Free The Mages' Winter of Death: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume Two by Charles Williamson Page A

judge the brigands who survived this attack. It’s my job to pray for the dead of both the attackers and the victims. John, please question these men.”
    John Neville came forward to where the four prisoners were standing. “Are you guilty of an attack on innocent travelers?”
    All four men looked down.
    “Do you have anything to say in your own defense?”
    They continued to look down.
    “You once may have been honest men, but now I find you guilty of the capital crime of brigandage and sentence you to the quicker of the deaths by hanging. Men, let’s get this over with. Help put the bodies from the caravan in shrouds and into this wagon and pile the brigands on the funeral pyre. My Lord, you may say the prayers for the dead before we light the fire. Giff, pick ten men and get to the hanging. I don’t want to spend the night in this polluted spot so make it quick with broken necks. You can use the horses.”
    It was dark when the caravan of fourteen wagons headed toward Swamp Ford and a single wagon took the dead back towards Southport Province. No one wanted to spend the night in that bloody battleground where the funeral pyres still smoldered and the stink of death saturated the humid air.
    Riding next to Michael, John Neville remarked, “There is more to this story than you’ve said so far. I saw one spot that was clearly from a decapitation from the blood spray, and another that was an instant massive loss like I’ve never seen before. There were no bodies injured in those ways.”
    “There were actually three knight protectors leading this group of highwaymen. One I decapitated right through his helmet and the other I cut in two at the waist through his steel plate armor. My elf-sword can do impossible things. Since we couldn’t explain those wounds, we buried them before you arrived.”
    John nodded. “Three knight protectors gone rogue. That is a scary concept; with their armor and their fire magic, they could rule this land of ours. How can ordinary knights and soldiers even battle against a fireball? No archer can easily penetrate their steel plate armor, and a handful of knight protectors could rule any town in Glastamear if they ignore their vows to the church leadership. The epidemic has caused dangers other than the disease itself.”
    “I’ve examined their manna enough to know that every high priest is an extremely powerful fire mage, and that the Most Holy Son of Perry Ascendant is the most powerful of all. It is their superior magic that has ushered them into their leadership roles. In the case of High Priest Carson and Simon, they are good men, but still they are the most powerful fire mages in their province. That power is what keeps the priests and knight protectors to their vows. The Holy Son’s manna is many times as strong as Carson or Simon. He must have been chosen because, with their detect manna spells, all fire mages can see how powerful he is. He could destroy an army of ordinary men and may need to if the three kingdoms invade in the spring.”
    John said, “If there’s war, will it be a battle of fire mages? If the Holy Son is really that powerful, why would they invade?”
    Michael thought it over and remembered history books he’d read while studying with William. “The three kingdoms will certainly bring all their own fire mages. They have many descendants of Perry the Bagger chieftain, perhaps not as many as Glastamear but scores of them. The Holy Son has and his predecessors have always stopped previous invasions by casting walls of flames and firestorm spells, which only they have sufficient manna to cast. What is certain is that no ordinary men can survive in that hell of fire magic warfare. The citizens of the city of Min Hollow and all the ordinary soldiers will be in gravest danger even if the Holy Son carries the day and repels the invaders.”
    John said, “I also worry about the ninety soldiers from Southport who are going to Broken Arrow. There must be a dozen