by Guy Antibes
When they stepped outside, Ricky gave each of the soldiers a silver coin. “For your troubles,” he said.
“We shouldn’t,” one of the men said.
“Then treat your mates to a grand dinner and a night of drinking,” Saganet said.
The soldiers all brightened. “We can do that.”
~
Ricky sat at the desk in his room, staring at the bank’s accounting of his money. He figured he could buy a house next to Saganet’s and retire at fifteen. But then, what would his life be like? Did the duke expect Ricky to fade away, having been given all this wealth?
Duke Noacci wasn’t a perfect man, and an imperfect man might do something like this. But the duke hadn’t expected anything in return. He didn’t extract a pledge of loyalty or a promise vacating Ricky’s claim to Naparra. With all the negative comments about Duke Noacci, Ricky couldn’t make a good connection between the rumors and the man.
A knock on the door broke him out of his reverie, and in moments Ricky sat in Merry’s office with Saganet joining them.
“How much?” Saganet said, looking at the bank’s notice in Ricky’s hand.
Ricky told them, and they both nodded, but neither smiled.
“You look as worried as we are,” Merry said.
“There were no commitments made on my part, other than receiving the money. The document proclaiming me heir only solidifies my claim to my father’s duchy. Noacci is right about my not being able to do anything until I’m an adult. What am I missing?”
“How do you feel now about challenging Duke Noacci?”
“Why would I do that?”
Saganet put his head back on the chair. “The duke must know Bariani was pushing you to claim your birthright. He struck first. He has your good will; Duke Bariani is thwarted in his attempt to meddle in a rival’s business. If Duke Noacci thinks he is immortal, as most of his kind do, he has stopped Bariani in his tracks.”
“That’s the play?” Merry asked. “A strategic move?”
“I’ve been thinking about the bigger picture, as well,” Saganet said. “Noacci told Ricky that he has higher ambitions. That might mean a move to usurp King Leon. It’s not that the king has a lot of heirs. After Princess Pira, the relations get pretty distant. She is only Ricky’s age.”
“Surely the Council of Notables wouldn’t stand for such a thing,” Merry said.
“The king recently stacked the council with more of his cronies, but how many would turn to Duke Noacci under the right circumstances?” Saganet narrowed his eyes in thought, rubbing his chin beard.
Merry waved her hand in frustration. “You know the players better than I ever could. Could he be so ambitious?”
“If he wasn’t, wouldn’t Noacci want to protect his base duchy at all costs? Naparra is his base, and yet he all but gave it away. That confirms his ambitions. I’ll send some dispatches to Sealio. Duke Bariani won’t be happy after I have a little talk with him later today.” He looked at Ricky. “In the meantime, try not to spend all your money one place.”
~~~
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
~
D EAN DOUBLI PROCLAIMED AN AFTERNOON OF CELEBRATION, although it was held on a free day, to commemorate the broomball team’s valiant effort in Applia. The team wore their jerseys over regular pants. Ricky walked around the broomball field filled with students, amazed at the banners and bunting decorating the field.
Saganet got up on the platform after Merry welcomed the students and called up Insippa Baldico. The students gathered around, except for those stuck to the tables still dispensing food and treats.
“Our team did a marvelous job in Applia, and that includes Coach Baldico. This might not be common knowledge in Tossa, but the Briar Preparatory people hired a professional coach and his players to take the students’ places. Our boys played a professional team and lost by only one point. Let’s congratulate them!”
Sippa waited for the applause to stop. “Let’s get the team lined up in front here.” He called out the names of the team and had them stand in front of the platform.
“I’d like to announce that our most outstanding player was Jac Griama.” The students cheered again. “We do have an honorable mention. One student has shown a flair for strategy and helped me come up with a strategy to come back on the Briars. That is Hendrico Valian. Ricky!”
One of the players yelled, “Who helped who?”
Ricky blushed but waved anyway. He felt good, very good. He didn’t need wealth or a title. Right now, at this time, Ricky’s real treasure was the friends at his side and in front of him and a sense of belonging and being wanted. He didn’t know what the future had in store. He half-expected to have his money and the prospects of a title ripped away from him, but he wouldn’t care if he could still feel as he felt at that moment.
He walked around accepting the good wishes with Benno. Jac drifted over to Mara, and they were having a private conversation amidst the celebration. Loria and her friends walked up to both of them.
“I congratulate you on your triumph, Ricky,” Loria said. She turned to Benno. “And to you, Benno. Despite my, uh, actions, I am proud of both of you and Doubli Academy.” She turned as soon as her friends had joined in her well wishes and disappeared into the crowd.
“All we needed was Jac, eh?” Benno said.
Ricky looked her way. “It cost her a bit to say that, didn’t it?”
Benno nodded. “As long as I’ve known Loria, and that’s a long time, I’ve never seen her be so, so humble. I guess that describes it.”
“Savor it,” Ricky said. “Who knows what she’ll say or do tomorrow?”
He turned and walked the other way. “I think another round of food sounds good, Benno.”
Benno grinned, and Ricky had to walk faster to catch up to his friend.
~
Professor Dari Calasay and Professor Petrolo Garini sat across the lecture well from Ricky. Petrolo grabbed a tiny sack of beans from a bucket beside him and threw it at Ricky, who had already generated the song to deflect.
“To the left,” Petrolo said. He threw the sack directly at Ricky and the bag went left when Ricky exercised his will.
“Above you,” Dari said. Ricky deflected another bag enough to miss him.
They threw three more bags.
“Each time, how do you manifest your will?” Petrolo said, “What is your mental image?”
Ricky thought. The professors didn’t tell him before he started his class what they were going to do, so he couldn’t think of something in advance.
“I move the bag for a moment.” He swiped his hand to the side. “Like this.”
“Now I want you to catch the bag I throw you. Use your hand.”
Ricky caught the bag. “Did I pass?” he said, smiling.
“Maybe,” Dari said. “Now catch the bag with your will.”
“Oh,” Ricky said.
He understood the drill, he hoped. Petrolo threw the bag at him, and Ricky willed the bag to stop in front of him as if he had caught it. The bag hung in the air in front of Ricky.
“Is that what you meant?” Ricky let the bag drop to the floor.
“That’s how it’s taught at the University of Sealio.” Garini said.
“For performance sorcery,” Ricky said.
Dari nodded. “Are you thinking of using this for something else?”
“A battle sorcerer could defend himself with that spell. A shield wears your powers down too quickly. At least it does for me.”
Professor Calasay took a deep breath. “We aren’t here to teach you battle sorcery, Ricky. This is a basic spell that is taught to advanced performance sorcerers. It is a building block. Once you can stop the bag and hold it in place, all kinds of interesting effects can be performed.”
Ricky bit his lip. He wasn’t interested in what could be done on stage, but what could be done in the real world. However, he needed the coaching, so perhaps he could modify his formal training by the two profes
sors in ways they wouldn’t recognize, while developing other abilities.
“Can we try it again? I’d like to try better control,” Ricky said. He sang the resonance that gave him the power he needed for deflection, but he thought of the deflection as an extension of his arm, just as Petrolo intended.
Petrolo tossed the sack. Ricky held it in place and then moved it across the room, past Petrolo’s head. He was in total control and knew he’d be able to throw the object faster.
“Can I do this with a person?” Ricky asked.
Petrolo looked at Dari. “You could, but the drain might be excessive.”
“Can I try on you, Professor Dari? I won’t throw you across the room, but let me lift you up, using the same resonance.”
Dari’s eyes widened. “I don’t think that is appropriate,” she said.
Petrolo’s eyes glimmered with excitement. “I’m willing. Let’s see what kind of power you have.”
Ricky closed his eyes and recharged his power with a louder song. He snapped his eyes open and extended his arm. He felt he needed more of a visual cue for this. After taking a deep breath, Ricky concentrated his will on moving Petrolo up into the air. The resonance was different from flying, which was willing something to become lighter.
He lifted his arm and felt the drain on his power as he slowly lifted Petro about three feet into the air and then let him back down. However, the drain wasn’t like flying at all. He hummed the right tone, and resonance filled him again.
“I’m going to lift myself,” Ricky said. He took his arm and put his hand on his bottom, as if he sat on the chair. He exercised his will again. It was easier this time, and he rose into the air, then he ‘pushed’ himself and found he could move faster than he could when trying to fly. “It works!” Ricky said as he extended his legs and lowered himself to the ground.
Dari and Petrolo sat speechless for a moment before Petrolo clapped. “Magnificent. It’s not just your power, but also your inventiveness. Is that what Insippa Baldico talked about when he said you helped him?”
“I can anticipate better than others when confronted with a situation. That’s why he puts me at the point. I can direct the play better when I see opportunities unfold. They don’t develop often enough, but…” Ricky shrugged, “I suppose it’s similar to practicing sorcery. I can see applications of what I learn. Can’t everybody?”
“Not to your extent,” Dari said. “Your talents can revolutionize performance sorcery. You’ll be able to earn in six months what Duke Noacci gave you.”
“How do you know how much he gave me?” Ricky said.
Dari blushed. “I don’t know exactly, but Jac told me the dimensions of the strong box. One can get an idea of value by the volume and an estimate of the mix of gold and silver coins. Performance sorcerers in Sealio earn lots of money.”
“Like my parents?”
“Of course.”
Ricky pursed his lips. “Then where did all the money go?”
Dari looked at him blankly.
“Duke Noacci could well afford to send me the box of coins, then. He would have lots more, even if he wasn’t engaged in increasing his wealth.”
“I suppose,” Petrolo said.
Ricky had never thought about how much money a noble possessed, but it must have been huge. He wondered what Noacci intended to do with all his wealth. He needed to change the subject. “That’s comforting to know. I have a trade to fall back on, no matter what happens in the future,” Ricky said.
“Indeed,” Dari said straightening out her academic robes.
“So what should I do next?”
“A word on control,” Dari said. “Experiment on how much you can carry at what price to your power.” She looked intently at Ricky. “Do you feel depressed, at all?”
Ricky shook his head. “Lifting is different from flying. Making myself lighter must do something to my mind.”
“It has always done something,” Petrolo said. “I’m sure you are depleted. We can take this up in tomorrow’s session.”
Ricky smiled. “I am a bit tired,” he said, lying. Professor Dari wouldn’t appreciate the kind of experimenting he wanted to do.
~
After warming up, Ricky stood, sweating in the private studio room. He worked vigorously with his cane, which nearly matched the weight of a sword. Effie walked in.
“What are you doing?”
“Sword forms. With all the broomball practicing, I’ve neglected to work out.” He put his cane down on a table. “I have a sorcery experiment that needs your help.”
Effie laughed. “I’m no sorcerer.”
“No, but you are willing to lay a blow on me with some force. Neither Professor Calasay or Professor Garini are.”
“You want to stop my attack with sorcery? I’ve heard it can be done, but don’t you already know how to create a shield?”
“I want to use a different technique,” Ricky said.
Effie shrugged. “I suppose I can do that.”
Ricky grinned. “Don’t hit me too hard, but I need more than a tap. Something that will bruise but not break.”
“I can do that,” Effie said.
Ricky sang his song and handed her his cane. “Try to hit my shoulder.”
He visualized his arm out to stop the blow. Effie grabbed the cane and struck. Ricky stopped the cane at arm’s length.
“Again,” Ricky said. “Repeated blows.”
He stood there as Effie came at him, again and again. She poked and slashed. Gradually Ricky’s power ebbed, and she thrust into his midsection. It wasn’t enough to hurt him, but he sang again, and Effie continued to rain down the blows. His next song didn’t quite reinforce the blows as well, and the third time he sang, his power hardly recharged. Ricky figured he would have a few bruises, but even those blows were cushioned by his magic.
Effie sat down in a chair, exhausted. Ricky stood for a moment thinking about the session.
“I know I scored a few hits. How do you feel?”
“I’m physically fine, and you did get through. We will try a sword tomorrow, if that is all right.”
“Only if you wear padding,” Effie said. She looked at him in wonder, her chest heaving from the exertion. “Can you strike back?”
Ricky nodded. “A shield makes offense difficult, but I’m lifting objects in different ways. Lifting is my visualization.” He finally smiled, relieved that his theory had worked. “If I get a chance to sing, I can defend myself without weapons.”
“We’ve done enough for today. You may not need to, but I suggest you rest up a bit before your next class,” Effie said. She shook her head as she walked out of the studio.
Ricky sat down and evaluated his emotional state. He didn’t feel depressed, he didn’t feel elation, other than being happy his theory was correct. He had one more experiment to make, by himself.
He stood up and imagined hands holding him. He sang the lift song again and willed himself into the air. He pushed against an imaginary wall and moved around the room without effort. He kept up the visualization of pushing harder and harder until he flew so fast he rammed into the wall. Ricky plummeted about eight feet to the ground, his shoulder blazing with pain.
Saganet ran into the room. “What have you done?”
“Something stupid,” Ricky said before he moaned.
~
The healer looked down at Ricky’s left shoulder. “You made a mess of that,” he said. “Dislocations are never fun, and we never know how much damage there is putting it back.”
“It feels better,” Ricky said.
“But I can see it still hurts. I’m afraid your time with the broomball team is finished for the season,” the healer said.
“There aren’t many games left,” Ricky said, but he felt as awful for letting down the team as he did from the pain.
Sippa rushed into the room. “You didn’t show up for practice. Someone thought you were injured.”
The healer shook his head. “He can�
��t play broomball anymore.”
“The season is about over anyway. Don’t feel bad, Ricky. You can help me coach. It might improve your game perception, anyway,” Sippa said.
“I’m sorry,” Ricky said.
“Don’t be. It happens. I’ve got to get back to practice.”
Ricky looked up at the ceiling. He had hoped he wouldn’t be using this room again. This time he injured himself. At least he didn’t burn his face and hair, he thought. He hummed the resonance and lifted off the bed about six inches and carefully lowered himself back.
After a bland dinner, Saganet and Effie showed up. “I see the healer fixed you up. You were nearly out of your mind with pain when we carried you here.”
“I still hurt, but not as much. Even with minced buttocks in the Home, I didn’t hurt so deeply,” Ricky said.
Effie stared at him. “I looked at the room. There is a dent in the wall about eight feet high. You must have been flying pretty fast.”
“I wasn’t flying, exactly. It’s more like using magic to move. The resonance is based on deflection. It’s the same effect I used when we sparred. I essentially moved the cane away with an imaginary hand. I rose, lifting myself with imaginary hands. I pushed to move horizontally and pushed much, much too hard.” Ricky looked at Saganet and Effie. “Please don’t tell Professor Calasay or Professor Garini. They don’t like me experimenting on my own.”
“Don’t you think there is a good reason for their caution?” Saganet said.
“I am figuring out how to protect myself and others. The professors want me to perform. Some spells work with both, but not all.”
“If that is the case, then don’t practice by yourself,” Effie said. “Do it when I am in the room, so I can pick up the pieces.”
Ricky grinned. “Really?”
“Our special sessions are good cover, and they come after your sorcery training. But you have to take smaller steps and be more careful, just like learning to use an unfamiliar weapon.”
He hadn’t expected support from his guardian and Effie. “Very well. Swords tomorrow.”
“Nothing tomorrow,” Saganet said. “The healer said at least a day to let your shoulder settle down. At least you damaged your left.”
