by Stas Borodin
Ice laughed. “How is Lady Nameri?” he asked.
“Lady Nameri is in good health, thank you.” Bevid immediately calmed down. “I even dined with her twice!”
I looked around. “I don’t see the captain, Master Tur and Hrianon! Where are they?”
“We’ll never see Hrianon again.” The old sailor’s voice faltered. “The poor girl exploded and is gone, along with the temple! I think she did it on purpose…”
Ice and I froze, deadened by the terrible news.
“But how?” asked Ice. “Why did she do it?”
“Tairnon Tur. She never did trust that big fool,” Bevid frowned.
“But you promised to take her to Master Aydiola,” Ice said. “Did you lie to us too?”
“Never. I keep my promises.” Bevid shook his head. “But the girl was too suspicious. I think she never trusted us completely.”
Ice and I sank to the folding chairs. The old sailor brought an ice bucket with a bottle of wine in it.
“Here,” said Bevid, opening the bottle. “For Hrianon.”
We drained our goblets in silence. The wine was tasteless.
✽✽✽
There was a wagon waiting for us on the shore. One of the older students was the driver. “Master Aydiola is waiting for you.” He bowed. “We are very glad that you have returned!”
“You can’t even imagine how glad we are,” Ice grinned. “Have you moved the whole Academy to Suz?”
“Not exactly.” The wagon driver shook his head. “There are no students on Suz, only me and a handful of teachers.”
“Why did you stay?” Ice threw his bag into the wagon. “Have nowhere to go?”
“Something like that.” The student looked down. “And I considered it my duty to stay with Master Aydiola till the very end…”
“Well,” Ice snorted, “I must admit, it wasn’t expected from you.”
It looked like Ice and the poor fella had had some disagreement in the past.
“What are we waiting for?” said Ice. “Don’t say this wagon can’t move without magic!”
The student pulled at the reins and, creaking and rattling, the wagon rolled along the dusty country road leading toward the city of Suz.
Half an hour later, we approached a large stone building on the outskirts of the city. The structure was surrounded by a deep moat, overgrown with dry thorny bushes, and a solid-looking stone wall. The gate, made of dark wood, was thick and iron-bound.
“Wow, nice fortress!” said Ice approvingly. “Reminds me of my dad’s pigsty!”
The driver jumped down from the wagon and knocked on the door. A small window opened with a clatter. “Who the—”
A stern eye appeared for a moment.
“I’ll be damned!”
The bolts rattled, and the door swung open.
“Eimor!” I said, stepping forward.
The swordsman stood on the threshold smiling.
“What an unexpected surprise! Master Marcus, Master Ayssived!”
We went in, leaving the wagon driver outside.
“You’ve got yourself a nice place!” exclaimed Ice, looking around.
A small patio was surrounded by exotic plants and flowers. In the centre of the courtyard I saw a brass figure of a seahorse spitting water from its open mouth. There was also a massive table made of mahogany decorated with quaint carvings, and several old armchairs. On the table were stacks of books and blank paper, held down by a bar of translucent yellowish stone.
Two huge dogs lay on the worn carpet that covered the stone slabs of the floor.
Deeper in the garden, I noticed the homing pigeons’ cages; their melodic cooing was sounding especially home-like.
Master Aydiola came to us with his arms outstretched. He took turns embracing me and Ice, then he nodded toward the armchairs. He perched on the edge of the table, folded his hands on his lap and sighed with relief. “You have matured so much, my dear boys,” he said. “I can hardly recognize the two of you!”
Ice and I exchanged glances. We were exactly the same as before. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see any changes.
The old wizard laughed.
Eimor smiled too. “We have heard a lot about your noble deeds,” said the swordsman. “You were—”
“Say, are you jealous, Eimor?” Ice interrupted him. “Face it, young heroes are taking over. It’s a good time for you to retire, gramps!”
“I think, we should postpone our retirement for a bit,” said Eimor. “Do we have your permission, Master Wizard?”
Ice yawned. “Yeah, sure, but don’t linger for too long,” he said. “I know your kind well.”
My friend was enjoying himself, while I couldn’t stop thinking about Hrianon. I saw her clearly; she stood holding the alchemist’s diary under her hand and whispering her mysterious formulas…
“Are you well?” Eimor asked me. “You look a bit distracted.”
Ice put a hand on my shoulder. “Let him be,” he said. “We learned about Hrianon’s death just today. Those two were kinda close…”
Eimor nodded. “I know,” he said. “But nothing can dampen your spirit, Master Ayssived, can it?”
Ice showed his teeth.
“He’s not like us mere mortals. He’s a true hero,” I said. “He goes from one adventure to another and never looks back.”
“Hmmm. I like how you put it!” said Eimor. “Maybe I’m a hero too?”
Master Aydiola clapped his hands. “We are all heroes,” he said. “Some of us are epic heroes, and some of us are comedy heroes!”
Ice frowned. “You know, I really don’t like these innuendos. I can never be sure whether to be offended or not.”
“Do not be, my dear friend,” said Master Aydiola. “Sometimes even I do not understand myself.” The old wizard folded his hands on his lap. “Moreover, I do not understand what is happening in this world, and this worries me much more.”
He sighed. “I’m dispatching an expedition to the far north, straight to the lands of warlocks.”
Eimor looked up. “We cannot stay on this island for much longer. They’ve got spies everywhere, and they already know about us.”
The Master Wizard nodded. “And that is why I decided to join this expedition,” he said. “I’m going to find the answers to all my questions and I will punish those responsible for this ungodly mess.”
Eimor threw the belt off his shoulder and propped Glaysad against the wall.
“Gonkor is a threat no more, so we can sail safely as far as Tergas,” he explained. “Once at Tergas, we will hire ourselves a guide who can take us farther: through the Frozen Gorge, Stone Falls and beyond.”
Ice nodded enthusiastically. “You can count on us!” he exclaimed. “Mark is an excellent scout, and I can be your walking-talking lighter!”
Master Aydiola shook his head. “It’s a very dangerous venture and I cannot risk your lives.” He looked at us. “You young men still have much to learn.”
I was disappointed. “So, you gonna leave us here?” I said.
“Ha! At the beginning they throw us right into the lion’s den,” Ice snorted. “And now they say that a trip to the north will be too dangerous for us! Forgive my insolence, but this is the most stupid thing I have heard in my short miserable life!”
Eimor waved his hands, trying to calm my friend. “That’s not all,” he said. “There is more!”
My friend’s stare could have melted an ice block the size of Gonkor.
“I do not wish to throw all the beans in one pot,” said Master Aydiola. “Understood?”
“We are not that stupid. You think that you all may die,” Ice chuckled.
“Smart boy,” Eimor grinned.
“ I feel myself like a chicken in a hen house,” Ice snorted. “You didn’t worry about us before.”
“We did,” Master Aydiola protested. “But this time the risk is too great. You will stay here and continue your studies. You will have the best teachers we can find.�
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It seemed to me that Master Aydiola was not telling us everything.
“Do you think we deserve it?” I said.
“Yes, a hundred times over,” the Master Wizard said. “There is a great responsibility on your shoulders, young men. Remember this and do your best!”
Ice looked sour and annoyed. “You speak as if you are already dead,” he said. “You don’t have to do this, old man, you can stay here with us!”
“This is our fate,” Master Aydiola answered softly. “You must understand this, boys.”
I became suddenly angry. “Fate?” My voice was trembling a little. “We don’t bow to fate, Master Aydiola! We are free to do whatever we like! We are free to go wherever we like! We are not slaves, we are free men!”
Master Aydiola just smiled back.
“Meet your teachers.” Eimor put his hands on Ice’s shoulders and gently turned him toward the door.
Master Keandr and Master Nikos stood on the threshold.
“What kind of clowns are they?” Ice snorted. “Are you going to sell us to a travelling circus?”
I elbowed him hard. “This is King Keandr and Master Nikos, you dimwit!”
Ice leapt to his feet and bowed low. “Forgive me, Lords!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “I did not mean to offend you!”
“Yes, you did,” Master Keandr laughed. “That’s exactly how I imagined you, Ayssived of Antraga, Slayer of the Beast!”
My face felt hot. “His tongue is sharper than his brains, Milord,” I said. “He would never—”
Master Keandr took my hand. “Fate is like candle wax in your hands, Master Grimm,” he said. “We are all in your debt!”
The king fell on one knee before me. Master Nikos did the same with a smile.
My face reddened and my knees trembled. I stood there, unable even to utter a word.
Ice looked at the king and, without thinking twice, fell on his knees too.
“You’ve all gone mad!” I muttered. “Do not bow to me, bow to your fate instead!”
“We will,” said Master Nikos, rising.
I hugged him with both arms. “I really missed you!” I said. “Tell me about Lieh! About my mother, Ash and Mash, about my knights.”
“Later,” Master Nikos promised. “I will tell you everything.”
Meanwhile, King Keandr helped Ice from his knees and patted him on the shoulder.
Master Aydiola clapped his hands. “Well, there’s no time to waste! Get ready. We are leaving tomorrow at dawn.”
“So soon?” I was surprised.
“We were waiting just for you,” Eimor explained. “The ship is already loaded and ready to depart.”
“We move forward one step at a time,” said Master Aydiola. “And it does not matter which path we choose, our fate will follow us always.”
✽✽✽
The Punisher caught a tailwind and the oarsmen were finally able to put down their heavy oars. As it turned out, apart from Master Aydiola and Eimor, there were four more wizards on board: Masters Kaledir, Gvistir, Tegir and Moreen.
All of them suffered from seasickness and got out of their beds only for a short stroll to the bulwark and back.
“Those wizards are something,” Ice chuckled. “Just look at them crawl!”
“They are just men,” said Master Aydiola. “Like you and me.”
The old wizard was dressed in glittering armour and a steel helmet with an open visor. He was donning his armour for several hours each day, to get used to the weight once again.
“You should have taken a dozen of my men instead of these so-called wizards,” said Bevid.
Three hundred of the best handpicked warriors were hiding from the scorching sun under the awning. Many of them were seasick too.
“We have enough soldiers,” Master Aydiola protested. “Too bad we don’t have more wizards.”
“More wizards?” Bevid spat. “Just take a look at their faces! They are the same colour as the sea waves. Now my marines, they are the true sea-gods!”
“Your sea-gods are no good on land,” chuckled Eimor. “Their legs are weak, and their bodies too soft. My soldiers are much leaner and tougher. They can march day and night, carrying an entire camp on their shoulders, and they won’t stop until they reach the very edge of the earth.”
“There is nothing valorous,” Bevid pouted, “in making blisters!”
Eimor shrugged, but chose not to argue.
The deck of The Punisher had never been so crowded. The poor oarsmen were forced to stay all day on their benches and take turns going on deck to get some fresh air.
“If we stumble upon an enemy fleet, it will be a disaster,” complained Captain Gormant. “We are overladen, like some damn trader!”
At dusk we moored our ship near the island, to refill the supplies of fresh water and prepare a hot meal.
“It won’t be easy to feed such a horde on land,” observed Bevid. “Your soldiers eat like wildfire!”
“We have plenty of gold,” retorted Eimor. “And we have hunters and foragers too. Don’t you worry, old man, we won’t starve.”
“Right now I’m worried about my ship,” said Bevid. “Which you and your men have turned into a latrine.”
Of course the first mate exaggerated a bit, but the smell lingering about the ship was rather unpleasant.
A few days later, Master Nikos and I would disembark near Tent, from where we would continue our journey on horseback. I looked at my friends loafing around at the aft and my throat felt tight.
The next stop would be for Master Aydiola’s party, near Tergas. Then The Punisher would take her last passengers, Ice and Master Keandr, to Avalor.
“Can’t wait to get to Avalor!” Ice puffed up his chest. “Only there will my talent shine like a real diamond!”
Avalor was the legendary island of wizards, where Master Keandr himself had once been trained by Master Eraint.
Eimor laughed. “I’m afraid it will be really hard to impress anyone on Avalor. They are all wizards there, every single one of them.”
Ice frowned.
✽✽✽
A few days later we saw land on the left side. We sailed along its barren coasts covered with dry grass and black stones. From time to time, we saw half-naked riders on shaggy horses. They watched us from a distance or tried to reach us with an arrow.
“Insolent pests!” bellowed Bevid. “I will teach them a lesson!”
He uncovered one of the scorpions and turned it toward the shore.
“Let them be,” Master Nikos ordered. “They are just having fun.”
The riders reminded me of Sertes. I remembered their leader Atu Tanaka and his son. I wondered if we’d ever meet again.
We sailed past Sankt island, the homeland of Captain Korst and his first mate Trockton. It was a rich piece of land, with many settlements, forests and good harbours.
Nevertheless, we chose to keep our distance, for there were tall columns of smoke towering above the island, the water was littered with the charred fragments of ships, and the entrances to the harbours were blocked by heavy chains.
“The madness is already here,” I told Ice. “Captain Trockton did the right thing, staying with his crew on Rodar.”
Later that day, two warships blocked our approach to the island of Tentum. The galleys didn’t dare to get close, but they tailed us for several hours, making sure we didn’t turn back toward the island.
The city of Tent was not what I’d expected. It was just a small fort surrounded by a wooden palisade with a squat stone tower with a thatched roof in the middle.
“Well, friends, it’s time to say goodbye,” said Master Nikos.
“Farewell,” Ice sniffed, hugging me tightly. “Who knows when we will see each other again!”
Tears came to my eyes. “Faster than you can imagine,” I said, furtively wiping my eyes on Ice’s shoulder.
Master Keandr made me blush, stroking my head gently. “You have matured so much,” he sai
d quietly. “The next time we meet, you will be a full-grown man.”
Master Aydiola was smiling, his face happy and serene. “I’m glad we met, Master Marcus. It was a most pleasant acquaintance.” He patted my hand. “We were brought together by fate, but now our pathways must part for a while…”
“I hope not forever!” I said, looking into his laughing eyes.
“There will be many more meetings and partings in your life,” said Master Aydiola. “I’m sure that our paths will cross again.”
Swordsman Eimor slapped me on the shoulder. His hand was as gentle as a crowbar.
“Don’t try to do it by the book, kid,” he said. “Listen only to your heart!”
Bevid embraced me with such strength that all my bones cracked. His cheeks and moustache were wet with tears.
“Don’t you ever forget your old man Bevid!” he said. “There is always a place for you on my ship.”
“On my ship,” Captain Gormant corrected him. “We will be waiting for you, Master Wizard. Right, boys?” The captain turned to the crew standing silently on the upper deck. The sailors roared and shook their fists.
“Well,” laughed Master Nikos, “now all the steppes know about our arrival!”
“Goodbye, friends,” I said. Parting was always the hardest. “I will never forget you. You will always be in my heart!”
Master Nikos and I stood on the shore, watching the majestic pentera taking our friends away, toward new lives and new adventures.
“Partings are always bitter,” said Master Nikos. “But meetings always bring joy!”
He pointed to the wooden fort. Its gates opened wide and riders appeared. There were just two of them and two more saddled horses.
“It’s—” My throat felt tight and tears came to my eyes once again.
The riders were none other than Ash and Mash! They were riding as if they were being chased by all the demons of Annuvir.
“It’s friends,” smiled Master Nikos.