by Lance, C. M.
"Do you think that is why Dad had his shotgun with him when he died?" Sig asked.
Grampa nodded. "That well could be. He may have intended to protect his family and find out what was going on next to his farm. Perhaps he caught the Necromancer in the act and was killed. He wouldn't have known he was completely outmatched."
Meredith lowered her head and groaned.
"I'm sorry to bring it up dear, but there were a lot of zombies. It takes a long time to raise that many. I'd be surprised if there were any more. However, we need to be on the lookout for more of the dark sorcerer's minions. Zombies aren't the only thing they can summon—or even the worst."
Mom looked grim. "What can we do to defend ourselves?"
Grampa Thor pursed his lips and thought. He looked at Sig. "I don't know who this sorcerer is or what he plans, but no matter, Sig must prepare. There's a lot of work to do, and more of what you saw upstairs. We don't know details about our enemy and what you see is a broken down wizard and a brand new, untrained Battle Wizard. Secrecy is our friend. We must keep our magic hidden—here on the farm."
His lips twitched in a half smile. "No bragging about your son, the Battle Wizard."
Meredith looked at him and nodded, emphatically. "We'll do whatever we need to. We're Lutherans. We're not known to brag."
Grampa turned to Sig. "Are you ready to work your ass off?"
"Ready and willing. I don't know if I'm able."
"Why don't you change once more, now that there's some ceiling room? Let's get a good change accomplished. It's like falling off a horse; it's best to get back on and try again."
Sig looked doubtful. He glanced at his Mom. "What do you think?"
She pursed her lips and closed her eyes. "Maybe Grampa is right. If this must happen; I have to get used to it. After all, I've been telling you that I expect a growth spurt. I just didn't expect it like this," she said with a bleak smile.
Sig nodded, inhaled deeply, and exhaled as if preparing for a deep dive. He inhaled again, clutched the amulet, and breathed out "Aðalbrandr." Everything blurred, his mother appeared to fall away, the ceiling plummeted toward him, he crouched, but then the world stabilized.
He looked around. Mom and Grampa were so little and the ceiling seemed so close. He started to reach toward the ceiling when Grampa bellowed. "Watch out! Don't forget you've got that bloody big sword in your hand!"
Sig looked at the sword in his right hand. He hadn't noticed it; it felt like a part of him. Its tip reached to within inches of the sloped ceiling. He looked down at his Mom. She gazed up at him with wide eyes and dropped jaw.
He raised his left hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."
She laughed hesitantly. "I won't be able to think of you as my little boy anymore." Grampa joined in with laughter and Meredith's became less forced. Sig stood there for a moment, afraid to move. Everything looked so different. He began to laugh with them; then stopped, startled by the deep booming laugh.
That set Meredith and Thor off again. Finally, when Meredith could take a breath she said, "You still look like you. Your hair and eyes are still the same dark brown and blue." She gestured with a hand in front of her face. "And now I can see that the features are the same, but different."
Grampa stood up. "Remember, 'Koma aftur' to return."
Sig nodded and said "Koma aftur." Through a blur, his surroundings grew, until he stood next to Grampa, holding the amulet, looking him eye-to-eye.
Grampa gave him a big proud smile. "Welcome back Shorty."
His Mom got up, tears of laughter or something else leaking from her eyes, and wrapped her arms around him. She whispered, "Welcome back son."
Pounding on the door startled him awake. He'd lain awake for hours until weariness from the day's activities overcame his racing thoughts.
"C'mon hoss. You're wasting daylight." Grampa bellowed.
Sig rolled over and peered at his clock through morning-glazed eyes—6:30 a.m. He jerked upright in bed, clutched at his chest, and found the medallion hanging at the end of its gold chain. He held it inches from his nose. Yesterday wasn't a dream.
He brushed hair from his face with both hands and then glared toward the door when the pounding resumed. "I'm awake, come in."
Grampa Thor hobbled in already dressed, shaved, and combed. "Yesterday gave you a lot to absorb at once, but today is a new day. There's work to do."
Fetching Sig's robe from a hook by the door, he tossed it to him. "Breakfast will be ready by the time you get downstairs. After yesterday, you should be hungry." He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll meet you in the kitchen." Then he turned and left, shutting the door.
Sig glanced up at the holes and the dented beam in the ceiling. Some called him hardheaded, if they only knew. He shucked off the covers and shambled to the bathroom, tugging on his robe.
Back in his room, he stood indecisively in the center of the room. What's the proper attire to train as a Battle Wizard? He shrugged and pulled on jeans, a wool sweater over a thermal shirt and his waterproof kangaroo leather boots over thermal socks. Grampa long ago told him to care for his feet. He said he learned it in the war, but didn't say which war. Sig regretted that he never asked.
He realized he was famished. It felt like he hadn't eaten in days. Hopefully, there would be mass quantities of breakfast.
Grampa stood facing the stove when Sig strolled into the kitchen. There were two frying pans where sausage, bacon, and hash brown potatoes sizzled while he poured pancake batter onto the griddle. A stack of pancakes sat on a plate. Grampa glanced over his shoulder and waved a spatula over the food, "Help yourself."
Sig filled his plate and dug in. By the third plate, he decided he could make it through the day. Grampa watched the process indulgently while he prepared food for Sig's Mom. "You'll find that you'll eat more when you change shape, although for you, it may not be noticeable."
Sig nodded and mumbled an unintelligible while he shoveled food in.
Meredith entered the kitchen and observed the activity with surprise.
Grampa waved at the food he had prepared. "Good morning. Sig and I already ate. I cooked up some fresh for you."
She smiled. "This is very nice. It's not often I get to eat someone else's cooking." After she had a few bites, she looked up with a smile. "Wonderful, I could get used to this. How long are you staying?"
Grampa chuckled. "You deserve to be waited on, but I'll be busy with Sig for a while. I'll see if I can handle breakfast while I'm here."
Meredith looked apprehensive. "Is training dangerous?"
He shook his head. "Meredith, he's already been in training with his martial arts, riding, football, and basketball. It's no more dangerous than that."
Sig watched their exchange while he mopped up the eggs on his plate with his last bite of pancake. Grampa turned to him. "Are you ready?"
Sig startled out of his bystander role. "Yes sir. Ready when you are."
"Since we want to stay out of sight of prying eyes, let's head to the covered riding arena."
†††
Grampa Thor spent an hour and a half with Sig, trying out various magics. He brought a number of items to the arena; a pan of water in which he could view distant scenes—Sig could see the bottom of the pan. Grampa's magic made unlit candles burst into flame—when Sig tried, he felt like his head would burst. Crystals that Thor used to sense magical flows and heal wounds were only clear lumps of rock to Sig. He couldn't work dowsing wands, read cards, or affect various potions and amulets.
Grampa demonstrated and Sig failed. Grampa talked him through each spell several times. Nothing worked. Grampa Thor watched him carefully.
Finally, Thor threw his hands in the air. "I see changes in your aura whenever you try. Lots of churning, then sparks, but nothing happens. It's as if your magic shorts out. That's the best way I can describe what I see."
Sig's frustration and disappointment grew as failures piled up. "I guess those tests were
right. I don't have any magic."
Grampa Thor snorted. "OK, let's try a change to dispel that ridiculous notion. You have the amulet don't you?"
Sig reached into his shirt and pulled it free. He let it drop against his chest.
Thor motioned with his hand. "Go ahead and grab it."
Sig looked down at it and then back up at Grampa Thor. "What if it doesn't work today, like all these other things?"
Thor looked straight at him, and his eyes narrowed. "Now is a good time to find out. I expect you to face up to things. A Battle Wizard moves forward."
Sig looked back at him levelly in turn. "Like you did with that sorcerer and the demon that's eating your magic?"
Thor clenched his jaw and exhaled sharply. "Yes, but you can learn from my mistakes. Think while you advance. For example, if you consider it, this is the safest place to change. Do you have any thoughts that tell you that now may not be a good time to try?"
Sig shook his head and took the amulet between his index finger and thumb. He looked at it, and breathed out "Aðalbrandr." The arena shimmered. Sig looked up and the roof fell towards him. He flinched, but the roof stopped.
He looked toward Grampa Thor, but he was gone. Wait, down there. He'd shrunk. Sig realized that Grampa hadn't shrunk. Changing size disoriented him. Everything around him appeared smaller except the amulet in his right hand. It had become a five-foot long sword. "How long does it take to get used to this?" He asked.
Grampa Thor snorted. "In five or ten years it'll be like falling off a toadstool. Now why don't you start getting used to that body? Can you touch the ceiling?"
Sig looked up to the peak of the sloping tin roof twenty-five feet above. At its lowest point, the support truss hung eighteen feet over the surface of the arena. He looked back down at Grampa with a skeptical look. "You're kidding, right?"
Grampa looked at him levelly. "Go ahead; at least get a feel for jumping."
Sig looked around, searching for a place to put the sword.
Thor pointed. "There's a holster for the sword on your back. Reach over your right shoulder."
Sig reached around, found the top of the holster, and slid the sword in. Then he took a step and leapt, grabbing the roof truss with both hands. He hung for a moment as the beam creaked. Releasing his hold, he landed back on the dirt floor with a thud and a cloud of dust. What an amazing feeling.
His amazement reflected in Grampa's face. "It was a joke when I asked if you could touch the ceiling." He blew out a big breath, shrugged, and then said, "Why don't you do some Kendo warm ups? After you're done stretching I'd like to watch how you move."
Grampa started counting for Sig's warm up "ichi, ni, san, shi"; Sig continued emphatically, "go, roku, shichi, hachi"; building his ki or energy while going through the warm up stretches and then into an exercise routine. It included pushups, squat jumps, sit-ups, and sword movements.
Sig finished in an hour. A light sheen of sweat covered his body. Grampa looked him over. "You look fresh. I think I'm more tired than you are and only counted cadence. How did it feel?"
"I feel great. You're right; I feel fresher than when I do the routine in my regular form. I think I could do this for hours; it feels so good. I feel like a machine." He held up one of his arms and looked at it. The size of a tree trunk, it swelled impressively when he flexed.
Thor nodded. "It can be addictive to have that much power, speed, and grace all under your control. A typical Battle Wizard is a match for five to ten men. You probably are worth twenty men, given your martial arts training. However, I used the word addictive purposely. There can always be too much of a good thing. Too long in that form and you may exhibit anger, hostility, and unreasonable rage. "
"I've heard about 'roid rage from steroids. Is it anything like that?"
"Something like that. You have to pay attention and learn your limits. You also have to learn to control it when the situation doesn't allow you to switch back to your normal form."
Sig took a step forward and roared, "What do you mean hostility?"
Grampa took a step back.
Sig laughed, "Just kidding. I'm still in the happy place I guess."
"Wise ass."
Sig grinned bigger.
Thor chuckled and shook his head. "Why don't we try some magic in this form and see if there are different results. First, why don't you try lighting a candle? That's one of the easier ones. Pick a candle and concentrate on it like we talked about."
Sig picked the small candle on the right end and focused his concentration on the wick. He frowned and stared at it. He clenched his jaw and imagined it bursting into flame. He raised his hand and gestured, placing four fingers against his thumb and flicking them out; trying to simulate a fire bursting. He concentrated until sweat beaded his brow.
Ferocious barking outside the arena door broke his concentration.
"Sounds like Czar is back from chasing whatever moves. Why don't you let him in, but don't change back. Let's see how he reacts," Grampa said.
Sig went to the door, bent down, grabbed the door handle, and opened the door. Czar, the family Borzoi charged in then stopped as he looked up at Sig. He trotted over in the fluid bouncing gate typical of the breed.
Borzois or Russian Wolfhounds are one of the biggest sight hound breeds. Czar stood thirty-five inches at the shoulder and weighed one hundred and fifteen pounds. A dense double coat shielded him from Minnesota winters. Like most sight hounds, he operated in two modes; stretched out sleeping, or full speed, chasing anything moving. Full speed was close to forty miles an hour. Unfortunately, sight hounds' attention span made training difficult.
Sig received a sniff inspection before Grampa called Czar to his side and motioned for him to heel. Czar set up obediently on Grampa's left side.
Sig chuckled and shrugged. "You're the only one he always obeys."
"Why don't you try it? I've always been able to do it and I don't know if it's my magic, the latent Battle Wizard, or my intense natural charm. I want to see if he obeys you better now that you've changed," Grampa Thor said.
Sig pursed his lips. "Hmmm, Ok I'll give it a try. Czar, come, heel."
Czar bounded over to Sig and stood on his left side facing forward, then sat at Sig's hand signal. "Wow, he obeyed better than ever before. Let's see how it works when we get him out of the arena."
Grampa nodded. "Change back first and let's see if he has the same reaction. It's time for lunch; I'm hungry even if you aren't."
"I hoped you'd be ready. I'm starving." Sig reached over his back to clutch the sword hilt. He rumbled "Koma aftur" and everything around him grew.
Back to normal, he looked down. Czar still sat by his side, looking up, tail wagging. Sig raised his eyebrows. "Wow, maybe it will work. Czar, heel." He turned to his right and the Borzoi swung around him to remain by his side. Outside, the dog paced obediently next to him as they walked to the house. A squirrel dashed across the yard, toward a tree. Czar's ears perked forward and he tensed. Sig said "Heel." Czar relaxed and continued at his side.
Sig looked to Grampa Thor as the three of them went up the stairs to the house. "If nothing else comes out of this, at least Czar pays attention now."
Grampa smiled. "I think you'll find that you get that response from more than just Czar. Of course, nothing works with cats."
As they left the arena, a wisp of smoke rose from a blackening spot on the wick of the small candle on the right.
Meredith scrolled her pen like a pointer across the laptop screen. Zeroing in on the number desired, she wrote it in the investment journal on top of today's copy of the Wall Street Journal.
Of the fourteen stocks highlighted with a yellow marker in the WSJ, and researched on the internet, she had a strong feeling about the growth potential of Luce Solar Power.
She made a note in her journal to buy at the price she had scribbled in the journal and added a projected sale price.
Her fingers raced through the commands to purchase 5,000 shares
of the stock as well as the command to sell it automatically when it reached her planned sell price.
She smiled contentedly as she picked her coffee mug up and took a sip.
No one could fault her now for taking over finances after Martin died.
The town's banker, he'd always handled family finances which included a good size life insurance policy along with instructions for a financial advisor. His idea had been that the insurance, along with selling the farm would allow her to live comfortably.
She decided instead to take over the finances herself and not to sell the farm and the horses she loved if she didn't have to. She considered taking on boarders. Her reputation as an equestrian and trainer would help. People were always asking for her advice. That wouldn't be necessary now.
She looked at her online balance. In the year since she took over, she'd more than doubled the insurance money and was on the way to doubling it again.
She spent two hours a day, four days a week analyzing stocks. Her dedicated work was paying off.
The outside door opened and Czar trotted in and laid his head on her lap to get his ears rubbed before he sought his place by the fire. Grampa hobbled in, followed by Sig.
She smiled at the picture her son made. The cold morning air lent a ruddy glow to his light golden skin. He brushed his wavy sable hair out of his eyes. She didn't comment on an overdue haircut. She liked it longer. Like hers, his hair and skin tone evidenced that Vikings raided and interbred with slaves from the Mediterranean. With rangy shoulders, and long arms and legs, he made a fine figure of a man.
"Mom, did you make anything for lunch or should we scrounge?" Sig asked.
"There are a couple of ham steaks frying in the pan, German potato salad in the frig, and a green bean casserole on the counter. If you want a ham sandwich, there's ciabatta bread in the keeper."
"I knew there was a reason I liked staying here," Grampa said as he slapped a ham steak on his plate and spooned up the side dishes. He sat at the kitchen table as she cleared her things out of the way.