The Congruent Apprentice (The Congruent Mage Series Book 1)
Page 36
Fercha stared at Nûd with an amalgam of expressions. Eynon saw love, concern, anger, fear and frustration in her face, partially concealed by an overwhelming sense of surprise. Nûd looked back, with tenderness and a sense of loss in his eyes.
“How are you enjoying your retirement?” Damon asked Doethan. “Do you like pretending to be a hedge wizard in the hinterlands?”
“I’m no more retired than you are, Ealdamon,” said Doethan. “You can’t resist keeping your hand in, even at a distance. I was asked to serve the young king, and I stepped forward.”
“Ealdamon?” asked Merry.
“Ealdamon?” Eynon repeated.
“Old Damon,” said Nûd. “The Master Mage of Dâron. Famed author of Ealdamon’s Epigrams.”
Fercha seemed to recover from her shock and composed her face.
“Nûd,” she said in a neutral tone.
“Mother,” said Nûd.
Their reunion was interrupted by an angry trumpeting as Rocky launched his massive body into the sky, now red-tinged by the rising sun. Eynon followed Rocky’s path and saw more than a dozen flying disks pouring over the hundred-foot rim of the quarry.
Two or three people crowded onto each disk—a green-cloaked wizard and one or two Tamloch soldiers.
“Verro!” shouted Fercha. Without another word, she mounted her flying disk and ascended to meet the attackers.
Merry reached for her flying disk, ready to use her magic to defend the realm. Eynon held her arm.
“Wait,” he said. “I know why they’re here.”
Merry’s eyes asked Eynon, “Why?”
“This quarry is full of green magestones—hundreds of them.”
“That’s not good,” said Ealdamon, almost to himself. “Not good at all.”
The old wizard looked at Nûd for a half a second, then turned to Doethan.
“Take Nûd and get word to Brendinas,” said Ealdamon. “Fercha and I will hold them off until you return with half the Conclave.”
Nûd pointedly looked at Eynon, then at Ealdamon. He tilted his head a few degrees and Ealdamon nodded.
“I stand corrected. Fercha and Eynon and I—” began the old wizard.
“—and Merry!” shouted Merry.
“—will do our best to defend the quarry. Now hurry!”
Nûd took off his pack and untied his crossbow. He hung his quiver over his shoulder, nocked a bolt, and shot one of the descending green wizards in the ribs. The injured wizard’s flying disk tipped and both the wizard and the soldier behind him fell fifty feet toward the quarry’s floor.
Doethan shrugged. The blue magestone on his forehead flashed. He wasn’t going anywhere—not that help would be able to get here soon enough to do much good anyway.
Ealdamon, Doethan, Merry and Eynon stepped on their flying disks, set their shields, and rose to join Fercha in the fight.
To be continued in the second book
of the Congruent Mage series:
The Congruent Wizard
Coming in 2018
MAPS
The Coombe and the Rhuthro Valley
A larger color version of this map is available at:
CongruentMage.com/maps.html
Orluin and the Lands of the West
A larger color version of this map is available at:
CongruentMage.com/maps.html
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Other Books by Dave Schroeder
The Congruent Mage Series
The Congruent Apprentice Released 2017
The Congruent Wizard Coming in 2018
The Congruent Dragon Coming in 2019
www.CongruentMage.com
The Xenotech Support Series
Xenotech Rising
Xenotech Queen’s Gambit
Xenotech First Contact Day Novelette
Xenotech What Happens
Xenotech General Mayhem
Xenotech Versus the Galaxy Coming in 2017
www.XenotechSupport.com
Dedication
To my wonderful mom,
Jeanette Schroeder,
for reading to me as a child
and nurturing my love of fantasy.
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 by Paul David Schroeder
All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in reviews.
Cover and Map designs by Dan Paulson
Spiral Arm Press
1725 Carlington Court
Grayson, GA 30017
www.SpiralArmPress.com
About the Author
Dave Schroeder is a retired Chief Information Officer and the author of the Xenotech Support series of science fiction humor novels. He also wrote the book, lyrics and music for Softwear.com, a musical comedy produced off-off-Broadway. Dave lives in suburban Atlanta where he enjoys writing and voice acting with the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company.