Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) (37 page)

"After I test the far landing," the wizard replied. "We still need to know if it is guarded. We don't want to land in a trap or have someone killed. This should be a rescue mission not a suicide mission."

Pulling out a strangely crafted, round stone that sort of looked like a fake eye, Darius passed the rock to Elias who began casting a spell on it. The high wizard proceeded to recreate the small portal, though it was about twice as large as the first. Elias placed the eye stone close to the miniature gate and popped it through the hole.

Covering his right eye, the wizard used his magic to guide the talisman and linked his sight to the magic stone. While Elias maintained his reconnaissance spell, Darterian opened a new map. Drawn down to the individual street lines, New Harbor was on display for the wizard to see in surprising detail.

Ashleen moved closer to the man as he looked over the map and asked, "You think that this will show Sebastian's whereabouts?"

Glancing to the wilder with a sympathetic smile, the Enchwold wizard stated, "Perhaps, but for now we are charting the other end of this portal. If you would give me a moment, I will mark it to go along with the other ones we know so far."

On the map, Ashleen noticed a pair of markings that seemed out of place on the map. A dot of green and one of purple stood out for her eyes. They were in very different places on the map. The purple one sat near an area marked out as New Harbor's castle.

Darterian ran his fingers over the city map for several seconds before resting over a spot long enough to generate a yellow mark for the magic being used. After it was done, the man looked at the wilder waiting for her questions; but first he spoke to his grandfather and cousin.

"I have it," the wizard spoke simply.

The stone was recalled by Elias before Darius dropped his miniature portal.

"It looks like another warehouse, though it was mostly empty," Elias said to those gathered there, although he directed his observations to his grandfather in particular.

Ashleen noted that the new mark was closer to the castle than the third dot. "What is this one over here by itself?"

"That is the portal Sebastian hid from Count Terris' wizards," Darterian answered for the other men. Darius looked ready to speak, but allowed his grandson his time. "The other is the official portal for New Harbor, but it was made from imbued stones made by High Wizard Herrol in White Hall instead of Darius."

"I didn't know Herrol could make portals," Ashleen said in surprise. Others listening looked equally caught off guard by the news.

"He doesn't," Darius stated grimly. "With all the problems going on in the southern cities and specifically New Harbor, it was decided to give them a different locator stone. Being different from the northern gates, any wizards who learn how to make portals there will need to be taught the other magic markers."

Frowning at the explanation, the young woman shook her head. "But once they find a few wizards who can use the spell, won't they have that? It isn't much of a defense if you give them the markers anyway."

Darterian spoke up again and said, "The only portal wizards they have were trained in the north. They were stationed there well after the trouble began. King Alain and his advisors believe those wizards are loyal and will protect the secret of the other gates until we are certain that New Harbor is safe."

Having listened from the door Elzen remarked, "And since we are hiding that from Count Terris and his wizards, I assume that we never felt it was safe."

"I can't say that I know all of the politics within Southwall or the current circumstances caused by the Dark One's men sowing poisonous thoughts of rebellion," Darius replied. "As a wizard of Enchwold, I don't really even involve myself or the school in the disputes between nations near the school unless they need a neutral party to arbitrate in fact.

"What I do know, is that Hala has been keeping an eye on all of New Harbor; so I believe that you are correct in saying that even the king's cousin isn't completely trusted. This isn't surprising to me. Most kings are dethroned by family with ties to the throne and greedy hearts.

"I don't remember too many rebellions thrown by just one city though. If the count or someone else with political or military power has plans to try and separate from Hala, it would be a brazen move. Southwall has a rather large army and I can't see Alain letting even family try to wrest part of the kingdom away from him."

Ashleen mused, "King Alain doesn't seem like a greedy monarch with the need to hold on just because a city is part of his kingdom."

"Said like a wizard," Darius chuckled at her remark. "Alain isn't someone driven by a need for conquest, except maybe the wish to conquer and remove the threat of the Dark One; but if he lets a city try to break away, it will make him look weak. More cities and provinces might try to leave or another man might try to usurp his crown completely.

"Like I said, I am not one who watches such things closely, but in my time many kingdoms have changed family lines from such things."

Sighing at the distraction of the conversation, Ashleen asked, "If New Harbor is considering breaking from Southwall, what purpose would kidnapping Sebastian serve? This just helps point the finger at them more than we already were."

"I can think of multiple reasons. First, they might hope to use him to find more magic to give them an edge. Second, if they can't convince him to join them just removing him from play helps remove that variable from Southwall's options. I'm sure we could find more reasons, but those are likely the main reasons that he might have been grabbed from Red Hall."

Falcondi Yenest moved towards the wizards and asked, "That is all well and good, but did your search of the other side of the portal reveal if it is safe for us to use it? We can start our trackers from that point and make it easier to find any traces of Sebastian's passing from there."

Glancing to Elias, Darius received a shrug. The younger wizard replied, "It did look clear. We could check Sebastian's gate, if you would rather."

Yenest shook his head. "We believe that it may be compromised. There has been no word from the guards there for weeks.

"The king has been sending his contacts through the official gate just in case someone decided to capture anyone sneaking into the city unofficially. It wouldn't be unusual for someone using the other portal to be considered spies since there is an official gate that the count's people know about already."

Darius considered the options and offered, "I have practiced enough that I can probably use an existing point and add a random factor to it moving the arrival gate away to sufficiently avoid someone guarding it."

"But that wouldn't prevent someone else from seeing a group of wizards and mages using the random gate," Yenest countered. "That could cause an alarm and bring even more attention to us from the local guards."

"Then I guess we should risk this new portal," the high wizard said looking like he didn't feel as comfortable with the idea in spite of his words.

Elzen spoke up again and said, "Then send me. I'll go first."

A worried look from Serrena behind him was caught by Ashleen, but the wilder said nothing. If there was a new relationship between the two, it was a matter for them only and not for her to stick her nose into.

A large shadow filling the doorway behind the smaller mage said, "I'll go. He's a little small to entrust with holding the line for an unknown position."

Elzen glared at Jeriah and argued, "Just because you're large doesn't mean that I'm not capable of doing anything you can, big boy. Sebastian is a lot smaller than you and kicked your rear before. Don't think that I can't just because you're bigger. You're also a lot older, so I bet that you're a lot slower in your old age."

"You little..." Jeriah started reddening angrily at the insults.

"Shut up both of you!" Ashleen yelled at the two mages. "We don't need you two starting fights with each other when Sebastian's life is in danger. If Darius makes the portal large enough, you two idiots can go at the same time. That will give you twice the advantage and twice as many eyes to keep a look out for the rest of us to arrive."

The men glared at each other a moment longer before they looked at Ashleen. Shrinking from her withering look, they missed the amusement hidden by Darius with his hand. The wizard turned back to the point where this side of the gate would open and said, "Making it large enough for us to pass two at a time is probably a good idea anyway. We don't want to leave the gate open any longer than we have to."

With that decided, the wizard made sure that everyone was ready both in the room and out in the hall. The same team which had come to Red Hall would be joined by Darius and his grandsons. It was a surprising commitment from the wizards of Enchwold when this technically didn't involve them, but Ashleen felt better having the immortal wizard coming along. He was a steadying presence and had seemed to be in Sebastian's corner from the moment that the two men had met at the Winter's Edge tournament.

Elzen and Jeriah moved to their positions still darting angry looks at each other, but they were committed to helping find Sebastian. Able to come together for a common goal, Jeriah held his sword ready while Elzen merely waited with empty hands though his magic was gathered the way of a martial artist trained to kill with his hands. Just a teen, the smaller mage was lethal without a metal weapon and well known among his peers for his skill.

"Ready," Darius stated to let the others know that he was committing now. He chanted the words of power the high wizard had chosen for creating his gate and moved his hands in the way he had designed. It was the magic of the Dark One, but Darius had deciphered the spell and made it his own.

Throwing out such thoughts as she watched the portal open casting a golden glow, Ashleen readied to follow the initial wave of mages to New Harbor and hopefully to Sebastian.

Chapter 20- Old Friends

Sebastian was led to the torture chamber yet again. He had been given a couple days' respite thanks to Zeria. The wizard had come to visit him two more times dressed like she had been on her first attempt to convince him to join her. Unlike the first hour of the first day, Zeria had only gone through the process of going to him for torture as a ruse. Those forcing the wizard to stay and serve Terris, or whoever wound up on top, had believed the research wizard capable of using her techniques and beauty to break him in a way that standard torture and mind magic had not.

His immunity to diplomacy's mind control still perplexed Xaren, but the man had been cast aside by his leaders letting the brutal Civan and then Zeria take their shots at him. Apparently they still believed it possible to convert him to their side and believed him worth the effort; so as he was chained to the overhead hook Civan had used to immobilize him Sebastian wondered who would be in charge of his torture this time.

While Zeria had doted on him sneaking the mage food and salves treated with magic to help him heal for his next punishment, the mage had never told her how he planned to escape. Admittedly, his plans weren't fully formed and a lot was left to chance, but Sebastian could have told her about the runes and his work on the metal of the shackles. It was still his secret and no one had noticed that two lines had been cut nearly through the metal on both cuffs.

Only the collar, which he couldn't see at all, remained an unknown issue. The rune wire couldn't get under the metal of the collar to saw at the ring without cutting his neck in the process. If he had use of his magic, the mage could have shifted defense runes there to protect his skin; but then he wouldn't have been in the trouble he was in now either.

The strength enhancing runes could augment the power in his arms enough to break the weakened metal now, he thought; but the collar would be proof against his abilities. That made him wonder if he could just use the capabilities of his runes to help him escape or if he would need his magic as well. It was a variable that had kept him waiting for an opportunity and Zeria had been pleasant enough company until the wizard had been considered a failure as well.

Civan entered the room with his assistant Lorgan and Sebastian sighed. More torture by the two men was a bit of a surprise actually. He disliked the pain, but it wasn't enough to break him. Sebastian still had hope and his enemies should have learned that much by now.

The two men weren't the last and the faces he saw behind them were shocking to say the least. Three more men walked in and two of their faces were familiar to him.

Civan grinned at the mage and said, "We brought some new friends of the count to see you. They believe that they might have a way of convincing you see our point of view. After they're through with you, you'll either serve Count Terris, the new ruler of New Harbor and any other cities who wish to join us, or..."

He was cut off by the only man that didn't look familiar to the mage. "Shut up, you fool. You weren't told to introduce us or to run your mouth off about Count Terris and New Harbor. Now be quiet and let us do our work."

Civan turned on the man and growled, "This is my dungeon and Terris is my lord. I will say what I want to here. Besides, what is this one going to do about it? He's a prisoner and will either join us or die."

Leaning closer to Sebastian, the man added with a snicker, "Personally I am kind of hoping you go for death. I've been dying to try out a certain piece of equipment that has been restricted for centuries."

The gray haired man had begun mumbling a spell. Gesturing with his hands, the right slapped the air. Civan was thrown to the side like he had been tackled by his powerful assistant or perhaps an armored vile.

"I said shut up. You can leave us the room, Civan. We won't need a man of your somewhat limited capabilities. Leave your ring of keys on the table there. We will take it from here."