Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) (56 page)

"I duplicated them and created paths for the first to slough off their energy to the others. Basically there are three sets of reservoirs to offset what had been just one," Sebastian informed the healer.

"You should have waited for another wizard to... I mean you should have waited for
a
wizard to assist you. You didn't know what was going on in your body or what would have happened to you if you tried that."

Shrugging, the owl hopped off of the table and replied, "I had an idea of what was happening and adding more runes to hold the energy wasn't likely to hurt anything. They hold energy to a point. I just needed to expand that point to take care of the excess energy leaking into the other runes that were fouling up my pathways."

Rilenier looked ready to scream at him as she turned red with aggravation at the mage.

Stepping in Hegrone gripped his wrist and said, "You have developed a new rune, or set of runes I suppose I should say?"

"I came up with it myself, so I would say that it is in its testing phase yet," Sebastian acknowledged as the healer used his magic to look for the new aberration added to the mage's body. "They siphon excess magic when I don't need it into the reservoirs, so I can access it when I need more power than I would otherwise hold in my body."

"Ingenious," Hegrone replied, though Rilenier still looked upset. She was cooling off as the ability of his newest piece of magic started to sink into her mind. "With these runes, could any wizard or mage do the same thing?"

The question was asked before the woman could put it into words for herself.

Sebastian nodded, but added, "Yes, in theory, but I want to make sure that there are no other issues to worry over with them. I already found one problem as I tested it in the field. With time, we might be able to use runes to make mages capable of greater spells and wizards would have more power to do more with extra pools of magic."

"Have you showed these to Helmar and the special detail that followed you around recently?"

"Not yet, but I also think that I need to test them out a little while longer. I don't want to give a rune to someone and have it harm or even kill them because it might be flawed," the owl warned the man.

"That is wise thinking," Darius followed up giving more credence to his concerns.

The two healers looked like they wished he would release his hold on caution to use the runes to aid them, but instead Rilenier changed the subject to another of his uses of magic. "High wizard, would you check on his other piece of healing? He used those runes on a normal woman to keep her heart beating. If his use of these runes is unproven, an extra set of eyes to check his use on the girl might be helpful."

The small group walked out of the room followed by Sebastian to find Jana. He hoped that his use of the runes could help others in the future. One way was to make their mages more powerful, while the other might keep soldiers alive when they would have otherwise died.

He didn't want to let it go to his head though. There was no proof that what he did wouldn't have consequences in the future, but Jana was alive and his magic seemed stronger than ever.

Chapter 30- Game Plan

Palose walked up the stairs following one of Kolban's men. He had been summoned again. The dark mage was getting tired of all the unscheduled meetings, but it was the emperor and he had best keep on Kolban's good side.

Finding the boy alone with a book in hand was a surprise. With the war for Litsarin and the recent attack within the dungeon of his fortress to deal with, Palose would have thought that the youthful looking emperor would be working with his generals and local leaders to find ways of protecting his interests.

"Hello, Palose," the boy said putting down his book to stand.

"Your majesty," he bowed his head slightly. As a mage, he was unused to official bowing, but Kolban had never demanded that he improve. It was completely the opposite in fact, since the boy had asked him to just use his first name when they were alone and to drop the honorifics nearly every time.

Waving off the title as usual, Kolban moved to a table with glasses and liquids in a variety of decanters. "Do you prefer prapple juice or wine? Narissa said that I should think of dabbling in the latter. She believes my body is old enough that no harm will come of it."

The fact that the emperor was now quoting Narissa made Palose ponder how much of a hold the woman now had on him. It had been two weeks and the seer had remained in the castle with the boy most of that time. He was sure that she wasn't at his side at all times, but the seer seemed to be surprisingly close to him in such a short time.

"The juice is fine by me," the dark mage replied. "I find my mind controls my magic and other abilities better without worrying over dulling my wits with alcohol."

Kolban shook his head slightly at the older looking man and said, "You can live as you like, but it isn't hard to drink to moderation. Even this body can drink two or three glasses without much change. You are older and larger. I would assume that if you limited yourself to a glass or two, then you would have no problems."

Taking a glass of prapple juice handed to him by the emperor, he spoke as the boy poured a glass of red wine, "Was I called here to consult on wines, Kolban?"

With a short laugh for his sarcastic joke, the boy replied, "No, I am following up on other things, though I appreciate your concern.

"Have you looked into what I asked you to do before you went looking for a seer?"

Glancing around for Acheri to burst into the room, Palose nodded. His answer was less convincing as he replied, "I can obviously use a portal to several places for her, but in the end she will still be the princess. Even though I have increased to a wizard's power; if she doesn't want to leave you, her power will be too great for me to force her."

"I will take care of that as well," Kolban replied with a nod. "Do you need additional funds to make sure that she is safe and comfortable?"

He shrugged. His first thought was to ask for more; but as long Acheri was willing to exist on what he had stowed away elsewhere, it would be fine. Gold had been transferred from the account once used by Atrouseon to his long ago. Much of that money had been placed in banks where he had portals and where he planned to purchase safe houses. Slipping into Southwall where he had most of his gates should be as safe as any place. No one would think to look for a princess in the country that was supposedly at war with her family.

Few knew of the princess anyway. Within Ensolus, the population had been introduced to them as family adopted by the emperor. Where they had come from was restricted to a much smaller number, but their names were powerful enough among the population to get the respect of the prince and princess that they were. They would also be potential pawns if Kolban were to die.

"You haven't given me anything for her, but I have money set aside to live fairly well. If you want her pampered, then more would be helpful," the mage stated hoping that he didn't sound greedy while still wanting to take what he could. Acheri might be more trouble without the extra comforts gold could buy anyway.

"I will have funds transferred to your account before the end of the day. If you are thinking of using multiple safe points, then it would make sense to have more to spread," Kolban answered without any worry. Palose, meanwhile, wondered how much the emperor would choose to give him for his sister. "If we suddenly find Ensolus under attack, I expect you to use your portal to enter the castle and get her out to safety immediately. Your children can be taken care of second."

"My children?" the dark mage questioned feeling his stomach clench with fear.

Kolban smiled knowingly and said, "Those you have brought back from death to contribute to your power or otherwise assist you. How many warlocks have you joined to you now? Three? Four?"

"Five, though there are several that had no magic including my first trials," he answered truthfully. Lying wouldn't help his case, but volunteering just a little taste might help him conceal some of their identities from the emperor.

Suddenly thinking of the seer, Palose wondered if she had used her sight to tell the emperor of his indiscretions.

As if reading his mind, Kolban continued, "I've known of the little house since before Atrouseon died. Was it your people who prevented him from killing you? You created a contingency plan in case your master turned on you, which always seems inevitable when a necromancer tries to bind their creations with rules that can be turned against them. Every necromancer seems to fear his creations and decides there is a time when they must be destroyed instead.

"Have you had to destroy any of your new toys yet?"

He shook his head and added, "I never treated them as toys. They are friends and family. The wizards that I had protecting me from Atrouseon weren't forced to kill him, but did it to keep me safe."

Kolban waved him off and said, "You have done what you needed to do and they are yours so long as they don't get in the way. Will any of them be a problem if you protect Acheri?"

His mind went to Sylvaine, but Palose did his best to push the thoughts down in an attempt to keep the worry from his face.

"None of them would threaten her; you have my word, your majesty."

The title wasn't waved away this time. This was him swearing to the ruler of the empire that he would keep Acheri safe.

"Finish your preparations quickly, if you haven't already, Palose."

The command made the mage look at the emperor questioningly. It was a calculated look and his question was intentional as well. "You think that they will be attacking soon?"

"Narissa can't tell me a date, but things will happen during the winter that will change this world once more. Since you are hated by your people, this will affect you as much as anyone; but you've made your promise to me to keep Acheri safe. If you don't, I think that you would regret it," the boy said without looking at him directly. He wasn't sure that it was a threat from the emperor exactly. It almost sounded more like a prediction that he might have heard from the seer.

"You must have set up plans to prevent Southwall from defeating you now. You called for a seer. She can tell you how to beat them because you know the future already."

"Fate and destiny can be changed," the boy nodded, "but a careful ruler plans for all things. I will deal with them as I must."

Palose nodded and felt that the conversation had just ended. A little small talk between them finished the meeting and Kolban sent him away.

Acheri had heard that Kolban had brought Palose to the fortress again. It remained a game between them to see how long it would take for the princess to discover the mage's visits.

When she came to the locked and guarded doors, the princess couldn't make them let her in this time. Even daring to remind them that she could burn them to cinders if they didn't let her in didn't faze the men. They simply told her that it was the emperor's orders.

Acheri might have been fractured from Kolban's mind, but even she wasn't daring enough to risk her brother's wrath. He had kept the bulk of his power for himself, even though her strength was only second to his. The distance between first and second was that of a massive canyon blocking her path to him.

She still waited at the door when they finally opened for the girl. Rushing into the room, all Acheri found was Kolban sitting as he reopened his book to read.

"Where is Palose? You didn't send him away without letting me see him, did you, brother?"

"You like him that much that you can't let him come and go to perform his duties without delaying to walk with you?" Kolban asked without malice or sarcasm in his voice. It came out as just a question, so the princess was less annoyed with him because of it.

"Of course I like Palose. Have I not made that clear by now?" the girl asked releasing an annoyed sigh at her brother.

Emperor or not, Acheri saw him only as her family. The thought made the brother smile slightly. He put down his book and walked to the tray of drinks and said, "Well, you are too late today. He has likely left the castle already. Palose has a very busy schedule to fill."

The dark haired beauty kicked at the floor like a child throwing enough of a tantrum to make sure that he knew she wasn't happy with him. Acheri moved towards the chairs where he had sat only a moment before and sat in the one next to the one reserved by his book.

Kolban brought her a wine glass to match the one he already had on the end table situated between the chairs. Passing it to his sister, Kolban moved the book and retook his place. Balancing it on the arm of his chair, he reached for his glass noting his sister's look at her own drink.

"Why are you waiting? You may have been born less than a year ago, but your body is that of a teenage girl, while your mind is an adult. Adults drink wine, don't they?" he finished with a chuckle holding his glass towards her in salute before taking a drink.

Sniffing it a moment, Acheri shrugged before drinking several gulps of the liquid. He doubted that she had barely tasted the wine on the way down. She let out a little gasp before giving him a smile. A princess maybe, but her manners were childlike as she teased him.