“Sire,” Hausey said. “What’s happened to him?”
“I took your advice, Commander, a little lavintha and milk thistle.”
“But why?”
“We’re making a deal,” King Felix said, “the one you brokered last night. Don’t act so surprised; we all knew this was inevitable. The boy had his uses, but he is a liability. This way, we end the siege in one master stroke.”
“Stay with him, Commander,” said General Griggs. “Make sure he stays on his horse. We don’t want the prize spoiled.”
They rode out toward the enemy lines. Zollin tried his best to look senseless while taking in as much of the scene as he could. The sun was just high enough to shed light on the army surrounding the castle. They were already up and in formation, as if at the slightest command they could attack the city.
King Felix stopped less than fifty paces from the opposing army. They had to wait only a few moments before a similar delegation rode out from the enemy lines to meet them. Zollin didn’t have a good view, but Commander Hausey held up five fingers beside his leg, and Zollin guessed that meant that five riders were approaching.
“King Felix, thank you for coming,” said Offendorl.
“I have the boy,” the King said. “He is drugged and will offer no resistance.”
“Excellent thinking,” Offendorl said. “I will take him with me and leave the negotiations to you kings.”
“I thought I made myself clear,” said King Felix said. “Once you have the boy, you are to take your army and leave Yelsia.”
“Ah, but there is the matter of expense,” said King Belphan. “This venture to ensure the peace was costly, I’m afraid. Reparations must be made, both to Osla and Falxis.”
“Bring your demands before the council, King Belphan. I will not hear of your squabbling for coin while your army besieges Orrock.”
“I find that we are in the best bargaining position now,” said Belphan.
“Finish your negotiations without me,” Offendorl said. “The sound of your voices wearies me.”
“Give him the boy, Hausey.”
Commander Hausey hesitated, but Zollin gave a slight nod. Hausey led Zollin’s horse to Offendorl. The ancient wizard took the reins of Zollin’s mount and turned his own horse as if to lead them away. They had gone only ten paces or so when Zollin saw the old man nod, and a group of fully armed knights came charging forward.
“It’s a trap!” Hausey shouted.
King Belphan and King Zorlan turned their horses and raced away, while their knights came charging forward.
“Surround the King,” General Tolis shouted.
“We must retreat!” General Griggs shouted.
“There is no time,” Hausey cried.
Zollin waved a hand and a wall of invisible power slammed into the charging cavalry. The horses were knocked backwards, and their riders flew forward and crashed into the barrier.
Offendorl turned, throwing up a shield between himself and Zollin, but the young wizard was already attacking.
“Blast!” he screamed, thinking of his first attack on the wizards from the Torr in Tranaugh Shire. His attack then had surprised them, but it had not hurt them. Zollin expected no less from Offendorl, so he purposely let his attack go wide. Two thick beams of crackling energy shot from his hands. They bounced off the elder wizard’s defenses and then slammed into Offendorl’s wagon. The large wooden vehicle exploded and wooden shards flew into the air. The shockwave from the explosion rocked Offendorl forward as Zollin grabbed as many wooden shards as he could and sent them hurtling toward the master wizard.
Offendorl’s shield held the wood back, so that not even a splinter touched him, but his horse was a different matter. Several large slivers of wood sank into the horse’s hindquarters, causing the animal to buck and jump. Offendorl was thrown from the animal, and Zollin expected to see him land in a heap of broken bones on the hard ground. Instead, Offendorl rose up in the air and sent balls of fire hurtling toward Zollin.
Zollin kicked his horse and sent the mount charging forward so that the fireballs flew over his head.
“Get back to the castle!” Zollin shouted.
“Ride!” Commander Hausey bellowed, turning his horse and galloping back toward Orrock.
The other generals and King Felix followed, just as Zollin rode directly under Offendorl. He held up a magical shield over his head and pushed it up toward the elder wizard. The fireballs were bouncing off the shield now, each impact like a hammer blow on a knight’s shield, but the fire was also getting closer to Offendorl so that he was forced to move away.
At that same moment the army surrounding Orrock took the explosion and fire to be their signal to attack. The troops hurried forward, slapping their swords on their shields and stomping their feet. Clouds of dust rose in the air around them, and horns sounded on every side. Zollin was momentarily distracted and Offendorl’s next attack, a stunning whirlwind conjured in midair and sent hurtling toward Zollin, blew him off his horse as the mount reared its hooves, pawed at the air, and then stumbled backward.
Zollin landed on the ground with a massive crash that sent pain shooting through his back, but he didn’t have time to stop moving. The ground shook and began to split under him, so he jumped into the air, using his magic to shoot himself like an arrow straight at Offendorl. He didn’t know that wizard battles rarely brought the combatants close enough for hand-to-hand fighting. Offendorl was surprised at the move and flung up his magical shield for protection, but Zollin had his own shields raised. The two wizards crashed together, their magics surging.
Zollin felt his own power coursing through the containment field he had constructed. It was blindingly hot, but the containment held and didn’t allow the magic to drain his physical strength. Offendorl, on the other hand, was sweating. Zollin could see the strain on his opponent’s face and doubled his efforts to get closer to the elder wizard. It was like the intense struggle when two warrior’s blades lock together and the battle becomes a test of strength. Zollin could feel the barrier around his magic starting to break apart. He knew that pushing himself this hard was dangerous. If his containment broke down, he could easily be killed by the magnitude of his magical exertion. At the very least he would be knocked unconscious by the strain.
Offendorl felt as he was being pressed down by a giant. He was shocked at Zollin’s raw power. He had expected the boy to fight as other wizards fought. Most were loath to do anything physically, so they kept their distance and used their magic to fight. But Zollin was drawing ever closer and there was a look of murder in his eyes. If Offendorl let the boy get close enough, his young, physical strength would certainly spell doom for the elder wizard. Offendorl tried to pry himself away, but the boy just kept coming. Offendorl felt his own magic tearing away at him on the inside. His body was shaking, and the effort he was exerting with his magic was more than he had used in years. Normally, if he had difficult magic to perform, he could stop, rest, and get refreshment. But now he was trapped with no way to end the onslaught of Zollin’s ferocious attack.
Hausey led the retreat. He was an active cavalry soldier and was at home on a horse as much as anywhere. He rode hard, bellowing for the soldiers to open the gate for their King. The gate was rising slowly, and Hausey glanced over his shoulder to see the other generals riding hard to keep up with him. King Felix looked frightened, but he was staying in the saddle. General Griggs, on the other hand, was falling further behind. He was more focused on hanging onto the saddle horn than coaxing more speed from his mount.
At the gate, Hausey spun his horse around. The gate was a huge grid of metal with the lowest parts of the vertical bars ending in sharp points. Behind the actual gate, which was raised straight up, there were two large wooden doors. The doors were hung on massive iron hinges that shrieked as the doors were slowly swung open. King Felix and his generals hurried under the gate and through the huge doors as Hausey looked for Zollin.