The Tomes Of Magic (19 page)

She made it to the outer gate before seeing guards rushing toward her room.
It’s working
, she thought as she continued to the gate. After making sure the coast was clear, she ran out of the gate and onto the dock. The dock had no boats or even any other forms of transportation. Emily began to panic as she reached the edge of the dock. Without a doubt, Kadegar’s spell would lead everyone to her position. Even with the illusion spell, she wasn’t sure that she could escape that. She ran back toward the castle. The sound of guards rushing to the dock made her stop. Her heart began to beat faster as the soldiers came into view.
You can take them
, she thought as she dropped the illusion spell. Several of the guards pulled out their weapons and charged. Emily formed a wave and used it to knock her opponents into the water. She stopped the next group by destroying a large part of the dock.

“You cannot win this,” Kadegar said when he arrived on scene.

“Let me leave, I mean you no harm!” She yelled back at him.

The Supreme Wizard raised his hands, causing the seas to form up around her. She created a shield of fire around herself. Kadegar proceeded to continue pummeling it with more and more waves. Some of the Wizards behind him sided with Emily, but the majority sided with the Isle of Magic. Her potential allies were quickly incapacitated and the others joined their leader. He stopped the onslaught of waves and used his magic to disrupt her sphere of fire. She launched a bolt of lightning at the Wizards, but Kadegar redirected it back at her. Pain coursed through her body as the bolt connected with her. She cried out and fell to her knees as they continued to pummel her with spells. A constant stream of pain drove her to the edge of consciousness. She refused to give them the satisfaction of hearing her screams. The darkness slowly closed in around her as the pain increased. A smile formed on her face as she saw Paul walking toward her. He bent down and scooped her into his arms.

“Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered as her vision failed her.

“No, I am dying and leaving you behind. You aren’t real!” She yelled at him.

“Shhh, your perception of Paul is strong. If he is anything like you think he is, he will find you when he is done with that life,” the figure of Paul morphed into Owyn.

“I don’t understand.”

“Nor will you for some time. I’m here to help you transition. It is truly good to see you again, Emily.”

“How do I know that this is real?”

“You don’t, but if it is any consolation, I asked the same thing.”

*

Leniya took the lead as they approached the cave. Though neither of them were fighters, the former witch did have some basic magical knowledge. They slowly entered the cavern, expecting something to happen.
Be strong
, Leniya told herself as she lit a torch. The cave walls were a sight to behold. They looked as though they had been carved out of gold and gems. The light sparkled off of them with a glory not easily matched. Caitlyn couldn’t help but smile as she watched the light dancing about. Leniya stopped moving when she realized that it wasn’t the torch that caused the light to dance so. The gems seemed to light up out of their own will. Caitlyn gasped when she realized that they were watching fairies dart between gems and gold veins. Leniya looked at her companion with almost pure shock.

“How is that possible?” Caitlyn asked.

“We are being of pure magic, our physical properties are unlike anything you have experienced before,” the voice came from one of the gems.

“Then the legends are true,” Leniya said.

“Yes, we are real. It was smart of the two of you to come. We do not like to be approached by those who are dangerous.”

“Do you mean men?”

“No, we are speaking of the warriors that you call your allies. There are few among them that hold pure hearts like yours. I am Ilyania, the best understanding you have for my position would be ambassador. We are fearful of the others, even the Druids and elves have not always proven trustworthy.”

“Thank you for trusting us, but a pure heart is not enough to protect you from others who wish to hurt you. Not that I am not ungrateful, but why are you willing to help us if we cannot guarantee your safety?” Caitlyn asked.

“A fair question. The two of you are unique in that you hold sway over two important figures. If Leniya vouches for us, Gareth will not allow others to harm us. We met Sev when he was younger. Though he is a ferocious and fearless warrior, his intentions are always for the greater good. As a people, the fairies pledge to combat evil throughout the world. Those of our number who practice evil are expelled. We firmly believe that Sev would side with us if anyone turned on us.”

“It seems we have a deal,” Leniya said.

“Not quite yet, you will need to present your case to the ring,” Ilyania announced.

*

Serith motioned for the army to slow down as the Fortress of Exaltation came into view. She clenched her fist as she looked at the smoke rising from within the castle.
This is worse than I expected
, she thought as the army picked up their previous pace. By the look of things, the Holy Order had driven off whatever enemy had caused the damage. As they got closer, the Crusader became more confused. The outer walls were nearly unscathed, yet many of the buildings within the walls were in tatters. She questioned her troops to see if they knew anything about what the Holy Order forces in the Telmac Valley were up against. None of them provided her with any answers. They traveled the rest of the way without speaking. One of Xander’s men rode out to greet them as they got closer to the fortress.

“We were unaware that anyone was being sent here. Had we known, we would have prepared a better welcome.
Xander is currently busy, but I can show you where you will be staying,” the guard said.

“Bartholomew sent me here. Things are not quite what either of us expected. I will need to have an audience with the Grand Crusader as soon as he is available,” Serith replied.

“That will likely have to wait until tomorrow.”

“No, you will take me to him as soon as you have shown us where we will be staying.”

The guard began to say something, but Serith's glare stopped him. He nodded and then led them into the fortress. Xander’s touch could be seen in every aspect of the castle’s construction. Gareth had always been more focused on effectiveness and efficiency than his successor. The new Grand Crusader shared Bartholomew’s love for the grandiose, but not his cunning. Each of the three had their distinct style. Xander wanted to give off the impression that he was something special. There was little or no sense of utility in his castle. It was superfluous and excessive. Serith felt that only a rival King would feel outdone by it. Bartholomew’s additions to the Fortress of Light were equally grand, yet they had an intimidating feel about them as well as being full of ambush spots. When one entered the areas that he renovated, they felt wholly outmatched. The gold and jewels accentuated the power of the Grand Cleric, whereas Xander’s fortress looked gaudy and strangely boorish. Though there were few of them, the sections of the Fortress of Light that Gareth supervised were streamlined and formidable.

“Who is in charge of building this castle?” Serith asked.

“Xander has been actively involved in all the decisions,” the guard replied.

“I hope he is a better commander than designer, this place looks atrocious.”

“You’ve really caught us at a bad time. I will let the Grand Crusader explain it to you, but know that he has recently faced a very difficult situation.”

“We will see. Bartholomew has given me a fair amount of authority in this situation. I am willing take the situation into consideration, but things do not look good for
Xander.”

Serith instructed her troops that they could take some time to recover from the trip, but that she wanted them to be prepared in case another attack happened. They saluted their commander and then entered the barracks that had been set aside for them. The Crusader followed the guard to the keep. She shook her head as they entered into the Holy Order’s equivalent of a throne room. It was even more extravagant than the other areas of the Fortress of Exaltation.
Xander paced back and forth in front of the throne. He had some documents that he kept looking back down at. Before the guard could announce Serith’s presence, the Grand Crusader threw the papers all around the room in frustration.

“Get a hold of yourself,” Serith said as she waved the guards off.

“I didn’t realize that we were having visitors. Serith, isn’t it? How can assist?” Xander asked.

“Actually, the reason that I am here is to make sure everything is running smoothly. I shall be the one assisting you.”

“That won’t be necessary, I have everything under control.”

“I’m not sure you quite understand. Bartholomew has sent me to keep you in line. If you stay from his instructions, I will be taking control of the fortress.”

*

Zeltos looked over his shoulder as he continued on the path. He had lost track of his location, but he was confident that he had crossed over into Sardinia. That mattered far less than whether or not he was being pursued. The assassin was unsure of exactly what he should do next. He was sure that the Grand Cleric had plans for him, but neither of them had expected a Wizard to witness the assassination of the King. There was a far greater chance of him being identified now.
He’ll understand if I need to lay low
, Zeltos thought as he quickened his pace. The road wound around until it came to a small town near the outskirts of the Old Forest. It was a quaint town with not much population and only a handful of militia. The assassin could easily stay without causing any suspicion.

“Welcome to Charsford, will you be needing a place to stay?” One of the militia asked.

“I will. Would it be possible for you to direct me?” Zeltos asked.

“The tall building in the middle of town. Ask for Ogdan.”

“Thank you for your assistance.”

The assassin bowed before heading into the town. Charsford was a small farming town that augmented its economy with woodworking. The proximity to the Old Forest allowed them an abundance of wood. Zeltos was unsure of how they would react to the Holy Order, but he saw nothing that would make him think they would be openly hostile. In fact, the city seemed to thrive on pacifism.
Can’t let them know they have an assassin in their midst
, he thought to himself. None of the militia members carried weapons. Zeltos took a moment to ensure that his own weapons were concealed before entering the inn. It was small by anyone’s standards, but it would serve his needs. The innkeeper, a man named Ogdan, offered a room, entertainment, and a fresh meal. Zeltos tossed him a small bag of gold coins and took one of the tables near the corner.

“Your meal and drink,” Ogdan said as he put the plate and mug down on the table.

“Thank you, my good man. Do you have a moment?” Zeltos asked.

“I can spare some time.”

“Do you get many travelers in these parts?”

“We used to get a fair amount of elves visiting. Sometimes the Sardinian nobles come out this way, but they don’t much like Charsford. We haven’t had any visitors from Cardinia or Carmalia for half a year. I don’t much know what is happening around the world, but it seems as though dark times are upon us.”

“You have been most helpful.”

Ogdan patted him on the back before leaving.
Dark times, indeed,
Zeltos thought as he took a bite out of the turkey leg. It was quite tasty and the entertainment show was better than he had expected. A smaller man with a lute was singing about the history of Charsford. The Holy Order assassin took comfort in the innocent entertainment they offered. Too often the inns would have scandalously dressed women dancing provocatively. On more than one occasion, he had seen the Grand Cleric storm out of what he called “dens of sin.” In more recent years, Bartholomew and Gareth had even ousted several innkeepers within the Holy Order lands. Zeltos sighed as he thought about how the two had parted ways. When they had first partnered together, he thought that it would usher in a new era for the Holy Order. He had been correct, but now things would undoubtedly change. The Swords of Justice had always looked up to Gareth far more than Xander. Had the choice been up to Zeltos, he would have chosen Serith.

“The kind people of Charsford will be rewarded when the Holy Order rules Canai,” the assassin muttered.

*

Ector sighed as he rose from his prayers. He wasn’t the most religious of elves, but the death of Cormac had struck a chord. The Archwizard reached out with his mind to see if he could sense any of the other Wizards. Ever since the separation of the Wizard’s Council, Ector had trouble contacting his brethren. Rolin had once taught him a spell that allowed the caster to sense other magic users. The stronger the bond between the magicians, the easier to detect each other. Ector could feel James and Paul’s presence, they were significantly closer than all the others. There were others that he could sense as well, but only one was close enough to identify.
Sev? That’s not possible
, he thought as he opened his eyes. The young half-elf had registered as a magician. Ector burst out of his tent in search of the Ranger.