Chapter 32
She felt a surge of power similar to the one she felt just moments before. Even though she expected it, she was amazed to see that walking through the columns magically transported them to the town of Reyth. They must have been noticed, because a crowd of people stood outside the temple in the dirt streets, each staring with their mouths wide open. She couldn't imagine what they must have seen, but they most likely saw the three of them appear out of nowhere like ghosts. She smiled, but looked away from them; half embarrassed and half excited about being able to do something so extraordinary.
Rommus completely ignored the people even though most of them stared at him. He made no attempt the hide the sword anymore, and it caught the sunlight when his cape billowed behind him as he strode down the stairs. She wondered what he must be thinking. He walked tall and proud, but she knew that he had to be feeling anger about the confrontation with the gods. She had already forgotten her own feelings about the matter, and instead she was overcome with awe from the entire mystical event.
Rommus reached into a pocket when he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Vohl, take these coins and purchase another horse. Go get the horses we left tied at the pile of stones. Take water with you. I don't want them to suffer and die out there. Bring them back here and meet us at this temple at sunset. Hurry."
Vohl took the money and did as he was told immediately. She watched him break through the line of stunned people and run off to complete his task before she returned her gaze to Rommus. The people still stared silently, but he seemed not to notice them at all.
"Rommus, what are you going to do?" she asked.
"It's hard to say at the moment, but something must be done. There are people going to war over gods who do not care about them."
The crowd gasped. "How can you say such a thing?" a woman asked.
Rommus ignored the woman and turned back to Alana. "Come with me. We need to find Silas. Do you think you can remember where that building was in Burnhamheade?"
"Yes, I know where it is. But how do you know he'll be there?"
"I don't know where he'll be, but I assume with all the maps and open books we saw that he spends a lot of time there. Come on."
They entered the temple again and to her amazement the same strange light filled the spaces between the columns. He walked down the line of them, searching for the blurry image of Burnhamheade, and when he found it, he pulled her through it. When she entered the light, she watched the columns shift and change shape until they had become the more ornate pointed archways found in Burnhamheade. Again she stood on at the top of the steps of a temple, but this time in the familiar capital of her nation.
"Rommus do you think those people can see the portals? Do you think they can use them?"
"No, I think they can only be seen from inside the temple. We can't see them unless we're inside. I don't think they can use them either. I can feel the portals somehow. They're connected to me in some way."
He took her by the arm and led her through the gathering crowd of curious people. She heard them whispering to each other about how the they appeared in the temple magically, but she took Rommus's lead and ignored them. When they got into the open streets she led the way down a long alley where chickens pecked at the ground. The birds paid them less attention than the nosey people, but they still refused to move out of the way. She tried to gently shoo them away but Rommus just ignored them like he ignored the people. Soon they came to the building that Silas had taken them to.
She pushed on the wall like she saw Silas do but nothing happened. "It doesn't open. Maybe we're in the wrong place."
Rommus touched the wall and she was astounded to see it open easily. He said nothing but walked inside, holding it open for her. She wanted to tell him how amazed she was that he could do that; that it looked like he was able to use magic, but she said nothing and followed him down the wooden stairs. Soft candlelight lit their way.
"Who goes there?" came a voice before they reached the bottom steps. "How did you get in here?"
"I opened the doorway the same way I saw you do it, Silas," he said as he stood tall. "How goes the planning for the war?"
"What do you mean you opened the doorway? You do not know how to do that."
"Yes I do. I'm standing in front of you am I not?"
Silas peered up from under his eyebrows and stood, placing a pen in its holder. "The war is going to be a massacre I'm afraid. We are only going to be able to minimize the damage temporarily while we try to hide some of the women and children. We saw flashes of colored light at the horizon last night, and we assume that the army is practicing magic. From what we can guess, we stand no chance."
"Where is the Vindyri army? Why have I not seen them guarding the city?"
Silas twisted his face as he scratched his neck. "As I told you when I saw you last, we do not speak directly with the King. He has not made his plan known, and we do not know where he is hiding the army. We assume that he has them strategically placed somewhere near the city. Perhaps they have already merged with Commander Soterus and his men."
Alana took a step forward. "Is there any word on if Medoran soldiers are coming to help?"
"No my Lady, not yet. I'm afraid that we do not have the benefit of sending scouts to check on these things, and we Mages are not able to leave the city. We are needed here to protect what the soldiers do not."
"How many Mages are here in Burnhamheade?" Rommus asked.
"There are only about 25 here now. Some were sent to the smaller towns to serve as some kind of protection, but I am thinking it was a mistake to send them there. The army will attack Burnhamheade, not the small villages."
"Yes that was a mistake, but there is little we can do about it now. Silas, I feel something. I think it is magic but I don't know anything about magic. I need you to tell me what it means."
Silas stroked his beard. "Well what is it that you feel?"
"It's a feeling. I feel it here, in the pit of my stomach. It feels like someone is watching me but it's stronger than that. At first I felt it off towards my home of Brinn, but it feels like it got closer and closer. When I was in Reyth I felt it all around me. It was harder to tell what direction it was coming from. Now that I am in Burnhamheade, I can feel it off to the north. Do you know what it is?"
Silas slowly shook his head. "What you describe sounds like a feeling of magic, but I don't have any idea what it could be trying to tell you. Does it feel like some kind of warning?"
"I don't know. It's actually a pleasant feeling, but for some reason it alarms me too."
Silas went to one of the shelves and moved some scrolls out of his way. He opened a small silver box and removed a purple velvet bag. He opened it and removed a small black stone with a hole in the center, throwing the empty bag on the table. The flat surface was obviously polished, but the light from the candles did not shine in it. It had a strange quality about it that seemed to bring silence to all sounds.
"This is a seeing stone. It is not a very powerful item, but it can teach you to focus the power you speak of. When you feel it, hold this in your hand. I cannot explain how it works; you will just have to use it to see." He handed Rommus the stone and then removed a pendant that hung from his own neck. He took the pendant off the leather cord and gave the cord to Rommus.
"Thank you," Rommus said as he threaded the cord through the stone. He put it around his neck and Alana reached up to help him fasten it. "Can I have the velvet bag as well?"
"Of course you can. Take it."
She watched him open the bag and then reach into his pocket. He removed the sand he had collected earlier and put as much as he could in the small purple bag. She wondered what on earth he was doing, but she didn't want to be rude by asking. She found Silas's questioning eyes had found hers, but she could only shrug her shoulders at him.
"What are you doing?" Silas asked.
"I'm putting sand in a bag."
Silas smiled. "I can see that. Why is
sand so important to you?"
"This is from the Land of the Gods. I wanted it in a safer place than my pocket."
Silas cocked his head. "What do you mean it's from the Land of the Gods? How could you have been there? I see no wings on your back."
"I don't need wings. I walked across the bridge; although it was almost as difficult as sprouting wings. Luckily I had friends there to help me."
"You must be mistaken Rommus. There is no bridge leading to that place. It fell many centuries ago. You must have it confused with some other place."
"I am not mistaken Silas. The three of us crossed the bridge not long ago. I know it sounds impossible, and I am still struggling to believe it myself, but we actually spoke with the gods."
Silas seemed to believe him as soon as he finished his sentence. His eyes went wide. "Then it is true, you are Arius."
Rommus sighed. "I'm afraid I'm not Arius, but somehow the gods believe that I am his replacement. We couldn't stay long to talk to them because they sent us away."
"What do you mean you are meant to replace him? How can that be?"
"I don't know much, but they told me that humans had killed him, and I was of the proper bloodline to replace him. That's really all I know."
"A new god of war?" Silas said to the ceiling. "What are the gods like? What message do they send? Rommus you must stay and tell me everything. This is of the utmost importance."
"We're not staying, but we will return. While I am gone, I want you to find men to send to the towns and get the Silver Mages back here. I don't care if they are soldiers or boys; just get the Mages back to Burnhamheade."
"Yes my Lord, I will find riders, even though it will not be easy. Not many can be trusted here in Vindyrion."
"Good. Alana told me that you build all your cities near rivers. Where is the river that Burnhamheade uses for its water supply? We didn't cross one when we arrived."
"The River Aeden branches off from the east and runs through the city, although we use both parts of the river for water."
"So the river stands between Burnhamheade and the Bhoor army amassed to the east?"
"Yes my Lord."
"Destroy the bridges crossing that river. Sharpen large sticks and place them in the water in the more shallow areas. Bind them together so that they form an underwater wall of spikes. Do this at night so that you are not seen. This will slow the enemy as they try to cross, and as the dead and wounded pile up, it will impede them further. The trick will not last long, but it will fool the Bhoors into being more cautious and they will not attack the city so boldly.
"They will most likely attack when the sun is in your eyes, so be especially wary in the morning hours on clear days. However if the Bhoors think you are intelligent enough, they will attack later in the day to catch you off guard. Since your armies have not yet met, they do not know how capable you are, so my guess is that they will strike in the morning."
Silas looked a little worried as he ran a hand down his face. "But my Lord, we do not have soldiers at our disposal for these things. The King has them occupied somewhere else."
"Then find men, women and children to sharpen the spikes. Put them in the river yourself if you must. I don't care how it gets done, just make it happen. You must hurry; the Bhoors will not wait long out there as they run out of food."
"Yes my Lord, I will see that these things are done as soon as possible."
"Good. We will return soon."
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Mighty Hammer Down Page 58
