Into The Ruins (69 page)

The Hoplani appeared out of nowhere in the town square in central Sulen less than a quarter glass walk from the castle.  More than fifty of the enraged beasts poured through the
Bypass
that had been created, the far end originating somewhere unknown in the Ruins along the border with Lopal.  The Hoplani were dangerous under normal conditions, but abrupt transition caused by passing through the magical portal confused, and therefore, enraged them even more than usual.  They found themselves surrounded by unfamiliar structures and hundreds of screaming humans, whereas they had been purposefully crossing the quiet desert sands just moments before.  Finally, and extremely important, they were no longer under the influence of the tainted magic of the Ruins.  The crystal buried within each Hoplani not only powered the beasts by absorbing energy from the Ruins, but was designed to trigger a change in the creatures once they left the regions corrupted by the destructive magic that infused the Wastelands.  The changed Hoplani became a viscious weapon, with the goal of killing and destroying anything living that was encountered.  While they were considered dangerous to those who had encountered them as they wandered the Ruins, the Hoplani were a very different creature this far from the Ruins where they were usually encountered.  Normally the transition was a gradual one, as the creatures crossed the border regions and left the desert behind.  As the effects of the warped magic faded, and they needed to seek normal sources of food to provide the energy to continue on, the purpose behind their existence also changed.  The transition through the
Bypass
exacerbated that more gradual change. 

Most of the citizens of Sulen had never seen a Hoplani.  They had heard tales of the dangerous beasts, and a few had seen drawings, some accurate but most not, of what the creatures looked like.  They were not something that was part of their normal existence.  Despite the threat the Hoplani had posed for many years, that threat had always been far away, on the eastern edge of Lopal.  Those more attuned to the problem might have realized that with the failure of the barrier, the possibility existed that the Hoplani might some day reach into Branid and become a direct threat.  Even those individuals saw the threat as sometime far off, as the creatures would have to first traverse the mountainous regions of Lopal.  Many weeks of warning would be expected before the creatures could even reach the border of Branid.

The first Hoplani through the
Bypass
charged through the crowded market place trampling the nearest screaming humans as they ran from the abrupt transition of the
Bypass
seeking something familiar.  The screaming and running of the humans further distracted them, and they began firing the blasts of killing energy from the horns along the top of their heads.  Many of the blasts missed, but given the density of Hoplani and the number of fleeing humans, far too many of the blasts found a target.  Some victims were killed outright, whereas other were badly burned, collapsing from the trauma.  Many of these were trampled by the charging beasts, while others could only hope that help would arrive to save them.

Within seconds the market became a jumbled and disorganized mess of overturned stands, widely scattered goods that had only moments before been offered for sale, dead and dying of all ages, and hundreds of screaming, fleeing individuals, pushing, shoving, and trying to be the first out of the area.  The panic only made matters worse, and many of those who might have escaped had a less panicked approach to getting away been pursued, died as a result.

Not too far away, Benni watched the destruction his actions had unleashed upon the citizens of Sulen.  He had hoped to deposit the small herd of Hoplani into the courtyard of the castle itself, but he’d discovered that both here and in Kellmore, it was impossible to make a
Doorway
onto the grounds of the castles.  At first he’d been surprised and wondering what he was doing wrong, but after a little experimentation he’d come to the conclusion that the castles were being protected somehow.  That had led him to change his strategy.  The small herd of Hoplani he’d found had been on the run when he’d opened the
Doorway
directly in their path.  Most of the herd had missed the opening, but those that had charged into the arch had been transported here.  He’d arrived after the first of the herd, stepping into a side street where he could watch the results unobserved and out of danger.  When he saw the scale of destruction he momentarily felt a pang of guilt, but then he recalled that the Saltique had said these were the enemy, and that they threatened the future of Sedfair.  Even though none of those in the square were wizards or guardsmen, the terror would serve to warn the Three Kingdoms what they could expect if they continued to pursue the war.

The citizens of Sulen were fortunate that the castle was close.  Because of the ongoing situation with the Guild, a number of wizards had been temporarily located where they could help protect the King and Queen.  It didn’t take long before news of the Hoplani reached those in the castle, and shortly thereafter five men and women appeared, releasing precise beams of
Brightfire
into the Hoplani.  Benni had to respect the strength and skill with which they attacked the beasts.  While the first group was busy, an even larger force of wizards appeared and proceeded to help finish off the remaining beasts.  It was time for him to leave before he was noticed.  Future efforts would have to be directed to places a little less likely to have wizards nearby.  He didn’t know how so many had been directed to the site so quickly, but he was certain having the castle nearby was part of the problem.

The second attack was both more and less successful.  A far greater number of Hoplani were routed from the Ruins into the target area, this time through four separate
Doorways
simultaneously.  Despite the fact the attack happened the day after the Hoplani had been sent into Sulen, Benni was not involved in this effort.  A force of six Senior Casters, part of the force that Carif had sent into the Three Kingdoms, had planned and executed this attack. 

More than three hundred Hoplani fled in panic and confusion from the four
Doorways
into the open valley that was filled with the tents in the home village of Lopal’s Lamane.  Unlike the castles of the other leaders, the Lamane lived in the style of his ancestors, and the large cloth tents that formed the village were augmented with only a few wooden structures.  The tents provided no protection against the charging herd, and any encountered were quickly swept away.  Any individuals inside the first tents to be struck were killed by the charging beasts.  Then, as the alarm spread, the people fled the fragile structures, many jumping on horses and grabbing children and women, rode for cover, away from the charging beasts.

Os’car, the Lamane of Lopal, stepped from his tent in the center of the village, and quickly saw what was happening.  The few wizards who lived in the village gathered round to protect him, as did the two dozen patrolmen with their new wands.  They could create
Brightfire
as well.  The Lamane drew one of his swords, the one with the special blade that could cut through the rock hard hide of the Hoplani.  He had killed more than one of the beasts, and he would show his people how to stand against the creatures.

The first wave of Hoplani were cut down by the blasts of magic from the assembled group.  Blast after blast of
Brightfire
sliced into the charging herd, each beam bringing one of the mindless creatures to ground.  One that got unusually close was dispatched by the Lamane, his sword coming down in a powerful sweep that severed the head of the beast from its body.

They might have won, but by sheer chance, the charging beasts from the second wave bunched up, and more than could be handled bore down on the assembled wizards.  Despite the intensity of their magic, there were too many of the creatures, and when it became apparent that they could not withstand the charge, the group broke for cover.  Several were trampled, and two were burned by the dozens of random blasts of magic from the charging creatures.  When the dust cleared and the last of the Hoplani had fled into the distance, less than half of them killed, the survivors found the bodies of three of the wizards next to that of the Lamane.  Those who had stood their ground had perished.  More than eighty villagers had died as well.  The villagers hadn’t been the primary target, but the panic that their deaths would cause would spread when other villages learned.  The Guild’s Casters had hoped to kill the leader of Lopal, and in that they had been successful.

Over the next week, three more villages were attacked by the beasts.  In all cases it was the same.  There was no warning.  Suddenly, out of nowhere, the charging, snorting, magic shooting creatures ravaged the populated center of a small town or village.  The message was clear.  There was no way to tell where the next attack would occur.  The Casters could seek out herds of Hoplani anywhere in the Wastelands along the border of Lopal, and could deposit them in any location of the Three Kingdoms.  Everyone was at risk.  There were simply not enough wizards or patrolmen to station forces in all villages.  The Casters themselves could be hiding anywhere.  They didn’t need to return to Sedfair after each attack.  They could have set up camp anywhere in the vast reaches of the Three Kingdoms, and could use their
Bypass
portals to move quickly between locations.  Finding them would be almost impossible, and even if they were located, they could disappear in a matter of moments to a new location.

Standing on a hill along the south edge of the valley, were those responsible for the murderous attacks.  Benni was now one of their number, having linked up with the group as he’d scouted the same herd they had been considering for an attack.  Satisfied with the result of their latest efforts, the six Casters made a
Doorway
and disappeared back to the camp they had established in a remote area of Lopal, well away from people and the Hoplani.  They would continue the attacks for another week before returning to Sedfair to report the results to Carif.

One similar attack had been triggered in Sedfair.  Carif had directed that a herd of the Chulls be released into Nals, which was now a strong supporter of Queen Rosul.  The woman had poisoned the nobility against her.  She hoped to send a message to the nobles who had chosen to support the Queen and new vision of the Guild just what their decision would mean to them.  The results had been less dramatic than she’d hoped, although a number of citizens had been killed and she had made them realize what she could do. 

Nals had too many Casters on hand, and the herd had been far too quickly destroyed.  Carif didn’t want to initiate such attacks throughout Sedfair.  That would cause a general uprising against her, and make her situation less tenable.  She would have to consider other ways to make those in Nals regret their position.  Meanwhile, she considered how she might be able to eliminate the remaining leaders in the Three Kingdoms.  That was the more pressing goal.  She would also like to find some means of reaching the heads of their wizard organization, but as yet hadn’t come up with a plan that had any chance of success.  She’d had her people scout their Outpost, and sooner or later she would think of a way.

“I’ve never fully understood Casters and their ability with
Doorways
,” Rigo said.

“In what way?” Ardra asked.  She, Rigo, and Lyes were sitting in what had formerly been the office of Carif.  Now it was used as a conference room for both of the temporary leaders, each of whom had an office on either side of the room.

“All wizards can make
Bypass
portals, or
Doorways
, as you call them.  It is one of the most easily learned skills.  Yet here in Sedfair, even many of the most accomplished Casters cannot do so.  Only a fraction of your people can open a
Doorway
, and the abilities vary greatly between those people.”

“That’s true, but what are you looking to understand?” Lyes asked.

Rigo pointed to Ardra.  “You can make a
Doorway
.  But that’s about it.  Lyes can make
Doorways
, but he is also able to mask the end points.  Others have additional skills in their ability to detect either the presence of a
Doorway
or the endpoints or both.”

“You have the ability to mask any
Doorway
you make now as well,” Lyes pointed out.

“Yes, and it’s going to be very useful.  We have found that over half of inherent wizards are able to ‘learn’ the ability that you passed to Jeen.  That includes those of your fellows who have only recently been advanced to full wizard status.  Hopefully it is something we can keep secret from those who might be informants for the missing Carif.  I believe the ability will be quite useful, and Carif probably believes you are the only one on our side with the ability.  Our arrival at the Guild the day we launched the attack came as a complete shock to her. ”

“So, what are you trying to understand?” Ardra asked.

“You’ve explained that there are those who can detect the creation of unmasked
Doorways
, including the endpoints.  When Jeen helped me escape, we were tracked by someone with that ability.  They could follow exactly where we were going.  It was very effective and almost got us recaptured.  Yet we seem to have no one among our people with that ability.”

“The detection skill is far rarer,” Lyes admitted.  “Even more so than the ability to create masked
Doorways
.  I know that Carif has the ability, and it is said that several of her Specialists do as well.  Any other Casters with the skill must have been in her select group.  She probably sought out those who could monitor
Doorways
.  It would be useful given the actions she had planned.”

“Can those who can detect the existence of a
Doorway
always detect the endpoints?” Rigo asked.

“I don’t know,” Lyes admitted.  “I would guess that some can detect just the creation, while others can detect both creation and endpoints.”

Ardra shook her head.  She didn’t know either.

“Can anyone defeat the masking, and find an endpoint which is supposedly hidden?”

“I’ve never heard of that,” Lyes said.  “It is the kind of ability that one would want to keep secret if it existed.  It would be extremely useful.  Carif never discovered the
Doorways
I made between Nals and the island, so I would guess she lacks that ability.”

Rigo sat in thought.  There was too much that wasn’t known, and even if they could find answers, they wouldn’t help what he needed.  He needed someone who had the ability that all of them lacked.  Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be a way to fill the need.

“You are hoping we have someone who can monitor the creation of
Doorways
and locate the endpoints, aren’t you?” Ardra asked.

Rigo nodded.  “It’s the only way I can see where we have any hope of tracking down Carif and her renegade Casters.  They are able to move too freely.  That’s true both here and in the Three Kingdoms.  They can cause their mischief, then slip away.  From what you have said, only a handful have the masking ability, so while those individuals might be able to escape our notice, if we could monitor the movement of others, we might get an idea where they are planning on striking, and where they might be hiding.  If they made an appearance, and we could get someone with the skill in place before the trace faded, we could follow them wherever they went.”

“It would indeed be useful,” Lyes agreed, “but we have polled all with the ability to make
Doorways
, and none have admitted to the ability to do what you seek.” 

“How did Carif’s people learn the skill?” Rigo wondered aloud.

“Perhaps it is inherent.  I have at least one ability that appears to be unique,” Lyes reminded him.  “It’s also possible the reason that Carif destroyed her residence was to ensure the secret to such skills did not fall into our hands.  It is likely there are other abilities we have no awareness of that have also been lost.”

“It seems our only hope will be to watch for one of the renegade Casters and hope we can capture her before she can escape,” Rigo said.  He knew that a brutal interrogation followed by an in-depth Reading was planned for any Casters who were caught.  A check of those listed as having won the staff showed that nearly eighty Casters were as yet unaccounted for.  The number might even be greater as their estimate of the number killed was rough, and it was possible, perhaps even likely, that not all names had been placed on the list.  Rigo wouldn’t be surprised if Carif had a group that she had kept completely secret. 

“All Casters now wear clothing with a red and blue circle died into the pattern around the arms,” Ardra said.  “It is not talked about, but any Caster who is spotted without the appropriate colors will be suspect.  We have distributed the blocking bands widely, in hopes we can capture someone for questioning.”

They all knew that any encounter was likely to end with an exchange of magic rather than a capture.  Slipping one of the bands on someone who knew what they were wouldn’t be easy.  The renegade Casters would also know what fate awaited them if captured, and would be inclined to fight to the death rather than surrender.  Whoever was quickest was likely to be the only survivor of any such encounters. 

“We know they are out there,” Lyes said.  “Several that are on the list have been spotted, but they quickly disappeared.  We don’t have any idea where, of course.  In other areas, there have been indications that Carif’s people have been in the area.  The locals have informed us after the fact.  We don’t know what they are planning and why they are visiting the places they are.  There doesn’t appear to be a meaningful pattern.”

“And back home they are free to release Hoplani on unsuspecting villages wherever they wish,” Rigo said angrily.  

Suline closed the
Ghost Doorway
as the meeting ended.  It was ironic that the new leaders of the Guild used the very office in which Carif had held most of her meetings.  Suline had heard the former Saltique making her plans with members of the Eight in that very office before she had been chased out of Nals.  The attacks that were planned against the Three Kingdoms, including the idea of turning the fierce Chulls onto the innocent population, which now appeared to be happening, had been made while Suline monitored.  She’d also heard Carif planning attacks on the various leaders, and her hopes for a chance to kill Queen Rosul, who she obviously hated.  Now, she was able to listen in as the wizard named Rigo, obviously far more important than she ever would have guessed, discussed the matter with the two unlikely new Guild leaders. 

The war between the former Saltique and those who supported Queen Rosul was likely to continue for a very long time.  Rigo was correct that the ability to instantly relocate was an ability that was difficult to overcome without the ability to track the destinations.  An ability she had.  An ability they needed.  She had the skill to monitor
Doorways
, although she could no more track a masked
Doorway
than anyone else.  Even so, what she was capable of would be a major boon to the effort to bring a stop to the terrorist acts that Carif was engaged in.  She wondered if her ability could be learned by the wizards.  It appeared they were adept at learning new skills and from what she had overheard, many now possessed the ability to mask their
Doorways
.

There was more.  She knew things Queen Rosul’s forces needed to know.  She knew that Carif had relocated to Yaul.  Suline didn’t know where in Yaul, but she’d listened in as Carif and Ensay had talked about the backup location to be used in the event something unexpected happened.  Suline had to assume that was where they had gone, but when they had fled Nals in the heat of the battle, they’d used masked
Doorways
, so she hadn’t been able to track their flight.  Suline also knew of the existence of the three camps where the Casters had gone.  She knew exactly where one of them was located, and the general part of Sedfair where the others were located. 

Despite the personal risk, Suline had decided she couldn’t stand by idle any longer.  For one thing, she had to be on the list that Ardra and Lyes had created.  She hadn’t been found, so they must be assuming she was aligned with Carif.  Since she’d been instrumental in bringing Rigo in originally, that was supporting evidence in their minds.  That made her a target for every Caster in Sedfair.  Hiding would be much harder with that many looking for her.  More importantly, she didn’t like what the former Saltique was doing, and felt an obligation to all who possessed magical skills to stop her.  It would be dangerous.  Trying to turn herself in would have to be done carefully.  More importantly, she had to do it in a manner that would ensure her a chance to speak with Ardra, Lyes, or the foreign wizard Rigo. 

She’d considered several times how she might approach the matter.  She could tell the castle was off limits to
Doorways
, although the response to appearing inside might have been more dramatic than she wished anyway.  The outsiders had managed to somehow prevent the formation of
Doorways
anywhere within the castle grounds.  That would mean relocating to somewhere in Nals, then approaching the guards and Casters who watched the perimeter of the castle.  Could she count on being restrained and not killed outright?  Based on what she had heard, there was hope.  Ardra and Lyes wanted one of Carif’s Casters for information.  That suggested they would have passed orders to capture if possible.  She’d have to use her staff to travel to Nals, then either dispose of it, or quickly hand it over to one of the guards.  Being seen with one of the staffs could prove dangerous.  She would have to modify one of her blouses before making the attempt so that it sported the identifying bands that cleared Casters were supposed to be wearing.  She wondered how long before Carif’s people caught onto that.  Since only the Queen’s Casters were aware, there might be some hope of it remaining secret for a while.

Nervously she paced the small room while she tried to make up her mind.  The wizard Rigo had reason to hate her.  Would he be willing to listen?  They would have to allow her access to her staff if she was to demonstrate her abilities to them.  Would they be willing to do that?  They would be giving her the ability to make a
Doorway
and escape.  Yet, she would have turned herself in.  They’d have to know she could have continued to avoid capture if she wished.  The loyalty test was the key.  Once she’d passed that, they would have to believe her.  Suline was a little worried about the loyalty test.  She wasn’t loyal to Carif, at least not any longer.  However, she’d never been particularly aware of Queen Rosul as a leader.  Suline had always looked to the Guild as the guiding light in her life.  Would that cause a poor showing in the test?

There was only one way to find out.  She stood suddenly and retrieved her staff.  She tied small colored ribbons around her arms to simulate the colored bands, careful to make sure the proper colors were on the assigned arms.  Then she made a masked
Doorway
to a spot she knew a couple of blocks from the castle.  Once there, she slid her staff into a gap between two buildings she knew of.  That’s one reason she had chosen this particular location.  Then, with a deep breath, she stepped out of the alley and started toward the castle.

“No one enters the castle without being invited and escorted by someone known to the Guard,” the middle-aged swordsman said when she approached the outer perimeter.

“I must speak with the wizard Rigo, or with the new leaders of the Guild,” Suline informed him.  When he was about to protest, she added, “I’m a Caster.  I’m certain they are looking for me.  They think I’m one of Carif’s.”

The guardsman paled visibly at her final statements, and he backed away a step before he caught himself.  He looked around quickly, and caught the eye of one of the roving Casters, who hurried over.  The Caster stared at Suline, and then seemed to recognize her.  Suline thought she’d seen the woman before as well, although she couldn’t remember when.  Both the guardsman and the Caster were clearly looking for her staff or any other sign of Caster materials.  Before she realized what was happening, the sweating Guardsman had grabbed her wrist, and the approaching Caster had clamped one of the blocking armbands over it.  Suline knew she would now be unable to perform any magic.  The guardsman knew it too, and he regained some of his former bluster.