The Wizard's Council (17 page)

“Quietly, there could be others in the tunnel,” one of the voices said.

“Down here? After that cave-in? Not likely,” another said.

Cormac slammed his staff against the ground, causing the earth to shake to and fro. He stepped out from around the corner and saw a group of
gnomes who were huddled together. The spell took a good portion of Cormac’s reserve energy to perform. Their leader stepped forward and pulled his sword. Two others followed his suit and Cormac quickly found himself wishing he hadn’t been so aggressive. He lowered his staff to show that he meant them no harm, but the gesture did little to ease their nerves. The gnomes, though not known for their aggressiveness, tended to dislike others. Archwizard Cormac knew this well and wanted to get a feel for their attitude before addressing them. He had no previous experience with the creatures, but it was well known that they were reclusive.

“Please, I mean you no harm,” Cormac called out as he leaned on his staff.

“Your previous display would tell us otherwise, dwarf,” The leader said.

“My apologies, I had been attacked by
goblins and was unsure if you were friendly.”

“Well, we might be friendlier if you
dwarves weren’t always so aggressive!” One of the other gnomes yelled.

“I cannot be held responsible for the actions of my people. My wounds leave me in a weakened state, I am truly in need of your assistance,” Cormac looked to the leader as he spoke.

“You may travel with us until you find safety, but we will not harbor you any further than that. We don’t need to be attracting any more attention from the goblins,” The leader looked Cormac in the eyes as he spoke.

Cormac nodded and bowed to the
gnome leader. He knew not whether the gesture would garner much of a reaction from the gnomes, but it felt like the right thing to do. The gnomes starting heading out, and Cormac fell in line with them. Not unlike the dwarves, gnomes had an excellent sense of direction when traveling underground. They were also used to seeing in the dark and could go without torches when necessary. This was an attribute that the dwarves shared with them to a smaller degree. There was little else known about the gnomes other than their stature and liking of the deep dark tunnels. Many a dwarf speculated that the gnomes’ greed was greater than that of the dwarves. It was oft said that where the dwarves valued gold and silver above all else, the gnomes too valued gems among the highest of priorities in life. Cormac had heard the stories of gnomes coming up from the depths and using strange mechanical tools to assist in their daily routines. Ector had shared much different tales of the gnomes, claiming that the elves had seen gnomes coming down from the heights of the mountains with similar mechanical tools. Unbeknownst to Ector or Cormac, the humans also had tales of the gnomes. Their stories told of the small creatures sailing the seas with ships of mechanical origin.

“I do not believe I properly i
ntroduced myself. I am Cormac, dwarven Archwizard and member of the Wizards,” Cormac gave a short bow as he introduced himself.

“Well met, mage. I am Theros, Protector and Defender of the Deep Paths and Castle Raislor.
We are the King’s Protectors,” the gnome leader nodded to Cormac.

“How deep is Castle Raislor?”

“That is not a question that we answer for outsiders. We are a private people for a reason, Master dwarf. Perhaps you will learn to understand us better in the short time that we will be spending together.”

“I would very much like that,” Cormac replied.

The dwarven Archwizard counted himself among the fortunate to get this unusual chance to see into the gnomish culture. He was excited at the possibility of examining the gnomish tools that he had heard stories of. There was a side of the dwarf that was nervous about meeting with the gnomes. They seemed much more proper than he was used to as a dwarf. It was the mage training that he had to fall back on when addressing Theros and his men. In his musings, Cormac had lost track of how far they had traveled or which tunnels they were taking.
Rather sly, these gnomes,
Cormac thought to himself. He did his best to ignore the pain he was in. The stasis spell’s effects had nearly worn off and with them the pain only increased. It was a small price to pay for undoubtedly having saved his life. He wondered if the gnomes knew how powerful of a magic user they were accompanying.

“Are the
gnomes well versed in the ways of magic?” Cormac asked, directing the question at no one in particular.

“In our own way, I suppose. Not to the extent of the tales we hear about the
humans though. Gnomes prefer our own brand of Illusion magic. We aren’t the most combat ready of races, Master Wizard. Our magic focuses on avoiding battle whenever possible,” One of the other gnomes answered.

“Surely there are other creatures in these caves, are you not afraid they will invade?”

“We fear it all the time. As Melos said, we are not known for our combat skills. We learned that the hard way. Thankfully there aren’t too many powerful races wandering the deep. Orcs prefer to stay closer to the surface, as do the trolls. We mostly run into goblins or kobolds. It has been centuries since we’ve fought anyone more dangerous than that,” Theros answered the question this time.

“
Kobolds? What in the world is a kobold?” Cormac’s dwarven tendencies started to bleed through.

“They are doglike creatures. Not much more dangerous than dogs, but far smarter. Fiercely territorial and easy to bypass. There are many stories of old about how
gnomes would lead goblins into kobold ambushes and then disperse and let the two go at it.”

“You mentioned other creatures more dangerous than
kobolds, what were you referring to?”

“I wonder if your d
warven tales do the creatures justice. We gnomes were an adventuresome folk at one point in our history. The kobolds gave us little pause and you dwarves were so focused on your gold that we could trade our way around you. Orcs and goblins so feared the dwarven axes that they rarely ventured this deep. We got greedy and wanted more. It was then that we ventured toward the lakes. Subterranean lakes are a sight to see, Master dwarf. We had seen the lakes as a natural boundary for our land, but old King Rumgor had other plans,” Theros paused to order the rest of the company to halt.

“You still haven’t told me the nature of these creatures.”

“I’m getting there. Rumgor ordered the gnomes to build ships, and build ships they did. Fine ships they were, but warships they were not. Our people embarked with the purpose of exploring what was previously thought of as off-limits. One of my ancestors was on the first ship to reach the land on the other side of the lake. What they found was beyond anything any had hoped to find. It was there that the gnomes met a most fascinating race of minotaurs. They were massive creatures, not just by gnomish standards either. Their leader, Gunbar, stood more than ten feet tall. They greeted our ancestors as friends and found our size and demeanor to be amusing. So, naturally, my people traded with them. This brought prosperity to both of our peoples. They taught us a great many things about stone working and their culture. As unbelievable as it sounded, they told tales of a great island at the end of their tunnel system, one that differed from that which we had heard of from dwarves and the other races,” Theros paused to get a look at Cormac, who had his eyebrow raised.

“Another island? I find that rather hard to believe.”

“Aye, I thought you might. It didn’t mean much to us as we’ve not much seen the one above our own tunnels. We believed them though. We had no reason not to. Our relationship prospered for nearly one hundred years until the gnome’s greed once again got the better of them. In the middle of the lake was an island on which there was a strange stone structure. Though I know not why, my people had stayed away from the island for the entire time they had traded with the minotaurs. That all changed when Rumgor’s son, Umgor, decided he wanted the island as his personal island. He took a small band of adventurous gnomes with him and explored the island, a mistake that our people will never forget. They unleashed the wrath of the nagas and what a wrath it was. To this day, we are uncertain as to the exact fate of those who accompanied Umgor. They used our own boats to attack us and nearly destroyed our entire civilization with one attack. Luckily for us, they also decided to attack the minotaurs. It has been hundreds of years since those days, but we’ve never ventured across the lake since then.”

“While your story intrigues me, I was really hoping for a better description of these creatures,” Cormac said, somewhat annoyed.

“And what better description can you ask for than statues built to scale?” Theros asked as they rounded the corner.

Cormac was shocked when he saw the underground city of
gnomes. It was far more vast and sprawling than he had ever imagined.
They must all live in the same city
, he thought as he looked over the town that appeared to stretch out indefinitely. Unlike the dwarves who shaped the stones to their will, the gnomes embraced the natural shapes of the rocks and used them as a part of the city itself. Houses had been built inside the rock formations that littered the area. There was also a good amount of wooden houses that accompanied the stone houses. Though the idea seemed aesthetically unpleasant, the look of the town was actually quite quaint. In fact, it even brought a smile to Cormac’s face as he surveyed the city. A small band of gnomes came out to greet them as they arrived in the city. Though he had heard much of the small creatures that inhabited the town, none of the stories seemed to do them any justice.

Leon stood on the walls, his cloak blowing in the wind. He pulled the cloak closer around him to fight off the cold. His encounter with Septimus had left him shaken. Rolin and James had been the two most powerful mages he had ever met, but Septimus had single handedly teleported into that room.
How does one obtain such power?
Leon wondered as he paced along the top of the wall. The guards that were patrolling the wall gave him strange looks, but knew to stay out of his way. He was tired of being seen as nothing more than the king’s advisor. It was time for a change. Leon took a deep breath before turning and walking down the steps toward the keep. If the King kept with his schedule, he would be meeting with some lesser nobles in one of the private meeting areas. The Archwizard knew of all the different meeting rooms. He found them after searching through three such rooms.

“Leon, I was not expecting you for this meeting. I trust that everything is all right?” The
King asked as he turned to see who was entering.

“Everything is fine,
Henry,” Leon replied.

“You think you can call the
King by his name?” One of the others asked.

“I do not act upon presumptions, I act on that which I know. Only a fool would do otherwise,” Leon said, slamming his staff against the ground for emphasis.

“What is the meaning of this, Leon?” The King demanded an answer.

“You may call me Master Leon, Master Wizard, or Archwizard. That goes for all of you. Send out riders, tell the nobles that we will need their armies. We have kingdoms to unite.” Leon spun and walked out of the room.

Leon smiled as he exited the chamber. The King would come around to see him sooner or later, it mattered little at this point. He had already taken step one of his plan, and it was only a matter of time before the others realized it would be foolish to resist. His biggest problems were the Wizards and Galimdor. Nobody in Sardinia would be able to stop him from taking complete control. He turned the corner and headed for the Conclave.
I shall set up my new throne here
, he thought as he entered the Conclave doors. He called over to several students and ordered them to get everyone gathered in the council chambers. The others nodded and went on their way as he continued on to the council chambers.
Time for Leon, Archwizard of Sardinia, to claim his rightful place,
Leon thought as he entered the meeting room. He snapped his fingers, and all the torches lit up at once. The room quickly filled as he took his spot on the stage off to the side of the main meeting table.

“Welcome, my friends, I have called you together because we have been presented with an opportunity unlike anything we’ve seen before. The southern kingdoms are at a crossroads. Galimdor is knocking on their door with a force unlike we’ve seen in many years. If we can get Cardinia to send their army to reinforce Carmalia
, it will weaken all three of them. By the time the Galimdorians win or the Carmalians break the siege, Sardinia will have enough strength to unite the southern kingdoms, and take Galimdor for our own. This is the kind of opportunity that will not come along again soon. I will discuss the matter with the king. He will keep control of Sardinia while the Wizards take control of the united kingdom,” Leon raised his staff in the air at the end of his speech.

The Wizards gathered in the council began cheering, most of them were happy at the development, but there were some that weren’t sure of it. Leon knew it would be that way, but it didn’t bother him. He knew that there would be people dissenting
, and it invigorated him. It was the first time in his life he was in control and the fact that others disagreed only made it feel more real. His encounter with Septimus made him want to prove his power against any who disagreed. Those closest to him looked at one another with fear in their eyes. They had spent their lives positioning themselves into a place of power, and Leon had done what they wanted in the span of minutes. Leon had his adrenaline pushing him forward, but the others saw it from a different perspective. They lacked the adrenaline and knowledge of magic to make them feel invincible. It was a mixed blessing, for it made them support the mage even more staunchly than they otherwise would have.

“Not that we have much choice about it, but we are with you,” one of the older mages said.

“You always have a choice, Albrecht,” Leon replied as he turned to face the man who had once been his mentor.

“Aye, but we’ve all positioned ourselves to make Sardinia the most powerful of the southern kingdoms. Our chips are on the table
, and though some of us have our concerns, all of us are far more comfortable with you taking over for the King.”

Albrecht’s reassurance was more than Leon needed to be certain he had made the right choice. The Archwizard smiled as he looked at the older Wizard. He was instantly reminded of when he was a young man under Albrecht’s tutelage. Time had not been as kind to the elderly Wizard as it had to others. Leon often wondered how Rolin stayed so spry compared to others his age. Albrecht was at most three years Rolin’s elder, yet the mage looked as though he would keel over at any moment. His wispy white hair and beard seemed almost too heavy for his head.
The horrors he must have witnessed
, Leon thought as he nodded to his old friend. He placed a hand on Albrecht’s shoulder, and the two made their way out of the room and headed for the entrance of the tower. There was work to be done, and it would not get done unless Leon moved forward.

*

Janessa raised her staff as she led the charge toward the pack of pirates. A mist settled in around her and her soldiers as they neared the pirate group. As difficult as it was for the Gloomvale soldiers to see, it was infinitely more difficult for their enemy to see. The mist swirled to and fro, pointing the way for the soldiers. Janessa’s troops spurred their horses onward, taking their enemy by surprise. She swung her staff in a wide arc toward several pirates that were fleeing from the scene. A heavy wind jumped out of her staff and flew at the pirates, bypassing all of her troops. The force of gale was enough to knock down the entire group of fleeing pirates. Janessa raised her staff in the air, using the winds to lift the enemies off the ground. She held them there and hastened her horse to join them. Her soldiers quickly followed behind her and formed a circle around their suspended foes. Janessa dropped off of her horse and approached to speak with them.

“Which of you can tell me where to find your leader?” She asked, lowering them a bit closer to the ground.

“Don’t answer her!” One of the pirates yelled.

Janessa shook her head and turned to one of her men.
Foolish mistake
, she thought as she took the mace from the saddle of the sergeant’s horse. She pointed her staff directly at the offending pirate and then tilted it toward herself, pulling the pirate closer. He began to flail his arms and legs, but it was to no avail. Janessa tilted the staff out away from her, sending the pirate floating up into the night sky. She readied the mace in her left hand and then flicked the staff back in toward her body. The pirate came zooming back toward her at a high velocity. She swung the mace with all her might, slamming it into the man’s midsection. A low groan escaped from the man’s lips and Janessa swung the staff back out away from her, sending the man sailing through the air. She hit the bottom of the staff against the ground, releasing the pirates from the invisible grip that had kept them alive and sending the especially troublesome one plummeting to his doom.

“Anyone care to reconsider?” She asked.

“Our leader isn’t here,” answered one pirate, a grizzled looking older man.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means that he sent us to distract all of you.”

“You speak well for a pirate, how is it that you’ve learned such a capacity on the high
seas?” One of Janessa’s men, a Captain of the Guard named Rodric, asked.

“That is more than I am willing to reveal. I hope that does not offend her ladyship,” The older man bowed low.

Janessa stepped forward and began to raise her mace into the air. Rodric grabbed her arm and stepped forward. He punched the well-spoken pirate in the gut before turning to face Janessa. She glared at him as he motioned for her to join him away from the others.
Who does he think he is?
she wondered as she nodded to his request. They both walked off toward the forest until they were sure that nobody could hear them. He sighed before turning to face her. His face belied the cool demeanor that he was trying to give off.

“You know he was calling into question your poise, why would you give in to him like that?” He asked.

“I am no Queen, Rodric. No matter how much your parents would like me to be, I am not.” Janessa’s look alone was enough to tell the Captain of the Guard to watch his step.

“You are the closest that the Gloomvale Isles has to royalty and the people treat you so.  What my parents would like does not matter. The people need you to be their faultless Protector.”

Janessa shook her head and turned away. It was too much for them to ask of her, but she knew that he was right. The people of Gloomvale had always held their Protectors in the highest esteem, like that of a Queen and a Champion combined. It hadn’t been an issue prior to the invasion by the pirates. In times of peace, people were content not caring what Janessa was doing or where she even was. Things were far more complicated than she wanted to admit. The pirates had never been bold enough to invade in her lifetime, but this was more than an invasion. She couldn’t ignore the pirate’s words, but she didn’t have the luxury of going off on a mission. Rodric knew what the people expected of her and, even if she didn’t like it, she had to accept it. She turned back toward Rodric.

“Where have the years gone, Rodric?” She asked, letting out a sigh after her question.

“I beg your pardon, milady?”

“What happened to the days when I would follow you around and you would try to get rid of me by ruffling my hair?”

“My parents ended them by trying to get us married…” Rodric’s voice trailed off.

“We were so young, what were they thinking?”

“They knew there is a good chance of you becoming something special here on Gloomvale, and they wanted a piece of it. They weren’t the only ones, you know. Our friendship just presented them with an easier way of pushing the matter. I am sorry for all of that, I truly am.”

“It is the past, Rodric, leave it there. You aren’t at fault for your parents actions.” Janessa didn’t want to think about those days, not at a time like this.

“You’re right, as usual, the present needs our attention. As I said, the people look to you as a leader. Distraction or not, these attacks have sent our people into a panic. I hate to say it, but the rest of the world is on their own. We cannot even field an army to help them, not in this condition.”

Janessa nodded, holding in her reply. It pained her to know he was right. Though she was a Wizard, her people came first.
Rolin will understand
, she told herself as she motioned for Rodric to follow her back to the soldiers. She wasn’t looking forward to telling Paul and Emily. The small troop of Gloomvale soldiers looked to her expectantly as she came back. Rodric was off to her right, a step or two behind her. He stepped past her and brought her horse back to her. She mounted the horse and gave a reassuring smile to the troops as she waited for Rodric to join her. He nodded to her as he brought his horse in just off to her right side. She nodded back and took a deep breath.

“Our first order of business is to see these men brought to justice,” She announced from horseback.

“Yes, milady,” came the reply from several soldiers.

“Rodric has shown his worth. As such, I am appointing him as my right hand man. Our people need a leader, they need structure. Rodric and I will work at bringing that to our isles. We make for Gloomvale castle. Once there, we will move forward in creating a stable seat of government.” Janessa didn’t wait for a reply. She spurred her horse forward and expected the others to follow.

*

Gareth groaned as he attempted to sit up. He was in a small room that had one door and one window, both closed. A small bit of light shined through the cracks in the window, enough for him to see that someone had left him a small meal on the table near the bed he was on.
That’s unexpected
, he thought as he stretched out his arms. The pain was manageable, but his legs felt weak. He tried to stand up, but pain shooting through his left leg caused him to fall back onto the bed with a crash. The force of the fall nearly broke the wooden bed. He winced in pain and held his leg. The door creaked open, letting in enough light that the Grand Crusader had to shield his eyes. An elderly woman entered the room and took a seat at the table. She was dressed far different from what he would have expected. Her outfit was closer to that of a simple farmwoman than a witch.

“Won’t you join me?” She asked.

“My leg appears to have other plans.”

“We will have to do something about that then.”

“Why should I trust you?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Have we ever done anything to make you not trust us? You and your men are the ones who invaded us and killed our people.” The old woman slid her chair closer to the bed and began to examine Gareth’s leg.