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

I could have traveled alone, although that is easy to say now that we are back in Sirland.”

“It wouldn’t be proper to let you return to Wistfall without some protection,” Trevor said. “Besides, my work isn’t done with whoever rules Sirland, however temporarily.”

The ride was uneventful, and after leaving Coosin at the Wistfall cathedral, Lissa and Trevor returned to the inn where Trevor had stayed before. This time he used his real name.

“What is going on in Wistfall Castle?” Trevor said. “Has it settled down since I left?”

The innkeeper nodded. “The queen became ill, and Prime Minister Crater became regent. If the queen doesn’t recover, her young daughter will take the throne, so I think the prime minister will head the government for some time.”

“Is that good or bad?” Lissa asked.

“Good. Very good. No one likes how the queen changed lately. All that has changed, except now we are told we may be going to war with Maskum.”

“We came from Jarkan and rode along the border. I don’t know about a war, but we ran into a skirmish,” Trevor said. “The Sirlandians prevailed, though.”

“That is good to hear. How long will you be staying?”

“A few days,” Trevor said.

Knowing that the prime minister was now regent was good news. The man seemed sincere when he ushered them out of the castle grounds.

They walked toward the castle to meet Coosin Escarik. Something was happening in the marketplace in the square.

“We should walk around this,” Lissa said.

Trevor bit his lip as he looked at the fist fighting. “We are to meet Coosin on the other side, and I want to see what is causing this.”

Lissa sighed. “There is always trouble following you.”

Trevor laughed. “This time, I’m following it.” He strode into the market and pulled a fighter, licking his wounds aside. “What is going on?”

“The Dryden cleric that deposed the queen had the nerve to show his face in public.”

“He is in the middle of this?”

The man nodded.

Trevor pushed the man aside and began working his way toward the center of the conflict. Citizen fought citizen. Trevor had no idea how they could find out who was an enemy or not, but then perhaps it was much like a common room brawl. At this point, they were fighting to fight.

As he got closer, Trevor saw guards sprinkled in the melee. The gleam of weapons was beginning to show, and Trevor drew his sword. He turned back to check Lissa.

“I’m here covering your back.”

“But who is watching yours?” Trevor said as he used the fist closed around the sword’s hilt. He was cutting a steady path through all the fighting until he reached a guard fighting a guard.

“Who is for who?” Trevor shouted at the men as he dodged another punch.

“I am for the queen!” a guard cried out.

“And I’m for Crater,” the other said.

That made it easy for Trevor. He walked up to the queen’s guard and punched him in the nose. “Are you for or against Dryden?” Trevor asked the prime minister’s man.

“For, of course.”

“Then let’s get a defense organized,” Trevor said. “We need a united front to stop this.”

The guard began to gather others in favor of Crater, and gradually the fighting began to take on the character of a battle with defined sides. Trevor found Coosin fighting for his life with a knife-wielding man. The seer tossed tiny balls of flame at the man’s hands to discourage him rather than light him up like a torch, but Coosin’s face was filled with bruises.

Trevor identified a group of men who seemed to be the leaders of the queen’s faction and fought his way to the three men and confronted them.

“Cease fighting immediately!” Trevor said as he got closer and realized that the men looked like Maskumites. They might have been confederates of the magician.

One of them stepped back and cast a sheet of flame at Trevor. This was the first significant show of magic other than Coosin’s defensive fireballs. Trevor stepped in front of Lissa to protect her. He couldn’t rely on her charms against a Maskumite magician.

Trevor stepped forward and plunged his sword into the magician. The other two were about to do the same when Coosin stepped behind the man and placed hands on each neck, and the men fell to the ground.

“Fighting is over!” Trevor called. “You are all Sirlandians!”

It was as if a spell had evaporated, and a few probably had. Fists and knives dropped, and the fighters looked at each other. The guards that Trevor had organized made their way through the crowd.

Prime Minister Crater, surrounded by guards, made his way to Trevor. “What happened here?”

“I think these three will prove to be Maskumites. They spelled the crowd and caused all the fighting. It would have been worse, but most used their fists rather than arms and magic.”

“And a good thing,” Crater said. “It is illegal to do so in this square. You used your sword?” He said to Trevor.

“The dead man at my feet covered me with flame. I had to protect myself and the people behind me.”

Crater nodded. “Tell me what you experienced.”

Coosin came up. “I was on my way to the castle gate when these three men accosted me. They called me an enemy of the queen and jostled me while getting others riled up.”

“With spells,” Lissa said, kneeling beside the two unconscious men. “It was planned by the three men. I’m sure because this one is awake pretending to be asleep.” She held up the wrist of one of the men. She looked down at the man opening his eyes. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“I didn’t do anything!”

Lissa shook her head. “A lie, of course.”

“Take them away. Bind their hands first. If they give you any trouble, let