Chapter 17

Merlin
Gwendydd - sister
Morgenau - brother
Morial - brother
Morien - brother
Mordaf - brother - Naci’s father

New Council Members
___________________
Pikon
Corth
Groton
Tydeth
Docal
Clondal - female

Ukobach was cursing even harder, what were those idiots doing? More than half of the guard corps was destroyed. Almost all of the hunters were dead or missing. Scratching his chin he thought of calling a few of his kin in hell. No that wasn’t feasible right now they would most definitely be missed.

Shaking his head he had to get the two new council members in place. Sighing he nodded to the two strongest of the council as they opened the chambers. A moment later two mages stepped forward.

“Hail Tydeth, Hail Groton,” Ukobach said as the two male mages stepped into the chamber. “You both are the next in line for the council. Serve it and the magical realm well!”

Both mages nodded as they bowed to the council leader. “I Groton will endeavor to uphold all the standards of the magic realm, Council leader.” The one called Groton stated. Ukobach immediately nodded smiling already liking the gruffness of the new member.

Turning to the other male mage, Ukobach waited. With a sneer and a growl the male stated. “I Tydeth, will endeavor to try to uphold all the standards of the magic realm, Council leader. At least to the ones that deserve it,” he said this last part in more a whisper. Ukobach’s eyes went wide at what he heard, interesting. These two might be more on his side than he thought. We’ll have to see, yes, we’ll have to see!

Ukobach watched as the two new mages made their way to the side of his allies. Even as he watched the first two new council members tended to keep less company with the rest of his allies. Shaking his head he’d still have to watch them not good to be attacked from within if they were planning a coup.

Naci and I exited the tunnel with much less velocity this time. Landing lightly we both nodded to each other as we started to set up the camp. A loud mumbling was coming from the bag at my side as I wacked it with my hand.

“I believe I need to get the information about this traitor out to the rest of the magical realm.” I told Naci.

“That would be good husband, though can you do it from here?” Naci asked a look of worry crossing her features.

“I would like nothing better, problem is the moment I start to send it, and you know they will try to trace it. No, I think it would be better if I do it from another time.” I replied to her.

Sighing Naci nodded thinking a moment. “I think I should go with you Toman, alone you will be far more vulnerable. If you are attacked I fear I wouldn’t be able to reach you in time.”

I sat with a thump on a chair my mouth open. When had she started to be this concerned? I was about to answer when the bag started to mumble again. A little mad I kicked it eliciting a short scream. “I suggest,” I told the bag. “That if you don’t want worse? That you keep the hell quiet!”

Naci started to giggle at my words as I looked at her with a confounded look. Slowly a smile crept across my lips as I nodded to her. “We need to plan for the next assault Naci. The last worked far better than I hoped.”

“I was glad to be of a little help, husband.” Naci replied with a large smile.

“A little?” I said in surprise. “Naci, you were far more than a little help. I’d dare say that it went as well as it did, BECAUSE of you.”

Naci’s head snapped up as she stared at me. Then she launched herself at me taking me, the chair and herself to the ground. Kissing my entire face, she suddenly stopped, standing, blushing furiously.

“I’m sorry husband, your words filled me with such joy I couldn’t help myself.” Naci said almost afraid to look at Toman.

I just lay there a little stunned at what had just happened. Then I thought, what did just happen? Taking a little too long to answer, Naci thought I was upset with her as tears started to fall. Upon hearing her sob, I immediately got off the ground kneeling where she was sitting. Placing my arms around her I held her close.

“I’m not mad at you Naci, you just took me by surprise. What I said was nothing to me, though as I said before I am sorry I don’t praise you enough.” I said as she started to calm down.

“So you aren’t ashamed of me?” She asked her lips slightly trembling.

“Ashamed? By the great maker! I am so proud of you! You handled yourself far better than I had hoped you would. With you at my side I think we can really do this.” I told her, pride showing in my eyes as well as on my face.

This of course caused her to again launch herself at me again. Though this time I was better prepared as our lips met. Both our eyes flew open as we both felt a huge current run through the both of us. The thing is? Even if we had wanted to separate, I don’t think it would have been possible at that moment.

When we were finally able to separate, we were both panting almost uncontrollably. We both sat there for a few minutes trying to get our breath and emotions under control. Naci, still blushing, finally got to her feet to start on a few other things that needed done.

A few more minutes had me shaking my head trying to clear my head. What in the hell had just happened? Arising on somewhat shaky legs I took several bags out as I moved to the perimeter of our camp. Slowly I started to spread several seeds around, intermixing them with a few new ones I hadn’t used yet.

An hour later I finally finished, it might take a lot of time for an enemy that might be dead though I felt we still needed to be ready. Thinking back I remembered that Rigal had been in pretty bad shape. Then I remembered he’d been even worse before that. Was Ukobach, even as hurt as he was then still able to heal Rigal? Then again how in the hell had Ukobach gotten healed? I hit him with a hell of a lot of power.

I sat there for a few hours trying to figure out if we had to fear from them never being weak enough to defeat. Finally shaking my head again I returned to planning, on destroying more of the evil infested council. Concentrating I had another mage’s eye up and gone within seconds.

A moment later I was about to open the eye when I got a message from Pops. [Toman, I have sent this on the old thought channel we used to use. This is just to let you know that you have crippled the council, you will need at least four more before they are manageable. Then all will be ready for you to move against the last of them. Everything is moving into place, be well.]

I shook my head, how in the hell could all moving into place? Merlin was dead, Naci’s father Mordaf was still exiled. The strong allies I thought I had when I started this, were either gone or unable to help. What in the hell was Pops on about?

Sighing I figured Pops might have a few of his friends trying to help out. I sure hope so, plus I hoped that they had the power to actually help! Opening the mage eye I started to sift through all the information it was sending back.

As I looked in I saw that Ukobach had wasted no time in replacing the dead members. Sighing, I just hope that those that replaced the old ones weren’t worse. Even as I was watching I could see that the two weakest kept more to themselves. The other two though they had bad attitudes weren’t that involved with the older council members either.

I was nodding my head as I was watching the proceedings in the council chambers. The four weakest were now gone, I need two more to have half of them gone. I began to scan back and forth trying to find a time when we could get both of them. Right before Naci came to remind me I needed to eat, is when I saw the perfect opportunity.

We had finished eating, as I was helping Naci clean up, I laid out what I had seen and the plan I had. Quiet the whole time, she listened with almost her full attention, nodding in agreement several times. “So do you see anything that we might need to change?” I asked.

Naci was quiet a bit longer, as she was deep in thought. Then a wide beautiful smile lit up her face as she pointed out the flaws I had missed with the plan. Surprised it was my turn to nod in agreement to everything that she pointed out.

Finally a few hours later we both crept into our mage beds to rest. We were going to need all we had to get these next two. They weren’t the strongest, though they were the strongest of the lower half of the council.

The next morning we both awoke refreshed. Naci had already started to repack the camp when I walked to her.

“Though I feel you are strong enough, almost anything can happen,” I told Naci. “I’d like to raise you more before we go against these two. If they join we might have trouble.”

There was a sudden laughing coming from the bag, and then a voice whispered. “You’ll be lucky to get a shot off. They will kill the both of you before you figure out how to defeat them.”

Growling a bit I turned the bag up dumping the head on the ground none to gentle. After it finished screaming a few minutes, I finally started to draw from the head. “There is more than one way to gain information.” I sneered at the head as it started to scream again while I forcefully withdrew what I needed. “I’d take it all though, I think it would better to keep you in one piece. That is ‘til the magic world exacts justice on you.”