A Sorcerer Rises

by Guy Antibes

  The others rushed in.

  “It is Lord Taranta,” one of the constables said.

  Ricky drew his knife, leaving his switch inside the cane and hurried to Merry. Taranta looked at Ricky’s knife, and smirked while he drew the sword at his waist.

  “You must be Valian. It’s not wise to bring a knife to a swordfight.” Taranta laughed pointing at Ricky’s little weapon. “I counted on you coming to rescue the Doubli woman. I’ll kill her first and then take care of you.”

  Taranta hadn’t noticed the constables behind Saganet, Karian, and Effie through the fight. He plunged the sword down. Ricky shouted again and deflected the sword. He had a hard time moving Taranta’s arm enough, and when action sped up, the sword went into Merry’s leg.

  The action seemed to suspend while Merry let out a massive scream. Ricky sensed the power in her body rise. She looked at Taranta, and the man gasped, holding his neck. Merry’s spell must have caused the wound, but it didn’t look deep enough to slow Taranta down.

  “Stop!” Saganet said. He ran to Merry. “Stop, Merry, you’ve done enough. There are constables here.”

  She sighed and fainted.

  Taranta looked at the bloody sword, still holding onto his neck. The fight continued. Saganet continued to fight Taranta’s men. These were no common thugs. His bad leg gave out, and he tumbled to the floor. Ricky quickly dropped his knife and picked up Saganet’s sword, standing between both Saganet and Merry.

  Fighting still continued all around, but Ricky and Taranta glared at each other. The noble lifted a corner of his mouth. The smirk made him look more like Victor. “I’ll finish off the Doubli woman after I’ve taken care of you,” he said. “Then I’ll make you all pay for killing my son.”

  Ricky pressed his lips together and then said, “Victor tried to kill me thrice. I put his eye out the second time, and I killed him the third time. Me. I killed him. You leave my friends out of it.”

  Taranta lunged with his sword. His form showed the lord wasn’t particularly skillful, but he had power behind his swing. Ricky parried at the last moment and backed up, nearly tripping over Saganet, who was in the process of scrambling out of the way.

  They traded blows until Taranta knocked the sword out of Ricky’s hand with a mighty swing. Ricky pulled out his switch and batted Taranta’s sword away again, but the wood of the cane shattered, revealing the thin metal sheath inside. Ricky had to end this. He threw the cane at Taranta’s face, and when the man batted the cane away, Victor’s father lost sight of the switch. Ricky used the distraction to plunge the switch deep into his foe’s heart.

  Taranta gasped and dropped his sword. He clutched his chest, a thin trickle of blood seeping from his fingers as he fell straight back. Once Lord Taranta exited the fight, the men began to focus on escaping from the boat. In a few moments, only constables and Ricky’s friends remained.

  Saganet had already pushed up Merry’s dress and worked to staunch the blood on Merry’s thigh. Two constables died on the boat, and seven of the thugs were killed, along with Lord Taranta. Karian worked on binding Effie’s arm, while blood still dripped down from a cut on his forehead.

  The chief constable leaned against the wall, clutching his side. “It’s only a flesh wound,” he said as his eyes rolled up in his head and he slid to the floor.

  One of the constables from outside began to work on him.

  Saganet looked at Lord Taranta. “He’s finished, but now you’ve got to run.”

  Ricky stood anchored to the spot. “I promised the chief constable that I would turn myself in.” He looked out the broken waxed-paper window that a constable used to climb into Gobble’s boat and at the tops of trees on the north bank of the river. Ricky could take off into the forest and live the life of a fugitive until things simmered down, but he’d always be on the run. He’d never have a hope to return to the academy. Flight didn’t solve his problems. Ricky looked at Saganet and shook his head.

  “Fool! The man fainted. Leave while you can.”

  Ricky looked at Merry and Saganet. “No. I’ll take whatever punishment I deserve. I fought both Lord Taranta and his son in self-defense, with witnesses.”

  “Do you think he’s the only one after you? Do you think Duke Noacci cares about what happened just now?”

  “I gave my word,” Ricky said.

  Merry’s eyes fluttered open. “You do what you think is right, Ricky.” She moaned but grit her teeth as Saganet finished up. “By the way, did you win?” She gave him a smile through her pain.

  ~~~

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  ~

  “A re you ready?” Saganet said.

  Ricky nodded as he looked around the cottage before they headed back to the Tossan Judicial Hall for his trial. Because he had followed through with his promise to the chief constable, Ricky was under house arrest rather than sitting in a city jail.

  Mistress Doubli hired an attorney to defend him. The man didn’t hold out any hope that Ricky would go free, not with the death of a member of the Council of Notables, Lord Taranta.

  Saganet used one of Ricky’s canes now, nursing his re-injured leg, as they walked to the carriage in front of the academy’s administration building. Merry sat in a wheeled chair by Loria, waiting for them to arrive.

  “I’m sorry I won’t be able to accompany you,” Merry said. “I am in trouble enough being helped downstairs from my apartments on the third floor.”

  “At least we won the competition,” Loria said. “Don’t ever forget that and the fact you won the award for the best spell.” She laughed. “No one saw that last effect coming, and were shocked by your disappearance.”

  “A lot of good that will do me where I’m going,” Ricky said. “At least the academy is intact, even if the Dean isn’t.”

  “I’ll be good enough when the year starts back up in a few weeks,” Merry said.

  Saganet tapped Ricky on the shoulder. “It’s time we left.”

  Ricky bent over to give Merry a hug in her chair. He looked at Loria. “We’ll be in touch.”

  She beamed a smile. “We certainly will.”

  Ricky climbed into the carriage, followed by Saganet. Effie was already seated inside, her arm bandaged. She said the bandage would give them some sympathy if their attorney called her to testify.

  The fight with Lord Taranta had left Ricky unscathed. He’d be dead if Effie hadn’t taught him street fighting. Throwing something at your opponent often distracted inexperienced fighters. It certainly worked on Lord Taranta. He pictured the thrust into the Lord's heart. Ricky felt no remorse. Lord Taranta and his son were vicious, mean human beings.

  ~

  A different judge than the magistrate, who gave him to Mistress Doubli last year presided over the trial. The attorney representing the City of Tossa appeared better dressed than his, if that meant anything.

  The Tossan attorney presented the fight with Victor’s thugs and the one on Gobble’s boat in a surprisingly objective fashion, but the conclusion was much different.

  “The defendant used an illegal weapon to kill Lord Taranta.” He picked up the metal switch that Ricky had given to a constable.

  “How is it illegal?” the judge asked.

  “The defendant used it as a sword. Minors are not allowed to carry swords on the streets of Tossa.”

  The judge looked at Ricky with narrowed eyes and then said to Ricky’s attorney. “What is your position on this weapon?”

  “It is, as you see, a metal switch. It has no edge. It is too flexible to fight someone with a sword, forcing young Valian to use the cane to deflect any sword blows. The boy had to expertly poke the switch directly into Taranta to kill him. He used a conventional sword, not his own, to defend himself from Victor Taranta, who did carry a sword with him in his attack on young Valian and his adult friends. I’d like to enter this as evidence,” the lawyer said, taking the shattered cane out of a long cloth bag. “As you can see Taranta’s sword destroyed the cane that covered
the switch.”

  The judge nodded. “Is this the only charge, carrying a sword in public?” he said to the prosecuting lawyer.

  “We have interviewed witnesses to the deaths of both Lord Taranta and his son. The investigating constables insist that young Valian did fight in self-defense in both instances. However, lives were lost, and that should always enter into your deliberations.”

  “I’ll note that you have attempted to notify me of my responsibilities,” the judge said drily.

  That seemed to be a good thing to Ricky.

  “We won’t have to adjourn. I have already made my decision,” the judge said. “I find Hendrico Valian complicit in the deaths of two notable citizens of Tossa and of Paranty. The killings are mitigated by the fact that the defendant unquestionably acted in self-defense. The fact that the defendant used a possible illegal weapon is a consideration.”

  The judge let the hubbub in the courtroom subside a little bit.

  “I can’t let the deaths go totally unpunished. However, I give a warning to the defendant that he is specifically commanded not to use the flexible metal weapon within the boundaries of the City of Tossa. Stand Hendrico Valian.”

  Ricky stood, leaning his hands on the table. His nerves were worse here than when he had had to perform in front of hundreds of people at the competition.

  “I sentence you to nine months at the Applia Juvenile Home. This case is closed.” The judge rang the decision bell. “Since according to the constable in charge of your investigation, you are not a risk to flee, you are to present yourself to the Tossan Constabulary headquarters at midday tomorrow.”

  The Tossan attorney shook his head at the verdict while he stuffed papers into his valise. He turned to Ricky. “Truth be told, your sentence fell within an acceptable range. I was instructed personally by the Duke to tell the judge we would have preferred two year’s time, but your conduct in saving Dean Doubli counted in your favor. The judge and I currently have children attending Doubli Academy. Watch yourself at the Juvenile Home, so you can return to the Dean. By the way, your performance at the sorcerer’s competition was absolutely stunning. It’s a good thing you didn’t use any magic when you saved the Dean.” He nodded to Ricky and left the courtroom.

  Ricky sat. His shirt was drenched with sweat. “Only nine months? I thought I’d be sentenced to live there until I was twenty.”

  His attorney smiled. “Although Duke Bariani isn’t necessarily a fan of the academy, quite a few people were disgusted that Lord Taranta would dare kidnap the Dean. I daresay even the Duke might think he went too far. Nine months is more than you deserve. I would have been happy for some kind of probation, but killing a Notable is a major offense, and the City had to mete out some kind of punishment. Nine months is less than a year, and that means you won’t lose any rights to adulthood when you turn twenty. Good luck.”

  The attorney put out his hand.

  Ricky shook it and said, “Thank you for your help.” He didn’t know what else he should do.

  A constable walked up and handed Saganet a piece of paper. “Here are the instructions for young Valian. He can arrive at the constabulary headquarters right after lunch, tomorrow.” The man nodded to Ricky and left.

  Saganet looked at Ricky sadly. “Shall we celebrate tonight?”

  Ricky grunted. “A grand meal before my execution?”

  “Something like that. Let’s go. People are interested to see how today’s trial went.”

  They walked out into the sunny late morning and hailed a carriage.

  Of all people, a well-dressed Gobble Bangatelli slid up to Ricky. “Watch your back in Applia,” he said. “Even though Lord Taranta is dead, there are those already paid to hurt you.” He tipped his hat to Ricky and to Saganet before he walked off. Ricky didn’t see his grandfather’s words as a warning but as a statement of fact. Ricky couldn’t detect any sense of encouragement.

  “Charming man,” Saganet said. “That was your grandfather, wasn’t it?”

  Ricky nodded. “I need to think of him as my grand-uncle. I’ve always expected the worst at the Juvenile Home,” Ricky said. “His warning is meaningless. He didn’t even inquire about the trial or my health. I wonder if he was paid in advance to warn me.”

  Saganet looked as Bangatelli exited the square. “Probably. Taranta used his shantyboat, so I expect Gobble was somehow connected with the kidnapping.”

  “I grew up with Gobble Bangatelli, and I don’t think I really know him, other than his cruelty. I’ve experienced that enough,” Ricky said.

  ~

  Ricky sat at the head of the conference room table on the third floor. Merry didn’t have to be carried down any stairs and that pleased the healers. The commissary catered Ricky’s final lunch. The only thing Ricky could take to the Juvenile Home was a bag of clothes and a few personal items.

  “You shouldn’t take anything that you will miss if it gets stolen,” Saganet had said.

  Baron Mansali walked in and sat next to Ricky, across the table from his daughter. “I wanted to congratulate you both on your stupendous triumph at the Sorcerer’s competition. When you are released from the Juvenile Home, don’t be surprised if you get some offers from other schools, including an invitation to the Royal University when you graduate from the academy.”

  “As long as Dean Doubli is in charge, it will be this academy,” Ricky said.

  “Here, here,” Merry said, raising her goblet to Ricky.

  “I have contacts in Applia. I don’t trust writing them down, but Loria has the list. She can get the names to you, right?”

  “I hope so, Father,” Loria said. “We haven’t tried that long a distance, but Professor Grandari thinks we can communicate anywhere.”

  The Baron shook his head. “Remember to keep it a secret. Those are our terms, Ricky.”

  “I will, sir.” Ricky was surprised the Baron used his nickname. He looked at Loria, who blushed. “I remain a friend to Loria as long as she remains a friend to me.”

  The Notable nodded. “With Taranta gone, the City stands a chance of getting back to normal again.”

  “Was it not normal?” Ricky asked.

  “Don’t worry about that. Saganet knows, but your near future is such that you shouldn’t concern yourself with anything other than staying alive and intact. I’ll do what I can to get your sentence reduced, but I will admit, you were well-served by both the prosecutor and the judge in this matter,” the Baron said. He stood, straightened his coat and addressed the gathering. “I’ve said my peace to young Valian. Mistress Doubli, I am at your disposal.” He bowed to Merry and left them, but he paused to pat Ricky on the shoulder as he passed.

  “Eat up, Ricky,” Effie said. “I don’t know what they feed the inmates at the Juvenile Home, but this might be the best meal you’ll have until you return to us next year.”

  ~~~

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  ~

  R icky looked out the barred windows of the coach. Clouds had gathered, and it had begun to rain. The grayish countryside matched Ricky’s mood. He wore used clothing that Saganet had bought at a market in Tossa. New clothes might be quickly stolen.

  They had spent four nights at mediocre inns. A year ago, Ricky would have marveled at the rooms, but his standards had risen with his learning. The coach turned into the last inn before they would roll into Applia mid-morning tomorrow, he was told.

  This one didn’t even compare with the others. Guards assigned Ricky a room that could be locked from the outside. The constables obviously used this inn all the time. It beat being tied to the bed and sharing a room with a constable, like he had every night on his journey.

  He produced a sorcerer’s light and fixed it to the rickety little chair in the room. His belongings were locked up in the coach. His breath quickened as he knew his last sliver of freedom was about to expire.

  He got into bed and put his hands behind his head and took a deep breath before he sang the note that he sought. Power fille
d him up, and he willed the spell that he hoped would work.

  Loria? He said as soon as he felt the link shift into place.

  Ricky! I wondered if you would be able to reach me. All is well here. Are you at the home?

  Tomorrow, Ricky said with considerable relief. You sound as if you were on the other side of the wall. I guess Professor Garini was right.

  Father thought our link would be strong. We had a long talk last night. He’d like to hire you into his company after you graduate from the academy.

  Not the University? Ricky asked.

  I told him to give you all the time you need. I don’t want you working for him. He has only shown you his good side. I assure you there is a bad side, Loria said.

  I’m not going to worry about much other than surviving. I’ll be contacting you once a week or so. I don’t know how often yet. Be prepared for updates at odd times.

  Ricky could sense her laughter.

  Odd times will be acceptable. Father’s contacts are very capable in Applia. If you ever need them, ask me. He doesn’t want this revealed, but he has power-links established in Applia and in Sealio.

  Ricky thought for a moment. Doesn’t that mean he has someone with affinity there?

  I don’t know. Father is a widower, you know.

  Ricky didn’t know. I thought all along he was married.

  He doesn’t correct people when they think that. Take care, Loria said. Good night.

  The link shut off. Ricky felt more alone than he had at any time on the journey to Applia. He rose from the bed and looked down at the stable from the barred window. This was his last view of free people.

  ~

  The rain picked up again in the early morning. Ricky slopped through the mud of the stable yard and stepped up into the constabulary coach. His mind dulled as the rain turned into a drizzly mist. They passed the city gates and entered the streets of Applia. The coach clattering on the slick cobbles. Ricky barely noticed the movement slow down for the gate. It entered a courtyard and eventually stopped.