Spirit of Magik (The Dothranan Chronicles Book 1)

by Richard Cluff

  Thorel's guards waited outside his study, along with Korin's escort.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Thorel asked him.

  “Some water. Where do I get it?” Korin asked.

  Thorel smiled, and pulled the rope near his desk. Within a minute a servant popped in through the hidden door in the wall. Korin was startled the same way he was the first time he'd seen it.

  “How may I serve you, Master?” The older woman asked with a curtsy.

  “Master?” Korin mouthed to him.

  Thorel just held a hand up to forestall the question, and said; “A pitcher of cold water and two glasses, please.”

  “Of course Master,” she curtsied and went through the door quickly.

  He looked at Korin and shook his head; “It looks like news of our betrothal has been traveling fast. Ari's servants on this level are all calling me ‘Master’ now, and her personal guard are calling me 'Milord'. This is going to take some getting used to.”

  “I'll bet. Well, I hope you don't expect me to start calling you ‘Milord.’ It's still hard for me to not call you boy!” He said with a laugh.

  Thorel couldn't help grinning at him. “Well, we're not married yet anyway. But when we are, I'd have to see you get a strapping for your disrespect!” He laughed heartily.

  Korin's eyes lit with humor, “Good luck with that,” he said.

  The servant came back and set the tray with the glass pitcher of water down with two glasses. She filled them, and curtsied. “Is there anything else you need, Master?”

  “No. Thank you,” he said with a smile.

  “You're welcome Master,” she curtsied and left.

  Korin went to grab a glass, and he held his hand up. “Let me check it first,” he said, using magic from the woman's spirit he had acquired to check the water.

  “It's safe,” Thorel said, and handed him a glass.

  Korin took it with a nod. “Thanks. I didn't think I'd come here and find a totally different man than the boy I dropped off at the academy gates,” he said looking at Thorel seriously.

  “Well, a lot has happened,” Thorel looked deeply into his water for a moment.

  “I can see that. Fill me in,” Korin said.

  “I'm not even sure where to begin. Give me a moment to try to figure it out,” he said, contemplating how to answer.

  After a few moments he started, “Well, I found out I had the Wizards sight the second day I was here. That was probably the scariest thing ever with all the dung my mother told me. But it was also the day I met Ari for the first time. She was scary too though,” he said with a laugh.

  Korin nodded. “I thought so. I figured it out when we were riding in, when you told me you saw the Towers glowing.”

  “Why didn't you tell me then? It would have been a lot easier to bear if I'd had some idea beforehand,” he wasn't happy to hear this at all.

  “Thorel, I tried hard to be a good man for you. But your mother made things difficult sometimes, as you know. I was trying to walk a hard line, between taking care of you, and showing her the respect she deserved as your mother. You said not lying would have meant disobeying her, so I didn't press it. Maybe I should have. I'm sorry I didn't now,” he said looking directly into his eyes.

  Thorel nodded. “Alright. I know you did the best you could, and I think you did a damn fine job. So, how did you figure it out?”

  He took a drink of his water. “In the Legion Officers training, they teach you about Wizards. Some anyway. How to spot them, how they see things and what they can do. It seemed like a waste of time at first, but I was really glad I knew what I did a few times. It made it a lot easier to talk to them, too.”

  “You never said anything about this at all,” Thorel said.

  “Man, there were a lot of things you would ask me that I knew more about than I said. But I wasn't going to call your mother out on them either, because she'd told you different and it wasn't hurting you,” he said.

  Thorel nodded thoughtfully. “I guess I'm just going to have to deal with her on those things myself then.”

  Korin nodded. “Be gentle, she isn't well.”

  Thorel shook his head. “Don't I know it. Well, the next big event was walking home drunk with my buddy Nigel. You really have to meet him before you go home. He's great,” Thorel said with a smile.

  Then his smile faded. “We saw a Kryss in the alley.”

  Korin's eyes hardened. “I can see your ok, thank the spirits. Your friend is, too?”

  “Yeah, he's fine. A Legion patrol happened upon us. It was right in front of us when they shot it,” he shivered at the memory.

  “Good,” was all he said.

  “Well, when Ari and I met, she told me she'd pay for my Wizard's training if I swore to House Dothranan and did well in my classes. So I did, and she started tutoring me,” he reminisced.

  “Not long after that, I nearly got my head taken off by an arrow. That was fun,” he said sarcastically.

  “What the hell happened, man?” Korin asked in alarm.

  “Ari says it was an assassin that was trying to kill her. If we hadn't started walking when we did, they probably would have. That arrow took the skin right off of my forehead. Ari said it cracked my skull, too,” he said with a grim look.

  Korin's eyes widened. “I was prepared to come in here and give you the you have no idea how much danger you're in lecture, but I think you have the idea.”

  Thorel shook his head and laughed darkly. “Yeah, I think I do. One of my friends was murdered last week,” his eyes moistened when he thought of Eliel, and tears fell.

  Korin's look changed to one of hard sympathy. “Did they catch the bastard?” He asked.

  “Yeah, they did. Ari put the bitch in a noose for it, too,” Thorel wiped his tears on his sleeve.

  Korin nodded. “Good.”

  “Then last night, I was in a duel to the death with the son of Great Lord Quarrel for Ari,” Thorel said, meeting Korin's eyes seriously.

  Korin looked closely at him and said; “Well, it looks like you won.”

  “Actually, I died,” he said, not looking away from Korin's eyes.

  Korin met his eyes. “Well, you're looking pretty lively for a dead man,” he said with humor.

  Thorel smiled grimly. “It's because of my Magik, it's not like other people's. That's part of the reason Ari was interested in me in the first place.”

  “What do you mean, it's different?” He asked looking at him intently.

  “I don't see just human spirits, I see animal spirits, too. I can do things while I'm unconscious, like come back to life it seems. Don't share this with anyone, please,” he kept his eyes on Korin's.

  “I won't share it, but that's not possible, man,” he said.

  “It is. I did it. The High Lady wanted to take me to the Wizards Council to find out how I did it. Everyone in the room saw it. I was stabbed in the chest here, here, and here,” he said touching the places Ricard had stabbed him.

  “Well, I'm glad it wasn't you I had to help take down for the Councilor in Surundi then. I thumped the bastard on the back of the head, and boom. That Wizard was as tough as anyone else. It's one of the things you learn in Magikal training at the Officers Academy, Wizards can't use their powers while unconscious,” he said with an incredulous look at him.

  “They thought it was over. Then I got up. My wounds were healed. Ari thinks healing is my Magikal affinity. I had to make a staff on the spot because there wasn't one in the weapons rack, and I challenged the bastard to come finish me,” he said without wavering.

  “What's an affinity?” Korin asked.

  “Most Wizards have an affinity for a certain type of Magik. Ari thinks mine is water, which governs healing. It makes the Magik of that type stronger for the same amount of power. Ari's affinity is lightning,” he lectured. It felt strange to be talking to Korin about all of this. It was like he was a completely different person now.

  “Thorel, forgive me. But I'm still
having a hard time believing what you're telling me,” he said looking unhappy.

  “You can ask Siri when we go to spar with her then. She was there, she saw it,” he said.

  “So, did you kill him?” Korin asked quietly.

  “No I didn't. I spared him, so he would have to live with the shame,” Thorel said.

  Korin nodded, and took a drink of water. “Well, Miss Fenel is most of the reason I came here. I needed to make sure you and our family was safe.”

  “What do you mean?” Thorel asked.

  Korin pulled some folded papers out of his pocket. “You should read these. Miss Fenel sent them to me. Read the one on top first.”

  Thorel read the first one. It made reference to a debt that he owed her, and asked him to sign the document claiming Thorel as his son. Then he read the second one.

  Lord Quedesham,

  Since you are reading this, you have refused to sign the document I enclosed in the first letter. I believed you to be a man of integrity who would honor his word to me. But it seems my father's sacrifice for your life and the lives of your soldiers was not enough to compel you.

  I would suggest you reconsider. Since I certified your first tier of mastery, I have achieved my seventh. I will come to you as soon as I am able and give you the last lesson you will ever require for breaking your word.

  If you meet me with honor and do not try to run, I will not harm your family.

  Or you could simply sign your name to the document, and honor your word.

  The choice is yours.

  Siri Fenel

  He looked at Korin, and read both of them again. It was a little hard to be impartial, because of what the document itself did for him. He was definitely disturbed by this, but he needed more information.

  “What was this debt?” Thorel asked, looking at Korin.

  Korin looked uncomfortable. “Miss Fenel's father died when the House Fenel cavalry broke the back of the Kryss charge at Vox. They saved us all. After the King made me a Lord, and gave me my blade, we spoke. I told her how grateful I was, and said: “If you ever need anything, tell me.”

  Thorel looked at him again, then reread the letters. “I know exactly what you think of word breakers. You told me they're scum. What is it you are trying to do here? Confess your guilt?” He asked flatly.

  Korin looked pained. “Boy..,”

  Thorel cut him off. “Not anymore, sir. Answer me,” he said looking intently into his eyes.

  Korin met his eyes, and said: “I thought she was trying to use my name to use you somehow. I didn't know it was so you could marry someone you loved. I wasn't going to sign anything that could be used to hurt you, regardless of the word I gave.”

  Thorel's heart softened. “Alright then,” he said with a nod.

  Korin smiled weakly. “You really are a man now. And you're gonna make a better Lord than I ever would have.”

  Thorel smiled back. “If I am, it's all your fault.”

  “Heh, thanks. The real point of showing you that was to tell you something else though,” he said seriously.

  “What is it?” Thorel asked.

  “These are dangerous people, Thorel. I know damn well after what you've told me that you understand the danger, but your new 'friends' are dangerous too. Siri Fenel is the deadliest person I have ever met in my life, not including Wizards of course. And when she puts it in writing that she is going to kill you, and if you don't take it like a man, she'll hurt your family, she means it. Every word,” he said with conviction.

  “I'm still just getting to know her. But I know what you're saying is true. She doesn't mince or waste words at all,” Thorel said with a nod. I'm going to have to ask her about this. He thought.

  “That she doesn't. Look, seeing the situation here I feel a lot better about things now. And you couldn't do better than to have someone like her as one of your friends. But she was a Noble. And Nobles will do whatever they have to do, to whoever they have to do it to, to get what they want Thorel. That's why I didn't want to be one,” Korin said.

  Thorel just shook his head. “That's the wrong attitude. I think you should have been one, so you could be a Lord with honor and decency. Raise the standards for all the others that way.”

  Korin just looked at him, and said: “The ones that are like that don't last long man. At least not the ones that I've seen. It always seemed like the despicable ones were the ones sticking around for a long time.”

  Thorel looked at him seriously. “Well then. I guess I'm going to have to blaze a new trail for myself.”

  Korin looked at him, and Thorel could see his eyes grow moist. Korin embraced him tightly.

  “I couldn't have asked for a better son than you, Thorel.”

  * * *

  Thorel and Korin went to the militia practice circle with Siri. He watched in amazement as Siri put Korin down three times in a row, without a break.

  As hard as Thorel had tried to take Korin down since they had started sparring together, he had never been able to win. Not once.

  Siri was so fast, Thorel wasn't even sure what she had done to him.

  A small crowd of Dothranan soldiers gathered: the militia training circle usually wasn't in use at this time in the evening. They watched the matches intently with a quiet respect. It was half past the twentieth hour now.

  Siri helped Korin up with a smile. “You have improved since we last sparred, Mr. Quedesham,”

  Korin grunted as he got up, and said: “I actually gained my third tier after you trained me, Miss Fenel. I don't feel very good about these bouts at all.”

  She nodded in surprise. “I can see why. I wouldn't have thought you'd gained your third tier, based on your performance. Have you continued doing your forms?”

  “I do, but not as often as I need to. I've kept up my skills mostly by teaching Thorel here,” he said, breathing heavily.

  She nodded, taking a drink of the water she'd had a young pretty servant bring. Siri seemed much less tired than Korin was.

  Thorel knew it was his turn next. He knew before he had seen Siri spar that she was skilled, but seeing her take down Korin that easily told him he was going to spend most of his time on the ground, or getting up.

  “Mr. Tangarth, I am happy to spar with you, and help you become more prepared for those who would attack you. But I must insist on one thing: you may not use your Magik here. While there are not many with Magikal ability who master the arts, they do exist. The Mistress's late father was one of them. By learning from me without using your advantages, you will gain the skills needed to help you survive against the rare person like him,” she said seriously.

  Thorel was surprised by this. “Do you really think he could have defeated me last night?”

  Siri smiled. “While I did not see the first round you fought, Silene described it well enough. I can tell you that you never could have disarmed him the way you did Quarrel in the second round. With his talismans, and the fifth tier mastery he held your chances would have been quite slim.”

  Thorel nodded seriously. Now that he knew he reality of combat, and that Korin had achieved his third tier, he understood her warning. With talismans like the ones he now held used by someone superior to Korin, he could have died with finality last night.

  “Alright, ma'am. I'm as ready as I'm going to get,” he said stepping into the circle.

  “Very well, Mr. Tangarth. The first round will be to assess your skills. Do everything you can to defeat me, barring Magik,” she said. Her gauzy white gown was being held by the pretty blonde servant woman that had brought the water. Siri stood at ease wearing nothing but her scant white wraps about her breasts and womanhood.

  Thorel nodded, and attacked.

  He went in cautiously, and tried to grab her. She stepped aside quickly, and he felt pressure on his wrist. His wind left him as he hit the ground hard, flat on his back.

  Siri stepped into his view and looked down at him. “Mr. Tangarth, the first thing you must know about combat i
s that deception is your best weapon. If you intend to grab someone, you must not come at them in an obvious grappling stance. I will show you a better stance when I have completed your assessment. Now get up so we may continue.”

  “Yes ma'am,” he said, completely embarrassed and pushed himself up. By the spirits, he'd hardly seen her move before he was on the ground.

  By the end of their time, he hadn't been able to land one blow on her. He had learned several interesting new ways to fall down though, and discovered that bruises can get bruised too.

  After she had finished her 'assessment' which in his mind more closely resembled the most thorough beating he had ever received, she began showing him several things to “address your most pressing problems”.

  It had been enlightening, to be sure. She had Korin pair up with him to help demonstrate and practice while she watched closely.

  At the end of it, she told him; “Good. I would like to train with you once every other day, Mr. Tangarth. But you should practice what you are learning here in between. If you work hard, in a few months, you could actually equal a first tier master in hand to hand.”

  Thorel nodded respectfully. He had learned so much already with just an hour of her time, he was really excited to learn more from her.

  “That's saying something man,” Korin said. “It took me five years to get my first tier of mastery.”

  Siri spoke up. “He did have your training to get him through most of the rungs, Mr. Quedesham. Also, I have not done a weapons assessment yet. The footwork that is learned in hand to hand is the basis for all forms though, and one always has their body with them. We will do a weapons assessment during our next session.”

  They each nodded. “Thank you for teaching me, ma'am,” Thorel said with a bow.

  “You are welcome. But you can show your true thanks by practicing what I teach, and becoming more skilled,” she said with a nod.

  “I will ma'am, I promise,” he said sincerely.

  “Good. Please tell the Mistress that I will not be joining her in the bath this evening, unless she requires me,” she told him.