Wizard's Alley

by James Haddock

  “Get a message to the military and the city watch that I’m still alive. They are to block any attempt by the usurper to advance his failed coup, but don’t tell them where I am.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “In the meantime, is there anything else I can do?”

  “Stay alive, Your Highness.”

  “Oh, I’m going to do that, if for no other reason than to see Sir Westly’s head on a pike. He has killed and injured my people and children, and he will find no mercy in my heart.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” he said, bowing.

  ***

  I helped where I could, especially with the children. Mistress Emma and Lizzy worked together. Hue came to enough to tell Mistress Emma to lay him on the ground so the earth could help heal him. We moved him into his room in the temple wall, laying him out on the earth as he had asked. He started showing signs of improvement almost immediately.

  “Sir Wizard seems to be doing better; his color looks better anyway,” I said.

  Mistress Emma nodded, as she checked on one of the children. “He is, but he is still very weak. It was the combination of his wound and the amount of power he used during the fight. Releasing that much power at one time takes a toll on the body.”

  “Izzy seems to have taken to you,” I said.

  “She is talented for one so young, and she has the gift of healing upon her. She also cares deeply for all the children—her brothers and sisters,” she said.

  “Yes, they all seem to feel that way. The priest said none of them ran away; they all stayed and defended each other.”

  “Love is a powerful thing.”

  “You’ve been with us for two days now. If you need to return to care for your own, I understand, and thank you for all you have done.”

  “I could do no less, my Queen, I’ll stay a few more days. No one is close to their delivery date for a week or so. I sent Willie back. If there is an emergency, he’ll come for me.”

  All of a sudden, my magic shields flared bright as crossbow bolts struck. None penetrated my shield, but I saw one of the bolts had hit Emma. I moved to place myself between her and the attackers.

  “Staff.” I readied myself for the next attack. It never came, as a pillar of blue flame appeared before me. Bands of blue lightning struck the three attackers, tearing through their bodies and throwing them against the wall. Izzy was the blue pillar of flame; she had ported in to protect us.

  The sound of rolling thunder was deafening. Flashes of purple light filled the alley. Bands of purple and red lightning struck up and down the backstreet. A being, surrounded by a fiery purple aura with his staff held aloft, stood in the middle of the alley. Smoldering bodies lay about, as if the angel of death had carved a pathway.

  I turned to see to Mistress Emma; she lay unconscious. The bolt had struck her in the meaty part of her shoulder. I sat her up; the head of the bolt protruded from her back. Lizzy was beside me.

  “Let me see,” she said.

  She still had a blue aura about her but not as bright. She grasped the broad head and broke it off the bolt. We lay Emma down, and Lizzy pulled the bolt out of Emma’s shoulder. She laid her hand over the wound; using magic, she closed it.

  “No broken bones or organs hit; she’ll be alright.” We put Emma on one of the cots.

  “Are you alright?” I turned; Hue stood there, leaning on his staff.

  “I am.”

  Izzy sat down hard beside me, laid her head against me, and passed out. I put my arm around her, pulling her to me.

  “She’ll be alright; she just needs to rest. It takes a lot of power to fight and heal,” Hue said.

  “That seems to run in our adopted family,” I said, smiling.

  “One does what one must,” he answered.

  The Master Priest approached and bowed. “You were not harmed?”

  “I was not. Who were the attackers?”

  “Assassin’s Guild and Red Wizards, Your Highness.”

  “They know where we are now, so we can expect more trouble,” Hue said.

  “Master Priest, prepare everyone to leave in an hour. There’s no need to take food; all of that will be taken care of. The only problem is, once I open the portal, we must move through quickly. In my weakened condition, I don’t know how long I can hold it open.”

  “Yes, Sir Wizard, we’ll be ready.” He turned and started issuing orders.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I have a place,” Hue said. “We must leave the city and get you to safety. There, we’ll heal our wounds and plan our next move. I rushed in too quickly the last time I faced the enemy and almost got myself killed. I’ll not make that mistake again.”

  “You’d better not; I would have been very upset with you had you gotten yourself killed.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, my Queen,” he said, bowing.

  Chapter 28

  The alley was a beehive of activity, and the wounded were lying in lines ready to be carried through the portal once it opened. Everyone that had anything to do with Wizard’s Alley or the wards was going with us. No one was staying behind to be taken by our enemy.

  “My Queen, Sir Wizard,” a priest said, approaching. “We have reports of a large force moving toward us; they’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”

  “We leave in two minutes; pass the word.”

  He bowed. “Yes, Sir Wizard.”

  We walked to the head of the column. Hue planted his staff, and his feet seemed to sink into the earth. His face took on a strained appearance, and then the portal opened.

  “Commander of the Guard,” he shouted through the portal.

  A soldier ran forward on the other side of the portal.

  “Yes, Sire.”

  “Call everyone you need; let’s get these people through the portal as quickly as possible.”

  “Yes, Sire.” The soldier turned and started shouting orders.

  Help came pouring out of the portal like an army of ants, and everyone was through safely well before our enemies arrived at Wizard’s Alley.

  Another officer began issuing orders, and more men appeared to help. Hue and an officer came to me. “Queen Pamala, may I present General Knost, Commander of the Army of Mountain Hold.”

  The general bowed: “Welcome, Queen Pamala.”

  I bowed in return. “Thank you, General.”

  “If you would accompany me, I will take you to my home. My wife will see to your needs until we can make better arrangements.”

  “Thank you for your kind offer, General, but I will stay with my children until they are seen to.”

  He bowed. “As your wish, Your Highness.”

  “Thank you, General,” Hue said.

  “Yes, Sire,” the general said, bowing. He left to continue with his duties.

  I looked at Hue. “You’ve been keeping secrets.”

  “In my defense, you never asked if I was the King of another Kingdom,” he said, smiling.

  I thought a moment. “True, but a secret none the less. Which at the moment, I’m glad of.”

  “Me too, but I will give you a full explanation later.”

  “I look forward to hearing this tale of woe,” I said, smiling. He shook his head and smiled back.

  “For now, I must restore my energy. I’ll return later and find you,” he said.

  “I’ll be right here,” I answered. He vanished, porting elsewhere to rest…I suppose.

  They housed us in a barrack and saw to our needs. Everyone was fed and had a cot to sleep on. I had a barrack room to myself, just off the main bay, as they called it. Their doctor helped see to our wounded, and our priests saw to our internal security. Mistress Emma’s wound was healing, but her shoulder was sore. Izzy was recovering her strength, but I could tell she still needed rest. Even so, that didn’t stop her from helping everyone she could.

  I needed some rest myself, as I had not been sleeping well. I woke with a start at every noise, and then had trouble going back to sleep. Exhau
stion finally caught up with me and I slept, though fitfully.

  ***

  We all sat at General Knost’s conference room table.

  “This was a well-planned and well-financed attack. It had to have taken them months to get everyone in place. They attacked us at two places at once, hoping to draw me away from the Queen. And it worked. I don’t know how many Red Wizards they had working for them, but they cost a lot in gold, political power, or both,” Hue said.

  “Do you think Sir Westly has aligned himself with the Reds? If so, that’s insane; he has to know they will eventually usurp him,” I said.

  “I think he was desperate. He saw his one opportunity to seize power and sold his soul to get what he wanted. The Reds took advantage of him, offering him their support and dangling the crown in front of him to get what they wanted,” Hue answered.

  “Even the Reds wouldn’t do this alone; they had the backing of someone or some group,” the Master Priest said.

  “He’s right. The Reds are powerful, no doubt, but even they would not try this without having assurance there would be no repercussions,” General Knost added.

  “Assurances from who?” Hue asked. “Who is that powerful?”

  “North Landing, South landing, the Wizard’s Guild, or some unknown Kingdom,” I said.

  “Or a combination of any of those,” General Knost said.

  “Well, Midway was already at odds with both North and South Landings. Either, or both, could be involved,” Hue said. “I have trouble believing the Magic User’s Guild would openly sanction this. They can’t agree on what time to take lunch, let alone take over a kingdom. Besides, it would set a bad precedence. Master Priest, have you had any reports of an outside kingdom with designs on us?”

  “We have not, Sir Wizard,” he answered.

  I stood, and so did everyone else. “Well, all these Red Wizards had to come from somewhere. Regardless, the enemy has openly attacked us; they have killed my people and children. I will not let this stand, and I don’t care about taking anyone alive to stand trial. I’ll condemn them to death for their crimes. Sir Wizard, do what you must to carry out my judgment.”

  “Yes, my Queen.”

  “That will be all for now, gentlemen,” I said, leaving the room.

  ***

  My strength was returning. I had rested and slept deep in the earth, and it had restored me and was healing my wound. Though its pain was a constant reminder of what over confidence could cost you. The General reminded me of the saying about old, bold soldiers…there were none. There was also the pain over the loss of my wards.

  I focused back on the meeting. The Queen had left us, or rather me, to come up with a plan to place her back on her throne.

  “Suggestions?” I asked.

  “If you cut the snake’s head off, the body will die,” General Knost said.

  “Or it may become a many headed beast,” the Master Priest said.

  I nodded. “I could probably kill the Sir Westly anytime I want, but what I’d really like is more information—who or what faction is behind this? That’s the snake’s head I want.” They nodded. “Master Priest, gather all the information you can on the attack and attackers. General, I’d like your input on how to retake the Kingdom with the least amount of collateral damage. I don’t want to fight our army. We need to think of a way to keep them out of this fight, which means we probably need to move sooner rather than later. Master Priest, send me the people you want sent back, and I’ll port them through. We’ll meet again in two days.”

  “I’ll need two priests sent to each of the kingdoms, North and South Landings, and to the western Kingdom.”

  I nodded. “Send them to me when they’re ready.”

  “Yes, Sire.”

  ***

  “So, you found this valley while you were looking for the reason our rivers had stopped flowing?” Pam asked.

  “Basically, yes. I checked all of the maps, and none of them showed this valley. Everyone assumed the western plains were on the other side of Midway’s mountains. So, I claimed it and made it my Kingdom—just like the first Kings did. They claimed the lands and fought to hold them, thereby creating their kingdoms. After that, I started bringing people in to inhabit and build my Kingdom. Most of them were from the invading army of North Landing, though I do have a village of western herders who care for my horses and cattle.”

  She nodded. “Well, King Hue, I’d like to form an alliance with Mountain Hold,” she said.

  “Hmm, what does your Kingdom have to offer?”

  “I will punch you in the throat,” she said, jumping on me.

  I could tell she was trying to take my Kingdom by right of conquest. I held out as long as I could…

  ***

  I ported the six priests the Master Priest chose. I ported two to each of the kingdoms surrounding Midway. They had one week to find out what they could, be back at that location, and ported back here. I would soon start doing some scouting of my own, but I would rest a few more days before I ventured back into the fray. If nothing else, my wound taught me caution and to have a backup plan in place if things went wrong.

  Someone was going to pay for this, and it would be sooner rather than later.

  Other books by James Haddock

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  From Mist and Steam

  Searching the battlefield after a major battle Sgt. Eli finds a dead Union Army messenger. In the messenger's bag is a message saying the South had surrendered, the war was over. Along with the Union Messenger was a dead Union Captain carrying his discharge papers, and eight thousand dollars.

  Sgt. Eli decides now is a good time to seek other opportunities, away from the stink of war. While buying supplies from his friend the quartermaster, he is advised to go to St. Louis. Those opportunities may lie there and a crowd to get lost in. Sgt. Eli, becomes Capt. Myers, a discharged Union Cavalry Officer, and strikes out for St. Louis.

  The war has caused hard times and there are those who will kill you for the shirt you are wearing. Capt. Myers plans on keeping his shirt, and four years of hard fighting has given him the tools to do so. Realizing he must look the part of a well-to-do gentleman, he buys gentleman clothes, and acts the part. People ask fewer questions of a gentleman.

  What he isn't prepared for is meeting an intelligent Lady, Miss Abigale Campbell. Her Father has died, leaving the family owned shipping business, with generation steam-powered riverboats. They have dreams of building steam-powered airships, but because she is a woman, there are those who stand against them. Capt. Myers' fighting is not over, it seems business is war. They decide to become partners, and with his warfighting experience, and her brains the world is not as intimidating as it once seemed.

  Hand Made Mage

  Ghost, a young Criminal Guild thief, is ordered to rob an ancient crypt of a long dead Duke. He is caught grave robbing by an undead insane Mage with a twisted sense of humor. The Mage burns a set of rune engraved rings into Ghost's hand, and fingers. Unknown to Ghost these rings allow him to manipulate the four elements.

  Returning to the Guild to report his failure, everyone thinks he has riches from the crypt, and they want it. While being held captive by the Criminal Guild, Ghost meets Prince Kade, the fourth son of the King, who has troubles of his own. Ghost uses his newfound powers to escape from the Guild saving the Prince in the process.

  Spies from a foreign kingdom are trying to kill Prince Kade, and Ghost must keep them both alive, while helping Prince Kade raise an army to stop an invasion
. Ghost finds out trust to soon given, is unwise and dangerous. He is learning people will do anything for gold and power. As Ghost's power grows, his enemies learn he is a far more deadly enemy than anything they have ever faced.

  Mage Throne Prophecy

  A routine physical shows Captain Ross Mitchell has a flesh-eating virus that specifically targets the brain. Prognosis says he'll be a vegetable by week's end. Having survived numerous incursions in combat around the world, he decides he's not going out like that. He drives a rented corvette into a cliff face at over 200 MPH. The fiery impact catapults him toward the afterlife. Instead of finding the afterlife, he finds himself in a different body with an old man stabbing him in his chest. He fights free, killing the old man before passing out. He wakes to find he's now in the body of Prince Aaron, the 15-year-old second son of the King. In this medieval world, the Royals are Mages. The old man who was trying to kill him was a Mage "Vampire". Instead of blood, the old Mage was trying to steal Ross/Aaron's power, knowledge, and in this case his body. When Ross/Aaron killed the old Mage, his vampire power was transferred to him. He now has the memories, knowledge, and powers of the old Mage. Ross/Aaron must navigate this new environment of court intrigue with care. His older brother, the Crown Prince, hates him. His older sister has no use for him. The King sees him as an asset to be used, agreeing to marry him to a neighboring Kingdom for an alliance. Before the marriage takes place, the castle is attacked. Someone is trying to kill him but is finding it most difficult. Where Mages fight with Magic, Ross/Aaron fights with magic and steel. It's hard to cast a spell with a knife through your skull, or your throat cut. As Ross/Aaron travels with his fiancée toward her home for the marriage to take place, they are attacked at every turn. Someone doesn't want this wedding to happen. Ross/Aaron has had enough of people trying to kill him. With Aaron's knowledge, and Ross' training, they take the offensive. The Kingdom will never be the same.