The High-Wizard's Hunt: Osric's Wand: Book Two (33 page)

Again, Osric used his wand to channel the multiple forms of magic he was using, and a strong gust of wind picked up and swirled toward the barracks. The swift current of air broke up the storm clouds and kicked dirt up around the base of the stone walls. Osric activated his Wand-Maker ability and eyed the results of his magical assault. The overall effect was identical to what he had seen in the small stone on the table inside. So far, so good.

Osric turned just in time to see Kenneth and Machai appear in the field with huge piles of stone rubble. He frowned slightly at their blatant use of the
traveling
spell, but he realized it would have been a daunting task otherwise. Levitating that much stone from the palace grounds to the barracks would have taken days.

Osric approached the piles and laid one hand upon a piece of stone. He concentrated for a moment, hoping a way to accomplish his task would come to him. He had the resources, but he had no idea how to utilize them the way he knew he must.

“What are you waiting for?” Gus demanded.

“I need a way to turn this stone into walls.”

“So meld it together.” Gus snorted and crossed his arms.

“How do you propose I do that?”

“With your Stone-Melding ability, you idiot. You have acquired a baffling number of new gifts in the last few weeks. I might as well just stop looking at you.”

“What happened to asking before inspecting me, Gus?”

“You just whipped up a rain storm with a wave of your wand! What did you think I was going to do?” Osric stared back at him as the gravity of the moment hit him. The amount of power contained in the spells he was casting was more than any other man could utilize in a year, maybe longer. He realized that Gus was not being intrusive. He was scared. There was no longer anything he could tell Osric about what was happening to him than he could not guess himself. They were in completely new territory, and the unknown was quite frightening to a prairie dog - even a famous prairie dog.

Osric nodded at Gus and then turned his gaze back to the stone. He levitated two slabs the size of his torso to the ground in front of him. Osric closed his eyes and felt within himself for an indication of what to do next. After a moment, instinct kicked in, and Osric activated the Stone-Melding ability. He was able to see the elements of the stone, and how each crystal-like fragment fit with the next to form a solid mass.

Osric held out his hand, and with a specific intent held in his mind, he was able to bind the fragments of the separate slabs together into one solid piece of stone. His companions looked on in amazement as Osric completed, and then erected, six massive pillars in a circle around the barracks grounds. He sank them down into Archana, melding the base of the pillars to the stone buried deep beneath their feet.

First lay the stones from under ground to sky…

The prophecy ran through Osric’s mind as he worked. He moved as though in a trance. He knew each spell as he cast it; he knew he was doing what he was meant to do.

Then shift the sight and weave the flow of time…

Osric approached the barracks, drawing in a deep breath and resting his palm on the cold, stone wall. He closed his eyes and disappeared.

The Maidens of the Unicorn were not the only ones who gasped in surprise as the entire building blinked out of sight. Osric reappeared next to Bridgett and took her hand in his with a smile.

“I can’t believe that worked.”

“Osric, that’s incredible.” Bridgett’s breath was light and her words nearly inaudible. “Is it gone?” Her voice cracked on the last word, and no doubt her thoughts were on the loss of the Grove.

“No, just invisible.” Osric walked from pillar to pillar, causing each in turn to vanish from sight. He rejoined the group and approached the Head Maiden. “Fallon, will you be my Trust?” She gazed up at him in awe, her mouth slightly agape. Slowly, she nodded her head and smiled. He took her hand and walked with her toward the empty expanse where the barracks had stood. Their friends watched as they crossed the line made by the pillars and disappeared.

Osric reemerged a moment later, and he stood quietly gazing into the depths of Archana with his gift. Suddenly, he caught sight of what he had only hoped he would find.

“Eublin, I wish you could see this.”

“What is it?” Gus asked. “What do you see?”

“Look deeper than you ever have before, Gus. Do you see it? It flows like a river. The strands are like molten silver, weaving through the core of the world.”

“Ahh, it’s beautiful.” Gus looked up at Osric. “What is it?”

“Time.”

Osric very slowly began to draw the strands up toward him, careful not to sever them. He had never experienced anything like it. As he manipulated the strands with his gift, the world around him appeared to shift and reel. The sun and moon chased each other through the sky in an unnatural dance. Seasons passed around him, winter blending into spring, summer into fall, and yet time held still. He wasn’t sure if he even drew a breath. Very gradually, Osric was able to bring the flowing river of strands to the surface of Archana.

Then shift the sight and weave the flow of time…

Osric guided the flow of the strands of time to the first pillar. He carefully wove the strands through the existing Elemental magic of the stone, and around the strands of the invisibility spell, then along the barrier created by it to the next pillar. When he had successfully woven time into the entire circumference of the spell’s effect, he channeled the flow of the strands to the top of the barracks and back down into Archana’s core. The river of time had never been interrupted.

Osric had not stopped time, but he had managed to trap it.

Gus’ ears were twitching uncontrollably, but Osric was not yet done. He stepped carefully to the first pillar, rested his hand on the stone, and deactivated the invisibility spell. Each pillar in turn was brought back into the visible spectrum, and finally, he approached the barracks. When he was finished, the space looked just as it had when he had begun. Except, Fallon was nowhere to be seen.

“Here goes nothing,” Osric took a deep breath, “Fallon, may we enter?”

“Please, be my guest.” One at a time, each member of the group was invited inside and Fallon was once again standing among them. “You did it, Osric. You recreated the spell.”

Osric smiled and nodded, as shocked as she was that it actually worked. Fatigue was evident on his features as he walked away from the structure to take in the entire scene. Kenneth caught up to him at the pillar line with a look of sheer joy on his face.

“I have to say, watching you do all of this is the only thing I have ever seen take the words right out of Gus’ mouth.” He shoved Osric playfully. “But his ears are twitching madly!”

“Good, even I am impressed by this one. I have no idea how I could have learned it. It just came to me.” He looked up at the closest pillar, amazed at how his life had turned out. “How is Bridgett holding up?”

“She has been as silent as Gus, but the smile on her face is as genuine as the sadness. I am glad you two finally made peace with your passion.” There was no hint of frivolity in his words. Kenneth spoke with honest thankfulness and pride as they both looked at the tall stone standing as a symbol of something new and exciting. “Do you think it will last?” He nodded in the direction of Bridgett sitting in the grass behind the two of them. Osric could tell by the tone of his voice that Kenneth was not referring to the spells he had cast to create a permanent safe haven.

“My father once told me something I have always held to.” Osric put his hand on the pillar, gazing up at the duplicate of the spell around the Grove of the Unicorn. “Both parties in a relationship should feel lucky to be together, but the ones who last have no idea how lucky the other half is.” He looked back at his friend. “She has no idea how lucky I am to have her in my life. So yes, Archana willing, it will last.”

*

Bridgett walked through the market square, smiling and waving at friendly faces as she stopped to select fruit from one of the stalls. Her thoughts drifted to Osric and the recent accomplishments he had made. She felt that something had been missing for her entire life, and now she was complete. Being close to him was like taking a breath of sweet, spring air after a lifetime of barely breathing. He was her shelter, her oasis, her beacon of light in a world of darkness.

She had a hard time believing that she could come to think of another place as home, but she realized that she had indeed started to think of these people as her own. The residents of Stanton returned her salutations with cheerful smiles, and many already knew her by name. Merchants were once again busy carting their wares through the streets. The pleasant nature of every family, each creature, and the variety of visitors lived on, in spite of the danger they had recently been forced to endure. Their faces displayed pride and an expression of triumph as they went about their day. Bridgett saw a young woman ducking through the beaded curtain of a fortune teller’s booth. Her beaming smile indicated that she was thoroughly satisfied with the outlook for her future. Bridgett grinned at the silliness of such things. Few fortune tellers were actually See-ers. Rather, they were con artists and dramatics who thrived on wheedling coins from superstitious patrons. Still, it was nice to see the residents of Stanton smiling once again.

Bridgett paused before a shop window and gazed inside at the display. Precious metals and gemstones glittered from delicate and elaborate jewelry, daggers, and trinket boxes. Her eyes fell to an amulet, and her fingers flitted to her neck to caress the familiar chain. The contact with her necklace brought up thoughts of the unicorns and the Grove. She had worn that amulet since she was a young girl, and she couldn’t imagine that the Grove was truly gone. A deep ache rose in her chest as she thought about the unicorns. She had devoted her life to helping them, and now they were gone. She hoped she would see them again, but Bridgett knew that the unicorns worked at their own pace, in their own time.

“They shall return my dear, when they are needed.” Startled, Bridgett looked over to see a young woman standing next to her, gazing through the jeweler’s window.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“No, but I know of you. Your tale is one of great majesty and greater sorrow.” The woman’s dark eyes swirled with shades of blue and green, and her gentle smile reminded Bridgett of someone she had once known. She just couldn’t place who it might have been.

“Who are you?”

“An instrument of fate.” She smiled wistfully. “I would like to speak with you. Your story weighs heavily on my heart.” Bridgett wasn’t sure if the woman was genuine or crazy, but something about her made Bridgett reluctant to turn her away. “My shop is just there. Won’t you come inside for a moment?” She indicated the fortune teller stall the happy young woman had emerged from. Doubt clouded Bridgett’s mind, but she found herself nodding and following the woman through the beaded curtain. They sat down at a small, round table covered in velvet and draped with lace. A silver box sat on one side of the table, and a small silver bowl of water on the other.

“How do you know who I am?”

“I had a vision about you.”

“Really?” Bridgett was surprised at the response. The woman seemed so genuine. Bridgett could sense her emotions. She was emitting waves of sympathy, sadness, and concern. “What did you see?”

“I will tell you the story, but this is something that you need to see.” She pulled the bowl of water to the center of the small table. Ripples danced across its surface as the water resettled. Silently, she reached over and lifted the lid of the small, silver box. Bridgett noticed intricate carvings of the moon and stars in the metal lid. The woman withdrew a vial of liquid from within the box, and she handed it to Bridgett.

“Please, open this and drip a single drop into the water.” Bridgett eyed her suspiciously, but she did as she was asked and then returned the vial to the woman’s fine-boned hand. “Now, look into the water and I will show you your fate.”

Bridgett stared at the bowl on the table. At first, all she could see was a reflection of the woman’s wavy, black hair and dark, mysterious eyes. Slowly, another image began to form on the surface of the liquid. Nearly imperceptible ripples still traversed the water from the drop of the vial’s contents. Bridgett found it strange, and slightly hypnotic, that the ripples did not seem to be diminishing. The woman spoke in a haunting voice, clear yet soft, with a dream like quality.

“Your heart is bound to a man deeply entwined in prophecy. His path is not his own to choose.” An image of Osric appeared in the bowl. Bridgett’s breath caught in her throat as she watched her love on the fluid’s surface. “Although you strengthen his resolve, and inspire him to overcome, you may also initiate his undoing.” Bridgett gazed at the image, seeing herself in Osric’s arms as fire raged behind him unnoticed. She looked up, her gaze searching for deception in the woman’s eyes. She saw nothing but honest misery. “You have only two possible paths to tread. The first will give you a brief and fleeting, yet eternally enduring, happiness with the man that you love. The second will leave you with your heart shattered, likely unable to ever mend the pieces and love again.” Bridgett felt hot, salty tears streak her cheeks as she watched her own image torn from the embrace of her lover. She was certain that she could feel her own heart breaking as she watched herself fall to her knees in despair.

“Why would I ever choose a life of loveless misery, when I have the option of eternal happiness with Osric?” Bridgett was terrified of the answer, but she could not stop the words from spilling from her lips.

“For every choice, there is consequence.” She looked back at Bridgett with tears in her eyes. “Prophecy has dictated yours.” The woman’s eyes seemed to shift out of focus, and her hands trembled on the table top. Her voice hardened, and there was a perceptible power resonating in her tone as she continued speaking. Images flashed across the surface of the water too quickly for Bridgett to catch them all.