"I am not...," the wizard started loudly, before catching herself. Dropping her speech into a quieter tone easily masked by the hammering in the room, Maura started again, "I am not on edge all of a sudden. This project of yours has been a thorn in my side from the beginning. This magic is like its originator that way," she finished in complaint.
The two had never gotten along perfectly. It had started by having the high wizards force her on him for his voyage to find the Grimnal months ago. While he had been placed in charge by the king himself, Maura had been waiting for him to fail only to have a crisis of confidence of her own along the way. It had cemented him as leader, but she had always been a somewhat resentful follower of the much younger battle mage.
Maura was one of the many wizards who believed they should lead and mages, believed inferior to them, should follow; but under combat conditions the research wizard's lack of battle training soon led to the entire ship looking past the elder wizard to the falcon instead. Though she had accepted her limitations in the end, there was still a certain quality to their relationship that remained strained for the same reasons even now.
Waiting silently for the woman to vent her true grievance, Sebastian showed the restraint that had helped make him a good leader. The battle mage had learned that asking useless questions or simply speaking to fill the silence gave the appearance of less confidence, plus it was usually just a waste of effort. He had actually learned much of that from someone the mage now considered an enemy.
Regrouping as Maura realized that Sebastian wouldn't ask her for more, the wizard confided, "They've sent for so-called experts from Red Hall."
Red Hall was one of three wizard schools, though learning continued outside of those schools for most wizards as well. Still the three schools served to train new wizards to control their powers before their magic could run amok as wilders, like Ashleen. A teenager with unimaginable power that they couldn't control was one of the greatest fears of the common people of Southwall and other lands. Most countries had some group of wizards which sought these individuals to train them before they could become a true danger.
Despite her explanation, Sebastian was left uncomprehending as were the rest of his people. They were all students of White Hall except for Rilena, but in theory that should make little difference. All three schools served Southwall and often had teachers from other schools spread throughout each anyway.
Again it was Maura who gave in and added, "Wizard Gefflen and his team came in earlier. He gave me the impression that they planned on taking over the study and manufacture of your Hollow Swords. They have rune and relic experts who believe that they can make them as well or better than we are here."
Her tone moved from shock towards annoyance or perhaps even anger to Sebastian's ears. At his new shrug, the woman frowned.
"I am not in competition with Red Hall as far as I know. If they can make them to help ease the burden of our smiths here, then why is that a problem? There is more than enough work for us. Another set of hands or a school wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?"
Maura shook her head, "If that is all they looked to do. Gefflen came here looking for you earlier. He will be back this afternoon. From his arrogant tone, I am guessing that they plan to do more than just help."
The battle mage thought of all the spells and work that seemed set on him alone. He had labored to build defenses for the portals without any wizards stepping in aside from the help he received from his friends as assistants with the basic work. The first five Hollow Swords had been created by the owl mage, while transferring runes to soldiers and other mages often rested on him as well. A few healing wizards including mages like Elzen who had the healing talent could help pass them along, but so far he was the only one who had managed to create a unique rune.
In addition to all that, he was expected to teach others his other spells and use his portals to connect Hala with its spies. Ensolus wasn't the only city either, which meant with all these responsibilities, Sebastian was feeling spread rather thin. Only the speed of portals helped keep him on top of his duties from one side of the country to another and beyond.
"I will speak with Gefflen. If he can help, great. If he is just another wizard who is more talk than his ability to do it, then he will join the others who failed."
As the mage had spoken the last, the cold light of winter splashed through the open doorway drawing their attention to the door behind him. A man slightly taller than Sebastian walked in through the door frame casting his shadow onto the mage in an ominous way.
"I won't fail," a strong voice countered his statements. How the man could have heard him speaking with the noise of the forge filling the air, he wasn't certain; but Sebastian could feel the aura of a strong wizard. Spells and wards were common enough. His prompt timing led the battle mage to believe that some magic was involved, but he didn't have the time to seek it out at the moment.
"Wizard Gefflen, I presume," Sebastian nodded and stuck out his hand.
The wizard stepped closer and looked past the younger man to Maura speaking to her rather than the battle mage between them. "This is the mage who conceived of these swords?"
At Maura's confirming nod, the wizard turned to Sebastian looking him top to bottom giving the mage a disapproving look. "I thought he would be older," Gefflen stated negatively.
"And I would have thought that you'd be more respectful even so," Ashleen retorted with a frown for the older wizard. She was still younger than Sebastian. In fact, all of his friends except for Serrena were younger than the mage as well. In normal circles, age and power were the determining factors of rank among wizards. Ashleen's strength rivaled Wizard Gefflen's, but he wasn't alone.
Four more wizards joined him with the last closing the door. He left no gap for the air to leave, and appeared to be the only one completely comfortable with the room's heat, though the others from Red Hall weren't sweating or even removing their cloaks or coats so far.
The older wizard aimed a withering look at the petite, silver haired, blonde wilder. "This is the Kardorian, I take it? Have we lifted our need for secrecy to let foreign wizards into our midst, even if she is a wilder?"
An insult amongst wizards, calling Ashleen a wilder was about as demeaning for a wizard as to call her a battle mage. A wilder had the power, but was considered defective since their skills were flawed or lacking in control. For Ashleen, it didn't matter. The young woman embraced her flaws, but coming from this man in such a way, even she reddened with anger.
Sebastian's face became like stone holding a polite look. His anger was slow to burn, but mistreatment of his friends lit that match quickly. Still this was business, even if it was with a man with little apparent manners. "Ashleen has been acting as my apprentice; if not for her, much of the portal magic and knowledge of how to make Hollow Swords wouldn't exist. If you don't think one of our allies, who has helped in the creation of the magic you've come to learn about deserves to be here; then perhaps you shouldn't be here either."
Wizard Gefflen turned red with indignation and retorted, "I hardly think I would be considered less than a Kardorian here. I am wizard of Southwall and a leader in Red Hall. A teacher of our youths is certainly considered less of a risk than a foreigner."
"I don't know about that. Isn't Red Hall responsible for the southern cities like New Harbor and South Point? Those cities have been experiencing a lot of unrest from what I have heard and seen. I didn't think we were even going to give them a working portal for them to use, yet somehow we have received knowledge that they are using the magic already.
"Only wizards with that knowledge could pass it on to them, and Red Hall wizards are the ones manning those cities for the most part."
"Are you insinuating that we might be traitors?" the wizard's voice rose and Sebastian could read the anger of those with him quite easily. "A battle mage is daring to question full wizards' loyalty? How dare you, boy?"
Sebastian held up his hand forcing the man to stop,
which made him even angrier; but the mage had made his point and replied, "I didn't call any of you traitors. I merely point out that the lines of who one we can trust can be pretty blurred. While I don't know you and can only trust you based on the fact that you serve Southwall with such distinction that you are teachers in Red Hall, I do know Ashleen. She has been a friend and confidante for a long time. She has served and helped Southwall, even though she is a Kardorian.
"I merely wish to point that out and request that you show her respect as well."
His words were neutral, but not completely calming as he had finished by rebuking the wizard, though politely.
It was enough to make the wizard swallow his anger and looked to the smaller wilder saying, "I apologize. If the falcon trusts you, then I must trust his judgment."
He could feel Maura's tension ease, but only slightly.
The leader of the Red Hall wizards tried to be a little more tactful as he asked, "Perhaps we could move our discussions to a quieter place for a time. Studying the swords will require us to return to the forge at some point, but for now I would like to consider the basics where we can talk without shouting."
While they weren't exactly shouting, Sebastian understood and directed the wizards towards the far right of the building. The smithy held several forges in the main room, but there were other rooms where privacy could be found. It was part of the military after all and offices for wizards, mages and commanders were attached for those involved with arming the men and women under their command.
Entering the next room, they found a table with some chairs around it. A conference room when needed, the room was devoid of any others. How long it would remain quiet and unoccupied, Sebastian was unsure. The mage usually spent his time with the smiths in the forge and less often had he used this room, so he hadn't paid much attention to the normal comings and goings beyond the smithy.
Elzen and Rilena moved into the room followed by Serrena and took three of the chairs on the far side of the table. Enjoying the wooden arms, Elzen got comfortable and draped a leg over one and kicked his boot idly. Both battle mages appeared bored and calm, but Sebastian knew that they had only followed as back up should he need it.
Serrena was less calm. Being a fire wizard seemed to mean having an equally tumultuous temper, but the woman was doing well for her. Sebastian wondered if some of his ability to control himself had rubbed off on the fire wizard. She had become somewhat of an apprentice in other ways, so it wasn't a thought completely unfounded.
Only Ashleen remained standing from those following the owl mage aside from Sebastian who assumed that he would need to be able to move around to continue some of what the wizard planned to talk about now. The wizards from Red Hall held more obvious tension, but Wizard Gefflen continued to lead the others.
Looking at the other wizards in the light brought into the room from two large windows on the west side of the room, Sebastian evaluated them as he awaited introductions. Three more wizards were male and the final member was a red haired woman, petite with a faced that looked pinched; though that might have been because she looked as disapproving of the other members of Sebastian's team as her compatriots. She was a research wizard he assumed by the colors of her uniform like Gefflen and one of the other wizards. The last two were clothed as a fire and earth wizard.
All five were easily guessed as being much older than the mage and his team.
Maura slipped in finding a chair in front of one of the windows. She appeared as little more than a silhouette thanks to the light behind her. Sebastian guessed that the woman hoped to hide as much as she could, which was odd for the normally confident woman. The Red Hall wizards had apparently ruffled her feathers in some way with their first visit, but she was his go between with most of the wizards in the research staff of Hala as well as those chosen to test their aptitude with these new paths of magic.
"As your Wizard Maura stated, I am Wizard Gefflen of Red Hall. I lead the team here. We are experts with runes, metals and magical artifacts of various kinds," he stated gesturing to the other wizards who remained standing on the forge side of the table.
"Wizard Orlen," he pointed out the earth wizard with his dark hair and scraggly beard, "is earth leader of Red Hall and an expert in all metals. His expertise should help in creating strong swords for your Hollow Sword process. Wizard Hassar," he said of the tallest wizard, a blonde haired man with a strong widow's peak and goatee as if that helped offset the hair lost from his forehead, "is one of our fire wizard teachers. Like Orlen, he knows metals and adds a smithing background. He knows how fire helps metal and can work the forge as well."
His hand moved to the next man and introduced him. "Wizard Vareen is an expert in artifacts and runes like me. Wizard Erethia is capable in both as well as many ancient languages."
The last man was about the height of Sebastian, though the older man wore more weight. A typical researcher in that many of their kind tended towards a static life where weight accumulated on a body. Sebastian was both younger and quite active as a battle mage.
Erethia, though a research wizard, was fairly thin for her size and was barely taller than Ashleen or Serrena. If one trait of the research wizards was to sit without burning calories, the opposite of that characteristic was for a wizard to forget to eat enough. She wasn't grossly thin, but was actually slimmer than either of the younger women who were both on the slight side.
"We will need some Hollow Swords for examples, drawings of the runes you use and the current mixtures used in your steel," the man said getting straight to the point of their visit.
Sebastian didn't mind his direct nature since it saved time. He was often brief in his teachings, but that came from disliking talking to larger groups. One on one, the owl mage could often impart his theories on magic in depth enough to teach a fellow mage or wizard, if they had the affinity for the magic being taught.
"If you want a Hollow Sword to take with you, we will have to build one. Currently three are being used in Litsarin. The fourth is in Raven Leros care and the last is my original, personal blade."
Looking surprised, Gefflen explained why as he complained, "You have had months to build more and there are only five in existence? What is this forge doing here? There are dozens of workers and wizards in that room. What are they working on in there? They should be making more Hollow Swords!"
Sebastian held a slightly bemused look on his face, which was placed there to annoy the wizard. It wasn't a slip; but as he replied to the complaint Sebastian's words echoed the look, "I have had other duties distracting me. If you hadn't noticed, we've been at war with the Dark One to save Litsarin for Sileoth. I have also been finalizing protective gates for the towers along the wall. There are still towns and cities which require more gates yet. At the moment, I am the only one capable of making the pieces needed to build them.
"Raven Leros and King Alain have chosen their security over building the Hollow Swords up to this point, but this forge has been used to create dozens of swords of the caliber I will need to forge more Hollow Swords."
The woman, Erethia, spoke up as their leader ground his teeth thinking up a retort for the young mage. "Red Hall doesn't have this security gate that you have mentioned. If we knew the process of making one, I am sure we could make our own and perhaps take that duty off your plate. You just need to show us what to do and we will make them."
Letting out a sigh as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, yet this offer of help could do nothing to lessen that weight, Sebastian answered, "You can go to any of the northern gates and take a look. I have to build the runes and bind the iron at each site since it would be difficult to bring a full size gateway through the original doors."
His answer caused the woman to frown and she countered, "Surely there is something that you can show us."
He started to reply that there wasn't anything to display, but Ashleen interrupted saying, "You still have the small demonstration gates you used to show King
Alain and High Wizard Darius, don't you?"
Sebastian looked to Ashleen in surprise. He had forgotten the small squares created months ago by the mage. Test equipment as well as demonstration pieces, they had been put away a long time ago. On the bright side, when the owl mage put things away that were secrets, they weren't as far away as most would think.
Sticking his right arm out before him with the forearm facing up, he used his magic to first reveal an oval mark that had been invisible to their eyes even after rolling up his sleeve. His magic turned the ink blue before it began to glow with power growing into a disc that lifted from his arm. At roughly two feet in diameter, the mage placed his hand in front of a black disc that had no depth. Looking at it from the side made it disappear from one's sight, but out of the disc a small iron square met the palm of his right hand.
His left hand was needed to assist in placing the square on the table before he reproduced the result to bring out a second rectangle. With both items removed, Sebastian closed the portal letting the oval shrink and return to his forearm. A moment later the rune disappeared, though the mage knew that it still existed there. His magic had made the ink the same color as his skin and hadn't actually brought the disc into existence from nothing like the glowing portals used to travel between cities.
"How...?" the red haired wizard voiced for the other Red Hall wizards, who all appeared equally shocked by his use of the storage rune.
Sebastian looked at them pretending to be surprised by their confusion. "You are experts in runes, I believe that you said. This is just a rune used to store items."
While he played it off as simple magic, which it was in a way; the owl knew that not every wizard or mage had seen these runes. It had been a gift from a hidden people who lived in the sea. Mermen and mermaids were the stuff of legend and lore, but like some legends, there was truth behind them if one knew where to look.
His flippant answer caused Gefflen to frown once more. "We have seen many runes and can decipher many of them, but using a rune to create a spell is different from what you just displayed. Why hasn't this magic been brought to our attention?"
Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) Page 4
