C. Dale Brittain - Wizard of Yurt 06 by Is This Apocalypse Necessary

Author:Is This Apocalypse Necessary
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-02-08T23:53:18+00:00

V

Back before he had taken up his position in a powerful kingdom with an aging king and an all-too-pliant queen, Elerius had been Royal Wizard in a kingdom on the western slopes of the mountains: an enormously wealthy kingdom whose royal court was deeply sunk in evil. The chancellor of that kingdom had kept in touch with Vlad, in fact had helped steer our party toward this very castle when Vlad had decided he wanted something from us.

Though Vlad was gone, and the evil king was gone, and even Elerius had resigned as wizard there over twenty years ago to accept his present post, the chancellor must be maintaining his contacts in the Eastern Kingdoms. This explained how Basil knew what had happened to Vlad and knew that I had had a hand in it.

“I understand that one of you western wizards is trying to make himself the absolute ruler of all of your kingdoms,” said Basil, showing dozens of pointed teeth—either a grimace or an unsuccessful smile. “He would not have minded my assistance, either.”

In a sickening second I could see it all: Elerius enlisting the aid of someone like Vlad, to help him go up against Zahlfast and the school. In return he would promise full access to his own magic. Because he believed his goals were ultimately good, Elerius would not hesitate to forge an alliance even with someone so evil that Hell itself might hesitate to take his soul. And then, after a war that would make the Black Wars seem like a carnival tournament, just when he and this demonic eastern wizard were settling in to rule jointly, Elerius would have a curious accident…

“But I do not trust him,” said Basil.

I stopped looking at the pictures my imagination was producing and looked fully instead at Count Basil: a white-faced wizard sitting in a dark room with a man-eating white lizard on his shoulder, but not Vlad, not a demon incarnate, perhaps only someone who genuinely wanted to help.

“Of course, I don’t trust him either,” I said. Basil, I realized, must be about my age. If I had grown up in the Eastern Kingdoms instead of the City in the West, would I now have a pet named Blood who terrified the visitors? “But what is the basis of your distrust? Surely your gratitude toward me for my small role in securing you this castle could not outweigh what he must have offered you.”

As I spoke I fought against the irrational fear that there was no point whatsoever to this conversation, that Basil was merely keeping me talking long enough for Elerius to capture my friends and the flying beast and discover where I had hidden the Ifrit’s bottle.

“I heard that he was present when Vlad died but did not play the role you did in overcoming him.”

I shook my head slightly. That was not nearly enough.

Basil smiled again—and this time I was fairly sure it was meant as a smile. “Someone who needs help on his road to power will always promise a partnership.

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