Homecoming (Homecoming Chonicles Book 1)

by James Thornton

  “Freedic is dead,” he said. “Ruephen is dead.”

  “Damn,”

  Aeberin closed the door.

  It was nearly a week the next time the door opened. The mage-boy carefully poked his head around the corner.

  “The High Mage wishes to see you,” he said. “Immediately.”

  He ducked his head back around the door.

  Forec stood and walked past the boy. The guards he passed stepped aside as Forec walked through the hall. Some pressed themselves against the wall to give him as much space as possible. Two guards stood on either side of the High Mage’s chamber door. They parted before Forec even reached the door.

  The door was already open for him, and Insmith stared into the hallway. He walked into the room and slammed the door behind him.

  “I heard you’ve had an interesting few weeks,” she said.

  “Ruephen and Freedic died,” he said.

  “I’m aware,” she said. “What of it?”

  “You sent them to their deaths,” he said. “And I expect that I’ll have to pay for it.”

  “Would you rather the elves have killed every man, woman, and child in Auverance?” Insmith asked. “Yes, you will pay for it. I thought you’d be capable of keeping seven people alive. Was I wrong?”

  “No, but-”

  “But what? You wish to be absolved of any guilt? You think the lives of those two were somehow worth more than the existence of an entire nation?” she asked. “Or is it just you? Can you not accept that you had played a part in those deaths?

  “Thousands of them, Forec. You killed thousands. Two more not that long ago,” she said. “You didn’t have any problem killing my guards, so what makes any of this different? You failed. Why are you blaming me for your failures?”

  Forec stared in silence.

  “I’ll decide on a punishment later. Go back to your chamber and stay there,” Insmith said. “Don’t kill anything. I’ll send word to you once I’ve decided.”

  Vyra stood by the double doors as Master Ozes trained even more talents. Too many, she thought, Ozes wouldn’t be able to give them individual help. It was a shame, but there was nothing that he could do. They were sent to him to be trained. He had no choice but to prepare them.

  The spars went for hours. Sloppy and undisciplined mostly, but among them, there were genuinely talented people. Ozes focused on the most skilled talents. That was a positive.

  As the lesson ended and the talents filed out, Ozes leaned his head back and let out an exhausted sigh. Vyra walked into the room and waved to Ozes before she realized her veil was up. She blushed and sneaked back to the stairs. She dropped her veil then walked into the training room and waved.

  “Vyra,” Ozes smiled. “How are you, my girl?”

  “Fine,” she said. “I used many of your lessons.”

  “Oh, you did?” he asked.

  “Yes, when I scouted the elf camp ahead of the battle,” she said. “And then again when I killed some of them. The lessons were quite useful.”

  “Oh,” he trailed. “Very good.”

  “Ruephen was killed,” she said. “Freedic as well but I doubt you knew him.”

  “Ruephen was killed?” he asked. “How?”

  “Elves surrounded him and cut him up,” she said. “He didn’t put up much of a fight.”

  “Explain, girl,” he said. “What happened?”

  “He tired himself out while he tried to help doomed men. Then when the elves cornered him, he couldn’t defend himself,” she said. “I don’t know what else you want.”

  He grit his teeth. “I would like a proper explanation for how my friend died,”

  “You’re delusional,” she said. “It wasn’t that complicated. He wasted his energy on protecting men who were going to die anyway. He was killed because of it.”

  “You say that like he shouldn’t have helped them,”

  “He shouldn’t have. They all died anyway,” she said. “All he did was get himself killed as well.

  Ozes paused and stared at her. His eyes ran up and down her. “You should go,” he said. “And probably shouldn’t return.”

  He turned and walked into the shadows of his room. He was overly emotional. There was no reason for Vyra to be treated like that. But it was no use to argue with him. She put her veil back up and followed him. He sat at his desk and stared into space. All he did was shake his head and sigh. She returned up the flights of stairs and back to the main portion of the keep.

  She wandered the halls until she found Forec’s chamber. The last time she had been there, he slammed the door in her face, but he was probably better now. She lowered her veil and opened the door. Forec didn’t shout at her, so she stepped into his chamber. There was no sign of him in the room, so she took his seat and opened one of his books.

  Forec walked into his chamber to find Vyra sat behind his desk with a book in front of her face. He didn’t have the energy to argue with her. Instead, he walked in quietly and looked for the extra chair that was buried nearby. He found it and pulled it in front of his desk, then sat.

  “What do we do now?” she asked.

  “Wait,” he said.

  “Wait for what?” she asked. “New orders? Are we going back to Auverance? The orcs are going to want their land, are we going to help them?”

  “No,” he said.

  “Then what are we going to do?”

  “We’re going to stay here and not kill anyone else,” Forec said. “When Insmith decides we’re useful, she’ll tell us.”

  “That doesn’t sound very fun,” she said.

  “No,” he said. “No, it doesn’t.”