Soul of Light (The Hidden Wizard Book 4)

by Vaughan W. Smith

  “When you stepped through the Wizard Gate?” Ashra wasn’t dancing around the topic any longer, it must have been obvious where Celes had come from. There was no point in denying it.

  “Yes. We’ve had to take different paths for a time. I’m following the trail of Aydan, and Vincent is pressing forward to prepare for Alrion.”

  “I see. What does your husband think of your hunt for this mysterious wizard?” Ashra gave her a curious look.

  “He’s supportive. He agrees that it’s important to get to the bottom of who is meddling with Alrion’s quest before it’s too late. And that I’m the one best suited to find him.”

  “I see. Vincent is quite wise then?” Ashra chuckled.

  “Well, he knows when he needs to let me have my way. Besides, I am uniquely qualified to track this wizard down.”

  “I can see that. How can I be of help?”

  “You’ve already done enough.” Celes pointed to the room around her, and the water. “Although, if you can think of a reason why a wizard would travel here twenty years ago, I’m all ears.” Celes watched Ashra’s face. He nodded and closed his eyes, deep in thought.

  “The temple of the monks is quite a trek, I doubt it was that. There is something near here that might be of interest.”

  “What is it?” Celes leaned forward, desperate to find out.

  “Another Wizard Gate. It’s special in that it’s only one way.”

  “So, you need to come here to use it?”

  “Precisely.”

  “Where does it go?”

  “A small town, rather unremarkable I believe.” Ashra had a glint in his eye.

  “You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

  “What? Me?” Ashra laughed. “Honestly, there’s no major mystery in that place that I am aware of. But not many know of this gate. It’s a good way to travel without drawing attention. Perhaps it was just a step in your mystery wizard’s trip.” Ashra poured himself a glass of water and drank deeply. Celes let the information brew in her mind.

  Is this all there is to it? The wizard came here to throw people off the trail?

  “Wouldn’t anyone who could take the gate to get here, be aware of the other gate nearby?”

  “I can count on one hand the number of people who have come through that gate in the last twenty years.” Ashra chuckled.

  “Were you here when this wizard passed through?”

  “Twenty years ago? It’s unlikely. It was around that time that I first came to the desert. I think it’s more likely that this wizard passed through before then.”

  “I see.” Celes wanted more to go on, but this was a good option. She wouldn’t need to spend much time in the desert, and with any luck, the next trip in the gate would get her closer to Valrytir so she wouldn’t be too far behind Vincent.

  “And you’re sure there’s nothing else here for this mysterious wizard?”

  “Honestly, no. I think your best option is to follow that gate and see if you can pick up the trail. Where’s Vincent heading?”

  “He’s going to Valrytir. We’re going to meet at a Wizard Store near the city. Falric said that it’s a key location for the end of Alrion’s quest.”

  “Ah, that’s interesting.” Ashra closed his eyes, deep in thought. “I believe the source of the Blight is around there somewhere, which makes sense. This next gate will definitely take you closer, or at least negate this rather large detour you’ve just made.” Ashra grinned at her. Celes gave him a quick smile in response. The wizard stood and stretched.

  “It’s time we got moving. I feel a storm coming in, and you won’t want to get stuck in it.”

  “Sure, I see no reason to hang around. Especially in such an inhospitable place.” Celes paused and looked around. “Excluding your home of course.” Ashra laughed without restraint.

  “You probably think me crazy for coming out here and living in these conditions.”

  “Not really, I know what people are like.” Celes gave him a grin and he returned it with a conspiratorial look.

  “Ah, a fellow enlightened one.” Ashra walked over to a ladder and directed Celes up. She climbed up and waited for him. Through the sparse windows, she could see the wind beginning to whip up.

  “I feel like we may not have as much time as you thought.”

  “Don’t you worry, I’m a wizard, remember? We’re good for some things.” Ashra strode outside and waited for Celes to join him. The heat and the dryness seemed a little less intense. She didn’t notice the wind as much as she expected either. Before she could say something, Ashra spoke.

  “You’re probably noticing that I’m shielding you from the extremities of the weather.”

  “I was just about to say something.”

  “I know. Just remember that I can do more if we need it.” Ashra said no more and Celes kept as close as she could. Whatever he was doing, it made the desert much more bearable and she didn’t want to miss out.

  They walked along a sand dune, following no discernible path. Ashra adjusted their course a few times, and within an hour he stopped abruptly.

  “We’re here.”

  “I don’t see anything.” Celes looked over the whole landscape and could see nothing.

  “You just need to know where to look.” Ashra brushed away some sand, revealing a metal ring attached to a square.

  “Is that a trapdoor?”

  “You tell me.” Ashra stood back and let Celes inspect it. She yanked the door open and noticed a ladder going down.

  “Ladies first.” Ashra didn’t make eye contact, he seemed preoccupied with something else. Celes clambered onto the ladder and carefully descended. It was almost pitch-black, even after her eyes adjusted to the gloom. Once Ashra climbed in and closed the hatch it became completely dark.

  “My apologies, light is on the way.” Ten little lights floated down and attached themselves to different parts of the structure. Celes could now see that they were in a tunnel leading to something.

  “We’ve not far to go.” Ashra climbed down quickly and joined Celes at the bottom. He started to walk and Celes followed along.

  “Do you know why wizards have such bad reputations?” Ashra said.

  “Because you meddle?” Celes said, hoping to get a laugh out of him. But Ashra stopped and looked serious.

  “Oh, that is just a matter of perspective. But you’re close. The reason that people dislike us, is that we tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.” Ashra started off again, letting the comment linger.

  “What’s so bad about that?”

  “It’s a matter of perspective. Because the wizard may have a different one, he sees what he does as completely reasonable. Even helpful. But the person interacting with the wizard only sees the wizard as being obtuse and unhelpful. And they get frustrated.”

  “Well, you’re all individuals. Why not just change the way you behave?”

  “It’s funny that. There’s a common thread through us, and not even Granthion can lay claim to it. Maybe there’s something we gain through our Spark? Regardless, no matter how they are brought up, all wizards gravitate to this same behaviour. To serve the greater good and longer-term benefit.” Ashra stopped to inspect something on the wall, it looked like a tiny carving. But Celes couldn’t make out anything interesting about it.

  “Branthor didn’t seem like he was doing that. Was he an exception?”

  “Again, it’s all a matter of perspective. He believed himself to be serving a greater long-term goal and sacrificing everything else to get there. Quite extreme, but classic wizard behaviour.” Ashra turned a corner and stopped completely.

  “Ah, here we are. Looks like it still works.” Ashra looked at Celes, to see her reaction. The gate was almost identical to the one she had travelled through. She walked closely and examined it. She could feel Ashra’s eyes on her, watching her carefully. She shrugged the sensation off and looked at the markings.

  “As far as I can tell there’s
only one destination.”

  “Very good. Now show me how you activated the last one.” Ashra stood back, continuing to study her. Celes almost felt self-conscious. She retrieved the medallion and thrust it into the opening of the gate. Nothing happened. She left her hand there for a few seconds and tried again.

  “No such luck?” Ashra said. He gave her the strangest look like he was testing something.

  “Hmm, it was delayed but it worked last time.” Celes turned and saw Ashra was standing right there. He held out his hand, and she gave him the medallion. He turned it over again and handed it back.

  “Very curious. I hadn’t expected it to work, and this has proven me right. I think you lucked out at the last gate. That or whatever happened to this medallion was a one-time deal.”

  “In that case, I feel incredibly lucky to have your assistance.” Celes started to imagine what it would have been like to be stuck in the desert. She gulped.

  “Not your wisest move, but it paid off.” Ashra reached out and the gate activated, the light taking Celes by surprise and temporarily blinding her. The gate shimmered and showed a different scene this time, but it was quite dark and hard to make out.

  “This is where we part ways.” Ashra held out his hand, and Celes shook it. Ashra held on to her arm.

  “Before you go, I feel I must come clean with you. This wizard you are searching for…” Ashra paused, watching her. Celes stared at him, waiting for his next words.

  “I’ve met him. I know who he is.” The shock ran through her like a bolt of lightning.

  “Tell me!” Celes shouted. Her ferocity surprised them both. Ashra quickly changed his expression into a friendly smile.

  “Think on all that I’ve said so far. I’ve told you what you need to know, not what you want to know.” Ashra’s smile had a hint of sadness and he pushed her back, Celes tumbling into the gate before she could respond.

  31

  The Scenic Route

  Alrion tossed a saddlebag onto the horse and hiked up himself. He took a moment to steady himself and look for Lara. She was ready to go and nudged her horse forward the second she noticed Alrion was mounted.

  “Keen to go?” Alrion said as he caught up.

  “Desperate. I just found this whole town to be sucking the life out of me.” Lara cracked the reins, speeding up the horse further. Alrion knew what she was talking about.

  Everything they had done since arriving at the town had been slow and drawn out. Finding somewhere to stay, finding supplies, finding horses. Each activity had been like pulling teeth. Everyone had been polite, but unhelpful.

  “Good riddance, Beetham,” Alrion muttered. He matched Lara’s pace and soon they had passed through the town surrounds and were onto the main path.

  “How long is the ride?” Alrion said.

  “A few days I think, it’s not too bad. Hard days though.”

  “Well, we have nothing better to do. I’d rather not draw this out, the sooner we can return the more comfortable I’ll feel.”

  “Because it’s holding you back?”

  “Yes. Now that the whole situation with Branthor is resolved, and Alyx is cured, there’s nothing left on my list. I can’t afford any more distractions.”

  Alyx, now you’ve gone and disappeared again. At least this time you can protect yourself.

  “It does seem like we need to move things forward. Darvin is getting more and more aggressive.”

  “He’s got nobody left now.” Lara turned sharply to look at Alrion, and he could see the realisation dawn on her.

  “Alyx had already killed the Skull King, and when Darvin turned her you cured her.”

  “I cured Fermur.”

  “Rindale was just obliterated by Branthor, who you also cured.”

  “That doesn’t leave anyone else, does it?” Alrion smiled at Lara. She nodded, a satisfied look on her face. The expression changed quickly.

  “I’m still concerned by Rindale’s last statement. That we were too late to stop his work.”

  “Well, he may have achieved something, but whatever it was, nobody else can continue the work. I’m happy with that.”

  “True.” Lara slowed down and came to a complete stop.

  “What’s the problem?” Alrion said.

  “There’s a fork in the road.”

  “Don’t we just consult the map?” Alrion watched Lara’s face. She seemed quite puzzled by something.

  “This fork isn’t on the map. It’s probably nothing, but it does raise doubts.”

  “But one of the ways is? We can just follow that?”

  “Of course, the way I planned is still there.” Lara looked down the alternate path. Alrion followed her gaze. He could see why she was confused. This wasn’t a rough-and-ready dirt track. It was an established road. It looked like until recently it had been well-maintained. Alrion rode his horse over, to take a closer look.

  The road wound into the distance, he couldn’t see where it led. There seemed to be more vegetation, and it appeared to be less wild, and more curated.

  “There’s something odd about this. I get the feeling that this way was the better-maintained way. The main road is the one that was neglected, at least until recently.”

  “I had the same feeling, which is why it’s so strange. But, maybe it’s just a local residence and therefore no map required.”

  “You’re probably right.” Alrion stared into the distance. He felt something. It was almost imperceptible. The more he concentrated, the more he felt it. It was like a pull.

  “We need to investigate.” The words surprised Alrion as much as Lara.

  “Why is that? I thought we were in a hurry?”

  “We are. But there’s something there. We need to check it out. Maybe it’s nothing and I apologise for the detour. But, if it’s something…”

  “I get it. Well, it’s your quest. We can take the scenic route on occasion.” Lara sighed and started riding. Alrion pushed forward, taking the lead. Lara seemed content to trail behind, periodically looking behind.

  The countryside was vibrant with lots of colourful flowers and an exotic mix of different trees and plants. However, Alrion couldn’t spot a lot of animal life.

  “Looks nice but seems rather quiet.” Alrion looked to Lara to see her reaction.

  “You’re right. I’d expect an environment like this to have a lot more animals or at least evidence of them.”

  “Maybe there’s something here.” Alrion smiled and kept riding. As he turned the corner he stopped suddenly. Peeking over the tree line he could see what looked like a castle or manor house.

  “Now look at this!” Alrion pointed.

  “Luxury home, as expected. This could still be nothing. And it would explain the unmapped road.”

  “Still doesn’t mean that it’s nothing.” Alrion took off again, curious to see what was there. As he rode, he noticed movement in the tree line in the distance. It was minimal but noticeable.

  “Did you see that?” he said.

  “I did. There’s something there, and it’s probably not friendly. Let’s hide the horses and approach on foot.”

  “Agreed.” Alrion found a spot just off the path with enough space for the horses. They tied up the horses and approached the path.

  “I think we’ll need a few things.” Alrion tracked back and retrieved his bag from the saddle. Lara did the same.

  “You’re right, if things don’t go well, we won’t have an opportunity to come back.”

  “Let’s see what’s going on.” Alrion started walking off and Lara held his arm.

  “Wait, let me go ahead.” Lara took the lead, staying near the side of the path and taking cover as she went. After a minute of this careful approach, she remained hidden and waved Alrion over.

  “Take a look over there.” Lara pointed out a spot between two tree branches. It took Alrion a few moments, but he saw what she had pointed out.

  “Blighter.”

  “Exactly. Likely a lot mor
e where it came from. We haven’t been spotted yet, we could just go back the way we came.” Lara watched Alrion, gauging his reaction. He could see that she wanted to return and not invite another Blight encounter.

  I understand her thinking, but something is not quite right. I need to investigate this properly.

  “My gut says we need to properly investigate. At least figure out why they are here, in the middle of nowhere.”

  “I thought we were back on track, prioritising the quest?”

  “We are. These Blighters are here for a reason, and we’re going to find out why. I’m sure it’s strongly linked to my quest.” Alrion grinned and noticed a quick smile from Lara that was gone as soon as he noticed it.

  “In that case, let me go ahead. I’ll assess how we approach. If you notice a commotion, come in and bring your spells.”

  “Absolutely.” Alrion nodded and watched Lara leave. She kept to the path a little longer, then completely entered the trees. Alrion lost sight of her, and instead focused on the Blighter they had spotted. That would be his sign.

  Nothing happened for a while. Alrion kept looking for Lara and saw nothing.

  No commotion, but no sign of her either. Do I need to do something? I’m going to investigate, I can’t stay here any longer.

  Alrion stepped forward and noticed something. He scanned the distance and realised what it was. The Blighter was gone.

  She’s there. I’ll see if I can approach without being seen.

  Alrion continued along the path, looking for the way that Lara had entered via the trees. He found a tiny way through the thick trunks and decided to follow it. Now that he was on the way, he had a relatively simple trail to follow. There was only really one path through the trees from the direction that Lara had taken. Soon he spotted a single Blighter corpse.

  More than we expected, at least out here. No wonder she took so long. I don’t like dealing with Blighters now that I know that they can be saved. But I can’t avoid them until I’m ready to do the spell. And I sure can’t cure them one at a time.

  Alrion steeled his resolve and kept following the trail. He found another road, this one leading off the main one and heading to the main gates. The gates were open.