The Mage of Orlon: The beginning

by Gene Rager

  “Nathan, please get away from it.” The pleading in her voice didn’t go unnoticed.

  “What is the big, bad elf princess afraid of a little furry…”

  Nathan didn’t get to finish his taunt as the little squirrel thing leapt at his face, in mid leap Nathan saw the lower jaw split down the middle and the two massive pinchers of its jaw was shown. Putting a hand up to ward off the attack Nathan screamed in horror as an arrow whizzed by his hand impaling the vile creature that now looked more like an insect with massive jaws and a whipping scorpion like tail. The tail whipped up through the arrow cleaving in in two, but to no avail the damage was done to the insect like thing and it soon died.

  “What the hell was that?” Nathan screamed still fending of what was already dead and stuck to the tree across from him.

  “It is one of the splintered. A massive foe that was defeated ages ago, not many are left in our world now, but the ones that are, carry nasty venom in their stingers. If it had stung you, your journey would be over. The venom causes your skin to swell and burst allowing all your blood to flow out of your body; it is a most excruciating way to die.”

  “You are lucky Nathan; if you were not so strange I might have let it sting you and called it a night.” The smile on her face was hard to read. Every chance she got to let him die she saved him, but then she would remind him of how easy it would be to let him die. The contradictions only confused him more. If he was going to escape and survive the first five minutes of his freedom he would need information about this new fiend.

  “So Lela, do all of the splintered look like fuzzy squirrel things?” he asked.

  “No, the splintered have the ability to look like any animal they choose to; it just depends on how big they are as to what they can mimic.”

  “If one was big enough could it look like a human or an elf?”

  “Are you afraid I am planning on pumping you full of venom Nathan?”

  “No, not really.”

  Nathan hadn’t considered it possible until now, but maybe she was a larger version of the thing stuck on the tree, Maybe when they arrived at the castle it would be a hive and she would push him into a swarming mass of the little things to be devoured. His pulse began to elevate, the adrenaline hit his system like wild fire through a plain suffering from a drought. His heart beat with an intensity that would either give him the ability to out run her or fight. He couldn’t run, he was in front she would just skewer him with arrows. The tension was mounting he was torn between running and staying with Lela.

  “Hey Nathan.” came Lela’s voice Nathan turned around just as Lela spun around and kicked him in the face.

  Nathan hit the ground with a thud; stars were swimming in his vision. As his vision began to sharpen Nathan saw the arrow that was pointed right at him.

  “What are you doing?” He cried.

  “It was interesting that the splintered took its time getting to you, normally they descend upon their prey like a plague. Then you started asking those questions. I know I am not a splintered, but you don’t act right at all. It occurred to me you might be a splintered. One of the great evil that might have survived the hunting, dressed strange to get close to me then inject me with venom. I will not be killed so easily!” She cried nearly in hysterics.

  The arrow released, at the same time Nathan flinched. The arrow hit the ground with a solid thump, and Nathan’s shirt was sliced and a small scratch welled up with blood.

  “It’s red.” Lela stated in near shock.

  The shock of being kicked in the face and then grazed by the arrow left Nathan petrified with fear, until the dull throbbing in the cut began. Terrified of what she might do next Nathan began to back pedal until his back slammed into a tree.

  “You shot me with your bow!” The sound of fear laced his voice.

  Lela began to approach Nathan slowly, a thousand words on her tongue, but not one was strong enough to apologize for the injury she just inflicted. The questions had unnerved her, this whole situation had unnerved her. First finding Nathan, then the near miss with the splintered, and the questions he had been asking, all of it had her shaken. She tried to get closer to Nathan, but he was on his feet hiding behind the broken tree he had scooted into.

  Nathan kept the tree between the two of them, for protection, he thought they were getting closer, but she had actually shot him, and without a second thought.

  “I am sorry I grazed you with the arrow, but you scared me with all the questions Nathan.” She explained.

  “I didn’t think you would do it.” He whispered from behind the tree. It had never occurred to Nathan that he could die, really die in this forest and never be heard from again, until Lela had grazed him with the arrow.

  “Nathan.” She couldn’t think of anything to say that could make this situation better. Finally the frustration blocked out everything, what she said next wasn’t meant to soothe or comfort.

  “If you do not come out from behind that tree I swear the next arrow will be in your chest, and I will leave your body in this forest for the scavengers!” The biting snap of her voice made Lela flinch, and she had been the one to say it! What was wrong with her? She was normally in better control of her emotions. It had to be something with this boy, he must have done something to her when she wasn’t looking, a spell maybe? Ezra, her best friend would know, she was a priestess in training and the only friend Lela had. But first she had to get this foolish boy out from behind the tree.

  What was it Ezra used to do with her little sister to get her to come out from hiding when they had chores to do and Chloe decided to hide? Finally she remembered.

  “Nathan, listen you scared me with the questions, and this is a dangerous part of the forest. If I leave you here alone you will not see the next morning, please just let me take you to the castle. We have magic users there they might be able to return you home.”

  The mention of home brought Nathan out from around the tree. The wound had already stopped bleeding and had begun to settle into a dull throbbing. Still holding his arm he slowly came into sight, the look on his face said he didn’t trust Lela.

  “I will walk behind you, I don’t trust you not to shoot me again.” his voice lacked any emotion. “I just want to leave, that is all.”

  They walked in silence for most of the evening; the silence was broken by Lela at dusk.

  “Nathan we have to stop and make camp for the night, or we risk hurting an ankle in the forest.”

  “Fine.” It was the most he had said to her since she grazed him with the arrow. They began to set up camp, Nate finally broke his silence.

  “We only have one tent, where do I sleep?” Nate asked cautiously.

  “We will sleep in the tent, unless you plan on sleeping with all the creatures in the night.” Lela said with a smirk.

  “Aren’t you afraid I will try to escape, or get even with you for shooting me?” he asked returning her smirk.

  “Not in the least Nate, I trust you.” The look in her eyes said that she had something up her sleeve.

  “You need to put this shirt on, it gets cold in the forest at night.”

  The shirt was rich red with gold embroidered patterns running up both sleeves and on the shirt too. Nate took the offered shirt, and put it on. They both climbed into the small tent. They were separated by only five inches.

  “Thanks for the shirt, I will try not to ruin it.” Nate said.

  “You are welcome Nate.”

  “Lela you really are not afraid of me escaping or cutting your hair, or worse while you sleep.” Nathan asked with a note of incredulousness.

  “Not at all Nate, oh I almost forgot tianamine!” The shirt sleeves slung around Nate’s body trapping his arms, and the back of the shirt firmly planted itself on the ground. Nate was held tightly in the iron grip of the shirt that had seemed so harmless.

  “Good night Nate.” Lela chimed.

  “I guess I should have kept my mouth shut.” Nate sighed.

 
“I will unbind you tomorrow morning, so good night Nate.”

  The morning came too soon, even bound Nate slept deeply. Lela gazed over at Nate, he seemed so peaceful sleeping. Today they would arrive at the castle and his fate would be known. It was strange, but she was going to miss Nate a little. She wondered if his parents were frantically looking for him, or had they given up all hope of ever finding him? It didn’t matter, none of it did. She would turn him over to her father and be done with this business. Nate’s breathing began to change as he woke up. Lela rolled over on her side and faked sleeping, she could not let him know she had been watching him. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why it even mattered, but it did.

  “Lela, are you awake? I have to go to the bathroom.”

  Lela stifled the laugh and smile and stretched like she was just getting up. She turned to find Nate pleading with his eyes.

  “Cartorm.” The shirt fell back into place like a normal shirt and released its grip from the ground. “Nate, go relieve yourself, but do not dally. We are close to the castle.”

  Nate darted out of the tent to find a tree to go behind. Lela’s words sank in from the tent, they are close to the castle. They might have a way back for him, or they might just kill him. Nate decided to escape would be the best choice he had. Nate slowly turned around to find Lela staring at him.

  “Have you been watching me the whole time?” He shouted.

  “You are still my prisoner, and I cannot risk you running off.”

  Nathan zipped his pants and followed Lela back to camp. With expert ease Lela took the tent down and repacked it. Nathan handed the red shirt back to her, he made a mental note not to put it on again. They began their journey towards the castle once more.

  As the day waned Nate decided to break the silence.

  “Lela, can you look at my shoulder for a second.”

  “Nate I barely grazed your arm, not your shoulder.” Her irritableness was directed at Nate, but it was getting closer to the castle that soured her mood.

  “Really Lela, it is starting to itch like crazy, I think I might have fallen into some poison ivy.”

  “Nate there was no ivy poisonous or otherwise around where I found you.” She snapped.

  “Really Lela, it itches really bad.”

  With a huff of exasperation she finally answered “Just my luck you are a pitiful fighter, a horrible liar, and now you think you are having a reaction to a weed you were not near. I should have left you where I found you.” The ruefulness was thick in her voice.

  “Yeah well you didn’t leave me, so could you please look really it itches.”

  She stopped so abruptly that Nate almost ran into her. She whirled around; Nate dropped back a little, fearing another kick. In a tone thick with annoyance she said, “Lift your shirt up, but not off.”

  Nate complied, lifting his shirt up exposing his shoulder.

  “Goddess of the forest what have you delivered to us?” Was all Lela could utter.

  Chapter 3

  “Lela, what is it? A rash, a stick stuck in my back, a leach what is it?” The panic had only climbed with each thing he thought it could be.

  Softly Lela answered him “You have the Grim Griffin mark. It is a tattoo that marks you as the next mage of Orlon.”

  “A tattoo? I never got a tattoo, what are you talking about?”

  “Nate, you really do not know do you? Lela’s patients where growing thin.

  Nate only shook his head no, keeping his mouth shut to avoid any more trouble.

  Finally she spoke, “When the mage dies another is chosen to take his place. Zorn was Orlon’s last mage, but he died six months ago. When no one came forward with the mark the people believed he was the last of the mages.”

  With an uneasy feeling Nate asked, “How did Zorn die?”

  “Nate if you have the mark, then you already know how Zorn died. Have you had any bad dreams lately like you were being killed only it felt like someone else?”

  Nate paled as he retold the last part of his dream. “An enchanted arrow hit him in the chest while he protected the village from arrows raining down on them.”

  They walked in silence for what seemed an eternity, finally Nate spoke.

  “Lela, I am about to become a mage, so I will be using magic right?”

  “I suppose so, why do you ask?”

  “I wasn’t very good with the sleight of hand stuff where I am from, what if I am no good at the real thing?”

  “Then you will die quickly.” She stated flatly.

  “This isn’t my fight!” he nearly screamed. “You said it yourself I have no weapons, and no experience, I shouldn’t even be here!”

  “Sometimes we do not get to choose where life takes us. Sometimes just surviving has to be enough.”

  “Sounds like you are talking more about yourself than me Lela.”

  “My affairs are none of your business human!” she snapped. “Furthermore, when we get to the palace you will be someone else’s problem, now move!”

  “You are awful defensive.” Nate countered.

  The sound of the leather creaking as it tightened around the hilt of her knife was all the answer she supplied.

  Nate waited as long as he could, feeling as if going to the castle might be worse than staying in the forest, he again tried to speak to the ever growing irate Princess.

  “Lela, you seem to be angrier now than when we first met, what is wrong?” Nathan asked.

  “I told you that is my business!” Lela snapped.

  “I won’t go any further, if you don’t talk to me.”

  With as quiet growl Lela whirled around to see Nathan standing four feet behind her.

  “I could shoot you again, and this time it could be in the leg!” Lela challenged.

  Nathan sat down. The act of defiance boggled the Princess’s mind, he simply sat down! She could shoot him, and he sat down! The two things didn’t add up. Lela stalked back to where Nathan sat, her brow furrowed with rage as her prisoner just simply sat there with a content look on his face.

  “I…” Lela began only to be cut off by Nathan.

  “If you shoot me you will have to carry me, and no offense Princess, but as strong as you might be I will get heavy after the first fifty feet!”

  Lela’s rage turned black as the darkest night! She was going to kill this stupid human! She would stab him and cut him to shreds, but she might leave him alive enough to feel the night’s predators tear at his bloodied remains! The thought never left her mouth as Nathan opened his backpack and pulled out a colorful envelope of something. Opening the pouch, Nathan held the end towards Lela.

  “Do you want some granola?” He asked casually.

  Lela’s fury diminished; in fact her anger went completely calm. Lela’s eyes went big, the human had broken her! What kind of spell could tear away such rage? With an exasperated sigh Lela sat down with Nathan. She eyed the pack of granola as if it would attack her.

  “What did you do to me human?” She asked quietly.

  “I didn’t do anything to you.”

  “I was ready to kill you, and now I am so calm that I am sleepy. You had to do something to me.”

  “I have heard of that, you got yourself so angry at me that your rage actually burned itself out. I studied that in Psychology last year in high school. You should try the granola it tastes pretty good.”

  Lela watched as Nathan put some in his mouth and swallowed it after chewing. Lela watched for signs of poison, when none appeared she tried a little of the snack.

  “What did you call this again Nate?”

  “Granola, it’s a snack where I am from.”

  Lela thought about it for a few more minutes, it might do her some good to learn more about this strange human in case any more should appear. The thought of a group of humans like Nate showing up sent a chill down her spine.

  “Where are you from Nate?”

  “I live with my mom, dad, and baby sister Maddy. Where I am from
is a little town called Milton, it is in the state of North Carolina.”

  Lela was trying to make sense of what he was saying, a town she gathered was like a village, but what was a state?

  “What did I say that you don’t understand Lela?”

  “What is a state? Why is it important that you know that you live in the North part of Carolina, and what is it North of?”

  “A state is a marked off territory that is governed by laws that pertain to that state, and it is North Carolina, both words are the name of the state.”

  “So there are more states where you are from?” Lela asked.

  “Yes, there are fifty states in the United States of America.”

  Fifty! Fifty sets of different laws that had to be known! How did these people even travel from one place to another? The little bit Nathan told her made Lela’s mind swim. How in all the forest could the humans divide the land in so many different ways and have separate laws in each?

  “How in the world can you humans keep up with all the laws in your world?”

  “It sounds more complicated than it is. Most states have similar laws that helps take the confusion out of everything, and federal law out ranks state law usually.”

  “There are more laws! How does anything ever get decided on?” Lela asked.

  “It takes years in the courts to get anything done unless it is a serious crime, then it might take only a year or so for a case to be heard.”

  “A whole year!” She exclaimed. They waited a whole year for a serious case to be heard! Her father settled disputes in just a few moments of hearing a dispute.

  “What kind of world do you come from Nathan?”

  “What do you mean Lela?”

  “It sounds so confusing.”

  “I guess it does, so what about this place?” Nathan said as he looked around at their surroundings.

  “It is not as confusing as your world, it is quite simple, humans stay out of our forest, and we stay out of their villages. To cross over either boundary is to seal one’s fate.”

  “What about you Lela, you said you are a Princess. You don’t look like a Princess to me, you look more like a solider. Is this how all princesses look here?”