The Complete Series, page 95
part #1 of The Hidden Wizard Series
“But for him it’s different?” Alrion said.
“Yes, he’s already a master wizard. Has been for a while. And the Blight… it changes you. Amplifies the worst. You would understand.” Alyx glanced at Alrion and he gave her a slight nod.
“One way or another, his rage will consume him. Hopefully, we meet Rindale before that happens.”
“Or else?” Lara whispered.
“He’ll destroy himself and everything else. Him first.” Alyx pointed to Fermur. The man gulped and cowered.
“It won’t get to that. We’ll deal with this now. Then everyone can move on.”
“You can’t save everyone.” Alyx shook her head and looked out in the distance once more. Alrion let the conversation die. Lara pulled him aside.
“You do realise that Branthor will eliminate Rindale. By the most destructive means necessary.”
“I do.”
“Are you fine with that?”
“No. I’ll try to get a better outcome.”
“If Rindale doesn’t perish, Branthor will go crazy. You even made a deal with him.”
“I know, let’s just see how things go.” Alrion’s voice faltered slightly. Lara gave him a disapproving look.
“Sometimes you need to make the hard choice. Rindale has already had his chance. Your grandfather cured him, remember?”
“So we think. Look, I know I should be harder about this. But I know what it’s like to have this transformation. I’ve seen what it does to people, what it did to Branthor. Rindale is a real person, just like us. Look at Fermur, he’s a broken shell. That’s what we need to protect, that’s the reason I’m doing this.” Alrion sighed.
“I don’t disagree, but I’m warning you. This is going to get ugly.”
“It always was. Branthor is too far gone. We just need to do our best with the situation we have before us.”
“Of course. As always, I’ve got your back.” Lara smiled and winked, then her face changed completely. A serious look came over her.
“Hey, there’s something I need to mention. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”
“Oh alright. What is it?” Alrion didn’t have a good feeling. To see Lara’s face change so suddenly, it couldn’t be good.
“Don’t leave me out,” Branthor said. Alrion spun and he couldn’t see the wizard.
“Oh, you’re back. How long have you been here?” he said.
“Not long. Just enough to hear mention of how crazy I am.” Branthor didn’t sound annoyed. He appeared suddenly right next to them.
“Good, then we’re all going into this with open eyes. What did you learn?”
“The information checks out. The path is as described and allows easy access into the compound. I didn’t venture further because I didn’t want to set off any traps.” Branthor sounded annoyed at that.
“Thank you for following the plan. Do you spot many guards?” Lara said.
“None. It was suspiciously quiet.”
“He’s inviting us in, you think?” Alrion commented.
“He must be. We should be prepared for anything.”
“We are. Alyx, come closer so we can discuss the finer details.” Lara waved Alyx over. She strode over and left Fermur sitting against a nearby tree.
Hours passed, and twilight was falling. The plan had been discussed and agreed, and Alrion was itching to go.
“Now is the time.” Lara started to walk down the path and the rest followed. Alyx escorted Fermur, and Branthor and Alrion stayed close to Lara. As expected, they found no sentries or guards on their descent. The fortress itself was eerily quiet, and dark. Alrion distributed tiny lights for each person to see better as darkness fell. They walked in silence, their boots crunching along the dusty and sometimes stone littered path. Frequent stops were required to ensure Fermur was well, he seemed to have minimal energy and had barely eaten or drunk anything since he was cured.
The fortress loomed above them. As they approached, it looked like it had been carved out of a mountain. Years and painstaking labour would have been used to sculpt it to its present shape, and the enduring years smoothing it out even more.
They took a fork in the path, and they wound through the territory and around the edge of the fortress. Alrion spotted their destination, a side gate. It was an obvious fixture in an otherwise bland and featureless wall.
“Something is not right with that,” Alrion said. He couldn’t quite make out all the details, but he could tell.
“It’s open! That’s the problem.” Lara stopped and turned to Branthor. “Did you leave it open?”
“I’m crazy, not dumb. I closed it properly and quietly,” Branthor replied.
“Then either someone is really careless, or it’s an even more obvious invitation.” Lara looked annoyed. Alyx stood still, her arms folded. Lara turned to Fermur.
“Is this normal? Is this gate normally locked?”
“Always.”
“Great. Just great.” Lara stared at the gate again.
“Should we just proceed? If they’re expecting us, it’s better to convince them we are still coming. Rindale may flee again if he gets nervous.” Alrion didn’t like the idea of walking into a trap, but he liked the idea of Rindale getting away again even less.
“It’s quite foolish, playing to Rindale’s tune. He has everything stacked in his favour.” Branthor was looking elsewhere on the fortress, no doubt assessing another way in.
“That’s ideal. He will get complacent and make a mistake. We can capitalise on that.” Alrion took a step forward. Lara grabbed his arm.
“Are you sure about this?” She looked nervously over at Branthor.
“Let’s spring the traps. Branthor, you’re about to have some fun.” Alrion looked at the master wizard. He laughed and rubbed his hands.
“Good, I was beginning to think we were going to talk all day.”
I just hope I can keep everyone safe. Ugly doesn’t even begin to cover this.
25
Split Focus
Falric regarded Celes warmly.
“You two take care, and good luck on your search.”
“You take care as well. You sure you won’t miss this book?” Celes felt the outline of the book through her bag.
“No, not at all. I think I’ve practically memorised it. Besides, I’m sure Vincent will appreciate having something from his father.”
“I will.”
“There, see. Glad you found it.” Falric looked away, his mind preoccupied with something.
“I just had a thought. I know you are in a rush and all to get to the location of the Wizard Store near Valrytir. But I thought there was something else worth mentioning.”
“What is it?” Vincent had a cautious and almost annoyed tone to his voice. Celes almost laughed.
He’s so suspicious of Falric, it’s adorable.
“There are some ruins near here. An outpost that used to be a staging area for wizards. Granthion established it, but it’s been abandoned for a while. It’s not from here, and since you’re on a trail that’s quite old, maybe there’s something there?”
“It’s worth considering.” Vincent looked to Celes.
“The place isn’t destroyed, right?” Celes asked.
“No, no, no. The Wizard Store is protected. Not sure what’s left inside, but it’ll be safe to enter. I think there’s a Wizard Gate there too as well, but that’s of no consequence since you can’t use it. And I wouldn’t even know where it went.” Falric trailed off.
“How do we find this place?” Vincent said.
“When you leave town, follow the path north and look for a dirt track. It will lead you to some old ruins above the town. Good spot, it’s a real shame.”
“What exactly happened?”
“I think it was Blight attacks. Due to the sensitivity of the location, it was decided to not reinforce too heavily in case the Blight took an interest in it and started to poke around nearby. As far as I can tell that all worked because there’s been no activity since.”
“Great. Fancy a stroll?” Celes said to Vincent.
“Certainly, I thought you’d never ask.”
“Off you go then. I’ll tell Alrion hello from you both,” Falric said with a chuckle.
“And tell him we will see him soon. When he’s ready,” Celes added. They finished their goodbyes with Falric and Caleb and left the building.
“I’ll miss him,” Celes said.
“Miss him? The wizard? He was gone and presumed dead, and now he’s back. I don’t think it’s possible to miss him in these circumstances.” Vincent grinned at her.
“True. Very logical.” Celes smiled back. They hiked up the path out of town without much chatter. Celes was deep in thought and enjoyed the quiet.
How will we ever find this wizard? The trail is over twenty years old. And until recently nobody even thought to look for him.
Celes sighed deeply and kept walking. Vincent glanced at her but said nothing. Soon they had finished the long winding climb and were on the main path.
“Now the hunt begins. Keep an eye out for this dirt path,” Celes said.
“Sure. Maybe I’ll spot it first.”
“In your dreams.” Celes pushed further ahead.
I’m glad he’s cracking jokes, like the old days. This whole thing feels so aimless. But I’ve had slimmer leads than this before, we need to follow it along and see what comes up.
Celes kept looking for the dirt track, conscious of not wanting to miss it. She also wanted to beat her husband and find it first. It was silly and meaningless, but it also focused her. There was value in that. For the most part, the path was lined with dense shrubs. But that’s where the danger lay. The path could be overgrown and easily passed over.
Vincent started to slow.
“Shouldn’t we be spotting this path soon? I feel like we’ve already come so far already.”
“Probably. I’m worried that the path will be overgrown and hard to spot.” Celes focused less on the surroundings, and more on the path itself. All she needed to see was evidence of a dirt track beginning. The rest would come after that. Celes looked past where Vincent was standing and saw something interesting. She jogged over, pushing past her husband. There was definitely something.
“There’s potential here.” Celes could see that the edge of the path was unusually dirty and dusty. She forced back the bushes and could see something different starting.
“Vincent, over here, help me with this.” Vincent walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Stand back please.” Vincent had his scabbard angling forward, ready to remove his sword.
“Certainly.” Celes stepped back to give him room. Vincent drew his sword in a smooth motion, slicing through the main bush. He followed it up with three more precise strikes then cleaned his sword on his cloak. He kicked one of the fallen shrubs out of the way and grunted.
“I think you’re on to something.”
“Not going to clear away your mess?”
“I wouldn’t want to detract from your find.” Vincent winked at her. Celes groaned.
“Always with an excuse.” She rushed over and dug the fallen greenery out of the space. Vincent had hacked away just enough to reveal a dirt track. It looked old, and largely worn away.
“I think that’s it. Congratulations!” Vincent bowed.
“You should have known better than to challenge me, I’m the best at finding things.”
“Oh I know, I just thought that this would be faster.” Vincent grinned at her. Celes smacked him playfully on the shoulder and started striding down the path.
“At least we know it’s completely abandoned. This path was well hidden,” Vincent said as they walked.
“You were worried about it being inhabited?”
“The Blight are always a concern. You weren’t worried?”
“No, I have you to deal with them.” Celes changed her tone and talked more seriously. “I really didn’t think about it. Am I losing my edge?”
“No, I just think you’re more balanced than you were. Logically, there was no reason to worry about this place being infested with the Blight. It’s certainly seen better days though.” Vincent pointed ahead. Celes followed his gesture and saw the ruins. A tall tower sat at the back, with a few buildings in various states of disrepair littered around the space. A tall stone wall extended around one half of the site and had crumbled away from the other. Only littered stones remained.
“Which building do you think holds the Wizard Store?” Celes said.
“Likely the tower. Wizards love them for some reason.”
“Is it because they think they’re above everyone else?” Celes quipped.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” Vincent chuckled. “Well, to be fair I don’t actually know the reason. Maybe it has something to do with how their powers work. Maybe they need to see their targets.”
“Maybe. Let’s start with the tower then.” Celes started off again, Vincent keeping pace with her. Nature had started to overgrow a lot of the stonework, giving it an ancient look.
“I think some of this damage was deliberate,” Vincent said, pointing to a charred wall.
“By the Wizards or something else?”
“Not sure. I don’t know who else can wield fire on this scale.” Vincent paused to examine the wall further. Celes pressed on.
“This tower looks in good condition, considering.” It seemed to be resistant to the worst of the decay and overgrowth. It almost looked like the tower had taken on the look to blend in.
Don’t think such ridiculous things, it’s not alive.
Celes stopped in front of the door. It was large and wooden and appeared to be intact.
“Time to give your medallion a spin?” Vincent said.
“Of course.” Celes removed the medallion and rapped it on the door two times. Nothing happened. Vincent nudged her with his elbow.
“Celes,” she said. There was silence, then suddenly the door creaked open.
“It still works. And it needed my name as well.”
“Must be the additional security around here. Maybe there’s something of value inside,” Vincent said. He pushed the door open and waited for Celes to enter.
The room inside was almost pitch-black. Celes felt around the walls and found a metal bracket with a lantern. With a little effort, they were able to light it. Celes held up the lantern and looked over the room.
It was similar in structure to the last Wizard Store they had visited, but it was in complete disarray. Books were everywhere, shelves knocked over, and there were some broken chairs and other furniture.
“This place looks, I would say ransacked, but the books appear to be here still.” Celes stepped around a pile of books and investigated the room.
“Very odd. Let’s find the ledger.” Vincent navigated around to the bench, looking inside. He retrieved a dusty book and placed it on the counter.
“Let’s see who last visited.” Vincent opened the book and Celes joined him, looking over his shoulder. She accidentally knocked over a pile of books on her way.
“Don’t worry, they’ve survived worse,” Vincent said without looking up. He was carefully flicking through the pages.
“There’s us.” Celes pointed to an entry.
“Exactly. The previous one is…”
“Branthor.” Celes looked at Vincent. Her husband shrugged.
“That’s not surprising. Maybe he came here after his transformation began? That might explain the redecorating.” Vincent cast his eyes over the room again.
“That seems plausible. Let’s see who else visited.” Celes pulled the book closer and scanned through the entries herself. There were a few names she didn’t recognise, in addition to Falric.
“Nothing noteworthy in recent times. Let’s go back and see if our mystery wizard paid this place a visit.” Celes flipped through the pages, taking care to review the entries.
“Ah-hah!” Celes pointed to a place in the book.
“You found him?”
“Aydan. Not long after he signed into the last place.” Celes looked at Vincent with a triumphant smile.
“Looks like your trail is here. I wonder if there’s anything to suggest where he went next.” Vincent leaned back slightly and appeared deep in thought.
“Hang on. There’s an asterisk next to the entry,” Celes said. Vincent looked up sharply.
“Oh, that’s different. I wonder what that means?” He refocused on the book. Celes looked at the page, there was nothing else to explain it.
“Why don’t you try the beginning of the book, maybe there’s a guide or explanation of the notation?” Vincent said.
“Of course!” Celes quickly flipped to the first page and skim read the contents.
“How to read this ledger,” she said as she read. She used her finger to trace the words until she found what she wanted.
“To make an entry as having additional commentary, use an asterisk. Add your note in the Observations journal,” Celes quoted.
“Falric never mentioned that,” Vincent muttered.
“No, he didn’t. Maybe he doesn’t know?” Celes rifled around through the nooks under the bench and pulled out several books.
“This is it.” Celes slammed the book down on the counter, unable to contain her excitement.
“Maybe don’t destroy the book in the process,” Vincent said. Celes ignored him and opened the book and started reading. There were quite a few comments throughout. Each one had a date and a name associated with it. But no details of the person who recorded the comment.
“It’s just a matter of finding the right one,” Celes said. Suddenly she found it. Without any delay, she started reading out the entry.
“Suspicious visitor today. I scanned the log to see his reported name and was surprised to notice that it was the old language. Wizards are never given these as a name, which further cemented my suspicions. Gareth thinks I am being overly cautious, but there is something not quite right with this one. He does not come across as having much Spark at all, yet he can read from any tome in our library. When questioned about his purpose, he just deflects any questions and responds with as little as possible.” Celes paused and looked up at Vincent.
