Into The Ruins (64 page)

Rigo knew they didn’t dare get in the way of that beam.  He wished he knew more about it and how to create it as well as counteract it.  He was aware that his ability to dissipate the other forms of magic simply wouldn’t work against the beam.  Suddenly the walls shook as a blast on another part of the campus, not too far away shook the entire structure.  The teams were meeting resistance elsewhere as well. 

“Link,” he ordered.  He couldn’t be certain that their combined magic would be strong enough, but they had little choice.  Several more of the green beams smashed into walls, and only luck kept them from losing more people.  The three wizards who had come up the ramp with Rigo were all powerful, and within the briefest of moments he suddenly commanded their combined power, the strength growing exponentially rather than linearly as they formed the magical Link. 

Wasting no time, he focused a narrow beam at the wall where the last beam of greenish energy had originated.  For the briefest of moments, the walls held, glowing impossibly bright, the ropes carrying away the energy as they attempted to drain the power before fatal damage could occur.  Not even the magic that had been used to supplement the walls was great enough to overcome Rigo’s exponentially multiplied
Brightfire
.  The wall suddenly pulsed, and then a whole section blew back into the room, revealing the living quarters of one of the Specialists.  With the wall breached, combat magic from half a dozen wizards from Rigo’s group blasted into the room, destroying everything they touched.

While this was happening, Rigo attacked another of the walls from which attacking fire had originated.   Once again, the wall gave way to his assault, the area behind subjected to intense attack by the others with him.  He understood now the best way to apply his
Brightfire
, and within moments he’d ripped open the walls of the remaining rooms on the second floor while his fellow wizards poured unceasing fire into them.  There had been no return fire for some time.

*                            *                            *                            *                            *

Jeen and the wizards who had come upstairs with her spread out so they couldn’t be targeted together.  They had gone less than a hundred paces when a half dozen Casters stepped into the hallway, the crystals atop their staffs glowing brightly.  Something had given Jeen’s people away.  A wizard to Jeen’s right was quickest, and his beam of narrow
Brightfire
shattered the crystal on top of one of the staffs, causing the wood to burst into flame.  The Caster dropped the remains, holding her hand as she cried out in pain.  The moment of triumph was short-lived, as two spears of magic energy struck the wizard who initiated the attack, killing him instantly.  Jeen and the others unleashed the full fury of their magic, the blasts of magical energy sweeping the six Guild Casters from existence, as well as demolishing the walls behind them.  Unlike the magic resistant walls of the Saltique’s residence, these were simply crafted stone and unable to withstand the immense forces being released.

The encounter had alerted everyone else in the facility to their presence, and as Jeen and her team sought cover, magic of multiple forms ripped into the walls as the destructive energies tried to reach those hiding behind the walls.  The air was soon filled with dust and smoke, the floor littered with broken stone and collapsed walls.  Thus far Jeen realized they hadn’t encountered any of the strongest Casters, although the numbers of the enemy present somewhat surprised her.  They had discussed the situation, and the conclusion they had reached was that the Saltique probably had one to two hundred Senior Casters, of which a third might be considered Warrior Casters based on their combat experience with the Baldari which she could command.  How many were really loyal to Carif, and how many would be simply following orders, not knowing the true situation, was unknown.  Of those she had available, how many would have been brought to Nals.  Jeen suspected most, especially since Carif had had more than a day to react since the westerners had occupied the castle.  The watch duty would have to be spread across three shifts, so roughly a third might be in the building at any given time.  That could mean fifty or more were in the building to oppose them.

A beam of
Brightfire
lanced across the hall and struck one of Jeen’s people, this time a soldier with a crossbow rather than one of her wizards.  Annoyed with the constant sniping, Jeen gathered her strength and used a trick that Rigo-Daim had taught her some time ago.  Concentrated magic filled the space behind the far wall, which she then triggered explosively.  The resulting blast shook the building’s foundations, and the blast took not only the wall, but ripped open the building all the way to the outside hillside on the far end.  Whoever had been hiding there was killed instantly.

Unfortunately, they were unable to move forward.  A group of Casters on the upper level were hiding behind panels that seemed to absorb Jeen’s energy beams.  The recurring attacks were forcing her people to stay down, and she knew that gradually they were going to be picked off.   Lorl ran across the hall, daring them to get him, as he released blast after blast at their attackers.  It was a stupid move, and before he reached the cover at the far side where the stairs led upwards, he was engulfed in a swirling mass of fire.

*
                            *                            *                            *                            *

As Rigo finished his attack, the brightest beam of the green energy he’d yet seen cut through the wall to one side, scattering large chunks of stone, most of which fell to the layer below.  One very large piece of the former wall fell upon one of the wizards hiding below, crushing him.  Only the angle of the curving walls had protected Rigo from the deadly beam.  The beam Carif had sent after him had impacted the wall, ripping it to shreds, but failed to reach her intended target.  He rolled to one side, getting more of the wall and part of the ceiling between himself and the next beam.  As soon as the beam winked out of existence, he rolled back, and sent his own intense
Brightfire
along a return path, but Carif had already moved.  He caught brief movement off to one side.  She glanced back in his direction, her mouth forming a curse.  She started to launch another spell, then ducked and pulled back as a crossbow bolt slammed into the wall next to her.  Kaler’s, Rigo realized.  He doubted the shot had missed as the result of poor aim.  Even with the magic defeating runes, Carif had somehow been able to push it aside just enough.  But it had distracted and delayed her, and now Rigo would have a shot at her if she tried to launch an attack. 

Rigo had learned something in the brief exchange.  Before when he’d been in the presence of the Saltique, he’d always been banded.  This was the first time he’d been within fifty paces of her with full access to his abilities.  He’d been able to detect the spark. She was gifted.  She had inherent magic.  The spark was dim, one of the weakest he’d ever encountered, but it was there.  He hadn’t sensed it when he’d been in Carif’s presence before because it was so weak and his own abilities had been dimmed by the magic restricting bands he’d been wearing.  He doubted she even realized it, but perhaps that was why she was so much more powerful than the other Casters.  More importantly, he’d felt the spark suddenly wink out.  No one had been shooting at her at the time, so he was certain she’d stepped into a
Bypass
and relocated.

None of them had the ability to tell where she might have gone.  She was said to be able to mask her endpoints anyway.  That was one thing difficult about bringing down one who controlled magic.  If they chose to flee, how could you know where they went?  She might have relocated to another place in the building where she’d have a better shot at them.  Rigo’s back itched as he had the thought, but he didn’t believe it.  Wizards with inherent magic such as himself had a couple of important advantages over the Casters of Sedfair.  Their magic was based on runes and activating phrases.  That meant they needed their staffs or something equivalent to function.  It also meant their spells could not be released nearly as quickly, as they had to focus on the appropriate symbols, then carefully and correctly utter the appropriate phrase if the magic was to be released.  If Carif had chosen another spot, she would have to trigger her fighting spell, then hope to switch and create another
Bypass
before Rigo’s team could respond.  That took time, and given the damage to the building there weren’t many places to hide.  It would have been a very risky move, and he didn’t think she was that brave.

“Rigo,” Kaler said softly from where he stood just to his left.  “What is that?”

Rigo glanced quickly where Kaler was pointing.  The walls around the upper level were glowing faintly green.  Rapidly the color was becoming darker, and was flowing down the walls to the lower levels.

“Out!” he commanded.  “Emergency
Bypass
to the castle.”  Even as he yelled the warning, he’d opened his own
Bypass
.  The others had prepared for this, and there was no need to discuss the matter.  Kaler and Daria were already through, with Kall and two wizards following right behind.  Rigo and the remaining wizard with him stepped through.  Rigo pinched off the
Bypass
as he stepped into the courtyard of the castle.  More of his team were stepping out of their own
Bypass
portals.  Almost all were now present when a tremendous blast that shook the grounds like a major earthquake came from the site of the Guild’s leader’s residence.  Several people were knocked off their feet.  As the rumbling ceased, Rigo looked around.  He could see at a glance that not everyone had made it.

“I wonder what she didn’t want us to find?” Kall asked. 

Rigo shook his head.  He’d been wondering the same thing.  They’d hoped to secure the rooms even if Carif and her Specialists escaped, but that wasn’t possible any longer.

“Let’s go help Jeen,” Rigo said.  There was no need to have Ash’urn make covert
Bypasses
.  The enemy already knew they were there.

*                            *                            *                            *                            *

Jeen knew they were simply outnumbered and unless she could Link they wouldn’t be able to overcome the protective panels.  If she did Link, she would immediately become the target of most of the enemy, and the walls where she hid simply didn’t offer sufficient protection if the enemy Casters focused on her.  Then she realized that someone was firing on the Casters from off to one side.  A number went down, and others scattered for cover.  Jeen recognized several of the wizards, and understood that Rigo had arrived.  Smiling grimly, she urged her own forces to intensify their own efforts.

On the second level, five enemy Casters lay dead with arrows or crossbow bolts in them.  They had been caught unawares.  Rigo could have told them how their only defense from such normal weapons was to be alert to their presence.  Several more had been hit with blasts of magic.  Most were pulling away as they realized their position was no longer defensible.  Rigo had seen several
Bypass
portals open and then wink out of existence.  That meant some, perhaps most, were fleeing. 

Kall pulled his sword from the back of the Caster he had just killed.  The man hadn’t seen him in time, and had paid the price.  Sword in his right hand, Kall picked up the staff that had been dropped.  As he stood, he noticed the woman standing a short distance away, her own staff glowing.

“Surrender,” Kall ordered.  “I am your King, and I command you to lay down your arms.”

Slowly the woman shook her head.  She was far enough away that he couldn’t hope to reach her with his sword, and she commanded magic that would wipe him from existence if he tried.

“Throw down your weapons,” the woman ordered in return.  “You are now my prisoner.  Carif wants you taken dead or alive.  Alive is preferable, but either way would be rewarded.”

Kall scowled nastily.  “I don’t think so.  Why would Carif want me?  My consort I can understand.  But what good would I be to her?”

“I believes she sees you as bait,” the Caster said.  Then her voice changed.  “I have no time.  Throw down your sword and come with me or I will be forced to kill you.”

Kall looked at his sword, then casually tossed it towards the floor.  The Caster’s eyes were drawn toward it as it clanged on the stone walkway.  When she looked back at the King, she realized he was saying something.  When she realized what it was, her eyes grew wide.  The beam of
Brightfire
the King triggered was somewhat pitiful compared to that the true wizards and Casters were capable of creating, but it was far more than adequate.  He’d long known he could trigger some magic, although he’d never tried with one of the power staffs.  It was quite satisfying, he decided, as he walked over and picked up his sword.  He then walked over to the body with a massive hole burned through the chest, and picked up the fallen staff.  Carrying the two staffs, he walked back where he heard Rigo yelling to the female wizard named Jeen.  It appeared that the battle was essentially over.

*                            *                            *                            *                            *