Death Mages Ascent: Revised Edition (Death Mage Series Book 1) (14 page)

Lashing out with his sword, Jaxom took the arm off a shade that had snuck up behind him. The durgen finished the armless shade with a powerful swipe of its front paw, sending the cloud of darkness flying into the air. Jaxom sheathed his sword to free both hands. With one hand, he cast out the shadow veil, creating a tight circle around them and obscuring the shades’ sight. They could not see the enemy, but neither could the shades find them. His other hand sent forth the blight to form a tighter ring within the veil. Before the ring closed around them, Adriana changed tactics after deflecting another sword. Tackling her assailant to the ground and pinning the shade beneath her, she brought her mace down in a powerful, two-handed strike, resulting in a sickening, wet crunch. 

Some of the shades tried walking through the veil, only to recoil when they encountered the blight. The veil would last for a while on its own, but he had to continuously replenish the blight, and the effort of holding so much of it was already beginning to take its toll. Adriana hastily joined him on top of the durgen, as Brenin climbed onto his own mount with his bow still in hand. Jaxom commanded both of the risen mounts to lift from the ground.  As they moved into the air, Jaxom was forced to release the blight. As soon as he did, darker spots flooded into the space they had just left. The companions moved higher into the night sky and turned once again toward the south.

Chapter 18

              Adriana leaned against his back, trying to get some sleep while the stars sped by above. Brenin slumped forward in his saddle, dozing lightly, but Jaxom could not take the time to rest his eyes. He had been scanning the ground since they had been forced to abandon the farm hours ago. They could not risk stopping again without knowing how fast the shades could travel at night. As far as he knew, they were running right beneath them, just waiting for them to land.

              He had almost resigned himself to a night without rest when he spotted in the distance the light of hundreds of camp fires. From his vantage point, he could make out a roughly circular camp ringed by bond fires that lit up the perimeter. Jaxom knew they must proceed cautiously. He needed to make sure that the camp was Corin’s before landing in the middle of an army at night. He also did not want to be mistaken for an enemy again. Nudging Adriana awake, he called to Brenin who jerked awake in his saddle with a brief look of confusion. He pointed out the fires to his friends as he maneuvered the risen down into a grove of trees just outside the light of the perimeter. From the edge of the grove, Jaxom could just make out the uniforms of the men patrolling in front of the large fires. They wore the blue livery of Ale’adaria except for one whose robes showed him to be a mage. Mages would not normally be on guard duty, thinking the task beneath them. Something must have happened to make Corin want one out here to protect the camp.

              As they dismounted, Jaxom considered how best to approach the guard without causing alarm. On foot, they walked out towards the light. “Hello the camp,” Jaxom called. The men who heard instantly came on guard, drawing swords or hefting spears. The mage held his hands out, preparing to cast at the intruders.

              Stepping into the light from the fires, Jaxom felt a cold wind blow past him. Frost began to form over his body. “Hold your magic, Magus,” a gruff sounding voice said from among the men. The wind eased up and the frost abated as four men with weapons drawn moved out to meet them.

              “You aren’t shades, so who are you then?” the owner of the gruff voice demanded. Chevrons on the man’s arm marked him as a sergeant, and his demeanor showed confidence and experience.

              “Magus Jaxom and company to see King Corin,” Jaxom said, hoping to be recognized. He was well known among the Guard but doubted if any of the army knew him by name.

              “The death mage,” one of the men whispered. “Apologies, Magus. We have been on guard like this for the past two nights. The shades slipped through three days ago and killed near one hundred men before we even knew they were there,” the sergeant said.

              “I understand, sergeant. We ran into them on the way down here. Your caution is warranted,” Jaxom said. “We left our mounts in the treeline. Tell your men that they will be coming up and not to give the alarm.” The man looked confused, but sent one of the men back to the fires to tell the rest.

              Jaxom reached out to the risen durgen, instructing them to approach the group. An audible gasp escaped the three men, while the others near the fire began shuffling into small, defensive groups. Once the durgen had reached him, Jaxom climbed back up into the saddle. Brenin resumed his seat as well while Adriana opted to stay on the ground rather than ride double again. Moving forward, they approached the fires. All the men except for the ice mage took steps back to clear them a path.

              “Good evening, Magus,” Jaxom said politely. The mage, who appeared no older than Brenin, stared at the risen mounts for a long moment before shifting his gaze up to regard Jaxom.

              “Good evening,” the mage replied. His voice was surprisingly polite. Jaxom had come to expect only scorn from other mages toward his creations. “These are wondrous creatures. I was told that you could control the dead, but I have never heard of animals like these before.”

              “What is your name, Magus?” “Darian,” he said, running a hand down the neck of the risen all the way to the shoulder.

              “If we have time later, I can tell you as much as you want about them. For now, I need to speak with the king. Do you know where I can find him?” Jaxom asked.

              The ice mage stepped back. “Yes, of course. His tent is at the center of the camp near the mages and officers. I would very much enjoy discussing these creatures of yours when there is time.”

              Jaxom nodded.

              The first tents stood a good distance from the outer ring of guard fires. Jaxom guessed it was meant to buy time for the army to organize if the alarm was sounded. The first of the tents were small white canvas stretched over a pole and meant to hold two men. Soldiers sat by fires, tending to pots of food or their gear. All jumped up, alarmed at the sight of them. Further into the camp, they passed the supply wagons and animals kept closer to the center for protection in case of a raid. Men responsible for supplies were handing out food or working on broken armor and gear. After the wagons, the tents became larger, belonging to officers and nobles who were responsible for leading individual units into battle. One noble emerging from his tent jumped back, reaching for his sword. Jaxom ignored the man and kept moving forward through the gathering crowd of men and mages who had come out to see the strange creatures. Corin’s square, canvas tent was by far the largest in camp and surrounded by another ring of the men who formed the king’s personal Guard.

              “Brenin, can you stay here with our gear?” he asked the archer.

              The man nodded. Jaxom and Adriana dismounted and walked passed the two guards at the entrance, both men bringing fist to chest in salute. The main room inside the tent was well lit by candles, and bright decorative rugs had been spread over the ground. Further back, another closed flap created a private space where the king slept. At the center of the room stood a large collapsible table surrounded by men in armor and mages in robes. All of them looked up when Jaxom and Adriana entered.

              At the head of the table, Corin straighted from his position leaning over the maps spread on the table. He approached Jaxom and looked him up and down before grabbing him in both arms for a bear hug that squeezed the air from his body.

              “I see you have still not learned the definition of the word ‘subtlety.’ My men say that you arrived riding some kind of winged beast. What will it be next time? A dragon?” the king chuckled before finally releasing Jaxom from the powerful embrace.

              “I wish. A dragon could be very useful for what we are up against. I have a lot to tell you, but…” Jaxom looked around the room at the men who had been watching the exchange.

              “Lord Wilbrin, would you please see that Jaxom and his… friend are situated with a tent nearby.” Corin said. He had not missed Adriana’s presence. “Have one of the lesser lords moved to other arrangements if necessary.” Turning back, he spared another glance for Adriana, and Jaxom saw the hint of a grin at the corner of his mouth. How could he possibly know? Jaxom shook his head.

“We will speak after I have finished here. Go get yourself cleaned up,” Corin said. Patting Jaxom on the shoulder, he returned to his position at the table.

Jaxom and Adriana waited awkwardly while Lord Wilbrin evicted another noble who was not happy giving up his tent for the death mage. The tent was small for the three of them, but it was far larger than those at the edge of the camp. With their bags put away, Brenin laid out his bedroll on the ground and promptly went to sleep. Adriana followed Jaxom back outside where the durgen stood motionless, waiting for commands. A small group of mages were clustered around them, peering curiously at the the strange beasts. Leaving them to examine their mounts, Jaxom and Adriana walked back to Corin’s tent.

They found his friend sitting on a folding chair near a small table in the corner, sipping a glass of wine. Seeing them come in, he waved at some empty chairs and poured two more glasses. Once seated, Corin looked over both of them for a minute, then stared at Jaxom, waiting.

“Are you going to introduce your friend, or am I going to have to ask her name myself?” he said.

“This is Adriana Fielder of Chams’Dell. Adriana, this is his majesty, Corin Baldrin, King of Ale’adaria,” Jaxom said.

Corin reached across the table, offering his hand, which she shook firmly. “I assume you discovered who we have to blame for the shades.”

“Yes,” Jaxom replied. “A god named Or’Keer is responsible for the shades and for much of what is happening throughout the kingdoms.”

“I have never heard of this god. Why would he involve himself in our affairs?”

Jaxom explained what they had learned in the Teriken Forest. He described their capture by Alimar and recapped the story of the war between the gods. This last part fascinated Corin, and he interrupted frequently to ask questions about how much power the mages had, or how the gods had been killed. Jaxom answered the questions as best he could, finally getting to the part about the pact that limited the power of both sides. Corin was surprised to find that there was a city approaching the size and grandeur of his own, a little further than a ten-day travel to the north. “This god Or’Keer is the one who created the shades and the creature that attacked you in the cells?” Corin asked, pouring himself another glass of wine.

“They are his servants, created like the mages were but with far less power,” Jaxom replied.

“What was this Alimar’s involvement in their creation?” Corin asked, looking Jaxom directly in the eye.

Jaxom had purposefully left that part until the end. Though Alimar had not created the shades, he had provided a place for them to base their attacks from. This alone condemned the death mage as an enemy, but Jaxom knew that enemies often became friends in times of war. He needed to convince Corin that having the man in the north as a friend would be much more valuable in the long run then killing him.

“Alimar had no hand in the making or direction of the shades, but they were created within the city he controls,” Jaxom replied.

Corin was quiet for a moment. “What was he promised in return for this aid? Is he to rule in Or’Keer’s name?”

“He does not care anything for Or’Keer or what he wants. Alimar wants only to rebuild the city and restore the death mages, if that can be done. He feared the interference from other mages if he attempted to do so. Or’Keer’s plan provided him a distraction, cover, to help him accomplish his goal.”

“You support him in this,” Corin said. It was not a question.

              Jaxom nodded. “I offered him our support in rebuilding the city if he would join us in the fight against Or’Keer. He agreed, conditionally. He will join us if we win against Dradon and Azuria. Fighting off the invaders will prove that we are capable of holding up our end,” Jaxom said, then held his breath, awaiting Corin’s reaction.

“You put me in a tight spot, Jaxom. The man has been working with an enemy who has attacked us, an enemy that tried to kill me directly. Now you tell me that he wants to rebuild a city for death mages on my borders even though mages are forbidden from ruling. You expect me to alienate those mages loyal to me to support one man as he builds a kingdom near to mine. We are friends, Jaxom, but you are asking too much.”

“I propose not that we help him to build a new kingdom but that we extend yours. You rule only in name in the north. With this city in the Teriken, you can expand your influence in that area. Send your nobles’ younger sons there to create holdings, and people will move with them. They will see this as a fresh start, filled with opportunity,” Jaxom replied

“That still leaves the matter of your friend, Alimar. I can’t have a man in charge who has been a part of attacking my kingdom,” Corin said. “I don’t think Alimar cares about ruling the city, only in making it a place where he can gather death mages together. He would accept your rule if we can offer him protection from the other mages,” Jaxom said.

“Why do I even need his permission? What’s to stop me from taking a city held by one man? I would be completely justified.”

“You could do that,” Jaxom started slowly. “Think, though, on what you would gain in allies and resources if we ally with Alimar. Also, just because Alimar is alone does not mean the city is without defenses. Do you really want to waste lives taking it when the alternative costs you nothing and gains you much more?” Jaxom replied.

“Have you decided to help him no matter what?” Corin asked him accusingly.

              Jaxom hardened his stare at his friend. “You know I would not betray you,” his voice taking an edge. “If you say no, I will accept it and do as you command. I am merely asking you to consider the possibility. I won’t lie and say I don’t want this. I do.”

              Corin stood and paced with his hand clasped behind his back. His eyes stared into the distance as he worked over his options. “I’m sorry. I know you would never go against me,” he said not stopping his pacing. “And I will consider it. But right now, we have more pressing issues. We are up against a god who is able to manipulate kingdoms into fighting each other. Even if we win here, this is only one small part in the game he is playing”              

              “The first death mages defeated the gods, so there must be a way,” Jaxom said.

              Corin stopped then and regarded him with a smile. “Another reason I should help this Alimar?”