God Mage

by D. W. Jackson

  Chapter 18

  The next morning, they started walking as soon as they noticed the Brotherhood’s campfire starting to dwindle. No one was looking forward to walking through the glass dunes again but with little choice, they quickly gathered up their gear and started their march. After they had been walking for more than three hours, the sky started to lighten, and the ground started to become more solid. Soon they were no longer walking on glass but on solid earth. Initially, it felt great to have solid ground beneath their feet again, but it didn’t take long for the small slivers of glass to start digging farther into their feet as they pounded solidly against the ground.

  Bren could hear the moans of pain coming from his friends, but there was little he could do about it. The magical energy that had filled their air thinned a bit but it was still far stronger than Bren was sure that he could handle, and he had learned better than to tempt fate.

  As they crested a large hill, Bren got his first glimpse of the large mountain they had been searching for, and at the base of the mountain was what appeared to be a village, though it was hard to be sure from their distance.

  “Finally, civilization,” Brenda said nearly squalling.

  With the sky opened up, they could once again see the sky, and by the time the sun set, they were still half a day’s walk from the mountain village. Tired and with bleeding feet, Cass called everyone to a stop for camp.

  Even though they were out of the glass desert, everything they owned was still covered in glittering glass slivers that were impossible to dislodge. Cass and the others spent the first hour of camp using steel needles to dig out the slivers imbedded in their flesh as best they could, but Bren was sure that it would take over a week of constant digging to get every last one free. If only he had the use of his magic, he could use it to make their flesh push them out as it healed. If it was wood or metal he could just pull them out, but since it was glass, he would have to use their bodies to push them out. In the end, Bren’s thought process was meaningless as he still couldn’t risk using magic.

  Even though they were all tired, no one went straight to bed. Knowing that a city was only miles away had them all excited like children the day before a large festival. With none of the Brotherhood soldiers in sight, Cass felt safe enough to allow them to build a larger fire to help stave off the cool night air, and they gathered around it talking for the first time in a long while.

  Bren remained quiet and listened as the others talked. He was never much for idle banter, but he did enjoy listening as he watched the others. Faye took a seat right next to him, pulling his arm snugly over her shoulder. Bren noticed that Phena had done the same thing with Cass and even Brenda looked to be enjoying herself with Jin. Lillian and Shariel were the only two who seemed to be alone, though many of the guards were doing their best to impress them. Bren knew that spending time with others was the only real way to get to know them, but it was not the best way to find a lover, or so his sword instructor had said, but given what they had gone through, Bren was not going to bring that up, not now at least.

  As they sat around the fire and talked, Avalanche stood and gave a large bellowing howl. Everyone grabbed their weapons and searched the darkness for any signs of life. It wasn’t long before Bren felt someone using magic. He looked toward the source but saw only darkness, but it was darkness that seemed out of place. “Over there,” Bren said, pointing to where he felt the mage.

  Bren’s word was all Hayao needed as he pulled his bow from his back and fired his only three remaining arrows into the abnormal darkness. The wood shafts disappeared but they all heard the screams of whoever was on the receiving end of them.

  As the scream died down the veil of darkness fell and Bren noticed two things. The first was more than a hundred Brotherhood soldiers were staring them in the eye. The other was the Brotherhood mage, whose face was pale white and his eyes an off shade of pink. The mage looked like a mad dog as he started to growl and yell as he foamed at the mouth.

  “I thought they couldn’t use magic,” Cass said, holding his sword in front of him as he readied for the impending attack.

  “He couldn’t at least not for long,” Bren said, looking at the mad man. “It has ripped his mind apart.”

  “I see,” Cass said as he watched the mage start to attack his own men.

  One of the soldiers wearing gold trimmed armor calmly beheaded the wild mage and turned his attention back to Bren and the group. “Lay down your weapons and submit to your fate,” he yelled in a bellowing voice that seemed to carry on the wind. “If you do, then all those that are not cursed with demon blood will be allowed to leave this place with their lives.”

  “I don’t think so,” Cass yelled back. “If we were going to do thatthen we would have long ago instead of walking through that god-forsaken desert.

  The soldier reply was a single word as he pointed his sword toward Cass. “Charge!”

  The Brotherhood rushed them like a flood. Bren tried to stay close to Faye as he fought, but it didn’t take long for everyone to become separated as they fought to survive. As Bren ducked one blade, another came in before he could respond with his own attack. It was all he could do to block, giving him little no chance of attacking.

  Something hit Bren from behind, and while he felt no pain, he did find himself laying on his back in an awkward position just in time to see a large double bladed axe headed straight for his head, while his sword was down by his side. He tried to get it up to defend but he knew that it was useless. When the blade was only inches from his face, the soldier wielding it was knocked to the side by an unseen force. “Faye?” Bren asked in a shocked tone.

  “Who else?” a soft voice said as Bren felt someone grab his hand and pull him up just as another soldier tried to attack.

  “Are you okay?” Bren asked as he ducked under a blow and gutted the attacker.

  “I feel fine,” Faye responded from somewhere to his left. He was worried about her using magic, especially considering what he had happened to the Brotherhood mage, but with so many swords aimed at him, he didn’t have much time to check on her.

  You know as much as I enjoy your dancing around you could use me from time to time. I do get bored just watching you jump about as if someone put hot coals down your trousers.

  Thuraman’s words came to his mind just as the staff appeared in his hand. Bren extended the staff hitting the nearest soldier in the gut and throwing him back with a loud pop. With both his staff and sword in hand Bren felt a little off balance but after a few strikes, it almost became a dance to him. He would block with his sword then attack with the staff. He was right-handed, making his sword arm just slightly faster and more accurate, and while he knew attacking was important, blocking the blades aimed to take his life seemed the more pressing matter.

  As skilled as they were, the Brotherhood was skilled as well, and they were outnumbered seven to one. Bren was holding his own for a bit, with Faye jumping in to help when more than one came at him at a time. The longer the battle raged, the more and more soldiers surrounded him, making it hard for him to keep pace. A few blades tore through his clothes and hit his skin, but none of them had made a scratch on his person, but at the rate things were going, it was only a matter of time.

  One of the soldiers lunged forward awkwardly and Bren easily sidestepped the blow and on habit dealt the falling man a downward blow. The blade cut deep into the man’s back but Bren took a sharp blow to his exposed side. The blade dug into his skin, cutting a fine line just above his hip. Bren didn’t feel much pain, but he could feel the blood dripping down his side.

  The wound didn’t hinder him much at first, but within a few moments, Bren started to grow light headed. Dropping down to one knee, Bren parried another blow, but his arm was coming up slower with each continuous strike. After the third blow, Bren lost hold of his sword hilt and it flew into the distance. Sitting on his backside, Bren looked up to see six soldiers gathered around him with fierce smiles on their face
. Bren gave them a smile, and waited for the finishing strike.

  Just as one of the men raised his sword a black piece of wood seemed to appear from his chest. The man looked down and weakly took hold of the shaft sticking out of his chest before his sword rolled out of his hand landing beside Bren.

  Bren quickly grabbed the sword but he had little strength left in his body to use it for more than blocking. A few soldiers came at him, but most of them started screaming and moving off behind where he sat. With most the soldier’s attention elsewhere, Bren mustered what little strength he had left and forced himself to his feet as one of the soldiers made a strike at his head. Bren parried the blow and answered back with a backhanded blow that sent the soldiers head flying from his shoulders.

  Limping, Bren moved toward the next soldier, but the man was felled by an arrow before Bren could reach him. Bren weakly brought up his borrowed sword and looked for the next attacker but found that the whole area was filled with the bodies of soldiers, and most of them had the familiar black shafts sticking out of their body.

  Bren looked around and found that two of the guards had been slain, and Cass had taken a large wound, and his left arm looked as if it was just hanging on by a thread. Bren tried to move over to him but his own wound sapped his strength.

  Dropping down to one knee again, Bren tried to get back to his feet, but his hand kept slipping. As she slumped forward, Faye was there, pushing herself under his arm and helped him to his feet.

  Once he was standing, Faye handed him his black bladed sword. Bren tried to thank her but his words came out slurred and incomprehensible. “Help,” Bren said to Thuraman. As soon as the words left his mouth, the pain subsided, but his head was still light and his body weak.

  Before Bren could say anything to Faye a billowing cloud of grey smoke surrounded them. Once again, Bren could feel magic being used, and he tightened his grip on his sword, though he still risked dropping it with every step.

  Just as quickly as the smoke billowed in, it left, though when it left, it was replaced by numerous black-clad people, none of whom looked too pleased. Bren forced himself upright, but as soon as he stood, he nearly buckled as his legs started to give out.

  “This is not the place for your kind,” one of the men said loudly as he raised his bow and pointed a deadly looking arrow at Bren.

  Bren tried to think of something to say, but his mind was too fuzzy to form anything like a coherent thought. Luckily, Hayao was not so hindered. “We understand your duty to protect the hidden valley, but we have come to meet with your elders and to seek rite of passage into the valley of the gods.”

  Though Bren couldn’t see the other man’s face, he clearly noticed his eyes narrowing dangerously, but he did lower his bow. “Come with me,” was all the man said before he turned and walked back into the darkness.

  Bren started to comment that he was in no condition to walk, but one of the dark clad soldiers walked up to him and pressed something cold against his wound, and almost instantly the blood stopped, and the wound started to close. As the wound healed, Bren could feel magic being used once again. It was irritating to know that these people could use magic when he couldn’t. In that moment, all he wanted was to know how they had done it.

  After they had gone less than a mile, Bren and the others found horses waiting on them. They took the offered horses. As soon as they were mounted, one of the men approached Hayao and pulled down the thin layer of cloth that covered his mouth. “Ride due east until you reach the village. Any detour and you will find yourself in an extended stay in the afterlife.”

  Hayao bowed his head and spurred his horse into the darkness. Bren and the others quickly followed his lead and raced after him.

  Though the village was a good walk from where they were camped, on horseback it took less than two hours to reach the edge of the village. When they arrived, a host of more black-clad soldiers greeted them. They were ordered to disarm and dismount, and then led to a large building in the center of the village. They were marched inside where they found that their quarters for the night would be small rooms surrounded by iron.

  “Where is Cass?” Bren asked as he was pushed inside the small cell. He hadn’t seen his friend since they had arrived in town. While his own wound had been mostly healed back at the camp, Cass’s seemed a bit worse, and only the blood loss had been stanched.

  “Do not worry, my friend,” Hayao said from the cell next to his. “He will be well taken care of. In the morning we will be taken to see the elders of the village, and if all goes well, we will be given more…accommodating quarters.”

  “Then let us hope that it goes well,” Bren said, slumping onto the hard cold mat that was meant to be his bed for the night. He didn’t like the idea of not knowing where Cass was, but he had little choice in the matter.

  It had been the first time since he had become king that he had been without his sword and staff or the company of Cass. Having to do without one of them might not have left him feeling so vulnerable, but with all three gone, he felt like a newborn babe in the middle of a storm. With little choice, Bren closed his eyes and fell into an uneasy sleep.

  Chapter 19

  Bren woke the next morning when someone opened the door to his cell. The sound of metal on metal set his nerves on end. “Come with us,” the man said. Bren thought about refusing, but he noticed that Hayao was already with them and decided it was best to comply. Anyway, it was better than staying in his cell.

  Hayao and Bren were led to the far edge of the village. Carved into the very face of the mountain was a large building. The inside didn’t really feel like cave as all the walls were covered in much the same style as any other house. They were led directly to a large circular room in the center of the building.

  Unlike the other villages where there had been four elders, this time only one elder man sat in the room.

  “It has been years since we have had visitors,” the elder said once their escorts had left and closed the door. “Sorry for the treatment, but you must understand that we have our duties to attend to, and with so few visitors, we do not have a proper inn. Now, would you mind telling me why you have come to our part of the world? I can’t believe it is for our food…though it is well worth the trip,” the old man added with a chuckle.

  Bren stepped forward and gave the elder a low bow. “I am Bren Torin. I have come to seek entrance into the valley of the gods,” Bren said, deciding the best choice was to get right to the point.

  “Well, Sir Torin, I am Ren Chido,” the old man said giving his head a slight nod. “I cannot show you to the valley as I have never been there myself, but I can show you the door to it. Many of the villages that send their children here believe we are to guard the valley, but that is only partially true. We were placed here to protect those who come here in search of the valley. Many…many centuries ago, long before the time of the Fae War, mages used to come here in search of the beginning of all magic. None who entered through the door, have ever came back with their sanity intact, so we were placed here to warn all those who came and to care for those who returned, though legends say they were few. The door has laid dormant—unopened for my entire time here, but we will hold true to our role. You many enter but beware of what lies beyond.”

  “Must I go unaccompanied?” Bren asked hesitantly.

  “While most mages did go alone,” the elder said haltingly, “Some did take people with them, and if records hold true, they fared better than the mages themselves.”

  “So I may take others with me?” Bren asked again.

  “Yes, but I ask that you pass on the warning I have given you about the dangers that lie beyond,” the elder said with a slight sigh.

  Bren turned toward the door to the elders room but turned back just before he exited. “One more thing,” Bren said turning back toward Ren. “How did your people use magic? I tried and I was almost overcome by it when we first entered the Deadlands.”

  The elder gave a hearty laug
h. “It is true that the magic out in the Deadlands is wild and untamable, but there are other ways to get magical energy. While one cannot use the magic outside they can still pull it from gems.”

  “I see,” Bren said feelings slightly foolish. Of course, it had to be something simple. That was the same reason that Faye could use her powers. She didn’t pull in magical energy, hers was completely internal, so she was unaffected. Gems by nature were crystallized magic and absorbed magical energy from the area slowly, so one could pull energy from them without having to worry about being overtaken.

  Their escorts were waiting for them outside the building. As they walked the roads, Bren thought for a moment that they were being led back to the prison, but instead they turned down a side road and were taken to a rather large house that looked as if it had been built a century ago. As they entered, large clouds of dust billowed around, causing Hayao to sneeze.

  Inside they found a host of women with long dusters cleaning. “Sorry lords. This building hasn’t been used in a long time, and we have had little time to clean it,” one of the ladies said, bowing over and over.

  “I see why they had us sleep in the dungeon,” Bren said with a slight laugh before turning back to the woman who was apologizing. “Miss, it is fine,” Bren said, bowing himself. “It is not as if you knew that we were coming.”

  Bren was led to a room in the northeast corner of the building. The room had a large four post bed that looked like it hadn’t been used since before he was born, but he did find all his effects waiting on him. He never knew how much he relied on his sword and staff, but now that he had them back, he felt much more relaxed.

  “I see you’re already settled in,” Faye said from the doorway. “We’re going to help the ladies clean, want to join us?”

  “Cleaning sounds fun,” Bren said, looking around at the thick layer of dust gaining him a punch and dirty look from Faye. “Honestly, I would, but I want to see how Cass is doing. That wound was pretty serious the other night.”