Jonathan walked with Red and eventually found the place they were looking for. It was packed and Jonathan could hear loud laughter coming from inside. Red shrugged his shoulders then went through the door. As soon as the door opened the sound intensified and it was hard to see with all of the bodies around. Red pointed to a group of two men and Jonathan could see they were armed. As Jonathan and Red looked around room it was obvious most of these men were armed and were most likely guards or something. John fought to get to the center of the room and could have fallen over dead at the sight.
Edgar was sitting down and had two beautiful women sitting on each of his laps. They were giggling like whatever he was saying was the funniest thing they had ever heard. Edgar was a shy skittish man a little taller than Thurman was. No way he should have been able to grab two nice looking girls. Terriel was at the table with him and had the same type of love going on. Thurman was off in a corner with a woman that was obviously a noble, she looked a few years older than Thurman and despite trying to smile Jonathan could see that she was not comfortable in the surroundings. That was a rich woman Jonathan thought as he scanned the room and found Bill sitting at a table laughing it up with a woman who had to be his mother along with an older couple and a young woman maybe a few years older than Bill was.
Bill’s mother looked young, she had to be in her teens when she had him. Bill favored her in the face but her frame was slighter than his was. The couple she sat with were older and Jonathan could tell they both loved their food. Both of them, along with their daughter, were bordering on being obese. By the length of their arms Jonathan could tell they couldn’t be very tall. The girl looked to be in love. She smiled and it seemed like she was hanging on Bill’s every word. Bill looked more comfortable than Jonathan had ever seen him as he held the girl’s hand.
“Are you seeing this or am I in some kind of dream?” Red said as he elbowed Jonathan lightly. “Is that Edgar over there looking like a regular ladies man?”
“I think he has two servant girls with him” Jonathan said. “Most of the others are with women who look like they are worth a decent bit of money. I see a lot of parents who are trying to be inconspicuous hanging around here along with a lot of guards.”
“Well I want two women sitting on my lap” Red replied looking hard at Edgar and Terriel. “If Terriel can do it with his scars then I should be able to. Look at little Thurman all cozy over there with that rich woman. Do you think this is because of Bill?”
“I don’t know but Bill is calling us over. There is only one way to find out.”
“Harrington and Thunder, may I introduce you to my beloved, Miss Rebecca Panlaque,” Bill said formally, then gestured around the table. These are her parents Lord and Lady Panlaque. Last but definitely not least is my mother Gertrude.”
“Your son is a boon to us all,” Jonathan said looking at Bill’s mother. “He has tried to lead us true although I will admit I am not the best student and have gotten myself into a lot of trouble. And Lady Rebecca Panlaque, you are even prettier in person than Bill described.”
“You brought a charmer over here Bill,” Gertrude said, as Jonathan took her hand and gave it a small kiss.
“Jonathan is one of the Big Four,” Bill said.
“The Big Four?” Lord Panlaque asked.
“Both of his parents are mages, so his power is far above mine or that of most of the mages in our class,” Bill began. “There is a man that I am not fond of named Russell Golad, who will take over for his father Duke Ryan Golad one day. Russell has power than many believe surpasses both that of the Archmage and his brother who is the mage in charge of our training in the Tower. Next is his sister Farrah who is not as strong as Russell but could possibly beat the Tower Mage and the Archmage in her own right. Next is Monica Manchin. She comes from a powerful mage family and any other year she would have been far above anyone else. The last of the Big Four is Jonathan Thunder. Jonathan is a commoner but has magic that surpasses most nobles. He is the strongest commoner ever to come through the Tower and has collected many enemies because of his power.”
“What Bill means to say is that Thunder beat the pit out of the knobber that gave me this,” Red said as he opened his shirt and showed off his scars. “They are just jealous is all.”
“This is Red Harrington,” Bill said. “Another of my classmates.”
“Neither of you are wearing robes,” Lord Panlaque said.
“We like to keep a low profile, but I don’t think it is working,” Jonathan replied.
“Someone went to rob us and we nicked his purse instead,” Red laughed. “Jonathan Thunder is a mage that if you didn’t know his name now, in a few years you would.”
“Well it is a pleasure to meet you both,” Lady Panlaque said. “We heard how rough things are over at the Tower, especially for commoners.”
“It is getting better,” Jonathan said. “Well it is getting better for everyone but me.”
“At least you get these few days to yourself,” Lord Panlaque said. “Have you gotten a room yet?”
“I am staying uptown,” Jonathan said. “I am supposed to be meeting my parents there if they could make it.”
“We have an extra room here,” Bill said. “Well an extra bed anyway if one of you don’t mind being in a room with Edgar.”
“Edgar looks like he is doing well for himself,” Red said. “Maybe I can help him out, I would hate to be known as the kind of lad that sees a friend in need and walks the other way.”
“You like commoners?” Gertrude asked.
“Why wouldn’t I, I am a commoner,” Red replied.
The night was spent drinking and eating. Red told everyone about the men he and Jonathan had fought and gained quite and audience because of it. Bill’s people had brought two noble girls with them whose parents were trying to find them a match with a mage. The other girls where servants who knew Bill’s mother and her story and were secretly hoping to follow in her footsteps. It was rare for a mage to sleep around but as schoolboys on a break from their classes, Bill knew a bunch of them who would do just that. None of the women were looking for relationship, not that they would turn it down. What they wanted was a gifted child that could possibly set them up for life.
Red decided to stay with Edgar and as soon as he found a girl that was willing he left. Jonathan stayed around for a bit talking to Lord and Lady Panlaque and impressed them with his knowledge and upbringing. Jonathan could see at least one of the noble girls there gave him the eye. Jonathan didn’t think he was much to look at but he was tall. He decided him staying there could hurt whatever his classmate Milton was trying to have with the girl and so he left.
Jonathan’s carriage was back at his inn but he didn’t mind. He took to the sky and enjoyed letting the wind whip through his hair. Vashing could well be appreciated from 100 yards in the air. It was easy to tell where the slums ended and uptown began. The Inn he was staying at was the same one many of the nobles would use. He landed near the front door. A woman was startled by John’s landing, Jonathan thought she worked at the inn based on the uniform she was wearing. He gave her a smile and walked inside of the inn. Many mages were already there. All of them looked like they were finalizing themselves a room. It would be tough for them to find one in a few days since many of the students and staff prepaid over a month ago.
“Can you bring my bags in from outside?” a blond female mage said as she looked at John. “I don’t know whose manservant or guard you are but I will toss in an extra silver if you hurry. This place looks too busy to get my things in a timely manner.”
“What does your carriage look like?” Jonathan said quickly. If the woman was going to throw in an extra silver it meant that he would make two silver just to bring in some bags.
“The large white one with the black horses,” the female mage barely got out before John was through the door and looking for her carriage.
Jonathan found it and gave a small smile and shook his head. The woma
n had three large trunks on top of her carriage and if they were as heavy as they looked it would have taken a team of men to take them down. A combination of air magic along with an extremely delicate use of pure aura got the trunks down and stacked on top of each other. Jonathan floated them inside and stacked them off to side. The woman who had asked him saw him bring in the trunks and stood by stunned for a moment before she started to speak.
“You are a mage,” the woman said shocked. “Where are your robes?”
“In my room Milady,” Jonathan replied. “I wasn’t going to turn down two silver though for that little bit of work.”
“Why would you get my bags for two silver?” the woman said as she counted out two coins and gave them to John.
“That is a lot of money for some Milady,” Jonathan replied.
“Are you the commoner mage now training at the Tower?” the woman asked.
“I am a commoner and I am training at the Tower but I don’t know if I am the commoner mage you are looking for,” Jonathan replied.
“It is you” the woman said looking John over. “You are Jonathan Thunder.”
“I am,” Jonathan replied, as he put the two coins away.
“You are the uppity commoner with decent magic,” the woman said.
“You know of me but I have no idea who you are,” Jonathan replied. “And I am not uppity. I did just fetch your bags.”
“My son has told me all about you” the woman said. “I am Duchess Golad.”
“Your Grace!” Jonathan said as he dropped to a knee.
“Get up,” Duchess Golad said. “I want to get one thing straight with you. First, my daughter is off limits to one such as you.”
“Excuse me?” Jonathan said shocked.
“I know you think you are someone special,” Duchess Golad began. “And I hear your magic is strong enough that you could possibly challenge my daughter if she ever decided to become Tower Mage.”
“Who is this then?” said a large imposing mage. The mage had a face that Jonathan thought he could punch all day and knew right away that this was Duke Golad. The mage looked like an older version of Russell. He was at least twenty years older than Russell’s mother but looked like he could still throttle anyone that was looking for trouble and that was without his magic.
“This is the boy Russell has been writing to us about,” Duchess Golad said. “The commoner with the magic that is trying to make a play for Farrah. I am letting him know that she is far above his level and he better look for someone else. And that someone else better not be Monica Manchin. Russell and any of his future children will be the first high nobles who can say they became Archmage or Tower Mage. No commoner is going to ruin the greatness of our family.”
“So you are the whelp trying for Farrah?” the Duke said as he stood over Jonathan, causing him to step back.
“I doubt I could ever be so lucky Your Grace,” Jonathan said backing away even further. “For one, I have no doubt that Russell would kill me where I stood. Secondly, I doubt she is interested. She can have any man in the world. She would be silly to take a commoner who happens to have a little bit of magic.”
“You are full of it Thunder,” Duke Golad said. “But you are telling Daisy what she wants to hear. I am not Her Grace though. I can tell you have thought about it. You have a lot of people you have to beat out for that one.”
“You can’t be serious Ryan,” Duchess Golad said facing her husband.
“Would you rather he marry someone else and start up a strong mage family?” Duke Golad said. “If both of his parents were bold enough to marry each other and buck the establishment, then what is to stop him? He would obviously marry the strongest mage he could land, which could be the reason he is going after Farrah.”
“He is a commoner,” Duchess Golad said raising her voice.
“And according to Russell he would be a match for me and you,” Duke Golad said. “Good luck young man. I am guessing a lot of mages will make this trip and try for my daughter. None of them are above trying to put you in your place. There is a sparring pit around here somewhere and I think if it gets out you are trying to romance my little girl you may find yourself in there.”
“As you say Your Grace,” Jonathan said confused.
Jonathan had never told Farrah Golad that he wanted her or that he was even interested. She was a bit nicer than the rest of the nobles there. Jonathan felt that was mostly because she was a woman with no one to talk to. Jonathan was the only one there other than her brother who was taller than she was. The other girls at school only talked to him to get the bigoted nobles jealous. Well except for Minnie, but that was just harmless flirting. Bill had set him straight on that one and Minnie would probably be married to a noble in two or three years.
Jonathan went up to his room and decided to remain there for the night. He was surprised Russell had written his parents about him and wondered if Russell saw him as an actual rival. Russell definitely thought he was competent. A future Duke had no reason writing his parents about some commoner, unless he saw something to fear or admire. Duke Golad was definitely easier going than Duchess Golad was. The woman hated commoner mages which was probably where her son had gotten it from. Maybe a match was trying to be made between Xalen and Farrah and Russell saw Jonathan as potentially getting in the way of that. Jonathan thought they should have considered each other as off limits because they were all cousins, but nobles often married their own family members. It was too much to think about Jonathan mused as he finally drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER 5
Johnathan jumped awake to loud banging on his door. He could tell it was morning outside and he didn't remember requesting a wake up call. He looked around quickly and grabbed his pants. The knocking became louder and more insistent as John put on his shirt and opened the door. If he had known who it was he probably would have kept the door shut. It was Russell Golad. He was alone and looked as angry as John had ever seen him. Russell pushed his way into the room and closed the door behind him. John was happy to have the door at his back and figured if Russell tried anything he could get away.”
“Listen here Thunder,” Russell said. “I am going to make a few things clear to you. No crowds, no friends, it is just me and you here.”
“What do you want Russell? It is too early to fight with you. Don't you ever stop?”
“Shut up commoner! You will shut up and listen to what I have to say or I will paste you all across this room.”
“Say what you came to say, then hurry up and leave.”
“I know you have talked to my parents. I don't need to know your exact words, but I can guess what they were. My family is against commoner mages at every level. This is something you already know well. Minnie and any other commoner girl mage are not your type. Powerful commoner families are an abomination. Commoners lack the tact, political worldliness and intelligence to hold this kind of power. You should be married to a noble, it doesn't matter which one, just as long as there is one. You have some power, I have observed you with a critical eye. I have seen you cast incredibly weak spells like your magelight but I have also seen you cast a tiny fireball. Anyone that can cast a fireball of any size can make a brighter magelight than you have shown. I think you are possibly a better mage than Monica is. You are right to know your place and not show it. Mages like us will be the defenders of this land. Our children will defend it, our grandchildren will defend it. I know your friends are showing off down in the slums and will probably get some poor girls to lay with them. It is disgusting. They should be here getting to know their new peers instead of sticking it wherever they can. Since you are staying here anyway, I do not want you traveling to the slums.”
“Just who do you think you are? You are not my Da, Lord Golad. You don't get to tell me where I can and cannot go and I am not scared of a beating. You may actually be able to give it, but you won't come out of it unscathed.”
“There are going to be noble mage girls all around here for
you to pick from. I will even put in a good word for you. They are who you should be looking at. The dowry you get will be worth it and you will at least be around those who can raise your station and teach you the way of things. You can even serve in my duchy if you wish.”
“You sound like my parents.”
“You should listen to them.”
“Why do you care about my life so much? I haven't seen you have this talk with anyone else.”
“Except for Tatterson, a noble mage girl would have to be desperate to be with any of them. There is something about Angus that I think is slippery and the rest do not have the power to be important. Thurman Tatterson as small as he is will find an admirer. I plan on having this talk with him as well. And you better leave my sister alone. My father seems to think it is a good idea but she is not the daughter of some Baronet or something. She is the only daughter of a Duke and should be with others of her noble standing.”
“Is that the end of your threat? I was having a snooze before you barged in here with that.”
“I will be watching you commoner. You remember that.”
As Jonathan watched Russell leave, he wondered what went on in the minds of nobles. They hate commoner mages, but want them to marry among them? Bill was right about going at it the way he was. His kids may not be powerful mages but they would be taken care of. It would be up to them if they wanted to find another mage to be with but at least they would grow up with money and not with the hate these noble mage families had. Jonathan arranged to have his clothes laundered and decided to stay in his room for the day and wear one of his robes. It was soft and comfortable and was perfect to lounge around in. Food was brought to him during meal time so he had no need to leave. The workers came in and cleaned around him which made everything so much better. The next day Jonathan got the visit he had been waiting for. It was his mother and father and they looked like they just gotten off the road. They both went to his room to see him and promptly nodded off to sleep during the conversation. Jonathan let them have their privacy and went to stay in the room they had booked for themselves instead. After a couple of hours the door to the room Jonathan was now in opened, his mother was there and she had an odd look on her face.
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