The Bowl of Souls: Book 01.5 - Hilt's Pride Read online

  Prologue

  “Lord Protector Vriil behind this siege? Hmph, preposterous,” said a man Willum had never seen before. The man stood with arms folded and spoke with calm measure but his round face had grown quite red. It was not a good look for him. His nose had been bulbous and dark when Willum had started his report and now it looked positively purple.

  “This is what my father said, yes,” Willum replied. He looked around the Battle Academy council table but no one leapt to his defense. The reason he had been brought in was to retell his story for the members of the newly assembled War Council. He hadn’t expected to be interrogated. The first time he had told the council of his father’s warning, the table had been supportive and full of questions. This time they just sat quietly and listened. Even Tad the Cunning said nothing. He was watching the stranger’s reaction over steepled fingers, his elbows resting on the council table.

  The War Council was put into effect whenever the academy came under siege. The members were comprised of the leaders from the different factions held within the academy’s walls. The members included the regular Battle Academy council, the Training School Council, and Demon Jenn, the mayor of Reneul.

  “Hearsay. And it comes from a man living in another kingdom. That is what the Queen would say if I told her this rubbish,” the stranger said. He was short and stocky and wore an expensive puffy shirt of silken brocade with collar and cuffs made of flowing lace. Willum thought the outfit looked itchy. Perhaps the man was a noble or merchant of some sort, but that didn’t explain why everyone was listening to him.

  The stranger sat down in his chair and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. “Why are we even considering these accusations?”

  “Master Coal is a named wizard and a friend of the academy,” said Hugh the Shadow, head of the academy’s Assassin Guild. “We have no reason to doubt his word.” Hugh gave Willum a pointed look as he spoke and Willum felt his face flush with embarrassment. The council hadn’t exactly been happy with him when he had revealed his father’s identity. He had been keeping it a secret, determined not to let Coal’s status be part of the factor determining his entrance into the academy. He had wanted to do it on his own. Hiding the identity of one’s father wasn’t uncommon, but it was frowned upon, especially hiding it from the council. Willum was just glad that they didn’t know the identity of his birth father. That would have complicated things greatly.

  “And Master Coal has sworn witnesses to Ewzad Vriil’s actions,” said Sabre Vlad, head of the Swordwielder’s Guild.

  “Oh, right. The witnesses. An elf, a dwarf, and an ogre. An ogre? Please.” Despite his nonchalance, the mystery man’s nose was getting even purpler.

  “There is also Sir Edge,” Willum added. “He is the named warrior who was imprisoned by Ewzad Vriil for a time. He saw Ewzad Vriil use magic. He even saw him call an army of goblinoids to fight for him.”

  “More hearsay. Tales from a named warrior no one has ever heard of, talking about a battle in the Lord Protector’s keep that supposedly released hundreds of prisoners and yet no one has heard of the incident!” There was definite anger in his voice now and he was scowling. A vein throbbed on the man’s temple and his nose had become so engorged Willum feared it might burst.

  “What I think would help is if you could show us the letter in your father’s hand,” said Demon Jenn. “Or perhaps you could produce some kind of signed statement from the witnesses?” Jenn was an academy graduate, as most of the mayors of Reneul had been over the years. She had earned her name on the battlefield and was well respected, but the years had not been kind to her. Her face had been disfigured by a goblin dagger while protecting a caravan in her youth and as she had aged, the scar had shrunken and puckered, leaving one lip pulled upward in a permanent sneer.

  “I am sorry, ma’am. That isn’t possible,” Willum said. “My-.”

  “Hmph! Again, the lack of proof.” the stranger said. “I still don’t see why we are listening to this.”

  “This information didn’t come by letter,” Tad the Cunning said, speaking up for the first time since Willum had entered the room. His eyes remained on the fancily dressed man as he spoke, “Willum, please explain to everyone how you received your father’s message.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Willum couldn’t tell them of the true nature of the bond he had with Coal. Bonding magic was rare and unknown to most of the wizard community and the rest of the world was completely ignorant of its existence. Instead, he recited the story Coal had concocted the first time he had Willum pass a message on to the council.

  “When I left home, my father wanted to be able to keep in contact with me, so he used a spell to set up a . . . mental connection. Even though he is very far away, if we are both concentrating, we can communicate to each other with our minds. It’s not easy. I-I can usually only accomplish it at night, sir. When I am laying in my bed after all my tasks are complete, for instance.”

  The story wouldn’t have held up if a wizard had been in the room. As far as Willum knew, no such spell existed within the realm of elemental magic. There were objects enchanted to carry people or items over long distances, but to send one’s thoughts was a more difficult task. Only spiritual magic could accomplish that.

  The man smirked and opened his mouth to retort, but Tad spoke first.

  “I have a piece of evidence to back up his claim.” He picked up a scroll and slid it over to Demon Jenn. “This scroll arrived from the Mage School not long before the attack. They had received a similar communication from Master Coal and urged us to heed his warnings. They vouch for his words and his methods.”

  The mayor opened the scroll and nodded appreciatively. For a woman that made her name in battle, she seemed to put a lot of trust in paperwork. “This is signed by Master Latva himself.” She directed her gaze to the stranger. “This eases my mind.”

  “So one wizard vouches for another? What does that change? Let me see that. Do they include any new evidence to support his claims?” The man snatched the scroll away from her and poured over it with his eyes.

  Tad cleared his throat. “You are ignoring another fact. Many of Master Coal’s claims have already proven true. His witnesses knew of the army amassing in the mountains. He warned us that an attack could be coming. If he had not warned us through his connection with his son, we may have been caught unawares.”

  Willum’s shoulders sank in relief. Finally Tad was backing him up. The tension in the room had been giving him a headache.

  The man stood, his face twisted in anger, more purple than ever. He paused and closed his eyes for a moment. His shoulders quivered briefly and he blinked a few times before clearing his throat. He raised one shaking hand and smoothed back his thinning hair. He saw everyone staring and smiled apologetically before sitting down. Much of the extra color had drained from his face.

  “Are you okay?” Tad asked. “Can we get you some water or something?”

  “No, I’m fine, fine. Uh, your point is well taken, Tad. However, just because this Master Coal was right about the invasion does not mean that his witnesses are right about everything else. A man can be right in some cases and wrong in others. I for one still refuse to believe that Lord Protector Vriil had anything to do with this attack. I will need to see better evidence than this if I am to send a message warning the queen.”

  “I understand your position.” Tad’s eyes left the man and moved to Willum. “Has your father told you anything new to report, Willum?”

  Willum swallowed. He was already dreading the stranger’s reaction to his news. “Yes, he has gathered a small band of . . . warriors and along with Sir Edge is travelling here to help in whatever way he can. As they began their journey, they were attacked by several of Ewzad Vriil’s altered beasts. They lost one of their number but were able to defeat the beasts and have since continued on their way.”

  “And when was this?” Tad asked.

  “Two days ago, sir.”


  “Beasts made by the Lord Protector? Surely you don’t expect us to believe- . . . Never mind,” the stranger said with a shake of his head. The color was flooding his face again and his voice was loaded with sarcasm as he asked, “Well, why don’t you describe these horrible creatures for us?”

  Willum swallowed. He knew that his description would sound outlandish to say the least. “There was an armored orc that spat acid, a large plant-like beast with razor sharp whips, and a huge red beast that flew like a dragon and radiated heat from its very skin. Father called it a bandham.”

  The stranger laughed in derision, though to Willum, it seemed that his eyes weren’t laughing. They were watching him with calculating intensity. Thankfully no one else in the room found it funny.

  “Thank you, Willum, son of Coal,” Tad said with a nod. “Please keep the council informed of any new developments.” He looked back to the rest of the council. “I believe Stout Harley has a report on our current supply situation. If you will excuse me for a moment?”

  Tad smiled and stood from his chair. He nudged Willum on his way to the back of the chamber and Willum followed him out the rear door of the council hall.

  Willum followed Tad down a hallway and passed several rooms that he didn’t know the purpose of. He knew that the rear of the building contained the personal apartments of the council members but had never been in this part of the building. They walked down some stairs and headed down a dimly lit corridor. At the second junction, Tad stopped and grabbed Willum’s shoulder. He kept his voice low.

  “I am sorry I had to put you through that.”

  “Who was that man?” Willum asked, relieved that his teacher was acting more like normal.

  “He is Dann Doudy, the new Dremald representative to the academy.”

  “The new representative? What happened to Proud Harold?” Willum asked. Harold had been the Dremald representative on the council for over a decade. He was a jovial man and well liked by the students. When King Andre had died and his sister Elise had been crowned, Harold had been summoned back to Dremald along with the rest of the Dremald troops that were usually assigned to the academy.

  “I don’t know and that concerns me. This . . . Dann Doudy, showed up the evening before the attack. He had papers from the queen announcing him as Harold’s replacement. He says Harold had grown weary of his duties and wanted to retire.”

  Willum’s brow knit in concern. If his father’s suspicions about the situation in Dremald were correct, something bad may have happened to Harold. “What do you know about this new representative?”

  Tad frowned. “Not much. He is a minor noble. The Doudy family has been in Dremaldria for generations, but why the queen would choose him is a mystery. She didn’t list any of his qualifications.”

  “I understand,” Willum said. Tad’s behavior in the conference room was making sense now. He had been watching the man’s response to his father’s warning to gauge his reaction. “So do you think he was sent here to keep an eye on us?”

  “If he was sent here by Ewzad Vriil as a spy, he isn’t a very effective one.” He stroked his chin. “He definitely hasn’t been trying to make any friends since he arrived. No spy worth his spit would have acted so bothered by our information. His actions were so bizarre it makes me wonder if he was acting the avid Vriil supporter to throw us off. A pretty clever ploy, I must say. I’m interested to see what Hugh thought of his act.”

  “And what if he is reporting information to the enemy?” Willum asked. “He will be in every council meeting. He could tell the enemy how many men we have, how they men are positioned, what our food supplies are . . .”

  Tad patted his shoulder. “Good. You are thinking this through. I can tell you have been paying attention in my class. But don’t worry. I have archers posted on the wall looking for birds. We are watching any possible form of communication. We are safe unless he was somehow able to get out of the academy, but we are surrounded by tens of thousands of goblinoids, and we have soldiers at every possible exit. There is no way he is sneaking out.”

  “Good to know, sir.” Willum said with relief.

  “Unless, you think . . . Could Ewzad Vriil possibly use a spell like your father has been using to communicate with you?”

  Willum swallowed. “I don’t think so. It is a spell of my father’s own creation.” But what if he could? Coal had told him that Ewzad Vriil had the rings of Stardeon and that those rings used spiritual magic. What if Ewzad Vriil had found a way to make a mental connection with this noble? He would have to ask Coal later that night through the bond.

  There was a sound down the corridor and Tad looked to make sure that no one was coming. “Now you must keep this conversation to yourself. I do not want doubts about our new representative being passed through the students. They have enough to worry about. The only reason I told you about my concerns is that I need you to pass them on to your father. See if he has any information about Dann Doudy. Get his opinion. And one other thing . . .” He looked into Willum’s eyes. “I want you reporting directly to me from now on. He is our only pair of eyes outside the wall right now. Any new information your father tells you, bring it to my attention. No matter how small, you understand? Tell no one else.”

  Willum nodded, “But-.”

  “I mean no one. Don’t even tell the other council members. Report to me only. I don’t plan on bringing you back before the council unless it is absolutely necessary.”

  “Yes sir,” Willum replied. Was Tad worried about the loyalty of the other academy teachers?

  “Good. Now it is time I returned to the council. You should go about your duties.” Tad gave him a confident smile. “Don’t worry too much about our new representative. We are watching him.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “Just head down the corridor to the left and you’ll reach the entrance.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Tad the Cunning turned and walked back towards the council hall and Willum turned up the joining corridor as instructed. After a short distance, it opened into the long high-ceilinged foyer at the front of the building. As Willum walked towards the outer doors, he looked at the tapestries depicting the glorious battles of the academy’s past and wondered if the current siege would be depicted on these walls some day. He supposed it would, if they survived.

  When he reached the doors he nodded to the two guards at their posts on either side of the doors. He took a deep breath before grasping the handles.

  “Going out’s always the hard part, ain’t it, Willum?” said one of the guards.

  “Yeah, Zhed.” he said. “It’s nice and quiet in here.”

  The architect that had designed the council building had put it together so that all sound from outside was cut out. His teacher had told the class that the effect was caused by the cunning way the blocks of stone had been put together, but Willum was pretty sure he had a wizard’s help. Whatever the case, it was effective.

  The other guard snorted. “Quiet? I call it boring. I’d rather be on the wall looking down at the goblinoids. It’s all I can do to keep from falling asleep.”

  Willum shrugged. “I would suggest you enjoy the quiet while you can.”

  He pushed open the doors and walked out into a wave of sound. The academy was packed with people and the high walls caused even small sounds to echo. Students were training, smiths pounding away on anvils, citizens rushing back and forth on errands, shouting to each other, and behind it all was the low drone of the goblinoid army surrounding them.

  The Dremaldrian Battle Academy usually had around two thousand students and close to five hundred faculty and graduates waiting for jobs. When the incoming attack had been confirmed, the Training School had been halted and all trainees brought inside. Reneul was evacuated. Anyone who wanted to stay behind was brought inside the academy walls. Now there were over four thousand people crammed inside.

  The dorms and outbuildings were overflowing. Cots and tents had been set up in the ya
rds. Even many of the seldom-used tunnels underneath the academy had been opened up for people to sleep in. The council building was the only structure not packed with people.

  Willum hurried along, weaving his way along the congested pathways that crisscrossed the grounds. He was late for his shift on the academy wall. This time of day he was supposed to be on the northeast corner. So far the enemy hadn’t attacked and were content to marshal their forces and more goblinoids joined their ranks from the mountains every day. The faculty switched up shifts a few times a day to keep the students alert. Each wall had its own perils to watch for. It seemed that in order to stave off infighting, the army had been split into racial groups.

  The eastern wall looked out over the Training School grounds where the gorcs were camped. The training tents still stood, along with the barracks and marketplace and several small arenas. When on watch there, Willum could hear the gorcs using them. Fighting for sport seemed to be their favorite form of entertainment.

  The north wall overlooked the Scralag Hills, which had been mostly overtaken by giants and ogre tribes. They seemed to make a game of getting as close to the wall as they dared and throwing jagged rocks. The students and graduates on the wall shot arrows to keep them at a safe distance and most of their throws fell short, but every once in a while one would clear the top. The large beasts roared and hollered when one of their rocks made it over. Luckily, there had only been a few injuries so far.