Master Mage

by D. W. Jackson

  Master Mage

  By D.W. Jackson

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © D.W. Jackson

  This book is dedicated to my sister Rachelle who has always been one of my best friends.

  Names, characters, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual event, organizations, or persons, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.

  If you would like to be placed on a list to be notified of future works from this author or if you would like to comment on the book you may send a request to dwjacks01@yahoo.com

  Your email address will not be sold or given to any third parties or used outside to promote other works.

  Note From The Author

  This book was edited and proofread by proofreadingservies.com on 4/5/14, with the exception on the copyright page and this one.

  As you might be aware internet pricey is a very widespread. If you have no paid for this book and enjoyed it think about paying for an official copy. I am not a big publisher and editing, cover costs, as well as other expenses come directly out of my pocket. I love to write and I can continue to do so by my readers who I am grateful for. Instead of buying the book if you wish you can make a direct contribution to my paypal account at dwjacks01@yahoo.com. I understand that times are hard for a great deal of people but even one cent added up over time can help a great deal in keeping me writing. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great year.

  CHAPTER I

  Thad gazed out the window of his room, looking out across the capital of Farlan. It had been less than a season since he had returned, and news was grim. The Brotherhood had started amassing troops for what everyone believed was another attack on Farlan. To make matters worse, they had droves of people flooding into the country, driving up prices of everything from wheat to wool. The queendom itself was making a hefty profit, but it was the simple people who were beginning to suffer. They did not suffer from a lack of gold, for there was plenty of that to go around, but from a lack of food and other daily supplies, which were being bought up faster than the ships could bring them in. With the largest merchant country as your enemy, it made it a lot harder to procure what a country needed to survive.

  The mages that had come with Thad from Sanctuary as well as the elves had proven to be a godsend. Having spent years in isolation, both groups had their own method of coaxing crops to produce a larger quantity and better quality of food. While it did not completely solve the problem Farlan now faced overnight, given time, Thad was sure it would at least hold it at bay until the economy could stabilize.

  The problem with the Brotherhood looked like it would hold until the first snows melted after the winter season. After meeting with different advisors, they all agreed that if Rane was to commit their troops only a few months before heavy snowfalls, they would suffer heavy casualties before they could set in and create proper defensive positions for their troops. While the knowledge that the impending invasion was delayed—at least for a few short months—gave the queen and people hope, it did little to get them more troops. It did, however, give Reeve and Crusher more time to persuade their respective people that Farlan was worth fighting for, and that was something.

  It will also give you time to get them mages to start training in magic that could actually be of use in a fight.

  “I wish all of them would see its need,” Thad replied to his staff. Not only did they have the mages from Sanctuary, but more than fifty other mages had wandered in over the past months, seeking asylum. The problem Thad was facing was that the elders from Sanctuary were heavily preaching against using magic for violence of any kind. Their principal argument was that if it was used as a tool for war, more people like the Brotherhood would see them as a threat and start to take measures against them.

  At first, Thad was sure the impending attack by a group bent on the death of every mage would help restrain the talk of pacifism, but the movement had continued to gather strength. Thad understood their views, but there was a time to hold back your power and a time to use it. Being faced with death was a time to use all you had to protect yourself and those you held dear. The elders preached a different message, though. They held on to their belief that any force used to harm others would forever malign people against them.

  It wouldn’t be so damaging if it didn’t ring so true. I believe you have been warned before that anyone with power would seek to control you or kill you for having something they didn’t.

  “There will always be people in the world who shun those who are different. That does not mean we should not use our power to protect ourselves,” Thad replied vehemently.

  Thad walked over and sat down at his desk and started leafing through the assorted parchments that covered it. Queen Maria had given Thad a lot of power and just as much responsibility in preparing the country for the coming war. It wasn’t simply that she trusted him, but she wanted the country to trust him. She had plans that stretched far beyond the war, and they included Thad, whether he was willing or not.

  Thad had no clue what he was going to do to solve the mounting problems. Tuck was headed to Southpass, carrying a message that needed a fast reply. Thanks to the magical rings he had received back at the elfin isle, as soon as anything worth reporting was learned, Tuck could instantly let Thad know.

  Thad had wanted Tuck to go southeast to speak with Duchess Laurmont, but there had been many conflicting reports coming out of Abla. He had learned that Eloen had gone to Abla in search of him after his capture, but little had been heard from inside the country in the past three years.

  From most reports, Abla had its own problems and had recently undergone a civil war. It was not surprising given their shaky relationship with Farlan that little news had escaped west to them. What news had surfaced suggested that the war was now over and that the country was in the middle of rebuilding their central government structure. What had interested Thad about the last report, though, had been that the new queen had a very familiar name.

  Thad knew there was no love lost between Abla and Farlan, but if Eloen was now the queen, he might just get some additional troops or, at the very least, some arms and armor for his troops. It was a sensitive mission, one that Maria was not too fond of. Thad never understood why Maria and Eloen seemed to dislike each other, but he hoped it wouldn’t cause problems later on. Fighting a war on two fronts would be impossible, especially given that they planned to reduce the Southpass down to a skeletal garrison.

  Glancing outside his window again, Thad took notice of the sun’s position. He had a lot planned for the day, and time was passing faster than it seemed possible. What Thad really needed was a spell that would allow him to split himself so that he didn’t feel so rushed. The only real benefit to his hectic schedule was that it gave him plenty of reasons to dodge unwanted audiences with the nobles.

  Standing up and stretching, Thad laughed to himself. He had tried the tactic of telling Maria he was too busy to heed a couple of her summons only to find himself pulled into her dream while he slept. It was hard to escape a woman who could simply yank you out of your sleep and force you to talk with her.

  You better get moving. The elders are not fond of you to begin with, and making them wait will not help your position.

  “I was hoping that I might forget that I had to meet with them today,” Thad said as he headed for the door to his chambers.

  The longer you put it off, the harder it will become. Might as well get it over with and
hope some of them hear your words.

  While some of the mages had opened small businesses within the city proper, most of them had moved a few miles outside of the capital and still lived together in their own little community. The people of Farlan had come to call the little township Mage’s Roost.

  As he approached Mage’s Roost, Thad could see numerous people gathering outside of small shops. As soon as the mages had appeared, the people of Farlan had been quick to take advantage of them. Thad was sure that was one of the reasons why they had chosen to move away from the city. People seemed to forget you might enjoy a sleep-filled night when they think they might need something of importance that only you can give. A few miles’ ride in the dark tends to curb all but the most serious emergencies.

  You better stop by Mary’s house first. I don’t want to hear her chew on your ear for an hour because you came to Mage’s Roost and didn’t pay her a visit.

  “I learned my lesson last time,” Thad replied before turning and cutting through the spaces between buildings to reach the road that Mary’s house was on.

  Thad had no sooner knocked on the small door than it was thrown open. Thad soon found himself being squeezed so hard that he feared his ribs might crack. “Thaddeus, I had feared I had lost you to the palace and all their finery. Too much plush will make your mind and body go soft,” Mary said, pulling Thad inside.

  “I can’t stay long, Mother Mary. I have to speak with the council of elders again,” Thad said disappointedly. When he had been beaten and near death, Mary had nursed him back to health and claimed him as her own son. Thad had resisted at first, but as time passed, he had to agree Mary was the kind of woman the term “mother” was meant for.

  “Those cantankerous blowhards still causing trouble? You would think after years of fighting and hiding, they would be eager for a chance to get even,” Mary said hotly. “Don’t you worry any. There are still plenty of us who will march with you when the fighting starts.”

  “Mother, I think it would be better if you were to … ,” Thad started to say before Mary gave him a steely look that froze the blood in his veins.

  “If you tell me one more time that I should simply sit at home while you march off to fight, then I am going to bend you over my knee,” Mary said, wagging her finger so close to his face he expected it to hit his nose. “I might not be of much use with a sword or combat magic, but you’re going to need more than just soldiers to win this war.”

  Thad told Mary about everything that had been happening. The woman had spent most of her time in a secluded village and had little advice to solve his problems. The true value in talking to Mary was she always listened patiently and encouraged him, and that always seemed to lighten some of the burden that weighed him down.

  Once their talk was over, Thad gave Mary one last hug and headed to the center of the township to meet with the elders.

  There were five elders, three of which were the main source of his current troubles. Illias, Jonas, and Thane had been trying to convince every mage in Mage’s Roost that going to war would set every person in the known world against them and spark a new Fae War. Horus was his only real ally, though his extremely brutal views on what should be done to the Brotherhood sometimes caused as much trouble for him. Lastly, there was Alten, a man in his late fifties who changed so frequently Thad was positive that the man’s skill with magic must lie with the air element.

  Thad found the elders in the newly constructed town hall, sitting around a large oaken table in the only open room. As always, the group of elders was arguing among themselves when Thad entered.

  “Thaddeus, nice to see you,” Horus said happily. “Give it a moment to quiet down, and you can make another one of your pleas, though knowing this bunch, you might as well try and convince a chicken not to roost.”

  Horus’s statement grabbed the attention of the other elders, who shot the younger man intense looks. Thad was happy that Horus was supporting his call to war, but the mage was a double-edged sword.

  “I come again to beseech you again on behalf of the Queendom of Farlan and Queen Maria,” Thad said formally, bowing to the group. “As we have told you many times, Rane is amassing an army with its intent clear. They wish to enter Farlan and destroy the country as well as any magical creatures that live here, including you. I ask that you aid us in defending not only the queendom but the freedom of all present and future mages.”

  “What happens after the war?” Illias asked, his voice heavy with contempt. “Once the other kingdoms see us as a weapon for war, they will fall down on us like a hammer. We will no longer just be hunted by the Brotherhood but all of Kurt. Some will see us as a threat and seek to kill us, while others will see us as nothing more than a weapon and seek to use us. Is that what you wish to happen?”

  “Of course I don’t want that to happen,” Thad replied, keeping his voice calm. He had known what he would say, and after many meetings with the elders, he had predicted some of their responses and was ready for them. “What you say is true. There will be people who fear us, and there will be people who seek to use us. There have always been such people in the world, and there always shall be. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t fight when our lives are in danger.”

  “Our lives will not be in danger unless we step out onto the battlefield,” Thane said, his voice slightly raised.

  “Don’t fool yourself. Rane’s primary objective isn’t Farlan. It is us and the elves. Their numbers continue to grow, and we have no allies to call to our aid. Should Farlan fall, then the first true Sanctuary mages we have had in over a thousand years fall with it. Do you really want to spend the rest of your lives hiding and running from the Brotherhood’s assassins?”

  “My brothers, why don’t we compromise,” Alten said, sounding bored. “Let those who wish join the army, and for those ill-suited to battle, let them help out in other ways. It would be easy enough for us to prove that we are not simply weapons of war. We have many skilled healers and craftsmen who could aid the army in other ways than with spells meant to kill.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Jonas replied hotly. “The second we put ourselves in the service of a king or queen, the rest of the world will see us as a threat. We should stay independent and neutral like the Mage’s Tower had been before the Fae War.”

  “Their neutrality helped them greatly,” Horus said sarcastically. “We do not have the pleasure of being neutral. We must act. As long as the Brotherhood is after our lives, we must be willing to fight. If you are so keen to lie down and die, then why in the nine hells did you come here in the first place? You could have just as easily walked into the Brotherhood’s waiting arms back when we were escaping to Farlan.”

  “That was different, Horus,” Jonas said defensively.

  “How was it any different?” Horus shouted, his face starting to turn red.

  “At that time, our lives were in direct danger. Now they are not,” Jonas replied, his voice rising as well.

  “I see. You’re nothing short of a coward,” Horus said, putting his face only inches away from Jonas’s. “Now that you have other people who will fight to keep you safe, you are more than happy to sit by and reap the rewards of their death. All the while, you urge others to do so as well.”

  Jonas’s face had turned a bright red, and unable to hold himself back any longer, he threw a punch at the younger man.

  Horus had spent every morning training for the coming war not only with his magic but with his body as well. Sidestepping the poorly thrown punch, Horus grabbed the older man by the collar and shoved him to the ground. “I am done with this senselessness. There is a war coming, and I, for one, will not sit idly by while others die to protect my freedoms.”

  Thad was at a loss for words as Horus stormed out of the building, and from the stunned silence in the room, so were the rest of the elders. “I believe everything that needed to be said has been,” Thad said before following Horus’s example and leaving the hall.

  Out
side, Thad found Horus next to a small tree, hitting it soundly with his fist. “Bunch … of … useless … inept … cowardly … lumps of flesh!” Horus shouted loudly, accenting each word with another punch to the defenseless tree.

  “Horus, if you keep that up, someone is going to think you have lost your mind,” Thad said, coming up behind the large man.

  “Thaddeus, how can you put up with them?” Horus asked, resting his head against the tree. “They have always been a useless group, but now I can’t even stand to be in the same room with them without being disgusted. How can they sleep at night knowing that they are not only letting others die for them but at the same time doing their best to hinder any chance most of those men would have at survival?”

  “They are just trying to keep as many mages alive as possible,” Thad replied. “We both know that magical aid will be needed if we are to have a chance at winning this war, but they just can’t see it. Honestly, if we were not so badly outnumbered, I would have to agree using mages for a war would only bring further harm.”

  “What good is worrying about what might happen twenty years from now when the opposite means not having a tomorrow? We need to fight with Farlan, not sit idly by and wait for the Brotherhood to come slaughter us in our sleep,” Horus said, his voice brimming with emotion. “I am sorry, Thaddeus. I didn’t make things any easier for you, did I?”

  “That you did not, but maybe you shook some of them hard enough they might lighten up on their preaching,” Thad replied comfortingly.

  “Well, what’s done is done. Why don’t I show you where I have the willing mages training? Not as many as I wish have started, but it’s a start.”

  CHAPTER II

  Slightly over forty mages were lined up, going through magic drills. Thad watched as those using fire magic hurled fireballs at large boulders. The wind caster worked to cut wooden planks from thirty yards away. It was obvious some magical elements had the advantage on the battlefield, but if used correctly, all of them could protect allies and devastate troops. Thad could tell the main focus of the training was the use of indirect magic for close combat.