The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series

by R. E. Donnellan

  Suddenly, the events of the battle came back to him. What happened to him when he was kicked by that soldier? He remembered the pain in his stomach. That was easy because he still felt sore. He recalled his anger during the battle and how he had wished fire into his hands. Did he really do that?

  Marko had to find out. He walked over to the dead bodies from the battle. He had to turn away when he saw the eyes of Private Clement staring up at the sky. He had a terrible sword wound to his chest. There were four dead raiders lined up in a row. Marko instantly recognized the bodies of both men. When he looked closely at the man who had kicked him, he saw that the man’s hands were charred.

  Sergeant Torrence walked up to him. “Must have tripped into the fire. Wasn’t much use in the fight after that I suppose. He was one of your kills, wasn’t he?”

  “Um, yes. I fought both of those men.”

  “Good work. You accounted for most of the bodies and a capture. If you were in the guard, that would earn you a promotion. Not sure how the House rewards merchants, though. Probably just give you more work.” The sergeant smiled and walked away.

  That confirmed what Marko remembered. He had used magic! There was no other explanation. Maybe that’s how he saw the priest in the woods? At least no one saw him use magic. He was not sure what would have happened to him. The Guild of Mages were the only ones the Emperor allowed to wield magic. He had to keep this a secret. Maybe he could figure out how to use it on his own? He would have to do it when he was alone. Maybe he could sneak away at night?

  Chapter XXII: Sibenik

  By the time the caravan entered the gates of Sibenik the next day, Marko was exhausted. He had to return to guard duty after the attack and did not get any sleep. He guessed that everyone in the caravan felt the same.

  Marko was not expecting what he saw. He heard that the outpost was large, but that did not come close to describing it. A military city would be a better description. The walls around Sibenik were at least twenty feet tall. Unlike the various walls in Rau City, the ones he stared at were completely smooth. At the top were at least fifty guards he guessed patrolling back and forth. He saw that most of them were archers. Every one hundred feet or so, the battlements jutted out slightly into the shape of a triangle. He saw at least one man each standing in each outcropping.

  “Cannoneers.” Marko looked to his left as Maurice road up beside him. “There are over fifty cannons on top of that wall. There are more, even larger ones inside the keep walls, but that is classified.”

  Marko looked back up at the wall. “Why are they so exposed like that in those outcroppings?”

  “Those were built before House Lazard even produced cannons. It still serves us and the army well. Those areas allow the cannoneers to have more angles when deploying the weapon. The idea is that no matter which direction the king’s forces attack, at least two cannon will be able to maintain a kill zone out to several hundreds of yards. The archers then bring that zone almost to the castle walls.”

  “Sibenik has never been taken, and I doubt it ever will. Even if you somehow manage to breach outer walls, the compound is made up of five separate camps. Each has its own walls and defenses. In the middle of it all is the keep. Those walls are over fifty feet high and can house over two hundred soldiers. Colonel Green built much of the internal defenses since he took command.”

  Marko could see the top of the keep as they turned into a busy square. “Where is our House compound? With all these twisted streets, I don’t know how anyone knows there way around here. You would think that with all the planning that went into its construction, this outpost would have better streets.”

  “Think again Marko. These streets are almost as important as the walls. All streets near the outside wall are narrow and winding. They will slow down attackers if they breach the wall. The Sibenik Loop is a road that connects all of the compounds. It is wide and relatively straight. That allows the commanders to deploy resources quickly throughout the outpost. It is also made differently. The Loop is made of crushed stone but these streets are all made of dirt. The army can make these streets nearly impassable by blocking off choke points and making each turn a muddy mess. The Army certainly knows its business. Look over there. That’s our destination.”

  Marko saw that they were headed to a large walled compound. As with everything else he had seen in Sibenik, it had its own defenses. A large double gate stood open with four House guards to either side. As they slowly made their way into the compound, several workers came out of the stables to attend to the horses and cargo.

  “I need to report to Master Lemear. I want you and Andre to oversee the storage of the cargo. He has made this run before, so follow his lead. I will join both of you for dinner. Our commissary is next to the main office building there.”

  Marko had only spoken to Andre Bellue a few times during the trip. He was responsible for most of the wagons and had spent his time riding back and forth along the caravan. Marko had to admit he liked the guy despite his stoic demeanor. He seemed to have eyes everywhere. He would constantly tell the teamsters to check specific harnesses or re-stow crates because a particular wagon was not riding correctly.

  Andre had put Marko in charge of taking care of the horses. The House Lazard compound had huge stables and over ten grooms. Marko could not tell between the different breeds of horses, but he could tell that the House used several heavy ponies.

  As the last horse in the caravan was being lead into the stables, Marko heard the sounds of several horses galloping into the compound. He saw a squad of cavalry come into the compound. Two of the men were obviously officers from the piping on their uniform coats. One had braiding on his shoulder designating him on a command staff. Marko thought that the other must be his commanding officer. All the men dismounted and the commander looked around the compound with apparent concern.

  “Daddy! Daddy!” Marko turned and saw the two children that he had travelled with leap into the arms of the commander. Mirle quickly followed and all four of them hugged. After the teary reunion, the whole family walked into the main office building.

  Marko turned to Andre with a questioning look on his face. Andre shrugged. “It looks like they were not servants after all.”

  “What do you mean? Mirle told me that her husband was stationed here. That is why she took the job of servant to Colonel Green’s household.”

  “Marko. That man that just hugged his family was Colonel Green. Come on, let’s get washed up before dinner.”

  Chapter XXIII: Recognition

  Marko followed Andre to the guest house. He was surprised to see that he rated a small room all to himself. The fact that the window in his room looked over the stables, forestalled any delusions of grandeur. Still, it was much better than his room at the orphanage. The guest room he occupied was normally reserved for a Journeyman.

  Just before dusk, the two of them walked across the compound to the main building. There was a dining hall reserved for House members. The hall reminded Marko that he was still on House Lazard property. The hall was beautiful. Wood paneling covered every inch of the wall and the ceiling was made of stained wood beams. Hung along the walls were lamps and tapestries that would make the nobility proud. At the back of the hall was the main table. Marko saw Maurice standing with a man wearing House Master’s robes. Standing next to him were Colonel Green and his wife.

  “Hi Marko! I saw you with the horses today. Do you think I can visit the stables tomorrow?”

  Marko looked down and saw young Drake looking up at him smiling. “Hi Drake. I would be happy to but your father might want you to go with him to the keep.”

  “I know. He promised to take me to the top of the tower! I bet I can see Rau City from there!” Drake skipped up to the head table where he was joined by his sister.

  Andre pointed to a table below the main one. “This is ours. I will introduce you to the team here.”

  Marko received brief introductions from the Journeymen and Clerks that
were assigned to the outpost. He thought there was something different about them, but he could not put his finger on it. When one of the clerks told him about a recent trip to a local iron mine, Marko realized what it was. All the House members in Rau City were refined and clearly from the upper classes, but these members were different. It wasn’t that they were uneducated. It was quite the opposite. The members spoke very well and were clearly very experienced. The difference was that they all were somehow more hardened. Marko was not sure if that was the right term, but it seemed to fit. It was the difference between a staff officer and a line one. These members seemed to be at ease in a military compound. Most were bigger and taller than an average person. The first Journeyman Andre introduced him to actually had calluses on his palms.

  Dinner was served by several women. Roast chicken and lamb were the entrées accompanied by various vegetables and rice. They also brought pitchers of cool, pale ale. Marko was beginning to like ale after his experience at the Rusted Crown. He already learned to drink it in moderation and was committed to not making a fool of himself around House members.

  The man Marko assumed was Master Lemear cleared his throat and everyone fell silent. “Ladies and Gentlemen. We are honored to be joined at dinner this evening by Colonel Green and his family. House Lazard is committed to supporting his command, as well at the Emperor’s military forces throughout Zandar, in its defense against Kastav. With the recent shipment of arms and supplies, we are proud to do our part in strengthening the defenses of Sibenik.”

  After a few moments of polite applause, the Colonel stood up. “Thank you, Master Lemear. Your hospitality and this fine meal are a credit to your House. My adjutant has already inspected the shipment delivered today and has confirmed a draft to your House. But that is not why I wanted to interrupt everyone’s dinner.” He looked around the room and smiled.

  “This shipment today was not just important because it included arms and armor for the defense of Sibenik. It had personal significance to me because it also delivered my family. As most of you know by now, this caravan was attacked by a Kastav infiltration team lead by Deacon Kamorov. This man and his team have been causing havoc in my region for the past eight months.”

  He looked around the room and his eyes seemed to rest briefly on Marko and Andre when it passed their table. “Not only was your caravan able to defend itself from the attack, but it captured Kamorov and secured the safety of my family. As the Colonel of Sibenik and as a father, I thank each and every one of you in your service to the Emperor.”

  The Colonel looked down at Master Lemear and winked. “In consideration for this service and as a token of my appreciation, I am granting House Lazard the contract to provide two new, heavy cannon in the defense of this post.” The Colonel sat down to a much heavier applause.

  A clerk across from Marko exclaimed. “Whoa! That’ll certainly make Lemear’s day.”

  “What do you mean?” Marko said. “That’s only two cannon. I was told Sibenik already has fifty or so.”

  “That’s true, but they are not what he said. The Colonel is purchasing “heavy cannon”. Those are not practical to mount on the wall because they are about four times too large. Those will be mounted inside the keep wall. Those cannon can reach targets a half a mile away.”

  “Well, I guess that is good, then.”

  “You still don’t understand, do you? Lemear has been personally trying to sell the Colonel those cannon for a year. They will cost the Colonel three thousand gold coins each! That will be a large part of the Colonel’s budget for the year. Don’t get me wrong, though. He can use them. With those heavy cannon, he can defeat an enemy attack before they can even get within hundreds of yards of the walls. What’s even better, he probably won’t have to. I am sure Kastav has spies here just like we have them in Valpovo. Once they get word that the cannon are in place, this outpost will be safer than the Emperor’s Palace.”

  Marko was contemplating how the attack on the caravan had such a rippling effect throughout events, when he saw Maurice begin walking over to his table. “Andre, Marko, I would like to introduce you to Colonel Green. If you would follow me?”

  The three of them walked up to the head table, while the Colonel watched them. Without thinking, Marko gave the Colonel a crisp Imperial Army salute just like his father had taught him. The Colonel returned it without pause. “I must admit, that is the first time I have received a salute from a merchant.”

  “I am sorry, Colonel. My father was in the Eagles. I guess I can’t forget years of his training.”

  Maurice cleared his throat. “Colonel, may I present Journeyman Andre Bellue and Clerk Marko Kunich? They accompanied me with the caravan.”

  “More than that!” All eyes at the table turned to Merle. “Marko saved our lives during the attack. He killed the two men that tried to break into our wagon.”

  The Colonel turned back to Marko. “Kunich? Was your father the Kunich from Ulma Pass?”

  “Yes sir. He trained me since I was a little boy. He died recently defending our village.”

  “I am sorry for your loss, Marko. I was at Ulma Pass all those years ago. Back then I was a snot-nosed Lieutenant fresh out of the Academy. I don’t believe I ever met your father, but I will never forget that battle. The Eagle’s defense of the south wall was one of the keys to our victory, as I recall. The Eagles are still remembered for that victory.”

  Master Lemear chimed in. “I believe this Clerk also is responsible for apprehending Kamorov. Not bad work in one night, huh?”

  “You are certainly bringing on a new breed of merchant, Lemear. Tell me, Marko. The details were a little sketchy on this one. How did you find Kamorov before the attack? That man seemed to disappear anytime my command was on his trail.”

  Marko had to think about his answer for a moment. “Well, sir. I think the difference was that he was coming to me. I was on watch when I saw him sneaking up on us. He spooked an owl. That is how I could tell where he was. I just yelled the alarm after that.”

  “And incapacitated an infiltration priest who was armed and alert. Quite amazing. Now nothing from House Lazard will surprise me, Lemear.”

  “We serve the Emperor.” Master Lemear turned to Marko and Andre. “Thank you gentlemen, please enjoy the rest of your dinner.”

  The two walked back to their table and sat down. “I am sorry, Andre. It was not fair that only I was recognized.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I would rather not be noticed than expected to fight Kastav soldiers with a sword. The important thing was that House Lazard was recognized. You will eventually understand that all of our actions have an impact on the House. Take credit for deserved praise, because you will have to live with the failings of others.”

  After dinner Marko retired to his room. He was impatient to go to sleep. There was only one person he could talk with about his magic.

  “Good evening,” said a voice. “You feel different. Something happened?”

  Marko looked up from his silver robes and saw a woman in front of him. He guessed she was about fifty years old. She had long gray hair. No, wait, it was not gray but silver. Then he noticed her height. She was at least two heads taller than Marko.

  “Who are you? Where is Stranac?”

  “Why, I am Stranac, of course. What has gotten into you?”

  “Stranac is a man and …well you aren’t.”

  “Marko, I never said I was a man. You saw and heard what your mind could process. It sounds like you see me for who I am now. Now that is very interesting. Tell me, did something unexpected happen recently?”

  Marko slowly told Stranac the story of the attack. When he mentioned burning the soldier, Stranac stopped him many times to ask how he felt during the episode.

  “Anger is a powerful emotion to call upon to touch your reserve. Righteous anger even more so. That is an unusual emotion to employ the first time. Mages are taught to use joy the first time. Primarily because it does not last long so you won’t dep
lete your reserve. Battle is most risky. How do you stop tapping into your reserve when you are fighting someone? Mages often die during prolonged battles.”

  “Is that because they were not trained well in combat?”

  “No, well not usually, anyway. Each mage has his own amount of reserve. Think of it like a water skin. Some are larger than others. Regardless of size, all can be emptied. Larger ones take longer to fill up again. If you empty your reserve during battle, you pass out. Passing out during a battle typically does not end well for a mage.”

  “Now that you no longer deny that you are a mage, we can move on to your next step of training.”

  “Ok. I admit that I can tap into this reserve and burn someone’s hands. Can I do anything else? I mean, can I make it rain, run really fast, do really cool things?”

  Stranac chuckled. “I guess you got over me being a woman quickly. To answer your question, I don’t know. Each mage is different in capacity, replenishment and manifestation. Capacity we just discussed. Replenishment is how fast you can fill up your water skin with essence. Manifestation is what you did with fire. Your essence manifested into fire. Most combat mages have that ability. Can you do more than heat your hands or manifest other elements, who can say?”