The Formerly Dark Mage

by D. L. Harrison

  Maynard said, “Since I am here now, you may depart the palace.”

  At that, I felt like I was punched. I expected to leave of course, but Maynard seemed to be awfully angry at me, with a tinge of suspicion thrown in. This couldn’t possibly be just because I was fifteen minutes later than expected.

  I said softly, trying not to make things worse, “I do have a few things I would like to go over with…”

  He cut me off again, “Are you suggesting I need any instruction from one such as you to do my job here?”

  One such as you… Suddenly I understood. Tristan, Emory, Maria and Hollis had given me a chance, trusted me, helped guide me to change. It must also be why Hollis had never taken me to the mage council building. They had all helped shelter me from this. I was from Zual, I would not be trusted by the white mages in power. Ever. I thought the words again sadly, one such as you. So much information in just four spiteful words.

  Did I dare even take an apprentice in the future? They would forever be stigmatized as well. Perhaps all of my discoveries would fall as well when I passed. I hated the thought of that, I would have to figure something out. Except perhaps the elemental spell, I would teach that to no one. I honestly didn’t have an idea what to do, my mind was spinning. I looked at Tristan and Emory again, their looks of understanding told me they knew I comprehended it.

  I considered trying to explain the changes, but one look at Maynard’s face convinced me it would be a waste of time. I grew angry and just nodded my head while holding my tongue. I turned and walked out. I had no tears for this betrayal of what I thought was true, I was a stone…

  Chapter 15

  I felt like the foundations of my life were gone, and I was still not sure what I was going to do. I packed my stuff after changing into my older blue robes. Perhaps it was an overreaction to what the white mages thought of me, but I would never again wear white robes if I could help it. How could I be a white mage when they didn’t trust me? It was foolish.

  Anna barged into my room and blurted, “Is it true?”

  Her face fell as she saw me packing my spell books.

  She said, “Zand told me… I’m going to miss you. I wish you could stay and teach me.”

  I smiled at the young woman and said, “I’ll miss you too, you’re a good student. Don’t get lazy like Zand alright?”

  She giggled and said, “I won’t, promise. Will you come visit?”

  A pained look crossed my face. I had been planning to. That was always in the plan. But I highly doubted Maynard would allow it, and apparently the king wouldn’t fight for it. That much was painfully obvious.

  I said regretfully, “I don’t think so, no. I’d like to, but it’s complicated.”

  Maria came in then. News travels fast I thought bitterly.

  Anna bowed to the princess, then turned to me and said goodbye. Maria closed the door and I warded it. It was quiet and I didn’t know what to say.

  Maria said softly, “I’m sorry, I can’t believe they sent that old windbag as a replacement.”

  Not wanting to fight I didn’t bring up anything about her father or the king, I just pulled her into a hug. A bit later I managed to get out the words, “Call for me if you need me love.”

  I wasn’t up to talking or seeing anyone else, especially Maynard, so I picked up my bag and opened a portal near the drawbridge on the city side. I had a lot of thinking to do and I needed to decide what I was going to do… and where. I headed for the closest tavern.

  I was such an idiot, I thought, a few hours later. Everything was kind of fuzzy and I couldn’t concentrate worth a damn. I hated it. It felt good of course, but I hated the loss of control, I wouldn’t be able to cast anything right now. I laughed hard when I realized even Zand could kick my ass right now.

  It conflicted with the exaggerated feeling of wellbeing from the alcohol. I decided I was right and never should have tried it. Stupid asshole mage, this was all his fault. Somehow, I made my way up to the room and was thankful no one bothered me. While I got changed I started to cry, tonight would be the first in a long time that I could not see Maria. It was also just the first, I knew many more would be coming.

  I woke to another first, my head was killing me. Luckily my first hangover lasted a very short time as I cast my morning spells with a heal thrown in. That knocked it right out. I thought maybe I should build a place in the middle of nowhere and experiment with magic. I cringed at the thought, because it actually sounded like a good plan. I was a loner because of my upbringing, it would be all too easy to become a hermit.

  I know Hollis would have hated that, so would Maria. So I wouldn’t do it. Maybe I could do that, for my work, but at the same time open a shop? I could offer healing and enchanted items for non-mages. I thought communication devices would be popular with merchants. I would have to test and figure out how to connect three objects though, so I could make sure the two communication objects could be charged without them having to come into the shop. Hell, I could probably even sell them to the army, surely they could use them in more places than just the two passes.

  I’m sure I could think of other useful things. I frowned. That wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding as helping to protect a country, but that would be true of almost anything I choose to do. I was curious what the white mages would do if I did do that. Would they try to stop me? Am I being paranoid or will they just let me go my own way?

  As I ate breakfast downstairs I wished I had taken some of the small metal squares so I could experiment. Thinking about it, I could do custom wards on request. I decided I would not do anything offensive or defensive in nature. I was sure the white mages would object if I did. I admit I was a little leery of arming the king’s subjects myself. Not a good idea.

  I decided to set up a secret place in the mountains, not to live, but to experiment. It would also be where I kept most of my stock and the charging plates. I didn’t want anyone to find out certain aspects of what I was doing and that seemed the best way. I told the innkeeper I would see him tonight and opened a portal by the mountains.

  I cast a simple air elemental with the shape of a simple boat. I got in, cast chameleon so I wouldn’t be seen at all and had it fly me into the mountains. I found a really remote area that was surrounded by mountains and from what I could tell, couldn’t be reached short of flying. After I landed about halfway up the mountain I summoned an earth elemental to dig me out a tunnel and series of three rooms, paying special attention to stability and support. The last thing I needed was a cave in. I would have one room to work, one to house the charging, and one for stock.

  Still, I planned to always portal in to the cave entrance. Glad to still have my paranoia I gathered twenty large rocks for temporary enchant tests. The first thing I tried was making the communicators. I also added a blue glow when they were active, with a striking sound when turning on. It had occurred to me that the ones I made for the commander could be misused to spy on someone a little too easily. Just drop one in a room then go somewhere else and keep the other side in your hand.

  Once the first two were connected I added an extra connection glyph to the first then added a charge indicator and connector glyph to the third rock, which would stay in the cave to charge the two communicators. This failed spectacularly, when I connected the third and first rock, the original connection enchantment failed.

  I considered this for a while, if adding a second connection disrupted the first, there was only one thing left I could try. I destroyed the three rocks and got three new ones. This time I did the same thing with all the other glyphs, but for the connection glyphs I put one on each rock, and then put them together so they all were touching the other two. Then I activated the ritual enchantment.

  I grinned when it worked. Then I destroyed the rocks. After another twenty minutes or so, the elemental was done digging. I cast a light spell and went to check it out. It did a good job. I decided everything I did would get a hidden magic enchantment as well, at least, an
ything kept in the cave. The first thing I did was grab two rocks and create an illusion enchantment to disguise the entrance. It looked like one contiguous wall of mountain.

  Then I connected it with the other rock and brought it to the charging room. I may replace it later, but I didn’t want to put off hiding this place. I know I was paranoid, but. There it is. Using a spell I caused the rock in the middle of the chamber to grow three separate pedestals. On the two outside ones I enchanted an air elemental with the intent to charge all the enchantments in the room then dismiss themselves.

  I knew they wouldn’t, or couldn’t, charge their own. Since I made two however, that shouldn’t matter, because they will charge each other’s pedestal. Since I planned to have all my chargers glow amber when they were low, on the center pedestal I enchanted a ward to activate the two elementals when it detected amber light. I was pretty sure that would make this room fully automated, I would check occasionally of course, but it should keep things charged with me doing nothing.

  I took a portal back to the city. I needed a blacksmith to work with, I also needed to buy a place and register a business. I had plenty of coins from working with the king, first as a court apprentice, then I was paid well the few weeks I was the master court mage. I decided to figure out the business part before I bought anything else. I’d hate to be stuck with a place if I was blocked somehow from getting started.

  I was moving kind of fast and wasn’t even sure if this is what I wanted to do. The idea of being a healer had always appealed to me, but it wasn’t lost on me that this was what I was doing before, sort of. Just instead of for the king it would be my own business. I was afraid though, that if I stopped, I would fall apart.

  Just a half an hour later I considered just how much Hollis must have been protecting me from as I replayed the words of the official while trying to get a business license.

  He said, “My lady, I am sorry, but I was directed to send you to the white mages council building to discuss any business with them you might want to do in the city. You could of course bring your case to the king…”

  Just to be sure I wasn’t being paranoid, “Do they require all mages to go to them with business plans?”

  He blushed and just shook his head while looking at me apologetically.

  Right… Like the king would help me. He wouldn’t even stop that old idiot from dressing me down like I was a green apprentice. I returned to the inn to get my backpack and turn in the key. I opened a portal right in front of the bar and stepped through. Putting my belongings in what would become the experiment room and possibly a library I cursed the white mages and Lethia as I opened a portal to the capitol in Sandoval.

  In just the handful of weeks since I’d been here I could see a marked improvement in attitude as well as how the city looked and felt. Ironically I had changed just as much, I just wasn’t sure if it was for the better or not. With the help of a few people I found my way to the business office. When I went in I was greeted with a smile.

  I asked, “Hi, I am a foreign mage hoping to set up a shop and live here?”

  He said, “That sounds great, but all mages looking to move into the kingdom are required to submit to an interview with the court mage. I understand it is just a few simple questions with a truth spell to ensure you aren’t here with malevolent intent.”

  I shrugged. That sounded reasonable but I would be on guard. I was both paranoid and not naïve now, or at least, not as naïve as I was before today, not as happy either.

  I asked, “How do I arrange an interview?”

  I wasn’t about to try and use my old post to just walk in there.

  He said, “Just go up to the palace gates, they will find out if he is available. If he isn’t they will give you an appointment.”

  “Thanks,” and I walked out and went toward the palace. When I got there and informed them what I needed they sent a page off.

  I was shocked when the page came back a few minutes later and was told the court mage could see me now. Maybe I was getting too jaded? The page led me to a side door, presumable to the mage suites. I was led to a room that was part office and part library. Mage Darnell sat behind his desk and looked up with a smile.

  Darnell said, “I recognized the name, but never thought it would be you. So what brings you here?”

  I smiled and said, “Truth spell.”

  Darnell chuckled and cast it through the filter I put on my shields.

  I shook my head, “I didn’t think you would believe me. Seems the white mage council doesn’t like me, since I originally came from Zual when I escaped slavery,” I shrugged, “They pretty much made sure I wouldn’t be able to open a business and practically kicked me out of the palace. The king wasn’t happy about it, but he caved for political reasons.”

  I finally got my mouth to stop moving, damn truth spells.

  Darnell asked in an almost scripted voice, “Are you a spy, assassin or otherwise out to cause trouble in Sandoval?”

  I shook my head and said, “No, to all three.”

  Darnell asked, “Do you use dark magic?”

  I said, “No, not once since I got free.”

  Darnell nodded and dismissed the spell. He said, “I have no problems with you opening a shop of some kind here. As for councils we don’t have one. Mages are around, but not as many as Lethia has. They do all answer to me if they break the law, but other than that are free to live as they like. It was good to see you again, their loss is our gain.”

  I said, “Thanks mage Darnell, I appreciate the sentiment.”

  He got up and escorted me out the office door and handed me a paper with his seal on it. I took it back down to the business office and had a license a short time later. I still had a little time before nightfall so I tracked down a blacksmith and ordered just two squares. It had occurred to me that earth elementals could shape metal easily, all I needed was an example to copy and a lot of scrap metal which I knew I could get cheaply.

  I found a nice tavern and rented a room with a meal. I had skipped lunch and was famished so the mediocre food tasted wonderful. After eating I started up to my room when I felt the elemental guard activate, the one for the mountain pass. I froze, torn. Finally I let out a sigh. Lethia was no longer my responsibility, no longer wanted me, was no longer my home…

  As the next year passed, Maria contacted me less and less and we grew apart. It hurt, the day she told me she was marrying prince Varian, but life went on. She still contacted me from time to time, but things change.

  As far as my business, it flourished. My communicators sold not only to merchants but Sandoval and other kingdoms came to buy them for their military and nobility. I also sold one off items with special wards on them to cast clean, or light a room when someone walks in. I had filled that first charging room a long time ago and had three now. My most expensive service was to create a portal. Not like my staff, but anchored in one place and with a set size and destination. This made shipping items across multiple kingdoms safer, faster, and cheaper in the long run.

  Still, much of the time I felt empty, being a rich merchant was too easy. I didn’t become a hermit, but didn’t really have any close friends after living here a year with two exceptions. Darnell stopped by a lot, or invited me by for a meal. Elaine snuck down to my shop at least once a week and hung out for the day. It drove her parents crazy, but only because she didn’t tell. At least I felt welcome here. But still, I was broken and seemed to be waiting for something, but unsure what it was.

  In a fit of paranoia that the white mages would eventually come for me, I had created another bracelet that made me ridiculously powerful. The limit to most mages power was because only one elemental could be summoned at a time. A way around that was if it was done through an enchantment, it wasn’t really me summoning it. I had a bracelet with four links all enchanted with the powerful elemental. If I released all of them at once that would be sixteen times more power than my personal power. Plus I could still summon one normal
ly.

  It was major overkill for a duel, but I worried they would send many people. They still haven’t shown, although they did buy my products through an intermediary, they think I don’t know that. A few mages had tried to steal my secrets, even with the connected equipment they couldn’t figure out how it was made. The glyph that the ritual uses for connection is apparently not well known, and unless they find it in that old book I doubt they will figure it out. For all I know that one back in the palace mage library is the last in existence.

  I’m not even sure they know the charging piece exists, they may believe the glyph they can’t read is doing it all on its own. All my secret knowledge is back at the cave library anyway, so it should be safe.

  I was walking toward the orphanage for my monthly stop by. I had started to do healing for the orphans a long time ago in addition to donating coin. When I got close I started to sense mage potential. I made sure I had my strongest shields on and continued. I was hoping this wasn’t an ambush, but thought it possible since my habits were hardly unknown.

  Turns out it wasn’t at all. When I traced the mage aura to its source I was looking at a girl about seven years old. One I had never seen before. She already had a ton of potential, and I knew that would increase over the next seven years.

  I said, “Hi, I’m Silvia, what’s your name?”

  She said shyly, “Rina… are you going to do magic?”

  I grinned and said, “Maybe…” as I sent a tiny zephyr to play with her hair. She shrieked with laughter and tried to catch it.

  Helen, the woman running the place must have heard as she stuck her head out the door.

  Helen said, “Hi Silvia, I see you met our newest little terror.”

  I grinned, “Yes, what is her story?”

  Helen frowned in thought, “Well, one of the merchants dropped her off. They said they found her on the road. Close to there, they found two adults who looked to be robbed and killed. They had the look of her so…”