The Wizard's Council

by Cody J. Sherer

  “Not that we have much choice about it, but we are with you,” one of the older mages said.

  “You always have a choice, Albrecht,” Leon replied as he turned to face the man who had once been his mentor.

  “Aye, but we’ve all positioned ourselves to make Sardinia the most powerful of the southern kingdoms. Our chips are on the table, and though some of us have our concerns, all of us are far more comfortable with you taking over for the King.”

  Albrecht’s reassurance was more than Leon needed to be certain he had made the right choice. The Archwizard smiled as he looked at the older Wizard. He was instantly reminded of when he was a young man under Albrecht’s tutelage. Time had not been as kind to the elderly Wizard as it had to others. Leon often wondered how Rolin stayed so spry compared to others his age. Albrecht was at most three years Rolin’s elder, yet the mage looked as though he would keel over at any moment. His wispy white hair and beard seemed almost too heavy for his head. The horrors he must have witnessed, Leon thought as he nodded to his old friend. He placed a hand on Albrecht’s shoulder, and the two made their way out of the room and headed for the entrance of the tower. There was work to be done, and it would not get done unless Leon moved forward.

  *

  Janessa raised her staff as she led the charge toward the pack of pirates. A mist settled in around her and her soldiers as they neared the pirate group. As difficult as it was for the Gloomvale soldiers to see, it was infinitely more difficult for their enemy to see. The mist swirled to and fro, pointing the way for the soldiers. Janessa’s troops spurred their horses onward, taking their enemy by surprise. She swung her staff in a wide arc toward several pirates that were fleeing from the scene. A heavy wind jumped out of her staff and flew at the pirates, bypassing all of her troops. The force of gale was enough to knock down the entire group of fleeing pirates. Janessa raised her staff in the air, using the winds to lift the enemies off the ground. She held them there and hastened her horse to join them. Her soldiers quickly followed behind her and formed a circle around their suspended foes. Janessa dropped off of her horse and approached to speak with them.

  “Which of you can tell me where to find your leader?” She asked, lowering them a bit closer to the ground.

  “Don’t answer her!” One of the pirates yelled.

  Janessa shook her head and turned to one of her men. Foolish mistake, she thought as she took the mace from the saddle of the sergeant’s horse. She pointed her staff directly at the offending pirate and then tilted it toward herself, pulling the pirate closer. He began to flail his arms and legs, but it was to no avail. Janessa tilted the staff out away from her, sending the pirate floating up into the night sky. She readied the mace in her left hand and then flicked the staff back in toward her body. The pirate came zooming back toward her at a high velocity. She swung the mace with all her might, slamming it into the man’s midsection. A low groan escaped from the man’s lips and Janessa swung the staff back out away from her, sending the man sailing through the air. She hit the bottom of the staff against the ground, releasing the pirates from the invisible grip that had kept them alive and sending the especially troublesome one plummeting to his doom.

  “Anyone care to reconsider?” She asked.

  “Our leader isn’t here,” answered one pirate, a grizzled looking older man.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that he sent us to distract all of you.”

  “You speak well for a pirate, how is it that you’ve learned such a capacity on the high seas?” One of Janessa’s men, a Captain of the Guard named Rodric, asked.

  “That is more than I am willing to reveal. I hope that does not offend her ladyship,” The older man bowed low.

  Janessa stepped forward and began to raise her mace into the air. Rodric grabbed her arm and stepped forward. He punched the well-spoken pirate in the gut before turning to face Janessa. She glared at him as he motioned for her to join him away from the others. Who does he think he is? she wondered as she nodded to his request. They both walked off toward the forest until they were sure that nobody could hear them. He sighed before turning to face her. His face belied the cool demeanor that he was trying to give off.

  “You know he was calling into question your poise, why would you give in to him like that?” He asked.

  “I am no Queen, Rodric. No matter how much your parents would like me to be, I am not.” Janessa’s look alone was enough to tell the Captain of the Guard to watch his step.

  “You are the closest that the Gloomvale Isles has to royalty and the people treat you so. What my parents would like does not matter. The people need you to be their faultless Protector.”

  Janessa shook her head and turned away. It was too much for them to ask of her, but she knew that he was right. The people of Gloomvale had always held their Protectors in the highest esteem, like that of a Queen and a Champion combined. It hadn’t been an issue prior to the invasion by the pirates. In times of peace, people were content not caring what Janessa was doing or where she even was. Things were far more complicated than she wanted to admit. The pirates had never been bold enough to invade in her lifetime, but this was more than an invasion. She couldn’t ignore the pirate’s words, but she didn’t have the luxury of going off on a mission. Rodric knew what the people expected of her and, even if she didn’t like it, she had to accept it. She turned back toward Rodric.

  “Where have the years gone, Rodric?” She asked, letting out a sigh after her question.

  “I beg your pardon, milady?”

  “What happened to the days when I would follow you around and you would try to get rid of me by ruffling my hair?”

  “My parents ended them by trying to get us married…” Rodric’s voice trailed off.

  “We were so young, what were they thinking?”

  “They knew there is a good chance of you becoming something special here on Gloomvale, and they wanted a piece of it. They weren’t the only ones, you know. Our friendship just presented them with an easier way of pushing the matter. I am sorry for all of that, I truly am.”

  “It is the past, Rodric, leave it there. You aren’t at fault for your parents actions.” Janessa didn’t want to think about those days, not at a time like this.

  “You’re right, as usual, the present needs our attention. As I said, the people look to you as a leader. Distraction or not, these attacks have sent our people into a panic. I hate to say it, but the rest of the world is on their own. We cannot even field an army to help them, not in this condition.”

  Janessa nodded, holding in her reply. It pained her to know he was right. Though she was a Wizard, her people came first. Rolin will understand, she told herself as she motioned for Rodric to follow her back to the soldiers. She wasn’t looking forward to telling Paul and Emily. The small troop of Gloomvale soldiers looked to her expectantly as she came back. Rodric was off to her right, a step or two behind her. He stepped past her and brought her horse back to her. She mounted the horse and gave a reassuring smile to the troops as she waited for Rodric to join her. He nodded to her as he brought his horse in just off to her right side. She nodded back and took a deep breath.

  “Our first order of business is to see these men brought to justice,” She announced from horseback.

  “Yes, milady,” came the reply from several soldiers.

  “Rodric has shown his worth. As such, I am appointing him as my right hand man. Our people need a leader, they need structure. Rodric and I will work at bringing that to our isles. We make for Gloomvale castle. Once there, we will move forward in creating a stable seat of government.” Janessa didn’t wait for a reply. She spurred her horse forward and expected the others to follow.

  *

  Gareth groaned as he attempted to sit up. He was in a small room that had one door and one window, both closed. A small bit of light shined through the cracks in the window, enough for him to see that someone had left him a small meal on the table near the
bed he was on. That’s unexpected, he thought as he stretched out his arms. The pain was manageable, but his legs felt weak. He tried to stand up, but pain shooting through his left leg caused him to fall back onto the bed with a crash. The force of the fall nearly broke the wooden bed. He winced in pain and held his leg. The door creaked open, letting in enough light that the Grand Crusader had to shield his eyes. An elderly woman entered the room and took a seat at the table. She was dressed far different from what he would have expected. Her outfit was closer to that of a simple farmwoman than a witch.

  “Won’t you join me?” She asked.

  “My leg appears to have other plans.”

  “We will have to do something about that then.”

  “Why should I trust you?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Have we ever done anything to make you not trust us? You and your men are the ones who invaded us and killed our people.” The old woman slid her chair closer to the bed and began to examine Gareth’s leg.

  “That may be true, but your retaliatory attack was savage. You slaughter many of my men while they were unarmed.” He grimaced in pain as she touched his leg.

  “It never happened. Some of the witches have expertise with illusion magic. You were duped into thinking there was a fight. We barely had enough people to take you alone.”

  “I don’t understand, there were thousands and thousands of you fighting us off all those years ago. How can you have been weakened so?”

  “I know you think us all quite evil, but there are factions within the witches. We have been fighting amongst ourselves for several years now. Our numbers dwindle under the brunt of these new leaders,” The witch worked on his leg as she spoke.

  “You’ve brought me here to take the power away from those currently in charge and give it to you?”

  “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

  “Then you can keep your remedies, and I will keep my injured leg. I will neither work for or with any witch,” Gareth’s statement and demeanor were unyielding.

  “They will undo us all, you must listen to us.”

  “I’ve heard your words, and they are poison. You’ve given me no reason to unseat those in power.”

  The witch finished mending his leg before she stood up. Gareth could see the exhaustion and frustration in her face. She handed him his meal before heading for the door. He accepted the meal graciously and watched as she shook her head and left the room. Don’t fall for their lies, he told himself as he began to eat the meal. He was surprised to find that, though it had been sitting there for some time, the meat was warm and the bread soft. It seemed as though the meal itself were trying to convince him to assist with the witches. He finished it off and leaned back down on the bed with a sigh. His nerves slowly subsided as sleep began to settle in. The Grand Crusader attempted to fight off the feeling, but with time he gave in. Dreams filled his head as he drifted further and further into his slumber.

  *

  James slowed his pace as the castle came into view. It towered over the surrounding landscape. The castle had been built on a large cliff near the water’s edge, giving it excellent strategic positioning. There were only three entrances to the castle, the main gate, which was on the main winding path that lead up to the castle, a side gate, which was on a branch of the main path, and the Sea Gate, which was situated atop a path that lead from the docks up the cliff to the castle itself. The castle walls were twenty feet tall, but the hill it rested upon made them far more effective than their height. Outside the wall, on the eastern side of the castle, was a vast farmland that was accessible only via the branch off the main path. There was a much smaller, five foot, wall that surrounded the farmlands on the edge of the cliff, making a climb up the cliff impossible. The castle had no easily visible weakness, a fact that had left it unconquered since it was built more than a thousand years ago. James stopped to gaze upon the castle in awe.

  Cardinia was a sister kingdom of both Carmalia and Sardinia. It served as the link between the other two in times of trouble. Each of the other kingdoms saw Cardinia as their superior due to the massive fortifications that stood before James. The fire magic expert desperately hoped that they would not only join in the fight, but would also bring Sardinia along, as well. He nodded and smiled to several people passing by. More hustle and bustle than I would have expected, James thought as he continued on his way to the castle. There were numerous carts parked along the path up to the main gate. James could make out an entire crowd full of merchants making their way from cart to cart. He frowned as he noticed a few groups of people be turned away from the main gate. Perhaps they aren’t as friendly as I assumed, he thought as he approached the guards in front of the gate. He stopped a moment to catch his breath before addressing them.

  “Pardon me, but I seek entrance,” He said, leaning on his staff for support.

  “Are you a cripple that you must rely on your staff to stand?” The guard asked, causing his companions to laugh.

  “If you must know, I am a Wizard. I’ve tired myself on this trek, and I need a good rest.”

  “If you are a Wizard then I am the King of Galimdor!”

  James shook his head and stopped leaning on his staff. He raised it up in the air and then slammed it against the ground. A small ripple shot out from the ground where the staff hit. It knocked the guards back a foot or two. The closest of the guards drew his sword and stepped toward James. He cautiously swung the sword at the Wizard’s shoulder. James stepped back and out of range of the strike. He shook his head in frustration as the guard advanced further. His grip tightened around his staff as he thrust it out at the man’s chest. A small burst of flame exploded out of the end of the staff as it connected, causing the guard to fall back with a yelp. Two of the other guards rushed forward and helped out their companion. These fools don’t know who they are messing with, James thought as all three readied their weapons. He slammed his staff into the ground once again, this time creating an even larger ripple that knocked the guards onto their backs.

  “Do I have your attention now?” He asked.

  “You’re lucky we don’t toss you in the dungeon.”

  “That would be quite counterproductive. I don’t think you want that. Now, if you please, I would like an audience with your King.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have that authority, you’ll have to speak to my boss,” The guard motioned for his men to open the gate as he spoke.

  “I sincerely hope he is more amiable than you are.”

  The guard stared at James for a moment, but didn’t reply. He motioned for one of the other guards to lead the Archwizard to the captain of the guards. James followed the man through the main gate and found himself staring in wonder at what he saw. The vast courtyard was teeming with all sorts of plant life. It was quite obvious to James that a great deal of what he saw was Melissa’s handiwork. The courtyard was quite opposite from the desert that he was accustomed to and, unlike the other gardens he had seen before, this one was full of specimens from all across Canai. That is certainly one way to make an impression, he thought as he caught up to the guard. The courtyard had four entrances. One that lead out the main gate, two that lead into the city, and one that lead into the keep. It seemed strange to give such easy access to the keep, but the Cardinian Kings were known for placing the lives of their people above even their own safety. James glanced back at the courtyard as he entered into the keep, wishing he had more time to explore the city.

  “Captain Alan Graystone is who you are looking for. You’ll find him through the first door on the left,” The guard announced before exiting the keep.

  James nodded to the man and then turned to examine the entrance hall of the keep. It was far less extravagant than he was expecting. There were tapestries lined up along the walls, but they were rather plain by King’s standards. On the far end of the hall, the King’s banner hung alone, just above the doorway into the throne room. That’s interesting, James thought as he examined the King�
��s banner. It depicted a fearsome lion watching over a small lamb. The background was a simple gray cloth with some green near the bottom to signify grass. He turned toward the left side of the room. There was a simple wooden door with a placard next to it that read “Cardinia Royal Barracks.” Above the door hung a simple tapestry with a blade on a blue background, two men were standing outside the door wearing armor with the same crest. He approached the two men and inquired about the captain. They swung open the door and bid him enter.

  “Who might you be?” A tall bearded man asked as James entered the room.

  “I am James, of the Desert of Solitude. I bring grave news to your King. If it I permissible, I would like to speak with him as soon as possible.” James gave a small bow.

  “Well met, James of the desert. I am Alan Graystone, captain of the King’s guard of Cardinia. Unfortunately, the King is not currently accepting visitors. Perhaps you can speak with me about it first?” Alan motioned for James to sit at the table in the middle of the small room.

  “While I accept your offer, I must first explain to you that I haven’t a lot of time. When I say grave, I mean urgently grave. It is dealing with Carmalia and Galimdor.” James took a seat next to the captain.

  “Galimdor and Carmalia you say? Perhaps the King will want to hear about this, please, go on.”

  “The Galimdorians have besieged Carmalia, the outer wall has been breached. My good friends Rolin and Melissa are trapped inside the keep with the King. All of the Wizard Conclaves have been contacted, and we are working on getting an army to confront the Galimdorians. It was my hope, and Melissa’s, that your fair country would join our cause.”

  “A bad omen, that. The King will most certainly want to hear the news for himself, and if it is about Melissa, the Queen will, as well. Come with me, you can wait in the entrance hall until they are ready for you.” Alan stood up from his chair and started walking toward the door.