“I do,” the paladin said firmly.
“What about Captain Martelli?” Simon asked. “She's not a magic-user but she commands the crew of the Defiant, does she not?”
“She does,” Malcolm spoke up.
He sat up in his chair and it squealed in protest.
“But the captain feels much the same about this situation as Tamara and the other mages do.” He waited a beat. “Aiden and I agree with them.”
Simon looked over at Aiden, who nodded silently.
“So how many people, in total, want to leave Kingstone and seek the sun?” the wizard asked all of them.
Tamara quickly tapped a count on the table with her fingers.
“I'd say about fifty or so,” she answered. “Of course some people waffle back and forth; wanting to leave one day and stay the next, but fifty is close enough.”
“Out of how many total refugees?”
“Around five hundred, give or take,” Sebastian said. “We haven't done a head count, but the dwarves tell us that our numbers have almost reached that amount.”
“Wow,” Simon said. “Five hundred people. I remember when a regular high school would hold a thousand kids or more. Now five hundred sounds like a lot of us.”
Tamara's laugh was tinged with bitterness.
“I said something similar to the king when we first arrived. We're an endangered species, my friend; but if we are going to go out, then damn it, I say we go out swinging.”
She seemed to catch Liliana's head shake out of the corner of her eye and stared at her.
“You disagree?”
The paladin stood up and stepped away from the table. There was a large painting hanging on the wall showing a panoramic view of a battlefield; dwarves and monsters of some kind were locked in fierce combat; and Liliana walked over to stare up at it.
“I don't disagree with wanting to leave here,” she replied absently while examining the battle scene. “But I for one do not intend to 'go out swinging'. We need to win the battle against the darkness, not be engulfed by it and destroyed.”
She turned around and looked at everyone in turn, finishing with Simon.
“We need a plan of action, not empty rhetoric. Does anybody have one?”
The room became quiet and each of them stared at the others, waiting for someone to answer. No one seemed willing to speak up.
“Yes, I think we do.”
Startled, Simon turned toward the doorway just in time to see two robed women enter the room. It took him a moment to recognize them.
“Veronique! Hello,” he said as he quickly stood up. “And Sylvie. It's great to see you both.”
“I wish I could say the same,” Sylvie replied with the merest hint of smile.
She was gently holding on to her sister's arm with one hand and seemed to looking from one person to the next.
The sisters were both delicate with pale complexions and large expressive eyes. Veronique kept her black hair cut short. She wore a deep blue robe with a pale yellow mantle on top of it.
Sylvie's hair was reddish-blond and it fell below her shoulders. She was wearing a simple, light red robe. Neither one wore any jewelry.
Simon chuckled at the mage's dry humor. Sylvie was blind and had been from birth, but her blue eyes looked straight into the wizard's as if she could see into his soul.
“So, did someone say they wanted a plan of action?” Veronique asked. “Because if you do, I believe that my sister and I have an idea.”
Chapter 17
Malcolm and Aiden had been quick to offer chairs to Veronique and Sylvie. And while they were being seated, several men and women that Simon didn't recognize arrived with jugs of cold water and tall glasses. One of the men said that food was also being prepared.
“We appreciate that, Jackson,” Tamara said to the man. “But please don't go to any trouble on our account.”
Jackson, a young, pleasant-looking fellow with hair as bright as a freshly-peeled carrot, grinned at her.
“No trouble at all. Actually Deborah, I mean Captain Martelli, insisted on it when she heard about the meeting.”
He looked around cautiously and then lowered his voice. Everyone could still hear him though, which seemed to be his intention.
“She's just woken up and went on a bit of a tear when she heard that you were meeting without her. She'll be over soon, so consider yourselves forewarned.”
Tamara laughed and thanked him, and everyone watched him and the other helpers leave.
“Jackson's a bit of a drama queen,” she said as she spotted Simon's confused expression. “I guarantee you that Deb said no such thing.”
The wizard chuckled at the information.
“Well, I do remember her being bold in her opinions, but not quite that volatile,” he agreed.
Veronique had filled a glass of water for her sister and now Sylvie held in both hands, staring down at it as if scrying. If Simon hadn't known that she was completely blind, he was have thought that she was seeing something in the clear liquid.
“We have been doing a great deal of thinking lately,” the woman said without preamble. “Ever since we arrived in this sanctuary, actually. While we are grateful beyond words to our dwarven hosts, we believe that humanity was never meant to live underground for an extended period.”
Simon had forgotten how melodious her voice was, and her Parisian accent made it even more pleasant. He could have listened to her all day.
“And for myself,” she continued, “this city is less of a refuge and more of a prison. I know that I should be more grateful; after all, both my sister and my people have survived against all odds, thanks to the dwarves. But,” she put down her glass and clenched her hands into fists, “I find myself becoming more and more angry by the day. This cannot continue, at least not for me.”
“I don't understand, Sylvie,” Liliana said as she looked from one sister to the other. “Why is this place so hard on you?”
The mage sipped on her water and remained silent. Veronique patted her arm reassuringly.
“My sister,” she said quietly, “is blind, as I am sure you all know. When we were Changed, she was given a gift from the gods. Or at least that is the way we see it. Not only were we both given the ability to use magic, but Sylvie found a way to use the magic to see, for the first time in her life.”
She squeezed her sister's arm and the blind woman smiled at the gesture.
“I do not see as the rest of you do, apparently,” Sylvie explained. “But it is sight, nevertheless. And when it happened, I rejoiced. Finally I was able to do all of the things that my sister and the rest of you sighted people could do. It was a revelation.”
She paused and drained her glass. Then she set it down and folded her hands.
“But down here, that gift has disappeared. Without access to the magical power that fills our world above, I am as blind as the day I was born. Not only that, but I do not even have enough power to help others. Now all that I can do is create my worthless paintings and be a burden to others.”
The entire group was quick to disagree with the woman's assertion. Above the general babble, Tamara stood up and pounded on the table to get everyone's attention.
“Be quiet, please. Sylvie, you are not a burden, to any of us. And I am sure that your sister agrees.”
“And I have seen your paintings,” Simon added loudly. “They are magnificent. If all you ever did was add beauty to the world, that in itself would be a worthwhile contribution.”
Sylvie turned her head toward him and the wizard was once again struck by how she could catch his eyes with her own, even though she couldn't see him.
“Thank you, Simon. That is a lovely sentiment. And Tammy as well. But whether that is true or not is irrelevant. I am a mage in this new world of ours. And I believe that I was chosen for a reason, that we all were. And it is not to huddle down here in the deep while evil roams freely above us and destroys what is left of the Earth. We must fight back and we must do
it soon. The longer we wait, the more entrenched our enemies will become.”
Tamara sat down again and leaned on her forearms.
“Easier said than done,” she stated. “I don't disagree, but what can we do? How can we strike back? There are less than a dozen mages down here. Plus one paladin and,” she glanced at Simon with a quick smile, “a wizard. We aren't exactly loaded down with magical weapons.”
“Bah,” Malcolm interjected. “Simon is worth a hundred necromancers just by himself. And don't forget Aiden and me in your calculations. I'd say that a pair of warriors whose infected blood heals them almost instantly is worth something. It's not all about spells and incantations, you know.”
“Agreed,” Liliana spoke up, her silver armor flashing as she gestured. “I do not cast spells either. The gods aid me, if they are in the mood, but all that I can truly offer in a fight is my strong arm and battle prowess, just like Malcolm and Aiden.”
“I know. Sorry, guys,” Tamara said ruefully. “I know how valuable you are. So tell me, Sylvie, what can this small group really do against the lords of Chaos. You ladies said that you had a plan?”
“We do, yes,” Veronique said firmly.
She stood up and walked around to the end of the table closest to the door, giving her sister's shoulder a gentle pat as she moved past.
When she was sure that everyone was watching her, Veronique clasped her hands behind her back and began to speak.
“You haven't mentioned another group that could help us in our conflict with the forces of evil, Tamara,” she said.
Tamara frowned and looked around.
“Another group? Who? The dwarves?”
“No, not them. They have done enough for us and besides, the dwarves have their own battles to fight. We can't expect them to fight ours for us.”
“I agree,” Liliana muttered sternly. “We must stand on our own feet now.”
“Then who are you talking about?” Sebastian asked curiously.
“The Fabulous Four, of course,” Sylvie said with a broad smile. “At least, that is what some of our younger people have called them in the past.”
“You mean Virginia and her friends?” Simon asked, suddenly realizing who the woman might be referring to.
“Exactly. Virginia, Anna, Eric and Gerard. Four Changlings who together wield considerable power.”
“Yes, that's true,” Tamara said thoughtfully. “Sorry, you're right; I did forget to include them. I'm just so used to them doing things the mundane way that I forget what they can do together.”
“Many people do,” Sylvie said. “I myself never had an opportunity to see them in action, but I've been told about their collective powers and what they can do as a unit. We'll need them if our plan is to succeed.”
Aiden tapped on the table and everyone looked at him.
“Sorry to interrupt but what about them is so special? I mean, both Malcolm and I are very fond of the four of them, but they aren't warriors and seem to have no real taste for combat.”
“At the risk of sounding harsh, their 'taste' for battle is irrelevant,” Veronique said rather coldly. “We are talking about saving the remnants of our species here and everyone who can help will have to step up if we all want to survive.”
The room became quiet at her comment and the group seemed suddenly thoughtful.
“Okay then,” Liliana spoke up, breaking the silence. “What exactly do you need that quartet to do?”
Sylvie stood up and slowly made her way to the end of the table to join her sister. She touched one chair after another as a guide and everyone watched and waited silently until she had reached her destination.
Veronique took her hand and squeezed it while her sister delicately touched the tabletop with her free hand and seemed to look at all of them.
“We need them for the one talent that they have that no other magic-user in the world has, that we know of. We need them because they can cast an Invisibility spell.”
The group of workers led by Jackson returned soon after Sylvie had finished explaining what she and her sister had planned. They brought trays loaded with sandwiches, soup and pots of tea to the meeting and it gave everyone an excuse to take a welcome break.
The members of the meeting got up and served themselves and then sat down in small groups to talk.
“So what do you think?” Malcolm asked Simon in what was, for him, a subdued tone of voice.
He and Aiden had joined the wizard at the far end of the table, away from the others.
“Think?”
Simon chewed reflectively on a sandwich loaded with meat and cheese and then washed it down with a sip of tea.
“I think that their plan is bold and, on some levels, insane.”
He grinned at the warriors.
“I like it.”
Both big men burst out laughing and Malcolm almost slapped Simon on the back again.
“Uh-uh!” the wizard said as he held up a hand. “I don't need any broken bones just now, thanks.”
“Malcolm, you ox,” Aiden growled. “Think before you act. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
“Sorry Simon,” the big man mumbled. “I forgot. And why do you think I keep you around?” he added to his partner. “To remind me of these things, of course.”
“I'm pretty sure that's not the only reason you keep him around,” Simon said slyly and then chuckled as Malcolm became tongue-tied.
Aiden burst out laughing as well but quickly grew somber again.
“They're suggesting a frontal assault on what is probably their main stronghold?” he said with a shake of his head. “I know that you were joking a bit, Simon, but that truly does sound crazy.”
“Crazy like a fox,” Malcolm told him. “If nothing else, we would definitely have the elemental of surprise on our side.”
“For a very short time. But then what?”
Simon finished eating and looked down the table at the others. The two sisters were sitting apart from everyone else, speaking quietly. Neither had eaten anything and both seemed even paler after they had finished presenting their proposal.
Tamara and Sebastian were seated near the center of the table speaking with Liliana and Captain Martelli, who had arrived with the servers. Apparently she had been brought up to speed on the plan and now was speaking intently with the others, frowning as she tapped the table with her forefinger, making some sort of point.
“That's the whole reason for wanting to use the powers of Virginia and her friends,” Simon said to Aiden. “If a group could approach invisibly and take the guards by surprise, we could be inside before an alarm was sounded. It would definitely give us a strategic advantage.”
“For how long though?” Malcolm wondered as he traced patterns absently on the tabletop with his fingertip. “And would it be enough? There is no way to know how many enemies are in there, where they are and, more importantly, what they are. Monsters? Spell-casters? Demons? Who the hell knows? Ignorance of an enemy's strength is a bad way to start a battle, my friend.”
Simon became quiet and thought about the proposal. The sisters believed that the ruins of Nottinghill Castle and the tower that had been erected there was where they would find the leaders of the armies of undead roaming the Earth; possibly even the master necromancer who was leading the entire thing. When someone had asked why they assumed that one person was in command of all of the forces, Veronique had been the one to answer.
“It's sound military thinking,” she'd said. “Too many cooks spoil the broth, I believe is the old saying. If you do not focus command through one ultimate leader, your efforts become scattered, wasted. And that can often lead to chaos and disorder. No, my sister and I believe that only one person runs the show; in the name of the dark gods, of course.”
“She was right, you know,” Aiden said suddenly.
Simon looked at him in surprise.
“Who was right?” he asked.
“Veronique. I don't know if she had any for
mal military training back in her previous life, but my Change has given me a grasp of tactics and the efficient use of troops that I never had in the old days. And she's right. Any army needs a leader, a single focus. The question is, is that leader holed up inside that misshapen tower?”
“Funny,” the wizard said. “I was thinking the same thing. And I'm trying to think of good arguments as to why that person couldn't be in there.”
Malcolm looked at him quizzically.
“Why? Don't you want to find him or her?”
“Of course I do, but you saw the tower, didn't you? Tamara said that all of you had gotten a good look at it thanks to the dwarves' technology.”
The big man scowled and nodded.
“Yes, the king was good enough to take us to their communications hub. Amazing place, by the way. Reminded me of an old-style television studio. Except that, apparently, their devices are run by magic, not electricity. Somehow they've managed to send a probe to the surface far enough away from the tower to be undetected by our enemies. It's a horrible place.”
“I know. I saw it using the Magic Mirror spell. My point is that the tower is huge. It must be thirty or forty stories high. How many levels will we have to climb to reach the top, the logical place for their leader to be waiting? Do we have enough power to make it? And if we do, what kind of shape will we be in when we get there? Because I guarantee you, that person, whoever they are, has to be incredibly powerful.”
“Not too powerful for you, sir wizard,” Malcolm stated confidently. “A man who can take down a dragon will be more than a match for some scummy necromancer.”
Aiden elbowed his partner hard in the midriff and Malcolm grunted in surprise.
“You'll have to excuse him,” Aiden said to Simon. “He still thinks we're living in some sort of fairy tale, instead of a world where life and death often hang by a thread.”
Tales from the New Earth: Volume Two Page 101