by Xander Jade
"The duo of Max and Reaper was unlike anyone we’ve ever seen," Sir Nathan reverently commented. "It was like they knew what each other was doing before it happened. I can only imagine what will happen now that the kodiak is involved,"
Gordon shook his head thinking how his courteous and polite friend could be a killer. They sat there reminiscing about other things for about an hour and then went off to bed.
***
It was a beautiful day, green fields, birds chirping, and it seemed that nobody was around for miles. Max was ecstatic to be going home for some needed rest. His crew, if you called it that, was following him. This is where he belonged, not in any city or town, only in the wilderness with the wind blowing fresh air in their faces.
I took a deep breath and thought my parents were going to freak out when Herc was introduced and smiled, maybe it's time to go out on my own. I know of a good place to put down my roots. Looking at my two furry friends I asked, "Hey guys, we're probably going to be kicked out of my house. I know a place we can probably fix up in the woods. Probably better for you guys anyway. Sound good?"
They grunted and I assumed that meant yes, so I kept walking. It's been weird the last few days, a battle, meeting princesses, finding a kodiak, and meeting up with a mage that's been looking for me. Most people don't have that kind of excitement their whole lives. Knowing I should feel privileged to meet those people; I do actually, but if I never see them again, it will be too soon. They were a little intense, Sir John especially. I would have loved to give him a good lesson in humility, but shook my head from those thoughts and concentrated on our goal at the moment, deciding to make a detour to hopefully my new abode.
"What are you thinking about, Max?" Cassie asked. "You've been quiet today."
"Nothing really, just trying to think about the future. It's about time I went out on my own anyway, so we're making a change in our plans. We're going to head in the direction of the house I was talking about. You're welcome to come with us if you want."
"That's very thoughtful of you, I would like that very much. Also, I can help with the house."
"Are you certain that I have magic in me?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, you do. You have a massive mana pool. I don't know how long you can sustain spells, but they will be powerful."
I pondered on that, but still couldn't grasp the concept that I had magic. "Will you help me, I have no idea how to make it work."
"Of course silly, I'm here for your protection and guidance. The more you learn to defend yourself then the better off you'll be," she said. I nodded and looked ahead in the meadow.
"Tell me about yourself. I really don't know anything about you and know you were guarded when we were around the Whitehurst group, as was I. If we're going to spend some time together, then it's not too much to ask."
She stared at him for a few moments and agreed. They talked about her childhood and growing up in her village. She went on about how different it was back then. I was confused but didn't want to interrupt her story. She told me about her family and how she learned her magic. We talked for a couple of hours, when she stopped talking I asked about her confusing statement.
"What did you mean about back then?" She looked at him brows furrowed, "Hmmm...I suppose it's time for you to know what I am."
"What does that mean?"
"I'm not what you think. Umm...I'm not completely human and way older than you think," she reluctantly told him.
Hesitating I asked, "What are you then?"
"Some might call me a lightning mage," she took a deep breath and continued, "This is harder than I thought. ... I'm a hasradula or radula as some call me. It means bird of lightning and thunder." She looked at me nervously for some reason. I didn't get what she was saying, and by the look she was giving me, she knew it.
Cassie sighed, "I guess I'm going to have to show you."
I shrugged and she told me to stay where I was while she stepped back and undressed. She stared at me for a few moments, then her body started changing. My eyes widened as she was changing into what looked like feathers. I heard some bones snap and looked to see her arms started forming wings. Dumbstruck, my mouth opened and shut as her transformation finished. She was a beautiful pale blue, her feathers were long on her wings, and shorter ones all over her body. Her intelligent eyes were a deep ocean blue with lightning streaks going through them, the air started crackling while lightning was rolling over her body. It was awe inspiring, but also intimidating at the same time.
She was about 15 ft long including her tail with a 10 ft wing span. Standing on her feet she stood over 10 ft. I inched forward with my hand, hesitantly laying on her head. As she bent down, I scratched behind her ears and she chirped, evidently she liked it. Cassie backed up, crouched, and took off. She flew off high in the sky and circled around the area for a few minutes. She launched lightning at a pile of cut down trees and limbs, after the dust and smoke cleared there wasn't anything except ash left. Whoa! Damn, that was amazing!
She flew around for a few minutes and came back to land where I was sitting against a tree watching her. It was an awesome sight to watch. Her body started changing again back to her human form and I got up to walked over to her, she looked nervous again.
"That was magnificent! How did you do that?" I bellowed in awe.
She blushed and said, "My magic lets me transform and can do spells when in human form. You're not repulsed by my other form?" She gathered up her clothes and got dressed again.
"No, why would I be? That's awesome that you can do that. Actually, I'm kind of envious."
She smiled and her face was red again. I guess she thought I was going to have a different reaction and began wondering what it would be like to change into another form. That could be awesome if I could change into Reap or Herc. It would definitely freak some people out. Having a power like that could come in handy if you're trying to scout. "Does that form give off a magical presence of some sort? Like a beacon?"
"If they are constantly scanning for it. Why?" She responded without hesitation.
"I was thinking about it being an advantage for scouting purposes."
"Hmmm...Yes, I can see that coming in handy."
They began walking again toward their destination, stopping only to eat and rest. Reap and Herc didn’t seem to mind being out here, although not much would bother them anyway. After two days of travel they came upon the cabin they were looking for. The group walked up to the outskirts and inspected around the area to make sure the lot was empty. When they were satisfied, Max and Cassie went inside to see how the shape of the cabin was. It wasn’t a five star inn, but it would accommodate them. Cassie looked around, checking the rooms for any stragglers. She walked back out waiting for his lead.
"I know it’s not extravagant, but I believe we can make it livable. What do you think?"
"It needs repairs, but it will do. Do you know how long it’s been empty?"
"Five years, my grandfather used to live here before he passed."
She responded with, "I’m sorry, but I have to say, it appears to be in a location that is defendable. We will need to make sure since the elves, amazons, and the dwarves aren’t far away. I hope you considered this before you made your decision."
I nodded and advised, "We will have to make sure we don’t go on their lands and will have to get a garden started soon for the fall harvest. I would like to put some herbs in the ground too. If we need to come up with some healing potions or poultices, we can make our own."
This made her curious, "Why would you want to do that?"
"We’re going to investigate those kidnappings you told me about. The quicker we can find them the better."
"What? Why would you put yourself in that position? It’s not your responsibility."
"At this point, I’m not sure who will do anything about them. We may be the only people concerned about this matter," I responded and she nodded slowly.
"Okay, but we're going
to need to work on your magic. I need to see what’s blocking it," Cassie explained. I nodded and told her to get some rest so we can leave at first light.
Chapter Twelve
Ladies Cori, Estelle, and Shea were out on the balcony on the top floor of the castle. The rooms that were allocated to them were overlooking the gardens and barracks. Knights, guards, and archers were out training, while some were issuing out challenges and duels. The ladies were intrigued and intently watched. Blake Ackley was sparring with others, and they noticed he was winning most of their mock duels. Cori sighed and said, "Does he always have to be a jerk?"
Shea grunted, "Always, it seems. You would think he is untouchable by the way he acts."
Cori scoffed, "Why are we watching this anyway? This is boring, and I would rather be somewhere else right now."
Shea didn’t respond immediately; she was too busy in her own thoughts to worry about watching some sweaty men. The past couple of days were demanding and hectic. Meeting after meeting was getting tiring and tedious. The discussions were fifty percent disputes or complaints and fifty percent about upcoming celebrations. She was looking forward to some rest and relaxation.
"Where would you rather be at the moment?" Shea asked.
"Well, let’s see. Riding my horse, walking around the town, or shopping. I’m having issues with cabin fever and need some outside time," Cori itemized with her dainty fingers.
"Duke Ackley doesn’t want us to go out alone. Besides, he is supposed to come talk to us today about what transpired in his discussions with the king," Shea advised them as she went and sat in a chair.
"Are we telling the Ackley’s about her visions?" Cori whispered her question in her ear.
Shea didn’t know what to believe. If Cassie was right then the whole kingdom needs to know, and quickly. She carefully considered her answer, "I think we need to wait and tell the king first. We don’t want to have panic in the kingdom, especially if it’s not true. We will have to be wary about who to trust as well." Cori nodded and at that moment a knock at the door was heard. They opened the door and found a servant on the other side.
"Ladies, Duke Ackley requests your presence in the Main Hall," he stated and left. They glanced at each other and followed him. The ladies were led to some double doors and were let in immediately. Inside the room was Duke Ackley, Sir Nathan, and Gordon. They looked uneasy, but put a strained smile on. They all bowed at the ladies entrance.
Duke Ackley cleared his throat then spoke, "Your Highnesses, and lady, thank you for coming. Please have a seat, we have news to share with you. First, how are you ladies coping with the living arrangements? I hope to your satisfaction."
"It has, Your Grace. They are splendid. We are excited to be part of your celebration," Estelle stated while the others nodded.
"Splendid, I am looking forward to the festivities myself. I called you in here to relay some information from the king. He was relieved and happy to hear of your arrival here, at least until I told him what happened. King William was outraged to hear of the ambush and the deaths of his men. I continued telling the events as it occurred, but when it was asked who saved you, he wanted to know who it was. I advised his name, but didn’t tell him where he was from. He wanted to know all the details of the ambush and how he saved the caravan. When the subject of the creature that was involved came up, I told him of the siba. He didn’t talk for at least five minutes. I thought something happened to the connection, but he just told me he needed to get High Mage Edward involved. He dropped the connection and we are waiting for him to contact us again. I don’t know what will be decided upon, but I assume we will have to repeat our earlier discussion.
"Your Grace, do you need anything from us?" Shea asked pondering what the King will do going forward.
The Duke thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "No milady, just anxious to hear what the king decides to do. He may not do anything at the moment, but I’m waiting for his orders."
The group was silent for a few minutes in their own thoughts when a guard knocked on the door and came in. "Your Grace, the king requests your presence on the mage relay." Duke Ackley nodded and left immediately followed by Gordon. The ladies were nervous, although there isn’t anything that can be done at the moment.
"We just need to take a deep breath, and concentrate on the upcoming celebration," Estelle wistfully stated. "The other nobles should be arriving shortly. It’s going to be great!"
Shea and Cori glanced at her, shook their heads and chuckled. She was right, they needed to calm down. "Who cares about that? Just thinking about talking and dancing with those peacocks makes my blood boil," Cori seethed.
Shea smiled and chuckled, "Calm down Cori. You just have to grin and bear it. We have to make an appearance for Duke Ackley and Blake."
Cori groaned and stuck a finger in her mouth to make herself look like she was gagging. Sir Nathan laughed and looked out the window at the beautiful gardens. He couldn’t wait to get back to Whitehurst, and maybe back to a normal routine. The celebration was tomorrow, and hopefully they could be on their way the next couple of days. It all depended upon what the king commanded. Duke Ackley didn’t come back, so they left and went to get something to eat then relax on the balcony that connected their rooms. After lunch, the group went to the market to shop for trinkets. They were gone for quite some time, dinner was ready when they arrived back in their rooms around sunset. The ladies and knight were summoned to meet the hosts in the Great Hall where the Ackley’s were already seated when the group showed, and offered greetings to each other. The servants brought out the courses of the meal and conversation was sparse during this time. The meal consisted of two types of meat: fish and pork, vegetables of all kinds, fresh fruit, bread, wine, and ale. When the meal was done, the discussions started up.
Gordon sipped at his ale and chatted about the upcoming festivities. "Are you ladies excited about the ball tomorrow night? I’m hearing some of the rambunctious noblemen can’t wait to dance with you three," he chuckled.
"Gordon Ackley, you will behave yourself young man!" Lady Ackley chastised him. She looked at the three beautiful young ladies around the table. "Pardon my less than respectful son everyone. His tongue has a mind of its own."
The ladies giggled and said it wasn’t anything disrespectful. "We are looking forward to the induction of the heir apparent and the festivities, Lady Ackley," Shea snickered as Cori grumbled at her opinion.
"Princess Corisande, what is your outlook? Are you looking forward to the merriments?" Blake asked while smiling. Everyone looked at her, waiting for an answer. She wanted to tell them this was a waste of time, but held her tongue and nodded.
Estelle spoke up hastily, "I’m looking forward to them, Sir Blake. It will be a magnificent event!" She looked at him waiting for his response. "It most certainly will be, Princess Estelle. Everyone will know of my status!!" Blake bellowed.
"No doubt because of your benevolence and love for the people of our kingdom. I can’t wait to hear of your plans to better defend and protect our people," Gordon sarcastically stated as he furrowed his brow at his brother. "The generosity that you’ve shown in the past is breathtaking brother." Cori snickered and Blake flushed with anger at his brother’s comments.
"You know nothing about running a duchy brother. It takes someone with strong mental discipline. Someone with a firm grasp over his people," Blake ground out with clenched fists. Lord and Lady Ackley glanced at their son concerned with his statements.
"Ah, so we are to bow down to you, is that it brother?" Gordon asked with everyone waiting for his answer. The Ackley’s were especially interested.
"No-No I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant that we have to make sure that the duchy is taken care of," he quickly stammered out his reply. Gordon smirked at his answer, but didn’t respond.
"Can we discuss something else, please?" Lady Ackley requested.
"Has anyone heard anything from Max?" Cori asked innocently.
Gordon’s brows rose as he observed his brother, "Obviously, you don’t with that comment," he gazed at Cori then softly replied, "No Your Highness, I’ve had our guards looking out for any sign of him. As of right now, no information has been brought to my attention." Cori slumped in her chair at his answer.
"I’ve only heard of his name in passing. Who is this Max, I keep hearing about?" Lady Ackley requested as she glanced around the table. No one wanted to speak up at first, but Duke Ackley calmly retorted, "At this point my dear, not much can be said due to events he was involved in. What would you like to know?"
"Well, where does he come from? Why is it that every time his name comes up, you can’t say due to some secret?" Lady Ackley questioned.
He thought about his response and carefully advised, "My dear, I can’t say because the king forbade any discussions about him outside the circle that already knows of his status. I can tell you that he is the one that rescued the Whitehurst caravan when it was ambushed." Lady Ackley folded her arms across her chest letting him know she wasn’t accepting his answer. He sighed and took a deep breath before he spoke, "I was going to wait till after the festivities before I brought up this discussion." He scanned the group and leaned forward placing his hands on top of the table.
"No one inside this room will speak of anything that is discussed. Are we clear?" The duke emphasized. They nodded and he continued, "I have been in conferences with the king and high mage several times today. It was brought to my attention that raids and infiltrations have gotten worse all over the kingdom. Not just orcs, but ghouls, vamps, goblins, harpies, and even the undead have been spotted," he noticed the shocked faces, but kept going, "High Mage Edward adamantly states that a darkness is coming, not one seen in centuries. The king is about to call the dukes and barons to the palace. We are to have open discussions about defense and resistance against the factions that are rising up against the kingdom." The table was silent, each other in their own thoughts until Lady Ackley spoke up.