The Last Wizard of Eneri Clare (49 page)

“Those are special windows, for archers, giant pots of boiling oil, and oversized crossbows capable of propelling flaming bolts over long distances. Strategically, they are a traditional defense against enemy ships, or anyone trying to scale the castle walls. Of course, right now, the alcoves and the equipment in them are in terrible disrepair, no one having had a use for them in decades. General Boone is firmly bent on restoring and manning them. It is certainly common sense, if we are indeed facing a hostile force from the sea. But none of those strategies fit with our ‘Legions of Light’ agenda. So, if we want to head Boone off and save valuable resources, we have to come up with a convincing alternate plan, and quickly. Furthermore, it has to work, or we will have handed the kingdom over to its enemies without any real resistance.”

“Jorelial Rey, we always knew our plan would be put to some practical test sooner or later…I’ll grant you this is sooner, but of course it has to work! Xaarus never intended for us all to stand idle while the palace and the kingdom slip out of our grasp. I will summon him later and ask his guidance on this matter, but let me see what comes to mind in the moment…I’m all for pulling everyone in behind the sea wall for protection; that makes sense. And I have no problem with setting up some ‘uncomfortable’ greetings for anyone that might chance to get in through the back door. But it would be better to try and insure that no invading force ever got that far to begin with.” Tvrdik pursed his lips in thought, “You know, the water sprites are more powerful in their element than you can imagine. Perhaps Ondine could gather all her nearby relations and stir up the river and the sea. And Tashroth and a few of the dragons – gods grant that he brings them – could be poised on the battlements to harry the enemy. I know
I
would find that daunting.” He had backed away from the wall’s edge and laid down his sheaf of papers, pacing, considering. His hands painted the pictures of his ideas in the air before them with great animation, as the creative wheels turned in his brain. And then, he stopped midstride, put a hand to his mouth as if to stifle a gasp, and turned to the Lady Regent, eyes wide. “Wait!” he said.

“What?”

“I just remembered something that flashed through my mind the very first time I walked in the gardens here, and turned back to look up at Theriole. I was thinking how vulnerable it looked, and then I wondered…well, I thought…oh, I’m not sure I could actually do it, but it would be worth a try…”

“Whatever are you talking about?”

“Well, that day, when I was walking, I wondered if I could cast an illusion big enough to hide the entire palace. I’ve never tried anything that big, and it would take some practice, but in theory, it could work.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“Well, when I don’t wish to be seen, I can make myself seem invisible, and I’ve done it for Ondine, too. It’s not a matter of making anything go away, but of superimposing an illusion of something else over the real thing so that the observer is diverted or confused. It is a relatively easy trick to cover just myself, but, theoretically, it should be possible to generate a large enough illusion to hide the entire palace, and make the enemy fleet think they are hopelessly lost, until they finally just give up and go home.”

“This is beginning to sound interesting. Can you do it?”

“It would take a lot of personal energy to hold a vision that vast. It might be easier if a few friends who understood what was happening could just sit with me and add their strength and their intention…?”

“Done. I hope you’ve been practicing?”

“I will now. If parts of Theriole wink out before your eyes in the next few days, you’ll know why. On a happier note,” he pulled back from the frightening edge, and sat down on a stone bench installed once upon a time for guards at the battlements. He patted the space beside him, encouraging her to sit as well, “…on a happier note, two days ago, Ondine took me to meet an entire herd of unicorns. They were…awe-inspiring; they took my breath away. It was difficult at first to get them to even listen to me, they are so wary of humans. But, like everyone else, it seems they have good memories of Xaarus. Once they heard me out, they were intrigued by our ideas, and quite interested in keeping the likes of Drogue out of power. They have agreed to come to our assembly of the Legion. In a few days we’ll be hearing from Tashroth on the dragons, Mark will be bringing word of the bards, Stewart from the talking animals, Andrus, the healers, and so forth. Assuming we get at least some positive responses all around, we will need a larger field in which to meet than The Cottage’s back yard. Any suggestions?”

She considered a moment, “Why, yes! The gaming fields are quite large. There are arena seats set up all around for those watching the contests, and we can set up a platform for you in the center if you’re going to be doing the speaking. The acoustics are naturally good.”

“Perfect. Will you arrange that? I think we may have a contingent of local folk as well. Praeger arranged for me to make a few friends yesterday, doing healing work. Did Delphine tell you? We saw close to two score patients in one day, including animals. I don’t know what I would have done if your sister had not decided to stop by. She has real talent in the healing arts, you know, and she’s eager to learn.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. She is always taking care of everyone, despite the fact that she is technically the baby here.”

“She has a very big heart, as well as a sharp mind.”

“Yes. How are the Praegers working out?”

“I’m not accustomed to being waited on, but I will tell you, I
could
get used to it. They have been a godsend these past few days. I credit them with doing half my thinking for me.”

“And who is doing the other half?” Rel couldn’t resist such an opening, and a hint of a smile played across her face.

“Very funny.” Tvrdik was relieved to see her beginning to relax a bit.

She turned and looked him up and down, as if only just noticing his actual presence beside her, “And you are well? I mean you are feeling alright?”

“Yes, quite fit, thank you. I think I might have gotten an extra boost in my recovery from Ondine and the unicorns.”

“Well, you’ve made me feel better in any case. Hopeful. And like I have concrete assignments to tackle. I’m sorry if I seemed a little on edge. I am always anxious when Tashroth is absent.”

“Understandable. He’ll be back soon. But, speaking of concrete assignments, I do have a few other ideas I wanted to take out for a spin.” He brandished the papers he’d been clutching. “I told you I wanted to have something to bring you. One thought, I need to run by Minister Verger, if he’s available, as it will most clearly impact his department. The other is a design I drew up for a possible weapon I’ve been thinking about.”

“A weapon?”

“Relax, it is not meant to kill or maim. It is something infinitely more powerful. But, I was hoping to have a prototype made that I could work with and adjust a little. At the moment, it is really only in the imagined stage. If the first one worked, we would need to somehow manufacture hundreds, so I thought I’d better begin the process right away. Who would I need to talk to for having something crafted?”

She was intrigued, “Well, Verger again, just to have the funds released, and then, the palace Armory, I would think. You could go over your designs with the Master Craftsman there, Hancock. He’s very talented, and quick. What does it look like? What does it do?” She was peering over his shoulder now, trying to get a glimpse of the drawings as he pulled them just out of view.

“I’ll explain it later. I need to know if it’s even feasible first,” he blushed.

“I’ll take you there, and introduce you. Stay to supper?”

“Thank you kindly, I’d love to. Although, I daresay Mrs. Praeger might box my ears if I don’t show up at home…”

Jorelial Rey chuckled, “I’ll send a page over there and let them know you are detained for the evening. There is still much we should discuss; more brainstorming to do. I want to hear
all
your ideas.

He stood and bowed to her, “I am at your service, my lady. Do but command me.” His face was serious, but his eyes twinkled with mischief behind the gleaming spectacles. She rose as well.

“Fine. I command you to escort me down from these battlements; I think it is going to rain.”

“Yes, my lady.” And he offered her his right arm as they headed toward the circular stone staircase that would take them back to the bustling heart of Theriole.

THIRTY
The Legion Assembles

T
HE DAYS THAT FOLLOWED WERE
a blur of activity. Jorelial Rey decided Tvrdik was right about letting the public know what was going on. She issued a statement, which was read before the main palace doors, and sent out with heralds to be posted all over the kingdom. It stated that Lord Drogue, he who some had seen behaving obnoxiously at the Grand Council, and who already had been responsible for an assassination attempt at the young king’s coronation, was now known to be mustering troops for an attack on the capitol, with the intention of usurping the Crown. All regional lords should prepare their defenses, and stand by to assemble the troop levies due the Crown in wartime. All loyal subjects not otherwise attached in service should also consider coming to the capitol to offer their support. And, for their own protection, subjects must cooperate with the edicts of the Crown in pulling back to defensive positions. The message stressed that the authorities had the situation well in hand, and that it was not a time for fear and panic to take hold, but rather for each citizen to stand tall against tyranny and oppression, and so forth. It would take time for the word to travel to all the far-flung corners of the land, and she was well aware that this move would also alert Drogue that they knew some of his plans. But it could not be helped, as it was high time things were out in the open.

What this allowed her was a mandate to start pulling shops and services back behind the sea wall. Folks grumbled, but, for the most part, knowing what was behind the inconvenience, they complied. Unfortunately, no amount of effort would move the great, ancient gates back into the closed position – not men, horses, nor oxen in any configuration. So work began, building a temporary connecting wall to close the opening where the gates stood wide open to the sea. General Boone was happy to be in an active mode at last, and busied himself ordering a refitting of his ships and a restoration of the palace defenses, while recruiting, equipping, and training troops for the imminent conflict. The Lady Regent was uncomfortable that some of these preparations worked at cross-purposes with how she intended to meet Drogue, but according to their agreement, she had to give him the authority to mount a traditional defense, at least, pending the outcome of their contest with the Legions of Light. Minister Verger was near to tearing his sparse hair out over all the unusual expenses piling on at once, but the kingdom was coming off of several years of great prosperity. That, coupled with his talent for thrift and fiscal oversight insured that he coffers were stretched, but far from bare.

Tvrdik balanced his time between replenishing his store of healing supplies, studying, practicing, and treating the occasional patient – mostly either emergencies or scheduled rechecks. Delphine visited frequently, and assisted with some of the herbal work, insisting as well that they fit in his arm exercises from time to time. He resisted, overwhelmed with things to do, but had to admit that his shoulder felt better when he did them. Otherwise, he was back to his old levels of stamina and vitality, and not a moment too soon, since the days were long and left him little leisure.

Hancock, the Master Craftsman, examined his design with great interest, and after several imperfect attempts, provided him with the template he needed in order to create his secret weapon. There was magic to add to it, and field-testing to insure it would do what he intended. In addition, he practiced his skills at creating illusion, expanding the size, clarity and duration of what he was capable of covering, step by incremental step. He spoke to Ondine, who understood quickly what he was asking of her, and her compatriots of the waters. She was delighted to be asked to play an active role in the defense of Theriole. She sped off to collect all the willing participants she could muster from her underwater family, and would presumably take charge of devising the details of their strategy.

Next, Tvrdik summoned Xaarus for a short consult, as promised, careful not to risk any personal consequences from the contact. He filled his old master in on all of their activities since the Council meeting, and on Drogue’s alleged actions. Xaarus listened to Tvrdik’s defensive ideas with approval, added a few suggestions for improving them, and proposed several additional ideas of his own. He was always encouraging, and offered his own help to hold the illusion of invisibility over the palace, should it become necessary to implement. Xaarus thought that the two of them, together with Tashroth, if the dragon was willing, could link their minds and create a powerful and effective field that would do the job. Tvrdik came away from that contact feeling heartened and energized.

One by one, the Captains of the Legions of Light returned with news of their recruiting efforts. Tashroth was first, flying in just three days after Rel and Tvrdik had examined the sea wall from the battlements. With him were a blue, a white, and a black dragon, representatives of the various clans. Jorelial was relieved to see him, and even more delighted to hear the news he brought. Tash had flown far and wide, gathering all the known remaining clans. Warriors by nature, some of the noble beasts were skeptical of this new way to combat enemies. Others had eschewed the frustrating affairs of men for centuries, and were reluctant to become involved now. However, none were eager to see a man like Drogue gain a foothold in their world. And all were concerned about the grim fate of dragon kind predicted if the wrong side triumphed. Since dragons enjoy extremely long life spans, they tend not to think of time in the same way humans do. So, it did not seem at all strange to them to be considering the ramifications of their actions now in the context of the grand arc of history. In addition, Tashroth himself was a well-respected figure among his peers, as was Xaarus. The support of both of these larger than life figures for the plan carried great weight. In the end, much like the unicorns, the dragons elected to send representation to hear more. Tashroth felt certain that those that accompanied him back were more than favorably disposed, and that Tvrdik would not find it difficult to win them over. It was a magnificent sight in the glorious early summer sunset, to look up from the road and see not one, but four turrets of the great castle crowned with dark dragon silhouettes framed against the gold, orange, and deep pink of the sky. It filled one with wonder, and made one feel safe, beneath their watchful eyes and shining wings.

Soon after Tashroth’s return, Stewart arrived with many friends in tow. There were horses, mules, goats, bears, wolves, raccoons, mice, dogs, cats, geese, swans, songbirds, crows, sheep, several fish, and a turtle. These were the talking beasts of the realm, and they were entirely committed to the work of the Legion. Tvrdik enjoyed meeting them all, and found them to be charming company, as well as enthusiastic partners. Andrus sent word that all the healers he spoke with were firmly on board. Warlowe and Bargarelle were drumming up support inside the palace among both the working classes and the privileged.

Last of all, a full week after he had departed, Mark returned, along with Nyree, whose advanced age necessitated a slower pace of travel. Accompanying them were Morelle, and a whole delegation of harpers, bards, and minstrels. Nyree, as Mark had predicted, abhorred violence and destruction, and had wept with joy that she had lived to see a ruler who actually wanted her help in beating back the forces of darkness with creativity and the power of Light. That such a thing could happen raised her spirits and her energy to such a level that she rose from her bed, dressed herself in travel clothes, and insisted that she accompany Mark on the long trip back to Theriole, to be part of the planning. But first she had sent out a message to the four corners of the kingdom, encouraging every member of the guild to come and offer their unique gifts in this most noble of all causes. The Lady Regent and the young wizard welcomed her as an honored guest, befitting her age and status. But neither could conceal the deep emotions they felt at the strength of her commitment. That this frail, ethereal being, almost a legend throughout Eneri Clare, would embrace their cause so completely moved them beyond words, and strengthened their resolve to succeed at any cost.

There was no turning back now. Support and momentum were building, but there remained the task of persuading those that remained skeptical of the merits of what they were proposing. The assembly of the expanded Legions of Light was set for the playing fields, three days after Mark and Nyree arrived, eleven days after their first, tentative meeting in Tvrdik’s backyard, and two days after Tvrdik’s second healing day. With half as many patients, some of whom were returning for follow-up care, the second healing day was more manageable, and less demanding than the first had been. Delphine had generously offered to continue acting as Tvrdik’s assistant, which would further her education in the most practical way possible. And this time they were prepared, both materially and psychologically, for what they would encounter, so things moved along smoothly. Tvrdik found that he was getting better acquainted with the villagers, and growing to like them. This made him even more determined to keep the kingdom out of the hands of Lord Drogue, knowing the suffering the common folk would endure under such a self-absorbed, egotistical sociopath.

In the days between Tvrdik’s installation in The Cottage, and the upcoming assembly, the Praegers made themselves more and more indispensible in his life. The more tasks for which he became responsible, the less time he had for the simple requirements of running a household, and the more grateful he was to have someone cooking, cleaning, and ordering his life for him. The grounds and garden were kept in good order, and the harvesting done, along with any repairs and improvements the house still needed. Just a week after Tvrdik settled in, the Praeger family was able to move into the back annex where the school and dormitories had once been. It was not a huge space, but, as they all shared a kitchen and dining area, it was comfortable enough for their needs. Once they were all set up, they invited him to come back and visit, and see what they had done. It was unrecognizable as the space he remembered, a fact for which he was most grateful. The Praegers had reconfigured the very layout of the rooms in the annex, and using the credit vouchers he had turned over to them, they had furnished and decorated the whole place in a very simple but cozy style. Mrs. Praeger’s touch was evident, as every area was colorful, comfortable, practical, and attractive.

He complimented their hard work with sincere enthusiasm, and offered a blessing on the newly refurbished place – on all who would live there or come to visit. They were very pleased with that gesture. He went on to let them know how vital their assistance was becoming. Admitting that he didn’t know how he would ever manage without them, he thanked them for all the responsibilities they had taken on. Lynette gave him a spontaneous hug, and Mrs. Praeger cried and said he was a joy to be around, and how much better all of their lives were, now that they had attached themselves to him. She hoped it would be a long and mutually beneficial arrangement. Mr. Praeger took him aside privately, and stated that a day did not go by that he didn’t regret having caused the wizard so much suffering. But, since that fateful day proved the moment their lives all turned around for the better, he couldn’t help but see the blessing in it. He wanted Tvrdik to know that he would work as hard as he was able, until Tvrdik could also see the sequence of events as a blessing, too. Tvrdik smiled, shook the man’s hand and looked him in the eye, “Sir, if you work here, let it be for love, or friendship, or wages, but your debt is long since paid. I already see how richly my life has been blessed by you and your family. Think no more of the past – we have much to do to plan for the future.” They shook hands, and Tvrdik left the family to enjoy their new quarters, thinking as he walked away about how much good can sometimes come from unexpected places.

The day of the assembly arrived at last, warm and cloudless, with a slight breeze that kept it from seeming oppressive. The gaming fields were large, their edges ringed and defined by tall shade trees. Tiered wooden bleachers, designed to accommodate large audiences, rose high above the fields on three sides. The meeting was called for mid-day, which meant Tvrdik could be well-rested, enjoy a hearty breakfast, bathe, and dress in his favorite violet robes. The blue and grey had been getting quite a lot of wear of late, as he began to take on the mantle of Court Wizard. But the violet he saved for occasions of note, and today would certainly qualify. He rehearsed the most important points of his speech in his mind as he walked from the palace, until he felt satisfied that he was ready to tell his story to a new audience. In one hand he carried his oaken staff, and in the other a prototype of his ‘secret weapon,’ which he had been working on with the Master Craftsman.

At the same time, at Theriole, Jorelial Rey forced herself to eat, brushed and braided her long, dark hair, dressed in dark leggings and a long, ornate tunic in a striking orange color. She donned the official pendant of her office, and the jeweled circlet which symbolized her authority, along with both the ring of the royal seal, and an amethyst ring which was a favorite of hers; a gift from her father. Most of the burden of speech today would fall upon the young wizard, but, as his plan’s most powerful supporter, she wanted to appear the confident and charismatic leader she wasn’t always sure that she was. Casting a last appraising look in the glass with a sigh, she left her rooms, and the palace. Tashroth was busy entertaining the visiting dragon emissaries, so she decided she might as well walk. It was not far, and the exercise would clear her mind. On the way, she worked at pushing from her mind the doubts and worries that had a habit of slipping in amongst her thoughts. In their place, she tried to hold a vision of power, success, and solidarity. The Legions of Light
would
come into being, and were certain to triumph on their own terms.

Rel and Tvrdik arrived at almost the same moment, climbing up onto the raised dais that had been erected for this occasion. Chairs stood there for each of them, and without any greeting or preliminary conversation, they sat and began to compare notes on how they thought they could order the afternoon’s proceedings. The mage proudly showed off his new piece of equipment, explaining his intentions for its use. Jorelial Rey had many questions….and so it was that, deep in conversation, they did not heed the arrival of their audience – the silent, precise landing of four dragons, who settled themselves behind the dais in an impressive row; the entire herd of unicorns, including Shar with his broken horn; the troupe of assorted talking animals led by the faithful Stewart; Nyree on the arm of Morelle, with a rather large contingent of bards; Andrus and a group of healers; Minister Verger, Steward Bargarelle, Warlowe, and a steady stream of folk from the palace, some dressed in rich clothing, while others filed in wearing aprons, caps, uniforms, and other evidence of their worker’s status.