Laugh of Destruction (Book 3 of the Death Incarnate Saga)

by Jr H. Lee Morgan

  “Better a dagger than a sword, My Lord.” General Kurk admitted, stating he was for letting the warlock have his way since his assessment was true.

  The king closed his eyes and Cage admired the man who was risking much without facts. This was a hunch at most, but the confidence in what Cage believed made Tate believe it too. Finally the king opened his eyes and shook his head. “Cage, without proof, I cannot allow you to run wild and destroy a city where innocents could be hurt.” Tate didn’t see any emotional changes in Cage’s expression and found it a little frightening and commendable. “But” Tate noticed a tiny hint of surprise as a corner of Cage’s mouth twitched. “I am willing to do a compromise if you are.”

  “I’m listening.” Cage said and meant it.

  “Jormon and his Familiar Gaz here” he gestured to the thin mage and grizzly. “are my personal servants who have been faithfully guarding my family for five hundred years. They are both proud and protective of the Vlaran people as I am and do not wish to see it rot away, as you so colorfully put it. Would you be willing to work alongside them to cut out the blight infecting Miot?”

  “So long as he doesn’t get in my way when I find Tran’s sorry ass.”

  “May I propose something?” Jormon asked. When none denied him he went on. “My young king, I’m more than willing to end such practices, but with your permission I would like to first see if the duke has been corrupted.” Jormon outlined his plan to the rooms and was allowed to speak without interruption.

  “Well, Cage?” Tate asked.

  A grin spread across his face. “I like it! Either way, I get to go have some fun. Jormon, I’ll wait here for you and Gaz in Kote so I can show you where I buried the bandits last night. Then we can go to Miot and take care of business.” The sorcerer nodded, seeming to get excited about it himself. “Now Tate, where would be a good place I can send the crystals? I’ll not send then inside the castle no matter what you say.”

  “This magic is rather draining over long periods of time.” Jormon reminded the king. He too felt the effects and they had been talking for over twenty minutes.

  “How about just outside the inner southern gate?” The king asked.

  “I can do that. Who should I drop it off in front of?”

  “My Lord, I can do it.” The other mage said and got an approving nod.

  “Then I’ll see you later, Tate.” Cage said and ended the spell.

  But the orb of Jormon remained long enough for the king to say “Cillian, thank you for having Cage wait. I would have hated should you have said nothing.”

  “You’re welcome, My King, but we both know enough that Cage would be going either way. I just made him think more on how our kingdom works. At least now we have a better solution to right wrongs before our worst fears become a reality.”

  “Quite true, Cillian.” And the orb disappeared.

  Cage changed the password on his wards so that what he was using was no longer valid. He stood, grabbed the axe and the bag of crystals while saying “Well, I’m done here now that there is a plan. I’m going over to Big Tim’s for something to eat.” and walked for the door.

  “We should all get a meal since we got here at first light.” Millie added.

  Kitty smiled to all those leaving, but had to speak with Cillian. Only he stayed behind while the others made way for the tavern.

  While waiting for a meal to arrive at the bar table Cage made a smaller sight mirror and found the man with a large feline waiting out by the southern gate, the same pair who were in the conference. Cage wove the spell and teleported the bag of crystals two yards from them. They quickly moved forward and knelt to find it was as they expected. They even checked the official analysis report he put inside. The two were then flanked by three soldiers as they took the precious bag to a safe location under guard. Cage also noticed before he ended the spell that soldiers were setting up for the likely mission to flush out the bandits from Zalt. Three other mages were among the group, probably to counter any magic the bandits might have accumulated over the years.

  After the hearty meal and mead that warmed the insides like the stew, he spoke briefly to Daku and Sean as they walked together. Everything seemed to be going to plan on that side.

  Two relaxing hours passed after the hearty meal when there came a tingle of magic that told of an incoming presence. A brown light appeared nearby. A pop later stood Jormon and Gaz. Cage got up and walked over and said “Nice to meet you, Jormon. You too, Gaz.”

  The bear sat and noticed the gawking humans. He snorted “We are fully prepared… Where is Daku? I wanted to meet the griffin.”

  “He won’t be coming today.”

  “Why’s that?” Jormon asked casually.

  “Because I cannot Jump with him so he said he’d stay with my people and watch over them… This way to the site.” Cage said.

  The two walked beside him and the human half of the partnership asked “But why can’t you Jump him? He is your Familiar. It should be as easy as Jumping yourself.”

  “That because you’re thinking of me as a mage.” Cage smiled while shouldering the giant axe. “I’m a warlock and therefore have different properties. Besides, I won’t be able to summon Daku successfully for at least another year, maybe two when I fully reach my potential. His power is too great to Jump. Unlike the two of you, our energies do not match. When you summoned Gaz, you shared power for it to succeed. I’m different. Yes, Daku is my Familiar, but I cannot tap into his limitless power and must pull him through all on my own. No one can, as I’m told, not even elder dragons would dare summon or Jump Daku without a great deal of help. His power is that great. No matter what size he chooses, his power won’t allow him to be summoned. And if I cannot do that, how could I ever hope to Jump with him?”

  “I see your point. I would still like to meet him one day.

  Cage patted the middle aged man’s shoulder. “We plan on being around for awhile. If your honor bound to Tate’s family, we’ll surely meet one day… Hmm.”

  “What?” Gaz rumbled when he heard the shift of conversation.

  “Why didn’t I see you at the Summer Ball when Tate was attacked?”

  The two looked down in shame. Jormon eventually answered. “We were celebrating my great great great granddaughter’s acceptance to Twilight’s school. She just turned three and is the first, first class sorceress to be blessed in my family line aside for myself. My wife and I all have mage descendants, but all are wizard or witch. She was tested by a dragon and found to be the only first class located in the past three years from Vlara. We were so proud that we celebrated in Twilight instead of joining the Summer Ball. I must give gratitude to you for keeping Little Tate alive when I could not. What may I compensate you with?”

  “You can answer a question that I didn’t get to ask Granny yet. Why are there the six mage classes? Seems like a caste system where the lower you are the less status you get. Do wizard class get treated horribly by sorcerers?”

  “By no means is that true.” Jormon clarified Cage’s misunderstanding. “When a mage child is brought before an elder dragon they are tested for the power they will ultimately be capable of withstanding. It is a system designed to keep others alive. Some magics are too dangerous to withstand or survive if you cannot control it. You and I do spells which would kill the lower classes. Truthfully, all classes mingle and are equal in these lands. In truth, my wife is a first class witch. The classes are only for protection of the individual. Since we cannot lie about our class, we are barred from magics that require the more powerful mana to complete.” He went quiet for a minute and judged the warlock to find the answer purely interesting. “But the same cannot be said in the Laqura Empire. From the old texts, is says the empire and Twilight’s ruled the same till the empress took control. She twisted noble ideals to make what you said, a caste system where one’s class is better than another. Only the weak minded treat those weaker than themselves as lower beings.”

  “It now seems
to fit what I’ve observed thus far.” Cage admitted when another idea popped to mind. “You said great great great granddaughter. It’s made me wonder why when a mage can outlive those without use of their magic, there aren’t mages all over the place.”

  “A side effect of the longevity spell.” Jormon nodded in understanding where the question headed. “Yes, without the spell to prolong our life we will die as naturally as those without use of magic. But when we can fully sense the entirety of our bodies and use the spell properly, it reduces our chance to bear young, especially in females. My wife is four hundred, one hundred and sixty below my own, and together we’ve made only seven babies. And only five still live today. My youngest descendant is my sixth-great grandson. Since we all gladly trade many children for longer lives, that is why there are so few mages. But there are more now than when I can first remember.”

  It was a logical answer so Cage didn’t feel the need to ask again. “Here we are.”

  They passed the last building and strolled right up to the post fully displaying the infinity mark. “They’re under, correct?” Jormon got an affirmative nod and stepped back when his magic could sense beneath the surface. “Mercy! You weren’t lying in the slightest. So many… all dead. You certainly live up to the prophecy. The king will believe me after I explain this.” He waved a slender hand across the unsuspecting ground.

  “Now that that is over, where will we be Jumping?”

  “Here.” The mage brought up an image Cage knew well enough.

  “One more thing, this axe is a magic-breaker. Do you know a way I can destroy it or to remove its core? I’ve tried a few things but nothing has worked.” Cage dropped the weapon’s head to the ground. “I can’t Jump with it or send it somewhere without it canceling my spells.”

  “A magic-breaker you say? May I?” Cage nodded and handed the blade over, but the sorcerer could barely heft the thing. Instead he held it still and tested it. “It is clearly a magic-breaker. Only someone with a lot of spite would make up such a crude weapon. It is made of solid iron and the core must be broken to destroy the enchantments. It must be very old. You apparently came to the same conclusion that anything we do will be matched and rendered useless.”

  “Then you better let me try. Where is the gem?” Gaz asked and shook his large head some. He was told the shaft and considered how best to do it. “If I can get proper leverage I can bend and stress the core so that the stone will crack. Once it does, the enchantments will break. My strength should be plenty capable.”

  Cage snapped his fingers when he said “I know just the place.” The three hurried over to the jail area. Inside sat two home guard. “I need to borrow the cell.”

  The men were suspicious before screaming when Cage walked in ahead of a large bear. It took some convincing, even when Ren came running when he heard the yell. When they settled and learned the bear was a Familiar and not a wild animal, Cage wedged the axe between the thick iron bars just so that it stayed put.

  Gaz stepped forward while releasing a spike of energy to strengthen his body to its limit. He put his finger long claws on the handle and roared while pushing with all his might. The jail bars shrieked in protest from the force as they held the axe and began to distort till Jormon used a reinforcing spell to keep them from over-warping. The sound wasn’t as loud afterwards. When solid Familiar strength didn’t bend the bar enough, Gaz reared back and slammed down. The handle bent and there came a faint crack within that only the bear could hear. “It is done.” He grunted and stopped using his Familiar magic.

  Cage removed the axe from the bars and watched as Jormon reset them to their original place. A simple probing test explained there was a hairline break where the grizzly bear overextended its stress point near the center of the shaft. “Good.” He said before Jumping the prized weapon to where he dropped the rest of the supplies. It would make a good research object once winter shuts him in and there is little to do. “Thanks Ren for letting us use the bars. We’re leaving now.”

  “You’re welcome, now go kill them bastards.” Ren said.

  “Gladly.” Cage then created a black archway in the cell and Jumped to the northern section of Miot. Jormon and Gaz Jumped several yards away and together they entered the city, not bothering to explain to those gawking.

  “Haven’t passed through this area before.” Cage admitted as he took in cobbled streets and wooden homes. Many were out and about. Off to the right, about a mile to the west were the docks and only a handful of sailboats. People were going about their business until they walked by, especially with Gaz’s fierce figure. People still gave a wide berth, even knowing he wasn’t some everyday bear. Beyond them, Cage noticed that there were fewer shacks on this end of Miot, but he knew to the eastern area was where he burned down the first of Tran’s buildings and it brought back memories of what happened to Meeka. Those memories made him angry, but yesterday sealed the dealer’s fate.

  “It’s been about ten years myself. Miot sure has grown.” Jormon responded. “Back then the duke’s castle was still under construction and the town was more like Kote is today. Despite the apparent growth, I can sense turmoil.”

  Gaz dipped his grizzled brown head. “As can I. The people here seem more frightened of me than they once were. It is good we came. This tension is not good for prosperity and will only make the city restless. Why were we not told of this sooner?” He asked his partner.

  “I do not know, Old Friend.”

  Cage said “Corruption starts slow and many prefer not to face the truth till it becomes unavoidable.” The two agreed with a bob of their head. “Gaz, before we reach the barracks, tell me, can your sharper sense of smell detect drugs?”

  The grizzly bear Familiar stopped and tilted his snout up and tested the air more critically. “It is certain that opium is produced here in great quantities. And we have wind at our backs. For me to smell it means the scents lingers in every object of the city. There is no doubt that we must stop this before we do have to fully assault the city.”

  “Then we must press on.” Jormon said.

  “What is your business here?!” Came a gruff voice that drew attention to a resident home guard approaching them with a hand resting on the pommel of a sword. “You are disturbing the peace with that beast. Put it on a leash, Mage.”

  Jormon flushed with indignation as Gaz growled to the pompous man. “And just who are you to tell me what to do? He is no beast. He is a Familiar and…”

  The home guard man held up a hand. “I do not care who you are, Mage. In this city all animals are leashed by order of the duke himself. Now are you going to comply or am I going to have you arrested for disturbing the peace?”

  Before Jormon blew a vein, Cage put a hand over Gaz’s neck and created a black rope. “Forgive my friend. See, I’ve leashed my Familiar. Now is there anything else or are you going to continue to harass us?”

  Gaz and Jormon glared at Cage’s audacity, but when the bear moved, he felt no pressure around his neck, it was just an illusion so he didn’t struggle. The guard said smugly “You’re smarter than your friend here. Better make sure I don’t see the beast off its leash again or you’ll be sorry.” He grinned in victory, flaunting superiority over those he despised. “Now where is it you are heading?”

  “To my grandson’s funeral if you must know.” Cage answered.

  “Grandson?” The man’s eyes bulged for a minute. “Filthy cursed mages. Bah! Off with you!”

  Dismissed, Cage glanced at the two cryptically and moved ahead while the guard watched closely.

  “Worse than I imagined.” Jormon whispered. “Quick thinking, Cage. I almost incinerated the fool. We cannot delay… Gaz, are you alright? Is the leash bothersome?”

  “It is but an illusion. Cage didn’t add substance to it.” The bear moved quickly for a moment to show as his furry neck passed through the blackness.

  Together they rounded a corner and to make sure they weren’t seen anymore, Cage crafted an invisibilit
y barrier and dropped the leash illusion. Now that they couldn’t be seen, they picked up their pace.

  Ten minutes later, Jormon led them to a rundown building and signaled Cage to drop the barrier. Out front stood two swordsmen beside a door wearing the standard blue crow sewn into grey shirts. Their arrival had the men tense and go for their swords till they recognized the mage and bear. “Lord Jormon?” one of the men asked.

  “Yes, it is I. Is the captain in?” The sorcerer asked.

  “Sir, we rarely leave these quarters. The Duke issued orders we remain in the area, said there were dangers only we could handle, but we’ve seen no action and the home guard keeps an eye on us. Do you know what’s going on around here?” The other man quickly informed.

  “Inside, both of you.” Jormon ordered and he, Cage and Gaz followed up the steps.

  The inner room grew quickly as soldiers rushed in and formed lines along cots laid in the room. They all snapped to attention, obviously ready to do something and leave the dilapidated conditions they had been living in recently. At the front stood a man in chainmail with the decorations of a Vlaran captain. Cage counted sixty men all ready to do anything. The captain saluted and said “Our prayers have been answered. Lord Jormon, what will you have of us?”

  “At ease, Men.” The sorcerer said and the room exhaled and turned to them. “This here is Cage.”

  The captain’s eyes met black. “Sir, is he…”

  “Yes, the very one who saved our king from assassination. It is he who has brought me here to fix the problem in the city. Before I give you your orders, tell me what has been happening as of late.”

  Cage leaned up against a beam of wood and listened to the report of the soldiers, hearing mostly his suspicions confirmed by these men. The only thing of difference was the captain said one of his men went missing two days ago when ordered to find out what plot is happening. They expected the worst. Towards the end Cage moved to ask “Give me something of his.”