by Adam Watson
It was perfect, very picturesque, very quiet and just down the trail, within walking distance, was a beautiful blue lake. There was a nice flat area for a campsite, a pit for a fire and plenty of room for the coach. It seemed like the perfect place to make camp for the night, but as it turned out … it wasn’t.
***
Aiden was standing outside Hammar’s Battle Academy, he looked up at the sign before entering. Along with the title of the academy was a picture of a military flail. The men inside, Hammar, in particular, had played him for a fool. Now he was ten gold down, ten gold which he had worked very hard and risked his life for, and if they thought that they were going to keep his gold without teaching him anything - then they had another thing coming. He took a deep breath, opened the door and ventured in.
The same people were in there again, sparring as usual and brushing up on their weapons skill. Some of them stopped to watch Aiden as he approached Hammar, he wasn’t sure whether it was because they thought him brave or because they thought him a fool for daring to come back. Hammar even took a few moments out to watch him walk through the hall. He had a wry smirk on his face, Aiden wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad.
“Well, look who it is,” remarked Hammar, with noted disdain. “It’s the boy who would be master.” Aiden knew that Hammar had just called him boy to make him angry, but even so, it worked. He took a deep breath - this was not the time to be timid.
“My name is Aiden Thun'dira, and I will be a Battlelord!” he said, with utmost determination. Hammar did not feel threatened though, young upstarts like Aiden came to him all the time.
“Your name is boy! Because that is all you are!” Hammar made his opinion clear. “But even I have to admit you have courage … to come back here that is.” Aiden had been in the place for five minutes, and he was already getting worked up. He had never before had anyone talk to him with such sheer disrespect.
“When I said I would be a Battlelord it was because I meant it. You think you were pretty smart last time, knocking me out when I wasn’t ready, but this time you won’t catch me off guard.” Aiden was eyeing Hammar like a hawk, waiting for any sudden moves. Hammar though, seemed quite relaxed.
“Well, all right then. I see now that you’re dedicated. So, what do you say? No hard feelings?” Hammar extended his hand out in a peace gesture. Aiden was just about to shake Hammar’s hand when he stopped and suddenly pulled it away.
“Aaaaaaha!” shouted Aiden, pointing at Hammar. “I see what you’re doing here. You’re luring me into a handshake so that you can quickly grab it and punch me in the face.” Hammar laughed a little, he had been caught out. “I can’t believe you almost had me then.” Hammar nodded his head, a little impressed. Not many of his students had caught on that swiftly.
“Ooh, you learn fast, that’s good. I like that, I really do.” Hammar even smiled, pleased. “All right, you’ve passed the preliminaries. It’s time to see what you’re made of.” Hammar assumed the stance of a seasoned pugilist. “Come on,” he yelled, motioning Aiden closer. “Give me everything you’ve got.” Aiden smiled eagerly, he had been waiting for this opportunity. He wanted revenge, and he wanted to smash that smarmy smile off of Hammar’s face.
Aiden quickly ran in and took a big swing at Hammar, who simply stood aside, dodged it, then stepped back in to give Aiden a jab to the face. Aiden reeled back stunned.
The blow did not hurt, but rather stung, and it infuriated him how easily Hammar had done it. He turned around and charged, throwing a flurry of quick blows at the old war-dog. Hammar, although receiving an onslaught, seemed to be quite relaxed. He dodged some blows and blocked others, every now and then he would softly punch Aiden in the face or ribs, just to fire him up even more.
Deep down Aiden knew that Hammar was just toying with him. He knew he needed to calm down and focus on what he was doing, but he was just so angry. He kept running in and swinging wildly, all he could think about was making contact. Just have to hit him, just have to touch him. Even one punch to Hammar’s head would be satisfying.
Eventually, one punch did manage to connect with the side of Hammar’s head. The guard at the door, who was watching, winced - that had to hurt. Aiden couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. He was so pleased, and it felt so good to get him – he wanted to laugh out loud and shout for joy.
“Nice work kid,” remarked Hammar, rubbing the side of his face. Then before Aiden could do anything he ran in giving Aiden a right hook to the ribs, a left hook to the ribs, a left uppercut to the chin and a right hook to the head, sending him to the ground unconscious. “… but don’t get cocky.” With that Hammar turned around and walked off. “Get him out of here,” he demanded, with a snap of his fingers. The doors to the academy flew open as Aiden’s body came hurtling out, landing once more in a crumpled heap.
***
The descending sun brought with it a dark veil that stretched out across the skies. The stars shone, dancing their fires in the far away distance, and high in the sky … the Black Moon loomed.
On the ground, the camp had been set up. A fire raged in the firepit, and the smell of roast rabbit was in the air. To one side of the fire lay three swags and next to them, weapons in case of a bandit attack. The three employees of Amalicia City’s southernmost coach stop had decided that they would be sleeping under the stars tonight – not that they had a choice as there was really only room in the coach for two people to sleep; three if you included the floor. Magmus and Cassandra, the paying customers, would sleep in the coach where it was a little bit warmer and more comfortable.
Magmus surveyed the party. Randall was busy preparing the meal whilst Erwan gathered wood for the fire. Torvar had removed himself from the coach’s rooftop and now sat meditating by the fire. Magmus couldn’t help but smile when he looked at Torvar; this was probably his greatest charming feat yet, but it was funny how different minds interpreted his commands. The command ‘You are to stay relaxed at all times’ apparently involved a lot of meditation in Torvar’s world - Magmus had never seen the likes of it before. As for Cassandra, she was inside the coach, ‘preparing herself for dinner’. Magmus shook his head at that thought, how exactly one prepared themselves for dinner and why it would take so long was beyond him.
When dinner was finally ready, they all situated themselves around the fire, and Randall began serving the meal which consisted of roast rabbit, bread, a mixture of root vegetables and some undeterminable broth which despite its gruesome appearance was actually quite nice. Everybody seemed to be in good spirits after a long days ride - even Torvar had come down from the top of the coach.
It seemed that everyone had their own style of eating, suggesting different walks of life. Randall was eating slowly and seemed to savour every bite, sometimes he would even close his eyes like he was appreciating his own cooking. Erwan, on the other hand, was woofing his down like he hadn’t eaten in a week. Magmus held the leg in his hand and ate off the bone, whilst Cassandra seemed to be breaking her meal down into tiny pieces before scooping them into her mouth. Magmus found that quite odd and yet somehow fascinating at the same time.
Then there was Torvar or more precisely: half-charmed Torvar. The Dragon Gem was still working a treat on Torvar. He still had free will, but it was heavily dominated by the priorities Magmus had imbued into him. So even though he was hungry and needed to eat, his need to relax was overwhelming almost to a point where Magmus was beginning to think that he may have overdone it.
First Torvar would stare at his food in a trance, perhaps debating in his mind whether he should consume the food or relax and meditate. Then he would bring it to his mouth and pause, contemplate it some more and then he would force it in and chew like a madman, actually bobbing his head as he did so. When Randall saw him doing it, he naturally assumed it was in appreciation of the meal and his cooking skills. His response was to give Torvar the thumbs up and a wink.
Dinner was finished, the plates were packed away, and now they a
ll sat around the campfire trying to keep warm. It seemed that no-one was interested in talking. Instead, they all participated in a communal staring at the fire – except for Torvar who was mediating by the fire with his eyes closed.
Magmus watched the others, trying to determine what each was thinking about. Erwan looked serious, he was probably planning his way through the rest of the journey, deciding what setbacks might happen and what he will do to counter them and the like. Randall was nodding to himself slightly with a look of complete satisfaction on his face – he really enjoyed that meal. Torvar sat still and unmoving. His legs were crossed, his hands open and palms facing up – he was probably the most relaxed he had ever been in his life.
Then there was Cassandra … dear, sweet, Cassandra. She stared right into the heart of the blaze, absolutely focused on what was inside; as if trying to unravel the mysterious forces that held it together.
Hours passed, Randall and Erwan lay asleep in their swags by the fire. Torvar had relocated his swag and was now asleep on top of the coach. Magmus and Cassandra lay inside the coach, one on each seat. Cassandra found that she could stretch out quite comfortably whereas Magmus could feel the sides of the coach brushing against his head and toes - still, it was quite comfortable.
They talked well into the night not caring if they were tired the next day, any sleep they missed out on could always be caught up on the way to Tiet K’rea – they were the passengers after all.
They talked about many things, but their passion was magic. They talked about what they would do when the arrived at the academy. They talked about what disciplines they might study. They talked about books containing rare knowledge and legendary artefacts, and it was during one such discussion that the roof hatch suddenly opened and Torvar stuck is head in; both Magmus and Cassandra stared at the man in shock.
“Terribly sorry to bother you both, but you did tell me to notify you when danger was about.” The calm manner in which Torvar spoke confirmed one thing in Magmus’s mind – the relaxation aspect of his charm spell was way too strong.
“Well? What is it?” Torvar stuck his head back outside as though checking his suspicions. Nodding as he stuck his head back in, he answered.
“We got Lurkers out here.” Magmus’s eyes squinted, the words didn’t make any sense, he turned to Cassandra who had an equally puzzled look on her face.
“What in the Hells is a Lur …” Suddenly there was something at the window; a foul and hideous being, some kind of aquatic beast, but in the shape of a human. A high-pitch scream formed in Magmus’s throat. “LURKERS!!!” In his mind it was coming for him, its eyes seemed to glow. He backed away up against the door of the coach. Cassandra’s hand obscured his view as she placed her hand against the window. She turned her face away, and a fiery explosion emanated from her hand, sending glass and splintered wood flying. Magmus rolled out of the door screaming.
“To arms! To arms!” but the others were already fighting. Ablaze, the Lurker ran five steps before succumbing to death's embrace. Cassandra began unwrapping her bundle.
Magmus looked about, figures were moving in the darkness all around. He tried to get his bearings and was about to get up when something strong grabbed him by the hair and proceeded to pull him towards the lake. He fumbled at his belt and pulled out his dagger, he stabbed above his head impaling whatever held him. The creature screeched out, releasing its grip. Magmus quickly rolled over and stabbed the thing in the leg – it cried out again.
In the light of the Black Moon Magmus could see it clearly; a creature from the depths, olive-skinned and covered with a film of slime. Its face was flat and brown, its mouth cut through it akin to a frog. The brown part looked like a mask but was, in fact, some kind of hardened growth. Spikes protruded from the sides of its head, gills were slitted along its neck, and a webbed fin-like structure formed its ears. He slashed its throat before it could do another thing.
The creatures were everywhere, taking things from the camp. Magmus looked to Erwan and saw five dead creatures at his feet. Erwan was covered in green blood and had a wild look in his eyes. He may have just been the retainer on this particular journey, but he had worked as a merchants bodyguard for fifteen years before joining the coaching company.
“They’ve taken Randall!!” shouted Erwan, as more of the creatures attacked him. The words almost caused Magmus’s heart to stop. They’ve taken Randall! Fear may have had him in its grip one moment ago, but now desperation took over.
Magmus felt responsible, he was the one who charmed them all into going on this journey. If anything happened to any of them, it would be on his head. If they take Randall, he’s going to die! He couldn’t allow that to happen. Holding his dagger before him, he ran down the path towards the lake.
“Magmus! No!” shouted Cassandra, but it was too late. Cassandra sighed and closed her eyes for a moment … now she would be forced to do something she hadn’t wanted to. She held the unveiled staff in her hands, looking at it for a moment she contemplated its power. Taking a deep breath, she ran after Magmus.
Magmus could see Randall down by the lake’s edge, he was struggling to break free. Three Lurkers had a hold of him and were dragging him towards the lake. Magmus could hear his desperate cries.
“HEEEELP! HELP ME!” Magmus looked around, there were too many of them. He didn’t know any offensive spells and charming wouldn’t help him in time. He needed to create a distraction and fast. He held his arms in the air, illusion was his power. His mind focused, he concentrated on the fabric of the air, bending its light and sound to create a powerful image.
“RRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRR!!!” the beast screeched high up in the air, causing all those who heard it to stop in their tracks. The beating of wings could be heard, as a great shadow covered the land. The dragon, one of Mya’s most powerful beasts descended, causing all on the ground to flee. Many of the Lurkers dropped what they were carrying as they fled back into the murky waters of the lake.
Magmus was shaking, the toll of such an immense image was draining his power fast. Randall twisted and turned and finally managed to break free, he slowly made his way towards Magmus. The dragon swooped again blowing its fire, and although the sound of it was immense, the flames burned nothing. Magmus dropped to the ground sapped of all energy and the dragon disappeared.
For a minute there was silence. Confusion reigned as the creatures began to realise what had happened. Realising it was all just a trick, the Lurkers started swarming back out of the lake at speed. Magmus could see them coming but was too weak to do anything about it. Randall stumbled his way over to Magmus and tried to help him up.
“Magmus we need to go.” Magmus just groaned in response; at that moment Cassandra reached the two men.
“We need to get out of here! NOW!” Randall was willing, but both he and Magmus were drained from the ordeal. Cassandra could see the creatures coming. Their green, slimy skin glistened in the moonlight, their jagged teeth bared to tear, their eyes small and spread wide and as black as death. She manoeuvred herself over Magmus and motioned to Randall. “Stay close,” she whispered. She chanted softly, and a small ward surrounded the three.
Nearer the creatures came, and in vast numbers, there was no escape. They were surrounded, these creatures would consume them if they could. Cassandra closed her eyes and let them come even closer. She could hear them battering on the ward, trying to break it down, trying to get at them. She knew that wasn’t going to happen. With both hands, she lifted the mysterious staff high into the air and let it come down hard.
‘KA-BOOM!’ A blinding light flashed from the bottom of the staff as a tremendous fire exploded outwards in all directions. The sound was deafening, the heat searing, everything in its path was obliterated. When it was finished Randall, Magmus and Cassandra were the only things alive in a three hundred yard radius. This time the remaining Lurkers fled back to the murky depths of the lake – not daring to encounter such power again.
Cassandra and Randall
helped Magmus get back to the coach as best they could. Around Erwan, the corpses of fallen Lurkers lay slain; when he saw the party coming up the path, he quickly ran over to help.
“By the gods,” he said. “When I saw that explosion I thought you were all dead.”
“We need to get out of here right now.” There was urgency in Cassandra’s voice, and it wasn’t just because the Lurkers might return. She knew something the others didn’t. She knew someone else would be coming. They pushed Magmus into the coach and Randall climbed into the driver’s seat. Erwan climbed up next to him and took the reigns. Torvar still sat on top of the coach – he had been meditating the whole time.
“Giddy-up!” And with that command, the coach was off and on its way to Tiet K’rea once more.
***
Once again Aiden stood outside the doors of Hammar’s Battle Academy. This time he was deep in contemplation, he stared at the doors and wondered about the people inside. What was their problem? Didn't they like him? Didn't they think he was worthy? Maybe they thought that he couldn't make it, maybe they thought that he wasn't strong enough - maybe he wasn’t.
He thought about the situation, and the more that he thought about it, the more he didn't like it. Yeah, maybe he wasn’t as strong as the other guys in there, and maybe he wasn’t as good with the sword as what he had thought, but wasn't that the whole point of attending the academy in the first place? To train? To get better, to get stronger? All they had done was take his money and thrown him into the street.
Aiden sighed, he was depressed. He had been so excited to get into the academy in the beginning. This would have been a great chance to learn some real skills, but now it felt like they didn't even want him. Deep down inside of himself, he had a feeling ... a bad feeling ... a feeling that went down to the pit of his stomach. Hammar didn't think he had what it took. The thought made him sick. Was he really that bad? Was he really not as good as what he thought he was? Maybe it’s true. Maybe the reality was that he wasn't good at fighting at all. He had been beaten up by an old man and thrown out into the streets twice, and to make it worse the old man didn't have a scratch on him - he wasn’t even puffed.
