The Tomes Of Magic (11 page)

“There is no other way into the camp?” She asked.

“There is a large snowbank on one side of the wall, but it would be impossible to get all of our soldiers in before being spotted,” one of the scouts answered.

“I will go alone. Be on the lookout for flames and smoke.”

“You mean to set fire to their camp?”

“Yes, hopefully it will drive them out into our trap. I want you to take all those who are able to fight and set up stakes in the ground for them to charge into. Stay out of combat as much as possible until the stakes have done their damage. Our best chance to win this is with tactics and fear.”

She didn’t wait for the soldiers to acknowledge her order. Her attention was fully on the task ahead. The ogre encampment wasn’t far from their current position, but the weather made it impossible to see from that distance. When the camp did come into view, the two ogres standing guard almost looked small next to the fifteen-foot walls. Serith quickened her pace as she angled toward the side of the encampment. She made it to the snowbank, but it was only five feet at its highest point. Her armor was far too heavy to allow her to jump and grab onto something ten feet up. She dropped her pack and pulled out two hunting knives. Without the extra weight, she was able to use the knives and her own leg strength to slowly scale the outside of the wall. She slid over the top of the wall and landed on one of the buildings. Her arms ached as she crawled along the top of the building. It was the second largest building in the camp and would serve well as the starting point for the fire. She edged back to the spot where the building and the wall connected.

Using her knives, she carved out small pockets in the side of the wall. The ogres went about their business, oblivious of the enemy in the midst of their camp. She continued to make holes and even made several in the sides of the building as well. The wood at the center of each wall stake was dry enough for her to attempt a fire. She cut out several long strips and began rubbing them together. They sparked and caught fire several times, but it didn’t last long enough to start a fire on the building or the wall. She cut strips of cloth from her tabard and began stuffing them into the holes she had made. The pieces of wood sparked as she rubbed them furiously. Once again, there was not enough material to start a real fire. She peered down from the building, trying to find anything that could help her start the fire. The ogres had two giant barrels full of some kind of foul smelling liquid.

She waited for them to refill several pitchers before she dropped down and drenched what little was left of her tabard in the liquid. After climbing back on top of the building, she stuffed the strips of cloth into the holes and tried to start the fire once again. It took several minutes and the majority of the cloth to start a small fire. She speared one of the flaming cloths with her knife and tossed it at the barrel. The fumes from the ogres drink of choice lit and the fire slowly began to spread. She remained on the roof to watch and ensure that none of the ogres tried to put it out. The entire side of the building where the barrels were located was catching fire before the ogres noticed. Serith slipped over the wall and landed in the large pile of snow. She groaned as she slowly pushed her way out of the snowbank. The screams from the other side of the encampment told her that the plan had worked. She grabbed her pack and ran as fast as she could toward the entrance of the camp.

The small group of Holy Order soldiers and Barbarians were finishing off a handful of ogres when she arrived. Another pack came storming out of the encampment and was too panicked to notice the stakes in the ground. They were skewered and then quickly dispatched while they were still flailing about. Serith pulled out her sword as another cry came from the ogre camp. The wall on the far side had given away and several buildings went down with it. A small chain reaction ended with the majority of the encampment collapsing, presumably taking out any remaining ogres with it. The Crusader and her troops readied their weapons as they began their inspection of the destroyed encampment. They found a handful of ogres that were minutes or less from death and finished them off.

“You have all done well. This enemy has proven to be a powerful one. We were victorious this day. My orders are to return as soon as the job is finished, but the rest of you have earned some respite. Regroup and see to the wounded, I will see you all before the month is out,” Serith announced.

*

Talia slowly pushed the door open. She knew very little about Thanos and did not want to upset him. He was sitting at his desk, more than likely poring over the same books he and Septimus had been looking through for days. The Wizard didn’t look up as she entered the room.
Probably thinks that I am Septimus
, she thought as she slowly got closer. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled when he saw her. It was strange to see a man such as him look so welcoming. He motioned to the chair at the desk next to his. She took the seat and turned to face him. His half-skeletal face had taken some getting used to, but now she was only surprised by things that were out of what Septimus told her about his character. It seemed that there was far more than met the eye with Thanos, more than what Septimus even saw. Talia leaned forward and spoke.

“Thanos, how much do you know about Septimus?” Her voice waivered.

“A great deal more than most, yet a great deal less than I would prefer. What would you like to know?” There was a glint in Thanos’ good eye.

“Has he ever been in love?” She attempted to make the question sound as casual as she could manage.

“Ah, so that does have something to do with why you are here. I had wondered if it factored in. To answer your question, I’ve known the man for nearly thirty years and have never known him to have loved anything other than knowledge and power. I’m afraid your chances with him are on par with my chances with anyone.”

“You do yourself injustice.”

“Of course, who doesn’t want their knight in shining armor to have half his skull showing?” Thanos asked, barely able to contain his laughter.

“Women care about more than just looks.”

“Yes, I suppose they do. Half of a skull is hard to get past. Add to that the death magic and it is a recipe for the greatest of hermits.”

Talia shook her head as she stood up. She did not much like it when people were negative about themselves. It was hard to argue with the man’s reasoning, but she wished she could think of something positive to say. She stood up and began to survey the room.
Never judge a book by its cover
, she thought. It was an old saying, sure, but it seemed to ring true with Thanos. She wished she could illustrate the concept by finding a book like that, but the majority of Leoth’s books were unknown to her. Anyone who took more than a week to get to know Thanos and Septimus would easily choose the Wizard over the Warlock. Talia was sure of it, yet she still felt the want to pursue the other man. She looked back at Thanos, who was now watching her. He waited for her to acknowledge him before speaking.

“It is far from my place to ask, but what do you see in the man?” He asked.

“I don’t suppose it would hurt to tell you. Alliances are built on trust, after all. He saved my life when I was younger and then again a few months ago. It is strange, the Wielders hated the Warlocks for so long, yet Septimus continued to prove them wrong.” She replied.

“One of the great mysteries of life. Either of us would be hard pressed to find anyone who called Septimus a good man, yet he has brought a lot of good into the world. It must be his strange sense of justice. Much like how the Holy Order has brought at least as much suffering into the world as good, yet they are often hailed as heroes. Interesting times we live in.”

“And then there is you, Thanos. Archwizard specializing in death and fire. A man who consorted with Necromancers. You align yourself with a Warlock and a skeletal dragon. It paints a very different picture than the man sitting before me today.”

Thanos shrugged, something the man didn’t often do. It looked strange to see a Wizard admit to not knowing things. Talia couldn’t help but smile at him.
Just who are you?
she wondered as she watched him return to studying the tomes. He seemed rather content studying in the library, yet she had seen him spring into action at the drop of a hat. She had met many men who claimed to be enigmatic, but none fit the bill as well as Thanos. He gave her a nod as she exited the room. It had been one of the first buildings finished in Leoth’s new palace. Cassandra had convinced him to change from a simple hall to a palace. She had said something about how it was more befitting of an Emperor. Talia knew that she would find Septimus with one of those two. He never missed a chance to further pressure them into moving on one of the warlords.

Septimus paced back and forth as Leoth and Cassandra argued about when to make the first move. She insisted that an Emperor needed to proclaim the lands as his own before marching on them. This would make him seem more powerful. He felt that doing so would only invite the others to unite against him. The Warlock didn’t care much about which approach was taken, he wanted the tome that was supposedly in the hands of this other Warlord. Every day that they went without one of the tomes was another day for the dragons to grow in strength. He knew well that if they were to combat the dragons, they needed to have as much power at their disposal as they could muster. His belief was that the Tomes of Magic held the key to solidifying that power. Thanos already held the Tome of Death. It was no coincidence in Septimus’ mind that the Archwizard’s skill with death magic had increased with his further investigation of the tome. There was little that the Warlock cared to learn from the book, but it would be foolish to think that Thanos had not learned.

The Warlock glanced out the window as he waited. There was an unusual calm that had come over the island. It seemed that the people enjoyed having an Emperor. Though, as Septimus knew well, tranquility often came with a dose of chaos. He had grown accustomed to assuming the worst.
We need those tomes,
he thought,
I need them.
The clouds on the horizon seemed to be looming toward him as if to foretell the doom that he expected. He turned around to find Leoth and Cassandra watching him. The newly declared Emperor looked to his wife. She nodded at him. Septimus raised an eyebrow as he waited for one of them to speak. Leoth cleared his throat and stepped forward before addressing the Warlock.

“We have come to a decision,” he said.

“The assault will begin in two days. In the meantime, we will send a messenger to give the Warlord a day to consider surrendering,” Cassandra said as she stepped forward.

“I suppose that is acceptable,” Septimus replied.

Cassandra and Leoth both breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn’t even attempted to hide their nervousness. It was a puzzle that Septimus would have to return to later. His allies had never before expressed concern over how he might act.
Am I that frightening?
he asked himself as he looked back to the window. The Warlock took a deep breath as he scanned the horizon. Something felt very wrong and he desperately wanted to know what it was. He wondered if he should voice his worries to the new Emperor and his wife. They had already shown some level of fear, perhaps this would redirect their feelings away from him. The horizon seemed to be taunting him, daring him to take a moment’s rest. He shook off the feeling and turned to face the two. Before he could speak, Thanos burst into the room.

“I fear we must postpone any plans,” the Archwizard said.

“What is the meaning of this?” Cassandra asked, seemingly annoyed that the man had neglected to knock.

“I have a reliable source that tells me the dragon King is planning on sending dragons to attack us. They have magic users with them. It seems that the dragon King is worried about us and has started recruiting magicians to find us.”

“Come, we must address this at once,” Septimus said as he marched for the door.

Thanos fell in behind him without a word. The Warlock was slightly irritated that his plans had to be put on hold, but far more excited about the chance to see these dragons. Chaos was unfolding in front of them as they exited the room. From their vantage point on the hill, they could see the town down below. A majority of the townsfolk were evacuation and those who stayed were steering clear of the open streets. It was a mess, but Septimus could hardly blame them. They had never encountered a dragon and the stories they had heard were likely to be much worse with every retelling. He was interested in seeing for himself which parts of the stories were true. Thanos had told a much different tale than the rumors that had surfaced in the towns. The Warlock turned his attention to the skies and caught sight of two winged creatures. They were too far away to tell if they were actually dragons, but everyone gathered expected there was little change they weren’t.

“They are already here. We must bring their attention to us. They are likely to go after anyone who performs magic,” Thanos yelled as he rushed for the top of the hill.

The extra height would allow the dragons to see them with ease.
A sound plan
, Septimus thought as he followed. Talia was close behind, and, much to their surprise, Leoth and Cassandra trailed behind her. The Warlock reached the hill just behind Thanos and attempted to take the lead. He unfurled his cape and raised his staff into the air, but the others gathered near Thanos. It was new and frustrating to Septimus. He had always been the leader, even when he was an apprentice. The other apprentices saw his potential and were smart enough to listen to him. Now, this Archwizard had firmly planted himself as the new leader of the expedition. The Warlock stepped over to the others and listened to what Thanos was saying.

“Once they get closer, all of you need to get back. I’ll handle them myself,” he looked directly at Septimus as he spoke the last sentence.

“We won’t stand here and let you fight alone,” Talia replied.

“Just trust me on this one.”

Septimus nodded and started shooting smaller fireballs toward the advancing dragons. He was unsure if the plan would work, but better that the Archwizard risk his life than he. Talia was at his side and casting similarly weak spells. Their goal was more geared toward quantity than quality. Cassandra and Leoth stood off to the side, watching with wonder.
What is the fool waiting for?
the Warlock wondered as he looked over at Thanos. Screams from the town below drew his attention away from his companion. The dragons were close enough that the villagers knew what they were facing. It was hard to tell if the dragons were there for conquest or on a scouting mission. They swooped down closer to the town, but did not attack. Their riders were easily blocking the incoming spells. Septimus looked back at Thanos, wondering if the Archwizard had accounted for riders. It seemed that he would have to ask later if he wanted an answer. The dragons changed their course and were headed right for the hilltop.

Thanos looked to his companions and they obeyed him without any protest. They could see that he was set on taking the two dragons, and their riders, by himself. The Warlock hesitated as he watched his friend go to work. Cassandra stood with her hand on Talia’s shoulder as if she knew what the former Wielder was thinking. Septimus began to wonder if she would have done the same for him, but forced the thought away as the first of the dragons swooped down to attack Thanos. The Archwizard didn’t even flinch as the flames engulfed him. As the dragon and its rider began to celebrate, a massive icicle shot out from amidst the flames. The icicle pierced one of the dragon’s wings, causing the creature to bellow in pain. A cage of bone formed around the dragon as it landed. The rider looked up at his partner with a worried look on his face. Septimus and the others were shocked as they watched the battle unfolding.

The second dragon swooped down toward Thanos. Massive claws reached out at the Archwizard as the dragon closed within range. Thanos whipped his staff around and smacked it across the claws. He thrust his hand toward the dragon and shot it backward with a great gust of wind. The beast began to rise higher into the skies, its rider wondering if escape was the best possibility. A smile crept across the human side of the Wizard’s face. He closed his fist and pulled it in toward his body. At the same time, he swung his staff down. Another gust of wind shoved the dragon toward the ground. Jagged spikes of bone sprung out from the ground, turning jet black as they closed in on the dragon. They ate through the dragon and its rider, leaving rotted flesh festering on the ground below. The others looked on in shock, but Thanos wasted no time. He whipped his hand to the side and the cage of bone crumbled in the wind. A colorless tentacle shot out of his free hand and wrapped both the dragon and its rider.

“Tell your King that death hunts for him!” Thanos’ lip curled into a twisted smile as he slowly released them from their prison.

*

Cormac ducked back down behind the wall as one of the naga’ swords flew inches from where he had been standing. Bewildered gnomes ran to and fro along the wall, hoping to find some instruction from their commanders. The dwarf had never seen a battle devolve into chaos so quickly. Gnomes, while excellent inventors, appeared to be poor tacticians. They had almost lost the outer wall to the naga on two occasions. Each time the Archwizard had used his magic to hold them back. The wear of excess magic use was beginning to take its toll on him.
I need to contact one of the others
, he thought as he motioned for the King to follow him toward the keep.  Aithen made no protest and even went as far as to order his personal troop to fall back as well. They closed up the keep doors as the rest of the army rushed inside and Cormac made a massive rock wall in front of doors.

The King’s troops formed a line in front of the door. His archers took up spots on small elevated structures behind the swordsmen. Cormac began creating earthen soldiers to help bolster the King’s men. The doors shook as the naga slammed up against them.
They are coming quicker than I had anticipated
, Cormac thought. Sweat dripped down his face as he continued to make more soldiers. Another attack from the naga got the doors rumbling again. The dwarf’s creations surged forward as the door burst open. Heavy fighting went on for several minutes as naga, gnomes, and earthen soldiers fell in battle. Cormac watched from his vantage point in between the army and the King’s personal bodyguards. As things continued to look worse for the defenders, the Archwizard turned to Aithen.

“Is there another exit?” He asked.

“There is only one chance of escaping,” the King replied.

“Take as many of your people as you can and get out of here!” Cormac yelled as he turned back to face the naga.

Gnomes rushed to fill in the gaps made by naga blades, but the enemy was too numerous and too powerful to be stopped. They spilled through the defenses and descended upon Cormac. He clapped his hands together. Two large masses of earth shot from each side of the naga and crushed them in the middle. A massive set of rock arms burst out of the ground on either side of the Archwizard. They mimicked his movements as he threw his hands to and fro. Naga flew about the room as ragdolls being played with by children. Sweat began to drip down the dwarf’s face as the exertion from the magic increased. His head began to throb as he crushed several more naga with the rock arms. Try as they might, the attackers could not get past the two rock forms. Cormac dropped to one knee, fighting off the exhaustion. His attacked become more violent when he realized that all the gnomes had either been killed or fled. Blood dripped from his forehead as the naga felt the full force of his wrath.

“I failed you once, King Aithen. I shall not fail you a second time!” He yelled as he slammed both his arms against the floor.

The entire building lurched as the two arms plunged through the ground. One of the naga slithered forward and drove a sword through the dwarf’s gut. His snarled curled into a smile as more naga packed into the castle. He fell back onto the floor as darkness filled the edges of his vision. A little rumble gave him comfort as blood spilled out of the cut in his stomach. The rumble increased in intensity as sound began to fade. Darkness closed in on the rest of his vision. He let out a chuckle when he saw the look on the face of one of the naga. Fear replaced all other emotions as his vision went black just as the ceiling started to give way. He felt an extreme sense of loneliness as sound drifted away. The building collapsed down upon naga and dwarf alike, sealing them into their earthen tomb.

“Join us, son,” his father stood, surrounded by bright light, with several of his ancestors behind him.

“Father? How is this possible?” Cormac asked.

“I can’t explain it.”

*

James wiped the dried blood off of his face as he dismounted from the dragon. It was far too difficult to tell whether it was his own blood or not.
I’ve been a fool
, he thought as he looked around at those gathered. The desert nomads had been quick to follow the only leader they had known for a long time. He had brought together many of the traveling societies into one large band. They looked up to him even when he had little time to lead them. His gaze shifted to the dragon. It seemed that Hanoth was far more surprised than he about their apparent suicide mission. James shook his head. He longed for the peaceful days of traveling through this harsh wasteland. It was a strange thought. Many who lived outside the desert could not understand the draw of such a lifestyle. The Archwizard enjoyed the solitude that it brought. He could study magic without others fearing him. In fact, magic was often the one thing that kept such a large group alive in the desert.

“Where is Elena?” He asked.

“I am here,” she replied.

“Thank you for your assistance. Had you not come,” he didn’t finish the sentence.

“Had I not come you still would have found a way out.”

The Archwizard shrugged. They saw him as more than just their leader. He was something of a hero in the Desert of Solitude. The camp was much the same as he had remembered it. James had made a point of being more like the nomadic peoples of the desert. As a result, he was the only Archwizard with more than one conclave. The desert life forced the occupants to stay on the move. Massive scorpions, bandits, snakes, and desert cats were always a danger. Many of them were constantly on the prowl for their next meal. There were a few cities in the desert, but even they had their dangers. The one friendly town was the one that James and his people had helped to found. They used it mainly as a trading post and a watering hole. The inhabitants would take turns staying in the town and moving with the caravan.