Spellscribed: Ascension (28 page)

Bridget glanced over at him. “It was an unusual tone, but we’ve used horns for signals before. I just… never heard one used all the way up the mountain like that.”

“If the king is dead right now, why do the whole chain of horns?” Endrance asked.

Selene and Bridget both shrugged.
“Beats me.” Bridget replied.

They had just cleared the ramps down into the third bowl when Endrance felt something change. To his arcane senses, it was akin to the radiance of heat a burning fire gave off. A wall of power that felt hot and agitating to him tingled across his skin and his other senses, causing him to twitch for a split second as it hit him.

Selene noticed his motion out of the corner of her eye and turned to him. “What’s wrong, Endrance?” she asked, pulling her horse closer.

“You can’t feel it?” Endrance asked, surprised. Despite the cold air whirling around him, he felt hot alongside the cold. That conflicting physical and magical sensation was distracting, but not debilitating.

“Feel what?” Bridget asked in return. She looked around, confused. “It’s not even that cold out yet.”

“No, it’s an aura of magic that is huge. And we just rode into it…” Endrance’s voice trailed off as thoughts fell into place, one after another.

Gullin!
Endrance called desperately.

What do you need?
Gullin asked, sounding confused.

Don’t you feel that?
Endrance demanded.
Get out over the battlefield and tell me what you feel!

I am over it now and because of the clouds you made I do not-
Gullin’s words suddenly cut off mid-sentence.
Hold. I detect the presence of mages coming towards the city.

You wouldn’t happen to have an idea how strong they are?
Endrance asked.

I do.
Gullin responded, his tone dark.
There are three mages, each with significant power. They are each somewhat more powerful than you.

Three mages.
Endrance closed his eyes, letting the horse navigate. Selene, who was watching him, figured out what he was doing and directed Bridget to flank his horse, keeping it on its route. Endrance didn’t know how the wolfmen had mages on their side, but it was a moot point. With one mage of equal power or skill, Endrance had even chances. Against three, each stronger than him, he was likely outclassed.

Kaelob had taught him not to take just someone’s available power into account. If one was clever enough, and mentally flexible enough, they could outwit and outclass mages with many times their strength. The problem Endrance was really concerned with was that there were three of them. If they were close together and working in a team, any tricks he could work would get taken apart many times faster or be completely useless against multiple opponents.

Where are they?
Endrance asked.

They are at the outer edge of the flatlands around the mountain.
Gullin reported.
They are not approaching quickly.

Endrance considered his options. Nodding to himself, he contacted
Gullin once more.

Do they have familiars?

No.

Think you could surprise bomb one of them?

They are already prepared for magical attacks. I am sorry.

It was worth a shot. How long until you think they will get here?

They seem to be moving with something carried behind them, and they are moving at your normal walking pace.
Gullin observed.
I guess one day, if they do not rest.

They won’t need to, if they’re like the others.
Endrance replied.

Master, I believe that the object they are carrying is the source of that sensation you mentioned.
Gullin stated.
I feel it too, but I believe that normal humans do not have enough power to be able to feel this kind of aura.

I was wondering why I could sense them from so far away. What do you think it is?

I am not sure, but it looks… pretty.
Gullin replied.
I cannot get closer or they will be able to target me more easily.

Come back to me. I’ll need your power if I have to fight them directly.

Gullin arrived, swooping in to land on his shoulder. Endrance only had a little while to prepare to battle three mages beyond his ken for the safety of Balator.

“There are three mages coming to join the wolfmen.” Endrance reported. “They will be at the gates within a day.”

Bridget exchanged a glance with Selene. “How do you know?” Selene asked.

“It’s… a wizard thing.” He replied with a sigh. “The three of them are stronger than me. There’s a good chance that in a straight fight they will defeat me.”

“Then don’t fight fair!” Bridget exclaimed with practically no hesitation.

Endrance shook his head. “When each fighter wields the power to warp the rules of the cosmos, what would be considered fighting unfairly?”

Bridget looked puzzled. Selene sighed.

“It’s a shame she left without repaying you.” Selene said, bringing up the assassin. “Or maybe we could have paid to point her at them.”

“And if they’re stronger than you, she’d probably die.” Bridget retorted. “One can hope, right?”

“She did repay me.” Endrance stated. “But that’s not important right now. I think I have an idea. We need to turn back around.”

“What?” Bridget demanded.

“Do either of you know an archer?” Endrance asked. “I mean a very, very good one?”

Selene and Bridget glanced at each other. “Yes.” Selene said. “But you won’t like where she is.”

“I don’t care right now.” Endrance exclaimed. “We have little time and I need someone you trust to shoot far and accurately.”

Selene frowned. “Fine.” She said. “We’re going back up to the seventh bowl.”

“What?” Endrance asked. “That’s hours away!”

“Then we better hurry.” Bridget replied. “I hope your plan is worth it.”

“If it works it just might save our lives.” Endrance stated. “I hope your archer is good.”

“Oh she is.” Bridget replied. “The best I’ve ever seen. Beat me every time when I was training.”

“Then she’ll do fine.” Endrance said, not thinking in depth about the context of what she was saying. “Let’s go!”

They managed to ride up the mountain in good time, only taking an hour to get to the second bowl. The streets had been empty and that had contributed greatly to their alacrity. Bridget and Selene led him to a large, low building that looked familiar to Endrance but he couldn’t place it.

Endrance let the two women lead him to the door and watched as they opened it without knocking. They stepped inside and Endrance followed, perplexed. Inside was a main hall for serving food, with several long, worn wooden tables set along the length of the building. Stone construction, the walls were adorned with several tapestries depicting historic events in Balatoran history, some of which he recognized from what the Draugnoa had taught him. The hearthstone before the expansive fire was carved into the depiction if a great horned owl, its wings spread across the stone surface.

Several women had turned to look at them as they entered, and a tingle of trepidation trickled down his spine. Girls younger than he peeked out from behind some of the grown women, and Endrance noted several girls around the age of five sitting at a far end of a table. He realized that they were in the home of the ‘Owl Women’ of Balator. Here were all the women who had escaped having to serve him.

Bridget, Selene and Anna were once Ergkinoa, until they were given to him as sacrifice. They had been raised since childhood here, and taught the history of the kingdom and its many contradictory, superstitious laws. Here they were allowed to pursue a weapon of choice, and were able to learn that one in exclusion to the smattering of other weapons that the normal military were trained in. Other than daggers, they had a weapon they trained with every day for years.

It suddenly made sense where they would have known an archer of great skill. Endrance watched as the two moved to the center of the room, deigning to stay standing near the door. Since he was there, they could speak with his authority and the general population could not ignore them.

“Sisters.”
Selene said, smiling at them. “The Spengur comes in search of Tanya.”

An elderly woman entered from an adjoining room. She looked to be on the verge of panic as she addressed Selene, her wrinkled demeanor showing fearful respect.

“You’ve returned with the Spengur, Selene.” The woman replied. “Does that mean he’s chosen?”

Selene looked back at Endrance quizzically. Endrance shrugged, frowning. She turned back to the elder and nodded.
“Yes, owl-mother.” She replied. “He needs Tanya’s skill and bow.”

A murmur arose from around the room as several of the Ergkinoa exchanged quiet words. The elder frowned, her many wrinkles enhancing her sorrowful expression. “But…”

Bridget stepped forward. “Look, the Spengur says he needs the help of the most skilled archer we have and last I knew, Tanya was still that person. Am I wrong?”

“Well… no.” the elder replied.

“Then we need her help!” Bridget exclaimed. “We have enemies at the gates, with mages on their side, and the Spengur needs her help to fight them off.”

The elder looked grim as she considered. “This is a hard thing you demand of me.” She stated. Endrance watched the exchange with a growing sense of concern. “If it is how you say, then Tanya is going to her death.” The elder shook her head. “I will have the other prospects prepared for when you return again.”

Endrance pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and stepped forward. “Wait a minute.” He exclaimed. “She’s not going to her death; I need her. Today. I know she’s not going to be as experienced as a soldier would be, but I can’t trust any archer in the military to do exactly what I say when I say it. Please. At least let me talk to her, and see if she will agree to go with me.”

“That’s not the problem.” The elder replied. “She will inevitably have to go if you demand, and we cannot stop you from demanding her of us, as is your right. But we have no king, and cannot perform the ceremony of sacrifice without the king to allow it.”

“I don’t want her to be sacrificed to me!” Endrance exclaimed. “I just need her help!”

The elder shook her head. “The Ergkinoa do not serve the Spengur like the Draugnoa do, unless they are a sacrifice. I believed you were here to replace your lost woman, as is tradition.”

Endrance glanced at Bridget, then to Selene. The look in their eyes told him that they had told him about this rule and he had completely forgotten about it.

“So you’re telling me, that in order to get any help from anyone other than the two women I have with me and my bodyguard, I need to have them sacrificed to me?”

“Yes.”

“And how many of these sacrifices am I supposed to demand of you?”

“You must have at least three, though some Spengur in the past have had as many as twelve.”

Endrance opened his eyes, incredulous. “Twelve?” he asked, shocked.

“It was a dark time for the people of Balator.” She said.

Endrance rubbed at his temples. “Look, I really can’t in good conscience take her away from you. I didn’t expect to have the Draugnoa in service to me in the first place, and now knowing what they give up I have even less inclination to ask for another.”

“You must.” The elder woman said. “It is law.”

“Remind me.” Endrance asked of Bridget. “What difference is there between law and tradition here?”

Bridget half shrugged. “In this case, nothing.”

“Damn.” Endrance cursed. “So I have to pick another.”

“Yes.” Bridget replied.

Endrance threw his hands up and paced back and forth, his anxiety increasing with his understanding of how little time he had left. He needed to do something now, or accept that he’d
wasted hours he could have used setting up magic for the fight that was coming. Why hadn’t he just sent Selene to go retrieve an archer? She could probably have found someone who could help!

He looked up, and could immediately see that the women in the room had shied away from him. He had been scowling and his hands were clenched into fists. They had probably thought him on the verge of violence.

He forced himself to take a steadying breath. “All right.” He said, “Is Tanya here?”

“Aye.”
The old woman replied, swallowing.

“I wish to speak to her.” Endrance said. “Please have her come forward.”

Several of the women parted, not wanting to draw his ire, no matter how false their impressions of his temper were. The woman who stepped forward looked merely concerned.

Easily six foot tall, Tanya had waves of blond hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. She was attractive and excellently muscled, with freckled skin drawn taut over a strong, yet feminine frame. Endrance should not have been surprised, but she was also taller and stronger than he ever would be. Her face was pretty, the freckles making an otherwise ordinary appearance seem like something more.