Battle Mage: The Lost King (Tales of Alus) Read online

  He smiled in return to hers and let the wizards finish pointing out their rooms. Sebastian found that he was sharing a room with Collin, while Yara and Nara would renew their bonding time as well. He was beginning to think that the two couples had been separated from the others because of those relationships, but perhaps he was reading too much into the planning. Once situated, Sebastian joined the others on deck. Since everyone was already there, the Sea Dragon soon released its mooring lines and turned out in the manmade harbor. The break line was quickly behind them and the waves began to grow as the ship made its way southeast leaving Southwall behind them.

  Lord Romonus looked frustrated. Repeated glances to the retreating Sea Dragon continued to work the lord up in a state.

  “Do not worry, my lord,” Themenor stated as he watched the vessel slowly shrink into the distance. “We have at least an hour or more before I might have trouble finding them again.” A small bit of curiosity formed in the wizard’s eyes at the Kardorian’s continued fascination in the ship and its passengers. He was a Southwall wizard and his loyalty still remained with his country after all. As long as his potential new benefactor didn’t require him to compromise his loyalties, Themenor had no issues over following a ship.

  The wizard’s assurance eased the plump lord letting him slow down. His ship was nearly ready to cast off as well. The Kardorian crew and his newest wizards were on the ship, many of the latter were even on deck watching the situation unfold. With no real preparations left undone, the Carnivore could pursue his quarry soon enough. Romonus calmed and thought the situation through.

  If Themenor was as good as his word, then it would make sense to wait. It wouldn’t do to tip their hand by mirroring the Malaiy frigate so soon. Giving them space would allow those he was interested in to do as they needed to do. Romonus needed them relaxed that he might find out what they were truly up to with this voyage. There was no way that Southwall would just send away one of their most talented mages on a useless mission. He was up to something, and if it would benefit Kardor, then the lord wished to find out what it was.

  “Should I have the captain cast off?” Deiclonus asked his lord ready to follow the command.

  Running his fingers from his forehead along the bald skin to the surrounding receding hairline, Lord Romonus considered his options. With a shake of his head, he replied, “Have him make sure that we have everything ready to go. Once the Sea Dragon is completely out of sight, have him cast off. We will let Wizard Themenor use his magic to keep track of the frigate.”

  Deiclonus nodded as he too wondered what his master had in mind. These were their allies after all, and saviors as well given that Sebastian had been the one to drive off a pack of wolves north of the wall weeks earlier with his battle mages. He doubted that the lord wished them any harm, but his motives had begun to worry the wizard for awhile. It was one thing to recruit wizards to help energize a weakening kingdom, but it was another matter entirely when they started chasing after allies in such a way.

  Helena stood wrapped in her warm fur coat near the central cabin. The girl’s eyes betrayed no worry save for the cold and a little uncertainty of an ocean voyage.

  Smiling at his daughter Lord Romonus added, “We’ll give them space to do whatever they need to do. I just wish to see what it is they plan to do.” With a last word to Deiclonus, “Tell the captain we leave in half an hour and will follow the wizard’s lead,” the lord opened the wooden door to head back below deck to avoid the cold breeze followed by Helena.

  Chapter 9- A Passing Folly

  Sebastian held the device with the large, green jewel looking once more to the two red dots on its face. The one to the northwest was beginning to dim as they moved in the opposite direction and the one to the southeast maintained its strong glow. If he understood Darius’s instruction on the device properly, the first dot would change to a dim orange until they found the first point on their course. Once found, the new point would replace the original as they chased after the immortal king.

  It wasn’t a difficult thing to understand and as the mage looked to the horizon, he could make out the silhouette of a large island slowly growing in his sight. Folley Island was in their path, but he doubted that there was anything on the young island that would interest them. Though the king could very well have visited the island, Folley had become part of Southwall and had a fair population dedicated to enriching the earth to make it a habitable piece of land. It had not always had the lush farmland it had now. Generations of wizards and farmers had worked the land bringing good earth and removing the salt that had once littered most of the island.

  Folley Island was just one of many such islands that been raised from the sea in the cataclysm less than two hundred years ago. There were many undiscovered and unnamed islands in the sea, while some countries that had once been part of the continent had broken free to become islands as well. With all those hiding places, Sebastian knew that only the device would have a prayer of finding evidence of Gerid let alone being able to find the lost king. His mission was considered impossible by many and even the mage had to consider the improbability of finding a man lost for nearly two centuries.

  Glancing to Maura and Idenlare, who was riding the winds for the second time that day, he could see in their eyes that doubt of success. They were simply along to chaperone and see if he could actually produce any of what Darius had inferred that he could find. Sebastian also thought that Maura might even hope he would fail, though he wasn’t quite sure why. Perhaps the wizard merely didn’t want a battle mage to succeed where others had failed.

  Rumors had abounded almost from the moment that he had disappeared. Some believed Gerid dead and some believed the Dark One held him somewhere beneath his mountain. Others had put out the idea that keeping the immortal too near the emperor’s lair was unlikely and had suggested perhaps he was actually on one of the islands that they were now going to search.

  Sebastian had heard those and other ideas, but between the device and the thought that the king would in fact be a danger to the emperor held too near both the mountain and the people of Southwall, the mage considered an island prison a very good possibility. It would keep the immortal safely out of the way, while if the emperor was using him for experiments, as Sebastian had considered since the appearance of Garosh, he would also be available for such necessary involvement.

  “What are you thinking about so hard?” Yara asked as she walked the deck from the cabin area. The sun was bright, but the breeze across the deck was still quite chill. Wrapped in a brown cloak pulled close by her fingers as she huddled within, the girl also wore more than one layer of wizard robes beneath it as well. Yara was born of the sturdy, northern stock, but it was still cold.

  Within the warmth of his bubble of air formed by an air shield, the mage was almost surprised by her appearance. “Just looking at Folley and thinking about where this trip might lead us,” he answered frankly. Moving his gaze from the pretty girl nearly hidden within her layers, the mage once more watched the horizon and the first island.

  Nodding caused a lock of blond hair to slip free onto her forehead to be left all but ignored as Yara kept hold of the protective cloak. “If the device is right, then there is a lot of unexplored territory in this direction. Locals, like the old pirates, won’t exactly be dropping off maps of hidden islands after all.

  “At least the device Darius gave you will limit the search to a certain path,” the girl added and followed his look to the horizon where the gray form of Folley Island sitting in the sea rose directly before them. “Do you think we should stop at the island or just go around it?”

  “We’ll head to the southwest of the island. The main port of Fallum is centered on the southern side of Folley anyway. If we do need to stop there, that is where we would need to begin the search. Once we’re south of the island I can double check the compass to see where it will lead.”

  Yara glanced to the other wizards standing near the far rail. Thanks to
the wind the two could still speak at normal levels without much worry of eavesdropping. She could feel the air shields surrounding both of them like Sebastian and the healer wished, not for the first time, that she could implement such a spell. Being a healer, Yara was never able to do much beyond her own school of magic. It was said healers were unlikely to ever learn combat magic since it conflicted with their basic need to save lives and prevent harm. Perhaps for that reason air spells, even of a protective nature, were beyond her.

  Many of the other wizards were similarly affected making the deck sparsely populated most hours of the day. Weather affected the sea and ocean beyond at differing speeds, but winter still held the air this close to North Continent.

  Taking a moment to remove a hand from holding the cloak with one hand to wipe at a slightly running nose, Yara felt a new chill as the air snuck within the folds. Sebastian noted the girl’s discomfort and issued an order to his shield, “Extend.” The magical barrier flowed from the mage to surround the girl as well and drew a curious glance from Maura. He hadn’t meant to draw any attention from them. Despite having dealt with Maura and the other newcomers with a strong hand, Sebastian still felt uneasy with the extra crew members.

  Yara immediately noticed the change in the air around her. First, the breeze quieted and her ears noticed the drastic silence. Second, the wizard felt the warmer air. It was by no means warm, but the temperature neared comfortable and was certainly quite a bit warmer than the air cooled breeze. “Nice,” she replied releasing one hand from the cloak. Refusing to release the full warmth until she heated up a bit more, Yara held on with the remaining hand and welcomed the change in air. “If you could have done that a few moments earlier, I might have enjoyed it more though.”

  Chuckling Sebastian retorted, “But would you have appreciated it as much?” He stopped at the girl’s frown, also a bit false in truth but she felt that she owed him at least that much rebuke for his words. “No, I’m sorry. I just wasn’t thinking about it until I noticed you rubbing your nose.” Sebastian produced a handkerchief and passed it to Yara as his eyes returned to the wizards across from them. Maura turned to look at the sea, while Idenlare remained holding the rail staring off blankly at the water beyond the rail. He still rode the winds apparently.

  Holding the handkerchief with her free hand, the girl followed his look while keeping the cloth at the ready. Without the breeze chilling her, Yara no longer had a need for it. “Are they part of your distraction? What is Idenlare searching for around here anyway? This close to Southwall and Folley Island there shouldn’t be too much to worry about.”

  He shrugged. “They’re not that worrisome, though I can’t say that I completely trust having them around me. I wonder if they’re here to take over in a pinch or if they’re simply here hoping for my failure. As to Iden’s searches, the man just might be doing it for practice. His main magic is fire and he also uses air, though I don’t know if it is fully mastered.”

  “His bands say that he is a master, though he isn’t wearing white just yet,” Yara basically agreed in her assessment from the outward signs. “I think his versatility with both schools as well as Vewen’s led the masters to send them as bodyguards. Who knows what Maura might be good at since she’s a researcher type?”

  Shrugging indifferently once again, Sebastian knew that he would keep as much of an eye on their guests as they did him. Although a minor annoyance, the mage figured there was likely to be a lot more to worry over before the trip was over. One lesser item was to keep Lady Annalicia and her captain in the loop. Offering an arm to Yara, he said, “I’m going to check in with Anna and Captain Delfren. They should know what I plan by now, but it is always good to make sure. Besides, it is a good excuse to step out of the cold,” he finished with a big smile.

  With a little snort of derision, the girl took his arm and replied, “Like the cold is an issue for you with this air shield. I wish I could make one as easily as a simple mage,” she finished with a giggle knowing that he was anything but a simple mage.

  Retreating into the main cabin holding both the steering wheel and the captain, Sebastian had a quick conversation to affirm that they were all of the same mind. Annalicia and her constant shadow, Reynolvan, were there as well. Minds turned to small talk as they waited for the time that the Sea Dragon would be in position to check the compass once more.

  Nearly two hours passed as they set a course to the west of Folley Island. Once around the western edge, Sebastian produced the device and set it upon a table laden with maps mostly showing the waters the Sea Dragon was now sailing through. Annalicia and the others looked on as the mage placed his hands on the nodes letting his magic flow into the magic compass. The northwest dull orange glow of Hala remained as it had all day and the strong red to their southeast still said that was their course of action. Folley Island had no significance to their cause.

  “We continue on our way southeast,” Sebastian stated as even the captain had moved to see the results. Captain Delfren nodded and told the current helmsmen to return the wheel to their original path before detouring around the island.

  The cabin door opened letting Maura and Idenlare inside the cabin. To their inquiring eyes, Sebastian simply answered, “We’re continuing onward. Folley was just between us.”

  Looking unsurprised, Maura replied, “That is as we had assumed. The island has been examined from one end to the other over the years while wizards and farmers prepared the land.”

  The woman said no more and left the cabin for whatever distractions the two wizards might have in mind.

  Sighing, Annalicia chimed in after the two had exited, “I can see why she is a researcher. The woman has no idea how to talk to people.”

  “Apparently people aren’t her field of study,” Yara added with a smile.

  All in agreement, Sebastian spent a little more time talking with the others even as he wondered how many more days they would have to travel to find the sign they were hoping for. The man called Grimnal was out there. He could feel it, even if they had yet to find that first sign.

  “They’ve passed by the island,” Themenor stated after feeling for his seal.

  Deiclonus and Lord Romonus were joined by Wendle, Helena and Ashleen. The two younger wizards were confused by the words.

  “Do we pause at Folley Island, my lord?” the elder wizard asked even as the younger ones remained in the dark. They knew only that the lord had another mission for them before they could return home.

  Romonus considered a moment before consulting with Themenor, who had remained silent after his official word. “If we stopped at Fallum, how many hours would we have before you would lose the signal you’ve set, Themenor?”

  The wizard from Southwall seemed a bit wary with such a strange mission, but the money the lord had offered him for simply helping Kardor was significant and this didn’t seem to be harming anyone. He certainly was no traitor and would quit if Romonus ever required such a change of loyalty. He could assume the other wizards from Southwall onboard would be of a similar mind. If the Kardorians were up to no good, he was sure that the five of them could handle their current employers even with their three wizards and men.

  “We know their general course of direction. If they do nothing to change that heading, the captain can return the ship to the same heading. Even without magic for a guide, it wouldn’t matter the distance. The Malaiy frigate doesn’t seem to be at full sail right now and your warship may be a little faster. With our air magic,” he gestured to Ashleen while inferring his own abilities, “we can probably add some speed to the ship.”

  The lord grew impatient, “But if they decide to change course, how much distance can you truly have between you? I will gladly pass the island by if we need to maintain this distance. If it will keep them from noticing that we follow them, then we can make port for as many hours as you believe prudent.”

  Eyes narrowing slightly at the words, Themenor felt that tingle of worry again. A man of his
strength in magic feared little and it had become a time to challenge fate. “My lord, why are we following this ship? I can not do anything that will harm my people. Our lands are allies after all, but this plan seems rather... unattractive to me at the moment. If you can not settle my mind as to your intentions perhaps it would be best to stop at Fallum to drop me there and you can continue on with your plans without me.”

  Ashleen looked uncomfortably at the lord as well. The young woman had become close with Sebastian and many others from Southwall. Feeling that Themenor had a good point, the woman was growing equally uncomfortable with Lord Romonus’s intentions. The fact that he had lured away five of their ally’s wizards was a little suspicious, though men had a right to choose where they lived and worked. Now they were following ships for who knew what purposes.

  Sighing, Romonus patted the air as if to settle the man, “Harming our friends is the farthest thing from my mind, dear Themenor. In fact, I have the utmost regard for my friend, the mage, who sails aboard that ship. He saved my caravan north of the wall, did you know? I owe him my life!

  “I have simply heard rumors that lead me to believe that our friend may be on a mission that could get them into trouble. I simply wish to guard them from afar and let them do what they must. It must seem strange to do so, but I have had a feeling that this is something both important and necessary.” He smiled and gestured to the air wizard, “You are with me now. Stay and see if I am right. To leave now, would mean that you condone my actions more than staying alongside to make sure that my intentions don’t go astray. Themenor, you and the other wizards with me from Southwall are the best safeguards against any evil that you may fear.”