The Pogrom of Mages: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume One by Charles Williamson Read Free Book Online Page B

from the west bringing the cold of the Ice Current. He saw something swimming in the harbor, and as the dawn progressed, he realized that Obert was out for a morning swim. When Obert noticed him, he swam over to the wall and easily climbed the almost vertical slope to join him on the path.
    Michael pointed to the eight foot waves pushed to whitecaps by the stiff wind. “Do you think the captain will sail in this? That sloop is so small.”
    Obert said an elfish phrase. It was the spell still waters , and suddenly the waves disappeared from a semicircle of sea about a hundred paces in diameter and centered on the seawall where they stood.”
    Michael laughed. “You could have stopped my sea sickness any time with that spell.”
    Obert smiled. “I thought you would want the excitement of real waves on your first sea journey. The range of the effect is directly related to the power of manna you put into it. You can calm a much wider area than I. Give it a try. Put all you have in it.”
    Michael cast the wave-stilling spell with every trace of power he could muster. After the cast, he felt completely empty of power and staggered slightly against the power of the wind.
    Obert made a sound that was a naiad version of a gasp. The sea was mirror smooth for as far as the eye could see even though the wind still blew at near gale force.
    “Our whole pod casting in unison couldn’t have done that. I don’t know that even an elf or dragon could. Let’s climb the tower and see how far your spell reached.”
    After climbing the long winding stairs inside the tower, they reached the top. A watchman stood in obvious shock leaning against the power of the wind but staring at the glass-smooth sea. When he saw Obert, assuming he had cast the spell, he bowed low and asked if he could touch the naiad’s hand for luck.
    Michael and Obert looked across the western sea. For thousands of paces there were no waves. Far in the distance, they saw some sea foam blowing from the tops of waves. The cast had calmed the seas for at least a ten thousand paces radius.
    They didn’t speak on the tower but headed back toward town.
    “How long will that spell last?” Michael asked as they approached town.
    “With that much power unless you use the cancel phrase, it might last one or even two days. You should probably reverse it now.”
    After Michael cancelled the spell, Obert said, “You’ve heard of magic golden amulets and rings and other things that carry the power of a spell within their matrix.”
    “I know there is said to be magic in Perry artifacts, and of course, there are the fables of magic rings, magic swords and such. Is it true that objects can be enchanted?”
    “Dragons and elves can lock spells into artifacts of gold or into certain jewels like rubies and diamonds. Until I saw the power of your cast of still waters , it did not occur to me, but you may have that enchantment power. If you could bind the spell submerge manna into a ring or amulet, the healer wearing it could not be detected by a fire mage.”
    “That is a powerful idea if I can really do it. I’d like to try, but I have nothing of value, just enough copper coins for a flagon of ale at an inexpensive inn.”
    “I noticed that the guild master wore a silver ring with a ruby, and the Bursar had a simple gold medallion hung around his neck. Before we sail, you could try to enchant those.”
    The enchantments worked, and before they sailed, Michael was able to bind the spell to hide manna to a ring or amulet for each of the healers remaining in Rock Point.
    They sailed three hours after sunrise, and Obert was the one who cast the still water spell to ease their passage because they didn’t want the captain or crew to know of Michael’s water magic.
    Two days later, as they approached Black Sand Beach, Michael asked Obert, “Can we trust this captain and his crew to keep Rock Point a secret?”
    “If the Church takes any human to those cells under the temple, he