The Wordbearer Chronicles

Chapter 5

The Elysian force is camped close enough that magical travel is unnecessary. A contingent from the army meets us at the base of the tower just after breakfast. The trip is uneventful and we arrive at the edges of camp shortly before supper time. My owl follows at its own pace: flying in wide arcs, taking naps, and catching up just to nap again. I get impressions of what the owl sees and thinks. While this may be useful later on, right now all I have are treetops and owl dreams.

I am on good behavior. I think. Although the passage of the night has cemented in my mind that Val Maxis is testing me, I don't truly know whether his vexation at my antics has been in earnest or all a part of the test. To that end, I cannot say what will impress him. Should I conform as he says I should or keep my integrity? Had I spent more of my time in the last year observing, instead of bemoaning my rank, I might have more to work with now. I do my best to make up for lost time.

The other apprentices and I are put to use almost immediately with simple, but necessary, tasks such as mending torn leathers or uncracking a blade. An arcanist in the field is like a portable blacksmith, tanner, miller, tailor, and all manner of other professions when it comes to maintenance. Among the twenty-eight of us Val Maxis brought, we are able to make a large dent in the army's backlog of repairs by the time he returns from the command tent.

The orcs hold Druumshallt, the Duerger stronghold that spans the pass. The Duerger live deep in the mountain but use the keep as both a place of commerce and a marker for their territory. Though there is a treaty in place to bar passage to hostile armies, the rumor is that the Duerger are holed up underground and so provided no resistance to the marching Hordes. Now the orcs squat in the keep unopposed.

General "Liontamer" Orital has positioned the Elysian armies to the south of the pass, a mere days' march away. With dummy forces providing a distraction and the dense forest providing cover, the army has been able to mass within striking distance without being discovered.

The plan is fairly straightforward. The army will attack just before dawn two days hence. Our task, initially, is maintaining illusions to hide the assembly of siege equipment over the next two days. When the assault begins, our magic will then be needed along two fronts: assisting the siege directly and subterfuge.

What does Val Maxis expect of me, then? Illusion is in the purview of fire, primarily, and I cannot perform any but a scant few which can have substitutions made. For instance, I am able to create an obscuring with fog that might provide the same benefit in some situations. The spells required to hide the army, blocking sight and sound, I am unable to cast and no substitution will suffice.

Additionally, most of the spells that are effective in a siege are fire-based: fireballs, lightning, blinding lights, illusionary soldiers.

Val Maxis knows this. Does he even have something in mind other than keeping me from the advanced libraries? How can I prove myself worthy of higher instruction if I have nothing to do? Is his "test" merely an impossible task so that I will learn some kind of lesson and be cowed? Whatever he has in mind, he does not reveal it. I do not ask. If I am being tested then it will reveal that I am able to improvise and work problems out myself.

I walk out among the soldiers. Perhaps an opportunity will make itself known. At the very least it is nice to be out of the tower. The tower is spacious and well-appointed and apprentices are permitted outside when they want, but I had shut myself in quite voluntarily, so adamant to receive the utmost from the tower's offerings.

The wheels of my mind turn rapidly. What will prove to Val Maxis that I am worthy? Performing exceptionally? Being a pivotal resource in this battle? Working effectively as a team with the other casters? Falling in line and doing what is expected?