Ch 27: The High Sorcerer's Plan

"The land gained from your conquest is indeed rich with resources, your highness, but the routes that will have to be taken to distribute them will be treacherous unless you secured a viable alternative by sea." The old royal advisor had been rambling for what felt like eternity and Calder was trying to drown his voice out.

His mind kept wandering to the tether around his wrist that never changed its direction. Tasha was still a prisoner in her room, still trapped alone with a demon, without him by her side, and all his father and the advisors wanted to talk about were the stupid resources he had secured on his journey.

"Your highness?" Calder closed his eyes against the advisor's voice.

"Calder!" The booming sound from his father forced him to look up.

"No!” his voice boomed back. “There is no viable route by sea. Nor by land without sending an army of workers to hack through the thick forest at its borders. It was how we were able to take them by surprise. There was no easy way into their country, I fought with my men through the thick without being discovered to take their strongholds and unless you would like to go and see for yourself, I have nothing else useful to add!" Cal's dagger came down into the center of the map they had been pouring over and he stared at it, realizing he didn't remember reaching for it.

Silence fell and Calder ran his hand over his face.

"May we have the room?" The King was watching his son with concern and frustration.

The advisors all nodded and left quickly and quietly, all except Errant. Calder rolled his eyes. The High Sorcerer hadn't left his side since Cal had departed Tasha's room that morning, save for once. He had rushed out of the room shortly into the meeting, and just after, Calder had felt a string of emotions; determination, embarrassment, fear, and desperation.

He knew they were coming from Tasha and somehow knew that it had to do with Errant. So when the High Sorcerer had returned, Calder had every intention of confronting him. But there was something about the old man when he quietly slunk back into the room that gave him pause. For the first time since Cal had met him, he seemed drained and sad. Like he had lost something. Like he was defeated.

Not sensing anything more from Astasha to cause further concern, he let it go, not wanting to push things unless necessary. But the sorcerer had watched him continually after that, his eyes locked on him, yet distant, like his mind was on something else. He didn't understand why the High Sorcerer needed to be there with them if he so clearly wanted to be somewhere else.

Now, the room was finally empty save Calder, his father, and Errant.

The King took a deep breath. "Calder, I have been patient and understanding, but now it is time to take the responsibility you were born to have. To be the heir to this throne. The heir that you spent your entire life grooming to become. Not a child throwing a tantrum!"

Cal turned to his father. "And what kind of ruler would I be if I spent my time bothering over trade routes while a demon threatened to ruin the entirety of the kingdom?"

"Would your concern be so great if it were threatening to do so from inside someone other than the woman you cared for?" The King's tone was callous. He had always flipped from caring and kind, to harsh and cold so quickly it would make Calder's head spin.

"If you think I would be the kind of ruler who would be worried any less, then perhaps you do not know me at all, your highness." Calder didn't mean for his last words to come out with a sneer but they did, and his father's jaw clenched.

"Your Majesties, please." Errant's voice was quiet, calm, not at all what they both were used to. Therefore, King and Prince turned to look at the High Sorcerer whose head was buried in his hand, his elbow upon the arm of his seat. "The chaos and division of energy in this room, in this palace... the demon is already winning." He looked up at them with emptiness on his face.

As much as Cal didn't want to admit it, the sorcerer was right. All that had happened since that thing had taken hold of him in the Land of the Dead was cause destruction and separation, fear and doubt, pain and suffering. But Calder didn’t expect what he heard the High Sorcerer say next.

"The Prince is right. Our focus must be on the greatest threat at hand."

The King stared hard at his advisor before sighing heavily. "I agree with your council Errant. But we are men of battle and politics. What good are we against something even the greatest of sorcerers knows so little about?"

It was true. Calder had tried so hard to delve into the world of magic and demons when he searched for a way to save Tasha before the ritual, but he was only a Prince. If it had been a man, a creature of flesh and blood, a rival of the mortal realm, he would have defeated him ten times over, on the battlefield or off. But this... this was something none of them knew how to fight.

Errant shook his head. "I believe that is our problem. We are thinking of this thing as only a source of magic. Yet it plots and deceives as men trying to overthrow one another by wit. Perhaps, if we approach the unknown through what is known by all of us collectively, we may yet defeat it."

Whatever had happened to Errant when he had left the War Room had caused something to shift in him. Something that Calder sensed had taken a great push to do. The old Errant would have never spoken like this. He would have insisted that the Magic Advisory would do what they knew to do, and left the politics and brute force as far behind as possible. Now, he wanted to combine all of it, to find a way to work together. He had removed himself from his pedestal to find a solution to a problem he was admitting he couldn't solve on his own.

Cal knew this was no easy thing for his trusted advisor to do, and despite his curiosity as to the cause, he couldn't let the change go unanswered.

"What can we do to help?" Cal asked.

Errant took a deep breath. "First, we can all rest. I can feel that we are all depleted and exhausted, and that does nothing for sharp minds and fast wits. Tomorrow, the three of us shall meet with Sorceress Astasha. New information has come to light and I need your help in deciphering if it can be trusted before I move to take action. From there, we can begin to hopefully piece together what it is the demon wants, and how it might be trying to get it."

“You want to know if I believe Ta… Sorceress Astasha, is telling the truth, don’t you?” Cal knew it was a risk, but he had to ask.

There was a pause, but Errant finally nodded his head once. “I believe you are the one person who could determine if it is genuinely her in the statements she has made.”

“Meaning not the demon.”

“Yes.”

It must have taken an insurmountable amount of humility for Errant to come to this. Calder had never in his life seen the High Sorcerer ask for help with something related to his craft, and for him to have to rely on the relationship he had so vehemently shunned to give him the answers he was seeking, Cal could only imagine what turn of events caused this shift.

“And if I believe it is still her, will you allow Sorceress Astasha to assist us? I believe she could be an invaluable asset. Her knowledge far extends that of books and learnings and her mind sees things no one else could put together..."

Errant shook his head and Calder's fists began to clench. But the High Sorcerer held up his hand when he saw Cal open his mouth to protest.

"Please, I do not doubt she would be of great help to us. I did not recommend her as a member of this Advisory simply for her skills as a witch. Unfortunately, we must keep everything we discuss amongst only ourselves. To trick a trickster, we must think like one, which means it cannot know our true intentions, and therefore, neither can Astasha. “We have no idea if the trap she set can bar it from reading what’s in her mind.”

Cal released his fists and sighed. He knew Errant was right, but he hated the idea of keeping anything from Astasha. He knew she was feeling alone already, he could sense the sudden ache inside him.

"Alright." He finally agreed. "If it will help save her and the kingdom, it stays only between us."

Errant nodded, followed by the King. "Very well, then I suggest we all retire for the evening. I fear we are preparing for a battle like none we have ever faced." His father turned to him. "Calder, please, rest. You are no good to those you love worn out and sleepless."

Cal nodded and the King departed.

"Your majesty," Errant’s eyes were scrunched and his face focused. "I hope you know that every action I have taken has been only in the interest of the people that are in my charge and the laws I was sworn to uphold. Nothing I have done was in spite towards—"

"Errant," Cal cut him off. Perhaps it was because the fear and anger weren't as fresh, or that the sorcerer had finally agreed to find a solution that didn't involve harming the woman he loved, but Calder now realized the man who had practically helped raise him had truly only been doing what he thought was best. "I know."

Errant watched him for a moment, no doubt reading if his words were sincere, before nodding.

"Good evening your highness."

With that the High Sorcerer took his leave and Calder was left alone.

Suddenly, he was aware of a great pain inside him, not a physical one like when Astasha had been hurt, but an ache, the ache of heartbreak. Part of it was his own, but more so, he knew his sweet Tasha was alone as well, the weight of their sudden loss of each other crashing down on her. And as such, it came crashing down on him.

He was a strong man, who could withstand immeasurable physical pain. He never feared a battle nor flinched when stitching his wounds, but this, he wasn't stronger than this. Feeling what she felt, knowing that he too felt it, broke him, and he realized there were tears in his eyes.

Even though he knew he would see her soon, even though there was hope that she would be saved, he knew it didn’t change anything regarding their relationship. And so, Cal slumped down in one of the chairs around the war table and let himself be consumed by his grief, crying with his love, apart, but always together.


**Author’s Note:** *Another double update for you all! Things are about to get crazy so I hope you’re all ready! Who do you think is working with the demon? Or do you think it’s just messing with everyone? Let me know what you think in the comments! Love and light all!*