*
King Orlin slid the final stone into place and then wiped his forehead. The dwarves, looking for a change of scenery, found a clearing in the Old Forest for their new fortress. Before starting on the castle, they set up a tomb for Cormac and Thralin. Orlin slid the lid closed on Thralin’s casket before turning to the crowd. There were two plaques next to the coffin, one for each of the dwarves. Even though they didn’t have Cormac’s remains, they still honored him with a plaque next to his cousin. The King called the others forth and watched as they paid their respects to their dead brethren. He allowed those closest to the deceased to pay their respects before opening up with his speech.
“Today marks a new beginning for the dwarves. Our people have called the subterranean caves their home for centuries, maybe even longer. It is with a heavy heart that we move away from our ancestral homes. One day, when the world is less chaotic, we will return. Until that time, we will live on the surface with our allies. Together, we will spread peace and harmony to world. A world that needs a rest from the recent times of fighting. So much was undone in so little time, but we will rebuild it. We will come back stronger. This victory was won through the sacrifice of many of our dwarven brethren. Let these two be a symbol for all those lost in pursuit of a better life for our people!” The audience erupted in applause at his speech.
“Your majesty, might I say something?” King Aithen asked as he stepped up to the casket.
“It would an honor, King Aithen.”
“Not many of you know who I am. Nor do you know my people. We are the gnomes and we have tried our best to live peaceful lives underground. There was a time when I thought that our two peoples were vastly different. At first, Cormac showed me just how much we have in common. After that, he did something that I could never have guessed. He showed me that our two peoples are vastly different. You see, the gnomes have always looked out for their own. Even in this most recent war, we did not participate in the fighting. The best we did was to help ferry supplies with our machines. Cormac showed us the fighting spirit of the dwarves. He showed us that courage never truly dies. My people are not a warlike people, but we banded together under his leadership and we survived. It was truly an honor to have known such a great man,” The King turned and placed a hand on the coffin.
“Borfin, have you anything to say?” Orlin asked.
“Words cannot express how I feel,” the dwarf replied, wiping tears from his eyes.
King Orlin led his people in a round of applause before joining Aithen at the casket. Neither of them spoke as they each stood, looking upon the warrior and the King that had given their lives to save others. The gnome finally nodded to the dwarf and then walked back down into the crowd. Orlin wiped a tear from his eye as took up hammer and chisel. He hammered in a sentence just in front of the coffin. It read “courage, even unto death.” The mourning continued as he made his way to the back of the casket. It had been designed so that the coffin would slide down into place and form the beginning of the foundation for the entire fortress. They planned to build a wall of remembrance on top of the site and etch the names of their fallen comrades on its sides. Orlin paused when he saw Ector approaching.
“Would you like to say something, Archwizard?” He asked.
“My words are not for the crowd, your highness. However, I do ask that you allow me the honor of sliding the casket into place,” Ector replied.
“Of course. Cormac always spoke highly of you. Even though you are not a dwarf, I think he held you in higher regard than any other.”
“He was the closest thing I had to a best friend. A Wizard’s life is never easy. An Archwizard’s life even more difficult, but I could always turn to Cormac for guidance,” Ector paused and looked down at the memorial to his friend, “you were a great Archwizard, my friend. The council, if it ever returns, will not be the same without you. May you find peace in the afterlife.” Ector placed his hand on one lever and Orlin put his hand on the other. They nodded to each other and then pulled. The dwarf King hung his head at the thud from the coffin sliding into the ground.
*
Sev watched as several centaurs lowered the satyr, Sauroth, into the grave. He tried to ignore the fact that he would be doing the same to Miriel and Ellesar once the fairies left. Rania, the unicorn, stepped next to the grave and lowered her horn to the ground. She slid the horn a few inches and the dirt piled in around the satyr. One of the dryads, whose name Sev could not remember, stepped forward and placed a seed in the dirt at the center of the covered grave. It was not all that different from the ceremony that the Druids adhered to. This must be where they learned it, Sev thought as he watched. There were no words spoken, no tears shed. The fairies made a small ring of mushrooms around the seed and then flew off. One of the centaurs turned to Sev and offered him a bow before trotting off with the others. The unicorns and dryads followed closely behind with the satyrs leaving last.
“Strange to see them leave like this,” Kervos said.
“It is not so different than the way the Druids honor their fallen,” Sev replied.
“Do you think we will see them again?”
“Only time will tell. They seemed reluctant to face the dragons, perhaps the death of those beasts can persuade them to return.”
“Will you not reconsider staying?” Kervos asked.
“I’m afraid I cannot. That man is far too dangerous to let live. What he has, what we have, is dangerous even to the Wizards.”
The wagon rolled up behind them. Inside were the bodies of Miriel and Ellesar. Each was lying inside of small vessel shaped somewhat like a boat. The vessels were lined with wildflowers that only grew in the deepest portions of the Old Forest. Tyric and Wyric stood on either side of the cart. Sev could tell by looking at them that they would not be able help him unload their parents. He nodded to each of them before pulling out the vessel in which Miriel lay. It took his inhuman strength to lift it and gently lower it down into the grave. Selena followed behind him and said something that none of the others could hear. She nodded to Sev and then he took Ellesar’s vessel and gently lowered it into the other grave. Selena spoke once again and then nodded to Sev. The half-elf took up a shovel and used his speed to cover the two bodies. Tyric and Wyric each produced a seed from their pocket and stepped forward. Wyric placed a seed on the mound of dirt covering Miriel while Tyric placed the other above Ellesar. Selena said one final sentence before stepping back.
“You will be missed,” Sev whispered as he backed away from the graves.
*
Bartholomew was waiting when Serith and Zeltos entered his private study. His hair was grayer and his face more haggard than the last time she had seen him. Zeltos seemed equally astonished to see him in that state. It hasn’t been that long, the Crusader thought as she approached his desk. He motioned for the two of them to sit down. The stubble on his face was even grayer than his hair. His look worried Serith. She had dealt with the Grand Cleric on numerous occasions, but never had he looked this bad. His sunken eyes seemed to glare at them as they waited for him to speak. He cleared his throat and began to rummage through the papers on his desk. His fingers shook as he picked up a small letter.
“Do either of you have any idea what this is?” He asked.
“I do not,” Serith replied.
“Nor do I,” Zeltos added.
“This is a report on an ancient set of tomes. We previously thought them to be a myth, but it seems that there is at least some amount of truth to the tale. The Tomes of Magic are extremely powerful in the hands of a magician. I am not certain as to how many were found or as to how many there are. What I do know, however, is that some of them have been found. This represents a great threat to us. One of them is safe, but at least three have been used by a Warlock and a former Necromancer. Effective immediately, I am appointing Serith as Grand Crusader and Zeltos as Grand Inquisitor. We need to abolish this abomination in the name of the light,” Bartholomew slammed his fist down on the t
able.
*
James patted Hanoth on the back of the neck. They were flying south toward the last known position of Elena’s army. A fourth of the dragons had agreed to a truce under the conditions that James and Thanos had outlined. They would split up and make their own nests throughout the continent. The Archwizards would periodically check in with them to ensure they weren’t causing any havoc. It seemed a good treaty, but only time would tell for certain. The other three fourths had attempted to destroy Thanos and James, but were beaten back after a small confrontation. They fled beyond the sea, vowing to return and finish the deed sometime in the future. James surmised that many of them would die in their journeys abroad. The dragon King and his eldest cohorts had been defeated, leaving the younger weaker dragons to fend off anything that came at them. We will be prepared if they dare to return, he thought. His thoughts were interrupted when Hanoth dove down toward the earth.
“We’ve found them!” James yelled as he saw the large group traveling the roads.
“That we have,” Hanoth replied as they closed in on the army.
The dragon touched down at the front of the battalion. James slid off his back and he took flight once again. A large majority of the soldiers stopped to marvel the dragon as it soared through the skies. The Archwizard smiled as he looked at their faces. A dragon is truly a marvelous creature, he thought as he made his way through the pack. Elena always took the precaution of traveling in the middle of the pack. Her men had insisted that it was the safest place for her. James knew that it annoyed her that they thought she needed to be protected and she had a solid argument. A Wizard of her skill was far more powerful than any other one soldier in the army. At the same time, such a Wizard was also that much more strategically valuable. He threw up his arms as soon as he spotted her. She jumped off her horse and ran to him.
“James, you’ve returned!” She said as she hugged him.
“I have and I am here to stay,” he replied as he returned the hug.
“Does this mean that we were victorious?”
“Not without some help from a friend. We were able to barter a deal with the remaining dragons. I only hope that it lasts.”
“That is truly wonderful news. We can go home then?”
“I’m tired of living in the dessert. Why don’t we go to the Telmac Valley?” He asked.
“But the Holy Order is there.”
“We will drive them out.”
*
Gareth’s hands shook as he waited for the event to start. His ceremonial armor felt unusually heavy compared to usual. He paced back and forth, muttering to himself a list of things to remember. His love for Leniya was not in question, but he felt scared to death at the prospect of getting married in front of a crowd. The former Grand Crusader, he thought, terrified of saying a few lines in front of a crowd. He knew it was foolish. His previous roles had him leading armies into battle where the chance of death was real. Now, he had only to say the vows that he had prepared. He knew that she would be happy with them, but for some strange reason he felt embarrassed to say it in front of a crowd. His mind riffled through all the possibilities for what could go wrong. Sev stepped into the tent and interrupted his thought process.
“You’ll do great,” he said, placing a hand on Gareth’s shoulder.
“Thank you, but I don’t agree,” the former Grand Crusader replied.
“Nonsense,” Solin said as he entered the tent.
Both of the other men were dressed in their best armor. I do hope we don’t look foolish, Gareth thought as he looked at the others. His armor was gold with a white tabard that had a tree on it. It was finely crafted and looked like something a King would wear. Solin’s armor was a darkened steel with a tabard that had a large hammer and anvil in the middle of it. It looked harsh in comparison to Gareth’s armor. Sev was wearing leather armor with a bow and arrow surrounded by trees and shrubs painted on the front. The other two had offered to wear the same trees that Gareth had on his, but he declined. He wanted them to each have a symbol that represented who they were. Sev’s jerkin fit his identity as a Ranger. Solin’s hammer was appropriate for his occupation. Gareth’s tabard symbolized his new home in the Old Forest.
A trumpet sounded and all three rushed out of the tent. They slowed down as they came into view of the ceremony tent. Leniya was supposed to march in through the far end of the tent after Gareth and the others had entered the near side. Gareth took the lead with Sev following and Solin taking up the rear. Ector was standing atop the platform where the ceremony would be performed. He had insisted that they choose him as the officiator. Tree branches and wildflowers lined the aisle down the middle of the tent. The groom and his two groomsmen, also called Swordbrothers, lined up along the side of the platform. A soft melody began to play as the first of the bridesmaids entered the tent. Gareth recognized her as one of the former Witches of Telmac. She was followed by Caitlyn, who made Sev smile. The music changed to a more traditional wedding song as Leniya entered the tent. Her white dress had the same tree as the one that was on Gareth’s tabard. Both of her bridesmaids, also known as Sister of Peace, wore blue, but Caitlyn also had a patch on each arm with the same emblem as Sev. Ector motioned for the bride and groom to step up onto the platform.
“Friends and family, I welcome you here to the joining of Leniya and Gareth. It is an honor to be presiding over their wedding,” Ector said.
“The bride and groom extend their thanks to all who have come today,” Sev and Caitlyn said in unison.
“Let us begin. I want to first acknowledge Gareth and Leniya’s willingness to include some of our own traditions in their ceremony. As you all know, neither of them are from the Old Forest. That does not, however, mean that they have not become members of our community. As such, I want to formally welcome them into the fold,” Ector paused to allow the crowd to give their blessing as well, “On to the ceremony. Both Leniya and Gareth have written vows for this moment. We will start with Gareth.”
“It is with honor that I give myself to you all my life. I shall strive to always treat you with the respect that is due to you, to love you no matter what darkness we face, and to always be open, honest, and faithful to you. It is my honor to accept you as my wife. I seal this commitment with a ring,” Gareth announced as he placed the ring on her finger.
“I promise my undying love to you. I give my all to you, pledging my respect, honesty, and faithfulness to you all our lives. I promise to stay true to you through any storm. It is my honor to accept you as my husband, becoming one with you. To seal this commitment upon my honor, I present you this ring,” Leniya announced as she placed the ring on his finger.
“I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride,” Ector said.
“It would be the bride and groom’s honor for you to stay for celebration and refreshments,” Solin and the other former witch of the Telmac Valley stated as Gareth and Leniya shared a kiss.
“You know that Caitlyn and I give you our best, but we need to leave,” Sev said as he followed the bride and groom out of the tent.
“Of course, you have a mission that is important for all of our lives. I cannot imagine that man will not return with an army from the Holy Order. He must be stopped,” Leniya replied.
“Thank you for understand. Remember that we both have your back. You can come to us for anything.”
“We feel the same about you and Caitlyn and we will pledge the same to you upon your wedding day,” Gareth said.
*
Thanos tapped on Taleveth’s back as Alamor came into view. The skeletal dragon nodded before dropping into a dive. They dove down to ground level and veered off to the side so that nobody would be afraid of the dragon. One day they will accept you, Thanos said as he patted Taleveth’s head. The dragon let out a soft roar before disappearing into the woods. Thanos looked down at his hand, realizing that he had more in common with the dragon than any in the castle. It was busier than he expected. The elves had tran
sferred a majority of the prisoners to the city. Seeing the former Valorian Isle soldiers mixed in with the citizens was what led him to the realization that they had lost the battle. The lack of Holy Order troops allowed him to surmise that the elves won. They were skilled warriors that had little need for a castle city like Alamor. Their expertise was much more pronounced when fighting in the forests. Thanos stopped as he reached the gate.
“What can we do for you?” The guard asked.
“I am looking for Talia,” Thanos replied.
“You’re in luck, she is at the Lucky Clover. It is down two streets and to the left.”
“Thank you, much appreciated.”
The Archwizard pushed through the crowded gate and made his way down the street. He turned the corner and saw the sign to the tavern in the distance. It was a picture of a green four-leaf clover. Must be the Wielder’s hideout, he thought as he walked through the crowd. It was widely known among magicians that four-leaf clovers were rumored to enhance magical powers. Thanos had never put much stock in the theory, but the symbol would cause some to think twice before entering the tavern. He pushed open the door to the tavern and immediately spotted several people who he could tell were magic users. The Archwizard entered the tavern undeterred by the presence of magicians. He had likely seen more battles than all of them combined, but they had no reason to suspect that he meant them harm. Thanos approached the bar and waited for the innkeeper.
“What can I get for you?” The innkeeper asked.
“I’m looking for Talia. Is she here?” He asked.
“Who wants to know?”
“A friend.”
“I’m going to need more than that.”
“All right, my name is Thanos. We were traveling together until recently and I wanted to meet back up with her.”
“It’s fine, Donald. He is a friend,” Talia said as she came up behind Thanos.
The Tomes Of Magic Page 26
