by Aaron Thomas
He heard Chit say something but it was drowned out by the crash of men holding the so-called champion back. Bowie had what he came for and decided it would be best to depart before Chit could get loose.
Charger was more than ready to depart the cramping campsite. He pranced as they moved through the crowd and onto the path heading south. He figured with resting Charger and stopping to eat in towns along the way, he would be able to catch up with the rest of his men. He was in for a long ride and wished he had Kilen with him to heal the fatigue he would feel.
The thought of Kilen made him think of the note Alexander left for the king. Alexander was an Elder Wizard and now Kilen belonged to them. Bowie knew he was now Kara’s only hope of surviving.
**********
The days were longer in Idleton than in the castle. Kilen pushed himself everyday under Ray’s direction. A day after Kilen arrived, wielders were being sent out of the Elder Wizard’s camp on secret missions. He practiced with each of the crusty wielders in turn, but now only Ray and himself remained behind. Ray seemed to never get tired of swinging the sword; it seemed to be a part of him. When he moved, it was silent and smooth, as if the sword was a key component of each step.
The veteran weapon bearer tossed down a plate of food for Kilen, which he promptly consumed. The sweat-drawing work didn’t seem to stop in the elders camp. He wondered if it was the summer heat or the continuous work the community performed. Wielders seemed to be the labor force of the camp. Now that only two weapon bearers were left, Kilen and Ray were being worked hard to keep up with chores. Kilen was scraping the bottom of his plate and saw Alexander walking through the camp, towards the center of town. He darted after the wind wizard dropping his spoon on the table.
“Alexander! Alexander! I need to talk to you.” Kilen caught up with the wind wizard, who was now waiting on him outside of one of the taller houses.
Alexander smiled,“I’m glad to see you are doing well. I heard about how hard you fought to get inside. You almost passed every one of their trials. Good work, lad.”
Kilen laughed a bit at the compliments. “It was mostly due to the voices in my head.” Alexander’s expression turned serious.
“You can stop that game now. We both know I have never had voices in my head. Saying that I did was a way to keep others off guard. I was able to act a part that would let others trust me more because they thought I lacked the mental aptitude to keep up with their lies. You, however, won’t be able to convince others that you are crazy. The path the Elder Wizards have chosen for you is very different from the life of a crazy wizard. I would keep talking to yourself to a minimum.”
Kilen didn’t know what to say in response. He couldn’t tell him the truth about having actual voices in his head, but he knew the wizard already had his suspicions.
“What path have the wizards chosen for me?” He asked to change the subject.
“It will be revealed when they are finished with their plans. Meanwhile, keep training hard.” Alexander started to walk up the front steps of the house and Kilen reached up to touch his arm.
Kilen pleaded, “Why are we all still here? Shouldn’t they be sending wizards out to help with the war? If not, I should be going to help my friends.”
A wizard Kilen had not seen before came out the front door and stopped to shake hands with Alexander. He ushered him inside and stayed behind to talk to Kilen.
“Kilen, it’s nice to meet you. I am Warick. I grew up near Paddleton, it was small village just north of your home town, Humbridge. I would like to talk to you on behalf of the council.” The old, gray haired wizard kept his hands folded in front of him awaiting Kilen’s answer.
Kilen nodded as the wizard started to lead him on a slow walk back towards the blacksmiths.
“Alexander was just promoted to the rank of Full Elder. He will be receiving instructions and knowledge that other wizards can only hope to achieve. In receiving his rank, we were forced to take on you as a weapon bearer.” He stopped to turn to Kilen, “Which is not your fault, but nonetheless you have given your oath to protect him. You still wish to be a weapon bearer, don’t you?”
Kilen was unsure how to answer. “I became a weapon bearer in order to protect my sister. This is all I want.”
The wizard nodded and started again down the path.
“Your sister is in good hands and is making very good progress. She will not be the girl you remember the next time you see her. You must prepare yourself for that.”
They stopped to grab a freshly baked loaf of bread out of a window. Warick pinched off a bit and handed it to Kilen while he took a bite of his own. A second loaf was tucked under his arm and they continued on.
Warick continued to talk as he chewed his bread, “As long as you do what the Elder Wizards ask, they will watch after your sister. Soon, you will receive instruction that you must follow through to the end.”
Kilen nodded in understanding.
“You see Kilen, weapon bearers and wizards were the first bond formed to achieve peace between man and wizard. We hold that bond sacred as long as man does. Kings and wizards now don’t fully understand that bond. Anyone who has been made a wielder by means of another man or a wizard, who has not been welcomed into our community, will never be recognized as a True Weapon Bearer.”
“So, you are saying that because Alexander was only just accepted to be an Elder Wizard, I am to be accepted as a True Weapon Bearer?” Kilen asked.
“Correct. The rules that man has twisted by killing our kind and appointing wielders to the ranks of weapon bearer or armor bearer, creating an abomination to our peace agreements. In the distant past, wielders were the protectors of man and wizard alike. They were meant to roam free of authority from wizard or man. Wielders of the past were untainted justice on the wings of magic. Wizards feared the wielder's connection to man’s vast numbers. Man feared the wielder’s power and strength in magic. Weapon bearers fought for everyone. They stood for justice for as far as they rode. Some towns even weighed their word above any other judgement on those that committed crimes. They waited months for a wielder to come to exact justice. You see Kilen, wielders were chosen because of their knowledge, wisdom, and strength of heart above all else.”
They walked a slow pace and Kilen slowly chewed on his bread, soaking up the information.
“Jace, your mentor, was supposed to be chosen for his wisdom just like your father before him.” Warick sighed. “You seem to be the last hope for wielders in this age. Today, wielders are chosen for their experience in battle, for the power in their arm. They are given this power by wizards employed by man. Men, like King Atmos, have been demented with power and twisted to believe themselves to be a supreme being. You see, we have great hopes for your ability to choose between what is just and what is unjust,” Warick said.
“I thought I was just supposed to protect Alexander,” Kilen said as they approached the blacksmith’s shop.
Warick placed the bread on the table as the two silently watched the wizards work the same metal ring in the forge. They had worked the ring for the entire week Kilen had been there. It still didn’t take on any form Kilen could recognise.
“If you choose to remain a weapon bearer of the Elders, you will protect everyone. You will protect wizard and man alike without favor to either. I hope you would protect all people just as you do your sister, or your wizard.”
The feelings in Kilen’s head began to turn. He knew the emotions were not his own; he heard Jace’s voice. “The road of being feared by everyone, but accepted by all would not be an easy path, Kilen. I would choose wisely what you say here. You commit your life to saving everyone, even a king that chooses to plot against others for his own power. You will stand amongst few and be accepted by even less. You will walk all paths alone, because that is the only way you can be fair to all.”
Kilen thought it over and found when he looked up from the ground, all the wizards working the forge were looking at him. They were waiting fo
r an answer. He stood a little straighter and cleared his throat, but Warick spoke first.
“It’s okay. We don’t expect an answer now, but we do expect one. I will let you get back to your training.”
Kilen was still deep in thought and forgot to ask if they were going to help King Atmos with his battle. He stood watching the fire coming from one of the wizard’s hands. He was hypnotized as the flames licked the metal ring and turned it from black to glowing red. The earth wizard pounded the metal with sparks bursting off each swing of the hammer. The water wizard cooled the metal back to black. Kilen had watched the process many times at the local blacksmith, but never with this much precision. As they started to reheat the ring, the flames reminded him of his sister and the night his world was turned upside down. The water reminded him of Twilix and how his adventure began.
He wished he had not made the choice to chase Chit down. He could have taken back the sword some other way.
Joahna spoke as if he could see Kilen’s thoughts, “If it had happened some other way, perhaps Kara wouldn’t be stuck in a castle’s dungeon. She would have awakened someday whether you were there or not. You might have even died, had it happened in a different way. Kilen, this is the fate that we all have been dealt there is no turning back now.”
Joahna’s voice was that of reason. There was no changing his fate now.
The wizards stopped working to eat the lunch that was being dropped off by various wizards. When the activity in the shop slowed down for the wizards to eat, Kilen noticed his armor in the corner. The shield leaned against the rest of the armor, hiding behind it as a warrior would. Kilen reached for the restored shield. The dents and scratches had been removed and a fresh layer of paint coated the top. Each of the four emblems of magic were painted into separate quarters of the shield’s surface. Water opposite earth, fire opposite wind; all represented equally.
The earth wizard spoke while chewing his food, “Take it, it’s all finished.”
Kilen started to lift the shield and the wind wizard spoke.
“You were missing a few pieces of a full suit, so we found some of the parts and also replaced some that didn’t match-”
The large fire wizard spoke before the wind finished, “You should probably train in those before you leave town. It will feel different; fighting in a full suit. You will have some limited use of your arms, but Ray should be able to teach you to overcome it.”
Kilen didn’t say anything as he picked up the pieces of armor tied together by leather straps.
Lifting the pieces was not as taxing as it once had been. He figured his muscles must have grown or the weight of the armor would be causing him a problem. While residing in Idleton, he had done every task without the aid of his magic imbuements. He worked and practiced like any normal man. His muscles were getting bigger, so much that he might even rival the strength of his good friend Daniel. He thought of returning home and seeing Daniel’s face when challenging him to arm wrestle.
Kilen hefted the armor over his shoulder and headed back to the training ground where Ray was sharpening his sword. The large man spent most of his day in this training ring or in his home by the fire. Kilen wasn’t sure he wanted to live his life staved away from the world, stuck in a town of wizards like Ray. He also knew he would live and die here if it meant his sister would have a chance to live. He hoped that if he made the choice to become a true weapon bearer, he would have access to the wizard’s library he heard so much about.
“Ray, are you a full weapon bearer?” Kilen asked.
The master swordsmen stopped sharpening and looked at Kilen, “They asked you, did they?”
Kilen nodded.
Ray ran a rag over the length of the polished blade. “Dark times are coming then, if they are asking young ones like yourself. In my time they refused to recruit anyone that hadn’t grown a full patch of hair on their chest.”
Kilen took a bit of offense, having only a lightly haired chest.
The grizzly weapon bearer grinned,“Kilen, if they are asking you, then they think you are a good choice, but that is exactly what it is, a choice, and only one you can make. Whether you know it or not, you have already made your decision. All you need to do is find out what it was. To find out if you are a weapon bearer, you simply must ask yourself a question.”
Ray stood and looked Kilen in the eye and placed his large hands on either of Kilen’s shoulders. “Will you stand up against all forms of evil to serve those who cannot stand up for themselves?”
It seemed as if it was an easy question, but several instances came to his mind. His sister was a fire wizard; if she was unable to control herself and hurting people, was she considered evil? If a peasant was poaching on a king’s land because he was starving, is he considered evil? Kilen was not sure how to answer and when he didn’t, Ray let his arms fall to his side.
“You are wise to think your answer through. I made that mistake once while a weapon bearer. I made a choice from my own heart. Men and wizards came down on me for justice. I was let off easy, with a life sentenced to protect these wizards. I do the job because the decision I made was the wrong one, and it cost many of lives.”
Ray spoke with his back to Kilen but he thought he saw in the reflection of his blade, a tear come down Ray’s face. “Let us practice the sword, it always helps me clear my mind. Perhaps it will help you clear yours so you can make a proper choice.”
Kilen put his armor on. The weight was more than he had expected, now that he had it in place. He did, however, have a difficult time raising his arms above his head. The new shoulder guards restricted his movement. He wondered if wearing them would do more harm than good. He was soon happy he had chosen to leave them on.
Ray’s attacks were swift and powerful. The new armor took a beating more than Kilen did. He remained unscathed from the assault that was unleashed on him. Ray’s sword moved as swiftly as it had when Kilen wasn’t wearing armor and Kilen was now useless in fending off the attacks. The sound of the wooden sword cracking against the metal pieces of armor reverberated off the nearby buildings. He found himself so frustrated at being unable to stop attacks, he started to anticipate them in advance. Kilen would ignore an attack just to stop the next one.
Ray soon figured out Kilen was ignoring the attacks and chose to hit areas left unprotected by his new armor. Kilen found himself being stabbed in the armpit, falling after being hit in the back of the knee, and waking up after being struck in the side of the neck. Ray would not let Kilen get off easy for leaving himself exposed. Kilen soon went back to fighting the wordless battle of wits that he was losing.
Chapter 10 - Lessons
Bowie had ridden Charger hard the last few days trying to catch up with his men. He knew John must be pushing them to get that far ahead of him in three days time. The prance had long ago faded from the horse’s step. Bowie had never run him to the point of Charger wanting to walk for a while. The dust trail up the road told Bowie he was getting close, so he kept Charger at the same pace. Before long, he came up on the last men in the formation.
Then men on foot were jogging with no packs or equipment on. They simply ran together behind the carts. They waved to Bowie as Charger passed by. Bowie saw that the carts were filled to the brim with people and supplies. It took Bowie another thirty minutes to catch up to the front of the line. John was running beside one of the carts filled with sweaty men. Each man in the cart had a bow in hand and was looking about the road. Bowie was unsure what they were looking for. He slowed Charger to a walk beside John.
“You have made some distance between us and the rest of the army. Well done,” Bowie said.
John seemed to brighten at the compliment, saying, “You said the farther from the army we are, the more successful we will be. I thought I would give us as much time in one place as I could. There is a town up ahead, I figured we could set camp there.”
Bowie scratched his face and the stubble that started to grow during the ride. “I would prefe
r setting up on this side of town if there is a place.”
John nodded and turned to one of the men on a horse and waved him forward.
Tyler approached on horseback and John made a signal with his hand that said it was time to switch. When John was in the saddle he was handed a bow and he spurred his horse forward.
John shouted, “Shall we find a good spot?”
“Of course, and after that you will have to show me how you have been able to keep this troop moving so fast,” Bowie replied.
John smiled with yet another compliment.
“Let us visit Ria first. She will give our horses some energy,” John said.
Bowie nodded and followed John back to Ria’s wagon. He leaned in the saddle and knocked on the side wall of the wagon. Soon the back door of Ria’s moving wagon popped open and she stuck out her head.
“Oh Master Cresent, it’s good to see you finally caught up. John, did you need something or were you just telling me Master Crescent is here?” Ria asked.
John took off his hat to speak to her,“Sorry to bother you. We need a bit of energy for the horses so we can ride ahead and find a good place to camp for a few days. If you don’t mind of course?”
She smiled at John before leaning over to touch the horse’s neck. Soon after, John moved back and waved Bowie over so Ria could reach Charger. The horse danced and bucked Bowie away from the wagon with an eagerness that said he had regained his normal prance. Ria nodded at the men and closed the door to her wagon.
John was looking at Bowie’s empty quiver. He moved to the next cart up and held his hand out to the men inside, “Arrows for Master Crescent.” The men reached in a basket hanging over the side of the wagon and pulled out a handful of arrows.