Magical Hearts chapter 4

Wedding problems: chapter 4


The Duke had murdered more than the priestess who had come before him. He and his men had went to the Temple of Aphrodite and killed all there. Even the youngest acolyte was murdered, and no one to officiate our wedding ceremony. No wonder he had angered the gods so greatly, to show such cruelty even unto a child.

That left us with a major problem, if we could not get all we needed in time, we would die on the setting of the next full moon. I did not fear for myself, but Isabel I could not see suffer.

It was true that we had our carpet, and the two of us along with a small party could easily travel to the next Temple, a journey of four days by foot. Only four hours by our carpet, but tradition dictated that Isabel and I could no longer travel together, once the dowry presented to her father.

Jeremiah could refuse the dowry that would force me into providing another of greater value. The first given to Isabel and I can use none of it as part of the second dowry. Moreover, I had yet to think of something greater in value, but I am sure it will come to my mind. I hope that the gods would grant me yet another of greater value.

If Isabel and I were, a part for more than a full day of our life surely would end. That gave us a mere four days to reach the next city that had a temple, and far too many people to carry on our one carpet. Even taking multiple trips, it would be very close and I doubt the clan could be packed and ready to move quickly enough.

Depending on how far they left to be safe from the justice sought by the gods we may lose more time yet today. The time that they have to return has just begun, I know not when all will be present for Jeremiah’s decision, and the entire clan must be present.




Isabel pulls on me, and we walked through the vacant city back to her father’s tent. Once inside, re-retrieve our carpet, in the open area at front of his tent I unfurl our magic carpet. I help Isabel on and step up my invisible stairs. Once both of us aboard, we lift begin our search for her father and the clan. The carpet seems to know what we need, moving of its own accord the terrain below us moves by at amazing speeds.

Over a hill and into the valley east of the city we find what seems to be most of the inhabitants of the city and the clan. They had managed to bring one large tent in many have crowded into it, not clan only. Fires burn on the outskirts of the camp, and many cook to feed the multitude.

As the carpet lowers, a great cheer rises to meet us. We land at the edge of the encampment, the Captain of the guard, Michael along with a many of the guards loyal to him clear a path for Chieftain Jeremiah and Master Justin. Children seem to move quickly through the crowds, and I recognize many faces from the children yesterday.

The Captain is the first to speak and he asks, “What happened to the Duke and his court?”

I say, “They are no more, the gods’ justice found them wanting.”

The three bowing their heads for a moment giving their respect to the gods, raising back to meet our gaze they say, “Gods’ will be done.”

Jeremiah walks to his daughter and surrounds her in his arms. He gently asks, “My daughter are you unharmed?”

Isabel replies, “Yes my father, I am unharmed. Julius I feared for his life when they brought him before me, he had been beaten and whipped so severely I thought he would never regain his feet once they threw him before the Duke.”

Justin spends me about seeing my shredded robes but no mark where the whip had struck my skin, even many of my old scars have vanished. He takes in a deep breath and asks, “How can this be, no magic before could heal him of his scars.”

Isabel continues, “All that I know I will tell. We were bound, me to the chair so they could force me to watch. Justin had the magical shackles about his wrist, chains around his ankles. When he said we should be prisoners no longer our bonds left us, we were free and moved together into a kiss. I remember nothing after that point, except for the Lady this morning. She caressed our faces, we broke our kiss and kneeled before her, she placed our hands together and we kissed, after that, she was gone.” I shake my head yes, because that is all I truly know.

I add, “The city has no one left alive within the walls. Only we two, protected by the goddess remained this morning at sunrise.”

The captain asks, “Did you see any ships on the horizon? Raiders have scouted for weaknesses for the last few weeks. An empty city would be a very tempting target.”

I shake my head no, but Isabel speaks, “I believe I did as we lifted high above the city.”

The Captain with concerned to his voice says, “The guard must get back to the city as quickly as possible, perhaps upon your carpet?”

I shake my head yes then ask hopefully, “Did any of the priestesses survive, are they any here?”

Captain Michael shakes his head no and says, “Once he finished with a one who come to inform him that Isabel cannot marry his brat, the Duke went to the temple and murdered every priestess, acolyte and even the few people there to worship.”

The Captain is signaling to his guards, he leaves most, along with most of the strong man from the clan to guard the civilians on their way back to the city. Twenty guards climb aboard the carpet, when I attempt to leave without Isabel the carpet will not move. Once Isabel is aboard, along with her father and six men from the clan we speed away back to the city.

The Raiders’ ship easily seen several miles off out to see and headed towards the city. Several rowboats tied alongside, and men stand ready to board the rowboats. The captain pointing says, they will come to within a mile of shore under sail, then they will drop anchor and all will come ashore. They have more than a hundred men to our twenty-six.

Isabel asks, “Did you forget Master Justin and Julius? Will they have any mages that could stand against them?”

The Captain says, “They do not trust mages, I doubt they will have a wizard in their party.”

I cause the carpet to lower down, if they have not spotted us yet, we would use the walls of the city to hide our approach. On our way back Jeremiah turns to me and says, “Justin and I have discussed this, and it pains me to say I must refuse your dowry. Justin has assured me that you should be able to gather one larger.”

Isabel laughs, “You did say it was merely dust, my love.”

Holding Isabel I say, “Compared to you it is. Jeremiah I understand and accept your challenge, I will provide a more suitable dowry.”

Jeremiah chuckles and says, “That is good, the one before would merely slow my people down. If we had a fleet of these carpets” He stomps his foot twice, “my clan can move much quicker and much safer. That would be more than twice the treasure that is now my daughters to do with what she wishes.”

I shake my head yes, before I can do anything else, Isabel asks, “Does Uncle Benjamin have enough rugs, I know I cannot give any part of the first dowry back to my betrothed, but I can buy him rugs.”

Jeremiah chuckles at his daughter’s brightness and says, “According to Justin he has but a few that could be of use, and they are fairly small, not as large as even this.”

Captain Michael chuckles and says, “Young wizard do not forget all that was in the keep is now yours. They are many rugs of this quality within the Dukes chambers. Moreover, that huge one in the audience chamber, I would dare say half of all the clan could ride upon that one by itself.”

Isabel squeezes my hand as the carpet slows near the wall. I look into her face and she says, “Remember I do not wish to be royalty.”

We drop two men above the East gate, all which remained of the guards there are their uniforms, and their coin purses. The two guards throw me the dead guards’ coins purses. It is tradition that to the victor goes the spoils; it will help with my dowry.

As we leave, the two close the gates and bar them, they can reopened once our people arrive. We dropped the men of the clan and they gather weapons arming themselves. We fly now just above the rooftops until we reach the West wall, it overlooks a small bluff and a wide sandy beach. There is a gate in the north wall near the northwest corner of the wall. That leads to a wide road running down to the docks. A tower is in the very corner with a wide deck allows archers with crossbow, or longbows to rain arrows down on the road and beach.

Jeremiah remains with us, as we traveled back for more of the clan’s strongmen. We should be able to make one more trip, and reinforce the men on the wall and at the gates before the Raiders even make anchor. I plan to meet them at sea, it would be much easier stopping them in the rowboats offshore, then allowing them to make landfall in force.

On the way back to the encampment, I look to Jeremiah and say, “Could I get you to assist myself and your daughter, if we can meet them at sea I may be able to prevent them from even making landfall. The problem is the carpet will not move without Isabel. I would need someone to protect her while I battled the Pirates. I will do that from his great of distance as I can manage, but that will be within crossbow range.”

Isabel squeezes my hand tightly, and I look at her and say, “We will use men with shields to protect us, you will fly the carpet, and I will attack.”

Jeremiah starts to protest, “Isabel I will not allow you to be in…”

Isabel cutting him off says, “Father it would not matter, if I stayed on the shore and Julius was struck down I would surely die with him. This way at least I can help, and together we are much more powerful.”

Justin returns with us, along with twenty strongmen of the clan, we drop them at the encampment in the arm themselves with crossbows and head towards the tower. Jeremiah has four men with shields, and armored, he grabs his armor and begins putting it on as he walks back to the carpet. Looking at me sternly he says, “I will command, Isabel you move the carpet as I direct, young mage I will direct your targets and make sure Isabel has you in range, do not hesitate to attack as deadly as you can manage.”

Isabel and I shake our heads yes, accepting the battle hardened veterans orders. As chieftain of the clan, he has led his men into more than one scrimmage, but probably not like this. Nevertheless, judging from the look in his eye, and how his Clan’s men accept his orders, he has some skill at leadership and that might proof more valuable than strength.

As we reach the West wall, we see the rowboats had already departed and are a hundred yards away from the ship approaching shore. The men in the boats appear to wear heavy armor. If we can catch them, still in deep water I merely have to sink the boats to end the battle. Although some were no armor, most do, if the boats sank they would surely die before they could remove their armor.

Jeremiah must have the same idea as he directs Isabel to move to the far left boat at all speed; he warns that if crossbows fired, he wants her to dodge to the left. I ready my spell, bringing the lightning bolt into existence holding it in my hands I can since how strong it is, far stronger than I have ever managed before. The carpet move so quickly, I am not even sure if the Pirates realized the danger. At the maximum range, Jeremiah orders me to release the spell. The man in front of the boat is my chosen target, the lightning bolt covers the distance between us and he transforms into bright light for an instant before him and the front quarter of the boat are gone. The rest sink below the waves quickly as water rushed into the remainder of the overburdened boat.

At the speed were moving I cannot even ready another spell as we pass the remaining three boats. Jeremiah orders Isabel to continue on outward before turning back onto the far left boat once again. Again, he orders Isabel to veer to the left on his command. We are coming in at the same speed before and I have another lightning bolt ready this time my target is the men at the Stern, he wears full armor too.

At the maximum range Jeremiah orders me to fire once more, as the man vanishes along with the Stern Jeremiah orders Isabel to veer off to the left. Crossbow bolts fall into the water along the path we would have taken. Men attempt to jump from the boat, which only results in it capsizing.

Again, we line up and speed towards the boats this time broadside, once in range, I hit the man in the center of the boat, men jump from either end but the boat cut in half and sinks quickly. Now the last boat attempts to turn heading back towards the ship.

Jeremiah has Isabel stop just outside of crossbow range. He shouts down at the boat, orders them to surrender, the result is them firing crossbow bolts in our direction. When none reaches us, they began to cock their crossbows once again. Again, Jeremiah calls for their surrender as they begin to load their bolts Jeremiah has us dive into range, and I again fire the lightning bolt I had prepared. Another raider vanishes in bright light along with the section of the boat where he stood. We move quickly out of range as the boat disappears under the water.

Only a few of the Raiders not in heavy armor swim back towards the ship. Jeremiah has us fly to the anchored ship. The ship seems to be deserted; no one left on board all were in the raiding party. Jeremiah has Isabel land at the stern of the ship. He and a Clan’s men jump aboard the ship called the Andrea by the name painted on the Stern.

He orders Isabel and me to go get a dozen guardsmen along with the Captain of the guard.

Speeding overhead we head towards the West wall of the city, as we near we hear the men there cheering. From our vantage point, we can see that the East Gates are now open and people are beginning to pour through on their way home.