Into The Ruins (6 page)

Kall smiled contentedly as he and his escort rode through the mountains half a day’s ride from the large house on the family lands.  It was time to return to Nals, and while he was not enthusiastic to return to the city where so many intrigues were in play, he had felt the separation from his consort and looked forward to being back at the castle.  He would miss the scents of the country, the rich fragrance of the wild flowers backed by the smell of the ancient fir trees that thickly covered the mountains here in the southern quarter of their lands.  He even enjoyed the odor of the horses, their sweat adding to the sense of the outdoors and he moved expertly with the motion of his mount as they climbed up the steep mountain pass.

They would be on the trail until late the next day when they would reach the closest major town.  There he and his escort would seek out the Guild representatives who were currently assigned to this area.  Kall knew the Senior Caster in Delan.  She was a Runemaster of no little skill, and unlike many of her counterparts found in Nals, was a true scholar of the magical arts and a fine woman besides.  If more of the Guild were like her, Kall would have far less issue with the Guild and its plans for Sedfair.  Runemaster Raek would create a
Doorway
back to Nals, one of those magical openings that allowed one to cross weeks of travel in a matter of a heartbeat.  Creating such a
Doorway
was something that usually required years of training and a skill level with magic that only a small percentage of Guild members ever achieved.  The rune and glyph construction was intricate, Kall had seen it many times even though he didn’t understand it, and he’d been told that the activation phrases were equally complex.  The Casters capable of performing the magic were highly regarded and carefully distributed throughout the land. 
Doorways
were used sparingly because such skillful Casters could not be wasted spending all their time making the openings.

Kall rode at the head of the patrol, his right as the senior officer present.  He was only a midlevel officer in rank, his advancement restricted because he was consort to the Queen, and the laws didn’t want both the civilian and military leadership to be strong within one family at the same time.  He was a mere Captain.  Had it not been for political ties, he would have been a full commander, more than likely one of the Army’s Regional Commanders, which would have been a more accurate measure of his skills.  He didn’t mind.  He had other goals to occupy his thoughts.

None of the Guild’s Warrior Casters with their crystal-topped staffs augmented with the runes of combat magic precisely carved into the hardwood shafts, rode with them today.  That was partially due to the fact that he should be in no danger that required protection by the elite Casters, and partially because he didn’t like or trust them overly much.  Had the Guild leadership offered them for this trip he would have refused, as politely as he could, but still refused.

Kall knew more about them and the magic they controlled than they would have expected.  They would be surprised to learn he could even execute some of the spells, and if he laid hands on one of the staffs would be a formidable Caster himself.  What most didn’t realize was that the more complex spells with multi-symbol composition and activation phrases matched to the runes, could be executed without the runes being present at all.  This wasn’t true of the simple spells with the commonly known shared activator.  Perhaps that was because the appropriate rune or glyph was needed to define which spell the activator was to trigger.  In the case of the complex spells, a poorly defined version of the true spell could often be called by anyone who could master the complex wording.  He had practiced the phrases of select combat spells and had demonstrated to himself that this was true.  Of course, with the proper runes and glyphs present to link to the activator, the result was immensely more powerful and precise.  That was why the Warrior Casters carried the staff with the appropriate symbols pre-engraved into the shafts.  The addition of the multiplier crystal on top further extended the power of their magic.

Kall rode with the same practiced ease with which he did most things, despite the fact he spent far too little time astride his horse these days.  Although sixty-one years old, with one time black hair that had now gone entirely gray, he was still a strong man, and walked upright without bending to the advancing years as did many with a similar number of seasons under their belt.  His pale blue eyes missed little, and he constantly observed and interpreted what was taking place around him.  He had a wide scar under his leather armor, a reminder from his early years in the Army what a moments lapse in concentration could do.  A blade from one of the Baldari, far less common in those days, had nearly removed his arm.  A second or two slower and he would have had a much less glorious career.

That encounter had caused him to put his full effort into being the best swordsman he could.  Unknown to most, he was actually a
Master of Blades
.  Most thought he had advanced only as far as
Swordmaster
, but he had continued his training in private, and now could match blades with the very finest in the land.  Like his secret ability with the verbal magic, what your enemy didn’t know about you could be used to advantage.  Kall didn’t need the fancy titles or recognition.  He was more interested in the practical advantages the knowledge offered him.

“I didn’t realize they were so large,” Tant said softly off to Kall’s left where he had been riding silently for the past glass.

Kall looked where the man was pointing.  One of the north country’s most fearsome predators, a fully grown Jurten was lifting an impressively sized bison up into one of the trees where it would feast on it.  The Jurten was distantly related to the familiar house pet, except it was a hundred times its size and was extremely dangerous.  Its claws were a hand span long when extended and its mouth contained a double row of extremely sharp teeth designed to shred flesh.  Four eyes were spaced around the head, each a deep red color and each capable of seeing in the dark nearly as well as in the daylight.  The arrangement of the eyes gave the creature a field of view that was unmatched by any other predator in Sedfair, making it difficult to surprise.  The fact the creature had little fear of man, especially in smaller groups, made them the gravest threat to the unwary in the mountains.

“That one is only partially grown,” Kall informed his Sergeant.  “You should see one of the full sized males.”

Sergeant Tant looked at Kall doubtfully trying to decide if he was being misled.

“You’re kidding,” he said finally, certain that Kall was testing his gullibility.  Tant was from the south where such creatures didn’t exist.

“Seriously,” Kall replied.  “They grow to be half again as large as that one.”

“How do you kill them?” Tant asked.

“Preferably from a distance,” Kall told him.  “The only one I have personally brought down was a female and I did it with a long bow at over fifty paces.  It took four well placed arrows to kill it, and even then I had to finish it off with my sword.”

Tant looked at the creature returning his perusal from up in the tree.  The forward pair of reddish eyes watched him as if considering how difficult it would be to add him as dessert.

“Can they be killed with a sword?” Tant asked uncertainly.  The only weapon he carried with him was one of the Army’s short fighting swords.

“A spear would be far better for the task,” Kall replied.  “You don’t want to get within range of those claws.  I’ve seen the results of men attacked and it’s not very pretty.  I’ve been told that men have taken the beast with a long sword, but I’ve never heard of anyone coming out on top with the kind of short sword we carry.”

“Wouldn’t our armor provide some protection?” Tant asked. 

Like most of the men he wore leathers that had been treated for durability and which had been branded with a series of glyphs which were said to make it difficult for the enemy to land a strike or hit from afar with an arrow.  They were also supposed to be somewhat resistant to magical spells.  Kall wasn’t sure how effective the spells were.  In his experience he had seen many with such armor killed and maimed.  He suspected the markings were for morale rather than any real protection.  His own leathers were free of such symbols, reflecting his ingrained mistrust of the Casters in such matters.  He’d be more willing to believe the symbols were there to ensure the men charged into battle fearlessly than to provide any real protection.  He wanted his decisions to be free of any such influences.  Kall had heard of special armor covered with runes that would make arrows miss their target, and the blows from an opponent’s sword unable to land.  He’d never seen such armor, and truthfully doubted its existence.  Nonetheless, the rumors and stories circulated among the troops as always.

“He’d go through those like they weren’t there,” Kall replied giving him an honest assessment.

Tant looked around the mountain, the thick trees suddenly appearing far more menacing than they had a short time before. 

“Do they travel in packs?” he asked.  “Shouldn’t we be more concerned about any others?”

Kall shook his head.  “They are quite smart and realize there is easier game to be had than armed men with their sharp swords.  The Jurten can see our number and know what the spears of our forward guard represent.  It’s also important to know that they hunt alone.  They will fight one another over game, so we don’t need to fear a number of them laying an ambush.  Any attack would be a single Jurten and I have no doubts we could handle that.”

Sergeant Tant didn’t appear entirely convinced and he loosed his sword in its scabbard just to be certain.  He carried one of the more common steel swords, not one of the
White Blades
that were used along the western border.  Having never served along the border where the strange magical creatures came in from the wilderness, he had never seen one of the strange blades.

“What about when we camp tonight?” Tant asked a short time later as he realized they wouldn’t be in town until the following day.

Kall smiled.  “The Jurten seldom leave the high country,” he explained.  “We will be considerably lower and out of the trees they like.  I’ve never heard of an attack down on the flats.”

They rode in silence for some time.  Kall knew that Tant was watching the forest on either side for another of the beasts.  He was probably wishing his bright red uniform that he was normally so fond of were another color about now.  Kall knew that the Jurten were also fiercely territorial, and the male they had seen was young, but old enough to have staked out this area.  There wouldn’t be another male within a glass of riding.  If there were, both males would be intent of one another and the fight to come rather than on the humans passing through.  There was probably a female, but she would be aware of the hunt by her mate, and wouldn’t be interested in them either.

As Sergeant Tant lost interest in conversation and turned his attention to the trail ahead, Kall fell back into his own thoughts.  Rosul would be pleased to hear his report.  They had completed the buildings on the island well ahead of the planned schedule and without attracting unwanted attention.  It had been more difficult without the use of trained Casters, either those of the Guild or commercial magicians with limited skills who made their living using their magic for construction.  Virtually all of the work had been performed by members of their secret group, with the single exception of one of Kall’s most trusted staff from the estate.  The exception had been necessary because the man had skills that had been necessary if they were to have functional plumbing.

Despite Sergeant Tant’s fears, the trip to Delan was without adventure, and late the following afternoon the group rode into the city.  Runemaster Raek was present at the Guild House near the center of the village, and smiled when she saw Kall.

“I didn’t expect you for some time yet,” she said.  “You must miss Rosul.”

“That is true,” Kall admitted with a smile.  “But in truth, there was less to be done than she expected.  Her brother had anticipated the work and had already made a good start.”

“I suppose you’ll be wanting to hurry home then,” Raek said.  “Come on around back.  You know we always make the
Doorways
back there.”

A short time later when the group was assembled behind the Guild House, Raek uttered the long triggering spell.  A glowing arch appeared in the middle of the dirt flat.  The arch was large enough that three mounted men could ride through abreast.  As always with the
Doorway
, it was impossible to tell what was on the far side of the arch, but Kall knew it would deposit them in the courtyard behind the castle. 

“Thank you, Raek,” Kall said as he prepared to ride through.  “It will be good to sleep in my own quarters again.”

“Give my regards to the Queen,” Raek said.  “She hasn’t come this way since your visit several years ago.  I look forward to her coming back to stay.”

Kall nodded.  He knew that Raek was being truthful.  Unlike many within the Guild, she held Rosul in high regard.  If only they could bring someone like her into their group.  It would be far more convenient to relocate their people this way rather than by ship as they were forced to do now.

Far to the south, Captain Lerar heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the city of Nals drop away aft of his ship as they rode the late tide away from the capital.  He had aboard eighteen unannounced passengers, who would share quarters with the crew or make themselves comfortable by finding space in the cargo holds which were less fully loaded than normal, and which would have gained the attention of any inspectors who looked closely enough.  That wouldn’t be a problem on the far end, where the inspector was one of them, and who would mark the off-loaded cargo to be more than was really being carried.