The Young Magician tlt-1

by Michael Foster

  ‘The Empress has created a close group of ministers, as she is inexperienced in affairs of the state, and she will continue to rule under such guidance until her unborn son is born and comes of age. Should her child prove not to be a son as she expects, then the Empire will fall into the hands of the ministers and they will decide how to best manage it. Personally, I hope this does not come to pass as I have found her to be quite an intelligent woman and I believe she will manage the Empire well. While some may not agree with me, I believe it is fortunate that she, too, is not a native Turian. Even though her son will be Emperor, her territorial background seems to have given her quite a broad outlook of the situation. We are confident that, given time, the Empire can continue to prosper, while returning some degree of independence to those states that wish to receive it.

  ‘Her first official proclamation has been to permanently delay the invasion of Garteny and word has already been sent to any forces on their borders to stand down. They will remain in position for a short time, but will make their defensive posture known, and will not attack unless first provoked. At the same time, an enormous effort is being put into protecting the Empress from any harm. Until such time as we do receive an explanation from King Otgart, we must assume we are potentially in a state of war.

  ‘So, with the Empress’ Council being formed and the Order saved from destruction, we have a few important matters left to attend to. The first is Lord Tulan Goodwin. It is now evident that he was a Garten spy and has been working for the Gartens for many years, gathering information on the Order and the Empire and sending it back to King Otgart. General Ruardin’s enquiries have already revealed that he had quite a network of agents here in Cintar, such as the assassins that felled the Emperor, most of whom seem to have suddenly vanished along with him.

  ‘The other item at hand involves Lord Jarrod, Master Ash and Master Dividian. Despite my known personal disliking of Lord Jarrod, it seems that someone liked him even less and saw fit to put a knife into him about the same time we were fighting in the palace grounds. Thankfully, we all have quite infallible alibis. Master Ash is now the main suspect and Master Dividian is wanted as an accomplice. Both of them went missing about the same time we were arrested. Our initial investigations into the Argum Stone chamber reveal countless stolen tomes of knowledge, as well as evidence of the use of black magic. These crimes alone demand their arrest, but we also suspect they have an alliance with the Circle of Eyes, perhaps in a plot to overthrow the Emperor themselves. Whatever their reasons, Master Ash and Master Dividian have been spotted riding north from the city and we want to organise a party to go and bring them back for questioning, or execute them, should the need arise. We thought you three-’ and the old man, from under his wispy grey brows, looked directly towards Samuel, ‘-would be perfect for the task.’

  Samuel nodded and slowly rubbed his thumbs together in deep thought. ‘Where are they heading?’ he asked.

  ‘We believe they are heading for the old magic school at Hammenton. It seems no one really knows what has been happening there since Jarrod took over the place, so we want to send someone to investigate and see what exactly is going on, and also carry out the arrest of Master Ash and Master Dividian.’

  High Lord Rimus took his turn to speak. ‘You three young men have proven your places among those of high standing in the Order, and we would like to offer you the opportunity to investigate Hammenton and bring these rogue magicians to justice.’

  Samuel looked to the Erics with genuine surprise, for it seemed as if the Council had forgiven him and put their differences behind them.

  On noticing Samuel’s hesitance, Anthem spoke up. ‘We have already explained to the Empress and the councillors how Lord Jarrod and his co-conspirators had painted some of us to be traitors to draw attention away from them. We have also explained how all our efforts to expose their devious schemes were misinterpreted as a plot against the Empire. As such, they are quite apologetic at our treatment. All charges laid against us have been dropped.’

  ‘Oh…that’s good,’ Samuel said, a little unsure. It seemed that Grand Master Anthem had been busy twisting the facts to their benefit, but Samuel was not about to complain. He looked to High Lord Rimus, who returned a somewhat disturbing smile in acknowledgement.

  ‘That’s right,’ Eric added, elbowing Goodfellow in the ribs. ‘We are heroes, after all.’

  ‘Calm down now, Eric,’ Master Glim urged the young man. ‘There’s no need to get carried away.’

  ‘So, who would like to go to Hammenton and root out these fiends?’ High Lord Rimus asked.

  ‘Well, I can’t speak for the others, but I would certainly like to go,’ Samuel said with eagerness. ‘My meeting with Ash is long overdue.’

  ‘And what a surprise he will be in for, Master Samuel,’ Rimus responded, ‘when he discovers the best of the Order have come seeking justice. I only hope that you will deliver his punishment swiftly. I would think that he will confess to you once cornered. If he resists, that would be a certain admission of guilt. The Council certainly recommends that you use any amount of force necessary.’

  Goodfellow was more cautious. ‘Who else will be accompanying us?’ he asked. ‘It sounds like it could be dangerous.’

  ‘Master Glim and I will go,’ Lomar stated, ‘along with a number of other magicians with appropriate skills, so there will be ten of us altogether. We will also take a small escort of Royal Guard from the palace and meet a further company of local soldiers at our destination. We are not sure of the exact numbers that Master Ash may have at his disposal, so we are not taking any chances. The place could be full of paid killers. The Royal Guard will take care of any such underlings and leave the matter of Master Ash to us.’

  Anthem then spoke up. ‘Also, when you return, we have the matter of the Argum Stone to deal with. We have not even had time to begin to deal with it or the hoard of books kept beside it. As you already have some experience with the subject, we would like you to continue your research into the ancient relic and see what can be learned-if anything.’

  Samuel looked to his friends who quickly nodded assent. ‘We’ll go,’ he responded on their behalf.

  ‘Fine,’ Lomar said. ‘We shall leave at daybreak tomorrow as we feel it is quite important to deal with the matter urgently. Meet Master Glim and me in the school stables. Oh yes, before you go, there is one more thing to announce. The successor to Archmage Ordi has now been chosen. High Lord Rimus has been appointed to the role.’ At that, Rimus looked quite pleased with himself. ‘The decision will be publicly announced tomorrow.’

  ‘The people of Cintar are proving quite restless,’ said Rimus, ‘which is not surprising given the recent happenings. We need to restore some order to their lives as soon as we can.’

  Master Glim then spoke up. ‘We’ll have plenty of time to travel to Hammenton and be back again before the ceremony begins, so we don’t need to worry about missing any of the excitement. The Empress is also planning a celebration to mark the end of the Emperor’s mourning period. It’s very uncustomary, I know, but I think it’s rather a good idea to put the past behind us and begin anew.’

  ‘Then if that matter is finalised, we have many others to discuss,’ Rimus said. He looked to Samuel and the Erics expectantly. ‘If you will excuse us, gentlemen.’

  With that, Samuel realised it was time for them to leave. As he and the Erics vacated the room, a heated discussion began behind them, with Anthem’s voice already sounding out above the others before they had barely closed the door. General Ruardin strode past them as they made down the hall, heading towards the meeting chamber. He nodded to them in greeting, with his great sword swinging at his hip and looking as stern as ever.

  ‘Well,’ Goodfellow began. ‘It looks as though everything has turned out fine. The war is finished, the Argum Stone is out of dangerous hands and the conquered nations of Amandia may even be getting their freedom back.’

  ‘Who would have thought?’ Eric said
. ‘All we have left is to clean up the mess of Master Ash and Master Dividian and be back in time for the celebration.’

  ‘But that’s all I’ve been waiting for all along,’ Samuel stated, almost as if thinking aloud. ‘Finally, it looks as though there is nothing left to stop me from killing Ash. Then, perhaps, I can finally get some rest.’

  The two Erics nodded in silence, for Samuel’s voice carried a grim tone.

  Shortly after daybreak, they met at the stables, where Master Glim and Lomar were already waiting, checking over some horses with the apprentices on duty.

  ‘Packed your bags?’ Master Glim asked.

  ‘Of course,’ Samuel said, holding up his tight pack and the Erics patted theirs as well. ‘How long will it take to get there?’

  ‘Five days, by horseback,’ Lomar replied. ‘It’s quite far. We’ll be staying in Order lodges along the way when we can, while our Royal Guard escort will be camping on the roadside.

  Samuel nodded. ‘Then I have all I need.’

  ‘We’ve readied some horses for you,’ Master Glim said.

  Samuel knew one of the animals on sight. ‘Jess!’ He stroked the beast fondly and he could tell that she, too, remembered him. ‘This is a surprise. I haven’t seen this nag since I returned to Cintar.’

  ‘She was out in the pastures, Master Samuel,’ the apprentice said. Samuel did not recognise the apprentice from a bag of salt, but the boy evidently knew him. ‘I fetched her up especially for you.’

  ‘Well, thank you for that,’ Samuel replied and swung himself up onto the saddle and patted Jess once more on the neck. It only now registered that people had begun calling him Master. Officially, he had never made it past Adept, but with even the likes of High Lord Rimus seeming to recognise his new status, it seemed that Samuel was, indeed, now truly a Master of the Order. Rimus, strict and stubborn a Turian as he was, would never utter such a title mistakenly.

  Clearing his head of the thoughts, Samuel returned his attention to the faithful animal beneath him. ‘How have you been, old girl?’ he asked and Jess scraped one hoof along the floor by way of reply.

  The others mounted their horses and they began riding slowly out of the school without further pause, threading through the busy streets until they passed through the enormous North Gate and were clear of the bustling city.

  A squad of Royal Guards sat waiting on the other side of the Bardlebrook, all dressed in light leather armour trimmed in blue and gold, suitable for riding long distances. Two magicians were also waiting there with the men. They were Master Keller and Master Tailor, and once their introductions had been made, they began northwards along the busy highway.

  ‘What of the others?’ Goodfellow asked. ‘Weren’t there to be ten of us?’

  ‘They’ll meet us with the local company just short of Hammenton,’ Master Glim responded.

  Goodfellow nodded and they rode on past the green fields and lines of wagons that were all bound for Cintar.

  The Royal Guard rode ahead in twos. The magicians, not nearly so accustomed to riding as the soldiers, found it difficult keeping up and, at the end of the second day, they arrived into camp an hour after the soldiers had already put up their tents. Every so often, a rider or two would come back and check on them, before galloping off again to catch up with the main group. The soldiers preferred to keep to themselves, which was not surprising considering what had happened just recently.

  The two magicians, Keller and Tailor seemed like friendly fellows. They were similar in age to Master Glim, middle-aged, and prone to swearing at each other in friendly banter. They had been working at a nearby quarry-aiding in the retrieval of metals required for the war effort-when Master Glim had sent for them. Fortunately, they had missed the battle at the palace. Both were Masters of Moving and Lifting and were apparently the most gifted in these spells amongst the Order. Samuel hoped he would have the chance to see their skills in use.

  They spent the first night in a simple inn in the town of Burbershore and rejoined the Royal Guard at dawn as the men were packing up their camp. The captain of the men was named Orrell, and he was young for a captain, quite new to the rank, Lomar had explained. Despite his inexperience, he managed his men-even younger than he-like extensions of his own fingers. He was quick and precise in his instructions and his men had an innate respect for him that left them striving to meet his exact orders. Samuel knew he had met the captain before, but he could not, for the life of him, remember where. Finally, after racking his brain, he remembered. Orrell was the captain that had caught Samuel in the city, when Lord Hathen and Vander had taken him to see the Archmage. Life was full of strange coincidences, but Captain Orrell did not seem to remember Samuel, or he showed no sign of it if he did.

  ‘Samuel,’ Master Glim began as they were resting at a point where the road crossed a shallow, rocky stream. ‘What will you do once you have your revenge on Master Ash?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Samuel returned, emptying stones from his boots.

  ‘I mean, what will you do? You seem to be so focused on killing the man; I don’t know what you will do with yourself once your goal has been met.’

  ‘I guess I will rest,’ Samuel finally replied.

  Master Glim raised a quizzical eyebrow. ‘And then?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Samuel admitted.

  ‘I agree,’ Lomar called out from atop a rock. He was some distance away, but had obviously been listening. There was a splash as one of Orrell’s men slipped over and fell into the ankle-deep waters. The man cursed as he tugged off a boot and began to pour the water out and Captain Orrell looked towards him with dissatisfaction. ‘You should not set yourself so entirely on such a grim task. What will you do with yourself once you are done-or should you fail?

  ‘I won’t fail,’ Samuel stated adamantly. ‘Fate has set our courses to collide and every piece of my being still cries out for his death. I won’t fail.’

  Lomar shrugged and continued looking up towards the hills.

  ‘Do you think Rimus will make a good Archmage?’ Samuel asked and Lomar dropped lightly from his perch and came beside them where they were squatting atop the many smooth stones.

  ‘Despite his flaws, High Lord Rimus is a decent choice,’ Lomar stated. ‘I won’t say he is a saint, however, for he suffers from many of the same failings as most Turians-no offence to you, Master Glim.’

  ‘None taken,’ the aging teacher replied. ‘I am only too well aware of the nature of my country folk.’

  ‘It’s just a pity that Grand Master Anthem could not take the role,’ Samuel said. ‘I mean, he is the strongest magician after all and I’m sure he would do a better job than Rimus.’

  ‘Actually,’ Master Glim revealed, ‘there was much discussion along those very lines, but I’m afraid now is just not a good time to put a Garten in such a position. The Grand Master is quite respected, but with the Empress being an Outlander herself, we all agreed that a Turian should fill the shoes of Archmage. If not, the people of Cintar may begin to think a coup has secretly taken place. Rimus is highly revered by the city folk and his inauguration will serve to calm their fears.’

  ‘I suppose you are right,’ Samuel admitted.

  Lomar clapped his hands together loudly-one of the unusual mannerisms he was known to do-and stood up, noting the approach of the two Erics from along the stream. They had heard there was a waterfall a short distance away and had gone to investigate. As usual, Eric was laughing wildly while Goodfellow looked calm and quiet beside him.

  ‘You should see all the caves up there!’ Eric called. ‘It’s amazing!’

  ‘Samuel, do you think you will take up Anthem’s offer to study the Argum Stone?’ Master Glim asked, ignoring the excited hoots from Eric.

  Samuel thought a moment. ‘Perhaps one day, but after this-after I have seen Ash’s corpse laid at my feet-I think I will feel like a long rest. I’ve had enough of such things. I would rather be out of the city for a time-especially given that High
Lord Rimus will be Archmage. I really don’t think he likes me very much.’

  Master Glim laughed. ‘Don’t worry, Samuel. While Grand Master Anthem is still at hand, you have nothing to fear. He will keep you under his wing. I’m sure you won’t let something trivial as Turian arrogance get the better of you. It would be a shame to see all your potential go to waste. I had my doubts, but I think the decision to appoint Rimus will turn out for the best. He’s been nothing but helpful these last few days-all the Council have.’

  ‘Well it’s good to hear that the Magicians’ Council is finally agreeing on something. I keep forgetting-you are on the Council now. Should I be calling you My Lord from this point on?

  ‘Sorry to disappoint you, Samuel, but my place is with the students. I will give up my position on the Council as soon as someone else can be found, so there’s no need to change what you call me. I have no time for those pompous asses. No offence, My Lord Lomar,’ he added, making an exaggerated and grandiose flourish with his hand, all in good jest.

  Samuel looked to Lomar with pleasant surprise.

  ‘Yes, Samuel,’ Lomar admitted. ‘I think I will be keeping my place on the Council.’

  ‘I’m happy for you, Lomar,’ Samuel declared. ‘But don’t you think you will find the confines of the city stifling? And what about all those dreary meetings? How will you put up with all that?’

  ‘Things may be turning out for the best, but someone still needs to keep an eye on the Council. Also, my poor old body cannot be on the road forever. I have to admit I’m not as young as I used to be. My hair is giving me the hint.’ He pointed to the flecks of grey just starting to make themselves known at the edges of his thick, black hair.

  ‘Mount up!’ came a distant call from one of Orrell’s men, interrupting them.

  Samuel groaned and rubbed his sore behind. ‘I hope I get used to all this riding again.’

  They had been camping outside of Hammenton for a whole day and still there was no sign of the other company or the second group of magicians. The townsfolk knew nothing of them and the scouts returned with the same news. Captain Orrell gathered the magicians around him as his men settled in for the night.