The three began to walk, a slow journey around the displaced village. They settled in a meadow and began to talk.
Atholin said to Kanos, “So Lana said you know.”
Kanos smiled at the vague implication and nodded.
Atholin said, “She sees your magic as the bear.” Lana laughed and said, “I know — it’s not fair! I don’t see squat without the bear.”
Atholin quickly replied, “Well, you have not let me try my new spell on the lenses of your eye.” Lana replied sternly, “I will not be the first!” — which made them all laugh.
Atholin stood up and said, “Well… let’s see some magic.”
She helped Kanos to his feet, and he slowly drew the blade and said, “So if I throw my dagger over there, the next thing I see… will not be Lana the bear devouring me?” The girls found that hysterical, before they could settle down.
Kanos pulled back the blade of Anoak and set it loose across the meadow. It surged with tremendous speed across the field and struck a large tall stump. The stump exploded with a smack, and dry shards flew everywhere as the blade sailed through it.
The girls were quite impressed. Lana said, “He has these spheres around his hands and shoulders… his knees and feet as well.”
Atholin admired the skill, as she admired every mage she encountered. She said, “You are a mage of war. The Age of Solis had many of them. They were fierce, and in the Sezmic Wars, the mages of battle clashed in armies of thousands. The land of Dezmin and Gipaal never let the grudge fully settle.”
Kanos knew of the great grudge between those two nations — they shared a border that still remained hostile.
Atholin said, “Your weapon is very good.” Kanos nodded. She added, “But a battlemage will need a sword.”
23.
The three walked into the fair woods that surrounded the village. Atholin said, “I don’t like to show off in front of everyone.” She smiled with mischief, since she really did enjoy such things.
Atholin bent her knees just so. She straightened her body and jammed her hand into the air above her head. From her arms was unleashed an array of winding light. Blue beams sent out a violent scream, while white rays turned all the fallen wood it touched into blackened cinder without a flame in sight.
Kanos saw how the violence of this magic was girded and somehow did not burn the living trees.
“She works with Avios,” said Lana. “She is a Brakkish cleric at heart.”
Atholin sent her arm out from her side, and a stream of yellow light poured out. She yelled to Kanos, “Put your arm inside.” Kanos obliged and felt the light. It was warm and tingled, and his skin was subtly revitalized over two minutes of exposure to the light.
Atholin said, “I can’t heal it all today. It’s an expensive magic.”
Kanos said, “I’ll keep this scar though,” and pointed to his shoulder. “This one was the first scar I took in battle.” The girls thought it fun and laughed at his tough tone of voice. Kanos actually blushed as they giggled over his special request.
When the three settled down and looked around, the time was clear for Lana to transform.
24.
Lana laughed and said, “It won’t be what you think. My arms won’t grow hair, and my face won’t stretch and pull around.”
Lana smiled and stepped a few feet away. Kanos and Atholin watched. Lana’s body began to lap with dim blue flames, the tongues of rolling fire rolled up her body, and her hands began to glow with a subtle white light. The flames rolled faster, and her hands were masked in a visual void that passed from hand to arm, leaving huge bear paws in their place. The energy pushed over her body in a fast rolling motion, and Lana disappeared behind the energy. A massive bear was left behind.
Atholin said, “Isn’t she beautiful?” Kanos stared in Lana the bear’s eyes. Lana walked around, lumbering slowly, her enormous paws pulling rocks and grass with every step.
The bear sat down and looked rather friendly. Then the bear lurched up and let out a roar that staggered Kanos. She was a bear far beyond normal size, and the roar was quite horrible.
Lana the bear walked on two legs to the nearest fallen tree. She swatted the massive length of old wood, which moved three full feet rather easily.
Atholin said, “She’s stronger than a bear… and in this form, she’s magic too...”
Lana began to charge around the small perimeter of the grass they all stood upon. Her lurch expanded, and around her inner limbs, there grew a glowing dim blue light. The bear began to run at a pace that would be utterly terrifying if found in nature. She ran towards the fallen tree, and as the bear collided with jaw and claws, the main bulk of the tree exploded.
Lana walked up to the huge leaning root ball and, with both bear paws, shoved it 10 feet across the ground. The grass below it was shredded through the dirt, as the roots dug deep troughs into the soil, a full foot down.
Kanos was amazed at what he saw. Lana was not only a bear, but she could be a warrior as well.
Atholin said, “We hope you like the show!”
“Is that the full routine?” replied Kanos.
Lana lumbered toward the two and dropped her backside to the ground. The dim blue flame rolled over her body, and the enormous bear was transformed into Lana’s human form.
The three wandered to a nicely wooded nook to sit and talk. They lounged on the wood of fallen trees. Atholin aroused a nice dim light that sat between them like a soothing fire. She played with her cooling white flame, causing many subtle shapes to form.
Lana said to Kanos, “My life is here. I protect these forests.”
Atholin replied, “She’s very good at it. I’ve seen her slay a demon that stood no chance against the bear.”
Lana said, “I plan to live here as the magic rises through Avios but would like to travel with you for a while. What direction are you going?”
Kanos said, “Well… my encounters have grown more brutal. I believe there is much worse coming. I need something stronger.”
Atholin said, “I would love to go with you both, but I have to get back to Lavorra soon.”
Lana said, “She is on the overwatch. All villages around here have seen too many problems lately — soldiers and other things. Provang and the open fields are producing too much trash to deal with.”
Kanos said to Lana, “Your company would be great. I am going southwest and probably need to leave tomorrow.”
They all spent time together through the evening, and then said farewell to Atholin, who felt the urge to travel home by moonlight. She left and waded into the woods with a lighted staff. As she plodded into the darkened forest, she sang a low enchanting tune from the Brakkish world.
Lana and Kanos spent the late evening talking about their distant pasts. They fell asleep on a rocking bench, with Lana’s head on Kanos’ chest.
The next morning began with refreshing sunlight bursting from the blue skies above. They left with fully packed bags of food and water and took an early walk down the rustic path.
25.
Elias walked through the low forest on foot. He lamented the slow pace but abided the command of his conscience. Just three hours before, he was riding a dark brown horse given to him by Elrock. He rode for many days. Pitched in constant forward motion, he was beginning to lose sight of himself. The horse was exhausted, and both of them needed heavy food and rest.
Elias was moving 40 miles south of Provang, having left Elrock’s camp weeks before. He was on a sprawling journey to defend the lower rim of farmers that were under heavy scrutiny by the Provang soldiers. They sought bounty beyond their needs and often harassed the farmers in ways that were extremely cruel. For these reasons, Elias agreed with Elrock to visit the farmers on his journey southwest to Chhon — a distant land that held another rising plague of darkness. Elias was moving to meet another Sovorey Sol Ley, a spear of humanity just like Elias.
Elrock informed Elias, “I’m sending you alone, because you can handle the farmer�
��s issues. Those people live simple lives, and they are being pushed against by unnatural forces from the south. From the north, the Provang nationals are beating up on these families every chance they get. Please, assess how dire the situation is, and see if you can make a difference.”
Elias made a difference. He inquired with several separate families, who were all weather-beaten and terrified at the sight of him. It took much coaxing to convince each household that he came in peace. There were sons beaten, fathers stabbed. There were daughters taken. These stories gave Elias a brooding sense of rage — but his calm nature left him consoling the families, who in return gave Elias and his horse both food and shelter.
Elias swore to every family he passed that their situation was being watched by serious mages of the Central Guild. The families helped him understand the issues better. He assured them the mages of the Central Guild were of good heart and wanted to help.
As Elias left the fourth household without much difficulty, he made his way down a rather curvy field path. The skies grew dark as a storm began to brew, which dampened his mood.
Elias spotted in the distance another small household, and as he approached in the pitch-black evening, he saw the cabin was being engaged with magic. He sped to a gallop and had no further thought of himself. As he reached the clearing, he saw seven phantoms in the northern field.
The phantoms lingered in the field, fixated toward the cabin. The rain pounded the ground amidst a torrential storm. As Elias approached, the lightning cracks looked quite surreal. He saw the phantoms loom in the field, hovering like statues, swarmed with a subtle purple glow. They were feeding off the energy of the farm itself, the people, the animals, and the very harvest that grew beneath their feet.
Elias hid sight of himself at the cabin front as he charged his horse full speed up to the door. His horse reared back in fear of crashing, and Elias slid right off. He pounded on the door with a yelling whisper, “Are you alright in there. I see the beasts. I have come to help.”
After much knocking and consolation through the door, an old man finally cracked the door. Elias said, “I will take care of these phantoms. Are you alright in there?” The old man slowly nodded, being quite suppressed and drained of life. His mind was clearly muted and in a suspended state.
Elias was furious. He whipped around the cabin edge and plodded directly into the field. The seven phantoms screeched and remained like statues as they floated upward another ten feet. They watched as Elias plodded fearlessly among them.
The crop plants brushed against Elias’ lower legs as he pushed through the wet field. Just a few feet in, he saw three dead horses lying on their side. The horse’s upward sides were flayed of skin that lay spread out around them, peeled from the horses but still attached at the ends. Elias was disgusted, and took up his staff.
From his staff glowed a severe blue-white light.
The phantoms shrieked, and their faintly robed bodies splayed backward. The core of energy within the beasts looked almost like skull and bones, and the light within them ratcheted up so brightly, the field looked quite bizarre, as though almost lit by seven huge white bonfires.
Elias called a harmonic from within his bones, “ Emnio Asway Emino Fayawaaa.” His voice was wide and demanding, as a chord of energy ripped through his staff and send out seven thin crawling beams of viscous energy.
The beams leapt through the air, and the phantoms flexed with orange light that rolled in front of them like perfect shields.
Elias screamed from the top of his lungs, “Cylo Fio May. ” Elias culled falling beams of purple light down upon all seven phantoms at once — four took the hit and were ratified at once, their forms decimated. Three phantoms charged and missed the strike. They tore toward Elias with frightening speed.
Elias reared back and sent up a shield that was eight feet thick. Two phantoms surged around as they could not penetrate the shield.
Elias leaned and his energy body flexed. From his shoulders was sent out a wide thick beam of dim yellow light as his body sent out a blooming white sphere.
The energy turned the air around the phantoms into a bog of violent static. The phantoms rode forward in attack, but they were whittled down and discharged before they could even strike.
The third phantom sped violently into the cabin and blasted through the side. The wood exploded, leaving the entire main room exposed to the outdoors as the beating rain flowed inside.
The phantom tried to surround the old man and feed upon him directly. Elias ran quickly and sent out a field of static. He called aloud as the faint white cloud moved around the phantom and zapped its form everywhere at once.
The old man fell to his knees, eyes wide open, staggering for breath. The phantom screamed, and its energy was disarmed as it shredded into nothingness.
Elias walked through the rubble of the house and went straight to the old man to console him. He put out a warm fading light that acted like a fire but radiated beams of energetic healing. The old man slowly gathered his wits and walked to the small closet door. He allowed two terrified children to run out, and then a woman followed. The old man looked up and said, “This is my daughter — she was made a widow not long ago. The soldiers took his life… then did what they wanted.” The man’s voice faded in a dismal tone.
Elias sat with the family through the evening. They were devastated, having lost most of their farm animals and taking great damaged to their home. Elias told them to get some rest by the healing light and assured them he would help them gather wood and set new beams before he left.
The next day, the gray skies were tame. The family was sound. Elias went out and worked his magic to send several straight-trunked trees to the ground. He laid them down and, with a flat iron-handled blade, sheered the wood into beams. Elias let his horse drag the wood to the house, where the beams were worked hard to set them in place with the old man’s guidance. The cabin’s gaping side was timbered well, needing only smaller wood to close the gaps.
“Can you manage the rest?” said Elias to the man. “Yes, yes, thank you, thank you,” said the man. “You have saved us and did the hard work for me. I could not be more grateful.” He grabbed Elias’ sleeve, and the look within his eyes was of perilous vulnerability.
Elias said, “I have seen the horses in the field. Now you have none to pull the plow.”
The old man was surprised and had to see the horses for himself. They walked together. The man looked down at the flayed horses, and his fist clamped, and his arm shook as he said, “I have not been myself lately. I did not know.”
Elias took the reins of his own horse and put them in the old man’s hand. He looked up and saw the depth of weary thanks that lingered in the old man’s eyes. Elias said, “I must move on. I have to see the other families on my map across the entire southern border of Provang. I have a pressing matter beyond that. I truly wish you luck. It might be time to seek refuge in a larger town. There are many mages aware of the dire predicament of this area, and they will try to help, but we cannot guarantee their arrival.”
Elias left the family and set out on foot. He slowly made his way through 15 farms across 50 miles, just as Elrock asked. Each family he ran across had seen their share of cruelty, whether by Provang soldiers or some other dishevelment of magic. He longed to ask for a horse, but his heart could not allow the words to pass.
26.
As Elias broke free from the long stretch of farms, he found a narrow channel and began to move through Baylor Valley, where the subtle foot paths became a more firmly packed road. Elias knew there was a high chance he would incur a run-in with some soldiers. The farmer’s stories coaxed his heart to almost wish for battle. While he did not lust for blood, he badly wanted to send a message to the bullies of Provang.
As the hours passed and the miles grew long, a large hill stretched in front of Elias. He leaned in and began the climb. As the road continued to wear him down, unnatural sounds began to stir down the road among the forest.
The clacks and a whir and chatter grew. Around the bend, Elias saw the first solders pass, followed by two dozen more. Behind them was a series of carriages, and the host of horses was quite large. Behind the carriages another 30 soldiers followed.
Elias saw the men push on sternly while conversing lightly. He moved on as though a passerby. When their paths were about to meet, he veered to the side and stepped off the road to let them pass as a citizen might do.
The men walked on in loose formation, and the first string of horses passed noisily, pulling a heavy carriage that sprung on its loose suspension. The next string of horses plodded by, and the next carriage came to pass. Elias heard the ruckus chatter and the sound of a child crying loudly. He thought of the spoiled children of Provang elites but remained alert. Then he heard the wailing scream of a young girl.
Elias felt his back muscles tighten. He knew that sound was not mere bickering with parents.
Elias turned and walked fast alongside the carriage then began to run. He grabbed the harness of the rear pair of horses and pulled quite sharply. The near horse reared, and the far horse pulled and slipped, falling to its hind knees. The carriage slammed crooked against the central harness bar and pushed against the horse’s broadside, which Elias had not intended.
The carriage driver screamed,
“AAAAhhhhhhhh, you’ll regret that, boy.”
The driver stood up and called to those inside, “We have a maniac pulling on the horses.”
There was a moment of silence. The entire line of soldiers stopped and turned. They saw Elias, and every man drew their weapon.
Elias didn’t know who was a magus, and he felt doubt in his bones about the predicament he caused.
The carriage door slammed open and crashed against the hold. A gnarly man with long, frizzy dim blonde hair jammed his head out. He leaned further to see Elias and leapt outside. The man wore fine, dark gray armor — the sculpt was clearly of the highest value. He was an elite or perhaps of royalty.
Mages of Avios 2. Battlemage Page 8
