Battle Mage: The Dark Mage (Tales of Alus) (52 page)

Waving off the decision as if it had little merit, Kolban decided, “I will send paperwork to the guild myself, but you can decide when you wish to leave the warlock on your own. I sense you already have accommodations lined up for a new home.”

He nodded.

Kolban continued on with another thought, “Have you decided on what you will do about Atrouseon? He will have power over you as long as he lives, since the warlock brought you back to life.”

Frowning at the thought, which he had also considered, Palose replied, “I owe him this new life, so if he doesn’t try anything against me, then we will leave matters lie as they are.”

In response to that declaration, the emperor smiled as if in on a secret joke and he explained the reaction as he added, “As they are, I sense a new increase in your power. Did you do something to Atrouseon during your ‘chat’?”

“I used a spell from ‘True Power’ to rip a third of his magic from him.”

“Making you near equals I would guess,” Kolban said almost appearing proud of the mage in spite of the news that he had stolen from his master.

Acheri looked excited as she added, “Then he will be even more instrumental in the plan, brother.”

Rolling his eyes at the girl’s interruption and change of topic, the emperor sighed and nodded. “Yes, the reason I requested you to come here. Acheri has been able to work out just how well Garosh is protected, or guarded depending on the perspective, and we have come up with an idea to flush the traitor out of Windmeer.”

“He has officially been decided to be a traitor then?” Palose asked interrupting in his slight surprise. Though Verian had more or less admitted the details of Garosh’s plans, it had never been declared that the giant would be considered a traitor by the emperor, his brother or father depending on how one looked at their relationship.

“If all goes according to plan, Garosh will get his chance to explain his actions to me. For now, I think the declarations from Verian seal his fate as a traitor to be dealt with in whatever way I see fit. I gave him his power in my former life and I can take it back. I gave him his very life and can end it.

“Now before he can answer for his actions, we need to flush him out.”

“I still think that if I went to Windmeer and stopped muting my power, he would sense it and run, Kolban,” Acheri interrupted with a bit of a pouty lip. They had apparently been at odds as to what the plan should be. The girl was smart and audacious, but Palose could see a major problem with that idea.

The emperor shook his head covering the mage’s worry, “No, if you reveal yourself to him, then you reveal yourself to the entire city. Even you can’t face all of Windmeer, even if I believe that Lanquer is ready to serve as your guard,” the comment caused the third royal to frown. Ever the third string since he was viewed as inferior, Lanquer seemed forever doomed to being referred to as a reject. “Even with Palose along as well, there will be too many wizards, mages and soldiers to defeat. If Garosh has joined Southwall as we fear, then he would have an army as great there as he would holed up in his little mountain fortress.

“No, I think sending the assassins in under cover would be the best way to flush him out.”

“What assassins?” Palose asked trying to catch up to what must have been a much longer conversation between them and perhaps his council as well.

“We will send in a small team dressed as battle mages to infiltrate and attack in the least protected spot. Whether it will be the room he currently uses or at one of the training fields, we know that he will have at least eight guards around him at all times. The five volunteers will most likely not escape or even survive, but it will let Garosh know that we can get to him no matter where he is.”

Acheri nodded as she looked at Palose and said with a smile, “We are hoping that he will believe the fortress is safer since no one has ever used a gate into the mountain. Once he runs to the supposed
safety, we can use your doorways in the mountain to bring him to ground. The other place he would have to run would be Ensolus and of course Kolban’s armies will be waiting here.”

With an agreeable nod despite his sister stealing his thunder, Kolban asked Palose intently, “Can you provide us with the information to supply the team with the proper disguise? We thought using men with the power of battle mages would be less assuming. They will actually be members of the wizard hunters. If the clothing looks right and we have them invested with enough magic to make them appear as powerful as mages, we can send soldiers rather than risking our more valuable warlocks to a one way mission.”

It had been said that the emperor rarely risked his assets in what he figured to be a losing cause, which made Palose realize just how important they viewed Garosh’s surrender and subsequent apparent betrayal. A handful or more wizard hunters, who were elite soldiers, would be heading into a suicidal situation just to get to the giant.

“Garosh is that important to risk so many lives?”

Kolban’s eyes revealed no remorse and in fact leveled a stare that implied the question was meaningless. “Some tactics require risk. This is no risk at all. These men will go and I do not expect them to return, but they will do their jobs. The only risk is whether Garosh will take the bait and run.”

“He will run,” Acheri stated with a confident smile.

Rolling his eyes at the girl, which made her frown with her lip stuck out in a pout, Kolban responded, “My original form gave life to you all and even I can’t say that for sure. You are a sister that only has the memories passed on from me and you have had little to do with him since your birth. Assuming anything with your viewpoint would be the risk. Garosh was created to be his own man. Traitor or loyal, Garosh is intelligent enough to know that this implies that we want two things.

“Either the mission works and he dies at the assassins’ hands or we want to make him run. We have to hope that he believes the fortress is safer than Windmeer.

“Now, Palose, come let us discuss how to make these assassins appear to be battle mages of Southwall.”

Chapter 27- Dance of Giants

Dinner at Windmeer was always a major event for everyone in attendance. While the food was the initial draw as everyone needed to eat, the camaraderie between the various factions: wizard, mage, soldier, lord and servants was the true reason every night could become something great. Duke Gelan had always made sure that his people had a reason to serve and fight so close to the wall. Men and women rotated positions on the wall and patrols risked their lives beyond it on the dangerous plains occupied by nomads and armies of the emperor.

While most nights were entertaining, Rilena found a new anxiousness brought to the room. For over a week, Garosh had managed to get permission to join the festivities as he tried to integrate with the general population of Windmeer. The giant had apologized to the mage more than once, as well as Nereith and Druick who had been with her when they had been caught and tortured. He had tried to lend support to Southwall by giving information on army movements and other pieces of military practices to bring insight about their enemy. As a model prisoner, or guest depending on the perspective, Garosh seemed to have become known as a likeable man. Even she had softened somewhat for the one who had once tormented her and Rilena kept wondering, if he had any ulterior motives; would they ever come to be.

“I wonder what he would look like without that gray beard. It ages him and covers his face too much,” Teven stated beside the falcon. Like Dolfeen, the wizard had become a regular visitor to their table and the petite young woman had managed to even become a good friend. When her first days of guarding her enemy had been some of her worst, the water wizard had been one of those who had buoyed her spirits.

Rilena glanced at Teven, whose crystal blue eyes rested on the giant sitting with some of his guards while the others stood ready, even if they looked doubtful of being needed. Her blond hair hung loose covering more of her face blocking much of the mage’s view, but she was pretty sure it was more of a gaze of curiosity than actual interest in the man. Teven could be odd, so the mage wouldn’t put either past the wizard.

“His eyes don’t show any age lines,” Rilena informed her having looked at the man close enough over the past month and a half as one of his guards. Her boredom while often standing guard while he merely sat and read or did other mundane activities had led her to study the man. She had more than enough time over the past weeks to do so and the mage almost thought that the giant liked her looking at him. If he believed that she could ever look at him romantically, however, Garosh was more deluded than Teven appeared to be at times.

“Didn’t you say that Bas felt like he reminded him of the Grimnal?” Elzen asked casually looking rather annoyed with the current conversation between the women. “If he is actually somehow related to him, then silver hair from birth could mean that he is an immortal.”

“How do you know that immortals are born with silver hair, Elzen? You’re not exactly the most well read mage I’ve ever met,” Rilena questioned with a laugh. While she picked on him, the girl knew that her friend was smarter than he often let on as a jokester.

Shrugging in response as he took a bite of dried fruit, Elzen replied, “I’ve been known to read on occasion, even books without a lot of pictures.” He seemed to insinuate that Rilena could only read children’s books, but the mage let it slide to let him finish. “When he was alive or in power, depending on what you believe about his absence, the Grimnal had spread the word to look out for babies born with white or silver hair. Apparently he was said to have been born that way and the other immortals he knew had been as well.

“So if you want to know, you could always ask him if he was born with that hair or if he’s just prematurely gray,” Elzen more or less suggested to his friend.

Teven started to stand, but Rilena’s hand quickly pulled down on her forearm restraining her movement bringing the wizard’s crystal blue eyes to her questioningly. “It doesn’t have to be right this instant, Teven, besides you don’t even know him.”

“I didn’t know you when we took our first bath together, did I? That worked out well enough, besides just walking up to him here would be much easier. At least here, we’re both clothed and won’t see everything when I ask him a question,” the young woman finished with a giggle as Rilena blushed.

“Oh to have been a fly on that wall,” Elzen sighed making the matter even worse for the falcon.

The other men hearing the conversation looked at the attractive women mentioned curiously adding to the heat Rilena was suddenly feeling. Just to avoid the embarrassment of being caught blushing while being embarrassed mercilessly by her friends, the mage stood from the table before hurrying over to talk to Garosh.

Looking up in surprise, the giant started to stand thinking that she wanted to take a seat beside him. Her hand rested on his shoulder stopping his movement, which would only have added to the color in her cheeks.

“No need for that, I just came over to ask you a quick question for a friend of mine,” the girl said quickly.

“What question is that? I have been answering many of late,” he asked looking at her more intently than she appreciated at the moment.

“Well, Elzen says that when the Grimnal was around he had told everyone to look out for babies with white or silver hair. Supposedly, Lord Aramathea was born that way and maybe that means such births signaled an immortal. So my friend Teven was curious if that was how you were born,” the girl spoke a little quickly as her nerves got the better of her. It was still less embarrassing than talking about her being naked in a bath with Teven and Zerra at least. Even after going to the communal baths a few more times, the girl felt a bit uncomfortable going even to meet her friends.

Looking surprisingly thoughtful at the question, Garosh finally shook his head as he answered, “I am not sure if my birth counts. You see, warlocks use large tanks to grow many of the races separate from mothers. The tanks act a womb and the products are often removed as adults.

“While I had silver hair when I left the artificial womb, I was already a teenager in growth, so I couldn’t really say much about being a baby. They never confirmed the other donors in my creation, though the emperor must have been one as they looked for a new body for him to take.”

The various pieces of information in such a short amount of sentences nearly overwhelmed the mage. “You were grown for the emperor to take?”

Shrugging, the man gestured to the open place beside him. Understanding the feeling of discomfort from not only looking up from his seat, though he was so large they were fairly close to each other’s eye line, but having to twist in his seat to look at her; Rilena sat beside him. As she did, the girl only placed one leg over and straddled the bench to find her eyes having to look up at his as usual.

“The emperor’s current body has been sick for a long a time. His power and the passing of millennia have caused it to wither. If they find nothing worthy of his strength, and maybe even if they do, he might die after over a thousand years of life.

“I can believe that they might have experimented with the Grimnal’s tissues, but I don’t know if it ever worked or if they are in me at all. Just because I am large, I have heard many people of Southwall suggest that he would be one of my ancestors. Whoever I am made from, I was rejected as a possible host, though the emperor imparted some of his magic into me to carry. While I hold great power, wielding it has never felt comfortable for me. I don’t think without the emperor’s gift, I would have any magical ability at all.”

Rilena sat silently for a moment wondering at the concept of a dying emperor and people being created like they were being raised like vegetables on some bizarre farm. As she sat, the tables began to be moved to the side for the night’s dance. She stood to leave, but Garosh grasped her arm preventing her from leaving his side. “Would you dance with me for the first dance? I have heard that you are quite a graceful dancer and have seen you that you appear to be the last few nights for myself. Perhaps you could teach me?”

What should have probably sickened her was less of a blow to her heart than she would have thought. Instead of denying the giant, the girl found her head nodding as she agreed, “Sure, but step on my toes with those big feet and I will hobble away on you immediately.”

Smiling at the joke, which was probably half true as well, Garosh slid his hand to hers to stand with her. Rilena’s eyes widened slightly as he bowed over her hand to kiss the back lightly. “Then I need to help clear the floor quickly, if I am to get a chance to avoid your feet.”

Backing away as the giant urged the others from the table, Rilena found her friends again even as they stood waiting since their table was one of the first to be moved. Teven looked eager as if she were a research wizard waiting on the results of her experiment, while the others looked a little more doubtful having witnessed Garosh’s kissing of her hand.

“So?” Teven questioned her blue eyes brightening enthusiastically.

“He was grown in a tank and came out as a teenager with that color hair, but he doesn’t know if that counts or if it changed while he was grown,” Rilena relayed the odd information back to the others.

Rodgren scratched the top of his head in confusion repeating her words, “He was grown in a tank?”

The girl shrugged as she added, “Apparently that is one of the ways the emperor has been able to continually churn out new soldiers. They grow some of the orcs, goblins and others in these tanks. The emperor’s body is apparently dying after so long, so Garosh was an experiment using tissue from the emperor and other sources that he doesn’t know for sure.”

Teven actually appeared disappointed as the music began. “I was hoping he would have known for sure,” she sighed.

When Garosh started towards her, Elzen pointed in his direction warning, “He’s coming this way.”

Sighing almost like Teven, “I said I would dance with him for the first song. Supposedly he doesn’t know how to dance, so be ready to heal me, Elzen.”

Most of the group laughed at the girl’s luck making Garosh raise an eyebrow in confusion, but the man bowed to Rilena and asked, “Would you do me the honor?”

“I already said yes,” the mage replied less than lady like. She would have thought her falcon uniform would have let any man know that she was far from a true lady.

Drawing her to the dance floor, the giant ignored the slight and as they set their hold, he asked, “Is this right?”

Rilena had danced with tall men before, but Garosh was enormous. While slightly above average for a woman of Southwall, the girl would have had to stretch for his shoulder and instead placed her off hand along his upper arm. By the same token, the giant’s hand that should have been by her waist found its way slightly higher and potentially improper in its touch. The girl suffered through reminding herself that it was just one dance.

To her surprise as they began to move with the music, their bodies were very well in sync; and for all his size Garosh was not only light on his feet but amazingly he didn’t step on her toes at all. She wouldn’t call him the best dancer she had ever partnered, but if it truly was his first time he seemed to be a natural.

“You’re sure that this is your first time?” Rilena asked looking up from his chest so close that it almost hurt her neck. She nearly stepped on his foot from the attempt.

“Ensolus rarely has dancing in the emperor’s citadel. I don’t know why, since I believe some of the taverns and inns might host such things. I have never been, but I have been watching your people as closely as I could as I hoped you might be willing,” admitted Garosh without looking down as if by not looking he proved that he was a better dancer, or maybe from not wanting to try and look at her from so close.

“That sounds like a boring way to live,” the girl said sadly. It was no surprise to her that the darkness brought to the world by the emperor would have repressed such entertainment.

Avoiding a shrug that would have disrupted their tenuous holds, he replied, “There are other forms of entertainment, but I think the joy your people have is missing at least from the heart of the city. Soldiers enjoy fighting and training. Warlocks duel each other and there are those who go out to the taverns and inns as I said.

“I have just been too busy in my duties serving the emperor until now to go see what I was missing.”

The song came to end and Garosh stepped back. “One more?” he asked.

Shrugging her answer, Rilena judged that having not been stepped on warranted a second dance. She didn’t know who would come to her otherwise, so at least this seemed safe especially with a healer in the room.

It wasn’t until after the fifth song that Rilena decided to separate from the giant. He looked a bit disappointed and she had to admit that she had certainly had worse partners, but the girl needed a break from Garosh even so. Something bothered her that she could spend time with him and not
find anything to hate. It was a feeling that she wouldn’t have believed only a few weeks before, but it was true that she had been able to put the hate behind her even if Rilena couldn’t completely forget to keep it from her mind entirely.

Elzen found the mage and drew her into a dance. His eyes held worry, and Rilena nearly laughed as she realized that her gaze was even with the boy’s.

“It went alright apparently. You danced with Garosh long enough,” Elzen stated without judgment.

She nodded, “I’ve been trying to let the past go. I guess some things can only be chalked up to being casualties of war, but I don’t want to talk about that because I was letting go, right?”

Having danced with the short mage before, she noticed that like in his ability to fight, his feet moved impeccably. He was one of the smoothest dancers Rilena had ever been with and she felt safe after knowing him for so long. The girl was able to confess without worry, “For such a large man, he was actually quite good, even though he tells me that he hadn’t danced before. I guess being able to enjoy that is progress.”