The girl wondered if they would ever find out what Sebastian and his team were doing out here.
Ensolus, the Dark Emperor’s capitol city, buried half inside of a mountain was the center of the spider web of his power. Inside the mountain, towers rose from a central castle to touch the stone stalactites of the roof above the city. Bats often flew in the cavernous city as thousands of them roosted in the darkness above the stone buildings expanding from the castle outward to the base of the mountain.
A large stone wall ran across the broad opening supplying an inner defense to the huge barrier wall extending nearly a mile from the base of the mountain. Guard towers stood as barriers within the thirty foot thick wall and waited against its enemies should they dare to come.
Under the weighty stone of the mountain, Palose looked from the window in the tower seeing grey light as snow laden clouds darkened outer Ensolus for yet another day. The dark mage hadn’t been out of the city in months. Winter trapped even the Dark Emperor’s armies on North Continent.
He had found himself serving a master not of his choosing. “Palose, come,” Atrouseon ordered from the doorway looking at the young mage morosely looking at the city. “Word has come of an alarm.”
Frowning in confusion, the young man asked as he turned to follow, “Alarm? Don’t tell me that Southwall has decided to try and attack while its still winter. That seems a little too risky for their tastes.”
Chuckling with his gravelly voice, the dark cloaked warlock shook his head, “You’re right. Those weak willed southerners would never dare the winter to test Ensolus, but the reach of Emperor is far encompassing. There are places that he set under watch and apparently someone has breached more than one.”
Palose was nearly as surprised to hear that the emperor’s reach was still wide. Other warlocks and commanders had been lax enough to speak of the master’s power weakening over time. Stories of small factions breaking from his grasp seemed to come more often or so Palose was led to believe. Perhaps they still tested the betrayer of Windmeer. He had led them into his former home to attempt capture of one of the six guardian keeps, but still his previous history as a battle mage cadet made them distrust him.
It mattered little to the dark mage. Palose watched, listened and waited. He could feel the change in the air as more and more became emboldened to speak of the emperor’s failing power. There would be more who would test that power in the future, he could tell. There were too many who craved his power and even freedom to become more than the Dark One had allowed them to become.
Palose looked at the warlock’s back. His resurrector and master. The dark mage had his own ambitions and one was being freed of the ties to this man.
Chapter 18- Confessions
Before the Sea Dragon had even left the temple island, Sebastian had found himself questioning where to go from there. The search device had begun pointing in two directions with strong readings. He pulled his team and Captain Delfren into a conference to figure out which way was best.
“We have two points on the compass now,” the mage stated simply, “and the readings are both red. Do we head more to the east or keep heading south?”
Pulling out his map of the area, Captain Delfren spread the chart across his table and pointed to where they had found Temple Island. “We’re here and this has been our path so far,” he drew points for each island and a line from each all the way back to Hala. Looking at the device and using a compass to verify north, the captain pointed to two large islands. “The eastern point may just be Trillian.”
“The Grimnal was known to have an association with many of the island nations, since he worked with the pirates in defeating the High King of Marshalla long ago. Or so the story goes anyway,” Maura contributed. She had been a little more reserved after the incident in the fortress and become less pushy about her ideas. The humbling by the fortress and the moss men revealed a severe flaw in her leadership skills that had cracked the otherwise stern demeanor she had held.
Captain Delfren offered another view, “We’ve been out to sea for nearly two weeks and haven’t been able to collect fresh water or food since we left Hala. It is possible that he shifted course for Trillian or the path to the south could be the water pick up at Baltu. Both Islands are within a week of us and we will need supplies for our ship soon as well.”
Looking at the course lain out on the map, Sebastian questioned, “You say a week? It’s taken us two weeks to get to here and looks to be a little more than any leg of the journey so far.”
“We would need good winds pushing us, but both are within that range or maybe an extra day at worse. If we lose the wind, however, it is hard to guess at any time for a sailor.”
The mage frowned at the map in thought and he wasn’t the only one. His instincts said to ignore the eastern marker for now. If it was just Trillian, a known island nation that the Grimnal would be familiar with as well, then they were going to be adding time to their journey that wasn’t necessary. There was also more water likely to be uncharted between them and the larger island of Baltu. If there was another unmapped island that the compass was pointing out, then he had a feeling that they would find it to the south.
“I am leaning on continuing south. What do you all think?” he asked still looking at the map considering his idea.
Liam leaned against the near wall where he could still make out the points on the map. The water wizard mused, “We don’t know where the dots are truly pointing to. If it simply has marked the big islands, since the Grimnal would have been likely to check on his allies after the Cataclysm as they were in the middle of it, then our shortest leg would be to hit Trillian to rule it out. That is assuming that there isn’t another island that we don’t know of in either direction. There could be one just a day away in either direction or it may be a week out.
“Do we go with our assumptions or keep running the way we have been? We’ve discovered four islands, though only two were sites with relics and information. The eastern dot turned red close to Temple Island, didn’t it?” At Sebastian’s nod, he continued, “The dot to the south was red as soon as we rounded the island. We could still see Hala’s orange marker for almost a week of sailing, so can we assume that anything red is less than a week away?”
Eyes moved to Darius’s grandson. Darterian shrugged. The man looked to be simply in his twenties, but Sebastian knew that he was about three times that age. His elven blood made him appear almost ageless and young. When he spoke, it was from the mind of a wizened wizard, “Red does mean that it is closer, while the duller the orange the farther away it is. These signals are both bright red. Both larger islands shouldn’t be too far to read this strong. I would guess that they are only three to four days at our normal sailing speed. Certainly Baltu is beyond that range, though Trillian may be just within the red area.”
“It sounds like the southern red light would at least be something unmarked,” Maura stated. “You take your chances with east just being Trillian. We may find clues there as well, however.”
The remainder of the conversation continued to circle around the possibilities of each red light. Finally Sebastian decided, “We continue south then. If we find that the eastern dot is stronger than the next direction, if there is another, then we can head back to it.”
Captain Delfren added, “If we take readings a couple times a day, I can use the map to align its point of origin.”
With that decided, the Sea Dragon continued its quest to the south. It would only take three days of readings for the captain to decide that the eastern marker was indeed Trillian.
Yara sat on her bunk in the room she shared with Nara quietly getting ready for sleep, when she noticed the nature wizard looking at her with a bemused smile.
“Is something wrong?” the little blond asked hanging her yellow robe from a hook. A simple night gown was all that she would need as the temperature continued to rise as the ship moved south.
Nara shook her head. “There’s nothin
g wrong, but there seems like there is something different with you. Ever since you returned from the jungle, you seem like your thoughts are being drawn somewhere else. Is there something on your mind maybe?”
Shaking her head, Yara denied her friend’s idea even as the thought of the jungle reminded her of the time spent with Sebastian. A little warmth reddened her cheeks making Nara lean forward on the single chair in their room. Dressed in a similar nightgown of green, which revealed most of her legs as she sat, the nature wizard pointed at the other girl saying, “There it is again. Almost every time the jungle is mentioned you start to blush or look at Sebastian. What happened to you two out there?”
This was her friend, but Nara was also a wizard and under the same rules as she was. Fearing that even a strengthening friendship might mean nothing to a wizard who decided that she had broken one of the unwritten rules of the schools, Yara wanted to hide what they had done. She was not good at lying, but tried to stick with the facts that wouldn’t incriminate her. “Well, as you know we were pulled along the ground through thorns and bushes to a giant plant. The flower opened and closed like a mouth so I think that it might be able a digest a human. Sebastian came to my rescue as he always does,” she sighed at the thought wishing that a healer could be of more use in a fight rather than just after.
The thought of healing and what they had done with their spells made her blush again, but she pushed onward. “Anyway, after he killed the flower tree, we walked until we found a pool.” Again she blushed remembering as they had taken off their clothes before joining together fully. “While we were at the pool, the device pointed behind a waterfall where we found the message and ring.”
Nara’s eyes narrowed as the story continued. “What aren’t you telling me?” she considered aloud. Her green eyes searched Yara’s. While taller and with dark hair, the nature wizard shared similar eyes and it was as if the kindred nature of those eyes betrayed the healer to her friend. “You did something that you’re hiding. We’re friends aren’t we? What can’t you tell me?”
The blond haired healer squirmed a little under the older woman’s gaze. She was more mature in some ways than Yara, and perhaps those extra few years brought extra insight as she added, “There are only two things that I can imagine that a healer would want to hide. Either you did harm to a creature, which is against your nature or you...,” her eyes widened in realization. “You didn’t! No, you did that’s the glow that I’ve heard women in the castles talk about, but so few of the wizards break that rule when they’re young that I have no friends that I can say that I have seen this look.”
Face red and worry etched on her face, Yara finally blurted, “Whatever you do, don’t say anything to Serrena and especially not Maura!”
“You had sex with Sebastian!” the taller woman crossed the few feet of room to join her friend on the side of the bed. “I can’t believe it. Aren’t you afraid of what the council will say? Well, I guess even though you are young you are a full wizard now. It is your body and they can’t exactly punish you for it.” Her words were coming fast, though she kept her voice hushed that no one outside of the room could hear. “How did it happen? You were in the jungle, but alone of course, but weren’t you two worried about the plants around you?”
Shaking her head, Yara placed her hands on those cheeks that continued to betray her. “That’s just it. I think that the plants’ perfume had an... affect on us. It was like when people get drunk. We just kind of lost ourselves in the moment.”
Eager to hear more, Nara prodded her with her words as she leaned closer to share the secret, “Tell me what it was like. Oh, now I wish that it had been Collin and I that had been dragged in there,” the last was said almost forlornly as the dark haired wizard blushed almost as fiercely as her friend.
The confession made Yara’s eyes widen. Nara was older, but the strict rules governing the women in the guilds made things like sex seem forbidden, yet she would hear whispers of wizard men going into the city sowing their wild oats as they called it. The rules about virgin wizards really only applied to the women, which was unfair, though she supposed that women were the ones to be penalized with carrying the child and raising it most of the time.
“You’ve never had sex either?” Yara started and realized the stupidity of the question. “It was so nice,” she grinned uncontrollably thinking on her time in the beautiful pool with their cathedral of green and the glowing plants lighting the clearing. “It was like the jungle had made a place just for us. There was a smell as much as the compass that led us to the waterfall and pool between the ruins. If not for the danger of getting there, that island could become a special hide away for lovers,” she blushed at her words and the thoughts that they brought out of her. She quickly painted the portrait of the clearing, ruins and waterfall with its pool to her friend. Nara’s face showed that she was trying to picture the place the girl described.
Avoiding some details that Yara felt belonged just to the two of them, the healer did her best to help her friend understand the beautiful moments that they had shared. “Sebastian was so caring,” the girl said quietly. “We figured out a long time ago that sharing our healing together could enhance the sensation of simply touching each other’s hands. During this,” her words failed for a moment before continuing, “it was like he knew if I hurt and when it felt the best. It was almost as if he could read my mind. He was so gentle, yet firm when it was right.”
Yara sighed and the sound was echoed by Nara as she knew the story was over. There were things that lovers kept secret and she knew as much despite never having had her own. Virgin wizards were the norm amongst her peers thanks to the pressure exerted from those in charge.
A new worry formed in the dark haired woman’s green eyes, “If you’re a healer do you have more control over your body? If you get pregnant, even if it was the first time, then how will you hide it here?” She gestured to the ship around them.
Shrugging, Yara confessed, “With both Sebastian and I using our magic, I think that I am safe, but healers are under tougher rules as apprentices than anyone. We can be fooled as easily as anyone, I suppose.”
As Nara considered the confession, she asked another question, “If another woman comes to a healer, can they make sure that she wouldn’t become pregnant?”
Eyes widening, Yara asked, “Are you thinking of doing it with Collin?”
Turning scarlet, Nara’s forehead even broke out in a sweat. It was easier when the questions were aimed at the younger girl, the woman thought. Clearing her throat, she confessed, “I hate these rules as much as anyone. If you think that you could help me, then maybe...” She let her idea go unfinished, but her eyes nearly begged for Yara to say yes.
“I’ve never used the magic for something like that, but I do know of a spell that can be used to keep you safe,” the girl couldn’t help blushing. What they were considering, if it was ever found out by someone like Maura, could end up with severe punishments for the both of them.
Grinning with sheer happiness, Nara stood up and climbed into her bunk above the healer leaving Yara’s head spinning. Had they just decided to do what she thought they had?
Nara said from above her, “We’ll have to make sure that no one else knows about it, of course. I’ll feel out Collin and let you know.”
Jaw dropping at the brazenness of the woman, Yara was still sitting staring at the flame as Nara snuffed the lamp with her magic.
On the third day out from Temple Island, the winds had all but stopped. The dead calm left the Sea Dragon simply to move with the waves until Annalicia decided to end the stalemate. After four hours of waiting for a breeze, the wind wizard decided to make one. Calling on the winds from high above, the wizard did her dance styled magic and pulled some of that wind down for the sails.
While it wasn’t as strong as some of the natural winds, it did supply some power for movement. No longer just floating aimlessly, the Sea Dragon was able to push onward and follow their course.
The sailors cheered their lady wizard and went back about the business of sailing once more.
Sebastian took the time to scout ahead as he rode the winds. Having the pressure of knowing there was a second point off their path, made the mage want to find the one he had chosen that much faster. While it may be Trillian, chasing down this path might make them miss something at the other site. It was likely a ridiculous feeling to have, since the man and these artifacts had been lost for nearly two centuries. If they had waited this long, then it was likely no matter how much time they spent they would still find whatever clue they would.
On his return, the mage released the railing where his body had been standing for nearly an hour. Yara offered him a tin cup of juice knowing that he would be both thirsty and hungry after such a long use of magic. It had once been a spell beyond him until he had learned to harness more power with a staff, but once he had cracked it the mage was able to release his mind with relative ease and no cheats.
Still it was magic and using it did take a toll on the body. Eating and drinking were the usual ways that a wizard or mage compensated for the energy used. Draining the mug in seconds, Sebastian found a plate and a bottle sitting on the ground beside the healer.
“Did you find anything?” Yara asked as her emerald eyes searched the sea to the horizon sparkling with the same light. Her blond hair shone much like the sun above, he thought fondly.
“Nothing beyond a few rocks and some whales swimming. I was hoping that we would find an island or whatever this mark pointed to by now,” he confessed. Pulling the device from his pocket, Sebastian tested again and still the two red dots taunted him. The eastern point was slowly shifting as they moved southward. Their path was also slightly to the east meaning if it was Trillian they were basically maintaining the distance between ship and island. He hated giving up on this path because of the need for supplies, but the captain had informed him that they only had a little over a week more before they would have to put in for more water and food.
Battle Mage: The Lost King (Tales of Alus) Page 22