The cat beastmen were not the first family that I had ‘rescued’ from the soldiers. I had already learned everything I needed to know by eavesdropping on scouting parties and other soldiers. I knew where the Horde’s army was gathering, where they were getting their supplies from, as well as what they knew about the United Army. I had also learned about the evacuation orders that had uprooted dozens of villages and towns so far. The Horde’s Council decided to follow a scorched earth policy, burning anything in the United Army’s path that could be used to supply the massive army.
Ordinary beastmen despised these orders, but there was nothing they could do about it. Worse still, the beastmen were not used to ‘cowardly’ tactics like this one in the past. The beastmen were usually the ones doing the raiding, and different tribes would defend their lands to the last if necessary. Never before had the Council decided to burn their own lands to slow down an army. Many of the smaller tribes had to be forced to follow the orders of the council, and there had been a lot of bloodshed deeper inside the Horde’s heartlands. The entire situation was a powder keg waiting to be lit. If there was ever going to be a chance to pit tribes against one another, it would be now.
Yet, strangely, nobody that I had talked to had the slightest intention of helping us. Even families that we rescued from the clutches of plundering soldiers never agreed to helping us convince their tribes to go against the Horde. The United Army had been planning to bring some of these tribes over to our side on the march through the Horde’s lands, but it looked like that wouldn’t be possible. Even soldiers and scouts that I caught and interrogated refused to give me any answers, and with my modern sensibilities, I wasn’t keen on torture or harsher interrogation techniques. Thankfully, most orders were being relayed orally, so it had been pretty easy to slip into the shadows and overhear everything that I needed to know.
The Horde was planning to clear a path all the way through their lands. If they forced the United Army to go all the way to the ends of the world, they would surely begin to suffer from supply shortages and terrible terrain. Add in some tactical raids and other sorts of harassment, and there was no way the United Army could win a war off attrition like that. The Council knew the Horde couldn’t take on two nations at the same time, and the Ikons probably did not want to risk fighting a powerful magic user like me again. After all, I already knew the spells they had been given by their Immortals. The magic that the Immortals gave them was not like mine. I could make my own spells, they would have to learn them from the Immortals. I would have the element of surprise with my new magic, and I was sure the Immortals were suspicious of what I had been working on. They must have already seen me using flight magic, but since my new magic wasn’t completely ready yet and I wasn’t teaching it to anyone else out loud, I should be able to surprise the Immortals too.
“The only problem is, if the Horde knows we have to come to them, and they are planning to make their last stand on the farthest edge of their domain, how far will we have to walk to get there?” I wondered out loud.
Somebody let out a cry.
“Oh, Kol, are you saying you have an idea?” I asked with a gentle smile.
Another muffled noise filled the air.
“No, Taoc, do you know how far we have to walk?” I asked, turning to the other side.
“I think,” said Kelser between breaths, “they are saying. They do not want to walk anymore.”
“Really? You can understand what they’re saying? Even my translation magic wasn’t helping,” I said as I waved my hand and increased the pressure on my three companions.
Kelser gave me an angry glare but the other two directed their angry glares at Kelser. Were they blaming him because I increased their training?
“Well,” I said, “we overheard the last group of soldiers saying something about an important commander in the region. Apparently, they’re in charge of evacuating all of the beastmen around here and sending scouts and raiding parties towards the United Army. That commander should know more about where the Horde’s last stand will be. Taking them out here should stop them from battling the United Army, too. The longer the Horde doesn’t get any scouting information about the United Army, the longer my delaying tactics should work on both sides.”
I looked down at the three who were barely keeping up, even with the help of my magic. They were all sweating like crazy and I could tell they would probably go to sleep as soon as I let them. Still, it had been long enough. Clearly, Kol and Taoc were not going to be able to learn magic hands this way. My attempt to get Kelser to form a new spell on his own to resist my pressure also did not work, even though I’d told him to try to come up with something. Clearly, it was time to change my approach.
I let go of my magic hands and all three collapsed to the ground. Kelser got up almost immediately, breathing quickly. Kol and Taoc almost fell asleep on the ground, and I had to wake them up with a splash of water.
“Your training wasn’t as successful as I wanted it to be,” I said, “but at least you’ve gotten a little stronger. Kelser already knows this spell, so I’ll teach Kol and Taoc how to cast magic hands. The three of you should have a lot of wisdom for the spell now, so it should be quite powerful. It’s a versatile spell, great for long distance support like throwing projectiles or interfering with enemies from a distance.”
“I don’t think they can hear you,” said Kelser.
I looked down at Kol and Taoc, who had gone asleep again despite their drenched hair. I scratched my chin. “Guess I’ll teach them the spell in the morning.”
---
Kol and Taoc learned magic hands very quickly the next morning. The fact that Taoc, who hadn’t learned any of the other more basic spells like elemental magic, was able to learn magic hands so quickly seemed to prove what I had thought about my old magic. The reason she could learn this spell was because I had taught it to her. She hadn’t come up with the spell through knowledge and wisdom the way I had. This meant I could probably teach anyone any of my spells and as long as they understood it well enough and received enough wisdom by experiencing the spell or having it demonstrated to them. There was no need to teach every spell in order of when I had come up with it or how difficult I thought it would be.
I tapped my chin. This told me something very important about magic. I had something special that let me come up with spells, while most other people had to rely on me or the Immortals to teach them magic. Most people never truly came up with spells of their own. The only ones I could think of who had done something like that, were the oldest elves back in the elfin Jora tribe. That was one of the last loose threads that I had to tie up before my new magic would be ready.
“Psst,” said Kelser from behind a bush. Kol stood next to him and waved me over. I waved back that it was fine.
We were sitting in the bushes overlooking a large open field. A group of tents sprawled over the field, with many rabbit beastmen preparing food, taking care of their weapons and armor, or doing other simple tasks. There were sentries and guards all over the forest, but we had evaded them easily. Now, the only guards we had to worry about were the ones standing in front of the large tent that housed the commander that we had come to spy on.
The bushes we were hiding in were right next to the commander’s tent. I was using light magic to make us all invisible and air magic to make sure no smell or sound would go towards the rabbit beastmen. I’d left Paris a little further back, guarded by a bunch of spells as well as a few orders to stay put. I suspected the many piles of leaves and fruits I’d left with her would be what really kept her there.
I raised my hand and a new spell was cast. I cupped my hand against my ear and leaned forward. The others did the same and soon, we could hear words coming from inside the tent.
Drop a heart!