Despite wanting a fire for warmth, the Caldronian group knew that doing so would give their position away. As a result, they had to make do with an extra layer of clothing they carried in their packs for warmth. Their provisions were simple, just enough to see them through until they returned to Riverdale. A little bread and cheese, a couple of apples and a canteen of water was all they carried.
They all waited until darkness fell, before risking moving in a little closer. Will and Lana needed to stay with them, as they were better skilled at finding their way through the trees without the use of a lamp. Stealth and surprise would be their advantage and the group, being just five in number, needed to use them to have any chance of succeeding.
With the Belarian guards few in number, Will waited for one to pass by before silently creeping behind and slashing the man’s throat, dragging the falling corpse away from the path of the next guard that may wander past. Just a hundred paces away was a large roaring fire, with dozens of Belarians huddled about it. These would ultimately be the group’s main targets.
Despite Charlie being in charge, he let the ranger organise the attack. Will turned to the others, “We all know what we are doing?” he whispered, giving one final check before committing to the fight. Happy the others knew their roles, Will and Lana spread out a little, whilst Marcus and Charlie stayed close together in the centre with Theo stood close beside them. The warrior was there to take down any enemy that may happen to get too close.
Charlie checked his young fellow sorcerer was ready before they both launched a barrage of energy blasts towards the silhouetted figures around the fire. Not aiming for anyone particular person, they used the group as a bigger, easier to hit target. Several enemy fell, as the shouts of alarm were raised. Will and Lana picked their targets a little more carefully, firing arrows at any person foolish enough to remain in view.
With the others all preoccupied, Theo heard something off to their left, and realised another guard must be hurriedly making his or her way around to their left flank. With only the light of the stars to see by, he struggled to spot anybody, and had to rely on his hearing for direction. The noise was close as he eventually spotted a dark shape running towards the two young sorcerers. Theo did not panic, but merely waited for the Belarian to get a little nearer, before stepping in his path and knocking him to the ground with one swift blow of his shield, before striking down with his blade, ending any threat the man may have posed.
The warrior noticed several other figures, some carrying torches and others holding the ominous globes of light mustered by sorcerers. “Time we disappeared!” he said suggesting to the others it was time to retreat back into the trees. “Let’s go!” Charlie agreed, noticing their position would be overrun if they stayed much longer.
Knowing exactly where they needed to go, the two rangers led the way, both making sure they had the other three members of their group close by. The shouts from behind grew quieter as they kept running amongst the trees, all the time putting further distance between themselves and danger. Will slowed a little to check, and could see the enemy sorcerers firing off random blasts of energy, illuminating areas of the forest. However, they were much further away and provided they kept moving, should remain free from harm.
The group moved at a fast walk for some distance before the two rangers decided they had travelled far enough. Charlie was quick to praise all their efforts, before suggesting they settle down and try and get some rest. “We hit them again before dawn,” he said hoping by then the Belarians would have lowered their state of alertness.
Chapter 15.
Leo stood a little impatiently beside Chad, Beth and Anden. Having spent the previous day watching other people enjoying themselves, they still hadn’t been given any sort of break. Today, Kellan had very kindly allowed them all to finally meet up with the Arandorian sorcerers being trained by Lars.
The sky was overcast and it was feeling decidedly colder than of late, making Leo wish he had put a vest on under his robes. As nice as it had been to wear more conventional clothing, he was now accustomed to being the mysterious figure under the black hood of his robe. Hence, for this particular meet, Leo had requested his fellow guild members all dress in their correct attire.
With the palace now being confirmed as safe, Edwin would evidently be moving into the royal chambers therein. Wanting to create a body such as the Caldronian guild, the newly crowned king had suggested using his home as the possible base for his new fledgling organisation. With a handful or so of trainee sorcerers already under the tutorage of his own sorcerer Lars, he hoped to expand that number greatly as soon as humanly possible.
Word had already been sent out, that every child from the age of twelve to eighteen, the usual ages where magic was detectable, was to be tested. Edwin had so very kindly put that off until the following day, where Kellan had once more offered Leo and Chad’s services to help with the screening. The young prince had explained to the king that Leo in particular, had some considerable experience in such matters, having previously been on a Caldronian recruitment. Leo, had tried to tell the prince, that the trip he was referring to had not actually gone quite as well as he had been led to believe. However, Kellan knew that Leo had been the one that had chosen Chad, and used that as a perfect example of great selection. Leo had to admit Chad had surpassed everybody’s expectations and had indeed turned out not only to be a very accomplished sorcerer, but a good loyal friend. Surely though, Chad’s selection had been more one of luck than any actual ability of making good choices. However, Kellan was having none of it, and Leo had reluctantly agreed to help their hosts.
As the young Arandor sorcerers emerged from the building, they dutifully lined up as Lars stepped up beside Leo and the other Caldronians. All with their hoods up, it was clear the Arandorians were unsure of their black-robed counterparts. With everyone dressed in normal everyday attire, it was quickly apparent to Leo that this was a poor imitation of the organisation he belonged to. However, he was aware that having the Arandorians only just starting their guild could be advantageous in that they could learn from the mistakes of others. The long list of rules and regulations, some of which he disapproved of, was certainly one area that could be improved upon.
Lars spoke first, introducing the magicians from both sides to each other. The older man than selected one of his apprentices to show the Caldronians what they were capable of. Neither Leo nor any of the others from the guild actually expected anything of note, being as even their own king preferred not to use them
The young lad selected by Lars, stood proudly holding a rather pathetic looking ball of light in his palm, before doing likewise in the other. The other apprentices clapped as if some great fete of magic had been witnessed, before the lad returned back into the line. “Not exactly going to win them any battles is it,” Chad whispered over to his mentor, clearly also unimpressed. Leo shook his head, “Well at least they’ll be able to see who’s killing them,” he replied thinking his comment rather witty.
Whether Lars heard the comment or not, Leo was unsure, but the man glared their direction for several seconds before returning his attention to his own apprentices. “We may not have the same skill set as you Caldronians,” the man shouted loudly, aiming the comment at the black-robed figures off to his left. “Shanna!” the man snapped waving his hand towards a rather scruffy looking girl.
After watching another apprentice carry out the same procedure Leo decided to interrupt proceedings. Rather than stand here watching all Lars’ apprentices repeat the same thing in front of him, he thought it better to show what could be achieved. He cleared his throat, which suddenly felt much drier than few a seconds ago, making his voice sound quite hoarse. “As some of you may have seen, we use a magic shield for protection. Like this,” he said loudly waving a hand to Chad. “Go on!” he whispered after his young apprentice just stood there, unmoved.
“Oh sorry Sir. You want me to show them?”
“Yes Chad!” Leo w
hispered loudly.
Chad stepped to the fore, as all the apprentices from Arandor and Caldronia watched on. As if it were something completely natural, the youngster waved a hand and a shield of glimmering light appeared. “Now this shield will protect you or anybody else that is positioned inside. Whether that is from another sorcerer, archer or regular soldier,” Leo told his new class. To show what he meant he concentrated and sent forth a quick, but very small weak barrage of energy blasts. Thankfully Chad was prepared, and his barrier stood firm as each blast faltered, petering out to nothing as they hit.
The Arandorians gasped, and all clapped, clearly impressed by what they had seen. “Easy!” Leo whispered to Chad as the lad let his glimmering shield vanish.
Leo wanted to start by teaching them all how to fire offensive spells, but thought that might yet be far from the capabilities of some of them. Instead he had them all manifesting small balls of energy in their hands, and letting it disappear. The lesson may have been repetitive and by the look of some of their faces, somewhat boring, but Leo made sure the Arandorians kept repeating the skill. Chad, Anden and Beth overlooked the smaller groups, whilst Lars was quick to put down any dissenting voices making the lesson much easier.
With most of those practicing clearly tiring, Leo called a halt. He was a little surprised by Lars making a suggestion that perhaps he show what was capable from such a powerful sorcerer. Leo took a moment to ponder the remark, before realising he did not need to show anybody what he could do. If Lars thought he needed to do something extraordinary to gain the apprentices respect, then that was even more reason not to. The man was clearly an idiot, and Leo was certain the two of them would be at loggerheads before too long.
Lars looked over at the arrogant Caldronian sorcerers. He could tell they rated his own apprentices as inferior, so much so he had not even been able to show off their full range of skills. The one called Leo in particular was clearly over rated, always getting the lad known as Chad to do anything that actually required some skill.
Chapter 16.
Both Mason and Carlton had managed to escape the aftermath of the Belarian attack. Using disused homes and cellars to avoid capture, they had been forced to move several times. Carlton had been unfortunate to suffer some quite serious injuries, and although he was now on the mend, he was still someway off making a full recovery.
Having grouped up with a ranger and a healer from the guild, they had managed to keep one step ahead of the Belarian soldiers still searching for any escapees. Wesley, the ranger, was nineteen years old and quite experienced, having all but served his apprenticeship in the guild. With fair hair and a face that made him look much younger than he actually was, he too wore the signs of battle. A cut, now stitched and healing nicely ran down the left side of his face, following a skirmish with an enemy soldier.
Rania, was a healer, a few years older than the others of the group, being in her mid-twenties. With long straight hair, she often tied back in a bow, she had a friendly face. Having helped considerably with keeping Carlton alive, she was quite protective of her young patient, only letting the group move when she thought it was feasible for them to do so.
Their current home was the cellar of a house severely damaged by the attacks. The walls still stood, although part of the roof was now missing, and was positioned far enough away from many of the busier areas of the city. Both Mason and Carlton had ditched their robes, and decided wearing civilian clothes would give them a better chance of blending in. Rania had done likewise, using part of her white robe as bandaging for wrapping Carlton’s injuries.
Wesley however, kept his ranger garb as it helped him move about the city unseen. Quite often leaving the group to scout the area and gather supplies, he had kept the group suitably fed and catered for. Whilst out on such a trip, the ranger had learned that the Belarians were now using teams of magicians to track down and kill any remaining guild sorcerers. Knowing that a sorcerer could detect the energy of another, if close enough, this new development would put his small group in danger.
After watching the Belarian soldiers and sorcerers slowly patrolling the area, clearly looking for any signs of magic nearby, Wesley thought he should head back to the group. Moving quietly and swiftly, down narrow alleyways, using the cover of buildings to keep out of sight. He soon found himself somewhat side-tracked from his original plan, as he spotted two Belarians who had casually walked away from the safety of their group.
Remaining some distance behind, he tracked their movement to make sure they were not re-joining another group elsewhere in the city. One wore a robe, indicating he was a sorcerer, whilst the second was dressed in traditional soldier’s garb. The two chatted, slowly strolling along a narrow street completely oblivious to the ranger lurking in the shadows some distance behind them.
Wesley watched on as an elderly local resident stepped aside to let them pass, only to see the soldier barge the old man into the gutter. Slowly slipping his bow from his shoulder, he scurried down a side street to flank their position. After drawing two arrows from his quiver he placed one in the ground before him and the other he nocked on his bow string. Drawing the bow string back, he aimed at the unsuspecting Belarian sorcerer knowing that would be the man he needed to put down first.
Calming his breathing, he held his pose moving just slightly to follow his target. The arrow flew true, but rather than watch it hit, Wesley grabbed the second arrow and aimed again. The Belarian sorcerer stumbled, as the arrow shaft smashed into his upper back. The soldier beside him was shocked into action, but had barely enough time to grab his sword as Wesley’s second arrow struck the man in the shoulder area.
Knowing he needed to move away from the scene as quickly as he could, Wesley slung his bow back over his shoulder, turned about and hurried back down the alleyway he had used to shoot from. In the fading light of day, he headed back to where the others were hiding out. Just short of their hiding place he heard the sound of a horn blasting out, a sign that the Belarians had discovered his two victims.
After slipping between the gap in the rear entrance to the house, Wesley headed down into the cellar. Mason was keeping a watchful eye on who it was entering, but quickly relaxed when he spotted who it was. “Been causing trouble again?” The young sorcerer asked with a wry smile.
“Whatever gave me away?”
“Just a hunch,” Mason chuckled as the sound of the horn sounded again far off in the distance.
Whilst Rania prepared them their rather meagre evening meal, Mason sat atop the stairs leading down into the cellar. Concentrating, he allowed his senses to reach out, checking no enemy sorcerers were nearby. Since using this skill on a more regular basis and feeling relaxed, he had found the range at which he could detect had grown significantly. What had once been perhaps fifteen to twenty paces from where they hid, was now probably twice that.
Later on, after Wesley had once more checked the local vicinity for trouble, the group settled down to sleep, with the ranger taking first watch. Rotating every few hours with Mason, it was the sorcerer who stood on guard come dawn. After rubbing his hands together, feeling the early morning chill, he stepped up from the cellar, and peered out of one of the small windows in the house.
He stared across the street towards the entrance of a dark alleyway. He felt his heart beat a little faster, as he could have sworn he saw a dark figure quickly retreat back down it. Knowing it could well just have been his still sleepy imagination, he decided to check for danger nonetheless. Trying to remain out of sight, Mason edged a little closer to the front of the house, before concentrating, sending his senses out across the street.
Mason quickly retracted his power as he felt the one thing he had been dreading. There was definitely somebody in the alleyway, and furthermore they had magic. Knowing he could not take any chances, Mason hurried back down into the cellar, quickly and quietly waking each member of the group. “Psst!” he said prodding Mason on the shoulder. The ranger woke almost instantly as if sle
eping was something he could switch on and off.
After explaining to Wesley what he had discovered, both ranger and sorcerer led the way up the cellar steps, whilst Rania and Carlton gathered their few belongings. Mason pointed across the street to where he had sensed the other sorcerer, although did explain he had not detected the dark tinge that was supposedly attached to all Belarian sorcerers. “No matter. We do not know that the person you sensed is friendly to us or not, you did the right thing, and we need to make our way out of here before the streets start getting too busy,” Wesley said keeping a watchful eye on the alleyway opposite.
As Rania and Carlton made their own way up from the cellar, Wesley scurried across the room, and headed for the rear entrance to the property. “We shall head out this way,” he said leading out into the small back yard of the property before pausing at the rear gate. After checking the street out the back was clear, the ranger signalled for them all to follow.
Mason let Rania and Carlton walk in front, as he brought up the rear, checking behind him every now and then as they went. The group came to a sudden halt as they emerged from a narrow street, just as several Belarians were doing likewise from the one opposite. A strange situation developed, whereby both groups merely stopped and paused, both shocked and stunned they had been spotted by the other.
The King's Sorcerer (The Caldronian Guild Book 3) Page 11