by Jon Bender
“Yet another reason for me to seek an alliance with the death mage. If you keep this up I will not have a choice but to agree to what you want,” he said in good humor.
“That is my hope, but for now Brenin can fly the other to scout for the enemy if you need me here,” Jaxom said.
“Brenin?” Corin asked not knowing the archer.
“He is one of the guard who went North with me and agreed to continue on here. He has proven to be dependable and I trust him,” Jaxom said.
“Yes I would like you here from now on, and if the man is of the Guard I know that he is qualified and trust worthy,” Corin replied.
“As to those being trustworthy, Alimar also told me to be watchful for Or’Keer’s worshipers among our own ranks. He said that he did not know who they were but every court has them embedded within its members of nobility and military,” Jaxom said in a serious tone.
Corin waved away the comment as if it were an annoying fly. “Spies are a constant and what does it matter who they belong to. We will root them out as they are found but we cannot let the fear of them cripple us.”
Jaxom nodded to his friend seeing the wisdom in his words, but he still could not shake the feeling that spies loyal to Or’Keer were going to be far more trouble than the average noble who was paid for information.
“Adriana, I will need you and Brenin to leave at first light tomorrow. Usually scouts would report to their sergeants who report to the officers above them and so on, but because of the nature of your mounts I will leave you to report to Jaxom,” Corin said looking to her. “I am looking for the enemies’ locations, numbers, and any indication of direction.”
“Yes your majesty, I will let Brenin know,” she replied.
“Good. I know you said that Alimar created them but do you think you can reproduce his work?” Corin said to Jaxom. “It would be handy to have a whole unit of those… what did you call them? Durgen?”
“I would need more time than we have just to attempt it, and it would take more time to gather the… material I need,” Jaxom said.
“I didn’t think so, but I had to ask. I guess you have already done more than enough by bringing those two,” Corin said.
The disappointment was evident in his voice and Jaxom was sure his friend had more in mind for the risen mounts than just scouts. The problem was Jaxom would need time to create them and he could only animate so many without the enchanted stones that Alimar had shown him.
“It is late and I know you two have already had a long night, so I will not keep you any longer,” Corin said. Draining the last of his wine he stood offering his hand to Jaxom. “I will see you in the morning with the other mages to discuss the coming battle. Serin will be there to outline for me what he recommends the mages role should be, and it would be a good idea for you to be as well.”
Jaxom cringed at the mention of having to work with the leader of the mages, but Corin was right that some sort of plan for working together would be needed. He nodded to his friend and followed Adriana out into the night, making their way back to the appropriated tent where Brenin was still sleeping. Letting Adriana take the only cot he spread his bed roll out on the ground and laid down to get some sleep. Tomorrow he would begin helping with the preparations for the inevitable battle.
Chapter 19
Jaxom walked out of Corin’s tent into the bright sunlight thinking that it had been a waste of time for him to attend the meeting. Serin had told the King where he thought it was best for the mages to be placed, providing both protection from enemy castings and offensive attacks. The fire mage however, had left out where Jaxom should be placed to compliment the rest which suited him just fine. He at least knew what the other mages roles were and would be able to fit himself into the plan to help them or the soldiers fighting. It was likely he would be near the front line where his magic and skill with the sword would be most effective.
Adriana and Brenin had left before the sun had reached the sky, taking the durgen to scout the area where Corin suspected the enemy army was. She had given Jaxom a kiss while he had still laid in his blankets and a smile that promised more of the same later. Jaxom had nothing pressing to do so decided to walk around while he waited for his friends to return from their mission. Moving through the camp soldiers would take notice of his passing, stepping out of his path when he would come close. Jaxom passed by an area where dozens of horses had been picketed and were being fed by men responsible for their care. A little further found a small group of soldiers training with the spear, moving through drills as a sergeant barked orders from the side. Everywhere he went the men’s spirits were high as was evident from the laughter and talk he would hear as he passed.
Circling back he eventually returned to his own tent to find the ice mage he had met the night before. The young man wearing light blue robes was sitting on a stool outside the tent reading a small book. It had been dark when he had first met the mage and Jaxom had not taken notice of the man’s shaggy brown hair with matching brown eyes. Seeing Jaxom approach he stood showing a medium frame with average height, then placing the book in a hidden pocket he smiled warmly.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning Darian, what can I do for you today?” Jaxom asked.
“I had hoped you could show me more of those creatures you rode in on last night but I see they are not here,” he replied.
“They left this morning on orders from the King, but should return before tonight,” Jaxom said, actually regretting that he could not show him the risen. No mage before had ever shown interest in Jaxom’s abilities except to dismiss them out of hand.
“No matter, perhaps you can show me some of the other casting you can do. I know we have never spoken before, but I have heard of you and would enjoy seeing what your magic is capable of,” he said seeming just as enthusiastic as he was about the risen.
“I would be glad to, but perhaps we should move away from the tents,” Jaxom replied, thinking it would be fun to share some of his abilities and perhaps see what the other man could do.
“Good idea, we wouldn’t want anyone to think we were under attack,” he said with a laugh.
On the walk through the camp Jaxom asked the other mage about himself and was surprised to find that he was twenty-three. He went on to say that his young appearance caused him a bit of strife when dealing with the older mages, and freely discussing how he had earned the title of magus only two years before. Not for lack of ability, but because he had a problem with what other mages felt was speaking out of turn for one so young. Jaxom found that he enjoyed his cheerful attitude, even seeing a slight bounce in the man’s step.
They had moved passed the tents to the empty area before the perimeter when Darian stopped. “This seems like a good spot,” he said. “I know that you can reanimate the dead, but since we are lacking anything that would suite that type of casting is there anything else you can show me?”
“Yes but it would be best if you stood back a bit,” Jaxom said. The other mage took several steps away as Jaxom drew death into himself. Once he felt brimming with the energy he thrust his hands downward. The bones pulled from the ground and quickly began assembling on his body, encasing him from head to neck in the white shell.
Darian was waving his hand in front of his face to help clear the dust in the air. He looked Jaxom up and down admiring the cast. “That is something, I have seen similar from the earth mages but they seem to have problems moving with so much weight,” he said.
“The Bone is lighter, and the way it fits does not restrict my movement,” Jaxom replied. Drawing his sword he moved through a few attacks to demonstrate.
“Much better than what the earth mages can do. All right my turn,” Darian said. Throwing both hands forward, Jaxom saw blue and white pour forth from the other mage to form into a wall of ice almost as quickly as he had donned the armor. It looked to be seven feet tall and five across, as he walked to the side he saw it was nearly two feet thick. Darian
was on the other side with a look of pride on his face.
“That looks like it could come in handy,” Jaxom said, thinking of all the times he could have used something so sturdy.
“It has saved me in more than one match,” Darion said with a smile.
“Match?” Jaxom asked.
“Battle training is mandatory at the castle. We face off in non-lethal bouts against other mages. No one dies, but sometime there are injuries,” Darian said. “You have never been in a match before?”
Jaxom thought back to the fire mage he had faced off against but there had been nothing non-lethal about that. “Just one,” he said.
Darian’s smile dropped away getting his meaning then returning after a short moment of consideration. “Well how about we have a friendly one now. It can’t hurt to train up a bit with what we are going up against.”
“What are the rules?” Jaxom asked.
“If you are about to strike a killing blow…stop,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Jaxom realized that he was already at a disadvantage with nothing around for him to reanimate. On the other hand he held a sword and it was likely the ice mage lacked training in dealing with a mage who used steel. He would have to get close to win but it was doable “All right, whenever you are ready.”
The words had no sooner left his mouth, then Darian moved his hands forward throwing five small icicles headed straight for Jaxom’s chest. He was forced to dive to the side and still received a stinging blow as one of the missiles deflected off the bone armor on his shoulder. Already suspecting that they would not be the last, he turned his dive into a roll as more ice thudded into the ground where he had been.
Casting his own hand out, the black veil spewed forth to obscure the other mages view. With the reprieve Jaxom returned to his feet and waded into the blackness intent on closing the distance. Inside the dark cloud he listened for the other mages movement, hearing the grass shifting to the right he stepped lightly towards the sound. The air began to become very cold and he could feel his movement beginning to slow as the spaces in his armor froze. Finding the other mage in the darkness was taking too long, but if he dispelled it he would be dodging more of the ice daggers.
A thought occurred to Jaxom, there were no dead animals around him but the grass would hold many insects. Casting he searched for the dead creatures, finding hundreds in the immediate area and bringing them back. He had never tried this before but found that their small size allowed him to reanimate more than he could with men or large animals. Commanding his tiny army to bite and sting anything nearby that was not him, it was not long before they found the ice mage who cursed and swatted his robes attempting to rid himself of the pests. The sound he created gave away his position and Jaxom rushed forward dispelling the darkness when he thought he was close enough.
The look of surprise on Darian’s face at the sudden return of light, and his foe not more the ten paces away was priceless. Jaxom however did not have long to enjoy it as the ice mage instinctively threw more of the daggers his way. Knowing that his armor could take the hits Jaxom brought the flat of his blade up to protect his face. The impacts of ice on his chest and arms stung, but not enough to slow him down. In a last ditch effort Darian began forming the ice wall but it was too late. Jaxom dropped his armored shoulder crashing through before it could gain any thickness. He carried the charge straight through into the ice mage forcing the other man down and knocking the wind from his lungs.
Standing over Darian, Jaxom placed the tip of his sword at his neck. “I think I win.” The other mage shrugged his shoulders in defeat but held a wide grin on his face.
A roar went up to Jaxom’s right and he jerked back readying his sword. A large group of soldiers, nobles, and even a few mages had gathered nearby to watch the match. Many of the soldiers were cheering and some seemed to be handing over sums of money to those next to them. He had not noticed them gathering at the outset of the mock fight, but they must have seen most of it to have bet on the outcome. Hearing Darian clear his throat, he looked down to see him holding a hand up. Grabbing hold of the ice mage’s wrist he helped pull him to his feet.
“Good match, I thought I had you until those bugs started attacking me,” he said. Brushing the dirt and grass form his robes, a few of the dead insects fell away as well.
“You almost did, a few more moments and I don’t think I would have been able to move,” Jaxom said smiling. He had truly enjoyed the match, it was fun to test his skills without actually being in danger.
Darian looked over at the crowd and sighed. “If I knew they were going to watch I would have charged a fee.” Sighing again he gave Jaxom a friendly slap on the back. “All that casting has worked up an appetite, let’s go get something to eat,” he said before heading back to the camp.
They found a wagon where the midday meal was being served, each grabbing a plate of the salted pork stew and a hard piece of bread. Taking seats on some nearby crates, Darian took a spoon full of the meal and scrunched up his face.
“I do not know how these men can survive on this every day, I think my tongue is starting to shrivel from all the salt,” he said. Betraying his own words he took another spoonful and then another, cleaning the plate before Jaxom was halfway done. Using the bread to scoop up what was left he asked if Jaxom was going to finish his.
Bemused by the other man’s appetite, Jaxom handed over his own meal and watched him finish that as well. “So what is life like at the castle in Ale’adar,” Jaxom asked.
“There is not much to tell,” he said placing the empty metal plates on the ground nearby. “When children are born to mages they are tested for the ability to channel energy at five. From what I am told, it is impossible to tell any earlier than that. If the child is found to have the ability they are tested every year to see if the power has yet manifested. When it does training to control the magic as we do begins.”
“What happens to those who cannot cast?” Jaxom asked.
“Usually they are apprenticed to a skill of their choosing, but all must leave by their eighteenth year,” he said seeming not to be proud of this. “Sometimes those children will have children of their own who will return to become mages themselves, but it is rare.”
With so few mages born it did not surprise Jaxom that this was how it was done. If they allowed every child to stay, the castle would soon be overflowing with people. He wondered what life would have been like for him, if he had been raised by other mages then quickly banished the thought. It was pointless to think on something that was already past and his upbringing with Corin had been good.
“What about you? It must be wonderful to live in the palace itself with all those noble ladies flittering about batting their eyes at you,” Darian said leaning forward with enthusiasm.
Jaxom thought of Celia batting her eyes at anyone and found the idea so ludicrous that he laughed. “I think you have a mistaken image of what palace life is like. It is mostly working to ensure the kingdom runs smoothly.”
“Surely you must have some fun there and you just don’t want to share it,” Darian said not to be dissuaded from the fantasy he invented of a lavish life.
Jaxom let the other man imagine while he considered what he had said about testing children for the ability to channel. Alimar spoke of finding other death mages but had not discussed how he would do it. It could take a life time of waiting for someone to demonstrate the ability, but if they could look for others, it would increase their chances of finding them.
“Do you know how to perform this test?” Jaxom asked.
“Well yes it’s not difficult, but trying to find someone who can cast randomly without knowing their family history is wasted effort. It would be like closing your eyes and grabbing a grain of sand from a coin purse full of it, hoping that the one you pick is the right one,” he said.
“Still I would like to learn if you are willing to teach me,” Jaxom returned.
Darian looked confused at the odd requ
est, as he saw it unlikely that Jaxom would ever need to use the cast, but nodded his head in agreement “Okay, it is a simple matter of drawing in the energy as you would before casting. Without molding that energy to purpose direct it at the one you wish to test. If they are capable of casting magic it will feel as if they are absorbing it into themselves.” Scooting his crate forward a little he looked Jaxom in the eye. “Try it with me, since I can channel you will know what it feels like.”
Jaxom did as the ice mage instructed drawing the energy of death into himself. When he thought it was enough he lifted his hand and pushed that energy forth towards the other man’s chest. It felt exactly as he had described, the energy seemed to flow into him with only a slight pulling. Like floating on your back down a slow moving stream, being drawn along by the gentle current.
Releasing the magic he saw Darian smiling broadly at him. “Could you feel that? Jaxom asked.
“Yes, but it is nothing uncomfortable. It is like sitting near a fire and feeling the heat from the flames,” he replied. “I can do the same to you so that you know it is not harmful.”
Jaxom nodded, if he was to perform this cast on children he should know exactly what it was doing to them. He saw Darian’s face in a look of pure concentration and wondered if that was what he looked like when he cast. The other man reached out his hand and Jaxom could feel the warmth flowing, like heat it soaked into his body warming him. There was something else though that Darian had not described, Jaxom felt as if he could take more if he wanted and on instinct did so. The gentle flow turned into a torrent of rushing water as power filled him, then he was drawing his own energy adding to the strong current and it turned into rapids rushing towards a waterfall. He was holding more energy than he ever had before and knowing that he could do so much more with the added power. Then it was gone and his eyes which had glazed over came back into focus to see a frightened Darian sitting across from him.
