God of Magic 6

by Logan Jacobs

  “Want something to eat or drink?” a surly looking barman asked as he filled a pint for a bald man standing at the bar.

  “Both, for everyone,” I replied.

  “Nine plates!” the barman yelled out.

  “Nine?” an equally surly voice called back. “Where the hell are all these people coming from?”

  The barman ignored the question and filled the pints for our group. He brought them over, three at a time, and banged them down in the middle of the table. I saw Lavinia slide her pint over to Dehn who happily double fisted them.

  “What can you tell us about the pass?” Imogen asked when the last set had been delivered.

  “Snow will probably let up later tonight,” the barman replied. “They should have it cleared out well enough tomorrow morning. If you’re smart, you’ll leave as soon as they open the pass. You don’t want to get stuck there when the snow starts falling again.”

  “Thanks,” I replied.

  The barman grunted and returned to his spot behind the bar. I looked around at our fellow travelers. Besides the bald man with his nose in his pint, there was a group of four merchants at a table directly in front of the fireplace, and pair of elves snoring in the corner. The only women in the place were the ones in our group, and more than a few curious stares were directed our way.

  “I guess there aren’t any rooms,” Aerin remarked.

  “No rooms,” Emeline agreed. “If I remember correctly, most of these stations were built just before the civil war. The original station is the part that’s actually carved into the mountain. They were pretty basic, and the travelers just bunked down in there with their animals. The pubs were added later, but the animals still stay in the caves. We can stay here, or try to find a place in the stalls.”

  “Here,” we all replied quickly.

  The food arrived, and Merlin finally unwrapped himself from my neck. He plopped down next to me on the bench and swished his tail when I didn’t offer him a bite of food fast enough.

  “I told you he was spoiled,” Lavinia noted when the puca meowed at my slow pace.

  “Hey, he’s earned it,” I protested. “He’s been keeping an eye on… well, the others.”

  “True,” Lavinia conceded as I slipped Merlin a small plate of roasted venison and mashed potatoes.

  “At least this storm will slow them down as well,” Yvaine sighed.

  “If they’re following us still,” Aerin added hopefully. “They might still be pursuing the caravan.”

  “We should operate under the assumption that they are on our tail,” I concluded. “If they are what I think they are, they will be able to sense the… items and follow.”

  “Then I really hope the snow lets up soon,” Aerin said.

  “I hate that we’re stuck here,” I admitted. “I’d feel more comfortable if we could keep moving.”

  “Maybe we should keep an eye on the folks clearing the pass,” Maruk suggested. “We wouldn’t have to wait for word to arrive before we left.”

  “That’s a good idea,” I agreed as I looked at Merlin. Merlin looked up from his plate long enough to glare at Maruk.

  “Maybe we could even help,” Lena said thoughtfully.

  “I’m not sure if I like that idea,” Aerin replied.

  “We could punch our way through the snow,” Dehn added enthusiastically.

  “I’m not sure that’s what she meant,” I pointed out.

  “It wasn’t,” Lena agreed. “I was thinking that I might have enough of my heat jars to help melt some of the snow. And Emeline could certainly do her part.”

  “Oh, um, sure,” Emeline replied through a mouthful of potatoes.

  “You can’t just start melting snow,” Imogen said. “There’s a real science to how they do it. All it takes is one wrong move to start an avalanche.”

  “Sorry, Merlin,” I remarked to the puca. “It looks like you’re on watch duty tonight after all.”

  Merlin shot Maruk another dirty look then turned his focus on the few leftovers that dotted our plates. He managed to snag a few more bites before the barman returned and swept our plates away. He scowled at the puca, but he brought another round of drinks without protest.

  Near midnight, the barkeep stuck his head out of the door and looked at the sky. He disappeared into the back of the building for several minutes, then returned with a pair of hefty looking humans. The new guys were both nearly seven feet tall, and to call them broad shouldered was a disservice. When they tossed on their own fur cloaks, they looked like a pair of sasquatches. They grabbed up shovels and packs and trudged out into the night. I nudged Merlin with my toe, who stuck his tongue out at me before slipping outside behind the two men.

  “Is it really just the two of them?” Yvaine asked the barkeep before he could disappear again.

  “There’ll be a team working up from the next station,” the barkeep replied. “And one working down. They have special equipment, too, so it doesn’t take as long to dig out.”

  “Still,” Yvaine commented. “It seems like very hard work.”

  “Gotta keep the pass open,” the barkeep shrugged.

  “Why?” Dehn asked as he looked around the room. The halfling had a point. There weren’t hordes of people clamoring to cross the mountains in the middle of a snowstorm.

  “Because that’s what we’re paid to do,” the barkeep grumbled as he stalked back to the bar. A moment later, he vanished through the door to what we presumed were his private quarters.

  We sat around in desultory silence for another two hours. The merchants had retired to the stalls to hunker down with their mules, and the elves had roused themselves long enough to confirm that the trail was being shoveled before they fell back asleep. The rest of us catnapped as we could, but I knew the rest of my team was as anxious as I was to get moving again.

  At last, I heard a tapping on the door. I sprang from my spot on the floor and hurried over to the door. I cracked it open, and Merlin, disguised as a small ball of black fur, scurried inside.

  “Have they cleared enough for us to at least get a good start?” I whispered.

  The ball of fur shook itself, then morphed into a black cat. Merlin gave a quiet meow, and I glanced back at the rest of the team. They were already on their feet and gathering their equipment. I nodded, and with barely a sound, we returned to the freezing cold of the mountain.

  We followed the path that had already been cleared, and it was impressive. Whatever special equipment the two men were using was clearly up to the job. We were making much better time along this section of the trail than we had trying to reach the waystation.

  We had just passed the highest point in the trail and started our descent when we met up with the two diggers coming back up the mountain. Their beards were covered with a fine coating of ice and snow, and their breath puffed in the air around them. They looked surprised to see us on the trail, but they merely saluted and kept on walking.

  “I can’t wait to get to the bottom,” Aerin moaned. “This is just too cold.”

  “Maybe we could find a nice tearoom at the bottom of the mountain,” Maruk sighed. “Someplace that will have a good fire going, and plenty of petit fours and cucumber sandwiches.”

  “I want a giant turkey leg,” Dehn added. “And lots of gravy.”

  “I just want to be warm again,” Lavinia replied. I saw her shiver as she glanced back at me.

  I was just about to respond, when the surrounding snow suddenly lit up. Flames burst upward, and I saw Dehn grab Emeline and toss her aside as the path in front of her started to bubble. He stepped back as a fireball burst upwards. I could see smoke coming off his hair, and when he turned around, I realized his eyebrows were gone.

  Merlin had shifted into his hawk form and launched himself into the air while the rest of us were still recovering. I heard his warning cry as he circled over us, and I tried to find him against the black sky.

  “At the top of the path!” Lavinia called out as she drew her bow.r />
  “How the hell did they get around us?” Dehn growled.

  “We’ll figure that out later!” I yelled as I ducked out of the way of a fireball.

  Three arrows whizzed by my ear as I turned back around. I could just make out several shapes standing at the top of the ridge, and then one suddenly dropped out of sight. Another one slumped down but was caught by two more people. The third arrow was brushed aside by a burst of wind.

  Dehn already had his axe in his hand, and he darted back up the trail as fast as he could. Despite the job the diggers had done, the path was still icy, and I saw Dehn nearly stumble a couple of times. Aerin was behind him, and she grabbed his shirt to keep him on his feet.

  “Up there,” Imogen pointed. I followed her gaze to an outcropping just above the path. More dark forms were up there, and I saw two raise their hands. I summoned my own mana and threw up a shield around Dehn and Aerin. Molten lava cracked against the shield, and I heard Aerin squeal. She and Dehn kept moving though, and Maruk and Yvaine charged after them, the orc’s own duranium shield raised over their heads. A powerful fireball cracked against his shield, but the steel held, and the orc soon caught up to Aerin and Dehn.

  Another set of arrows flew by, but the mages were prepared this time. I saw the arrows tossed aside by a burst of wind, and then a powerful gust threatened to send me and the two ladonae over the edge of the mountain. I grabbed hold of Lavinia and was able to pull her safely back onto the trail while I sent a burst of mana towards the air mage. He stumbled backwards and was saved from his own fall off the mountain by one of his comrades. I heard the chimes of healing and realized that at least one of the dark mages was a healer.

  The sky lit up again, but this time because Lena had tossed several jars into the air, and Emeline had blasted them with her own fire balls. For a moment, it looked like a fireworks display, but then the fiery tendrils arced downwards and started to fall on the dark mages. I heard cries of pain, and more than a few curse words.

  I realized that Dehn, Aerin, Yvaine, and Maruk had arrived at the front lines. Maruk had both shields up and was wading forward while Aerin and Dehn swung with axe and mace. Yvaine moved like a gazelle, despite the icy conditions, and dodged between Maruk’s shields to land her share of strikes. The tightly grouped mages split apart, forcing the Shadow Foxes to spread out as well.

  More arrows burst into the air, and at least two hit their mark. Imogen had joined Lena, and with her stronger arms, she was able to get a better arc on the jars. More of the fiery tendrils were finding their mark, but so, unfortunately, were the shots from the dark mages. For every cluster of arrows that made it through, two more were tossed to the side. And the fire mages among our foes were hitting Maruk’s shields with everything they hand. The metal was glowing now, and I wasn’t sure how much longer Maruk would be able to maintain his grasp on the shields.

  Merlin had joined the fight, and he was attacking the mages that stood on the ridgeline, but the combined wind of an air mage and the flames from a fire mage prevented him from inflicting too much damage.

  I threw up a mana shield around Yvaine when she strayed too far from Maruk’s protection, but I saw her stumble from a blow, nonetheless. Maruk quickly stepped in front of her, while Aerin swept to her side. I saw the golden glow of Aerin’s work, and Yvaine was able to stand again a moment later.

  The Shadow Foxes fought well, but we were losing ground. I counted at least twenty mages, and we had barely made a dent in their numbers. I opened up my mana and tried to shut down the magic spells from the other mages. As soon as I focused on one, though, another would take over. And then I realized that underneath all the shifting colors of mana, each one of these mages had one constant.

  Blue.

  They were all manipulators. Manipulators who could use elemental and healing magics as well and do so proficiently.

  Maderel had trained his army well. I knew that we would have exactly one chance to survive this. If we failed, the Shadow Foxes were doomed, and the Shodra would be used to destroy the world.

  “Pull back!” I yelled. “Pull back!”

  I wasn’t sure anyone had heard me, but then I saw Maruk start slowly backing away. Yvaine and Aerin moved with him, still striking blows. Imogen launched several of Lena’s jars into the middle of the mages that followed them, and I recognized the ten thousand fireflies that emerged. Sure enough, several of the mages started reaching for their faces, arms; any place one of the lights had landed.

  Three arrows landed in the middle of the pack, and I heard a mage howl in pain. That was closely followed by a fireball, and a giant smoke bomb.

  “Dehn, damn it!” I called out when I saw the halfling was still swinging at the mages. “Get down here, now!”

  The halfling roared one more time as he swung his axe in a wide arc. He hit at least one mage, and then he bolted back towards our group.

  I opened up my mana again and studied the snow on the side of the mountain. Finally, I found what I wanted. A weak spot in the snowpack. It would be tricky, but I had to do it.

  First, I launched the largest fireball I’d ever made right at the spot. There was a brief moment, when the world seemed to go quiet, and I thought my brilliant plan was going to be a dud. And then I heard it. The rumble, as the pack collapsed, and the snow above it began spilling down the mountain.

  “Stand close!” I ordered as I wrapped the Shadow Foxes in a mana shield. I held the shield with one hand while I used some of the air mage lessons that Maderel had given me to try to redirect the snow away from us.

  There were screams from the other mages, and I saw other mana shields going up, but the snow moved too quickly for some. I thought I was going to be torn apart as I tried to balance the two spells. I know it was only a matter of minutes, but it still felt like I’d been doing chin ups for an hour by the time the last bit of snow had dribbled by.

  I released my mana slowly, testing the snow that stood like a wall in front of us as I did so. The snow held, and I dropped to the ground, exhausted. Aerin was by my side in a flash, and I felt the warmth of her healing fill me.

  Merlin cried out from overhead, then dropped down next to us. He changed into his puca form and sniffed suspiciously at the snow.

  “That should buy us some time,” I finally said.

  “Wow,” Lavinia said as she kicked out at the wall. It was thick and heavy, and even if some of the mages had managed to create their own shields in time, it was going to take them a while to get out.

  “They were all manipulators,” I announced as I stood up.

  For a moment, the only sound was the chirping of a nearby bird.

  “I wish I could say I was surprised,” Maruk sighed.

  “I guess we now know Pebbles’ claim was true,” Yvaine added.

  “Does this mean that Maderel isn’t going to try to hide what he is anymore?” Lena asked.

  “I don’t know,” I sighed. “And I’d rather not hang around here to find out. Let’s get off the mountain, and figure out where we go next.”

  The rest of the path was still clear of snow, and we resumed our descent at a quick pace. We passed a startled pair of diggers on our way down who had come out to investigate the light show and then the avalanche. We shrugged off their questions and kept moving until we were finally free of the mountain.

  By noon, we found an old barn to rest in. Most of the roof was gone and one whole side, but we found a dry spot in a corner where we could sit and eat.

  Emeline, Lavinia and Imogen had the maps out and debated our best path forward. Dehn and Aerin sat together and cleaned their weapons while Maruk carefully examined his shields. Lena investigated a patch of moldy wood she found, and I saw her collect several samples before she moved on to a clump of dark purple vines.

  I drifted over to what had been the old barn door and gazed back at the mountains. I had no idea how much time my little avalanche had bought us, but I had to believe that even Maderel would be forced to stop and regroup afte
r that loss.

  It amazed me to realize that there were still manipulators in this world. Not just a handful, or even a couple dozen, like I had originally imagined. No, there could be hundreds, or even thousands, that had escaped the Academy’s notice, in large part due to Maderel. As much as I hated what he stood for, I owed him something for that at least.

  “You look pensive,” Yvaine observed as she stepped up next to me.

  “Do I?” I asked as I slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her in close. “I was just thinking that I might owe Maderel a thank you note for saving all those manipulators.”

  “Too bad he turned them all into his soldiers,” Yvaine replied.

  “Not all of them,” I said. “I know there’s got to be more out there that he hasn’t gotten to yet. And I’d be willing to bet that many of them would be willing to fight against Maderel.”

  “So you’re going to build your own secret mage army?” Yvaine teased.

  “If I have to,” I laughed.

  “Gabriel,” Yvaine started and then stopped. When she didn’t say anything for nearly a minute, I turned to look at her.

  “Now you’re the one that looks pensive,” I prodded.

  “Well, I have my own bit of news,” she replied. “And it’s good news, I think. The timing is terrible, though, and I do hate bad timing.”

  “This sounds… dire,” I commented.

  “No, no,” she quickly assured me. “Nothing dire. Although it does mean more construction work on the guildhall.”

  “Okay, now I’m intrigued,” I replied.

  “We’ll need to expand the nursery,” she finally said after another extended moment of silence.

  “You know for sure?” I stuttered, since I didn’t think she’d know for sure this quickly.

  “I wasn’t absolutely certain, because it’s still early,” she continued. “But Aerin confirmed it when she healed me. She whispered it to me as we were coming down the mountain after that avalanche you caused. So I guess that makes it official. Now, I’ll have to send out notices, obviously, though I won’t be able to do that until we’re at least back at my estates if not in Ovrista--”