Ep. 36 Negotiations (Patreon)

City State of Illium, Mage's Guild, Zamart’s P.O.V.

I arrive in the mage’s guild through my gate and head up to the guildmaster’s rooms. I knock on the door and open it when I hear a response. I walk in and see my old friend sitting behind a massive desk, he has a long white beard and very little hair left, he is tall and thin but has a presence.

“Hello, Roddick, my old friend!”

Roddick looks up and says “Zamart? Is it really you?”

“I know it’s been almost seventy-five years but have I really changed that much?”

Roddick says “Yes, you have changed quite a bit since I last saw you. That was when we had just finished our apprenticeships and became full fledged mages. You headed back to Revalia to become a court mage and I stayed here and joined the mage’s guild.”

“And here you are, the guildmaster now! Congratulations!”

Roddick says "I heard you became the head court mage, so congratulations to you as well."

"Thank you, but I am no longer the head court mage. In fact I am labeled as a traitor and have a price on my head."

Roddick says "Oh, I see. Well if you are here to ask for sanctuary I will grant it."

"Actually, I am here on behalf of the rebellion and have some dire news for you and the other nations. King Raden is planning to attack the other nations and has summoned all the available summons."

Roddick says "That is quite the claim. You had better come in and sit down, I will pour us some tea and you can tell me everything."

So we sit down together and over tea I tell my old friend everything that has happened since the queen was killed. I tell him how the king sacrificed his own daughter to summon all the heroes and about the secret army being trained.

Roddick says "Alright, I believe you, rest here for a bit while I summon someone and have some mages check some things."

"Sure, verify everything you can, your word will carry a lot of weight in getting the other nations to believe us."

After Roddick walks out of the room I take a few minutes to look around. It is a very rich and serious office, many random items adorn the walls, including heads and trophies I recognize as coming from very dangerous mana beasts.

I chuckle when I notice a familiar crystal on Roddick's desk, it lights up when a lie is told near it. Our master had one when we were apprentices, it was our bane on many occasions.

My reminiscing is interrupted by the door opening, I stand and turn to face the door. I see Roddick enter followed by a muscular man with salt and pepper hair and beard and violet eyes. He moves gracefully but with obvious restrained power and I see the glimmer of intelligence in his eyes.

Roddick says "Zamart, this is Ambrose, Guildmaster of the Adventurer's guild, he is also leader of the guildmaster council and current master of the city."

I give a slight bow and then accept the offered handshake. We sit down and I once again tell the story of what has happened in Revalia.

Ambrose says "That is a truly disturbing story, forgive me for not accepting it without confirmation."

"No, I completely understand."

Roddick says "My mages have verified that there are no heroic summons available so that much is confirmed. Also we received a request from King Raden not long ago to have some of our mages go to Revalia and enchant the castle. I also have mages currently scrying the north of Revalia looking for the training camp."

Ambrose says "Well, if there are no court mages to oppose them that shouldn't take long. Meanwhile I would like to hear more about this beastman summon, I have never heard of such a thing!"

"True, it has never happened before that I know of either. And the way it happened was also very odd."

Roddick says "Oh? How so?"

"Well, the forty-nine summons had appeared standing in the circle as they are supposed to. Then Princess Mericel turned a look on her father that was part betrayal, part hatred right before she collapsed. After she collapsed the beastman fell into the circle as if he fell through the ceiling."

Roddick says "I've never heard of anything like that before."

"The royal historian Dammer checked the royal archives later and could find nothing like it recorded anywhere."

Ambrose says "Interesting! Whenever something that has never happened before occurs you know interesting times are coming!"

Roddick says "You are always so eager for a fight!"

Ambrose says "Well, excuse me for enjoying a good fight! How about I retire instead and you can take over running the city?"

Roddick says "No, thank you! I have more than enough paperwork just running my guild!"

As the two continued to bicker back and forth I find myself thinking about the beastman, wondering where he is and what he is doing. I also wonder what part he might play in the upcoming events.

My thoughts and their bickering are interrupted as a mage comes through the door. From her robes I can tell she is fairly high rank within the guild.

Roddick says "This is Belliza, my number two in the guild, I asked her to head up the scrying team."

Belliza says "Guildmaster, we have located a training camp with over ten thousand soldiers in the wilderness in the north of Revalia."

Ambrose says "Well, that confirms everything, looks like war!"

"So, then you will aid our messengers in warning the other nations?"

Ambrose says "We will do more than that, we will also send messages confirming what we have found. We will aid your messengers with supplies and escorts. I will also open the city to the rebels, you can send refugees here through the gate and we will take them in. You can also use the city to purchase weapons and supplies."

"Thank you, very much! That will help us immensely!"

Ambrose says "No need to thank me, we are now allies against a common foe!"

Roddick says "Belliza, change of plans, are you willing to lead the mages to Revalia to do the enchanting? It will be more dangerous now since it will also be a spy mission."

Belliza says "I will do it. Can I pick my team?"

Roddick says "Of course."

"You should be aware, the king has a spymaster named Quill who is a shadow master."

Roddick says "One of those pathetic men who sold his soul for power?"

"Yes, exactly. And while he may be despicable he is very dangerous."

Belliza says "I know the perfect mage to take with us then. Guildmaster, by your leave?"

Roddick says "Yes, you can go begin preparations."

Ambrose says "I should go inform the rest of the council and prepare messages to the other nations."

Belliza and Ambrose leave the room. I look over at Roddick and smile.

"I should get going too, I must report this to our leader. The messengers will come through as soon as I am on the other side."

Roddick says "Yes, I also have preparations to make. If we are to quietly go on a war footing there is much to be done."

"I'm sorry to bring such bad tidings when we haven't seen each other in so long."

Roddick says "I would much rather know about it now than when an army shows up at the gates. But come back in a few days or a week and we can sit down and catch up over some ales."

"Deal!"

I get up and hug my friend before leaving to head back through the gate to the rebel camp.