“Unseen,” Delminor echoed. “Between air and glass, which is next to water. It could be.”
He looked at Donya and nodded. “At the same time, you could be right, and it may be here. We’re dealing with magic to mend living bones, which is a lot like earth and nature together.”
“So, which is it?” Pyron asked.
Delminor shrugged. “Let’s use the spell and see if we get anything. We’ll watch both sides.”
“Arrimossious sesrillia anyettasa coren.” Delminor’s hands waved in the appropriate gesture and the water rippled from the center. The jades began spinning around slightly, stopping periodically and then continuing. Delminor’s jaw dropped and he wondered if the others had noticed.
He repeated the spell and watched the divination again, this time noting the four pauses carefully. He repeated the spell a few more times, ensuring he was correct.
Four more jades? But which one would be the healing jade? He could find the others at leisure; he just wanted that one shard.
The healing jade would be between the air and glass, if Essalia was correct, but there was no telling which of the four points related to that. The jades were all evenly spaced in the water, making it impossible to tell.
He called to one of the guards to gather some materials and then discussed his theory with his friends. The guard returned with the supplies and the group each took some.
Delminor dropped a pinch of clay near the earth jade and it sank immediately to the bottom of the basin. Essalia placed a leaf of basil, which floated near the nature jade. Pyron added a piece of glass, while Donya poured in a small amount of oil. Delminor lit a folded piece of parchment with a candle and set it gently on top of the water, near the fire jade, careful to keep the flame above the water. Lastly, he rolled another sheet of parchment, stuck it in the water under the air jade, and blew some bubbles.
Then he cast the divination spell again. He had never added spell components before and he hoped the added materials would help. Each jade drew its representation toward it and, as if distracted by that, they floated more loosely, rather than evenly spaced apart.
A gap appeared on either side of the air jade and a larger one showed between earth and water. The set turned again, stopping at the same four places it had before. Despite the shift in configurations, the destinations had not changed.
“Delminor…” Donya looked at his drawing and at the floating jades. “This all takes place because they’re floating in water. What if that’s the keystone you’re looking for?”
He cast the divination spell again, watching the water jade and keeping an eye on the open positions in the ring. When the water jade turned northwest, the ring stopped moving. It stopped again twice when the jade was toward the northeast, and once faintly when it was nearly due east. Yet looking at where the gaps were located when the ring stopped moving, it was impossible to tell which jade would be where and made the possibilities more confusing.
He sat back, not sure what he would report to the king. There were too many variables. But the king demanded an answer and so Delminor offered the four compass points the water jade had singled out.
“But sire, if I may…”
“Yes?”
“Send an experienced mage along with each of the groups. Give them each one of the jades so they can feel the resonance. Without that, they’ll never have a chance of finding them.”
Pyron cleared his throat. “I need to return to Magehaven with our shards as well. There is much work to be done.”
“That will leave us with one shard yet again,” Pennithor said. “Very well. We cannot leave Magehaven unprotected and if what you say is true about the resonances, then that will make this mission possible.”
“Thank you, sire.”
“Delminor, is that all?”
“Yes, your majesty.”
The king made a sound. “I am surprised you have not requested to attend one of these excursions.”
“I have other obligations here, sire.”
“Indeed.”
Chapter 43
Training
“Step left, rotate, hands around, up. Step left, rotate, hands around, up. Step left, rotate, hands around, up.” Delminor continued the chant repeatedly, clapping his hands along with the directions.
“Come on, Merlunn, get that foot in there. Montello, looking good, keep at it. Shadrish, have you been practicing?”
Fifteen students of various ages stepped and rotated in time with Delminor’s instructions, their bodies tired from the full day’s lesson.
“Keep at it, just a few more cycles.” He recited the steps again. “It’s important to learn to flow from one motion into another. You may not need this particular rhythm, but the concept is the same. Your body is a conduit for the energy you intend to cast and, to be that, you must coax it up and out.”
He let them sweat a little longer then dismissed them when Essalia came into the chamber, winking at him. “A little rough on them today.”
“Some of them have been practicing with me for three years now and they still can’t get the steps right.”
“Well, you can’t do it for them. Maybe those are not cut out to be mages.”
“As I’ve said, but I was told it wasn’t my call to make.”
“Ouch.” She shook her head. “Donya sent me along to say to eat without her.”
“Everything all right?”
“She’s just caught up with the water mages. Alrea is giving her trouble again.”
Delminor groaned. “She’s another one who wants it all to be handed to her. She has talent, not drive. Maybe Donya can get through to her. Anyway, do you want to grab a bite?”
She sounded disappointed. “Thanks, but Rash and I are doing our thing again.”
She had been seeing Rashanald off and on for months, sometimes meshing well and other times not. Delminor had already given his opinion on the matter, but she continued giving him chances anyway.
He stretched and headed back to his quarters, still followed by his guard. He forgot the man was there most of the time and hadn’t asked his name when he was assigned to the post after the last one left. Ignoring them seemed the best way to cope with the onlookers, as it made him less concerned about their presence. Most couldn’t handle being treated as invisible and sought reassignment after a couple months, if that long. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure if the guards were male or female, he so thoroughly ignored them.
Months after the king’s men had ventured out seeking the jades, one group returned, having traveled to the Magitorium. The warring between the masters had continued through the years and Xervius had been ousted from his position as Overseer, and not by Una, who had wheedled her way into staying in the tower through subservience.
The arrival of the king’s guard and the pursuit of the jade led to another uprising, dragging the soldiers into the fray. During the ordeal, power switched back to Xervius and once he heard Delminor was seeking a jade, he handed over the shadow shard, a mysterious crystal that obscured one’s view.
He wasn’t entirely surprised another shard was at the Magitorium, but the secrecy surrounding it confused him. Why had Xervius sent away the air jade if a second power was left behind? And if the shadow jade was known, why wasn’t its magic disseminated? He recalled how the tower had been obscured when he first reached it so long ago. Its powers must have been newer, lesser known, though, he surmised, the very nature of the shadow jade probably steeped it in mystery.
The other three groups had still not returned, but the king had other matters to attend to, though it meant the jades of glass, earth, and nature were lost. The queen had given birth to a healthy male heir, but she died weeks later due to illness. In addition, Kallisorian troops were crossing over the border now, no longer content with the stalemate.
* * *
“I wonder why the Kallisorians are coming into Hathreneir now,” Delminor said, discussing the situation with Donya and Essalia over dinn
er.
“Something must have happened that makes them feel like they have an advantage,” Donya said.
Essalia sighed. “War is stupid. You know, Rash went and enlisted when the announcement went out? What an idiot. I think I’m better off on my own.”
“You’ll find someone better suited to you,” Donya offered.
“Like you did? I’m sure.”
“What does that mean?” Delminor asked.
She blushed and looked away. “I… don’t mean anything. Just that I hope I can find someone. Someone I can get along with… who doesn’t run off to the army.” She stabbed her meat with her fork.
“Regardless, we’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
“New recruits. Yay.”
Donya laughed. “It’s okay, Ess, it’ll all work out.”
She nodded. “Oh, I meant to tell you, I got a letter from the girls the other day. They wanted me to say hi.”
“If you write them back soon, tell them we wish the kids a happy birthday.”
Delminor whistled. “I can’t believe Gallena and Arenda have been moms for three years. Time does fly.”
“I’ll pass it along,” Essalia promised. “They’re looking to get out of Marritosh in case the fighting kicks up any further. They don’t want the children getting caught up in the war.”
Delminor shook his head. “I don’t get it. No one wants the war. Why are we even in one?”
“It’s about resources or something,” Donya said.
“Plus, they hate mages,” Essalia added. “Lucky for us.”
“All the more reason for me to keep training others to use magic. If it’s out there and everyone can use it, maybe it won’t scare them so much. Their kids can try it and they’ll see it’s just a part of nature.”
“Speaking of which…” Donya set her napkin on the table. “You haven’t finished your report. The king is looking for it tomorrow.”
With a grumble, Delminor left the table to finish his work.
* * *
“…And by drawing the air out, we can seal the box and preserve the meat inside.” Delminor held the box aloft and showed the king that no gaps remained.
“Very practical. Again.” The king leaned forward in his seat. “All of your spells of late have been practical. What else can this magic do?”
Delminor wavered. “I suppose we could draw the air out of an area and make it hard to breathe. But preserving food for a long duration would also be a benefit to the kingdom. We can use some inverted fire magic to keep it cold, which makes it last longer.”
“Yes, and nature magic will make the leaves purer and water magic allows us to reuse our water supply. What is all this getting at, Delminor?”
“The same as I’ve always said, your majesty. I don’t understand the reason for war. If we shared these things with the Kalliso—”
“Do not finish that statement.”
Delminor choked on his words. “Yes, sire. If there is nothing more, I will attend to my classes.”
“Do so.”
He bowed out of the room and hurried to his lecture hall, not because he was late but because he didn’t want the king calling after him.
An hour later, a pack of young mages sauntered into the room, their eyes wide. They would be meeting Delminor, whose tomes they had been reading, in person.
He didn’t understand the awe. The whole point had been for them to learn. So what if he’d been the one to put ink to parchment? Though as he thought about it, he recalled his own fascination with Regnard’s work and laughed at himself. He’d been the same as these kids.
“Come in, now, quickly.” He lifted his hands and muttered a quick incantation. “Aureolia ooshta frei.” A sharp wind snapped the doors shut and the kids were duly impressed.
“Magic is all around us,” he began. “It exists in many elements and we know there are more to learn about. For now, your goal is to determine whether you can sense these energies, if you can feel them flowing through you. Our goal today is to teach you a medit—”
The door flew open and a messenger barreled in. “Delminor, the king needs you. Kallisorians are coming!”
Chapter 44
Skirmish at the Castle
Delminor raced back to the king, whose guards were covering him with extra armor. The entire room was tense and Delminor asked what had happened.
The king’s voice boomed. “There is a troop heading this way and they bear the Kallisorian flag. We must be ready to defend ourselves. Chancellor, assemble the soldiers and prepare to face the enemy. Delminor, you’re with me.” He spoke to the guard trailing the mage. “Go join the frontline forces.”
“What spurred this invasion and how did they get so far into Hathreneir?” Delminor asked.
“We may never know, for they will be defeated swiftly.”
They hurried out of the castle and a stablehand had a white horse in gleaming armor ready for the king. With a contingent of fighters, they made their way through the surrounding town, following after the army that was already assembled to the east. The villagers who witnessed the king’s attire panicked and fled to their homes.
With a hundred soldiers and mages already assembled, the Hathren troops were ready for the smaller band of Kallisorians. Even more so, Pennithor felt superior as the foes refused to work with magic, giving his forces an added advantage.
Warning shots flew from the Kallisorian troops, the arrows landing safely in front of the king’s frontline. A commander from the enemy forces blew a horn and stepped forward.
When he was close enough, the commander shouted out. “King Pennithor of Hathreneir, I am Ordris, commander to King Kannilon of Kallisor. You have violated our border and we order you to desist.”
“What nonsense is this?” Pennithor shouted. “I sent no troops across your border.”
The commander turned to what looked like a younger version of himself. “Ordren, bring them.”
A bedraggled pair of fighters were roughly thrown to the ground. They were from one of the jade scouting parties. Delminor’s heart raced.
“I thank you for their safe return. Where are the others?”
“Why were they within Kallisorian land?”
Pennithor growled at the dodge. “There were no orders to enter Kallisor.”
“Regardless, they were located in the northern reaches and dealt with by our liege.”
“Slain, you mean.”
“Some did not survive the punishment,” Ordris conceded. “We return these two with a warning. If other Hathren forces are located within our land, we will retaliate in full.”
“What of their belongings?” Delminor whispered to the king. “They may have the jades.”
“We would inspect these two,” Pennithor called, “to ensure they are our men.”
“You dare question our integrity?”
Pennithor’s voice grew angry. “A messenger alone would have sufficed, yet you have crossed this land to confront me directly.”
Ordris hesitated. “We learned from your men that they were in search of these. It did not seem wise to send them with a messenger considering what your men went through to obtain them.” He held up two shards of the Red Jade and Delminor itched to run forward to retrieve them.
“We will accept those and allow your safe return to Kallisor,” Pennithor said.
Ordis shook his head. “We know what these are and will not turn them over.”
“Why bring them, then?” Delminor shouted, unable to control himself.
“So you would know that we have uncovered your intentions. But I assure you, these will not help your cause.”
Pennithor had heard enough. “If you will not turn them over, we will confiscate them from you.”
Ordris understood the threat. “Then you will incite the war in earnest.”
“So be it.” He raised his sword. “Attack!”
The Hathren troops bolted forward at once, shouts echoing loudly. Delminor could hardly believe it. He hadn’t thou
ght a fight would actually break out, especially considering the willingness to exchange words. His eyes opened wide as he watched the mages.
They were employing versions of his spells and at first he was proud of the earth and air shields. Even fire was used to burn away the arrows now flying overhead. But then the tenor changed.
Earth darts were hardened into sharp projectiles and launched with air magic to impale the enemy. Nature mages brought forth plants and used their thorns as poisonous darts. Fireballs exploded in the enemy forces with no care at all for how much damage was done.
“No! That’s not what the spells are for!” He had only intended for them to be used against the beasts of the land, not to slay other people. He cried out for the mages to stop, but Pennithor demanded he silence himself.
The Kallisorian troops banded together well against the magical assault, their thick shields deflecting many of the attacks. They raced forward with spears and hurled them into the mass of Hathren soldiers. Magic shields stopped many of the attacks, but some mages and soldiers fell.
“Why are we killing each other?” Delminor shouted, breaking away from the fighting. “There is no need for this!”
An errant fireball flew his way and he quickly drew his hands up and countered the spell with fire magic of his own. He pulled the energy apart and dissipated the flame before its final explosion.
He knew what he had to do. He needed the jades and he wanted to save the lives of both sets of fighters. There was no need for anyone to die.
He worked his way into the fighting, drawing on his powers to protect himself. He didn’t have any of the jades with him, as the king was keeping them tightly controlled, but he knew he could handle this.
The Hathren troops did their best to protect Delminor, confused by his actions but waiting for him to unleash some magic spell that would obliterate the enemy. Instead, he called a handful of mages to his side and gave his instructions.
The five mages all stepped in unison, chanting the same incantation. “Fabronie calliorts breqrathan kaie.” They balled their hands and pulled them outward slowly. Before them a rift formed, spreading to the sides, effectively cutting the battlefield in two.
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