Juxta, Magi

by Porter, Geoffrey C

  They climbed down the steps slowly. They surveyed the room. At the opposite end of it, the king hung from the wall in chains. In one corner of the room, a pile of rotting corpses started to shift in the candlelight. A human shape rose up from the pile. The king laughed with all the breath in his lungs.

  Juxta said, "It sleeps with the dead…"

  Decay dotted the figure's face and arms. He smiled a wide grin. "Welcome to my chambers!"

  "We'll free the king. You can deal with that thing." Simon dashed across the room.

  Juxta started summoning power. The decaying but animate flesh of the newly awaked creature shook just a bit, and it said, "Know that you face Balron."

  Simon sliced into the chains holding the king and handed him Shoc-Ra. "It's named Shoc-Ra, my liege."

  The king grabbed up the blade.

  Juxta looped a line of magic around Balron and tried to smash Balron against a wall to no avail. The creature pulled the king's great sword from a scabbard at his side.

  "Juxta, do you really think you can destroy me?" Juxta could feel the magic of the creature penetrate his sphere of protection and reach into his very self.

  Robert appeared in the fire and started a chant in the ancient tongue to summon the God of War. Balron slashed at Robert's form with the great sword, and he screamed in pain and darted from the battle scene.

  Juxta tried fire and lightning on Balron, but they did nothing.

  Balron began whispering a low chant. The chant began to climax, and Balron shouted, "Juxta, let me be your master, let me show you the true nature of death!" Juxta could feel evil tendrils of power reaching into his heart.

  Simon said, "Come on, Juxta! Let's go!"

  The king charged Balron with Shoc-Ra raised high. Simon and Rollin chased after. Balron blocked the king's blade, and blue sparks scattered across the room. Balron wrapped force lines around all three of them, and they bounced off the far wall.

  Balron turned to Juxta who seemed caught in a trance. Balron began yet another low chant. He finished it up as the swordsmen climbed to their feet. Balron said, "Bring me the crown, Juxta, for it's your fate." Juxta's consciousness got sucked into a bottle inside himself. He could only watch and listen, but he had no control as Balron commanded his every action. He tried to force himself out of the bottle but couldn't. He tried summoning power and resisting, to no avail. Simon and Rollin dragged him away towards the exit. Juxta, an empty shell, followed them.

  When they reached the topmost stair, they heard movement in the room beyond, a strange crackling sound like old parchment being crinkled. Simon said, "Juxta, light!" The force possessing Juxta complied, and mummified corpses surrounded them.

  Simon and Rollin took the lead hacking them to bits, while the king covered their rear. Juxta played along and threw the undead against walls using lines of force. They ran through the room as fast as they could, cutting down the undead as they went. The next floor contained more animated corpses. The force possessing Juxta parted the undead like the wind parted grass. They ran on. They made it through to the outside and to their horses. They galloped through the streets of Terc.

  On the trip back to Lynken, Simon couldn't help but notice something different about Juxta. He didn't talk. He didn't want to stop to rest the horses and eat. He angered easily. Simon didn't know what happened, or how to fix him. Juxta lived in a kind of personal hell. He couldn't do anything no matter how hard he tried to push the blackness out of his soul.

  They made it to the castle proper and went to the throne room to meet with Prince William. Quann and Kirl were there. The prince shouted, "Father!" and fell to one knee and held the crown up for the king to take. Without a word of warning, Juxta threw lightning bolts at the prince and the king with enough force to kill most men, but their line's magic resistance saved them.

  Juxta's false self shouted, "Give me the crown!"

  Prince William said, "What are you doing!"

  "My name is Balron, and the crown is my property!"

  Juxta's true self pushed with all his might to be free of Balron's possession with no luck. It hindered Balron's casting ability though.

  The king pointed at Juxta. "Guards, seize him!"

  Kirl stepped away from the fray. "He's possessed, dear God. You ran into a necromancer that powerful?"

  "Yes, he wasn't even completely human," Simon howled. "He seemed to be sleeping with dead bodies."

  All the while, Juxta grappled with the alien force inside him. The guards had his body.

  "We must get him to his grove," Quann said. "The trees will feed him power to escape the hold this evil has on him."

  The evil possessing Juxta tried to summon enough power for another spell. It couldn't with Juxta wrestling him so.

  They chained Juxta to the ancient dead tree at the center of the grove and gagged him. Quann woke the grove and explained to the trees that Juxta was hurt and to share their life-force with him. Simon freed their cats and convinced Juxta's grey striped one to follow him. When they got to Juxta, his cat got on its back legs, put his front paws on Juxta's chest, and licked his face.

  Juxta didn't like being chained up and gagged, but the life force he got from the trees added fuel to his ongoing battle against the possession. They lit a giant bonfire in front of Juxta per Quann's suggestion.

  On the first day Juxta's body struggled with the chains. Juxta fought on with all the power he could muster. Kirl spoke to Juxta, "Remember our duel? You must summon that kind of power again and use it against the dark force inside you."

  On the second day they tried removing the gag to give him water and food. The possession started casting fireballs and lightning once free of the gag.

  On the third day Simon watched him, tending to the fire. The first of Juxta's trees died from giving their life energy. One, then another, they said goodbye to Juxta as they died.

  A true rage burned from the center of Juxta's being, and his power flowed. He lashed out at his spiritual confines and shattered the bottle that trapped his being. He threw Balron's force out of himself with the casual disdain of a man freeing himself of a lamprey attached to his leg. He envisioned a fire symbol over the chain holding his arms, and he melted it freeing his hands.

  Simon leapt to his feet with his hand on his sword hilt. Juxta growled with his mind, speaking into Simon's mind, Don't make me hurt you, Simon. He howled in pain grasping his skull and fell to the ground writhing in the dirt. Juxta removed the gag from his mouth. Juxta didn't know what he'd done to Simon. He must have learned some tricks from Balron. Juxta spoke again more quietly to Simon's mind, Rest. Simon stopped writhing in pain and fell asleep. Juxta's cat practically leapt on him almost knocking him down licking his face.

  Juxta looked into the fire and whispered. "I'll face Balron again, and I'll be his doom."

  Chapter 25

  After a day or so Simon declared himself none the worse for wear, and he made Juxta promise to never do that again. Juxta agreed. Kirl approached Juxta and offered to teach him in Weslan. Juxta accepted. He went before the king. He bowed. "My liege."

  King William smiled wide. "You're fully recovered? Balron is gone from your mind?"

  "I want to go to Weslan and finish my training," Juxta said with a nod. "With your permission, of course."

  "I'll finance you. We paid Hebron five silver pieces a month as our wizard, and I hope that's enough for you?"

  Juxta's eyes opened wide.

  "I've arranged to pay you from the time of my capture. Find a way to stop Balron forever." The king's voice dropped down a notch or two into a deep resonance. "Seek out the knowledge in the Weslan library and return to Lynken."

  Juxta bowed and left the throne room in search of the payroll office.

  *

  Rollin pulled Simon aside. "Let's go to a tavern I know and drink!"

  Simon smiled.

  The bartender howled out, "Rollin!" when they entered, and the giant of a man ran from behind the bar and hugged Rollin picking the 6'
3" fighter off the ground. He let go of Rollin, and turned to the younger ranger.

  Rollin said, "This is Simon."

  The barkeep looked him up and down. The man smiled wide and went to put his arms around Simon. He shook his head and held out his hand to shake. The barkeep grabbed Simon's hand and squeezed. Then the barkeep pulled him in close and grabbed him in a hug. Simon laughed and pushed the stinking fool away.

  Rollin stepped up to a table and sat down. Simon sat across from him. A fine young lass with curly, short, blonde hair and an ample chest served them a stout, sweet wine brewed from berries.

  Rollin caught Simon's eyes with his. "You know we're short a captain?"

  Simon paused. "I didn't—"

  "He reported directly to me and was in charge of over five hundred men."

  Simon nodded.

  "I've permission to appoint anyone I choose. None of the lieutenants want the job. I think your steel is quick enough. You could hold onto the rank…"

  This gave Simon something to think about. He sighed deeply and shook his head. "I want rank, Rollin, but I intend to earn it, not simply be given it."

  Rollin smiled at him. "You have earned it. You protected the prince. You helped rally the armies that broke the ogre stranglehold. You helped rescue the king, for God's sake. You went through the trial of the pit."

  Simon looked deep into Rollin's eyes and quietly asked, "How do you know I went through the trial?"

  "I ordered it."

  Simon grabbed the table with his left hand and threw it mugs and all across the room. Like lightning, he stood and drew Shad-ra with his right hand aiming its tip at Rollin's midsection. Rollin stumbled backward just out of reach of the arcane blade and drew his own sword. Rollin growled. "Now you wait just…"

  Simon was already in motion swinging his blade at Rollin's throat. Rollin tried to block it, and Shad-ra cut through his blade like butter. Out of the corner of Simon's eye, he saw another patron running at him swinging a club. Simon intercepted the club, slicing it in two. Simon threw a punch with his left at the man's nose sending him sprawling onto the floor of the tavern.

  Simon turned on Rollin with murderous glee in his eyes. Rollin had acquired a chair by then and held it in front of him to protect himself. Simon said, "I swore on that day that I would see the color of the blood of whoever ordered me into that pit, for surely it cannot run red like a man's!"

  Rollin hissed. "That was a long time ago, boy, and you're not the only one who went through the trial. I went through it."

  "Yet you still gave the order to do it to someone!"

  "Yes! You faced Rivek and lived to tell the tale!"

  Simon slashed at the chair in Rollin's hands cutting it to shards.

  Rollin shouted, "It was on the king's order! Will you strike him down next?"

  Simon blinked his eyes, thinking.

  "The king ordered it, you fool! When he saw you dance with Teresa after the Ranger Trials, he leaned over to me, and he said, ‘That one is a leader. Put him in the pit next to my boy.'"

  Simon paused. It was the best his brain could do at the moment.

  Rollin tossed the pieces of chair aside. He spoke in a low, calm voice. "Put that blade away and let's have a drink! If I recall, I offered you a place of rank! Take it! Now's the time!"

  Simon looked Rollin in the eye and pondered his options. Perhaps it was time. He sheathed Shad-Ra. "I'll do it!"

  "Good!"

  They sat at a fresh table. Rollin shouted, "Wench! Bring us meat!"

  "Aye, Rollin! I think there is a hind quarter of a horse roasting as we speak!"

  "Bring us two slabs!"

  Simon laughed.

  Rollin sighed. "That was my favorite sword, you know?"

  "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking…"

  The maiden kept catching Simon's eye and giving him cute little smirks. He thought nothing of it as it wasn't the first time a maiden had given him a look or two. He drank and ate with Rollin who hailed the serving woman as soon as their mugs were half full. Each time, he would look Simon in the eyes. "Quick, finish that one off, before she brings the pitcher."

  By midnight Simon could barely focus his eyes. Rollin decided it was time to leave, and the young woman who'd served them took Simon's arm. She pulled Simon away from Rollin. "I'll see to it that this one gets home." Rollin smiled and nodded. She took Simon to her humble cottage and put him in her bed.

  He passed out as soon as he lay down. She said out loud, "So much for tonight." She stripped him of his ranger's leathers and folded them neatly. Then she got undressed and curled up next to him. She smiled to herself, whispering herself to sleep, "Finally a cute one. Rollin should have brought him round sooner." Simon awoke the next day, speechless, in the arms of a naked woman with fine curves and perfect skin, to further confuse him he realized he didn't remember the night before. The girl woke up and purred. "Good morning."

  Simon started looking around for his leathers. She said, "You don't have to go. My name's Heather."

  "Did we?" Simon asked.

  "Not yet. There's still time…"

  Simon didn't need any more encouragement. Still, she egged him on with gentle little kisses here and there.

  At midday Heather told him she had to get to the tavern, but that he should come back and see her again. Simon agreed. He'd be back to see Heather. That was clear in his mind.

  *

  Juxta traveled with Kirl on the main road and stayed at inns. People stared at Juxta's cat, and the cat ignored them staying by Juxta's side unless Juxta told it to hunt. On arriving in Weslan's capital, Kirl and Juxta went before the council of Weslan. Juxta made his plea.

  "I wish to be trained as a master and study your library on Balron…"

  The eldest of the magi said, "It takes years to become a master, but you're already very powerful. You must learn to control your rage, and we'll teach you. The library will be open to you, of course, but you won't find any references to Balron. The true history of Balron we keep as a spoken history. Shall we share what we know, my brothers?"

  The council spoke up with, "Aye's."

  "We keep this history a secret to protect our own failure. An eon ago, Balron walked as a man. The most powerful necromancer the world had ever known. He was the King of Tercia, and a powerful but crazed wizard gave him a magical crown and great sword. The crazed wizard promised us that the crown and great sword would ultimately be Balron's demise, but they only seemed to grant him more power. Balron was powerful enough to field undead armies and deadly spirits against Tercia's neighbors. We sent an elite force to destroy him, our six most powerful magi and six of our best knights. They defeated his body and his magic, and they thought they had won. They dismembered and burned the corpse. One of the knights took the crown and great sword and vowed to create a kingdom based on goodness and life, Lynken."

  Kirl continued, "We thought they had succeeded. We thought Balron was gone. Instead, he was transformed into the creature he is now. We don't share this story because we don't want other people to get the idea of becoming like Balron."

  Juxta asked, "How do we kill him for good?"

  No one answered. Robert materialized. "His sword hurts me. It may hurt him."

  The council stared, for they hadn't seen Robert before. Juxta said, "That's Robert. He's a spirit trapped in this world. I've vowed to find a way to send him to the afterlife."

  "I come from the Lost City of the Forest of Weslan."

  There was murmuring among the council. Finally the eldest spoke up, asking, "When do you want to start your training?"

  Juxta said, "The sooner the better."

  "After dinner he can duel with one of my apprentices once I show him the rudiments of summoning a vortex," Kirl said. "We'll lodge him at my house."

  Juxta shook his head. "My master, Hebron, didn't believe in using vortexes."

  One of the council said, "You must learn it, Juxta."

  Juxta turned a steely gaze on that council member, then tur
ned and looked at each council member in the eyes. "I thought necromancers could steal from a vortex? I happen to run into necromancers from time to time. And there are a couple of them I direly intend to hunt down and kill."

  "He makes a valid point. We'll see how he does without a vortex," Kirl said with a kind of bloodthirsty grin almost.

  They ate a quiet dinner and made their way to the practice grounds. Kirl picked his middle apprentice, age-wise, to duel, his name was Marc. They moved to the centers of opposing circular stone platforms. Kirl moved to Marc's left on the platform. Juxta said, "I have to face two!"

  "You carry Dragon's Fire and amethyst, and you've beaten me. This is the best way. By channeling my power into Marc, we'll create a synergy where he wields the arcane power and I summon it for him."

  "It's supposed to be practice for me, too," Marc said.

  Juxta's shoulders slumped down, and it clicked in his mind that he would likely be facing two opponents every day for the near future. Juxta said, "OK," and started summoning power and pouring it into a sphere around him. Kirl channeled power into Marc, and his shield shimmered with a glistening sheen similar to molten silver. Juxta's cat sat and watched attentively, like it might track a bird before pouncing. Juxta started throwing lightning. Marc's shield held solid, and he grinned. Marc threw lightning back at Juxta with all the might at his command. It forced Juxta to defend. All of his power went into maintaining his shield.

  Kirl shouted over the blasts of lightning, "Don't let your rage take over, Juxta. Fight back calmly!"

  Marc's onslaught didn't end or slack, and Juxta reached deeper and deeper inside himself for energy to fight with. He threw green fire at Marc with all his might. It splashed ineffectively against Marc's shield, and he laughed. Juxta pulled back his rage, and Marc started throwing red fireballs at Juxta. His shield barely held as the flickers of flame reached past it along the edges heating the stone slab. The force of his fatigue pushed in on his chest as if it were difficult to breathe. Marc stepped up his onslaught yet again. Marc laughed as Juxta crumpled to one knee. The fatigue built up again coursing like sludge though his chest and arms. Juxta put more effort in controlling his rage than in maintaining his shield. He called out for quarter. Kirl stopped feeding Marc power. Marc said nothing and didn't laugh again, which was likely in his best interest.