*
Melissa stood and watched as the dragons held council. Her headache was causing her to drift in and out of her own daydreams. She couldn’t remember what was going on. Sometimes the presence of the dragons mystified her, other times it seemed normal. There were times when she recognized the others humans that visited, but their names were always jumbled. The one thing that remained the same was her need for food and rest. One of the dragons always seemed to know when she was hungry or tired. It was always the same dragon that brought her the food and carried her off to where she slept. Where do I sleep? she asked herself, ignoring the world around her. Every now and again she would hear a voice in the back of her head, but she could rarely understand what it said.
They want you dead, the voice was clearer than usual, but it made no more sense.
Who? she asked.
The dragon King and his minions, it answered.
I don’t know how to stop it.
Nor do I.
Then, why tell me?
You deserve to know. I will do what I can to preserve memory of you.
*
Gareth let out a sigh of relief when he saw the army returning. They had brought back the dwarves as promised, but there was another group of refugees that seemed to be among them. The commander frowned as he observed the group coming toward the city. We can’t support too many more refugees, he thought, frustrated that the situation had to come to such a drastic place. He began walking out to meet them and found that several others were following him. Leniya, Kervos, Solin, Caitlyn, Alandir, and even Miriel had decided to greet the soldiers. Leniya shrugged when he looked at her for answered. He shook his head and took the lead of what would normally look like a rather important delegation. The image of the others bobbing along, some struggling to keep up, gave him a laugh. Many of the troops had smiles of their own upon returning to their home.
“Ector and Borfin will need some time,” Sev said as he approached Gareth’s little party.
“What happened?” Gareth asked.
“Now is not the time,” the Ranger replied as he pushed past the former Grand Crusader.
Caitlyn smiled and he smiled back, but didn’t slow down. She followed him as the others gathered around Gareth. They questioned him about what Sev was talking about, but he merely shrugged. None of the other soldiers stopped to say anything. Orlin and Aithen approached the group, but remained silent as the remaining troops continued past. Ector and Borfin rode side by side, neither taking their eyes off the ground. Deleon rode just ahead of them, guiding their horses. Miriel moved toward them, but Deleon held up his hand. She nodded and walked back to the gathered officials. Gareth watched as the last of the soldiers disappeared behind the gates of the elven city. It was a strange feeling for him. He had very little invested in these people, but the sorrow he felt was far greater than he expected.
“We survived, thanks to the elves. Not without casualties. This is King Aithen of the gnomes. We have agreed to allow them safe haven in the cities,” King Orlin spoke with little emotion.
“Am I missing something? Should we not be celebrating this as a victory?” Gareth asked.
“There are many elves that rejoice, good sir. I am afraid that the Wizards, gnomes, and dwarves cannot do so at this juncture,” King Aithen spoke.
“You may call me Gareth. This is Leniya, Miriel, Solin, Alandir, and Kervos. Together, we are a good chunk of those who are in charge here. Both of you will be treated adequately, I assure you. You may explain the rest whenever you are comfortable,” Gareth motioned to each of the others as he spoke their names.
“A great many gnomes were killed and our homeland was lost. I do not expect you to understand that, human. The dwarves have also lost their home, but they have also lost much more. Archwizard Cormac was killed by the naga. He sacrificed himself so that my people could survive. His name shall forever be remembered among the gnomes.”
“If there are any gnomes left to be remembered,” Sev said as he rejoined the group.
“Calm yourself, Ranger, it is not your place to speak here,” Kervos said.
“Am I the only one who sees the futility around us? Countless creatures have been slain by my hands, but we are no closer to survival than since all of this began. We fortify our territory against the likes of trolls, orcs, and goblins, but our enemies are much more numerous and powerful. When will we drop our arrogance and seek stronger allies?”
“We can hold our own without needing others to meddle in our affairs!” Kervos yelled.
“No, the lad is right. Half of our army is made up of homeless refugees. What if the naga that killed an Archwizard decide they want to continue their chase of the gnomes? Will we offer up the gnomes as a sacrifice?” Orlin asked.
“Though they have not presented their arguments as eloquently as I would have, they are both correct. No offense to our allies, but we have much stronger enemies than friends. We should seek the guidance of the fairies,” Miriel said.
“Fairies? We are looking to mythology for our answer to this monumental problem? Have we all gone mad?” Kervos asked.
“The fairies are real, we Druids have always known it.”
“Those are legends, the elves have told them to every generation. Nobody ever truly believed the stories. We need a real solution.”
“She speaks the truth. There is a cavern not too far from here. I tried to explore it when I was younger, but things didn’t go as I had expected. It isn’t something I can explain, but there was type of magic keeping me from venturing inside,” Sev said.
“How do you know it is the fairies?” Orlin asked.
“He spoke to me about the encounter. I examined the area and came to the conclusion that it was the fairies of legend. They contacted me using magic. We had an interesting conversation, but they are nervous about revealing themselves to the rest of the world. They are not so trusting after their history with the elves and the Druids. We would be wise to send an emissary who they wouldn’t find a threat,” Ector said as he joined the group.
“I will go, they have never dealt with my people,” Leniya said.
“I will accompany you,” Caitlyn said.
“Well then, it seems that things are settled,” Miriel said.
*
Janessa reached out with her thoughts to alert Kimeth to the situation. The dragon was somewhat distracted, but still acknowledged the Archwizard’s warning. She still had some ways to go before she reached her hometown. The others would know to meet her there, but she worried about how many would show up. Her uncle was supposed to meet her there with an army to face the dragons, but now it seemed they would have to face Rodric. Janessa shook her head in despair. Everything had fallen apart so fast that she felt as though she had been thrown into her current position with little choice of her own. Rodric’s latest actions had been a crushing force that pushed her to the brink of her wits. The Archwizard contemplated her options as she continued along the rarely used dirt road. They must feel neglected, she thought as she looked down at the road to her old hometown. It had been years since she had visited. Though she felt little connection to the town now, there was nowhere else to turn. Since Owyn’s death, her allies had either been decimated or turned on her.
“Why?” She asked herself aloud.
“It is not for us to question,” the reply came.
She looked around and saw an elderly man standing on the side of the road. Something about the man reminded her of Rolin, except older. The man leaned on a staff as he rested at the side of the road. Janessa walked over to him and searched her mind for a spell that could provide them both with a seat. As if reading her mind, the elderly man waved his arm and roots burst out of the ground. The Archwizard took a step back, momentarily frightened. Her fears quickly diminished as the roots took the form of two seats. She smiled and took a seat next to the mysterious man. Though he emitted no small amount of power, she felt strangely calm around him. He smiled and waved his hand, causing the ch
airs to retreat back into the shade of a nearby tree. Another wave of the hand formed a small groove in the ground that quickly filled with water. The newly created stream added an even more relaxing element to the atmosphere.
“You are probably wondering who I am,” he said.
“Yes, Rolin only mentioned a few powerful magicians by name. None of them match your description,” she replied.
“Rolin does not know that I am alive. In fact, not many know my true nature. I chose the Gloomvale Isles because they are something of an anomaly in the world. My name is Uryk. I am something of an anomaly myself and a relic of an older time.”
“You have been trained in the magical arts, that much is obvious. Are you friend or foe?”
“Neither, young Archwizard. There was a time when you would have considered me an ally, but I am much too old to be anything more than a source of information.”
“How are you not an ally?” She asked.
“Because I would reveal my information to any Wizard, Druid, or Warlock that asked. There was a time when those three groups tried to form an alliance. I am the result of that alliance. It was nearly two-hundred years ago and I was almost eighty. I thought that my knowledge would help the three groups come together as one. Unfortunately, it was not so. They may not be openly hostile to one another, but neither are they allies.”
“This is all very fascinating, but I cannot get past the fact that you are so old. Forgive my rudeness, I mean disrespect, but how have you survived this long?”
“I am not offended, young one. As a part of their treaty, each of the groups shared their knowledge with an appointed ambassador. The only person who all three agreed upon was me. Through the knowledge that I learned all those years ago, I have been able to prolong my life. Of course, I also owe a great deal to the Gloomvale Isles. It is a riddle that I cannot crack. Motivation can cause people to live far beyond the average.”
Janessa sat and listened as he told stories of his experiments on the isles. Uryk added in small nuggets of wisdom that he felt would help the young Archwizard to grab hold of her fate. She didn’t realize it for the first hour or two, but the chairs they were sitting in had started walking toward her hometown. She couldn’t help but smile as she walked the root legs creeping across the grassland. It was an interesting way to travel, one that she found refreshing. It felt as though the world had slowed while the enigmatic magician shared his wisdom. He paused and looked back in the direction they had come from, a frown forming on his face. “This will not do,” he muttered as he waved his hand. Janessa looked over her shoulder to see a group of riders on a far off hilltop. Uryk grabbed his staff and stood up before motioning for her to do the same.
“It seems our pace is too slow. You don’t mind a quick walk, do you?” He asked.
“Not at all,” she replied.
“Good, good. Now, where was I?”
“If I may, why are you so eager to tell all this to me?”
“You are a daughter of the Gloomvale Isles. The majority of my life has been spent studying them. You know as well as I do that this eternal shroud is bad for your people. I am old beyond my years. The world is changing quickly. There was a time when I was just an elderly man with some old views on life. Now, I am a relic. My knowledge might help these isles and I want to impart it to you. If that also makes you a more powerful magician, then so be it.”
*
“Get him out of here!” Cassandra yelled as she slammed her hand down on the table.
Septimus clenched his fist as he took a step forward. Cassandra did her best to hide her fear as she glared back at him. His eyes looked as though they were about to murder her and numerous others. A small fireball formed in his left hand as he opened it. He raised his arm and the fireball grew. Leoth lunged out of his chair, but was thrown back when Septimus raised his right hand. Talia stepped in between Cassandra and the Warlock, but he ignored her. He gently pushed her aside as he strode toward the table where Cassandra sat. He wouldn’t dare hurt anyone of us, she told herself. She started to say something, but the Warlock flicked his right wrist toward her and her voice failed to work. Septimus closed his left hand, causing the fire to dissipate.
“You think you are in charge here, but you do not order me about. I have a power at my fingertips that you could not even fathom. Do not press me, you will not win that battle,” Septimus’ murderous eyes stayed on Cassandra the whole time.
“That is quite enough,” Thanos said, eyeing the Warlock from behind.
“Ah, the Archwizard speaks. I imagine that you think you could match my power. Not that we need to test it. We are all on the same side here. My plan is not to kill any of you, but if attempt to disrupt my plan I will do what I must.”
“Do not make me embarrass you in front of the others.”
The Warlock began to laugh as he turned to face Thanos. A worried Cassandra looked to her husband for guidance. He shrugged and they both looked to Talia. She shook her head and backed away from the two magicians. They stood inches from each other, neither showing any sign of fear. Septimus gritted his teeth as he spun away from Thanos. He walked several paced and faced then the Archwizard. Both of them took a moment to center themselves. They argued for several minutes about what dueling rules to use before settling on their own custom rules. Septimus demanded that they start with their backs to each other. Thanos forbid that either of them seek to serious harm the other. They both consented to the others wishes and turned away from each other.
“Talia, if you would be so kind as to signal for us,” Septimus said.
“You may begin now!” She replied.
Septimus spun and his right hand shot out. A large fireball exploded out and engulfed Thanos. The Archwizard put out the flames with ease and then lifted his hands. Bones broke through the stone floor and surrounded the Warlock. His immediate reaction was panic, but it was quickly replaced with resolve. He broke through the bones by using pieces of the broken floor as projectiles. As soon as he was free, he sent the projectiles flying at Thanos. The Archwizard brought up his left arm and the stone shards burst into pieces. He bent down and slammed his palm against the floor. A shock wave shot out toward Septimus, causing him to jump backward. As he jumped, Thanos thrust his arms in the air and vines sprung up from behind the Warlock. They grabbed hold of his arms and legs, slamming him into the ground. He collided just as the shock wave reached his position. The force of the blow knocked the Warlock unconscious.
“This is a fine mess,” Thanos said as he wiped off his robe.
“We need this room for meetings, you can’t leave it like this,” Cassandra said as she stood up.
“I will fix it as soon as I make sure that our friend has cooled off.”
Cassandra was about to say something when Leoth put a hand on her shoulder. She knew what it meant and nodded. The last thing we need is two enraged magicians, she thought as she took her seat. Talia and Leoth sat down on either side of her. All three of them sat in silence, presumably trying to grasp what they had just seen. It had been the first time that Thanos and Septimus had openly fought. The fact that they had not fought before was something of a surprise to all three of them. Septimus’ abrasive and obsessive behavior was vastly different from Thanos’ much more calm approach to things. Nobody dared to say it, but they all noticed the Warlock’s volatility rising. Seeing Thanos put him in his place was something of a relief for all three of them. The Archwizard returned and used his magic to replace the stones on the floor before turning to address all three of them.
“I haven’t much time. The Warlords have come seeking a treaty of some kind, so I will make this as short as possible. I think it would be best if Septimus and I go on ahead without the army. There is one thing I would request of you, though,” he said.
“You may travel ahead of us. What is it that you request?” Leoth asked.
“As a part of whatever deal you offer them, ensure that the Tome of Air falls into our hands,”
“T
hat can be arranged.”
“Would it be too much to ask if I can come with you?” Talia asked.
“No, not at all. You are free to come or stay. The choice is yours,” Thanos said before turning to leave.
Talia rose and followed him, letting the Warlords in as she came to the door. Leoth sat tall in his seat, doing his best to appear intimidating. Cassandra smiled at him before glaring at the Warlords as they took their seats. She was proud of how willing her husband was to take on a completely different role. His new role was completely foreign to him, even if she did know a lot about it. The two Warlords squirmed in their seats as they waited for one of the two to address them. Leoth grinned as he called for one of the servants to bring forth drinks for all four of them. Offering their adversaries a drink had two purposes. The old ways dictated that sharing a drink with an enemy was a sign that you acknowledged their honor. At the same time, accepting a drink from the Emperor was a sign that they acknowledged being his guests.
“Gentlemen, you have been invited here to offer your surrender to Emperor Leoth. In doing so, you will both be rewarded and brought into our Empire. The Valorian Isles are far too small for our peoples. We can discuss our expansion plans as we figure out the terms of this surrender,” Cassandra said.
“I am willing to discuss the terms of the surrender of my people. We heard what happened when you invaded Jarok’s land, that is not a fate we wish to share,” one of the Warlords replied.
Death
Argos pulled his wings in and went into a dive toward the ground. A Holy Order patrol was stopped near the southern end of the Telmac Valley. Though not a direct threat, the order still needed to be faced at some point in the future. They shared a common enemy, but that would not be enough for the Grand Cleric or the Grand Crusader to pursue an alliance. It was strange enough that they had chosen to assist the Barbarians, but Paul knew of no time in history when the order looked favorably on the Wizards. He even wondered if they knew that not all the Wizards were aligned with the dragons. None of that mattered at the moment. The Wizard and his dragon had a chance to strike a blow at the Holy Order and would be foolish not to take it. Paul pulled his sword as Argos slowed the dive with his wings.
The Tomes Of Magic Page 16
