by Andrew Wood
To others looking on, it was clear this new ruler was making sure he had overall control. The two neighbouring countries had both agreed to outlaw magic after the ordeal with Galdor, as both had culled the mere threat of someone using magic. Now, if rumour were true, this new ruler of Bosaria wielded those same powers.
If indeed a magician had taken leadership of their neighbouring nation, then the future was worrying indeed. Fortunately, since the changing of the law regarding magic a few years back, Oran had set plans in motion to counter such an event. This had followed when he had decided to judge over a case brought against a man with the magic. It had been at this hearing, when the man had claimed he had foreseen the future of the nation, should people with magic be continually exterminated, and persecuted.
At first Oran thought the man insane, but the more he was told, the more realistic it sounded. The jury decided a man who could see the future dangerous enough to be charged. As a result of this, the man was officially executed. Whereas in reality he was spared and discreetly moved to a safe house, where Oran had visited him several times, and each time he was told things the man could not possibly have not known. It was after the final meeting the king made a decision.
The man was moved far to the south, away from prying eyes, and was to be given the use of an old border castle and the lands that came with it. The purpose was to secretly amass and assess others with magic, with a view to training them to aid the nation should they ever be needed. Over the next few years the small community grew, and a network set up to help find magic folk before they were found by the state.
During the king's early meetings with the strange seer, he had also been told something on a more personal level. A male family member of his, would reveal himself to be magical after his fourteenth year. At first Oran had worried this might be his son Anden, and that setting up the small magical community in the south, would give him somewhere to be kept safe. As it turned out, the family member happened to be his nephew, who at that moment was probably travelling down to his new home.
That afternoon Oran was due in a meeting with his government, although each time he had such a meet, he felt he was getting less and less say on matters. To a man, he did not trust any of the slimy men that ran his country. He had often wondered why his grandfather had implemented such a system of government; as king, it should be he who makes the decisions for his people, not a bunch of greedy, backstabbing bureaucrats.
He was interested to see how much information they gave him on the situation in Bosaria, luckily though, he had his own network of spies to rely upon, and keep him updated on world events. What he did not want, was his government feeling they did not need him to make important decisions, and he knew that eventually there would be an ultimate struggle for power between him and those that governed. Over the years since his grandfather had seen fit to create the system of government, they had somehow managed to gain more powers.
With him losing a grip of power in his own country, and things in Bosaria looking uncertain, these were certainly trying times for Oran and his family. Things were coming to a head, and he needed to be prepared when they did. His hopes lay with a man who had foreseen the troubles ahead, and the band of people he had managed to gather from all across Kothia.
In the city of Waltham, Capital of Bosaria, the last of the politicians opposing the new regime were rounded together. Guards loyal to the new leader stood around the room as the half dozen men and two women awaited their fate. A door off to one side opened and a tall thin man, wearing a black robe walked in. After slowly walking around those he had ordered captured, he sat himself upon a large chair situated on the dais at the one end of the room.
Bosaria had recently crowned a new king, with the previous monarch, having succumbed to an unfortunate accident, and had not left any direct descendant. Hence, it was left to the king's nephew to take the throne. That man had wasted no time in removing the politicians that presumed to run his country; the last of which, now stood in a small group before him.
Gorius was a man of magic, and his powers had been kept secret to avoid embarrassment to his uncle and the royal household. He was certain that the present regime had been responsible for the death of his mother, as it was said she also had powers. Now without realising it, the government had followed protocol, putting the next blood relation on the throne, not realising he was a magician.
Now he was ruler, he aimed to be rid of all those that opposed magic, and he had big plans for those that could wield it. He had already scanned over his latest batch of prisoners to see if any of them secretly had powers. As he had suspected none of them did, and as a result, none were of any use. All that was left for him to do now, was to decide on how best to dispose of them.
He thought for a while, trying to think of the most entertaining way to kill them. He supposed he could let his soldier's just do it for him, but that was no fun. He opted instead to practice some of his magical skills, and ran his eyes over the pathetic looking bunch, looking for the most weak-minded, and picked a man stood at the back of the small group, cowering away.
Concentrating his mind on that of his target, he smirked as the man in question started screaming. He started running about, making a terrible noise, "Make it stop," he shouted. Gorius laughed aloud, as the man started smashing his own head against the wall of the room, with the cries only ceasing when the man succeeded in knocking himself unconscious. With blood dripping from the fallen man's head, he wondered what to do next.
His pondering was interrupted by a messenger. The youngster apologised for the intrusion, before handing him a sealed note. Gorius accepted the apology, and dismissed the boy. He slid his finger under the wax seal and read the words written within, and afforded himself a smile, as he slowly folded the paper back up and slipped it inside a pocket.
Now bored with those before him, he simply stood and walked back towards the door. As he stepped through, he relayed a simple command to one of his soldiers, "Kill them all," he said before continuing. He could hear a few faint screams as he headed down the corridor, before all went silent; the only noise then was the thumping of his boots on the polished tiled floor.
He had often thought that the palace here in Waltham was a pretty poor affair, and it certainly did not have any of the elaborate grandeur he had always thought such a place should have; perhaps one day he would make it so. For now, his mind needed to be on more important things; the first of his magicians had arrived.
On taking over, he had immediately sent word out to all who had the ability to use magic. They were no longer to be persecuted, and instead, they were to be rewarded, all they needed to do was pledge their allegiance to him. Having removed all the politicians from their building, he had already thought of a good use for it, as now it would be the home to his army of magicians. It would be a place for them to practice and learn from each other, without the worry of ever being caught. Moreover, he would pay them richly for their services.
Chapter 4.
After probably the most comfortable night's sleep Maxim had ever had, he awoke feeling completely refreshed. The turmoil of the previous day seemed an age ago, as he sat up in the bed he had been given, and looked around his room. The early morning sun was just casting its first rays of light through the small window, and although It was still a little chilly, he was still far warmer than he would have been out on the streets. He looked over to where Zack and Mikel were still asleep, and decided to quietly get up.
He would dress in the clothes given to him yesterday by the young man in the bed next to his. Nobody had been as kind to him as Zack had been, and he wondered if should try to do something in return. Even Mikel, despite the snide remarks treated him far better than most people had, when he lived in the gutter. If this is what it was like to have friends, then he thought he liked it.
Just a day earlier, he had been pondering if life was even worth living, and now for reasons still unknown to him, he was living in a small cottage with people
that treated him well. Moreover, they would soon be travelling to a new home, all together. He removed his nightclothes and could feel the cold on his clean, fresh smelling skin. He quickly pulled on his under clothes, before dressing, and deciding it would be best to put his boots on outside of the bedroom, he picked them up and carried them to the door. He looked back to make sure he had not disturbed Mikel or his new friend Zack, and once happy they still slept soundly, slowly closed the door behind him.
To his surprise Danton was already up and dressed, and preparing a fire in the hearth. "Good morning Maxim," the man said not even turning to see who it was. "Hello," he replied.
"I trust you slept well?"
"Yes...thank you Danton," Maxim said wondering if there was any food going.
As if Danton knew what he was thinking, "Let us get the fire started first," he chuckled, "Then we'll find something nice for breakfast."
Danton was about to use the flint to create a spark for the fire, when he stopped. A thought occurred to him, "Maxim," he asked, "Do you want to try?"
Maxim was not sure what he was being asked to do, "I'm not very good at making fires...Sorry," he replied.
Whilst it was just the two of them, he quizzed Maxim about how he thought he had managed to burn the soldier. "I really do not remember. I am sorry, it made no sense and I don't know how I did it," he replied. Danton shrugged and explained he had hoped for him to use the skill again to light the fire.
Danton stood and walked over to the table, picking up a rather small, tatty looking book, "I want you to read this Maxim," he said thrusting forward. "It gives you the basics for magicians able to master the elements. It explains the do's and do not's amongst other things. I'm afraid I don't have any other books with me on your particular powers..." he stopped, realising Maxim was looking at him very blankly.
"I don't know how to read, sorry," he said apologetically.
Danton placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "No I am sorry, I wasn't thinking. Come on let's light this fire and have some breakfast, and then we'll start teaching you."
The mention of breakfast alone was enough to put a smile back on Maxim's face.
He watched on as Danton lit the fire, before the man disappeared outside, as Maxim stood mesmerised by the flames growing around the small pieces of kindling. He turned to see Danton reappear holding a brown paper package, and watched with intrigue, as the package was unwrapped. "Breakfast!" Danton explained revealing a dozen sausages. Maxim could not recall ever eating them before, meals at the orphanage had often been gruel. Meat was only kept for special occasions, usually when the premises were being checked by officials from mayor's offices.
It was not long before they were sizzling in a pan, and Maxim waited impatiently. He breathed in, savouring the aroma given off, thinking If they tasted half as good as they smelled, he was certainly going to enjoy eating them. Danton smiled as he watched Maxim clearly excited over the smallest of things. He also felt a sadness and pity, that life for the young man before him had been so harsh and cruel. Somewhere in that young mind was a magic that was so rare and powerful, although Danton almost shuddered at the mere thought of the destruction possible. He was glad nobody else had stumbled upon Maxim before he had, and realised the potential of the young man. Had he fallen into the wrong hands, he could have been used as a terrible weapon.
As it was, he hoped to help and nurture Maxim's powers, and when he got him back home, there were others there, who he hoped could aid him further. He firstly needed to teach him to read, which in its self was not going to be an easy task. Perhaps the others in the group could assist he thought. Zack had already taken quite a shine to Maxim, as he smiled thinking how strange it was, that two people from the very opposites of the social spectrum should become friends so quickly.
Realising the sausages in the pan were cooked, he removed them onto a plate, and turned to see Maxim waiting at the table. "Here you go," he said transferring three of them over to his plate, along with a couple of slices of bread. He watched as Maxim went to pick one up with his fingers before having to drop it again, "Ooh that's too hot," he said cursing. Danton chuckled, "Here use a fork," he said passing one over.
It appeared the smell of food cooking was enough to get the others out of bed. Melia emerged first, arms stretched out and yawning loudly as she sat down. Mikel appeared from the bedroom Maxim had slept in, and after barely casting him a glance, sat at the far end of the table to him. Finally, Zack appeared and wished everyone a good morning, before sitting himself down beside Maxim. "Danton has cooked us sausages," he told his new friend excitedly. Zack smiled, "They smell good," he said.
"They taste good too," Maxim replied.
"Pfft anybody would think he has never eaten a sausage before," Mikel mumbled snidely.
It was Danton who intervened, deciding it was time to put a stop to the remarks. "Perhaps because he has not Mikel. Now stop the sarcastic attitude, we are all on the same side."
Mikel grumbled under his breath, but left it at that. As punishment, Danton also told him he would be washing the breakfast things. "Zack," he asked, "I wonder if you might assist me in helping Maxim."
Zack swallowed the mouthful of food he had, before answering, "Of course I will, what is it you need of me?"
Danton explained as nicely as he could that Maxim was not able to read, and would need some intensive tutoring. He himself needed to go back into town to start arranging supplies for their onward journey. Whilst they stayed in the cottage, he wanted Zack to try to teach Maxim. "I would like to help as well," Melia piped up, much to the disappointment of Mikel.
"Excellent," Danton said, "Then we start as soon as breakfast is finished.
After breakfast, Zach and Melia sat close, one either side of Maxim. Melia had thought it best to start on the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they made. Maxim told them he knew a few of them, because they had been taught to write their names at the orphanage. As it happened, Maxim knew most of the sounds the letters made, although when it came to putting them into words, he was somewhat less successful.
Danton thought it best that Mikel go with him into town to try to buy supplies; they also needed to find somebody willing to part with at least four horses. Danton already had a horse, but none of the others had, but fortunately for them, Zack's family had seen to it, he had been given a large amount of gold to help cover costs. Barring that, two horses and a cart would probably suffice just as well. He had already considered the fact that Maxim had probably never even sat upon a horse, never mind ride one. The next few weeks were going to see great changes for Maxim he thought, and there was certainly going to be weeks, perhaps months of hard work ahead.
Danton, as the person in charge of the small group of youngsters, held the door open for Mikel. As he went to close it, he reminded those remaining to behave and stay out of sight. After saddling his horse, kept in the small outbuilding beside the cottage, Danton climbed up and held a hand down, before Mikel grabbed it and sat up behind him. "Me and you can have a little chat as we ride," Danton said glancing behind him.
After trotting along the narrow forest trail, for a while they eventually joined the main track back towards Woodhaven, but a short way further on, they were stopped by a group of soldiers. "What seems to be the trouble Sir?" Danton asked politely. The man in charge looked up at him, "We are looking for a magician...killed a soldier in cold blood he did," he added staring at the younger man on the back of the horse. "Mind pulling your hood back," the soldier asked Mikel, who did so willingly. It was clear to the soldier these two did not match the description of the murderer. "Just be careful. The chap we are looking for has red hair, scruffy looking and probably no older than fifteen or sixteen," the man added preparing to move out and continue the search. "If you see someone that description, don't approach him, just call the town guard. We'll not stop until we find the little bastard."
With that passing remark, Danton nodded and nudged his horse forward, and only when c
ertain they were out of earshot, did Mikel speak, "They were talking about Maxim weren't they?" Danton just nodded to the affirmative before adding, "Although he is most definitely not a cold blooded killer as they are making out." Knowing Mikel was only going to ask further question, Danton decided to tell him all the details on how he had seen Maxim.
Whilst being invisible in the town, he had seen a rather bedraggled looking youth scarper past. That in itself was not reason enough for him to follow. It was the fact around that young man, was a magical aura, the like of which he had never seen before. Only when two soldiers finally caught him did that power really emanate outwards. "Like it or not Mikel, but Maxim is...or at least has the potential to be far more powerful than you, I or anybody else I have ever met."
As they neared the town gates, they were once more stopped by guards. It seemed the soldiers were out in force looking for Maxim, "Won't they find the cottage if they look far enough afield?" Mikel asked in a loud whisper, as they trotted along the main route inside the town. "I hope not..." Danton replied. Although now it had been brought to his attention there was always that worry. "We need to get our business finished as quickly as possible here," he finally replied. "You go sort out the list of supplies, I will see if we can buy some horses."
Once they reached the market square, Mikel dropped down from the horse, and waited whilst Danton counted him out a few gold coins from his purse. He passed them down with the list he had referred too, "Meet back here in two hours," Danton said trotting away, "And stay out of mischief," he shouted across his shoulder.