Lament (Scars of the Sundering Book 2) (15 page)

“It’s almost like they don’t want
anyone seeing what goes on in there.”

“Secretive lot, wizards.” Kali
gazed up toward the top of the barrier. She tried to gain a foothold, but her
claws slid down the façade. They continued to circle the campus, seeking some
flaw in construction to exploit. At the rear of the compound, many buildings
were built right up against the barrier, but they were too short to reach the
top of it, even if Kale and Kali climbed onto their roofs.

When they reached the front of
the compound, they reversed and retraced their path. Kale thought he heard a
scraping sound behind him. When he scanned the area, he saw only citizens of
Muncifer going about their business. He smacked the wall with his palm.

“Hey!” The voice was a whisper.
For a moment, Kale wasn’t sure he even heard it over the din of the crowd. Then
he spotted a cloaked and hooded man waving from the shadows of an alley. He
gestured again when Kale brought the man to Kali’s attention.

Kale fingered one of the daggers on
his bandoleer as he approached the hooded man. His face was hidden in the
shadows of his cloak, but he appeared unkempt and dirty, like other street
dwellers he encountered.

“You lookin’ for a way in? To see
the wizards?” The man took a step backward, further obscuring himself in the
shadows.

“Maybe.” Kale wasn’t sure what to
think of this human. He smelled of moldy cheese, dung, and stale sweat. Kale
supposed hygiene was not one of the man’s priorities in life.

“No way in, unless you’re a
wizard yourself. But, I knows a secret way.”

Kali scoffed. “I’ll bet you do.
And all we have to do is follow you, right? We weren’t hatched yesterday.”

“No, no.” The man shook his head.
He produced a small bag from inside his cloak and bounced it in his hand. Kale
heard the jingle of coins. “I tells you the way, and you sneaks inside. Grabs
something for me. Then you gets paid. Get you in, get me thing, and we all
happy, yes?”

“Sounds easy enough.” Kali
stepped closer to the man, resting her hand on the hilt of her blade. “What
thing? What is it?”

“Kali, I don’t know if we should
steal anything from wizards. They might turn us into something unnatural.”

Kali shot him a look. “Says the
only drak with wings in Muncifer.”

“Oh, yeah. Wings on drak. You
jump over wall to escape. Fast, quiet. They not catch you.”

The smelly man sparked an idea in
Kale. He pulled Kali away from him, toward the main street. “Hey, he’s got a
point. If we can climb just to the top of one of the nearby tall buildings, I
can glide us to the top of the wall.”

“Oh, I’m sure the wizards will
never see us coming.” Kali pointed to the sky above the Arcane University.
“There’s not a lot of cover there.”

Kale considered her point. “So?
Why would they even be looking up? They’re safe, deep in a city, teaching. They
don’t have to worry about invaders from above. Who’d be crazy enough to rob a
wizard school anyway?”

They both looked at the hooded
man. He flashed a smile before he turned and ran down the alley. Kali took
Kale’s arm. “Well, there goes our chance.”

“He was probably crazy anyway. I
don’t want to rob wizards. Seriously, you know how easily upset Delilah can be,
and how powerful she is. Imagine making a whole school full of Delilah’s
angry?”

Kali leaned her head on Kale’s
shoulder. “I kind of like the idea of taking a glide with you. Maybe we should
try that. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Kale envisioned plenty of
negative possibilities. They could crash into a building. They could crash into
an ill-tempered wizard. The wizards might have some sort of enchanted shield
over the university. Maybe they executed trespassers. He told her as much.

“That seems extreme.”

“Let’s go find me a cloak and
look around the undercity. Now that I’ve had time to think about this, I’d
rather risk a mob of admirers than the anger of a wizard.”

Chapter 9

After spending all the first day
scrubbing cauldrons with Katka, Delilah decided to try a different approach
with the archmage on the second day: feigning respect. The guards were true to
their word and returned her possessions to her before taking her to the
barracks. After a bit of haggling with some of the other initiates, she managed
to take a bunk next to Katka. She wasn’t sure what she thought about the human
yet, but she was, at least, someone Delilah knew.

When she reported for her studies
the next morning, Delilah bowed and demurred. The archmage narrowed his eyes
and huffed, but since she kept her tone even and didn’t meet his eyes, he
couldn’t rightly accuse her of disrespect. True to what Pancras and Gisella
predicted, he was unable to give her his full attention. Between requiring her
to sit quietly and observe court business, he paced and lectured her on the
proper method in which to attune an arcane focus. She tried to explain she
already knew how to do that, but he ignored her protests. Interruptions were
constant the first several days, but Archmage Vilkan seemed to regard them as a
matter of course.

As the week neared its end,
Delilah shuffled about the student barracks in a dejected state. So far, she’d
been lectured many times, but the archmage had refused to actually teach her
anything. Each of his lectures covered subjects she learned on her own back
home. Her heart sank when she saw Katka approach, almost bouncing with energy.
Her eyes flashed with excitement. “They’re going to hold Initiate Trials
tomorrow! The Black and White Wizards will be presiding while the archmage is
meeting with the archduke.”

“Great. He’ll probably make me
hold his cloak while he talks. I’ll miss my chance.” She shook her head.
“Doesn’t matter anyway; he hasn’t taught me a damn thing.”

Another student, a novice,
overheard and joined them. “The archmage can’t do that. All initiates are
required to attend the trials, even if they don’t participate.” He offered a
hand to Delilah. “I’m Conner, by the way.”

His appearance and accent
reminded Delilah of Princess Valene in Almeria. “Are you from Vlorey?” Delilah
shook Conner’s hand.

He sat on the edge of her bed.
“My parents are. Were. They were merchants and brought me down here when I was
small. They died a few years back.”

Delilah rubbed her snout. “I
can’t tell how old you humans are.”

Katka laughed. “That’s okay. We
can’t tell how old you are, either. Old draks have dull scales, right?”

“Yeah, they dull with age,
right?” Conner looked at Katka and then Delilah. “It’s not like all draks are
shiny, and then, bam! They’re old and dull.”

The drak sorceress shifted and
kicked her legs against the side of her bed, uncomfortable discussing drak
aging with two humans. “It’s gradual. I spent a lot of time underground, so I
can’t be exact. There’s really only two seasons worth tracking: when snow
blocks us in and when it doesn’t. I think it’s at least thirty winters or so,
but in Drak-Anor, it’s easy to lose track of time.”

“Wow! I’ve only seen sixteen. And
you’re only an initiate?”

“She learned a bunch on her own,
before she came here.” Katka sat on her bed and looked at Delilah. “Right?”

“That’s right.” Delilah sat on
her bunk, pulling her pack up onto the bed with her. “My brother and I helped
defend Drak-Anor for years before I came to this pit. They said I was a
renegade and I had to start here, as an initiate, or they’d kill me.” She
didn’t want to talk about the Court of Wizardry, the archmage, or guild
business, so she changed the subject. “How old are you, Katka?”

“Fourteen. My parents sold our
best horses to pay for my enrollment. They said I was a natural.” She chuckled.
“So far, I’ve only managed to fail three trials and melt two cauldrons.”

Conner slapped her knee. “Well,
tomorrow’s trials will be different. Black and White are always more lenient.
They think the other masters spend too much time proving to initiates that
they’re better than them and too little time teaching magic.”

Delilah snorted. “They must teach
from the same plans as the archmage.”

He stood and shook their hands
again. “Good luck, both of you. Hopefully, this time tomorrow, you’ll be in
grey robes.”

* * *

Throughout the next few days,
Pancras kept checking behind them to determine if they were being followed.
When he wasn’t searching for their elusive pursuer, he wracked his brain,
pondering who would have them followed, and why.

He concluded it was no one from
Muncifer, and he figured anyone from Almeria would have long ago been noticed.
Perhaps
it is an agent of that shadow demon in my head?
Pancras thought he heard a
chuckle somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind.
It’s probably nothing.

Pancras’s paranoid diligence did
not go unnoticed by Gisella. Not only did she agree that their mysterious
companion followed them, but it also behaved like a lone traveler, staying
close enough to observe where they were headed and to follow, rather than
someone who coincidentally traveled the same route. After cresting a hill, she
halted her horse and dismounted.

She handed the reins to Pancras.
“Slow your pace, but keep going. I’m going to lie in wait for our companion and
ascertain whether or not they’re a threat to us. I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Pancras and Edric slowed their
pace. The dwarf looked back as Gisella hunkered down in some scrub near the
road. “This is our chance, you know.”

“Chance for what?” Pancras played
dumb.

“Leave her behind. We could
divert off the road, and you could head back home. She’d be none the wiser.”

The very thought turned Pancras’s
stomach. It was the enchantment the archmage placed on him that caused the
reaction. “She’d notice by the end of the day. Slayers are legendary for their
ability to track their quarry.”

Edric scoffed. “They say a dwarf
could find ale in the Western Wastes, too. Doesn’t matter to me, anyway. You
wanna do what they say, that’s up to you.”

Of course, it wasn’t a matter of
what he wanted. Not anymore. The archmage made sure of that, and sending a
slayer along to ensure the outcome of his decree was insurance. Pancras wanted
to be angry, to rage at the heavens at being forced into the journey against
his will. But he wanted to go to Vlorey. He needed to. The fact that the shadow
in his head was pleased about this worried him.

Whomever the shadow demon in his
mind served, Pancras felt its malevolent touch whenever he thought about magic.
He suspected the haze in his vision was the shadow’s doing, as well. For that
reason, he kept his hands away from his arcane focus as much as possible.

Edric made small talk as they
rode, but Pancras, absorbed in his own thoughts about their follower, the
shadow demon, and traveling to Vlorey, barely noticed the dwarf’s voice. The
morning became afternoon, and as they stretched their legs and walked their
horses, Gisella caught up to them.

With her was a figure familiar to
Pancras: a black-skinned fiendling with flaming red hair. He recognized her
even without her garish outfit.

“This scamp has been following us
since we left the city. Good eyes, Wizard.”

Pancras acknowledged the
compliment with a nod.

Qaliah’s hands were bound in
front of her. She held them up. “Gonna cut me loose, Slayer? I’m not going to
run away. I was coming after you.”

“So you say.” Gisella took her
horse’s reins from Pancras. “And no one sent you. You’re not after me, or the
minotaur, or the dwarf?”

“That’s right. I wanted out of
Muncifer, and I didn’t want to travel alone.”

Pancras looked over at Gisella.
“Why did you bind her?”

“I wanted to keep control of her
until I caught up with you.”

The minotaur unsheathed his knife
and cut her bonds. He didn’t understand why she would follow them at all.
“Surely, there were other people leaving Muncifer with whom you could travel.”

Qaliah rubbed her wrists.
“Surely. Didn’t know them, though.”

Gisella’s horse nickered and
placed her head over the slayer’s shoulder. Gisella looked back at Qaliah. “I
tried to send her home. She fought me.”

“I wasn’t trying to beat you.”
Qaliah laughed. “I don’t think I can. I’m not letting you send me back, though.
My debt to the Arcane University is paid, and I’m a free woman now. I can go
where I want, and right now, I want to go where you all are going.”

“Why?” Pancras couldn’t imagine
anyone wanting to go with them, except Kale, his mate, and Delilah. Especially
someone who was not aware of their destination.

“Why not? I don’t want to stay in
Muncifer, and you’re going away from Muncifer. Good enough for me.” She held up
her hands. “I’m not a complete fool, no matter how well I play at being one.
Traveling alone is dangerous. I won’t get in the way, and I’ll pull my weight.
Don’t have a horse, though.”

“Bah, girl’s lucky we kept a slow
pace.” Edric climbed onto his pony. “Let’s get some more road under us before
nightfall.”

“Indeed.” Gisella mounted her
steed. She regarded Qaliah. “We can’t keep you from following us, I guess, but
you’ll have to keep up.” She spurred her horse into a trot, passing Edric. The
dwarf followed suit.

Pancras mounted Stormheart and
contemplated following, but then he sighed and offered a hand to the fiendling.
“Come on, then. Stormheart can carry us both for a bit.”

* * *

The practice area where the
Initiate Trials were held was off to the side of the courtyard, between the
tavern and the Court of Wizardry. A covered pavilion stood at one end, in which
the Black Wizard, the White Wizard, and various masters sat. Practice dummies
were lined up, backs to the compound wall. Students of all ranks stood on the
sidelines, some waiting for their trials, others observing. Master Galina stood
before the reviewing stand to serve as the proctor of the trials. Delilah knew
from Katka’s gossip that Master Galina was one of the favorite defensive magic
teachers of the students. She was an older woman, tall and thin, with greying
hair she kept in a tight braid that hung down her back.

The drak sorceress and Katka
stood on the sidelines with Conner, observing some of the other initiates
perform the required spells. Delilah lost track of their names. That the
archmage kept her separated from most of the other students, except at night,
didn’t help.

Initiates were called one at a
time to stand before Black and White, as the students referred to them. The first
student called was an older initiate. At least, he looked older to Delilah. She
still found it unreliable to determine the age of students based on their
appearance. He was taller than Conner, but his face was just as smooth, though
lighter. The smooth skin of humans unnerved Delilah. She didn’t like the way it
felt under her fingers, either. It reminded her of dwarf flesh, but it was a
bit more squishy and warm.

“Initiate Ludek, can you produce
for us, a ball of light?” Master Galina paced in front of Ludek, her hands
clasped behind her back.

“Certainly, Master.” Ludek held
aloft his wand. “
Fos.
” Emerald swirls of aether spun around the tip of
his wand, coalescing into a ball of light.

“Now, Initiate Ludek, I will cast
a spell at you.” Master Galina stepped back, fingering an amulet around her
neck. “If it hits you, it will harm you. Do you understand?”

Ludek extinguished the light and
nodded. “I understand.”

Master Galina held up her amulet
and pointed at Ludek. “
Dynami velos!”
Wisps of azure formed a sphere and
hurtled at Ludek.

He twisted and raised his wand. “
Aspida
tou ravematos.
” A shield of glittering energy the color of grass reflected
the attack.

The gathered initiates applauded
his quick reflexes. Delilah looked on with growing impatience as they tested
his ability to levitate an object out of the Blood Oak and cast his own bolt of
energy at one of the training dummies.

“That is sufficient, Initiate.
You may trade in your initiate robes for novice robes and join the ranks of the
novices.” Master Galina bowed to Ludek. The initiates offered him another round
of applause.

One by one, Master Galina called
the initiates. Some passed, some failed, and some failed painfully in the case
of those unable to erect a shield in time to avoid Master Galina’s spell. When
it was Katka’s turn, Delilah wished her good luck. The girl was able to create
light, defend herself, and retrieve the object from the tree, but when it came
time to attack the training dummy, her bolt fizzled and splashed against the
wood and straw target like a snowball.

Master Galina cocked an eyebrow
and glanced at the two high wizards. They shook their heads.

“You will remain an initiate,
Katka.”

Katka hung her head and nodded.
She returned to Delilah and Conner, offering them a weak smile. “Here I stay. I
just need more practice with that one, I guess.”