Into The Ruins

by Blink, Bob

“It is unclear what could be gained. The Queen will be in power a very short time. And then by their law must be replaced. Once she is removed, it is very questionable how she could help. The timing is unfortunate.”

  Another glass was spent in discussion, and then Nycoh called a halt. “Most of us are tired. Let’s break, and get back together in the morning. There are several matters that should be initiated immediately. I want to see to those first.”

  “What about Fen?” Rigo asked. The poor youth had sat through several glass of discussion which had been conducted mostly in a language he didn’t understand.

  “He can stay with me,” Ash’urn offered. “I can at least converse with him. I’ll make room in my quarters, and see that he is taken care of until we can decide on a better approach. Besides, maybe he can teach me something from all his books. I am anxious and hopeful we can learn some of their symbolic magic.”

  Rigo smiled. Ash’urn was always one for learning more, but in this case he knew that his old friend hoped to expand his limited spelling capability. Many in Sedfair were able to perform powerful magic, and they had none of the inherent ability of Rigo and the other Outpost wizards. With Ash’urn’s drawing skills, he might be able to learn the Casting craft.

  “Those are the staffs?” Nycoh asked when the others had left, leaving her and Rigo alone. Jeen had gone off with Daria and Kaler to find a room. Rigo was eager to have some time alone with them, and would catch up with them in a while. Jeen had turned over the two ornate staffs that Tara had risked recovering, hoping they might offer some insight into the capabilities of the Guild’s Casters. “I’d say they are quite elaborate, but those symbols are really the basis of their ability, aren’t they?”

  Rigo nodded. “We’ll have to see what Fen can tell us, but all of the magic performed in Sedfair requires the correct symbols and a verbal activation. Ash’urn has confirmed that the verbal magic he learned and which our ungifted border teams in Lopal use against the Hoplani have a common base. That is one reason he is so eager to work with Fen. That link might be important.”

  Nycoh smiled at Rigo. She knew what he was thinking. “It’s not your fault, Rigo. It was important to know what’s out there. Maybe there’s still a chance the answer is closer than we think.”

  “Orna’s dead. Kirl’s dead. I didn’t really know Kirl, but he died because I had to go exploring. We haven’t found a way to defeat the Hoplani and the Morvane, and we might even have a larger problem. There’s even the issue of the Baldari, which I know so little about.”

  “Go and see your friends. Kaler and Daria were coming after you if they had to cross the Ruins unsupported and regardless of how long it took. You are lucky to have people like that around you. We’ll work out the rest of this over time.”

  “How have the battles with the Hoplani been progressing. Are we still losing ground?”

  “Actually, things are somewhat better. The spears made from the bones you told us about have been effective in thinning the Morvane. We have far reaching Morvane hunts in place, and those were the creatures that were destroying the towers. The Hoplani themselves can’t get through. If we can maintain the current status, we will be okay.”

  Rigo nodded. That was good news. “I’m going to find Kaler and Daria,” he said. “Hopefully Jeen is still with them. I haven’t had a chance to properly thank them.”

  “Once you’ve gotten used to being back, you need to spend some time with Daim. He’s been anxiously awaiting your return.”

  “You’re going to have to tell me how that came about,” Rigo said. Having Daim back was odd enough, but not having him in the back of his mind, but as a distinct personality was going to take getting used to.

  “And you can tell me how you came to be fluent in the language of a land no one from the Three Kingdoms has visited for thousands of years,” Nycoh said.

  Chapter 60

  Carif was shocked by the magnitude of the disaster that had materialized suddenly and without warning. She paced around her private quarters as she tried to put events into perspective and decide what the consequences of the past few days might be. The Guild had been attacked, and sadly, had been found wanting. More than half of the special guardsmen loyal to her rather than the Crown that she had painstakingly identified and transferred to her control over the years had been killed. Nearly two dozen Senior Casters were lost, including three of her carefully chosen Specialists. Kimm, Juli, and Delril had been killed. Kimm and Juli were among the first to be lost, their bodies found near the six guardsmen who had died while guarding the three outsiders. She couldn’t help wondering how many swordsmen it had taken to surprise and take down the group. Each was well trained and among the best she’d ever seen, yet it hadn’t saved them.

  The few reports from eyewitnesses, all of whom had been some distance away when the force materialized in the clearing, indicated the attackers had stepped out of the air. Clearly it had been via a Doorway, this one originating from another of those safe regions from out in the Wastelands. The reports suggested a smaller force than could have been possible, and one that was able to eliminate her people without the use of magic. From a study of the battlefield, only a few blasts of magic appeared to have been triggered, and one was thought to have originated from Juli’s staff, which somehow had been severed. Kimm’s staff had been recovered intact, which was fortunate. The staffs of her Specialists were not something she wanted in the wrong hands. As it was, a handful of staffs belonging to Senior Casters had almost certainly fallen into the hands of the outsiders, which was bad enough.

  Of those who had pursued the fleeing outsiders, only Specialist Shym had returned, and then only because she had quickly departed the oasis deep in the Wastelands where she had tracked the foreigners. She had opened a Doorway where they had gone using her ability to trace their destination which the first of her guardsmen had used. Almost immediately she had then opened a second Doorway a number of paces displaced from the first, through which most of her team hurriedly passed through to press their attack. Shym had followed with them. She had long held this was a way to catch the enemy off guard, but it carried risks.

  From Shym’s report, the exchange of magic was brutal, the guardsmen quickly being defeated by the magic-wielding intruders. Only one strike had been made against the intruders by the guardsmen’s arrows, and she was uncertain of whether it had been fatal or not. Much later, after the battle had moved on, had Shym and her follow-up team found signs of blood at the location, but no body. A number of their Caster’s had also been killed before the enemy had fled to yet another location. Shym had realized then that the encounter was not going as hoped, and had decided to return to Nals for additional forces. She explained her plan to several of her fellow Casters, indicating at least one was to return to the oasis after learning where the enemy had gone, so she could provide the Doorway required to follow them. Shym knew that by the time she returned from Nals with additional fighters and Casters, the trace that showed the way would likely have faded. With all the magical energy being expended, the ability to detect a Doorway was typically lost quickly.

  When Shym returned to the oasis half a glass later, she found that no one was waiting. She tried, as did the only other Caster who had come with her, to detect a trace that would lead them forward, but nothing could be found. They waited for more than two additional glass, checking the oasis and learning only that the enemy had lost at most the one man. The bodies of her own forces were mostly reduced to ash, but they gathered what remains they could along with those staffs they found, and brought them back to the Guild. Delril’s charred body was found with her staff back in the rocks, killed by the severe burns she had received. Now, two days later, nothing had been heard from those Casters who had pursued the intruders as they’d fled. She had to assume they were lost as well. Less than a dozen of the foreign Casters, wizards she recalled the one named Rigo had called them, had been able to inflict these losses. They were indeed a fearsome force, and Carif couldn’t
help but worry that they might now consider Sedfair an enemy and arrive in force. Rigo had lied to her. They could cross the Wastelands at will, and he had been buying time until more of his people could arrive.

  Carif had already instructed the remaining Specialists to begin arming all who could be quickly trained to use the power staffs. They would need numbers to offset the more powerful outsiders. One of the problems was where might they strike? Rigo had seen numerous locations inside of Sedfair, and could elect to appear at any of them. Carif wondered if they were even now moving around the area, scouting the best locations. She had gambled and lost. She had hoped that Rigo’s group had been a lone exploration team, and that she could use them to find her way back to his homeland. Now the opposite was true. They could come here, and had reason to do so. She silently cursed not having given Rigo to Kimm when the other had wanted to perform the reading on him. This might have all been avoided.

  Carif idly picked up the object from her desk. Shym had brought it to her after the Specialist had returned from the oasis, unable to continue after the intruders. It had been found near where one of the enemy had been struck by the arrow, and they assumed he had dropped it. Perhaps it had fallen off when someone carried away the body. She examined it carefully, as she had several times over the past day and a half. She recognized the pattern immediately. It looked like a pair of crossed staffs of the type that Rigo had been carrying. Even the material felt much the same, although the color was different. Was that because it wasn’t damaged, or because it was made from something else?

  Her immediate thought was that this might do exactly what the staff had done. Could this be a talisman that allowed one to overcome the blocking effect of the Ruins? There was only one way to tell. She would have someone test it. There was a risk, of course. It was possible that the necklace had been left on purpose, and triggering it could be dangerous. She decided she’d send for Suline. She knew where the Wastelands had blocked them from her earlier attempts, and had images that should take her all the way to the intruder’s homeland. If she succeeded in crossing the Wastelands with the amulet, then they had their own path into the others homeland. If Suline was killed attempting to use it, well, she was a bit of a rebel, and Carif didn’t need that right now. If the device worked, they would have to try and make more like it, and she would make it known that every outsider killed should be searched for such devices.

  As she placed the amulet on the desk, she considered the situation with Queen Rosul. Carif had been able to use the death of her people to publicly admonish the Queen, stating her lax policies with regards to the outsiders were greatly responsible for the attacks and had left Sedfair at risk. Carif knew that Rosul had been shocked at the sudden and forceful encounter that had released Rigo and his two friends. Hopefully the situation would keep her silent until her replacement was in place. There was more to Rosul than Carif had expected, but there would be time to worry about her later, once everything else was in place.

  Carif walked to the door, and spoke with the guardsman just outside. “Have Suline and Shym sent to me ,” she said.

  A short distance away, Queen Rosul was having her own thoughts about recent events. She had been shocked when she’d heard that Rigo and his two friends had been freed by a group of outsider magicians. The escape had been a violent one, costing the lives of a number of Carif’s people. Rosul was certain that was because the Saltique had her people attack in response, but none the less, the people of Sedfair had been subjected to an attack. Clearly Rigo had lied to her. He’d stated quite openly that there was no means by which his countrymen could cross over the Wastelands to help him, yet they had. What other lies had he told? She was starting to doubt herself. Perhaps Carif had been right in this instance, and she had been in the wrong, her judgement clouded by her lifelong desire to link up with another kingdom. Perhaps she was getting old, and should put away any thought of rule and resisting the Guild. She might be putting any number of people at risk by pursuing her own desires. Kall, of course, supported her and tried to reassure her, but then he would no matter if it were true or not. She wished she could speak with Rigo now that he was free. Would he tell the same story now that he had regained his freedom, or would he now have a different tale to tell?

  Chapter 61

  Suline stuffed her long blond hair into the tight-fitting cap, and stood back to look at her reflection in the mirror. Her slightly bluish eyes took in the muted colors of the special clothing she wore. Not particularly becoming, she decided, but that wasn’t the purpose of the outfit. She had her assignment, and could see few options immediately ahead of her.

  The Saltique had called her to her office, and sitting behind the large desk, had passed across the strange amulet that Suline could see resting on her side table a short distance away. She’d been told where it had come from and what the Saltique believed it could do. She’d been chosen, so she’d been told, because she was one of the few who knew the route the outsiders had taken to come here, having tracked the way with Kirin some weeks before. They had been blocked then, but now the way might be open to further exploration. The task was one that the Saltique admitted she would normally have entrusted to Kirin, but since her long trusted assistant had been killed responding to the escape of the three strangers, she was the only one remaining who’d traveled into the Wastelands. The Saltique felt her knowledge of the area would help expedite the mission at hand.

  The task was simple enough in telling, but was fraught with potential dangers. Suline was immediately aware of this, and while the Saltique had not expounded on the risks, she was well aware of them. Suline knew this because she had used her Ghost Doorway to spy upon the woman and her surviving Specialists later in the day. The undetectable two-way penetration into the Saltique’s private chambers had revealed the woman considered Suline expendable, and was willing to risk her to discover the true capabilities of the amulet. It made sense, Suline admitted. It was important to the Guild to find a way to the Three Kingdoms. Clearly, the residents of that far off land could make their way here at will. That left the Guild at a serious disadvantage. If the Guild could discover a route to the other side of the Wastelands, that would even the tactical situation somewhat.

  Suline picked up the amulet and ran her fingers over the rough, odd feeling material from which it was made. She suspected it had been difficult for the Saltique to part with the talisman, but she’d had no choice. She either had to attempt to use it herself, thereby accepting the risks that might be inherent in the device, or turn it over to someone else and see what could be learned. Suline slipped it over her head, and let it drop inside her blouse so it nestled between her breasts. Oddly, it didn’t seem to feel either warm or cold.

  She was just about ready. She’d considered her options carefully after learning the casual disregard with which the Saltique had described Suline’s risks to the five remaining Specialists. Suline knew she could try and flee, with or without the amulet, but where would she go? Clearly the Saltique would send the Guild after her. The amulet might allow her to go where she couldn’t be followed, but that wasn’t appealing. Suline had no idea what to expect across the Wastelands. Suline briefly considered informing the Queen about the object and the Guild’s unshared plans, but she quickly discarded that idea. She didn’t know that much about the Queen, and while she clearly was at odds with Carif, her days of wielding any power were soon to end. It was only a matter of weeks now before a new Queen would be selected, and Suline was astute enough to know that the new Queen would be manipulated by the Saltique. No, going to the Queen would not provide the kind of protection she would require. Despite the risks, her best chance was to follow through with the assignment. She might even gain some respect from the Saltique, and would certainly remain at the heart of the maneuvering. Her own hopes for advancement would be best served that way, and frankly, the thrill of being the first from Sedfair to see that far off land appealed to her.

  After making a couple of minor adju
stments to her clothing, including making sure the small hidden knife was strapped in place, Suline stood and retrieved her staff from the holder next to the table. She had to hurry if she was to be on time to meet the two Casters the Saltique had chosen to accompany her. Suline knew very little about either Sali or Shurl, the names she had been given, and hadn’t had an opportunity to investigate. At first she’d been surprised that two unknown Casters would be going with her, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. The chase after the fleeing outsiders had been costly in men and Casters. They must assume there was a chance they would become engaged in a conflict as they traveled into the Three Kingdoms, although the directions given were to attempt to make the journey covertly. If a battle developed, additional Casters would be useful, but more importantly, if just one survived, they could bring the amulet back to the Saltique. Suline didn’t fool herself that the two women hadn’t had their own private session with the Guild’s leader. Unfortunately, Suline hadn’t been lucky enough to listen in, but she could imagine what might have been said.

  A glass later she was deep in the Wastelands, her two traveling companions at her side. Both looked a little apprehensive at being so far from Sedfair feeling the odd smothering feeling that was detectable even inside the protected oasis. Suline smiled, happy they were off guard. It gave her a small advantage. She had already learned several things about the amulet. First, she could tell it was working even without grasping it in her hand. She could use its powers as it lay against her skin, which could be an advantage if matters became intense later. Secondly, she could sense that she could open a Doorway at will to either of the distant oases that she’d been unable to reach the last time she had been here. This was indeed how the westerners made the trip across the Wastelands.