Master Mage

by D. W. Jackson

  You survived. You can do nothing about the dead, so why do you bother thinking about them?

  “You can be heartless, my friend,” Thad replied to Thuraman as he slumped down on his bedroll.

  Heartless, I would imagine so as I was born without one. I see the world clearly without the bothersome burden of worry that you seem to carry. Everything is made of magic, and through it, I can see those that you wish to save. Most of them are not worth your pity. Humans kill each other by the dozen, war or not.

  “I do not think I can ever agree with you on that point, Thuraman,” Thad said, laying the staff aside.

  That is where you are wrong. You do agree with me. Deep down in that so-called heart of yours, you do agree, and you know that I speak the truth. Cry if you wish, but we both know that it will do little good in the end. Finish the war, and the deaths will come to an end. That is your only option.

  Thad remained quiet, though he knew that Thuraman was right. The war had to end, and for that to happen, the Brotherhood and Rane had to fall. There were a lot of wrongs that would be done in the end by both sides, and no matter what light he would place on those actions, in his heart, he knew they were wrong but still had to happen. After everything was done, Thad didn’t hope that he would sleep peacefully at night, just that his kids and their kids would have that privilege.

  The closer they drew to the Rane capital, the more they were harassed by small bands of put-together soldiers. Thad didn’t know what Rane thought the small attacks would do. It was like an ant trying to bring down a mountain one pebble at a time.

  At first, each new death hounded Thad, but now with the capital sitting in the distance, his fears and pains had been quelled. The war was almost at its end. All that was left was the taking of the merchant guild and the Rane palace. Thankfully, both buildings resided close to each other, and though large, the city had few real defenses. The only real threat were the few thousand troops that had reached the city before them, but they were only a portion of their number and had been marched hard.

  Thad had expected a few days of rest and preparations, but Killian and the other generals had other plans. As soon as the sun set that very day, they were going to flood the capital with soldiers and lay waste to any who dared raise a sword against them. The Vathari wanted to slaughter everything within the walls of the city, but even Killian objected to such a notion. In the end, they had come to an agreement that any who displayed hostility could be killed, but the rest would be left in peace.

  Thad took some solace in those words as he waited for nightfall, his body too eager to find any sleep. From his vantage point, Thad could see into the city. Many buildings near the market and rich district still lay in ruins from his escape nearly a year before. The people moved around anxiously, and the guards rushed about their bodies, laden with fear of the coming horde.

  Thad had been in the same situation not long before, though he was on the side of the defenders. Well outnumbered and knowing only death awaited them had brought a certain calm to the Farlan forces, but Rane seemed to be handling it differently. There was a lot of movement in the market district, and Killian had a good portion of their forces moved around to the north and west so that none could escape before their attack.

  Thad wanted to argue to let any who wished to leave the city to do so, but he knew why they must be held at bay. If the Brotherhood generals escaped, they could help reestablish the order outside of their reach. The one order Thad had no problem in making was that any found in the possession of the fox emblem would be killed, soldier or not. There was too big of a risk in letting any of their kind live.

  With only hours left before the final assault, Thad made his way to the center of the camp, where Killian and the other generals had set up camp. Thad had expected to see the older warmaster sifting through maps but instead found him sitting idly on the ground, sharpening his sword.

  “Everything ready?” Thad asked, taking a seat next to the warmaster.

  Killian gave him a sideways glance as he drew the blade across the sharpening stone. “Not much to get ready. Each group has been given their orders on where to focus their attacks. The only thing left to do now is to wait for nightfall,” Killian said, looking up into the sky. “This is the largest attack I have ever led that will strike in the night. It is always good to fight when one has the most advantages, but fighting by moonlight can be dangerous, yet also beautiful in its own way.”

  “I don’t think I ever heard of a battle being beautiful,” Thad replied, skeptical.

  “It is all in how you choose to view it,” Killian replied, lifting his blade up so that he could inspect the blade in the waning light. “Blood when viewed in the right moonlight will glisten black. Enough blood and it will look like a sparkling river.”

  “I guess one must find beauty where they may,” Thad replied, his stomach churning slightly at the thought of finding the sight of blood beautiful.

  Killian gave an odd laugh as he slid his sword back in the scabbard that was strapped to his side. “As I have said, there are two stories that we tell. One set for people we meet and one for other soldiers. I think it is time that you heard one of those stories.”

  “A long time ago, when I was still a young man with my first unit, I had the habit of taking souvenirs from those I had killed in battle,” Killian said, unabashed. “My warmaster had told me that taking from the dead what you do not need can only lead to trouble, but I did not heed his advice. One day after a long battle, I was searching the bodies of those I had killed for trinkets to honor the battle in my memories. When I turned over a soldier that I thought dead …” Killian paused and raised up his tunic and chain mail, showing a deep scar that ran across his chest. “He had not been as dead as I had thought. His dagger cut deep, and I quickly collapsed due to the loss of blood. When I awoke, my warmaster was beside me. I can still remember his words: ‘Now that is a memento that you can take from this battle and hopefully learn from it.’”

  Thad waited, and when it was clear that the warmaster was done with his story, he thought it over quietly. But aside from the main point of the story, Thad couldn’t see why the warmaster had told it. “I don’t get it,” Thad said honestly once the silence had settled.

  “You’re not supposed to get it,” Killian replied, laughing. “There is no real point to the story except to entertain and to show our own foolishness. All soldiers have a similar story about their first days in combat. We tell these stories to make the others laugh. The reason we don’t tell them to others is that, just like you, there is seldom laughter because they don’t understand the humor that we do.” Killian pulled an apple from his pack and threw it at Thad. “Now it is your turn to tell a story. Pick one that you would find funny that you do not think others would, such as that queen of yours.”

  Thad took a bite of the apple and thought as he chewed it slowly. “It was during my first years at the academy. I was still young, not even ten yet, and I was having my first lesson with the sword. My instructor was an older boy who was headed for the sale block the following auction. He had told me how to hold my sword and how to fight, and as the day went on, he kept telling me how good I was doing. Later that night, I brought out my practice sword and was showing off to my other classmates. I lost hold of my grip, and the sword flew from my hand into the air, striking one of the nearby mothers. The mother walked over and handed me back the sword and said, ‘I see that you forgot how to clean your weapons. Now you can clean the entire building along with your friends.’”

  Only a moment after Thad had finished his story did Killian break into deep laughter. “Now that is a good story. Something very similar happened to one of the boys I trained with. He was an exceptional swordsman but hated cleaning his weapon. One day, he tried to pull it from his scabbard, but it was so rusted it wouldn’t budge. Our master had him clearing every weapon in storage for weeks, along with my help for not advising my battle buddy.”

  Thad and Killian continued
to trade stories. The more of Killian’s stories Thad heard, the more he began to find the humor in them. It was not about something funny, but something he could understand. He was not laughing at Killian but himself and his own experiences that were similar.

  As the sun dropped below the horizon and the stars painted the night sky, Killian and the other generals sent out the signal to prepare for battle. Thad had expected that they would march silently, but the Vathari wanted their enemies to know they were coming. To them, the night was their last real battle before they returned to their holes below the ground.

  Thad took his place with Killian and Sae-Thae. Their force was responsible for the palace. Thad had wanted to go against the merchant guild, but Killian had argued that he would serve best fighting away from where any of the white swordsmen might be present. Thad reluctantly agreed, though he still wanted to finish what he had started a year before.

  I can’t wait for this to be over and you can get back to a safer life. Maybe we can do some traveling and find some of the other races. I am interested in meeting that dragon again.

  “I doubt that when the war is over, I will have time for much adventuring,” Thad replied as he straightened his sword on his hip. “I plan to return to Farlan and start planning to build a school for mages as well as a place for the magical races. It is past time that magic was seen as commonplace in our world again.”

  Farlan? Don’t tell me you plan to run back to that pompous little queen? I don’t see why you want to be around such women or any women at all. They are nothing but trouble.

  “What is life without a bit of trouble?” Thad replied, pushing Thuraman and his objections from his mind. It was obvious that the staff had taken a keen disliking to any female, and now was not the time for such distractions.

  Gripping the hilt of his sword nervously, Thad waited alongside the others for the final call to battle. It had taken so long to get to this point, and now everything seemed to be moving so fast.

  CHAPTER XXVI

  When the final horn rang out, Thad and more than fifteen thousand troops rushed toward the city gates. The city had been built for trade, not war, so there were no real barriers to their entry except for a few guards who were quickly overtaken by the skilled Vathari warriors.

  Thad moved through the city streets with confidence. It had not been that long ago that he had prowled the city, and now those memories guided his footsteps.

  Thad never looked back to see if any others followed him. They were skilled warriors and fighters, and he knew they would have little difficulty in finding their way. As he passed the large street that would lead him in the direction of the guild hall, Thad slowed down slightly. He wanted to be there when it all ended. He wanted to see the look on the faces of the men who had hunted him and others like him when all their worlds ended, but he knew that he would be most effective where he was meant to go.

  The palace was not far from the guild hall, and Thad was sure that it was by no coincidence. From what he had heard and learned, the king was nothing more than a puppet leader, but even a puppet could be trouble if left unattended. The taking of innocent lives always left a bad taste in his mouth, but for the king, Thad only had a slight hesitance crying in the back of his mind. The man might not be the real power behind the throne, but he had willingly sat there and let the guild rule his country without any struggle.

  As Thad ran up the wide staircase leading to the palace ground, he was amazed at the size of the building that stood in front of him. He had seen the impressive structure during his last visit to the city, but at a distance, it looked like many other building he had seen in his life. Now standing at its very walls, he was able to grasp it in its full splendor. The columns were not made of simple brick and mortar like those of the Farlan palace, but of pure marble. Everything within his sight told of the wealth of Rane, from the gold banisters to the crystal statue of a merchant scale that stood in the massive courtyard.

  As Thad moved through the grounds, he was amazed at the little resistance he faced. Three guards were all that raised their blades at him, and none of them were very skilled in the art. As he reached the massive double doors leading into the main section of the palace, Thad slowed his movements.

  Turning around briefly, Thad saw that behind him stood a large regiment of Vathari soldiers. They were skilled at keeping their presence hidden, so Thad didn’t know if they had been with him the whole time or if they had suddenly arrived. Shrugging off the small questions that popped into his mind, Thad pulled open the doors and entered the wide hallway leading to the throne room.

  As the hallway opened up, Thad could see a large number of people waiting ahead. Slowing down, Thad walked into the large room, his sword at the ready. With the numerous number of Vathari warriors at his back, Thad knew he had little to fear from the near-thirty soldiers that protected their king, but still, he had found himself in dire straits many times due to his reckless nature.

  “So it is the young mage who started everything that has come to my chambers,” a loud and deep voice echoed throughout the room. Looking up, Thad let his eyes come to rest on the lone figure that sat upon the golden throne. “Thaddeus Torin, the boy who grew to be far more than a simple thorn.”

  Thad didn’t know what he had suspected to find, but it was anything other than what he had. The king was a large man, almost seven feet tall and well muscled. “It seems like you have the benefit of knowing about me while I am in the dark,” Thad said, lowering the tip of his sword slightly.

  Thad was amazed that no sounds of fighting came from behind him. Turning his head, he noticed that the Vathari waited silently outside the entrance to the throne room.

  “Most visitors tend to call me by my title, but if you must put a proper name with my face, it would be Cyrus Rane,” the king said, standing from his throne. “Before we undertake our fight to the death, do you mind me asking why you want to destroy our world?”

  “I didn’t wish to destroy anything,” Thad replied, his voice heavy with confusion. “I just wanted to live.”

  Cyrus laughed. “You living dooms this world, though I guess I cannot claim to be innocent.” Cyrus pulled his sword and looked at the cold white metal of its blade. “I never enjoyed the feel of this when it was near me. Even after thirty years of having it at my side, it still makes my skin crawl. I don’t think your companions will wait much longer, so shall we start our dance?”

  Cyrus stretched out his hand, and a stream of fire roared from his palm, nearly catching Thad, who got his shield up only seconds before the flames touched his skin. “You’re a mage,” Thad said, surprised. “Why would you fight on the side that wants all of our kind dead?” Thad asked as he rushed in with a quick forward thrust, which the king easily knocked aside.

  “Because I know the truth,” Cyrus replied with a sneer. “I have heard the stories that you have been told about the world and its creations. They are lies,” Cyrus replied, pushing Thad back. “The gods came here from another realm. They forced their way through because they had been hunted by the others of their kind. The flow of magic was the only connection left between our world and theirs, but your goddess didn’t simply want a new life—she wanted to make an army to take revenge on the people who had chased her out of her home. With each new mage, a little bit more of the vale that separates our worlds is torn away. Can you imagine what would happen should it fail completely?”

  Thad stopped in midstep, shocked at what Cyrus had said. “Why tell me this now, and why should I believe you?” Thad asked, his fingers tightening on his sword’s haft.

  “We have lost,” Cyrus replied, lifting his hands up and shrugging his shoulders. “The veil will fall one day, and even if you don’t believe me, maybe you might take a peek behind all the lies. That is, should you live through the day.”

  Cyrus’s next attack left Thad no doubt that their friendly chat had come to an end. The sheer force behind the blow knocked him to his knees and sent vibrations through his
arm that shook him to his very core. Before Thad could regain his footing, a stream of fire tore past him, burning away his shield and singeing his hair.

  One of the white swords he could deal with, but with the man wielding magic as well, lessened his chances a great deal. The Vathari warriors had made quick work of the guards and now stood in a ring around him, letting his own fight play out. They saw it as a match of honor, so none would interfere, even should he ask for assistance.

  Thad knew what he had to do. A cold sensation ran through his body as another blast of fire raced toward him. Thad didn’t feel the heat of the blaze, only the coldness of the gods’ magic washing into his body as he let every inch of his skin turn to stone.

  “That is a neat trick,” That heard the muffled words of Cyrus say as the king lunged forward, then jumped back as his sword skipped off Thad’s rock armor. Though Thad had nothing to fear from the king’s attack, his body of stone was sluggish and didn’t respond quickly enough to land a hit on the trained swordsman.

  Thad continued to press his attack, waiting for his chance. Quickly closing his eyes, Thad cast a bright ball of light and heard Cyrus’s alarmed scream. Thad didn’t press his attack; instead, he created a lifelike image of himself and let himself fall into the shadows.

  Thad let the coldness fade from his skin and checked thoroughly to make sure there had been no lasting damage done. With the exception of a few small places, his body had returned to normal. Letting out a silent sigh of relief, Thad turned his attention back to his double and Cyrus.

  The king had regained his composure but still circled the image cautiously. Thad knew that as soon as the king struck, his trick would be revealed; it was in that one instance that the battle would be determined. Thad let his hand meld with the shadows as he waited.