felt that it was the only way to ensure the people’s safety. He would take the army and distract the Holy Order while the civilians fled to safety. Elena had convinced the others to listen to his plan and from there they moved to discussion. The Archwizard didn’t like putting anyone in harm’s way, but he knew that the Holy Order would move into the desert sooner or later. They must see the danger everyone is in, he thought as he stopped pacing. A sense of calm came over him when he realized that it didn’t matter how they answered. He knew the truth of how dangerous the dragons and the Holy Order were. Whether others were willing to help or not, he would do everything in his power to see to it that neither faction kept their stranglehold over the continent.
“I’m not sure if they will see it your way,” Elena said as she exited the tent.
“It doesn’t matter. I will do what I must,” James answered.
“Well, they’ve agreed to the first portion of your plan. We will move from the Desert of Solitude to Alamor, but they have not yet come to a conclusion as to whether they will join you in your crusade against the dragons.”
“It isn’t just the dragons, the Holy Order must be stopped as well. My task is a daunting one and I do not expect many to join me. Not without some proof that victory is possible. I will earn the trust of as many as I can. Paul, Rolin, Janessa, Emily, Septimus, Thanos, Ector, and Cormac are all possible allies. I cannot even place a worth on any of them. Once I have gathered as many of them as I am able, then I will present my case.”
“No one will ever be able to say that you lack determination. I want to follow you, James, but I fear that it would be for selfish reasons.”
“It will be dangerous, but you would be a welcome addition.”
“Is there any chance that our friendship would grow stronger?” She asked.
“There is no doubt that it would grow stronger. I cannot answer as to whether we will ever be anything more than friends.”
“I understand, I am sure that you would prefer to pursue someone who is more important than I am.”
“Never sell yourself short, Elena. I would be delighted if things turned out favorably for us, but I cannot see the future. We may not even last till the end of the month. Even if we do last, there is no guarantee that we will be able to spend much time alone. It would not be right for me to raise your hopes.”
Elena was about to answer when the other leaders exited the tent. They exchanged small talk for several minutes. It grated on James’ nerves, but he knew better than to upset them. Surely they must see the need for haste, he thought as they continued their conversations. James considered summoning Hanoth with his mind, but decided against it. Everyone was still a bit leery of the dragon. It was understandable and rarely caused any real problems, but it did serve as a distraction. James excused himself after what he thought was an acceptable amount of chatting. His task was far more difficult than any of the others. He would lead the charge against the Holy Order and attempt to draw as much fire as he could. The army would stick in between the enemy and the civilians, engaging any soldiers that tried to get past them.
“Inform the others that we march after breakfast. I will meet with the Captains at first light to discuss our tactics. Make sure that everyone gets enough food and sleep to be ready for a battle tomorrow,” James said as he entered the soldier’s camp.
*
Zeltos clenched his fists as he waited for his audience with the King. It was not often that things made him nervous, but he had been on edge since arriving at the castle. He couldn’t put his finger on what was causing the feeling, which only served to annoy him even more. The guards returned and ushered him into the throne room. As expected, the King was not alone. There were several guards in the room and a man in robes with a staff. That changes things a bit, Zeltos thought as he looked at Rolin. The assassin bowed low before the King, doing his best to reassure those gathered. He knew that they would be skeptical of him due to his loyalties, but he only needed them to lower their defenses long enough to strike a death blow to the King. His own survival was not necessary, though he would do everything in his power to get away alive.
“Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you, your majesty. As you know, the threat of the dragons is quite real. It isn’t often that the Holy Order even considers allies, but things are desperate,” Zeltos sa
id.
“Are you saying that you wish to join together in an alliance against the dragons?” The King asked.
The assassin answered the question with a flick of his wrist. A small blade took King John in the throat. He collapsed to the floor and Rolin rushed to his side. The guards were stunned by what happened and Zeltos was able to kill two of them before they could mount a counterattack. He dodged to the side as the first of the soldiers tried to run him through with a spear. His movements blurred as he killed two more. He killed the three remaining guards and then turned his attention to Rolin. The Archwizard launched a massive wall of water at him. Just as the wave was about to hit him, it morphed into a wall of flames. Zeltos dove to the floor and covered his head. After feeling nothing, he looked up to see Rolin running toward him at full speed. The assassin whipped his sword around at the last minute, but it didn’t connect with anything. He clenched his jaw as he ran toward the Archwizard. Water began to seep up through the ground, but he ignored it. He stopped in place as the water froze. Several more guards arrived as he was struggling to free himself.
“Foul magician, you will pay for this!” He yelled as he broke free.
Zeltos lunged at Rolin with his sword, but the blade shattered into pieces before hitting the Archwizard. The assassin dropped the hilt and pulled out a throwing knife. His sword blade reappeared as soon as the hilt left his hand, but he ignored the sword. He threw the blade before turning and running away. Two of the guards moved to stop him, but he crashed into the first and was able to keep his balance long enough to evade the second. He quickened his pace as he passed through the door to the throne room. Before any of the other soldiers could apprehend him, he was running faster than a blur. He didn’t stop until he was well outside of the castle. His mission was a success, but his run-in with the Archwizard stopped him from being able to frame the Sardinians and left him shaken. He had been unable to confirm whether his knife had killed or just maimed the man. It felt like a small failure for him, but he tried his best to ignore it. He shook his head as he headed for a town to the north.
The Tomes Of Magic Page 15
