Battle Mage: Forging New Steel (Tales of Alus Book 9)

by Donald Wigboldy

  “I’ve had Ashleen and other wizards check me to see if I was getting stronger in some way, but no one seems to see more energy. Something is changing though, I can feel it now.”

  His friend’s brow furrowed in worry and confusion. “You’ve been using power beyond what you should since the tournament and even before that, I think. Why is this suddenly concerning you?”

  Sebastian considered telling his friend of the trick to pull power from the earth using a staff. Using the earth to drive his most powerful spells in the tournament, the mage had held his own against more powerful wizards. It had been a chess match though as he needed to finish his opponents quickly or burn out. According to Darius, the power of the earth could easily have killed him; but he survived if only barely and because of Yara and Darius’s treatments.

  Frowning, he shrugged, “Never mind, but it just feels wrong to me. Hopefully I can figure it out later.”

  “Don’t let it go into a bad place, Bas. Go to the wizards if you must. We’re in Hala, a haven for the best healer wizards on the continent; if they can’t help you, who can?”

  He nodded and walked over to join Ashleen a moment. The girl noticed his face and asked in concern, “Is something wrong? You looked pretty good there, very powerful.”

  “Almost too powerful,” the mage responded with worry.

  Ashleen’s eyes glowed noticeably when close to him and the wizard looked through him to his aura and said, “Maybe there is a little more power there than before, but...” Her eyes looked confused and she asked, “Do you feel drained of energy from the fight? You did use a couple strong spells to convince him that he was overmatched.”

  Strangely Sebastian noted that he wasn’t hungry this time. The two larger spells were on the verge of wizard levels, but his magic felt topped off and ready to go. “I’m fine actually.”

  “May I?” she asked moving to place her hand on his chest.

  “Now you ask?” he chuckled.

  Giggling briefly, the girl began to mumble a spell that sounded very familiar. It was the words to the spell she had been using to examine the metal and impurities within the steel of the swords.

  After a few minutes, her blue eyes opened and Ashleen looked a bit confused. “I don’t even know why I tried that spell, but I swear that your aura almost feels like the steel, like it is folded in on itself and layered now.”

  The comparison to the metal of a blade made Sebastian consider her words closely. Had the repeated uses of the staff or something else managed to beat him like some raw piece of metal until his magic aura had become something akin to steel? It would perhaps make sense if he was growing more powerful without appearing to be any stronger. If the aura had become wrapped and folded into multiple layers creating a bigger reservoir or in someway made him stronger, then it might not be noticeable by another wizard or mage.

  “I wonder if Master Darius has run across such a thing in his seven centuries?”

  Ashleen shrugged and looked past him to the waiting mages. “You have a class to teach, if you’re up to it.”

  He nodded and kissed her on the forehead in thanks.

  Turning to face his students, Sebastian noticed the quiet readiness on their faces this time. He had proved why he was their teacher and they were awaiting his knowledge. The question for him was this new revelation something he could build in others and was it even safe to try?

  Chapter 10- Power of the Earth

  After the demonstration with Jeriah, an unplanned way to grab his students’ attention, Sebastian divided up the twenty three students while waiting for the sleeping mage to wake up from the sleep spell. Ashleen watched as well becoming an unofficial twenty fifth student, he supposed.

  “How did you call so much fire?” one of his students, a dark haired woman with intense green eyes asked of him before they had barely separated from the rest.

  “Yeah, that was pretty amazing,” another mage said in agreement as the others nodded. His blue eyes looked almost fanatical as the slightly shorter mage looked up at him expectantly.

  Unsure of what to say, Sebastian answered as best he could, “I’ve been through so many battles of late going back to the Winter’s Edge tournament, that I may be getting better at calling on my magic. If Jeriah had mastered the night shield, however, that attack wouldn’t have been a problem for him.

  “Did any of you get to see the Gray Hall wizards fight?”

  A few nodded and he explained, “There were wizards calling tornadoes and walls of fire, but these black shields of night absorb most of the elements. Only physical attacks caused by an element are likely to work against them. Throw fire, water, lightning, ice and wind against it, they will get absorbed and reinforce the strength of your shield. Only the light spell is efficient against destroying the night.”

  The first woman sighed and replied, “I think we all understand that but how did you figure out both spells during the tournament? That light spell was used the first time you revealed the night shield and you figured out that as well before the match was over. You beat him with his own magic.”

  “Well,” he gestured for her to give her name, “Lysbeth, like all the wizard spells I’ve learned, some are easier to figure out than others. I scouted a few of the Gray Hall matches and watched Geriman fighting off a fire wizard and dragon wizard with them. By the time I faced Szurken, I had figured out that the spell was the opposite of the elements. It took life into it and absorbed it.

  “The light spell, though it was brought out in response to my using the night shield, is enough like other spells that it was no problem to create.”

  “Aside from fire, which doesn’t work, what spells do we have that are similar?” Lysbeth asked unwilling to let the matter go.

  The new teacher wasn’t sure if he could describe the first time he had used a light spell. It had happened while disembodied and wind riding on an air wizards’ scouting spell. Instead he held up his hand calling up the controlled flow of lightning that Ashleen had helped him learn when they first met. “Dance,” the word brought tendrils of lightning dancing above the palm of his hand that flowed back to his fingers and thumb in arcs.

  A training dummy made of canvas wrapped sticks and straw was about twenty feet from them. Sebastian turned his hand toward the target releasing the flow of lightning as he increased the force letting the individual strands of lightning begin to swirl and strengthen. Without a word uttered, the mage made the lightning swirl faster than the vortex of air used earlier. The light from the spell caused those watching to squint or look away from the brilliant flow of lightning.

  Releasing the torrent with the close of his hand, Sebastian looked at the burning target with a hole bored clean through the heart. To his chagrin, he noticed blackened stone on the wall behind the dummy. “Calling just light makes less of a mess and requires less concentration, but this can also destroy night shields and break the black armor of the emperor’s Wizard Hunters as well.”

  “Wizard Hunters?” the young mage known as Crispin asked in confusion.

  Sebastian noted that they all appeared in the dark about the emperor’s newest weapons, the warlocks and soldiers that wore black armor to absorb the elements. Whether it was supposed to be a secret or not, the mage felt they needed to know what they might face in the field fighting the dark armies of the emperor.

  “We’ve run into new troops wearing armor treated to absorb elemental magic like a night shield. Whether it is worn by orcs and goblins unable to use magic or one of their warlocks, the armor works pretty well to disrupt our magical attacks. Powerful lightning like that of Ashleen,” he gestured to the wilder, who waved from her seat, “or the light spells can break the armor, but the last group of orcs I ran into with the armor seemed to have improved their gear already. It took several light spells to destroy the armor and merely cracked it will continue to protect them from elemental magic.”

  Noticing the concern on the faces of these veteran mages, Sebastian knew that the bes
t thing for them was to train to learn what they needed to know to protect them. “Alright, let’s get to work.”

  Calling out the night shield spell five times Sebastian projected three at ground level and two in the air bringing jaws dropping from the act. He had forgotten that most battle mages only held their shields on their arms or at the tips of their fingers. After battling wizards in the tournament and finding uses for the magic battling the black ships of the emperor, it had become common place to him and he realized how much he had already changed in just over a year.

  “Alright, let’s see you try the light spells,” he declared walking free of his shields and directing Lysbeth by the shoulder to face one of the shields square.

  Ashleen looked inspired and walked over to Mecklin and Frell individually before the young woman followed Sebastian’s lead and created night shields for each group to work with so the other two mages could work unfettered by the spells. She found another seat across from the battle mages who looked at the hovering targets held effortlessly by the wizard and Sebastian.

  They were veterans and old enough for even the most shocking things to wear off quickly, however, and soon they were all working on their light spells. When one would succeed, Sebastian or Ashleen would replace the shields letting the battle mages continue their practice.

  He was rather satisfied to see that most of them were calling light up easily by the end of the morning.

  By the end of the session, most of the mages needed to go to a refreshments table for food as well as drink. Sebastian was there drinking a cup of juice enjoying the sugars and liquid refreshment when a shadow darkened his view. Jeriah and the friend who had tended him, Yoran, stood before him. The larger man still frowned at him and Sebastian thought maybe there would be another problem between them. Jeriah had woken and joined Frell’s group quietly enough, but Sebastian waited to see what the man wanted.

  Rubbing his neck, Jeriah suddenly appeared unsure of what to say, but finally he adopted his frown again and blurted, “OK, how are you and that wizard projecting so many shield at once; and they are nowhere near you?”

  “Were you here to see the wizards’ duels?” Sebastian asked calmly as he held his cup before him. The man looked ornery, but his question proved that he had at least come to respect his magical ability, if nothing else.

  Jeriah nodded.

  “Wizards are pretty much rubbish in a close fight.”

  Ashleen complained, “Hey!”

  He knew she was just joking, but Sebastian still smiled at the girl and said, “I can give you a shield and sword and we both know that you would try to use your lightning. It’s your better skill, that’s all.”

  As the wilder shrugged proving that she hadn’t been serious, Sebastian continued, “Even in the duels, they need time to react to defenses that fail. Their spells are slower than ours and require a moment to reset, even with their quickest defenses; so they set the walls and shields ahead of them. It also helps prevent being caught in an explosion if their defenses fail critically. They also practice protecting duel dummies when they don’t have other wizards to protect them.

  “All that requires different thinking from a battle mage. Our spells make us think too contained. Our reflex spells, stone skin, and even shields are kept close or used to augment our ability. Only the fireball spell really had any range, and they’re relatively weak.

  “We have the speed and strength to cast faster. Now we need to think smarter. In a distance battle, placing shields and defenses beyond our bodies can save others or protect our homes. We can always think to put a shield at arm’s length, but this isn’t that much harder really.”

  “Humph,” the older falcon grunted, “you’re too smart to be a mage. Too bad your strength isn’t the level of a wizard. You’d make a good wizard, but that’s probably why I just don’t like you.”

  Ashleen interjected, “He’s picked up the nickname mizard and the owl already. Even wizards can see that he is more than just a battle mage. No offense to you.”

  Jeriah turned on the pretty blond with his frown for only a moment before he smiled appreciatively at the girl. “Well, admittedly it’s a little harder to dislike pretty wizards like your self, but he’s just another male so it’s easier. Why are you here with him anyway?”

  Ashleen held a cup between her hands as she started to speak, but her right began to gesture with her words. “Well, I used the excuse of wanting to train with him to learn more of his magic, but I really just want to get him into bed,” she finished with a wicked grin as Sebastian choked on the juice as he swallowed. It was like the girl had waited until he went to drink to shock him.

  The two mages in front of her looked shocked for a moment as well, before they burst out in laughter.

  Jeriah thumped his friend on the shoulder as he lost control of his laughter and pointed trying to get out some words that simply jumbled together with his laugh. Finally, he took a breath and barked, “By the gods, she’s pretty and funny too. I like her!”

  Ashleen looked very satisfied with herself at their reaction, even though her eyes flicked to Sebastian as he tried to clear his throat and had tears in his eyes from choking. She smiled at the men and shrugged gesturing to Sebastian, “Not everyone can handle my sense of humor.”

  There were others who had heard her comment and they all laughed as well at her perceived joke, but Sebastian knew it for the candor of the girl as well as her chance to tease him. He didn’t doubt her words either.

  Mecklin looked a little more concerned, but even he had to laugh along with Frell.

  With other jokes suddenly coming from around him at his expense, even as Ashleen calmly drank the remainder of her juice or smiled smugly; it took awhile for the battle mages to wander off to grab lunch or move on to their afternoon duties. Soldiers and mages in Hala had various work to do including guard duty and patrols among other things. Training was just part of what needed to be done everyday.

  As Ashleen and Frell stood discussing something that Sebastian couldn’t quite hear, Mecklin took him by the shoulder as he walked him out of the courtyard. “Are you sure that you’ll be alright with that one? You’re in a single room now.”

  “Well, at least she has to remain dressed to use the bath now,” Sebastian admitted bringing the other man’s eyes up in surprise.

  “You’re telling me that she’s been taking off her clothes in front of you?! Does she have no shame?” the older mage asked in disgust.

  Sebastian replied, “Very little with me.”

  “And what about Yara?”

  Sighing, the younger man confessed, “I am not sure. She didn’t lie about trying to get me into bed, but I am torn. Admittedly things were strained between Yara and me, but I haven’t given up on us either.

  “Still Ashleen is pretty amazing also.”

  Mecklin shook his head. “You’re in love with both of them?”

  Shoulders drooping a bit at the question, he confessed, “Maybe... I don’t know; but it’s like they are both right for me. Yara is the healer and a calm point, while Ashleen is that wild side which doesn’t get squeamish from fighting or combat.”

  “But you’re a battle mage, someone who is a soldier who will continue to fight unless the emperor stops trying to destroy us. That would make someone like Ashleen more likely to stay with you, I guess. Is that why Yara has seemed to become a bit distant with you lately?”

  “We were so close even after the fighting with the black ships. Then the island was calm and peaceful with enough space to spend time alone. I didn’t have to worry about being the leader while we waited for Gerid to be ready to leave.

  “Then we had that fight with those Wizard Hunters in Sardon and Ashleen asked to join us to get away from Helena,” Sebastian sighed again thinking about the way their relationship had turned after Sardon.

  “Was she mad that you had to kill some of the orcs or that you let Ashleen join us?” Mecklin questioned.

  “I think both, but t
hey both knew that Ashleen was just a friend to me and I wanted to help her, since I could understand how Helena could be a problem.”

  “And now that ‘friend’ is trying to get you into bed,” Mecklin scoffed before softening a bit and adding, “Sorry. Still the girl definitely wants to be more than just friends with you.”

  Nodding, Sebastian added, “And there is always the fact that she is from Kardor. She will probably want to go home sometime.”

  Mecklin looked back at the two young women walking behind them having their own discussion. Turning back to the younger man, he stated, “She’s still here and not pushing to leave. Maybe the draw of being with you means that she doesn’t care if she goes home?”

  “I don’t know. Relationships are a pain. Magic is so much easier,” he complained bringing a laugh from the older man.

  “You don’t see me married or otherwise settled down, so maybe I am not the best expert to discuss this with; but I can definitely see your problem. She’s fun and equally beautiful; but she’s the wilder and Yara’s a healer.”

  The man shrugged before adding, “Well, good luck.”

  A north exit from the city had been created for the Winter’s Edge tournament by earth wizards removing the ancient stones from the wall and carefully moving them to the side of a new opening. Creating a tunnel in the outer wall, it was supposed to be temporary; but it been added to instead. With a set of heavy wood doors bound in steel on either end of the tunnel, they could be closed and barred for defense or the wizards could pull the stones back into position within the stone wall.

  Whether it was maintained because Kind Alain hoped to do more tournaments on the cleared land north of the city or not, Sebastian didn’t know; but those living inside the inner wall closest to Castle Grimnal had begun using it for picnics enjoying the summer weather and the view of the North Sea from the cliffs. It also made for an excellent testing site for the new Hollow Sword.

  Sebastian had discussed the new weapon and the need to see if it truly was as strong as the first he had created out of sturdy ancient steel, rather than a blade created by a novice smith using magic to cope with inexperience, with Raven Leros and the falconi. It had become a larger gathering than planned, since he had originally just planned to bring Ashleen and maybe Mecklin and Frell along to watch. Instead, Leros, Brelan and Neven were joined by the high wizards in their robes along with a few brown robed research wizards who had gathered near a set of the remaining bleachers left behind after the tournament.