Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy)

by Thomas J. Prestopnik

  “I can’t wait to reach those mountains,” Hobin said, standing to stretch his legs. His hair, damp with the morning air, settled on the frayed collar of his brown coat. “Having traveled in the open like a herd of cattle for most of this trip is not what I’m used to. I prefer wending my way through trees and hills, though I’ll admit that the Red Mountains here seem nice enough.” He suddenly lowered his voice. “I’ve heard that the wizard Caldurian was from this region.”

  “Born and raised here,” Carmella said. “When he trained me for a short time at my home near Morrenwood, he mentioned a few stories about growing up close to the western slopes of the Red Mountains about a day’s ride north of here.” She sipped her tea while gazing into the fire. “King Justin told me in private that the wizard has been asking to meet with me.”

  “Why?” Leo asked with a wary inflection in his voice.

  “To perhaps apologize for the way he treated me twenty years ago?” she suggested. “The King said that Caldurian simply wanted to talk to his former student and perhaps advance my learning.”

  “You don’t plan to speak with that menace, do you?” Hobin asked, leaning against the side of the wagon.

  Carmella shrugged. “I’m considering it, though only if King Justin is comfortable with the arrangement. Currently he is not.” She thought back to the first few days when she had met the wizard. She had learned much about the magic arts in that short time and savored the sense of accomplishment she had achieved upon mastering a few simple spells. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited by the possibility of sharpening my skills under Caldurian’s instruction.” But just as Leo, William and Hobin were about to protest, Carmella raised a hand to stop them. “But knowing what a scoundrel he’s turned into, I could never be his student again simply to better myself. It would be unseemly.”

  Leo sighed with relief. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

  She looked over the tips of the snapping flames and caught his gaze. “However, I might consider using him to prepare myself against my cousin. You all know, as does King Justin, that I mean to find her somewhere in Kargoth. And if Caldurian wants to make his time and skills available to me, who am I to argue?”

  Leo shook his head with worry. “You know that Caldurian probably has an agenda of his own by wanting to meet with you.”

  “Oh, I realize that. He’s Caldurian, after all,” she replied with a chuckle. “But if he can help me, I’m going to consider it. And I don’t want the three of you to breathe a word about this to anyone,” she added, shaking a finger. “Trust me, I will be wary of Caldurian’s words and actions should we meet. But this discussion may be for nothing since he is presumably still without his powers.”

  “I still wouldn’t trust him,” William replied. “Caldurian is as dangerous whether armed with magic spells or his own arrogance.”

  “And he has plenty of the latter from what I’ve heard,” Hobin muttered. “But I’m not too concerned with that wizard’s plight right now. I’m facing a far worse one.”

  “Oh?” Leo asked with unease. “What exactly?”

  Hobin was riddled with grave concern. “Boredom! I’m eager to engage in a bit of scouting right about now. Waiting here day after day for King Justin to give the word is nearly killing me.”

  William laughed. “You’ll soon have plenty of opportunities. After we pass beyond the southern borders of Drumaya, teams of scouts will be dispatched often to assess the way ahead.”

  “No doubt Vellan will have his scouts doing the same,” Carmella said, sipping her tea. “After all, there’s no way to hide this army from his eyes. He’ll be aware of our approach to his borders soon, if not already.”

  “And he’ll be prepared for us,” Leo warned. “Vellan has many scores to settle, even without his Enâri creatures to back him up. So for all our worries about Caldurian,” he added, giving the fire a quick stir and creating a sudden burst of sparks, “that wizard is merely a gadfly compared to what’s waiting for us in Del Norác.”

  They broke camp in early morning and continued south along Lake Lasko. By early afternoon, after traveling miles upon rutty roads and across hilly terrain, the choppy lake waters faded from view as the army veered southwest, funneling into a valley between the second and third southernmost peaks in the Red Mountains. The tired troops camped for the night by one of the tributaries to the Swift River, then traveled for two more days through fertile farmland and along rushing rivers as the Red Mountains retreated behind them.

  By early afternoon on that second day, the northern tree line of the Ebrean Forest, alive in rich hues of emerald green, slowly came into view as the army trekked down the western banks of the Swift River. They had at last entered the kingdom of Drumaya. Hours later, the armies of King Justin and King Rowan approached the city of Grantwick as the sun dipped in the southwest against a gauzy swath of orange and purple clouds. The blazing sphere appeared to fall into the green embrace of the Ebrean during its slow and steady descent. As the forces approached the city from the north, spread out across the field that lay between Grantwick and the Ebrean Forest was another city of sorts. Thousands of soldiers from the Five Clearings moved among a mass of gray and white tents and blazing bonfires. William was enthralled by the sight.

  Shortly after their arrival, Kings Justin and Rowan, along with Prince Gregory, Prince William, Tolapari, Captain Grayling and a handful of other soldiers, passed through the western gate in the barricade that surrounded the center of Grantwick before the gates closed for the night. Leo, Carmella and Hobin also accompanied the group as everyone made their way on horseback to King’s Quarters. A long line of budding oak trees stood guard near the main entrance. A while later, King Cedric greeted his guests inside, an infectious smile upon his oval shaped face. With him was Minister Nuraboc who ushered everyone into a reception area to enjoy some food and drink.

  “Though I was delighted to visit you both at the Citadel this past winter,” King Cedric remarked to his royal counterparts, “I am even more pleased to welcome you to Drumaya on the verge of a new spring and a new year four days hence. Winter has faded fast. A buried spring has been resurrected throughout the countryside. It will be a glorious season, I expect.”

  “If Vellan is defeated, indeed it will,” King Justin replied, flashing a hard smile beneath his ice blue eyes. “But there is much work to be done.”

  “My army is ready and waiting,” King Cedric assured him.

  “As is mine,” a familiar voice chimed in near the doorway. A tall man, freshly shaven, with light brown hair and leaf green eyes, walked confidently into the room and greeted the arrivals. “Sorry we’re late,” he said, “but some meetings never seem to end.” Behind him was another man, slightly taller, his long, black hair tied up in back with a blood red piece of cloth.

  “Eucádus!” William exclaimed, greeting his friend with a hug before looking up with an expectant smile. “Tell me, how is Chestnut doing these days?”

  “I’m glad to see your priorities are in order, Will,” he replied with a grin. “Your brother’s horse is fine. And I’m not doing so badly either since our adventure in Rhiál.”

  “Glad to hear it,” he said before greeting Ranen.

  “Pleased to see you again, too, Eucádus,” King Justin added with a handshake. “Sorry you couldn’t attend our winter get-together at the Citadel, but I’m delighted to see that the army of the Five Clearings is camped outside with King Cedric’s forces.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” Ranen jumped in with a fiery glint in his eyes. “Vellan is long overdue for a visit from us, and a rather raucous visit at that.”

  “Well said,” the King replied, greeting the leader of the Oak Clearing before turning to King Cedric. “Now before we proceed, and with your indulgence, I would like to make a few introductions.”

  “By all means,” said King Cedric. “Though many of our paths have crossed, all here are not yet acquainted with one another.”

&n
bsp; King Justin quickly introduced King Rowan, Leo, Carmella, Hobin, Captain Grayling and a few of the other men to Eucádus and Ranen. King Rowan was happy to meet Eucádus and thanked him for the kindness he had bestowed upon his grandson.

  “William speaks highly of you and values your friendship,” he said. “I’m honored that you’ve watched over him through many hardships.”

  “The honor is mine, King Rowan. Prince William has proved to be both a good friend and a fighter,” Eucádus replied. “He has contributed much to our cause. And if he has not told you in detail of his exploits, then I’ll be sure to do so one of these days.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  William, blushing slightly, looked at King Cedric. “I would be more than pleased, sir, if you would start this meeting at once so we can discuss more important matters.”

  “Understood. But first I think Eucádus and Ranen might like to know a little bit more about one of the guests here, specifically, Leo Marsh.”

  Leo shot a surprised glance at King Cedric, wondering why he had mentioned his name. Though he had met the King a few times when he visited the Citadel during winter, Leo had not developed a close relationship to him and had no idea why he had singled him out.

  “Me, sir?” Leo asked respectfully.

  King Cedric turned to Eucádus. “This is the young man I was telling you about a few days ago when you arrived. He is one of the two who volunteered for the mission to the Dunn Hills.”

  Eucádus appeared astounded by the news, stepping forward to shake Leo’s hand with overwhelming gratitude. “So you are the one who helped rid our lands of the Enâri menace. King Cedric told me all about your journey through the Dunn Hills with another named Nicholas Raven and of your search for the wizard Frist. As I recall, he mentioned things about magic spells, a reforged key and a spirit imprisoned in an iron box for twenty years. They were heady words when I first heard them, the stuff of legends. But King Cedric insisted it was all true after hearing the tale himself from King Justin.”

  “He didn’t mislead you,” Leo replied, uncomfortable with the sudden attention. “Nicholas and I had set out from Morrenwood over four months ago to seek out Frist, not knowing if he was still alive.” He told Eucádus and Ranen some of the details of his journey to their amazed delight. “But I will not take all the credit. Carmella brought us the medallion. Were it not for her befriending an Enâri creature, your three nations would still be under their grip.” Leo indicated Hobin who stood quietly behind him. “And you must also thank Hobin for guiding Nicholas and me through the Dunn Hills, otherwise we would never have found our way to Wolf Lake.”

  “The citizens of Harlow, Linden and Surna are indebted to a great many people for ridding our lands of the Enâri, and on their behalf, I thank you,” Eucádus said gratefully. “When word from our scouts first reached us in the Clearings that Vellan’s creatures throughout the Northern Mountains had suddenly collapsed into piles of sand and garments, no one could believe it. But some of the scouts had seen the transformation with their own eyes and swore to the fact. And when people finally did believe that the stories were true, no one could explain why.”

  “We were astonished,” Ranen added, “but no one could explain such a wondrous miracle until a few days ago. That’s when King Cedric told us about Frist and the spirit he had created. Word of that peculiar tale had never reached our lands over the years.”

  King Justin looked up. “Vellan knew all about the Spirit Box, the contents of which were a constant threat to his prized creation. Caldurian, his loyal apprentice, got word to him twenty years ago after his defeat and humiliation in the village of Kanesbury. But fate was apparently on our side from the moment that Jagga had stolen the key until Leo turned it and opened the Spirit Box.”

  Eucâdus was wide-eyed. “You opened the box, Leo? That detail I did not know.”

  “It’s a detail I don’t particularly like to think about,” he said with a sad look in his eyes. Eucádus immediately picked up on it and avoided further mention of the topic.

  “Still, I would like to thank you all again. Your deeds have begun healing our mountain nations and will be remembered with honor,” he promised. “One day I hope to meet Nicholas Raven. Is he with you now?”

  “No,” Leo replied with a trace of hopelessness in his voice. “After completing our mission, Nicholas entrusted me with the key and went his separate way on another mission of sorts, a personal one. But we can discuss that later if you wish, though I have no knowledge of his whereabouts at the moment.”

  “I’ll take you up on that offer,” he said.

  King Justin, sensing that Leo wished to change the subject, intervened. “There’ll be time enough later for these harrowing stories and heroic accounts. But now I think we should press on with the meeting and discuss the next leg of our journey.”

  “Which fortunately, like the winter war council, will be refreshingly brief as most of the details have already been discussed in Morrenwood,” King Cedric said. “Today’s meeting is simply to gather together all the principals in this grand effort and make sure we’re thinking with one mind before we continue on to Wynhall. There we will have more friends waiting to join us on our way to Kargoth.”

  “And there are even others besides them eager to join the fray,” Prince Gregory informed the gathering, “though they will not be accompanying us on this march.”

  “Why not?” Ranen asked.

  “Because they are already in Kargoth, or near enough.”

  Eucádus appeared stunned by the news. “Who are these warriors you speak of? A secret force you’ve already slipped into that vile land?”

  “Not quite,” he replied. “I refer to your own countrymen from the three mountain nations. They have banded together in the wild to fight against Vellan as best they could. Like those in the Five Clearings, they have given up relying upon the corrupt and weak governments of Harlow, Linden and Surna and have taken matters into their own hands.”

  “We know of a scattered resistance in the mountains, though we were doubtful of its effectiveness. Are they now prepared to fight?” Ranen excitedly asked.

  “They have already done so,” the prince continued, “though on a much smaller scale than what we have seen in Rhiál and Montavia. Mainly small raids against the Island invaders. But I have kept in contact with one of the groups and learned of a spring offensive they are planning. Various camps throughout the mountains were going to combine their men and resources throughout winter and converge at a secret location near Del Norác. They propose to raid Vellan’s most notorious prison come springtime.”

  “Deshla,” Eucádus said in a whisper. “I have heard stories of it, and none too pleasant. It is a facility under the command of the Islanders as far as I knew.”

  “Maybe your countrymen will have more than a good chance to free those held inside now that the Enâri have been crushed,” King Justin said encouragingly.

  “For that reason and another,” Prince Gregory said. “The mountain resistance plans to coordinate their raid on Deshla with our actions against Vellan to optimize their success. I will meet with my contact, a scout named Maximilian, near the southern shore of Lake Mara so we can hash out the details.”

  “You’re sure he will be there?” Ranen asked.

  “Max is punctual if anything,” the prince said. “We made arrangements for this meeting over winter. He will be there, no doubt impatiently waiting for us.”

  “I look forward to seeing him,” Eucádus said.

  “As do we all,” King Cedric added, noting a hint of impatience on Minister Nuraboc’s face. “But we can save some of this talk for later. If you would all join me at the table in the next room, we can begin our meeting.”

  “If you would please follow me,” Minister Nuraboc said as she escorted the delegation to the meeting room with her usual no-nonsense efficiency.

  “Judith will quickly tick off the items on the agenda, and with luck, you’ll be enjoying a proper d
inner before the hour is out,” King Cedric announced while everyone filed out of the reception room.

  “That’s my kind of meeting,” Hobin whispered to Leo. “Short and to the point.”

  Leo chuckled to himself, as eager as Hobin to be on his way to Kargoth. He wanted to end this chapter of his life so he could begin another with Megan. A short time later at the meeting, his thoughts again drifted to his true love. He imagined Megan thinking about him at that very same moment while wandering the corridors of the Citadel or walking along the melting snow banks on the Edelin River. With a sigh, Leo wondered when he would hold her hand again without the threat of war hanging over them like a fleet of storm clouds ever looming on the horizon.

  CHAPTER 94

  Spring’s Healing Touch

  The next day, Kings Justin and Rowan let the troops enjoy a one-day respite from their long and tiring journey. But when the second morning dawned upon the field, the armies of Arrondale and Montavia were ready to move, this time accompanied by King Cedric’s forces and those from the Five Clearings. After tents and supplies were packed away, the orderly units of soldiers and well laden supply lines proceeded on their southerly march beneath blue skies. The gentle warmth of uninterrupted sunshine competed with a cool, steady breeze barreling down from the north along the path of the Swift River.

  They made for the village of Wynhall about a day’s march from Grantwick in good weather. Since the traveling conditions were exceptional, the army arrived that same day as purple twilight settled over the smoky rooftops and fallow fields of the community. Fiery stars peeked down from a crystalline sky, reflecting in the river’s mirror-like surface that had calmed with the sudden deadening of the afternoon breezes.