The Door Between Worlds Chapter 19

Count Sornione sat in council with Queen Lydia and her most trusted wizards.  There were five of them in all.  Queen Lydia sat at the head of the long stone table.  At her right, sat Count Sornionne, and then next to him sat the Witch-dog, Inganno.  He was a ruthless wizard.  It was said that he drank blood instead of water.  Across from the Count, sat the Necromancer, Ratto.  He was cunning as he was pale.  Next to him sat Ladro the sneaky.  He was a short, slight wizard that bent the darkness and shadows to his use.  And finally, beside Ladro, sat a nervous youth, who was a promising lad of some sixteen summers.  His name was Vigliacco.

All wizards of choice.

All wizards bent to shape the earth to their will.

All wizards determined to pick up the pieces of this earth that the Maker had left in shambles.

They called themselves the Healers.

Queen Lydia slammed her fist onto the table, bringing Sornione's musings to an end.  "We move through the Gap tonight.  We have to move before Jason has time to rally his soldiers there.  I didn't mind the plan of letting him go through, but I didn't think that it would take two weeks before we could actually get through."

Ratto spoke up, "But, my Queen, we aren't ready ye-"

Lydia cut through like ice, "I don't care.  We can still obtain the element of surprise.  We must muster our troops and begin our conquest of his world."

Vigliacco looked confused, "But, why don't we begin here in Alepp?"

Maybe not as promising as I thought, Sornione smirked at the confusion of his younger colleague.

Lydia glared at him, "Because the world Sterling is from has weapons that our world does not have right now.  And if we fail there, it won't hurt us.  We will merely have to retreat back through the portal."

Ladro and Sornione exchanged a worried glance and looked back.  But not before Lydia caught the glance.

"What?  What is it?"  She snarled.

"It's just-"

But once again they were interrupted.  But this time, it wasn't Lydia.  The council turned in unison toward the big double doors at the end of the chamber.

Abraham's voice reverberated through the room as he kicked open the doors, "Show yourself, queen!"