The Sorcerer's Return (The Sorcerer's Path)

by Brock Deskins

  “I would be very surprised if they did not. The Inquisitors have been one of the most powerful forces in Valeria for a long time. They know I caught them unaware and will be certain they can defeat me if they are prepared. The Duchess has far too much influence in their order, and she will demand they recover the Codex.”

  Ellyssa gnawed her lip worriedly before asking, “Can we beat them if they come prepared?”

  “There is only so much one can prepare for. Even the best laid plans often fail upon meeting the enemy, because the enemy has plans of their own. It all rests upon who has the best plan, and the plan most able to withstand the engagement,” he said somberly.

  “You have a plan?”

  Azerick smiled. “I always have a plan. Moreover, I have the Codex.”

  Azerick spent the entire night deeply immersed within the pages of the Codex while Ellyssa taught and entertained Raijaun until the need for sleep won out. Until exhaustion finally overtook her, Ellyssa worked with Raijaun on his letters and even improved his speech beyond a few single word demands. Azerick was right; he learned very quickly.

  The next morning, after a quick breakfast, Azerick dragged them through another series of magical gates until Ellyssa was certain her head would split in half and her stomach would leap out of her mouth and make a run for independence.

  There was little conversation as they trudged on. Azerick always seemed lost in thought, and Raijaun scurried to and fro chasing and devouring almost anything he could catch. He and Azerick were both tireless and Ellyssa had to use her magic to ward off much of her fatigue to keep pace. Her sedentary imprisonment had definitely taken its toll on her strength, but she was recovering quickly.

  “How long do you think it will take them to catch us? I don’t see how they can if we keep using your portals,” Ellyssa said.

  “It will likely take a couple days before they are prepared to leave Argoth. They won’t know how fast we are traveling until they find the residual energy of my gates. They can use the same network of horses as the King’s Blackguard and cover a great deal of ground in a short amount of time. We will keep using the gates until we reach Sandusk where we can take a couple days to rest properly and prepare. You will need to be ready. They will find us two days out of Sandusk,” Azerick replied absently.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because that is my plan. We will wait for them in an area I passed through years ago. My gates leave a prominent amount of residual energy, and they will have little trouble finding them to ascertain our direction and speed of travel. If you have not noticed, I cast the same number of gates and we walk for the same amount of time each day. Nothing short of leaving a note for them will give them a better clue of our whereabouts.”

  Ellyssa scrunched her face in worry. “Shouldn’t we just keep running until we are back at the school? Then we would have help with a lot less risk of losing. I don’t know how powerful you are, but these are Inquisitors and there will be a lot of them.”

  “Sometimes, you can achieve more with a bluff than having a strong hand. We have a strong hand, but it is not unbeatable by any means. If we dig in at the school, the Inquisitors will likely call upon The Academy for support and our odds actually decline. It also creates a political element we do not have to contend with out here. You saw how Allister caved in to Academy pressure before. I love him and Rusty dearly, but our ideals do not always coincide. It is not enough to just beat the Inquisitors and The Academy. I have to convince them the threat of the Scions is real and more important than taking back the Codex. They must see that the Codex needs to be in my hands if we are going to have any hope of victory.”

  Ellyssa rolled her eyes and curled her lip in a sneer. “Good luck with that. The Academy is nothing but a bunch of arrogant, hard-headed fools.”

  “Which is why I have to be even more hard-headed,” Azerick replied grimly.

  Partway through another stomach churning day of gating, Ellyssa noticed Azerick scratching runes in the dirt or on a rock and hiding it from view.

  “What are you making?” she asked, curious.

  Azerick set the rock he was carving on rune side down and looked over. “I need to know when the Inquisitors find my gate locations so I can watch them. The runes inform me when someone comes near it and gives me a way to scry the location quickly and easily.”

  Ellyssa nodded her understanding. Scrying was only possible if the person performing the spell was familiar with the target, whether the target was a person or a location. A good spell caster could blind scry, but it was like trying to find a small object in a big house in pitch blackness. It was also easy for another magic user to detect such stumbling attempts.

  Ellyssa looked around at the vast, rocky terrain. “Do you think they will even find these spots? This place is huge and we’re not exactly taking the trade roads.”

  “They should. I am leaving a pretty big magical stink for them to sniff out.”

  “I wish I was as confident about facing them as you are,” she sighed.

  “Make no mistake; we are luring fleshreavers into a trap with nothing more than sticks for weapons. We just need to make sure our sticks are sharp.”

  By the time they reached Sandusk, Raijaun was almost speaking in complete sentences. His behavior was near that of a normal human child, and Ellyssa had no trouble overlooking his peculiar appearance. Ellyssa also felt more like her normal self, at least physically. Azerick’s return even made her feel better emotionally than she had in a very long time, despite everything else she endured. Maybe it was because she found it hard to think of anything except a night’s sleep in a real bed.

  Several people on the streets of Sandusk stopped and stared, and a few ran off with looks of fright evident on their faces. It was apparent some of the citizens recognized Azerick from his visit several years previous.

  Azerick led Ellyssa and his son to a quaint boarding house. It was one of the few buildings in which the owner took the time and expense to maintain in this harsh environment. It was obvious from the look of shock and displeasure on the prim, older woman’s face sitting behind the reception desk that she also recognized Azerick.

  “Can I help you, My Lord?” she asked, suppressing her unease.

  “We require a room. A large one with three beds if possible,” Azerick replied.

  The woman folded her hands on her desk, likely to control their shaking. “I am afraid we are booked up. Perhaps you can find a room at the inn down the street.”

  Azerick smiled. “I think you have a room. Sandusk is not exactly on a major trade route, or known as a prime vacation spot.”

  “I’m sorry, but I just cannot go through what occurred the last time you were here!” she exclaimed.

  “I do not expect anything like that to happen again,” Azerick assured her.

  “Were you expecting it last time?” she challenged.

  “A fair point. I was not. However, you were well compensated.”

  “Sir, there is not enough gold to adequately compensate or enough soap to scrub the image from my mind in the entire world!”

  Azerick dropped enough raw gold on the counter to pay for a month. “I do not expect to be here for more than a few days. We will find the room ourselves.”

  Azerick found a large room at the end of the hall. It had two beds and a sofa, as well as a desk and several comfortable chairs. The sofa would suffice as a bed for Raijaun.

  “Azerick, she did not exactly agree to let us stay,” Ellyssa said uncomfortably as Azerick dropped his travel pack.

  Azerick harrumphed irritably. “A great many people are not going to agree with me and challenge what I have to do. I do not have the time or patience to argue with them all. I need to wash the dust out of my mouth with something more than water. Stay here, watch Raijaun, and study.”

  Ellyssa stared at the door for several moments after Azerick left. She was not accustomed to Azerick’s cold and compassionless tone, and it definitely unnerved her. He
had always been moody and quick to do what needed to be done, but he had never been so dismissive and bullish, particularly toward the common people.

  Ellyssa sighed as she realized that another person she loved had irrevocably changed. She looked at the Codex resting on the table and decided there was little to be done other than to accept the changes and prepare for what could be the biggest fight of her life. She shuddered as she sat down, felt the power of the Codex Arcana thrumming beneath her fingertips, and sighed when the soft voice whispered in her mind once more. Ellyssa had been in a state of great anxiety, fearful the Codex would no longer speak to her since Azerick was back.

  Azerick strode through town without fear despite the numerous eyes watching him. When he stepped into the same bar in which he had a run in with a local a few years ago, the conversations ceased except for a few patrons leaning over and whispering to someone next to them. Azerick shrugged dismissively; they were probably relating a grossly exaggerated version of his previous visit. Azerick approached the bar and the nervous bartender.

  “Louis, isn’t it?”

  “Yessir,” the barkeep answered.

  “Louis, get me a mug of your best beer.”

  “Yessir,” Louis answered before darting down the steps leading to the cellar.

  Louis only had the one keg of special brew he normally saved for the holiday, but if the wizard wanted his best, he would get it. Even though he killed some folks the last time he was here, he did pay well.

  Azerick dropped a chunk of gold ore on the bar and scooped up the glass as soon as Louis plunked it down in front of him. He gave a satisfying sigh and smacked his lips after draining half the glass in one pull. He then set a polished topaz on the counter.

  “Louis, in a few days, there may be a large number of Inquisitors passing through town looking for me.”

  “Inquisitors?” he replied quizzically.

  “Wizards who specialize in fighting and arresting other wizards and sorcerers,” Azerick explained.

  “They after you?”

  “They’re after something I have, something that belongs to me by every right and law except theirs.”

  Louis nodded his head sagely. “I see. You want me to point them in the wrong direction if they ask if I seen you.”

  “No, I want you to let them know exactly in what direction I was headed. Northwest almost as the crow flies. I’m sure you and the rest of the town will know when I leave and can pass that on to them as well.”

  Louis looked at the dangerous young man in confusion. “Most folks don’t want people who are chasing them to know where they are.”

  “I think you can agree I am not most people,” Azerick answered with a smile.

  Azerick enjoyed one more beer and walked about a mile out of town where he made a shallow pool in a natural rock bowl. Bending his magic into the reflective surface, he willed up an image of the first place he laid down a marker. The area was empty, but bringing the image closer showed the ground churned by an innumerable number of horse hooves. He shifted the image to that of the next gate and found what he was searching for.

  Nearly two score of men and women were setting up camp for the night. Azerick could tell they were all wizards even without their uniforms or expending the concentration to read their auras. Besides, attempting an aura read would almost certainly gain their attention. Azerick dispelled the image and sighed. Forty experienced mages against him and a girl. He needed to better his odds. Turning his attention back to the puddle, he willed up another image.

  CHAPTER 3

  Azerick returned to the boarding house and paused outside the door when he heard a heated conversation issuing from inside. He recognized the complaints of the house marm directed toward an unknown man.

  “What exactly do you expect me to do about it?” the man demanded.

  “You are supposed to be the law in this town. I expect you to do your job!”

  “Did he pay you? Has he caused trouble or killed anyone?”

  “Not yet! Paying or not, I do not want him in my house,” she said in exasperation.

  “And I don’t want him in my town, but I can’t go about tossing out everyone who makes me uncomfortable. We have an open town, and you run a boarding house. Getting uninvited guests is part of the risk of doing business.”

  “You are worthless and a disgrace to your profession! Captain Cruthers would never display such wanton cowardice!” the woman shrieked.

  The beleaguered watchman sighed. “Fine, I will do what I can.” Both sets of eyes snapped onto Azerick as he entered. “Milord, would you be willing to find another place to stay during your visit?”

  “No,” Azerick replied.

  The watchman turned his palms up. “Well, I did what I could.”

  “I hope there is not going to be any trouble. I will be leaving the day after tomorrow,” Azerick assured them.

  “Wonderful, problem solved! I’ll be at the Sandy Bottom doing my job if anyone needs me.”

  The house marm glared hatefully at the man as he left. Azerick ignored her and returned to his room. He stopped and stared as he entered. Raijaun sat in the middle of the floor, directing a luminous red orb around the room.

  “Azerick, do you see what Raijaun did?” Ellyssa asked excitedly. “He was watching me study and practice my weaves, so I showed him the same spell I taught the other kids when I was young. I don’t know how he did it, but he made the light!”

  “You are supposed to be studying.”

  “I was. It’s just that Raijaun was really interested in what I was doing, so I showed him the spell. I thought you would be happy,” Ellyssa said dejectedly.

  Azerick gave her and Raijaun a smile. “I am. I found the Inquisitors, so there is no more question of whether they will come. They will reach Sandusk in about three days. We will leave the day after tomorrow, so you must be ready.”

  “I will be, as best I can.”

  The orb streaked past Azerick’s head and circled him several times. “I did good?” Raijaun asked timidly.

  Azerick squatted next to his son and hugged him. “You did very well. Perhaps it is time I start teaching you how to use your magic.”

  Raijaun beamed under his father’s praise and the promise of learning magic. Azerick began Raijaun’s instruction just as Devlin had started with him. He explained how to concentrate, feel the Source, and to discover how best to shape it to his will. Raijaun was a natural study, adept at wielding magic through the innate abilities of his demonic heritage and the dragon memories of his mother. Not being a dragon or a demon, Raijaun needed to learn how to shape his magic to suit his unique form. It was something Azerick could do little in the way of teaching him; he could merely guide him through a process of trial and error.

  Azerick left the Codex Arcana with Ellyssa so she could study and prepare while he took Raijaun outside of Sandusk. He found a suitable area about a mile from the town, and began talking Raijaun through channeling the Source.

  “Reach out with your mind and find the power with all of your senses. See, feel, hear, taste, and smell the energy all around you. Gather it with your mind, and shape it to your desire,” Azerick said soothingly.

  Raijaun’s face took on a look of intense concentration as he closed his eyes and began pulling in arcane energy. His ability to grasp and hold the power was remarkable. It often took months, or even a year or more, for a student to learn how to tap the Source and hold it with such ease.

  “Excellent job. Now stop gathering energy and start shaping what you have into a spell. Raijaun, stop pulling in the power,” Azerick repeated as the energy continued to build at an alarming rate.

  Raijaun looked at his father worriedly, not understanding what to do as the power flowed into him faster than he could manage and quickly raged out of control.

  “Release it, Raijaun! Release the power!” Azerick urgently ordered.

  Azerick reached out with his mind and grabbed hold of the mass of arcane energy his son barely kept
held in check and gave it a push. Raijaun understood what Azerick was trying to do and followed suit, hurling the magic away from him in a bright, sparking mass of raw energy. The wild power streaked away and slammed into a wall of stone several yards away, the impact shattering a large section of a small cliff face. Shards of stone rained down around them as the wind slowly blew the resulting dust cloud away.

  “Okay, gathering power is no problem for you, but we really need to work on your ability to stop,” Azerick chuckled.

  “Sorry, Father,” Raijaun said as he looked at his feet and drew in the sand with his toe.

  “It’s all right; that is why we are out here,” Azerick reassured him. “Try again, slowly.”

  Raijaun drew in a trickle of power. It took several seconds for him gather enough energy, but he was able to cut off the flow when Azerick told him to.

  “Use your mind’s eye to grab at the threads of magic within the mass of energy, and shape them into a recognizable form. Watch as I do it,” Azerick instructed.

  Azerick pulled at the Source and slowly wove a simple light spell. Raijaun watched attentively and mimicked his father’s actions. A ball of light quickly materialized in his small hands, flickering but maintaining its form.

  “Good, now I want you to…,” Azerick began to say.

  Raijaun began plucking at different strands of energy and twisted them about, changing the color and intensity of the light as he did so. He began making more complex changes in the weave and formed the light into shapes. The shapes were simple at first, but Raijaun quickly began creating more sophisticated forms like animals and people.

  “Okay, I think you have that down,” Azerick said, amazed at his son’s adeptness.

  Azerick continued to practice with Raijaun during their short stay in Sandusk, and his growth in drawing and shaping magic was nothing short of astounding. By the time they packed up and departed Sandusk, Raijaun was easily as skilled as a second year novice, and a good deal more powerful.

  ***

  Inquisitor Harrison led his two score of Inquisitors in pursuit of the renegade sorcerer. He would have had half again as many if Fennrick and his people had not suddenly developed a stomach illness. Their obvious refusal to obey orders infuriated him.