Pirates and Wizards

by Jaxon Reed

  Archemon’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He said in an incredulous tone, “Why would a wizard help a pirate?”

  Trant chuckled and said, “Don’t ask, Captain. I know from long experience, stories such as these usually take at least three or four hours to tell. Trust me.”

  Greystone said, “Well, actually it is quite an intriguing tale. It involved a beautiful woman, like so many good stories do. You see, there was a love triangle between Gloomis, the first Greystone, and—”

  “Begging the Captain’s pardon, sir,” a young marine said. He looked very nervous, no doubt from not only having to address the captain, but a wizard and a prince as well. Archemon made a gesture to indicate all was well and the young man relaxed visibly.

  He said, “Captain Jessup from Seacaller sends his regards, and wishes to return the ‘magic parchment’ to the wizard.”

  “Ah, yes,” Greystone said, taking the proferred scroll from the marine. “This was how we knew the proper moment to make our appearance. I have its mate here with me. Whatever is written on one is immediately seen by the other. That’s one secret we wizards do share with one another.”

  He tucked the parchment into a fold in his robe.

  Trant said, “We need to be getting back. There’s a little matter we have to address back home.”

  Greystone nodded in agreement and said, “Indeed. Captain I’m afraid I’ll have to tickle your ears about Gloomis and my predecessor some other day.”

  Archemon smiled and said, “You are welcome aboard my ship any time, Wizard. May the Creator bless you in your quest.”

  “And you in yours.”

  Greystone turned away from the Captain and the marine, and conjured up a travel globe. It cast a hazy yellow light in all directions, floating just above the deck boards. While everyone nearby stopped to stare at it, he and Trant walked through and disappeared.

  -+-

  Greystone and Trant walked out into the streets of Greystone Village, the hazy globe fading fast behind them. They appeared before Greystone’s house on one side of the street and the village pub on the other. The metal men stood in their same locations, heads tilted down. Townfolk still avoided them, although their presence seemed more tolerated now that time had passed and people had grown accustomed to their presence.

  More people were in the streets, as well, many sporting the orange-red leather armor of Coral. One of them walked up and saluted Trant and the wizard.

  “Captain Tomlin,” Greystone said. “How delightful to see you again. We have been cavorting with different kinds of captains just now. Have they taken you away from Princess Margwen?”

  Tomlin flushed. He said, “She’s here, in your manor. I registered my disapproval of her accompanying Lord Trant on this mission, but my opinions were not taken into consideration.”

  Trant chuckled and said, “Don’t feel bad, Tomlin. I couldn’t talk her out of it, either. It seems my beloved has little taste for staying at home while I go about trying to take my kingdom back. I’m going to try again to at least have her stay here in the village while we advance on Emerald.”

  Greystone said, “We shall have to get your kingdom back so you two can get married and give poor Tomlin a rest. Be ready on the morrow at my signal. I’ve got to hop over to a meeting of the Magic Council next.”

  Trant nodded and clasped hands with the wizard. Greystone conjured another transport globe, walked through it and disappeared.

  Trant smiled at Tomlin and slapped him on the back. He said, “Captain, I think you’re going to love Emerald. At least I hope you do. When Margwen and I get married and I get the throne back, I don’t foresee us traveling a whole lot.”

  -+-

  Greystone was the last to walk into the meeting of the Magic Council in Oldstone’s castle. He smiled at everybody and took his place at the table.

  “Gentlemen, we are ready to find the Forlorn Dagger once more,” Oldstone said, looking around the table, holding the eye of each wizard for a moment. Mita stood behind his right shoulder; present, but not as an official member of the council.

  Oldstone said, “Redstone has a plan.”

  All eyes turned toward the short, orange-haired wizard. He smiled in delight, and stood to address everyone. He said, “Right, then. We know the general area in which the dagger was lost.”

  With a flourish, he produced a map of the Hidden Forest, which floated in the air beside him.

  “It was right about here,” he said, circling an area between Greystone Village and the main road with his finger. “We have the vicinity well guarded, and have seen no sign of Darkstone since the battle. By all accounts he remains cowering in his castle at Emerald, likely scared witless and sick with defeat.”

  Redstone smiled at this and waited for some chuckles. The “Troublesome Trio,” Quartzstone, Sandstone, and Silverstone, glared back at him.

  Redstone cleared his throat and said, “Yes. Well anyhow, the plan is to maintain the magical wards in the area. I am quite certain they are more than adequate to alert us of Darkstone’s presence, should he show up. Subtly was never his strong point, you see. He never had the skill to pull off a delicate or complex spell. It was always, ‘Boom! Boom!’ with him. Alas, those who are weaker in talent often try to compensate with showmanship.”

  He smiled around the table again. Quartzstone’s scowl increased, measurably.

  Redstone continued. “So, we’ll keep the wards up and search for the dagger in complete assurance of no interruption by that pesky Darkstone, who is no doubt still nursing his wounds from the last whuppin’ we gave him!”

  Quartzstone said, a sneer thinly veiled in his voice, “How do you propose to secure an object that drains magic? Or have you thought of that?”

  Redstone said, “I’m glad you asked, young man!”

  Mita noted Quartzstone’s spine stiffening at the mention of his age. He took it as an insult.

  Redstone didn’t seem to notice. He said, “Our plan is to surround it with a large magical globe of energy. The magic won’t touch the blade, you see. It will just surround the dagger. No one can get in, and the blade can’t get out.”

  He smiled in triumph at Quartzstone. Mita thought if the glare on the younger wizard’s face were a weapon, it would surely kill the jovial Redstone.

  Oldstone stood and said, “Very good. When do you propose to begin the hunt?”

  “Tomorrow morning.”

  “Who would you like to assist you in the matter?”

  Redstone chuckled confidently and said, “Ah, Loadstone and me can handle it quite fine. There’s no need to worry about that puny sniveling coward back in Emerald. He hasn’t made a try for the dagger, or we’d have known from my magical wards. No doubt he’s too scared. Quivering in his boots! Probably spent all his power on that little prison Mita broke for us. I don’t think that pitiful excuse of a wizard is going to dare venture out of his palace. We’ll be fine!”

  -+-

  Thanden flew into the king’s private chambers off the throne room in the Emerald Castle. Endrick harrumphed at the little intruder, while at the same time wondering how the little sprite knew where to find Darkstone all the time.

  Thanden circled weakly around both men’s heads before landing awkwardly on the table on his butt, making a tiny thump! He stood up and tottered about, dazed, looking for all the world like a miniature drunk with wings, his putrid green light glowing dimly.

  Darkstone said, “Snap out of it, Thanden. What news do you bring?”

  Thanden scratched his head, then rested his chin on his fist while tapping his foot.

  After a moment of this, Darkstone said, “Well? Did you bring a message or not?”

  As if remembering suddenly, Thanden raised his pointy finger and smiled. He fluttered up to Darkstone, pulled out a scrap of parchment, and bowed awkwardly in the air. The motion cost him, though. He quickly spiraled back down to the tabletop out of control, crash landing and rolling head over heels several times.

>   Endrick sighed, and leaned back in his chair. These meetings with the wizard discussing administration and planning bored him immensely. He mind wandered to half a dozen other things infinitely more enjoyable than discussing weighty matters of the kingdom. Especially since the problems the wizard kept bringing up were mostly Darkstone’s fault. Endrick couldn’t figure out why the wizard seemed so worried about their present lack of manpower. He was a wizard, after all. He could harvest an entire field with one swipe of a hand in the air. Who cares if all the villagers are dead, Darkstone could bring in the crops himself, Endrick thought.

  Endrick mulled that idea over a while longer, trying to decide if Darkstone would be offended by the suggestion. Just as he decided he might throw it out at an opportune moment, Darkstone looked up from the small fragment of parchment with fire in his eyes.

  “Bad news?” Endrick asked.

  “The fools think their wards will warn them of my presence in time.”

  “I see. I take this to mean they are finally going after the dagger?”

  “Not only are they going after it, they are so little worried I’ll interfere they’re only sending two weak wizards to fetch it. They’re confident that if I am to show up, their wards will warn them in time. Ha! They don’t know I can be there without setting off the wards. Fools.”

  Endrick paused before responding. He had pushed the wizard a bit far in his insults lately. It truly would not be prudent to push hard now, he thought. But the chance to poke his puppetmaster proved too rich a temptation to pass up.

  He said, “Why, it’s as if they don’t even know who you are. After all, you almost defeated them last time.”

  If Darkstone noticed the insult, he didn’t show it. Thanden stood back up and made a small trumpeting noise, attracting their attention. He began pantomiming, first throwing himself around the table top, lying in various awkward poses, then hoisting himself up and walking bent over in a straight line, then turning and slowly stomping back in the opposite direction, his arms held out straight before him.

  Endrick said, “What’s he saying?”

  “It appears Greystone has gathered the pieces of the metal men to have them reassembled. That’s actually not a bad idea on his part. I didn’t consider it when I left behind our destroyed army.”

  “Ah, something else you didn’t think of.”

  Darkstone’s head jerked up, and Endrick noticed his pupils constricting. He did not miss that last insult.

  “Careful, Endrick. If they are doing what I suspect they are, you’re going to need my help to retain the throne. More so than ever.”

  Endrick changed his tone, and the expression on his face. He did not want to push too hard. Like it or not, I am still his puppet, he thought. “And what do you suspect they’re going to do?” he said, much more respectfully.

  “I think they’re going to try and get me, or at least occupy my attention. You were right. After nearly losing earlier, there is no way Oldstone would let two lesser wizards go after the dagger alone. No, they are setting me up for a fall. I would not doubt if every one of them were there, along with their battlemaiden.

  “Once I am out of the way, they’ll use the metal men to take back this kingdom. Everybody knows the first thing to do in battle is take out the wizard. They’re coming for your throne, Endrick. You need to prepare for invasion.”

  The blood drained from Endrick’s face. He looked down at Thanden, who had followed the conversation. Thanden swung his fist in a silent salute, as if affirming everything Darkstone said. Then he passed out.

  -+-

  “Do you think I overdid it?”

  Redstone and Loadstone walked together through the forest. The taller wizard lifted a branch out of the way, holding it up for Redstone.

  “Absolutely you overdid it,” Loadstone said. “You went completely overboard with the insults. You impugned every fiber of Darkstone’s being.”

  Redstone chuckled with satisfaction. He said, “I don’t care. So long as it gets back to him and he shows up, I don’t care what that old blighter thinks of me.”

  “Oh, it got back to him. You saw the looks on the faces of the ‘Troublesome Trio’ as Mita calls them. They were ready to kill you on the spot.”

  Redstone chuckled again and said, “Good! I’ve been spoiling for a fight ever since they abandoned us the last time.”

  They came to a clearing and stopped, looking around in all directions.

  “We may as well try that spell of yours,” Redstone said. “Then we can hurry up and find where she left it.”

  Loadstone nodded and began swirling his hands around in the air. The sunlight dimmed, and the forest plunged into darkness as a great cloud of inky, light-swallowing blackness spread out from the wizard’s arms and hands. Soon, all luminosity disappeared and their surroundings were plunged into total darkness.

  Except . . . a speck of light flickered in the distance, dimly visible through the trees.

  “There. Do you see it?” Loadstone pointed, even though neither could see his hand.

  Redstone said, “Yes. I’ve got it, let’s go.”

  The darkness dissipated as quickly as it had formed, and they walked forward again.

  -+-

  After an hour of slogging through the undergrowth, the two wizards came at last to another large clearing. Near the middle, sticking straight up out of the ground, stood a black dagger.

  They stopped and smiled at each other. Redstone said, in a dramatic tone of voice, “Behold! The Forlorn Dagger!”

  Loadstone said, “Yes! At last we have found it!”

  They tensed in anticipation, but nothing happened. The wind sighed through the trees. Birds twittered in the distance.

  Redstone said, “Hmmm. I would have thought surely he’d be here by now. I mean, figuring a way around my wards couldn’t have been that hard for him.”

  He stepped out further into the clearing, then froze midstep.

  “Redstone?”

  Loadstone held out his hand and his staff appeared in a flash, the chunk of magnetite at its tip glowing bright with mystical energy. Instead of following Redstone by stepping into the clearing, he tipped the staff down toward the ground. A tendril of black smoke snaked out from the magnetite and into the clearing.

  It too, froze when it came alongside Redstone, the smoke hanging eerily still in the air.

  Quickly, Loadstone cast a Spell of Reanimation on Redstone, a streak of yellow light flashing from his staff to the short, orange-haired wizard.

  The sun blotted out as a giant shadow filled the clearing. An image of Darkstone appeared in the air, a giant projection of his body from the shoulders up, floating safely above the dagger stuck in the ground. His giant head tilted down and sneered at Loadstone, then at Redstone who remained at midstep.

  “Dimwits!” His voice was loud and echoed through the forest. “Did you really think I would fall for your tricks? Where is everybody else? Who have you brought on this fool’s errand to trap me?”

  The projection raised his hands and waved them in a quick circle around his body. Blinding light stretched out all around the clearing, rushing through trees and undergrowth in an ever growing circle.

  But Darkstone’s spell uncovered no hidden wizards, or people of any kind. The projection displayed surprise on his face. Then he scowled and glowered down at Loadstone again.

  Redstone finished his stride, the reanimation spell complete. He looked up at the projection of Darkstone and grinned, then scurried back to the clearing’s edge near Loadstone.

  He said, “Well, lookie there! That’s one way to defeat my wards. Gotta hand it to you, Darko, that is very clever.”

  Darkstone’s projection glared down at them. He said, “What have you done? Where is everybody? Did you really think you could defeat me alone? Did the Council truly expect two minor wizards to take me on without any help?”

  Redstone, said, “Minor?”

  Loadstone said, “Oh, we have some help. But first we
need to get you here. Let’s make it a proper fight.”

  He aimed his staff up at the projection and said, “Wizard Darkstone, I summon you!”

  A black streak of light shot up at the image. Darkstone’s eyes widened in terror as his projection melted. The shiny black string slowly pulled back into the stone, with the melting image following it down toward the ground and seeming to flow into it at the same time.

  A moment later Darkstone materialized in the air, arms akimbo. He fell in a heap in front of the two wizards. Redstone quickly cast a Spell of Suspended Animation while Loadstone cast a magical sphere around him.

  “It’s trans-dimensional,” Loadstone said with a smile, white teeth flashing from his dark face.

  “Oh, like he did on us?”

  “Precisely. I’ve studied it quite extensively since Mita rescued us. It’s a very effective trap.”

  “How about that final one? You know, the time trap thing he used on us?”

  “I’ve been practicing it, but it seems to work in odd ways. I don’t fully understand that one”

  “Aye, me neither,” Redstone said. “Well, this ought to hold him. I mean, it’s trans-dimensional and all.”

  POOM!

  The explosion of bright white light knocked both wizards back and off their feet. Darkstone stood exultant, one hand held high, the other holding his staff.

  “Fools! I have studied every magical trap known to man! Did you not think I could escape the very ones I used on you?”

  All three men heard a distant whistling, the sound of something traveling through the air at a high rate of speed. It came steadily closer, growing louder by the second.

  Redstone stood back up. He smiled and said, “Aha! Here’s that help we were talking about.”

  A spell hit the clearing, a ball of pure white light swallowing Darkstone completely. The wizards could see him struggling inside the globe, streaks of light flying from his staff. But each time the light seemed to almost overcome the globe, the globe changed colors. It went from white to yellow, to orange, to red, to brown, to purple, to black, then back to white again. Then it quickly cycled through the other colors in random order.