Michael entered cautiously and approached the enormous chest. Slowly lifting the lid to peer inside, he saw a treasure even greater than that in his room at Black Sand Beach, his gift from the naiads. In addition to the uncountable gold and platinum rings and amulets, there were two blue glass swords and two knives of impossible sharpness with ruby and pearl ornamented hilts. They were elf blades; the legends claimed they never dulled with use and could never be shattered even by a dwarf’s hammer.
There were also several, hand-size, ornately carved, wooden boxes made of a material he assumed was elf wood. He could detect no manna associated with the boxes. The magic elf wood of ancient tales was said to protect enchanted items from the effects of time and from detection by spells. Michael took nothing from the chest. He walked to the book and opened it to the first page.
A voice spoke. “You have passed the second test elf-blood of Gripton’s promise. The first test was that you knew the spells necessary to reach this room. The second test was that you valued the knowledge of the book above the treasure. There will be other tests in other chambers before your destiny is revealed. The book you opened is an account of all sixty-three spells of earth magic known to the dwarfs. Several of those spells will allow you to pull gold, platinum, and other metals directly from the sea or soil; the knowledge is more valuable than that whole chest of treasure. Other spells will allow you to work the metal into whatever shape you like. The most valuable and powerful spell is stone armor. It will give you a magic shell stronger than the finest steel plate armor.”
“You may take whatever you like from the chest. The blades are enchanted so that they can never cut their owner, even when dropped and picked up by an opponent. By speaking the words hide blades, no one can detect that you carry them. In the boxes are travel amulets. Take one. By speaking the words take me home while it is around your neck, you will return to this cave from anywhere. Once you learn the elfish names of other chambers, you will be able to ask the amulet to take you to any of them.”
“May the creator Father God be at your side in your epic quest to end the red dragon’s curse of Perry Ascendant on the family of mankind.”
Michael picked up the book. He did not want to spend more time than necessary in this place because he wanted to get all the healers to the ships. He took only one elf sword, one elf dagger, and one box containing a travel amulet from the chest and rushed back the way he had entered after wrapping the book in a waterproof pouch he had brought.
Half an hour later he was assisting the mages to the ship. It was almost dark when they reached the Diana, but he felt that temperature dropping and decided to try and get her out of the fiord before she was frozen in place.
He cast fire spells through the long exhausting night while the crew rowed the skiff pulling the boat along the ice-free trail he was making. The dawn had broken when they reached the other two ships. Michael collapsed in the skiff and had to be carried to the cabin on the Diana.
Lady Marsha cared for Michael in his exhaustion. She borrowed paper and graphite and did a complicated calculation. She explained to the other mages in the room, “I have estimated the manna cost of each fire spell and applied that to the distance in the ice that Michael cleared for our passage. He used more manna last night than all of the healers of Glastamear combined have used in the past ten years. He is truly the elf-blood.”
The oldest healer of the north, Gertrude of Snowport looked at the other healers and asked, “He is surely the elf-blood, but is he good? Will the power corrupt him?”
Lady Marsha replied, “We’re here because of his actions. That proves his intentions are good, but as to the risk of corruption by great power, only the Father God knows that for certain.”
The three ships sailed south keeping far enough out to sea to avoid other ships. On the sixth day Michael had the skiff towed on a line a hundred paces behind the Diana. He wanted to try some of the earth magic he was learning without endangering others. Two hours later the skiff was pulled up to her cradle on the decks. Michael hopped out and told the captain to check the skiff. It contained nine golden disks in total weighing as much as a small man, and sample disks of many other metals, some of which had never been seen before in Glastamear.
He smiled at the astonished sailors and said, “These are the bonuses for you and for the crews of the other two boats. Tomorrow, I will need to go ashore somewhere near the village of Sand Point to look for other healers. I will tell Lady Marsha where you will be sailing after you pick up other healers at Black Sand Beach. It is a long journey and you will need to take additional provisions onboard before leaving the coast.”
“I would feel a lot safer if you were going the whole way Michael, but I know you have other healers to save. May Father God be with you.”
Michael noticed that the captain made no mention of Perry Ascendant in his blessing. He wondered if that would soon become normal among the citizens of Snowport.
He went into the cabin and asked to speak to Lady Marsha. The others left them alone to talk.
“Lord Guild Master Hampton, Guild Bursar Childs, and Arthur, manager of Westport Hospital are on Mitchell Island in the village of Rock Point. The village is at the base of the Great White Volcano of Mitchell Island. You will recognize the harbor because two towers stand besides the opening. I suggest you tell no one of the final destination until you are near the island. At Rock Point, have the shipwrights remove every trace that the ships have been used for passengers. They must be true line fishers, able to withstand any inspection. They should actually fish on the return trip to the mainland.”
Michael continued, “One healer must remain onboard and return with the crew to Black Sand Beach. That healer must cast amnesia release on all three crews, even the captains. It will remove only the memory of the final two weeks of the trip. They will still remember everything except that their final destination was on Mitchell Island. I know of no spell to cover their activities completely, but at least if they are interrogated, they will not know the guild’s new home.”
“I will stay onboard.”
“Lady Marsha, there are others who know that spell who could stay, but it is your decision. Whoever returns will need to stay in the naiads’ tower until the next ship is ready for Rock Point. That could be weeks or months. There are currently either four, or if we’re lucky, six healers waiting at Black Sand Beach for the trip to the island. Lady Agnes of Ice Castle is the most senior healers now at the beach.”
Lady Marsha hugged him and said, “I will enjoy getting acquainted with the naiads, and I’ll stay until you’re ready to save more of us. It is Father God’s blessing that you were born in this time of greatest danger. You must keep yourself safe; Glastamear needs you.”
A few hours later, Michael met with the three captains. “I have asked Lady Marsha to serve as my agent as ship’s owner until she leaves the ship. She alone knows your destination. She will direct you there from Black Sand Beach and return with you to that beach.”
Michael frowned because he didn’t know how they would react. “There is something distasteful that I must explain before we go any farther. Senior healing mages learn a spell called amnesia release. It is used when someone has undergone such a horrific trauma that they must forget it in order for their minds to heal. Lady Marsha will use it to make all of you forget the previous two weeks. You will not remember where the healers are hiding.”
Captain Eric Goodfriend of the Diana replied, “That is good news. It’s best we don’t know.” The other captains agreed.
Michael continued, “At your destination, shipwrights will remove all evidence that the three ship have been used for passengers. You should fish on your way back to Black Sand Beach. Also I own an oyster boat that is already at the beach, you should also take their smoked oysters to market in Northport. After that I would like you to fish up and down the coast, stopping at Black Sand every month or two. I will be there waiting sometime in the future. I hope it is with other healers
that I have located inland and at Southport.”
The three captains were pleased that they would soon be back to their fishing profession but still able to help healers who might need it if the opportunity arose. The sailing agenda up and down the coast would also allow them to spend some time with their families in Snowport on each voyage.
Ten hours later, the Diana was two hundred paces from the shore near Sand Point Village, the town where Michael had left his horses before taking the stage to Snowport. Michael shook hands with Captain Eric, smiled, and said two words in ancient elfish, and instantly disappeared.
Chapter 24
Michael used transparency to disappear and float to cross the calm waters to the beach. He stood on the reddish sand and used one of his dwarfish spells to fill a small pouch with gold dust. He cast a copy metal shape spell on a golden crown coin, and the gold dust formed into six of the gold coins with some gold dust left over. He used a small quarter crown to make two of the smaller coins. That was plenty of gold for him to carry since he could now make new coins any time he wanted.
He had his elfish sword in its scabbard across his back; the jeweled dagger was in its belt sheath. He spoke the words hide blade to make the sword invisible but left the dagger visible. He had a walk of about thousand paces to the village inn where his horses were stabled, and he started off at a brisk pace, glad to be on solid ground. As he walked away from the beach, he wore a ring to hide his manna, and he cast both detect all manna and detect life. The life signs of the busy village were clearly visible; he saw no signs of knight protectors or priests.
It was nearly dark when he entered the village square; the market was over and there were few people around. There was an eerie feel to the hamlet that he had not felt when he was last here. He sensed something bad had occurred.
The innkeeper was glad to see him as he entered the almost empty main hall. “Welcome, Michael Son-of-William. I’m exceedingly happy to have a paying customer. I’ll get your suite ready at once.”
“Sid, something is wrong in Sand Point. The last time I was here the inn was full of travelers and happy locals. What’s happened since I left town last month?”
“Let me show you to your room and explain.” Sid guided him upstairs to the excellent accommodations he had enjoyed on his previous visit.
“It was those despicable knight protectors.” He made the sign of Perry. “Perry forgive me, but they’ve been harassing everyone in the North Country looking for some elfish book that was stolen from the High Temple in Northport. They stayed five days and searched every hole and crevice in town. They ate whatever they wanted and took over the whole inn and many private homes and paid for nothing. With no guests and no locals willing to even enter the inn, I’m in the worst financial shape since the blizzard fifteen years ago.”
Michael replied, “Even if they used every knight protector in the kingdom, they could never search the whole country for a single book. It seems pointless unless they had something that made them suspicious of Sand Point.”
“I heard something in confidence from our local priest. The king thinks the locals here and in Snowport helped all the northern healers escape. The high priest of Snowport has been reassigned to the small temple at Swamp Ford, it’s about the worst location in all of Glastamear; the swamp bugs make everyone miserable, and with no healers the swamp fever will kill a quarter of the town by next summer.”
“At least the knight protectors are gone from town now. Why is the inn still empty?”
Sid replied, “You must have come by boat. All the main roads have roadblocks where everyone is searched, even stripped naked, and harassed. Those king’s solders are no respecters of maidens or even older matrons. I’ve heard some really bad stories. No one travels the road if they have a choice. It will be the end of my business if they keep it up another few weeks.”
Michael felt some responsibility for the innkeeper’s situation since he had the missing book in his backpack, and he had been quite involved in the healers who had escaped Snowport. “Perhaps I can help. I’m willing to make you a loan, repayable in small installments over the next five years. How much do you need to tide you over until the roadblocks are gone?”
After a long pause, Sid said, “The inn has been in my family for six generations. My ancestors would curse me if I mortgaged it.”
Michael smiled, “I said nothing about a mortgage; this deal would be based on a handshake from an honest innkeeper.”
“I would need about thirty crowns to cover my current obligations and give me a nice cushion in case it takes a month or more for travel to get back to normal.”
Michael was sure he named a sum at least twice his need. “I’ll have the money for you tomorrow. You will send half a crown to my agent, Tobias Howardson in Snowport every month. For interest, you can give me a free room on any future visit. I’ll pay for this stay and for your taking care of my horses since we didn’t have a deal at the time.”
“No interest and no mortgage? Your father will kill you, but I will be forever grateful. May Father God bless you!”
Later that night, Michael went to the privy and pulled three bags of gold dust from the grounds of the inn. He used his dwarfish copy metal shape spell to convert them to coins. The three bags formed thirty-six identical golden crowns. He worked on the coins with his dagger to add scratches, indentations, and other marks so they were no longer identical.
After making the coins, he walked a short distance from the village until he found a person-sized boulder. Using his dwarfish skills, he formed a cavity that could hold his fire mage book and his dwarfish magic book. It would protect them without the possibility of damage or discovery. He closed the hole with a spell that left no clue of his night’s work. In the dwarf’s room where he had found the book, the voice had explained that his sword and dagger could not be found if he had used the hide blade spell. He hoped that was literally true since he did not want to part with either of them, but knew he would face a search many times as he traveled south toward Northport and on inland to Briarton.
As he went back to sleep, he considered the intensity of the search for the fire mage book. He smiled when he fully understood. The miracles of the Church of Perry Ascendant were explained as fire spells that offered no proof of Perry’s guidance or involvement in human affairs. They were merely proof that many priests and all knight protectors were really just fire mages.
In the morning before breakfast, Michael settled his account with Sid and gave him the thirty gold crowns he had requested. When Michael was finished with breakfast and packed for his trip south, Sid came and asked him to follow. In front of the inn, there was a woodworker producing a sign with the carving of a merchant with colorful clothes and showing a big smile.
Sid explained, “Since we’ve always been the only inn at Sand Point, we never named her. Now she will be the Inn of Restful Repose of the Kindly Merchant. That is supposed to be you on the sign. You’ll always be welcome here Michael.”
Michael blushed. “Sid, my friend, I will always stay in your fine inn when I’m in the area, and I’ll tell my friends to stay here too.”
Michael set off south midmorning. Knowing he would be searched, he decided to wear the Perry’s Hero metal he had received from High Priest Carson in Snowport. By midafternoon he was stopped at the first roadblock. A dozen travelers, men, women, and children, stood around in the nude while surly soldiers wearing the ornate armor of the Crown’s Own Regiment examined them and their belongings.
Two soldiers with weapons drawn stood in the road and motioned for him to dismount. Perhaps his wealthy attire and Perry’s Hero metal helped, but he was still delayed half an hour, most of the time completely nude. It seemed like a needless humiliation, more entertainment for the soldiers and harassment than based on any need. Michael was sure his fair skin would be sunburnt in places that had never been burned before.
He camped for the night by a stream located about a hundred paces from the main road. The
terrain was dense forest, which he had reached by riding up the streambed. The night was cool and foggy; the sun had set, a twilight glow remained. He was eating a cold meal of corncakes and butter that he had brought from Sand Point when the attack came.
He heard a snarl; a large cat whose hunting cry he didn’t recognize was nearby. Quickly, he cast detect all life and saw the massive cat, ten feet in length and at least four times his own weight. He knew it was an animal that few people had seen and lived to describe, the ambush lion of ancient legend. Michael, like most others from outside the Great Northern Forest, considered it a tall tale of the North. Black, gray, and forest green stripes camouflaged it perfectly in the dense forest gloom. As it leaped, Michael shouted stone armor.
The cat hammered Michael to the ground a second later. The snarling beast tried to bite his throat, but the dwarfish spell held the animal away. Michael’s arms were pinned to his side preventing him from reaching his sword or dagger. The ferocious cat raked his hind claws against his stomach but his spell protected his whole body as if he wore the strongest steel armor.
Michael tried to reach the mind of his merciless attacker. Through the anger and surprise, Michael found the thoughts of a mother with two cubs in a nearby cave, cubs she was determined to provide with a meal. He realized he did not want to kill this mother lion thereby causing her cubs to starve. He was a healer and any killing did not come naturally to him if there was an alternative. Although he didn’t fear that the cat could actually kill him through the armor spell, he had two horses he wanted to protect as well.
The Pogrom of Mages: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume One Page 10
