Battle Mage: Winds of Change (The High King: A Tale of Alus Book 11) Read Online Free

it was the knowledge of the smithy behind the inn for which it had been named that had also drawn the battle mage to choose the Black Smith Inn for his stay once more. He had used the smithy to research new weapons that he thought might be useful for the mages and wizards of Southwall. After weeks of work, the mage had come up with a few new swords capable of holding magic inside intricate runes. The mage, jokingly referred to as an owl, had begun to understand the strange rune magic of the merfolk he had been shown because of this.
    Rune magic had been proved useful in his fight inside the warehouse as well, though the magic swords had been left behind this time.
    While Sebastian had chosen to stay in the Black Smith Inn rather than taking a room in the barracks used by the local mages, he hadn't been totally alone. He wasn't alone now either as the young man looked to the other bed as his gateway winked out of sight.
    "Hello, Ashleen," he greeted the pretty, blonde, wilder Sebastian had first met months ago before his journey to the wizards' tournament. She was Kardorian, but their paths had become intertwined and eventually so had their hearts. While Sebastian had been tentative with building his relationship with the foreign, female wizard, Ashleen had made it known since their return to Hala that she was definitely interested in him.
    The girl put down a leather bound book. It was likely expensive as most books were in the north. Cities like Hala had large libraries, but the cost made them less common outside of those institutions of learning or places like the wizards' schools. Whether Ashleen had decided to spend some of his money or had gone to the bank to call on the funds of her family from Kardor, the mage wasn't sure. He had come into money from performing a mission for the king, but Ashleen's family were wealthy nobles from the northern kingdom, one of Southwall's closest allies.
    Wearing a light blue skirt with a matching top, which had no sleeves and was cut low enough to reveal some of the curves of her chest; Ashleen had been dressing lightly both because of the weather and because she enjoyed tempting him with what he could have. She pulled her legs under her to kneel on the bed and tilted her head before coyly replying, "Hello? Is that all you're going to say?
    "You left me behind again for some mission and all I get to hear is 'hello'? I am a bit disappointed, but at least I don't see any apparent injuries this time."
    He knew that she was teasing. The mission to New Harbor wasn't classified and Sebastian had told her that he was going to help wipe out the separatist movement started by spies from the Dark One. Using their portal magic, the enemy had infiltrated cities throughout southern Southwall and even the kingdoms of Sileoth and Marianis as well. Trying to create insurrections to destabilize and distract the kings, the Dark One had renewed his war with the people of Southwall and its allies.
    "You knew that I couldn't take you with for more than one reason. First, you are from Kardor, so bringing you to fight our enemies could create problems for your country and ours since you technically have your own kingdom to serve.
    "Secondly, I was under cover. Going alone was the easiest way to track down their headquarters. They had worked to hide its exact position from the guards of New Harbor, or so Count Terris' people have continually told King Alain's operatives anyway.
    "Too many people involved with the mission would only complicate things."
    "And third it was too dangerous, so you wanted to keep me safely hidden away here in Hala," the girl pouted, but again he could tell that she didn't truly mean it.
    "It is certainly easier if I only have to protect myself in a fight," he stated neither confirming her opinion nor denying it. While Sebastian knew the girl was a powerful wizard with defenses which were instinctual due to her learning of lightning magic as a wilder before she was found by her wizard