“So you were able to catch five?” Zanza asked as she knelt by the magic men and single woman. She used her spear to move hair out of their faces and get a better look at the enemy.
“More than Cage and I expected.” Megdline said while placing temporary spells on the leather bindings. Then her grey eyes twinkled. “Oh, how fortunate!” Megdline laughed when she finally got a good look at each one. “Not only did we capture the Arch Magister of Eeroan, but also four other first class with warrants against both the peoples of Emroc and Vlara.”
A groan came as Cage sat up, getting some help from Zatal and Lanna. His head pounded as he saw everyone and knew the plan was a success. He turned to Daku. “How many?”
“Five were captured and you’re up to twenty six rings.” He rumbled.
“Sweet.” He smiled then passed out immediately again. The tribe at first thought something bad happened till he began snoring loudly in the grass. Tension released with everyone laughing.
“You said you’d tell us what was going on when it was over. It’s over now.” Elder Metak said as he and the rest of the tribe found their way up there. Two were wounded by a Familiar puma and lion before the warriors overwhelmed it. Megdline quickly healed the injuries before sitting down and finally being able to relax and cool off.
Daku nodded. “Give me just a moment. I doubt Cage will wake till morning.” The ground trembled beneath his weight as he moved over to the stream which he used to wash the blood from his beak and hands. He then returned and laid down beside his partner as Brooke and Meeka were cleaning up their love from all the sweat and blood. Comfortable, Daku looked at all the eyes to explain. “Cage and I knew the attack would happen soon, likely tonight being the ideal time. We knew so because all this week I’ve been watching the skies with Frill up near the mountain, searching for anything odd. This morning, hours before sunrise we spotted an owl and a hawk together, flying just over the dark water, trying to avoid being seen. Familiars know Familiars and no birds would dare do as they had. We knew they found the gap Cage intentionally left open for birds to pass the wards. They took the bait.” The griffin smiled. “Cage only confided with me on why he left the opening. It was to see if other mages could figure out his wards without activating the island’s warning wards. Well they figured out how and Cage will likely find a way to plug that gap. The birds, we both knew, were watching since first light. He decided to make it look like flying wore him out to lure our prey in, sensing weakness.
“The reason Cage took everyone to the beach this afternoon was to invoke an illusion which would make it seem like the tribe was going about its business while in reality he had all of you hide in the trees tonight. I know it was cold, but we couldn’t afford you to use a fire. It seems we didn’t need to worry about a mage Jumping to the Utala camp or the warning orb would have sent light to the area. They were singularly focused on taking Cage and Megdline.” He saw nods from nearly all listening, coming to the same conclusion.
Megdline picked the story up from there. “This past week, when Cage wasn’t making his new robe, I know many of you fell victim to Daku’s pranks.” Some chuckled, none more so than the griffin in question. “Cage knew that our enemy were either out to kill or capture so he came up with a solution I never even expected to work. He took the red goo Daku created in his prank” Megdline saw some of the women look in their hair, likely to see if they still had some from earlier in the week. “and made a flexible shell out of leaves to contain the sticky liquid. I helped in making the carapaces have lifelike qualities while he tied them to our houses magics to mimic breathing and an accurate weight that even an illusion would be difficult to replicate. When the wards were activated, warning of a breach, he made them all sit up in surprise. The shells were thin, but filled with pressure. Once even pricked they were set to explode.” Megdline finally laughed. “You should have seen their expressions! They were all caught completely off guard.” She cackled in remembrance. “Oh, it was great and it served its purpose.”
“Yeah, for me to clean for the next week to get it all out.” Meeka said dryly.
Not willing to comment on that, Megdline said “Cage’s idea was sound. They attacked immediately after Jumping, willing to capture us. After they smoked our rooms with what I expect is burned from Floranna petals…”
“What are Floranna petals?” Elder Metak asked quickly.
“A rare blue flower with a mild narcotic effect that only works on mages. It prevents us from focusing critically so we can’t use magic of any kind. If I didn’t have my staff clutched in my hands, I would be exactly just like all of you. Even the slightest whiff from the smoke clinging to my home will make it impossible to do even the simplest spells. Only the rich can buy the flowers. The flowers are highly regulated so that, lets imagine bandits… If bandits got hold of a few petals they could use them to render a mage useless in a conflict. If one is caught growing the flower it is punishable by life in a dungeon, or if grown to fight for malicious intent, death.” She went on. “After they tried smoking us to render our power ineffective they used darts dipped in a powerful drug to place one in deep slumber within seconds. When they did that, the false bodies exploded. I must admit” Megdline smiled down at the genius of a pupil. “Cage’s plan worked better than hoped. The trick gave them enough pause for us to reveal ourselves and strike down four in an instant. Cage, Daku, Frill and I flew since we made it appear we all retired for the night. It seemed our illusion worked, for when the lights went out that owl Daku spoke of flew down on the railing. He didn’t suspect a counteroffensive as the group of twelve and their Familiars Jumped in. Cage and I knew our counter would be tricky so I drew off three, even though my power is lower than any one of theirs. Cage was able to manage killing seven thanks to our cooperation and forethought. He was right again, figuring no less than nine, but no more than sixteen would come. His and Daku’s strategy were sound and made it so we all live. Detaining five sorcerers was more than he or I expected to get. We thought two or three, but we got more than we expected.” She saw a few wary faces turned to the five. “Not to worry, I’ve sedated them all. None will likely wake till tomorrow evening.”
“They tried harming and killing us as dumb, dishonorable magic men. We should kill them to send a message.” One of the warriors stated and gained favoring nods at the suggestion.
Megdline spoke up before any decided to follow through. “No, Cage ordered me to keep them alive. He’s going to personally interrogate them.” Some quickly caught on as wolfish grins spread. They knew their chief showed no mercy. “But then I’m to Jump them all to Twilight so the council can squeeze out all information before executing them for crimes against humanity and spirits. Yes, for the moment they are under Utala law and as Cage being chief, it is his decision to get what he can from them and has assured me that I can send them off.”
“She speaks the truth.” Brooke added her words as priestess. “If they had harmed anyone, I would not let them live. But Cage believes good can come of us allowing Megdline to give them to her tribe of magic men and women.”
“If that is the chief’s decision, we will abide by it.” Elder Metak clarified. “Megdline, what else needs to be done so our people can rest?”
“Bring me their staffs. I must spell them so they cannot be called should they wake. I have no Floranna to keep them from using magic, but if I can keep them from their great sources of power, it will limit them considerably.” The elder made a gesture and half the tribe went in search of the night for the mystical objects. “It is likely to rain in a few hours. I offer the use of my home. I can house no more than sixty. You can figure sleeping arrangements.”
Meeka tucked an escaping strand of hair while voicing “Our house can hold the rest so long as I have help cleaning the mess. Our room” She said in gesture to Brooke, Cage and Daku, “Can hold twenty if we use the floor. The other rooms can hold about twenty, but the main room can hold everyone else… I think.”
Elder Shan
ia stood and brushed her butt to get the sand and grass off. “Then you will have all the help we can offer.”
Daku said “I’ll go make sure there aren’t any other visitors. Carry Cage inside, he shall need aid. I will go tell the others in hiding to come up.”
“Aren’t you going to help clean up?” Meeka asked.
Daku’s expression turned frightened before he smirked and fled, he heard ‘Coward!’ along with more laughter in his wake.
Two pairs of hands soon reached down to help carry the Utala chieftain up and over to the house. Brooke set up a group of warriors to constantly watch over the captives. Any sign of danger would result in swift, decisive action. Megdline also spoke with a group while needing to rest from the ordeal.
Many Utala followed over to the house of the chief to aid in however they could. Those carrying Cage brought him inside and laid him comfortably on the soft seated sofa. Luckily, it had plenty of length to hold his long body.
The smell of berries filled the nose of everyone, but it’s pleasantness belied what horror greeted Meeka and Brooke when they entered their once beautiful bedroom. It looked as if blood morbidly pained the entire room, leaving nothing untouched in the light of an orb. “Our mate sure knows how to make a mess.” Brooke commented with a wrinkled nose.
“That cannot be disputed.” Meeka replied. “At least we have water nearby.” She remarked a benefit to the situation. “We won’t need to draw buckets.”
“Agreed.” Brooke then turned to find several sisters coming up the stairs. “Meeka, you and I will go clean the bed… The rest of you, do what you can.”
Being that all five bedrooms were a disaster, the extra hands were a great help. Soon the children showed and Sean was smart enough to take the deep wooden bowls from the kitchen to use as buckets. Most of the goo was easy enough to scrape off the walls and floor, but rags of cold water removed the residue. To reach the splattered ceiling and fans, some used their lance wrapped with old cloth for added reach since none could come close to reaching the ceiling. Out of all the bedrooms, the master bedroom was the most difficult to clean. Running water sure was a blessing along with the drain in the bathroom.
Having so many in the house gave a buzzing of voices that helped dull the last hour of anger. When Megdline’s predicted hit, everyone made their way inside, closed all the windows and doors from rain. When the rooms were spotless once again, a group brought Cage up and put him in bed. He hadn’t yet stirred, even with all the noise and the likely gentle shocks from his wards the only difference being he no longer snored and resumed sleeping as he usually did, quiet as a mouse.
Most worked up a sweat so Meeka offered their bathroom to wash off the grime. The families staying in the room took their quick baths last.
By the time the house settled in for sleep, only three hours remained of night.
Chapter 9
“I don’t remember much after my last attack.” Cage admitted as he sat up in bed. He listened to his women explaining all that transpired afterwards. Apparently Hammit and his mates returned when the warning went off. He and the others scouting the island showed up when he was out and left when they weren’t needed. They went back to learning every inch of the island first thing, not spending too much time with the tribe.
Cage’s headache persisted, but dulled as he sipped on morning tea and listened. Seven of the mages he managed to kill were already burned at first light. The five sorcerers that still lived were drugged and their Familiars were incapacitated to the point where they were essentially dead. Without healing from their partner, the Familiars would live in the broken state indefinitely. Daku had yet to return, still being vigilant and wouldn’t return till he felt like it.
“Since it is almost noon” Meeka began. “we have heard from Megdline and she told us that she’s done as much as she can. The trespassers are as restrained as she could make. She said to tell you she’s bound their mana to her house and is constantly draining them. Furthermore, she said their energy is feeding its way into the island’s wards. Without Floranna petals, she told us, it is the best she can do to limit their magic.”
Cage knew about those flowers all too intimately. They were used on him when he was captured and tortured by Lord Doyle. “Then I better go make sure I’m close. If they wake and still have power, I’ll be there to keep them in line. Did Granny say when they’ll wake?”
Brooke answered. “In a few hours, she believes.”
The warlock smiled. “So we even managed to capture the Arch Magister… The irony is sweet. He’s now mine to play with. Is there anything left to eat before I head over?”
Meeka smirked. “Some… The tribe needed to eat after all.”
“And the kids? How are they?”
“Strong.” Brooke boasted. “Our children weren’t surprised their dad fought and won against so many magic men. Rena shared her room with all the girls as Sean did with the boys. They left with the tribe this morning to help gather wood. The smokehouse you made yesterday is nearly perfect and has already dried four hundred pounds of fish and animal meat. We’ll still need four to five more tons to safely last us through winter. Some of our hunters are going to train Sean how to throw a spear. The hunters have also taken your words and want me to express thanks. Spearing became much easier when yesterday you showed where the fish really are, not where they are seen to be.”
“Refraction.” Cage said, getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom. “It is difficult to compensate, but I’m glad to help.” He stopped and shot the gorgeous women a smile. “Care to join me?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” Meeka said delighted and took Brooke’s hand before bouncing off after their man.
They showered and made passionate love for an hour, but couldn’t spend all day in bliss. They all stepped out, ate and headed outside.
Cage’s sharp eyes spotted the five prisoners hanging by their wrists, almost like they were clothes hung out to dry. Megdline had grown a branch which held them secure with their bound feet hanging a foot from the ground with a heavy rock dangling an inch. Only someone with tremendous strength could work their way out of that situation. Not even Cage knew if he could escape such a position. Beyond them floated five staffs encased in a golden glow. Seven lay bundled on the ground along with a sack. The bulges made it obvious that heads were stuffed within. He walked over with his loves, catching the eye of his teacher and that of ten warriors guarding the prisoners.
Frill padded closer and meowed “You feeling any better?”
“Yes, so how are the guests?” He replied.
“Still unresponsive.” Megdline said as she stood from her chair beneath the shade of the modified tree. “I just checked their systems. In an hour will be when they will start to come around.”
“Is there a counteragent we can give them to speed the process?” He asked.
“Yes, but the ingredients will take a few days to craft and if I request a vial, it’ll take several hours to go through the proper channels before I can Jump it here.” Megdline said. “I would have already sent the request, but their mana was too strong and I couldn’t risk them waking without you to aid me. Right now they likely have the strength of a second class wizard. But if they wake and use it all at once together, it would still be too great a threat…”
“I’m not mad. I’ve never interrogated a mage before so I’ll defer to your experience.” He responded and sent a testing magic to sense the flow rate being drawn from the five. It was almost a flood being siphoned from each of their bodies, funneled into Megdline’s home, where all four of her crystals were already full and sent the overflow down through the mountain to reinforce the control crystals safely tucked in the heart of the island. He couldn’t sense that far, but he guessed it to likely be doing so.
“You interrogate me all the time.” Megdline smiled wryly.
“Just keep telling yourself that.” Cage returned. To the others he said “If Granny can’t keep them from using magic, even th
e smallest amount is too dangerous for any of you to be so close. I know I cannot order you to leave the area, but I can ask you all go into Megdline’s house for protection.”
The sorceress caught on quickly. “Yes, my home is well protected from hostile magic. You can protect us from that large window.” She pointed through the limbs. “You have your bows, use them if we cannot control the five. I doubt they’ll have the strength, but you cannot be here. Even in their weakened state, they can use a spell which can kill instantly.”
“Go do that.” Brooke said to the warriors.
When one saw neither the priestess or her sister-mate move he asked “What of you two?”
Brooke held out her tomahawks and Meeka did the same with her leather bracelet. The priestess said “Cage has given us protection. Their magic will be of little use against us.”
“Maybe everyone should leave me. You do not want to see what I’m going to do to them.” Cage said stoically for every individual’s sake and well being.
“And leave you with all the fun? I think not.” Brooke said dryly.
His black eyes were cold when she found them on her. “I find no pleasure in interrogation and torture, Brooke. This isn’t a fight. It is a necessary tactic for gaining intel. You and the others have a strong constitution, but if you choose to stay and watch, it will not be pretty. I do not like what I’m about to do, neither should you.” His statement made her shudder visibly.
“Still, I” Her voice was much lower than usual. “must be here. Elder Metak will also likely come to bear witness.”
“I’m already here.” The elder said as he stepped out of Megdline’s house with four of his six elder mates. “The children I forbade coming here till nightfall. We are all who are present in the area. Meeka, you are the only one who doesn’t need to be here.”
Laugh of Destruction (Book 3 of the Death Incarnate Saga) Page 28
