The Tomes Of Magic (22 page)

“What happens if we win?” She asked.

“What do you mean?” Septimus asked.

“What are we going to do if we manage to defeat the dragon King and the Holy Order?”

“I won’t stop until I have enough power to defeat any evil that should arise. My goal in life has always been to be more powerful, but now I have a reason to do so. You are free to join me or do your own thing. Once our enemies are defeated, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to do nearly anything. I would advise taking advantage of it.”

“What about family?”

“I have no real family to speak of and starting a family is something that I’ve never considered before. Family life and being a Warlock rarely go together, especially when it concerns me.”

Talia nodded as she looked back over the water. She wasn’t sure how to respond to Septimus’ words. It made her wonder what she had been thinking when she chose to follow him across the ocean to the Valerian Isles. The decision had made much more sense when he had saved her and the entire town of Alamor. Now, she could see that he had done so for his own reasons. Between his actions that day and the stories that she had heard about the Warlocks, she had formed a completely idealized view of Septimus. He smiled at her before looking back down at the tomes in his bag. She sighed as she left the railing and headed back toward Thanos. The Archwizard was a sight to see on the high seas. His hood flapped in the wind in such a way that the skull half of his face looked even more frightening than usual. Talia couldn’t help but smile when she looked upon him. Externally he was significantly different than internally. Where Septimus craved power and status, Thanos only looked to help others. Both were among the strongest magicians she had ever known to have lived, but the Archwizard had a sense of honor. His courage rarely faltered, even in the face of powerful enemies.

“How much further?” She yelled up to him.

“Hard to say, but I think we should make it by the end of tomorrow. It is hard to gauge how far we sailed under Septimus’ watch, so my estimate could be as much as a day off,” he replied.

“Doesn’t it usually take two weeks?”

“From what I’ve heard, yes. I still don’t know why we didn’t teleport to Canai.”

“I don’t think Septimus was comfortable doing so,” she said as she walked up the stairs to the ship’s wheel.

“I hope this is not too forward, but why have you decided to come with us?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time. Septimus was primed for adventure and Canai was rife with trouble.”

“That isn’t what I meant. Why didn’t you wait and come with Leoth and Cassandra?”

“I wanted to get a chance to ask Septimus a question. It turns out that I was wrong about him.”

“Well, I am glad you came with us.”

*

Janessa left the inn before the sunrise. The town mirrored the sun in its habits and she wanted some time to herself. Several groups of soldiers had arrived in the past few days, but the majority of her supporters were absent. She walked out onto the docks to see the ships that had arrived in the night. Her uncle and his troops had arrived late in the evening and had postponed the meeting until the next day.
I hope he will have some ideas about what to do
, she thought as she looked out at the boats in the bay. Janessa was divided on whether to put all her resources toward the dragons or to take down Rodric. She knew that Tarick would have an opinion on how to handle two enemies at once. Though she had grown distant with her uncle, it comforted her that he was there to help her. She used to consider the Wizards her family, but now she wondered if they would even answer her request for help.

“Out for a walk?” Janessa instantly recognized her uncle’s voice.

“Uncle, it is good to see you,” she replied.

“I am glad that I found you. Not that I don’t trust the others, but I prefer to speak with you alone.”

“Good, I had a question I wanted to ask you.”

“Ask away.”

“Do you think that I should contact the Wizards to help us battle the dragons?” She asked.

“Chances are that you aren’t the only one who despises your new dragon overlords. I suspect some of the other dragons would be willing to join you as well.”

“You talk as if I am going to face them alone.”

“That is because you are going to face them alone. I will stay behind and fix things with Rodric. Hopefully he will be willing to listen to reason, but I am willing to do whatever must be done.”

The Archwizard was slightly shocked by her uncle’s plan, but she did her best to hide it. She liked the idea of not having to deal with Rodric. Since her return, he had done everything in his power to get closer to her. She would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that she had developed feelings for him.
Why is this happening to me?
she asked herself. Her uncle placed a hand on her shoulder. She hugged him tightly. The two stood there and watched as the sun rose over the harbor. Janessa smiled as she remembered watching the sunrises and sunsets in her childhood. She had forgotten why her hometown had been such a special place. The harbor was the northernmost part of the islands, allowing the inhabitants to catch a slight glimpse of the sunrise or sunset off past the gloom. It was one of two spots in the entire island chain where you could spot the sun twice in a day, once at sunrise and once at sunset.

“What does a real sunset look like?” Tarick asked.

“It is nearly indescribable. Here, you see the sun for a minute or two at most. Outside of the Gloomvale Isles you get to see the light reflect off the water or stream down the mountainside. When all this is over, I will take you to see it,” she answered.

“I would very much like that, but for now I need to get to the council chamber. Gather your troops and take my ships with you. There is no reason for you to face the council again. I will explain our plan to them.”

“Thank you, uncle. Be safe.”

*

Leoth relinquished the wheel to one of his Generals. He didn’t enjoy sailing unless he was at the helm, but Cassanrda had requested he join her for lunch. She spent most of her time inside the cabin during what little voyages he had gone on with her. The two-week trip to the mainland would be the longest he had ever spent on a ship with his wife. He knew that the two weeks would be taxing for her, which meant they would be taxing on him as well. The captain’s quarters was the largest room on the ship, but they still felt cramped to the Emperor. There were not many ships build for those with the height and build of Leoth. Cassandra had done everything she could to make the lodging feel like their home. Leoth had protested at first, but now he was glad to see things that reminded him of home. His wife already had the meal laid out when he entered the room. He thanked her before taking a seat across from her at the table.

“Do you think the others will have gained much ground by the time we catch up to them?” He asked.

“I’ve never trusted Septimus, but Thanos is powerful. Talia seems to be torn between the two of them, though I doubt she even realizes it,” she answered.

“Is there anything we should do about it?”

“What can we do about it? Unless Thanos decides to fight him, we cannot do anything.”

“Let’s change our discussion to things we have control over. The others will want to run wild when we arrive on Canai, but we cannot allow that to happen. We know very little of how things are on the continent. For all we know, they could unite against us.”

“We should set up camp and send out scouts. Even if those magicians deliver us intelligence, we need to check it for our own safety. The last thing we need is to be caught unaware.”

“I will inform the others of what we need to do once we land.”

“Relax and enjoy the meal, darling. We still have plenty of time left on the voyage.”

The Emperor nodded and let out a sigh. Since trading in the mantle of Warlord for that of an Emperor, Leoth’s life had gotten significantly more complex. Even with Cassandra’s help, he felt
swamped by all of his responsibilities. He longed for a chance to test his mettle against the inhabitants of Canai. His knowledge of the mainland was limited, but Thanos, Septimus, and Talia had all told him numerous stories about how tumultuous things had become. He saw it as the perfect time to establish his empire without drawing the wrath of the populace. It was a unique opportunity that they couldn’t pass up on. They would help Septimus as long as the Warlock held up his end of the bargain. His more recent actions made them both question what he was truly after. The Warlock seemed to be set on becoming the most powerful magician in the land. Leoth had no doubt that if Septimus accomplished his goal, he would also want to rule over the land as well. The Emperor took a big swig of his ale and tried to relax. No matter if he could work out how to deal with all of this or not, he still had to wait on the ship until they arrived.

*

Paul tapped his fingers on the table as he waited for James to return. He was sitting in the side room that the inn had provided for them. They had made the request so that they could have a space to discuss things in private. James had been out trying to convince some of the local factions to join their cause. Paul had declined when James asked if he wanted to come along. Something felt off and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He wanted to leave Alamor as soon as possible and face the dragon King. James wanted to wait another week and gather as many allies as they could find. They had both attempted to contact Rolin, Janessa, Ector, Cormac, Melissa, and Thanos, but neither was certain their message got through. James pushed the door open and took a seat across from Paul. He looked back over his shoulder and watched the door close before addressing his companion.

“I succeeded at contacting Rolin. It seems that things are falling apart much quicker than we anticipated. The King of Cardinia was murdered, Melissa was killed by the dragons, and Rolin is on the run. We are to meet him in to the south tomorrow. From there, we will swing west and attack the dragon King,” James said.

“This isn’t good. At least we are going on the offensive, though. What about the Holy Order?” Paul asked.

“We will have to figure out how to deal with them later. It is possible that we can rally the others around us when we take them on. To top it all off, we’ve heard some strange rumors of late.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“I’ve heard stories of the elves raising an army. There is also talk that an army is crossing the sea. It is possible that Janessa is bringing an army for some reason. Thanos and Septimus have disappeared, it is possible that one of them found an army to follow them.”

“I don’t suppose it matters. We have to take on the dragon King despite whatever else might be happening. I will be ready to leave in the morning. Is there anything else we need to discuss?” Paul asked.

“No, not until after we meet up with Rolin. We have no idea what state of mind he will be in when we meet up with him. Melissa’s death cannot have been easy for him.”

“We can get there easily enough, but what about the army?”

“Should we risk using magic to teleport them?” James asked.

“I’m not sure we have much other choice. We are much faster on our dragons than they are on their feet.”

Paul nodded as he thought about Melissa. He had known that it was likely that at least one of his friends would die in the war, but he hadn’t prepared for it happening. His emotions were running a bit wild as he worried about the others, especially Emily. Kadegar’s policy of not allowing his people to join the war helped him calm down about her safety, but there was a feeling he couldn’t shake. He stood up and exited out the door out into the common room of the inn. The crowd made him feel even more off-balance. He pushed past the people and out the door into the night. His nerves began to settle as he wandered the streets of Alamor. The town seemed haphazard, intriguing the Wizard. From what he was able to gather, the castle city had gone through three distinct periods. The oldest parts of the town were on the eastern side. Their style was harsh and ancient. The walls, towers, and buildings were symmetrical and imposing.

The style changed as he got closer to the center of town. Everything changed to a more rounded style that felt more welcoming. The second set of builders felt that the city would benefit more from expanding away from the sea. A third ruler had decided that it would be prudent to add a third layer to the city. The third style was not about looks at all. Whoever commissioned the building only cared about whether or not the castle functioned as it was supposed to. Over the years, the inhabitants had come to embrace the three distinct styles. Paul was especially drawn to the parts of town that contained all three designs. They seemed to be stuck in an eternal battle against each other. It worked well in a town that didn’t present a unified front itself.
If they can survive for so long without being unified in thought, perhaps we can too
, Paul thought as he continued through the streets.

*

Rolin stood as soon as the sun peaked over the mountains. There was no use in trying to catch any more sleep. His mood was far too foul for him to have even gotten a decent night’s sleep. Lethos awoke as soon as the sun shone upon his scales. The dragon snorted at Rolin. They had been mad at one another since being chased by the dragon King. There were still moments when Rolin wanted to charge back to the dragon tower and attack the King, but Lethos had managed to convince him otherwise each time. Other times he wanted to curl up in a ball and die. The emotions seemed to affect Lethos on some level as well, causing even more friction between the two. Both of them were looking forward to joining up with the others.
We will get out revenge
, he thought.