God of Magic 5

by Logan Jacobs

  Welch had been happy to share what few maps he had of the mountains, and Emeline had spent several hours making copies. Even Griff and Bergen helped out, filling in the information they had gathered from their flights across the range. Welch also provided us with extra ropes and grappling hooks in return for our promise to provide him with all the details.

  By daybreak, we were ready to set out, and Welch had a pair of carriages take us as far as the foothills. The drivers let us off at a footpath that led towards a small village called San Lorraine, the highest inhabited point in the Canterrose Mountains, or so claimed the inhabitants. Mount Awana was just beyond that.

  The climb was easy enough to start with, and we laughed and swapped jokes as the world awoke to another pleasant day. Merlin bounced in and out of the brush near the trail, returning each time with various items, including berries, a moldy apple, an old owl feather, and a beaded bracelet. Our jocularity didn’t last long, though, as the path became steeper and the air thinner. The local flora grew sparser, and there was no break from the wind.

  “It’s as bad as being in that damn balloon,” Dehn muttered as he slipped on some gravel.

  “Maybe we should have taken the balloons,” Lena sighed as she watched an eagle soar over a nearby peak.

  “They wouldn’t have anywhere to set down,” I pointed out.

  “We could have climbed down the ropes,” Aerin suggested.

  “Yes, that wouldn’t draw anyone’s attention,” Maruk remarked.

  “Not to mention the unfortunate results if you lost your grip,” Yvaine added.

  “Fine,” Aerin huffed. “No climbing down the ropes while dangling from a balloon.”

  “It’s not really that terrible an idea,” I said as I remembered images of people dangling from helicopters by a rope ladder.

  “I’ll stick to climbing,” Lavinia remarked.

  “You did get almost as sick as Dehn,” Aerin said.

  “Really?” I asked in surprise.

  “Just once,” Lavinia retorted hotly. She shot Aerin a warning look, but Aerin looked away and started humming.

  “We all have our little weaknesses,” Maruk sighed.

  “What are yours?” Yvaine asked as she tried to avoid a small pile of poo.

  “Certain smells,” Maruk said vaguely.

  “You should have seen him that time we had to go through a clogged sewer drain,” Aerin laughed. “Tom and Lavinia practically had to drag him through.”

  “Ah, Tom,” Maruk sighed, and the original three members of the guild went quiet for a moment. “He was a good man at heart.”

  The path had narrowed so that there was only enough room for one person at a time. I found myself between Lena and Dehn; Lena moved over the rocky terrain as easily as a mountain goat, while Dehn grunted and swore up a storm. My heart rate was zinging along nicely, even without the gym equipment.

  The sun was near its peak when the path flattened out again. We found ourselves at a fork. One path was clearly more heavily traveled, and was marked with a sign that said San Lorraine, while the other path probably hadn’t seen human feet for a very long time.

  “San Lorraine should only be about a half hour or so further up,” Emeline chuffed as she consulted a map.

  “Where’s this other path lead?” I asked.

  “It’s not on the map,” Emeline replied.

  “Let’s get to San Lorraine,” I said. “We can rest for a few minutes, and have some food, and figure out how to get to Awana.”

  We trudged on, following the cheery little signs that someone had thoughtfully placed along the side of the path. There was one promising the best schnitzel in the valley, and another one showing a merry couple asleep in a gargantuan bed. Further along there was a sign for Happy Hola’s Holiday Suites. And so it continued, until at last, we were at San Lorraine.

  San Lorraine had been carved out of the mountain. The path we were on was the only real street in the town, and it led us past storefronts, hotels, businesses, and private homes, all meticulously detailed to look like standalone structures, though in fact they were all part of the rock that we were climbing.

  We chose a small pub called the Drunken Goat, largely because the sign out front promised the best meat pies in town. The place was crowded, though I was happy to see that we weren’t the only strangers in the pub. The waiter pulled two tables together to accommodate our group, handed out well-worn menus, then trotted away to another table.

  “Who are all these people?” Aerin asked as she looked around.

  “No idea,” Lavinia replied as she eyed the other groups suspiciously.

  “I’ll just find out,” Yvaine announced as she stood up. She managed to maneuver to the bar, past a pair of very fat visitors, where she placed a drink order for our group. While the barkeep poured our drinks, Yvaine chatted with him. She smiled and laughed, and when the beer was poured, the barkeep helped Yvaine carry the pints back to our table. He ignored us, gave Yvaine a hearty smile, and returned to his post.

  “Well?” Aerin asked as she tested the beer. “Ooh, that’s good.”

  The rest of us took a sip, and I had to agree with Aerin’s assessment. The beer was malty, with just a hint of caramel. I noticed appreciative nods around the table, except for Lavinia. She stared hard at her pint, then quietly slipped it next to Dehn, who’d already finished half of his own. I gave her a quizzical look, but she only gave me one of her fiery death glares in reply.

  “They’re here for the waters,” Yvaine explained as she set her pint on the table.

  “The waters?” I asked. We hadn’t seen any waters on the climb up here, I was certain of that.

  “There’s a cave with a lake,” Yvaine explained. “It was supposedly blessed a couple of centuries ago by some mage or other. Now it has healing powers.”

  “Really?” Maruk asked speculatively. He took a careful sip of his beer, and I could see him contemplating the possible uses for such water.

  “They’ve turned it into a regular industry in the last few years,” Yvaine continued. “It’s become quite the hot spot for the upper class who are in the know.”

  “They’re tourists,” I remarked as I looked more closely around the room. “But how did they get here? That climb is a killer, and a lot of these people look like they’d never make it past that first hill.”

  “You can arrange for a porter,” Yvaine replied.

  “A porter?” Lena asked.

  “Apparently, they have some sort of carts, just wide enough for one person to ride in, that they can use to pull you up here,” Yvaine said with a shrug.

  “I’m surprised Welch didn’t know about this,” I remarked.

  “He did say he wasn’t up on a lot of local stuff,” Aerin pointed out.

  “Still, this is quite a little racket they’ve got going,” I replied.

  “I’m impressed they can pull people up the mountain,” Lavinia added as she eyed another group of rather chubby tourists.

  “I think there’s magic involved,” Yvaine explained. “Cleon said that the carts had been designed by an air mage working with an earth mage.”

  “Well, as fascinating as this is,” I sighed. “We still need to get to Awana.”

  “I’m afraid Cleon didn’t have anything to offer on that front,” Yvaine replied. “There was a rock slide last spring that cut off the road above the town.”

  “There was an alchemist’s shop near the main gate,” Lena said thoughtfully. “Perhaps I should ask there.”

  We finished our lunch and made our way back towards the gate. I spotted the alchemist’s shop tucked into a small, natural crevice. Lena darted across the road, ahead of a large pack of tourists. The rest of us stood pressed against the wall, stuck there until the herd moved on. By the time the tourists had moved out of the way, Lena was back outside. She darted back to us and held up a map.

  “That was easy,” Lavinia said as she looked over the map.

  “Apparently, the town council printed
these up several years ago when they first decided to sell people on the idea of visiting here,” Lena replied. “They thought people might be interested in hiking.”

  “I’m guessing that didn’t happen,” I remarked.

  “No,” Lena said sadly. “Apparently, people just wanted to stay in the town. But Paula, that’s the alchemist, still has a stack of the maps, in case anyone decides they want to do more than eat and visit the waters.”

  “I knew it,” Lavinia remarked as she examined the map. “That trail we ignored. Looks like it also leads towards Awana.”

  “Does it go all the way?” I asked.

  “The map doesn’t really show that,” she replied. “It just sort of ends. I guess they figured visitors wouldn’t want to hike too far away from the town. But we can make our own path if we need to.”

  “Right,” I agreed. “So, back the other way.”

  We returned to the fork in the road, and after ignoring the sign for custom-made, one-of-a-kind, Canterrosean hats, set off on the road less traveled. Lavinia and Emeline were in the lead, picking a trail through rock and wilderness that often left me gasping. Dehn had a steady stream of curse words going, and the spikes on his armor were slowly collecting a nice coating of leaves, vines, and twigs.

  Maruk wasn’t faring much better. The trees that grew at these altitudes were more like scrub brush, and the branches kept hitting him around the head. The only one who seemed to be having a good time was Merlin, who’d taken on the form of a hawk. He circled overhead, though he periodically dipped low enough to laugh at our plight.

  “I’m going to shoot that puca,” Lavinia grumbled as she tried to untangle a horn from a low-lying branch.

  “Not if I shoot him first,” Aerin replied.

  I was giving serious thought to tossing stones at the puca when he suddenly pulled up and then plunged straight down.

  “Hey Merlin!” Lena jumped backwards to avoid his talons.

  “Hey!” he echoed, and then he changed back into his puca form before he even touched ground, bounded over to me, and began chattering.

  “What did you see, Merlin?” I asked. “Did you see people?”

  The puca stuck his tongue out at that suggestion and stamped a back foot. He looked around at our group, and when he saw Maruk, he cocked his head to one side. The two stared at each other for a moment, and then the puca turned back to me.

  “Castle,” he said in a remarkable imitation of Maruk.

  “He’s got you pegged,” Dehn chortled as he jabbed Maruk in the back.

  “Should I be flattered or offended?” Maruk asked.

  “Show us,” I told the puca. He set off on a trail that only he could see, and we scrambled over boulders and fought our way through brambles trying to keep up. Merlin was heading higher, and the air was noticeably cooler. I could see snow just above us, and the puca was heading straight for it. Despite our exertions, we began adding layers against the cold air. By the time we hit the snowpack, we were muffled beneath bear fur, scarves, gloves, and any other extra clothing we had.

  “Damn snow,” Lavinia muttered.

  Merlin plowed onwards, leaving tiny prints in the snow. The rest of us left a path that looked like a herd of bison had been through. Finally, the puca came to a ledge where he stopped and looked expectantly at us.

  “What the hell is this?” Dehn demanded as he looked down over the edge. “Where’s this castle?”

  “Uh, guys,” I said before Lavinia could carry through on her threat to kill the puca. “Look up.”

  “Crap,” Aerin muttered as her gaze shifted skyward.

  There was indeed a castle, now looming over us. Like San Lorraine, it appeared to have been carved from the mountain. Unfortunately, we weren’t on the side with the gate, wherever that was. There was nothing but a very high wall, and an even taller watchtower.

  “You led us to the wrong side,” Lavinia said angrily as she glared at Merlin.

  “Wrong!” Merlin chattered at her, then changed back into a hawk and flew off.

  “It’s a good thing we have the rope and hooks,” Maruk mused as he studied the wall.

  “You’re not seriously proposing we climb this?” Lavinia asked. “There has to be a door somewhere.”

  “Not if they’re mages,” Lena replied calmly. “If their plan was to cut themselves off from the world, they may not have bothered with a gate.”

  “But, supplies,” Lavinia protested. “And food. They’d need some way to get them in.”

  “Look, we’re losing daylight, and I, for one, would rather not try to circle around to the other side of the mountain,” I said. “Maruk, do you think you could toss the hooks high enough to get them over the wall?”

  Maruk had already pulled one of the hooks from his pack and was testing its weight. He measured the distance with his eye and gave a nod.

  “Just like storming the castle with the family,” he sighed. “It seems it’s harder to leave your upbringing behind than you might believe.”

  “Dehn,” I called out, and the halfling took a step forward. “I want you to go first. You’re small enough and light enough that the rope should hold, and I need you to be ready to take out any guards when you get to the top.”

  “Right,” Dehn agreed heartily.

  “But don’t go running off to look for a fight!” I warned him. “Just stay there and make sure it’s safe for the rest of us to climb up. You’ll need to be our guard.”

  “Got it,” Dehn amended, less enthusiastically.

  Maruk had made a couple of practice tosses, and then he gave a huge heave. The hook sailed upwards, the rope unwinding behind it. I thought for sure he had missed the mark, but then the hook arced downwards, and I heard the distant sound of metal hitting stone. Then Maruk tugged until the rope remained taut.

  “Up you go,” Maruk said with a nod.

  Dehn cracked his knuckles, then grabbed the rope. He pulled himself several feet off the ground and then wrapped his legs around the rope. The halfling moved quickly, if not quietly. Muttered curse words drifted down to us, and Lavinia shook her head.

  “They'd have to be deaf or dead not to hear him coming,” she said.

  Dehn finally pulled himself over the top of the wall and disappeared from view. We waited impatiently, and then Dehn’s head appeared, and he waved to us before retreating from sight.

  “Guess it’s my turn,” Aerin sighed. She took the rope and followed after Dehn. When she was halfway up, Lena began her ascent. Emeline and Lavinia were next, and then it was my turn. Yvaine gave me a reassuring smile, and I put my hands to the rope.

  I’d put on some muscle during my time with the Shadow Foxes, and I considered myself to be in excellent shape, but that climb was tough. There were no footholds or handholds to speak of in the smooth surface of the wall, so it was just me, and the rope. I face-planted at the top, and Lavinia and Dehn had to pull me the rest of the way over the ledge.

  I rolled onto my back and looked up at the sky. Aerin came over and I heard the familiar sound of chimes, and then sunlight seemed to pour through me. I flexed my fingers experimentally and realized I could actually feel them again.

  “Thanks,” I said as I sat up.

  “Happy to help you, as always.” She gave me a quick smile and then joined Lavinia and Dehn.

  Yvaine’s head appeared, and Lavinia reached down and grabbed the marchioness around the waist. Yvaine didn’t complain about the rough treatment, which meant that she was probably feeling as exhausted as I had. I heard the chimes again, and Yvaine let out a contented sigh.

  I looked around, but there wasn’t much to see, at least from the battlements. There was a standard courtyard below that held a well, a stack of cut wood, and a small herb garden. I also spotted a drift of smoke from a chimney. Someone was still here, but that was all I knew at the moment.

  “Where’d they all go?” Lena mused as she took in the scene.

  “Maybe they heard us coming,” Emeline replied as she shot a
glance towards the halfling.

  “No, I don’t think so,” Lena answered as she studied the courtyard. “It doesn’t look like they were in a hurry. I’d say it was more likely that they were at prayer or such.”

  “Makes it easier for us,” I pointed out. Maruk’s head had finally appeared and both Lavinia and Dehn were trying to help him the rest of the way.

  “I can do this,” Maruk protested. Lavinia and Dehn both stepped back, and with one last mighty heave, Maruk was over the wall and inside the castle. Merlin had apparently been watching all this unfold, because he finally came in for a landing and dropped down next to me.

  “So, shall we take a look around?” I suggested.

  “There are stairs over here,” Lena called out.

  We soon found ourselves in the courtyard, but we didn’t find any more signs of the inhabitants. We drew our weapons and approached the main doors to the inner keep. I nodded to Maruk, who yanked the door open, shield at the ready.

  Nothing happened, and no guards leapt out to attack us. We entered the hall, and found tapestries on the walls, and several balls of mage fire suspended overhead. There was even a small wooden sign that asked us to respect our brethren and keep our voices low.

  “This is weird,” Aerin declared.

  “Now where do we go?” Lavinia asked. She paced the hall as she looked through each doorway, but still there were no people.

  “Merlin, can you find the Shodra?” I asked.

  The puca sniffed the air and walked back and forth across the hall. Then he suddenly shifted into hound form, and he was off, nose to the ground, as he led us along a winding path. We passed several more empty rooms before Merlin arrived at a set of stairs. He paused for a moment, and sniffed the air again, then started down.

  “The dungeons, of course,” Maruk sighed.

  The steps curled down, deep into the mountain, and the carefully smoothed stone of the castle soon gave way to the hard, pitted surface of the bare rock. The ceiling was lower as well, and I was forced to hunch down in order to save my scalp. Lavinia’s horns scraped against the rock a few times, and Maruk was nearly doubled over.

  At last, we were at the bottom, and Merlin shifted back into his puca shape. He glanced back at us to make sure we’d all made it, then he edged forward slowly. We did the same, and I realized we were in a large room. Back home, I would have said we were in an auditorium. There was the stage at the other end of the room, with the podium and a few chairs. Below, and just in front of us, were the rows of seats, filled to capacity with almost forty mages.