Our story began here.
The Trouble with Witches
Word that a witch had penetrated the Pandoria Barrier spread through the college like a summer gale. Among the younger students there was a tangible panic and when Amber saw William and four adepts in the Dovecote scouring for malevolent patterns she knew she had to see the Grand Magus as soon as possible to come clean.
How had they known so quickly? She was dumbfounded only a few hours had gone by Meredith and the others were still asleep.
As she left the Dovecote to make her way to the Barbican suspicious eyes turned in her direction and everywhere male apprentices gathered in huddles to whisper at her passing.
“Amber Sage,” an imperious female voice called out her name.
Amber felt a chill at her spine and swallowed down the fear. Then gathering her dignity she stopped and turned to face Maxine Du Jared a small posse of blue and grey clad students who now barred her way.
“What evil is this?” Maxine accused.
“Evil?” Amber blinked back her surprise.
“You reek of it,” Maxine spat.
“What, evil?” the witch said again.
“Wild Magic,” Maxine pronounced the words as if she were holding her nose and holding something nasty between finger and thumb.
“Ah yes, you are skilled maestro. I salute you,” Amber said diplomatically.
“Then you do not deny it,” Maxine said triumphantly.
“I performed a ceremony last night and into this morning,” Amber said with more confidence than she felt. “Matters of great…”
“It was not sanctioned by the Magister. It was a forbidden act,” Maxine snarled.
A group of journeymen of all disciplines were gathering now and Amber took a half-step backwards. It was beginning to feel like a mob.
“I too would know of this ceremony,” a commanding voice cut across the gathering.
All eyes but Maxine’s swept upwards to take in Gort the High Hand standing on the upper level and glaring down.
“And I too,” came a gravel voice filled with supressed rage, “If it pleases you Maestros.”
Dniester was suddenly in the crowd leaning on his Dragon’s Tooth and glaring at the Witch.
“But what are you boys doing here?” he continued, sparing a hard glance at the gathered apprentices. “Cut along to your studies,” he growled.
Despite his deference to her seniority Maxine inclined her head and realised that by not dismissing the students herself, she had breached protocol.
As the men dispersed Gort descend the stairs and came to stand next Maxine so that they appeared as two judges on Doomsday on the half-landing above. Whilst on the floor below with Amber the old wizard completed the tableaux by taking up a stance like a prosecution lawyer.
Amber gulped. She had hoped to have got to the Grand Magus to explain before this confrontation. Now even Dniester was against her.
“Certain matters are coming to ahead. I received word from the mainland that…”
“All messages pertaining to Pandoria come through the college not junior members of the faculty,” Gort barked at her angrily.
“Well patently not and there was no time… she was already on her way… she would have been…” Amber protested anxiously flustered at the unexpected inquisition. This was not going well.
“You spoke of ‘she?’ There is another witch among us?” Maxine said sharply.
“Yes, an associate of Draken…”
Gort seemed to double in size and his eyes glowed malevolently.
“A former associate,” Amber added hastily, “She…”
“You have allowed witches to breach the Pandoria Barrier. You truck with demons, this is beyond an outrage,” Maxine was almost shrill now.
Amber could sense a great gathering of the patterns around her. The air was tangible and seemed to choke her.
“Please, I…” Amber’s eyes watered.
“Maestro, perhaps this matter should be referred to the Grand Magus,” Dniester coughed.
Gort relaxed a little, but the glare never left Maxine’s face.
“I agree,” said another voice behind them.
It was William and his posse, who had finally tracked down their quarry. Between two of the adepts was a rather bedraggled Meredith Greydove.
“The Grand Magus will see this one at once,” William continued.
“So be it,” Gort growled.
Maxine inclined her head in agreement.
Dniester sighed inwardly with relief. The whole episode was fast becoming unseemly and why were two senior mages so keen to keep Amber from the Grand Magus, if that’s was their intent?
Nor did it escape his notice that William had been quick off the mark with some improvised security. He was one of the other mages in college who like Gort and Maxine had Challis connections that had so troubled Davidus.
*
William Tulore stood like a pillar of salt in his white robes as he waited for the Grand Magus to admit them entrance to his quarters. He was a tall man whose prematurely white hair matched his robe that signified his mastery of the element of air.
Perhaps fearful that his prisoner was too powerful for the assembled mages or perhaps for other reasons, he had not yet dismissed the cadre of adepts that he had gathered for his search. But this seemed to trouble no one but Dniester and Amber Sage who despite her differences with the man had stood as close to the old wizard as she could for some kind of support.
Gort and Maxine stood at the back of this group, strange allies in this mysterious affair. And it struck Amber that even their robes complimented each other’s with his hard mustard juxtaposition to Maxine’s dark blue almost black robes like some great hybrid wasp. The witch had never been so aware that she technically only held the authority of a journeyman here, not even when Dniester had caned her.
The Grand Magus’s doors, so often a venue for polite sympathy and even afternoon tea, now seemed like some sinister entrance to Hades. Amber prayed that she had done the right thing, but even now she could not see how she could have done otherwise.
Before the door opened on her doom the sound of footsteps touched the stone floor beyond the passage and rapidly drew near.
“I sensed a great change in the air,” Fear said in an anxious voice. “It came from below, some kind of Wild Mag…”
He stopped talking as he reached the middle of the assembled company and came to a rest on his staff.
“Meredith Greydove,” he observed, but his eyes shot to Amber. “This has something to do with you?”
Amber had never been so pleased to see anyone in her whole life, but now that she saw Fear’s disapproving eyes she could only quail like a former student and bite her lip nervously.
“Far be it from me to speak out of turn in this august gathering, but can I humbly suggest that we save all questions until we are admitted to see the Grand Magus,” Dniester suggested politely with a curt bow.
Fear swallowed a smile at the idea of his old teacher being humble. Only the old man would stand on the ceremony of being merely an adept. In truth his experience exceed that of those present combined.
As if to confirm the grey wizard’s wisdom the doors slowly opened and in a formal pose Sejanus Jacelon the Scroll Keeper appeared in the ever widening opening.
“The Grand Magus will see you now,” he intoned pompously. Then as one of William’s adepts moved forward he sighed, “Not you lad. You and your companions can wait here until required.”
The adept bowed and at a signal from him the other two men and one woman spread out like a formal palace guard. With them Dniester also fell back.
“Not you, you old fool,” Sejanus said wearily.
Dniester graciously inclined his head, but nonetheless waited until the mages and the two witches had entered before following.
The Grand Magus fixed his guests with hard greys until Amber feared they would all turn to stone.
“I won’t ask you how you come to be here,” he shot a hard stare at Amber, “But I would know your purpose?”
“I found her hiding in the witch’s quarters,” William put in.
“I wasn’t hiding, I was asleep,” Meredith said indignantly.
“Yes, yes,” Davidus said impatiently, “But why are you here?”
Amber held her breath. This had better be good, she thought.
“Demdike Runecaster had a dream,” Meredith said earnestly.
“Oh,” Davidus said, somewhat taken aback and his tone confused. “I am so glad that you could clear it up for us all,” he added sarcastically.
“You don’t understand,” Meredith said impatiently.
“The witches of your coven have mastered understatement then?” Jacelon said dryly.
Amber winced and the Grand Magus looked to heaven for inspiration or at least patience.
There was some shuffling among the gathered mages and Gort began to smirk.
Fear coughed.
“Dr Fear, you have something to add?” the Grand Magus asked, his voice like a sheathed blade.
“Demdike is a seer, her dreams are… important,” Fear said carefully.
“Ah,” Davidus looked on more comfortable ground now. “And you can vouch for this?”
“The matter concerning…” Fear hesitated.
Sejanus leaned forward and whispered something in the Grand Magus’s ear.
“Oh yes, I remember. We will not talk of that. Unless…” he let his words hang on a future promise. Then seeing that no one else was going to speak further he said, “This dream?”
Meredith saw that he was looking at her and she returned an easy smile. But Davidus remained frosty.
“Perhaps you could enlighten us further,” Sejanus suggested.
“Oh,” Meredith started, “You must forgive me, I am still a little tired; the vision yes.”
The Scroll Keeper nodded encouragingly.
“Demdike saw a million wolves all running towards the rising sun and when they came to the sea they swam,” Meredith had closed her eyes and her lips moved as she concentrated.
“Is that it?” Maxine sneered.
“Shush,” Davidus said gently.
“On land where there were not yet wolves the ground writhed with snakes and above them all flew crows,” Meredith continued.
“Then the wolves and the snakes became as men until the last wolf in the west howled.” Meredith opened her eyes and finished, “The three who are one are coming.”
“And is that it?” Maxine gasped in disbelief.
“There will be a pre-emptive strike, probably three at once. Soon, very soon.” Meredith looked at them as if they were all mad.
“We know all this,” Fear said gently, “I don’t…”
“Don’t you understand it is beginning? Now,” Meredith yelled at them.
Dniester frowned and the others in the room looked about them, some with eyes closed.
“Did the witch’s arrival weaken the barrier perhaps?” William ventured.
“Impossible,” Maxine spat.
“It is sound,” Sejanus said thoughtfully.
“The barrier is born of Wild Magic,” Dniester reminded them.
Maxine looked about to deny it, but held her tongue.
“I will consider the matter. For now send word to all leaders who stand against the West and warning them to be vigilant. Especially with regard to traitors and sabotage,” he said decisively. “As for Meredith Greydove… she is our guest, but the manner of her arrival cannot be overlooked. Amber sage you will face a hearing for your part. The witches here who aided you must be punished.”
“The responsibility is mine,” Amber protested.
“Yes,” the Grand Magus agreed, “But unless you want them to risk standing trial with you, they must be dealt with for a major breach of the rules.”
“I did it alone,” Amber said defiantly.
“With Erin Stone and at least two others,” Fear said angrily. “One of those was Tabitha I think. I only need to ask her, so name the fourth freely and save them from further disgrace.”
Everyone looked at him puzzled at his certainty.
“I found the pentangle in the caves, a novice could have followed the patterns,” he sighed.
Davidus frowned. It was a patently ridiculous thing to say. Few of the Magister could have tracked down a Wild Magic trace so quickly and how did he know who was responsible?
Tears pooled at Amber’s eyes and she looked up at the ceiling.
“I will protect them,” Fear promised.
“You’re right, it was Erin and Tabitha and the new girl,” Amber croaked. “Lucy… Lucy Pettigrew.”
“A novice? You were desperate,” Fear said with a sad smile.
“They must be punished,” Maxine sneered.
“I will deal with Tabitha,” Fear’s tone was final.
“Precedent demands…” the Scroll Keeper began.
“Leave the little mischief-makers to me,” Dniester chuckled, “They won’t sit down for a month.”
“Agreed,” Fear said quickly.
“That’s one job settled,” Davidus ruled with a literal rubbing of hands. “Sejanus, make arrangements for a hearing about Amber’s part in the affair.”
Amber knew that Fear and Dniester had acted for the best and had kept her girls out of Maxine’s hands, but it didn’t stop her feeling responsible. Their crime was a technicality surely. And why was Demdike so vague? Where will they attack and how?
“A hearing, is that it?” Meredith gaped, “The demons are coming. The time is nigh.”
Dniester remembered some graffiti he once saw in a brothel in his youth. It ran: “The time is nigh, very demon-fornicating nigh.”
That he should remember it now was very prophetic perhaps.
“Nigh?” Maxine snorted and waved at the air to indicate the lack of evidence.
“Now,” Meredith whispered, “Today.”
To be continued.
