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

by Donald Wigboldy

  Thinking that leaving the material out in the open for potential enemies so casually meant Southwall had truly come to feel very secure behind North Wall, Sebastian hoped that it never resulted in regret for the king.

  Maura stood back from the main group of wizards looking a bit self conscious in her attendance, though she had been there when he had made the first Hollow Sword. He had met the two white robed wizards before as well and probably had them to thank for having Maura and her guards along for the journey to find Gerid. High wizards Neferen and Culmore were the wizard equivalent of Raven Leros, the leaders of all the wizards of Southwall. They were also old enough to be less patient perhaps because they were closer to death than he was, Sebastian thought morbidly. Dealing with wizards tended to be trying until he got to know them well, and even then many looked on battle mages as second rate wizards missing their true role in Southwall’s army.

  “So what is this special weapon that the boy has created that has you all excited now, Leros?” Neferen asked rudely omitting the other man’s title. While he was a master of all the elements, Sebastian saw the remnants of the red in his hair and assumed that he had started as a fire wizard. Too many of them were as hot headed as fire could make them. Even after months of trying to temper Serrena’s natural tendencies, the young fire wizard could be testy and overly eager to rush towards trouble for example.

  Sebastian drew out the first sword kept in its sheath on his right hip. The runes along the blade drew their eyes just from the glints of light catching them in the summer sun.

  Raven Leros barely gave the high wizard a glance as he looked at the young man holding the sword before him. “Falcon, demonstrate what this sword can do please.”

  “Lightning dance,” the mage ordered the spell and noticed Ashleen straighten a little more as he used what he had learned from the girl in the display. Turning north towards the open ground before him unobstructed for a mile to North Wall, Sebastian released the power creating a brighter bolt of lightning amplified to roughly double the power he had put into it. The strength would rival the spells of most of the best air and earth wizards Southwall could produce.

  Murmurs of appreciation moved through the wizards. Leros and the falconi had seen the amplification before and were still impressed though not surprised.

  “That is impressive,” Culmore, the other white wizard, stated diplomatically. His mastery of magic also included diplomacy magic, so he was the calming influence to his opposite in Neferen. “If a battle mage, even one as skilled as you, can do such a thing; what could a full wizard do if he or she were to introduce their magic into this weapon?”

  Used to being dismissed as weaker, Sebastian touched the tip to the ground without thinking and pulled the power of the earth into the sword. “Fire sword,” he ordered and felt the tremendous surge of energy that the ground surrendered to the sword. The runes of the blade changed color pulsing with the orange glow of the fire spell locked inside. He could feel it nearing ready to burst thanks to the supercharged magic, so Sebastian released the fire in a strike towards the north releasing a massive wave of fire in a single powerful stroke.

  Eyes widened and several fell over at the massive discharge which roared into the air causing some of the spectators to cover their ears too late. He realized belatedly that he had just let the demons out of the bag. Darius had warned him that most wizards couldn’t handle the secret of tapping the earth and no one had discovered the ability to do so in centuries. Certainly no wizard in Southwall since the Cataclysm was known to have admitted knowing the secret at least.

  Cringing as he looked at the fire dissipating into the air, the young mage felt the questions ready to assault him.

  Neferen was one of the closest and joined a swarm of wide eyed, research wizards stampeding towards him. Luckily, Ashleen had stayed several steps out of the way or he feared she might have been trampled.

  “What was that?!” the white wizard demanded as echoes of his words and ‘how’ sprung to their lips. Unfortunately, the Hollow Sword almost took back seat to the display of magic.

  Frowning at his slip, Sebastian took a deep breath and held up a hand to silence those pushing towards the mage demanding answers. “Don’t go jumping ahead too far from what you saw yet. I have spoken with High Wizard Darius and the immortal knows of this technique. I discovered what most should know, that there is massive power around us in nature. The earth is a force that no wizard or mage can hope to contain, but there is a way to tap a portion of it; though Darius warns that it has many dangers as well.”

  “You tapped the earth? You did that with the sword?” Culmore questioned looking at what he had done closer then some.

  Sighing, the battle mage shook his head and replied, “In a way, but it can be done in other ways. The sword is just the safest way to do it that I have found.”

  Neferen looked annoyed and asked next loudly to push his question before the others around him, “Speak without the riddles, boy. What have you discovered? Is this how you managed to compete in the tournament?”

  Realizing that the elder wizard might be looking for ways to diminish what he accomplished in the duels, Sebastian shook his head again. “I had no sword then, if you recall. The earth can be tapped and Darius says that other men have tried it. Those who thought to just draw it into themselves burned away like leaves in a fire.

  “I tested several materials to see what could not only draw the power, but last long enough to use it. Using a staff of wood will last for a time. Iron works to a lesser extent, but can conduct too much of the power which can kill a wizard just as quickly. The Hollow Sword is safer yet, because the power is trapped by the sword and held away from the wizard or mage. It is just one of the reasons that I hoped to be able to create more.”

  Raven Leros appeared at his shoulder and waved the wizards back saying, “Everyone step back. The owl of the mages will try to answer all your questions, both about the sword and his use of the earth. Give him room.”

  Wanting to curse his stupidity, Sebastian knew that he had to stress the warnings Darius had tried to instill in him. His continued use of the earth knowing the dangers was just one more thing that had been working to create a wedge between him and Yara.

  “Darius says that knowledge of this trick was allowed to die out, because wizards abused the earth. They didn’t harm the world as far as I can tell, but wizards’ lives ended as young men because the power dried them up leaving them brittle old men when they should be men in their prime. It killed those looking to use the power destructively, so I caution you all to think before spreading the word. It may be best to keep it between us to avoid the deaths that this power can exact on our wizards.”

  Neferen had stepped back with the others, but stormed towards the young mage threateningly, “You reveal this technique in front of us and tell us that it is not safe?! How much can this power do to the emperor’s warlocks? We can destroy his armies by accessing power that most can only dream about having, boy. Who are you to tell us to keep this quiet?”

  Eyes narrowing, Sebastian put his arm in front of Leros who was ready to jump to his defense. “Darius is seven centuries old and knows more than any of us can hope to learn in our single life times. Even you don’t know a fraction of what he has seen. He is immortal, but he said when he discovered the ability to pull from the earth it killed him. If he wasn’t immortal, he would have remained dead.

  “He tells me that he buried generations of wizards before their time before the wizards of Eirdhen outlawed and let the technique disappear into time.

  “Who am I to tell you anything, Neferen? I am the one that just showed you something you never discovered in your sixty years. If I say that it is too dangerous to make public beyond those of us here, then with Darius’s wisdom backing me, follow my caution and don’t be the idiot who kills our people!”

  The dropping of the high wizard’s title wasn’t lost on anyone. Calling him an idiot was even more of an insult, but this wasn�
��t his leader. While Sebastian tried to respect his elders, he needed to establish an understanding even if it had to be done brutally. “If you want to research the ways to do this safely, by all means; but keep the numbers small and among those trusted to be cautious with its use.”

  “You are a child,” Neferen began looking ready to return the insult. “I am a high wizard. Do not think to tell me what I can or can not do.”

  Culmore cleared his throat placing a hand on the other man’s shoulder. Sebastian thought that he felt a trace of magic released as well as he said, “If you won’t listen to a boy or an immortal, then you will listen to me, Neferen.” The white wizard looked at the research wizards behind them a moment and added, “You will all listen to me. This is a dangerous technique. No one will reveal this knowledge beyond those gathered here without permission of the high wizards of Hala.”

  Neferen’s eyes looked a bit hazy as he turned to look at Culmore. “But we can use this power.”

  Culmore shook his head and repeated, “We will let it be researched until we find a safe way to use this power.”

  The wizard looked to Sebastian and asked, “This sword of yours can trap the power safely?”

  Nodding in reply slowly, Sebastian added, “The first sword can hold the power, though it feels ready to burst. If I take too much, I fear that it will break. The second sword I brought here to test hasn’t been pushed at all.”

  Culmore stepped back leading Neferen with him and said, “If your raven is ready for you to test it, then I think it is time to see if your new weapon is as good as the first.”

  Receiving permission and a pat on the back as Leros joined the wizards; Sebastian replaced the first sword drawing the second. His magic senses told him that it should work, but it was his first attempt working raw metal. Though the first Hollow Sword pioneered the creation, he had a better base to start with than a lump of iron.

  “Fire sword,” he cast the spell into the blade and saw the rune glow orange like the first sword. It wasn’t as bright as the first using the power of the earth but, as he swung and sent the fire out of the runes, the weapon multiplied the energy exactly the way its predecessor had before it.

  Daring to put it to the ultimate test as the mage watched the sword hold the magic without trouble, Sebastian took a deep breath and touched the tip to the ground. “Lightning dance,” he called the power into the runes.

  Like being under the influence of his reflex spell, Sebastian seemed to feel time slow. He felt the surge of power enter the second Hollow Sword and immediately felt the metal in the blade react. Unlike the feel of magic ready to burst, the steel created by the novice seemed to explode before he could even lift the blade to release it again. Turning his head away as the weapon gave way to the power, Sebastian tried to pull away, but not even a reflex spell could have escaped the sword as it shattered beside him.

  Pain laced his leg and ran up his side. There was pain that felt cold in his arm as the trapped lightning shocked his flesh and it tore through the cloth of his uniform like it was nothing. Cloth was nothing to the flow of lightning.

  His left side felt different pain as he landed on the hard earth. Flung like a rag doll, the battle mage hit the ground and bounced as the energy released pushed him away even as metal and lightning stung the young man. Ears ringing, Sebastian lay stunned as his brain turned to ice unable to think or comprehend what had just happened.

  Chapter 11- The Cost of Healing

  Ashleen watched as the new Hollow Sword took in the power of the earth to create a lightning spell inside of the runed metal and knew something was wrong almost instantly. As the metal fractured, lightning crackled where there were no runes. The explosion of power sent the mage flying to the side as fragments of steel sprayed the man and those closest to the demonstration.

  Lightning sprung from the wilder’s body protectively deflecting several shards away from her. People in the small crowd collapsed in pain as metal shrapnel sprayed them along with the helpless mage.

  As Ashleen’s mind took in the devastation, she began to react.

  “Sebastian!” the young woman cried out in fear that the man she loved might die in front of her. Flinging herself across the space between them, Ashleen virtually threw herself on top of the wounded battle mage.

  Her eyes examined him as she tried to determine what to do. She was no healer. Yara was the one who had saved Sebastian from his worst injuries over and over again. They had never become very close as each girl knew the other loved the same man, but the healer had jokingly complained that the battle mage was her best customer and always needing to be saved. Even though Yara was just a healer, and rarely in the thick of a fight; Ashleen had sensed a quiet power in her that she admired.

  Looking down, Ashleen spotted a large piece of metal sticking out from the mage’s boot. It had torn through the leather like it wasn’t there sinking deep into his calf. Another smaller piece stuck out of the thigh, but blood soaked most of his right leg from smaller fragments that were less obvious. Looking at his side, the torso was relatively unscathed, but a large chunk of metal could be seen in his forearm. He had short sleeves, so the blood covering his arm scared her even more seeing the destruction. The blood lost was already significant in the seconds it took for her to get to the mage.

  She clamped her hands onto the wounded limb and quickly she pulled the metal from his arm before trying to press the wound closed to slow the loss of blood. The hospital in Hala was on the south side of the inner city. Even with the new opening in the wall, Ashleen feared that he would lose too much blood to make it.

  “Is anyone a healer? Help! He’s really bleeding badly here!” the girl cried out doubting anyone there could heal him.

  The shadow of Leros arrived seconds later and she asked for a healer again.

  Blue shields had instinctively protected the raven and his falconi. Their spells protected those closest to them as well, but the blue shields couldn’t heal or protect Sebastian. “Why didn’t he think to put an earth skin spell on him before trying that?” the old mage asked in almost as much distress as Ashleen. “We’re going to lose the brightest light we’ve seen in two centuries,” he added already turning the bleeding mage’s injuries into the darkest likelihood.

  The girl’s blue eyes turned on the raven as her blond hair swished in the air. “Can you or anyone here heal?”

  Shaking his head, the old man said, “I can try to bind his wounds, but I am not sure we can do anything quick enough to save him.”

  Ashleen looked at Sebastian in front of her looking pale from shock and blood loss already. Desperation caused the wilder to try what she had seen the owl do many times. He had even been pushing her through the creation of the sword to test her ability to tap into the magic of healing. While Sebastian had never asked her to become more like Yara, she had wondered if he only needed to see that in her as well to truly fall in love with her.

  “Heal,” she mumbled feeling the blood and flesh in her hands as the woman tried to hold the life inside of him. “Heal!” the word came again more desperately focusing her mind like she had done so many times with the metal of the swords.

  Like a rush, Ashleen found her consciousness feeling the pain inside the mage. The open cut in his arm felt so wrong to her mind that it was easy for the wizard to tell what belonged together and quickly worked to mend the flesh with her magic. It pulled together with the power of her mind in seconds and soon felt much better to her senses.

  Drawn away by the other pains, Ashleen traced the next closest wound just above his belt. She hadn’t even seen the cut in her quick examination; but as her consciousness flowed inside of him like a wizard riding the winds, the woman hovered inside of the pain lacing his skin back together righting the chaos and remaking his flesh into the order it suggested.

  More wounds and openings in the man laced his leg. The large pieces of metal were pushed out and the healing continued. She was nearly done, but the energy needed was exhausting.
The wilder knew lightning, air and earth. This was completely new to her though it felt like the work they had done with the Hollow Sword, but that had ended in failure.

  She pushed the negative thought away but only for a moment. There were more wounds, but Ashleen had mended the worst of them and her mind was tired. Her thoughts began to dull and she tried to pull back to her body. It was too much. What would happen if she passed out trying to heal him?

  Air wizards had died when their minds couldn’t return home after riding the wind. Could a healer die the same way inside of their patient’s body?

  Something pushed her gently towards her hands. Though Ashleen was exhausted, it was like a second presence shifted her home. The soft touch felt like Sebastian, she thought oddly, but he was unconscious. He couldn’t help her could he?

  Her eyes fluttered open looking at Sebastian still lying in front of her unmoving for only a moment before the world went dark. Collapsing next to the mage with only a sigh for warning; Leros tried to catch the girl easing her to the ground.

  Sebastian woke to look up at the white ceiling of a room that he did not know. A curtain hanging to the right blocked his view beyond his reach, though his arm hurt too much to try at the moment. Turning his head to the left drew attention from a familiar face, who called out, “He’s awake!”

  “Where am I, Frell?” he asked the young woman who looked so concerned and it took a moment for Sebastian to remember what had happened.