Chapter 91: The Rally_Mark of the Fool

Chapter 91: The Rally

 Ooooh this is a great bloody idea! Alex said excitedly. Thundar, youre a genius.

 Hey. The minotaur tapped his thick skull. This head isnt only for ramming things.

 I dont understand, Theresa said, frowning. How is this different froming together and just studying?

 Well, it goes like this, Alex said, recalling lessons of wizard history from his magic lore ss and something Baelin had said. Sometimes wizards form cabals, councils and other organizations to basically share power and for safety. Theres a few in Thamnd, like the Witches of Crymlyn Swamp. Imagine it like a guild or a hunting lodge, except for wizards.

 There are many on campus, Khalik added. Brotherhoods, sisterhoodssiblinghoods, societies and others. Some are like the General Student Association: they represent students and their interests to the school and in Generasi. My brother was a member. They organize events, support each other academically, and in other ways as well.

 Cabals of wizards also share discoveries in their research into magic, and so each member progresses more quickly with their own discoveries, Isolde added. Some of the great old unions of the past, gained political favour as well, rising to be court wizards to kings and even emperors.

 Oh, so its like a hunting party when you need to hunt, a study group when you need to study, and a council when you need to make decisions? Theresa asked.

 Damn right, Thundar said. And were the baddest bastards in all of COMB-1000if you dont count a probably invincible shark man.

 Yeah, we did kick some ass, didnt we? Alex agreed. He thought on The Heroes of Thamnda group chosen and provided with the power to defeat the greatest of enemies. Thiswouldnt be like that. Instead, they would be their own group dedicated to backing each other up in times of trouble and supporting each other in times of peace. I dont think we shouldmit to this for life, though.

 The minotaur snorted. Yeah, Im not some little kid, proposing marriage just because I picked someone a flower. Im thinking we support each other until the end of the year, and if we hate each other then, we shake handsor punch facesand away we go. But. Thundar looked at Isolde. Youre a second year. You probably have a lot less to gain from this than we do?

 On the contrary. Isolde shook her head. You all are a year beneath me, that is true, but most of you are taking courses that are outside my chosen expertise. And, even if you are taking simr courses as I

 She paused, and spoke a quick incantation, instantly casting forceball.

 Alexs eyes widened. She was about as quick as he used to be before The Mark: even if she was in a more advanced year, being able to cast the spell the way she had took talent, practice and skill. Hed only gotten to be as fast as he was after years of practice with one, single spell.

 I have cast a perfect example of the spell, right out of the spell-guide, she said. As such, it is a useful utility spell that sheds light and can support some weight. Yours, though, Alexis monstrousI had thought to duplicate your version, but your modifications must be extensive.

 Alex shrugged. I made it work for me.

 And so, we should make this. She gestured to the group. Work for all of us. You can teach me how you modified your forceball Alex, and I think that will be well worth uniting our efforts.

 Yeah, and hey, Alex said. Next semester, if Im in your ss for mana maniption. Then we can help each other.

 Something shed through her eyes. A spark of determination.

 Well, then. She smiled. We shall aid each other. We all shall, and then grow together because of it. Butwhat do we call our little siblinghood?

 The Herd of Thunder. Thundar grinned.

 Silence spread through the clearing.

 Alex coughed awkwardly.

 Um, perhaps we dont need to name ourselves quite yet, Khalik said quickly. We could take the time to think of a suitable name that we all will be pleased with.

 Fine, but no matter how long you think, youlle back to my idea. Its great, Thundar said.

 Then we are adjoined, Isolde said. Until the end of the semester, we wizards shall work in union to ovee challenges both within our studies, and from without.

 The four wizards shook hands while Theresa witnessed it with a smile.

 When Isolde took Alexs hand, her grip tightened.

 We are adjoined, but to let you know, I shall be making all efforts to crush youwhen you enter second year mana maniption, she said with a challenge in her voice.

 Alex grinned. Sorry, its gonna be hard to crush me when youre pinned firmly beneath the bottom of my boot.

 Isoldes eyes shed and her grip tightened further. Challenge epted.

 Alexs smile faded slightly.

 There was an edge to Isoldes voice.

 Alex, Theresa said as the two of them made their way back to the ins. I think Isoldes jealous of you.

 The group had finished their drinks, chatted, nned and set a date and time for their first meeting to share knowledge and help each other study as one group.

 Isolde had then gone to find her friends, while Thundar and Khalik went on their way, discussing one of the courses they shared.

 Alex had been feeling good after the meeting, but kept thinking back to the edge in Isoldes voice.

 You noticed something too? Alex asked. I was thinking that maybe that was what was going onbut why would she be jealous of me?

 Well, she said it herself, she strives to be the best and hates to lose. Then youe along and have aplishments at least as good as hers, and better. Remember, you said that the graduate student who watched over your test knew of her and her aplishmentsand now she said theyre talking about you. For someone thats striving to be the very best, thatd be kind of tough to takeespecially if youre trying to make up for an ex-partner ruining one of your aplishments in the previous year.

 Yeah, when you put it like that Alex muttered.

 Alreadyin only a few monthsAlexs skill with mana maniption had be a major point of pride for him. It was something hed worked hard at even before The Markjust from practicing forceball so many timesand The Mark had only made him better at it. When he got frustrated at his slow progress with spellcraft or his limits in other areas, hed return to mana maniption as something he could be truly proud of.

 How would he have felt if next year someone showed up and was clearly as good as he was, if not better? Well, he might feel jealous, but then again, one cant excel at everything. FORC1550 was a perfect example.

 Do you thinkyou dont think that its going to be a problem, do you? Alex asked. He imagined Isolde going crazy with jealousy one day and then sting him with lightning or something. She did seem pretty intense at times.

 I dont think so. Theresa thought out loud. Isolde seems pretty reasonable. Andlets seefolk called me the best hunter in Alric, but if someone moved into town who was obviously a lot better than I was, then Id feel a little jealous, sure, but Id also be happy if we could help each other out. Maybe itll be the same now that youre all pooling your resources.

 Yeah, probably.

 Then again, Theresa said. We still dont know her very well.

 Yeah, true, but I guess well find out now that were going to be officially helping each other out and all.

 Mhm. Theresa nodded.

 Their footsteps crunched on the path, and Alex looked down to see dried grape leaves littering the stones. He nced up and noticed the side of a nearby building decorated with wreaths made up of dried grape vines. They were simr to the ones hed seen in town, and the wreathes surrounded paintings of snarling monsters.

 He nodded in the direction of the wreathes. What do you think thats all about? he asked. Some kind of festival?

 Theresa shook her head. I have no idea, but if it is, I think its going to be a spooky one.

 Yeah, definitely. Maybe we can ask Khalik when he gets back to the ins. He seems to know a lot about what goes on here thanks to his brother.

 Alex frowned as the image of the smiling prince crossed his mind.

 They were entering into an official partnershipthe four of themand wizard unions shared knowledge. And sometimes secrets. Khalik had continued toe by the apartment to study, and had invited them over several times for meals. He hade to Selinas affinity test and had jumped in to help her when she started screaming, just as he had.

 Khalik also had his own secret, which hed trusted Alex with.

 The young mans frown deepened and his shoulder seemed to itch.

 Isolde had shared her feelings with the group and the result was a strengthening of rtions between the four of them. What would have happened if she hadnt voiced her thoughts? What would have happened had they just festered in silence for months? Maybe a year or more?

 Again, that mad image of lightning being hurled by Isolde entered his mind.

 Secrets could turn rotten if left to fester too long, and at this point, he wasfortable in saying that he and the prince were bing good friends. And now they were going to work together both for advancement and protection.

 He sighed.

 Perhaps it was time to tell The Prince of Tekezash about The Mark.

 Not necessarily Isolde and Thundarnot yetbut he thought his neighbour could be trusted, especially when Alex held one of his secrets too. Anxious thoughts returned: of Khalik calling him a coward or telling someone else.

 The hair on the back of his neck raised as he thought back to Derekhow the slimy young man had earned Isoldes trust only to ruin something that was really important to her.

 He shook the thought away.

 Khalik really had nothing to gain from doing anything like that to him, and his gut told him he could be trusted. He liked Khalik, and that was that. Besides, he was strongly beginning to consider telling Baelin as well: what the chancellor had done to help Selina had really helped solidify Alexs trust in the ancient wizard.

 So, he would tell Khalik first, and soon.

 Then a littleter, once he was a little closer to Baelin, he might tell him as well. Hed tell Theresa what he was thinking, just to get a second opinion, and then hed think on the when and how to tell Khalik.

 Even as he decided that, it felt like a weight had lifted off his body, and he rotated his shoulders. Secrets were heavy things, as were lies.

 His mind turned toward something else.

 Derek.

 Lies and dishonesty didnt seem to bother him very much.

 His frown deepened. In less than a week, Carey Londons rally to get priests onto campus was urring.

 Alex nned to observe it from a safe distance.

 If something was happening with the priests and campus, he wanted to be the first to know.

 We need the presence of the divine on campus! a student shouted from inside the Gates of Generasi, his voice amplified by a spell. It boomed over the grass, drawing the attention of passersby.

 Campus for Uldar and others who hade out for the rally had gathered just within the school gates. The crowd wasnt asrge as Alex had feared it would be, but definitelyrger than hed hoped. More than fifty students milled about in the crowd, many of them holding signs that bore symbols of their deities.

 Alex had climbed a tree a good hundred yards awaypractice and increased strength had made it easyand lifted a spyss to his eye. It was a tool hed borrowed from the Campus Astronomy Societyand spied the familiar form of Carey London holding a sign that bore the white hand of Uldar. In the crowd, he could see Derek going around, shaking hands and holding a sign with the four elements of the Rhinean Empire on it.

 The rally was a spirited one: many students with musical talents had brought instruments and were sitting on the grass nearby, singing songs to their deities and chanting along with the rallys slogans.

 What Alex saw outside the campus gates made him very, very d he hadnt allowed himself to be bullied into attending. No amount of bullying would have made that happen.

 Priests had gathered on the other side.

 He recognized a white robed servant of Uldar along with clerics of other religionssome he recognized and some he didntall standing beside each other. There werent many of them: less than ten in total, and they looked as nervous as mice at a cat convention.

 Above them, floated the silent, terrifying Watchers of Roal. Three of them patrolled the rally on their stone disks, with weapons close at hand. The aura of disapproval rising off them was palpable, but they hadnt said a word.

 We do not agree with the chancellors policy! Carey shouted next, her magically enhanced voice booming as loud as a bears roar. We are wizards! We are part of the world, as are the gods, and we cannot afford to let people suffer while we do not ally!

 Cheers went up from the rally.

 My homnd, Thamnd, suffers beneath the yoke of a monster! She cried. The good that my people could receive from Generasi forming a union with the gods, would be incredible! We study magic, and are the deities not the most magical entities in all of creation?

 Alex had to admit, Carey was good at projecting her voice: her tone was clear and she sounded like someone who wielded authority. Her passion came through her words andthough most students were clearly uninterested, or only stopped for a few seconds out of curiositysome had paused and were showing a clear interest in the proceedings.

 Meanwhile, Alexs interest was waning.

 The rally was looking like it wasnt going to result in anything too problematic for him. The priests looked terrified just being so near the school, and the protesting studentswhile they had voiced their objectionswerent taking any actions beyond simple calls to action.

 Meanwhile, he had cooking to do: the next day Thundar, Isolde and Khalik wereing to his apartment for their first meeting, and then afterward, Shiani, Angr and Grimloch were going to join them for a pic. There was no way the entire group would fit in his apartment, especially with Thundar and Grimloch present. He hadnt invited Nua-Ogethe schar wizard whose entourage Grimloch was a part ofbecause he didnt actually know her, but he hoped that wasnt some sort of rude oversight in terms of wizarding social rules.

 Afterward, he and Shiani would talk to Selina. It was going to be a big evening.

 He was about to slide down from the tree when something made him pause.

 His mana senses were tingling.

 His heart began to beat fast.

 A strong wind began blowing through the treetops, and the air grew colder. There seemed to be a sinister whispering hidden in the gust. From somewhere close, he felt a simr magic to Baelin and Sinbroks spell being cast. It was almost teleportation magic, but slightly different.

 Then a familiar, creeping feeling crossed his skin.

 His eyes went wide.

 It was simr to what hed felt around the lesser shoggoth in Julesb.

 Oh shit, Alex whispered. Somethingsing.

 And thats when the screams began.

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Chapter 91: The Rally