Chapter 26

I asked him what had changed their minds, and made them believe Marcus had actually intended to die. "The preparations he made", dad sighed. "He was adamant that the spells would be created to get the first three volumes included in those trunks, complete with the latest portal spell. We wondered why he was in such a rush."

"About those books", I asked, "How come they weren't in the trunk the first time I opened it? I'm sure they weren't there, but later they were."

"Tricks of the trade", dad replied with a smile. "All of those books are dangerous, but the ones intended solely for you, are deadly. They were there all the time, but you couldn't have seen them without a microscope. The spell was set to reverse for you, and you only. Even if anyone else managed to discover them, it would have done them no good. There was also a fairly nasty self-destruct built in. It would have left a pretty impressive crater. Marcus was very thorough."

When I got to my work rooms the next day, I found the place I thought the portal spell should logically be, and it added itself just like the other one had. After that, I looked for a way to ensure these books could not be lost. Copying was virtually forbidden, and these were the only set I knew of. After looking for over an hour, I found something I thought would work.

This spell would store items in the void. This was described as a place between the planes, and only the person who placed something there could recall it. I tested it on several items, before trusting it on the books. I might have gotten a bit carried away with this spell, but I thought it could be extremely useful. I had quite a stash stored there before I was satisfied, and would be adding more upon our return home.

The best thing about it, was that it didn't matter where I was. I could recall items from wherever I happened to be, and that included Earth. There was but one limitation. The void was a vacuum, so nothing living could be stored there. Even that had a caveat. A magic user might survive there for a time, with the proper preparation.

I wasn't the only one learning new tricks. The others were studying with the folks. Denise and Ann, especially, were learning a lot. Having an experienced teacher in your discipline was a great advantage. I wish the rest of us had that opportunity. My father, Steven, was a master of air, and Melanie, water. They knew a bit about fire and earth, but little of spirit.

Cheryl and I frequently practiced together, after I had gone through all of the books. There was information on every talent contained in them, though much of it was of a destructive nature. In the case of spirit, it took "messing with someone's head" to a whole new level.

It was in the sixth month of the pregnancies, that the trouble came. An emergency meeting was called for all advisors, and specifically mentioned us. It was mom that announced the terrible news. "I have just received a troubling report from the guild representative in Jalen. There is an invasion in progress. Hundreds of Kerth troops have been put ashore, and the town virtually destroyed. According to the report, no one is being spared. This includes women and children."

The cries of outrage took several minutes to die down. When discussion could finally begin, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I didn't know if they would listen to me, but I had to try. The Queen was actually planning to send most of her troops, as well as her wizards, to confront this invasion.

I stood, and as they looked at me, I said "You would be making a very bad mistake, if you did that."

Until Queen Ariel demanded silence, most of the gathering wasn't appreciative of the interruption. She, on the other hand, was prepared to listen. "It's a trap", I explained. "Don't you see? They will expect you to do just that! The problem is, if you fall for it, this city will be left virtually undefended. They have to know that they can't win against what they believe you to have as a defense. From what I've been told, they've certainly tried often enough. I would bet that somewhere out there, is a fleet just waiting for you to leave the place wide open for them!"

Mom joined the discussion once more, and conceded the point. "This can be verified", she acknowledged. I will scry for a fleet immediately. I have to admit that Sean-Paul has a valid concern, and one that should not be ignored." She hurried from the room, amid the renewed bedlam.

"But what of our people!", a fat guy bellowed. "Shall we sit on our hands, while they suffer and perish? I will not stand for it!"

All Queen Ariel had to do was raise one hand, and silence descended. "I agree completely, Duke Ramus". She stared at me, and I thought I detected a note of approval in her tone as she asked "What say you, sir wizard? Is there an answer to this dilemma?"

"Yes ma'am", I stated, "there is. You folks seem to have forgotten that there are now more than two wizards in your kingdom. Your enemy obviously doesn't know this yet, as well. I would suggest that myself and two others in my party be sent to deal with the land forces, while the remainder stay here and assist in defending the capitol."

Dad got in the game, then. "Sean", he said, "you do realize that this will require you to do things that you have not done before, don't you?"

"If you mean that I will have to kill people, father, then yes. I am not naive enough to think there can not be war, without death. My companions and I have met many people since we arrived, and we have felt nothing but welcome. I think I speak for the rest of my party, when I say that we will be happy to help defend this land. I have given this much thought, and I am prepared for what I must do. I believe the rest are, too."

I got nods from the girls, and the Queen actually smiled. "This is good", she replied. "If your suspicion is confirmed, we are prepared to place our trust in you. How many troops will you require?"

"Roughly a hundred should suffice", I shrugged. This brought some more catcalls, and I was getting pissed at the fat Duke. He was leading them, but Queen Ariel fixed him with a glare that prevented me from doing something rash. He shut up pretty quick, and she said "So few?"

"Yes", I stated. "There may be prisoners, and they will need guards. I don't anticipate needing them for the actual battle. I propose that Bernie, Ann, and Denise remain here. Cheryl and Kelley will go with me. As I understand it, the enemy has two wizards. One is fire, but I'm confused as to the other one. It was described to me as weather, but that could be one of two elements. I'm leaning towards air, but do you know?"

"Yes", dad answered, "you're correct. He's pretty good, too. So good, in fact, that it's been difficult to defend against him. Until now, it's been a stalemate. Both of them are good, actually. If they do attack on two fronts, they'll probably split up. I can't guess which one will be where, though."

"I can", I sighed. "I think you'll have fire to contend with, pop. In a densely populated city, such as this, fire is a much greater danger than air could produce. Fire will create panic, and hinder defense. Ann could be a valuable asset, along with our secret weapon. I will leave the use of that to mother."

The person I had just referred to rushed back into the chamber. She was much more pale than when she had left. "Sean-Paul was correct, my Queen. Twelve ships lay over the horizon, and all are warships of Kerth!"

The Queen just nodded, and said "You have our gratitude, Sir Wizard. You seem to have prevented us from making a grievous error. Your plan is approved. A regiment of my own guard shall accompany your party, led by someone you already know. May the Goddess be with you, and with us all. Let us prepare!"

It took us only minutes. All I had to do was leave some shield dust with mom. I took two dozen casks of it from the void, leaving me with four. Dad assured me he had a delivery system that would work. Being an air wizard had advantages. It was like having your own miniature air force at your disposal. The neat thing was, ships always had birds circling them close to shore. Little attention would be paid to them, until it was too late. We hoped.

We met Captain Terlew at the stable. Claude and Alan were with her. I wasn't a bit surprised. Nance and Claude had been inseparable almost since our arrival in Orlinthas. After a tearful farewell from the ones I was leaving behind, and several warnings of what they would do to me if I was injured, we left.

Every mount except Diablo had been blindfolded, and no one was mounted. I teleported the whole bunch to a meadow just outside Zarana. It would still be a two day forced march, but it was the closest place I had any knowledge of. Having to actually know your destination was a drawback, but it still saved us five days. After the troops recovered from the vertigo the rest of us were already accustomed to, we set out.

I hadn't given what I did much thought, until Nance asked "How did you do that? I have never seen it done, and the strategic implications are immense!"

"What do you mean?", I answered. "I just teleported us. Surely my father and Melanie have done that before?"

"Not on such a scale!", she blurted. "Small items, yes, but this? Never! We asked, but they said it required too much magic for them to channel. How is it that you can do it?"

"I have no idea", I admitted. "I just did it. I will admit that my limitations seemed greater back home. There, it took several of us working together to move so much. Things seem different here."

She wanted to know my plan for dealing with the enemy, and seemed taken aback when I outlined my simple plan. "Draw them into the open, and destroy them" seemed like the obvious thing to do, but Nance wasn't so sure. She asked "And what of their wizard? Are you so sure of your ability?"