Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) (40 page)

Looking towards the bars, a lamp had been lit beyond the reach of most men. Sebastian thought that he could use the harpoon to snag it if he must.

"If you have the strength and have figured out how to escape, you might want to consider it soon," the woman said looking grave. "I have been hearing rumors that they are giving up on trying to convince you to join them soon. Discussions of just leaving you to rot down here have been countered by those who feel it is best that you were dead instead."

Sebastian noted the iron bars and knew that they were also treated to deaden magic like the black armor of the Dark One's wizard hunters. It was different from the magic of Ensolus, but there was a common ground, except that this cell predated the Cataclysm by perhaps a hundred years. New Harbor had survived the breaking of the continent. Its castle had once guarded a river supposedly, but had been far from the ocean. It was the oldest castle in the south to survive mostly intact in spite of nearly being swallowed by the ocean as the land broke south of it. The city had been rebuilt around the castle.

"Those who want me dead must figure that Hala will discover where I am eventually."

The woman shrugged before hiking up her skirt enough to kneel in front of him. "I don't know who supports the idea, but I think some fear that you will be able to escape one day though no wizard has ever managed it in those suppressor shackles."

"You still don't know how to remove them or where the key is for this collar, do you?"

Shaking her head, Zeria looked introspective before shuffling closer to look at the collar. "I didn't see it placed on you and you are the first prisoner that I have seen with it. Maybe I can try my magic on it to either unlock it or break the magic sealing your power?"

"I thought that you didn't want to get involved to that point. You have family to protect, I thought you said," the mage reminded the woman watching her eyes for signs that it had been a lie.

"My father and mother left the city with my brothers and their families. They sold what they could to travel north. Rumors are that Siltrene and Southpoint are acting like New Harbor. Count Terris is looking to rally the people along the coast from one city to the other in the hopes of making a small nation under him.

"With the war between Litsarin and Sileoth still ongoing, the north sounded the safest way to go."

"So what about you? Are you still going to stay here and work with the wizard's school to try rebelling against the rest of Southwall?"

Her gray eyes looked away from the mage at the wall as if she could find an answer there. "I said that I can look at the collar for you, but I am not sure that I am brave enough to try running from the guild. They can chase after us and I don't know how far their reach is now. If they could get to you in Red Hall..."

Sebastian realized that if he couldn't access his magic, Zeria might be right. Even if he stole a horse and supplies, Hala was over a thousand miles away. It was also winter. While the weather was likely warm here compared to the north, there would be many miles of cold, snowy country to cover before he would make it to cities that he felt were more likely to side with King Alain.

Catching a ship from the docks was out as well. Once they noticed that he was missing, the search would be on and likely every ship would be inspected before they could leave. What excuse they would make for a seizure, he didn't know. They could simply say that he was a thief or pick some other crime. It would be his word against city officials that a ship's captain was unlikely to deny for a passenger; and that begged the possibility of finding a way onboard. He had no money or clothes.

He would look like the poorest of beggars until he could find something more appropriate to wear.

Without a better argument to get Zeria on his side, the mage let the wizard look at his collar. After a little basic research, she tried a spell. As a research wizard, Zeria had access to all the books that she could find in New Harbor; but there wasn't a large library like in the schools. After becoming a full wizard, she could only go to her notes or find more books.

A shock flashed knocking the woman back from the collar. Sprawled onto her back, Sebastian moved to help her up and checked on Zeria's condition.

"Are you all right?" he asked pulling her back to a seated position by her hands.

"Ouch," she complained breathily. "It's guarded against someone who doesn't know what they are doing apparently. I'm sorry, Sebastian. I can try something else, but I am just guessing here."

"That's all right," the mage said appreciating her effort. He didn't question that Zeria had certainly appeared to take a hard jolt for her attempt. It made it harder to doubt the woman's sincerity, but Sebastian still worried that the wizard refused to try and leave. If he could just break the collar and get his magic back...

"Can you at least describe what it looks like to me? I can only feel it with my fingers and surprisingly there are no mirrors in this dungeon."

She giggled at his attempt at humor, though Sebastian wondered if it was more a nervous release after being shocked by the collar.

"I don't know what to tell you. It appears to be made of a similar metal to the wrist shackles."

The woman pushed to her feet and stumbled. Sebastian put out his hands to steady her and thought that either she was a great actress or the magical feedback had been rougher than expected.

"I feel texture to it and a small hole that I expect takes some form of key in addition to using magic to seal it," the mage stated as Zeria slowly moved around him looking at the collar.

"There are some strange markings kind of like the runes on your swords. Erethia showed me the sketches she had from studying with you. These are different and seem fainter, but I would assume that they are similar.

"I can see no line for a joining, but there is a keyhole here. It looks like it was formed around your neck out of one piece."

"Would you mind trying to force some of your magic into the hole?"

Looking leery of the collar, Zeria said, "Maybe I should try sitting down again then? If it strikes back at least I won't fall as far."

He gave her a smile as the wizard moved back to the floor. Sebastian sat as the woman knelt beside him. Zeria was shorter than him and felt the need to be higher as she tested the lock once again.

Another jolt made the woman flinch, but Zeria only shook her left hand which had been the focus of her magic.

"Ouch again," she complained continuing to shake the sting out of her hand.

Footsteps could be heard coming closer in a purposeful manner making the two separate from each other a little more. Civan looked at the two with a confident smile as he led the warlocks to the bars of his cell. The man's ring of keys was hurriedly used on the lock of the door letting the other men enter without much delay.

Rolan glared at the woman and asked scathingly, "What are you doing here? You failed and were taken off of this project."

Stepping towards the much older warlock, the young woman said defiantly, "I wasn't given enough time, so I was checking to see if anything I had done previous to your torture remained. I am a research wizard after all and have never had the chance to test this magic before. We aren't usually in the habit of trying to turn someone to our way of thinking in such a way."

"Well, you better hope that you haven't unraveled any of what we have done. I think your leaders might consider shortening your leash. If you need more test subjects though, I am certain that something else can be arranged.

"Now leave us. We have work to do."

Giving Sebastian one last look, Zeria tried not to be obvious that she worried over him; but the warlocks were focused on the mage and not the research wizard. Lorgan and Falcon Seirtan moved through the doorway as the woman retreated. The two large men lifted him back to his feet like he weighed nothing and dragged him from the cell. His bare feet were scratched up when he stumbled.

Trying to keep his balance, the men would shift trying to make him stumble more as if partially carrying him was the plan instead of just letting the prisoner walk. Perhaps the pain was part of today's struggle against the three warlocks? He didn't know, but Sebastian had a feeling that this was the day that he had to do something.

Too many men surrounded him to try to break free as they walked. Without his magic, Seirtan would likely be able to kill him without much trouble, if one of the others didn't first. If he had an opening and a little more space, then maybe, just maybe, the mage could push his opportunity.

His wrists were lifted by the chain attached to the shackles with a hook and pulled over his head once more. Enough pressure on the line made it harder to breath, he found, and expected that was the whole point. Lorgan was often ordered to pull on his end of the chain to even pull the mage onto the tips of his toes at times. The pain in his feet and legs added to his agony while magic tore at his mind and body.

"You're weakening finally," Rolan stated looking in his eyes. "You're getting desperate. Let me dash what is left of your hope on the rocks.

"You aren't going to be rescued. If someone does show up for you, Civan has the order to kill you first. You'll never be a thorn in our side again.

"Now if you wish to join our side, then maybe we can talk. If you told me today that you give in, however, I don't think I'd believe you. I want to see it in your eyes. When you're beaten to the point of breaking, I will know it."

"Why do you even bother, Rolan?" the mage asked already sounding a bit winded by the tension on the chain drawing his body upwards uncomfortably. "Even if I joined Terris or whoever is in charge, it won't help Ensolus. You can't give me to the emperor. Even a city ready to rebel wouldn't be crazy enough to join an enemy that caused the Cataclysm of all things. Such a move would be insane."

The warlock glanced over his shoulder at the jailors and the falcon. Uncertain of their loyalties, the man had to consider his words. To break from Southwall and King Alain was one thing, but to turn to the enemy went against what they had all been raised to believe. The Dark One had killed millions and destroyed part of their world. He was the ultimate enemy and evil.

While it had been centuries and no normal man alive was within two generations of a survivor, he had never heard anything but anger for the one who had caused it all.

"Ensolus? Where have you heard that name?"

"It is common knowledge that it is the name of the emperor's cave city."

Looking at those from Southwall closer to the outer door, Rolan didn't see the same clarity on their faces.

"No," the warlock stated in response as he looked at Sebastian once more, "I don't think your people are as familiar with that name as you say. How did you hear of it?"

Sebastian could have told the man that Palose had told him when he ran into the Betrayer. He doubted that the dark mage had told them everything that had been said between them, but his body was already starting to ache and it was time to take his chance. Refusing to answer the warlock made the man scowl and signal to the other two masters to ready for another round of punishment.

"You will talk and then we will see if you will break today. Answer me now!"

Rolan made a mistake then and closed the distance between him and the battle mage. Believing the prisoner worn down and unable to defend himself any longer, he grew too bold. The three warlocks had always maintained a bit of distance from him. He was a trained soldier with skills that could kill even without his magic.

Though the warlock stood just beyond the reach of his legs should the mage lash out, he was not beyond the range of his runes. Sebastian suddenly flicked his right hand towards Rolan releasing the harpoon and wire. Without training to control the rune, he wouldn't have been able to alter the movement enough; but the battle mage sent the line to wrap around the warlock's neck before he could adjust to the unexpected attack.

Blood splattered as the barbed wire dug into the man's neck, but it was nothing until Sebastian drew it back sawing through the flesh like a banded saw blade. Rolan screamed since it hadn't been a deep enough cut to slit his trachea, but the veins along the sides of his neck gushed as their seal was broken.

Shock gave the owl the time to test the strength of the shackles. Exerting all his strength, even as the runes augmented it several times beyond his base ability; Sebastian heard the metal bands break free as the hook and chain holding them rattled with the effort. Lorgan felt the release of the weight and lifted his eyes in surprise to the chain suddenly weightless in his hands.

Not bothering to watch the looks on his captors' faces, the battle mage acted. The harpoon whipped towards Master Wiler, the biggest of the warlocks physically and next closest to him. Pulling back to avoid Sebastian, the man couldn't evade the reach of the harpoon. It plunged into his neck making the warlock reach for the pain. This attack pierced through to the spine before Sebastian yanked it free in a spurt of blood.

Wiler dropped to his knees even as the mage moved within range to kick the last warlock in the neck hard. The man's eyes rolled back in his head as his brain was addled. He too fell to the floor, but Seirtan and Civan were already acting in response. The jailor turned to run. With an open door to flee towards, the man hoped to escape what he believed was certain death.