by Tracey Alley
trailed off as the answer came clear. “There are others who work against them, that’s what you mean isn’t it?”
“Exactly. Once again Michael, I am thoroughly impressed with your acumen. Just as you have others, of…shall we say, different ambitions to curtail the more excessive among you, so too do we. Using myself as an example, it is well known that I am the greatest of all mages but, I do not rule the Council, I am not a tyrant of Malerok and yet my allegiance to Bhaal would cause most to classify me, with good cause, as…evil. There is not a single mage anywhere that could defeat me, but I could not defeat them all. Let me add, Michael, that my ambitions lie… elsewhere. However, you do see my meaning?”
“You’re saying that the world of mages is,” Michael struggled to put what he was beginning to understand into words, “like a mirror of the rest of the world.”
The mage did not answer immediately, instead holding up his wine glass filled with blood red wine to the light. Lord Michael wondered what the mage was thinking; Nexus’s face was completely inscrutable.
“That is an extremely… apt description.” Nexus said eventually, “We are, indeed, a mirror of the world. You have dedicated your life to service, to doing what you believe to be right. It may surprise you to learn that there are mages, many of them, who share your same sense of dedication; some even who share your allegiance to Belenus.”
“But then,” Michael was almost stammering in his surprise, “I don’t understand, why won’t they help?”
“They probably will, it is the Council who have refused.” Nexus paused, watching as Michael absorbed the implications. “Our… efforts must continue, we must find others who will help, but at this stage we cannot expect any… organized assistance from the Council.”
“At this stage?”
“I believe,” Nexus answered, “the Council will render assistance… eventually. I believe they will have no choice. For we, and I say we because this affects all The Kingdoms. We now, are faced with a rogue mage whose… ambitions exceed anything any spellcaster has ever attempted. In time, and it is my hope that it will not be too much time, they will come to see that we must not only work together as mages, but also work with the rest of the world.”
An Impending War
Michael leaned back in his chair. It was not the result he had hoped for when he first contacted Nexus, but realistically it was more than he could have expected. He had first approached the mage nearly three years ago now, as a result of information Patrick had gathered while working in The Northern Badlands. That in turn had led to Nexus sending Nikolai, once his apprentice now a skilled spellcaster and trusted assistant, to the Badlands to work alongside Patrick and gather more information. Michael, despite some initial reservations, had ultimately approved of the idea of Nikolai and Patrick working together.
Nikolai and Patrick had worked and travelled together for more than two years. Together they had gathered an enormous amount of disquieting information. As a result of their efforts Michael and Nexus knew a great deal about what they were up against, yet they were still missing some crucial information.
Three months ago Patrick and Nikolai had left on what should have been one final trip to the Badlands. They wanted a chance to fill in the blanks in the information they possessed. The very day they had arrived in Fort Doom they had been ambushed. Somehow Nikolai had managed to escape, Patrick had not. In the ordinary course of events, Michael would have grieved the loss of his second but counted it as simply an acceptable loss in the course of duty.
He had learned a valuable lesson from both Nexus and Nikolai. Nikolai had refused to accept Patrick's loss. The young mage had claimed they had no proof Patrick was dead. Nikolai had asked for, and obtained, permission from Nexus to return to the Badlands to search for Patrick and affect a rescue. It was their actions, so unexpected and so unlike his own, that had prompted Michael to send Tares, one of his most respected healers, on the same mission.
It was not, Michael knew, a matter of uncaring, he had loved Patrick like a son. It was simply that to the Knights of Belenus death and suffering were acceptable elements of their lives. Michael had simply accepted that Patrick was dead. Nikolai’s response had shown Michael the need for far greater cooperation. Not just between The Kingdoms but also between the races and between the differing philosophies. He had learned they could learn valuable things from each other.
“We are very much of the same mind, Nexus, but I'm beginning to realize how difficult this is going to be. Much more difficult than I had anticipated.”
“Quite. Michael, you and I are… somewhat unique in our thinking, for now. But just as war tore The Kingdoms apart, war will bring them together.”
“Then you believe there will be a war?” Michael asked leaning forward again.
“Oh yes, there will be a war. That much is… certain.”
“Then we have failed,” Michael said.
“On the contrary Michael, we have just begun. If, and at this stage it is still a question, if we lose the war… then we will have failed. However, we must not fail for if we do…” Nexus trailed off, the expression on his cold, handsome face saying far more than mere words could convey. Michael sighed deeply, he had been viewing this collaboration as a means to avoid the threat of war, now that hope was dashed, war was coming and they would have to win.
“With the information gathered by Nikolai and Sir Patrick,” Nexus continued, “we know almost everything that we need to know…”
“Not enough to prevent a war,” Michael interrupted.
“No, not enough to prevent the war. We are not, however … without resources. It is true that the Council will not yet aid us nor perhaps will the Knights of Belenus officially aid us, but I imagine you would have… supporters, loyal followers, as do I. With their aid, and some welcome assistance I believe it will be possible to prevail.”
“Welcome assistance? What assistance?”
“As I said earlier the Council did not disbelieve me, they in fact offered additional information, and I have… news of my own.”
“Well?” Michael asked.
“Firstly Sir Patrick has been located… alive.”
“What?” Michael jumped up out of the chair in his shock. Patrick was alive; he had not dared to hope, even when he sent Tares, Michael still had not truly believed he would find Patrick alive.
“I thought you would be… pleased. I received absolute confirmation several weeks ago, knowing of this impending… meeting I chose to wait and deliver the news personally.”
“Where is he? Is Nikolai with him?”
“Nikolai is with him, in a sense. The question of where they are is a little more… difficult. I would ask you Michael, to… trust me on this matter. Suffice it to say that Patrick is alive, and… uninjured. There are… complications, however, which I truly feel will be best handled by Nikolai at this stage.”
Michael stood, looking down at Nexus for a long moment. Eventually he sat back down, gazing thoughtfully at the fireplace.
“I do trust you Nexus,” he said finally, “I'll leave this in your hands; for now.”
“For now then,” Nexus answered with a small smile, “as to the other information given to me this morning, I am afraid it will not be as… pleasant hearing.”
“Go on.”
“Sources within the Council have discovered some of Shallendara's… allies. As we had feared, she has approached The Dark One and King Karlos of Brikenwald. What I had not anticipated, nor I believe had you, is that she has also formed an alliance with Thincol Torion of the Padyian Empire and…Ulrich of Saxenburg.”
“No, you must be mistaken, Ulrich would not…” Michael trailed off in uncertainty. It was well known that Ulrich was ambitious and eager to assume the throne. He had certainly embraced the role of regent while King Erich was away, but to ally himself with this rogue mage. Was Ulrich truly that ambitious? Michael sadly believed that it was possible.
“All right, I can see that Ulrich would be,” Michael struggled for the right word, “attracted by the promise of that kind of power. That’s not the worst news you have though is it?”
“Again I am impressed with your… astute observations. No, it is not the worst news. According to the Council, there is no known way to counteract Shallendara's new type of magic.”
“None?” Michael said in a harsh whisper.
“None that they know of… I do not believe there is no answer.”
“But if they don’t know, and you don’t know, then I don’t see any solution.”
“Nor I am vexed to admit do I, not at this stage. However, there are records, this new ‘brain magic’ that Shallendara possesses, it is perhaps not so new… you must have heard the rumors yourself over the years Michael, men and women accused of… sorcery, witchcraft.”
“Are you telling me that Shallendara is a witch?” Michael asked, horrified by the very thought.
“Oh no, she is most definitely a mage. Yet the reports I have seen and witnesses I have spoken to, it seems to me that she has somehow found a way to… combine true magic with what we have always termed witchcraft. Witchcraft, sorcery, as you must realize, these are nothing more than… words, names to describe some type of magic that is different, a magic that breaks the rules of spellcraft. When I cause the wine jug to float in the air and fill your glass, you