"Has Gerid returned home since he arrived in Hala? I mean, if you have a gate on the island; if you wanted to he could return home to visit his family. King Alain and Queen Alyanna might be family too, and his granddaughters are here; but his wife and other children remain on the island."
Sebastian considered the idea and realized aloud, "I've barely seen him in weeks. No one else knows about the gate, but maybe I should send him a letter to let him know."
The girl rolled away to step back onto the floor untying her belt. It was color matched to the green outer layer of her dress. In the Kardorian style, Ashleen's dress opened in front without the belt to hold the robe closed. She turned towards him as she peeled the outer and inner robe revealing a brown leather bustier and brown shorts touching the tops of her knees. This layer had been worn to work in the forge, but she been comfortable enough wearing her dress since they had moved to the office away from the heat.
The bodice required untying from the back and Ashleen moved between the two beds to sit on the edge in front of Sebastian. An unspoken request, it wasn't the first time since they had been living together that the girl had undressed in front of him.
"You could have worn these clothes to dinner, you know?" he stated as the mage sat to work the laces of her bodice.
Turning her face wrinkling her nose before shaking her head, the girl replied, "The leather rubs me uncomfortably if I move too much. Dancing would make me want to rip it off before half the night is over."
Loosened enough to lift over her head, Ashleen bared her upper body and shivered with the cool air; but she tossed the bustier onto the other bed turning towards him again revealing the creamy bare skin as she continued, "You really should send him a note or tell him yourself. If I had to be separated from you for several months, I'd..."
The girl stopped as he smiled and jokingly finished her sentence, "...hop on a boat and follow me through the North Sea?"
Rolling her eyes at him, Ashleen walked over to her wardrobe as she replied, "Ha! Very funny, Sebastian; but seriously I would hate every minute. It's bad enough that you slip away on all these missions without me, just because you're worried about me."
Drawing a new top that looked similar in form to the leather except that it was made from burgundy cloth that looked like velvet in texture, Ashleen tied it in front. The short laces at the top were made into a bow before she buttoned the support leaving a show of cleavage for Sebastian to see. He knew that it was still for him. Ashleen had always had a sexy way of dressing and since she had set her sights on him, her outfits seemed to tow the line of being immodest.
A dress that looked like more of a buttoned jacket colored to match the top only buttoned around her waist as lower panels dropped down her legs below her knees. Her brown pants peeked out as she moved, but Sebastian supposed that the outfit was safer than some the girl had chosen since he had known her. Ashleen was called a wilder because she was a wizard, but there was a certain wildness to the girl beyond her magic.
"It isn't always because I worry about you, though I'd rather keep you out of harm's way. You're Kardorian. Your country is allied, but you know that if it was found out that you were working with me for Southwall's interests there could be consequences too," he stated before glancing to his pillow with a sigh. His break had ended too soon. Curling up with Ashleen was something that he could do for hours, though it rarely remained innocent for that long. He could rarely spare that kind of time just relaxing these days.
"I'll try to get a message to him tomorrow. If you're already dressed, then I guess it's time to head down for dinner."
With a teasing smile, the girl touched the upper button of the jacket feigning opening it once more and said, "Well, if you would rather stay here with me. I could just take this back off and buy more time."
Walking over to hold her wrists to lift her hands to kiss her fingers, Sebastian tried to be tactful as he replied, "I do enjoy spending time with you alone, but it is getting late so it probably makes more sense to get our dinner. Besides I'd hate to waste that dress just on me. It'll look great while you dance tonight."
"Flatterer," she said as her blue eyes sparkled at him in the lamp light. The gray light of the day had given way to darkness that they could see through the windows. "I suppose that earns you dinner."
At that moment, he could hear the grumble of her stomach and added, "Either that or you are hungrier than you were letting on before."
"It isn't easy being your battery all the time," the girl answered good-naturedly before stepping towards the windows to release the closest of the drape ties. He knew that Ashleen was just doing it to save time for later that night. They would either be tired and ready for sleep; or they would be worked up for some things that would eventually wear them out for sleep. Either way, they would want the drapes pulled to prevent anyone from looking in the second story window.
After helping her close the drapes, the couple left their room locking it behind them.
Night settled over the hills to the east of Helsen. From the city, fires could be seen lit throughout those hills indicating the large numbers of the enemy's troops. By day, the monsters and men of the Dark One's army tested the allied lines. By night, both sides waited looking across a shadowed battlefield to the lights taunting each other.
Palose stood on one of those hills surrounded by other men and a pair of massive armored viles. In the dim light cast by the first moon, Epsilon, and the stars; one could see a red glow to most of the eyes closest to the dark mage. His company of men, women and monsters consisted of those who had already died once. With the power of necromancy, the dark mage had been reborn. By the power he inherited from the one who had resurrected him, Palose in turn had created wraiths and undead with less of their souls restored.
The wraiths were intelligent with their souls and minds bound to their bodies. If they received no damage, the bodies would remain in a state of suspended decay. They weren't falling apart, but they weren't truly alive either.
Aside from a handful of wraiths, the rest were closer to puppets given life through the strength of the mage.
Palose considered his title given to him in Southwall. He had been recreated as a resurrection man and found that his master shared some of his power with his creation. It was a flaw of the spell, if one considered it to be a problem. Since it benefitted him, Palose had used the strange joining of strength to increase his power even more.
He had discovered that a resurrection man was as alive in rebirth as he had been in his first life. Palose wasn't a decaying corpse and seemed to be living as he had before. His body was warm. His heart pumped blood through his veins as he breathed in air. It was all as it should be and using the resurrection spell the dark mage has discovered that he had to be alive. According to that spell, only the living could raise another and restore their souls to their bodies.
It had taken time, but Palose had found wizards to add their magic to the ring of people in his circle. Their magical power was restored with the resurrection and joined to him. They were also free of the controls set on him by his master. His only price for giving them life was to have them protect him when his master turned on him.
Atrouseon had died even though Palose couldn't raise a hand against him and the warlock's power had flowed through the tie they had increasing his power. Those who followed him benefitted as well, but he didn't mind. He had more than enough power to satisfy his limited greed.
Now after more than a month of keeping this company of undead alive, Palose had begun to bond with his wraiths. He had even made promises to them. If they served him well and faithfully, the dark mage would make them whole once more.
Becoming a resurrection man or woman had its price. The warlocks of Ensolus feared and despised them. Palose knew some of that hate, but had proved himself enough that few revealed any true malice towards him. The others in his circle were a secret from the general population of the city. He had hidden them, but they were also his spies
blending in without notice, after all they were as alive as he was.
Balish and Tongold were his first wraiths. They had been soldiers in life, but were competent enough to lead the puppet soldiers when he returned home from the front. While they were useful as wraiths, Palose wondered if he should bother to make them resurrection men. They held no magic, so they added nothing to the circle; but the two had served him well and he actually liked them.
The second pair was more useful to him. Nalack was a warlock of middle years. He was skilled and powerful even though that hadn't prevented his death. A massive battle just over a month ago had been his demise, but Palose had rooted through the refuse of dead bodies and found him. There hadn't been the time to make him a resurrection man then. The process was too intricate and he didn't know the man. To bestow that bond on him, the dark mage preferred to know him, even though that hadn't been how he had been forced to build his circle originally.
Oween was a female warlock and much younger than Nalack. She was still older than Palose, but the woman had been killed in her prime. Oween would have been considered pretty; though her strange red eyes would probably give a man chills now. The woman had proven a bit shy at first, but over the last month Palose had broken through that shell a bit to find her sweet and even funny. A wraith with humor, it was an odd combination to find; but Oween still had hope that he would release her from being a wraith and remake her as one of his resurrected people.
None of them knew his circle existed. They remained in Ensolus and these had been the tools of war. Letting undead soldiers fight in front of him gave the dark mage a virtually limitless supply of soldiers to give themselves for him as often as he could raise them from the dead on the battlefield. These wraiths were more than just puppets to him, but they were still tools.
"It's a standstill," Balish stated folding his arms across his chest. The wraith was surprisingly intelligent and Palose appreciated his talent as leader while he was away. Even the warlocks followed him when necessary, since they supported the others with their magic but weren't warriors.
"Again," Nalack agreed with the other wraith.
Southwall and Sileoth had changed tactics after the first few weeks of the war. Palose had to blame much of that on Sebastian. His rival was a battle mage and a former friend. In theory, his increase in power and similar skills as a mage in his previous life should have given him the edge over the other man; but each time they faced off Sebastian used new spells. Some of his magic had the power of a warlock behind it, but he didn't sense that kind of increase in his magical aura.
Sebastian had conquered the portal spell, a feat that should have been impossible without help. That spell led to a change in warfare. Litsarin was being reinforced by their enemy as quickly as Ensolus could resupply their side. Wounded could be removed and fresh troops could replace those killed or removed from battle keeping both sides strong.
Golems and traps had met them here. Magical fortifications and weapons with greater range had formed an unofficial line where man and beast feared to tread. Entering the dangerous valleys usually meant death for their forces. The dark army couldn't move forward and the troops supporting Helsen didn't care to press their advantage. It was a stalemate that had left a lot of dead in those fields, but the last few weeks it had tapered off.
They couldn't starve the city or soldiers since portals could bring new supplies, but neither could they find an advantage that would drive them from the island.
Palose sighed breaking the silence as his people waited for him to comment. It had been the same for weeks, so he had no words of encouragement.
"Well, I doubt anything will happen tonight. I doubt this war will change much at all anytime soon really."
"You are returning to Ensolus then?" Oween asked with a tone that almost begged him to take her with him. She believed that to become whole, the dark mage would need to bring them back to the city to perform the rites of resurrection.
He nodded and considered the questions he had been facing relating to those following him for a long time now. Even as he considered them, the dark mage began the spell to form a portal home.
A glowing doorway formed on the hill. They expected him to leave. Palose had left the battlefield every night to go home and sleep in his bed. Sylvaine was there and his other friends, but mostly he wanted to return to her.
Standing before the golden door, the dark mage came to a conclusion and said, "Oween, Nalack, follow me. Balish you're in charge, though I doubt that there will be anything to do."
Balish and Tongold looked a bit disappointed since he was taking the other two with him, but the life of a wraith was service to a master. They couldn't refuse him, but they were sentient enough to wish that he would consider them worthy. Disappointment was an emotion they could still experience as well.
Stepping through the light, Palose went from night into a silver void briefly before his feet created thuds on a wood floor. His eyes had seen dark marks far off in the void that were islands floating in the former prison of the emperor. After that, it took a moment to adjust to the other side of the portal. It was always that way with the magic. Because of that fact, it was a hard spell to use in battle though Palose had managed it a few times.
"Palose!" a voice greeted, but the girl's happy voice stopped with the one word as she gasped at the sight of the warlocks following behind him.
Before the wraiths to could adjust to their surroundings, the inhabitants of the house in Ensolus reacted jumping up from their seats in alarm. The glowing gateway was nothing new to them, but the two unknown wraiths blinking their glowing red eyes to adjust to the new reality were a shock. Palose rarely traveled with anyone to the house and usually it was in the company of one of those already waiting for him.
A large, bearded wizard was so surprised that fire was already gathering around his fingers and in the palm of his hand. Dorgred was a former wizard of Southwall, but well trained. A reaction like a wilder proved that his shock was genuine enough to spur his magic into a defensive spell.
Palose held up his hand catching the man's eyes as he said, "Calm yourself, Dorgred, you don't really believe someone could surprise me by coming through a portal created by me, do you?"
Frowning in return as the big man released the fire anticlimactically, the fire wizard retorted, "After we were ambushed through it once before...?"
The man left the remainder for Palose to digest. A little over a month ago, someone had broken through his secret portal. His people had been stunned by some form of grenade before being put to sleep. Sylvaine had barely gotten a glimpse of the intruder, but as best the dark mage could gather, Sebastian had pulled off the trick to one up him again.
His people hadn't been truly harmed. Some form of sleep magic had taken them out humanely and the intruder had disappeared without taking anything other than their cumulative pride. Unfortunately, Palose could think of no way to guard the portal completely. The best he could do was change the source of the magic used in the stones holding it open. It had been the course of action to cover his tracks since Sebastian had found and closed several of his personal gates months ago. He had done it here as well, and months had passed before the intruder used it anyway.
The mizard continued to be a thorn in his side no matter how much he learned or how well he tried to cover his tracks.
Oween and Nalack looked as ready to defend themselves as the others were ready to attack, but Palose was the master here and the two groups settled into an uneasy stare down. The dark mage put his hands out towards both sides trying to ease them as he explained, "Oween and Nalack have been serving me on Litsarin for awhile. I think that I can trust them to join our little group, so I have brought them here."
Turning to the two warlocks, he introduced the others, "These are members of my family. This is Dorgred, Stasia and Talia," he said pointing out the fire wizard, a petite blonde girl and taller dark haired woman. The women had been his first experiments with resurrection magi
c and held no magic of their own; but as more wizards had joined their little circle they had begun to show signs of power. At the moment they had about as much strength in magic as a weak battle mage.
"And this is Sylvaine," Palose finished pointing out the young woman who held his heart. There had always been something between them even when the dark mage had been unsure that he still had a heart to use for love.
The last girl was technically an apprentice, though an intelligent and excellent student of the craft. Her life had been cut short tragically, but that wasn't enough to send her to the afterlife for long thanks to his necromancy.
Oween noted the last girl and frowned. "Aren't you an apprentice? I remember seeing you in the academy practicing your elemental magic. How did you wind up here? I actually thought that I had heard that your squad had gone out to check on the nomads and never returned."
Frowning at the older woman, Sylvaine looked to Palose asking him to answer or perhaps asking him why the mage had chosen this woman of all the candidates he could find. Wizards and warlocks were hard to find, would have been his answer to that. Unfortunately he had never considered that one of them might know of Sylvaine's fate.
"Her fate was similar to yours, Oween. Sylvaine and her mentor were sent out and caught by surprise. Fortunately I had given her a tracking stone and discovered the betrayal."
Nalack showed recognition in his eyes and said, "There were rumors that a camp of nomads had been found slaughtered to the south last spring. Those who survived had been elusive with what they believed had happened. Perhaps they hid what had happened because the emperor's warlocks were involved?"
Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) Page 7