Master Mage

by D. W. Jackson

  “I see you are ready to leave,” Parson said, coming up beside Thad. “Avalanche, Arianna, as well as most of the elves have already moved back.”

  “I wish we could have held out even for a day more,” Thad said, the disappointment evident in his voice.

  “We don’t always get what we want, my young friend.”

  Thad gave the tall elf a wan smile as he hefted the pack onto his back. “Neither do we always get what we need.”

  Leaving his friend behind, Thad made his way toward the eastern wall. Numerous soldiers still worked to strengthen it, but it was clear that there was little that could be done. For a moment, Thad thought about trying to bring up the earth, much like he had done back in Rane, but he knew that it would take him more than a few days to cover the open parts, and it would leave him completely sapped.

  Thad climbed the last standing tower and looked out over the field. The Rane army was amassing, and Thad could tell it was for a final strike. It would still be hours before Rane would take the field, but that seemed like only a moment given how many people were left to get through the tunnels.

  Thad slumped onto the wooden floor of the tower. By nightfall, the fort would be lost and many lives with it. There was no way they were going to get everyone out before Rane attacked.

  Thad jumped from the tower, letting his magic carry him to the ground. Thad found Bache outside of the command center, barking orders. “Master Thad, you still hanging about?” Bache yelled as soon as his eyes settled on Thad.

  “We need to get everyone out as soon as possible. Rane is amassing for a final assault,” Thad said with urgency.

  “I have received the same reports, but I don’t think we can get everyone through the tunnel to Lady Emeriss’s estate. We can try open ground, but that will make it obvious we are abandoning the fort,” the general said, his face pinched in concentration.

  “Have the soldiers take any tunnel they can to escape. Once they are away from the fort, they can then make their way to the estate. I don’t care how, but you must get every soul you can out of here within the hour.”

  “I will see what I can do,” Bache replied before turning around and shouting for men to head for the other tunnels as well.

  Thad watched for a moment to make sure that the soldiers were leaving. Looking around to make sure Killian wasn’t around, Thad headed back to the eastern wall to await the Rane army.

  CHAPTER XIV

  Thad stood in the tower, waiting for the attack to start. It had already been more than an hour since the forces had looked ready to move, yet they still held back.

  Thad didn’t know why, but he felt relieved when the army started its march. The number of soldiers that now moved toward Digger’s Fort was far beyond anything they had faced yet; they were at least ten thousand strong. With good walls and a healthy force, they might have been able to hold them at bay, but they had neither.

  The boulders from the siege weapons rained down upon them almost as a signal that the battle had truly started. Thad saved his energy, only knocking aside the stones that threatened him or the tower on which he stood.

  Each time one of the boulders struck one of the few defenders that had elected to stay back, Thad felt a pang of guilt run through his body.

  You don’t plan to stay until your death, do you?

  Thad looked at the oncoming force and shuddered. “No,” he replied sorrowfully. “I will stay for as long as I can. I don’t want to collapse the tunnels on anyone trying to get through.”

  I still think it’s foolish, but I can see it’s pointless to try and dissuade you. Just try not to get yourself killed.

  Pulling one of his rings from a pouch, Thad slipped it on his finger and activated it, putting a strong shield up. Once he was shielded, Thad raised his staff and sent a bolt of energy arcing across the ground below, striking a line of soldiers carrying small ladders.

  Bending down, Thad picked up a discarded bow most likely dropped by one of the fleeing or dead soldiers. Pulling an arrow from one of the hanging quivers, Thad pulled back and fired. His aim was true, and the arrow cut through the air, striking a Rane soldier who was climbing up the steep embankment in the chest.

  Thad continued to fire arrow after arrow until the quiver was empty. Looking around, Thad spotted another quiver, but before he could move toward it, a boulder came crashing into the base of the tower. Thad jumped, using his magic to guide him safely to what was left of the ramparts of the nearby wall.

  As Thad got to his feet, the blade of a Rane sword came narrowly close to his throat before being stopped by his shield. Ignoring the sword, Thad struck out with his staff, sending a bolt of energy straight into the soldier. Turning around, Thad dropped the bow and drew his sword.

  The enemy was coming over the wall in increasing numbers with each passing moment. Looking around at the beat and battered wall as more soldiers climbed onto the battlements, Thad knew it was time for him to leave.

  Jumping from the wall, Thad let his magic carry him down as he rushed toward the tunnel leading west toward Lady Emeriss’s estate. No more than three strides into his escape, three Rane soldiers cut him off.

  You should have left sooner. Now you will be lucky to reach a tunnel alive.

  “Stop being such a bother. We aren’t in trouble yet,” Thad said as he pulled a small glass orb from his pouch and threw it on the ground.

  As the glass orb ruptured, the area around Thad was filled by a thick fog. Letting his magical eye slip into its night sight, Thad could clearly see everything around him. Jumping to the left, Thad skirted around the nearest opponent, letting the blade of his sword slip across the man’s throat as he passed.

  As soon as he was past the first man, Thad darted to the next as he let out a bolt of energy from his staff at the other. Unable to see, the Rane soldier had no chance to stop the blade that took his feet out from under him. Thad quickly shoved a good three inches of steel into the soldier’s chest to stop his cries from alerting others.

  After a quick look to make sure the other soldier was out of the fight, Thad continued his rush toward safety. As he approached where the nearest entrance to the tunnels was, Thad saw what he feared most. The Rane soldiers had captured one of the Farlan forces trying to escape and were now entering the tunnels to catch the others.

  Cursing to himself, Thad changed direction, heading to the nearest tunnel entrance, not caring where it might lead. He found what he was looking for less than fifty yards away, and without slowing down, he used his staff to blow a hole in the thick wood and dirt covering the hidden passage.

  The tunnel he had entered was narrow and so short that Thad was forced into a slight crouch as he ran. It was hard to tell which direction he was running in or how long the shaft was, but he continued on despite the worries.

  A short while later, Thad reached the end of the tunnel and quickly climbed out to find himself in a thick grove of trees to the south of Digger’s Fort. From where he stood, Thad could clearly see the soldiers as they continued to climb over the fort’s now-destroyed walls. Thad pulled a small copper orb from his pouch and held it in his hand. After giving a short prayer that all who were within the tunnel were now safely at their destination, he released the globe’s enchantment.

  Thad heard the loud eruption from where he stood. He watched as a large cloud of dust rose up from the fort. When the faint echoes of screaming men reached his ears, he decided it was time to go.

  Though Thad had explored the surrounding area of the fort with Killian, he was unfamiliar with his current location. He knew that he was south of the fort, but that was about the extent of his knowledge. Using the sun as a compass, Thad continued moving northwest in hopes of reaching the Emeriss estate or at least a location he knew better.

  After traveling for some time, Thad found himself near the wood line. Off in the distance, Thad noticed the slave academy. He was finally in an area he knew, but he was far off course. Beneath the dense trees, he had tried to use the l
ocation of the sun the best he could, but instead of moving northeast, he had wandered southeast.

  As he looked at the large fortlike academy, Thad wished that it had been better positioned. If it had just been a few miles north, it would have made a perfect staging place for their army. As it was, the academy sat in the middle of a forest and would most likely be completely bypassed by the Rane forces, making it useless.

  Night was quickly approaching, and Thad decided that a stay in his old home would be preferable to the night air and elements. The closer he came to the academy, the more he began to think of his childhood there. So much had changed over the past six years. Back then, he had nothing other than the desire to learn everything he could so that he might be purchased by a high-ranking noble.

  Thad was surprised when he found the large double doors leading into the academy unlocked. Nervously, Thad pushed in on the door and entered the large building.

  As soon as he was inside, Thad could feel the warm air brushing over his skin, letting him know that the fireplaces were still in use. He was sure that the academy had received a notification of evacuation.

  “Young man, what are you doing within the chambers unescorted?” a loud shrill voice echoed from behind him. Turning around, Thad saw one of the mothers stalking toward him, her face pinched in anger. “Answer me. Where is your master?”

  “Back at the palace, Mother,” Thad answered sheepishly.

  Are you really going to bow for these women? You don’t even let the so-called queen speak to you in such a manner.

  Thuraman was right. Why was he being so meek? While he was by right the queen’s slave, she had given him more power than most of the nobles. “Why have you people not evacuated?” Thad asked, raising his head and trying his best to put the sound of authority in his voice.

  “How dare you question me,” the woman began to stutter before Thad cut her off.

  “I can see that talking to you will garner me nothing. Take me to see the matron,” Thad stated clearly, but the woman’s face turned red, and Thad knew she would be of little help. “If you do not wish to cooperate, then I shall find it myself. I am sure I can remember where it was.”

  Thad marched down the hall, trying to recall the building. Even during his years at the academy, it was rare for him to enter the Mothers’ Sanctum, as the boys had called it. The woman who had met him near the entrance continued to follow him, yelling for him to stop, but he paid her little heed. After a few turns, Thad noticed the large dark oaken door that he had once stood in front of years ago.

  Not wanting to be rude, Thad rapped lightly on the door. When no answer was garnered, Thad rapped again, so hard this time his knuckles stung slightly. A few moments later, the door swung open, and Thad saw the matron, who had once comforted him after he had met his so-called mother. “What is all this commotion about?” she yelled, looking at the screaming mother, then to Thad.

  “Matron, it has been a long while since we have last spoke,” Thad said, bowing his head. “May I come in?”

  The matron stepped aside, letting Thad into her office against the complaints of the other mother. The matron held up her hand, silencing the other woman, and gave her a scathing glare. “Mellissa, did you not happen to notice the brand on his forehead? He is the personal slave of the queen. Do you really want to continue this?” The mother remained silent and backed away a step before bowing and disappearing down the long corridor.

  Once inside the office, the matron offered Thad a seat before taking her own across from him. “Mark, I believe,” she said, giving him a wan smile. “It has been some years, and I have heard the whisperings of your exploits even this far away from the capital,” the matron said, a light chuckle in her voice. “It seems as if even the most exotic ones might even be true now that I look at you.”

  Thad sat in silence for a few moments. It had been a long time since he had been called Mark. It had once been his name, given to him by the mother who sold him into slavery. “Mark has long since died, Matron,” Thad replied evenly. “I am Thaddeus Torin, the queen’s master mage.”

  “Thaddeus … yes, I believe that name seems to suit you,” the matron said, still smiling. “So, Thaddeus, what has brought you to the academy this day?”

  “If I remember, Matron, you are from Rane, so I hope you do not take this badly,” Thad stated, his voice hesitant.

  “You mean about the war between Farlan and Rane?” the matron replied, the smile never leaving her face. “My family lived in Rane but has since been moved here to the academy compound. Farlan asks for people to join their army. Rane demands. My grandsons are just out of boyhood, and a few years ago, when Rane occupied Farlan, I moved them here along with the rest of my family. I know about the war and have heard more than one rumor as to why it is taking place.”

  Thad didn’t know why, but he felt relieved that he didn’t have to consider the matron an enemy. In all his years at the academy, she had been one of the few people that never looked down on the child slaves. “Matron, the Rane forces have taken the small fort we had built to the north of here. We escaped, but I was separated from the rest of the army. At daybreak, I will continue on my way to Lady Emeriss’s estate, but for the night, I wish for lodging.”

  “Matron is what the other mothers call me and what the children call me. I do not particularly like the name myself … it seems so cold. I would be honored if you would call me by my name, Sara,” the matron said, standing from her chair. “Of course you may spend the night. I will have one of the mothers prepare you a room, but that does not really answer my question about the war.”

  Thad clenched his staff as his mind whirled about the best way to put everything into words. “It’s about magic, Sara. The Rane army wishes to destroy all traces of it from the face of Kurt.”

  “Magic!” Sara said, her face confused. “Magic is just a fairy tale.”

  “Magic is real,” Thad declared, standing from his own seat. He had met with many people who doubted him and his magic until they had seen it firsthand. Not wanting to go through the endless hours of debate before he was forced to prove his word, Thad raised his staff and started to weave the energies around him.

  Sara stepped back, her face clearly showing her shock as the small carvings of birds around her office began to come to life. After the initial shock wore off, Sara extended her hand toward a finely crafted sparrow. “Amazing” was the only word Sara said as the sparrow hopped onto her open hand and started to sing.

  “Magic is real,” Thad replied, releasing his hold on the spell and letting the birds return to their former state.

  “I had heard rumors, but … it is something else to see it for oneself,” Sara said, collapsing back in her chair, her hand still holding the wooden sparrow. “Why would Rane wish to destroy such a wonderful thing?” she asked herself as she looked in awe at Thad.

  For over an hour, Thad explained everything he had learned about Rane, including its connection with the Brotherhood. He had told the story so many times now that he didn’t even shed a tear when he told of Brianna and her death, though he still felt a pulling at his chest. When he was finished, Sara’s face was one of chagrin.

  “For as long as I can remember, every three years, the merchant guild would send an envoy to inspect the new children. Every time they visited, they bought at least one child, telling me that it was in order to free them.” As Sara spoke, he could clearly see the pain in her face and hear it in her voice. “I always thought I was freeing them of their future as slaves.”

  “I don’t remember meeting with them,” Thad said, trying to recall any such event.

  “That is odd,” Sara replied, standing from her seat and going over to the large shelf of folders. After a few moments of shuffling through them, she found what she was looking for. “You are right. It seems that you were brought here the day they arrived for a visit. You must have missed them.”

  “I think my life has been filled with such luck,” Thad said, nearly laughin
g. “I do not wish to push my welcome, but it has been a long day.”

  “Ah yes, let us see about that room, shall we?” Sara said as she led Thad from her office and down the long corridor. The matron spoke with a few mothers, and after a short time, Thad was led to a small room, where a soft bed and a warm bowl of food waited. Thad gave Sara his thanks before he settled in for the night.

  Early the next morning, Thad woke to a loud banging at his door. As he cleared his head of the last vestiges of sleep from his mind, Thad opened the portal to find the matron standing on the other side. “Sara, to what do I owe the honor?” Thad asked groggily.

  “I have given what you have said a great deal of thought. We have close to thirty young men who would be destined for the market come midspring. Do you think the queen would mind buying them?”

  It took a moment for Thad to work out what the matron meant. As it dawned on him, a large smile spread across his face. Thirty men might not change the tide in the war, but every soul that could hold a weapon would help. “I think that can be arranged. If you would be so kind as to fetch me a quill and parchment, I will write out a note to the queen, informing her that she owes you some gold.”

  It took most of the morning for Thad to gather the new troops. Luckily, the academy had a healthy supply of armor and weapons for training. Most of the swords might have been dulled, but they were still better than nothing should something arise before they could reunite with the main force back at Emeriss’s estate. Once everything was arranged, Thad and his new force stood outside the academy gates, waiting for the last of the food and supplies.

  “I hope that you visit us again soon, Thaddeus. This time, on better terms, I hope,” Sara said, handing Thad a small carved canary. “I never liked caged birds. They sing so much more beautifully when they are allowed to roam the skies freely.”