The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4

by Spencer Pierson

  Aiden had picked up the helmet by that time and was studying it. It was light, not heavy as he was expecting armor to be and the upper-top and face-plate was hard, but not like metal. There was also a soft, flexible material that came down around the neck and covered the shoulders that reminded Aiden of the soft coat the Duke had worn when he’d been struck.

  “I thought armor was supposed to be heavy?” Aiden asked. “Isn’t that part of what protects the wearer?” He was rather proud of that observation, being only about three months into training with the School of Breen’s weaponmaster, Oya Dihya. She’d gone over various weapon and armor types in private with him about a month ago since the class itself had already covered it. Chain mail and padding was good against edges as long as they didn’t have weight like greatswords or falchions. Combine that with plate armor and while you had good survivability against most weapons, large maces and hammers could still cause you great difficulty and wearing that much armor all the time was exhaustive. Armor needed to be hard and heavy so it could distribute the force of a blow.

  He had seen what had happened when Stelios had swung at the Duke’s arm, though. It had been covered only by the strange cloth on the undercoat, but the blow had not moved a wrinkle of the material and Stelios had used his glimmer steel blade against it. To be fair, his sword was contemporary, not created during the time of the ancients but he would have thought the material would have at least shifted slightly as it received the strike. Secretly he wondered how the dagger he had made and then given to Stitch, the mercenary turned kidnapper, would do against the armor. He still wondered how Stitch carried it around since he’d not had a chance to make a sheath for it.

  “Usually, yes,” Stelios said in agreement. “The weight of your armor can give a decisive advantage to protecting you even if a sword doesn’t cut. However, this stuff does something else. A few years ago Valeran and I studied it. I think we spent an entire afternoon smacking it with everything we had in the armory. Nothing happened to it at all, but what we did notice is nothing actually ever hit the material and there would be this odd, blue flicker about a centimeter above where we struck. If we kept at it, it would even begin to char and heat the metal on whatever we were using.”

  “Why can we touch it then? Or even put it on?” Gavin asked, looking a bit put out by yet another toy his father hadn’t shared with him or his brothers. While he thought it pretty hard, he knew he’d never voice that his hips weren’t too large to fit into the suit.

  “We thought of that too,” Stelios continued. “It seems to have various levels of activity. Like if I just touch it, it reacts like normal cloth but the harder I try to move it, it will stiffen up. Watch this.”

  Stelios took out a small dagger and then tried to cut slowly into the material. Not only did it not work, but where the blade was pushing the material began to gleam dully. After he took the blade away, the gleam remained for a few moments longer before the material returned to its normal, fabric look.

  “See that? That’s what it does. It becomes more metal depending on what’s trying to damage it, but only up to a certain point. After that, the blue thing happens and let me tell you, I never regretted punching something more in my life.” He held up his right hand in a fist. “I hadn’t even swung hard and I broke these two knuckles. Your father laughed at me for weeks.”

  “So what does all of that mean?” Chari asked, looking from Stelios to Aiden while Ashrak nodded next to her. “Do you think Aiden can make something like that?”

  The man just looked at her with his soulful brown eyes and shrugged. “I hope so. It would certainly make my job easier in protecting people. After all, he made a skimmer.” He slapped the wall next to him. “This thing has got to be at least as complicated as a suit of armor, right? Okay, so how are we going to do this? You don’t start glowing or anything else creepy do you, Aiden?”

  Shaking his head, Aiden grimaced. This was another thing he was at odds with the Professor about. He had thought exploring other ancient glimmer steel constructs would be helpful but had been told no. Professor Reivus had been concerned with the story of how the ship had almost overwhelmed him, and forbidden him from trying except in very limited capacities. It tore at him to be in disagreement with his old mentor.

  “No glowing, but it might be a little boring. I’ll speak now and again so you know my brain isn’t melting.”

  They all nodded and watched as Aiden closed his eyes and began to concentrate. The suit was not as complicated as the ship, but it was not simple or easy to read either as a myriad of informational tentacles began reaching toward his consciousness. As he began to feel his way along these pathways, he was surprised to discover that rather than some sort of top-line combat armor, it was, in fact, a fairly low-level guardsmen suit. Something about the creator’s attitude was not impressed, like it was tantamount to sewing a simple jerkin rather than the fantastic thing it was.

  As he began to push deeper, some of the tendrils began to make sense, at least to a point. While he could understand the material changed when struck, somehow being changed by the striking that made it become much harder, he couldn’t understand how it happened. When he tried to peek into the mind of the creator once more, all he was met with was a dizzying array of math and a completely inhuman patience. Quickly retreating, he reflected on what Professor Reivus had said to him earlier; about how the Skywitch was a compilation of engines and parts, but his little skiff was just a solid thing. While it recreated what the ship did, it didn’t do it in the same way.

  Aiden paused in his examination before opening his eyes to the anxious faces around him. “It's odd,” he said slowly, trying to retain his connection to the helmet, “it almost has a strange kind of intelligence to it, like when something strikes, it just stiffens up as if it knew where the strike was happening. But that’s not it either. Maybe it just happens so fast, that it’s there before whatever is hitting it has time to penetrate? There is more to it as well. Much more. When I try to explore that blue flash you mention, all I get is some impression like the weapon on this ship. Like something is being pulled from somewhere and then pushed out at the attack, but it's not exactly that either. I don’t know how to make sense of it. There’s just not enough to it as it sits here.”

  “Here, see if this does something,” Ashrak said, then before anyone could stop him, proceeded to stab his dagger at the helmet’s fabric cowl spread out on the table. Even Glowby had frozen at the unexpected movement.

  Aiden wasn’t sure what happened, but suddenly he was flooded with a maelstrom of sensations crashing against his mind. His previous observation of pulling and then pushing was shrugged aside, and in its place, he was suddenly standing on a huge, dark terrain with a blade grown large as the horizon descending toward him. A huge rush of blue, crackling something first gathered in the peaks and valleys as far as he could see before rising up and ascending to smash against the huge metal scythe. He could do nothing but scream and throw his hands up, knowing his pitiful resistance was pointless against such massive forces erupting above him.

  It was all replaced by another cacophony of sound and fury. His eyes blinking in the sudden, soft glowing light of the cabin, Aiden heard Chari screaming at Ashrak and several solid thwacking sounds as the tall, white-haired noble failed to fend off her attacks. Stelios had ripped the helmet off of the table and clutched it to his chest while staring wide-eyed and Gavin was standing above Aiden, calling his name over and over.

  “I swear to the gods, Ashrak, you are the worst kind of idiot!” Chari screeched, continuing to strike at him with a decorative basket that had been located near where they were sitting. Glowby seemed to agree as he was buzzing angrily around his head while Chari yelled. “Don’t you think with anything but your tailbone?”

  “Are you okay, Aiden?” Gavin said, still shaking Aiden’s shoulders.

  Blinking owlishly, Aiden finally focused on the face of his friend and nodding. “Uh, yes. I think I am okay. Gods, what was
that? What did you all see? Because you’ll never believe what I just saw.”

  “Well, whatever it was it made you scream like your foot had been stepped on by a zerigeld, or worse,” Stelios said, suddenly looking toward the door where there was a frantic knocking and what sounded like a crewmember asking if everything was okay. He stood, placing the helmet on a table out of sight of the door but away from Aiden before opening it and peeking out.

  Gavin watched the guard captain deal with the intrusion before turning back to Aiden and blowing out a huge breath. “He’s right, Aiden, you did scream. I thought for a second that Ashrak had missed and stabbed your hand. It scared me white as a sheet but there’s no blood. What happened?”

  Aiden wanted to answer but held his hand up instead, becoming worried about Ashrak since Chari had cornered him in the small room and her current weapon of choice was becoming frayed. The next closest thing was a large lamp which could cause actual damage so he thought it best to try to put a stop to the attack.

  “Chari. Stop, Chari, I’m okay. Don’t kill him.”

  At his words, Chari stopped, red-faced and huffing from her exertion but not dropping her damaged weapon just yet. She looked like she might resume but turned toward him instead. “You are not okay. No one screams like that if they are okay and this… retarded tree stump caused it. Again!”

  At this point, Ashrak was desperately trying to slide out of the corner but there really wasn’t anywhere to go. Chari looked back and him, and then stomped her foot causing him to freeze before turning back to Aiden, her silver eyes thunderclouds. “What happened?” she asked aggressively.

  Aiden swallowed and shared a glance with Gavin before answering. “Uh…well, I think it actually worked. When he stabbed at the cowl, I think I felt what happened, but feeling isn’t a good enough word. It was almost like I was standing under the dagger and watching that blue flicker repel the blade. Just imagine being tiny and having all of that happen above your head, though. It was huge, overpowering, and loud. That’s why I screamed.”

  Chari hadn’t moved and was still watching Ashrak cower in the corner, her eyes narrowed slits of anger before finally turning away and going to her seat. She gave one last sniff and set her jaw as Ashrak slowly uncoiled himself, her eyes refusing to travel toward the handsome lord again.

  For his part, Ashrak had the good graces to look embarrassed as he straightened up. “Sorry, Aiden. I wasn’t thinking.” He flinched as Chari sniffed loudly, but she didn’t clarify her all-too-obvious thoughts. “At least we got something good out of it, right?”

  Chari and Gavin’s cold stares were his only answers. The shock of what had happened was still thrumming around inside of Aiden, and he just didn’t have it in him to rescue the benighted lord again, so he also remained silent. Finally, Ashrak sighed and sullenly slipped out of the room just as Stelios finished with the crewmen, mumbling something about going to check on lunch.

  “What happened with Ashrak?” Stelios asked, grabbing the helmet and coming back to sit.

  “He’s going to check on lunch,” Gavin said quickly, cutting Chari off before she launched into an angry tirade. “That stunt with the dagger wasn’t really helpful.”

  “You're telling me,” Stelios grinned. “That crewman thought we were murdering someone in here. I almost wished I’d told him just that, it might have gotten rid of him faster. Seriously, Aiden, can you maybe not scream like that within a kilometer around the Duke? It makes people nervous.”

  “Or me!” piped up Chari, her arms crossed and still fuming.

  “I’m sorry. I really didn’t plan on that,” Aiden said, gesturing to the helmet. “I’m not even entirely sure what happened, but I was scared.”

  “Tell Stelios what happened, Aiden. I don’t think he heard.”

  Aiden repeated his story to the dark-skinned guard captain, but he could tell by the glances between the other three in the room that he wasn’t really explaining it well. He wasn’t even sure he understood it himself. How could he become tiny or was it him shrinking at all? It had all happened so fast. Still, there was a wall of information that he’d never had a chance to get to and he was just about to reach for the helmet again when Stelios put it back in his bag and stood.

  “Well, I think we should stop for now. It doesn’t look like you are hurt, but none of this is familiar to any of us. I’m not going to turn you into Professor Reivus, but let's wait until tomorrow for you to look at the helmet again. Maybe something will work itself out tonight? Or,” Stelios grinned, “your head will explode. Either way, it is lunch time and we should get to it. Valeran will take all the good portions if you don’t challenge him now and again.”

  Gavin and Aiden smiled at the good cheer in the Captain’s voice, and even Chari brightened, uncrossing her arms as she rose and accepted hugs from everyone before heading above decks.

  As they walked out onto the upper level and made their way toward the galley, Aiden could see Markam over by the railing with a glum-faced Ashrak. It was just before noon and while bright out, the sun was never blinding on the Skywitch like it might be on other boats. He suspected it might be an additional property of the shields that surrounded the skimmer, but he wasn’t about to argue. He paused and then decided to join the two boys by the railing, waving Gavin and Chari off to let them continue on their way.

  “Are you okay, Ashrak?” he asked, sliding his hand along the beautiful, warm wood of the outer railing. He knew it wasn’t real wood, but it looked and felt like it which he could appreciate.

  Ashrak’s frown deepened and for a moment, Aiden didn’t think he’d answer until he finally blew out a deep breath. “Yeah. I will be okay. I’m just not sure why I do things like that. When you screamed, I was sure I’d killed you.”

  “What happened?” Markam asked. “We all heard a scream but it didn’t sound like Gavin’s so…“ he stopped, shrugging his muscular shoulders.

  Aiden gave him an unfriendly look. “Don’t you care if it was anyone else? I know you don’t really care for me, Markam, but what if it had been Chari? Or Stelios?”

  Surprisingly, Markam looked disturbed by Aiden’s words and turned as if to go. He was stopped by Ashrak reaching out and pulling him back. “No, don’t go, Markam. It's probably a good idea if you told him why. If he’s going to be hanging around with Gavin, and by now you know it's going to happen, he should know.”

  Markam paused, but finally nodded and turned back toward Aiden. “Okay, you’re probably right. I was thinking this was a phase where you would be gone soon, but I still have to remind myself you are a lord now, Aiden. You should know this. I’m what’s known as a Vacter. Not all of the duchies have them, but Terek has always used them to protect the Duke and his family. I was chosen and trained to be Gavin’s vacter when we were both eight. Basically, I’m his protector and we’re taught to care almost exclusively about our charges.” He shrugged, then looked over the railing at the sea passing slowly beneath them.

  “How is that different than a regular guardsman?” Aiden asked.

  “Well, he means,“ Ashrak chimed in, “that if a pack of feloxin was chasing the three of you, Markam would purposefully trip you, without even blinking, so Gavin could be saved.”

  Aiden’s eyes widened as he stared at the side of Markam’s head. The large boy didn’t turn, but his eyes had a distant, almost sad look in them as he nodded along with what Ashrak said.

  Ashrak grinned sardonically. “So, the lesson is that if you are being chased by a pack of feloxin, don’t be anywhere within tripping distance of Markam. He has a job to do and he can’t help himself. It's ingrained at this point.”

  “Okay,” Aiden answered in a small voice. “That explains a few things, I suppose. There’s so much to learn. Is there a book or something?”

  Ashrak nodded, but surprisingly the usually-quiet Markam answered. “Yes. Actually, there are several books on formal and informal decorum and etiquette. Each of the duchies has their own version. I am sure Dame
Tenadine has copies and in fact, if I was told correctly, she used to teach it to all the younger lords and ladies back in her day. I think you will need to learn these, Aiden. Once word truly gets out on what you can do, there will be quite a lot of political maneuvering to get your attention. And traps. Lots and lots of traps.”

  “The Duchy of Riften’s set is quite…interesting.” Ashrak quipped, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. “It goes into all of the various relationships that are allowed on their lands and even includes diagrams. Of more import is how easy it is to inadvertently fall into one of those relationships. Sometimes it is not always obvious. Fortunately, you are not seventeen yet so anything like that would have to be negotiated through Dame Tenadine. Nothing is getting by her.”

  By the time Markam and Ashrak were done, Aiden’s head was spinning. He didn’t want to deal with all of this politics and relationship stuff. Heck, he was already confused enough with his feelings for Chari, or even that brief time with Skay, the carefree sea clan girl he’d met on the docks of the cutter fish races. Couple all of that with learning how to craft glimmer steel and his head was already overfull.