Chapter Thirteen
I wanted to be able to efficiently learn everything I could from the array of wizardry coming before me, so I reset back to my save point, and then I did a final run through of the banquet.
Chime.
I walked into the audience chamber with my head held high, and I thanked the herald personally by name before my entourage and I took our seats. The herald guffawed as his jaw fell open, and I continued to greet each of the king’s servants as well as the nobility I encountered on my way to the table.
I’d already learned all I could from the Duke of Edinburg and the Duchess of Mistvale, so this time my focus was entirely on enjoying the party. My gaze swept over the vast quantity of food before me, and I considered what to devour first. In the end, I grabbed a little bit of everything, and then I settled in to feast on the meal.
It was certainly a meal fit for a king, as well as an Archduke, and I planned to eat every bite.
The pork was tender and juicy, the turkey legs were greasy and moist, and the vegetables had the perfect amount of seasoning stirred into them. Once I’d worked my way through all the main courses, I set my eyes on the dessert items. I chowed down on turnovers, tarts, and lemon squares, but I wasn’t the only one enjoying the food.
My entire entourage was mesmerized by the feast before us, and the large room was mostly silent as all the nobles invested their energy into eating more so than talking for a few moments. I went through a few chimes as my stomach filled up before I’d tried everything, but each time I respawned, I was able to eat even more. I was like a bottomless pit, and I packed away more calories than I could count, but I knew all that mattered was the final run through.
“We need ta git our new baker ta make some of these,” Jax mumbled as he happily munched on a lemon square. Crumbs covered the front of his frilly pink shirt, but he brushed them away absently while he reached for another desert.
“Careful,” I chuckled. “You’ll ruin your girlish figure.”
“Who ye callin’ a girl?” Jax raised one eyebrow, but then he shoved an entire lemon square into his mouth in one bite.
The entire table burst out in fits of laughter, and I took a moment to absorb the wholesome vibes among my followers. I was happy they were here, since the uptight nobles got boring quickly. It was like I brought Bastianville with me this time.
It was hard to focus on the meal with the thought of the upcoming magical performance fresh in my mind, but even though I was eager for time to move forward, I still enjoyed every morsel.
After the food, socializing, and dancing, we all returned to our seats for the entertainment portion of the evening. I dazzled my women and my entourage with my ability to foresee what performers would appear before us next, and I got almost as much applause as the sword jugglers when I predicted their final feat.
There was a brief moment of interlude before the king would announce the magical performances, so I took the time to check in with my followers to see how they were enjoying the evening so far.
My three women wore pleased expressions while they talked amongst themselves, Jaxtom was still picking at the leftover desserts, Bellona’s eyes were locked on a lady’s dress across the room, and Jeron was eyeing the same woman. Niconor, Kylor, and Riondale had their heads bent together, and Caelia met my gaze directly when my eyes fell upon her. The curly-haired store owner blushed as her eyelashes fluttered, but for once she didn’t look away.
“How are you enjoying the festivities so far?” I asked in a soft voice.
“It is all very overwhelming, Great One,” Caelia murmured as her gaze flicked to the crowded tables around us. “So many people in one place…”
“At least the food is good.” I grinned.
Before she could reply, the performers made their departure from the throne room while the king made his way into the center of the hall, and the nobles quieted once more as all eyes fell on His Majesty.
“The next part of the banquet will have you on the edge of your seats,” the king announced in a loud voice. “As part of the interview process for choosing the next court wizard of Arginold’s former holdings, there will be a display of magical prowess. I have sent out invitations to the four corners of the world, and many have traveled to Vallenwood for this opportunity. Prepare yourselves to witness the greatest example of magic ever seen!”
I made a new save point since I didn’t want to have to repeat the banquet again, but I wished I could reset to multiple points in time. It was sometimes hard to know if it was worth the risk of saving over the current timeline or not, and being able to skip back to any previous save point would make me feel like I really was a time traveler. I supposed it could get really confusing that way, though, so I brushed the thoughts from my mind and returned my focus to the presentation of magical prowess about to start.
“I have never seen a magic show before,” my wife observed in an eager tone as her emerald eyes scanned the room for any signs of wizard shenanigans. “I hope it’s not too scary…”
“They’re showing off to all the nobles in the land,” I reminded her. “It will probably be pretty vanilla at first, nothing scary or too dangerous. Same as the performers earlier.”
“Don’t you know what will happen already?” Elissa’s face turned to mine with a confused expression.
“Of course, I do.” I shrugged. “Just speaking in general terms.”
I would probably reset too many times to keep track of, so I wasn’t worried about Elissa thinking there was a crack in my ability to predict the future during this run through, but I made a mental note to be more careful in the future, especially during the final timeline.
“Oh, ok.” Elissa grinned and tossed her fiery curls over her shoulder before she returned her focus to the center of the room.
Fortunately, a line of people wearing colorful robes and cloaks began to file into the throne room, and they took up positions against the walls around the edges of the room. A hushed gasp swept through the crowd of nobles as the wizards in their brightly-patterned outfits made their appearances, and by the time the parade of people stopped coming into the room, the audience was completely quiet.
“They certainly look odd,” Mahini observed in a hushed voice.
“Gotta stand out,” I replied quietly. “Especially when you’re trying to get a job working for a duke.”
“There’s so many of them,” Eva pointed out “This is going to take hours.”
The duke’s daughter had a point. There had to be just as many magical performers in the room as nobles, and then I spotted a pair of familiar faces among the wizards. Kane, the Duke of Bullard’s court wizard, stood proudly beside Burnyolf, the enchanter from Castle Bullard, and Kane’s eyes widened when we made contact across the room. One of the last times we’d come face-to-face was when I’d battled him to prove to the duke that I was who I said I was, but Kane didn’t remember the hours upon hours we spent together in his workshop while he taught me all about the basic spells he knew.
Kane stood on one end of the room with a handful of normal-looking people, but on the other side of the room, the wizards looked a little bit more interesting. Some bore tattoos all over their faces, much like the first magic user I’d ever met in this realm, Raijin Thornheart. Others had colorful hair, odd-looking skin, and everyone on the far side of the room wore clothes in styles I’d never seen before.
It looked like there was a great big world out there, and I wanted to explore all of it until I had one-hundred percent map completion. The king had definitely done me a huge favor by arranging to have all the magic wielders in Vallenwood at the same time I would be there. I was getting excited about all the things I could learn, and the performances hadn’t even started yet.
Just then, an older man in a rich blue robe stepped forward into the middle of the room. Thinning, white hair hung loose past his shoulders and framed his face, and there were deep bags underneath his eyes like he hadn’t slept in years. He limped forward slowly like he was on his deathbed, and I resisted the urge to rush forward to offer him my arm.
“Greetings,” he intoned loudly. “I am Viceroy, the Royal Mage of His Majesty King Frederick von Vallenwood, but tonight I am merely your Master of Ceremonies. We have a grand display of power prepared for your viewing pleasure with mages from all over the world making an appearance in tonight’s performance. First, though, we start closer to home with the magic of Sorreyal.”
Viceroy bowed slowly before he turned to make his way to his chair beside the king, and I realized suddenly why he seemed so ill. He’d just been recently poisoned and was probably still recovering from the effects.
I was left with more questions than answers after Viceroy stepped away from the center of the room, but then a tall, lithe woman with salt and pepper hair stepped forward to take his place. She wore a blood-red robe cinched at the waist with a thick black tie like a karate master, and in her hands she carried a small crate full of rattling glass vials and jars.
“Oh, yay, that’s my mage! Yoohoo! Go, Zorya!” The Duchess of Mistvale clapped enthusiastically as the lady magic user set down her crate and cracked her knuckles.
“Yes. I am Zorya.” The woman gave a stiff-armed bow, and then her eyes scanned over the crowd of faces. “I need a volunteer.”
“Oh, me!” Eva shouted as her arm shot into the air.
“You sure?” Elissa asked as she narrowed her eyes at the mage in the center of the room. “She doesn’t seem to be the friendliest person.”
“I’m not scared.” The duke’s daughter shrugged. “Plus, it will be fun. Don’t worry so much, Bash.”
“Alright,” I chuckled, but I watched with growing trepidation as my lover made her way to the center of the room.
“Have you ever wanted to completely disappear?” Zorya asked the crowd as she put Eva into a standing position near her crate of jars. “I have discovered the secret recipe to unlock the limitations of sight.”
“Yes!” the Duchess of Mistvale cheered, and the fat of her upper arm jiggled as she waved her hands in the air. “Show them, Zorya!”
Someone was excited, but I kind of wished she would just stay quiet so I could pay attention.
I had a save point ready just in case, but I didn’t want anything bad to happen to Evangeline. This could be a ploy to get to my vulnerabilities, namely the people I cared about. I knew it was unlikely for an attempt to be made on the duke’s daughter’s life here in the middle of the crowd of nobles, but I couldn’t help feeling paranoid after recent events.
“Please, calm yourself,” Zorya instructed her mistress in a brusque voice. “This requires a level of concentration.”
Eva flashed me an excited smile from her stance in the middle of the room, and Zorya busied herself with her crate for a moment, so an anxious murmur swept through the gathered nobles as the suspense built. The court wizard of Mistvale Keep finally withdrew an opaque white bottle, and she flourished it before the crowd.
“This little vial contains wonders the likes of which you have never seen before,” Zorya informed us in a mysterious voice. “Watch closely when it is drunk by my volunteer.”
“Is it safe?” Mahini asked with a frown of concern.
“Good question,” the Duke of Bullard called out. “How do we know it will not harm Evangeline?”
“No harm shall come from my potion,” Zorya assured us, but she gave me a look that said she was definitely offended by the question.
“It’s okay, Father, Bash,” Eva said, and she gave us a reassuring smile. “Just another adventure!”
With that said, she took the proffered bottle from Zorya, and the duke’s daughter downed the shimmery liquid in one gulp. We all watched closely, but for a long moment, nothing happened. Then Evangeline’s limbs slowly disappeared from view starting at her toes and slowly inching its way up.
I was surprised her clothes disappeared as well, but then again, there was a lot about this world and its magic I had yet to learn.
I planned to rectify that soon, though.
A startled gasp echoed through the audience, and Zorya gestured at the translucent Evangeline with a proud smirk upon her face. There was a shimmer in the air where the duke’s daughter stood, but other than the faint hint of something in the air, it was impossible to tell a person was standing beside the mage.
“How long will the effects last?” a voice asked from the audience.
I narrowed my eyes as I stared at the spot where I knew Evangeline was, but there was still nothing more than a shimmer in the air. It was a truly incredible potion, and I wondered what ingredients were used to make it. They had to be super rare and expensive with the kind of dramatic results I saw before me, and I ached to get my hands on some.
I could do some serious sleuthing with a potion like that.
“It depends on how much is consumed,” Zorya explained. “I only gave her a small dose, so my volunteer should be visible again shortly.”
“We’re just going to stand here and look at nothing, then?” another voice grumbled. “Get out of the way and let the more entertaining wizards come forward.”
“I need another volunteer,” Zorya announced, and she shot the complainer a hot look. “I still have a few more examples to show.”
“I’ll do it!” Jax shouted from down the table from me, and I gave the blacksmith a sideways smile.
I was surprised the gruff man would willingly volunteer to be a magical guinea pig, but our journey here had revealed new sides to the blacksmith, so I leaned forward with an eager expression.
The burly man strode forward with his head held high, and I got to enjoy the full view of his outfit. The frilly pink lace flicked from side to side with each step he took, but Jax didn’t seem to notice as he took up a position beside Mistvale’s wizard.
Zorya nodded in approval of her volunteer, and then she squatted down beside her crate without a word. Jax bowed to the audience, and I whistled my appreciation loudly, which made him let out one of his big belly laughs. Then the wizard of Mistvale lifted one of the vials from her box and showed it to the gathered nobles in the audience.
“What does that one do?” the voice of the complainer from earlier asked.
“With one sip of this potion,” Zorya explained in an ominous tone, “the drinker will instantly begin to sprout enormous amounts of hair!”
“Hair?” Jax growled, and concern creased his brow. “Not sure I like the sound of that…”
“The effects are temporary,” Zorya murmured with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I created these potions for example purposes only, so they aren’t designed to be lasting.”
“If yer sure…” Jax shrugged, but then his eyes turned to rove over the spot where the invisible Evangeline was standing. “That one seems to be lastin’ quite a while.”
“I’m still here,” Eva’s disembodied voice said, and the room was filled with startled gasps. The shimmery spot moved around the space at the center of the room, and if I squinted, I could make out the faint outline of her form. “I think it’s beginning to wear off, too.”
“Fine.” Jax nodded decisively. “If Eva says it’s okay, then I’ll do it.”
The muscular blacksmith accepted the vial offered by Zorya, and then he squeezed his nose shut between his two fingers before he gulped down the greenish liquid. Jax made a disgusted face, and I thought for a moment he might barf, but he regained his composure a few seconds later.
“That tastes gross,” the blacksmith informed the wizard. “Ye should work on that.”
“I will keep that in mind.” Zorya began to pace around Jax while analyzing him closely for any signs of hair growth, and the odd court wizard made me think of a mad scientist with the way she circled my friend.
Jax stood proudly in the center of the room as we all watched with bated breaths, but for a long moment it didn’t appear as though anything was happening. Then the blacksmith began to squirm and itch at his arms, and an instant later, curly brown hairs sprang up from every inch of his body. He was covered in a downy fur within seconds like he was suddenly a teddy bear, and he eyed his own limbs with awe as the room filled with the sounds of startled gasps.
“I don’t understand,” Mahini murmured from my left side as she stared thoughtfully at Jaxtom. “Why would anyone want to cover themselves in hair? It seems like a fruitless endeavor.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe it’s meant as a less than fatal attack on your enemies. Or maybe it would help you survive longer in cold regions. It could even be as simple as it’s entertaining. Whatever its purpose, it is some powerful magic.”
“I do not trust these magicians,” the desert goddess admitted. “They fight with underhanded means.”
Just then, Evangeline sputtered into appearance, and an appreciative ooh filled the room. The duke’s daughter realized she was no longer invisible, and she curtsied to the crowd before she headed back to her seat by my side. She cast a sideways glance at the furry Jax before she departed the center of the room, though, and her nose wrinkled in amusement.
Zorya ran through a few more sample potions, but she had a hard time getting anyone else to volunteer after Jax’s hairy incident. The Mistvale court wizard seemed slightly disappointed as she turned away from the audience, but her mistress wore a pleased smile nonetheless.
I didn’t know much about Zorya, or the other duke’s court wizard, Dumas, but I had a feeling that would all change very soon.
I’d use my time in Vallenwood to learn as much as I could about the kingdom’s power structure, the lands beyond Sorreyal, and the world of magic. All while uncovering proof of a plot to overthrow the king.
I was a busy god, but I would make time to investigate the other court wizards.
When Zorya the potion master was finally finished with her presentation, she packed up her crate and bowed stiffly once more. Jax’s hairy pelt was slowly beginning to recede, and he bowed to the audience before he brought his patchy fur back to the table. I resisted the urge to laugh at the random bits of curls growing from his face, but I had a feeling that compulsion would not end well.
Viceroy returned to the center of the room, bowed to the king, tucked his hands inside his sleeves, and eyed his audience for a long, silent moment, but then the royal mage finally nodded his approval.
“Like the previous presenter, you may already be familiar with our next guest.” Viceroy gestured to the wall behind him where the line of wizards stood waiting for their turn to perform for the nobles. “Kane of Castle Bullard, please join me in the center of the room.”
A round of applause echoed through the chamber, and judging from the reception he received from the nobles, it seemed as though Kane was well-liked. He’d been a diligent, but shrewd, mentor when I’d first begun to learn magic, but I’d quickly mastered the few basic battle spells Bullard’s court wizard knew.
The Duke of Bullard clapped extra loudly as his personal mage took center stage, and Eva also showed her appreciation with a shouted cheer. Viceroy stayed next to Kane, and I wondered what the two old wizards were up to. I didn’t know what kind of magic the king’s royal mage knew, so I leaned forward in my seat with eager anticipation.
“Please, remain calm,” the royal mage instructed in an ominous tone. “For what you are about to see may be startling to some.”
Wizards certainly had a flair for the dramatic, but I wasn’t complaining. They put on a good show, after all.
“Are you certain you feel up for this, Viceroy?” The king suddenly rose from his chair, planted his palms on the surface of the table, and gave his wizard a scrutinizing glance. “You’ve only recently recovered.”
“I trust no one else to duel against Kane without hurting an innocent bystander,” the royal mage responded with a shake of his head.
“What about me?” I asked in a loud voice, and all eyes turned to lock onto my face. I smirked beneath the gaze of every noble in Sorreyal since I doubted very many, if any at all, knew of my magical abilities.
“Oh, yes, the Archduke,” Bullard agreed with a nod. “He bested Kane before my very eyes, and no one was hurt during that display.”
It was good to have someone as an ally in a room full of possible snakes, and I flashed the duke a grateful smile.
“Is this true, Your Grace?” The king frowned.
“Yep.” I grinned broadly. “I can take Viceroy’s place.”
“If that is Your Majesty’s wish,” the royal mage intoned with an incline of his head.
“Let it be so.” The king nodded fervently.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Viceroy said as I crossed the distance to where the two wizards stood in the center of the room.
“Get some rest,” I instructed. “We can’t have you dying on us before the new court wizard is selected, now can we?”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Viceroy bowed his head, and then he flourished his hands to the crowd. “The Archduke himself has decided to take my place. This will be a treat for all to witness.”
A round of obligatory applause echoed around the room, and I bowed low before the nobles of Sorreyal. I could feel the eyes of everyone on me, and it made my blood course with excitement. I took a moment to pause dramatically like the other wizards had done so far, and then I bowed to Kane to show my respect for the older mage.
“Are you ready for round two?” I asked with a friendly smile.
“I am not so certain,” Kane admitted with a wry smirk. “My pride was wounded from our last encounter. How am I to impress the nobility if I have a god to contend with?”
“I’ll make you look good, don’t worry,” I laughed. “Let’s just have fun with it.”
Kane gave me a look that said fun was not in his vocabulary, but I shrugged it off and began to shake out the tension in my arms and shoulders.
I’d learned all the basic spells I knew from Kane, but the court wizard of Castle Bullard didn’t remember teaching me anything. His only memory of me was when I beat him in a duel, so this had to be nerve-wracking for him, to say the least. I would do my best to keep from humiliating him, but I also wanted to put on a good show.
The nobles all watched closely, and the room was completely silent as I squared off with Kane. You could hear a pin drop from the throne, it was so quiet, but I supposed it wasn’t every day they got to witness a god’s power.
I watched Kane’s hands since I knew he would need to move them in order to cast a spell, and I didn’t want him to catch me unaware as payback for his previous loss against me. When his fingers twitched, I was ready, and I had a magical shield conjured before the ball of flames ever appeared in the palm of his hands.
I could have cast negate in the same instant as he threw out his flame spell, but I wanted to give him a chance to show off for the audience.
“Nice shield,” Kane complimented as he scrutinized the spell from a few paces away.
“Thanks.” I grinned. “Go ahead and toss your flame ball.”
“I don’t want to injure you.” Kane hesitated. “Are you certain?”
“I’m immortal, remember?” I laughed. “Plus, we need to put on a good show.”
I braced myself, and I gestured for him to bring it on, so the court wizard went into a half-squatting stance before he lobbed the ball of flame at my magical shield like a baseball. The circular fire shape exploded against the barrier attached to my arm, and flames bathed the semi-translucent surface.
I could feel the heat through the shield, and I gritted my teeth against the urge to pull my arm away from the source of the blaze, but a moment later the sensation had passed, and the ball of flames was gone. The crowd gasped, and Kane smirked, but I saw his fingers twitch again.
He was about to cast another spell, but what?
I’d probably have to go through a few different attempts until I memorized what spells Kane would use next, but I had unlimited retries to get it right, so I kept my focus on the current timeline.
As my concentration faltered, my magical barrier disappeared, and I was left with only one option when I saw Kane’s hands flick toward me and his lips move with the shape of a power word.
I had to cast negate.
“Nin!” Fortunately, I had just enough time to get the spell out before Kane’s ice shards headed for my face.
Instead, nothing happened, and murmurs of discontent popped up throughout the room.
Okay, I could see their perspective.
Watching nothing happen was kind of boring, so I decided to switch it up with some of the other spells I knew. I’d learned everything from Kane, except for the summoning magic I’d picked up in Arginold.
Then we exchanged a couple more spells back and forth, but nothing unexpected until I noticed the expressions of our audience grew bored. I needed to spice things up just enough to keep their attention, but not enough to hurt Kane, or anyone else, so I tossed out my own fire spell.
I fully expected Kane to negate the blaze with nin, but instead the court wizard doused the flames with his ice spell.
I lobbed another ball of flames at him, and this time he hit it with his ice while it was still in midair. I grinned as I threw another, then another, and soon we were practically juggling with magical balls of ice and fire.
The audience cheered and clapped, so I stole a glance over my shoulder between spells. The nobles were on the edge of their seats as they watched the interaction between Kane and me, and even Edinburg looked interested. The old man’s eyes were narrowed as he considered me, but I took that as a good sign.
I wanted to give him plenty of opportunities to make good choices, and if he was concerned with the level of power I displayed during a spontaneous performance, then he’d be a fool to underestimate me in the future.
Like Kane. The wizard had learned not to underestimate me, and it appeared as though he’d already benefited from the lesson in humility.
The court wizard watched me closely, and he countered my spells perfectly on time with his own. It turned into something like a dance, with each of us taking turns leading or following the other. His clouded eyes were lit up with joy, though, so if nothing else came of the interaction, I was still happy.
I’d only used a single run through, too.
My head throbbed a little painfully, so I signaled for Kane to halt the flow of magic. I’d brought out his strengths, masked his weaknesses, and entertained the masses for a brief moment. I considered the presentation a success, and since I was the Archduke and the God of Time, I knew everyone else would happily agree with me.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” I said in a loud booming voice. “I present to you the master of battle magic himself, Master Kane of Castle Bullard.”
Kane bowed profusely to every table before he swiftly marched away from the center of the room. It didn’t seem like he enjoyed the limelight, and he looked much more comfortable once he was back in his spot against the wall.
“What’s next, Great One?” a voice asked from the audience.
“Viceroy?” I searched for the royal mage among the faces at the king’s table, and I found the limping man as he pushed himself up from his seat.
I waited patiently for him to join me in the center of the throne room, but I didn’t move from my spot. I was officially invested in the ceremony of the event, and I wasn’t a quitter. I would find out who was coming next and flaunt my ability to predict the future.
“Next up,” Viceroy announced in a hoarse voice, “is another Sorreyal mage. We are fortunate to have Dumas from Edinburg manor here to showcase his own special talents.”
Now, this I was interested in.
I wanted to meet Edinburg’s court wizard, but I supposed he was already in the room. He could have been sizing me up this whole time, and I had no idea. I’d remedy the situation shortly, but first I had to meet him.
A tall, thin man with gray-tipped black hair approached the two of us from the line of wizards to my right. He’d stood a few people away from Kane, but I hadn’t noticed him until just then. Dumas, like most of the magic users in the room, was older, most likely having spent countless years learning his craft. He carried himself with pride and prestige, and he met the eyes of the people as he passed by.
I nodded politely when his pale-green gaze landed on me, but I took a moment to size him up at the same time.
Dumas was slightly taller than me, but of thinner build, and he wore a thin black robe that hung from his shoulders like he was nothing more than a skeleton. He didn’t seem like much, but Kane had certainly backed away from Edinburg’s court wizard in a hurry. The room responded to his presence with quiet awe that held a hint of fear, which made me think the court wizard had stepped on some toes in Vallenwood prior to this event.
“The floor is yours,” I said with a flourish of my hands.
“Thank you, Your Grace.” Dumas inclined his head. “You may return to your seat now.”
“Alright.” I nodded to Kane and the enchanter from Bullard, Burnyolf, before I headed back to my table. I was eager to see what Dumas was going to do, and I made a mental note to thank the king for making the evening possible.
While I was getting comfortable, some servants were carting in a long narrow box covered in a black piece of fabric. They placed this in the center of the room in front of Dumas, and he considered the mysterious square shape with a scrutinizing eye before he nodded his readiness to Viceroy.
The royal mage nodded back, and then he waved the long loose sleeves of his robe as he swept around the center of the room.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Viceroy said in a low, ominous voice. “You have already witnessed some of the amazing feats possible through the world of magic, but I doubt even your wildest imaginations could have predicted the next display. Master Dumas, the floor is yours.”
Then Viceroy returned to his place at the king’s table, and the recuperating mage rubbed his hands together with excitement as Dumas waited patiently for the room to grow quiet once more. When all was still and calm, the court wizard yanked the black fabric off the box with a dramatic swish.
The box beneath the fabric was made entirely from glass, but inside the clear square laid a dead man. The body looked older since the hair was fully gray, and it was dressed in a simple white tunic that covered it to the knees. There weren’t very many signs of decay, so it had to be a fresh cadaver, and I wondered what its use was.
I didn’t have to wait very long, though, since Dumas took up a position near the corpse’s head before clearing his throat loudly.
“This man gave many years of his life to serving me faithfully,” the court wizard explained in a solemn tone. “Now, he will continue to serve me in his death.”
Dumas began to mutter under his breath, and he started to do some intricate patterns in the air above the casket with his fingers. He waved his arms over the box like he was trying to shoo a fly, but he suddenly stopped his motions and stood completely still.
It was hard to see the details from my table, but I narrowed my eyes and watched closely.
Then the court wizard opened a small hatch on top of the glass casket, withdrew a dagger from his hip, and slashed the blade across the palm of his hand. Blood instantly welled up in his fist, and Dumas squeezed his fingers together as the liquid dripped from his hand to the cadaver underneath.
I inhaled sharply and leaned forward to get a better view.
Was Dumas about to wake the dead?
Edinburg’s court wizard stole a glance around the audience chamber while the blood continued to drip from his hand to the corpse, and we made eye contact from across the room. A slow, sly smile spread across Dumas’ face, and then the body below him began to shudder and shake.
This was really happening.
The court wizard stepped back a couple of paces, and he gestured to the glass casket with a pointed expression on his face while the dead man attempted to sit up.
It was just as I thought.
Dumas was a fucking necromancer.