Sebastian’s eyes found the dark haired young wizard from Kardor and saw the broad shoulders of the other man. A fire wizard, Dorgred was big and knew how to fight, though Sebastian doubted that he had the fighting skill of a battle mage in close. “Olan, be ready to defend the wizards.”
The other mage moved beside Ashleen ready to defend her, but unsure against who. Only Yara remained safely behind the four as Liam stood on Sebastian’s right and the others took his left.
Three girls followed the other men and Sebastian could feel magical power similar to the other wizards in one of them. Yara wasn’t a fighter, but he didn’t think she would be needed even so.
“Sebastian, how interesting to see you here!” Palose called out as if he was truly amused at seeing his old friend. “You have a few friends with you, I see. I have friends as well, which is convenient.
“Shall we go to some tavern and drink to old times?”
The smug look on the man’s face made Sebastian frown at the Betrayer. “Like I would dare drink with someone who would betray his country to the emperor.”
Shrugging, Palose brushed his blond hair from his forehead casually. Though he knew the battle mage was formidable, he also knew that Sebastian wasn’t the kind to attack without honor, which meant that he was unlikely to be the first to attack.
“I didn’t have complete control over myself at the time, though I can’t say that I am exactly broken up over having to do it,” Palose managed to both push away the blame and embrace it at the same time. “Surely, you’ve had time to get over it though. You can’t still be mad about that?”
While he knew that he was being taunted, Sebastian frowned at the other man and retorted, “You caused the deaths of hundreds of people from Southwall and the deaths of your new people if orcs and goblins can be called people. You are the cause for a second fortress in the mountains as well.”
Waving off the man’s anger, Palose laughed, “You must have been away too long. The fortress had a turncoat who was willing to serve your side. The emperor had me help to kill him. That fortress you are complaining about was cleaned up by me. Surely that brings me some goodwill if that is one of my sins.”
The news of the fortress’s destruction and loyalty was a surprise. He had fought to save his friends from torture within the mountain. How could the fortress have been anything but an enemy of Southwall? “You’re lying. The emperor had to have sent all those creatures and Garosh to the mountains to create that fortress to help destroy Southwall.”
“Well that is true. Garosh was supposed to be helping the emperor, but he turned to your side. It was a shame. It was like the emperor had to kill his son or brother. You see, he was created to hold the emperor’s excess power. When he turned against Kolban, he had me infiltrate and create jump points to invade the fortress.
“If you had stuck around, you would know these things, not that it really matters. You’re still going to hold that whole, ‘betraying Windmeer’ thing over my head, aren’t you?
“It’s a shame that you can’t forgive and forget. The emperor really isn’t such a bad guy after all and neither am I. We were friends once, right?”
The two groups had eased closer with only about thirty feet separating them. It was a good distance for wizards to work just beyond a swordsman’s easy ability to close the distance. A battle mage was considered similarly and only Palose could defend his wizards against the two battle mages on Sebastian’s side.
Though the plaza was light in traffic, the two groups had started to draw eyes. Two lines formed across from each other, even dressed differently from wizards and battle mages, people could tell that there was something wrong. A few began to move away looking more in search of a safe place than because they had somewhere else to go.
“We were friends, until you tried to destroy Windmeer and kill me,” Sebastian answered as his left hand hovered near the pommel of the Hollow Sword. While the mage wished to challenge the dark mage one on one, he wasn’t naive enough to believe his base power was enough to defeat the Betrayer. It hadn’t been a mistake. Palose radiated power well beyond that of a battle mage. He certainly wasn’t around this strength a year ago as a cadet in the corps.
“You hid your power when last we fought,” Sebastian noted. They had been inside of Windmeer and in the midst of battle. Palose had lived inside of the castle for weeks since his assumed death, but he hadn’t seemed any different when he returned. “How did you change the strength of your aura? Nothing about you seems the same as before.”
“Ah, the mizard’s curiosity remains, even when you look ready to try and kill me. Well, too late for that.
“You know when you believed that I had died running away from the warlocks and nomads? I did die. The warlock who brought me back to life set certain commands on me and I had to obey them. Returning to Windmeer was my mission and I wasn’t supposed to reveal that anything else had happened. I mean that is the definition of a spy, isn’t it? I enter the enemy’s castle and pretend to be a friend, and then I open the gate for the emperor and set the place to burn.
“It was a good plan. The warlock who brought me back came up with the idea spontaneously, but the emperor loved him for it.
“When I returned to Ensolus, I noticed that I was stronger in magic. Atrouseon, my former master, had to share his power with me to bring me back. Then I shared power with your two friends here making me stronger yet.
“I am sure you will be happy to know that the architect for Windmeer’s betrayal is dead. My former master thought to destroy me thinking that I had weakened him and maybe even grew jealous that the emperor could sympathize with me more than him. Unfortunately for him, there were ways around his runes of command, so we killed him and absorbed the rest of his power.
“See now there is no lie between us. You know my power and why I did it. Do you still think I am someone mythical Betrayer like the rest of Southwall calls me and, yes, I know what they call me? I can create portals thanks to my dead master and have been inside of Windmeer since you left. The villagers don’t even know who I am, but they talk of ‘the Betrayer’ to me as if I am their friend.
“So if they can see me as a friend, can’t you?”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed angrily. “You don’t want to be my friend, Palose. I can see it in your eyes. You want to fight me, because now you are curious if you are stronger than me.”
“Ever the mizard,” Palose chuckled.
“We call him an owl now,” Olan corrected as he forgot himself and was drawn into their conversation. The mage was ready to fight and his eyes flicked from the dark mage to the wizards flanking him.
“An owl? Now that makes more sense really. I wish that I had thought of that,” Palose said with a snide smile. “So now what? We are here. Do you let me go my way or do you wish to challenge me?
“You say that I want to fight you, but I can tell that you want the same. You are just as curious as ever and this time you wonder just how far beyond you I have gone.
“Ah, but you can’t be the one to make the first move. If you attack, then you can’t say that I would have quietly surrendered. I must be the one to attack then.
“Fine, then I shall start. Reflex,” the dark mage started forward calling forth his spell.
Eyes on both sides widened seeing that the fight was going to happen after all. “Reflex,” Sebastian called drawing his sword with his right hand.
Chapter 30- Chaos Duel
Dorgred threw a massive torrent of flame towards Olan as the battle mage called up his blue shield and drew his sword. Ashleen cast a canceling blast of swirling wind up and over the battle mage breaking up the fire well before his shield. Liam and Wendle each drew water from the fountain creating monsters and serpentine tendrils to strike each other.
Like the world had slowed around him with his reflex spell cast, Sebastian closed in on Palose and could still watch as the battle unfolded.
“Fire sword,” he ordered the standard battle mage s
pell onto his Hollow Sword. It wasn’t a new spell and designed to make Palose believe that he had not changed.
“Darkness,” the other mage called releasing a whip of dark magic towards Sebastian.
Cutting with his sword, the fire was pulled away by the night magic but the weapon broke the night like the sun dispelling a fog.
Sebastian placed a battle mage shield on his arm in standard battle mage style blocking the dark mage’s sword. The clang of swords as the weapons searched for an opening felt more like practice than a life and death struggle. Palose matched his blows like the times they had been matched at White Hall and Windmeer. The two had known each other well enough and Sebastian could see the other man beginning to smile slightly in amusement.
Breaking apart, they stood ready but sized each other up knowing that the other man was holding back.
“You really think that I don’t know that you are concealing what you have learned by playing these games?” Palose asked holding his sword low. A glimmering blue shield rested on his arm similarly to the battle mage. These were just simple mage spells showing nothing of their growth. “Have you forgotten that I saw you fight at Parik? One thing I will share is that I don’t know how you manage those stronger spells. Your magic doesn’t feel greater, even if you feel stronger.”
To Sebastian’s ears, the final words sounded conflicting. There was no increase in power, but he felt stronger? What did he mean by that?
“You’re holding back too,” Bas replied as the roar of magic exploded around them between their wizards.
“At least I used the darkness spell,” Palose chuckled with an oddly happy smile. “You can feel that I am stronger too, correct?”
Sebastian nodded while never blinking as he waited to be attacked again. “You feel like a wizard or warlock now. It’s unnatural.”
“True,” the blonde haired young man returned the nod. “I had to die to become stronger, but you don’t feel strong enough to use the spells I have seen. Now I have given away how I am stronger, but you keep this secret close lipped. You were so quick to share your conquests in magic with the other battle mages before, so why is it that I think you horde this secret for yourself?”
“It’s too dangerous to give away yet,” Sebastian replied feeling the other man’s body tense.
“Let’s see if I can force it from you then,” Palose suggested as he raised his left hand. “Firestorm.”
“Night shield,” the battle mage called out erecting a shield large enough to protect his retreating form.
Palose’s spell was enormous and even the large shield wasn’t enough as it cracked or was simply circumvented by the white hot flames reaching for the battle mage. It was a show of the man’s new power certainly.
Two more darkness shields were called forth in succession as Bas fell back from the fire. These weren’t used like a normal battle mage shield as he left them as barriers in the air between him and Palose. These were the way a wizard erected his defenses. Wizards could rarely fight in close with swords as well as a battle mage. These were barriers more than the shield of a soldier.
Sliding the tip of the Hollow Sword along the ground, Sebastian ordered, “Fire.”
He pulled strength from the earth and swung the blade towards his enemy. With a roar of flame, a torrent stronger than the storm sought Palose.
Retreating similarly, Palose created an equal number of night shields to absorb the fire. The first two shattered and even the third had nearly been overloaded with a single attack.
“Now that is more like it!” Palose cried looking genuinely excited by their battle. “That sword is your secret isn’t it, but where did you find such a powerful tool?”
“Lightning,” Sebastian called the spell from his left hand as the tip of the sword rested against the earth. Like using a rod or staff, the owl cast with the strength of a wizard beyond even that of Ashleen who was a lightning wilder.
“Night sword,” Palose countered slicing at the tendrils catching most of the lightning on his ensorcelled weapon. He shifted the remaining darkness shield attempting to catch the rest, but despite his skill the dark mage received several painful shocks calling out in pain and surprise.
The dark mage considered the pain as Sebastian gave him a moment to brood on the stinging. He had just witnessed a new skill from the owl and it hadn’t appeared that the sword was in use to amplify his power this time. Confusing Palose, who continued to look for the trick making the man his equal when he should be nothing before his power, the dark mage created a new use for magic that he had discovered in Ensolus, “Night shroud.”
Suddenly surrounded by a layer of the dark energy, Palose hoped to counter the unpredictable nature of the owl’s lightning spell and whatever else the man was capable of as they fought. Bas waited again. Like the dark mage, he was curious about Palose’s new abilities. The man had been a talented mage and quick study of the mizard’s translated spells as well. Now he had the power of a full wizard and apparently had learned new areas of magic while in Ensolus.
“Shadow snare,” the dark mage cast with both hands sending tendrils of night along the ground in an attempt to tangle up Sebastian.
“Light,” the battle mage said sliding the sword’s point in a curve along the ground before him as he closed his eyes. Radiating from the semicircle in front of him the light countered the darkness turning them to dust and removed the threat in an instant.
Getting frustrated, Palose was beginning to see a problem. Sebastian seemed to know the counters to his new spells already. What the mage had been doing since he had last seen him, he did not know; but the owl knew much of the spells believed to be Ensolus’s best secrets. Unique to them, the light and darkness spells were supposed to be his edge. Without their benefits, Palose realized that it would come down to skill and creativity. Unfortunately, that was Bas’s forte.
A small smile twisted the dark mage’s lips as he thought of a couple spells that he could try.
Moving his hands like a wizard, Palose suddenly stretched his hands towards the fountain and, like the two water wizards already fighting over the resource, the dark mage thought to use the liquid against his enemy. Darkness didn’t counter water tendrils so he thought to overwhelm the battle mage’s defenses with a pair of swirling spouts of liquid.
“Wind,” Sebastian easily summoned the strength of the earth into the sword sweeping upwards towards the two oncoming serpents. Releasing the power, a tremendous wind sliced the tendrils and continued on to strike the dark mage’s defenses. Even the armor around him wasn’t enough to prevent Palose from being thrown back.
“Earth move,” the dark mage called as he dropped to his knees. Right hand on the stones of the plaza’s street, he caused a large wave to roll towards the battle mage. He doubted the man could stop the earth so easily; but not allowing Sebastian a moment to decide, he added, “Earth spears.”
A dozen spears launched from the rolling mound doubling their speed.
Mage shields sprouted from Sebastian’s side catching several of the spears as he fell back once again. Punching one that shattered his shield, the runes protecting the mage’s hand shattered the only spear to reach him.
A last blue shield appeared beneath his feet as Sebastian went to his knees. The mound lifted the man on the shield as it attempted to crash over him. Willing the shield to remain aloft a moment longer even as the strain could be seen on the battle mage’s face; the owl rained down a series of fireballs which were absorbed by the shroud while serving as a minor distraction to Palose.
Impressed by Sebastian’s control of his mage shield, the dark mage was less impressed by the weak fire. “That was weak. Try these. Fireballs!”
As a swarm of flaming balls twice as big as those sent at the dark mage flew towards Sebastian, the owl released the shield beneath him and dropped from the air half a dozen feet while he cast a dark shield to catch the onrushing flames. He landed in a crouch as the shield descended with him. The fireballs hamme
red the darkness and were absorbed serving to strengthen the shield instead.
As they stopped, Sebastian looked across the way seeing a glowing doorway. Only the sound of broken stone under foot let him know the enemy had changed position behind him. The Hollow Sword rose to block the blade of the dark mage.
Bas’s eyes caught sight of the second doorway shrinking away as Palose switched to the technique of a battle mage swordsman. Nearly qualified as masters without the use of their reflex spells in place, the two men struggled to find an opening to connect with the flesh so tantalizingly close. Palose used a blue shield and shattered Sebastian’s hastily erected protection using the night spell on his weapon.
Going for the opening, Palose was shocked as the battle mage batted the sword away with his left arm. Glowing as the runes protected his skin; the merfolk spell gave him an opening in turn as the dark mage was caught by surprise. The Hollow Sword swept across trying to cut the man’s chest.
The shroud hardened while barely deflecting the weapon.
“Light,” the owl ordered pressing his hand to the dark armored force. Shattering as he released the spell, Palose’s personal defense disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Cursing, Palose was forced to give ground. He had forgotten how good a swordsman the other mage was. His defenses had been reduced to that of any normal battle mage. A sword and blue shield of magical energy which was continually replenished as one shield failed after another.
“Night sword,” the dark mage called to drain the strength of his opponent’s shields. Even when lucky enough to destroy it, Palose found the rune spelled arm could bat his weapon away without damage.
“Light shield,” Sebastian decided to counter the night sword with a spell designed to sap the power of the blade.
“Gust,” Palose called trying to gain advantage by blinding his opponent with dust.
Sebastian blinked the dirt away giving up only a step. He held an air shield around him almost every moment of the day. An early air wizard spell he had perfected to resist dust and lessen the heat of the day, it also proved effective in battle as it pushed the dust away.
Battle Mage: A Hero's Welcome (A Tale of Alus Book 8) Page 43
