Silvio nodded. “No sense suffering.”
Even if they found Amleth, and were allowed into the safety of the shield, the noise would still rattle their little heads. “King of Xylonites, that’s what I am. Here to protect you, not destroy you. Didn’t bring you here for that. Go ahead, then. Tunnel.” He nodded toward the woods. “Dig as deep as you can but don’t spread out. Send scouts to surface regularly so we can communicate. We may need your services again. If nothing else, you’ll want to know when this is over.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“And Xylepher . . .”
“Yes, sir?
“That army of yours, the ones we sent ahead of us to warn Amleth, they might be in there.” Silvio gestured toward Menek. “If I see them I’ll have them look for you here.”
“Thank you, sir. That would be good indeed.”
With that, the little soldier called his orders and hundreds of little men, women, and children scurried toward the shelter of the forest. The weasels kicked up dirt with their back legs burrowing into the ground and disappeared soon followed by the Xylonites.
When the dust had settled, and all the little people were gone, Silvio turned to Promise.
“How is your hearing?”
“Better than my sight.” Promise inhaled deeply.
“Not too much for you?”
“What? The noise?” She shook her head. “Being blind doesn’t make me weak, Silvio, only unable to see.”
He grunted. The golden glow of the shield cast an aura on her face, illuminating her smooth complexion and the red highlights in her hair. He turned away, afraid of the emotions that stirred inside of him. She was beautiful and a native from his homeland. Had he been able to enjoy his youth, perhaps he would have married one so fair.
“There it is,” he said, looking out over Menek Village, which was well shielded by the golden globe of light.
“Describe what you see,” she whispered.
Silvio cleared his throat. “I see the village Menek brilliant under the light of the Shield from the base of the mountain to the shore. Gold light. Yes.”
“Is that all?”
He grimaced. What does she want me to tell her? “No, that’s not all!” His voice turned sour. “I see your queen’s ships lurking in the waters. Looks like the shadow of a dragon. Evil. Black. Threatening Menek’s existence.” He watched for her expression but she only nodded. “Ah! Look at that. The smoke we saw from the prairie was a ship burning and I believe it was the enemy’s.” He squinted at her, waiting for her to grimace, but she didn’t.
“You smell that?” He breathed in, the taste of sulfur and wood pine smoke touching his lungs, prompting a cough. “The stink of destruction. Half the forest on this side of the mountain is gone already.” If he could make her feel guilty for the destruction he would, especially since she had declared her allegiance to Taikus.
The attacks subsided momentarily, and residue from the explosion was now suspended in midair. Burnt timber and scarred mountains surrounded the establishment to the northeast. Hacatine’s ships floated dangerously close to the docks, which to Silvio’s surprise still stood unmarred.
“She hasn’t touched those docks though.”
“I surmise she expects to use them when she claims victory.” Promise’s retort was quick.
Silvio glared at her, hoping to decipher the woman’s thoughts. “Bah!” He spat at his feet. The idea of Hacatine defeating the Kaemperns, the Meneks, and the Northwind repulsed him. “She won’t though. Not by the looks of the village’s condition now. She’s a long way from being conqueror. Not going to happen.”
“We’ll see.”
Now that the debris of the most recent round of fire settled, Silvio saw figures inside the safety of the Dragon Shield. Amleth’s army moved about the streets next to Menek civilians. Scattered in circles throughout the town were Kaempern women and children. The sound of voices activating the magical power that protected them could barely be heard. It was a pleasing sound, a lyrical melody.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to them?” Promise asked.
Silvio was deep in thought. If he were alone he wouldn’t hesitate to step forward and signal his presence to the Kaemperns.
“He’s expecting you, isn’t he? Those people will surely open the door of refuge for a wizard. And Xylepher’s people have announced your coming.”
Silvio nodded. The Kaemperns had been warned, indeed. If Xylepher’s army hadn’t arrived Amleth wouldn’t have prepared to shield his people from Hacatine’s invasion. The same scouts would have also sent word of Silvio’s approach. The wizard had a solid reputation of being a friend and king to the little people and an ally to the northern tribes. His best friend had been the late Wizard Kaempie, forefather of the Kaempern village. Silvio would be more than welcome to find refuge behind the Dragon Shield.
“Why do you hesitate? What do you see?” She prodded.
How can I tell her? I can’t just barge in there with her! Explaining Promise to northern warriors would take more negotiation than there was time for. In the midst of battle Silvio’s association with her would rouse suspicion, as would be expected.
“Kaemperns,” he whispered, his voice sounded just as he felt. Old. “I see the entire army of Kaemperns and Meneks behind their magical shield. Armed. Safe.”
“Go to them.”
He glanced at her. The bedraggled appearance she had that first night on the trail had been replaced by a renewed strength. Perhaps it was hope she clung to, or knowing that she’d soon meet up with her friends, Silvio didn’t know. At this point, he didn’t want to know.
“Leave a blind girl on a battleground?” he asked, a knot of cynicism in his throat.
“Find your friends. You’ll need them.”
“Is that a threat?”
“You’re threatened, Silvio, but I’m not the one threatening you. Hacatine is your enemy, just like she’s the enemy of all the Northern tribes. You can’t fight her alone, even if you had your magic. Go to a safe place and join forces with your allies.”
Silvio looked out over the battleground again. The quiet was ominous. Only the splash of the sea broke the silence. There was an added whistle of wind in what forest was left standing, that and the faint melody of the dragon shield.
Why am I stalling? What does this sorceress mean to me? She’s like all the others. Evil. The words came to his mind, but they didn’t stem from his heart. He had become fond of the young woman and she was in greater danger than he. Silvio could step into the shield and be protected by the greatest power of all. Promise, though was an enemy to both the Kaemperns and Hacatine. She was facing death, and still she held her head high.
Silvio scratched his beard, perplexed. “Why has she stopped her attack? What’s she doing?”
Promise lifted her head to listen. A few voices from the ships could be heard, a bell, and then silence.
“She’s waiting for something. I can’t think of any other reason she hasn’t retreated. She knows she can’t break through the shield.”
“Waiting for something?” The sorceress was hovering, a vulture circling its prey and Silvio couldn’t guess what she was doing. “She knows something we don’t.”
“I think you and I know.” Promise reached for his hand and he gave it to her. “Go, Silvio. I fear for your life. I’m not the one you should be concerned about. Care for your own safety, the Xylonites, and for the sake of those people. The world needs you alive.”
“Bah. Without my magic?”
“Your magic still lives, as does mine. But you are the only one who can keep it from the queen. If you don’t persuade Ivar to return your powers to you, the fate of everyone sways on the edge of destruction.”
“Humph. Ivar!” He could be inside the Shield with the others. Or he could be somewhere else. “Don’t like it. Not one bit, leaving you here. I’ll tell Amleth about you, and that you’re out here. We’ll come and get you. Stay and wait.”
>
He hadn’t seen how tense she’d been until her shoulders settled when he said he’d return for her. He helped her sit down behind a boulder and made sure she was well concealed in the shadows. Taking a moment to wrap her furs around her neck, he stepped away and looked at her. “Don’t worry. The good Kaemperns wouldn’t leave a blind girl out here all night by herself. Not during a war.”
“Hurry, Silvio,” she must have heard his breath, felt his movements to know that he was still hovering over her like an old man would his granddaughter.
Silvio turned, took one forlorn look over his shoulder, and then waddled ahead to the golden globe. He stayed in the darkness, remaining obscure, ready to take the shape of an old pine tree if he had to.
He didn’t see the door until he neared the edge of the shield. The entry was a foreboding gate-a darker gold, hinged with beads of fire, he dared not come too close, but instead paused to look at the stars. It was a night like any other, save for the crisis at hand. Oh what I’d give for peace again! With a deep breath, he stepped forward. Inside the globe stood two guards who turned in surprise when he stepped into view. The shorter of the guards opened the door and stepped outside.
“What’s your business?” He said, drawing his sword.
Silvio stepped back. “The business of an old wizard seeking refuge. I have urgent news for Amleth.”
The soldier looked him up and down. “The legendary wizard?”
Silvio was unaware of any legends about him. He shook his head, not understanding. The man went on.
“I must say, you look everything the wizard I’d imagine, just as our tales describe you.”
“Tales?”
“Our namesake, you know?”
“Oh. I’m not Kaempie, if that’s what you mean.” Silvio gestured to let him in. Surely they could have this conversation while safe within the Dragon Shield.
“You aren’t Kaempie? Ah, well, a wizard’s a wizard I suppose.” The soldier finally broke a smile.
“Friend of Xylon.” The conjurer answered.
“Weapons?”
“Bah! Even my magic is gone.” The wizard held his hands out in surrender and the man nodded and bowed slightly, ushering him inside. “Follow me.”
Silvio had never been under the cover of anything like this before. Yes, he’d known magic and power, but never to this degree. The golden aura of the Dragon Shield sheathed the entire village. The homes made of wood, their rickety porches, the cobblestone streets, the gardens, the goats and lambs, the picket fences. Trees and flower bushes, ivy and hanging baskets. Everything in the entire town took on the same golden aura. Even the people who hurried about were radiant with the light from the Dragon Shield. The power that kept the shield in place came from the songs that the villagers sang. Music resonated through the streets from a choir of children’s voices and the melody was everywhere.
It’s a bit like stepping into the afterworld, Silvio thought.
He laughed a little and nodded as a Menek family passed by. There was healing in the shield’s power. Effortlessly he straightened his back, bones popping in place. His pace quickened and he found he could now keep up with the quick moving Kaempern soldiers.
Aside from children singing, and the presence of the armed men, Menek life went on normally, as Silvio would have expected. Women hauled buckets of water to their homes, goats bleated as they were milked, savory scents of stew, bread and fish seeped from open windows. None of their chores were interrupted unless by a loud crash of Hacatine’s lightning exploding on the outside of the shield.
“Silvio! Sir!” A voice came from behind a garden fence surprising Silvio in his tracks. One of Xylepher’s men stooped behind a cluster of daffodils and called his name. The soldier clasped his hands over his ears as a blast from an explosion interrupted the music.
Silvio greeted him with a handshake. “Good job, little man! Well done.”
“We followed our orders, sir. Alerted the Kaemperns in time. We ask for dismissal. My men, they are rattled to the bone. We’re strong, sir, and brave. But the noise is more than we can bear.”
Silvio nodded. “Go and meet up with Xylepher and the other. They’ve tunneled in the forest. Take three wizard’s steps outside the door of the Dragon Shield. Turn to the right. The tunnel begins in the root of the old cedar. And hurry. He’s waiting for you but they’re all pretty upset. I expect they’ll run if something scares them. Gather your men and go now while the fighting is at a lull.”
“Yes, sir!” The Xylonite leaned over the fence and tapped the shoulder of another soldier. Soon all the little scouts popped their heads up out of the daffodils. “Hallo! Let’s go. We’re dismissed now. Silvio says we can leave.” The Xylonites took no time to assemble in formation and soon marched hurriedly up the cobblestone road.
Silvio’s escort led him in the opposite direction, down a hill and closer to the sea. There were no more houses in this neighborhood, but rather long lines of wooden buildings adjacent to each other. This district of Menek smelled like fish, shellfish, and low tide. The wooden boardwalk creaked under his feet as he hurried. Soldiers passed him, their faces were solemn and they carried rifles that smelled of sulfur. Kaempern troops grew larger in number as they approached the end of the shield’s boundary. Here, Silvio could see the pier, the wharf, the enemy’s ships, and the battle in full view. The sight of Hacatine’s fleet terrifying. He shuddered when an explosion sounded on the deck of a ship and a missile spun through the air toward him. He flinched when it crashed into the outer layer of their magical armor.
“Oh Galbersnatchers! This will be the death of me!” Silvio exclaimed as he held his hand over his racing heart.
“Come inside, quickly, sir,” his escort said as he ushered him into a hut being used for an officer’s quarters. The light from the Dragon Shield did not penetrate inside the building and there were no windows. Instead, torches burned along the walls, and also in the hands of several men who surrounded a table in the center of the room. Maps were spread out in front of the officer who were in a discussion over them. Silvio shut the door after he entered.
“Amleth, sir,” the escort tapped a Kaempern warrior on the shoulder. “There’s someone to see you.”
Amleth stood erect. Silvio expected someone older, like himself, but this was a young man, perhaps having seen only thirty summers. His long ginger hair curled down his back. His face was weathered with a tan that barely concealed the freckles. Even in the dim light of the torches, his eyes sparkled a piercing blue. He looked at Silvio with suspicion.
Silvio cleared his throat. “Silvio’s the name.”
Amleth’s frown quickly changed to a smile. “Silvio? The wizard?” Amleth took the wizard’s hand in both of his and shook it gently. “Thank the North Wind you made it. I can’t tell you how honored we are to have you here, sir.”
Embarrassed, Silvio bowed his head and looked away, blushing and nodding. “Well,” he laughed but was at a loss for words after that. Not used to being greeted by anyone larger than a green bean, this welcome was warm and tingled his spine, causing him to stand so straight he surprised himself.
“I would offer more hospitality, but I’m sure you’re aware of our plight.”
Silvio coughed and composed himself before he answered. “I’m aware, more than you think. I have news.”
“News?”
They walked to the table. Silvio stole a peek at the other men. He knew none of them, but they all had the appearance of rank. Their faces ironed with grave intensity, eyes fixed on the charts they had made, looking up only briefly to acknowledge him.
The conjurer looked at their sketches. Positions of the ships were spotted with small shiny rocks so that they could be moved as Hacatine closed in. Charted areas of burned forests, measurements of the intensity of the queen’s fire, all the records of battle were laid on the table before them.
Silvio nodded. “Yes, well it seems you’ve charted every detail, I suppose.”
“You’ve be
en out in the wilderness in the surrounding lands. Does the news you have come from elsewhere?”
“It does.”
“Spies? More ships approaching? Tell us so we can be prepared.” Amleth gestured toward the table and his notes.
Silvio’s eyes met his. Suddenly he felt nervous about telling Amleth what the Kaemperns needed to know, truths that weren’t going to be easy to convey. His eyes darted to the men, who now had his attention, and then back to Amleth.
“I . . . I wasn’t expecting such an audience.”
“We can talk in private.” Amleth nodded to the others while he led Silvio by the arm outside, and back up the village road. He turned down a path leading to a quiet yard and an empty yurt. By the time the two approached a bench woven from willow, the conjurer’s knees were shaking. He had so little practice talking to people, and such an important message to convey. Words were not forming well in his mind.
Amleth sat down and motioned for Silvio to sit next to him. They were tucked inconspicuously under a climbing rose bush. The sweet aroma of its petals was a strange contrast to the smoldering stench of war outside the Dragon Shield. The music could be heard still, fainter now, more like wind whistling, or a bird singing.
“Her attacks have waned.” Silvio began, shuffling to get comfortable on the bench.
“Yes. And do you know why?”
“Your enemy is waiting for something,” Silvio remembered Promise’s words as he lowered himself next to the chief. The songs of the children still filled his ears with a sweet whisper, and the glow of the shield changed the color of their skin to gold. Drawing his breath, the conjurer moved his tongue inside his cheeks, trying to think of the right words to use.
“Do you know what she’s waiting for?” Amleth asked.
Silvio nodded. “Yes. She’s waiting for power.”
“Power? She’s expecting more power? From where? From Taikus? More ships? What?”
Silvio shook his head. This was not going to be easy. The truth was going to stun Amleth. Silvio peered into the chief’s eyes considering an easy way to tell him. “Were it as simple as more ships, I wouldn’t be looking for words. She’s expecting magical power so extraordinary it could change the outcome of this war.”
Diary of a Conjurer Page 26