Troops were dispatched to see what had happened to Oesterin and help if they were needed. Unofficially, there was also a remit to search for Isabelle and Lathi, Shae's mother. Tom, Shae and Vrin wanted to go themselves, but the combined efforts of Levren and the King persuaded them to stay. Instead, Vrin joined up as a paladin recruit, Shae went back to being Tom's bodyguard alongside Kael, while Tom concentrated on his studies and with a few shortcuts made great headway, covering several months work in a matter of days.
'At this rate you'll be a mage before you know it.' Levren had said, happily.
'I need to get to Illumare if that's were Isabelle has been taken.'
Tom's expression made Levren pause.
'I think you're good enough for a practical demonstration of the dangers of going too fast. But your shadows are not to interfere.'
Tom nodded and told Shae and Kael to stay back, which they reluctantly agreed to do. Levren led him out to the practice fields outside the city walls and asked him to try an advanced teleportation spell.
'I'm not ready for that yet. It's too hard.' Tom said.
'Just try it, boy. Go on, just up on to the battlements.'Levren encouraged.
Tom nodded reluctantly, then started muttering to himself and moving his hands through the air. He could feel the spell building inside him when he made a small extra gesture in amongst the many he was concentrating on. The air exploded around Tom, throwing him to the ground. When he got to his feet, there was a large amorphous black blob sitting a few feet away. Eyes bulged horribly here and there I the mass and many mouths snapped at him. Tentacles extruded from the form and entwined themselves, raising it up on crude legs.
'What the hell is that?' Tom panicked and ran to Levren.
The beast came after them.
'That's what you can let through if you're not careful.' Levren gave him a shove. 'Don't just stand there, get rid of it.'
Tom put up a barrier spell, which the creature bounced off and then started to drain. He tried fire spells, ice spells, holy spells and necro spells; nothing seemed to work, it just soaked them up and kept coming, getting larger with every step.
'How do I kill it.' Tom shouted, desperately.
'Calm down and do the teleportation spell again. Properly this time.' Levren replied.
Tom took a breath and then started the incantation again. This time he performed it flawlessly and appeared on the battlements feeling a little sick. He walked back to the practice fields, where Levren was waiting and the beast was nowhere to be seen.
'What happened to it?' Tom asked.
'When you messed up the spell, the build up of power allowed it to escape from the dark place on the other side of the aether. Finishing the spell properly closed the connection and it was sucked back there.' Levren explained. 'The more powerful the spell the bigger the surplus of power and the bigger the creature coming through. This is why it is important to be precise with your casting.'
'Couldn't you have just told me to deliberately mess up a less powerful spell?' Tom asked, irritated.
'And miss the look on your face? Not likely.' Levren smiled.
Killburn had broken his leg and the doctor ordered him to rest until it was mended for fear of getting an infection. Tom visited him regularly, though he was spending a lot of his spare time with Amelia at the moment.
'How're things today?' Tom almost bounced in to the room.
'Peachy.' Killburn said, scowling. 'Apparently that arse of a doctor told the nurses I wasn't to have beer or vigorous activity until my leg is completely healed.'
'And you're feeling well enough for one or both?' Tom guessed.
'I'm going crazy in here, lad.' Killburn complained. 'Am I asking too much to have a little bit of what I fancy?'
'Sorry, Killburn. Still, I'm sure it won't be long.'
'What're you so happy about anyway?'
'Oh nothing in particular.' Said Tom, smirking. 'Just having a bit of what I fancy.'
'Going well then, is it, lad?' Killburn asked him.
'Not too badly, no.'
'Well good for you. Enjoy it while it lasts.'
Tom rolled his eyes.
'Just 'cause you get an itch that your missus can't scratch every now and again doesn't mean the rest of us are doomed to have a string of failed relationships.'
'Well I'll say I told you so when it all goes south.'
'You're getting cranky in your old age.' Tom said. 'I'll see if I can smuggle in some entertainment for you.'
'That's good of you, lad.'
Tom went to leave, then stopped.
'Kilburn, did you know that Harrowden is protected from the Archmage?'
The older man shifted uncomfortably.
'Aye.'
'How? What on earth can protect from that much power?'
'Ask your father.'
'I tried that. He wouldn't tell me. Please, Killburn.' Tom pleaded.
'It's not my place, lad. If the King won't tell you then neither will I.'
Tom stormed out and headed for the library. He spent the next day searching through the books on the history of Harrowden, hoping to glean some insight. Unfortunately, there was no mention of what influence held such power.
A few days later, a messenger arrived at Harrowden's East gate. She was exhausted and wounded, but passed on a letter before falling unconscious. One of the gate guards called for a doctor while the other ran the letter up to the castle. Shortly thereafter, Tom was summoned to the assembly hall, along with most of the senior civic officials.
'We've received word from Oesterin.' The King announced. 'The Jotnar are marching over the Frostheims as we speak. They attacked our forces on sight.'
There was a buzz of surprised conversation.
'We must gather in everyone from as far as we have time to reach, and we must organise a defence of Harrowden.'
'What do they want?' Someone shouted.
'We do not know.' The King said, shooting a glance at Tom. 'We have no time to discuss this at present. From the report I've had, they are a two day march away, the evacuation must begin immediately. You have all been split in to groups and tasked to Knight Commanders. Please see the sheets posted on the wall and then gather your teams to the appointed staging posts.'
The hubbub continued as the civic leaders moved over to the wall and then departed quickly.
Tom approached his father.
'It's the book they've come for isn't it.'
'We honestly don't know, but I suspect so, yes.' the King answered.
'So we'll just give it back' Tom said.
'Yes, and hope that's all Greor wants.'
Tom looked at the floor.
'If it comes to it, I'll give myself up to save the kingdom.' He said. 'But I want to take full blame.'
'That's very noble.' The King put a hand on his son's shoulder. 'But if it's you she wants, then she'll have to fight and I hope she'll see sense before that.'
It didn't take long for the trickle of refugees to become a flood. All the public spaces had been turned in to shelter areas as the city soaked up the new population. A militia was set up as a reserve for the army and its ranks swelled with each passing hour. The smiths worked tirelessly to produce more armour and weapons, as the surplus had already been bought up in its entirety by the crown. Some people packed their things and headed out of the city by boat or road, electing to watch from afar. Tom had offered his services to the knight commanders organising the city's defence and was currently levitating enormous blocks of wood and stone in to workshops or holding them in place so siege weapons could be fixed together. At one point, Tom felt a tap on his shoulder but turned to see no one. Shae's voice, thin and reedy, came from a faint shadow in the air.
'Can I talk to you, please?'
'Of course.' Tom said. 'Take your cloak off, though, or I'll look like I've gone mad.'
Shae uncloaked, stepping out of the shadow.
'I need to know what happened to my mother, and you want to find Isabelle.' She said. 'With the army occupied and a Jotnar army in the Kingdom, there's not going to be any progress any time soon.'
'What are you suggesting?' Tom asked.
'Your father has already said that if she wants you, he'll go to war with Queen Greor. So it doesn't matter if you're actually in the city or not when she gets here.' Shae said. 'Leave the book and let's go to Illumare ourselves to find Isabelle.'
'I'm needed here.' Tom replied. 'They have mages and I'm the only counter to that.'
'The Arkangels can hold their own against a few pseudo-mages.' Shae wouldn't be deterred. 'And we outnumber the Jotnar two to one. Your presence here will not have that dramatic an effect.'
Tom thought about it. He'd decided he'd need to go to Illumare sooner rather than later, but didn't like leaving Harrowden to face an enemy alone. Then he thought of Isabelle and made up his mind.
That night Tom, Shae, Kael and Amelia snuck down to the docks and boarded a yacht Amelia had chartered earlier in the day. By the time the King read Tom's note at dawn, they were already almost a hundred miles down river.
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