Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) (51 page)

Collars that could control a wizard as a weapon had been used on Ashleen and other wizards captured during his voyage to find the Grimnal. If they had those, the others were possible but doubtful.

Looking at the emperor's spire, the mage realized that he would have to sneak closer to the fortress to pick out Istrias' individual magic aura. He was simply too far away and there was too much interference thanks to other warlocks and the emperor's presence.

There were other gates much closer, so Sebastian placed a hand against the building beside him. It was stone letting the mage pull power from the ground at the cost of a burn mark on the wall. Unwilling to tap into the wells holding their full power, the owl made use of his skill at drawing magic from the earth to open the doorway. He stepped through letting it go without being seen by anyone, especially those associated with Palose.

Arriving behind the large building made for portal use by the warlocks of the city, Sebastian turned towards the spire. He would have to get closer yet, so the owl moved out avoiding notice by using his stealth spell. It wasn't particularly draining as he tied the magic off like his air shield. He didn't wish to waste any of his energy, but the mage hurried using up his physical energy rather than prolonging the spell.

Finding a shadowed spot between buildings, Sebastian released the stealth spell to use his vision. The stealth spell blocked all but the strange shadow sense that allowed them to feel their way through crowds. It didn't allow him to use the air shield either, so the mage was feeling a bit cold as he attempted to look through the stone walls of the emperor's fortress.

Slowly scanning the structure, he worked his way down finally finding Istrias below ground level. It wasn't a surprise to find a dungeon beneath ground, though it must have been cut from the stone of the spire and earth to make it. Maybe it was the source of the stone which made up the towers and walls surrounding the spire, he thought.

The spies had no magic to look for. As the owl prepared his tools, he wondered if he should find Drayden or one of the other spies. They would know their people and Istrias was unlikely to be going anywhere.

With a sigh, Sebastian replaced his gear and called up a portal closer to the spies' hideout. He would consult with the leader of the spies for his opinion before going in without more of a plan than he had.

Chapter 27- Dreams

Palose brought Narissa to Ensolus through the gate he maintained in Atrouseon's old apartment. It was his now, but the furniture and decor always reminded him of the man who had brought him back from death. One day maybe he would take the time to throw out the things that most reminded him of the old warlock and bring in furnishings that were more to his taste. Sylvaine would likely help and make it their home, he thought, before turning to look at Narissa.

The seer blinked and shook her head trying to throw off the effects of her passage through the portal. Not everyone took it as well as others. Palose barely noticed any disorientation anymore and had never been affected by it too much. Perhaps that was part of why the magic came to him so naturally.

Wearing boots and a long jacket over her dress now, the seer still looked dressed too light for the weather north of the wall. Her hands started to hold her upper arms slowly rubbing them for warmth even before her eyes fully adjusted to the room around her.

"This doesn't feel like you," Narissa stated as she glanced around the living area.

"It was my master's, or the warlock that resurrected me, since he was never truly much of a master."

Looking at the dark mage, the woman tilted her head as if that would give her a better view of him. "He wasn't a good master?"

"Atrouseon would give me chores or tasks to do for him, but he barely did anything to train me in warlock magic. He pointed me towards the library and occasionally told me a book that I should read, but coming from a battle mage background reading books for magic was quite a switch," he replied with a shrug as he moved to check the door. Most of the time the emperor's messengers would leave messages in their envelopes for him to find by pushing them under the door. Since he didn't sleep there often, either he or one of the others would check for more messages. Luckily, Kolban didn't call on him every day.

He wasn't one of Kolban's official advisors, so it should have been assumed that he would be called rarely. Unfortunately his gift with making portals and his initiative to create several gates south of the wall had made him more noticeable once Acheri told her brother of his accomplishments. Though he was almost certain that she hadn't wanted to share him even with the emperor, so maybe he had simply known all along?

The woman was still looking at him like she was assessing his opinion and finally said, "Perhaps he just gave you the guidance that he thought that you needed. He was a warlock. Did he ever have a student before that you know of?"

"There were quite a few warlocks that came to his memorial. Ensolus has less of a funeral ritual than Southwall, but I remember seeing both older and younger warlocks. No one came up to me to tell me that they were former students though.

"It isn't like I was his child that they would talk to me about the loss of a father or brother. I did inherit his wealth and home though, since he had no true heirs."

Narissa walked into the far room, the bedroom he sometimes used to be alone with Sylvaine. There was less there to remind him of Atrouseon, though the mage hadn't been invited into that room while the warlock had been alive. A cleaning woman was the only person that went into the man's room while Palose had been kept in a smaller room barely larger than a closet.

Following the woman into the room, he watched her place her brown coat on the bed revealing her red dress. Her hem fell just below her knees to touch the tops of her boots while the neck line dropped in a v low enough to reveal the skin of her upper chest. As she turned; a necklace with a golden eye slipped free before striking her on her breast as it returned like a pendulum to rest.

Narissa didn't bother to hide it as she walked over to a wardrobe. Reaching into like it was her own; the woman found a fur coat. Palose hadn't even realized that it was there. Sylvaine or one of the other girls must have purchased it without telling him and left it in the wardrobe, because it didn't look like something Atrouseon would have worn.

More interested in the necklace, he asked, "Does the necklace symbolize something?"

It looked rather old and Narissa lifted it by the chain to peer at it between them. "It is a chain representing the Visionary order. You came looking for one of us and I was waiting for you.

"The eye represents the sight, of course; but I am sure that you had guessed that. It was given to me by my mentor, like I will give it to Evic as my student."

"It looks like it might predate the Cataclysm," the mage added.

She nodded without truly committing to his assessment. Warm in her borrowed coat, Narissa stated, "We should go soon. He will want us there before the incident happens."

"What incident?" Palose asked taking a warning step towards the seer. It was amazing how quickly the idea of her knowing the future had settled over him.

"It doesn't really matter, though it will spur him to some decisions, I think. Will we walk there or will you cast another portal?" the woman asked looking a little reticent about going through another gate at the moment.

"We will walk, if you are warm enough now?" he asked the woman sarcastically.

"Very, I am glad it was left there. My jacket was only designed for winter in Mariport, which isn't nearly as cold as Ensolus apparently," acknowledged the seer without appearing to notice his tone.

"The southern cities don't know cold... or war really," the mage stated one of the reasons the southern cities seemed to be willing to listen to the emperor's message in their cumulative ears. Without the experience, cities like New Harbor had begun to think that Hala demanded taxes and soldiers only because they wished to arm themselves and grow more powerful. It made them easy to sway.

Using an elevator powered by his magic, Palose led the seer to the fortress gates. The soldiers knew the dark mage well, but balked at letting Narissa past. Even giving them his assurances that she would be welcome and that he would take any responsibility for her; barely managed to get them through the doors.

A servant appeared once they were inside the doors of the inner spire. Like an organically grown castle, the spire had its halls and rooms built without the squaring of something built by man's hands alone. It had been hewn out by goblins, orcs and armored viles. They cared less about straight lines than men or even the elven descendents who had joined him hundreds of years ago.

"Interesting," Narissa marveled as they walked through halls and up stone stairs. "To think that a city could be made from the nature of a cave, it is quite remarkable what the Dark One managed with his people. He broke the barriers between worlds and used his men and magic to carve out a new empire here while beating down those he had despised for so long."

"Still despises, I think," Palose replied to her musings.

Shrugging, Narissa answered, "We will see. I know what he wants people to believe, but I am not as sure as you say you are."

The servant glanced at the two of them spurring the pretty seer to smile back at him only to receive a scowl, though Palose thought it was forced. His eyes sparkled slightly at the woman's attention, but the man was trained to appear aloof from the guests who went to see the emperor.

Guarded doors appeared before them, but the servant slipped through to bring Kolban the message of his unexpected guests. Even Palose hadn't been called to the castle, which made everything involved with the visit more awkward.

Once the man reappeared, he told Palose and thus the guards in their overhearing him, "The emperor will see you now."

They moved past the servant and guards. He was often with the emperor by himself and they looked on Narissa as someone that he could restrain if Kolban couldn't just dispose of her by himself. The thought made the mage wonder if she would be approved by the emperor or destroyed as he had just considered. While Dorgred seemed infatuated with her, Palose was less so and only cared to find out if Kolban found her satisfactory, so that he could consider this mission finished.

Kolban stood in one of his war rooms. Two men were speaking with him. One was the powerful warlock leader of the wizard hunters who held one of the most powerful magical auras Palose had ever seen. Even with his strength, the man paled before Kolban and his siblings.

"Greetings, Palose," the boy said looking from the mage to his attractive compatriot. "And who is this enchanting woman by your side?"

"If I did my job correctly, your majesty, she should be able to answer the questions that you have."

"That is all for now, gentlemen," Kolban said waving off men who looked slightly annoyed by the interruption and curious as to what answers Narissa would be answering for the emperor in his youthful body. Palose could sympathize with them if they found it odd to take orders from a boy, while still knowing that he was the same man that was now close to a millennium old.

Kolban moved from behind the table to meet them while Palose and Narissa closed the distance. When the mage stopped, he was surprised to see Narissa move within arm's reach of the emperor. The boy was barely taller than the seer, though the woman wasn't that tall either. Palose had nearly half a foot on both of them.

Reaching for the emperor's hair as if she was familiar with him like she was his sister, Narissa mussed his hair saying, "Hmm, I thought that you would be taller by now."

"I have grown most of an inch this year, I think," Kolban replied showing remarkable control. He was an emperor and a warlock unlike any other Palose had ever seen. Either point could lead the boy to disdain anyone beneath him. Touching a king had the possibility of having one thrown into prison, though perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, the mage mused to himself watching the two in front of him. Killing off or imprisoning your people for loving you enough to risk touching you might be a negative way to keep your population happy.

"Well, that isn't bad for someone newborn less than a year ago," the seer agreed. "You are certainly different from what you were."

Kolban's face darkened slightly and he asked taking hold of her wrists to remove them from his head, "What do you mean?"

Before she could answer, a side door was thrown open and a girl burst into the room in a fury. Acheri cried out, "I was told that Palose brought a woman to see you, Kolban! What kind of insanity is this?"

Narissa smiled looking at Acheri with that strange sideways tilt to her head that the seer used to value the person before her. "Your sister is even prettier than I could see in my visions," she proclaimed almost in awe of the pretty, dark haired princess.

The compliment caused the girl to pull up short in confusion. It lasted a moment and Kolban introduced her, "This is a seer that I requested Palose to look for. She's... hmm, I wasn't given your name," the boy finished glancing to the mage over the woman's shoulder.

"This is Narissa, a visionary, as you requested, at least as far as I can tell," he answered the emperor.