the enemy of my enemy - prologue spoiler

8/9/2019 The Enemy of my Enemy - Prologue *SPOILER*

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The Enemy of my Enemy

Prologue

Snyder sat quietly resting against the trunk of a large poplar tree, grinning to

himself. The half-satyr wizard, a bard by trade, was barely within earshot of his tree

house. He preferred it that way, at the moment, because just within earshot was justoutside of Nias throwing range.

Snyder was glad that that the groom was obligated to keep away from the bride

the day before the wedding. Because she was not supposed to see him, he had an excuse


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to avoid the scaled-woman, when she was in as foul a mood as she was at that particular

time. This wedding had been her idea, but that did not mean that she was entirely happy

about it. She had avoided commitment for more than twenty years. Snyder was justhoping that she would take less than another twenty years to get accustomed to the idea.

The half-satyr stretched, barely able to make out the string of profanity that

emerged from the open window of his tree house. Nia was complaining to her friends,the ones attempting to help her organize things, about one thing or another that did not

meet her liking. A few moments later an object went flying out of the window. A shoe -

apparently, there was something wrong with Nias shoes. Not a surprise considering thescaled woman had odd shaped feet compared to the average human, and preferred to go

shoeless. Snyder chuckled.

Staying out of the line of fire, I see, someone laughed from behind the bard.

Snyder knew the person meant him no harm. There was not even a slight throbbing fromhis ring of warning, but that was not his only clue. That voice was one of the most

familiar to the half-satyr, second only to Nias, and not one he necessarily had been

expecting to hear again so soon. The bard turned with a huge grin on his aging face, his

greying golden curls catching the sunlight.Emrys! You made it! Snyder declared happily. He stood, brushing the dust

from his clothing, and embraced his foster son, soon to be step-son, with greatenthusiasm. He noted that the young man was alone.

Wheres the entourage? the bard asked.

I left them just outside of town. They are waiting there for me to make my

grand entrance, the young prince laughed. I thought Id come find you and give yousome warning. It might be fun for you to get to watch the reaction of the average

townsfolk when we come parading in. Im sure it will be priceless.

Snyder shared Emryss amusement. The prince regent of Seaforest had grown upwithin the midst of the general populace in Ashwood, without anyone being the least bit

suspicious, even though he was practically a clone of his regal father. Ashwood had

always been somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, which also meant they were alittle behind the times. They knew little about places outside their own outskirts,

especially somewhere as distant as Seaforest. That was one of the reasons Snyder had

chosen to settle there in the first place, given his criminal background and fugitive statusat the time, in the far off kingdom.

Even now, word of the death of the King of Seaforest at the hand of Jadoran

assassins, also his illegitimate heirs, had managed to spread to all of the major cities,

including nearby Alma, Anthis and Karima, but not to Ashwood. Those who knew ofthis tragedy had also been made aware of the birth of the Kings supposed one and only

legitimate heir, the newest Prince Thomas. It was equally well known in the bigger cities

that Emrys had assumed the role of prince regent, since he was the Kings only remainingillegitimate heir, and little Prince Thomas was barely more than a year old. The younger

heir would assume the throne when he came of age, and could be crowned King.

Despite this knowledge spreading to nearby Alma and Anthis, the people inAshwood were still in the dark about Emryss true identity. His official arrival for Nia

and Snyders wedding, with his full entourage and colourful regalia, would create a huge

uproar that would have people there buzzing for months, perhaps even years, to come.


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How is Mathilde, and your boy? Snyder inquired with a smile. The bard

referred to the Queen of Seaforest, previously Emryss step-mother. She was now

involved in a much different relationship with the prince regent, and Prince Thomas wasactually her and Emryss son, and not the legitimate heir to the deceased king, as was

believed.

Prince Tom is growing like a weed, Emrys assured him. Hes as fair as hismother, and hes starting to walk, with support. You and Mom will have to come visit us

when all of this wedding business is over and done with. Jarvas still misses her craziness.

I think he gets bored with the tame palace life. Nothing much interesting happens aroundthere anymore. Jarvas was a very large and insightful, dark-skinned, bald man who

served as the head of the royal guard. He had once been in charge of keeping watch over

Emryss hot-blooded mother, which had proven to be one of the most challenging jobs a

man could be assigned.No Renegade upstarts to stir up trouble? the bard laughed.

Nia, Snyder and Emrys were all adept in the use of Renegade magic, a more

personal and potentially dangerous type of magic than Master magic, if used

undisciplined. Those who had not practiced it safely had created a bad reputation for thatstyle of spell-use, a reputation that was supported by the elitist efforts of certain

University trained mages, versed in the more traditional and often more-controlledMaster magic. Renegade magic was currently illegal in Seaforest, which had created

problems for Snyder and Nia in the past, but Emrys was fighting to see that changed.

Those who supported the law still had a slight majority of the law-making and law-

striking votes. Emrys still had some work to do to win over the handful of nobles who heknew might be encouraged to switch sides, with the right incentive. In the meantime,

they still remained under the influence of Lord Alistair Silverwood, the strongest

supporter of the anti-Renegade law, and his right and left hand flunkies, Lord VargasQuintain and Countess Medina Galloway.

Not unless you count my own efforts, Dad, the prince regent joked. No...my

life has been pretty quiet. It could use a little stirring up. Thats why Im heading toAnthis after the wedding. Im going to approach the Magic Academy to send a blended

contingent to Seaforest, to press my point about changing the law. I even bring an offer

of diplomatic immunity, so that they can practice their magic there without fear ofpersecution. That means I need to ask you a favour

Emrys started as a second shoe came flying out of the window. Snyder chuckled,

his blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

Of course, he commented. What good is one shoe without the other? Orperhaps this is the type of situation that led to the adage about the other shoe dropping?

He glanced over at his foster son. What sort of favour were you thinking of?

Emrys looked at the shoe, shaking his head in amazement. His mother was nothandling this wedding thing with a level head. Oddly enough, this did not surprise him.

He felt that Snyder was probably getting off lightly if the only things that his mother was

throwing out of the windows were shoes. He returned his attention to the bard.I want you to come with me to Anthis. Reid Blake doesnt know me at all, but

he knows you. From what you told me, he invited you to teach at the Academy once. I

have a feeling that hed be more willing to hear what I have to say if you were with me,

as opposed to if I went on my own, the prince regent suggested.


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Oh, I dont know about that. He knew your regal father, too. Im sure he would

welcome you and would listen to whatever you had to say. Hes a very reasonable and

amicable fellow. On the other hand, I cant say how his business partner would react toyour proposal.

Snyder had met Gillis once, very briefly, and he was unaware that their

partnership had transformed, and was now made up of seven people, instead of the initialtwo. He was also unaware of the newest branch of the Academy that had been opened in

Alma, a branch that now housed Gillis.

I dont doubt that this Reid will allow me to speak my peace, Emrys admitted.I just think he will be more receptive to me if you are there too. Will you do this for

me? Just think how much easier it will be to visit your son and grandson if your magic

use isnt restricted while you are in Seaforest. And just imagine how much easier it will

be to keep Mom out of trouble while you are there, if that changed. This statement waspunctuated by the sound of crunching glass as something breakable followed the last shoe

out of the window.

I hope that wasnt something that I actually liked or needed, the bard sighed.

If you decide to visit with your mother before you return to your entourage, I advise thatyou keep out of projectile range on the way in. The next thing she may decide is

unsatisfactory is the cutlery, and you dont want to get in the way if she starts flingingknives out of the windows

So what do you say? his foster son repeated. Will you come with me to

Anthis?

So long as your mother doesnt object, I dont see why not. It might be kind ofnice to see Anthis again, and to see what Reid Blake has been doing with himself. It

might also be a good opportunity to visit Urwick at the University, and get the scoop on

what he has been up to. I havent been back there in decades. Maybe I might even get achance to meet this Anna that seems to have produced such miraculous changes in

Ebon.

Snyder spoke of his University acquaintances with friendly familiarity. He feltquite indebted to Ebon for helping him to clear himself of criminal charges in Seaforest,

as well as for helping him to find Nia when she had misportalled after a near fatal

encounter with the Jadoran assassins who had slain the king.Good. Ill talk to Mom then, as soon as she calms down. There was a loud

metallic clatter in the space between the poplar tree, and the tree house. Apparently, she

really had decided that the cutlery was unsatisfactory. Emrys flinched in response to the

clamour.Whenever that might be, he added.

At this rate, you just might be here for a while. You have a much better chance

of talking her into letting me go than I ever would, but I wouldnt rush it. Or at least, Idwait until she runs out of things to throw. She seems to be escalating. The next thing

you know, shell be tossing her bridesmaids out the window, Snyder predicted.

I wouldnt put it past her, Emrys snickered. Im heading back to theentourage. Are you going to come watch the show?

Wouldnt miss it for the world, the bard grinned, and as Emrys headed back the

way from which he had come, Snyder trotted off towards the main road through

Ashwood.


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* - * - *

Along the waterfront in Feltrey, there stood a greyed and weathered wooden

building. It was a little larger than the other structures there, and it was bedecked with a

garish sign declaring it to be the home of the Feltrey Feature Players, or the FFP. Whilenot much to look at, the theatre was well known for its creative and dynamic productions,

presented by the twenty-one people that called the leaky building home. At the forefront

of this motley crew was a young woman by the name of Angellica Bonda.When Angellica had first opened the theatre, after converting a warehouse into a

stage house, she had begun with only a handful of people. From that point onwards

others had been drawn to the troupe and their passionate dark-haired leader, apparently

for varying reasons. The truth was, there was only really one reason. The FFP was thefront for the Seaforest Renegade Underground, and Angellica happened to be the current

leader of the rebellion.

The conversion of the theatre building had been designed around this premise.

There were secret rooms throughout the edifice and the green room had a trap door in thefloor hidden beneath a battered rug. This trap door led to a series of covert tunnels that

opened out at the beach, tunnels that had once been used by smugglers to sneak theirelicit wares into the warehouse. Now these tunnels were considered to be the FFPs

primary escape route, should they be discovered for what they really were, and forced to

flee quickly.

Angellica, in her late twenties, had twenty supporters in the FFP, who played theparts of cast and crew at the theatre. They were of differing ages, genders, races and

experience, coming from a diverse set of backgrounds, but they were all practitioners of

illegal Renegade magic. They secretly called themselves the League of Twenty-One,behind closed doors, a joke referring back to the group of Master mages that had

originally founded Magic University.

On this particular day, the troupe happened to be rehearsing their most recentcomedy production, a little farce about a group of court jesters who found themselves

burdened with the responsibility of preventing a civil war. The stage was empty as

Angellica entered the left wing, while the producer, director and technical operator weredebating a selection of special effects for the play. The director, Darby, a lanky

strawberry blond haired man, and the producer, Josh, a short, energetic, dark-haired man

who seemed incapable of standing still, were both dressed in jester costumes, taking on

multiple roles within the production. All three complained and shielded their eyes asAngellica stepped onto the stage, a brilliant glare flashing from the unusually shaped

brooch she wore on her chest.

Angie, dear, Josh protested. How many times have I told you not to wear thatonto the stage? These lights are magical. They react with your Weavecharm every

time.

Angellica apologized, slipping back into the shadows behind the curtains. Sheplucked the family heirloom from her shirt and slid it into her pocket, before strolling

back onto the stage. The charm had the ability to both accentuate and reflect magic back

at its source, which was why it always had such a dramatic effect on the stage lights.


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Have any of you seen, Clarke? she asked. Clarke was their acquisitions man.

If there was anything the FFP needed, Clarke always found a way to get it, at whatever

price they could offer. The two brightly garbed men shook their heads. Harv, theowlish-looking, diminutive man, who happened to be their technical specialist, shrugged.

He hasnt shown his face around here, the quiet little man offered. Maybe you

should check with Cecelia. Perhaps he has been in to see her.Cecelia never left her quarters. The elderly woman had once been arrested and

charged with illegal use of Renegade magic. The FFP had helped her escape, but she had

been in no condition to go into exile, living life on the run. The troupe had adopted heras their matron, keeping her hidden from the authorities, making sure that all of her needs

were met, and going to her when they needed magical advice. She provided what

information she could, but her contributions were limited. She had more training in

Renegade magic than any of them, but she had been traumatized while in custody, andcontinued to suffer from small bouts of amnesia, particularly with regards to several of

her spells, as a result.

With thanks, Angellica left the stage and climbed the ladder into her loft. She

moved the furniture aside that barred the way to Cecelias quarters and opened the door.This suggested that if Clarke had visited the elderly Renegade, he was there no longer.

That did not mean, however, that he had not come and gone. Angellica decided that itwould not hurt to check in with Cecelia. She might be able to shed some light as to

where the FFPs acquisition man had disappeared, exactly.

Angellica clambered her way through the undersized makeshift corridor and

knocked quietly at the door.For Valour and mercy, she murmured through the door, not wanting to frighten

the elderly Renegade. Cecelia released her magical lock and allowed the dark haired

young woman to enter, always pleased to have visitors.And what, may I ask, brings you here today, my dear? Cecelia inquired with a

smile, sitting comfortably in her weathered chair. Good news regarding the prince

regents efforts to liberate us, I would hope.Not yet, Im afraid, Angellica confessed, But dont give up praying. He needs

only two more votes and victory will be ours, from what Ive heard. I was just checking

to see if Clarke had been by to visit today. I need some supplies for the next show and Icant seem to find him anywhere.

Cecelias brow furrowed. It was a rule in the theatre that if anyone went out, they

were expected to tell someone where they were going, and when they expected to come

back. There had been at least three close encounters with the authorities involvingmembers of the troupe, and because of this, there was a general paranoia that someone

might go out, be apprehended, and never come back. If that were to happen, their entire

organization would be put at risk of being exposed.Thats not like Clarke, the elderly Renegade remarked. Hes usually very

responsible about following our rules. He understands they exist with good cause.

Well, I havent checked with everyone yet, Angellica admitted. Hestia andSolomon are out in the workshop working on props for the next show. They may know

where he went. The two siblings were very adept at prop construction. The Nordic-

looking pair of entertainers were also the sole mages with natural inclination in the

troupe. Hestia, soft-spoken but strong willed, was inclined to water magic, while her


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more jovial, highly energetic and less forceful younger brother, Solomon, was inclined to

electrical spells.

I havent asked Rory or Timothy either. They are in the back alleyway paintingsets, the Underground leader added. The two athletic men were the youngest members

of the FFP, and often performed some of the more physical tasks around the theatre. In

addition to being a Renegade, Rory suffered from the additional distinction of being partAquatu, a strain of hardy coastal elf. He bore a significant chip on his shoulder, as a

result, and a grizzly disposition to boot. In anywhere but Seaforest, this would not have

been a problem for him, but the people of that kingdom were very prejudice against allwho were not pure-blood human. That had made their prince regents hybrid state a topic

of great discussion and debate, too. Many of his subjects would have refused his reign, if

given the chance to protest. He had been deemed, however, the only rightful heir of

proper maturity, and would continue to rule until his brother came of age.Timothy on the other hand, who was human, was a notorious prankster. He came

from a commonplace urchin background, and had been a street performer when he was

first recruited by Rory, who had caught him fiddling with a Renegade spell in a back

alley. Unlike his black-haired, violet-eyed, pale-skinned half-aquatu friend, Timothy wasvery non-descript. He bore a mop of plain brown curls and had steely grey eyes that

usually smiled as much as his well-tanned face. He was as lean and sinewy as Rory wasmuscle-bound, and the two friends were nearly inseparable.

I suggest you check with them first then, the elderly woman proposed. Im

sure he must have said something to someone. It just hasnt become obvious because

everyone is so distracted with the upcoming opening night.Angellica agreed with the wise veteran Renegade, and spared her a few moments

of her attention for small talk before returning to the loft. Covering over the door again,

the dark-haired woman, started out towards the workshop. She was intercepted halfwaythere by her second in command, a brilliant but shy woman named Shasta. Shastas dark

eyes peered out at her from a jumble of equally dark curls, sparkling genially in her

swarthy-skinned face. When the petite Renegade smiled, there was a noticeable gapbetween her front teeth.

Sorry to get in your way, Angie, but can I pull you aside for one moment.

Marilla and Shevaun are arguing over the costumes again, and I need you to play the roleof mediator before it turns into a fist fight, she said apologetically.

A cat-fight would be more like it, Angellica thought with frustration. Neither of

the ladies would pose a real physical threat to anyone, but both of them might stoop to

dirty fighting tricks like scratching, biting or hair pulling. Both women had their ownparticular flaws that tended to pit them against each other. Marilla, the other half-elf in

the troupe, was known as the FFP airhead. While normally very pleasant by nature,

she often made comments without thinking, and came across as rather unintelligent. Thehaughty Shevaun was the exact opposite. She considered herself smarter than anyone

else in the troupe, and she lorded her intellect and superior education over the others. She

could not tolerate any suggestion of stupidity or thoughtlessness.Angellica sighed. Shasta did not have the presence to intervene in the dispute

effectively. The FFP leader would have to return to her hunt for Clarke at a later time.

She had seen the women escalate their hostilities on two other occasions, and the results

had been very destructive and messy. With the opening approaching quickly, Angellica


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could not afford allow the two to resolve the matter on their own. The consequences of

doing so could prove to be a show-stopper. She turned and followed Shasta back toward

the costume room.

* - * - *

Clarke, also known as Spectacle by his Jadoran contact, was worrying that he had

been gone from the theatre building for far too long. He had slipped away as soon as he

had received the sign that Catfoot wanted to see him, expecting the meeting would be asquick and painless as their rendezvous normally were. Had he known how long it was

actually going to take, he would have made up a story, and let someone know he would

be leaving. Instead, he had simply snuck out, expecting no one would miss him for a few

minutes. It had not been that simple.When the brown-haired man arrived in their usual meeting place, Catfoot was not

there waiting for him. In fact, he had been forced to wait several minutes for her to

arrive, eating into the time he had allotted for a quick excursion.

Ive come to tell you that you have two days left to decide, she said quietly, herexpression one of concern. Her brown eyes regarded him carefully, watching for his

response. He had never seen her without her mask. That privilege would be reserved tothe day that he agreed to become a member of her cell - if he ever agreed.

What do you mean, two days? You had told me I had as long as I wanted to

decide, Clarke protested. This arrangement seemed to be working quite well for both

of us. You got what you needed from the Renegades, and I got what I needed from theJadorans. Why fix something that isnt broken?

I dont like the situation any more than you do, she insisted. But those of

higher authority have decided to force the issue. The Jadorans have formed a newalliance in Seaforest, one that wont allow us to work with the Renegades anymore. You

have three options. You can join us here, you can cut your ties with us and stay with the

Underground, or you can leave Seaforest and continue to sit on the fence. Two days,Spectacle. Is that clear?

Can you at least give me a better explanation? Dont I deserve that much? It

might make my decision that much easier you know. You are springing this on me rathersuddenly, after all, the cunning Renegade pointed out.

I was only just given these directives myself, she remarked with annoyance. It

would appear that those above me have created ties with a new group, and this union

threatens our relations with the Renegades in Seaforest. There is a benefit to this jointventure that Lady Finesse considers greater than our dealings with you in this kingdom.

Our new allies have agreed to help us take on Magic University, and we will hopefully

rout them altogether with their help, once and for all. But first, we have to fulfil someobligations with them here, and part of their conditions includes severing our ties with the

Underground. So thats how things stand. If you want to stay in Seaforest, you have a

choice to make.Who could you be allying with that would make those kinds of demands,

especially if they are siding with you against the Masters? I would have thought that any

enemy of theirs would look at the Renegades in a favourable light, Clarke argued.


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Well apparently, thats not the case. For some reason this group, who call

themselves the Scourge, take issue with the Renegades in this kingdom as well as the

Masters. They seem to have something against mages in general. I dont have anyspecifics myself, or I would share them. Ive told you everything that I know. The truth

is, if you choose to remain with the Underground, we will be enemies from that point

forward instead of allies. I may even be forced to hunt you down and kill you some day.That really isnt something that I would want to do. Id hate to waste something so

appealing to the eye, Catfoot confessed.

That doesnt inspire a lot of confidence in the whole notion of choice thatyouve presented. I either leave the people I consider as close as family, or Im as good

as dead. Thats essentially what you are telling me, he muttered, shaking his head.

Im glad I dont have to press home the point, the Jadoran woman stated. I do

what I have to do for the brethren, without question. You have to decide where the betterpart of your commitment lies, and what kind of risk you are willing to face in order to

remain with others of your kind. I risk death everyday with my cell, but Im comfortable

with that. If your primary goal is self-preservation, then I advise you to leave Seaforest

and not look back.If my primary goal were self-preservation, I wouldnt still be in Feltrey, Clarke

assured her. Theres a much safer world out there, just beyond the border, and yet, Ihave chosen to remain. Tell me this, Catfoot. What of the Renegades who already exist

amongst your ranks? What will become of them as a result of your alliance? If this

Scourge is so hell-bent on ridding Seaforest of Renegades, why stop at those who run

with the Underground? If you cant answer that, Im not sure if I can give you adecision.

All I can tell you is that Finesse would never allow anything to happen to any

member of the brethren for the sake of an alliance. Youd be that much safer with us - assafe as a Renegade Jadoran can expect to be, anyway. Two days, Spectacle. Remember

that. If I dont have an answer in two days, youll have made your choice one way or

another. Catfoot gave him one last stare, and then disappeared into the shadows.Clarke hung his head. Catfoot had put him in a terrible spot. Should he betray

the people he cared about, now that the odds would be well and truly against them, or did

Clarke have what it would take to really fight when the going got tough? The bewilderedRenegade did not think that he could answer that question just yet, but he doubted he

would be prepared to answer it in another two days either.

the enemy of my enemy - prologue *spoiler*

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the enemy of my enemy - prologue spoiler