The Hedge Wizard

Hump’s legs protested when he climbed onto Igni’s back the next morning. It hadn’t felt so bad the day prior, but the strain in his thighs had grown in the night. Nisha climbed up, settling into place in front of him, her tail whipping at his stomach in her excitement while she tried to sniff Celaine’s back.

“Stop that!” Hump said, tugging at one of her ears.

Play. She stared at him with expectant eyes.

Hump urged her to relax. “We can play later.”

“We didn’t think of this part, did we?” Celaine said. “She’s going to be bored out of her mind and with way too much energy.”

“If we were farther from the border, I’d suggest she fly alongside us for a while,” Tessa said.

“You think it’s too risky?”

She nodded. “We need all the speed we can get here, and if we need to stop for any reason, it’s just more opportunity for us to be caught.”

“I am sorry about how difficult all this is,” Hump said.

Tessa laughed loudly. “I am an outsider to your people, just as you were to mine. It is to be expected. And you do not have dragons in your land.”

“Well, this won’t be the treatment you receive from Countess Daston.”

“Then we shall get along well,” Tessa said cheerfully. “Until then, we are operating in hostile territory.” Igni started to beat his wings, pounding the air as they lifted from the ground. “Until then, we travel fast,” Tessa shouted.

Crossing the border on foot had been relatively simple. Hump and Celaine were travelling by horse at the time, so they’d simply needed to move far enough away from Vonhold Pass and take another trail. The roads had been empty, and the villages so far apart that there was simply nothing to worry about.

Things were different now. Alveron’s army was on its border. Where the roads had been desolate only a few months ago, now, wagons moved back and forth with provisions. Even far to the west of Vonhold Pass, new recruits marched along the road, no doubt reinforcing some of the wooden outposts that had popped up by the other trails leading from the Charred Heights—anywhere that monsters could get in.

In a way, Hump was pleased to see it. The people in the outer regions were the ones that would suffer the most as the Fallen Lands expanded. It was they that needed protection, and Hump was pleased to see that the kingdom was giving it. He supposed that even the rich nobles in their shining houses safe at home in Elenvine knew where their food came from, and how quickly the commonfolk would turn on them if suddenly the supply fell.

With so many people on guard against the monsters of the Fallen Lands, it was simply impossible to avoid notice entirely. They were an hour or so into the day’s travel when Hump heard the sound of a bell tower ringing and the distant shouts of soldiers.

“They know we’re here now,” Celaine said.

It took Hump a minute to even locate the source of the sound, eventually spotting a small fort at the edge of the woodland below. They’d been trying to avoid the villages and towns, but spotting these new fortifications was difficult.

“Won’t do them much good,” Hump said. “Not unless they want to chase after us on foot.”

Tessa turned around and shouted, “There are those that can fly amongst your Chosen, are there not?”

“Some, but not many,” Hump answered. “It is unlikely for them to be here.”

The day went undisturbed. It was easy travel over rolling hills and quilted farmland. Seeing these lands from above, it was hard to imagine life here. Hump had grown up on the road, travelling from one village to the next in search of any that would pay for their services, but out here, one might travel half a day just to find their neighbour. They survived off their own food, and for the most part, alone. Sure, there were hamlets here and there, but for the most part it was just farms and woodlands.

It certainly put things into perspective. The southern lands of Alveron were so rich and full of people, but other than the towns built along the larger roads, there was almost nothing out here. If the monsters of the Fallen Lands found their way in, there would be nothing to stop them, and nobody would hear the screams of these isolated people.

Tessa seemed far more confident in her navigation skills than Hump. Celaine had given her their map, which she was somehow making use of even so far from the roads. With her taking care of that, there was nothing left for Hump to do but to try and get some reading done. A difficult feat with the wind blasting in his face, but he made do. He didn’t dare to enter Walt’s library while on Igni for fear of falling off.

They camped that night at the edge of a forest, on a grassy plain that Igni quickly burned to dirt. This time, Igni hunted alone. It was too dangerous for Nisha to go off with him and risk making a mistake that caught people’s attention.

Now in Alveronian territory, Hump took every care setting up their campsite. It was ironic in a way—he took more precautions now than he had in the Fallen Lands, using Hidden Fire and the Disruptor Veil spell he’d discovered in one of the warlock bases in Sheercliff City. As terrifying as monsters could be, in the end, it was always people that one had to fear most.

In the warmth of the waning summer, it was far from an uncomfortable night. They made fast progress the next day, clearing the outer regions by later afternoon where they set up camp in a small forest glade, concealed by a canopy of tall trees. They’d found a flat spot near the top of the hill where they made camp, where they were well-sheltered from the wind and any prying eyes.

“We’ll take turns keeping watch tonight,” Tessa said. “Tomorrow, we should arrive in Sheercliff City by my estimate.”

“If we’re where you say we are, there’s not far to go,” Hump said. “The outer regions are large compared to the south.”

“Are you ready with that spell of yours?” Tessa asked.

“Distant Whisper?” Hump nodded. “Yes. I should be able to contact a friend of ours, Vivienne, from about half a mile away.”

“You’re contacting Vivienne?” Celaine asked. “Why not the countess?”

“I know Vivienne’s aura,” Hump said. “I need something like that to lock onto.”

“What if she’s not there?” Celaine asked. “It’s been more than six months. She could have moved on.”

“If she’s not there we’ll do things the old fashioned way.”

Both Celaine and Tessa gave him a quizzical look.

“Please enlighten us, oh great wizard,” Celaine said.

“Tessa will drop us off and we’ll enter the city on foot and speak to Countess Daston directly.”

Celaine rolled her eyes. “A master plan. Truly.”

“Hey! I’d rather avoid it if we can. Just imagine the spectacle of a dragon descending on the Upper City.” Hump grinned. “I can hardly wait.”

***

“Ughh.” Hump said, waking with a start and almost choking on his own drool. He blinked back his tiredness to see Celaine kneeling over him, green eyes watching him. “Is this a dream?”

“I sure hope you don’t dream about this,” she snapped, then prodded him in the ribs. “Up you get. It’s your shift.”

Hump yawned but nodded, crawling out of his bedroll to Nisha’s dismay, and into the cold night. The little dragon huffed at him, then curled up in his bedding. Hump chuckled to himself and pulled his cloak close around him. When combined with his battle robes, it wasn’t too bad.

“You go to sleep,” he mumbled to Celaine. “I’ve got it.”

“See you in a bit,” she said, climbing into her own bedroll.

He’d got the last shift, which was his preference. If he was only going to get a few hours sleep, he’d rather have it all in one go. They were nearing the end of summer, and the nights were still short. He found a nice spot that overlooked the hill they were camped on and stared toward the horizon, watching as the moon slowly made its way below.

It felt like more than an hour had passed when he caught the first glimpse of sunlight cresting the horizon. In the twilight hour, the sky was cast in purple and orange, marred with faint wisps of clouds. He watched it rise, finding some small joy at the beauty of it.

He’d got the last shift, which was his preference. If he was only going to get a few hours sleep, he’d rather it all at once. They were nearing the end of summer, and the nights were still short. In the distance, through the trees, the sun was just beginning to crest the horizon.

Yawning, he blinked fiercely, trying to stay focused. The worst part about watch duty was he couldn’t even read, at least, not if he were to do it properly. It was a dull—

Something caught his eyes amongst the trees. He stared in that direction, soon spotting a shadow moving between two, using them as cover. A second later, he saw another—people.

They were under attack.

Hump focused on Celaine—even in her sleep, he only faintly sensed her aura, concealed by the nature of her huntress blessings. He glimpsed wisps of green, silver, and darkness in it, faintly flickering like fire. Reaching for it, he applied a touch of essence and activated Distant Whisper.

“Celaine, wake up. We’re under attack.”

He saw her sleeping form come alert in a second. She glanced at him, seemingly taking a second to process where his voice had come from—he’d not used the cantrip on her yet—then she rolled over to where Tessa slept, shaking her awake.

Both women were out of their bedrolls without another word, their weapons ready. Celaine in her leather armour and black cloak, and Tessa in the black scaled armour of the dragon keepers. The fire was dead now, and in the dim morning, they were certainly intimidating.

Igni’s body shifted, the ground rustling as he stood. Hump’s Disruptor Veil would conceal the sound and any essence usage, while his Hidden Veil would make their campsite appear as just an empty forest glade. The enemy wouldn’t spot them until it was too late.

Stay with Igni, Hump said to Nisha through their bond.

She yawned, stumbling over to him sleepily and leaning up against the dragon. She still hadn’t figured out what was going on, but that was fine. Celaine was of the fourth circle, Hump a Rank 4 wizard, and Tessa of the sixth circle—whoever was coming, they were about to realise just how poor of a choice they’d made.

Celaine and Tessa came to stand by Hump’s side.

“I spotted two figures down there.” Hump pointed down the hill. Even as he said it, another appeared, moving between the trees.

“There’s more,” Celaine said. “I count seven.”

“Seven down the hill, four up the slope behind us, and three more in the trees on our left,” Tessa said, she paused a moment, frowning. “And four more beings, though these ones have four legs. Dogs maybe.”

Hump looked at her. “You can tell that with a glance?”

“Awareness of the Wilderness,” Tessa said. “My third blessing. It gives me a sense of anything in my surroundings.”

Hump raised an eyebrow. “That’s useful. How do you want to proceed?”

“We can take them by surprise if we attack now,” Celaine said. “Strike hard at those down the hill and they won’t be able to take advantage of their numbers.”

“This could just be a misunderstanding though,” Hump suggested. “If they think a monster landed here, they’re only trying to keep the region safe. Once they realise there are people here, they might just leave.”

“These enemies pose little threat,” Tessa said confidently. “The strongest I sense amongst them is a third circle Chosen—perhaps two of them. There is no need for us to ambush them. I suggest we try to solve this peacefully at first, seeing as we’re only in this area for diplomatic purposes.”

She said it with such certainty that Hump didn’t feel a need to question her. If there were two third circle Chosen amongst them, and so many attackers, it might give Celaine and him a difficult time, but not Tessa. Not a sixth rank Chosen.

“In which case, let me do the talking,” Hump said. “The two of you stay inside the veil.”

“Are you sure?” Celaine said. “I feel like things always go wrong when you do the talking.”

“I’m not that bad!” Hump snapped. “And Bud’s not here. The two of you are clearly foreign so they’re less likely to trust you. I’m the only choice.”

Celaine smiled. “That’s a good point. And I know you’re not that bad. Take care of it. I’ll make sure Nisha’s safe.”

“Thanks. Before that though, I want to prepare a quick formation.”

“How quick?” Tessa asked. “They’re closing in quickly.”

“Thirty-seconds. I’d prefer them to be a bit closer anyway when I step outside. Adds an air of mystery if I appear out of nowhere, don’t you think?”

Tessa cast an apprehensive glance in Celaine’s direction.

“Don’t worry about it,” Celaine said. “This is just Hump for you. Doesn’t take anything seriously until he has to.”

Hump grinned. “You have to admit, it’s way more fun that way.”

He carved the runes of the formation just inside his veil, creating a quick rendition of Rockslide. It was a rushed job, but it would be enough for his purposes.

“Right,” Hump said, stepping up to the edge of his veil. “I’m going to go greet them. Don’t let any of the archers shoot me in the back.”

“I will make sure of it,” Tessa said.

The enemy were in clear view even for Hump now. Six men holding one-handed weapons and shields advanced in a line, a particularly large man at their centre—that was probably the third circle Chosen. Close behind them was a woman in white and gold robes. She carried a sceptre of white wood, with golden wings attached at the top. She was a Chosen of Lady Light.

So there are multiple Chosen amongst them, Hump thought. They’re going to be incredibly happy to be greeted by a wizard.

Hump stood at the edge of his veil, readied a Shield spell in his mind just in case, then stepped beyond the veil.

“That’s far enough,” Hump called, trying to convey as much authority as he could through his voice. “You are encroaching on our encampment.”

Hump enjoyed the look of shock in the faces of those below. Murmurs carried up the hill, too faint to hear what they were saying, even with his senses boosted after his dragon blooding, but from the way they glanced at each other nervously, Hump got the picture.

“My apologies for the scare,” a man replied in an accent that could only mean nobleman. It was the tall, broad figure at the centre of the line. Hump caught the glint of steel in his right hand—a war hammer. “What is your name?”

Hump thought for a moment, deciding whether or not to conceal his identity. If things broke out into a fight, the last thing they needed was for news of this to come back to him. At the same time, he had Countess Daston’s backing now, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to throw some weight around.

“I am Wizard Humphrey Woodrow,” Hump said. “And I’m in the service of Countess Daston of Sheercliff. My companions and I are on our way to the city.”

“Then you can help us, friend,” the man said. “I am Sir Merek Harthgard, leader of this band of adventurers, and a Chosen of Byzantius. We are of the Bearskins, but today hunt bigger prey. There is a wyvern in these parts.”

The Bearskins were a powerful guild within the Adventures’ Guild. In the past, Hump would have liked nothing more than a job in their service.

How things have changed.

“You are mistaken,” Hump said. “There is no wyvern on these hills. It would be best if you and your men left.”

There were some quiet chuckles amongst the group, and even Merek grinned as if Hump had cracked a joke.

“I think someone’s trying to take our kill,” a woman said.

“We can’t have that now?” a man answered. “What do we do with people that try to take things from us?”

“Gut them.”

More laughter. Merek gestured at the group, ushering them into quiet.

“Now, I’m willing to let you go, Wizard, seeing as you didn’t fully understand the position you’re in, but it’s a one time offer.” Merek released the red essence of Byzantius. Hump saw the light fill his eyes, filling them with red fire. Steam blazed off his body as pumping blood turned the surface of his skin red. “Step aside! This is our prize.”

“You would go against the Dastons?” Hump asked.

“You are no Daston. Just some boy wizard too big for his britches.”

“He thinks he’s the White Flame Wizard!” One of them laughed.

“I think I met him at that tavern the other day.”

More chuckles went up around the crowd. Clearly, they weren’t concerned, but in Hump’s mind that was a good thing. He sensed little strength from these people. The leader, Merek, couldn’t be more than third circle—Tessa had confirmed as much. Other than that, it seemed everyone amongst them was without powers.

“If you will not back down, you leave me no choice but to fight,” Hump said. “I’d rather not kill anyone this night.”

Merek cracked his neck, the sound echoing in the forest. “You see, that is where you and I differ. Shields!” he bellowed.

As they formed a line, pressing their shields together, essence rose from him, spreading to each of the shields until they shone with red. Was that some sort of flame resistance?

“Light him up,” Merek shouted.

The woman behind him levelled her staff toward Hump, light blooming in the focus. Hump didn’t wait for her blessing to activate, taking aim with his own.

“Focused Beam,” he barked.

A ray of blue light shot forward just as her spell lit up the area before him. He squinted, partially blinded, but he saw his spell strike. The woman fell back, screaming.

The men in front of her roared with fury and rushed closer, climbing the hill.

Behind Hump, he heard the howl of wolves and more people shouting. He glimpsed the silver light of Celaine’s Power Shot but paid it little mind. The two women could handle themselves fine, not to mention Igni. These people thought they had poached themselves a wyvern… little did they know.

Hump took a step back, crossing the threshold of his veil.

“There’s a veil,” Merek called. “Stay together. We push through as one.”

They slowed their advance to a fast march, closing in quickly. Hump took up his position at the centre of his formation, pressing the butt of his staff to the core of his formation and channelling his essence inside. He stared down the hill. It wasn’t too steep, but it would do.

With a thought, he let his essence soar, drilling his intent into his formation and the ground below. Bronze tendrils lashed at it, lacing dirt and stone with essence until it shone up through the grass, illuminating the night.

“Rockslide.” Hump’s voice resonated with his essence.

The ground shook. Dirt crumbled before him, churning, and then it poured out in an avalanche of stone and earth, straight into the Merek and his warriors. If they were lucky and had a little sense, they might yet live.