by Logan Jacobs
A command post had been set up near the entrance to the tunnel and as each person reported in, they were quickly dispatched to their assigned group. Barcus had made sure that the Shadow Foxes would remain together, and we began the long trudge up the tunnel with Deneth and her own small group of manipulators. Deneth was the only person I saw who wasn’t wearing one of the protective suits, though her own crimson robes glowed with a similar spell.
“Any updates?” Maruk asked as he tested his shields.
“Two hours at most,” Deneth sighed. “They’ve been moving more quickly as they draw closer to Augustine.”
“They know they're close,” I noted. “And Maderel is impatient to retrieve the Shodra.”
“Are they really going to try to negotiate with him?” Dehn asked with a note of disgust.
“Pepin Dyer is already on the surface, surrounded by his sycophants,” Deneth replied. “He’s also set up that stage he proposed at the town hall so he can properly greet Maderel when he arrives. Pepin, of course, will be the speaker for Augustine.”
“Maderel will love that,” Yvaine remarked.
“I’ll take wagers on how long Maderel will listen to that idiot before he simply kills him,” Lavinia snorted.
“He can be surprisingly patient,” I mused.
“You just said he was impatient to find the Shodra,” Cat pointed out.
“Yes, but he’s also very aware of the optics,” Yvaine said. “He doesn’t want to be the mage who found Augustine and then destroyed it for real. He’ll wait until he has something that approaches a reasonable excuse before he strikes.”
“Like the Augustine army attacking first,” Imogen agreed.
“Or their refusal to be reasonable and turn over magical items belonging to the Academy,” I added.
“Considering it was the ancestors of the Academy who destroyed their city, I can’t believe they would even tolerate peaceful discussion,” Lavinia huffed.
“Then why don’t we just attack him first?” Lena asked.
“General Barcus would love to do that,” Deneth replied. “But the counsel decreed that communication would be our primary goal.”
“Well, it’s not like those mages haven’t figured out that someone’s here,” Emeline sighed. “I wonder what the people in Vima must have thought when they saw all those people heading into the steppes?”
“As long as someone paid the bill, I don’t imagine they gave it much thought,” Maruk mused.
“Maybe they just destroyed Vima…” I muttered. I knew what Maderel was capable of, and the blasted landscape of Augustine was evidence enough to know the lengths they would go to in order to win.
As we neared the surface, we stopped to don our masks, and I gave Merlin a quick chin scratch before he buried himself in the pouch. Deneth had her own unique mask, a simple cloth that draped over her nose and covered her mouth and chin, but left her eyes and ears fully exposed.
The sun was just nearing its zenith as we finally stepped onto dirt and soil. Despite the mage sun in the city below, it was still nearly blinding to step onto the surface again. I paused for a second while my eyes adjusted but the flow of people pushed me onward. Still blinking at the sudden brightness, I stumbled after Deneth, who strode across the rubble-strewn terrain as easily as if she were crossing the vast marble floor of the Great Hall.
Pepin’s stage had been placed near the remnants of the western gate, complete with chairs, pennants and a tapestry of the city’s coat of arms. I glanced at Lavinia as we saw what the politician had put in place, and she shook her head in disgust.
“Deneth,” I whispered as we approached the stand. “Who did the council finally decide to put up there?”
“Pepin, of course,” Deneth replied. “A handful of his cronies, his mother, Governor Wallace, and myself.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a safe position once the fighting starts,” I noted.
“It won’t be,” she agreed. “I’ve already informed General Barcus that my first mission will be to see to their safety once the fighting begins. That means you and the other mages will have to fight without my guidance, at least initially.”
“We’ll be ready,” I assured her. “Still, it seems silly to waste someone of your strength and abilities on such a mission.”
“Perhaps,” she said with a mysterious smile. “Though I wouldn’t count me out of the first strike entirely.”
Several people were gathering on the stand, all dressed in camouflage but Pepin was easy to spot with his wooden leg. Even without seeing his face, I could tell that he was excited. No doubt he had spent his night dreaming of the glory that would be his if he could save Augustine without fighting a battle. He probably also pictured himself overseeing the rebuilding of Augustine, with a helpful hand from Maderel and his manipulators.
Deneth gave my arm a reassuring squeeze and then strode over to the stage. When Pepin saw what Deneth wore, he quickly removed his headgear. Deneth shook her head in disapproval and pointed towards the cloth that covered her own nose and mouth, which only seemed to make Pepin angry. His face turned red, and he was snarling as he made a reply. I thought he was going to strike Deneth but his mother tugged at his arm, and he recovered himself.
“We should go to our posts,” Imogen said.
I nodded in agreement and turned to face the Shadow Foxes. It was hard to believe that I hadn’t known this ragtag bunch of treasure seekers my entire life, though I realized that wasn’t exactly true. I had known them for my entire life as a manipulator, and that was really the only life that mattered now.
“Just like always,” I said with a smile. “We never do take the easy assignments.”
“We’re Shadow Foxes,” Aerin replied with a lift of her chin. “We don’t need easy.”
“I’ll see each of you at the end,” I added. “And I don’t want to see any gaping holes, head wounds, oozing pus, or any other signs of injury.”
“Better tell Aerin to stick close to Dehn then,” Lavinia replied.
“Hey,” Dehn protested, “I only get those wounds because the rest of you weenies are too afraid to lead the charge.”
“Or too smart,” Maruk mused.
“Be careful, Shadow Foxes,” I added in a more serious tone. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost any of you.”
“You won’t lose us,” Yvaine assured me. “And we won’t lose you.”
I clasped hands with each Shadow Fox as they left for their assignments. Lavinia joined a row of archers hidden behind a section of the old city wall. Yvaine descended upon General Barcus and his officers at a position near the now sealed tunnel door. Lena and Emeline were absorbed by Deneth’s mages, while Dehn ran towards the soldiers who would be the front line. Imogen and Cat rejoined one of the scouting groups, and Maruk, Aerin, and I took up a spot behind Pepin’s stage.
Pepin had originally wanted me to be on the stage as well, no doubt so he could hand me over to Maderel, but Deneth had won that argument at least. I was at a spot behind and just to the side of the stage, where I could see and hear the entire exchange. Barcus had suggested a post where I would be hidden from Maderel’s view, but I pointed out that Maderel would probably find me no matter how well I concealed myself. I wanted to see him and hear him for myself.
We didn’t have a long wait. A great dust cloud appeared on the horizon, and then a black mass that moved across the land like one of those two-headed snakes. As it drew closer, I could pick out individuals. They marched steadily forward, and when I opened my mana, I could see the bubble they had created to protect themselves. It was clever, I had to give Maderel credit for that, and I’m not sure I could have pulled it off on my own. As it was, I saw that each of the manipulators in Maderel’s army was helping to maintain it.
The disadvantage was obvious. As soon as any sort of fighting started, the mages would have to drop the shield, exposing the group to the unbound mana. Maderel was just as aware of that fact, which meant that he intended to end t
his fight as quickly as he could.
When the front lines of Maderel’s army were barely an end-zone’s length away from the stage, they finally came to a halt. I glanced towards the stage and saw Pepin throw his arms wide in welcome. The only thing missing from this whole odd scene was the high school band playing a Sousa march.
“Welcome, travelers,” Pepin declared. “Welcome to the great city of Augustine.”
No one said anything right away, and I wondered if Maderel would send someone else forward to speak. But then the mass of black spread apart, and Maderel finally stepped forward. I thought there might be a few more gray hairs, but he appeared otherwise much the same. Like Deneth, he seemed unafflicted by the unbound mana, and I saw his gaze fasten on her for a heartbeat before he turned to Pepin.
“We are honored to be here,” Maderel replied, “though I see only ruin rather than a city.”
Pepin’s smile faltered for a moment. His mother, seated behind him, gave him a nudge with her foot.
“What you see is the remnants of the old city,” Pepin replied. “But we have rebuilt our home, and we are proud to once again share it with the world.”
“This is insanity…” I muttered.
Maderel looked over the people on the stage then slowly peered around the rubble. I know he was checking for auras and planning his own attack. His eyes rested on me for a moment, and then he turned his attention to the stage once again.
“But we cannot be the first to have made the crossing,” Maderel said with a smile that looked more like the bared teeth of a wolf.
“No, you are not,” Pepin admitted. “But you are the first group of your size. Truly, it is a sign that the world desires to be one with us again. A desire we reciprocate. To bury the sins of the past.”
“That would explain all the traps that were set,” Maderel replied sarcastically.
“Security measures only,” Pepin assured him quickly. “Military minds think of nothing more. But the people have decided that they wish to talk with you, and I am here to do their bidding.”
“There is very little need for talk,” Maderel declared. “I am here to retrieve what was stolen from me and to arrest those responsible. If you choose to aid me, then I will leave this place as I found it. If you resist me, then I will destroy whatever pitiful remains of Augustine exist.”
I could hear some hidden soldiers nearby shift slightly as they prepared their weapons.
“There is no need for violence,” Pepin said quickly. “We wish to be your brethren again.”
“You have many manipulators in your party,” Maderel noted as he looked at Deneth. “Perhaps I should make my offer to them.”
“And what offer is that?” Deneth finally spoke.
I could almost hear Pepin gnashing his teeth.
“I am here to retrieve the Shodra and I do so to benefit all manipulators,” Maderel replied. “I can use their power not only to protect us but to help us regain our proper place in the world.”
“And what is our proper place?” Deneth asked.
“As leaders, creators, even rulers,” Maderel declared. “We have been marked as manipulators by the gods, and we must use our gifts for the benefit of the world.”
“You speak well, Maderel,” Deneth replied. “But I have been warned by Theira. I know your true plan, and there is no benefit to the world in what you intend.”
“Oh, you’ve spoken to Theira,” Maderel mocked. “I know another who claimed to have spoken to Theira. But you’ve already met him, haven’t you?”
“I have,” Deneth said with a shrug. “He spoke the truth.”
“And did you tell him the rest of your vision?” Maderel demanded.
Deneth looked startled, but she said nothing.
“Gabriel,” Maderel called out and turned his piercing gaze on me.
I stepped forward, my curiosity winning out.
“Ask this manipulator about the new god,” Maderel instructed. “Ask what Theira told her.”
I glanced towards Deneth who had recovered her serene air.
“There will be a new god,” Deneth declared. “A god of magic. It falls to the one who controls the Shodra.”
“She means you, Gabriel,” Maderel added, and I felt the truth of his statement surge through my mana. “I sensed the possibility in you and so has she. You could be our leader, Gabriel. The one to free the manipulators from the fear and anger that imprisons us. All you need is someone to guide you.”
“That would be you,” I suggested when I finally found my voice.
“I know what you think of me,” Maderel replied as his tone shifted from anger to sadness. “You were lucky. Stranded in another world where you were safe. Imagine if you had been here in Evreas, where your very existence was considered a crime. I have done what I did to save the lives of those who would otherwise have been victims of infanticide.”
I shook my head and looked towards Deneth.
“Gabriel,” Maderel continued. “You know I’ve protected you from your own carelessness, and I have never done anything that would ever harm you or your friends. I can teach you what you need to know. The new way of being a manipulator. A new way for a new god.”
Maderel’s words were twisting through my head, and I could see images of a bright, shiny future where manipulators roamed the streets freely. There were great cities filled with happy people and countrysides where farmers produced an endless bounty of food. Even Augustine rose again, standing proudly above the plains, its banner waving in the wind from the ocean.
Deneth called my name. Her voice sounded worried and fear was in her eyes. But she seemed very far away, and her voice was little more than a whisper.
Maderel was still talking, creating image after image of the perfect world. It was so tempting. It was the world I wanted, and I could see it so clearly. The Shadow Foxes gathered in the guildhall, the children, my children, running past us as they darted into the backyard to play. Imogen and Cat were there too, the newest members of our guild, and Dehn introduced us to his girlfriend and soon to be wife.
And then it all shattered. A flash filled my vision and all I could see was the shattered remains of the Tower in Ovrista. Meteorites pummeled the city while flames engulfed the buildings. People tried to escape the destruction, only to find their routes blocked by rubble and fire. The guildhall of the Shadow Foxes was gone, obliterated by an army of mages very much like the one that stood on this plain.
“Gabriel,” Theira’s soothing voice called out, “I have shown you what will happen if Maderel has the Shodra. You must resist his spell. For the sake of all Evreas, you must fight.”
I was back in Augustine, and every eye was turned towards me. Deneth looked concerned, Pepin uncertain, and Maderel smugly fierce.
“It won’t work,” I called out to Maderel. “Whatever spell you’re casting, it won’t work. Theira showed me your true intentions, and I know you want the destruction of the world.”
“Then I shall kill you,” Maderel growled, “and claim the Shodra for myself. I shall be the new god.”
Maderel threw up his hand as did the rest of his army, but before he could launch his attack, a crackling mana shield went up in front of the stage. It was like the one I used, but this one was larger and more powerful. Bolts of lightning shot forth and struck several of the mages. One bolt even dared to arc towards Maderel, but he cast it aside before it could strike.
The Augustine army leapt into action, as did the mage army. Maderel’s first strike was aimed straight at Deneth, and the shield she’d thrown up around the stage. Maderel’s own mages threw up a shield around their leader, deflecting most of the arrows that were fired. Three of Lavinia’s arrows somehow made it inside just before the shield went up and three mages dropped to the ground, unmoving.
I heard Dehn’s battle cry at almost the same moment and several of the soldiers charged forward, with Dehn in the lead. They were met by a small group of elementalists who had sided with Maderel. The soldiers fou
nd themselves fighting against fireballs and a golem, but they kept moving forward. Augustine’s own elementalists joined the fray, and I caught a glimpse of Emeline as she launched a series of fireball attacks.
I launched my own attack against the shield that protected Maderel as he worked his next spell. The collision of my mana against the shield boomed across the field and for a moment, the shield was visible to the naked eye. Several of the archers took advantage and launched another array of arrows as the cracks became visible. I ducked as I heard several whiz by my head and then several of the mages howled in pain as the projectiles found their mark.
Maderel paid no attention to the rest of his army. He was focused on Deneth, and he let loose another spell. I could see that Yvaine and several soldiers had darted forward and were trying to move Pepin, Governor Wallace and the rest of the civilians out of the way while Deneth held her shield in place. But Maderel’s next spell slammed into Deneth’s shield and a crackling sound filled the air. Maderel’s spell reminded me of green slime. It spread across the surface of Deneth’s shield and then slowly started to dissolve it. I could see Deneth was sweating with the effort to maintain the shield but the civilians were moving too slowly. She would lose the shield before they were safely away.
“Maruk!” I called out as I attacked the mage army’s shield again. “Help Yvaine before Deneth loses the shield. Carry those people out of here if you have to.”
Maruk didn’t respond, he simply took off running towards the frightened group. Several of the mages took aim at him, but he had his shields up in time and their spells bounced harmlessly off the duranium. I saw him scoop up Pepin’s mother and another elderly woman and high tail it towards a sheltered spot that General Barcus was using as a command post.
Deneth’s shield collapsed and Maderel sent a fireball straight at the High Mage. I threw up my own shield around Deneth and Maderel’s mage fire set it ablaze. Yvaine and another soldier grabbed the High Mage and pulled her away from the flames, but a thick black smoke began to seep across the area, and I saw more than one mage and soldier start coughing.