Battle Mage: Forging New Steel (Tales of Alus Book 9) (30 page)

Ashleen seemed unsure in spite of his answer, but she said nothing more as they closed in on the guardsmen.

“Falcon Sebastian Trillon to see Raven Leros, if he has the time,” the mage stated holding a stiff, military posture. Saluting wasn’t as common among battle mages and wizards, though common soldiers had such gestures ingrained into them.

“We know who you are,” the man on the left replied with a smirk.

From the right he heard, “We were not informed that you were coming today.”

“I am here to inform him of some new magic, and didn’t send a message ahead of me or make an appointment,” he confessed.

The first man sighed and crossed his arms only a moment before his shoulders dropped again as he turned to knock on the raven’s door. A voice could barely be heard, but the guard opened the door and announced, “Falcon Sebastian’s here for you, sir.”

Though Sebastian couldn’t make out the exact words used in the answer, the guard nodded. When Ashleen moved to join him, the mages looked to stop her.

“She’s my assistant, so I need her to join me also.”

The men glanced to each other shrugging. Even if they could judge her power to be that of a wizard, Sebastian vouched for her and the mage guessed that they figured even a wizard wouldn’t be very dangerous in a small room with battle mages inside.

Raven Leros had a pair of assistants behind the desk with him. One held a folder thick with papers, while the other held a pouch holding scrolls and envelopes. As the leader of the corps looked up and noted Ashleen trailing the mage, the older man said with a confused smile, “You seem to have picked up an attractive shadow.”

“This is Ashleen Karderos, a wizard of Kardor currently studying with me and helping me with certain projects. You’ve met her before, sir,” Sebastian introduced the girl gesturing with an open palm towards Ashleen.

“I have indeed, but why is it that she is here? In fact, what is it that you have to show me? Most of the time it feels like pulling teeth to get you over here to give me an update, so I assume something important has come up,” Leros said placing the quill he was using into the inkwell before him. The large desk was a clutter of paper piles in front of the raven. Sebastian couldn’t remember seeing so many envelopes and letters on the desk ever. Being a raven obviously involved many duties, one of which was corresponding with both subordinates and the government based in Hala.

The mage thought that it wasn’t a position that many would wish to have if they knew of the many hassles a raven had to deal with daily.

Turning to the reason he had come, Sebastian stated bluntly, “I have succeeded in creating portals. I only practiced moving from one side of the Black Smith Inn’s courtyard to the other, but I am pretty confident that distance doesn’t really matter.”

Raven Leros looked slightly surprised, but knew that the young mage had been trying to create the magical gateways since before returning to Hala. “Is this a spell that can be used by battle mages?”

The raven knew that not every spell Sebastian discovered was usable by every mage. Not only that, but some were exclusive to the young man called mizard and the owl. His performance in the wizard’s tournament had shown that Sebastian’s power and skill went to a different level than his fellow mages. While the high wizards had gauged the battle mage as still being no more powerful inherently than most mages, the owl had shown surges in his strength that defied explanation and it came from at least one secret that Sebastian hadn’t fully shared.

“Well, not by themselves, but I was able to perform the spell with Ashleen’s power helping me. If I can teach other battle mages my current technique, a pairing of a mage and wizard can get the job done.

“Though the wizards haven’t come to learn from me very often; if I had portal magic to dangle in front of them, there might be a line to try. I am not sure yet if portal magic is like healing in that it is a rare talent or not, but the warlocks we grilled about the basics were a pair among many that couldn’t do the spell without help.

“Magic power has some limitation to who can use the spell solo, but talent for it probably comes into play as well.”

He expected Leros to be more enthusiastic about his discovery, but the raven nodded looking introspective.

“Is there something wrong, sir?”

Leros stood up walking towards his window, the raven’s view looked out towards the east from the castle through the opening. An early afternoon sun already cast a shadow into the courtyards below. “The wizards received a message a few days ago that High Wizard Darius also discovered how to use portals. He has been inside the fortress and discussed the topic more thoroughly with Garosh and his warlocks.

“Apparently along with the message, Darius proclaimed that he was going to try and establish a series of gates from one side of Southwall to the other. He will unite the fortresses along the wall so that our military will be able to make troop movements instantly.”

While the fact that he hadn’t been the first was somewhat deflating, Sebastian knew High Wizard Darius well and was glad that the man had chosen to take the time to try and improve Southwall. He was one of the wizards of Eirdhen, a kingdom far to the south on the continent of Taltan, who had made the journey for the wizards’ tournament. Now several months had passed and still the immortal remained. He had gone to Windmeer to discover the relation between the giant in an enemy fortress to the west and Gerid Aramathea, the former prisoner of the emperor.

“When will he try to come here?”

“The wizards didn’t relay every detail of preparation, but Darius says that he will come two days from now.”

Sebastian shook his head at the sudden change in power that this could bring. “If he can create usable gateways and teach our wizards to use the magic, we can turn the war against the emperor. He won’t have the advantage of being the only one capable of infiltrating our cities at will with a portal.”

Turning from the view through his window, Leros nodded. “Should I get you a pass to join us for the arrival of Darius? You have seen portals created and been through them before, so I don’t know how much this will benefit you.”

“I would like to meet and speak with High Wizard Darius, if you don’t mind arranging for me to be there. Perhaps a pass for Ashleen as well, since she has been helping me figure out the magic also.” He was giving the wilder more credit than was true, though she had helped him at times. Still, his power would have required the wizard, if he didn’t continue to steal power from the earth, which was less desirable.

The older man nodded as his white hair seemed to glow in the light cast from the window. “It shouldn’t be a problem.

“How has the Hollow Sword work been progressing, while you are here to answer?”

“I have another new sword following Master Iylish’s advice. The last one is patched up ready to try. If I succeed, do you want me to pass the knowledge on to the wizards?”

“Let me know first, but if you are the only one who can do this, we will need to take it to the wizards anyway.”

Sebastian nodded.

Leros raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is there anything else that I should know about your research?”

“I am close to being able to transfer runes to others at will. Though I can recreate them from the ones I know, it would be helpful if you could get word to Captain Drayden that I would like to see if I can copy his as well. Hopefully the king will answer you, because I have been unable to get any information on the captain’s whereabouts to see the last runes.”

“I will make the inquiry for you.”

There was a pause in the conversation and the raven surprised him as he changed the subject, “You have heard that the nomads north of the wall have been acting strangely this summer, haven’t you?”

“Yes, something about the patrols seeing fewer tribes than in recent years.”

Raven Leros walked to the front of his desk before leaning against it with his hands holding the edge of the desktop. The older man frowned as he relayed, “Something like that. Patrols have discovered that they seem to be moving towards two new epicenters. They haven’t been able to find out what goal is driving them, but those closest to the east have drawn some attention thanks to word of your runes spreading to the other falcons.”

“How so?” Sebastian asked in confusion. What he had to do with the nomads of the plains was beyond him.

“Our occasional attempt at forming treaties with them, have led to several mages noticing that the eastern tribes have runes similar to what you found. There will be another diplomatic mission to them before it gets cold again. I would like to send you with to see if there is any relation to the magic runes you received and these runes.”

Nodding, Sebastian replied, “I can certainly go; but even if there was a correlation between them, the nomads would need druids to make the ink magical. The odds of them having all the needed components to make these runes are unlikely I would think; but it can’t hurt to go look.”

“I know that you picked them up at the Grimnal’s Island, but maybe another tribe broke off at some point to sail there or left the island to come to the main continent. Whatever the reason, I will plan on sending you once plans are ready.”

Sebastian’s eyes suddenly lit up with Leros’s final summary. His attempt to discover more runes to copy more spells had seemed limited to what he and his people had been gifted with after the defeat of the black ships. The fact that Gerid had several body guards along, many of which came from his tattooed warriors, had escaped him for all that it should have been obvious.

With such a good relationship between them, Sebastian was sure that he could get word to the immortal and receive permission to check the other runes that they might have.

“Well, I will work on procuring permission to be there for Darius’s arrival and the trip to see the nomads. If there’s nothing more that you need from me, I have a very busy day today, Falcon Trillon.”

Understanding that he was being dismissed, Sebastian decided to show what he had learned. He took Ashleen’s hand and had the girl pass him some of her power.

“Door,” he ordered with his eyes closed a moment to visualize the glowing portal. Leros’ eyes widened along with his assistants as Sebastian bid him goodbye.

They arrived in their room at the inn in an instant making Ashleen shake her head in disbelief.

“You figured out to set a point here? When did you do that?”

“While you were in the bath.”

The girl sighed and looked at the light coming through the windows. “Well, it is still early, now what?”

Sebastian chuckled as he realized that portal magic could save him lots of time if he used it properly. It was no wonder that Palose and the emperor employed its use so often.

His mind moved to the idea of seeing the High Wizard again. Darius had solved the same riddle. Now maybe they could compare notes and find more answers to the Dark One’s portal magic.
 

Chapter 17- A Fire Wizard Welcome

It was strange to be standing in the rear courtyard of the fire wizards’ guild. For a battle mage to receive an invite to a wizard function was rare enough, but it was more expected for someone of a raven or falconi’s rank than a lowly falcon. Being that Sebastian was unusual for any rank of battle mage, it hadn’t taken much to convince the high wizards of Hala to allow him to watch the momentous occasion.

The mage glanced to the high walls separating the yard from the rest of the city. Almost a castle in size, this was one of three main wizard buildings built outside of the inner city. Only the healer wizards with their hospital had been allowed inside the inner city. What king or other officials had decided that it was best to keep them outside or even the origin of the buildings was not in battle mage history. They studied battles, combat and strategy that soldiers and those of lesser magic would be a part of, not the goings on of wizards.

This guild castle was placed near the inner wall northwest of the inner city. From their courtyard walls with defensive towers in each corner, two stone walkways ran from the wizards’ castle to the inner wall. A path to reinforce the inner city, the walkways could be destroyed once the defenders had fallen back or removed to create a fortress for the wizards in their castle. He heard that both of the other wizards’ castles were created similarly to be able to defend the inner city or stand alone in their defense should an enemy ever break into outer Hala.

Standing in the rear courtyard in the lee of the castle, Sebastian could see the idea behind the defenses and they were impressive.

He could also see many disapproving eyes and faces in the crowd of wizards standing in a loose circle around a cleared space in the middle. Whispers between the wizards, the majority of whom wore fire wizard red, continued until a pair of wizards walked closer to Sebastian and Ashleen. While they could sense the wilder’s power, even if she wasn’t dressed like any wizard of Southwall, he was an obvious outsider.

“Why is a mere falcon here, Roudger?” the blonde haired wizard in red questioned loud enough to draw the attention of most of those gathered in the courtyard.

His companion also dressed in red had his hand on his sword. Both wizards were armed and Sebastian guessed that they were among several fire wizards charged with guarding against something else coming through the portal Darius had scheduled to appear. “I don’t know, Arlim. He is too young to be a falconi and I am not even sure that he is old enough to be a falcon.”