Tides of Faith: Travail of The Dark Mage Book Two

by Brian S. Pratt

  The crowd went crazy. Such a thing was rarely seen in the pit; where a fighter scored on all four extremities simultaneously. He that performed the feat was praised, the one it was done to was humiliated.

  Screaming an inarticulate cry of pure rage, Akron rushed Tinok with a flurry of over-hand hacks and slices that forced the smaller man back several feet. But Tinok didn’t look worried. He merely bided his time.

  A glance across the Pit revealed that Father Tullin had reached the side of the unmasked man from the Empire. The priest was engaged in a conversation with a tall woman wearing a swan-plumed mask; its feathers created a prominent arch above each eye.

  A gasp from the crowd drew his attention back to the fight. The big man had scored a blow. Blood flowed from a horizontal slash across Tinok’s chest and the smaller man was being pushed back toward the wall.

  “What happened?”

  Never taking his eyes from the fight, Jiron replied, “Tinok got hit is what happened. Can’t expect to do this and not suffer injury at some point.”

  “But I thought you said Tinok had this guy.”

  “Just because you are the better fighter doesn’t mean your opponent won’t score a lucky blow once in a while.”

  Below, Tinok’s blades deflected aside the larger man’s sword time and again. Almost having been pushed back to the wall, Tinok altered his backward progression more toward the center.

  Betting was furious throughout the onlookers. Coins continuously passed hands with every strike. Those who bet on Tinok tended to win more often.

  For a brief moment, the two men broke apart, each taking this opportunity to gather their strength. Tinok took an extra step back. He then turned his head until his gaze fell full upon James.

  Could Tinok know that he was there? He met that gaze and felt there was some underlying message the knifer was attempting to convey. But then Akron’s blade rose and the fight resumed.

  Tinok’s momentary glance hadn’t been lost on Jiron either. “What was that about?

  James merely shrugged. Rubbing his forearm, he watched as Tinok deflected Akron’s blade, causing the larger man to overextend himself.

  “This is it,” Jiron prophesized.

  As the big man’s blade went a touch too far to the side, Tinok’s knife shot forward straight for Akron’s chest. The blade struck and the crowd erupted in cheers that quickly died off when the blade failed to inflict a killing blow. It merely left a red trail as it slid along the ribs. Akron quickly recovered and fended off a series of lightning flash blows, each deflected with an agility that was astounding.

  “I can see why he has never lost,” came a comment from behind James. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw coins change hands.

  Again, he found himself rubbing his arm, the skin felt irritated. A tingling sensation… Magic! This was no natural skin aberration, but the result of magic being actively manipulated.

  Instantly, he brought his defensive shield into place. The events unfolding in the pit below no longer held his attention. His eyes quickly coursed over those ringing the pit. One of them was a mage.

  “No!”

  Tinok stumbled backward with Akron coming on fast. Inexplicably, Tinok lost his footing altogether and went down.

  The tingling sensation spiked. James sent out his senses and could see the focal point of the magic was in the pit below. Someone was attempting to influence the battle’s outcome.

  Akron was on Tinok in a flash. Sword raised high, he brought it down in what was certain to be a killing blow. The crowd exploded when the sword missed Tinok by a hair’s breadth and embedded itself in the sand.

  Magic held the sword in the ground for a fleeting moment, just long enough for Tinok to kick the side of the big man’s head and roll to safety. James immobilized the sword just long enough for Tinok to regain his feet, then released it.

  He grabbed Jiron, pulled him close and said, “Magic!”

  “Who? Where?”

  “Not sure. Probably one of the big man’s people.” The magic that had affected Tinok had come from there, though he was unable to ascertain the responsible party.

  Both turned their gaze to those standing with the unmasked man from the Empire. Father Tullin stood next him.

  “Get the priest out of there.”

  Jiron nodded and hurriedly made his way through the crowd and around the pit.

  Again came the tingling sensation. James immediately latched onto the magic and worked to counter it. Whatever the spell’s affect was to be, his interference easily nullified it. If the mage hadn’t yet been aware of the presence of another mage, he would now.

  Casting his gaze across the pit, James saw all but one of those standing near the unmasked man and Father Tullin with gazes locked to the battle below. The one not looking had his features shielded by a hood and was instead staring in the direction of James’ doppelganger. James grinned inwardly and whispered, “Worried?”

  The crowd erupted. Tinok had landed a telling blow deep within the big man’s side. Akron was stumbling backward, doubled over in pain, the tip of his sword dipping to the dirt. Without the mage’s help, he was woefully outclassed. Backpedaling quickly, the big man tried to put space in-between himself and Tinok’s hungry blades.

  The mage cast another spell to try and help the fighter, but James easily thwarted it. This mage, similar to the fighter in the pit below, was way out of his league. As Tinok went in for the kill, James felt another spike in the tingling sensation. The mage was going for a kill of his own.

  James didn’t even let him try. Targeting the space before the opening of the mage’s hood, he caused an orb to appear. Lasting only a fraction of a moment, it nevertheless had the desired effect of breaking the mage’s concentration and causing his spell to fail.

  In the pit, Tinok had closed with Akron and had again scored deep within the big man’s side; only this time on the opposite side.

  Akron screamed in pain. He tried a backhand slice, only to have Tinok catch the blade with both knives and twist it out of his hands. As the blade went flying, Tinok snapped the big man’s knee with a well placed kick, then followed through with an upward thrust that pierced the man’s lower jaw. The blade continued up through the roof of his mouth and into the brain.

  All conversation ceased. The pit grew ominously silent as Akron hit the ground. Then chaos erupted as men and women cheered uproariously. Tinok raised his knives and accepted the crowd’s adulation.

  Many onlookers hurled coins into the pit. The doors on either end of the pit opened and men entered. From the right came men who were obviously of Empire lineage. They lifted Akron’s dead body and carried it from the pit.

  To the right, half a dozen men entered, pit fighters by the look of them, and accompanied Tinok from the fight area to accompanying cheers from the spectators. A boy emerged after Tinok had departed and began collecting the coins lying upon the blood-stained ground.

  About that time, Jiron appeared at his side without Father Tullin. James glanced across the pit and saw him speaking with a man standing next to the mage. The priest’s conversation appeared calm, but three others were gesticulating wildly as they faced the man in the hood. Apparently, they were none too happy with the outcome of the match.

  “He wouldn’t come,” Jiron explained. “Said he was having a good time and could take care of himself.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  James nodded. “It is now. They weren’t after me, just a couple of cheats trying to fix the fight in their favor.”

  Grinning, Jiron said, “I bet they didn’t expect to have you here.”

  “I doubt it. The mage was a rank amateur.”

  The proximity of others precluded further conversation. Jiron led James from the pit and back to the main hallway. Father Tullin remained behind to continue his conversation with the man from the Empire.

  Jiron’s intent was to find Tinok and see what was going on with the man they had earlier
seen him walking with when James sought Tinok magically. Fate, however, had other plans.

  The hallway leading to the Pit Fighter holding area was jammed with people wishing to congratulate Tinok on his victory. No less than six armored Pit Fighters stood guard before the door to keep the crowds back. The one in the lead, a six feet, four inch mass of muscles with flowing dark hair, held a pair of bared longswords and looked like he wasn’t about to put up with anyone’s nonsense.

  “Let’s see him!” and other exclamations were shouted from more than one voice.

  Jiron and James kept near the back.

  When the press of the crowd pushed the forward fringe a bit too far, the twin blades arced over their heads and were brought together in a very loud crash. “Back!”

  Quieting, the crowd’s restlessness diminished as the ones having come too close scrambled backward.

  “Tinok is no longer in the Pits! He has left. Get the hell out of here or heads will roll!”

  Jiron pulled James back into the main hallway and proceeded back down to one of the side passages that led to one of the regular Pits.

  “I’m sure he’s still here.”

  As the crowd began dispersing, James glanced to his friend. “Are you sure?”

  Jiron nodded. “After the wounds he received, I’d say a priest is even now attending him.”

  “I doubt if we’ll be able to get in to see him.”

  “Could always use a bit of magic.”

  “Absolutely not. I’m not supposed to be here, remember. I’m dead and I’d like everyone to continue believing that for as long as possible.” He saw the look that came over his friend. “Don’t even think it. If you let them know you’re here, those that attacked the island will know I’m here.”

  Jiron considered that for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. We know he’s okay. Maybe Father Tullin will find out something.”

  “I’m sure he will. But in the meantime, what say we head back to the temple?”

  Jiron nodded and took the lead. The press of people had begun dying out by the time they returned to the main hallway. Of those from the Empire and especially the mage whose trickery James had foiled, there was no sign.

  They passed from the building and entered the dimly lit streets. Oil lamps burned at the major intersections in an effort to provide some alleviation from the darkness. Light coming from building windows that bordered the street created an intermittent patchwork of light. Jiron avoided those pockets and kept to the shadows.

  Thirty feet from Morcyth’s temple, two shadows emerged from the greater darkness of an alley. Each shadow held a deadly looking knife that reflected the light from a nearby window.

  Jiron brought them to a halt as the two shadows moved to bar their way.

  “Here now,” a man’s voice said. “Where would you two be going on such an hour?”

  “Not your concern,” Jiron replied. His hand moved to the hilt of the lone knife he wore. “Move aside.”

  “Uppity, aren’t you?”

  The two men stepped apart, one coming forward while the other moved to a flanking position.

  James held the magic at the ready. He waited to see how Jiron would play this. To his surprise, he saw the one-time Pit Fighter hold up a coin. Even in the shadows as they were, its gold color was readily discernible.

  “Is that all you got?” the man who moved to flank them asked.

  “It’s all I’m willing to part with. If you can provide some information that is.”

  “Ha! We’ll take it all and leave it at that. We ain’t no gossiping fishwives.”

  Jiron held still a moment. “I would rather talk, than kill you.”

  “Hey, Mygg. This guy thinks he can kill us both.”

  “I don’t think he knows who we are?” A chuckle came from the one before them, then abruptly stopped. “Now, give us your coins.”

  In the darkness, James saw Jiron shrug as the gold coin disappeared back into his pouch.

  “Have it your way.”

  In a flurry of motion, Jiron drew his knife and stabbed the man before them, then turned on the second before the first had even hit the ground.

  Squealing, the second man turned to flee, but a hand took hold of his hair, yanked him back, and a single slash across the throat sent him gurgling to the ground. It was over in a matter of seconds.

  “Amateurs.”

  Jiron cleaned his blade with Mygg’s coat, then stepped over the bodies and quick-timed it toward the temple. He glanced to James, fully expecting him to ask if the killing had been necessary, and was surprised when it didn’t come.

  James met his gaze. “Nothing else you could have done.” He hated killing, even those such as Mygg and his partner. But in a world such as this, it couldn’t always be avoided.

  Chapter Six

  Once back within the temple they were met by Father Keller who led them to the room wherein Jira waited with Kip. Miko was there as well. He and Kip were hunched over a board of Bones and Daggers. Jira slept on her cot.

  The High Priest of Morcyth looked up as Father Keller entered the room. Upon spying James and Jiron entering afterward, he nodded and grinned. “I think I have young Kip ‘Bleeding in the Gutter’.” Bleeding in the Gutter was a term that referred to a player who had lost all but their last Bone. It basically meant defeat was imminent.

  Though unfamiliar with the game, he could see how Miko had encircled Kip’s remaining Bone with five pieces inscribed with a dagger. Kip still had two Daggers left, but the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

  “Tinok was there,” Jiron announced as he took his seat in a nearby chair.

  James sat on his cot and removed his boots.

  “So was a mage.”

  At that, Miko’s grin faded only to be replaced with a grimmer façade. He glanced from James to Jiron.

  “Don’t worry,” Jiron said,” he wasn’t after us.”

  “He was fixing the fight against Tinok.” Once his boots were off, James sighed with relief then lay down on his side facing the others.

  “I take it you intervened?”

  James nodded. “Of course. I couldn’t very well stand idly by while Tinok was slaughtered. The mage had a few good tricks, but that was it. Nothing like those we faced during the war.”

  Miko was quiet a moment, then nodded. “Those with magic have been springing up here and there throughout the Empire.”

  “I had heard that too,” James replied. “Ever since one of my ‘seeds’ took out their School of the Arcane, they have had less control over those wielding magic. I’m sure when the Empire was at its height, anyone that exhibited any inclination toward magic was shunted off to the School where they could be ‘indoctrinated’ with proper obedience. Now though, people are free to be mages.”

  “We never had that problem here in Madoc,” Jiron said. “I can’t recall ever running into any with magical abilities other than you.” He then glanced to Miko. “And priests of course.”

  “I get the feeling in Madoc, Cardri too, most folks don’t want anything to do with magic. I’m sure there have been incidents where someone has been seduced by the powerful lure of magic, but most people don’t have the proper understanding or discipline to do more than rudimentary spells. And after a mistake or two, most will recognize the danger and leave it alone.”

  Miko nodded. “Just last year, a young man in a small village near Reardon killed himself and his family with a wasting malady.”

  Jiron turned a surprised look his way. “I never heard that.”

  “Not surprising. The locals hid the evidence and don’t talk about it.”

  “How did you learn of it?” James asked.

  “Brother Tye happened to be passing through at the time. He helped purge the house and made sure the effects would not spread. Needless to say, we now have a small temple there.”

  James grinned. “Spreading the faith?”

  “Wherever we can.”

  Jiron stood and began pacing. “I wish I could ha
ve spoken with Tinok.”

  “At least you know he’s okay,” James said. “Father Tullin may turn up something.”

  “Perhaps.” Jiron turned to Miko. “How soon until we leave?”

  “Sunup, day after tomorrow. Everything will be in readiness at that time.”

  Kip reached out and moved a double-stacked Dagger to a position that threatened one of Miko’s. The stacked ones are able to move additional spaces, the number being determined by the amount of captured pieces it rests upon. When a Dagger captures an opponent’s Dagger or Bone, the captured piece is then placed beneath the captor’s Dagger, and the Dagger is then known as a Long Dagger. The default cap to the number of moves a Long Dagger can make is usually three, though players can opt for no cap at all. Such games often get rather interesting.

  Miko glanced to the board. Instead of moving the endangered, Dagger, he moved a triple-stacked Long Dagger to the space next to Kip’s sole remaining Bone. “Concede?”

  Staring intently at the board, Kip took in his two Daggers and Miko’s five multiple-stacked Long Daggers. Sighing, he signaled capitulation by flipping over his Bone. “Yes.”

  “Good game.”

  From Kip’s expression, he hardly shared that sentiment. “Yes, Reverend Father. Good game.”

  Miko smiled and tousled the young novice’s hair. “Time for bed.”

  Kip merely nodded as he gathered the pieces and placed them in their holding bag. Taking the bag and board, he crossed over to his cot and slid them both beneath.

  Turning his attention to the pacing Jiron, Miko said, “You may as well turn in. Father Tullin often returns late after visiting the Pits.”

  Jiron’s face pursed.

  “Pace if you must,” James said with a yawn. “As for me, I think I’ll take the Reverend Father’s advice.”

  Miko rolled his eyes. He hated to be called that, especially by those he knew before being elevated to his current station.

  James merely chuckled.