Battle Mage Broken Empire (Tales of Alus Book 14)

by Donald Wigboldy

  Torva practically carried Megan back to her room after dinner. The wizard had been so tired that the hunter had barely caught her before she could fall face first into her still filled dinner plate. Leaning against him on the walk back to her room, Torva had been the strength she needed to return at all. She might have fallen asleep at dinner without being awoken until morning the way the young woman acted, he thought.

  On the bright side, Megannah let him help her out of her clothes. The room was as warm as a pleasant summer day, so she didn't bother putting on anything to sleep in like usual. She was tired, but placed her arms around his neck before kissing him.

  The yawn interrupting it was a little bit of a disappointment but the lovers laughed.

  "You don't have to try with me tonight, you know," Torva said to her with a shake of his head. "I know that you are tired. How long were you in the gate building today anyway?"

  Covering her mouth to yawn once more, the pretty wizard replied, "I'm not sure of the hours, but we had to cover three waves of troops. They're pulling over half the army in Ensolus to deal with what is going on in Litsarin. Have you heard anything?"

  Torva hadn't had a chance to undress to join the naked woman, but had a feeling sex wasn't going to be an option anyway. He enjoyed the feel of her against him, but missing out on the other was still a bit of a disappointment since their passions matched well in that way.

  Shifting to pick her sleight body from the floor, Torva looked into her tired, adoring eyes as he crossed the room to place her gently in bed.

  "All I know is that the enemy suddenly began a strong push yesterday. We don't know if the reinforcements just arrived, but our army was driven back all along the front. Any places strong enough to hold had to retreat as well or risk becoming surrounded when their flanks fell back around them."

  He kicked off his boots and started to pull at his shirt when he felt her fingers begin tugging to help him. Her touch was delicate, but as the shirt came off her hands slid along his back appreciatively.

  His pants joined his shirt in a heap on a chair nearby before Torva pulled the covers away to join Megan where she knelt on the mattress. The view stimulated him, but suddenly the woman yawned turning her head as she tried to cover her mouth.

  "I appreciate the effort, but you are obviously exhausted," he chuckled before wrapping his arms around her body pulling her close against him.

  Again her arms encircled his neck before she laid her head on his shoulder. "If things keep going the way they are, they might make one of us go soon as well. They took four of my older students in this wave. Fordenna and I had to combine some of the other students into our class since several teachers were pulled along with their apprentices.

  "Oh, Torva, I am so worried for them. I am not sure that they are ready for this. War is so bloody, even if they get to stand behind a wall of soldiers."

  "Hopefully these troops will help win the battles and drive them back. Once we take all of Litsarin things should settle back closer to normal. Some of the troops will remain there of course, but the island is supposed to be much warmer than Ensolus at least. There are fields of green grass and rich farmland. Young forests have even grown up there thanks to Sileoth's wizards working on the land since the Arrival.

  "Once the fighting is over, maybe we will actually want to be sent there. It might be nice to settle down where it is green and we can see the sky every..." he stopped feeling the pressure of her head.

  Supporting the woman as she slept, Torva just hoped that she would dream of those green fields and be happy. Gently placing her head on her pillow, the man covered her with the sheet and blanket, the way Megannah usually liked it. His magic extinguished the lamps with a simple spell before lying next to the beautiful woman. Megan's gentle breathing made him smile before finding sleep as well.

  Chapter 7- Vision of War

  Holdy was still eating breakfast with Turless and some of his other friends when Maya, who was sitting across from the larger boy, suddenly frowned.

  "Her again," she grumbled making Defrienne look up and Turless turn around.

  "Who?" he started before adding, "Oh, her."

  Sadly Holdy had a feeling that he knew who had brought these reactions from his friends. No one else had ever made Maya act so annoyed before her arrival; so when Talithia moved to stand beside him at the end of their table, he wasn't surprised.

  Looking up at the blonde haired elf, he thought that he sensed something new to her. She seemed tired, yet he couldn't say why he thought so. The elf didn't have dark circles under her eyes like most humans would have if they were tired, yet he knew.

  "Holdy, could I speak with you a moment?"

  "I need to go to the gate room again," he said wearily.

  "It won't take very long. We are about to return home this morning and plan to set off early as we hope to return home before the end of the day if possible."

  "You're leaving?" Maya responded sounding a little too happy to hear her news.

  The elf nodded to her with a civil looking smile. "Yes, we've learned what we can and my uncle has filled in several points with the help of Turless as well, of course," the girl added with a nod and smile to Turless.

  At the praise, albeit secondary to her uncle; the mentioned boy actually grew embarrassed and ran his hand through his hair self consciously making Maya and Defrienne frown at him in response. Holdy supposed that Defrienne was simply supporting her friend in choosing to dislike Talithia. While Holdy found her presence distracting, he couldn't say that he had any hate for the pretty elf; though perhaps that was part of the reason why.

  Following Talithia, Holdy joined the girl near the wall more than twenty feet from his table and friends.

  "What do you need to talk about?" he asked guardedly.

  Smiling at him, the boy realized just how entrancing she could be and worried that Talithia had used her magic in some way that he had never read about. "I have been plagued by bad dreams for the last few days. They have kept me awake and Effenore thinks that they must be a sign. I have never had such strong and repetitive dreams like these before.

  "They warn of a battle and though I am uncertain of the landmarks in the dream, I fear that it will happen here in Ensolus."

  "There will be fighting in the city?" he asked knowing that there were people in the human settlement that claimed they could see the future as well. While most were conmen and women, there were a few that people swore had the sight.

  The girl nodded and pulled out a small stone. He could feel the power inside of it and it resonated with a feel of Talithia's magical aura.

  "What is this?"

  "It is a small charm that I made for you for good luck. Hopefully it will keep you safe in the days to come.

  "If it comes down to you needing a place of safety, you can always use it to make a portal to me. My family's town is small, but the castle is a fortress and far enough away that what comes here might not follow," she added with a suggestion based on worry.

  The only problem with her offer was Holdy just didn't understand why. "Why do you want me to have this?" the boy asked trying to put it somewhat delicately. He didn't hate the idea of being able to open a gate to a place of safety. Having been few places outside of Ensolus, Talithia's offer gave him his only real escape should he need it. Only if her dreams were true warnings would he likely need it though.

  Her eyes changed, but he couldn't quite figure out what emotion they held. As Talithia answered, the boy thought maybe they held affection for him; but again he wasn't certain why she might care. "I know we barely know one another, but I worry about you alright? It doesn't bond us together, but perhaps you will need my help one day. If I can give it, I will."

  Listening to her answer didn't actually feel like it explained anything for the young apprentice. He didn't understand girls at all really. Magic was his strength, not trying to understand the emotions of women.

  Talithia looked like she wanted to move closer for a h
ug or something, but after a stutter step towards him she backed up before hurriedly walking around him instead. Gesturing for her men to follow her, the elf continued walking until she was out of sight.

  As Holdy returned, the others looked at him questioningly.

  "Well, what did she say?" Turless asked. The girls might have wanted to know as well, but only Turless knew him well enough to feel comfortable with asking that question.

  "She wanted to warn me that she has been having bad dreams that could be visions."

  "Visions of what exactly?" Maya asked suspiciously.

  "Talithia says that she feels like they are warning her that a battle will erupt inside Ensolus. I think it is the real reason that they are leaving so early in the day."

  "Was that her real mission all along?" Maya couldn't help asking after the last several days of dealing with the elves and their interference with their lives.

  Shrugging, Holdy wondered if Talithia had come to Ensolus after any other visions or if it had all been from a coincidence. The girl knew of his involvement with Palose, though not those who had trained with the mage. That didn't seem to be the only reason that she had come, but it was about all that she would tell him.

  Talithia did seem unusually interested in him, though the apprentice wasn't sure that he could say the same about her even if she was remarkably beautiful. Even so, Holdy held onto the charm the elf had given him. At worst he could always use a little more luck in his life, he thought.

  "Well, I'll probably see you guys at the library later. Wizard Megannah and I have gate duty again," he said after they had finished their breakfasts.

  "Again?" Maya asked with a shake of her head. "At this rate there won't be anyone left in the city."

  A weak joke at best, the feeling of the truth in her words had them all worried.

  Bells rang throughout the city. Dust was in the air everywhere after a series of explosions to the south had echoed within the cave. The apprentices and remaining veteran warlocks gathered before the courtyard in front of a large set of doors. They were metal and reinforced with more than just steel. Set in the impressive stone wall, no one had ever believed that the building would ever need to keep an enemy at bay.

  "Maya, Holdy, over here!" Megan called to her students. Turless stood beside her with Fordenna and Defrienne already. All looked a bit confused as the cacophony of ringing bells seemed to create more confusion rather than less.

  "What is going on?" Maya asked worriedly.

  Her teacher waved the curly haired blonde towards her as Megan answered, "We're not certain but those are the bells warning of an attack. Stay near us, students."

  A loud voice amplified by magic spoke up as nearly two hundred apprentices and wizards filled the outer courtyard. "Students follow your mentors and group into squads of twenty. They will lead you to the emperor's castle where we will meet up with other warlocks coming from the spires or with those in the emperor's fortress before moving to the outer gates."

  "Do we know that is where the enemy is?" a voice asked in return. "The bells seem to be coming from more than just the outer walls."

  Holdy realized that was part of why the noise was so chaotic. Bells from the emperor's spire and other points around Ensolus were echoing those at the southern entrance. Unfortunately they weren't in synch with each other making it even worse for their ears.

  "Of course it must be the outer walls," the old man in his warlock robes answered his interruption with a frown. "Now stop arguing and get into your squads."

  "Grand Warlock Suma doesn't seem to know anymore than the rest of us," one of the students in their group said just loud enough to be heard by Holdy and a few others.

  "Hush, Yelosh," Fordenna reprimanded the boy. "Just get in line. Suma knows more than the rest of us, so be quiet and follow orders."

  It didn't take long for the squads to set up and move out from the fortress. Maya leaned towards Fordenna as they marched splitting up to follow three different streets to move more fluidly. "Where are the wizard hunters? Aren't they supposed to form a line in front of the wizards and warlocks from the school?"

  Megan answered her instead, "The hunters are taking the high ground. If we should run into something, they can pounce on an enemy to help us."

  She had kissed Torva goodbye as the man had hurried from her room at the sound of the bells. He needed to meet up with the remaining hunters. Both barracks had been drained significantly and the woman hoped that Suma was right that there would be nothing to fight before the outer walls. The timing of sending so many of their troops away and this attack seemed to coincide with each other suspiciously to her mind. Megannah had a feeling that she wasn't the only one to think so as well.

  Looking towards the buildings along the street, occasionally the woman noted figures in black leaping from one rooftop to another using special gear. Torva had told her of the special training the wizard hunters went through learning of the gear and paths to use to cross from one roof to another in the northern sector. It could give battle in Ensolus another level for an enemy to have to fear while magic and armor designed to negate it added to the resistance they could put before them.

  Unfortunately looking for Torva was going to be short lived as the veterans in the squad called out, "Enemy contact! Begin firing!"

  The wizard's eyes dropped from the roofs and tried to see over the wizard in front of her. She needed to see enough to get range on the enemy to contribute her fire power.

  Holdy knelt in front of her chanting a spell. The stone of the street rose about a foot letting the smaller woman see, though the need was short lived. Fireballs were the most common spells to engage an enemy. Every wizard appeared capable to one extent or another of using the magic, so the apprentices that could now see began to contribute along with their teachers.

  The need for the stone dais became unnecessary quickly, however, as a small group of the enemy surged forward engaging with the woefully unprepared warlocks and apprentices in the first squad.

  Holdy heard the warning call from the squad leading them down the street. Half of them were full warlocks with their apprentices and one could hope that they might be enough to buy time for reinforcements from the wizard hunters shadowing them from above.

  Still growing himself, the apprentice couldn't see the threat. Fire flew through the air and others from behind them sent fireballs haphazardly hoping to hit whatever the others had seen.

  A quick earth spell lifted the bulk of his squad at once. It was only about a foot, but going higher would make them targets for arrows and counter magic. The front squad would have to hold while the wizards further back would try to support them. Giving them the height, Holdy could see the line of men and women ahead of them sheltering behind low stone walls. This army had not only reached this area quickly, the enemy had set a trap with prepared defenses waiting for them to come down the streets like unthinking cattle.

  The signs from the start were not good. Worse, he watched as a group of men and women dressed in dark colors leaped forward tearing into the first squad like they were a paper wall.

  The warlocks had swords, but even the veterans had little time to try and pull them free. They wanted to use magic and to be able to keep distance between them and their attackers.

  Battle mages had magic as well. Some didn't even pull their swords as they closed using quick spells to attack and defend confusing the warlock squad. The first twenty wizards were all down almost before anyone could try to use a second spell.

  Turless had his sword and cast a quick mage style fireball at the approaching mages. Strange shields made of orange runes expanded and contracted like they were part of the battle mages' bodies deflecting magic spells of the same sort easily.

  "Hold on," Holdy warned as he shifted the stone moving his friends and Megan away from the middle of the street. Turless and the others fell to their knees with the sudden shift, but recovered quickly. A building was at their back as Turless moved to try and defend
them as their front line.

  A blue shield formed ahead of the apprentice and Holdy followed suit creating a night shield that was five feet wide and half as tall. His magic could change the size as needed, but its width could block for more than just one person.

  As a handful of the battle mages shifted towards the small group split off from the others, dark shadows dropped from the roof above blocking off the mages at least for a time. The sight of them gave Holdy an idea.

  "Brace yourselves," he warned the others still standing on the stone.

  Giving a grunt of effort, Holdy reworked the spell controlling the stone and lifted them up using the stone wall like another road for the platform of stone. It rose quickly making the others crouch or kneel once more. Reaching the height of the fifteen foot roof, he urged the others to step onto the building before hurling the platform towards the enemy as it split into several pieces.

  "Good work, Holdy," Megan said quickly as she looked for any wizard hunters that might have stayed up there for support.

  "Where's Fordenna?" Maya asked worriedly about her mentor.

  Holdy looked down at the street and thought that he spotted the woman. She lay on the ground and at first he feared that the enemy had already killed the wizard. The rest of their squad had been mostly apprentices and they littered the ground around Fordenna as well. It was a complete rout. If not for the intervention of the shadow hunters, Holdy wasn't sure that they would be alive even after retreating to the building so quickly.

  "There," Turless said sounding sad. He had seen the fallen wizard as well.

  Looking closer, however, Holdy realized, "She's still alive. I think she's just unconscious."

  His senses told him that the woman wasn't the only one spared a quick death. Did their enemy plan to capture them or kill them all later? It made little sense. Live or die, a warlock didn't usually settle for prisoners, especially in a trap like this.