Chapter 10

No telltale bolt from the black announced the Wanderer's arrival this time. He had been transported to this spot early that morning, well to the east of his quarry where the rising sun would cover his arrival. He had holed up under a rocky outcropping, subsisting on a few meager rations and intense meditation. Now, under the cover of moonless night, he scurried through the underbrush as lithe as a cat and as silent as the breeze.

Such stealth was second nature to him. It afforded him time for thoughts which would have otherwise disturbed his meditation. He allowed himself the luxury of thinking about Amanda for the first time in over a moon. He had learned from the merchant clans that Lord Ambassador Norlan had held a High Feast only three days before. As the merchants often had to deliver goods for such an event, it tended to become public knowledge even across the ocean if one asked the right people and paid the right amount of platinum.

Jollis was not versed in all Urisi customs and was loathe to learn. Their slave system disgusted him far more than the Oceanus system ever had. Yet he could guess a High Feast would be an excuse to showcase one's slaves. If he had allowed himself an emotional response, his heart would have wrenched at the thought of what Amanda had to endure.

He had not rejected the teachings of the Priestess he had visited during his earlier tribulations. He accepted his love of Amanda, but there was a proper time for expressing such feelings, and now was not one of them.

As the last of the evening descended into inky night, Jollis already felt the weight of failure upon his shoulders. The breeze rose from the west, and it should bring with it the smell of woodsmoke, of roasted meats and soup, and of human exhaustion. Unlike the last camp he had visited, this location had been provided by a more recent recruit from among the Rogue Mages.

As Jollis approached, failure became more a certainty. The night remained impenetrable and featureless. No spark of low fires, no glow of dying embers. The quiet was absolute. No rhythmic breathing of sleeping men and women, no gentle moans of couples sharing a moment of intimacy.

Jollis hid behind the stump of a fallen tree just outside the supposed camp and considered his options.

He withdrew a blue pearl and held it before him, cupped in his hand to hide its faint glow. The Mages may have set up illusion spells around the camp. Jollis' senses were not immune to such trickery, but he held the antidote in his fingers. Yet using it would give his presence away.

The alternative was to plunge past the illusion wards and into the midst of a group of seasoned, powerful magic users on a hair-trigger after so many years pursued by the forces of a mad Emperor at the request of an equally mad Guildmaster.

Jollis rose above the stump and hurtled the pearl into the black. His keen hearing perceived both the whistle through the air and the faint "piff" as it struck the ground. A slow sigh escaped through his nose. From the cadence of the sound, it had landed inside a pile of ashes.

He stood. The camp remained silent and empty.

Jollis crept into the midst of the camp and retrieved his pearl. His hand hovered over it as he intoned the short incantation as the Inonni Mages had instructed him. The pearl exploded with light, illuminating the small clearing in pale brilliance as the pearl gave up its stored magical energies. It would last only until all the remaining magic in the pearl was discharged, but it would be long enough.

As before, he could confirm the clearing was indeed a camp. However, the remains of the campfires were far more fresh. This camp had been occupied as little as a half-moon ago.

Jollis examined the periphery. A well-trodden path ran northeast. A less traveled path ran north. This was at least some good news. Combined with the information he had gleaned of the exodus from the older camp, he could narrow down the location of the remaining Rogue Mages. Instead of looking all over Oceanus, their search could be narrowed to two provinces.

The light from the pearl began to fade. He was about to close his fingers around it when he caught sight of a snapped branch near a tree flanking the northeast path. He would have missed it were it not for the glistening drop of sap oozing from the break near the trunk of the tree. Yet when he stepped closer to examine it, his makeshift torch died.

He paused to let his eyes readjust, then touched his finger to the sap and rubbed it between two fingertips. A fresh break. This had happened no more than two days ago. Someone had returned to the camp.

He returned the spent pearl to his pocket and withdrew his Farviewing pearl. He waved his hand over it, then in the same breath clamped his hand shut to abort the summons.

There, again, a feeling of being watched just as he began the summons, and yet no one was in attendance. So quiet and still was the night that no one could sneak up on him. Even a Mage using a stealth spell would give off some telltale sign Jollis could sense to alert him to the presence of an observer.

Jollis frowned, opened his hand, and completed the summons.

"Master?" said the concerned image of Yonlas. "Is your Farviewing pearl working properly? This is the second time in which--"

"We will not speak now," Jollis snapped. "Open the Portal and retrieve me at once."

"As you wish, Master."

For some of the expatriates huddled around the squat stone pillar next to the crackling fire, the images from the orb was the first opportunity to witness an Inonni Portal open and close. Several soft sighs of amazement rippled through them, and several hushed conversations started at once.

"How did they ever solve the problem of the lingering energies from the tunnel's collapse when..."

"I can't even begin to fathom how they kept the Portal energies coherent from a distance without a focus..."

"Great gods, if we could figure out how to do this before those stuffed robes in the Guild, we could..."

Jothan tossed a blue pearl into the air. At the top of its arc, it emitted a flash of light and cracked the air with a sound like that of a whip. Silence had fallen by the time the pearl returned to his hand. "Stop missing the point!"

Marlon waved his hand over the orb, and the lingering image of a dark, empty camp faded from its depths. "And just what is the point, Jothan? That you decided to spy on fellow expatriates?"

"Now you're the one missing the point."

"I am not even sure what I've seen."

"That was an Inonni, probably that Jollis fellow. You think he was there because he just happened to be wandering by?"

Marlon lifted the orb from the pedestal. "Likely not."

"I'll tell you why he was there. He's there because some bastard whom we trusted told him about the camp."

"Planting your spying pearls without other Mages' knowledge is not conducive to any sort of trust!"

"They forfeited that trust when then started treating with our enemy. That makes them the enemy as well. So I am doing nothing more than spying on an enemy."

Several expatriates nodded their heads as they watched the tableau unfold.

"Marlon, I witnessed something similar a few days ago. This very same person was at the big camp outside Veriston."

"We abandoned that soon after we learned of the Inonni takeover," said Marlon.

"Yes, we did, but I had enough sense to leave behind a spy pearl."

Marlon gave him a dark look. "You were doing things like that as far back as--?"

Jothan waved his hands. "Again, please, stop missing the point! Fine, I'm a filthy, lying bastard for doing it. Happy?"

Several made it clear with their facial expressions that they were not and looked to Jothan with anticipation.

"The point is, he is obviously trying to track us down," said Jothan.

"And as I told you before, none of our brethren who are not right here at this moment know of Virgia Point."

"Yes, and now I'm glad you were smart enough to dispense the location of this place only to the most trusted."

Marlon frowned. "I never did like the idea of being so secretive with our own people, but I was nowhere near any sort of leader as I supposedly am now, so I can't take any credit for what was no more than blind luck." He gazed at the others. "And we had no idea all this would happen."

"No, we didn't. But you have far too idealistic a view of us," said Jothan. "When we left the Mage Guild, you saw us as crusaders for a common cause. And, yeah, maybe that was true to some extent. But really, the only thing we had in common was an anger as hot as blazing hellfire at Q'ixanna." He glanced at the three dozen or so fellow Mages gathered in a loose circle around the campfire. "Even now I doubt everyone has the same goal, except kicking the Inonni back to where they came from."

A nodding of heads again.

"But back then?" Jothan shook his head. "Forget it. Beyond surviving a genocidal campaign by two insane men, we had no cause. I suspect a good number left the Guild because they thought it some sort of grand lark, a way to get out from under the daily grind of classes and testing. We saw what happened to them when they tried to go back."

Marlon nodded. When some looked on in confusion or inquiry, Marlon said in a somber voice, "They were Quelled. None of them survived it."

Several shocked gasps rose above the quiet. Quelling was a rarely-imposed sentence for Mage crimes. It effectively "burned out" the Mage's ability to use magic for the rest of his life via a massive feedback of the Mage's own energies, and only a fully trained Mage could survive it. The three young apprentices who had been Quelled were nowhere near that level of expertise.

"And before you bring it up, Marlon, that time I worked for the Overlord to stabilize his Portal for the Noble Lord's armies had nothing to do with loyalty -- or lack thereof -- to any cause. I needed platinum for food and magery supplies, it was as simple as that."

"Fine, you've made your point," said Marlon in a curt voice. "So are you still proposing to enter their midst at the former D'ronstaq Manor?"

"I most certainly am. It's more imperative now than ever if we're to learn what they're up to."

Marlon was silent.

"You still don't trust me," said Jothan. Several expatriates looked at Marlon as if daring him to confirm it.

Marlon shook his head. "No, that's not it. I question your methods, Jothan, but not your loyalty. Not anymore."

A faint smile ghosted Jothan's lips, more for the tacit admission that Marlon had harbored such thoughts in the first place rather than the subsequent exoneration.

"But I still think your idea is too dangerous. What if they somehow use you to learn of Virgia Point? And no, I don't mean by bribing you. They may have other techniques for extracting information. For all we know, they've developed mind reading. I'd sooner believe that than believe so many of our fellow Mages would betray us so readily!"

Reactions from the gathered expatriates varied. Some expressed shock, others incredulity. More than one whispered debate broke out.

"Come now, that's a huge leap!" Jothan said.

"Yes, it's far-fetched, but so were some of the things they do with their Portals! If they can pinpoint the opening of a Portal near a person based on the memories of that person from the minds of others, true mind-reading may be the next step."

One of the expatriates spoke up. "But what of their ability to target Portals on individuals, Jothan? Couldn't they use you to target Marlon? Then where will we be if he's captured?"

Marlon frowned. "Oh, all of a sudden I'm the big important leader? I told you all from the start, I'm here only to coordinate and not make decisions for everyone." Marlon sighed when several gave him pleading or forlorn looks. "Fine. Point taken."

"No one who's gone over to the Inonni had any real contact with Marlon," Jothan said. "They were never in it for anything but themselves. The Guildmaster's notes say it takes strong memories from several people to allow this sort of thing."

"But it's still a huge risk," the expatriate shot back.

"Blast the risk to me!" shouted Marlon. "The real risk is to you, Jothan. No matter what our differences are, I still consider you brethren and a powerful and innovative Mage. We can't afford to lose you. There's simply no way you can convince them of your loyalty fast enough to do any good."

"Yes, there is, but you're not going to like it."

"I already don't like it! What's one more thing?"

"I can convince them by telling them about Virgia Point."

Several expatriates shot to their feet.

"Jothan, have you taken leave of your senses?!" cried one.

"I know your brand of humor is crude, but if this is a joke, this is in the extreme of bad taste!" shouted another.

"I was ready to support you, Jothan, but after this?" declared a third.

"You're only forwarding your own agenda at the expense of all of us!" accused a fourth.

Jothan raised his arms. "Wait! Wait! Hear me out!"

"Quiet!" Marlon flicked his wrist, and his next words were boomed out at several times normal human volume. "QUIET! LET HIM SPEAK!" When the others had settled, he flicked his wrist again and spoke at a normal volume once more, but no less irritated. "You will have time enough to argue, but at least learn what in hellfire you're arguing about!" He turned to Jothan and lowered his voice. "And Jothan, this had better be damned good."

Jothan turned back to the crowd. "Okay, yeah, I am furthering my agenda as someone just pointed out. No, shut up, Genna, and let me talk. It's no secret I think we've been here far too long. It takes more effort to keep this place secret than it would to move. This is a perfect opportunity to cover our tracks. We can make them waste time by leading them here while we're busy setting up at a new location."

"And when they find out you've duped them?" Marlon said. "How long would that take? Not very, considering how fast this Jollis moves with Inonni Portal technology behind him!"

"They're not going to trust me right away. They will indeed be suspicious that I'm so willing to give away the location of our most critical encampment. And even if they trust my information, this Jollis fellow is not about to come charging into a camp full of Mages. I need to maintain the ruse only long enough to get some readings on the old Overlord Portal and gather some intelligence as to what they're up to."

"And what's to say he won't bring a whole contingent of the Inonni army with him? Or Inonni Mages for that matter!"

"Marlon, look at what the Inonni have done. They're a very meticulous people. They don't strike until they're assured of victory. They spend minimal energy to achieve their aims. According to the Guildmaster, the Inonni are after a former Noble Lord. Why not just search for the man town by town, county by county? Because it uses too much energy, that's why."

Marlon frowned. "Everything you've said is just educated guesses at best. That's a very flimsy thing to risk all of our brethren on."

Jothan shook his head halfway through Marlon's statement. "No. It's not as big a risk as you think. You all will already be on your way to the new location."

"You're talking about an effort which could take over a moon when you give us no more than a few days. I doubt the Guildmaster could wait longer than that for--"

"And since when are we on the Guild Hall's schedule?" Jothan declared.

"You were certainly willing to take the Guildmaster at his word when it suited your plans!" Marlon fired back.

"Why does he need this information that fast? What deadline does he have?"

"I can only assume it has something to do with the current diplomatic crisis between Oceanus and the Urisi over this former Lord Tarras."

"All right, fine, whatever. Say we need to move fast. We can use an interim camp. We hide some focusing pearls there, then transport ourselves away from here before the Inonni are about to strike."

"And leave the Portal device behind for them to scan to learn where..." Marlon trailed off, his eyes widening. Several expatriates understood as well and called out their objections. Marlon waved them silent and narrowed his eyes on Jothan. "You want to sacrifice our only working Portal device."

"Setting the matrix to self-destruct once the Portal closes after the last person is through can be done with a trivial adjustment to--"

"That's not what I meant!" Marlon thundered. "It took us the better part of two seasons to construct it."

"And that's another thing that takes more energy than we have to spare: maintaining the dampening wards on that infernal thing. And who are we trying to hide it from? From people who have taken Portal technology far beyond what we've conceived! Better to use it one last time when it won't matter if they detect it than to live in the false security that we can keep its existence and location a secret from them indefinitely."

Some of the expatriates muttered amongst themselves in the tense silence; some gave Marlon furtive but expectant looks.

Marlon turned towards Jothan. "I will not have this decision foisted upon me."

"It's not such a hard one when you stop to think about it."

"Now it's you who misses the point! I cannot and will not dictate--"

Jothan stepped towards Marlon, and with a wave of his hand, utter silence descended upon them. Marlon eyed the glow of the privacy shield and the disconcerted looks of the other expatriates.

"Are you mad?" Marlon demanded. "Do you see how restless they are? You risk their wrath by even hinting we're keeping secrets from them. This is not the Mage Guild!"

"Maybe not, but they still need a leader," Jothan said. "Start acting like one."

Marlon flinched as if struck in the face.

"We have a huge opportunity here! This is the first time in a long while this many of us have worked together. Look how many have been converging here the last half moon! Usually less than a third this number pass through here at any given moment."

"You're asking me to become the equivalent of a Guildmaster!" Marlon hissed. "That's what many of us wanted to get away from. No one wants rigid centralized control of the magic users."

"Good leadership is not control."

"Tell that to them!"

"Then just give them guidance! They'll need someone to coordinate the migration."

Marlon stared. "You're going to do this no matter what. No matter how many disagree with you."

"If I wait for consensus, then we'll never get anything done. Yes, I'm going to do this. I know it's the right thing to do. So you can either be a leader and help the others prepare to leave, or leave them to fend for themselves."

"Some leader! Being dictated to by you."

"You're being unreasonable, Marlon."

"I'm not the one throwing all caution to the wind." He turned away from Jothan and waved his hand. The murmuring of their fellow expatriates exploded in their ears as the privacy field fell. "And enough of this secrecy!" Marlon thundered, silencing the others at once. "They have every right to know what we're thinking. Your plan is insane. I can't in good conscience support it, but you'll do as you please anyway, as you've stated as such."

Several gasps rose from the expatriates, but otherwise they remained still, watching the now two tacit leaders of their group. Several shot glares at each other, or muttered final disparaging comments to finish the vociferous debate that had ensued while Marlon and Jothan were silent.

Marlon cast his gaze towards the others. "And now our brethren have already taken sides." He looked towards Jothan. "You talk of opportunity, of a union of expatriate Mages under a common banner that hasn't happened in a long while. Now you've just rent that banner asunder. And I'm not the man who can mend it."

Marlon stepped away. When only absolute silence was left in his wake save for the cracking embers of the fire, he turned around, his tired face shrouded in the encroaching shadows as the fire faded. He peered at the faces of his brethren, some sad, some confused, some angry, some pleading.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you," said Marlon in a low voice. He trudged away from the gathering until he was swallowed by the night.