Sovereign of the Seven Isles 7: Reishi Adept

by David A. Wells

  Zora’s eyes narrowed again. “And what terms are those?”

  “We join forces, we work together to free Ixabrax and destroy Zuhl, but only after I’ve ended the threat here.”

  “Unacceptable.”

  “Which part?”

  “You will come with me now. Whatever threat you face here can wait.”

  “No, it can’t! I’ve been pursuing this witch across half the world and I finally have her within reach. I’m not about to let her get away now.”

  “Ixabrax must come first.”

  “No!”

  Zora’s head moved back as if she were seeing Abigail anew.

  “I see why Ixabrax likes you. Because of that, I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt. Any other human who spoke to me in such a fashion would be little more than indigestion by now.” Her giant head moved closer. “Now you will hear me. Every moment that Ixabrax wears a slave collar is intolerable. He must be freed … today.”

  Abigail threw up her arms. “So what’s your plan? Do you think you and I can make a run at Zuhl and survive? He’s a mage … he’s surrounded with soldiers, priests, and drakini … oh, and he’s got a dragon fighting for him.” Abigail shook her head, running her hand through her silvery blond hair. “My father used to say: Be driven by emotion but ruled by reason. You’re allowing emotion to rule you. When we go after Zuhl, we’ll need a plan … and a lot more power than you and I can bring to bear alone. Look around you. I have an army of witches mounted on wyverns. If we work together, we can succeed, but we have to be smart about this.”

  A wyvern came in and landed on the wall, flinching skittishly when Zora unfurled her wings and brought her head up to face the potential threat. The rider shouted something to the soldiers within the walls, but she was too far away for Abigail to hear.

  “Zora, you don’t need to fear us.”

  The dragon looked back to Abigail, folding her wings again.

  “I don’t fear you.”

  Abigail snorted, nodding to herself. “Fair enough, but you should fear Zuhl. He’s dangerous and ruthless. If we do this wrong, he’s just going to put a collar on you, too.”

  Zora bristled, her tail flicking around with irritation.

  “That will never happen.”

  “Not if we do this right.”

  A nervous soldier appeared at the edge of the square, reluctant to come any closer until Abigail motioned for him to approach. His eyes didn’t leave Zora and he only got close enough to shout the message.

  “Abel and the Sin’Rath have fled through the Gate.”

  “What?!” Abigail shouted. “Where did they go?”

  “I don’t know,” the soldier said, backing away.

  Abigail put her hand on her forehead as she walked in a small circle, her mind racing for answers to a dozen questions, the foremost on the list being where had they gone? She stopped, facing Zora with her fists planted firmly on her hips.

  “This is on you, Dragon.”

  “Be that as it may, it would seem that your quarry has escaped, and with it your excuses for delay are gone as well.”

  “You have no idea what you’ve done,” Abigail said, her eyes closed and her head tipped back. The light drizzle on her face was cold but sobering.

  “We had her … now there’s a demon-spawn witch with an Island King and his Thinblade loose somewhere in the Seven Isles.” Abigail shook her head and faced Zora. “There’s no telling what damage she’ll cause now.”

  “This witch is not my concern—”

  “Oh, yes she is. You want to free Ixabrax? Well, the price just went up. First, we do this my way. After we free Ixabrax, you’ll both help me kill Zuhl once and for all, and not just his simulacrum … him. Then,” she continued before Zora could respond, “you’ll help me kill the Sin’Rath witch that just escaped. You’ll give me your word on this right now or there’s no deal.”

  Zora’s eyes narrowed, her catlike irises contracting slightly. Silence fell on the courtyard. Abigail stood her ground, scant feet away from the snout of a beast that could make a light meal of her in the blink of an eye. As the moments slipped by and the tension built, Abigail felt common sense begin to penetrate the anger and frustration fueling her rash words. Her confidence started to erode … then the dragon spoke.

  “Bargain struck, Human. But know this, if you fail to free my mate, or if he is harmed, your life is forfeit.”

  Chapter 13

  Ratagan circled Kai’Gorn before gliding in for a gentle landing amid dozens of other wyverns in the small but crowded aerie. Handlers were working quickly to unsaddle and care for the returning beasts.

  “Be ready at dawn,” Alexander said, releasing the straps holding him to the saddle and sliding to the ground.

  Ratagan nodded, patting his wyvern on the neck to calm the beast.

  It was late afternoon and the sun had already fallen behind the city walls.

  A Ranger approached and said, “General Talia instructed me to await your arrival, Lord Reishi.”

  “Good. I’d like to speak to him,” Alexander said, opening the door to his Wizard’s Den, drawing more than a few looks from the people working in the aerie.

  “I see we’ve arrived,” Jack said from his desk, putting his papers away before strolling out into the afternoon air.

  “I think I’d rather ride with you,” Anja said. “Being stuck inside your Wizard’s Den without you always makes me nervous.”

  “You could always fly yourself,” Alexander said.

  She gave him a look.

  “General Talia’s in his war room,” the Ranger said. “I’ll show you the way.”

  The aerie had been set up within the walls of the city, near the main keep, so the walk was short. Alexander smiled at the orderliness of the place. It was altogether different from the last time he’d been here. People were working, the streets were clean and nobody seemed the least bit afraid of the soldiers, Rangers, or occasional Sky Knights they encountered. Talia had done well.

  They found the general in a large room with four tables placed exactingly in the center of the room with uniform spacing between them to allow the officers surrounding those tables access to the detailed maps laid out upon them. The walls were lined with precisely sketched maps all pinned up side by side on uniformly sized sheets of parchment. In one corner, Talia sat behind a desk placed at an angle to face the center of the room. He was deeply engrossed in the document before him.

  “General Talia,” the Ranger said, “Lord Reishi has arrived.”

  Talia looked up, nodding respectfully to Alexander as he stood.

  “I trust your journey was uneventful.”

  “The last leg of it was,” Alexander said. “How goes the war?”

  “The Sky Knights’ attack was successful. All of the vessels in the Andalian fleet sent to sink our supply ships have been destroyed. I was just reviewing the report submitted by the Wing Commander who led the attack. They were very thorough. I expect no survivors.”

  Alexander nodded. He didn’t relish the idea of killing so many people. Most were just sailors, but unfortunately for them, they’d chosen to obey a tyrant.

  “Did we sustain any losses?”

  “Not a one,” Talia said. “The enemy ships didn’t have any magical defenses, so the Sky Knights were able to set them on fire from well out of ballista range.”

  “Well done, General. LaChance is making good progress, but I suspect he’ll be facing some resistance from the Andalian people going forward. Many blame me for bringing war to their home.”

  “That’s to be expected,” Talia said. “LaChance is a good officer. I have confidence that he’ll manage.”

  “I think you’re probably right. We were able to destroy or disperse the more significant threats in the area. Now he just has to convince the people to choose the right side.”

  “In time, I’m sure that choice will become self-evident.”

  “I hope so, General.” Alexander paused to look around the
room. The officers were mostly ignoring him in favor of doing their work. “Well, it looks like you have things well in hand here. We’ll get some rest. I’d like to be in the air at dawn.”

  Talia saluted crisply and went back to his reports. The Ranger who’d led them to the war room appeared as if on cue.

  “I’ll show you to your chambers, Lord Reishi. I’ve notified the kitchen. They’ll have a hot meal ready in a few minutes.”

  Alexander nodded gratefully. He was tired and stiff from flying all day. A good meal would clear his mind.

  He’d spent the flight thinking about his magic. The one thing he was certain of was that he had yet to reach his full potential. If he was going to defeat all of the enemies he faced, he would need to master his magic, and sooner would be better than later.

  He’d learned from experience that, unlike other wizards, the surface of the firmament was no threat to him. Its depths were another matter. He’d found a place of such peace and tranquility, such timeless belonging, that he felt drawn to it even now. And yet, he knew that allure could lead to his undoing.

  Siduri had found a way to live there, to exist in physical form in the depths of that endless ocean of potential. He had mastered the firmament in a way that no other wizard had ever even considered—he had become one with source. Alexander could only imagine the power that Siduri could bring to bear if he chose to. He could only speculate on his own power and capability … if he was able to master the firmament as Siduri had done.

  He needed a mentor, and there was only one person who could provide the guidance he needed … and that person wasn’t interested. Alexander knew that Siduri was a good man, though deeply wounded. He was confident that, given time and opportunity, he could convince him to help. But that required a conversation, which in turn required the ability to reach out and make contact with him.

  A feat he’d done only once, and then only by accident when he’d been on the brink of death by torture. Not a path he relished walking again.

  There had to be another way. The sovereigns had offered a few alternatives. Alexander had thoroughly considered them and decided to attempt using emotion to counterbalance the draw of the firmament’s depths.

  “You’ve been quiet since we arrived,” Anja said, after dinner.

  Alexander nodded. “I’ve been thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “Magic.”

  “You’re going to reach out to Siduri again,” Jack said.

  “You almost died the last time you tried that,” Anja said.

  “I know, but I need his help. There’s no one else who can teach me what I need to learn.”

  Anja frowned. “I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?”

  He shook his head, opening the door to his Wizard’s Den with a gesture.

  ***

  It took a few minutes to work his anger into a force of nature within him, heat and energy boiling in the pit of his stomach. Phane was his inspiration. All of his injustices and evil provided ample justification for Alexander’s righteous anger.

  With his emotional defenses in place, he tried to find the firmament, but it was well out of reach. Anger didn’t mix with the calmness he needed to release his consciousness into the ocean of creation. He began to wonder how Isabel had managed to create the perfect balance of mind that was necessary to cast spells with emotion. Thinking of her lessened his anger.

  He tried again, bringing his anger to intensity and then attempting to observe the feeling within him from the perspective of the witness, detached and uninvolved, but the heat faded quickly, leaving only a sterile and objective justification for his anger without any real emotion behind it.

  He opened his eyes. Chloe looked up at him. She was sitting cross-legged in front of him within his magic circle.

  “It’s not working. I can’t be both angry enough and calm enough at the same time.”

  “Perhaps the firmament should come first.”

  He nodded, giving her a wink before closing his eyes and clearing his mind of the remnants of his fabricated ire. Once he’d calmed himself, the firmament came easily. He spent a moment just listening. There was rising angst in the world. Open war raged on nearly every isle to one degree or another.

  Alexander focused on that fear and suffering to build his anger. It grew quickly and it felt right, justified even. So many people were hurting all for the ambitions of so few. Anger was a natural human response to injustice and evil.

  With that in mind, Alexander began to descend into the depths of the firmament, passing into an unformed realm that precious few had ever experienced, let alone mastered. He reminded himself again to listen for Chloe’s voice as the song of creation grew faint and then faded into the still, silent void.

  His worldly concerns began to fade with it. Peace began to envelop and permeate his consciousness until he stopped, content to simply be. It felt like he’d come home to a place he’d always known existed, always longed to return to—a place that was far beyond the meager power of words to describe or explain.

  Detached, he found his awareness watching his anger, still held tightly by some small part of the self that he’d almost forgotten existed. It was a curious thing, to see the anger within him swirling like an eddy in a fast-moving stream, watch it without feeling it, to know that it had justification yet be unable to experience the heat of it.

  Then he remembered.

  He didn’t know how long he’d been in the depths, but he was certain that he’d lost nearly all sense of himself, and time as well. Reluctantly, as if letting go of something precious beyond words, he returned to the roiling surface, the music of reality rising to a crescendo and then abruptly vanishing as he returned to his body.

  Chloe stopped pacing when he opened his eyes. She floated up in front of him. “I was starting to worry.”

  “How long was I gone?”

  “Three hours. I was just about to come find you.”

  He nodded to himself, replaying the experience in his mind. He’d reached the void, that place of peace, while retaining his anger. It had served its purpose, though he felt that his control of the entire experience had been tenuous at best. While he’d been able to resist the allure of infinite creation, he was no closer to finding Siduri. Worse still, he wasn’t confident that exploring the depths of the firmament was the correct path, though it did seem to have value, even if he couldn’t quite understand why.

  “Any luck?” Jack asked.

  “Not really. I mean, I got lost and then found my way back, but that doesn’t get me any closer to Siduri.”

  Lita chuckled to herself, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “You’ve achieved what perhaps no wizard or witch has ever achieved before, save for this Siduri you speak of,” she said. “And you discount it as a failure.”

  “I guess when you put it like that,” Alexander said, stretching his legs. “I’m just not sure how to make use of it. All I want to do once I get there is stay there. I don’t know how that helps me.”

  “Sometimes important discoveries have no immediate application. But that doesn’t make them any less important.”

  Alexander nodded thoughtfully. “When I get the chance, I’ll ask the sovereigns about it, but right now I should try to get some sleep. We have a long journey tomorrow.”

  ***

  The patchwork of farms and orchards slipped by far below, light green with new spring growth. Southern Ruatha had been spared the destruction of battle for almost a year. Alexander was happy to see that crops were flourishing and life for some at least was normal.

  He rode behind Ratagan with Horst several dozen yards to the right. The wyverns had fallen into a routine, beating their wings every so often to regain altitude, then locking them in place and gliding on an ever-so-gentle slope toward Southport.

  The brisk morning air had given way to a warm sunny day. From his vantage point, it was hard to imagine that the world was in such turmoil, but it was, and th
at burden weighed heavily. As the monotony of flight set in, Alexander found his mind turning to his magic. His all around sight had expanded significantly since it had first manifested, but it still had limits in terms of range.

  With his eyes closed, he watched the world below, exercising his sight, pushing his vision to its limits, focusing on details far below and then holding his vision on them until the subject of his inspection moved out of range. After an hour of the practice, pushing the bounds of his power to their limits, his head started to hurt. He took that as a good sign … like sore muscles, it was an indication of progress.

  He pressed on, picking out a cow in a pasture below, sending his vision a thousand feet from his body and holding it there, slowly circling the lazily grazing animal and fighting against the urge to return to his own body until distance ripped him away.

  The pain in his head increased, but he ignored it, repeating the exercise over and over until his head hurt so badly that he began to worry that he might actually injure himself. When he estimated that they were about an hour away from Southport, he closed his eyes and tried to let the wind wash the pain away. His mind turned to Isabel. Thoughts of her were always soothing.

  As the pain began to subside, he suddenly found himself looking through the window of a circular cell, ringed with a magic circle. Isabel was in the small cell, pacing back and forth. She seemed both worried and deep in thought. A rush of thoughts flooded into his mind—concern for her, confusion about what was happening to him, and a sudden fear that he had inadvertently used his clairvoyance without the protection of his magic circle … yet he was still present in his own mind, still aware of his body strapped into the saddle of a wyvern, floating over the plains of southern Ruatha.

  As quickly as the rush of jumbled thoughts had come, he returned completely to his body. His head was pounding, sharp pain stabbing into his mind from behind his eyes with each beat of his heart. The agony came on so quickly that it provoked a wave of nausea. He vomited into the sky, wiping his mouth clean with his shirt sleeve.