The Young Magician (The Legacy Trilogy) (87 page)

‘Well,’ Master Glim mentioned as they went to the door, ‘we certainly look…unusual. No one will certainly be picking us for magicians in a hurry.’

Samuel managed a smile as they exited the tailor’s store. ‘I think we look rather fetching.’

Peeking outside, they saw no sign of any guards or magicians, so they began again down the street, this time at a much more leisurely pace. The street here led directly to the central market and so was bustling with activity.

After they were jostled and bumped too many times, Master Glim turned to Samuel. ‘I think we should find a quieter route.’

They pushed their way to the side of the street towards a quiet laneway. They could take some back streets for a while and avoid the crowds.

As they squeezed through the people, Samuel noticed an extremely short man, barely reaching to his waist, jostling tightly at his side. Samuel gave the little man a questioning glance and the fellow looked back at him, baring a puckish smile. Samuel turned to Master Glim to say something, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Master Glim’s eyes opened wide. The crowd around them seemed to act as one and fell in upon the two colourful magicians. Someone had Samuel around the legs and he toppled over. As he struggled on the ground, something hard and heavy struck him fair on the head, and the last thing Samuel saw was the sky spinning up and around him and a big, mischievous grin.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Empire and Order

SAMUEL LOOKED OUT through the iron bars and sighed. He surveyed the world outside with his chin cupped in his hands and with his elbows set upon the dusty windowsill. Through the small opening he could not see very much, but the shadows upon the ground far below were stretching longer under the late afternoon sun. Tiny people were moving in the courtyards and gardens beneath them—dark splashes of magicians strolling, glinting soldiers striding, and coloured officials and servants scurrying, going about their duties.

‘We have to get out of here,’ Samuel said. ‘I can’t stand it any more.’ The words caught in his dry throat. He could feel the magic surge and beckon just beyond his reach, but he could not touch it. He felt hollow inside—empty—as if his innards had been torn out and just a dry husky shell was all that was left for him to inhabit.

‘Try not to think about it,’ Master Glim said, sitting up against the wall on the floor. He did not bother to look up, but kept tracing letters on the dusty cell floor with his finger. ‘We can depend on the others to help us. They should come up with some plan to save us soon, assuming they even know we’re here, of course.’

‘It’s been two days already. They could have been caught by now or worse. It’s probably all over by now, anyway.’

‘Calm now, Samuel,’ the level-headed teacher told him. ‘That’s not like you. I’m sure the others are fine and I’m sure nothing has happened yet or we would know about it.’

‘Well, there’s
something
going on out there,’ Samuel said, straining his head against the bars to see as directly downwards as possible. ‘They’re looking busier than before. There are guards everywhere.’

‘But they’re not running and screaming. That’s what we should be worried about most. Until that happens, we know we still have some time to act.’

‘You’re right,’ Samuel said, and turned away from the window with a sigh.

For the second time in his life, he had awoken to find himself locked in the Mage Cell. Master Glim had been sitting beside him, chewing on an old crust of bread that had been thrust under the door. They were both still dressed in their coloured tunics, but they were considerably scuffed and dirtied all over. The last couple of nights had not been kind to them and Samuel just hoped he did not look as bad as Master Glim.

‘I feel so terrible,’ he moaned plaintively.

After a few empty moments, Master Glim responded. ‘I know. Don’t dwell on it. It will only make it worse. Just be glad we’ve had time to rest. You certainly needed it. I’ve had to stop the guards from taking you away twice. You slept so long that I think they thought you were dead. It was only your infernal snoring that finally convinced them otherwise.’

‘I can certainly think of other places I would have preferred to stay,’ Samuel stated. ‘And I would have slept
much
better if I hadn’t been lying on a stone floor.’

He pushed his head against the bars once more. There was little else to do up here, except peer out the window as far as was possible. People were still skittering around down below, but there was nothing that hinted at an imminent rescue.

The solitude of the Mage Cell chilled his heart. For his second time within it, he felt no better. In fact, the longer he was held away from the touch of magic, the smaller and colder he felt. Samuel turned away from the window and stalked around the small square cell, rubbing at his forehead in frustration.

He had barely turned away, when a grunt from the window caught his attention and a man’s legs suddenly dropped into view outside the bars.

Samuel pressed his face against the bars and gawked at the tall man swinging around outside. ‘Lomar?’ Samuel said, peering between the bars. ‘When did you learn to fly?’

‘I didn’t,’ Lomar grunted, his face now visible beyond the bars, creased with effort. ‘I’m on a rope—and it’s cutting me in half!’

‘What are you doing out there?’ Samuel asked incredulously.

‘Trying to set you free…and trying not to kill myself in the process!’

‘How, may I ask?’ Master Glim questioned, coming to stand beside Samuel.

‘Spells work perfectly fine out here,’ Lomar explained. ‘Once I get you out, you will be able to spell as much as you please. Now, if you will.’

‘Step back,’ Master Glim urged as Lomar began a spell.

Samuel did as instructed, while Lomar began to concentrate his energy upon the cell window. His spell took hold of the bars, which began twisting and turning as the magic did its work. Flecks of mortar began popping into the air and, one by one, each bar groaned and snapped and clunked onto the floor with a resounding clang.

‘Not bad,’ Master Glim noted, examining the cleared window. The stubs of the bars were hot to the touch and Master Glim’s finger hissed as he tested one. ‘
Ai!
’ he spat and shook his fingers in the air and sucked on the injured digit. Samuel managed a smile and shook his head at his teacher.

‘Come now!’ Lomar urged with a grunt as he struggled with his makeshift harness. ‘Get out of there before I fall to my death.’

Samuel was first into action. He pushed his head out the window and observed the ground far below. It was distressingly far to the ground and he felt his heart lurch in his chest. He gulped and closed his eyes a moment, trying hard to calm himself.

‘Master Pot and Master Goodfellow are assisting me,’ Lomar noted, ‘but my poor stomach can only take so much. Try to hurry along!’

‘Can it hold both of us?’ Samuel asked.

‘It may,’ Lomar responded. ‘But I do not think that the Erics can. They can only take our combined weight for a moment—long enough for you to get out of the cell and cast yourself a spell. I hope you have something suitable ready.’

Samuel nodded. He reached out and grabbed the rope just above Lomar’s head, and pulled himself slowly out. Despite his efforts, they both began to swing around and worried shouts of distress sounded from above.

‘Quickly, Samuel!’ Lomar urged frantically, as they slowly spun in the same place.

Samuel felt helpless as he clung to the rough rope for all he was worth. A long fall awaited him should he slip and the dizzying heights made him all the more giddy. It did not even seem a particularly sturdy rope, all coarse and fraying. Magicians often lacked the more practical skills in life, Samuel quickly noted, such as being able to choose a decent rope and a more effective way of fixing it to Lomar, who looked to be in great discomfort.

Samuel could feel his energy returning and the giddiness from the height was replaced with excitement as his magic returned to him.

‘Samuel!’ Lomar hissed.

Samuel remembered himself and quickly cast out a spell. He pushed his feet out against the tower wall and then his hands followed, so that he clung to the side of the tower like a spider. He still felt nervous, hanging so far above the ground, but a smile lit his face as he enjoyed the taste of magic again.

It was then Master Glim’s turn and he, too, popped his head out the window. He raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the ground far below. People were still busy down in the palace grounds but, so far, none seemed to have noticed them. Master Glim sucked his bottom lip, no doubt imagining what would happen should he fall.

‘Master Glim,’ Lomar urged. ‘Hurry! My stomach can’t take much more of this!’

In a moment, Master Glim had mustered his own skills and was out beside Samuel. The man looked terrified as he clung to the wall, squeezing his eyes tightly shut. Samuel examined his teacher’s spell. It was not really so great in strength, but quite a mastery of efficiency.

‘You two look like a couple of overgrown butterflies,’ Lomar remarked with a grin, referring to their brightly coloured tunics.

Samuel made a sour face. ‘You don’t like my tunic? It’s very popular with some.’

‘Yes,’ Master Glim agreed, ‘—with women! It was all his idea. Little good it did us.’

Lomar started to laugh and then coughed. His face was turning bright red.

‘Down?’ Samuel asked him, looking far below.

‘Up! Up! Up!’ Lomar exclaimed excitedly and began quickly tugging on the rope.

With a jerk from above, he began to rise, bumping and banging into the wall, grunting and muttering each time. Samuel took one last look inside the Mage Cell. He hoped he never saw its insides again. Nothing had made him feel that terrible for a long time—not since he had lost Leila. It was a different kind of feeling, but it filled him with the same strange despair and hopelessness.

‘Samuel,’ Master Glim said, ‘can you set one of your illusions inside? We don’t want to be missed.’

It took a moment to become calm enough to cast another spell; then Samuel formed an illusion of himself and Master Glim, and set them in the cell. Thankfully, the spell held true and the two images sat quietly beside each other on the floor. Samuel grinned. Turning right side up, he followed Master Glim and the grunting Lomar up the tower’s side.

‘You should try our way,’ Samuel suggested to his lean friend.

‘No, thank you,’ Lomar said. ‘I would not like to see what would happen if you sneezed and forgot your spell, or a mage below noticed you and negated it. Despite the discomfort, this rope is doing me fine.’

‘That’s true,’ Samuel said, with a sudden uncomfortable realisation, and he quickened his pace up the wall.

Samuel leapt over the top of the tower and landed beside a surprised Eric Pot and Eric Goodfellow, both straining with the remains of a long coil of rope.

‘Samuel!’ they exclaimed together.

Master Glim followed him over and then an exceedingly bruised and buffeted Lomar clawed his way over the tall stones. The two Erics collapsed with relief as his weight finally left their hands. Their faces were red and their gloveless hands were raw and blistered. Samuel shook his head at them once more.

‘What has happened?’ Samuel asked.

‘The ceremony is due to begin within the very hour,’ Goodfellow answered. ‘Empress Lillith has vanished and General Ruardin has his men in a frenzy searching for her. The city folk don’t yet know about her disappearance, but when they find out the city will fall into a state of turmoil!’

‘What has happened to Grand Master Anthem?’ Master Glim asked.

‘He’s also nowhere to be found,’ Eric explained. The wind was stronger up here and it tugged at their clothes and whistled amongst the tower-top stones. ‘As we guessed, Rimus has somehow removed the Grand Master from the scene and we fear for the worst for him. We have been blamed for everything!’

Samuel shivered in his thin tunic as it flapped and stuck to his skin. ‘So everyone who could possibly stop him is out of his way, except for us. What about Ash?’ he asked.

‘He still hasn’t been seen,’ Eric responded. ‘We have to be very careful who we speak to in the Order. Nobody knows whom to trust any more.’

‘We’ll discuss it downstairs,’ Master Glim said, himself shivering. ‘It’s a little too open here and far too windy for my liking.’

They all agreed and Eric lifted the heavy trapdoor and they descended into the tower.

They crept down the first narrow flight of stairs, past the door to the Archmage’s chambers. The other upper levels seemed deserted, but they grew more and more cautious as they descended. As they passed the level of the Mage Cell, Lomar urged them all to keep absolutely silent.

‘This level is full of guards,’ he whispered after they had passed the sturdy entrance. ‘After Samuel’s previous escape, they’re not taking any chances. I hope your illusions fool them long enough for us to do our work.’

‘My spells will hold,’ Samuel whispered back. ‘The rest has done me wonders. As long as they don’t ask us any questions and they expect us to actually do nothing but sit and look blankly at each other, the illusions will fool anyone.’