Hemlock And The Wizard Tower (Book 1)

by B Throwsnaill

  Satisfied with the success of the transformation, Safreon began to inspect the Merchant’s dressing table.

  He didn't see any gold in evidence, and he didn't care to look for it, being fairly well supplied in that department of late.

  His mission complete, Safreon climbed up the rope, closed the skylight and latched it magically from without. He then obscured the charcoal glyph with some kicks with his boots, and then made for street level and the safety of the Warrens. He intended to return to the Elite district at first light wearing the robes that he had taken, and fully in the guise of the slumbering Merchant.

  …

  The morning after Safreon’s transformation, the wizard Gwineval (who had not yet met Safreon and had known nothing of the latter’s recent actions) was marching in an earnest procession. Gwineval was participating in a ritual that the wizards observed of marching in unison to their monthly meeting with the Senate. Gwineval privately thought that the tradition was a bit overblown. Still, he was forced to concede to himself that there was a certain spectacle to the proceedings.

  The wizards all strode along a gently winding thoroughfare which surrounded Hemisphere Lake. The lake lay at the center of the City. Gwineval always wondered about the shape of the Lake, from which it took its name. He knew that Hemisphere Lake was fed by a small river which flowed out of the mountains in the east. Nobody was exactly sure where that water flowed from, given the unique geography of the lands that surrounded the City.

  As he marched, Gwineval looked at the Lake’s shoreline beside him, which was roughly rounded on the eastern side that bordered the Elite district. He then gazed across the Lake to the western shore, which looked uncannily straight, as if it had been enthralled by the looming shape of the Wizard Tower, which could be seen rising above it.

  The wizards continued to walk a southerly course around the eastern side of the lake until the winding thoroughfare met a straight road which ran directly east and into the heart of the Elite district. The procession then turned and advanced down the straight road toward the Senate building, which was visible some distance ahead of the wizards.

  Gwineval always dreaded these meetings with the Senate. He had no taste for political intrigue, but his status as the leader of the Fifth Circle of wizards made his participation in these meetings mandatory.

  Gwineval was an uncomfortable participant in the silent marching. His mind began to wander, and he reflected on his surroundings.

  He took note of the ornate olive robes worn by the seven council wizards that he marched amongst. His eye then moved to the ring of red robed, First Circle combat wizards that surrounded and escorted the olive robed council wizards.

  Gwineval looked ahead of him then and studied the gait of Falignus, who had then only been appointed as the head of the Seventh Circle of wizards in the year prior. Gwineval thought that in that one year’s time, Falignus was already overconfident. In fact, Gwineval had already considered him overconfident when he had just been the upstart young leader of the Fourth Circle of wizards. Falignus was bordering on recklessness since he had taken on his new role.

  Falignus had recently taken to wearing a bright red vestment over his ceremonial olive wizard cloak. This represented more than a fashion choice, Gwineval noted disapprovingly, as it was a sign of leadership in the new Crimson Order, which Falignus had started as a way for wizards outside of the Seventh Circle to learn more about Seventh Circle magic. Gwineval had concluded that the Crimson Order represented a dangerous parallel power structure within the Wizard Guild, because it was a group that only answered to Falignus. The Wizard Council had objected to its formation, but had not had the resolve to vigorously oppose it.

  Gwineval's gaze then moved to one of the First Circle wizards who marched nearby, his tattooed and muscular arms protruding from beneath his boldly colored red robes. Gwineval noted despondently that he and the entire group of First Circle guard wizards had abandoned their traditional brown robes for the new red robes, which signified their membership in the Crimson order. Falignus' martial message of Wizard Guild dominance had appealed immediately to the combat oriented First Circle wizards. They had joined his group quickly and almost to a man.

  Gwineval then glanced behind him at Malvert, the bald, scarred leader of the First Circle of wizards and the only council member besides Falignus to openly wear the crimson vestment. Although only Malvert wore the vestment, Gwineval knew that several of the other council wizards were also Crimson Order sympathizers.

  He then looked to his right at Arcos, Falignus’ handpicked successor to the position of head of the Fourth Circle of wizards–a position which Falignus had occupied prior to his promotion to the head of the Seventh Circle. Gwineval judged that this younger wizard was clearly under the influence of Falignus.

  The wizard Jalis shuffled along in the procession, walking to Gwineval’s left. Gwineval knew Jalis as the bookish leader of the Second Circle of wizards. Gwineval thought that the portly man walked awkwardly, yet somehow his gait still communicated confidence. Jalis, Gwineval reflected, thought that he could gain in prestige and power by playing both sides against one another in the power struggle that was churning inside the Guild. Gwineval believed that Jalis’ ambitions were greater than his abilities, however, and that Falignus had already seen him as a self–serving liability. Jalis had become a man that nobody trusted. Gwineval felt that Jalis was going to lose out no matter which side won the battle for dominance within the Wizard Guild.

  Behind Jalis walked Colberth, the leader of the Sixth Circle of wizards. Gwineval knew him as a meticulous and exacting man, favoring order in all things. Gwineval was almost certain that he had fallen under the influence of Falignus, whose message of absolute order no doubt resonated with Colberth’s sensibilities.

  Gwineval glanced to his left then and met eyes with Miara, leader of the Third Circle of wizards. In her eyes, he perceived what he believed was his only true ally. As she smiled and looked away, Gwineval thought that she personified everything that the wizards could represent in the City: the qualities of benevolence, liberty and personal responsibility. Gwineval knew that Miara already looked toward him for leadership, even though he had only recently become a council member and leader of the Fifth Circle. Gwineval was the only wizard who had openly challenged Falignus and his ideology of absolute control over the City.

  So while Gwineval dreaded these Senate meetings, and beyond that political matters in general, he suddenly found himself thrust into the role of the opposition leader, confronting the Crimson Order movement. It certainly was not a role that he savored, but he had chosen to reluctantly accept it. There simply was no one else to do it.

  The group of wizards continued to walk proudly down the main street of the Elite district. The ivory colored stone of the district shone brilliantly in the morning light and the colorful flowers dazzled. White robed men and women walked unhurriedly in the street, and stared at the wizards and gave them a wide berth. Other people in the gray robes that denoted non-citizens, moved more hurriedly, and some of them tended to the many floral arrangements that adorned the buildings. Others worked merchant carts that sold food and other goods, or led horse drawn carts filled with goods. These people didn't even dare to look at the wizards, who proceeded in their ceremonial splendor.

  Soon the procession reached the gates of a huge building with a gently angled, overhanging roof which rose to meet at an apex, and which was supported by a series of beautifully beveled columns as thick as an old growth tree, which rose, in grandeur, to a height of several stories.

  As the procession of wizards halted, the ornate gates of the Senate building opened slowly, and out strode an older man, wiry and taciturn, who bowed to the wizards.

  "Greetings. Please enter," the man stated simply, but with stately delicacy, as he retreated into the shadows of the building, arms outstretched and facing the wizards.

  The wizards, who were familiar with the building and the proceedings, filed into the great h
all of the Senate, and took their appointed seats, flanked by their First Circle wizard escort.

  The Senate hall had been built as an amphitheater, with seating that rose in curved steps around the floor. The many Senators sat in near full attendance and gazed impassively at the wizards. Above the Senators, in high balconies, many other Elite citizens stood and watched the proceedings from afar.

  Gwineval found that his eyes were drawn to the balconies for some reason. He felt slightly uneasy but dismissed the sensation, as the old man who had greeted them, Samberlin, first seat of the Senate, addressed the assembled wizards.

  "Wizard Council, the Senate greets you," Samberlin began, his slight build spry and demonstrating a fitness that defied the tale of the passage of years told by his grizzled face. "We welcome you and your report for this day, the twelfth day of the fourth month of the four hundred and first year of our reckoning. Let the report commence."

  After that final remark, Samberlin took a prominent seat amongst the assembled Senators.

  Falignus rose and began to speak.

  "Greetings to all of you, Senators and Citizens. I am pleased to report that the Wizard Guild remains strong and steadfast in its role as the manager and distributor of magic," Falignus began confidently. Gwineval noticed how Falignus moved back and forth in front of the seated Senators, and made eye contact with many of them.

  "During the preceding three month period, I am pleased to report that we were able to increase Oberon production to one hundred tons, which was reduced to approximately twelve thousand five hundred gallons of liquid. Of this amount, approximately nine thousand gallons was consumed by the emanation of mana energy from our main tower and other smaller Wizard Guild towers located throughout the city."

  "We used another one thousand gallons of Oberon distillate for potion production. Of our total production, approximately thirty percent was healing potions, another thirty percent was enhancement potions, twenty five percent was illusion potions, and ten percent was divination potions. Of the potions produced, one hundred and two percent were purchased, slightly reducing our potion inventory for the period. We plan to address this issue in the following months by increasing potion production. As you know, the past months were the first period in which illusion and divination magic were reclassified as greater magic, and the sales of these potions increased by approximately one hundred and forty percent each. We believe that our City of San Cyra is now a safer place due to these new regulations," Falignus continued. At this last remark, many of the Senators muttered darkly amongst themselves. Falignus appeared to note this, but continued unabated.

  "Our new Oberon harvesters were field tested last month and seem to be working well. One was attacked by a group of dark spirits during a harvest, and we were able to repel the attack without casualties. We believe that the harvesters will enable us to dramatically increase Oberon production in the future, if necessary."

  Falignus presented other statistics to the Senate and received a neutral response at best and muttering opposition at worst. Still, he had not shown any reaction to the mutterings. He completed his speech and then sat down in his chair.

  Gwineval saw that Samberlin was having discussions with some Senators seated beside him. The elder Senator then rose to address the Senate and the assembled wizards. Gwineval noted that Samberlin appeared somewhat discomfited as he began to speak.

  "The Senate thanks the wizards for their report. The statistics seem acceptable for the most part. I fear, however, that we must bring up a matter of some…sensitivity. It seems that a Citizen of our district was recently apprehended by the wizards in a rather public and heavy handed fashion. This has created some outrage amongst the Citizens. This man’s name is Poyer."

  Gwineval, who was familiar with the case of citizen Poyer, glanced at Falignus in order to gauge his reaction to Samberlin’s comments. Gwineval quickly saw the annoyance on Falignus’ face, albeit just barely, but doubted that any of the Senators were able to detect it. Gwineval knew that Falignus was very good at maintaining his composure, though Gwineval also knew that Falignus often reached a breaking point at which his explosive temper took over. Gwineval was hopeful that Falignus would stay in control of himself even in an unusual situation like this, with the Senate questioning a Wizard Guild action directly.

  Samberlin continued his address: "Poyer came to the City some ten years ago. Although he arrived without any items of value, he was able to establish proof his considerable talents during his month of trial, and was accepted as a full citizen of the City. As you may be aware, he has great talent with food and may be the finest chef that the City has ever seen."

  "The recent policy change regarding the usage of illusion magic was difficult for Poyer. He was an accomplished Mage in his original lands, and relied on the illusion magic to enhance his culinary creations. He feared for his profits due to the high requirements for magic in his recipes, so he apparently kept using his own spells even after the ban went into effect."

  "We do not dispute the problem with what Poyer has done, but we ask for clemency on his behalf. He is a valued and loved citizen–and a productive one. We do not doubt that he can be reformed and that we will be able to persuade him to see the error of his ways."

  Suddenly Falignus burst from his chair and lightning shot from his fingertips. The lightning bolts struck an ornate statue of an old and honored Senator, which was mounted regally, high on the walls of the Senate chamber, just below the balconies. The energy bolt struck home and sheared the statue’s stately stone head right off. The head then fell heavily into the Senators below and it was only through great providence and some quick reactions that none were hurt by the fall of the great piece of stone.

  "THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!" Falignus cried, his face reddened and saliva spitting from his mouth as he screamed.

  "YOU WILL NOT QUESTION OUR POLICIES ON MAGIC!" he cried again.

  Samberlin looked surprised, but held his ground before the raging Wizard.

  "The laws that govern our two bodies are clear," Falignus continued loudly, but in a voice that sounded somewhat more composed to Gwineval.

  "The Senate holds sway in matters of governance of the City insofar as it does not involve the matter of magic, which is the sole jurisdiction of the Wizard Guild," Falignus continued.

  "When you question these fundamental agreements between us, you jeopardize the order that we have established in the governance of this City."

  "The matter of the former citizen Poyer is not one for Senate consideration. This meeting is over."

  Falignus looked over the body of assembled Senators. The room was completely silent.

  Gwineval had watched the spectacle that had unfolded before him with a detached point of view. On one hand, he agreed with Falignus, since it was well known that the Senate harbored wizards that operated outside of the Wizard Guild’s rules. Clearly, Poyer had been one of these, had been careless and had gotten caught by the Wizard Guild. On the other hand, Gwineval thought that Falignus should have handled the matter more judiciously. Gwineval believed, along with most Guild wizards, that the Senate existed only at the whim of the wizards, because it had been convenient to have them be the public face of government in the City. It was doubtful that the Senate could ever seriously oppose the Wizard Guild. Gwineval knew that the last time that happened, the result had been the Night of Ninety-Nine Tears: a lesson that Gwineval felt that the Senate would not soon forget. Still, he reflected, generations came and went, and experiences faded into tales and stories. Some foolish citizens had even recently questioned the veracity of the tale of the Night of Ninety-Nine Tears openly. Gwineval hoped that the Senate wouldn’t be so foolish as to openly oppose the Wizard Guild again, but felt certain that if they did, the result would be similar to their last attempt.

  The wizards gathered behind Falignus and strode from the Senate hall. As they left, Gwineval noted that there were knight guards in full plate mail armor stationed at the doors. Some of them even l
eered at the wizards through their helmets, although the icy demeanor of Falignus and the First Circle wizard guards seemed to quell their stares somewhat. Fortunately, in Gwineval’s reckoning, the wizards exited the Senate chamber without further incident.

  After the wizards walked several blocks back toward Hemisphere Lake, Gwineval surged forward to walk abreast with Falignus.

  "Do you think that display was wise?" he asked skeptically.

  Falignus shrugged and replied: "Would you rather we had a little hysterics in the Senate or a full replay of the Night of Ninety-Nine Tears?"

  Gwineval felt Malvert’s presence closer behind him and saw an urge for restraint in Miara’s eyes, as she also stood behind Falignus.

  "You have a point," Gwineval admitted, "but I still think the matter could have been handled a little more delicately. You’ve made an enemy of Samberlin now."

  "Perhaps," Falignus conceded, as dark locks of hair fell down over his noble features. "But I know how Samberlin seeks and wields power. He’ll use this conflict to solidify his power in the Senate and then I’ll use him as a single point of control soon thereafter. You think me some headstrong boy, Gwineval, but I always plan my actions," Falignus had a hint of mockery in his voice.

  "That was no planned outburst, Falignus. You surely plan wisely to account for your temper, but don’t think that I don’t see the truth of the matter," Gwineval replied angrily.

  Gwineval took his leave of the group. He had been tasked with making a stop at a local Wizard building in the south part of the Elite district, and wanted to get it over with.

  After he announced his intentions, Miara cautioned him.

  "Gwineval, take a guard with you. The events in the Senate meeting may cause a stir in the district," she recommended, her salt and pepper colored hair blowing over her face in the midday wind. Gwineval noted that her features were still appealing, even though she was well into middle age.

  "She’s right, Gwineval, it would be prudent," the wizard Jalis stated.