Rogue Magician (The Magician Rebellion) (36 page)

The
elemental lifted the unconscious black robed magician and encircled the rogue's
head in a giant watery fist. Turshyn felt the water elemental's inner body flow
towards its arm. It was forcing water into the elementalist's throat filling
his lungs with its own body. The unconscious man convulsed slightly in the
spirit's grip for a half minute as if his body was still trying to fight, to
kill, though the man's mind was asleep.

Then
the magician stopped twitching and his body went limp. Turshyn could feel the
elementalist's heartbeat resonating through the water elemental's body as it
slowed. Each beat grew farther apart from the one before it until it stopped
altogether. The elemental creature seemed to relax around Turshyn even as the
necromancer still fought to get free. It released the fire magician's head and
his lifeless body fell to the street like a rag doll.

The
water making up the elemental abruptly lost all form and crashed into the
street as if it was in a barrel that just broke apart. Turshyn was
unceremoniously dropped hard on his butt, but the dull throb he felt was far
out-shined by the wonderful feel of oxygen surging into his lungs as he took
long gasps of breath.

Turshyn
got to his feet as Minnie and Avelice reached him. “Do not worry. I am fine if
somewhat shaken,” Turshyn told them waving off their assistance. He pulled at
his clothes and then his cloak so that they no longer stuck so closely to his
skin. “Where is Mellani?” Turhsyn asked suddenly realizing he had not seen her
since the fire magician hit her with a fireball.

They
did not have to search the area long before a graying middle-aged man came out
of one of the nearby houses and called them over. “You are looking for the
girl?” he asked, “The one that got blasted by that demon-man?” Turshyn nodded.
“Then come with me. She is safe, but in need of a healer's attention.” The trio
of magicians followed the gruff man into his home leaving the handful of
guardsmen to wonder what they had just witnessed.

Mantellus
Firekin was dead, but he served his purpose well, drawing out the magicians
hidden in Lion's Landing like a wheel of cheese attracts rats. It was early
morning when the four magicians tried to sneak out of the city just as the sun
crept over the horizon. Four days had passed since their battle with Mantellus
and the two injured magicians of their group were finally able to make the trek
back to whatever hole they crawled out of.

The
only man in the group, Turshyn, had his left hand completely wrapped in
bandages to prevent infection. Most of the skin was burned off at the wrist
exposing bone and it was only the attention of Ashura’s priests that gave him
any hope of saving the hand. The older girl, Mellani, was also severely injured
with a chest wound that kept her immobilized. If not for the temple's healers
both magicians would have suffered permanent damage. Instead they were able to
travel safely in a matter of days and would be fully healed in a matter of
weeks with proper care and additional treatments.

It
was surprising that the guards made no attempt to arrest the magicians, but
after the display of the water elemental's power the guardsmen undoubtedly felt
outclassed in comparison. Couple that with their misplaced gratitude for
slaying the fire magician that Gilkame set loose and it was easy to see why no
one attempted to capture the magicians. However, they could have sent a summons
to the closest Kenzai outpost explaining the situation and requesting aid, but
that was never done.

Perhaps
this magician support was a more widespread problem in the South Lands, being
far removed from the royals and the more sophisticated members of the nobility.
Bertran made a mental note to petition his highness to investigate this
region's warlord and where his loyalties belonged once this business with
Gilkame and his missing toy was resolved.

Getting
out of the city unnoticed was a difficult trick for the magicians. Most of the
citizens had the good sense to stay away from the battle as it raged on, but
the wizards became quite famous... or infamous with the local guardsmen. That
alone should have been enough to close the city or prevent the magicians from
leaving. However, they had some friends within the temple who were willing to
help them escape unseen. That morning some of the priests loaded a wagon with
medical supplies for the local farmlands beyond the forest. It was a routine
expedition except that this time the priests were smuggling human cargo along
with their bandages and healing salves.

How could the guardsmen fall
for such an obvious ploy?
Bertran wondered,
Or maybe they
knew what was happening all along and simply chose to turn a blind eye allowing
the rogues to escape.

It
was a simple matter for Bertran to follow the magicians after they parted ways
with the priests about an hour into their trip. The magicians progressed slowly
on foot, forced to stop frequently to allow Mellani and Turshyn to rest and it
was late afternoon by the time they reached their encampment.

Bertran
looked around for a good vantage point and found a tree on the edge of the
clearing that looked like it would give him a good view of most of the area. He
grabbed a low hanging branch overhead, wrapping his hands around the limb.
Bertran then planted his feet on the tree's trunk and kicked off, swinging his
legs upward to wrap them around the branch too. The assassin pulled himself up
and once there climbed high enough that he could see all of the clearing easily
and remain concealed in the leaves. He took a spyglass from one of the pockets
sewn into his tunic and began to watch the comings and goings of the denizens
within. The assassin was surprised to see that not only were there more than
the four magicians from the city, they also had a large cabin built, indicating
that they had been here long enough to set down roots especially considering
their close proximity to a major city and port. It was a curious thing to discover
considering that most rogue magicians tended to be more nomadic in their
attempts to avoid the Kenzai.

When
night fell and Bertran was sure that the rogues were asleep he slid down from
his perch. His legs were sore from hours of sitting in the tree and he
stretched them out for a minute until the assassin once again felt loose.

The
challenge of felling nine magicians single-handedly was almost too tempting to
resist, but Bertran quelled his blood thirst and began the long trek back to
Lion's Landing. There were twenty of his fellow assassins lying there in wait
giving them a two to one advantage, but against so many magicians, even if some
were children, it may not be enough.

Hours
passed and the sun was rising once more when Bertran made it back to Lion's
Landing. The assassin was starved, having not eaten since the previous morning,
but Bertran ignored the growls of his stomach even as he passed bakeries and
inns preparing their light morning meals. The smell of freshly baked food
filled Bertran's nose teasing him with every step.

When
he reached The Broken Arrow Inn Bertran found Gilkame Axebeard sitting down to
a plateful of bacon and eggs and washing it down with some watery ale. Bertran
sat across from the dwarf and stared at his plate.

“
Bertran?”
Gilkame asked looking at the assassin sitting across from him with a raised
eyebrow.

The
assassin's belly refused to wait any longer and he waved for the waitress who
came over. “Can you bring me a plate of eggs and bacon?” Bertran asked.

“
Yes,
sir, it will only take a minute,” she told him, leaving to retrieve his order.
The inn was not one of the higher-class establishments that boasted a menu.
There was one meal available for breakfast, another for lunch, and a choice
between two meals for dinner. So the breakfast was already being prepared
before most of the inn's residents were stirring.

When
he was sure that there were no eavesdroppers within earshot Bertran told the
dwarf inventor, “I have found them. There is a whole cell of magicians out in
the woods less than a day’s travel on foot for one who knows the way. There are
nine magicians- three adults, three teenagers, and three young boys.”

“
How
soon until your men will be ready to strike?” Gilkame asked leaning forward.
His breakfast was eagerly forgotten at the prospect of finding his lost
prototype. It was not needed for the dwarf to produce more collars, but he did
not want to leave it unaccounted for in wizard hands lest they figure out a way
to block the effects.

“
There
are a few hidden Kenzai strongholds and a large outpost that is public
knowledge in the region. I will have some of our best riders go to the nearest
ones and petition them to send some of their best hunters and assassins.”
Bertran stopped talking when the waitress arrived with his food and thanked
her. Once she left the assassin continued, “In a few nights we will have even
greater numbers amassed and take this conclave by surprise.” The assassin
stabbed a piece of bacon with force hungrily and added, “There will be no survivors.”

Avelice
was sitting up in her bed before she was fully aware that she was awake. All of
the doors and windows had wards of protection placed on them that would send a
magical wave of energy to the caster like a horn being blown that only Avelice
could hear, but this was far more intense. Something had triggered every ward
at once making the necromancer's ears ring. She fought to ignore the sound and
released the wards ending its loud ringing tone. The necromancer grabbed her
staff from beside here bed and held tightly to it, almost bracing herself.

“
Dear
goddess of death, Kassani, send forth a dark spirit to protect me and my
charges,” Avelice solemnly spoke. A spook, a blood red ghost known for draining
the life energy of its victims, materialized before her eyes. “Find the
intruders in my home and deal with them,” she commanded, “Do with them as you
will.”

The
spook flew out of Avelice's bedroom and through the door, hungry to feast on
the intruders and the summoner followed not far behind. She banged on the doors
as she ran down the upstairs hall hollering for her students. “Get up! Get up!
Get up!” she shouted. “We are under attack!” As if to punctuate that fact a man
let loose a blood curdling scream from the first floor, suddenly finding
himself in the spook's grip.

Rex
was the first one out of his room followed closely by Quevine who started down
the stairs, but Rex grabbed him and pulled his roommate back just in time to
hear the loosing of a crossbow and see a bolt hit the wall where Quevine had
been the moment before.

“
Secure
the top of the steps,” Avelice told them. “We will send spirits down to face
them while keeping the area up here safe and move down with shields and
wielding the elements as needed.” Both of the teens nodded in agreement as did
Minnie who had since emerged from the room she shared with her sister.

Turshyn
stumbled from his room favoring his good arm as he leaned against the wall.
Despite the brave face he had put on for the last few days it was clear that
his injured wrist was paining him as the nerve endings started growing back. “I
can help,” he said. “What do you need of me?”

“
Gather
the children into Mellani's room and stay there with them. If we should fail to
repel the attackers, then it will be up to you to protect them.” Turshyn was
about to argue, but seeing the resolve in his master's eyes did as he was asked
leaving the other magicians to deal with the attack.

Avelice
and the teen magicians stared into the dark at the bottom of the staircase.
“Every ward was triggered at once,” she told them. “That means there are at
least eight intruders down there and probably more. If these are Kenzai, they
never come after us with inferior numbers and never without an organized plan.
They only start battles that they are sure they can win to better perpetuate
the myth that they are superior to us.”

“
Why
are they not attacking?” Quevine asked nervously trying to peer into the
darkness below. A chill aura enveloped the young man so that his breath was
visible when he exhaled, but he seemed not to notice.

Avelice
shrugged. “Perhaps we surprised them. They probably expected to kill us in our
sleep without any resistance. Now they are likely moving into position to
launch an organized assault.”

“
Then
we should rush them before they have the chance,” Rex suggested. Electricity
was already pulsing in his hand in anticipation. Like most elementalists he was
prone to action with little regard for the consequences, reinforcing a belief
that Avelice long held that personality traits and magic affinities were
related.

Instead
Avelice chose to summon two more spooks and sent them down the stairs
preferring them for their efficiency and usefulness in close quarters. After a
minute when there was no sound she motioned for Minnie, Quevine, and Rex to go
down the stairs. Minnie erected a barrier before them and Rex began bouncing
lightning between his staff and free hand as much to prepare an attack as to
illuminate the room. Quevine began chanting under his breath preparing a spell
as well. Avelice hated sending them down there alone, but someone had to keep
the stairs secure and she would be the least effective in a close range fight.
Still even knowing that made her sick to her stomach to think that she was
sending children that were like family to fight her battles.