Spellscribed: Provenance

by Kristopher Cruz

  Endrance nodded. “Very well then. I will state my findings now, before everyone here. Are you ready to hear it?” he asked.

  The king stared down at the young mage. Endrance looked down at the floor as he realized that there was no way to avoid a confrontation. The king raised his hands up and exclaimed “Well?” in a barely concealed tone of irritation. Endrance was about to speak when Selene interrupted.

  “Endrance!” she exclaimed, causing the young wizard to step to the side to see her past the king. “Come quick!”

  Thank the gods! He thought in relief as he rushed past the king and over to Selene, who was crouched in between the legs of the General's wife. Her hands were soaked in blood. “She's bleeding too much!” she exclaimed, grimacing as the mother's breathing grew slower. “We need to get her to the healer fast!” she proclaimed.

  Bridget also called out to him in panic, and he turned to them to see the queen's eyes roll back and to fall unconscious.

  The king passively observed his wife. He had thought she was tougher than that. But at the rate things were going she would not survive to see her son become the destined hero. However the drain on magic could weaken the protections he put in place. Her death could ruin everything. The king rushed over to the queen, grasping one of her hands. He looked over at the Spengur and shouted. “What are you doing? Get over here and help your queen!” Endrance startled. He looked down at the dying mother as the king bellowed, “Get over here now!”

  He looked up at Anna, who scowled and jerked her head towards the king, and Endrance nodded, crossing the floor quickly and scooping up some extra strips of clean cloth as he did so. Examining the woman, he could see that not only did she suffer unusually copious bleeding, but also seemed drained of her vitality. He realized then that she may have been magically able, and was amazed she had remained conscious as long as she did.

  The king clamped a metal shod hand onto Endrance's shoulder. “Dammit! Don't you have a healing spell or something?” he demanded. “Help her!”

  Endrance dropped to a knee, partially because he needed to get down to her level to treat her, and partially because the king's grip almost broke his collarbone.

  He shook his head. “No, my king!” he exclaimed. “The eclipse had drained my energies! I cannot cast any spells until I have a chance to recover!” He shook a fist full of cloths as he spoke. “I will do what I can to help her.”

  If I had any energy left, any at all, I might be able to help them! He thought, hoping he remembered the information in the books he had studied properly. He was about to set the first stitch when he felt a ring hanging on the necklace he wore under his robes grow hot against his skin, stinging him. He felt a smidgen of magical energy return to him as the ring cooled. It was not much, but enough for at least a single casting of the healing spell he had researched.

  Unknown to him, Anna had suddenly felt the silver ring on her finger become almost unbearably hot and nearly passed out on the other side of the room.

  He glanced at the king as he set the needle aside. “I think I have the power for one healing spell. Please let go of my shoulder so I can move freely.” The king released his grip, secretly surprised that the kid had already recovered enough power to cast a spell. He had a formidable power indeed. The king's own wife had not recovered from the drain of the eclipse, and would soon die if not helped.

  Endrance said the simple word phrase and moved his hands in the swift gestures needed. He had chosen this spell among the other possible healing magic because it had been the best balance of speed and complexity of casting versus the injuries it could heal. While it may not fully heal the queen's injuries, it would definitely be enough to stop the bleeding, and perhaps mend some of the tearing.

  The spell did its work quickly, and Endrance could see color return to the queen's cheeks. He still had some work to do, but he would manage. Something seemed a bit off, but Endrance was not able to tell what it was since there was too much going on around him and he had never performed surgery before, much less worked on that area of a woman’s body.

  He tended to the queen for another minute before he was certain that she would pull through alright. He stood, blood smeared on his bare hands, arms, and the front of his chest. He nodded at the king, and started to speak when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Turning he saw Selene looking into his eyes, her expression solemn. “The general's wife...” she began, closing her eyes and turning towards the bed opposite of the queen.

  The figure in the bed was still, and the sheet had been pulled over her face. Endrance stared at it at first, not comprehending what lay before him. It dawned on him when Anna looked to him and shook her head sadly. His expression fell, and he felt something strange welling up in his heart, an aching pain that brought tears to his eyes. He stumbled over a tangle of bloody sheets that lay strewn between the beds, and fell to his knees at the base of the deceased woman's bed. A horrible wrenching sensation twisted up in his gut, and all he saw turned blurry as hot tears started running down his face.

  He had been aware that people might die over the course of his career, but he had not expected it to happen so soon, especially not to someone under his direct care. His fists balled up against the sheets at her feet as grief ran through him. He didn't know how to cope with the pain of seeing another human being die. I don't want her to die! His thoughts raged through his mind. I don't want anyone to die! He slammed his fist into the bed, wishing he could do something more.

  Something more happened. As he sobbed, a pale golden wind seemed to flow softly from the woman’s still form. Not nearly as voluminous as the other times, it was still beautiful and still frightening to behold. The rest of the people in the room, except for Joven recoiled as the wind swirled around the wizard and spiraled into the Crystalphage on his left forearm. The midwives and the two families still present had the presence of mind to flee the longhouse, shouting and carrying their newborn children. That left him alone with the king and his wife; his men must have left during the eclipse, as the door was unlocked and open.

  The energy he had gathered was likely not much compared to the spell bracer’s total, but with it came a secret. It was a secret that confirmed his suspicions of the king. And part of him found this discovery funny, but tragic at the same time.

  “The woman's dead.” He heard the king speak the words, but they made no impact in his mind. “And I grieve for your loss, but you have at least done a great work saving my wife's life. There's nothing more you could do here.” The king was standing nearly right behind the kneeling mage. “Stand, Spengur, and tell us the answer to the eclipse!” his commanding voice filled the room.

  Endrance stood. His courage was fueled by his anger at himself for being powerless when he was most needed. He turned to King Kalenden, and looked him in the eye. “I have your answer, king!” he said firmly, his aggression tainting the tone of his voice. “Your son is in fact the child of destiny!” Endrance exclaimed loudly. “But your son is also the child of destruction!”

  The king visibly thought through the mage's statement. “Wait,” he said, “You said that my son was both the child of destiny and the child of destruction. Prophecy says that they will oppose each other. How can he be both?” The king did not look confused, if anything, he looked about to become angry.

  Endrance smirked, realizing that this was the moment that he either gave in or stood strong. His heart told him to speak the truth, while his fear told him to just give in to the king's demands. “He cannot.” Endrance said. “If you only had one son, but you should know most of all that both of the babes are your sons!”

  “The general’s wife bore your son, out of wedlock. The general was away at war far too often, yes?” Endrance stated, his eyes locked with the king’s. “And that one is the child of destiny. The other, born of your wife, is the child of destruction.”

  Endrance chuckled, feeling a bit mad. “So either way, I have done what you wanted! Your son is the child of prophecy! But
he will gain you no clout, nor honor!”

  The king’s face hardened and the wizard could see him trembling with anger. “Is that so?” the ruler asked with an even tone.

  “Yes, King Kalenden.” He said, having committed to the course.

  The king’s face twitched, but otherwise did not express his anger through his face. “So you say my child is the destroyer?” he queried. “And my illegitimate son is the hero?”

  Endrance shrugged. “That is how it appears.”

  “Good.” The king stated, pulling an orange crystal from his belt and holding it out.

  It was Crystalphage. The gem dimmed in brilliance, and the wizard could feel a massive amount of power flow into the king. The crystal turned black, and Kalenden dropped it as he flung a hand out towards the doors and muttered a word. The twin doors slammed shut and locked of their own accord.

  “It was you!” Endrance exclaimed, backing away from him. “You are the summoner!”

  Kalenden laughed viciously, pointing a hand at his wife and chanting a few more words. The woman shrieked, combusting into flames, her silhouette having horns and wings for the brief moment before she was gone and the bed was empty and singed.

  Endrance's senses pounded. His blood burned, and anger blasted through his head again. He clasped his hands to his head, unable to react to the current situation. His head hurt beyond his own ability to comprehend. He had finally found the one who had tied everything together, and it was the very man who had allowed him to be hired.

  The summoner's laughter faded, and it looked the room over slowly, sure in its superiority. “Three women, a rebellious son of Daelen, and a wizard so young he’s barely out of boy’s clothes. This is just precious. I think I might cry.” he mocked, bringing a powerful hand up in a mocking gesture of wiping a tear from his face. “No matter, I will simply have to kill the lot of you, and call some demons to take your forms until I have a reason to get rid of you publicly.”

  He smirked as he looked Joven in the eye. “It's time, Jalyin. Finish your assignment. You can kill the others too.” he said.

  Joven was about to rush to try to intercept the King when he caught a flicker of movement above. Reflexively he lurched to the left, throwing his body in between the motion and the young man who was still trying to compensate. A blackened steel knife seemed to blossom from his chest, just where his charge's head would have been. The blade only sank an inch through the armor plating into the meat of his right breast, a trivial wound in comparison to being knifed in the head.

  Everyone seemed to move at once. The Sha’hdi seemed to materialize out of the darkness of the rafters itself, while Draugnoa leapt to the fight. Joven threw his daggers at the assassin as he pulled a pair of hand axes from his belt with the other hand.. The three keepers interposed themselves between the moon elf and their husband. Endrance staggered back, slowly collecting himself as the world came into focus for him. The Draugnoa had only their daggers, and he would have to help them.

  Jalyin swung onto the side of the rafter she was perched on, the thrown knives Joven sent her way sailing just past the mark. Using her powerful legs, she propelled herself at the mage's guardians. They would keep stopping her from getting any direct strikes on him, and murdering them wouldn't affect her pay. She had been itching to kill these ignorant fools for some time, but she had to follow the orders of her client. Now she was free to slaughter them all.

  The assassin spun as she flew at the blond haired keeper, black daggers seeming to appear into her hands as she swung them out in an arc, a precise scissor strike that should have sliced the barbarian's throat open neatly. Somehow, the woman jammed her dagger into the crossing blades, catching them where the two blades crossed, locking the two together for a brutal instant. Then in an instant the assassin was away, dodging the expert knife strike Bridget had aimed.

  The elf easily performed a back handspring, simultaneously leaping over Selene's low strike, and sliding under Anna's throat slash. She landed perfectly, and spun to strike at the two at the same time. The two women expertly spun while falling back, catching each other’s free hand and keeping the other stable as the assassin's daggers sliced through the air they previously occupied. Bridget almost caught her off guard, forcing the elf to spring out of the way as she kicked a nearby pan at her with a thundering crack. She skidded on her knees under the projectile, which clattered against the doors.

  She popped up to her feet to have to block a piercing strike that Selene thrust, turning the blade away from her body as she whirled the other to counterstrike. That dagger was deflected by Anna's desperate block, and Bridget vaulted over the two Keeper's shoulders to strike downward with her knife. The assassin disengaged and slid backward faster than humanly possible, just barely avoiding Bridget's hammer strike, the blade of the knife just barely cutting down her right eyebrow as she faded out of reach. A drop of blood dropped from her eyebrow, and she lunged back into the fray, a scream of frustration escaping her lips as she brought her daggers to bear.

  King Kalenden drew his sword and unhooked his cloak as Joven pulled the dagger from his chest and readied his axes. They were made for war, but the king’s sword would be dangerous. The bodyguard was not as well armored as his opponent, and he was likely not quite as strong as the king was. Things were looking grim.

  Joven took the offensive, lunging with a swipe with his left hand. The king indignantly batted the weapon out of the way. Joven swung his other axe as hard as he could. He wasn’t aiming for the king, but his weapon. The two axes crossed the sword’s blade, and the three weapons locked together. The king was smiling as Joven struggled to keep control of the bind.

  “What’s the matter, Joven?” Kalenden said mockingly. “Is the legendary strength of Daelen’s brood not good enough?” he lifted his blade, hardly impeded by Joven’s struggling. “You are a fool to think you can beat me on your own.”

  “Well, you know me.” Joven replied, using the hooked axes to give him leverage as he delivered a powerful straight kick to Kalenden’s abdomen. He slid back from Joven, and the sword slid free, carving deep notches into Joven’s axes as sparks flew. “I’m not as dumb as I look.”

  Endrance opened a trunk they had stashed behind the chair he usually sat in when conducting business. They had set it there when preparing, knowing that it might be necessary. A large quantity of weapons was piled inside. He grabbed the bipennis battleaxe and hefted it. “Joven!” he shouted, heaving it towards the man. The barbarian threw both his axes at the king, whirling to catch the axe as it came close.

  The king sidestepped one of the axes, and the second bounced off his shoulder cop, barely nicking the metal. He dashed towards Endrance’s bodyguard, trying to get a shot off while his back was turned. Joven smoothly caught the axe as he spun and kept turning, using the momentum of the turn to make the first swing with his axe a powerful one.

  Endrance turned to the fight with the assassin and his guardians. Their daggers flicked through the air, the four of them a whirl of motion and deadly steel. The assassin was more agile and skilled than any human woman could have been, but the three Keepers fought in unison, having been trained for years together. One could sacrifice their defense to make an attack on the shadow elf, knowing faithfully that another would be there to defend her. The three were making it impossible for the assassin to successfully hit any one of them.

  He couldn’t help in that fight at all, for interrupting the women’s unison could be deadly. He didn’t have the skill with his knives to fight on the assassin’s level, and he didn’t have the familiarity with the keepers to join into their dance of blades. He looked at the trunk of weapons, which contained the three’s favored weapons. It seemed they would have to wait for now.

  He saw that Kalenden had drained energy from the Crystalphage he had been carrying. It was even larger than the one in his bracer, but might not hold as much as the perfect star cut of his gem. He just needed to tap into it and draw upon its power to refill his aura. Up
until that point he had been reluctant to do so; it had within it immeasurable power, and he had not been able to figure out the meaning behind the third circle of script. He didn’t want a repeat of the prior time where a spell circle had run rampantly out of his control, but now he didn’t have a choice.

  Joven fought with king Kalenden on more level ground. The king was stronger, but he didn’t have all of Joven’s experience. Trained in multiple fighting styles, Joven was keeping Kalenden guessing as he rapidly changed his attack and defense patterns. He had managed to get a strike against the king’s armor, but didn’t do any real damage.

  Endrance closed his eyes and concentrated on the well of power he wore on his arm. Immediately the script illuminated, golden light radiating from the engravings. He touched on the power contained within, and nearly staggered under the magnitude of what he felt. The gem contained nearly tenfold the power Endrance could currently hold within his aura, and the power pulsed, ready to be drawn upon.

  He mentally pulled on the power, and the brilliant sparkle of the gem dimmed as he siphoned away some of its inner light. His aura blossomed with power, growing as full as it naturally came to. He didn’t stop right away, instead dealing with the discomfort as he poured yet more power, bloating his aura with golden light.

  He opened his eyes, so buoyantly full of power he felt fantastic. The pain, the aches he had before, none of it mattered. The weakness of his body was trivial compared to the power of his mind and spirit. He turned to the fighting pairs, and it seemed so much less threatening than it did before.

  He reached out with both hands towards the king and spoke with joy on his voice. “Joven, please move.”

  The barbarian caught a glimpse of the young wizard out of the corner of his eye and with full force leapt away from the king. He crashed through one of the beds, collapsing it under his mass.