“I think I’m okay now,” he told Brianna.
“Good, because we need to get moving. There’s a storm coming and we need to replenish our supplies.”
Zollin got up and walked over to where Brianna was standing and watching the dark clouds building up to the north. He bit off a mouthful of the elk meat and picked up the broken pieces of his staff. While he didn’t need to rely on magical objects any longer, he felt a pang of sadness at the thought of giving up his staff. He settled back onto the floor and sent his magic into the pale, white wood. It was stiff, but the magic that coursed through it was like lightning, crackling as it darted back and forth through the wood. He focused his mind, moving beyond the wood grain down into the tiniest molecules. Because he could perceive matter at its most basic level, he could also manipulate it. He began to use his magic to reshape the wood. The magic from the staff linked to his own magic, so that it seemed the the staff was reshaping itself.
It took only moments to complete. He opened his eyes and saw the bow he had made. It was light and elegant, with a sturdy riser and long, shapely recurve limbs. The bowstring matched the color of the bow, which was still a pale white. Zollin could feel the magic inside the bow, although it was as if the magic was concentrated in the limbs of the bow.
“Here,” Zollin said, slowly getting back to his feet. “This should help.”
“Zollin, that’s amazing,” Brianna said.
“Try it out. You’ve still got arrows. But I think you should take off the white alzerstone ring.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Just trust me,” he said, smiling.
Brianna pulled off her ring and took the bow and held it up. She was amazed at how balanced it felt. Her old bow, another gift from Zollin, had been fashioned in Baskla by a master bowsmith. She had always thought that it felt perfect, but the bow Zollin made felt like it was a part of her. Her hand fit perfectly on the smooth grip, and there was a slight tingle that made her feel powerful just holding the weapon.
Brianna picked up an arrow from her quiver, which was leaning against the wall. She nocked an arrow and drew it back. The resistance was so minimal she had to look at the bow to be sure she had it drawn all the way back. The limbs were bent and the arrow was the perfect length, but it took almost no effort to draw and hold the string. Then she took aim. As soon as her thumb touched her cheek, something magical happened. Her sight narrowed, almost as if she were looking through a long tunnel. She hadn’t known what to aim at, but as her vision zoomed in she could see a small tree with a contorted trunk growing from the side of the mountain. It was more than just something she saw, it was as if her mind had linked to the tree. She released the arrow, and it shot across the expanse between the mountains so fast it was impossible to see.
Brianna’s vision was still zoomed in on her target and she saw the arrow slam into the thick and knotty tree trunk. The arrow burrowed completely through the tree and came poking out the other side. Then, Brianna’s vision returned to normal. She could barely see the tree now. It was so far away she shouldn’t have been able to hit the tree even with a large longbow with a very heavy draw weight.
“Did you see that?” she exclaimed.
“I did,” Zollin said, though a mouthful of dried meat.
“Zollin, this bow is like. . .” she wasn’t sure how to describe it.
“Like magic.”
“Exactly,” she said loudly. “It draws as if there is nothing there. And then, I could see the target as if I were standing right in front of it. You know I shouldn’t have been able to make that shot. No one could shoot an arrow that far.”
“Kelvich said that some objects made with materials imbued with magic have extraordinary qualities. All the great legendary swords and weapons were magic-made. I didn’t need the staff for myself anymore. This seems like a better fit. That’s why I asked you to take off the ring. Do you like it?”
“Oh, it is incredible! I love it.”
Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. At first the kiss was merely exuberant, but after a moment it changed and became more passionate. Zollin felt desire stirring in him and he pulled away, frowning.
“What’s wrong?” Brianna asked.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “When Kelvich and I first started training, I didn’t like using my full range of magic because it made me feel. . . ,” he searched for the right words, “too powerful. I had strange impulses to destroy things. So Kelvich helped me develop a sort of defense so that other sorcerers couldn’t manipulate my magic or control me. But when I first healed my back, I felt something. It wasn’t malicious like before, it was . . . ,” again he struggled to find the words.
“What?” Brianna asked.
“Lustful,” he said.
He watched her expression, unsure how she would respond to such a revelation. They had never broached the subject of physical intimacy. There had been temptations in the past, but since they were planning on marriage, Zollin had wanted to wait. His sense of honor wouldn’t allow him to taint their relationship by giving in to his physical desires. Whenever he had thought of it he was reminded of his old friend Todrek, who had been Brianna’s husband for one night, before being killed while helping Zollin flee their small village when the Torr had pursed him.
“That’s weird,” she said.
“I know, but that’s the best way I know to describe it. It’s like this deep desire, and I know it is coming from my magic, but it’s as real as any emotion I’ve ever felt.”
“It can’t be good,” Brianna said. Her face was blushing pink.
“It isn’t, and I need to get my defenses back in place, but to be honest, working magic at this point is painful.”
“What do you mean?”
“Normally, when I use my power, I get tired. But ever since the accident, it’s as if using magic is hurting me.”
“Oh, Zollin, that can’t be good.”
“I’ve checked and there’s no damage being done. Maybe I just need more rest, I don’t know.”
“If you can build defenses to keep other wizards from doing stuff to you, can you build some kind of defense to keep the magic from hurting you?”
“I don’t know,” Zollin said, very intrigued at the idea. “It will probably take some time.”
“Well, that’s the one thing we don’t have. We need to leave as soon as possible if we’re going to find food and shelter before this storm hits.”
“Okay, let’s load everything up and get moving.”
“We can circle around the mountain to avoid the avalanche. It should be easier than trudging through the snow.”
“That sounds good,” Zollin said, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of foreboding. He knew that he would have to levitate himself and Brianna up and around the canyons and cliffs. The thought of using his magic scared him a little. He really did need some sort of containment for his inner reservoir of magic. If he could block out others, why couldn’t he isolate and guard his own power so that it didn’t affect him physically? He was tired of being weak and dependent on food and wine to regain his strength. He needed to master his power, rather than being so strongly affected every time he cast a spell.
They gathered their supplies, and then Zollin lowered Brianna back down into the canyon. He angled her descent so that she was well down the valley where the avalanche hadn’t been as severe. He followed her down, using his magic to direct and slow his fall. It was much easier than levitating them up, but the effort still sent sharp pains shooting through his body, making it difficult to concentrate on the spell.
It was still early morning when they set out. The air was frigid, and soon their feet were cold from the snow. It wasn’t as deep as it had been further up the mountainside, and they made good time, but not without a great amount of effort. Zollin was breathing hard just trying to keep up with Brianna. When he had to levitate them it made his head spin with dizziness. He managed to raise his defenses enough so that the const
ant yearning to move south didn’t bother him, but he was ravenously hungry and would have eaten all their rations if the dried meat hadn’t been so difficult to consume.
It was late afternoon before Zollin sensed any animals large enough to hunt. The storm was getting closer and the air felt heavy and warmer than normal.
“I think there’s a bighorn sheep up on that mountain,” Zollin said.
“I can’t see it,” Brianna said, and then she drew the bow.
Once again her vision narrowed and zoomed across the expanse. She could see the ram now, slowly making its way across the steep mountainside. She took a deep breath and then held it for a moment before making her shot. The arrow flew like a bolt of lighting and hit the ram right behind the shoulder. The big sheep jumped and then fell to the ground dead.
“I got it,” Brianna said triumphantly.
“Really? That’s great.”
“Yeah, but how do we get up there?”
“We don’t,” Zollin said.
He closed his eyes and sent his magic out again. He located the ram and levitated it off the mountain and down into the valley where they waited. The ram weighed more than Zollin and Brianna combined, and the effort left him exhausted. He sat on a rock with his head between his legs, waiting for his head to stop spinning. Brianna began dressing out the ram. It was dirty work, but at least it meant they would have food to eat. They would have to leave large portions of the animal behind; they couldn’t take the hide or the head, and they had no use for the internal organs. She butchered the carcass as best she could and loaded the raw meat into their packs. They would both have to carry as much as possible.
They were just about to set off again when the wind kicked up above them in a strange gust that made an odd sound, almost like a person sighing. Zollin turned around and looked up, then toppled over. Brianna screamed and they both scrambled backward.
A giant was standing up behind them. It had gray skin that looked almost exactly like the hard rock that formed the mountains. It was easily five times taller than a full-grown man. It wore scrub brush around its waist, and its hair was gray and wiry. It looked at them with large eyes that blinked slowly.
“It’s a giant,” Brianna said, her voice pitched high with fear.
The creature moved slowly forward, taking one careful step and then another, until it was right where they had been a moment ago. It bent down and looked at the remains of the sheep they had butchered.
“Are you going to eat this?” the giant asked in a low-pitched, rumbling voice.
“No,” Zollin said loudly. He tried to keep his voice from shaking but failed.
“Can I have it?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, thank you. I’m very hungry.”
The giant picked up the remains of the sheep and popped them into his mouth. He chewed the bones and horns effortlessly.
“My name’s Rup,” said the giant, slowly and deliberately. “You are a wizard.”
Zollin mustered his courage. Rup wasn’t frightening in his appearance; it was just his massive size that had startled Zollin and Brianna. He had large, round shoulders and thick arms and legs. His stomach was round, and his face was somewhat flat. He had a broad nose but no lips. His eyes were intelligent but cloudy, as if they were very dry.
“That’s right,” Zollin said. “My name is Zollin, and this is Brianna.”
“It’s very nice to meet you both. I’ve been sleeping here a very long time.”
Rup stretched his arms and yawned.
“We’re heading south,” Zollin said. “There’s a storm coming.”
“Oh, that’s good. I like storms.”
“We need to find shelter,” Brianna added.
“Like a cave?” Rup suggested.
“Yes,” Zollin said. “Somewhere we can rest and stay dry.”
“I know a place,” said Rup. “It’s this way.”
He stepped over them both and up onto a low ridge. Brianna held onto Zollin tightly, her whole body trembling as the giant passed over them.
“I didn’t know giants were real,” said Brianna.
“Me neither.”
“What are we going to do?”
“I think we should follow him.”
“What if he wants to eat us? He could be leading us to some sort of trap so he can catch us. Did you see the way he crunched the ram’s horns between his teeth?”
“Yes, but he seems nice enough.”
“Zollin, he’s a giant! How do you know if he’s nice?”
“We might offend him if we don’t follow him.”
“This is insane,” Brianna said. “First dragons and now giants.”
“Come on,” Zollin said. “I’ll go first.”
He levitated himself up to the top of the ridge. They probably could have scrambled up the small rise, but Zollin didn’t want to fall too far behind Rup. It took nearly half an hour to reach the cave that Rup led them to. Zollin and Brianna didn’t have time to worry, as it took all their energy just to keep pace. Rup could climb the mountains as easily as a child scaling a tree. It was only Zollin’s ability to levitate himself and Brianna up and down the steep trail that allowed them to keep up.
“Look,” Rup said happily. “It’s a nice cave. Too small for me, but just right for a wizard.”
“How did you know I was a wizard?” Zollin asked.
“Because you woke me up,” Rup said, as if it were the most obvious fact. “Would you like me to lift you up?”
“No,” Brianna said. “We’ll manage.”
“Okay,” said Rup. “Thanks for waking me. I’m going to find a drink.”
The giant moved away slowly but gracefully. Zollin and Brianna watched him go, still in shock at what they had seen.
“I guess giants are nice,” Zollin said.
“Maybe,” Brianna admitted. “He didn’t try to eat us.”
“Why would you think that he might?” Zollin asked.
“Don’t you remember the stories about the giants who steal children and stew them in giant kettles?”
“That’s just a children’s story.”
“Yes, but we thought the same thing about dragons not long ago.”
“Well, at least we have food and place to stay.”
“Sure, we can just cozy up in that cave until Rup gets hungry again. Then he’ll know right where to find us.”
Chapter 5
Prince Wilam walked across the small drilling area, where a squad of fifty men was practicing with weapons. He looked at them, frowned, and began shouting.
“You look like a band of trollops! Don’t let your shields droop, you’ll be killed. Or worse yet, the man beside you will be killed.”
He pushed one of the men aside, snatching away the soldier’s shield. He took the man’s place in line and demonstrated.
“Your shield must be locked against the next man’s shield. It creates a barrier that can’t be penetrated. Do you understand? Your job on the front line is to hold the enemy at bay. You’ll have plenty of chances to slide your weapon into the gap, but you have to hold the line. Your shield wall cannot falter. A breakdown at any one point will spell disaster for the entire line. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir!” the men shouted.
They were a ragtag group of men. Most were farmers or merchants who had fallen under the sorcerer Gwendolyn’s spell. She had an alluring quality that made men forget everything else. They left their wives and families, ignored their farms or businesses, and thought only about the witch whom they called a queen. She was living in the Castle on the Sea in Lodenhime, on the southern shore of the Great Sea of Kings. It wasn’t actually a castle, but rather a large stone manor, built by a wealthy merchant. All men who came into the city eventually fell under the witch’s spell, including Wilam, the Crown Prince of Yelsia. Gwendolyn had made him her general and given him the task of building her an army. He was determined not to fail her.
“The men in the second line will strike over your
head and support you. In this way you form an impenetrable line. Put your shoulder into your shield, hold it up any way you can. If you drop your shield, even a little, you’ll die.”
“Yes sir!” the men shouted.
“Good,” Wilam said as he handed the soldier back his shield. “Do it again.”
The men continued to drill. There were three hundred men in his small army. Not nearly enough to go into battle, but it was a start. He had separated those with any kind of training from the rabble. Gwendolyn’s charms were not reserved for the wealthy or useful; any and every man who saw her was smitten. She left it to Wilam to make something of the ragtag troops. He had made the men with military experience officers and assigned those with archery skills as castle guards.
Men with building experience were busy reinforcing the wall that surrounded the Castle on the Sea. The main structure was built on a rocky peninsula, but the compound’s walls were made of stone and built ten feet high. The wall wound from the shore on one side, around the stables and work sheds, and ended at the shore on the far side. Wilam had his builders extending the walls out into the water. He didn’t intend to leave any gaps in the castle’s defenses. He was also building a wooden walkway that would allow the castle guards to see over the wall and patrol the perimeter without leaving the castle grounds. The walkway was six feet high and built right against the wall. The guards could fire their arrows over the wall if they were attacked and fend off anyone trying to climb inside.
Bringing order and productivity to the masses around the Castle brought Wilam a sense of pride. He had forgotten about Yelsia and his duty as the Crown Prince. His only thoughts now were of Gwendolyn and how he could please her. She had given him a task and he worked tirelessly to see it through.
The Five Kingdoms: Book 04 - Crying Havoc Page 5