by Bob Blink
“You mentioned gold earlier,” Randy said.
“Before gold, is the silver Royal. It is a larger coin, and is made mostly of silver, with some other metals to give it strength and durability. It is an eight sided coin, with an eight sided hole in the center and is about twice the diameter of the coin you are holding. The coin is designed so it can be cut along the corners into splinters. Each splinter is one-eighth part of the whole, and a splinter is worth 16 cerms, making a whole coin worth 128 cerms. The gold Royal is not common except among the nobility and tradesmen, and is made of pure gold. It is almost an inch and a half in size, and is also an eight sided coin that can be splintered as needed. The gold Royal is worth 8 silver Royals, or slightly more than a thousand cerms.”
“A single Royal would allow a person to live quite nicely for two months,” Randy exclaimed. “I’m beginning to see what you meant about the value of our copper. What about the cost of other items? I’m going to need different clothes if I want to fit in once we get where there are people.”
“We will need horses and supplies as well,” Asari offered. “The trip to Seret will take several weeks by horseback, and far longer if we travel by foot.”
“Seret?” Randy asked surprised. “I thought you said we need to go to the Council of Mages in Angon?”
‘Eventually, that is where we must go. They are the only option for the help you need. Seret is tolerant of those who use the power, but does not encourage its use nor does it support studies in that area. But it is not so easy to gain the attention you need in Angon. I know no one there, nor do you. Do you think the two of us, a penniless country boy and uninformed stranger can just walk in and demand an audience with the learned mages? We would not even earn passage into the inner city where the nobility and mages live and hold court, and where the King’s personal guard are stationed. The inner court of Angon covers several square miles, and is surrounded by a heavily guarded and warded wall. The Council of Mages and the Center for Study are both inside, and only those who are known or who have letters of introduction from an accepted patron have any hope of gaining entry.”
“So what’s in Seret?”
“That is where I grew up and lived for many years. My father had friends, some with influence. I think I can gain an introduction for you that will lead to getting the appropriate patronage to go on to Argon.”
“This sounds like it is going to take some time.”
“Far longer than you want to hear I’m afraid. Things do not move swiftly unless one is of the wealthy.”
Randy sighed, finally accepting that he might never get back home. Everything hinged on the slim chance he could convince a group of powerful men he might never get to see of the truthfulness of his story of a rogue wizard making trips to another world. Meanwhile, Cheurt would continue to make his trips, that might have little impact on his own world, but he couldn’t be certain. He was going to have to learn patience, something he’d never had much of.
“Okay, horses,” he said finally. “What will it cost to get outfitted with horses for the two of us. Horses and all the necessary gear. Hopefully you are experienced with them because I’ve no experience at all.”
“Good horses are expensive,” Asari warned. “I know people at Trailways and can get a good deal, but it will most likely cost more than a gold, probably a gold and two silvers. But you have a lot of copper,” he insisted.
“From what I have seen, it’s going to be a hard call whether the copper is of more value as ammunition, or as money. Are you sure we can get as much gold as you said for the copper?”
Asari shrugged. “I have never had any to exchange. I have only heard what people say it is worth. We will have to see what is offered when we get to Trailways. A better deal is probably possible once we get to Seret, but we need the horses now, unless you are willing to extend the journey.”
The conversation had occupied their minds while they walked, and before long they were in sight of the now familiar grove of trees. Showing off his newly found awareness of the area, Randy broke away from the trail first and headed for their campground. Asari smiled and followed along after him.
The enclosure was undisturbed during their absence, and before long they had a fire going once again. The fish was placed complete with the grass wrapping in the old bed of coals near the outer edge of the fire pit, with the new fire started on top. It would take an hour or so to slow bake, giving Asari the chance to pester Randy for his first lessons with the Colt.
The boy watched attentively as Randy showed him how to remove the magazine, and then the loaded round from the chamber. He explained each function of the pistol, showing him how the shells fit into the magazine, and cycled through the gun. After having Asari demonstrate he understood the function, he gave it to him with an empty magazine to practice. He found a small rock he had him balance on the slide, and told him to sight on his target, and practice pulling the trigger until he could do so without causing the rock to fall off the slide.
“Such power in something so small,” the youth said as he picked up one of the cartridges before starting his practice.
“It’s only a lucky bit of chance that copper has the properties it does,” Randy countered. “You’ll see that against a normal creature, the gun has far less effect than the bow you carry. It was made to defend against more fragile human adversaries.”
Randy’s words didn’t change Asari’s awe of the weapon. While he sat across the enclosure trying to drop the hammer without causing the stone to fall away, Randy watched with mixed feelings and thoughts that felt disloyal. He’d begun to detect a subtle change in Asari. He was starting to treat Randy a bit like an older brother. Randy had had a brother back home, who had died some years before due to a medical condition no one had suspected existed, and remembered how it had been. He suspected Asari was lonely. From their discussions, Randy knew the boy had been mostly on his own since his father had been killed some months before, and their companionship was probably the most he’d shared since that time. For Randy, this was good. He didn’t have any doubts how much he needed the other’s help. He still knew nothing about this world, and would die trying to make his way to civilization alone. All the same, Asari had seen Randy do things that created a certain level of doubt in his mind as well.
Randy’s concerns were based on how very little time they had known each other, and the ingrained distrust life back home had given him. He wouldn’t trust someone there he’d known that short a time with anything really important. Real trust would require much longer to develop properly. He’d seen the boy’s reaction when he realized here was a weapon he could potentially use for revenge. He’d also shown the penniless boy what amounted to a sizable fortune in easily transported raw copper. What were the chances he would decide that he might want to ditch Randy and make off with these treasures. It would be a death sentence for him, but the boy could easily slip away once Randy went to sleep. He could probably slip something into his food that would cause him to drift off to make the theft easier. Of course, Asari could simply slip away, and wait a few days until Randy simply died out here, and then claim the treasures that way.
In the final analysis, all Randy could do was hope the boy was what he seemed. Already, Randy had come to really like him. He was impressed by how he handled himself, and when the situation had become all but hopeless this morning, he had stood up and prepared to go down fighting. Shaking his head against the distrustful thoughts he’d been having, he knew only time would tell how this would play out. In the final analysis, there was little he could do but wait and see.
Asari hurried over with a look of satisfaction. He had already succeeded in learning the trick of releasing the hammer smoothly, and could do it without causing the rock to fall more than half of the time. He handed the pistol to Randy with a grin, and walked over to the fire where he dug out their dinner, placing the wrapped fish on a nearby rock to cool.
Once again Randy ate well, finishing off the meal with a
couple of the marvelous fruit they’d picked. While Asari went back to his practicing until it became dark enough that it was difficult to see the tiny sights, Randy completed the cleanup, and then lay down to rest. It had been a long day, and their real journey didn’t start until the morning. He finally decided he was probably wrong to worry about Asari, but even so he made a decision to wait until he saw what they got for the spent bullet and cartridges case before he revealed his other source of copper. Why tempt him?
Chapter 7
The rain had come down in sheets the previous night, the storm appearing suddenly and without warning. Even the security of the enclosure was breached, although not badly, but the heavy winds that came with the storm forced the rain almost sideways at times which meant small trickles formed on the rock walls and joining together flowed down into the area where Asari and Randy sat. They moved their possessions away from the walls and gathered everything closer to the center to avoid the water that did make it inside their sanctuary. Asari had noted the surprise displayed by Randy at the strength of the storm, mostly the winds, which indeed were fierce. Asari had known them to topple trees, and hoped that this aberation in the weather would pass quickly. The winds across the northern passes were always severe, and if they were fueled by one of the saharai winds, they would be all but impassable.
They had fallen asleep late because of the noise generated by the erratic gusting, and Randy still slept. Asari was an early riser, which he had already noted Randy was not, and had woken at his usual time before the sun peeked above the mountain rim. The storm had passed he realized, leaving in its wake the peaceful sounds of drops falling from the trees outside with a complete absence of any wind. It would still be wet outside, although with the sandy soil and the efficient drainage mother nature had established, the area would only appear damp by the time they were ready to break camp. The rain would have erased any signs of the trail left by the wizards as they ventured towards home, but that hardly mattered. He knew the way, having followed them before. More to the point, he had no intention of following the same route. Today they would make towards the camp where the wizards would have spent the night and already vacated, but would turn west well before they reached it. That would take the two of them off the plateau a bit sooner, and down past the great lake, following the path his father had pioneered some time before. It was moderately longer, but the change offered additional safety, putting a ridge of mountains in addition to a separation of a day’s travel between them and the band of wizards. He still didn’t know if the wizard Cheurt was able to detect Randy’s presence, but why tempt fate. It was better they allowed the wizards a wide margin, and made their way safely home. Somehow he knew the story Randy had to tell would be of great importance to Gaea, and it was necessary the Council of Mages learned of it.
He looked over at Randy as he slept, his head resting on a pillow fashioned from his jacket that was far too heavy for the weather here. His pack lay a few inches away where he had placed it away from the water that had been encroaching on their sleeping positions. He was tempted to slip over and remove the pistol so he could practice more, but he was concerned that Randy wouldn’t understand if he woke before Asari could put it back. He sensed Randy had mixed feelings about allowing Asari access to the weapon, and understood why. They both knew Randy was fully dependent on him for now. In a small way Asari was offended that Randy still had doubts about him. The stranger had saved his life the previous day, and was owed a blood debt. Never would he tarnish his honor by betraying such a responsibility. Besides, he was growing comfortable with the man. No, he admitted, it was more than that. He liked him. Despite his uncertainty and instinctive discomfort with his ability with the power, he seemed a decent person. Besides, they shared a common enemy.
His hand longed to hold the strange weapon once again. Pistol; his mind savored the strange word and all it implied. Such fantastic power hidden in something so small. Randy had implied it wasn’t really so powerful, and that had the wolf been of the more common natural variety it wouldn’t have been very effective. No matter. He had his bow for such occasions, but here was a weapon that could truly give a man a chance against creatures of magic. Cheurt would be totally surprised by such an attack. He hoped today that Randy would allow him to actually fire the gun. Proudly he had demonstrated his mastery of the technique he had been instructed to practice. It really wasn’t so hard. Long years of shooting his bow had instilled the basic muscle control in him, and this really hadn’t been so different. If he was going to have the opportunity to try the weapon, it would have to be here, far from any observer who would be drawn to the thunder it produced. If not today, they still had time, he reasoned. But he hoped it would be today.
At the sound of a snore, his glance returned again to the inert form a few feet away. How strong in the power was he? A true wizard, born here on Gaea, would have been schooled for years by his age, and by now would have an extensive knowledge in the use of the power as well as a clear understanding of his ultimate potential. Despite his initial doubts he now believed Randy really didn’t know much about the power, and had the minimum scope of spells at his command. Asari knew little of how the ranking of wizards was established, or how to measure their power. In a way he was glad his new friend wasn’t very accomplished, and was starting to think of him as a mage, an artificial distinction in his own mind he admitted. The mages in Angon had a highly structured set of rules for application of the power, and all fields of study were for useful and constructive advancement of the power. The use of power for war, destruction, or personal gain was forbidden, and any tendencies detected in one of their people would see him stripped of his ability, which was said to be essentially the same as a death sentence. Any mage deprived of the power in such a way was certain to commit suicide within a short time.
Asari admitted to himself that he’d been a little concerned the other day when they visited the camp of the wizards where Cheurt initiated his trips to Randy’s world. He’d already decided how important it was for Randy to tell of Cheurt’s actions, and had been concerned he would be able to find a way to return back home. Fortunately, that hadn’t happened, and while he felt bad for the man that was becoming his friend, he knew it was ultimately for the best.
He smiled suddenly. He couldn’t help it. Every time he used Randy’s name he couldn’t avoid the mental image that resulted. Randy knew the local language, but his name was so familiar to himself that he failed to hear the similarity to certain local words and the obscene images they brought to mind. He had to find a way to raise the issue before they returned to Trailways and encourage him to take another name instead.
His musings were interrupted when he suddenly realized the snoring had stopped and Randy was awake. He looked over where the other lay and found himself looking into Randy’s open eyes as he scanned his surroundings.
“’Morning,” Randy mumbled after a moment while rubbing his hand across his face. Several days worth of stubble had accumulated and despite the lightness of his hair was starting to show. His eyes briefly fell on his pack, but moved away after a second and looked back at Asari.
“The storm passed while we slept,” Asari explained. “I haven’t been outside, but we should have no problems getting started for my home in a little while.”
He had noted the other’s actions and suddenly realized that some means of removing facial hair must be employed where Randy came from. He had originally assumed he either didn’t have any, or he used his magic like other wizards to prevent its growth. He had also noted Randy’s brief glance at his pack, and was glad for his decision not to borrow the pistol.
“Even the lowest level of mage can stop its growth,” Asari said to his friend while indicating the beard. “Maybe you should think on it and the knowledge will return to you like your awareness of the Karonabark. You can use my knife to remove it if you wish.”
Randy ran his hand along his face again, and shook his head. “I’ll deal with it later. I
t’s just that I don’t often go without shaving and I’m not used to it.”
Asari nodded, and handed across one of the energy balls. He popped one in his own mouth and waited to see what Randy would do. He knew that Randy’s supplies from home were exhausted, except for some of the foul looking substance he liked to snack on. It was foolish to waste time hunting when they had a long way to go, so he hoped the other would start adjusting to the trail fare that was available.
After looking it over for a minute, his friend grimaced and popped it into his mouth. He chewed slowly at first, and gradually he seemed to accept the soothing taste of the pemeal. It couldn’t have been too bad for it wasn’t too long before he had his hand out for another.
Asari grinned, and handed it across.
“We have a long walk today,” he said, and explained his intentions of taking the alternate route.
“You’re in charge,” Randy answered, unconcerned by the fact they wouldn’t be following the wizards. He knew there was nothing to gain by staying behind them, and was anxious to be headed to the place he might find assistance, by whatever route was expedient.
They had been making good time since breaking camp, and it was now mid afternoon. The high plateau on which they had camped had fallen behind them along with the relative flatness they had enjoyed. Now their way had become a recurring series of hills to be climbed, some quite steep. They would work their way up one hillside, only to give up the gains made by walking back down the far side.
“How far to this turnoff you promised?” Randy asked. Asari had assured him that once they made the turn, the trail would be mostly down for at least five miles as they worked their way down to a huge lake in a nearby valley. He hadn’t thought himself out of shape, but these hills were taking their toll, and he was embarrassed by the fact his young friend wasn’t even breathing hard.