The Mage War

by Ben S. Dobson

  “Good, because I’m not going anywhere this time.” He couldn’t keep the smile off his own face now. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he drew her in close, and kissed her.

  Then, hand in hand, they joined the others in celebration. And for the first time in a long while, Tane felt like he was home.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  _____

  KADKA FIDGETED WITH her stiff collar. She hated dressing up, but she couldn’t very well stand before a crowd beside the Lady Protector in the worn, comfortable clothing she preferred. Or so she’d been told, when she’d tried to suggest it.

  The University campus was filled to capacity with the people of Thaless, packed together on the grass under the late-afternoon sun, come to hear the Lady Protector speak. Kadka had heard all manner of rumor and gossip already about the events of the so-called Second Mage War, whispered among the crowd—it hadn’t yet been a week, but it seemed that with every day that passed the stories grew more outlandish. This would be the first official address since the battle, and that curiosity had brought people out in the thousands.

  “Is something wrong, Kadka?” asked Iskar, laying a hand on her shoulder. He and the little ones had come with her—Syllesk and Nevka’s first real outing among the actual people of the city. They were in their half-orc forms, a little boy and girl, staring wide-eyed at the crowd around them.

  She gave him a slightly forced smile. “Nothing bad. Just… is not place I fit. Not like others do.” She glanced at Carver and Indree, standing at the foot of the stage a short distance away, speaking with Dean Greymond. Tinga, too, seemed comfortable enough, bantering with fellow students, introducing Cestra around. But even when Kadka had worked here, she’d never really belonged—she hadn’t exactly been well liked by her fellow guards. “Don’t have magical learning, or fancy friends.”

  And then, as if to prove her wrong, Henred Klenn called her name. “Kadka!” He approached through the crowd with a security escort, and he was dressed in a full uniform of Belgrian crimson, crisp and high-collared. Eyes followed him as he passed; he looked every inch the dashing foreign dignitary. “I wanted to speak with you, before the ceremony. If I’m not interrupting.” His Audish, as ever, was easy and fluent.

  It was strange to see him there, walking freely in her city while the world wasn’t falling apart around them. Iskar caught her eye, an obvious question on his face. She gave him a small nod

  “We’ll give you a moment,” he said, and ushered Syllesk and Nevka away while the little ones stole curious glances over their shoulders.

  Kadka turned to her father. “Is fine. Speak.”

  “My cousin has seen fit to name me Belgrier’s ambassador to Audland. It seems my advice proved useful during the conflict, and he feels I can help repair the relations between our nations.” Klenn cleared his throat nervously. “However, I… I have not yet agreed to take the post on a permanent basis. This is your home, and while you told me once that you might one day allow me to visit you here, I… I wanted to ask your permission before I accept. If you are not ready, I understand. I can still decline.”

  Kadka glanced at his escort, raised an eyebrow. “Is something you want to talk about here?”

  Klenn took her meaning. “Ah. Yes. As to that. I informed Gerrolt of our relationship personally. It is no longer a secret. An awkward conversation, but it helped that you are rather the hero of the day, to both of our nations.”

  “You… told him?” An unfamiliar warmth filled Kadka’s chest.

  Klenn’s face fell. “Oh, I’m… I’m sorry, you’re right. I should have asked if you—”

  “Is not that,” Kadka said. “I just… don’t know what is like to have a father who tells people I exist, before.”

  “I know.” Klenn sighed. “I can never make up for all those years. I shouldn’t have asked. I will tell Gerrolt I decline.”

  She shook her head. “No. Stay.”

  His eyes widened. “Are you… are you certain?”

  “Yes,” said Kadka, and she was surprised how little she doubted her answer. “Is no changing what already happens, but we can do different things now. You already help us escape Belgrier, and I know is you who gets your people to help fight Endo. Is not easy thing to tell Belgrian kaiser you have half-orc daughter. You are not man you were. Maybe…. maybe is time we know each other better.”

  “I would like that a great deal,” said Klenn, with a slow smile.

  Kadka looked over her shoulder, beckoned to Iskar. “I have people you should meet.”

  Iskar led Syllesk and Nevka back; they’d obviously been watching the whole time. The little ones crowded around Kadka’s legs, and Iskar stood at his full height beside her and placed a protective hand on her back, clearly worried. She smiled to reassure him.

  “My family,” she said. “Iskar is man I will marry soon. These are our little ones, Syllesk and Nevka.” She took a deep breath, and then, to Iskar and the little ones, “And this is my father, Henred Klenn.”

  “What?” Syllesk blurted out. “He doesn’t even look like—”

  “Syllesk.” Nevka prodded her in the side, and she fell silent.

  Iskar extended a silver-scaled hand. “I am glad to know you, Henred Klenn,” he said. And then, pointedly, “If that is what Kadka wants.”

  Klenn couldn’t keep his eyes off of Syllesk and Nevka, and he looked as surprised as they did. But he managed to compose himself enough to shake Iskar’s hand. “The honor is mine, of course. Kadka spoke very highly of you to me, Iskar.” His gaze flicked back down to the little ones. “But I didn’t know that you two had children.”

  Kadka grinned. “They are my little ones, but not how you think. You see them once before.” She pointed a finger up at the sky. “Up there.”

  Klenn’s eyes went from Iskar to the little ones and back again as understanding dawned. “You mean… they are… Ah. I see.” He looked more than a little bit nervous, but he knelt before Syllesk and Nevka, and offered them a genuine smile. “Then we all owe you our lives, don’t we? It is an honor to meet you both. If Kadka considers you family, then you must be very special indeed. I… I hope that I might one day earn the privilege of being part of that family as well.”

  Syllesk was still eyeing him suspiciously. “Are we supposed to call you Grandpa Henred, then?”

  Klenn blanched. “I… er, that is… I don’t know if…” He turned to Kadka for help.

  Kadka burst into a loud cackle, drawing strange looks from the crowd nearby. She ruffled Syllesk’s wild white hair. “Maybe you get to know him first.”

  _____

  “…Only through the heroic actions of the Magebreakers and their allies that we were able to endure this crisis.” Lady Abena stood at the podium, a voice-casting artifact carrying her words across the massive crowd. At the mention of the Magebreakers, Tane snapped to attention. His mind had been wandering during the preamble—a lot of laying out the events of that day for those who hadn’t been there.

  Here comes our part. It was strange, being on this side of the podium. The last time he’d attended an event like this one, it had been as part of the crowd, and he and Kadka had received no public recognition for their role in stopping Talain Nieris. Now, he was a guest of honor, standing just behind the Lady Protector amid several other officials and dignitaries, with Kadka, Indree, and Tinga beside him. Just then, looking out over a sea of staring faces, he couldn’t think of anywhere he wanted to be less.

  “Audland will never be able to thank these four souls enough for their bravery.” Lady Abena half-turned at the podium, and extended an arm toward Tane and the others. “Nor can we offer an apology adequate to redress the wrongful accusations of treason made against them, and accepted by myself and the Senate. That they never faltered in their loyalty even then is testament to the quality of their character. Today, I am proud to recognize their efforts with a full pardon, and the highest honor Audland has to offer.” And now she fully turned to face them. “If the four of y
ou would please step forward.”

  Tane did, and the others beside him, standing to the left of the Lady Protector, as they’d been instructed beforehand. Lady Abena stepped out from behind the podium. She held a small, flat wooden box in her hand, and opened it to reveal four golden medals: rearing gryphons on ribbons of striped blue and white. First, she tilted it toward the audience, and then she faced Tane and Kadka.

  “This medal is not bestowed lightly,” she said, “and only to those who have displayed the utmost heroism and selflessness in service of the Protectorate. In stopping Endo Stooke’s attempt to overthrow our government and steal the very souls of our citizens, you two have demonstrated those qualities many times over. But I would be remiss to suggest that your service began there. Everyone has heard some version of the Magebreakers’ greatest exploits, of course, and I will not try to repeat them all. I will only say that for every one of those, there are a dozen stories left unshared. Stories of those who had no one else to turn to. Who, in their time of need, found help in your offices. Tane Carver and Kadka of Clan Nadivek, it is my great pleasure and honor to induct you into the Order of the Gryphon’s Pride.” Lady Abena pinned the medal to his breast with a steady hand, to the crowd’s deafening applause.

  Tane kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, didn’t meet her eyes. The honor meant something, but he didn’t particularly love being paraded in front of the whole city. And while he understood Lady Abena’s position as well as he could—any sane leader would have done what was necessary to avoid war—it was hard to quite forgive her for declaring them traitors. But Kadka had enough Audish pride for the both of them. For all the prejudice she’d faced in Thaless, no one could claim that she didn’t love her adopted country. She stood tall, her chest puffed with pride, and Tane could have sworn he saw a tear in her eye when the Lady Protector affixed her medal.

  Lady Abena moved down the line to Tinga. “Many will recognize this young woman’s face as the one in the sky over Porthaven on that day. Now, the voice that brought so many together will speak on behalf of those who have too often had no voice at all. Over the last days, I have been working in concert with Silver Dawn representatives to establish a new council with the purpose of introducing more non-magical voices to the Senate. Today, I am happy to announce one of the prominent voices on that council. Tinga Vreeg, I thank you for once again answering Audland’s call. It is my great honor and pleasure to induct you into the Order of the Gryphon’s Pride.”

  A cheer roared through the crowd, and Tinga took it in with a grace and ease that Tane could only have dreamed of at her age. Her image had been seen far across Thaless on the day of the battle—in a moment, she’d gone from a girl most wouldn’t have spared a glance at in the street to something of a celebrity. Which, for a goblin in Thaless, is saying something. And though he hated to lose her as an assistant, Tane had to admit, this made more sense for her than magical investigations ever had. She’d been drawn to his office because she was looking for a way to help the magicless living in a magical world—this appointment would let her do that on a much larger scale.

  When the cheering had quieted, Lady Abena continued on to Indree. “And last but far from least, someone I have come to count as a friend in her role as my personal liason to the Constabulary. That organization is in dire need of new leadership and direction, given the treasonous actions of Andus Durren and his followers. But even when so many others lost their way, even when her own nation thought her a traitor, this woman held steadfast to her oaths. I hardly think it will surprise anyone, then, when I present this last medal along with another new title. Chief Constable Indree Lovial, it is my great honor and pleasure to induct you into the Order of the Gryphon’s Pride.”

  As Lady Abena pinned the medal on her chest, Indree stood at attention, straight-backed and solemn, the very image of the leader that the Constabulary needed. Of course, the title also came with more than its share of baggage—she was going to have to rebuild Stooketon Yard almost entirely, replacing those who had followed Durren and rooting out what traitors might be left. Not to mention the serious structural changes needed to prevent that level of corruption from spreading again. Tane couldn’t have been prouder of her, but he didn’t envy her the task.

  Lady Abena returned to her podium, waited for the noise to die once more before she continued. “But even as we honor the contributions of these individuals, we must take care not to treat the tragedy of that day as anything but a call to action. We must not forget the lives lost, or the souls riven. We must still reckon with the fact that many of our own turned to Endo Stooke’s cause. We must move forward with open eyes, and the will to change what must be changed to prevent this from happening again. We are not here today to celebrate a victory, but to make a promise: that Audland will emerge from this stronger, wiser, and better.”

  And now, Lady Abena turned to Henred Klenn, who stood amid the dignitaries to the right of the podium. “And we call on our neighbors across the Channel to pledge the same. In that spirit, I have asked our newly appointed Belgrian Ambassador, Henred Klenn, to offer a few words. Ambassador Klenn, if you would?” She stepped back, offered him the podium.

  Klenn stepped up. “I must start by saying that Belgrier too owes a great deal to the Magebreakers for their heroism. Not only did they find the true perpetrator of the attack on our capital, but their tireless efforts ultimately prevented an unjust war, and saved a great many lives. Without their aid, many more Belgrians would have been lost. The cost we might have paid is all too clear when we look at the heavy losses suffered by the Estian fleet, including the regrettable death of High Provost Elena. We offer our sympathies for every life lost that day, but we must also be grateful that the number was not nearly as high as it might have been, thanks to the actions of these four. In honor of that, Kaiser Gerrolt, too, has granted them a full pardon. The Magebreakers will always be welcome in Belgrier.

  “And of course, we too have heard the call to action Lady Abena speaks of. This incident has laid bare the problems our nations face if we continue as we always have, in suspicion and distrust. Our old ways need to change. We must embrace open communication and earnest cooperation. Just as I have come here to extend the hand of friendship, Belgrier will once more open its doors to representatives of Audland, and its ears to your expertise in matters of magic and the magical. We hope that this is the beginning of a long and fruitful union.” Klenn stepped back once more with a deep bow to the Lady Protector.

  Tane had to credit Lady Abena and her negotiators—that was more than he’d expected. Not quite a pledge to shut down the magical workhouses, but no carefully constructed political statement was going to go that far. For Belgrier to openly declare an intent to even consider Audish advice regarding their mages was astonishing. It had likely helped that Estia had closed its borders and completely withdrawn from diplomatic talks in the aftermath of losing so much military might and their High Provost at once, leaving Belgrier with little leverage and a need for allies. But even so, it was a major accomplishment.

  Lady Abena took the podium once more. “Thank you, Ambassador Klenn. We look forward to a bountiful alliance with Belgrier.” She looked out over the crowd, and spread her arms. “There is much work to be done, and over the coming days and months, I will have more to say on such matters. But for today, I would end this ceremony with a reminder: It was not only those honored here who saved this nation. So many others joined together to fight for their families, their friends, their neighbors, and even for those they might never meet. It is easy to look at the events of the past days and think that we are a nation divided. But I believe the opposite is true. Today, we stand together against even those within our borders who have forsworn the values we cherish. Today, Audland stands united!”

  And to his surprise, Tane found himself cheering at that. The cynic in him was still there, the part of him that had long resented his homeland for the accident that had taken his parents, for building a world of magic and then den
ying the non-magical any real opportunity to understand it. And yet… Belgrians fighting beside the Audish. Mages fighting beside the magicless. Criminals fighting beside constables. Astra, even Lefty Lodestone stepped up.

  It had taken too long, and there had been too much sacrifice and suffering along the way, but maybe, finally, Audland was moving in the right direction.

  _____

  The reception was drawing to a close. After the ceremony, the University’s reception hall had been full to bursting with dignitaries and senators and business magnates—Tane had nearly strained his wrist shaking all those hands. But as the evening wore on, the crowd had thinned considerably, and he’d at last managed to retreat back to the people he was comfortable with, a small group of his friends and their families.

  “She’s a big hero now,” Cestra bragged, clearly enjoying the way it made Tinga squirm.

  “Shut up,” said Tinga, her light green cheeks flushing dark.

  “We couldn’t be more proud,” said Kirga Vreeg, beaming. “Our daughter, working with the Lady Protector and the Senate.”

  Bittik Vreeg nodded sagely. “I always knew that fiery attitude would get her somewhere.”

  Tane swallowed a snort. When he’d first met the man, Bittik had implied that Tinga’s ‘fiery attitude’ had caused just about every trouble in her life. “They won’t know what hit them,” he said. “If she got Lefty Lodestone to fight on our side for free, she can convince anyone.”

  “That was more Cestra than me,” said Tinga. “But you know, he isn’t so bad. When he’s doing what he’s told.”

  “Excuse me, everyone.” Dean Greymond touched Tane’s shoulder from behind. “I’m sorry to interrupt. Mister Carver, if I might have a moment?”

  Tane sighed. “Is there someone in here whose hand I haven’t—”

  “No, no more hand shaking,” said Greymond. “I’m afraid I’m the only one who wants to talk to you this time. I think you rather gave the impression to some of the others that you weren’t much interested in talking.”