Mage for Hire

by Jason Kenyon

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Marzus said with a curt nod. ‘If you pardon my asking, why have you given my job to strays?’

  ‘You refer perhaps to those two who arrived earlier?’ Grand asked. ‘You remember our skirmishes ten years back in the Shield of Lut’yis with that strange cult over in Sevenas?’

  ‘That I do,’ Marzus said. ‘What of them?’

  ‘Back then the Shield Commander at the time studied the cultists and their dark sorceries,’ Grand said. ‘They dealt in death and sacrifices, much like the necromancer was said to have done. It soon became apparent that the best way to lure them out was to send them potential victims. Amidst rumours, worries and war nobody suspected when the odd person disappeared, thinking them mere victims of the cultists.’

  'I see,’ Marzus said.

  ‘My conscience is clear,’ Grand said. ‘In the long run more were saved. It is no different here. They will serve their purpose for me.’

  Marzus allowed himself a tiny smile. ‘And what would the Light say?’

  ‘The same thing it always does,’ Grand replied. ‘Sacrifices must be made.’

  *

  Anjilo Dawnfield was everything a paladin should be, Valia noted. Her armour was perfectly polished, to the extent that one could see one’s face bemusingly stretched across it. At the same time her armour was quite light, rather than the heavy steel that many of the Verrinion paladins were clad in, and underneath it she was garbed in annoyingly bright white and gold clothing which did, admittedly, look slightly garish next to the battle-torn breastplates of the other paladins. Her hair fell about her shoulders with slight curls that complemented their fiery red hue, somehow managing to look both like uncontrolled flames and well-maintained at the same time. Valia felt a bit self-conscious about her own scrubby brown locks, and flushed with irritation as she caught herself idly rearranging her hair.

  While she looked more delicate than her fellows, Anjilo looked very shiny, which was often what mattered most to the paladin order. Some people theorised that Grand earned his position purely on account of his extraordinarily bright hair.

  Valia, cheerful soul as she ever was, hated Anjilo on the spot. Not one to take care of her own appearance overmuch, she sneered at anyone who worked on their image as hard as she assumed Anjilo had. It automatically made her think of vacuous, empty and contemptible people she had met in the past, Archimegadon topping that list.

  ‘Hi there!’ Anjilo said on seeing them, waving with such enthusiasm that she stretched up onto tip-toes.

  ‘Morning,’ Valia said, folding her arms.

  ‘Good morrow, Sister,’ Neurion said.

  ‘I guess you’re Neurion and Valia,’ Anjilo said. ‘Pleased to meet ya!’

  ‘The pleasure is all yours,’ Valia said.

  Anjilo pursed her lips. ‘We’re team mates now, huh?

  ‘Apparently,’ Valia replied.

  The unfortunate Anjilo swiftly realised she would have little chance of a non-hostile reaction from Valia and turned to Neurion. ‘Scary days! Just what we paladins were made for, huh?’

  ‘I think Commander Grand will have it all under control soon,’ Neurion replied. ‘We just need to find Obdo and defeat him, and then half the threat will be dealt with.’

  ‘Commander Grand said Obdo was an old friend of yours!’ Anjilo said, looking a bit surprised at Neurion’s eagerness.

  ‘Oh, no!’ Neurion said, eyes wide. ‘I was never friends with that necromancer. I always kept an eye on him and his mischief.’

  ‘Neurion you remember that it’s not actually been proven whether Obdo is a necromancer?’ Valia asked. ‘Much as I never liked him, I think it is pretty over the top to tell the entire Paladin Order he is an irredeemable necromancer seeking to destroy the land.’

  ‘I fail to see how,’ Neurion said.

  ‘You fail in general!’ Valia said. ‘But anyway, if Obdo turns out to be innocent it will make you look very stupid – again – and even then you may have ruined his reputation forever. You should be ashamed.’

  ‘But if he’s right,’ Anjilo said, standing defensively in front of her fellow paladin, ‘he will be a hero!’

  ‘This is Neurion we’re talking about,’ Valia said. ‘It’s been pretty obvious since he first arrived at Melethas that his idea of what is right is so wide of the mark that even a paladin’s ego could not bridge the gap.’

  Anjilo did not look at all pleased, and indeed it seemed her bubbliness was having trouble staying in place.

  ‘Valia, what do you have against us paladins?’ Neurion asked, now moving in front of Anjilo.

  ‘Well, that should be clear by now,’ Valia replied.

  Neurion was poised to make a usual puzzled response when a loud clamour distracted the three, and they turned to see Grand and his entourage of the previous day march across the hall in full armour without the slightest glance in any direction. It seemed to Valia as though Grand could see through walls, and was glaring at some exact point outside.

  ‘It’ll be Captain Velris,’ Anjilo said. ‘But the Commander refused to cut any deals with him, he’ll get nothing… again.’

  ‘What sort of deal is Velris pushing for?’ Valia asked.

  ‘He wants the paladins to swear fealty to Lord Bartell,’ Anjilo replied. ‘The Lord Protector is no friend of ours though. I think the Commander will move against him soon.’

  ‘That would be a bit tricky with Velris surrounding you all,’ Valia said.

  Anjilo grinned. ‘Oh, don’t you worry. There’s something Lord Bartell doesn’t know!’

  ‘Would you mind telli…’

  ‘Follow along please,’ Grand said as he passed, not even looking at them or pausing as he swept through the doors.

  Valia, Neurion and Anjilo glanced at each other.

  ‘Guess we’d better,’ Neurion said. ‘Now Valia, you behave. You stand on holy ground, and disrespect is a great sin!’

  ‘So is lying,’ Valia said, although she did ponder whether Neurion was simply so appallingly stupid and stubborn when it came to Obdo that he actually thought it was the truth.

  They trudged after Grand and his guards awkwardly, unsure whether they were supposed to be staying with Grand’s group or just at a safe distance. It was clear that Grand was keen to disassociate himself from the paladin schools, so that rather left Neurion adrift. Valia herself had not really taken the best care of her mail shirt or shoulderpads in the distractions of recent days, and the dull metal barely even reflected the ominous red glow. Shortly after the thieves’ base had fallen, she’d managed to recover her gear from where she’d stashed it before she’d snuck inside, though returning to where Felick had captured the others had probably helped the mercenary’s correct theory that she was a companion of Archimegadon.

  A small crowd awaited Grand at the bottom of the stairs. Grand scratched his ear in a slightly unsubtle way, without turning, and signalled for them to stay put at a distance from him. Valia deciphered his code where Anjilo and Neurion, who she had to forcibly stop, had not.

  ‘He wants you to use that weird listening spell thingy,’ Valia told Neurion.

  ‘Oh, right!’ The young paladin cast his spell and once again Valia felt that invisible hand cup her ear.

  ‘It’s not just Velris,’ Grand said in a low voice, presumably to avoid being heard by Bartell’s soldiers. ‘He’s brought a superior.’

  A moment of silence passed before any other voices spoke up. ‘Commander Grand, a pleasure to see you,’ said a voice that Neurion recognised with a jolt.

  ‘It’s her!’ he said.

  ‘Who?’ Anjilo asked, but Grand’s answer silenced the group.

  ‘Akarith Kellason, leader of the Dusk Alliance, assassin, thief and outlaw wanted for many, many serious crimes,’ Grand said with a tone of voice that would have seemed more appropriate were he announcing her as a bread merchant. ‘What a great sign of the nobility of the Lord Protector’s regime that he has made you a general in his army.’

 
; ‘Oh, come now, Grand,’ Akarith said. ‘I was cleared of all charges. I am quite innocent. All slurs cooked up by that conman Archimegadon. Luckily, he was found out and exiled.’

  ‘I am aware of the mage’s defeat and punishment,’ Grand said. ‘However, I am also not a fool, and I know what scapegoats are. Do not try fooling me; I have tracked your movements for a long time now.’

  ‘Good job catching me. Not that one can be caught doing crimes that one has never done.’

  ‘Participating in this sham of a dictatorship is crime enough for me.’

  ‘Oh dear,’ Akarith said. ‘Such a shame, then, that you are not the law in New Valanthas. Those powers lie in the hands of the Lord Protector, Auber Bartell.’

  ‘Hmm, that much is clear by your presence here,’ Grand said. ‘How many times did you need to sleep with him? Once for the pardon and once for the title? Or perhaps it was more expensive?’

  ‘Grand, dear, jealousy is not attractive,’ Akarith replied. ‘I often wondered how you paladins ever managed to perform stuck in all that armour – such a bother to get off! But I don’t imagine it’s really an issue for dusty old men after all, I guess you just live in it. An explanation for the smell at least.’

  There were some titters and sniggers from the handful of knights who had accompanied Velris and Akarith.

  ‘The nerve of that harlot!’ Neurion said. ‘And to think we let her live! To think I let her share my soup!’

  Grand’s voice cut through again. ‘I am interested to see that knights formerly renowned for heroism and valour in battle are at heart puerile schoolboys! If you are done with failed insults I would like to know your next ludicrous deal so I can go and get my lunch at long last.’

  ‘Deal?’ Akarith let out a snort. ‘I heard Captain Velris had been weak-kneed, but I am afraid now I am here, at Lord Bartell’s request, to sort the matter out to better suit all involved. Deals are out of the picture. Lord Bartell is the Law of New Valanthas, and he commands you to either lay down your weapons and submit or to swear to the Light that you will serve in his army for all time.’

  ‘Not a chance,’ Grand said.

  ‘If not, we will raze the cathedral,’ Akarith said. ‘All paladins and potential paladins found on site will be killed.’

  ‘You mean you will butcher the children too,’ Grand said. ‘Very noble.’

  ‘Sacrifices must be made,’ Akarith said with a giggle.

  ‘Indeed,’ Grand said. ‘But who will be the first to fall, I wonder?’

  ‘The first blow appears to have been struck. Shame it did not cut you in half too. The paladins might have got a worthy leader at last.’

  ‘Please, do go on. When it comes to your true trial, and I am judge, it will be of great amusement to recount these times.’

  ‘He will become a God, Grand,’ Akarith said in a sudden change of tone. ‘More powerful than your Light. When that happens, nobody will be able to touch him. And those who defied him will get their just reward.’

  ‘I see Bartell still suffers from the same old delusions,’ Grand said. ‘The answer to his “command” is no, by the way. Now leave this place. We do not allow whores on the cathedral grounds.’

  ‘I suppose you visit the village for that?’

  Grand chuckled. ‘Unlike your leader, I can get lovers without money and power to bribe them.’

  ‘You’ll see just what kind of man he is soon enough,’ Akarith said. A moment passed, and then Valia could make out the sound of retreating footsteps.

  Neurion released the spell. ‘We caught her and took her to Lord Bartell for execution. I had no idea he would promote her instead.’

  ‘I don’t think many of us were prepared for Bartell’s secrets,’ Valia said. ‘Next time we’ll just finish her, should save some trouble.’

  ‘I trust you heard all that?’ Grand asked as he came within earshot.

  ‘That we did, sir!’ Anjilo replied.

  ‘Grim business,’ Grand said, frowning. ‘Velris was small fry – Akarith is less easily bullied. This means we may have less time than anticipated. We will begin the evacuation today.’

  ‘Evacuation?’ Neurion asked. ‘What about standing and fighting?’

  ‘I plan to combat the necromancer as first priority,’ Grand replied, directing the group to follow him back into the cathedral. ‘I do not wish to lose troops on a foolish charge against fringe soldiers.’

  ‘I don’t see many routes of escape,’ Valia said.

  ‘Ah, well, this is where the design of this place comes into play,’ Grand said, smiling. ‘Come on. I will show you the way out so you can get started.’

  Rather than taking them back up towards his temporary study, Grand led them down a stairway and into a shadowy wine cellar. His guards strode ahead and lifted several crates out of the way, until there was a long empty path that led to a blank wall. Grand lifted a glowing finger and traced the standard of the paladins, a shield with a big X through it. The actual symbol had two lances in place of the X, but amazing artistry was not really the point of secret passages.

  The wall slid aside and they entered another small passage. This time Grand traced a vague tree shape, and again a passage opened, this time behind them, in the floor. Through the stairs that led down from the hole they arrived in an ornate chamber with three doors. Grand took out a key and unlocked the middle door.

  ‘Welcome,’ he said, ‘to the City of Light.’

  They were on the threshold of a very dark cavern, but many of the holy lanterns favoured in the cathedral above had been put to use here. They lined a thin lane between what seemed to be a considerable number of rather drab buildings, most of which were likely houses of some sort. The majority were bare to the extent that Valia was put in mind of military barracks.

  ‘The City of Light seems very dark,’ Valia said.

  ‘We here are not concerned with the outside appearance,’ Grand said. ‘This is functionality at its best. Here, the people of our order live ready in case the followers of darkness should bring an age of evil upon the land above. Now it seems that time is upon us, in the shape of Lord Bartell, and this necromancer Obdo. We are well set to deal with the enemy from this secret place.’

  ‘This is marvellous,’ Neurion said. ‘Are there ways out from under here?’

  ‘Of course,’ Grand replied. ‘The Order has built tunnels in many locations around Valanthas for easy travel. Unfortunately the dome cuts through any tunnels out of New Valanthas, but there’s one tunnel that will take you to the Central Way, not too far from the Forest of Gale.’

  ‘Useful,’ Valia said. ‘Anjilo here knows how to open or find the ways in and out?’

  ‘Yup, that’s why I’m coming along!’ Anjilo replied. ‘I’ll get you in and out of here, no problem!’

  ‘Have you paladins ever had to use this place before?’ Valia asked Grand.

  ‘Naturally,’ Grand replied. ‘Back in the beloved war with the necromancer, most of the land hereabouts was occupied by demons and the undead under the command of a lesser necromancer in his employ.’

  Valia pursed her lips. ‘A bit like now, then.’

  Grand chuckled. ‘Perhaps, aye! But this time it will be cut short. Do you want to look around, or are you going to set out?’

  Neurion gazed about eagerly. ‘Oh, we have to l…’

  ‘We’ll set out,’ Valia said. ‘I want to get to Gale as soon as possible. If Obdo really is our mysterious enemy, then it’s best we catch him before he can kill Ardon. Even if I do hate the old conman.’

  ‘Anjilo, lead the way for them,’ Grand said. ‘I must set about dealing with Akarith and getting people moving into here. Soon after I will bring a force to Gale, so be sure to have a report ready for then. And get some horses from our stables, I don’t want you walking all that way.’

  ‘Yes, sir!’ Anjilo said.

  Grand disappeared into the gloom so quickly it was almost as though he was a part of it. Neurion put his hands on his hips.

>   ‘So, to adventure!’ he said. ‘And the defeat at last of that treacherous necromancer Obdo!’

  ‘We’ll see if that is what he is when we get there,’ Valia said, slapping Neurion across the back of his head. ‘And remember that Commander Grand is sending us to scout, not to kill the necromancer ourselves!’

  Neurion looked very disappointed. ‘But if it is Obdo, we’d have to kill him ourselves! It would be our duty.’

  ‘Yes, okay,’ Valia said, though she had no such intention if that really turned out to be true. ‘Now come on, we’re wasting time.’

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Growing Shadows

  Ardon knew where he was right away. Grim mountains to the rear, a dark, spiked tower to the fore, and wagons all around? It was Tel Ariel’s tower in the now-ruined Empire of Tarmuna, and back at the hour when the heroic Sen Delarian (whose name had missed the ears of the inattentive master Forseld) has ascended to the throne room and challenged the dour necromancer to a duel. A long time ago now! Memories that he held so close that now he could virtually reach out and touch the landscape.

  Well, actually he could do so for sure, or at least as sure as one could be when suffering from what seemed to be some rather intense spats of hallucination. It could all be in his head, but then wasn’t everything else, technically? But this was how it had been for a week or more. One minute in a pub with Obdo, the next in some battleground of his early years. Yet Obdo never gave the impression that he disappeared.

  In his head it was, then.

  But he knew what was coming. Again and again forced to watch these scenes. It was maddening! He could never predict when it would happen, and his mind could never rest. Even sleeping was near-impossible.

  Lights flashed at the top of the tower, and voices all around chattered and shouted with excitement and fear. Ardon counted the seconds down, and then boom! A wall at the top of the tower exploded, and an undead dragon swooped out.

  Though Ardon could not see a figure on the dragon, he knew that this was the moment Tel Ariel had fled, defeated, from his own throne room.