“All right, all right,” said Frayne, holding up a hand. “Sit down. Let’s talk about this.”
The old man sat down at the head of the table and inspected the members of the party. “Name’s Withers,” he said to Frayne. “Who’s in charge here? You?”
The short man nodded. It had been decided during the trip that Gaen and Jared would keep their respective identities secret to avoid drawing unwanted attention to the group. “Aye. My companions and I need to go through the Wastes, though we’re not sure how far. You can lead us?”
The old man shrugged. “I can, but not if you don’t know where you’re going. Kind of hard to lead you, then, isn’t it? And it’s going to cost you.”
“How much?” asked Jared.
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that unless I know where you’re going. I can quote you a daily rate, though, if you’d prefer. 50 gold.”
Bowen shot to his feet. “50 gold?” he asked in disbelief. “A day? Are you insane?”
“Sit down,” Gaen told Bowen, then looked at Withers. “That is awfully steep.”
Withers shrugged again. “That’s my price. If you want to wander through the Wastes without me, feel free. If you want to find a different, less experienced guide, feel free. You probably won’t come back, but it doesn’t bother me none. Take it or leave it.”
“Excuse us for a moment,” said Gaen, motioning to Jared. The two men stepped away from the table and engaged in some heated whispering before they returned. “We’ll pay you 30 gold a day,” said Gaen, “with a bonus of 1000 gold when we return, if we return.”
Withers was silent for a moment as he thought. “1000 gold, eh?” he muttered. “A decent price, if you can pay it. 40 gold a day, and you have a deal.”
“Oh, we can pay it,” said Jared. “35 gold.”
The old man hesitated only momentarily. “Done. When did you want to leave?”
“We can leave tomorrow at first light,” said Frayne. “But we need to clarify a few things first.” Gaen looked at him warningly, but Frayne continued. “First of all, know that I’m in charge of this little jaunt, and it’s not a pleasure jaunt. If I say stop, we stop, and if I say go, we go. Understood?”
“Only up to a point,” responded Withers. “There are things in the Wastes that will tear you apart if you don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going, so when it comes to negotiating a route, I am in charge. I will not put myself in danger because you and your army men think you know what you’re doing. You want to tell your people when to eat and sleep, fine, but when it comes to when, where and how you travel, you listen to me. Otherwise the deal’s off.”
“Fine,” said Frayne. “And secondly, know that I will be watching you, so if you have some brilliant idea about leading us in and then leaving us to die, forget about it now. I have ways of making you pay that you can’t even imagine.”
Withers laughed, a evil-sounding cackle that made Joel’s hair stand on end. “Ha! There’s nothing you can do to me, little man, that the Wastes don’t have ten times worse. But fine. Once in, you are under my protection. That I promise you. I have never lost anyone inside.”
That seemed to settle the discussion, so Jared beckoned the serving girl over again and ordered another round of ale, a glass of which Withers gladly accepted. After draining the glass in one draught, he took his leave, telling them he would see them in the morning by the stables. Then he was gone.
Joel had watched the entire exchange with interest. The old man was very odd, and Joel did not feel entirely comfortable about trusting his life to him, but he didn’t feel that he had much of a choice. The haggling was intriguing, as was the conditions that Frayne had added to the bargain.
J’Mart had watched the haggling with interest as well. When Withers had disappeared, the Ramiken stood on the table in front of Joel. “Now there’s a crazy old coot,” he said, tapping his forehead. “I sure am glad we don’t have to trust our lives to – oh, wait. You do, don’t you? Hmm. This is awkward. Tell you what.”
“What?” Joel was not amused, since he was already feeling somewhat uncomfortable about the old man.
“I’m going to make a strong effort to teach you everything you can learn about your magic. It can do a lot to keep you safe if you know how to use it. Then we won’t be quite as dependent on Crazy Joe over there, all right?”
Joel couldn’t help but smile. “Deal. Teach me how to conjure up a Winchester .30-06 and I think we’ll be okay.”
“A who?”
Joel noticed that Fender had been listening with half an ear to his conversation with the little man, so he responded to enlighten the magician as well. “The history of Earth is filled with new and inventive ways to kill one another, and the Winchester .30-06 is probably one of the most effective ways to do it.”
“Oh, now I remember,” said J’Mart. “It’s a gun, right?”
“Yup.” Joel turned to Fender. “Basically it takes small pieces of metal and throws them at you so fast they can kill you before you even know what hit you. Like a crossbow, but deadlier. Very effective, and very scary.”
“Interesting,” said Fender. “I believe I may have seen pictures of such a thing, though I can’t recall where.”
“Well, at any rate, there are none here, and for all I know a shotgun wouldn’t even work in Alera, so let’s forget about it. Will you and J’Mart teach me about my magic? I’m willing to learn everything I can.”
“By all means, Joel. I think that it’s extremely important that you learn all you can before we reach the Duran. Between the Ramiken and me, I think we can get you comfortable with your powers before too long.” Fender stood up. “Speaking of the Duran, I think I will try the locator spell again, now that we’re closer.” He spoke to Jared. “I assume we’re rooming here for the night, so I will get us some rooms and try the spell.”
The Prince nodded, and Fender took his leave and went to find the innkeeper. Although he was curious to see the wizard enact the spell again, Joel was more interested in exploring Gerund, so he finished his ale, gestured to J’Mart, and stepped back outside into the street to look around.
Gerund was, all in all, a sad little town. The people that he passed as he walked seemed beaten down and morose, adding to the gray feel of the town. Also present in the air, however, was a subtle undercurrent of tension as if from a high-voltage power line. Joel asked J’Mart if he felt it.
“Oh, I feel it, all right,” answered J’Mart. “What you’re feeling is magical tension, probably from the Wastes. Add that to the natural stress that these folks probably feel from living this close, and you’ve got the makings of a time bomb.”
“I wonder when it’s going to go off.”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” said the little man. “It’s only a matter of time, though.”
With that, they continued to walk through the streets, looking at the houses and businesses that they passed. Aside from the general listlessness of the place, another difference that Joel noticed between Gerund and Beláin was the lack of open-air markets and stalls. There were stores and merchants, but they were indoors, and the windows were dusty and the shop fronts unkempt, making them rather uninviting. As they passed a large number of bars and taverns, Joel realized that they had probably gotten lucky with the quality of food and service they were likely to get in the Rogue’s Hall.
All in all, there wasn’t much to see in Gerund, and before the afternoon had worn on too long Joel was ready to rejoin the rest of the travelers. He and J’Mart found their way back to the Rogue’s Hall without a problem and were directed by the surly bartender to the two rooms upstairs that Fender had rented for the night.
When he walked in, Gaen and Fender were sitting in the corner at a small table, discussing something quietly yet animatedly. Athena was sharpening her sword, and Jared, Luana and Step were playing some kind of card game at another table. Through the doorway that connected the two rooms, Joel saw Bowen and Frayne sleeping on the cots in the
other room.
Jared looked up as he entered. “Ah, SongMaster! We were wondering where you had gone. Did you have a nice walk?”
“Yeah, thanks. I wanted to see some of the city.”
“Not much to see, I’m afraid,” said the Prince. “Gerund is, unfortunately, not the nicest of towns in Asria. Everybody tells me it’s from existing so close to the Wastes. Still, I suppose if you’re new here, everything is interesting.
“Tell me,” he said abruptly, changing the subject, “are you planning on doing any magic tonight? I overheard Fender saying he would be giving you some lessons during the journey, and if you don’t mind, I’d love to sit in. I must say, your music and its magic are quite intriguing. I only wish I had powers such as those.”
Joel shrugged. “Actually, yes, I was going to practice before we went to sleep tonight, if it doesn’t bother anybody. And it’d be fine with me if you want to watch. Not much to see, though, I don’t think. I’m still a novice when it comes to this stuff.”
“Not at all, not at all,” said the Prince. “The display you put on in my father’s throne room was quite impressive, as was the vision you drew from the fire. I have been itching to see more since then.”
Joel walked over to where his guitar case had been placed against the wall, opened it and slung the instrument into position. “I guess I could try a few exercises,” he said, looking at J’Mart.
The Ramiken grinned. “All right! Let’s rock the house! Let’s party! Let’s try not to set our shoes on fire!” He did a back flip and landed on the floor in front of where Joel had taken a seat. “OK, let’s start with levitation again.”
For the next hour or so, J’Mart put Joel through his paces, teaching him some concentration exercises and some new tricks. Once Joel’s fingers warmed up and he lost his nervousness, he did (he thought) passably well. He had no problem levitating Athena’s sword out of its scabbard and handing it to her, and was able to rearrange the table and chairs in the room without hitting anybody, though he did hit the wall a few times.
Fender had finished his discussion with Gaen and come to watch, offering his own tips and advice on top of J’Mart’s instruction. When he saw that Joel was getting tired, he told J’Mart that a break was needed.
“You are definitely improving,” the wizard told Joel as the SongMaster laid down his guitar. “Your control is much better than it was.”
“Well, thank you,” replied Joel, “but I don’t see how moving some tables and chairs around the room is going to help save the multiverse. I think there’s more power needed here than I have access to. Maybe that’s why you’re along for the trip. Maybe it’s your magic that’ll stop the destruction, not mine.”
“I disagree,” said Fender. “Your magic is unique, and there is a reason for that. Although I am proud of my magical accomplishments, there is nothing particularly special about them or me. I believe I am here to teach you, but in the end it will be you who saves all of existence.”
“And annoys Ysuldur to no end!” exclaimed J’Mart. “Say what you like; I think that’s the best part.”
Joel sat back on his heels and thought for a moment. “Now that you mention it, when you put it that way, I have to wonder: if Ysuldur is behind all of this, and if we do manage to thwart this plan of His, is He just going to let me walk away? Because I gotta tell you that I’m not absolutely crazy about the thought of pissing off a god.”
“Pissing off?” Fender looked confused. “If you mean annoying Him, I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about, Joel. There are two things you need to take into account here. First of all, remember that if Ysuldur is indeed behind this, Yath is opposed to Him. Yath is on our side, meaning He’s backing our side. So even if you were to annoy Ysuldur, I think Yath would prevent any retribution.
“And secondly,” the wizard continued, “you probably aren’t aware of this, but Yath and Ysuldur are not known to be vengeful gods. Based on what you told me about the ‘conversation’ that you overhead in the Void, this is, if anything, a sort of wager between the Two. Should Yath lose, He would shrug his shoulders and laugh. As would Ysuldur if He were to lose. I don’t foresee any recrimination.”
“Of course, if Yath loses, there won’t be anybody around to hear Him laugh,” said J’Mart. “But the wizard has the right idea here, Joel. I think you should worry more about the beasties you’re going to run into in the next few days than about what’s going to happen if you save the Duran and win this little bet.”
Joel snorted. “Sure. Nothing to worry about, right? All right, let me take a break and let’s work some more, shall we?” He stood, brushed himself off and headed outside to get some air.
As he stood in the street, watching the sunset and wondering whether he would survive the coming journey, there was a tap on his shoulder. It was Athena. “Would you like some company?” she asked him.
He was glad to see her. “Of course,” he said, grinning. “Come to beat me up for stealing your sword?”
She shook her head. “Of course not. You just looked troubled when you left.”
“Well, I am, to tell the truth. I’m wondering how this is going to turn out. We haven’t even left Asria yet, and we’ve already lost Oren. I don’t know how long it’ll take us to find the Duran, or how easy it will be to reach, and about the only thing I can do with my magic is levitate a chair and make a good cup of coffee. So, yeah, I’m a little worried.”
“So why are you here? Why did you come along?”
Joel threw his hands in the air. “I guess I didn’t really think about all of the possible situations that could come out of this whole escapade. I’m not blaming him, but Massar kind of left me with the impression that I was going to waltz through the countryside, find the Duran, figure out how to defuse it, and go home with a song in my heart and a smile on my lips.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.”
“There’s something you should know about wizards,” said Athena, “if you haven’t figured it out already.”
“What’s that?”
“They never tell you the whole story. Never. They won’t lie to you, but they’ll never tell you everything, either. My father told me that a long time ago, and I’ve never forgotten it.”
“Probably excellent advice,” said Joel, a slight smile on his lips. “Although I have trouble believing that about Fender.”
“I don’t know him well, but they say he’s good, honorable, and he’s served the royal family of Asria loyally for generations. So perhaps the rule of thumb doesn’t apply to him.”
“Then it doesn’t do me too much good, since I’ve only ever met two wizards. That’s a fifty percent failure rate.” He couldn’t help but chuckle.
Athena looked at him piercingly. “There’s another wizard you’re forgetting to mention.”
Joel thought for a moment. “Who? J’Mart? He’s not really a wizard.”
“No. Not your invisible friend. You.”
“Me? I’m not a wizard. I mean, I can do some magic, but…”
She held up her hand, cutting him off. “You are a wizard, SongMaster, and a powerful one at that. And though I don’t know you well, you strike me as a good, honest man. So perhaps I, too, should reconsider my father’s warning, since neither one of the wizards I have known follows the pattern.” She turned toward the west. “There is something about you, Joel – something special. I don’t know what it is, but I would like to find out. And for some reason I have complete faith that when the time comes, you will be able to do what you need to do.”
For a while neither one of them said anything. They stood side by side, watching the sun give a tiny bit of color to the gray town as it sank below the horizon. Then Joel turned to Athena. “I hope you’re right. I hope I end up justifying your faith in me. I really do. Just promise you won’t hate me if I fail.”
She shook her head and smiled at him. “I won’t, Joel, because you won’t fail. Now let’s go inside so you
can practice some more, and you’re not taking my sword again, either.”
He smiled back and held out his hand. “Care to make a little wager on that?”
“No. That’s another thing my father taught me: never bet with a wizard. But I will consider it a challenge, though.” She turned and went back inside, leaving him to wonder if she was merely talking about him taking her sword.
Fender and J’Mart were waiting for him when he walked back in the room, and between the two of them, they kept him busy practicing control and concentration for another two hours before Fender called a halt. “I think that’s enough for today,” he said, smiling at Joel’s expression of relief. “We need to rest before we leave at dawn tomorrow.”
Joel slumped in his seat, exhausted. His entire body was tingling from using the magic, and his head was hurting. Without a word, he put his guitar back in its case and set it against the wall, then looked for a place to lie down. There was a cot free in the corner, and it wasn’t long before he was resting comfortably. He was still unable to sleep, though, as exhausted as he was. He kept thinking about Oren, and wondering what he would be facing in the coming days and weeks. He finally drifted off to sleep, but not before he resolved to practice his magic every free moment he had. If he was going to get the Duran and protect his friends, he was going to need his magic.
It was still dark when J’Mart woke him in the usual manner – by jumping up and down on his chest. Joel’s eyes flew open, and he sat up, knocking the Ramiken into the wall.
“Ouch!” said J’Mart. “You don’t wake up well, do you?”
“Nice try, little man,” answered Joel. “I know that didn’t hurt. And no, oddly enough, I’m still not used to being awakened by a fat dwarf jumping on me.”
“What?! Did you just call me a fat dwarf? Do you have any idea – No, you couldn’t know, could you?”
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