“The barrier enchantment still works, though my own strength is gone,” I told him by way of example. “I’ve spent years preparing for this. I have other surprises waiting, though I’ll still need your help, since I can no longer sense magic.”
“So you planned on volunteering me to assist you in your last stand?”
“It was either you or one of your children,” I said with a shrug.
Walter flinched at the thought, “Point taken.”
“I’m a father too. I figured you’d agree with my reasoning.”
“I still don’t see how this is better than what you expected,” he replied.
“If it’s just high-powered warriors assaulting us, we can win easily, which means you don’t have to die as well,” I explained.
“Better still, I’ll take you to Lancaster. If there’s any chance that Lady Thornbear can help, then you should take it. I can return and help the knights repel these invaders,” Walter suggested.
As he spoke, I couldn’t help but remember the man I had first met, a man so gentle and unused to violence, that he cried when he thought he had killed one of his enemies… a man afraid to face the shiggreth with me. Then I remembered the stories of what had happened when he went to rescue his wife and children, only to be told that they had been killed. He didn’t find out until almost a day later that his family was still whole, but that was too late for the men that had held them prisoner. Walter had hunted the survivors mercilessly through the wilderness.
It made me a bit sad to think that such a kind soul had become acclimated to violence, just as I had. I pushed the thought aside; what was done was done. “You are probably right, but I will at least wait until the evacuation is done,” I replied.
He shook his head in resignation, “Your stubbornness will be the death of you, Mordecai.”
“Stupid never dies,” I said in rebuttal, but Walter didn’t laugh. If Marcus had said that, it would have been funny, I thought to myself sourly.
A faint vibration passed through the ground, and a small bit of dust sifted down from the ceiling. Walter’s eyes widened in shock, “What the hell was that?”
“A bit of dry wit,” I shot back, “no need to act so surprised.” I knew very well that he was referring to something else, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“Something powerful just struck the barrier,” said Walter, ignoring my second attempt at humor.
And that would be one of the gods, accompanying his enhanced warriors, I thought with a sinking stomach; so much for seeking an antidote. My heart sank, as my short lived bit of hope died a quick death, but rather than panic I took refuge in sarcasm, “Could you at least pretend to laugh at one of my jokes?” I said petulantly. “Dying wouldn’t be half so miserable if you’d just let me think I was funny.”
Walter gave me a look I had seen many times, the ‘is he serious or just crazy?’ look. After a moment he gave up and went to the stone pedestal that controlled the barrier enchantment and the magical windows we had crafted. As he activated the various ‘windows’ one by one I was annoyed to realize that without my magesight, I could see very little through the tiny glass panes. That hadn’t really seemed like a problem before, when all I needed was a small opening to sense everything beyond it.
When he got to the window that looked out from the town gate, Walter visibly stiffened, and his hands gripped the stone pedestal, as if he needed it to remain standing. Without my senses, I was effectively blind to what he was experiencing, but the memories of my battle with Celior were still with me, and I could guess that he must have opened a window close to where one of the gods was standing. He’s being overwhelmed by the oppressive aura they have around them, I realized.
I had barely withstood the same thing by armoring my mind with every bit of strength I had possessed, and even then I had been unable to move. I’d had to draw upon the power of the earth to completely resist the effect. That’s how powerful they were. Walter wasn’t an archmage, and his power as a mage was probably less than half of my own. He didn’t have a chance in hell, unless I could close the windows… and I needed magic to activate the controls, even if it was just a tiny bit.
Frustrated, I watched him struggle, as the god slowly crushed his mind. He had gone pale now, and his knees buckled, which caused him to sag slowly downward beside the pedestal. Only his hands, which were tightly gripping the sides, kept him from falling. Rising as quickly as I could, I tried to hold him up, though I knew it was a futile gesture. It didn’t really matter if I kept him standing, if an immensely powerful, supernatural creature destroyed his mind… or worse, possessed him. “Damnitt!” I cursed helplessly.
Just as I thought he was lost, Walter stood up again. His body had relaxed, and his hands released the stone pedestal. “It’s alright,” he reassured me, and reaching out he touched the runes and deactivated the window portals.
I watched him suspiciously. He couldn’t have resisted something like that. It’s taken his mind, I thought, but I held my tongue. “What happened?” I asked instead.
He gave me a tired smile. “I don’t have your strength, Mordecai, but I have other ways. I was overwhelmed at first, but then I made myself invisible to magic.”
His words confused me for a moment before I realized what he meant. In the past we had learned that just as making yourself invisible to normal light made you blind, so making yourself invisible to magesight made you unable to sense magic. He hadn’t stood up to the god’s mental assault directly; he had made himself unable to ‘feel’ it. “That was damned clever!” I said clapping him upon the shoulder.
“They’re inside Washbrook,” he said, ignoring my compliment. “The barrier around the town is broken already.” His face was downcast.
“Is the gate between the castle and the town still open?” I asked.
He nodded, “No, I closed it just now.”
“There are probably still townsfolk trying to get into the castle. You have to check that gate,” I told him.
Fear was written on his face. “If I open the window and that god is there, I don’t know if I will be able to escape his grasp again.”
“So it was either Doron or Karenth?” I questioned.
“I’m not sure, but I got the impression it was masculine,” Walter answered.
I filed that away mentally before continuing, “The castle gate is on the opposite side of Washbrook from the town gate, they probably haven’t gotten that far yet, but I’d bet my arm there are townsfolk trying to get through.”
“If you’re wrong…,” said Walter carefully, letting the sentence trail away without finishing it.
We both knew the risk. “Do it,” I told him.
Reaching out, he touched the stone pedestal again and another of the glass squares lit up as light began passing through it. Knowing that I’d have difficulty seeing, I had positioned myself close to it to get a better view, wishing again that I still had my magesight. Even as poor as my view was, I could see that a crowd of people were beating against the invisible wall of force that my barrier enchantment had created. Guards stood on the inside. They had opened the physical gate, but were helpless to allow anyone through the magical barrier. People were screaming to be let in, and the guards were frantic to help them.
“Open the barrier for them!” I shouted.
“He’s close, Mordecai! I can feel him already, and his warriors are at the outskirts of the crowd!” Walter replied desperately, indecision warred within him.
My own decision seemed crystal clear, “Open the gods-damned gate! The Knights can deal with those of the enemy who slip through! Now!”