Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 43

After a full day and a half of much-needed sleep, I awoke to an excellent breakfast of eggs, sausage, fruit, and freshly-baked biscuits. After nearly a week of eating travel rations, I may have eaten more than I should have, and it lay heavily on my stomach. Afterward, I quickly changed to a fresh robe of green and blue before standing for a long moment. It was a great feeling. I breathed deeply and exhilarated in the pleasure of not having to wear pants. Certainly, trousers served an important function for society at large, but that didn’t mean I had to enjoy them. 

I headed downstairs, knowing that Froom’s mages should have begun to arrive and wishing I had the chance to relax in my bath with a cup of fine wine. It had been too long since I had done so. Yet, as I arrived at the first floor of my tower, my seneschal was waiting for me. 

Fentworth Aide, still dressed prim and proper, and somehow in a tailored suit of matching colors. The afternoon sun came through the amethyst windows and its reflection on the room’s copper inlays throughout the room made the geometric design shine. It was the perfect scene to meet other mages in, as they would no doubt be looking for the light or illusion spells that weren’t there. I smiled at the thought until I remembered the vast crystal tower Alred built. That his was more magnificent and grander than my own tower killed my budding joy. 

I bit back a sigh and nodded to Fentworth. I would need to make do with my uncomfortable chairs. “Good afternoon. They have begun arriving?”

Fentworth bowed in return, “Yes, my lord. Alderman Kine has begun construction of an inn near the gate and commissioned furniture from the village. There are thirty mages currently exploring the village as they wait. Shall I summon them?”

I waved my hand towards him, granting him permission, and headed towards my seat. The room would be crowded with thirty mages, but I was sure that Fentworth had some plan to manage that. I smirked at the thought of them forming a line and entering one at a time like children. Then, I turned to more serious thoughts. The duchess had declared herself queen in the middle of the end of the age, and I suspected she would assume I would support her political move. I had no intention to do so, not at the cost of innocent lives lost to the Pestilence. 

I also had the stasis spell to deconstruct. I wanted to replicate it first before I began to pull it apart. If I could do so, that would soothe much of my concern that the holy magics weren’t a necessary part of the spellwork, but rather the type of magic used for that particular spell. I had gathered more dungeon cores that I needed to convert into artifacts, though I had no further intention of handing them out. I could vaguely trust my current assistants, given that the only spell they could cast with it would create a plateau. My fingers strummed against the table. I did need to place wards around my plateau, however. It wouldn’t do to have a rebellious assistant cast a plateau while I slept and lift my tower so far into the sky the air went bad.

I also wanted to capture a hydra or two to experiment on. Their body parts were used in the alchemist potion, and I wanted to see if they could also be used as reagents to improve the longevity spell. I also, as hesitant as I was to admit it, wondered how they tasted. If they tasted good, a single hydra could potentially be used to feed an entire city for centuries. Would they taste like snake or turtle did? Fish? Would it be better to grill one on an open flame or fry it? 

It was as I was imagining stone-sized pieces of hydra steak covered in molasses that the first mage entered. Fentworth, ever the expert, announced him.

“Presenting [Crystal Magus] Truhan Blue-eyes to the lord [Wizard] Nemon Fargus.” 

I nodded a greeting in response to the low bow the man presented before seeing his bright blue eyes. He must be a commoner then, one that chose his surname. I hope the eye color passes on, or the man’s children will certainly be mocked for it. 

My seneschal continued to speak, past the normal greeting, “Magus Blue-eyes is the senior-most mage among those present, and highest in authority under Lord Froom’s structure.”

Excellent choice Fentworth! If this man is competent, then I would be able to delegate the entire task of evacuation to him with only minor input. That way, I can continue my research! I couldn’t help but smile at the thought. 

Then, the [Crystal Magus] opened his mouth and began to speak and that hope was dashed. 

Two weeks later, I was ending a meeting with the four lead mages of the lot Froom had sent when my seneschal announced that Honest Brom had arrived and was requested a meeting. [Geomancer] Stuth, a quiet and calm woman, was head of a group of five mages whose sole responsibility was to ferry fresh soil through the gateways. [Crystal Magus] Nilter, a young lad of great potential for magic but much less potential for tact, was responsible for the fifteen or so mages that traveled to each plateau to construct gateways to Froom’s plane.  It was a task that would normally have been assigned to an older mage, yet Nilter seemed to be so aggressively demanding and insulting that the others eagerly took to their tasks simply to get away from the lad. 

[Magus] Nichols, a friendly woman who was the daughter of a merchant, was responsible for the stacks of maps that now rested on my table. Mapmakers, by and large, didn’t consult with each other. Many, despite their skills, had never been to the areas they drew and relied solely on the words of others. Those words came from bickering nobles and merchants who wanted to hide roads or claim tracts of land from each other. Even maps made of the kingdom were often differing in proportions. That was before most of the villages and towns were lifted onto plateaus. Her level of organizational skills was so great, that I was considering offering her an assistant position when this was all done with.

[Pyromancer] Stroon, the son of a minor noble house I had never heard of in southern Laxtoni, and three other mages, tracked the products of those who remained towns and villages instead of evacuating. I paid particular attention to his results, as I was keen on knowing where the best wines would be made in the future. I also had another plan that I would need the knowledge for, but that would be best acted on after the evacuation was complete. 

[Crystal Magus] Blue-eyes had spent a few days in the body of a sheep to determine if the animal’s form could hold a human’s mind. When visiting another mage’s tower, you should never insult it. Especially not as the first thing one says. The results of the experiment were inconclusive, however. The man’s intelligence didn’t seem to be affected, though I wasn’t certain if that it was at a level above a sheep, to begin with. He did randomly “bah” in the middle of conversations now, but thankfully, the other mages had been quick to return him to the Crystal Plane before he could say anything worse.

Now mages regularly came and went, through my gate to get their assignments. At first, there had been arguments and disagreements, of course. They didn’t like to take orders from each other regardless of Froom’s hierarchy, so I had to intervene on more than one occasion. Now, mages came through the gate and stopped at the first floor. There, they would be assigned a plateau to travel to, a ring I’d constructed to allow for flight, and a list of duties to accomplish once they arrived. I wasn’t interested in simply ensuring they built a gateway. I wanted to know which place had the finest wines or best tailors and whether they would remain on the plateaus or evacuate. 

Kine’s inn was finished, and a local man, one who used to be a minor before lifting the plateau robbed him of his career, had taken to the role of innkeeper. He was doing well for himself, not just financially, but was, apparently, a much-desired partner amongst the female mages due to his muscular build. I met the man briefly and toasted him with his own ale as thanks, but had little interest in dealing with him.

I stood, and dismissed three of the mages, leaving [Magus] Nichols. The woman was the only one of the mages I allowed to live in the tower, in one of the assistant’s old rooms, because her duties revolved around the stacks of maps and tracking the assignments of mages. I also wanted her here for the meeting with Honest Brom because I had a plan that might entice her to ask to become my assistant. I wanted her to express interest in the chance rather than me asking her directly. A mage of my standing simply did not ask others to be their assistant, they asked me. 

When Honest Brom arrived, the brown-haired man spared a glance at the number of maps on the table and then offered a low bow in greeting, one that was far deeper than I imagined was comfortable for his short stature. 

“Count Fargus, I offer greetings on behalf of Countess Nix.”

I clapped my hands once, “Excellent! Brom, I would introduce [Magus] Vioa Nichols, in service to Lord Froom. She has been a great aid in recent endeavors. Let us reconvene in my sitting room. Fentworth, if you would have snacks delivered?”

Fentworth sketched a small bow and set off ahead of us to the kitchens, while I lead a curious magus and a fearful spy down the spiraling staircase to the sitting room I had created. Neither one paid any mind to the kitchens, but both cast curious stares at the heavily warded Hall of Valor. When we arrived at my sitting room, stock full of the finest couches and chairs, I was surprised to see that neither batted an eye at the room. Which made me curious. 

I waited until we all sat, each on different couches facing each other, and I waved my hand around, “Brom, what do you think of my sitting room?”

“It’s a fine sitting room, my lord,” his words were spoken hesitantly.

I sensed an unspoken ‘but’ in the way he said it, so I pushed, “Come, you are called Honest Brom, are you not?” 

He nervously glanced around, his eyes falling on Miss Nichols who only smirked in his direction, before he slowly spoke, “My lord, with the evacuation underway, couches are no longer the symbol of prosperity they once were. Nobles are trading them away for chickens.” His eyes widened and he was quick to talk more, “But! But dirt and soil are! And you, my lord, with your swamplands and bogs, are sitting on a veritable mountain of riches!”

Despite his assertion about dirt, I was crestfallen. All the work I had put into gathering this furniture if felt pitifully pointless. I pressed my lips together to help bite back the curse words on the tip of my tongue, and ignored the awkward moment I had inadvertently created. Quickly, though, I feigned recovery and motioned towards the man. “Come, you have news to share?”

He nodded eagerly at the opening to change the subject. “Indeed, Mighty Wizard, I have important news from Mirktal, from our Queen, and from Countess Nix. I fear the news from our Queen is not a pleasant subject.” He said the last sentence with a grimace. 

I considered the order for a brief second and wanted to correct the man about his choice of wording. It wasn’t ‘our queen’, as I hadn’t been consulted on her ascension at all. I hadn’t sworn any oath of loyalty or obedience and hadn’t been asked for one. She had appointed me to a governing position without so much as inquiring with me. I wasn’t interested in involving myself in those politics, less so to call her ‘my queen’. Still, he presented the news in an order I assumed he wanted to follow, so I granted him that.

“Tell me of Mirktal.”

I noticed that Magus Nichols lean forward ever so slightly from where she sat as he began.

“The entire country is in open rebellion. The slaves have been unchained and are murdering the nobility and priesthood with a vengeance. Many rumors are circulating about why, but my man heard from a drunken priest who couldn’t cast his spells anymore that their god was silent. He suspected two reasons for this. The priesthood tried to enslave King Sena with forbidden magics, but he threw himself from his castle tower to stop them, martyred himself to save the kingdom and strike back at his enemies.”

Brom paused to let his words sink in, though I didn’t believe that at all. In fact, I suspect the priesthood may have been successful, and my hex was the reason for his suicide. There was only so much pain anyone could tolerate, and the spell Unending Agony was the kind that pushed past that. 

Brom continued, “My informant, she also said that the priest mentioned a summoning spell gone wrong. That a group of heretic adventurers interrupted the ceremony in a way that their god was forced to retreat in silence to heal. I don’t know the accuracy of these rumors, but I do know that most of the priesthood is dead. The freed soldiers turned on their masters with a powerful vengeance and their bodies are still being mauled long after death.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Magus Nichols sigh in relief, but I said nothing. “Go on.”

“That is all I know of Mirktal. Oh, no. I had heard that wyverns attacked a month ago, but no one seems to know where they’ve gone.” 

When I said ‘go on’, I meant for him to tell me of Duchess—Queen Eistoni, but he must have misunderstood me. I chose my words carefully as I spoke next, “Very well, tell me of the queen.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but a servant entered before he could. A platter of fruits and cheeses, three cups, and a decanter of fine blueberry wine was laid on the table, and Brom carefully watched the servant leave before he spoke again. With an expert hand, the man plopped a few blueberries into his cup and poured himself a drink as he spoke.

“The Queendom isn’t doing well publicly, and there have been some changes in leadership across different baronies. The new King of Sena, his firstborn son, has led an army to Fort Mount to launch attacks into the lands of Count Hirkley. He has geomancers with him that let him raid. The Queen sent Count Wilchrest to counter, but battles have been lost. The only thing stopping the young King’s army from completely taking the duchy… is, well, that great serpents are digging themselves up from the ground.”

He looked at me intensely for a moment before he asked, “Are you calling them? These many-headed monsters? Do they rise in defense of the duchy?”

I frowned and shook my head at the accusation. “No, those are the true foe. Not Mirktal, not King Sena. Those monsters want to eat the entire world.”

Miss Nichols whispered to herself, “So it’s true.”

Honest Brom didn’t hear her but instead looked into his cup as he swirled the wine around. “Of course.”

I picked up a piece of cheese and popped it into my mouth as I held back a sneer. Did he think just because I invited him to sit with me that he was in a position to judge?! He was only an actor for someone else! 

Still, punishing the man for his lapse would do me no good. I would simply have to remind him of the distance between us in our next meeting. I most assuredly would not be sharing good wine with the man. In fact, if it weren’t for the potential for an excellent assistant, I would have had him write down the news and leave it with Fentworth. 

Yes, that’s exactly how I would handle the man in the future. “And the countess?”

Honest Brom took a quick sip of his wine. “She is well.” He glanced at the Magus before continuing. “Her vengeance was swift and deadly. She wanted to let you know that your offer was not needed.”

Ah, her vengeance and the offer of refuge. She had granted me the ancient elven tome that the goddess of knowledge wanted me to research not too long ago. I had nearly forgotten about her request, but it seemed that remembering it would have been pointless. “Very good. Is there anything further? No? Then, I trust you’ll see yourself out.”

I dismissed him with a wave, and he took the hint quite well, though I did make sure to cast a cleaning spell on the couch he had been seated before he left the room. Not that my couch didn’t have a self-cleaning enchantment already. It was simply a minor return for the offense he had given. He had no right to judge me, nor did anyone else for that matter. I waited in silence with Miss Nichols for a moment as I watched through my elementals to ensure he left as he should. I wouldn’t want to try to explain to Countess Nix that I had accidentally slain her subordinate by letting him walk into a trapped room he shouldn’t be in.

After he was gone, I turned to [Magus] Nichols, and offered her a smile. 

She asked, softly, “Lord Fargus, why did you invite me here to this meeting? This is unrelated to my duties.”

I nodded, having decided while I had spoken to Honest Brom. My plan had been thwarted by things outside of my control, and if couches hadn’t impressed her, I doubt dirt would. “Not the duties related to the evacuation, no it doesn’t.”

“I—I don’t understand, my lord.” She responded and her hand subconsciously tightened around the collar of her robe. Her cheeks brightened a tad, the beginnings of a blush.

I looked at her questioning if I had made the right decision. What was going through her mind? She wasn’t unattractive, for a human, but she was no Loralie. Her hair was long and dark, and her face was a bit rounder than what would entice me. “I will be straightforward with you, then.”

She nodded and watched with a strange look of apprehension.

“I am in need of a research assistant, and your organizational skills are excellent. I am certain Alred would release you from his employ to mine if you agreed. Shall I send a missive?”

I watched the young woman go through a series of different emotions, from disappointment to anger, to uncertainty, to general confusion before she answered. “S-sure.”

I nodded as I stood up. “Good. I will see you this afternoon to begin going over your additional duties.”

I turned to leave her where she sat, and head down to my laboratory. I had been so busy of the last two weeks that I’d forgotten to feed the tortoise Alred had gifted me as a potential familiar and it starved to death. Feeding it, of course, had been the responsibility of my assistants before I sent them all away, so I was greatly anticipating having someone else here that could handle such tasks.