Rise of the Fifth
The Hidden College Part 1
Pages 61 to 75

Pen fought back the tears. He had succumbed to the demon now reinstated within him. There was now no escape unless he could be trained to fight it and eventually drive it from within his breast. But for that he needed the mage Youlvi, and his chances of finding him were growing increasingly grim. Collapsing before Delenar's feet, Pen noticed the elf had company.

"Help me," he managed before finally passing out into darkness.

~*~

Joibri was still trapped in that helpless condition she so hated. The Shadow led the horse beneath her over the roughest terrain as was possible with a horse, through the wind and rain, not caring about the condition of its passenger.

Twice Joibri's body had rid itself of the contents of its stomach, the second time with blood. Her old arrow wounds were becoming infected, and her whole body was put under strain from the uncomfortable position she had been slung in. Quite often one limb or her head would limply hit the saddle or stirrups of the horse, bruising bones though it felt to her like it was breaking them. Her hair tangled around her and blood rushed to her head in her upside-down position, making her strange vision fuzzy, and her lips - once her best, pouting feature - were chapped and torn. Dehydration and the decayal process were trying to set in, her whole body confused since she technically wasn't alive.

Some of her most demanding, if inproportionate, thoughts were that she would need some new clothes if she ever got off of this hell-ride, and about where her weapons had been taken, or left, as the case may be. She could really use their comfort right now.

Joibri wondered why this being was so interested in her, and who exactly the 'Master' was. Where were they going? It was definitely evil, she decided, and worried that it was also dangerous because it could tell she was experiencing a different form of 'life'...

She thought help would never come.

~*~

Jonak continued speaking but Lena found her mind wandering. What would happen now? She hadn't expected events to move this quickly - she had thought she would have time to get to know the Fifth College properly and settle herself in. But obviously that wasn't going to happen.

Suddenly the door burst open and another mage strode in. He walked up to Jonak and whispered something to him. A thoughtful look crossed Jonak's face before he replied. The other mage nodded and left the room again, ignoring everybody else. Lena frowned and returned her glance to Jonak, who she found was looking at herself and Korius in a speculative way. She shuddered; that look bore nothing good. She felt herself growing increasingly nervous. Then Jonak spoke again,

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems some urgent business has come up, which must be handled immediately. We will have to resume this discussion another time." Slowly everybody got up and left the room. As Silt stood, Lena moved her chair as to get up. Right now, she was very happy to leave. But before she was half-way standing Jonak interrupted,

"Please Lena, if you and Korius would remain with me for a little while." Her heart started pounding again, she had a very bad feeling about this.

Lena looked at Silt, who touched her shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. She sat back down again, feeling calmer. She realised that she had grown to trust Silt. As Silt left the room, Lena glanced at Korius, trying to gauge his mood. But his face was blank, revealing nothing. Then Jonak began to speak,

"As you are both new here, your loyalties are yet unproven. Before we can take you any further here in the college, we must test this. This is what the college expects from you..."

~*~

Kane dismounted and joined Delenar at the side of the man's body. They rolled him onto his back, checking the visible injuries first. The man's breathing was shallow, ragged. He had obviously gone through some sort of trauma, although Kane could not tell whether the damage was physical or mental. He began forming the lattice for a WarmHeal, hands gesturing slightly in the air above the unconscious warrior.

"Who is he Delenar - was he another that was travelling with you?" he inquired.

"Yes, his name is Pen, he’s Joibri's friend."

"Joibri's, not yours?"

"He didn't trust me. I....I don't understand this, I've seen his strength, its prestigious. He wouldn't collapse from these wounds." Kane seemed to frown at Delenar.

"You seem concerned for someone that isn't your friend." Delenar locked gazes with Kane. His eyes betrayed a fear for the man beneath them both, as much as he tried to mask it.

"Things have changed since then Kane. I'd be dead if he hadn't charged the men who attacked us." He smiled, "Besides, I'm new to friendship."

Youlvi appeared behind the two of them, his childish smile replaced with a frown of concern. He made some motions with his hands, his eyes unwavering.

"Can neither of you two see it?" he suddenly asked. Delenar looked to Pen but could not see a thing. He looked across at Kane who seemed to be having similar trouble. "Kane, drop your spell and look at the spectrum." Delenar was still lost on the matter but was alert when Kane suddenly stiffened.

"Del look, look at his chest!"

He did so and noticed nothing unusual. Attuning himself to the mana spectrum he looked again, and saw the deep haze of Xeteskian mana swirling around Pen's heart. The structure of the spell was moving, as if it was raging against Pen himself. Delenar was no mage but he had seen many spells cast and knew much of the structures mages used. This was like nothing he had seen.

"Gods, Youlvi what is it?!" Kane asked.

"A most horrible and powerful spell," Youlvi muttered sadly, "The worst spell I ever created."

~*~

The echoes of spell battles rang out across the battlefield. A hundred weapons clashed, then suddenly drowned out as FlameOrbs rained down from the sky. Mages using ShadowWings dived again and again, carrying counterparts who launched spell after spell at beleaguered ground troops, all of them desperate to reach the cover of the SpellShields cast by their own mages. Short dog-fights broke out in the sky above as Mage pairs chased others through the morning air, more than one falling in a burning heap onto friends and enemies alike.

He stood at the far edge of the battle, one of many that he knew would be breaking out between different colleges throughout the day. He grinned, but it was not his face that made the gesture. The cold dark eyes beneath the bizarre helm were nothing but black pools in the shredded face, the skin almost a mask that had been pulled over something more hideous. It was almost time. Soon the soundless army of Shadow would descend upon these Lysternian and Xeteskian forces, and none would survive. Well, they would not survive as humans, anyway...

~*~

Kane looked around at Youlvi, then back to the swirling blue mass surrounding the man's heart. It wasn't just the heart though, he noticed, but all of the major internal organs - lungs, kidneys, liver. All encased in their own Xeteskian shells. He stood gingerly, turning back to the research mage.

"Two questions Youlvi. What is it, and can you break it?"

"Quite simply, no. It was an experiment which was ever tried precisely because it has no reverse," Youlvi said warily.

Gasta was laying a fire in the centre of the clearing and Delenar had offered to hunt following Youlvi's instruction that Pen would be ravished when he awakened. Kane sat with Youlvi while Pen lay wrapped in a thick blanket.

"While I was an assistant to Arithmus, we were asked to improve the powers of the Protectors. Our solution was simple, rather then using a demon chain for communication, we proposed inviting a demon to possess an individual at the will of it’s given. The mana of the spell would allow the body to adjust and grow with the demon in control, until the given could remove the beast."

Youlvi sighed, his mind remembering the only failure he and Arithmus experienced.

"I created the first test spells, they were an utter failure. Once a demon inhabited the body it took hold and could not be removed, only suppressed. Similar to having a familiar locked in your mind, except it shares the human form. We never found a cure. Even starved of mana the beast would merely withdraw, then resurface once it gathered its energy. The mana still swirling in Pen is a result of the beast recently surfacing, it will be dormant for some time now and leave the poor fellow feeling weaker then a baby."

"There must be something we can do for him, Youlvi," said Kane.

"Nothing I have knowledge of, but there is hope. The demon cannot take control often, it is too weak. The body becomes exhausted too quickly and the beast must withdraw. It can also be controlled to an extent with the bearers will."

"Who could have done this to him, if not you?" Youlvi sighed,

"The Master."

~*~

Delenar ran as fast as he could be taken, the carcass of the deer heavy upon him. His lungs gasped for air as he took a simple trail back towards the camp. The trail began to look familiar and the sound of the fire cracking came to the elf. He burst into the clearing, falling into a heap with the deer lying beside him.

"Youlvi.....they....here," he gasped.

"What? Slow down Delenar," Youlvi responded, rising to his feet.

"The girl.....is close....trail not far.....they are moving ...slowly," Delenar managed in between ragged gasps for air. Kane bent down and gripped Delenar’s shoulders, staring hard at him.

"How far Del, how close are they?!"

"If...we ride all day and all night.....we could get them," he answered.

"Okay," said Youlvi, a tone of authority in his voice. "First we rest up and try to wake Pen. A good meal will help us all at this point. In a few hours, we ride!"

~*~

If only he could awaken properly. It was as though he was paralysed, and not even his eyes would open. They were unbelievably heavy.

He could hear Youlvi, Delenar and Kane above him. He obviously looked as bad as he felt from their comments, and he would have laughed at Delenar's comments on his strength, it being so ironic. He began to fight against the weariness as Youlvi began to describe what was wrong with him. He didn't want them all to know. How dare he tell them! Anger brewed inside of him but that combined with his attempts to awaken fully on made his situation worse. Dizziness like nothing he had felt rushed through his body and he felt his eyes roll back in their sockets beneath the lids.

Suddenly he felt his stomach retch like he'd suddenly been released.

Kane heard Pen moan and looked back immediately to the warrior who was laid before the fire shivering from head to toe even though he was wrapped within a large blanket. He looked across at Youlvi who was sat stony faced opposite him, his eyes never having left the warrior by the fire.

Kane looked back at Pen who had gone rigid and thrown up the contents of his stomach, eyes shut so tight it appeared to Kane that it was deliberate.

"Is this normal?" he questioned Youlvi warily.

The mage merely continued to stare at Pen, who would not be awake properly for a good couple of hours yet. Their chase of Joibri would have to wait until then, and hopefully they’d still be able to catch them. They had no hope whilst Penrold was in his current state; then again, how he would fare even when awake was questionable since he knew nothing of the man, he knew nothing of his resilience. They would have to wait and see, and hope that Delenar and Kane could be as patient.

Delenar was growing impatient. Since the attack on the camp and Kelthan's sacrifice to save the elf, he couldn't shake thoughts of revenge on the cloaked being and his chance to save Joibri. Now with the trail so close, the wait was killing him. He looked across at Kane who was idly sharpening twin daggers. He had taken an immediately liking to the man, despite the rather unorthodox meeting. For someone who had trouble making friends and up until a few days ago had been a loner, he found Kane easy company.

"I'm tired of waiting Kane, they are creeping farther away every minute." Kane smiled and nodded,

"I know. I wanna finally see one of these....Shadows. Youlvi seems to think my mage blade will be a great use against them, but he won't reveal more. Quite the mysterious old mage that one." Delenar laughed,

"He knows more then he lets on. Like you said, almost makes you believe in fate, all of us being thrown together to try and save Balaia." Kane's smile faded and he met Delenar’s gaze,

"Our chances are slim though, aren't they? We face two mages of immeasurable power, one with a college of his own and another with an army of...things! Be honest with me Del, can we do this?"

Delenar fell silent and stared at the flickering fire. Then he grinned suddenly.

"I am the not the greatest archer I have ever seen but I damn good, I can track a bird in flight and shoot it down with an arrow fashioned from a twig. If that fails me, I AM the best knife-thrower I have seen. You seem to know what you’re doing with your blades, and your TruthSay you cast on me was so silent I almost didn't see it. On top of that it seems you have acquired a weapon against these shadows with that mage blade.

“Youlvi is a mage with a greater knowledge of spellcasting then perhaps anyone alive, save Arithmus. Gasta, though I begrudge it, is said to be a fantastic General and very capable swordsman. Pen is a warrior through and through, he knows no fear and his strength is colossal...normally. And then there’s Joibri, who is quite frankly the greatest assassin I have ever seen. She moves with a speed I‘ve never seen, is talented with a variety of weapons and to be honest is deadly without them. Do I think we can succeed?" he paused for dramatic effect, "If we can't, who can?"

Kane laughed, the sound full of humour.

"By the gods Del you are arrogant, I think that’s what I like about you!" Both of them burst into laughter, the sound filling the clearing.

On the other side of the camp Gasta heard the laughter and smiled. The expression quickly faded. The hurt to his honour was painful to bear but it was the camaraderie he would miss the most. Fighting for the right cause wasn't as fulfilling as he had thought.

~*~

"There's no good in fighting it Penrold. You are mine. I will use you for my own means and there is nothing you can do but accept it." Dystran's voice seemed strangely friendly despite the topic which he chose to speak of within Pen's head. Pen tried to reply, but even his mind wouldn't work. He was stuck within his own body, unable even to talk with the man that was causing his pain.

Dystran laughed, clearly able to sense Pen's new attempts to talk.

"You are powerless to this Penrold. Powerless to me. I control you, and I will continue to do so until I have no further use for you. Should you try to betray me, I will destroy you and your new-found friends."

"How?" Pen felt a pang of excitement. He'd managed a word. It wasn't much but at least it was something.

"What? How do I know? Well let’s just say I have my sources. I know you walk with the mage Kane. And Delenar. They can do nothing for you."

It suddenly hit Pen and he tried with all his remaining inner strength, such as it was, not to allow Dystran to sense it. He thought he was with Kane and Delenar alone? Then somehow he didn’t know about the others. Though Pen himself hadn't met them yet, he knew he was in good hands should anything happen to him. And Dystran had no idea.

~*~

Gailen studied the battle raging below. Julatsan forces were taking damage on both flanks, and the overlapping spell shield was wavering. Gailen shook his head, how had the war escalated like this?

It was obvious Xetesk were seeking the Fifth, something Dordover strongly opposed and as such they declared war on the Dark College. In typical fashion Lystern had joined them and Julatsa had also planned to, then Vuldaroq had accused Julatsa of also seeking the Fifth and had sent a large force to blockade Julatsan lands. Now war had broken out everywhere.

Down on the field below, the right wing of Julatsan forces broke under intense spell fire, the Dordovans surging forward to flank the centre. In doing so the enemy mages to the rear of the force were left with only a small guard.

"Okay Wolves. Focus on the mages, ride fast and stay within the shield. For Balaia!" Touching heels to his mount, Gailen led his force over the hilltop and down towards the battle...

~*~

"Captain Gailen."

"Sir?"

"You saved us all with that charge, superb timing. With their mages dead and the shields down it was a riot."

"Thank you sir."

The general studied the battlefield; it was a sorry sight. Bodies were being stripped and buried and the wounded were slowly being seen to.

"We lost many. Were your Wolves hit hard?"

"No sir, we lost none." The general smiled.

"That is good, no new names to engrave into your armour."

"No sir, no new names."

"Why is this happening Captain? We have no quarrel with Dordover," asked the General.

"They wish to find the Fifth first sir, be the first to raid its secrets and secure its power," answered Gailen.

"But Julatsa has no interest in finding the Fifth, at least not to steal its power," said the General.

"Dordover seems to think we do sir, something or someone gave them that idea."

~*~

Colours. Mixtures of green, red and blue blurred into Pen's visual spectrum. Was he conscious? He tried to sit but found his head so light that his vision blurred immediately and he slouched back to the ground grunting loudly as his back hit a rock beside him. Then the sickness again, flooding through him making him bring up what had been left in his stomach after his last bout of it.

"Dear Gods," he groaned. "Dystran you fucking bastard."

People, there were people staring at him, he could sense them more than see them since he'd not recovered his sight sufficiently enough to make them out. Was that Delenar's voice he heard again? He couldn't make them out. He coughed, bringing up more bile and spitting it out, his mouth feeling dry and tasting foul.

"Water. I need water."

Kane brought one of the water-skins over to the rising warrior. He was just going to hand it over, but the man tore the bag from his hand, gulping greedily as though he had not drunk in a month.

"You look like you've been through hell," he said. The man didn't respond, just drank. ‘Can't blame him. But I'd like to know what Dystran is doing to him,’ he thought to himself. He looked around again, and then something caught his eye. In one of the high branches above their position, around where Pen had been found, a glimmer of metal shone in the morning sun.

"Del - bring your elf eyes over here and see if you can tell what that is up there." The others gathered where he was stood. "No, not there - there, to the right a little. You see the shine?"

"Of course I can. Looks like a blade of some kind," Delenar said. "I'll go have a look." He wasn't the swiftest of climbers, but he was still an elf, and the most agile of the party. He was soon within reach of whatever it was. When he arrived on the ground he knelt and picked another few things up with a ‘chink‘, and then presented what he had found on the ground and in the tree. "Joibri's weapons," he informed them. Youlvi couldn‘t help but gasp,

“She normally carries these things around?!” The General spoke next,

"It appears as though we have over-stayed a little. Perhaps we should get going."

Delenar and Kane both gave him sour looks, but both knew he was right. They put Pen on one of the horses brought with them from one of Gasta's fallen men and tethered it to Youlvi's mount, figuring the two may speak about the warrior's condition. Gasta would ride with them for added protection until Pen was able to fend for himself. Delenar and Kane were at the front, scouting with elven eyes and mana-attuned vision.

They rode through the undergrowth, following the path Delenar had come from whilst hunting until they found what they were looking for - a small track of ground torn by horses’ hooves leading out through the West of the woods. They rode as fast as they could, for they were only a day or so behind.

~*~

The Shadow cursed, hissing a strange guttural language. Its mount was struggling with the added weight of its prisoner as well as its normal rider, the gaunt animal frothing with sweat beneath the saddle edges. The Shadow thought of killing the creature that lay prostrate across the saddle, but remembered what happened to the last of its kind that had failed its Master. It slowed the horse to a walk, believing it was in the clear with only a few days more to ride until it received its reward. It did not realise that soon it would not be alone...

~*~

The Master sat patiently in his study, nervous Shadows standing to attention in every corner of the room. It was clear from the Master’s expression that he was trying desperately to be patient for the arrival of the girl.

"Are they close?" he asked in a light-hearted voice.

"Yes Master, only a few days," one of the braver Shadows answered.

"Have they met any resistance? College patrols are everywhere at the moment," the Master asked, once again in the unusually light-hearted voice.

"No Master, but should they encounter them they will kill them quickly!" another shadow responded.

"Perhaps I should send an escort to collect them, just to be sure." The tension grew, as the Shadows were not sure of the correct response to their Lord. One of the shadows took a risk at an answer.

"But Master, no man has ever defeated so ma-"

"Silence!" the Master shouted, leaping to his feet with hand outstretched. The Shadow flew into the wall with a thud and seemed to be held there as if an invisible hand had grasp of it. "Perhaps you are the one with the plans eh? Maybe it is you who has the superior intelligence! Or perhaps you just want returning to your dimension...." shouted the Master, his eyes red with fury.

The beast raged at the magic holding him, clearly in pain. The remaining Shadows communed silently, afraid for their brother. The Master had never sent one of them back before! That was a punishment of such scale that every Shadow in Balaia would feel the terror behind the threat.

Just as easily as it had begun the Master’s anger subsided and he let fall the spell. The Shadow slumped to the floor in pain but made every effort possible to raise itself.

"What...is...my Master’s...biding?" it asked, body contort with pain. The Master replaced the hood over his head, and seated himself once more,

"Send my newest weapon. Send the mercenary Nahrik with four more of your brothers. He will not fail me!"

~*~

An hour later, the elf warrior armed with a deadly scimitar and variety of other weapons emerged and rode to meet the Shadows and Joibri.

~*~

Slouching on his mount, Pen felt betrayed. Youlvi had told complete strangers of his condition. He didn’t even know the man himself, and now they had tied his horse to Youlvi's, possibly in the vain hope that he would talk. Well if they thought that was going to happen they must be crazy.

Pen had wished to find Youlvi and speak with him alone, but that he couldn't do now or in the foreseeable future. Not with the others. He was sure they would be listening in to hear what he might say. It was the way life had always been for him as a child.

He looked across at the old mage who rode slightly ahead of him. He was sat bolt upright in his saddle, seemed at ease with his horse - a natural horseman then, was Pen's conclusion. The old man seemed to sense his stare and glanced across at him. Pen held his gaze for a moment before looking impassively away.

~*~

"This is what your college expects from you.." and with that Jonak stood up and motioned Korius and Lena to follow. He led them through a series of dark, damp hallways before halting before a small door. He opened the door with a spoken command and entered. Lena was next with Korius right behind her. The room was small, filled with unpleasant looking objects, Lena found. In a corner three men were huddled, bearing the marks of a brutal beating. Lena realised that they were mages, but she couldn't tell from which college.

"We found these mages sneaking around the northern side of Triverne-Lake. Obviously they are scouts for one of the colleges but we haven't found out yet for which college and what exactly is going on. This is your task Korius, you have 12 hours to obtain the necessary information. How you do it is up to you."

Lena breathed a sigh of relief, Thank the gods! Torture wasn't something she felt she could do. Jonak then faced her.

"Your part comes a bit later on. From a past communion with Silt, we found out that you have developed a new spell... One which separates a mage from his link to mana." Lena's eyes widened,

"But... I've never tested it before! I have no idea if it works and if I have enough strength for such a spell... I need more time to work the spell out!"

"Well, you are not getting any," Jonak snapped. "Either you figure out a way or your presence here in the Hermetic College isn't needed."

Lena swallowed. She knew what that meant, Silt had warned her...

~*~

"We have them - Youlvi, we've found them!" Delenar was almost screaming at the others farther down the hill. He had gone ahead to scout the plain over the rise before the others and Kane had fallen back to check on Pen's condition.

The WarmHeals both he and Youlvi had cast on the man seemed to be working, but the strange Xeteskian mana around his vital organs seemed to be hindering their progress for some reason. Still feeling like he had just had the entire Protector army march over his body, he was less than cheerful, snapping at the mages when they touched a tender joint, but Delenar's announcement had them all in lighter spirits. The four riders caught up with the elf at the top of the hill, and the mages augmented their vision with their mana to match the elf's eyes, scanning quickly and noticing the lone rider almost in the middle of the plain, oblivious to anything following.

"If we can catch them before they make the copse at the far side, we can finally rescue her," the excited, and relieved, elf said to the others. Their horses were fresh, having changed mounts at a small homestead a few miles back, and the animals looked keen for the chase.

"What are we waiting for then - a written invitation?" came the reply from Gasta. The five riders thundered down the rear of the hill.

~*~

The Shadow continued on its path along the centre of the plain, its mount weary from continuous riding, having never stopped once since its rider took on the added weight of its prisoner. As such, the pace over the last couple of days had become nothing more than a trot, although Joibri had felt every single step. The wounds in her side had become infected and were close to becoming a more lethal problem unless looked at. The rider that held her in place with such terrible strength obviously had no experience of dealing with healing, as it seemed oblivious to her pained grunts.

It also seemed to be unaware of the five mounts closing fast from behind, whom she had glanced around the side of her captor. Her heart skipped a beat then, when she realised who was leading the charge.

‘They're both still alive,’ she thought, hope finally returning to her heart. She turned to face the way they were travelling, and the hope almost faded instantly, for approaching from the opposite direction of her friends and saviours were more riders, a dark-clad elf and four other cloaked beings similar to the one that held her now.

Joibri wondered if they would have a chance after all.

~*~

Korius was shaking, he had never really hit a man before. If so, never that hard. He had been left alone with the three mages and had found it hard to know where to start, torture wasn’t something he had wanted to do. He had felt for the men he was so savagely beating but knew that his path into the college required him to do it. Now, five hours in, he was completely consumed by his task. Any feeling for the trio was completely gone.

He held his right hand within his left, it throbbed with pain but he didn’t care. He gazed straight at the mages cowering in the corner and laughed. They had been so good at hiding their allegiance but now Korius was determined to find out. He had used magical attack, FlamePalm and a weak IceWind. He had tried searching the mana in their bodies, he had used fist, elbow and boot. They looked a complete mess but still, barely human, their secret remained.

Korius turned, his laugh stopping abruptly. He looked at the torture equipment dotted around the room and smiled to himself. He picked a small rusty spike, that looked very much like an adapted lock-pick and his gaze returned to the mages. They really did look a mess, blood oozed from ear, mouth and nose. They had countless cuts and scratches, their flesh was swollen and charred and every muscle was in pain.

Korius started to walk across the blood-slick floor towards them. He stopped, the realisation had hit him. The horror in the corner was his fault. He couldn’t go any further. This was too far. No one deserved the pain he'd given them. But no, he had to. He needed the power the college could give him. A few lives for this power was a worthy payment.

"No," he said to himself. Then he addressed the mages, and they stared back through blood-covered eyes, "Now my friends, you will tell me. Or you will die."

~*~

Youlvi rode as fast as his mount would take him, readying his mind for the battle with the Shadow. It was the first time any many of the group had seen the creatures and now they would need to face one. Youlvi knew it would come as a surprise to his companions. Looking at the lead rider, he saw Delenar was notching an arrow as he rode, and in a superb display of marksmanship, he let fly a perfect shot. Youlvi tracked the arrow in its flight and for a moment, thought it would strike true. Suddenly the Shadow swung aside and lashed out. The arrow fell to the ground, broken in two. Leaping from its saddle the Shadow charged towards the riders.

"He’s mine!" Gasta yelled as he jumped from his mount with sword drawn. The Shadow leapt to the attack, ducking and rolling from every swing Gasta took, occasionally lashing out with metallic claws.

At first Gasta looked confident but it was easy to see he was getting no closer with his strikes. His movements were fast and balanced but the creature seemed to be able to move like the wind. It was constantly changing direction with no signs of discomfort. Kane was about to leap into the fray when four more Shadows and a tall elf emerged from the tree-line.

"Oh gods," Youlvi whispered to himself. "Hold them off! I need some time!" With that he stopped his horse and closed his eyes.

Kane yelled in frustration and released a murderous DeathHail. The Shadow approaching him was hit directly and fell under a storm of icy needles. Smiling in success, Kane was quickly on the defensive as another Shadow attacked. Luckily his mage blade parried the Shadow’s sword just as it was about to cut his throat. Light leapt from the blade and for a moment the Shadow stopped in shock. Then it attacked twice as fast as before. A duel ensued.

Delenar was having no more luck. A Shadow stepped towards him, gauging him carefully. A long sword emerged from its dark cloak.

"You know, I don't believe I've ever seen one of your kind. I would imagine you’re not too striking - probably why you wear the cloaks." The Shadow remained silent, slowly moving sideways as if to circle the young elf. "My curiosity has been peaked, perhaps we should take a look."

A knife flew from Delenar’s hand towards the beast and sliced the edge of its hood just as it spun away. Failing to remove the hood, the beast span back towards the elf, too late to see the second knife thud into its throat. Black liquid emerged and the beast fell gasping. Delenar smiled and drew his sword to approach the creature when a second leapt from out of nowhere and plunged its sword into the elf's arm. Screaming in pain, Delenar circled and desperately tried to defend himself.

Youlvi was sitting quietly on his mount as the dark elf Nahrik approached. He smiled at the old man on the horse and drew his scimitar slowly. The sound had no effect on the old man who seemed lost in his focus. The elf could have laughed as he prepared to strike.

"You'll regret that," came a voice from behind him, a voice not quite animal but something close.

Whirling round, Nahrik lashed out with his scimitar only to be parried by the large man. The man swung with such force it almost broke the elf's blade. Suddenly a second swing came from nowhere. This man was unbelievable! No human was quicker and more powerful than Nahrik but the elf was leaping back on the defensive. In between swings, the elf leapt backwards and threw a handful of shuriken at the man. Two were bashed aside by his sword but a third struck high in the chest, ripping into heavy muscle. The man was distracted long enough for the elf to move to attack. Now the fight would be a different story.

Just as Pen was desperately defending against the elf attacker he noticed a nearby Shadow, seemingly dead from Delenar’s throwing knife, rise up and remove the blade. Gods, they weren't dying! He risked a glance towards the Shadow hit by Kane's DeathHail and noticed that it was still down. There at least was some hope of them being killed. He parried desperately, having no chance to respond with his attacker moving so quickly. The elf was a superb swordsman and Pen began to lose hope. Suddenly he heard Youlvi's voice ring out over the small battle;

"LightBurst!"

~*~

Spells lit up the morning air. But the walls of Xetesk were still standing, the Dark College had been hiding for two days now. Their armies had been pulled away from the walls and there were minimal mages and guards stationed on them to attack back. The joint Dordovan and Lysternian forces weren’t taking any chances and continued to bombard the walls with FlameOrb and DeathHail.

Vuldaroq had told his generals to be on their guard and could smell a trap. He didn’t want to waste more soldiers as he had had to blockade Julatsa; this meant the attack needed to go smoothly. He also needed to know how Lystern would act when inside the walls of Xetesk - he couldn’t afford for them to attack his warriors in their own pursuit of the Fifth College.

His orders came via communion and on this day were the same as the day before; rotate the attack with three teams of mages. Constant bombardment of the walls by magic. And so it continued, the attack staying the same. Whether or not they were getting anywhere they didn’t know.

On a hill to the west, however, they were being watched by two men. Selik turned to his general.

"Come," he said. "The war has started, now we can find and destroy this other college." He walked down the back of the hill to the now fully massed army of the Blackwings, only 3000 strong but a notable achievement under the circumstances.

~*~

Pen staggered backwards, falling to the ground as the immense light from Youlvi's spell blinded all within 300 metres. The strength of the man's spell was staggering, and as Pen struggled to sit up again, he realised that he was at least for now temporarily blinded - luck was not in his favour these past few weeks it seemed.
He could hear groans of people whose voices he recognised, and gradually his vision began to come back to him, though with small bright dots still visible over his normal vision.

Looking about him, Pen saw what remained of the shadowed creatures. Youlvi's spell had fried their flesh, if they'd had any. What remained twitched every now and then, the smell finally catching Pen's nose and making him gag for fresh air.

"Gods it smells like..." he retched, but thankfully failed to bring anything up. Looking up at the man who had cast the spell, Pen saw Youlvi sat on his mount, looking at his handiwork, a small smile playing around his lips.

For the second time in so many minutes, Pen noticed his wound. But this time it actually hurt. Dragging the weapon from his chest, grunting slightly as it came away, he threw it down at the dark elf, whose charred remains lay before him. Blood flowed freely from Pen's wound and he tore some material from his trousers before applying pressure to the wound. In such neither he nor the others saw the elf begin to twitch.

"I take it that spell affects only the dark creatures?" Pen asked Youlvi through ground teeth. Silence. Pen looked up at the old man, who appeared to be miles away. Pen stood in wonder at the old man. He was exactly that. An old man. Yet one with such immense power...

Kane stood shakily, trying to fathom what had just happened. One minute he'd been fending off a strike to his chest from his cloaked opponent, the next he was face-down in the dirt, blinded by a huge flash of light. He hadn't seen the spell construct, but had known its basis - a LightGlobe of enormous proportions which then exploded like a newborn sun. Youlvi was a clever man indeed. He regained his footing, looked around and then immediately called out to Delenar, for behind him preparing to strike was the elf who had been fighting Pen...

~*~

The shrieks seemed endless to his ears, but he still paid them little heed. The Master was deep in planning another attack on the College rear-guard advancing on Xetesk with his new General when it had happened - his servants had dropped to the ground, mad wails emanating from them as they felt the loss of their Kin.

‘They are similar to Protectors in some ways after all,’ he had mused to himself before returning to the plans drawn out in front of him.

The many uniforms stolen from each college - all of which had been stolen by his Shadows and his vast network of spies - were being employed to great effect. His forces struck out at opposing armies wearing college colours of their nearest allies, spreading confusion whenever and wherever they attacked. He loved every second of it; the chaos that ensued after each engagement, the accusing shouts and stares between allies that threatened alliances to the breaking point.

The cold smile spread across his face once more at the plan of his new General. The one that could bring Xetesk to its knees from within its own walls. He always liked the quarters belonging to the Lord of the Mount...

~*~

He observed the Blackwing commander and his guard as closely as possible, moving silently through the long grass. His Master had known this would happen - in fact counted on it - that the colleges would wage war between themselves and the Blackwings would try to take advantage. The dark elf slipped back towards the battlefield to observe the Dordovan tactics a little longer, hearing spells drumming against the mana-reinforced walls of the Dark College. He would have to report back soon, and his communion would be risky, but it was what he was being paid for.

~*~

Delenar span at Kane’s warning, a bit too late. The small knife buried to the hilt in his chest. Pain flared within him and a black shadow fell over his vision...

Kane could only look on in shock as Delenar was struck and fell to the ground. The dark elf who had stabbed him was lightly burned on the surface of his skin but even as he saw it, Kane realised it was a surface wound. Obviously Youlvi's spell affected only the Shadows. A small smile played on the elf's lips as it drew a shuriken and threw it. Kane watched the blade fly past him towards Youlvi.

A sword sliced down on the serrated disc just as it was about to smack into Youlvi's chest. Gasta had been ready for the move and had batted the weapon aside. Turning his head to look for the elf responsible for the throw, Kane found nothing. He had disappeared. Surging to his feet, he ran towards the fallen figure of Delenar, already preparing a WarmHeal.

The elf was in a bad way. The blade though small was buried deep and a wound in his arm was gushing blood.

"Don't you die on me Del!" Kane said, more in hope then anything else. "Youlvi - get over here and gimme a hand with this!" he shouted over his shoulder.

The WarmHeal he had placed on the Elf's arm was taking effect under the compress he had tied around it, but the knife wound was a little more serious. The ashen colour of Delenar's face didn't bode well. Kane's temper flared when he thought of the look on the Dark Elf's face as the knife plunged into his new friend.

He was almost too consumed with anger to notice the near-lame horse eating hungrily at a small bush behind Pen, when he suddenly realised what the odd shape was atop the saddle.

"Pen - behind you!" he yelled, pointing frantically. "Get Joibri down from that horse and get her over here before that damn elf comes back with more of his friends!"

~*~

The door creaked open and Jonak walked into the room. He was almost horrified by the mess in the room. Pausing for reflection, a smile crossed his face. It had taken the full twelve hours but Korius had been ruthless. The trio of mages were all dead. One had died hours ago, simply killed by the weight of blows he had taken to the head. The other two were in more of a state. Korius had moved one across the room, his charred body would now be unrecognisable to even his family. Blood oozed from his body and great rips in his flesh showed his rib cage, at the knee his leg was broken and the bone protruded through skin.

The final mage was propped up in the corner, a small spike had be rammed into his left eye and blood trickled out, morbidly making it look like he was crying. The rest of his body was covered in small cuts and his right arm was severed from the elbow - it had been tossed across the room.

And in the centre of the room stood Korius. He turned to look on Jonak, his body was almost racked with spasms, he was shaking so much. Blood splattered his clothes and he had a great smear across his forehead where he had whipped the sweat off his face to be replaced by blood. Tears ran down his face as he spoke, breaking out in a flurry of emotion,

"What have I done?"

"What your master asked of you," replied Jonak. "And you have done it well."

"Yes, yes," replied Korius, suddenly full of confidence. "My master will be pleased." The sudden change in Korius was amazing, a few seconds ago he had been sobbing. Now he was full of purpose. He would be a powerful ally to Arthimus and his loyalty was now not a question. "They were from Dordover."

Jonak couldn’t hide his joy. The young man had found the answer and done everything in his power to get it.

"Now," he said, placing an arm around Korius and leading him out, "I think it’s time you rested.”

~*~

Youlvi ran towards Kane, trying to prepare a BodyCast but the mana would not stay in focus. Kneeling beside Delenar he tried with all his might to form the construct for a BodyCast but again the shape would not stay in place. Despair flooded him as he looked at the terrible wound in the elf’s chest.

"Kane, I can't. The spell exhausted me, I can't cast yet." Kane turned to stare at the mage, the anger in his eyes replaced by fear,

"He’s dying Youlvi, I can't do this alone," he stated. Youlvi sighed and continued to try, each time no more successful than the last.

Pen staggered towards the two of them and lay Joibri down beside Delenar. She looked awful; her skin pale and slack. Small wounds were festering and a fever was most certainly settling in.

"You two cannot heal both of them now. We must make for the town and a place to rest," said Gasta, his eyes not leaving the tree-line where the elf had disappeared. Pen looked at Youlvi with pleading eyes, tears held back by force of will.

"There must be something you can do, Youlvi! Why did you waste your power on that spell?!" Pen shouted.

"Because we were losing, Pen!" Kane replied before Youlvi could speak. "We were losing and you know it." Pen nodded, resignation settling in,

"I'm sorry, but we have come so far. We must help her."

"We will," Youlvi whispered. "But I am not the mage I once was; my power is small." He paused as he stared at the two injured elves. "They will not die quickly, elves are resilient. We should take Gasta's advice and move back to town." Kane nodded and looked to Gasta,

"You fought well. Welcome to our party." Gasta merely nodded and turned away to hide the smile he couldn't resist. Maybe he could prove himself a good man after all.

"Let’s move," he said.

Delenar's horse was tethered to the pommel on Kane's saddle, the elf more or less tied to his steed alongside Kane, who had just cast another WarmHeal on the knife-wound to at least stem the bleeding. Pen had Joibri on his own horse, the gaunt animal that had carried her this far of no use to them. Gasta rode at the rear, covering them, whilst Youlvi rode between Kane and Pen, going backwards and forwards between the two injured party members, checking their condition didn't drop too much. He also checked Kane, who was suffering from a severe drop in his mana stamina from the WarmHeals he had to reapply.

~*~

All the while, watching from distance, was the elven assassin, a smile curling his lips as he watched them struggle to keep their friends alive. The smile vanished just as quickly when he remembered what would happen if he did not return to the Master with his prey. He would have to reach the next settlement before them, to make sure he would be in position.

~*~

Through all of her pain Joibri felt relief, such a blissful sense of relief. She knew it would probably be interrupted, but now, she could rest....rest finally...

The small success she had gained in being able to move a little was lost as her eyes looked up to Pen. Just as her hand slipped from where it had been holding her tattered clothing, she noticed that he was...different, somehow...

Her eyes closed, chin bowing to her chest. Yes, she would rest now...

~*~

Gailen welcomed the recruits with his normal speech. He preached of how his unit were the best, how they would accept nothing less then utter discipline and honour. He introduced them to their brother warriors and took them through the traditions and history of the Wolves.

As always they were more interested in him.

The two lads were young, and both amazingly talented with a blade. One perk Gailen enjoyed was that he had the pick of new recruits and he searched for the best. As always though, when he took a new recruit through the introductions they would question him about his feats and heroics.

"Sir, why is it all the men - I mean our brothers - mark their armour with names?"

"It is a tradition and a privilege," Gailen replied while looking at the thirteen names inscribed in his own chest plate. "We add the name of any fallen Wolf, so that they are with us in our next battle. Every warrior I've had the privilege of leading has been brave beyond what can be expected and many have died to defend our brothers and our college. When you don your armour and carry those names into battle, could you let us down?"

The answer had the desired affect - already the two young men were staring at the names in a kind of awe.

"Now I expect your armour to be mirror bright, your sword sharp. I want your mount brushed and fed, your tent remains tidy at all times and you attend all drills punctual and clean. I expect the best, gentlemen, and in doing so you will receive the best. Your mounts will be fed only grain, your weapons will be serviced by the best blacksmith in Julatsa and you will fight alongside the pride of the four colleges. Any questions?"

One of the youngsters smiled, an excited look that made his eyes light up,

"Where to first sir?!" Gailen nodded at the youths. He had made good choices with these,

"We have a new assignment. A spell was cast in a small woodland nearby, it was a spell no one has seen before. We are going to investigate." The pair saluted and ran off to prepare.

~*~

The battle was going well for the Dordovan/Lysternian alliance. They had beaten the Xeteskians back inside their walls, the crude break-out attempt thwarted easily. A little too easily it seemed, as it was hardly a valid attempt to strike out from the walls of the Dark College. Then the news came. A troop of Protectors, numbering around one-hundred and fifty, had set out with a number of horse-mounted mages from the opposite gate. The whole break out had been a diversion, and one that should have been seen.

It wasn't, due to a strange bank of fog that had materialised from nowhere earlier in the day and still hung around the battlefield, and now there would be a formidable group somewhere in the lands to the North-West between Xetesk and Triverne Lake that could strike at the Alliance rear guard. They would shortly prove a problem, but nothing could prepare the Dordovan/Lystern command for what would happen next.

A column of mounted riders in Julatsan markings appeared in the fog, riding for the Eastern flank, hoods and helms covering faces. That in itself was unusual, as Julatsans always wore open-faced armour - it was better for their elven mages and bowmen. The riders, however, did not respond to shouts from field commanders to slow or even stop, instead spurring their mounts to greater speeds and crashing into bewildered troops, lances impaling two or three men at a time, swords and axes whipping from sheathes and scoring deep red gashes into flesh.

They hacked down some thirty or forty men before any resistance came, and by then it was too late as they fled the battle scene, chased off by FlameOrbs and DeathHail from already-weakened mages. None of the riders fell, but the ground they left behind them was red with blood, and amongst the soldiers laid mages key to the spell defence to the area. It wasn't long before the Xeteskians on the wall had their own mages casting, entire columns in danger of being wiped out as FlameOrbs, HellFire and DeathHail rained down. Mana flames ate at skin and clothing alike, screams of the dying floating across the land to their stunned counterparts on the opposite flank.

It was just under an hour before any kind of spell shielding was back in place, and the cost had been high. Almost three hundred had died, twice that number injured. The feelings of the men towards any Julatsan that would come near the battlefield would not be pleasant.

~*~

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