by Andrew Wood
The flames simply passed over him as he turned to see them vanish, as he had correctly deduced, they had been nothing more than an illusion. He looked about the yard to see complete panic amongst his captors, before catching sight of the man responsible. Maxim thrust a hand forward and sent a stream of fire his direction causing the man and those around him to dive for cover. Maxim thought about going back to make sure the job was finished but decided instead to continue on his way.
He moved out into the city, and it was soon clear his presence was causing panic amongst the people. Several shots were fired his direction from soldiers atop the palace walls and although they were merely deflected aside, he thought it best to make haste. With his ginger-red hair, he would stand out and decided to head for a lesser used street. He turned down a narrow alleyway between two stone buildings when he suddenly felt his legs giving way. Holding himself up against the wall, he was forced to drop his protective shield; he may have learned knew skills but they were clearly very draining to use.
He had managed to aid Zack and Danton teleport halfway across the country with his reserves of power, why was it now such a problem for him? Perhaps using certain skills used more of his power than others, added to the fact he had not eaten anything, or so much as drank more than a few drops of water in the past few days. This was a problem he needed to sort out as a priority, if his powers failed him now his captors would surely kill him.
Having stopped using his shield, he felt his legs able to move and he headed down a side alley bereft of anybody. He may have been out of the palace, but without his shield, he was vulnerable. He stumbled into a yard, and realised it was some kind of inn. There was a small stable block across one side and from that direction, he heard a man shouting. He moved slightly, remaining in the shadows of the alleyway and saw a young boy, probably no older than five or six years old, being manhandled by a much larger lad.
"I told you those apples are not for you," he shouted. Maxim watched on in horror as the older boy kicked the youngster for his minor misdemeanour. The smaller boy whimpered, "I'm hungry," he pleaded.
"Well you'll go even hungrier now 'cos when I tell the Master you been pilfering apples you won't get any supper either."
"I didn't get any yesterday...You ate it," the smaller boy spat back defiantly, only to receive another kick for his troubles.
Maxim felt his anger simmering, ready to boil over at any moment. He remembered how he had felt just a short while ago, being hungry and cold and treated worse than most dogs. That simmering point boiled over as the older lad gave one more kick, and Maxim stepped out of the shadows into the yard. "Leave him alone...or you will regret it," he said gritting his teeth. Despite knowing his powers were waning, he felt certain he had enough in-store to deal with this bully.
The older boy turned to Maxim and grinned, "And what is a skinny little runt like you going to do?" he smirked over confidently.
Maxim said nothing; he had already had enough of this nasty tyrant. He stood his ground and waited for the much larger young man to stomp his way over to him, "I'm going to give you a kicking for poking your nose where it don't belong," he growled.
Maxim waited until the lout was about ready to swing a punch before thrusting his hand out, sending him swiftly back the way he came and crashing into the far wall. The younger lad had the look of total astonishment on his face as Maxim held out a helping hand for him. "What's your name?" he asked pulling him to his feet.
"Connor...Sir...It's you...The one they say the king has locked up in the palace," the youngster said excitedly suddenly forgetting his pains.
"Not anymore," Maxim replied checking to see the other lad was now accounted for and no longer any threat.
Maxim asked Connor where he might find some food, and he was told to stay put one minute. He watched the young boy dart off into a side door of the inn, before he turned to the stable block. If he were going to get home he would need a horse, and being as he had no money to buy one, he felt absolutely no guilt in stealing one.
Connor felt a wave of excitement and optimism for the first time in his young life. His hunger pains and those caused from beatings seemed almost non-existent as he crept in through the kitchen door. Normally stealing something as small as a few crumbs got him in trouble, now he was going to help himself. Fortunately the cook was preoccupied in the bar area, and he knew he had to move quickly. He grabbed a cloth and placed it flat down on the large kitchen table, before placing a large wedge of cheese, some pieces of ham and half a dozen bread rolls down upon it. Lifting the corners of the cloth up, he gathered them altogether, wrapping his stolen food up in a bundle. He quickly scanned the room for anything else, and grabbed a couple of apples from a bowl and shoved them in his left pocket. He cast a big grin as he then spotted a few pieces of cooked chicken cooling on a wire rack, and knew he just had to help himself to some of those as well.
Maxim was not having quite the same enjoyment as Connor, as he walked along the dozen or so stalls in the small stable. Half were empty and he was not quite certain which horse was best to select. He looked each animal in the eye trying to use his inner judgement, and stopped beside a dark brown creature looking intrigued by his presence. He placed a hand on the creature's nose and asked if he would help. Naturally, the horse did not answer, but Maxim got the impression it was happy to do so.
He looked around for the saddle and reins, and duly found them at the far end. Having them and knowing what to do with them was not the same thing, as he struggled trying to remember how Zack had taught him. Fortunately for Maxim, Connor returned, his hands clasped around a large bundle and his pockets obviously stuffed to bursting. "Here you go Sir," the youngster said offering him a piece of chicken. Maxim eyed the food and felt his mouth salivating at the thought. He had not eaten for some time and almost snatched the food from the youngster's hand.
Whilst he devoured the piece of meat, as a ravenous animal might do, the younger lad placed the bundle down and ran off to the far end of the stable. He returned just a short while later with a cloak in his hand, "I think you will need to cover up. It is cold out and ...well you do stick out a bit Sir," he added holding the garment out. Maxim grinned, wiping his hand across his mouth, before removing the piece of meat from the bone in his other hand.
Connor was not big or strong enough to lift the saddle up onto the horse, but his instructions proved invaluable to Maxim. The youngster chuckled as he watched him trying to climb up, "You're not much of a rider are you Sir?" Maxim smiled down at the lad, "Does it show?" he replied. Connor passed him up the bundle of food, which Maxim attached to the saddle, before pulling the hood of the cloak over his head. He looked down, "Thank you Connor...for all your help."
The youngster looked pained at him, and Maxim realised what was expected. "You wish to come with me?" he asked just to clarify his thoughts.
"I won't be no trouble Sir...Just I ain't got nothing here...and well...when he wakes up... he is gonna be really pissed," Connor added pointing out to the larger lad out in the yard still lying on the ground.
Maxim realised he had little choice, and having Connor with him would at least help him navigate his way out of the city. "You best get yourself a cloak then, it is a long way and it's going to be very cold," he said mirroring the youngster's earlier advice. The boy punched the air as he darted off again, this time out into the yard. Maxim trotted his new horse forward just a little to watch, and grinned as he watched Connor riffling through the unconscious lad's pockets. He soon came running back, wearing a rather moth-eaten looking cloak and clasping a few coins in his small hands, "He won't be needing these Sir," he said showing Maxim a few coins.
Maxim held out a hand to his newfound colleague, and despite their nations being at war, the two casually rode out of the stable yard and down the street. Having the cloak pulled over his head hiding his hair at least gave Maxim some sort of anonymity, allowing him to blend in amongst the general-public. Connor suggested they head for the smalle
r, lesser-used north gate, hoping it would be not so well guarded.
It was soon apparent Maxim's escape had caused panic in the palace, and saw hundreds of soldiers rushing down the main thoroughfare, as they watched on from a lesser-used side street. Now Maxim had eaten something he felt his strength slowly returning, and although he did not want to get into another conflict anytime soon, he felt he had enough in reserve to get him out of trouble if the need arose.
Waltham was quite a large city, bigger than Maxim had ever seen before and he was already thankful for having Connor there to guide him. Nobody as much gave them a second look, as they moved slowly through the streets. He noticed how the further north they got, the poorer the houses seemed, and he guessed it was little different to any other town or city. The only problem with them being in the poorer districts was that the likelihood of them encountering some unscrupulous lout became a distinct possibility. Two lads on a horse, one of whom was barely six or seven years old, Maxim was not sure, would probably look an easy target to someone.
"The gate is just around the next corner," Connor told him, suddenly breaking the silence between the two. Maxim pulled the horse to a stop, before slipping down from the saddle. He felt a twinge in his legs as he straightened them, before gingerly stepping to peer round the corner of a building. Sure enough, the exit was just before him, unfortunately for him, so was a small army of guards and soldiers. Word had obviously travelled to the main exits quicker than he had. He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see Connor stood beside him, "You can kill all them?" he asked.
Maxim grimaced, "Probably...If I had too that is...but I would rather get through without doing so. No what we need is a distraction...," he added tapping his fingers on his chin. Before he could even finish his sentence, he saw Connor sprinting towards the gates, and for a moment, he felt betrayed. Surely, he thought, the youngster was not going to give him away now. He watched on as Connor started gesticulating wildly at the soldiers. Suddenly they all started moving and Maxim readied himself for another fight he did not want.
The first of the soldiers ran past Maxim's position, followed by dozens more, and he realised what Connor had done. He felt a little guilty for even thinking the youngster had betrayed him, but wondered where he had gone. Connor had led the men away from the gate, but if Maxim was to take advantage of the opening he had been given he needed to make a move now. After scouting around one more time to see if he could see Connor, he almost reluctantly moved forward, trotting his horse casually in behind two other riders heading for the gate.
The remaining guards on the gate seemed more watchful about what was or wasn't as it happened, taking place further back down the main thoroughfare. They merely waved a couple of people through, before barely giving a man with a handcart a second glance. The two riders in front of Maxim were not even asked to stop, although he did. "Come on move along," one of the guards shouted, not even looking at him. Maxim felt himself grinning under the cover of his hood as his horse trotted forward taking his first steps of freedom, and more importantly the first on his trip home.
Maxim took his time, moving a few paces behind the man with the handcart who seemed in more of a hurry than he did. However, he was forced to stop just a hundred yards from the gate as the man suddenly stopped. Maxim grinned as he saw a familiar face appear from underneath the cover of the cart. Conner jumped down and ran towards him, and Maxim duly held out a hand to pull him up on to his horse.
"I wondered where you went," Maxim told him.
"I was beginning to think you were not going to take the chance and foolishly wait for me," Connor replied.
As they passed the man with the cart, Connor gave him a wave in thanks, before reaching down into his pocket and removing two apples. He passed one to Maxim, who took it gratefully, hoping his control of the horse would be fine with only one hand holding the reins. Between bites, Connor explained what he had done. He had sent the guards into a frenzy by telling them the king's prisoner had escaped, and as such was offering a thousand gold pieces to any man who could find him dead or alive. "I can't believe they fell for it," Maxim said as they followed the main track circling around the city. "All people are the same...If they think there is a chance they can get rich very quickly they will take a risk," Connor replied sounding far more mature than his years.
Maxim was surprised when Connor told him that he thought he was ten years old, although he was not sure. The poor lad was so underfed and malnourished Maxim had thought him about six, perhaps seven at most. He could however relate to the boy's pains, having spent all his life on the street, scraping by each day, never knowing when the next meal would come along; Maxim was glad he was taking Connor away from all that. With a long trip ahead he nudged the horse to move a little quicker, Maxim wanted to get as far away from Waltham as possible before the day's end. Quite where they were going to stay, he was not yet sure, and although he had not mentioned it to Connor yet, he also had absolutely no idea as to which way to go.
Gorius sat in his study, resigned to the fact the boy had gone. Despite a street-by-street search and several rumours that he had been spotted in various places, his whereabouts had remained unknown. There was still a school of thought that suggested the boy was in the city, lying low somewhere, perhaps even being aided by traitors. This final part had sent Gorius into a rage, the very thought that his own people could possibly betray him was unthinkable. As a result, he had ordered his soldiers out onto the streets, having anyone who so much looked out of place arrested and questioned.
Gorius sighed, placing his head in his hands and feeling things had taken a turn for the worse. The war had so far been one success after another, but having lost the elementalist was certainly a huge blow. "If the boy fights for them, I have nothing that can stop him. I should have listened to you Shonna and killed him when I had the chance."
Shonna though was not so deflated by such a setback, "The boy does not yet fight for anybody Gorius," she replied. "He is probably wandering the countryside as we speak. Perhaps if we leave him be and not provoke him, he will continue to do so. Remember he is not Kothian born..."
"He will fight against us...destroy us all," Gorius replied feeling far too sorry for himself.
"No Gorius... If he wished to destroy us he could have ran amok in the city before escaping, but he did not. Instead he merely crept quietly away," Shonna replied, trying still to make light of the situation.
The woman thought she saw the first signs of hope returning to the king's face, "Forget the boy. Let us crush our enemy whilst he is out of the equation," she added. Gorius stood nodding his head, "Of course you are right Shonna," he said turning to gaze out of the window. From his vantage point, he could see just how destructive the elementalist had been. The gates to the palace yard were gone, and the black burn marks were still clear to see upon the light coloured stone of the walls. He had little option but to carry on with his plans as they were, and although his small army of magicians were no match for the boy, they would prove a potent threat to the soldiers of Kothia.
He knew if Davan could pick up the pace a little and take the Kothian capital, the only remaining pocket of defiance would be those based at Pitford. This he knew would prove his most difficult target, although with the help of his allies from the mountain tribes, was something he was still confident of defeating. All things considered, by springtime he should be ready to launch offensives against his other neighbours. With Kothia out of the equation, he doubted they would show much resistance. With a new upbeat mood to his step, he turned about and walked up to Shonna, "Let's push onwards," he said. The old woman grinned up at him; satisfied her work for now at least, was done.
Now only some fifteen miles or so away from their target city, Zack and the others sent to rescue Maxim, moved ever nearer. The fact they now had two extra to their number had not slowed them down too much. Darion still grumbled they were having to care for two Bosarians, but the others simply ignored him. Tia, the youngest s
till clung to Mikel, whilst her brother Samuel had shown the first signs of consciousness. Melia had checked him over a couple more times since his initial healing, and although he had improved greatly, was still very weak.
That night they would need to make plans for the following day, on how best to infiltrate the enemy city. Slightly more problematic would be locating Maxim, and even more so, setting him free. For now, they made use of the last few hours of daylight; the nearer they could get tonight, the fewer hours they would take to reach the capital in the morning.
Chapter 19.
Gorius was sat in his study with Shonna, listening to a man telling them of how he and his men were attacked by a large group of Kothian magicians. "It was only my ability to teleport that allowed me to escape your Majesty, and only then by sheer luck," the man claimed.
"How many magicians did you reckon were amongst their number?" Shonna asked looking the man straight in the eye. He squirmed a little realising his story was under scrutiny, "It was difficult to tell, they moved so quickly."
"What powers did they use?" Gorius asked, having the same feeling the man was not telling him the whole story.
Once more, the man looked nervous, "Well?" Gorius asked again raising his voice just a little.
There was a short pause before he replied, telling them there were teleporters, and at least one Elementalist. "Really?" Gorius said interrupting him, and doubting his story still further.
