God of Magic 7

by Logan Jacobs

  “Thank you,” I declared as Creon gave me a merry laugh and then continued on down the hallway.

  “I’m Ashara,” the elf said as she ushered me inside. “The High Mage is just in her office. She’ll be very happy to see you.”

  “That will be a nice change,” I laughed. “So why all the messengers this morning?”

  “Everyone’s in a tizzy after your meeting with the council,” Ashara sighed. “We’ve spent all these centuries preparing for war, and now that it’s finally here, everyone is worried.”

  “People should worry about war,” I mused. “It’s when they start to panic that you have a problem.”

  “I guess that’s true,” Ashara replied. “No one’s panicking, at least not yet.”

  “You know, the Shadow Foxes may have a way to make it easier for all the different groups to talk to each other,” I offered. “So you wouldn’t have to rely on sending messengers everywhere.”

  “Really?” Ashara asked. “That could be really helpful, especially as these other mages draw close.”

  “Here, let me show you,” I said as I dug through my pack.

  I found the pen and paper and scribbled a quick note asking anyone who read it to send a note back. No one responded right away, and Ashara looked at me with a quizzical smile.

  “Well,” I explained. “Someone else with the same type of pen and paper has to read it first. As soon as one of the other Foxes sees that I’ve sent a note, they’ll write back.”

  “Do you mind if I hold onto this?” Ashara asked. “You know, just until someone answers?”

  I could tell she wasn’t convinced that the paper would work as advertised. I nodded and handed her the pen as well.

  “In case you want to write a response of your own,” I laughed.

  “I’ll give them back before you leave,” Ashara assured me.

  “Give what back?” Deneth’s voice asked.

  Neither of us had heard the door to the High Mage’s office open or heard her footsteps as she came to see who her new visitor was. We both jumped when we heard the High Mage’s voice, and Ashara looked guilty for a moment.

  “I apologize, ma’am,” Ashara said quickly. “I should have brought him into your office right away.”

  “It’s alright, Ashara,” Deneth soothed. “As long as it isn’t another one of those dratted messengers I’m happy. So, what are you returning to our handsome adventurer?”

  “It’s a communication device that Lena and Emeline developed,” I explained. “If you write on the paper with the pen, whatever you write will show up on the other sheets of paper. It’s very handy, although the other person you’re writing to needs to actually look at the piece of paper to realize they’ve received a note.”

  “Still no answer,” Ashara noted sadly.

  “Well, everyone is busy today,” I sighed. “Maybe at lunch someone will think to take a look.”

  “This could be very helpful,” Deneth mused. “Our recon groups could use this to send early word of approaching danger. You’d just need some way to alert the recipient that a message had arrived.”

  “Like a little bell noise,” I suggested.

  “Would you be willing to share these with us?” Deneth asked.

  “Of course,” I replied. “You’d have to talk to Emeline and Lena to figure out exactly how they did it.”

  “Thank you,” Deneth said absentmindedly as she picked up the pen and paper and studied them closely. “Interesting work. The pen is very clever.”

  “Here,” I added as I dug through my pack again. “This one works as an eraser.”

  “Ashara, take these to Hamrick,” Deneth ordered. “Tell him to get to work on these right away. Also tell him to send someone to the monastery to set up a meeting with Emeline and Lena, the young women who created this.”

  “Yes, High Mage,” Ashara replied quickly as she scooped up the pens and paper.

  “Well,” Deneth said when it was just the two of us. “There, you see. You’ve only been with us a short time and you’ve already contributed to our efforts in a very important way.”

  “I should have remembered them sooner,” I said guiltily.

  “But why should you?” Deneth replied as she waved me into her office. “You’ve had bigger concerns on your mind. Like the Shodra.”

  Deneth’s office was quite large, though it was filled with so many bookshelves and boxes, it was difficult to appreciate its size. The only clear space in the room was Deneth’s desk, which was placed in front of a large window that overlooked the courtyard below, and the two green guest chairs that sat on either side of a tea cart loaded with the same type of equipment that filled Lena’s lab.

  “Where shall we start?” Deneth mused as she slipped behind her desk.

  She opened a drawer and pulled out the pouch that contained the Shodra. She pulled each item from the cloth and set it on her desk, arranging them in a rectangular shape.

  “Since we don’t have much time, maybe we should just leap right in,” she mused.

  “Leap right into what?” I asked as I watched her study the Shodra and then rearrange them again.

  “Mastering control,” Deneth replied with a smile. “Among other things. You’ll need to fully understand what a manipulator does if you’re going to use the Shodra.”

  “Not me,” I insisted as I shook my head. “Theira sent us here to give you the Shodra.”

  “Dear boy,” Deneth sighed. “I’m here only to instruct you. You’re the one that has the connection to the Shodra.”

  “The connection?” I repeated. “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve been able to sense them, haven’t you?” she asked.

  “Well,” I hesitated. “Sometimes, when I’m close or if I touch them.”

  “They don’t react that way to all manipulators,” Deneth said with a nod. “There are certain qualities, certain skills that draw them out. Any mage, elemental, or manipulator can use them, but only certain mages can understand them and use them as they were intended.”

  “I don’t know,” I replied as I looked at the final arrangement she’d created. “I’ve never had any thought about using them. I saw what happened when others tried to use them.”

  “Don’t worry,” Deneth reassured me. “I will be here every step of the way.”

  And so my next round of mage lessons began. It wasn’t all that different from what I had learned from Maderel as Deneth taught me how to sense the mana of not just living things but of inanimate objects as well. She showed me the power that flowed through the Shodra and the patterns that controlled it. We worked well into the night, with only occasional interruptions from Ashara, who quietly appeared with food and drink and then disappeared without a word.

  I have no idea what time it was when I finally left. Deneth offered to find me a room for the night in the House, but I wanted to see the rest of the Foxes and I wanted to use the walk to clear my head. A burly human mage with a thatch of curly blonde hair was recruited as my guide, and we set off for the monastery along darkened streets.

  There were only a few people out and about at this hour, though I could see lights glowing in many of the homes that we passed. There was a pleasant breeze that carried the scent of fresh rain and even stars twinkling overhead. I remembered Creon’s comment about the day’s expected shower and asked Pap, my guide.

  “The air and water mages handle most of that,” Pap replied. “They post a schedule every month, though sometimes they update it if some of the crops need extra water or something. It doesn’t usually change all that much in the city proper.”

  “I can’t believe they recreated all of this down here,” I noted as we passed a couple walking hand-in-hand while their young children ran ahead.

  “I guess it is pretty amazing,” Pap said. “But I’d like to go back to the surface. I could start a family then and have as many children as I want.”

  “You can’t do that now?” I asked.

  “No,” Pap sighed.
“They try to keep the population at a certain level, so we don’t use up all our supplies. And I totally get that. But there’s this girl I like, and we’d like to get married.”

  “Ah,” I replied as I thought of my children. “Kids are a great thing.”

  “Well, if you’re who the High Mage claims you are, I could start making some plans,” Pap announced with a grin. “I could have a whole passel of kids running around.”

  “Don’t forget, you’ll have to run around after them,” I laughed.

  We made it back to the monastery, and Pap waited long enough to see me inside the gate. The monk who welcomed me inside informed me that Creon had asked me to come by his room, no matter what time I returned. I thanked him and picked my way across the garden. There were no mage lights here to light the path and the wall effectively blocked out any light from the street. Trying to remember what Emeline did, I managed to create a small white blob that floated along next to me. It didn’t do a great job of lighting the place up, but I did manage to avoid tripping over a wooden crate someone had set by the side of the path.

  Once safely inside the building, I retraced the route to Creon’s apartment. I heard the bell toll and a moment later, a group of monks passed me on their way to the service. I heard the chanting start up only this time it was joined by a soaring countertenor. I stopped just outside Creon’s door and wondered if I should follow the voices instead. Surely the abbot would be with his flock?

  The door to Creon’s apartment opened before I could decide, and Creon looked up in surprise when he realized someone was standing there.

  “Oh, sorry,” I apologized. “The monk at the gate said I should come.”

  “It’s quite alright,” Creon assured me. “I didn’t hear you knock.”

  “I didn’t have the chance,” I replied. “You suddenly opened the door.”

  “Well, they do say great minds think alike,” Creon laughed. “Come in. You’ll save me from Brother Ignatius’ sermon on the sins of gluttony.”

  I stepped inside and Creon led me to a pair of comfortable armchairs. He produced a bottle of whiskey and poured glasses for both of us before taking a seat.

  “Thank you for the pen and paper,” he started. “We’ve had mages here all day working on them with Lena and Emeline. I think they’re nearly finished with the new and improved version.”

  “Great,” I replied.

  “I’m afraid we may have exhausted poor Aerin,” he continued.

  “But she was able to help?” I prodded.

  “Oh, yes,” Creon said after a sip. “She knows quite a lot about battle wounds. Though, I must admit, she’s not always sympathetic towards the injured.”

  “No,” I agreed with a grin. “I’m pretty sure she became a healer to earn money, not out of any driving need to help people.”

  “Too bad,” Creon sighed. “She’s really very skilled.”

  “Well, she’s always been there for us,” I added. “And she’d never fail to help one of us if she could.”

  “There may be hope yet,” Creon laughed.

  “And the rest?” I prodded.

  “Maruk, Dehn and Lavinia are quite popular with the soldiers,” Creon added. “They ate dinner at the academy tonight and plan on returning early tomorrow morning. Yvaine has seized control of, well, everything, and has the civilian corps hard at work. Cat and Imogen returned briefly to eat and check in with everyone else, and then they returned to the surface with one of the night groups. They’ve been working on ways to slow down the mages once they enter the steppes. As for Merlin, I suspect he gained a few pounds while he was in Doctor Laifa’s care but Avain and Glenn have been keeping him busy since his return.”

  “It sounds like everyone has been working hard,” I said approvingly.

  “And yourself?” Creon asked.

  “Deneth showed me how to find the source of magic,” I replied. “Not just the mana that runs through living things, but the mana that exists everywhere. I can see how the two types of magic are supposed to work together rather than separately.”

  “I’m glad,” Creon said. “It’s an important lesson, and one we almost forgot in the aftermath of the attack. Fortunately, we had a few wise people among the survivors who understood. Otherwise, I’m afraid we would have had no elementalists to help build this new city.”

  “It’s a lesson the rest of the world needs to understand,” I replied. “If they don’t, they could lose everything.”

  “Well, one war at a time,” Creon replied. “First, we take care of these mages. Then we can take care of everyone else.”

  “Huh,” I murmured.

  “Yes?” Creon prodded.

  “Just reminded me of a line from a play,” I replied. “First thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”

  “I imagine you could rouse quite a large army for that war,” Creon laughed. “Unfortunately, it’s an army of manipulators that approach our city, not lawyers. I fear we are on our own.”

  “Good thing the Shadow Foxes decided to drop by,” I added. “We’re pretty good at taking down evil mages.”

  “A toast, then,” Creon said as he lifted his glass, “to the Shadow Foxes, defenders of justice, foes of evil, and fierce protectors against the scourge of bad lawyering.”

  I laughed and downed the last of my whiskey. It would be the last leisurely moment for a long time.

  Chapter 12

  We spent every minute we could working with the people of Augustine. I barely slept and I saw more of Deneth during those few days than her own family did. There was a sense of urgency about everything we did, but for the most part, the people we worked with remained calm and focused. Everyone now accepted the fact of Maderel’s arrival, though there was still a great deal of debate about whether the Oracle’s last prophecy was coming true.

  It was the rest of the population that still had their doubts about us. I could see it in the sideways glances every time I stepped outside or hear it in whispers as I passed. I suspect that it was only the support of people like Deneth and Creon that prevented some of the more skeptical citizens from dragging us back to the surface. I was also glad that Lavinia and Maruk had convinced their contact in the military to return our weapons.

  And then the day we had been preparing for finally arrived. The recon groups had set up teams near the chasm to watch for the arrival of the mages. Using the Lenaline system, as our pen and paper had been christened by the local mages, the forward groups could send back word as soon as Maderel’s army arrived anywhere in the Great Chasm.

  Near nightfall, we received word that a large party of mages had been spotted entering the town of Vima. The locals had looked puzzled by the arrival of so many mages, but appeared to take it all in stride. The recon group reported that the mages had at first approached the steps on the Augustine side of the chasm, as if they intended to attempt the crossing at night. But after a long discussion, the mages had retreated to Vima, and no sign had been seen of them since.

  Many Augustine leaders remained convinced that the city was hidden well enough that the mages would never be able to find it. They insisted that the soldiers and recon groups be brought back inside, and the great doors sealed. The spells that hid the entrance from prying eyes would be able to withstand even the piercing gaze of a manipulator, they told the growing crowds. Let the steppes do their work and destroy the mages. A smaller subgroup suggested that the Shadow Foxes should be sent back out as well.

  The Council called an emergency meeting for daybreak, ostensibly to discuss the city’s preparations, but everyone knew that the real topic was whether to face Maderel in the world above, or hide in the world below. Deneth was unfazed by the doubters, and she tried to reassure me that the city would make its stand. I was less certain. I knew many of the soldiers were with us, and people like Pap, who found life in the cave system to be too restrictive. But there were a lot of scared and angry people out there, who had found peace and respite in this haven, and it would take more
than a vague promise of a better life to get them into fighting mode.

  The meeting was to be held on the steps outside the great hall to accommodate the expected crowds. The Shadow Foxes and I made our way there with Creon and a small contingent from the monastery. When we arrived, we were escorted to a spot near the top of the steps, just below the great portico where the thrones for Deneth, Governor Wallace, and the Council of Elders now sat.

  At the appointed hour, the nine leaders of Augustine stepped onto the portico and took their seats. The crowd had been buzzing with anticipation but as the final elder took her seat, silence fell over the mass of people who had gathered below.

  “People of Augustine,” the wisp of a man with the baritone voice called out, “it is time for the city to rise again. Our day of destiny approaches as it was foretold. Will you rise and defend her?”

  A great cheer went up from the crowd, but as I looked more closely, I could see more than a few unhappy faces.

  “Will they go for it?” Lavinia asked, and I realized that she had been watching the crowd as well. “There’s not as many supporters as I thought there would be.”

  “The only people we've met have been those that were willing to go to war,” I replied. “It was easy to believe that everyone supported the fight against Maderel.”

  “But they just can’t hide away down here,” Lavinia remarked. “Maderel will find that door.”

  “I know,” I said as I looked back towards the dais where one of the elders was now reciting a long to-do list of items still to be completed. “But it’s going to be hard to convince them. The spells have worked perfectly well for the last few centuries.”

  “Some soldiers we’ve met are still convinced that the battle should take place in the tunnel,” Maruk added. “Lure them in and then slaughter them.”

  “That puts the whole city at risk,” I replied, appalled at the thought of deliberately opening the doors. “Do they really think Maderel won’t realize he’s being led into a trap?”

  “I suggested it should only be considered as a last-ditch strategy, but I’m afraid I didn’t win any friends with that,” Maruk mused.