Spellscribed: Conviction, page 19
He was not alone in the room. Three people, all men in blank porcelain masks, approached. One crouched by the desk, slowly creeping forward with what looked like a dagger in each hand. He could see another person by the door, holding a crossbow. The third had managed to get around to the side of the bed, a long cord in between his hands.
Endrance saw the one with the cord stiffen, as he doubtless saw the green rings of light emanating from Endrance’s eyes and realized he was being watched. Endrance knew that someone would know if he used magic, and he had been told that any attempt to harm people would be considered a confession of guilt.
Endrance closed his eyes and rolled towards the third man, slipping off the bed and falling to the floor between the bed and his assailant. Channeling the goblin shaman gave him more than just the ability to see in the dark; he also had access to the instincts and memories of a creature of darkness. He landed on his fingertips and toes, muffling the sound of his impact to a tap. Just as quickly, he scuttled along on his fingers and toes underneath the bed, the skirt draping over him as he slid out of sight of the crossbow.
The man who had seen his eyes lunged for his bed a split second later, and Endrance heard the wood groan with the sudden impact, and he crawled out from under the foot of the bed as quickly and quietly as possible. Though he had the skill and experience of something that had been skulking about in strangely contorted ways for years, his physical body had none of that training, and his muscles were already shaking from just seconds of effort moving about on his fingertips.
The guy with the knives had frozen, his ears straining to hear Endrance’s movements. The wizard didn’t have many options. He couldn’t hurt them; Weldom had made that exceptionally clear. However, Endrance wasn’t about to let them get their way either.
He lowered down onto his palms, giving his trembling fingers a rest. He didn’t have many spells that couldn’t cause harm, so he would have to convince them he was gone. He had an illusion spell he could use, but he hadn’t practiced much with it, and he didn’t feel he would have the time to cast it before he was found and silenced.
The door cracked open, and the guy with the crossbow lurched to the side, raising his weapon. In response, the door flung open hard, causing the man to stumble closer into the room. The other two immediately turned to the one at the door. Endrance saw who it was, and smiled in relief.
“Illumius.” The man at the table whispered harshly, and Endrance felt a very faint trickle of power slip from the man’s aura. So he was a spellcaster.
The lights in the room brightened, and his eyes adjusted just in time to see Gwen spin around him half crouched. She had a short sword in each hand, the blades made of the same milky-white metal as Joven’s axe.
She swung the first blade, slicing through the wooden crossbow stock as if it were butter, in the process also slicing through the man’s right forearm. As he screamed and stumbled back, she leapt forward, kicking off the corner of the desk and going into a spin that brought her towards the knife wielding assailant like a lethal top.
The man didn’t seem prepared to defend against such an attack and tried to jump back. The room was not big enough for maneuvers though, and his back slammed up against the wall the same time one of her blades bit into his collarbone, shearing straight through it. The swing of her sword left a foot long gash in the stone above where the man stood, ending where his shoulder had begun.
He dropped with a groan as Gwen smoothly ducked the man who lunged towards her exposed back with the garrote, and kicked out with one booted foot. Endrance winced as he was in a prime position to see and hear the man’s knee crunch under her blow, and the man screamed out in pain as she turned, catching him in the side of the head with the pommel of one sword.
She turned to the first man, who had lost a hand and part of his arm. “You’re gonna wanna stop the bleeding if you wanna live.” She said. His face was pale, but determined, as he raised what remained of the crossbow. Though the stock had been cut through, the trigger and bow section remained intact.
Gwen threw herself to the floor as he fired, the bolt catching her on the outside of her right arm. She hit the ground with a grunt, but didn’t scramble to her feet.
She turned her head, spotting Endrance under the bed. “Oh, hey there!” she said somewhat cheerfully. “You managed to get somewhere safe in a hurry.”
“You… you’re bleeding!” Endrance stammered. “What about that guy?”
Gwen glanced over at the last man as he sank to his knees. Endrance noticed that the back of her head was bloody. “He was done the moment he shot his only bolt.” She said. “Bled too much, and now he’s going into shock.”
“What about you?” Endrance asked. “What happened to your head?”
Gwen picked herself up. “Hold on.” She said. “I need to see if it’s clear.”
She left the room, walking in what would be thought of as a casual stroll, though Endrance had seen the Sha’hdi assassin enough times to know from her muscle tension that she was anything but relaxed. He heard a brief sound of sudden movement over stone, a half muted cry of pain and the sound of metal striking flesh.
Gwen walked in, shrugging. “It’s clear.” She said.
Endrance started to slither out from under the bed. He released his focus on the goblin’s memories, and his eyes returned to normal.
“You and Joven both share very similar concepts of what being clear means.” Endrance admitted.
Gwen smiled. “I like him more already.”
“Let me see your arm.” Endrance said, gesturing to her.
Gwen turned so he could see the wound. “It’s not really a big deal.” She said. “It’s gonna scar like hell though. That sucks.”
“Barbarians dig scars.” Endrance muttered, looking it over.
“Oh right.” she said, and Endrance peeled away the damaged leather.
“All right.” He said, grasping her elbow below the injury with his left hand. “One second.”
Endrance started to cast, using the long form of the spell. He wanted to take the time, since he was doing it one-handed and he wanted to test a theory of his that he was unsure of.
“Hey wait. You’re not supposed-” Gwen started to protest, but the healing spell started to kick in, and relief rinsed some of the rigidity from her stance.
Endrance knew as soon as he cast the spell, that he had been right. The healing spell worked as it was intended, and he had estimated just enough power to set the wound two weeks down the healing process, closing the injury over and knitting most of the damaged tissue. He also felt several spells focusing on the room change. They had always been active, but now after casting the spell they seemed to go from a dormant state to a more active mode. At least now someone would know something was up.
“Thanks, doc.” Gwen said, prodding the new skin over the wound. She winced a little, nodding. “Not a full patch job, but that’s a good start.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry.” He said. “My healing magic’s not the best.”
Gwen shrugged, looking around. “Most mages don’t bother. You’ve got balls though, casting a spell in a room like this.”
“What do you mean?” Endrance asked.
“This is a room meant specifically for keeping you satisfied, but secured. Of course, they’re going to have magic inlaid to keep you from doing something dumb, like blasting your way to freedom.” She answered, prying the mask off the man with the collar wound. “Of course, they’ll know you used healing magic and someone’s just gonna wonder why you needed that in the middle of the night.”
“Who is it?” Endrance asked.
Gwen frowned. “I know this joker.” She exclaimed, checking the other two. All three masked men looked to be in their late forties. “Yeah.” She said, adjusting her scarf. “They’ve been around the lower floors of the tower for years.”
“Years?”
“Yeah.” Gwen said. “I think they’re what you call ‘professional apprentices.’ They’re good enough to not drum out of the Circle as failures, but never quite good enough to become wizards. No wonder they’re pissed; they were all old enough to be my grandpa. And here you are, a few years younger than me, and a full wizard, too.”
“What happened? How did they get in my room?” Endrance questioned.
Gwen let out an exasperated sigh. “That’s totally my fault.” She said, waving her arms. “I was on duty, and my brother came by to talk to me. They jumped us while we were facing each other. A stupid, amateur mistake.”
“Your brother?” Endrance asked. “Elric?”
“No, Ethan.” She said. “When I came to a few moments later, he was gone. I think he’s getting help.”
Down the hall, the sounds of many armed men running and shouting could finally be heard.
“Ah good.” She said, nodding. “Or we’re about to get overrun by superior numbers.”
Endrance sat on the side of the bed, trying to avoid sitting in or standing on any puddles of blood. “You seem awfully nonchalant about all this.” He observed.
“I’ve been doing stuff like this since I was fifteen.” She said. “Momma always said I should have been a librarian, or a cobbler.” Gwen rubbed her head, that injury also healed by Endrance’s magic. “Like I want to be a damned boring shoemaker.”
Four guards in highly enchanted armor burst into the room, leaping adroitly over the bodies of the dead. They each wore circular shields on their left hands that were polished to a mirror finish, and black iron truncheons in the other that crackled with electricity.
“What in the hells…” the lead guard said, her nose crinkling at the sight of the three dead apprentices.
Gwen gave them all a smile. “Relax!” she said. “The situation is under control. And don’t worry I was the one that killed them.”
“All five?” the guard asked.
Gwen shrugged. “Yeah?” she said, looking confused. “Mister Sleeps-In-The-Nude over there, was politely under the bed and out of my way the whole time.”
Endrance looked down, realizing that he had indeed, again, forgotten to put on clothes. “Ugh.” He grunted, reaching for the sheets.
The guards looked at each other, and turned back to Gwen. “Report.” One commanded.
“Excuse me.” Endrance said, raising a hand. The guards tensed, keeping an eye on his tattooed hands. He lowered his arm, holding them on his now covered lap.
“Yes, Sir Mage?” the guard asked.
“I’m glad I didn’t die and all.” He said, looking over the room. “But there’s blood and other bits soaking into the rugs, and my dresser, and my desk…”
“Understood.” She replied, looking back at the rearmost guard, who nodded and left the room. “We’ll have your room cleaned up and repaired in a few minutes, sir.”
Endrance blinked, falling back onto the pillows, which had miraculously avoided getting any blood or gore on them. “Thank you.” He said. His body, aching from the short period of time it had been trying to move in ways it wasn’t supposed to, found the soft bedding too hard to ignore, despite the circumstances. He wondered just how inured to violence he had become, that he could be drifting off just after several people just tried to kill him.
* * *
Endrance was taken before the kings again the next morning. This time, his companions waited, sitting at one of the closest benches to Ahmed’s table. Joven was dozing as Endrance was walked to the dais.
The big man looked like he had not had the chance to clean up since the day before. And he had several more smudges, and a few cuts and scrapes on his arms to top it all off. As he walked past, he saw Tanya look up from stitching a patch into a shirt and smile at him. His return smile faltered as he saw the other three. Bridget and Giselle were together, but for some reason, they each wore a thin, red leather collar on their necks, each sized to fit them snugly. A silver chain hung between the two, only a few feet in length. Bridget had her arms crossed and was brooding, while Giselle tried her best to wander off, despite the leash. She looked up and sighed heavily as she saw Endrance pass.
Selene was also present next to Bridget, but she had been tied up with thick ropes, enough of them that her upper body was almost cocooned in them. The end of the rope trailed back behind the bench, to Joven’s belt, where it was tied off. She was grumbling to herself until she saw Endrance, when her attitude shifted into a pleasing smile. Apparently, it was her shirt that Tanya was repairing, as it looked like only a bit of bed sheet was underneath the ropes.
“What the hells…” Endrance muttered, turning his attention to the dais as he stepped onto it again. It looked like they had a more eventful night than even he had.
Logan was waiting, as was Alana and Ahmed.
Ahmed was still wearing his red silk-lined coat and carrying his staff, but the clothes underneath looked different. Endrance thought he heard the familiar clink of fine chain links shifting when the battle mage approached.
“I’m glad to see you survived the attack unharmed.” Ahmed said.
“Thanks.” Endrance replied, sighing.
The battle mage paused. “Though, now that I think about it… we might have gotten a sympathy vote from the Veridian King if you had gotten hurt.”
“Hey!” Endrance exclaimed, frowning. “That’s not funny.”
Ahmed looked confused. “It isn’t.” he said. “I am serious. You want to win this, don’t you?”
Endrance sighed, nodding. “Yeah.”
“Good.” Ahmed paced. “All right. We may have stirred up the pot a bit with that revelation, but it could still easily be trounced. It all seems too fantastical without proof.”
Endrance sat on the stool. “Well, should I see Jalyin again, I’ll just ask her to testify.” He said sarcastically. “Maybe she’d be up for condemning herself to the courts on my behalf.”
“If only the elves were so cordial.” Ahmed said.
“I thought I’d heard that Valzoa was going to be here?” Endrance asked.
Ahmed hesitated. “Valzoa?” he asked. “No, he hasn’t been here. Why do you ask?”
“I was told by my guard that he had been kept in the room next to mine.” Endrance said. “Why… why would he tell me that if wasn’t true?”
Ahmed considered. “I’m not sure,” he concluded. “But who was it?”
“Ethan, a man I had known for a few weeks before I came to Ironsoul the first time.” Endrance explained.
“Well, maybe he didn’t understand the situation.” Ahmed said. “As the scion of one of the biggest houses of the elves, an elf like Valzoa cannot be put on trial or even reprimanded without risking a war. Even the imprisonment he had suffered during your event could have been enough to warrant retaliation, should he not have been so genial about it. We didn’t even talk to him about this, lest his people think we were accusing him.”
Endrance’s hopes fell. “I hoped that I’d be able to see him.” He said. “Though if he’s not here, he’s not here.”
The first of the spectators began to file in. Endrance noticed many more inquisitive stares, and more than a few angry glares amidst the wizards and apprentices. Gwen and her brother, Elric, also showed up, giving him a wave as he was spotted. Gwen spotted Joven and literally dragged her elder brother over to sit next to them, since the crowd had been giving them a few feet of space. Joven awakened just long enough to glance at the two, look Gwen up and down with an approving smile, and then dozed back off.
The room filled, and Weldom teleported in just before the kings entered. He activated the ward circle quickly, and then took his place standing by his chair just as the High King arrived.
Endrance was sure to be standing when the doors opened, but when he glanced over, he saw that while Gwen and Elric had stood, his friends had not. They weren’t paying attention to him, but the enchantments in the circle should have done that. Perhaps Weldom hadn’t activated that ward, since he had used it to interrupt him yesterday. The High King gave the group of barbarian’s a stern look, but otherwise said and did nothing.
When the kings were seated, everyone in the room could see there were twice as many of the royal guard present throughout the courthouse. Two of the tower guards were also present, clad in their highly enchanted equipment. They were taking security, and the possibility of disorder, very seriously.
“High Magus Weldom. Battle Mage Ahmed.” High King Mastadon said loudly. “We will continue the trial at the next stage.”
“Your highness!” Ahmed exclaimed. “I wish to bring up the events of last night, before we continue.”
The High King’s brow furrowed. “Why?” he asked.
“It is relevant to the defendant’s innocence, sire.” Ahmed said. “As I am sure you’ve been told about the latest murders?”
Endrance noted Gwen perk up a little, and Joven opened an eye without otherwise moving.
“There was an attempt on Endrance’s life last night, too.” Ahmed said. “Though the prosecution was requested to post additional guards, he was nearly killed.”
Logan’s face reddened. Alana stepped forward. “Your highness, we had requested they put one of the tower guard on the job, but the attack came before we could…”
“Silence.” Mastadon declared, cutting them off. “This is unimportant to this trial. Should he be killed by some resentful apprentices, then that is a Circle matter. The death of my magistrate is my matter.”
“What about the other deaths?” Ahmed asked. “There have been three more deaths in the city alone.”
No one else noticed the look that Tanya gave Selene.
“There’s no proof that it is this same assassin that Endrance claims was after him.” Weldom interjected. “It is also possible that he hired one to help throw doubt onto this case, or had one of his companions do it.”
The assembly looked over at the strange gathering of barbarians. Bridget rested her forehead in one hand, with her elbow on her knee, as she groaned. Joven looked around at the people staring at him, surprisingly alert for a man who had, a second before, been napping. He flashed them all a big, toothy grin.
