“What sort of welcome is that?” Emily recognized Paul’s voice immediately.
“I thought we’d lost you!” She yelled as she run up and hugged him tightly.
“A reasonable fear, the dragons are all but running the show back on Canai. They may not have as much land, men, or sway as the Holy Order, but they are growing in strength with each day. The dragon’s mindmeld is a hard thing to resist. Melissa has not been herself for weeks. Rolin caters to the dragon King’s whims. James and Janessa seem to be holding out, but the meld has changed them. It changes all of us. The will of a dragon is hard to overpower,” Paul looked up at Argos as he spoke.
“This one is strong-willed, I like that. He can bring about change to the dragons. Your friends will be back to who they are once the dragon King is dethroned,” the dragon spoke in almost a whisper even though he was still atop the wall.
“How many of the others survived?” Paul asked.
“I’ve only heard from Thanos. Cormac was missing long before the dragons arrived. Ector was leading the elves against their enemies. For all I know, they could both be dead,” Emily replied.
“I suspected that one of them was still alive. The dragons have been searching, perhaps not even for Thanos. They are searching for something or someone, not even Argos knows. They went east across the water.”
“They must be headed for the Valorian Isles. I doubt Thanos would retreat that far, he should be warned if they return.”
“You will have to warn him. Argos says that the dragon King has some sway over each dragon’s mindmeld. I would hate for him to know I was warning Thanos. Normal conversations like this would fall beneath his detection, but using magic to communicate would be more than enough to draw his attention. I will inform you when the riders return to the mainland.”
“Riders? They’ve recruited more Wizards to their numbers?”
“Not all of them are Wizards, but yes, they’ve been recruiting magic users.”
*
Gareth stood in the middle of the great hall in Oakglen. It was a large circular room with a giant table that was almost an entire circle around. The heads of each important group in the elven societies had a place at the table along with several spots for guests. There was another smaller round table near the center of the room with a few chairs around it. The hall was used for all manner of meetings and the table near the center was used when planned for war. Now, Gareth stood at the table near the center as he presented his case to those gathered. It had been over a decade since all the spots at the outer table were filled for any one individual event. The former Grand Crusader knew well the weight of what he was proposing. As was customary, the gathering had just finished introducing themselves to one another. Gareth took a deep breath before he addressed the assembly.
“As you all know, war is at our doorstep. Sev and Ector are away helping our allies, but it is only a matter of time before we incur the wrath of the dragons or the Holy Order. We have few allies to turn to and we must solidify what land we have. What I am about to propose will not be popular for some of you, but it might be necessary. It is my opinion that we form a war council. With every respect for the Elven Council and the Druid Council, I contend that neither is suited for what we are up against. I know better than anyone the danger posed by the Holy Order. If they are cautious in dealing with the dragons, then we are truly in a tough place,” Gareth paused so that he could gauge the reaction of those gathered.
“I move to second this proposal,” Kervos, an elven General, said.
“It will tear our society apart!” Miriel shouted.
“What other choice do we have?” Gareth asked.
The room erupted into chaos when he asked the question. Gareth slumped into one of the chairs at the inner table. It seemed as though each representative had a slightly different opinion on the situation, none of which seemed to take into account the fact that the Holy Order was far more powerful than the elves, dwarves, halflings, Druids, and Rangers combined. He sighed as he listened to the quarreling factions. Leniya shrugged and gave him a sympathetic look. That’s one person on my side, he thought as he looked from her to the rest of the room. He stood up and slammed his palm against the table. It wasn’t so much out of frustration as it was to draw their attention. The former Grand Crusader would not allow things to spiral out of control so easily. He cleared his throat and waited for the others to stop bickering.
“Look at us. We can’t even discuss the matter like civilized beings. If we can’t come together on this issue, then we stand no chance of survival. This is not like fighting the trolls or the orcs. The Holy Order is organized and ruthless. I don’t even want to think about the power the dragons have at their disposal. They got the Wizards to bend their knee. That is no simple task,” Gareth nodded as he looked about the room.
He would have them see logic if it was the last thing he did. His days working alongside Grand Cleric Bartholomew had helped to shape him into a better leader. People with differing opinions had to be approached individually so that you could discuss the matter with them. If he could convince them a civil discussion was the correct approach, he could slowly bring them around to his position. He had to evaluate General Kervos and ascertain whether the man would be an asset to his plan. Gareth watched as those gathered began to discuss the matter. It was a small victory, but a necessary one. He knew it was a lot to ask to change the way their society ran things, but a war council would be necessary for the coming war. If Gareth’s suspicions were correct, it would be a war that was on par with those from decades past.
*
Janessa gripped the reins tighter as her dragon picked up speed. Unlike the other dragons, water dragons could survive in both the air and the water. Kimeth pulled back her wings flat against her body and plunged into the sea. Her rider used magic to create a bubble of air for breathing. Water dragons were faster in the sea than on land or in the air. Their wings flattened against their back to limit the resistance when traveling underwater. Water dragons used their tails for propulsion and their legs for steering. Janessa patted Kimeth on the neck to let her know she wanted to surface. The dragon swung up and out of the water, releasing her wings and propelling herself into the air. Janessa had to hold on tighter to keep from falling off. She sometimes wondered if the magnificent beast did it on purpose. It was something she would have to address another time. Sir Tarick and his men were waiting for her not far from the port town of Gullwind
Kimeth surged up into the air before swooping down and landing several feet from the small group of would-be rebels. Sir Tarick stood his ground as the others backed away slowly. Intimidation won’t work, Janessa thought as she looked at her uncle. The grizzled veteran shook his head as he called the others back in line. He was their leader, not her. Seeing him like this only made her feel foolish to have taken on the title of Queen. The outer island inhabitants were hardened by the numerous and disruptive pirate raids. In a way, their victories had kept the raiders away from the main island. She slid off the back of her dragon and started walking toward the group. Her uncle was far older than she remembered. His beard was now fully gray and his hair was thinning. She felt a tinge of guilt about not visiting him and his wife more often. It was at that point that she realized her aunt was not among those gathered. She called out to them first.
“Uncle Tarick, I have been too long in visiting,” she did her best to sound friendly, a strange and difficult concept for her.
“Nonsense, my Queen,” his words more an insult than anything else.
“How did you know I would come?” She asked.
“I didn’t. There was no telling how this dragon had changed you, I only hoped that there was something of my niece left in there. How much is left?”
“Enough to make my own choices. I had no choice in accepting a truce with the dragons, we couldn’t have survived an onslaught from them. Kimeth is not some weak lackey of the dragon King. She is strong, perhaps even strong enough to challenge t
he King.”
“This is better than I expected, but I don’t know that it is enough. We’ve been taxed beyond what we can afford.”
“Who has been taxing you?” Janessa asked, anger welling up inside of her.
“The dragons, of course. Have they not been asking the same of you?”
“They have, but they told me that I was to collect tax from my people and give a portion to them. I had no idea they were collecting taxes on top of that. This must stop immediately.”
“I suppose this means we aren’t pushing for independence anymore,” one of the others said.
“It means we are all pushing for independence,” Janessa answered with a growl.
*
Ector swirled his staff in the air, causing a massive tornado of flames to appear above his head. He thrust his staff forward, and the tornado jumped at the orcish army. Screams echoed throughout the caves as the elves and dwarves rushed their enemy. The flames died down before Ector’s men joined the fight. It is Sev’s turn to take the fight to the enemy, he thought as he took in a deep breath. Though a powerful magician, Ector needed a rest after creating the flame tornado and shielding his men’s eyes from the brightness. Two powerful spells at the same time would be taxing for most Wizards that Ector knew, but he had little choice. An army that could not see could not fight. Ector watched as Sev waded into the thick of the battle. If he knew the half-elf as well as he thought he did, Sev would be aiming to deal a blow to the orc’s leader.
The dwarves from the castle on the far side of the vast cavern began to pour out and join the fray. It worried Ector, but his attention was quickly drawn away from the dwarves. Sev was completely surrounded by the orcs and their goblin allies. Somehow, the half-elf had broken off from his band of Rangers. The Wizard spurred his horse forward to see if he could assist. Much to his surprise, Sev’s forward progress through the enemy army was not slowing. He watched in awe as the Ranger carved a path through his enemies. At first, the orcs had been fast enough to plug up the holes left by the dead. However, as the fight went on, Sev began moving too fast for the orcs and goblins to counter his progress. Ector had never seen anything like it. He watched in disbelief as the half-elf descended on, and quickly dispatched, the orc leader. To his knowledge, such a thing was not possible without the use of magic. I must find out if he has potential as a Wizard, Ector thought as he spurred his horse forward. The death of the orc chief signaled the beginning of the defeat for the orcs.
There was a short period of intense fighting as Ector entered the fray. He added his magic to the assault and the slight advantage held by his men only increased. Sev had turned his sights on the goblin leader and more dwarves had joined the fight. The Archwizard rounded up his men as the enemy was beginning to retreat. No need to add to the casualties, he thought as he continued bringing his men together. The dwarves had joined together into a large force just outside the castle gates. Elves and Rangers were mopping up the retreating troops with their arrows. Sev stood in the middle of the battlefield, where the fighting had been the thickest, breathing heavily. He was leaning on one of the nearby Rangers. This seemed to tie in with the possibility of the half-elf being able to use magic. As Ector knew well, magic usage drained the user more than any physical exertion. He had heard the stories of Sev’s prowess, but he had never considered that the Ranger could be using magic to augment his abilities.
“Are you well, my friend?” Ector asked.
“A bit weary, I may have been overzealous in my assault,” Sev replied as he took his hand off the other Ranger’s shoulder.
“It may be more than that. When you have the time, come see me and we will discuss the matter.”
“I just need to pace myself next time.”
“There is more to it than that, trust me. You show weariness like one who has pushed too far when using magic.”
Sev frowned ever so slightly as he looked at Ector. The Archwizard wished he knew what the other was thinking. Their friendship was a strange one. At times, Ector felt more the mentor than friend. The Ranger was young, but knowledgeable in many areas, including some that the Wizard knew little of. It was those times that made Ector feel like the mentee, a role he did not often enjoy taking on. Perhaps I should go easier on him, the Wizard thought as he pondered the situation. Sev had never complained when treated as a student. That only served to drive more guilt into Ector. He nodded to the Ranger and told himself he would do his best to help the half-elf. Now was hardly the time to focus on the issue. Borfin was already talking to the remaining dwarven Kings. Ector and Sev both moved to join them.
The Wizard counted three Kings and no Patriarch. Worse than I expected, the elf thought as he joined them. He recognized Orlin and Deleon, but the third King was unknown to him. Grief washed over Ector when he realized that Cormac’s cousin was not among the living. He was unsure if it was grief over Thralin, those who had died in battle that day, or the fact that the length of Cormac’s absence all but solidified the rumors of his death. The campaign against the orcs had provided enough distraction for him to forget that he knew little of what had happened to the other Wizards. He had heard numerous rumors about each of his former colleagues, but had not been able to confirm any of them. It would be an important task to complete before they could move on.
“We have the elves to thank as well,” Borfin said as Ector and Sev approached.
“So I see,” Orlin replied.
“Much appreciated,” Deleon said.
“Though we are happy to assist, there was some necessity in it. The surface world is not what it once was. We seek an alliance with the dwarves.”
*
The Holy Order scouts returned with a report of the location of the ogre encampment. Serith listened intently as they delivered their report. The encampment only had one way in or out and there were two ogres standing guard. Though the scouts were unable to infiltrate the camp itself, they were able to estimate that there were around one hundred ogres inside. The Crusader looked out over the troops that were gathered, contemplating the best way to assault the encampment. Only five of the Holy Order soldiers were uninjured. Out of those that were injured, ten were combat ready. The Barbarians had seven soldiers that were ready to fight. Even if she were able to kill twenty-five of the ogres, her troops would be greatly outnumbered. Their previous fights had been won by numbers and by the fact that the ogres had been completely unorganized. With so many ogres in such a confined space, there was no chance that they would be as slow to enter combat as those they faced before.
“There is no other way into the camp?” She asked.
“There is a large snowbank on one side of the wall, but it would be impossible to get all of our soldiers in before being spotted,” one of the scouts answered.
“I will go alone. Be on the lookout for flames and smoke.”
“You mean to set fire to their camp?”
“Yes, hopefully it will drive them out into our trap. I want you to take all those who are able to fight and set up stakes in the ground for them to charge into. Stay out of combat as much as possible until the stakes have done their damage. Our best chance to win this is with tactics and fear.”
She didn’t wait for the soldiers to acknowledge her order. Her attention was fully on the task ahead. The ogre encampment wasn’t far from their current position, but the weather made it impossible to see from that distance. When the camp did come into view, the two ogres standing guard almost looked small next to the fifteen-foot walls. Serith quickened her pace as she angled toward the side of the encampment. She made it to the snowbank, but it was only five feet at its highest point. Her armor was far too heavy to allow her to jump and grab onto something ten feet up. She dropped her pack and pulled out two hunting knives. Without the extra weight, she was able to use the knives and her own leg strength to slowly scale the outside of the wall. She slid over the top of the wall and landed on one of the buildings. Her arms ached as she crawled along the top of the building. It w
as the second largest building in the camp and would serve well as the starting point for the fire. She edged back to the spot where the building and the wall connected.
Using her knives, she carved out small pockets in the side of the wall. The ogres went about their business, oblivious of the enemy in the midst of their camp. She continued to make holes and even made several in the sides of the building as well. The wood at the center of each wall stake was dry enough for her to attempt a fire. She cut out several long strips and began rubbing them together. They sparked and caught fire several times, but it didn’t last long enough to start a fire on the building or the wall. She cut strips of cloth from her tabard and began stuffing them into the holes she had made. The pieces of wood sparked as she rubbed them furiously. Once again, there was not enough material to start a real fire. She peered down from the building, trying to find anything that could help her start the fire. The ogres had two giant barrels full of some kind of foul smelling liquid.
She waited for them to refill several pitchers before she dropped down and drenched what little was left of her tabard in the liquid. After climbing back on top of the building, she stuffed the strips of cloth into the holes and tried to start the fire once again. It took several minutes and the majority of the cloth to start a small fire. She speared one of the flaming cloths with her knife and tossed it at the barrel. The fumes from the ogres drink of choice lit and the fire slowly began to spread. She remained on the roof to watch and ensure that none of the ogres tried to put it out. The entire side of the building where the barrels were located was catching fire before the ogres noticed. Serith slipped over the wall and landed in the large pile of snow. She groaned as she slowly pushed her way out of the snowbank. The screams from the other side of the encampment told her that the plan had worked. She grabbed her pack and ran as fast as she could toward the entrance of the camp.
The Tomes Of Magic Page 9