by Greg Curtis
Baen started marking out his next circle around the circle of knowledge. This one was a circle of power. There were of course a great many more runes to draw and symbols to mark out and it took time. But then this was a much more powerful circle and his life depended on it so he didn't begrudge a second of that time. As well as marking out his attacking spells he was also marking out a lot of defensive wards. Ones that would guarantee that if his initial defence of not being seen failed and he was seen, few spells would be able to touch him. Not even Fae magic.
It was a good half hour by the time he was done, and as he surveyed his handiwork, even he found himself wondering if he'd gone too far. He had protected himself against almost every conceivable form of attack. But maybe that was as it should be. Because as he kept having to remind himself, his enemy would have a hundred chances to kill him. He would only get one chance to live. A single failure would kill him.
The circle complete, he lit the fire and placed a specially designed brand beside it. Ready for when it would need to be used.
After that he took his place and once more let his awareness flow into the circles. Once he was ready, he let his vision return to the inner chambers where he had last seen the two of them, hoping they hadn't moved and he didn't have to find them again. Hoping too that they hadn't discovered his presence and weren't preparing for him. Fortunately, they were still there and as yet hadn't become aware of his presence. If things went well they never would until it was too late.
When he was satisfied that everything was ready, he started releasing his first enchantment – air elementals. They were to be his first line of attack, mostly because he hoped they wouldn’t be seen. Their attack would be so quiet that neither of the people in the cavern would ever know it had happened – until they woke up in binds. He also thought they should be able to float over whatever trap it was that the pair of them had built without triggering it.
It was hard, slow work creating the elemental. All those with gifts had things they were better at and things they weren't so good at. And even though his gift was enchanting in general, there were types of enchantment that were harder for him than others. This was one of the harder ones. Any enchantments that involved forces were easy for him. So too enchantments of the mind and the body. Things got a little harder when he played with elemental forces like fire and lightning, and then a little harder again when he tried summoning. But this wasn't summoning – it was creation. The building of a construct. It was the type of enchantment he found the most difficult of all. It took a while and by the time he was done sweat was peppering his brow.
But when he looked at his creation he was pleased with it, even if the bards wouldn't have seen it in the same light. No doubt they would have wanted to see a fire breathing dragon! Not some bare ripple in the air that they could scarcely make out even when it was right in front of them. But he was pleased. And the fact that it could hardly be seen even in bright daylight, was a good thing. But he wasn't done.
With the first air elemental floating in front of him and awaiting orders he began concentrating and creating a second one. Once completed he created two smoke elementals. And then two stone elementals.
It took hours to complete the work but he didn't begrudge either the time or the effort. He didn't know what exactly he would be facing in the two people in the caves. What magic they might have. He needed to be ready for them.
Baen finished his work by midday and after a brief rest and some tea sent his small army in. Of course calling them an “army” might be a stretch. They didn't look like any army he'd ever seen before. Two were giant humanoid shaped stones that walked even though they just had lumps where they should have had heads and huge stumps for legs. They were followed by what looked like two clouds of smoke and two ripples in the air. The last two could only really be seen with the sight of a wizard. But they all obeyed him and travelled together. More importantly his prey were still in the same chamber, to all intents unaware that his troops were coming for them. That was all he could have asked for.
It was then that Baen tossed the branding iron into the fire to heat up. If all went well the rune he had crafted into its head would soon be needed. At the same time he also laid his staff across his lap and summoned a guardian wolf to keep watch over him, just in case things went wrong.
It took time for his elementals to reach the cavern. The giant stone elementals even with their stumpy legs, were quite quick. But the others were at the mercy of the breeze. They kept being blown off course as they floated after their monstrous comrades. Still they made it in time and a few minutes later the small army he'd created entered the cavern and he had to put all his fears aside. There was only time to concentrate.
They entered the caverns as a group but he quickly had them separate, the stone golems holding well back as they made their way slowly through the tunnels and chambers. They were heavy and solid and anything but silent. The other two would lead the way and the attack.
It took time for the group to make their way through the tunnels and despite doing his best to keep calm and control his breathing, he soon found his mouth was dry and his palms sweating. But eventually they reached the start of the last tunnel and he did his best to remain focused on the task at hand. Once there he sent the first two air elementals in, floating silently – and hopefully unseen – down the tunnel. As he'd hoped they were able to float over the magical trap in the middle of the tunnel without setting it off.
Baen breathed a sigh of relief when that happened. The magical lines flowing through the rock floor remained unbroken and the two inside the chamber didn't seem to notice anything. The Duke had moved since he last spied on him and was now sitting on a stone bench up against a wall, having apparently given up on reading his book. He was chatting easily with the woman, who for her part was busy concentrating on a complex distillation. Neither of them seemed in the least aware that there was an enemy just a few feet away.
It was then that Baen had the air elementals begin their work, slowly drawing all the air out of the room. That was what made them such a useful creation to use. They couldn't carry a weapon or fight in the normal sense. But little by little they could suck the air out of any area. And anything living needed to breathe. Even better, it was very difficult to guard against running out of air. There were plenty of wards against bullets and knives, fire and sound, even poison gasses. But he didn't know of any that would hold fresh air to a person.
The air elementals took their time, and Baen waited impatiently while he watched, looking for any sign that they'd been detected. But there was nothing. The Duke and his tutor simply continued their conversation, seemingly unaware that anything was happening. But he could see that it was. The flames on the burner were slowly burning lower.
Eventually the women – Estor as he assumed she was – noticed the flames and checked the device, shaking it a little to see if the fuel was running low, and looked confused. But she would be confused he thought. If the flames were burning that low, then that meant the air in the chamber had to be getting thin. She should be getting light headed.
Just a little more, he silently prayed. Just a few more minutes. And then she would go to sleep, never know that anything was amiss.
But she didn't give him that time. All of a sudden he could see the alarm appear in her eyes as she realised they were running out of air, and he watched her turn hurriedly and dash for the shelves. It was then that he knew the secret was out and he sent the smoke elementals rushing in. Whatever she was going for on her shelves, he didn't want her to reach it.
In a heartbeat the entire chamber was filled with smoke, and he was only able to see anything because of his magical sight. Without it he would have been completely blind. The Duke and Estor however, had not had the time to cast that spell however, and so were were stumbling around in the darkness. He could see them struggling as they tried to hurry around the room, bumping into things as they did so and then get turned around.
Baen
smiled with happiness and relief as he saw them doubled over as they choked on smoke and struggled to find enough air to breathe, walking around in confused circles and yelled at one another in confusion. His plan was working perfectly!
But they were still dangerous. The woman yelled something even as she was almost on her hands and knees and he watched as lightning blasted from her fingertips – or rather from the rings she was wearing – to crash into the walls. Fire erupted all along the entrance tunnel, and he realised she'd activated her trap. But neither fire nor lightning could affect his elementals and they simply continued their work.
Soon the two of them were lying on the cold stone floor on their bellies, gasping for the last few precious gasps of fresh air, and he knew it was time for the last of his army to appear. So Baen sent the stone elementals in – single file as they filled the tunnel and almost had to bend over double to make it through – and had them begin their work. That began with stripping the pair of them of any items they might have on them.
The elementals began with the rings, and despite their size and the club like nature of their hands, they were quite deft – mostly because their stumpy fingers were almost like sandpaper. Rough on the skin, but able to get a good grip. They slid the rings off their fingers one by one while the pair cried out as their skin was rubbed raw, dropped them on the ground and then stamped them into oblivion. Next came the pair’s clothes which they simply tore off, followed by the amulets from around their necks which were also ripped free. The various staffs hanging on the wall were given similar treatment as were the Duke's weapons. And then finally, the jars of ingredients lining the walls went the same way.
He didn't know these people or what their magic was exactly, but he knew that at least some of it was like his. The woman enchanted, and this chamber he guessed was her magical fortress, filled with her best defensive enchantments. He needed to take away all of the enchantments she had at her disposal.
Baen realised she was still dangerous when just as the last of her ingredients were being turned into mush all around, the cavern practically ripped itself apart. That wasn't the Duke's doing – he was lying on the ground, completely unconscious – but hers. She was still moving a little, writhing on the floor, surely scarcely aware of the world around her, but somehow casting. He knew that if he'd been stupid enough to go into the cavern himself, he would now be dead. That blast of stone had practically torn everything apart and practically scoured the walls clean. It had badly injured the Duke who was now covered in blood and even injured her somewhat. But again it could do nothing to stop the smoke and air elementals, and while the stone elementals might have had their skin slightly sanded, it didn't seem to bother them.
Still, he had to take her magic from her and quickly.
Baen broke his focus on the cave briefly to activate the last of his wards – a tiny portal focussed at the feet of his air elementals. And though he was already controlling so much, fear and need let him do it. A heartbeat later the portal appeared on the other side of the circle from him, and he hurriedly grabbed the brand he had made out of the fire beside him, and tossed it in. A moment later he watched it appear in the cavern right beside the stone elementals.
This was it! The moment when everything came together – or fell apart. They had the brand. The woman was practically helpless. The Duke was unconscious. But the portal had sent more than just the brand across. It had provided them with fresh air. He had to move quickly – and the elementals weren't fast.
Baen got one of the giant stone creatures to roll the woman over so she was lying face down while the other picked up the brand. And he couldn't help but notice that her struggles were becoming stronger. He practically willed the elemental to hurry. And somehow, it was enough.
He watched as the brand finally met with the skin on her back.
She screamed! He couldn't hear a single sound she made but he could still almost feel the scream of pain he saw torn out of her mouth as her entire body practically curled up in front of him. He saw the smoke rising from her skin. It was a truly horrible sight to see. But he knew it was necessary. He could not have a Fae caster running free anywhere near him.
The pain was clearly too much for her and he watched as the woman's body finally went limp and she fell into unconsciousness. He was relieved to see that as it gave him the chance to study her brand. He needed to make sure that the brand was good and black.
Then he had the stone elementals do the same to the Duke. He didn't scream so loudly though. He sort of writhed a little, maybe moaned, but he was far closer to unconsciousness.
The battle – short and nasty as it had been – was over. Baen didn't cheer though. He wanted to. He was sure he should. These were dangerous, evil people. And he'd won. He should feel good – he was sure of it. But instead he almost felt guilty for what he'd done. Ashamed. But it had had to be done. Because he could never have let these two come anywhere near him with their magic intact. Even without their enchantments. Now, thanks to the brands on their backs, they couldn't cast. They couldn't harm anyone again. And they had hurt so many.
Instead of cheering, he just sat there, and let the relief wash over him. The knowledge that it was done and the world had just become a little bit safer. And he petted the guardian wolf he'd summoned, when that didn't seem quite enough to him after what he'd done. The wolf didn't seem to mind. It was just happy having its head scratched.
At least he knew that the two of them would never harm anyone again. Even if they had more friends out there with magic, they'd be unlikely to know how to free them from the brand. It was an ancient enchantment. A way not of stealing a person's magic but putting it out of their reach. It was undoubtedly cruel. The thought of being branded that way himself, filled him with horror. But how else could you control a magical prisoner save to kill them? He hadn’t wanted their deaths on his soul, no matter how evil they were. This had seemed the better option. At least that was what he told himself. Still, he found himself wondering about his basic decency when he saw her lying there on the floor with the huge black brand burnt into her back.
If it turned out that the Fae woman was innocent after all, the brand could be removed and the scars healed in time. He knew how to do it. She could be restored to her normal life. But he doubted that that would happen. He just felt sorry for her because of the horror of what he'd had his elementals do – and because she was a woman. He was simply soft in the head and the heart. Baen doubted the Fae would feel so sympathetic when they learned about her.
In time he watched as their breathing became easier. Less laboured. The air was returning to the cavern. After that he had the stone elementals carry the pair out of their chamber, through the tunnels and out into the fresh air. He judged that it was safe to bring them out, even if they did rouse into consciousness on the way. They didn’t but even so, when the golems finally deposited them in front of him he had them manacled with binds of knotted grass. It would not break or loosen, and it would hold them in place.
Baen sighed a little as he stared at them lying there. This had been a nasty fight and he wasn't proud of himself for harming a middle-aged woman. But it had had to be done. Now he needed to call the Fae and have them pick her up, and then deliver the Duke to the King's forces. With the Duke once more under lock and key, the King would surely return to his old ways. This war against magic would end as he no longer had to fear the Duke's magical friends coming to rescue him. And things could return to normal. At least for a few years. Until the Duke finally died of old age and the truth about his false claim to the throne was revealed. Then the chaos would no doubt start once more.
But maybe in time they'd find this damned circlet and get rid of the King early! Dariya, for all that she annoyed him, could make a good queen. They just had to find her a husband!
But that was a problem for another day. For today he was just glad that the capture was over and done with.
Chapter Twenty Six
It was almost dawn wh
en Baen finally heard the sound of wings in the night air. He was glad of the sound. He'd been sitting by his fire, surrounded by his circle of power and guarding the prisoners from the moment he’d captured them and sent out the call. Fatigue was catching up with him.
There hadn’t been much to do as neither had woken up. Still he had taken his duties seriously as he'd waited, and he had watched them carefully. Even if he had failed however his elementals were also there to keep watch over them. And his staff was floating in the very centre of the circle, ready to release a bolt or two of sleep if either of them tried to escape their confinement. It was also shining brightly, providing a light to guide the Fae to him. And he had a wolf to keep him company.
