Battle Mage: The Dark Mage (Tales of Alus) Read Online Free PDF Page A

have cleaning women that come during the week, but you can be responsible for that much at least. Like I said earlier, we don’t suffer the lazy.”
    Palose moved towards the room and the bed bare of bedding. There was little room for more, and turning his attention to the main room, the mage wondered at the Spartan quality of it when compared to the opulence of Atrouseon’s main apartment. There were items made of gold, ivory and other precious metals. Rubies, diamonds and emeralds were even present on a few of the statues. Palose figured either warlocks made good money or there was something else to the history of this man.
    A pile of blankets and sheets were tossed into his arms and Palose couldn’t help himself from asking, “Does the emperor pay his warlocks so well?”
    Unamused, Atrouseon replied stiffly, “My father was a merchant. Humans have joined the emperor since he arrived on Alus. You have to remember that the old world had no humans. Lord Devolus is elven, one of many that joined the emperor. When he was banished for a time, those bound to him were imprisoned as well.
    “Those who joined the emperor after he came to Alus were often rewarded well and my ancestors were excellent merchants before him. The Cataclysm sent many to the emperor and Ensolus. They could tell that the power that shook the world was the one who would rule it.”
    “Southwall, Kardor and Staron still stand. He rules the mountains and perhaps the plains where the nomads don’t. If he was so powerful, then why hasn’t he finished them off already?”
    A dark look crossed the warlock’s face. “There has been opposition, but I think most of the reason is that I think the emperor may have harmed himself breaking free of his prison and performing the Cataclysm. No one speaks of it and outside of this room you better never dare speak of what I am telling you now.
    “There are experiments that I have been working on along with several other wizards for years, possibly even since the time of the breaking there have been others working on the problem of finding a suitable host for the emperor. His first body was destroyed in a war in the old world, but he returned even more powerful. Breaking his people free of the prison may have set things in motion for his current body to begin failing him.
    “Some have believed that the emperor is losing control of his people and creatures. Some have snuck away, but those who remain know that he will find a new body again to become even more powerful.”
    Palose was surprised at the admission, but it was the first time that Atrouseon’s eyes had ever revealed any true emotion and in this case even zeal for what he must have seen as they strove to create the perfect body to hold the emperor’s power. “And I will get to help you and see him take this new body as well?”
    Tightening up a bit, the warlock looked like he wanted to hold on to the secret once more to save such important revelations for his eyes only, but softening a bit, the man replied, “Perhaps. You are just a battle mage, even if you have increased in power with your rebirth. Not all men with magic can create what my fellow warlocks and I have been able to craft so far, but as my assistant and apprentice, perhaps you will see that day even so.”
    “Then I will do my best to be useful, so I can see that day,” he answered believing that it was what Atrouseon wanted to hear. Palose could be meek and serve this man until one day maybe some way out would present itself. If pretending to care about his experiments and the fate of a dying emperor, who had probably already lived too long anyway, would help improve his future; then he would do that also.
    He would have to learn what it was to live in Ensolus and what he would have to do to succeed. Thinking of the lord he had killed or Sebastian who he had condemned with a word, Palose knew that he would do whatever it took to gain the power he still wished to gain.
     
    A month