It took her an hour to go the half-mile and her sense of direction had been fairly good. She looked around for a suitable tree and found one that had several large branches about twenty feet up. She started climbing and heard something large moving through the bushes. She hung in place and the noise kept moving further away. She continued her climb, branch by branch. She reached for the next branch and it moved and hissed. Jenneva suppressed a scream and looked up. A seven-foot snake had been resting on that branch, but was now slithering down the tree. She pulled herself up and sat on the large branch with her back against the trunk. Now she had to wait for the magician to show himself.
She wasn’t sure if this was Sarac’s hiding place, but some magician lived here who didn’t want to be found. The hut below her was small and rustic -- but looks could be deceiving. She had thought it strange to see a tiger, a camel, and a lemur in the same place and Habas had confirmed it. She was also sure that the clearing where she faced the tiger was the same clearing that had contained a hut moments before. The tiger hadn’t attacked, of course, because it is a pet . . . someone’s pet.
The first rays of dawn were sprinkling the forest clearing with dancing lights. Someone or something was moving in the hut below. She realized that she didn’t even know what Sarac looks like. How would she be able to tell? Did he have a family? Would they be here with him? Too many questions, she would have to wait and see.
It was half an hour before the door opened. A mature woman wearing a purple kaftan scattered with red flowers came out carrying a bowl filled with white liquid. She laid the bowl in the clearing in front of the hut and sat down. Several moments later, a tiger came up the path. The tiger walked over to the woman and nudged her with its head. The woman ruffled the big cat’s fur on the side of its head and murmured to it. The cat lapped from the bowl and the woman rose and smoothed her short, blond hair. When the tiger had devoured the contents of the bowl, the woman and the cat strolled down the path to the beach.
Jenneva’s view of the beach was very limited and she could not see them. She could not get out of the tree for fear that someone coming out of the hut would see her. She still had little information to form an opinion. Was the woman the magician, or was someone else in the hut? She could only wait and watch.
Jenneva watched the entire day and her muscles were stiff. She had been able to flex them and change her position a little, but she was very uncomfortable. The woman spent most of the day in the hut. She made several trips to the beach. No other person entered or left the hut. Nightfall was coming and Jenneva could not sleep in the tree. She had expected to develop a plan the first day here, but she could not think of a way to approach this woman without the risk of exposing herself to Sarac, if he was indeed inside. She decided to wait a little while longer.
An hour after sunset it was beginning to get dark. There was no light in the hut. Jenneva figured the occupants would be going to sleep. She quietly climbed down and lowered herself to the ground and headed for the cove. She would sleep on the beach and wait for the woman’s trip to the beach the next morning.
Jenneva had tossed her bag into the bushes from where she slept. She did not want any recent footprints to indicate she was awake. She heard a rustle of someone approaching the beach and feigned sleep. She could hear the woman and cat approaching on the sand now. She wondered what must be going through the woman’s mind after seeing a woman’s body on the beach. It was risky to let her approach with no defenses, but Jenneva could not let magic give her away.
“No, Tofu. You’ll scare her. If she’s alive, that is.”
The woman bent down to feel Jenneva’s pulse. Jenneva must be careful not to lie, just in case the woman was suspicious enough to try detecting for one. Jenneva groaned and made a slight movement with her arm. The woman made no further advances or attempts at conversation, so Jenneva opened her eyes and looked around until she saw the woman. “Oh, where am I?”
“You are safe. How did you get here?”
“I was on a boat to Kantor. It was dark out. Who are you?”
“Names are not important here. The question is: what are we to do with you?”
“Does the boat to Kantor stop here? I could get on the next one.”
“No. No boats stop here. Nobody comes here. Oh, bother! Come on, I’ll get you something to eat. You must be hungry. Don’t mind Tofu, he’s tame as a kitten.”
Jenneva arose unsteadily and followed the woman. She was obviously going back to the hut. Jenneva would know very soon if anyone else lived inside. They arrived at the hut and entered. Inside was one room. There was a small bed in one corner, only large enough for one person. There was a small fireplace, a table and chair, a bookshelf, and a small pile of wood. This woman was the magician.
“I see there’s no real injury. That’s good. We need to find a way to get you off the island.”
“How can I get off the island when the boat does not stop here. Can’t I stay with you a while?”
“No, I want nothing to do with people. You have to leave the island. I will find a way.”
Jenneva knew the woman would find a way, even if it required magic. The disappearing hut trick was no beginner’s spell. This woman was either a Master or close to it and Jenneva had a hunch who she was. Jenneva had to find a way to prolong her stay. She may be able to gain some insight into her enemy.
“If you don’t want me here, I can stay on the beach until I see a passing boat.”
“Not a bad idea. Here eat this and don’t waste it, food is precious.”
Jenneva ate the porridge and wandered over to the bookshelf. The woman immediately pulled Jenneva away. “Here now, don’t go snooping in other people’s belongings. People are always bothering me. Why don’t you all just stay away. Finish up your coconut milk and be gone.”
“I didn’t mean anything. I’m sorry, Kirsta, I really didn’t mean anything by it.”
“You people never mean it. You all just… What did you say? I never said my name. Who are you? Who sent you?” she screamed.
Jenneva began to think she had pushed too far. Kirsta was a Master and she didn’t appear to be able to control her rage very well. If she didn’t do something quick, one of them could die. “I mean you no harm, Kirsta. I was on a ship that stopped here sometime ago and saw your hut and then it disappeared. I saw Tofu, a camel, and a lemur. I knew a magician lived here, but thought little of it. Later, I happened to be speaking to a Master Magician and asked him who the five greatest magicians in the world are. Kirsta was the only female name, so I just assumed that you must be Kirsta.”
“A likely story and one that I don’t care about. I live here because I don’t want company and I don’t want people to know that I even exist. Now you present me with a problem. You’ll probably go around blabbing about meeting the Great Kirsta or some other nonsense and I can’t have that.”
“If you wish, I will promise not to mention your name or existence to anyone. I said that I mean you no harm and my word is always good.”
“Do you take me for a fool? I am supposed to trust your word when I don’t even know your name?”
“I am sorry, Kirsta, my name is Jenneva and I will leave you alone.”
Jenneva calmly walked out the door and took the path down to the beach. She retrieved her bag and sat on the sand. She had not found Sarac. She had found Kirsta and the woman could offer some insight on Sarac, but she was not going to. Now Jenneva had four weeks to wait for her pick up. An hour later Kirsta appeared and sat down next to Jenneva.
“Jenneva, I am sorry for my behavior. I have spent too many years running away from people and I am taking my frustration out on you. I want you to stay with me for a while. Perhaps some company will do me good. We can make another bed and chair easily. Say you will stay.”
Jenneva look at Kirsta. The woman had been crying and it was Jenneva’s fault. She should have left her alone, but now she really seemed to want company. Perhaps it will be good for Kirsta to have someone t
o talk to and, hopefully, she will talk about Sarac. “Kirsta, I truly apologize for invading your privacy. I will stay or go, whichever you wish.”
“Then let’s get busy at making some furniture,” Kirsta replied.
Jenneva could not picture this woman being part of Sarac’s team. It was obvious that she had lived alone here for many years. She invited Jenneva into her life and shared her hut and food. Jenneva joined her whenever she left the hut. Their walks along the beach were quiet strolls to visit with her animals and enjoy the beauty of the island. The tiger, in particular, seemed quite attached to Kirsta.
Kirsta didn’t talk much. She arose and went to bed with the sun and spent many hours in between in her chair, staring out the hole in her hut that served as a window. Jenneva could not fathom a Master whiling the time away day after day. Each morning Jenneva would awaken to find Kirsta staring at her. Jenneva did not feel threatened by it. Kirsta was beginning to talk a little, but Jenneva’s attempts to gain information were met with silence. Kirsta would talk about her animals or the beauty of the island, but nothing of substance.
One day Kirsta tripped over a tree root and sprained her wrist. The wrist swelled and Jenneva could see that Kirsta was in pain, so she asked, “Kirsta, you are a Master Magician. Why do you suffer in pain when you have the ability to ease it?”
Kirsta’s eyes moistened and tears started to flow down her cheeks. “Magic is a an evil curse and to use it is to add to the evil in the world. You get out of life what you deserve. The pain is what I deserve. If only I deserved worse I could rest in peace, but death is a reward that has been denied to me.” She put her arms around Jenneva and cried. “Jenneva, I have been an evil woman and made a shambles of my life. The two that I loved spurned me, and the one that loved me, I abandoned.”
Jenneva held her close and comforted her. “He may have spurned you, but Egam still loves you.”
Kirsta sat erect. Bewilderment, joy and fear fought for supremacy in Kirsta’s emotions. “You know of Egam?”
“Yes, he talks fondly of you often. His heart tears when he remembers that last day when he realized that he must deny you access to the library. His fear of Sarac and the Dark Side overwhelms his love for you.”
“Egam is the wisest man I have ever known. Sarac means to have that library and use Egam’s body as a bookend. Sarac is a fool. He will kill Egam and anyone else who gets in the way of his quest for something he will never find. I’ve seen to that, at least.”
“The Origin Scroll?” asked Jenneva. “You’ve destroyed it?”
Kirsta was composed now. She dried her tears and Jenneva saw a fiery spirit that did not exist before. “You know an awful lot about things, Jenneva, yet I know nothing about you. Who are you? Where have you come from and how do you know about these things?”
“There isn’t really very much to tell. I am a student of Egam. I was traveling with my Uncle Hasra five years ago when the Yaki attacked. Uncle Hasra died and I was left alone. I wandered and ended up finding Egam. He accepted me as a student and I have studied with him ever since. He does care for you, Kirsta. His eyes water whenever he thinks of you. I also think his hatred of Sarac strengthens when he thinks of Sarac using you.”
“Yes, he was using me. I was young and thought that Sarac loved me, but I was just a brilliant student whom he could bend to his will. When I balked at reciting the Black Devil spell, he started showing his true colors. He had me traveling the world looking for his precious Origin Scroll. That’s when I found Fragrance.”
“What is Fragrance?” quizzed Jenneva.
Kirsta’s green eyes darkened and she laughed. “Fragrance is a Light Side spell that blocks mind control. Sarac would never give it a second look if he ran across it. He spends no time on the Light Side anymore and if he did the name of the spell would be enough for him to skip over it. I cast Fragrance and finally agreed to cast Black Devil. Only after I had cast his spell did I see the true Sarac and what I saw scared me. His heart is blacker than a moonless night in this jungle. I continued to look for the Origin Scroll, but now I was seeking it to keep it from Sarac. After I found it, I came here to hide, my prison in the jungle.”
“The Origin Scroll, did you destroy it?”
“Yes, it is gone forever and Sarac will never possess it.”
“But couldn’t you have used it to destroy Sarac?”
“I couldn’t take the chance. What if I failed and he got his hands on it. It could have been the end of everything we know. Besides, I don’t think I could kill Sarac.”
“Why not, you said he was the embodiment of evil?”
“Oh, yes, he is that. No, if anyone deserves to die, it is Sarac. I am not a destructive person, Jenneva. I don’t think I could have gone through with it.”
“Well, I must. There is too much to love in the Kingdom to allow Sarac to destroy it all.” Jenneva put her arm around Kirsta. “Sarac has destroyed enough good things already. I will need your help.”
“Jenneva, No. He will kill you. Stay here with me. You’ll be safe here.”
“Kirsta, I cannot dwell on my own safety. If we all hide, then Sarac wins and Egam loses. You lose. The Kingdom loses. Alex and all of his friends lose. I cannot stand by and allow that.”
“You have a man! Oh, I am so happy for you, Jenneva.” Jenneva saw the sparkle of life return to Kirsta’s eyes. She was quite a beautiful woman, Jenneva reflected. Just one more knot on Sarac’s noose, one more destructive act that he would pay for.
“Okay, Jenneva, I’ll help you, but I have one condition and I will not be denied it.”
“Kirsta, your help is worth anything I have.”
“Good, then we’ll get started as soon as you fulfill your obligation to me. Tell me all about your man . . . everything.”
Jenneva and Kirsta both laughed and hugged each other. After a while, Jenneva took Kirsta’s damaged wrist and held it while she started telling about Alex. Kirsta didn’t object to Jenneva’s use of magic on her wrist. Kirsta felt life and joy for the first time in many years.
The two women got along well. They still took their walks along the beach every day, but they no longer sat in silence. Kirsta’s books were treasures she had found while searching for the Origin Scroll and treasures they were. Jenneva was delighted at finding so many new spells and concoctions. Each night they lit a fire in the fireplace. The hut was not very cold. Even in winter the island did not suffer the freezing temperatures of the mainland because of warm currents that flowed past the island. Blankets sufficed during the cold nights. The fire did provide light for reading, though, and Jenneva poured through Kirsta’s books as long as she was awake.
They talked and got to know each other well. Kirsta was surprised to learn of the new city, Dalek. When she first came to the island, Balfour was the only city in Targa that a ship could get near. She didn’t know about Sarac’s Yaki attack of five years ago. She also didn’t know about the current amassing of goblins north of the Boulders. She did, however, know where Sarac was. At least she knew where Sarac was twenty years ago and thought he would still be there if no one had discovered him.
The women magicians plotted and planned Sarac’s downfall, but could not seem to come up with a way of accomplishing it. The days passed quickly and all too soon it was time for Jenneva to leave. Kirsta was weeping. “Jenneva, please do not try to take Sarac on by yourself. He is too powerful. He has devoted his life to the Dark Side. He was powerful twenty years ago and I can’t begin to fathom what he has learned since then. If you can, please come and stay again. I have enjoyed your visit more than you can ever imagine.”
“I will, Kirsta. I may even get you off this island.” The women hugged goodbye and Jenneva left for the cove.
The trip back to Dalek gave Jenneva time to think. Winter was still going strong and a late spring would buy her some more time. She would need one of Oscar’s horses for the trip up North. She would stop at Uncle Hasra’s house on the way through Balfour. She wondered if anyone was t
aking care of the house. It was over five years since they left. She wouldn’t be able to spend much time on memories though; she had a sorcerer to slay.
Chapter 15
Black Devil
Jenneva stood atop Kalas Mountain, the tallest peak in the Boulders, arms outstretched murmuring the incantation. Below her the goblin army campfires spread from horizon to horizon. Tens of thousands of ghastly beasts waiting for the spring thaw so they could surge forward and destroy every living thing in their path. Jenneva smiled as the ground began to rumble. Huge slabs of rock broke away from the faces of the mountains and began to tumble down onto the goblin encampments below! Whole bands of goblins were being crushed by thousands of pounds of solid rock! Further out, the earth was tearing itself apart. Enormous fissures were opening in the ground and goblin encampments were disappearing into the voids.
Panic set into the amassed army. Goblins were running everywhere. Jenneva knew she could not destroy even half of them this way, but ten or twenty thousand fewer goblins would help the King’s Army.
Far to the north, Sarac jumped to his feet. “I’ve got him! Finally the old fool noticed the army. I was beginning to think he was dead.”
“Sarac,” Mordac called, “you had better look at this. It’s not Egam!”
Sarac strode over to the crystal ball. “What do you mean it’s not Egam? Who else could do this? Not even . . .” He peered into the ball at the image of Jenneva standing atop the mountain. “Who is this? Someone with this power and I’ve never heard of her? What are my Black Devils doing with their time? Look at her, she’s magnificent.”
“Sarac, she’s destroying your army,” Mordac pleaded.
“Oh, she can’t destroy them with those spells. She’ll kill quite a few, but not enough to make any difference. As long as the army remains a threat, I don’t care how many she kills. But her power, that I can admire . . . I could use her skills.”
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