Byrn was in an alcove connecting to an empty hallway of the temple. If the layout was the same as other temples, then the priest quarters would be down the hall to the left and the right would lead to the great hall. Byrn turned right seeking a way out. Priests were brothers to magicians in a sense and many of them were sympathetic to the magicians' plight. He suspected that Mantellus would be sleeping in the priests' quarters. The image of his mother's decapitated head popped back in his mind and Byrn had to fight the urge to confront the magician until after he was sure that Marian was no longer in harm's way.
The great hall opened out to a large square that led to what looked like a row of shops all closed at the late hour. Byrn looked around for a street from his vision and found he recognized the streets from his dream. Sane had complained that his visions would fade rather quickly especially after using magic, but Byrn was having no difficulty recalling the nightmare’s details. Perhaps Byrn’s nightmare was not a true vision then, but he could not deny that the street before him was the same as the one from his dream though he had never been to Mollifas before.
Byrn headed into the market district and navigated the streets with unerring accuracy, reaching the edge of the warehouse district in a half hour. However, identifying the right building took longer than he had hoped. The district was much larger than the warehouse quarter of Colum or even Lion’s Landing and the elementalist became confused by all of the similar looking buildings. The night was lightening and dawn was not far off. After Byrn's third unsuccessful attempt his search became more frantic as he became convinced that his mother was dead and he had failed her.
Finally he came to a warehouse that felt very familiar. The windows were boarded up and it looked abandoned. Byrn felt a ray of hope and entered the apparently empty building. A quick assessment of the interior revealed that the entire warehouse was one large empty space. There was no door against the rear wall like in his nightmare. The magician turned to leave then stopped. There was a weak presence in the room like a gently pulsing heat- magic.
The pages flew as Byrn flipped through his grimoire looking for a particular manipulation spell. It was called True Sight and allowed the user to see through any illusions placed before him for a short time. Placing his hand to the book he closed his real eyes and pushed his mind's eye outward revealing a door and several windows just before him. When next his eyes opened the door and windows were still there, just as they had been all along. Byrn tested the door and found it was unlocked.
The fire magician pushed the door open and was prepared for a fight. Instead he found the two women from his nightmare sleeping. They appeared unharmed, but pain was etched in their faces. Even in their dreams they could not escape from whatever torture Mantellus had been inflicting on them. The dark haired girl in yellow was tied to a bed and his mother lay on the floor with an arm tied to each bedpost.
The young magician created a small flame knife construct with an unconscious ease. Byrn carefully cut Marian's bonds making sure not to accidentally burn her hands or wrists. The sleeping woman’s body was tense as Byrn pulled her close. He cradled her like a parent would a child. Placing two fingers against his mother's neck, Byrn checked her pulse and found that it was strong. He breathed a soft sigh of relief unaware that he had been holding his breath up until that moment. Some gentle shaking woke Marian from sleep and she was startled at first to see her son.
“Byrn?” she asked unable to trust her own eyes. Her fingers trembled as she reached out and touched his face.
He nodded in the affirmative and they both started to tear up. Byrn helped Marian to her feet and said, “There will be plenty of time for a reunion later. Right now we have to get you to safety,” as a large grin grew across his face.
“Please untie me,” asked the other woman awakened by the sound of voices, “I do not think I could stand to have the hope of release taken from me twice.” Then she started to cry, but they were tears of joy. Then her relief turned to terror and she began to scream and squirm when Byrn reconstructed the flame knife to cut her free.
“It is alright, Tian! Tian!” Marian tried to yell over the girl’s screams. She stepped between them so that the young woman could only see her face, ensuring that Marian had Tian’s full attention. “He is here to help! This is my son!” Seeing Tian lost in hysterics Marian looked around for her hunting knife or dagger to cut her free and finding neither she asked Byrn to cut Tian free quickly.
Grabbing her wrist with one hand to hold her still Byrn cut the bond around her left arm. She flailed wildly with her now free arm and tried to undo the rope on her other wrist, but after a minute was calm enough to allow Byrn to do it for her. A still shaken Tian asked, “You are not like the other one. Are you? He burned me down to the bone and when I thought my body would give out he would heal me so that he could start all over again.”
Byrn was taken back by the realization that Mantellus could use Ashura’s healing arts and for a moment wondered at what that might mean for the priesthood, but quickly returned his mind to getting the women to a safe place. “I am not like Mantellus, my lady. Most magicians are not like him. The Firekin is a depraved person with or without magic.”
Once Tian's other arm was cut loose Byrn wasted no time getting the women to the door of the office only to be greeted by a ball of fire as large as a man. Byrn brandished his staff like a weapon and hastily erected a magic shield. The fire dissipated as hit the shield, leaving a cloud of smoke wafting from the barrier. Through the smoke a figure in green stepped forward bearing a staff of his own in hand. As the smoke cleared the elementalist-turned-sadistic-priest, Mantellus Firekin, confronted Byrn Lightfoot.
“When you dispelled the illusion hiding my secret room you also triggered a ward alerting me that I was about to lose my playthings. It was fortunate that I was already on my way here for some early morning entertainment.
“I must admit of all the people that I expected to find I have to say that you were the last person that I thought would be here messing up my fun, Byrn. That is you, is it not? Byrn Lightfoot?” Mantellus held his staff at the ready anticipating an attack, “You have grown much since we saw each other last.”
“You know this monster?” Marian asked with disdain as she almost spat the word.
“We were in Baj together,” Byrn told her as he motioned with a curt nod of his head for the battered women to move back into the room. To Mantellus, he asked, “How did you get free?”
“In a roundabout way it was your escape that made mine possible, but Ryonus was the one who faked my death in a misguided attempt to...” Mantellus seemed to think on it, then admitted, “To tell you the truth I do not know what he could have been thinking. Surely he did not think I would go back for them.”
Looking over Byrn's shoulder at the ranger peeking out from behind the doorway Mantellus added, “You seem to know each other. Who is your friend?”
“She is my mother,” Byrn told him taking a defensive position. “Let us pass or I will kill you.”
Mantellus laughed derisively. “Byrn, you are like a cub growling at a bear. Do not think we are on the same level. I have been using magic much longer than you and am not bogged down by the same sense of morality that you are, but for old time’s sake I will make you a deal. Your mother and Tian can go free... if you agree to come with me.
“Think of the things we could do together. I can teach you ways to use magic that you never considered before.”
“Do not listen to him,” Marian warned, but Byrn held up his hand asking for silence.
“Mantellus, you are a rabid animal. Step out of our way and use what little time you have to escape the city,” Byrn said showing a strength of will even he did not know he possessed. “Once they are safe, I will be coming back for you.”
Without warning Mantellus created a wall of flame and threw it at Byrn, who enlarged his shield enough to protect himself and block the doorway with ease. Another attack from Mantellus immediately followed. Thi
s time it was a volley of fireballs. They bounced harmlessly off the shield, but the barrage had the effect of weakening Byrn slightly.
When Mantellus fired his next volley Byrn dropped his shield. He reached out with his mind to Mantellus' fireballs and altered their direction so they swung wide to the left and circled behind him flying by Byrn on the right and back towards Mantellus.
The counterattack caught the mad magician off guard and he faced the full force of his own attack throwing him into the wall and searing his arms and hands. Now that Byrn had the advantage he did not intend to lose it. In a battle of elementalists Byrn thought that he was now superior to Mantellus, but with his mother's life in the balance he dared not take the risk. As an elementalist Mantellus was powerful, but he lacked knowledge or skill in the other disciplines. Byrn held his free hand in the air and shouted, “I call upon the spirits of Vailon, god of war, hold my enemy!”
A screeching sound echoed through the warehouse and dark clouds flowed up from the floor in several spots taking the shapes of four war wraiths on mounts. “Feel free to hurt him, but I need him alive,” Byrn told the wraiths.
The four ghostly figures swarmed around Mantellus delivering glancing cuts whenever he allowed them to get too close. The elder fire magician formed whips in each hand and lashed out at his assailants pulling one off his mount and striking another. The wraiths kept Mantellus contained for the moment, but it was apparent that he would gain the upper hand over the spirits soon.
While Mantellus was distracted by the phantoms Byrn circled to one side attempting to get behind him. Any number of spells came to mind that could kill the dark priest, but disabling him would require more finesse.
The last wraith hissed at Mantellus as it was dispelled back to the realm of spirits. The priest panted in satisfaction at his victory just before he felt a sharp jab to his shoulder that quickly changed to a crippling internal pain that felt like little bolts of lightning bouncing around throughout his body. As quick as the bolts came they were gone, but Mantellus was unable to move.
Byrn stepped in front of him.
“The paralysis will wear off soon enough,” Byrn yanked the staff from the priest’s grip, “but not soon enough for it to matter to you. Next time you might want to consider releasing a burst of flame all around you to eliminate the riders more effectively,” Byrn gloated. Then Mantellus’ staff erupted into flames and Byrn tossed it across the warehouse like so much useless trash.
Byrn looked Mantellus over examining the minor cuts he received from the war wraiths. He held his hand with an open palm and his fingers together like his hand was a knife. After a few moments smalls flames burst from Byrn's fingers and he set about raking them over all of Mantellus cuts and scratches. Although the pain must have been intense Mantellus could not voice a protest or even scream out, so great was the paralysis spell.
“I am cauterizing your wounds so that you can not cast any magic directly from the blood source,” Byrn told him as he worked to close Mantellus' wounds. A few more minutes and his work was complete. He put Mantellus' arms behind him and called for the women to bring some of the rope that the priest had used to tie them up. Byrn wrapped the rope around Mantellus' wrists and tied them together tightly yanking on the knot to make sure it would not come undone.
Once the paralysis spell wore off enough that Mantellus could walk Byrn led the group outside. At first Mantellus tried to resist, but Byrn simply pulled hard enough to make Mantellus fall and took to dragging him while Marian and Tian kicked at the evil magician until he agreed to walk on his own. “We need to take Mantellus to the castle,” he told them, “He needs to be secured by the Kenzai there so they can decide how to handle him.”
“I want to go to my parents first,” Lady Tian said.
“She has been through a great deal,” Marian added.
“You are free now,” Byrn said to Tian, “You can do as you wish.”
“I- I do not wish to be alone,” Tian admitted apologetically.
Byrn nodded and got down to one knee and placed his hand to the ground. “Come forth, Sprite Lauralee,” he said solemnly.
Lifting his hand up Byrn revealed a golden hued fairy about the size of his palm. “Byrn, I missed you!” said the little sprite flitting about. She swooped in and hugged his shoulder, as she was apt to do.
“It is good to see you too, Lauralee,” he told her warmly, “But I have a request of you. Can you find this woman's parents and send them to the castle to meet their daughter? She has been missing for some time and they are undoubtedly worried.”
“Yes, of course,” Lauralee winked at her human friend and started examining Tian. She flew around the lady like a hummingbird examining her from every angle. “There is such pain written all over you, poor child,” Lauralee said to her clearly upset. Then brightening added, “Ooh, a noble birth, but... not of the royal line. Still you are highborn among your people... You are the child of a warlord. Nightwind, perhaps?”
Tian smiled at the aggressively friendly fairy. “You could tell my family just by looking at me?”
“I like her,” Lauralee said returning to Byrn, but ignoring Tian's question, “and she is very pretty.” Byrn swatted at her playfully and the sprite flew off giggling to find the warlord and his wife.
Byrn led the group heading for the castle. The day was just starting, but there were enough people about that they garnered some strange looks from passersby at seeing such a motley group escorting a bound priest through the city.
Mantellus pulled at his restraints and shouted that he was being kidnapped at every person they walked past, but seeing Byrn's grim determination and the haggard look of the women that obviously detested the priest most thought it was better to leave them unmolested as they passed through the warehouse district into the merchants' areas, but the fire magician noticed several people running off probably to get a guardsman.
It was not long before Byrn was proven right and a squad of guardsmen wishing to know their business with the clearly harried priest confronted them. Byrn was about to tell them to clear a path when Marian stepped in front of him. Her clothes were burnt and torn, but it was clear that she had been dressed as someone who was of worth as was Lady Tian.
“I am Marian Lightfoot,” she told them with a certain air of nobility that Byrn had never seen before and he wondered if it was just for show or if this was how his mother now carried herself, “and this is Lady Tian Nightwind, who has been missing for nearly two weeks. This man kidnapped Lady Tian and tortured both her and myself.” She gestured at the bound priest. “We are taking him to the king's court to await judgment. Do you seek to stop us or would you be more inclined to provide us with an escort?” The squad leader seemed to hesitate and Marian added, “There is plenty of glory to go around.”
The squad leader looked to Marian; then to Tian and Byrn; and finally to Mantellus who said, “Please! They are rogues attempting to kidnap me. Do not be fooled good sir.”
After an awkward minute the squad leader relented. “We will escort your group to the castle and allow the magistrate to sort this out.” Then looking at Byrn, he added, “If any of you try anything funny, then I will personally run you through without a second thought. Is that understood?” Byrn nodded in agreement and the group continued toward the castle reaching up into the sky with the guardsmen escorting them on either side.
On their way to the castle two more squads joined them, providing an escort of a dozen men. Being surrounded by guards Byrn felt uncomfortable, but he tried to stay calm. He reminded himself that they were not his enemies, at least in this matter, and he could escape with a simple spell any time he wanted. The one sided defeat he handed Mantellus was proof that he was no longer a simple apprentice learning his craft.
The rumors of Lady Tian's return preceded the group so that when they reached the castle it looked as if every noble, courtier, and soldier within a mile of the castle was in attendance. The crowd whispered when the group came into site, now e
scorted by no less than two dozen guardsmen, and when those that new the young lady whispered in awe that Lady Tian Nightwind had indeed returned it was only moments later that the audience broke out in cheers and hoots of joy.
Soldiers not part of the escort lifted their swords and spears in salute as Byrn and his new allies crossed the courtyard into the castle. Byrn had never experienced anything like this before and he tried to keep his pride in check. He coldly reminded himself that these were the people that hated him for simply being a magician and he had spent the last three years of his life hiding from them after they locked him in prison. They were every bit his enemy as much as Mantellus was if not more so.
Three courtiers on each side pulled the huge double doors open leading to the great expanse of the throne room. A man dressed in an exquisite shirt of brown and purple silk that Byrn guessed was the magistrate motioned them in. Byrn, Marian, and Tian shed their escort and entered the throne room with Mantellus in tow. The priest had given up struggling by the time their escort had reached a dozen men and now followed meekly behind.
King Kale Aurel sat on his thrown atop the dais with his wife, Queen Wendi, sitting to his right and his son, Prince Janus, to his left. Byrn looked around for Sane and found his old master standing amongst the nobles in attendance to the far right alongside his elf friend, Sari, who openly waved at his mother. Marian gave the elf a nod and a smile in return remaining more reserved.
The king descended the throne and stood before Tian Nightwind. “It is good to see you safe and sound, child.” He looked to the priest with his hands tied behind his back and asked, “This is the man who abducted you?” Tian nodded and King Kale ordered that he be taken away for questioning.
“A word of warning, your highness. This man is no priest. He is a magician and a very evil man,” Byrn warned. It was a break in protocol, but the king seemed willing to let it slide under the circumstances and thanked Byrn for the warning.
Rogue Magician (The Magician Rebellion) Page 22