Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3

by Mark E. Cooper

  Brian hovered close while she used her magic to examine the boy. He was healthy enough for a half starved vagabond, but it was what else she found that had her heart pounding. The boy was a mage! He obviously didn’t know, or he would have used his magic to survive rather than a dagger. He might not have used his power for the first time yet. She was about to ask Brian to find Keverin, when her door banged open and Kev stormed in. He hugged her in relief when he found her unharmed.

  “Are you all right? I heard about Udall.”

  Tears for her friend welled up. Julia clung to Keverin not wanting him to see, but he knew. His stroking of her back and kissing of her hair in public told her. Brian had moved to the balcony to give them as much privacy as he could, but is was still public to Kev.

  “It was awful,” she mumbled against his armoured chest. “Udall pushed me out of the way and the arrow hit him instead.”

  “I honour him for his gift to you,” Keverin said sadly. “I pray the God finds him worthy.”

  “He will. Brian and I killed two of the assassins. The boy took care of the other two. He’s only a child, yet he killed them as if he’d been doing it all his life.”

  Keverin studied the boy from where he held her. “He’s probably been living day to day on the streets. It’s kill or be killed out there. I owe him a great debt.”

  “How much?” the boy said abandoning his pretence of being unconscious.

  Keverin grinned as the boy say up warily. “You’re awake are you? Good. I want to thank you for helping my lady. I’m in your debt.”

  “I heard. She… Julia owes me ten gold. How much do you owe me?”

  “That would depend on what you want.”

  “I want a new pair of boots that fit just right, and ain’t never been worn by no one, and—” he broke off biting his lip in anxiety.

  “Go on boy, what else?”

  “Ten sausages—big ones mind!”

  Keverin frowned. “Hmmm, only ten? How about two dozen?”

  The stunned expression on the boy’s face made Julia sad. He was so shocked that anyone would give him so much just for killing two men. The world could be a hard and cruel place sometimes. The prospect of getting his hands on two dozen sausages delighted the boy. He nodded enthusiastically. Keverin clasped hands with him to seal the bargain.

  Julia took the opportunity to bespeak Lucius and Mathius. *Can you two come to my rooms?*

  *Is something wrong?* Lucius said in concern. *We’re nearly at the palace.*

  *Udall is dead,* she said fighting to hold back the tears his name summoned. *He saved my life, but that’s not why I want you here. I have someone I want you to meet.*

  *How did it happen? Are you all right?* Mathius said with anxiety clear in his mind’s voice.

  *I’m fine, Mathius. I’ll explain everything when you get here. Just come as fast as you can; will you?*

  *We’re on our way.* Mathius said.

  *Good,* she said and released her magic.

  The boy had seen her using her magic. He was warily looking around, probably wondering what she had done. She remembered doing exactly the same thing when she first saw Mathius use his.

  “Can I have my money now?”

  Julia nodded. “I remember my promise boy—what is your name?”

  “Lorcan.”

  “I would like to offer you a bargain first, Lorcan.”

  “What bargain?”

  “We will give you two golds every tenday, if you swear to be Keverin’s man—”

  Keverin turned to her in surprise. “Julia what—”

  “You’ll see in a minute,” she said noting the worry on Lorcan’s face. “Do you know what swearing to a great lord like Athione means?”

  “Course! We always used to pretend, but that was a long time ago, and only make believe. Why me? I ain’t nobody.”

  Imagining this tough streetwise boy playing at guardsmen and lords with others his age made her smile. It was hard to visualise him as anything but what he was now, especially after seeing him dispatch two brigands so effectively.

  “Do you remember when I said I’ll give you anything you want?”

  “Yes, but you still ain’t said why!”

  “I’m coming to that. You are very important to us. We, Keverin and I, will give you anything you want—” Lorcan’s eyes lit up and she hastily corrected herself. “Well not anything. We will give you two golds every tenday as your pay. We will give you a completely new set of clothes with boots. And yes, I’ll still give you the money I owe you. We will give you rooms to live in, all the food you want, a horse to ride. All those things if you will swear to be Keverin’s man until death. You must be loyal to him and obey him when he gives you an order. You must never betray him or anyone from Athione.”

  Julia smiled at Lorcan and Keverin’s puzzled faces. “You are very special Lorcan, and because you are special, I have some friends who can teach you magic.”

  She watched as Lorcan tried to understand his change in fortunes. He was having trouble believing that she was telling the truth if she was any judge of expression. He would be looking for hidden meanings in her words, and trying to find the catch. She would do the same in his position.

  “Will you swear?”

  * * *

  Lorcan’s world had been turned upside down, and all because he had killed two worthless brigands on impulse. Maybe the God was watching over him after all. He shook his head in wonder. He was a murderer and a thief, but here he was, sworn to Lord Athione himself—Athione! Not just any lord, but the greatest lord of the greatest fortress in Deva! His life couldn’t get much stranger than this.

  He eyed the fancy tapestries and such as he walked, but forced his itchy fingers to leave them where they were. Food was no longer the only thing of worth in Devarr. The Lady was feeding everyone, and gold was worth something again.

  “Where are we going, Mathius?”

  “I wondered when you were going to ask. I’m taking you to the rooms assigned to the men of Athione.”

  The men of Athione. He was a man of Athione now, and he was going to be a mage, the Lady said. It seemed too good to be true, but lord Keverin had sworn to uphold his rights, and to protect him and his family as the stories said he should. He had no family now, but it seemed he might have one in the future at Athione. He wished his mother could have seen this day.

  “When do we leave for Athione?”

  Mathius smiled. “I’m not sure, Lorcan. The lords are here to elect a new king. Lord Keverin wants Lord Meilan to be king—Gylaren is a good friend of his. He would make a good one.”

  “What happened to the old one?”

  “He died,” Mathius said.

  The King was dead. Why didn’t lord Keverin take his place? Athione was the most important fortress in the world, his father had told him that years ago. Athione made Deva safe from the bad men in the west. He sneered at the thought even as it occurred to him. Bad men in the west indeed! There were plenty of bad men right here in Devarr. He had killed a dozen of them himself. If Keverin wanted Gylaren on the throne, then that must happen. He was sworn to Athione, and Keverin was Athione in his eyes.

  “Who else wants the throne?” Lorcan asked, and Mathius grimaced. It seemed Mathius had little liking for the lord who opposed Keverin.

  “Lord Ascol is opposing us, but he would be a disaster. We are in the lead in the voting, but we don’t have enough to win, and neither does Ascol.”

  Lorcan decided to find out where Ascol lived. A quick thrust with his best dagger would solve his lord’s problem, and they could go home to Athione. Mathius turned down one last corridor and entered a room. Lorcan followed. It was a large room filled with light coming through the open balcony doors. He stepped outside and found himself looking down into an overgrown garden. He stepped back inside and turned full circle noting all the doors.

  “Which one is mine?”

  Mathius smiled. “All of them of course. This is a guest suite, Lorcan. The bedcham
ber is through that door there, and the bath is through this one,” Mathius said pointing to each of the doors in turn. “We—Athione that is—claimed this entire section of the palace for our own. Lord Jihan’s men have the adjoining corridor.”

  He nodded. Anyone wanting to get to the women’s quarter had to pass through one of those two sections. It was no accident that lord Keverin and his friend had chosen them.

  “Lady Elise should have found some clothes for you, maybe in the bedchamber. I want you to have a good long bath then see what will fit. We’ll buy you more sets later, but they should do until we get home. I’ll have a robe made for you as well—to warn people.”

  Mages were dangerous, more dangerous than a gang on the street, more dangerous than a gang on the street with daggers even. Lorcan liked the thought of being dangerous. He went into the bedchamber, and took a quick look at the clothes laid out on the bed. There was a good selection. He found the bath just where Mathius said it would be. There was a privy!

  What would they think of next?

  It seemed strange not having to use an old pot and empty it afterwards, but he used it then stripped off his old clothes. The bath had gilded levers at one end. When he pulled the one on the right, hot water gushed into the bath. Magic! That shouldn’t surprise him, this was the palace after all. The King would have the best of everything. It was only right. Athione would be even better though, he thought remembering the stories about the fortresses. He could hardly wait to see.

  He washed himself thoroughly, and the water turned brown. He emptied the bath and refilled it to wash again.

  “Don’t forget your hair!” Mathius called from the other room.

  Lorcan sheepishly ducked under the water to wash his hair. Mathius sounded like his mother used to. She had been very clean and would insist he bathe once a tenday without fail. The water seemed only slightly brown after his third bath, and he decided that it would do until the next time. After towelling himself dry, he went back into the bedchamber to dress. The clothes were very fine! He would look like a lord wearing them. He tried on two different pairs of trousers until he found a pair that fit. A pair of stockings on his feet, and then a pair of boots. He scowled at the boots. They were nice, but they were slightly worn. Lord Keverin had promised him new ones… but of course such a great lord would never break his word. Maybe they needed to measure him? Yes, that must be it. He would have new ones when they went home. Some of the shirts were cotton, and Lorcan decided they would fit, but he couldn’t resist putting on the blue one. It was made of silk and it felt wonderful on his skin. He gathered up the clothes that he was sure wouldn’t fit and took them into the other room.

  “By the God!” Mathius gasped. “You look like one of the heirs!”

  Lorcan blinked. “What?”

  “The clothes. They make you look like a lord’s son. Are those the one’s that don’t fit?”

  Lorcan nodded and gave them to Mathius who threw them on a chair. They made his room look untidy. He would hide them somewhere later.

  “Oh, don’t worry about the mess,” Mathius said easily. “Lady Elise or one of the others will take them away. Hmmm, you need a sheath for your dagger. There might be one…” Mathius trailed off as he disappeared into the bedchamber. Lorcan went to see what the mage was up to.

  Mathius was gathering up his clothes from the bed and putting them in the drawers. “We don’t want the servants throwing away the good ones do we?” he said absently rummaging in one of the drawers.

  “No,” Lorcan said. If anyone tried they’d be sorry.

  Mathius handed him a sash and a sheath. He hadn’t thought to need a sash. He had always hidden his daggers inside his clothes, but blending in might be a good idea. He hadn’t forgotten his need to find Ascol.

  Lorcan wound the sash tightly around his waist and Mathius helped tie it with the correct length left hanging on his left hip. He thrust the sheath behind the sash, but the only dagger that fit was the new one he had claimed earlier. Maybe he could hide the others in his boots, but he would try that in private. What point in hiding a weapon if you let someone see you do it?

  “Let’s eat,” Mathius said and led the way out into the corridor.

  “How did the Lady know, Mathius?”

  “Know what?”

  “That I could be a mage.”

  “Oh that. The glow you saw around Julia means that you can work magic. Mages always glow when they use it, and only another mage can see it. You see?”

  Lorcan nodded. “She used it in her room, but nothing happened.”

  “Uh-huh,” Mathius said with a nod. “That’s because she was talking to me. You have heard of mind-speech?”

  “Like in the stories.”

  “That’s it. I wasn’t even in the palace when she called. I was walking back from the hospital—the warehouse district?”

  “I know where it is, everyone knows. I thought the stories were all make believe.”

  “Some are, I’m sure, but the ones about sorcerers flying and throwing fire are true. My father was good at calling storms, and I called one just last year.”

  “Really?”

  Mathius grinned. “Really. Julia went to fight the Hasians, and I went with her. There was a big fire and I needed rain to put it out.”

  Lorcan looked at Mathius sideways. Was he jesting?

  “I swear it’s true.”

  He shook his head. To think he might do the same some day was exciting, but a little frightening as well. Fighting had always meant being quick enough to avoid the other boy’s blade. How would he fight a sorcerer with magic as Julia had done? No one was faster than lightning! If Julia could do it, then he supposed he could as well.

  “Why did the lord let her fight?”

  Mathius gritted his teeth. Lorcan noted the muscles working at his new friend’s jaw. Mathius didn’t like it either then. Good. The Lady shouldn’t be allowed to fight. It was too dangerous.

  “Julia is the only sorceress in the world, Lorcan. She’s the most powerful mage there ever was. None of the others were strong enough—I certainly wasn’t!”

  “What others?”

  “They’re dead now,” Mathius said bleakly. “There’s only you, me, Lucius, and Julia in all of Deva. Lucius wears the red robe as you saw. That means he’s a wizard. I’m a journeyman, and you’re a novice—novice’s where the white robe. Julia should wear the black robe really, but she prefers her dresses, and besides, the sorcerers are evil and they all wear black. She didn’t want to look like them.”

  That made perfect sense to him. People might not like her if they thought she was a black sorcerer. Julia looked like just another noble woman in her dress. She didn’t look at all like the sorceress of Athione he had heard about on the streets. Being sneaky like that could take the enemy by surprise. He approved.

  They entered a large hall with rows of wooden tables and benches in it. He thought this must be the biggest room in the world, but Mathius said Athione’s great hall was much larger. This wasn’t the throne room as he had first thought. Lorcan had been in there before during the riots and the throne was nowhere in sight. He followed Mathius to a table at the far end of the room and drooled at what he found. There was enough food here to feed the entire city!

  “Here take this,” Mathius said absently handing him a plate.

  Lorcan didn’t know what he should do, he felt like snatching everything in sight. He didn’t want to look the fool in front of Mathius, so he tried to watch his friend without letting on.

  Mathius noticed. “You don’t have to copy me, Lorcan. The food is here for anyone who wants it. The servants keep it stocked so you can come here at any time during the day and eat as much as you like. See, there’s water in those jugs, and ale in those others. The wine’s in the decanters—”

  He listened with his jaw on the floor as Mathius pointed to each of the dishes and drinks. He hadn’t known so many types of food and drink existed. There were sausages! He grabbed ten of them,
and added some green stuff because mother always said he should. He never used to like greens, but now he couldn’t wait to stuff himself with it. He hadn’t eaten any for ages.

  He sat next to Mathius and ate until he couldn’t eat another thing. There were still two of the sausages left when he was finished, but when he started to put them inside his shirt, Mathius grabbed his hand. He nearly pulled his dagger before remembering where he was.

  “You’ll ruin your shirt, Lorcan,” Mathius said kindly with an understanding smile. “A servant will come and throw them to the pigs or something. If you feel hungry later, you can come and get some more. All right?”

  He nodded slowly. A servant would throw them to the pigs! He was truly in another world, a world where the pigs were more important than people were. If he was careful, those two sausages could have lasted him for days on the streets.

  After they finished eating, Mathius took him to Lady Elise to be measured for his robe. She said she would make two and they would be ready for tomorrow. Finally, Mathius left him back in his room, and said he would come visit the next day. With relief, Lorcan collapsed into a… his armchair. All this was his. Everything here was his!

  He jumped up and wandered around his rooms. He lay on the bed trying to get comfortable. He needed to sleep for a short while before exploring the palace looking for Ascol. The bed was very soft, too soft. He couldn’t sleep! Back in the main room, he experimented with hiding his daggers in his boots. They fit well enough, but they were too obvious. Pushing them down further would hide them better, but then he wouldn’t be able to get to them in a hurry. Maybe tomorrow he could wear them under his robe. If it was like Mathius’ robe, it would hide them perfectly. He could almost carry a sword in those sleeves!

  He sat in his chair pondering what he could do to his robe to make himself safe.

  A few nights later, Lorcan prowled through the darkened corridors of the palace as had become his custom at night. His robe almost seemed to glow of its own will as he ghosted by another pair of guardsmen guarding their lord’s door. It was an illusion—not a real illusion like Mathius’ dragons—it was simply the glow of good quality wool. Something he had never owned in his life, but now he had two of them, and much more besides. He had a life worth living and real friends. Friends that helped each other without asking or thought of reward. That was special, and to him, a very rare thing.