“Excellent,” smiled Dorforun. “The seals would indeed be strong enough, as long as the mage who created them made them strong enough. That is a variable in the creation that must be taken into account to match the use of the seals to their task.”
“Then we should also have a rating system for these new seals,” suggested one of the guild members. “We wouldn’t want to inadvertently use a weak seal for a task that requires a strong one.”
“Correct,” nodded Dorforun.
Dorforun was pleased with how the lecture had gone. He stood listening to the discussion of various uses for the seals and how the rating system should be devised and implemented. He purposely left the discussion to the others and did not try to steer it or manage it any way. He knew that some of the dwarves considered him to be too intellectual and not active enough in the actual day-to-day operation of the mine, and he didn’t want to appear as a schoolmaster. After a while, Dorforun quietly exited the chamber where the guild met. He strolled aimlessly through the finely hewn corridors of Tarashin to give the guild members time to develop their own thoughts. He had planned to return after an hour to see how the discussion was developing, but that was not to be.
Dorforun halted suddenly. He had meandered into one of the oldest sections of Tarashin. The corridor had been created in the days of King Arak, but the dwarves of Tarashin had moved on to richer areas where the veins flowed with precious metals. The dwarven magician warily glanced around, wondering what had caused the sudden feeling of unease. Uncharacteristically, the dwarven mage called forth a protective shield to envelop himself.
“That is hardly necessary,” smiled Fakir Aziz as he stepped out of the darkness. “I am not here to harm you.”
Dorforun stared at the human with a mixture of suspicion and unease. “Then why are you here? And how did you get here? You certainly did not walk past the guards.”
“The how is not important,” smiled the Mage. “As for why, I think you already know. Your services are required.”
Dorforun blinked. He was positive that he had never laid eyes on the human before, yet he suddenly felt as if he knew him. Were he younger and less experienced, he would have suspected the human of casting a spell upon him, but the feeling was not caused by magic. Dorforun was sure of that. A feeling of awe swept through the dwarf’s body, and suddenly he understood.
“Why me?”
“You are more powerful than even you know,” Fakir said with a smile. “Dress in a long cloak with a hood. You will be going into the land of humans, and they must not see a dwarf.”
“How long will I be gone?” asked Dorforun. “I will want to tell the others when to expect my return.”
“You will tell no one,” instructed the Mage. “As for the duration of your commitment, I can give no answer. Perhaps you will never return.”
The dwarf swallowed hard as the Mage’s words struck home. The human had not explicitly said that death awaited him, but it was clear that the possibility was more than minimal.
“Everyone will know that I have left,” countered the dwarf. “Even if I don’t say farewell, the guards will report my leaving.”
“The guards will not know of your departure,” declared the Mage. “No one is to know. I will wait for you in the valley south of Tarashin. Do not be long.”
Chapter 7
Thirteen Days
Alex, Tedi, and Natia passed through the Door and entered the Royal Palace in Tagaret. Alex spoke briefly to the guards stationed there and then the Knights of Alcea made their way to King Arik’s study. They entered the study to find the king and queen talking to Theos, the Tyronian mage. The conversation immediately halted as the royal couple turned to greet the newly arrived Knights of Alcea.
“I was hoping that you would show up,” welcomed King Arik. “The meeting started some time ago, and I wanted to hear from you before attending myself.”
“I had some things that needed to be taken care of,” apologized Alex. “Has Jenneva arrived yet?”
“No,” frowned Queen Tanya. “The fairies assured me that she has been notified.”
“Time is getting scarce for all of us,” mused Alex. “I suspect that we are all running a little tight on time right now. It is not going to get any better. There are more coming from Zara. I took the liberty of asking the guards to have the others report directly here instead of going straight to the meeting.” The Knight of Alcea nodded to Theos, and the mage nodded in return. “Has Theos been introduced to everyone yet?”
“Not yet,” answered King Arik. “I was planning on doing that at the meeting.”
“Do not introduce him as Tyronian,” suggested Alex. “It is not that I expect any of the group to betray a confidence, but it would be better if no one slipped and called him the Tyronian mage.”
“Good point,” nodded the king.
The door opened and Zack Nolan, Wylan and Sheri entered the room. Directly following them was Jenneva and Clint McFarren. The Ranger was still dressed in his Federation uniform.”
The Tyronian’s eyes widened nervously.
“That is sure to get some attention at the meeting,” quipped the queen. “How did you get past the guards?”
“I had to vouch for him,” chuckled Jenneva.
“Even though they knew who I was,” complained Clint.
“I am surprised that you found time to leave Zara,” commented King Arik. “I thought you were hurrying your army to Despair to free the emperor?”
“Plans have changed,” frowned the Ranger as he turned and faced Jenneva. “I think a mage has taken over the emperor’s body. I need to know how I can verify that.”
“Tell me why you suspect such a thing,” replied Jenneva.
Clint detailed his conversation with Colonel Taerin and added in his suspicions based upon the emperor’s behavior. Jenneva nodded increasingly as he spoke.
“It sounds very much like Reflecting Pool,” stated Jenneva, “but it could be some variation of it that we are ignorant of. If it is Reflecting Pool, getting the emperor to cast a spell will break the illusion, but it must be done at an appropriate time. Once the illusion is broken, there is nothing to stop the mage from reconstituting it. If you wish to reveal him to someone, make sure that person is present before you force the mage to cast a spell.”
“Like the emperor’s son,” stated Zack.
“That will not be necessary,” smiled Clint. “I have made contact with the heir of the Empire of Barouk, but now is not the time to discuss that. There is more important news. Grand General Kyrga has ordered the movement of troops. The 9th Corps of Barouk and the 25th Corps of Aerta are already on the move. They have received orders to report to Camp Destiny. The war is starting soon.”
“How soon?” asked the king.
“About two weeks,” replied the Ranger. “It depends on where General Kolling and General Gertz have stationed their troops, so I can not be positive of the timing, but the fairies will surely report their arrival in Camp Destiny.”
“We cannot wait for their arrival in Camp Destiny,” the king replied anxiously. “We have our own troop movements to accomplish. Why are they starting so early? Has spring arrived earlier in Zara than here?”
“The northern portion of Zara is having one of the worst winters on record,” answered Alex. “There is no hint of spring there.”
“I agree,” offered Theos. “I have never seen a winter so severe.”
“But that is not true in the south,” retorted Clint. “And it is in the south where their armies are massed and waiting for orders.”
“What about near Camp Destiny?” asked Jenneva. “That is farther north and it is close to the Barrier.”
“I do not know,” answered Clint. “I can check it out when I return to Zara.”
“The fairies can handle that,” interjected Alex. “You have too much on your plate already. Do not spread yourself too thin. Where is the A Corps now?”