by Simon Archer
The kingdom elves dispersed back into their mage’s circles and began to hum once more, filling the room with interesting sounds. The different offensive combat spells sounded good together. None of my students had yet had an instrument appear for them, though I figured it wouldn’t be long for students like Nadeine who were advancing well and quickly. The kids likely would take longer since the historical records indicated it took some time, well into adolescence or even adulthood, for the magic to settle on an instrument that would best fit their personality.
Slowly, the weapons reappeared in the mage’s circles, and they were better this time. Or at least, they lasted longer, and most of the elves were able to complete their spells without breaking concentration or the weapons disappearing. Many of the weapons still looked rather odd, with Bernsten’s sword still far too small, among others, but at least there were no daggers warring with one another this time.
“Alright, great job,” I said when everyone was finished. “That was way better.” Indeed, Nadeine’s spell had lasted almost the duration of the song, and Godfried’s wasn’t far behind. Marinka was doing well too. Perhaps Bernsten would be better off sticking to his real sword on this quest, though. “Let’s go again.”
The elves ran through their spells several more times until everyone could create a somewhat proportional weapon that stuck around for the duration of the tune. Some took longer than others, and so I had the more advanced students switch up and try different offensive combat spells once they’d been relatively successful at casting one.
“Alright,” I said once Bernsten had finally created a sword facing the correct direction and at least half the size of his real one. “Nadeine, Godfried, Marinka, Gunnar, Zephyr, Shareef, and Devi, are you guys ready to try your spells out in real combat?” The seven I called stepped forward and nodded enthusiastically.
“Okay, may I have Bernsten and six other volunteers step forward and place these bubbles on themselves for protection?” Siara asked, motioning for Bernsten to join her by the door. He slumped his shoulders and made his way over to her reluctantly, undoubtedly remembering his uncomfortable experience helping me learn these same spells months before. Six other elves followed his lead as he grabbed his sword and pulled one of several clear bubbles made of a gel-like substance stacked by the doors on like pants until all seven of them were covered in the things.
“We are sorry about this,” Anil lamented to each of them as they lumbered back over to the mage’s circles.
“Alright, can each of you position yourselves across from one of the magi?” I directed them when they approached. And once everyone was in position, “Your physical weapons will not leave the bubbles, so you won’t have to worry about hurting any of the magi. Similarly, the magic won’t penetrate the bubbles either. Magi, remember to use a mix of offensive and defensive combat spells if you are able. Alright, attack whenever you’re ready.”
Most of the bubble-wearing elves attacked first, taking advantage of the magi’s need to concentrate and begin their spells. I watched Nadeine and Bernsten’s battle most closely. He lunged at her with his sword, but she put up a shield almost immediately on her left flank to stop him. She then switched with ease to the first offensive combat spell she had performed that afternoon, creating a sword that swung at her brother like a pendulum.
The sword made contact with Bernsten’s bubble, knocking him off balance. But Nadeine did not stop to give him a chance to recover, opting instead to switch to another offensive combat spell, a mace this time. The mace leaned far back, and then fell on Bernsten’s slumped form, making contact with the bubble right over his head. Bernsten winced, closing his eyes and bracing for the impact. He rolled over to get out of the way before the mace could make contact again and found his way back on his feet.
Bernsten pulled his sword down by his side and lunged at Nadeine again, this time on her right, barreling his sword into her side. Of course, it didn’t make contact because of his bubble, but it would have been a devastating blow otherwise, as Nadeine was unable to put up another shield in time. Even so, she was barely knocked off balance and recovered quickly, causing the mace to shift back into a sword that swiped at Bernsten left and right.
He was able to dodge the sword somewhat effectively, especially given the awkwardness of his movements due to the presence of the bubble, but the sword finally got him after several moments, knocking him back to the ground. Before he could jump back up, Nadeine switched to another spell, and the singular sword dispersed into several small daggers that pelted down on him from above.
“Alright, alright,” Bernsten called, waving his hands above his head. “I am finished, you have finished me, sister.” She called off her daggers then, grinning in triumph. She looked over at me, and I returned her expression. I walked over to their mage’s circle and helped Bernsten up.
“You okay, Buddy?” I asked, and he nodded. Then, turning to Nadeine, “That was awesome.” She beamed.
“It is even better than my own sword,” she said. “I never thought that I would draw that conclusion, but here I am.”
The other magi had also fared well. Godfried had pummeled his opponent with a series of spells: a mace, a sword, daggers, and even a weapon that looked vaguely like a machete. He had never even had to put up a shield, his opponent not getting a chance to even attempt to land a blow against him.
Marinka had done well, too, though she had relied more heavily on defense than on offense. It was a valid tactic, though, and her opponents’ inability to land a blow left Marinka with important opportunities to land her own. Her use of offensive spells was sparing but effective, and she only needed two, a sword and some daggers, to overcome her opponent.
“Great job, everyone,” I said when all of the battles were complete. “I think that’s probably enough for today. I’m not sure if I’ll be back tomorrow, but make sure after I leave to keep focusing on these spells. They’re the most important for our purposes right now. Keep scrimmaging using the bubbles. And when I’m away, spread what you’ve learned to new recruits here, or if you go back to your respective castles. I have no doubt you’ll be able to defend yourselves well in our absence if you keep at it.”
“We will continue to follow your instructions, Leo,” Siara said, smiling brightly. “You have helped us greatly. Thank you.” The elves all nodded and spoke in agreement with this sentiment.
“No problem,” I said, nodding and reaching to finish off my bottle of water as the elves dispersed to head to dinner.
“Will you be leaving tomorrow, then?” Anil asked as he, Siara, my companions, and I made our way back to the dining hall. I looked to Nadeine to answer the question.
“I believe that would be prudent,” Nadeine said, looking around at the rest of us to see if we agreed. “We have gotten a basic understanding of the combat spells, and will continue to practice throughout our journey. I believe it would serve us and the forest elves best to get on the road as soon as we are able.”
“I agree,” I said.
“As do I,” Marinka added, and Bernsten and Godfried nodded in agreement.
“You two can take it from here,” I said, looking at Anil and Siara. “And while we’re in the forest, you can try to contact us if we need anything.”
“Very well,” Siara said, nodding gravely. “We cannot pretend to possess your skills, Leo, but we will do our best to carry on your training.”
8
We left the next morning, retrieving our miniature horses from the stables and heading off back down the cobblestone path.
“I have never been this far out in the kingdom,” Godfried remarked a few days into our journey. “It looks different here.”
He was right. The further out in the kingdom we got, the more the previously densely populated path and clusters of buildings became spread out and empty, replaced by long swaths of green grass and smaller buildings.
“Indeed,” Marinka said. “It is a different way of life out here. It serves us we
ll to witness it, cousin. We are better able to serve our kingdom and our people when we better understand all its parts.”
Godfried nodded as he continued to look around at our surroundings intently.
We stopped that evening in a small castle… and by small, I mean very small in that I wouldn’t have really considered it a castle if everyone else weren’t referring to it as such… in the middle of a large field of grass. Some sheep grazed nearby, but other than that, the area appeared deserted. We were greeted at the door by the castle’s lord, a middle-aged elf dressed in ornate robes that didn’t quite fit against the simpler backdrop of his home.
“I am Gernot,” he said, his chest puffed out to a painful degree and his shoulders stiff from his forced regal pose. “Welcome to my great castle. It is an honor to host you.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Gernot,” Marinka said, dismounting her horse and bowing her head to him in thanks. He bowed back and nodded curtly.
Gernot led us to a small dining hall that was just as ridiculously ornate as his clothing. The walls were decorated with paintings and various knick-knacks such as animal furs and fancy weapons, and the tables were covered with bright red tablecloths with golden designs on them, as well as tall candles and some sculptures.
“Wow, they really go all out here,” I whispered, leaning into Nadeine so only she could hear.
“Indeed,” she whispered back, looking around at all of the decorations. “They certainly take pleasure in their ornamentation.”
We were seated at the topmost table at the front of the room next to Gernot and several similarly-dressed elves I assumed to be his family. Slowly, others filed in and took their seats at the remaining tables. Unlike in the castles closer to the royal castle, in which only nobles ate in the castle’s great hall, it appeared that everyone from the surrounding area could eat in this castle, which I thought was kind of nice. Shepherds, bakers, laborers, and all kinds of other people sat in the hall and broke bread together.
“There are lots of different people here,” I remarked.
“Indeed,” Nadeine said. “This is the case at many of these smaller castles. It would be a waste not to use the space.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” I said. “So there aren’t any restaurants or taverns or anything around here? This is the only place?”
“I believe there is a tavern with some wazo tables downstairs,” Nadeine said. “But everything is here in the castle.” I nodded thoughtfully.
“Cool, maybe we can head down there later,” I said.
“Indeed,” Nadeine said. “My brother has been aching for some alcohol, I know.” I laughed at the memory of Bernsten pretending his orange juice on the training grounds was beer.
Servants arrived with the food shortly. In keeping with the castle’s aesthetic, the food itself was even ornate. We ate some kind of pizza-like flatbread covered in meat spread out in interesting patterns, as well as salad with vegetables cut and spread out in flower shapes and dressed with oil and vinegar trickled in swirls, and for dessert, a cake decorated with thin, pristine swirls of frosting.
“Wow,” I said, looking at all of the food.
“We take pride in our aesthetics,” Gernot said, noticing my reaction. “We do not have much out here, but we do what we can to make it beautiful.”
“That is admirable,” Marinka said, nodding.
“Just make sure to spread the word of our efforts when you return to your royal castle,” Gernot said, straightening up even higher and puffing out his chest again.
“We will do so,” Godfried assured him. “Word of your great castle will spread throughout the kingdom.” Gernot seemed very pleased with this news.
The food itself tasted very good, though not as delicious as the food in the royal castle, of course. The flatbread was the best part.
“The cheese is from the milk of our very own cattle,” Gernot boasted. “It was churned just this morning.”
“It’s delicious,” I said, reaching for a fourth slice, and Gernot beamed.
After dinner, Gernot gave us a tour of the small castle. There were only three floors: the main one where we had eaten dinner, the basement where the tavern and some other social areas were located, and an upper level where our bedrooms were.
“Please, let me know if you are in need or want of anything,” Gernot said before he left, bowing to us again.
“Thank you, Lord Gernot,” Marinka said, returning the gesture. “I am certain we will be fine. You have been an excellent host.”
“Alright,” Bernsten said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Shall we drink?”
“Sure, why not,” I said, laughing.
“Just let us not repeat our experience from the evening before our journey,” Marinka warned, looking over at her cousin pointedly.
“I promise that will not be happening,” Godfried assured her, and she nodded with relief. “No more competitions.”
“Only because I will be victorious each and every time,” Bernsten mocked as we made our way down the short staircase and over to the tavern.
“This is likely accurate, but only because of your own willingness to endanger your health,” Nadeine chided him. He only flashed her a grin in response.
The tavern was appropriately small, but it was cozy and ornate, just like the rest of the castle. The lighting was low, only provided by one lantern with a candle on each wall. The walls themselves were adorned with animal pelts and suits of armor, and the floor, walls, and ceilings were all made of wood etched with carvings and patterns. A lone bartender sat at the bar, and a handful of customers were scattered throughout the room, most of them playing wazo at a table off to the side.
“Five beers, please,” Bernsten said, motioning to the bartender. The elf nodded and began to fill several glasses from the tap. We sat down at a square table off to the other side of the bar, away from the elves playing wazo so as not to disturb their game. The tavern’s other patrons watched us as we seated ourselves, no doubt connecting the dots and realizing who we were.
“How has your work been going, Leo?” Nadeine asked when we were seated.
“Good,” I said. The previous few nights, I had holed myself up in my rooms in the various castles where we had stayed, working on more spells for the forest elves. “I’ve created a few more spells now. One for hollowing out the trees, like I told you about, and several for hunting, gathering, and trapping. Hopefully, they’ll do some good.”
“I am certain that they will,” Nadeine said, shooting me an uncharacteristically warm smile. At that moment, the bartender arrived with our beers, passing the enormous glasses out to each of us. I took a long swig from mine, feeling the high alcohol content warm my belly.
“This is more like it,” Bernsten sighed, rubbing his stomach in contentedness. “I have always said, and I will continue to say, that the training grounds’ ban on such beautiful substances is unwarranted.
“Of course you will,” Nadeine said, rolling her eyes.
“I must admit I do not like it,” Godfried said sheepishly, taking a small sip of his beer and pursing his lips. We all burst out laughing. “What? It is true.” His tone was defensive now, but I could see the ghost of a smile on his lips.
“We are merely jesting you, cousin,” Marinka said, still laughing as she reached out across the table to squeeze his shoulder. “After your last experience, I would be shocked if you felt otherwise.”
“It will grow on you, my young friend,” Bernsten said, clapping him between the shoulder blades. “As it does for us all.”
“If you say so,” Godfried said skeptically, taking another sip and scrunching up his face at the bitter taste.
“How has your practice been going?” I asked my companions, looking around at them. While we traveled, they had been committing more combat spells to memory, and while I had been working on creating my own spells the previous few nights, I knew they had been practicing the new spells.
“Well,�
�� Nadeine said after she swallowed another swig of her beer. “We have been doing well conjuring the new forms.” She gestured around at herself, Godfried, and Marinka. “And Bernsten has been able to consistently cast the spells we were working on at the training grounds.”
“Alas, I am a slower learner,” Bernsten lamented, drowning his sorrows in an exaggerated swig of his own drink, which he had managed to finish off already. He signaled for the bartender to bring him another.
“You’re doing fine,” I assured him, clapping his shoulder. “Everyone moves at a different pace.” I couldn’t keep a straight face on that last part, and we all broke out laughing again.
“I am not doing fine, but thank you, my friend,” Bernsten said, chuckling as the bartender brought him another drink. “I will contribute to our cause in other ways.”
“Hey, you’ll get there. You’re already doing better,” I said. “But yeah, you’re a great soldier. We’re glad to have you.”
“Indeed,” Marinka said, nodding. “Each of us is a great asset in different ways.”
“So, what’s our plan if we do find this guy in the mountains?” I asked, voicing a question that had been bugging me for days. “Do we just attack him? Or try to talk to him?”
“This is an excellent question,” Nadeine said, furrowing her brows thoughtfully. “I believe it would be best to attack him when he is unaware of our presence, if at all possible.”
“Of course,” I said, nodding in agreement. “But what if we can’t do that?”
“Then we attempt to gain as much information from him as we can, in any way we can,” Marinka said. “Remember, this is a fact-finding quest more than anything else.”
“Right,” I said, nodding again. “I guess I just don’t like the idea of walking in and interrogating the guy without much information.”
“Nor do I,” Nadeine said, still sporting a concerned expression. She took a long drink, emptying her glass, and motioned to the bartender to ask for another. “But I do not believe we will be able to formulate a plan until we spend some time in the mountains. There is so much we do not know. We will revisit this conversation once we have a better idea of what we are facing.”
