Spirit Speaker

The trudge through the woods was difficult, especially when the sun had completely sunk below the horizon. 

"You walk like a warhorse on cobblestone." One of the dwarves hissed. 

"Or a whore plying her trade." Another dwarf said. 

"Or a shepherd boy warning the villagers the taxman is coming."

I sighed. This had been going on for the best part of an hour. 

"Oh?" I said, tiring of the trudging, and constant comments on my ability to move quietly. 

I pulled Ilargia from his holster and stood on him. I levitated just a few inches above the ground. 

A murmur of begrudging approval fluttered through the group. 

Severen held his hand up in a fist. Then he extended his thumb and index finger. 

We're here. And we're not alone. 

His hands twisted, his index finger into a hook, his middle and ring finger apart, with his pinky being held down by his thumb. 

Split up and hide. 

I watched the dwarves climb the trees, ascending rapidly through the branches, and ready their crossbows. 

The mimic shimmered and shifted, and his skin became the colour of the trees and ground, shifting appropriately as he moved. 

Feeling left out, I directed Ilargia to fly silently into the clearing and hover above it. Once he was in position, I sat down. 

There were only three of them, all dressed in black robes. 

"I don't think he did it." One of them was saying. "He couldn't, the book's gone from the library."

"I agree, though I don't quite believe his story. He's too ambitious. He could have kept it for himself."

"We'd know." A third voice muttered. "There's no way he would keep quiet about that."

"So then we're back to square one."

"What should we do?"

"We wait for the others."

Silence. 

Several hours passed, and more and more cowled figures join the group, each of them clouded in shadow so that I couldn't make their faces out. 

A ripple went through the group as one more arrived. 

"Grandmaster." They all bowed. 

The last arrival stepped into the middle of the circle. 

"Brothers, sisters, I have received news from one of our mages, news that could explain the trouble we've been having in this backwater realm." He spat the term. 

"One of you idiots, woke The Kingdom." Another stepped forward. "And it's been taking steps to prevent us from spreading."

"So? It's just a land spirit. We've dealt with those before."

"Not this one." The Grandmaster said, his voice deep. "This one can reach into the minds of the souls in it's domain, and influence their actions. It's been hiding the books from us."

A surge of joy, and gratitude threatened to knock me from my position. 

The Kingdom kept its promise.

"How can this backwater have such a powerful spirit?"

"It doesn't matter. We've sent for the landbreaker. If he can corrupt enough of the greater spirits, The Kingdom will weaken, and we can resume our work here." The late arrival paused. 

He looked around, uneasy. "Are you sure we're alone?"

"Yes sir, I've checked the area twice."

"Check again. HE isn't so sure."

"Yes, sir."

One of them split from the group and walked into the trees. 

Right past Severen. 

"All clear." He said when he returned. 

"Very well. Have we managed to claim any of the MASTER's writings?"

One of the robes stepped forward and cast a book at the leader's feet. 

"Good, and the ascendant?"

A robe left, and returned, dragging Count Dreth from where he had been stashed. 

I'd seen enough. 

I raised my hand and lobbed a fireball at the group. 

The fireball landed in the middle of them, but there was no explosion. It barely managed to scorch the ground it landed on. 

Damn. The book is blocking my magic. 

All the others dived for cover, except for the leader, who looked directly up at me. 

"Found you." 

He raised his hand, a clear beam of lightning crackling just above his hand. 

I concentrated and grinned as the mage's lightning was extinguished. 

I raised my hand, the same lightning crackling between my fingers. 

His magic works perfectly fine. 

I didn't have a chance to obliterate the leader because four crossbow bolts thudded into the man. 

He fell to the floor without a sound. 

I discharged the lightning into a group of fleeing hooded individuals and watched in satisfaction as they crumbled to dust. 

Another volley of crossbow bolts took down the survivors. 

I looked around for the count, only to see a shining blade appear between the ribs of his captor. 

The robe fell to the ground, blood filling his lungs. 

Severen slit his throat. 

And dropped his camouflage. 

I was at the Count's side in seconds. 

"Look at me, Quint," I said, grabbing his face, and staring at his weave. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was faint, but it glowed. 

"Lukas?" Quint breathed, and I heard liquid bubbling from inside him. "It's about damn time."

I picked my friend up and set him on Ilargia. "I was always late to class, you know that," I said, offhandedly. 

I didn't like Quint's cough. 

"Thank you." He said. 

"I'm going to put you to sleep, my lord," I said closing his eyes and willing a spirit to soften his consciousness into slumber. 

Severen looked at me impressed. "Well, Master Mage, you certainly know how to party." He said, looking at the large pile of ashes that was once a group of robed people. 

"This is nothing," I said. "I once dragged a corpse down main street, butt naked, and covered in blood."

"That was you?" Severen chuckled. "I didn't believe it when I heard." He looked at the corpse at his feet. 

"Let's see if the deathspeakers can get anything out of this one."

I shook my head. "You can try, but it won't work. This one has joined the weaveless. Not even the Seeker could do something with that."

Severen kicked the corpse in disgust. "Pity."

I turned back to the sleeping count and tried to summon spirits strong enough to heal him. 

None came. 

Damn.

My magic was weak. Too weak. 

The book, I'm too close to the book. 

"Anyone got a medkit?" I asked, frustrated. "Oh, and send your fastest runner to the count's residence. We need a spirit prison."

"Can't you send a spirit?"

I shook my head. I pointed to the black book lying on the ground a couple dozen feet away.

"That thing's blocking me. Do not, under any circumstances touch it. It will destroy you."

Severen swallowed.

"Dieret. Go. And hurry. We'll stay here and tend to the count."

Dieret, another red-bearded, red-haired dwarf wearing simple leather armour saluted crisply and disappeared into the forest. 

Severen sat down beside the count. 

"Tell me what you know, Lukas. There's more to this than just those robes."

I studied the mimic for a few moments. 

"You're right. Those robed guys seem to be working for something. And it's going to make our lives very, very difficult very, very soon."