by Bob Blink
Most of the islands were in a completely natural state. The smaller ones were thick with brush. Sea turtles and thousands of sea birds the only inhabitants. She wondered what the birds found that brought them so far from the mainland. The largest of the islands had been heavily forested, with a species of tree that she had never seen before. It had required a significant effort to check that one, looking to see if a hiding place had been cleverly worked into the landscape. Their investigation had to be done while being careful not to be detected themselves.
Having seen so many islands, Suline was now more discerning in her choice. The archipelago consisted of thousands of islands, or so it seemed. Any of the islands could be home to those they sought, but she had come to understand that many were too small to be viable. The largest ones also didn’t have the right feel. They didn’t provide the sense of being alone, and having a private domain. Once the island grew beyond a certain size, an individual couldn’t overlook his domain and know for certain that someone else hadn’t set up beyond the far hill. Another thing she believed important was a high rocky peak that overlooked the ocean. Why choose a place out here, and not have a place to enjoy the endless views? The solid stone would also provide a base to resist the storms that periodically passed through this region.
Of course, sometimes she had little choice in her selection. She had to jump between islands she could see, much as they had jumped between mountains in the jungle regions. She had no mental map of the area that allowed her to pick and choose. Many times the next location was simply a spec in the distance, and it wasn’t until the jump was made that she could know if it was a viable prospect or not.
Now as she scanned the horizon, she thought they would have to backtrack and work their way into the thicker part of the island chain. She had followed a string of islands that bent away from the main cluster, most because a medium sized island with dramatic vistas had intrigued her. Nothing had been found there, but it had been the first step that had led to where they were now. A wrong choice she decided.
It was too far to tell what the only island she could see in the distance offered. She hated to turn away, but she felt they were on the wrong path and should return to where she had made the arbitrary shift in direction. She held her hand up to her forehead and shielded her eyes from the brightness of the sun, and tried to determine if there was anything to suggest it was worth the effort.
“Continue on, or link back?” she asked, taking her hand away from her head and looking over at Kimal. She was exploring with two Casters, Kimal and Aru. Kimal was a twenty-year old male, light blond hair, and long, wiry limbs. Aru was female, but older and dark haired. Both had volunteered for the task, and were chosen because they had excellent casting skills, and being Casters, were far less likely than a wizard to be detected by the Brryn.
“Unless there is another on the far side that isn’t visible from here, that’s the last one in the string,” Kimal said. “It feels wrong to pass it by.”
Suline smiled, and looked at Aru, receiving a shrug in response. Be thorough, she reminded herself, and focused on the island in the distance. She made all the Doorways. The others could have done so, but she alone could make the Ghost Doorway, which evidence suggested even the Brryn could not detect. The arch formed, and with a quick gesture, she indicated they should move on.
Moments later the three explorers stepped out of the portal onto a hillside heavily overgrown with vegetation on Kytra’s island. They didn’t know it was the island chosen by Kytra over six thousand years ago, but it was obvious that something was going on. Kimal signaled the others to hide and pointed at the group working on the large stony flat near the peak of the island. Suline knelt and watched as a group of eight men moved purposely as they focused on the structure they were creating. It was only partially complete, and was located exactly where Suline would have expected. It was on the highest point, and provided a view of the rest of the island as well as the ocean in every direction.
The supplies they were using had clearly come from somewhere else. The piles of lumber were smoothly formed, and none of the local trees had been felled to obtain them. Large piles of stone, most of colors that failed to match anything in sight also suggested a source beyond the shores of the island. Given the vast distances involved and the fact that none of the nearby islands were inhabited, a Doorway was the only reasonable means for bringing the men and materials here.
The men went about their task with practiced skill. None seemed inclined to relax, or take a break, despite the heat of the tropical sun. The base was already complete, and the far wall had been recently erected and was held in place by a series of long supports jutting off at an angle from the nearly vertical wall. The men were preparing a second wall, which they intended to raise and place at a right angle to the first. Suline couldn’t see anyone directing the effort. If one of the Brryn were indeed behind this, then the men were probably following mentally implanted orders they had been given earlier. It also suggested the Brryn couldn’t be too far away, or at least would return before too long. Jeen had indicated that without the amplifier, the Brryn could control minds only over a short distance, and for a limited time. Since these were men, and therefore probably lacked the mental communication ability of Baldari, they would be even more difficult to control.
Aru pointed out the faint distortion that suggested one of the protective barriers. The shield, assuming that is what they were seeing, didn’t enclose the area where the men were working, but enclosed the stone beneath them and for a considerable distance in all directions. The distortion was different than she had seen from other shields, suggesting this was the result of something the Brryn used, which could be expected to be more effective than Suline had encountered before. It also suggested that the rock was hollowed out, and some kind of protected fortress existed in an underground chamber. Perhaps a chamber that had survived the millenia the Brryn had been away in the valley.
Moving cautiously, they examined the rocky shelf as carefully as possible. If it had only been the men she had to worry about, Suline would have made herself invisible, which would have made their exploration much easier, but she wasn’t sure using magic wouldn’t be detectable, and one of those they sought could easily be in the chamber below. Suline would have liked to see what existed below the structure that was being raised, but without a mental picture of what was there she wouldn’t be able to even send her Ghost Doorway so she could have a look. Some instinct told her the Brryn barrier wasn’t going to be as easy to create a Doorway into as the shields they had experienced thus far anyway.
They did locate an obvious pathway and a massive door that led into the stone, and confirmed what she had suspected. There was also a series of windows in the stone, mostly facing out to sea. They appeared open, but the barrier would prevent entry, not that she was foolish enough to try and reach one of them to see. After completing the perimeter scan, they slipped away to examine the rest of the island. There were signs of ancient pathways, although the undergrowth had reclaimed most of them, and the once carefully prepared walkways were now cracked and broken. The walkways led to locations around the island that afforded comfortable views, and one down to a white sandy beach that was shielded from the prevailing winds.
Certain they had located at least one location the Brryn were using, Suline left the two Casters hiding in a convenient monitoring spot while she created a Doorway back to Sulen. She hoped that one of the Brryn would appear while they were watching. Meanwhile, she wanted to notify Jeen and Nycoh what had been found. It had been a number of days since she had reported back in the belief the minimum number of trips, the less chance their efforts would be detected. This, however, needed to be made known.
She returned later with two additional Casters and supplies to last several days. Once the two additional Casters had a chance to fix the place in memory, she created a Ghost Doorway for them to leave. Now if something happened to them, there would be those in the kingdoms who knew
how to find this place. Then they settled in to wait.
Dusk was settling in when suddenly an additional group of people appeared on the flat expanse of rock where the structure was being built. Two, a man and a woman matched the description of Kytra and Hyndl. Suline felt a chill as she realized two of the deadly Brryn were nearby. She had raised her shield several glass ago when she settled in to watch. Since she was hidden by the brush, the distortion it produced couldn’t be seen, and the shield would mask her very weak inherent magic from giving her away. The Brryn shouldn’t be able to detect them, but even so Suline was prepared to make a Doorway and flee immediately should she detect any sign one of the two Brryn showed they sensed something amiss.
The four others with Kytra and Hyndl turned out to be some kind of porters, and had brought food and drink for the workmen. After they placed their loads upon the ground they mechanically formed up, and Hyndl disappeared with them. Kytra remained. She said something Suline couldn’t hear, then grabbing a few items for herself, she turned and disappeared down some kind of opening in the rock that Suline hadn’t detected earlier. If Hyndl returned, they didn’t detect him. He could have returned inside the chamber the existence of which Suline now had proof of, or he might have gone somewhere else. Of course, Kytra might have left as well, but something in her actions suggested otherwise. Suline and the two Casters settled in for the night. It would be interesting to see what the morning brought.
Suline pondered what they had learned. Just knowing where Kytra was located wasn’t going to help that much. Her hideout was shielded, probably by shields far superior to their own, and she had remained shielded while in the presence of the workmen. Suline had been able to see the faint shimmer around her. Perhaps that would change once the men were finished, and once she felt alone on the island, she might move around unprotected. That might provide them an opportunity. Only more observation would tell. Whatever they did, they would only get one chance. Once they revealed they knew about the place, she would either attack, or would move away. Probably both.
Tomorrow Suline would return to meet with Jeen and Nycoh again. Rigo had returned, and apparently had been partially successful. They would share intelligence, and see what the next steps might be.
Chapter 80
Tryll stared out the window of the mansion at the long stretch of beach with the waves rolling in. It was so beautiful. The sun was dropping into the ocean, and soon the peacefulness of night would settle in. She took another sip of the wine, an excellent vintage and a variety she wasn’t familiar with. That wasn’t surprising. So much was different from she was used to, and while many conveniences were simply not to be found, certain things, like the wine, almost made up for it.
The large house was located on a rocky point overlooking the large harbor. She was familiar with the place. The city that used to exist here had been far grander, but it had fallen millennia ago, to be replaced several times before the current port had grown up. The location was a natural for a port, and so it wasn’t surprising.
The previous owner of the house had no further need for it. Tryll had seen to that when she visited the city and decided where she wanted to make her base. She didn’t understand why Kytra was so fixated on that island so far away. Sure, it had once been grand, but the several days Tryll had spent there recently revealed that it was a pitiful memory of what it once was. Kytra should abandon it, at least until matters were under control and she had the slaves to properly refurbish it. She should choose something like this. Here she had food of any variety, fine wines, the previous owner had had an extensive cellar, and ready access to slaves. Tryll had never liked being alone.
She turned and looked at the one who called himself Brock. A marvelous specimen, who she planned to sample after her bath a little later. Brock was a wizard, but that didn’t matter now. The klexan was in place around his head. It looked like it could easily fall off, but Tryll knew otherwise. Magic would ensure it would remain in place until she allowed it to be removed. The klexan was a very handy device. Most importantly, it blocked all access to magic. It would perform the same if placed on one of her own as well, which made it a dangerous device in the wrong hands. It also provided a direct link into the mind of her slave, so she could command him mentally and dispense with the awkward language these people used. Brock now brought her wine, provided her interesting and useful information, and would soon provide her pleasure.
Later she would add additional servants, but she had only the one klexan, and was too busy to truly enjoy being properly pampered. She could have chosen anyone in the village, but she was uncomfortable that some might be what were known as Casters. The evolution of such a group was unsettling and made her nervous. There was no way she could sense whether an individual was a Caster, and the klexan failed to work properly on one who lacked the inherent gift. It hadn’t been developed to support slaves, and she was simply using it to aid her in that regard. It was meant to control troublesome rebel wizards in her own time, and the occasional unruly Brryn who didn’t accept the way of things. Besides, she liked having one of the rebels kneel to her.
Taking another sip of her wine, Tryll felt once again that Kytra was being overly cautious. She wanted everything stacked in her favor, and had warned Tryll of being too careless. But what was there to fear? Most of the wizards had already been dealt with. Their mighty fortresses were no more than rubble now, and every day more of them were discovered and eliminated. True, a number of their leaders had yet to be found, but the magic they controlled was hardly a threat. They were all weaker even than the rebels the Brryn had fought so long ago.
Her current residence was shielded. Not with the really powerful shields she could have erected. Those took more effort, and blocked the sounds of the waves she enjoyed listening to. Even so, the magic of the current wizards couldn’t penetrate it, and should they make a portal that allowed them inside, she would know instantly and could shield herself and react appropriately. There was nothing to fear. Kytra, Hyndl and she had the entire world at their fingertips. Hyndl was staying somewhere in what the natives called Sedfair. That was where he had lived before, just as she had been a resident of the western coast. Let Kytra stay in the islands. Tryll had once admired her, but the time in the chamber had changed her. She seemed obsessed with little things.
Tryll attempted another sip and realized her wine was gone. She considered another glass, then changed her mind. She let her garments fall to the floor and walked naked toward her slave. He followed her into the back where the baths were located.
Chapter 81
A threesome consisting of Rigo, Kaler and Daria set off for Nulwar, the port city where Tryll was supposed to have established herself. Rigo transported them using the Transfer magic he had acquired since it was undetectable, and found it was easier and faster than creating an arch and having to walk through it. Their arrival triggered a number of memories for Rigo, few of them pleasant. He couldn’t help recalling that his first introduction to the port was related to his time with Inge, which in turn brought his thoughts to Mitty. Time remained a pressing issue, although given how long it had been since Mitty had become trapped within the strange cylinder, Rigo had to concede that time either didn’t matter much, or any deadline to save her had already passed. He couldn’t help fearing the latter. He also couldn’t help wondering if she was alive, was she blissfully unaware of the passage of time and where she was, or was every moment one of shrieking fear and agony. The constant worry weighed heavily on him, and he felt the need to find the answers that would release her and end his wondering.
Nulwar looked much as Rigo remembered it. The city was still an energetic center of commerce. It was almost as if the problems facing the rest of the kingdom were not relevant to the busy citizens of the port city. People bustled and hurried, going about tasks Rigo could only guess at. The harbor smelled of rotting fish and refuse as always, and as usual there were half a dozen ships tied up at the docks. Some were offloading goods whil
e others were in various stages of preparation for a voyage outward. Rigo wondered if the residents of the city had any idea who was hiding among them.
Suline had already informed them of what she had found in the eastern islands so far away. Far physically, but with the recently acquired ability to Transfer, a simple thought away. The Ruins provided little hindrance for Rigo or Nycoh any longer. Unlike the limitation posed with a Bypass or Doorway, the Transfer would take them across the Ruins in a single jump. He could easily relocate himself and his team from here to the far off island on the other side of the Ruins without needing to make multiple hops.
Four more Casters had been added to Suline’s team. That gave them enough to establish a full watch over the activities taking place. The construction of the house where an older building had once stood strongly suggested Kytra intended to use the island as her base. They would verify that was true and learn what kind of schedule she followed. Would the other Brryn relocate to the island once the facility was complete? Rigo hoped not. They wanted to be able to find times when the Brryn were isolated and alone. He also hoped once the construction was complete, Kytra would relax her personal guard, and not feel the need to be shielded while on her personal retreat. For that reason alone it was important she not discover they had located her.
Nycoh and Lyes were heading up the hunt for Hyndl. He had appeared in several villages in Sedfair, alerting the population to the change in leadership and warning against any assistance to rebel wizards. The list of those most sought had been circulated, and while Rigo knew they could count on most to say nothing, the addition of a promised reward would bring out those who would side with any enemy for a profit. Some groups of hiding wizards had already been betrayed by the promise of gold. That was one reason they kept their whereabouts secret from all but a select few.
