Mindbender (58 page)

“Deliver my report to Mage Gamaliel and to my father,” Alexander said to the Ranger. “I know of no way to defeat the scourgling. It was only through the Fairy Queen’s assistance that we were able to send it back to the netherworld. Isabel and Abigail are alive and still in the custody of the Reishi Coven, and I believe they are making progress toward enlisting their aid. I hope to lead a force of four legions through the Gate from Ithilian in two or three weeks’ time. Begin making preparations for a battle at the Gate. Once we’ve routed the enemy forces there, we’ll turn our attention to their forces in Northport.”

“I will deliver your message,” the Ranger said proudly.

Alexander slipped out of the man’s sleeping mind and back into the firmament. He opened his eyes and winked at Chloe before he touched the Sovereign Stone.

He sat down at the Reishi Council table and smiled at Malachi Reishi.

“I thought you’d like to know that I killed your revenants,” he said.

Malachi frowned angrily, which was just the reaction Alexander was looking for.

“What has transpired since we last spoke?” Balthazar asked.

“I went to the island on the southern tip of Ithilian, rescued Abel’s daughter and found the ruins of the adept’s keep. The revenants had taken up residence there, so we had a difficult time finding the crypt where Benesh Reishi was buried but we made it eventually.”

Constantine leaned in with interest. “What did you find there?”

“Four books and a sword called Mindbender,” Alexander answered.

Constantine looked at Alexander sharply. “Have you grasped the hilt of the sword? Did it accept you?”

Alexander nodded. “It tested me in a way I never expected. I think that test helped me understand myself better than I ever have before.”

“You have discovered one of the most potent weapons ever created during the reign of the Reishi,” Constantine said. “My brother was very powerful within the limits of his magic. He assembled a number of arch mage wizards to help him construct Mindbender. The first several attempts failed, but he was persistent. He succeeded by channeling his link with the firmament into the sword. Sadly, that link drained away his vitality. As a result, Benesh died within the year.”

Alexander was stunned. He knew Mindbender was powerful but he had no idea how much its creation had cost.

“I’m sorry, Constantine.”

Constantine smiled sadly and nodded his thanks for the condolences. “Benesh was stubborn and driven. He was always trying to push the limits of magic. When he died, we assumed the sword was lost because it was created using his link to the firmament. Have you used the weapon in battle?”

“I have—and it’s remarkable,” Alexander said. “I can hear the thoughts and understand the intentions of my enemies. I know what they’re going to do the moment they decide to act. I didn’t believe any sword could rival the power of the Thinblade, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Mindbender is capable of much more than that,” Constantine said. “Not only does the sword allow you to hear the thoughts of your opponents but it also gives you the power to create illusions of great power. You can literally make others see and hear nearly anything you wish or even not see what is right before them.”

Alexander was stunned. He’d only used the sword a few times and had found that it didn’t work unless he was actually in a fight. The idea of creating illusions was more than he ever considered. The scope of the sword’s power was breathtaking.

“How?” Alexander asked. “So far, I can only make it work in a fight. I tried to listen to the thoughts of those around me in other circumstances but I couldn’t.”

Constantine nodded. “Mindbender only works during battle—however that condition is met within the mind of the wielder. If you believe that you’re in a fight, the sword will too. As for the illusion capability, I’m not entirely sure how to make it function. The sword was bound to my brother, so it wouldn’t function for anyone else. I would suggest you visualize the outcome you wish your enemy to see and then release it into the sword in much the same way a wizard releases the vision of their intended outcome into the firmament.”

Alexander nodded thoughtfully. “We also found four books in the crypt but they’re written in an ancient language that I can’t read.”

“I suspect it’s ancient Ithilian,” Constantine said. “Benesh had an affinity for that particular language and often used it to obscure his research. Translating them may be a challenge although there may be a few works in the private library within the Reishi Keep that would be of great help.”

Alexander frowned, shaking his head. “All of the books we found in the Reishi Keep had long ago rotted to dust.”

“The private library should still be intact,” Balthazar said. “It exists within a place out of time, much like a Wizard’s Den, although it cannot be opened from any location other than the doorway. You can find the library within the Keep using the Stone. The door will recognize you and allow you entrance.”

“That’s encouraging, except there’s a demon loose in the Reishi Keep,” Alexander said. “I’m not sure how to defeat it.”

Malachi chuckled. “The tentacle demon is still there, after all these years?” He tipped his head back and laughed. “I’m sure it’s in a very foul mood by now.”

All of the men at the table turned to glower at the despotic culmination of their family legacy.

Demetrius Reishi shook his head sadly. “You are a disappointment, my son.”

Before Malachi could respond, Alexander silenced him with a hand. “Malachi, you will not speak unless asked a direct question.”

Malachi crossed his arms and scowled.

“Any thoughts what the books we found might contain?” Alexander asked.

“I suspect there will be at least some of my brother’s research on his very rare calling,” Constantine said. “He was always fascinated about his way of interacting with the firmament and did a great deal of work to discover how to use his magic as well as to better understand why he was different from most other wizards. Besides that, it’s hard to say. Benesh was a very curious man and a careful observer of those things that caught his interests. You may find a treasure within those books or you may find a collection of very esoteric research that ultimately proves unimportant.”

“What’s the state of the war with Phane?” Balthazar asked.

“He has an army on Ruatha that’s taken Northport, but he doesn’t have enough forces to do much else. My father is leading the Ruathan Army and he outnumbers the enemy forces by a couple of legions, which is not enough to ensure victory in an outright battle without sustaining severe losses. Phane also has a small force in Grafton Province on Ithilian. I’m currently with the Ithilian Army headed to destroy his forces there and secure the Isle of Ithilian to ensure that he isn’t able to disrupt food production this summer. Since Ruatha’s harvest will be limited, I need to make sure that Ithilian has food to spare for this winter.”

“A wise precaution,” Balthazar said, nodding.

“I’m concerned about the Andalian Lancers,” Alexander said. “There are about two thousand with Phane’s forces in Grafton. Is there anything you can tell me about them?”

Darius Reishi sat forward. “The Andalian King created the Lancers during my reign. He had a small faction of nobles who tried to establish their own kingdom within his territory. They abandoned the Old Law, so I sanctioned Andalian military action against them.

“The Lancers were created to tip the balance of power decisively in his favor. The rhone steeds they ride are indigenous to Andalia. But the Lancers’ real power comes from their force lances, which are created with a magical forge located deep under the central city of Andalia and are tied to the crown itself. I meant it as a failsafe, but I can see now that it didn’t work.

“I reasoned that by requiring the Lancers to serve the one who wore the crown and by linking the crown to the Andalian bloodline, I could maintain control over such a potent army through my power over the Thinblade. Since Malachi destroyed the Andalian Thinblade, that leverage no longer exists.”

“So the lances themselves are tied to the crown worn by the Andalian King?” Alexander asked to confirm his understanding.

“Yes, if the crown is taken or destroyed, the lances will cease to function,” Darius said. “Or at least that’s how they operated during my time as the Reishi Sovereign.”

“Is there any defense against them, aside from that?” Alexander asked.

“None that I’m aware of,” Darius answered. “Some wizards were able to erect shields that protected against them for a short time, and solid fortifications are effective as well, but the Lancers proved to be devastating against troops or cavalry in the open. I would strongly advise that you not engage them in a head-on battle, particularly if they have the opportunity to mount a charge.”

“I was afraid of that,” Alexander said. “I guess I’ll have to come up with another way. Thank you, gentlemen.” With that, Alexander left the Reishi Council Chamber and opened his eyes to find Chloe still sitting on his knee watching over him.

He briefed his friends during dinner on everything he’d learned from his clairvoyance and his visit with the Reishi Council. Then he asked Anatoly and Jataan to think about a strategy to deal with the Lancers. He had a few ideas but they were risky and he wanted as much input as possible before he decided on a course of action.

***

Three days later they reached the outskirts of town. Alexander checked to find that the Lancers were still encamped a league to the east in a small valley. During the slow march, Alexander had made his decision and shared his plan with Abel and his generals. They didn’t like it but had to admit that it was better than the alternatives.

They made camp and created the impression that they were digging in for a siege. Not a terribly effective strategy given Grafton’s port and the substantial fleet of merchant ships at their disposal, but, given the size of the Ithilian Army relative to the number of Regency soldiers, certainly a worrisome development for those within the city.

That night, under the cover of darkness, Alexander and his friends took a force of four thousand cavalry and headed first north and then east. They rode for the better part of the night until they reached a small canyon that offered good cover. They made a cold and quiet camp for the day and moved on again at dusk.

Alexander had instructed Abel to make overtures of peace and offer the town every chance to surrender, knowing full well that Phane’s forces would never accept the offer but would gladly take the time it bought them. The delay was what he was after. He needed to get his forces into position to strike.

The night was cold and dark and they moved slowly. It wasn’t long before a scout returned to the head of the column and warned that they were approaching the outer edge of the enemy’s encampment. Alexander called a halt and spoke briefly to the four unit commanders before each regiment of a thousand cavalry moved off into the night to encircle the enemy position.

Carefully and quietly, they formed a half circle around the western edge of the camp and waited through the early morning hours for the first light of dawn. Alexander nodded to the commander in the growing light. He gave the order and a whistler arrow shattered the quiet of the morning.

The Lancers were just stirring but many were still in their tents and bedrolls. Only a few moments passed after the whistler went up before the alarm bells began to toll. Alexander’s cavalry charged to within striking range and loosed its first volley of arrows into the camp. From four positions arrayed around the periphery of the enemy encampment, thousands of arrows sailed into the sky and came down into the Lancers. Panic erupted within the camp as the Lancers struggled to strap on their armor and grab their weapons.

The second volley went up. Torches had been lit and soldiers were riding the length of each row of archers, igniting the tips of arrows tightly wrapped with oil-soaked burlap. Fire and death rained down on the Lancers. The gentle orange glow of flame began to color the air over the camp and smoke rose into the quickly lightening sky.

Another volley followed and then another.

Many of the rhone panicked and broke free of their pickets to run into the early morning gloom, trying to escape the fire and chaos. Some Lancers managed to reach their mounts, but they were few and didn’t pose a real threat in the face of a sustained barrage of arrows. Alexander’s men followed their instructions and loosed a total of twenty volleys into the enemy camp before they charged into the soldiers who remained. The battle was brief and very one-sided. A few of Alexander’s men fell from the magical blasts of a Lancer’s weapon here or there, but the Lancers were so disorganized and unprepared that they couldn’t manage to mount an effective attack. They fell quickly as they were swarmed by the superior numbers surrounding them.

A force of two or three hundred managed to rally and turned to charge the regiment that Alexander was riding with. He smiled at the opportunity it provided to test the power of his new sword. Sitting atop his big mare, he gripped the hilt of Mindbender and focused his mind. He thought of the black shadow dragon that had feigned an attack from the walls of the ruined keep. He saw the terrifying creature in every detail and deliberately sent the image into the connection he had with his sword. The air overhead in the dim morning light swirled and coalesced into a giant black dragon that swooped down toward the rapidly advancing enemy.