Battle Mage: Winds of Change (The High King: A Tale of Alus Book 11) (45 page)

Gerfon's spell caught Ashleen's shell knocking the girl off her feet as the ball was redirected to the side. The earth magic threw her aside, but the orange ball protected her as the girl rolled away. She was thrown around inside, but Sebastian couldn't reach her while the magic was up either.

He also had about a dozen pirates to deal with including the two wizards.

Lightning lit the ball of magic jumping towards the brush concealing the camp as Ashleen's magic lashed out through the ball. The runes seemed to allow the magic to leave unrestricted and greenery exploded in several places as the arcs of lightning struck wall. Thunder followed and echoed across the island with the strength of her magic.

The oval rune opened letting the owl draw his Hollow Sword and closed again quickly. Enjoying the speed of the runes and the ability to avoid having to cast or call them into being, Sebastian closed with the nearest pirate.

Brandishing a club made from one of the local trees, the pirate tried to fight him; but the sword cut through the club with ease. His night shield was pushed into the pirate before Sebastian's fist struck the man on the side of the face. The hilt in his hand made the blow feel like steel and the pirate dropped in one shot.

"Sleep," he said charging the sword. There was no need to kill these people, even if they were criminals. The mage tried to be humane and avoided killing when he could. With portal magic available, Sebastian could bring them to justice just as soon as they finished capturing the motley band.

Another earth spell sent spikes towards him and the mage called on one of his new spells, "Dragon wings!"

The orange rune shield blocked the stone, and Sebastian countered jumping into the air. "Ice breath."

Crystallizing the air before him as it was sent towards the ground, the affect magnified as the grass and dirt was suddenly covered in a quarter inch of ice in a direct path towards the wizards. The pirates caught in the blast were covered in ice as well making their clothing bind and cut.

Slashing with his sword, the sleep spell trapped within waiting to be released rushed out catching most of those caught in the ice.

He landed maintaining the dragon wings. A pirate lashed out with his sword and Sebastian leaned forward letting his right wing move forward protecting that side. The blade was knocked aside and fell from the man's hand as the shock of the hit made it vibrate like there was no leather covering the grip.

"Sleep," he added pointing at the man with his left hand.

The spell sent the pirate to the ground in a heap.

His eyes noted all but the two wizards had fallen already. Rilena had cut through from his left and struck down three more pirates. Ashleen's lightning had caught a couple more. Before he could think to finish the wizards off, however, a lion's roar as a streak of tan leaped towards the wizards told him where Evie had hidden.

The two wizards turned at the same time ignoring the two battle mages. Konnar was thrown to the ground before either man could raise a spell. The lion's clawed tore his shirt drawing blood as the lioness tried to use him to spring towards Gerfon.

A wind gust threw the lion back as the older wizard stumbled back casting the spell meant for Sebastian. Even as Evie rolled over, the mage closed the distance. Finding the Hollow Sword pointed at his neck, Gerfon raised his hands in surrender though the wizard's eyes moved to watch the lion as it righted itself.

Rilena and Ashleen entered the camp as Evie changed back to a naked girl once more. The wizard's eyes opened in shock. "But you were a mermaid."

"She's a shape changer," Sebastian stated correcting the man. "Evie doesn't need her hands or words to shift either. She's a wilder."

"Where is Shefar's amulet?" the petite redhead asked walking up to the wizard without any sense of shame that she had no clothes. Not just a wilder as a wizard, Evie was nearly a wild child meant for nature more than the cities of man.

The necklace was produced from a pocket and Evie walked over handing her friend the amulet through a gap in the loose weave of the net before working at the knot which had kept her trapped inside. Magic changed the mermaid back into a girl as she asked in shock, "How did you escape?"

"I turned into a mouse after changing back into a regular girl," Evie replied with a smile as the top of the net finally gave way for her to open the end. Helping her friend wiggle free, Evie took the hug from Shefar's gratitude before moving to the empty net holding her clothes.

Noting Sebastian's eyes cross hers, the wilder looked like she was about to cry. "I'm sorry, Sebastian. I didn't panic, but I thought I could help Shefar escape if I became a mouse. I didn't want to leave my clothes behind."

"Don't worry about it, Evie. Just get your clothes back on while we take care of this wizard and his people."

Ashleen moved to help the younger girl saying soothing things to her while Rilena and Sebastian began to tie the hands of the wizards and pirates. Getting so many back to the fort was going to take time, he thought.

Chapter 23- Ensolus

Talks between the locals and the diplomats from Southwall went much easier after Sebastian and the others returned with the dozen pirates in tow. It was an unplanned success in making the islands safer for the tribe and did a lot to assuage the worries the islanders had dealing with Southwall.

They weren't even an official country, but the diplomat wizards tried to give them the respect that they would if the tribe was the size of Talos or one of the other island nations. Respect given made the people feel better about themselves after decades under the rule of one pirate captain after another. Their people had been torn apart, taken away and left as slaves to breed more slaves. Only those who had stayed beneath the waves continued much like they had before the Cataclysm.

The merfolk did what they could to mask the origins of those from beneath the waves, even though Shefar's magic had been revealed to the newcomers as well. Sebastian had expected them to, since he feared other men would come to try and take advantage of the race which had left the land by using magic amulets. The chance to get such amulets could lead to others greed as well as the chance to see mermaids from legend. It was a tricky point to their relations that few knew and probably should know, he thought.

Though the diplomats knew at least three of their people could change into a mermaid, they were wizards and battle mages who were used to the complexities of magic. They were asked to keep the matter quiet from the general public, even that of the guilds who might wish to send research wizards to investigate. Only the king and a few of his advisors would be told. The information would be held close for only those who truly would need to know.

By the end of the day, talk of letting small groups of wizards come to the island to see what resources the islanders could use to build trade had been propositioned and agreed to by the locals. A possible secondary force coming to build another fort capable of protecting the islands until the natives could be trained well enough to defend their land seemed possible, though such agreements weren't finished after just one day.

Asked to remain for an evening's entertainment, Sebastian and the others stayed, but used portals to return to Hala after the festivities had ended. Oltus and Dinah remained behind with a few mages under Falconi Brelan's command. Sebastian doubted there was any real need for guards with the current pirate threat ended, but it was considered standard to leave guards for the diplomat wizards.

Returning to the inn, Sebastian found himself yawning even as the musicians playing in the hall of the Black Smith Inn continued with at least an hour more ahead of them. He and Ashleen went to their room alone. Rilena and Evie could use the mermaids' old room for at least one more night, but he wasn't sure of the future of the two girls' lodging beyond that.

Ashleen waited until he closed the door trying to stifle a yawn, before the girl slipped off her short boots. Her shorts dropped to the floor quickly as she got comfortable, but that was as far as she went before sitting on the bed crossing her legs to face him.

The mage looked at the pretty young woman sitting on the bed gazing at him with blue eyes that sparkled with the light of the lamps he lit with his magic. Her blond hair had bleached with the summer sun appearing almost a pale silver by daylight. Now in the golden glow of the lamplight, it reflected the glow placing more of the yellow of darker blond onto her hair.

"Well, that went pretty well," Ashleen stated with a slight smile for him as he continued to stand beside the dresser next to the door looking at her. "Well, except for having to save Evie from being kidnapped by pirates, of course, but even that wound up helping out negotiations with the islanders."

He nodded. "I had hoped going with Yaroma and Naoromi would give us a better start. We did help them get rid of the pirates after all."

"I suppose that I should miss the girls, but we just left them. Tomorrow or the next day it will probably begin to set in. They were nice girls and we spent a lot of time together."

"A lot of time shopping, you mean?" he joked touching the coin purse hidden beneath his shirt tied to his belt.

"Oh, like I've been spending all your money," she countered pursing her lips feigning being insulted by his words. "Most of what I have bought has been paid for from the account my father has set up with Southwall's banks. You've spent more on Evie and the mermaids than me."

After being in the fresh tropical air of the islands all day, the air in the inn room felt stuffy. It had been left closed up during the day, since only the maids had been there. Sebastian crossed the room to open one of the two windows to try to bring in some of the evening air. The first brush of a cool breeze made him note that winter was coming. Spending a beautiful day on the islands had almost made the mage forget that truth.

Ashleen watched him holding her tongue, but as he turned from the window the girl said, "Now that they have returned home, will you keep paying for the second room? Rilena and Evie are using it tonight; but unless you are going let them sleep in here with us, they will continue to need it. That will take more coins from your pocket than my shopping trips.

"Except when I am buying clothes for the other girls," she finished with a grin.

The wilder enjoyed shopping and, when allowed to make projects out of Evie and the mermaids, she did it well.

Letting out a breath of air trying to decide an answer to such a problem, Sebastian mulled her question over in his mind. If their relationship remained stagnant, sleeping beside Ashleen and having others using the other bed wouldn't be a problem; but that meant sharing his room with even more women. He wasn't positive how Evie felt about him, but he had camped with Rilena before. Camping with a squad of battle mages, soldiers and wizards was hardly the same thing as sharing a bedroom with three attractive young women, however.

He was only truly attracted to one woman these days really. Even his thoughts for Yara had faded into the background, further proof that their love had truly faded as well.

Sitting on the opposite bed, Sebastian pulled off his boots as he said, "I think it would be better to have two rooms than share it with so many people. I really only want to be here with you."

Ashleen looked at him hopefully. Testing the truth of his words, she asked, "If you're only going to sleep next to me like a brother, then it probably doesn't make much of a difference, does it?"

Taking off his shirt, the mage dropped it onto the bed before standing to cross the gap to the other bed. Kneeling on the mattress in front of the pretty woman, he took a breath before saying, "If you are only thinking of me as a brother, then I guess we really have been doing this wrong."

Shifting to kneel in front him, Ashleen looked at him hopefully. She placed her hands on his bare shoulders looking unsure of what to do. "We could change that if you like," the girl replied looking at his chest less from a need to look at him as the place her eyes had dropped because she couldn't look him in the face.

His hands went to her sides and lifted her blouse up and over her head. Her breasts were bared drawing his eyes, which made Ashleen smile shyly. Though she had first tried to seduce him by being naked in front of him in their room, it was the first time the wilder had ever seemed unsure. Shyness had never been her problem with the mage, even from the first day he had known her she had been forward compared to most girls.

Pulling Ashleen closer, the two kissed. It was almost like it was for the first time. After a long drawn out kiss, it took less time to finish removing the last of their clothing. They kissed again and often. Caressing one another, the two continued to escalate their intimacy.

It was Ashleen's first time and her nervous energy translated onto her skin. Electricity flowed between them, even to the point of occasional sparks. The wilder would apologize, but Sebastian would simply kiss her lips. He wasn't worried over her abilities. They had touched when she was excited before and he knew of the extra electricity her hands and body would hold.

Coming together, he felt another jolt as the excited lightning wilder's power wasn't trying to push him away, but caressed him in her electricity. It wasn't the same as his time with Yara. They shared healing and could feel each other differently. While Ashleen could use that magic as well to a point, it seemed better just to be the people they were. There were no short cuts and he tried to please her without cheating and using his magic. It seemed right and better this way for them.