The Wizard's Council (7 page)

James paced back and forth as he waited for an update from the others. It had been just over a week
, and they hadn’t heard from Paul and Rolin or Emily and Janessa. Cormac was still a day or two from his destination and Ector was dealing with some issues that had arisen in his absence. Melissa was sitting in a nearby chair, biting her lip as she watched James. Neither of them was the type to worry, but the situation was well out of the ordinary. Melissa stood and walked over to James. He stopped his pacing and looked at her. She didn’t speak, she merely placed a hand on James shoulder and nodded. James reached up and grabbed her hand. He squeezed it and smiled before taking it off his shoulder.

“I should be out there with them!” He said as he spun around and began pacing again.

“Where would we be then?” She asked.

“Rolin is not as young as he once was. He could be in trouble.”

“Paul is even younger than you are and at least as powerful. Rolin is in quite capable hands.”

“Yes, he is powerful, but he lacks control. There is a preciseness to magic that keeps us from getting ourselves killed by our own spells. What if he sends a stray fireball at Rolin by mistake?” James mimicked an explosion with his arms.

“Rolin knew the risk he was taking.”

James sighed as he walked over to the nearby window. He knew she was right. Anyone else who would have traveled with Paul and Rolin would share their fate. That fact did little to comfort James. He was a man of action, all the talk coupled with the waiting was trying his pat
ience. His time spent in the desert had been harsh. The inhospitable land pitted them against several different types of vicious creatures on a regular basis. Those encounters were how he and his students maintained their edge on the other Conclaves when it came to combat ready magic. Practicing magic in a school was one thing, but fighting another being with magic was something completely different. Often times, the new students would freeze up when dealing with the desert creatures.

“What of Emily and Janessa? Surely I could have assisted them,” James said as he turned to face Melissa.

“Emily and Janessa hardly need your assistance, James. The trip to the Gloomvale Isles is safe as long as you enter at the rough waters at the correct heading. Janessa has made the trip numerous times. They’ll be fine,” Melissa’s eyes narrowed as she spoke.

“Nevertheless, I do not want to be cooped up in this tower waiting for the fight to come to us!”

Melissa smiled and nodded. James liked to think she understood what he was talking about, but he knew she didn’t. She has always been like a big sister to him. He looked to Melissa and Rolin for knowledge, and their level-headedness helped to balance him out. They were both constantly encouraging him to talk with Ector. The elf had stopped numerous wars with his wit and patience. None of that seemed to matter to James now. In his mind, there was no negotiating with the Galimdorians. His thoughts were interrupted by a door opened up across the room. A shorter man in a cloak entered the room and pulled out an envelope. The enveloped glided across the room and landed in James’ hand. He began reading it immediately.

“What does it say?” Melissa asked.

“It is from Rolin. He says that we need to prepare for an attack. Their army has been too small to significantly hamper the forward movement of the enemy. The Galimdorians should be here in two days’ time.” James handed the letter to Melissa as he made his way for the exit.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to warn the Carmalians. This is hardly the time to leave them in the dark. Ready the students, war is coming to our doorstep.”

*

Sev nocked an arrow as he crept through the brush. The Rangers under his command followed his lead and nocked arrows, as well. According to their intel, the enemy camp was not far from their current position. Sev was the first to notice one of the enemy guards. The orc was no taller than five feet tall and stockier than the average dwarf. Though not menacing compared to a troll, orcs were one of the strongest races in the land.
Riverton must be their target
, Sev thought as he snuck up on the lone orc. He placed the arrowhead up against the orc’s neck and released the bowstring. The orc stumbled forward, and Sev grabbed him by the collar with his free hand. He pulled the orc into the bushes and motioned for the other Rangers to follow him.

They all crept forward until they could see the camp. As Sev had expected, the camp was within raiding distance of the small
human town of Riverton. The Rangers often used the town for trading and gathering information from the outside world. It was vital to the survival of the Druids, Rangers, and elves alike. Sev readied another arrow and aimed it at the largest orc he could see. The arrow whizzed through the air and struck the orc in the neck, killing it within moments. Sev’s Rangers unleashed their own barrage of arrows, taking down three orcs and two goblins in the process. They readied another set of arrows as Sev pulled out his short swords. Several goblins rushed at him. Like most goblins, they were slightly less than four feet tall and had thin builds. Their brownish skin was lighter than the dark-green orcish skin, but their features were similar. Each had black eyes, small noses, and teeth that resembled miniature daggers.

The Rangers let loose their second volley of arrows as Sev dispatched three
goblins. Half of the Rangers put away their bows and pulled out melee weapons. They lined up so that each Ranger archer had another melee Ranger in front of them for protection. Each of the Rangers in the front row took up a unique fighting stance that Sev had developed for each weapon. The spear holders all dropped to one knee and placed the spearhead facing the enemy with the other side against their rear boot, allowing the archers to fire over their shoulder. Each of the swordsmen took up a fencing stance, leaving their archers with more room to fire. Sev drove his sword through the jaw of a nearby orc as the Rangers closed in on their prey.

Orcs
and goblins were pouring out of the three large tents in the middle of the camp. The outer tents were either decoy tents or their occupants had already been slain in battle. Sev ordered his men to shoulder their bows and join the fray in full force. His men quickly complied and were at his side in moments. The half-elf took down two more orcs as he slowly made his way toward their leader. Orcish Shamans were easily recognizable by their spearlike staff and the large tattoos that covered their bodies. Their apparel varied greatly by tribe, but all of them were known as the leader of their tribe. The chieftain was the second-in-command. Both of them were standing outside of the largest of the three tents. Sev’s attention was temporarily drawn away from the two when he noticed that the orcs were holding back the Rangers.

He flipped his swords around so that the hilts we facing forward and then stabbed backward with both of his arms. The attack hit two
orcs in the ribs, leaving them open for their opponents to finish them off. Sev sheathed his short swords and pulled out two throwing daggers. He threw the first one slightly down and to his left before throwing the other down and to his right. Each of the daggers sliced through the back of an orc’s knees, hamstringing them and leaving them open to attack from the Rangers. Satisfied that his men could take the rest of the orcs, Sev returned his attention to the two leaders. The orc Chieftain was already charging him, and he barely had time to dive to the side. He rolled to his feet and pulled out his long sword. His opponent charged again. This time the half-elf was prepared for the attack. He blocked the blow and deflected it to the side as he stepped forward.

Sev let go of the sword with his left hand and grabbed the
orc’s shoulder. He thrust his right fist at the orc’s face, slamming the hilt of the sword into his opponent’s face. Blood splattered out of the orc’s nose, and Sev slid his left hand to the orc’s neck. The half-elf dug his thumb into the orc’s neck and slammed the pommel of his sword onto the creature’s chest. His opponent staggered backward, gasping for breath. Without hesitation, Sev whipped his sword around and cut off the Chieftain’s head. The Shaman yelled something in orcish tongue and lunged at Sev with his staff. He knocked the staff to the side and stepped forward, holding the sword up to the Shaman’s neck. The Shaman chuckled and closed his eyes.

A swirling black mass came out of the
orc’s hands and attacked Sev. He sliced through it several times with his sword, but it didn’t seem to affect the swirling mass. It hit Sev in the head, knocking him backward. His eyes began to darken as the formless mass closed in on him again. He rolled to his side and wildly swung his sword at the Shaman’s leg. The blow missed by a few inches and the mass engulfed Sev a second time, causing him to drop his sword. He pressed his legs against the ground and shoved as hard as he could. His momentum sent him into a handstand. He grabbed the bow off his back as he continued from his handstand back to standing on his feet a yard behind where he had been. His hand shook as he nocked the arrow and released. The arrow sailed through the black mass and pierced the orc just below the sternum. Sev dropped to the floor as the black mass dove for him. It dissipated just before reaching him as the Shaman was too weak to keep his control over it.

*

Rolin glanced back at the troops that were behind him. They had been riding hard for the better part of two days and looked terrified. The enemy had been following closely. So closely that the only thing that stopped them from overtaking the small Carmalian force was Paul. He fought off several attacks by surging Galimdorian knights. His prowess in battle coupled with his powerful magic had held them at bay each time. Rolin could tell that the attacks were wearing Paul down. Never one to be classified as cheery, Paul was looking even less happy than usual. He was hunched over more than usual, and his stoic expression was replaced with a scowl. Rolin reined in his horse and joined Paul at the rear of the force.

“Take the front position, Paul. I will hold them off. We are almost to safety,” Rolin said as he got within earshot of Paul.

“They are right on our tail, the villagers will be slaughtered unless we hold them off!” Paul yelled.

“I sent a messenger ahead of us, James and Melissa should have that taken care of. Get to the front of the convoy and lead us to safety.”

Paul nodded and spurred his horse faster, leaving Rolin to defend their flank. The Illusionist expert smiled when Paul looked back one last time.
This old man has some fight left in him
, Rolin thought as he looked back over his shoulder at the massive army that was following them. The brunt of the army was at least a day away, but the Galimdorian knights had kept up with the fleeing Carmalians with relative ease. When they saw Paul leave to the front of the convoy, they charged forward at Rolin. They hoped that the replacement defender was significantly weaker than his predecessor. Rolin smiled and turned his horse to face the charging knights. He was no match for Paul in melee combat, but his repertoire of spells was nearly unmatched.

“I think you’ll be greatly disappointed when you find that I am not so easy prey!” He yelled as he raised his staff.

The elderly mage lowered his staff until the tip hit the ground. A low rumble started at the point where his staff touched the ground. The earth began to shake and quiver as it made a small mound just under his staff. Rolin slowly raised his staff up as high as he could reach it. The earth continued to grow until it reached up to almost twelve feet in the air. Several more mounds began to form around the original as it took on the form of a large humanoid. Seven in all, the large mounds of earth all took on different forms. They ranged from larger humanoid figures that resembled humans, orcs, elves, and even dwarves to quadruped creatures that resembled a bear, a wolf, and a lion.

“Feel the wrath of the elements. The Wizards will not be so easily be broken!” Rolin yelled as he twirled his staff in the air, engulfing each of the earth creatures in fire.

He turned his horse and began to ride toward the back of the Carmalian force. As he rode back to his small army, he let his staff drag on the floor behind him. Water poured out of the staff, turning the dirt to mud. Rolin quickened his pace until he arrived at the rearguard of the Carmalians. The rearguard had taken the brunt of the first Galimdorian retaliation. They were exhausted and frightened. It frustrated Rolin to see the troops in such a condition. The Galimdorians were especially brutal in their assaults, and it was beginning to show. Rolin had to wonder at what would cause the Galimdorians to be loyal in such circumstances. There was little time for him to ponder the thought as his earth creations were already engaging the knights.

The largest of the creations slammed its fist into the first of the charging knights, knocking him off his horse and engulfing him in fire. All three of the earth animals lunged forward and knocked three more knights off their horses. The other humanoid creatures fought against a handful of knights that were charging forward. Though stronger than the knights, the earth beings were severely outnumbered and quickly outnumbered. It wasn’t long after they were outnumbered that they were defeated. The knights rushed forward into the mud and were bogged down by Rolin’s trap. Several of the knights were able to go around the mud and take up pursuit of Rolin and his men.  The
Archwizard took notice of this and whipped his staff around in circles in the air above his head five times. Each time he finished a circle, a small whirlwind formed behind him. The whirlwinds grew and began to head for the oncoming knights.