Alexander fixed Regent Samuel with his glittering eyes, even though he could only see him with his magical vision.
“I will hear no more talk of murdering my wife, not for any reason. Is that clear?”
Samuel started to say something but thought better of it and simply nodded stiffly.
“Our course is set,” Alexander said. “In one week, Abigail will lead the bulk of our forces into Fellenden and I will depart for the Reishi Isle. We have much to do before then. Let’s make the most of the time we have.”
With that he took Isabel’s hand and left the war council with his wife.
After breakfast the next morning, he and Isabel went to the Hall of Magic to see Kelvin and Hax. They’d sent word of progress with the books that Alexander had retrieved from Benesh Reishi’s keep.
Lucky was also in Kelvin’s workshop when they arrived. “Ah, there you are, my boy,” Lucky said. “How are your eyes?”
“They hurt and I still can’t see,” Alexander said.
“I suspect the pain will subside over time,” Lucky said, “but I doubt they will heal without powerful magic. I’ll begin doing some research into more specific healing concoctions. Perhaps I’ll be able to find something that will help.”
“Don’t make it a priority,” Alexander said, turning to Hax. He hadn’t told Isabel about Lucky’s assignment and now that Phane had gotten his hooks into her, he didn’t intend to. He loved her and wanted to trust her with everything but he knew better than to underestimate the Reishi Prince.
“What can you tell me about these books?”
Wizard Hax placed the first of the volumes on the table before him.
“This one contains information about the unique nature of an adept’s magic,” Wizard Hax said. “I’ve read it through and can summarize it for you, but you’ll benefit more once I’ve had the time to make a complete translation.”
“Tell me what you can,” Alexander said.
“Of course. It’s really quite fascinating,” Wizard Hax said. “The vast majority of wizards experience the firmament in the same way, as a limitless reservoir of potential that’s separate and distinct from their consciousness. Benesh Reishi reached the conclusion, after a great deal of well-documented and painstaking research, mind you, that an adept’s consciousness and the firmament are somehow fused together.
“Where a normal wizard is at risk of falling into the firmament and becoming lost to the endless possibilities, you are able to merge your consciousness with the firmament, in essence becoming one with the source of reality. The implications are staggering.
“First, there’s the issue of locality. A normal wizard can inject his will into the firmament and cause effects within his local area, but the farther away he tries to change the nature of reality, the more difficult it becomes, until he reaches a range where he’s unable to manifest any change at all.
“Your descriptions of the way your clairvoyance works would seem to bear this out. You are able to see across vast distances without difficulty. That fact seems to substantiate Benesh Reishi’s claim that an adept has no restrictions on the range of his magic. In effect, you can wield your power anywhere within the firmament without regard to your physical location.
“Second, there’s the issue of sheer power. A typical wizard must guard against the pull of the firmament or become lost, but you are able to join with it without fear. The result is vastly more potent. Unfortunately, Benesh Reishi wasn’t unable to discover how to inject his will into the firmament in the way that other wizards do. Like your magic, his was based on perception rather than substance. He was able to make others see and hear nearly anything he could imagine, yet he couldn’t cause any type of actual physical effects within the world of time and substance.
“Your magic is similar, in that you can see a great deal, yet you are unable to actually cast spells in the conventional sense.”
“This is all very interesting, and I’m looking forward to reading your translation,” Alexander said, “but it doesn’t offer me anything that I can use right now.”
Wizard Hax nodded. “Yes, of course. Benesh Reishi discovered that his magic was similar to a muscle. The more he used it the stronger it became. Over time, with ongoing practice, he was able to increase the size, duration, and detail of his illusions. He set out a rigorous practice schedule for himself and followed it closely to expand his abilities. Similarly, I believe that your abilities will only reach their full potential with regular use and practice.
“From the information in this volume, I can’t say if you will develop further abilities, but I can say with relative certainty that the abilities you have will become more readily available and controllable with routine use.”
“All right,” Alexander said, nodding. “That’s confirmation of the advice the Reishi Sovereigns gave me. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but good enough for now. Did any of the other books deal with the nature of an adept?”
“I’m afraid not,” Wizard Hax said. “The next most promising was the treatise on Mindbender. I still have more to translate, but I’ve been able to learn some things of interest. It describes how the sword was created, which Mage Gamaliel has expressed great interest in, but it also deals with how the sword can best be used.”
Alexander sat forward.
“It seems that it was designed to function with the unique connection to the firmament possessed by an adept,” Hax said. “In other words, it probably wouldn’t work for anyone except you. Benesh Reishi was quite ambitious. He sought to essentially duplicate his mind and therefore his link with the firmament within the sword. His goal was to create a sword that could offer him the perception necessary to project his illusions anywhere he could see.
“Essentially, he was trying to create a sword that had your gift of clairvoyance. He reasoned that the combination of being able to see anywhere, coupled with his ability to manifest illusions anywhere, would allow him to act anywhere in the entire Seven Isles from the safety of his keep.
“Unfortunately, he didn’t achieve the result he desired. While he was successful in creating a semisentient sword with an adept’s link to the firmament, the powers the sword manifested didn’t live up to his hopes. Instead of clairvoyance, Mindbender was able to see into the minds of the enemy he faced while also duplicating his talent with illusions.
“He was actually disappointed by the result, doubly so when he realized that creating the sword had imbalanced his own connection to the firmament, eventually leading to his death. In the end, he considered the sword to be a curse and ultimately his greatest failure.”
“Is there any information about using it more effectively?” Alexander asked.
“It seems that the sword’s magic is similar to an adept’s link to the firmament,” Hax said. “Practice is the key. After a while, Benesh Reishi learned how to condition his mind so that the sword would believe he was in a fight. Once he developed that mental discipline, he was able to practice with the sword much more often.
“He found that creating illusions with Mindbender was much the same as using his own magic. He simply visualized the result he wanted and released it into the sword, much the same way a wizard releases an image of his desired effect into the firmament. He found that many of the more traditional visualization exercises taught to wizard apprentices were very helpful in training his mind to create more detailed and therefore more believable illusions.”
“I can help you with that,” Isabel said. “I learned a few of those exercises while training to take the trials on the fortress island.”
“I guess I’m going to be spending a lot of time practicing then,” Alexander said. “What about the other two books?”
“This next one deals with the magic magnifying effects of crystals,” Hax said. “It seems that crystals have the innate ability to shield a wizard’s mind from the pull of the firmament, thereby allowing a more full and complete connection to be made with less possibility of being drawn in and lost. Con
versely, crystals also possess the ability to draw out and contain a wizard’s link to the firmament. I don’t quite understand the significance of this property just yet. The dialect used in this section is unfamiliar, so I may be misunderstanding it somewhat, though it is clear that Benesh Reishi was quite excited about this particular aspect of crystals.
“He created a crystal chamber to test the limits of this theory and found that it had little effect on his magic. It did, however, allow other wizards to substantially increase the power of their spells.”
“Could we use the crystal chamber in the Keep to help Kelvin enchant items with greater power?” Alexander asked with renewed interest.
“Perhaps,” Hax said.
“I’d like you to try, Kelvin,” Alexander said. “The Reishi Sovereigns believe that they could create a device that could draw a shade in and imprison it permanently, but they also believe it would take the power of an arch mage to construct such a device. If the crystal chamber can increase your connection to the firmament, then maybe you can create such a device.”
“I’ll give the matter some thought,” Kelvin said, “but I believe it would be wise to attempt lesser enchantments first to test the limits of the chamber.”
“I agree,” Alexander said. “I’ll dispel the barrier and command the sentinel to allow you and my father passage into the lower chambers while I’m away. Please continue, Wizard Hax.”
“The last book contains a line of research that Benesh Reishi was pursuing in his final year that is staggering in its implications if it’s possible at all. He was trying to create an item that would function as an artificial link to the firmament similar to Mindbender, except that it would allow the wielder to cast spells in the same way as a wizard without requiring a connection to the firmament.”
“Was he successful?” Alexander asked.
“No,” Hax said, “it appears that he was in the final stages of researching the possibility when he died. His research is promising, though. I haven’t studied it enough to make a determination and I believe that the Guild Mage should review it as well, but I suspect that it may be possible, although very difficult.”
“Would such an item allow one who hasn’t survived the mana fast to cast spells?” Alexander asked.
“That’s unclear, but I believe it may be possible,” Hax said.
“How complete a connection to the firmament could such an item create?” Alexander asked.
“He believed that a full and complete connection similar to that of a mage could be created and his research seems to support his belief.”
“Keep this information secret for now,” Alexander said. “The last thing we need is Phane creating these items and arming his soldiers with them.”
Chapter 21
The week that followed was busy with the mundane details of preparing an army to march. Alexander spent the time consulting with the Reishi Sovereigns, practicing his magic, and training Abigail to use the Thinblade more effectively.
He learned a great deal about magic and the netherworld in his conversations with the sovereigns, although none of what he learned could help him immediately. He made a careful record of each exercise that Lucky would need to practice in order to ascend to the rank of mage alchemist. Lucky had reservations about staying behind while everyone else left to face the enemy, but he accepted the tasks that Alexander had assigned him nonetheless.
Isabel worked with Magda learning a force-push spell. It was less deadly than the light-lance spell, but it could be cast more quickly and was still a formidable weapon at relatively close range. The effect was to create a wave of magical energy that would strike an enemy and knock them backward, often disorienting them or even rendering them unconscious. The choice of the spell was Magda’s suggestion, more for the time it would take to master than for any other reason.
Magda and Cassandra spent time exchanging knowledge about magic and history with the wizards. Wizard Hax was especially interested in their perceptions of magic and spent many hours engrossed in deep conversations with the witches about esoteric topics.
Kelvin worked tirelessly on the creation of a new collar of binding that could be used against a shade or a wraithkin. Alexander intended to find and face Jinzeri somewhere on the Reishi Isle and he needed every advantage he could get.
A flight of Sky Knights arrived during the week and moved into the aerie, bringing a significant military capability to Blackstone Keep. Within a day, they were flying aerial patrols over the northern half of Ruatha. Duncan sent a wing to support Duane in the north. He wanted to eliminate Elred Rake’s legion of troublemakers in the northern wilds without risking too many of his men. The Sky Knights would be invaluable as scouts and support when the time came to attack. He wanted Duane and his Rangers to learn to work with the Sky Knights prior to the battle that was coming.
A second flight of Sky Knights, commanded by Mistress Corina, was preparing to fly to Fellenden to augment the assault force that would attack through the Gate.
Lieutenant Wyatt was promoted to captain and given his pick of any Rangers in the army to reconstitute his force. He chose a number of the most skilled and experienced men and women that he could find. Alexander asked him to accompany Abigail to Fellenden.
Captain Sava split his forces in two, leaving half on Ruatha under Duncan’s command and taking the other half with the bulk of the army to Fellenden. Two platoons of dragon-armored cavalry mounted on rhone would be a significant addition to Abigail’s forces.
Abigail’s command staff was selected—Connor Ithilian, Mage Dax, Wizard Sark, Mistress Magda, General Markos, and General Kern would accompany her, along with Anatoly, Mistress Corina, and Knight Raja, who would be her wingman when she was riding Kallistos. Another six wizards were selected to join the assault force to offer their expertise and assistance against Zuhl and his minions.
Duncan was to remain behind on Ruatha with Hanlon, Kelvin, Lucky, and the majority of the wizards who were still busy exploring and cataloging the contents of Blackstone Keep. In addition to Duane’s legion, three would remain behind as well to provide security in northern Ruatha in the event that Phane managed to land another force.
Jataan was healing slowly but was no less busy for it. He had called forth the Reishi Protectorate to Blackstone Keep and many of his agents were already arriving. After a personal interview with each, he made careful notes of their capabilities and skills so that he could decide how best to use them. He was building a royal guard force, an intelligence service, and a group of operatives who could be sent on missions of vital importance.
Alexander visited him occasionally during the week, ostensibly to receive reports on his progress, but actually to see how he was healing. He wished the battle mage would be accompanying him. Without Jataan or Boaberous or Anatoly, Alexander would have no protector. While he was confident in his own abilities and knew Isabel and Jack could hold their own in battle, he wanted a bit more muscle … and another person to stand guard wouldn’t hurt.
Jataan solved the problem when a pair of his agents arrived: twin brothers from Karth named Hector and Horace Lal. They had served as infiltrators within the Reishi Army Regency for several years, sending reports to Jataan whenever the means presented itself. When they heard the summons, they abandoned their posts and deserted the Regency Army to make their way to Ruatha.
After Jataan had interviewed them thoroughly, he asked Alexander to speak with them. They were identical in appearance, save the scar on Hector’s right cheek. Each stood just over five and a half feet tall and had a medium build, nondescript brown eyes and brown hair. All in all, they looked completely ordinary, except Alexander knew with a single glance at their colors that they were anything but. Both had the subtle magic of a sorcerer, their abilities manifesting in very different ways.
Hector was capable of transforming himself and all of his belongings into a gaseous cloud of vapor that vaguely resembled his solid form. He could make the transformation with breathtaki
ng speed, one moment being solid and the next becoming insubstantial. While in his vaporous form, he could flow through the cracks in a door with ease and was virtually immune to normal weapons. However, he was also unable to attack when gaseous.
Horace was able to manifest an invisible being of limited capability within a hundred feet or so. His magical servant wasn’t very strong and couldn’t attack very effectively, but it was highly useful for performing a variety of tasks at a distance.
Alexander asked both men to demonstrate their powers while he watched their colors closely. He was becoming accustomed to relying on his all around sight. He could still see colors through it so the only real limitation due to his blindness was a lack of distance vision. Within a hundred feet, he was able to see everything quite clearly.
His evaluation of their colors told him that they were both loyal to the Reishi and were both accustomed to handling themselves in dangerous situations. Each was competent in his own right, but together they were formidable, relying on the strengths of the other and communicating with an almost telepathic link.
Each was skilled in combat, their weapons of choice being a pair of short swords. They were also talented spies, capable of moving silently, picking locks, climbing walls, concealing themselves in plain sight, and blending into the background of nearly any gathering. Neither looked particularly intelligent but after an hour of questioning, Alexander discovered that both were highly trained, expertly skilled, and quite capable operatives who had survived undercover within a hostile force for years without being detected.
When he asked them if they would like to accompany him on a mission of great importance and great danger, they were both eager for the assignment. While Alexander didn’t know them well, Jataan assured him that they were loyal to the Reishi. Their colors confirmed it and Alexander felt better having them along.
Blood of the Earth (Sovereign of the Seven Isles: Book Four) Page 18