Emily shrieked as a grappling hook slammed into the floor of the ship a few feet from where she was standing. It slid back and locked in place on the side of the ship. Several more attached to the ship at various locations on the port and starboard sides of the ship. Before anyone could react, pirates were already climbing the ropes and boarding the ship. Emily thrust her hand toward the closest pirate, and a barrage of small rocks flew at him. The pirate stepped back a few steps and tripped over the side of the ship, falling into the water below. Frustrated by what she felt was a weak showing, Emily thrust both of her hands at another pirate. A giant glob of mud smacked him in the chest, knocking him to the floor.
“More power, Emily. You can do it!” Janessa yelled as she shot a water jet at three pirates who were running up the stairs toward the wheel.
The small contingent of troops that was accompanying the two Wizards was being cut to pieces by the pirates. Emily rushed to the aid of the Carmalian militia. She thrust her arms forward a third time, closing her eyes in fear of failure. A giant rock materialized in front of her and then sped toward the group of pirates. They attempted to move out of the way, but the boulder was traveling too fast. It collided with the majority of the pirates and knocked them overboard before slamming into their boat. The remaining pirates huddled around the mast of the ship and readied whatever ranged weaponry they had. Emily threw up her hands and conjured a large rock wall to protect herself from the ranged attacks.
“Janessa!” Emily yelled as more pirates came on board the ship.
A jet of water rushed out of the Archwizard’s hands as she let go of the wheel and turned her attention to the pirates. There were too many to take down with water alone, but the now slippery deck took away the advantage the pirates originally had. They were now falling down just as easily as the few Carmalian soldiers that were left. Emily dropped to her knees and pressed both her hands against the ship’s deck. A thin layer of mud began to mass around her hands. The mud slowly began to seep outward and cover the ship. Within minutes, the mud was up to everyone’s shins. The pirates began to shout in fear as it was getting harder to move through the mud.
“I’d be stopping that, dearie.” An unfamiliar voice called up from up near the wheel.
Emily turned to see Janesssa held captive by one of the pirates. His sword was at Janessa’s throat, and he had a grin that covered his entire face. The mere sight of him was equal parts revolting and enraging. He’ll pay for this, Emily thought as she pulled her hands away from the deck. The mud slowly began to seep away from the pirates, allowing them to be free to move yet again. Her hands trembled as she held them at her sides. She desperately wanted to put on a display like the ones that Paul had done, but fear had crept in. Janessa was looking at her with an urgency that she had never seen displayed by her fellow Archwizard. It was as though she had put her fate in Emily’s hands.
“What’s the matter, sweetheart? You aren’t afraid, are you?” The pirate crew let out a riotous bit of laughter as their captain jeered at Emily.
“Let her go!” Emily screamed thrusting both of her hands toward their captain.
“Or what? You’ll kill me by waving your hands about?”
“You’ll pay, I swear it.”
“You are in no position to be threatening me.” The pirate captain pulled the sword closer to Janessa’s throat, leaving a small cut.
Emily dropped her hands to her side and fell to her knees. She dug her face into her hands and started to cry. The pressure was too much, it always had been. Ever since she was a little girl, her father had pushed her to succeed. It wasn’t the normal pushing of a loving father. Her father had been closer to a slave driver than a father. The only thing that kept up her spirits was the kindness of her mother. Emily’s mind was flooded with images of her parents. Even though she felt some level of hatred of him, images of her father still brought her comfort. She snapped back to reality when one of the pirates grabbed her by the arm. Her hand instinctively shot out and grabbed the pirate’s arm. Spikes shot up out of her hand and pierced through the pirate’s arm, causing him to release his grip on her.
The pirate captain attempted to say something, but Emily was too quick. She let go of the other pirate and spun to face his captain. She thrust her hand toward him, releasing the spikes at him. The pirate captain attempted to block the spikes with his sword. He knocked aside four of the seven projectiles. Of the remaining three, two hit him in the shoulder and one in the face. He staggered backward, releasing Janessa and nearly dropping his sword. Janessa spun to face her former captor and unleashed a large jet of water at him. The force of the blast was enough to send him back over the ship’s guardrail before plummeting down into the water below.
Fear gripped the two dozen pirates that were left on the boat. They began to slowly back away from Emily. She regained some of her composure and was preparing to drive them off when she noticed the horizon. In the midst of the battle, they had managed to arrive at the edge of the Gloomvale waters. The dark clouds seemed to come out of nowhere and envelop everything. What had formerly been a bright day now looked like night. Emily rushed to Janessa’s side as the pirates scrambled back to their ship in hopes of escaping the perilous waters. She helped her somewhat shaken companion to the wheel.
“What do we do?” Emily asked as the ship sailed further into the darkness.
“We’ve entered from an unfamiliar heading, be prepared for anything. Just know that it will be a rough ride.”
*
William spurred his horse onward. The others were scheduled to meet him at the agreed upon location in less than an hour, and he wanted to scout out the situation before they arrived. He jumped off his horse and cautiously made his way to the rock outcroppings at the top of the hill. The enemy camp was at the bottom of the hill, not too far from the edge of the forest. Something isn’t right, William thought as he surveyed the camp. There were no guards to be seen and, other than the banner in the middle of the camp, there was no indication that the Holy Order had been present. The others arrived sooner than expected and joined William in examining the camp from their hiding spot.
“Why aren’t there any guards?” One of the thieves asked.
“I don’t know, but I mean to find out.” William rose from his spot and motioned for the others to follow him down to the camp.
The camp seemed empty, but there were several tents to examine. “Watch out for traps,” William said as he headed for the main tent. He threw back the flap to find it completely empty. As he exited the tent, he lit the banner next to it on fire. The thieves and mercenaries started to argue, and William nearly lost it. Flames whipped up from his hands as he stepped in between the two groups. Just as he was about to scold them, three men in cloaks approached the camp. William instantly recognized their leader as the mage, named Kristof, whom he had met in the tavern. The others stopped arguing and watched as the three magicians approached William.
“What is the meaning of this?” William asked, pointing to the empty camp.
“The Wielders are the main power here. Go back to your leader and tell him that the Warlocks have no place here,” The leader of the small group of Wielders said.
“I think not!” William yelled as he raised his right hand.
His men followed his lead and rushed forward. A fireball materialized near William’s hand and shot toward the three Wielders. Kristof stopped the fireball and enlarged it before sending it at the charging troops. His men supplemented the attack with their own barrage of fire arrows. All three of the Wielders kept throwing spells at William’s men, slowly wearing them down. William did his best to put up a fight, but he was only able to protect himself and the leader of each faction. The three surrendered after their small army was defeated by the Wielders.
“Consider yourselves fortunate to be alive. The Wielders rarely let their enemies survive. I don’t want to see any Warlocks in these parts again. No matter how many allies you gather, we will always win.” Kristof r
eadied a small icicle in his hand as he spoke.
“You are a fool to threaten the Warlocks!” Septimus stepped out of the woods.
William watched in awe as Septimus raised his hands and encased the two lesser Wielders in rock. Kristof shot the icicle at Septimus and sent two fireballs at him with his other hand. Septimus waved aside the icicle and ricocheted one fireball at each of the encased mages. He strode forward and clenched both of his fists, crushing the two Wielders inside of the rocks that surrounded them. As he closed in on Kristof, Septimus ignited a small ball of fire in his right hand. The Warlock placed his flame engulfed hand on the Wielder’s chest, burning through his cloak and leaving a hand shaped burn.
“Remember this as a token of dealing with the Warlocks. Tell your master that the Wielders will feel our full wrath if they meddle in our business again. Alamor belongs to the Warlocks.” Septimus’ eyes glowed red as he spoke.
Combatting the Spreading Darkness
James paced back and forth as he waited for an update from the others. It had been just over a week, and they hadn’t heard from Paul and Rolin or Emily and Janessa. Cormac was still a day or two from his destination and Ector was dealing with some issues that had arisen in his absence. Melissa was sitting in a nearby chair, biting her lip as she watched James. Neither of them was the type to worry, but the situation was well out of the ordinary. Melissa stood and walked over to James. He stopped his pacing and looked at her. She didn’t speak, she merely placed a hand on James shoulder and nodded. James reached up and grabbed her hand. He squeezed it and smiled before taking it off his shoulder.
“I should be out there with them!” He said as he spun around and began pacing again.
“Where would we be then?” She asked.
“Rolin is not as young as he once was. He could be in trouble.”
“Paul is even younger than you are and at least as powerful. Rolin is in quite capable hands.”
“Yes, he is powerful, but he lacks control. There is a preciseness to magic that keeps us from getting ourselves killed by our own spells. What if he sends a stray fireball at Rolin by mistake?” James mimicked an explosion with his arms.
“Rolin knew the risk he was taking.”
James sighed as he walked over to the nearby window. He knew she was right. Anyone else who would have traveled with Paul and Rolin would share their fate. That fact did little to comfort James. He was a man of action, all the talk coupled with the waiting was trying his patience. His time spent in the desert had been harsh. The inhospitable land pitted them against several different types of vicious creatures on a regular basis. Those encounters were how he and his students maintained their edge on the other Conclaves when it came to combat ready magic. Practicing magic in a school was one thing, but fighting another being with magic was something completely different. Often times, the new students would freeze up when dealing with the desert creatures.
“What of Emily and Janessa? Surely I could have assisted them,” James said as he turned to face Melissa.
“Emily and Janessa hardly need your assistance, James. The trip to the Gloomvale Isles is safe as long as you enter at the rough waters at the correct heading. Janessa has made the trip numerous times. They’ll be fine,” Melissa’s eyes narrowed as she spoke.
“Nevertheless, I do not want to be cooped up in this tower waiting for the fight to come to us!”
Melissa smiled and nodded. James liked to think she understood what he was talking about, but he knew she didn’t. She has always been like a big sister to him. He looked to Melissa and Rolin for knowledge, and their level-headedness helped to balance him out. They were both constantly encouraging him to talk with Ector. The elf had stopped numerous wars with his wit and patience. None of that seemed to matter to James now. In his mind, there was no negotiating with the Galimdorians. His thoughts were interrupted by a door opened up across the room. A shorter man in a cloak entered the room and pulled out an envelope. The enveloped glided across the room and landed in James’ hand. He began reading it immediately.
“What does it say?” Melissa asked.
“It is from Rolin. He says that we need to prepare for an attack. Their army has been too small to significantly hamper the forward movement of the enemy. The Galimdorians should be here in two days’ time.” James handed the letter to Melissa as he made his way for the exit.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to warn the Carmalians. This is hardly the time to leave them in the dark. Ready the students, war is coming to our doorstep.”
*
Sev nocked an arrow as he crept through the brush. The Rangers under his command followed his lead and nocked arrows, as well. According to their intel, the enemy camp was not far from their current position. Sev was the first to notice one of the enemy guards. The orc was no taller than five feet tall and stockier than the average dwarf. Though not menacing compared to a troll, orcs were one of the strongest races in the land. Riverton must be their target, Sev thought as he snuck up on the lone orc. He placed the arrowhead up against the orc’s neck and released the bowstring. The orc stumbled forward, and Sev grabbed him by the collar with his free hand. He pulled the orc into the bushes and motioned for the other Rangers to follow him.
They all crept forward until they could see the camp. As Sev had expected, the camp was within raiding distance of the small human town of Riverton. The Rangers often used the town for trading and gathering information from the outside world. It was vital to the survival of the Druids, Rangers, and elves alike. Sev readied another arrow and aimed it at the largest orc he could see. The arrow whizzed through the air and struck the orc in the neck, killing it within moments. Sev’s Rangers unleashed their own barrage of arrows, taking down three orcs and two goblins in the process. They readied another set of arrows as Sev pulled out his short swords. Several goblins rushed at him. Like most goblins, they were slightly less than four feet tall and had thin builds. Their brownish skin was lighter than the dark-green orcish skin, but their features were similar. Each had black eyes, small noses, and teeth that resembled miniature daggers.
The Rangers let loose their second volley of arrows as Sev dispatched three goblins. Half of the Rangers put away their bows and pulled out melee weapons. They lined up so that each Ranger archer had another melee Ranger in front of them for protection. Each of the Rangers in the front row took up a unique fighting stance that Sev had developed for each weapon. The spear holders all dropped to one knee and placed the spearhead facing the enemy with the other side against their rear boot, allowing the archers to fire over their shoulder. Each of the swordsmen took up a fencing stance, leaving their archers with more room to fire. Sev drove his sword through the jaw of a nearby orc as the Rangers closed in on their prey.
Orcs and goblins were pouring out of the three large tents in the middle of the camp. The outer tents were either decoy tents or their occupants had already been slain in battle. Sev ordered his men to shoulder their bows and join the fray in full force. His men quickly complied and were at his side in moments. The half-elf took down two more orcs as he slowly made his way toward their leader. Orcish Shamans were easily recognizable by their spearlike staff and the large tattoos that covered their bodies. Their apparel varied greatly by tribe, but all of them were known as the leader of their tribe. The chieftain was the second-in-command. Both of them were standing outside of the largest of the three tents. Sev’s attention was temporarily drawn away from the two when he noticed that the orcs were holding back the Rangers.
He flipped his swords around so that the hilts we facing forward and then stabbed backward with both of his arms. The attack hit two orcs in the ribs, leaving them open for their opponents to finish them off. Sev sheathed his short swords and pulled out two throwing daggers. He threw the first one slightly down and to his left before throwing the other down and to his right. Each of the daggers sliced through the back of an orc’s knees, hamstringing them and leaving them open to attack from
the Rangers. Satisfied that his men could take the rest of the orcs, Sev returned his attention to the two leaders. The orc Chieftain was already charging him, and he barely had time to dive to the side. He rolled to his feet and pulled out his long sword. His opponent charged again. This time the half-elf was prepared for the attack. He blocked the blow and deflected it to the side as he stepped forward.
Sev let go of the sword with his left hand and grabbed the orc’s shoulder. He thrust his right fist at the orc’s face, slamming the hilt of the sword into his opponent’s face. Blood splattered out of the orc’s nose, and Sev slid his left hand to the orc’s neck. The half-elf dug his thumb into the orc’s neck and slammed the pommel of his sword onto the creature’s chest. His opponent staggered backward, gasping for breath. Without hesitation, Sev whipped his sword around and cut off the Chieftain’s head. The Shaman yelled something in orcish tongue and lunged at Sev with his staff. He knocked the staff to the side and stepped forward, holding the sword up to the Shaman’s neck. The Shaman chuckled and closed his eyes.
A swirling black mass came out of the orc’s hands and attacked Sev. He sliced through it several times with his sword, but it didn’t seem to affect the swirling mass. It hit Sev in the head, knocking him backward. His eyes began to darken as the formless mass closed in on him again. He rolled to his side and wildly swung his sword at the Shaman’s leg. The blow missed by a few inches and the mass engulfed Sev a second time, causing him to drop his sword. He pressed his legs against the ground and shoved as hard as he could. His momentum sent him into a handstand. He grabbed the bow off his back as he continued from his handstand back to standing on his feet a yard behind where he had been. His hand shook as he nocked the arrow and released. The arrow sailed through the black mass and pierced the orc just below the sternum. Sev dropped to the floor as the black mass dove for him. It dissipated just before reaching him as the Shaman was too weak to keep his control over it.
The Wizard's Council Page 6