Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12)

by Donald Wigboldy

  "The one farthest east," the raven stated pointing towards one of the marks on the maps.

  Frowning at the map, Sebastian said, "That one is closest to where I found Wendle and the girl who had been with Palose. Even I don't usually use that one. There's always the possibility that he would notice extra activity from opening the portals in the city. I don't know how sensitive he is to that kind of magic, but he is an expert with portals and months ahead of me at least."

  "Are you saying that you think that they are going to be trapped there? This was supposed to be the chance to strike back at the Dark One without being blind to his defenses."

  Shaking his head, the mage replied, "Not necessarily, but I can't be certain of what is going on with Palose and the others. If I had to guess, some of what he is doing has been hidden from the warlocks in the city; but I can't be certain.

  "I will prepare to go there and find Drayden as long as he and the rest of them aren't compromised."

  "If you aren't up to it yet..." Raven Leros started showing his concern for the owl.

  "I can do it. Just give me a little time to get ready and I will go to Ensolus."

  "Do you want me to get a team together?"

  Sebastian shook his head as he started to back out of the room and said, "No, risking just one person is best. I can get in and out better than anyone else we have. If I have a team, they might get separated and I could be forced to leave without them making it even worse."

  The old raven nodded as he watched the young man leave his office once more.

  "If anyone but me comes through right away, be ready to strike," Sebastian commanded the three waiting with him inside his room.

  Ashleen, Elzen and Serrena would guard his personal gate just in case someone could make use of his next portal into Ensolus. Opening up the city to the Dark One just to save one wizard or even a small network of spies, wasn't worth going in without a plan.

  "I can't believe that you are going on a rescue mission after just returning home," Ashleen sighed in complaint.

  Shrugging in response and echoing her sigh, Sebastian replied, "If Wizard Istrias was supposed to be the most competent of the wizards capable of opening a gate; then it's best to not risk anymore of our people. I'll get in and out quickly plus I know where I need to go."

  "What if Palose has the wizard?" Elzen asked quickly. "He has more than just one wizard there and some were friends of yours besides."

  "If our friends are working with Palose, then I will have to consider them hostile. I'll take them down, but I may be able to take them out without killing them at least."

  "Just be safe," Ashleen ordered. "We just got you back, Sebastian."

  He nodded and called up a door as Ashleen funneled her energy into him. Sebastian had been feeling stronger since his ordeal at least magically. Ashleen had commented that he felt a bit more powerful as well, but it was hard to be certain. It was also possibly a short term thing lingering from the control band.

  Jumping through the doorway, Sebastian passed through the silver void into the dim light of the cave city. Looking to the south, the mage spotted the mouth of the cave partially clogged with towers and walls. A mountain fortress from the outside, those walls could also keep someone trapped inside if they didn't have access to a portal spell.

  His choice of gates was further to the west letting him remain clear of Palose and his people, or so he hoped anyway. The mission wasn't about taking out the Betrayer, but just to retrieve Istrias before he gave away any secrets. Saving the wizard came as part of that also.

  It was still relatively early in the cave city being that it was far to the west of Hala. Between the early hour and the cold, the streets were lightly populated as the mage pulled out a stone to examine. Holding Istrias' magic inside the lodestone, it was the best bet for Sebastian to find the missing wizard.

  "Vision," he ordered altering the typical choice of expanded vision to include magic. Battle mage magic was simplistic in most ways compared to wizards, but unlike their more powerful kin a mage used their minds and wills to make a word do what he needed as much as anything. Sebastian often wondered if a spell would even require a word or gesture if the caster's focus was accurate enough to generate the right need.

  It was a question for later thought perhaps, but as the owl scanned the city looking for the magic which matched the stones he found his vision picked up too much. Glowing colors were centralized to the north. The emperor's spire radiated light which eclipsed anything else nearby, though he could pick up some of the different colors and shades of light making up the other warlocks within his fortress.

  Beyond that was another center of magic. The warlocks' school was a kaleidoscope of colors as the casters moved around the training center even at this early hour. More magic lights lit the spires to the south of the fortress. These were likely warlocks' in their apartments, graduates of the academy, with the money to live as they wanted within the confines of the city. Sebastian wondered if their freedom to live where they wanted was limited by the emperor to being inside the cave, but again it was a thought that mattered little at the moment.

  Entering the outskirts of the district for less privileged humans, a young woman with long brown hair and intelligent looking brown eyes walked up putting her arm through his.

  "If anyone asks, you are my husband," she stated quietly. He knew her face from the last time he had been to the city. Glancing to his face, she sighed and said, "You can call me Jana, if you have already forgotten my name."

  Without apologizing, Sebastian replied, "I guess that it would be a good thing to know my wife's name."

  There was a pause before Jana spoke again, "You have been noticeably absent, my husband. Where have you been hiding yourself? A messenger came for you, but was intercepted by a rival."

  Knowing that she was speaking in code for him, the mage was still able to follow easily enough. "I was detained by someone who tried to take something that wasn't theirs to take, but where is this messenger now?"

  Leaning her head against his arm like a loving wife who had missed her husband, the spy replied, "The last we saw he was taken by a girl and dark haired wizard... um, warlock. We haven't seen Istrias since he entered their house. It is the home you warned us about though."

  The girl wasn't perfect in hiding her terms, but no one appeared close enough to overhear any of their conversation anyway.

  "Perhaps I will pay him a visit. Is our mutual friend available as well?"

  "He left early this morning. I don't know how he manages to drink away most of the night just to slip away when the sun rises."

  "A pretty girl needs to get her sleep, I guess; but as an older man he can be spry enough."

  "Spry?" Jana giggled at his use of the term. "Side stepping the truth of our friend's unusual stamina wouldn't lead me to call him spry, but I suppose that it is close enough."

  Her hand slowed his step and turned him towards her. Pulling him close as if to kiss him, Jana spoke into his ear, "There have been moves that have taken out a few of our people over the last two weeks. We thought that maybe they had gotten to you as well before we could meet."

  To sell, the close proximity, the young woman kissed him on the mouth for real. Sebastian's spine stiffened for just a moment before letting the gesture happen. Loosing him a bit in her grip, she replied, "You'd do well as a spy, I think. You didn't balk a bit, but maybe you really do think I am pretty."

  Ignoring her taunt, Sebastian said, "I will check on the messenger first. If he is no longer there, maybe we will have a new opportunity to find our lost coworkers."

  She nodded and gave him a last kiss on the cheek saying, "I will see you at home then, dear."

  Knowing the hideout that Drayden had managed to find for the small group of spies, Sebastian assumed that was the location she meant. They could also have someone watching Palose's house and his people. If the wizard had been taken there, it was possible that he hadn't been moved; but with Palose's abilit
y to use portal magic he could be moved without any outward sign for the spies to see.

  Getting closer to the house, Sebastian looked for the tell tale magic of the wizard. It was minimal making him think that either Istrias was unconscious, had his magic stifled like with one of the collars, or he was no longer there.

  He recognized the magic of the girl who seemed to follow the dark mage and another wizard he knew fairly well also. Wendle and the girl were the strongest presences there while Palose was absent. Nominal magical auras were there as well. The two women who barely felt strong enough to be mages were there, but at least one of them appeared to be sleeping since he was close enough to see the figure horizontal to the floor.

  Taking Istrias' stones from his pouch, Sebastian tested for the man's magic again yet felt nothing more than residual magic. There certainly wasn't anything as strong as he should feel for someone sleeping he thought ruling that out with an extended look. He doubted that Palose would have a restraining collar like the one used on him as well. They were rare artifacts, though it was possible that the Dark One might use them in the hands of his wizard hunters.

  Collars that could control a wizard as a weapon had been used on Ashleen and other wizards captured during his voyage to find the Grimnal. If they had those, the others were possible but doubtful.

  Looking at the emperor's spire, the mage realized that he would have to sneak closer to the fortress to pick out Istrias' individual magic aura. He was simply too far away and there was too much interference thanks to other warlocks and the emperor's presence.

  There were other gates much closer, so Sebastian placed a hand against the building beside him. It was stone letting the mage pull power from the ground at the cost of a burn mark on the wall. Unwilling to tap into the wells holding their full power, the owl made use of his skill at drawing magic from the earth to open the doorway. He stepped through letting it go without being seen by anyone, especially those associated with Palose.

  Arriving behind the large building made for portal use by the warlocks of the city, Sebastian turned towards the spire. He would have to get closer yet, so the owl moved out avoiding notice by using his stealth spell. It wasn't particularly draining as he tied the magic off like his air shield. He didn't wish to waste any of his energy, but the mage hurried using up his physical energy rather than prolonging the spell.

  Finding a shadowed spot between buildings, Sebastian released the stealth spell to use his vision. The stealth spell blocked all but the strange shadow sense that allowed them to feel their way through crowds. It didn't allow him to use the air shield either, so the mage was feeling a bit cold as he attempted to look through the stone walls of the emperor's fortress.

  Slowly scanning the structure, he worked his way down finally finding Istrias below ground level. It wasn't a surprise to find a dungeon beneath ground, though it must have been cut from the stone of the spire and earth to make it. Maybe it was the source of the stone which made up the towers and walls surrounding the spire, he thought.

  The spies had no magic to look for. As the owl prepared his tools, he wondered if he should find Drayden or one of the other spies. They would know their people and Istrias was unlikely to be going anywhere.

  With a sigh, Sebastian replaced his gear and called up a portal closer to the spies' hideout. He would consult with the leader of the spies for his opinion before going in without more of a plan than he had.

  Chapter 27- Dreams

  Palose brought Narissa to Ensolus through the gate he maintained in Atrouseon's old apartment. It was his now, but the furniture and decor always reminded him of the man who had brought him back from death. One day maybe he would take the time to throw out the things that most reminded him of the old warlock and bring in furnishings that were more to his taste. Sylvaine would likely help and make it their home, he thought, before turning to look at Narissa.

  The seer blinked and shook her head trying to throw off the effects of her passage through the portal. Not everyone took it as well as others. Palose barely noticed any disorientation anymore and had never been affected by it too much. Perhaps that was part of why the magic came to him so naturally.

  Wearing boots and a long jacket over her dress now, the seer still looked dressed too light for the weather north of the wall. Her hands started to hold her upper arms slowly rubbing them for warmth even before her eyes fully adjusted to the room around her.

  "This doesn't feel like you," Narissa stated as she glanced around the living area.

  "It was my master's, or the warlock that resurrected me, since he was never truly much of a master."

  Looking at the dark mage, the woman tilted her head as if that would give her a better view of him. "He wasn't a good master?"

  "Atrouseon would give me chores or tasks to do for him, but he barely did anything to train me in warlock magic. He pointed me towards the library and occasionally told me a book that I should read, but coming from a battle mage background reading books for magic was quite a switch," he replied with a shrug as he moved to check the door. Most of the time the emperor's messengers would leave messages in their envelopes for him to find by pushing them under the door. Since he didn't sleep there often, either he or one of the others would check for more messages. Luckily, Kolban didn't call on him every day.

  He wasn't one of Kolban's official advisors, so it should have been assumed that he would be called rarely. Unfortunately his gift with making portals and his initiative to create several gates south of the wall had made him more noticeable once Acheri told her brother of his accomplishments. Though he was almost certain that she hadn't wanted to share him even with the emperor, so maybe he had simply known all along?

  The woman was still looking at him like she was assessing his opinion and finally said, "Perhaps he just gave you the guidance that he thought that you needed. He was a warlock. Did he ever have a student before that you know of?"

  "There were quite a few warlocks that came to his memorial. Ensolus has less of a funeral ritual than Southwall, but I remember seeing both older and younger warlocks. No one came up to me to tell me that they were former students though.

  "It isn't like I was his child that they would talk to me about the loss of a father or brother. I did inherit his wealth and home though, since he had no true heirs."

  Narissa walked into the far room, the bedroom he sometimes used to be alone with Sylvaine. There was less there to remind him of Atrouseon, though the mage hadn't been invited into that room while the warlock had been alive. A cleaning woman was the only person that went into the man's room while Palose had been kept in a smaller room barely larger than a closet.

  Following the woman into the room, he watched her place her brown coat on the bed revealing her red dress. Her hem fell just below her knees to touch the tops of her boots while the neck line dropped in a v low enough to reveal the skin of her upper chest. As she turned; a necklace with a golden eye slipped free before striking her on her breast as it returned like a pendulum to rest.

  Narissa didn't bother to hide it as she walked over to a wardrobe. Reaching into like it was her own; the woman found a fur coat. Palose hadn't even realized that it was there. Sylvaine or one of the other girls must have purchased it without telling him and left it in the wardrobe, because it didn't look like something Atrouseon would have worn.

  More interested in the necklace, he asked, "Does the necklace symbolize something?"

  It looked rather old and Narissa lifted it by the chain to peer at it between them. "It is a chain representing the Visionary order. You came looking for one of us and I was waiting for you.

  "The eye represents the sight, of course; but I am sure that you had guessed that. It was given to me by my mentor, like I will give it to Evic as my student."

  "It looks like it might predate the Cataclysm," the mage added.

  She nodded without truly committing to his assessment. Warm in her borrowed coat, Narissa stated, "We should go soon. He will want u
s there before the incident happens."

  "What incident?" Palose asked taking a warning step towards the seer. It was amazing how quickly the idea of her knowing the future had settled over him.

  "It doesn't really matter, though it will spur him to some decisions, I think. Will we walk there or will you cast another portal?" the woman asked looking a little reticent about going through another gate at the moment.

  "We will walk, if you are warm enough now?" he asked the woman sarcastically.

  "Very, I am glad it was left there. My jacket was only designed for winter in Mariport, which isn't nearly as cold as Ensolus apparently," acknowledged the seer without appearing to notice his tone.

  "The southern cities don't know cold... or war really," the mage stated one of the reasons the southern cities seemed to be willing to listen to the emperor's message in their cumulative ears. Without the experience, cities like New Harbor had begun to think that Hala demanded taxes and soldiers only because they wished to arm themselves and grow more powerful. It made them easy to sway.

  Using an elevator powered by his magic, Palose led the seer to the fortress gates. The soldiers knew the dark mage well, but balked at letting Narissa past. Even giving them his assurances that she would be welcome and that he would take any responsibility for her; barely managed to get them through the doors.

  A servant appeared once they were inside the doors of the inner spire. Like an organically grown castle, the spire had its halls and rooms built without the squaring of something built by man's hands alone. It had been hewn out by goblins, orcs and armored viles. They cared less about straight lines than men or even the elven descendents who had joined him hundreds of years ago.

  "Interesting," Narissa marveled as they walked through halls and up stone stairs. "To think that a city could be made from the nature of a cave, it is quite remarkable what the Dark One managed with his people. He broke the barriers between worlds and used his men and magic to carve out a new empire here while beating down those he had despised for so long."