Into The Ruins (76 page)

“There is no cure?”

“Some of our healers have magic that could cure it,” Daria said.  “Nothing else I’ve ever heard of.  I don’t think the healing ability of the Casters will be sufficient.”

“What of the Queen?” Nycoh asked.

“She was supposed to go into the command center,” Rigo replied, suddenly anxious to know about Mitty.  “Let’s go and see.”

Queen Rosul was found healthy and fretting in the lower levels.  They provided her a summary of the battle and asked that she stay put a while longer until it was certain all of the renegade Casters had been killed or had fled.  Rigo was anxious to go in search of Mitty, who had never come to the room.

He headed first to her quarters, and searched the rubble.  Had she been there she would have died.  No one could have lived through the destruction that had taken place there.  He asked everyone he saw if they had seen her, but no one could recall seeing her since well before the attack.  Heart tight in his chest, Rigo continued the search, Daria and Kaler aiding him.  The word started to spread, with the guardsmen now looking as well.  Rigo thought they had looked everywhere, when Daria appeared, signaling him to come.

“She’s in the medical room,” she said.  Before Rigo could ask, the fear clear in his face, Daria added.  “She’s been helping the wounded.  There are hundreds of people who have been burned or struck by flying rock.  Many have broken bones or crushed limbs.  She’s been here the whole time.  We need to get some of our healers here.”

“Tell Nycoh,” Rigo said, as he hurried toward the makeshift hospital.

It was several days before the extent of the losses were fully known.  More than five hundred had died as a result of the combined Hoplani and Caster attack.  Most had been the innocents outside the Castle, but over thirty of the Queen’s wizards had fallen, as had another dozen of the Guild’s loyal Casters.  Kall had been killed.  The Chulls hadn’t gotten him.  One of Carif’s Casters had recognized him as he led the guardsmen against the Chulls, and had killed him outright with a burst of magic.  More than fifty guardsmen had died fighting the beasts.  The numbers would have been far higher had it not been for the healing performed by the Outposts healers. 

Queen Rosul had almost collapsed upon learning of Kall’s death.  She demanded to be taken to the body, and spent the night alone in the small room where they had placed his body at her direction.  The emptiness in her eyes the following morning was plain for all to see, and tears rolled down her face that evening when his body was consumed by the bonfire that released his spirit.

The Guild Headquarters was a loss as Ardra had said.  That probably wasn’t a bad thing.  The building was a symbol of something that needed changing.  The castle was severely damaged, but in time could be repaired.  Queen Rosul was in no hurry, and was considering a much different kind of place as a replacement.  That was something to be decided later.

Carif had escaped, maybe.  Rigo would have liked a body, but they simply didn’t know her fate.  Two of her Specialists were also missing.  Ensay who had been helping her against Nycoh was gone, and the older Shym was also not among the bodies.  Of course, some were burned beyond recognition, so there was a small chance she had been killed.  How many rebel Casters were still out there was also unknown.  It wasn’t many, maybe a handful.  No more large scale attacks would be possible, but they would have to remain vigilant.  The former Saltique and her supporters had shown themselves to be a vengeful lot.

Winter came suddenly.  It was colder than it had been in many years, and the severity of the snows, while covering much of the damage inflicted by the battles, delayed any serious rebuilding.  Plans were made however, and come the spring, a new and different plan for the seat of Sedfair’s government would be presented to the people.  Instead of a protective castle, a series of buildings housing the various functions of state would be proposed.  The royal family would live in one of the newly designed buildings.  Extensive use would be made of the land that connected the University and the former castle.  In addition to the seat of government, an open park would be created, and the once separate Guild would become just one of the branches of government. 

Of course, at this point it was merely a proposal.  Queen Rosul had already announced the planned elections come the following summer.  Rosul had proposed a modification of the voting rules.  Each of Sedfair’s recognized nobles would be allowed one vote.  The people of each village were also allowed to vote.  The individual votes wouldn’t count for as much as one of the noble’s votes.  Instead, each village was allocated a total number of counting votes based on population.  Then based on votes actually cast, a percentage of the allocation would be validated and would be counted in the selection of the new ruler.  If half the people voted, then half of the allocated votes would be activated. 

The rules governing who could run were much more open, and posted so all could see.  Already, more than twenty candidates had declared themselves, and were actively pursuing support in their respective cities.  Many were not qualified, and would fall out of the competition rather quickly, but Rosul was reassured to see that a number were potentially good leaders, and the ideas they were putting forth were diverse and in some cases novel.  One man had also declared himself a candidate.  While most scoffed at the idea, Rosul would be interested in seeing how he performed.  However it worked out, come the end of summer she would no longer be responsible.  With the loss of most of her family, and in particular Kall, she was eager to pass the reigns of governing to someone else.

Fortunately, with the snows had come a great quiet.  Nothing had been heard from Carif or her fellow rebel Casters.  No one knew whether she lived or had perished from the arrow that Daria had shot into her hip.  While most hoped for her death, hopefully an agonizing one, there were those that would have felt better to have a body to substantiate the rumors she had passed.  The Hoplani herds had been thinned to the point only random creatures were seen, and those easily dispatched.  The threat that had pointed to the destruction of the Three Kingdoms and a continuous battle for Sedfair, appeared to be past.  Even Daim was impressed with what Rigo’s often troubled adventures into the Ruins had accomplished.

Even the Baldari appeared to have disappeared.  There hadn’t been an attack in many months.  While the respite was most likely due to the severity of the winter, many couldn’t help but hope they had finally given up, and wouldn’t be a problem come the spring.  Others predicted renewed attacks once the weather improved.

In the Three Kingdoms, the scars resulting from Carif’s attacks with the Hoplani were slowly healing.  The dead had been buried, and while many still grieved, and more than one village no longer existed because of the reign of terror, the survivors now felt confident that the sudden, gut wrenching appearance of the fearsome Hoplani was a thing of the past.  With the herds eliminated, and Carif and her followers all dead, or so reduced in number to be ineffective, life could return to normal.  In Lopal, a new Lamane had been chosen.  Hopefully, this one would endure longer than the more recent leaders.  Lopal had not known such a turnover in leadership in hundreds of years.

Nycoh had resigned as leader of the wizards.  She had tired of administrative duties and wished to pursue her own path.  She was changing, and she explained she felt a new strength within that she wished to explore.  Some of her new abilities she had attempted to share, but unlike the other powers shared by the wizards, the transfer of her new abilities was not so simple.  She suggested that those who wished to gain her skills study the runes and glyphs, and the symbolic magic of Sedfair.  That was where she had found the key to growth.  A few tried, but thus far none had matured as she had. 

She traveled often between Sedfair and the Outpost.  She and Ash’urn studied the texts that had been recovered from the Guild’s Headquarters.  Frequently they met with scholars from the Guild’s University.  For them, it was almost like the days when Nycoh was a youth, and they had poured through the library of the Outpost.

Nycoh had persuaded Daim to consider leadership of the Outpost.  He had a maturity and vision of history broader than anyone.  While he had the wisdom of age, he was young, and even after a few years as the Outpost’s leader, he would still be young enough to be able to pursue his own interests. 

Rigo spent most of his time in Sedfair.  He was convinced that it was the land of his birth, and that was where Mitty was.  Daria and Kaler had finally decided he was safe enough, and returned home.  More than once, Mitty and Rigo had visited them, and she was now one of their close little group.  Jeen, of course, was Mitty’s first and closest friend from the Three Kingdoms.  Fortunately, Mitty’s nightmares had become less frequent, although occasionally she would wake at night and clutch Rigo close, her body shivering.  Rigo never pressed for an explanation, but he wished the time when Mitty felt she could reveal what it was that she was seeing would come soon.  As it was, he felt more than a little helpless.

The oases in the Ruins were no longer manned.  The protective netting had been removed, and the oases were open.  Carif, if she survived, had few followers, and they had shown they didn’t need the oases that the Three Kingdoms had protected to make the crossing.  It was an unprofitable use of manpower to attempt to block the passageways any longer.  Oasis Four, which had long overlooked the
Dunerider
village was deserted.  Rigo had passed through the village two months earlier, and was surprised to see that the
Duneriders
had disappeared.  They had returned after the farms had been destroyed, and had been there when the wizards had left the oasis, but now were nowhere to be seen.  Rigo had ventured down into the tunnel where the
Duneriders
were manufactured, and none were being created.  The tunnel was bare and empty.

There were still a few Hoplani.  He saw more than a hundred of the beasts wandering randomly around the outskirts of the village.  More were being made in the small section of the tunnel that had been left intact.  They looked lost and uncertain, hardly the same fearsome beasts that had threatened the kingdoms.  Rigo almost felt sorry for them.  They had been left alone because it was thought the
Duneriders
might need them, but given the current situation, Rigo wondered if the remaining creatures should be eliminated, or at least the factory be destroyed so no more were created.  These seemed to serve no purpose.

He’d wandered down into the tunnels that had once produced thousands of the creatures.  They were bare as the day he’d checked after they had destroyed the production cells.  The one disturbing thing he carried away with him was the feel of the walls.  After they had triggered the foil directed
Bypass
, the walls had been smooth and slick.  They had almost felt oiled, with no sensation as he’d run his hands over the glasslike surface.  Now the walls were slightly textured.  He’d looked closely, but couldn’t see anything that would explain the change in sensation, yet his fingers could feel a slight unevenness.  He intended to go back with Ash’urn and Daim at some point and see what they thought.  Now, however, he had a more important matter on his mind.

“You wish to hold it at Lord Chaten’s estate?” Queen Rosul asked.  Rigo and Mitty were talking with her about a proposed Binding ceremony.  “It is to be held during the first weeks of spring?”

Mitty nodded, her eyes alight.  She and Rigo had lived together for many months now, and the pairing was well received by everyone.  They had decided to make the Binding official.

“Lord Chaten feels it would be appropriate,” Rigo explained  “It is all but certain we are relatives, and his gardens would be the perfect place for the event.”

They discussed the advantages and disadvantages of a ceremony in the open gardens as opposed to the more formal and common indoor custom.  There would be no formal announcement.  A private ceremony attended by a small group of close friends was what they wished.  They would pass the word personally to those who would attend.  A separate ceremony would be held a couple of weeks later in the Three Kingdoms to eliminate the necessity of people traveling across the Ruins. 

“The word will still leak out,” Queen Rosul promised.  “There is no way for something like this to remain a complete secret.  Just the preparations will be noticed.”

“Lord Chaten is already arranging most of the items that will be needed,” Mitty explained.  “It will be done slowly so as not to attract undue attention.  We will tell the others only as the date approaches.”

Three months later, the day arrived.  The guests had either arrived the previous evening and had rooms in Lord Chaten’s extensive estate, or had come early in the day.  Covered tables and tents were set up in the far corner of the garden, and the flowered platform where the ceremony would be held could be seen opposite the largest of the tents where the feast was being prepared.  Rigo, Mitty, and Queen Rosul had walked away from the others to speak alone for a few moments.  They were approaching a shaded enclosure some distance from the center of activities, when three figures suddenly materialized in front of them. 

Carif was almost unrecognizable.  She had aged decades since the day of the attack.  Her skin was sallow and wrinkled, and hung loosely from her face.  Her hair was white, stringy, and thin.  In places it had all but fallen out.  Her arms were skinny with twisted bony fingers.  She was hunched as if she were in pain.  With her were Ensay, looking almost unchanged, and another Caster none of them recognized.  Each of them carried a staff with the power crystal aglow.

Almost the instant the three figures appeared, Carif said in a raspy voice, “As fast as you are young wizard, there are three of us and one of you.  You can kill me, perhaps not a bad thing, but before you could do any more, Ensay would kill you, and Mande here will kill your beautiful consort.  Then they will kill Queen Rosul, before they disappear.  You were stupid to come out here alone.  I know you have wizards among the guests, but they are too far away to be of any help.  By the time they realize something is amiss, this will be decided.”  Carif addressed herself to Rigo, since he was the only one of the three with any power that could threaten them.

“What do you want?” Mitty demanded sharply.

“Why, revenge dear girl,” Carif rasped.  “I owe Rosul and this wizard repayment for what they have done to me and my grand plans.  It is very simple.  You can see I hold the upper hand.  And I’ve got nothing to lose.  Whatever was on the arrow your friend shot into me, has ended my life.  Mande here has been able to delay the effects, but not halt them.  For months I was bed ridden, in horrible pain.  Slowly, because of her magic,  I have recovered to the point I can move around and still function.  Function well enough to do what must be done.  I’m still dying, so I lose nothing however this turns out.  At best I have a couple of months left to live, all in pain.  The choice here is simple.  Rosul and Rigo come with me.  Have no doubts.  They will not return.  If you resist, then all of you will die.  I will too, but I do not care so long as I take you with me.  Following my orders is the only way you can save your love, wizard.  What do you say?”

Rigo stared at the ravaged Carif for a long moment. Mitty held onto his arm tightly.  Rigo looked to Rosul, who nodded her acceptance.  Slowly he nodded at Carif.

The former Saltique almost cackled in delight.  “I knew it.”

She raised her hand in a gesture that had once been so familiar as she prepared to open the
Doorway
that would take them away, when someone stepped out of nowhere and clamped a blocking band on her wrist.  Even as that happened, Queen Rosul unleashed a flash of intense magic that simply wiped Ensay from existence.  A less spectacular release of more common
Brightfire
from the figure next to Mitty burned a killing cavity through the chest of Mande, who crumpled and dropped to the ground.

Carif twisted to see who had appeared behind her and was shocked as Rigo stepped into view.  He reached out and took the staff from her.  She was powerless to resist any longer.  Without the strength of her magic, it was all she could do to stand.

“How?” she started to ask, and then turned back to see the illusion drop away from Lyes who had pretended to be Rigo.  Queen Rosul turned out to be Nycoh, who had managed to learn the illusion spell from Lyes some time ago.

Rigo handed the staff to Nycoh.  They finally had acquired one undamaged.  Perhaps she would be able to unravel the clues needed to create the green energy beam from it.  With what they would find on the staff and the clues they would seek in the Reading, Nycoh had been certain the secret would be revealed.

“This was a trap,” Carif hissed, looking at the two people who had moments before seemed to be someone else.  Both were people she hated, but now she was powerless to do anything with her hate.