The Wizard's Council (23 page)

“You probably are wondering what is going on,” the Captain said as he leaned against the wall.

“On the contrary, I know exactly what is going on. A group of pirates thinks they can get the better of Septimus. I will give you one warning and only one warning. Put away the knives and give up whatever scheme you are formulating in your tiny brains,” Septimus was unwavering as he spoke.

“Methinks a noble would be worth a lot of ransom. My crew tends to agree. You see, we tried our hand at pirating once. It didn’t go so well, but if we can land a ransom with you we might have enough money to start fresh.”

“I can assure you that there is not a soul out there that would pay my ransom. As for my traveling companion, I would never let you ransom her.”

“I don’t see that you have much choice. You are, after all, just a noble among pirates.”

Septimus smiled and slid his chair back. The two pirates looked at their Captain as the Warlock rose from his chair.
Try me
, he thought as he looked one of them in the eyes. They glanced at their Captain, wondering what action to take next. The Captain snapped his fingers and the two pirates grabbed Septimus before he could leave the room. Shaking his head, the Warlock turned to face the group. He grabbed the closer of the two armed pirates and sent him flying over the table. The other pirate lashed out with his knife, but Septimus was too quick. He dodged to the side and then threw the man over the table with the first target. The other pirates rushed forward, but Septimus raised his hands, creating a massive wall of fire. He could hear the pirates panicking as the wall slowly expanded toward them. The sound of glass shattering told him that they were jumping out the cabin windows in an effort to escape.

The Warlock chuckled as the last of the pirates leaped out the
window. He exited the Captain’s cabin and used his magic to catapult the remaining crew off the ship, as well.
Can’t have any more mutinies
, he thought as he checked the deck below for any stragglers. His inspection revealed that he and Talia were the only ones left on the ship. He knocked on the cabin door where she was sleeping. It took her a fair amount of time, but she came to the door. He invited her to join him on deck. It didn’t take long for her to notice that they were alone on the deck. She moved toward the entry to the deck below and checked for any signs of the crew. When she saw that there were no signs of anyone else on the ship, she turned to Septimus.

“Where is the crew?” She asked.

“They tried to turn on us, so I got rid of them,” he replied.

“How are we supposed to pilot such a large ship by ourselves?”

“We’ll just have to use magic. In fact, they were really only slowing us down. I’ll need to get us to port so I can upgrade the ship. Is that all right with you?”

“I am here to follow and learn from you, my opinion is not important.”

“It is important to me. I think you will find our sailing to be much smoother after I’ve upgraded the ship. You may not realize it, but I appreciate your coming with me.”

“Why would you care to have me here?” She asked.

“It is better than being alone. The life of a Warlock is not an easy one, having a friend makes a bigger difference than you would think.”

“Why live that life?”

“It is who I am, who I have always been. We live by our own rules, which we can change at will. Even when we change them, we are still Warlocks. Contrary to what others think, the life of a Warlock is more than just a search for power. I have chosen to search the world for knowledge and wisdom. Without them, power is useless.”

“Is that why we go in search of these things?”

“It is precisely why we search for these things. The books we seek contain a wealth of knowledge and the items that go along with them are rich in culture. My old apprentice’s death has changed me. I must find a new purpose in life now that I have seen what I had become. These items may just hold the key to that purpose,” Septimus sighed and took a seat.

“Then I will follow you, for my life too has changed. You may think that you were just taking care of a problem that you caused, but it was more than that. We fought against the injustice of the Warlocks as far back as I can remember. The stories they told of your kind, the atrocities you were supposed to have committed. None of that added up when I met you. You risked your life to fight your apprentice alone. It would have been much easier for you to use us as fodder to weaken him, but instead you protected us from him. That is why I must follow you. My whole life was dedicated to stopping the spread of evil by those like you. All of that was shattered when you came into my town.”

“We face the unknown together, both in search of a purpose. Perhaps we will both be granted what we wish for. The journey will be long and hard, but I will do everything I can to protect you. Our quest truly begins now.”

Thanos awoke to the smell of burning wood. He opened his eyes and scanned the area. The Holy Order had several Necromancers set up on pyres of wood. They had already lit the first of the pyres. The Archwizard looked away as the flames jumped up toward the Necromancer. He felt himself get grabbed and pulled to his feet. Still feeling groggy, he stumbled forward as they pushed him toward the pyres. As he got closer, it dawned on him that there was still an empty pyre.
That must be mine
, he thought with a sense of dread. The Holy Order troops shoved him up onto the pyre and then began to tie him to the post that stuck out of the middle of it. He tried to put up a struggle, but his strength was significantly drained. They were already starting fires at several of the other pyres. The only Necromancer that Thanos recognized was Cerzanes.

“Well, where is that magic you are so fond of?” The Necromancer asked.

“Now this is my fault?” Thanos replied.

“We should never have taken you Wizards into our fold. That was our first mistake.”

“Call it what you will, it isn’t going to stop any of us from dying today.”

“That is quite enough!” One of the soldiers yelled.

The death Wizard’s mind was racing as he noticed the Holy Order was lighting even more pyres.
I would never have guessed them to be this brutal
, he thought as they approached his pyre. The heat from the flames was enough to cause panic in even the most courageous, but Thanos was barely affected. He was still trying to find a way out of his predicament. It wasn’t the first time that somebody had tried to kill him with fire. They had only managed to take his hand and he was set on getting away this time, as well. His thoughts quickly changed as the flames jump up and caught his cheek. He cried out in pain as they engulfed his arm just about the skeletal hand. The Holy Order troops that were guarding his pyre stumbled backward. Thanos tried to remain conscious as he watched the two begin to panic. As the darkness began to surround him, he suddenly felt as though he were flying. He could see the scene from far above as if he were a bird flying overhead. The Holy Order troops far below began to scatter as he zoomed toward the earth.

He could see himself up on the pyre, the flames threatening to engulf his entire body.
What is happening to me?
he thought as something grabbed his body. His vision returned and now he was being taken far away from the scene of the sickening pyres. The pain he felt from the burns was only matched by his confusion for what had happened. The ground was zooming by as he got closer to a large lake. He let out a sigh of relief as his body was plunged into the ice-cold waters. The pain began to slowly drift away as he floated in the icy lake. His mind was still in a state of shock from the pain and the timely rescue. The toll was nearly too much for him as he slowly made his way toward the shore. He felt something tap him on the shoulder. As he turned, he nearly stumbled backward. The massive skeleton dragon had saved his life and was now following him. It bent down and lowered its neck, beckoning him to jump aboard.

Thanos reached out his hand and patted the
dragon on the head. It looked at him questioningly, but it seemed to understand. The Archwizard looked down at the waters of the lake. He could easily make out the reflection of himself and his new friend. It took him a moment to decide if the image was terrifying or satisfying.
I suppose this is what I am now
, he thought as he examined the reflection. His skeletal arm rested on the massive head of the skeleton dragon. The entire right side of his face had burned away, and his skull was showing. There was a certain comfort in the image. Though he knew it would bring terror to nearly anyone else, to him it meant life. He had managed to thwart the Holy Order’s attempt at his life. Standing there in the reflection were the two things that were the antithesis of what Grand Cleric Bartholomew stood for. His so called righteous fire had failed to stamp out Thanos or his dragon. In the eyes of the Archwizard, both he and his dragon were a picture of defiance and knowledge. He slid onto the neck of the dragon and let it fly him high into the air.
It starts now,
he thought,
the Holy Order shall pay for their misguided vengeance
.

*

Janessa took a deep breath before opening the door. The vast majority of her people were gathered out in front of Gloomvale castle. They were awaiting her announcement, and she was determined not to disappoint. The balcony had rarely been used in the history of the castle, but Janessa was about to see to it that things changed. It was a balcony fit for a ruler to deliver messages, but the isles had never had a ruler. She couldn’t help but wonder what people would think about her decision. They trusted her completely, and she hoped that her actions wouldn’t break that trust. As she stepped through the door, two men began playing trumpets. She rolled her eyes and motioned for them to stop with the fanfare. They complied and stepped back as she walked to the railing. She looked out at the citizens of Gloomvale and prepared to address them.

“People of Gloomvale, an opportunity has been presented to me. One that could change the way things are run around here. I have been asked to take up a spot as the Queen of the Gloomvale Isles,” She stopped when she heard the words come out of her mouth. It was such a strange feeling to think that she would be the first Queen in the history of the isles. The reaction from the crowd was much more approving than she had expected. As their cheers began to die down, she continued her speech.

“I have decided that I will accept the position and do everything in my power to see to it that the Gloomvale Isles will not only prosper, but grow stronger. It will be my honor to be your Queen, and it is with the utmost of respect that I accept the duties that go along with the position. My thanks are to all of you, without whom there would be no Queen necessary.” Janessa bowed ever so slightly and then turned back toward the door.

The others on the balcony followed her through the door and began to usher her down into the entrance hall of the castle.
This is all so much,
she thought as they made their way through the castle. An entire feast was being prepared in her honor. Though it was nice to have such reverence from the people, she knew that there was much work that still needed to be done. She entered the hall to find it nearly packed full of onlookers. Several of the isles oldest families were gathered at the end of the hall where the thrones would be placed. Janessa approached them slowly, wondering how the coronation would go. There were no real position of power that had any say over the entirety of the isles and, as such, there was no one to turn to for the coronation. Because of this, they had elected that the Gloomvale council would preside over the ceremony. One of their number had already taken the crown from its perch and was approaching Janessa. She knelt as he got close and placed the crown on her head.
This is my rightful place
, she thought as she looked at the faces of the crowd,
these are the people whom I shall protect with my life
.

*

Gareth sighed as he slumped back against the tree. The others were still discussing the option of heading north and confronting the Witches or the Holy Order. His only addition to the conversation was that it would be “pure folly” to fight the Order with such a small army. The Witches didn’t seem to like his assertion, causing him to leave their council and find a place where he didn’t have to listen to them. He could see that the discussion was getting more and more heated as time passed.
This does not bode well
, he thought. His instincts told him that their time to flee south and remain undetected was quickly running out. Grand Cleric Bartholomew was nothing if not thorough. Gareth knew he would return to the Telmac valley and bring destruction on anyone that he found. A small part of him wanted to return to the Holy Order, but he knew that Bartholomew would have already branded him a deserter by that point. It left him with only one choice, to head south. The task was one that he didn’t want to take on alone, but it appeared that he had little to no say in the matter.

He stood up straight and began to approach the council. Their voices were getting louder, but he still couldn’t make out what they were saying at that distance. Leniya was one of the three members of the council that was yelling. Though Gareth had known her for only a short time, he could tell that she was incredibly angry. Those that she was arguing with didn’t seem to have picked up on how extreme she was becoming. They continued to egg her on with their arguments. The former Grand Crusader pushed past the guards and walked into the midst of the council. He reached both his arms around Leniya’s waist and pulled her away from the argument. His actions were met with gasps of surprise and murmurs of disapproval, but it didn’t stop him. He waited for Leniya to stop flailing before he let her go. Once she was sufficiently calm, he addressed the council.

“I know you don’t agree with me on the next course of action. That is something I accept. However, this constant bickering is far from the correct answer. A decision needs to be made, and it needs to be made soon. Even if the Holy Order returns home, the other branch of Witches will be more prepared for us with each passing moment. There is no doubt that they are still reeling from the first attack, but it is only a matter of time before that wears off. Whether you agree with my plan or not, we need to make a move, and we need to make it now.” Gareth made his best attempt to sway the council.

“He is right, we need to make the choice now. Let’s take a vote,” Leniya had calmed enough to address the council.

The others began to nod and whisper to one another. In all, there were nine council members. Leniya was the youngest of the council members, having taken the place of the elderly Witch who sacrificed herself to see Leniya and Gareth to safety. Each of the other members of the council hailed from a different village within the Telmac valley. Altogether, the council represented all of the rebelling Witches. After a short deliberation, the council agreed to vote on the plan of action. Each member had their own agenda to work with and, as such, the council often disagreed on major matters. The vote on whether to head north or south was no different. Four members voted to head north, and five members voted to head south. Gareth breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the results of the vote. His attention was quickly drawn away, however, as Leniya was storming off away from the council. The other three who voted to head north quickly followed.

“Leniya, don’t do it. You must trust me, this can’t end here. It doesn’t end now!” Gareth yelled as he started off after her.

“This isn’t your war, Gareth. You wouldn’t understand. We cannot simply give up our homes,” She replied without turning to face him.

“I have no home either, but that doesn’t mean I am going to throw my life away. I didn’t even have the choice to keep my home, that choice was stolen from me. I’d be at the lead of the army of the Holy Order if things had gone differently. Now, they would brand me as a traitor and deserter the moment they laid eyes on me. I understand what it means to lose a home, but homes can be rebuilt. We only get one life,” Gareth took hold of Leniya’s arm as he caught up to her.

“Those three are heading north, but you’ve convinced me to stay back with this group and head south. You better hope I don’t live to regret this.”

*

Ector sighed as he took a seat next to Sev and the others. Solin was still going on about how magic was dangerous and that their real enemy was out there hiding in the shadows.
And what good does that do us when the world is falling apart?
Ector wanted to ask. He knew better than to get into such a discussion with the former member of the Holy Order. It would be foolish to deny that there were some out there that used magic in the foulest ways, but they had more pressing matters to deal with. The Archwizard could tell that Sev was getting anxious. They had spent longer than they wanted trying to contact the others. It had been a long time since Ector had felt fear, but the lack of contact from his companions seemed to signal the worst. To make matters worse, none of the scouts had returned either. Solin was the only one who didn’t seem to understand that this was a dire predicament.

“We can’t wait any longer. This is not good, but it will only get worse if we continue to stay,” Ector said.

“I agree, but where do we go?” Sev asked.

“We must find the evil that is behind all this. There will be a greater power pulling the strings,” Solin replied.

“You may be right, but that doesn’t mean we are looking for someone who is using tainted magic or whatever you call it. More than likely we are looking at a savvy clan leader or noble. From all accounts, our enemies are many, and most aren’t even in cahoots. My best guess would be that the orcs and goblins saw that the Galimdorians were on the move and decided to increase their own holdings.” Ector stood and shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter what we face, we need to move. I’ll take half the army and move into the caves to assist the
dwarves. You take the rest and head to the south. The elves and Druids need to be warned. If you haven’t been able to contact the Wizards, then we are in bad shape. Try to contact them again once you reach the Druid Council. We need to work together on this,” Sev stood and addressed Ector.

The Archwizard nodded. He knew that Sev was correct, the
dwarves would make a powerful ally and the elves needed to be rallied together. With the strength of those two armies, they should be able to come to the aid of the Wizards. This was what Ector needed to happen, and his best bet was to do as Sev proposed. The young half-elf’s battle prowess would help the dwarves far more than the elves. There was a side of Ector that pushed him to go with Sev, but he knew that it wasn’t an option. For all they knew, the elves were in just as much trouble as the dwarves. The thought did not sit well with Ector, causing him to kick into a higher gear and move faster. He ordered the men to break up into two groups. The first group consisted of veterans who had fought in the tunnels against the orcs and goblins, and the second group consisted of those who hadn’t.