Alicia inclined her head. “Very well! A party of seven is quite acceptable. Now, I would like Theodore to explain Seve’s war strategy to you.”
“Please go ahead,” said Amber.
Theodore looked at the king’s advisors. “The secret to our success rests on utter secrecy. If this plan was leaked, we would lose the element of surprise.”
Amber nodded somberly. “My men have given an oath to take all conversations in this room to their grave. I trust them all.”
“King Seve wants us crush Vindha’s forces between two opposing armies. When his army enters the eastern pass, you will block his access from this side, while King Seve’s army will come in from behind. We will fight him in the narrow valley. It would prevent his people from rushing us, and their attention would be divided on both sides. You will station archers and mages on the surrounding mountains so they have no room for escape. By trapping them on all four sides, we have a good chance to defeat them.”
King Amber scratched his beard. “It’s a good plan. I will send scouts to determine the size and speed of the army so that we can be prepared in time to meet them.”
Alicia stood. “If you will excuse me, Your Majesty, we must make preparations to leave at the earliest. ”
“May the Goddess be with you, Princess,” said the king.
Alicia stood and strode out of the room. Queen Catherine was just about to enter the chamber. “You are not staying,” she said, surprised by Alicia’s quick departure.
“We have some pressing matters to attend to,” said Alicia, her mind clearly elsewhere, but she summoned a smile. “We are leaving Izba, although I will miss your charming company, Your Majesty.”
Queen Catherine held Alicia’s hands. “We shall meet again on the battle ground. Don’t you worry; I will keep the men in shape and make sure they give Vindha a fight he will not forget.”
Alicia choked back her laughter. She hugged the queen. “I have no doubt that you will.”
With a slight hesitation, Queen Catherine turned to Theodore. “I look forward to meet you again, Theodore. I hope next time you will trust me more readily.”
Theodore stared at the queen, studying her features as if seeing her for the first time. “I would trust you with my life any day, Your Majesty.” To everyone’s surprise, he lifted one of her hands and raised it to his lips. “We shall, indeed, meet again.”
The company parted ways as each hurried to make their preparations. A sea of` emotions swelled inside Kayleb’s heart. The brief interlude he enjoyed with Alicia had come to an abrupt halt. There was no time for a last carefree walk. It was time to get back to action.
Their mission was dangerous, and he had not forgotten what the spirits told him. Although initially he was distracted by Alicia’s severe illness, and her close brush with death, he had spent considerable amount of time pondering over the spirits’ words. Did he indeed posses a magic not yet explored? Could he use it in some way to achieve his goals?
He was meant to go with Alicia on this journey, but did her purpose align with his? The destruction of the place where the demons were born would indeed provide a crushing blow to Vindha. But would it be enough for Kayleb? He wanted to kill the monster that had razed his land and befouled the place where he grew up. And yet, Kayleb felt that he was missing something. The spirits wanted him to do something else.
Perhaps he would find meaning in their words as he journeyed.
As he packed his meager belongings, Kayleb stole a glance at Alicia. Looking preoccupied, she was putting her belongings in her pack. She looked determined and focused. There was a strange haunting expression in her face.
She glanced around the room, as if taking stock of anything she may have left behind. Or perhaps, she was just mentally reviewing all that transpired in this room. She turned towards him. Her lips lifted in a half-smile. “Seems strange, doesn’t it? We are closer to the end of our journey.”
“Yes.” He nodded, not quite meeting her eyes.
She looked away. “We should go.”
As quietly as they had arrived, the party departed from the palace. The three mages promised by King Amber awaited them in the royal stable. Once Theodore and Maya arrived, and introductions were made, they all mounted the geldings provided by the king, and rode out of the bustling city.
The king’s announcement had spread like wildfire in the narrow streets and open squares. People stood about in small groups, discussing the events. Some looked excited, even exhilarated, but many looked scared. The war wouldn’t be easy on anyone. Many would die, but those who remained behind would have a good life. Or at least, that was the hope. When Vindha was humiliated and defeated, people could once again live in peace.
Kayleb hoped for a better world.
Once they left the city, Seth, their guide, abandoned the road, and took them through the open meadows. “It’s a shorter path,” he said. “We will get to the mountains by tomorrow night.”
That night, they took shelter in deserted woodcutter’s cottage that Seth knew about. “I discovered it ten years ago,” he said as he added logs to the hearth, building a fire to beat the chill that permeated the narrow, rectangular room. “Sometimes I stay here where I desire to get away from the city.”
Alicia sat on the rough, jute mat that covered half the floor. She was cutting vegetables for a stew. “Is that how you discovered the temple?”
“The city makes me restless. I like open places. The mountains hide many secrets,” he said. “And I discovered this building two years ago when Vindha first built it. It wasn’t used at that time. The construction work had begun. I visited it a year later and there was smoke issuing from the chimney. Mages protected the temple. I told the king…”
No one said anything. There was no need to. King Amber’s causal disinterest gave Vindha the opportunity to create monsters the world had not seen before. His current remorse and willingness to amend matters would not wipe away the past.
How many lives would these demon mages claim before they managed to destroy the temple? And what about the monsters who already roamed the land?
After dinner, Kayleb went outside to join Alicia. Sitting on a log, bathed in the pale moonlight, her hair open and gathered on one side of her shoulder, she looked beautiful. His heart leaped, startled as always by her grace.
“Aren’t you going to sleep? Tomorrow promises to be a long day.” He stood against the trunk of a tree, at an angle across from her.
“In a little while,” she muttered.
Kayleb breathed in the heady aroma of the star-shaped blossoms that grew around the edge of the clearing where the cottage stood. “Are you going to tell me how you are going to weave the spell that would close the pit over the lava?”
“It’s hard to explain.” Her eyes followed the movement of a snake that slithered out of the foliage. “You will know soon enough.”
Kayleb frowned at her evasiveness. In Aba, Alicia and he had discussed the plan at length; they would weave an illusion spell, cloaking her in a powerful magic that would make her appear as if she was one of Vindha’s mages. Under this subterfuge, she would enter the temple, and weave a spell of her own creation. It bothered Kayleb that despite his gentle prodding, she didn’t discuss the particulars of her spell with him.
Was it because she wanted to keep it a secret? Most mages didn’t share their spells for fear that it could be used against them. Surely, Alicia didn’t think he could not be trusted?
Why the uncharacteristic silence then? Something about her reticence in this matter troubled him. It was unlike her to be so cagey. He feared she was not telling him everything he needed to know. Kayleb’s primary concern was for her safety; ideally, he would have preferred to weave the closing spell himself, but Alicia had explained that the spell required the twin elements of air and earth. It was something that she alone could create.
If it wasn’t a matter of trust, why did she remain silent despite his questioning?
“I might be ab
le to help you inside the temple. You should not go alone. What if you are discovered?”
“Nothing will go wrong,” she assured, still not looking at him. A slight pulse beat at the base of her throat. “They won’t suspect a thing. There is so much magic inside that place that my illusion spell will go unnoticed. Trust me. Everything will be alright.”
A hot knot of fear lodged inside Kayleb. The way she said it, the tilt of her head, and the haunting expression in her eyes told him that something was amiss. His precious Alicia, the woman he loved above all, was hiding a secret.
And he loved her enough, trusted her enough, to know that if she was keeping something back from him, then it was because she feared either that it would harm him to know, or she was planning something he wouldn’t like. Kayleb nearly ground his teeth. But he dared not give her an indication that he knew she was being mysterious for a purpose. His best hope was to allow her to continue her deception and keep an eye on her.
“Come on, let’s go inside.” Walking up to her, he held his hand out. After a brief hesitation, she put her hand in his, and stood. He drew her closer. The kiss was brief, but Kayleb took comfort in the softness of her lips and the sweetness of her mouth.
His love for her bubbled inside his heart; it was the only thing keeping him sane in this mad world.
That night, no one slept easy. Tomorrow they would reach the base of the cliff, and from there on, it was only a matter of time before they came across Vindha’s mages. A rooster crowed outside at dawn, heralding the arrival of the day. After a hurried, cold breakfast, they rode again.
The countryside was lush and green, with open, wide meadows dotted with white flowers and dark, dense forests. Far ahead, the mountains loomed, silent sentinels to the evil they harbored within. Kayleb stared at the sharp peaks and gentle swell of the mountains, his mind elsewhere—for he thought he had stumbled across the reason for Alicia’s silence.
As he lay awake at night, tossing and turning, mulling over Alicia’s strange behavior, it occurred to him that although they discussed at length their plan to close the rift in the earth, she had never once talked about the events that would unfold once she unleashed her spell. Once her magic was in motion, and the earth began to close, the mages would surely realize what was happening. It would not take them long to discover the intruder within their temple.
They would attack and try to kill her. A fight was inevitable; Vindha’s mages would not surrender the temple so easily. Busy with her closing spell, Alicia wouldn’t have the energy to protect herself. No wonder she had been quiet; she was planning to be the sacrificial lamb.
No way! His hand formed into a fist. He had not come this far to lose her.
“That’s the cliff, and above it…see that jutting ledge.” Seth pointed, breaking Kayleb’s chain of thought. “According to the king’s directions, the route should end up there somewhere.”
“We will find it,” said Jeye. She was a petite brunette with a heart-shaped face. Her element was water. She looked determinedly at the cliff as if it was an obstacle that she would remove with sheer will power, a method she appeared to employ to almost everything. By contrast, Cora was tall, blonde, and laid-back, happy to deal with matters in a leisurely manner.
The mountains loomed ahead, their craggy peaks covered in swirling, ever-shifting clouds. One of the mountains jutted inwards into Izba, its face a straight cliff that dropped some three hundred feet to the ground. Dusk was upon the land when they finally reached the base of the cliff.
Rocks and stones littered the floor, most likely debris that fell off the mountain’s face during rains and earthquakes. After feeding their horses, they left them tethered in a grove of trees, along with their belongings. The party continued on foot, eating their dry rations as they walked along the uneven, rocky ground.
“Are you sure the mages don’t protect this side of the mountain? Seems like a foolhardy thing to do. Anyone can come up from the side of the rock face. It might take longer but they can access the temple,” asked Kayleb.
“You’re saying that because you have not seen the actual location of the temple. On two sides are deep, wide ravines that are difficult to cross without being seen. They are also protected by spells against intruders. It would never occur to Vindha to protect the cliff. Look at that sheer drop. Who in his right mind would dare to try and climb that?” Seth pushed his hair back in an impatient gesture. “Moreover, they have not realized that there actually is a path that can be taken to the temple from the ledge. Only King Amber knows it.”
Climbing over rocks and boulders, they finally reached the base of the cliff. Seth ran his hand over the rough, stony surface, muttering the incantation the king had taught him. Moments later, there were a series of small, audible clicks, and deep grooves began to appear on the face of the rock. Each groove was eight inches deep and eight inches wide. There were two columns of these deep furrows, perfectly aligned so that the climber could grab one after another and move upwards. The columns were formed by hand and couldn’t possibly be a natural construction.
“I’ll be damned,” said Kayleb as his eyes traced the furrows all the way to the top.
“Wouldn’t we slip off that?” said Cora as she ran her hand over the nearest groove.
“They are spelled to protect the climber. It will take a while to climb all the way up though.” Seth looked up, his forehead creased with a frown. “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow morning?”
“No. We will climb now. The best time to infiltrate the temple would be at night. The mages are likely to be drowsy and less careful,” said Alicia.
“I’ll go first,” said Seth. Grabbing hold of the second line of grooves, he put his feet in the bottom line and began his climb. Theodore allowed him to go a little distance up and then followed.
“It’s easy,” he called down.
“Make sure not to make too much noise,” cautioned Alicia. “We don’t want to alert anyone.”
Soon, they were all climbing the cliff. Although it looked easy, and the spelled grooves made it impossible for anyone to fall off, the climb was rigorous and draining. Kayleb was drenched in sweat. His arms began to ache with the effort of pulling himself up. He dared not look down; for if there was one fear he had, it was heights. Even as a child he never climbed trees and walls as did other boys his age. As an adult, he had forced himself to not hesitate whenever he needed to climb a hill or to the top of a building. Still it wasn’t something he enjoyed.
Pushing all thoughts of the distance between him and the ground to a far corner of his mind, he concentrated on the climb itself, keeping pace with those ahead of him and those behind. As abruptly as he had begun, his hands grabbed the ledge. He’d reached the top. After reaching the ledge, he scrambled up and crawled to the far side. With his back against the flat rock, and away from the long, fatal drop to the bottom, Kayleb sighed with relief.
After everyone came up, they sat for a while, taking in their bearings and marshalling their strength together. The ledge was at least twenty feet long and slightly curved on both sides as it hugged the rock that continued upwards. The view was beautiful; the meadows, trees, streams and rivers all bathed in a misty, silvery light of a moon that hugged the sky.
Theirs was a beautiful world, spoiled only by the greed and unchecked ambition of men who preyed upon its beauty and bounty.
“How will we go to the other side?” whispered Kayleb.
“It’s possible to walk along this ledge and reach a boulder. The boulder is spelled. Once the right words are spoken, it’s possible to walk through the boulder, almost as if it is not there. On the other side is a small clearing, in the center of which lies the temple. I have seen it from the other side. We will approach it from the back. Mages patrol the clearing though. We will have to take them out one at a time,” Seth whispered.
“We will wait for midnight before going inside the temple,” whispered Alicia. “Let us take rest for now.” So close to the end of their journ
ey, she should have looked excited, instead, she appeared forlorn.
Kayleb closed his eyes. He had his own planning to do; there was no way he was going to allow her inside on her own. As he waited and pondered, once again the words of the spirits came to haunt it. It was almost as if he was there on the plain again, caught in their midst, trapped in an invisible cage of their making, a prisoner against his will. He heard them whisper, “Use the magic. It’s yours.”
He opened his eyes, startled by the strange feeling. But he was on the ledge, with his companions scrawled about.
Alicia frowned. “What?” she whispered.
“Nothing.” He closed his eyes again, willing himself to calm down. He cast his mind back on the night when they encountered the spirits. The spirits told him that he had the magic of the fifth element within him. It only needed to be harnessed and brought out. But how? His earth magic was visible from the beginning of his life, even when he was a young boy. How could he have not realized that he had another latent power?
The only possible explanation was that the spirits were wrong.
Perhaps, he needed to approach this mystery in greater depth. Maybe if time allowed, he would begin to work on this.
The cool wind that blew gently, slowly lulled him into sleep. Strange dreams plagued him; Alicia was running away from him. A strange mist surrounded her, and although he tried hard, it was impossible to catch her. He opened his eyes. The world far down was enveloped in complete darkness. While he slept, clouds swept across the moon and blocked its light. The few stars that twinkled overhead gave little light. It was barely enough to see a few feet away.
It was time. With caution, he stood, keeping his hands on the rock behind. It wouldn’t do to drop off the edge and scream all the way down, alerting the enemy that there were intruders on the mountain. Around him, he heard the gentle stirring as his companions prepared for the upcoming events.
The Warrior Mage Page 23
