Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) by Donald Wigboldy Read Free Book Online Page B

point, but this forge has been used to create dozens of swords of the caliber I will need to forge more Hollow Swords."
    The woman, Erethia, spoke up as their leader ground his teeth thinking up a retort for the young mage. "Red Hall doesn't have this security gate that you have mentioned. If we knew the process of making one, I am sure we could make our own and perhaps take that duty off your plate. You just need to show us what to do and we will make them."
    Letting out a sigh as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, yet this offer of help could do nothing to lessen that weight, Sebastian answered, "You can go to any of the northern gates and take a look. I have to build the runes and bind the iron at each site since it would be difficult to bring a full size gateway through the original doors."
    His answer caused the woman to frown and she countered, "Surely there is something that you can show us."
    He started to reply that there wasn't anything to display, but Ashleen interrupted saying, "You still have the small demonstration gates you used to show King Alain and High Wizard Darius, don't you?"
    Sebastian looked to Ashleen in surprise. He had forgotten the small squares created months ago by the mage. Test equipment as well as demonstration pieces, they had been put away a long time ago. On the bright side, when the owl mage put things away that were secrets, they weren't as far away as most would think.
    Sticking his right arm out before him with the forearm facing up, he used his magic to first reveal an oval mark that had been invisible to their eyes even after rolling up his sleeve. His magic turned the ink blue before it began to glow with power growing into a disc that lifted from his arm. At roughly two feet in diameter, the mage placed his hand in front of a black disc that had no depth. Looking at it from the side made it disappear from one's sight, but out of the disc a small iron square met the palm of his right hand.
    His left hand was needed to assist in placing the square on the table before he reproduced the result to bring out a second rectangle. With both items removed, Sebastian closed the portal letting the oval shrink and return to his forearm. A moment later the rune disappeared, though the mage knew that it still existed there. His magic had made the ink the same color as his skin and hadn't actually brought the disc into existence from nothing like the glowing portals used to travel between cities.
    "How...?" the red haired wizard voiced for the other Red Hall wizards, who all appeared equally shocked by his use of the storage rune.
    Sebastian looked at them pretending to be surprised by their confusion. "You are experts in runes, I believe that you said. This is just a rune used to store items."
    While he played it off as simple magic, which it was in a way; the owl knew that not every wizard or mage had seen these runes. It had been a gift from a hidden people who lived in the sea. Mermen and mermaids were the stuff of legend and lore, but like some legends, there was truth behind them if one knew where to look.
    His flippant answer caused Gefflen to frown once more. "We have seen many runes and can decipher many of them, but using a rune to create a spell is different from what you just displayed. Why hasn't this magic been brought to our attention?"
    "Are there others?" Erethia asked which Sebastian thought was the better question. The woman didn't look to have a pleasant personality, but her mind was as sharp as the look of her face.
    "I have discovered about two dozen, including those used in the portal gates and swords," he replied.
    "You must show us!" Gefflen virtually ordered the mage. There was no sign of humility or respect for the mage in his tone again. He was a wizard demanding knowledge and expected a battle mage to answer. The fact that he was deigning to ask to be taught by an inferior battle mage had yet to dawn on the man, if it ever truly would; Sebastian thought to