Wizard's Blood [Part Two]

by Bob Blink

  “The resistance movement inside Kimlelm is also dying out,” Kavel added. “We have been virtually unable to support them for some time now that the portals are no longer a viable means of moving in people and supplies. Ale’ald has an effective watch on the portals within the country, which makes it very dangerous to attempt to slip in that way. Without our support, the groups have been falling apart. Cheurt’s people have been brutally effective at discovering the groups and thinning them out.”

  “The skimmers can help,” Den-Orok said. “We will have to make bringing them here and training the crews a high priority. They are not nearly as fast as the portals, but they can carry a large number of people or supplies and can fly high enough or at night that they would be undetectable. They are also quite silent, so you could begin your resupply activities that way.”

  Kavel nodded. “That would help immensely. The resistance movement was becoming very effective at hindering Ale’ald’s progress, but once they felt cut off and lost access to some of the things they needed from us, their effectiveness started dropping off markedly. If we can show them we are back, it will make a serious difference.”

  “Today you should start searching for a dozen men who will be your first group of pilot trainees. Jolan can help you understand the kind of traits that will be necessary since he is a pilot himself. The skimmers are very unlike the scouts and are relatively simple to fly, but they are somewhat open and the men chosen must not be afraid of heights or a bit of turbulence. We will bring the first of the skimmers here in the morning, and start classes within a couple of days. It won’t take long to train the group.”

  Jolan looked over at Asari who was struggling with his decision not to volunteer for the pilot training. As much as he wanted to fly, he had explained to Jolan the other night that he wanted to stay with the dragons and be part of the effort to capture or kill Cheurt. He was going to become Den-Orok’s gun-man for the scout. Iach-Iss had already asked Jolan to be his flying partner, so the four of them would become a team. Any flying ambitions Asari had would have to wait for a later time.

  “The wizards and some of their triads have also stepped up a program of assassination against the leaders of Seret and Angon,” Chancellor Vaen explained. “Four members of the ruling party in Seret have now been killed, and two failed attempts have taken place here in Angon. We know they are slipping in using some of the portals. Once again, we have had marginal luck against the triads, but because of the more powerful weapons and a far larger number of mages available here in Angon, we have thus far been able to prevent any deaths. I doubt we will be able to remain so successful if this keeps up. Since both you and Shyar have sensed that Cheurt knows we have made contact with you, I expect Ale’ald’s efforts are going to increase in the coming weeks.”

  “Two immediate actions should help against these kinds of attacks. Jolan and I have already discussed a more permanent shutdown of much of the portal system. This should be possible. It was designed with the capability, which would leave only those portals you want to use available. Neither Den-Orok or I were actually involved in the building of the system, but Tur-er was very proud of the system she created, and told me a great deal about it once it was completed. A control center was built near the Nexus in Tilano that will provide us access. I realize that you haven’t wanted to use the Tilano portals for good reason, but we can take a crew there in the scouts and see what can be done. No one will be able to track us there, so the secret of the great lake will be retained.”

  “You said there were two actions,” Wylan said.

  “We have a number of weapons with us. One is something that was designed for individual use. Unfortunately it was built to our personal scale, as we were the primary users of the devices, but a two man human crew can use one easily enough. The weapon will bring down mages or wizards, whether they are triads or not. Their shields, even the metal barrier you have described, will not afford them any protection against it. Even the more powerful triads in the past could not resist the weapon. It’s only drawback is the relatively short range. One must be within a few hundred yards for it to be fully effective.”

  “You brought a number of these devices,” Vaen asked hopefully.

  “I found fifteen in the stores before we came here,” Iach-Iss rumbled. “I would have thought we had more, but the rest must have been on the ships that attempted to make orbit. I do not think we have the means of making more.”

  “I will start getting teams together,” Wyan said. “Some of Samm’s sniper trained people would be a good start. We have more people than weapons, so those without rifles would be the first two-man teams to be trained.”

  “What about your scout ships?” Wylan asked.

  “There are a number of weapons on the scouts which could be used. There were other weapons, but all those that used projectiles of one kind or another are no longer useful because ammunition has been expended and there is no way to make more. Those weapons that used energy pulses, similar in some ways to your magic, still function. While it would be possible to use the ships to attack ground troops from afar, it is not an approach we favor. Wholesale slaughter of the enemy soldiers might win the war, but it won’t solve the larger problem. A means must be found to eliminate the enemy command structure. All of the upper level wizards and all of the triads must be destroyed or the problem will eventually resurface, just as it has now. The scouts can target the wizard triads on the battlefield and take them out from significant distances. Asari and Jolan will be flying with Den-Orok and myself to do just that. A few such encounters will make their wizards fearful of appearing on the battlefield, which should help resolve one of your problems.”

  “Such actions are likely to make you targets,” Vaen observed.

  “It is hoped so,” Iach-Iss replied unperturbed. “At some point Cheurt will decide he must do something about us or his war will be forfeit. He is the strongest of them, and his desire to bring us down should flush him out. He, more than any other, must be found and killed.”

  There was a moment of silence as everyone considered the implications of what had been said. The dragons were clearly intending to go into battle themselves in support of the effort. Given what they had to offer and the losses they had suffered in the past, some were not sure this was the best strategy, but they were the only ones who could fly their ships.

  “Your communications systems should be able to help us a great deal,” Buris suggested after a bit.

  Den-Orok agreed. “We have systems that can provide instantaneous and secure communications between groups anywhere. The satellites link the units together. The devices are small enough for field troops. Given time we might be able to make them even smaller. They were designed to be a convenient size for our own use, not to make them as small as was actually possible.” He held up one of the satellite communicators which was an inch thick, six wide and eight high.

  “We can also provide a visual monitoring system that will allow you to examine any point in the Settled Lands in great detail. These systems are realtime, so you can easily see what is happening at a selected location. They will allow you to monitor your enemy as he builds up his troops or moves people and equipment. Your men can go into battle knowing how the enemy is deployed.”

  “Your ability to manufacture more of your weapons and equipment appears to be quite limited,” Chancellor Vaen noted.

  “This is true,” admitted Iach-Iss. “We were never set up for significant manufacturing, and much of what we could do was located on-board the ship which remains in space. We saw no need to bring all of that down from orbit, and it now remains very much out of reach. We have knowledge that could lead to useful products, but much like you have seen with the information Jolan and Gene have brought from their world, Gaea is not in a position to make use of much of that knowledge. Years would be required to build the necessary infrastructure.”

  Several hours later they had accomplished as much as was feasible for the moment. The drag
ons would leave by portal this evening, and return in the morning with the first of the skimmers and some of the support equipment that had been discussed during the meeting.

  As they walked back toward the military barracks where the dragons had their quarters, Iach-Iss turned to Jolan and said, “You will be an extremely effective force yourself before much longer. In another year Cheurt will be no match for your skills, even with the amplifier. You have already grown by two levels and, while the rate will slow, you have far to go. Shyar also has a lot of growth left in her. We cannot know how the next weeks will develop, but don’t be rash in your actions. Plan carefully. I know that you are counting on the amplifier failing before long, but that may not happen. The devices that form the core are more unpredictable than one would think, almost sentient, and may have realized a need to self charge your battery as the device is being used. You said you never actually ran a battery out to see what would happen.”

  Jolan didn’t like anything he was hearing. It sounded as if the amplifier might be able to continue operating far beyond his expectations, and hidden within Iach-Iss’ words was advice that sounded disturbingly like something one would pass on when he wasn’t sure he would survive much longer. Jolan hadn’t known the two dragons long, and while his bond wasn’t anywhere near as strong as Asari’s, he counted the two of them as his special friends.

  Chapter 177

  Somehow Jolan and his two friends had managed to find the long lost dragons. Cheurt knew that was what the creatures had to be. Nothing else made any sense. In truth, he’d always doubted the existence of the creatures. Great flying beasts that spewed fire had never seemed to make any sense to him, and what real evidence had there been that they might exist? Songs and fanciful stories for the children had long existed, but nothing solid from which one could make a real assessment. Yet the creatures he’d seen in the brief viewings using Farsight were a reasonable answer to the old stories. The sheer size of the dragons stunned him. It was incredible that they might still exist. It was even more incredible that Jolan had managed to locate and befriend some of the creatures. Were these the descendents of the dragons of old, or by some miracle were these some of the actual creatures that had been alive in the distant past? In either case, he wondered where they had been hiding. He also wondered how many of the creatures there were and just what capabilities they might have. Thus far he hadn’t seen enough to tell. In one viewing he’d seen two of the creatures at the same time, but whether these were the same two he’d seen at other times he couldn’t tell. For all he knew at the moment there might be scores of the beasts.

  From his viewings of the long journey Jolan had taken and the areas and creatures he recognized, he was certain the dragons had been hiding out somewhere in the Lost Territories. He’d been to that unsettling place himself in the past, and hoped never to have to return. None of his travels nor those of any of the other Ale’ald wizards that had gone there had uncovered anything that had even hinted at the existence of the dragons. The primitives they had encountered had told a variety of tales, some of which had proven true, and had led to the creation of several very potent poisons he had in his personal supplies, but even they had never mentioned anything about the dragons.

  He could commission another trip into the Lost Territories and try and discover where Jolan had been, but he doubted that would prove very fruitful. Besides, it would take a long time, and with winter now soon approaching, the risks of such a trip were increased dramatically. The dragons seemed to have built an alliance with Jolan and his team in Angon, which was consistent with the legends that had them pitted against Ale’ald in the past. Even if he could find their home, it was unlikely he could gain any useful advantage.

  Once again he reached the uncomfortable conclusion that he needed to reassess his plan and position. Just when he thought everything was finally falling into place, Jolan had come up with a countermeasure that might affect the ultimate outcome of the war. There couldn’t be mistakes this time. Ale’ald had lost many men and wizards, and the drain on the country’s resources had been extensive.

  “Dragons!” he cursed. This time the expletive had a double meaning.

  His factories had produced more of the deadly gas that had been effective, and he had a small group of the gliders as well, although these were far less capable than the original ones. He’d hoped to launch a few selective strikes to gain a couple of key footholds before the snows set in. His enemy would be fearful of the aircraft when they appeared, and might not realize the limited capability of this new generation. Now he wasn’t so sure. He’d seen the vehicles that Jolan and the dragons had used to travel to Cobalo. In the time between two viewings they had traveled from the wilds of the Lost Territories back to Cobalo. Obviously, these aircraft were as capable as some of those he’d seen on Earth. They were probably armed, and could most likely sweep his own aircraft from the sky before they could even reach their intended targets. Even if he were able to complete an attack, the act would most likely bring on retribution from the dragon’s vehicles. It might be best to find a solution to the dragons first, before he risked his precious few aircraft.

  He needed information. He would have to push his contacts within Cobalo to learn as much as possible and as quickly as they could. If there were many of the creatures, then he didn’t know how to proceed. If there were only a few, then it might be possible to eliminate them before they were securely integrated into Angon’s planning. The creatures had to have weaknesses. The one report he had received described the condition of the vehicles, and it appeared they had been significantly damaged somehow. He suspected the damage might be leftover from the battles against the wizards in the past. That the aircraft had not been repaired was telling in itself. The creatures might be large, but their capabilities were not infinite.

  Cheurt had a triad inside the College. It was remotely possible he could get another inside, but it was far from a certain thing. Initially he’d worked to get the triad in place as a means of getting at Jolan, but then the man had disappeared. He’d been holding back against his eventual return, or a chance to strike against the Chancellor herself. He knew that would be a blow that would have far more effect than killing Jolan, although he would be more satisfied with the latter.

  Perhaps Jolan wouldn’t be the best use of the triad. His informants had sent back information that suggested the man had lost much of his former power. It seemed the device that Cheurt had taken from the red haired man was actually something that belonged to Jolan. The man was said to have made the device, which was worrisome. Perhaps he could make others, and maybe something worse. Cheurt didn’t like the thought of an army of mages armed with such devices aligned against him. On the other hand, it seemed that Jolan was without such an amulet at the moment, which suggested he was not able to make them in the quantities he wished. It seemed more likely that the one Cheurt now wore was the only such device that had been created. He fingered it absently as he paced and thought.

  Jolan had also lost his staff. He’d had the Staff of War, but his informants claimed it was said to have been lost during the encounter with Cheurt in Ale’ald that day. Perhaps it was some action by the staff that had allowed him to escape. Cheurt had been sure he was going to kill Jolan once and for all that day.

  However Cheurt elected to proceed, any attack inside the Inner Court would most likely be a suicide mission for the team that carried it out. Only the fact Cheurt had personally used a latent compulsion on each of the triad members had caused them to attempt such an action. All he had to do was send the appropriate message with the trigger words, and they wouldn’t have any choice but to act. He hated to use the team. It had taken all the efforts of one of his court insiders and a great deal of finesse to get the three members of the triad, two women and one man, assignments which kept them within the Inner Court as unsuspected workers. It would be impossible to replace them.

  Cheurt wished the triad were stronger. He’d had to use what was available,
and the members were medium level wizards at best. Still, once their powers were combined, they should be able to defeat any of the mages Cobalo could raise against them, except maybe the woman friend of Jolan that he had foolishly allowed to live and then escape. How would they match up against the dragons?

  It wouldn’t do to make the attempt and fail. That could precipitate counter action before he was really prepared. Assuming all of the dragons, however many there were, could be killed, then he could proceed as planned. He doubted the dragons had had time to pass along many of their skills or weapons to his enemies. That would change the longer he delayed.

  Cheurt had enough triads trained now to attack the College and the Council in force. He’d like to storm the portals in use there, but his experts were still perplexed by the odd failure of magic to work on the far side when they exited the portal. Until he could understand that problem, he would be sending his men unprotected against the enemy. The barriers they had to bring were unwieldy and, without magic to clear out the protectors, he would most likely lose most or all of his men. He wouldn’t mind significant losses if he were sure he could eventually prevail, but at the moment he wasn’t certain he would be doing anything other than throwing away his limited teams.

  Once again he’d made a tactical error. He should have been less curious about where Jolan had been headed and should have assumed he was involved in something that would work against Ale’ald. Cheurt could have acted sooner, while Jolan was still far away. Perhaps then his return with the dragons would have been of no use. Now Cheurt was worried. He turned suddenly and made for the door. He needed to prod those who could get him answers.