Ryünda

Chapter 4: Battle Horns

Battle Horns

Over the next two years Roche trained me in forms of magic I had never even dreamed about. After first figuring out I knew how to work at least simple spells, Roche accelerated my lessons so that I was learning new techniques almost every other day. In no time at all I was as strong as most of the palace mages, and soon surpassed their power by multiples of ten. Roche grew in strength as well, training beside me as he reached the limits of his own training. We tore through scroll after scroll and discovered powerful spells long lost to human mages. One such spell was how to shape-shift into mythical beasts. Creatures of legend now were at our disposal with as little as a few words. The cost was it required large amounts of raw magic to enact these spells, so it took long recovery times to let our reserves of magic replenish.

Roche and I now had equal enough power to spar inside the dueling circle at the center of the training room. Needless to say I was thankful the circle prevented any stray shots of magic from hitting anything, or we would have burned down the entire place within a day. I was just reciting the spell to send a boulder rolling at Roche when a small blue sphere floating outside the circle began to flash and give off a sharp ringing sound. At my request Roche had created a spell to let us know when the key battle of the war was going to be fought and where. He had set the spell some fifteen months ago, but it had stayed silent, until now.

I stopped mid-sentence and hopped out of the circle, Roche hot on my heels. I stopped just in front of the sphere and looked inside it. Roche spoke a simple command and the sphere turned into a looking glass that reflected a wide field with cliffs on both sides. In the distance was a huge rock formation that created the vague outline of a wolf howling to the sun as it rose behind the next row of hills. On either side of the canyon stood two armies, one in shining armor and the other black and purple with the bodies of Darklings. I knew the location even before Roche spoke its name, "Windsong Gorge, just south of Howling Mountain. They're just a day's ride from here up the main road, using magic we can get there in less than an hour." He looked at me, "You remember that aura masking spell we found in that old book?" I nodded, "Good, because we won't be able to get even close with that many mages in one place. We'll need to stay low until the right moment, or we won't be of help to anyone." He waved a hand and the sphere returned to his body, melting into his outstretched hand. "We must go now if are to have any chance of helping them." I turned and ran behind him as he worked his way through the only halls I had not used, the ones that led out of the building.

As we left the complex for the first time in two years I saw for the first time that we were not that far from the border with Soldre. Had I chosen to do so, I could have found my way back to my home and forgotten about this whole thing. But I had chosen long ago that that life was not the one I wanted, and I turned away from the border to face down the road, towards the battlefield.

"Now remember," Roche said as he tucked his head into the folds of his robe, covering all of his face but his eyes, "We must keep our power hidden until the very last moment, or all will be lost."

"I understand." I said as I tucked my newly long hair under the hood, covering my face the same way Roche had, "Are you ready?"

"You know it." he said.

Together we began the first of two spells that would get us to Windsong Gorge. The first would mask our magic until we chose to let it show once again. "Somino grifande con so fidelo!" I was not a long incantation, nor did it require much power to invoke, but the possibilities it opened up to us were invaluable.

Roche looked at me, "Good job, I can't feel your aura anymore, so that means neither can the Sira." He put one fist in front of his chest and raised his first two fingers straight up, "Ready to save the world?"