by Wilbur Arron
We rode around having no plan of travel. We rode past the plain and into the forest south of there. We saw nothing unusual. Soon, we came to the southern end of the mountain gap through which the Allund River runs. Before me began the southern range of the Central Mountains that runs south to the Southern Sea. Other than South Pass, there was no other way known through the mountain south of here. We rode through the forest and towards the start of the wastelands. The desert was greener now than before. When I diverted the Allund River away from Dysiasty to thwart the Zilar’s plan to grow food there, it flowed more southward. The new path took the river along the foothills, and that gave water to the parched desert which allowed growth. We spent the night in the open, under cloudy skies. No rain fell, however.
The next morning, we started back toward the river. We were halfway between the south forest and the river when Keros suddenly stopped.
“I smell men,” he said. “The scent is recent, but at least three people have been here in the last several days.”
I quickly explained to Melina, who took out her bow. “Who could it be?” I wondered out loud. “You would have seen anyone sneaking through the forest so they must have come from the west.”
“Can you tell how old the scent is?” Melina asked.
“No,” Keros said, still looking around. I repeated what he said.
“Where did they go?” Melina added.
Keros and Kerina both put their noses to the ground. “The scents go off into the desert,” Kerina said.
“Toward the Polis of Dysiasty,” I realized. I wondered if the Zilar had reoccupied the polis and were making scouting trips to observe the river or me.
“I do not see how it can be anyone else other than the Zilar,” Melina said.
I looked around for any sign of human tracks and saw none. That meant they either flew in somehow, or were very good at covering their tracks. I decided the latter.
“Can you follow the scent?” I asked my two unicorns.
“We can see,” Lykina said.
We rode away from the campsite and toward the open sandy expanse of the desert. After a couple of stadia, they stopped.
“The scent is too weak to follow,” Keros told me. “It continues into the desert.”
I saw in the distance the patch of green around where the diverted Allund River now flowed. “So, the Zilar still have not given up on the forest,” I reasoned. “We need to tell the others to keep a lookout. Let us go back home.”
We arrived at my house by evening and had a fast meal of rice and some beans. I called my friends together and told them to keep watch. It was then Lycos surprised me.
“I think others like you have been in the forest while you were gone,” Lycos told me. “I did not feel them like I can feel you and Philie, but I did smell some strange human scents I do not know.”
That concerned me. “Could you tell how many?”
“Two,” the big wolf told me.
“Did any of you feel anyone come into the forest?” I asked the others.
“We did smell the scents of two men,” the deer told me. “We did not feel anyone else.”
It suddenly struck me that the presence of the Zilar and these new scents were likely related. Usually, anyone that is sensitive can be picked up easily if they come into the forest. I did not feel anyone and neither did my animal friends. This bothered me.
I went to sleep that night, still feeling troubled.
The problem diminished until four days later when in the early morning, I received a message from Lycos again. “Someone comes riding hard. I think it is Iolaos.”
I called to my wife, and we both met my friend by the road. One look at his face told me something was wrong.
“Someone or some people are using magik to attack near here. The new mage polis was attacked late yesterday,” he said, still catching his breath.
“Who!” I asked.
“All I can tell you it was a mage. He used a fireball to set fire to the wood they cut for construction. The cranes were also burnt. There might have been two or three of them. By the time word got to Korpolis, and we got there, we could not find a trace of them.”
The presence of the Zilar, Lycos’ discovery, and now this. It could not be a coincidence.
“A sensitive passed near here several days ago,” I told him. “We also found signs that the Zilar sent in a scouting party near here at the same time.”
Iolaos’ face soured like he sucked on a lemon. “I do not like this. I think you both should come with me.”
I looked at Melina. “I think that is a good idea for you two,” I said. “If a mage is going to try to hurt my friends, you two would be of no help, but I am staying.”
I could see both of them start to object.
“NO!” I said emphatically. “No argument about this. Iolaos is right. This is no place for you two. I can handle a mage; you two cannot.”
Before either could object, I called out “Kypos, Kapria, please come here.”
“Now wait,” Iolaos started to say. That was as far as he got before there was a crashing noise as the brush was crushed under eight large hoofs. Two huge boars came through the underbrush. The two mountains of black fur stood a full body length above my height. Even Iolaos was dwarfed by their size.
“Take Iolaos and Melina through the forest to one of the secret entrances to the palace. No one comes into the forest until I send word it is safe.”
“Alex, I am not going,” Melina said, stamping her foot.
“Yes, you are,” I said. “I am not going to fight a mage worrying about what might happen to you.”
“No, I will not, and you cannot make…”
That was as far as she got before I used my Life Magik to pull enough energy from her to make her unconscious. She fell to the ground in a heap. I helped Iolaos put her on Kypos’ back. Iolaos was strong enough to hold her in place. Both boars left. I called to the others and explained that both the Zilar and a mage might come here soon. They should all get ready for a battle. Now it was just a question of making my own plans.
The next morning, both boars came back and told me that Melina and Iolaos were taken to the open bank entrance. Iolaos had to carry Melina into the hidden passage. When both were safely in and the door secured, Kypos and Kapria returned. I told them to spread out in the forest and wait. I lit a fire in my house and slept in the forest.
For the next four days and nights, nothing much happened. None of my friends reported anything amiss. I took the Speaking Stone with me and charged it fully. I spent my time mostly away from my hut, only going in from time to time to keep the fire going and to eat. I was getting bored, and my friends were getting restless. At dusk on the fifth night, Aetos flew over and landed near to me. He motioned me to approach him. I ran over and put my hand on his head. It was very unlikely we could be overheard by anyone, human or mage.
“I saw ten men moving from the dry riverbed around the dam you built. They are moving into the forest. They are all dressed in black.”
“You did not see them before?” I asked. Usually not much gets by the eyes of my two huge golden eagles.
“They did not walk across the desert like the others,” the eagle explained. “They sneaked across the desert hiding inside the riverbank. We did not see them.”
That made sense, “I understand. Watch them closely and let me know what they do.”
“I think one of them is a mage,” Altos added. “I can feel him in my mind. I am not sure if he can feel me.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. The big eagle flew off.
I took a hammer I had brought with me and hit a large rock four times. That was my signal for everyone to get ready. After that, I charged the Speaking Stone until it was full of power.
I was well hidden, standing away from both my house and my cave but could easily see both, even in the darkening gloom of night. Once the Speaking Stone was charged, all I could do was wait.
I waited for some time. All three h
undred forty-two stars were well-lit in the late summer sky when I saw movement in front of me. Then there was more. Ghostly shadows appeared around my house.
I could not see well, but I did notice movements near the settling pond and my storage shack. The shadows were quiet. They moved deliberately, as if well trained. I saw a total of twelve men, and I did feel the presence of a mage in the group. Aetos must have missed the others. The mage knew I was around, but I did not think he knew exactly where I was. The men searched my smokehouse and outside storeroom for a while before they all gathered back in front of the main gate.
“We are going in,” I heard in my head.
“Antinos!” someone called out powerfully in my mind. “He can hear you. Go in now before he can prepare.”
That mental voice came from somewhere else and close. The men in black pushed open my gate and charged in.
Immediately the night filled with screams of terror. The nine men who entered my courtyard did not find me there. They did find two enormous wolves and boars. All four were hungry.
“Monsters!” someone screamed.
“Help… Help me—” another voice shrieked before being cut off abruptly.
I noticed three figures running from my front gate. They fled in a panic toward the road where two large shadows leaped out of the forest. One huge shadow dropped his head covered with massive horns and charged straight into the fleeing men.
“BAAAAAAAAA” I heard someone there scream before two were gored on the antlers and went flying into the trees.
The other slightly smaller shadow ran into the last man, knocking him to the ground and then stomping on him with her front hoofs. She did this five times and stopped. It did not take long before things were quiet again. I got up and walked toward the house. I was still looking for the source of that powerful mental call in my head. I heard or felt nothing.
I walked over to my house and looked in the front gate. I saw the two wolves feeding on two bodies while the two boars were sharing one. I could not see clearly in the dark what happened to those who broke into my house. In this case, I was glad the night covered the remains from view. Lycos howled out, calling the rest of his pack to the feast. This was something I did not wish to see. I went over to look at the other three. I saw enough to know the only report they would be making would be to Hades.
I stood out in the middle of my open space and looked. I saw nothing. Soon Lycos, Lykina, Kypos, Kapria, Alkos, and Alkina joined me.
“One of them was a mage,” Lykina said. “I could feel him as I bit him.”
“There is another mage present,” I said out loud. “I heard him.”
“Alex, there is a strange scent nearby,” Kerina said with alarm. “It is like the one I smelled before.”
Alkos and Alkina turned suddenly and looked into the woods. “Someone is out there, I heard them,” Alkos said, and he and Alkina started running toward the apple orchard. Both moved quickly to the edge of the clearing and disappeared into the trees.
“I see two of them,” Alkos said excitedly.
I yelled out, “Stop!” at the same moment I heard “Pyra”.
A fireball came out of the woods and struck where Alkos and Alkina had charged forward. There was a flash of light. I heard a loud mental scream in my head and then nothing.
The fireball set the trees and brush alight. In the light of the burning trees and bush, I saw two figures starting to run away, both dressed in black robes.
“Keravno,” I called out and threw a powerful lightning bolt at the retreating pair. The range was long, but my bolt was strong. The bolt hit the figure to my left, but both of them dropped like felled trees. I started to run toward where I saw Alkos and Alkina disappear from view. As soon as I entered the orchard, I saw them, or what was left of them. I stopped dead in my tracks. The two scorched bodies of my friends were lying on the ground. Both burnt to a crisp. Their insides were leaking through their charred outer bodies. The air was full of the sweet smell of burned flesh, filling my nostrils and making my stomach turn violently. Both deer had been incinerated in mid-stride. Suddenly my stomach erupted in foul perfusion of liquids. I turned my back to my former friends and wrenched my guts out.
“No,” I heard Lykina called out. Soon the others joined us and the full realization of what happened set in. There were feelings of shock and disbelief from all my friends. There was nothing we could do. They were gone.
I remembered the two fleeing figures and felt the blood rush to my head. Not since I killed Archon Lycus had I felt like this. I slowly walked up to the two prone figures. As I walked, I took power from the fire burning around me. In moments the flames were out, leaving me in darkness again.
“Selas,” I called out, and a glowing sphere of light appeared in my right hand.
Both figures were in mage robes. One had a red hood, so I knew it was a Mage Council member. It was no surprise when I turned him over and saw Pentheus lying on the ground. Through his chest was a hole the size of my fist. He had died instantly, more’s the pity. I looked at the other figure who had no ring or any red, so he was a regular mage. He was stunned but still breathing. By now my two unicorns had arrived. I looked at the unconscious figure.
“Take him to my house,” I told my friends. “He will answer my questions.”
I turned to Pentheus and felt the urge to spit on the corpse. Instead, I stripped off his robe and took away his crystal necklace. I took his pack. Inside were his money pouch and a blue crystal, along with food and strong wine. Once he was naked on the ground, I looked at Lycos.
“Your pack can have him if they can stomach the taste,” I said and walked away.
Once I got back to my home, I stepped around the remains of my would-be killers. I had Lycos drop the mage at my door. I took him inside where I stripped him naked, taking everything away, and bound him with both feet and hands behind his back. I lit a fire in the hearth, and once it was going, I threw all the clothes on the fire along with those from Pentheus. I watched them burn to ashes.
“Pentheus, I hope you burn in Tartarus as your robes burn.”
Then it was his friend’s turn. I put a couple of pokers into the fire until they were red hot. Then used Life Magik, infusing its power into the sleeping figure. It did not take long for the unconscious mage to awaken.
I stood back and let him get his wits back. He tried to move and get free, but he was held fast. He struggled for a while until he gave up and just lay there. I stepped in front of him.
“Greeting,” I said, gritting my teeth. “I am Master Mage Alexio Sopholus, the man you tried to kill. You are bound and will stay that way. I am going to ask you some questions, and you will answer them. If you do not answer, or I detect you are lying to me, I will feed you to my animal friends outside who will eat you like they ate the others, including Pentheus. Do you understand me?”
Nothing came out for a moment. “Pentheus is dead?” he asked.
“Very dead,” I said. “You are next unless I get the answers I want.”
I walked over to the fireplace and took out a red-hot poker and showed it to my bound former colleague. “I also have other means to get you to talk.”
He looked at me wide-eyed, but silent. He bit his lip so hard that blood started to run.
“So be it,” I said casually and slowly applied the poker to his back for just a moment.
“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH,” he screamed and rolled away as best he could.
“That was for my two friends you killed,” I said, trying not to show any satisfaction in my voice. “This will be for the damage you caused to the new mage polis they are building.”
I reached the bound figure with the cooling, but still dull red poker still in my hand. I lowered it slowly onto his back.
“Alright,” he yelled.
“Better,” I said and put the poker back in the fire in case I needed it again. I stood in front of the figure.
“Tell me of your plan,” I asked first.
There w
as a couple of deep breaths from my guest before he started.
“After Pentheus and the Ethnarch Sysgros met, he stormed out of Arginnia and met with those of us who followed him. He said there was no hope in trying to reestablish the Mage Brotherhood here. We would have to fight for our freedom. He said the first thing we had to do was destroy all those who would enslave us to fight, starting with you.”
I tried not to lose my temper, but I was still angry enough to burn him to a crisp, too. “And what else?”
The bound figure squirmed again and the blurted out, “He said he would get help. He used his stone to contact the Zilar mages. There are several in Dysiasty now. He told them he would attack you and could they please send some help. He told us the Zilar were all too eager to kill you.”
“No surprise there,” I answered. “Now go on.”
“Pentheus said that they agreed to send their best scouts and a mage.”
That sounded like a typical Zilar plan. I wanted to know how they managed to get so close before we saw them. “How were Pentheus and the others able to enter my forest and cross the desert without being seen?”
“Pentheus told the Zilar and us about your animal friends and what they can do. He told the Zilar to stay hidden in the stream bed so they would be harder to see from the air. He told us to stay well away from here until he was ready. When he was, Pentheus chose me to come with him since I was one of his best students at the Academy. As for Pentheus, he used his blue crystal to cast his aura shield around him and me so you and your animal friends could not detect us.”
My stomach sunk like the trierse I sent to the bottom. I did not know how much about the Forest of Allund Pentheus knew. He was on the Mage Council and knew the Megas Mage who was Malcor’s brother. No doubt he knew all about my friends from the Megas Mage. The former Arch-Mage Herion knew about them. If the Zilar now knew about them too, it would be a lot easier for them to enter the forest. In any case, all of Pentheus’ followers knew about them. Our secret was out, and there was damn little I could do about it. I silently damned Pentheus to Tartarus again. Nothing more I could do about that. I was still curious about this aura shield. I had never heard of it at the Academy.