The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series

by R. E. Donnellan

  “My uncle says that he is doing some minor work indirectly for the council.” Marko said vaguely. “I think it was more like a gift from a friend, really.”

  “Ok. That kinda makes sense,” said Ivan. “Still, I can’t believe he would give away an Imperial sword. Must not be much of a swordsman, then.”

  Based upon the conversation and the reaction from everyone, there was no way Marko was going to tell anyone that he had his uncle’s SECOND Imperial blade. After breakfast, Ivan waited for Marko to retrieve his sword from his locker. When he came back, they set out on their way to class.

  Marko and Ivan weaved through the back buildings until they came to a small open area. The ground was dirt with benches lined around on all four sides. There were already a few students there and the two of them waited until the others arrived. Just when the morning bell sounded, a man walked into the square. He was not wearing the traditional teacher’s tunic. He wore a loose fitting shirt and baggy pants tucked into his boots. Both were the same blue as the other teachers Marko had seen at the orphanage.

  “Good morning. It will be better after a two mile run. You have five minutes to stretch,” said the man.

  A chorus of groans echoed around the practice yard. As each boy went through his exercises, Marko tried to mimic them as best he could. Eventually the man walked over to him, “So, we have a new boy come to join us? What’s your name?”

  “Marko Kunich, sir.”

  “Welcome to the Steel, Marko. I am Teacher Rakan. Ever practiced the sword before?”

  “I have sparred with my father, sir.” Marko did not feel right talking about the bandit attack and his role holding off the attackers.

  Rakan noticed Marko’s sword strapped to his waist. “You can put your blade in the weapons locker over there for the run. If you want to keep it in the barracks, you will have to take care of it yourself. At the end of each week, a journeyman blacksmith comes by to sharpen the blades and file them down. He comes first thing in the morning.”

  Marko started out with the other boys running around the inside perimeter of the entire compound. He wanted to ask Ivan how many laps they needed to run but he was soon too winded to speak. After the first lap, he was already lagging behind the other boys. By the second lap there were boys that had lapped him. As he was turning a corner by the main entrance, he was knocked to the ground. He came back up to his knees and looked ahead. A large boy looked back over this shoulder at him and laughed. “You sure you belong outside of the classroom?” he laughed.

  By the time Marko finished his run, the other boys were wearing padded armor and were practicing stances with swords. He slowly walked over to a wall with pegs sticking out. There were two sets of padded armor remaining. One looked like it was way to small for him and the other smelled like a sewer. He shrugged and put on the larger set. By the Emperor! When did they wash these things?

  Marko recognized some of the forms the boys were practicing and began his normal warm up routine. Just as he began, Rakan spoke up. “All right, everyone form two lines in front of me.” Marko kept and eye on the boy who had knocked him down to make sure that he stayed far away from him.

  For the next mark the teacher had them practice various blocking techniques. Only when he believed that all got a move down did he progress to the next one or work in a combination for them to practice. They spent another mark on offensive moves. Rakan had the boys form a circle so that there was no chance of accidentally striking a fellow student. Marko found these moves remedial as he had learned all of these moves years ago. He did appreciate a return to basics however, since he had limited time to practice while living with his uncle. He would cautiously take side glances at the other students. Many of them seemed to actually have difficulty with some of the moves.

  After a short break for water Rakan spoke up, “Now I want you boys to rack your swords. Come over here and pick up a rattan sword and pair up. We will be practicing these moves with a partner. Remember, no strikes to the head.”

  Marko looked over at Ivan and nodded. They picked up the rattan swords and practiced a few moves to gauge its weight and balance. Marko found the sword to be similar weight to his Imperial blade but the balance was terrible. The maker had weighted the handle and guard in order to create the overall weight of a sword, but it moved the center of balance all the way to the grip. He was just trying to figure out how to compensate for the change, when the teacher said, “I want each pair to draw a circle. The circle should be ten paces wide. Make sure you are not close to another circle. When I say begin, I want one of you to be the attacker and the other to defend. We’ll switch in half a mark. I don’t want to see any lumberjacks out there. I want controlled strikes and blocks. Remember your form.”

  Ivan started in the attacking role and Marko defended. He had little trouble blocking Ivan’s attacks and started weaving in other blocks and forms that they did not cover that morning. Marko enjoyed the practice even though he was still tired from the earlier run. He noticed that Rakan would walk around the circles critiquing both combatants. When he approached Marko and Ivan, he just observed for several minutes. “Ivan, I want to see your balance shift to your lead foot during your attack. You are relying on your arm strength alone to deliver the blow. Your whole body is a weapon. By moving into the attack, you bring your whole body into the fight.”

  “Yes sir,” Ivan said between gasping breadths.

  “Marko,” said Rakan. “Who taught you those blocks?”

  Marko thought again about his teachings from his dreams. “My father, sir. He used to be in the army.”

  “Bah! You used blocks the army does not teach anymore. There is no need with the long swords they now deploy. I should know; I helped design the training before I retired. That style is suited for the short sword where quick work is needed. You can’t move a long sword quickly enough for many of those moves. Just something to remember if you ever take up a career in the Imperial Army.” After that, Rakan moved on to the next pair.

  After a few more minutes, Rakan had them switch roles. Marko began some basic attack forms against Ivan. He could see that Ivan was still breathing heavily. His blocks were slow and clumsy. Marko slowed down his attacks to give Ivan a chance. He knew he would not be able to deploy any of his other styles during the session.

  Whack!

  Marko and Ivan turned to see a student on the ground holding his head in hands. Above him was a boy looking down with a smile on his face. It was the same boy who had knocked Marko down. “Who is he?” Marko whispered and pointed to the boy.

  “That’s Maurice.” Ivan said as his face curled. “He is a by blow of Governor Aymeric. Thinks he’s better than the rest of us.”

  “Maurice! What’s this all about?” Rakan said has he quickly knelt down to look at the boy’s injury.

  “The runt did not bring up his block in time. I tried to pull the strike. Honestly, Teacher, how can I learn if you pair me with incompetent students?”

  Rakan looked up and there was anger in his eyes. “You two!” he pointed at two boys nearby. “Take Emil to the infirmary. Tell the medic that he has a concussion.”

  After the boys left with the injured boy, Rakan looked around at the silent boys. His eyes locked on Marko and a small smile played across his face.

  “Ok, let’s take a break and have a sparring contest. Maurice, since you seemed to be unchallenged in this class, let’s try you out against the new boy, Marko. Ok boys, here are the rules. First one out of the circle losses a point. If you are touched by the other boy’s sword, you lose another point. First boy to score three points wins. I will award points and you WILL pause after each. Any blow to the head or attempted blow to the head and you lose the match. Is that clear, Maurice?”

  “No problem. As long as scrawny here is not as slow as he was during the run,” he sneered.

  “Both of you ready? Then begin!”

  Marko immediately brought his practice sword over this head as Maurice ran to him with
a swing. Crack! The two swords violently hit each other sending a shock down Marko’s arm. This guy is too strong to stand and battle, Marko thought. He quickly jumped back and circled his attacker. Maurice lunged at Marko with another overhead strike. This time Marko was ready. He deftly stepped to his right and next to Maurice. He jammed the handle of his sword into Maurice’s kidney and stepped back.

  “Point to Marko,” said Rakan.

  “That’s not fair!” screamed Maurice. “He hit me with his handle!”

  “Yes, and in real life he could have dealt you a killing blow while your were doubled over. Ready, begin.”

  This time Maurice did not run at Marko like before. He circled Marko and slowly brought his sword up. His attacks at Marko were more exploratory than committed. Marko guessed that he was testing Marko’s technique to find weaknesses. Marko was careful to only deploy the blocks that were taught in class that morning.

  Marko decided he was tiring of defense and began attacking Maurice. As with blocking, he only deployed the attacks Rakan had shown the class. Marko noticed that Maurice was using blocks that were more advanced. He also must have had training outside of the orphanage, Marko guessed.

  After a few minutes, Marko had gauged Maurice’s level of competence. Although he was not a beginner, Marko saw several ways he could exploit Maurice’s style. Marko backed up and allowed his opponent to go back on the offensive. This time he flicked his sword (as best he could given its balance) after sidestepping Maurice’s blow and landed a rap on his hands. Clank. Maurice’s practice sword dropped to the ground.

  “Point to Marko. He leads two points to nil.”

  Maurice fumed as he stared at Marko, while rubbing his right wrist. Marko looked down at the practice sword on the ground. He causally picked it up by its wooden blade and handed it to Maurice. Just he grabbed the blade, Maurice yelled, “You bastard!” and swung his sword wildly at Marco’s head.

  Marko moved in reflex. He ducked the blow and brought his open hand up and struck Maurice’s nose with his palm just like Stranac taught him.

  A large crunch could be heard echoing off the surrounding walls and Maurice’s body dropped immediately to the ground. While Marko’s open hand was still extended into the air, he looked down at Maurice’s open eyes in horror. Marko immediately realized that the strike Stranac taught him was one of the many unarmed killing blows they practiced. Properly executed, it drove the cartilage in a man’s nose into his brain. Marko knew that he executed the strike flawlessly.

  Rakan stared at the body a moment and then told all the students to return to their barracks immediately. He pulled Ivan aside and told him to run to the headmaster’s office and notify him that there had been a terrible accident. Then he walked over to the nearest bench and sat down heavily. “Put your armor and sword away, Marko, and wait here with me.”

  “I am very sorry, Teacher!” Marko cried out. “I did not mean to hurt him! He came at me so quickly that I just tried to protect myself.”

  Rakan looked at him. “It is not your fault. I am to blame. I knew you could take him. I saw you practice and hold back. I wanted to teach Maurice a lesson. He has been terrorizing students for years.”

  They only had to wait a few minutes before they heard several people running towards them. When they came around the building and entered the practice field, they abruptly stopped. The headmaster was there along with Baltar and another man Marko did not recognize.

  “What happened here, Rakan?” said Headmaster Sorrell.

  “Student Maurice Deniau attacked Student Marko Kunich outside of the sparring match. Marko struck Maurice in self-defense. I am afraid that the fates were not with either of them and Maurice died from the strike. I have confined the other students to barracks. They will all bear witness to my account and will exonerate Marko here.”

  “That very well may be, Rakan. But I am sure Governor Aymeric will assign an Inquisitor to investigate. Consider yourself and Marko confined to quarters until the conclusion of the investigation. I am sorry, Raul, but I have no choice.”

  “I understand, Headmaster. I will walk Marko back to the barracks.”

  Rakan motioned Marko to follow him as they slowly walked towards Marko’s room. “Teacher, you said that my strike was an accident. I knew what I was doing but it was just a reaction.”

  “It was an accident, Marko. Had you had time to decide on another strike, you would have dealt a non-killing blow. Remember that point of distinction, because it is what will guarantee your freedom. Also, there are very few teachers and Inquisitors that have fought in a battle. They don’t realize that you can kill without a sword. That will make them more accepting that your strike had an unattended consequence.”

  “But what is an Inquisitor? I have never heard of them.”

  “Several years ago, the Emperor created a new class of code enforcement officers. They are from the ranks of mages. One thing that is strong in all of them is the ability to truth read. They are also quite clever. The Inquisition is at the disposal of just the nobility and high bureaucrats. With all the intrigue they cause, the Empire needed an impartial group to arbitrate disputes.”

  “But isn’t the Governor just going to use them to get back at me? What chance do I have against a mage?”

  “Marko, the Inquisition reports directly to the Emperor himself. The Governor can appoint an Inquisitor to investigate Maurice’s death, but he cannot select the specific Inquisitor or influence the outcome. If he tries to interfere with an investigation, he can lose his position. He also has to accept the judgment rendered although that does not mean he will forget. I recommend that you stay well away from Knin as long as he presides over that territory. One thing he can influence is the choice of local code enforcement officers.”

  Chapter XIII: The Inquisition

  The next week was the most uncomfortable in Marko’s life. He was given a small room in the basement of the barracks to live. He was told that it used to be a supply room years ago. His assignments were brought to him by Baltar. The only time he was allowed to leave his room, was to eat his meals in the commissary, to bathe, and to use the latrine. Consequently, he used his time to practice his forms.

  Stranac was now visiting him every night. Lately he began talking to Marko about small unit battle tactics. He talked about various ways to deploy small groups of soldiers under different battle scenarios. Whenever Marko asked him how he learned all this information, Stranac would just say that he did not remember.

  Marko had become somewhat of a celebrity at the school. The story of his fight with Maurice had spread throughout the school within hours. By the time he walked into the commissary for dinner after the attack, many heads had turned his way. He returned his tray of food and walked over to a bunch of grays in the corner of the hall. As he passed by tables, several reds looked at him and slapped their right hand on the table. An entire table of whites followed suit. By the time he sat down at this table, he must have heard forty of them in total.

  “What’s that all about?” he asked no one in particular.

  “Acceptance, Marko. When the Emperor’s Council votes, they slap the table to indicate that they agree. Now it’s how everyone communicates agreement without voicing it,” said Ivan.

  “People know that you are innocent.” said a boy at the end of the table. “They may not know you personally, but everyone knew Maurice. To be honest, I am surprised someone had not tried to murder him already for one offense or another. Today you probably saved several people in this hall from making a tough decision.”

  Most evenings began with Marko reading copies of lectures and finishing assignments. He had already read the rules of the orphanage as instructed, so that usually left a mark or so before he went to sleep. He also tried exercising in his small room. His performance during the run showed him that he had better get into shape. He would run tiny circles around his room until he became too dizzy to continue.

  Marko surprised himself with his interest in trade.
He tore through this trade lectures. By better understanding the merchant system in the Empire, he was able to see how all of the Empire’s elements fit together. Trade created wealth rather than just shifting it between people. Trade allowed farmers to sell goods to people far away that valued it more than his neighbors. In turn, the farmer could purchase supplies and equipment that made him more efficient in growing and harvesting crops. The merchants facilitated the transaction, the army protected the trade, and the bankers loaned the money. Each element was critically important to the proper functioning of the Empire. Marko’s admiration of all the trades of the Empire grew immensely.

  On first day, Marko was visited by the headmaster after lunch. “Marko, Inquisitor Fabre is here to see you. As you no doubt are aware, there has been an investigation into the death of Maurice. I am to escort you to him. He is conducting interviews in my office.” He paused and finally said, “Just be honest and forthcoming and you have nothing to fear. I have never dealt with this specific Inquisitor before, but the Inquisition is known to be fair.”