The Sorcerer's Path Box Set: Book 1-4

by Brock Deskins

  “Bad choice.” Azerick glared into the wide-eyed faces of the closest bandits who saw the quarrels stopped in midair and clatter to the cobblestones.

  Azerick slammed the butt of his staff onto the road with a shout of power. Arcane energy burst out around him, caught several of the bandits in its powerful blast, and sent them flying backward through the air. Those few bandits who were several paces back felt as though they had been kicked in the stomach. Some stumbled, but the others ignored the pain and renewed their charge.

  Azerick ducked under the blade of a bandit who tried to take his head off in one powerful but clumsy blow. The sorcerer bent a small amount of his focus into his staff and shaped the arcanum ball at the end into a wicked spear point. Azerick ducked under the thug’s awkward slash, lunged forward, and impaled one of his companions just behind him.

  The sorcerer immediately spun to his left, caught the first bandit behind his right heel before he could recover from his failed attack, and flipped the rogue onto his back before stabbing him through the heart.

  Another quick word and a flick of the wrist sent five blazing daggers of magical energy streaking into the chest of a third brigand, killing him instantly. The guard captain wasted no time in taking advantage of the distraction the sorcerer had created and lashed out with his longsword, felling two of the outlaws before they were able to turn their attention back to him.

  However, now that the Captain had recovered their attention, he was once again fighting for his life against more than half a dozen armed bandits. He used the side of the ruined carriage to keep any brigands from slipping behind him. So far, that tactic was about the only thing keeping him alive.

  Three more bandits faced Azerick and spread out so the wizard could not target them all with one spell from his dark sorceries, or so they prayed. All of them were hesitant to be the first one to try to engage him directly and stayed back, pointing their weapons at Azerick. They continually looked between themselves and the wizard to see which of them would be the first to attack—and likely die.

  Azerick decided for them. He advantage of their vacillation and raked a blast of lightning through the bandit in front of him. The powerful electrical arc passed through and struck several of the crossbowmen who were taking aim once more several yards behind the doomed brigand. Azerick spun to his left, figuring the remaining two bandits behind him would make their move as soon as he cast a spell, and they did not disappoint.

  The sorcerer stabbed forward with his short spear, but the bandit managed to turn it to the side with his buckler. Azerick instantly realized his attack had overextended him and left him extremely vulnerable to a counter attack. He watched as the second bandit raised his blade and prepared to bring it down on the back of Azerick’s exposed neck. Azerick tried to dive forward and use his momentum to roll under and beyond the attack, but he knew he was not going to make it. In the blink of an eye, a long, goose feather-fletched shaft sprouted from the bandit’s neck, felling him instantly.

  Azerick’s roll carried him beyond the bandit who had blocked his thrust. He nimbly rolled to his feet and spun about, ready to cross weapons once more with the outlaw. When he turned and brought his spear up into the defensive position, the bandit was already clutching at an arrow in his chest and falling to the ground.

  Azerick looked around as the guard captain felled the last bandit facing him. The bandit leader and another of the rogues darted into the tree line where the thundering of hooves announced their retreat.

  The sorcerer looked for his hidden rescuer but failed to see any sign of him, although he had a good idea who it might have been. With a tip of his head, he showed his thanks and went to retrieve Horse who was about a hundred yards away busily chomping on tufts of green grass, oblivious to the mortal peril his master had just been in. Azerick led Horse by the bridle toward the wrecked coach as the driver was extricating himself from a dense, thorny shrubbery he had dove into out of terror and the carriage door was opening.

  “My Lady, stay in the coach.” The guard captain stalked toward Azerick with his bloody blade drawn and his face set in a mask of rage.

  “I should gut you where you stand, wizard!” the Captain screamed.

  “The likelihood of your accomplishing such an act is about as probable as you holding the rear of that coach up the rest of the way to North Haven. It it is also not a very nice thing to say to the man who just saved your life, as well as whoever is in that coach.”

  The soldier stopped a little over an arm’s length from the sorcerer. “You could have intervened sooner! Those men are dead because of you!” He whipped his sword around to point at the fallen soldiers behind him, which sent droplets of blood flying off the gore-covered blade.

  Azerick was in no mood to listen to the soldier’s verbal abuse and accusations. Where was he when his mother was murdered? Where were the guards to come to his rescue when Hugo and his thugs were chasing and beating him through the streets of Southport? Of course, only nobles warranted the protection of soldiers.

  “Let me remind you once more that it is also because of me that you and your passengers are not dead as well! It was none of my affair nor was I honor-bound to risk my life in their defense. That was you and your men’s job; one at which I say you performed exceedingly poorly seeing as how were it not for me you would have failed utterly!”

  The Captain’s face went from red to a blotchy purple. Spittle flew from his lips as he forced his words through strained vocal cords. “What do you know of duty or honor? That boy who died at my back had a greater sense of duty and honor in his hairless chin than you have in your entire useless body! You, sir, are nothing but a coward and a petty charlatan! I would run you through right now, but it would be an insult to my blade to sully it with your yellow blood!”

  Azerick was about to respond with a scathing comment of his own when the carriage door burst open and two women stepped out. One woman was taller, just a few inches shorter than Azerick was, with long, full, wavy, auburn hair. She wore a dress of expensive material in white and light blue. The woman following close on her heels was comely in a plain sort of way, wore her soft brown hair braided and coiled upon her head, and was dressed in an emerald green dress snug fitting in the body but flaring out in softer green and billowing white lace at the legs and shoulders.

  The auburn-haired woman spoke as she quickly stepped toward the two men who were seconds from trading blows. “Stop this! Stop this right now! Captain Brague, you will put away your sword this instant and not say another harsh word to this man!”

  “My Lady, this—” he paused to find a word to describe the sorcerer, “person, did nothing to assist me and my men, nor did he come to your aid until his own miserable life was threatened.”

  “I understand your anger, Captain, and I grieve for the men who gave their lives in my defense. Their families will receive due reward and pension for their sacrifice. However, this man is not duty-bound to risk his life in my defense even if he had been aware of who was in the coach, which I assume he did not.” She turned to face Azerick who stood silently listening to the guard captain’s chastisement. “As much as I wish you had intervened sooner so that more lives may have been saved, I do offer my thanks on behalf of myself, my people, and my mother, Duchess Mellina of North Haven. I am Lady Miranda, this is my handmaiden and friend Sarah, and you met the good Captain Brague. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Lady Miranda extended her right hand, fingertips down for Azerick to give his due courtesy.

  “I am Azerick,” he replied simply, clasped Miranda’s proffered hand between his thumb and forefinger, and gave it an informal shake.

  Miranda stifled a giggle of amusement at the sorcerer’s awkward introduction. “Not exactly the gallant are you, Magus Azerick?”

  Azerick could not help but lose a small bit of his hostility at Miranda’s open and friendly smile. “I am afraid not. Truth be known, my etiquette teacher struck me more often than my weapons trainer.”

&n
bsp; Miranda stifled a laugh out of respect for her fallen soldiers. “I can well imagine, Magus Azerick.”

  “Just Azerick please, Lady. I do not know if I qualify for such an honorific.”

  “And I am Miranda to my friends.”

  Captain Brague decided to interrupt the friendly conversation before he threw up his lunch. “My Lady, I must attend to the men before we must depart with great haste. We do not know if this may be part of a larger bandit force. I did observe their leader and another escaping into the woods.”

  “Of course, Captain, please see to it. I am sure the good magus will stay to protect us, at least until we are ready to depart. Won’t you, Azerick?” she asked with her pleading, green eyes.

  “Of course I will. It would be my pleasure.”

  Miranda’s open and carefree sprit softened even his hard heart a bit. Captain Brague doffed his heavy armor, grabbed a pickaxe and shovel from the toolbox at the back of the coach, and began breaking up the hard soil along with the coach driver.

  “I’m sure the good magus will protect us,” the soldier mockingly seethed as his anger fueled his heavy swings. “It would be my pleasure. Oh, are those bandits plunging their blades into you? Let me help you as soon as I’m finished with my lunch. It’s not my job to risk my life for my Lords and Ladies. No, that job goes to big, dumb soldiers who are actually stupid enough to believe in honor!”

  “Did you say something, Captain?” Miranda called over to him.

  Captain Brague ground his teeth until he was sure they were nothing more than white little nubs just poking above his gums. “No, My Lady.”

  Despite the early spring, the sun beat down upon the group and made the day rather sultry. The heat was particularly merciless to Captain Brague and Otis as they continued to hammer away at the stubborn soil while Azerick kept the two women company.

  Miranda turned back to the sorcerer. “Azerick, is there anything you could do to help the good captain and our driver with the graves?”

  “Of course, let me go see what I can do.”

  Azerick excused himself from the women’s company and walked up to the Captain and the driver who were both sweating profusely from the strenuous work. “Miranda beseeched me to offer you my assistance—again.”

  “Why on earth would you do that?” Captain Brague asked sardonically. “I thought you only offered help when the job is nearly finished. Besides, I wouldn’t want you to get any dirt under your fingernails.”

  Azerick ignored the Captain’s sarcasm. It was much more aggravating to be polite than to let himself be baited into another argument.

  “I assure you, Captain, I have no intention of dirtying my nails.”

  Reciting the words of an incantation, a large hole opened between the guard and the driver. Azerick repeated the spell three more times, creating enough grave space to bury all of the fallen soldiers. The bandits they simply threw off the side of the road.

  “Why couldn’t you have done that an hour ago?” Captain Brague demanded.

  Azerick put on the most disdainful and arrogant look he could muster; one fit for a nobleman. “Your efforts and struggles that I had found so amusing simply became tedious.”

  Captain Brague had never wanted to stab a man in the back as badly as he did the moment the sorcerer walked away. The soldiers’ horses were easy to recover, being trained not to spook easily at the sound of battle. They also found nine more horses saddled and picketed about a hundred yards from the ambush site that must have belonged to the bandits.

  “It looks as though we are going to have to ride the rest of the way to North Haven,” Miranda announced once the fallen soldiers were buried and words of condolences and farewell were spoken. “Come, Sarah, we will have to change into something more appropriate for riding.”

  Azerick’s eyes followed the two women as they disappeared back into the coach to change clothes.

  “You had best watch your eyes, boy, or I’ll cut them out,” Brague promised. “It is my duty to protect Lady Miranda with my life, and I will do so from every threat.”

  “Given the level of competence you have displayed thus far, I am surprised she is not already heavy with child from any number of men; myself included given that I have been under your watchful eye for the better part of an hour.”

  The captain reached for his sword and Azerick took a step back, smiling at his ability to provoke the soldier. Miranda and her maid stepped from the coach just as Brague unsheathed his weapon.

  “Captain, put away that blade this instant! Can I not turn my back for a moment without you two going at each other’s throats?”

  “My Lady, this scoundrel made some very obscene remarks. I was defending your honor!”

  “Actually, it was your very act of turning your back that got him so concerned. It seems the Captain thinks that should he let his vigilance slip but for a moment, every man within eyesight will attempt to mount you as if you were a mare in heat.”

  Captain Brague’s eyes bulged and his face turned violet once more. “Lies, I never said any such thing!”

  “Stop it, both of you,” Miranda pleaded and stepped between the two men. “I need both of you to respect each other, at least for the duration of the trip to North Haven. Assuming Azerick would be willing to accompany us. Would you provide us such protection, Azerick? My mother will certainly wish to bestow her thanks to you for saving our lives.”

  “I was going to North Haven anyway, so I suppose I can play bodyguard for a while.”

  “Good, now no more fighting or bickering between you two. Let us mount up and be away from this dreadful place.”

  Miranda had changed into riding pants and was wearing a leather vest over a white silk shirt. She had exchanged her elegant shoes for tall riding boots reaching just below the knee. Her handmaiden had changed into a similar but more feminine and flowing garb. Captain Brague and the driver, Otis, tethered the horses behind their own. The riderless horses had a variety of packs, bundles, and chests strapped to their backs constituting the majority of the coach’s salvaged contents as well as the shields, swords, and personal effects of the fallen soldiers so they could return them to their families.

  Captain Brague tried his best to keep him and his horse between the obnoxious mage and Lady Miranda without appearing too obvious about it. But every time he did, Miranda would work her way right back to Azerick’s side.

  “So tell me, Azerick, where are you coming from?” Miranda asked him.

  “East, but I used to live in Southport.”

  “Did you study at the Academy?”

  “For a while, but I left.”

  “That must have been very exciting!”

  “It was…memorable,” Azerick conceded.

  Miranda continued to ask questions while Azerick continued to dodge most of them and Captain Brague kept trying to split them apart. Otis interrupted Azerick and Miranda’s mostly one-sided conversation about two hours into the ride.

  “I think I see my beauties up ahead!” the driver called over his shoulder gleefully.

  True enough, as they drew closer the white shapes far ahead resolved into the spooked team of horses the driver had been able to free before they destroyed the coach or injured themselves in their panic. Otis rode ahead quickly but cautiously, trying to avoid spooking them again.

  He slipped off the side of the horse he had commandeered and walked toward the magnificent team that was still trailing their traces and attached to the long tongue of the coach he had freed by pulling the linchpin.

  Otis slowly approached the team, calling out to each of the horses by name in a soft voice. The horses flicked their ears and looked about warily but did not bolt. The driver went about pulling the pins attaching the heavy piece of lumber to the horses’ harnesses while constantly talking to them and stroking their broad, powerful backs. Once he freed them from the long wooden tongue, he led them away and back toward the rest of the party where he attached the lead ropes to the other trailing horses.


  Leading so many horses proved to be a rather difficult task even for trained animals such as these. Fortunately, the party found themselves entering a small town about an hour before sunset. Otis and Captain Brague saw to stabling the horses while Azerick and the two women went inside a quaint but clean inn to find rooms for the night.

  The innkeeper recognized Lady Miranda almost immediately and tried to refuse payment on the grounds that it was enough simply to have the honor of having her stay at his inn, but Miranda insisted that they all pay for their rooms and meals just like everyone else. She knew times were hard for most people and would not deny any of them their due. Otis and Captain Brague entered the inn just as the others sat down at a large table where a barmaid was already serving drinks.

  “I paid the stableman to board all the horses except the ones we are riding and using as baggage carriers until Otis and a team of men can come back and retrieve them,” Brague informed Lady Miranda and Otis bobbed his head in agreement.

  More patrons began arriving just as the barmaid served their meals. The inn maintained such a warm and friendly environment even Azerick allowed himself to enjoy the evening. Lady Miranda continued to badger him with questions, questions that continued to hammer away at the emotional defenses he had built up, and he found himself answering more and more of them.

  Years of dangerous living and deadly encounters had taught Azerick to maintain a high level of awareness at all times. It was because of this that he found his grip tightening on his staff and a spell coming to mind as a pair of burly townsmen stalked toward their table. Azerick had seen that smile on men before, and he knew it could indicate trouble. He saw Captain Brague also stiffen at the strangers’ approach a moment later.

  “Excuse me, folks, but my friends and I have a wager between us we needs ya ta settle, iff’n you would be so kind.” The biggest of the bunch addressed Miranda directly.

  Miranda flashed one of her dazzlingly friendly smiles. “I will help if I can. What is it you gentlemen need from us?”