Soulguard

by Christopher Woods

  “Colin,” she said, “There is a seat outside Gregor’s office. They’re having a meeting at the moment and you can wait it out there if you want.”

  “Ok”

  I headed down the hallway and found a comfortable looking chair outside of Gregor’s office. I sat as I heard several voices from behind his door.

  “If we leave him here, the Archmage will find some way to get at him,” I heard Nora’s voice say.

  “I’m not so sure the lad is the one I’d be worried about,” came the voice of Flynn. “Ye may be worried about the health of the wrong Mage. E’s welcome to come back to Scotland wit me.”

  “I don’t think he needs to be in the Academy any longer, anyway,” Gregor said, “He’s taught us more in the last three or four months than we’ve taught him. I say we graduate him and send him to a post. Maybe killing Demons will keep him out of trouble for a while.”

  “I have to agree. We’ve been looking at sending him to Knoxville. We need to address some of the problems there and he should be good for the place,” Nora said, “The Council will accept it, since it’s the, supposed, worst posting. But Kharl has been arranging for some of the best Guards to be sent there, just for this.”

  “It looks like ye got tings well in ‘and,” Flynn said, “I’m not lyin when I say the lad scares the bejesus outta me. I can’t ‘elp but think there’s someting more to ‘im than just bein a Mage.”

  “There is,” Gregor and Nora returned at the same time.

  “Tien says he’s a Soullord,” Gregor said.

  “Bloody ‘ell! If the boy’s a Soullord, then the Archmage better not try to take ‘im on. I’ve ‘eard things from me ancestors about Soullords. They can wield much more power than Mages can. Looks can be decievin, The lad’s much stronger than ye think ‘e is. Much stronger than ‘e knows ‘imself.”

  “He’s supposed to be here by now, I’d say he’s outside. I need to give him the news and settle his pay,” Gregor said, “If you don’t mind, I’ll talk to you later, Flynn. I want to know what you know about this Soullord thing.”

  “No problem, Greg, I’m ‘ere for another week before I leave.”

  “Well,” Nora said, “Let’s get out of here and let Greg do his thing. Lord, I hope he does all right in Knoxville.”

  “He’ll do what he thinks is right,” was Gregor’s response, “That’s something we can always depend on. Jaegher hammered that sense of right and wrong into that kid from the day he was born. He doesn’t know any other way to be.”

  “Tis the way ‘e should be. The way we all should be,” Flynn returned.

  The door opened and I tried to look as innocent as I could, but Nora chuckled and said, “I’ve seen that look too many times to be fooled, young man. Eavesdropping, were you?”

  “I would never...”

  “You don’t lie very convincingly, either,” she said, “Gregor is ready for you.”

  I stood up and entered his office. Flynn had held the door open and nodded at me as I passed. He pulled the door shut behind me, leaving me with Gregor.

  Gregor smiled, “Well, Colin, since the Council couldn’t hang you, we’re gonna promote you instead. We usually have a ceremony for graduation but no one has ever graduated in less than a year, we’re just gonna skip that part. Will that be a problem for you?”

  “No sir, I hate ceremonies anyway.”

  “Good,” He relaxed in his chair, “We’re sending you to Knoxville, Tennessee. I’m sure you’ve heard it’s a sorry post, but it really isn’t. The Council thinks it’s a lousy post for Mages, because the Guards there really don’t like inept Mages. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in, considering how you feel about inept Mages,”

  I laughed, “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Sure, keep telling yourself that,” he returned, “By my calculations, we owe you ten months of trainee pay. But we decided, after the innovations you’ve taught everyone here, that we will pay you as a posted Mage while you were here. It’s not as much as you deserve, but it will show, at least, some appreciation on the part of the Academy.”

  He handed me a large envelope, “This has your check and your written and signed orders to report to the Guard post in Knoxville. The address is in there and you have two weeks to get there. You can hitch a ride on the Guard jet, but you would have to leave today if you use it. There are ten Guards being sent to Knoxville today and a new Guard Captain. I think you’ve met him, Rictor Hughes.”

  “There are also a set of orders for the Mage Captain in Knoxville that I’m not very happy with. But the Council has the right to do it, so I have to let it go.”

  I looked at him worriedly and he sighed, “They are recalling the Mage Captain and three Mages for ‘retraining’. This leaves you as the most powerful Mage in Knoxville. Which also means, you are left in charge as the acting Mage Captain. Rank in the Mages is rated by power, not experience, as you well know.”

  “That’s a lot for a new recruit to handle, so try to work things the best that you can. They probably look for you to make mistakes that they can penalize you for. For some reason, the whole Council dislikes you greatly. It might be because you made them all look like fools in front of one of the most respected Mages in the world. Personally I don’t think they needed help looking like fools but there is always someone else to blame, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I think I do.”

  “Good luck, Colin, and remember, you’ve made quite a few Mages very proud and we’ll be doing what we can to help you. And the Guard will always back you. Never underestimate what that support means.”

  “I understand, Sir.”

  “Go spread your news, and try not to blow up Tennessee.”

  ***

  “...keep him alive for a year and he’ll be the best you’ve ever seen,” I heard Kharl’s voice as I came around the corner from the elevator into the Dome.

  “I’ll do my best,” Rictor Hughes answered with his back to me. Then he laughed, “This might be fun.”

  He turned to walk off and saw me and greeted me with a smile, “Blown anything up today?”

  “It’s only ten o’clock,” I answered, “I’ve got plenty of time.”

  He snorted and walked on past me, “See you in Knoxville, Colin.”

  “I’ll be there in a few weeks, don’t kill all the Demons before I get there.”

  He laughed again, “There’s plenty to go around, believe me,” He waved as he left the Dome for the elevator.

  “I guess you knew already, huh?” I asked as I turned back to Kharl.

  “Yeah,” He answered, “Been making preparations for the last few weeks. I sent some good Guards there to back you up. Not that I think you can’t do the job, but it will help to have some people you can depend on until you get set. I really didn’t see the move by the Council coming, and it’ll make things harder on you. But I have a feeling you’ll surprise every one of em.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “I’m proud of you, Son. And, no matter what anyone says, if you hold those convictions and morals that you’ve shown here, you’ll always have the loyalty of the Guard. If you need anything at all while you’re there, just holler.”

  “Thanks, that means more than you could know.”

  “I have a present for you as well,” He smiled broadly, “You never once asked what happened to your truck back at Morndel.”

  “I parked close to the gym,” I said sadly, “I didn’t need to ask.”

  He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was a set of keys to a Chevrolet.

  “It’s a few years newer than the last one but I think you’ll like it.”

  Chapter 33

  “It’s all the years he spent being the poor guy at school that did it,” Trent stated as he reached for another roll, “He’s trying to make up for it by destroying everything in the Academy.”

  “There’s just no call for that kind of attitude, Colin,” Mattie said, “
I hope they don’t have too many things in Knoxville he can break.”

  “Hey,” I said, “at least I helped put the targets back after I broke em.”

  “True, but Tien said that they’d been there for forty years without any trouble till you came along,” Trent added.

  “Did you see the size of that tree behind the Barracks?” Mattie asked innocently, “Colin, have you seen that tree? It’s huge and it’s green, with snow on it.”

  The two of them loved to pick on me about anything. Most people avert their eyes when they see me. Mattie and Trent would poke at me for the same things the others were scared of me for.

  I hadn’t spoken to Paige since the day under the tree and I still felt the loss. I wasn’t in love with her or anything, but she’d been my closest friend for the last ten months and it hurt when I had scared her away.

  “Oh, he’s got that look, again,” Mattie said, “Don’t beat yourself up about it Colin, she made her choice and you’ve got to stop blaming yourself. Those guys deserved everything they got and then some.”

  I can always count on Mattie to cut to the chase and she sees things in black and white. There are no greys. They attacked me and failed, they paid the price and now it was over.

  Paige saw all kinds of shades of grey, and she’d seen a part of me I’m not proud of that day. But it is a part of me and that’s what she can’t deal with. I understand better than most because of the skills I have. I’d seen her memory and felt the emotions. She can also look to the future and see that aligning with me puts her in the crosshairs of the Archmage. And he’s a very big gun.

  Mattie would probably slit his throat in his sleep. Black and white. He’s the bad guy. Simple.

  “She doesn’t really have a choice, Mattie,” I returned, “The Archmage is here and she’s here for at least another year. She’s already been targeted twice now because she was with me. The smart thing for her to do is stay as far away from me as possible.”

  “Doesn’t make it right.”

  I couldn’t even argue the point.

  “I bet you can’t wait to get to Knoxville so you can eat some real food,” Trent changed the subject. Trent acts like a clown a lot of the time but he is a smart man and he knew that Paige was a touchy subject for me.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, “This is great. I eat here every day and I love it.”

  “That’s only cause Kyra used battery acid in her food. This is just bulk foods to fill up hungry trainees. You should go to a nice restaurant as soon as you get there, then you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

  “This is the only food you’ve had?” Mattie asked incredulously, “This and Kyra’s food?”

  “Yep, that’s why I eat here three times a day. If I wasn’t a Guard, I’d be fat as a cow. Morndel’s lunch was this good, too.”

  She laughed merrily, “Oh my God.”

  ***

  I stood and looked at the new truck. It was a 2004 Silverado with four doors and Kharl had jacked it up and added the steel on the front and back like my old one. I opened the rear driver door and saw a set of Bose speakers mounted under the seats.

  “Didn’t skimp on the stereo system,” I mumbled in appreciation.

  I placed my bag in the back seat. Everything I owned fit in a single bag. In the field, we don’t have uniforms, exactly. Mostly we try to blend in with the populous. There are some times when we wear a black uniform of sorts, but they are provided at the outpost.

  I’d looked at my check and been astounded. What was I going to do with thirty-five thousand dollars? I guess I could afford to do what Trent said and eat at some restaurants. There is a dormitory at the Knoxville Guard post. It is provided or there is a stipend provided if you want to get something for yourself.

  I shut the truck door and heard a cough behind me. I turned to find Paige standing there. I left my Inner eye closed and walked to her.

  “I’m sorry, Colin, I’m just not strong enough to be who you deserve. But I want you to know I do care about you and I’ll miss you,” she wrapped her arms around me and I held her for a few minutes.

  “I’ll miss you, too. Keep pushing the Mages to learn the new things and I’ll keep in touch. If I come up with some new things I’ll let you know. It’s time for a Mage upgrade, whether they want one or not.”

  She nodded as she stepped away and I climbed into my new truck.

  “Goodbye, Paige,” I said and started the truck. She waved as I pulled out and headed down the dirt road that led back into the mountains and the Academy from one of the state roads.

  It would be a long drive to Tennessee but I’d discovered a new band to break in the new system with, Five Finger Death Punch. With the music pounding in my ears I left the Academy behind.

  Section 3

  Lord

  Chapter 34

  I followed Trent’s advice and the first thing I did when I got to Knoxville was to find a nice restaurant and get a meal. On the way across the country I’d stopped several times at fast food joints. They were awesome. If a regular restaurant was that much better, I knew what my money would probably be spent on.

  I took an exit from I-40 that took me to a road that ran alongside of the interstate. It was called Kingston Pike and there were restaurants all over the place. I decided to try one called Olive Garden. It looked nice and there were a lot of cars in the parking lot.

  Kharl had given me a good bit of cash to last till I got to Tennessee where I could open an account with a local bank with my back pay. I still had three hundred dollars of that money in my pocket.

  As I entered, a pretty girl greeted me, “One in your party?”

  Her eyes strayed to the huge scar that ran down my face. I’d been getting that look since I’d left Montana. It does stand out a bit.

  “Yeah,” I answered.

  Another girl came and led me to a table in the corner, “Someone will be here in a minute.”

  I had gotten a few looks as I followed the girl to the table, but most people didn’t pay attention to me. The few who did averted their eyes when they saw the scar. I wasn’t used to that, everyone at the Academy knew where the scar came from. But it wasn’t a big deal, so I just looked through the menu.

  I had no idea what to try so I asked the waitress when she came to the table and I followed her suggestion of a dinner with steak and chicken cooked on skewers with some potatoes and some kind of squash. She brought breadsticks and a salad out for me to start on and it was awesome.

  That was probably the best thirty dollars I’d ever spent.

  “Come again,” the greeter said as I left.

  “Count on it,” I answered and waved.

  From there, I drove around Knoxville for some time before I found Middlebrook Pike, the road I was looking for. I checked the numbers of the addresses and turned left. Shortly, I came to the one I wanted. It was a two story building off of the road a bit with a lot of cars in the parking lot.

  According to Kharl, most of the Guard post was underground, like at the Academy.

  The name on the building was Spirit Enterprises, and I had to laugh. At least some of the older Mages had to have a sense of humor. It seemed like most of the Mages were too caught up in themselves to have a sense of humor. Gregor, Nora, and Paige were exceptions to the rule. Darrel was better than he was before I got there but he was pretty stuffy.

  Maybe some of the Mages out in the field would be easier to get along with than most of the ones at the Academy. Everyone at the Academy had been running scared of the Archmage.

  I pulled into the parking lot and shut off the truck. The song by Slipknot ended abruptly and my ears were still throbbing. If I wasn’t a Soulguard, I think I would be half deaf by now.

  I stepped out of my truck and walked around to the passenger side to retrieve the envelope from the glove box with my orders. I left my duffel bag in the back until I got settled.

  When I entered the front door a Soulguard who sat behind a desk looked up at me, “Can I he
lp you?”

  “Colin Jaegher, reporting for duty,” I answered, feeling a little off without a uniform on. I’d worn a uniform for the last ten months and regular clothes still felt odd.

  “I’ve also got some orders for the Mage Captain that they sent with me.”

  “We’ve been expecting you,” she said, “The new Guard Captain said you’d be here in the next few days.”

  She was a woman of medium height with brown hair and eyes. She wasn’t beautiful but she was pretty. She stood and extended her hand, “I hear we have you to thank for the new shields, the Captain brought with him.”

  “A few of us put the book together several months ago and I’m glad Rictor brought some. I brought a stack of em with me, just in case.”

  I shook her hand as she said, “I’m Andrea Prada. I got stuck playing receptionist today. Our actual receptionist had an appointment for her kid with a doctor. So let me be the first to say, welcome to Tennessee.”

  I swear, Guards are so much easier to get along with than Mages, “Thanks,” I answered.

  “I’ll call someone to show you to the Mage Captain so you can get the orders settled.”

  “That’d be great.”

  She paged someone named Jacobs and I went to the front windows to look outside. Tennessee is a beautiful state, even in the winter. I had learned to like the whole mountainous look in Montana, and Tennessee had those mountains, except not quite so big. The city was located amidst several ridges and it circled around them. It gave Knoxville an interesting look.

  When Jacobs, a short, stout man with red hair, arrived he looked me over, “You’re the one they say beat the Weapon master with a sword?”

  I nodded, “His brother, Len Yueh, came in later and showed me what a Mageguard can really do though. The man is amazing.”