Rogue Magician (The Magician Rebellion) (37 page)

The
necromancer ran back to her room and dropped to her knees in front of her
dressing cabinet. Avelice opened the bottom drawer and found the piece of black
chalk she used to draw runes for advanced summoning.

***

Two
more assassins screamed out as they were grabbed by the spooks patrolling the
first floor with impunity. Their summoning would not last long, but the spirits
were nearly invulnerable for the short time that they would exist in this realm
and with every life they drained they could last a little longer to find
another source to feed on.

A
shadow flickered at the edge of Rex's vision and he let loose a bolt of
lightning. The room was bright for an instant as the bolt struck an assassin
trying to circle behind Minnie's shield. The positions of a dozen other
attackers were revealed in that second to be lost a moment later as the night
reasserted itself.

Suddenly
Quevine stepped in front of Minnie's shield and shot daggers of ice as he waved
his hand around the room. A few more of the Kenzai shouted in pain or fell over
dead from the attack, but not before one loosed a bolt from his crossbow
catching the ice magician in the temple. For a moment Quevine had an eerie look
of surprise before he fell backward and hit the wall before sliding down to the
floor.

A
dozen arrows flew towards Minnie and Rex, but they were deflected by the girl's
barrier. Rex moved to the edge of the barrier and extended his staff so that it
protruded beyond the shield. The magical weapon lit up as lightning shot from
it repeatedly for nearly a minute with little care for aim or what he might be
hitting. When the barrage ended several more assassins laid dead around the
room.

“
Can
you see anything?” Rex asked, “White spots are dancing before my eyes.”

“
A
little warning would have been nice.” Minnie rubbed her eyes with one forearm,
but did not allow her shield to drop.

For
a few tense seconds nothing happened as the teenaged magicians waited for their
sight to adjust to the darkness once more. Then a dozen blue and white glowing
blades sprang up from the darkness as the remaining Kenzai assassins all drew
their swords in unison.

Minnie
told Rex, “Go back up the stairs. My shield will not last long against that
many Kenzai blades,” and she followed behind him backing up slowly to keep the
shield between them and the advancing assassins.

“
Get
behind me,” Avelice told them when they reached the top of the stairs. The
glowing blades advanced after them revealing the glimmer of hard, cold faces in
the faint light. “Kassani, lend me your strength! Return to me the souls of the
dead, if only for a little while!” the necromancer shouted as she slammed her
open palm into a rune drawn on the floor.

The
Kenzai halted their advance for a moment expecting some sort of magical attack,
but when none came they began to rush forward up the steps to finish the
magicians. One of the Kenzai was within a blade's length of Avelice when Rex
fired a bolt of lightning and struck him in the chest throwing the assassin back
into his cohorts knocking three of them down the stairs. “Gods, protect me!”
shouted one of the men from the floor below and the men on the steps seemed
unsure of how to proceed.

Minnie
erected another barrier between the magicians and the Kenzai. While a tired,
but angry Rex started forming a ball of lightning at the end of his staff.
“When I give the word drop your shield,” he told Minnie and she nodded
understanding.

The
Kenzai killers made up their minds and started to force their way back down to
the bottom floor.

“
Right
now those men are regretting their decision to not press forward.” Avelice said
a little short on breath.

“
How
so?” Rex asked, still building his lightning ball even bigger.

“
Because
down there the Kenzai are facing all of the dead men you three managed to kill
just minutes ago. They face the undead.”

With
Minnie's shield still up the magicians moved down the steps cutting off any
possibility of the assassins making their way back to the top floor.

The
assassins hacked and slashed at the walking dead who attacked in kind with
their own weapons. The living were quickly overwhelmed by the dead despite
having greater numbers fore what would have been a killing blow to a living man
was merely a hindrance to the undead. The battle lasted for only a few minutes
before the retreat was called and the assassins began to flee the cabin.

“
Now!”
yelled Rex and Minnie dropped her shield. Rex pushed the ball forward with his
staff in a great thrust and it flew a few feet forward until it was near a few
of the stragglers. Minnie erected her barrier once more and the magicians
turned their heads away and closed their eyes just before the lightning ball
exploded filling the room with a brilliant light for an instant killing four
more assassins within its blast radius and scattering several other assassins
and undead walkers.

The
still living Kenzai hurried to their feet and found a way out of the cabin
whether it was through a window or door before the undead could grab more of
them, leaving the magicians in relative safety for the time being.

A
groan of pain came from one corner and Avelice saw the reanimated body of
Quevine standing over one of the assassins. The bolt that killed him still
protruded from his forehead, but Quevine took no notice of it. His staff was
buried blade end into the killer's sword arm.

“
Do
not kill him unless he moves,” Avelice commanded the magician's corpse. Undead
Quevine gave no acknowledgment, but did as he was told. To Minnie and Rex she
said, “Check the rest of the cabin and make sure there are no stragglers.”

“
It
would be safer for these...” Rex struggled for the word looking at the
emotionless reanimated body that had not long ago been his friend, Quevine.
Finally he settled on, “things to search the cabin.”

Avelice
shook her head, “I would not trust the walkers to do a thorough search. They
retain much of the knowledge of their former hosts, but the walkers are nothing
more than killing machines serving the will of their master. They have little
more than their base instincts to guide them.”

The
two teens searched the first floor keeping clear of the windows as best they
could and upon finding no more of the assassins lying in wait they declared the
cabin safe from attackers.

Rex
placed his hand to the cabin wall near one window in a way so that he did not
risk a crossbow bolt finding him from an eager Kenzai assassin hiding outside
and the wood began to grow over sealing the window so that only a small slit
remained. He did the same with the next window, eliminating possible entrances
into the cabin as he went.

“
Minnie,
I need you,” Avelice called weakly and her student came. “Enchant him. We need
information.” She pointed at the assassin pinned by Undead Quevine.

Minnie
placed her hand on the assassin's forehead. “You are safe. We are your friends
and shall let no harm come to you,” her voice was soothing and melodic almost
like she was singing, “and you would not allow any harm to befall us. Would
you?”

“
No,
of course not, child,” the assassin said as if the very idea of harming her was
foolish. He attempted to rise, but grunted in pain realizing that the pointy
end of a dead man’s spear was holding him down. His eyes widened in terror and
Avelice commanded Undead Quevine to release the man. “Thank you, madam. You are
most helpful,” the assassin said sincerely, though he still gritted his teeth
against the pain, when the spear was removed.

The
necromancer commanded the walking dead to patrol the perimeter of her land
opening the door wide as they approached the exit. The corpses went outside
without facing any resistance, but once they made it a few yards outside of the
cabin a hail of arrows fell on them from hidden enemies in the nearby trees.
Avelice estimated there were at least twenty arrows in the volley coming from
various positions around the clearing.

The
zombies got back up after a moment and continued their patrol. Avelice closed
the door leaving the walkers to their own devices. In a few hours the spell
would fade and the undead would become lifeless husks once more. Until then the
magicians would have some time to plot their next move and recover their spent
energy.

“
It
is good to have those damned things away,” the assassin remarked cheerfully. He
was now in a sitting position against the wall pressing his off-hand against
the wound on his sword arm to reduce the flow of blood.

Avelice
regarded him keenly and then said amicably, “Yes, you are quite right. My name
is Avelice and this is Minnie and Rex.” She motioned to the others in turn.

“
Charmed,”
the assassin told them with a nod. Minnie and Rex exchanged a knowing glance,
but the assassin failed to notice. “I am Bertran the Silent, master assassin
and servant to his highness, Prince Janus Aurel.”

If
Avelice was surprised that the prince of Aurelia was the one who sent
innumerable assassins to kill them, she did not show it. “That sounds terribly
fascinating, Bertran,” she told him flirtatiously. “Are you on assignment for
the prince now?”

“
Oh,
yes, my lady.” Bertran tried to stand, but groaned again as he put pressure on
his wounded arm. “I forgot about that.”

“
Rex,
would you fetch some bandages for Bertran?” Avelice asked kindly.

“
Of
course. Anything for Bertran,” Rex said sarcastically in a weak attempt to mask
his dislike of the man who mere minutes before would have slit all of their
throats given the chance. Rex bowed and left the room.

“
That
boy... is peculiar,” said Bertran. The fog clouding his mind was thick, but not
so great that Rex's displeasure was completely missed.

“
You
know boys of his age,” Avelice waved off the comment.

The
assassin nodded. “I was quite the handful at his age,” Bertran's eyes looked
far away as if remembering something from long ago.

“
What
were you saying about your assignment for the prince?” Minnie offered trying to
get the Kenzai assassin back on topic.

“
I
do not think that I was saying anything,” Bertran replied slyly. “The prince
would have my head if I betrayed his confidence. Do not misunderstand me. I
know you are trustworthy friends, but I cannot break my oath. I hope you
understand.”

Rex
returned with the bandages and scissors. “No alcohol to clean the wound?”
Bertran asked when the young man brought them over to Avelice.

“
Sorry,
we are out,” Rex shrugged noncommittally. The others knew he was lying, but
neither was inclined to say so.

Minnie
held Bertran's arm perpendicular to his torso while Avelice wrapped it. Once
the wound was dressed Avelice cut the wrap and tied it off, tucking in the
loose end to the bandage.

“
That
will have to do for now,” the necromancer told the entranced Bertran.

Minnie
placed her fingers to the assassin's arm very gently. “But his highness, the
prince, is here,” she said in that sweet, soothing way of hers. “He is right
behind us,” she added nodding her head to the side in Rex's direction.

Bertran
looked at Rex and his eyes grew wide before he diverted his gaze to his lap.
“My liege, you honor me with your presence.”

Rex
looked to Minnie with pleading eyes. He suddenly felt self-conscious for fear
that he might inadvertently break the spell. “What... uh... what was your last
mission?”

Bertran
tilted his head, but regarded his prince without malice. “Are you feeling
alright, my lord?”

“
Be
more forceful,” Avelice whispered in Rex’s ear. “You are a prince and his
master.”

Rex
thought for a few seconds and then said, “My faculties are not in question,
Bertran. I am concerned that you do not fully understand the task set before
you. Now repeat it back to me.” Rex could not help smiling as his initial fear
was replaced by excitement at playing the role of the prince.

Averting
his gaze once again, Bertran said, “I meant no disrespect, my liege. My mission
is to help Gilkame Axebeard find his missing control collar and root out any
opposition in the area particularly of the magical variety. We took twenty
Kenzai assassins and the criminal Mantellus Firekin to help flush them from
hiding.”

“
Twenty
is not so bad,” Minnie offered, “We have killed- I mean
the magicians
have killed half that many already.” She smiled weakly hoping she had
not inadvertently broken her own enchantment with a poor choice of words.

After
a few intense seconds when none of the magicians said anything more Bertran
shook his head, “When we turned up short in our investigation we used Mantellus
Firekin to draw out the magicians. He was successful though it cost his life
and a few days later I followed the magicians to their hideout. It was a
cabin... in the woods...” Bertran looked around the room as if his vision was
clearing and he might be realizing that the world around him was far different
from what he thought it might be.