“I ain't sulking,” Red said.
“Yes you are,” Bradley said. “You have an ally with the future King’s ear. You might even have an ally with the King, he knows what he has done to you. Whether he shows it or not he knows he owes you one. You are so blinded by stupidity I doubt you would use either avenue. And Jonathan, you need to get over it.”
“Get over what?” Jonathan said in an angry voice.
“All of it,” Bradley said. “Your parents, Prince Jeffrey, Lady Farrah and anything else you might be holding in there. I have heard horrible stories about you torturing men to death, yet you claim to be different from Gerald. I think both of you would go farther in life with this outlook. You have both made strides from the time I first met you but you could have been so much further.”
“What do you want Bradley?” Jonathan said. “Who put you up to coming out here and saying whatever.”
“Plenty of people,” Bradley admitted. “Lady Poppy, Lady Farrah, even Lady Monica.”
“Three women who can't stand the ground we walk on sent you out here?” Red said. “Do you think we are daft?”
“Yes,” Bradley said.
“What?!?” Jonathan said.
“All of those women will play a big part in the kingdom,” Bradley said. “So will many others. Do you really want to leave here as enemies? What about with your rivalry with Lord Russell?”
“If they want to make nice then why aren't they over here instead of you?” Red asked.
“Because you are a bunch of commoners and they are not,” Bradley said. “It wouldn't hurt you both to be cordial like you are with Lord Blaine. The year is ending for you all, it would go a long way to show some deference and some class.”
“Just get it over huh?” Jonathan said. “I think you are as slippery as a bar of soap. What do you really want?”
“Just what I said,” Bradley said. “I don't care how things were before I got here. Since I have been here there has been a clear divide between you two and the rest of the Tower. The other second years get along well. You two seem to hate them for living or because they were born privileged. One day you might regret having Lord Russell and His Royal Highness as an enemy. You may be able to always take care of yourself but what about your family? What about your future wife or your future children? Having powerful allies may help them out, having powerful enemies could send them to their deaths. I’ll let you get back to practicing for your final.”
~
Jonathan shook Mage Tabitha’s hand at the conclusion of their match. Jonathan had gotten lucky and passed the mage light test, Mage Tabitha still wanted a friendly duel with him. The only one of the Big Four who had asked for a match was Monica, she was shocked when she almost lost to Mage Alissa who was slipperier than even Jonathan thought imaginable. Xalen had went up against Mage Lehman and ended his match quickly, the extra power he gained from Poppy was easily noticed by both Red and Jonathan. He just went all out and quickly secured a win. Red failed his magelight test then went up against the Tower Mage. The Tower Mage had carried him in the match since he taught while he fought and he had beaten Red. Red wasn't angry at the outcome, he was going to leave the Tower anyway after graduation.
“You did well,” Mage Tabitha said. “You beat me in two duels back to back. I had to see for myself why this lightning magic is so feared. Our first match it hit me so quickly that I couldn't even put up a shield. When you let me put one up you tore it down so quickly and followed up with another strike it was almost like one move. I think there is a way to beat you, I would just have to see you duel a bit more and it will take a mage better than I am. You are a worthy Champion Jonathan Thunder, I smile when I think about this kingdom being protected by people like you.”
“Thank you Mage Tabitha,” Jonathan said.
“I am just Tabitha,” Tabitha replied. “We are both mages now.”
“Thank you Tabitha,” Jonathan replied.
“Well,” Red said walking up. “You two have had your little match and you found out that fighting Jonathan is like having a viper attached to your dangly bits.”
“I don't have any dangly bits,” Mage Tabitha said.
“Whatever bits you got you still don't want a viper attached to them,” Red said. “Jonathan is like that, he ain't nothing to play with or take for granted.”
“I don't think I would try and play with a viper there,” Jonathan said smiling at his friends words.
“Here we go,” Red said and pointed at Russell. “They just couldn't grab their shit and leave, our time in the Tower is already done.”
“Just be on good behavior,” Jonathan said. “Bradley only reinforced what I was already thinking.”
“If one of these tossers crosses you,” Red said as Jonathan cut him off.
“I would find some way to get back at them,” Jonathan said. “But this is a future Duke we are talking to now, not one of our classmates.”
“Thunder,” Russell began.
“Golad,” Jonathan replied.
“Don't you mean Lord Golad?” Russell snapped.
“Don't you mean Champion or my full title, Jonathan the Lightning?” Jonathan asked. “I assumed whatever you wanted was unofficial and you came over here to be one of the lads instead of some stuffy noble.”
“Jonathan,” Russell said. “I never wanted you and my sister together so you broke up me and who could have been my future wife. In your position I would probably do the same thing if given the chance. But we are out of the Tower now, we are not children.”
“Yes we are,” Jonathan replied. “But I haven't been a child in more than a year and a half. My parents were killed and I have killed men both in war and at home.”
“Things are rough for you but you made them rougher than they needed to be,” Russell said.
“Should I had of shut up and stayed quiet while that psycho Gerald tortured his way through the commoners and let the Tower Mage have fun talking about my parents death?” Jonathan asked.
“It could have been handled differently and you would not have the enemies you now do,” Russell said. “Instead you have made an enemy of practically every noble here except for Blaine and most of the instructors.”
“Farrah is your enemy Jon?” Red asked.
“Farrah is not his enemy and neither am I,” Russell said. “My father wants to give you an open invitation to come work for him. I don't know in what capacity but I am sure it will pay well. My mother also wanted me to speak with you.”
“I am not scared of you or her,” Jonathan said. “The problem with you nobles is that you both have more to lose than I do. I only have my grandfather and Red. You have a big family and riches that either of you would jeopardize by tangling with me.”
“I wouldn't waste my time on you Thunder,” Russell said. “The difference between us is that I do not have to constantly let everyone know I am strong. I don't have to be flashy or jump around and scream it to the heavens. My mother also does not want to be your enemy. She is not a fool and recognizes that if Farrah does not end up with the Baron that she would go running in your arms and you would take her.”
“You think I am that desperate to pick up leftovers?” Jonathan asked.
“I think you are in love and sometimes I can notice tears in your eyes and you have vacated every place Farrah is. There is a reason you cannot be in the same room with her no matter how friendly she tries to be to you. Much like your friend and Poppy. My mother will add even more money on whatever my father will pay you if you agree to leave Farrah alone.”
“Well then that sounds like the world easiest coin,” Jonathan said. “Because I don't want anything to do with your sister.”
“The money and position is dependent on you finding someone else,” Russell said. “Someone who is not a commoner. I can't have such unions happen inside of the duchy. If you need help finding someone suitable I am sure my mother will be happy to help. I doubt you would find any shortage of people who are willing to marr
y their daughters to you and provide a decent dowry. If you decline then you can consider yourself and enemy of both me and my mother until either Farrah marries or you do.”
“I am not going to put myself under your thumb,” Jonathan said. “Not now or ever. Tell your father I appreciate his offer but at this time I want to explore my options. You all seem to have forgotten that my grandfather has money, I come from money and that I already have a job if I wanted it.”
“I figured that would be your answer,” Russell said. “Leave my sister alone.”
“I doubt you will ever see me again once you leave here, same goes for Farrah,” Jonathan said. “I don't plan on being in the same circles as any of you, you can go back to being Lord whoever and I can go back to being Jonathan Thunder. Well the Tower Mage wants to see me before I leave, wait up a bit for me Red.
EPILOGUE
“Thunder,” the Tower Mage said as Jonathan walked into his office. “I want you to take a seat. How have you been?”
“I have been fine,” Jonathan said as he sat down. “I am just finishing up packing my things.”
“About that,” the Tower Mage said. “Jonathan I want you to stay on. I am only offering this to five second year students.”
“You are?” Jonathan asked.
“All of the Big Four received an invitation,” the Tower Mage said. “I also extended an invitation to your friend Red.”
“To Red?” Jonathan said surprised. “You do know that we are both commoners?”
“That I do,” the Tower Mage said. “I also know that hardly any of you commoners feel welcome here at the Tower. I think it would go a long way to eventually having a commoner as a regular teacher. There has been very few commoner born instructors. Normally Wilson only considered those with sufficient power which knocked most commoner born mages out of the running. I aim to change that, the strongest mages are not necessarily the best instructors. They never had to push themselves as much as some born with little power. Your friend has pushed himself to the limit trying to keep up with you.”
“With that understanding then I would be a horrible mage instructor,” Jonathan said.
“Probably,” the Tower Mage said. “But that can be said for the entire Big Four. I am sure young Lord Golad will turn me down, he has no reason to stay here. Same with Lady Golad, she has someone trying to court her. Lady Manchin will take me up on my offer. Her and Lord Golad seem distant to one another and this post will do a lot for her status and her peace of mind. That leaves you, I asked already knowing your answer.”
“You do?” Jonathan said.
“You will accept,” the Tower Mage said. “You can fulfill your role here and as the Queen’s Champion.”
“I am the Champion of the Kingdom,” Jonathan corrected.
“You are the Queen’s Champion no matter what title you take,” the Tower Mage said. “She named you Jonathan the Lightning, she has been your greatest fan and she has put you in the position to succeed. You are going to take it because it is the best place in the Kingdom for you. You have many enemies who do not want you out and about, you can't just force change on people this quick. Prince Jeffrey went after you out of jealousy, how many others will take a shot at you? You are going to stay here and spend time with your friend Red and become my part time instructor when you are not running errands for the Queen.”
“You have this all figured out,” Jonathan said.
“I do,” the Tower Mage said. “I also know that out of these walls you would have to deal with Lady Farrah and all that details, just like your friend will have to deal with Lady Poppy.”
“Something I would rather not do,” Jonathan said.
“This class of yours was a tough one to teach,” The Tower Mage said. “The strongest class ever on record. There are a few mages coming up though that are now starting to gather whispers. I would rather have you all here to deal with them when they get here.”
“Crystal Ward?” Jonathan asked.
“Who?” the Tower Mage said.
“Crystal Ward,” Jonathan repeated. “My parents died along with hers fighting the Raelinians.”
“Oh that girl,” the Tower Mage said. “She was most likely overblown. I haven't found a single mage who has mentioned her name in the past year. No, the ones I am talking about are a few years younger than you are. I expect them here in the next three years. You four respect me enough not to start trouble, the ones coming up behind you do not.”
“You are probably worried for nothing,” Jonathan said. “If I were you I would be worried about the drama of having me around would bring.”
Thanks for taking this ride with me, The Lightning Mage 2 is finally complete and you have read it. Sorry for the long ass wait, it is just that John Thunder’s universe is a bit muddled right now. For those of you that have never read the Knight Mage, this book is a bit of a prequel to that one. I know how that series ends and I am already 200 pages deep into that one. I originally wrote the Lightning Mage as a way to give my readers insight on John Thunder’s parents and why they are so respected in the Kingdom of Kirby. For right now the timeline goes, The Lightning Mage book 1, The Lightning Mage book 2, The Crystal Mage, the Knight Mage, The Dragon Mage and the Blood Mage. Let me know what you thought about my books and do not hesitate to email me at [email protected]. Ah, fuck it, if you have bone to pick you can call my ass at 567-252-8567
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