Laughing at the idea, Elzen replied, “Nah, I am too young for her; but what she doesn’t realize is that she is too young for me too. I really prefer older women. You aren’t seeing anyone, are you, Teven?”
It was a joke at her expense and designed to throw the wizard off by distracting her.
Holding a muffin in her hand, the blond haired wizard looked to the mage and answered, “I am not,” before biting into the quick bread. “But I thought that you preferred brunettes from those you usually dance with at night.”
Jaw slightly slack, Elzen found her abrupt answer had him at a loss for words; which caused Rilena to stifle a laugh. Used to being the butt of others’ jokes as well as his own, however, the young man quickly recovered to give the wizard a false look of flirting as he retorted, “I have been known to make exceptions for a woman who is more interesting.”
“Yeah, right,” Rilena couldn’t help saying under her breath as she used a bite of her tousled food to mask the comment.
Further surprising the boy, Teven cocked her head to the left appraisingly with a slight smile on her lips before replying, “Perhaps we need to dance then. I only date those who feel right on the dance floor.”
Swallowing hard, as he realized that he may have bitten off more than expected; Elzen nodded slowly. A new voice directed at Rilena came as a welcome halt to the conversation that had taken an unexpected turn for the mage. “Falcon Rilena, will you be ready by the eighth hour?”
Rilena turned her head to look at Darius followed by his handful of wizards. She nodded realizing that if she wished to avoid having her stomach growling at her, the young woman would have to force herself to eat quickly. “Yes, High Wizard, I can finish my breakfast and join you almost anytime.”
The eighth hour was less than an hour away now, but the mage was mostly ready save for eating anyway.
“Good, I was entertaining the idea that I would see if Garosh’s portals could be reopened to use today.”
Elzen blurted out in shock, “You can do that?”
The silver haired wizard glanced to the mage and gave a brief noncommittal tilt to the side with his head. His answer was as cryptic as the gesture, “I have sealed many portals over the centuries, but I have never tried to open one before. In theory, sealing it should be trickier than easing it back open.”
It was Rilena who retorted, “Should be? If you can’t tie the entry and exit together properly, you or whoever you send through the opening could become trapped in another world. It might be that silver void or you could tie into something else entirely... high wizard,” she finished realizing to whom she was speaking.
A smile crossed his face instead of anger and the man replied, “Just call me, Darius, and yes, I understand the dangers. A mistake in gates could open up to another world like that which once birthed the mar’goyn’lya and che’ther, which is most likely a world covered in fire now; or we could find new creatures wishing to make use of our mistake as well. On the other hand, using Garosh’s gate as a template could simply reopen the exact same portal, so we will arrive inside of the fortress. Of course, we don’t know what the status of the fortress is either. If the air is used up and stale, we could die from that also.”
Elzen stood up, but was still forced to look up at the wizard slightly as he asked, “And who are you planning to send through your gate to test this theory?”
Wanting to sigh at her apparent protector, Rilena was curious to hear the answer as well.
“I had not decided as of yet. First, I must make sure that I can open it, and then we will need someone to go through the doorway.”
“If you can open it, can I be the first one to try it?” Elzen asked surprising those who could hear the conversation. Rilena wanted to scream, no, but the boy was still more a friend than anything though she was attached to him enough to have found her way out of the silver world by using the memory of the younger mage.
Darius didn’t look at the female mage, but Rilena had a feeling that he assumed Elzen was trying to protect her as well. She had been through two portals already and survived making her the probable candidate for the first trial. The idea of going through Darius’s first gate had made her extremely nervous. She had been trapped in the silver world for only a moment, but the idea of becoming trapped in some other world was very possible they all knew.
“You were witness to the portals, so if you wish to come along and don’t have duties to distract you, feel free,” the wizard stated and Rilena felt a sudden chill as they had apparently just assigned Elzen his fate.
Teven stood from her seat beside Rilena and smiled at the wizard. “Well, I am just a water wizard and missed all the excitement of these gates and assassins, so no need to invite me along. There’s no point for me to join you inside of a stuffy ol’ mountain,” the young woman said with a mock shiver before grinning at Darius letting him know that she joked. Sliding her hand from Rilena’s left shoulder to the right, the water wizard moved to pass the high wizard when she paused and leaned closer to sniff at him.
“Hmm, you smell nice,” she added before pulling away with a shy look. The petite, little wizard passed by the other men, who all appeared confused as to what had just happened. Rilena couldn’t help smiling, since Teven often left her a bit perplexed as well.
Palose stood in the central portal chamber once again. This morning had a large assemblage of soldiers and half a dozen warlocks, who were not involved with holding the gates open. An unusual addition to their ranks was a trio of blue skinned orcs. They were rarely seen in Ensolus, a mountain city, because they were a special breed of orc created with artificial gills and webbed fingers and toes. There was even a thin dorsal ridge along their backs to add to their ability to maneuver under water.
As they waited, soldiers with the emperor’s private crest entered the chamber clearing the way for Kolban. Surrounded by a masking black fog, his true appearance was hidden from the world around him. It would be hard for anyone to believe the young man inside of the cloak of fog was the same one who had ruled the empire for almost a thousand years; so the magical smoke that had once cloaked his withered husk of a body became the expected appearance of the emperor.
A further surprise was that of Acheri trailing the emperor like some servant girl. Apparently she wanted to see him off, though that might just have been ego saying so. While Palose wasn’t interested in the princess that way, she had appeared infatuated with him from the moment she was freed from her birthing chamber.
Kolban controlled the smoke expanding it to encompass Palose and three warlocks chosen to lead this mission.
“As you know, one of the wizards tasked with destroying our portals has discovered and destroyed our gate at Banosh. Even the stones left by Palose as a back up were removed and cast in the sea.”
The boy smirked at the last comment and continued, “Apparently they are unsure of how to destroy the lodestones, so Palose will send the orcs through to gather them beneath the water. That might confuse them when a new gate opens where they believed them safely disposed of, though they might believe we mistakenly sent our people to drown.”
Looking at the remaining warlocks, Kolban added, “You three will lead teams to Parik and spread out to Sardon, Zarees and Banosh to establish gates to each of our cities. If you run into this wizard, kill him. We don’t need our enemies cutting us off from what is ours.
“It is time to establish Litsarin as our official province. When you are through with the western cities, go to the outposts of Sileoth and set new gates in the hills above those towns. We will send our armies through to take them in the future, but for now you will be acting as the advance scouts for our invasion.”
One of the older warlocks frowned and questioned the boy’s judgment, “Once we have fixed the western gates, all we need do is send the armies through from there. We could march across Litsarin making any town part of the empire or ensure its destruction.”
Palose noted the fingers of Kolban’s left
hand gesture and witnessed the smoke bend to his command. A thick tendril attacked like the tail of a scorpion. Wrapping like a constricting snake around the man’s neck, Kolban’s eyes narrowed as he frowned at the warlock choking even as the man’s hands tried to pull the smoke from around his throat. It was somehow solid and ethereal as smoke at the same time. The man’s fingers could only pass through the strangling black tendril, yet the magic of the emperor continued to throttle the man.
“You dare to question your emperor, Karis? You are a minor warlock at best and I give you this honor to serve me and my empire. Do not question my intent again as if I am boy. This body is young, but my mind straddles the centuries. Have no fear that I am still the emperor.”
Changing gestures, some of the smoke separated to enter his mouth and disappear. It never returned and Kolban released the choking tendril soon after. “You are mine as I once held my grasp on all those who served me. Question me again and you pay with your life in a much more excruciating way. I assure you.”
The man dropped to his knees, though not from need of breath. His will seemed to disappear under the control of the emperor and whatever spell had taken him. “Yes, emperor, I will serve you with all my heart.”
Not even bothering to look at the warlock, Kolban added, “As to his question, so there will be no other questions; we will take all of Litsarin in the end. It has many resources and will become an extension of Ensolus, so we will simply place the gates now and avoid sending our armies on needless marches, Karis.”
Looking at the men around him, the emperor finished saying, “Palose you will open your gate to the lodestones for the orcs directly. They will return them to the hill over Banosh. If it takes them less time than for these to walk or ride there, then we will send others to set that gate instead. Meanwhile, you three know your orders and will take command to either spread our gates or hold Parik against this troublesome enemy wizard.”
The four men all acknowledged the emperor with bowed heads and agreement in speech as well.
Palose opened his personal gate holding it open with power well beyond that of a battle mage. The changes in him since his rebirth were numerous, but most noticeable was the increase in power thanks to the resurrection spell both used on him and those he had in turn returned to life as well. It was child’s play to hold the gate open now and the three orcs stepped through the glowing doorway destined for the stones resting on the bottom of the ocean.
He watched as the portal warlocks channeled their magic into the stone arch creating a second gateway. It was a task he had been part of while still serving Atrouseon and the mage was well versed in the magic. Such service had helped refine his skill with portal magic and he had later found that not every warlock could even create a gate. Now he was a portal master being called upon by the Dark One, the emperor of Ensolus and more.
“These enemy wizards continue to be a thorn in our side,” Acheri commented from his shoulder. The girl had slipped close while he was focused on holding the portal, but now that his use of magic was over Palose noticed the girl even down to the sweet scent of her perfume.
“According to our history, there were wizards closing portals and other fissures between worlds well before the emperor’s coming,” the mage stated thinking back to a minor course in his training. Palose had always enjoyed learning, so being restricted to a battle mage had often felt stifling. What studying beyond combat training he had, he had always given his full attention even down to facts likely unimportant like the history of wizards monitoring gates into their world. “There is the theory that Kolban and his warlocks only discovered Alus because of wizards here tampering with the magic hundreds of years before the first war between our people.”
The girl raised an eyebrow questioningly as she asked, “Our people? You mean your old home, Southwall, and my brother’s empire? I thought that you felt yourself one of us, Palose.”
He knew Acheri well enough to know her sometimes droll kind of humor, but he replied, “Just because my allegiance is here now, doesn’t mean I wasn’t born in Southwall. Southwall didn’t even exist when the Grimnal and other immortals fought in the old world. Only the descendants of those ancient countries remain now, especially after the devastation caused by the Cataclysm.”
“The emperor was motivated to escape his prison and get his vengeance at the same time,” Acheri said offhand before looking introspective at her words. Spawned from the emperor’s memories and magical power, Acheri was both her own being and a piece of that emperor. She would certainly know his motivations; since, in a way, the girl was also a part of him.
Her words revealed the separation of what was Kolban, both before and after the change in bodies. Acheri may have been formed from his memories, but more and more she was also her own person and distinct from her brother. He was the true emperor and direct link to the former being.
Glancing towards Kolban shrouded in the black fog, Palose replied, “He did both quite well. Is that why Kolban seems less driven to destroy Southwall and her allies since his change?”
He avoided announcing the body swap committed by the emperor in case there were listening ears. At this point, the assuming of a new form was kept to a small number of trusted advisors and guards. Few knew Kolban now occupied a boy’s body that had been grown magically in a chamber beside his new brother and sister. A slip of the tongue could very well end his life, so Palose chose his words carefully.
“He can afford more patience,” the girl replied quietly, “now that he is no longer dying. Patience gave him a new design to destroy Southwall in fact. The men you have been delivering to the cities you have created gate points in are there to create dissent. More have been dispensed to Sileoth and Marianis. Even Silmaris and Kardor will be affected as allies, though I doubt Kardor in particular will choose to work against the only real ally that can distract the empire from concentrating on their weakened nation.”
This was news to Palose and probably not really something he was supposed to know, but the princess seemed to trust him as much as anyone. Even Kolban had drawn the resurrection man close and used him on missions that could only be given to someone he trusted. Acheri had known of his trips to Southwall and neither of them acted like they believed he was working to betray them. In fact, Acheri had joined him on several journeys walking to new cities and scouting out the defenses from the opposite side of the enemy wall.
“What could they say to create dissent? Southwall has stood as a barrier to the empire since the wall went up. They have sent wizards and soldiers to help defend the land. Why would any of them turn now?”
Acheri gave him an appraising look before replying, “Southwall is large enough to be divided by distance. The south enjoys peace and trade with Sileoth and Marianis across a channel. They are separated from Hala by more than just the land between them. The southern cities have a different culture despite being the same country and they have been giving men to the north to defend the wall for centuries. Taxes are sent to fund the army and capitol, but many probably wonder why. Peace has been theirs for generations and only the call from the north reminds them of an enemy none have seen.
“The same can be said for the island nations which were once part of the mainland. Sileoth, Marianis, and Silmaris probably look at the cities of Southwall and think that such riches could easily be theirs and should be. Mariport and Siltrene are even named after the old cities owned by each country after all.”
Palose listened to her words seeing how such seeds sowed in the right ears might bring dissent. How many struggling to make a living would hear these ideas and believe that Southwall held their wealth and dreams captive? How many would spread the words of the spies until even the nobles and kings of their allies had to ask if the questions didn’t have a nugget of truth?
Ensolus was a far off threat and to some it might even be considered imaginary. Like Acheri said, only those serving on the wall and the guardian cities were reminded of the emperor and his armies
regularly. People living in comfort and peace could forget the truth and question following a king tucked in the shadow of the great wall.
Kolban had apparently decided that the best way to defeat his enemies was to let them do it for him. Now they just needed to keep the gate sealing wizards from cutting them off to allow the spies to continue doing their work.
“It might work,” Palose said quietly.
Chapter 13- Night Lights
Sebastian was standing on the foredeck enjoying the sun and the breeze as the Sea Dragon closed on a town called Sardon. It was another town with a protective harbor and was close enough to the island’s mines to be an important hub of trade both to the north and far off Taltan.
If the dull glow of an old gateway was correct, the mage had a feeling that the mines also did business with Ensolus, a city with no direct connection to any sea or even river. With portal magic, however, the emperor didn’t need conventional means to get what he needed from Litsarin. It was that reasoning that had made the mage decide to delay their return to Southwall. If there were gates there, then he would shut them down and hope to cause Ensolus new problems.
It was a switch from having the emperor’s creatures troubling him for once. Black ships, cursed castles and islands and even deranged undead warlocks had plagued him during the search for Gerid. Now maybe he could turn it around and maybe even secure the world a bit in the meantime by destroying the emperor’s gates to the south.
“Bas!” Darterian called out hurrying towards the leader of the mission. He held the gate compass glancing between it and the young man he was in search of now.
As he neared, a shadow crossed the mage as Gerid moved closer. Like the battle mage, he had been enjoying the foredeck breeze as they made their way south. The wizard had drawn other eyes as well with his urgency. Since all knew that he monitored the compass, being so frantic was unlikely to mean anything good for the crew of the Sea Dragon.
Battle Mage: A Hero's Welcome (A Tale of Alus Book 8) Page 18
