Master Mage (18 page)

“I wish I could see you two off, but I
still have much left to do before the next attack,” Thad said,
carefully handing the bag of orbs over his shoulder.

“We will see each other again,” Marcus
replied, giving Thad a sly wink.

After leaving the barracks, Thad
started making his way through the fort, placing the orbs
sporadically in the ground. He had placed more than fifty of them
around the camp in the past days, most of them around the entrances
of the tunnels. It wasn’t perfect, but it should slow down the Rane
army and keep them from following behind them. Once his bag was
empty, Thad discarded it upon the ground and headed back to his
tent.

It was an odd feeling as Thad started
placing all his belongings within his pack. The last thing to go
was the tent itself. If he was lucky enough to have another night
within the confines of the camp, he would have to do with the
barracks or the ground. He wasn’t going to risk having to leave
them behind.

As soon as the tent was safely put
away, Thad looked around and noticed that many of the Katanga had
already taken down their tents as well. It was the final
realization that they had lost the fort. The elfin army was still a
few days away at best, and even with their numbers, they would
still be greatly outnumbered, and Rane hadn’t even committed all
the troops that the initial reports had indicated they had
available.

“I see you are ready to leave,” Parson
said, coming up beside Thad. “Avalanche, Arianna, as well as most
of the elves have already moved back.”

“I wish we could have held out even for
a day more,” Thad said, the disappointment evident in his
voice.

“We don’t always get what we want, my
young friend.”

Thad gave the tall elf a wan smile as
he hefted the pack onto his back. “Neither do we always get what we
need.”

Leaving his friend behind, Thad made
his way toward the eastern wall. Numerous soldiers still worked to
strengthen it, but it was clear that there was little that could be
done. For a moment, Thad thought about trying to bring up the
earth, much like he had done back in Rane, but he knew that it
would take him more than a few days to cover the open parts, and it
would leave him completely sapped.

Thad climbed the last standing tower
and looked out over the field. The Rane army was amassing, and Thad
could tell it was for a final strike. It would still be hours
before Rane would take the field, but that seemed like only a
moment given how many people were left to get through the
tunnels.

Thad slumped onto the wooden floor of
the tower. By nightfall, the fort would be lost and many lives with
it. There was no way they were going to get everyone out before
Rane attacked.

Thad jumped from the tower, letting his
magic carry him to the ground. Thad found Bache outside of the
command center, barking orders. “Master Thad, you still hanging
about?” Bache yelled as soon as his eyes settled on
Thad.

“We need to get everyone out as soon as
possible. Rane is amassing for a final assault,” Thad said with
urgency.

“I have received the same reports, but
I don’t think we can get everyone through the tunnel to Lady
Emeriss’s estate. We can try open ground, but that will make it
obvious we are abandoning the fort,” the general said, his face
pinched in concentration.

“Have the soldiers take any tunnel they
can to escape. Once they are away from the fort, they can then make
their way to the estate. I don’t care how, but you must get every
soul you can out of here within the hour.”

“I will see what I can do,” Bache
replied before turning around and shouting for men to head for the
other tunnels as well.

Thad watched for a moment to make sure
that the soldiers were leaving. Looking around to make sure Killian
wasn’t around, Thad headed back to the eastern wall to await the
Rane army.

CHAPTER XIV

Thad stood in the tower, waiting for
the attack to start. It had already been more than an hour since
the forces had looked ready to move, yet they still held
back.

Thad didn’t know why, but he felt
relieved when the army started its march. The number of soldiers
that now moved toward Digger’s Fort was far beyond anything they
had faced yet; they were at least ten thousand strong. With good
walls and a healthy force, they might have been able to hold them
at bay, but they had neither.

The boulders from the siege weapons
rained down upon them almost as a signal that the battle had truly
started. Thad saved his energy, only knocking aside the stones that
threatened him or the tower on which he stood.

Each time one of the boulders struck
one of the few defenders that had elected to stay back, Thad felt a
pang of guilt run through his body.

You don’t plan to stay until
your death, do you?

Thad looked at the oncoming force and
shuddered. “No,” he replied sorrowfully. “I will stay for as long
as I can. I don’t want to collapse the tunnels on anyone trying to
get through.”

I still think it’s foolish,
but I can see it’s pointless to try and dissuade you. Just try not
to get yourself killed.

Pulling one of his rings from a pouch,
Thad slipped it on his finger and activated it, putting a strong
shield up. Once he was shielded, Thad raised his staff and sent a
bolt of energy arcing across the ground below, striking a line of
soldiers carrying small ladders.

Bending down, Thad picked up a
discarded bow most likely dropped by one of the fleeing or dead
soldiers. Pulling an arrow from one of the hanging quivers, Thad
pulled back and fired. His aim was true, and the arrow cut through
the air, striking a Rane soldier who was climbing up the steep
embankment in the chest.

Thad continued to fire arrow after
arrow until the quiver was empty. Looking around, Thad spotted
another quiver, but before he could move toward it, a boulder came
crashing into the base of the tower. Thad jumped, using his magic
to guide him safely to what was left of the ramparts of the nearby
wall.

As Thad got to his feet, the blade of a
Rane sword came narrowly close to his throat before being stopped
by his shield. Ignoring the sword, Thad struck out with his staff,
sending a bolt of energy straight into the soldier. Turning around,
Thad dropped the bow and drew his sword.

The enemy was coming over the wall in
increasing numbers with each passing moment. Looking around at the
beat and battered wall as more soldiers climbed onto the
battlements, Thad knew it was time for him to leave.

Jumping from the wall, Thad let his
magic carry him down as he rushed toward the tunnel leading west
toward Lady Emeriss’s estate. No more than three strides into his
escape, three Rane soldiers cut him off.

You should have left sooner.
Now you will be lucky to reach a tunnel alive.

“Stop being such a bother. We aren’t in
trouble yet,” Thad said as he pulled a small glass orb from his
pouch and threw it on the ground.

As the glass orb ruptured, the area
around Thad was filled by a thick fog. Letting his magical eye slip
into its night sight, Thad could clearly see everything around him.
Jumping to the left, Thad skirted around the nearest opponent,
letting the blade of his sword slip across the man’s throat as he
passed.

As soon as he was past the first man,
Thad darted to the next as he let out a bolt of energy from his
staff at the other. Unable to see, the Rane soldier had no chance
to stop the blade that took his feet out from under him. Thad
quickly shoved a good three inches of steel into the soldier’s
chest to stop his cries from alerting others.

After a quick look to make sure the
other soldier was out of the fight, Thad continued his rush toward
safety. As he approached where the nearest entrance to the tunnels
was, Thad saw what he feared most. The Rane soldiers had captured
one of the Farlan forces trying to escape and were now entering the
tunnels to catch the others.

Cursing to himself, Thad changed
direction, heading to the nearest tunnel entrance, not caring where
it might lead. He found what he was looking for less than fifty
yards away, and without slowing down, he used his staff to blow a
hole in the thick wood and dirt covering the hidden
passage.

The tunnel he had entered was narrow
and so short that Thad was forced into a slight crouch as he ran.
It was hard to tell which direction he was running in or how long
the shaft was, but he continued on despite the worries.

A short while later, Thad reached the
end of the tunnel and quickly climbed out to find himself in a
thick grove of trees to the south of Digger’s Fort. From where he
stood, Thad could clearly see the soldiers as they continued to
climb over the fort’s now-destroyed walls. Thad pulled a small
copper orb from his pouch and held it in his hand. After giving a
short prayer that all who were within the tunnel were now safely at
their destination, he released the globe’s enchantment.

Thad heard the loud eruption from where
he stood. He watched as a large cloud of dust rose up from the
fort. When the faint echoes of screaming men reached his ears, he
decided it was time to go.

Though Thad had explored the
surrounding area of the fort with Killian, he was unfamiliar with
his current location. He knew that he was south of the fort, but
that was about the extent of his knowledge. Using the sun as a
compass, Thad continued moving northwest in hopes of reaching the
Emeriss estate or at least a location he knew better.

After traveling for some time, Thad
found himself near the wood line. Off in the distance, Thad noticed
the slave academy. He was finally in an area he knew, but he was
far off course. Beneath the dense trees, he had tried to use the
location of the sun the best he could, but instead of moving
northeast, he had wandered southeast.

As he looked at the large fortlike
academy, Thad wished that it had been better positioned. If it had
just been a few miles north, it would have made a perfect staging
place for their army. As it was, the academy sat in the middle of a
forest and would most likely be completely bypassed by the Rane
forces, making it useless.

Night was quickly approaching, and Thad
decided that a stay in his old home would be preferable to the
night air and elements. The closer he came to the academy, the more
he began to think of his childhood there. So much had changed over
the past six years. Back then, he had nothing other than the desire
to learn everything he could so that he might be purchased by a
high-ranking noble.

Thad was surprised when he found the
large double doors leading into the academy unlocked. Nervously,
Thad pushed in on the door and entered the large
building.

As soon as he was inside, Thad could
feel the warm air brushing over his skin, letting him know that the
fireplaces were still in use. He was sure that the academy had
received a notification of evacuation.

“Young man, what are you doing within
the chambers unescorted?” a loud shrill voice echoed from behind
him. Turning around, Thad saw one of the mothers stalking toward
him, her face pinched in anger. “Answer me. Where is your
master?”

“Back at the palace, Mother,” Thad
answered sheepishly.

Are you really going to bow
for these women? You don’t even let the so-called queen speak to
you in such a manner.

Thuraman was right. Why was he being so
meek? While he was by right the queen’s slave, she had given him
more power than most of the nobles. “Why have you people not
evacuated?” Thad asked, raising his head and trying his best to put
the sound of authority in his voice.

“How dare you question me,” the woman
began to stutter before Thad cut her off.

“I can see that talking to you will
garner me nothing. Take me to see the matron,” Thad stated clearly,
but the woman’s face turned red, and Thad knew she would be of
little help. “If you do not wish to cooperate, then I shall find it
myself. I am sure I can remember where it was.”

Thad marched down the hall, trying to
recall the building. Even during his years at the academy, it was
rare for him to enter the Mothers’ Sanctum, as the boys had called
it. The woman who had met him near the entrance continued to follow
him, yelling for him to stop, but he paid her little heed. After a
few turns, Thad noticed the large dark oaken door that he had once
stood in front of years ago.

Not wanting to be rude, Thad rapped
lightly on the door. When no answer was garnered, Thad rapped
again, so hard this time his knuckles stung slightly. A few moments
later, the door swung open, and Thad saw the matron, who had once
comforted him after he had met his so-called mother. “What is all
this commotion about?” she yelled, looking at the screaming mother,
then to Thad.

“Matron, it has been a long while since
we have last spoke,” Thad said, bowing his head. “May I come
in?”

The matron stepped aside, letting Thad
into her office against the complaints of the other mother. The
matron held up her hand, silencing the other woman, and gave her a
scathing glare. “Mellissa, did you not happen to notice the brand
on his forehead? He is the personal slave of the queen. Do you
really want to continue this?” The mother remained silent and
backed away a step before bowing and disappearing down the long
corridor.