Osric held in his laugh. He had owned an Eni wand. There were very few Wand-Makers that could boast to be able to make one better.
“And what's your name?” Osric asked, to keep the conversation going.
“Pebble,” He said, slightly ashamed, “but when you's have two hundred pups, you's run out of names to think up!”
“Well, I guess you would.” Osric thought it strange that a prairie dog could live long enough to have that many children. He had hunted prairie dogs, and they were not difficult prey. “Who is your Pa?”
“You's don't knows my Pa?” Pebble spoke in astonishment, his small mouth dropping open and eyes going wide.
“Well, I only just met you, so I am not sure how I would.” Osric thought it was cute that the pup thought the whole world would know his father. He hoped one day to have a child that thought that much of him.
“Yeah, but, but everyone knows my Pa.” Pebble sounded a bit more serious.
Osric could only think of one famous prairie dog in Stanton, “Is your father,” he was doubtful, but he asked anyway, “Gus?”
“So you's do know's him!” Pebble jumped up and down, thrilled to have his faith in his father restored. “I knew you's did. You's a silly fooler!” Pebble laughed, and the lit tip of his wand flickered with the sound of his giggle.
“Well, I have never actually met him,” Osric stated with a smile. He could not help thinking that if he could meet Gus, perhaps he could replace his missing wand. Here he was, sharing a confined space with the son of the world's greatest Wand-Maker, he wished for just a moment that the rescue scenario was the other way around, “but I do know of him, that's for sure.”
“Well, duh!” Pebble giggled again, Osric laughed with him.
“Yes, I know, and I would love to be able to buy one of his wands someday, just like everyone else.” Pebble gasped and scampered back into the rubble near Osric's feet.
“I's sorry.” He was making his way back, dragging something behind him over the broken pieces of stone. “Pa said if someone's can't find their's wand, I's supposed to give's ‘em one.” He pulled a wand, longer than himself, over the debris to reach Osric's hand.
“Really?” Osric could not believe his luck as he tried to get his arm in a position to take the wand. He wanted to jump for joy, but there was no room. Everyone wanted a Gus wand, and anybody who had one had paid dearly for it. They were the finest wands ever made. An inexpensive Gus wand would have cost him a year of his pay, and it was just being handed to him.
“I's supposed to say that they's is not pretty yet ‘cause Pa made 'em on his way here,” Osric ran his fingers over the length of his new wand, “but it work's really good! Pa had me checks 'em first!” He said with pride, and puffed his chest out.
“Thank you.” Osric was genuinely grateful, and his excitement was clear in his voice. He was still caressing the wand, though it was nothing special to look at; just a stick the length of his forearm, probably broken from a tree in a recent storm. The bark was rough under his fingers, and he was afraid the wood would splinter where a knot ran through it if he wasn't careful. He would have to seal it when he got out of there, or maybe Gus would finish it for him if he got the chance to thank him. It didn't even have Gus' lightning bolt signature carved in it, but if Gus had made it then it was surely a great wand.
The first spell with a new wand was a learning experience. It needed to be something simple, as you and the wand had to be introduced. It had to feel your power, and you feel its resistance. It was called a power lock, because you could not disengage yourself from it. It was usually brief, but the more powerful the wand, the longer it lasted. Lighting the tip with the Eni wand had taken almost ten breaths, compared to the two breaths or so it had taken with his first wand. It was pleasurable if done correctly, but could be painful if done wrong. Focus wasn't possible during a power lock, and Osric was hesitant to engage with the wand for the first time in the restricted space.
“Well?” Pebble said impatiently, rolling his eyes playfully at Osric, “If you's gonna help me wit' the wall, you's gotsta lit the tip now.” His childish sarcasm at the oversight of the common power lock spell made Osric grin.
I'm going to like this pup, he thought to himself. He had spent a little too much time admiring the amazing gift. Most would have initiated the power lock immediately.
“Thanks, Pebble. It has been a rough day so far.” Osric's Portentist gift ignited with a singular intensity, peaceful but nonetheless important. He drew a breath, closed his eyes, and attempted to relax. Holding the wand in both hands on his chest, he lit the tip.
The intensity of the pleasure he felt at the lighting of the wand was incredible. It was, by far, above and beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Pebble's giggling seemed to transcend into the sound of water trickling along the smooth stones of a brook, the cold floor against his skin was like the caress of the water after diving into a mountain lake. The smell of the dust in the air intensified and became the sweet cloying scent of lilacs in full bloom. The feel of his tongue in his mouth, his teeth, his hands on his chest, the way that the guard of his short sword felt against his side, every single part of his body was in ecstasy. He shook with the power of it. The wand had so much more resistance than it should, and it was taking a lot longer than normal for his power to sync with it.
Colors of reds, blues, and greens intertwined with each other, flashing before his eyes in a spectacular display. Breathing became difficult as the feeling built. He could not hear, see or feel anymore, and he lost sensation in his entire body. As time went on, his head jerked back and forth. Sweat rolled off of his body, and every nerve suddenly came alive, making him want to cry out with rapture. He could not take a breath, or withdraw his power. He was certain that the strength of the power lock would kill him if his own power did not conquer the wand soon, but he felt no fear.
Just when he thought his heart would beat out of his chest, the power lock stopped, and Osric lay panting on the cold marble floor.
“Wow!” Pebble shouted, amazed, as Osric focused on breathing. “That's was awesome!” He was dancing around in circles with excitement. “It didn't do's that for me. Try this one! Do's it again,” offering him a second wand.
“No.” Osric wheezed, struggling to catch his breath. “As much as I would love to experience that again someday, now is not the time.” His whole body throbbed. Muscles that only moments before had reveled in pleasure, were screaming in objection to the tiniest movement. His head ached worse than ever, from his gift or from the power lock, he did not know. The frequency with which his Portentist gift was activating troubled him. He could not recall ever feeling it trigger twice in a week, and now he was losing track of the number of events which had set it off over the course of two days.
He wondered if that intense of a power lock was what everyone experienced with a Gus wand. There were still remnants of colored light dancing before his closed eyes.
“Are you alright, Sir?”
The voice came from above him. His ears were still ringing, but it seemed the stone which trapped him was speaking. He cracked one eye open, too tired to focus, to reassure himself that someone had, indeed, called out to him. Sunlight greeted him as he looked up, glaringly bright after the darkness of his entombment. He saw the silhouettes of several men standing at the top of the slanted slab of stone that was once the ceiling of the throne room. Finally! Someone had come to get him out of there.
“Thank Archana!” He exclaimed out loud.
Pebble bounded over to his side and looked up.
“He's a'right. I told him to's lit the tip, not burn's a hole in the roofs. It's not my fault!” Then he looked at Osric. “Got so's bright in here you's sword look'd bright too!”
This makes no sense. I burned this hole? Osric's thoughts raced as the bright light made his head pound even harder.
“You did this, didn't you?” Osric asked the men standing above him.
“No, Sir.” Osric re
cognized the voice of the recruit, Dru. “We came rushing as fast as we could when we saw the bright light shoot into the sky. The section of stone that is gone from here is just dust, scattered all over out there now.” He said, motioning behind his head. “We thought you must be dying, and so you did this to get help in a panic.”
Osric's mind reeled as he tried to process all that had happened. Too many unexplained magical events had taken place lately. He sat up slowly, feeling each muscle protest in agony.
“Did Kenneth survive?” Osric suddenly had a terrifying vision of his best friend being crushed by the walls of the palace. “Was he thrown far enough away to avoid falling debris?”
“Thrown free, Sir?” Dru sounded as confused as Osric felt.
“Of the explosion!” He shouted. “What do you think caused this?” He indicated the rubble surrounding himself and Pebble.
“We don't know, Sir.” He stated in apologetic defensiveness. “Kenneth said nothing about an explosion, Sir. Neither did James. They said they were just standing there,” parting his hands in explanation, “when four unicorns came running up. Three stopped at the door and the other one ran inside.” He hesitated before continuing. “Then, moments later, the entire palace just collapsed in on itself.”
4 – Questions
It was a unicorn? That would explain the horn I saw. What were they doing here? Osric recalled being pushed forward as the unicorn collided with him. If not for that, he would have been crushed along with that unfortunate gentleman next to him. He could not begin to make sense of the questions circling in his head. He pulled his tunic down between his skin and the cold hilt of his sword as he stood stiffly, examining the hole in the stone. He still couldn't believe that his simple spell had caused it.
After he was helped out of the rubble, Pebble left to continue looking for survivors. Osric surveyed the devastation before him. Once he got his bearings, he realized it was as if every wall in the palace fell in the direction of the goblet of pearls. Every wall in turn; starting with the throne room, then the entry walls, the kitchen, the servant quarters and library, and out to the guest quarters and wash facilities. So true to that pattern was it that they would have been digging for days to get to that spot. If it were not for the hole in the roof, they would have had to uncover everything else before they got to him. The more he took in, the more questions he had, but he thought he knew of a good place to start.
“Somebody take me to Kenneth.”
“Yes, Sir!” Dru jumped forward eagerly.
He led the group carefully across the top of the rubble, sliding down a slanted wall to the path Osric had traversed the night before. Osric saw three unicorns laying gracefully on the grass alongside the path. They seemed to be waiting for something. Unicorns did not typically stay in one area for long, and they were gazing patiently in the direction of the palace. What they were waiting for, he did not know.
There was no disturbance to any of the surroundings or foliage. As Osric was led to the last outpost, he surveyed the lack of devastation along the way, and realized that only the palace had been touched. What could have destroyed the palace but not touched any of the surroundings? Upon opening the door, he saw Kenneth, asleep and looking very disheveled, but in one piece.
“Kenneth?” It came out as a coarse whisper at seeing his oldest friend safe.
Kenneth's eyes popped open and he sat bolt upright.
“Os!” Amazement and relief filled Kenneth's face as he made his way to his feet. “I thought you were dead!”
“I thought so, too.” Osric was combing his hands through his hair, dislodging dust and stone.
“Who else made it?” A hint of hope in Kenneth's voice.
“So far, just me. All of the town's council, Ryhain Domnall, and nearly a hundred representatives from other lands are still unaccounted for in the palace's rubble.” Osric knew he needed to get some answers, so he pressed on. “I am sorry to have to do this now, but I need to ask you a few questions, my friend.”
“Yes, Sir.” Kenneth knew he was right; the sooner Osric was caught up on the investigation, the better.
“I was told you did not hear the explosion. Is that correct?” Osric was aware that he had to ask the right questions, otherwise he would end up getting useless information that brought about more unanswered questions. He knew as soon as he had asked that it was the wrong one.
“Explosion!? What?!” Kenneth, seeing the look on Osric's face, changed his answer. “I mean, no, Sir. I heard no explosion.”
Osric was relieved to be questioning his friend. Nobody else would have recognized Osric's distress and reigned in their curiosity like that.
“Did you feel anything outside the palace?” Osric probed again, trying to focus on the interview rather than his sore body and pounding head.
“No, Sir.” Kenneth could tell that Osric was in pain, and wanted to make it as brief as possible.
“What did you see?” The only question he knew for sure would yield results. He needed to hear it directly from Kenneth, and in his own words. Even the smallest detail could make a huge difference.
“Nothing inside the palace, Sir.” He had suspected that, but Kenneth continued. “But outside, I was standing at my post talking to James, and we saw four unicorns come strolling up the way.” Osric was careful to note that he said strolling, not running. Kenneth pointed toward the market district as he described the scene. “And, I'm not sure why, but they were still a fair distance off and they started running, and I mean a dead run!” He placed much emphasis on the last two words. “The three on the right stopped at the door, and the one on the left just kept running, straight into the palace. We didn't know what to make of it.” He paused, replaying the moment in his head. “I heard the walls crashing down. I tried to come in to help but the unicorns had blocked the door. No matter what I did, they wouldn't let me through, until all the walls had fallen.” It was apparent that he was upset at not having been able to save anyone. “Then they went over there and laid down in the grass.” He indicated the three creatures they had passed.
“Thank you, Kenneth. You did everything you could, my friend. I need to find James and ask him if he remembers anything else.” He hoped that he could learn more by comparing their stories, but he doubted it.
“No, good Sir.” Osric hadn't even noticed James enter behind him. “Sorry if I startled you, but I saw you walk in here from just over there,” he motioned to a tent set up near his cart, “and I got here just in time to hear the story. Every word is exactly as I would put it. Every word, good Sir. I mean, they just showed up and everything went crazy. You do not see unicorns that often, and when you do, you don't see that many. It was like something out of the fire-tellings.” James set a plate of warm food down in front of Osric as he finished speaking. “You must be famished after your nap in the rubble.”
“Thank you, James.” Osric suddenly realized how hungry he was. Dru sprang forth, drawing his coin purse from a pocket to pay for the Contege's meal.
“No need for that, son. I will donate the food to any man that will aid Osric today. I hear rumors of war.” James spoke in hushed tones.
“War?!” Osric gasped.
“Yes, good Sir. I took my cart back to the Dragon Deck to sell for the day, as the messengers for the peace envoys were boarding to leave. Each accused the other factions of causing the walls to fall.” James was pointing his fingers at each man in the room, reenacting the scene he had witnessed. “Each one swore retaliation from their people. Only the messengers were left, you see; everyone else was in the palace when it fell. They were nursing their heads from their own celebrations in the square, and tempers were flaring. The weasel and irua messengers were shouting at those of the elves and humans, and I nearly had my head taken off by an angry lion. It was a good thing the dwarves allowed the humans to represent them for this. If a dwarf were here, there would have been trouble, even if they sent only a messenger. The dragons took off with their passengers before there
was bloodshed!” He exclaimed, hammering a fist into his open palm.
The silence that filled the room was palpable as the enormous nature of what had been spoken set in. Osric eyed each man in the room, seeing his own thoughts reflected in their expressions. There had never been a war of the scale it would be, if it happened. Most of the wars of the past had been before wands. The death toll of those wars was great, but relatively small considering magic could not be used effectively. It came down to who had the largest force. The wars that had taken place since wands were created were over quickly. The death toll was minimal, as wand wars were usually ended by a quick strike to the opposing leadership. One side, with clever tactics, could overwhelm the opposition quickly, with very few losses.
A world war would be different; billions could die in such an event. Wands had made magic readily available for the first time in history. Not that they did not have magic already within them, all species did. It was the creation of the wand that made it possible to use magic effectively as a weapon. Since their creation, magic had grown at an exponential rate. With that growth, all sorts of applications had been devised, from the helpful, to the unthinkable. To introduce that kind of force on a worldwide arena would see death on a scope never before imagined. Osric knew he could not dwell on his fears. He hoped there was still time to discover what had happened before that occurred.
“Thank you, James. If you hear anything else, you will be sure to tell me?” Osric asked briskly. He still had to focus. If the culprit was located then the whole disaster could be averted.
Osric consumed the meal James had provided quickly, yet still savoring the man's skill. There was herb crusted fish, roasted potatoes, corn and honey cakes. He didn't know how James prepared such delicious fare on a rickety cart, but Osric was thankful for the ability. While he ate, they talked about what must be done. He explained what had happened in the throne room, when the unicorn collided with him and the pearls started glowing. He sent Dru back to assist with the rescue of survivors, and asked Kenneth to find out who brought in the goblet of pearls. That would free him up to figure out what had happened to him; why he had survived, and the strange event with the wand he was given. He figured he should start with Gus, since the unicorns did not speak. After making the plans, he again thanked James for the meal and information. James promised to keep his ears open and hound all incoming messengers for as much information as he could pry from them, and they all set out on their respective assignments.
The Wand-Maker's Debate: Osric's Wand: Book One Page 4
