Battle Mage: Winds of Change (The High King: A Tale of Alus Book 11)

by Donald Wigboldy

  Again Katya laughed quietly, but this time it was more at her brother than something else. "You don't need to explain it to me. I know that she's your girlfriend. That's why I let her know that you were safe."

  The girl grew quiet a moment before adding, "And you made sure that we were all safe too. I thought that you hoped to hide the dragon magic?"

  Standing up, Sebastian found his legs stronger, but there was still weakness in them. Another trip to the dining hall should take care of the last of it, the mage thought to himself.

  He put on a clean falcon uniform. It was a new one, so someone must have sent to the laundry for a change of clothes for the battle mage. The army clothed their military, so uniforms were available even for those who had been promoted and moved on apparently.

  "I'm going to find some breakfast. What time is it?"

  "I heard the first bell, I think, but I am not sure really. Those of us who came back from the front aren't exactly on a schedule right now."

  That made her brother say, "Shouldn't you still be here working on becoming an apprentice then?"

  "Pfft, the teachers are all complaining that I am worse than you. Ylena said that I'm already learning apprentice level spells and skills," Katya said about her current mentor. A wizard who trained novices initially, Ylena had indeed discovered the thirteen year old to be a challenge to the norm.

  "Are you coming?" her brother asked inviting Katya to join him by doing so. His boots and uniform were all set so Sebastian was ready to go off in search of breakfast. He was feeling better now, but a good breakfast sounded like the perfect answer to what ailed him.

  Stepping into her white slippers, his sister looked very dainty in her white novice frock. She glanced to the bed and Ashleen before asking, "Shouldn't we bring her along? I mean won't she be angry if she wakes up and finds out that you left her behind?"

  He laughed and shook his head. "I'll be back well before then and probably still have to pull her out of bed to get that woman moving this morning. Let her sleep and we'll come back for her."

  Walking beside his sister, Sebastian couldn't help praising the girl. "You did well yesterday. Your magic is remarkable. I've never seen a diplomacy wizard using magic like that."

  The two passed by other mages and cadets receiving confused looks. Novices in the mage wing were almost unheard of in the mage wing. A girl wizard walking with a battle mage in that wing might lead to rumors if they weren't siblings. It would also have brought trouble for both.

  "That is part of why Ylena doesn't seem to know what to do with me. I learned dragon magic and she can't fly with me." That comment made the girl smile evilly and add, "Maybe I should see if I can get her to try dragon magic. It would probably annoy her to be a beginner, but I could be her teacher and make her do drills. She'd hate that, I bet."

  He sniffed in a weak attempt at showing humor. "I've had to teach ravens, falconi and falcondi as well as my fellow mages since graduating. Most take it well enough. I have something they want to learn and we keep it to that."

  Sighing, Katya complained, "You take all the fun out of making Ylena my student."

  That did make him laugh and he reminded the girl, "Just remember that if you become her teacher for that one course. She has you for a student the rest of the time. Ylena can get you back if you are mean to her."

  Her nose wrinkled with distaste, though Sebastian was pretty sure that Katya had realized as much before starting the conversation. She was just trying to lighten the mood.

  By the time they arrived in the dining hall, the second bell rang. The line for the buffet was already long enough that the two had to wait. Sebastian was carrying his sister's tray with his and looking for a table when he spotted Magnus striding into the cafeteria like the fire wizard owned the place. At least he was a teacher now and had some claim to the school, the mage supposed.

  Belted to his side, the fire wizard's hand rested on the pommel of a Hollow Sword. He approached Sebastian and pointed at the mage's chest saying, "You have got to make more of these swords. If we had more, we could have prevented being routed. By the gods, we could even have killed those warlocks if they didn't turn tail and run."

  Sebastian's smile was tolerant and grim as he replied, "I don't think those warlocks run from much of anything."

  Shrugging at his side, Katya stated, "They ran from me."

  Magnus laughed genuinely at the girl and nodded, "Well, I've always told you that you are very frightening."

  "You have not," she countered looking unhappy with his joke and crossed her arms in protest.

  "Well, I am sure that I said it the first time I saw you using that magic in a fight at least," the fire wizard said looking towards the ceiling as if trying to remember the picture in his head which resembled that memory. "Anyway, Bas, this Hollow Sword needs many, many brothers and sisters. If you can put them in the hands of even a hundred wizards and battle mages, we can change the world!"

  Sebastian's eyes strayed to the tables closest to them and the many eyes beginning to look at the trio talking about things unknown to the general public. The mage placed the two trays on the table helping Katya to sit before sliding in beside her.

  "I haven't had enough time to make that many yet," he stated in a quiet tone trying to bring the wizard's voice down to a more discreet level. "They take time and a lot of magic."

  Magnus sat while Embrell and Wellas walked to the buffet line to pick up breakfast for the three of them. The fire wizard didn't even need to ask, he just seemed to assume his companions would do what was needed while he talked with Sebastian.

  "Surely if the ravens had seen this weapon in battle and the increase in power that it can bring to a wizard or battle mage, they would have decided you must become a full time sword smith. I thought I knew power before, but I was deluding myself. This Hollow Sword is amazing, Bas."

  With a wave of the bacon in his hand, the mage said, "Feel free to use it for awhile. The war isn't over in Litsarin, so we can assume that there will be more call for dragon mages and the swords."

  It was an admission that came from a weary man. Since returning from the void the first time, Sebastian had barely had time to rest. It made him miss the time on the island when it had just been Ashleen with him for company and the only demand on him was his own wish to discover gate magic to return home. Ashleen had seemed fine with remaining alone with him there, but nothing had happened since he was technically still with Yara despite being stranded.

  Magnus looked pretty happy in spite of the fact that they were wrapped up in a war against the emperor in Litsarin while they couldn't be sure what would come from the mountains to the north at the same time. The enemy had struck and broken part of the wall a little over a month ago, so there was little question that the empire still had plans for destroying Southwall and its allies.

  "I will make good use of it," the fire wizard confirmed thankfully, though Sebastian still feared that the man wouldn't take his warnings about abusing the power of the earth. There didn't appear to be any new grey hairs on the twenty-two year old wizard, but the mage didn't know how much of the earth's power Magnus had used in yesterday's battle.

  The fire wizard's eyes seemed to lose focus as he looked upward in thought. "Where did you go during the battle? Arrimus said that he and Edwar were given your other Hollow Sword and left to fight on without you."

  "Palose showed up again," Sebastian replied as the fork stopped short of his mouth with a bite of eggs. It wasn't a question that he had expected from the wizard, but he knew that someone would eventually ask him. "I gave Edwar the Hollow Sword, since I doubted that I would need it against him."

  "The Betrayer?" Magnus questioned appearing slightly surprised. The other two wizards only knew the dark mage from word of mouth, though Arrimus and Magnus had been students at the same time as Palose and both had been trained in White Hall. "He seems to have a need to fight you that makes him find you quite regularly. Didn't he attack you in Windmeer last summ
er?"

  "And I saw him in Parik before cornering him in New Harbor. Palose was also at the battle for the Twins, though he didn't challenge me that time."

  "Hmm, another rival and an enemy to you besides," Magnus summed up. Sebastian could have said nearly the same things about the fire wizard not too long ago, but now the man was attempting to be a friend; which still felt odd to the battle mage.

  Katya spoke up looking thoughtful as the girl mused, "He doesn't really seem too worried about killing you, to my thinking. Maybe this Palose isn't the fiend that everyone says he is?"

  At both of their surprised looks, the girl sat straighter with a start. "What I mean is, he seems to be trying to kill you, but when he should have been able to do so, hasn't Palose left you to maybe die. There is no finishing blow, but then again Bas hasn't killed him either."

  Magnus shook his head. "In my opinion, an attempt on your life is just as bad as actually accomplishing the deed. You can say that he hasn't succeeded, but perhaps Palose is too cocky from his way of thinking.

  "What do you think, Bas?"

  While the first time they had fought had felt more personal, a grudge needing to be righted; Sebastian had to admit that subsequent encounters almost felt more like intense sparring. They pushed each other to the edge giving bruises and minor wounds to their enemy, but neither had taken the final blow to kill the other. It may have just been coincidence, but the man did have to admit deep down, he wished that the Betrayer could be redeemed.

  "There is probably no way he can ever come back from what he did in Windmeer," the owl said of the betrayal that had nearly destroyed the guardian city from within. "Until I finally defeat him for good, or he kills me, I guess we won't know if Palose can truly do it."

  Magnus looked perplexed by his words and after a moment of silence between them, the fire wizard clarified as much for himself as the others listening, "He isn't a killer, until he kills you? That is a rather dangerous condition. If you are relying on a man who brought in the enemy army to kill hundreds of men, women and children inside of Windmeer to stay his blade from your throat; I think that you are putting your neck on the headsman's block."

  There was little more to say and the mage held his tongue. His future was equally murky. Magnus had been right. More Hollow Swords needed to be made, but with too few dragon mages available, he needed to be on the frontline as well.

  Sebastian also hoped to protect Katya, someone who shouldn't be in battle so young, even if her magic was powerful enough to make warlocks shy away from her side of the battlefield. The girl was needed, but she was also only thirteen. A child, her brother wished that Katya hadn't seen battle so young.

  They would need to return to battle soon, however, to protect the fleet and to try and stop the emperor in his conquest of Litsarin. If the island fell, he wondered how long it would take for the focus to return to Southwall once more.

  Spies had been brought to Ensolus through his portals and the points had been shared with the wizards in Hala before he had left. At least they had turned that part of the war against their enemies, but it was too soon to tell whether it would be enough.

  He tried to put aside his worries for awhile. Winter was nearly upon them and things would likely change again.

  Chapter 41- Prologue

  A hiss escaped the man's mouth preceding the guard reaching for his neck. Pulling at a barbed dart, it was too late for the man in the nondescript leather armor. Eyes rolling back, the soldier's legs gave out under him toppling the guard onto the floor unconscious.

  His partner started to move at the sound, but he missed the words of the wizard entering the doorway behind him until too late. Like the other guard, his thoughts ceased as magic put him to sleep artificially.

  The wizard entered with a handful of men with covered faces. Gloves to avoid leaving any prints and soft leather boots to muffle their steps made the assassins capable of taking their enemies by surprise. They fanned out looking for other soldiers in the large building that appeared common enough both from the outside and inside also.

  Moments later, the two men were dragged to the center of the room. Only light from the windows high on the walls and the open doorway gave any illumination to the warehouse's interior.

  Once secured, the assassins disappeared back into the warehouse's shadows guarding doorways and other points where they would have an advantage if someone should suddenly appear. They waited for only a short while as guardsmen, dressed more like mercenaries who might guard a merchant, led another pair of men to the first door.

  The air of magic surrounded the one, while the other man's golden chains and jewelry made him stand out as someone whose riches couldn't be set aside even for a moment.

  "This is it?" the rich man asked looking at the dusty warehouse as he wrinkled his nose in distaste.

  "Yes, my lord, we have been watching out for the king's men for almost a month looking for where they might lead us," the wizard stated quietly as if he feared being overheard.

  "How has Alain been able to send men here, Hessen?" the other man asked turning his looks from the warehouse to the wizard beside him.

  "I used to be part of the portal team out of Red Hall, my lord. There is a lingering presence of that magic here."

  Looking surprised by that information, the rich lord questioned, "Does that mean that the king has turned against us to join this Dark One he loves to go on about? We need to pay taxes to fund a war with the north. We need to give our children to the halls to become wizards... to send north. Our soldiers go north with our money and now we have this gate inside of my city?"

  Hessen said nothing for a moment. The lord didn't appear to need his answer, but when he frowned at the wizard, Hessen answered, "It is possible that one of his wizards finally discovered how to open the gates for Southwall. It would serve our armies well, if we could match the emperor's movements with his very own magic."

  The dark haired lord snorted derisively. "Emperor... no one has ever seen this man or being. Creatures supposedly roam north of Alain's wall, yet we have seen no other evidence of an enemy near New Harbor.

  "Alain uses this myth like the other kings of Hala to keep us in his pocket. We are servants... no, slaves! To this king, but now he goes too far bringing this evil magic into my city."

  "Count Terris, what do you propose to do?" the wizard asked curiously. "New Harbor is part of Southwall, so technically the king can do what he wants here as well."

  The count scowled and replied, "We will see about that.

  "Can you disable this gate of his? Can you stop them from slipping into my city like thieves in the night?"

  The wizard nodded as he started forward and picked up first one stone and then another. Chanting a word, the stones began to turn red as if heated. It only took a moment longer before both stones turned to dust. A second spell spread the dust which clung to a rectangle in the air. Lines of power then grasped the edges of the floating doorway pulling it to a center where the dust and the glow collapsed into nothing.

  Nodding with a frown still on his lips, the lord stated, "If he wishes to come to my city, then Alain will have to come through the outer gate and show me the respect I deserve. If you are through, Hessen, we should discuss who we can trust from your guild. Surely the word on the streets can't be ignored any longer.

  "The people want to stop wasting our money and men on Alain's war. I want to know who else is with us."

  "Yes, my lord," the wizard said obediently and followed the count in the safety of his guardsmen.

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  For World Maps and More Go To:

  https://www.facebook.com/BattleMageATaleOfAlus

  Other books by Donald L. Wigboldy Jr.

  From the Tales of Alus series:

  The High King: A Tale of Alus

  The Emperor’s Shadow War

  Battle Mage: A Tale of Alus

  Battle Mage: Winter’s Edge

  Battle Mage: The Lost King />
  Battle Mage: Dragon Mage

  Battle Mage: Dark Mage

  Battle Mage: A Hero’s Welcome

  Battle Mage: Forging New Steel

  White Hall

  Modern Tales:

  Voran the Night Guardian

  Standing Before Monsters

  The Mermaid’s Chest

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  Previews of other books by Donald Wigboldy:

  Where the story of Sebastian began:

  Battle Mage: A Tale of Alus

  Chapter 1- The Difference

  The sun shone down upon the courtyard through a thin haze of fog still stubbornly sticking to the mid-morning air. Finches and sparrows chirped and sang from the nearby gardens or as they soared over the ten foot walls separating the Court of War from the neighboring gardens. White Hall and its accompanying towers loomed to the south of the long courtyard throwing shadows over much of the grounds below. The Tower of War was dark against the morning light and its shadow nearly touched the base of forty foot protective walls.

  Above the sounds of the birds, multiple clangings could be heard as sword met shield or sword on sword. In the Court of War more than a dozen men worked at perfecting their art. Four pairs of grey shirted men exercised their skills against one another as four older men in black coached or quietly watched their students at play. A thirteenth young man, also of the grey, performed a dance with his blade.

  Wind flowing up Hill moved to the Bear stands Alone. Iron Jacket met Thrush from the Thicket. Maneuver after maneuver followed as he pictured his invisible opponent moving to counter his own. Back and forth he fended and struck. Press an advantage then retreat as the momentum shifts. Protect and attack. Force and defend.

  Dark blond hair began to drip with sweat. The grey shirt darkened. Tanned arms glistened and his palms tried to moisten and make his grip tenuous. A shift of the leather coated handle scraped away most of the moisture and stiffened the grip as he shifted back to the better hold once again. Tirelessly the young man fought his invincible foe. His breathing came through parted lips as lungs called for more air.