Gella and I went up each floor and did the same as we did outside. Each mage or worker was interrogated and then killed. We stashed the bodies in an office on each floor, usually the department head's office. The worst part about the whole thing, were the secretaries. They knew everything going on and still didn't do anything about it or reported it to the king or the constables. Some even did the crimes on their boss' behalf. They all died, too.

Neither Gella nor I were surprised that the corruption was so prevalent in the guild with the Hag giving them free reign over wrecking the kingdom. Why they would do that, didn't matter to me. Only that they did and it cost me my wife, my child, and everything I had built in the capital.

We reached the levels with the botany department and the potion making department. They also had a huge storage area. They had spells all over the thing and I looked at the papers on the dead department head's desk. I found an enchantment written out, with the wrong channels for power and charging on it. It was a stasis enchantment, which was a shock to me.

My ingredients will never go bad! I thought and quickly searched through the other papers.

“My lord.” Gella said and stepped into the office to drop off another body.

“Yes, right. The rest of this can wait.” I said and tucked the paper into my bandoleer. I had already memorized it and fixed it in my head; but, it didn't hurt to take it now and not have to come back and search for it later.

We left the floor and went up to the next. No one was there, which was only a little surprising, until we reached the top floor. It was a huge room with a very high ceiling for some reason, and there were 60 mages there. They all wore battle robes and they all had worried looks on their faces. Among them was the man I had come for. I nodded to Gella and we stepped out and let our concealment enchantments end before we stepped back inside.

I cast Detect Enchantment and they all glowed with various protections, shields, and deflection enchantments. I stood there and concentrated on the ones I wanted to keep, since redundant ones wouldn't help me much. I also saw a concealed area off to the right. I looked over that way and the mages saw me do so. Some of them looked worried, too.

“I wonder who you've kidnapped?” I asked and nodded at Gella. She drew a knife and squinted her eyes at the area, smiled, and then threw the knife as hard as she could. Several of the mages shouted in defiance and tried to cast spells at it, only to miss as the knife passed them and sunk into a large enchanted coin that had been hidden by the concealing enchantment.

The enchantment broke and the magic dissipated. It showed a row of steel bars like a set of holding cells in the prison, only these held some very prominent people. One of which I was told to look for.

“Your Highness, Princess Rose Samantha Rivers.” I said and bowed to her with the royal version. “I'm glad to see that you're alive. Your mother told me you would be here and I said I would return you to her.”

“They wouldn't hurt their bargaining chip against the royal family.” Rose said and glared at the mages. “I actually came willingly, just so they wouldn't murder Melanie and my half-brother.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “The Grand Mage killed his own daughter to steal her son, only to kill him as well with neglect and malnourishment by both food and magic.”

“Wh-what?” Several of the prisoners asked, shocked.

“You said she died in childbirth!” One of the other nobles exclaimed.

“Release me and I will help you in this fight.” Rose said angrily and her hands started to glow.

“You? Fight?” One of the mages huffed. “You can barely cast two fireballs without weakening yourself!”

“Quiet.” Grand Mage Henrietta said and looked at me. “What did you say about my heir, Damon Henrietta?”

“Your wife dosed him with magic boosting potions and then drained his magic and his short life completely.” I said. “Six storage crystals worth.”

That made nearly all of the mages gasp and some of them looked at the Grand Mage in fear.
“No, she... she said she would protect him with her life.” Grand Mage Henrietta said.

“She did.” I said and that made the mages gasp again as Grand Mage Henrietta's magic flared and a familiar shaped mage shield formed around him. It was Helena's enchanted amulet.

“You are not an accredited mage. You cannot issue challenges to us.” One of the mages said.

“I don't bother challenging thieves.” I said and most of them relaxed, until I drew my sword and made it glow. “I just kill them.”

“You'll never win a magic fight with just a sword!” One of the mages said and started to chant.

I nodded at Gella and we took off running to either side of the group of mages. It made them block their own lines of fire and they tried to move and get clear to fire their prepared spells. We didn't let them as we started to cut them down like trees in a forest. They screamed when they could and a few of the mages didn't bother trying to clear their line of fire and shot off their spells.

Fireballs, Lightning, Ice Shards, Rocks, and a few other things flew over and through the mages in front of them. Gella started laughing at them killing their own men and helped them along by kicking and pushing other mages into the others, then she cut them down to end their suffering.

I dodged the spells near me or didn't move as the spells hit in front of me. I then lunged and killed, swiped my sword to the sides and killed two more mages, then advanced.

The Grand Mage stood there and cast boosting spells at the other mages around him and I cast dispel for each one, even though I was fighting other mages on my way to him. He saw that his help wasn't helping and waved at the wall behind me. It opened up and thirty more mages came out with glowing knives, swords, and staffs.

I turned to them and cast Disable Enchantment at them to make all of their weapons stop glowing. They were so shocked by this that they stared down at their magic not working on their family heirlooms and stolen army swords. I cast Immolation on their backs and turned back to fight forward again, killing more mages as I kept my eyes on the Grand Mage.

His eyes met mine and he looked angry. “I call upon the council! Help me in my time of need!”

A large glowing circle appeared around him with intricate designs and six smaller circles spread out around him. The council members started to rise out of the circles, as if from the floor.

“I don't want that spell bad enough to let you live.” I said and cast as strong of a Dispel as I could.

The six council members screamed at the top of their lungs as the spell cracked and the circle sputtered. It flickered and then went out, ending the spell... and leaving the tops of their bodies here and their bottom halves wherever they were before.

They fell over, quite dead, and the Grand Mage's mouth was locked in a snarl as he looked at the people he had depended on be killed so easily.

Gella and I finished dispatching the mages and ignored the screams from behind us as the flanking mages died from the very slow immolation I had set upon them. We stopped just outside where that large circle had appeared and the half bodies laying there.

“You can't touch me.” The Grand Mage said and touched the amulet. “Your own magic protects me.”

“You're right. I can't touch you.” I said. “Why did you do it?”

“You wouldn't understand.” The Grand Mage said.

“I don't need to understand.” I said. “You killed Helena because she wouldn't let you take the baby, then the baby started dying right away because you killed his mother.”

“That shouldn't have happened.” The Grand Mage said. “Helena should have accepted that my heir would be raised by me.”

“Like Marcus was?” I asked and he didn't answer. “That worked out so well, didn't it?”

“You killed him.” The Grand Mage said, angrily.

“No, his jealousy of me killed him. He was so worried about me giving you an heir first that he arranged for the Hag to come here and do his dirty work for him.” I said and saw in the Grand Mage's eyes that it was true. “She killed him for his impertinence with a cannonball right to the face.”

The Grand Mage scowled at me.

“I was going to kill him after that first insult, except Helena asked me not to.” I said and then I smiled like the Hag. “Guess what happened when she died?”

The Grand Mage's face changed to a blank one.

“My promises to her, including all of the contracts she negotiated, were negated. None of them can be fulfilled because of your ignorance and hunger for power.” I said. “By the way, I own everything you own now. You defaulted in paying me for my services and ingredients.”

The Grand Mage looked at me with a look I had never seen before.

“I came from the bank and I also had the money the Mages Guild stole from me reversed, as well as adding in the cost of decades of Mage Guild profits that you made from robbing my marsh. It was ever so nice of you to tell me how much you and the guild stole from me.”

The Grand Mage sighed. “It doesn't matter now. You have nothing left here.”

“You're wrong. It's you that has nothing. No home, no wife, and no children.”

He caught his breath. “NO!”

“I'll be paying Selene a visit at the academy after I deliver the princess to her mother at the castle.”

“No, she's my last hope! Her and her betrothed!” The Grand Mage exclaimed and looked at the amulet he wore. “I'll give you this back and surrender myself! Please, just spare her!”

“Why? You broke your word and killed your own child and a baby. Why does your other child get to live when mine didn't?” I asked and he didn't say anything in response. “Right, she doesn't deserve to live any more than you do.” I said and held my hand out towards the floor at his feet.

“You can't cast magic at me.” The Grand Mage said.

“I know.” I said and concentrated. “Mould Earth.”

Most of the nobles scoffed at me and the Grand Mage smiled.

“There's no dirt inside this room. If we were down on the botany floors, it might have worked.” Princess Rose said, sadly.

“You mages are so stupid.” I said and Gella nodded. “You all forgot that metal comes from the earth.”

There was a groan from beneath the Grand Mage's feet, then a column of metal slightly wider than the shield formed and raised him up into the air. The floor seemed to flow like water and he went up and up, with a shocked look on his face, then the shield of the amulet hit the ceiling.

“There's not enough metal to make the column that big.” Rose commented.

“There is, because it's hollow.” I said and opened up the bottom of the metal tube. I pulled out a piece of wildwood and carved the enchantments it would need, added the enchantment potion and charged it up, then closed it and stepped back. I opened the top of the tube and the Grand Mage fell thirty feet with a loud scream, then thumped inside the tube. He groaned and started cursing.

“I'll kill you!” Grand Mage Henrietta shouted.

“You obviously have no clue that you're inside the world's largest Kracken Tube.” I said and everyone in the room gasped.

“I wonder if he'll make it through the ceiling?” Gella asked.

“Let's find out.” I said and activated the enchantments.

“AHHHHHH!” The Grand Mage yelled as he was shot up through the tube at full force that could launch a full tree over two miles. The shield amulet he wore hit the ceiling that had the structural reinforcement enchantment still on it and stopped dead.

The Grand Mage didn't.

The chain snapped and he slammed head first into the top of that impenetrable shield, instantly becoming mush. His blood gushed out of the fleshy mass and both it and the mass dropped as the shield dropped back into the tube.

“Do it again.” Gella said. “Let's see if the structural enchantment can take the strain.”

“Okay.” I said and launched the thing again.

It wasn't as good of a show this time, because the inside of the shield was already just a mush pile and blood. It still had the same weight, so I closed the top of the tube and left it there.

“Well, that's enough proof for me.” I said and Gella nodded.

“How long with the shield last?” Gella asked as we walked over to the princess. She had a maid and a guard with her. All three of them looked sick.

“Once activated, the person activating it has to end it.” I said with a smile.

Gella laughed and used her sword to cut the hinges off of the cell door. I pulled it open, wrenching the lock free and tossed the door to the side.

“By the Son's Light, David.” Rose whispered with tears in her eyes as she stepped close to me and hugged me. “Your son. I'm so sorry.”

“I don't have time to be sad.” I said and pat her back, then handed her to her maid. “Gella.”

“Yes, my lord.” Gella said and ran along the cell doors to cut all the hinges off.

I walked along and pulled the doors off and tossed them aside. “I am declaring all Guild Mages as rogues. They will be arrested and interrogated by me or my people. If any are guilty, they will be executed.”

“D-David! You can't do that!” Rose said.

“I did and will have the queen sign off on it. She wants them gone as much as I do.” I said and waved the nobles and their families towards the center of the room. “Is anyone hurt? Maimed?”

Most of them shook their heads, except for a young boy.

I knelt and looked at him. “What seems to be biting your ass?”

The nobles gasped and the boy laughed.

“My arm hurts.” He said and held it out.

I nodded. “Minor Heal.”

The boy's arm glowed for a moment and he grinned. “Thanks, mister!”

“Lord Drake.” Gella said and the boy looked surprised.

“It's all right. My friends call me David.” I said and stood.

“What do your enemies call you?” One of the nobles asked.

“The Marsh Man.” Gella said right away.

I nodded to her and pointed to the doors. “The stairs are that way. Enjoy the freedom I've never had.”

They all gave me sad looks and thanked me as they left. They all had relieved faces, too.

“Your Highness, it's time to go.” I said and waved her forward as I offered my arm as an escort.

“Why did you not make me leave first?” Rose asked as her maid walked behind her and the guard was off to the side. Gella was on my side and slightly behind.

“I knew you wanted to talk to me without the others hearing.” I said.

Rose nodded. “What happened, David? What's been going on?”

“I can't tell you that, since I only just arrived here.” I said. “Your sister said that the guild tried to claim half the country.”

“I meant with you.” Rose said and her arm tightened in mine. “You are supposed to be dead.”

“It's too long of a story to tell on the ride to the castle.” I said and entered the stairwell. “You knew I wasn't dead, even with the fake body.”

Rose blushed a little and nodded as we walked down the stairs at a slow pace. She leaned a little on me and gave me a very nice view down her dress. Her breasts had grown and her bright pink nipples were quite pronounced.

“You know I am no longer betrothed.” I said to her.

“Yes, I do.” Rose said, her voice a bit deeper and huskier than usual. “Watching you fight, even in women's footwear, was quite the sight.” She said and gave me a sultry look. “You reminded me of my father.”

“I don't have any toes and need the boots.” I said and she gasped and stumbled. I easily held her steady and she sighed. “You didn't notice my lack of fingers, either.”

Rose looked at my arm and she sighed again. “Oh, David.”

“It's all right. I'll be fixing myself up soon.” I said and we continued down the stairs. I cast locking charms on all the doors we passed, as well as alarm spells. This building was full of secrets and I was going to take as many of them as possible, including the growing plants and their secrets.

My crew and the other slaves needed somewhere to live and take care of, too.

“You made more regeneration potion?” Rose asked, surprised.

“Before I was kidnapped and made a slave.” I said and she gasped again. “I told you it was a long story.”

Rose nodded and we walked the rest of the way down to the ground floor in silence. No one else was there when we left and I locked the doors and nodded at Gella. She went back and sealed them as well, then joined us at the carriage that had driven up.

“The royal palace again.” I said to the driver and then helped Rose into the carriage with my hand, then did the same for Gella. The look of shock on Rose's face was priceless. I would have enjoyed it if I wasn't so focused on getting things done. There was still a few things to do before I could retreat for the ten days to fix myself.

I would need to relearn how to walk and move again with my toes back. In a few weeks, I would be back to my old self. I had no clue what to do after that, though. I stayed quiet and thought about it during the ride back to the castle as Gella and Farra introduced themselves to the princess.