Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) (33 page)

"Fine, but expect a copper if you run me all over this town without any luck, kid."

Shaking hands Evic gave him a nod and smile that said he was having fun with the wizard.

Chapter 18- Power of the Mind

Ashleen sat at the table in the Black Smith Inn thinking over the information she had so far. The afternoon had lengthened as the wizards and mages continued to work on the problem of finding where Sebastian had gone. Treya had been thorough in her attempts to trace the mage's magic aura, but other than the strange sensation the woman got running her fingers over New Harbor nothing leaped out at her.

The wizard had tested on several maps. Red Hall even had maps that covered Taltan and Ch'thal the two closest continents as well as the rest of North Continent and the island chains known to them around each. Other than the nearest islands of Litsarin and Sileoth there were just two gates in the North Sea that had been discovered by Sebastian. One was the Grimnal's island and the other belonged to a small tribe that had once been merfolk also.

Even the maps showing Ensolus merely told the wizard that the owl mage had gates there. Perhaps the only truly bright side of the woman's research was that she was fairly confident that she could open Sebastian's gates into the Dark One's city to retrieve their spies and information.

The second source of information was both important and yet less helpful. Jeriah and Quylan had been like bloodhounds deciphering the scents inside the room. Beyond the abilities of a hound, the mages could put together more of a story than the wizards who merely knew that there had been a portal made in Sebastian's room.

Picking out the freshest scents, the falcons told them that the mage was just one of three recent scents there beyond those who had come with to try and find Sebastian. Magic had been used to confuse and change the lingering auras and smells; but they were able to both separate them out as well as follow the path that they had used before following Sebastian.

That was where their abilities brought less fortunate news. Following the strange trails obviously masked to prevent being found out by those of magical abilities like the falcons, they eventually came to a room full of cleaning supplies. The trail began from inside the supply room and went straight to Sebastian's guest room.

Those belonging to the trail had used the cleaning supply cubicle to enter the hall making their way to Sebastian to steal him away. They left only the single trail from one room to the other as they had used one portal to enter and the second to leave again with the mage.

Jeriah had pointed out only one other thing. Sebastian's pillow had an odd fragrance on it that didn't seem to fit any other, but the falcon had been able to follow the faint smell to the dining room. Even cleaning the tables there was just enough of the strange scent to lead him directly to Sebastian's table and from there to the kitchen.

It would take a research wizard familiar with the smell of chemicals to tell them what it truly was, however, and Gefflen was in charge of those in Red Hall. Since the man had also been involved with bringing Sebastian to the school, Ashleen could hardly trust Gefflen or his people.

They were forced to send word to White Hall in the hopes of figuring out what it was. The wizards there knew Sebastian so well, that they used a portal to their rival school as soon as they heard of his disappearance. She hadn't heard yet what they had discovered, but Ashleen and the others already guessed that it was something to make the mage fall asleep.

Drugged, the dangerous mage would be manageable for two wizards or warlocks; but that led once more to the belief that it was someone inside of Red Hall who was involved.

"Are you going to try to wait for the wizards from White Hall to tell us what they found out before going to bed?" Serrena asked her friend looking tired as well. Neither woman had done that much physically, but the emotional strain had wrung both of them out to the point of mental exhaustion.

"I don't think that I could sleep if I tried," the wilder replied quietly.

It was still early enough that the musicians for the night had yet to begin to play. Ashleen had no desire to remain in the room once the dancing began. Without Sebastian to dance with and not knowing currently if he was even alive, the pretty girl couldn't think of dancing with one of the men that might wish to have her on his arm.

Serrena noted the gathering crowd of people entering the hall that were removing coats in preparation for dancing.

"Well, I don't think I can take trying to dance right now," the fire wizard stated looking drained. Serrena rarely danced with Sebastian anymore. Ashleen had obviously claimed him and they seldom separated to allow anyone else to dance with them.

Brushing back her auburn hair with both hands a couple times in frustration, Serrena added, "I'm not sure that I will be able to sleep either though, especially with musicians playing down here. Maybe I should get a room at the fire wizards' guild? That would also put me by the portal gate when we're ready to go."

"Go where?" Ashleen complained more than truly asked the question. "We still don't know where Sebastian is, not even which city or town."

"I think Yenest plans to get permission to use Sebastian's portal into New Harbor to begin a search there."

Letting out a deep breath as the wilder released some tension for a moment, she said, "It is just a guess that he might be there. Treya couldn't find anything beyond Sebastian's gates.

"I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised. Sebastian never tried to find Palose, just his gates or imbued stones. That girl's magic that they used to hide him was enough to keep Sebastian from tracking more of his portal points and he never found him on one of his maps as far as I know."

"So you don't think that the map magic will work that way?" Serrena questioned in surprise.

Throwing up her hands helplessly, the blonde haired wilder replied, "I don't know. I just know that Sebastian never found him that way."

Drumming her fingers on her lips as she blew out in frustration, Serrena took a moment to utter the disappointed words, "Well, that I didn't know. I had hoped that Treya could find him or at least we could find out that sign she felt might be some wizards trying to mask him.

"Still, I guess trying New Harbor with some tracking mages couldn't hurt."

"As long as it isn't a complete wild goose chase used to distract our people from where he really is, I guess that is true," Ashleen agreed without much enthusiasm.

Elzen hurried towards their table carrying a tray of drinks. The mage promptly placed a glass in front of each of them before sitting beside Serrena. "All right," the falcon said, "I can see no one is ready to sleep yet, so I got Hilda to let us have these."

Sniffing at the glass, Serrena pulled back shaking her head. "Wow, that is strong. What are you trying to do to us, Elzen?"

"A couple more of these and we'll sleep through anything," he said with a smile holding a glass with a medium brown liquor inside.

"What is it?" Ashleen asked putting the glass close to her lips while just breathing in the strong smell of the alcohol inside.

"Perum Vodkey, it's something made from prapples and grain that Hilda recommended," the boy replied with a smile that looked a little too happy to have the chance to drink the strong alcohol.

Serrena shook her head saying, "I've heard from soldiers that a few glasses this size will put a man twice your size on his butt."

"Hmm, I think I hear a challenge!" Elzen remarked with a laugh.

Tipping her glass back, Ashleen drained the double shot of vodkey making a face as it went down. She coughed as the alcohol burned her throat. Having never drunk anything stronger than ale, the wizard found her eyes tearing up at the powerful liquor.

Her friends' eyes widened in shock at her audacious move. Only the state her mind was in would have driven the girl to drink such a thing. Normally wizards valued keeping their wits about them at all times. Getting drunk was frowned upon. A wizard couldn't use their magic well, if at all while drunk. There were also warning stories of wizards who had drunk too much and started fires in their stupor.

"Whoa, I think that you're supposed to take a breath or two before drinking it all," Elzen stated with a confused look at Ashleen.

"Another," Ashleen said still trying to hold back the coughing fit that threatened to overtake her again. Her belly felt warm almost instantly and her cheeks started to heat up also.

Trying his, Elzen took a quarter of his glass swallowing it with a gasp as he blinked at the sting of the alcohol. It didn't take the mage long to finish his drink, however. He stood up and said to Serrena, "You'd better hurry up. You're falling behind."

"I'm not sure that this is a good idea, Ashleen," the fire wizard worried as she held her drink looking at it like the liquid could attack her if she put her face too close to the rim.

"Since when do fire wizards worry about caution?" the wilder asked with a wan smile.

Rolling her eyes at the dig, Serrena took half of the glass of liquor into her mouth at one time. Her eyes teared up as the wizard fought to rid her mouth of the stinging alcohol. Coughing worse than Ashleen, the fire wizard had to take a minute before she could work to finish the glass.

Elzen was already returning with a bottle still three quarters full. "She said it's easier just to pour it ourselves," the boy said with a grin. "It'll make you forget your worries for the night at least."

Looking like she couldn't stand the taste, Serrena asked with a raspy voice, "How many glasses does that take? Do we need a whole bottle?"

Ashleen put her glass closer to the mage who quickly poured at least as much as before. Each glass was filled making Serrena blanch at the thought of trying to drink another round.

Before they knew it, the wilder was working her way through the double shot or more of vodkey. Serrena warned, "You might want to pace yourself, Ashleen."

The glass was shoved towards Elzen already emptied even as the mage was working his way through his glass much slower this time. He poured raising eyebrows both impressed and surprised at the wilder's impressive aptitude for drinking. The second glass had gone down smoother for the little blonde and she hadn't coughed at all, though the warmth felt like it was moving through much of her body already.

"I'll head up to our room before it can hit me fully," Ashleen stated drawing her newly filled glass towards her already.

The third glass flowed down her throat still burning the girl, but she didn't care. If it helped her to sleep and not think of what could be happening to Sebastian, it was worth the stinging pain. She didn't want to think about it anymore. If she couldn't help, then it was better to forget until the sun was up and maybe the wilder could do something then.

With the bottle nearly empty already, Ashleen stood up feeling the room starting to turn. It was hitting her quickly even after eating a meal that the girl had probably picked at more than ate.

The stairs were an obstacle, but the wilder made it to her room before her vision got too crazy. Her balance was starting to fall off by the time the door was closed and locked behind her. Ashleen knew that she would feel drunk very soon, but the heat of the alcohol was making her forehead bead with sweat. Her wizard dress was tossed aside before Ashleen pulled the blankets back. As her head went towards the pillow, the girl thought the distance of the fall was more like that of heading towards the floor.

Darkness came and Ashleen was able to forget everything. Elzen was right about that.

The dull scrape of metal stopped. Darkness remained all around him, but Sebastian had decided to conserve his energy as much as possible long ago so the vision runes remained inactive. Since there was little to see anyway, sight wasn't a priority. Hearing was more important at the moment, so only the wire rune and the one by his right ear remained active as the mage worked at his bonds.

Unfortunately even trying to conserve his strength wasn't going to work much longer. No food or water had been brought to him, since he had arrived. His head was beginning to ache and his mouth was uncomfortably dry. Growling came from his stomach occasionally, but even if it had been a couple days, it would be a lack of water which would affect him most. A human could survive without food for a month, but without water they would fall apart in days.

Sebastian was suffering, but he could still think and act. Water was becoming an issue, but was still short of critical. If there was anything that he could do to create water, he would; but until his captors chose to come to him he would keep using his slim reserves for the two runes to try and free himself.

Noise carried along the hall from a distance. His hearing was amplified, so the captive believed the noise he made had yet to reach them. The mage retracted the wire of the rune back to his arm. With all the practice he had with it now, Sebastian wondered how well he could control it should he need to fight. His captors must not have realized that his runes worked without magic. Sebastian had taught Erethia and the others the runes, but had only shown off what could be done with access to magic.

No, he thought again shaking his head. The owl mage had told them that these runes could be used on regular soldiers. With them, a normal man could have unseen armor, strength enhancements, speed and more. Perhaps they simply underestimated what he could do with them or believed that the shackles would inhibit the runes also.