Hand Made Mage

by James Haddock

  "Good luck with that." I flew under and found King John and his army on the move. Maddie was riding with him on Queen. She looked tired. Maddie didn't look good either, I smiled. I flew under the line of the army. I found Kade, and the mercenary company's following as rear guards. Probably the safest place for them.

  I fast-traveled back to the last overnight fort and sank it back into the earth. Everyone else can build their own stuff. Maybe my mistake was giving things away. At least that was what the Mage's memories were telling me.

  I fast-travelled back to my pavilion. I dressed in my armor. I started to put on my helmet and face mask but decided to change it. I ran my hand over it and added an upper portion that covered my whole face. The upper part was black dragon glass that was unbreakable. Or so the Mage's memories said. It had slots on the sides for airflow. I donned it and went downstairs to get Mare.

  Before I put her armor on, I changed it to look like dragon armor. I took her up to the surface and went back inside. I went to the office and got the Staff of Power. I raised my pavilion up and stepped outside. I touched the Staff to the pavilion, *close.*

  The pavilion folded down then started turning into swirling sheets of paper driven by a magical wind. When it quit swirling a book lay on the ground where the pavilion had stood. I picked up the book and slipped it into my pouch, along with my Staff.

  "Mare, let's go watch the show. Of course, we have to take care of Kade and the companies." Mare snorted. I smiled, "you're going to have to do better holding up your side of the conversation." I mounted Mare. I had never tried to travel underground mounted, but I might need to someday. I slowly eased us under. She stayed calm, so I moved us forward slowly. She looked around but didn't move.

  I fast-travelled to the overnight fort I had sank. I arrived to find an enemy force of five hundred mounted Lancers heading toward Kade and the companies. I fast-travelled until I found our rear scouts and came up just out or sight. I put a guise of my old armor on and approached him. He recognized me and greeted me.

  "Good to see you back captain."

  "Well, tell no one I'm back, I have other work to do. Get back to the company, tell them there is a mounted lancer force of five hundred headed their way. They need to prepare for the attack."

  "Yes, Captain." He turned his mount and galloped toward the army.

  I trotted along on Mare she needed her exercise. We went under just before we arrive at Kade's ambush point. He had set up just around a curve in the road. I made the brush thicker along the sides of the approaching road.

  He had dismounted one company and used them as pike men. His archers were behind them on the left and right flanks. He had his mounded lancers in the middle rear. There were no lights showing among our men. The enemy would run headlong into our pike men.

  I came up in back of the companies, no one noticed me. They were all watching the road. I pulled my Staff out of my pouch, its crystal was quiet and dark. I eased Mare up beside Kade.

  "Did you miss me?" I asked.

  He looked at me and smiled, "why did you go somewhere?" We both chuckled. He looked at my staff, "I see you've been up to your old tricks again."

  "What? this old thing, it was just lying there, I mean come on, that hardly counts."

  "I don't suppose the previous owner needed it anymore."

  "He did not."

  He laughed, "it's good to have you back, brother." I smiled.

  I raised a four-foot wall in front of our men. Extending out of the wall toward the enemy were pikes. Men with the lances raised their lances and waited. They would kill anyone who made it over the wall.

  "When you are ready, give the word and I'll drop the wall. I can also light the road in front of us."

  He nodded, "when they run into the pike wall, give us light." I nodded. It wasn't long before we heard horses coming. They weren't at a gallop, but they were moving at a good trot. Silently we waited, no one moved. They hit the pike wall never breaking stride. The first several rows piled up on top of each other before man or horse could react.

  I raised my staff, loosing a fireball above the road lighting the whole area. No orders had to be given these were professional soldiers. The archers started loosing as soon as I gave them light. The lancers upfront killed all who were thrown over the wall.

  I loosed ten stone lions per side on the rear of their force. Horses and men started screaming and dying. They tried to escape through the brush at the sides of the road but could not get through. That drove the rear forces harder into the front. They were packed so tightly; they could not fight. Our ambush sprung, and their would-be charge blunted, they were finished.

  "Lower the wall," Kade said. I dropped the wall, and the companies surged into the decimated enemy.

  I pulled my lions back and used them as containment. Before long they yielded. We had taken eight Knights and one hundred and sixty-two prisoners; our losses were light. Sixteen killed and thirty wounded. The lions went back to earth.

  I slipped my staff back with my pouch. I let the guise of my old armor fall away and my new full dragon armor now appeared. No one questioned me as I sat beside the Prince.

  Eight Knights surrendered to Prince Kade to be ransomed, giving their parole, they were allowed to keep their swords. Two of our companies stayed on guard. The other company stripped the fallen, laying them out beside the road.

  At sunrise, before we left, I rode Mare to the fallen. "Honored dead," I amplified my voice. "You fought well, go to your rest in peace." Stone crypts formed over each body and took them into the earth.

  Behind me three companies shouted, "Aa-ooh! Aa-ooh! Aa-ooh!''

  I turned and rode forward and took my place beside the Prince. "I see you still have that dog."

  "Not me, that's Beast's dog. We just feed him." We laughed.

  We had just started when we saw riders approaching. There was a hand full of Knights and fifty lancers. We reigned-up and waited for them.

  They reigned-up when they arrived, "why have you fallen behind?"

  "Allow me," was as far as I got.

  He saw the Knights that had surrendered to Kade. "You will turn those prisoners over to me." Faster than he could react, I drew my sword and in one motion cut the crest smooth off his helm.

  "If you interrupt me again, your head will be on the ground beside that useless crest." He looked at the ground, feeling the top of his helm. No one moved. He looked at me clenching his jaw. "As I was saying, allow me to introduce Duke of the Western District, Prince Kade. Commander of the Black Stag mercenary company."

  He looked back at Prince Kade, "my apologies your highness," he bowed in his saddle, "I did not know."

  "Not to worry Sir Knight, there are many upon the field this day. You must forgive Captain Drake," he cut his eyes at me, "his blood is still up from the battle. They attacked our rear guard with five hundred cavalry. We are catching up now."

  "Yes, Your Highness, I will take the word." He looked at me, "Elias Drake?"

  I shook my head, "No, that would be my brother." Kade smiled. "I'm Captain Elijah Drake." He looked me up and down, marking me. He nodded.

  He bowed to Prince Kade, "Your Highness."

  "Sir Knight." He turned his horse and led his force back the way he came. We moved out following the army.

  "You can't kill everyone." Kade said.

  "What? Is that a new rule?" He smiled. "I won't have too, only half. After that the other half will leave me alone."

  His face lost expression. "The King and my sister?"

  "Last I saw them, they were fine. As far as they are concerned, Sir Draugur died fighting the enemy Mage. Since I'm dead, I don't have to take revenge. I think Sir Edwin would have liked my remedy to the problem. On the bright side, I don't have to pay taxes anymore as I have no tittles, or lands. I'm just a poor mercenary Captain." I laughed. He joined me.

  "I'll catch up with you later there is something I have to do." He nodded. I turned out of the formation and head back down the roa
d. Once out of sight we went under. We fast-traveled to the valley where my herds were. We came up overlooking the valley pasture. I dismounted and stripped off Mare's armor.

  "Today is your lucky day. You are being retired. Go make me some great warhorses." She looked at me, then toward the grazing herd. I could almost see he shrug her shoulders and trot away toward the herd.

  I took my Staff and my pavilion book out of my pouch. I lay the book on the ground and touched my staff to it. *Open.* The book opened, and pages began flying around in a whirlwind, that became my pavilion.

  I took Mare's armor down to the stable and put it away. I might need it again someday. My stone dogs were still on guard duty. As I put the armor in the storage room, I saw a set of heavy horse armor stored in there already. I set down Mare's light armor and looked at the heavy armor.

  I began to think, if I were a Mage with a magic pavilion, that had a stable in it, and had heavy horse armor, wouldn't I have a war horse? Or a magic horse, or beast? I searched the Mage's memories but found only a vague memory of an animal, but it wasn't his. It belonged to an earlier Mage.

  I took my staff out and concentrated on the stables to see if anything happened. After a moment I remembered a book up in the library. I went up to the library and found the book I was looking for.

  It was a reference book of enchanted beasts. Many, I had never heard of or would even imagine. I lay the book on the table and sat down. The book started flipping pages on its own. It stopped at horses and riding beast. I don't know why it may have been the Mage's memories. I told the book, what I was looking for.

  "I need a horse or something like it to ride on a battlefield. It needs to have instincts and intelligence, not a drone. It needs to be strong, quick, and have endurance. like a warhorse only better."

  Pages began to turn, then stopped. The page read, Talon Footed Dragon Horse. There was a drawing under the title. Overall, it had the shape of a horse. Its head was shaped like a horse but had forward facing horns, it was heavily scaled, and had a mouth full of teeth like a dragon.

  It had taloned front feet and hoofed rear. It was thickly scaled on the chest, shoulders and rear. It was also scaled and bony on the backsides of its legs protecting its tendons. Its tail was like a dragon's ending with what looked like short feathers but were actually long slim sharp scales. The book said it ate both vegetables and meat, what it called an omnivore.

  The description continued. Although heavily muscled, they are extremely fast and capable of quick movements and strikes with their mouths, talons, and tail. Their endurance is exceptional, having no equal in the equine species. They are extremely intelligent and intuitive. Their relationship is more of a partnership rather than subservient.

  "I think that is what I'm looking for." I felt the need to touch the staff to the page. I lowered the staff to the page and the blue stone in the staff glowed, then stopped. I waited a moment nothing else happened. I shrugged my shoulders and put the book back on the shelf.

  I was getting hungry; I went down to the main floor and sat at the table. food appeared, and I ate. When I had finished, "just out of curiosity let's go look." As I started downstairs to the stable, noises were coming from below. I rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs. There, in the stall stood a black with red tinting, Talon Footed Dragon Horse.

  Chapter twenty-four

  She raised her head from the feed trough as I approached. He nostrils flared as she tasted my scent. The runes in my hand glowed for a moment. She was a big as any warhorse I had ever seen. Muscular but streamlined. She looked fast standing still.

  She came and stuck her head over the fence, putting her head in my chest. I scratched behind her ears. She gave a contented rumble. Like a cat would, if the cat weighed two thousand pounds. I smiled. She looked like the drawing in the book. Her talons were huge. They would take a man down with one swipe and tear a horse to shreds.

  I went to the storage room to get the heavy armor. I'd probably have to change it to make it fit her. What I found was a completely different set of armor. It was a medium weight set. I guess since she was naturally armored this was all she needed, or that was what someone had thought. Mare's armor was gone, put away I suppose. Wherever away was.

  It was good armor but had no runes on it. I gathered it all together and took it through the floor deep into the earth. I found the metals and minerals I needed. I concentrated on the armor. The runes in my hands began to glow and my rings became warm. I held my concentration until the runes stopped glowing and the rings cooled.

  I took the armor back up to the pavilion stable. The armor matched her coloring and scales. "Excellent." The insides of the armor were covered in runes. Harbinger came and put her nose to it she seemed to approve.

  Harbinger had come to my mind unbidden. I guess that was her name. I liked it. She stood still as I put on and adjusted her armor. Her head and face guards fit perfectly around her horns.

  Once I finished, she shook and stretched. She stood on her hind legs and stretched out her front legs, then striking with her talons. She stood back down on all fours, then kicked out with her hind hooves. When she finished she stood still. I guess she approved of the fit.

  I opened the wall curtain and walked her out into the earth. She moved as if she did this every day. I took her up to the surface and led her around a minute then mounted her. We rode around a bit; I let her get used to me. We moved to a trot, then I gave her, her head. She took off at a full gallop. Reading the words "fast and quick" in the description in a book was nothing compared to riding her when it happened.

  I rode her around for a while then stopped her. I slowly lowered us into the earth. She stayed calm. We went back to the pavilion and came up through the floor. She was not shy about anything. I took off her armor and brushed her hair and scrubbed her scales. She enjoyed the attention.

  I decided I needed to change my whole appearance. I needed a new heavy set of dragon armor to match hers. "I need a set of heavy armor to match Harbinger's." I said out loud to the pavilion. Nothing happened. I'd look around for it when I finished with Harbinger.

  I made sure she had food and water, and I went upstairs to eat. There was always plenty of food on the table. So far everything had been good. When I finished, I went to my bedchamber. There I found a set of Dragon Armor standing in the corner. And it matched Harbinger's armor. It was not heavy armor it was more of a medium armor. Which I liked better, and it weighed no more than my light armor.

  The helm was a horned dragon face made of black dragon glass. It looked a lot like Harbinger's face. I could see through the dragon glass, so I lost no visibility with the helmet design.

  I looked inside it was covered in runes. I changed into it. It fit perfectly. There was no binding, and it didn't slow any of my movements. My shield's sigil was a Rampant Dragon. It was also on my banner. This was the new look of Captain Sir Elijah Drake.

  ✽✽✽

  I dressed Harbinger in her armor and took her up top. I closed the pavilion and put the book in my pouch. We dropped into the earth and fast-travelled to the place I left Prince Kade. We flew along under until we caught up with him and the companies. They had caught up with the army and once again set as their rear guard.

  Since Sir Draugur was dead, I needed a new guise, at least for a while. I made my hair darker with a close-trimmed beard. A scar that ran from my forehead over my right eye, and down past my mouth. I made my right eye white but could still see out of it. I made my face look similar to my old friend Dane the guard from the guild. The girls always said he was handsome. The hair close to my scar, I made white. I put light burn scars on my left hand. Lastly, I made my voice deeper.

  As I was checking everything, I realized this was not an illusion. This new look was real. Ok, whatever works, this is actually better. No need to worry about how close people got and possibly seeing through the guise.

  The companies had stopped for the day and set up their rearguard position on the road. Once it
got darker, we rose between the Command Wagon and my old wagon. I took off my helm and started taking Harbinger's armor off. Prince Kade walked up to us and looked at us.

  "I like the look Captain Drake."

  I smiled, "How did you know?"

  "Who else would be out here unsaddling a warhorse?" I had to laugh.

  "Have you eaten?" He asked.

  "Not yet."

  "Let's go get something, so the companies see Captain, Sir Elijah Drake with me."

  I nodded, "good idea."

  We got our food and returned to the Command Wagon. We talked over dinner. "We move up tomorrow. The leading element has reached Vigil Castle." Kade said. "We'll be acting as right flank rear guard, and reserve."

  "I would have thought they would have placed you in a more honorable position."

  He shook his head. "My brother, the Crown Prince, is jealous. I have actually served in the army. He doesn't want me near the front. Like that hurts my feelings. He's afraid I may steal his glory."

  "I wonder if he'll feel the same when the killing starts."

  "Who knows, he has his own idea of how things should be. Reality has no bearing on them."

  There was a commotion on our perimeter. One of our men came running up, "the King approaches." The runner faded away back into the darkness.

  We stood and waited for the King. When the King arrived, the Crown Prince, and the Princess were with him. His personal guards were also there.

  We bowed, "Sire."

  "Have you seen him?" the King was agitated.

  "I have not." Prince Kade answered.

  "You believe he is dead then?"

  "I do, if he was coming back, he would have by now."

  I was watching Maddie out of the corner of my eye. She was looking intently at me, I could tell she was suspicious.

  Maddie stepped forward, "Brother introduce us to your Knight."