“My contract says exactly where I am supposed to go,” Jonathan said. “I never trusted you or the Mage Commander.”
“Your contract says that you are to either be sent to a battle or returned to your last station,” Gerald said. “And you became part of the Mage Commander’s mages while assigned to the Tower, making that your first station of duty. I am sending you back there Thunder, we are smarter than you thought.”
“So you are sending me back to teach in the Tower?” Jonathan asked.
“That is much too good for you,” Gerald said. “I am sending you to the Tower but you will not be poisoning the minds of anyone. You are going to be the Mage Commander’s liaison in case he needs anything.”
“What does that even mean?” Jonathan said.
“It means that your job is going to be locking yourself away,” Gerald laughed. “We just wanted to make everyone believe that you could be worked with. King Jeffrey wanted you to know this was his plan. You have sown discord since you got here like he knew you would. As a hero of exactly one meaningless battle, the Mage Commander is sending you back to help the Tower Mage come up with better fighting strategies. Except he has been here himself and already knows what needs to be done. The Mage Commander will send you missives if he needs anything, which he will not. Either way you have to stay in the Tower, no off days, no fun. Now get packed up.”
“Give me those damn orders!” General Goodnight said as he stuck his hand out.
“Here,” Gerald said laughing.
“I don’t see any orders,” Goodnight said as he ripped the paper in half.
“You damn mundane!” Gerald said as he blasted Goodnight in the chest with a magebolt.
Goodnight went down hard, the older man moaned as he laid on the ground. Jonathan was surprised that Gerald didn’t hesitate to blast the old man. What Gerald was too dumb to realize was that he was surrounded by mundane soldiers. They also wasted no time laying into him. Gerald caught a few with a magebolt and even set one ablaze. All that did was make the others go from using their fists to using their daggers and Jonathan thought Gerald had been stabbed twice in the shoulder and once in the arm before they brought him down under heavy punches and kicks. Jonathan thought it was the sweetest music he had ever heard, the heavy thuds of boots on flesh. General Goodnight ended up pulling them off, the old man was made of tougher stuff than Jonathan gave him credit for.
“Pit,” Goodnight said.
“I ain’t seen nothing,” Jonathan replied. “Neither did Curt.”
“This is still going to come back on me,” Goodnight said. “This tosser has the Crown Prince’s ear and that bit he just said about Prince Jeffrey definitely means it is going to come back on me.”
“Well he doesn’t look in the mood to say anything right now,” Curt said. “He looks pretty beat up to me. That reminds me, would one of you punch me right in the eye?”
“What for?” Jonathan asked.
“Because the Battlemage is going to be ticked when he gets his mind back,” Curt replied. “I plan on telling him that I tried to break the whole thing up and got walloped.”
“Fair enough,” Jonathan said as he punched Curt in the eye.
“You could have given me a warning,” Curt said as he wobbled backward. “That was a proper blow, you been in many hand to hand fights?”
“I bashed Morningstar with that punch,” Jonathan replied.
“He is a fancy little thing,” Curt said. “I am guessing he took it a lot worse than I did.”
“Dropped him right on his behind,” Jonathan laughed.
“Alright Thunder,” Goodnight said. “I am already deep in it. The Donalians have been attacking but they are scared to fully commit. What can I do in the short amount of time it takes for this tosser to wake up? Battlemage Warrington is bound to find out what happened in less than an hour since these men will be bragging about it.”
“I can do what I do best,” Jonathan replied. “Large groups of people are okay when they are tightly packed together. I am good at scouting and destroying the leadership. If anything I can get behind them and go all out with my power.”
“I know where their leadership is,” General Goodnight said. “There is a small hill that has a decent view of the battlefield. It is heavily guarded by archers so flying in there would be suicide.”
“I am not worried about archers,” Jonathan said. “If that is the biggest help I can give then I can do that right now. If I have some magic left is there anywhere else?”
“Maybe go after their supplies if you can find them,” Goodnight said. “I don’t expect a miracle but boldness would make them back away. The Donalians think they have our measure, they were well prepared for our mages and took away our greatest strength. We started off going right after them but they were willing to lose ten or twenty men to take out a mage. They lost heavily at first but now things are at parity regarding battlefield deaths. Our mages are still effective but they know you magic users will leave the field if they press hard enough and they do not have to worry about any big attacks.”
“So then that is what I will do,” Jonathan said. “Is the fighting over for the day?”
“I see where you are going,” Goodnight said. “I am going to form everyone up and have them ready like we are about to attack. That should ensure their men are right where we expect them to be. Their soldiers will be waiting at the front and their leadership will be right where I expect them to be. That should leave very little people worrying about the supplies.”
“Well then get your people ready,” Jonathan said.
“I am going to piece back together your orders,” Goodnight said. “This mage knows how to get to me. “The only thing I can do to get back at him is demand that he is at every meeting we have. I know he wants to stick out his chest and relax with the rest of you.”
“You are doing that on purpose?” Jonathan laughed. “He always complains about all the work he has to do.”
“Well whenever you finish, I want you to get the pit out of here,” Goodnight said. “I will have that carriage you came in stocked and ready to go.”
Jonathan nodded and looked at Curt and smiled. Jonathan was well rested and his magic was topped off. Jonathan was even well fed, he couldn’t think of a time he was in better health to fight. Horns started blowing all over as Gerald was carried away by some soldiers, probably to the healers. The soldiers started forming up quickly which meant Jonathan would have to leave soon. Jonathan found Goodnight who had a mock-up of the battlefield using sand and dirt, it was easy for Jonathan to see the hill the General was talking about. The soldiers started giving a nervous shout as the blowing horns were joined by pounding drums. It was loud and the yelling the Kirby soldiers did made it even louder, General Goodnight must have just told them to make noise. General Goodnight waited until the Donalians had an impressive front line and then gave him the cue to leave.
Jonathan took to the sky and was really pressing it, Jonathan was putting a lot of power in keeping his speed up. The hill came into view and before the archers could take aim at him he started with his lightning. Jonathan thought targeting was easy, anyone not carrying a bow he blasted. The Donalians picked up on the plan after Jonathan’s seventh or eighth bolt and started to flee from the hill. Jonathan thought the Donalians would change the way they did things after his attack. It was obvious who was important since they were the ones riding on horses who were also easy to target. Jonathan had his kill count at fifteen before he flew to find the supplies.
The supplies didn’t need lightning. Simple fireballs made a lot of the wagons they carried everything in go up in flames. Jonathan just hovered above them and struck down two of the would be rescuers with lightning which made them all stand back and watch their supplies go up in smoke. A couple of archers tried for him, once John killed a few of them they stopped as well. Jonathan thought he was at a quarter of his power before he took off. The Donalians on the ground cursed him as he lazily flew back to
his own people. On the way he flew over the Donalian forces and started raining down fireballs, they were less intensive than lightning and not as effective. Jonathan thought he could have gotten at least one of the enemy with how tightly they were packed but doubted it. The armor they had on would turn back fire, the attack was only good for intimidation.
Jonathan landed next to Goodnight who had a big smile on his old face. Jonathan returned the smile and could see the man had his orders. Jonathan took them and looked at them oddly. The orders were ripped in half and the ones in Jonathan’s hands looked unharmed. Jonathan raised an eyebrow and Goodnight held up the original orders. Jonathan grabbed them and looked them over, whoever forged what was in his hands did a good job. Jonathan torched the ripped up ones as Goodnight gestured towards the carriage he arrived in. Jonathan could see it was stocked and he had three soldiers sitting in the driver’s bench.
“I got them good,” Jonathan replied. “I am sure I didn’t take out everyone or even half. The people I did get seemed important.”
“How much supplies?” Goodnight asked.
“About twenty wagons,” Jonathan said. “They were all close to one another so it wasn’t that hard.”
“That is good,” Goodnight said. “I wish you were here tomorrow. That is probably going to be the best time to attack. I don’t know how long I will have this job for so I might as well go for it. I need to consult with my people to find out the best way to attack.”
“Well the Donalians don’t know that,” Jonathan replied.
“And they are going to be too scared to take that hill again even if it provides the best view of the battlefield,” Goodnight said. “It will take them a bit before they can do much, I think in two weeks they would have replaced all the people and property you killed. I won’t give them two weeks, I am going to give them the rest of this night and I am going to strike. Once they fall back I am going to keep on them until they are out of Kirby. I may even go into Donal to prove a point, maybe take over a town or two.”
“Well this was fun,” Jonathan said. “It was a good couple of weeks.”
“I am going to make sure every man here tells the story,” Goodnight said. “Everyone will know that Jonathan the Lightning did in two battles what these others couldn’t do in months.”
“Then I will have that,” Jonathan said. “I have a long tour ahead just sitting in the Tower waiting on the so called Mage Commander who I doubt will trouble me for anything except more mages to throw at whatever fight Kirby is in.”
“You take care of yourself Thunder,” Goodnight said.
“Has the Battlemage woke up yet?” Jonathan asked.
“The girly man is still down,” Goodnight said. “His counterpart is looking for him though, I have been brushing the man off.”
CHAPTER 16
The Tower Of Magic
“Well that was quick,” the Tower Mage said. “I have been getting angry missives from the Mage Commander long before you got here. Did you take a detour or something?”
“I went to see my grandfather for a few days,” Jonathan said. “Spent it just talking to him and tending to horses.”
“I heard you watched Gerald Morningstar and a commoner mage name named Curt Hawkins get the pit beat out of them,” the Tower Mage said.
“Me?” Jonathan said with a false sense of being shocked.
“You can drop that right now Thunder,” the Tower Mage snapped. “I can tell by that stupid look on your face that you did just that and enjoyed it.”
“It was funny,” Jonathan said. “To see him shut up brutally and thoroughly. He attacked first, beat up an old man who was barely moving.”
“I have heard three different tellings of the story,” the Tower Mage said. “None of it matters, what does matter is that I find a place for you.”
“I already know what I am supposed to be doing,” Jonathan replied.
“You are supposed to be in the Tower, away from it all,” the Tower Mage said. “My full time job now includes keeping your rear out of trouble. If I could just give up this job and go back to being a curmudgeonly old instructor I would do it in a heartbeat.”
“This job isn’t that bad,” Jonathan replied. “You are the Tower Mage.”
“I was given this job because the Big Four respect me,” the Tower Mage said. “I want to go back to being Winchell Rebelle, mean old man instead of the Tower Mage. The only person who has it worst is poor Erlanger. He is acting grumpier than I ever have seen him in his role as Archmage.”
“So what is the plan then?” Jonathan asked. “I am sure I will be nowhere near any fighting for a while.”
“Good job out there,” the Tower Mage said. “I heard you took out two Generals and some other important people.”
“That has gotten here as well?” Jonathan said as he brightened up. “Any word on the battle?”
“We are rolling over the Donalians right now,” the Tower Mage said. “Heard you destroyed a bunch of supplies. I have received a few missives from the Archmage, most of them ends with keeping you out of trouble.”
“What has been going on here?” Jonathan asked.
“Well you can count Grace Story out of whatever your plans were for her,” the Tower Mage said. “When people heard you two could possibly be a thing they were as mad as a fat man with a plate full of vegetables. They didn’t want you with initiate Cara but you being with the Story girl made many of them write notes. I am not sure if you know the Delrays but they are a noble family who personally sent their son down to woo her.”
“That girl wouldn’t go for just any noble,” Jonathan said. “She was after Earl Gillespie’s little brother.”
“Carlin Delray has twin sisters,” the Tower Mage explained. “He graduated the year before you came to the Tower. His sisters will be of age in two years and they are single. I know he is definitely not her type, he is a small little man about the size of your friend Thurman. If she turns him down then it is doubtful her people would have any chance at his sisters.”
“She would go for that,” Jonathan said. “Unlikely his sisters would go for whoever the Storys have lined up but that is their problem.”
“Your friend Cara after being thoroughly embarrassed by her indiscretions has also found someone,” the Tower Mage said. “I think people pounced once you left, it was almost as if they set up the entire thing how fast things happened.”
“Who did she end up with?” Jonathan asked.
“Lucius Warrington,” the Tower Mage said.
“Warrington?” John said surprised. “The Battlemage?”
“His little brother,” the Tower Mage said.
“That is why I rarely saw the other Battlemage,” Jonathan said. “I thought it was weird. The man was just avoiding me.”
“I am certain he was,” the Tower Mage said. “He has decent power but something about him never sat right with me.”
“Did they know I wasn’t too caught up with Cara anyway?” Jonathan said laughing. “I kissed her a few times but that was it.”
“I know that, but they didn’t,” the Tower Mage said shaking his head. “You have a decent head for this trickery. I honestly thought you were going to the frontlines to get Lady Farrah out of your head. I even thought that maybe you did have something going on with Initiate Cara like many people thought.”
“And someone saw it as poetic justice to kick me in the pants when I was away,” Jonathan laughed. “I wonder what they think of the job I did while I was out there. That is bound to give someone some headaches.”
“Still seeking glory?” the Tower Mage said. “Of course you are seeking glory. You still have it in your head to become Archmage. Many people are writing you off but I think you have a good chance at making the entire thing happen.”
“I do as well,” Jonathan said. “I picture myself as a boulder, by myself I am not too much to worry about. But get me rolling downhill and they will find out I am hard to stop and will flatten anything in my way.”
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“Even with the obstacles in your way?” the Tower Mage asked.
“The problem no one has realized is that I have good council and help,” Jonathan said. “I have you and the Archmage helping me out. Two mages that know how things run who would never go out of their way to cause me pain. You both may hate your jobs but I don’t know anyone better to fill them.”
“Never looked at it that way,” the Tower Mage said. “So what is your plan with that big mountain girl?”
“Don’t know,” John said.
“Well I have to move you out of the place you were living in,” the Tower Mage said. “You are technically not an instructor right now so I don’t know if that will give you more time with those girls or not. If are trying to avoid them I have no idea if you can, they are going to know where your new office is and most of your time is supposed to be spent in the Tower like a prisoner. If you want to see them more it depends on them. I am sure your every moment away from the Tower will be reported back to the Mage Commander who will try his best to discredit you.”
“I doubt they mind all that much,” Jonathan replied. “Just as long as I stay away from the initiates. Wait a minute? Did you say I wasn’t an instructor anymore?”
“Of course you aren’t boy,” the Tower Mage said and rolled his eyes. “You went and joined the Mage Corps., you belong to Kevin Wilson.”
“I only have a few weeks left,” Jonathan said. “I don’t plan on reenlisting.”
“Oh yes you are,” the Tower Mage said. “At least for two more months. That will be enough time for things to die down. It will also make that idiot Kevin look petty for not throwing you back at the Donalians. The more time you stay on in the Mage Corps, the more people will start talking. Especially if certain mundanes know that you are still available.”
“You are brilliant!” John said. “I bet that will chap Kevin and his little henchmen. Especially Prince Jeffrey.”
“I can’t take all the credit,” the Tower Mage said. “Me and Erlanger talked about it for a bit. Both of us want to see you get what is coming to you. Just enjoy doing nothing until the senior class graduates.”
The Archmage Page 18
