The Mage of Orlon: The beginning

by Gene Rager

  The Sun was setting when they entered Santrose. The shadows stretched over the ghost town giving the town a feel of oppression. The birds had stopped chirping, and the forest seemed completely silent for the first time. The breeze was still, everything seemed to be holding its breath as if waiting for something.

  “Nathan I will get a fire started and make something for us to eat.” Ileana said, the strain of the day’s events showing in her voice.

  The only sound heard was the sound of the darts as they hit Lela, Ileana and Nathan in the neck at nearly the same time. Nathan found himself floating in the black void once more unable to open his eyes.

  “Aaawwww crap, Am I dead again?” He whispered.

  “Consider it a place between life and death my young phoenix mage!”

  “Hi Shinto, what happened to me? I didn’t heal anyone, so why am I here?”

  “I would like to say it is because you have reached a point of enlightenment that allows you to slip in between our two worlds, but honestly you have a dart stuck in your neck that has put you in a near death type sleep.” Shinto said smiling.

  “Who did this to me, and are the girls okay?”

  “I do not know who did this to you, and the girls met the same fate as you.”

  “How do you know that Shinto?”

  “Ever since our first meeting I have been watching you Nathan, but when you were drugged the spell I used to watch you ended. The spell lets me follow you in your world as long as you are awake.” Shinto explained.

  “I have a few questions that I didn’t get to ask you the last time.”

  “I know Nathan, you want to know why the two different types of magic affect you differently.”

  Nathan couldn’t believe his ears! Shinto could read his mind! This was not a good thing, if Shinto could read his mind, then there was nothing Nathan could do that Shinto wouldn’t know about, it was like having a parent with you twenty four hours a day!

  “I cannot read your mind Nathan; you looked a little in shock when I guessed your questions. The simple fact is every phoenix mage has those same questions.” Shinto’s smile was always present.

  “I guess that was pretty silly to think you could read my mind, but why do the two feel so different?”

  “I will answer a question with a question. What do phoenixes do, what are they known for?”

  “They are born of fire, and they die and are reborn again. At least that is our myth in my world.” Nathan finished lamely.

  “You are not too far off, the Phoenix is a fire bird, so it naturally uses fire, but it also holds the power of healing or resurrection. I would practice the healing part more, before the resurrection part; the last one could kill you if you are not ready for it!” Shinto said as his smile faded. “Remember that you have just discovered your healing powers. Try to build up to the bigger wound healings gradually. That is why you felt ill and we had our first meeting when you healed for the first time, you healed too much too soon. Resurrecting others or yourself will take tremendous energy, energy that you do not have. You will have to find a way to channel energy which is why you need to start small and work your way up. Does this make sense to you?”

  Nathan took in what the specter had said and was thinking about what all he had learned. He would be able to resurrect himself and others. This was almost upsetting news! He had blundered through the fire magic so poorly what if he messed up a resurrection spell? He might inadvertently cause a zombie apocalypse in this world!

  “Yes” was all he answered to the waiting specter.

  The darkness began to lift and Shinto began to smile again.

  “It looks like you are coming out of the sleep; I can’t wait to see who you have crossed paths with this time!” Shinto cackled.

  “You’re enjoying this!” Nathan accused.

  “I have to admit yes I am! It has been centuries since someone like you has come crashing through all the sensitive alliances! Nathan, regardless of what you want you are changing the face of this world, now whether it is for the better or worst that is up to you!”

  The words hung in the air like both a death sentence and praise! How could he have gotten into so much trouble by just trying to do the right thing? All he wanted to do now was to go home. Home to his parents who sometimes meddle because they care, to his little sister who annoys him with her high pitched screams of joy, home to his room, and away from this crazy, mixed up world of people who would kill you just because they are different!

  The sounds where quiet at first, but slowly they gained loudness as Nathan was coming out of the darkness that seemed to grant Shinto an audience every time. He liked Shinto, but sometimes Shinto just over whelmed his brain with so much information. The sounds where grunts and stomping. If he opened his eyes to just a crack maybe he could see who had drugged them without them knowing he was awake.

  Nathan opened his eyes to find he was in a cage made of wood! How awesome was this, clearly they didn’t know he could use fire to bust out of the cage! He couldn’t see Lela or Ileana. He would have to risk turning his head, but that would alert his captors that he was awake.

  He debated a few more minutes what to do when he heard the ragged voice call out “This one is finally awake!”

  So much for catching them off guard he thought sourly.

  A figure approached the cage; the figure was covered from head to toe in a green cape with a hood. Only the eyes shown with a yellowish gleam, the eyes peered down at Nathan as if he was some kind of prey, and a knot tied itself in Nathan’s stomach.

  Nathan glanced down and saw the feet of his kidnapper, its feet where tipped with claws, like that of a large cat! They were being held hostage by some sort of cat people! This day was getting better and better, no wonder Shinto was laughing at his situation! Who else but him could get into such trouble just trying to walk back to a ghost village?

  The figure in front of Nathan’s cage began shaking the noises where grumblings as if building to a roar. The roar as it turned out was laughter as the figure grabbed his stomach and bent over. The arm that had come from out of the cape was heavily muscled and tipped with slightly narrower claws than the feet.

  From what Nathan had seen the monstrous caped figure could probably run and leap quickly and powerfully judging by the claws on its feet, the hand claws where used for close quarter combat, he wouldn’t last ten seconds fighting this thing hand to hand, but he could use fire, and fry any of them that got too close to him while freeing the girls. He could pick a fight with the cloaked one fry him, and put the rest of his plan in action!

  “What’s so funny fuzz ball?” Nathan yelled at the still shaking figure.

  He understood the insult because immediately he stopped laughing and returned the yellow eyes back on Nathan.

  “What did you call me?” It asked in its grumbling voice.

  “I called you a fuzz ball, why don’t you let me out of this cage before I neuter you, you walking mouse trap!” Okay that wasn’t the most macho thing to say, but it seemed to do the trick.

  The figure launched itself at the cage; the clawed hands came within an inch of slashing Nathan’s face. If he hadn’t backed up as the thing hit the cage he would have a torn rag for a face now. The bars held against the animalistic onslaught the robbed figure delivered to them trying to reach Nathan.

  “What’s the matter kitty not smart enough to unlock the door?” Nathan taunted.

  The creature redoubled its attack on the bars, the cage shook violently with the effort to get at the now taunting Nathan. The figure backed up from the cage to get a running start, and launched itself with a burst of speed that Nathan had thought impossible for something of that size. It hit the bars and the sound of snapping wood began to fill the air. TH e creature’s hood had slid back revealing a muzzle filled with very large feline type teeth.

  Seriously why didn’t the thing open the door? Then it hit Nathan maybe it didn’t have the key, and maybe they were dropped here by the kidnapper
s for whatever reason. This realization was going to completely mess up his plan! Unless the thing breaks through the bars, then he might be torn to shreds!

  The figure had backed up farther than the first time, it would come through the bars when it hit this time unless Nathan did something! He would have to lose his advantage and use his magic sooner; maybe when the thing hit the bars he could incinerate it and the bars as well! Two birds with one stone!

  The figure launched itself at the cage, Nathan tried to gather his magic to burn everything in front of him. Nathan felt the magic gather, he could do this! Then the magic faded as if it never had gathered. Nathan’s face twisted in terror as he realized he couldn’t summon his magic! The brutish figure hit the cage, and did not stop! The ragged ends of the bars pulled back the hood to reveal a tiger like head that sat on top of a body that any body builder would have been proud to have. Nathan fell to the floor as the beast man glided over Nathan’s flattened form. Without looking back Nathan jumped through the freshly made hole onto the ground outside. Nathan ran to get a little distance between his now pissed off pursuer.

  Nathan turned pulling on his magic that came and then faded again, that is when he noticed it. There was a light brown bracelet on his wrist. It looked intricately carved and as if it were made out of a very fine skin of wood, it looked so fragile. The light weight bracelet should have torn right off, but it stubbornly refused to break.

  Nathan looked up at the approaching beast man; he had slowed to a menacing walk. In a rumbling voice it cruelly said “This was your plan? To get me to let you out so you could use magic on me? As if we are so stupid not to stalk our prey before actually hunting them. We have been watching you ever since you entered Cravenwood the queen will be pleased enough with you to keep our people out of her stupid war, and by the way that bracelet will keep you from using your magic so hold still and take your pounding like a man!

  The burst of speed the beast man used would have been enough to root most people to the ground, but Nathan had seen it once and he knew he could dodge the attack. Nathan hit the ground and the beast man flew over him, but a quick swipe had torn open Nathan’s leg blood slowly oozed out. It was a flesh wound, but now it hurt to stand on it.

  Nathan limped over to the cage. He knew he couldn’t beat the beast man, but maybe he could fake him out enough to use to his advantage. The pole slid out of the remains of the cage easily enough. Nathan knew the creature was watching him. This would never do he had to get the beast man angry enough to charge again. The makeshift club would do no real damage to the stalking monster, but if he thought Nathan was stupid enough to fight him maybe Nathan could use it to his advantage.

  “Do you really think I am going to let you beat me up without a fight? You are a bully, it doesn’t matter what form you have you are a bully, a coward that preys upon smaller beings! You, you overgrown alley cat!” Nathan shouted.

  Nathan thought dismally if I make it out of this alive I am going to have to work on my insults.

  The momentary thought was all Nathan had time for as the beast man ran towards him again howling like an insane animal. The beast leapt into the air Nathan flattened to the ground, but when it looked like the beast would fall on top of him Nathan rolled over with the club in full swing. The impact of the beast man’s speed and Nathan’s roll landed a blow to the beast’s shoulder causing him to flip over onto his back.

  Nathan got up and did his best run limp he could, the beast was running after Nathan. Nathan could feel the beast’s breath on his neck or so his imagination told him.

  “I’m going to kill you!” The beast roared.

  Nathan ran towards a huge boulder that was resting firmly on the ground. The beast was right behind him.

  “Come and get me shaggy tabby!” Nathan screamed back

  Nathan heard the beast man jump; Nathan stopped and rolled under the air born beast as it crashed into the rock head first. The beast slumped to the ground in a heap.

  Nathan backed away as he saw the beast shake his head and start to stand up. How many times would he have to get the oaf to jump head long into this rock to escape? As many times as it takes was his only answer. The beast stood up slowly seems he was having problems focusing. Nathan picked up his broken club, it had splintered on impact and now contained one long jagged splinter, it would do as a makeshift shiv.

  The beast man saw Nathan and roared, he bound towards Nathan with the speed and grace that all cats seemed to be born with.

  “Narg, that’s enough! He beat you, and without magic!”

  The voice had the sound of a leader behind it, however it sounded similar to Narg’s voice deep and rumbly with a hint of femininity. Nathan turned to find a purple robed figure standing above the outcrop over his cage behind her both of the girls where kneeling with tiger men surrounding them with spear tips pointing at their throats.

  The purple robed figure pulled back the hood to reveal another tiger looking head, but the body was feminine, narrow and curvy.

  “My queen I beg your forgiveness, but…”

  The purple robe held up her clawed hand stopping anymore protesting. This seemed weird that someone so much smaller could have so much power over Nathan’s would be killer.

  “Narg the deal was if he could figure a way out of our custody without his magic I would let them go. He coaxed you into breaking open his cage, he made you so angry you leapt into a rock and he could have killed you with the stick in his hand, and probably would have because you could not keep your temper under control!” The last part was said with disgust. The queen peered over her shoulder at Lela.

  “You struck a better bargain than I thought princess. You knew he would find Narg’s weakness and exploit it!” She accused.

  Smiling Lela answered her accuser “You should be thankful, I had to put up with that for three days before he finally settled down with me. I do not know how he knows what causes a person to lose their objectivity, but he always manages to find it.”

  Disgusted the purple robe returned her gaze to Nathan. “You and your friends are free to go. We will have to find another way to appease the Dark Queen so she will not attack our village my loyal subjects.”

  For the first time Nathan noticed that the forest surrounding them moved and undulated until he could see the beings that had been so well camouflaged. There were about one hundred of them give or take, all hooded with claw tipped hands.

  “Wait, you were going to use me to buy your way out of a war?” Nathan asked incredulously.

  “Yes human, anything to protect my people. You do not know our history or the foul tragedies that befell us because of her!” The purple robe pointed to Lela.

  “Lela, what did the elves do?” Nathan said almost fearing the answer.

  The purple robe answered for Lela, “The elves are responsible for creating us, and we have never forgiven them for it!”

  Chapter 29

  After much coaxing Nathan finally got an audience with the purple robe or Queen Shina as she had Nathan call her. The village was mainly made up of mud huts, Queen Shina lived in the hut towards the middle of the village. Nathan was allowed in, but Lela and Ileana where to remain outside, Especially Lela.

  “What happened that has so much bad blood between your people and the elves Queen Shina?”

  “We are the Sevols, a clan of beings that were created for the soul purpose of being foot soldiers for the Elven Empire. The elves created our kind from the small wild cats that roam this world; however the first of our kind was not to the elves standard of soldiers. The first and his mate where imprisoned, their fate to be decided at a later time while the magic was twisted and turned to make the ideal soldier. After a few more failures came Narg’s grandfather, the ideal soldier big, powerful, aggressive, but with one small flaw the elves did not count on he was intelligent.

  Narg’s grandfather waited until nightfall and broke out the “failures” and ran away. Narg’s grandfather took Chinara as his mate, and as time p
rogressed we have our village as it is today. The elves looked for us for a short time after the escape, but soon they found an unwitting human that could work magic, and all interest in the Sevols ended.

  We hold the elves responsible for one of the most heinous crimes to our kind, our creation. We were normal jungle cats and should have been left alone, now everyone of the Sevols knows that they will die one day. As jungle animals such knowledge is unknown and that is a blessing. After all could you imagine the contemplation of a squirrel if it knew that one day it would die even if it survived every attack on its life? Would the same squirrel leap from branch to branch doing their high flying acrobatics if it could feel the fear of death?”

  The elves wanted soldiers, and got thinkers Maybe Nathan wasn’t as big of a screw up as he had once thought. The elves had created a race of beings that resented them, the princess refuses most of her royal duties and benefits because she destroyed the lively hood of a town known for magic items, and one of the mages caused an entire river to become a jagged glass bed. All to best the Dark Queen and yet Nathan had heard nothing of the damage she had done. She had attacked villages and left no survivors, but there was never any talk of the people she killed they just disappeared, that couldn’t be right…could it?

  “Queen Shina, could you please take this bracelet off of me?” Nathan asked.

  “Not right now, we will return you to Santrose, and then remove the bracelets, it would not do to have you and the elf princess running around casting spells on us!” Queen answered. “I will have you and the other two placed in a hut we keep for unwanted guests, we will let you go, but we need to protect ourselves as well I hope you understand.” The queen purred.

  Seeing that they had no choice Nathan said he agreed and was whisked away by the royal guards to a hut with the same crude bars attached to the front entrance. Once inside Nathan found both Lela and Ileana.