by Tom Larcombe
“Try something else,” Merlin yelled.
The scarecrow attempted to strike Verruckt with its sword again. Once again the sword crashed into his shield. Verruckt was rocked back by the force of the strike but his shield kept the sword from slicing him in two.
“Like what? Any suggestions?” Verruckt asked, a note of panic in his voice.
“Yes, move across the room and stand in front of the corpse that's the source of the unease. When the scarecrow strikes again, dodge so it strikes the corpse. If there are any other repercussions to stopping that spell, let them fall on it. Meanwhile I'll work on the scarecrow.”
Merlin watched Verruckt cross the room. When the scarecrow followed, Merlin darted into the corner it came from. He snatched up the crossbow and loaded it with one of the bolts. He took great care to not touch the spell on its tip.
Nimue was staring at the skeleton in the corner, or at least the corner it was in before. There was no skeleton visible there when Merlin looked.
Good, if the scarecrow has any rudimentary senses it might've pulled a strike at the skeleton. She has it concealed so the scarecrow can't see it, he thought.
Verruckt watched what Merlin was doing and was almost caught by the scarecrow's strike. He dodged aside at the last moment and the sword lodged in something. As Nimue dropped her spell, Merlin saw that the scarecrow's sword was stuck in the skeleton's shoulder The skeleton's arm bones were nearly severed. As the sword was withdrawn in preparation for another strike at Verruckt, a blue-white light arced from the skeleton to the scarecrow.
The skeleton crumbled away to dust after the arc of electricity but the scarecrow stood, dazed, for a moment. The fungus smoldered and gave off a noxious smell. As the scarecrow drew the sword back for another strike, Merlin aimed the the crossbow at it and pulled the trigger. The bolt flew true and penetrated the chain mail covering the scarecrow. There was a brilliant flash that stole Merlin's sight.
When Merlin could see again, there was a pile of decomposing material on the floor. The chain mail shirt was rusting and flaking apart as he watched. Within moments, all that was left of the scarecrow was a pile of decomposed material and a spreading puddle. Merlin glanced at the crossbow in his hand but it wasn't reacting like the armor did. The sword, which was out of contact with the rotting material, was also still in good condition.
“Remind me to pay more attention to your warnings in the future,” Verruckt told Merlin.
* * *
Nimue gagged and her nose crinkled in complaint at the odors in the cellar.
“Let's get out of this stench,” she said.
The three wizards climbed the stairs to emerge into the sunlight. Merlin dropped his shields and waited. A hint of the unease remained but it was fading as he noticed it.
“You can drop your shields, the spell is gone,” he said.
Gunter came back from the garden he was examining.
“There's some good news. The garden hasn't been tended in years but a lot of the root crops can still be used. They've been reseeding themselves. It's late enough in the season that we can start harvesting some of them immediately. If we're to be here a while, the extra food will be useful.”
Merlin broke into a wan smile.
“That is good news Gunter. I'm glad you thought to look.”
“Is something wrong? Did I miss something?” Gunter asked.
Verruckt snorted.
“Did you miss something? I'd have to say, yes you did.”
“What happened?”
Merlin related the tale of what occurred in the cellar, showing Gunter the crossbow and the sword they recovered from the fight.
“So these bolts will dispel magic? Handy thing to have, don't you think? What with you wanting to dispel some sort of massive spell here?”
“I don't think they'd be up to dispelling something like that. I believe they were intended to penetrate a wizard's shields,” Merlin said.
“Still a handy thing to have. If bullets bounce off but this will go through, it may prove useful. You three have spells to affect a wizard with that kind of shield. I don't.”
“Then here you are Gunter. There are four bolts remaining, use them wisely.”
Merlin handed the crossbow and quiver to him.
“Do you shoot it like a bow?” Gunter asked.
“No, out to about effective pistol range it's just point and shoot. Beyond that the bolt will drop.”
“I don't suppose practicing with these would be a good idea, would it?”
Merlin shook his head.
“Alright then, I guess this is my desperation weapon for when a wizard is close.”
“We need to set up camp. I don't want to stay in the house, it looks like it might fall down in a strong breeze,” Merlin said.
“How about over this way. On the other side of the garden there's a stream. I haven't checked the water yet though,” Gunter said.
“That's as good a place as any until we find the location we'll need to be working on. Then we might shift camp if it's too far away from here.”
“If I remember right, it's less than five minutes from this area. I'm not sure though, the buildings weren't here the first time I saw this place,” Nimue said.
“That should be close enough to be convenient, but hopefully far enough away if anything goes wrong,” Merlin replied.
They set up camp between the garden and the stream. Since Merlin thought they'd be here for quite a while, Gunter set out to find a few saplings and some pine boughs to make several protected shelters.
“These will do for now,” he said. “If we're going to be here for more than a week or so, I'll spend the time you're working on those spells improving our accommodations.”
“Count on it,” Merlin said. “I know nothing of this spell yet or how it might be guarded, bypassed, or dispelled. If the spell is as large as Nimue said, then it's incredibly powerful and I'll work slowly trying to learn enough about it to work with it. Definitely weeks, possibly a month or more.”
Gunter nodded.
“Then I'll find more dry wood for the fire and look for materials to improve our camp.”
“Nimue, Verruckt, I'd like to try to track down the source of the aversion ward also. Just so we can not disturb it. Shall we do that now? Then, if there's enough time left during the day, we can go find the cliff and get an initial impression of what we'll be working with.”
“Like before, find me a general area and I can most likely point it out to you,” Verruckt said.
Nimue just nodded and sat down.
Merlin and Nimue separated portions of their awareness. They sent them into the sky and tried to trace the aversion ward back from the crest of the hill to its source. When they found it, they returned to their bodies.
Merlin shook his head.
“You won't need to point it out Verruckt. It's obvious from inside its borders. There's a small circle of stones atop the hill there that acts as an anchor for the spell. It seems to be the exact center of the area affected.”
“Nowhere near where we'll need to be working?” Verruckt asked.
“I don't think so, but let's go find out.”
Nimue led them halfway around the hill from the house. The aversion ward was anchored to the top of the hill, but it was a hundred feet or more between that and the cliff Nimue showed them. Merlin examined the cliff with his Sight and let out an unintentional whistle of admiration.
“That spell is as tightly woven as a good wool blanket. It appears to be all a single strand of magic woven together, but covering a square around fifty feet per side.”
Verruckt was also examining the spell.
“Seems like there are a few surprises woven into it as well. I can point out where, but not what, they are.”
Meanwhile Nimue, who had Seen the spell before, was looking at something else.
“There's a single strand of it that buries itself in the cliff face in the bottom row. I wonder where that goes?” she said.
<
br /> “We can track it, probably,” Merlin said. “But I'm going to need a while just to figure out where to start on this thing. I'll need to find the other end, or track the strand you're talking about to its end. However I have to take this thing apart, I'm guessing that I'll need to start at one end or the other.”
“I don't think we'll be doing much with it today,” Nimue said.
Verruckt grunted his agreement. Merlin was lost in thought, tracing the strand with his Sight.
Nimue watched Merlin for a moment before shaking her head. She gestured to Verruckt and the two of them returned to camp.
“If I know him, he'll be staring at that spell until he figures out where to start or at least determines something useful about it,” she said.
“Somewhat focused is he?” Verruckt asked.
“You have no idea. It's sometimes frustrating to be married to him, except I've been the center of that focus more than once. It's intense but gratifying when that happens.”
Merlin stood, staring at the spell until dusk. When he returned to camp there was a pensive look on his face.
“What did you find out?” Nimue asked.
“The other end also buries itself in the cliff face, at the top of the spell. I think they probably run to the same place. I could trace them both for a bit and they seem to head back to the house.”
“So, what's the next step? Trace the ends to their destination?”
“No, I stopped following them when I noticed a trap waiting for an unwary wizard tracing their course. If there's a trap that close to the cliff, imagine what could be waiting on the other end. Instead I think that, like a woven garment, we might be able to stretch part of the weave open. Perhaps establish communication and make sure the dragons are trapped in there and still alive.”
“Makes sense,” Verruckt said, “no need to waste effort here if those we intend to rescue aren't behind the spell.”
“That's what I was thinking. Plus, if we establish communication they might know more of how the spell was cast. That could give us a clue to unraveling it.”
They settled into their camp. Gunter, after asking first, started a fire and began a stew using some of their dried rations and some fresh food from the garden. Anguis removed himself from Merlin's shoulders and looked about the camp.
“Merlin, I'm hungry. Can I go and raid a mine or refinery for some metal?” he asked. “I'll keep hidden while I do.”
“There's a spell around this area that will keep you from returning, so if you're going to do that I'll need to give you a shield so you can get back in.”
“Can he use a mental trigger for a spell on a crystal?” Gunter asked.
Merlin looked at Anguis, who nodded.
“Then he can borrow mine for now. You can set him up with his own shield later on.”
Gunter handed over the crystal Merlin had enchanted for him and Anguis took to the skies.
The three wizards talked shop and discussed ways of opening the weave up in an area of the spell. The method most certain to work would require repeated efforts over the course of a week, trying to shift a strand at a time, just a little bit. They would work in one of the areas where Verruckt didn't sense a trap and limit their efforts to the largest sized area that fit that qualification.
Merlin set up a magical barrier similar to the patterning on the spell, only in miniature. They practiced different techniques for moving the strands and anchoring them to a new spot. Before they went to bed their efforts produced a tentative plan for working on the larger spell. In the morning, they would find out whether or not their plan would work.
* * *
The following morning, the four of them gathered in the camp. Anguis was curled into a ball on the ground, his stomach too full for him to change shape and ride Merlin's shoulders until he processed the metals it contained.
“Merlin, didn't you say you took care of the spell causing the unease?” Gunter asked.
“Yes, it's gone.”
“Well, every now and then I'm getting the feeling that something is watching over my shoulder, or causing a chill up my spine. Things like that.”
“Perhaps part of the spell is taking longer to fade away? I haven't felt it myself.”
“I have, but only around here. Not out in the woods,” Gunter said.
“I'll take a look then and see if I find anything.”
Merlin used his Sight to examine the area around the camp. There were a few little wisps of magic drifting about but they were disintegrating in the sunlight.
“It looks like part of the spell is still dissolving. If it was in effect for a long time, it might take a few days to totally dissipate,” he said.
“I may spend more time exploring the area as opposed to sitting in camp until it's totally gone then. Knowing the terrain is always a good thing and I might find a few more items to improve our accommodations.”
Merlin nodded to Gunter, his mind already working on how to start bending the weave of the spell on the cliff face. Gunter waited until the wizards left camp before moving off into the woods.
The three wizards stood in front of the cliff but this time Verruckt showed more caution.
“It's mostly your idea Merlin, would you like to start?” he asked.
“Yes, I would. Show me where the spell is trapped.”
Verruckt pointed out seven different locations. The largest clear area was in the upper left-hand side of the spell.
“That's where we'll work on it then,” Merlin said, “you should both watch with your Sight while I start. Watch what I'm doing and maybe we can improve on our methods.”
Merlin settled down on the ground, lost in his mind. He directed his awareness out of his body and up to the portion of the spell they would work on. Laboriously, he began to reroute a section of a strand, moving it an inch or so to one side. An hour later, he anchored it in its new position and came out of his trance.
“This is going to be tedious but it looks like it should work. It'll get harder and take longer once we're moving multiple strands at the same time. But I'm guessing we should have a man-sized gap created within two weeks if nothing goes wrong.”
“My turn now?” Verruckt asked.
“Go ahead, I'll stay and watch for a while.”
“I've nothing better to do so I'll wait here until it's my turn,” Nimue said.
Days passed as the wizards worked on stretching the spell. Gunter still didn't want to stay in the camp, he claimed that he still got those feelings from time to time while the wizards were away working on the spell. Anguis got his own spell crystal and went out raiding every few nights.
After almost two weeks, Merlin thought the hole created by their efforts was large enough.
“We'll need to use a portal spell similar to hers on the smaller area we've stretched out. We should be able to generate the smaller portal without disturbing the main spell though. Now the question is, who do we send through?”
“That should be me, since I'm the smallest,” Veruckt said.
“I think Merlin might be better suited to this,” Nimue said, “as much as I'd hate him to go through, it makes sense.”
Anguis moved from his mantle shape on Merlin's shoulders, slid to the ground, and reformed as a dragon.
“You're all wrong,” he said. “I'm the one to go through. A dragon can live where a human couldn't and I'm more like them than any of you.”
Verruckt nodded his agreement. Nimue looked from Anguis to Merlin and back. Merlin's face was twisted up with emotion.
“Logically, you're the best choice Anguis, but a wizard should probably do it so they can ask the right questions about how the spell was created,” he said
“I can have them tell me, mind-to-mind, everything they know about how it happened. Then I can relay it to you when I come back out,” Anguis said.
Merlin was torn, it was obvious from the look on his face that he was worried. He thought about it for a few minutes before he looked at Anguis and nodded.<
br />
“We'll create the portal tomorrow and you can go through,” he said. “You won't have very much time, I don't know how long we'll be able to hold it open.”
“Can I see if there is anyone in there who could fit through the portal? You could talk to them and find out anything I didn't get.”
“I don't know if there will be an additional energy drain when someone goes through or not. You can tell them to try to follow you but warn them that the small portal may close abruptly and that we'll try to open the full portal as soon as we can.”
Anguis nodded eagerly.
{I can't wait to meet more dragons, I like Praesagium.} Anguis sent to Merlin.
{Don't get your hopes too high, we aren't even positive they're in there or still alive.}
{It's still a chance though, I'll take it.}
I know you will Anguis, and I hate it when you take chances, Merlin thought.
The following morning, shortly after sunrise, the three wizards combined their magic and opened a small portal in the stretched out area of the spell.
Anguis took flight and dove for the portal, his wings furled against his body to ensure that he would fit. The small dragon disappeared into the glossy surface, a short-lived ripple the only evidence that he had passed through.
Merlin waited, impatiently.
Nimue and Verruckt, noting Merlin's edginess, tried to talk to him and get him thinking of something else. It didn't work. A wizard who can juggle three spells simultaneously can easily hold a pair of conversations and a major worry in his mind at the same time.
Fifteen minutes passed and the drain of holding even the small portal open began to show on the three wizards. Half an hour went by and there was still no sign of Anguis. After an hour Verruckt began to pale.
“I'm not used to holding any spell work for this length of time. I'll stay with it as long as I can though,” he said.
A few minutes later, the surface of the portal rippled again. Anguis came through, his body shimmering with the magic that transferred him from one side of the portal to the other. Merlin sighed with relief and Verruckt nearly fell over.