Champion of the Gods Box Set

by Andrew Q. Gordon

  The pair walked up the inner staircase to an unguarded landing just outside the topmost room. Farrell pushed open the door and observed a dark-robed wizard standing in front of an open window. His head turned rapidly as he looked into the city. An instant later he moved to another window.

  The middle-aged wizard shook as he moved to a large mirror hanging on the wall. The polished Cytus-wood frame had been stained dark. The pane of glass was large enough to frame a man from the waist up.

  Farrell heard the wizard use magic, and the surface of the mirror flickered with color.

  “Answer me, Your Majesty. Please!”

  Soon an angry face peered back at the shaking man. Kel placed a hand on Farrell’s chest and pointed toward himself.

  “Your Majesty.” The wizard bent his head in submission.

  From his angle, Farrell could see the man on the other side of the mirror. All he saw was a dark blue tunic clasped at the waist by a black leather belt with a large onyx stone in the center.

  “Why do you bother me, Fresder? This had better not be another request for supplies.” Meglar sounded irritated.

  “No, Your Majesty. Nothing so trivial as supplies.” He licked his lips slowly. “The city has been attacked and overrun.”

  Fresder flinched at what he saw in the mirror.

  “Overrun? Impossible!” Meglar shouted. Fresder cowered lower as his body trembled. “I designed the shield to withstand an attack from a grand master wizard with dozens of supporting assistants.”

  The wizard nodded. “I agree, my lord, but someone shattered it in the blink of an eye. Worse, the invaders came from the sea and—”

  “If they came in ships, why didn’t you alert me the moment the sentries spotted sails?” Before Fresder could answer, Meglar added, “You did have sentries posted, didn’t you?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty. A full complement.” Fresder peered up and quickly averted his eyes. “They didn’t come in ships, Your Majesty. They came from out of the water. What’s more, they’re flooding the city as they move.”

  “Are you drunk?” Meglar screamed. “Yar-del City is built on a cliff, a hundred feet above the sea.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Fresder said. “I mean, no, I’m not drunk, but the enemy controls the ocean. Giant waves are cresting over the walls. The enemy rides the waves into the city.”

  “Did you deploy the Chamdon as you were told?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Fresder shook his head. “The creatures from the sea slaughtered them with ease.”

  “Slaughtered?” Meglar asked. “Did you say common soldiers defeated my Chamdon?”

  Fresder shook every time Meglar spoke. “Not soldiers, Your Majesty. Creatures. These things from the sea are seven feet tall or more and look like reptiles. They ride the water like we would a horse. Our forces were no match for them.”

  Meglar didn’t answer immediately. He appeared to move around, but the angle prevented Farrell from seeing more. Meglar disappeared for a moment, and Farrell heard him speaking to someone but not what was said.

  “Are these creatures still there?” Meglar said when he returned.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” Fresder shook so much Farrell expected him to pass out.

  “Move to the balcony so I can see through your eyes!”

  Fresder tried to follow out his orders but went rigid before he took a step.

  “I said move to the balcony!” Meglar shouted.

  “Your Majesty, I’m unable to move,” Fresder said in obvious fear. “I thought that was your doing.”

  “No, wizard, it is not Meglar who binds you. It is I.” Kel stepped into the room. “Stay back, Farrell. I don’t want him to see you.”

  Meglar moved around as Kel approached. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

  Kel touched Fresder with the ruby tip of his staff. When he removed it, the man collapsed lifeless onto the floor.

  “Hello, Meglar.” Kel’s voice projected total confidence.

  The two regarded each other through the mirror for several seconds. Kel appeared almost amused.

  “How dare you take what’s mine,” Meglar finally said.

  “It is you who has taken from me,” Kel said. “Yar-del is not, nor ever was, yours.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Surely you must recognize me.” Kel smiled sardonically. “Even you can’t be that dense.”

  “You’re not Bren.” Meglar’s voice betrayed a hint of worry. “He’s dead.”

  “Everyone important you thought you killed is still alive.” Kel paused and smiled again. “But you are correct. I am not Bren.”

  “Don’t play with me, old man. I’ll squash you like I did the others.”

  “As I’ve pointed out, you’ve squashed no one. I, on the other hand, have killed your son and cousin.”

  “How dare you!” Something came closer to the mirror from Meglar’s side. “I will crush you beneath my boot and spit on your broken body.”

  “You are welcome to try.” Kel waved his hand across the face of the mirror just before a burst of light filled the glass. “You simpleton. Did you think you could use my own device against me?”

  “I am Meglar! I can do anything I want!”

  “Except overcome the bindings I placed on my city more than three thousand years ago.”

  Meglar didn’t respond, and Kel let the silence drag on. Finally, Meglar spoke. “You’re not Kel.”

  “I am, and this is my city.”

  “Impossible!”

  “You must not understand the meaning of the word.” Kel enjoyed the banter.

  “Kel died centuries ago.”

  Kel laughed. “Just as your enemies died by your hand?”

  “You shouldn’t have come back from whatever grave you crawled out of, old man.” Meglar’s voice regained some of its arrogance. “Just as I destroyed everyone else in my path, so, too, will you bow before me at the end.”

  “Do you really expect me to fear you?” Kel asked. “Three thousand years ago, when I was new to my power, I was your better. Today you are just an annoyance.”

  “Bold words from a frail old wizard.” Now Meglar laughed. “If you were really Kel, you would not have allowed me to conquer your city.”

  “Other matters occupied my attention. I needed to preserve my descendants from your master’s attempt to kill them.” Kel smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Did you think I didn’t know about your family’s plan to wipe out my line? I’ve known for centuries and have taken steps to ensure there are more than a few heirs to carry on my family’s role.”

  “You lie.”

  “Your voice betrays you, Meglar.” Kel smiled again. “The fear in your words tells the whole truth.”

  “Old ears can be deceived. I fear no one, least of all you.” Meglar assumed a more neutral tone. “Just as I have defeated everyone in my way, so, too, will I destroy you and your imaginary descendants.”

  “Sad.” Kel shook his head. “Sad and pathetic, that’s what you are. The Source I devised is the cornerstone of all your power, but you barely understand how it works. How can you hope to match me when you rely on me for your best magic?”

  “I understood it well enough to wrest it from your descendants,” Meglar said. “Now it serves me. What more do I need to understand?”

  “You’re like a child who recites his verses but doesn’t understand what they mean. You can use it, but its true value is lost to you.”

  “What do you want, old man?”

  “I detected your minion using my mirror from my tower and decided it was time we spoke.”

  “You should have stayed hidden. You’d have lived longer that way.”

  “Empty words from a scared second-rate wizard.” Kel waved his hand dismissively. “In ten years you’ve not figured out how to defeat the bindings that bar you from opening a Door to Yar-del. If you can’t defeat a passive spell such as that, why should I worry? No, I do not fear you, Meglar, but you should fear me.”

  N
either spoke. Kel looked tired as he tapped his staff once on the floor. “When you find the courage to face me, look for me on the Plains of Gharaha. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

  Kel waved his staff in front of the mirror, and the ruby pulsed once. The image in the mirror vanished in a flash.

  “We should leave,” he told Farrell. “Meglar can be here in less than an hour if he uses a Door to get to the outskirts of my realm. Boasting to keep him off balance is one thing. Confronting him on his terms is another.”

  “I don’t fear him, Grandfather.”

  “As well you should not,” Kel said. “But there is no reason to allow him to dictate the time and place of that encounter. The Six intend for it to be at Haven, and I suggest you make use of every advantage that location provides.”

  Farrell shook his head. “Right now we have the advantage. With Teberus and his wizards for support, you and I can draw enough power from the ocean to confront him. And that assumes Meglar brings his Source.”

  “We have what we came for. Taunting Meglar to rattle him is an added bonus. Getting into a wizard’s duel with him, here, without planning, is a fool’s fight.”

  “But—”

  Kel raised his hand. He sighed and walked out the door. “Come, Grandson. Today is not the day. There’s much I can teach you that will better prepare you to fight Meglar.”

  Farrell followed, disappointed in his grandfather’s reaction. Before they stepped out the window onto the tower of water Farrell had left for them, Kel faced him.

  “Farrell, our purpose in coming here was to gain weapons to use in the fight. Contained in the books we recovered are spells and ideas recorded over three millennia, not just my thoughts and spells. The books include works of other wizards I encountered over the course of my lifetime. I’ve forgotten more in those pages than most master wizards learn in a lifetime. Why toss away that advantage just to test yourself now?”

  “Because right here, right now, we have an opportunity to rid the world of his evil,” Farrell said. “Meglar is expecting you, not you and me. With all the surprises we have on our side, this may be the best opportunity we’ll ever get. Maybe even better than at Gharaha.”

  “How long have you been able to see the future?”

  “Don’t mock me, Grandfather. I’m being serious.”

  “I am, too, Farrell.” Gone was the sarcasm in Kel’s voice. “First you assume he’ll come right away. I doubt he will. Meglar is not prone to risking himself until he forces us to battle his underlings first. We also can’t count on him coming alone. In fact, I’d suggest he’ll bring every wizard of note in his circle to fight me. If he comes at all. Instead of having an advantage, we might find ourselves overmatched.”

  “Neither can we be sure we’ll have the advantage if we lure him to Gharaha.”

  “True.” Kel smiled. “But we know the Six want you to fight him there. That in itself is enough reason to avoid a fight here and now. Add to that how much stronger I can help you become before that happens and there is no reason to remain.”

  Kel’s arguments made sense, but the urge to fight Meglar now was strong. From a window Farrell spotted two large groups of Chamdon coming from pens outside the city. They proved the truth in his grandfather’s words.

  “You’re right,” he said, his lips twisting into a smirk. “Of course.”

  “This isn’t about me being right. It’s about doing the right thing for you.” Kel pointed toward the approaching reinforcements. “We also told King Clayden this was a raid, not a full-scale invasion and occupation. It would be unfair to expose the Rastorians to any more fighting now that we’ve achieved our goal.”

  Farrell nodded and held out his hand. They stepped onto the water column and left the tower. He directed them to the rendezvous point with Teberus and Argus. Most of the force had withdrawn, leaving only enough to guard the wizards.

  “How many casualties did you suffer?” he asked Argus.

  “They were minimal for a fight of this nature. Fifty dead or badly wounded, and another three hundred less serious injuries.”

  Having not seen any dead or injured, he didn’t expect the answer. “Those are higher than I anticipated.”

  “A group of wizards caused most of the casualties,” Argus said. “A company strayed too close to the palace. The attack from above took our force, including their wizard, by surprise. They died before they knew what had happened. The majority of the remaining injuries occurred when my warriors avenged our dead.”

  “Had we heeded your warnings and stayed away from the central fortress, our numbers would have been minimal,” Teberus said. “But we could not let our fallen go without some measure of retribution. I fear, friend Kel, you will need to repair some of the palace wall when you retake your city.”

  “No matter.” Kel waved his hand. “They do not deserve to live in my city.”

  “Allow me a moment to return the sea to its home and we can go,” Teberus said.

  “Leave it where it is,” Kel said. “Let it flush out the filth that pollutes my home.”

  “Are you sure?” Farrell asked.

  “I built this city and would rather see it inundated than let Meglar’s scum walk freely about.”

  Teberus released his hold on the water. The endless waves flowing into Yar-del City stopped. A moment later, water poured out of the sluices built to remove rainwater. It would take a day for the city to clean itself. By then there would be no one left to watch.

  “Give King Clayden our thanks,” Kel said. “Our mission was a complete success because of your help.”

  Teberus and Argus saluted. “I shall give my nephew your message,” Teberus said.

  Farrell joined the rest of the raiding party as they swam toward the Doors that would take them home. He reached out and opened their portal back to Dumbarten.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  “You went where?” Penelope stood up and glared at Farrell and Kel. Peter and Claire looked at their plates when she spoke.

  “They said they went to Yar-del, dear,” Marisa said.

  “I heard them.” Penelope lowered her voice, but it was still loud.

  “Yelling at them will not change what they said.” Marisa joined her life partner in frowning at the pair. “What I don’t understand is why.”

  Farrell sat across from Kel. He peered over the lip of the large cup of water and raised both eyebrows. “I told you.”

  Kel ignored his comment. “I left some things in the city, and now was the right time to retrieve them.”

  “You knew I’d disapprove,” Penelope said.

  “Of course.” He nodded. “That’s why I wouldn’t tell you on board the Intrepid. You would have tried to stop us.”

  “Of course I’d have tried.” Penelope still shot daggers at them with her eyes.

  “Are you upset we went or that we went without you?” Kel asked.

  Penelope let out a low growl. Marisa put a hand on her arm and forced her to sit. “Do not tempt my anger, Kel. I’m in no mood for your barbs.”

  “It wasn’t my intent to make you angry. Rather I want you to look at your motivation for this outburst.”

  Penelope snorted. “You attacked Yar-del alone?”

  “No.” Farrell held up his hand to prevent her from cutting him off. “Clayden sent a large force to aid us.”

  “Even with the Arlefors’ help, it defies comprehension that you would attack Yar-del.” Penelope stood up again. “What’s next? An invasion of Zargon?”

  “No, child. I didn’t hide any personal items in Zargon.”

  “By the Six!” She put her hands on the table and leaned over. “This is not a time for quips.”

  “I agree,” Kel said. “Neither is what would happen had Meglar found what I left behind.”

  “He’s had ten years to find it and hasn’t. If this was so important, you should have planned better before you left.”

  “Just because we didn’t seek your approval doesn’t mean we didn
’t plan.” Kel started to sound irritated.

  “We did plan this out in advance, Penelope,” Farrell said, hoping to break the tension. “When we were in Rastoria, we discussed this with King Clayden, his chief wizard, and Argus, Lord of the Western March.”

  “The what?”

  “It’s a title,” Farrell said. “He’s the commander of Rastoria’s army closest to Yar-del.”

  “In addition to the soldiers, Clayden lent us dozens of wizards, including his chief wizard,” Kel said. “We couldn’t have been better prepared.”

  “Nonsense,” Marisa said. “One can always be better prepared. The point, however, is moot. You planned, it succeeded, and you’re home safely.”

  Penelope grunted but didn’t disagree. Farrell took it as a sign to change topics. They could discuss what happened in Yar-del later.

  “Did you learn anything from the Spagrom wizards?”

  “Oh yes.” Penelope’s mood brightened somewhat. “In being annoyed with you, I forgot about them.”

  “Does that mean you found something?”

  She nodded. “Indeed. What you captured was no mere raider.”

  “That much was clear when we learned it was the flagship of Spagrom’s navy,” Kel said. “But did you learn anything?”

  Farrell cringed and waited for her to call Kel a grumpy old man or worse. Instead she smiled.

  “The wizards weren’t the most forthcoming, and Markus doesn’t believe in torture. It has taken some effort to get what we want magically.”

  “I believe I can help you there,” Kel said. “I’ve had occasion to need to force answers from less than cooperative wizards. I’ll give you the spells before we go home.”

  “That would be much appreciated.” Penelope’s mood brightened somewhat. “What we found without his assistance is that Spagrom has some newfound wealth. The ship was carrying quite a bit of gold, silver, and platinum.”

  “What’s ‘quite a bit’ mean?” Farrell asked.

  “It was their only cargo.”

  Farrell laughed to hide his annoyance. “That’s still not very precise.”

  “Sorry,” Penelope said. “Its hold had been altered, and it was carrying enough gold to buy several dozen ships.”