Imperial wizard ambition.., p.1
Imperial Wizard: Ambitions, page 1
Imperial Wizard: Ambitions
ARCANE AWAKENING
BOOK TWO
OceanofPDF.com
J PARSONS
OceanofPDF.com
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
About the Author
About Royal Guard Publishing
OceanofPDF.com
Chapter
One
Verdan Blacke, Wizard of the ancient Grym Imperium and living relic of an earlier age, ate his breakfast with gusto.
The last twenty-four hours had been a stressful, strenuous ordeal, culminating in him expending every drop of Aether at his command in an experimental spell he'd put together on the fly.
It had been a close thing, but he and his party had made it back to the safety of the city late last night, and Verdan had given his initial report to Lieutenant Silver. The Lieutenant was one of three officers in the city guard, and from Verdan’s brief conversation with Kai the night before, he was going to be a useful ally.
Verdan had acquired quite a few allies since he woke up from his self-imposed stasis, but Kai was the closest of them all. The fire Sorcerer had declared himself to be in Verdan's debt after the wizard had saved his life and had only been a boon to him ever since.
Kai and Elliot arrived to join Verdan in the kitchen, with Henry quickly whipping up a plate of food for them.
Elliot was an imposing mountain of a man, with long red hair and a surprising amount of skill in crafting and fine detail work. Verdan and the others had rescued Elliot from a life of slavery when they raided a Darjee camp to rescue some captured fwyn.
By comparison, Henry Barbeau, their resident cook, was a tall, gaunt man who had been rendered mute years ago. Thankfully, Henry was a fantastic cook, and his wife Adrienne kept the household running with the kind of easy competence that others could only dream of.
"So, what are you planning for today?" Kai asked as Verdan finished eating. "I don't think you should travel alone for a while."
Verdan repressed a sigh, knowing from the hard look in Kai's eyes that the Sorcerer would accept nothing less than capitulation. Not that Verdan could blame him. After all, Kai had been ambushed in the city mere days ago by a pair of Sorcerers belonging to the Weeping Death sect.
Considering that the Weeping Death seemed to have also been involved in the bear situation at Willowbrook, the timing of the attack concerned Verdan deeply.
Verdan was confident in his ability to fight off an ambush. Still, it would be best to avoid the risk if possible.
"I'm going to speak with Commander Griffon this morning. We need a full debrief on the situation, both for the Cyth and the Weeping Death. You should probably be there for that anyway." Verdan got to his feet, absently reaching for a staff that wasn't there as he did.
The experimental stasis spell he cast had been bound to his staff as an Aether construct to keep the effect going over time. Unable to remove it and keep the spell active, Verdan had been forced to leave the staff behind.
Verdan's knowledge of sigils was basic, and though his staff had only a few carved into it, that still made it rarer than gold dust. He'd need to find a proper Enchanter if he wanted a replacement made, which was going to be difficult.
"Very well, let's be on our way," Kai said, rising to his feet and collecting his spear from where it lay propped against the wall.
"How's Tom doing?" Verdan asked as they set off. "I didn't get a chance to check in with him last night."
"He's getting there," Kai said, shrugging a little and sighing. "He's getting better at channeling his Essence, which is boosting his recovery, but he'd do well with some additional healing if you have time."
"Of course. I was running low last night, but by the time all this is done, I should have more than enough to help him. As best I can, anyway," Verdan said, turning his attention inward for a moment as he judged his Aether reserves. He was lower than he liked, but a few spells would be fine.
"Thank you," Kai said, lapsing into silence for a minute before glancing over to Verdan. "I heard there were some developments with Tim and Sylvie?"
"Oh?" Verdan made a questioning sound as he met Kai's glance. "Who said that?"
"Gwen and I spent some time talking last night," Kai said, turning his gaze away from Verdan and clearing his throat before continuing. "She said that Sylvie changed forms to fight before becoming a wolf again. Did you know she was a shapeshifter?"
"No, I didn't," Verdan said, frowning heavily as he went back over his memories. He hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Tim or Gwen in any real detail, and Tim had definitely been avoiding what left Sylvie stuck in her unnaturally deep sleep. "What was the other form—human or something else?"
"She didn't say," Kai said, a touch of concern in his voice as he looked back once more. "Do you think it's to do with why she won't wake up?"
"Probably, yes," Verdan said, thinking of the different sorts and types of shapeshifters he knew. It was a rare power, one that was Aether-intensive for wizards and more often seen in magical creatures. "The collar was likely inhibiting her power, keeping her in one form until we removed it. I'll need to study her again, but she may be suffering from overusing her magic."
"But then why hasn't she woken up?" Kai asked, as they turned onto the street they needed.
"That's what I'm not sure about," Verdan said with a grimace, before nodding to a pair of patrolling guards as they walked past. Both guards gave Verdan a respectful salute as they went past, but their gazes lingered on Kai most of all.
It seemed that Kai's work with Lieutenant Silver had earned him some respect among the city guards. Hopefully, that would make their growing association easier.
"Tell me if you need anything gathered; some more time out of the city will be good for Tom. He still needs to master conscious control of his Essence, and that's best done through action..."
"I doubt I will, but a scouting expedition down to the forest where the Cyth were based would be good. We need to know what the Cyth are doing and how many are still there. They need to be burnt out before they can establish further," Verdan said, his eyes dark as he spoke.
"Miyaka," Kai said, drawing Verdan's attention back to the present. "It's called Miyaka Forest. I was there hunting a rogue alchemist two years ago. There wasn't any obvious problem then. I don't remember any of what you've described."
"That was only two years ago?" Verdan asked, coming to a stop as he turned to face Kai with a frown.
"Yes, I spent nearly two weeks hunting him across the forest before I found him. Why?"
"A camp, miles of forest corrupted to become wyrch trees, dozens of lesser Cyth Lai and a Cyth Scerrd. That's a lot of growth in two years. If it grew naturally, anyway." Verdan's frown deepened as he considered what he'd seen at the camp.
"What do you mean?" Kai asked, cocking his head to one side with interest.
"Nothing definite, not yet. I just haven't got enough information. Still, with that growth rate, we need to go back and finish this sooner rather than later."
"We're going to need more people for that, and the guard doesn't have anyone to spare. The mercenaries that came back were paid generously, but they won't go back without support, that's for sure."
"Is there anyone else we can hire in the city?" Verdan asked, deferring to Kai's better knowledge of the local situation.
"Adventurers would be our best bet, but they don't come cheap," Kai said with a warning tone.
"How much money do adventurers have?" Verdan asked, a small smile spreading across his face as he considered a way to cut down on their costs.
"It can vary. The ones this far north likely have little spending money. Why?" Kai asked, his eyes narrowing as he saw the look on Verdan's face.
"What if I were to offer a temporary enchantment service for their weapons, like the ones I did for Tim and the others? With a promised refreshment of the enchantment for anyone joining us in hunting down the Cyth?" Verdan asked, his lips twisting into a slightly evil grin as he considered what he was going to unleash on those creatures.
It would take time and Aether to do all the enchantments, but he had those, and the payoff would be worth it.
"You'll have
"In the long run, it'll only benefit the area," Verdan said with a shrug. "I'm not above a cheap tactic like this if it helps everyone."
"I can't wait for you to explain this to Commander Griffon," Kai said with a sigh and a shake of his head, gesturing for Verdan to lead the way over to the guard headquarters.
Verdan and Kai were given an escort when they arrived, who took them up to the room where the meeting would be held.
Commander Griffon was seated at the end of the table, flanked on either side by his two lieutenants.
"Wizard Blacke, it's good to see you returned," Commander Griffon said, rising to his feet as Verdan and Kai entered the room.
"I'm glad to be back, Commander, though it was a close thing at some points," Verdan said, reaching out to shake the other man's hand.
"So I've heard, but let's talk about that some more," Griffon said, a touch of concern entering his voice for a moment before he turned to Verdan's companion. "Sorcerer Kai, a pleasure to see you as well. My people only have praise for you and Sorcerer Tom."
"Commander," Kai answered, inclining his head in Griffon's direction before taking up a position at the wall next to the door.
"Wizard Blacke, Sorcerer Kai," Lieutenant Silver said, having risen at the same time as the commander.
Verdan greeted the stoic lieutenant, noting as he did so that Lieutenant Michaels had both remained seated and kept silent at their entrance.
Michaels had been somewhat problematic in the past and had been confrontational each time Verdan had met him. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be changing any time soon.
Ignoring the frustrating Lieutenant for the moment, Verdan took a seat at the table and motioned to Lieutenant Silver. "We have a lot to discuss, but we've only covered what you encountered in the loosest of senses. Would you be willing to start with your hunt?"
"Commander?" Silver asked, looking over to Griffon for approval before clearing his throat. The other man nodded and waved for him to start.
"Well, as you're aware, Sorcerers Kai and Tom accompanied me and a squad of guardsmen to the northeast, near Willowbrook. When we arrived, they were being attacked by ash wolves. Sorcerer Kai dispatched the pack, with some assistance from Blane, a traveler who was staying in the village at the time."
"We will need to discuss Blane later," Kai interjected from behind him, making Silver frown and pause before continuing once more.
"With the aid of two local hunters and Blane, we were able to track the bear back to its cave and lay in ambush outside. The creature emerged, and we engaged as planned, but it was revealed to merely be the cub of a much-larger beast. Sorcerer Kai was able to delay the mother long enough for us to deal the cub a significant injury, and one of the local hunters slew it with a final shot before being slain in turn by the older bear. The mother was then subdued after much fighting, but not without further losses."
Silver paused and took a moment to collect himself before continuing, everyone waiting patiently as he did.
"With the creatures dispatched, Sorcerer Kai and Blane went into the beast's den. Inside, they discovered the remnants of a Sorcerer outpost, one that we believe housed members of the Weeping Death Sect. We also discovered the remains of an arrow in the cub's shoulder but no other signs of injury. Sorcerer Kai believed this was because the bears were deliberately drawn to the area."
"That's ridiculous. Why would they do that?" Michaels demanded, rising to his feet as he glared first at Silver and then at Kai.
"Sit down, Lieutenant," Griffon said calmly but with a level of quiet authority that Verdan could only admire.
"After the fight, we returned to Hobson's Point, and the rest you know," Silver said, finishing his report.
"In case you forgot, it's where your minion involved the guard in your private dispute with the Weeping Death Sect," Michaels interjected, scowling at Kai as he spoke.
"That's not what happened. I've already explained this," Silver said, a touch of frustration bleeding into his voice.
"I've been reliably informed that it was Kai who provoked the other Sorcerers before leaving the city. He may have made it seem like they were going to hurt you as well, but that's just another part of their goal to make the Weeping Death out to be the aggressor!" Michaels exclaimed, jabbing his finger at Verdan and Kai with a snarl.
"Whoever told you that is lying," Kai said flatly.
"See, they're not even putting any effort in to try and hide it!" Michaels exclaimed, turning to Commander Griffon with a pleading expression. "Don't you see, Sir, they're trying to take over the city!"
"Wizard Blacke and his allies have only been beneficial to the city. You're out of line, Lieutenant," Griffon said in a voice that could have frozen water.
"That's what they want you to think. The truth is that they're behind our problems!"
"I said that you are out of line, Lieutenant," Griffon said, cutting through Michaels's words and stopping him before he could get going. "Take a walk. We'll discuss this later."
Michaels flushed a deep red as he rose and left the room, glaring at Verdan and Kai the whole way.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting an outburst like that," Griffon said once the door had shut behind Michaels. The Commander sounded weary, making Verdan take another look at the short man. Griffon had a solid presence to him, but he looked noticeably tired, far more so than when Verdan had last seen him.
"It's not a problem, though his position would make it a concern if he tried to turn others against us," Verdan said in as gentle a tone as he could, not wanting to pressure the Commander into doing anything.
"Our people have been made aware of your contributions, don't worry about them being turned against you. A few holdouts might agree with Michaels, but I'll deal with it if it becomes a problem," Griffon said in a grim tone before sighing softly to himself.
"I understand. I'd be willing to work to improve my image as well," Verdan said, disliking the idea of a wedge coming between him and the guard. He needed their support if he was to stay here in the long term.
"Please don't feel obligated to," Griffon said immediately before pausing and grimacing a little. "Anything you can do would be appreciated, though."
"Well, I was planning to offer a temporary enchantment service to the local adventurers. The duration would be limited, but it's the kind of thing that anyone needs if they're hunting creatures with magic. I'd be willing to extend this to your people at a discount."
Verdan saw how surprised they both were, but all that it would cost him was Aether, and in return, he was making the area a little safer for everyone. Besides, the process was quicker and easier than making one of the pseudo-enchantments that he'd done for Kai and the others who could manipulate Aether or Essence.
Of course, Verdan did need to decide what he was going to put on as an enchantment, but something generic would likely be all they needed.
"Let us know when you're going to provide this, and we'll send over a few who want the service," Griffon said after a moment of thought. "I'd ask if you could create some more of the barrier-piercing bolts as well. It takes a lot to level the ground between Sorcerers and the rest of us, but you might just be able to do it. We can pay a fee for each, of course."
Shield-breaching enchantments were vital when fighting magic-users, and the recent death of the Weeping Death Sorcerer only highlighted that. Perhaps this was a test of sorts, to see if Verdan would supply the guard with the tools they needed to fight him if it came to it.
