“The emperor has made other bodies to contain his power and calls them vessels?” the silver haired wizard, Darius, questioned as he listened with the others. “So the rumors that he was dying were actually true.”
Nodding at the unknown man, Darius suddenly brightened with a smile and added, “Oh, I am sorry. I haven’t introduced myself. I am Darius Eremia, High Wizard of Enchwold. While I have met your emperor, in a way, it is a much greater pleasure meeting you.”
Frowning as Garosh seemed introspective, the giant nodded, “My memories aren’t as clear as Kolban’s probably, but I vaguely remember your face. So it is true that he was defeated by immortals.”
Chuckling at the summation, the wizard shrugged replying, “Immortal would be a relative term apparently. I am a little less than seven hundred years old, but have died in a way a few times along the way. It is probably similar to how the emperor has managed to defeat death, I suppose, though I have never been forced to change bodies to do so.
The wizard’s eyes looked towards the bed and asked, “Who is that trying to hide? The feel of magic is quite strange.”
Looking towards the bed behind him, Garosh looked as if he had forgotten something that he had intended to bring with him. “Evie, it is safe to come out. These are friends.”
Rilena felt a strange magic and spotted a glow from the floor that quickly grew in height to become a young woman or perhaps she should be called a girl. She was smaller than Rilena with red hair and green eyes. Evie was petite enough that the girl could have been thought of as a child; if not for her developing body which was naked before she could pick up a brown tunic to pull over her head to cover herself.
The mage’s hand slapped at Elzen’s arm as she caught his unusually long gaze lingering on the girl. Even with the short tunic on, most of her bare legs were revealed and it had no sleeves so her slender arms were equally noticed in the dim light of the room. Rilena didn’t know this young wizard by face and wondered who she was beyond her name.
Seeming to understand the dark haired mage’s unasked question, Garosh said, “Evie is one of the survivors of the attack. She was here to go between the changelings, since her magic could turn her into a wolf, cat or any number of creatures. When she gets scared, she tends to turn into a mouse, which is how she was missed in the purge.”
Brushing back her mid length red hair with her hands to tie it into a tail, Evie smiled shyly and nodded without saying a word.
Darius had shrewd eyes as well. With a wizard’s vision of things and his long life of experience, he said, “She was one of the few. Not everyone here was so lucky, I think.”
With a nod at the clever wizard, Garosh gestured to Verian to continue since he appeared ready to spill every secret for the giant. “Even with his reduced power, Garosh is a talented healer. After saving my life and healing my wounds from the burn of the acid blood of a wraith, we worked together to mend Hereseth as well. He was on the verge of death and his wounds were ugly, vicious things. The Betrayer cut his fingers and hand off before finishing him off by cutting across his chest and upper stomach.
“Without the use of blood magic to hold him here, he would have left us for good. Well, unless we were to revive him as a wraith or something, but he was fresh enough to save,” the wizard spoke with a smile of satisfaction.
Darius interrupted with a quick question, “He is now what you called the Betrayer, a resurrection man?”
The other wizards nodded. Hereseth looked a little withdrawn compared to the way Rilena had remembered the fire wizard. He was a master of the element and had often been quite animated in dealing with others. Now he seemed to be trying to come to terms with nearly dying, she thought.
Taking over for the explanation, Garosh said, “After dealing with the Betrayer, I have come to respect what can be done with the magic. Verian and I tied our blood to Hereseth bringing back our friend. We found and brought back a few others in the same way.
“Others like Evie were found hiding where they could. No one who tried to fight back survived, though a few have been restored using resurrection magic.”
Hereseth spoke surprising Garosh as he said, “Our blood binds us together and our magic as well. I don’t know what has caused the Betrayer to become so powerful, but I wonder if he has found a way to join with warlocks somehow.”
Darius nodded and replied, “I have found a few cultures where there sorcerers, as they called them, used blood to create spells that some might call dark. There is a unique bond that can be created between wizards using blood. Perhaps that is what you feel?”
Verian added, “Runes can be drawn in blood to bring someone back and other runes can be used to set rules upon them. Most warlocks who have tried these spells have found that the dead do not always wish to return or be cooperative. Some have turned on their masters, but there are others that have worked perfectly well together.
“We tried to only bring back those with a close bond to what we have been trying to achieve here.”
“We tried to escape the emperor to live free of him. I had my reasons for leaving and so did those who came with us. Only people like that are safe to bring back without strict runes to protect the warlock returning them to life,” Garosh added.
Rilena shook her head and complained, “You’ve been here two weeks and you couldn’t tell anyone that you were alive here? Didn’t you at least tell those stationed outside that there was an attack?”
Hereseth appeared to be coming out of the darkness infesting his mood as he pointed generally upward and answered, “The emperor sealed us in here. The front entrance was brought down trapping us inside.”
The comment brought Garosh’s next question, “How did you get in here anyway?”
Darius smiled and replied, “I recreated your gate into the storeroom. Well, with Rilena’s quick thinking we made it work.”
Curious to hear what the mage had done to make the portal work, Rilena sighed and confirmed, “He was sending Elzen through when I worried if he would get trapped between worlds like you always worried about with sending me home. The portal stalled in the silver world, but I caught up to Elzen and concentrated on the storeroom as I remembered it. That was enough to get us here.”
Looking pleased, Garosh congratulated, “Good work. I am glad that you were able to find your way home as well. I had been worried that you might not have made it.” Apparently a bit self conscious, he admitted, “Portals weren’t my strongest magic either.”
Verian snorted, “I’d say. His power could accomplish much, but it was like a man trying to open a can of fish with a hammer.”
Chuckling at the warlock’s description Garosh nodded, “I could accomplish the task, but it wasn’t pretty. I couldn’t use finesse like in healing.”
A tapping on the giant’s arm brought his attention to the red haired girl and she asked, “Should I go let the others know that the portal has been reopened?”
Stroking the girl’s hair like some proud parent, Garosh nodded and guided the young wizard, “Let them know that our friends from Southwall have reopened the gate.”
He stopped at that and looked suddenly unsure of his answer, “You opened this side, but do you have a way back?”
Darius grinned and nodded, “I realized that I needed a sort of touchstone to find my way back again. I established a point in your old room to direct the gateway back to Windmeer. You can come with us, if you wish. Lord Bryon can make room for your people too if you want, I am sure.”
Rilena thought a foreign wizard deciding how to run a lord’s castle was a bit presumptuous of him, but didn’t correct Darius. She didn’t need to correct him, because she knew that Garosh wouldn’t return to Windmeer for now.
Not disappointing the mage, the giant shook his head and replied, “We are safer here for now. Kolban thinks I am dead and anyone left behind would be left to fend for themselves. I also don’t want to risk bringing his attention back on Windmeer. He believes us dead or shut inside of the mo
untain.
“If you can help us reopen the exit at some point, it would be appreciated to check in with those still outside on the mountain.”
Darius nodded and answered, “If there is nothing much more to say about plans for the fortress and your people, perhaps you could show it to me. With a gateway between Windmeer and the mountain, I am sure that I can find a way to bring a force of wizards to help you clear the way and reset the supports for the tunnel.”
“We still have orcs and goblins to work the stone, though in lesser numbers,” Garosh informed the wizard as he gestured for the high wizard to follow him. Like a puppy at his heels, Evie reappeared after her quick run into the hall and seemed to follow in his shadow.
The two guardian wraiths placed themselves between their lord and the newcomers as best they could, but Rilena moved to the opposite side of the other girl to ask, “We didn’t see many orcs or any goblins when we came up from the storeroom. How many did the emperor’s assassins leave alive?”
A dark shadow seemed cross over the man’s face, but he still answered the sobering question, “Less than half of my warlocks and wizards were left alive. Some we have managed to return to life using the resurrection spell. The orcs and goblins suffered a lot of losses only because they were in the way, I think. Kolban wasn’t here for orcs or goblins. He didn’t care if the shape shifters were inside or out, so most of those live, though we haven’t been in contact with them since the tunnel collapsed.
“Many of the deaths were caused near the entry when the tunnel was destroyed. Anyone living between my room and the prison was slain. They were quiet, quick and efficient as they swept through the tunnels. More were killed to establish a buffer area to move between the targets and the exit gates.
“Still it could be worse. They left many of the workers alive and they have been trying to move the stone from the entry for over a week though with little results.”
“Aren’t orcs and goblins natural diggers? Why are they having so many problems clearing the tunnel?”
Shaking his head, the giant replied, “It is one thing to dig into stone created by nature, but this collapse was intended to trap anyone who remained until the food supplies ran out. They collapsed hundreds of feet of tunnel and the broken stone makes the area very unstable. We’ve had a few deaths from more stone falling as they try to adjust or move other pieces from the piled up rock.
“The other problem we have is trying to find a place for all the extra stone. We can’t take it outside or use a gateway to bring it to Ensolus for construction there. We are on our own...,” he nodded to Rilena with a smile and amended, “were on our own. If Darius can persuade Lord Bryon and the wizards’ council to send earth wizards maybe we can establish a solid opening once more.”
Rilena took a deep breath thinking of being trapped inside the mountain. Sebastian had collapsed some of the tunnels during his rescue attempt to save her and the two wizards held by Garosh after they stumbled across the fortress the first time, so the other exit was likely sealed as well. Still he had told her that he had come through a natural cave before finding those hewn by the goblins and orcs.
“Have you ever checked deeper inside of the mountain? Sebastian found his way inside through a cave opening. He said it was pretty long and narrow, but maybe a goblin or someone small like Evie could make it through.”
Evie overheard her name and looked at her questioningly as Garosh shook his head. “We tried to find the way he came inside months ago. If it is still there, it is probably behind the stone from the ceilings he collapsed to distract us from the prison.”
“I never looked,” Evie stated looking at the giant as if hoping for a positive word. She seemed to need his approval and attention in an unhealthy way, Rilena thought a bit disgusted at the girl. “I can change shape and find the path even if there is just a small gap, my lord. Would you like me to look?”
Patting the girl on the head, Garosh shook his head, “Maybe later, Evie. We need to show our friends the entry for now.”
She looked a bit disappointed that she couldn’t be of service right away, but his attention still brought a small smile from the girl.
At a branching of tunnels, Garosh leaned to speak to the small wizard looking like a child next to the giant. Her simple short tunic and bare feet didn’t help her appearance to Rilena’s thinking, but Evie had never looked to put on more than the minimal covering. “Go tell Gon and Qorin to come to the tunnel excavation so I might speak with them. They might have ideas of how to better use any help that Windmeer can give us.”
The girl quickly nodded and disappeared down a tunnel that Rilena had never used before. She guessed the amount of winding pathways were numerous thanks to the excavations by the orcs and goblins. It was like entering some giant ant hill filled with their tunnels deep inside the earth.
After Evie had left, Rilena stated, “I don’t remember her from before.”
Nodding, Garosh replied, “She prefers nature magic and has the rare skill to use magic to shape change making her an excellent go between for the werewolves and lions. I am surprised that she is holding up as well as she has here, since the girl gets claustrophobic.
“I’ve found her turned into a mouse and hiding in my room because it is the largest space inside the mountain,” he chuckled.
Rilena rolled her eyes without being caught and asked, “Is it because it is the largest room or because you are there? Maybe she simply likes you?”
With a short laugh, the man replied, “She is still a child and looking for strength. She might like me, but I am more like a father to her, I would guess.”
Not quite believing the excuse, Rilena let the matter drop and soon they found more and more life inside the fortress. The sounds of voices and the hard scrapes and thumps of stone being moved echoed down the tunnels. When they found the beginning of the collapse, the mage understood far better why they had been unable to dig themselves out. Boulders and smaller stone extended from floor to ceiling. Since Rilena had walked to the exit a few times checking the temperature, she knew that former outlet had to be far off behind tons of fallen rock.
An orc climbed onto the pile pulling at one stone with great effort. One fell only to be replaced by more and he cursed in a language not common to Southwall.
Garosh pointed and said, “We don’t have many warlocks capable of working stone and even seasoned diggers have been unable to do much besides bring down more rock on top of what is already here.”
“Earth wizards would certainly be useful here,” Darius added with a nod before shaking his head. “They will most likely need to use magic to create new supports and try to bind the stone together or you will be fighting what you see and the tons of mountain above that have been shaken loose as well.”
After a few minutes of watching the lack of progress of over twenty orcs and goblins, Darius shrugged and asked, “Is there anything we can do for you now? If not, I think I will return with my men to Windmeer. With the success of my first portal, it would be useful to make sure that I can repeat the achievement repeatedly.”
Shaking his head, Garosh replied, “We have supplies and air flows into the tunnels without apparent restriction. The damage done didn’t affect those at least. If you can bring some earth wizards willing to work in these conditions, it would be appreciated.”
He escorted them back to the storeroom saying that he would make sure to keep lamps lit along the path to areas being used now. It would help any further visits if the wizards from Windmeer could find their way without getting lost in the maze of tunnels.
“You don’t have to go, if you don’t want to,” Garosh added to Rilena as they neared the gateway home. “Your bed was moved out of the way, but at least it wasn’t ruined in the fighting.”
The mage smiled at him less enthusiastically about staying inside of the broken fortress. “I have a bed in Windmeer and my own room. Unless you can be sure to send me home properly and not with a landing inside of the men’s
bathhouse, I think I will just return with Darius.”
Elzen noted the exchange, but managed to barely tense at the giant’s suggestion that she stay. Looking ahead to the wizards in front of him, the younger mage didn’t soften until after her answer. Rilena caught his tension but didn’t draw any attention to him as Garosh chuckled.
“The men’s bathhouse? That is where you returned to Windmeer? How did that happen?”
“I was thinking of my friend, Elzen,” she stated gesturing to the mage before them finally bringing Garosh’s eyes to the young man. “Unfortunately, he was taking a late bath at the time.”
Another laugh preceded the giant clapping Elzen on the shoulder as he said, “I bet having a pretty woman landing on you from thin air wasn’t in your plans that night. Of course, I can think of worse fates.”
Elzen turned trying to give his typical boyish grin though Rilena caught a bit of pain in his eyes. Whether it was physical pain from Garosh’s playful slap or something else, she wasn’t sure; but he answered, “Having a pretty girl in the bath with me would have made for a good daydream, but normally she wouldn’t be wearing any clothes either. Still, Rilena splashing into my tub wasn’t the worst thing that could happen and I was glad she returned safely, if a bit wet.”
Blushing even though Elzen hadn’t mentioned her being reduced to a mere robe after pulling off her wet clothes in the men’s bath or the kiss they had shared, Rilena tried to put him back on his heels as she added, “Well, Teven has offered to bathe with you, hasn’t she, Elzen?”
She laughed as Elzen couldn’t help a bit of a blush from her comment, but the boy wasn’t so easily defeated. “I haven’t danced with her enough from her comments, but I might be in the running. Still, you can feel free to join me in the men’s baths anytime, Rilena.”
Garosh was amused by their interplay and questioned, “I am surprised that you didn’t try to invite yourself to the women’s bath instead.”
“He tried that elsewhere and there is a guard who watches out for perverts like him now,” Rilena stated folding her arms even as she felt heat in her cheeks.
Battle Mage: A Hero's Welcome (A Tale of Alus Book 8) Page 27