by Jaxon Reed
“We’ll be ready. Will you and Mita be joining us? G.”
The old man smiled at the question. Both he and the other wizard already knew the answer.
“Yes.”
He hurried to write letters to the others.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING all the guards in Kathar, save a skeleton crew for gates and dungeons, assembled near the castle courtyard. Others, in reserve positions, left their jobs as bakers, carpenters, drivers, private guards, and other various employments, and reported for duty near the courtyard as well.
Sergeants barked orders, officers conferred, quartermasters handed out supplies, units were formed, meals were served, and by the end of the day the army was finally ready to march. They went out the city’s main gate, and promptly made camp for the night. A foraging crew went back and confiscated most of the food in Kathar’s markets for the army’s supper.
The following morning after a hearty breakfast, and many goodbye kisses from wives and girlfriends, the army set out on the road marching in ranks of five men across. Officers on horseback led the way and others followed along to make sure everyone stayed together. The supply wagons brought up the rear, most of them led by oxen.
The procession made it to the crossroads by dusk, and the army set up camp again. They confiscated several merchant wagons parked at the crossroads, and all their supplies. Some of the captains discussed conscripting the caravan guards, burly men used to fighting. In the end, they decided the guards’ lack of soldiering skills would hinder everybody if any serious resistance was met in the woods, and the merchants were allowed to keep their men.
Early the next morning before sunrise, a freak storm blew in. High winds blew away tents and scattered horses and oxen. Rain fell down in torrents, often mixed with hail the size of apples.
At first light of dawn, the officers found their camp in shambles, and the rain still pounded down hard. All roads were impassible. Some of the older sergeants, who had seen a campaign or two, murmured amongst themselves about “wizard storms.” Morale plummeted as the day and its bad weather continued.
LOADSTONE STOOD HALF a mile from the crossroads, hidden near a copse of trees. He held his staff at an angle in front of him, pointed at the clouds gathered over the crossroads. The circle of white hair around his head contrasted neatly with his dark almond skin. His eyes never left the sky, his concentration fully centered on the storm spell.
Redstone patted his friend’s face with a cloth, wiping moisture away. He held up a chunk of broiled fish to Loadstone’s mouth, and fed it to him. Redstone wiped the crumbs away from the other wizard’s lips, then lifted a mug of water to his mouth. After Loadstone drank, he took the mug away and wiped off the man’s lips.
“How long do ye think you can keep this up, Loadstone?”
“As long as our food holds out.”
MARGWEN WALKED arm in arm with Trant through the paths of an elaborate garden behind the manor. She held on tight to his arm, and they walked slow, savoring time with each other as well as the sights of the garden. She breathed in deep to smell his scent, as well as the flowers blooming everywhere.
Pixies flew around in circles. Some stopped to smell flowers. Others chased one other in acrobatic glee, forming complex patterns as their colorful lights streaked around in flight.
He was tall, head and shoulders above her, and his arms were tightly muscled from swordplay and archery. She gripped his arm tighter, looked up and smiled at him.
She discovered these were her happiest moments, walking with him in the garden, sharing meals and talking. Sometimes they talked about important things, sometimes about silly things. But they always had something to talk about.
She was falling in love, and finding it difficult to imagine spending her life with anyone else.
Margwen looked around the garden, and imagined their own little prince or princess laughing and playing, sniffing flowers and chasing pixies.
“This place is amazing. I had no idea magic could be used this way!”
“Yes, this is a recreation of the courtyard garden from my castle back home. Nanny used to take me there when I was a child. Greystone thought it would help ease my homesickness after he brought us here. We were in the garden when he rescued us from Endrick’s men.”
The mention of Endrick wiped the smile from Margwen’s face, and darker thoughts bubbled up in her mind.
“That’s terrible what he did. I am so sorry for what happened to your family.”
“The day will come when Endrick and Darkstone pay for their crimes against my people. We’re getting closer every day.”
“I just don’t understand why something couldn’t be done about it sooner. Why haven’t the other wizards descended on Kathar and taken them both out?”
“I used to wonder that, too, and when I was a child I practically begged Greystone to get the Magic Council to do it. He explained to me that wizards rarely work together for a common cause. As I grew older, and he spent more time training me how to run a kingdom and how to deal with wizards, I began to understand more.
“You see, wizards are high scholars of magic. They have life-lengthening spells and live far longer than the rest of us. When a wizard finally dies, which is rare, his stone is passed down to another who then takes the stone’s name.
“Each wizard is interested in his own type of magic and he’ll specialize in it, growing in knowledge and strength. Some will take an interest in everything, like Oldstone. But most find only one or two particular branches of magic interesting, and they’ll end up spending a lot of time in it.”
“Like Greystone’s fascination with dimensional magic.”
“Exactly! That’s one of his specialties. They each have something that they are the best in the world at performing. It’s really quite interesting. As a child I used to fantasize about becoming a wizard like Greystone. He was my hero growing up, seeing as how he rescued me from certain death. But when I grew older I realized I would never control enough magic to be considered for a spot on the Wizard’s Council, if one opened up in my lifetime.
“When the rare position does open, they look at the strongest wielders of magic across the realms. Usually court magicians are high on the list, or others who’ve shown themselves to be exceptionally well-versed in wielding magic. Then the council investigates further. I’m a little fuzzy on the details because Greystone has never really talked about how they go about deciding. But eventually the council members select a replacement. Then that person receives a life-extending spell, and is renamed according to the stone they inherit.”
“But I still don’t understand why the other wizards wouldn’t join forces and take Darkstone out for you.”
“Wizards tend not to be as interested in the affairs of men, and more interested in their own pursuits, if they can help it. They’re not even interested in amassing fortunes like a typical person. You know the saying, ‘A man who can make his own gold doesn’t need to be paid in money.’ Well, they can all make their own gold. Greystone assures me it’s fairly easy, especially if you have lead on hand. Lead and gold are very similar, and I’ve seen him change counterfeit coins some of the villagers brought him.
“For some reason, though, it’s a very difficult spell for anybody who is not a wizard. Countless court mages would love to be able to make their own gold, and their kings would love it as well. I asked Greystone once, and he said spells like that are nearly impossible without one of the twelve stones.”
“Oh. Well, I suppose that makes sense.”
“Yes, so most of the wizard are pursuing their own agendas, and they’re just not interested with who is in power within any kingdom at any particular moment.
“Greystone is different, though. He is always concerned with the goings on of the kingdoms, and people in all the realms. He loves the common folk and the nobility as well. I think some of that has rubbed off on Oldstone, too. They’re close friends.
“But Greystone remains uniquely interested in people. Each wiz
ard has a lair they retire to for personal pursuits. Oldstone has his flying castle. Redstone supposedly has a cave somewhere in the mountains no one else can get into. When Greystone set up his lair, he created this village and opened it to others. Using dimensional magic, he put entrances near all the major kingdoms, adding spells so that those in need could easily find their way here.
“Since Greystone is much more interested in helping people than others on the council, they often accuse him of meddling in things, especially royal affairs. And it’s true, he’s helped kingdoms form alliances. He’s helped broker marriages . . .”
Trant glanced down at her and Margwen blushed.
“He’s helped start and end wars. But none of the others are nearly as interested in the affairs of mortal man as he is. So when Darkstone and Endrick took over my kingdom, the council remained unconcerned. He explained to me, and the first time was when I was a little boy not long after he brought me here, that we would have to wait. Darkstone had gone rogue from the council, but the council was willing to leave him be so long as they could continue their individual pursuits. He could not take on Darkstone alone but over time, he said, Darkstone would prove to be too big a threat. Eventually, he assured me, others on the council were sure to join us in taking him out.
“I think that time has come, now that the Forlorn Dagger has surfaced. It played a role in the last great battle, and it can kill even a wizard if someone gets close enough. That has their attention, and they’re more willing to intervene now that they are beginning to see Darkstone as a personal threat.”
“I’M glad you listened to me about paying more attention to what goes on in the kingdoms. Reading through the broadsheets each morning is a good idea. I’m going to have to learn that spell.”
Oldstone nodded absently while he stroked Deedles’ fur. The blind cat’s eyes were closed and it purred loudly.
“This is a remarkable cat. You say it accompanied Princess Margwen of Coral?”
“Yes. She helped thwart Darkstone when he tried to kidnap the princess. She formed a Globe of Expulsion and killed four of his men with it.”
“Globe of Expulsion? That’s a complex spell.”
“Yes. I doubt it’s been used in many decades. She can’t see very well in the physical world, but her spiritual eyesight is quite good. As soon as she identified the threat to the princess, she took care of things.”
Oldstone nodded, deep in thought as he stroked the cat. Finally he looked up at Greystone.
“Perhaps she’ll be willing to teach a thing or two to our battlemaiden.”
MITA FLEW past a long row of foot soldiers holding her sword out to the side, slashing each one as she passed. They screamed, some running away while others tried to position themselves to stop her. She swooped up at the end of the row, turning around to see how successful she had been. Two thirds of the row drifted up in black smoke. Most of the remainder turned and charged toward her.
A large bolt of energy slammed into her Globe of Protection, moving her sideways a few steps. She scanned the army, trying to locate the wizard. She shot a few energy bolts in the direction she thought his came from, taking out two horses and their riders. She shot more at the row she had flown through, killing most of the soldiers she missed earlier.
The wizard shot back at her, then sent a long streak of lightning that revealed a better idea of his location. She realized he hid near the rear of the army, and she flew that way.
Arrows and arbalest bolts sailed up at her, all bouncing off her globe. Occasionally she shot back, killing soldiers who were particularly persistent.
The wizard threw more bolts of energy at her, but she was prepared and dodged them easily. She scanned the ground ahead, looking for him.
Finally, he unleashed an amazingly powerful lightning bolt. It wiped out her globe of protection, and she felt the shock of electricity even though her black armor. The suddenness of the attack knocked her out of the sky, and she fell down at the rear of the army.
The wizard stepped out from behind a group of supply wagons, and cast another spell. This time, a giant metal net materialized in the air and dropped down on top of her.
She struggled to stand under the weight of the net. Before she could fly away, the nearest soldiers piled on top of her. Then more joined the pile. A dozen, three dozen, soon over a hundred men piled on top of the net and on top of her. She blasted bolt after bolt of energy, killing the men closest to her, but their weight stayed on top of her as more piled on.
She was crushed under the weight, and she felt her face digging into the ground. She couldn’t move, and she couldn’t think of any spell that would help.
Suddenly, everything disappeared. The soldiers and the metal net and the wizard all drifted up in smoke. So did the supply wagons, the warhorses, and all the weapons. She stood up and looked around an empty field.
Above her, Oldstone and Greystone stood on the floating slab looking down. She flew up to their eye level. Oldstone held a white cat in his arms. It looked at her steadily with pink eyes.
Greystone smiled.
“Your first army?”
Mita nodded, and frowned in disappointment at her performance.
“That’s alright, princess. Better to lose in a simulated battle than in the real thing.”
Oldstone nodded.
“I agree. That’s one of the reasons I’m putting you through these trainings, so you can learn from your mistakes ahead of time. Now, what did you do wrong?”
She thought for a moment before answering.
“I had trouble locating the wizard. I knew he was my biggest threat, but I couldn’t find him. When I did get an idea of where he was hiding, I got too close. I presume that iron net spell can’t work at a distance.”
“Yes. And, once you were trapped, how do you think you could have escaped?”
She thought for a moment, and ran through her battle spells.
“Perhaps if I had burned the bodies, I could have overcome their combined weight.”
“Perhaps, but I doubt it. There were three thousand men in that army, and they were prepared to throw everything they had on top of you.”
She nodded, and tried to think of other ways she could have escaped the net and the pile of men. Before she could think long, Oldstone spoke again.
“Let me introduce you to Deedles. She is what we call a ‘wizard’s cat.’ Among the lower creatures, there are only two kinds who can manipulate magic: dragons and cats.
“While all dragons master magic, only a few cats ever grasp its abilities. Deedles is one such cat. She has chosen to accompany Princess Margwen of Coral. Today she agreed to travel with Greystone and meet with you.”
Mita floated to the slab, landed, and walked to Oldstone. She put out her hand and gently stroked Deedles from head to back. Deedles arched her neck and purred.
“A wizard’s cat can understand language far better than a normal cat. They can also communicate back to you, mainly in thoughts and images.”
Mita leaned her head closer to the cat’s, all the while stroking its head and back.
“Hello. My name is Mita.”
The cat opened its pink eyes and looked at Mita. She felt a presence in her head, along with several abstract thoughts and feelings. Warmth flooded her mind, and she had the sensation of a pleasurable large hand stroking her neck and back. Then a single word filled her thoughts: “Deedles.”
Mita laughed and looked up at Oldstone in surprise.
“She talks!”
“In a fashion, yes. You’ll find her words are few, while her thoughts are more plentiful. It may take some getting used to, before you can hold a lengthy conversation. When you talk, it helps to transfer thoughts and images back to her along with your words.”
He took over from Mita, and started stroking the cat.
“Deedles, you used a particularly useful spell in protecting Princess Margwen a while ago. We call it the ‘Globe of Expulsion.’ It is complex, and difficult to perform
under pressure, but Greystone tells me you handled it quite well. I wonder if you might teach it to Mita for us, along with any other spells she might find useful when facing men like that.”
CHAPTER 12
Prince Dudge, Barley, and Fret sat on the front pew of the church, their feet dangling above the floor. Dudge deemed sitting in front preferable to sitting in back, where humans might be tempted to turn around and stare. Sitting in front, humans might stare at the dwarves, but at least Dudge would not have to look back at their faces.
He considered the dwarves’ presence a mere courtesy anyway. All in the village had been requested to go to the church and await an important announcement from the wizard. He decided the three of them should attend out of respect for their host. After all, they had not been mistreated while staying at the inn, despite some overheard comments that were more disparaging than complimentary.
Also, Dudge was genuinely curious what the humans were all stirred up about. So, he suggested the three of them attend the meeting and sit up front.
Accompanying the dwarves on the front row were the merchants Bartimo and Bellasondra, the brother and sister who had spent their time in many long discussions about the logistics of providing dwarven beer to the human lands. Also, the human boy and the older man who accompanied the twins.
The boy’s guardian (Dudge suspected the older man was not the boy’s father since they hardly resembled one another) sat on the far end of the pew, away from the dwarves. Dudge felt strong mistrust toward that one, especially with the news Fret had shared about his seemingly magical abilities to steal.
His thoughts shifted toward the podium as the wizard pulled back a curtain and entered along with the priest.
“A FULL CROWD TODAY, ay Robrigo?”
The priest, dressed in his official white and gold robes, nodded. He was fairly young, perhaps thirty-five, with sandy blonde hair and a tan face. He was thin, and taller than the wizard by a few fingers.
Like many who chose to live in the village, he was running from his past. Greystone knew he was wanted in Coral for a crime. The wizard had never looked too closely at the charges against the priest but he knew it dealt with something about a dalliance with a young woman, which raised the ire of some powerful people. Regardless, the spell on the village entrance near Coral had drawn him here, and he escaped his pursuers. Starting a new life, he had served faithfully for nearly a decade in the church Greystone built for him.
