Wizard's Education (Book 2)

by James Eggebeen

  After he'd rested, Lorit turned back to the Princess. This time the bindings looked a lot like the cords he'd cut to reveal her true identity. They felt like they were made by the same Wizard. He could taste the flavor of the spell. This one was more like rough old rope, the kind you find in a stable.

  Lorit carefully searched for a free end or somewhere to grasp and separate the strands. He finally found one loose end and started to pull on it. Again, the Princess arched her back. Her face contorted but this time she didn't cry out.

  "I think it's hurting her." Lorit relaxed the pressure on the thread.

  "Saefusk!" Hanuwar shouted again.

  This time the young dwarf entered the dining hall carrying a knife. The blade was made of the same jeweled material that Lorit's staff contained. It shone greenish gold with a bright inner light.

  "It's sharp," he said as he handed it over. "Be careful not to cut her with it."

  Lorit searched the strands of magic again. This time he carefully lifted each thread and deftly cut them with the knife until they started to unravel of their own accord. He kept it up until all of the threads that tasted like old rope had been severed.

  He looked at the Princess as she slept quietly. Lorit could have sworn that she looked more peaceful than before.

  "The Priest this time, am I right? They have a certain mustiness to their magic," Hanuwar said.

  "Yes, it did feel a lot like the spell the priests once used on me."

  Lorit rested yet again before he tried to unravel the next layer. This time he carefully used the knife to lift and separate the threads from one another. It looked like there were more than just the two Hanuwar indicated. They were intertwined and tightly woven across one another. He could not find a handle on any one thread to start unraveling them.

  "This one is very complicated. I can't find a loose end to break the spell." Lorit sat down and heaved a heavy sigh.

  "Maybe another day. You should rest, and then you can try again," Hanuwar said.

  Lorit looked at the Princess and the spells that bound her. After the first one came off, he was eager to free her completely. He was disappointed that he could not clear them all, but he knew he would do better after he'd rested and replenished his reserves.

  "I think you're right, friend." Lorit passed his staff over the Princess. "Vigilans a somno," he said, commanding her to wake from her sleep.

  He watched as her eyes fluttered underneath the closed lids, but she did not wake. "Vigilans a somno," he said he repeated, this time pushing the words into her with the magic of his staff.

  Her eyelids fluttered again and slowly opened. "What happened?"

  She looked over at Lorit. "Who are you? Why am I here? Where is here?"

  Lorit explained to her what had happened. She had no memory of anything since well before he had appeared at the castle, and that included him.

  The Princess was shocked at his story and appeared angry with him for his part in it. As he explained about the witch's magic and how she had defeated the old woman, the Princess smiled. She was still in disbelief, but the tale of her heroics seemed to placate her.

  In the morning, Lorit and the Princess had their breakfast with Hanuwar in the same room as before. This time the room was empty and quiet, with only a few people silently eating their morning meal.

  "I will take you to Friega today," Hanuwar said. "We will stop along the way. I have something that may be able to help you with those spells."

  They headed down a passageway formed by more of the polished marble. The floor gave way to a steep set of steps that led down into the heart of the mountain.

  "Why are we going down?" Lorit asked.

  "We'll stay below ground until we get to Friega. It's a lot nicer weather underground than above. Besides, you'll get to see the mines."

  As they moved deeper into the mountains, the walls of the tunnel became less and less polished until finally they were rough hewn raw rock. Timbers were erected in places where the ceiling was loose.

  They descended for most of the morning, until Lorit wondered if they were below the valley that they had passed on their way in. The tunnel remained rough and started to show more and more of the fragile ceiling than the earlier sections. They came upon side tunnels more often as they descended. At one of these tunnels, Hanuwar stopped and pulled Lorit aside. He put his torch in a sconce and ushered Lorit and the Princess deep into the side tunnel.

  As his eyes adjusted, Lorit noticed small flecks of golden light deep in the dark. These tiny specs flickered on and off, peppering the floor, the ceiling, and the walls of the tunnel.

  "Do you see them?" Hanuwar asked. "You see them, don't you?"

  "The flecks?" Lorit pointed to small glowing specs embedded in the walls of the tunnel.

  "Yes. The flecks. I knew it, you can see them."

  "What are they?"

  "This is the raw magic of the mountain. This magic is everywhere down here. It's in everything. This," he said waving his arm in a grand gesture, "is what you are connected to now."

  "What do you see?" the Princess asked. "I only see darkness."

  "Alas, I only see the darkness, too," Hanuwar said. "It is Lorit that can see the magic itself."

  "Is this what you mine?" Lorit asked. The tiny flecks of magic certainly didn't amount to much. Certainly, they were not toiling away for such small stock as this.

  "No, there are occasionally larger nuggets than these. These are remnants, leftovers from the real magic. We search for the large stones, like the one in your staff."

  "How large are the stones you usually find?" Lorit asked.

  Hanuwar held up his hand and touched his thumb to his pinkie. "About that big."

  "Those are rather small." Lorit thought back to the stone they had replaced in his staff. "Surely you find more of the larger ones?"

  "If only that were true. The stone you received is so rare that we come across one only once in a generation."

  Lorit stopped and stared at the dwarf. "Once in a generation? How can you give me something so valuable? I'm just a young Wizard. I'm no one."

  "You are mistaken," Hanuwar said. "You are one of the Mighty Ones."

  Lorit handed his staff to Hanuwar. "I can't take this. I'm not a Mighty One."

  "Yes, you are," Hanuwar said, refusing the staff. "You just don't know it yet. You have power beyond most that have come before you. I could smell it as soon as you set foot on my mountain." He put his finger aside his nose to emphasize the point.

  "Come on, we will be heading back up soon. We'll make it to Friega by nightfall so you can sleep in a nice warm inn aboveground."

  Hanuwar led them through tunnels that wound in and out of the mine shafts. When they came to a particularly small shaft, he motioned Lorit to follow him. Lorit had to squeeze between the oak pillars to get in, but he made it.

  "Here." He pointed to a stone larger than the one Lorit had been given. "This is my life's work. I've been loosening this stone for almost my entire life. In a few more years, it will be ready to slip from the grasp of the mountain.

  "This is the stone that replaces the one you now carry. It is even larger and more powerful, and I found it. I only hope that someday, I will have a son who is so fortunate to find one such as I have."

  Lorit could feel the power in the stone. It was amazing, lit from within with a faint blue gold glow.

  "It's wonderful," Lorit said.

  The dwarf beamed with pride. "Come on. We need to make good time." He turned and led them back.

  As they followed the path upwards, the floor turned to dirt and then sand. The roof of the tunnel was shored up more often until they were in a shaft that was entirely encased in wood.

  "We're almost there," Hanuwar said. "It's just up ahead. You can almost smell the fresh air."

  They emerged onto a small path, much like the one where Lorit and the Princess had first met the dwarf. "Here is where I leave you to your own devices," he said.

  Hanuwar pointed
up the path. "Take that path up the hill. In a few turns, you will strike the road that leads to the castle. Follow it."

  "Thank you for your help," Lorit said. "If there is ever anything I can do for you..." Lorit wondered if he would ever be able to repay the dwarf for his hospitality.

  "Thank you, Lorit. It is not often we meet one of the Mighty Ones. It has been a great honor, one that we will cherish for the rest of our lives." He bowed his head deeply.

  "I'm not one of the Mighty Ones." Lorit was embarrassed by Hanuwar's attention. He was just trying to make his way through life without getting into trouble, and making a real mess of it. He was not a mighty Wizard.

  "As you say. We will tell stories of your visit to the children as they sit beside the fires at night. This way. You have a journey to complete." Hanuwar led them to a path that intersected the roadway just ahead.

  The castle loomed overhead. It was built of the same gray granite that lined the tunnels, but somehow it was dull in comparison to the splendor of the dwarves' tunnels. Hanuwar shook Lorit's hand in farewell, drawing him close as he did.

  "Beware, Lorit," Hanuwar whispered in his ear. "Until you remove the remaining spells from the Princess, she is a great danger to you. Do not let your guard down."

  Friega

  They arrived in Friega and secured lodging by sundown. In the morning, Lorit rose shortly after sunrise. He'd left the Princess in her own room and had slept fitfully, worrying about Chihon. If he were successful in removing the remaining spells from the Princess, would he be able to locate Chihon?

  He reached out to contact her. Her magic was still there, but it was weak. He pushed harder, trying to break through the shield around Chihon, but it was no use. He had to try to free the Princess. He was more convinced than ever that Princess Ukina was the key to finding Chihon.

  He decided to take a walk to clear his head and started down the street. Soon he came to a park that overlooked the sheer drop off. There were no walls to keep invading armies out, here, only a small stone wall to remind the inhabitants of the edge. The cliffs upon which the city was built were stronghold enough in most places.

  As he stood at the edge of the precipice, he could see the valley far below. The dirty white streak of the Ice Father scarred the landscape, dredging up rocks and dirt to mix with the snow. A breeze rose up, bringing with it a chill. It froze Lorit to the bone and he pulled his robe tighter around him. Lorit had taken to wearing the robe the King had given him. He thought it made him look more like a Wizard. At the moment, he would have traded it for a good thick coat and a pair of pants that tied off against his legs.

  A few children dashed about the park, playing their games as an orange robed monk watched over them. Lorit could hear their screams of enjoyment as they scampered about.

  Suddenly Lorit was overcome with a sense of loss. Something was happening to Chihon. He could feel it over the weak and tenuous connection that they still shared. He fell to his knees, his head in his hands. She needed him and he was unable to reach her. He wanted to cry out, but he bit back his rage.

  He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you ill, my son?" It was the monk in the orange robe.

  Lorit didn't want to explain. It was too painful. "It was the memory of a lost friend that troubled me," was all he said.

  "That is understandable. This is called the point of beautiful memories."

  "Why do they call it that?"

  "Just watch," the Monk said, gesturing to the precipice. "The cliff brings memories, and it brings beauty."

  As he stood there, a shaft of sunlight burst through the clouds and lit the cliff face. He could see the bright light and almost feel its warmth. It was beautiful, so beautiful, it blunted his pain and worry over Chihon.

  As he watched, a bright orange butterfly flew up from the face of the cliff to circle the park. It gently settled onto the branch of one of the trees. Soon another joined it, then another, then more. They came on in greater and greater numbers until the park was filled with bright orange wings wafting about on the breeze. Lorit could not see the sky beneath their crowded masses. They blanketed the trees in the park.

  One landed on Lorit's sleeve. He reached out but stopped before he touched it. He looked over at the monk. "Is it safe to touch it?"

  "Gently, don't rub the color off its wings."

  Lorit reached down and lightly touched the fragile wings as the butterfly slowly opened and closed them. Its tiny black head watched him passively. The wings were as smooth as silk and as dainty as a kerchief. He wondered at it. The sight did bring him relief. This was a memory he could cherish.

  He heard a child scream and tuned to look. Something flew over the edge of the cliff amidst the cloud of butterflies. He'd seen one of these before, in his vision of Chihon in the temple. It looked like a thick short weasel with twisted horns and short stubby bat wings. It swooped and dove chasing after the butterflies and then it turned towards Lorit. He wanted to duck or shield himself, but the hand of the monk resting on his shoulder tightened, warning him to hold still.

  "A mini dragon," he whispered. "They are rare even here. They chase the butterflies sometimes. I think the color attracts them."

  The mini dragon landed on Lorit's arm. He felt the weight of it as it sunk its claws into his robe.

  The tiny twisted horns looked sharp and dangerous. The animal tilted its head and looked him straight in the eye. Lorit felt the touch of magic, and he was surprised at its strength. It was wild and powerful, something that Lorit had not encountered before.

  "Hello, little fella. What's your name?" Lorit didn't know why people always asked pets what their name was. He always did, but felt a little foolish in this case since there was no owner to answer on the animal's behalf.

  "Kal'ryni," the dragon said.

  Lorit was not sure if the creature spoke or he had heard it in his head.

  "You can talk?" Lorit blinked at the mini dragon in amazement.

  "They don't talk," the monk said.

  "This one does. He just told me his name."

  "He told you his name?" The monk turned to Lorit. His eyes were wide, his hands fidgeting.

  "Yes, he said his name was ..."

  The monk held his hand up. "Do not speak it aloud. The name of a dragon holds much power."

  The monk pulled at Lorit's arm. "Come with me. We must take you to the Senior. He will know what to do."

  Lorit held out his arm expecting the mini dragon to fly away, but it sat there contentedly. "I think it's tame. It seems to like to sit on my arm."

  "Mini dragons cannot be tamed. Only the bravest, most cunning, may capture one. They are creatures of magic and not to be treated like common pets."

  "This one seems pretty tame to me." Lorit looked at the animal as it clung to his arm, its tiny claws digging into his robe. "You wouldn't hurt me, would you?"

  Lorit hoped the mini dragon was going to speak again, but it just sat there silently.

  "Come, we must go." The monk tugged Lorit's free arm.

  The mini dragon hissed at the monk's touch. It tilted its head away from Lorit and let out a hissing sound that was quickly followed by a stream of fire. The monk released Lorit's arm, but urged him onward.

  As they walked through the streets of the city, dragon perched on Lorit's arm, children came running out of their homes pointing at him. Some of them would spot him and rush back inside only to reemerge with a younger brother or sister in tow.

  By the time Lorit and the Monk reached the Temple, there was a crowd of children following close behind them. The children pushed and shoved, and squealed with glee, as they followed Lorit down the streets. At the temple door, another monk halted the children, and had to restrain them from following Lorit inside.

  The front room of the temple was large and open. It was decorated with rich silk tapestries stitched with scenes of the mountains. In some of them dragons were perched on the mountain peaks. Not the mini dragon, but the large beasts of legend.

  Th
e monk led Lorit into a smaller side room. He retrieved a large silk pillow from the corner and slid it before Lorit. "Please have a seat."

  Lorit lowered himself onto it. He was careful not to upset the mini dragon that perched upon his arm. The dragon shifted its weight as Lorit sat. He lowered his arm to the floor and it dismounted to take up station next to Lorit's crossed legs. The mini dragon curled itself up and lay its head down. Soon Lorit could hear its light snores.

  An elder monk entered the room and stopped, staring at the mini dragon. He looked from the animal to Lorit and back to the mini dragon. He slowly lowered himself onto the cushion, never taking his eyes off of the animal.

  "Wizard," he stated simply.

  "Yes," Lorit said.

  "How did you get here?"

  "Up the mountain."

  The monk frowned. "We watch the pass."

  "From the inside."

  "How did you get inside?"

  "We were invited in." Lorit was growing impatient. "Why do you ask these questions?"

  "We want to know if you are a Wizard to be trusted. Would you rather tell me your story so I might judge?"

  Lorit explained how they had been mistreated by the witch in Relynn, and how the dwarves had taken them through the mines. He explained about the spells on the Princess and how he was able to remove some, but not all of them.

  As Lorit finished his story, the monk leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're here. I have waited long. Since my wife passed into the great beyond, I have been almost powerless. The monks need a new leader."

  He stood up and motioned to Lorit to do likewise. "We have much to prepare. This brother will escort you back to your inn so you may rest before tonight's feast."

  With that, he rose, bowed his head, and left the room.

  Lorit returned to his room, dropped his pack and lay flat on his back on the bed. It was comfortable, more so than he was used to, sleeping on the road. He closed his eyes and focused. He reached out with his power and sought the Sorceress. He could feel the power of the mountain still with him, but this time there was more. He felt a strong glow emanating from the mini dragon. It was offering him power, just like Chihon did. Freely given, he absorbed the power into him and used it as he did his own.