Born of Magic (Channeler Series) (26 page)

“The barn will do,
” Tevon answered.

“You sure? You could have my place if you like. It
’s very comfortable,” the old farmer said, looking at us with a cocked eyebrow.

“I’m sure. W
e don’t mean to intrude on anyone’s home.”

With that the old farmer took us into the barn
, which was well kept and had almost nothing in it. He brought us whatever spare blankets they had, and we made some beds from piles of hay.

Once the farmer left, Tevon turned to me, “Sorry, but I want to make sure they think of us as humble. We don’t want to give them the impression that we want something in return for our good deeds.”

In reality, we didn’t, I thought to myself. We only wanted to help them defend themselves for their sake, as well as that of everyone in the North. Our mission was a very selfless one, and I found pride in myself when I realized this. It was worth being proud of.

The following morning we were quick as usual to rise, from Tevon’s own doing. The sun had barely begun to shine over the lands by the time we mounted and continued on our way. It was an amazing sight
, watching the sunrise over the endless flat lands of Ordana, crops stretching in every direction. I was saddened when we passed the area and returned to forest. I had found the view most enjoyable, food being on my mind far more often than I cared to admit these days.

We were making excellent time
, according to Tevon, as our horses dashed across the countryside. They rode with much more vigor than before. The villagers had fed them well and it showed in their stamina. It was almost nightfall when the capital came into view. The city of Ordana, with walls that towered over any tree that dared stand near it.

The city was greater than anything I had ever seen before, nestled atop a large, wide spreading hill.
Crops and farms surrounded it, with farmers tending to the fields. Every farm had a small trail that wrapped around and met with the main road which led to the only entrance to the city. Outside the city gate stood ten guards armed in full chain mail. Red and black tunics covered their chests and legs. Each guard held a long spear, as well as a shield strung over their back, and a sword at their side.

The entrance was a large archway with a tower on either side. Atop the towers I could see several men armed with bows watching the outer landscape. They spotte
d us the moment we were in view and aimed their bows at us. The towers spanned every few hundred feet all along the outer wall of the city.

We approached the entrance with caution, not wanting to appear as if we had ill intent.
Spook one of those archers and they might accidently release their grip and send an arrow straight down at me. My heart beat like a rapidly played drum, and the closer we got the faster it played.

When we reached the row of well-
armed guards, we were told to halt. One of them broke formation and walked over to us. He was a tall man, who stood well over my horse. He addressed Tevon, ignoring Yurios and I.

“State your business.” His voice was deep and stern.

Tevon composed himself and answered, “We're on a mission of diplomacy with the Great Kingdom of Ordana, on behalf of the Mages Academy.”

The guard looked at us, apprehensive, then returned to one of the other guards for council. They spoke to one another in secrecy; neither seemed to be sure how to handle this sort of situation. He returned with a brief answer, “Wait here.”

He disappeared into the city. The nine remaining guards stared at us with blank expressions while we waited. Several of them seemed on edge as they grasped their spears with a tight grip. I could now see the fine details of their tunics. They all bore the same design, a crown floating above a sunrise. At least I assumed it was a sunrise. To me it appeared to be symbolic of their king's name living on. Tevon spoke of this king as paranoid but wise. He was a king that was loved by the people and always did what was best for them, even though his actions sounded harsh at times.

The setting sun beat against my face as we waited. My skin turned red and sore, and beads of sweat formed at my brow. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the guard eventually returned, out of breath, ten more guards following behind him now. He once again walked up to T
evon and regained his composure.

“These men will escort you,
” he said.

He placed his hand on Tevon’s reign
s, signaling for us to dismount. We did, and several other guards cam and took our horses inside.

“They will be re
turned to you on your departure,” the guard explained.

It was relieving to hear him say we would be departing. This would not be a
one way mission, at least it didn’t seem that way yet.

~12~

We followed as we were led through the crowded city with guards on either side of us. People moved out of the way of our formation and stared at us as we passed, curious of our presence. We could hear them whispering in speculation as to who we were. The streets were well organized and much wider than I was accustomed to, and the formation of guards moved with ease down the street that led straight from the main entrance to the castle.

The castle was surrounded by a second,
shorter wall. This one had archers lined all along it in ten foot intervals. I shivered when I noticed several of them had their bows drawn at us. If one of them even sneezed I would be dead before I ever had a chance to fulfill what I had declared was my destiny.

Once more this wall had only one passageway. It was smaller but just as well guarded. The formation stopped outside the two large wooden doors that sealed the entrance. A moment later the doors began to open, a loud creak echoing through the streets as
they did. This part of the city seemed sparsely populated.

The opening doors revealed a giant courtyard filled with the clanging of swords as countless soldiers trained. The walls and door
s had somehow managed to drown out the sound on the other side, allowing the residents of the city peace. Around the gate was an open courtyard where they trained, with what looked like long spanning barracks on either side.

It was a powerful display of order and precision as each soldier trained with another. They were vicious and swift with one another in their training. Off in the distance
, a small army of blacksmiths worked away at sharpening weapons, forging new swords, and joining chain mail links.

None of the soldiers took their eyes away from their task as we were escorted down the center of the entrance to the castle. This way was yet again
well-guarded by soldiers. Two more heavy wooden doors were opened for us. On the other side of the doors was an enormous throne room, down the center of which was a dark red carpet that formed a narrow walkway across the marble tiles. The floor was polished so flawlessly that I could see a perfect duplicate of myself staring back up at me.

The red carpet stretched all the way
down the room to the other side where, beneath a giant stained glass window that formed the same design as that on the tunics, was a single large elegant chair. The chair was made of what appeared to be solid gold, aside from the two red cushions made from the same material as the carpet.

In the chair sat a burly old man dressed in sparkling clean armor. There was no crown atop his head, only a giant sword resting against the arm of the chair. He wasn't tall
, but his build reminded me of a horse’s; muscles bulged from every inch of him, and veins shot out of his neck. He stared at us from across the hall in contempt, his eyes never breaking contact from Tevon’s as we approached him. Marble pillars, taller than most trees, lined each side of the room and cast shadows that rhythmically glided over my face. Each time the light shone down on me through the windows that were spread evenly across the tops of the walls, it blinded me.

Our steps echoed through the thin carpet as we approached him. Yurios and I followed Tevon’s lead as he kneeled and bowed his head, twenty feet from the man setting in the chair. The man had a thick but short white beard that lined his stone-structured jaw. His nost
rils flared at the sight of us.

“My men tell me you seek diplomacy with the Kingdom of Ordana. Why should I bother to listen to your deceitful kind?” His abrasive voice boomed through the throne room, and the ground almost trembled as he spoke.

Tevon stood up. “Our kind have never been welcome here before, this we know, General, but we're here under no ordinary circumstances. A war is coming to these lands. A war to be raged by an enemy neither of us has ever laid eyes upon. We…”

The general interrupted him, his eyes darkened, “You dare come to my kingdom and speak of war, with the audacity to threaten us with an enemy you cannot even name?” He stood up in frustration, a vein bulging from his now red forehead.

While maintaining his composure, Tevon continued, “We mean not to threaten you. The enemy we speak of come from the South. They're mages, an entire army of them.”

“Your kind you mean." The general
was probably trying to provoke Tevon. It wouldn’t work.

“They're as much our enemy as they are yours. We ask for
nothing more than to assist you,” Tevon said.

“Assist us? An old woodsman and two children? You would serve us better as food for our dogs than alive.”

“The girl,” Tevon interrupted, and then looked back at me with sincerity in his eyes. “She is the greatest weapon against any mage. She can take away their magic.”

The General calmed himself, now curious about our claims, perhaps. His dark brown eyes scanned me several times over,
as though he were sizing me up. “Why should we believe you?”

“Because your kingdom is closest to the border as well as the biggest military threat in the land, and they seek to strike you first.”

The General's gaze turned back to Tevon and raised an eyebrow at him. “How is it you know so much of this enemy’s plans, yet neither you nor I have ever laid eyes upon them? No one has ever even crossed the canyon to the South.”

“The academy houses man
y mages of many wondrous powers. We have had many signs of their approach as well as their intentions.”

He showed
no interest in further details—the ways of magic appeared to disgust him. He returned to his throne and sat down, then placed his hand on his eyebrows, rubbing the two of them between his thumb and index finger.

“How long did you say until these mages attack?”

Tevon showed a glimpse of hope this conversation. “We are unsure. We fear soon.”

“For your sake
s, I hope so. Until then, you may find yourselves comfortably confined to your own private cells in our prison. If your claims are confirmed, we will consider hearing you further.” He waved his hand at us and then from behind the pillars twenty guards appeared and took us into custody.

Tevon looked at us to tell us not to resist. We did as he commanded and were escorted
away. We were guided down several hallways, and each one grew darker. We were taken down a long spiral stairway. The air grew damp and cold with a pungent smell that tingled as it lingered in my nostrils whenever I breathed.

We were each placed in separate cells next to each other
, with Yurios in the middle one. The cells were made of black iron bars that allowed us to see and speak with one another. We were the only three prisoners here. The guards locked our cells and left with two men keeping watch by the only exit.

With no windows in the room
, the dim candlelight caused my eyes to strain as it flickered; shooting inconsistent rays of light against the cold, damp brick walls. Once again I found myself caged. I had wished this would never happen again.

“I’m so sorry for this,”
Helendra said, expressing as much empathy as possible.
“There is a deliberation taking place now about sending a second group over to negotiate your release.”

“Don’t,”
I said, my voice as cold as the walls now sending chills against my back,
“He will not listen, and they will end up just as we have.”

“I anticipated you would say that. I’m terribly sorry you must e
ndure this treatment once again,”
she replied, and then fell silent.

Yurios paced back in forth in his cell, his fists clenched while he huffed with every step, reaching for his sword that was no longer
at his side. The guards had taken our weapons from us.  I thought about trying to calm him down, but knew my words would only bounce off. Instead, I chose to look past him to Tevon, who was two cells down from me.

Tevon
sat in silence. I guessed he was in debate with Helendra regarding our current situation. I noticed that his lips would often twitch when he spoke to her that way. Helendra was critical to the academy; she acted as a communication link, spreading information to places across the land far faster than could ever be accomplished by horse or even bird. Her ability allowed the mages to stay in communication with one another, as well as giving her access to more information than anyone else.