by Blink, Bob
Rigo knew they didn’t dare get in the way of that beam. He wished he knew more about it and how to create it as well as counteract it. He was aware that his ability to dissipate the other forms of magic simply wouldn’t work against the beam. Suddenly the walls shook as a blast on another part of the campus, not too far away shook the entire structure. The teams were meeting resistance elsewhere as well.
“Link,” he ordered. He couldn’t be certain that their combined magic would be strong enough, but they had little choice. Several more of the green beams smashed into walls, and only luck kept them from losing more people. The three wizards who had come up the ramp with Rigo were all powerful, and within the briefest of moments he suddenly commanded their combined power, the strength growing exponentially rather than linearly as they formed the magical Link.
Wasting no time, he focused a narrow beam at the wall where the last beam of greenish energy had originated. For the briefest of moments, the walls held, glowing impossibly bright, the ropes carrying away the energy as they attempted to drain the power before fatal damage could occur. Not even the magic that had been used to supplement the walls was great enough to overcome Rigo’s exponentially multiplied Brightfire. The wall suddenly pulsed, and then a whole section blew back into the room, revealing the living quarters of one of the Specialists. With the wall breached, combat magic from half a dozen wizards from Rigo’s group blasted into the room, destroying everything they touched.
While this was happening, Rigo attacked another of the walls from which attacking fire had originated. Once again, the wall gave way to his assault, the area behind subjected to intense attack by the others with him. He understood now the best way to apply his Brightfire, and within moments he’d ripped open the walls of the remaining rooms on the second floor while his fellow wizards poured unceasing fire into them. There had been no return fire for some time.
* * * * *
Jeen and the wizards who had come upstairs with her spread out so they couldn’t be targeted together. They had gone less than a hundred paces when a half dozen Casters stepped into the hallway, the crystals atop their staffs glowing brightly. Something had given Jeen’s people away. A wizard to Jeen’s right was quickest, and his beam of narrow Brightfire shattered the crystal on top of one of the staffs, causing the wood to burst into flame. The Caster dropped the remains, holding her hand as she cried out in pain. The moment of triumph was short-lived, as two spears of magic energy struck the wizard who initiated the attack, killing him instantly. Jeen and the others unleashed the full fury of their magic, the blasts of magical energy sweeping the six Guild Casters from existence, as well as demolishing the walls behind them. Unlike the magic resistant walls of the Saltique’s residence, these were simply crafted stone and unable to withstand the immense forces being released.
The encounter had alerted everyone else in the facility to their presence, and as Jeen and her team sought cover, magic of multiple forms ripped into the walls as the destructive energies tried to reach those hiding behind the walls. The air was soon filled with dust and smoke, the floor littered with broken stone and collapsed walls. Thus far Jeen realized they hadn’t encountered any of the strongest Casters, although the numbers of the enemy present somewhat surprised her. They had discussed the situation, and the conclusion they had reached was that the Saltique probably had one to two hundred Senior Casters, of which a third might be considered Warrior Casters based on their combat experience with the Baldari which she could command. How many were really loyal to Carif, and how many would be simply following orders, not knowing the true situation, was unknown. Of those she had available, how many would have been brought to Nals. Jeen suspected most, especially since Carif had had more than a day to react since the westerners had occupied the castle. The watch duty would have to be spread across three shifts, so roughly a third might be in the building at any given time. That could mean fifty or more were in the building to oppose them.
A beam of Brightfire lanced across the hall and struck one of Jeen’s people, this time a soldier with a crossbow rather than one of her wizards. Annoyed with the constant sniping, Jeen gathered her strength and used a trick that Rigo-Daim had taught her some time ago. Concentrated magic filled the space behind the far wall, which she then triggered explosively. The resulting blast shook the building’s foundations, and the blast took not only the wall, but ripped open the building all the way to the outside hillside on the far end. Whoever had been hiding there was killed instantly.
Unfortunately, they were unable to move forward. A group of Casters on the upper level were hiding behind panels that seemed to absorb Jeen’s energy beams. The recurring attacks were forcing her people to stay down, and she knew that gradually they were going to be picked off. Lorl ran across the hall, daring them to get him, as he released blast after blast at their attackers. It was a stupid move, and before he reached the cover at the far side where the stairs led upwards, he was engulfed in a swirling mass of fire.
* * * * *
As Rigo finished his attack, the brightest beam of the green energy he’d yet seen cut through the wall to one side, scattering large chunks of stone, most of which fell to the layer below. One very large piece of the former wall fell upon one of the wizards hiding below, crushing him. Only the angle of the curving walls had protected Rigo from the deadly beam. The beam Carif had sent after him had impacted the wall, ripping it to shreds, but failed to reach her intended target. He rolled to one side, getting more of the wall and part of the ceiling between himself and the next beam. As soon as the beam winked out of existence, he rolled back, and sent his own intense Brightfire along a return path, but Carif had already moved. He caught brief movement off to one side. She glanced back in his direction, her mouth forming a curse. She started to launch another spell, then ducked and pulled back as a crossbow bolt slammed into the wall next to her. Kaler’s, Rigo realized. He doubted the shot had missed as the result of poor aim. Even with the magic defeating runes, Carif had somehow been able to push it aside just enough. But it had distracted and delayed her, and now Rigo would have a shot at her if she tried to launch an attack.
Rigo had learned something in the brief exchange. Before when he’d been in the presence of the Saltique, he’d always been banded. This was the first time he’d been within fifty paces of her with full access to his abilities. He’d been able to detect the spark. She was gifted. She had inherent magic. The spark was dim, one of the weakest he’d ever encountered, but it was there. He hadn’t sensed it when he’d been in Carif’s presence before because it was so weak and his own abilities had been dimmed by the magic restricting bands he’d been wearing. He doubted she even realized it, but perhaps that was why she was so much more powerful than the other Casters. More importantly, he’d felt the spark suddenly wink out. No one had been shooting at her at the time, so he was certain she’d stepped into a Bypass and relocated.
None of them had the ability to tell where she might have gone. She was said to be able to mask her endpoints anyway. That was one thing difficult about bringing down one who controlled magic. If they chose to flee, how could you know where they went? She might have relocated to another place in the building where she’d have a better shot at them. Rigo’s back itched as he had the thought, but he didn’t believe it. Wizards with inherent magic such as himself had a couple of important advantages over the Casters of Sedfair. Their magic was based on runes and activating phrases. That meant they needed their staffs or something equivalent to function. It also meant their spells could not be released nearly as quickly, as they had to focus on the appropriate symbols, then carefully and correctly utter the appropriate phrase if the magic was to be released. If Carif had chosen another spot, she would have to trigger her fighting spell, then hope to switch and create another Bypass before Rigo’s team could respond. That took time, and given the damage to the building there weren’t many places to hide. It would have been a very risky move, and he didn’t think she was that brave.
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“Rigo,” Kaler said softly from where he stood just to his left. “What is that?”
Rigo glanced quickly where Kaler was pointing. The walls around the upper level were glowing faintly green. Rapidly the color was becoming darker, and was flowing down the walls to the lower levels.
“Out!” he commanded. “Emergency Bypass to the castle.” Even as he yelled the warning, he’d opened his own Bypass. The others had prepared for this, and there was no need to discuss the matter. Kaler and Daria were already through, with Kall and two wizards following right behind. Rigo and the remaining wizard with him stepped through. Rigo pinched off the Bypass as he stepped into the courtyard of the castle. More of his team were stepping out of their own Bypass portals. Almost all were now present when a tremendous blast that shook the grounds like a major earthquake came from the site of the Guild’s leader’s residence. Several people were knocked off their feet. As the rumbling ceased, Rigo looked around. He could see at a glance that not everyone had made it.
“I wonder what she didn’t want us to find?” Kall asked.
Rigo shook his head. He’d been wondering the same thing. They’d hoped to secure the rooms even if Carif and her Specialists escaped, but that wasn’t possible any longer.
“Let’s go help Jeen,” Rigo said. There was no need to have Ash’urn make covert Bypasses. The enemy already knew they were there.
* * * * *
Jeen knew they were simply outnumbered and unless she could Link they wouldn’t be able to overcome the protective panels. If she did Link, she would immediately become the target of most of the enemy, and the walls where she hid simply didn’t offer sufficient protection if the enemy Casters focused on her. Then she realized that someone was firing on the Casters from off to one side. A number went down, and others scattered for cover. Jeen recognized several of the wizards, and understood that Rigo had arrived. Smiling grimly, she urged her own forces to intensify their own efforts.
On the second level, five enemy Casters lay dead with arrows or crossbow bolts in them. They had been caught unawares. Rigo could have told them how their only defense from such normal weapons was to be alert to their presence. Several more had been hit with blasts of magic. Most were pulling away as they realized their position was no longer defensible. Rigo had seen several Bypass portals open and then wink out of existence. That meant some, perhaps most, were fleeing.
Kall pulled his sword from the back of the Caster he had just killed. The man hadn’t seen him in time, and had paid the price. Sword in his right hand, Kall picked up the staff that had been dropped. As he stood, he noticed the woman standing a short distance away, her own staff glowing.
“Surrender,” Kall ordered. “I am your King, and I command you to lay down your arms.”
Slowly the woman shook her head. She was far enough away that he couldn’t hope to reach her with his sword, and she commanded magic that would wipe him from existence if he tried.
“Throw down your weapons,” the woman ordered in return. “You are now my prisoner. Carif wants you taken dead or alive. Alive is preferable, but either way would be rewarded.”
Kall scowled nastily. “I don’t think so. Why would Carif want me? My consort I can understand. But what good would I be to her?”
“I believes she sees you as bait,” the Caster said. Then her voice changed. “I have no time. Throw down your sword and come with me or I will be forced to kill you.”
Kall looked at his sword, then casually tossed it towards the floor. The Caster’s eyes were drawn toward it as it clanged on the stone walkway. When she looked back at the King, she realized he was saying something. When she realized what it was, her eyes grew wide. The beam of Brightfire the King triggered was somewhat pitiful compared to that the true wizards and Casters were capable of creating, but it was far more than adequate. He’d long known he could trigger some magic, although he’d never tried with one of the power staffs. It was quite satisfying, he decided, as he walked over and picked up his sword. He then walked over to the body with a massive hole burned through the chest, and picked up the fallen staff. Carrying the two staffs, he walked back where he heard Rigo yelling to the female wizard named Jeen. It appeared that the battle was essentially over.
* * * * *
Queen Rosul’s loyal guardsmen directed by Tara surrounded the housing complex to ensure no one escaped the building by conventional means. Then Burke and his fellow wizards approached the front entrance. As yet, it was hoped that no one realized they were there or the intent of the visit. Two thirds of the wizard team watched for any signs of aggression, while the rest supported Burke and Tara and they systematically visited each residence. Most residents were shocked by their demands, but submitted when they saw the strength of the forces present. Staffs were collected, and the Casters were questioned about any other casting materials they might have in the apartment. They were then told to wait under guard while the apartments were searched. If their claims were proved to be false, the Casters were taken away. If their apartments were as claimed, they were allowed to return, but warned to stay inside as they would be contacted for further discussions later.
The first several apartments were cleared without incident. At the fifth, the resident unleashed a string of fire, destroying the door instead of answering it. Burke squelched the attack as Tara quickly unleashed a response that caught the initiator of the conflict unprepared. A quick search of the apartment showed the dead Caster lived alone. The damaged staff was taken, her charred remains left for later.
If anyone in the complex had been unaware of their presence, that had certainly changed with the noisy encounter with the now dead resident. The tenseness in his fellow wizards was obvious as Burke led the way down the wide hallway. A small group of four Casters attempted to surprise Burke’s team as they approached one of the cafeterias. The fan of Brightfire was poorly aimed and while it caught two guards on the fringes of Burke’s advancing force, the withering return fire created by a dozen skilled combat wizards ripped out the walls and turned the room into an inferno within moments. The two bodies were found afterwards, indicating that several of the Casters had managed to escape, although they were more than likely wounded. The response had been quick, and Burke doubted they’d had time to create a Bypass and leave without being caught in some of the return fire his fellows had directed into the room.
Most residents turned over their staffs and submitted to the searches by the guardsmen without incident. Another dozen apartments were found to be empty, with signs of recent habitation. A handful were empty, and appeared to have been unoccupied. The sweep had gone more easily than Burke could have hoped, and other than the two guardsmen killed by the earlier attack, his team had suffered no injuries. The collected staffs were taken back to the castle and stored temporarily under guard.
To the south, the team lead by Chut worked its way through the second facility with even less difficulty. Only a few transient Casters lived in the southern complex, the rest mostly instructors or administrators for the Guild. The sole incident of resistance was quickly ended by one of Chut’s wizards, who struck quickly and without restraint, terminating the life of the Caster who had attempted to oppose them.
* * * * *
By the middle of the morning, the assault was over. A combination of wizards and guardsmen controlled the entirety of the Guild’s facilities, with the exception of the former residences of the Saltique and the Specialists. The ragged hole that was all that was left of the structure was a reminder of the magnitude of the power controlled by the Guild’s former leaders. Rigo believed that Carif had destroyed the building as she fled to make certain nothing of value would be found by those who sought her.
Was it a victory? Rigo felt it difficult to consider it as such, although they had taken the base of operations from the woman. She and her surviving Specialists had fled. There was no knowing where they went. Whether they had a remote base well prepared, or whether the attack had caught them unaware a
nd they had fled without being properly prepared was also unknown. Only time would tell. Chasing them down was going to be both dangerous and difficult.
At least twenty-five Senior Casters had been killed. In several cases it was impossible to be certain. Many more had fled, and with time it would hopefully be possible to put names to the missing Casters. Most of the rest of the Guild’s people were surprised and appalled at what they were learning. Scanning would begin later in the day to clear them as quickly as possible. For now, the almost two hundred staffs collected would be retained in the castle.
The cost had been large for the Three Kingdoms. Fourteen wizards had been killed, most in Rigo and Jeen’s teams. Several more had been badly burned or hurt by falling debris. Most of those had since been healed. Eight guardsmen from the Three Kingdoms had also died in the fighting, as had another six of Queen Rosul’s forces. Far too many considering the primary targets of the exercise had escaped. Rigo was certain they would make their displeasure known before too long.
A quick tour of the headquarters revealed a number of interesting finds. The upper floor held an extensive library of old and even ancient texts that were not available to those studying at the university itself. These had been special references held back for the Guild’s elite. Rigo had already assigned a squad of guardsmen to begin relocating the texts to the castle where they could be better controlled. He wanted both Ash’urn and Daim to have a look at the find. Who knew? Perhaps some of the answers they sought to the problem of the Hoplani might be hidden there. In another one of the storage rooms in the lower level they found sufficient raw crystals to create at least fifty more staffs, and the raw materials for the shafts. A workshop showed that Guild craftsmen had recently been at work making more of the powerful staffs. For now, the supply of crystal was being guarded. In another room, they located huge rolls of thin gold foil. A full pace wide, there was enough of the foil to stretch all the way back to the castle. When he asked the purpose, Rigo was told it was Caster’s foil, a very valuable tool for special spells.
