The High-Wizard's Hunt: Osric's Wand: Book Two

by Delay, Ashley

  “So I have been told.” He set the empty bowl on a stand next to the bed, wishing they had brought him more. “Anyone want to trade for a day? Just let me know.”

  “The thing is, the spell attacked Kenneth with greater intensity than it attacked both Pebble and I when we arrived. That got me to thinking about that wand of yours.”

  Osric looked around suddenly, wondering where his wand and sword were. He didn’t see them anywhere.

  “Where are my things? The book, my wand, my money pouch, my sword?”

  “The book and your pouch are in the chest right here.” Bridgett pointed to the foot of the bed where she had retrieved his clothes.

  “Your wand is drying, boy. I can’t have you walking around with a Gus wand with that much power, without it looking as good as the others.” Gus stood tall. “I have a reputation to uphold.”

  “And where is my sword?” Osric was more concerned about the sword than the rest; it was the only piece he had left of his father. The wand may have a great deal of power, but he could live happily for the rest of his life if someone else had to deal with everything that came with it.

  “The lady at the forge saw both of your swords when you arrived and took a liking to them. Once she heard about all your exploits from Kenneth, she wanted to make you a better hilt. She has a fondness for blades. You should see what she did with Kenneth’s,” Gus jeered. “The two of them have been spending quite a bit of time together since he woke. But enough about that, we can figure this out without your wand.” He held out his own wand for Osric to take.

  “What do you want me to do?” Osric took the short wand in his hand and held it at the ready.

  “I’m sure you remember how to light the tip,” Gus said sardonically, forcing Osric to remember their first argument over the wand back in Stanton. “I will examine you to see if my suspicions are correct. I already performed the same test with Kenneth.”

  Osric was surprised to find that he was not as timid about being examined as he used to be. It wasn’t that long ago that he would have argued to exhaustion to keep Gus from peering inside of him. He even had a bit of excitement to hear what was discovered when it was over. That spell must have done more damage than they thought! He lit the tip of the wand and waited.

  “Now, that is interesting!”

  “I’ve seen what you are looking at, but I guess I didn’t know it was significant. Do you mind explaining it to me?”

  “Better yet, give me the wand, boy. I will do the same thing. You look and tell me what you see.” Gus took the wand from Osric and caused the tip to light.

  Osric gazed past the surface and watched the dim flow of magic from within Archana stream its way through Gus to the end of the wand.

  “Do you see the difference now?” Gus’ voice was full of energy and he perched up at his full height.

  “I’m not sure.” He knew that something was different, but he could not make out what it was.

  “That in itself is interesting.” Gus chuckled. “It must be easier to teach a child new things than an adult. Pebble would have noticed first thing.”

  “You’s is brighter, silly,” Pebble said, as if to confirm Gus’ suspicion as he giggled from the center of the room.

  “Exactly! The child has always been a quick study.”

  Osric found himself excited to have learned something new. He envied Pebble for having a father who had a lifetime of wisdom to pass on. Gus was no great father, but it was obvious that the two of them complimented each other’s abilities, even with the large age difference between them. He shared the laughter at his lack of insight and vowed to himself to pay closer attention to details.

  “Okay, so what does that mean? Why should brightness affect anything?”

  “I am sure you noticed the color, correct?”

  Osric nodded in affirmation.

  “Good, you may not be a hopeless case after all.” Gus sat down awkwardly on the uneven blanket. “The color is the intent of the spell, the brightness is the power.” His paws emphasized the importance of the statement. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before. Have you looked at anyone but yourself until today? Ah, that’s not important. Look in me now as I sit here without using any magic.”

  Osric did as he was told. He noticed two green spheres.

  “That’s the Wand-Maker gift in your eyes?”

  “Yes, but look closely. Not at my gift, but at my body. They are tricky to spot because they are almost clear. They look like the heat from a flame. Just a bit of a distortion, like looking through a very thin piece of glass,” Gus spoke slowly and carefully.

  Osric moved his head slightly from left to right, trying to catch a glimpse of what Gus was referring to.

  “I see it,” Osric bellowed. “What is that? They’re very small, like crystal strands.”

  “Yes, that’s a good way to think of it. They are life, boy. That’s what their purpose is anyway. Without them, you would simply die.”

  “So what are you trying to show me with them? I mean, is there something special in yours that I should see?”

  The door to the room swung open and Kenneth came in, followed by a red haired woman.

  “Os,” Kenneth exclaimed while carrying a plate. “They told me you woke and I had to get you some good food. I knew Gus wouldn’t bring you enough for as long as you were out. He didn’t seem to care too much about my hunger anyway. Smoked beef and boiled eggs, that’s the good stuff!” He set the plate on the table and looked back at Gus in defiance.

  “Good timing, lad. We can use you for a lesson now.” Gus smirked back at him.

  “No, thank you. I was peered at long enough while I was out.” Kenneth backed toward the door, his mood quickly shifting to apprehension as he moved. “Me and Jane,” he nodded at the woman who followed him in, “have plans anyway. I just wanted to welcome Os back to the world of the living.”

  “I don’t think so.” Gus waved his wand and the door slammed shut. “Osric will be the one looking this time, and I can’t show him without you here.”

  Kenneth frowned, gazing from Gus to Osric and then shrugged.

  “Don’t you want to show me how brave you are?” Jane spoke teasingly at Kenneth’s expression.

  Kenneth’s chest inflated as he looked at Jane and moved close to Osric, giving him a knowing smile.

  “Let’s get this over with as quickly as we can. I have very important plans.”

  “Yes, that’s nice.” Gus dismissed the chatter and turned his attention back to Osric. “Now, look at his life strands. Try to ignore his gifts. He has many of the same that you have, so don’t linger too long.”

  Osric gazed at the clear fibers that he saw within Kenneth, making sure to note any small difference. It was hard to ignore the gifts. He had several of them, including the See-er ability, and Osric had a hard time with the reasoning behind it. Osric didn’t know what all of the gifts were, but he spent little time inspecting them.

  “There are more of them, is that it?”

  “Very good.” Gus managed to sound impressed and Pebble clapped with joy.

  Osric looked back. He had made an important discovery, or so they seemed to think, but he had no idea what it meant. Nevertheless, it felt good to finally have done something right in Gus’ eyes.

  “Do you mind explaining what that means? Does it mean that we can’t be killed?”

  “Oh, and then you have to go and say something like that.” Gus hung his head. “I thought it would be obvious, but I guess I will have to simplify things a bit. The life strands are your power. With more strands, comes more power. In fact, that may be the reason you were attacked so vigorously by the shield surrounding the grove. It attacks with more force than is applied to it by magical means. This may be the reason you were affected so, but it may also be the reason you survived the encounter.”

  “Why would you be focusing on all this anyway?” Kenneth’s question was tinged with impatience. “I’d rather you be telling us how in g
raves we both have all these gifts!”

  Jane gasped at the expression, but smiled behind her hand.

  “I’m sorry, but you have been focusing on the life strands in me for a week, when you should be figuring out why I have acquired more gifts.” A vein stood out on Kenneth’s forehead as he spoke.

  “If you have any idea how it is happening, Wand-Maker, I would be happy to listen to whatever wisdom you can bring to the conversation.” Gus stood and inched himself closer to Kenneth with every word.

  “Stop fighting.” Bridgett pushed Kenneth backward, glaring at him, until he took a seat in the corner of the room. Kenneth continued to glare over at the bed, looking as though he would strangle Gus if only given the opportunity. “We need to focus. Nothing like this has ever happened before, as far as any of us know, and we need to figure out why it is happening now.”

  “That’s right,” Gus calmed himself, “we know a lot less than we thought just a short time ago. I am as much a student, again, as you are.”

  Osric sat, wide eyed, watching the scene unfold. It was comforting to know that he wasn’t the focus of all the attention anymore. Yet, with all the commotion, he had no idea what he should be thinking, or doing, for that matter.

  “I don’t know what is behind your gifts. I am the best Wand-Maker in Archana, yes, but I am certain that we are discovering things that have never been thought of. It may take time, but we will sort through this.” Gus rubbed his forehead with his paw and made his way back to the foot of the bed.

  “What am I supposed to be seeing in the the life strands?” Osric tried to pull the conversation back.

  “Ah, yes,” Gus cleared his throat, “All of us are born with the same amount of magic. Well, the life strands are that magic. One gift, one measure of magic. You,” he motioned at both Osric and Kenneth, “are actually gaining power each time you gain a gift.”

  “Great, one mystery solved.” Osric rolled his eyes. “We still have about a dozen more questions. Why do only Kenneth and I have more gifts? Why are the unicorns sending us to Rowain when we need to find a way to stop a war? Why can’t we see a difference in my wand? And why in Er’amar’s wand are the Kallegian in Stanton?” Osric swore as his frustration grew.

  The room grew silent as he spoke. Osric looked up to see each of his friends avoiding his gaze. Something in the way they avoided looking at him, staring wide eyed at each other, made for an uncomfortable silence that caused him worry.

  “What is it?” He looked to Kenneth for an answer, and Pebble crept slowly and stood behind Bridgett’s leg.

  “You know it would be best coming from you, Kenneth. The boy wouldn’t believe me anyway.” Gus turned to Kenneth and motioned to Osric with one paw. “He isn’t wise enough to realize just how smart I am, yet.”

  “Will someone just tell me; what has happened?”

  Kenneth looked wearily at Jane and stepped slowly toward the bed.

  “The Wizardly Union has disbanded the Vigiles,” he spoke in a hushed tone.

  “What?” Osric’s heart nearly beat out of his chest as he rose up off the bed in one swift movement.

  Chapter 8

  ____________

  News From the North

  Osric stroked the unfamiliar beard gracing his jawline after lying abed for fifteen days. He sat in the lonely room, contemplating the fate of his men. The Vigiles are disbanded? He wasn’t sure how he should be feeling. The shock hadn’t quite set in, and everyone was in the hall outside his room giving him some time to gather his thoughts. The food Kenneth brought, though delicious, brought little comfort. He tucked the smoked meat into his empty pouch and rested his head in his hands.

  The removal of the Vigiles from power pressed firmly on his mind. Toby, and almost the whole crew, were seeing to those who set up a memorial outside of the Palace, but they had no other function. Why? His head spun with the frustration that the news brought.

  He stood up in an attempt to shake the cobwebs from his muddled mind. Timidly, he walked across the room, noticing that most of his strength had returned. He walked back and took another sip from the cup. His head pounded, trying to make sense of everything. He needed to find out the reason behind the disbanding. He reached down for his wand to contact Toby. Only then did he remember that his wand was elsewhere.

  “Damn!” He quickly made his way to the door and flung it open.

  The hall was empty, but he heard speaking coming from a chamber to his left. He recognized the voices of his friends and slowly made his way toward the sound. Although his strength had returned, it was clear that his control of function had not yet gained its former potential. He could make out the sound of Gus arguing, but he didn’t recognize the voice of his opponent. He staggered slightly as his head spun when he approached the end of the hall, leaning against the cold, stone wall as he faced the open room.

  “Osric, tell this idiot he is wrong!” Gus stomped across the room to brood and left Osric staring at the owner of the strange voice. Osric had met many gnomes in his time as a Vigile in Stanton. Several of the wealthy merchants that came through town to trade were of gnomish descent. He was short in stature and slim, standing just taller than Osric’s waist. Wispy, white hair accentuated his large ears, and his big, wide set eyes gazed at Osric with an unsettling wisdom. A delicate pair of gold spectacles balanced on his bulbous nose. Osric looked back at him with some sympathy for having to argue with Gus. It was not an easy task to undertake, and even less so to come out victorious.

  “Rejecting the death of the hunted is no less noble than embracing it. It is simply another way to live.” The gnomes precise articulation in a nasally, tenor voice gave Osric the impression that his words were carefully chosen.

  “I don’t think I have ever heard of someone wanting to die a natural death.” Osric was curious as he carefully made his way to a chair. “Why would you want to do away with the hunt?”

  “I am not claiming to know better than the rest of Archana’s inhabitants. However, it does seem that I should be able to live my life to any age I see fit without fearing a predator’s attack. I have much to do with my time left in this world, and I have yet to find a way to indicate that I am not interested in ending my life to sustain another with my body.”

  “Don’t you want to be honored?” Osric shifted in the chair, seeking a comfortable position. The gnome’s view was fascinating; he had never met someone who wanted to grow old and frail, denying the nourishment of another in their death.

  “I see no honor in killing any creature who would rather live on,” he walked closer to Osric and bowed slightly, “Please, forgive me, I have failed to greet you properly before engaging in such provoking subjects. I am Eublin, overseer of the Underforge and caretaker of the critical tomes.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Eublin. I am Osric.” He paused for a moment, remembering that the Vigiles were disbanded. “I… I guess that is it.” Osric looked awkwardly at Kenneth, who returned the expression. “I haven’t heard of anyone who lives like this. How did you come to this way of thinking?”

  “My years have been filled with opportunities to see injustices done and time to contemplate them.” Eublin waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “It is a collection of tales too long to recall without a proper mug of rulha and some honey cakes. Come, we shall dine together and discuss it more.”

  Osric grinned at the mention of his favorite food and drink. He was fairly sure he would like Eublin.

  “Dolts!” Gus shook his head in disgust and followed them from the room.

  *

  Osric conversed with Eublin over a plate of honey cakes, and he felt control of his limbs, along with his strength, return over time. A full stomach and pleasant company had gone a long way toward driving away his aches and mental fog. Yet, as interesting as the chat was, Osric itched to have his sword and wand back. The thought of being out of contact with the world wore at him the more time he spent in discussion.

  Finding his way through the Underfor
ge was not difficult with Eublin’s help, and Osric was awed by the number of books on massive shelves throughout the complex. The amiable gnome led Osric to the door and gave him instructions to find his way to the forge.

  “Just follow the trail to the right. It will lead you to Jane at the forge. I believe you will find yourself fairly impressed with the woman’s craftsmanship,” he spoke with admiration in his voice.

  “Where can I see the unicorns?” The thought had presented itself rather quickly. Few people had the opportunity to visit the Grove of the Unicorn, so he thought he should at least see them while he was there. A unicorn had a hand in the creation of the first wand, if the fire telling Ero had given them was correct, so he felt it would be appropriate to pay his respects before fetching his wand.

  “They like to gather in the large field off to our left. You show wisdom by recognizing their importance over tools.” Eublin nodded as he closed the door.

  Osric returned the nod, only moderately disturbed by the gnome’s seeming ability to hear his thoughts, and then he took the path to the field. As he walked along the path, he admired the architecture of the stone retaining wall that made the entrance to the Underforge. The worn path down to the field was easy to traverse, even in his condition. His faculties seemed to have returned, but the last thing he felt like doing was testing his physical limits with a long hike.

  The path led alongside his destination, and it was easily recognizable. Several unicorns were retreating into the trees at the far end of the open area. Osric found himself a bit disappointed as he entered the expanse to find it completely empty. A momentary thought of giving the unicorns chase entered his mind, but he decided against it and returned to the path to the forge.

  Osric stopped, contemplating the security spell that had attacked him as he attempted to enter the grove. He cast his gaze toward the heavens, peering with his newfound gift at the wonder that surrounded him.

  He knew he was inexperienced, but he was immediately surprised at the complexity of the spell. It was not a single spell that caused the shield to function as a protection spell; there were layers of spells. One lay on top of another in a complex weave that baffled him in its construction. Each consecutive spell was more complex, more detailed in its creation, and more difficult to distinguish the threads that made them function. Yet, at the base of it all, what made the field that he walked in ‘hidden’ from the rest of the world, was a recognizable pattern of vivid white strands woven together. Osric was dumbstruck by the beauty, the intricate simplicity, of the magic displayed before his eyes. He glanced around himself, still utilizing the Wand-Maker ability to see the magic surrounding him. Osric marveled at how different the world appeared since acquiring the gift, not just visually, but every one of his senses seemed sharper, clearer. He took a deep breath and sighed audibly. If only the world could remain as pure as the grove he stood in. Almost regretfully, Osric resumed his journey to the forge.