Rise of the Citadel (The Search for the Brights Book 2)

by Aaron Thomas

  Twilix smiled a devious smile as Brandon turned red in the face and tried to think of something to say. The seamstress and Twilix disappeared inside the ice sphere leaving him to squirm.

  The seamstress seemed nervous to approach Kara so Twilix walked down the ice stairway and started to walk through the icy water at the bottom. Twilix formed the water into a stream that she poured all over Kara. The water hissed and steamed and Twilix reformed the ceiling’s thickness before turning her attention to the statue of a woman at the entrance.

  “I know. It is not normal to see magic being used, but I need you to come and do your job. I will let no harm come to you. She is asleep and will be for some time. I have cooled her so you can touch her as long as you do not take too long. Be careful coming down the stairs, they are made of ice and are very slick.”

  The girl nodded, carefully walked down the stairs and crossed to the center of the sphere to Kara. She pulled a string out of her basket and began measuring lengths of Kara’s arms and legs. Twilix assisted crossing with the tape under her body to measure her waist and bust. The woman shook as she worked. Twilix was unsure if it was because of Kara or because of the cold temperature. Twilix used magic to cause the water in the air to heat up a bit but the woman’s hands did not stop shaking. Twilix put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. The entire city had grown up on horror stories about fire wizards and the destruction they caused. She began to understand a small amount of what Mary had to face every day.

  “I know it is scary, but this girl will not harm you,” Twilix reassured her.

  The woman nodded but said nothing. She finished her work and quickly made her way up the stairs. Twilix cooled the air again and cooled the ice that formed the ceiling already starting to melt. The woman was gone without saying a word. Twilix made her way out of the icy room. By the time she reached the sunlight, the woman had already crossed the training field trying to put as much distance between her and the fire wizard as she could. Twilix knew she should find Kara more leather to wear, something that fit better than what she had previously. Kara had grown a substantial amount. She wouldn’t fit into the leather pants made to fit Mary. She had already grown taller than Mary and now matched Twilix.

  Brandon had already gone on to the business he needed to conduct for the day. Twilix thought she had better not travel too far from Kara, so she sat on a small stool next to a tent that was made for her. Twilix looked over the books that were brought down. She and Kilen had once discussed the book, The Dark Army. She had read it twice more since the discussion. She opened the book and read its contents again, looking for any weakness she could find for the coming days. The question that Kilen had asked about how to fight a soul wizard resonated in her brain. None of the books say how to combat a soul wizard if found, or how to find them. It scared her to think that one could already be amongst the people, plotting and learning. If there ever came a time when she would need to face a soul wizard, she wanted to be ready.

  **********

  Max had kept up a faster pace than Kilen had anticipated, having them arrive at Kesterton earlier than he wanted. The sun was still sitting on the horizon and showed the small pirate ships at the docks. Their sails looked like the ribs of an animal with shafts running lengthwise across them to help keep their shape. Each ship was made in the same fashion; being small and having a pointed front to slice through the water. Their front sale was shaped more like a cone with the other sails angling the wind into the front. He had seen pictures of the ships in his school books and even learned a little of the pirates culture. He noticed on some ships the symbols of magic carved into the bow. Some had none of the symbols and some had all four.

  The pirates were not so much a different race or species of human like the Kapal; they were merely a different culture with different language and customs. Only the pirates knew their history. Kilen would love to find out how they came to be and how they lived with one another. He heard stories of how they were ruthless outlaws with a greed for supplies and money.

  The pirates made port at a couple of places in the elemental realms, but never left their ship. They often shouted their demands to the dock master and awaited delivery. The pirates traded goods they had stolen. They paid in stolen gold for goods at two to three times the normal price.

  He knew they didn't have a fear of the land or the docks because of Kesterton. Houses and docks were built up for as far as Kilen could see. Workers filled gardens and a few fields that ranged all the way to the edge of the mountains. The houses were all sizes and shapes from flat roofs to angled. Some had tile shingles, some mud, and others wood. Kilen thought that perhaps when visiting other cultures, they adopted some of their structures into their own. Most of the structures near the water were on wooden beams sticking out from the ground. As the sun set, the buildings farther inland began to look like they were sinking in the water as the tide came in. Once it reached their foundation, it looked as if they were floating.

  The sound of the water crashing on the shore was rhythmic and mesmerizing. He sat alone in a dip of land on an upper portion of the beach. The brush was high and allowed him some cover as he spied in on the people that walked up and down the docks of the town. Alexander warned him about going through the town and told him to go around, but now that he was here, the town seemed to go all the way to the mountains. Even Joahna and Max were having a hard time finding a way around the village. Kilen thought that, with Jace’s help, he could make his way through undetected.

  The walkways and buildings were all elevated off the ground. If Kilen came close enough to the dry land, he would be able to go directly underneath the buildings to get through the town. He knew he would have to wait for nightfall and for all of his friends to assist him. Kilen kept his armor covered, as it was a polished set and was afraid that it would be easily seen from the boats. If he moved through the town he wouldn’t be able to wear his armor due to the noise it would make. He needed to have Max carry some of it for him. A small dirt devil swirled on the beach and moved out towards the water and ruffled a sail on a couple boats. He knew it was Jace checking in.

  Kilen watched the people from behind the screen of dried grass still waving in the fresh ocean wind. He kept his movements slow to avoid detection and only moved when the grass wavered to obscure it. He watched as men, women, and children went about the last tasks of the day before the sun set. Every one of the pirates that he could see wore nothing on their feet. They ran, walked, danced, and even stomped to the beat of small drum a man played, all while wearing no shoes. Men and women alike wore pants that went just below the knee and gathered into a sort of puff. The extra clothing gathered in at the waist and was colored with reds and oranges. The men wore vests of matching colors and displayed tattoos proudly as they walked around. The women wore linen shirts to cover their chest that were cut off at the sleeve. Some wore vests over their linen shirt but it seemed a more fancy type of vest with lace and embroidery. Each person had dark skin from spending time in the sun. The dark brown skin made the white ink tattoos all the more prevalent. He hadn’t read anything about what kind of clothes the pirates wore or what their towns looked like. He made sure to take mental notes on everything he wanted to write down for others to read. He couldn’t afford to take out a quill and paper to start writing at the chance he might be seen.

  The sun was sinking about halfway into the water. This was the first time he had ever seen a body of water so vast that he couldn’t see the trees on the other side. Lake leviathan was large, but trees on the horizon on the far side could always be seen. Kilen watched the reflection on the waves out in the distance and wished Kara could have been there to see it. The clear ocean sky revealed colors he had not thought possible; shades of orange and purple too magnificent to ever be captured on paper.

  A small white bird fluttered into Kilen’s hiding spot. He knew it was Joahna and wasn’t startled. A tiny man seemed to grow out of the sand beside Kilen. Soon, a light breeze brushed Kilen’s skin
. All of the men were there with them. He was sure things would start to get interesting.

  Joahna spoke first like always, “There is not a very safe place to cross around the town. Every place I found, Kilen will be visible to the workers.”

  Jace’s voice was more like a whisper on the wind, “The men on the water watch every direction. They have decent sentries on the outskirts of town as well. I have found that there are also wizards on those boats. If he is detected you can be sure there will be magic involved.”

  “We know all too well the dangers of the pirates. The fights are common on the ridges to the south of the Fire Realm,” Max spoke of the pirates as if they were a plague. “Their swords are strong and thick and they know how to use them well. Kilen was not trained to fight against their swordplay.”

  Each spoke in turn as if Kilen was not even present. They talked about the dangers and waiting until the majority of the town had fallen asleep. They even talked about having Kilen swim around the boats but they were unsure how long it would take to go around.

  “I am in charge here, remember.” His statement silenced all of them so he continued, “I am going under the town. The pillars on their buildings raise far enough that I can go underneath with little difficulty. Max will have to carry my armor. Jace and Joahna, I will need a distraction.”

  Kilen knew not to trust any look on the elemental’s face because it would have taken an effort to make a movement to give away emotions. He watched their blank faces for a moment before turning over to check how far down the sun was. The top of the sun barely touched the horizon and soon the city would plummet into darkness. Torches were being lit throughout the town, casting weird shadows onto the beach below. Kilen dug in his bag and pulled out a dark brown colored cloak. He knew it was a darker brown than the sand he would have to cross but it was the closest he had to a match. Still, none of the elementals spoke so Kilen decided to act on his own. Slowly, Kilen used water magic to create a light fog starting under the buildings closest to the city. He let it drift in all directions as the light continued to fade.

  Joahna grumbled, “Jace, you may have to make yourself a ghost. I will help with the fog.” Kilen didn't understand what Joahna meant by “ghost” but released his hold on the fog and let Joahna take over. The fog started to drift in from all directions and stretched a lot farther than Kilen could have made it. He watched until he could barely make out the shadows that the torches made on the buildings.

  Kilen turned to max, still resting in the form of a tiny man.

  “Probably change into something they won’t notice?” Kilen asked.

  Max formed himself into a blob that melted into the ground and reformed underneath Kilens supplies as a goat. The goat walked off out of the grass and under the docks. Kilen felt stupid for even thinking of ordering the others around as he watched the goat disappear into the fog. Kilen watched the way Max had gone. The fog swirled at the height of a man. The fog moved but Kilen was unsure what he was seeing. When he looked closer he could make out the individual details of a man’s form in the fog but it lacked a body. The human-shaped emptiness continued to walk right up to Kilen, finally kneeling down to look him in the face.

  Jace’s voice came out as a whisper on the wind, “I will lead.”

  The hair on the back of Kilen’s neck stood on end as he stayed back from the hooded ghost-like figure walking through the fog. He tried to remember all Jace had taught him about staying unnoticed in his training. Kilen lowered himself and put the hood on his cloak barely over his face to keep him unrecognizable. The entire town was quiet except for the waves crashing on the beach. As Kilen got nearer the town, he could hear the voices of the inhabitants.

  Their language was none he had ever heard of before, and was another thing that wasn’t described by the books he had read about them. Each sound of their speech was fast and contained only one syllable. He was unable to make out any words he knew. Whatever they were saying, they sounded angry to Kilen. Then he heard them laugh and continue in the same type of speaking as before. The speech was short and punctuated and kept a fast rhythm.

  Using his water vision, Kilen saw a ball of water drift across the room above to a mug. One of the people in the room above him was using water magic. He saw the water heating the room to keep it warm inside. Kilen also knew that if the wielder was using water magic then they could use it to see him underneath the building. Kilen rushed to get under a different structure. He ran from pillar to pillar under the elevated town trying to avoid open spots between walkways. He stopped to check and see if anyone had discovered him and heard only silence. He used the water vision and was able to see a man holding a single finger to his lips. Kilen listened as waves crashed against the pillars down the shore from him and he felt the cool water run over the top of his boots.

  The man who held his hands to his lips pointed down to where Kilen was standing. He had been discovered. Kilen watched as dwellers of the building started pulling daggers and thick curved swords from their belts and shelves. Kilen counted six in the tiny room above. A couple vanished from his water sight, creating a void like Twilix had done before. Slowly, one opened the door and spoke. Soon a man from a neighboring building spoke as well. Kilen felt the water touch his ankles as he tried to blend in with the pillars. The fogged thickened so that only those with water magic would be able to see farther than the reach of their own hand.

  Kilen knew this was a sign from Joahna to run and he did, splashing his way through the hidden pillars below the town. Kilen could hear shouting and feet scrambling on the decks and walkways above his head. With the combination of fog and a near moonless night, it was hard to see the pillars he was running between. He could hear the splashing of men jumping from the decks into the water. Kilen was now up to mid shin in the water.

  A loud boom shook the ground and then the sky lit with an unnatural light. That boom was followed by more. Kilen peeked out from under one of the decks to see streaks of fire flying towards the heavens. A few seconds into the climb, the streaks would explode giving light to the night. Men jumped to the ground all around Kilen, unsure of where exactly he was at. They spoke to one another in their punctuated language. Kilen said nothing until Jace formed himself in the fog next him. He pointed the direction Kilen needed to go, and Kilen nodded back in response.

  Jace disappeared and Kilen watched as he reappeared in front of one of the men and swung a sword of fog. The man used his curved blade to block nothing but air. Jace’s form exploded and reformed behind him, slicing the man’s leg with a thin, forceful wind. Under the next building Kilen stopped and thought about the man with the sliced leg and others he heard crying out in pain. Kilen was sure that besides the men who could use water magic, he had been unseen. Jace walked out of the shadows and watched as a man with a bow shot an arrow through his ghostlike form. The man was thrown up against a building by a gust of wind before his body slumped to the ground.

  Max grew out of the sand with swords in both hands, “Your armor is on the other side of the city. We need to get you out of here. Follow me and Jace.”

  Kilen grabbed the sand figure by the shoulder, “Max, remember you cannot kill anyone.”

  Max stopped and turned around, his rock face barely visible in the thick fog. Max’s growling reply showed his frustration, “That will make it more difficult to get you out of here alive.”

  “I don’t need any more voices in my head, Max. Especially ones that none of us understand,” Kilen said looking about for his next hiding spot.

  Jace’s voice whispered, “Then stop waiting around for them to find you and move!”

  It didn’t take long for Kilen to get to splashing his way through the knee-deep water as he heard men cry out in pain and swords clash. The fire continued to burn in the sky, giving glimpses above of areas between buildings and walkways.

  The fog was stationary and Kilen made his way out of it as he left the fighting behind him. He understood the plan. Joahna, Max, and Jace wo
uld continue to fight as the pirates came at the fog to stop the intruder that had come in their town. Only, the pirates would find his elementals to fight.

  The tide was rising quickly now, making it hard for Kilen to move fast or quietly under the buildings. He crossed an open spot and fell into the cold salt water. A pain in his leg stopped him from getting back to his feet. Kilen floated in the water and pushed himself to float underneath the next building. He put his back to one of the pillars and with his good leg, he lifted himself to a half-standing position. Looking down, he saw a crossbow bolt sticking from the side of his leg. Kilen moved around the pillar to hide himself from anyone on the walkway. The bolt was sunk deep into his leg with only the feathers sticking out of his thigh. Kilen knew he had to keep moving before more discovered where he was.

  He heard a splash behind him, followed by another. He used the water vision to see daggers being drawn. He wished the tide had come up enough so he could just swim from the men instead of having to drag his leg behind him while trying to escape. It occurred to him that he could make this happen.

  Concentrating, Kilen pulled at the tide, causing it to rise at a rapid rate. Kilen sunk down into the water, letting only his head show above surface. The men approaching had to hold onto pillars to keep from being swept inland. The building’s wood beams creaked under the sudden rush of waves. Kilen did his best to travel from one beam to the other but the men still pursued him. Kilen was hopeful one of his friends would find him and help him to the edge of the town.

  While holding on to the one of the beams, Kilen came to the realisation that he was very weak and vulnerable compared to the others. He was the weak link; not only in skill, in magic or in sword, but in flesh. He knew without them, he wouldn’t have lasted as long as he had. Without his elemental friends, his sister and comrades would probably be dead as well. The thought made him grateful and more courageous. He scrambled in his mind to figure out a way to keep himself alive. He owed it to his spirit friends to survive.