Osric followed the path toward the edge of the forest along the east side of the palace grounds. Kenneth had seen Gus casting stabilizing spells along the weakest points of the collapsed palace earlier that day. As he passed by the group of unicorns in the grass, he paused to watch them for a moment. Their white hides glistened in the sunlight, muscles rippling with each graceful movement. They alternated between grazing on the wild berries growing near the path and gazing longingly at the toppled palace walls. As he watched one of the magnificent creatures cross the expanse of grass to another berry bush, it seemed as though the unicorn willed the ground to move under him, rather than walk upon it. The fourth unicorn had saved his life, he was sure of it, but he didn't know why, or how, or what had happened to it afterward.
Osric continued along the path and the sound of someone shouting caught his attention. He veered off into the trees to investigate.
“You're an idiot! You cannot have me arrested for giving away free wands!” Osric recognized Eni, the Wand-Maker, and he assumed the gruff looking prairie dog yelling at him must be Gus. At least he would not have to waste more time finding the maker of his problematic wand.
“Yes, I know, but I can have you arrested for breaking the Eni wands they owned before giving them yours!” Eni stood with his hands on his hips, staring down at Gus with an angry snarl on his face. His barrel chest was straining his tunic as he bent over to poke Gus in the belly, nearly toppling forward with the effort. Gus responded by biting the man's finger.
“Those wands did not belong to you, so you cannot raise the accusation, and I do not hear any of them complaining about a broken piece of refuse.” Before the scene could escalate any further, Osric stepped up and cleared his throat to get their attention.
“Ah, Contege Osric, thank Archana you are here!” Eni exclaimed. “You must do something about this rodent; he is breaking my customer's wands again!” His whining tone reminded Osric of a defiant child. “I made several complaints to the former Vigile Contege before he went missing. I demand action, now!”
The last thing Osric needed right then was Eni pestering him for justice. He put his hand on the man's shoulder and spoke to him reassuringly. “Eni, I am so sorry you have suffered for his actions, you can be sure that I will handle the situation. The rescue efforts could greatly benefit from your expertise, why don't you go assist them at the palace?” Gus paced back and forth angrily, while screaming obscenities at Osric for believing Eni. Osric went to reach for his wand to immobilize and silence the offensive prairie dog, but thought better of it, as he had no idea what would happen if he tried to cast another spell with his new wand. Instead, he reached down and picked Gus up by the scruff of his neck and held him out at arm's length, as he watched Eni depart for the palace with a wide grin on his face. “Wand-Maker Gus, I am taking you into Vigile custody for questioning in the investigation of recent events at the palace. Stop struggling or I will drop you.”
“How dare you! You know very well I had nothing to do with that, put me down!” Gus yelled, disgusted with being handled with such disrespect.
Osric set him briskly back on the ground.
“I am sorry that I had to restrain you, but I needed to get rid of Eni.” Osric looked at him scoldingly. “I do not have time for his complaints. Why were you breaking his wands?”
“Wands?! You call those things wands?” Disbelief filled his voice as Gus protested with passion. “Those were trinkets! Garbage! Half of them were no better than paun droppings!”
“Fine, but why did you have to break them?” Osric was beginning to sense that a reasonable conversation with Gus was unlikely. “Couldn't you have just given them new wands without angering Eni?” Eni was indeed a handful, but hopefully he had prevented him from another outburst about Gus at the next council meeting, if there were any council survivors.
“He is a pompous idiot, and deserved every bit of what I did!” Gus did not want to give an inch.
“Lucky for you, not one of them complained. I have something more important to discuss with you.” Osric looked down at him, hoping that the authority associated with his uniform would encourage Gus to cooperate.
Gus stuck out his small chin in defiance. “Go ahead and arrest me then. Your superiors in the palace will let me out the second we free them. You see, I am somewhat popular among those with authority. Being a world renowned Wand-Maker has something to do with that, I am sure!”
“I would rather question you here than in the dungeon, Gus, and I do not have time for this banter. Let's dispense with the sarcasm. Did Pebble tell you what happened to me in there today?” He asked, pointing at the pile of stone that was once Stanton Palace. He did not want to get into a test of wills. He needed to get some answers from him, and after all, Gus was probably correct about his superiors.
“Well, aren't we grumpy today.”
“I am sorry if I sound rude. I am dealing with much more than a defective wand and have only moments to discuss this before I have to resume my investigation into the sabotage of the palace. My time is short, so if you could please cooperate.”
Gus eyed Osric carefully, and in a short span decided that he had done him a favor when he made Eni stop pestering him, so he would comply with Osric's inquiries. He was tired of arguing anyway.
“Yes, Pebble told me everything. That wand is not defective; you should have known better than to use such a powerful spell. Vaporizing stone, indeed!” Gus looked him right in the eye and said, “Very impressive, though. Don't think that one has been done 'til now, so you can name it.” He took a short pause, then started again. “Trouble is, you did it for your first spell with the wand, and it caused you to go into spasms or something. Pebble thought it was an incredibly long power lock, but I straightened him out on that. I don't know what more I can tell you.” Osric had to keep himself from screaming at the ridiculous accusation that he had intentionally used such a spell to initiate his link with a new wand.
“First of all, I did not attempt to vaporize stone, I lit the tip.” Osric stated through clenched teeth, and Gus rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Then I was locked in, I don't know for how long. All I know is I didn't want it to stop, ever, and it almost killed me.”
“That is absurd, you have no need to feel ashamed boy. Do you think you're the first to make the mistake of using too strong of a spell as a power lock?” Gus tried to dismiss the claims quickly, and Osric would have none of it.
“I am telling you, I lit the tip. Can you just look at the wand and tell me what is wrong with it?” Osric took his new wand out and handed it to Gus.
“Oh, right, because it makes so much more sense that I, greatest Wand-Maker on Archana, gave you a bad wand?” Gus examined it with a concentrated gaze. Then reached behind him and produced another wand, and held it next to Osric's. “No, they are identical! Well, mine is more attractive and has my bolt and yours doesn't, but the magical structure within is every bit the same. Obviously, you messed up, not me.” Gus tossed his own wand to Osric.
“What is this for?” Osric looked at it with surprise.
“Well, if this wand gave you an extensive power lock, so will that one. Go ahead; light the tip, if that is really what happened.” Gus eyed Osric with displeasure. “Go on, boy; show me how defective my wands are.”
Osric felt like strangling Gus at that moment. How could someone that small look down their nose at any man? There he was, calling Osric a liar, and talking to him like a child. Osric did not want to endure another power lock that intense. At least, the rational part of him did not want to. Yet Gus was standing there, daring him to do just that.
“Do you have any idea how draining that experience was?” Osric tried to reason with him.
“Well, I can only guess, having never been foolish enough to try a spell such as that, when I knew a power lock was inevitable.” Gus taunted.
“You have no idea what you are asking me to do!”
“Oh, I disagree. The question is whether or not you a
re willing to repeat your incompetence to prove yourself right.” Gus gave Osric a smirk that dared him to do it.
“If this kills me, I will haunt you for eternity!” Osric knew the only way to end the debate was another power lock. Then, hopefully, he could find some answers.
Osric laid on the ground, expecting the same physical assault he had experienced before. If Gus was right, and the wands were identical, he knew what would happen when he lit the tip. Once he was relatively comfortable, he gave Gus a disdainful look, and lit the tip.
Power coursed through him, and began to build. Osric felt his skin tingle as the flow of magic met the resistance of the wand. The sensation intensified, every nerve coming alive, and the tip of his wand began to glow. Osric smelled the sweet musk of the pine trees, and the muted greens and browns of the forest sharpened. The tingling grew stronger and he knew, any moment, the intensity of the experience would become overwhelming. Osric took a deep breath to prepare himself for the coming strength of it and the power lock stopped.
“Twelve breaths. Now that is a great wand!” Gus had pride in his voice as he reached down and exchanged the two wands.
“I… I don't understand,” Osric desperately searched his memory for an explanation. “I lit the tip! I know I lit the tip!”
“Well, at least we know you are not a complete dolt. You didn't repeat the same mistake.” Gus eyed Osric with an expression of condescending amusement.
“There has to be another reason?” Archana's bones! Did I light the tip? The thought crossed his mind briefly that he had accidentally cast a different spell. He shook his head as he stood up, brushing debris from the forest floor from his clothing.
Gus ignored him, clearly distracted, and Osric followed his gaze through the trees and saw what had caught his attention.
5 – Interest and Intrigue
The three unicorns were striding purposefully toward the toppled palace, accompanied by a beautiful woman. Her russet hair flowed freely down her back, and her modest gown of variegated earth tones clung gracefully to her figure. Hues of amber and olive, bistre and emerald shifted with each movement as she approached the palace grounds. Osric had the same impression of the ground gliding beneath her as he had while watching the unicorn.
In the distance, Osric saw something jump down from the rubble, right where he had descended that morning, and make its way toward the woman and her unicorn companions. It moved with the same majestic grace as the three unicorns crossing the field. Its white coat gleamed with the same unnatural shine, but its forehead was unadorned by the distinctive spiral horn of a unicorn.
Osric stepped out from the trees and crossed the expanse of manicured grounds; he had an overwhelming urge to be closer to the woman. The closer he got to her, the stronger it was, and he was unsure if it was his Portentist gift pulling him or something else entirely. He was hypnotized by her elegance as he watched her examine the animal. She traced her hand delicately up its muzzle to its forehead, and rested her palm at the point where the horn would be. Osric stood, transfixed, as he reached the strange group, unable to take his eyes from her movements.
Gus had been only a step behind him, and nearly collided with Osric's boot in his eagerness to perform his own examination of the beautiful animal. Gus was a flurry of movement, running around the hoofs of the hornless unicorn, and weaving about the legs of the other three in his excitement.
However, the woman was a vision of calm. Her gentle hands moved purposefully, inspecting the animal without fear. A pleasant, peaceful smile adorned her thin lips, and lit her delicate face. Her bright blue eyes shone with knowledge and confidence that belied her youthful appearance. Her long dress was cinched at her waist by a jeweled belt, securing a silver dagger and several bottles of herbs and tinctures. Standing near her, Osric could see shades of gold and honey in her hair, softening her commanding presence. Osric suspected he knew why she moved with such grace, but he had thought those women only existed in stories.
“Is it a unicorn?” Osric asked, taking a step closer to her.
“Yes.” She smiled over at him and his breath caught in his throat. “She will heal.”
“So, the horn will grow back?” Osric asked, while Gus finally stopped running around in circles and stood on his hind legs, gazing at each of the four animals.
“Of course it will.” She said with a soft laugh. “I am pleased to hear your concern, but these creatures cannot be killed.”
“I think this one saved my life.” He said.
“Oh?” She turned and looked directly at Osric. “It is possible.”
“A lot of strange things have happened lately.” Osric was remembering the pearl, the split pull of his gift, surviving the explosion, and the power lock. “Tell me something,” He paused, trying to word his question in a way that would get him an answer without having to explain everything that had happened. “What would cause it to lose its horn?” He asked hopefully.
“There are several possibilities.” She said, turning her attention back to the unicorn. She untied one of the bottles from her belt and sprinkled something into the palm of her hand. As the unicorn nuzzled at her hand for the substance, she rested her forehead on the place where the horn should be, sighing softly. A red stone amulet slipped from where it had been tucked inside her dress and rested on the muzzle of the unicorn. “They can shed their horns, or lose them in a massive power usage, or a fight over territory.” She said as she straightened, tucking her amulet away, and opening her hand to allow the unicorn to lick the herbs from her palm. She stroked the unicorn's muzzle with her other hand, a faraway look in her eyes.
“So, do you think that she could have shielded me from the blast, and that caused her to lose the horn?” She brushed her hands off and looked intently at Osric.
“To be honest, I am not sure,” Osric could see silver flecks in the blue of her eyes. “But one thing is certain; they have taken an interest in you. I am Bridgett,” she held out her hand, “Maiden of the Unicorn.”
So Osric had been right about her. Stories told of the mystical sect of women who lived among the unicorns, but he had never known anyone who had met one. Osric brought her hand to his lips and brushed it with a kiss. She would know more about the unicorns than anyone else on Archana. Perhaps she could help him find out what their involvement was.
“I am Osric, Contege of the Stanton Vigiles, and so far, sole survivor of that pile of rock that used to be Stanton Palace.” He blushed when he realized he was still holding her hand in his.
“I think you have an admirer.” Gus had ceased his inspection of the unicorn long enough to interrupt their introductions. “That is so cute!”
Osric's cheeks darkened and he took a step toward Gus. He had a hard time believing that such a small creature could be so brazen.
“I'm reconsidering the dungeons, old man.” Osric started to reach for him.
“Now, gentlemen.” Bridgett stepped between the two of them. “It seems we have more important matters at hand.” She said, addressing Osric.
Gus and Osric glared at each other briefly, then Osric looked back at Bridgett and his expression softened. He still felt drawn to her, and he needed to know more about the strange unicorn.
“You're right. I will deal with him later.” Osric sent one last threatening look at Gus.
“What took place here last night?” Interjected Bridgett, cutting off Gus' retort.
“Representatives from nearly every race on Archana gathered to sign a peace treaty. Before the signing could take place, the palace was sabotaged. It collapsed with everyone, including myself, still inside.”
“Why do you believe you were saved by this unicorn?” Bridgett asked, stroking her silvery mane.
“Just before the implosion, she collided with me, pushing me further into the throne room. Had she not, I would have been crushed where I stood when the ceiling fell down.”
“That was all she did? You didn't notice anything else?” Osric thought back to the prev
ious night, but could not recall anything more.
“No, she ran into the palace while the other three remained outside, collided with me in the throne room, and I must have passed out when everything collapsed. I don't remember anything else. All I caught was a glimpse of her horn before the explosion. I did not even know for sure what I had seen until I was informed by the guard that a unicorn had entered the palace.”
“What is your magical gift?” Her sudden change of subject caught Osric off guard.
“I am a Portentist.”
“A Portentist?” She asked, with a curious, almost disappointed expression on her face.
“Yes, I can sense intent, and as of late my gift has been triggered more frequently than ever before.” Osric replied. “Were you with the unicorns last night when they approached the palace? I don't recall my guards mentioning you, and I think that is something they would remember.”
“I traveled with the unicorns for the past three days, but as we neared Stanton they became restless and increased their pace. I was unable to keep up and made my way into town on my own. I arrived late last night and found accommodations in an inn near the market.”
Osric's face suddenly lit with excitement, and he asked. “You must communicate with them; can you help me speak to them?”
Bridgett shook her head gently. “I cannot question them for you, if that is what you mean. I am an Empath. It is more of an impression of need or intent, rather than a conversation. I know what they need from me, and I can express myself to them to an extent, but it is limited.”
The Wand-Maker's Debate: Osric's Wand: Book One Page 5
