The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume I: Volume I

arranged the destruction of the dragon nimbus and therefore robbed the kingdom of Communal magic that could overpower any single rogue.
    But how to prove it, when Baamin doubted Krej’s guilt himself.
    If the Commune was tightly knit, as protective of its individual members as they were of the whole, the Twelve were even more so. Krej’s treason would have to be proved by concrete evidence, not magical observation.
    “The western border is all but gone.” Krej looked into the eyes of each lord in turn. “Raiders are infiltrating. I have pleas for help from six villages that have been sacked, burned, their men killed, and their women raped and kidnapped. Children wander hungry and homeless—vulnerable to the Rovers who also prowl our lands. Word of these tragedies will reach our jealous neighbors soon. They will mass their armies and attack, then they will take our unprotected resources rather than paying dearly for them. What do we have left to fight them with?”
    Baamin felt a compulsion spell behind Krej’s words as well as his magnetic gaze. Who dared throw such a spell? Outward magic was forbidden in Council. By law and tradition, a magician was allowed to communicate with his lord through magic but could throw no other spells.
    Who had grown so strong that he defied this most valued of prohibitions?
    “We have an army.” Andrall, Lord of Nunio, Scrawny’s affiliate lord, argued at the prodding of his magician. “We’ve kept them trained for just such an emergency.
    “They’ve gone soft, fighting imaginary enemies,” Krej returned. “And who is to lead them? King Darcine,” he sneered the title, “is near death. His son is missing. Off dallying with his latest mistress, I presume.”
    “Don’t you know where Darville secludes himself?” Baamin asked desperately. He tried to throw a truth spell over this domineering lord. The spell bounced back, neutralized and harmless.
    Krej was armored. That spell was legal in Council, but it was usually thrown by a magician to include himself and his lord. Baamin couldn’t detect the source of the spell.
    “How should I know where our feckless prince has wandered?” Krej stood and began pacing the room with calculated and controlled steps.
    “Gentlemen,” he addressed the room, “the kingdom is in crisis. Our protective border is disintegrating, our enemies are massing for attack. Rossemeyer on our southeastern border is demanding marriage to our prince or they will declare war. SeLenicca, to the west, claims such a marriage will be an act of war against them. And where are our beloved king and his son to sort out this nonsense? Darcine lies dying and Darville was last seen out hunting several moons ago. Neither is in a position to guide us. Even the Commune, which has protected us so long, has become ineffectual.”
    There were murmurs of anxious agreement around the room. No one questioned Krej’s source of information. Baamin felt the five still strong magicians “nudge” their lords with reassurance. They were men he thought he could trust, men who had been close friends for many years.
    The other magicians tried persuasion, without success. If they had powers beyond traditional magic, they didn’t yet trust them enough to call upon them. These magicians were younger than himself. He knew them as masters but not as men. Could he trust them enough to teach them rogue magic?
    “I have summoned Prince Darville home from his monastic retreat,” Baamin stalled. He kept his shoulders straight, his face impassive. It would not do for Krej to penetrate his own armor and learn the extent of his magic as well as his doubts and fears. He couldn’t forget that Krej’s face had been beneath the mask of his nightmares at the ball.
    “And how long will his return take? There are no monasteries within a week’s hard ride.” Krej answered his own question. “Gentlemen. We don’t have that long. We need to take action now! We must show ourselves as strong enough to repulse all our enemies. Enemies that have been trying to penetrate our border for generations.”
    Krej’s pacing ceased. He stood directly behind the king’s chair, a copy of the throne in the Great Hall. His position and posture effectively assumed control and eliminated Baamin from view by the other Council members. His handsome body and the high back of the throne stood between the magician and the rest of the room.
    “In the absence of the king, we, the Council of Provinces, have