“No one wants a repeat of what happened last year, so teams of six or more will be rotating in and out to keep watch over him while he is here.”
Rilena felt a knot growing in her stomach making the falcon want to throw up. When the falconi finally declared, “You six will be among the rotation,” the woman shook her head rebuking her superior without fear of any repercussions, since she could think of no worse punishment, “Are you insane? Why am I being put near that man? He used magic to torture me and Nereith to make Wizard Druick give up any information we might have.
“I am the last person you want on this detail.”
The man in black with silver bars denoting his high rank looked at her grim faced and replied, “You don’t want to be one of the people to watch out for treachery from a man who tortured you and possibly be the one that might have to kill him to prevent it? Strange, I would have relished the chance to watch my enemy in the hopes that he revealed his true motives, so I could kill him.”
Shock registered on all their faces at the blunt words from one of their leaders. He hadn’t sounded all that convinced of Garosh’s true motives as he had relayed their orders either, Rilena realized, and thought that the falconi didn’t trust the giant anymore than she did. Was she just being given the opportunity to avenge her mistreatment from the falconi’s mouth? She still didn’t want to have anything to do with her tormentor, but his words suddenly gave her a reason to reconsider it.
A chance to watch over her persecutor in the hopes that he would do something wrong, could he be saying that he would overlook someone in his command taking matters in their own hands? Looking at the falconi maintaining a calm nearly blank face, she wasn’t truly certain.
“I still don’t think that it is a good idea to have me, or those he had the chance to torture, so close to him,” she said again though with a lot less heat.
“Are you so weak that the very sight of this man makes you fearful, falcon? I don’t need weak willed people in my command. Perhaps you will give up in the face of our enemies as well in the next fight? It’s strange, but I had always heard that Green Hall made strong men and women. Maybe I heard wrong coming all the way from Red Hall as I have.”
He was trying to push her buttons, and Rilena knew it. It was a fight to keep calm and to avoid striking the arrogant man, who could make the rest of her life miserable with his power. It was Elzen, who broke next.
“Is this the idea of the ravens or your own, sir?” the boy nearly spat the final word as she sensed his disgust with the man. Ralto knew how to make people hate him. The question was why he had ever made the high rank of falconi with such an attitude.
“Does it matter?” Falconi Ralto asked unimpressed by her friend starting to stick up for her. “The command has been issued that you six will be taking turns keeping an eye on Lord Garosh. If any of you think that you can’t be professional and do your duty, then I am sure that we can find some other work that you will hate in a different way. This is an order and you will follow it or face your own punishment.”
He had never raised his voice, but the six stilled even though most hated the order. They had all been trained to follow orders, though they all had the will to stand up to incompetence since they weren’t blindly obedient. Mages had to be able to think for themselves, but other than hating the man, Rilena knew that she had no other reason to rebel.
Falconi Ralto took their silence for what it was, obedience. Falcondi Reide passed out six files with the roster rotation and itinerary expected to be followed at Ralto’s nod. While Rilena’s heart sank and the knot continued to twist, the falcon knew that she was stuck.
“I have heard that he apologized to you as best he could, for what will always seem an unforgiveable act,” Ralto said quietly and added. “You don’t have to speak with the man, but you do have to be civil, Miss Teresin,” he said using her last name surprising her by losing her title of falcon in his addressing of the woman. “The ravens and I will be expecting you to do your duty properly. Perhaps facing your demons will actually be good for you.”
With the directions in hand and their orders given, Ralto turned and returned through the door he had come through with Falcondi Reide following almost at his heals like a trained dog. Rilena was disappointed in the falcondi for some reason. Perhaps she had expected the man to stand up for her, but they were strangers after all, so that was unlikely, but she had hoped anyway.
“That’s unfair,” Elzen complained trying to support his friend. “You shouldn’t be put in this position.”
Rodgren looked at the matter in another way saying, “We’re north men. Being harder and stronger than those to the south, we need to defeat even our feelings sometimes.”
The big man had stated his words determinedly before he followed the other falcons from the room.
“You could fight it,” Elzen suggested after the others had left leaving just the two of them to consider the bad news. Rilena suddenly wished that it had been a long term ride through the snow north of the wall, but this was likely to be a different type of cold that would seep into her dealing with Garosh.
Shaking her head in resigned obedience, the girl pushed back her brunette locks over her left ear in thought. “He did try to apologize. Maybe Garosh will actually be on his best behavior making me not hate him, at least when I have to join the watch. I can’t imagine that I can hate him more, but maybe this is necessary for me to get over it.”
Elzen sighed and walked next to her as they walked back into the hall to descend the stairs out of the raven tower.
Chapter 20- Intent
The clanging of sword blades rang out on the training field as Palose led Lanquer through another set of maneuvers. Calling out direction and swings, the mage tried to make the novice into what the emperor wanted of him, but there were days where he just seemed to hit a road block with the vessel’s skills.
Missing his call, Lanquer swung high forcing Palose to jump back or have his forehead split open. If it had been Turless or Sylvaine sparring with metal blades instead of their teacher, there would certainly have been an injury, but that was why the mage was working with the boy today.
“Damn it, Lanquer, you need to translate the call into a swing during training. If you ever need to protect Acheri or Kolban and you can’t react properly, you’ll wind up dead and they’ll be next.”
Growling in frustration, the boy complained, “I can’t help it! Sometimes my brain just seems to anticipate what you’re going to call and my arm directs it the wrong way.”
“Take a break,” Palose sighed with a shake of his head to watch the other two using wooden swords and padding. Neither apprentice was ever likely to be completely comfortable with a sword, so continuing use with pads together was safer while he worked with Lanquer.
“You should too,” the feminine voice of Acheri called from her seat on the bench. Wearing a red dress that was short enough to expose a couple inches of skin above her knees and long, leather boots which were almost to the base of her knees, the girl who looked fourteen and was slim should have been cold. It was nearing winter’s end, but that didn’t mean the mountains of North Continent felt like spring was just around the corner either.
He could feel a benign channeling of magic around the girl as a wind shield encapsulated her trapping some heat. It was a trick most air wizards could use and, despite her youth, Acheri had the skills of a veteran of magic many times her age. He supposed that some of the emperor’s knowledge had been passed on to each of his siblings, since they had come out of the tanks speaking common and knew more than they should being birthed a little over three months ago. That she knew magic wasn’t that hard to believe, if Kolban had given a share of his knowledge to his secondary creations.
It was a hard concept for Palose to truly understand, when he bothered to try and figure it out. Kolban, the emperor, had changed vessels and that he could comprehend. A complete transfer of his mind and abilities would keep the emperor’s mind the same
and simply change hosts, if such magic could be called simple, then that was the easier one to understand. That he had split his power between the three and to Garosh before them from what he understood, was even comprehensible to him; but somehow these extra vessels were now both Kolban and not him.
Perhaps it was like the emperor had given them a spark of life, but to what extent were they still him?
As he sat beside the emperor’s sister with a drink in hand to ease his parched mouth, Palose guardedly wondered at how to even view Acheri. Was she a child, a baby in age even, or a girl on the verge of womanhood by her evolved vessel, or even a thousand plus year old emperor? In some ways and at certain times, she and Lanquer as well were all three.
“Has he any promise as a swordsman?” the girl asked giving him a patient smile. While she often teased her half brother, Acheri was also his biggest proponent for becoming a skilled guardsman. If she was questioning his potential, was Lanquer a disappointment to the emperor after such a short time?
Thinking of his words carefully as he spoke them, Palose gave a guarded assessment of the boy. “Since the emperor was never known as a swordsman and I am basically training him from scratch, I would say that he is doing fine for only a few months of part time training. With time and his ability to use magic, Lanquer can become an excellent bodyguard to the emperor or you. If you expected him to be a perfect warrior without training, then he would be considered a failure.
“Since, as I said, he came to me as a blank slate, he is coming along as well as can be expected.”
Her deep blue eyes gazed at him nearly expressionless for a moment before cracking a smile as she responded, “That is almost a politician’s way of answering. Kolban always hated such doublespeak, which is part of why he once tied his magic to his people in the old world. Of course, his ties pulled everyone and everything under his dominion into the silver world, which gave him the ability to create a place for his people and creatures to survive for hundreds of years.
“Now we are here and Kolban hasn’t renewed his ties to his people as such. He’ll have to get used to politicians and liars if he allows them to roam free and think for themselves, don’t you think?”
Shrugging, Palose stated bluntly, “I wouldn’t really know. I’ve never been around lords or ambassadors or even diplomat wizards who are masters of magic that make them even harder to read, I think.” He paused considering a question that her information posed, the mage wondered if asking that question was a trap worth tripping. Being bold enough, he asked, “If he once ruled by holding everything to him, why does he leave them untied now?”
The girl returned his shrug, but it wasn’t because she didn’t have an idea so much as perhaps it didn’t matter to her since Acheri replied, “His power had been pulled back from all save those who were most important to keeping his empire running for a long time. Warlocks, officers, lords and others leading the other cities as he expanded his empire were the only ones he made sure to bond. Knowing their hearts and minds keeps them from turning on the emperor and the empire continues to run without any major insurrections.”
Her wording left him confused, and he had to voice another question as if the dark haired girl were coercing the questions out of him intentionally, “Major insurrections? Have there been minor ones?”
A little laugh of amusement created a pause before her answer and also drew Sylvaine’s attention as she and Turless had stopped to take a break as well. “There are always those that aren’t happy with things as they are and think that they can create a better world for themselves.
Occasionally there have been small groups that have broken away to try and create their own societies.”
“And he just allows it to happen?” Palose stated trying to prevent his face looking incredulous at such an idea, when she had just mentioned how tightly he had held onto his empire only moments before.
Again the girl shrugged in her red dress leaning back slightly to lean on her arms held fast to the bench by her hands. She looked almost uninterested in their conversation, as if what Acheri was saying wasn’t one of the more guarded pieces of information to be found in Ensolus. Letting someone know that the emperor’s control of his empire was that tentative was like letting a poisonous snake loose in a crowded room.
“Sometimes it is best to let some go or experience larger growing pains as an empire. Besides, their defection can be used to better his goals as well. Other countries will see them separate, but worry if the emperor is just executing another ruse.
“He is known for creating unassuming threats as you know, since you were once the tool of one of his machinations.”
Remaining guarded, Palose ventured a last question, “Why would you tell me something like this?”
Acheri achieved a mysterious smile as she toyed with him. The girl always seemed to be leading him where she wanted like a master manipulator, he thought, and wondered again how old she should be in his mind. This was no babe of a mere few months’ of life and no little girl like the outer guise would suggest. “I like you Palose, and the emperor likes you.” Glancing over to Lanquer who had remained distant enough for the two to talk in private, she added, “Even Lanquer likes you, when he isn’t busy being mad at you as his teacher. Shouldn’t I be able to speak with you as a friend in such confidence? You are loyal to the emperor, aren’t you?
“A man like you, or perhaps I should say a resurrection man like you, is an excellent asset and more valuable than you can imagine. We already trust you with Lanquer’s life and mine by association, Palose. Surely a little information like I’ve shared is nothing compared to the value of two lives so close to the emperor?”
Like a metal jawed, spring trap, Palose felt her words closing in on him daring him to try and escape. There was only one answer to be given whether he meant it or not. “I guess if you put it that way, then it must be all right,” he said not exactly declaring his loyalty as much as agreeing with her viewpoint.
She sat upright casually and placed her hand over his bicep with only his shirt between them. Her face was earnest as she added, “A loyal servant of the emperor can achieve great things. He has big ideas for you, Palose. Become the greatest version of yourself and you’ll be amazed by how far you might go here.”
Her hand was gentle as it slid down his short sleeve before tracing her fingers over his forearm to his hand. Her fingers lingered as the palm covered the back of his hand for a long moment. What the exact meaning of her attention could be, he wasn’t sure. She had never seemed overly affectionate and yet Acheri had always seemed to give him more attention than even her half brother.
“I should probably get back to work if you want Lanquer to become proficient enough to protect you or the emperor then,” he said rising from the bench still feeling a tingle on his skin where the girl had touched him. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, but it was confusing. Her faint smile held him as the mage gathered his student to try once more.
Rilena approached the double doors apprehensively with Elzen beside her. They had been placed on the same detail for the first day of watching over Garosh. Neither guards for or against, they were the watchdogs there to see if the giant would honor his word or was simply a master of deception.
While she still hated that this was her duty, the falcon had become resigned, after talking with her friends, to treat this abhorrent task as her way of discovering the truth as she felt it. Though he had apologized and surrendered, it had all seemed way too easy, especially after the initial fight to get to the fortress. He had sent werewolves and lions to attack them in a blizzard, which still amazed her since the army had been forced to hide in their tents for three days and yet the creatures had braved the elements and found them in the middle of nowhere.
“Are you ready?” Elzen asked the woman quietly. He had once again become that supportive presence she had come to rely on out in the field. With only their original bond to Sebastian as an anchor to each other, they had become close friends.
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She nodded. “We will wait for him to slip up and then I will do what should have been done in the first place.”
“Or he will prove himself,” Elzen reminded grimly keeping her grounded and preventing the woman from just becoming his judge and jury.
Grunting without much confidence in the second theory, Rilena replied, “We’ll see.”
The doors opened and the mage was surprised at the size of the room the prisoner had been assigned. Her own room was less than half the size of the one Garosh occupied, though admittedly the girl didn’t need room for a half dozen guards inside her room. Her eyes opened slightly with surprise seeing Wizard Druick and his apprentice Nereith inside along with four soldiers in half armor and armed with swords and long knives.
For all the pretense of giving Garosh the benefit of the doubt, the rulers of Windmeer weren’t being stupid about what the giant could do. A mere battle mage had managed to bring an army into the castle, so with someone holding magical power great enough to dwarf the strongest wizard in Southwall, they could hardly do less than have a half dozen guards around him at all times.
Garosh stood on the other side of a large bed with posts and a heavy curtained canopy. They could be drawn to block out light for those wishing to sleep in and stay in darkness by day, but for now they were tied giving her an unobstructed view of her tormentor. The giant turned at the opening of the door and spying Rilena summoned a kind looking smile.
The doors closed behind them and it was the mage who suddenly felt trapped despite seven others on her side.
As he walked slowly around the bed post, Rilena spied what Garosh had been holding, a book known as ‘First Mage’. Noticing her eyes straying to the cover, he held it up commenting, “Your library here is quite extensive. It is always interesting to get another opinion and see the world from another view. Your first true battle mage created something greater than many had at first believed according to this. Of course, recording history after it has happened can lead to inaccuracies.
Battle Mage: The Dark Mage (Tales of Alus) Page 30