Blood of the Earth

by David A. Wells

  Alexander opened the door to a room full of people. Isabel was talking with Bella, Erik, and her mother, filling them in on the details of their recent journey. Jack sat by the fire sipping a cup of tea, adding details here and there. Wren sat quietly in an overstuffed chair, listening intently and looking like she was trying to not be noticed, lest someone send her on an errand.

  Alexander found a chair as his mother poured him a cup of tea, adding cream and honey, just the way he liked it. He smiled his thanks as he took the steaming cup.

  Lita ushered Jataan to a comfortable chair and tried to help him sit, but he managed on his own with a grimace which was met by a reproving scowl from Lita. He ignored her.

  “Isabel was just telling us how you sent Phane a rather unpleasant gift,” Bella said.

  “I hope he likes it,” Alexander said with a mischievous grin. “I’ve just come from a meeting with Kelvin. He’s pretty excited about the contents of the Wizard’s Den. His wizards went right to work studying the spellbooks we found, and Lucky is busy measuring out the Wizard’s Dust as we speak. He should be here in a few minutes.”

  “Isabel tells us that you’re planning to leave again tomorrow,” Emma said.

  “Yes. We’re headed to Tyr to ask Bragador for the keystone. Once we destroy it, we’ll be in a good position to start working on an attack strategy.”

  “Are you sure this potion you’re collecting ingredients for will help my daughter?” Emma asked, worry etched in every line of her face.

  Alexander took a deep breath and sighed. “As sure as I can be,” he said. “The sovereigns have more knowledge of magic than anyone alive. Besides, the only alternative is simply beyond me at the moment. Even if Kelvin can fashion a weapon capable of banishing a demon, the wraith queen is too well defended to reach.”

  “It’ll work, Mom,” Isabel said.

  “It has to,” Wren whispered.

  “Any news from Buckwold?” Alexander asked.

  “I received a letter from your father yesterday,” Bella said. “Apparently, the Lancers are content to hold Warrenton while they build their strength. For now, anyway. Although, the way your father tells it, Mistress Constance is making that very difficult. She has three wings of Sky Knights flying constant patrols and making attack runs against any ship that even tries to sail up the east coast.

  “Phane has resorted to using only a handful of his biggest transport ships protected by wizards to move his troops into port. Lancers are still getting through, but far less than before.

  “Your father is busy building a berm wall and a ditch across the entire southern border of Buckwold. His soldiers are working night and day, even though the Lancers don’t seem to be in a hurry to begin their attack.”

  “Hopefully, they’ll stay put through winter,” Alexander said. “At least that would buy us some time.”

  “Any word from Kevin or Duane?” Isabel asked.

  “The last letter I got from Kevin reminded me of your father in his early years as Forest Warden,” Emma said. “He sounds exasperated by the nobles and totally immersed in his job. He and General Talia are working closely together to ensure that the south and west coasts are well patrolled and defended. His shipyards are working ceaselessly to build those attack boats he designed, while the rest of Southport is busy sending timber and food to help the people of Kai’Gorn. Talia kept one squad of Sky Knights under his command to run messages so they can coordinate the defense of the south more quickly.

  “As for Duane, he sounds bored. Rake and his legion are dug in deep and don’t appear to be going anywhere soon. He did mention that they seem to be looking for something in the mountains. He’s managed to get a few spies into Rake’s camp and they report a systematic effort to find something that’s supposed to be buried there from the time of the Reishi War, though no one can say what it is.”

  “That’s unsettling,” Jack said.

  “If he’s looking for something in the northern wilds, it’s a good bet Phane told him to,” Alexander said. “Maybe I’d better take a closer look.”

  “Couldn’t hurt,” Isabel said. “The last thing we need right now is for Rake to come riding down out of those mountains with some ancient weapon.”

  “It’s always something,” Alexander said. “But at the moment, he’s the least of our worries. Jataan, how are your teams coming along?”

  “I have three assembled and ready for assignments,” Jataan said. “Each team is comprised of uniquely skilled individuals, each complementing the skills of the other members.”

  “Good work,” Alexander said. “I want to send one team to my father, one to Abigail, and one to Duane. Instruct the one you send to Duane to infiltrate Rake’s camp, determine what he’s looking for, and then kill Rake and his inner circle.”

  “That’s such nasty business, Alexander,” Bella said.

  “I agree, but it has to be done. Whatever Rake is looking for could be a serious threat, and he’s already forfeited his life under the Old Law.” Alexander turned back to Jataan. “Is one of your teams capable of such a mission?”

  “Yes,” Jataan said. “Do you have instructions for the other two teams?”

  “No, I just want to give my dad and Abigail more options,” Alexander said. “Have them all ready to leave in the morning.”

  “Yes, Lord Reishi,” Jataan said and started to get up, using his cane for support.

  Lita sprang to her feet and scowled at him so intently that he sat back down. It was all Alexander could do to keep from laughing.

  “You stay right there,” she said. “I’ll send for a messenger to relay your orders.”

  Jataan clenched his jaw but said nothing until she turned and went to the door to speak with a Ranger standing guard in the hallway.

  “There must be some way that I can come with you tomorrow, Lord Reishi,” Jataan said.

  “Not until your wound is healed,” Alexander said. “I know this is difficult, Jataan, but I need you to get better and that won’t happen if you push yourself too hard.”

  “As you wish, Lord Reishi.”

  “How are you feeling?” Alexander asked. “It looks like you’re making progress.”

  “I’m much better than I was, yet not nearly well enough,” Jataan said. “I grow weary of resting, but Mistress Lita is most vigilant. I’m finding it more and more difficult to elude her.”

  “Let her help you,” Alexander said. “You’ll heal faster.”

  “How are things going here, Erik?” Isabel asked her brother.

  “Well enough,” Erik said. “Since most of the refugees have returned to New Ruatha, it’s almost mundane around here. The wizards keep to themselves and stay busy with whatever it is they do. I spend most of my time coordinating the flow of information and supplies. We haven’t had any threats since you got rid of the shade.”

  “Good,” Alexander said, then turned to Wren with a smile. “And how are you doing? Do you like it here?”

  She nodded earnestly, her big eyes sparkling with excitement. “Master Owen is teaching me to sing. I never imagined there was so much to learn, but he says I have natural talent, and I love it so much. I just have to get over my fear of singing in front of other people. I’m also learning how to fight with a knife,” she admitted timidly.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Alexander said. “People should be able to defend themselves.”

  “Your mother suggested it,” Wren said. “After the shade beat me up, she helped me understand that I didn’t have to be afraid—I could take my safety into my own hands.”

  “Good advice,” Alexander said with a gentle smile for his mother. “Who’s your teacher?”

  “Commander P’Tal,” Wren said. “He leads a class in knife fighting for anyone who wants instruction. Mistress Lita makes him lecture from a chair while his assistants demonstrate the techniques. I’m not very good, but I’m getting better.”

  “Your capability with a blade is quite good for one with so little experience in
the art,” Jataan said.

  Wren blushed at the praise and the sudden realization that she was the center of attention. Adele saved her by announcing that dinner was served.

  Lucky bustled through the door not a moment later. “Ah, looks like I’m right on time,” he said with an unabashed smile.

  They spent dinner talking of little things, avoiding the more important topics in favor of enjoying the time they had with their friends and families. All too soon the meal was over and Alexander still had things to do. With a sigh he pushed away from the table.

  “Adele, that was wonderful. Thank you, and give my compliments to the chef,” Alexander said. “I wish I had more time to sit and enjoy the evening, but I still have some preparations to make before tomorrow.”

  “Of course, Lord Reishi,” Adele said. “I have the items you requested in a room down the hall. I took the liberty of selecting a number of each so that you could choose those that best suit your needs.”

  “Outstanding. Let’s start there,” Alexander said.

  They spent the rest of the evening moving furniture into the Wizard’s Den. Six beds lined the left wall with a footlocker at the end of each. A sturdy and functional table sat in the center of the room with six high-backed chairs. Another six comfortable chairs faced the hearth in a semicircle with a low table in front of them. A desk and a bookshelf occupied the far right corner along with a secure lockbox. Two barrels of clean water, a month’s worth of food for six and an ample supply of firewood filled the right corner just beside the entrance. In the left corner of the room, next to the entrance, was a low round table with a magic circle inlaid in gold.

  At one point, Lucky pulled Alexander aside to report that he had measured out Wizard’s Dust for thirty-seven mana fasts in addition to the quantity set aside for Kelvin to take the mage’s fast. Alexander instructed him to distribute fourteen to the Ruathan Wizards Guild, ten to the Ithilian Guild, ten to the Reishi Coven and three to the Reishi Protectorate. With that task complete, he and Isabel returned to their quarters. Before bed, Alexander went to his meditation chamber.

  First he went into the Sovereign Stone and gave the sovereigns a full report of all that had transpired since last he spoke with them. He asked them to help him guide Kelvin in preparation for the mage’s fast and they were only too happy to provide him with several exercises that would expand Kelvin’s ability to emotionally detach and maintain a firm grip on reality even in the face of the limitless possibility the firmament represented.

  Next he slipped into the firmament. He focused on Jinzeri but was unable to find the shade. He’d suspected that Selaphiel had banished Jinzeri along with the smoke demon but he’d wanted confirmation. That left only Rankosi to contend with. While still dangerous in the extreme, one shade was far better than three.

  Then he thought of his sister and found her encamped half a day from Zuhl’s shipyard, making preparations for battle. She seemed determined and focused. He watched her for a while, not to second-guess her decisions, but simply because he missed her.

  Satisfied that she was well and that her mission was progressing, he slipped back into the firmament and coalesced his awareness over the northern wilds in Ruatha. After a minute or two of searching, he found Elred Rake’s encampment. His men were dug into a box canyon with impassible mountains on three sides and a narrow ravine for the only entrance. They appeared to be reasonably well supplied and were building fortifications and makeshift barracks. Apparently, Rake intended to stay where he was for the winter. Further searching led him to the network of caves where Rake’s men were making a systematic effort to find something within the mountain.

  Unfortunately for them they didn’t have Alexander’s magical sight.

  He started moving his awareness through the stone of the mountain in a grid pattern, looking for whatever it was that they were searching for. After almost an hour, he found it, nearly losing his connection to the firmament when he did.

  It was the third Bloodvault.

  And it was deep underground.

  From the looks of Rake’s progress, it would take him all winter to find the chamber and then he would discover that he couldn’t get inside anyway. Alexander decided to leave him to it. Might as well have his enemies do the hard work for him. Once Rake reached the chamber, Alexander could move against him. Before he left the mountain, he had a thought and tried to slip inside the Bloodvault but was unable to. It didn’t scatter his awareness the way the fortress island did, but he couldn’t pass through the wall.

  Next, he went to Tyr and found that isle’s Gate. It was abandoned in the rocky highlands of the southernmost island of Tyr. As far as Alexander could tell, there was no one within a league of it.

  Finally, he went to Karth to see what the beast had done to Phane’s forces. The wall surrounding the Gate was breached and there were bodies of Regency soldiers scattered around the courtyard. It looked like the beast had gone on a rampage through Phane’s army, killing hundreds before escaping into the jungles and swamps of Karth. Good enough. At least the enemy had something to fear. It was a small victory … but a victory nonetheless.

  ***

  Alexander was up before dawn to oversee the preparations for the day’s events. He had a busy morning ahead of him. After several hours of coordination and work, he arrived at the Gate with two hundred men to reinforce Commander Perry. He would be traveling to Tyr with Isabel, Jack, Chloe, Hector, and Horace. Lucky would remain behind to continue working toward becoming a mage.

  Alexander opened the Gate to the Reishi Isle first. Commander Perry was waiting with Wizard Dinh. Jahoda was busy working on the wall. The troops went through with Wizard Crocious, Kelvin’s handpicked man who would lead the mission to bury the explosive weapon in the chamber of the Nether Gate.

  Next, he opened the Gate to Ithilian and sent a messenger to find a representative of the Wizards Guild. King Abel and Mage Lenox came riding up several minutes later. After a brief conversation, Alexander gave Mage Lenox ten vials of Wizard’s Dust. The mage was nearly giddy with excitement as he thanked Alexander on behalf of the ten apprentices who would now be able to take the trials. Before he closed the Gate, Alexander spent a few minutes briefing Abel on everything that had transpired since the war council.

  Finally, he opened the Gate to a cold and windy day on Tyr and he and his companions rode through. Hector and Horace were familiar with the island, having grown up there, and they led the way toward the headquarters of the Reishi Protectorate.

  Chapter 33

  What they found when they arrived was the burned-out husk of a town with the broken shell of a keep at the heart of it. There wasn’t a soul around and the place had an eerie quality about it, as if something dark was stalking the ghosts of those who’d died there.

  Alexander reined in his horse and dismounted when he saw the track. It was bigger than any wolf’s print with deep gouges where the long, sharp claws had scored the earth.

  “Nether wolves,” he said. “Phane must have done this when he learned that the Stone had bonded with me.”

  “It’s been months,” Isabel said. “There’s no telling what damage a pack of nether wolves might have done in that amount of time.”

  “One thing’s for sure, there’s no one left here,” Jack said.

  “Where would the Reishi Protectorate go?” Alexander asked.

  “There are a number of fortresses in the mountains and several along the coastlines,” Hector said.

  “Can we reach the nearest one before dark?” Alexander asked.

  “If we ride hard, we’ll make it just after sunset,” Horace said.

  “Then we don’t have any time to waste,” Alexander said, mounting up. “We don’t want to be caught out in the open when darkness falls.”

  They pushed their horses to the limits of their endurance, racing the sun to the nearest fortress, which was located in the mountains occupying the center of Alta, the southernmost island of Tyr. Alta was rocky and mountainous, ric
h in minerals and stone. Where there was soil, it was dark and rich, ideal for farming. Trees were sparse and stunted by the wind that seemed to constantly blow over the island, which had served as the base of operations for the Reishi Protectorate since the fall of the Reishi Empire. The coastline was heavily fortified and there was a network of well-made roads linking the numerous fortresses together.

  As they traveled, they came upon several small villages, all abandoned. Alexander didn’t take the time to investigate further but he suspected they would find the remains of some of the townsfolk scattered about if they did.

  They caught a glimpse of the fortress as they crested a ridge. It was an impressive fortification, built into the side of a mountain with stout stone walls extending to the edge of a natural stone shelf. The only route to the gatehouse was a series of switchbacks cut into the mountain. From the tops of the walls, the occupants of the fortress could easily cast stones or shoot arrows down onto the road. More encouragingly, there were numerous lamps lit and a large signal fire burning on the top of the tallest tower.

  Only minutes after the sun slipped behind the horizon, they heard the telltale howl of the nether wolves, a mixture of metal scraping metal and a dying pig’s squeal. They had no trouble urging their horses to make better speed up the road toward the gatehouse.

  They reached the drawbridge just as the sky was fading from deep blue to sparkling black. The chill mountain air was colder still from the periodic howls that echoed in the mountains.

  They were getting closer.

  “That sounds like quite a few,” Jack said.

  Alexander nodded, taking his night-wisp dust from his pouch and holding it high to get the attention of the men in the guard tower. Within minutes a dozen men with bows lined the tower wall.

  “What’s your business here?” one called down.

  “We seek refuge from the nether wolves,” Alexander called back.

  “What hold to you hail from?”

  “We’re travelers from Ruatha,” Alexander yelled. “Let us in and we’ll explain everything.”