The Emperor's Shadow War (Tales of Alus Book 2)

by Donald Wigboldy

  The old man cast a look around him thinking. "Then she wasn't alone. Where are the others? How many of them are back there hiding in the forest?

  "The girl didn't mention where we could find them, did she?"

  "No, maybe we should go back long enough to return her to her people?"

  "What are you crazy?" Tate exclaimed. The look in the young man's eyes proved that he feared what they had faced entirely too much to return. "You said that she could barely harm the beast when she attacked it. How can you believe that any of her people could survive against those creatures? She hasn't even awoken from the blow she received."

  Darius shook his head in disappointment at his friend's lack of courage. "Tate, Electra probably would have attacked differently if I hadn't been there. I'm sure that the rest of her people have a better way than to go straight ahead in a frontal attack against such a beast.

  She was hiding until she tried to save me. This girl was good enough that she could easily have snuck up on the creature to slit its throat or stab it from behind."

  The other apprentice crossed his arms stubbornly. The other apprentice crossed his arms stubbornly. “If they’re so good, let them find us and get her instead. I am not going back without reinforcements.”

  Darius looked to the sky briefly for support. "And where will this help be coming from? It's just the three of us, Tate, but I've already proved that our magic can destroy these creatures easily enough. Master Elias has even more power than I, doesn't he? You know that your skills are up to the test, Tate. Aren't I right, professor?"

  The older man's eyes betrayed his beliefs as well. Darius couldn't believe that they both could be so afraid. He hated to be too cocky, but in light of the circumstances, the apprentice thought that the challenge of the trolls was hardly worth worrying over for three wizards.

  They were still discussing the matter when they turned back to the road and continued on a course towards the far off village of Tamaya. Darius was disgusted by the others' lack of courage. Tate was still young and inexperienced. He gave the man that much, but Elias had surprised him. The sorcerer was getting old he realized, but Darius had proved that their magic could easily destroy the creatures.

  He dropped the topic and rode along in near silence behind the cart bearing Elias and the elf woman. Looking upon her prone form, Darius promised himself that he would make sure to return Electra despite the others' lack of resolve. She had been injured from trying to protect him, after all. The woman may have just been trying to achieve her goal of killing any troll, of course, but it seemed otherwise to him. Which brought him to a strange question, why had she even bothered to try?

  Darius knew that he had repaid her efforts in return by saving her life, but still he felt a stronger commitment to the elf that the young man couldn't quite put his finger on. The questions still persisted until they finally returned to Tamaya.

  They had made sure to cover the woman's strange ears before entering the village, of course. The population was frightened enough of the wizards and to add the strangeness of an elf could cause a full panic. Upon entering Tamaya, Elias steered the group straight to the only inn serving there.

  When Darius carried Electra from the wagon, the inn keeper asked if their companion needed a healer. Elias quickly turned the idea down by reminding the Tamayan that wizards knew almost as much of the healing arts as the healers of the land. With a shrug, the man had let the matter lie.

  The men chose to take only one large room above the tavern of the inn. The Black Oak cornered the market of this particular trade route and, even though many travelers preferred the northern route which was much less wild, both tavern and inn were well attended this night. It was also an expense that they could barely afford.

  Darius had been sent from the room along with Tate after the wizard had gathered something to eat. Elias had volunteered to stay with Electra in case she would awake. They had already checked the woman and found only a small bump on the back of her head. Despite Darius' worries, the wizard had assured him that she would be just fine.

  The two apprentices had found a table near the back wall of the tavern where shadows were scarcely touched by the hanging chandeliers in the middle of the room. They had taken such a dimly lit seat after entering since their mere entrance had quieted the room significantly when the patrons had noticed what they were.

  Darius sighed, "I can't believe that these people actually fear us. Our order has always protected them so well. Most don't know how close to dimensional breaks they've come to disaster, but our order closed them dutifully and preserved the world's peace. These tales made of our evil natures seem so unfair to me."

  Tate lay down the mug of ale that he had been draining like a glutton. "Calm down, Darius," he replied lazily. "Our kind have also served evil masters and a few have gone on rages of destruction. The cases are far and few between, of course, but look at how black wolves of the forest get maligned. They hunt in packs to kill prey, but they actually prefer to stay away from man's world as much as possible.

  "Now such creatures are feared with as much vigor as are we. What does it matter? If we serve a king, such matters serve a man well. If we need things, we have but to ask and most men fear to turn us down. Look at us..."

  "What do you mean by that?" Darius asked as his friend motioned for a refill of his ale.

  Tate smiled slyly. "Do you think that ordinary men of our accumulated wealth would get such a room as the keeper supplied us on a normal night? The man nearly fell over himself trying to appease Elias when he was asked about rooms. If we are spending more than two coppers for the largest room they have, I'd be surprised."

  Darius shook his head determinedly. "I didn't take up the challenge of becoming a wizard for such things. I joined to learn all that I could and to help the world like we could have done today!"

  His friend just sighed sadly, "We did our jobs well enough, Dar. The wizards found the portal's lingering trace and closed it permanently. Those creatures won't be able to use that particular path again. The few monsters out there will be finished off eventually. The king can send soldiers to finish the job. Be content with what you've done and take your rewards gladly. Besides you've even got the elf as a trophy. Your courage and skill are bound to be recognized and rewarded by Elias and the council. You did well out there and we all know it."

  He was fed now and chose to retire from Tate. Excusing himself, Darius went for the stairs and left the other man to fend for himself. The apprentice was nearly to the door of their room when he realized that a feeling of unease had settled upon him. His teachers had taught him to listen to such instincts as he had grown more skilled with his magic. New senses would open to them they had warned and Darius felt that this premonition had to be listened to very carefully.

  Reaching into his pockets, Darius withdrew a handful of special dust in preparation. Gently, he turned the knob before thrusting the door open as he stayed to the side.

  The first thing the young man noticed was the total lack of light within. Why would Elias squelch the flame since the others still had to return and it was still early? The second thing that he noticed was the smell of blood laying in wait before him. Darius summoned mystic flame to his free hand to illuminate the room. The man's breath caught in his throat as he found Elias lying in a pool of blood.

  Looking quickly about, Darius found no one else within. "Tate!" he shouted the alarm.

  The other apprentice came rushing into view from below. "What is it, Darius?"

  "Have the inn keeper get that healer quick! Master Elias has been injured."

  Chapter 6- Dante

  Dante had been resting in the barracks where he had been questioned often of the battle by other soldiers there. They had left him alone long enough to sleep a few hours after an all too brief bath in a metal tub. The cold water had invigorated even him more than he would have thought after the last few days.

  It was the next day as he sparred lazily with some of the men fr
om the second battalion in a courtyard near the barracks reserved for the army that a messenger came for him. It was an order to report to General Laban's office once again. Though a complete surprise, the sergeant rushed to obey the summons. Navigating through the streets which were still crowded with the population from the outer city, Dante soon found his way back to the great doors of the main hall.

  The old man who had admitted him the day before was no longer there, but the new man was nearly as old. The soldier wondered with amusement, if there was an old age requirement to work in the castle. With a written order in his hand, Dante was immediately admitted and given a guide, though he knew where the office was located after the day's previous visit. The trip ended once more in front of the stout oak door guarding General Laban's privacy. His knock wasn't answered quite so quickly this time, however, but still he hadn't waited long enough to repeat the sound by the time the door opened.

  General Laban motioned him inside with a gesture of his hand. Darius quickly noted the presence of the king within the chamber and behind the desk with the map across it still. Dante bowed to the latter after having saluted the general at the door as protocol demanded.

  "At ease, Dante Betrice," the general ordered offhandedly. Dante noted the lack of rank in his name and worried slightly.

  "Hello, Dante," King Druin added from his seat. "I hope that we haven't disturbed you this fine spring day."

  "Of course not, my king, I am always ready to serve," he replied faithfully.

  The crown upon Druin's head glimmered as the lord nodded acceptance.

  "Good. I am glad to hear that, lieutenant." At Dante's look of query, the king elucidated, "Yes, we've gone over your records, Dante. The files left behind by General Batist, though not tidy, did contain information upon all his soldiers' records. Yours wasn't overly long, but it was filled with several words of praise on your behalf. Normally we would interview your captain or lieutenant but, since this is no longer an option, we have gone simply by the reactions of those words and our impressions of you yesterday.

  "Your new rank is in effect as of today, Lieutenant Betrice. It was a concern that we have lost so many good officers already. A man of your obvious skill and your added efforts, to both return to fight and discover the enemy's whereabouts, seemed to be an obvious choice as a new officer. Also it was generally agreed that if we were to put you in charge of a certain mission that I am about to charge you with, then you would need a higher rank to better serve the needs required.

  "At this point I am inclined to ask you, if you feel ready for this responsibility."

  "Yes, your majesty, I will not fail you."

  The king smiled benignly. "Good. It is settled then."

  He stood then and handed over a pair of bars, specifically the bars of a lieutenant. Dante accepted them in near shock and tried to show his gratefulness without losing any dignity though he was entirely overwhelmed by the king's presence. King Druin then handed him a roll of parchment with the seal of his office made of wax binding it. "This document is to be delivered to King Yled by you. If anything untoward happens to the paper and you survive, you are still to go and relay the information that you delivered to me yesterday. Tell him also that our wizards have discovered the truth of this matter. A small group of sorcerers out of the school of Enchwold have discovered that the invaders entered our lands through a portal and then left again by the same exact fold but at a different place. They told us that the portal was not part of a natural occurrence either.

  "There is a good chance that my fellow ruler will not understand the total content about the portals, since I confess that I hardly understood myself. His wizards can translate the concept or the document will explain it for you.

  "As your new commander, General Laban will provide you with a platoon of men. Also you will have a cage with a bird inside, if you are attacked and overwhelmed, you can release it into the air. If it has no note, then we will consider that you have failed the mission. If you succeed, then you can use the bird as a messenger to warn us before returning home. There is a good chance that Yled will also have a longer written document that you can carry home with you."

  The king had paused a moment and Dante questioned a point, "If we have the birds, why are you sending me, my lord? They are less likely to be delayed and the word would reach him faster for such an important detail."

  General Laban looked ready to shout at him for his insolence, but laughter from the king immediately disarmed the situation. "You are a thinker, aren't you? Well, you see, Lieutenant, we have been sending the birds most of the past few days due to this predicament. There is only a pair of the homing peregions left in our coop. We have only received a few of the ones with Castle Trea as their home from Castle Peleth. That is another matter covered in the letter. Don't forget the birds either should you lose this document even though it is of secondary importance. I guess that is all you need to know then. Any other questions can be answered by General Laban as he shows you to your men. Have a good and uneventful trip, Lieutenant."

  The king rose then and exited the office as the others bowed in deference. With Druin's departure, Dante was left with his new general.

  "You leave today," Laban said gruffly. "It should take you no longer than three days by horseback." He paused considering, "You do know how to ride, don't you?"

  "Yes, general."

  "Good. Let's go meet your new command."

  General Laban wasn't one of the more cheerful men that Dante had ever known, but he was good at his job. Eighteen men in their blue uniforms were waiting with their mounts, by the time they reached an outer courtyard beside the perimeter wall of the castle. Even his travel pack had been attended to for the trip. There was nothing left but the introductions, which were quickly made. Dante hardly caught the names, but knew that could be better sorted out along the way.

  With nothing else to take care of, Dante and his new command mounted up. General Laban sent him off with the words, "I picked these men specially, Betrice. If you screw up, Sergeant Lane here can bail you out. The men know and trust him. Don't fail me. Do you understand? Those bars can be taken back just as easily as they were given."

  "Yes, general," he replied feeling not the least bit encouraged. Dante knew that he could do the job even if Laban didn't and the new lieutenant would prove himself soon enough he was sure.

  Thus equipped, the nineteen man platoon of riders immediately made their exit from Castle Trea. They quickly passed through the deserted outer city. The men spoke little while riding there. The quiet seemed to spook them as it had him on his last trip through the abandoned streets.

  When they had started to distance themselves from the outer limits of Trea, Dante spoke first with Sergeant Lane. The man was older than he, but not overly much. He also bore a scar on his right cheek which was just one of many that proved that he was a seasoned veteran. Dante was pleased that they seemed to mesh together right away. The lieutenant could see in the man's eyes that he had not been sure of this new assignment apparently, but with a little talk they both understood that the other soldier was competent.

  Leaving Lane to lead the procession, Dante gradually started working his way back through the group picking up the names that he had missed and learning a little of what made up these men. The lieutenant was less than halfway through the command when a shadow suddenly swooped from the sky. He raised his hand to ward off his supposed attacker as did the others nearby. A flap of strong wings made their presence known as the raven found a perch atop the pommel of his saddle. Thus making itself known, the bird looked at him from just below his chin.

  Dante let out a breath of relief. He still didn't claim to understand the raven's motives, but guessed that it meant him no harm.

  The pommel wasn't the best perch, however, since it gave little room for either of them to move while Dante rode. He offered an arm to the creature, which it quickly leapt atop and walked up to his shoulder to stay.

  "Gods, Lieutenant, i
s that your bird?" the private, a young man named Riad, asked from beside him. "It scared me half to death!"

  "You got that right," Corporal Warik agreed from his other side. "I've never seen such a thing b'fore."

  Dante looked to them each though the raven blocked his vision of Riad. "I guess it has become mine. The thing started to follow me after the battle at Turo. I guess misery loves company."

  "Is that the bird's name, sir?" Warik questioned. "Is what its name?"

  "Misery."

  Dante thought briefly and laughed. "I guess it fits as much as anything. How do like the name Misery, huh?" he asked the bird.

  The raven squawked and he took it as answer enough.

  "Misery it is," he chuckled as it was decided, though he doubted that the bird would stay with him long. His home was in the city, after all, and the wild creature would obviously not enjoy such containment long.

  Misery surprised him by remaining with him the next days of the journey though. The first two days passed quickly as the horses took their passengers along a road that veered south of the Daronwoods. The third day came with a light rain. The platoon donned travel cloaks to resist the stinging drops and hunched against the annoyance as they continued doggedly on their way.

  The men were only a few miles distant from Peleth, one of three ruling castles of Certe, when with just a few tree dotted hills to go; Misery broke away for another jaunt. The bird had a mind of its own he had known from the outset. It needed to stretch it wings and left to feed every so often. Misery hadn't left his side all morning, but the separation wasn't unexpected.

  He thought little of it as he continued to ride onwards toward Peleth. With his head lowered against the rain and using just enough attention to stay on his path, Dante was as relaxed as he could get as he rode in such weather. Suddenly a flash of brilliance surged through his mind's eye. It wasn't his normal vision, but something from within. It went away quickly and the man shook his head to clear it of the strangeness. He wasn't sure what had happened. The others hadn't seemed to notice anything unusual, and Dante had begun to dismiss it as his starting to nod off into a daydream, when it happened again.