“How many have you lost?” Jonathan asked.
“Let’s put it this way,” Curt replied. “Me and Lancel here are the only ones left from our original group. They had to almost double the pay to get these lads involved. We haven’t lost many in a bit since we get the pit out of there when it gets tough now. I don’t care what the Battlemage says.”
“Have the others been losing people as well?” Jonathan asked.
“Of course,” Curt said. “Battlemage Warrington has an entirely new group under his command right now. Things have leveled out now, none of us are going to stand tall so we can get killed anymore.”
“I have heard about the Donalians,” Jonathan admitted. “I think I can do a decent job with their armor.”
“How?” Lancel asked. “That big shield they carry is no joke. Our side is starting to build our own rock throwing weapons, that will knock em down. Our fire does nothing to them and they can hide behind their big shields from the wind. Getting blown back means nothing to them. Mage bolt doesn’t stop them either behind that big shield they carry. We work on destroying that shield then we can get the man behind it.”
“Well the Tower Mage was here looking into it and he gave me ideas,” Jonathan said. “We will see how everything goes when I am out there. What is with all of the soldiers outside.”
“We each get two to guard us,” Lancel said. “If we are overran their job is to wake us up and get us to safety. I am not waiting for a horse, I am going to fly out of here.”
“That makes sense,” Jonathan replied. “So what do we do when we are not fighting?”
“You are looking at it,” Lancel laughed. “The Battlemages have to meet with the military and plan on their next moves. Lasts almost all night too, all we gotta do is be ready when they call us.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Jonathan admitted.
“Now that we aren’t dying it is a sweet job,” Lancel replied. “We get the same food as high ranking mundanes and we don’t have to go out and do guard duty or anything else the rest of them do. Fighting last maybe a few hours and then we are back at it. If we get pushed back then we just get to wherever the next camp will be set up and wait there.”
“This seems too easy,” Jonathan replied.
“It is,” Lancel said.
Jonathan listened to the men talking and got to meet the rest of them as well as those who served under Battlemage Warrington. Jonathan thought for a bunch of men who could die the atmosphere was relaxed. When Jonathan was facing the Raelians the mood was always tense and everyone was ready to work, doing anything that was needed. Mages helped dig trenches and other things, here all they did was relax and talk about getting back home to their wives. Jonathan refused the drink, he wanted to keep his mind clear just in case he would be needed. Jonathan now had a job as storyteller. All were amazed at who he was, even the mundane soldiers wanted to hear about the dragon fight. Jonathan was ready to go to sleep when one of the soldiers mentioned the Battlemage was on his way and everyone stood up straight.
“Thunder,” Gerald said. “We attack tomorrow, you have been taking it easy while the rest have been doing whatever they have been doing. You will be at the teeth of the attack.”
“Sounds good Sir,” Jonathan replied.
“You say that now,” Gerald said. “You were foolish to accept this Thunder. If you quit, I doubt you will ever be taken seriously again. You are mine now Thunder.”
“Good for your Sir,” Jonathan replied. “Was there anything else?”
“Get some sleep,” Gerald said as he walked angrily out of the tent.
“I don’t give a spit what he is getting paid,” Curt said laughing. “You see all that worry and tiredness? He just got here.”
“Good for him then,” Jonathan replied. “When the fighting starts just follow my lead. I will think of something when I get out there but I am not worried.”
Jonathan slept good that night and was woken by a man claiming to be his new guards. Jonathan noticed that the man looked sloppy and smelled like he had been drinking, no doubt he was picked out special for him. Jonathan got up and started getting ready, soon the tent was alive with men crawling out of their bed rolls and readying themselves. Jonathan formed up with the mages and went to first have breakfast which was amazingly good to be made out in the field and then he followed Gerald who was already up. Gerald led them to what would be the attacking mundane unit. Jonathan was not impressed with Gerald’s leadership style, he just led them to the front and vanished.
“So who is in charge now?” Jonathan asked.
“We sort of all are,” Curt said. “Just don’t get yourself killed. I want to see what the Queen’s Champion can do. I always wondered how I would stack up to the Champion and now I can see it first hand.”
“I have went over this with one of my mentors,” Jonathan replied. “My aim is good and I think I can take out a few of their frontline troops. The boulders or rocks or whatever I hear that are tossed is what I am worried about.”
“We are just going to give everything we got to the first rank and then we normally fly away,” Lancel said. “Those rocks come fast, only thing we can do is fly out of the way and say a prayer to the poor bastards behind us.”
“Wind magic?” Jonathan asked.
“Tried it,” Curt said. “By the time the rocks are in the air there is too little time to do anything about it other than fly away. A couple of times soldiers try to hold us in place, either to not face their fate alone or they want us to lift off with them. Sometimes I can take one, others times I have to blast them so I can get away.”
“I don’t think my magic is strong enough to stop the rocks then,” Jonathan surmised. “Maybe I can stop them from coming.”
“You get close and the sky will fill with arrows,” Curt said. “Better to just fly away and live to fight another day. We are like a weapon, like the trebuchet machine. We are not the main troops and we are not going to act like it. We fight a bit and then we run.”
“Here they come,” Lancel said as he could see the enemy troops getting ready.
Jonathan looked across the field and saw a big boulder launched into the sky. It was far along the line so Jonathan didn’t bother moving. Jonathan saw the soldiers scatter out of the way, the move had to have been rehearsed with the way they moved. More boulders started flying and Jonathan could see what the Donalians were trying to do. They were trying to scatter the line and then they would send their troops across. Whoever was running the Kirby forces had drilled and trained his people to move out of the way and then try to hurry back into the position. When Jonathan had counted ten such boulders had filled the sky, the Donalians then had their archers fill the air with arrows. The mundane soldiers held shields over their heads as the Donalians started advancing. Jonathan and the other mages just put up a mage shield to soak up the arrows. The Donalians got more than half-way to the Kirby frontline before another round of boulders filled the sky followed by arrows. The Donalians had crept up by then and were within a few moments sprint before the Donalians had to stop their bombardment.
Jonathan could feel his magic come to him easily, the energy surged through his body and just waited for a release. Jonathan had went over what the Tower Mage thought would work, the Donalians had big wooden shields but the shields did not cover everything. Mage bolts could be varied in intensity, the weaker the mage bolt the faster it was. The problem with that was that weak mage bolts felt like a strong slap, it stung but a determined soldier could power through it. A strong mage bolt if it landed felt a lot tougher, like a blacksmith’s hammer but was slow enough that a soldier could put up his shield in time if he saw it and had good distance. The Donalians were too close and packed for that to happen so they just crouched behind their shields and edged forward. Their legs were still a target and the mages were aiming for them. If it landed it would stop them in their tracks, the problem was that behind them were spearmen who chucked their weapons. The Donalians had figur
ed out that most of the mages they fought could not multicast, they could only launch one spell at a time. If the mage was launching a mage bolt then their shield wouldn’t be up. Weak mages spent from two to six seconds to get their mage shield up. Jonathan was counting on them using that technique and smiled when a mage bolt struck a shield carrier causing him to buckle. The man behind him had a spear and was on his way to launch it when Jonathan spread his fingers out.
The man’s head exploded as the lightning hit him exposing the people behind him. Jonathan put his focus into the strongest lightning bolt he could and shook as it erupted from his body. A loud crack split the air as a white line of lightning raced down the Donalian line. Jonathan was not sure how many he had gotten but knew there was a line of downed bodies in his spell’s wake. Jonathan cast another lightning bolt in the same direction as his first and then another, the loud sounds it made had the men around him startled so much they had stopped fighting. The enemy was within ten paces when Jonathan took off towards the air. Just like the others had thought, arrows filled the air trying to hit him. Jonathan went high, the Tower Mage had given him what he thought was a good height to avoid the enemy archers and Jonathan took it. Some arrows had come close but Jonathan ignored them, he would use the same technique he did when he hunted the Raelians.
Jonathan looked to where he thought a leader would be, somewhere safe with a decent view of the battlefield. Jonathan could not locate them, unlike the Raelians the Donalians did not have any uniforms to distinguish their leaders, at least none that Jonathan could tell. What Jonathan could see were the trebuchets that were launching rocks, it took little time to cover one completely in fire. A water bucket brigade was quickly deployed and Jonathan started striking them with his lightning magic. Jonathan was able to stop the bucket brigade in its entirety by lighting some of the other trebuchets on fire. The Donalians went for the ones they could save and let the one Jonathan first started on burn. Jonathan killed as many as he could until he did not have much magic left and had to fly back to his camp. Jonathan could see that the Donalians were still attacking but had been driven back, they had a gap in their defenses since none of their side wanted to step on the black streaks Jonathan left with his lightning.
Jonathan landed by his tent and could see the other mages were already waiting for him. They had big smiles and seemed eager to praise him Jonathan thought. Jonathan would have talked to them immediately if it weren’t for Gerald who was standing next to two mundane military types. Gerald looked angry, Jonathan ignored the look and went right up to him.
“You waiting to talk to me?” Jonathan said as he looked at Gerald.
“Jonathan the Lightning,” one of the mundanes said. Jonathan could tell this man was close to his grandfather’s age and had a lot of lines and squiggles on his uniform. “You are the Queen’s Champion?”
“Yes Sir,” Jonathan replied.
“That was you out there blasting through the enemy?” the older mundane said again.
“Right in the middle of the fight,” Jonathan replied. “Bet those bastards will be watching themselves from now on.”
“I am General Goodnight,” the older mundane said. “This is my assistant, Commander Beverly. That was some good fighting out there. The only mages that I have seen that can make those Donalians pause are the Battlemages or the Mage Commander himself.”
“Thank you,” Jonathan replied.
“Are you through with your need to speak with one of my men?” Gerald said. “He is busy and has his own work that needs to be done.”
“You mages don’t do pit and you know it,” Goodnight snapped. “If they are not fighting then they are in that tent relaxing instead of helping real soldiers get things done. Like making fires, digging ditches and anything else that would make life easier.”
“Not my problem,” Gerald replied. “Her Majesty said I must give you all my attention. Bad enough I have to hear you drivel on about things all night.”
“Does this man speak for you?” Goodnight asked Jonathan.
“Tricky question,” Jonathan replied.
“You know what, I just wanted to give you an invite to sit in while we are going over strategy,” Goodnight said. “The Queen’s Champion should get a say in this.”
“Thunder only joined this war because he tried to reach above his station and got his heart broken,” Gerald snapped. “He knows where a commoner’s place is now. If not, I am sure I can have him transferred back to the Tower of Magic.”
“Oh, that’s what this is,” Goodnight said. “Simple jealousy. I’ll leave your man alone Battlemage. We have meetings to attend to.”
“There he is!” Curt said loudly as Jonathan walked into the tent. “Jonathan the Lightning is nothing to play with. I heard stories about you but is nothing like being there.”
“I bet those Donalians think that as well,” Jonathan replied.
“You really did a number on the old Tower Mage?” Lancel asked. “Is that lightning what you got him with?”
“Sure did,” Jonathan replied. “Didn’t even leave a body behind, just a greasy black smear.”
“Well it is nice having you around,” Lancel replied. “This war fighting just got easier. Anyone who wants a piece can come over and get it. That was the single most greatest thing I ever saw done with magic. I wish I could have been out there when you went after the Raelinians.”
“You just need to steer clear of the Battlemage,” Lancel said. “I think he has it out for you. The General has been looking for you.”
“He found me,” Jonathan replied. “And Battlemage Morningstar was there trying to act all important.”
“That Battlemage is not a man to play with,” Curt said. “Farthington from the other mage squad said he saw the man slowly torturing a prisoner. When Farthington lost his midday meal, Battlemage Morningstar made him join in.”
“I have slapped the piss out Gerald Morningstar before,” Jonathan replied. “He don’t want it with me. I am just dealing with him because I plan on becoming Archmage one day. I am not scared of him or the Mage Commander.”
“You are the real deal,” Lancel said.
“I wouldn’t worry about being sent back out there anytime soon,” Jonathan replied. “The Battlemage is angry that I am starting to get well known despite only fighting once. The more people talk and brag about it, the more likely he will keep me from the front line.”
“Are you meaning to tell me that all we have to do is brag on ya and we won’t have to go out there anymore?” Lancel asked. “If that is what you are saying then you can consider the entire thing done. Feel sorry for Battlemage Warrington’s people, but that is life.”
CHAPTER 15
Attack on the Donalians
“This is the life,” Jonathan said as he sat down next to Curt.
“This is the life,” Curt agreed as he looked over at the soldiers around him. “Poor bastards, I wish they could enjoy all of this like we are. It has to be hard not knowing if you are going to live or die tomorrow.”
“I think it is hard to live like that,” Jonathan said. “And they know it as well.”
“You were right when you said the Battlemage wouldn’t let us back on the front lines,” Curt replied. “Here comes your boy now, he looks as harried as I have ever seen him.”
“Thunder!” Gerald said as he spotted him and Curt. “Why are you out here with these mundanes instead of in your tent where you are supposed to be?”
“You never told me to stay in the tent,” Jonathan said. “And my presence is calming these soldiers. When do we get to go back into the fight?”
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Gerald said.
“You should as well,” Jonathan replied. “We both know those Donalians can only really protect themselves from magebolts and fire. My lightning ripped through them the same way it ripped through that pathetic Tower Mage.”
“So your true colors finally show!” Gerald said loudly as Jonathan noticed General G
oodnight and his retinue.
“With me on the ground we could end this thing without any more commoner deaths!” Jonathan said as he stood up. “Just give me the chance Battlemage! I can bring glory to this kingdom. You don’t even have to tell anyone it was me. Let them believe you did it if you want. I am tired of seeing our people die.”
“I knew this was a mistake,” Gerald said. “You didn’t come here to end whatever you had with the Mage Commander. You came here to seek glory for yourself.”
“Why don’t you let that man fight?” General Goodnight said. “It has been over a week since you have let him out. You lost two mages since you have tried to replace him. You mages are acting ridiculous. This is the Queen’s Champion we have here, he has already proven his worth and is begging to do so again.”
“You don’t give orders to me mundane!” Gerald said as he eyed Goodnight. “And Battlemage Warrington lost two mages, not me. I don’t care how long you have been in the army. You don’t give mages orders. I only answer to the Mage Commander and he only answers to the King!”
“There is no King!” General Goodnight screamed back. “And the Mage Commander answers to the Queen. I know how mage structure works in the military Battlemage. I also know when I am not getting all of the help that I should be receiving. I have petitioned the Queen herself for command of her Champion under Law 57 of our military code.”
“That is it!” Gerald said looking angrily at Jonathan. “You are out of here Thunder.”
“Are you dismissing this man?” General Goodnight asked.
“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Gerald said looking at Goodnight. “I am smarter than you think. I relieve this commoner and you scoop him right up for your stupid mundane plans. I came to find Thunder to tell him that he has been reassigned.”
“You can’t reassign me,” Jonathan said. “I came here to fight the Donalians or the Barbarians.”
“I can reassign you,” Gerald sneered. “You gave us months of your life.”
The Archmage Page 17
