“At least part of it,” said Kazin.
Mara raised her eyebrows.
“It’s a long story,” said Milena.
“Then I suggest we discuss that later,” said Mara. “First we’ll deal with the orb.” The grey head mage turned and chanted a spell. Immediately a pedestal containing an orb materialized in the middle of the room.
Mara looked back at them with a smug expression. Apparently she was pleased with herself for casting such an intricate spell. Milena and Kazin exchanged glances.
“It’s all yours,” said Mara.
Kazin nodded and glanced at the druid. “You ready?”
“For a long time now,” answered Milena.
The druid and black mage cast their spells for nearly ten minutes. Then they signalled one another and simultaneously cancelled the spell. The orb continued to shimmer.
“All done already?” asked Mara, who had stood silently in the background until now. This magic was beyond her own abilities, and judging by her expression, she was surprised to see the orb charged so quickly. She had probably seen it done by others, but none had the power of the black mage or druid.
“Yes,” said Milena. “Now Kazin must cast a spell on it so our communication with the other towers cannot be overheard. He must also cast a spell on us so we will understand what is being said via the orb.”
Mara nodded. “It will be good to have use of the orb once again. Pigeons are so impractical.”
Kazin finished with the orb and cast the secret communication spell on Milena and Mara. When that was finished, he gestured to the orb. “You can contact the Tower of Sorcery now, Mara.”
Mara stood before the orb and opened contact with the Tower of Sorcery.
A moment later Krendal’s face appeared.
“Ah, Mara!” said Krendal. “I see your orb is working once again!”
“Hello, Krendal,” responded Mara, with the first pleasant smile the two younger mages had seen from her. “It’s good to see you again.” The smile vanished. “It certainly took long enough to send some mages to recharge our orb.”
“The first mage was ambushed,” said Krendal. “I sent a second mage to complete the task, and though he’s a few days behind schedule, I see he got the job done. I sent a message explaining all this via a pigeon. Haven’t you received it?”
“No,” said Mara. “We haven’t heard from you for a couple of weeks.”
“The pigeons must have been intercepted,” mused Krendal, scratching his beard. Then he brightened. “No matter. The message was encoded, and even if it was deciphered, it won’t amount to much. It doesn’t say anything too important.”
“How soon can we expect more of our mages back?” asked Mara. “There is much work to be done here, and there aren’t enough people among the mages we have left to deal with it all. The training classes are crawling along at a snail’s pace. If we don’t speed things up a little, there may be no graduates by fall graduation.”
“Sorry,” said Krendal. “The situation here is dire.” He paused. “Is Kazin with you? I’d like him to listen in on this.”
Kazin and Milena stepped forward. “I’m here,” said Kazin.
“Hello, Kazin,” said Krendal. He looked at Milena and his eyebrows rose. “Who is the druid? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of being introduced.”
“She’s just the one sent to aid in the recharging of the orb,” answered Mara a little too quickly.
Milena glanced at the head grey mage in surprise. She was jealous!
“What’s your name?” asked Krendal.
“I’m Milena,” answered Milena shyly. It was the first time she had been allowed to speak with the renowned arch mage.
“Hello, Milena,” said Krendal. “As you know, I’m Arch Mage Krendal. How is it that you are a druid? I thought Malachi sent a cleric with Kazin.”
Milena cast a cautious glance at Kazin. “I was a cleric when I left the Tower of Hope. After a set of unusual circumstances, I was promoted to a druid in the Tower of the Moon.”
There was a gasp from Mara.
“It’s a long story,” finished Milena.
Krendal smiled. “So there is a Tower of the Moon after all. Are you permitted to tell us where it is, Milena?”
“No,” stated Milena flatly. She gave Kazin a warning glance.
“It would be impossible to explain anyway,” said Kazin.
Milena relaxed.
“We encountered the tower after we found the Sword of Dead,” continued Kazin.
Krendal sat up as Mara gasped again.
“Where is it?” asked Krendal softly.
“Sherman—my body guard has it,” said Kazin. “He’s waiting with the others of the company in a waiting room below.”
“You mean the dwarf and minotaur?” asked Krendal.
Mara gasped in shock again and put a hand to her throat.
“Yes, as well as the sailor and elf,” said Kazin with a scarcely concealed grin.
Krendal stared. Then he laughed. “I should have expected this from you, Kazin. By the time you get back to the Tower of Sorcery, you’ll have an army of your own!”
“There’s a minotaur in the tower?” whispered Mara weakly. “How?”
“It’s quite all right,” said Krendal, noting the grey mage’s concern. “This minotaur is not a threat. Just ask Kazin. He’s travelled with him for over a week.”
Mara smiled weakly at Kazin.
“I’ve concealed his identity,” said Kazin. “He will not harm you unless provoked.”
“He is honourable,” added Milena quickly.
“There you go,” said Krendal. “Even a druid trusts him. What better voice of support can a minotaur have? Nevertheless, I will need you to keep what you’ve just learned to yourself, Mara. It would not do for the mage guild to be known to ally itself with minotaurs openly.”
Mara gulped and nodded. “You have my word.”
“Well then,” said Krendal, scratching his long grey beard vigorously. “Where was I? Oh, yes. All the grey, black, and white mages from your area are desperately needed in the battle at the Tower of Strength. Recently, a major fleet rammed its way through the minotaur blockade to lend support to the northern cause. There were lizardmages aboard the minotaur ships, and they caused severe havoc with our own forces, but our brave mages and soldiers prevailed. Many ships and men were lost in the vicious sea battle, and the minotaur fleet is still strong, but by a stroke of luck my messenger has made it to the Tower of Strength and enabled the secret communication code on the tower’s orb.
“It turns out war is in full swing. The additional forces arrived just in time to prevent the minotaurs from breaching the tower’s outer battlements. In fact, they succeeded in driving the minotaurs several miles back into their own territory. Unfortunately this was not enough to end the bloodshed. Scouts report that the minotaurs are reassembling their forces and preparing to go on the offensive once again. Unconfirmed reports state the arrival of orcs, goblins, and zombies from the mountains. With this extra support, and the assistance of the lizardmages, our forces are in danger of being overrun. Another fleet maneuver is expected any day now, but it may not be enough. We could use the dwarves’ help, but they’re bottled up in the mountains. No one can get through to ask for help.”
“That’s not very encouraging,” said Kazin.
“That’s why I’m sending you to speak with the elves,” said Krendal. “Help from anywhere would be an asset.”
Kazin considered a moment. Then he shook his head slowly. “I believe I can get the elves to act, but they might not act as you might want.”
“What do you mean?” asked Krendal.
Kazin sighed. “Apparently, there’s a local threat that seems to be infringing on the edges of elven terr
itory. I don’t know if it’s related to our own troubles, but it seems to be growing. A couple of days ago I ran into some goblins in the elven woods. The elf in my party claims that such occurrences are on the rise. If so, the elves are bound to put their own lands in order before helping us out.”
“Kazin’s right about the unusual occurrences,” put in Mara. “Strange lights have been observed in the Five Fingers Mountains. Not only that, but several mages claim to have run into cloaked figures promising untold magical strength and abilities. Some grey mages have even left never to return. That’s one reason everything is in a state of disarray here.”
Krendal muttered under his breath. “Do you think it’s really a serious problem down there, Kazin?”
“I don’t know,” said Kazin. “I haven’t been here long enough to know. Why?”
“I’m not sure,” said Krendal slowly. “I’m just wary of an attack from the south at this time. We lack the manpower to confront such a threat. I almost get the impression that it is a diversion from our battle to the north. Worse still, I get the feeling that the battle to the north is part of something bigger still. While we are fighting on two fronts, something big will happen and we won’t be ready to deal with it because we are spread too thin. I’ve put the Tower of Hope on full alert. I suggest you do the same, Mara. I wouldn’t underestimate those incidents you’ve mentioned.”
“I agree,” said Mara. “I’ll prepare my people, not that there are many of us.”
“You said you could get the elves to act, Kazin,” said Krendal. “How do you plan to do that? Making the elves do anything is a daunting task.”
“My familiar will help with that,” said Kazin.
“Familiar, eh?” said Krendal. “Is there anyone else you want to tell me about?”
“That’s all,” said Kazin. “My group consists of eight.”
“Eight is the magic number in the page of the Book of Prophesy you have,” said Krendal. “Which reminds me—did you get the book?”
“Not yet,” said Kazin. “I haven’t had time.”
“As soon as you get your hands on it, report back to me,” said Krendal. “There are some pages I’d like you to read to me before you leave the tower.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Kazin.
“As for your journey into the elven territory, Mara can give you and your ever expanding company the supplies you’ll need. And see if you can get aid up to the north. We really need it.”
“Yes, Sir,” repeated Kazin.
Krendal turned to the druid. “Milena, I take it you are no longer serving the Tower of Hope?”
“That’s right,” said Milena. “But I will return there to present an offer to Malachi that I think he will accept.”
“Would you like to use the orb to contact him?” asked Krendal.
“No,” said Milena. “I prefer to talk to him in person.”
“What will you do now?” pressed the arch mage.
“I will stay with Kazin and his group,” said Milena, glancing at the young black mage. “There is much to do, and he will undoubtedly need my help.”
“Keep an eye on him,” intoned Krendal. “I have a feeling he might be in danger judging by the strange events going on down there.”
“That’s one order I will follow,” said Milena, grinning, “even if you are a black mage.”
“Arch mage,” corrected Krendal, chuckling.
Chapter 41
The mage and druid exited the orb room and looked around. There was a railing separating the narrow walkway they stood on to prevent anyone from falling down the lift hole. Around the walkway, which entirely encircled the lift hole, were entrance doors to other rooms. It was from one such room that the grey mage who had led them there appeared. Upon seeing them, he smiled and immediately came over to them.
“My apologies. I never intended to neglect our guests. May I show you to your rooms for your stay?”
“Would you mind showing us to your library instead?” asked Kazin. “There’s a particular book there that I’d like to borrow.”
“Certainly,” said the mage. He leaned over the railing and whistled. Then he turned back to the guests. “The lift will be right up.” After a moment he added, “My name is Carmen.”
Kazin shook hands with Carmen. “I’m Kazin, and this is Milena.”
Carmen smiled shyly at Milena. “A pleasure.”
“Likewise,” said Milena politely.
“What do grey mages concentrate their studies on?” asked Kazin. “You have access to both white and black magic. Do you ever combine them?”
“Yes,” said Carmen. “We concentrate more on practical magic; magic that is useful to trade and labour. By combining magics, we can create the most efficient ways to do a job.”
“So you can use a combination of magics that don’t require a lot of energy,” finished Kazin. “That’s perfect for your abilities.”
“Exactly,” said Carmen.
The lift arrived with its operator.
“The fifth level, please,” said Carmen as he lifted the railing from a v-shaped clasp. He gestured for Kazin and Milena to board the lift.
When they were all on, the lift operator chanted another spell and the lift began to lower. Within a few moments they were on the fifth level where the library was located.
“Right this way,” said Carmen. He lifted the protective railing so they could disembark. There was more room on this level and walkways veered away from the lift hole down short corridors to adjoining rooms.
“Why do you use a mage to cast the spell to operate the lift?” asked Milena. “It seems wasteful. Wouldn’t it be better for anyone using the lift to cast their own spell to operate it?”
“There are several reasons we use a mage,” said Carmen as he led them away from the lift. “First of all, if everyone was taught the spells required to use the lift, everyone would be using it at all times for their own reasons. That would make it hard for anyone in the higher levels to access the lift. Secondly, the mage selected to operate the lift needs the practice to become proficient in his task or the lift will stop at the wrong level or go the wrong way. It’s a form of specialized training.” He stopped at a set of double doors marked ‘library’.
They entered and Kazin was surprised at the number of books the library contained. It was slightly larger than the one at the Tower of Sorcery.
“What kind of book would you like?” asked Carmen. “We have books on white or black magic, books on geography, history, war, and so on.”
Kazin nodded. No wonder the library was so big. Grey mages used both kinds of magic, as well as combinations thereof, so they needed reference material for both magics.
“I’d like to see the history section,” said Kazin, “particularly the book entitled ‘The Book of Prophesy’.”
Carmen nodded. “This way.” They passed an elderly mage seated at a desk near the door. He looked up momentarily and squinted at them through bushy, grey eyebrows. Satisfied, he returned to his perusal of the book on his desk.
Carmen guided them to the section Kazin was interested in and lifted a candle from one of the tables. He began his examination of the books on the shelf in front of him.
After pulling out and replacing several books, he moved further down the aisle. His hand waved over the books as he scanned their bindings for the book Kazin wanted. His hand stopped on an empty space.
“Hmm,” said Carmen. “It looks like someone’s signed it out. Let’s talk to the librarian. Maybe he can tell us who has it.” He led them back to the old man at the desk.
“Mr. Alland?” said Carmen.
The old mage looked up. “Yes?”
“Can you tell us—?”
“Speak up, sonny!” interrupted Alland. “My ears aren’t what they used to be!”
Alland blinked. “That book’s been gathering dust on the shelf for at least three decades and now everyone wants it!”
“Then it was signed out?” asked Kazin.
“Yes,” said Alland, peering curiously at Kazin. “Why do you want it?”
“I need to borrow it for the Tower of Sorcery,” explained Kazin. “Ours was stolen and then destroyed, and—.”
Alland slammed his fist on the table. “Sacrilege!” he bellowed.
Several grey mages sitting at a nearby table looked up in annoyance.
Alland turned to them red-faced. “Carry on, students. It will not happen again.”
The students returned to their studies with low mutters. Alland turned back to Kazin.
“Now, what was it you wanted to know?” Alland asked in a lower tone.
“Who borrowed the Book of Prophesy?” asked Carmen. A scarcely concealed grin was evident on his face.
“Let’s see now,” muttered Alland, rifling through a small sign out book on his desk. “Here it is. The book was signed out by Jarvis Cloud.”
“I know him,” said Carmen. “He is a first year student. What he’s doing with that book is beyond me. We’ll go and find him to see if he’s finished with the book yet. Thank you, Mr. Alland.”
Alland grunted.
The three mages departed the library and returned to the lift. The magic user operating it was still there.
“Take us to the ground level,” ordered Carmen.
At the bottom, Carmen led Kazin and Milena to the tower’s exit and then outside. The sky was dark but a warm summer breeze billowed through their cloaks on their way to the student dormitories. Torches set along the walkway lit their way.
They stopped several students to inquire about the location to Jarvis Cloud’s room and found it after a short search. Carmen knocked on the student’s door.
“Come in,” said a voice.
Carmen, Kazin and Milena entered.
“Hello,” said Carmen to the youth in one of the bunks. “Is Jarvis around?”
Kazin's Quest: Book I of The Dragon Mage Trilogy Page 40