The Jade Mage: The Becoming: Volume 2

by William D. Latoria

  The men exchanged looks, and the older man looked at his daughter. With a sigh, he looked up at Tartum and smiled. “It would seem I owe you a rather large debt, Tartum. The girl you saved is my only daughter, and the man you saved her from is one of the worst citizens in this town. That damned family gives us no end of trouble, and I’m sure however badly you hurt him it wasn’t nearly what he deserved. Tell us where he is now, and we’ll see to him.” The man looked relieved his daughter was safe, but Tartum found it odd that he thought Gerald was still alive.

  “Sir, perhaps I wasn’t clear…the man that was going to rape your daughter is dead.” he replied.

  The men’s faces went pale and the boy that had pulled the dagger went running into the town. The other men looked at Tartum with their mouths hanging open. Even the girl he had saved gave him a look that made him think the world had gone crazy. He patiently waited for them to process the fact he had killed the man. He would not apologize for his action, especially to men as squeamish and simple as this. The old man lowered his head and rubbed at his temples, he seemed to have suddenly acquired a headache.

  “I guess I can’t be mad at you for doing what none of us have had the courage to do, but Tartum, you have no idea the repercussions your actions will have on our town.” the older man explained. With a wave of his hand, the older man dismissed the rest of the men that still stood with him. One of them took the girl by the shoulder as they walked back into the town, leaving Tartum and the old man alone at the gate.

  Tartum began to feel uncomfortable, this wasn’t playing out the way he thought it would. He didn’t understand; wasn’t he a hero? Hadn’t he selflessly saved a young girl from a fate worse than death, as well as meted out punishment fitting for such a heinous crime? The whole situation began to aggravate him. He felt his ire begin to rise. Walking up to the man that was still rubbing at his temples, Tartum waited for an explanation.

  Feeling Tartum’s gaze on him, the man looked up and sighed. Tartum thought he looked about a decade older than he did a moment before. “Tartum, let me first say thank you, thank you so much for saving my daughter from that rotten son of a bitch and for ending his wretched life! I am forever in your debt, and so help me Gods, I’ll repay you for your deeds this night.” The man reached out and shook Tartum’s hand vigorously.

  Tartum’s head was spinning. One minute these people are looking at him like he was the bad guy and the next, the man in charge is practically licking his boots in gratitude. He wished the man would start making sense, all he really wanted in exchange for helping the girl had been a bed for the night, he was beginning to think all this insanity hadn’t been worth the effort.

  The man saw the confusion on Tartum’s face and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I realize you must think I’m crazy. Let me explain. The man you killed was Gerald Bogg. He was the middle son of the Bogg family. As a family, they are the biggest criminal element in our small town. They contribute nothing to the community and through intimidation, extortion, and violence, they take whatever they want from the honest, hard-working citizens of Yucoke.” The look on the man’s face changed from concern to hatred as he talked about the Bogg family. It was obvious to Tartum there was a lot more to the story than he was telling him. Something a lot more personal, more than just tonight’s attempted rape on his daughter.

  The man looked away from Tartum and back into town. He was shaking with rage, and for a moment, Tartum was sure he was going to storm off. He watched as the man closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. He could see the man had gotten control of himself but only just; he opened his eyes and began to speak again, “My name is Dannurn Ammaran, and I’m the mayor of Yucoke. I constantly have hardworking people come to my home complaining to me that the Boggs are up to no good. That they’ve stolen something or promised services in exchange for another’s skill. Once they had what they wanted, they refused to make good on their half of the deal, and the resulting conflict usually leads to the wronged individual beating beaten half to death. They’ve assaulted men’s wives and daughters right in front of them and then savagely beat anyone that tries to stop them. That that damned family is a cancer in this town and are slowly bringing Yucoke to its knees. They think it’s cute to cause problems for the hard working people of our town. They contribute nothing to our community but expect everyone to give them whatever they need. Just last week they beat a man so badly his wife barely recognized him when he was discovered lying in a sewage drain. When they find out you killed one of their kin…Tartum, all hells will break loose! I’m sure that’s exactly where that little shit Schicer ran off to; he is a pathetic little toady that has a crush on my Betty. He’s probably jealous you saved her from Gerald and hopes that by telling the Bogg’s what you’ve done they’ll kill you for him. Stupid little shit is going to release a wave of violence unlike anything this town has ever seen.” Dannurn said. Seeing the confused looked hadn’t left Tartum’s face, he continued. “Schicer was the grubby kid that pulled out his dagger when he saw you.” As he finished his explanation, he put his hands on his temples and began rubbing them again.

  Tartum wrapped his head around the situation. From what he could tell, the mayor had a problem with this Bogg family. A problem that Tartum was going to soon share, if he didn’t act quickly. A plan began to form in his mind. “Mayor Dannurn, if the Bogg family is such a problem, why don’t you kick them out of your town?” he asked. He was sure he already knew the answer, but he wanted to be sure, in order to better formulate his plan.

  Dannurn looked defeated, his shoulders slumped, and he didn’t even bother looking up as he replied, “We’ve tried, Tartum! Gods, we’ve tried! The family refuses to leave, and when I gathered up the townsfolk to forcibly remove them, the resulting violence ended with two dead and ten others wounded. The Boggs entrenched themselves inside their home and now brazenly dare people to try and evict them again. Their grip on the town has become stronger due to the fear they now wield over us, and no one dares to stand up to them. It’s gotten bad, but for Gerald to try to rape my daughter…it may be hopeless. Many of our citizens have packed up and left in the dead of night, seeking out other towns or the city, in hopes of starting over without the Boggs to terrorize them. If something isn’t done soon, Yucoke will be a ghost town inside a year. I just don’t know what else I can do…” he said. Tartum could see the pain in the man’s eyes. He also saw utter desperation born from a man that was slowly accepting his complete failure. It disgusted him that Dannurn had given up so quickly after his initial failure to rid his town of the Bogg family. At the same time, he saw the opportunity to earn himself the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. The analogy reminded him of his fight with the Avians, and he smiled.

  “Tell me, Dannurn, do the Boggs live in the same house or no?” Tartum inquired. His voice took on a conspiratorial tone that caught the mayor’s attention.

  “Yes, yes, they all live in the same house. It’s just down the road there. Why do you ask?” he replied.

  A grin formed on Tartum’s face. This was going to be far too easy. “Well, Mayor, I offer you a solution to your little problem. Grant me the finest room in your town with free food and supplies, and I’ll see to it the Bogg family never troubles your town again.” he said. Tartum watched as what he was offering registered with Dannurn. The man practically jumped out of his skin in excitement.

  “Tartum, if you do that I’ll do better than a room. I’ll give you a house in the center of town! The family of one of the men that died in our failed attempt to evict the Boggs, left town shortly after burying their loved one. The house still stands and is fully furnished. No one has set foot inside of it in weeks, and I have the only key! Get rid of the Boggs, and it’s yours!” he said. The look of hope on Dannurn’s face startled him. He knew the man was eager to be rid of this family, but the frenzied look in his eyes was almost animal. Tartum couldn’t believe his good fortune.

  A grin of satisfaction s
pread across his face. He hadn’t even set foot inside the town yet, and already, he was being offered a house. “Show me where they live, Dannurn.” he said.

  Dannurn smiled from ear to ear. “This way! Follow me!” he said. Tartum’s acceptance of his offer had Dannurn overjoyed. The man shed his years in his excitement, as he half walked, half ran, into the town.

  Looking down at Buddy, Tartum gave him a wink, “Shall we go be heroes once again, Bud?” Tartum asked. Buddy wagged his tail and barked at him. He seemed to be as happy about the situation as Tartum was. He had intended to only barter for a room for his services, and instead, he was being given a house. With bartering skills like this, he believed even Savall would be proud of him.

  With Buddy at his side, Tartum followed after Dannurn as he bounded down the street towards a section of town that had numerous small wooden homes. Most of them were little better than shacks, and Tartum hoped the home he had been offered was in better shape than the houses he now saw. It didn’t take them long to reach the residence of the Bogg family. Once he saw it, he knew at least most of what Dannurn had told him about this family had been true.

  The house was crudely built and had been constructed using materials taken directly from the homes that surrounded it. Tartum could see large holes in the surrounding homes, where someone had torn off a window, door, or the planks that made up the wall itself. Some of them were covered in animal skins, but for the most part the homes were left exposed to the elements. Tartum could see that the Boggs had used the pilfered materials to increase the size and scope of their own home. The ramshackle design and mismatched windows and doors screamed of ill-gotten gains. Tartum had never seen such shameless stealing, and for a moment, he found himself admiring the family. Shaking the thought out of his mind, he reminded himself what he was there to do. These people weren’t to be admired; they were to be used to further his own needs.

  Taking another look at the house, Tartum forced himself to see them the way Dannurn had described them. He reminded himself that every board, window, and nail had been taken from one of the honest citizens of this town, and through their misery, these people lived in relative luxury. It was all the proof Tartum needed to see that Dannurn was right; this family was a parasite living off the struggles of others. The world would be better off without them.

  Standing just outside of the house, Tartum saw Schicer come running out of the front door. He took one look at Tartum and panicked. All of his earlier bravado was gone, and now the boy ran as fast as he could, deeper into the town. Tartum smiled, he would deal with the boy later for his treachery. Looking through the windows of the home, Tartum could see the people inside were in an uproar. There was yelling and screaming and bellowing from inside. Oaths promising his death were being sworn by all the inhabitants, oaths they would never have the opportunity to fulfill.

  “Dannurn, are they all inside?” Tartum asked. His tone was flat and emotionless. This was business and without realizing it, Tartum had subconsciously steeled himself to do what needed to be done. He realized he was treating this like any other assassination mission; only this time the reward for a successful mission would be paid to him directly. He saw a comfortable future in using what he had learned from his time with the thieves guild in order to earn his keep in the world. When he got tired of living here, or if he out-stayed his welcome, he would pack up his things and move on to the next town to start up again. It seemed like a better plan than continuing his journey to Windswept to meet up with Varnar, without any real need for his services. He still intended to go, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. Now he needed to focus; now he needed to kill.

  Dannurn looked into the house through the mismatched windows. Tartum watched as the man silently counted the inhabitants. Looking at Tartum, he nodded; it was all the confirmation he needed. Reaching into his pouches he pulled out a large handful of sulfur, infusing it with his magic, he spoke the words to his spell.

  “Doctay-von-we!” he commanded. The sulfur burst into a large, green flame that hovered above his hand. The light that came from his spell illuminated the small homes that surrounded him in a bright green hue. The sudden change in light caught the attention of Bogg family. As Tartum used his will to focus the flames into a compact ball of spinning fire, he watched as four faces pressed against the windows of the home to stare at him. Their faces were filthy and greasy; just by looking at them, Tartum could tell he wouldn’t have liked them. When they saw him, they began shouting threats and calling him things that would make even the most hardened criminal blush.

  He’d had enough.

  “BEATH!!” he shouted, more as a retort to the family’s jeers than as a command to his fireball. He watched, as it flew towards the house, it wasn’t until a moment before impact that the people inside registered what was about to happen to them. With his enhanced senses, Tartum was able to see the looks on their faces go from outrage and hate to hopeless fear, as the fireball slammed into the home and exploded with enough force to take the roof off. Screams rang out from inside of the burning home. They didn’t last long as the magical flames devoured everything they touched. Wood, stone, metal, flesh, and bone were all turned into a pile of charred ash in a matter of moments. The house hadn’t been constructed as well as he had originally believed, and within a few minutes, it collapsed in on itself sending thousands of sparks flying into the air. It was one of the most beautiful sights Tartum had ever seen.

  The commotion brought the citizens of Yucoke out of their homes to see what was happening. Tartum didn’t care, he was proud of what he had done and was glad to have an audience to witness the grandness of his magic. If he was going to live in this town for any length of time, it would be useful to have the populace know what would happen if they found themsleves on the wrong end of his ire. He watched as they stared in awe; first at the burning home, then at him. As his magical fire finished off the remains of the home, Tartum focused his magic and uttered his final command.

  “Uush!” The flames winked out of existence, leaving the only source of light in the town Tartum’s staff. As their eyes adjusted, Tartum felt them all looking at him. A small crowd had formed in the streets, made up of the townsfolk, trying to make sense of what they had just witnessed. Dannurn was the first to speak.

  “My good people of Yucoke! The man before you is Tartum! The savior of Yucoke! He has delivered to us, a peace that I have been trying to bring us for years now! I am proud to say that in front of us all, he has removed the stain of the Bogg family from our community, and for the first time in far too long, we can all breathe a sigh of relief! Rejoice friends! The tyranny of the Boggs is at an end!” he shouted. Rarely had Tartum heard anyone sound as happy as Dannurn was right now; the bad blood between them must have run deep. Tartum reminded himself that one of the men he killed tonight had been tring to rape his daughter. He figured he could understand the man’s elation.

  The surrounding crowd of people looked at each other as if they couldn’t comprehend what Dannurn had told them. A large man stepped out of the crowd and pointed at Tartum.

  “Did he kill all of them? Are there no Boggs left?” he asked. The sound of concern in his voice startled Tartum.

  Dannurn smiled brightly as he answered, “Thats right, my friend. Every single one of them is dead. We will never see their ilk again!”

  The big man looked from Dannurn, to Tartum, to the charred remains of the house. The people were silent and seemed to be waiting for some queue that would tell them how to react. This wasn’t the reaction Tartum had expected, and the thought that Dannurn had lied to him creeped into his mind. Slowly he reached into his pouches and pulled out a copper rod. Looking down at Buddy, he saw his pet had picked up on his uneasiness and was crouched low at his side watching the mob in front of them. Seeing Buddy ready to fight for him, bolstered his own confidence. Standing a little straighter, Tartum held the copper rod between his hands and waited for the townsfolk to make their next move. The big man th
at had stepped out of the crowd to ask his questions was staring at Tartum, his gaze was piercing, but Tartum refused to be intimidated. The look in the man’s eyes was difficult to read at this distance, but Tartum had enough. He was about to infuse the rod with magic when the big man suddenly smiled from ear to ear and began laughing. The sudden change in his demenor surprised Tartum so throughly he lost his connection to the magic.

  “Well I’ll be dipped in shit!” he said.

  As if his words dispelled the mob’s confusion, the congregation of people erupted as one into cheering and excitement. A wave of relief washed over him as the townspeople rejoiced. Kneeling down, Tartum put a reassuring hand on Buddy to steady his friend’s nerves. He had misunderstood the cheering and was now growling at the people. A few calming words and Tartum watched as Buddy’s posture relaxed and his tail began to wag. Tartum could tell he was still nervous but he felt confident that he was calmed enough that he wouldn’t attack anyone. Standing up Tartum look around at the celebrating townsfolk.

  This had been the response he was looking for, he just expected it to be more immediate than it had benn. Laughing Tartum returned his rod to it’s pouch walked over to stand next to Dannurn. He was swarmed by grateful townsfolk that wanted to shake his hand and offer him their gratitude. Even Buddy got some well deserved attention from the women and children of the town as they began petting him and telling him what a great dog he was. Buddy throughly enjoyed the attention.

  The sun had almost completely risen when the crowd finally dispersed, and he was left in the middle of the road with Buddy and Dannurn. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up in a bed and fall asleep. Looking over at the mayor, he saw the man had read his mind and was holding a small brass key. He walked over to Tartum and placed the key reverently in his hands.

  “I can see you’re tired, my friend. Let’s get you into your new home. You’ve earned it!” he said. The warmth in his voice endeared the man to him. It had been far too long since Tartum felt this appriciated, and he found he liked the way it felt. Dannurn led him away from the shacks of the small residential area they were in and into a section of town that held much nicer homes made of brick and mortar. Tartum allowed his hopes to soar when he saw the quality of the homes in the area Dannurn was leading him towards.