Wizard's Blood [Part One]

by Bob Blink

  Having finally arrived in the part of the city Asari was seeking, the first order of business was to locate an inn. They wanted something more than whatever came along this time. Since they expected to be staying a while, they wanted a place they liked, that offered proximity to the places they expected to visit frequently, and which offered all the amenities they might find useful. Several reasonable looking establishments were rejected after their inquiries showing one or more of their needs failed to be met. Finally, they located the Peaceful Pony, a large three-story stone inn.

  Located a mere block off the main market area with a variety of taverns and eateries reasonably close, the inn offered a place to stable their horses, large two bedroom suites at reasonable rates, two main dining areas in addition to a large common room that often offered musical entertainment, as well as several small shops for little necessities they might desire. There was even a barber on the premises. The daily costs, including stables and feed for the animals came to three silver slivers a day, and could be bargained downwards if an extended stay were anticipated. Their own food was, of course, extra.

  The innkeeper, a short and very thin man, had looked them over with some doubt initially. Their clothing showed they were out-of-towners, being drab and rugged rather than the highly colorful and much finer dress attire that most of the other guests sported, but he was convinced when they agreed to a week’s stay with payment in advance. It was clear that another shopping spree was called for, especially if they expected to spend time in the presence of the political elite of the city.

  Their horses stabled and being cared for by the stable hands under the guidance of the experienced stablemaster who had been told the animals needed special care after more than a month of travel, the two made their way back up to the room they had been shown a short time earlier. The sitting area had a couch, two chairs, a small table they could use as a desk or for eating, and a large balcony overlooking the street below. On opposite sides of the room were doorways that led to the two rooms, already claimed, with Asari on the right as one entered the suite, and Jolan on the left. Each of the rooms had a small cabinet for their clothes and travel gear. Candles were located in several areas for light in the evening, and a large pitcher of water sat on a small side table. The bathroom was located down the hall, and a bath facility was available on the first floor for a minimal charge.

  Jolan had located a reasonably out of the way spot for the Mage’s Box, and placed it there with the usual restriction against being moved by anyone other than himself. The box was located so hotel staff would have no reason to try and move it, should they even notice it at all, yet he could get to it as needed. All their important items were placed inside, completely secure against theft in their absence. Weapons were not common within the city limits, so Asari reluctantly left his bow in the large cabinet, and Jolan did the same with the sword. Asari kept his knife, and Jolan decided to keep the special pouch with the Colt with him as well. It was a strange city, and who knew what lay ahead?

  By the time they were fully settled in, it was late afternoon. They agreed to a brief walk around the area, dinner, baths, and to turn in early. In the morning Asari would go and see his uncle. He wanted to go alone the first time, as he expected his reception to be difficult due to the fact he had left the last time against his uncle’s wishes. After his father had died, his uncle had come to Trailways and brought Asari back to Seret. Hoping to convince his uncle to help him in his campaign against Chuert, Asari had agreed to come back. After a short time here, however, he had known his uncle, a stern, humorless individual who had never married, had no intention of taking such risks. Knowing he would be instructed against leaving, he simply slipped away one night, and made his way back to the mountains alone. That had been more than nine months ago.

  Chapter 25

  For the first time in several weeks Cheurt didn’t snarl at his servants as they hurried to fulfill his every whim. He was finally recovering from the cursed illness he must have acquired during his last stay on Earth. His own skills with healing were limited. He’d never had much interest in the art, and besides, the ability was only marginally effective on oneself. Healing cuts or breaks were one thing, any fool could master that, but the fevers that attacked the whole body were another matter. He’d had the Academy’s best healers come to him, and they had been mostly ineffective.

  “Dragons be Cursed,” he swore silently to himself. He couldn’t afford something like this now. There was far too much to do. Two months had already passed since he was last on Earth. Add to that the preparation and travel time to the Nexus, and it would be nearing three by the time he and Ryltas made the trip together.

  “Has Ryltas been told I want to meet with him?” he demanded of his attendant.

  “Yes, My Lord Wizard,” the man responded, eyes down. One didn’t take any chances with the master; especially not when he was like this. “He will be here within the hour.”

  Cheurt had instructed his friend to make preparations. He wanted to start off within two days, three at most. Even if he weren’t fully recovered they would begin. By the time they returned to the Land of Giants, this illness would have been fully purged from his body. He was concerned that being gone too long from Earth could disrupt his preparations there, and they weren’t making progress on his plans while everyone remained here on Gaea.

  Besides, the cold months were coming. Not that something as simple as the weather could prevent one with his power from making the trip, but it became less pleasant. And there were often delays. Once he and his team had been confined to their campground for the better part of a week while a fierce storm raged preventing them from traveling.

  The team would make the trip, then for the first time two wizards would cross through the Nexus, while the rest remained in place for the week or so until Cheurt returned home alone. That would allow him enough time to be sure Ryltas was comfortable enough to function unobserved on Earth. Then he would return to Gaea, leaving his friend to carry on there. Barring something unusual, he would not be making trips for the foreseeable future. Some of his team would make the trip to the Nexus to meet with Ryltas when he made periodic trips to drop off his discoveries, but they would return here to Ale’ald without his friend, while Ryltas returned immediately to Earth.

  Cheurt’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of his long time friend and accomplice.

  “Ryltas, are we going to be ready to leave on schedule?”

  The man nodded hastily. “I knew you would be anxious to leave as soon as you recovered, so I had already started preparations. We can leave in two days time. The rest of the team will be ready as well.”

  Pleased, Cheurt smiled to himself. Here was a man he could count on. It would be unfortunate to have him out of contact so much of the next year, but it couldn’t be helped. The fact he could trust and count on Ryltas, made him the proper choice.

  “Here,” Cheurt said, handing Ryltas a small bluish crystal that glowed faintly with an inner light.

  “The pairing crystal. You felt well enough to make it?”

  Cheurt nodded. The crystal was one of the things that had to be made before they could leave, and his illness had muddled his thoughts to the point he hadn’t wanted to attempt the demanding task. Unlike the pairing he had done with the earthling, which was a mild transfer of thoughts and information, and unlike the brutal pairing of the archers that his men had used to obtain their skills with the bow and that had ripped the very life from the subjects, the crystal was a controlled process used by mages to transfer knowledge. Only senior mages of a high order could make or use the crystal unaided. There was a process which required several mages specifically trained in the process by which lower order mages, or even a mere non-mage he admitted, could be given knowledge or skills via the pairing crystal.

  Cheurt had consciously sorted through his memories and experiences, selecting the knowledge and skills that would most aid Ryltas in his mission on Earth. These he had imp
rinted into the crystal structure. The crystal could only be used once, but that was all that was required. Cheurt’s own skills with the language, for example, would be available once his friend employed the crystal. It was a simple enough procedure to drain the crystal for a mage of Ryltas level, requiring only an hour or so, and Cheurt knew the man would probably complete the transfer at night before he turned in. That would leave his mind free for the entire night to assimilate the information without distraction.

  “Once you have accessed the crystal, you will have some of my own memories of the previous visits. I will introduce you to the girl Sharon when we arrive. You will assume control of her from me. I realize that will be destructive for her and will damage her mind. She will still be useful for minor tasks such as driving you where you need to go, taking care of menial housework and cooking, and for sex of course. I recommend her; she is quite delightful. Before too long, you will need to find a replacement. Her mind will continue to falter after the transfer of control. Once you have selected a replacement, you will not need to destroy Sharon. That might gain attention of the authorities there. They are obsessed with such things. Instead, you should command her to actively pursue the use of some of their recreational drugs. I learned of this problem from their ‘news’. Before long the problem will resolve itself.”

  Ryltas nodded in understanding. Finally he would be getting his chance.

  Chapter 26

  The familiar streets of Carta passed outside the windows of the carriage that Asari had hired to take him to his uncle’s house. The cost of the vehicle wasn’t that great, not compared to what they were already spending for their room and board, but a few months ago he never would have thought it possible he would part with so much money to simply avoid walking. Of course, in this instance it was more than that. If he were honest with himself he’d admit he was more than a little nervous about the upcoming encounter with his relative. That was really why he had hired the coach. Arriving on foot would convey one message, arriving on horseback another, but arriving in a carriage would give his uncle pause. Maybe enough to change the tone of their reunion. It was important that this meeting go well. If he were to be able to help his friend Jolan, he would need his uncle’s help. It was as simple as that.

  Asari could see the familiar landmarks pass outside the windows. Already it was as if he had never left. He had been raised here in Carta while his mother was alive, although there were times his father’s studies had taken them away for a year or more at a time. After his mother had died, he and his father had moved in with his uncle and had stayed there for more than five years, although when Asari had been a bit older there had been times his father had gone off for several months while leaving him in the care of his uncle’s staff. Once his father decided Asari was old enough to travel with him, they had left and moved to Trailways.

  The carriage was approaching the river Nur, one of the largest in Carta, which divided the city into two halves. It flowed from the eastern mountains all the way to the port city of Jupura, and made Carta a major inland port. Goods traveled both ways on the waterway, and had made the relocation of the capital city so far inland after the near total destruction of the old capital during the Mage Wars possible.

  He watched as the carriage made the predictable turn and lumbered up the small incline leading to the bridge. The solid rock walls on either side of the narrows that rose more than fifty feet above the river offered the chance to build a passageway that didn’t obstruct the flow of boats below. It was also possible to cross much further west on one of the ferries, but it was out of the way, and was prone to delay. With more than a hundred foot span, the bridge had required the use of the power to place the supports deep into the surrounding rock and then extend the massive metal beams all the way across the mighty Nur. Asari couldn’t imagine how they would have done it any other way, and while Seret didn’t encourage the use of magic, the country was pragmatic about such things. Four beams crossed the river, including the two outer beams that defined the edges of the bridge, and two interior beams equally spaced between them.

  More than twenty feet wide, the cross beams were made of lumber just that long, each with an eight inch square cross section, and bolted to the steel support structure. Traffic could pass both directions simultaneously, and today it was as busy as any other, packed with carriages like this one, wagons loaded with all manner of goods, as well as men on horseback. Off to the right edge the narrow path set aside for foot travel was crowded as residents on foot made their way in both directions. The carriage wheels rattled as they crossed each gap between beams, the rattle and shake ending once they had successfully crossed to the far side. He could see the water below, moving swiftly despite the depth here because the narrows had forced a quarter mile width of river into such a narrow span. To his right he could see the mountains. Off to his left was the city port, and beyond the river flowed off towards the ocean many days away.

  It wouldn’t be much longer now. His uncle had his residence a short distance north of the river, not in the wealthy district where the merchants and politicians built their mansions, but in the district reserved for those individuals one step down the ladder from the city’s upper crust. That still meant his uncle was far better off than most.

  The carriage turned down the street he had walked so often, and within minutes it pulled to a stop in front of a well cared for wooden house, one of the dozen on this block. The home was a single story dwelling, although it was large enough to have five bedrooms, formal and private great rooms, a large study that was the exclusive domain of his uncle, a formal dining room that would seat a dozen or more, as well as a smaller, more comfortable eating nook. There were two kitchens, one for general food preparation and baking, and one, the “dirty kitchen”, that served for the creation of dishes that were messy or particularly strong smelling in their preparation.

  “Please wait,” Asari instructed the driver as he stepped down and strengthened his resolve for the meeting now mere moments away. He walked through the front gate and made his way down the short but enclosed walk to the greeting door where he used the knocker to signal his presence. Moments later he could hear footsteps inside, and soon the door was swung wide. There in front of him was a face he remembered well.

  “Asari!” shouted the overweight older woman as she reached out and pulled him into an embrace.

  Asari returned the hug, the housekeeper being the one person who had always treated him with love and affection.

  “After you ran away last year Master Hubert said you wouldn’t ever be coming back. Did something change, because he never said a word to me?”

  Asari shook his head as he was escorted into the greeting room, feeling the familiar surroundings. He hadn’t missed the house really, but it was the closest to a real home he could remember.

  “He doesn’t know I’m here,” he said finally. “I need to see him about something important. Is he here now, or has he gone out already?”

  The housekeeper looked at him with surprise. “He’s been gone for weeks. It’s the summer, and he took advantage of the opportunity to go to the beach house in Bandu. He probably won’t be back for another month, although he said he might return early.”

  * * * *

  As usual Jolan was a lot slower getting moving in the morning. Asari had already headed off to see his uncle before Jolan had rolled out of bed, even though they had both found themselves awake about the same time. After Asari had left, Jolan had one of his rare bouts of melancholy thinking about home and wondering if he would ever find his way back there. Already he had been gone for two months. What did that mean back home? He most certainly had been reported missing, and he wondered what the police must think, his Ford parked out front with the keys still inside. He didn’t know if anyone had seen his mad dash from the vehicle towards the back of the house. How would he explain his absence if he ever returned home? Explanations were secondary, he decided. More to the point, would he ever return? More and
more it felt like it was likely he would spend the rest of his life here on Gaea. What were the career options here for a half trained physicist and untrained mage he wondered?

  A bit disgusted with his mood, he forced himself out of bed. He would get a haircut and then have a look around. His hair hadn’t been cut since the last time in Boulder, and was definitely getting shabby. He’d tried the same trick that prevented his beard from growing, but it hadn’t worked. When Asari had told him that mages could prevent their beards from growing, he’d taken it as fact, and somehow had managed the feat himself. When he asked Asari about his hair, his friend hadn’t known. Jolan had told himself it must be possible, but the truth was he didn’t know if he was right. Did the doubts have any effect on his lack of success?

  Feeling far more presentable after the shearing, Jolan made his way to the stable to check on their horses. He was pleased to find them in excellent hands, and after giving each the treats he had brought with him, he returned to the entrance of the inn and made his way out onto the street to begin his explorations of the immediate area.

  The street on which the Peaceful Pony was located was relatively quiet this morning, although a few carriages made their way down the lane, and a couple was walking arm in arm across the way. Jolan made his way down the short block towards the main market street, which he could already see was far busier.