The Baldari (Book 3) (25 page)

The aftermath of the attack on Roin greatly taxed Daim’s administrative skills.  He was more than willing to admit he wasn’t up to the task of planning for what might lie ahead.  He wished more than once that his old friend Naeem was here to take charge, or at least point him in the proper direction.  Sadly, Naeem had died long ago fighting the Rift.  Daim had to rely on his common sense and the guidance of a few of those he trusted most.

With members of their community now in the hands of the enemy, and having seen that such prisoners were being used to provide access for the Baldari warriors, Daim had to assume the Outpost and other facilities visited by his fellow wizards would be likely targets of attack.  He still hoped that his protections which limited those who could create a
Bypass
into the Outpost to a small number would prevent the captured wizards from opening a path to the interior of the place to the enemy.  The restriction made matters more complicated for those who frequented the Outpost, but it had worked during the battle with Carif, and they would make it work now.  As it turned out, the captured wizards weren’t capable of overcoming the protective measures that Daim had put in place, but those who controlled them would find the restrictions ineffective if they ever got free. 

There was much within the Outpost that Daim didn’t want lost should the facility fall.  To protect some of their most important assets, he had many items moved to his old hideaway in the Ruins, and then closed down the always-open
Bypass
that had been used for access for so many years.  Almost no one in the wizard community knew where the hideaway actually was, and only he and Rigo could make a
Bypass
to it.  He believed that should make it reasonably secure.  To further protect certain items, he selected one of the junior wizards, and tasked the lad with choosing a place only he knew of, and moving a roomful of items that Daim showed him to that place.  He was to tell no one, including Daim, and stay there until this was over.  He asked Ash’urn to oversee the relocation of all of the ancient texts that the Repository would now allow them to read to a secure location.  Ash’urn and Shara, who worried about Ash’urn tackling anything too strenuous these days, enlisted the aid of some of the younger novices to move the heavy volumes to a place far away.

Squads of combat capable wizards were formed and on duty at all hours.  They had a far greater number of capable wizards than had been captured, but the shields exhibited by the captured Caster Shym provided a level of uncertainty.  While she was the only captured Caster who had demonstrated such protection, if some of the wizards appeared similarly protected, it would be difficult to impossible to defend against them.  Just to be certain, escape locations had been agreed upon, with the standard escape approach calling for passing through the blocked cavern underground.  The facility had yet to be tested, but it would be more effective than hoping the enemy couldn’t track their
Bypass
portals. 

Wizards had already been dispatched to the leaders of all four kingdoms, alerting them to the most recent attack, the capture of the wizards, and the possible implications of the enemy having such prisoners.  He knew the Army would be put on alert, but wondered how useful that would be.  They could handle Baldari, but an attack by the wizards who had been captured would be far too one-sided, and would result in massive losses for the Guard.  The attack on Roin had less significance for Sedfair, but alerted them that the enemy was still pressing its attacks.  Word was being spread through the entire wizard network to warn all that they were at risk, and clearly a target for capture.  As yet Burke’s team in the southern jungles hadn’t been alerted to the attack.  They would learn of it later that day when they returned from their explorations as usual.  Daim considered them always at risk, and he knew that Burke felt the same and was appropriately vigilant.  The risk they were taking was necessary, and additional warnings weren’t likely to change their situation any.

“What of the captured Baldari?” he asked the assembled wizards, some of whom had gone to Roin during the attack.

“They are all dead,” he was told.  “Just like those in Sedfair.  They seldom last more than a glass after being captured.”

Daim cursed.  He wasn’t certain what he hoped to learn or exactly how to go about it, but had some vague notion the Reading technique used in Sedfair might have shed some information on where the invaders originated, and maybe who and how many were driving them.  He believed that a part of the mental control pressed upon the small fighters was a compulsion to die if captured.  That someone would have so little concern about those they manipulated was disconcerting.

Daim had just sent off the last of his core team on miscellaneous assignments when Lyes, whom Daim considered his equivalent in the Guild, suddenly appeared at the entrance to the hall which Daim was using as a war room.  Young Fen was with him, carrying one of the ornate Casting staffs.

“My messenger reached Sedfair?” Daim asked, assuming their presence was the result of Lyes learning of the attack.

“He did,” Lyes nodded, “but that isn’t the reason for our visit.”

Daim waited expectantly, knowing that Lyes must have something important on his mind.  He would have known that Daim would be extremely busy making preparations.  Daim couldn’t see what he might have to offer, as Sedfair was already stretched trying to protect its own citizens. 

“We’ve come from the Repository,” Lyes explained.  “While the materials there remain off-limits to us, we have been able to use the readers to unlock an important secret.”  Lyes smiled and continued.  “We can now create the green fighting magic that Carif used so effectively against us.”

Daim, of course, realized the importance of their discovery.  “Is this a spell anyone can use?” he asked hopefully. 

“We have only limited experience with it, but it seems anyone who can master normal triggering phrases should not have a problem.  We will have to make up modified staffs or something with the appropriate glyphs, but once that is done we should be able to equip many with this new weapon.”

“What about inherent magic?” Daim asked anxiously.  “Is there an equivalent to the Caster’s spell?”  Usually there was a parallel and he and Nycoh had talked about the desire for the more easily used spells of the wizards.

Lyes understood what Daim was asking.  The Caster spell, which he and Fen had discovered and which Carif and her followers had used, required something with the proper symbols and equally important, a Caster capable of learning and speaking the trigger.  The wizards, for the most part, had not taken to learning the symbolic magic, which was more challenging than their own inherent magic.  Sedfair might have an army of Casters who could master the spell, but the Three Kingdoms would have far fewer who would be able to trigger the powerful magic.

“Not that I have been able to discover,” Lyes said sadly.  He felt badly, for as a mage, he often was able to simply “know” the inherent spell once he learned the spoken, symbolic version.  That had not happened in this case.  From what he could tell, it was not available to his inherent magic.

Daim frowned and cursed.  “That is unfortunate.  But, this is great news nonetheless.  Please, let me find Ash’urn and a few others.  Perhaps you can demonstrate.”

Fortunately, Ash’urn was back from his most recent trip and a short time later walked into the room where the others had already gathered.

“What about Nycoh?” Ash’urn asked, not seeing their most capable wizard.

“She’s not here,” Daim explained.  “No one has seen her for more than a day.”

Ash’urn didn’t like the sound of that.  He couldn’t help but wonder if something might have happened to her.  Perhaps she was in Sedfair where she spent most of her time.  He’d have to check later.  Perhaps a messenger sent to Rigo.

“This is best demonstrated outside,” Lyes warned.

Daim nodded, and the group followed him through the
Bypass
that took them outside on top of the rocky hillside that hid the Outpost. 

“Show us how it works,” Daim said, anxious to have the magic available to them.  It had been the source of far too much destruction in the hands of Carif.

Lyes demonstrated the staff that the former Saltique had carried, indicating the string of runes and glyphs that had had them stumped for so long.  Then, he pointed to a large rocky outcropping across the valley, and speaking precisely and loudly so the others could get a sense of the spell, he triggered the powerful magic.

A bright emerald beam formed and lashed out across the valley.  Lyes was able to direct it to the spot he’d pointed out, and the group watched as large chucks of rock were blasted free where the beam struck.  Lyes walked it across the base of the outcropping, and as he reached the far side, the massive pillar of stone shuddered, and then began to fall.  It would have taken a great many wizards simultaneously focusing their
Brightfire
on the spot to cause such an effect. 

Lyes grinned at the group, then handed the staff to Fen, who quickly triggered a spell of his own, once again releasing the greenish magic.  He turned to Daim

“It’s like most combat magic.   The symbols aren’t tied to the Caster.”

Daim smiled, but was troubled.  He had heard triggering phrases for a while now, and it was clear this one wasn’t simple.  He wondered how many of his people would be able to master it quickly.

Ash’urn had stepped forward, looking more frail than Daim had realized in the harsh outdoor light.  He suddenly understood why Shara had been so concerned about him.  He reached out and took the staff from Fen, examining the symbols once again.  He had stared at them for many glass over the past weeks.  Now they had revealed their secrets. 

With his keen ear and the long practice he had with the symbolic magic, Ash’urn had no trouble repeating the phrase that he’d just heard from Lyes and Fen.  Once again, the powerful magic lanced forth, cutting through the distant stone.  He smiled at the success of his efforts, and handed the staff back to Fen.

“A remarkable effort,” he said to them both.  “This will make a big difference.”

“Will it penetrate one of the shields the Baldari are using?” Daim asked.  “What about the personal shield that Caster Shym has hid behind?”

“We don’t know,” Lyes said honestly.  “It will be something we have to try.  It should have a far better chance than anything else we have used.”

“It won’t,” said Nycoh, who had suddenly appeared.  “The magic wouldn’t penetrate the weak shield I could create, so I doubt it will be able to punch through the more effective protection that the captured Caster demonstrated.  May I?” she asked, reaching for the staff.

Once again the powerful magic lashed across the valley, and all present could see how much brighter the beam that Nycoh triggered was compared to those the others had generated.  She had only needed to hear the trigger phrase spoken once before her keen ear and skill allowed her to duplicate the words herself.

“Perhaps I will be proven wrong,” Nycoh said, as she handed the staff back to Fen.  “It is more powerful than I would have expected.”

Daim shook his head.  “I am concerned how few will be able to master the spell,” he said.  “I know I will be unable to do so, at least without a great deal of practice.  We will require many staffs and to start classes on how to speak the trigger.”

Ash’urn walked over.  “Perhaps we can use the same approach we used with
Brightfire
.  The small wands were sufficient, and we have a large force of Patrolmen who were able to learn that trigger.  I’ll bet many will be able to learn this new phrase and therefore produce a force that can help guard the cities around the Three Kingdoms.  There are far more of them than wizards anyway.  Put those wizards who have demonstrated some ability with symbolic magic in the same classes, and we might have a reasonably sized force quicker than you think.”

“You’re in charge,” Daim said to Ash’urn.  “You got it to work last time.  See what you can do this time.”  He turned to Lyes and Fen.  “Thank you.  You may have just given us hope against an impossible situation.”

Daim turned back to Ash’urn.  “If the Repository has been able to reveal this magic to us so soon, it might be able to show us other things we need.  For one, I would like to find the secret of the shields that are being used.  Perhaps you and Nycoh could oversee working with Lyes, and having a team going through all the texts we have to see if anything useful turns up?”

The demonstration over, a
Bypass
was created to take everyone back inside.  Daim was speaking to Nycoh.

“I want to find a suitable pillar of stone, and enhance it the same way as the stone surrounding the Outpost.  It will be informative to see how resistant our fortress is against this weapon.  If it cuts through the stone that protects us so easily, this place will be indefensible.”

As he was talking, Daim noticed that Rigo was headed their way.  He must have heard of the attack and had come to see what could be done.  Daim wasn’t prepared for the news that Rigo and Mitty brought.

“Burke is lost?” Daim asked.  “You are certain?” he asked Mitty.

“I believe they were taken alive, but I cannot be sure,” Mitty said.  She described exactly what she had seen.