by Andrew Wood
“See I told you he knew what he was doing…Let me at him,” Darion shouted, probably louder than he meant.
“Darion…You promised me…,” Ramon snapped in reply.
The old magician glared at Ramon, before eventually standing down. Ramon was beginning to think having him here was going to prove counter-productive, but decided to continue as they were for now.
He placed a hand on Kurtis’ forehead trying to see into his mind. Ramon gasped as he felt a presence there, and the young man who had been so calm suddenly erupted in a tirade of abuse.
“Get out of my head you bastard! Your country will fall…we will crush you Kothian scum,” Kurtis growled.
Ramon took a step back in shock. After taking a deep breath to regain his composure, he turned to Danton and Darion, “See there is the presence of another in his mind…but who and how I am not sure…”
Ramon walked around his prisoner, trying to think of how he was having his mind controlled. Was there somebody else in the keep manipulating Kurtis? No, he thought, he would have been able to detect them. Perhaps there was another way, he did not fully understand. It was then he noticed the rather extravagant looking piece of jewellery on Kurtis’ finger. Such a ring would look more at home on the finger of a king, and certainly not one of his students. Without a second thought, he reached down to touch it. Kurtis wriggled and struggled, “Get off…I need that…It is mine,” he shouted.
Ramon nodded satisfied he had found what he thought was the link, and explained to the others.
“So if we remove it, he will not be under the influence of another?” Danton asked to verify his understanding of the situation.
Ramon nodded again, “I believe so…though quite where he got it from I do not know.”
“If we touch it…will we not become at risk of being compelled?” Danton asked.
Ramon nodded once more, “Possibly if you two do it…I on the other hand would likely be immune to such mind tricks. However just to be safe…If I try and put the ring on I want you to stop me…even if that means using powers against me,” he aimed the latter point more at Darion, knowing the old man would have no such qualms about doing so if needed.
Ramon walked around to the rear of Kurtis. The youngster struggled and swore as he grabbed the ring and pulled it free from his finger. The effect was instant as the link was broken, and Kurtis was once more in complete control of his own mind. Ramon did not risk holding the ring to long and threw it to the floor, before picking it back up with a handkerchief from his pocket; this was something he would study later.
Kurtis now changed from a young man who just a few seconds earlier had been aggressive and out of control to one of deep remorse. Obviously, the memory of what he had done still remained; just how much sympathy he would get, Ramon was unsure.
"Do you recall who wanted you to take Maxim?" Danton asked, stepping a little nearer.
Kurtis shook his head, visibly upset at what he had done.
"Here let me try," Darion said sharply, waving his hand to magic a hit against the youngster still bound on the chair. Luckily, for Kurtis, Ramon was on hand and alert to what the older magician was doing.
"No Darion...that is not the way," Ramon said defiantly nullifying the attack with his own powers.
Darion grumbled to himself, and begrudgingly stepped back to let the others do the talking.
"You must remember something," Ramon said. "Where they were taking him perhaps...?"
"Bosaria," Kurtis answered straight away. "I remember feeling Bosaria needed Maxim. Kothia could not have him at any cost. If I failed to take him, then I had to kill him...and the king," he added realising what he had just said.
It was clear that Darion for one was not overly impressed with what he had just heard. "I don't give two hoots about the king, but killing the lad? I will personally see you suffer..."
"Darion!" Ramon snapped. "It was not Kurtis' fault...now please remain calm."
Danton had a smile on his face, something that did not go amiss by the older man.
"What you bloody grinning at?" he asked.
"You...Despite all the snide remarks and name-calling, you do have a soft spot for Maxim," Danton explained.
Darion merely harrumphed, before crossing his arms defensively and leaning against the wall mumbling quietly to himself.
The questioning went on for a while longer, and despite Ramon certain Kurtis was no longer a threat, he kept the lad bound for now. More he thought, for his own safety, than their own. Whilst still tied, the youngster was unable to react by any of the remarks that would inevitably be coming his way from Darion. They learned little else, other than the beast that had carried Maxim away had travelled from the mountains. This small insignificant fact had gotten Ramon thinking. If Maxim was being taken to Bosaria, why had the perpetrator not come from that direction?
Satisfied Kurtis had answered all the questions, Ramon decided to untie the youngster's hands. "I want you to take him to his room Danton. See he remains there and keep him safe. I have a feeling that once word gets out, it won't just be Darion who wants revenge."
Ramon stood and watched as Danton left the room with Kurtis just a pace behind him. Once they had gone, he turned to Darion. Despite the old man being as miserable as they came, he was also as powerful as any, and probably the one who would have to lead any rescue attempt.
"Bosaria then...I presume they plan to use Maxim against us," he said breaking the silence in the room.
"Don't see no other reason...The lad is dangerously strong...If they manage to control his mind we would be left with no option but to kill him."
Ramon nodded, he was just hearing what he had thought was likely, and Darion was confirming it. In the wrong hands, Maxim would be a weapon of mass destruction, and one Ramon could not risk being unleashed. Although in the back of his mind, he had an inkling of an idea, a theory more than anything, and hoped, prayed almost, that he was right.
There was an awkward silence between the two men, and Ramon thought a glass of brandy was in order. He gestured for Darion to go back into his study, and after them doing so, he poured him a large drink.
"I need you to help with any rescue attempt Darion; although I have a feeling there will be a couple of young men who will insist on coming along," Ramon said before taking a gulp from his drink.
Darion knew to whom Ramon was referring, something he had already considered. "The dog would be handy, which means the dopey one can come...The sissy one...well he seems to be the only one who can calm the lad...so I guess they will both have to come."
Ramon smiled, "Thank you...I know it won't be easy...Perhaps take Danton along as well. Having someone who can be invisible may prove valuable."
Darion nodded..."Aye...might come in handy. We may have to take the crazy bird woman with us so we can keep track. When do you want us to leave?"
Ramon shook his head, "Katria needs to be here, I can however have her send her birds to keep track, possibly carry messages if need be." Darion didn't seem overly bothered by the denied request, but enquired again as to when they should depart, it was clear to Ramon, that although the old magician would never admit to it, but he also was obviously keen to get Maxim back.
Ramon had not thought that far in advance. Things were happening so fast, he needed to sit and think them through calmly.
"We need to gather sufficient supplies for your journey, and with half the Kothian army due here anytime they are a somewhat valuable commodity."
Darion nodded, "Aye, but we can pick things up on route, and once we are in Bosaria we can steal what we want...I want have no qualms about doing that."
Ramon smirked at the remark, although he did not want Darion and the others leaving unprepared. "Let us see what Katria discovers, before we head off blindly. For now, it will be all we can do to keep Zack and Mikel from chasing off after Maxim."
Chapter 11.
Shonna afforded herself a smile as the city of Waltham came into view. She
felt absolutely frozen stiff, and was looking forward to a hot meal and drink, beside a warm fireplace. Quite what the future for her prisoner was, she was as yet uncertain. Gorius would naturally want him under control, and would seek to take the lad's mind as soon as he could. After that, she guessed it would just be a case of her king deciding when and where to utilize the awesome elemental powers.
After deciding to make her landing in the palace grounds, Shonna was quickly surrounded by guards. The group of soldiers quickly parted, and she looked to see Gorius pacing towards her with a look of excitement on his face.
"Ah we have him...Is this the boy?" he asked as he held aloft a hand to aide her descent from the Aclat.
"This is he...Look at the hair colouring...very rare...I have seen very few from his part of the world," she added before realising Gorius was not listening to her.
The King of Bosaria was far more interested in his prize, already signalling for two of his men to carry the lad in doors. "Wouldn't want him freezing to death before I have had chance to make use of him," he chuckled. He watched a moment as Maxim was carried off, before finally returning his interest to Shonna. "Come...you must be tired and cold, let us get you inside as well. I have many questions," he said holding out an arm for Shonna to take.
Inside the palace, Shonna sat on a cushioned chair with her hands encapsulated around a hot drink. She could almost feel her body thawing and slowly warming as she explained the results of her trip. The mountain folk had sided with Gorius, albeit only four of the tribes. She looked for a reaction from her king, but he did not seem overly bothered by the number not being as large as she had hoped. It was immediately clear Gorius' mind was focused on the young redhead she had captured. This after all had been her idea, as her king was going to use his mind-controlled magician to kill the enemy king. Gorius explained to her that he had lost control of the lad in Pitford, "Either they have found the ring, or he is dead. The main thing is it was certainly worth the sacrifice," he said.
Shonna explained that the prisoner would likely be asleep for some time. "If as I assume your man in Kothia used spore spray, then he will be unconscious for some time yet. They use it for medicinal purposes mainly if someone has serious injuries. It renders them totally unconscious for several hours." Gorius nodded, although she thought she detected just a hint of disappointment that he would have to wait a little while yet before getting to grips with his latest acquisition.
Maxim groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked around to see where he was, but seemed to be in an unknown room. He tried to move only to see his hands were bound, not by rope, as he would have thought but by a narrow type of chain. "Do not struggle and it will make things so much easier," he heard an unknown voice say somewhere from the far side of the room.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he started making out the shape of what he thought was a man. Moving any part of his body seemed like a chore, and it was all he could do to muster a few words. "Where am I?" he asked feeling his mouth and throat were very dry. There was a silence and he was beginning to think his question was going too remained unanswered. However, the figure moved his direction and stopped just a pace or two away before replying.
"I am Gorius, King of Bosaria and you my young friend are going to be what ensures me victory against your pathetic country."
Maxim's head was still feeling groggy, and he was finding it difficult to comprehend what he was just told. Before he was able to think of what to say, the man spoke again, "Although Shonna thinks you do not originate from Kothia, I however am not bothered where you are from. A man of your capabilities needs to be controlled...I can do that."
Maxim felt a large clammy hand press against his forehead. He heard words being mumbled, but he did not understand what they were. Each word spoken seemed to echo in his mind, and he started to feel sleepy once more. Gorius cursed aloud as his prisoner appeared to fall back into a deep sleep. He needed him to be awake so he could take control of his conscious mind. Feeling a little annoyed he slapped Maxim hard across the head with his hand, which only ended up hurting him as much as the receiver of the blow. He cursed some more, before stamping around the room like a spoiled child.
Zack finally awoke, so suddenly it almost made Melia and Mikel jump. "Where is Maxim?" were the first words he blurted out. Melia knew she would have to explain the situation, and was quite sure it was not going to be easy. She tried to talk in as soft and caring tone as she could, "He has been taken Zack...Ramon is working out how to get him back," she added, not quite certain what to say.
Zack's reaction was expected as he tried to get up. "What are we waiting for? We need to go and find him..." Mikel looked at his young friend with a smile. He had felt the same need, but having had time to comprehend the situation knew it was pointless just running off blindly into the wilderness in pursuit. "Ramon is finding out where he has been taken Zack...When the time is right we will get him back," he said. The young royal however, was not having it, and continued hurriedly bundling together a few belongings in anticipation of his immediate departure.
Melia watched on, feeling the pain Zack was going through. This had been what she had detected when healing his body, and she knew he was going to get far worse before things improved. Zack would firstly need to accept Maxim, for now at least was gone, and nothing they did was going to change that any time soon. Eventually Mikel stepped forward and did what had to be done. The older lad grabbed Zack by the arm and told him what she had just been considering. Melia looked at the young royal's pained face and she could see the first tears appear in his sad brown eyes, and start rolling down his cheeks. She immediately felt the need to comfort him, and stepped forward wrapping her arms around.
The three stood in the centre of the room sobbing, and even Shadow appeared ill at ease, unsure of the pain his master was feeling. Melia knew Zack and Maxim had a certain bond despite their obvious differences in upbringings, and she was aware the young royal had feelings for Maxim she did not understand. They were all companions together, sharing a common grief, and with a goal that they would rescue their missing friend.
Ramon felt the weight of responsibility pushing down on him. Recent events had gotten him thinking, and with so much going on at the moment, he had little time to break away from the stress of it all. With hundreds of soldiers and royal staff due at his doorstep any time, expecting shelter and food, as well as the King of his country residing just a few rooms away from his own, things were certainly moving quickly. He had of course foreseen the general picture of what was now happening, although the pace at which it was proceeding had caught him by surprise.
Add to the proceedings, the kidnapping right under his nose of probably the most dangerous man in Kothia, he was starting to feel the strain of it all. He had just had to explain to the king how the young lad called Maxim had been taken, and although the monarch seemed unperturbed by it all, he knew it was not a matter to be taken lightly.
Not the kind of man to let the worries of the world get the better of him, he decided to brave the chilly weather and take a short break outside. Ramon pulled his cloak tighter around his body as the reality of doing and thinking about things hit him. It was that sobering thought that made him think of the hardship those men, women and children who had followed the king from Berxsley must have endured getting to Pitford. As he passed across the keep yard, it was a hive of activity, although a few did notice him pass by and duly waved a greeting. So much building work was being undertaken; for the past few years, life at Pitford had been little more than a stroll, now it was suddenly a mad sprint.
He found the lady he sought standing in the small garden at the back of the keep. Naturally, Katria appeared to know he was approaching before he actually got there.
"Hello Ramon," she said as he neared. "It must be important to get a second visit from you," she said smiling to face him.
He returned the warm smile with his own before pausing to look at the several small birds all perche
d on a branch just above them.
"Have you had any joy in following that beast?" he asked. Despite taking a break from his duties it was this point he needed answering.
There was a short pause as he watched the elderly lady hold out a hand, and one of the small birds from branch fluttered down to land upon it. She stroked its tiny head with a fingertip, before reverting her attention to Ramon. Katria nodded, "I have managed to follow them. They have travelled to Waltham, and landed at the palace. I witnessed the king himself no less rush out to greet the woman on the strange beast. It was clear by his face that he was pleased with her acquisition," she finally said.
Ramon nodded, and thought it only manners to stay and ask about her welfare, before he darted off back inside. The conversation turned to her latest pupil Mikel and his wolf, and from Katria's reports, it appeared the young man was doing well.
"A link with such a powerful animal is never easy, especially for one so inexperienced," she told him. "Although to his credit he is doing admirably," she added lifting her hand so the small bird upon it new to fly back to the branch.
Ramon nodded with some satisfaction; it was always nice to hear glowing reports on his pupils, and he was mildly surprised Mikel of all people was one such student.
After the short chat, he bid Katria farewell, and asked to be updated if she discovered anything new. He had barely made it to the main doors of the keep, when he had to about turn. A soldier came running up to him, and informed him the first of the king's men were approaching the outer wall. He nodded and asked the soldier to have their new guests allocated accordingly. The royal house-staff were to be given rooms in the keep, along with the Royal Elite Guard, whilst the other soldiers were to be housed in the hastily repaired buildings in the town. In the past week, he had managed to acquire several deliveries of supplies from the outlying towns and villages; he just hoped it was sufficient to keep them all fed until spring.
