by Bob Blink
“Not that I have been able to discover,” Lyes said sadly. He felt badly, for as a mage, he often was able to simply “know” the inherent spell once he learned the spoken, symbolic version. That had not happened in this case. From what he could tell, it was not available to his inherent magic.
Daim frowned and cursed. “That is unfortunate. But, this is great news nonetheless. Please, let me find Ash’urn and a few others. Perhaps you can demonstrate.”
Fortunately, Ash’urn was back from his most recent trip and a short time later walked into the room where the others had already gathered.
“What about Nycoh?” Ash’urn asked, not seeing their most capable wizard.
“She’s not here,” Daim explained. “No one has seen her for more than a day.”
Ash’urn didn’t like the sound of that. He couldn’t help but wonder if something might have happened to her. Perhaps she was in Sedfair where she spent most of her time. He’d have to check later. Perhaps a messenger sent to Rigo.
“This is best demonstrated outside,” Lyes warned.
Daim nodded, and the group followed him through the Bypass that took them outside on top of the rocky hillside that hid the Outpost.
“Show us how it works,” Daim said, anxious to have the magic available to them. It had been the source of far too much destruction in the hands of Carif.
Lyes demonstrated the staff that the former Saltique had carried, indicating the string of runes and glyphs that had had them stumped for so long. Then, he pointed to a large rocky outcropping across the valley, and speaking precisely and loudly so the others could get a sense of the spell, he triggered the powerful magic.
A bright emerald beam formed and lashed out across the valley. Lyes was able to direct it to the spot he’d pointed out, and the group watched as large chucks of rock were blasted free where the beam struck. Lyes walked it across the base of the outcropping, and as he reached the far side, the massive pillar of stone shuddered, and then began to fall. It would have taken a great many wizards simultaneously focusing their Brightfire on the spot to cause such an effect.
Lyes grinned at the group, then handed the staff to Fen, who quickly triggered a spell of his own, once again releasing the greenish magic. He turned to Daim
“It’s like most combat magic. The symbols aren’t tied to the Caster.”
Daim smiled, but was troubled. He had heard triggering phrases for a while now, and it was clear this one wasn’t simple. He wondered how many of his people would be able to master it quickly.
Ash’urn had stepped forward, looking more frail than Daim had realized in the harsh outdoor light. He suddenly understood why Shara had been so concerned about him. He reached out and took the staff from Fen, examining the symbols once again. He had stared at them for many glass over the past weeks. Now they had revealed their secrets.
With his keen ear and the long practice he had with the symbolic magic, Ash’urn had no trouble repeating the phrase that he’d just heard from Lyes and Fen. Once again, the powerful magic lanced forth, cutting through the distant stone. He smiled at the success of his efforts, and handed the staff back to Fen.
“A remarkable effort,” he said to them both. “This will make a big difference.”
“Will it penetrate one of the shields the Baldari are using?” Daim asked. “What about the personal shield that Caster Shym has hid behind?”
“We don’t know,” Lyes said honestly. “It will be something we have to try. It should have a far better chance than anything else we have used.”
“It won’t,” said Nycoh, who had suddenly appeared. “The magic wouldn’t penetrate the weak shield I could create, so I doubt it will be able to punch through the more effective protection that the captured Caster demonstrated. May I?” she asked, reaching for the staff.
Once again the powerful magic lashed across the valley, and all present could see how much brighter the beam that Nycoh triggered was compared to those the others had generated. She had only needed to hear the trigger phrase spoken once before her keen ear and skill allowed her to duplicate the words herself.
“Perhaps I will be proven wrong,” Nycoh said, as she handed the staff back to Fen. “It is more powerful than I would have expected.”
Daim shook his head. “I am concerned how few will be able to master the spell,” he said. “I know I will be unable to do so, at least without a great deal of practice. We will require many staffs and to start classes on how to speak the trigger.”
Ash’urn walked over. “Perhaps we can use the same approach we used with Brightfire. The small wands were sufficient, and we have a large force of Patrolmen who were able to learn that trigger. I’ll bet many will be able to learn this new phrase and therefore produce a force that can help guard the cities around the Three Kingdoms. There are far more of them than wizards anyway. Put those wizards who have demonstrated some ability with symbolic magic in the same classes, and we might have a reasonably sized force quicker than you think.”
“You’re in charge,” Daim said to Ash’urn. “You got it to work last time. See what you can do this time.” He turned to Lyes and Fen. “Thank you. You may have just given us hope against an impossible situation.”
Daim turned back to Ash’urn. “If the Repository has been able to reveal this magic to us so soon, it might be able to show us other things we need. For one, I would like to find the secret of the shields that are being used. Perhaps you and Nycoh could oversee working with Lyes, and having a team going through all the texts we have to see if anything useful turns up?”
The demonstration over, a Bypass was created to take everyone back inside. Daim was speaking to Nycoh.
“I want to find a suitable pillar of stone, and enhance it the same way as the stone surrounding the Outpost. It will be informative to see how resistant our fortress is against this weapon. If it cuts through the stone that protects us so easily, this place will be indefensible.”
As he was talking, Daim noticed that Rigo was headed their way. He must have heard of the attack and had come to see what could be done. Daim wasn’t prepared for the news that Rigo and Mitty brought.
“Burke is lost?” Daim asked. “You are certain?” he asked Mitty.
“I believe they were taken alive, but I cannot be sure,” Mitty said. She described exactly what she had seen.
“The fact they were taken suggests they might have been close to something,” someone suggested. “We need to send someone to check.”
“No!” Mitty said emphatically. “It is a trap. Anyone who goes to check will be killed or captured as well. I cannot say how, but I sense it to be true. Burke and his team are not there anyway. As I explained, A Doorway was opened to take them away. There is no way to know where.”
No one was comfortable with the idea that Burke and his people were gone, and nothing could be done. Several wizards volunteered to make the attempt, despite Mitty’s warnings. They had two people at the Outpost who had been at the edge of the fields where Burke had begun his exploration inland the previous day. They could get close to where he disappeared.
Daim considered the risk. He couldn’t afford to risk his wizards, yet they had to know what Burke had found. The expedition had been risky, but essential, if they were to find the source of the attacks. There would be no way to win this without such knowledge, and he had hoped they would reach the site of the lavender-haired woman before she was able to escape. He was convinced dealing with her would be far easier while she was restricted.
“Maybe I can help,” a voice offered from the crowd.
Daim looked for the source of the voice, and discovered a Caster holding one of the crystal topped staffs. He had seen her before, but had forgotten her name.
“I know you,” he said slowly.
“Suline,” she replied. She had come with Rigo and Mitty when she learned they were coming and planning on visiting Daria. “I might be able to make a Doorway that is somewhat safer for this kind of investigation.”
>
“Explain,” Daim requested.
“I can make a special kind of Doorway. You have someone here who has been in the area, so I can use their memories. The Doorway will allow us to see what is there, without actually stepping through to the other side.”
Most of those present hadn’t heard of this capability. Daim recalled that Rigo had told him of a Caster with this unique ability.
“You will be able to see what is there?” he asked.
“I can move the Doorway around over the limits of what the person providing the memories has seen. We can get a first look, and then decide what to do.”
Daim looked to Lyes.
“It is quite amazing,” Lyes agreed. “I have seen her use it before.”
“Let’s take a smaller group into the other room and see how best to approach this,” Daim said.
“There is nothing there,” Rigo said as they watched the bright red plants pass beneath the opening created by the special Ghost Doorway. Suline was moving the far side of the magical portal around trying to get as best a look at the place as possible. Unfortunately, they were limited to this side of the hill because the person whose memories she was using had never climbed up the side of the field to see what was on the other side. Jeen was on his left looking through the Doorway, and Mitty was doing the same on his right.
“It happened up that way,” Mitty said, pointing. Her vision had provided her with a better perspective of the area than anyone else here.
“We need someone to go to the top of the hill,” Suline said. “Once that is done, we will be able to see a greater distance, and I will be able to move the window around over a greater area.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Mitty said softly. “Anyone you send I believe will die there.”
There was a heavy silence as the group considered the risks. Most of them had enough experience with Queen Mos’pera’s visions to be cautious when a Seer gave warning. They also knew, however, that the visions were not always absolute.
“Maybe there’s a chance,” Suline said hesitantly. “The Ghost Doorway can be used in a different way. She explained how it had the unique feature of being a two-way Doorway, with the return already activated. One didn’t need to get to the far side, then trigger a second return path. One could step through, and with just a thought, not even true physical action, could trigger an automatic return.
“You’ve tried this?” Daim asked.
“More than once,” Suline replied. “It works exactly as I’ve described.”
The group argued about the risks, but then Daim decided. We need to know. Only two will go. Who is willing?”
“It’s my Doorway,” Suline said. “I’ll go.”
Daim shook his head. “You are the only one capable of making this unique construct. I will not risk losing you. Your skill might be needed later. Hopefully it is something that others can learn. I need two others to volunteer.” Daim knew what he was asking, but the older, sterner Daim, was now reemerging. There was no time to be timid, and he knew the very existence of the wizards and the Three Kingdoms was at stake.
Surprisingly, there were two who were willing to make the attempt. They either had faith in Suline’s Doorway, or didn’t believe Mitty’s warning. Suline explained how they could trigger the return, and then made the Ghost Doorway, exiting at the top of the hill closest to where they believed Burke had been taken. This time the Doorway was normal sized, yet they could still see through to the far side. It was less clear, but enough could be seen.
“Look around, then come back quickly,” Daim instructed. “The memories of the place you gather will allow us to investigate using this magic more safely than having you wander around.
The two wizards nodded, suddenly nervous as they considered what they might have let themselves in for. Together they stepped through the open Doorway, while those watched as they stepped onto the tan dirt of the field of red plants on the far side. It was something none of them had ever observed before. Usually, when a person stepped into a Doorway, they simply vanished. Seeing them arrive on the other end was a unique experience.
“Nothing yet,” someone muttered softly.
“Yes there is,” Nycoh whispered suddenly. “Look at the ground.”
All eyes focused on the dirt where the two wizards stood. It had been brown a moment before, but suddenly it was turning black. The entire field as far as they could see had turned black, and was now turning transparent. The two wizards had seen what was happening, and they could hear the panic in their voices. They had momentarily forgotten Suline’s instructions, and weren’t triggering their return. The ground at the feet of one of the two wizards gave way, and all they could see was an impossibly deep dark cavern underneath where he had stood. He started to fall, his arms failing as the second of the two wizards finally remembered what to do, and suddenly backed out of the Doorway. The group watched helplessly as the second of the two wizards started to fall, dropping slowly at first, and then more rapidly as he fell into the deep pit. They heard his scream, and then he disappeared from view. They continued to watch until long moments later, the ground suddenly turned back to a light brown, all sign of the missing wizard and the pit gone.
“What was that?” Rigo asked.
“I have no idea,” Daim said, “but it appears that Mitty was right about going there. We aren’t going to learn anything and will only lose more people. We will have to consider how we want to continue our search for the home base we need to locate.”
Suline closed the Doorway. Mitty looked on silently, a tear showing on her cheek. She had warned them. Why hadn’t they listened?
* * * *
“You’re here to ask about that drawing Jeen had made?” Daim asked when the smaller group had assembled later, and Rigo brought up the sketch. Lyes and Fen had retired to the lab to work with Ash’urn and Nycoh on the new discovery. They would see to getting the required symbols inscribed on temporary wands for learning purposes. “I assumed you came because of Mitty’s vision.”
“That vision came after we had already decided to come,” Mitty said, before Rigo could reply.
“Jeen had already told us what Daria claims to have seen,” Rigo added. “What if Koess is still alive somehow? I owe it to him to check this out.”
Daim frowned and shook his head. “I told Jeen there were stories in my time about aberrant Bypass, and of people somehow being lost in them. There were no stories of anyone ever returning. We don’t even know if it is real. If it weren’t for you having been there when this Koess was lost, I’d tend to discount the tales as being simple stories. People would get lost and someone would make up a reason for it.”
“He’s been gone for more than a decade,” Daim added. “How could he be alive? Even if he were, and trapped in some strange magical place, what can you do about it. You don’t know how to duplicate the portal, and hopefully you wouldn’t be foolish enough to step through and trap yourself as well. What can you hope to accomplish? There are enough real problems we have to deal with at the moment.”
“There’s little I can do about the enemy facing us,” Rigo countered. “I can help move things around, but I have no more ability to stop these people than the rest of you. Mitty might have useful visions from time to time, but we can come back if that happens. This is something I need to understand. You are probably right, but now that the matter has come up, I won’t be able to rest comfortably until I understand it better.”
Rigo had had time to think about the Bypass made long ago. He couldn’t remember as much as he’d like, but he was certain the arch had not been cloudy as Jeen said Daria had described. That would have been unusual enough that it would have caught their attention. That meant whatever Daria had created was different. He meant to understand how and see if it could be duplicated.
“You still feel guilty about what happened, don’t you?” Daim asked.
“A little,” Rigo admitted. “Koess wanted to return to the Outpost and consider our action bef
ore going ahead. If we had done so, he probably wouldn’t have been lost.”
“And if you hadn’t moved forward, the Hoplani and all that has happened would probably not have occurred,” Daim countered. “These things happen. Look at Burke. We appear to have lost him and his entire team. I knew there was a grave risk. So did Burke. But we need to know about this enemy. We don’t have much of a chance unless we learn more. Now what do I do? The need is still there. Do I just back away because we might lose more people?”
“You aren’t planning on sending more people down there?” Mitty asked shocked.
“I don’t know yet,” Daim admitted. “The need to find their home camp hasn’t changed. We are more aware of what they might do, and maybe we now have a weapon that will help protect us. We’ll have to see.”
“Nothing we have would have protected Burke and the others from that pit, or whatever it was,” Jeen objected. “We have no defense against that.”
“There must be another way,” Rigo objected.
“I’m open to suggestions,” Daim said, as he looked from face to face. “I thought not,” he said finally, when no one offered up any ideas.
“It shouldn’t take long to resolve this,” Rigo said finally. “I am anxious to see Daria before she leaves.”
“Leaves?” Daim asked. “I thought Jeen implied she was back at her place after finishing up with the bandits who attacked her friends the Wanderers.”
“I believe Jeen may have misunderstood what Daria was implying,” Rigo explained. “From what Jeen has said, I believe there is more that Daria feels remains to be done. She almost certainly is planning to go off again. Once she has done so, finding her will be difficult. When she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be.”
