A Clash of Magics by Guy Antibes (read this if txt) 📕

hard against our defenses, but they are continually testing us,” Henkari said. “At some point, they might combine their forces and attack at one of the weaker points.”

“What about a counterattack?” Trevor asked.

Henkari grunted, but Potur spoke. “It doesn’t make sense to press into Maskum. They still outnumber us in the border, but our troops are better, so it is a bit of a stalemate, like it usually is.”

The general nodded. “When I oversaw the border, it was the same. Everyone waits for the vaunted Maskumite magicians to join in, but they never have.”

“Their game is to win politically, not militarily,” Trevor said, “but I killed another of their magicians in Sirland. I don’t know how many magicians have the power to perform the invisibility spell.”

They rode through a fortified camp at the border, and Henkari had the fort commander explain what was happening in his area.

“Do they ever try to circumvent your fort?” Trevor asked.

“All the time, but we have scouts to monitor that. We have strategically placed our camps to funnel most of the Maskumite troops toward our strongest forces.”

“And that works?” Volst asked.

“It works to discourage them,” the commander said.

The four of them returned to pick up Lissa, Akku, and Escarik.

They spent the next three days riding from outpost to outpost. There were walled villages all the way to the border with Sirland.

“This is as far as I go,” Henkari said. “It isn’t politically wise for me to enter Sirland. The queen continually rebuffed any attempts at cooperating.”

“I understand,” Trevor said. “Coosin, Lissa, and I will continue south for a bit and then travel to Wistfall. I’m hoping Crater has clarified the situation with the queen. Lissa and I will teleport back to the general’s garrison from Wistfall.”

After making the horse exchange, they left Potur, Volst, Akku, and the general and took a road on the Sirland side of the border with Maskum. It wasn’t long until they arrived at a Sirland checkpoint.

“Names and papers,” the soldier said.

Trevor had retrieved the identification papers that he was issued in Okora.

“This may become a hostile border,” the soldier warned. “The Maskumites turned our queen against us, and we expect a Maskumite incursion.”

“This is common knowledge?” Coosin asked.

The soldier shrugged. “We all know about it at the garrison.”

“Where is your encampment?”

“Five miles south. It is on this road.”

Trevor nodded. “We will visit your commander.

Before they reached the garrison, Trevor saw smoke rising above the treetops. “That must be the garrison. Maybe we can help!”

He urged his horse on and left the others galloping behind. When Trevor reached the garrison, Maskumite soldiers were pouring oil on the wooden palisades of the fort, which had already been set on fire. He didn’t know of any magical spell that would stop an oil fire, but then what did he know? He pulled out his bow and began shooting at the invading soldiers at long range. When his arrows began to hit the soldiers, they turned, and a few of them peeled off to engage him.

Trevor realized he had outrun his defense again and turned to retreat to the north when a large squad of Sirland soldiers rode from the back of the garrison and cut off Trevor’s attackers from their main body. Trevor turned around and exhausted his arrows before pulling his sword. By the time that happened, Lissa joined him to fight the Maskumites.

Lissa had no problem shooting lightning bolts, and Trevor and Lissa combined sword and fire in their offense. Coosin didn’t join in the fight. Suddenly a thin white lightning bolt shot out from the woods and hit Lissa in the side. She fell from her horse. Coosin rode to her aid while Trevor moved toward the wood. The magician was on foot, running toward his horse when he turned and shot the same white lightning bolt. Trevor could see the fear blossom on his face when the Maskumite realized his special weapon didn’t work on Trevor.

Trevor tackled the magician in the middle of the woods, jumping from his horse. He needed to do some interrogation. The man struggled with Trevor, but the Maskumite simply lacked the strength to fight with Trevor for very long. Trevor finally gave the man enough punches to the jaw to render him unconscious.

He loaded the magician on his horse and rode out of the woods. The Maskumite force had been given a chance to withdraw their dead and injured, but Trevor called out that they were keeping the magician.

Trevor found Seer Coosin treating Lissa inside the enclosure of the garrison. An officer walked up to them. “I didn’t expect strangers to come to our aid,” the man said. “I am Major Darien Boarson, the company commander.”

“I captured a magician. He is the one who injured Lissa.”

The commander looked at Lissa, who was sleeping through Coosin’s ministrations. “I’ll have my healer take a look. We spanked them a little more than we usually do,” Boarson said.

“They fight you from time to time?”

Boarson nodded. “We are doing much the same as the Jarkanese are doing to the north of us, but our fortifications aren’t as well placed as theirs. We’ll have our palisade repaired before the end of the day tomorrow. The fire keeps them out as well as us from a counterattack, until today, that is. When we saw you out in the field, I sent cavalry to save you, but my office quickly saw an opportunity to cut the devils off and reduced their numbers more than usual.”

“That magician has been worth twenty of their men. He hides in the woods. You saw what he was able to do.”

“No longer,” Trevor said. “When Lissa recovers, I’d like to interrogate him. You can join in,” Trevor said.

“Interrogate him? You sound like you are in the army. Are you from