Promise of a Sorceress

by G S Santos

"Adelphine. Sorry, but it's not that simple."

  "What is not so simple? You do not know what I would give to have a power like yours! I would give everything! And you have it, and you do not use it."

  "It’s not that easy. Listen, I'm sorry."

  "And when will you be satisfied? When you see me dead?"

  "Adelphine..."

  "And where is everybody?"

  Magzas turned her face to the forest. "Come with me," she said and led Adelphine through the trees, uphill, with the northern mountains barely visible among the pines, as a guide.

  Soon they saw the wide path, with the sun rising imposingly to the left side, and a smoke among the trees.

  "Magzas... Are they all right?"

  "Yes. Some were injured, but they're fine."

  "Is Tristan fine?"

  "Yes, everybody is alive. They only got some minor injuries you should treat. You said you know a bit about medicine, right?"

  "I do." Adelphine sighed. "And the bandits?"

  "They're already dead."

  "Did you see those who followed me? There are more!"

  "Don't worry more about them, Adelphine. Just stay close to the group."

  Adelphine did not answer anymore. She remembered that she was mad at Magzas. She could not afford to leave her alone as a coward, especially if she had the power to save her.

  They came to a clearing on the side of the road where a weak campfire burned. At the side they had left a bunch of bandit bodies lined up in the sun. Adelphine felt like she wanted to faint. It was not nice to see dead people, not even if they were enemies who they had wanted the worst for her.

  As soon as they saw them arrive, Tristan got up and ran to receive her with a hug.

  "Adelphine!" He leaned toward her, and she noticed his concern. "Are you fine? You're soaked! Come on, go change yourself, you do not want me to give you the mountain fever."

  "Yes." She smiled.

  "Come on, change behind those trees."

  "And the carriage?" Adelphine opened her eyes, scared.

  Tristan laughed and pointed to the campfire in the middle of the clearing.

  "They burned it and... Since we could not keep walking in it, it served to fuel the flames. The rest, you know, the wheels, we'll use later."

  Adelphine swallowed. Traveling tight in a carriage and with torticollis was better than riding through a mountain of ice.

  "Don't waste time, you're going to get sick. Come on, then later you can help me cook."

  "All right." Adelphine smiled, and ran to get clean, warm clothes.

  ***

  "And that's why I decided to train." Tristan smiled. He had a fish strung on a rod, roasting in front of the flames. Adelphine was at his side, both sitting on the floor and laughing. Adelphine had eaten so much fish those days that it made her nauseous just to think about its oily taste, but she did not tell Tristan, who loved making food for everyone. Magzas had retired to walk through the woods, while the varganians shared the fire, their faces still rigid and seemingly angry.

  Adelphine turned to see Tristan and continued the conversation. "I cannot believe you were trained by Sir Van Preussen," Adelphine laughed. "When I was little I was afraid of him."

  "And it’s curious we know so many people in common," he said.

  "I'm not surprised. You know everyone," she said and rested her head on his shoulder. It was much better than the bony shoulder of Magzas.

  "It's not like that," said Tristan.

  "And now you are modest! Now that’s a big change."

  "No. It’s impossible. You cannot meet everyone."

  Adelphine let out a smile and looked into his eyes one more time. They were blue like the West Sea, but they never lost their brightness. She felt she could lose herself by looking at them, as when there was nothing to do but look at the moon through the window of the old castle tower. Her skin became paler each day as they entered the cold and darkness, but he was still vibrant with life.

  "Tristan," she said.

  "Tell me." Tristan revealed that perfect smile.

  "Why did you want to be a mercenary?"

  Tristan seemed to sigh, then inclined his head, letting out a laugh. Suddenly, his expression changed, and the smile faded from his face.

  "I also wanted to take revenge."

  "What are you talking about?" Adelphine looked up at him, wide-eyed.

  "He was one of the men of the king of Wodania. Stolz. Heynrich Stolz." Tristan clenched his fists. "My father was a lumberjack, but he served under King Gruber's militia when there were problems. But my father did not share his methods."

  "Methods?" Adelphine raised an eyebrow.

  "Gruber did not hesitate to kill innocents. Women, children." He shook his head, as if to ward off a frightening memory. "His men snatched the babies from the arms of their mothers... and... Some, he stole to raise as warriors, but he killed their mothers only because they spoke another language! But to others, he did the worst, pierced them with spears, or murdered them in crueler ways."

  Adelphine felt like she was about to faint. Tristan continued.

  "So, once Gruber ordered to attack a village, where it was said that people had hidden Lecian men. When nobody spoke, Stolz did not hesitate to do what he liked best... Torture, rape, and kill. Not even forgive the cats."

  "And your father?"

  "My father refused. He swore he preferred to die himself than to hurt women or children. And Stolz never forgave him."

  "But…"

  "Stolz said nothing at that time. He only followed my father with his eyes when he retired to the forest to beg forgiveness from Wotan, for such cowardly actions in the battlefield. But when my father came back home, everything fell apart."

  Tristan looked into her eyes. This time, his pupils distilled anger.

  "He was flayed alive, in front of our eyes. They forced us to see him, Adelphine. I will never forget it. His own comrades. The people that I knew, who I believed as close as uncles. They dishonored my sisters, they humiliated my brothers. I escaped over the water, swimming with all my strength."

  "Tristan." Adelphine felt the tears come to her eyelids. "I'm sorry, really."

  Tristan sighed. "I went like a thief among the cities. I walked with other lost children, children of deserters or unfortunate people. Until Edelwulf Van Preussen found us and raised us as his children. But something burned inside me. I received a sword from Van Preussen and trained day and night, to one day meet Stolz, look him in the eyes, and say, ‘I am Tristan Florian von Liktberg, son of Florian von Liktberg, whom you killed, and for him, and for a thousand innocent, you deserve the worst of deaths.’"

  "Tristan! Why did not you kill him already? He is a bastard! He has deserved it for a long time!"

  "It is not so simple."

  "What are you talking about? You are the best warrior I have ever known. You could kill him with both hands tied behind your back!"

  "Well, you're creative. It is not easy, because he is hiding. He escaped after a defeat and hid who knows where. Nobody knows where it is. Maybe he changed his name and lives in a faraway land. And I've searched for it all this time. Sure, making money and eating delicious food. Revenge can wait."

  "I hope you can find him, Tristan."

  Tristan sighed again. "Meanwhile... I crave boar meat. Let's see if we go hunting with the soldiers in the morning."

  "After," said Pavel, the younger soldier, with his mouth full. "He nibbled the fish like a beast and kept his eyes lost in the flames. Hunting would take time."

  "It's just a whim," Tristan said. "And it would be good."

  Adelphine took a deep breath, still shaken by Tristan's story. She began to think, that although his story was horrible, it did not even come close to hers.

  Pavel, for his part, seemed to be nostalgic for something. Had Tristan's story impressed him?

  Suddenly, he looked up and looked at Adelphine. "Why are you looking at me?" he snapped.

  "I'm sorry." Adelphine looked a
way in an instant.

  "No problem," he said.

  Pavel's solemn face changed. Adelphine then understood. Pavel had not said that for being rude or evil. There was something that bothered him. Maybe he had his own story, but she did not dare ask him.

  The other varganians spoke little, and when they did, they used their native language. Adelphine had seen them smile only when something really made them laugh, but it was so weird that she had forgotten how they looked when they did.

  "How soon will we arrive?" Adelphine asked Pavel. He, for his part, looked at Valadi, who was drinking from a wineskin. He wiped his mouth with the sleeves of his tunic and looked at Adelphine with disdain.

  "We go to a place where deposits have been found, and there may be more. It is still a hundred miles away. One month."

  "One hundred miles!" Adelphine gasped.

  "Yes."

  "One hundred miles. And with bandits!" she complained, thinking she would prefer to shave her hair before facing bandits again.

  "Do not worry about bandits," said Valadi. "Most live on the border. We will soon reach villages, safer. Army there."

  Adelphine looked at Tristan. "Villages?"

  Tristan nodded and with a slight smile.

  "What a relief!" Adelphine smiled.

  "You're going to love it." Tristan's expression had no price. His eyes shone like those of a child. "There will be food, dances, and everything. You do not know how my mouth watered at the thought of the beet soup with cream and crushed meat. May the gods take us as soon as possible!"

  "You only think about food, Liktberg! I want to see the dresses they wear, they are beautiful!" Adelphine raised her head and tried to see beyond the flames, to the path to follow. But from there we could not see more than the path winding upward. The road was hard, but even if she did not become a sorceress, perhaps she had found something much more valuable. And she would find better things.

  She looked at Tristan’s bright blue eyes, which now reflected the gold of the flames and spoke softly. "What will you do when everything is over?" she asked.

  "I've wandered a long time. Maybe it's time to find a place to live."

  "Where?" Adelphine looked at him, expecting him to say Lathania.

  Wherever it is cheaper. Tristan stretched his arms and Adelphine was forced to stand up.

  "Ladania is a good place," she insisted. She had to catch what he wanted to say, he could not be so silly.

  "Yes, it is."

  "And since you are not welcome in your home..."

  "I am not."

  "But… I'm not welcome in my own land either, now that I remember." Adelphine seemed to wake up from an idealistic dream.

  "And you?" Tristan asked. "What will you do?"

  "We're talking about that." Adelphine frowned.

  "If you still have issues to fix, I'll help you."

  "Seriously? Would you help me? But how?"

  "I'm not a good businessman, but I know how to deal with thugs like that."

  "Then it’s a deal." She winked at him.

  Suddenly, a noise like someone scratching glass made her ears suffer, and she jumped. Tristan and the varganians also had bewildered faces. Adelphine turned, and noticed that behind them was a smaller fire and two metal poles with glowing circles stuck in the ground, next to which Klaus and Wilthers were sitting next to their strange instruments.

  "Sorry!" said Klaus. "We are testing."

  Tristan jumped up and walked over.

  "What the hell is this thing?"

  "It's a machine built to find gold," Klaus answered promptly.

  Braun shook his head.

  "But it makes a hell of a noise!"

  "It's just the energy current," said Wilthers.

  "Well, you’re going to make noise somewhere else!" Valadi shouted.

  "We are sorry!" Klaus bowed as if in submission.

  "Let's see." Tristan approached and picked up a kind of jug they had left on the floor, with bundles of fine copper tied together like braids that joined it to silver objects, long as a cathedral spire. "It smells like vinegar..."

  "Leave that!" Wilthers stepped forward and snatched it out of his hands. "You are going to spoil it."

  Tristan grimaced. "Don't make those noises! If there are bandits nearby, you have just given them our position."

  "Hey, boy." Wilthers put his finger on Tristan's chest. "We are paying for this trip. Who do you think you are? We do our job, and if something appears, that's what you are here for. That's what they pay you for, understand? And what do you think the fire does? Could it be that nobody sees it?"

  "But you will not see him five miles from here with that hell of a noise."

  "Easy." Klaus separated them. "Sorry, we have to maintain the equipment, otherwise it will stop working."

  Tristan lifted his jaw and looked at Wilthers and Klaus from above.

  "Do not do anything stupid," he said and turned to sit by the fire, sighed, and looked at the stars.

  Adelphine sat next to him. "Do not worry. We've already seen that bandits have no chance."

  "The problem is not the bandits. The problem is that old Wilthers is looking for trouble. He does not care for what could happen."

  "Leave it alone!" Valadi snapped. "For me, it’s good that the bandits cut him up."

  "It would be good," said Tristan. “And look at you." He touched Adelphine's head. “While they were hiding in the carriage, you were fighting. You really are brave. There are few people like you."

  "It was Magzas and me. She is also brave."

  Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Well," he sighed. "Being a sorceress is not for anyone. You have to have talent."

  "And Tristan... Do not worry."

  "Do you know anything else? Also, you are the one who is worried more often."

  "Yes, but... I do not like that you worry."

  "Sorceress." Pavel interrupted her and Adelphine almost jumped out of fright. "Please, stay serious. Sir von Liktberg must concentrate on his work."

  Adelphine grimaced. What was wrong with that guy, and why did he care that she and Tristan spent time together?

  "Understood," said Tristan.

  Adelphine made a gesture of disgust against Pavel, who seemed to ignore her or not realize it.

  Tristan lowered his head and covered it with his hand. He squeezed his eyes as if he were enduring a hidden pain.

  "Is there something wrong?" Adelphine asked.

  "No... It's just that my head hurts a little."

  "Did they hit you a lot? I can help you if you..."

  "Don't worry... I'm fine," Tristan gasped.

  "Alright."

  Chapter XVI:

  Warrior Clan

  Varunas Castle waited with doors open under the darkened afternoon sky, while Wil rode like lightning. He had not seen anyone in the plain, and he was not afraid of being seen by any distant watchtower, but in front of the castle there were a dozen people gathering piles of material for compost and others tilling the already fertilized land. Wil adjusted his mask, crossed the bridge and the threshold, and entered while the workers gave him surprised and frightened glances.

  Inside, he saw Kaunas standing bare-chested and bathed in sweat, with a band around his forehead wrapping his hair like fire and a metal leg shining in the sun. He held a long sword in his right hand and waved it in some form of fencing.

  Perkunas neighed, and Kaunas turned immediately. He arched an eyebrow and locked eyes with Wil behind the mask.

  "I am the dark avenger!" Wil announced and unsheathed.

  Kaunas shook his head.

  "You went crazy, Wilus?" Kaunas laughed, drove the sword into the earth, and rested a hand on it. Their laughter did not stop and they became increasingly scandalous. "My damn sides!" He put his hands on his ribs as if he had laughed more than was healthy.

  Wil removed his mask and threw it to the ground. Meanwhile, Kaunas dropped to the ground and writhed in laughter.

  "Stop!" Wil grinned angrily. "Do
not make fun of me!"

  Little by little, Kaunas controlled the muscles of his face and stood up, holding back, and at times, letting out little giggles.

  "The Dark Avenger. That’s funny... What about the mask? What is that supposed to be?"

  He tried to remain calm, but Kaunas was behaving like an idiot. Why, if he wanted to help him so much, did he have to treat him like that?

  "Forget about it. What are you doing, you want to lose some pounds?"

  Kaunas sighed. "Van Preussen was teaching me fencing, and yes... I also want to be fit."

  "I learned a little when I was younger, do you want to practice with me?"

  "I guess I do." Kaunas looked from side to side.

  "Nice leg." Wil looked at his brass leg from above.

  "That escalated quickly, boss."

  "I'm serious. But it sure doesn’t look comfortable."

  "It's not so bad," said Kaunas.

  "Well, then." Wil drew his sword.

  "Wait a moment... Do you want to cut me with that?"

  "No. This sword... It was my uncle's grandfather’s and has no edge. Look."

  "It's rustier than a sunken ship. Let's see…" Kaunas turned and walked to a piece of wood near the door. From there, he took out two wooden swords and threw one at Wil so he could catch it. Wil examined it. It was a long sword, it looked like a legitimate sword, and of good quality, but it had a cheap leather hilt.

  "Well, as you wish." Wil put himself on guard, and Kaunas followed him with his left foot forward and his sword on the left hand.

  At that moment, Wil lashed out with a blow to the neck, but Kaunas turned his back like a scared chicken.

  "What's the matter with you?" Wil laughed.

  "I thought you wanted to practice ways, not that you would hit me with all you had!"

  "What the hell? I do not know how that guy teaches you, but practicing is practicing."

  "Well...Van Preussen taught me the steps...you know. Step by step."

  "So that you turn like a girl and turn your back? Did not he teach you not to turn your back on a fight?"

  "Well...he mentioned it, but he had never sparred like that after the first fight… He figured I was too bad. Now, you know, I’m only blocking short blows."

  "It does not work like that, buddy." Wilus shook his head. "Well, I'll try again, this time, block the blows."