Overmage, page 3
He opened it up and grinned. An atlas detailing the complex network of pipes that carried Black Bile to every corner of the empire as well as every pit that allowed access. The nearest pit was in the basement of a citadel that belonged to an overmage named Krixious. He kept reading until he found what he needed: the location of Khashair’s citadel. It waited about five hundred miles southwest. A fair distance if you had to walk.
Lucky for Beastmaster, he knew how to fly.
He pocketed the book and retreated to the exit where he carved and empowered a marking rune just outside the wards. Now he could return whenever he wanted. Here he could conduct his own experiments and Fane would know nothing about them.
And while Beastmaster didn’t really want to rebel against Fane, he wouldn’t mind getting strong enough to make her stop bullying him. Not to mention the idea of having a secret place of his own made him smile and that was reason enough to claim the lab.
He flew out of the clearing, orientated himself southwest, and shot off in pursuit of his goal. Hopefully he’d find Khashair’s journal waiting on a bedside stand for him. He had no desire to have to visit every place listed in the book looking for clues. At least not right now.
When the current crisis had been sorted out would be soon enough to begin his little side project.
Chapter 5
Gaius’s toe started tapping again and he forced it to stop. A true White Knight had more discipline than that. He, along with a force of brother White Knights and imperial alchemists several hundred strong were jammed into the hold of an imperial dragon ship on their way east to reclaim a church fortress from the insane wizard that had taken it over. Given that the ship was intended to carry a force of one hundred soldiers, more than doubling that made for a cramped journey. They had to sleep in shifts or on the floor given the lack of cots, and the less said about the head, the better.
Not that anyone complained. A White Knight would sooner cut out his own tongue than show that kind of weakness. An announcement had gone out from the bridge that they’d arrive at the fortress in a few hours. When they did, Gaius intended to avenge his fallen brothers.
A task easier said than done given the power of the creature the wizard controlled. That bizarre spider thing had slaughtered his brothers like they were children rather than the finest warriors in the empire. Only luck and careful planning allowed Gaius to escape when the fortress fell. Now they would need even more luck. Or at least more alchemist’s fire.
“Thirty minutes to drop.” The announcement came over one of the pipes built into the wall to carry the captain’s voice to all corners of the ship.
Finally. The knights all stopped whatever they were doing, lined up, and followed Knight Commander Valen to the drop area. Heavy ropes with a loop in the bottom to put your foot would allow them to quickly reach the ground.
Gaius shivered and moved into place. He’d been granted the honor of descending with the first unit. He put his foot as far as it would go into the loop and took a tight hold of the rope. He’d learned many things in his training, but they never covered this. He overheard one of the combat alchemists telling the commander that the trick was to hold on tight and not look down.
That seemed like good advice and Gaius intended to follow it to the letter.
Gaius had just pulled his gauntlets back on after drying his hands for the fifth time when the captain said, “One minute!”
He had time for one last check of the loop and to get a tight grip before a four-foot-square trapdoor opened in the floor. A sudden, unswallowable lump formed in Gaius’s throat. That looked way too much like the trapdoor on a gallows for comfort.
Eyes clamped shut, he started to descend.
Seconds later his feet hit the ground. Gaius’s eyes snapped open and he found himself in the fortress courtyard. He hurried to get free of the rope. As soon as he did, it retracted into the ship to let the next group descend.
“Defensive positions!” Valen said.
The order immediately snapped Gaius out of his momentary shock. He drew his sword and shrugged the shield off his back before moving to stand beside the nearest knight, a man ten years his senior with a long scar on his cheek. They faced the smashed keep door, faces grim. Every moment Gaius expected the spider monster to come boiling out to slaughter them all.
Nothing happened and ten minutes later the entire force of knights and alchemists were standing in the courtyard ready for battle.
“First unit, slow advance on me. Second unit, secure the main gate. The rest of you are on reserve alert. The halls are too narrow for a large group to fight. If we fall, Unit Three will take our place and so on until we control the keep. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!” the White Knights all shouted in unison.
“Then in The One God’s name, advance!”
Unit One marched forward in lockstep.
Each breath Gaius drew he feared might be his last. The monster had to be here somewhere, just waiting for them to lower their guard so it could strike.
He forced the thought away. If it wanted to kill them all, it had no need to wait. Twenty of them would be no more of a threat than if Gaius had come alone.
He stomped through the rotten ruins of the door and tried not to think about Commander Florens. His soul was no doubt with The One God now. That knowledge should have comforted him, but Gaius found it bitter. He wanted his brothers alive and at his side, not enjoying whatever reward they’d earned.
An unworthy thought, but an honest one. He would have to find a priest next God’s Day so he could confess. Assuming he was still alive.
The team cleared hall after hall and room after room. The damage was astonishing, but of the monster they saw no sign. Nor did they find any sign of their brothers or the wizard. The keep felt empty, abandoned. A ghost seemed more likely to show up than a living man.
Best not to dwell on that either.
At last, they stopped in front of the door to the basement where the artifact was supposed to be kept. It had been broken down.
“I fear we may be too late,” Gaius said without thinking.
Valen shot him a look, but there was no heat in it. He knew as well as anyone what Gaius had seen here. “You might be right, but we have to confirm that the artifact has been taken. If you wish to wait here…”
“No, thank you, sir. I need to see.”
Valen nodded. “Then let’s go. Single file. Everyone stay alert.”
That last order was hardly necessary. Gaius doubted anyone would be relaxing in the near future.
At the bottom of the steps Gaius froze, keeping the others from advancing. The bodies of his brothers lay in pools of dried blood. Some of them had been torn apart. Others had their heads caved in. He’d never seen anything like the horror spread out before him.
A gentle hand moved him to one side so the others could get off the steps. Gaius didn’t even notice who had touched him. He couldn’t look away from the death and destruction. His worst nightmares didn’t begin to compare.
“The artifact is gone, sir,” one of the knights said, snapping him out of his dark thoughts.
And now that he could actually think about something other than the dead knights surrounding him Gaius realized something. “The spider monster didn’t kill them.”
Valen turned away from the knight that reported the missing artifact to look at him. “How do you know?”
“Whenever it killed someone, it absorbed the body and grew larger. If it had killed everyone, their bodies would be gone. I don’t know what did this, but it had to be something else.”
Valen scowled and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Assuming you’re right, and I see no reason to doubt your assessment, the next question is, does that fact matter? The artifact is gone and there’s no one left to rescue. We can give our brothers a proper burial while we wait for orders. What happens next is well above my rank.”
“I don’t know, sir, but these men weren’t killed with magic. If the spider monster didn’t kill them and the wizard didn’t do it, then who did? It certainly raises the prospect of a third party, don’t you think?”
“If you’re trying to make an already horrible day worse, Gaius, you’re doing a fine job.” Valen raised a hand to stop him when he tried to apologize. “No, you’re also right. I’ll include your assessment when I write my report. But right or wrong, it’s still out of my control. His Holiness and the emperor will decide what happens next.”
Gaius made the circle over his heart. “May The One God give them the wisdom to make the correct decision.”
All the men around him made the circle as well and as one said, “So say we all.”
Chapter 6
Joran and Alexandra sat side by side on the sofa in her suite and studied the map spread out on the table in front of them. She inched closer and pressed her shoulder to his. Joran smiled and leaned back. Having to leave her, especially after the last two days, was the hardest part of the trip. Well, the beginning part of the trip at least. No doubt the many monsters and enemies they’d have to deal with in the mountains would help take his mind off of missing her.
“So what do you think?” he asked. “I know we’ve been over it a few times, but this is the last chance to make changes before we leave.”
She shook her head. “It’s the best possible route given your destination. I see no issues before you leave the dragon ship at our northwestern-most border fort. After you cross the border, you enter the unknown. No scout or merchant has ever entered the Land of the Blood Drinkers. What little we know comes from ancient texts. The entire nation is basically a huge empty spot on the map. It’s one of the reasons we haven’t invaded yet.”
“None of that is terribly encouraging. I’m glad we only need to go a hundred or so miles in.”
“I didn’t want to be encouraging. I want to scare you, so you don’t underestimate the risks you’ll face.”
“Mission accomplished then. I certainly have no intention of underestimating the dangers. Though given everything that’s happened over the last few months, my sense of danger may be warped. We are marching to the home of the most dangerous creature on the planet, however, so it’s kind of hard to underestimate that. Any final words of advice?”
“Don’t fight unless you have to. Get in and out as fast as you can. Come back to me in one piece.”
“Good advice.” He leaned in and kissed her. “We should be back in a month at most, hopefully with good news. Though at this point, I’m not exactly certain what would constitute good news: finding the dragon at home or it having moved.”
“I’m not sure either, but whichever it is, we’ll deal with it when you return. Good luck.”
He stood and collected his map. “Thanks.”
Joran walked over to his room and opened the door. Mia had her gear packed and ready, the mithril sword hanging at her side. She wore no armor, but they’d packed some on the dragon ship already.
Joran slung his fully loaded kit over his shoulder. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. Stoneheart and Grub should be at the landing field waiting for us.” She joined him at the door and whispered, “That was a very nice kiss you two had.”
Joran shook his head at his soulmate’s one-track mind. “I’m glad you enjoyed it too.”
With a final wave, Joran led the way down the hall to their usual side entrance, drawing salutes from the palace guards on duty. He nodded in passing but didn’t slow his stride. The sooner they took off, the sooner they’d get back.
Five minutes brought them to their dragon ship, one of two remaining in the landing field. Once they left, only the emperor’s personal ship would remain. The dwarves were still working to repair the one that got shot down by rebel geomancers and the White Knights hadn’t returned from reclaiming their fortress. Joran expected a report from the east soon, not that it was his problem to worry about.
Stoneheart and Grub stood at the foot of the boarding ramp. Stoneheart offered a crisp salute when they arrived, but Grub just nodded.
“How’s the arm?” Joran asked.
“Good as new, thanks. My first and hopefully last encounter with a cure all was quite an experience. I’m uncertain how best to describe the feeling of your arm growing back beyond ‘not nearly as painful as I expected.’”
Joran grinned, pleased to see Grub fully recovered. He intended to use the flight to learn everything he could about magic. Considering where they were going, they’d need every possible advantage.
“Did Her Majesty have any more thoughts on the trip?” Stoneheart asked.
“Not beyond warning me once again to be careful. I told her I’d do my best given our mission. Let’s go, daylight’s burning.”
Joran led the way up the ramp. Hard to believe that flying on a dragon ship had been one of his biggest fears once. Now that he knew what was out in the world, he found flying hardly made it onto his list.
Alexandra stared at the closed door of her suite, her face twisted in a frown of disappointment. He was gone again. Joran had barely made it back from the Black Iron Empire. By The One God, how insane did that sound? And now he was leaving again on a potentially even more dangerous mission. Part of her, a big part, wanted to argue that he’d done enough. That he could leave finding the dragon to someone else.
But even as she thought it, she knew Joran and Mia were the ones best suited to handle the job. The Iron Princess in her said suck it up and have a little faith. The part of her that finally realized she loved Joran said to hell with that, keep him close and safe. Both halves of her were right, but as always, the Iron Princess ended up winning.
She brushed a hair out of her face. Maybe she should take time to get her hair cut. It had grown out since getting back from Stello Province. At this point anything that distracted her from Joran’s danger would be welcome.
A knock on the door brought her up short. There was no way Joran had come back again. One goodbye had been bad enough.
Two long strides brought her to the door and she pulled it open. One of the palace messengers, a boy around twelve in a crimson and gold tunic held out a sealed scroll about three inches long. “A message just arrived for you, Majesty.”
She took it, happy to have the distraction she’d been looking for. “Thank you.”
He bowed and hurried back up the hall.
Alexandra returned to the couch, broke the sword-and-shield symbol that marked it as having come from the army, and started reading.
Line by line the news only got worse. The advance team found the church fortress empty save for bodies, and the artifact gone. Gaius, the sole survivor of the initial attack, argued strongly that some new party had arrived and killed the remaining knights. Beyond that, no details were offered. The message ended with a request for orders.
Alexandra tapped her chin. Sending the Fourth Legion now would be a waste of time since they’d find no enemy to fight. As for the alchemists, she’d like to get them back to Tiber as soon as possible. That would restore the First and Second to full strength.
But she couldn’t make the decision on her own. She needed to speak to Father first. Lucky for her it wasn’t a court day which meant he should be in his private office or his suite.
No sense in delaying the inevitable.
She got up and strode out the door and up the hall. It wasn’t that far to Father’s quarters. She passed servants and guards, all of whom bowed, curtsied, or saluted as was appropriate. And she ignored them like a proper imperial noble. She just couldn’t get used to the way Joran acted so familiarly with the servants. Not that she thought his actions were disingenuous, they just felt wrong for a nobleman. Sweet, but wrong.
She tried Father’s suite first and happily found a full dozen imperial guards on duty. There would only be that many if he were still here, which saved her from having to check his office.
They all saluted and the unit commander asked, “How may we help you, Princess?”
“I need to speak with Father. A message of some importance has arrived.”
“Of course.” The unit commander thumped the door and opened it a crack. “Princess Alexandra is here, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“Send her in,” Father said in a muffled voice.
He opened the door the rest of the way and Alexandra strode through. She found her father in his favorite leather chair, a book resting in his lap. How long since she’d seen him take even an hour to rest? Barring when he was sick, she couldn’t actually remember.
Father met her gaze and smiled, wearily she thought. “Joran’s on his way, right?”
“Yes, Father. But another matter has come to my attention. The advance team has reached the church fortress.” Alexandra gave him a summary of the report. When she offered him the scroll he shook his head. “I thought to have the alchemists return here and the Fourth stand down.”
“Has Septimus been told?”
“Not by me. I assume the knight commander would have sent his own message. Does it matter? If there’s no enemy, there’s nothing for our people to do. The White Knights can repair and occupy the fortress without our help.”
“True, but why don’t you wait on the recall until I hear from the pope. The Fourth can stand down at once.”
“Understood, Father. Why..?” She clamped her jaw shut. It wasn’t worth the argument to finish her question.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
“Why are you being deferential to the pope now? The weasel has fed us nothing but half-truths and outright lies.”
“I can’t argue with you there, but Septimus knows more about what’s going on than we do. I don’t want to antagonize him until we know everything he does. Of course, I might be wrong and he’s as in the dark as we are, but if that’s the case, then we’ll really need to work together to figure out what’s going on.”
