by Andrew Wood
After being made to wait at least half an hour before being asked into another room, Danton was in no mood for niceties. The man he sought was slouched in an armchair, sat beside a roaring fire with his feet up and a glass of brandy in hand. "I suppose I had best hear what you have to say," the man told him, still not so much as offering any sign of hospitality. "Well go on then...I do not have all night," the man snapped, clearly showing what he thought of Danton's presence.
Danton firstly explained whom he was, before telling the man what had recently taken place at Denley and Pitford. "Good!" the man started laughing, "Never liked the royals...Good job the government overthrew them...So we have them in charge now?" the mayor asked, shuffling his fat frame before taking a sip from his glass. Danton bit his lip, trying his utmost not to lose his temper with the man, "No...," he finally snapped back. "The government forces have been defeated by the Bosarians, who have now taken our capital city. The young prince has now taken the throne in a bid at retaking and rebuilding our broken nation," he added in a tone that showed his annoyance.
The mayor was clearly taken aback by the words, and probably more so by the manner in which they were delivered; Danton though was not going to let up, "Now I am here for a purpose. If you wish to stay as Mayor, I need you to voice your support for the new monarch, else I will need to return to King Anden and tell him those in charge at Eldin need replacing with a new regime. The man was clearly shaken at the threat, shuffling uncomfortably in his chair, "Well...Yes...quite right," he stuttered, lost for words. "I must admit I never really had much support for them government lot anyway...I'm a King's man through and through," he added quickly changing his tune.
Surprisingly Danton was suddenly treated with a little more respect, and even offered a seat and a drink, although he had already gotten the measure of the man he was dealing with. "The king has abolished all government offices, and is now placing only loyal men in positions of power," Danton said more casually, just to make sure the overweight, sweating oaf in front of him, fully understood. "Oh yes...I am your man...trust me the king can," he reiterated.
Now Danton was the one in control, he laid down his requests. The mayor would have notices placed around the town supporting the new king, as well as have the town crier call a meeting in the market square at noon tomorrow. Following on from that, Danton also requested the sole use of the town hall for any further meeting and recruitment of either soldiers or magicians. The mayor was also to make public knowledge, the new amendments to the current laws, allowing the use of magic under licence.
On leaving, Danton thought he would keep the mayor sweating just a little longer, "I shall mention to the king what has been said here this evening, and I am sure he will take it all in to account when allotting worthy officials to run his towns." The man squirmed, "Aye...don't forget to tell him what a huge supporter of the crown I am..." he blabbered as Danton headed for the exit smirking quietly to himself.
After a meal at the inn, and a good night's sleep, Danton felt refreshed and ready for what would surely be another day of dealing with difficult characters. After eating a breakfast of porridge oats with a little honey, he ventured out into the fresh cool morning air to see the mayor had been good to his word. Already he spotted two new signs put up regarding the news of the king and the law change. A couple of people were gathered around it, as one of them read aloud the message upon it.
He heard the bell of the town's crier before he heard the words, as the man hollered his way around the streets. "Hear ye!" he shouted, before telling the people that a meeting would take place in the square at noon. Whilst word was being spread, Danton ran through his mind of exactly what he would say when the time came. Public speaking was not one of his stronger points, but this was the task he had been given, and he was determined to do it well. Ramon had explained to him that they all had a part to play in creating a better future for Kothia, and this apparently was his.
After popping back to the inn where he had stayed the night, to have a stiff drink to help calm the nerves, Danton waited in the market square, watching on just from the side as a much larger crowd than he had thought were gathering. Deciding he dare not leave his audience waiting any longer, he stepped forth, and made his way to the front of the crowd. Using an upturned wooden crate, normally used by one of the traders on market day, he stood upon it to give himself an elevated position. As the crowd noticed him, they fell silent and stared up at him and waited for him to start speaking.
After taking a deep breath, he started with the news that a great battle had taken place at Pitford. "That place has been derelict for years!" somebody shouted off to his left. Danton sighed, realising he needed to explain what had been going on there, before the battle. News that a group of magicians had been rebuilding the old town for the past few years, right under their noses came as a shock, although not quite as much as the news that the king had more recently been living there as well.
Once the crowd had been updated as to recent events, Danton now needed to plead for their loyalty to Anden. "We are seeking any able bodied man wishing to join the kings army," he told them. A few of the crowd had already turned and started walking away, when one man shouted, "Bloody king expects us to leave our lands undefended, why should we fight for a boy who is barely out of short trousers?" Danton ignored the remark, although it did wind him up, and would have liked nothing more than to make the perpetrator regret saying them.
Danton remained calm and moved on to the part that he knew would only apply to one or two of the crowd, maybe a handful if he was really lucky. "We are also seeking any young person who thinks they have magical abilities," he added, telling them that they were welcome to return with him to Pitford, and given rooms, board and tutoring. "Any who wish to enrol for either the army are asked to report to the Mayor's office, who will instruct you on your application and the benefits you will receive. Any who wish to return to Pitford with me for training in magic, should meet in the town hall this evening after sunset."
By the time he had finished, he noticed most had either stopped listening or started making their way back to wherever it was they had come from. Danton stood upon the small crate for a few moments longer looking out over the dispersing crowd, before using his own magic and vanishing from sight. A few that witnessed his disappearance gasped, and quickly told those that had not. However, Danton had not gone invisible to show off in front of those watching him, but to use another of his abilities.
Before the crowd completely moved away, he needed to check just how successful the evening might be. Whilst he was invisible to the eye, he could sometimes detect an aura being emitted from people with magical abilities. With him only being interested in magic being present in the younger members of society, he was disappointed that so few had actually showed up, and those that had appeared bereft of any sign of magic.
Danton stayed out of sight while he made his way back to the inn he was utilising as his temporary home whilst in Eldin. Despite moving around whilst invisible used up much more energy, it at least enabled to move unhindered, and gave the opportunity to check out those in the streets that might show off any magical aura. Despite it being only early afternoon he did not spot many youngsters, and those he did, showed him no sign they might be what he was looking for.
Whilst back in the inn, he made sure his time there was put to good use. After having some lunch, he moved from table to table, buying drinks when he felt the need, spreading the word. Taverns, such as this, were one of the best places to have gossip spread; although he was also aware by the time it had spread, there was usually as much fabrication as truth in it. Nevertheless, it would serve his purpose, at least making the people aware of what was really going on outside their own little world.
Having tried not to have too much to drink before his visit to the town hall, he freshened up in his room for an hour or so before heading out. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows from the buildings as he passed them by. Despite his
public appearance, and disappearance earlier, those few people walking the street at that time seemed not to take any notice of him.
Once in the town hall he again vanished from sight, although a little more discreetly this time. Not sure that he was actually going to see anybody in the main hall, he was surprised to see several possible candidates, most of whom appeared to be showing him the magical aura he needed to see. Out of sight he moved to the front of the hall, and made a magical appearance to his small audience. Once in view he looked out into the room. The mayor had had several rows of benches placed for people to sit on, although most of them remained vacant.
He sat down at the table and chair placed for his use, and after getting himself comfortable, he looked to the first person in the queue, and signalled them to his position. A woman, probably in her thirties stepped forth, and Danton knew straight away that this was not going to go well. "You want magic folk," the woman said, "It is why I am here," Danton told her trying to remain optimistic. "Well I think I used to be magic," she said lowering her voice and sitting down despite not being asked to do so. "Can you do some magic for me know?" Danton asked her.
The woman stared at him as if he were stupid. Her scraggly dark hair, clearly not having seen soap and water for some time, and her teeth all but rotted in her gums. Danton cringed as she leaned right forward, "I made my husband disappear," she whispered, as Danton got the full force of the stale alcohol from her breath. "Right," he said trying to remain polite, "I'll take your details and let you know, he said quickly dipping the pen in the ink pot. Fortunately, the woman did not hang around long, although she did manage to stumble into the benches on her way out, releasing several expletives as she did.
Before asking the person forward, Danton thought it needed to be a little lighter in the hall. With a wave of his hand, a small globe of light appeared in his palm, before he sent it up to hover near the ceiling, casting a bright bluish glow around the room. Clearly, one or two of those waiting were impressed, as the chatter suddenly got much louder.
Next in line, was a man of a similar age to the first woman, although this man had a young boy in tow. "Please be seated," Danton asked politely. "I think my lad is what you are looking for Sir," the man said looking nervously. Danton smiled, "Please don't be afraid, I may be a man of magic but I do not use it to harm anyone other than those who seek to do me harm." The man nodded, and turned to the boy sat quietly beside him, "I think Ben is magical Sir...He can make things move without touching them," he said before looking worryingly at Danton.
Danton suddenly realised the man was not nervous because of him, but because he was chancing placing his son in danger. If anyone had found out before that day that the boy was indeed capable of magic, he would have been arrested and tried, with the possibility of being put to death. Danton reassured them that having magic was no longer illegal, "If it is so, then he must come back to Pitford with me for training.
Danton placed a coin on the table in front of the boy, "Ben wasn't it?" he asked. The boy nodded shyly, "Yes Sir," he said in a squeaky little voice. "Well Ben, do you think you can move this coin with your magic, to show me?" Danton realised he was putting the boy under pressure, and asking him to actually perform the task there and then was unlikely to give any possible results. The boy nodded, and starred at the small silver coin, "Come on Ben show the man what you can do," the man said adding extra pressure to his young son. The coin did not move, and the boy appeared completely deflated, "I am sorry," he said turning tearfully to his father. Danton watched the man place a loving arm about his young son, "Not to worry lad," the man said softly, "I know you can do it," he added.
Danton watched the pair, and decided to do a little check; he quickly vanished and indeed could see the makings of an aura about the youngster. Making himself visible again, he calmly picked up his pen, "Right Ben, go home tonight and pack your things. We meet here early tomorrow morning for Pitford."
"You'll take him then...you believe he has magic?" the man asked seemingly surprised by Danton's reaction.
"I will indeed Sir," Danton replied with a smile, "Just pack his clothes and any personal belongings he needs, and he can travel back to Pitford with me tomorrow morning," he added.
Danton gave a quick briefing of what then lay ahead for the youngster, and had his father make his mark on a form giving permission for his son to be taken in service of the king. Being taught to read and write, as well as given the chance to nurture his magical talents, on top of being given a room and fed, was a life his father knew he could not give his son.
After over an hour of interviewing the other candidates in the room, Danton now had six names on his list. Four girls and two boys were far more than he could have hoped for, although none of them could actually demonstrate their skills on request. Only after he had vanished and detected their magical aura about them did he know for sure they were telling him the truth. His time had also been wasted by a number of people claiming they had abilities, or had done something unexplained, and although he remained patient and polite, he did not offer them a place at Pitford.
He thought he had finished until he noticed one more young man sat at the back of the room all alone. "Do you want to come and take a seat at the front?" Danton asked. The rather scruffy looking youth, probably about fourteen or fifteen years of age slowly stood and shuffled his feet towards the front of the room, finally stopping at the table. Danton gestured for the youngster to take a seat, "Right and what can you do?" he asked not holding out a lot of hope.
The youngster looked up at the globe of light that Danton had produced, still hovering near the ceiling and waved his hand. Danton was shocked to see the light flicker out, and even more so when the youth flicked his fingers to produce his own. Giving off a dim red glow, it was clear the boy was not quite as proficient as Danton was at producing such a thing, but the ability was certainly there. "Well at least I do not need to vanish to see you have magic," Danton smiled. The boy gave a glimmer of a smile, through his grimy look hair that hung long over his face. "Do you have any parents?" Danton asked him, checking he did not need to ask anyone's permission but admitting the boy to Pitford. "No Sir," the boy said keeping his gaze lowered.
Danton nodded his understanding, "Are you an Orphan?" he asked, to which the boy nodded. These were the kind of people Danton liked helping most, those that had been dealt a bad hand in life. "My name is Kellan," the boy told him as Danton made some notes. He was just about to ask the boy to go to pack and prepare for Pitford tomorrow, when he realised that the boy was probably already in possession of everything he owned.
Danton looked at the scruffy looking youth before him, and thought back to the day he had found Maxim. Another poor boy who had nothing, and had been forced to endure a hungry, lonely existence, with each day being a battle for mere survival. After shoving his chair back he stood and collected his papers, "Come on Kellan...How would you like to have a meal and a nice warm bed to sleep in?" he asked.
With Kellan in tow, Danton returned to the inn a little later than he had originally hoped, but thankfully not so late that he had missed the innkeeper making them a cooked meal. After handing over a few coins, Kellan was then shown to a small room, where a fire burned in the hearth giving it a comforting warmth. "Tonight my young friend, you can sleep here...Oh and Kellan...make use of the wash facilities," Danton added with a smile.
Chapter 26.
Maxim stood rather nervously as his father introduced him to the two other High Lords of Icenia. Both men were much older than his father was by a good few years, and it was immediately apparent neither was particularly bothered by his arrival. Maxim did not take it personally, and knew he only needed to tolerate being in their presence whilst he asked them to help Kothia's cause.
Unsure of the correct protocol needed for such permission to be given, he waited for his father to speak on his behalf. "I am here for a purpose," the man told them, making sure they were aware his visit was not merely a social one
. The elder of the two men stared intently at Maxim, even bothering to take the time to walk around him, as if seeing the boy from behind would give him so kind of different perspective. "You want something from us?" the man finally said stopping right in front of Maxim's face.
Joren nodded, and explained the situation Kothia was in, although even Maxim thought his father laid it on a bit thick at times. "And you seek our permission for Icenia to fight this squabble for you?" the oldest man surmised. "Yes High Lord," Joren replied, keeping the meeting as formal as possible. The other man, who had remained seated, spoke for the first time, "You know we cannot aid your cause. Why...who is to say Kothia is more deserving of our help than the nation that has taken its lands?" The man added, much to Maxim's annoyance.
His listened to his father, all but plead the Kothian's case, but it was very soon apparent these two men were not willing to listen. "You know High Lord that ours laws, written by all our fore-fathers, forbid you to intervene," The seated man reminded Maxim's father. With it being quite clear they were not getting anywhere, Maxim found himself losing his temper, "I am a Lord of Icenia am I not?" he snapped, looking at both the high lords. "Naturally, if you are the son of a high lord then yes that is true," One of them replied.
Maxim's father went to place a hand on his son's shoulder, as if to say leave the talking to him, but Maxim was having none of it. If his time in Kothia had taught him anything, it was to say what you thought and not let it eat you up inside. "Well High Lords," Maxim added with more than a touch of sarcasm in his voice, "The Bosarian king kidnapped me, tried to control my mind, and then tried to kill me when he realised I was not so easily oppressed. If I understand your laws correctly, an attack on an Icenian noble allows you the use of force?" he added feeling the adrenaline pumping in his body. Maxim waited for the two men to reply, and did not have to wait long for them to do so.
