Into Vushaar

by Robert M Kerns

  The young soldier beamed. “Yes, sir! I was top of my class in swordsmanship.”

  “Well, I can’t have a mere corporal guarding one of my closest friends,” Terris said, watching the young man’s expression sink, “so I guess that means you just made Sergeant. Don’t leave this man’s side anytime he’s outside the palace complex,” pointing to Gavin, “and tell one of the door guards which unit was yours. I’ll send a runner with your new orders and details of your promotion.”

  Gavin couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt such fear and anxiety permeating a place. Everyone Gavin saw as he, Roth, and Thaddeus rode through the city spoke in hushed tones and cautious glances. A short distance from the palace, they reached what looked like a small street market, and they had to stop for a large crowd to disburse.

  A young woman walked up to Gavin, wringing her hands and said, “Please, sir, they say the walls fell. Is it true?”

  Gavin weighed the options of how to respond. Out of the many options available, Gavin said, “Yes, it’s true.”

  The woman blanched, eyes wide. “Oh, no! We’re all lost!”

  “Don’t despair, miss,” Gavin said. “There is one asset this city has that the army out there does not.”

  “What could that be?”

  “I am Kirloth, and I’ve not traveled from Tel Mivar to see this city fall while I draw breath. Tell everyone who asks: The Great Houses of Tel stand with King Terris Muran.”

  For once, Gavin saw no fear upon recognition of his House. For that woman, Kirloth meant hope.

  The crowd ahead disbursed enough for them to resume their travel, and had Gavin been looking, he might have seen an old man with wildly unkempt white hair wearing a gray robe with a tattered hem standing on the edge of the crowd. If Gavin had noticed the old man, Gavin would’ve seen him smiling and nodding with admiration.

  Gavin saw his friends standing not too far away from the piles of dirt that had once been massive stone blocks making up a section of the city’s wall. The Cavaliers were serving as officers among the regular army and town guard, and it was clear they were massing to defend the breach at all costs.

  It surprised Gavin just a bit that his friends were so wrapped up in talking among themselves that they didn’t see him arrive. He was also glad they hadn’t seen him, for Roth had to help him dismount.

  “I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Gavin heard Lillian say as he approached. “I don’t know how to put the wall back together, and Mariana is only one of us with any true combat experience.”

  “Then, I guess it’s good I’m here,” Gavin said, and everyone spun to face him.

  “Gavin? What are you doing out of bed?” Lillian asked.

  “How-are-you-feeling?” Wynn asked.

  Gavin smiled. “I’m not fully recovered yet, but you don’t need my power right now. What you need is my knowledge. Roth, I need a stick with a point.”

  Roth turned and snapped a branch off a nearby tree and carved a point on it before handing it to Gavin.

  “I felt you guys attempt a Conjuration effect,” Gavin said. “Let me guess. It didn’t last very long?”

  “Perhaps a minute,” Mariana replied, “and it was dreadful to do.”

  Gavin nodded and scratched out the runes symbolizing two Words of Power on the dirt. “You need a composite effect; well, honestly, invoking a Word of Transmutation would do, but I want to set a section of the wall as an anchor-point to embed protections throughout the entire wall. This Word here invokes a Transmutation effect, and its associate on the right is a Word of Tutation. Today, you’re going get a small feeling of what it was like for our ancestors to create the city we know today as Tel Mivar.”

  “Uhm, Gavin?” Braden said.

  “Yes, Braden?”

  “Our ancestors were way more powerful wizards than we are. There’s no way we can duplicate what they did.”

  Gavin smiled. “That’s not necessarily true. As far as I’m concerned, you just lack experience. So, now, I’m going to tell you how you’re going to do it. It’s deceptively simple, and it’s related to the test Marcus had me do when we first met. First, each of you, memorize the Words we’re going to use. Then, close your eyes and concentrate on the seed of power within you. It’s going to be close to what feels like the pit of your soul.”

  Gavin watched each of them close their eyes and waited a few moments.

  “Now,” Gavin said, “reach out and take each other’s hands.”

  “They’re dressing lines for a charge,” Roth said. “It looks like light cavalry.”

  Gavin looked at Roth and frowned. “Shush. That’s not important now.” Gavin turned back to his friends. “Okay, people, you should be feeling each other’s presence, both physically and through the Art. Form a picture in your mind of a solid stone wall, long enough to fill the gap and matching the dimensions for the rest of the wall. Don’t try pulling the stone from the earth; we already have enough dirt here to do the job. Concentrate on it, and envision the new wall immune to the Art. When I say ‘three,’ speak the Words you memorized.”

  Out in the field, about a thousand light cavalry were charging the breach in the wall. They were about two hundred yards away and closing.

  “One…two…three!”

  Four voices spoke in chorus, blending the two Words together into one syllable, “Rhyskaal-Sykhurhos.” Gavin felt the power take hold, and he watched the dirt rise up to fill the space and solidify. Within a heartbeat, the breach in the wall had become solid stone again, and he felt a faint resonance of Tutation emanating from the solid stone.

  Sometimes, horses are smarter than people. A rider can run a horse until it founders, but no horse will willingly charge a stone wall, especially when that wall just appeared in a space that used to be air. The front rank of the cavalry charge outside stopped cold, the riders flying head-first into the wall. This sudden stop produced a chain reaction through the successive ranks until fully one-third of the cavalry-riders lay on the ground in some form of injury.

  Gavin noticed everyone still had their eyes closed. Lillian was the first to open her eyes, but she did so slowly.

  “Well?” Lillian asked, as the others opened their eyes. “How’d we do?”

  “In my eyes, you’ve more than earned the rank of Magus. That wall is as perfect as we could make it. How did it feel to invoke your first composite effect all by yourselves?”

  “By the gods, it hurt,” Braden said. “I’ve never felt that kind of pain when working the Art before.”

  The others nodded to agree.

  “The more of them you do, the easier it will become,” Gavin said. “Trust me; I know.”

  Chapter 23

  As with any news or gossip, word of what ‘the Apprentices’ achieved spread through the capital like fire in dry grass. Knowledge that the king did indeed have a counter to Ivarson’s wizards bolstered morale better than an extra thousand troops supporting the king ever could have. For the first time since the siege began, the people started to believe that they just might survive and that the turmoil might just end well after all.

  Gavin, Lillian, Mariana, Wynn, and Braden occupied various seats along with Kiri and Terris in a sitting room off the royal apartment. Refreshments sat on a cart, wheeled into the room by a member of the kitchen staff, and the furnishings and decorations around the room were tasteful and elegant.

  “Lady Mivar,” Terris said, “I want to thank you for the kindness you showed my daughter. While we were getting reacquainted, she spent no small amount of time discussing the friendship you two have developed.”

  “Please, Your Majesty,” Lillian said, “feel free to address me as ‘Lillian,’ and you’re welcome. Still, befriending your daughter was no great effort, I assure you. She helped me through a bad time, and I feel I owe her more than mere friendship.”

  Terris sat silent for several moments before looking to each of Gavin’s friends in turn as he said, “It has been a matter of royal decree for many
centuries that there is one who may address the King—or Queen—of Vushaar as a friend and by first name in any circumstance. That one was the black-robed wizard known as Marcus. When Kiri was just a newborn, I amended that decree to include Q’Orval as a kind of reward for all his years of steadfast service, and yesterday, I amended that decree again…to include the five of you. I’m sure there are those at court who would prefer I be addressed in all circumstances as ‘Your Majesty,’ but you’ve shown such kindness and friendship to my daughter, addressing me as such shall be your choice. Know that I do not expect it.”

  When it seemed Gavin and his friends didn’t know what to say, Kiri smiled, saying, “Thank you, Father. They’re almost family to me, and I would never have expected them to address me as ‘Your Highness,’ no matter the situation.”

  Terris nodded his response to Kiri’s gratitude and shifted his attention to Gavin. “So, Roth tells me you have something to discuss with me about the city’s outer wall.”

  “Yes, Terris, I do,” Gavin said. “I want to embed a protection against magic in your city’s outer wall to prevent what happened a few days ago from ever happening again. Matter of fact, if we do it right, it will stop all magical effects that originate outside the wall from affecting the city.”

  Terris blinked. “You can do that?”

  “Oh, yes. We’ll have to use a composite effect of both Transmutation and Tutation to make it work. If we didn’t make the walls a solid piece of stone, we’d have to embed the protection in each, individual block, you see.”

  “What of the redoubts and gatehouses?”

  “We’ll include those as well. After all, it wouldn’t make much sense to leave them unprotected. It would be rather embarrassing if someone disintegrated a gatehouse or redoubt, somewhere down the line. I doubt I’d ever live that one down.”

  Terris looked as though he were still wrapping his mind around the idea of the walls being immune to magic. “How long would it take?”

  Gavin shrugged. “A few weeks, at least. I’m still not back to my former strength yet, and I think reconstituting the wall almost put my friends on their backs. There will be a certain recovery period after each invocation, but the good news is that we won’t have to destroy any fortifications to make this happen. We’ll just transmute the existing structures to solid stone and embed the protection against magic at that time. If we weren’t staring at a hostile army on the north approaches to the city, I’d consider discussing the addition of a few other effects as well, but I’d say the protection against magic is by far the most important at this point. It’ll also keep Ivarson’s wizards from lobbing fireballs and such over the walls to terrorize people.”

  Gavin fell silent as he rubbed his chin and stared at the wall, lost in thought.

  “Now that I think about it, I think one of us should be on the wall facing Ivarson’s encampment at all times. If his wizards try something, we’re sorely out of position to counter it until we complete the protection, and there are enough of us that we can rotate out in shifts to keep the strain manageable.”

  Terris waved his left hand in a gesture of agreement. “Whatever you think is best, Gavin. I know next to nothing about magic, and my court wizard, Fallon, has never seen combat. No slight to him, either; he has simply directed his studies down other avenues.”

  “And he’s probably a product of the College’s curriculum,” Gavin said. “They don’t allow for the fundamental differences between wizards and mages, so any wizards who graduate are little more than empowered mages. If I ever have the opportunity, I’ll take steps to correct that.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Terris said. “The post’s title is ‘Court Wizard.’ Fallon is a mage.”

  “Ah,” Gavin said, his expression looking like he’d just put his foot in his mouth. “My apologies, then.” Just then, Gavin’s eyes widened just a bit, as he remembered something. “By any chance, do you know to whom I should speak to purchase property in the city?”

  “I’ve no idea, I’m afraid, but Q’Orval should be able to direct you to someone. May I ask why?”

  Gavin’s eyes shifted to Kiri’s left shoulder. “I have some research I’ve put off for far too long, and it will give me something to do between the work on the wall and taking my turn waiting for Ivarson’s wizards to try something else.”

  It was the evening of the day a week after Gavin told Terris of his plan to improve the city’s outer wall. Kiri and Lillian sat in Kiri’s private dining room, candles around the room creating a comfortable, friendly ambiance.

  “Thank you so much for accepting my invitation to dinner,” Kiri said. “I’ve really missed our late-night conversations.”

  “I know! I’ve missed them, too. It’s been very busy lately, and I welcome the chance to unwind and visit with you.”

  “Have you started work on the outer wall yet?”

  Lillian nodded. “Oh, yes. We’re moving west along the wall from that section Ivarson’s wizards disintegrated. We did the north gate and portcullis first, and honestly, that was worse than the wall.”

  “Oh? That surprises me. Since it’s smaller than the wall sections between redoubts, I would’ve thought it would be easier.”

  “You’re forgetting the portcullis and all the reinforced doors throughout the gatehouse. We can’t turn them into a solid piece of stone, like we’re doing with the walls themselves. At least there are only three left. We are very glad your city planners didn’t make more gates!”

  “Oh, my. I hadn’t considered the portcullis and all the reinforced doors. That would make things a bit more complicated.”

  Lillian responded with a fervent nod. “So…how are things with you? Are you getting settled back in and reintegrated into things around here?”

  “It still feels a little surreal. Just the other morning, for the first few moments when I woke up in my room, I had to stop and think about where I was. Father hasn’t made a general announcement about my return, either. He says he doesn’t want to share me with the court yet.”

  “You are happy to be home, though, right?”

  “You have no idea, Lillian. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world.” The smile faded from Kiri’s face as her eyes shifted away from Lillian.

  “That thought right there,” Lillian said. “What is it?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s not important, really.”

  “Come on…give. You’ll feel better if you talk about it.”

  Kiri sighed and shook her head. “No, Lillian, I’m not sure I will.”

  “You told me about the prophecy of the Slave Queen. You told me about what you endured before Gavin found you. How could that thought be any worse than either of those?”

  “It’s…well…it’s still a little disconcerting when I wake up and I don’t see a bed made of folded blankets on the floor. I’m home. I’m safe. My father is safe. It seems like I have everything I’ve wanted these last few years, and yet…”

  “And yet?”

  Kiri lifted her head to look Lillian in her eyes, knowing Lillian would see the conflict swirling within her. “And yet, I miss him, Lillian. I haven’t seen Gavin since the sitting room with Father, and I miss him…more than I ever expected I would. I mean, I hoped we’d remain friends and all that, once I made it home. But now that I’m back and slowly easing into my old life? It’s starting to feel like something’s missing, and that something is Gavin.”

  “I’d say that’s normal, Kiri,” Lillian said, offering her friend an encouraging smile. “Gavin’s been such a fundamental part of your life for so long. I’m not surprised you feel a void now that you’re moving in separate directions.”

  Kiri nodded. “Maybe that’s all it is. Maybe I’m just feeling insecure with all the changes in my life right now. Does he…does he ever speak of me, ask of me?”

  “No, Kiri, he hasn’t,” Lillian said, unsure of whether she should add ‘I’m sorry.’

  Chapter 24

  The house occupied a street-cor
ner a short distance from the palace complex. As such, it was made of brick and looked to be well-maintained down through the years. The agent selling the property spent quite some time extolling the its virtues, revisiting time and again how close it was to the palace complex. After all, a man of Gavin’s stature should appreciate such proximity to the crown.

  Several times during the unctuous fop’s diatribe, Gavin came rather close to informing him exactly how close he actually was to the crown of Vushaar; the agent wasn’t on the list of those expected to address the King by name, after all. Each time, though, Gavin stayed his tongue. He had no desire to be any more memorable to this man than absolutely necessary.

  “You said this place has a wine cellar?” Gavin asked, interrupting the man’s spiel as he wound up for another go.

  “Oh my, yes! One of the finest wine cellars outside of the palace, and make no mistake about that. Would you like to see it?”

  Gavin nodded. “I would indeed.”

  The agent pivoted on his left heel and led Gavin to a door just off the kitchen. It opened on silent hinges, and the agent led Gavin down a set of stone steps to the space below. While windows lit the rest of the house, the agent—or someone—had lit the sconces of the cellar in preparation for just such an inspection. The wine cellar extended almost the full footprint of the house and looked more like a basement than a simple wine cellar. Tall, wooden racks that sat empty created aisles throughout the space, while large casks with spigots lined the brick walls.

  “Yes,” Gavin said, eyeing the space, “this will be perfect. I think it’s time we discussed price.”

  “Very good, milord,” the agent said. “Forgive me, but I must first address certain distasteful matters. You’re obviously a man of breeding; I mean your interest in this property alone tells me that, but the owners have insisted that I verify any prospective buyer’s…ahem…funds before any offer is communicated.”