The Wizard Assassin
Page 3
“There is only one spot for blacksmith, one spot for engineer, one spot for cavalry, one spot for archer” Harris replied.
“I don’t care about any of those” Dax replied. “I want to go to the specialty schools like weaponmaster, I know foot soldiers get the opportunity.”
“Maybe I will take that then” Harris said with a sneer.
“Go for it” Dax replied. “I wouldn’t mind being cavalry, maybe I can learn more about the horse.”
“You aren’t even the third best rider here” Harris snapped.
“I don’t have to be” Dax replied. “I am two points ahead of you and fifteen points ahead of Jennings. Even if I get no points in leadership and he gets all ten I will still have him by five points. I don’t really want to be cavalry but I would do it just to put your dress in a bunch. In most of the events that matters I beat you, this leadership thing is stupid.”
“Hardly” Harris replied. “This is how your classmates see you. While you were busy being a loner I actually made a difference here.”
“Let you tell it little man” Dax replied. “You are an asshole Harris. But you are an asshole who made me do my best, if I come in first place I know I earned it. And unlike you if I come in second place I can be happy knowing a more talented man won. You though will be ready to commit suicide by choking on horse cock for me beating you.”
“You don’t fool me Davary” Harris replied as he stood a few inches away from Dax. “I know you want this just as much as I do. Big bad Davary, beaten by tiny little Harris. Bet afterwards you will be looking for the first tavern wench to take out your frustrations on.”
“I win either way” Dax replied. “I can either go to weaponmaster school or take the cavalry spot. I know you want to be some great horseman, no matter how talented you try to become with the blade you will still be at a disadvantage if you go to weaponmaster school. You will pick cavalry like a good little boy while I get the school I wanted.”
“At least you have come to terms with being second place” Harris smiled. “I am going to be the greatest rider the army has ever seen.”
“You probably will, you little shit” Dax replied. “Your size will work for you in that event.”
“What is this all about” Sergeant Tenkay said as he separated Dax and Harris.
“Two rivals saying good bye” Harris replied.
“Worried about the leadership” Sergeant Tenkay said shaking his head. “No matter what happens you both are one and two with Jennings a distant third. No one else is even close enough to mention so at worst you will finish in second place. I have had a couple of people ask about the both of you but I am sure which way you will both lean.”
“Captain Runes already made himself known Sergeant” Dax replied.
“More than him have asked about you Dax” Sergeant Tenkay replied. “Regardless I had to let everyone know that you will be off limits until you finish that one place we spoke about when we first met. As for you Harris I have had two officers come through looking for a good cavalryman but I think you are going to forgo the army altogether.”
“And why would I do that Sergeant?” Harris said confused.
“Your name has been mentioned to become one of King Jared’s royal messengers” Tenkay replied. “Technically you would be a royal guardsman but the majority of your duties would revolve around your expertise with a horse instead of fighting on the ground. You may get to pull guard when all they need are a set of eyes but I am sure you will find out the particulars when you leave.”
“Where did you hear this from Sergeant?” Harris replied curiously.
“The Commandant put you in for it when knowledge of an opening came to his attention” Sergeant Tenkay replied. “Spots like that rarely open up and they asked for someone they could mold instead of a seasoned soldier. I don’t think something like this will come around again, it pays unlike your mandatory two years and the pay is more than I make. Either you or Jennings will get the spot.”
“Why not Davary?” Harris asked.
“He has other training he needs before being considered” Sergeant Tenkay replied. “Besides I don’t think either he or the powers that be would ever put him in the palace.”
“He just isn’t good enough is he?” Harris laughed.
“I don’t know why you are laughing” Davary replied. “I get weaponmaster school either way now.”
“You want weaponmaster school do you?” Sergeant Tenkay replied. “I think you might be able to pass it before you have to leave. That is the one school I always wanted to go to, I just never got the chance.”
CHAPTER 3
More than a bastard
Dax had been humbled since he arrived at weaponmaster school a month ago. The only people who got to come to the school were one out of every entrant training class, any noble who wanted to pay the high fee for entry and banded warriors. Dax was strictly middle of the pack when it came to dueling in this group, many of them had more experience and he found himself struggling just to stay afloat. This was a pass/fail training, anyone who fell below a certain score was kicked out of training and had to fight their way back in or pay their way back in at a reduced price. Many of the weapons Dax had never seen yet he thought he did as well as could be expected with them. The morningstar and the spiked ball and chain were difficult to fight with, a decent amount of people fell out with those weapons when it came to using them and their maintenance. The toughest part so far though for Dax had been the little sleep, little food and constant exercise. The class started off with 100 people and right now they had less than twenty. He only had to survive this final test and he could get his badge.
The final test was simple, he had ten tries to win one duel against one of the trainers, after working out for two hours. Maybe if he was fresh it would be a lot easier but that was probably the point. Dax had dueled four of his instructors and had lost the first two matches horribly but managed to score a hit on the third trainer and almost beat the fourth trainer. Out of his class, so far only two people had made it, the rest were struggling like Dax was. Dax looked across at his fifth opponent who held his sword in his hand casually, a bell rang and the fight started. Dax had fought this trainer many times before, he didn’t know the man’s name since they didn’t give their names and all students were to call them trainer. This man favored the counterattack, he would poke and prod in an effort to get someone to over extend then end it. Dax had liked his style so much he copied it at times to keep the other trainers off of him when they dueled every night. Dax opened up with a simple forehand slash that he pulled up short, his opponent blocked it and was going to strike when he noticed Dax was already moving backward.
“Good try” the trainer smiled. “Trying to get me to rush in are you?”
Dax said nothing tried the same move again but threw a kick behind it, one of his trainers favored using his legs and fist just as much as his sword and had caught Dax off guard a number of times. Dax had lost to the man in the first match and tried to imitate his moves but his opponent turned into the kick, gave a quick backhand trust then retreated while wagging one finger back and forth. Dax was about to attack when his opponent struck out then jumped back, Dax was mentally tired and did not see the opening to chase him until it was too late. Knowing this trainer though it was probably a trap. Dax fought this man for at least three minutes, most of his moves Dax had seen before since he had practiced with this man more than anyone. His opponent started striking faster and made Dax stay on the defensive before leaving small openings in his defense, Dax ignored all of them, too scared to take the bait. If he was going to lose this fight he would force his opponent to win it on offense instead of letting him remain comfortable in his defense. Eventually that is exactly what his opponent did, Dax had scored along his forearm but left himself open. The trainer’s sword rested against his throat and the match was called. Dax hung his head as he left the training area, he had lost five matches and he felt he was getting weaker.
“I just lost to him” Dax replied. “He is probably the most skilled here, the first two matches just caught me by surprise but the last three were just better. I wish I could just go to sleep and wake up refreshed, maybe then I could do better.”
“Well I got nothing to lose versus this next one” Sarlo replied. “I am just going to toss my sword at him and bull rush. I have never been able to get a hit on him anyway, maybe I will surprise him. Who you got next?”
“The one with the two swords” Dax replied.
“I wish I could fight him again” Sarlo said shaking his head. “I know his secret.”
“His secret?” Dax asked.
“He moves those swords all crazy but it is a pattern” Sarlo replied. “I almost timed him and scored a fatal hit. He is a lefty, when his left hip dips slightly he is getting ready to swing. I got him high on his left shoulder, if I was a little lower I would have gotten his heart. All that spinning he does is just for show, just don’t fall for the little move where he gives you his back. As soon as you move he will already have a sword aiming for where he thinks you are. He has gotten two people with it already.”
“Thanks for the information” Dax replied as he was called up.
His opponent twirled his twin blades and went into motion like it was a little dance, in fact that is exactly what it was. Dax kept his cool and feigned running in twice only to be met by the twirling blades. The trainer did his little move where he turned his back a Dax feigned running in to attack again, his opponent paused and threw out both of his blades where he thought Dax would be, if Dax had ran in he would have been defeated, one sword was aimed at the throat while the other was aimed for his midsection. His opponent was over extended now though and Dax went on the attack, his opponent was having a hard time keeping Dax off of him but eventually found his feet. Dax saw the man’s left leg stiffen and thrust his dulled and tipless blade, it struck home and Dax was able to avoid the return strike and looked for the man who gave him some pointers. Sarlo was just about to fight and threw his sword, his opponent batted the blade away out the air and was about to end the match quickly. Dax focused his magic and yanked as the trainer batted the flying sword away, the defensive trainer’s sword flew out of his hand as if batting the other blade made it slip. The trainer was still in shock as he was tackled to the ground. The match was called before Sarlo got to land one punch and Dax turned away quickly. Dax hadn’t used his magic at all during training except for his uniform, he wanted to prove he was more than his magic but did not feel bad helping the man who helped him.
Dax was still in shock as he walked over to the winner’s area. Five of them had passed so far and that ended up being the final graduating class. Dax was happy at his achievement but real life started weighing on him, he would need to hang around the mages at magic school now and he doubted they cared about the new trinket he was going to get. In addition to having a golden colored sword stitched into his uniform, he would receive a special scabbard and would be authorized to wear a gold colored glove. Actual banded soldiers were allowed to wear black gloves while in uniform, most of them did to show off their status. Officers were allowed to wear white gloves and all others wore green gloves if they had any. The one gold glove though would give him instant credibility, just not at mage school. Dax received his glove and went to leave when he spotted an angry looking mage waiting for him along with two other men that looked to be servants.
“I don’t know who you think you are by having me wait like this” the mage said as his face started turning red. His light brown hair looked wild and Dax thought he looked almost like a jester. “I was expecting you to be done with this foolishness a long time ago but I was made to wait before you stopped playing around. “Your father is the prince, not you. You are nothing more than a bastard.”
“My father is a fisherman from Galen” Dax replied. “Don’t pretend you know the man.”
“You are the result of spilled seed finding its way into a whore” the mage said with a sneer. “And you have kept me waiting entirely too long.”
“And you are the result of something your mother would have been better off swallowing but the ape that laid with her was reluctant to pull out” Dax said as he met the man’s gaze.
“Are you talking to me?!?” the mage said as he shook in anger and leveled his staff at Dax.
The next couple of things happened quickly but Dax had a new appreciation for fighting anyone if it was close quarters and one on one. Dax’s sword flew out of its sheath as he sent the same spell he used against the weaponmaster to yank the staff to the side. The mage managed to hold on to it but that was just the distraction, the same thing with the quick sword thrust that followed. Dax finally got what he was looking for and snapped the chain that held the mage’s golden amulet with another spell and sent it flying into his palm where he hid it behind his back. Without the amulet, none of the spells the mage wanted to cast would work.
“I could have killed you a dozen times whoever you are” Dax replied. “And I am not even the strongest one here.”
“You dare attack me” the mage said as he pointed his staff at Dax then started chanting some spell. Dax stuck out his chest after he put away his sword and looked bored. The mage started screaming out whatever the spell was and pointing his staff threateningly before looking confused and searching for the amulet that was now hidden in Dax’s back pocket.
“You need to work on your singing and dancing” Dax said seriously as he nodded his head. “If you are some kind of performing messenger your pitch is all over the place. That and twirling your little stick needs work, maybe you should incorporate a woman into your routine.”
“Connor, I see you have found our man” Morgan Wynault said as he appeared from behind the mage. Morgan Wynault was one of Dax’s instructors and commanded big money from Dax’s family in order to instruct him. As far as Morgan knew there were only six living wizards including Dax and himself, Morgan was the most accomplished of the other four and had taught Dax the most although the other four all taught him their tricks as well. Morgan was from a minor noble family who only had a few mages in their bloodline. Morgan had grown up at first ridiculed but had made decent money performing small tasks for businesses and had given Dax the idea on how to make his own money.
“What are you doing here old man?” Dax said with a smile.
“I was offered a job teaching two new incoming wizards” Morgan replied with a smile. “Training is to begin in a few weeks or so, so they sent me to pick up a foolish wizard who wanted to train as a soldier. On the way here I found Connor who had some problems with his wagon. Connor’s uncle, Baronet Botweiler noticed the insignia of the school on my carriage and asked me to take Connor the rest of the way.”
“Well this tosser has been throwing out insults and tried to attack me” Dax replied.
“Listen here bastard” Connor said as he pointed his staff again.
“Connor put that thing down” Morgan replied.
“I don’t have to listen to you wizard” Connor said angrily. “You are not even a real magic user.”
“And you aren’t either boy” Morgan laughed. “Where is your amulet at? I don’t see you doing any magic without it.”
“My amulet!” Connor said as he started searching his chest for his amulet.
“What an idiot” Dax said shaking his head. “So I guess this is the end of me being in the army?”
“Of course not” Morgan replied. “We have mages who work with the army all the time.”
“Well then lead the way” Dax said as he dug in his back pocket and tossed Connor’s amulet back to him. “You might need this o mighty mage.”
“You stole it, bastard” Connor said as he caught the amulet.
“Whatever” Dax said turning his back. “Morgan you said there
was another student?”
“It was news to me as well” Morgan replied. “It is going to be hot gossip in a little while though, the only child of Duke Bartlett is a wizard. There hadn’t been a magic using Bartlett in quite some time so this is a bit of a shock.”
“You know I don’t keep up with nobles or whatever their problems are” Dax replied. “I don’t know why that would be gossip though, I would guess whoever Duke Bartlett is would be happy to have a magic user.”
“He is anything but” Morgan replied. “If his only child is a wizard, who does that leave to carry on his name?”
“Oh” Dax replied.
“His Grace has been looking for another wife since the duchess died during childbirth” Morgan replied. “Whoever the woman is will be happy knowing her grandchildren would eventually be Duke or Duchess once Bethany eventually passes on.”
“Well I am guessing she won't have nearly as hard a time as I will there then” Dax replied. “Wizard or not, someone will want to have her no matter how busted up she may look.”
“Well that’s cruel you don’t even know her” Morgan replied.
“No offense to present company and by present company I mean you” Dax began. “But nobles are a bunch of tossers who look down on people, just like your boy Connor back there.”
“How dare you call me names!” Connor said from behind Dax.
“Point taken” Morgan said as he opened a door to a carriage. “Are you ready for this?”
“I am not sitting next to the bastard” Connor said as he climbed into the carriage after pushing Dax to the side. “It is bad enough I have to travel with two wizards.”
“I am not worried” Dax replied. “You know how long I have been training, whatever the test is I am sure I can handle it.”
“I am not even sure what the final test is” Morgan said as the carriage door was shut. “Unlike you though young Miss Bartlett hasn’t trained in using her magic at all, she didn’t even want to admit she had any magic once she found out she wasn’t a mage.”