by Jon Bender
Hours later, he awoke to the sound of horns blaring. Jumping from the cot, he quickly donned his armor and sword before stepping out into the calm predawn air. From the sound of fighting, he immediately knew this was no probing raid but a full attack. Above, he saw durgen already in the air. The riders slept near their mounts to be able to react quickly. From their position in the sky, Cribble could guess where the fighting was taking place. The militia was attacking from three sides, trying to overwhelm the camp. He guessed that the reason they were not completely surrounded was because Darat wanted them to withdraw through the single opening.
Running to where his horse was cobbled, he mounted the animal and grabbed the signal horn. Filling his lungs with as much air as they could hold, he blew a note that overpowered all the other sounds. Instantly, men who had been running to the perimeter turned to find the source. Seeing their commander sitting tall on his mount, they changed direction to answer the rallying call. Within minutes, two hundred men surrounded him in formation. Those with horns echoed the signal to regroup. From his vantage, Cribble could see his forces pulling back as the durgen did their best to cover them with the militia pouring in behind. The losses they would suffer as the men fell back would be great. Just when he had resigned himself to that fact, walls of flame erupted from the snow, breaking the enemy’s charge and slowing their momentum. On another side of the camp, Tamrick had erected barriers with tall, thick brambles. The militia was forced to stop and hack their way through the thick vegetation. Between the durgen and the mages, most of the men made it to the center of the camp where they joined the square formation. Cribble watched as archers worked their way towards the center while spearmen moved to the outside. Their training may just save them from complete destruction today. He could make out his captains on horseback moving along behind their men, shouting directions and encouragement. The enemy had yet to advance, but he could now see them reforming beyond the barriers in preparation for a charge. From among the tents, he could make out Tamrick and the fire mage riding towards them, each with an escort of Guard jogging beside. The riders were circling as they steadily made their way closer, covering a group of soldiers in retreat.
“What now?” Tamrick asked when he reached Cribble.
“How long will your plants and flames last?”
“Not long,” he said, looking about the disheveled camp. “It seems we have a way out if we want it.”
“Which is exactly why we can’t take it,” Cribble said as the fire mage joined them.
“I guessed as much. We have no choice but to win or be cut apart. We have already lost one mage,” Tamrick said. Cribble noted that the storm mage was absent.
Cribble was about to reply when Brenin hovered in low before landing next to them. “We are really in it now. Their numbers are more than twice our own,” Brenin said. He was not smiling anymore.
“We have been outnumbered the entire time we have been in this cursed kingdom. Why should that change now?” Cribble spat, doing his best to project an air of confidence.
“What do you want me to do?” Brenin asked. His resolve firmed at hearing his commander’s unconcerned tone.
Concentrate your arrows on the front line of the largest group. Make them rethink wanting to be first to meet us. Afterwards, keep your riders moving and support any part of the formation under the most pressure,” Cribble said. The young captain saluted and took to the air once more.
“You really think we can win?” Tamrick asked once Brenin was aloft.
“We’ll win or we’ll die,” he said.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the militia hacked their way through the brambles. The fire mage released his hold on the flames in preparation to meet those pouring forth. With the barriers no longer hindering a unified attack, horns sounded from the militia, followed by the roar of thousands of voices. The enemy rushed forward, and the durgen were on them in seconds. The riders quick-fired arrows into the leading wave, and most found their marks. Cribble could already see the lag in that section of the enemy line as they slowed or tripped over the bodies of their fallen comrades. Even with the delay, the militia slammed into his lines with an earth shattering force, many impaling themselves on the spears of his men as those behind pushed forward. The Ale’adarian formation held, and the fight was on. Beyond his men, Cribble could see columns of smoke rising as fires were set to their tents and wagons.
Chapter 22
The four apprentices stood before him with their magical barriers raised to intercept the two coils that whipped between. He held back when a coil struck the barriers of the newest additions to their school. Both were young, having manifested only just before Laiden found the twins. The girl, Willamina, preferred to be called Mina. She gritted her teeth in determination as the coil struck three times in rapid succession, sending the snow around her into the air. Her brother Nas was different. He saw casting as a game. Already, he had learned to manipulate his barrier so that when struck, the coil would slip to the side, reducing the impact and, as an added bonus, hit his sister’s shield as well. The girl gave him an angry look every time he did it. Mina on the other hand, sought perfection in each cast. She strove to use the least amount of energy while forming it perfectly. Both styles had merit, and Alimar was glad to have such gifted students.
Laiden had found the two living in the city with their parents, who had reopened an abandoned inn, naming it The Twins after their children. Alimar had been forced to go himself to speak with Master and Mistress Telus about allowing their children to join the school. They had refused to listen to Laiden when he had brought the matter up and were clearly frightened about their only children controlling such frightening magic. Like the others who had come to Terika, they knew which school called the city their home, but living in the city where they would likely never see these mages was one thing. Having their children performing that magic was another entirely. In the end, he had convinced them, pointing out that regardless of whether or not Nas and Mina apprenticed under him, they would still be casting. Without the Death Mage School, they would likely have to hide what they were or be treated with fear by everyone around them. No one would openly attack them in this city, but they risked being treated like pariahs by those who did not understand. The twins had been excited at the opportunity, already having experimented with their new abilities. Since that time, the two had lived in the palace, returning to the inn every sixth day to visit their parents. Alimar had offered them a place in the palace as well, but they had declined.
Releasing the coils, Alimar watched as the four barriers shimmered and disappeared. “Good job, all of you. You two, go and get something to eat while I speak with Kasric and Laiden.” As the twins left, Mina shoved her brother hard enough to send him a few steps to the side.
“It’s been almost a month, Laiden. You haven’t found any others?” he asked.
Laiden shrugged. “The only other I found was an earth mage, and I sent him south to join the mages in Ale’adar.”
Laiden had not mentioned this other mage before. Alimar pushed aside a feeling of annoyance. Having been given more responsibility, they would naturally start making decisions without consulting him. Alimar also knew that they had been lucky with the twins. It was foolish to think he would be able to match the Mages’ Castle in only a few short months.
“How are you doing with the risen?” he asked Kasric.
“I am making progress. Laiden has visited the warehouse many times to help me. There are only ten new durgen. I think we have found all we are going to between here and Chams’dell. If we want to add more, I will have to travel north into the forest near the Blue Peak Mountains,” Kasric said.
“For now, concentrate on the soldiers. What are their numbers?”
“We have added another hundred to the original thousand,” he said looking away.
“Why so few? I know the collection teams have come back with more than that,” Alimar said.
“I am close to fin
ishing my… project, and I have been spending more time on that.”
“And you still refuse to show it to me?” Alimar asked sighing. Kasric had claimed another warehouse in the city for his project, placing risen guards around it to keep out the curious. Thus far, Alimar had let the man continue without pressing, but it was now interfering with the creation of their risen force.
“I will show it to you when I am done, Magus. I promise that it will be well worth the time I have spent on it,” he said, meeting Alimar’s eyes.
“You may continue, but you had better be right. For now, Laiden, set aside the search and help him catch up on the risen. Take the twins with you. I know Mina has an aversion to the risen soldiers, but she is going to have to move past it,” Alimar said.
“Yes, Magus,” they said in unison.
As the two apprentices left to carry out his orders, Alimar returned to the Vault. He had spent much of his time there of late. The cataloging of the items had ground to a halt when he came across a book transplanted from the library. He had read much of what was contained in the many volumes, but he was nowhere near completing them all. This particular book now resided amongst the enchanted items. Within its pages were descriptions of magical casts that he had not even considered, not only for his school but the others as well. One, in particular, could only be performed by a death mage. Sitting down at the table, Alimar channeled a small flow of energy into the silver medallion around his neck, causing it to glow softly as he read. The cast would open a portal into the next realm where the essence of a person traveled at death. The writing claimed that the energy used by all mages originated in other planes. The exception were the death mages, who drew their power from energy left behind when living beings died. These planes could be tapped directly, but not without great risk to the world. Death mages could access the plane where the essence of the dead resided. The book described how that plane could be drawn from directly to call an essence back into the world and fuel powerful magic.
Holding out his hand towards the center of the room, he concentrated on gathering the energy there instead of drawing it into himself. He felt that energy compacting and growing until it manifested as a swirling ball of dark blue and grey. The strain of holding so much in one place was great enough that he wanted to let it go, but he held on. The energy ripped through the barrier, creating a ragged tear in the air and showering the vault with bright white light. Standing, he moved closer to the tear. From the other side, he felt raw power making his skin tingle. He stared into the other place where vague shapes moved about. One stopped and stared back at him before moving on.
Gathering his resolve, he raised a hand. He had come this far and would not turn back now. Casting into the tear, he whispered, “Renea, my love, come to me.”
He felt a pull on the energy he sent into the tear, as if something had grabbed hold and was pulling itself toward him. In the distance, he could make out one of the forms moving quickly toward him. As it came closer, the form took on the shape of woman.
On the other side of the tear was a face Alimar had not seen in many years. His heart thudded in his chest, threatening to burst forth.
The woman’s long blond hair and white dress flowed about her. “Alimar, what have you done?”
“I needed to see you,” he said, reaching towards his wife.
Renea drew back. “You cannot. What you have done is dangerous.”
“I have missed you so much,” he said, his voice quavering.
Her features softened, and she moved closer to the tear, holding her hand up just on the other side. Alimar passed his fingers through the tear, feeling a brief resistance until finally he held her warm hand in his. She brought his hand up to hold it against her face. Alimar thought he might collapse from joy.
“And I have missed you. But you must not do this again. The power you draw from your world is the echo of this plane, but the consequences of drawing directly from the dead would be catastrophic.”
“I don’t understand,” he said. She smiled softly, releasing his hand, then reached through the tear herself. As her fingers crossed over, the power he was continuously gathering to maintain the door increased. It felt as if another mage had joined with him, adding their strength to his. It felt so amazing that at first he did not notice Vaneese’s fingers turning black.
He saw the pain on her face as she forced her hand all the way through. “Stop it!” he yelled.
She withdrew her hand, and he watched it slowly revert to normal its normal color. “To draw from this plane is to draw on the dead. You would destroy us.”
“But I can still speak to you, like we are now,” he said.
“To what end, my love? Will you spend the rest of your days here? No,” she said firmly. “You must live your life, and finish what you have set out to do. When your times comes, we will be together again, but not before. I will not willingly come to you again, and I hope you will not force me.”
Alimar shook his head. “I am sorry,” he whispered. She looked at him with sorrow. “It was not your fault. I do not blame you. I would change nothing if it meant losing the time we had together.”
Alimar nodded. “I love you.”
“I love you,” she said with a gentle smile.
Unable to endure the pain any longer, he cast to close the doorway. The last thing he saw before it sealed was her beautiful, smiling face. Walking back to the table, he slammed the book closed, caring nothing for what else it may contain. He placed his hands on the course wood, dropping tears on the leather cover.
Chapter 23
With the Kelran mages returned, Jaxom decided that he would lead the total of his forces as one of the scout units. He and Adriana agreed that they would stay near each other until the end but her riders would be divided to escort the three columns as planned. The terrain was as Enrick had said--rocky and difficult to traverse. Looking over his shoulder, Jaxom silently took account of his companions, ensuring that none had fallen behind. Darian, Da’san, and Lord Wilbrin rode nearby, ahead of the soldiers from Terika. Behind them were the risen, which now matched the soldiers in numbers. Bringing up the rear rode Lexa on her durgen mount with Warin riding next to her. The man now wore the magically constructed arm at all times while awake, maintaining it now was almost natural to him. Returning his eyes forward, Jaxom reached out to the risen. He had sent his emora and the four shades ahead to watch for any surprises. So far, they had yet to find anything out of the ordinary.
Looking up he could just make out a durgen in the air above the center column. The sight reminded him that Allar had been displeased to find out the creatures were under Jaxom’s control. The man had yet to openly challenge Jaxom, but he had done his best to drive a wedge
between them and the king. Enrick had received the worst of the earth mage’s ire.
“I can’t wait to return to our own bed,” Adriana said.
Jaxom smiled at her. “Agreed.”
“How is your brother?”
Jaxom had spoken to Corin through the whispering stones that morning. “Well enough. He is traveling through Azuria to meet with King Alexar on the border of Bruxa.”
“Does he really think that he can join everyone together under one banner?”
“I don’t see why any wouldn’t join if they don’t support Or’Keer,” he said, gazing at the snow covered land.
“And those who don’t, we deal with as we have Tandis,” she said not meaning it as a question.
“If we have to. I hope that the dark god will realize the folly of his ways and give up.”
Adriana scoffed. “I don’t think we have done much more than annoy him so far. It feels like he is barely paying attention to anything we do. He is happy to let others do his fighting for him.”
“We know that he is building an army in the eastern kingdoms. It could be that all his efforts here have simply been to soften our resistance for the real battle. Corin is gathering as many as he can to fight back when the time comes.”
“Where are we in all of that?” she asked.
“I will help Corin, and I hope you will be next to me,” he said, looking into her eyes.
“I will have to,” Adriana laughed. “Who knows what witless court lady will come along to seduce you if I am not around. I have spent too much time domesticating you to let some other woman benefit from all my hard work.”
Jaxom was shaking his head in amusement when he felt the connection to one of his risen shades end abruptly. He reached out to his emora and assumed control of its body. His senses sharpened instantly and he picked up the faint odor of men on the cold breeze. Following the scent, he shifted his body to blend into the snow. Moving through the trunks, he located its source--a large group of conscripted soldiers, smelling sharply of fear and apprehension. He estimated their numbers to be over two hundred. Commanding the emora to return him, Jaxom pulled his mind back to his own body.
Adriana was staring at him. “What is it?” she demanded.
“Soldiers coming our way. Get into the air and see if anyone else is under attack.” Adriana nodded and kicked her durgen into a run before lifting from the ground.
Reaching out to the remaining shades, he commanded them to return as well, then instructed the risen forces behind him to spread out in a line. Noticing the sudden shift in formation, the others moved forward to find out what was going on. “We are about to have company, at least two hundred men and possibly a priest,” Jaxom said. Lord Wilbrin nodded and ordered his men to fan out behind the risen.
“What makes you think there is a priest?” Warin asked.
“Something destroyed one of the risen before it could react,” Jaxom replied.
“Lexa, fly above. Give a warning if you see anything,” Warin said. The apprentice did as she was instructed without a word.
