by Taki Drake
The Mage and her Marine escort walked along the side of the Kothar booth. Two of the clan members looked up and offered them small smiles and nods of greeting but did not attempt to stop Ruth. As they approached the far side of the Kothar area, an obviously older man also looked up and began to smile. That smile froze on his face a split second after it started, and his eyes widened. His mouth opened partially in astonishment and what Ruth thought might be the beginning of speech. But no sound emerged, and the man closed his mouth with snap. Still staring at the Mage, he bowed deeply to her. Ruth nodded in acknowledgment and kept moving.
<< That was close! I bet you thought he was going to announce who you are and then you would be immediately swarmed under by hungry salespeople. >>
The Mage was conscious of a feeling of relief. Perhaps that was just a different way of bonding.
Ruth, Hunter, and Gerald completed the circuit of the room and moved to a slightly more open area before stopping. Jenna wandered up and stopped a few feet away from Ruth, looking as if she was waiting for somebody else. Appearing to just speak into her wrist comm, Jenna said, “All of the vendor heads are asking where you are. They were hoping to have time to sit down with you and Lord Pawlik. Personally, I think they want to see how much they can snow you under.”
“I expected that. I really appreciate the fact that nobody has mentioned who I am since so far I’ve been kept free of sales leeches.”
<< When you are referring to all of the vendor heads, does this include someone from each of the groups here? >>
“Between Margot and I, we have been asked by multiple people in both arms dealer’s booths and by the Guildmaster and the acting Chantry head about the availability of my Lady Mage and Lord Pawlik. They have been quite insistent and have been trying to get information from most of the people here,” Jenna replied.
<< Thank you for the clarification, Security Captain. >>
Jenna looked mildly confused but continued, saying, “My Lady Mage, you cannot expect that to continue. If you have anything that you want to look at before they figure out who you are, I would suggest that you go wandering now. Even though everyone knows that you want to be incognito, someone is going to make a mistake, and some bright salesman is going to figure out who you are.”
“Well, I would hope that Hunter would protect me!”
<< I think that would be beyond even my abilities at protection, >> an amused mental voice contributed.
“Oh, all right. I suppose we had better circulate even though I am dreading the point when they figure out who I am.”
Looking at her Marine escort, Ruth took the couple of steps needed to close the distance between the two of them and slipped her right hand into the crook of his left arm. She could feel the start of tension in his body as she got so much nearer. Smiling up at his face, the Mage said, “Oh, don’t look so freaked out. We are trying to pretend! So, act like you are escorting your mother around to look at shiny deadly things.”
“I am not sure what your mirror is telling you these days, my Lady Mage, but you look younger than my mother.”
Laughing lightly, Ruth pulled the Marine toward the first booth and said in a cheerful, audible voice, “I hope you will have time to look at all the interesting weapons.”
The Marine’s mouth edges quivered, and Ruth heard Hunter’s chortle sound loudly in her mind. Obviously, she needed to work on her acting. One more time around, then I can escape, she thought.
Ruth had set off on another circuit around the room, trying to verify her initial impressions and gather additional data. Hunter stuck close to the Mage, making sure that no one slammed into her and watching her energy levels carefully. He could tell that she was starting to tire and was concerned that she needed to escape from the press of people before it got to be overwhelming.
The Catog’s concerns were clearly telegraphed to Ruth. She knew he was correct but felt like another round was necessary. Once more, and she could rest.
Unbeknownst to Ruth, there were various eyes on her from around the room. Jenna had already consulted with Margot about the onset of the Mage’s exhaustion. The inner keep guard captains had already sent one of their Marines off to discuss strategies for extracting the Mage with Lord Pawlik.
Ruth knew she was in trouble. The trembling in her limbs had increased, and she was beginning to feel chilled. She had stopped looking around the room and was instead focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Her focus was on the floor, staring down a narrow tunnel with determination.
Suddenly, broad feet attached to muscular legs appeared in that window of view. Startled, Ruth straightened up so quickly that she became dizzy and swaying slightly. Before Hunter or Gerald could react, a large, gnarled hand was supporting Ruth’s elbow.
“There now, Lady of the Elements. You need to sit and rest for a bit. Come join me for a cup of tea and catch your breath.”
It was the elderly man that had been sitting before with Carla and Sheila. Ruth met his eyes and saw there a serenity that drew her in. Part of her tension released as the old man and Gerald carefully eased her down onto a comfortable stool. She could feel Hunter’s invisible presence behind her, supporting her back.
The smell of sweet flower blossoms and a cinnamon-like spice rose from the warm cup of liquid that was placed carefully in her hands. As she inhaled the steam that rose from the cup the fog of exhaustion that had crept up, unnoticed started to ease. Lifting the cup up to her face, she buried her nose into the top of the mug and inhaled deeply.
It was impossible to breathe that warm yet invigorating scent and not wish to drink it. The first swallow slid like warm silk down her throat, energizing her slowly and gently. So gradually that Ruth almost didn’t recognize it, the serene quiet of the area and the healing qualities of the tea pushed back the burden of her exhaustion. It was luxurious, something to be savored. So she did.
The cup of tea was empty, and the delicate porcelain had gone cool between her palms. Ruth emerged back into awareness as if she was rising out of the depths of a warm ocean to the more vigorous airflow of land. It was time to resume her duties, but that sojourn into a quieter place had averted the toll that an exhaustive collapse would’ve taken on her body.
When the Mage looked up, the only person at the table with her was the elderly man. His squat and aged form were still massively powerful, but lines of care and acquired serenity had graven his face in the stamp of a life well lived. He was smiling at her, waiting for her to come back at her own speed and in her own time.
Ruth felt her own face returning his smile. It was gratitude for his kindness to both her and her people, and in acknowledgment of the gift he had given her.
They looked at each other in perfect harmony and mutual appreciation. She was not sure what he saw when he looked at her, but whatever it was, it apparently pleased him. They shared that moment for just a short period when an interruption happened.
“Dhroaghur, you old goat! You are never going to keep that expensive family of yours fed if you don’t actually talk to customers! First, you take hours with those totally useless flutters that were so clumsy they dumped weapons all over my booth, and now you spend time with an attractive but obviously tipsy woman. She couldn’t even walk straight there for a while. Of course, you may be looking for a new mistress in which case she’s not such a bad choice.”
Ruth could feel a low rumble starting in Hunter’s chest behind her. She was aware of the outraged inhalation that came from her Marine guard. Once more in control of herself, the Mage turned to look at who had addressed the old man.
<< I might have known! It’s the Guildmaster, >> snarled Hunter into Ruth’s mind.
Before Ruth or anyone else could respond, the elderly Kothar answered, “I have managed to keep them fed for over 200 years now. Who I choose to spend time with is really my business, not yours.”
“Well, I suppose you’re right, but it seems like a waste. This is a wonderful opportunity to get a huge chunk of
business out of some noblewoman with pretensions and money to spend. Why would you waste the chance to make a big sale?”
Another voice kicked in, saying, “Have you found out any information about the Lord and Lady of this castle? None of their people really want to talk. It’s the first time we’ve been unable to find out any information from this many people. I tell you, it’s unnatural!”
Ruth didn’t recognize this new speaker. Hunter’s mental touch told her that it was the head representative of the Moxie Group. Interesting, thought Ruth to herself.
Dhroaghur ignored them, instead choosing to ask Ruth if she would like some more tea. She smiled back at him and shook her head no.
<< Mage, it’s time for us to go. In fact, we need to leave right now. >>
Ruth stood up and gave a small half bow to the elderly Kothar. He returned the bow at an even deeper level than hers. When he straightened up, he extended his hand toward her and said, “For you. In remembrance.”
With an exclamation of pure pleasure, Ruth reached for the beautifully crafted flower in his hand. The translucent color of its petals and the shine of the inset stones were breathtaking. The chain was a delicate work of art.
“Thank you ever so much! This is gorgeous, and it will be a lovely remembrance of a priceless cup of tea.”
The Guildmaster’s nasal voice cut in, “Definitely shopping for mistress!”
There was no time for any other conversation as the door to the small ballroom slammed open, and a Marine in full battle gear came charging through. The crowd parted in front of him as he made a straight line for the Mage. Crashing to his knees onto the ground, the man stammered, “My Lady Mage, Lord Pawlik has requested your immediate presence. The first wave of your ships has arrived in the system. The 22 of them will be landing at the new spaceport within the next two hours.”
Ruth responded, “Thank you, Iver. We have been expecting them.”
Looking around the crowded room, Ruth raised her voice slightly and said, “Now the interesting time starts, people. Our first wave of ships is here, and it is time to move forward to the next stage.”
Bowing once more to the elderly Kothar, Ruth swept from the room in a cordon of guards that seemed to spring from the very ground to surround her.
It was official. A step with no reversal. The Archmage Ruth, Lady of Borachland, and mate to its Lord had her fleet.
The Fleet of the Mage had arrived.
Author Notes
This story has taken me far longer than I would have liked. the delay has not been because of my lack of clarity or dedication to the storyline and characters. Instead, life got in the way.
Conflicting demands from my other job and from various involvements in the technical technical world have run me ragged for the last seven months. I got free of that only two find that my body was going to make me pay back all of the horrendous hours I’ve been working. So of course I got sick.
Finally, I am back closer to my normal level of functionality and armpit deep in the evolution of the Unfettered Mage series.I hope you will find that this book ihas been worth the wait. Look for the next book in the series for more quickly than this one has occurred.
I have a lot planned for Ruth, Pawlik, Cal, and the others. Let me know who your favorite characters and I’ll try to drop snippets on my blog and Facebook page over the next few months. That way you can see a bit of their journey before the next book comes out.
Thank you all for your contributions and your interest. It makes it all worthwhile.
Cheerfully,
Taki
Author Introduction – Taki Drake
The mixture of technology and magic is where my mind and heart live. In today's world, it mixes engineering and creativity. In the worlds of my mind, technology and magic live intertwined. I hope that you will find my stories interesting enough to be frequent visitors to where my heart beats.
I am continuing to write my stories of intertwined technology and magic. The challenges of that are fertile grounds for many story lines and series. Several of those planned for the next few months have been listed below. I am happily writing each of them, discovering new worlds, new situations and new challenges. The wonder for me is the number of readers that are enjoying my visions and tales.
Enjoy the stories in the emerging genre of techmage!
Please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected] or visit my blog or my Amazon page.
Unfettered Mage
We Are Not Prey
Fleet of the Mage - 2017
Spatial Delivery - Early 2018
BattleMage Investigates
An Attitude Adjustment
Frozen Hands - Early 2018
Maritime Madness - TBD
Badger Hole Bar
Thru the Badger Hole - Late 2017
Grand Opening - Jan 2018
The Remembrance Wall - Jan 2018
Passage Beyond - Feb 2018
Becoming Sephera
A Learning Experience
You Just Go On - Early 2018
Life Rebuilt - 2018
New Paths - TBD
Standard of Honor
In the World of the Federal Witch
Shade of Honor
Coven Codex - Jan 2018
A Confluence of Covens -TBD
Familiar Magic
Familiar Shadows
Familiar Trials - Fledgling
Familiar Travels - Coming Soon!
Familiar Trials - Expert - Early 2018
Familiar Trials - Master - Mid 2018
Familiar Trials - Adept - TBD
Cookbooks
The Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook
Fergus Favorites Cookbook
Marcella's Garden Cookbook
Marcella’s Summer Bounty Cookbook
Marcella’s Autumn Harvest
Tasting Sampler
A Food Palate - Holiday Heartwarmers
Taking it on the Road
Baba’s Kitchen - Coming Soon!
Anthologies
The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of the Science Fiction Genre
The Tide: The Multiverse Wave
Inanna's Circle: Flight of Imagination - Thru the Darkness
Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories
Inanna's Circle: The Game Begins
Mysterious Hearts
Journal with a View
CyberWar: Digital Battlefield
CyberWar: Byte Conflict
Prime Fantasy
Phoenix Fantasy
Phoenix Imagining
The Imp Prince
The Goblin and the Grocer
Prime Peek I
Snapshots of Life I
Tales from the Pumpkin Patch
Haunted Hearts I
Reindeer Don’t Fly
Keep Connected
Taki Drake is a long-time reader that was convinced to make her initial attempt at writing fiction in this anthology. Intrigued by the concept and challenge of Inanna’s Circle Game, her efforts found their shape in a story reflective of the complexity of life. She currently lives in the Midwest of the US, happily ensconced in the midst of her cats, dogs, and husband. She can be reached at [email protected], or by signing up for her newsletter at http://www.technologymage.com. Her blog is at http://www.takidrake-author.com/.
If you would like to learn more about the Phoenix Prime program or authors, please visit pprcollective.com and look for her book-related merchandise here!
Thanks for joining me for this brief time.
Cheerfully, Taki
filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share
