The Wizard's Council (13 page)

Life was difficult for Cadrin, both his parents died before his tenth birthday. He was taken in by the local monastery and brought up learning the trade of a Paladin. Damoth’s life was equally difficult. His parents pushed him hard to do better than they had. Their constant disapproval drove him to seek refuge with a small group he quickly renamed the Blades of Damoth. The years passed and each boy, now a man, controlled one-half of the Gloomvale Isles. Neither one was willing to accept the other’s claim. Soon, the squabbles became all-out war. For seven days straight, the armies on both sides converged upon one another. Seven days of Gloomvale steel spilling Gloomvale blood. On the eight day, Cadrin and Damoth took the field. The two armies clashed as never before.

The sun stretched forth across the sky, spurring Cadrin’s men to near victory. As night fell over the Isles, Damoth’s men were renewed. By morning, only fragments of each army remained. The two pressed on, their men willing to give their lives for their respective leaders. Another day of fighting brought each army to collapse. In the cold wintery evening, just as the sun was setting, the two met in combat. They fought until both dropped with exhaustion after three days straight of fighting. Neither was willing to give an edge to the other, but both fell asleep against their own will. They awoke far sooner than would have been expected for the circumstance. A strange noise filled the air, and both put aside their grievances to find the source of the disturbance. They found their villages burning and their people slaughtered. The Gloomvale pirates had raided the towns in their absence and were mounting a second raid. That day an Unholy Alliance was formed between the two men who hated each other more than anything in the world. They set off into the night together to finish off the pirates. After twelve long days of hunting, they had all but eliminated the pirates. Upon their return, they were hailed Champions. One was put forth to rule the day and the other the night.

Their reign lasted thirty long and prosperous years. However, age began to creep up on them and one day Damoth found himself accosted by a group of bandits. What would have been an easy victory in his youth turned into a battle he would win, but at the cost of his life. Cadrin, hearing the news of Damoth’s death, burned with a righteous anger. He called together a militia and began to root out all the negative influences within the Gloomvale Isles. His band was able to deliver devastating blows to the numerous organized crime syndicates that inhabited the Isles, but whenever the sun fell below the horizon, he and his men were forced to return to their shelters and wait until morning for the light of the moon was no more. This went on for nearly two months, each day Cadrin swore on Damoth’s grave that he would end the evils that took his friend’s life. The toll of the fighting was too much for the aged Cadrin, he found himself weary of the fighting and laid his sword to rest. He visited the grave of his one-time rival and sat there for the entire night.

The sun never rose the next morning. Cadrin had been slain in his sleep by a group of bandits that was plotting to rob the grave of the Champion Damoth. For several days, the people mourned the loss of their favorite Champion. It would seem that the Gloomvale Isles and nature itself disagreed with the citizens. For neither the sun nor the moon ever rose after the death of the two Champions. They were considered equal to each other and to whatever controlled the weather of the Isles. A deep gloom covered the islands from that day forward, thus garnering them their name. For as long as people could remember, the Archipelago had stood somewhere in between day and night. This made it nearly impossible for outsiders to tell the time of day. The citizens had to develop a sense for that, and it was something that Emily felt she would never be used to. She sighed as she looked at Janessa and the small group of soldiers that survived. All fifteen of the surviving troops were injured, and both Wizards were exhausted.

“Where are we?” Emily asked as her eyes scanned the houses.

“The main isles of Gloomvale, somewhere on the southern coast,” Janessa answered.

The town was devoid of inhabitants, save for a few guards. They quickly informed Janessa that pirate raids had driven the inhabitants of the outlying towns to seek shelter near the center of the Isle. Emily looked at the troops that were accompanying her and Janessa.
They can’t fight until they’ve rested
, she thought. She looked at Janessa, wondering if her fellow council member felt that way, as well. Janessa was motionless, making Emily wonder if the water magic expert had pushed herself too hard during the voyage. Everyone stood silent as Emily looked from Janessa to the soldiers and then to the guards. The others were waiting for one of the Wizards to make a statement. Emily hesitated as she stepped in front of Janessa.

“This is a dire situation, Emily. I know our war lies in another place, but the Gloomvale Isles can muster little strength under the yoke of these pirate raids. If you desire to return, I can have a ship prepared for you. My place is here with my people,” Janessa spoke gravely, perhaps more so than Emily had ever seen her do.

“What of the villages, my lady? Are they not still in danger as we speak?” One of the guards asked.

“Draw everyone to the castles and forts, leave no weaknesses. Houses can be rebuilt, farms replanted, but no lives can be brought back from death.”

“It is hardly my business, but would it not be prudent to form parties of our own to combat the pirate raiders?” Emily asked.

“We stand no chance fighting them on their own terms. No offense, Wizardess, but that would lose us the war,” Another guard answered.

“Then how do you propose we defeat them? From inside of a castle? With a large army that they can maneuver around?” Emily’s face turned red as she realized her voice was louder than any others in the conversation.

“Emily is right, we’ll have to fight them on their own turf. We don’t have time to discuss it now. We need to move out.” Janessa seemed much sadder than Emily had seen before.

Emily could sense the frustration in Janessa too. What originally was to be a short tour for Emily followed by the triumphant rescue of Carmalia and the Conclaves had become a pirate hunt. Emily placed a hand on Janessa’s shoulder. The island native smiled at Emily before ordering the troops to move out. Emily desperately wanted to be a comforting sister to Janessa, but time and circumstances called for a different role.
What a weight she carries
, Emily thought, determined to see to it that she did not have to carry it alone. If she could not take on the part of supportive sister, she would instead take on the part of sister in battle. It was a concept that was altogether foreign to Emily. Fighting and battles were a far cry away from the books she had read growing up, but she had seen Paul fight like no other and knew that magic could help her in battle, as well.

The lack of
a visible sun made it difficult for Emily to know how long they traveled. Their path took them through two more villages before arriving at Gloomvale Castle. Both of the villages had been deserted except for a few guards. Janessa ordered them to follow her to the castle. From there, Emily knew Janessa would be able to form a sound plan. The castle itself was vastly different from the castles that Emily was used to seeing. Its nearly black stones were a stark contrast to the white Conclave tower that sprung out of the north side of the castle. A massive keep stood in the middle of the castle, its stones at least five shades darker than the outer wall. The outer wall complex housed a plethora of shops, a large barracks, an equally large stable, and even a few small fields. Closer to the keep was the inner wall complex. Its nigh fifty foot high walls were twice that of the outer wall. The inner complex was significantly smaller, but no less important. It held houses, another barracks, and the castle’s main water source.

Even more impressive than either of the outer walls was the keep itself, whose height of nearly one hu
ndred feet rivaled that of the Conclave. Inside the courtyard, much to the contrast of the harsh walls of the keep, was one of the most beautiful gardens Emily had ever visited. She counted more than fifty types of flowers in the short walk from the entrance of the courtyard to the keep itself.
What a grand place,
she thought,
How I would love to explore it!
The inside of the keep was majestic in its own right. All along the walls hung the banners of the Gloomvale rulers. On the sidewalls hung gold and black banners in remembrance of the two Champions of Gloomvale. The banners on the far side of the hall, behind the throne, were a mixture of blue and green. They were handpicked by Janessa to represent the swirling waters that gave lifeblood to the many isles that comprised the Gloomvale Archipelago. Each banner was rimmed with two borders, one of gold, and the other of black. Alongside the banners, were several tapestries that depicted various historical events. Emily was so enthralled by the display before her that she failed to notice the two men waiting inside the keep.

“Sam, on whose authority did you enter the keep?” Janessa asked.

“This man says he is a friend of yours!” Sam replied in protest, his voice sounding almost like groveling.

“Paul!” Emily ran to him as soon as she caught sight of him.

“Tis good to see you as well, Emily.” Paul couldn’t hold back his smile as she pulled him in for an embrace.

“Forgive me, that was undignified of me,” Emily’s cheek turned a bright red as she quickly backed away.

“Not at all, Emily, you merely took me by surprise. It truly is good to see you. Rolin and the others are good people, but you and I are closer than with any of the others,” Paul wished he had not spoken as he stared at the floor.

“If you two are quite finished, we have a lot of talking ahead of us,” Janessa’s stern voice pulled Emily back to the reality of the situation.

“I’ve not had a friend as true as Emily since,” Paul paused as if he were weighing whether or not to mention something from his past. “Well, she’s been much more a friend than any other Wizard I’ve met,” Paul snapped back at Janessa.

“My apologies, the situation has me on edge. The Gloomvale Isles are being threatened
, and I have already failed them with my absence.” There was no question to Janessa’s words, it was as though her failure was complete, and the pirates had already won.

“Then we fight them. The Wizard Council can wait, what good can we do them anyway?” Emily spoke with conviction.

James glanced back over his shoulder, the castle was a small form on the horizon. He could barely make out the torches of the Galimdorian soldiers all along the walls. They stayed their hand, though he knew not why.
Perhaps they need to consult their King
, he thought as he turned back to the path ahead of him. The road looked less inviting than usual. As it disappeared out of his sight and into the darkness, it seemed almost to end. He sighed and started walking forward, wondering if he’d ever see the others again. It was a foreboding thought that he couldn’t shake. Knowing he needed to make good time, James took on the form of a sand fox. Though larger than most sand foxes, there was little else to suggest he was anything but a member of the area wildlife.

He had covered a lot of ground by the time morning arrived. His current form would be easily spotted by hunters in the day, so he morphed again. His formerly sand colored fur turned red
, and his ears shrunk a little. Now he was just slightly larger than the average foxes of the area. The morning light came with its own set of dangers. Hunters and their hounds, though easily outwitted, were not so easily outrun. James took to the forest so that he could take advantage of the cover provided by shrubs and bushes. He traveled several hundred yards through the trees before noticing anything out of the ordinary. There was a handful of silhouettes that he could make out amongst the trees. The orcs were traveling in the same direction that he was, but they were well away from their main encampments in the Old Forest.

He morphed back to
human form, and a small fireball took shape in his right hand. His left hand drifted down to his dagger. By no means proficient with a melee weapon, James still found that it came in handy for blocking or deflecting blows. The ball of fire grew in his right hand as he closed in on the orcs. He could hear them mumbling something about an ambush on one of distant members of the royal family of Cardinia. His right hand thrust forward, and the ball zoomed toward the nearest orc, growing in size as it got closer. The orc screamed in pain as the flames surrounded him and he caught on fire. His companions were startled by the commotion and chose to stand back from the burning orc. They drew their weapons as he ran toward them. Before he could get out the request for help, the leader of the pack lunged forward with his spear and killed him. By the time they noticed James attempting to stay out of sight in the trees, he had already launched two more fireballs at the pack.

Two of the five remaining
orcs caught on fire and began screaming and thrashing about. One of them crashed into another orc, knocking them both to the floor. The leader and one of his companions lunged toward James. With a flick of his wrist, James shot a jet of flames at the two approaching orcs. The leader thrust his shield up just in time, but his compatriot was not so fortunate. James jumped backward and readied his knife, he knew the orc leader would come for him and didn’t have time to set up a spell to distract him. The two danced back and forth as James did his best to parry and dodge each of the orc’s attacks. His arm was getting tired from the deadly assault. He knew his stronger opponent would win if he didn’t even the odds. The larger orc pressed the attack, knocking James slightly off balance. James let out a cry of pain as his opponent’s sword slid off his dagger and his left arm just above the wrist. He jumped backward and his free hand shot out toward the ground in front of the orc, and a small vine began to wrap itself around each of the orc’s legs. The vine grew in size, tripping the orc as it lunged toward James.  James dug his dagger into the orc’s back and then rolled backward.

Half of the remaining four
orcs were injured, and all of them were stunned at the death of their leader. James swirled both of his hands toward the orcs, and a large figure made of flames formed just above the downed orc leader. It charged at the four orcs, swinging its massive flame sword at their heads. One of the orcs was cut down during the first blow, and another dropped to the ground in fear. The other two orcs lashed out at the flame warrior and found their swords to be utterly ineffective. One of the being’s large arms of flame grabbed one of the orcs and threw it to the floor. James noticed the orc that had dropped to the floor was now scurrying further into the forest and launched a fire arrow at him. It hit the orc square in the back, pinning him to the floor. The orc writhed in pain as the flame warrior finished off his two companions and turned toward him. James winced as the flame warrior drove its sword into the final orc.

He brushed himself off and turned to the fire warrior. It was standing there waiting for his next order. James shrugged and then clapped his hands, sending the warrior back to whence it came.
I need to warn the King
, he thought as he wrapped a small piece of cloth around the cut on his arm. It had been far too long since he had engaged in a proper fight and it showed. He took on the form of a fox once again and limped his way through the forest. It hurt to move, but taking on human form would only slow him down more. He grimaced through the pain as he continued on his path through the forest. The wildlife paid him no heed as he pushed his body and mind to their limits. His magical expertise was not in the field of fast travel, but he did what little he could to force his body to go faster. Before he knew it, darkness had yet again enveloped the land, and he stopped for a quick rest.

*

Sev sat motionless, staring at the dying embers of the fire. He had the first watch that night, which meant he would extend his watch past the predetermined time and get less sleep. Solin looked at him, but didn’t say a word. The two sat there for several minutes as everyone else was settling in for the night. Sev stood up and grabbed his bow, he always kept it with him when on watch. Solin followed him to the edge of camp, and the two stood for several more minutes. Though Sev was by no means considered a small man, when he stood next to Solin he felt like a dwarf. He wondered what it must feel like to be that large. The former Captain of the Guard was the closest to a troll’s size of any man that Sev had ever seen. His demeanor was much more docile than that of a troll, but nonetheless Sev never wanted to have a reason to fight the man.

“Why’d you quit?” Sev asked as he stared off into the forest.

“The Holy Order?” Solin asked.

“Sure, start with that story and then we can move on to why you left Riverton.”

“Have you ever interacted with the Holy Order?”

“I can’t say that I have, they haven’t spoken to the Rangers or Druids in more than a hundred years
, and I rarely get out of the Old Forest,” Sev shrugged as he spoke.

“To explain why I left, I have to first explain something about the Holy Order. Their intentions, while mostly pure, are often misguided. They may not be the horrible organization that some make them out to be, but they are certainly not as virtuous as they would like everyone to believe. When I was still a part of the Order, we did more than just hunt down those who misused magic. We fought
orcs, trolls, Necromancers, rogue Wizards, thieves, and pretty much anyone who was openly harming others. Our Grand Cleric led investigations into several organizations and groups to see if they were secretly harming others. When the Grand Crusader wasn’t leading attacks on the forces of evil, he was leading us to repair destroyed villages and bring food and shelter to those in need. We were truly befitting of the name that we were called. Our mission was to spread the light of God in places where the darkness reigned.” Solin paused and took a deep breath.

“How many years ago was this?” Sev took advantage of the silence.

“This was the ten year period that ended fifteen years ago. I was slightly younger than you at the time, and we were truly making a difference in the world. We were chasing down a group known as the Knights of Doom, and just as we were starting to gain some ground against them, the politicking came about. Galimdor used their political clout to threaten the Order to the point where we actually stopped going after the Knights of Doom. The very next day I went to the Grand Crusader, and I explained that I was leaving the Order to continue my hunt of the Knights of Doom. It was the Grand Cleric that was outraged by this, though I know not why. He often spoke of purging the land, but sometimes those who sound most zealous are not to be trusted. Zeal, like many things, can be used for ill purposes. When I left things began to slow down for the Holy Order. The Order of the Hand, a group of monks within the Holy Order, withdrew and formed their own group. By the end of the splintering, there were four or five new groups formed. A few years later, the Holy Order saw the error of their ways and agreed the Knights of Doom deserved death.”

“Why didn’t you rejoin after that?”

“I had already seen the Cleric’s true colors. It didn’t matter if Gareth was a good man or not, as long as he accepted counsel from Bartholomew, I would not follow him in battle. They didn’t dare to come after me, but I knew they were not happy with me. I spent the next year hunting down the Knights of Doom. It wasn’t long before I realized that it was not the hunting of evil that brought me to the Holy Order. No, I was drawn to the Holy Order because of their promise to spread good throughout the world. Even those who rejected the true God were still treated with respect and offered assistance. I eventually found myself at Riverton. They were in need of a Captain of the Guard, and I was in need of a job and place to stay. The situation was mutually beneficial for a time. Over time, the town grew more and more suspicious of outsiders. They trusted me because I had come before their fear reached its peak, but they didn’t trust any of the other outsiders. I was forced to convince them to allow the merchants to stay for the sake of the town.” Solin cut his explanation short as if not wanting to speak further ill of the townsfolk.

“I can piece together the rest. Caitlyn must be something like a sister or a daughter to you
, and when they tried to kick us out, you wouldn’t have any of it. An admirable thing, not many these days are willing to take a stand for what they believe.”

“Speaking of bel
iefs, might I inquire if you believe in the true God?”

“I do, though I am not as outspoken as you are. My faith is my own
, and it is not something I share with people unless I consider them a friend. I know it is not a well-liked position among fellow believers, but I hold to it nonetheless.”

“Now it is my turn to praise you. It is a commendable thing to hold your faith close to you. Not everyone is reachable by strangers, people like both of us are needed. As are those with other strengths as well.” For the first time since they met, Solin looked happy.

“You are too kind, friend.”

“A kind
ness that you deserve, but the mayor of Riverton prevented you from receiving. I fear that other cities are beginning to act in such ways. The world is changing ever so slightly. Where once there was love, kindness, patience, and openness, there is now a feeling of suspicion and hatred. Times have changed the people for the worse.”

The two stopped speaking and stared out into the darkness. They didn’t have to discuss the matter, it was something they had both witnessed. Sev felt that the wars and conflicts were to blame
, and Solin believed it was the lack of God’s light being spread into the darkness. Each of them knew the other would disagree and that they couldn’t prove their point, so they thought it better to leave their opinions unsaid. After a few minutes, Solin rose and bid Sev a good night. The Ranger looked out over the forest, his eyes already adjusted to the darkness. There was something comforting for Sev about the darkness of the Old Forest. When he had told the others this, it worried them. They wanted to know why he was at home with something that was often associated with being away from the true God. Solin understood though, he was one of the few that knew it wasn’t the darkness that made the half-elf feel at home. It was the lack of fear associated with that darkness. Unbeknownst to Sev, the former Paladin had not only picked up on his courage, but also approved of it.

*

Arcantos shoved open the double doors to the council chambers and stormed over to the table. He slammed his hand down on the table, getting the attention of all gathered as well as leaving a smoldering piece of paper for all to see. With a deep breath, he straightened up and then slowly made his way to the empty seat on the far side of the table.
Insolent fools,
he thought,
can none of them appreciate a little political intrigue
. He sat down in his chair and placed his hands together, the tips of his fingers were pressed against each other. There was silence in the room as he proceeded to examine those seated at the table. His gaze stopped for but a second or two on each member of the High Council. He could see the divisions had already formed around the table. There were five groups in all. One group felt the King had been an ineffective leader and cared little for who was responsible for his death. They only wanted to pass the blame off in a way that would give them more power.

Another group agreed on the ineffectiveness of the King, but felt that was a poor excuse to have him killed. They too, didn’t care who was given blame as long as it kept the Kingdom strong. There was also a group of loyalists that felt the King was blameless
, and his killer needed to be brought to justice. The fourth group was comprised of those close to the King, but not close enough to care about his death. They saw this as a way to further their own careers in an attempt to “honor the King’s wishes in his passing.” The final group was the smallest, but perhaps the most deadly. Much to the protest of the King’s advisors, he had brought on a vicious group of dwarves as a part of his court. They had promised the King to strengthen the fortifications across his Kingdom in exchange for gold. Arcantos knew not what they would do in this situation, except that they would choose whatever path they felt would bring them the most gold.