by Blink, Bob
Ash’urn was clearly nervous. “I have sought the home of the wizard’s for most of my life. I cannot envision passing up the chance of going there, but I never envisioned it being such a contentious encounter. By all means, let us go. I will be more at ease once we have arrived.”
Rigo smiled and using one of Daim’s memories opened the Bypass. Daim had intimate knowledge of where they were going, having been there a great many times. He had even helped carve the rooms out of solid rock so many centuries before.
* * * * *
By direction of the Elders, a careful watch of the travel room had been maintained since Burke had explained what had occurred out in the wilds adjacent to the Ruins where he had encountered Daim. The teams that had been assembled were formed to yield the most complete range of combat magic they knew in case force was required should the self proclaimed Master Wizard appear. Februus was not certain he believed Burke’s claim that Daim could neutralize Brightfire, despite the support from those who had been with him. If nothing else, Februus doubted a single wizard would be able to overcome the combined skills of more than a dozen of them.
Burke had been summoned to the Elder’s chamber. They were becoming restless at the lack of activity.
“So where is he?” Februus demanded. “You said he would be coming here. How long must we wait for him, or was he lying just to get rid of you?”
“I cannot say,” Burke replied. “If he traveled as we do, I would guess he was somewhere close to one of the eighty-six centers for travel that are active. It would, of course, be impossible to even watch those. Given that he is able to travel from any location, there is no way to guess where he might be located at the moment. He only said he would be here before long. I can only assume …”
His comments were interrupted by the look of surprise on Nadav’s face. Nadav had been looking toward the entrance to the chamber when two men had stepped out of nowhere and were now approaching them. Burke looked over his shoulder and almost smiled when he saw who it was. He didn’t know what was going to come of this encounter, but at least they would see for themselves what he had been reporting.
“How did you get in here?” Elder Februus asked when he turned where Nadav was looking.
“I couldn’t see any reason to be constrained to using those freight drops that you rely on for transportation,” Rigo said, drawing on Daim’s knowledge of the old system.
“Freight drops?” Februus asked.
“That’s what the bubbles were designed for. A means of rapidly moving a large quantity of goods between key areas. You don’t think wizards were restricted to such inefficient means, did you?”
“Master Daim,” Burke said respectfully, greeting the Master Wizard. He recognized the older man with him as one of those he had encountered near the edge of the Ruins. He sensed there was something different about the way Daim walked, but before he could decide what it meant, the other spoke.
“Sorry Burke. Today I’m Rigo again.”
Februus snorted. “I told you he tricked you, you fool. He is no more a wizard from the past than I am.” Although he spoke confidently, Februus was very uncomfortable with the sudden appearance of the two men inside the Elder’s Chamber. Obviously Burke had been correct about the man’s ability to travel when and where he wished. He had bypassed the special security team on the lower level where they watched for him, uselessly it appeared, to arrive at the location where he had sent Burke back a few days earlier.
Rigo turned his attention toward the three men seated so pompously around the table. “Oh Daim is quite real,” Rigo said. “Burke met him shortly after he arrived, so to speak. There’s a long story there, and later I might share it, but in short the magic he put in place over two thousand years ago had a few glitches and now he and I share this body. I have access to what he knows and the magic from those lost times. We have a common goal, which in some ways is not too different from your own.”
“So you have come to join us?” Gagan asked hesitantly.
“I have come to lead you,” Rigo said correcting him. “There is much to be done, and I have dealt with this threat before. You have no real idea what you are up against.”
“You are mistaken,” Februus said. “We lead the force of wizards who are gathered here. That is not about to change. We might be willing to listen to your counsel, but in the end, the decision how to proceed will come from we three.”
“Perhaps you should know of what happened in Daim’s time,” Rigo said. “I would have expected Burke to relay what I told him, but I can provide greater detail and answer any questions.”
Rigo proceeded to tell them what happened so many years before and about the long history with the very dangerous Hoplani. There were a number of questions.
“So according to you, these towers are the means to control the beasts,” Februus said when he was finished. “Your expertise would therefore be of great value in helping us reactivate them.”
“I was thinking your help would be valuable to me,” Rigo said. “There will be no time to coordinate with your committee as the effort progresses. I expect encounters with the Hoplani which will need to be pushed back, towers will require repair, and eventually the activation will require resources you currently lack. A greater number of skilled wizards will be required and your current recruitment approach will most likely fall short of our requirements.”
“How would you find more with the gift?” Nadav asked.
“The existence of magic must be revealed to the world,” Rigo said. “We must demonstrate the existence and make those who are fearful of it aware of how it can help them. There are many who your tracking devices have not found who will hopefully come forward once they know there are others like themselves and the need to conceal their talent is past. From these we will find the talents we require.”
“Absolutely not!” barked Februus. “We do not wish the world to know of our existence. The fear and turmoil that would create would be a distraction that would too greatly hinder our activities. Let them fight their wars and we will see to saving them from a threat they don’t even recognize.”
“That is another matter. The wars must be stopped immediately. The men and resources that are being thrown away so foolishly will be required to fight the eastern threat. We will not be ready to stop the Hoplani for some time, and men must step up to the challenge.”
“We obviously see the problem differently,” Februus said. “I think we have an impasse that cannot be readily resolved. What do you propose as an alternate solution?”
“The alternate is simple,” Rigo said. “You and your two friends will step down from your positions of leadership. Someone else will assume guidance for the task ahead.”
“You? I don’t see that happening.”
“Not me. I will lead the effort, but someone else who is familiar with your community should be the leader. We can determine who that might be later.”
Februus’ demeanor changed suddenly. Rigo knew that was because of the rush of wizards into the chamber. He had seen the lone wizard who had looked in on them and then scurried away a short time earlier. He had guessed the man would bring the guard.
“I think now is the time to bring this discussion to a close,” Februus said smugly. “You can see that you are far outnumbered. You must surrender yourself until we can decide what to do with you.”
Rigo smiled unmoved. He looked at the group of nervous men and women who surrounded him. Obviously Burke had spread news of what he could do. With a simple gesture, he cut the lot off from their magic. They had never been trained how to resist such an action. In fact, they hadn’t realized that it was possible. The change that came across their faces was almost amusing.
“What did you just do?” Februus asked. He too could sense that he no longer had any control of his powers.
“A simple thing. It was often useful when teaching apprentices to limit their access to magic. It reduced accidents and helped them focus. You must realize that the po
wer you thought you brought to this meeting has vanished.”
“This is a trick,” fumed Gagan, who was trying to do anything of a magical nature. “When the others arrive you will find you are unable to contain everyone.”
“You have no idea how many I can block. You are a small group, no larger than some of the beginning classes that we used to hold. I could lock the lot of you from your power indefinitely if I wished.”
Rigo allowed that to sink in. For those used to wielding such power the idea of being reduced to the level of a Normal was upsetting.
“However, just to demonstrate how weak you are as a group, I release you.” As he spoke, Rigo removed the blocking he had placed on the group.
“Destroy him,” Februus barked, feeling his own access to his gift return. Without waiting for the others to act, he released his own bolt of Brightfire at Rigo. Next to Burke, he was the strongest in that skill in the community. No other magic they controlled was as powerful.
Burke took no action of his own. He was coming to see the situation much differently than he had before, and was no longer comfortable with the restrictive rules laid down by the Elders. He watched in amusement as Februus’ magic dissipated much as his own had when he had tried the same thing. Four other beams shot out at Rigo from the group of wizards, and all met the same fate.
“As a group, you lack imagination. Brightfire seems to be your solution to everything. Would any of you like to attempt something else? A little variety, please.”
Several bolts of magical fire, and a series of energy balls shot from the assembled group, but they faired no better than the Brightfire.
“One of the things you must learn is that there is a counter to almost any magic. It is a matter of knowing how, and your level. You are all pitifully weak. With the exception of Burke, you are what were considered level one apprentices. I think you need to see something. Come with me.”
Rigo created a Bypass, and after warning them about the edges, he stepped through. Before long the wizards followed after him, led by Burke, and finally followed by the three Elders.
“I told you the approach you plan to pursue has been shown in the past to be ineffective. That was when there were literally thousands of trained wizards in the world, and all much more powerful than you. I am going to demonstrate what Brightfire should be, and you need to consider that my own power is considerably reduced from what it was before. I am not the wizard that Daim was. Perhaps one day someone with his power will exist again.”
Turning away from the group Rigo looked across the valley at the hills beyond. They were assembled on the stone top of the mountain that contained the Outpost. Across the narrow valley was a section of hillside covered with tall trees. He focused and unleashed a sheet of Brightfire such as the world had not seen in many years. The sheet spread over an angle that extended thirty degrees to either side of where he was looking. It was so bright that it was painful to look at directly, causing a thunderous ripping sound as the air was blasted and heated by the passing energies. The sheet leaped across the valley where it encountered the hillside across the way. There it almost instantly consumed the trees on the section of hill where Rigo had focused while causing rock to be broken away from the solid expanse of stone that formed the opposing wall. Huge boulders tumble down the sides to crash into the valley far below.
As easily as he had begun the release of the Brightfire, Rigo snuffed the magical energies. He took a moment to survey the damage he had caused. The forest would re-grow as it had in the past, but for now the entire hillside was a blackened wasteland with barely a stub of a tree trunk still standing. Large sections of rock had been blasted free and fallen to the valley below.
He turned to face the shocked and silent group. “If a thousand wizards with power such as that could not eradicate the Hoplani threat, what hopes do you think you have?”
Without another word, Rigo opened another Bypass and returned to the chambers below.
Chapter 70
The ambience was considerably more subdued when everyone reassembled back inside the Outpost. The demonstration had been purposefully intimidating. While Rigo knew from Daim’s frank assessment of his ability that he fell well short of what the wizard had been able to do long ago, he was still so far beyond what these people would have thought possible that they were shocked into silence. He had misled them somewhat. There had not been a thousand wizards back then with the power he just demonstrated, but they had been strong, far stronger than any of these modern day beginners.
Rigo knew that he had to make an impression on this group, especially the Trio that led them, or it would be necessary to remove the three from control, and that could cost a couple of wizards. He couldn’t afford to lose anyone with the power. They fell well short of the required number already. Besides, he wanted to entice all of them somewhat. When he revealed his offer as he planned to do in moments to unleash their individual capabilities, it would be best if they were eager for him to do so. Forcing them, which could be done, wouldn’t be likely to result in willing converts, even if they turned out to be happy with the final results. He knew that many would envision themselves duplicating his effort, no matter what words he used to caution them.
“That was quite a demonstration,” Februus said carefully once everyone was back in their former positions. “I expect you have made your point. We can’t control you, and you could easily destroy anyone you wish. So what do you really want?”
“There is much to be done,” Rigo said. “I will be showing you what I want over the next couple of weeks. The first thing, however, is to advance everyone from the apprentice level state they are trapped in. I will also need to teach you some relevant magic for the tasks ahead.”
“What does this advancement in state involve?” Gagan asked uncertainly.
Rigo explained about the levels that wizards grew through. “The nodes are common to every human, except in those without the gift they are inactive. For each wizard here, activating these nodes will cause your abilities to rapidly reach your full potential. Your power will grow beyond anything you might expect.”
“Are you certain this will work?” Nadav asked, voicing the same concerns as Jeen had and which Rigo was certain others among those listening shared. “Are there risks?”
“None. I have already performed the activation on Jeen, the woman who Burke met in the Ruins. She has already seen a marked increase in her abilities. She is with my friends dealing with other matters.”
“So we will be as powerful as you?” Burke asked hopefully.
“Probably not that strong,” Rigo answered truthfully. They would realize that soon enough anyway. “It is possible that one or two might, but Daim somehow triggered his search for a body with large potential in magic.” Rigo could tell that Februus and some of the others were thinking once they grew in power they might be able to change the present situation by overpowering him.
“Just so you know. The magic I intend to pass on will be limited in scope. For now, I intend to pass along only those skills that are relevant to the task at hand. Once we are successful, the remaining skills a wizard should have will be given to you. For example, you will not be taught how to overcome the magic as I demonstrated earlier. It will be important that you understand that you will not be able to contest my abilities, regardless of how strong you become. No matter the strength of the magic, with the proper knowledge it can be turned aside.” That was a lie too, but there was no way they could know that.
“Why should we submit to being altered by you?” Gagan asked. “Why should we risk believing what you say?”
“You know the danger we face. I’m certain you have encountered the Hoplani before and have learned what it takes to stop them. I’m also certain you are finding the numbers are rapidly exceeding your ability to deal with them. That’s why they have been breaking out of the Ruins and attacking game along the border. In another year if the growth continues you will be overwhelmed, and I’ll tell you that
you have yet to see what kinds of numbers they will arrive in. Your plan will fail, and soon you will know that for certain.”
“It feels as if you are rushing us,” Februus said.
Rigo nodded. “Unfortunately that’s the situation that we’ve arrived at. If you take a few months to get used to the idea, we’ll be that much farther behind. Had I arrived when expected, I would have been here years ago and we would have been working toward this goal all along.”
“So we don’t have a choice?” Nadav asked.
“There’s always a choice,” Rigo replied. “It depends on whether you want to succeed or not.”
“Assuming we agree, what is your plan?” Februus said, cutting to the heart of the matter.
“I want to have everyone assembled. The large room outside of your chambers is more than big enough. We once gathered over five hundred there. I will explain to all what is coming and what I’m offering. That is not a request. Everyone gets to decide for himself. Then I’ll give you some time to think about it. I realize it’s no little thing. When I return, hopefully I’ll be able to activate the nodes in everyone. Then I’d like to take several of you to see a couple of the towers.”
“You don’t plan to attempt this activation you call it, on anyone today?” Gagan asked.
“I’d like to, but it depends on whether anyone is willing. Every day might matter.”
Februus hesitated, but he knew there was no choice. “I’ll have everyone assemble,” he said finally.
Rigo looked over at Ash’urn who had been watching events without saying much. Rigo knew the man was awed at finally being in the midst of those he had sought for so long.
A half glass later everyone had gathered in the large common room. Rigo explained who he was and a brief version of the history that had brought them to this point. He also explained what he planned to do, using himself as an example. He let Burke confirm what kind of power he’d had when Burke first found him, and what he had now. A similar jump in ability awaited all of them if they elected to allow the procedure. They would also gain certain powers now, and once this was all over, would be granted the complete training the ancient wizards had received. Then Rigo walked the line of the assembled novices and judged what he had available.