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

by Donald Wigboldy

  “We are but candles compared to an inferno when looking at the power of nature around us. For those who figure out how to minimize the overload in their bodies, they can channel a portion of that power into their spells. Of course, for those foolish enough to try, most will burn themselves out using the devastating magic cutting their lives quite short. But you say, the mage seemed to hold the magic in his blade without drawing it into him?”

  Palose nodded watching the emperor actually look confused by this part of his observation. “Has he found a unique relic that can hold magic?” Kolban mused aloud. Looking back up at the dark mage, he asked, “With this magic in his hands, can you defeat him?”

  It was a strangely blunt question and Palose wasn’t sure if that meant the emperor meant to send him back to destroy Sebastian or if he merely wished to gauge the dark mage’s confidence. “Anyone can be beaten. Even the most powerful have their weaknesses and Sebastian is still just a battle mage. Separated from his sword, I have more power than the mage, though his inherent strength has grown a bit since I last saw him.”

  A frown crossed Kolban’s face. First, the comment of the most powerful having weaknesses and second, for the dark mage’s opinion. He ignored the first part and repeated, “You mean when you failed to kill this man in Windmeer?”

  “I left him defeated and ready for his execution. The orcs and the two warlocks I left to finish him failed,” Palose answered without being baited to anger. In fact, the dark mage was almost glad that Sebastian hadn’t died that day. Neither had grown much at that point. He had already taken in part of Atrouseon’s strength and had two more warlocks with him as well as dozens of orcs, goblins and even trolls to fight one lone battle mage. Such a win had little satisfaction in it now that he looked back on their confrontation in the castle.

  Since then Palose’s power had grown and he had learned new magic. Sebastian’s knowledge had certainly expanded and he now held a weapon that might make him a challenge for the dark mage. Separated from that blade, could Sebastian manage to surprise him? That he didn’t know.

  Kolban frowned at his unusual placement of blame. “You were in charge and could have killed him then. Now he is becoming a severe thorn in my side. There are plans at work that this battle mage could threaten. His distance from Southwall has brought about new complications and I think that it might be time to face your old enemy to end this threat.”

  A new commotion gave the young man a moment to think on this near order. Kolban had only used might in his opinion and Palose almost wished to wait a little longer to see if the battle mage’s power would grow more. If he needed to kill his old friend and enemy, Palose could certainly do it; but he would need a plan and a team.

  “Your highness, more warlocks from the ambush team have arrived,” a guard called from beyond the masking wall.

  “Bring them in,” Kolban ordered waving the generals back to their places.

  Two men stumbled into the room looking fearful. Palose noticed the blackened eye on one, but other than that the two men appeared mostly uninjured.

  The first general to speak was the smaller and younger looking of the two. Showing elven heritage with his elven ears, the blond haired man known as Amelyer asked, “You survived and managed to return from the ambush as well? Why have you taken so long to return home?”

  The second general, an orc blended with human ancestry, looked more threatening. With brown skin, wide shoulders and the wide jaw of an orc, his graying brown hair made him look older while his presence also made him appear much stronger. Corven added menacingly, “Did you run away and decide that you could come home with your tails between your legs and not be punished!”

  Amelyer patted the air acting the gentleman he appeared to be. It was like seeing a civilized elf next to a barbaric orc, but Palose knew better. Both were intelligent and could be both civilized and dangerous in a blink. “Let them speak, general. I am sure what they have to say must be very important or they wouldn’t have bothered to return at all.”

  Ceresh swallowed and answered for both of them. His eyes flicked towards Palose as well, surprising the mage that he would dare take his eyes off of the generals before him. “During the ambush, we fought against wizards using golems and were distracted as we used our magic to fight back. A tenth man struck from behind. I never saw him, but Oster tried to fight back.”

  He gestured to the other man’s black eye. “He was skilled and apparently working with the others. When we came to, we found others who had survived but had been left behind. It took us awhile to reopen a gate that the enemy hadn’t sealed yet. It took all of our energy to manage the feat since neither Oster nor I are proficient with portals. We were able to bring the others back, some of whom are wounded and being taken to the healers now.”

  Amelyer glanced towards Palose. The generals weren’t skilled wizards or wizard hunters, so he was less sure of whether the man lied. He did know that not all warlocks could create portals, but wasn’t sure whether it would take them so long or if there was another reason for the sudden appearance of the remaining troops.

  “Where is your protective armor?” Palose questioned stepping closer having noticed that the wizard hunters were out of uniform. They wore shirts and pants untreated to resist and absorb the elements. No one in the ambush team wore less than leather versions of the gear, so it was odd to see the men brought directly to them without it. It also made their first part of the story seem fishy.

  Oster answered as Ceresh sighed, “It was stolen from us. I believe that the enemy took ours since it wasn’t damaged in the fight. We were felled by blows to the head, not the damaging light magic of the enemy.”

  Ceresh nodded and added, “The enemy we fought had unprecedented skill in light and dark magic. They countered our unit’s armor by using golems to crush our soldiers, sleep spells, light and powerful lightning to crack the shell and swords to slice our men.

  “It was like fighting our most powerful wizard hunters, except for our armor.”

  Corven growled, “And now they have taken that from you, fools!”

  As the men shrank into them selves before the orc general, Amelyer asked more gently, “You saw all this magic and how many were there?”

  “Four faced the team by the mines. They were strong with light and other spells that evaded the absorbing qualities of the armor. Five more faced us creating stone golems, using light and there was what looked like a skilled battle mage in the center of that line who killed several of our soldiers despite their armor.”

  Oster reminded him, “The tenth man didn’t seem to have any magic, but he was stealthy like an assassin. He was strong and quick too,” he finished touching his swollen eye gently.

  Having seen the battle and the destruction of the ambush team, Palose knew that these two actually told the truth as he had seen it aside from the last man. Another problem crossed his mind with their story, however.

  “Why didn’t they destroy the last gate that you used?”

  The two warlocks glanced at one another trying to decide on their excuse, he thought.

  Ceresh shrugged and answered, “They closed the old gate and the one you created. Maybe the portal wizard simply ran out of magic to do so. They were all involved in the fighting, so it is possible that the one closing them needed time to recover for the last gate.”

  “They left it unguarded and you managed to gather the wounded without them noticing?” Palose asked less than convinced.

  “The townsfolk and miners had come to see what had happened,” Oster volunteered without hesitation. “Since the battle was filled with explosions, they ran away at first but then they started to come to see if the mines had collapsed and to see the dead.

  “They weren’t from Litsarin or Parik. Maybe they feared the locals would attack them or try to throw them into prison.”

  Ceresh nodded, but the dark mage noted a little relief in his eyes at Oster’s quick thinking. He also volunteered the information Sebastian want
ed to enforce on the emperor’s thinking. “If they have learned our other magic, I fear that they might figure out how to form portals. If they discover how to link them to Ensolus or use our old gates to do so, the capitol could wind up under attack soon.”

  It was Corven who puffed up his chest and retorted, “Let them come. The portal chambers are guarded well enough to destroy any enemy choosing to use them.”

  Amelyer looked a little less certain, but refused to argue the point in front of those inferior in rank like the warlocks.

  Shrugging, Ceresh seemed to let the matter lie, but his eyes locked with Palose a moment. A flicker above his pocket as the man flashed a slip of paper appeared to be a signal to the dark mage.

  The generals could think of no other questions, and as the warlocks were dismissed, Palose followed them to the door.

  “You were allowed to leave,” he said quietly in the hall outside.

  Not even bothering to deny the accusation, Ceresh pressed the note into his hand saying, “Someone had to be sent with their threats to the emperor and this message for you from... him.” The last word was said with meaning and Palose knew that Sebastian must be the one meant.

  “What threats?”

  “He told us to tell the emperor, that he was close to figuring out portal magic and that Ensolus was in danger as soon as he discovered the answer to the magic.”

  “I suppose threatening the emperor, even as a messenger, might be hazardous to your health; but I sense that he is bluffing for now. No wizard who has worked on closing portals has figured out how to open one in centuries. Certainly no one in Southwall would have a clue and, if they did, they would still need to know how to find their goal. Without knowledge of the exit, a wizard will become trapped inside of the void.”

  Ceresh stated in a hushed tone, “He told us to open the gate, even though we told him that we were unable to open one our selves. Apparently, the mage understood that we could find our way back from an older portal.”

  Frowning at the new information, Palose knew that there was more to a gate than working from an old one. The two wizards knew the destination of the portal chamber and probably even worked on one of the teams used to help maintain them. Most apprentices worked on the gates at some point. Even those incompetent in creating them could lend their energy to sustaining prolonged gateways.

  “I would suggest keeping what we have talked about between us. The emperor let you leave with your lives, but if he caught wind of the threats being made; he would probably kill you himself.”

  The two warlocks paled and nodded their heads. Palose wanted to smile. These men now owed him their lives and one day he might need them to repay that debt. It was good to have warlocks to call on should he need them. He was in good stead with the emperor now, but who knew if that would last forever.

  Letting the warlocks go, Palose opened the short note. “We have both survived certain death. One day we will settle matters between us.”

  Snorting at the simple message, the dark mage crumpled the paper tucking it into his pocket. Like he needed a note to tell him that he and Sebastian seemed to be on a path to a final battle of sorts that would only leave one of them alive, but once it had been his need to kill the mizard when he believed that Bas had deserted him but that had changed into a rivalry neither could deny. Sebastian was the first mage to evolve since the founding father of their order. Palose had left and grown in a different way.

  They were in separate camps with bad blood between them. It was only inevitable that they settle their differences and find out who had chosen the better path.

  It was only a day later when Palose had to send a message to Kolban. Captain Rosleren had finally activated the signal. Almost three weeks since they had contracted the man, he finally had found the islands.

  “I want to go with,” Acheri demanded with folded arms as he stood in one of the emperor’s many personal rooms.

  “It will be too dangerous for you there,” Kolban replied seated in a stuffed chair. A thick, red carpet with the design of dragons chasing each other around the border sat on the floor letting the princess stomp angrily with bare feet without injuring herself on stone. “Besides, Palose is only setting up a gate point today. Once he sets the gate he can return to the ship or directly home. There is no need to retake the island yet. If they destroyed the barrier holding the immortal, then he is probably no longer imprisoned there.

  “Without the man’s presence, the island has no other real value and can be ignored.”

  Acheri stopped her angry pacing to look at her brother, who housed the true emperor, yet she complained, “You will ignore it? In the past, you have put entire cities to the sword even though an enemy was known to have escaped. Now we just ignore those who once stood against us and let the immortal run away with impunity. Has your mind changed with your new body?”

  Frowning at the girl, the youthful looking man appearing in his early teens was really an ancient being over a millennia old, though in his attempt to cheat death for the second time he was now in this boy’s form. Only this was once a blank, an empty shell created to hold the emperor’s incredible power. Acheri was another blank that had been rendered unnecessary with this success, but Kolban had conveyed much of his knowledge into his sister and Lanquer his lesser brother as well as a portion of his magical power. Now they were three and times like these, Palose could see that they were three individuals and not just the emperor’s mind shared among the three. Each had their own personalities and was forming his or her own memories of their new lives.

  “I can’t say that I never destroyed a city in revenge, but I don’t waste my time on something as unimportant as an island in the middle of the ocean with no strategic importance at all. If the prisoner has left, then we need to find him.

  “When he is returned to the island, we can always kill his family and people in front of him then.”

  An appreciative smile crossed the dark haired girl’s face at the deviousness of such a plan. Apparently that was the emperor she remembered from her memories that were once his alone. “Well, that sounds more like you.”

  Waving off the girl’s opinion, he was ready for her to try to get her way again and sure enough Acheri said, “He can at least take me to the ship. I want to speak to Rosleren again. The ship will be safe enough and you can always send Lanquer if you want.”

  With a sigh, Kolban gave in saying, “I don’t have time to argue. You may go to the ship with Palose and at least three guards, but you will stay with the ship before returning home.”

  “You don’t even want to know why I want to speak to the captain?” the girl asked playfully batting her eyelashes at her brother now that she had gotten her way.

  Smiling back at her as he faked interest, the boy emperor responded, “I don’t care, just go already and let Palose do his job.”

  While the girl wasn’t happy to be ignored, Acheri also preferred to have her way and visit the ship which should be near the island far to the south. It was an adventure to her, Palose thought as the dark haired girl slipped her soft brown shoes on before pulling him by the arm.

  A trio of men was gathered from the guards along the way. Apparently Acheri knew them well enough since she called each by name as they passed.

  “Ready?” he asked the princess. At her nod, the dark mage cast his portal to the Clipper.

  Stepping through the silver world in an instant, Palose stepped onto the wood floor of the Clipper. The light streaming through the front window of the cabin was warm and bright. That was the scene to his right, but to his left three sailors stood wide eyed at the unexpected visitors and the glowing doorway that formed to deliver them.

  The three guardsmen stood like a wall between the doorway and the gate as Acheri exited the construct last. Their swords had been in hand before they had passed through ready for trouble should the sailors be thinking of reneging on the deal the captain had formed with the princess.

  Dark blue eyes took in the he
lmsman and the two men standing slack jawed beside him as Acheri asked, “Where is Captain Rosleren?”

  “On deck, my lady,” the helmsman managed to answer quickly though the other two looked unable to speak.

  One of the guards took the door as Palose released the glowing gate letting it fade away. The dark mage marveled at the control he had managed to acquire over the magical doorways since he had first started using them. They were as easy for him to cast as a battle mage shield and that was almost as easy as breathing.

  He followed the guardsmen who sent two through the door before allowing Acheri to exit as the third man guarded her back. Palose was less worried than the three guards. While treachery was possible, they had the advantage of surprise as well as the power of Acheri and his skills which were continuing to grow.

  “Captain,” Acheri called sounding almost sweet as the girl frowned slightly at the man standing beside a rail looking at the island to the southeast.

  Giving a respectful bow, the captain looked even less like a gentleman after his voyage. What should have taken a week with good wind had taken the Clipper nearly three times as long, but the man didn’t look tired from his voyage to Palose. He had a feeling the captain had decided to take his time since Acheri hadn’t stressed a need for alacrity as far as he could recall. Having the Clipper sail out was supposed to appear just like any other merchant stumbling across the island and the people living there in seclusion.

  “Good morning, my lady. I see that the message worked. I admit I was dubious about it, but that’s magic for you. Complex to us mere mortals and so simple for you,” the man said letting his smile come through his unruly beard. With his dark hair equally mussed in the breeze coming across the deck, Captain Rosleren looked more like a common sailor than a captain and his clothing was little better. In the late spring heat, the man wore a shirt with cut off sleeves and his loose legged pants while he remained barefoot on the deck.