"I agree. With the narrowness of the path, it would be very hard to pass them and impossible to do so without being noticed. If there is something up, I think we can deal with them easily," Vincent said.
"After seeing you with a sword back there, I'm confident of that," Falric said.
"We'll move ahead then. Don't say anything about your true purpose or mission. I said you were my son and father, so play along with that," Vincent said.
"Sure," Alrion said.
"Sounds good," Falric said. Vincent mounted his horse and pushed ahead. It didn't take them long to catch up to the two figures on the path.
"Ho Vincent!" Grant called out.
"I'm here. Proper introductions when we stop for the night," Vincent said.
"Sure thing," Grant said and the two men started walking again. Vincent had to slow his horse to match their pace.
"At least the horses will be a bit more rested," he thought.
"No more lessons in the forest, not until we are alone again," Falric said to Alrion.
"I understand," Alrion said. It made sense to be cautious with these strangers, even if his father did not consider them dangerous. Progress was slow, and Alrion found the forest even more intimidating because they were now deep inside it. He just wanted to urge the horse on and ride on out. The swaying of the trees and the whispering sounds were almost hypnotic. Alrion strained to hear the whispering properly, to discern if there were actual words but unlike earlier, he couldn't quite hear. It made him wonder if he had imagined the whole thing.
Their pace slowed even more, and Alrion looked around wondering why. However, he saw that path had opened out into a natural clearing.
"This looks like the camp spot," Vincent said.
"It is the only place so far that has been wider than that narrow path," Falric said.
"The layout of this forest certainly is strange. Bring the horses over here," Vincent said as he dismounted. They tied up their horses securely to a tree at the edge of the clearing and grabbed their bags.
"I'll introduce you," Vincent said. He walked over to the two other men, who were busy laying out their own things.
"Looks like a good camp spot," Vincent said.
"Aye, I've been on the lookout all day," Fitzgerald said.
"I'm travelling with my family. This is Falric and this is Alrion," Vincent said.
"Nice to meet you both. I'm Fitzgerald and that's Grant."
"Likewise," Falric said. Alrion nodded but didn't speak up.
"I don't know about you all, but trekking through this forest has worked up my appetite," Grant said.
"I think it's safe to say that we are all starving," Vincent said. Grant laughed and reached into his pack for some food.
"What I wouldn't give for a nice warm cup of tea right now," Grant said while munching on some bread.
"Good luck lighting a fire here. The air feels so damp, I think it would actually be impossible," Vincent said. Falric said nothing.
"Yeah. Water, water everywhere but no way to heat it," Grant said.
"Vincent told us that you were merchants," Falric said.
"That's right. We'll sell anything of value. Used to be raw materials for building. We would link up the quarries and builders or deal with carpenters and tanners and so on. Do the deals that the individual craftsmen wouldn't bother with. But times are changing, and there's not as much construction going on. I blame the peace we have had," Fitzgerald said.
"That's an interesting take on it," Vincent said.
"Yeah, he's right, though. There was a lot of rebuilding to be done due to the Blight. Then there were all the people who flocked here when they heard that Avaria was free from the Blight. But those who could afford to move have done so, and those that can't are stuck," Grant said.
"What are you after now?" Vincent said.
"We don't know. Well, we know we are after a solid earner, but we don't know what it will be," Fitzgerald said.
"I have no idea what we will find. But Altarbright seems to be a good trading hub because of the lake, so maybe we will get some goods from outside Avaria?" Grant said.
"Maybe, fingers crossed," Fitzgerald said.
"You've never been to Altarbright?" Vincent said.
"No, never needed to venture that far. Have you?"
"A long time ago, I probably wouldn't recognise the place now."
"Yeah, times change. So, what's your business there, if you don't mind me asking?" Fitzgerald said. Vincent thought for a moment before he responded.
"Nothing as serious as your trip. Wanted to show my son some more of the country before he ends up settling down. It's good to broaden your mind some."
"Great idea, travel is a great way of learning more about the world. But I must ask, why did you go to this awful place?" Grant said.
"Why did you?" Vincent said.
"We couldn't afford the detour, such a long walk otherwise."
"Same deal."
"Fair enough. Do you believe any of the stories about this place?"
"That it's haunted?"
"Yeah. Every person you talk to has a different theory about why it is so creepy," Grant said.
"I don't believe in that stuff. It's just stories," Vincent said.
"You are probably correct. But I still wonder," Fitzgerald said. He looked over at Falric, trying to gauge his response.
"I must agree that it seems very unlikely that anything untoward is happening in the forest. It is just a process that we don't know or understand that is causing these effects," Falric said.
"I'm starved," Vincent said, cutting off the conversation and he rummaged through his pack to find food to eat. He passed bread and cheese to Falric and Alrion who devoured it with gusto. Vincent watched the two strangers carefully, trying to ascertain what their story was. What they had said did seem possible, but he still felt uneasy. He looked over at Falric and saw a similar expression on his face. The wizard looked back at Vincent and nodded ever so slightly. They seemed to agree.
"I think we'll have to take turns sleeping," Vincent thought. As they started to prepare for sleep, Vincent heard footsteps behind him.
"Look, I've been polite but I have to ask. What are wizards doing here?" Fitzgerald said. Vincent whirled around quickly and looked at him with caution.
"What are you talking about?"
"I haven't travelled that widely, but I know a wizard when I see one. Those robes are so distinctive. They may be simple and not flashy, but there's nothing else like them. I'm right, even if you don't admit it," he said. Vincent wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't want to give everything away immediately.
"How would you know what a wizard looks like?" Falric said, a playful tone to his voice.
"We had some visit the town, so I know."
"Which town?" Falric said.
"You wouldn't have heard of it."
"If I'm a wizard, then wouldn't you expect me to have heard of it? If wizards have visited there?"
"No, actually. They stayed and didn't return," Fitzgerald said. He appeared to be quite uncomfortable about the topic.
"We found these cloaks abandoned in a town we passed through. If you say they are wizard cloaks, then I guess we should be more careful. Thanks for your concern," Vincent said. Fitzgerald looked at him, then over at Falric. His mind was ticking over, and he was evaluating his next move.
"Well glad I could be of help and apologies for any misunderstanding. I think it is time for us to retire, so have a good night and we shall see you in the morning," Fitzgerald said. He turned and walked back to the other end of the clearing, helping Grant get their bedrolls laid out. Vincent turned and approached Falric and Alrion.
"This just gets weirder and weirder. There's something going on. They just quizzed me about our clothing, but I didn't buy their concern. Falric and I will take turns keeping watch tonight. I don't trust them."
"I overheard your discussion and I agree. They are nervous about something, and I've noticed them starin
g at our robes the whole time. They are only distinctive to those who know what to look for. I'm not buying the fact that they had some wizards visit a town he didn't want to name," Falric said.
"What about me?" Alrion said.
"You sleep," Vincent said.
"How can I sleep knowing you're watching those guys to see if they try and pull something?"
"You will. We have a long trip ahead of us, so the more you can rest the better. We'll wake you up if anything starts happening, don't worry about that," Vincent said.
"At least one of us should get a proper sleep, and as the man learning the most right now it should be you. Your time will come, mark my words," Falric said.
"Sure," Alrion said. He still felt like he could pull his weight keeping watch, but didn't want to push it. He felt uneasy about the whole situation and could tell his father and Falric felt the same.
They started their preparations for sleep. Falric and Alrion tried to get some rest, while Vincent sat up reading. He had a book that he was pretending to read, but really, he was watching the two travellers to see what they were doing. True to their word, they had prepared for bed and appeared to be sleeping.
"That would be typical. They sleep while I have to watch and wait," Vincent thought. When it came time to wake Falric, he considered not doing it. But he thought about it some more and realised that they both needed to be sharp in the coming days, so he stood up and walked over to where Falric was sleeping. He saw the wizard's eyes were open.
"Falric, you awake?"
"Almost. I'm trying to work out what disturbed my sleep. Be quiet for a moment," he said. Vincent turned back to look at the travellers. They still appeared to be in their beds. He heard some rustling and spun back to see what it was. Falric had sat bolt upright. His eyes were fixated on the distance.
"This is not good. Wake Alrion and get ready to leave," Falric said. Vincent sensed the urgency and didn't ask any questions. He quickly ran over to Alrion and woke him up.
"What is it?" Alrion said.
"Trouble. Get up and get ready," Vincent said. Alrion's eyes opened fully and he sat up. He tried to shake off his sleepiness. He listened carefully to the sounds of the forest. They were the same as before, the wind and the swaying of the trees. And the strange whispering sound, that was almost inaudible, running beneath the rest of the sounds like an undercurrent.
"Runnnnn AAAAAlrion," the forest whispered and Alrion felt a chill run down his spine. Before he could speak he heard a new sound. Something was rushing towards them. He looked up and saw a giant flame in the shape of a man hurtling towards them. Vincent grabbed Alrion and hurled him out of the way. They both fell to the ground and heard the flame pass over their heads. A gigantic explosion blasted behind them, and the smell of smoke filled the air.
"I thought you said it was impossible to start a fire in here," Alrion said.
"Looks like I was wrong," Vincent said.
17
Under Fire
Vincent stood up and drew his sword.
"It must be a wizard. Falric are you there?"
"I'm here. It is a wizard, which is surprising," Falric said.
"Aren't all the wizards with you?"
"No, not all wizards. Be careful," Falric said. Vincent gave Alrion a hand up and scanned the area. The smoke and mist were hampering visibility. He saw a shape in the distance, walking closer. He strained to see but couldn't make out who it was.
"It's the wizard," Falric said. Vincent turned back to talk to Alrion.
"We don't know what he can do, so just duck and run if you have to," Vincent said. Alrion nodded.
"Don't act rashly, this is extremely dangerous," Falric said. The figure stopped and observed them. Falric held his hands up, and a gust of wind flew out and dispersed the mist and smoke nearby. They finally got a good look at who had attacked them.
He was average height, wearing a full black hooded robe. His face was hidden from view. In his right hand, he held a jet-black staff with a dark crystal at the top.
"Who are you?" Falric called out.
"You don't need my name, and I don't need yours. You are well known to me Falric," a voice said. It was somehow amplified and boomed around the clearing.
"What do you want?" Falric said. The man started to speak but stopped himself. Instead, he just laughed. Falric looked at Vincent.
"What's the plan?" Vincent said.
"We should counter attack at the same time. He will have difficulty tracking us both at the same time," Falric said.
"Just give me the signal," Vincent said. He readied his stance to charge at the wizard. The hooded wizard stopped laughing and looked at them. Then he raised his staff and brought it down upon the ground. The earth beneath his staff rose up, a wave of rock and stone lurching from the ground and barrelling towards them.
"Get down!" Falric shouted, and he threw his hands up in response. The rolling wall of earth slowed as it approached them and paused in mid-air.
"Move!" Falric cried out. Vincent grabbed Alrion and Falric and dived to the side. Falric held onto his spell just long enough, then pushed the earth away as much as he could. The ground fell everywhere and Alrion felt like he was being buried alive.
After a few moments, Alrion realised he was holding his breath. He breathed in and got air, which surprised him. He struggled up and found that only a light layer of rock and soil had settled over him. His father was more covered, so Alrion dragged him out. Vincent coughed and sat up, looking over at Falric.
"Don't worry, I'm alright," Falric said as he dusted himself off.
"That was insane," Alrion said, looking around. The clearing looked like a war zone.
"Horses are gone," Vincent said, looking out.
"So are our travelling companions. Do you think they were buried?" Alrion said.
"Not a chance," Falric said.
"I think this was a setup. They were waiting for us, then the wizard came. They knew what to look for."
"That sounds fair. What can you tell us about that wizard?" Alrion said.
"I don't know who he is. From his dress and manner, you would think he was touched by the Blight. Yet I didn't notice the taint in his Spark."
"So where did he come from?" Alrion said.
"I'm not sure. But he was clearly after us, and almost succeeded," Falric said.
"Do you think you can find him again? Or be more prepared next time?" Vincent said.
"We'll have to be more cautious. But no, I don't have a way of tracking him. Until we find out more or manage to capture his staff we won't have a way of locating him."
"What did you mean about his Spark?" Alrion said.
"Remember how I mentioned that when you are tainted by the Blight it taints your Spark as well? Other wizards can sense that taint when you use your Spark. It has a strange resonance to it, which you will understand when you notice it. I assumed that due to the attack by the Blighters, the dark dress and dark crystal on his staff that he was tainted. But his magic had none of the tell-tale signs," Falric said.
"Perhaps you were wrong, and he is just a rogue wizard?" Vincent said.
"Possibly. But it's too coincidental that we were forced out of the tunnel by Blighters and into the forest where he was waiting."
"True, it does seem like we are being tracked," Vincent said.
"How are they doing that?" Alrion said.
"I'm not sure, but I'll think about it. But one thing I know for certain, we need to modify our appearance. However, they tracked us to this forest, they were able to confirm our presence by our clothing. We need to be more careful. Perhaps what your grandfather said in his letter is to be taken more literally," Falric said.
"What did he say?" Alrion said.
"In his letter to me, he referred to the Hidden Wizard as being the one to destroy the Blight. I thought he was being metaphorical, or referring to the fact that you had been hidden in your upbringing. But perhaps he also meant it more literally. That you need to be hidden to
achieve your mission."
"I don't know," Alrion said.
"Either way, it's good advice. Is there a way we can disguise ourselves with magic?" Vincent said.
"Not a good way, and it will be difficult to hide that from other wizards. These particular cloaks are also protected from altering. We will just need to do it the old-fashioned way and get some new clothing from the next place we visit."
"That seems simple enough. Let's see what we can salvage and get out of this damned forest," Vincent said, waving his arms in frustration. Alrion understood the feeling. It had been such a frustrating leg of their journey. The slow approach, and the creepy trees and whispers. The additional slowdown of the travellers, the ambush, and the loss of their horses just added to it. It had been a terrible day.
"I'll be glad to be out of here," Alrion said.
"Truer words were never spoken," Falric said. They picked through the debris in the clearing, claiming whatever food and supplies they could find. Alrion dug through his pockets, to see if he had left anything. But he found something he wasn't expecting. He removed it from his pocket and looked at it.
It was a book or journal. Small in size, with a blue leather cover and blank pages inside. He didn't remember it at all.
"What do you have there?" Falric said.
"I'm not sure, I don't remember where I found it, or how it came into my possession."
"I recognise it. You would have taken it from the supply building," Falric said. Alrion thought back and realised that had to be it. He had found something warm and taken it with him, but never looked at what it was.
"You're right, I never saw what it was. The memory is coming back now, why was that room in the dark?"
"Your grandfather believed that magical artifacts were not as simple as they looked. That they could influence who used them and when. So, he bought into the idea completely and instituted a system whereby each new wizard selects his own artifact to take with him. The idea behind the dark room was to increase the chances of the wizard selecting the right artifact, by senses other than sight."
"Really? That's interesting. I do remember this one feeling different to the rest, it was warm to the touch."
Pool of Knowledge (The Hidden Wizard Book 1) Page 11