The Complete Series, page 109
part #1 of The Hidden Wizard Series
“If you insist, I won’t say no. I can see the value in having it back.” Alrion adjusted the belt and slung it over his shoulder. Alyx started off again, leading them through the city towards the keep.
“Certan, I’m so surprised to see you here.”
“It’s great to see you,” Lara added.
“Thank you. My heart is warmed to see you restored. I must apologise to you for not helping you more. I realise now that you needed my help more than the temple did. It’s a mistake I won’t repeat again.”
“Don’t worry, I had enough help and you had an opportunity to reclaim your life. What brought you back here?” Alrion let his attention lapse momentarily, taking in a giant gate that they were going through. They were passing through a much more fortified area of the city, the keep had to be close.
“The elders insisted. They said it was a job unfinished. I cannot return until you are successful with your quest. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.” Certan smiled and Alrion returned it.
“That’s a fate I can live with.”
“One other thing.” Certan paused and made sure he had Alrion’s full attention. “I passed the Vault of Silence.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. We’ll have to compare notes a bit later.” Alrion could see Certan’s eyes light up.
It’s a simple thing but having someone to talk to about it will be quite novel. I wonder how much our experiences differed?
Alrion returned his attention to the environment. They were drawing near the keep now. Alrion could see the giant stone entryway. It was guarded by two very heavily armoured soldiers. One had his visor up and was conversing with people going in and out. The other just stood perfectly still, waiting for something.
“Papers,” the guard said as they approached.
“We don’t have papers,” Alyx said. She pointed at Brady.
“Commander Brady, of the special forces unit. We need an urgent audience with the high general.”
“Absolutely not,” the guard said. “Only people with pre-approved business with authorised paperwork are getting in today.” The guard folded his arms to reinforce what he was saying. Alrion was about to say something when Lara strode to the front. She looked the guard up and down.
“Francis, cut the act and let us in.” Lara glared at him, and his face drained of blood. He looked completely white.
“Certainly, please make yourselves at home.” Francis made a quick bow and walked over to the other guard, giving them plenty of space.
“What was that?” Alrion said to Lara.
“We go way back.” Lara led the way, walking into the door. Alrion followed, ensuring the box stayed close.
“Uh, I’m going to have to look inside that box,” Francis said. Alrion stopped and let the box rest on the ground. Lara walked up to Francis.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Francis licked his lips. “Sorry.”
“Be my guest.” Lara gave him a wicked grin, and Francis walked over to the box.
“I wouldn’t open it all the way,” Lara advised. Francis pried the lid open and raised it just enough to look inside. He suddenly let the lid drop closed and stepped away.
“Uh… alright. Go on.” Francis spoke in a broken fashion and joined the other guard.
“You heard the man.” Lara took off, and Alrion followed closely behind.
This is all very strange. The gate guard is scared of Lara? And we’re meeting the general in the keep? Wouldn’t it make more sense to be in a military building?
Alrion wasn’t that familiar with Valrytir and pushed his concerns aside. This was a meeting they needed to get. They entered a large reception area, with a main hallway leading into another great room with big doors. A finely dressed man stood in front of the door, his dark hair slicked back. He smiled as Lara approached.
“Welcome back, milady.”
“Thank you, Rogers. Kindly open the doors please,” Lara said. Rogers nodded and threw open the giant doors. Alrion’s mouth gaped open. It looked like a throne room. It was long and narrow, with various nobles clustered on the sides, discussing things amongst themselves. At the back of the room, an older man sat on a giant silver throne, looking bored. A couple were retreating from the throne. Rogers ran ahead.
“The Lady Lara attends with retinue,” Rogers announced. There was a silence that passed through the crowd. Alrion drew close to Lara.
“What’s going on?” he whispered.
“Later. Trust me.” Lara strode forward with confidence. She walked halfway up the carpet leading to the throne, paused and bowed.
“I am here to present myself and my companions to his highness, Regent of Valrytir.”
“No need to be so formal, my daughter.” The man stood and walked slowly over to her.
Daughter! Isn’t he the king? Or acting king?
Alrion was stunned. He looked at his companions. Alyx didn’t seem surprised, Certan was his usual reserved self. Alrion heard footsteps behind them. He noticed his father rushing in.
“Apologies for my lateness.” Vincent gave a bow at the entrance to the room then joined them. The Regent was conversing quietly with Lara.
“My daughter says that you have business here with Valrytir. As a thank you for ensuring her safe return, I will hear your business.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Alrion hoped he wasn’t making a fool of himself. He had never addressed a king before.
“Please, I prefer my name, Wynston. Or if you must, use my regular title: High General.”
“As you wish, High General.” Alrion collected himself and started to speak again. “My name is Alrion and I’m a wizard. I’ve come a long way to be here, and my quest is almost at an end. Your daughter has been instrumental in helping us reach this point.”
“And your quest is?”
“Cleansing the Blight.” Alrion saw Wynston raise an eyebrow.
“That’s quite a quest. Is it a real quest? Or a fanciful waste of time?” Wynston looked at Lara.
“It’s real. Alrion can demonstrate so.”
“Ha! The only way he could do that is cure the Blight in front of my eyes. Who are these other people?”
“All these people can vouch for the importance and legitimacy of this quest. This is Alyx, a formidable fighter. She is best known for destroying the Skull King.” Alrion hoped that Wynston was impressed. But his face darkened considerably.
“I am quite aware of ALL her exploits. Who else?”
“This is Certan, a master monk that hails from the desert temple. And this is my father, Vincent. He is a master blacksmith, one who can work with Runesteel.” That point captured Wynston’s attention.
“Interesting. I’m quite familiar with Brady. Tell me, Commander, what’s your link to this quest?”
“It’s only very recently come to my attention, High General. Alyx brought the matter to my attention, and I knew Vincent as well, who added legitimacy to it. I was not aware your daughter was involved until just now.”
“Very well.” Wynston nodded and looked them all over. “What is the nature of this quest? Why have you come here?”
“My quest is to cleanse the Blight at the source. As you are likely aware, the source is not far from Valrytir.” Alrion was about to continue speaking but he was cut off.
“Hearsay. I will not have you spreading such rumours!” Wynston bellowed. Alrion wanted to argue, but Lara touched his arm and shook her head. Alrion adjusted his approach.
“Nevertheless, I need to pass through to reach my destination.”
“And scout reports show extremely large numbers of Blight massing just outside Valrytir,” Alyx added.
“Brady?”
“That is true, High General. They avoided our detection initially because each Blight sighting is quite small, under our threshold. However, the scouts started to notice so they adapted their reporting to include all sightings. Now we’re getting a real sense of the number.” Brady finished speaking and waited for further questions. Wynston sighed and started to rub his chin.
“Let’s assume that your quest is legitimate, and you need our assistance to reach your destination, due to the numbers of the Blight. I need something else, other than your word to commit so many lives to such an undertaking.”
“Absolutely, High General. That is why I have organised a demonstration.” Alrion stepped to the side and gestured for his companions to do the same. He brought the giant box into the middle of the carpet.
“Please, keep your distance.” Alrion ensured everyone was a safe distance away, and he pried the lid off the box. Next, he reached into the box. There was a scream, and a dark shape climbed out. It was a Shade. Terrified screams rang through the room. The high general drew his sword instantly, as did his retinue. Alrion quickly wrapped up the Shade in waves of force, pinning it in place. The Shade was strong, but Alrion’s Will was stronger. As much as it struggled, the Shade was unable to move.
“Is everyone satisfied that we have a Shade here?” Alrion looked around the room. No one said anything.
“I am satisfied. But keeping a Shade at bay, whilst impressive, is no mere demonstration, young wizard.” The high general sheathed his sword and waited.
“Nor should it be. I am merely showing you that the Shade is real, but I do not wish to endanger anyone during the demonstration. Be prepared for what happens next.” Alrion walked closer to the Shade. He stepped up until he was incredibly close.
“I am going to release you from your prison,” Alrion said softly. The Shade shrieked again, but Alrion ignored it. He wrapped his hand in a force spell, at the same time mixing in his Soul Power. Reaching forward he placed his hand on the Shade’s chest. Using his Spark as the conduit, he poured his Soul Power into the Shade. Activating his enhanced vision, Alrion took note of the key points of concentration of the Blight and took care in directing his Soul Power to wash them away. He kept Branthor’s words in his mind, trying to minimise the damage to the person within.
As he worked, the room was silent, watching. Alrion wasn’t sure how much of what he was doing was visible by an observer. But he was too caught up in what was happening to worry too much about that. Suddenly, he had finished the job, the last Blight retreating from the Shade. The chain reaction began.
After a quick burst of light, the Shade started to fall. Alrion adjusted his force spell to let the creature down slowly. The black exterior of the Shade started to flake away, turning to dust and disintegrating. Alrion watched the whole process with his enhanced vision on. He could see the body rebuilding, replacing what had been lost. Soon there were no more traces of the Blight. Just a man remained, his breathing shallow and weak.
“Bring a stretcher,” Alrion said. The high general nodded to an aide, who rushed off. Within moments two guards returned bearing a stretcher. They set it down gently near Alrion. He thanked them and gently lifted the former Shade, using his force spells to bear the brunt of the weight. He gently lowered the man onto the stretcher.
“Lift him up and let those who need to see for themselves look.” Alrion watched as the guards lifted the stretcher cautiously, trying not to look within.
The high general strode over. He stared into the stretcher, and reached in, feeling the man’s hand.
“It’s warm, he’s alive.”
“Of course. How do you think the Blight survives? It needs us.”
“What of the man within?” The high general looked up at Alrion.
“That’s a good question, I haven’t gotten to the bottom of it. Some have had a full recovery, others I’m not so sure about. I think it depends on a lot of factors. With luck, he can lead a normal life again.”
“Brady, come look.” The high general stepped back and waited for the commander to view the man.
“I’m convinced, even though I can’t believe it. It seems like it should be impossible.” Brady looked at Alrion, an incredulous expression on his face.
“You should keep the man here, and care for him. You can review his progress, and hopefully, he can speak to you once he’s recovered. There is probably a lot we can learn for the future.”
“Alrion,” the high general said as he crossed the last few steps between them. “You swear you can do this for the whole world?”
“I swear. It’s why I need to get to the source. I can’t exactly cleanse the world one person at a time.”
“Of course.” The high general closed his eyes, deep in thought. He stayed that way for minutes. Finally, he opened them once more.
“I’ve made my decision. Whatever you need, we will provide. Today is an auspicious day. It is the start of the end of the Blight.” The high general held out a hand. Alrion held out his and they shook on it. The deal was done. Alrion beamed confidence. Inside, he was a wreck.
This is really happening. There’s no turning back. I have to find a way to make this work. I don’t want to create a world of peace that I can’t also enjoy.
43
A Heavy Burden
Alrion felt a hand on his shoulder and instantly awoke. It was Lara, leaning over him. She looked worried.
“Good morning. You looked restless. Did you sleep?”
“Good morning. I must have, I don’t remember anything.” Alrion looked around the room, remembering where he was. It was a spare apartment that his father had arranged for them. He’d arrived late at night, and it looked different in the morning sun. Alrion tried to shake off the sleepiness.
“We need to hurry. We’ve been summoned by the high general. There’s something urgent to discuss.”
“You mean your father?” Alrion glanced at Lara long enough to see her embarrassed look then sat up in the bed.
“I know, I should have told you.”
“You’re practically royalty, Your Highness.” Alrion made a mock bow in the bed, before getting up. “Now I know why you never really talked about your family.”
“It was difficult. It all happened so close together. My brother dying, the king being killed, my father being called up to the keep.”
“That’s why you left? All of that?” Alrion rose and started getting ready.
“Yes. It completely exacerbated my father’s behaviour. He’s always been so traditional, not letting me get involved like my brother. I had to read my books and do my lessons. But Leon was the son. He had the weapons training and the opportunities. And he was good, he became a squad commander in the elite unit that Brady commands. Lucky for me, he taught me quite a bit. Mostly in secret. My father didn’t approve.”
“You said your brother was a victim of the Blight. What happened?”
“There was a huge battle, my brother held off a whole legion of Blight, leading his men to an honourable death. Those who managed to send a message for help brought reinforcements that crushed the Blight. But they were too late to save him.”
“I’m so sorry. But I’m glad that he went out doing something important.” Alrion was ready, and he held the door open for Lara.
“Me too.” Lara sighed, walking out the door. “Now that I’m back, I feel a bit foolish for just running away. But if I hadn’t, well the world wouldn’t be on the brink of being cleansed by the Blight.”
“I suppose so.” Alrion gave her a weak smile. They started walking towards the keep, Alrion noticed that there weren’t a lot of people around.
“You’re so lucky I decided to pickpocket you.”
“I really am.” Alrion believed it too. She had been the one constant on a journey that had surprises around every corner.
I suppose it was only natural that she had a secret too. I’ll cut her a break, for now, I can see why she’d want to be clear of all this. But I don’t know if I can act the same around her.
“What do you think this urgent message is?” Alrion said, changing the topic.
“Not sure. Maybe we have more information about when to make a move? I think the army will take time to mobilise.”
“Time is a tricky thing. The more we prepare, the stronger the Blight gets. The more they concentrate their forces. But if we go too early, we blow the whole thing.”
“Exactly. But that’s what all those army men are for, they live for this.”
“What do you live for?”
“I would have said liberating treasures. But now it’s different.” Lara gave him a mysterious smile.
“And that would be?”
“Something to be shared another time. Oh look, here we are.” Lara pointed to the gates outside the keep.
“So we are.” Alrion walked through, keeping an eye on the guards. They didn’t make eye contact with Lara or Alrion, they just kept out of the way. It didn’t take long to return to the throne room. Alrion noticed that everyone else was already there. His father looked like he hadn’t slept at all.
In the middle of the room was a strange looking man. He was half height and had thick black hair. He turned to face them as Alrion arrived. The features of the man caused Alrion to gasp. The man looked like a Blighter, only with proper clothing on.
“Now I can give my message,” the man rasped. He looked directly into Alrion’s eyes.
“I know you are coming, Alrion. I know where you need to be. Only, I’m not going to make it easy for you. If you meet me directly, I’ll face you honourably. We can settle this little disagreement like gentlemen. And it’s your best chance to destroy me yourself. But if you try to sneak off, well I’ll turn my army on Valrytir. We’ll crush it and destroy every little piece. And we won’t stop there, we’ll keep on going until the whole world is under our control.”
Alrion pondered the message for a moment.
“What you’re saying is that I need to face you and your army now? Or you’ll descend upon Valrytir and beyond?”
“Yes. No more hiding. No more tricks.”
“And what if I don’t agree?”
“There’s this and more.” The man finished speaking and his stomach started to rapidly expand.
“Everyone, get back!” Alyx shouted. The room almost cleared instantly. Suddenly, the Blight-touched man exploded, and a toxic black gas started to billow throughout the room.
