Battle Mage: Dragon Mage (Tales of Alus) (12 page)

Pulling back, Evantus thumbed towards Veras and said, “I thought we might lose you. We even had to let Veras try to heal you.”

Faking a gasp of surprise as the girl turned to put her feet on the floor, she put her hands on her cheeks exclaiming, “Oh lord, it must have been serious to let Veras near me with his medicine.”

Rolling his eyes, the elder wizard replied, “Great. She’s healed.”

The younger mages in particular laughed at the butt of their jokes, while Colbie began to replace her falcon uniform of black and brown. Blood still stained it in places, both from the mage and the orcs
she had killed. Noting the marks and the rough spots from dried blood, Colbie held off on the dirty shirt and pulled a new one from her pack.

Noting Cheleya’s blue dress cut above the knee, the mage stated, “That is a bold dress to wear during the winter. Aren’t you cold?”

Cheleya shrugged noticing the cut of the clothing on the women in particular. “I have been cold on occasion but I have a blanket along and Kel’lor and Kerliss have helped keep me warm. Is that the style most women wear in your country?”

Colbie looked at the falcon tunic and rugged pants making a bit of a face at the idea. Pointing at Tilana wearing a brown long sleeve blouse and skirt that went to mid calf where her boots kept her lower legs and feet warm, she replied, “This is a battle mage uniform, so women wear them in the corps, but Tilana’s dress is closer to the style of the women in Staron. She wears too much brown because she is an earth wizard, but otherwise it is similar to the winter dresses of our home.”

Looking at the girl curiously, she asked, “Is that what your people wear?”

Laughing at the idea, Cheleya shook her head answering, “Well, che’ther wear no clothes and mar’goyn’lya dress more like you. I haven’t paid that much attention to what the human women of Mar’kal wear since they are few in number. This dress and my other one were in a clothing store, but the merchant was rather eager to sell them. I don’t think he received many female customers.”

“So there are few women to create a true custom,” Colbie nodded continuing to chat as she failed to understand the human guises before them weren’t real. The men were beginning to look bored and began trying to wring a little information out of Kel’lor concerning the road ahead and Mar’kal as well while they all prepared for another night in the cabin.

Tilana and Colbie pulled the pretty girl into their fold continuing to talk fashion and customs.

When Veras revealed that he was the cook and placed a stew made of vegetables and some dried meat that he had brought along, everyone quickly took shallow bowls filling them before taking them to the table or to a cot to sit. There were only four chairs and a small table, which were more of a courtesy than many travel huts held, so they made do.

Cheleya found eating with a large spoon a bit daunting at first, but watching the others, the dragoness proved herself a quick study and managed to eat without spilling on her dress. Orlerin and Evantus had always been human and managed to spill anyway as they gulped down their stew, so Cheleya felt good about surviving her first human meal.

“Boys,” Colbie said with a shake of her head. “They can be such slobs. I’ve known Evan forever and the boy still can’t manage to avoid spilling his food like some barbarian. You’d think he’s never used a spoon before,” she finished laughing and made Tilana smile as her eyes furtively found Orlerin cursing his injured shoulder for the mishap.

Cheleya laughed and played along echoing, “Yes, boys.”

Looking intently at the strawberry blond beauty in her blue dress, the mage asked, “Well, you’re quite pretty so I assume that you have a lot of boys hovering around looking to spend time with you. Do you have a boyfriend?”

The girl shrugged knowing nothing of the kind, but answered truthfully, “Other than Kel’lor, I rarely meet other boys since I have been studying at the academy for a long time. There are less magicians being trained than you might think.”

Colbie looked disappointed as she confirmed it by saying, “That’s a shame. Even though Staron is a relatively small country, there are enough boys around in and out of the magic schools to have some fun. She would be a big hit with the boys back home, don’t you think, Tilana?”

“She is very pretty, but training at the school does become a big distraction for many young wizards,” the pretty brunette said looking a bit self conscious as she answered.

A big grin formed on the battle mage’s face as she decided to tease the wizard, “I guess that you speak from experience. If you and Orlerin would just stop trying to hide from everyone, you could just get it over with, you know?”

“Get what over with?” Cheleya asked before thinking. She knew too little of human rituals, but assumed that it was something to do with their relationship.

Rocking on her cot in amusement, Colbie’s green eyes were filled with mischief as the elder wizard began to blush in embarrassment. “Oh, you know. IT. They could stop pretending they don’t love each other. Go make some babies, get married and set the wizard’s council on its ear after losing their earth wizard to a battle mage,” the girl finished getting loud enough that Orlerin and the other men could hear.

Her battle leader looked annoyed and slightly angry, though embarrassment made him hold his tongue letting Tilana deal with the other woman. He knew that she was quiet, but like in the battle the day before, she could show a lot of strength.

“You are being inappropriate in front of our guests,” the wizard said quietly and without anger.

“Well, she did ask,” the girl said brushing her brown hair back from her face before leaning over to hug Tilana. “Besides, you know I love you guys. You’re like family to me and I want to see you get together before you’re too old to enjoy yourselves.” She looked at Cheleya appraisingly and added, “So you know little of boys too. That academy of yours really stifles a girl, huh? Too bad we’re supposed to head up to Mar’kal to try and close these portals or I would show you around Televal. It’s not a very big town, but there are a few cute boys that I think you might like.”

A little unsure of such talk, being even more naive about human boys than Colbie had surmised, Cheleya changed the subject to their actual destination. “Kel’lor and I were planning on trying to make it to the Winter’s Edge tournament in Hala actually. I don’t know that I would have enough time to be shown around anyway. The tournament will be beginning soon.”

The mages of Staron all nodded at that. Colbie answered for them, “You will really need to hurry then. It’s in two weeks and if you want to enter the contest you should be there even sooner, I bet.”

“We received word months ago, even in Televal. They say that invitations were sent all over the world,” Tilana added glad to be off of the topic of her relationship with Orlerin. “If you want to find a room there, you will definitely have trouble if you’re late, I would think.”

Shaking her head, Cheleya confessed, “I am not good enough to fight in a wizards’ tournament, but I hope to find some of our people there. Perhaps they will be able to help us with rooms.

“We just need to try and catch them before the tournament is over and they leave again.”

Confusion crossed both of their faces. Even the men had stopped speaking to listen to Cheleya speak, which made Kel’lor nervous. He feared that the girl was being too trusting with these strangers. It was a trait of the che’ther, he feared, and part of why they were here now.

“You need to find your wizards?” Colbie asked in bewilderment. “I just assumed that you were going to see the tournament or going to join it. Wouldn’t it make more sense just to wait in Mar’kal and let them return to talk with them or whatever?”

Shaking her head, Cheleya would only answer, “It is a little more important that I find them sooner than later to help with a problem of mine. That is all.”

The women seemed to want to delve into her secrets more, but Cheleya heard Kerliss outside making his odd bark.

“What is that odd sound?” Colbie asked first having no knowledge of the crag dog outside.

Kel’lor stood slapping his forehead, “I left him sitting outside. I bet that he is just hungry and wants some dinner. He was walking and running all day.”

Cheleya stood up as well looking more concerned. “That is a warning bark.”

From the corner of the room, Veras pulled out his portal compass activating the piece since both portals had occurred in the evening or early night. Though no new ones had opened yesterday, his hunch was almost right. Nearly falling from his chair, the wizard cried, “Something from the closed portals is close! The two portals closed turning the lights gray, but I have multiple white points closing in on us.”

Kel’lor and Cheleya exchanged worried frowns before hurrying outside to see what Kerliss was barking about.

“I can see nothing like this,” Kel’lor grumbled trying to find what was bothering the crag dog who was running around back and forth frantically. He scanned the distance and even by moonlight the gargoyle could make out nothing beyond the distant stands of trees. A small lake was behind the travel cabin, but the dog wasn’t pointing that way.

The battle mages and wizards joined the two and the mages all called their night vision spells with a word. They too seemed confused surveying the land, but finding nothing beyond grass and trees.

Cheleya suddenly pointed up at the sky ahead of them over the valley. “He’s not looking at the land. They’re flying above us.”

Large dark forms were barely discernible against the night sky, but the moons struck their oily feathers with just enough intensity to flicker at the edges of their wings and legs.

“What are they?” Evantus asked seeing them with his night vision clearly despite the winged creatures’ natural camouflage.

“The emperor’s beasts,” Orlerin nearly spat as he readied for another fight.

Chapter 8- Assassins in the Night

“Shields up!” Orlerin ordered calling his blue mage shield to life moments before Colbie and Evantus joined him. All three had their swords ready and were in a loose defensive position around their wizards and new friends.

Believing Cheleya to be a typical healer, they doubted her ability to fight. In the wizard corps, healers were the most rare and precious of their kind, but rarely had any talent for battle.

Kel’lor held back a moment taking in their enemy and readying to protect Cheleya whose magic was still fighting to return. Large, black winged creatures like giant hawks, or ravens by their coloring, swept in from the north never altering their course even after seeing the shining, blue shields of the mages. As he watched their wings, black spears seemed to form from the air as the center bird dipped in the air falling slightly behind its brethren.

While the gargoyle had never seen creatures like these, he did know a magic user when he saw one. If just the one raven could use magic, then perhaps slaying the beast would hinder the others making them weaker. Thinking of killing before knowing their true intent was unusual even for a dragon mage; but after the incidents following Malaketh’s betrayal of Cheleya, he had little doubt that these creatures were here for them. Whoever had summoned them hadn’t taken into account that they would find allies like the battle mages of Staron however.

“Did you see the center one use magic?” Kel’lor asked Cheleya in his native tongue.

Her blond hair shifted into her face with her nod and prompted the girl to tear a strip from her red sleeve to tie up her long hair. With alteration magic Cheleya could replace the piece, so it was nothing more than a tool to the dragoness whose eyes held on the shrikes closing fast.

“Has your magic returned?” he asked seeing her determination.

“It doesn’t feel right, but I can defend myself with elemental magic if I must. You must be ready to change, Kel’lor. You may be our best hope of defeating these flyers.”

Worried about what their new allies would do if they saw him change into a gargoyle, Kel’lor knew that Cheleya was still probably correct. He would wait until the shrikes were closer, however, since they were likely looking for a mar’goyn’lya and in human form maybe they could fool them into passing their group by.

“Here they come,” Evantus warned. The three mages had fanned out putting themselves in harm’s way first. Battle mages were the ultimate soldiers and it was their duty to protect their wizards and innocents like they believed of the two from Mar’kal.

A pair dived towards the small group, but instead of using their black spears, the shrikes turned at the last moment bringing their right wings to bear against the blue shields. Evantus and Colbie raised their defenses and watched as the wings struck leaving cuts in the shields shattering the magic as they whipped past.

Curses of surprise filled the darkness as the two summoned new shields even if they seemed nearly useless against these new weapons of the Dark One.

“What kind of magic was that?” Evantus asked in confusion. A mage shield was supposed to catch any magic and reflect it. They would break in time, but he had never seen one cut in such a way and so easily.

Orlerin’s voice barked an order, “Keep your eyes on the enemy, Evan! We’ll have to adapt as best we can here.”

The remaining four ravens dove from their leader towards the group backed by the cabin behind them. It was their only defense, but they knew running inside meant they had nowhere else to go; but the shrikes understood this as well and swept in attacking with their wings. The mages fended off attack after attack as Veras let loose a calculated attack of fireballs over their heads trying to strike the flying creatures. Tilana began to chant a spell in their center as the battle raged around the wizard.