Enchanter (Book 7) (92 page)

“Your son,” Cei noted, evenly.

“Yes.  My son is the Baron of Greenflower, now.  My other son will be Baron of Sevendor.  I’m sure that will make my Dad proud.”

“And your daughter by Isily?” he asked, guardedly.

“Little Ismina is also unaffected.  By the spell, not by the experience of witnessing a magewar up close.  I believe she didn’t arrive at her mother’s castle until after the spell.  But she’s terrified, confused, and in shock from the battle.  Destroying a witchstone like that effects anyone with the psychic sensitivity of a slug,” I reminded him.

“I recall,” he nodded.  He’d been there the night of Urik’s rebellion.

“As far as their lands go, I’ve had the Order send a competent magelord to oversee the transition and inventory the estates.  Particularly his professional records.  I need to know exactly what Dunselen was up to, who he spoke to, and how far he got in his researches.”

“You think that the key to Alya’s recovery is within his notes?”

“Mayhap,” I shrugged.  “But they need to be studied.  What Dunselen did at Saleisus and other estates during the course of his natal experiments was reckless and irresponsible.  I created snowstone out of desperation – it was a side-effect.  But what he did created new areas of thaumaturgical instability.  There may well be some treasures in his work, but they will be buried under a mountain of dross.  More, they will create further problems of their own.

“But my primary goal in searching his notes is to discover any clues to the identity and location of the Enshadowed,” I told him, firmly.  “When they intervened in my affairs, they attracted my attention.  When they were complicit in the maiming of my wife, they drew my wrath.”

“You intend to pursue vengeance, then?” he asked, surprised.

“I’ve done all I can with Alya,” I reasoned.  “Until I can get some god to fix her, or use the powers of the Snowflake, which is far from understood, I can’t do much else.  So I’m going to make war on Korbal and the Enshadowed,” I declared, quietly. 

“Are we not already at war with one dark power?”

“Sheruel is an existential threat to humanity,” I admitted.  “But Korbal and his Alka renegades made this personal, when they invaded my home and assisted in an assassination attempt on me and my wife.  I’m still working on a weapon to challenge the Dead God in his power.  But Korbal has just emerged from long entombment, and by all accounts he’s weak and dependent upon his minions.  Waiting for him to grow in strength before he is challenged is poor strategy.  Not when I have a head full of righteous wrath and a small army of warmagi at my command.”

“Minalan, is that wise?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked.

“Perhaps not,” I decided.  “But it’s strategically valid.  More, it’s what I want to do.  It needs to be done.  Even the Alka Alon are scared shitless of the idea of a return of Korbal.  Sheruel may be intent on the extinction of humanity and the domination of the continent, if not the world, but Korbal has it in for the Alka Alon Council, specifically.  As they’re working together, that can’t help but solidify our alliance, once they climb down from the trees and start moving with purpose.”

“Then why not let the Alka Alon deal with Korbal?  It seems that they would be better suited to combat one of their own.  They did imprison him last time,” he pointed out.

“And how did that work out?” I spat, angrily.  “I cannot depend on the Alka Alon to get to him within my lifetime.  They’re immortal.  They could spend a decade discussing the matter before they acted, and that’s insufficient.  In a decade Korbal’s power will be inconceivable.  And while this may not mean much to you, they are relatively unsophisticated about enneagrammatic magic, compared to other disciplines.  I’ve recently become intimately familiar with it.  If anyone has a reasonable chance of ending Korbal’s threat before it’s too strong, it’s me.”

“That seems like the assumption of a great responsibility, Minalan,” he observed.  “When one has just received the care of two children, unexpectedly, and must also care for his injured wife, investing in a quest for vengeance like that sounds like tempting fate.  Or escaping.”

“Escaping?” I laughed, humorlessly.  “She’s my godsdamned wife, Cei.  I love her more than anything.  There is no escaping what I did to her.  What I allowed to happen to her. I took a vow to protect her, and I failed.  Holding her attackers to account is all I have left.”

“You have your children,” he noted.

“My children who will ever be in danger, as long as threats like Korbal and Sheruel exist,” I countered.  “I am not just a father, Cei, I’m also the Spellmonger.  Like it or not, this is the job I have to do.  No one else can do it – and I’m not even certain I can.  But I have to try, because no one else will.”

“Yet you cannot merely appear at the gates of Korbal’s hall and demand single combat.”

“Not since he’s occupied the ruins of Anthatiel,” I agreed.  “This quest will take some time, some planning, and some preparation.  And not a little intelligence gathering.  But I am committed to Korbal’s destruction, now.  He and the Enshadowed will learn that you cannot make war on the Spellmonger lightly.”

Cei studied me some more, then put the cap on the bottle.  He put huge hand on my shoulder.  “My friend, when you are ready to go on this quest, I would be honored if you would count me as a member of your company.”

I looked at him, stunned.  “Cei, I thought you weren’t in favor of it?”

“It is my duty as your castellan and advisor to help you examine your motives and your goals completely, Minalan.  It is my duty as your friend to help you achieve those goals.  If you are committed to this quest, then let us put to rest the question of its motives, as we have, and focus on the requirements for its completion.  Perhaps the arm of the Dragonslayer can play some role,” he suggested, casually. 

I was touched, emotionally, by what the Wilderlands knight was proposing.  He had a family of his own, after all, a new child, new lands to rule, and responsibilities to my barony.  Yet he was suggesting putting all of that aside to help me pursue a mad quest for vengeance.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that, my friend,” I sighed.

“Which is why I volunteered.  Minalan, this is more than duty speaking, or even friendship.  Alya is a countryman of mine, and dear to me personally.  I can only imagine what rage fills your soul right now . . . mine is but a pale reflection of it.  Yet I am wrathful enough myself to find this necromancer in whatever hole in the wilderness he has hidden in, and crush him under my hammer until there is nothing left that cannot pass through a sieve,” he said, solemnly. 

“And what will Lady Estret say about this?”

“She is a noble woman and an ideal wife,” he said.  “She will understand this.  She is a friend of the Baroness, too.  When she was heard the news of the battle, she was distraught.”

“That’s much the same as Sister Bemia,” I agreed.  “Indeed, all of Sevendor is upset at the loss of their Lady.  The Bovali are ready to march, should I give them a direction.  The warmagi are livid.  If I do not act, eventually, they will become frustrated.”

“Then you have their support,” he nodded.  “That is good.  What about the kingdom?”

“This is a magi affair,” I said, sternly.  “I will inform Their Majesties what I do, after I do it.  I am not about to wait around for Rard’s permission to go duel a dark lord.  I can make the argument that the security of the kingdom is in peril from an arcane direction, which clearly is in my purview.  But even if he does object, I am beyond caring about his opinion, or that of his son.  This is my war,” I declared.  “It’s a magewar.  In the unlikely event that I need his assistance, I’ll ask for it.”

“Well said,” Cei murmured, approvingly. 

I looked at the knight, who seemed as soused and melancholic as I was. The expression of sympathy was almost too much to bear.  “You know,” I choked, “we will be celebrating our fifth anniversary, this winter.  I’ve a bottle of fine mead from our honeymoon we were to share in celebration.  But I will not open that bottle until Alya remembers my name and my face,” I vowed.  “That will be cause for celebration.”

“May that day be soon, my friend,” Cei said, compassionately.  I took great strength in his support, I realized.  He had been right, I’d needed a friend more than I needed a loyal vassal. 

“Not soon enough,” I sighed.  “Every day she is gone from my life is a failure.  If I need to throttle the gods themselves, I will.  But I will not rest until Alya is restored to me, and those responsible are held to account.  And may the gods help anyone who is foolish enough to get in my way.”

APPENDIX

Minalan’s Thaumaturgic Orismology of Enchantment

Achronyx              An enchantment that has malfunctioned due to degradation over time

Agraffe                            A wire or other binding mechanism used to wind around some wands

Allodyania              A common pain associated with the production of enchantment

Anadipsic              An enchantment that requires a tremendous amount of personal arcane energy

Anserine              The curve in a staff or rod

Anxiolytic              Reduction of the natural magical resistance of an object

Apricate              Exposure of an enchantment to natural magical energies

Arietate              The expressed magical result from the use of a wand

Aristophren              A master enchanter

Ascian                             The quality of being ideal for enchantment

Asthenic              a wand of temporary enchantment

Avaline                            ancient wisdom on thaumaturgy

Baculine              pertaining to wands and rods

Badigeon              binding enchantment to solidify a network of sub-enchantments

Baedeker              a specific guide to individual enchantments

Balanoid              an acorn-shaped finial

Balneary              the process of bathing an enchantment in useful energies or medium

Bandelet              small band around a wand, staff or rod

Banderol              a magically inscribed bandelet

Barathrum              an enchantment requiring an immense amount of constant power

Bardel                            a form of enchantment carrying other enchantments

Barmcloth              traditional working apron garment for an enchanter

Barognosis              ability of an enchantment to perceive weight and mass

Barton                            the field of effect of a given enchantment

Baryphonic              an object that resists a thaumaturgical essay

Bascule              a wand of control designed to have power over one particular element of a spell

Bathmism              The directive evolutionary force in an enchantment that develops the spell

Bathypelagic              enneagrams found in the depths of the sea creatures from ancient times

Benefactive              the condition of an enchantment acting positively on a subject

Beneficiate              To remove impurities from a raw magical material in preparation for enchantment; also a term regarding the period in which the enchanter prepares himself for the work

Benet                            The term for the enchanter who removes enneagrams from living things

Benthic              Enneagrams that come from the ocean

Benthos,the              the Sea Folk’s powerful ancestors

Berge                            a glass upon which magical viewings may be projected

Bersatrix              an enchantment that regulates another enchantment

Betise                            a serious error in enchantment

Bewray              to do a thaumaturgical exploration of an object

Bibelot                            a short, small set of thaumaturgical instructions accompanying an enchantment

Blain                            a naturally occurring node of magical energy

Blendure              mixing of multiple magical energies to achieve a desired effect

Blepheral              the portion of the enchantment regarding activation

Boaotian              simple enneagrams, such as basic elementals

Bodement              statement of expectation concerning the outcome of a thaumaturgical experiment

Bodge                            a failed enchantment

Boethetic              a class of spells and enchantments designed to heal

Bolar                            a ceramic covering made of thaumaturgical clay

Bolide                            a sudden, explosive, and sometimes dangerous effect of an enchantment

Bonce                            a marble of thaumaturgical glass used to house a helpful enchantment