The God-Stone War

Chapter 8

The next day I planned to check on the work at the World Road. Most of my work on the actual project was already completed. The runes for the great gates had all been carefully laid and etched into the stone, but I still needed to make sure that the rest of the design was completed properly, before the enchantments could be activated. My best estimate was that the massive construction project would take another year or two to complete all the stonework involved in the design.

Most of that stonework had little to do with the magic itself, but was purely for control and defense purposes. Once the gates had been activated, the World Road would connect even the farthest portions of Lothion, allowing farmers and merchants to get from any part of the nation to its capital, with no more than a couple of days travel at most. It would also allow the king to move troops rapidly to any place in the kingdom that might be threatened.

The World Road itself was actually being built underground in a shape similar to a wagon wheel. The hub at its center was the fortress that the Traveler’s Pinnacle was built upon. Circling that fortress was the main road itself, with a circumference of nearly a mile and two thirds. The road bed was built upon dressed stone laid some fifty feet below the surface. To create it, we had excavated a massive trench before laying the base of the road directly upon the bedrock and building the walls of dressed stone. The ceiling was built of massive monoliths that stretched twenty foot across, from one side to the next.

Once it was completed, the entire thing would be covered over again with earth. Hopefully, there would be little sign above ground of where the actual road lay, aside from the fortress at its center. There were two roads that led from either side of the circle to enter the fortress itself, and massive iron portcullises and oaken gates protected the entry ways to it. More portcullises subdivided the road after it entered the fortress. Several others were planned along the main outer road as well, to control the traffic there if an invader ever sought to use it to invade Lothion.

Along the outer circumference of the World Road, were the magical gates that everything else had been built to protect and manage. Each of these massive gates would, when finished, permanently connect to a similar gate near the various cities of Lothion. Those gate destinations would each be protected by a modest fortress, not to mention the other more basic ‘structural’ defenses I had built into the design.

More interesting, to my mind at least, were the wider possibilities. The structure we were building had room for twenty three gates eventually, but only seven had been designated for locations in Lothion. Someday, given stable enough political and economic conditions, we might open gates to key locations within other nations, such as Gododdin or Dunbar, or possibly even to small city-states like Agraden.

Having seen the effects of easier trade and transportation upon Washbrook and the Cameron lands, I could only imagine what the implications of a larger system of full time gateways might be. My hope and dream was that it would prove to be one of the greatest boons to the economy of, not just Lothion, but all nations. The world of men had been a place of wonders before the Sundering. A world of prosperity, one in which magic was common, and many of the ills of the present were easily handled. The World Road would be a grand step to returning mankind to those days.

Today was almost my first day with George, Walter Prathion’s son, as my miellte. At eighteen years of age, he was a tall young man with a slender build and light brown hair. Over the past few years I had spent some amount of time helping him to learn the careful use of his abilities, but I still had my doubts about whether he would be very useful as a miellte. The task required patience and observation… in spite of the fact that it was incredibly boring. Even I could admit that. Following me around all day and keeping an eye on my mental state was a tedious job for anyone. Hell, I didn’t even like trying to keep up with my mental state.

Though I hated to admit it, that was one thing about Elaine that made her better suited for the job. Her infatuation with me made it much easier to spend a large portion of her time watching my mental condition. Even so, George was a quiet lad and he hadn’t shown too much in the way of youthful recklessness yet. I was quite sure that in his place, and at his age, I would have been a poor fit for the job.

George was trying to inconspicuously pick his nose when I spoke to get his attention. “George, are you sure you want to spend all day following me around?”

He glanced up before answering, with a face almost devoid of expression, “Nope.”

His honesty caught me off guard. The boy had a combination of frank honesty and sarcasm that, when mixed together, often left people puzzled. I didn’t mind though. I had been an arrogant young man myself once. Most would say I wasn’t too far from it even now. “Glad to hear it,” I responded with a grin. “I feel much the same way.”

His lip twitched into an almost awkward smile, which I took to be a good sign. Without further ado, we took the teleportation circles, and soon we were standing once again in the Traveler’s Pinnacle. I led him up the stairs to take in the view from the highest balcony. Before we reached the top I sensed the presence of another person, a guard or messenger at a guess, based on his clothing. Stepping out, we saw the man standing near the edge, taking in the view. He turned back as he heard us on the stairs.

“Your Excellency, I have a message for you from the King,” he told us, adding a deep bow of respect.

I gave George a sideways glance before answering, “The balcony is rather an odd place to send a messenger.”

The messenger blushed with embarrassment. “I was told to wait for you at the teleportation circle, mi’lord, but I could not resist the urge to look out from the pinnacle.”

“No harm done. Anytime I use that circle it is because I am coming up here for a look, so you might as well wait here. The view is certainly a cure for boredom,” I said with a smile. “How long have you been waiting?”

“Since daybreak, mi’lord.”

“Give me your message then,” I told him. Dawn had been three hours ago.

He straightened as he performed his duty. “The King requests your presence at your earliest convenience. Being aware that you might not check the message box until late in the day, he sent me and several others to wait at circles you might use, to deliver that message to you as quickly as possible.”

Technically, the King of Lothion didn’t have to ‘request’ anything. Given our long relationship and the fact that I had played kingmaker in setting James on the throne however, he tended to be very polite when it came to ordering me about. Still, his reason must be fairly urgent if he hadn’t wanted to wait until I checked the message boxes this evening. I walked over to the stone wall and looked out between the merlons. “Come enjoy the view with me for a moment, and then you can take the circles back to the palace with me. I’m sure you don’t relish taking the stairs all the way back down again.”

The messenger let out a grateful sigh. The stairs leading up were hundreds of feet in length before reaching the room with the teleportation circle. The final stair we had just taken was less than twenty five feet.

The view was spectacular, as usual.

“I’m glad one of the messengers found you so soon,” said James, as we retreated to a private chamber to talk. Whenever possible, he preferred to meet with me in less formal settings. Neither of us was entirely comfortable with the nature of our relationship in public.

Once the door was shut and we were truly alone, I stepped forward, and ignoring his outstretched hand I embraced the man who was something of a surrogate father to me. “Don’t be so damned formal,” I chided him.

Relaxing, he finally ended the hug with a solid thump on my back. As we parted he spoke again, “I wasn’t quite sure where we stood.” He was referring to our last argument, over the nature of our ‘aid’ to the Kingdom of Gododdin.

I gave him a dour look. “That was business, even if I do think you were wrong. We’re family after all.” Technically James was my uncle, but the relation was through his wife. In reality I felt a kinship to him more because of my childhood and my close friendship with his son, Marcus. “What did you need?” I asked.

James had a curious expression on his face, somewhere between boyish grin and subtle embarrassment. “It actually involves Gododdin. Your knights have done such a remarkable job driving out the undead, that King Nicholas has found the time and wherewithal to make the journey here.”

I raised one eyebrow. “He came here? How much warning did he give you?” I had only met Nicholas once a few years back, when we were ‘informing’ him of our intention to cross his borders to fight the shiggreth. At the time he had been desperate for aid, so permission wasn’t a problem.

“Almost none,” said James with an audible cough, a sure indicator of his annoyance. “Presumably this was to ensure there would be little chance for assassins, or other enemies to attempt to waylay him. He arrived with only a small escort.”

With a light laugh I replied, “That’s as may be, but I’m sure he had more reasons than that.”

“Certainly he also hoped to catch me off guard; to see what he might learn from an unexpected visit, though he cannot afford to damage relations between our nations. It is a fine line Nicholas walks in arriving here unannounced,” James stated bluntly.

“I’m certain he still needs to court your favor, unless he is a fool, and I certainly didn’t get that impression the one time we met,” I said, by way of agreeing with him. “You still haven’t told me how this applies to me,” I finished.

James grimaced. “He wants to meet you, to thank you for the work the Knights of Stone have done for his country. He is also hoping you’ll give him a tour of the World Road.”

“I should have known!” I exclaimed loudly. “I thought we agreed I wouldn’t be giving any more ‘tours’ until next year.” I was a bit annoyed. Although I understood the need to show and explain the purpose of the project, in order to drum up interest and maintain firm support amongst the nobility, James had agreed to leave me alone for another year before setting any more ‘visiting dignitaries’ in my lap.

He held up his hands, “This isn’t just any diplomat, Mordecai; this is the ruler of Gododdin.”

“Only because I’m still patrolling his borders,” I snapped back, “otherwise either the shiggreth would have taken them all, or Dunbar would have annexed them.”

James smiled wickedly at me as he answered, “You were the one who wanted to take the high road and restore him to his throne. As I recall, I wanted the support of your knights in claiming Gododdin for Lothion.”

I glared back at him, attempting to use the stare Penny used to burn holes in me when she was angry. Unfortunately, I had never come close to perfecting the look. “The Knights of Stone were not created to invade and conquer,” I shot back, repeating my argument from years past.

“Then you’ll just have to face the consequences and entertain our guest a little bit. It shouldn’t take more than a few hours of your time to satisfy him,” said the King of Lothion, as he firmly drew his verbal trap shut.

I had been outmaneuvered. “Alright, have it your way. When would you like me to start my dog and pony show?”

“Tomorrow morning, about ten I should think,” James said smugly, as if he had known I would agree from the start.

“You already made the arrangements with him, didn’t you?” I remarked in a moment of insight.

Marcus’ father had taken to kingship as easily as a fish takes to water. With a wink he spoke again, “Of course not! Really Mordecai, you should learn to trust more. I am your monarch after all.”

With a sour expression I told him, “I’ll see you in the morning,” and taking my leave, I stepped outside and collected George. I had left him waiting while I spoke to the King privately. Whenever other people were present James and I had to maintain a much stricter protocol.

As we left, I muttered under my breath, “Wily old bastard…,” and George’s young ears caught my words.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing,” I groused, but my magesight could see George’s smile as he followed behind me.

The next day I arrived bright and early. I had gotten better at being a morning person over the years, but I still found dawn to be a terrible chore. That was quite possibly the very reason James had chosen ten in the morning before consulting me… he had known that anything earlier would be courting disaster.

Elaine was beside me today. George had been scheduled to escort me the rest of the week but everyone agreed that his sister would be a better choice for entertaining a king, and her appearance today certainly held up that belief. She had dressed in an elegant yellow dress that highlighted her shimmering golden hair. Penelope had even gone so far as to lend her one or two pieces of jewelry to accent her appearance.

She might only be the daughter of a minor lord (born a commoner), but I didn’t want any foreign royalty looking down on one of the few remaining wizards in the world. Someday I would be gone, and the impressions created by my children and Walter’s children would have a lot to do with the places they occupied in the future. I wanted to make sure those were places of respect and authority. The days of wizards being crippled and slowly eliminated by the church were over.

I had spent the rest of the previous day working on improving George’s magical prowess. I had planned to take it easy on him, but after my conversation with King James, I had needed an outlet for my frustration. We spent the afternoon using our powers to aid and assist the stone masons working on the World Road. To be fair, I had done just as much work as George, but due to my greater ability, I was far less tired when we finished that evening. In terms of brute magical strength, George fell somewhere between his father and his sister, but he lacked quite a bit compared to either them if you considered their superior finesse.

Elaine and I were in a side room near one of King James’ reception parlors, waiting for our summons. We had been there for nearly thirty minutes before the door opened, and Adam, the chief chamberlain, looked in on us. “His majesty is ready for you now, Your Excellency,” he told me with a dry tone that concealed any familiarity there might have been between us. Adam knew me from my first stay in the palace years ago, and many times since, but he was far too professional to show it.

I held out my arm for Elaine as I rose from the cushioned chair I had been relaxing on. “Thank you Adam,” I responded, resisting the urge to tease the man. We followed him into the parlor where the two kings were seated and enjoying light drinks of fresh pressed juice, by the color I judged it likely to be apple.

“Lord Mordecai Illeniel, the Count di’Cameron, and the Honorable Elaine Prathion, Your Majesty,” announced Adam as we entered the room.

Elaine and I bowed deeply, then waited quietly before the two monarchs. Protocol dictated that we were not to speak or approach until we had first been addressed by King James, and acknowledged by his guest, and visiting head of state, King Nicholas. After a very brief but noticeable pause, James spoke, “Lord Cameron, please approach and be welcome.” Gesturing toward me, he addressed Nicholas, “Allow me to present the noble Lord Cameron and his companion, Elaine Prathion. Elaine, please come forward as well.”

With that final statement she moved forward to join us, though we still held our tongues, awaiting Nicholas’ first words. Etiquette will be the death of me, I thought silently. A few short years before, I would have had no idea how to proceed in such a tricky situation; fortunately James had trained me well in the particulars of social protocol.

Taking a slow breath, Nicholas finally spoke, “Lord Cameron, we have heard far and wide of your daring exploits. We are also grateful regarding the particular elements of your actions that have saved so many of our people.”

I bobbed my head in a second, though smaller bow, “Thank you, Your Majesty. I am honored to have been of some small service to your people.”

Nicholas turned his gaze upon my companion. “Elaine, we are given to know that you are the daughter of Lord Walter Prathion and a wizard in your own right. Is this true?”

She lowered her head gracefully, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You bear your power and position well for one so young,” the foreign king replied.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

James gestured toward several empty chairs, “Please sit and be at ease.”

Elaine and I found our chairs and stood beside them. King Nicholas spoke next, “Lord Cameron, I would prefer to dispense with the normal formalities. Please feel free to speak informally since we are in a private setting.”

I glanced at James and watched for his nod of agreement before replying, “If that is your wish, Your Majesty. Please call me by my given name.”

Nicholas smiled, “Then you must call me Nicholas and no more ‘majesties’. James has already informed me that you are his kin, so you should be used to addressing kings with familiarity.”

“You do me a great honor… Nicholas,” I said carefully.

The King of Gododdin answered warmly, “And you should be honored. Were it not for the assistance of your knights, I doubt I would still have a kingdom.”

I gave another bow. “I and my knights answer to our king. It is he who deserves your thanks.” As I spoke, I glanced at James, to make sure he was aware of the irony.

“No ruler can succeed without the service of wise councilors, and it was your advice, Mordecai, which counseled my decision to aid Gododdin, and your men that acted upon my will. Come sit down. We’re beginning to sound like old men, spending our time praising one another,” James said at last. He handed me a drink as well before offering another to Elaine.

Elaine accepted the glass while Nicholas turned the conversation to his present desire. “I have been asking James about the construction project you have been about these past few years. I fear I do not fully understand the workings of magic, but he says you will be able to connect the farthest reaches of your nation with but a short one mile road.”

“The World Road will be closer to a mile and a half in length, Your Majesty,” I corrected out of habit. Fool, I cursed myself silently. One does not correct a monarch idly, even if it isn’t your own.

Nicholas frowned, “I thought we would dispense with formalities, Your Excellency.” His remark was a pointed reminder that I had referred to him as one would a king.

It was a relief to realize he was chiding me for being formal rather than for correcting him. “I’m sorry, Your… Nicholas. Old habits are hard to break.” I laughed inside as I gave that last explanation. If anything, the ways of nobility and royalty were most decidedly ‘not’ old habits for me, but rather the result of extensive practice and coaching from James, Rose, and Marcus. My true intention was exactly what I had presented, the appearance of a noble having difficulty putting aside the trappings of respect and etiquette.

James was smirking faintly since Nicholas’ eyes were on me. He knew quite well how easily I could revert to casual speech. “Mordecai, I have a favor to ask of you, regarding the World Road.”

“You have but to ask,” I told him.

“Nicholas is curious about our project, and considering we may wish to someday include other nations within its reach, I thought you might like to show him your progress and further explain the details of how it will operate.”

None of this was news of course. Throughout our conversation, Elaine had been watching carefully. Her expression suggested that, aside from her youth, her quick mind understood far more about the undercurrents than might be expected. Turning my thoughts back to the question, I replied, “It would be a pleasure. Do you mind if Elaine accompanies us?” I addressed the question to Nicholas himself.

“I can think of no more pleasant way to spend a few idle hours,” he responded, before standing and extending his arm to the young woman. With a quick curtsey Elaine blushed and then draped her hand across his proffered forearm.

Less than half an hour later we were back in the Traveler’s Pinnacle, stepping away from the circle that Elaine had just teleported us onto. We had also gained a small honor guard consisting of two of Nicholas’ men at arms. James had declined to bring any men of his own, stating that Elaine and I, as his vassals, would serve as more than adequate protection. I decided that was probably a compliment.

Staring down from the highest balcony, Nicholas was obviously impressed. “How high are we?” he asked.

“Slightly more than two hundred and fifty feet,” I answered in a matter of fact manner.

His sharp brown eyes caught me, “Is there a purpose to such great height? Is it necessary for the magics?”

A good question, I thought to myself. “No, the height is purely a matter of defense, and perhaps some small vanity on my part. For such an important structure, I felt that building the world’s tallest tower would be appropriate.”

The foreign king nodded to himself, “I see. So what is the purpose of the central fortress, merely defense?”

“In large part, yes,” I said. “It shields the central crossroad, preventing those who will travel the World Road from exiting here near the capital if they are hostile. It will also house the troops that will be vital in protecting the road itself if it should come under attack from without.”

“Does a road need to be defended so carefully?” Nicholas asked with knowing eyes. He knew the answer already; he simply wanted to hear my explanation.

James interrupted, “Well of course…,” but he stopped abruptly, looking at me. “Go ahead and give him your rationale, Mordecai.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. “The World Road will connect all of Lothion and enable free trade between every part of it. It will revolutionize commerce and become a vital part of our economy. If it were to be misused, it could transport an enemy army from any part of the kingdom to our doorstep in a matter of hours, or anywhere else for that matter. Because of this, the road will have immense military importance. This fortress will control and protect the actual road itself, although there will be only one egress and ingress here, that which leads from the center out to the capital itself.”

Leaning out between the merlons, I pointed at the road being constructed below us encircling the fortress, “The road itself will be entirely underground once it is finished. This will prevent those using it from exiting without passing into this fortress first. It will also make possible some of our stronger security measures.”

“Stronger measures?” said Nicholas questioningly.

I glanced at James and saw him nod before I continued, “We will be able to flood the entire road if necessary to stop an enemy using it against us.” Or simply a quarter of the road, I added mentally. There were four stone locks that would seal the road off into sections, allowing us to flood whichever portion necessary, while continuing to use the rest. I didn’t feel it necessary to give King Nicholas that much detail though.

In fact, the underground design would allow us to flood the road, in part or in whole, without causing water to spill out into the surrounding countryside… salt water. Four entry portals would connect to matching stone portals in the sea itself; portals that had been sunk to the appropriate depth to allow them to fill the World Road, without causing the water to rise above ground level if we were somehow unable to close them. When we desired to drain the water, they could be sealed and complementary drain portals would open at sea level along the coast, allowing the seawater to rejoin the ocean.

Even more interesting was the second set of portals that were never meant to be used. They were connected to a portal deep underground, one that led to a massive magma chamber. Opening that set of portals would fill the World Road with lava, effectively sealing and destroying it entirely, if our need were ever that dire.

“Your design seems to be extremely defensible,” Nicholas noted.

I smiled. “That was my intention. Not only will we be able to seal the road itself and submerge it if necessary, but each gate that opens onto it will be housed within a small fortress at its destination point. The guards at each of those locations will be capable of deactivating or destroying the gate their keep protects if they deem it necessary, to stop an enemy from entering the road.”

“No one can fault your thoroughness,” replied Nicholas.

“Why don’t you take us down to see the road itself, Mordecai,” said James to fill the pause. “You really get a feel for the scale of it when you see it up close,” he assured the King of Gododdin.

A short walk down the stairs took us to the circle, and a much longer flight of stairs then took us down to the fortress itself. It was unusual as castles go, in that it wasn’t built around a central keep. Instead it was built around a large, circular courtyard, with one main gate leading out to the north, toward the Myrtle River and the bridge that led across it to Albamarl. Above the gate was the massive bailey that Traveler’s Pinnacle was built on top of. The rest of the fortress consisted of a fifty foot thick wall that encircled the courtyard, punctuated every thirty yards by a small guard tower.

The central courtyard itself held two ramps leading down and under the walls. Those ramps each led a quarter mile out to the eastern and western-most points of the World Road itself, which was underground. Once we had reached the level of the courtyard itself, I led the two kings and Elaine out and down the eastern ramp.

I called it a ramp, but in truth it was a part of the road, paved and leading downward at a gentle grade. We were quickly enclosed in stone, but above our heads were enchanted globes providing a steady glow. The overall illumination level was less than full daylight, but bright enough to read if someone were keen to do so.

Nicholas was already impressed. “Those lights… are those magical as well?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Did you make all of these? If this road travels a quarter of a mile in each direction and then another mile and a half around the circle… there must be thousands of them!” he exclaimed.

“Indeed,” I answered smoothly, “though I did not make them all by myself. Elaine and her father and brother have all spent time helping to construct the enchanted globes.” In fact, I had chosen the eastern road because the lights weren’t finished yet to fully light the western side. George and his father would be working on some of those even as we spoke. We all took it in turns to produce some of the lights, and even so it might be another year before we had finished them all.

We continued onward. The distance along the eastern road was almost a quarter of a mile before we reached the point at which it joined, what I thought of as the World Road itself. A massive iron portcullis marked the ceiling above us about ten yards from where the two roads, or at this point, ‘tunnels’, met. Nicholas remarked upon it, “I see a portcullis above but no gate. Is that intentional?”

I chuckled. “There’s a gate, you just didn’t see it.” I pointed back along the road we had just trod. “Over here,” I said as I walked back twenty yards. “See these two parallel lines?” The lines I had designated were about five feet apart and crossed the entire road. They also continued up each wall and across the ceiling.

“Yes.”

“The stone in the floor can drop about two feet and the stone in the walls can recess a similar amount,” I indicated the area between the lines on the floor and both walls. “When that happens, the stone in the ceiling slides down at a rapid, but controlled rate, creating a sheer stone wall that fits into those grooves and completely seals the road. That is our ‘gate’, but we refer to it as a ‘lock’, since one of its purposes is to prevent water from flowing up this road if we decide to flood the World Road.”

“How is it operated?” he asked.

“Well, normally such a thing would be worked using gears and winches, turned by either men or draft animals, to provide the power. In this case however, the weight of that much stone made such an arrangement extremely impractical,” I said. Not to mention that there are far too many of these locks to keep men at them twenty four hours a day, I added mentally. “Instead, the mechanism is driven by an enchantment I designed, and it is controlled by a set of levers located within the main keep.”

I neglected to add certain details, like the fact that there were such locks at both ends of the eastern and western access roads, along each quarter section of the World Road, and in front of each of the twenty three portals. The World Road could be sealed into four separate sections, or even six if you counted the eastern and western access roads.

King James’ main stipulation, before committing resources to building the road, had been that it should never become a threat to Lothion itself if an enemy gained access to it. The locks, the flooding mechanism, and even the ability to destroy the entire road with magma, those had been my answer to his requirement. Even more importantly, the enchantments that controlled the locks, the portals, and lighting, could all be activated and controlled by means of levers, providing the user knew the appropriate command words. That meant that the road could be managed and defended by anyone given the proper knowledge, wizard or not.

Nicholas’ face grew thoughtful before he asked another question, “I am no expert on magic, but surely these things must take power to operate. Where does that power come from?”

My estimation of Nicholas’ intellect went up a notch. I also wondered if he might be hinting at the whereabouts of the God-Stone. After defeating Celior and imprisoning him, I had generally kept the existence of the stone a secret. Some naively believed I had slain him, while some still worshipped him, ignorant of the fact that he was no longer answering prayers. King James and some of the greater peers of Lothion had been informed of the truth, including the existence of the God-Stone, but the general public was still in the dark. It was quite likely however, that Nicholas had learned of it through his own network of informants, which was a polite way of referring to spies working for a friendly ruler.

He had missed the mark this time though; the stone wasn’t required in the slightest for any of this. I drew a deep breath before answering, “The lighting doesn’t take much power, but you are correct that the locks do take a more considerable amount. What you might not realize though, is that that power is only drawn upon once.”

Nicholas frowned, “You’ll have to clarify for me. I am no expert in these things.”

“It comes down to the basic difference between what wizards refer to as ‘wards’ and ‘enchantments’,” I explained carefully. “Both are constructed using symbols that we refer to as ‘runes’, but in practice they use power in different ways. Wards can be created simply and quickly, but they do not retain power indefinitely, and over time they wear out. Enchantments are made using specific geometric alignments that result in their power being conserved indefinitely.

In the case of these locks’ for example, the power built into the enchantment is enough to move the stones and lower the primary gate stone into place, but once that action is accomplished, the power is not lost. Rather, the potential energy that was released as the main stone descends, is stored within the enchantment, and when it is activated again, that power is applied in reverse to raise the stone and restore the wall stones to their position holding it up.” I finished the explanation and waited to see if he had any questions and he didn’t disappoint.

“That hardly seems possible. Isn’t some energy lost during the process?”

Very astute, I observed silently, someone has studied basic science and engineering. “That is true, both in normal machines, and in magic, such as the ‘wards’ I described a moment ago. However, enchantments are perfectly balanced constructs; they store aythar in three dimensional arrangements that can include movement between two states, in this case essentially ‘up’ and ‘down’,” I told him.

“The great philosophers say that we live in a world defined by four dimensions, not three,” the King of Gododdin replied, in a manner that made me feel as if I had fallen into an academic debate.

I grinned, “You mean time?”

“Yes, time,” Nicholas remarked, as both Elaine and James watched our discussion with confusion on their faces.

“You’ve hit upon the crux of it. The geometric structure of an enchantment is such, that it forces the aythar within it into a state that is independent of the fourth dimension. It is essentially isolated from time itself,” I said, with some enthusiasm. I was warming to my subject, and glad to finally have an audience that might understand. I had taught the Prathions the methods to produce some of my enchantments, but they had yet to really understand the underlying rules.

“I didn’t think time could be either stopped or reversed…,” said Nicholas a bit hesitantly.

“The other three dimensions can be traversed in both directions, there is no reason to think time should be otherwise,” I said, slightly impressed with my own logic. I hadn’t fully thought the logic through like this before. The geometry and the rules it had to follow had come to me almost intuitively, but until now I hadn’t fully understood the implications. Now the stasis field effect makes sense, I realized. A stasis enchantment included a physical space within it, and isolated it in time in the same way that other enchantments isolated themselves from the arrow of time. A lot of things began falling into place in my mind, like pieces of a puzzle.

Our conversation died off after that, and so we simply walked, following the curve of the World Road until we reached the first of the portals. It was a magnificent stone structure along the outside wall of the road, a stone arch twenty foot high and twenty foot from side to side. The stones were covered in massive, yet utterly perfect and precise runes. I had etched them there myself, nearly a year ago. A flat tablet set above the arch named the portal’s destination, ‘Verningham’, one of Lothion’s three largest port cities.

The archway itself held a flat stone surface, for the portals were still inactive. James ran his hand across the smooth granite. “How long before you will be able to activate them, Mordecai?” he asked, more for our guest’s benefit than his own.

“All six of the Lothion portals are capable of being opened when we are ready for them,” I responded, “but their respective fortresses are not yet finished. Aside from that, the other half of the road is still incomplete.”

Nicholas spoke up, “What destinations will the portals connect to? I see this one will go to Verningham.”

“Verningham, Cantley, Turlington, Malvern, Lancaster, and Arundel,” I replied quickly. “In the future we hope to connect many more destinations, provided we can establish a significant level of trust.”

“I assume you mean Gododdin,” he said intently.

“Surencia, Dalensa, Relliton, Issip, and Iverly, are all cities we think might benefit greatly,” James added, naming the major population centers of Gododdin.

The King of Gododdin looked distinctly uncomfortable. “I hate to belabor the point, but I’m sure you realize that creating portals in all the major cities of Gododdin would put us entirely at the mercy of Lothion, or whoever controlled the World Road in the future.”

You are already completely at our mercy as it is. “The fortresses constructed at each destination serve a dual purpose,” I began. “They protect the World Road, but they also protect the region where they are located. Any future portals constructed in a foreign nation, such as Gododdin, would include the ability to deactivate the portal from either end. This would enable you to seal your borders completely if needed.”

“Your words are reassuring, as I am sure they are meant to be, but still you must understand the hesitation I would feel; even as I simultaneously thank your country for its recent and continuing assistance with the shiggreth.” Nicholas managed to convey a tone of both diplomacy and caution, without giving offense.

James took up the debate at that point, sparing me from arguing over matters of state. “Beyond our historical issues, our two nations have a lot in common, Nicholas, and neither of us had any vested interest in the previous conflict.” He reached out to touch the King of Gododdin’s elbow in a friendly gesture.

Nicholas didn’t withdraw physically from James’ overture, but his words did that for him, “You know as well as I do James, the future cares little for our friendship. Politics and world events could easily set us against one another someday, and even if we avoid such hurdles ourselves, we have to think of our future successors. Could I put one of them in such an untenable position, completely at the mercy of whoever rules your nation?”

As the King of Gododdin spoke I couldn’t help agreeing with his reasoning. His arguments were entirely valid, but James was not one to give up so easily.

“You make a good point,” said James before beginning his rebuttal, “but you fail to consider the impact that this road will have upon the future economies of our respective lands.”

Nicholas set one hand to his hip and faced James squarely, giving him his full attention. “Pray continue.”

“Once the World Road opens, Lothion will experience an economic boom, as traders, farmers, and craftsmen begin to take advantage of the vastly improved travel and trade between all parts of Lothion. At the same time, Gododdin is still recovering from the devastation wrought upon it by the Children of Mal’goroth, followed by the infestation of the shiggreth,” James elaborated.

“I see where you are leading, but there will be more time in the future to rethink the decision, if things do work as you suppose they will,” the other king responded.

“There is more to consider than just Gododdin and Lothion,” James replied, with hands held wide in a gesture of resignation. “Dunbar to the East will likely be very interested in a method of easy trade across the Elentir Mountains. The city-state of Agraden would also benefit greatly. Beyond those lie the possibilities of trade with nations even further removed. Where would that leave Gododdin? It would be destined to become a stagnant backwater, eclipsed and overshadowed by its neighbors. What option is that?”

A muscle twitched in Nicholas’ jaw, and I began to feel an uncomfortable tension rising. The King of Gododdin spoke again, “That sounds uncomfortably close to an ultimatum, but I will answer the question. The choice seems to lie between stagnation, and becoming a vassal state attached to Lothion’s rising star. Do not put my back to the wall, James.”

I watched the former Duke of Lancaster as he dealt with the King of Gododdin, as a student might watch a well-respected teacher, with a mixture of awe and admiration. Thus far he had dealt admirably with his fellow head of state, but it was his final twist that made me realize that a lifetime of negotiating had given his diplomatic skills a masterful polish.

James assumed a look of great consternation as he answered, “Don’t mistake me Nicholas. It has not been my intention to pressure or intimidate. I am simply speculating on the future; and based on my opinion, I have chosen to offer you the first opportunity to enjoy the benefits that this road will bring, before offering it to Dunbar.” In one stroke he had turned what might have been interpreted as a threat, into a friendly offer. He had also given Nicholas a way to escape the argument without losing face.

A pregnant pause settled on the air as the King of Gododdin mulled over James Lancaster’s words. After a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, he smiled and put a hand to his brother monarch’s shoulder. “Forgive me for seeming tense James, my remark was ill-considered. I did not mean to imply that you would use such strong-arm tactics against me. Nor did I think on the potential advantage you were kindly offering me. Give me some time to consider it and I will give you an answer soon after I return home.”

James grinned and clapped Nicholas upon the shoulder, “A fair answer my friend. Let us leave these matters for now!” Turning he addressed me directly, “Mordecai, I understand you probably have much to see about this day, would you dine with us this evening?”

“Certainly” I answered quickly.

“Bring Dorian with you as well, I haven’t seen him in ages,” James added.

Nicholas nodded agreeably, “Yes that would be perfect. I have been looking for a good opportunity to discuss matters with the headmaster of the Knights of Stone. It would also allow me to publicly thank him for what he has done already for my people.” He glanced at Elaine and added, “Be sure to bring Elaine as well.”

Elaine blushed and I began to have an entirely new set of worries. The somewhat young King of Gododdin was still unwed after all.