Battle Mage Broken Empire

by Donald Wigboldy

  Brown eyes widened and Oween's magic started to build as the warwitch debated on fighting. He had been told to keep her secret, but with two wizards at his back she feared that they were compromised.

  Megan ignored the young looking girl's magic and looked intently at her face before answering her own question more definitively, "I think that's you, but you've changed. How is that possible?"

  When Torva suddenly stepped forward as if to defend her from the girl, Megannah noted the feeling of other wizards' auras approaching from behind the wall. A blond haired young man dressed in black slipped past Oween though there seemed to be little enough space for him to do so. When the wizard hunter started to react, the warlock stated a single word, "Reflex."

  Suddenly the young man moved so fast that Torva could barely shift or open his mouth to try and use his magic. A hand struck him in the center of the chest with surprising power knocking the hunter to the ground.

  "Bind," the man in black stated in his one word way. Shadows reached up like the spell Torva had used in the spire, but it was much faster than the hunter spells he knew.

  Held prone on the floor, the hunter's eyes opened in shock and fear as the young man appeared ready to kill him before anyone else could even react to the fact that he had crossed the floor so quickly.

  "Palose, stop!" Holdy cried out uncertain if the warlock would stop for him. Sylvaine had said that they had been friends; but once she was gone, Palose had seemed to dismiss those who had called him that.

  Glancing towards the apprentice, Palose's forehead wrinkled curiously. "Holdy, what are you doing here?"

  "I brought my friends to see the tunnel I have been working on with the others," the younger boy blurted out as he believed admitting the act might help dissuade Palose from killing any of them.

  Frowning instead, the man in black replied, "Why is there a tunnel in my bedroom? How did you even find this place?"

  "It's not your bedroom anymore. You haven't paid my uncle since you disappeared without telling anyone, so he had no reason to hold onto it for you when it could be used to save everyone in the human quarter," Holdy answered quickly. "That it was your past rental just happens to be a coincidence.

  "Where did you go anyway?" the boy asked realizing that he did feel like Palose had abandoned him when he had disappeared. Though he hadn't been certain if they were friends, the young man's leaving them behind had even caused him a bit of anger, Holdy realized.

  "That isn't your concern," Palose snapped looking unsure of what he should do.

  "Did you kill the princess?" Torva demanded from his position on the floor. "I can tell that it was your magic used where she disappeared. I was sent to try and find the princess after the emperor died, but someone had taken her away."

  Frowning at the hunter restrained on the floor, Palose looked unwilling to answer.

  Megan asked in a more respectful tone, "Do you know what happened to her? Is the princess alive? Maybe if she is, you could bring her back and her power might save the city."

  Calmly considering her questions, Torva interrupted with one last comment, "The emperor is dead and his heirs disappeared as well. His sister disappeared through a sealed gate and his bodyguard brother hasn't been seen in Litsarin or Ensolus since about a week before Southwall attacked the emperor. If you know where either of them are..."

  Eyes narrowing, Palose looked at the hunter in his trap and questioned, "If I know anything, what? You'll demand to know what I do? I don't think that you are in a position to demand anything."

  Megan glanced at Torva and fear worried at her. "Please don't hurt him. We didn't come looking for a fight."

  Sniffing in disdain, the dark mage retorted, "It wasn't much of a fight."

  He looked at Holdy and Megannah standing beside the boy. "I don't know what happened to Lanquer. The emperor had me bring him back to the city from Litsarin a week before Southwall's attack. Maybe he was killed, but if so I didn't see it happen. As to the princess, she won't be of any use. The emperor stripped her of her magic before he was killed. I think he was drawing on the power he had spread to his siblings for the fight, but whatever the reason, she was reduced to just a girl with no power."

  "You know where she is," Torva accused the dark mage.

  Palose glared at the hunter and replied candidly if a bit angrily, "I took her away as the emperor asked me to several days before the battle. It was as if he knew something was about to happen. She's safe, but can't help the empire as I said."

  Looking at Holdy he asked, "Why have you made a tunnel here? If anyone finds out, you'll be thrown in prison for it I am sure. It is an impressive amount of work, I'll grant you that; but I would have preferred that you didn't do it here."

  Holdy frowned as he answered, "You don't know what has happened here since the emperor died; do you? With no strong successor, Generals Corven and Amelyer have begun to fight for the throne. The wizard hunters and grand masters haven't chosen a side, but we think that is because they want the power for their own.

  "With everyone more worried about the throne than those the emperor ruled, the orcs and goblins have begun to attack the humans and elves. The other monsters are likely to join them and the city has started to become a war zone."

  Palose' eyes seemed to ignore the others as he mused, "The city begins to feed on itself. The rest of the empire is likely just as bad without Kolban here to hold it all together. With so many races brought together by the emperor, now that he is gone their dislike and hatred begins to come to a boil. Add to that all the greed for power so many have here; it is just a matter of time before the empire will collapse on itself.

  "You should abandon this city. Is that why you have made this tunnel?"

  Having some hope that Palose would spare Torva, who suddenly seemed to be almost ignored by the dark mage; Holdy explained, "There are many humans that won't be able to leave Ensolus if the orcs and other creatures join together against them. Elves living in the spires will have the same problem perhaps, but the majority live in the outer fortresses and other cities. The cave bothers a lot of people, so they chose to remain outside where they could see the sky.

  "I have been spreading the word around the human settlement. When the tunnel is finished, they can escape to the fortresses or the plains. They can take as much of their belongings as they can carry. It may not be ideal, but it is better than dying here or becoming slaves to the orcs."

  The dark mage chuckled mirthlessly, but Oween moved into the room looking worried. Sylvaine stood in the doorway appearing concerned as her fingers picked at the frame without consciously noticing her own actions.

  "I still have family here, Palose," the cute red haired warlock stated quickly. "If it has become this bad, I need to check on them. I would hate myself if they died when I could have done something to save them."

  Without looking at the girlish looking Oween, the dark mage reminded her, "What will you tell them looking like that? How will you explain your youthful appearance, if they even recognize you anymore?"

  Anger crossed her face and was echoed in her tone as she complained, "And whose fault is it that I look like this?"

  That made Palose glance to the girl and he asked, "Would like me to take it away?"

  Gasping in surprise, Oween drew back and questioned, "You can do that?"

  "Probably," he replied as his eyes wandered to those watching them curiously. Only Holdy knew that Oween had been resurrected as well as Sylvaine, but the apprentice wasn't certain if Palose knew that he had learned of his secret also. It might be something the dark mage might wish to rectify, if the girls had hidden it from him. Holdy's blood went cold as he felt the threat of the one he was just thinking of as a former friend. Palose apparently didn't care if they knew as he continued, "I don't think anyone has reversed a resurrection spell to bother trying to change something like this, though I thought that you liked being young again."

  Sounding much meeker as she spoke, Oween answered quietly, "I do,
Palose. I thought that we were like family now. Do you want to kill me just to find out what can be done?"

  Megan's forehead furrowed, "You were resurrected? I guess that helps make sense of why you seem different, though I hadn't ever read of someone reversing a resurrection man's age like this."

  Looking sternly at the teacher, Palose stated, "There are a lot of things about resurrection men omitted from the books, but maybe that is because most have been destroyed without letting them grow properly. Apparently I am the first to be allowed to discover that being resurrected doesn't mean we are still dead like a wraith. It is more like being saved from near death by a healer, even though we were in fact pulled back from the shadows of death."

  The mage paused and glanced at Oween and from her to Sylvaine who seemed to discipline him with her eyes. Softening slightly, Palose sighed and said, "If you think that you can get through to them without your family turning on you, I suppose we can make a stop if it doesn't take too long."

  Returning his attention to Holdy, the dark mage said, "Or maybe you have already contacted them? You said that your family has been warning the other humans and letting them know that a tunnel was being made as well, I would assume."

  "I'm not sure if my mother or uncle knows them, but maybe," the younger boy replied without committing to an answer.

  "Now what do I do with you?" Palose questioned as he considered Torva once more.

  "We are leaving the city soon," the hunter replied sounding a bit surly thanks to his position and the humiliatingly easy way that the dark mage had dealt with him. "A man with your ability would be welcomed in Sanctuary. We plan to take most of the apprentices and many of the teachers who sympathize with us. There will be other wizard hunters, but someone who can fight like you..."

  "Not interested," the young man said interrupting Torva's plea to join them. It was certainly a brazen move, but the hunter had seen his ability in person. He doubted that the dark mage's skill came just from being a resurrection man. "I already have a place to call my own. Though I lost all my pawns trying to save Kolban after making sure that the princess was safe, my group of resurrection men and women can remain with me or move on as some others already have.

  "Anyway, what I do is none of your concern. As to your invitation, you don't need me if Holdy's friend is still here. Turless knows enough to teach you wizard hunters how to fight more like battle mages. Once you learn how to use a single word to cast your magic, it will just be a matter of being skilled with weapons to do what I did to you."

  The shadows holding Torva disappeared as the dark mage spoke to Oween again. "Should I bring Balish or Tongold here or perhaps one of the other men to escort you to your home? I have other business here that I planned to attend to first, so I won't have time."

  Torva sat up slowly noting that Palose seemed to have decided that letting them go was safe enough. He didn't believe that he could surprise the mage, if he wanted to attack the man. While his pride might have been injured, the wizard hunter was certain that Palose would be ready if he tried anything. Moving slowly, he joined Megan; but remained before her just in case. He might not have a chance against the former battle mage, but Torva would give his life to keep her safe.

  Already dismissed from their minds, Oween was answering Palose with a shake of her head. The young woman had her coat over a simple dress. She didn't look like a warwitch since the girl looked so young, so few among the humans in the quarter would have any idea. "I will be fine on my own, if you and Sylvaine are going ahead."

  Interrupting their conversation, Holdy asked, "If you are through with us, can I show them the tunnel now? We have our own plans to discuss."

  The dark mage shrugged and the apprentice led his teachers past the resurrection man and those he had raised since. Sylvaine gave the boy a calm smile as she moved aside for them.

  Holdy thought it strange that things had changed so much between them. Perhaps being a wizard should have prepared him for strangeness, but the death of the emperor had upset the world beyond what even magic could account for, he thought.

  Torva and Megan followed him into the magically created tunnel and he spoke quietly of his plans.

  Chapter 28- Morning Bells

  Megan awoke to the sound of bells. The wizard sat up holding the sheet to her chest feeling a bit chilly. It was odd since the woman couldn't remember a time where the cold outside had managed to reach her in the room she called home.

  Torva was already up and the woman realized that he must have moved first to wake her.

  "What is going on?" Megan asked watching the wizard hunter already pulling on his shirt. Nearly fully clothed already, Torva appeared to believe readiness was in order; but she had no clue as to what might have caused him to think so.

  "You can't hear it?" he questioned in response.

  "The bells?"

  "There is fighting happening close to us. Try and sense magic. You'll see what I mean. You might want to get dressed to, unless you plan to try and sleep through whatever's happening."

  She thought that he could have teased her and questioned whether she planned to run away naked as well, the woman supposed as she slid free of the sheet. Her feet felt the stone and thought it unusually cold as well. Shivering with the oddly cool air, Megan asked, "Did you change the temperature controls?"

  Torva looked at the woman and shook his head. "I thought it strange also. Magic keeps the school warm no matter how cold it is outside. Something seems to have disrupted the spells.

  "Grand Master Echolus hasn't given you any reason to believe that he suspects that many of the students and teachers have left for good yet, has he?"

  The woman had seen the grand master twice since helping Amelyer escape the spire. It had been six days ago and Megan had done her best to appear to be going back as a servant every day; but the wizard had used her magic to escape to Sanctuary instead. She had brought many of her possessions, as well as a few other wizards, to her future home; but Megan was fairly certain that the head wizards and warlocks of the school still had no idea.

  "No, I don't think so. If he suspected anything, I think that he would have punished me or at least questioned me about it. My magic has been used for enough gates that I would be incriminated very easily, if he believed I was involved."

  Torva considered that their relationship could have drawn attention, but the couple had used magic to sleep with each other many of the nights since work on Sanctuary had begun. He was already dressed, while the pretty blonde with the reddish tint to her hair, stood naked talking to him as if it was completely natural to her. He supposed that it was actually. Megan was comfortable around him clothed or not, as long as they were hidden within her room anyway.

  "Maybe you should send me back to my room before anyone notices."

  Megan's brow furrowed and her gray eyes revealed concern. She asked, "Maybe it would be all right to keep you with me until we find out what is going on?"

  Pulling a silver chain from his collar, a stone held in a metal cage was revealed and kept in her vision. Giving her a reassuring smile, he reminded her, "If I get into any trouble, I can break the stone to let you know to come to me. You can open a gate by me, if you need to summon me; but I need to get back to the barracks to check in before the captain notices I am gone."

  The girl shook head stirring her long hair and she asked, "Do you really believe that they don't know about us by now?"

  "Do the grand masters know about us?" he chided her in turn.

  Giving an uncomfortable frown, Megan replied, "I hope not, though for all I know the entire school knows all about us, even now. I mean they knew we were together before everything that has happened, but I am not certain if they guess that our relationship has continued the same way since."

  "Well, whether we have been fooling ourselves into believing that we've been so good at hiding that we sleep together at night or not, I should at least make an appearance in the barracks. It wouldn't do for the squad leader to
be missing if we're under attack again. My men will need me."

  Crossing her arms which just pushed up her breasts drawing his eyes like magnets before he met her gaze again, the woman complained, "I need you."

  Torva closed the distance pulling the beautiful woman to him. He lifted her chin as Megan lifted onto her toes to reach his lips. Kissing her affectionately for a long drawn out gesture, the hunter only pulled his lips away long enough to say, "We'll be together without having to hide soon enough. Our room already has most of our belongings transferred to Sanctuary already. If this is too dangerous to stay, I'll break the stone and we'll leave for good right now."

  Again Megan shivered, but not from the cold. She held him as he embraced her and knew that their connection was strong. Marriage between wizards was almost unheard of in Ensolus, especially when both were young and in service to the empire; but the empire was dying. They didn't need to stay here much longer. Sanctuary was almost theirs to have.

  "Promise me," the girl begged without specifying exactly what he should promise.

  "I promise. Now send me to my room, so we can settle this quickly."

  Nodding, the wizard opened his gate and after a second parting kiss, he was gone.

  Torva found his men gathering in the courtyard between the outer wall and the building where all wizard hunters lived. One of two buildings, this one was to the east and closer to the lake than the school.

  The sound of the bells came from the south, but the feeling of magic being used came from not only the school but directly southwest of it as well. Even a wizard hunter with less talent at finding magic users could tell that much, Torva believed. He could also sense more magic in the direction of the emperor's spire.

  It was still early and the light coming from the cave mouth barely did anything to illuminate the hunters' courtyard. A vision spell let him see almost as well as he would under the light of Alus' sun. His men were there and dressed in the black, specially coated armor of the wizard hunters.