Before I started on anything else, I went back at night and lowered the Port West Gate Castle back into the ground. I left the harbor side walls and cannon emplacements, but everything else sank out of sight.
Chapter twenty-nine
I was now ready to add crags to the existing crag barrier on our northern border. I started at the western edge of the crag barrier, working my way east. I added a fifty-foot-thick, eighty-foot-high crag barrier leaving ten feet between the two crag walls. That was where I would split the two lands apart. It took me three days to complete the barrier. I rested an additional day in the earth before I tried to move the landmass.
The next morning, I started by moving the ten foot of dirt between the walls out of the way. The sea rushed in to fill the void. I took the void down fifty feet.
I concentrated on what I wanted to do, holding that thought in mind I asked the newly formed island to move. I also asked it to keep the channel for the underground river connected as it moved to keep the river flowing.
The runes on my hand and arms glowed. Then the runes moved up to my shoulders and across my chest and back. I continued to hold. The runes expanded, first my lower torso, then down my legs and feet. I continued to hold. The runes expanded up my neck, covering my face and head. Still, I held. All the runes began to pulse, lines appeared, like the outlines of armor. It felt like I was wearing armor, magic armor. My whole body was pulsing. It burned my clothes off of me, but I never felt the heat.
I don't know how long I held. I felt my consciousness travelling the length and breadth of the island. I felt the island shudder. A moment later I felt it move. Then I felt like it was sliding across ice. I stopped pushing when the island was two miles offshore. I thanked the earth and collapsed unto exhaustion. When I woke, I was starving. I went up to the pavilion and put on a new set of clothes, then I went to get something to eat.
Kade was at the table, "are you all right?"
"Yes, just starving, but that happens when I exert a lot of magic. How long did I sleep?"
"You've been gone a week."
I sat and started eating, "a week?" I asked around a mouth full of food. "That's the longest I've ever been out. Of course this is the first time I've moved an island too." I ate, two meals worth of food at one sitting then sat there resting. "Did you feel anything up here?"
"I felt a small shudder and heard a small rumble. Were you able to move it?"
"A little."
He looked at me a moment, "I'm not falling for that this time, how far did you move it, five miles?"
I smiled, "no, only two, I figured that was enough for our purposes."
He nodded, "plenty."
"The company should be back to Black Stag, or they will be shortly. Let's go check on things there before we do anything else."
We saddled the horses, before I could take the staff to close the pavilion, it closed at my thought. Then lifted up into my hand. I put it in my pouch and stood there thinking a moment. All the rune growths had changed me. I don't know how much, but it changed me.
We mounted and fast-travelled to just south of Black Stag Keep's pass. I appeared as the Mage Orcus; we rode in from there. Kade was recognized, and they passed us through at the gate.
The companies had arrived two days ago and were already unloaded, and the new men were working with the veterans.
We found the Sergeant Major, "before you get too comfortable, there have been some changes."
"What kind of changes?"
"It seems we have made the King mad. He has taken Port West Gate from Prince Kade. And as de Crypta is dead, I'm sure it won't be long before someone shows up here as the new owner."
He just looked at us, "about two years ago we had these two new officers. They were both crazy and always getting and trouble. Almost drove the Captain crazy. Now I know what he felt like."
We chuckled. I could not resist, "It wasn't our fault Sergeant Major."
"That was their story too. All right, where are we going?"
"I'll have three ships here in a few days. They will move us to our new lands in the South. Rest the companies a few days then we'll start loading."
"I'm not even going to ask. Ok we'll rest a day or two, then prepare to move by ship. How long a voyage?"
"A day, two at the most, baring foul weather. And when I said we were moving, I mean everyone, including farmers. But tell them they'll be moving onto new farm as nice as these, but bigger. Pass the word."
"Yes sir, everyone moves. Take everything with us."
"Exactly."
"We went to the Keep and told the major-domo the same thing. We were moving in three or four days. Pack everything to move to a new location."
"Yes Masters," was all he said, and went to work.
Kade stayed at the Keep I made a quick trip to West Gate.
✽✽✽
I, as Orcus, went into Williamson's warehouse. "How may we serve Sir Mage?"
"Is Arthur Williamson in?"
"A moment, sir." He left to get him.
"Sir Mage," Arthur greeted me. "Please come into my office."
I followed him back to his office. Once the door was closed, "I came by to warn you of some changes that will take place."
"Good or bad changes?"
"I'm not sure maybe some of both. Prince Kade is no longer favored by the King. He is no longer Duke of the Western District."
"Do we know who will become the new Duke or Earl?"
"We do not. But for your ears only, there has been another earthquake."
"We know, we felt it."
"Did you know that it has split off the Southern District from the Kingdom, and it is now an island two miles off the coast?"
"The whole Southern District?"
I nodded.
He stared at me, then smiled, "will you be building a harbor and warehouses?"
I smiled, "we'll be building a kingdom. Should I include a warehouse for you?"
"Most assuredly, what do you need from me?"
"Start with supplies for a thousand people for two months, to be shipped to us as soon as you can put it together it. Then put a like amount together to ship to us in a month."
He was nodding and taking notes. "We also need a complete set of goods to set up farms. Everything from kitchenware, to tools. I'll need ten sets of those. I'll let you know more as we expand."
"I'll start on this straightaway."
I went down the dock to my warehouse where Mr. Hicks' office was located.
"Sir Mage, how may I serve."
"Go to our ships, tell the Captains to download their cargo, and go to Black Stag cove to pick up cargo and people."
"The ships are empty we never loaded cargo once you told us to wait."
"Even better have them leave tomorrow for Black Stag Cove. We are moving. You will stay here for now. When our ships come back, have them wait here until I come with instructions."
"Yes, Sir Mage."
I left him to be about his business. I walked to the Inn; I entered and went to a back table out of the way. A serving girl came for my order.
"Whatever meal you have, bread, cheese, and ale."
"Yes, Sir Mage."
It seems Orcus is a known person here. She brought my ale, and not too long after, my food. I was still hungry from moving the island.
I listened to the local gossip. Who was doing what to whom. There was talk of a minor earthquake, and of the Castle disappearing. They blamed the latter on the crazy old Mage not doing something right. There was talk of the Crown Prince's funeral. There was also some talk of Prince Kade not coming back to Port West Gate. No speculation as to why.
I finished my meal, paid and left. I dropped into the ground flew back to Black Stag and slept in the earth to restore my strength.
✽✽✽
Our ships arrived at Black Stag Cove the next day. Everyone rested there two days, then started loading the ships. It was all done in an orderly military fashion. I left the loading and organiz
ing to Sergeant Major Miller.
Kade and I fast-travelled down to the southern tip of Southland. We looked around at the lay of the land. Although I could change that if I wanted. I raised a table up and showed how the harbor, warehouses, town, castle, troop area, and farms would be laid out.
"What do you think?"
He looked at it for a bit, "It looks good on the model, let's see how it looks in the real world."
I nodded and turned looking at the chosen site. I concentrated on the model and what I wanted. I lowered the harbor, raising the surrounding lands. It all seemed much easier now. It seemed to take no exertion at all. I just thought about it and buildings began to raise. Moving the island had changed me and made me stronger. What would have taken me days before was done in an hour.
The harbor was like a giant bath. It was fifty feet deep throughout, and stone lined. The castle was like the one I raised at West Gate. The troop areas were like Black Stag, only bigger. The warehouses lined part of the harbor. A main street ran up from the harbor through where the town would continue to grow. We had plenty of room to move things around as needed.
The Castle overlooked the harbor's mouth with cannon emplacements. I'd get the cannons later. I also put a Great Chain across the mouth of the harbor for added security. I placed an illusion over the harbor mouth. Approaching from seaward It all looked like crag cliffs, with no opening.
The farms were well out of town and were fifty-acre plots with a house, and barn, like they were in Black Stag. Instead of fences or walls I put in pylons at each corner marking the fifty-acre plots. I pulled all the rocks out of the fields and used them in building our structures.
I put in drainage systems for the Castle and the town. It emptied into the sea down the coast away from the harbor. I placed wells throughout town, troop areas, harbor, and farms. The Castle had a freshwater cistern system fed from springs in the crag wall at the rear of the Castle.
I slowly opened the crag wall and allowed the sea to fill the harbor. We went up to the Royal gardens and looked out over our new Kingdom. From here you could see out over the ocean south, east, and west. Looking north you could see to the horizon over our lands.
The freshwater lake was quite large, and now full. The overflow would empty into the harbor to keep the lake clean and flowing. If needed, I could raise an irrigation system for the farms. It was a beautiful sight.
"Perfect, or near to it," Kade said.
"Now we just need people."
Kade got a faraway look in his eyes, "we'll get them. There are always people looking to go elsewhere, seeking freedom, and a better way of life."
✽✽✽
We flew under back to Black Stag. I rested in the earth for a while. I didn't seem to need as much rest as I used to. Doing all the work I did raising the building didn't seem to tax me very much.
I flew under to my herds of cattle and horses. I'd like to take these with us to Southland. A thought sprang to mind. It was a memory from the Mage. There was a thing called a portal that was like a doorway between two places. Supposedly only powerful Mages could open a portal.
"I wonder." I concentrated on the northern fields of Southland, and commanded, *Open.* Runes on my body glowed, and a circle of light started to appear before me. It grew until there was a circle twelve feet across in front of me. I was looking at the Northern fields of Southland. I picked up a rock and tossed it through, it bounced on the ground in Southland.
I shrugged my shoulders and stepped through. I felt no different, but I knew I was now in Southland. I stepped back through. *Close.* The portal closed. I smiled, apparently, I'm now a powerful Mage.
I concentrated and felt my cattle and horses through the ground. I called them to me. They all came running. Once they had all gathered, I opened the portal to Southland again. I sent them through. They all trotted through the portal into Southland.
"I will be the biggest horse and cattle thief in the world." I laughed. "Ok, so maybe I'd buy most of them, I can afford them." I smiled.
I dropped into the earth and rested. Feeling the surrounding earth, then stretching my consciousness out. I felt, gold and silver, and coal and gems and earth oils. It impressed me that there was so much silver around. It was all in grains like sand, but it was there. I called the silver to me. The silver sand started migrating toward me, my runes started glowing. The silver sand started to gather in a block before me. I stopped calling the silver when the block got to be the size of our Command Wagon. I did the same to the gold grains, but the block only got to a quarter of the size of the block of silver.
I left the blocks and went to the coal deposits. I moved all the surface coal deposits underground. I put a few hands full in my pouch. I'd make some diamonds later.
I went back to the blocks of silver and gold. I lay my hands on the two blocks and fast-travelled to the Southland castle. Under the castle I opened a vault. I left the two blocks in the vault and went back to Black Stag. I ate in the mess hall with everyone else, then slept in the earth that night.
✽✽✽
The first load of people and equipment left heading for Southland. We left half of the mercenaries, and two Centuries at Black Stag to load the rest of the equipment and come with the next load.
Kade and I went on the lead ship. "Follow the coast south Captain, I'll show you where the harbor is."
"Yes, Sir Mage."
It took us a full day to get to Southland Harbor. I raised the illusion and the three ships sailed in. Once docked, they started unloading our supplies, equipment, and people. I placed the illusion back in place. We weren't ready for visitors yet.
The cooks went to the barracks kitchens and started getting ready to feed people. It was a simple, late meal. But we fed everyone.
By the end of the week everyone and everything had been moved from Black Stag to Southland. I had moved Beast and Harbinger into the Castle stables.
I made an illusion stone for our ships. When they approached our harbor, they could see through the illusion. No other ships would be able to until I allowed.
The soldiers had helped move all the farmers tools, goods and livestock out to the farms. The farmers were getting back to work on their new farms. With the assurance we would feed and support them until crops came in.
The servants had moved into the Castle and started putting it in shape. Although I thought it was in shape.
Our drover had come with us, I had brought the cattle through a portal close to the freshwater lake. I would have to get more cattle and increase our herd.
I went back to Black Stag Keep; I lowered everything I had raised, back into the ground. All I left was the crumbled ruins of the original Keep. Let the King fix it.
I went to West Gate Inn for a meal. This time in the guise of a common workman. The server came by, "food, ale," was all I said. I paid my coppers when she brought it back. The food was filling, was about all I could say about it. I guess the higher tables got the better stuff.
It had been two months since Kade's fall from favor. I had heard no news about it, good or bad, from the inns or trading houses.
The newest talk was of the Hinterland Prince who was not going to pay the ransom to free his father, who was being held in Vigil Castle. The prince had taken the opportunity to make himself King of Hinterland.
"That will get expensive for the young King, and I will insure it does." I smiled.
I left the inn and dropped into the earth and started flying toward Hinterland's capital.
Chapter thirty
I flew under following the coast. I could now fly faster and with less effort than before. The coastline changed from crags to cliffs, then to beaches. Even travelling at the speed I was, it still took a long while to get to a large port. It was not the Capital; I continued up the coast. When I arrived, it was what I would call a major port, there were twenty or thirty ships docked loading and unloading cargo. There was also a large naval presence in port.
I flew under the city to th
e Royal Castle it was a large sprawling thing. Built for show not for war. I went up inside the walls of the castle. I found the Prince-King in a large dining hall eating with a group of his courtiers. Maddie was not among them.
I moved through the walls looking for her. I found her in a small set of rooms in the Royal wing, under guard. She did not look well; she had lost weight, and her posture was shrunken. She sat looking out a window eyes unfocused. I wondered if they drugged her. I moved to the other wall for a better view. That's when I saw she was with child.
"Well that complicates things, doesn't it?" I went back to the dining room. There were guards at the doors, but the doors were closed. I sealed the doors, so they could not be opened. In the guise of Orcus with my staff, I stepped out of the doors as if I had entered through them.
I stood there until I was noticed. "We were not to be disturbed, what is it Mage?" The Prince-King asked.
"They have sent me seeking information, and clarification Your Highness."
He smiled, He thought he knew where this was going. "What information need the clarification?"
"The King in the South has heard you do not intend to honor the peace agreement, and you will not be ransoming your father freedom."
"He has heard correctly. He may keep the Old man; I will not be sending any ships for his ransom. I am now King of Hinterland."
I nodded, "And the Kings daughter?"
"She you may have back; we never consummated the wedding vows. She was with child. I'll not raise a bastard child."
"The child is not a bastard; the Princess was married when the child was conceived."
"I don't care, it's not mine, so your King can have her back. I can always put her on a ship if you'd like."
"Have her brought forth, then I shall decide." I released the door seal.
"Guard," he called. The door opened and one came in.
Bowing," Yes Sire?"
Hand Made Mage Page 25