A Mage's Power (Journey to Chaos) (35 page)

I'm one step closer to saving you, Your Highness.

Do you mind telling?

I'm really not supposed to.

Eric, who am I going to tell?

Your ladies-in-waiting.

All right, if you must have secrets . . .
Softer and
tinged with sadness.
Those CVs Threans use . . .what did you call them . . .'TVs'?
Would you please tell me how they work again?

Of course, Your Highness.

Eric, what are you doing?

I can still talk to Dengel? I thought I was in Kasile's
mind.

What are you doing!?
Dengel's voice pounded like a
drum.

Eric, are you still there?
Kasile's voice rang like
bells.

The pull of two voices gave him a headache. First, he told
Kasile he was speaking with the person who would help him rescue her and second
he told Dengel that he was talking with Ataidar's princess.
That
piqued
the dead mage's interest.

Tell me everything
. Eric did.
Hmm . . . telepathy
is well-documented, but in all the cases I ever studied, it was between twins.

Eric! What's going on!?

The young mage hurriedly turned his attention back to Kasile
and told her he was he discussing their link with the helper he told her about.
It was like a three-way phone conversation: he could hear both of them but they
could only hear him and only when he spoke to them.

Does Kasile have a lover?
Eric felt guilty talking
about Kasile's love life behind her back but if he told her, it would embarrass
her and frankly him as well.

Two: a love triangle between Culmus and a noble named
Siron. She's given her favor to—

Her favor!? EXCELLENT!
Applied Magecraft: Hostages
describes the use of a personal article to track a target. The summary is thus:
saturated with the target's life energy the article can be used as a homing
device. With the handkerchief, we can find her exact location.

Eric told Kasile the good news and she squealed with
happiness. Afterward she blushed and coughed, and justified it as a side effect
of their link. It wouldn't happen again. For the rest of the night, Eric
planned with Dengel and kept Kasile updated on their progress.

All the information they had to go on was that every Black
Cloak was more powerful, in skill if not in spirit, than Eric himself. Dengel
began rectifying this with intensive lessons. Studying soul-to-mind was more
efficient than book-to-mind and Eric learned the theory behind several spells
before the sun went down. Practice would come later, after breakfast and
another grueling hike.

Eric never thought he'd be happy to see the Yacian Caverns.
They meant no more grabbing sand, no more sand in his shoes, his mouth, his
nose, his eyes. They meant he was about a day away from Ataidar, and four days
from its capital at Roalt. On the other hand, they meant C class monsters.

At the entrance, he fidgeted. “What if those xethras attack
us again?“

Basilard placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don't worry, I'll
be ready for them.” He smiled encouragingly. “You will too.” Eric beamed with
pride and saluted.

“You can count on me, Daylra!” Tiza snickered.

“Time is money, remember?” Anuzat hopped in.

Tiza followed close behind. One reason for their bond was
their endless amounts of unfounded confidence. Eric sighed, pulled out a light
stone, and followed.

While the Kyraans stayed away from the Yacian Caverns, they
still had maps of it, for which Eric was eternally grateful. He didn't want to
go insane again to return home.
Home
. . . Since when was
Tariatla
his home!? He was bitten by the food and he was sure the cave moss was staring
at him! He'd been attacked by monsters and traps and whatnot.
Why in the
world did I think of this place as home? 

I hope you are not asking me.
I studied magic, not
the human mind
.

No, I was just thinking to myself. What do you know about
xethras?

I know they have adapted to living in semi-darkness and
can regenerate lost limbs. The best method of combat is to overwhelm their
senses.

Are there any other monsters as dangerous as the xethras
in this cave?

In my day, there were plenty.
Eric shivered.
Do
not worry. I wrote
The Definitive Guide to the Beasts of Yacian
, the
first comprehensive bestiary on the monsters of the Yacian Caverns. I know
everything about them. There is no need for concern.

If you say so.

Of course . . . things might have changed since then . .
.
Eric stopped and Nolien bumped into him.

“Eric, is something wrong?” the healer asked. “I know you're
nervous, but Sergeant Basilard said not to worry. You'll wear yourself out.”

Eric watched the shadows. “How long would it take for
monsters to evolve?”

“Micro or macro?”

“Micro.”

“Well, it varies depending on many conditions,” Nolien
started and his tone became that of a schoolboy giving a presentation. “Catastrophes,
mana storms, death and birth rates, The Trickster's mood, an environment that
supports a new trait or traits—”

“HOW LONG!?” Tiza shouted from ahead of them.

Nolien scowled. “Anywhere from 'instantly' to 'upward of two
thousand years'. Why?”

“Oh . . .just wondering . . .” He trailed off. What was he
supposed to say, 'if the scholar in my head is out of date?' “If the xethras
evolved as fast as they regenerated.”

Basilard chuckled. “There are monsters like that, but the
xethras are not one of them.”

Eric, calm your nerves by practicing that spell I showed
you.

Oh!..Right!
Out loud, Eric said, “Daylra, could I try
a concealment spell?”

That gave the senior a slight pause. “Concealment? . . . I
haven't taught you those yet.”

“I studied while you were asleep . . .and it was in the
elemental category so . . .I thought . . .”

Basilard shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”

Eric held his staff straight out in front of him with both
hands. “You guys might want to grab on. Otherwise you won't be able to see each
other when I'm done.” Once he felt three hands and a paw he closed his eyes,
measured out the necessary mana, and began:

“In this darkest of nights, we shall escape all sights.” He
felt an odd thrill of power at the words. “No fear of sword or bow or monster's
might, shall we have in this lack of light! Dark Veil!”

The darkness intensified until visibility was zero, then
settled around them like a veil. Their own sight was unaffected, but if the
spell worked, no one would be able to see them. However, that didn't mean they
were undetectable.

“For those who see with ear and nose, we shall now oppose.
Draw away with breath that shows, all signs of the way we goes! Lupine Baffler!”

The wind picked up and rustled their clothes. Then it
settled. Everything inside Eric's reach was silent. With the darkness hiding
them from sight and the wind carrying away their sound and scent, no one
outside the perimeter should be able to see, hear, or smell them.

“Why didn't you use those spells in these first place!” Anuzat
shouted angrily. “Aren't you supposed to be an expert mage!? You could have
saved my caravan!”

“May we walk as we talk?” Anuzat gave him a nasty look
before nodding. “Because, Miss Anuzat, if a concealment spell of any nature is
used for a prolonged period of time, the drain on the mage's willpower will
make them go insane. Their minds could become monster-like.”

“Is that what happened to me?”

“Not quite,” Nolien replied. “Your case was more of spell
obsession.”

“Would you prefer that
I
attack you, Miss Anuzat? In
such a state, I wouldn't hesitate.”

“Are you
threatening
me, Mercenary Leader?” Anuzat
stood to her full height. “I was trained as a Kyraan warrior.”

“Of course not, Miss Anuzat. That would be against guild
policy. I was only pointing out why I would not use concealment spells.”

Those spells were taking their toll on Eric. The Dark Veil
was surprisingly easy to maintain, as easy as creating a barrier, but combined
with the Lupine Baffler, his store of mana was quickly diminishing. Tunnel vision
was setting in; the last thing he remembered before waking up in the desert. Basilard's
walking lecture was a welcome distraction. Anuzat still didn't believe he
couldn't use them.

“To prevent mental status aliments, concealment spells
should only be used by those that specialize in them. Otherwise they eventually
wear off, lose effect, or be noticed themselves. Most important of all,
monsters are unpredictable; they can be immune to cover spells and see past
illusions. The point, Miss Anuzat, is that you can't rely on concealment.”

“Would you have done it if I had ordered you to?” Anuzat
asked. “Your job is protecting me.”

“Yes, and to protect you, I would have insisted that my mana
was saved for fighting. I am a fighter, Miss Anuzat; my magic is meant to
fight
monsters, not hide from them. My offensive spells can decimate B class, but at
concealment I doubt I'm better than Eric.”

Said mage wasn't sure whether to take that as an insult. No
one had attacked them yet, but that might be due to a lack of monsters in the
area.

“Why don't you try using concealment? See if yours last
longer than your student's.”

“That would result in one of us temporarily losing our
powers. Would it be worth it?”

Anuzat turned away from him, saying nothing.

Monsters passed and ignored them. Starfish flew over their
heads and rodents scurried by their feet, completely oblivious of the sapients
in their presence. Eric spotted another pack of xethras at the end of a tunnel,
which moved on without noticing them. Anything that
did
slip by their
ward was quickly dispatched by Basilard. That sword of his killed without a
sound and left nothing behind but a dry husk. Tiza was enamored, Nolien
intrigued, and Eric scared.

After half an hour, Basilard relieved him. He gave Eric a
three-hour break and they switched back and forth until Anuzat called a stop.
By then Eric was mentally exhausted. He gratefully lay down and when he opened
his eyes, he was in a dark void.

He rubbed his eyes but the darkness remained. His first
thought was that everyone's light stones had gone out so he pulled another from
his pack and activated it. Princess Kasile lay next to him.

She was sleeping. Her hair was combed and her dress
pristine. No jewel or hint of make-up was anywhere in sight. She lay peacefully
asleep in the void.

Shrugging, he knelt by Kasile and gently shook her shoulder.

“Princess.” She moaned in her sleep and rolled over. “Princess,
it's me, Eric Watley.”

Kasile slowly opened her eyes. When all she saw was darkness,
she groaned. In a much brighter voice she said, “Is it morning already, Eric?”

“Uh . . .Your Highness, turn around.” Kasile did and blinked
fine eyelashes. Then she hugged Eric with enough force to knock him on his
back.

“Eric! It's so good to actually
see
you!” Eric
mumbled likewise, too embarrassed to say anything else. Kasile's happiness
dimmed and, still on top of Eric, she looked about. “Where are we?”

“I-I d-don't know.” Suddenly the girl realized she was lying
on him. Her own cheeks turned bright red and she scampered off.

“I'm very, very sorry, Mr. Watley. I shouldn't have lounged
like that. Forgive me.”

“Your Highness, I said it was okay to call me 'Eric'.”

She smiled. “Then you must call me “Kasile.' We know each
other well enough by now.”

“But Your Highness!”

“You told me about the time you went to a museum, were
wrapped up in toilet paper, and put on display as a mummy! Would you tell that
to any less than a friend?”

“But that was just to make you laugh!”

“Of course,” Kasile continued, undaunted. “Friends cheer
each other up when they need it.”

“But . . .Your . . . Your Highness . . .” Eric protested
helplessly.

Kasile smiled mischievously. “I
order
you to call me ‘Kasile.’”

With a smile of his own, Eric consented. “As you wish,
Princess
Kasile.” She gave him a royal whack on the arm. Rubbing said arm, he continued,
“Well, I can't be dreaming. That hurt too much.”

“And you call yourself a mercenary. Shame on you!”

 “Hey, I'm a battle mage, not a fighter.”

 There was nothing but darkness beyond the range of Eric's
light stone: pure blackness as far as the eye could see. What they stood on
looked no different from the space above their heads.

Dengel, can you hear me?

“There is no need to think here.” For the first time, Eric
saw him.

The dead mage was two heads taller than Eric and his golden-brown
hair fell loose to his waist. His eyes were sharp, his nose slightly hooked,
and, like all elves, his ears were pointed. However, they seemed longer than
Quando's. He wore a cloak over a robe decorated with runes. He expected someone
ancient, but Dengel didn't look a day over thirty.

“This is a Union Point of Telepathic Empathy or UPTE.” Eric
blinked. Dengel sighed. “A 'mental meeting room': a metaphysical location
created by the union of your and the Princess' minds.”

“Eric, what are you looking at?”

If she can't hear Dengel, then of course she can't see
him
. “I'm talking with that friend I was telling you about. The one helping
me plan your rescue.”

“I see. I look forward to meeting them in person.”

Eric turned away. “Uhh . . .He's more of an idea guy . . ..So
. . .he won't be doing any of the actual
rescuing
, and he's pretty far
away from Ataidar . . .”
In a matter of speaking . . .