The Sorcerer's Return (The Sorcerer's Path) (5 page)

Ellyssa stared at the door for several moments after Azerick left. She was not accustomed to Azerick’s cold and compassionless tone
, and it definitely unnerved her. He had always been moody and quick to do what needed to be done, but he had never been so dismissive and bullish, particularly toward the common people.

Ellyssa sighed as she realized that another person she loved had irrevocably changed.
She looked at the Codex resting on the table and decided there was little to be done other than to accept the changes and prepare for what could be the biggest fight of her life. She shuddered as she sat down, felt the power of the Codex Arcana thrumming beneath her fingertips, and sighed when the soft voice whispered in her mind once more. Ellyssa had been in a state of great anxiety, fearful the Codex would no longer speak to her since Azerick was back.

Azerick
strode through town without fear despite the numerous eyes watching him. When he stepped into the same bar in which he had a run in with a local a few years ago, the conversations ceased except for a few patrons leaning over and whispering to someone next to them. Azerick shrugged dismissively; they were probably relating a grossly exaggerated version of his previous visit. Azerick approached the bar and the nervous bartender.

“Louis
, isn’t it?”

“Yessir,” the barkeep answered.

“Louis, get me a mug of your best beer.”

“Yessir,” Louis answered
before darting down the steps leading to the cellar.

Louis only had the one keg of special brew he normally saved for the holiday, but if the wizard wanted his best
, he would get it. Even though he killed some folks the last time he was here, he did pay well. 

Azerick dropped a chunk of gold ore on the bar and scooped up the glass as soon as Louis plunked it down in front of him. He gave a satisfying sigh and smacked his lips
after draining half the glass in one pull. He then set a polished topaz on the counter.

“Louis, in a few days,
there may be a large number of Inquisitors passing through town looking for me.”

“
Inquisitors?” he replied quizzically.

“Wizards who specialize in fighting and arresting other wizards and sorcerers,” Azerick explained.

“They after you?”

“They’re after something I have, something that belongs to me by every right and law except theirs.”

Louis nodded his head sagely. “I see. You want me to point them in the wrong direction if they ask if I seen you.”

“No, I want you to let them know exactly in what direction I was headed. North
west almost as the crow flies. I’m sure you and the rest of the town will know when I leave and can pass that on to them as well.”

Louis looked at the dangerous young man in confusion. “Most folks don’t want people
who are chasing them to know where they are.”

“I think you can agree I am not most people,” Azerick answered with a smile.

Azerick enjoyed one more beer and walked about a mile out of town where he made a shallow pool in a natural rock bowl. Bending his magic into the reflective surface, he willed up an image of the first place he laid down a marker. The area was empty, but bringing the image closer showed the ground churned by an innumerable number of horse hooves. He shifted the image to that of the next gate and found what he was searching for.

Nearly two score of men and women were setting up camp for the night. Azerick could tell they were all wizards even without their uniforms or expending the concentration to read their auras. Besides, attempting an aura read would almost certainly gain their attention.
Azerick dispelled the image and sighed. Forty experienced mages against him and a girl. He needed to better his odds. Turning his attention back to the puddle, he willed up another image.

CHAPTER 3

Azerick returned to the boarding house and paused outside the door when he heard a heated conversation issuing from inside. He recognized the complaints of the house marm directed toward an unknown man.

“What exactly do you expect me to do about it?” the man demanded.

“You are supposed to be the law in this town. I expect you to do your job!”

“Did he pay you? Has he caused trouble or killed anyone?”

“Not yet! Paying or not, I do not want him in my house,” she said in exasperation.

“And I don’t want him in my town, but I can’t go about tossing out everyone who makes me uncomfortable. We have an open town
, and you run a boarding house. Getting uninvited guests is part of the risk of doing business.”

“You are worthless and a disgrace to your profession! Captain Cruthers would never display such wanton cowardice!” the
woman shrieked.

The beleaguered watchman sighed. “Fine, I will do what I can.” Both sets of eyes snapped onto Azerick as he entered. “Milord, would you be willing to find another place to stay during your visit?”

“No,” Azerick replied.

The watchman turned his palms up. “Well, I did what I could.
”

“I hope there is not going to be any trouble. I will be
leaving the day after tomorrow,” Azerick assured them.

“Wonderful, problem solved! I’ll be at the
Sandy Bottom
doing my job if anyone needs me.”

The house marm glared hatefully at the man as he left
. Azerick ignored her and returned to his room. He stopped and stared as he entered. Raijaun sat in the middle of the floor, directing a luminous red orb around the room.

“Azerick, do you see what Raijaun did?” Ellyssa asked excitedly. “He was watching me study and practice my weaves
, so I showed him the same spell I taught the other kids when I was young. I don’t know how he did it, but he made the light!”

“You are supposed to be studying.”

“I was. It’s just that Raijaun was really interested in what I was doing, so I showed him the spell. I thought you would be happy,” Ellyssa said dejectedly.

Azerick gave her and Raija
un a smile. “I am. I found the Inquisitors, so there is no more question of whether they will come. They will reach Sandusk in about three days. We will leave the day after tomorrow, so you must be ready.”

“
I will be, as best I can.”

The orb streaked past Azerick’s head and circled him several times. “I did good?”
Raijaun asked timidly.

Azerick squatted next to his son and hugged him. “You did very well. Perhaps it is time I start teaching you how to use your magic.”

Raijaun beamed under his father’s praise and the promise of learning magic. Azerick began Raijaun’s instruction just as Devlin had started with him. He explained how to concentrate, feel the Source, and to discover how best to shape it to his will. Raijaun was a natural study, adept at wielding magic through the innate abilities of his demonic heritage and the dragon memories of his mother. Not being a dragon or a demon, Raijaun needed to learn how to shape his magic to suit his unique form. It was something Azerick could do little in the way of teaching him; he could merely guide him through a process of trial and error.

Azerick left the Codex Arcana with Ellyssa so she could study and prepare while he took Raijaun outside of
Sandusk. He found a suitable area about a mile from the town, and began talking Raijaun through channeling the Source.

“Reach out with your mind and find the power with all of your senses. See, feel, hear, taste, and smell the energy all around you. Gather it with your mind
, and shape it to your desire,” Azerick said soothingly.

Raijaun’s face took on a look of intense concentration as he closed his eyes and began pulling in arcane energy. His ability to grasp and hold the power was remarkable. It often took months
, or even a year or more, for a student to learn how to tap the Source and hold it with such ease.

“Excellent job.
Now stop gathering energy and start shaping what you have into a spell. Raijaun, stop pulling in the power,” Azerick repeated as the energy continued to build at an alarming rate.

Raijaun looked at his father worriedly, not understanding what to do as the power flowed into him faster than he could manage and quickly raged out of control.

“Release it, Raijaun! Release the power!” Azerick urgently ordered.

Azerick reached out with his mind and grabbed hold of the mass of arcane energy his son barely kept held in check and gave it a push. Raijaun understood what Azerick was trying to do and followed suit, hurling the
magic away from him in a bright, sparking mass of raw energy. The wild power streaked away and slammed into a wall of stone several yards away, the impact shattering a large section of a small cliff face. Shards of stone rained down around them as the wind slowly blew the resulting dust cloud away.

“Okay, gathering power is no problem for you, but we really need t
o work on your ability to stop,” Azerick chuckled.

“Sorry, Father,” Raijaun said as he looked at his feet
and drew in the sand with his toe.

“It’s all right; t
hat is why we are out here,” Azerick reassured him. “Try again, slowly.”

Raijaun drew in a trickle of power. It took several seconds for him
gather enough energy, but he was able to cut off the flow when Azerick told him to.

“Use your mind’s eye to grab at the threads of magic within the mass of energy
, and shape them into a recognizable form. Watch as I do it,” Azerick instructed.

Azerick pulled at the Source and slowly wove a simple light spell. Raijaun watched attentively and mimicked his father’s actions. A ball of light quickly materialized in his small hands, flickering but maintaining its form.

“Good, now I want you to…,” Azerick began to say.

Raijaun began plucking at different strands of energy and twist
ed them about, changing the color and intensity of the light as he did so. He began making more complex changes in the weave and formed the light into shapes. The shapes were simple at first, but Raijaun quickly began creating more sophisticated forms like animals and people.

“Okay, I think you have that down,”
Azerick said, amazed at his son’s adeptness.

Azerick continued to practice with Raijaun during their short stay in Sandusk
, and his growth in drawing and shaping magic was nothing short of astounding. By the time they packed up and departed Sandusk, Raijaun was easily as skilled as a second year novice, and a good deal more powerful. 

***

Inquisitor Harrison led his two score of Inquisitors in pursuit of the renegade sorcerer. He would have had half again as many if Fennrick and his people had not suddenly developed a stomach illness. Their obvious refusal to obey orders infuriated him.

Following the sorcerer proved
to be a simple matter. He had used a magical gate to flee the city that left a magical signature so strong even a blind charlatan could find it. The distance he was able to travel using the gates astounded him and his companions, making him wish for Fennrick’s mages every time he found the residual energy left behind.

Lord Giles was able to conjure enough of the portals to make catching up to him a chore. It did not appear he and his app
rentice had horses as of yet, and was the only reason he was able to gain on them. Once he realized the sorcerer was headed straight for Sandusk, it became much easier to close the distance. It allowed him and his people to use the way stations to trade their horses for fresh mounts.

They had discovered a third set of footprints, small like a child
’s. None of them could fathom to whom they might belong. If the sorcerer was foolish enough to bring a child with him, it could make this task distasteful, but it would not stop him from doing his duty. This was their third day out, which put the sorcerer and his apprentice two days ahead of them. Tomorrow would cut the distance in half, and they should be able to strike in the next two or three days, assuming they maintained a similar pace.

The large party of wizards drew curious and frightful stares
from Sandusk’s citizens when they rode through the middle of town midway through the next day. Inquisitor Harrison could tell by his previous scrying of the now familiar energy signature that the sorcerer had already fled town.

Harrison took four of his fellow
Inquisitors with him to ask some questions while the others watered and fed the horses. The best place to find information about a traveler was the inn. Sandusk had only one, so his inquiries should be blessedly short. He and his associates captured the attention of the room when they entered, as expected. Harrison ignored the stares and whispers and approached the bar.

“I am looking for a man,”
Inquisitor Harrison told the innkeeper.

“Funny, most folks around here are looking for a woman,” Louis replied with a nervous smile.

“I am Inquisitor Harrison. I am looking for a very dangerous man, and I am not in the mood for jocularity. He is on foot, traveling with a young woman. There may also be a third person with them. Someone small, perhaps a child.”

Louis grunted. “Didn’t see no woman or child, but I know the man you
’re asking about. He came in three days ago and left just yesterday. He stayed over at the boarding house, so if someone else was with him they must have stayed there as well.”

“Did you note their direction of travel?”

“Not personally, but I heard someone mention they saw him headed northwest,” Louis replied reluctantly.

“Excellent. I imagine my people will want to wash down some the trail dust before we leave.” Harrison set a stack of silver coins on the counter. “This should cover their expenses.”

It did not take long for him to find the boarding house. The woman sitting behind the counter gave him an unfriendly look as he and his entourage entered.

“Good day, madam. I am looking for a man who was traveling with a young woman and perhaps a child
. I understand they stayed here,” Inquisitor Harrison said courteously.

“They did, against my wishes,” Wilma snapped. “Useless town watch wouldn’t even throw them out! Well, they’re gone now and good riddance to them. The last time that man stayed here he killed his twin and left an ungodly mess!”

“Killed his twin, you say?”

“Was a spitting image of him
; what was left of him.”

One of the
Inquisitors offered, “It could have been a changeling or someone under a transmogrification spell.”

Harrison nodded his agreement. “Tell me of the others who were with him. Did you see them?”

“I did. A young woman and a child. The girl looked too young to be the mother, but anything is possible. I can’t really say how old the child was or even if it was a boy or a girl. They had it wrapped head to foot and it kept behind the girl. Could have been a goblin for all I know,” Wilma replied grumpily.

“I see. And they left yesterday?”

“That’s right, first thing in the morning.”

“Thank you.” He turned to one of his men. “Round up the others. We will not be able to use the way stations
, and I do not want them to get too much of a lead. Meet me on the road at the west end of town. I will try and find the sorcerer’s most recent gates.”

Ten minutes later, the contingent rode up behind Harrison. “He tore open a portal about two miles northwest of here. Given his previous rate of travel, I expect to catch him in a little over a day if we ride swiftly.”

It was a mixed set of emotions for the party as they rode across the rough land. It was already late in the day and few were eager to continue traveling. However, all of them desired a swift end to this hunt, so they rode dutifully onward well after the sun had set.

Inquisitor
Harrison called them to a halt late the following night. They had pushed on, getting only the minimal amount of rest to ensure they were prepared to face two formidable foes. Just two miles from where he was able to scry out their target’s location, he ordered his people to dismount. They would walk from here, using their magic to hide their approach.

Tensions were high as they stalked toward their prey.
Inquisitor Harrison and over a dozen others were present when the sorcerer came to the Hall. His power was unlike anything any of them had experienced before. No one knew the full potential of his power or his limits, so surprise with overwhelming force was vital.

The faint glow of small fire cast just enough light to pinpoint the sorcerer and the girl’s location.
They camped in a deep gulley perhaps a hundred yards wide. The trio was easily visible from Harrison’s position, perhaps a hundred-fifty feet distant and fifty feet above them. The sorcerer appeared to be conversing with a child while the girl read from a large book near the fire. The Inquisitor had to assume it was the Codex Arcana.