by Aaron Thomas
He wasn’t sure what wrath he would already incur by taking this long to check in. Even more so, he had lost the boy. At least he had good news to report to the king. The Earth Realm’s nobles had finally been convinced to lend their personal armies to the fight. His steward, Wizard Brandon Parker, was just as cunning and tactful as his father in making this happen. As King Atmos’ camp stood now, he had less than half the troops of the Fire Realm. Atmos would also be on the offensive since the Fire Realm was already entrenched. He was going to need a lot more troops, but with the aid of the nobles, a smaller portion of the troops in various cities would have to be pulled away.
On his third circle of the camp Alexander saw a small group of soldiers in an area off to themselves as if they had just caught up with the massive camp. He noticed they were different by their black hats and knew it was because of Bowie’s example. As he lowered himself towards the ground he found the circle of assembled soldiers for his landing sight and decided to try his hand at their preparedness. Slowly, he pulled wind from their backs to keep him in the air just above the ground, the wind catching in the extra flaps in his robe tugged at his arms and legs. Some of the soldiers took a tiny step forward to steady themselves in the circle. When Alexander saw this he let go of the wind and landed softly on the ground. As soon as his feet touched he reversed the flow of air buffeting the soldiers with a strong wind from the front. The loud clattering of armor hitting the ground in all directions from him made him laugh. He chuckled out loud as soldiers scrambled to help their fallen friends off of their backs like overturned turtles. The soldiers with black hats had little armor and jumped to their feet.
Alexander gathered his extra folds of cloth and tied them back with his brown sash, then started marching towards the king’s tent. Some of the scrambling soldiers rushed to keep up with his pace. The clattering announced to those in Alexander’s way to move, forming a path for the Wind council seat. In the crowd he saw a black hat moving adjacent to his path pushing in between those in the camp. He knew the fancy black hat would belong to Bowie Crescent, the gifted arrow maker and archer. He had found a place of rank in the King’s army just like his friend the weapon bearer, only he was untrained in the use of magic. Alexander had promised the boy he would teach him to use the wind magic he had bestowed upon him, but now he had no time. He picked up the speed so as to avoid the boy. Alexander pushed through the tent flaps just as the boy emerged from the crowd.
The King’s tent was filled to capacity, not only with people but with maps and reports. The King was issuing orders when Alexander entered. Only a couple of people seemed to notice the wizard as he found a place in the shadows to stand. Wizards of all types lined the walls of the tent, watching and waiting for orders. He poured himself some wine and pocketed some bread and cheese into a fold of his robe.
“Councilman Alexander, report your findings,” the King's command was of routine business. He had fought wars and battles before, this was his true element, politics was not.
“I am fine, my lord. Thank you for asking,” Alexander said putting a piece of bread in his mouth. He continued to pick through fruit on a table as if he was not given any command.
“Wizard, I did not ask how you were. I told you to report,” Atmos said growling with contempt. Alexander always got King Atmos riled up before talking with him. The simple feat caused King Atmos to be off of his game and easier to manipulate. He temper was quick, and Alexander loved to exploit it.
“Of course, of course my lord. Which would you like to hear first?” he asked.
“Let’s start with the Fire Realm and King Rekkan,” the king said slightly less irritated.
“Well, I have seen their camp relatively close, or should I say their fortifications? Yes, yes I know, I will get to it.” Alexander loved to talk to himself, acting a little insane just to keep people wondering if he really did hear voices. “Their camp is growing bigger everyday by the Fire King’s ability to bring your very peasants into his employ. These peasants know how to build and construct in this fertile land, fortunately for King Rekkan. These peasants now build farms inside his walls as they finished the walls surrounding his new fortification. He has taken in every manner of worker into his camp and they work willingly.”
“You are telling me that King Rekkan is taking the Earth realms own people to construct his fortifications?” The tent went silent at the King’s growling voice.
“Well, yes my lord. How else would he have enough structures to hold all the supplies he takes from the surrounding towns? The really bad part is that most of the peasants that come into his camp are getting trained and armed against their own countrymen.”
The King stood at his paper-covered table and looked at the wizard snacking on fruit. “How many?”
“Well, I do not know. It is hard to count them when they are hurling arrows at you, and that’s not to mention the veteran wielders trying to knock me out of the sky. Every one of the men at the fort seem to be wielding an element against me. I do think they might not have come in force but they came with their very most experienced. I could only get close to the edges of their fortifications, and I couldn’t stay near their convoys for more than a few moments before being attacked, my lord.”
“How many, wizard?! I want to know what I'm up against. How many soldiers do they have?” King Atmos was was so angry he was shaking with fury at Alexander’s lack of numbers.
“Well I don’t know if I would call them all soldiers, but around seventy thousand would be as decent an estimate as you are going to get now.”
The King took in the number a moment before looking down at the map. Everyone was silent except for Alexander’s open mouthed chewing of a piece of cheese he had popped into his mouth. He looked around smiling as if nothing were the matter.
“Is there any news from my advisor?” Atmos asked.
“AHH yes my lord. He says that you should start to see troops arrive within the week. Three minor nobles and two nobles from the Water Realm have joined the fight. Well, they are at least coming, we haven’t started the fight so they cannot have joined it…”
“Enough, Councilmen. How many troops are they bringing?”
“Well, the minor nobles brought five thousand each not to be outdone by each other. The two Water Realm Nobles brought twenty thousand each. Their numbers should double what you have here, my King.”
The entire room visibly relaxed, and the King sat back into his large oak chair that creaked under the weight of his armor. They had months left to go before an actual battle took place and they were already this tense, he had done well. He gaped about like an idiot, waiting for someone else to ask him a question.
When no one did he spoke up Alexander said,”My lord if you do not require my services any longer today I need to find my weapon bearer to check his progress.”
He bowed and started for the tent's flaps.
The king shouted,“You are not dismissed, wizard. I have some messages for you to take to my advisor and then you will check the surrounding area for scouts. I also have yet to hear back from your wizard trainee, Mica. He was supposed to report back on other locations on the border. If you complete those tasks, then you may attempt to find your weapon bearer.”
Alexander muttered under his breath a few times to where no one could hear. He looked around with lips still moving as if talking to someone. “My lord, Mica is no longer a trainee, otherwise he would be riding my wind as he had in the past. He will arrive when he can, or you can track him down as a traitor. As far as scouts, you will not encounter scouts for a month yet if you do manage to keep this pace with all the added troops. The messages you surely could get a pigeon to carry for you, as I have matters to attend to.”
“Wizard…I gave you a task. If you do not carry out my orders perhaps I will find you as a traitor.”
Alexander smiled back at the King now leaning on his table filled with maps.
“My lord,” he said bowing deeply. “Perhaps you have mis
taken your power over wizards or your own councilmen. We are not your subjects for your frivolous daily tasks. I will spare you the lecture on ordering wizards around, and I might even find time to complete the tasks that you have REQUESTED. If I do not, it will be my decision and not punishable by being named a traitor. If you want to find a more pliable wizard perhaps ask Mica when he returns, he seems to like licking your boots.”
Alexander bowed again and turned to leave the tent.
“Guards, take Alexander into custody!” the king shouted.
It was too late. The Wizard already had released his sash and taken flight into the air. He watched as Bowie held his black hat on his head. The guards scrambled to find arrows and shackles but they were too late Alexander was a small spot in the sky, unrecognisable as a man.
**********
Bowie watched as the wizard circled the camp in the air, he wasn't sure if it was the one who had given him his wind magic bead. He watched closely as he circled three times and then started to descend into the massive camp. At least the camp seemed massive to Bowie; he had grown up in a town with less than a fraction of the people in his army’s camp. Bowie pushed through the Black Hats that had just caught up with the head of the camp. His men were the back of the camp, everyone knew that they were new recruits by the hats they wore, the hats they had wanted to wear because of his instruction. Black wide brimmed hats curled up in the front, a green feather in each to display rank amongst the Black Hats. Bowie’s own had three gold stripes showing his most recent promotion to sergeant, it fit snugly over his long, red, braided hair.
When Bowie’s men finally marched into camp the sun was rising and the front of the army was beginning to pack up for another day’s march. It had been that way for the last few days, sleeping during the day and catching up at night. They were the new recruits, so they got to march in all of the horse manure, mud, and ruts left by the others.
Pushing through the more senior soldiers was harder to do than he had thought. They had no respect for his rank as he was still new to the army. He figured that most of the soldiers only saw the black hat and paid no attention to the shield pin on his shoulder marking him as armor bearer. It should have told everyone he was dangerous or useful, or at least to respect him. His black hat, he supposed, spoke louder than the small pin.
The whole reason he needed to talk to the wind wizard circling the camp was that he had no idea how to use his wind magic. He had trained a very small amount with an earth ring Kilen let him use while traveling, but that was nothing like using the wind. He kept it in a small pocket he had sewed into his wrist guard where the tiny magic imbued bead would touch his skin. He needed to talk to the wizard so he could at least learn to teach himself how to use it.
He pushed through the army that now gaped upward at the wizard floating around with wind catching his large robe. Bowie saw him go out of sight as he lowered himself into a ring of armored soldiers. A gust of wind from behind and from in front sent chaos into the army’s ranks. A loud crash of men in armor hitting the ground was followed by a loud commotion of men trying to regain their comrades to keep up with the wizard. Bowie followed the commotion as best he could and when it stopped he found himself near one of the King’s tents. Alexander had already disappeared inside. He decided he would wait outside for the wizard to exit.
Bowie took a seat on an unoccupied stump near the tent. He saw a large man sharpening a sword nearby and recognized Chit from his home town of Humbridge. Chit had been chosen as the King’s Champion, for reasons Bowie could only speculate. His only thought was that another man from his hometown, his friend Kilen, was being trained as a weapon bearer. Kilen and Chit did not get along, but then Chit didn’t get along with anyone from Humbridge. Bowie thought that perhaps the King wanted to see Kilen’s sword taken from him, and that Chit would be the perfect opponent to face the much smaller Kilen.
Chit now stayed near the King at all times, he was like a dog feeding on his master’s scraps. He served no purpose other than to punish and intimidate. He now sat outside the entrance to the King’s tents polishing a gleaming long sword with twin animal heads facing out from its hilt. Chits arms were covered with scars now from whatever he had had to face since being called to be the King’s Champion. His eyes seemed to have lost whatever desire for drink and women that they had before. Before, Bowie and his friends would avoid Chit just because he would bully them, now Bowie avoided him because he was afraid of what the so called “Champion” might do.
Bowie had not slept yet, as his men were the very last troop to arrive into the camp that was established the night before. As the trails became more narrow the farther they had gone from Deuterium, it took longer to catch up to the camp. His men were, no doubt, getting their tents set up, or at least finding a place to lay down before they started marching again. Veteran soldiers had woken some of the Black Hats to test their aim, but his soldiers were laughed at because there weren't enough bows to go around. Bowie’s trained archers couldn't even fight because the veterans took all the equipment for themselves. At least, Bowie thought, they wouldn’t be used in battle if they didn't have anything to fight with.
Bowie saw his second in command, John Curtin, come through the crowd and approach him. “Sergeant Crescent, I found you and you ran off. Captain Lorusk summoned you to the King’s tent.”
The large man, still catching his breath, took a second to look around and saw Bowie was sitting right beside the King’s tent. “Ah I see you already got word.”
“Well, I came here for other reasons, but thanks for letting me know, John. Now I have a reason to go inside.”
John tipped his hat and turned to walk back to the new recruits they commanded. Bowie raised himself off of the stump and started for the tent’s flap and out came Wizard Alexander. Before Bowie could even say the Wizard’s name he had risen past the top of the King’s tent and into the air. Captain Lorusk jumped out of the tent after him, but missed the wizard’s robes by a hand’s length. The Captain stood, glaring as the wizard rose out of sight. When he looked down his anger was automatically transferred to Bowie. He grabbed Bowie’s shoulder and pulled him inside the tent.
King Atmos was leaning on white knuckled fists on top of a paper-covered desk, “Captain, fetch me some BLOODY PIGEONS!!” He stood looking at the tent flap as it stopped moving from the Captain disappearing through it, and then finally noticed Bowie. “Who are you?”
“I am Sergeant Cresent, my lord,” Bowie replied, bowing.
“Oh right, the fletcher-made-sergeant out of my new recruits. I should have known from the black hat. I have a few tasks for you, Sargeant. This is Ria Smith Earth Wizard,” he said, gesturing over his shoulder without looking.
A Middle aged woman wearing an all brown dress with her hair in a bun stepped forward. She didn’t look like any wizard that Bowie had seen before. She wore common clothes and stood with hands behind her back. She wore no adornments nor indication that she was a wizard. She came and stood beside Bowie as the King continued to talk.
“I am assigning her to-” the King was cut off as Ria cleared her throat. “-Right, right, I have requested that Ria join your Black Hats so that she may aid in the creation of arrows and supplies for my archers. She has skills that will help you in preparing my army for this battle. Also, I have gathered in supplies from towns we’ve passed to aid in this construction. here will be some fletchers joining your troop to help teach these Black Hats to make the supplies. Do you understand what you are supposed to do Sergeant?”
“My Lord, I thought we agreed that I joined this army as a soldier and not as a fletcher.”
The King smiled at Bowie, “As a soldier in this army, I am giving you an order to make arrows using those Black Hats you are in charge of. Let me remind you that you joined this army and now we are in a time of war. It would not be wise for you to leave the army as a deserter during such time, as it is a crime punishable by death. As I see it, you have two choices: follow orders, or fac
e the hangman's noose.”
Bowie bowed his head as Ria sighed showing her disgust in Bowie. “My lord, I will carry out your orders, but I will need lots of feathers and supplies. I will need to have my men hunt almost constantly in order to find the things I need.”
“So have your men hunt, I have no problem with this request,” Atmos finally sat down in his chair and started to relax, as Bowie was no longer resisting.
“Sire, our camp frightens the animals. We would hunt for probably a league, and there is no way we will find the animals unless we hunt in front of the column. Even if we do, we still need to be able to carry the supplies and work while moving from camp to camp. None of my men have the horses for that, nor do I the carts to hold supplies, the horses to pull them, or the weapons to hunt with.”
The King became visibly irritated again, he scratched his growing goatee. “I will supply you ten horses, and three carts. I suggest you use them wisely. The rest of your Black Hats will have to walk. Take them to the front of the formation now and get ahead. I’ll have your horses and carts brought up. Look for scouts to show you the new camp sites as we move down the road. Dismissed, Sergeant.”
Bowie bowed and Ria followed his lead as he exited the tent. The King started to issue orders to others as he was leaving.
The female wizard walked at Bowie’s side through the crowd as best she could, “Sergeant Crescent, I think in the future you ought to remember what your mother taught you; to obey your elders. This simple instruction would gain you a better response from his majesty, the King.”