I summoned my staff and struck it against the floor.

  Hard.

  All fifteen gems shimmered, and the 49 metal rings glinted brightly. The floor cracked where I struck, and the crack extended out and across the entire raised podium. It broke the seal of the magical summoning circle, causing the field to shimmer and collapse. The resounding boom that was sent forth from my magical staff and augmented mentally by Bella and whatever spell effects were being used in the room actually knocked a third of the mages out of their seats and onto the stone floor in unceremonious lumps of disheveled robes.

  “I am through with you,” I said in a loud voice.

  I continued speaking as I stepped forward out of their trials circle, its barrier faded and broken. “Know that this conversation has been shared word for word with The Tower,” and I looked at Alchemist Alexander, who still stood with his hood removed, “from the moment I stepped into this chamber.”

  He nodded in understanding and gratitude that our conversation in the hallway had been kept private. He stepped to the side and away from me and any line of fire I might draw.

  Two of the alchemists, the two that had been most vocal and threatening to me on either side of the guildmaster, arose suddenly and drew wands.

  I activated my earring’s Spell Chaos ability. My timing was fortunate, because both alchemists stood with wands pointed at me and sent attacks at my chest.

  The first was clearly a lightning bolt, which the Spell Chaos ate, and other than a bright and colorful blue discharge, nothing happened.

  The other cast a spell that sprayed acid all over the area. I was glad no others were present because my shield would not have extended to another. That spell was especially nasty, and I wondered what mage guild it represented and what enchanter would create such a spell wand.

  But Isaac’s Spell Chaos brushed aside the acid that tried to strike me as if it were mere mist. The acid that fell outside of my defensive shield burned and bubbled upon the floor. Had it struck, it would have been painful and inflicted damage over time.

  “Also know all you members of the guild, that my recommendation to the Duke, to The Tower, and to Mage Council is that you be banished forever from the city to this tower that you hold more sacred than the lives of your fellow mages. Banished alone to defend yourself upon the arrival of the goblin horde and their infernal god. Your refusal to defend your city and its inhabitants, as was both your duty and your vow, has consequences, and you just melted your last bridge.”

  True, the last comment was mean-spirited, but I was angry, and it reflected both the acid attack and the nature of some of these wicked and selfish mages.

  I stormed across the room toward the barred exit.

  Bella, command the journeymen guards to open the door before I arrive, or I will blast it from its hinges and half the wall along with it.

  Whatever she said, it had an effect. Sandor and the other journeyman, whom I did not know, quickly lifted the hinged wooden beam and opened the doors wide.

  I strode through without slowing. I did cast Sandor a quick wink as I walked by, but only saw a wide-eyed and startled response from him.

  One more lighting attack from the wand was aimed at my back in a cowardly strike, but no other effort was made to stop me.

  Bella, inform the entire room that I know the names of the two who attacked me, and they will apologize or suffer the personal consequences associated with it. Their apology is expected to be sent to the Duke in writing by 5:00 am for attacking his sworn officer, or I will come back for them, and I will not be alone. Their doors will not be closed to the Duke or The Tower.

  Are you sure? She asked.

  Do it. Please. I added to her. And name them both to their colleagues so there is no doubt.

  She did.

  I departed the tower and mounted my horse.

  As I drew its reins to face the road, the Alchemist guildmaster followed me out of the front door, which I had left open after Bella had told the others what was happening. I’m not sure what magic they used to lift the inner beam, but Biff was the one holding the door open for me as I walked out.

  They had formed up around me in practiced ranks.

  The guildmaster yelled from the top of the tower stairs, “Patron, please! Do not judge our guild by the actions of a few rash members.”

  Bella, can you share my thoughts directly into his mind?

  Yes, it is taxing, but I can if it is short.

  Send this to him.

  “Guildmaster, censure your members. A letter from you to the Duke, along with individual letters of apology, may help. We are at war, and petty politics are unacceptable. My report of your guild will be made upon my arrival in the city. It is now out of my hands and rests on the mercy of the Duke and The Tower.”

  We rode back to the city, and I went directly to Watch Keep, where Isaac, Wizard Draconis, and the Duke were waiting for me in the War Room.

  When I walked in, all three men stood up.

  “How are you?” The Duke asked with concern in his voice.

  “I’ve had better days, but I’m afraid the alchemists didn’t respond quite as favorably as we had hoped.”

  Wizard Draconis raised an eyebrow and said, “You think?”

  Isaac said, “I was able to show the Duke and Alistair the events as they occurred. Bella sent them to me, and I used an illusion spell to make them visible to all.

  The Duke motioned for all of us to sit down.

  “What is your assessment of the Alchemist guild?” Isaac asked me. “You were physically there. We only got to see and hear what you witnessed, but we missed out on the other senses.”

  “Be thankful for that. Whatever diabolical device they had in their trials room, it was not a toy.” I remarked.

  “It was not diabolical, but you may be on the right track. Tell us more.” Isaac prompted.

  I thought back now that I had some time to process.

  “First, there were far fewer of them than I expected. I mean, a whole guild should be full of masters, and there were maybe two dozen of them.” I thought about some of the more distant hooded figures in the uppermost rows. “And I am not sure they were all masters. Even given a little distance from me and the upper levels, those masters seemed on the small side.”

  “Could they have been journeymen?” Draconis asked.

  “Maybe, but I think they were more likely apprentices dressed to look like masters. It is possible that they only had a dozen masters, and maybe not that many. They use their journeymen for security. There was definitely an air of paranoia and creepiness about the place.”

  The three men shared a look.

  “What did I miss?” I asked.

  Isaac held up a hand. “Tell me about the attacks on you.”

  “Well, they both used wands. One sent a lightning bolt at me, and the other sent acid. I thought it was an odd choice at the time and wondered who would have made a wand like that.”

  Isaac nodded. “Good observation. But this all happened in real time for you, and it was fast. Much of it was with your back turned. But you just caught a glimpse of the mage who sent the acid at you, and because I had it in illusion form, I could expand it and play around with the image a bit while you were safely out and returning.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  I was intrigued. “What did you discover?” I asked.

  “Let me replay it for you, and you tell us,” Isaac said as he cast a spell, and the scene at the trials room replayed itself.

  After the attack on me was shown, I said, “Hold it. Can you play that last part again?”

  He did.

  Bella, is it possible that the Alchemist did not use a wand attack against me but rather a personal spell? I asked her.

  She paused.

  I am sorry, Gwydion. I did not notice it at the time, but you are correct. He held a wand but cast a spell in its place.

  I looked from Isaac to Wizard Draconis. “Master, what guild directly casts an acid spell without recourse to a wand?”

  His brows furrowed. “There is only one. If it is a directed attack, it is a First Marrow spell; if it is an area of effect like that spell, it is a Third Marrow spell.”

  The hairs stood up on my arm. “Marrow?”

  “Necromancers,” Draconis said. “It is a necromancer spell. There are several varieties, but wizards are trained to spot them. That alchemist was also a necromancer who lost control of his anger and lashed out at you.”

  Isaac added. “And you called him out by name.”

  I stood quickly. “We must go back and-”

  The Duke put his hand on my shoulder. “Easy does it, lad. We are already on it. Having the Wizard War Master and The Tower Majordomo watching this farcical event was not something the necromancer had planned for. He thought you would be easy prey for conversion or death.”

  Draconis added, “Or replacement. They have magic that rivals solid illusions in that regard.”

  “What do we do now?” I asked.

  Draconis said, “We drive the rats out of their hole.” And he said it in a far stronger tone of voice than I had ever heard him. No doubt over his long career, he had been tested by more than one necromancer. And since he was here, that meant they no longer were.

  Isaac said, “What we don’t know is whether all their tower is in on it, just a few, or only the one.”

  “Necromancers do not play well together.” Wizard Draconins said as if it were an axiom.

  “And yet we have Twilight to show they can,” Isaac remarked blandly.

  “That tower has sat there for a long time,” I said.

  “What are you getting at?” The Duke asked me.

  “We believe that there is a growing undead presence in Undercity. It is not unreasonable to assume one or more necromancers are involved. It just makes sense to have a connection between the Alchemist tower and Undercity. While it is not easy to tunnel through the marsh, they are on its edges, and it is drier and more solid there. If they had a way into and out of the city from their tower…” I left the rest unsaid.

  “Then we have an even bigger problem.” The Duke replied. “Before you arrived, I had already ordered all alchemists in the city rounded up for questioning and banned their entry or exit from the city. The Tower signed off on this, and I informed Mage Council leadership of what the Majordomo discovered. But now I wonder if it made any difference.”

  Wizard Draconis said, “Every action taken against the darkness matters. Their unwitting allies in the city will be forewarned. But we must take action against them soon. They did not expect to be discovered. This event, while unfortunate for the Patron, may have saved many lives.”

  “Well, I was planning to take a group to Undercity anyway. We can search out tunnels to the tower as we go.”

  Isaac said, “You are too valuable to the city to go wandering the sewers and dark paths below the city like some-.” He searched for a word.

  “Journeyman?” I offered with a smile. I tilted my head and said, “But this is exactly the kind of work the Duke signed me up for.”

  “The Duke is sitting here and knows better than anyone what he had in mind when you were signed up, commander.” The Duke replied with a tight smile, the humor not reaching his eyes. “I admit that a couple of days ago, I would have urged you and your team to explore, but now, the Majordomo makes a valid point.”

  I remained calm. If I became overly emotional, they would insist I not lead the mission. Right now, it is still being discussed.

  I nodded my head. “You both make good arguments.”

  “I sense a ‘but’ coming.” Wizard Draconis said with a half-grin.

  “It is not a counterargument, per se. I will follow orders from either the Duke or The Tower.”

  “But-” Wizard Draconis quipped.

  I sighed. “Okay, I understand your concern, but this is exactly the kind of thing the team was created to confront. We are relatively untested, other than the goblin attack, and that was pure instinct and little planning. This is an opportunity for all the guilds to partner together, even if it is just with their journeymen and my guards. And it is a chance for us to use some of our new ideas before we have no choice in the matter. If we need to make tweaks, we have days before the horde arrives to make those changes.”

  “But could not another lead them?” The Duke asked.

  I looked at the Duke in his deep, blue eyes. “Would you insist on that? What reason would I have, other than my liege’s command, to not lead my own team into the very confrontation I so passionately, and utterly naively, got us all started to fight in the first place? Would you have me do that, my liege? They are my friends. It is my command.”

  The Duke sighed. “I would not order you. But I wish you would reconsider. Your leadership means more to your team and this city than you realize.”

  “Red is very capable and better than I am at organizing the teams and expanding our discoveries. I am doing less and less in that regard.”

  The Duke turned to the mages. “How can I make him understand?”

  Isaac said, “Gwydion, you have very talented people on your team. Each has skills and knowledge that you do not have. Their combined efforts are far more than any one person.”

  “Exactly.” I agreed.

  Wizard Draconis said, “But Gwydion, they are your team. They struggle for you. They discover for you. They invent for you. They work for you. They sacrifice for you because they believe in you. And they feel better about what they can do to save the city because you have led them to feel better about themselves. Even you have had to notice that your team is full of, how to say this colorfully, outcasts and the marginalized.”

  “I admit that some of them are a bit eccentric,” I admitted.

  The Duke said out loud. “Bella, help him to see.”

  And she flashed through my memory scenes where I complimented, teased, challenged, laughed with, comforted, motivated, and showed my people that I loved them.

  And they love you back, Gwydion. I know you will go below. But understand that they will follow you and die for you. You won’t need to ask them.

  I would never ask someone to die for me! I said to her angrily, my tears welling up.

  No, you would not. And still, they will. There is no realistic way a legendary infernal and a hundred thousand goblins with undead, and maybe dragons, and other monsters we cannot yet even imagine attack this city and people you care about not die. You know this. I have seen it in you before you quash it down and move on to a new challenge.

  The tears ran down my cheeks, and the men just sat there patiently, waiting for my response.

  I removed a handkerchief and wiped my face.

  “I understand, my liege. And I am committed to this decision.”

  The Duke put his hand on my shoulder. “Then you have my support. Any resources you need are at your disposal.”

  “Thank you. I will inform you of our needs after I meet with my team.”

  Wizard Draconis said, “I am fifty years past my sewer stomping days. But I will see to it that a couple more wizard journeymen accompany you.”

  “That is much appreciated. I will also request a couple more clerics. I don’t suppose there is a paladin in the city? I understand that the combination of the three is especially good luck.”

  Draconis laughed. “It would mean that especially awful things are about to happen. But yes, there is some history to that grouping. Wizards are not so common as clerics, but we are numerous compared with our paladin brothers and sisters. I am not aware of one in the city at this time.”

  Isaac reached over and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Gwydion, there will be a paladin among them. You know this in your heart even if you and I do not yet understand it.”

  The Duke and Wizard Draconis stared at us both in surprise but remained silent.

  “Well,” The Duke said. “I have other plans for you after this, so be careful down there.”

  “Thank you, we will all be careful,” I promised.

  I started to stand and then said, “Oh, something arose during the meeting with my guild masters.”

  The Duke motioned for me to continue. “They were all on board, and we will improve our productivity and add some even more creative tricks for the goblins.”

  “That is good news,” Isaac commented.

  “And, while we were talking, and I revealed concerns about undercity, I had a fearful insight that led me to the Pillar of Heaven.”

  Isaac and Alistair both gasped.

  The Duke said, “What does that mean?”

  “Finish your thought, lad.” The wizard asked.

  “If our enemies have had years, maybe decades to plan this, then an army of a hundred thousand goblins and a possibly discoverable sneak attack from Undercity by undead cannot be all they have planned. I fear that they may have also aligned with evil forces to strike from the air.”

  The Duke looked around the room, and then the idea grabbed hold.

  “Dragons.” He whispered.

  “I don’t know it to be true, my liege.”

  “But it feels right,” Isaac agreed, his lips pressed tightly together.

  We all remained silent for a full minute. Finally, the Duke stood and reached out his hand to me.

  I stood and shook his hand. I bowed to all three of these great leaders of our city and departed without another word.

  As I walked out of the room, I heard Wizard Draconis ask, “Isaac, what was that last bit about a paladin being with him?”

  I wish I knew, too. I said to myself.

  It means that you are not alone. Bella said quietly.

  Biff fell in line beside me as we walked the halls. “Are we on?”

  “We are so on,” I said, anger creeping back into my voice.

  “I’ve been cooped up too long. I need some fresh air.” He replied.

  I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes. “You do know we are going into the sewers, again. Right?”

  “Yep.” He said.

  “Then you and I have very different ideas of fresh air,” I said.

  He laughed and smacked my back. It hurt. It always hurt when he did that.

  I hoped it wasn’t a sign of what was to come.

  The AL whispered into my ear. Enchanter Gwydion earns an ability point for uncovering a critical link in the Darkness Below Keelwell quest. Ability points may be claimed immediately. Additions and notes have been added to your Book of Quests that remain unread.

  I thought my answer to the AL. Please place the ability point into Life.

  I hoped it would be enough.