Battle Mage: Winter's Edge

by Donald Wigboldy

  The end of the staff closest to his hand released some iron as if the wood was sprouting leaves made from the new water component. Sebastian felt the shift as it formed in the palm of his hand moving of its own accord. Finally the new growth felt complete and the mage could release the power of his spell. Sebastian’s magic diminished but the power inside the staff remained and he could feel magic within as if it was alive.

  Wiping his sweaty brow, the mage looked on his new staff. The main shaft had turned black except where marbled highlights of the wood’s original brown grain remained. It seemed to form a pattern that appeared nearly readable to Sebastian; he followed the patterns up the length. Like a tangling of small leaves, the end appeared to be nearly completely iron wrapped around a palely gleaming gem. The coloring of the piece gathered from the depths shocked him. Pale and yellow like a diamond one moment, it would slowly shift to pink and then to violet before receding back towards diamond again.

  A low whistle of admiration left Halthor’s lips bringing Sebastian’s attention back to the men watching him. With an apologetic smile, the mage bowed his head slightly, “I am sorry, sir, but I seem to have used up your iron. What do I owe you for the stock? It appears that I need to keep it now after all.”

  Waving off the idea of payment, the smith said, “No, falcon, that is quite all right. Just seeing such an amazing work is payment enough. I thought that I knew metals and how to work them. Such strange affinity you have I would never have believed, but answer me, young mage, how did you do such a thing? I’ve never seen even a wizard with such a magnificent piece. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d almost think this staff was alive.”

  Looking at the staff again, Sebastian knew what the man meant. It did feel alive, warm, and yet for all its previous existence, the mage felt like the staff was also a part of him as well. Propping it against the wall so that his own magic didn’t interfere with what he sensed, the mage felt for the staff and for any magic within it. Even from several feet, he could feel an energy within it that was all its own. The gem still slowly pulsed with life and there was now a bond between them. Opening his hand towards the staff, it seemed to leap across the distance to him. A small glow from his palm as it reunited with him signaled even more of a strangeness to their bond.

  The smiths had all stepped back in amazement at the strange feat, but not knowing magic, they were even less surprised than the mage. The common folk expected strangeness from magic users, and having never seen such a thing meant little to the uninformed.

  Sebastian, on the other hand, was completely dumbfounded by what he had created. Calling the staff to him had required no use of his magic. It had come of its own will and yet it was also his will calling it as well.

  Halthor moved closer to inspect the intricacies of the mage’s staff in wonderment. “Such an amazing thing.” Looking at the mage with a glance of meaning, he added, “It should have a name. All great weapons have found names, either from their makers or the ones who wield them. Will you name it, master mage?”

  “Bairh’loore,” the name seemed to escape his lips before he could think.

  The smith looked perplexed. “What kind of name is that?”

  Shaking his head, Sebastian replied, “I think it means Life’s Blood, though how I know that I can’t even begin to say.”

  Dismissing it as more magical mystery, the smith nodded replying, “Life’s Blood, now that I can believe.” The man traced his fingers along the staff feeling the patterns of iron and wood. Sebastian could feel the touch strangely enough from Bairh’loore and wondered if anyone were to ever try and steal it if the staff would let him know that too.

  When the blacksmith let his gaze run to the head of the staff, he frowned uncertainly. “I wonder where this stone came from. It’s warm to the touch. The staff is also actually. Truly this is a mage’s staff, I think. I doubt any craftsman could begin to fabricate it’s like with a mere forge. No wonder you didn’t ask for any help from us. We could have bound the wood in iron, but this seems to be wood and iron binding each other. Only magic can do something like this,” he acknowledged.

  Sebastian went to gather his leather bag and took a quick swallow of water. Strangely, he wasn’t feeling a hunger as large uses of magic usually left him. The thirst was merely from the warmth of the smithy. The mage looked at the staff laying beside his pack as he drank in the wonder. Thinking of the process, he almost felt like it was less of a staff than something he had imbued with a piece of himself, the earth, iron and his strength. It was like he had passed some test that he had not even known existed.

  As Sebastian turned to leave, the mage sternly lectured the men not to speak of this magic. He left it implied that to defy his wishes meant unspeakable horrors in their futures. The mage didn’t know what kind of horrors, but then again neither did they. Halthor and his men had swallowed lumps of worry in their throats and some fear revealed itself in their eyes. They had witnessed strange and powerful magic and dared not guess what would happen should they let slip what they had seen.

  Sebastian figured the ambiguous threat would buy him some time until he could figure out exactly what the creation of the staff truly meant.

  Life’s Blood remained in the mizard’s room much of the time after its initial creation. Sebastian didn’t want all the questions that would inevitably come from having the new piece. It was too unique and if he sported the staff not only would the battle mages be storming down his door to find out this new magic, he had a feeling the true wizards would be even worse.

  The remainder of the morning had been spent in training with the sword. Though the mage could call up a sword of fire or ice, the falcon trained with a typical blade with several other falcons and apprentices in the yard. The weight of the steel was more important to strengthening his arm than showing off any magical skills. Battle mages were often referred to as being just a little more than a soldier. Their talents for swordsmanship and other weapons were encouraged and nurtured by their mentors, and Sebastian knew this made them not only more than soldiers but something more than a wizard in truth. Strength of magic not withstanding, a battle mage in a duel was likely to destroy a true wizard. Trained to magic not the sword and shield, even the fire wizards who were considered the lead guild for war, could not call up their magic swiftly enough to fight a well trained battle mage up close. In truth, the mage wondered if a soldier could beat a wizard similarly, but that said, if a wizard had time, they were easily able to destroy armies of lesser soldiers.

  That was the nature of Southwall’s forces. For all the minor squabbles and dislikes of each other, all three needed one another. That was why battle mages trained like any other soldier and learned their limited magic like any wizard. A blend of both and different from each, battle mages were bred for battle and defended both of their allies with their unique skills.

  “My turn,” the cadet known as Tillwen stated. The cadet was younger than Sebastian by four years and was one of those young men who envisioned themselves invincible. It was that attitude that would take him far or end his career as a low ranking falcon depending on how he let it lead him. When caution was lost or care for his friends was pushed aside for personal gain, most often Sebastian would see such a person struggle in the falcon organization.

  Meeting the boy’s enthusiasm with a salute, Sebastian allowed the sparring to happen. It was his fourth partner without a break and soon the falcon would make himself rest even if he thought his body felt fine. Too much and a man would start to have his performance wane or he’d let himself mentally lose focus. That was when people got hurt.

  Though younger at sixteen, Tillwen had Sebastian by three inches of height and at least that in reach. His skill was good. If it wasn’t, Sebastian doubted that he would have been given a chance at the wall. Though it usually took more than one trip to get promoted, the appointment was usually a sign of the final tests they would need to graduate. The mizard was one of the rare ones who received a promotion on
his first trip, though it had been a trial by fire during the past summer.

  Watching the face of the brown haired youth, Sebastian noted green eyes of innocence. Hair long enough to tie into a tail, Tillwen was fresh faced. This young man had not seen death yet, nor combat. The cadet let his gaze flick to the falcon’s face and noted his unflinching eyes. Green eyes then flicked back to watch for the falcon’s blade. The cadet still didn’t have the control to be a falcon, the mage decided sadly. Sebastian could see that even if he was only recently raised up to falcon. A trained swordsman of true skill didn’t watch the blade, he watched the man holding it.

  A quick flick and a lunge took the cadet’s blade from his hand sending it flicking end over end to land point first in the earth still moist from the snow. Sinking through the first soft inch, the deeper earth was nearly solid from the permafrost letting the tip catch and leaving the sword standing up.

  The cadet cursed. “How did you do that? You weren’t even looking at my sword.”

  “I watched your eyes. Until you’re able to read your opponent’s eyes you’ll never be ready, at least as a swordsman. I didn’t even have to see your blade. Watching your eyes told me exactly where it was and what you planned to do.”

  The cadet retrieved his weapon. “Well, I guess the rumor that you’re one of the best isn’t a lie,” the younger man said with a smile that seemed forced. “I’ve beaten falcons before by the way.”

  Sebastian shrugged. “Being a falcon isn’t just about your sword arm. Besides there’s always someone better out there somewhere. Usually it’s simply that you haven’t met them yet.”

  The younger man laughed. “A lecture from the mizard? I’m sure you’re as good as most say, so I’ll just let it rest and train some more. One day you’ll see.”

  Feeling a strange sensation in the air, the mage tried to concentrate on what was bothering him. It was as if he could feel a wizard, but the magic was twisted in a way that seemed vaguely familiar. Closing his eyes, Sebastian let his senses find the source. Guessing what it was, the mizard smiled as he opened his eyes and used one of his newest spells, “Dance.” Unlike the former finger play, the mage let fly a handful of thin tendrils towards the wall where the shadows were strongest. The crackle and sizzle of the tendrils drew everyone’s attention as well as a yelp as the hidden wizard cried out in surprise.

  A young apprentice wizard, identified by the white robe striped with black and silver, lost control of his stealth spell in the face of the surprise. Brushing frantically at his robe and black cloak, the young man with black hair and thin goatee quickly turned an accusing glare on Sebastian. “Hey, you could have killed me!” the apprentice cried out indignantly until the realization of what spell had been used dawned on him. “Hey, where’d you learn that?”

  Chuckling in response, Sebastian asked in reply, “To what do we owe the pleasure? Are you spying or practicing? Or both maybe?”

  Glaring angrily at the battle mage and noting the other men all staring at him intently. “I am Apprentice Gildoyne. I was sent by Master Leryn to test my skill with stealth.”

  “Curse you, Gildoyne!” Another wizard appeared from beside the doorway linking this yard to the next. “Not only can’t you hide yourself from these mages, now you’ve gone and run your mouth. What am I going to do with you?” The full wizard nodded to the gathered falcons and cadet begging almost sincerely, “I’m sorry, mages, forgive us our intrusion. Testing this apprentice seemed wise except that he obviously disturbed your attentions. He wasn’t supposed to fail so abysmally.”

  Grabbing the apprentice by the arm angrily, Leryn berated the younger man quietly before exiting the yard.

  With the distractions gone, suddenly falcons and cadets both began to question Sebastian as to the lightning. Sighing, the mizard knew that the rest of the morning was going to be another impromptu magic lesson.

  The office of the falcondi held more books than Sebastian would have thought possible for a mage to possess. While trained and schooled, most mages leaned towards their sword arms over reading most days. A dark wood desk with scattered papers and filing boxes littering the top was backed by three bookcases most of which were two thirds full of various tomes. Several were about magic theory and Sebastian wondered, not for the first time, how many mages had been trying to work out the spells of the full wizards over the past one hundred fifty years without success.

  Falcondi Warner put the paper he was reading back onto the desk acknowledging the falcon. “I hear tell that you’ve learned another spell today,” the falcondi said getting straight to his first point.

  “True,” was his reply. “I picked up some lightning tricks. I’m not sure how many mages will have the talent for it. It requires extended draws on earth and air magic at the same time and I have found few battle mages that seem to have an affinity for more than one type of magic beyond the basics.

  “I can teach the basic lightning bolt, but the extended lightning is an open ended draw on the earth. It’ll take some practice and the ability to channel the power for extended time.”

  The falcondi sat quietly and gestured for a demonstration.

  “Dance,” the mizard ordered the basic taste of the sparks. “It takes more concentration to maintain it also, but if they learn the sparks and the control…” the sparks twisted into tendrils nearly a foot long playing from his hand, “then doing this length or longer is possible.”

  “They said you struck an apprentice wizard with the magic,” the falcondi looked somewhat angry.

  “With a very weak amount of the power, it was enough to feel a tingle but not much more than that. I was just letting one of the diplomat wizards know that he wasn’t clever enough with his sneaking in our yard.”

  Clearing his throat, his superior continued, “Even so, we don’t strike wizards just for the sake of it, falcon. Revealing your magic so randomly is probably not wise either. Some of the wizards, hell most of them, already are worrying over what you’ve accomplished with the changes to our magic. We don’t need them stepping in the way of what you can do.”

  Sebastian’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “What can they really do to stop it? It’s my mind that finds the magic and creates it. If they feel that my taking their kind of spells and making them my own is stealing or something, I’d have to fight that with all my being. They don’t own magic and besides we’re on their side.”

  Standing, the falcondi started to pace. “I’m not necessarily saying that. It is more like the fact that they may not want to show you their magic anymore and I hear that’s the way you learn it easiest.”

  The falcon shrugged, “I’ve also done things they’ve never done before. Does that mean I should tell them not to try it?”

  With a sigh, Warner decided to change the subject. “Your kardorian friends have put in a request for guards all the way to Hala. Their lord asked Lord Dorwyn himself. I guess he was having trouble finding more guardsmen in Falcon’s Keep willing to travel in this weather.”

  Feeling the answer unstated, Sebastian asked, “I assume that I am to go, sir?”

  The man shrugged. “You’ve been at the wall keeps for over half a year. Even with the few weeks following your injuries aside, that’s a long time. Maybe you’d like to stop by home or White Hall on the way back from guard duty.”

  “It would take weeks to get there in good weather, sir. I doubt that I would truly have the time to spare for such trivial things.”

  A little chuckle left Warner and he replied, “If you’re given a leave after a mission, you should take it. Besides, the wall will still be here.”

  “Who will be squad leader and how many of us are you sending, sir?”

  Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Warner said, “I’m surprised that you assumed that someone else will lead, though in this case you are correct. We’ll send three falcons and an eight man squad. As far as I know there will be no wizards, since the Kardorians already have three. I think that Lord Dorwyn is really more concerned
about keeping tabs on them than worrying over another attack on their way to Hala. Falcon Markun will lead and Rilena will be your third.”

  Sebastian knew Falcon Markun. The man was about ten years his senior. He was a solid falcon but not so remarkable as to have earned a falcondi position though those were hardly common since the ranks thinned to fewer positions in the upper hierarchy of the corps. The man had also been on several dignitaries details and been along for merchant disputes so he knew how to handle people. Rilena was his friend and the brunette beauty had both charm and grace when she wanted to show it off. A quick wit and a charming smile from a woman could disarm almost any man, and Rilena had both.

  “When do we leave, sir?”

  “In two days. Now remember to be careful with any new magic you might learn along the way. These may be our allies, but it hasn’t always been the case with Kardor and such secrets should be guarded. You never know what the future will have for us.”

  He didn’t bother to tell the falcondi that the lightning spell had been learned from the apprentice from Kardor. Shortly after the warning, Sebastian was dismissed for the afternoon.

  Chapter 5- Two Places at Once

  The evening arrived and dinner was spent with Rilena and Dougren, two of his closest friends and regular dining partners at Falcon’s Keep, once more. A handful of falcons and as many cadets had moved to sit with the mizard for dinner as well, which had become common place when the mizard revealed his latest trick. Between mouthfuls, Sebastian answered their questions about the lightning magic and if he thought there was more that could be done with the twin element spells.

  Such questions could get annoying quickly. The other battle mages all looked at Sebastian as if he was methodically breaking down all the wizards spells just for them. The fact was that he was just flying by the seat of his pants with no real direction never seemed to get through to them no matter how often he tried to get that through their heads. Sebastian often wondered why someone else didn’t try to learn something for themselves since it was proven that it could be done. The mizard didn’t think it should be beyond the bulk of the mages to try their own attempts. They learned his spells after all, so they had the ability to learn new magic obviously, which left Sebastian puzzled as to why only he could achieve anything.