"My children?" the dark mage questioned feeling his stomach clench with fear.
Kolban smiled knowingly and said, "Those you have brought back from death to contribute to your power or otherwise assist you. How many warlocks have you joined to you now? Three? Four?"
"Five, though there are several that had no magic including my first trials," he answered truthfully. Lying wouldn't help his case, but volunteering just a little taste might help him conceal some of their identities from the emperor.
Suddenly thinking of the seer, Palose wondered if she had used her sight to tell the emperor of his indiscretions.
As if reading his mind, Kolban continued, "I've known of the little house since before Atrouseon died. Was it your people who prevented him from killing you? You created a contingency plan in case your master turned on you, which always seems inevitable when a necromancer tries to bind their creations with rules that can be turned against them. Every necromancer seems to fear his creations and decides there is a time when they must be destroyed instead.
"Have you had to destroy any of your new toys yet?"
He shook his head and added, "I never treated them as toys. They are friends and family. The wizards that I had protecting me from Atrouseon weren't forced to kill him, but did it to keep me safe."
Kolban waved him off and said, "You have done what you needed to do and they are yours so long as they don't get in the way. Will any of them be a problem if you protect Acheri?"
His mind went to Sylvaine, but Palose did his best to push the thoughts down in an attempt to keep the worry from his face.
"None of them would threaten her; you have my word, your majesty."
The title wasn't waved away this time. This was him swearing to the ruler of the empire that he would keep Acheri safe.
"Finish your preparations quickly, if you haven't already, Palose."
The command made the mage look at the emperor questioningly. It was a calculated look and his question was intentional as well. "You think that they will be attacking soon?"
"Narissa can't tell me a date, but things will happen during the winter that will change this world once more. Since you are hated by your people, this will affect you as much as anyone; but you've made your promise to me to keep Acheri safe. If you don't, I think that you would regret it," the boy said without looking at him directly. He wasn't sure that it was a threat from the emperor exactly. It almost sounded more like a prediction that he might have heard from the seer.
"You must have set up plans to prevent Southwall from defeating you now. You called for a seer. She can tell you how to beat them because you know the future already."
"Fate and destiny can be changed," the boy nodded, "but a careful ruler plans for all things. I will deal with them as I must."
Palose nodded and felt that the conversation had just ended. A little small talk between them finished the meeting and Kolban sent him away.
Acheri had heard that Kolban had brought Palose to the fortress again. It remained a game between them to see how long it would take for the princess to discover the mage's visits.
When she came to the locked and guarded doors, the princess couldn't make them let her in this time. Even daring to remind them that she could burn them to cinders if they didn't let her in didn't faze the men. They simply told her that it was the emperor's orders.
Acheri might have been fractured from Kolban's mind, but even she wasn't daring enough to risk her brother's wrath. He had kept the bulk of his power for himself, even though her strength was only second to his. The distance between first and second was that of a massive canyon blocking her path to him.
She still waited at the door when they finally opened for the girl. Rushing into the room, all Acheri found was Kolban sitting as he reopened his book to read.
"Where is Palose? You didn't send him away without letting me see him, did you, brother?"
"You like him that much that you can't let him come and go to perform his duties without delaying to walk with you?" Kolban asked without malice or sarcasm in his voice. It came out as just a question, so the princess was less annoyed with him because of it.
"Of course I like Palose. Have I not made that clear by now?" the girl asked releasing an annoyed sigh at her brother.
Emperor or not, Acheri saw him only as her family. The thought made the brother smile slightly. He put down his book and walked to the tray of drinks and said, "Well, you are too late today. He has likely left the castle already. Palose has a very busy schedule to fill."
The dark haired beauty kicked at the floor like a child throwing enough of a tantrum to make sure that he knew she wasn't happy with him. Acheri moved towards the chairs where he had sat only a moment before and sat in the one next to the one reserved by his book.
Kolban brought her a wine glass to match the one he already had on the end table situated between the chairs. Passing it to his sister, Kolban moved the book and retook his place. Balancing it on the arm of his chair, he reached for his glass noting his sister's look at her own drink.
"Why are you waiting? You may have been born less than a year ago, but your body is that of a teenage girl, while your mind is an adult. Adults drink wine, don't they?" he finished with a chuckle holding his glass towards her in salute before taking a drink.
Sniffing it a moment, Acheri shrugged before drinking several gulps of the liquid. He doubted that she had barely tasted the wine on the way down. She let out a little gasp before giving him a smile. A princess maybe, but her manners were childlike as she teased him.
"It's not bad," she agreed. "Perhaps we should drink wine more often."
"Only in moderation, Acheri, it wouldn't look good for the guards and servants to see us falling down drunk, now would it?"
The girl took several more swallows emptying her glass quickly. She rose and walked over to the tray.
"It's the second from your left, if you liked it so much. You really should slow down and try to enjoy it. The aroma and taste should be savored not devoured."
Acheri opened the decanter and poured herself another glass that nearly overflowed the top. She sipped a little before turning to sit beside him once more. Taking the closed decanter with her, he noticed the container was cut in half already.
"I could taste and smell it just fine, Kolban. You don't have to treat me like a child. I am almost a grown woman already. We mature faster than boys like you," she told him before drinking nearly half her glass again.
"I may have been shorter than you coming out of the birth chamber, but I think that I have already caught you. As to talking to you like a child, in some ways you are and you could certainly learn to appreciate the wine."
The girl started drinking again, but a little slower. She sniffed the drink and stated, "I smell the grapes and alcohol, but it still tastes the same to me. It..."
Her face started to look more relaxed. She looked at the glass once more studying the liquid. Drinking a couple more swallows of the wine, Acheri tried to continue her thought, but the only thing that she could think of was, "This wine is a little stronger than I thought."
Fighting her closing eyes, the glass fell from her hand shattering on the floor. Kolban rose from his chair moving his glass and the decanter away from the princess whose head began to nod as she tipped to the side in her chair. The side held her head pillowed against the stuffed material lining the sides as well as the seat and back.
Moments later, the emperor could hear her steady breathing. He began casting a spell on the girl. It was something that she wouldn't notice right away. He placed a ring with an emerald on it over the forefinger of her left hand. Acheri wore rings when she wished, but this one she wouldn't want to remove until it was time. His spell worked to make sure of that fact, but only Palose would be able take it from her in the future.
She would want to always wear it while in Ensolus to make sure that the ring did its work at the assigned time. A ring for a princess, the mage would likely tell her to hi
de it later and maybe take it from her to keep it safe. That would be when she learned of the true spell of the ring. It would keep them safe or so Narissa said when he had talked over his plans with her. As long as Palose kept her safe, the power of his spell would do as he wanted; but should the mage fail him...
Kolban sighed looking at his sister. He took his glass, one from a different decanter and sniffed the wine before taking a sip nursing the drink as the emperor returned to his book.
One more step had been taken, but there were more to go.
It had been over three weeks since Sebastian had infiltrated the emperor's dungeons. Since then, he had met with Drayden three times. Despite having to fall back before spying on the main fortress, the mage's efforts had caused a new level of security to be enacted; but strangely enough it worked in the spies' effort. Since it had been a magical attack from within, Ensolus had been proactive in working to secure the dungeons in new ways making the outer guards used to more men and women coming into the spire.
Warlocks and soldiers were joined by workmen and Drayden's men finally managed to sneak their way inside to reconnoiter. They were still barred from certain areas, but they were quite capable and figured out other ways to learn what they hoped would be the information to finally rid them of the Dark One.
Sebastian was called into a large scale meeting shortly after the last of Drayden's information was passed along to King Alain's council. The king was in attendance listening in, but he wasn't the only unusual attendee to this gathering. White wizards gathered from other castles stood with the high wizards of Hala; Culmore and Neferen. Generals from the armies fighting in Litsarin were gathered with the other leaders of Southwall's forces, not only men from Southwall but Sileoth and Marianis as well. The other island nation had joined its allies a little late, but they had been part of why the empire had been unable to finish taking the last of Litsarin.
King Qeyless sat beside his ally and friend, King Alain, ready to listen to the newest news and sit in on the plans to crack Ensolus. Sileoth would not sit out while Southwall did all the dirty work and their countries weren't the only ones represented. Men from Staron had come leaving only Kardor unable to send someone from their military since no gate had been formed so far to the northwest yet.
Lastly, to one side of the room, Sebastian noticed a pretty, petite blonde haired girl. Her skin was still tan despite the months of cold and her hair was closer to the color of snow than straw. She had emerald green eyes that sparkled like jewels, but they were the only thing about her that matched her true form. Standing with several men and women wearing odd necklaces, she sported none since he had used his magic to free the che'ther girl from her curse.
A dragoness as the humans called her race, Cheleya stood beside a man who was her father. The dragons in their human forms were the size of normal humans, though some were very tall and muscular. They were still dwarfed by several mar'goyn'lya, the race known as gargoyles.
Both races lived together on the eastern end of the Dragon Spine Mountains in the city state of Mar'kal and had been contacted at the beginning of winter. A new gate had been built by Darius, though it hadn't been secured by the rune gate Sebastian had worked to build across most of Southwall, Sileoth and western Litsarin.
Gerid walked over to sit by the kings, since Sebastian had retrieved him and Garosh's contingent. The other man, once a pawn of the Dark One, stood near Raven Leros. He had been allowed to attend the summit because he had given them as much information of the state of Ensolus and Kolban as Drayden and his spies had been able to dredge up over a few months.
General Idris moved to a podium and led the meeting to start, "I am General Idris for those who do not know. Most of you have spoken with me as we have built the plans to take the fight to the Dark One for the first time since he broke through to our world."
His eyes slowly crossed those assembled around him and the general continued, "We appreciate you, Southwall's allies, coming here to discuss where we need you and how you wish to help. Now we are on the brink of ending this war once and for all!"
A small cheer rose slowly building as others felt the true meaning of his words. Their persecutor for two centuries was in their crosshairs. With the right attack plan, they believed that he could be killed once and for all.
Letting the noise settle once more, Idris continued, "Southwall joined Sileoth and Marianis to stop him from taking Litsarin, which is where we will also distract his armies. If we attack his capital, we know that there will be soldiers and monsters to deal with there. The more we push him from Helsen, the less he will see of our attack. He will have fewer forces to bring to the city even if he does try to react and bring reinforcements.
"Our portal wizards will shift the needed forces to distract them there. Our allies from Mar'kal will lend us fifty dragon mages and a hundred mar'goyn'lya to let them know that we have brought reinforcements. It will mean pushing back from a frontline that has held them back for months. Should we fail, we could lose Helsen; but it is time to be bold or we will simply risk falling later."
Sebastian knew much of the plan. Sileoth, with Marianis and reinforcements from Southwall and Mar'kal, would change the stagnant nature of the combat on the island. Though many would be in danger; he knew that his sister and the other dragon mages trained at White Hall by Cheleya and her mar'goyn'lya friend would be returning home. Some would also join the forces readying for the assault on Ensolus.
A pair of large maps hung to one side of the room and the general moved to them. The next several minutes covered troop placement and times that attacks were being planned. It was a massive battle front and would take coordination to keep it from leaving too much of an opening for the Dark One's army to take an advantage of as they turn the attack around. The allies had been pushed back to less than fifty miles from the major trade city on Litsarin, but that still left a lot of land to cover. With three countries facing them, the dark armies had stalled where they could build defenses capable of pushing them back.
The second map involved the owl more. He would probably help with the initial shifting of forces using portals; but he would be assigned a task team with the most dangerous assignment of all.
"Ensolus will be tricky and dangerous; but thanks to Owl Sebastian, we will be able to make a multipronged attack that should cripple and distract the city's forces." Using a pointer, the general started touching the various highlighted marks on the map that had been created from the mage's initial drawing of Ensolus.
"We will break the central portals of the city here. Without them, it should reduce their ability to find reinforcements. Some portal warlocks may have the talent to call gates in other places, but this is their hub. We hope to cripple them just from hitting there.
"The gates are another way to distract them while removing more of their forces. We will have a team bring down those outer towers to try to keep the garrisons we know exist in the outer court between the inner and outer walls from joining the defense. North of that the military families have their residences, but again we hope that Litsarin will have pulled many of them away leaving their families. That may mean women and children, but it shouldn't be a problem overall. If they can be panicked, they will probably be a hindrance for their actual soldiers."
He pointed just north of the squares designating the soldiers' homes. "These two have many magic users, while this seems to be the main school for their warlocks," he pointed to almost the north most section of the city. "We will have teams of wizards and mages along with as many soldiers with these new runes to help delay their magic users. Dragon mages and mar'goyn'lya will join our largest force to the west of the emperor's citadel. It is likely that their beasts which they primarily house away from the humans and elves will come if an alarm is given. The mobility of our flyers will hopefully help to keep them from helping the Dark One.
"Another force will move in from the east. Sebastian and our spies have told us that this section is full of non-combatants,
so we should be able to sweep through until the orc sector. They're more likely to fight than the humans in that area.
"Lastly, the owl will bring a team into the fortress and hunt down the Dark One. We will need our best and strongest there. Lord Grimnal has volunteered to help. He has dealt with the Dark One before and knows at least some of his tricks."
Gerid had told them that since his family was no longer in direct threat, he would lead one of the assault teams. Garosh would join them. If the giant was going to flip sides, this could be their undoing; but Rilena and Darius had vouched for him during planning meetings. She had been there for the attack meant to kill the giant. Those who had known him before the attack could tell that he had changed. No one truly thought that the whole thing had been an elaborate ruse; but if it was, Sebastian thought, then he doubted they were clever enough to defeat the emperor. It was more likely that Garosh had been telling the truth. The Dark One had decided that he was no longer useful, a traitor, and had come to take back the power given the giant while leaving him to die from the loss.
Turning from the maps, the general summarized, "In three days, our forces will be set to attack on Litsarin. During that time we hope that they will draw more of the emperor's forces from the city. Three days after the push begins we will launch our assault.
"Sebastian will check with our spies in Ensolus the day before to make sure that it doesn't look like a trap. Any odd preparations giving them away will have to be sniffed out, but it gives us a chance to call it off if we have to as well.
"Once that point is passed, we will commit and either we kill him or he kills us."
The room was left open for other input and voices were raised with hands. Questions were asked; but Sebastian remained silent as he looked at the players in the room. He was in the middle of this and wouldn't have it any other way, the owl supposed. His stomach had butterflies at the idea of delving into the emperor's fortress and then looking for him.
Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) Page 44