Chapter 14

Liam Donal scanned the desert sands below him. The hot wind blew across his face, scouring it in a way that the cold mountain winds did not. His view was clear for miles, yet nothing seemed to disturb the unbroken dunes of sand that stretched as far as he could see.

If the old map in his pack was accurate, he should be able to see the spires of the city he was ordered to attack rising from the horizon ahead of him. Yet he saw nothing. A quick glance to his left and right showed that the officers under his command were just as baffled.

No one had seen any sign of human habitation, or they would have called out and circled to signal the attack. He didn’t understand it. Even if the map had been only approximate, he still should have seen some sign of the City of Magic. Roads to and from. Smoke rising from cooking fires. Something. But instead, he saw nothing but sand.

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Iliar the Solitary scanned the skies from the parapet outside his tower. He had seen griffins flying back and forth overhead for the last half hour. Clearly, the commander of the Empire’s forces had some idea of where his city should be. And yet, he could find no signs of it.

Iliar dared feel a glimmer of hope.

Down on the ground, ranks of magicians circled the city or stood on parapets similar to his own. Most were engaged in the casting of a great illusion, designed to cloud the minds of the men and beasts soaring overhead. The illusion was too great for any one magician to maintain, so each was given a small piece. While some were projecting an image of sand dunes, others were working to suppress the scents of so many humans living in close proximity to each other.

They hadn’t known when the griffins would arrive and they all knew that the avian eyes of the great beasts were keener than any man’s. Coupled with the altitude at which the beasts flew, they would see the city long before anyone there would spy them. Therefore, Iliar had ordered the illusion to be cast as quickly as possible. Now, hours later, men and women were beginning to tire.

Iliar had no idea how long the commander of the Empire’s forces would keep up the search. He only had to hope that it wasn’t much longer. Because if it was….

*******

On the outskirts of town, a young magician was maintaining the illusion of sand over three square blocks. He had been concentrating steadily for the last three hours, straining for the last hour. The hot sun beat down overhead. He felt the stress of the situation. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the ground.

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