Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) (59 page)

Perhaps it was the intrusions from Sebastian. He had withheld the news from Kolban that the mage had infiltrated through his home gate, but had also tried to search for the man often. The latest capture of the wizard using a gate that he had discovered shortly after Sebastian had made it had spurred him to warn them finally. Leaving the emperor's knowledge a few months behind would be on him.

"If he is sending for you, I am sure that it is important. Maybe he is just rattled by the recent invasion of his dungeons?" Palose suggested and had a feeling that it was part of it based off his recent instructions.

"My brother doesn't get rattled," the prince stated with a frown, "but you are right. He always has a reason for doing things, even making my sister and me."

"If you are ready to go, I can make the gate for you," the mage replied sensing the conversation nearing its end. He also had other things to do including making a new set of wraiths apparently. With two of his wizards in Southwall and two more here fighting Kolban's war, his home felt both empty and vulnerable. The three girls were the only ones left to watch over it now.

"Give me a few minutes to pass along orders to my men," Lanquer said moving past Palose to call his lieutenants back again.

It would only take a few minutes for the prince to ready his troops before his departure and then the two men were gone from Litsarin once more.

Sebastian had returned from his last trip to Ensolus before they would attempt the attack. For many, it was what they called the final attack; but should they fail the mage had no doubt that they would try again. Even if they succeeded in destroying the emperor, the empire wasn't just one city or man. They knew of at least five more fortress cities governing other territory throughout the Dragon's Spine Mountains all the way to the western front near the Aderan River. The river was the edge of territory still held onto by Kardor where their war had continued as skirmishes for most of the last two hundred years.

It made the remaining empire about as large as Southwall without even including most of Litsarin being under their command. That was too much land and people to believe that someone wouldn't try to take over his rule; but without the Dark One Southwall and its allies would have a better chance of driving them back and defeating them all one day.

"There you are," a familiar voice called out drawing the mage's attention.

Sebastian looked at a tall blonde haired wizard dressed in red gear. "Hello, Magnus," he replied unsure of where this greeting might take him.

The fire wizard was followed by both wizards and mages including a falconi in her black uniform. Most were well known to him as he had joined with the dragon mages to fight several times already in the conflict over Litsarin. Ten new flyers had been added to their number since the start of their use, but that number would grow slowly as they found more people capable of both the magic and flying. Flight wasn't something everyone could handle. The fear of falling from a great height was often too great to overcome.

"Don't sound so happy to see me, Bas, especially since we're leaving a perfectly good battlefield to enter the dragon's mouth," Magnus said with a shake of his head and a smirk. With their history, and rivalry in the fire wizard's mind, Sebastian always found meetings with the fire wizard a bit worrisome to say the least. Still their relationship was less antagonistic than it had been as students at White Hall.

"I just have a lot on my mind already," he said playing off his feelings for the wizard. "Did they send Katya with you too?" the mage asked worrying that those in charge would risk a girl less than a month from her fourteenth birthday. His sister was talented as both a diplomacy wizard and a dragon mage making everyone realize that she was also a prodigy; but she had already seen too much war and Sebastian didn't want her risking her life in the dragon's mouth as Magnus had put it.

The shake of the fire wizard's head made him breathe easier and by that point Falconi Martina, his old mentor from White Hall, was close enough to hear.

"She complained a lot, but we managed to get her to return to White Hall to assist in teaching more dragon mages," the falconi stated for Magnus before he could answer. "That girl might be good enough to fight; but she's still a novice in the end. No one felt good about sending her to Litsarin, but Ensolus was where the wizards drew the line."

Magnus nodded hating to be beaten to the answer, even if it was to a falconi.

"How have the Hollow Swords been working out?" he asked the main two wielders of his swords. They were among the first to try them out as the owl had slowly begun to relinquish the new weapons to others. Dozens were made now, but he was still the only one capable of making them correctly. He just didn't have enough time in a day to mass produce the artifacts quick enough to outfit the mage corps let alone the wizards; but the mage smith was doing what he could. For the battle in Ensolus, more of the weapons would be committed and risked to fight in the city since they would be greatly outnumbered.

"Excellent," Magnus stated hurriedly beating Martina to the punch. The wizard was actually a little over a year older than Sebastian; but the mage thought that he was acting a little childish in his need to be heard. "I love charging it with a simple spell and watching it amplify my magic with less work."

Martina saw it a little differently as the woman stated, "They're built perfectly, Sebastian. Throwing waves of fire as far as most wizards and the other spells we can use besides at a higher level makes a big difference in a fight. The enemy often tries to avoid us on the battlefield, but we can still fly to them and ruin their day quite quickly."

It was a question that didn't merit a lot of talk and Sebastian changed the subject with a tilt of his head towards the new additions to the dragon mages from White Hall. "Are they ready for this?"

Magnus stayed out of this discussion. He was a few years younger than Martina, who was the youngest falconi in the military; but she was the better judge of such things. She replied, "They are newer to being dragon mages, but they've been through a lot already on Litsarin. Besides they are all veterans from before becoming dragon mages, Sebastian."

They could have chatted idly trying to ignore what was about to happen, but they had gathered near the fire wizard's guild for a reason. The battle was about to begin and portal wizards were beginning to find their places around the large courtyard. Some would even cast the spells in other areas of the city. It was a bit of a risk, since there was the chance that the enemy could backtrack through one of their gates; but this was the time to risk it all.

A pair of giants surrounded by several guards, including a few with the red eyes of wraiths, closed on them just in time to hear a diplomacy wizard using his magic to make his voice carry throughout the courtyard. "Get to your assigned places people. The first portals will be cast in ten minutes."

Gerid, with Garosh at his side, looked down on the group near the battle mage from their height.

The immortal said, "Are you ready for this, Sebastian?"

"As ready as I will ever be to try fighting the strongest wizard in the world inside of his city of warlocks, monsters and wizard hunters, I guess," he replied with an awkward smile.

Gerid laughed and even smiled for real as the tension split for a moment. "Well, when you put it that way, I can see why you might be a little leery of this trip."

Glancing towards Garosh, Sebastian looked at the man curiously. He was only slightly surprised to see the giant here. Yes, his role had been stated in the briefings; but thinking that someone created to hold the emperor's magic and mind would now be here preparing to fight him was quite another thing. The giant's magic wasn't the power he once held when he had been defeated by the Dark One who stole back the magic given him; but this strength appeared to feel more natural on the man.

"You go to fight your brother or father or whatever the emperor is to you," the mage said without truly asking his question.

Nodding to the mage, Garosh said, "He tried to kill me once, but now I get to return the favor. I am unlikely to be the one who can kill him, but I will make sure that he knows that I survived and have returned to even the score."

Gerid chuckled as he added, "But make sure that he doesn't survive this time. We don't need him returning with another grudge, now do we?"

The other giant shook his head and stated grimly, "No, this time we need to make sure that he can't return to harm anyone else."

Ten minutes passed quickly, but Sebastian didn't have to set his portal yet. The others were leaving as distractions for the city. His team would delay slightly to let the fortress get excited over the exterior attacks before dropping into the emperor's dungeons. They would bring enough men and women to spread out once they were into the fortress proper. Most of the teams would fight the guards and warlocks that the emperor kept to protect him, while the last team would go to kill the Dark One once and for all.

Sebastian could feel the magic of the other gates while the wizards held them open to send wave after wave of the task force consisting of several nations and even races. It wouldn't be long now. More men and women moved to stand behind those he knew best before the signal was given.

"Door," the mage ordered creating a large portal without the help of a wizard or his staff. His rune wells were fully charged and he was ready to fight with the power of a wizard for the first time.

Gerid and Garosh disappeared through the portal behind a small force with the skills to open the barred doors if the cell was locked. Magnus and Martina were closer to the end of the line before they were gone as well.

Lastly, Sebastian stepped through the doorway. He wished that he could have taken Ashleen, yet was glad that the wilder remained here. Palose and Rilena had gone in another group as had Serrena. Feeling alone in spite of those waiting for him, the owl went to find out if he was the one who would finally end the Dark One's threat to his people.

Chapter 32- The Battle Begins

Raven Leros led a dozen mages at the head of dozens of soldiers protected by Sebastian's runes. Wizards were in the middle with a few more battle mages spread out from the main body of the force looking for trouble. No white wizards, the high wizards, led their people; but then again they were old, the white haired raven thought to himself with a bit of humor.

He hadn't been in the field for years, but Leros still worked out and trained with the falcons of Hala. The man wasn't ready to go to his grave just yet or relinquish his command. He knew that he was old, but the number didn't matter to him. His magic and physical skills were still enough to defeat most mages even at his advanced age.

Hand signals given by the raven split the command. It was up to the wizards with them to destroy the city's guard towers and walls. A mere distraction if their plan worked out, it was also designed to keep reinforcements from Ensolus' outer garrisons from coming to assist the emperor's fortress.

He looked at the dim light coming over the walls from the mouth of the cave. Morning was about to begin in Ensolus, but Hala was hours ahead of them and ready to strike. A few minutes more and he would signal his command's attack.

Elzen arrived through the large gate and had to blink to see. He could feel the power center of magic ahead of him, but the dim light near the back wall of the cave made him feel nearly blinded.

"Vision," the battle mage said calling day to his night. Other mages had already ordered the spell while more added it after Elzen.

The spire of the emperor was to their south, but their job wasn't to try breaking through the outer walls of the fortress. He was part of a large squad set to slow down or stop the horde of warlocks and their apprentices just starting to awake for the day in their school dorms. Spells manipulated stone creating low walls and other defenses between them and the school.

Students wouldn't be much of a challenge, but their teachers and those who lived in the large building which were already veteran warlocks wouldn't be so easy. 

Whatever happened, they couldn't let the emperor's warlocks help to defend him. Sebastian and his teams would be in perhaps the greatest fight anyone had seen in Alus' history and they didn't need any more odds set against them.

Rilena stood beside Serrena. A small team had broken off from those entering from the east. Sebastian had warned of Palose's house. There was no guarantee where a dark mage with the ability to use portal magic might be, but they couldn't afford to leave their backs exposed should his wizards come out to fight.

She knew that Wendle was one of those wizards. The woman remembered an awkward apprentice from Kardor, whose feet were dangerous weapons when trying to dance. While Rilena and others like Ashleen had tried their best to help him, only Sebastian's healing skills had kept her from being virtually crippled after a night dancing with the wizard.

His face came to mind. Their relationship had been short, since Wendle and Ashleen had continued on with Sebastian to Hala. She had met Elzen and watched as Garosh surrendered to the army sent to storm his fortress instead. Now she might have to fight or even kill someone that had once been a friend.