Ruby Guardian

Ruby Guardian by Thomas M. Reid Page A

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Authors: Thomas M. Reid
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of our own army. Why don’t we send a greeting party to intercept them? Since the region is as forsaken as you say, their deaths inland would seem just as circumstantial as if at sea.”
    “Now you’re thinking!” Junce said jovially. “That’s a splendid idea.”
    As the three men began to discuss the logistics of maneuvering a contingent of mercenaries toward the stranded remnants of the Sapphire Crescent troops, Bartimus took the opportunity to scramble
    out of his chair and rush over to the scattered pages. He began to gather them up, shuffling them into a neat stack.
    Oh, he thought as he tightened the stack, it’s neither the treatise nor the diagrams. These are those notes on that new spell! I had almost forgotten about that. Now, where did I put the rest of that stack?
    The wizard began to rummage through several other loose piles on a table near the bench, hoping to find the remaining notes for the new conjuring magic he had been contemplating. When he found the collection of parchment, he placed the stray pages with it. He was just beginning to reread the opening notes when Grozier interrupted him.
    “Bartimus! Get over here and show me where they went!”
    The wizard started, and nearly dropped the pages he was holding then took a couple of steps toward the mirror again before he realized that the glass had gone dark and was merely reflecting the dim room.
    “I’m terribly sorry, but it would appear that the magic has exhausted itself and is no longer functioning. The properties of any such scrying spell are limited not only by their subject, but also by a time factor, which cannot exceed—”
    “Bartimus!” Grozier muttered through clenched teeth, making the mage actually drop his papers that time. “I don’t care about the theories. Can you show Vambran Matrell to me again or not?”
    Bartimus cringed, trying desperately to decide whether to gather up the mess of notes or to look Grozier in the eye. He chose the middle ground, staring at the floor between them. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Though I could begin preparing for another such casting for sometime this evening, if you’d like.
    But alas, I did not consider the possibility that you would want more than one viewing, and I did not prepare my magic twice.”
    “Very well,” Grozier replied, his tone exasperated. “As soon as you can.”
    “Of course,” Bartimus answered, stooping down to gather up his dropped notes once more.
    The three other men, no longer in need of the wizard’s talents, began to walk toward the door leading out of his chambers.
    “Oh, I almost forgot,” Grozier began as they reached the door, “I found out that Xaphira is on the prowl, looking for you again. She comes to the city every night from that country estate where they’re all hiding out, trying to glean information.”
    “Is that so?” Junce said as they exited. “I’ll bet that’s frustrating her,” he added with a laugh.
    Bartimus the wizard did not hear the assassin’s reply, however, for he was already engrossed in his notes on a new conjuring spell.
    • • •
    “You two look like you spent the morning stuffed in a box with a bunch of angry cats,” Hetta Matrell said as Xaphira and Emriana walked into the dining room together. Their riding clothes were soiled and torn, and Xaphira had dried blood caked on her in several places.
    “That’s not far from the truth,” Xaphira said as she took up a clean platter and began to assemble a meal of boiled eggs in cheese sauce, hard bread, and peach compote. “We ran into three dire-jaguars this morning,” she explained.
    There were several startled gasps around the table. “Oh, by Waukeen! What happened?” Ladara asked, her hand covering her mouth in alarm.
    “Em and I took care of them,” Xaphira replied. “She’s quite handy with a blade, Ladara.”
    Ladara made a disapproving sound, but Emriana seemed to beam as she followed her aunt’s lead and began to fill her own dish.

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