“It is time to tell King Alain that we are through feeding his ego! Succession is the answer. Let the north be the north and the south will be the south!”
To Sebastian’s surprise, there were quite a few cheering the idea. Succession, rebellion, and war were the best tools of a country’s destruction from within and the emperor was doing his best to fuel them all. Men hated paying for things they couldn’t see. New Harbor and the southern cities hadn’t tasted war or struggle for over a hundred years. The emperor had never directly attacked them when he chose the Dragon’s Spine Mountains after the Cataclysm. Hala and Staron, the Grimnal’s former homes had taken the brunt along with Kardor, which was simply a nation too close to be ignored.
“What idiots,” Olan hissed drawing a couple eyes closest to them. “They complain because of a few taxes to their king. New Harbor is among those that send the fewest men north to serve. If Red Hall didn’t search for wizards and battle mages here, they would see even less.”
Sebastian nodded but placed his hand on the mage’s shoulder urging the man to move along as more eyes seemed to gather with interest in the mage’s words. This wasn’t a crowd that was ignoring the words of sedition. These people actually agreed with the agitator on his wood box.
As they moved away trying to blend into the flow of the crowd moving deeper into the city, Liam moved close enough to ask worriedly, “If these people are actually falling for his rhetoric, Southwall could be looking at a civil war or at the very least insurrection with some of the southern cities. Do you think that there are more of these separatist preaching agitators in all the cities?”
Yara questioned, “Would those in the north who have seen the emperor’s affect fall for such words as well?”
Sighing at the idea, Sebastian said, “Only those closest to the wall really know that the war between us and the emperor continues. Using the logic that our patrols help fuel the war is a brilliant way to make the people question whether we are the ones at fault.
“If we stay behind our wall and leave the nomads and patrolling armies of the Dark One alone, would they continue to have a reason to attack us? Many people will wonder if we aren’t at fault after all these years.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?” Liam asked in surprise at the battle mage’s words.
Sebastian smiled sadly and shook his head. “I don’t know if the emperor plans to attack us sooner or later, but I’ve seen too much to believe that his need for revenge has changed. Gerid helped put him in a prison without walls; yet he fought to break free and didn’t choose to return to his home world, but to ours. The Cataclysm wasn’t necessary, but he tore apart the north sinking cities and islands while raising others. Thousands, if not millions died, and then his armies began to attack what remained.
“Only a fierce defense, and eventually the wall, prevented his armies from destroying our ancestors. He is still coming, but someone who is immortal or whatever the emperor is can afford to exercise patience.”
Ashleen asked a different question as they walked, “Well, we know that he has sent spies to undermine your king here as well. Do we return to the ship and wait for the others or continue to search?”
Frowning at the wilder, Yara complained, “You didn’t have to come, you know? You could be on your way home instead of searching, if you don’t want to continue.”
Returning the look Ashleen retorted, “I wasn’t saying that I wasn’t willing to go on. I just asked if we have seen what we need to here. Your king will need to know of all the emperor’s spies. Darterian can come close the gate if he can find it also.”
Crossing her arms angrily, the pretty little healer asked, “Why are you here anyway? You followed our ship for no reason and given the chance to return home, you still don’t go?
“If you think that you have a chance with Sebastian, then you are even more deluded. Why can’t you just take a hint and go home?”
Olan and Liam looked away and to the sky dropping back a few steps not wanting to get caught in an argument most had been feeling coming to a boil for weeks now. Sebastian wished he could avoid the girls at the moment as well, but the young man feared that he was as much the reason for it as anything. He could hide, but eventually he would need to confront the problems between them. The problem was that Yara had been pushing him away since their time on Grimnal Island. The last couple weeks she had become distant and he was beginning to wonder what was becoming of their relationship.
A month ago, Sebastian would have told anyone who asked that they were in love and would try to marry when they returned home. Now he wondered if their love had soured. Ashleen wasn’t the only reason things between them had gone cold, the man was pretty sure; but he couldn’t say what he had done wrong either.
Ashleen countered Yara. “I have realized that I can learn from Sebastian. He understands my wilder magic almost as well as I do. Some things he understands more, so I only want to learn how to become better as a wizard. If it was wrong to come with you, then why didn’t he tell me to go?”
Both sets of eyes glanced to the mage and he knew that the argument was about to sweep him up in spite of remaining quiet long enough to hope the situation would diffuse itself.
Before he could say anything, Yara tried to be cruel as she retorted, “He probably took pity on you and didn’t know how to tell you to leave. A wilder is just a wizard who can’t control their magic. He can teach you everything he knows and it won’t change the fact that you can’t even turn off your power completely.”
“Take that back!” Ashleen demanded angrily and went to push the healer’s shoulder angrily. A spark bright enough for anyone to see jumped between them causing Yara to cry out in pain.
“Take it back? Look what you just did! Unless you meant to attack me, in which case I shouldn’t apologize for a thing. You are a hazard to yourself and the rest of us!
“We saved you from that ship before the warlocks could use you like a puppet. Liam pulled you from the sea where you should have drowned and now you act like you can just come in and try to steal him from me.”
After the initial sting of Yara’s words subsided like the pain of the lightning shock, Ashleen pointed a finger sparkling with angry energy towards the healer and said, “I don’t need to steal him. You’ve been acting so cold to him, you’ll lose him soon enough on your own.
“Maybe you need to stop blaming me if you two are having problems.”
Raising his hands, Sebastian tried to settle the girls who were creating a scene in the street. “Yara calm down. People are looking and we don’t need a scene. We’re supposed to be looking around not drawing attention to ourselves.”
“Why are you telling me to calm down and not her? You treat her like you love her instead of me!” the blond haired girl’s green eyes held tears as her emotions continued to build.
Groaning, he tried again, “You both need to calm down, right now.”
“I didn’t do anything!” Ashleen complained. “If you didn’t want me to come along, then you should have said so. I’m not here to get between you, no matter what she thinks. You chose her instead of me. I get it.”
The girls looked to continue the argument, but Sebastian saw the crowd beginning to form around them. Perhaps drawing more attention than the instigators of the emperor, the three were doing everything but shouting for the people to look at them.
“We need to go. Now,” he stated.
It was then that he felt the tingle of familiar magic. The girls continued to exchange words, but his attention was pulled from them towards the north. Trying to figure out what he was feeling and why he felt that it was so familiar, the mage turned his head to look in the direction of the feeling. “Stop it now. I think the emperor has sent someone through another gateway. We need to get it together and see if we can intercept whoever it is.”
Ashleen asked, “We didn’t interfere with the preacher. Why is this one different?”
“I’m not sure, but it feels familiar
and I need to know why.”
The distraction calmed the girls, but new worries made them nervous. They had never seen him act this way with one of the gates, though this was the first gate to open so close to him. Confused by what he was feeling and knowing that it wasn’t some trick to get them to stop, the girls followed as Sebastian pushed through the section of the crowd barring his way.
Liam and Olan were quickly with them as they followed behind the girls watching out for trouble.
Palose blinked at the brilliant light cast by the sun. New Harbor’s white walls seemed to amplify the light making it even brighter, but his eyes quickly looked away from the empty alleyway in front of him to look at the pretty girl beside him.
Sylvaine was definitely a beauty, but there had been something about her almost from the first time they had met which had drawn him to her. Curly dark hair, violet eyes and lips that made him want to lean closer just to taste them, all served to charm him; but it was something about her spirit or maybe her demeanor that made talking with her feel like he had found his oldest friend. A friend that he could bare his heart to and say anything on his mind without fear of reproach, Sylvaine felt comfortable to him and yet her beauty charmed him beyond just friendship.
He had become so close to her that Palose had given her a talisman to call him to her if she was ever in danger. His fears that Princess Acheri was jealous of the girl and might attempt her harm had led him to give her the charm, but the dark mage could never be certain why Sylvaine had been sent away on the mission which had turned so dangerous as to get her entire squad killed including the girl’s mentor.
Using the talisman to call him, Palose had been too late to save her life in time; but his magic and the resurrection spell had been enough to return her to him. No runes had been used to bind her loyalty or love to him. He had known that she loved him and he had fallen in love with her.
He lifted the hand entwined in his and raised it to his lips to deliver a tender kiss to the back of her hand.
Smiling up at him, Sylvaine asked, “What was that for?”
“Just because I am glad that you are here.”
Clearing his throat, Dorgred asked, “Do you two need to be alone?”
Chuckling at the big wizard, Palose replied, “I can get Sylvaine alone just about any time. I think we can wait until we get home. For now, let’s enjoy what appears to be a beautiful day here in New Harbor.”
Stasia took Dorgred’s hand and nearly looked like a child taking her father’s hand. There was a significant age difference between them as well as size, but since the wizard’s resurrection the two had seemed to hit it off beyond friendship. Palose didn’t delve into the relationships formed between them. He only had eyes for Sylvaine, though both Stasia and Talia had been too tempting to resist before becoming close to the curly haired beauty who had worked her way into his heart.
Wendle offered his arm to the last girl. Talia took it without appearing like she had been picked last. The tallest of the men and the tallest of the girls, the two looked good together and their personalities were a surprisingly good mesh as well, Palose thought before he realized that he was thinking like some town’s matchmaker.
While the mage didn’t ask what went on in the house he rented for them when he wasn’t there, Palose did sometimes wonder if the others had become intimate. It was usually a thought while he was bored; but it did come to mind occasionally. The dark mage was usually too busy expanding his list of portal points or otherwise serving the emperor it seemed to think about such superficial, unimportant things.
The group walked out of the alleyway with barely a glance from the people walking in the street. A cart drawn by a pair of donkeys caused them to wait a moment for it to pass before joining the traffic.
“We can stick together or find some fun on our own,” the mage stated. Palose was the leader, but this wasn’t a group set out on some mission that he needed to monitor. They had come for fun and that was what he planned on having. Shopping with Sylvaine in the various cities of the south had a surprising benefit that came with it. The girl often showed her appreciation in even more enjoyable ways when they returned home so any discomfort he might feel at times walking the markets and shops was easily worth it.
Dorgred shook his head immediately. Nearly laughing as Palose knew that the older man still had trouble dealing with the younger girl. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her or appreciate her attention; Dorgred was simply out of his league in some ways with Stasia. She was beautiful, energetic and a flirt, who made the otherwise confident man slightly tongue tied when the girl toyed with him.
Before they could decide which path to take, Palose felt something strange. “Wait a moment. I think we have some mutual friends nearby.”
The others couldn’t help glancing around curiously. Palose’s frown let them know that the comment was more sarcastic than he sounded. A friend that made the mage frown was unlikely to be much of a friend, but neither did he make the nearby presence sound like much of a threat.
Wendle questioned, “You feel another wizard or his magic?”
Palose followed his feeling by looking to the south. “I’m not quite sure,” he revealed looking uncertain.
“Do you know the spell for magic hunting?” Sylvaine asked from his side.
The girl had been an apprentice in Ensolus and had tested in a variety of magic as she grew to find her path. Warlock and wizard training from Southwall, Kardor and Ensolus were all different. There were certain dark magics practiced in the Dark One’s empire that were taboo in many of the countries surrounding it, so Sylvaine who was a good student had researched many things that the full wizards Dorgred and Wendle had not.
Shaking his head at the girl, Sylvaine smiled up at him and said, “It’s pretty easy let me show you.”
She spoke a series of words in a language barely known to him from his months of researching magic in Ensolus, but the feel of the magic felt familiar. As a battle mage, Palose had learned to twist a wizard’s wordy magic into easier to understand mage spells. This one felt close to the vision spells his corps had used.
Once he understood that Palose simplified the words and uttered, “Hunt magic.”
Sylvaine’s eyes widened as she felt the magic take him over with just two words. She was used to the former battle mage being able to work as a wizard or warlock would as well as having seen him translate the magic into quicker spells that he preferred, however, and appeared more proud than surprised as he turned looking to the south.
Like the vapors of gas rising from a fissure in the ground, Palose could see auras sprouting up around him. New Harbor had a wizard’s guild hall and battle mages served in the southern city as well, so it wasn’t surprising to see dozens of magical auras in the city. Though he could see and feel them all, the battle mage didn’t care about those that he didn’t know and began to filter out the excess from his mind quickly. It was like searching for an individual portal point for him and being able to sort through them to find that one point he needed.
Auras faded from his sight as he eliminated them quickly. Palose also knew that the feeling had come from south of them towards the North Sea and the harbor. After eliminating most of the excess, the dark mage found the one he had felt before. “Sebastian is here.”
The strength of the aura increased as they closed in on his quarry and Sebastian was sure that one of those nearby was Palose. With the Betrayer so close, he wouldn’t let the dark mage get away this time. Ever since he had been unable to do anything at Parik to capture or otherwise deliver a taste of justice to the one who had been the cause of so many deaths in Windmeer, Sebastian had been hoping for a second chance.
His failure in Windmeer had nearly ended in his death, but the dark mage had a small army to protect him then. Parik, he had simply been too far away and watched as Palose casually walked away through a portal.
The strength of Palose had grown greatly. He had the strength of a powerful wizard from what S
ebastian could tell from a distance both in Parik and as he closed on the man in New Harbor, but he wasn’t afraid. The battle mage had fought wizards and wizard hunters over the last several months. Even with his new power, Palose could be defeated. Sebastian had his Hollow Sword and could tap the power of the earth after all. Palose wouldn’t be ready for that.
“Bas, shouldn’t we have gone back to bring the others?” Yara questioned his impetuous strides taking them further inland and way from the ship or possible back up.
“I can’t let him get away again. If he has an army with him, you can run and I will hold them back long enough for you all to escape; but I don’t think he has an army. I can only feel a couple other magical auras in that direction and we have Liam and Ashleen, while Olan and I can be a buffer for anything they might have to throw at us.”
He didn’t even look over at the girl to see her disapproving face. “This need to capture Palose isn’t letting you think straight. You’re going to get yourself or someone else killed.”
Shaking his head, Sebastian refused to stop, but he glanced over at the girl hurrying to keep up with his longer strides. “I know what I am doing.”
A small plaza with a fountain in its center appeared before them and the mage looked for the owner of the aura he had felt pulling at him. Like the sting of electricity flowing into him, Sebastian could feel the other man’s energy seeming to snap at him.
From the opposite street, Palose strode into the plaza looking directly at him. The dark mage had come and was as willing to challenge him as Sebastian was prepared to fight the other man.
“Wendle and Dorgred are with him again?” Ashleen gasped in shock having believed both men dead originally and then seeing them in Parik, but finding them again confirmed that she hadn’t hallucinated.
Battle Mage: A Hero's Welcome (A Tale of Alus Book 8) Page 42
