Shaman created and placed the rune magic on normal men and women. Those with talent had to prove themselves and figure out basic runes first to be trained in them, but once they had proven their worth supposedly they would earn the right to study with the rune masters to learn more. The owl mage had cheated slightly. He had been given one rune and figured out how to push magic into it. His healing magic led him to discover how to move and replicate all of their runes in the process.
Perhaps one of those he had replicated and hidden on his body had the ability to block mind magic like the defense runes on his arm protected him from physical harm?
He hadn't had time to ask more questions of the shaman who had placed the rune on him while visiting Gerid's island briefly the other day. Now Sebastian wondered if he had stumbled upon something that might save his mind here.
An hour passed and still Xaren remained stymied by what was protecting the mage. His magic saw no protective wards or runes. There were no spells working against him, yet Sebastian remained unaffected by his magic.
As he gave up, the man with the tray started to turn away as Civan turned the key in the lock.
The pretty woman held up her hand and made him give up the tray to her. She let the men all leave the cell. Sebastian remained wary. It wouldn't surprise him to find out that she was the next test. If magic alone wasn't capable of moving him, perhaps she was bait to try a different tactic.
Placing the tray on a crude wood bench beside the door, the wizard took the pitcher and cup before pouring water into it. She turned to look at the man before her and asked, "Thirsty?"
Dangling the cup in front of her, she tilted it back and forth a few times before the woman realized that he wasn't going to come forward to get it.
"I am Wizard Zeria, a research wizard, if it wasn't obvious to you," she said with a gentle smile. Stepping towards him slowly, the wizard added, "I know that you must be thirsty by now. Why not come and get it? Are you just being willful?"
Her demeanor said that she was amused by his effort to resist the basic needs of his body. Magic could only elevate one so far and exercising for stamina still required water and food. Maybe Darius or Gerid could live without them; but they were immortals and, as far as he knew, he was not.
When he still refused to take the cup, Zeria sighed. "If you are worried that the water is drugged, here I will drink it first."
The woman took a large swallow of water and opened her mouth afterwards to reveal that she hadn't pretended to do so. Within easy arm's reach, Zeria knelt in front of him before offering the cup again. "You might not have your magic to help you at the moment, but you are obviously bigger and stronger than me. If you attack me now, I can't protect myself against you.
"I will add that they will let me die, if you were thinking to use me as a hostage. Xaren's magic might not work against you, but there are other things the jailor or other wizards could do that I would hazard can hurt you," Zeria said looking up at him with a slight tilt to her head. "Now come on. You won this round, so your prize is a little water and bread. We don't want you dead, so come on."
Sebastian remained standing, but reached for the cup. He didn't show any more urgency than he would for a cup offered in the Black Smith Inn during dinner.
The shackles limited the way he could grasp the rounded shape. Using both hands, the mage took a testing sip. Just because the woman had managed to take a drink without showing any negative signs, didn't mean that something wasn't in the water. One of the runes the merfolk had created was for a sense of smell. Why they had it was a completely different question, but it came in handy as Sebastian tried to smell something that didn't belong. Unless magic had been used so he couldn't smell something, which was a spell that he had never heard of, then it was safe.
Drinking it slowly, Sebastian eventually drained the cup and gave it back to the wizard. Her smile slipped slightly and Zeria sighed once more. The mage hadn't gone slowly because he was being willful, but because he knew that drinking it too quickly would be less refreshing. Survival training warned that it also did less to replenish a man who was dehydrated. If there was no need to rush, then it was best to savor it.
Since the prisoner didn't know the next time that he would get more, the owl made sure not to waste his moment.
Zeria stood and took the cup to the tray only to bring it back filled once more. "Go ahead. I assume that you will want to drink it all eventually, but there is no rush. My afternoon has been set aside for you," the wizard said giving him the first vague idea of time to him. What afternoon or day would have been more helpful and attuning his mind to this being afternoon did nothing if he was left in the darkness again for days or hours. He was a prisoner. Time would only mean something if he could get free.
"They said that you did remarkably well last winter in the wizards' tournament," Zeria said apparently trying to make small talk as he drank. The woman took a small loaf of bread and broke it with her hands. Picking at it, she must have been trying to show him that it was safe also. "I say remarkably because you are a battle mage. You shouldn't have the strength to fight wizards in a tournament."
"I didn't have enough to finish," the mage replied in an attempt to undervalue his accomplishment.
Waving off his excuse, the red haired woman sat before him finally getting the mage to sit with her. He didn't do it because she had necessarily won him over, but because his legs were beginning to tremble slightly. His strength was sapped from lack of food and drink. Sebastian didn't want to give too much information away as to his health, so sitting was fine for now.
"Beating any wizard in a duel means that you are both skilled and powerful, or at least able to compensate enough to make up for your shortcomings. That was before you found this treasure trove of runes, correct?" she asked possibly attempting to pry more information from him. The answer wasn't something that wasn't known to Erethia and Hassar though.
"Before," he answered simply. Being somewhat agreeable, the mage hoped would earn him some favor at least with this wizard. In truth, he doubted that she wasn't just working him similarly; but as long as he remained guarded they gained nothing from him. One day the wire would cut him free of the cuffs. He might not be able to remove the collar so easily, but with his runes, the mage might still have the ability to escape his captors.
"So you were just using your magic? Then I still wonder how you could have lasted as long as you did, but I doubt that you would tell me more than I need to know or what you want me to anyway," Zeria said with a comfortable smile at the mage. "You found the Grimnal. Made something called a Hollow Sword and deciphered numerous wizard spells including those of the Dark One's warlocks. That is very impressive. Well, impressive is too simple a word, but I would hate to use amazing and have it go to your head."
The woman laughed. Her voice would have sounded magical to him in different surroundings and conditions.
Realizing that Sebastian would give her little more without a lot of work, the wizard stood up and brushed at her robes. She was slender, slightly taller than Ashleen and had a pretty face that most men would like, he thought. While she seemed friendly enough for now, the mage waited for the proverbial boot to drop; but Zeria leaned over him placing a kiss on his forehead before walking to the bars. Tapping her finger on the metal caused a ringing tone that shouldn't have been possible, but it brought Civan with his keys.
Zeria turned to look at the mage appearing friendly and she offered, "Well, finish eating and get your rest. I'll see you soon."
Chapter 19- Tested
Xaren returned. Sebastian had nearly worked his way through the right cuff by then. While he guessed that it had been two days, the mage couldn't be sure. He was so close to cutting through the thick metal shackle that the mage began working on a second line above his wrist to go with the one below.
Unfortunately it would take two cuts just to free his right hand, since it was so thick. He had already discovered that there was no way that the mage cou
ld break free with just his strength, so his patience had to be focused on at least one more cut. That would leave him with his left wrist trapped, but apparently he had nothing but time. While Sebastian wished to be free and let Ashleen and his friends know that he was alive, the mage also had to be realistic. His life was balanced on a thread, even if those who spoke with him had said that they hoped to make him join them.
If his captors tired of trying to break his will, he had no doubt that he would die.
Xaren tried some new spells and finally gave up. His look to the jailor made the man grin ear to ear.
"Civan break him down, but don't kill him."
"Of course, good wizard, I know my job better than anyone," the man replied happily with a mock salute.
The words led to the mage being brought from his dungeon cell to a room littered with various devices meant for torture. Xaren and the battle mage remained with the two who were apparently in charge of his dungeon. Though no more water or food had been brought to him recently, the mage had overheard the two jailors talking about him in the distance a few times.
First, Civan attached a hook to his cuffs and used a chain to pull his hands above his head. His shirt was torn from him so that the beatings could begin. The bigger guard called Lorgan took turns punching his exposed torso with Civan.
Civan enjoyed the beatings. He punched the mage hard enough that an errant blow broke at least one of his left ribs. It wasn't the first time that the mage had broken ribs, Sebastian still couldn't say that he enjoyed them. His breathing became shorter. Wheezing breaths escaped his mouth sounding bad to his ears as much as to the others. Shortly after that, Xaren made the men stop.
He wasn't supposed to be killed, the wizard reminded the men.
"It was an accident," Civan replied with a shrug as he threw his hands out as if he was unable to do anything more.
Two healers were summoned while the mage continued to hang from the chain. Sebastian was almost grateful to have the chain there. It made breathing a bit harder, but he doubted that his legs would have kept him up for long.
Food and drink were brought with the two men. They didn't say anything to the mage, but fed him and gave him water before using their magic. Without the energy given through the food, the mage would have suffered almost as much from the healing. The healers used both their strength and the mage's in the effort.
While his ribs were fixed, the men didn't relieve all of his pain. Most likely they had been warned to leave the mage to suffer most of the bruising to help break him down.
After that, Sebastian was given food and bread with occasional additions to his meals since bread alone had very little to sustain him, but it was all from the need to build up his energy enough to be healed from the various beatings given to him by Civan.
He was whipped. The cuts were healed to prevent infection or bleeding out, but he was left much of the pain.
There were more beatings, but Civan and Lorgan didn't worry about breaking bones any more with the healers kept nearby to heal the worst of the damage. More ribs were cracked or broken. An arm and leg over the space of a week were added to the list of broken bones as well.
Every time they were through with him, Xaren tried his magic to break through his defense; but after Sebastian had lost count of the beatings they finally stopped. Xaren would speak with him, but no longer bothered to use his magic. Occasionally the wizard would lose his cool and strike the mage, but Sebastian thought the frustration was only directed at him because the wizard couldn't figure out a better way.
During the moments between beatings or discussions, the mage continued to exercise the wire rune against the metal cuffs. Though he wanted to break free after the right wrist could force its way out, Sebastian turned the rune wire onto the left side of the shackle making the cuts he would need to break away from both sides of the cuffs.
Only a day or two away from trying to break free, Zeria returned. The wizard smiled at him looking a bit sad.
"You look like you've been through hell," the woman said looking at the man before her. He still had his shackles, but only underwear covered him beyond those pieces of metal. His chest still had the light scars from the whips and chains used in his beating. Bruises from canes and staves were various colors from the black and blue of the most recent to others fading towards yellow or pink.
"I'm sure that it isn't too different," Sebastian replied standing in front of the wizard.
She nodded in unspoken agreement. He noticed that her wizard robes looked different from before. The usual wizard's robes he would expect of a research wizard might have a cloak thrown over her shoulders, but Zeria now wore a garment that reminded him of the Kardorian robes that Ashleen had worn off and on since he had met the wilder.
Zeria slipped off her shoes stepping on the stone floor covered with a bit of straw loosened from the pile left for the mage to sleep on when he could.
"I am afraid that Xaren has come to the end of his abilities with you. Civan's just a bully who enjoys hurting people, but I don't have to tell you that," the woman said ruefully looking on the results of the jailor's enjoyment.
"So now they've sent you to try and make me turn away from my oath to King Alain and Southwall?" the mage said without surprise. If she failed, maybe they would let the battle mage, Seirtan, try his worst as well.
Shrugging at the jab, Zeria's lips held a slight smile that told of amusement, but at what Sebastian had yet to know.
"They've tried mind magic and beatings. Maybe now we'll try something different," she said suggestively.
Placing her hand on his chest softly, the red haired wizard pushed against him directing the mage towards the wall. With no guards in the cell or in view, since Zeria had sent Civan away once inside, Sebastian knew that he could hurt or capture her easily; but he wasn't quite ready to run. It was still before he was completely ready.
It did suggest a question to his mind; however, so Sebastian let himself be pushed to the stone wall behind him and asked, "They've tried using magic against my mind. Maybe Xaren's question about the collar was right. None of you have tried removing it. I'm shackled and they sap my magic also, don't they?"
"They do," she replied putting her hands on either side of the shackles making the mage put his hands above his head. Zeria stood on her tip toes, but it was actually a push from her magic that moved his wrists where she actually wanted them. A click could be heard and Sebastian realized that there was a lock built into the wall just above the height of his head.
"Then if you could release the collar, it isn't like I could escape using my magic," he stated trying to guide the wizard towards the goal that would make things much easier. "Xaren could make sure that the collar wasn't what really blocked his spells."
"The collar wouldn't do that," Zeria replied sounding a little winded. Her cheeks were red and her hands rested against his chest.
"How do you know?"
"I know," she replied with a shrug before pushing back from the mage.
As the woman moved back from Sebastian her hands were hidden by her body as she walked to the far side of the cell. When she slipped free of her robe, Sebastian noted a bizarre costume beneath. Made of red leather, it consisted of a top that covered her breasts lifting them slightly as well, he guessed. The second piece was a pair of red leather shorts that ended just above her knees. The outfit revealed the attractive curves of a woman in her prime.
Zeria was slim, but surprising in her dimensions even so.
"Do you know why I had this made of red?" the wizard asked with the casual tilt of her head that Zeria seemed to like to do when being coy.
When Sebastian didn't answer, she answered the question for him. "Red like this doesn't show blood very easily."
"I've already been cut up and wounded. Do you think more of the same will make me give up?"
She laughed again, but there was something a little more sinister to the woman's sense of humor this time. "Well, I don't plan to hurt you
, but there is the possibility."
Mumbling something under her breath, Zeria's hands suddenly played electricity across her fingers. Sebastian nearly wanted to laugh. If the woman thought lightning could break him, she would be surprised what he put up with quite easily from Ashleen. Compared to a wilder out of control or in a temper, he doubted that the research wizard would hold a candle to the lightning wizard.
Zeria placed her hands near him letting the lightning play against his chest. It wasn't that painful and he realized quickly that it wasn't meant to be exactly. At first, the wizard was more playful. She would sting him and kiss him alternately. When she spoke to him it was like she was giving him bed talk to arouse him before she would strike him with increasingly stronger surges of electricity. His skin burned when Zeria failed to control the spell accurately making her eyes widen in surprise. She would slip and apologize before catching herself making Sebastian realize very quickly that the woman wasn't very good at being an interrogator or perhaps she meant to be a dominatrix, he wasn't quite sure. Though he also wondered if some of that wasn't part of what she wanted him to think also.
When he grew bored of the wizard trying to seduce him or torture him in her strange way, Sebastian surprised her by pulling upward on the locked shackles lifting his legs to grab the woman's torso. Pushing up off of the wizard, Sebastian broke the cuffs free of the hook on the wall. Her magic wasn't enough to keep them attached against his strength.
Runes added to his power to free himself and his weight came down on Zeria forcing the woman to drop to her knees with only a complaint for her scratched knees.
"What did you do that for?" she asked without truly getting angry.
"You are the worst torturer ever," he said with a shake of his head. Moving behind the woman before she could react, the mage placed his arm tightly around her neck. Even with the shackles restricting his wrists, Sebastian knew that he could put enough pressure on the wizard's neck to break it quite easily.
Battle Mage Visions (A Tale of Alus Book 12) Page 27
