Into The Ruins (57 page)

Rynm started to turn away when Carif spoke again.  “It is extremely unfortunate that this attack resulted in the death of Queen Rosul,” she said softly.

Rynm’s eyes met her own, then she nodded.  She understood what she was to do.

As Rynm hurried off, Carif was already considering changes to her plans.  With Rosul dead, officially at the hands of foreign assassins, she would have greater flexibility.  Perhaps she should delay the election of a new Queen.  She could gain political advantage by a public period of mourning, and it would be natural for the head of the Guild to assume certain levels of leadership in the interim period.  Being directly in control might be more useful and enlightening than simply directing the new Queen.

She could use the opportunity to whip up animosity toward the Three Kingdoms.  Those who had never supported her, would come to her side when they learned the Queen they revered had been brutally slain by the outsiders.  Initially she had planned to quickly replace her three slain Specialists to mask the power of the outsiders, but now showing the losses her people had suffered might also gain her support and advantage.  She would have to think about it.

Animated with the possibilities, she stood and went in search of the rest of the Eight.  They might have other ideas, and they should be available in case this situation grew out of control.

Rigo was about to explain his thinking to the Queen when the doorway exploded inward.  Large chunks of heavy stone were thrown in their direction by the blast.  Some of them would surely have been badly hurt if Burke hadn’t used his magic to push the flying objects to the side where they smashed into a side wall, severely damaging the structure and destroying the table that was sitting there.

First through the breech were a number of guardsmen.  “They are Carif’s,” Mitty shouted upon seeing their distinctive uniforms.  Rigo recognized them as well, having been held under their supervision for so many weeks. 

Kall had drawn his sword and was advancing toward the group as he once again stood ready to protect his consort and Queen.  Kaler was right behind him, the Kellmore blade drawn and ready.  Daria was the first to draw blood, her blades flashing across the room, downing the first two of the burly fighters to make their way into the room.

Kaler and Kall complimented one another well, and between them, several more of the lead group of Carif’s fighters were dispatched.  The quarters were too confined for sword fighting, and the scattered rubble from the damaged doorway made maneuvering difficult.  Even Kaler had to give ground as more and more of the fighters made their way through the opening.  Kall caught the edge of a blade along his left arm, and the blood flowed red and wet.

Then the real problem became apparent.  Through the dust and the first wave of fighters, more than a dozen uniformed women carrying the ever familiar staffs were headed toward the Queen’s chambers.  These were the Guild’s fighting Casters, and they didn’t wait to begin.  A sudden beam of bright green energy blasted through the remains of the front wall and exploded against the wall next to the Queen.  She was thrown to the side, fortunately only stunned with several bleeding cuts from the flying rock.  The staff of the Caster in the lead glowed bright as the sun.  A strong beam of
Brightfire
arched toward Rigo from one of the Casters behind the leader.  Another beam from a second Caster just to her right was sent Jeen’s way.  Neither beam reached its destination.  Both Jeen and Rigo knew Daim’s old trick, and the beams of killing energy simply faded away.  The shock was apparent on the Casters’ faces.  They had never seen
Brightfire
simply dissipate as their beams had just done. 

The disruption of the spell had worked this time, but these were not novices as Rigo had encountered when he’d performed the trick at the Outpost so long ago.  These were skilled Casters, and there were too many of them to hope to block all of their attempts.  Rigo wasn’t certain if he would be able to do the same for the odd green colored beam, which he’d never encountered before the attack in the Ruins a few days ago.  It was best not to wait and see.

Burke wasn’t able to mimic the trick that Jeen and Rigo had just performed, but released a mighty pushing force that mowed down all remaining guardsmen, and knocked back the unsuspecting Casters advancing in their direction as well.  Almost simultaneously he engulfed the lead Caster in a whirlwind of swirling fire, hearing her scream as the incredibly hot magic burned the flesh from her bones in seconds.  Rynm died as her fellow Casters unleashed a series of blasts that forced Rigo and his team to seek cover.

“Jeen, a
Bypass
out of here,” Rigo shouted.  He turned to the Queen.  “We’ve got to go.  There are too many and they will destroy everything here in an attempt to kill us.  You should come as well.  I don’t think Carif intends for you to survive this.”

Queen Rosul had come to the same conclusion.  Carif was taking a risk, hoping to eliminate her once and for all.  Rosul had suspected that Carif would have plans for her even after she was removed from power.  They had been adversaries too long, and Rosul had let the other woman know that she had secrets of her own.  She nodded toward Rigo.

First through the
Bypass
were Daria and Kaler, helping the badly bleeding Kall.  Next were Rigo and Mitty, each holding an arm of Queen Rosul.  Finally Burke and Jeen stepped through, the
Bypass
closing immediately behind them.  They would exit deep in the Ruins at Oasis Three.  If the Guild was able and chose to follow them, they would find themselves at a serious disadvantage as they encountered the force that Nycoh had stationed there.  

As they stepped through the arch, Burke softly said to Jeen, “You realize, of course, we have just kidnapped the Queen of Sedfair.  At least that’s the way it will be told.”

Suline knew that no one would expect her to be in the country village so far to the southwest.  She had no reason to have come here.  Her family all lived in the north, and she had never mentioned the place to any of her friends.  She’d been here once before, more than five years ago, but that had been with someone she had met by chance.  He’d died in an accident a short time later, and she had kept the memory to herself.  When she had decided it was time to flee, this place had come to mind. 

She sat on the balcony overlooking the lake surrounded by tall burken trees, their reddish-yellow leaves catching the setting sun and glowing as if they were on fire.  Her eyes carefully studied the grounds below where she sat with her tall glass of clear wine.  She was just another guest, and no one, except the man who obviously was interested in her for other reasons, had paid her much attention.  With the end of the summer season, the last diehard vacationers filled the rooms here, with most out on the beach below her, enjoying the last of the long warm days before the fall rains.

After returning from her successful mission into the Three Kingdoms, Suline had been upbeat and looked forward to what might be a much-improved future within the Guild.  Certain subtle inflections in the promises made by the Saltique when she had made her report and turned over the marvelous amulet had raised her suspicions.  Because of that, she had taken the bold action to listen in on the Guild’s leader and her remaining Specialists using one of her unique
Ghost
Doorways
.  That’s when she learned what the Saltique was planning.

It wasn’t right, Suline had decided, as she overheard the plan to destroy the towers that created the magical barrier that protected the western lands from the Chulls.  She knew a great deal about the beasts having been banished to the border village in western Sedfair for more than a year.  Thousands of innocents would likely die once the massive herds were free to move into populated areas.  What the Saltique was planning was not only an act of war, but a cowardly one.  Equally improper, this was all being done without the knowledge or consent of the Queen.  The Guild obviously had its own agenda.  At least Carif did, and for all intents and purposes she was the Guild.  Sedfair was being taken into a war, without the proper consent of its leaders.

Suline realized immediately that she wanted no part of this immoral plan.  She had been one of those who had helped capture the outsiders in the beginning, and she had scouted their homeland without their knowing of it, but those were reasonable actions. The first was to intercept an unknown group who might have harbored hostile intentions toward Sedfair, and the latter was an intelligence gathering mission to see what could be learned about the far off land and whether it could be reached.  What the Saltique was planning now was something else. 

Suline knew that her disappearance would not go unnoticed for very long.  She’d overheard enough of the planning session to have heard that she was to be assigned the overall coordination effort for the group that would return to the western lands.  Part of her was proud that her abilities were being recognized, but she wasn’t going to allow herself be used to kill thousands of innocents.  She had to decide quickly what to do.  By fleeing, she would make herself the object of a search by the members of the Guild.  The Saltique would want to know where she had gone, and whether the information she held in her head was being passed to anyone else.

Once again Suline had considered contacting the Queen.  She should be warned of the plans that were being formulated without her knowledge.  Unfortunately, Suline believed that was a far too dangerous path to follow and rejected it for the same reasons she had before.  Queen Rosul’s days were numbered, with only a couple of weeks remaining.  Even if she wanted to contest Carif’s actions, she would have little time to do so, and once replaced with a puppet, Suline now knew from what she’d overheard, Rosul would not be able to protect Suline.  The personal risk of following that path was unacceptably high.

For a brief time Suline wondered if Queen Rosul had her own hidden group of Casters.  The Saltique had raised the matter in one of the discussions she held with her Specialists.  Suline wished she could find out.  She would be willing to take the risk and join such a group if it existed.  Her future within the Guild was clearly over.  Being honest with herself, Suline had to admit that she very much doubted such a group existed.  Like herself, most Casters and potential Casters knew nothing of the political maneuverings of the Guild’s leaders.  If it weren’t for her ability to eavesdrop, her innocent view of the Guild wouldn’t have been shattered.  For most with the demonstrated skill to advance, the chance to join the Guild was a dream that little could stand against.  The Queen might have one or two Casters who were loyal to her for some reason, perhaps family ties or a longstanding blood debt, but a whole group who were willing to forsake a chance at a life as a Guild Caster was unlikely.  What could she offer them, especially now that her days as Queen were numbered?

Suline knew that meant she had to disappear completely.  She would have to change her appearance, and find some place to live and try to create a different sort of life for herself.  It would be difficult, as she would have to abandon her staff, a clear giveaway as to what she was, and force herself to resist any urges to use her magic.  The change in her looks, a different kind of life, she knew she could handle, but to forsake her magic was a terrible price.  Determined, she sipped the last of her wine, then stood and returned to her room.

Once there, she felt her resolve wither, and despite her best intentions, she sat on the bed and focused her mind on the Saltique’s private study.  She formed the
Ghost
Doorway
so that she could listen in, and within moments was shocked at what she was hearing.  Carif had just ordered the death of Queen Rosul.  The outsiders had returned, and Carif was planning on using the situation as a way to kill the Queen and pass the blame to the westerners.  She would be able to rid herself once and for all of a nuisance and use the death to win support against the outsiders.  Rosul was popular, and if the people believed the westerners had killed her, they would support almost any action against them.

As the Specialist named Rynm headed off to lead a group of Casters into the castle, Suline debated with herself what she should do.  If she were to return to Nals herself, what chance would she have of reaching the Queen in time?  She’d only visited a few places inside the castle, and none of them were in the Queen’s private quarters.  That would mean making a
Doorway
into the more common areas, where she would have to seek assistance of the Queen’s guards.  Time was short, and who would believe her?  If she encountered the outsiders, she would almost certainly be viewed as an enemy, and once Rynm appeared, Suline would be targeted by the Guild Casters as well.  The westerners would believe she was with Rynm’s attacking forces, and Rynm would see her as a traitor to be eliminated.  Suline chided herself with self-recriminations as she failed to act.  Breathlessly she waited to learn what the outcome of the attack would be.

Jeen’s second
Bypass
took them into the Ruins as far as Oasis Three.  They’d hardly hesitated at the oasis where her first
Bypass
had taken them, waiting only until everyone was through before she’d made the second portal.  As Rigo stepped into the familiar patch of green with the orange sands of the Ruins showing in the background nearby, he noted the wizards assigned to watching this critical pathway into the Three Kingdoms were alert and prepared to respond.  They recognized the Outpost’s most famous wizards and relaxed, while eyeing the strangers who accompanied them.

“Be prepared for an attack,” Rigo warned them.  “We might be followed shortly.”

The wizard in charge nodded his understanding, and the group suddenly became even more focused.  Rigo went over to where Jeen was attending Kall, who was still bleeding profusely. 

“What’s she doing,” Mitty asked, as Jeen began to glow with her healing energies.

“She’s going to repair his wounds,” Rigo explained.  “I doubt he could last much longer unless something is done.  Stay with them.  I need to help with defenses in the event the Guild sends its Casters after us.”

Rigo quickly checked the Queen, who was stunned but doing well, looking somewhat dazed by her wounds, the suddenness of the attack, and the unplanned flight into a place that she’d only heard about and never envisioned visiting.  He knew Jeen would see to her as soon as she was finished with Kall.  Rigo hurried over where Burke was talking with two of the wizards assigned to guarding the oasis.  Just as he reached him, Tara stepped out of the air in the space arrivals from the Three Kingdoms were supposed to use.  Following immediately behind her were two dozen combat wizards.  The surprise of seeing them here was obvious on her face.

“What happened?” she asked.

Burke explained, while Rigo pointed the combat wizards toward the senior defender of the oasis for assignment. 

“Good timing,” Rigo said after the others had left.  Then he returned to check on Jeen.

“That’s remarkable,” the Queen said as Kall showed her his arm, now completely healed with no sign of even a scar.  “I’d heard that your ability with healing was far beyond our own, but seeing it first hand is something else.”  She was looking at Kall as Jeen completed her efforts to cure the Queen’s aliments.  Almost as Rigo arrived, she pulled back her magic and nodded in his direction. 

“Let’s go,” he said, making a
Bypass
as he spoke.  “There may be fighting here momentarily, and I want you well away from it.”

Rigo waved at Burke and Tara while Jeen led the smaller group through the
Bypass
that would take them to the Outpost.  The King and Queen went with Jeen, while Mitty stepped through guided by Rigo.  Daria and Kaler brought up the rear.

Nycoh was still in the travel center, having just seen Tara and her team off just a short time earlier.  She was clearly surprised to see Rigo and Jeen returning, and noted the damaged clothing worn by two of the strangers he’d brought with him.

“The Queen of Sedfair,” Rigo informed her before she could ask.  “Also the King, and my friend Mitty.”

Nycoh bowed to the Queen.  She glanced at Rigo, noting his use of the word “friend” and sensing there was more to the casual use of the term than he’d intended. 

“What happened?” Nycoh asked.

Rigo took a moment to ask someone to get Ash’urn and Fen, then described the attack.  He warned that Oasis Three might be under attack, but given the number of wizards currently there, it was unlikely anyone arriving would have time to get their bearings before being dealt with.  It would have been a very risky maneuver to attempt, and Rigo knew he’d never send anyone into such a situation.  It remained to be seen what the head of the Guild would do.  Given their recent losses from blindly sending their people after the Outpost’s wizards, Rigo made a silent bet with himself that there would be no one following.

For a few moments the situation was awkward.  The Outpost’s personnel wanted more detail, and the Queen wanted to know where they were and who the people here might be.  Rigo was the only person present who spoke both languages, and he couldn’t deal with both discussions simultaneously.  He was starting to realize how difficult it was going to be given the language barrier.  Fortunately, Ash’urn and Fen arrived just then.

Fen recognized the Queen immediately, and knelt on one knee as was appropriate.  “Your majesty,” he said.

Queen Rosul noted the act of respect, and was startled by the words in her own language.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Fen, your majesty,” the youth answered, looking up at her.

“Fen.  You mean the Fen who initially encountered the outsiders in Slipi?  Whatever are you doing here?”

“He was wounded by a random bolt of magic from one of the Guild’s Casters during our escape,” Ash’urn said.  “We needed to heal him, but had to flee, so we brought him along.  Once he was well, he voiced a desire to come with us.  I believe he is very curious about our magic.  He has been most helpful.”

“Does his family know where he is?” the Queen asked.

“I believe they think he is at the University,” Rigo explained as he walked over to join the discussion.  “It was our intention to stop by Slipi and bring some of them to visit, but matters at the castle overrode that. It will have to wait.”

The Queen addressed Fen, asking him how he was and how he’d been treated.  Overcoming his shock at seeing his Queen, Fen enthusiastically described the events that he’d been involved in.  Clearly he was happy to have come to the Outpost.  He explained that the magic performed here was so much different than what the Guild taught.  Unfortunately, he didn’t have the skill to perform it himself, but he’d been able to help with some of their own magic.

“Where is here?” Kall asked after the youth’s rambling explanation wound down.

“This is what we call the Outpost,” Rigo explained.  “It is the closest we have to your Guild, in that most of us with the gift of magic congregate here for formal matters.  Many of our new wizards come here for initial training.”

“You have brought us to the Three Kingdom’s then?” the Queen asked.

“Technically yes.  This place is on the very border between the Kingdoms and the Wastelands,” Rigo explained.  “We will have to decide what you wish to do.  I was thinking of taking you into Sulen to meet the King and Queen of Branid. It might be a first step toward diplomacy.  We could also discuss how you wish to proceed given the sudden developments our visit seems to have precipitated.”

“And if we wish to return home?” the Queen asked.

“We can take you wherever you wish in Sedfair, if that is your preference,” Rigo agreed.  “You would have a better idea where might be safe than we would.”

“I am concerned at how Carif will present this to the people.  She will make it appear as an act of war against Sedfair by your people.  Whatever we do, it will have to happen rather quickly or she will have too much time to manipulate matters.  Perhaps, however, it would be appropriate to meet one of your leaders while we are here.  Too much misunderstanding has already taken place between our respective kingdoms.”

Rigo discussed his plan with Nycoh and Jeen.  Jeen was the wizard’s formal interface with the leaders of the Three Kingdoms, and she would make a quick trip to Sulen to warn King Rhory and Queen Mos’pera of the proposed visit. 

While that was happening, Nycoh would see to replacement clothing for their visitors.  Kall’s shirt was torn and soaked in blood, and the Queen’s attire was hardly pristine.  Because only Rigo and Ash’urn could speak both languages, one of them would have to accompany Sedfair’s leaders and act as interpreter.  For the moment it was decided that Ash’urn would stay at the Outpost with Fen, and Rigo would return to Branid.

Jeen had just left when Burke and Tara returned.  The attack at Oasis Three had never materialized.  It appeared that the Guild’s Casters had decided such an approach would be foolhardy.  Just in case, the large contingent of wizards that Tara had brought would remain there for the present. 

As Nycoh led the Queen and King off, accompanied by Ash’urn and Fen, Rigo turned to Mitty who had been watching everything quietly, and only understanding small segments of the conversation.

“This is where you live?” she asked.

Rigo looked around the walls of the familiar Outpost.  “I guess it is.  I used to have a place in Sulen where you’ll be going soon, but the last decade or so, I’ve spent most of my time here.”

“All of the people here are skilled with magic?” she asked.  “They can all cast spells without the use of runes and glyphs?”

“Most of them,” Rigo agreed.  “Let me show you around while we are waiting for Jeen to return.”

The meeting between the leaders of the two kingdoms was stilted and awkward, at least in Rigo’s estimation.  It was unfortunate that he was forced into the role as translator.  He had little patience for this kind of thing, and he dearly wished that Jeen spoke the language.  It took several glass to touch upon the key issues each leader wished to address, and Rigo was spent by the time the meeting was completed.  Afterwards, the visitors from Sedfair were shown to their quarters, with a separate room for Mitty nearby.  A royal feast was planned for that evening, which Rigo wasn’t looking forward to at all.

After seeing the visitors to their rooms, Rigo returned to the private room where Jeen, Rhory and Mos’pera waited. 

“This is an unfortunate situation,” King Rhory said when the doors were closed and they were alone.  “With the towers down and the Hoplani free to advance, the wizard community is already stretched thin.  Attacks have already begun.  Now we might be at war with a force that is even more potentially destructive.”

“How do you think we should proceed?” Rigo asked.

“Clearly, we need a meeting with the leaders of Kellmore and Lopal,” Queen Mos’pera said.  “Anything we decide will affect them as well.”

“We’ll send someone to see what we can arrange,” King Rhory suggested.

“Jeen would be best,” Queen Mos’pera said.  “They are used to dealing with her, and with something of this importance.”

“She only just returned,” Rhory objected.

“It’s all right,” Jeen said.  “The Queen is right.  I should go.  This must be handled quickly.  From what Rigo tells us, time is limited.  Unless something changes in Sedfair, control would soon fall into the hands of this Guild.”

Rhory looked at Rigo.  “You have more experience with the people there than any of us.  What do you think?”

“If we believe what we have been told, then the ability of the Guild to move through the Ruins is a recent development.  That would mean they are using both the information extracted from Orna, and using the lost amulet or copies of it, to move around.”

Rhory indicated Rigo should continue. 

“I see three aspects to our planning.  First, and most important, the Three Kingdoms must protect against future attacks.  That means we need to block the access to oases that provide a route through the Ruins.  It is almost certain the route we uncovered is being used.  It can be effectively blocked if we can deny them access to Oasis Three and Oasis Four.”

“That means a fulltime deployment of a large number of wizards in those locations.  It could also mean a major battle,” King Rhory noted.

“If we are there first, we can make it a serious disadvantage to them if they try and attack.  They would be coming out of a
Bypass
a few at a time.  That should be easily handled.”

“If they find another route?” King Rhory asked.

“Then we have a larger problem.  That would indicate they have explored the Ruins and found alternate oases to use.  Then our chances of blocking them disappear and they can get here whenever they want.  We need to have everyone alerted to the appearance of women with staffs.  Unlike us, they need them to be effective.  They could carry their symbols another way, and we need to ask someone about that, but most would much prefer the staff. They are used to them, and the amplifier crystals increase their power substantially.”

“We could attack Sedfair directly,” Kaler suggested.  “If we can remove this woman who runs their Guild, we might be able to bring this to an abrupt halt.”

“I’ve thought about that,” Rigo replied.  “We are at a serious disadvantage.  They have a great deal of knowledge about the Three Kingdoms, and we have to assume they know their way around from what they extracted from Orna.  We know only a little of their country, and they can flee and we wouldn’t know where they went.  Unlike them, we don’t know how to monitor the
Bypass
endpoints.  It is a skill we desperately need to learn.  Also how to mask them.”

“I still think bringing a major force into Sedfair and taking out their Guild would greatly reduce the chances of further problems,” Kaler argued.  “We might recover the amulet, or capture those who are attempting to duplicate it.”

Daria had been silent, but Rigo could tell she was in agreement with Kaler.  She wanted to go after the woman herself.

“Perhaps we can combine that effort with our third option,” Rigo suggested.  “If we elect to help Queen Rosul, we might be able to have some of her people work with us, and she can direct our efforts.  We would also be acting with the assent of Sedfair’s legal ruler.  It wouldn’t be an act of war, but assisting her against an internal rebellion.”