Battle Mage: A Hero's Welcome (A Tale of Alus Book 8)

by Donald Wigboldy

  “Your secretaries wouldn’t pass me through today, until I came with Sebastian; but we are scheduled for tomorrow morning,” Annalicia replied a little coolly. The wizard didn’t like being treated like a simple ornament to be had so easily.

  “Well, now I have a reason to look forward to the morning,” replied the mayor with a nod of his head. Though he had been slightly sidetracked from their discussion, the man’s eyes returned to Sebastian as he continued, “So you plan to move on to Parik and end this threat to our town? I do hope that you won’t find Parik similarly plagued or worse.

  “Orcs and other monsters were common early on until men came to drive them away. Some must have disappeared into the mountains and could return again, which is why our guardsmen have to be vigilant; but with men and women like you I guess we have gained another reprieve,” Elles said standing straight before giving him a nod. “I mostly wished to thank you, but if there is anything I can do to assist you, let me know.”

  Sebastian could see that Elles Holsun wasn’t going to reveal anymore and had simply wished to see who had destroyed the orcs. The battle mage still felt like the orcs had entered Parik, not to fight, but to talk with someone here. If it was the mayor, Elles had managed to hide his loyalties well.

  Jumping on the last remark, Sebastian acted like all was well and that he suspected nothing as he asked, “Do you know of a good stable that might be willing to rent their horses for a few days to visitors like us?”

  A bigger smile came to his mouth as the mayor nodded and said, “Visit the Holsun farm just outside of town on the way to Parik and tell Yosef that I sent you. He will lend you some horses at no charge after I send word to him to do so. It is the least that I can do for our saviors.”

  Again, Sebastian doubted much of the sincerity of the man’s words, but at least they would have mounts to use for the trip to Parik. Though it was probably only about a day’s ride, walking it would have made it twice as long. Plus after traveling by ship so long, the mage had to admit a long walk didn’t sound too enticing.

  With just a few pleasantries exchanged as they parted ways with handshakes and farewells, Sebastian led his people back feeling slightly unfulfilled. He still couldn’t say if Holsun had ties with the emperor without a doubt, but there was nothing more to be done about it for now. As long as the mayor didn’t sell them out or have them attacked, the mage would just move on with plans as they were and head on to Parik tomorrow.

  Returning to the Sea Dragon, Sebastian received a new surprise. He had been talking to Yara beside him as they walked in the middle of the group, when the healer pulled up with a start. Her eyes locked on an unexpected sight standing before the walkway to the Sea Dragon.

  Ashleen stood speaking with Serrena and Liam. Having gotten to know one another during her time onboard the ship and on the Grimnal’s island, the three were friendly and he had even noted a close bond formed between the two women. While having a slight difference in ages and being from two different lands, the wilder and wizard had found many other similarities. Unlike Ashleen, Yara had always had a harder time relating to the fire wizard, since being a healer meant different mindsets not only for magic but in all categories of their personalities.

  Serrena caught sight of the group returning and waved with a smile. The fire wizard straightened as worry left her body. Though Sebastian wasn’t always sure what the volatile young woman might always do, he did know that he had her loyalty and friendship.

  “Bas! You’re all still alive, so I assume that things went well?” she called out as they moved into hearing.

  Nodding at the wizard, he couldn’t help glancing to Ashleen who smiled almost shyly as they approached. Her blue eyes flicked to Yara worriedly before returning to his face with a bit more hope.

  Answering the wizard’s question before the one in his mind, as Annalicia and Reynolvan tried to ignore the women as they stepped up the heavy plank, Sebastian replied, “While I can’t say that I trust the man isn’t somehow involved with the emperor, he thanked us for stopping the threat of the orcs and even offered to set us up with horses to ride to Parik. He was polite enough at least and doesn’t seem to think we are from Southwall necessarily.”

  Yara spoke up saying, “He mentioned battle mages without precisely calling you out, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t at least suspect.”

  He nodded. “I plan to make sure that we leave a strong force to guard the ships and we’ll bring a solid group to Parik for sure. Just because he smiled and offered praise, doesn’t mean that he couldn’t sell us out.”

  Frowning at the turn of the conversation, Serrena retorted, “So you think that he is just going through the motions of saying what a great guy you are while preparing to either sell you out or at least doing what he can to get you out of his town?”

  Sebastian gave a shrug and his eyes moved to Ashleen again.

  It was Yara who asked somewhat coldly, “What is she doing here? I mean, I thought that Ashleen was supposed to be keeping Helena out of trouble on the Carnivore.”

  Making a face of distaste, Ashleen replied, “I was hoping that I might join you for the trip to the next gate, if only to get off of that ship for awhile. Helena was barely tolerable when her father was alive. Now that he is gone that ship has grown much smaller with her around. She tries to boss everyone around, but she knows next to nothing aside from being a flirt with men.

  “Themenor and Hyren, being men, can deal with her for awhile.”

  Sebastian chuckled at the idea that being men would make the girl any more tolerable. She had been a bit of a thorn in his side from time to time when Lord Romonus had been trying to entice him to go to Kardor. If the lord had known of the affection growing between him and Ashleen, the mage had no doubt that he would have recruited the wilder to try her best to lure him away.

  “Will you be able to leave without getting into trouble when you get back to Kardor?” Yara asked trying to push the young woman back again without coming off too defensive. She knew that Ashleen had feelings for Sebastian even if she had never admitted them. Unfortunately, the healer also feared that Sebastian had some of those feelings for her, even if he had professed his love for her and even taken their relationship to a more intimate level.

  Rumors in the castles and schools were often revealing that sex wasn’t a way to keep a hold on someone you loved, even if it was part of being together. For a healer who had witnessed pregnant women without husbands willing to name the children or take responsibility, it was a fear that had been lived out many times in front of her.

  Ashleen shook her head at the question and replied, “I serve Kardor, but that doesn’t mean I have to serve a clueless, little, rich girl. It is probably best that we separate before something is said that I could get into trouble for in truth.” She finished with an uncomfortable little laugh.

  “If there is no room for me on the Sea Dragon or I would just be in the way, I would understand.”

  “You could bunk with me,” Serrena answered with a big smile.

  “Doesn’t Frell share a room with you?” Yara questioned in surprise.

  “There are four beds,” the wizard answered with a shrug. “Two aren’t even being used, since we both sleep on the lower bunks.”

  Sebastian shrugged and replied, “If it is alright with Frell, then I don’t see why you can’t come aboard and an extra wizard coming along on this trip might not be such a bad idea either. Liam has already recused himself since he is a water wizard and believes that it is best to remain here to help guard the ship.”

  Laughing at his point, Serrena looked at Annalicia standing at the top of the plank discussing something with Reynolvan and said, “Personally I think he wants to stay to guard Anna more than the ship.”

  Sebastian’s brow wrinkled at her theory and asked, “I thought that he liked Sharamar, that wizard he knew from his hometown.”

  Again the fire wizard laughed and refuted his logic answering, “He does, but Liam would
n’t be the first man I’ve known who liked more than one woman. Some people are more fickle. A pretty face can distract married men as easily as those single. You’re a single man. You can’t tell me that you don’t think Annalicia isn’t pretty and she’s from a royal family besides.”

  He couldn’t refute any of what she said, but felt a little warm as Ashleen and Yara crossed gazes with little frowns. Appearing to look at Anna to avoid the girls’ stares, Sebastian did his best to remain neutral. While he knew that Yara would prefer Ashleen remained far away, she was also a very powerful wizard, and a wilder with the power to cast lightning like it was a part of her. She even held a little static field in her body at all times with her affinity for the energy. If there was trouble, he knew Ashleen was a dependable magic user in any scrap.

  “Well, Liam may not have decided who to give his heart to yet. He knew Sharamar as his younger sister’s friend and only reconnected at the tournament for a few days. That is hardly a solid relationship, but when did he start feeling something for Annalicia?”

  Serrena barely looked like she had to think about the question as she answered, “I think when she saved him from that island’s curse and risked her life doing it, Liam suddenly saw her in a new light. She’s beautiful and everyone remarked on her beauty at the tournament. Her skill was almost secondary, which probably annoyed her as a wizard; but she wears such revealing outfits and has a figure that most men seem to enjoy.”

  She laughed again at a thought and voiced it for the others, “Have you noticed how she can walk on deck and suddenly perfectly competent sailors begin to stumble or drop things?”

  Yara glanced to the silver haired wizard, who had looked down at them wondering what was delaying their return. Annalicia was certainly pretty and she could understand if Liam would be distracted from his professed affection for Sharamar. Ashleen was pretty too, she thought with a little worry.

  Chapter 18- New Plans

  The silver doorway formed between the two lodestones set on the floor bringing more than one set of eyes to the new gate. Through the portal Palose stepped through first while holding the hand of his passenger between places. With dark, curled hair and violet eyes, the pretty girl always seemed to have a smile for him, but after their short trip to the sunny city of New Harbor she had even more reason to smile.

  It was their first trip to the newest portal point in Southwall and an ocean side city of great beauty. Southwall was his former home and the country was slowly opening up for the dark mage again.

  A pretty blonde looked ready to sulk as she sat on the couch with her bare feet curled under her. Stasia was often jealous of the time Palose spent with Sylvaine, but while his spell had enforced a love for him on the girl, the mage had found Sylvaine truly held his heart. Another dark haired girl stood near the sink having been similarly resurrected in his experiment with practicing his dark arts, but she was less enamored of the young man who had brought her back. Still unerringly loyal, Talia was both taller and less curvaceous than the shorter blond. The contrasting personalities and looks between the two girls originally rescued from dying at the hands of warlocks were on the opposite ends of the spectrum from each other.

  Sylvaine was different again, but she was closer to Talia already. It had been a few weeks since he had come in her distress to save the young wizard only to have her die in his arms.

  There were many times where Palose had to give thanks for his maker, the man who had brought him back. Atrouseon was a warlock capable of resurrection magic. Not every warlock could work in the dark magic of stealing life back from death. Some could animate bones creating puppets as defenders, since most warlocks and wizards were useless in close combat. Others went further creating wraiths capable of individual thought. They were beings brought back as close to life as a warlock could achieve without truly returning its life. Bound by magic, they only lived because a warlock’s magic held them together.

  Last there were the resurrection men. Until Palose, most warlocks would have thought a resurrection man was little more than a wraith who appeared alive, but then Palose had used his spell to bring back not just one life but five. The spell had stated only someone alive could bring another back to life. It took life energy to resupply that energy to another. He had suspected that he truly lived and still held possession of his soul; but it had been a relief when his spells had worked.

  A shadow crossed in front of the large window at the front of the room. “A message came for you while you were away.”

  A flash of confusion crossed Palose’s face and he asked, “Brought here?”

  The burly looking bearded wizard shook his head. “No, Stasia and I waited at the tower apartment. If they know of the house; no one has ever bothered to walk this far.”

  Dorgred was one of two wizards unknown to him before testing his magic on his first magic users. They had been as dead as the girls, but they weren’t from Ensolus and made excellent subjects since no one would miss them. Like Wendle, the younger blonde haired wizard from Kardor he had lucked upon when the last of the black ships returned to Ensolus defeated by Sebastian and his wizards, they had no magic inherent in their dead bodies; but once returned to life their powers returned and brought new power to his little circle.

  While he had guessed that resurrection magic shared power between the one casting the magic and those receiving the life saving power, the joining of these two men had instantly helped increase Palose’s strength from that of a weak wizard to one of above average power. At the point of his binding them to him, he shared strength with Atrouseon as well giving the former battle mage reservoirs of power he had never dreamed of in Southwall.

  “We can hope that they don’t realize I have this house for you. I am not sure if the emperor or his warlocks would be as tolerant of a houseful of resurrection men and women as they have been for just one. While we can blend in with single life people, since we are no longer dead like a wraith, I still worry that they might discover that I have shared my magic with you,” the young man said in distraction as he opened the envelope and read the message inside.

  It was a summons to the palace again. Kolban seemed to enjoy Palose’s presence and entrusted him with many projects that one would have assumed would go to those who had lived in Ensolus for all their lives instead of someone there for a little less than a year. Still, he had been there for the emperor’s rebirth and was in a limited circle who even knew that he had changed bodies. He also knew the truth of his siblings, Lanquer a failed vessel and Acheri the female created in case a male form wasn’t viable.

  “I need to go to see Kolban again,” he said almost surprised at how easily he threw around the Dark One’s real name. “I’ll skip ahead to Atrouseon’s apartment and save time.”

  “Your apartment now,” Sylvaine stated gently from his side.

  He sighed at the thought. While trying to separate from Atrouseon peacefully, the warlock had grown more jealous of his relationship with the emperor and his siblings. Soon paranoia drove the man to turn on his creation, but Atrouseon made the mistake of believing the wards he had set would prevent Palose from defending himself against his master. In a series of events, he had finally come to his end when confronting the dark mage only to find that he had resurrected Dorgred and Wendle. His new allies defended him killing the warlock putting an end to his threat.

  “Come with me to the apartment, Sylvaine,” he said without ordering the girl. While he had placed runes of love on the other girls and friendship on the two wizards, Sylvaine had been close to him before her death. She had no runes demanding she obey or love him, but the girl nodded without saying a word before he opened another portal.

  The two crossed Ensolus from the eastern edge to the center of the city in a step. Nearly two miles were crossed in an instant and Palose stepped through a locked gate formed in the doorway of his old room.

  Stepping from the gate into a living room decorated by the former occupant, Palose noted the shadows creeping in
to the room despite the southern facing sliding glass doors. No one had bothered to leave any lamps on since it was unsafe to leave them unattended. While it was unlikely that an oil lamp would be knocked over, it was also a waste of oil so it just wasn’t done.

  “Light,” he said calling his magic as Sylvaine followed him holding his left hand. Were he using a wizard’s spell, he would most likely have needed two hands to cast, but he had been raised as a battle mage and his voice was all he needed as he pointed with his free hand from one lamp to another lighting them as his finger swept the room.

  “Show off,” Sylvaine chuckled. “Your battle mage magic is certainly efficient.”

  Turning towards the girl, who was only a couple years younger than he; Palose said with a smile, “I can teach you, if you want.”

  Sylvaine returned his smile with a gentle one of her own as she replied, “I am still technically an apprentice wizard. I was never able to use the dark magic of a warlock and I don’t think that I would like to use a sword to hurt people. Maybe learning a quicker, more efficient way to cast my fire spells would be nice though.”

  “You could never cast portals either. I wonder if the sharing we have through our bond would let you cast magic that you couldn’t before? Dorgred and Wendle never knew how to cast portals, but Dorgred at least seems capable of simple versions already.”

  Wrinkling her nose, as if in distaste, Sylvaine countered, “Maybe I will try again sometime, but for now I am still just getting used to being in hiding.”

  Palose sighed. It had been his suggestion that they wait for her to return to the warlock academy. Her mentor was dead, as was the entire party that had gone to supposedly discuss terms with a band of nomads. Without her mistress, Eloria, to vouch for her skill or even to validate her return when everyone else had died; Sylvaine was stuck in limbo. Like a wraith trapped between life and death, the girl couldn’t return to the life she had before and Palose also feared why her squad had been killed.