“I know you don’t agree with me on the next course of action. That is something I accept. However, this constant bickering is far from the correct answer. A decision needs to be made, and it needs to be made soon. Even if the Holy Order returns home, the other branch of Witches will be more prepared for us with each passing moment. There is no doubt that they are still reeling from the first attack, but it is only a matter of time before that wears off. Whether you agree with my plan or not, we need to make a move, and we need to make it now.” Gareth made his best attempt to sway the council.
“He is right, we need to make the choice now. Let’s take a vote,” Leniya had calmed enough to address the council.
The others began to nod and whisper to one another. In all, there were nine council members. Leniya was the youngest of the council members, having taken the place of the elderly Witch who sacrificed herself to see Leniya and Gareth to safety. Each of the other members of the council hailed from a different village within the Telmac valley. Altogether, the council represented all of the rebelling Witches. After a short deliberation, the council agreed to vote on the plan of action. Each member had their own agenda to work with and, as such, the council often disagreed on major matters. The vote on whether to head north or south was no different. Four members voted to head north, and five members voted to head south. Gareth breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the results of the vote. His attention was quickly drawn away, however, as Leniya was storming off away from the council. The other three who voted to head north quickly followed.
“Leniya, don’t do it. You must trust me, this can’t end here. It doesn’t end now!” Gareth yelled as he started off after her.
“This isn’t your war, Gareth. You wouldn’t understand. We cannot simply give up our homes,” She replied without turning to face him.
“I have no home either, but that doesn’t mean I am going to throw my life away. I didn’t even have the choice to keep my home, that choice was stolen from me. I’d be at the lead of the army of the Holy Order if things had gone differently. Now, they would brand me as a traitor and deserter the moment they laid eyes on me. I understand what it means to lose a home, but homes can be rebuilt. We only get one life,” Gareth took hold of Leniya’s arm as he caught up to her.
“Those three are heading north, but you’ve convinced me to stay back with this group and head south. You better hope I don’t live to regret this.”
*
Ector sighed as he took a seat next to Sev and the others. Solin was still going on about how magic was dangerous and that their real enemy was out there hiding in the shadows. And what good does that do us when the world is falling apart? Ector wanted to ask. He knew better than to get into such a discussion with the former member of the Holy Order. It would be foolish to deny that there were some out there that used magic in the foulest ways, but they had more pressing matters to deal with. The Archwizard could tell that Sev was getting anxious. They had spent longer than they wanted trying to contact the others. It had been a long time since Ector had felt fear, but the lack of contact from his companions seemed to signal the worst. To make matters worse, none of the scouts had returned either. Solin was the only one who didn’t seem to understand that this was a dire predicament.
“We can’t wait any longer. This is not good, but it will only get worse if we continue to stay,” Ector said.
“I agree, but where do we go?” Sev asked.
“We must find the evil that is behind all this. There will be a greater power pulling the strings,” Solin replied.
“You may be right, but that doesn’t mean we are looking for someone who is using tainted magic or whatever you call it. More than likely we are looking at a savvy clan leader or noble. From all accounts, our enemies are many, and most aren’t even in cahoots. My best guess would be that the orcs and goblins saw that the Galimdorians were on the move and decided to increase their own holdings.” Ector stood and shook his head.
“It doesn’t matter what we face, we need to move. I’ll take half the army and move into the caves to assist the dwarves. You take the rest and head to the south. The elves and Druids need to be warned. If you haven’t been able to contact the Wizards, then we are in bad shape. Try to contact them again once you reach the Druid Council. We need to work together on this,” Sev stood and addressed Ector.
The Archwizard nodded. He knew that Sev was correct, the dwarves would make a powerful ally and the elves needed to be rallied together. With the strength of those two armies, they should be able to come to the aid of the Wizards. This was what Ector needed to happen, and his best bet was to do as Sev proposed. The young half-elf’s battle prowess would help the dwarves far more than the elves. There was a side of Ector that pushed him to go with Sev, but he knew that it wasn’t an option. For all they knew, the elves were in just as much trouble as the dwarves. The thought did not sit well with Ector, causing him to kick into a higher gear and move faster. He ordered the men to break up into two groups. The first group consisted of veterans who had fought in the tunnels against the orcs and goblins, and the second group consisted of those who hadn’t.
“Be safe, my friend. We need you as much we need the dwarves,” Ector said as he extended his hand to Sev.
“And you as well. If the Wizards need my sword, it is yours to command.” Sev took his hand and shook it vigorously.
*
Arcantos stormed out of the tent and scaled the outer wall of the Carmalian castle. He could see the lights in the keep flickering as if to taunt him. This old man will be the death of me, he thought as he watched another small contingent of troops get chased off by Rolin’s spells. Though a powerful magician in his own right, Arcantos had little knowledge of how many Wizards he would have to face. The Knights of Doom were prepared to assault the castle on the heels of the Galimdorians, but their leader was feeling a sense of dread about it. It wasn’t often that Arcantos doubted himself, but this was one of those few times. There was little he could do about it now. He couldn’t back down from his plan. The others were beginning to wonder if their leader had lost his ability to command. This was not something he would allow to stand. Arcantos clenched his fist and turned to his nearest commander.
“Prepare the men, we attack as soon as the army is ready,” Arcantos said as he surveyed the field.
“At once!” The man replied before heading down the steps.
Arcantos smiled as he slowly made his way down to the open field below. He wondered how the castle looked before the siege. The Wizards had been smart to use their magic in moving the castle walls away from the keep itself. It had been something of a surprise to the Galimdorians when they took the outer walls and found the keep to be out of range of their attacks. Arcantos didn’t care how it was done, his only concern was whether or not to expend the energy undoing it. His thoughts were interrupted when one of the soldiers approached and announced that the first battalion was ready for deployment. The others should be ready in time if we need them, he thought as he nodded to the soldier. He ordered the man to inform the commanders that the assault should begin as soon as possible. A feeling of triumph was welling up inside the magician. He motioned for the captains of the Knights of Doom to approach and then he addressed them.
“Our main goal is to take the head Wizards. Anyone else, Carmalian or Galimdorian, is expendable. Rolin, Emily, and whoever calls the shots among the Wizards is to be spared. If we are able to capture them, we will hold the fate of the Wizards in our hands. They are the only ones who would be able to stop us. Don’t waste too many of our men in the initial assault, hold the brunt of our force back. Let the Galimdorians prove their worth to us,” Arcantos clenched his fist as he spoke.
The others nodded and then rushed to their positions. It was quite a sight to see the Galimdorians marching toward battle. Their leaders rode behind the first battalion, looking as though they had already won the battle. The Knights of Doom were amassing a small force near the Galimdorian leaders and a
nother larger force was getting the rest of the Galimdorian army ready for battle. Arcantos mounted his horse and spurred forward to the front of the army. A cheer went up through the army as they saw him riding forward toward the keep. Do your worst, Arcantos thought as he rode into the midst of the field between the keep and the castle walls. Several fireballs came careening down from atop the keep, crashing near Arcantos. He scoffed at the attack as he took his left hand off the reins and prepared a spell of his own.
More spells rained down on the army behind Arcantos, alerting the magician to the fact that they were focused on his army more than he. This allowed him to slow his horse and prepare an even more powerful spell. He dropped down off the horse and knelt down near the ground. The ground in front of him began to rumble as he placed his hands onto the dirt. As his hands sunk in deeper, the ground shook more violently. He pulled his hands out of the ground and thrust them forward. A shockwave shot out of the ground in the direction of the keep’s gate. As it neared the gate, a large boulder catapulted out of the ground and slammed into the gate. The collision broke open the gate, leaving the entire keep open to the invasion force. Arcantos laughed as his men rushed past him and into the open doors. He could hear the sounds of battle as he mounted his horse and followed behind them.
The majority of the Galimdorian first battalion made it inside the keep and pressed the attack as their reinforcements poured in behind them. Arcantos and the Knights of Doom brought up the rear, entering the keep after the entire Galimdor army had already done so. The majority of the fighting took place well ahead of Arcantos and his troops, but they did have to mop up small groups of stragglers. It wasn’t until halfway up the ten-story keep that they were able to catch up to the Galimdorians and lend them assistance. The Knights of Doom and the Galimdorians pushed through three more levels of Carmalian troops with relative ease. They were occasionally challenged by a small group of Wizards, but Arcantos’ assistance made those battles end rather quickly. As they scaled the stairs to the ninth floor, they were met with the best of the Carmalian troops. It was a quick and bloody battle that ended with more than five hundred casualties on both sides. Arcantos pushed past the remaining fighters and launched a fireball at the King.
Rolin and Melissa did their best to block the onslaught, but a surge from the Knights of Doom provided to be too much for them. Arcantos ordered that they be taken hostage along with the King. He then gave the order for the troops to make their way through the keep and ensure that any remaining enemies were slain. This was far easier than I expected, he thought as he had the prisoners brought to him. There were several high-ranking Wizards that had been captured along with the King, his advisors, Rolin, and Melissa. Arcantos’ knowledge of the inner workings of the Wizards was lacking, leading him to believe they had caught the majority of their forces. He slowly walked back and forth in front of the prisoners as he tried to ascertain the amount of destruction he had dealt to the Wizards. His men announced that the keep had been emptied of any remaining forces. Their victory was now complete, and Arcantos could focus on addressing the prisoners.
“I see that you have hidden Emily away. One of you will tell me where she is. This is a fact, this is not a supposition by me. I have methods that will leave some of you broken. Who should I start with?” A smile crept onto his face as he spoke.
“You have made a grievous mistake, Arcantos. The Wizards are far from defeated. Our companions will return with allies, and when they do, you will wish that you had never faced the Wizards,” Rolin replied.
“I hope you don’t mean the Necromancers, they’ve been decimated by the Holy Order. What of the elves and dwarves, you wonder. Well, the orcs and goblins are taking care of them for me. The Gloomvale isles are threatened by pirates. Cardinia and Sardinia are a bit more worried about themselves than you. I’m afraid your allies are few and your enemies are many.”
“Why are you doing this?” Melissa asked.
“Why? Because I can, I saw a chance and I am taking it. Now, where is Emily?” Arcantos appeared to be slightly annoyed as he asked the question.
“Even if we told you, it wouldn’t help you. She is far from your reach now. In fact, she’ll be out of your reach for many years,” Rolin replied.
“No matter, Cardinia awaits and the two of you will have front row seats to their destruction!” Arcantos backhanded Rolin in the face.
*
James slowed his horse as they neared Cardinia castle. His quest had not been as successful as he had liked, but it wasn’t a complete failure. He sincerely hoped that the King would pledge his assistance now that Sardinia was no longer a threat. The guards recognized him and his companions and opened the gate. He thanked them as he spurred his horse forward. It felt strange that he barely knew his traveling companions. As strange as it had been to travel with Jamie, she had proved to be an interesting person to travel with. A part of him was sad to learn that she was staying with her sister and not accompanying him back to Cardinia. James explained to the other travelers that he had a pressing matter to look into before pushing his horse to its top speed. He wove in and out of the streets as he made his way to the castle.
Alan Graystone was waiting for him when he reached the castle. The King had given express orders that when James arrived he was to be brought to the King at once. James reassured Alan that his daughters were safe before accompanying the man to see the King. As before, the King and Queen were in the throne room. Alan and James bowed as they entered the room. The King motioned for his advisors to leave when he saw the two men enter the room. Alan left James’ side and escorted the advisors from the room before returning. James waited for the King to finish his conversation with the Queen before addressing them.
“Your majesty, it is an honor to once again be in the presence of you and your Queen. I’m afraid that the news about Leon was true. He tried to take control of Sardinia and Cardinia was his next target. I was able to stop him, but not before he set in motion events that will lead to a civil war in Sardinia. As such, I realize you will be unable to bring your full military might to assist Cardinia, but I will still ask for whatever you can spare,” James said.
“The honor is ours, Archwizard. We are truly sorry to hear about Leon and Sardinia. Before I answer your question, are the Graystones alright?” The King asked.
“Of course, my apologies. I had informed Alan, but I forgot to tell you, the Graystones are quite good. Jamie decided to stay with her sister and try to curb the damage caused by the coming civil war. They are quite strong,” James replied.
“That they are. I am glad to hear they are doing well. As to the point of helping Carmalia, we are willing to do whatever is necessary to see to it that Carmalia is protected. It has been too long since the southern kingdoms have stood together. Perhaps this is the start of something new.”
James breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the news. He knew that both Rolin and Melissa were in danger and that finding allies was no small task. Though he did not know if any of the others were successful in gathering allies, he knew that he did his part. Now we must hope that it will be enough, he thought as he wondered how the Carmalians were fairing. His thoughts were interrupted by the door bursting open and a messenger entering the room. The man was exhausted and breathing heavily as he tried to speak his message. Alan rushed forward and helped him to approach the King and Queen. While the man caught his breath, the others called for the servants to bring him something to drink. The messenger took several deep breaths before addressing the King.
“Your highness, the Galimdorians. They are coming for us!”
*
Paul used his magic to push the boat to speeds that he never thought possible. I could get used to this, he thought as he sped across the water. It has been a strange feeling to leave Emily behind. In Paul’s eyes, she had more at stake in the fight than he did. He knew she wasn’t a fighter like he was and that was why he was able to go through with it. There was a part of him that wanted to k
eep to the open seas. It gave him a sense of freedom that he had not felt since before he met Emily. The tradeoff was not something he was willing to make happen at this point. He felt the need to return and exact his vengeance on the Knights of Doom. If that helped the Wizards, then it was merely an added bonus. Paul’s loyalty to the Wizards was more akin to loyalty to Emily. In defeating the Knights of Doom, he saw it as avenging Emily’s father. Paul had been so lost in his thoughts that he had barely noticed the shoreline.
He corrected his course and slowed the boat so as not to crash. This must be it, he thought as he spied the large castle in the distance. He eased the boat onto the sand before exiting. It took him a moment to leave the boat as he did not want anything to happen to it. He watched it as it slowly drifted out toward the open seas. Much to his surprise, the boat began to follow him as he made his way along the coastline. He smiled at the thought of being able to keep the boat. It felt similar to the first time he had been given a horse. Both the horse and the boat were a form of freedom for Paul. A freedom from his past, whether he realized it or not. As he got closer to the castle, he realized that it was not Carmalia in the slightest. He quickened his pace, hoping to come across someone who could tell him where he was.
The path to the castle was full of people looking to get inside, but none of them was friendly enough to answer his questions. He continued up toward the gate, asking for directions as he went. As with the others, those closer to the gate also were refusing to answer his questions. He finally found a guard, but there were several others waiting to talk to him. Paul considered his options as he waited for his turn to speak to the guard. This is just my luck, he thought as more people pushed forward to talk to the man. He shook his hand and pulled out his sword. The others didn’t even seem to notice until he thrust it into the ground in front of the guard. They were about to speak when Paul slammed his palm against the hilt of the sword, driving it further into the ground and causing a small tremor. He used his magic to cause the earth to shake even more violently before addressing the guard.
The Wizard's Council Page 22
