The Mirror Mage | ONC2022

44. Between

Was the bastard dead or not?

Eldor wasn't convinced his last blow had connected properly, before Althor fell into the Scrying Glass. He swore. For his own protection, he had to assume the other mage still lived.

Adrenaline was pumping through his body. He hadn't planned to kill Althor, but when he'd seen him standing there concentrating on the glass, his back squarely presented, completely oblivious, the temptation had been too great. A sharp blow to the skull and it should have been all over. Instead...

He peered into the glass but could see nothing. Where would his nemesis have gone? He felt a strong urge to plunge in after him, but he knew that would be foolish. There were too many possibilities once you were through the glass. Odds were, if Althor were conscious and capable of making decisions, he would go hunting for his offsider, Ben Lucas. Still, that would take some time. He'd arrange for one of the apprentices—or better still, two—to stand watch in the scrying room, and let him know the moment either one of the other mages returned.

Eldor was almost at the door when he heard a sound, coming from behind him. He spun around. Althor was emerging from the Scrying Glass like an avenging angel. His face was hard with determination and he had a long, shiny blade strapped to his waist.

Eldor wasted a few precious seconds while his brain scrabbled with the shock. How...? What...? Even before Althor had stepped down from the glass, he could see Ben Lucas beginning to emerge. Two against one. Eldor turned and fled.

He pelted down the stairs to his quarters, almost tripping in his haste. The sound of Althor's pounding feet spurred him onward. Gasping for breath, he slammed his door shut behind him and barred it. Damn! Damn! Damn! He had been so close to success!

Could he stay and brazen things out? Picturing the look on Althor's face, he thought not. Not this time. He had the look of a man hunting blood. Hastily he cast his eyes around the room. Was there anything he needed to take with him? A coat perhaps. Sturdier shoes.

Bang! Bang! The door shook, but held firm for the moment. There was no time to waste. Eldor snatched up his coat and scrambled into his boots. Then he twitched the cloth from the mirror and stepped out of the room and into the world between.

Eldor floated in the darkness, his eyes roaming from one distant light to another, as he weighed his options.

Where to go next? Not back to Esperia, that was for certain! Perhaps a different country this time, Polonia or even Carillon, somewhere he could change his name and start a new life. Somewhere that Althor wouldn't bother to follow.

He had visited Polonia once. A series of island communities in a warmer part of the world. Fun for a visit but he wouldn't want to live there. As for Carillon, he had never been there in person but he'd heard it was cold, colder even than the Snow Mountains, though that was hard to believe. He didn't like the cold.

His lips twisted in a scowl. Neither option felt particularly appealing.

Perhaps he should leave Sunia entirely and seek his fortune in a new world?

He studied the distant lights more closely. Somewhere out there was Barolong, his home world. When he had escaped, all those years ago, he had never intended to return and had made no effort to remember the location. Twenty years had passed, surely the Militia had given up the hunt, but he had no desire to find out. On Barolong, he had been a very small fisk in a vicious society, fighting for survival.

The position he had carved out for himself on Rhillion was far more comfortable. Here, he had power and respect. Resentment surged, swallowing the anxiety which had threatened to take control. Why should he have to start again? Build a name and a reputation for the second time, when he had been so close to taking his rightful place in Vierrac?

His thoughts swung back to Althor.

Where had he come from? Not Rider's Keep, if he was any judge. That blade he was wearing was evidently a weapon of some sort, but he had not seen its like anywhere on Sunia. Clearly, it had come from another country or... Eldor's mind leapt to the obvious conclusion. Another world. Ben Lucas. The two men had fled to his world and returned, armed and prepared to fight.

He wondered what other weapons they might have there. He wondered whether it would be possible for him to find that world.

~~~

Lucian broke down the door of Eldor's rooms to find no trace of the other mage. Once again, Eldor had escaped through a mirror. Lucian had feared as much, though a small part of him had hoped for a confrontation.

Ben returned to his side after a search of every place their quarry could possibly have concealed himself. It hadn't taken more than a minute.

"He's gone." He sounded as frustrated as Lucian felt. He thumped a fist into his open palm.

"If only there was some way of tracking him through the mirror world. I can't bear the thought that we have to sit around, waiting for him to reappear at his convenience!" Ben growled out the words.

Lucian took a few deep breaths, trying to defuse his fury. He shrugged, then winced as his shoulder protested. "I know. But I have never heard of anyone being able to track another on the other side of the glass. Truth be told, some have trouble enough finding their own paths!"

He put his good arm around Ben's shoulders. "Will you come with me to speak to Tsenor? Tell him what you saw when I was fighting with Eldor over the Guild Master? This time I want to be prepared. I want all the guards warned and ready to restrain Eldor should he ever have the effrontery to return."

"Of course," replied Ben.

"And I suppose I need to tell Tsenor about Eldor's attempt on my life. Although, there were no witnesses. He'll simply have to take my word for it."

"At least that will explain the broken door," said Ben wryly, looking at the splintered remains.