by Jon Bender
Once the durgen was back in the stall, Jaxom found his friends near the well Alimar had spoken of, having already washed they stood nearby talking to one another. Taking his shirt off, he cleaned himself as best he could from the bucket. That little bit helping him to feel at least partly clean.
When finished he pulled the dirty shirt back over his head as he joined them. “We are leaving today,” he said.
“Thank the goddess,” Da’san said. “I do not wish to remain here any longer. I know I agreed to not commune with her but the sooner we leave the better.”
“What else did Alimar say when we left?” Jerup asked.
Jaxom went over everything the older death mage had told him, telling them of the shades and Or’Keer and what the god had planned for Ale’adaria. Da’san had been very interested to hear of this new god. Asking questions to which Jaxom only had some of the answers.
“We have to get back to the capital as soon as possible. We must inform the king of what is coming,” Cribble said, seeming to be in a better mood now that he had sobered up. “Did the other mage happen to tell you where our horses were?”
Jaxom smiled at them.
Chapter 16
They had found the horses in a stable nearby, taking the saddles and supplies from them the group found a way to fit the gear securely to the durgen. None of his friends were keen on the idea of trusting their lives to the risen creatures, but after a quick demonstration that the animals could really fly, they had grudgingly agreed knowing the urgency of returning to Ale’adar.
Able to seat two riders each, Adriana had taken a place behind him and Jaxom was pleased with her decision. Jerup, wanting to have as little to do with the durgen as possible, rode behind Brenin letting the young guard handle the reigns. Leaving Da’san to ride with Cribble, the priest seeming happy to let the other man take the lead. Once they were all settled Jaxom commanded the durgen to leave the ground.
Jaxom had no need of the reigns but instructed the risen mounts to respond to them so that his friends would have control of the risen. Rising above the palace he did several small circles allowing Cribble and Brenin to become accustomed to how their mounts performed. When he felt they were more comfortable with the new mode of travel Jaxom turned south to Ale’adar. They quickly passed over the abandoned city, the empty grassland, and finally they were above the vast trees of the Teriken. From the high vantage point the forest did not look as ominous now, with the wind whipping past them and the sun on his face he felt peaceful. With nothing else to do, Jaxom contemplated what his next step was once they got back. He did not know how Corin was faring or if the shades had already joined in the fight against him. The only thing he could be sure of was that he had to get back as quickly as possible and let his friend know what he had learned. What it was they and the rest of the world was up against. He had to consider that this god was not only influencing events in Ale’adaria but other kingdoms as well. Or’Keer’s end game was obvious; he wanted men to worship him, but Jaxom did not know how beginning these wars helped him to achieve that goal.
It took over half the day for the durgen to move past the forest and out above the rolling hills. Landing, they took a short break to eat a quick meal of dried meat and relieve themselves before resuming their flight. They were roughly near the spot where the fire mage had attacked them when Jaxom decided to make camp for the night near a grove of trees. The group went about the task of setting up camp and it was not long before they all sat around a cozy fire, the durgen circling the area removing the need for a guard.
Leaning against a log near the firelight, Jaxom pulled Katia’s journal out of his bag. Opening the small leather bound book he flipped passed the part discussing the veil. The next entries having what Jaxom thought to be a much more useful and worthwhile cast. Katia wrote that after mastering the veil, her mentor had wished her to learn a defensive spell. In the ground there was likely to be the bones of many creatures left to be covered up by time. Katia’s instructor had demonstrated by casting into the earth searching for a suitable example. Finding the remains of a small hunting cat, he had pulled the bones of the small animal from the ground to reform them into their original shape. Once it had been reassembled he then proceeded to manipulate the reconstructed cat to imitate its lifelike characteristics. With the demonstration complete Katia had attempted the feat, able to produce the same results only after several days of trying.
Feeling that she had mastered the fundamentals of the cast, Katia wrote that her mentor demonstrated a more advance form of it that had left her awestruck at his skill. Thrusting both his hands downward, the earth shook beneath her feet as bones of every animal imaginable erupted from the ground in a spray of rock and dirt. Spinning about the mage they then began to collect upon his body until the man was covered by a suit of white armor. Not expecting his pupil to master the full suit that day, he had asked her to perform the cast only on her arm. Binding the bone armor in such a way to protect the limb fully but still allowing for normal movement.
Katia had not succeeded that day or the day after that. She could form the bones to her arm but had difficulty with binding them so as to still allow for movement. They had practiced until the sun had set. Leaving the young death mage exhausted, but it would be two weeks before she was able to master the bone sleeve. When she finally accomplished the difficult cast, her writing had become hurried with excitement. She wrote that the trick had been to fit the bones in such a way that complimented the natural curves of the arm and shoulder. Using large scapulae to form the chest and shoulder plates, then smaller bones such as the carpals of the hand to form around the shoulder and elbow joints. Larger bones then binding to the arm itself to create the majority of the armor.
Imagining the sight she described, Jaxom could not wait to try the cast for himself. Standing, the others took notice but said nothing as he walked away from the trees, looking for a flat empty space where he could attempt the cast. Starting small, he copied the first cast to bring a skeleton to the surface. Feeling below the earth with his magic, Jaxom found a set of remains that would meet his needs. Concentrating he began to extract the long dead animal from the ground, and recognizing the skull of a female dear he quickly began reassembling the bones into their proper place. Thankful he had taken the time to study the animal’s anatomy from his books.
Once completely reformed Jaxom held the remains erect. Sure his creation was stable he began to mimic how a living deer would act. Bending its head to tear grass away from the earth, then looking up quickly to scout for danger, and finally running at full speed to leap into the air. Very little power was required to hold the bones in place, the magic acting as artificial ligaments. The mental aspect however was a different story. Controlling the hundreds of small bindings connecting each bone took a large amount of concentration. Keeping the individual pieces together while allowing enough flexibility for movement was a challenge unto itself. He now understood why Katia’s instructor had begun the young mage with this exercise. If Jaxom was going to maintain a suit of armor he would need to be able to do exactly as he was now. Holding the bones in place while allowing himself the mobility to swing his sword or run. Releasing the hundreds of tiny bonds the skeletal deer fell apart mid run, the free pieces powered by inertia flying forward to scatter on the ground.
After taking a minute to rest from the mental exertion, Jaxom prepared for the next part of the training. It had taken Katia weeks to master this, but he did not have that time. Calming his mind and stretching out a hand he began pulled more of the remains from the earth. In mass they erupted forth flying to his outstretched arm. Spinning as they came and throwing free any debris of dirt still attached. Recalling the description in the journal he placed them similarly on his body. Larger bone fitting to areas that needed little movement, the smaller ones forming to his shoulder, elbow, and wrist. A man had died nearby and his skeletal hand formed perfectly over Jaxom’s own, the carpals and phalanges binding together to give him a s
keletal grip.
As the last bone settled onto his forearm, another donation from the long dead man, Jaxom flexed his hand to find it moved normally under the white armor. Rotating and bending his arm showed that there was little restriction. Far less than normal chain or plate mail would have caused at half the weight. Drawing his sword, Jaxom practiced both attacks and defenses, testing the limb’s maneuverability while fully encased in its new protection. Satisfied that the armor would not hinder him he returned the blade to its sheath. Releasing the magic, the armor fell away to land in a pile at his feet. Another useful feature he thought to himself, being able to call the bone armor when he needed or to shed it quickly if speed was more crucial.
Turning about he found Adriana sitting on the grass nearby, a look of wonder on her face. “How long have you been there?” he asked.
“Since the deer… The way you made it move was so graceful, almost beautiful,” she said.
Jaxom had not thought of the risen deer as beautiful and had not intended grace when he controlled its movements, only trying to imitate life as best he could to test his control over the magic. He did appreciate that she had thought his casting beautiful, she may have been the first in history to say so of a death mage’s magic. “Thank you. What did you think of the other part?” he asked, curious to know what it had looked like from the outside.
That… that was probably the most terrifying thing I have seen you do. Can you do that to your whole body?” she asked. Thinking about it, he decided that yes he could manage full armor with practice and nodded his agreement. Not speaking and waiting to see how she reacted, Jaxom was surprise when she broke into mischievous grin.
“Anyone who meets you in that outfit is likely to soil themselves before running away,” she said.
“So you came out here to see what I was doing?” he asked.
“Well yes…” she said hopping to her feet. “But not only that.” Walking over to him she held out a hand. “We are out of the forest, you still owe me another four gold as we agreed upon.”
Jaxom laughed pulling the gold from his coin purse. Handing them over to her, she slipped them into a pocket reminding him of the rest of their bargain. The deal was he would take her back to the capital with him, after which his debt would be repaid and she would go her way. The thought of never seeing her again bothered him immensely.
“What do you plan to do once we get to Ale’adar?” he asked.
“I don’t know, I really hadn’t thought that far ahead. What are you going to do?” she asked.
Jaxom had a general idea but he had not given the details any real consideration. He was going to tell Corin what he found out and try to work out a deal that would allow Alimar’s plan to succeed. “Find the King and let him know what we have found,” he said, not wanting to let her know that he had no plan to speak of.
“Ever the tactician, do you just make this up as you go along?” she said jokingly. “I had thought to open a trading post. I know a lot of people in Chams’Dell who I can buy fur from to sell in the city, but if your friend loses this war that might be a bit harder to do. So I might hire on to the army as a scout.” She paused to look into his eyes. “Unless you can think of another job I can do?”
Jaxom racked his brain for a suitable position that would suffice. Anything that would keep her near to him but nothing suited to her skills came to mind. He realized he was taking too long with a response. Ready to say that he could talk to the King about finding a job she suddenly threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. All thoughts flew from his head as his arm encircled her waist, pulling their bodies closer together. Jaxom did not know how long the kiss lasted but when she finally broke away he felt like it had only been an instant.
Adriana took a step back. A little out of breath she adjusted her hair and smiled at him. “Not a planner at all, good thing for you I am. I hope you will talk to your friend about finding me a duty where I will be the most use,” She said suggestively before turning away.
Walking back to the camp she left Jaxom standing in the dark still unable to gather his thoughts, all he could do was watch and admire that side of her. Shaking his head he followed after her, deciding on the walk back that Corin could wait to hear the news of this enemy god. The first thing the two would discuss was Adriana’s assignment to the scout unit.
The following day went much the same as the last only the ground beneath them changing as the land became more populated. Villages and scattered houses passing quickly by forcing Jaxom to wonder what the people below thought of the flying creatures. He allowed himself a small laugh at their expense. Imagining them running around in a panic at the unknown beasts. Adriana held tighter to his waist than the previous day. They did not speak that night after she had kissed him. Going to his bed roll Jaxom had laid down only to stare at the stars thinking about the brief moment they had shared. He had no idea where it was going but he was excited to find out.
Landing in an empty field with no buildings for miles, the group set up camp for their final night together. Even knowing what they were heading for his friends were all in a good mood at being so close to home. It had been a long trip and they were looking forward to seeing the familiar streets of Ale’adar again. Brenin spoke excitedly to Jerup about the lady friends he intended to visit once they were back. The older guard in return telling the young man that it was not the quantity of women who took you to their bed, but how enthusiastic they were when they did. Bragging that he would probably not be let out of the house for three days once he walked through the door. Jerup was sure to tell them all that they were welcome in his home any time after those three days, saying that he wife was the finest cook in the city. Even Cribble smiled at the invitation and said he would be sure to visit.
Jaxom was less excited about their return. For him the city did not hold as many joyful experiences, and he found that he would actually miss the camaraderie once this adventure was over. If Corin was still there, they would fall back into their duties. If he had already departed then his friends would follow whatever orders had been left for them. Adriana and he had discussed what she would do, deciding that she would follow him to the south. Once they found the army, Jaxom would speak to Corin about assigning her to scout or messenger duties. This way she could stay close to Jaxom and be kept out of majority of the danger. Their budding relationship had left his head in a fog, so much that he had to continuously remind himself to stay on the task at hand.
Once settled, Jaxom left with Adriana so he could practice casting the bone armor again. When they had reached a good distance he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her against him for a kiss he had been thinking about all day. She returned the embrace with as much fervor as he felt, keeping her lips pressed against his. Jaxom’s hand moved slowly up her back to her neck, his fingers entangling in her hair. He could feel both their bodies tense with need for each other, and a sense of urgency was building within him. At the last moment before they crossed that line from which neither of them would turn back, Adriana put both hands on his chest pushing away. Jaxom’s hands had slid to her waist refusing to let go of the beautiful woman.
“That is not what we came out here for,” she said. Obvious to Jaxom that she was straining to get her emotions under control. “And we will not be doing that for the first time in the dirt,” she said with a seductive wink. Taking another step back from him Jaxom was forced to relinquish his grasp on her.
Letting out a sigh of irritation Jaxom nodded his agreement. “Your right, we need to stay focused,” he said more for himself then her. “You should step back.”
After backing away to a safe distance she took a seat on the soft grass to watch him while he cast. Clearing his mind, Jaxom took a deep breath pushing it out quickly as he thrust his hands downward. Finding what he needed, Jaxom pulled the remains of many men and animals long dead to the surface. The bones ripping from the ground with such force that his vision was momentarily obscured by the dirt and dust, h
undreds of bones circling him in a whirlwind of white. Willing the bones into place, his hand was once more covered by the skeletal fingers of another. The white armor stacking from there as piece after piece worked their way up his arm to the shoulder. Concentrating on the other arm he repeated the process matching the armor of the first. Vertebrae began lining his back as dozens of ribs stacked on top of one another to encase his torso, the bones forming tight bonds half way up his neck stopping there so he would still be able to turn his head. The waist proved to be a challenge as he had to find a way to leave his sword free of the armor. Eventually he was able to work around the blade so it appeared to be connected to the armor itself. His legs were soon encased as well, bones running all the way down over the tops of his leather boots. Feeling a little artistic, Jaxom used his magic to snap a man’s skull in half, leaving the facial bones intact to create a center piece on his chest.
Finally finished, he looked down at himself. Wishing they had a mirror for him to inspect the end result. Adriana had a look of pure wonder on her face as she walked over to him and ran a hand over his chest.
“There is only one more thing to do,” she said. Before he had a chance to ask what she meant, the huntress pulled her mace swinging it full force. The heavy weapon connected solidly with the side of his chest. With no time to react Jaxom took the blow full on, knocking him to the ground. The strike had hurt, knocking the wind from his lungs, but felt nothing like it would have if not for the armor.
