by Daniel Ruth
“No dwarves,” I muttered to myself. That might have been simpler. I began to walk forward, pushing through the crowd. My size may have been that of a ten-year-old, but I wasn’t. I actually had to be careful not to push too hard. I could tell by the mages’ aura that very few had the war wizard conditioning. “Excuse me, your honor,” I called up to judge as I reached the front. “You asked me to come and make a statement?”
The room grew quiet for a moment before erupting in arguments again. The judge slammed down his gavel vigorously and within seconds the room was silent. The magistrate looked down at his notes, scanning them.
“Lord... Derek?” he looked at me for confirmation. I nodded. “It appears your guard created a bit of an incident.”
“As her liege lord, I naturally take responsibility for her actions,” I gracefully stated. I wanted to give her the stink eye, but that could come later. “What is she charged with.”
“Appropriation of another’s property,” he stated flatly.
“Stella? Er... Nonefna?” I asked a bit flummoxed. “What, did she pickpocket from the elementalist guild?” Some stifled chuckling could be heard from the audience.
“No. Apparently, she has unbound the elementals belonging to said guild and re-bound them to herself.”
“Oh,” I said, as I looked at Stella and the elementalists clamoring around her. “What sticky fingers,” I muttered. More scattered chuckles.
“It was the right thing to do!” This wasn’t from Stella, who still stood there silently. It was from the young elementalist from previous. From the nodding of half the mages, it was easy to see many agreed. She did nod, though.
“Could I ask Nonefna why she did this?” I addressed this to the magistrate. He nodded grimly. I looked toward the naughty elf.
“As Terind said, it was the right thing to do.”
“Yes, of course, it was. Could you explain why it was the right thing to do, to those of us not in the elementalist guild?” I prompted. Clearly, she had a reason but I was not seeing it. Since it was unlikely I could kill an entire branch of the government to save her, I would have to work another angle. Assuming there was one.
“The barriers between the worlds are up,” she began with a seeming non-sequitur. “These elementalists, knowing that they would not be able to call more of our brothers as servants chose not to free them.”
“The elementals do not understand our world,” an elderly mage who had been glaring at Stella interjected. “If we had freed them they would cause chaos and death.” He had a good argument. Elementals had no concept of mortals that weren’t bound to the elementals. They would walk over a daycare and not even noticed the fleshy things stuck in its toes. They weren’t malicious, just uncaring. Perhaps oblivious would be more accurate.
“It was cruel,” Stella retorted. “Bound elementals suffer when they can’t go back to their plane of existence. They are not meant to live in our world for more than a few hours. Part of the contract we bear with them is to free them after they graciously help us, who they consider their little brothers.”
“Unfortunate, but if we want our cities and family to live, it is necessary.”
“Not anymore,” she said with dignity. “I know of several worlds within reach, through the portals, that have conditions close enough to the elemental planes to bring relief to our brothers. Once they go there, they will be able to rest in relative comfort without causing any harm to our worlds.”
“Nonsense,” another old mage shouted angrily. We have explored the adjacent worlds. None are as you describe.”
“They exist. I can sense them,” she declared firmly. I scowled at her. This was exactly the kind of thing I would have liked to know. Like before now. “Once they have gone there for the first time they can form an affinity to that plane. When they do that, after they recover a bit, they can once again be directly summoned and dismissed for the little favors they happily do for those they consider their little brothers.”
“And based on this outlandish theory, you stole our elementals and took this decision upon yourself.”
“I believe her,” the young elementalist Terind stated. “We have no choice; the elementals will eventually go mad if they are kept bound.”
“Right, so let’s see if I understand this clearly,” I interjected. “My retainer, being the most powerful elementalist your guild has ever seen, has taken control of... how many elementals?” I asked Stella in a stage whisper.
“Two hundred and forty-six.”
“Right, over two hundred elementals of varying power. She has sworn to these elements to take them to the promised land, where they can rest and recoup and eventually be summoned again for various tasks.”
“Nonsense,” interjected the old mage.
“Okay, say it is nonsense,” I acknowledged the old man. “You kill her... somehow. Then you have two hundred forty-six very angry unbound elementals. Angry at you specifically and probably pissed off at mortals in general. Here. In this city.” Silence filled the room.
“We could bind them again,” the old man grimaced, as if in pain.
“Assuming the elementals did nothing at all while you killed her, how long would it take to bind all of them once poor little Nonefna was dead?” Again, there was silence think enough to cut.
“But her story is nonsense,” cried out the old mage in dismay.
“I believe her, her elemental affinity is beyond belief,” Terind stated more confidently now that most of the detractors had been suppressed. “Never have we seen any elementalist with an affinity to all four elements, let alone being able to bind over two hundred elementals.”
I coughed once to get the judge’s attention. “I noticed the rune of truth on the door. No doubt you have some strong enchantment that would ensure the truth. Let my liegeman restate her promise and I’m sure everyone will realize that it's best to let events run their course.”
“Of course we do,” he said as he looked suspiciously at me. “Well spoken for a...” he glanced down at his notes. “Ten-year-old.”
“As a baron of the third largest country, I naturally have been involved in serious decisions before, since I could walk. This is nothing than more of the same,” I shrugged arrogantly.
“Very well,” he nodded in acknowledgment. “Deactivate the suppression wards on the Testimony Pedestal.”
I looked to where he was pointing. In the corner of the room, sure enough, was a three-meter-wide pedestal. It was only a foot high and although it had decorative carvings it appeared mundane. That impression was stripped away in a moment when a blueish glow started to surround it and the entire area was flooded with an overpowering sensation of focused magic. In many ways, it was similar to the wardings on the door but more intense. It also felt vaguely familiar. It took me a moment to realize it but it was genuine rune magic. The damn thing was an artifact. Similar to my tooth but an order of magnitude larger.
“Fine let’s see if your promises are upheld by the Testimony Pedestal,” the grumpy old mage spat out. I looked greedily at the glowing platform.
“As Nonefna’s liege lord I feel honor bound to stand beside her, as she testifies,” I stood proudly as I declared my intention.
“Baron Derek, there is no need,” the magistrate objected in confusion. “Your purpose here was simply to vouch for your subject. You have done far more than that, there’s no need for more...”
“Honor demands it,” I interrupted bravely, nobly jutting out my chin. “Just as she laid her honor in my hands and promised me her loyalty, so do I have a responsibility to stand behind her. Loyalty must go both ways.” Stella was now ignoring the mages and staring at me in confusion.
“Well, said,” mutters of approval littered the audience. People loved noblesse oblige card. Lacking any further objections, we both strode forward, towards the platform.
As soon as I stepped on the dais a fire seemed to consume my being before congealing on my chest. Deep within I felt the crack of my bones and the r
ush of my blood boiling as conflicting magic rioted. I was facing towards the wall so I am not sure if anyone except Stella noticed to brief, brilliant glow of the ‘human’ rune. She caught me as I stumbled, and with gritted teeth, I laughed off my clumsiness.
Righting myself, I turned to face the crowd, resting my hand on Stella’s back as if for support. In actually I was the one needing support for the moment. I fixed a smile on my face and focused on breathing while she spoke.
“I testify that I know of several worlds within reach, through the portals, that have conditions to bring relief to our brothers,” Stella began solemnly, the glow of the enchantment outlining her figure. “They will be able to rest in peace and rejuvenate. Once they have formed an affinity to that plane they can once again be directly summoned and dismissed. Once I lead them there, I will dissolve our bonds and they will be free to enter and leave their normal contracts.”
We weren’t offered a ride back. Fortunately, I had mostly finished my classes for the day so being delayed a few hours wasn’t big deal. “Did you have time to explore the city before you began your crusade?”
“I visited a few places...”
“Splendid! Let’s go to a magic shop and spend some gold!”
“You don’t have any gold, remember? Your spending all of my gold,” the elf chided before switching topics. “What was that all about?”
“Just supporting my favorite liege woman.”
“I don’t remember any oaths,” she said flatly.
“Good thing they didn’t ask me about that while I was on the platform,” I said with a smile. “It was the only way I could think of to allow me to speak. I do appear to be a child. There was no way they were going to take me seriously unless I took steps.”
“And the sudden need to follow me to the pedestal?”
“You know I am bound in human form,” I snorted in disdain. “Each time the magic clashes with an opposing force I have a chance to loosen the restraints. Didn’t I mention this when you gave me my tooth back?”
“No.”
“I guess I didn’t know you that well, at the time,” I said with a smile.
“It was only a few months ago,” she objected.
“And since then the world ended and we joined a magic academy. See how fast the world changes around us?”
“Would you like a ride back to the academy?” This last statement wasn’t from Stella. Coming up next to us was the dark-skinned man I had seen in the courtroom.
“I am not sure we should take rides with strangers,” I countered.
“I am Baron Kern,” he stated suavely in a deep baritone. “I work with acting principal Sembling to manage the Royal Academy. No doubt you will see me often around the school grounds.”
I looked at Baron thoughtfully. Things gradually came together in my mind. Necromancer, check. Works closely with the acting principal who in turn worked for the Principal, check.
“I loved Principal Sembling’s introduction speech,” I returned with a smile. “It was very inspiring. What is his specialty?”
“Acting Principal,” he mildly corrected. “He is a circle master. He knows basic mage craft as well, but he is famous for his circles and wards. Do you know what you plan to specialize in once you graduate the academy?”
And suddenly it makes sense why a necromancer was working with a circle master. It was very likely this fellow was also Baron Samedi. I squinted a bit, added dreadlocks and white face makeup. Could be him. It probably was. I still had no idea why he decided to create a gang from reanimated dead. He seemed rather bland for an ex-gangster zombie master.
We chatted about unimportant matters as we made our way back. I learned a bit about the specialty apprenticeships offered after graduation and avoided talking about myself. I also made a point to ensure my wrist terminal was covered. The acting principal and the Baron may be the only people in this world able to recognize it for what it was.
As we got off the carriage drawn by its four dead horses, Stella gave me a look. Once the Baron left she turned to me.
“What was that about,” she asked suspiciously. “He seemed awfully eager to learn about you.”
I snickered. “While I am sure he is fascinated by the young Baron with a silver tongue, the real reason he wanted to spend time with me was... you.”
“Me?”
“Oh, yes. Weren’t you listening to my speech? Until you lead the elementals out of the city and free them, you are the most powerful mage in the city.”
“But I wouldn’t force them to do anything,” Stella protested. “Then I would be as bad as that old hypocrite.”
“They don’t know any better,” I shrugged. “Until you make your pilgrimage expect to be wined and dined more than the crown princess.”
“There’s a crown princess?”
“If they didn’t have one before, you’ll do.”
Chapter 24
The apartment complex was strangely silent as I approached. The night was falling quickly and the mage lit globes hovered around, illuminating the campus and the inside the stairwells and hallways. However, it wasn’t until I opened our apartment door that I noticed anything out of place.
Three teenagers in student robes were flitting around the room. One had a mop and was scrubbing the floor and the remnants of what looked like a mud spell. Another was wiping down the fireplace with a rag. It would have made sense if it was marble, but on brick, all he was doing was leaving cloth residue on the rough surface. The last student had just handed Beth a cup of steaming tea. She was lounging in one of the overstuffed chairs with her feet propped up on a footrest. It wasn’t the same chair as was previously there.
I was having mixed feeling. On one hand, they were cleaning the rooms. I very much like clean floors and furniture. On the other hand, there were intruders in my lair. Temporary lair. I kept telling myself that. No, it wasn’t working.
“Beth, why are there three strangers in my... er, our home?”
“These are our new friends. I met them as I came back to the rooms and they surprised with a lovely face full of mud,” she laughed in a rather stilted way. I could tell she was still upset. “After I discussed things with them, they decided to make amends by cleaning up. And massaging my feet,” she gestured to the boy that had just handed her a cup. Her voice became more strident. “Hurry up and start massaging.”
I looked at the rather blank look on the faces of the teens and back to the irritated girl. I am not sure I would have the ability to coerce three willful teens in the middle of an attack. I wasn’t terribly surprised. What she had done with Jeremy was already impressive. All psychics have their strengths and weaknesses. I had strong defenses and attacks. Very weak precognition and mediocre telepathy and hypnosis. Beth obviously had excellent hypnosis skills.
“What do they think they are doing?”
“They believe they are currying favor with the principal. Harder Beril, I still have aching feet from being on the go all day.” I looked at her oddly. We had spent all day on our butts in class. She definitely had different standards.
“Okay, after they finish cleaning up, have one bring us food from the cafeteria and hay for Cinnamon. The second can bring his previous semesters books on midlevel and advanced Spellcraft...”
“Ugh, horrible classes,” she groaned. “I couldn’t understand a thing, except for some of the ‘Mana Gathering’ class.”
“The systems rigged. You weren’t supposed to,” I told her consolingly. “Fortunately, you already know how to meditate. I’ll show you the variations to gather magical energy and store it tonight and the rest of the week. Next week we’ll go into ‘Preparation’. I think I can get you through that in a week too.”
“I am not sure showing that much talent is very healthy. If that teacher’s comments weren’t a veiled warning I don’t know what was.”
“Yeah, I got that. We’ll probably have to drop all the courses.”
“Wait a minute,” Beth said, sitting up hurriedly
. “I asked around and it turns out that the Fundamental Accords...”
“Limit how old the young mages can be to learn the basics of spellcraft. Yeah, I guessed that as soon as he said something. I figured this entire academy is nothing more than an institution set in place to limit and control their mages development. Except for spell research most mages learn all of this five-year nonsense in a few months.”
“Then, why do it?”
“I assume they don’t want an army of children destroying the cities,” Stella called out from the door to her room. “It’s as I said before. This way they next generation is all plump with large energy reserves, but only mostly harmless spells. When they graduate, they can join the army or something else responsible and get some real spells without any additional training.”
“Unless they want to actually create anything new,” I snorted. “Everything I have seen in the academy just rote magic.”
“From what I hear, they will get an apprenticeship once they graduate if they want to learn more,” Beth offered. “Otherwise most end up as officers in the army. Anyway, there’s no reason to drop out. They don’t take attendance. Just show up for the test at the end and they’ll check off your credits. We’ll have to add a few history classes. It turns out there are a few more required classes than just magic.”
“That makes sense. Most of the freshmen are going to drop the two more advanced classes first thing tomorrow. However, don’t get too comfortable,” I warned. “Our goal is not to graduate. We have other things to do. We may not even be here by then.”
“If we’re here long enough, we may as well,” pouted Beth. I think she was enjoying the school experience here far more than the one back in her world.
“I am going to try to soothe my elementals and then go to sleep,” Stella yawned and closed the door to her room behind her.
“Okay, back to the three stooges,” I said, waving my hand in the direction of the three. “Get the third to leave his robe here. I’ll need it when the senior classes start.”