Balancer (Advent Mage Cycle)

by Honor Raconteur

  We finally decided on 32. If we drew upon every available Mage, partially because they could quickly travel to Ascalon and partially for their brute strength, then it should be enough even if the warehouse was packed full of Priests.

  I don’t wake up at the best of times, but this morning was worse than usual. Not only were we attacking in the pre-dawn hours, an unholy hour of the morning that I try to avoid as much as possible, I had only snatched a few hours of sleep the night before. I didn’t so much walk downstairs as shamble. Getting both eyes open at the same time was simply beyond me.

  As if life were mocking me, Prince Audax stood waiting in the foyer, impeccably dressed in a military uniform looking perky and alert. His toe tapped an impatient rhythm as he waited for everyone to assemble. When he saw me half-stumbling down the stairs his impatient frown deepened into one of outright concern.

  “Garth, I’m used to you being somewhat…hazy in the mornings, but are you unwell?”

  “Long night,” I rasped, trying to keep a sour note out of my voice. I finally noticed that Ries was standing at Audax’s back as he had at mine the past several months. He also was impeccably dressed and had the air of a man that thought sleep was for weaklings. I gave him a nod good morning, which he returned with a hint of a smile.

  “And Chatta?” Audax asked, looking beyond me as if he expected to see her following me down.

  “Also a long night.”

  His eyes crinkled a bit at the corners. “Your married life is bound to prove interesting, if this is normal.”

  “Especially around breakfast,” I agreed. The banter oddly helped me to wake up a little. “Have you seen anyone else?”

  “Everyone else is already outside and gearing up. I am simply waiting for you and Chatta.”

  Great, we were the last ones down. Frowning, I turned in a half-circle, looking for…found him. Didi sat on the banister two stories up, tail twitching as he watched me. “Didi, is she up yet?”

  Didi gave a shake of the head.

  “In that case, go wake her up. You have my permission to do anything that works.”

  A slow smile spread over the meuritta’s face. It might have just been the angle, but from here it was a particularly evil smile. He gave me a chipper salute, then scampered down the hallway.

  Prince Audax cleared his throat slightly. “Was that wise?”

  “Probably not,” I admitted. “But this way, Didi and I can blame it on the other.”

  “DIDI!”

  I winced as Chatta’s outraged scream echoed through the building. Did I want to know what he’d done…well, even if I didn’t she was bound to tell me. “It will only take her a moment to strangle him, if you want to go ahead,” I offered in genial tones. “We’ll catch up shortly.”

  Audax had his eyes fixed on the ceiling, as if he could somehow discern what was going on upstairs even through the wood and plaster. “Garth, I must ask…do all magicians have familiars?”

  “Oh no, it’s not a set rule. We generally do just because it’s easier for us to have one. When we work complicated magic we tend to lose track of our immediate surroundings. A familiar helps to safeguard us in those moments.”

  He processed this for several seconds before venturing, “So Nolan doesn’t need to have a familiar.”

  “Ah…” Had no one told him? “Highness, Nolan already has a meuritta.”

  Audax’s jaw dropped, mouth working for several seconds before he croaked, “What?! When did that happen?”

  I tried to hide my evil smile as I related the tale of how the boys had escaped Del’Hain and gone adventuring, coming back with their own meurittas. Audax looked ready to practice some stress relief on the nearest wall by the time I finished.

  Chatta joined us at the bottom of the stairs, looking just as un-awake as I felt. Didi, wisely, flew about three feet above her head, just out of range. He didn’t look singed or damaged in any way, so he must have dodged Chatta’s revenge, whatever that had been.

  My fiancée glared up at me under furrowed brows. “You sicced him on me, didn’t you?”

  I gave her a bright, innocent smile. “They’re waiting for us.”

  Muttering darkly under her breath, she stalked out the front door.

  ~*~

  The plan went off so smoothly it actually made me nervous.

  We’d already coordinated on which magicians would be in the circle and who would be bringing the groups in. It would be easier if each group were brought in from different directions instead of one lump group that would arrive and then have to fan out. I had five magicians with me that I spread out along the south side of the building.

  There were only two main entrances to the warehouse. One on the east side and another on the west. We had two magicians standing in front of each entrance, but also a squad of specially trained soldiers that were on high alert. I had my earth sense strained to its max sensitivity, so I could feel every restless movement of the soldiers. I could also tell the number of Priests inside of that building—the number hadn’t changed since Shad’s reconnaissance. We had more than enough magicians to handle what was inside. I breathed a little easier when I realized this.

  Dassan and Chatta coordinated all of the magicians into a rough circle around the building by contacting them through mirror broach. I didn’t pay much attention to their quiet commands, even though I kept the mirror out and in my left hand just in case they needed me to do something. We all knew what the plan was, after all. We were just staying in communication just in case. It still being early in the morning, the air had that damp, slightly chill feeling to it. The sun hadn’t yet properly risen over this section of the city yet either. It felt like we were still in the witching hour of the night even though it was technically morning. Our surroundings had that unearthly, grey look to it. I didn’t like being part of a circle to begin with as the notion of being stripped of magic was highly disturbing for me. Doing it in this uneasy atmosphere…well, needless to say I felt a little more on edge than I probably should have been.

  With the tall buildings around us, the sun didn’t have a chance to really light up the deserted streets we stood on. As it inched its way into the sky, the dark blue shadows that we stood in lightened to grey. I found myself marking time by the color as the law people got into position.

  We’d debated on whether the Protectors should be called in the night before, but Prince Audax had insisted on it. Even if we felt like we had enough expertise to handle this body of Priests, he wanted them there. Mostly for political and legal purposes, or so I was given to understand by his rather cryptic explanation. With these narrow passages and alleys between the stone buildings sound echoed, so I could hear the whispered conversations as the new arrivals coordinated with the teams already in place. I didn’t hear any arguments break out though, so assumed that they were cooperating with each other.

  “Alright everyone,” Chatta’s voice came softly through the mirror, but with a distinctness that spoke of command, “Dassan and I will start the incantation. Join in as you are able. Ready, and: What stands before us…”

  I joined in on the next line, hearing a multitude of voices of all ages and genders around me speak at the same time. Some of the voices came through mirror, others from the people standing with me. It was the first time I’d ever linked up with that many magicians all at once. The amount of power that filled the air was awe-inspiring and staggering. It sent my nerves singing and my pulse racing.

  There were screams of dismay and horror from inside the building, so we knew the circle had done its job. Some of the occupants rushed outside immediately, staggering as the shock set in, their eyes wild. The unbalanced attacks they tried were abruptly cut down by the waiting Special Forces members and Protectors.

  I stood near the corner of the south end, near the east entrance, so I could actually see some of the Priests manhandled into manacles and then dragged forcibly to the waiting wagons. Each wagon had a cage made of thick iron bars set over the to
p, like a mobile prison cell. I was told that fifteen people could be put inside, and they’d brought four wagons, just in case. I kept an eye on them as we ended the incantation, letting the magic drain away.

  “Alright, everyone, excellent work,” Dassan said through the mirror, sounding as out of breath as I felt. Working that kind of magic in tandem left you feeling strangely exhilarated, with magic still humming at high volume through your blood. But at the same time, you felt a little light headed and you just knew that as soon as the adrenaline wore off, you’d be exhausted later. I wasn’t looking forward to later.

  “If you feel able,” Chatta added, “please go to either the east or west entrances and keep an eye on the Priests. I think our allies can handle it, but it doesn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes on these people. We know their tricks, after all.”

  Yes, the group of magicians in on this operation had been handpicked not just for the magical expertise but their experience with blood magic. All of us here knew the warning signs to watch for.

  I watched each person as they were dragged out. Most of them were young—fifteen years or so old. Barely old enough to be initiates. Others were in their late teens or early twenties; old enough to be Priests but too young to know any of the secrets we were searching for.

  The wagons were a good way to estimate how many we’d captured. I did a headcount as I walked to the east entrance and frowned when I realized we only had ten in one wagon. Lifting the mirror to my mouth I asked, “South entrance, how many do you have?”

  It was Shad that answered, “We have six. How many do you have?”

  “Ten,” I answered, feeling my stomach tightening into a large knot.

  “Then we’re short a few,” Shad responded with obvious delight. “Oh good, I was afraid this might be boring. East side, hold position. I’m going in and I’ll try to flush them your direction.”

  “Shad!” I yelped in alarm, “Don’t go in there alone!”

  “Too late,” Dassan informed me, voice resigned. “He’s gone.”

  Why did he have to be so fast…?

  Groaning, I shoved the mirror into my pocket and snapped the bon’a’lon out from my belt and half-ran to put myself squarely in front of the very tall double-doors. They were only half-open, but even then I couldn’t really see anything inside. There was practically no light coming from anywhere within the building, and the sunlight wasn’t strong enough to penetrate more than a few feet into the entrance.

  Shad was going in their blind.

  I let out a long sigh. Knowing him, that probably made things more fun. Why did he have to be such an adrenaline addict?

  Prince Audax came to stand at my side, his eyes narrowed as he tried to peer inside. “He’s going to get himself killed one of these days doing stunts like this.”

  “I know that, and you know that, but try convincing him,” I grumbled acerbically.

  “Well, if he—” Audax cut himself short, head cocked. “Do you hear laughter from inside?”

  Now that he mentioned it…I did. “It sounds evil.”

  “It sounds like our crazy Captain is having a lot of fun.” Audax shook his head, half-amused and half-resigned. “The sound is getting closer. Everyone, be ready!” he called to the men around us.

  He barely had the warning out when a wave of wide-eyed Priests came stumbling out. Some of them were looking more over their shoulders than what was in front of them. In fact, judging from the abject terror on their faces, you would’ve thought that a sword-wielding boogeyman was chasing them.

  Actually…knowing Shad…they might’ve been right…

  In any case, Shad’s insane actions worked and they poured through the doors so afraid of what was chasing them that they didn’t pay much heed to the soldiers waiting for them until too late. Caught off-guard, their resistance to capture was minimal at best. In fact, I didn’t even have a chance to fight, they were caught so easily.

  I stayed on guard until Shad appeared. He had his sword out in one hand, a long dagger in the other, and a maniacal grin on his face. I searched automatically for any sign of injury, but he wasn’t even flushed from his mad dash through the warehouse. “Anyone do a headcount?” he asked, as if he hadn’t done something insanely reckless.

  Apparently Audax was used to such behavior, and after working with Shad as much as he had, he probably was, for he answered laconically, “Thirty-six.”

  I did the simple arithmetic in my head and nodded in satisfaction. “That should be all of them. Good work, Shad.”

  Shad put a modest expression on and placed a hand over his heart. “Why thank you. All in the line of duty.”

  “Don’t push it,” I advised dryly. Snapping the bon’a’lon back into its resting position, I dug out the mirror broach and reported to the other side.

  While this roundup did collect another three dozen or so renegades, it didn’t help us in the long run. As the last group was clapped in irons, I turned away and started back toward the palace compound.

  “Just wait!” a young voice snarled fiercely from somewhere behind me. “Just wait until they activate the weapon and they destroy all of you! You won’t stand a chance then!”

  Weapon? What was he talking about? I turned back in curiosity. It might be nothing more than a bluff, but there was an underlying tone to the threat that made me think he was perfectly earnest. The boy that had spoken was one of the young initiates. He was scrappy for his age, with blond hair falling into his eyes. As futile as it was, he was dragging his feet and fighting the soldier’s hold on him.

  I waved for the soldier to stop for a moment and knelt down to the boy’s level. “What do you mean by weapon?”

  Glad to have gotten a reaction, he leaned against the chains to stare me straight in the eye. “That’s right, the weapon. The weapon that was built to destroy this whole city. To destroy evil, like you.”

  The last part I ignored. A weapon of mass destruction? “So how old is this weapon?”

  For the first time he faltered and took a second to answer me. “Dunno. It was hidden before the War, though.”

  A pre-war weapon? It was doubtful that it was made by the Star Order, then. They hadn’t had enough power or influence to make something of that scale two hundred years ago. But that didn’t mean such a thing didn’t exist—some other magician could have made it, a Star Order Priest found it, and they altered it enough for a blood magician to be able to use it.

  “Magus, don’t pay attention to this nonsense,” the soldier suggested with a yank to get the boy moving. “It’s just a bluff.”

  I stood again and watched as the boy was hauled away. Maybe it had been a bluff. Then again…maybe it wasn’t. Either way, I knew who to ask.

  Chapter Eleven: Legends

  Chatta and I consumed a quick breakfast, snatched her mirror broach, and found a remote room to sequester ourselves in so we could talk in private. As soon as I was comfortable, I grazed the mirror with my power and called, “Raile?”

  A moment of silence, then there was a thump, a softer thud, and the soft sigh of fabric as if something heavy had just slid against it.

  “Garth?”

  “Yes. Chatta’s here too. We have something we want to ask you.”

  “Well, I certainly have a few moments to talk. First, tell me what’s going on over there. No one’s keeping me updated!”

  I filled him in with a detailed version of the most recent events, ending with, “It would help if we had some way of searching the land that didn’t have the same limitations as scrying. I don’t suppose you know of anything like that, do you?”

  “I have had a notion of something that might help locate those priests. When I was a very young boy, I vaguely remember being told tales about Legends.”

  I blinked, having no idea what he was referring to. “Legends?”

  “That was what everyone called them,” Raile confirmed. “My Grandpa said that the term came from their similarity with a map’s legend. I was never sure if he
was right about that or not. Anyway, a Legend was an individual, either male or female, that could make a personal contract with a Gardener. They were given the ability to sense everything around them for great distances, rather like a living map legend.”

  My eyes nearly fell out of my sockets. “Everything?!”

  “From mountains to mole hills, mosquitoes to mammoths,” Raile confirmed, obviously enjoying our surprise.

  “But wouldn’t that completely overwhelm their senses?” Chatta turned to me, eyes still wide with wonder as she evaluated the concept. “Garth, you can’t do that, can you?”

  “To a limited extent, yes, but not everything all at once. Even Cora couldn’t cope with that big of a headache.” My head hurt just contemplating the crushing amount of information. “It requires maximum effort and focus on my part, too. Raile, how was such a contract made?”

  “I don’t remember,” he admitted without any noticeable concern, considering the question insignificant next to the sheer weight of the information. “I’m sure the Gardeners do, though. I’m also sure that buried somewhere in one of the hidden library caches, there are detailed instructions how to go about discovering the traits necessary for a Legend, or maybe they were made using spells and talismans.”

  “Hidden library caches?” Chatta pounced on this cryptic reference. “What hidden library caches?”

  Raile sounded bemused. “Like the one you found near that boy in the cave, the young Elemental Mage on the coast.”

  It felt like my head was reeling, split between Chatta’s question and the revelation that Raile seemed to be familiar with them. “Raile, you know about the caches?”

  “’Course I do,” he snorted. “I helped put them together before they were buried, y’know.”

  “Then you know where they are? Precisely where they are?” I pressed him urgently.

  “No, not all of them,” he admitted. “I was just a boy, you realize, they wouldn’t tell me everything. My Da told me that one was buried right underneath the capitol’s library in Chahir, though. He thought it was hilarious, since that was the Star Order’s Headquarters at the time. They didn’t even realize it, sitting on top of a treasure of magical artifacts, and didn’t have an inkling that it was there. How powerful could their magic have been?”