by Aaron Thomas
Kilen didn’t move, “I shall wait on the councilman's orders, madam.”
She let out a laugh, “Of course, the Councilmen.”
Before Mica spoke, a crystal bird flew out of the sky and landed beside Kilen and changed form into that of a man with giant wings of an eagle.
Mica did not look impressed by the display, “You know my name, Weapon Bearer. You may rise.”
Kilen picked his helmet off the ground and tucked it under his arm. He spoke with authority like Bowie had never heard from him before.
Kilen paid no attention to his childhood friend, only the wind wizard. “You know mine also, Mica. I would like to speak with King Atmos.”
“The king hasn’t arrived yet. I’m surprised that you did not know that, seeing how Alexander has been keeping a close watch on you.” Mica’s face was as bitter as Ria’s tea.
“Alexander was supposed to see Bowie to report my mission. The wind wizard is not my keeper.” Kilen said dusting off his helmet.
Bowie took a step in to draw Kilens attention which he received with a smile, “Alexander did report. The king has declared Alexander a traitor. Mica has been tasked to bring him to justice. Last time we saw Alexander he was doing well enough on his own.”
Kilen turned away from Bowie and focused on Mica again, “I know I haven’t been doing this wielding thing as long as you have, but I know wizards are not subject to any king except the Elemental King. How is it Alexander is a traitor if he has no ruler?”
“I have cause enough to call him a traitor, and if you speak to me like that again, he will not be my only target.” Mica spoke with a voice that dripped of malice.
Auburn began to draw her bow back a moment, but was clearly confused as to which one she should be pointing at. She lowered the point with it still fully drawn.
“Mica, I am a True Weapon Bearer and it’s my duty to seek out justice as I see fit. I will do that until the Elder Wizards take the title from me. I am ruled by no king and no wizard. If you wish to attack a wizard, you better have cause enough for me to justify it. If I don’t see it your way, it will be your head.”
Mica laughed, “Yes, yes. The Elder Wizards chose an impressive magic wielder to play their games. I guarantee you that even with your two elementals, I will still cut you down. You should remember Alexander teaching you that wind magic may be the most powerful. I would watch my tongue when when speaking to a wind wizard if I were you.”
Without warning, vines wrapped around Mica’s feet and Bowie watched as wind magic crashed all around Mica, but the air felt calm to his skin. He watched with wind vision as yellow violent swells of wind crashed into each other around Mica, causing his robes to flap and finally force him to the ground. The wind died down and Mica struggled with the vines to stand. The temperature dropped and Bowie could see the breath coming from each of their mouths. He watched Kilen step closer to Mica.
“Three.” Kilen whispered to Mica, now inches from his face.
He continued on and bumped shoulders with Mica as he passed. Bowie was confused for a moment, but soon understood what had happened just before Auburn asked.
“Three what?”
“Three elementals, Auburn. He is controlling three elementals at once.” Bowie said as he jogged to catch up.
Ria struggled to keep pace with Kilen. “I don’t usually approve of the so-called Elder Wizard’s choices, but they know where I stand with appointing weapon bearers. I hope they’ll appoint more in the future.”
“Are you an Elder Wizard, Ria?”Kilen asked.
She said almost blushing at is question. “No, no. I studied with them for a time. I found their rules upon helping others restricting. I would rather follow my own heart rather than the heart of a council. Which is why I get along so well with your friend.” She nodded to Bowie stalking behind them. His best friend hadn’t even acknowledged him coming into his camp.
Bowie listened to Kilen as he traipsed through the camp. “I am sorry for the way I behaved with Mica. Alexander is a friend of mine and he has always treated me well. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like a traitor and neither do I.”
Kilen’s armor rattled as he marched through the camp. “I know that he does what he can for the people of this realm and it is sad to see that the king has turned on him. I haven’t seen him in a week, but what the Fire Realm scouts tell me is that Mica had attacked him. I didn’t want to believe it, but I see it now to be the truth. Sorry, I will try and be more cordial from now on.”
“You needn’t worry about your behavior with Mica. He’s like a distant cousin who has outstayed his welcome before arriving. I would like to speak to you about other things. May we meet inside my wagon?” Ria asked.
“I would like that very much. I’d like my friend present as well,” Kilen gestured to Bowie.
Bowie thought to himself, Finally.
“Of course, he’s the commander in charge of this troop. He will need apprised of the situation,” Kilen said nodded to Bowie.
Kilen nodded and held out his hand for her to lead the way.
Ria gave the small wave to Bowie and she took Kilen by the arm.
Bowie gripped his bow, “So glad I have the privilege to join you two.” Bowie gave a deep bow, so deep his hat nearly touched the ground.
Kilen laughed and continued on with Ria as she touched and healed each soldier she passed. Kilen reached the wagon’s door and opened it before Ria could.
She smiled, “They chose wisely indeed.”
Kilen held the door for Bowie before he followed inside. Once inside Bowie had already found his place on a stool and Kilen stood looking a bit awkward with his head slightly bent so it did not rub the ceiling. Bowie pulled another stool from underneath the table and thrust it in Kilen’s direction. Ria held out a hand for him to sit.
Kilen did not sit. Instead he held his arms as wide as the wagon would let him between cabinets, facing Bowie. “We have been apart for about a month and already you think you are too good for a hug from me?” Kilen said as he started to remove his gauntlets.
Bowie put his hat on the table which Ria responded with a click of her tongue. He removed it and placed it on the stool. “I would have but you were being too high and mighty bowing to the councilmen to give me one. You practically ignored me,” Bowie said, not letting any emotion show on his face. He needed to know just how much of his friend was left after the Kapal’s training.
“Excuse me, I thought it better not to embarrass you in front of your men,” Kilen retorted.
They both stared at each other. Bowie finally stood and gave Kilen a hug, pounding on the armor covering his back. As Bowie held his childhood friend he wondered how much the magic was affecting the decisions being made by the boy behind the armor. He thought of his friend being buried underneath a mountain of magic confusion as thick as the armor on his back.
“I hope you do not mind if I stay here in your camp while I wait for the king’s arrival?”
“Are you kidding? It will give me the time to catch up with you. We haven’t had a chance to really talk since we left Basham.”
“It’s been one thing right after the other. I wonder if I will ever get back to a normal life. I always wondered what it must have been like for my dad to be a soldier. Now I want to know what it’s like to return home with stories to tell. I traveled through a pirate town!”
“Wow. You must have seen some strange things. Do they really put collars on their women?” Bowie looked to want to soak in Kilen’s experiences.
Ria cleared her throat, “I am sure there will be time for you two to catch up with one another later. I would like to speak about more pertinent matters.”
Kilen’s face became that of the weapon bearer he was supposed to be. He took his seat followed, by Ria and Bowie. “I have discussed terms of this war with King Rekkan. He has agreed to discuss a truce before the battle begins. It was my intention to do just as King Atmos intended for the Elder Wizards to do; to stop this war. I believe
that if I can get the council’s and kings in the same area, we can reach a truce. There are more dangerous matters at hand,” Kilen said ominously.
“Something more dangerous than tens of thousands of men fighting to their death?” Bowie looked at a cup of tea that had been poured for him and pushed it away.
Kilen took the one offered to him and drank a small amount almost spitting it out.
“I know, it is horrid,” Bowie said covering his mouth not to laugh.
Ria cleared her throat, and Bowie pulled back his cup. “You should probably drink it all anyway,”Bowie said to his friend. Ria nodded with a small smirk on her face.
Ria made sure to fill up Kilen’s cup to the brim again. “Master Kilen, what is it that is so dangerous it can cause a army to stop invading?”
Kilen seemed apprehensive to speak, when he did, it came out in a hush. “The Elder Wizards have evidence that the Dark Army has returned.”
Ria almost dropped the tea pot onto the table, “They said the “Dark Army?”
Kilen nodded, “King Rekkan understood the need to pull all of the realms together to fight against this before the army becomes too strong. I would still like to stop the war because of the agreement made between realms not being followed by King Atmos or his father.”
“Many people have different perspectives of problems,” Ria smiled. “You are wise to know we must have all parties in the room to meet upon an agreement. I am glad you’ve held off on your judgement and come to set up this meeting between kings.”
Bowie seemed to snap out of his disbelief and come back to reality, “I’m sorry, did you say the Dark Army? I thought they were a myth.”
Kilen turned his attention to Bowie, “It is a reality. The Dark Army was created by a soul wizard. It seems that the Elder Wizards did not find all the soul wizards from the last war. Most believe the stories of soul wizards to be fake.”
“What is a soul wizard?” Bowie asked.
Ria interrupted, “A soul wizard is one that works on fear and desperation to rip the souls from their victim. The soul wizard then uses the soul as a sort of fuel to keep them alive. As a result, the victim’s body becomes their slave. They are neither alive or dead.”
Kilen interjected, “The victim is not a slave so much as an empty husk of a person. They follow the commands of the soul wizard, but have no feelings, remorse, or willpower of their own. They are a shadow of their former life.”
Ria nodded, “They are often referred to as zombies or the undead.”
Bowie gave a small laugh, “Sounds like that story you told me you were reading about as a kid. The one where you didn’t sleep for a week.”
“It is the same, Bowie. That book was no story. It was a historical account of the Dark Army. Twilix told me as much when we were in Deuterium. If the Dark Army is rising again then the men that could potentially die in this battle would be the men that could turn the tide of the war. We must do all we can to prevent this war from beginning,” Kilen said staring into his tea as if deep in thought.
Bowie watched him turn the cup in his hand and felt as if the room became darker. No wonder my friend seems different, what has he seen?
“How do you suppose we convince the king, Master Everheart?” Ria drank her tea like it contained no bitterness at all. She seemed to pay no attention to the mood emanating from his friend.
Kilen emptied the cup to the back of his throat while Bowie tried to remember the tips Kilen had given him about drinking his mother's bitter tea. “I know that we can convince the council. I hope they will do what they can to argue on our side. I need to speak with Brent and Mary. I know Mica will probably disagree, and I don’t know who the earth seat is.”
Ria scoffed, “A stubborn woman sits in that seat. Although her stubbornness could be from her magic, but it seems she has always been that way. Her name is Tildress. You leave her to me, I have taught her a few lessons over the years and I may be able to convince her.”
“I’ve seen another problem that I tried to take care of when I arrived at the Fire Realm’s fortifications. King Rekkan has allowed the Earth Realm civilians to aid in the constructing of their defenses. He sent them away at my suggestion. It’s been nearly four days since they left his camp. If the king finds out that his own people are aiding in the destruction of his army, it could be very detrimental,” Kilen said clearly worried as he stared into his tea cup.
Bowie sighed, “We’ve already been attacked by a few on the way here. We did our best to make an announcement to each village we passed through that any aid would be seen as treachery. Mica also knows and has reported to the king.”
“They attacked you? King Rekkan told me he denied them in joining his army,” Kilen said.
Bowie continued after smacking his lips, “They told us much the same. After he rejected them, they decided to revolt on their own. Just like in Humbridge; they’re tired of not receiving help against bandits and robbers, and having to cater to the occasional passerby from his army.”
Kilen visibly slumped, “It cannot be helped now. Turning on your king is something that I don’t think I can defend against. Even though I would probably be one of them if I lived here, there are bigger issues at stake.”
Ria patted his hand, “We’ve all done what we could to keep them from harm. They made their choice.”
They sat in silence a moment to grieve for what was to come. “You are a great weapon bearer already,” Ria said as she leaned back in her chair.
Bowie rolled his eyes, “If you keep talking like that his head will be bigger than the rumors about him.”
Ria turned on him with a pursed face clearly irritated, “Bowie, a True Weapon Bearer is sort of like a judge. Just like the weapon bearers of old; he seeks out wizards, kings, tyrants, bandits, and trouble makers to bring them to justice where others cannot. He does not simply pull away because of money, politics, or lineage. He is the embodiment of justice. Your friend already seeks justice for three of the four elemental realms. I myself hope he lives long enough to accomplish his task.”
Bowie tapped his finger on the table a couple of times, “I hope so as well. So we are going to get King Atmos to agree to this meeting? We will do what we can.” Bowie swallowed down the refilled cup of tea in one swallow, smacking his lips as he headed outside.
“Master Weapon Bearer, could I ask for your assistance in training Bowie to use his wind magic. He has not been properly trained. I see that you can control a wind elemental, so perhaps you can teach him a couple of things?” Ria asked.
Bowie stopped with the door half open. Although Bowie didn’t want to think of his friend as superior he had to admit the boy had trained with wizards and could probably help him.
Kilen turned on his stool looking at Bowie looking back. “I believe I can. I could also help in rejuvenating any of the soldiers here and supply any water needed. I’m going to try to do as many things at once with my elementals for my own practice. You may see them wandering around without me beside them. The more I do at once, the better I will be in battle. If it comes to that.”
“I would like to see that very much,” Ria smiled. “I will let you two catch up a bit now. Sergeant Crescent, remember you only have a part of a day to practice before the king arrives.”
**********
Kilen finished his tea and started for the door before turning around, “Thank you for the tea, Wizard Ria. It was very nice to meet you.” He gave her a half bow before closing the door behind him. He stood for a moment and thought about how his life had changed so much that he almost forgot the pleasantries his mother had taught him.
Bowie was standing a few feet away looking around the camp. Kilen looked up to see Mica from across the camp take to the wind. Within a few moments he was nothing but a spec in front of the clouds.
Bowie adjusted his hat, “Well, that’s one less problem I have to worry about.” He turned to face Kilen and smiled, “The Elder Wizard’s town, eh?”
“Yeah, Idleton
. Not quite as exciting as I thought it would be,” Kilen replied.
“Really? The name of the town sounds fascinating” Bowie said sarcastically. “I figured they would’ve had a lot of books to stick your nose into.”
Kilen laughed, “Yeah. They had plenty of books, but I wasn’t allowed to read any of them. It was a lot quieter than I thought it would be. It was kind of like being at home. Everyone in town had their job, garden, and home. I didn’t even see much of the Elders because they were rarely outside. The month I was their was spent mostly training with other weapon bearers.”
“You were with them a month?” Bowie asked.
“Yes, it only took me three days to find it. The travel time here only took me a week and I spent the last few days training with the Fire Realm’s elite weapon bearers called Crimson.”
Bowie stopped walking and turned to Kilen, “So while I have a wizard that promised to teach me and still hasn’t stopped flying around to keep his promise, you’ve trained with weapon bearers, a Kapal, Crimson warriors, and Elder Wizards?”
Kilen nodded in response and stepped in close, “Who is the girl watching us?”
Bowie glanced around and finally found Auburn with her bow ready a couple tents away, “Yeah, sorry about her. She just got an imbuement of earth magic and now she thinks she has to protect me. I can’t get rid of her.”
“Not that you’d want to, eh?” Kilen nudged Bowie with his elbow while he stared at Auburn. His friend usually liked anything that would give him a spare moment or dance.
Bowie cleared his throat, “It’s not like that. She’s cute and all, but not my type. Besides, she said she would kill me if I tried.”
They both laughed a bit and started walking around the camp again. Kilen followed Bowie, still unsure of where it was they were going. He soon found he was standing amongst soldiers and workers cutting out thin slices of wood and using clay to draw circles on them. The thin slices of wood were then attached to tree branches and Kilen realized they were targets. Bowie stepped out twenty five, fifty, and seventy five paces, sticking an arrow in the ground at each interval.
