Escape the College

Wordlessly and instantly agreeing to a truce, every wizard turned and threw their spells into the breach.

A loud thundering clap echoed in the messhall as all the spellcasters flung their encantations at Vanarim's forces and a dizzying array of colored raced towards them. The initial wave of attackers were thrown back from the flurry of magical energy, flung straight out of the college or torn to pieces otherwise. The first salvo was fierce enough that the next wave of attackers, standing just outside in the streets, hesitated before entering the hole in the college wall. Tel'Eria wasted not a moment in taking the reins.

"The Wizard's College has fallen, but the wizards still stand! Fall back to a more defensible position! Out of the messhall!" The wizardress commanded, regaining some of her strength and standing tall.

"Get the wounded out first! To the strongest: you must hold them here! For as long as you possibly can! The rest of you, follow me!"

At her words, everyone moved into action. The wizards with the greatest, most brute **** spells rushed forward to cover the breach and stem the tide of invaders as they surged forward again. Those strong enough to do so picked up their fallen comrades and began dragging them out of the hall. Then the Wizardress stopped running and turned back.

"Malvern!" Tel'Eria called out over Ceinwyn's shoulder.

The druidess glanced towards the direction Tel'Eria was yelling and spotted the Grandmaster standing in the center of the messhall, dumbstruck, as he watched some of his own students desperately try to hold the breach. He looked a hundred years older. Senile, fragile, and broken. He knew that he had gone too far this time, and there was nothing he could do to atone for his sins. So he stood there blankly, watching hopelessly as people died around him. When he turned to look at them, they were with dead eyes.

"Is that it? Is this the end of the great Grandmaster of the Wizard's College?" She taunted him. "To die like a cow, oblivious to your surroundings?"

Malvern tried to glare at her but didn't even have the drive to snap back, he only stared towards her and then down to his hands helplessly. The old man was trembling. He looked so sad, so small.

"You still have magic, don't you? Fight with us." Tel'eria said. Even after his betrayal, she was still willing to forgive and accept him. "Join us. Don't let your granddaugter's sacrifice be in vain."

He was quiet and solemn, but her words had their intended effect. Malvern rallied himself, or whatever was left, and limped forward to stand next to Tel'eria, albeit grudgingly. At the same time a young man burst through the fleeing wizards to speak to the wizardress. He had to push and shove his way through, and by the time he reach her, he was gasping and panting.

"The waygate...." The messanger said breathlessly, pointing out the door. "The waygate...it's open!"

Ceinwyn thought frantically, trying to remember what Tel'eria told her. It was a sorcerous portal, connecting this location to its twin, far out in the West, in the human capitol of Morgent. For weeks it remained closed. Unresponsive, dead. Now suddenly alive and inviting. She was filled with suspicion. Who? How? Why now? The timing was too appropriate. Too right. The young woman was ambivalent, but Tel'eria was much more decisive.

"Go..." The wizardress whispered.

"But, but, mistress, what if it's a trap?" The servant stuttered.

"Go! We have NO other options!!" Tel'eria barked out, "Go, go, GO! TO THE WAYGATE! Our path lies open!"

Ceinwyn and Tri'lanna exchanged looks. They remembered where the room with the waygate was. How far away it was in the subbasement and how close The Pretender's army was to them. It was going to be a very long fight to escape the College and they could only pray that they would make it.