Jeal gripped the heavy oaken table in front of him tightly as yet another blast rocked the foundations of the castle. Torene cringed across from him as she waited for the tremors to pass.
"What in Vay's name is going on down there?" he demanded as a hapless soldier dashed into his study.
"Your grace, the three wizards have escaped!" the soldier gasped as he bobbed himself in a hastily performed bow. "They have torn through the castle and our defenses! They must nearly be outside by now!"
"How could they-" demanded Torene. "We bound them well enough. They couldn't use their magic!"
Jeal's face darkened. "Well, we obviously overlooked something. Our guards will have to be more thorough next time. If there is one," he added.
The Danek Emperor crossed his study and removed a large, well cared for crossbow from where it hung on the wall.
"If they're still in Danek, we'll hunt them down, even if I have to go personally to see their capture."
Despite the later protests of his advisors, Jeal kept to his word and indeed aided the ground search for the missing trio. However, with the help of Danek's magicians, it didn't take long for them to discover that Sadoul, Ghaleon, and Kazyr were no longer in the country. But the Danek intelligence network was nothing if not thorough. Before a day had passed, Jeal received word of unusual magical activity in the area north of Mount Bole. And a plan began to formulate in his mind.
Jeal reentered his study and faced a large mirror. He uttered the command words in the spidery language of magic, the enchanted barrier around the castle having no effect on his powers. The mirror hummed in response, its reflective face shining in a blinding light. The aura abated in a flash that engulfed the room, and then revealed the waking form of person in a richly adorned bed.
"Why do you call me at such an obscene hour, Emperor?" the male voice at the other end replied dourly. The figure in the mirror turned off to one side as if looking at something. "It's two in the morning over here! Have you forgotten the time difference between Kerzalt and Danek?"
Jeal shook his head, although it was more to dismiss the matter rather than to acknowledge the other's comments. "And it's seven in the morning over here and I haven't slept all night." He shrugged. "Besides, I have some information I believe you will be interested in hearing." The Danek Emperor smiled, chilling the feeling its recipient was getting. "You see, Sadoul is alive."
"By the goddess, do you have to make it so obvious how strong our magic is?"
Three hidden figures took note of the wizards' bickering and waited.
Sadoul shrugged at Kazyr's remark. "Well, it's nice to have a bit of a reputation you know."
"And what? Attract every single person who's out to kill you over here? You've been doing this over and over again! It seems like you have a lot of enemies, Sadoul. And I don't want to see any more of them than I have to! You never told us just what the heck you did to this world! So we got thrown into the dungeon with you back in Danek!" Kazyr shook his head, throwing back the lock of white hair that usually fell over his left eye.
They certainly don't like Sadoul very much , thought the leader of the three observers.
Sadoul simply smirked as he inclined his head. "So I tried taking over the world. It's not like you two haven't tried it."
But then they're all apparently the same psychopathic maniac as Sadoul is. And they're obviously traveling companions. So where did they come from? Could they be two of the other Magicians of Vay? He shuddered. I should hope not!
Ghaleon motioned for Kazyr to quiet before the white-haired mage could snap out another reply. "Look, we didn't get thrown into the dungeon simply because we were with Sadoul. There's more than that behind it. In case you had forgotten, the reason we're going to this library of Krager's is because we're trying to find Lucia's Tower and learn about this Maker that's so keen on stopping us from doing something."
Kazyr huffed and turned away. "I'm only looking for Lucia so I can find out how to repair my ship! I don't need to see what this Maker's doing. This isn't my world."
So that one is not even from Vay? Then perhaps the elven one isn't either. That would be a relief. We don't need three renegade Magicians of Vay running around. Sadoul was bad enough. But who is this Maker? Not their ally, obviously.
"And you?" Ghaleon asked Sadoul.
"I have my reasons," he replied, the words coming laced with a smile.
"This is no time to be cryptic." Ghaleon glared darkly at Sadoul. "But if that is your choice, I will respect it. However I think we should part ways once we get to the library if you have no reason to continue with us; at least, any reason beneficial to us."
"Believe me, I have no desire to go see this Lucia of yours anyway."
Ghaleon frowned, but motioned towards the mountains west of Hayhill Downs. "Whatever it is you're planning on doing, Sadoul, we should be on our way regardless of it."
I had better attack them now, before they leave. C'mon, gather your courage. You don't need your armor anymore. Sadoul doesn't have his either. The match should be easy. I hope.
The figure gestured to his companions as the trio of wizards passed the rocky outcropping behind which they hid. At his signal, the female of the three dropped the enchanted shield hiding them from magical detection. The three slid out from behind the rock to the rear of the wizards just as Sadoul turned around, sensing them.
"Why have you returned to us, Sadoul?" their leader demanded. "By rights you should be dead!"
The blond wizard smirked, drawing his sword from its sheath. "My dear prince-"
"King!" he vehemently pointed out.
"-of Lorath," Sadoul continued, "I would not have expected to find you away from your kingdom so soon. Shouldn't you be rebuilding?"
"Sandor, be careful," the young woman murmured to her leader. "I think he might be distracting us for something."
The king of Lorath nodded in response to his friend. "I will, P. J." But he kept his eyes trained on Sadoul. And when he spoke again, it was to the blond wizard. "King Lynx" --he gestured to his other companion-- "and I have been called to Kerzalt to discuss the reconstruction of our nations after you nearly destroyed them! It just so happens your visit coincides with our being here. However, if you want, you can thank Jeal for telling us of your arrival."
"Jeal?" Sadoul aligned his body into a fencing stance. "I'm surprised you trusted him."
"We've had our differences. But we are now united in an effort to rebuild this world. And we won't let you take our future from us again!"
Kazyr nudged Ghaleon and motioned that they should try leaving Sadoul while they could. But Ghaleon only shook his head in reply.
Sandor drew a long blade from its sheath. Lynx twirled his halberd into place in front of him. And P. J. clasped her staff, eyes narrowing in concentration.
"Now this will be an entertaining fight! I've been wanting a rematch between us." Sadoul chuckled.
Kazyr drifted off to the side a few steps, uncertain of whether or not Sandor and his friends meant to include him in their battle.
The air exploded into the heat of combat all at once. Sandor leaped forward, feinting at Sadoul's left shoulder and then slashing at his midriff. Sadoul caught the disguised attack easily, grinning as he locked swords with the king of Lorath.
Ghaleon darted out of the way with his magic as Lynx charged past him at Sadoul. And Kazyr raised an arm to shield his eyes as P. J.'s lightning spell momentarily blinded everyone in the area.
"Should we help him?" Kazyr shouted to Ghaleon.
"We could overwhelm them easily with the three of us working together," Ghaleon stated, his calm voice reaching Kazyr without having to take on a stronger pitch. "But they mean well, so I don't want to hurt them."
"Yes, but don't we kind of need Sadoul to at least get us to the library?"
Sadoul grimaced as one of Lynx's swings drew blood from his thigh. The axelike head of the polearm had bit in deeply. He shifted his weight to compensate for the weakness, and he began to regret not stealing any armor while back in Danek.
"I think he may yet win," Ghaleon replied as Sadoul flamed his three antagonists.
"He won't be happy if we don't help him."
Sadoul's rushed attacks easily broke through Sandor's defenses, slipping in through chinks in the king's armor and past his clumsy parries. Lynx turned to his friend and called out the words to a spell, healing the group of three.
"Sadoul was the one who wanted this fight," Ghaleon said. "He could have avoided it if he wanted to. He did not ask for our help."
"But if we don't help, will he continue to help us?"
The blond wizard held his sword before him. Although he had healed himself with his magic, he still bled from several newer wounds. However his opponents weren't in much better shape than himself. One more spell ought to at least rid him of the king of Lorath. And the loss of that brat would force the other two to retreat.
"I don't think think Sadoul has ever 'helped' us," Ghaleon morosely remarked. "Everything he has done, has been for himself."
With that last sentence, Ghaleon drew his sword.
Sadoul parried Sandor's next attack with such force that the young king staggered back several feet. Lynx and P. J. moved to support their friend, giving Sadoul the chance he wanted. He began chanting the words to one of his most powerful spells. These three would not bother him again.
Sandor and his friends looked up in horror upon hearing the familiar incantation.
The king tried getting to his feet.
Lynx rushed the words to a healing spell through his lips.
P. J. cringed.
Sadoul raised his voice in triumph to utter the final words to his spell, only to realize that another's, perhaps even stronger, speech had also increased in volume.
Sadoul turned to his flank in time to catch a glimpse of a single airborne sword splitting into three and assaulting him. A fiery pain sliced through the side of his neck. Sadoul felt the blood drain from his body, and the world exploded around him.