Battle Mage, The Caves of Time

by Donald Wigboldy

  "We met again in Hala where we both competed in the wizard tournament," the girl continued brightening once more. "Then while he was..." She paused and turned to look at Sebastian before asking him, "Am I allowed to speak of your mission?"

  Nodding, the mage replied, "We were chasing clues to find the Grimnal... Gerid Aramathea, that is."

  "He saved me again and a few other wizards captured by the Dark One's wizard hunters. I rode back to Southwall onboard his ship eventually. It was rather complicated, but after a time I wore him down enough to make him date me," Ashleen giggled offering an abbreviated and somewhat colored version of the story Sebastian thought to himself.

  Grunting as if he didn't completely approve, Marcel spoke differently as he said, "So how easy is it for a battle mage to have such a relationship? I thought that your people stayed in barracks run by your corps or something similar. She's Kardorian. How does that work?"

  "I haven't lived in a government owned room in... roughly a year, I guess," Sebastian paused realizing that the journey away from White Hall to Hala, including the side trip to his family home, had been slowly leading him away from the corps all along.

  Before they said any more, the door to the house opened and a woman stepped out looking confused by the interruption to the daily flow of the farm. Sebastian waved to his mother, a blonde haired woman whose features mirrored that of his sisters who both seemed to favor her. She took a moment to wave back, but the gesture lacked excitement, though he hoped it was only because of the shock of seeing him return.

  When they were nearly to the wooden step of the porch, they exchanged hellos before his mother echoed his father's earlier question, "What brings you back, Sebastian? We haven't received word from you in awhile. Your sister writes us, though not as often as I would like. Is she well?"

  "I haven't seen her in a few weeks, but she seems well enough. Her studies have gone quite well. Katya is a natural and has learned a lot. Probably more than her teachers even expected."

  "She is in White Hall though? Her messages last Fall were confusing in that regard."

  "Confusing how?" he questioned a bit nervously. Though his correspondence had been sparse, what he had sent had never spoken of his sister's time away from the school. He had also avoided telling of the dangers she had been in a number of times, but Sebastian also didn't know what Katya had told them in her letters.

  "It wasn't so much what she said, but perhaps what she didn't say or hinted at maybe," the older woman replied with a frown. "Even in a letter, I can tell when your sister isn't telling me everything. Katya was always good at avoiding telling us things that she feared we wouldn't approve of and I get that sense again.

  "Can you tell us anything more about what she has been doing?"

  Sebastian used his training to avoid letting extra emotions from echoing in his face, but this was his mother. As a child, he had never been able to fool his mother, though he hadn't tried too often. Perhaps he tried less because she always seemed to see through him, the man wondered?

  "I was told that she was with her mentor headed to the Dimple Mountains. Most likely Katya will be back home in White Hall in another week or so," he answered truthfully. If what he had been told was true, then hopefully there would be nothing dangerous to this mission even though it was considered a fully fledged mission in fact.

  "At this time of year?" Marcel questioned for his wife. "Isn't the weather still dangerous in the mountains?"

  "Even if there is snow, there are other wizards along," Sebastian answered trying to diffuse his parents' worry for their youngest child. "The school sends out apprentices with skilled wizards and mentors regularly to help teach them. North of the wall is often covered in snow and might require us being able to work in that kind of weather, so it is necessary."

  His eyes met his mother's and thought that they narrowed slightly. He wondered if she refused to believe him even as close to the truth as he spoke.

  Trying to change the subject away from her current exploits, Sebastian added, "Maybe when Katya gets back, I can bring her home for a visit. I know that she has wanted to come back for awhile now. It really hurt her to miss Beatrice's wedding last spring.

  "The teachers didn't think it was safe for her at that point while she was still working on controlling her powers."

  The darkening of his parents' faces wasn't missed at the thought of Katya's magic being brought up. Magic was still a sore spot for them, even though his siblings seemed less fearful of the idea. For the younger Trillons; Sebastian having magic, and having shown off some of it last spring on the way to the tournament, made it less frightening. In fact, he thought Edgar and Everet might even wish that they had magic to use as well.

  Ashleen looked towards the half assembled plow and asked, "Are you having trouble with your... farm equipment?"

  That the daughter of a lord didn't know the name of the equipment wasn't exactly surprising, but it still nearly made Sebastian laugh at the realization. Even so, Ashleen's attempt to change the subject for him worked as Marcel followed her eyes and said, "A couple of the bolts broke when we started to test it out. The ground is nearly ready for plowing, so we need to be ready as well."

  He looked at the pretty blonde and asked curiously, "Is your father a farmer as well?"

  While his voice seemed to doubt it, he appeared shocked as Ashleen sheepishly replied, "No, my father is the lord of the Eastern Watch in Kardor. I am afraid that I know little of farming, since I lived in Interus, a city."

  "A... lord?" his mother breathed and glanced from the girl to her son. The look held a bit of pride, but Sebastian missed it as he watched his father's surprised face.

  Elzen chuckled and shook his head. "She always does that. She's actually being modest. Her father's a Duke, not just a lord. Basically he is second to their king."

  The mage didn't even seem to feel the fire in the girl's warning glare. Sebastian knew that she didn't like to brag and certainly didn't like to play to the fact that she was part of such an elite lineage.

  His family mulled the word 'duke' on their tongues. His brothers in particular looked to their brother in even greater admiration.

  "And I thought that he was just lucky because she's so pretty," Edgar said to his twin a little too loudly again. Sebastian would have wondered at his brother's hearing if it wasn't for the fact that he caught the little smirk which was so similar to Elzen's. Both liked to cause trouble and to pull pranks. Thinking on it, Sebastian wondered if that similarity had been what bonded him to his friend without ever realizing it.

  After a little more talk of it, his mother reminded them that it was cold and nearing lunch time. His father grumbled that his work wasn't done, but didn't fight too hard with the thought of his wife cooking up something for their guests instead of the normal fare.

  "Did you know, Master Trillon," Ashleen began after Marta started to pull a meal together for so many by herself, "that Sebastian is a master blacksmith? He might be able to fix your plow for you." The girl had been informed of the implement's actual name earlier and used it happily.

  His father looked at him questioningly and asked, "How did he have the time to become a master blacksmith while he was a battle mage or an agent of the king? Surely to become a master he would need years to become that skilled."

  Elzen pulled out his sword. The runes of the Hollow Sword caught the light as the mage placed it out before him and onto the table. "Sebastian made this sword, if you doubt it," his friend stated with a slight frown for the older man.

  "He's made many of them actually," Serrena added with a knowing nod.

  Letting out a quiet sigh, Sebastian received his father's questioning look and said, "I can take a look at it for you, if you'd like. I haven't worked on any plows since leaving the farm, but I can probably help."

  "I wouldn't want you to put yourself out," Marcel replied with another of his frowns.

  Glancing to the preparation going on at the counter and by their stove, Se
bastian turned towards the door. "I can at least take a look at it a moment while mom works on lunch. Maybe some of you can help her get it ready?"

  Ashleen and Serrena quickly volunteered, though the mage wondered if either of them would actually be of any help. He had never seen them cook. Making sandwiches was the extent of their culinary abilities that the man had seen so far, but he left them to it as he stepped outside accompanied by the other men.

  The plow was a simple enough device, especially compared to something like the swords. He knew metals and how to mold them both with fire and metal as well as with his magic. Being familiar with the plow from his years before going to White Hall, Sebastian could see the problem as soon as he closed the distance. Borrowing from the metal spikes and bolts assembled by his father to try and fix the much needed plow; the mage touched the metal of the plow and uttered a single word, "Heal."

  His brothers glanced to each other in confusion momentarily before watching as the metal both making up the plow and that held in Sebastian's hands began to move and change. The red of surface rust receded and disappeared. Pits and chips reformed along the heavy blade smoothing to look like new. Bolts slipped into the holes and Sebastian's magic strengthened them beyond their original creation making them better than whatever blacksmith had tried. A bit substandard in quality for his taste, Sebastian used his power to upgrade the equipment where he could. He even bound some of the metal into the wood letting the natural channels soak up the metal creating a blend that would be able to withstand greater stress.

  Using some of the power stored in his runes, Sebastian didn't require the aid of a wizard or need to steal energy from the earth this time. The work went beyond the simple initial project, but his new power wells were up to the task. He could always recharge them later, the mage knew.

  When he was done, Sebastian opened his eyes and met those of his father before stating, "That should make it better than it was when you bought it. I can always return later in the season to make certain."

  Without worrying over his father's complaints or compliments, the mage was joined by Elzen as the two walked towards the house once more. He felt a little grumble from his stomach. It was less from the use of magic, however, than that he was growing hungry because of lunch.

  Ashleen looked to the door as they entered and seemed to question him as to his success. A nod and small smile at the girl looking a bit perplexed by whatever his mother had her doing was enough to receive one of hers in turn.

  It was a small enough task; but he hoped that it would help his family and maybe soften that rigid part of his father's character that had always disliked magic. Sebastian doubted that anything would truly convince his father that magic wasn't evil, but at least he could try.

  "What's for lunch?" he asked passing through the frame. "I'm famished."

  Chapter 8- Hidden Places

  Mountains of stone loomed before and to the side of the contingent winding through a rough landscape with bared rock scattered around them. They had been making their way deeper into the Dimple Mountains. Any roads were days behind them and each hill had led to higher hills until they were truly within the perimeter of true mountains.

  Katya had been here once before, but it had been summer. Perhaps it was the cusp entering into fall, but it had been much warmer then and greenery had covered the hills even climbing upward into the mountains. The peaks were mostly bare stone now and some were white with snow though that was virtually year round. This was North continent after all and even the summer had difficulty sending enough heat to thaw their peaks.

  After the cold of winter, which still lingered in the air making many of the riders sink into the collars of their coats with a strong breeze; grass was withered or hidden by patches of snow. Bushes with needles looked more brown than green, but they looked healthy compared to others once covered by leaves.

  A tree split by the intense cold could be seen off to the right. Katya doubted that even the warmth of spring would save that one this year.

  "We must be close now," the apprentice said to her mentor as she noted the wizards at the front slowing the soldiers ahead of them. As the column came to a slow halt, she watched as Ukor took the magical compass-like device from his assistant. It was as if he didn't trust her to actually find the source of the signal that they had been following for the last several days.

  He panned the compass to the right and left, which seemed odd to her. Though she had yet to even test for gate magic sensitivity, Katya knew a little about the specialty service that united wizards, mages and soldiers into small units. They chased the openings and rifts formed between worlds. More importantly they worked to seal and maintain the continuity of Alus. Other creatures had come through even before the Dark One had broken into their world and wizards had risen up to use their magic to try and prevent them, even if they had failed to stop the massive immigration of the Dark One's creatures almost two hundred years earlier.

  Wondering why he felt the need to pan the compass back and forth when it should continue to point in the same direction, Katya watched as Ukor finally dismounted and began to walk towards the stone wall formed into a cliff near the base of this mountain. Other parts of the mountain had more gradual sloping to them; but for a distance of almost two hundred feet, this side had formed a steep wall perhaps fifty feet high. The top of the wall returned to an angled rise towards the crest of the mountain, which was likely where the dozens of large stones had rolled down from to drop at the base of the cliff.

  As Katya looked closer, she noted that the wall wasn't exactly straight. Jagged folds moved in and out though over all the length of the wall formed a nearly even line as it cut across the side of the mountain. Following their compass, the gate wizards moved into one of the folds in the cliff side.

  A handful of battle mages, and as many soldiers, dismounted glancing about looking for danger. Katya looked up and thought that it would be hard for anyone to hide there. Perhaps a few might, but she doubted a significant force had enough cover to hide from spyglasses or those with magic capable of increasing the ability of their vision.

  There was more cover among the stones and the rise between the mountains here might be able to hide more. She wanted to use her dragon magic to fly, but knew that Ylena wouldn't condone such a thing. Technically she was here for her diplomacy magic, not that taught to her by a dragon. From her vantage on her horse, the girl felt like she was being bound to the ground; but such was life Katya supposed as she waited to see whether the wizards would spring a trap or simply find a deteriorating rift.

  "Stop fidgeting, Katya. You need to look calm even if you aren't as a diplomat wizard," Ylena said quietly as the younger girl was caught looking around nervously.

  Green eyes turned on the older woman. Taking in the sight of the dark haired beauty appearing almost serene as she sat atop her horse, Katya could sense her mentor's apprehension even though her eyes couldn't truly pick out any flaws in her cool visage. If she didn't have a kind of sixth sense for reading people, the young diplomacy apprentice likely wouldn't have even been able to guess that Ylena wasn't the perfect picture of calm.

  "Can't I be calm and still have the sense to look around for a possible trap?" the girl questioned trying to keep her irritation at being corrected from her voice.

  "A diplomacy wizard is discrete, especially in a situation like this. The others look to us for leadership. We can't afford to look nervous or otherwise out of sorts," Ylena stated exchanging a stare with her cool gray eyes. It was as if the woman was meant to be a diplomacy wizard from birth. Between her gray eyes and long black hair, the wizard seemed to blend into the robe and long coat of the same colors representing her order.

  Katya fought an urge to sigh and chose to look around them at the soldiers, wizards and mages waiting around them. Some seemed nervous. Many looked towards the heights and clumps of trees in the distance, even though they appeared even less capable of hiding an enemy of great numbers. In Katya's opinion,
no one was bothering to look at the two diplomacy wizards at all. If any wizards were receiving attention it was those of the gate team walking towards the stone wall of the cliff.

  Voices raised up the slope in the direction of the wizards and their escort. They didn't sound overly excited, but the message of a discovery came down to the remainder of the company following the gate team.

  Ukor returned while Beyrieth brushed at her hair looking uncertain if she was to follow the other wizard back down. Many of those who had followed had moved up out of sight of the main company, which was a bit of a surprise to Katya since it didn't look like the rise was as great from her vantage.

  Leading her apprentice towards Captain Anon, leader of the soldiers accompanying them; Ylena arrived in time to hear the wizard declare, "We found a hidden cave entrance up ahead. It sits at the base of the cliff. The signal seems to be coming from that way."

  "Do you need me to send a squad with you, wizard?" the dark haired soldier asked from his place on his mount. An equally dark, thick beard covered the man's face from ear to ear covering Anon's chin and neck insulating him a bit from the cool air. His dark blue eyes were all business as was his firm voice.

  The wizard sighed and looked back over his shoulder at the red haired woman following behind him at a hesitant pace. "The problem is as I neared the cave, the compass suddenly revealed a second marker."

  "There is another of these... rifts or whatever?" Anon questioned and his voice rose slightly with surprise. Everyone had been told that there was just one site that they were investigating, even up until this morning. "Did it just open now? Has this enemy returned?"

  Patting the air with one hand while the other held the compass, Ukor replied, "It is roughly the same age as the first. The compass was simply fooled by the strength of this mark until we pushed past this one. It is roughly in that direction," the wizard stated gesturing in the direction of the cliff but further south and west. "I will take Wizard Blake with me while Beyrieth and Mercer remain here to investigate this cave."