Warded Mage (Reawakening Saga)

by Jackson, D. W.

  Chapter XIX

  Thad stretched his right arm. There was still a bit of pain in his shoulder but the wound was healing, but it would still be weeks before it completely healed. He had spent a few hours every day using his magic to speed up the other’s healing but he couldn’t do it for himself. It was annoying but he was forced to rely on Brianna’s care for his wound. She applied poultices to the cut that removed most of the pain and had greatly increased the rate of healing, but it left a foul odor that he could gratefully do without.

  It had already been three days since the Brotherhood had attacked. He couldn’t put off leaving any longer. Avalanche was up and moving around again and Crusher’s complaints were starting to get more insistent. Even if he wanted to stay longer and work on his plans, his companions wouldn’t let him. It was already late in the day so leaving now would be fruitless. With the way Brianna and Crusher were talking, first thing in the morning they would continue on their way to Handlane, whether.he liked it or not

  Knowing time was limited, Thad went back to work on the dagger in front of him. He had switched between making metal pellets and working on different ideas for enchantments over the past few days. Right now he had more than a hundred pellets, more than enough for a single encounter, he hoped.

  He had tried out many ideas over the past few days and only a few of them had worked. He had tried making vines grow to ensnare his opponent but as soon as they got close to the sword, they stopped growing. It was still effective in the sense, that it would grab and tangle anyone that didn’t have one of the weapons. The vines themselves, while forced to grow from magical influence they were not magical in nature themselves. The only problem was that the enchantment took up a large amount of magical energy meaning that it would take weeks for it to charge to a level where it could be useful in battle.

  Thad had learned that he could try the spells himself before enchanting them to see if they would work. It saved some time but also tired him out. Even though it wasn’t perfect, he had made two daggers with the ensnaring enchantment. The idea was that he would throw them into the air when he activated them. There was the problem with the chance of them trapping his allies as well but Thad had come up with a way to circumvent that. He had given everyone a ring that sent out a magical pulse to keep them from being targeted by any of his enchantments. He wished he could have taken credit for the idea of the rings but it had been his staff that had suggested it.

  Currently he was working on an enchantment that would cause the ground to become like quicksand. It worked by breaking down the earth and infusing it with large amounts of water. Water was not one of his best elements so the strain on using the spell was daunting but making it as an enchantment was surprisingly easy as long as he used enough gems and had a good understanding of how to spell worked. He had been told many times that casting a spell and enchanting were completely different but he hadn’t truly understood what that meant. As long as you had the talent to cast the spell and the understanding of it, then you could enchant an item with it, that was if you had the ability to enchant. There were still other limits such as the residual effects of the magic on its container, so fire and energy magic was hard to enchant.

  Thad worked long into the night but he was still days away from finishing his current project. Unlike the others, it required many enchantments working together in harmony. Sighing Thad placed the dagger in his pack so that he could continue his work on it another time.

  “Time to eat, I was able to catch me a couple of rabbits so we can have fresh bit o’ meat tonight.” Brianna said as she tugged on his arm leading him away from his work and toward the small fire where the others sat.

  Thad was happy to have some real food. One could live on traveling rations for only so long before it started to feel like a burden to eat. The two rabbits were small and Brianna had cooked them into a stew along with some of the dried meat and hard biscuits. It was a little salty but was still better than the fare that he had been eating.

  “Still playing with yer toys?” Crusher asked not even trying to disguise the annoyance in his voice. “How much longer are we gonna be sitting round twiddling our thumbs?”

  Thad quickly looked at the other members of the group. Arianna was busy playing with the fire and seemed to care little about the decision but Brianna was different. Though she had said little about the fact they had not moved in the past few days, her face betrayed her thoughts. She was anxious to get moving again. “You’re right, it’s about time for us to get moving again,” Thad replied getting a dumbfounded expression from Crusher. “Tomorrow we should get back on the road. We can’t be that far from town.”

  “Ai, that’s what I was er...,” Crusher stuttered, “dagnabit boyo isn’t any fun when ya just agree with me.” Crusher grumbled and crossed his arms in defiance.

  Thad smiled inwardly, he had won that round. He knew it was a bit childish but he always enjoyed getting one over on the surly dwarf. Taking another bite of the soup Thad looked over at Brianna and gave her a slight wink. She smiled back at him and shook her head slightly.

  Once the meal was finished Thad went over and began to set up his mat to sleep. He was tired and he knew he would need a full night of rest if they were going to be traveling again. In the past, he had always pushed himself past the point of exhaustion. He had thought that it was needed but in the end, he was being childish. If the enemy attacked while he was in that state, he would be worse than useless, nothing more than a burden that his friends would have to protect. Over the past few days, he had worked himself hard but had made sure that he never left himself too vulnerable. Looking back on himself, both made him laugh and frustrated. How could he had he ever been so childish?

  Thad lay on the ground his eyes fixated on the sky above. The stars were shining brightly down at him. He felt Brianna lay down beside him. She never said anything, she simply placed her hand softly on his chest. Thad smiled inwardly, she always knew when to speak and when to leave him to his own thoughts. Thad turned his head slightly and looked at Brianna. He had no clue why she cared about him. They were nothing alike, but Thad could not picture his life without her around. “What do you plan to do when we reach Farlan?” Thad whispered.

  Thad felt Brianna shrugged her shoulders. “I haven’t thought bout that. It doesn’t really matter anyway. I’ll stick with ya ta make sure ya keep yer nose out of trouble, and bail ya out when I hav’ta. Haven’t ya learned anything, we dwarves love our treasures and we make sure ta protect them. Not all treasures are metal and gems ya know boyo.”

  Thad laughed and pulled Brianna close to him. It wasn’t the first time he had been considered a possession, but it was the first time he had been happy to be called such. Whenever he was with Brianna, he felt at ease. It was different than he had felt with anyone else before. Had looked up at the sky again. How long had he been gone from Farlan. A year two he wasn’t sure. The dwarves didn’t measure the time as seasons passed. He had been in the dwarf village for a few seasons but he hadn’t paid much attention to time either while he was there. In the end, it didn’t really matter how long he had been gone, he doubted much had changed since he left.

  Thad woke the next morning before the sun had a chance to peek above the horizon it was still only a light pink haze in the distance. Brianna was still sleeping soundly but Crusher was already awake with a small fire going. Thad moved cautiously, as not to wake Brianna, she was a handful to handle, if she was woken from her sleep early. “It seems that Arianna has tired of playing with you. I haven’t heard you grumbling about any pranks lately.” Thad said as he took a seat next to his friend.

  Crusher gave him an exasperated look. “That dang fairy still trying her best ta get under me skin, ya have just been too focused on yer toys ta notice. This morning I had sharpened rock fragments waiting on me in me boots.” Crusher looked over to where Brianna still slept and jerked his head toward her. “I wanted to drag the fairy about by her wings but it wasn’t worth getting ye
r girl’s wrath.” Crusher snorted, “That girl is worse than a devil in tha morning.”

  Thad had to agree, Brianna was impossible to deal with when she first woke and it was even worse if her sleep was interrupted. “I know I’ve asked this before but why were you so insistent on coming with me to Farlan? I can somewhat understand Brianna’s reasoning but I still don’t get yours.” Thad poked a stick into the fire causing it to flair slightly. “Back in the dwarven village you were a talented blacksmith but out here you have just become a target for the Brotherhood. You said it was because we were brothers but I still don’t understand.”

  Crusher looked straight into Thad’s eyes, his eyes were unwavering and serious, more serious than Thad had ever seen them before. “Listen well brother, I won’t repeat meself again. I owe ya a lot,” Thad went to deny Crusher’s statement but before he could speak Crusher held up his hand, silencing him. “Don’t say I don’t owe ya. Even if ya don’t want me ta owe ya I do, nothing ya say will change that. If ya keep denying it, I’ll beat ya within an inch of yer life. Even though I owe ya a great deal fer what ya did back in the Underearth, ain’t not the only reason I be following ya. If ya haven’t noticed we dwarves have the habit of enjoyin life. I came with ya because I was sure that as long as I tagged along I’d get ta enjoy me life. It beats spending the rest of me life simply beating around with me hammer. Back before the Brotherhood chased us into seclusion, we dwarves were sought after for our wares. It was an enjoyable time to be a dwarf, if I can help bring that time back I’d be willing to wade through as many bloody battles as I need ta. I don’t know if ya will win against the Brotherhood. In truth I figure we’re gonna end up as dinner for the worms in tha end, but at least we can take as many of those bastards with us as we can. Do ya understand me reasons now brother?”

  Thad hadn’t thought about how the Brotherhood really affects the magical races, but now that Crusher had brought it to light, it made sense. He didn’t know much about the other races, but the effects on the dwarves should have been obvious to him, given the amount of time he had spent with them. The dwarves had gathered around him showing off their different creations and boasting of their skill. With the brotherhood around, they had been force to stay hidden even worse, their talent and skill with a hammer had been forgotten. Dwarves love to hold secrets, especially in their chosen craft. The blacksmiths were the most secretive of all, seldom letting anyone in their workshop when they were at their craft for fear of the secrets of their art being discovered. While they loved secrets, they loved to tease at those very secrets, and for a blacksmith that was selling their wares off to others so they could be appreciated and envied. In times past famous dwarven blacksmith’s names had been spoken all over the land, but now they were nothing but myths to the outside world. “My apologies, I never stopped to think about your circumstances.” Thad’s voice was humble and solemn.

  Crusher stood up, his face turning slightly red. “Don’t ya be getting all mushy on me. Me reasons are me own. I’m just as upset with me fellow dwarves at their willingness to accept their current way of life as I am with the Brotherhood. It would be better to fight ta the death than simply let ourselves fade into obscurity. So don’t think yer the only one with issues with those dang rat faced bastards. No matter what comes ta pass ya aren’t responsible fer me being here, so don’t be getting all weepy on me every time something happens.”

  Crusher turned his back to Thad but Thad could hear the catch in the dwarf’s voice. Thad could hardly keep himself from laughing. The dwarf had a softer heart than he would ever let on to anyone. It was one of the things Thad like most about the dwarf.

  “Ya boys seem like yer having a good time. Thad, ya didn’t confess yer love ta Crusher did ya. I’m gonna get jealous.” Brianna said teasingly a twinge of laughter in her voice.

  ”Girl, yer pushing yer luck, don’t make me bend ya over me knee.” Crusher said turning back around his face still red though his mouth was twitching in irritation.

  Thad moved away from the fire as the two started in on each other. It was becoming an almost daily ritual for the two to start the day with an argument. The worst part was that some days it lasted until the sun fell. While he had time, Thad started to pack away his belongings in his pack, in a way that they would be easy to retrieve. The metal pellets he had made were about the size of his thumb and he could only fit thirteen in one of the spare coin pouches that Brianna had pulled off one of the dead Brotherhood. It would be better if he had something that could hold more of the pellets but for now, he decided to put the others in one of the side pouches on his pack that was easy to reach.

  Thad pulled out one of the pellets and rolled it in his hand. It was the largest size he could use without causing the speed to drop. Thad had tried the same spell with a spear and while I did fly forward, it wasn’t done with enough force to pierce leather let alone metal armor. The only other weapon Thad had that could be used to good effect against the Brotherhood were three large metal orbs about the size of a closed fist that was formed around a large gem. Thad had loaded the gem with a large amount of magical energy and they would work much like the glass orbs he had made back in Southpass. He couldn’t use the orbs anywhere near him or his companion but if a large force moved against them they would be worth the risk.

  Pulling a few pieces of dried meat from his pack, Thad began to eat as he walked back to his companions. Crusher and Brianna were still arguing while Avalanche and Arianna played off to the side. “Are you two going to bicker all day or are we going to get on the road sometime soon.” Thad said loudly interrupting the two dwarves. They both huffed at him then moved off to prepare on their own. Thad knew that he would regret his statement later but if they wasted any more time Thad knew he would be tempted to start working on his dagger again. You should have just done that. You know you’re not ready to face the brotherhood again. Thad looked at his staff and shrugged his shoulders. “No reason for you to point out the obvious.” Thad replied slightly irritated. Don’t get mad at me because you are not ready yet. “Keep poking at me and someday I will just leave you on the side of the road.” Thad looked over at the ground and for a brief moment considered doing just that, but changed his mind quickly. He needed his staff even if it did tend to get on his nerves, at least for now.

  It didn’t take long before they were back on the road. Thad hadn’t moved around much and he was surprised to find that they were only a few hundred yards away from the road. He hadn’t been conscious at the time so he wasn’t sure who had carried him or if any of the others had to be carried as well, so it wasn’t as if he could complain about how close to the road they were. In fact, he had least right of anyone, as the others had been ready to move a day after the attack.

  After less than an hour of travel, the wound on Thad’s stomach began to pull and itch. A few hours later, it began to hurt. The wound wasn’t that deep but it had just started to heal over and now he was sure that it was starting to open again. Would you like to see if I could do something about your wound? “Would that work? I have tried to heal myself before and it never worked.” We won’t know unless we try. Thad felt the magical energy enter his body and within a few moments, the pain disappeared. Curious Thad ran his hand under his armor and rubbed at the place where the wound should had been but found nothing but smooth skin.

  “That’s good to know. I can’t heal myself but you can heal me.” Yea but it took a lot of the energy I had stored even for that small wound. His staff could heal him but it used a large amount of stored energy. Truly healing magic always was exhausting even for small wounds. That meant that it couldn’t be relied on in an emergency, but it was better than having to rely on natural healing all the time. “Can you do something about my shoulder?” Thad asked rotating his arm slightly. His staff didn’t answer but Thad felt the rush of magical energy enter his body once again. When it was over Thad still felt some tightness and pain in his shoulder but it was greatly reduced. That is as much as I can
do for now. I can’t use the magic I get from you for healing I will have to collect more, I would suggest you add another gem and link it to me so I can store more energy for healing purposes. Thad looked down at his staff. It was a good idea in fact he was having the same thought but it was easier said than done. The gems in his staff were linked in a very complex pattern. It wouldn’t be easy to simply add another but once he had the time, it would be worth looking into.

  CHAPTER XX

  It had been four days of rough traveling before they saw their first signs of Handlane. It was much larger of a town than Thad had thought it would be. It was easily the same size as the capital of Farlan. Even though they could see the town, it would still be hours before they could reach it. Even as far away as they were, Thad could see many boats of all sizes in the water. Thad figured that most of them were fishing boats but he hoped that at least a few were merchant vessels that could be used for transport.

  Something had been nagging Thad over the past few weeks but he hadn’t been able to pin down what it was until recently. If the Brotherhood had been able to track him to Monique, then it was possible for them to link him to Farlan. The queen had not been one of his best friends but somehow he doubted that she would sell him out to the Brotherhood. He knew that she held no true love for him but her pride wouldn’t allow anything that she considered belonging to her to be taken by another.

  Thad wanted to get back to Farlan soon to see if his fears were right. He didn’t know what he could do if they were but he didn’t like the idea of the queen and Maria to be in trouble because of him. I told you that you are too soft when it came to women. “I don’t want to hear your opinion.” Thad replied angrily. He knew his staff was right, if it had been a male that had treated him in the same fashion as the queen, he would have vowed to take vengeance.