Battle Mage: Winter's Edge (68 page)

Darius seemed to appreciate the theory more than the others and Sebastian realized that they had more in common than he had realized. The mage didn’t think he could fathom the mind of a man seven centuries old, but one thing they definitely had in common was a thirst for understanding.

The High Wizard of Eirdhen considered a moment and nodded, “Perhaps you are right. Most wizards trying to use the earth for magic use the power to destroy. It increases the damage of a spell, but I can’t think of a single soul that actually used the extra power to heal or save. Maybe like steel strengthened by alternate uses of fire and water, you are becoming more powerful as well. Whether your base magic increases or not, I think that you may one day be able to channel more power than many wizards by bending the elements to strengthen you, but as I’ve already warned before, be careful in your use of the power you have found, my friend.”

Sebastian nodded and felt much less pain. Pulling his feet underneath him, the mage pushed to stand. His head felt a little dizzy, a matter that could be made worse from the height of the walls, but the man found that he could stand. He didn’t need Yara to tell him to try and not use any magic for awhile. Feeling drained and empty, the mage knew that only food and sleep would make such feelings go away over time.

Darius looked a bit lost in thought and finally revealed a little of what bothered his mind, “Once you are well, Sebastian, perhaps we can talk about this and some other matters. I have been talking with several wizards and officials in Hala while visiting here. Our conversation about the disappearance of Gerid has had me thinking. Perhaps before you leave to return home, we can sit and talk about these things?”

Sebastian smiled and realized the kindred spirit he recognized in the High Wizard was true. “I would love to talk about them. Maybe tomorrow afternoon after the banquet and dance tonight, if I have the energy to go, I think I will need to sleep for a long time before trying to ride back to Windmeer,” he confessed thinking of the long ride and wanting to cringe. Katya needed to be delivered to White Hall as well. Having to ride so far and deal with that as well, made him want to sleep for at least a week or more.

Nodding with a smile, Darius inclined his head in respect and offered, “Well, I think I shall go check on Anna now. I know that her people care for her, but perhaps the presence of her old grandfather will help her even more? Until next time, my friend,” he finished and turned to walk into the tower leading to the Heights.

Sebastian turned to look at Yara and his friends after the wizard wandered away. He just now realized that the other wizards from Eirdhen had not been with the immortal. He wondered why Darius had taken the time to come to him instead of remaining with Annalicia, but quickly realized that the man was probably just as concerned as he would be if something had happened to Darius while trying to save someone he loved. The thought of something harming an immortal almost made him laugh. What could harm someone like him?

His eyes narrowed slightly at the thought as Sebastian considered the implications. The Grimnal was missing, but most likely not dead. Did that mean something had managed to harm him to keep him from returning to his people or was the emperor and his armies to blame? Was he imprisoned somewhere just waiting to be found or waiting to break free?

“Are you all right?” Yara asked noting his attention wandering.

Smiling his best to make her feel more assured, Sebastian took in the other members of his team and Katya. “There’s nothing that a little food and sleep won’t fix thanks to you and Darius. If the rest of you would like to do something else, don’t let me keep you. I’ll just return to the inn and get some rest.”

Yara placed an arm around his waist and offered some more support. Katya took his free arm to hold his hand. He had been separated from his family for years, but their short time had already brought the siblings closer together. He smiled at both girls and let them help him into the tower and beyond.

Epilogue

Music flowed through the large banquet hall. Wizards and nobles moved through the supporting columns and created pockets of those who chose to stand and talk as well as those who danced. Tables surrounded a large open floor filled with dancers both young and old. This was the end of Winter’s Edge, the crowning moment to the whole of the tournament and a time for contestants and admirers to mingle exchanging their individual experiences. While dancers danced, the others smiled and talked of the wonderful wizard duels that they had seen. Since no one could have seen them all during the tournament, it was a great time to share with others.

Lord Romonus seemed to be just like all the others, but were anyone to listen to him the whole evening; they might think that he had other ideas. The lord from Kardor and his daughter had mingled and gotten to know many of the wizards during the tournament, in fact more than a regular admirer of the duels, they had managed to find a way to discuss the future of many of the wizards. The banquet and subsequent dance was the final piece to their week.

“Oh, yes, yours was a truly fine match, Wizard Themenor,” the corpulent lord agreed with a big smile. It was a similar compliment to the last dozen wizards he had spoken with that night, but the wizard beamed with the appreciation. He was an air wizard and representative from the southern city of New Harbor who had been knocked out in round three. An admittedly rough round for many a wizard, the man had talent and often felt like his talents were wasted in the southern city. There were no wars there to worry over, no dark armies amassed within a thousand miles of the seaside city. He had been assigned there years ago and the tournament was the first chance to leave the confining New Harbor in ages.

“Well, thank you for that, Lord Romonus, but I wish that I had known they would pull such a strange match out of their hats before the tournament. I know that I would have tried to prepare for it better and, of course, my bad luck of drawing two water wizards didn’t help,” the tall blond haired man said trying to excuse the loss. Lord Romonus didn’t care for excuses, but he did know that the air wizard was quite skilled and more importantly interested in his offer.

“It was bad luck indeed. The water witches decided to team up against you and the earth wizard. Too bad he didn’t have the intelligence to join up with you before those women had you on the ropes,” Romonus agreed. “Well, I do hope that you take me up on my offer. We could use someone with your talent and I know that we would do much to compensate you for your time.”

A little worry slipped into the man’s eyes. The gold the lord had offered and the chance to have a guild built around him as leader was a very tempting offer, however. “And you say that we would take a ship back to Kardor in just over a week?”

Lord Romonus managed to avoid grinning. He had him. “Oh, yes, after some business I need to wrap up here, we will take one of the ships that brought our wizards from Kardor for the tournament. Once we get back, I will introduce you to the wizards and nobles of Treatenshire. They will be very interested in hearing what direction you would like to lead them, I am sure.”

Whether the wizards of Kardor would follow the man or just find a way to keep him happy enough to stay, was out of the ambassador’s hands. It was just his job to find recruits for the waning number of wizards of his land. The conflict with the Dark One’s armies over more than a century had worn down the country that had half as many people as Southwall. If he could just win over some of the hundreds of wizards that had come to the tournament, his wizard guilds might still have a chance to breath with new vigor.

“So can I count on you, Wizard Themenor?”

The man looked introspective as he considered, “I think that I can get a leave from New Harbor for awhile to see what you have to offer. It’s not like they truly need me there,” he added looking a bit annoyed. It was that feeling that coincided to work with Romonus’s promises.

“That is truly wonderful, my friend. We will work out the exact time of departure soon, but I must insist that you come enjoy the beautiful rooms of the Inner City Inn while you wait. We can’t have our future Air Guild leader wallowing in some second rate inn, now can we?”

The bait had been set and the trap sprung. He had another wizard ready to sail back with him to Kardor. If only that charming battle mage with all the incredible talent he possessed would return with him. The idea of building a corps of their own mages really called to him. Perhaps he would try sending Helena one more time. Maybe they could sweeten the pot and entice him away yet?

But that was an attempt for another day as he spied a wizard in his dress robes of red, “Wizard Jelar, my friend, come talk with me. I know we have many things to discuss,” he said to the next potential recruit for Kardor.

Previews of other books by Donald L
Wigboldy Jr

The Emperor’s Shadow War

Chapter 1- Dante

The smells of blood and death lay upon the plain.
The orange light of a new day's sun added its color to the
already crimson stained earth. The cries of crows and
ravens broke the still air with their raucous calls of
delight and the occasional squabble over a choice piece
of meat. The fights ended quickly though. There was
more than enough for even their great numbers, but the
large ebony scavengers had their work cut out for them
even still. Armor that had sought to protect the men of
Certe in life resisted the strength of their beaks even
though it had failed its responsibility so completely.

A sudden movement from the center of the dead
startled the scavengers from their fare. The air turned
dark as the flock lifted angrily from their meals. A groan
from the final surviving defender was drowned out by the
squawks of the brazen birds. The warrior fought his way
weakly to his knees. A hand brushed absently at the
blood blinding his vision. Looking back to the ground in
front of him, the man found his broken sword.

The largest of the ravens swooped downwards to land before the man. It looked at him curiously. The man thought that he could see disbelief in the creature's eyes
which mirrored that which he also felt. It squawked at
him as if to ask him how it was that he still lived.

A croak through his raw throat was his
ineffectual retort. The soldier coughed and the effort
nearly threw him back onto his face in the gore. He spied
an unopened canteen on a body nearby and reached out
for it. Lifting the container to his mouth, the fallen
warrior poured the liquid between his lips. The silver
haired man rinsed out his mouth and spit it back out. The
water had turned red before it even touched the blood
stained earth.

Pouring the contents of the canteen back into
his mouth, he forced his throat to swallow. Once started,
the man couldn't stop until the vessel was drained.

The raven hadn't moved throughout the whole of
his efforts.

The man stared at the creature in amazement. The thought of the scavenger drew him to look about him. The death surrounding him caused an unbidden
gasp. He could tell that the hundreds of bodies mostly
belonged to his comrades and allies. The army of King
Druin lay about him in great unkempt piles.

He forced himself to remember how the losses
could possibly have happened. The sight of a dark
misshapen body sent waves of memory flowing harshly
back into his consciousness. Tears of bitterness and
failure came unbidden as he remembered it all.

Dante
Betrice of the Certe Alliance Guard had
come with his comrades when reports of the dark horde
invading their lands had come to them. King Druin ruled
in the south of the alliance and had sent the first
battalion to meet the unknown intruders. General Batist
had confidently led his men to the plain of Turo and there
the army found that they faced the horror of creatures
not born of their world.

The creatures consisting of two main types wore
black armor strangely discolored by a crimson gloss. The
smaller creatures all had dark green skin, a green that
resembled that of an evergreen in winter. Small and
quick they darted in and out and around the humans with
their long knives. If a man wasn't careful, the beasts
would take swipes at his legs going for the tendons in
particular. He had seen many a soldier fall to the tactic and the creatures were quick to pounce in small groups
to finish off their victim as well. If they didn't get the kill,
their larger cousins would use their axes and clubs
instead. With rough skin the color of oak bark, the
creatures were nearly the height of a full grown man and
had chests wider than a man's shoulder width. The larger
beasts had formed a core through which their smaller
cousins operated.