by Mike Shelton
Bakari could hear Onius’s yell. What right did Onius have to tell him to stop? He lifted the bird’s wings and started to move toward Onius.
“No, Bak. I’m all right now,” Kharlia said.
Bakari stopped the bird mid-flight. The voice of Kharlia penetrated his mind. His eyelids fluttered open, and the bird dropped to the ground as their minds’ contact severed. After a dazed moment, the poor vulture flew back up into the trees, its own simple mind back in control once again.
Kharlia grabbed Bakari into a big hug. “Oh, Bakari. What did you do?”
“I saved you,” he said. His anger had abated, and he wiped sweat from his forehead. It felt good to hold her in his arms. He felt something new and exciting around her.
Onius took a huge step up in front of him and, with little compassion, pushed Kharlia out of his arms. “That is forbidden, Bakari. You know it’s against our laws to bond with a creature. It’s unnatural.” Onius stood fuming a moment. “My boy,” he said, taking his voice down a notch, “you could have become lost in that creature. Where did you learn to do that?”
Bakari was exhausted, but he stood his ground. “Counselor, I remember everything I read. I just know things.”
Onius took a step back, and Gorn joined him.
“I did what needed to be done. The outcome was what matters. I saved Kharlia and the Chief Judge.”
At the mention of the Chief Judge, everyone turned in the direction that Roland and Ali had run off.
“This conversation is not over.” Onius looked troubled. “We will discuss this later, when the Chief Judge has been healed. I forbid you any use of magic until that time.”
Bakari only nodded his head. He understood Onius’s concerns. But saving Kharlia was worth the price. With a sudden flash of thought, he realized that he could indeed do so much more with his magic. What good was studying if you couldn’t use the knowledge to help someone? He reached for Kharlia’s hand and walked toward where the horse and bags were tied up.
Within fifteen minutes, Gorn, Onius, Bakari, Kharlia, and a few other guards stood gathered around Roland, Alli, and the Chief Judge. Bakari brought Kharlia’s medicine bag over and motioned for the others to back away. He soon found himself standing next to Roland as Kharlia prepared the healing herbs.
“Why does Onius keep watching you like you are the plague?” Roland asked.
Bakari recounted what he had done to save Kharlia.
“A rule breaker now? Bakari, I wouldn’t have thought that possible of our quiet scholar.” Roland smiled.
Bakari blushed, his dark cheeks growing darker.
“Ahhh. It was the girl, wasn’t it?” Roland tried unsuccessfully to hold back a laugh. “It’s always a girl that gets us in trouble, Bakari. Remember that.”
The others turned toward Roland with a frown. Then Alli stepped up to him.
“Seems like a girl helped you quite a bit back there, Apprentice. Without me, those mercenaries would have killed you and the Chief Judge.”
“I had the situation in hand, Apprentice,” Roland retorted. “I was about to blast them all away.”
Onius stepped forward. “Children,” he chided the two apprentices. “This is why you are still apprentices. Roland, you should know better. Apologize to the young lady.”
“Me, apologize?”
Onius glared at his young student.
With a deep breath, Roland turned to Alli and, in a sweet voice, said, “Alli, my lady, I apologize for my lack of appreciation for your efforts to help me. Your help was timely and appreciated.” He then winked at her before turning back to Onius, as if to say, Was that good enough?
Onius huffed, but the rest of the group smiled.
Then Kharlia stood and turned toward Roland. “Bakari has told me you may have abilities to heal.”
Roland regarded the rest of the group smugly. “Yes, I think I might. Last time I helped Onius, I felt that I could have given more.” He walked toward Kharlia and knelt down by the Chief Judge. As before, he placed his hands on him, and everyone watched. “I can feel the poison inside him.”
Onius turned to Gorn and raised his brows. All watched Roland in silence. After fifteen minutes, the poison began to spill out of the Chief Judge’s pores and onto the ground.
The gathered crowd gasped.
Onius and Gorn stood off to one side, alone, but their words were loud enough for others to hear.
“We have three powerful young people here,” Gorn stated.
“Powerful and very dangerous,” Onius said back, his stern eyes looking over at Roland, Alli, and, last of all, Bakari.
Bakari heard Onius’s words and looked down at his shoes. It was true: the three of them were powerful, beyond what the older wizards had expected. But he didn’t think he was very dangerous. He was just a scholar of little consequence to the land.
CHAPTER TEN
Two weeks later Alli rode in the back of the Chief Judge’s party alongside Roland, Bakari, and Kharlia. She looked ahead at the Chief Judge. He was doing better, though he tired more easily now. A week of rest for him and delays due to rain meant the party from Cassian was now entering the city of River Bend much later than expected.
Two nights previous, a summer storm had severely dampened their evening and had put everyone into a sour mood. However, this day dawned bright, and the temperatures rose quickly throughout the day. Being closer to the Elvyn Forest and the Dunn River kept the heat from becoming too unbearable, though, it did increase the humidity.
After a brief stop here in River Bend, they would take the road in a northwesterly direction another four or five days to reach the Citadel.
“Things are too quiet.” Alli turned to Roland from her horse, which was next to his. “I don’t like it.”
“Paranoid,” Roland said with a smirk.
“It’s not right. It’s still early enough in the evening that there should be children running around and people carrying their food home to prepare for the evening meal.”
“Maybe they are tired and resting,” Roland said, not paying much attention. “Same things I want to do: find a nice inn, eat some food, maybe watch a nice lass do some singing, then go to bed.”
Alli glared at him.
“So, Bak, what do you think?” Roland turned to his other side, where the young scholar wizard rode next to his new friend, Kharlia. Bakari and Kharlia both had their faces stuck in books and didn’t pay Roland any attention.
“Bakari?” Roland said, raising his voice. When no acknowledgment from him was forthcoming, Roland held his hand up and pushed a spark of power into Bakari’s shoulder. The scholar wizard jerked his head up in surprise and fumbled his book, which fell to the ground.
“What did you do that for?” He rubbed his shoulder with a frown as he stopped his horse to retrieve the book.
Kharlia glanced up at that point and smiled. She apparently hadn’t heard Roland either.
“Never mind,” Roland said. “I would be surprised if either of you even knew where we actually are.”
“Don’t pay attention to him, Bakari.” Alli came to his aid.
Bakari grunted in agreement. “Where are we?”
Roland laughed. “Oh, Bak, you are priceless.” He looked toward Kharlia and smiled. “And it appears you have found a match. Her nose is farther in her book than yours.”
Both Kharlia and Bakari blushed.
“Roland, don’t tease her,” Bakari said.
Roland seemed to want to say something, but the guarded visage on Bakari’s face stopped him.
Alli moved her horse closer to Bakari. “We are in River Bend, Bak. But I was telling Roland that it feels wrong: too quiet.”
“Didn’t you grow up not too far east of here?”
“Yes I did, just northeast of here.” Alli smirked over toward Roland. “At least someone pays attention to things I say.”
Roland rolled his eyes. “That’s not fair; he remembers everything. It’s his greatest power as a scholar.” He ligh
tly kicked his heels into his horse, spurring it forward toward Onius.
Alli turned her attention back to Bakari. “I don’t like the feel of this place.”
“You are a battle wizard, Alli. You should say something.”
“Gorn?” Alli called up ahead. But before Gorn could respond, a group of men clad in chain mail came around a building and stopped in the middle of the road.
The captain of the Chief Judge’s guard moved out in front and ordered some of his men to keep the Chief Judge and the other riders safe. Onius moved up next to the captain.
“What is this?” the captain barked at the leader of the new party.
“Order of the judge,” said the apparent leader of the opposing group. “All parties must be inspected.”
“This is the Chief Judge’s party. We are traveling to the Citadel to meet with Wizard Kanzar Centari, at his invitation.”
“This is not the Chief Judge’s jurisdiction,” the man said.
The sounds of swords being drawn rang down the road as the Chief Judge’s guard drew their weapons. Alli felt nervous and moved up next to Gorn.
Onius nudged his horse forward. “The Chief Judge’s jurisdiction is all of Alaris. You have no right to stop, search, or hinder this party.”
Three other men rode out from behind the group of soldiers. These were not dressed in chain mail, ready for battle, but instead in robes of silk. They were of differing ages, but the youngest one held the airs of being in charge and rode out in front.
“Please excuse my general here; he gets rather protective of me.”
A warning sounded then in Alli’s head, with the mention of a general. She remembered that only the Chief Judge commanded generals in the armed forces of Alaris. In fact, there were only two generals: one stationed in Cassian and the other in the training camp at Lake Corwan. As far as she knew, this man was not one of them.
“I am Mericus, the western judge.”
At this declaration, the Chief Judge rode forward and sternly said, “Mericus, I have not met you yet. I was not informed an election had occurred.”
Mericus bowed with a slight nod to Daymian. “Chief Judge, these are difficult times, as you realize. I have been recently appointed to fill the vacancy left by the untimely death of our last judge.”
“That is not in accordance with the laws of Alaris. An election by the people determines the judges.” The Chief Judge frowned.
“In normal times, yes. However, with the barrier failing and battles and unrest breaking out all over Alaris, it seemed better to fill the position as soon as possible.”
Alli turned and glanced at Roland with a worried look in her eye.
Roland took the hint and stepped his horse forward. “Who appointed you to amend the law?”
Onius glared at Roland.
Mericus brought his horse another step closer. Both sides tensed.
“Roland, isn’t it?”
Roland, taken aback by the knowledge of this stranger, shifted in his saddle and nodded.
“Well, Roland, I am appointed by High Wizard Kanzar Centari. You do acknowledge his authority, don’t you?”
The Chief Judge’s party gasped. Onius tried to restrain Roland but he rode closer to Mericus. “I do acknowledge his authority over dealings with wizards and magic; however, he has no authority over the Chief Judge and the laws of the land.”
Mericus snorted loudly and regarded his two fellow companions. “This young wizard seems to be educated in the fine art of diplomacy.” After a brief chuckle, he turned back to the Chief Judge. “The people in the North, East, and West acknowledged his wisdom and his desire for the good of the people. Through local meetings and city councils, they have given him the authority to choose new judges that will be able to protect the people during these difficult times. It is all perfectly legal, I assure you.”
Roland’s face turned red. Alli noticed him watching Onius carefully. The counselor wizard should be stepping forward and helping his apprentice. Bakari took that moment to break through the crowd and lean in next to Roland. Alli also moved closer to hear what he would say.
“Roland,” he whispered. “It is legal. The people’s councils can vote for someone to act as a proxy for them to appoint at least a temporary judge until elections can be held. It was a provision inserted into the law to be used during times of war or other maladies in which it was deemed unsafe or impractical to hold elections.”
Roland looked up at Onius, who had listened to Bakari’s information. Onius motioned the young wizards back a dozen steps to confer with the Chief Judge.
“Chief Judge,” Onius said to Daymian, “these are dangerous times. I counsel you not to start a fight here. All three of those judges are wizards also. Mericus is a powerful wizard. The other two I do not know. I’ve not been to the Citadel lately, but Kanzar appears to be pushing events forward on his own.”
Overhearing the conversation, Alli pulled a sword off her back. “We have me, Gorn, Onius, Roland, and Bakari plus the best of the Chief Judge’s guards here. I would call it a fair fight.” The air crackled with her power, which was trying to come forth. “I could level their general and his men with one word.”
“Alli,” Gorn said. “This is not your decision.”
“Chief Judge, let me go up and talk to them privately,” Onius offered graciously. “I hold no small reputation among the wizards. I would like to see this end peacefully.”
All eyes turned to the Chief Judge. In the end, it was his call. After a moment of silence, he gave an almost imperceptible nod toward his counselor wizard.
Roland clicked to his horse, but Onius grabbed the reins.
“I will do this alone,” Onius said.
They stood quietly as Onius approached the three opposing wizards. They talked in hushed tones so neither side could hear what was being said.
Bakari motioned the Chief Judge over to where he and Alli stood. “Sir, you are still the Chief Judge even though, technically, they were appointed lawfully. You still have authority to override them in certain things. One of those things is being in command of the armed forces. They are breaking the law by naming a general without your permission.”
“I know, Bak. I know. But I need to be careful. I underestimated the hunger for power that has been stirring. I do not want to start a civil war, especially against wizards. I have sworn to uphold this land, not destroy it. I will not break that peace easily.”
Bakari stood up taller and took off his glasses. Then he glanced over at Alli, who nodded her assent.
“Chief Judge, I would not fight against you,” Bakari began, “and I think many other wizards would be on your side. Please do not presume that all wizards vie for power against you.”
Daymian put his hand on Bakari’s shoulder while watching Alli. “Thank you for reminding me, my young scholar. You have been a good friend for a number of years. And, Alli, I see you agree with Bakari here. I do not think, however, that all of your kind thinks the same way as you two.”
“I’m afraid you’re right.” Bakari moved his eyes to Onius and the three wizards who had usurped the judgeships. “But know there are many on your side, Sir.”
Onius turned around and headed back toward the group. Before he arrived, Daymian pulled Bakari aside and whispered something into his ear that Alli couldn’t hear.
“I negotiated a settlement,” Onius said to the group around the Chief Judge.
Daymian motioned for Onius to continue as Alli, Roland, and Bakari moved closer to hear.
“As it is late in the day, we will stay here this evening: all of us in one inn.”
“So they can guard us?” broke in Alli.
“Let me finish, Apprentice,” chastised Onius.
Alli’s cheeks reddened. Ooh, how it grated her when Onius said that. Gorn had, at moments, put her in her place, but he was her mentor. She had tolerated that. But Onius Neeland, wizard though he was, was arrogant and belittling to her. It was not something she would take for very lo
ng. She would play it down as being from a stressful situation for now, but she wouldn’t take much more.
“As I said, we will stay here this evening.” Onius motioned toward the city. “In the morning, one of the judges and the general and his men will escort us to the Citadel. If we all ride hard and the weather holds, we can be there in four days’ time. At that point, the Chief Judge can meet with the High Wizard and sort things out for himself.”
Alli noticed Onius’s use of High Wizard, Kanzar’s self-proclaimed title, and alarms went off in her head for the second time. Was Onius on the side of this High Wizard? The two men had known each other for a long, long time. It wouldn’t be hard to grasp. She looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed his reference to Kanzar as High Wizard.
“And, what do we get in return out of this settlement?” Roland asked. “It seems fairly one-sided.”
“We get to keep our heads on our shoulders and to be escorted in safety, Apprentice!” Onius’ voice boomed. “And, Chief Judge, I would submit that both of our apprentice wizards here should not be included in these privy councils if they cannot control their wagging tongues.”
Alli watched Roland take a step back on his horse. He, too, she knew, was tired of being called an apprentice. Bakari shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands out to his sides when Roland looked toward him.
“Onius,” the Chief Judge growled. “Though young he is, your apprentice, as you refer to him, has spoken correctly. What kind of negotiation did you procure for us? I will not submit to an escort that is virtually holding us prisoner. I am still the Chief Judge of this land.”
Alli smiled over at Roland. It was nice to see the Chief Judge censure the great counselor wizard for once.
“As Chief Judge, these are my demands: One,” Daymian said, counting it off on his fingers, “I am the only person authorized to promote a man to general. This so-called general of theirs will either step down himself or be named as a captain by me. Two, I will have my guards stationed outside of the inn along with their guards. I expect no trouble. And, three, I want to know where the other two judges are going to be and will send an armed escort with them, to ensure their safety, of course.” Daymian smiled meaningfully.