The Wizard's Council (19 page)

“I had hoped to keep the informant a secret, but I am afraid that is simply impossible at this point. My niece, Alison Graystone, and the daughter-in-law of Alan is the one who provided me with this information. She married Alan’s eldest son. Together they coordinate with local merchants to gather as much information as they may. This tidbit of information comes from a friend of her older sister. Before I can commit any troops, I need to ascertain the risk that this Wizard poses to me. Would it be too much to ask you to confirm the reports?”

“No, I don’t suppose it would be. If Leon or one of his apprentices has anything to do with this, Rolin would much like to know. I will do this for both of you.”

“I have one more request that I must make of you. Alison’s sister, Jamie, has asked if she might look into the matter. It is, after all, her friend that gave the information to us.”

“I doubt very much that either you or your niece would allow me to say no. However, if Leon is truly behind this, I cannot in good conscience give my blessing to her visiting Sardinia,” James shrugged as he spoke.

“I understand, I will inform Jamie at once. You will leave at first light. We can provide a small escort if you wish.”

“If that is what she wishes, then certainly.”

*

Rolin peered out over the walls of the keep. Another Galimdorian force was pushing toward the entrance.
Won’t they ever give up
, he thought as he prepared a spell. After a long period of quiet, the Galimdorian army had finally restarted their assault on Carmalia. Every couple of hours they had attempted to take the keep, but each time had been driven back by some combination of Rolin’s magic, archers, and a small group of knights that periodically charged forth from the keep. The brunt of the Galimdorian army stayed back behind the outer walls of the Carmalian castle, outside of the range of Rolin’s magic. Their new tactic appeared to be a harassment technique whose goal seemed to be wearing down the last defenders of Carmalia. Rolin thrust his hands forward, and a phoenix burst out of the top of the keep. The bird’s nearly fifteen-foot wingspan propelled it with furious speed. It descended upon the attackers and slashed at them with flaming talons. The soldiers, expecting a spell of some sort, huddled together and raised their shields to the sky. Several spears came thrusting out of the gaps in the shield barrier that they had just put together.

The phoenix squawked as it thrashed about in an attempt to break through their defense. It succeeded in tearing away several shields and wounded a few soldiers. The others tried to fill in the large gap with their shields, but the bird was too fast. It thrust itself into the gap, knocking several Galimdorians to the ground. A few swipes from its talon felled five more soldiers and devastated the attacker’s morale. The phoenix was wounded, but the Galimdorians were on the verge of fleeing. It pressed the attack, clawing several more troops and snapping a few with its beak. One of the enemy’s leaders sounded a horn and the group surged at the phoenix in a last-ditch effort to defeat it. Rolin slammed his hands together
, and the bird burst into a shockwave of flames. It exploded outward and engulfed the remainder of the troops. As the flames died down, the wounded Galimdorians retreated back behind the outer wall.

“Don’t waste all of your strength, Rolin. We need you in case they attack in full numbers,” Melissa’s voice was easily recognizable.

“Unfortunately, rest is not a luxury that I seem to be granted. Even if a small Galimdorian force were to breach the keep, we would be lost. I must do everything I can to keep them from gaining access.”

“Always ready to lend a hand. It is something I’ve always admired about you.”

“You are too kind, this is merely a matter of survival.” Rolin attempted to deflect the attention off himself.

“This is not the only time that you have thrust yourself into a matter that most would consider too difficult to manage. How many people would give up Paul and Emily instead of look death in the face?”

“Far too many, I am afraid. It is, of course, out of the question for us. They are family, we protect our own,” Rolin scowled as he thought about the arrogance of the Galimdorians.

Melissa nodded at his words. He wondered if she had more to say, but not enough to actually ask her. It was a strange thing, their relationship. They had known each other for a very long time
, and in that time, they had been many different roles to one another. Rolin often wondered if it had been a mistake not to court his fellow Archwizard. They shared a similar work ethic, one that often caused them to overlook their own wants and needs for the wants and needs of others.
Had life dealt us a different hand
, Rolin thought as he looked at Melissa. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, too timid to voice his feelings. The prospect of defeat had nearly brought him to tell her, but he had decided against it. He lacked Paul’s courage when it came to a great many things. The elderly Wizard took a deep breath before speaking to Melissa.

“I’ve gone a long time without saying this, Melissa. You’ve been a good friend to me over the years. Ours is a relationship that I can firmly say has benefited be greatly.”

“That is kind of you to say, Rolin. I agree wholeheartedly, but I must ask why you would bring it up now?”

“Our future is uncertain
, and I did not wish it to go unsaid.”

“Is it truly time to say the things that we fear will go unsaid?” She asked.

“I fear that it is, old friend,” Rolin’s reply came with a heavy heart.

“Then I must say that while our friendship has been a great one, I wish we had been more.” Melissa kissed Rolin on the cheek, which caused him to turn quite red.

“They come again!” Rolin’s reply was interrupted by a call from one of the watchmen.

The two Archwizards turned to see another force of Galimdorians coming through the outer wall main gate. This force was nearly five times the size of their previous attempts. Rolin estimated their numbers to be upward of two hundred.
Must they always come at the most inopportune times,
he thought as he moved closer to the edge to get a better look. This force had at least twenty archers on their flank, Rolin was sure that they were placed there due to his phoenix. With that option off of the table, Rolin looked to those around him for the next move. The Carmalian general was standing a few feet away from Rolin and was surveying the scene from atop the keep. Melissa was on the other side of the elderly Wizard and had a look of near defeat. Rolin waited for a bit to see if the Carmalians had a plan. When he had come to the conclusion that they were just as lost as he was, he approached the general.

“Are there any secret passages out of the keep?” He asked.

“None to my knowledge. We’ll have to fight them on every level. Our retreat is cut off, and we have no bargaining chips. The only option we have is to fight them at every turn. My men have been barricading the stairs within the keep. We’ll hold them for as long as we can and then retreat back to the next spot. It won’t hold them forever, but it is our only option at this time. I suggest that you get some rest while you still can. We’ll need your magic when they get to the upper levels.”

*

Ector shook his head as he watched Sev listening to Solin’s stories. The elf had very little positive dealings with the Holy Order and often found them to be as brutal as the enemies they sought to purge. Seeing the half-elf Ranger in conversation with the former member of their number was far from comforting. He spurred his horse closer and considered joining the conversation. Solin was telling Sev that the dwarves were one of the few groups that cooperated with the order when they passed a decree stating that all magic users needed to turn themselves in for inspection by the Holy Order. Ector remembered it well, though he doubted that Solin fully understood the ramifications of the Holy Order’s actions. He directed his horse closer to the two and then cleared his throat before joining the conversation.

“I mean no disrespect, but I fear that you may be too young to have fully comprehended the intent of the Holy Order, friend Solin.” Ector hoped that his words did not anger the former Holy Order member.

“It is true that I was no older than nine when they made the proclamation. However, the idea behind the action is what I am speaking about. Many a magic user has taken the wrong path without even knowing that they were doing such a thing. It is truly a shame that those who have done so were beguiled by the promise of power,” Solin’s expression did not change as he spoke, nor did it change often.

“I am not certain that the Holy Order knows the best path to take, my friend. Though I am not a magic user, I have seen many an
elf use magic in a responsible manner. You are correct in believing that all magic users need instruction on how to combat the lure of power, but the same argument can be made for anyone who comes within reach of power,” Sev inserted his own views into the conversation.

“You are smart, young one. Of that
, I am certain. Would you not agree that the Holy Order and the elves should instruct all other magic users on how to properly use their magic?” Solin asked.

“That makes two things we agree on, Solin. Sev is indeed a smart man and the world would be a safer place if the
elves were able to instruct others in the proper use of magic. As for the Holy Order, I cannot say,” Ector spoke with the same calm that he so often displayed.

“I thank you both for your kind words. On the matters of magic, I am afraid I must disagree with both of you. One should not be allowed to force their opinions on another. We should welcome the debate of our stances, but we should not try to force others to agree with us. Each man must come to his knowledge of his own accord, otherwise he will not know the value of that which he has attained. If a man so desires the counsel of the
elves or the Holy Order, then the better for it he shall be. However, if a man detests the counsel of others, he is a fool in his own right. I dare say that we are not accountable for the foolishness of anyone but ourselves,” Sev delivered his statement before excusing himself from the conversation.

“Let us hope that we can retain this level of decorum in our future dealings. Our young friend is full of opinions, let
us also hope that he is not led astray,” Solin spoke as he watched Sev return to the ranks of his men to check on each of them individually.

“I agree, but we do have a more pressing matter to attend to. The reinforcements from Oakglen were a start, but we need more strength. While we assist the
dwarves, who shall be assisting the elves? Should we not send out riders to assess whether our neighbors can amass an army to help us?” Ector asked.

“A fine idea, Wizard. With the
orcs attacking man, elf, and dwarf alike, I cannot help but wonder if something larger is at work here. Perhaps you should contact your fellow Wizards. They should have a better handle on things, I would think.”

“It is settled then, we will send riders to each of the outlying kingdoms
, and I shall attempt to contact my colleagues at their Conclaves. In the meantime, we need to send forth scouts and assess what we will be going up against.”

Arcantos dismounted from his horse and examined the scene. Several hundred of his men were severely wounded, and the majority of his healthy troops were gathered around watching something occur within the outer wall.
Did I not tell them to wait for my signal?
He thought as he stormed past several groups of soldiers and up the stairs to the top of the wall. His eyes fell upon the group that was advancing toward the keep. Their number was far larger than he had authorized. Anger welled up within him as he looked around to find his Lieutenants. His Knights of Doom were nowhere to be found, and the Galimdorian captains were standing defiantly at the top of the wall. He could see in their demeanor that they were the ones who had ordered this assault. As he neared them, he thrust his staff toward them before addressing them.

“What is the meaning of this?” His voice bellowed across the wall.

“We got tired of your ineffective leadership. The castle will be ours soon. If your services are necessary, we will let you know,” one of the Captains replied.

“If? Without my contributions, you would be dead along with half of your men. I am the only reason you’ve gotten this far!” Arcantos thrust his staff into the man’s chest, knocking him back several feet.

“If you are so great, then explain why we’ve been cowering in fear for all this time. The keep has been ripe for the taking since the outer wall fell,” One of the other Captains stepped forward.

“Ripe for the taking? We have
, oddly enough, little information as to how many Wizards are holed up in that keep. It could be that they are kicking back and waiting for us to present ourselves as an easy target.” Arcantos turned to watch the band of nearly three-hundred men approach the keep doors.

“Most of our resistance has been met with spells, but not enough to signify the ability to take out our entire army. They appeared to be weakening
, and we sought to deal them a devastating blow.”

“I admire your courage, but we must also consider the after effects. If the Carmalians weakened us beyond the ability to defend ourselves against our allies, then our attacks have been for naught. The Wizards have Conclaves in many kingdoms across the land, it would not be surprising if they were able to call upon a great number of allies.” Arcantos had to be careful not to tip off the Galimdorians to his plans.

“Have we not allies of our own?” The captain asked.

“We’ve spoken with the Barbarians of the north and the Holy Order. The Barbarians refused to assist us at all
, and the Holy Order is only helping us indirectly. They’ve sent a force to attack the Necromancers, which should draw some of the attention away from us. Not from the southern kingdoms or the elves, though.”

“The
elves are not known for their war mongering, do you really think the Wizard can rely on them?”

“I truly do not know. Their entrance into this war would greatly complicate things.”

The conversation was interrupted by a shout from the invading force. They were beginning their charge toward the keep and wanted to instill fear in their enemy. Arcantos looked on with much trepidation. Every time he had dealt with the Wizards, they had some trick up their sleeve that he had been unable to anticipate. As the attackers came within range, arrows, rocks, and spells were hurled at them. The Knights of Doom leader watched as his men were cut down by volley after volley of spells. His eyes darted to and fro, attempting to ascertain the number of magic users among his opponent’s forces. The majority of the spells being used were easily cast, signifying a large number of apprentices. However, there were still others that gave him pause. He slammed his fist against the wall as the last of his invading troops began to retreat. The Captains of the Galimdorian force shrunk back as he turned to face them.

“You see why I was against sending in our forces too early? I wanted to find out what we were up against without losing too many men. What are the casualty numbers?” He asked, trying to calm himself.

“We’ve got more than four hundred dead from attacks on the keep. Our previous battles have left us with near fifteen-thousand men. Why don’t we push the brunt of our force into the breach and take the keep?” One of the Captains asked.

“We could, but their spells could cut us down to five-thousand men. It would be a victory, but not one that we could easily survive. If Cardinia and Sardinia called upon all of their reserves, they could easily pull together an army of nearly twenty thousand strong. It wouldn’t be as large as the Holy Order could muster, but they rarely attack in full force. We could easily be facing a unified southern kingdom army that rivals the most powerful that could be fielded in the land.”

*

Thanos paced back and forth as he waited for the Necromancers to finish their deliberations. They had called him in to meet with them about the impending doom of an attack by the Holy Order. The fires that were sparking throughout the Telmac Valley informed them of how much time they had left to prepare. The Archwizard had attempted to convince them to move, but they would have none of it. Now they would ask him if he was willing to assist in defending their shared home.
Stubborn and predictable
, Thanos thought as he knocked on the door to their council chambers. His patience had worn thin, and he wanted to give the Necromancers a piece of his mind. The door creaked as it opened. There were several Necromancers sitting around their table discussing some issue or another. They looked up at Thanos and then motioned for him to join them. He nodded and then came over to take a seat. The room was as dreary as one might imagine a Necromancers’ meeting place to be. Their entire castle was made of black stones, and this room was no different.

“Welcome, Thanos, thank you for coming,” The leader of the Necromancers, a former Warlock named Cerzanes, said.

“Kind of you to invite me, you Necromancers are not known for your openness toward others.”

“This is your problem as much as it is ours. The Holy Order will have no problem associating you with us, especially with that hand of yours. We’ve got too much at stake to up and run. I’m not even sure running would do the trick anyway. Have you ever faced the Holy Order?”

“I cannot say that I have. They don’t take a lot of stock in the comings and goings of the Wizards. Rolin made sure of that a long time ago. I reckon it has had a lasting effect on why they have not come after you in recent years as well.”

“Rolin is a smart man, can you match him in that sense, Thanos?” Cerzanes asked.

“Not in that sense, no, I fare better in a fight though. Rolin does what he can, but is unwilling to make the sacrifices needed to become as powerful as one should be. It is a disease prevalent in the Wizards. Leon is much the same and Melissa is worse than Rolin. We won’t likely be getting assistance from any of them, perhaps Cormac or Janessa, but I’ve heard they are preoccupied.”

“We face them alone, then. Much like we always have our enemies. Help us through this one and we will offer you full membership, Thanos. This is not a situation that we are taking lightly. Our lives hang in the balance.”

“Are we here to discuss our dire circumstances or are we here to discuss our strategy?” Thanos asked.

“The latter, of course. It seems that the Holy Order is advancing faster than we anticipated. As such, we haven’t had time to finish our greatest weapon. We’ll need to look to our reserves instead. Our scouts report that their force is nearly twenty-thousand strong.”

“What do our forces look like?”

“We’ve got the seven Necromancers on the council, ten skilled mages, fifteen apprentices, five-thousand skeleton warriors, two-thousand skeleton archers, three-thousand zombies, three liches, one hundred vampires, and fifty fallen knights. That plus whatever you can bring us.”

“It isn’t much to work with, but I think we can manage. I’ve got Wizards who can hold their own. Other than that, several dozen reanimated beasts. We’ve been attempting to bring back a group of trolls we came across not too long ago, perhaps if we join forces we can expedite things.” Thanos did his best to keep calm throughout the situation.

“I suppose it is time we let you in on our secret weapon.” Cerzanes stood up and glanced at his fellow Necroma
ncers. “Come, let us show our guest the true height of our aspirations.”

The entire group stood and walked to the other side of the room. Thanos watched as the Necroma
ncer heaved open the massive metal door leading deeper into their sanctum. It was the first time in more than a hundred years that they were telling anyone outside of their order of their experiments. Not even the seven Necromancer’s apprentices knew of what they were about to show Thanos. He was excited and nervous all at once.
The power that they must hold at their fingertips
, he thought as he followed them through a dark corridor. It was rare to find vampires, liches, and fallen knights that bowed their knees to mortals, but Thanos was sure that they had plans on immortality. He had his own thoughts and plans on the matter, but they would be kept a secret. His research was directed at trying to find a way to retain more of the mind after transformation into a vampire, fallen knight, or lich. As his thoughts drifted to the afore mentioned groups, a question popped into his mind.

“Why are they called fallen knights?” He asked.

“We liken them to knights for they are as loyal to us as a knight to his King. They have a code of honor, it just differs from that of a knight. That and the first of the order was a volunteer who had been exiled by his king. The name seemed fitting.” Cerzanes replied.

Thanos nodded and watched intently as they began to open one final door. It opened up into a large laboratory. The room was littered with vials of various liquids and a whole slew of skeletons belonging to nearly every manner of creature. The death Archwizard looked on in awe as they proceeded to show him several different types of skeletons they were working on reanimating.
This is a veritable gold mine
, he thought as he examined the bones. Much to his delight, they even had a section where skeleton hybrids were being worked on. He knew that the other Archwizards would be appalled to see that he was turning to the Necromancers and their pet projects for protection, but for him it was a means to an end. Unlike the Necromancers, Thanos’ goal was not world domination. He wanted to master all forms of death. Where they wanted legions of the undead, he wanted more than just shambling corpses. It was his hope to be able to not only bring back the dead, but communicate with their spirits to learn more about the vast world that he lived in.

“Are you ready to see the greatest of our experiments?” Cerzanes asked.

“There is more?” Thanos asked, somewhat beside himself.

“What we are about to show you could shift the power in our world for ages to come. Before I show it to you, do you know why we chose this location?”

“It is isolated, easy to defend, and hard to find. Other than that, I haven’t a clue.”

“We heard rumors that the
dragons of old nested here. Imagine the hoards of gold that we would have been able to find. Alas, the treasures of the dragons are long since gone from this place. We did, however, find another treasure.” The head Necromancer unfurled a cloth that had been draped over a large glass container.

Thanos could scarcely believe his eyes. The Necromancers had found the remains of a
dragon of old, a skeleton so large that the Wizard could not rightly tell the whole of its mass. He stepped closer to the glass to examine the remains. By his estimation, the height of the beast was well over fifteen feet. The length of it, including the tail, was more than thirty feet and the wingspan around twenty feet. Thanos marveled at the revelation before him.
A reanimated skeleton could strike fear into the hearts of any enemy
, he thought. It had been more than a hundred years since anyone had seen or heard from the dragons. The tales said that they were both magician and warrior alike. Upon witnessing the remains of a dragon, Thanos couldn’t help but wonder if there were still living dragons somewhere in the world. His thoughts were interrupted by the Necromancers.

“We’ve attempted to reanimate it twice before, but each time we were unsuccessful. We had hoped that you would be able to assist us in the matter,” One of the Necromancers said.

“I will do what I can. My reanimation skill is amateur at best, but I’ve created a great many notes on the process. If my assumptions are correct, my talks with Rolin on Life magic might just come in handy,” Thanos replied.

“The time for talk is over, we must reanimate this beast before the Holy Order arrives!” Cerzanes commanded as he stepped toward the glass.

The other Necromancers nodded and took up positions around the glass. Thanos fell into an open spot near Cerzanes. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
What was it Rolin said?
He thought as he searched his mind to lend his knowledge to the others. His hairs stood on end as he felt the energy surging about the room. A small part of him wanted to open his eyes and witness the event as an outsider, but he knew they would not be able to accomplish it without him. He breathed deeply and pressed his hands against the glass. The motionless form of a dragon appeared in his mind. Rolin was standing next to it and saying something about how death left behind a small piece of life in its wake. He searched out with his mind, scouring the bones for any sign of that life. A small spark in the center of the dragon’s ribcage caught his attention. He strained with all he had to send the thought out to his companions. The energy in the room magnified, knocking Thanos to the floor. He let go of the glass and opened his eyes. The dragon’s skull slowly rose off the ground and inched forward toward him.