Soul of Light (The Hidden Wizard Book 4) Read online

  “How should I slow it down then?”

  “Use your Will or whatever you call it. I’ll leave the mechanics up to you.”

  “And what about me?” Lara said.

  “You can tell us what we’re doing wrong.”

  “Happy to.” Lara winked at Alrion. He nodded and thought about the test.

  I need to alter reality so that the projectile moves slower. But it will be quite hard to focus on it. Maybe I can alter the properties of the area it is going to move through, and that might work better.

  “I have an idea of how this will work, but let’s start with something small.” Alrion looked around for a small stone. Branthor clicked his fingers and a stone floated in front of Alrion.

  “Was that absolutely necessary?”

  “Yes. Now tell me where to send it.” Alrion walked into the middle of the clearing. He picked up a stick and drew a large circle in the dirt. He stepped over beside the circle.

  “Send it through here. You may want to catch it on the other side, regardless of what I manage to do to it.”

  “Sure. Let me know when you are ready.”

  “Wait. Before you do it, show me how fast you think it should be,” Lara said to Branthor. He sent the rock flying across the space and it stopped just past the circle Alrion had drawn.

  “It’s not fast enough. Try again.” Lara pointed back to the starting position. Branthor sent the stone flying again, so fast it was barely visible.

  “Too fast, slow it down a bit.” The stone floated back to the start position and flew again. Slower, but still barely perceptible.

  “That’s it. Alrion, do you agree?”

  “Looks about right to me.” Alrion wondered how he was going to slow it down so much. But then he remembered it was just a small stone. He started to prepare his mind. He created the visualisation, that the space within the circle was different. The air was thicker and slowed everything down.

  “Go now.” The stone flashed by as before.

  “Nothing happened,” Lara said. Alrion nodded. He needed to focus more.

  Remember, you aren’t thinking about it, you’re adjusting reality. Remaking it as you need.

  “Again.” The stone flew but something happened. It seemed to alter its trajectory slightly and slow down. But it was still incredibly fast.

  “Something happened there. What were you doing?” Lara said.

  “I made the air thicker and slower.”

  “I don’t think you should mess with the air. What if we’re breathing it?”

  “Good advice there,” Branthor added. Alrion pondered that.

  “You’re right. I don’t think I need that detail anyway. Let’s try again.” Alrion held his hand up to make them wait. He concentrated on changing the reality within the circle, so that everything moved slower. Much much slower. Then he clicked his fingers and knew that it was so. He let his hand down and nodded to Branthor. The projectile flew with incredible speed and, amazingly, once it passed into the circle it moved in slow motion. As soon as it exited the circle it sped up quickly until Branthor stopped it.

  “Now that, that can work.” Branthor sounded impressed and a little surprised. Lara beamed up a smile.

  “That’s incredible.”

  “I have surprised myself a little, to be honest.” Alrion wiped away a bead of sweat on his brow. Even though he wasn’t expending as much direct concentration, the effort was taking its toll.

  “This will be tricky to maintain for long.”

  “Luckily I’m back with the steel chain.” Alyx had the chain coiled around one arm, with a length trailing down and almost touching the ground. She expertly flicked the chain around, doing circles and other movements so fast that the chain was a blur.

  “Try it in the circle.” Lara pointed. Alyx walked over without pausing her display of skill. She flicked the chain across the circle boundary and part of the chain moved very fast, whilst the other part moved very slow.

  “This is hard to judge.” Alyx moved within the circle. As soon as she did, she also moved in slow motion. She immediately left the circle. Alrion dropped to his knees and was short of breath.

  “That was quite an experience. What you did is great, but we can’t be within that space.”

  “Agreed.” Alrion paused and tried to catch his breath. “Influencing you was a huge burden. We need to be smart about this. I’ll struggle with Fermur, for sure.”

  “Don’t worry we can trial it more tonight.”

  “And I can start using human-sized rocks.” Branthor actually sounded excited.

  One thing’s for sure, I’m going to sleep well after this.

  Alrion awoke with a terrible headache. Cradling his head, he looked around the room and barely recognised it. Lara was leaning against the wall next to the doorway and turned to look at him.

  “You’re up. How are you feeling?”

  “Terrible.” Alrion remained seated, he didn’t trust himself just yet.

  “Branthor expected this. Said you’ve probably never worked that hard in your life.”

  “He would say that.” Alrion forced himself up and he was steadier than expected. He tried focusing some Soul Power and directing it into his head. Maybe that would help.

  “Grab some bread on the way and join us outside. We need to head out immediately.” Lara darted out of the room and Alrion started moving too. Each step felt like his head was pounding with the same rhythm, but he kept his momentum. Slowly but surely, he did feel better, and once he emerged downstairs into the inn, he felt relatively normal. Grabbing a bread with seeds on top that looked like there was cheese inside, he moved swiftly through the empty room and emerged into the sunlight.

  “Good morning. Just.” Branthor acknowledged Alrion with a slight nod and mounted his horse. Lara and Alyx were already mounted. Alrion saw what was to be his horse, and took his time getting on. Luckily, his body seemed fine and he eased into the saddle. Retrieving the bread he had selected, he took a big bite.

  Wow, I’m really hungry.

  “We need to get a move on, our quarry hasn’t moved but he’s fast and may take flight at any time.” Branthor spurred his horse on and took off.

  “I see you’ve been busy,” Alrion said to Lara.

  “Your recovery was critical for the success of the plan, so we did what we could to expedite things once you were ready. Approved?”

  “Yes, this is quite delicious.” Alrion quickly polished off the rest of the bread.

  “Did you even chew that?”

  “Probably. Do you think this will work?” Alrion gave Lara a long glance.

  “Probably. Now let’s keep moving, we can discuss tactics when we’re closer.”

  “No problem.” Alrion focused on the ride and let his thoughts wander. But he didn’t let them dwell on the encounter ahead.

  Within a few hours, they could see the town.

  “There she is, the quaint little town of Quagmire.” Branthor showed off the town with a flourish of his hands.

  “Sounds delightful,” Lara said.

  “It’s quite apt, isn’t it? The name?” Branthor responded with a chuckle.

  “Let’s hope so,” Alyx grunted.

  “Where’s Fermur?” Alrion went straight to the point.

  “Hold on.” Branthor closed his eyes again. Alrion thought about probing Branthor on the spell some more but opted to do it at another time. Within moments, the master wizard snapped his eyes open.

  “There’s a field at the edge of the town. Fermur is sitting in the middle.”

  “Doesn’t like surprises, does he?” Lara said.

  “No, I suppose he likes to use his speed. If anyone approaches, he’s got ample time to flee, often before they’ve even spotted him.” Branthor stroked his chin.

  “We have to bank on the fact that he wants to talk to us and feels safe. I can’t be effective at long distance,” Alrion said.

  “Then let’s make ourselves known. If we don’t hide our approach he ma
y feel more in control.” Alyx drew her sword and started moving forward. The rest followed. They skirted the edge of the town, battling through shrubs and plants until they found a serviceable path. They continued in silence.

  Alrion ran through the plan over and over in his mind. It was a good plan, and they had practised it well. But he still wasn’t sure if he could pull it off.

  Don’t overthink it. Just stick to the plan.

  Soon enough Alyx emerged into a clearing. The grass was low like it had been recently cut. In the middle of the clearing stood Fermur, arms crossed. He was motionless and stared at them.

  “So far so good,” Lara said.

  “Just keep going.” Alrion moved just behind Alyx and matched her pace. He wanted to be as close as possible. Closer and closer they went, and Fermur was still motionless. Finally, he unfolded his arms and spoke.

  “I see you’ve tracked me down. I hear things didn’t go quite to plan.”

  “You gave us bad information,” Alrion said. He continued to advance. They weren’t far now from the range he had been practising.

  “It wasn’t good or bad, it was just information. As I was instructed. You made the most of it, approaching on two fronts. A shame then that you missed your opportunity.”

  “Maybe you can give us another.” Alrion kept approaching, passing Alyx. Fermur started to back away. As soon as Alrion stopped, so did Fermur.

  “We can speak from here if it makes you more comfortable.” Alrion sized up the distance. It was further than he liked. Not terrible, but not guaranteed. Alyx sheathed her sword and put her hands behind her back. Fermur relaxed a little. Alrion watched Alyx prepare her hands, ready to pull out the steel chain when required. Lara and Branthor fanned out, not going any closer but forming a wider line.

  “It does. After your last disaster, I don’t feel entirely safe.”

  “Yet you let us approach,” Alrion said.

  “So that we may talk further. I suppose you want more information? A precise location for Rindale?” Fermur laughed.

  “Yes. Very much so.” Alrion started preparing his visualisation. He kept his eyes open, which seemed harder. But he didn’t want to tip off Fermur. Lara glanced at him and Fermur twitched. He seemed ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger.

  “Would you kindly tell us what we need to know?” Alrion said. Fermur smirked and prepared a response. Alrion closed his eyes and finished his visualisation. He started to apply the speed adjustment with his Will. Without a circle, and at a further distance, it was more difficult to get the right area and the right power. So, he threw everything into it.

  Fermur must have felt something was off because he started to run. He looked startled as he ran slowly but sped up faster and faster. Alrion felt a strong resistance blocking him. He took in a deep breath and disregarded it. There was no opposition to his Will. Even so, he felt tiny cracks forming in the strength of his resolve.

  Alyx was running in but she was too far away. She wasn’t going to make it in time. Rocky formations grew out of the ground and started to wrap themselves around Fermur. He knocked them away forcefully, but they did manage to delay him. Alyx was there and hurled out the steel chain. Fermur slowly turned to see what it was and missed another piece of stone that had risen and blocked his path. He stopped momentarily, and the steel chain connected, wrapping itself around the general. The stone formations disintegrated into dust and slowly fell to the ground. But they obscured the whole scene.

  With a gasp, Alrion let go of his modification and turned on his Soul vision. He could see Fermur still there.

  “Go confirm,” Alrion rasped and fell to the ground, drawing in more and more rapid breaths. He could see his team rushing over to the scene.

  20

  A Wizard's Tale

  Falric motioned for Caleb to fetch chairs and leaned back in his chair.

  “You have every right to say that. I will tell you my story.” Falric paused and waited. Caleb fetched two chairs from an adjoining room and presented them to Vincent and Celes.

  “And you?” Vincent said.

  “No need. Please make yourselves comfortable.” Caleb stepped to the side of the room and stood near the door. Vincent waited for Celes to sit then he joined her. Falric looked at Celes, then Vincent.

  “I imagine much has happened. But first I will tell you a story.” Falric drew in a deep breath, sighed and began.

  “I awoke suddenly on that morning, sensing something was wrong. I was able to detect a wizard nearby, which was quite alarming. For two reasons. The first is that the wizard had never announced himself before. The second is that there seemed something familiar.” Falric coughed and looked around at the table. Caleb disappeared and returned quickly with a glass of water. Falric gulped it down and seemed more content.

  “Right, yes so I detected this other wizard and resolved to confront him immediately. We were so near our goal I couldn’t risk anything else happening. It didn’t take long for me to find him, he was waiting patiently. He laughed and challenged me for facing him alone, and it was then I realised what was so familiar. It was Branthor.” Falric looked up at their reactions and seeing none kept talking.

  “I was completely shocked, and I couldn’t understand what had gone wrong. Branthor was not forthcoming either. He just began a battle. He seemed to be toying with me, holding back. He was always better at battling, and he knew it too. I played his game, matching his attacks and thinking of a way out.” Falric reached for the glass and took a small sip.

  “It was around this point that I noticed young Alrion. He had found us, and I worried terribly about his safety. I made a split-second decision right there, to try to protect him from Branthor. I waved him away and let Branthor’s next spell take me down. Luckily, it was big enough to do the job admirably. I did help it along though.”

  “What do you mean?” Celes said.

  “I have a few tricks of my own. I used a tiny spell of equal parts Will and Spark to burrow myself further down than should have occurred naturally. By controlling my own burial, so to speak, I was also able to provide myself a way to breathe. Small pockets of air, connecting to the surface. The spell was small enough that Branthor didn’t notice. He did hang around I believe to check if I would emerge, but he finally left.”

  “And then?”

  “Of course, I waited for some time. I felt a presence and noticed magic above my position. I initially panicked and thought that Branthor was back, rooting around for me. I dug myself deeper still and waited patiently. However, I believe it was actually Alrion looking for me.”

  “Why didn’t you reveal yourself then?” Vincent said, not hiding his anger.

  “I was weakened and had dug myself a lot further down than expected. I did not have enough power to spring myself quickly and safely, nor to communicate. I had to slowly and carefully extract myself. The whole effort took days, I barely survived.”

  “Alrion was gravely injured in his encounter with Branthor. Surely you could have still made it to see him?” Vincent said.

  “Yes, I could have. I approached Paperton with caution, unsure of what I would find. My enquiries led to the discovery that Alrion had survived in his quest and that the enemy wizard was nowhere to be found. I resolved then to let Alrion continue, knowing that he would meet you in Brangtur. I decided to wait for him to leave, then begin my stay in Paperton.” Falric stopped talking and waited for a response.

  “Why did you not attempt to join him? I know nothing of wizard training, but Alrion’s had barely begun.” Celes sounded annoyed too. Vincent sat back and let Falric answer.

  “He had accessed the Pool of Knowledge. He had proved himself and he had a way to further his training. I thought that it would be best to let Alrion continue his growth and his journey, and I could learn the secrets of the Pool of Knowledge.”

  “You left him alone, so you could do more research?” Vincent’s voice grew in volume with every word.

  “Branthor bested me too
easily. I am well-travelled, but the knowledge is old and out of date. Alrion had found a new companion and had you to join him. It was a risk worth taking.” Falric paused but started again. “And I knew that if he had a roadblock in his journey he would return. And I would be ready to help him in whatever he needed. Imagine my surprise to see you both here instead.”

  “I expected more from you. I didn’t expect you to abandon him when things became difficult,” Celes said.

  “And what of the Wizard Academy? Surely you’re needed there?” Vincent said.

  “There are protocols that I have already established. Things will go on as they should. I spent my life building up the Academy. You can fault me on many things, but not that.”

  “I’m still not happy with this. I went along with everything, I supported your approach the whole way. Surely you could have guided him from the shadows, supported him in other ways?” Vincent studied Falric’s reaction. The wizard did look a little guilty, embarrassed. He turned away before returning his gaze.

  “I took the easy option and justified it to myself. Luckily for me, it worked out. I would have to live with it if something happened. But I believe all is well?”

  “He’s alive, and he’s accomplished quite a lot. He can cure the Blight now.” Vincent felt annoyed by the pride and joy in Falric’s features.

  He started this, but I feel like he betrayed us.

  “Then he’s so close. What is his goal now?” Falric said.

  “He needs to determine the source of the Blight to complete the final spell I believe,” Vincent said.

  “Which is why we are here,” Celes added. Falric looked confused.

  “If he’s come as far as you say, he should have the information already. It’s a crucial part of the spell. And if he needs it, why is he not here with you?”

  “I suspected he would be here or would be soon. He had other matters to attend to.”

  “I see.” Falric rubbed his chin. “Something has gone wrong. The mechanics of the Pool of Knowledge are infinitely complex, but the concepts are simple and reliable. What he needs should have been revealed to him already.”