The Magelands Epic: Storm Mage (Book 6)

by Christopher Mitchell

  ‘A slight problem,’ she said, glancing up at Belinda and Calder. ‘He needs to be a little bit beaten up.’

  Belinda punched Joley on the side of the face, knocking him off the chair. She kicked him in the chest, then his stomach.

  ‘Enough?’ she said.

  Karalyn grimaced. ‘Aye, that’ll do.’

  ‘See?’ Belinda said. ‘No problem.’

  Calder picked up Joley’s sagging body and placed it back onto the chair. Karalyn went into his mind again, and planted a chain of thoughts deep within his mind, buried under layers of consciousness, and sealed it so it could only be revealed by her command. She didn’t know how good a mage Ghorley was, so she judged her work by the measure of her mother, making it secure enough that even she would not be able to unlock its secrets.

  Stand.

  Joley shuffled to his feet, his eyes glazed over.

  Walk back to the residence. With every step, forget where you have been, until you reach it, then wake up.

  The Holdings man turned, then strode from the chamber. Karalyn, Belinda and Calder watched him go, then the Kell man chuckled.

  ‘It’s like he’s your puppet.’

  ‘Shut up,’ said Belinda. ‘You think it’s funny, being controlled by a dream mage? You should try it some time; see if you think it’s amusing then.’

  Calder quietened, glancing at Karalyn.

  ‘I get why you’re angry,’ Karalyn said, ‘but I’m not apologising again.’

  ‘I don’t want your apology,’ said Belinda, ‘I want my powers. All of them.’

  ‘That’s my decision to make.’

  ‘You don’t trust me.’

  ‘You don’t trust me either.’

  ‘With good reason.’

  ‘Please,’ said Calder, ‘not now. Save it for when we’re not sitting in the middle of enemy territory.’

  ‘Fine by me,’ said Karalyn.

  Belinda scowled. ‘I’m not your child.’

  ‘No, you’re our Sable; an enemy agent who turned.’

  ‘Not of my own free will.’

  ‘Fine,’ said Karalyn, losing her temper. ‘Look around, you’ve seen what Rahain is like, how it’s ruled by fear and oppression; and you know what the empire is like. It’s time to pick your side. If you want to go back to working for the Rahain, then go, otherwise shut the fuck up and get on with it like the rest of us.’

  Belinda took a step back, her mouth open.

  Calder pursed his lips. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear before.’

  She glared at him. ‘Don’t you start.’ She glanced back at Belinda. ‘Sorry for getting angry.’

  ‘I’ll leave if you want me to,’ Belinda said.

  ‘I don’t want that.’

  ‘Let’s sit down and eat,’ said Calder. ‘We can cook something warm.’

  Karalyn nodded and sat by the Kell man as he pulled a bag in front of him. Belinda sighed and joined them, but her eyes were far away.

  That night, Karalyn let her dream vision roam the city. She checked on Joley, and found him tucked up in bed in the residence, a guard posted outside his door. She ducked into his mind, and could feel the traces of Ghorley’s power. He had searched Joley’s thoughts, but had come nowhere near finding what she had hidden there. The Lord Protector himself was still up, drinking brandy at a desk alone, reading from a pile of reports. She took in his features. He was about sixty, she guessed, and he wore glasses to read. He was too far away for her to do him any real damage, but she planted some small seeds of doubt in his mind, enough to ensure he spent a sleepless night of worry. As she was withdrawing from his mind, she heard something faint; the sound of a mage power being used, but one she had never sensed before. It was a low thrum, close to what she knew was produced by Rakanese clay mages, but differing in tone.

  She pulled out of the residence and scanned around. It was coming from the old Senate building, and she remembered what Joley had said about it. Was one of Yosin’s mages at work? She flew her vision over the vast cavern, until she reached the battered walls of the derelict-seeming building.

  There it was again, only stronger. What was it?

  She entered the building by the remains of a large, squat tower, and descended into the basement, following the sound. She passed through dark, deserted corridors, and down two more levels into the bowels of the building, where she came to a long line of cells. The passageway that connected them was in almost pitch darkness, but a lamp was coming from one room. She approached, peering through the bars in the door.

  Two prisoners were inside, both Rakanese. A young woman was lying on a filthy mattress, trying to rest, while the man was sitting at a desk, holding a variety of stones in his hands. No, not stones. Jewels. He grasped one and closed his eyes, and Karalyn felt the low thrum of power vibrate through the cell.

  The Rakanese man opened his eyes, staring at the stone resting on his palm.

  ‘So close,’ he muttered.

  Karalyn stared at the jewel, It was a tiny bit smaller than before, and clearer too, as if his power had compressed it. He was a diamond mage, she realised, frowning.

  What did the Rahain want with a diamond mage?

  Chapter 22

  What Kind of Monster

  Inner Sea – 4th Day, Second Third Summer 525

  A faint light was spreading in the east behind them as the wind bore the Seablade over the warm waters of the Inner Sea. Ahead of them sailed the three captured galleys, getting their first time at the sea since Stretton Sands had fallen. Army of Pyre soldiers in stolen imperial uniforms climbed among the high rigging, guiding the great vessels west by south-west. For three full days and nights the small flotilla had been voyaging, unseen by any from the imperial fleet.

  Sable had refused to divulge much of her plan, but the Fifth Squad aboard the Seablade had watched as their decoy fleet, consisting of a dozen mismatched vessels of differing shapes and sizes, had bolted from the harbour at Stretton Sands in order to lure the imperial patrol ships north in pursuit. As soon as the way was clear, the Holdings agent had signalled the three galleys, and the Seablade had led them out into the open waters at speed, their sails full with the wind. How they would return, Sable had told no one.

  It was the longest continuous time that any of them had spent at sea, but their training had seen them through it, and even Lennox and Libby had learned enough to assist and not simply get in the way of the others. Over a third had passed since they had raided the small depot north of Stretton Sands, and each of the squad had been drilled endlessly in that time. Their imperial uniforms sat awkwardly on their shoulders, and Lennox felt more than a hint of revulsion at having to wear the grey armour of their enemies, but Sable had insisted.

  The Holdings agent gazed over the prow, staring into the dark horizon, a cigarette hanging from her lips. Lennox was glad she had entered their lives. She had given them purpose after their defeat at Rainsby, and Lennox’s powers had been stretched and honed and beaten into shape. He didn’t know what they were about to do, but he felt ready for anything.

  ‘We’re close,’ the Holdings mage muttered to no one in particular. She turned, and glanced down the long, narrow deck at the squad, the wind blowing the strands of hair that had come loose from her braids.

  ‘Get something to eat,’ she called out to them, her voice rising over the breeze, ‘then gather round.’

  Denny pulled a pack from a deck-locker and passed out chunks of biscuit, while Carrie filled mugs from their freshwater supply. Loryn fixed the tiller into position, and the squad moved up the deck to listen to Sable.

  ‘Soldiers of Pyre,’ she said, ‘this is it; this is what you’ve been trained for. Our target is close, so close that we’ll be there before the sun rises. Today we are going to strike a blow at the rotten and crumbling empire; a decisive first step towards our inevitable victory. Remember that Pyre, the Creator, is on our side; we cannot fail. He is watching over us, and you are dear to his heart. I know that none
of you will let him down.’

  The squad listened in silence, chewing over their breakfast.

  ‘Guide the Seablade,’ she went on, ‘obey every command I give, and defend Lennox, our Mage of Pyre – these are your orders.’ She glanced at the horizon. ‘Our target is the harbour of Rainsby.’

  Lennox’s mouth opened as the squad took in the news. Cain was nodding, a big grin on his face, while most of the others tried to hide their feelings. Libby touched Lennox’s arm and their eyes met.

  ‘Two of the galleys will enter the merchants’ harbour,’ Sable said, ‘and we shall follow. While the soldiers aboard the galleys will raid the quays and wharves, our mission is to destroy the vessels that are tied up within. As soon as that is accomplished, we leave. Questions?’

  ‘What about the third galley?’ said Lennox.

  Sable smiled. ‘That vessel will be scuttled at the entrance of the imperial harbour, blocking it so their navy is unable to interfere. We have intercepted the latest pass codes that will grant us entrance to the merchants’ harbour. Once they realise their mistake it will be too late.’

  ‘But, ma’am,’ said Carrie, ‘won’t we be trapped inside?’

  ‘Give me a little credit, soldier,’ said Sable. ‘An entire company will be unloaded from one of the galleys at the tower by the entrance, to ensure that we can get out when the time comes. Don’t worry about any of that; I know what I’m doing. Just follow orders and you’ll be fine.’

  When officers said things like that, the usual reaction of the squad ranged from scepticism to outright cynicism, but Sable seemed different, as if she were tapping a deep reservoir of confidence that filtered out to the rest of them. Even Cain seemed to admire her.

  The glow in the east brightened a little, and Lennox caught sight of the coast to their left, visible as a dark line on the horizon. Ahead, the view was blocked by the hulls of the three galleys, but slowly the battlements of Rainsby rose looming from the early morning mist. The squad turned to watch, as Loryn made her way back to the tiller. Two sets of long, fortified breakwaters stretched out into the sea. The left hand pair led to the imperial harbour, where Rainsby’s fleet was based, while the set a hundred yards to the west opened onto the vast basin of the merchants’ harbour, the largest port in the world. The ends of the breakwaters came together like a pincer, leaving a narrow gap between, over which a massive steel chain had been suspended. One end of the chain led into a tall tower that sat on the right hand breakwater. An imperial banner flew from the top, flapping in the breeze.

  The three galleys moved into a column, and the Seablade sailed up alongside the middle vessel as the lead ship drew near to the tower. A soldier atop its crow’s nest signalled to the tower with a series of coloured flags as the vessels slowed, their sails being lowered. Lennox stared at the chain. For several minutes nothing happened, as the ships grew closer and closer, then, just as the lead ship was only twenty yards away, the chain began to drop.

  ‘Yes,’ muttered Sable under her breath as she crouched next to Lennox and Libby, her eyes afire. She turned to the squad. ‘Wait until the first galley is cleanly through the entrance, then I want as much speed as you can muster. There’s just enough space to overtake the second galley as it squeezes past the tower.’

  The squad nodded, and prepared themselves by the sails. Lennox’s gaze went back to the chain. It had disappeared beneath the dark waters, lowered deep enough so that the first galley could pass unhindered. Soldiers on the battlements of the tower shone powerful lamps down onto the deck of the galley as it passed, then turned them towards the second vessel as it approached.

  ‘Now!’ cried Sable, and the crew of the Seablade got to work. Within seconds the wind was filling their sails and the cutter sped over the water. The second galley was slowing by the entrance to the harbour, its starboard side almost grazing the tower walls as the Seablade skipped through the gap, Leisha slapping the side of the galley as they raced past. They reached the point where the other end of the chain was embedded into the thick rock of the breakwater, and then they were through. The first galley had raised its sails, and was ploughing its way down the centre of the harbour where there was an open lane. To either side, the basin was thick with masts, from the fleet of small fishing boats, to the enormous hulking grain carriers.

  Behind them, the third galley was nowhere to be seen, while the second had closed with the inside of the breakwater. Gangplanks were being lowered and soldiers began disembarking, charging onto the battlements by the tower.

  ‘Eyes to the front, Lennox,’ cried Sable. ‘Never mind what’s going on back there. Are you ready?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Libby,’ she said, ‘prepare the storm lamp.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ Libby opened a hatch in the deck and removed the lantern. It was wrapped in waterproof rags, and she closed the hatch and laid it out. As she got it lit and ready, Lennox gazed around at the harbour. The sun was beginning to rise, and he could see how vast the basin was, with dozens of spindly piers reaching far out into the still waters. Beyond that were lines of warehouses and wharves, and the castle-like gates leading to the Old Town. It seemed calm, but he knew it wouldn’t last.

  From behind them came the sound of violence, and the first cries of alarm. The lead galley however, was causing no signs of concern as it continued at speed towards the head of a great stone wharf. Sable pointed to the left, where a narrow lane between piers began.

  ‘Hard to port,’ she cried, and Loryn pulled on the tiller. Leisha jumped to get out of the way of the boom as it swung across the deck and Sable laughed, her exhilaration tangible. The cutter veered down the lane, the cold spray soaking the crew; Libby crouching over the lantern to keep it dry. On either side the wooden piers were thick with merchant vessels.

  ‘Alright, Lennox,’ cried Sable. ‘Get to work.’

  Libby opened the shutters of the lantern, revealing the naked flame within. Lennox reached for it with his fingers, his feet braced upon the deck. He gathered a ball of fire no bigger than an orange, then hurled it up and over the side of the nearest merchant vessel, aiming for the rigging. Without waiting to see the impact, he repeated the motion, collecting another fiery ball above his palm. The Seablade had moved past the stern of the first vessel, so he threw the second ball at a smaller sloop, the flames striking the base of the mast and spreading along the rolled up sails.

  ‘That’s it, Lennox,’ shouted Sable. ‘Keep going.’

  All around, the sound of raised voices was echoing through the harbour. Lennox tried to ignore it all, and turned back to Libby, who was holding the lantern high for him. She smiled at him, as he gathered a third mass of flame.

  ‘Crossbows!’ cried Cain, and the crew ducked low as a bolt skittered off the deck. Lennox twisted round, trying to locate the source, as another bolt flew past his face. To their right was an imperial patrol vessel, similar in size to the Seablade, and on its deck was a handful of sailors, pointing and shouting at the cutter. At its prow three were kneeling with bows in their hands. Lennox flung the fiery ball at them just as they triggered another wave of bolts. The fireball exploded by their feet, the flames catching onto the sailors’ uniforms and racing up their bodies. Lennox watched them scream in agony, then turned back to the lantern, but it wasn’t there.

  He glanced around. Libby was sprawled on the deck, a bolt embedded in her throat, her eyes open but lifeless, the lantern lying on its side next to her still body.

  Lennox dropped to his knees, all thoughts of the harbour vanished from his mind. He clasped his hand round Libby’s neck and pulled her close towards him, a howl of anguish leaving his lips.

  ‘You’re alright,’ he sobbed, ‘you’re going to be alright.’

  He felt a hand on his shoulder and he pushed it away, burying his face into Libby’s red hair.

  ‘Lennox,’ cried Cain, ‘she’s gone.’

  Fingers began to pry his hands from Libby’s body, but he resisted, struggling, his eyes close
d, unable to believe she was dead. He heard Sable scream out orders, and felt the cutter turn in the narrow lane.

  ‘Cain,’ she called out, ‘we need him, now!’

  ‘I’m fucking trying!’ Cain cried back at her, his arms pulling at Lennox.

  Lennox’s head was pulled up by the hair, and he felt a slap sting across his cheek. Sable pushed her face up close to his.

  ‘On your feet, you bastard,’ she screamed at him. ‘Get up or we all die!’

  Cain yanked his arms backwards, and Sable slapped him again.

  ‘Those fuckers cut your Libby down,’ Sable said, her nose an inch from his. ‘Kill them all.’

  Lennox’s fingers released Libby, and her body slid back down onto the deck. He stared at the blood smeared over his hands as Sable picked up the lantern. He felt numb, then, slowly, a dark rage began to fill him, spreading up his body. He roared out a guttural noise of fury and hatred, and reached for the flame. He pulled what was left out of the lantern, creating a large fiery mass, then flicked his hand towards the imperial patrol ship that was close by in the lane. The flames hit the sails dead on, sending fiery gouts over the deck of the craft. Lennox raised both hands, controlling the flames. He pushed them along the surface of the vessel consuming the sailors in its path, until the entire vessel was a writhing mass of flames.

  He glanced around. So much left to burn. He raised his hands high, then swept them outwards, and the flames on the patrol ship jumped up, striking the merchant vessels to either side. He focussed on the ships to his right, sending flames leaping from mast to mast, and deck to deck; then turned to his left and did the same. He noticed a smoking ember strike the Seablade’s main sail, and he commanded it to extinguish itself, and the small flames died away before they could catch.