Forgotten Embers

Chapter 24: Spirits and Men

It was a reasonably accommodated area, a remote military installation of the intelligence corps in the eastern woods, nearer to Pergum than it was anywhere. The tent which they were given was comfortably sized with seats and tables for each of them, especially equipped with advanced technological gadgets and magical enchantments for each of them to use according to their needs. Zahaynei had prepared the tent area in haste while being mindful to maintain careful consideration, willing that Kallida would want for nothing and all should go well for them in this final mission to apprehend the enemies of their Lord the King.

Kallida has spent much of the time in a sort of trance, controlling the shadow creatures he had conjured and instilled with the life of the enemy's blood and causing them to thirst for it. All the while, Zahaynei was handling the recording and technical work while Blackridge monitored the situation, ensuring that no unexpected complications should present themselves. Everything that his partners did and all of the results they gathered were sent directly to him, also, as he kept watch over the reports of the personnel, magic, and technology in use.

He sat at the table, frantically reading through the reports as the machine spit them out at him with exceptional speed, the magic levels and vitality of their blood hounds being constantly monitored through Kallida's magical life force.

"I've got him," Kallida told them, his eyes glazed over in shimmering blue. "Opening the portal."

"Energy levels look good," Zahaynei replied. "I'm upping the electrical current to support the demands of the vortex. We should be ready for them. I've sent word to my men at High Palace. Once we have him through the portal, we can recover the memory tapes and we'll have them."

"Right," Blackridge acknowledged nervously. "No problems with the systems. Everything's running according to plan. Execution looks fine. All tech is sending properly. Kallida, your power levels are high, but so is your expenditure. Please, watch that for me."

"The vortex takes power," Kallida responded, "but I need it to bring the little brat in alive, and we need him alive to recover the memory."

"I understand," Blackridge said. "As long as you're aware of it. You don't have much in reserve."

"Yes, yes," Kallida said, as if it was more a bother to him than it was a concern. "Also..." he began to go on, but something happened and he cut himself short. "What?" he breathed, and there was a brief cut to the sorcerer's connection. "Alhor, more blood," Kallida urgently requested. "I've encountered a problem. Blackridge, I'm upping expenditures."

Blackridge held the paper in his hand and stared at it, wondering at the sudden drop. 'He... lost connection. What was that cut to his thread?' The readings continued to print furiously and unmonitored, the paper which he had been guiding to the ground folding over itself and piling sloppily on the table in front of him.

"No, no, no, no!" Kallida was muttering angrily. "Darn it! They're not..." he growled. "Listen to me!" he shouted, rising up and slapping his hand against the table. "Attack them!"

'Them?' a kind of hopeful expectation entered his heart, and he smiled. 'Then they did make it, after all.'

"No!" Kallida screamed, pounding his fist against the table in a furious burst of immense frustration, the reports showing a complete loss of magic and his eyes returning to normal. "I lost it!"

"Oh?" Blackridge said curiously as he turned his head towards Kallida and tried to appear disappointed. "But you were doing so well."

Zahaynei spun around in his chair. "You what?" he spat.

Kallida was seething. He gripped at his face, his upper body slouched over the table, his wild eyes racing. "You," he said at last, turning sharply to Blackridge. "You did this," he snarled.

Blackridge wet his lips, still in a state of extreme relief. He fought to keep himself from smiling. "Excuse me?" he blinked, his words clipped with careful monotone.

Zahaynei was watching them, his eyes slowly walking back and forth between the two men.

'He doesn't know what's true, does he? He hasn't made up his mind yet as we have.'

"You, Adrien Blackridge, are a traitor," Kallida proclaimed from the end of his rope, "and I know it. Though I don't know how you've done it, I assure you, Blackridge, I do know, and when I find out what did happen, I swear, I'll-"

"Kallida, what did happen?" Zahaynei broke in, still wanting to understand. "You haven't told us."

Kallida turned again towards the wall of the tent wherein they three had gathered for the mission. His back was turned towards Blackridge as it had been at first. He pressed his hand against the desk, staring with great intensity at nothing in particular. "I had the man," he told them. "The hounds had him in their jaws, but..." he shook his head, "something happened, some kind of power hit them, and I lost control. I told the hounds to attack, but they would not obey me. There was an interference. The hounds would only listen to them!"

"Them?" Zahaynei asked with interest, and Blackridge remained silent.

"A man and a woman!" Kallida said, grabbing his forehead and throwing his head back in exasperated anger. "They came and took control of the hounds. They bound them and cast fire on them, fire which threw me out! ...and cut my ties," he muttered helplessly, supporting himself with his hands on the table.

A faint smile crossed the face of Blackridge before he dispelled it. 'Well done, old friend.'

"Now..." Kallida went on, furrowing his brow, "I imagine that the hounds are lying on the ground disintegrating as we speak, slowly returning to the dark vaporous mist from which I conjured them without their mystic lifeblood and bonds. What's more, I've lost my connections, and I can't use magic... not until I find another source. We've lost the memory, we've lost the blood..."

Zahaynei looked to Blackridge. "We may consult the mages with this," he suggested, as if still internalizing the sequence.

"Of course," Blackridge said. "We can, and perhaps, we should. However, they are Kingsmen," he gently reminded them, the corner of his mouth turned upward as he tried to refrain from chuckling. "Armorials, also."

Kallida turned, his desperate eyes fixed again on Blackridge with anger and skepticism. "What are you saying?"

"Why, only that they have spirits fighting for them as well as we do us," Blackridge replied coolly. He leaned back in his chair, pondering for a short moment the matters of the unseen realm. "Of course, they don't control them as we do, and it's not so much a matter of force as it is love with them, but... they are gentler and much more powerful," he said softly, a small smile appearing as he felt the warmth begin to flood his being. "There is a governing rule which states whenever the power of a lesser spirit comes in contact with that of a greater spirit, the lesser spirit is unable to operate. You know that, Kallida."

There was silence between them. Kallida stood stone still, his eyes darting frantically back and forth as he raced to internalize the information. Both he and Zahaynei shared a distinct look of astonishment. The confusion was clearly falling away from the two men.

"You!" Kallida said again, pointing a finger in the direction of the Archmage. "You did this! You knew! It was your idea, your plan, your excuse for your own failure! You never intended for us to catch this man." He stopped, a look of sudden realization coming across his face. "He's the heir, isn't he? Yes... and you..." Kallida began a slow march, shaking his finger at him, "you sent word to Eliezer. That's why he arrived late! He wasn't there, but you know where he was." He stopped and another thought came to him. "He's in the city somewhere, isn't he? Yes... of course, he is," Kallida breathed, watching his eyes. "I will find him, and he will pay for your disloyalty."

Blackridge sat in silence, his countenance unmoving and indifferent as his eyes locked with Kallida's, each man's gaze filled with a fiery intensity.

"You knew this would happen. You told us," Kallida reminded him, his voice quiet and threatening. "Greater spirits, lesser spirits... a simple rule known to all who master the arts, and yet... so easily forgotten. I was Master of the Magicians once; yet, somehow, you're the one who reminded us," Kallida said, his voice low. "It is a pity that spirits don't reject the will of God as men do, but you... knew that, Blackridge, didn't you?"

'Kallida...' Blackridge kept his mouth from speaking and his face from all expression, not wanting to give Kallida any opportunity against him or any hint of a clue.

"I thought so," Kallida said, turning up his nose. "Look," he added firmly, turning his head to the side, "just because you're an intolerably talented swordsman and dueling happens to be Zephyr's favored determination of justice doesn't mean that things have gone unnoticed, merely un-mentioned." He turned his eyes back on him, his gaze a burning coal of immense hatred and undying resentment. "And the next time that you send word to Dorcus and Eliezer of our plans, make sure to tell them that I said hello, because you see, Lord Blackridge, I... know... everything."

Blackridge watched Kallida as his eyes watched him, boring holes into his soul. 'Best not to say anything.' His eyes strayed to Zahaynei, who sat, watching the scene with quiet interest. 'Alhor...' he almost laughed but didn't, 'always so inspective. Though, I do wonder what he thinks of it all. Oh well...'

He turned his glance again to Kallida, meeting his eyes with increased intensely, and he smirked as his determination grew. Kallida seemed surprised by him, but Blackridge leaned forward, wetting his lips as he put his mouth to the man's ear, and he offered only a simple phrase as he whispered, "Clearly not."