Five Kingdoms: Books 01, 02 & 03

by Toby Neighbors

  Despite being angry with Kelvich and confused by Brianna, Zollin laughed. He laughed at himself and his predicament with Brianna and his good fortune in meeting Kelvich and the rankling way the old Sorcerer had. He laughed because even though his heart ached with the loss of his best friend, and the life-long absence of his mother, he was happy.

  Chapter 20

  Two days passed before Zollin made it back out to Kelvich’s cabin. The weather was unseasonably warm, which translated into the temperature rising slightly above freezing. Most of the snow insulated itself, so very little melting took place, but any rise in the temperature was welcome. Zollin remembered to bring the Sorcerer a bit of pork. In fact, he bought some pork ribs and several pork chops.

  They spent the morning sitting at the little table sharing information while Kelvich prepared the ribs to be cooked in a small smoker he had built.

  “So, did Ollie find your papers?” Kelvich asked.

  “I believe so. I left them easily accessible, and she straightened our room herself.”

  “And where is your sister this morning?”

  “She’s actually helping the Tailor. Her father is a Tailor, and she’s trading some labor for warmer gear for all of us. It’s really quite nice of her,” Zollin said, feeling the thick wool tunic she had bartered for him. “My father set it up, but she’s been working hard. Not really apprentice work, but odds and ends, whatever the Tailor needs. I have to admit she has skills.”

  Kelvich changed the line of conversation.

  “Alright, so we discussed Sorcerers but not Warlocks, and it’s really not fair to talk about one apart from the other. Warlocks have incredible power, more than all but the strongest Wizards, but they can’t control it. In fact, have you noticed that your magic has a mind of its own?”

  Zollin thought for a moment. There were certainly times when he felt he had to control himself. It was like riding a powerful horse which you had to constantly remind that you were in control. And there were other times when he had reacted without thought, the magic responding to need rather than command. He nodded and Kelvich continued.

  “Often that power will drive a Warlock insane, but if a Sorcerer finds a Warlock, he can tap into that power. In the past, Sorcerers collected Warlocks like a Carpenter collects tools. They would control the Warlocks, use them up and then discard them like trash. It’s the temptation of our power, to control and dominate. Hence the stories you’ve probably heard, which are mostly all lies and exaggerations. And while a majority of Sorcerers were cruel and evil men, grasping for power that was not theirs to have, some became teachers.”

  He bowed low to the ground and Zollin laughed. He was beginning to trust the old man, but he wasn’t quite ready to let his guard down completely.

  “We have the ability to help young Wizards understand their powers, to demonstrate techniques and improve their skills. But it isn’t easy. To see others so full of power and potential without any real desire for it, to see them waver like autumn leaves with every breath of wind, knowing that I have the answers, that I know right from wrong, that I could do so much good with their gifts is very difficult indeed. I’ve spent most of my life secluded. It’s just easier that way, not to mention the Torr would rather see me dead than let my power be wasted teaching others rather than controlling them.”

  “How long have you lived here?” Zollin asked.

  “I don’t know, fifteen or twenty years. I was living in a separatist community in the Rejee desert before that. But I got so sick of the heat I moved here. The winters can be hard, but I love the snow and the cool climate the rest of the time. And now I have a student, if only for a short time. It feels good to be useful again. That is your gift to me, that and these succulent pork ribs. I shall enjoy them thoroughly.”

  “Good,” Zollin said with a smile, “they weren’t cheep.”

  “Ah, well, when you learn to transform lead into gold, you won’t care so much about money,” Kelvich said.

  “You can do that?”

  “If you know enough, magic is all about what you know. If you know how something works, you can fix it. If you know enough about the properties of two objects, you can transform one to other. We’ll get to all that.”

  “Today?” Zollin asked. He couldn’t help but think of what he could do with limitless gold.

  “No, not today, and wipe that silly grin off your face. That kind of power takes years to hone. Just knowing you can do it doesn’t make it happen. You have to have a lot of control. Now I won’t lie, you’ve got power. Your raw potential is amazing, but you’ve got to apply yourself. It’s like finding a gold vein in the mountains. You wouldn’t take the flakes that have fallen to the ground and just leave the rest buried in the rock. You’d dig and buy equipment and work that vein until you had unearthed every last fragment. That’s what you’ve got to do.”

  “Why?” asked Zollin. He didn’t disagree, although the thought of that much work didn’t sound appealing. But he wondered why Kelvich was passionate about him learning.

  “You just do. It’s your destiny.”

  “I don’t believe in destiny,” Zollin said.

  “You were destined to have that power and you’re destined to use it. You just don’t know it yet,” Kelvich said. He threw up his hands. “Wait, wait, I see your questions, and trust me, you’ll get the answers, but we have to start at the beginning. Now, the most powerful magic user is a Wizard,” he said with a flourish. He had finished working on the pork ribs and took a seat at the table.

  “Wizards can have the powers of every other magic user, but they don’t all come naturally. Some begin with a bent toward one discipline or another, but with study and practice they can become proficient in all the disciplines. Beyond that, a Wizard is himself a source of magic. And some have more power than others, but just like a muscle, it must be developed. What I see in you is a person of incredible power, but most of that power has yet to be tapped. I’m sure that’s why the Torr was pursuing you – it wouldn’t do to have a Wizard who can challenge their power roaming around.”

  Zollin was shaking his head. “I’m no challenge to anyone.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short,” Kelvich said. “But let’s not worry about that right now. I want to take a look at some basic skills you need to master.”

  They worked all afternoon on simple spells, like discerning direction, levitation, projecting light, and binding things together. Kelvich refused to let Zollin borrow power from his willow belt or staff, and even though the spells were fairly simple, he was soon soaked with sweat and trembling with fatigue. Kelvich fed him sparingly, forcing Zollin to strain and work harder than he ever had. Even with his father, Zollin had always been able to stop and take a break when he needed it.

  When the ribs were finished cooking, Zollin ate more than his share, then rode back to the Inn and had supper again. He fell into his bed exhausted, going to sleep almost instantly. He heard Mansel stirring around in the predawn light and groaned. He knew he needed to get up and rarely had trouble rising in the mornings, but he felt as if he had just closed his eyes a moment ago. He was seriously considering just rolling over and going back to sleep, but then his stomach growled. He couldn’t believe how hungry he was. He rose slowly and dressed quickly, then joined his father and Mansel in the common room. When Ellie brought them a bowl of fresh milk with bread crumbled in it, he ate without tasting the sweet breakfast. He was about to head out when Ellie returned with a roll of parchment sealed with a strange wax seal. He looked up wonderingly.

  “Master Kelvich,” she said politely, before turning away. She was still a jolly girl, but she seemed to have lost all interest in Zollin. Mansel certainly noticed the fact and made a snide comment, but Zollin didn’t hear him. His attention was on the roll of parchment. It was tiny, hardly big enough for one line of print. It said, “Come on foot.”

  It was a curious request, one that Zollin couldn’t quite understand, but he guessed he could walk out to the Sorce
rer’s cabin.

  “What’s the note say?” Quinn asked.

  “He wants me to walk instead of ride out today.”

  Mansel laughed, but Quinn frowned.

  “Are you sure that old man is right in the head?” Quinn asked.

  “I think so.”

  “Well, you better get going if you’re walking all that way.”

  Zollin rose quickly from the table and grabbed his staff. He stepped out into the yard of the Inn as the sun was just peeking over the mountain tops. He set out at a brisk walk. The snow was packed hard along the streets, and he didn’t have much trouble making his way, but the cold from the snow made his breath sting in his lungs. He kept up a brisk pace, but still it took over an hour to reach the cabin in the woods.

  “You’re late,” Kelvich said.

  “You told me to walk,” Zollin said.

  “I told you to come on foot, I never said walk.”

  “What… you want me to run all this way?”

  “That’s right,” Kelvich nodded. “For you to be all that you should be, you need to strengthen your body as well as your mind.

  That morning they practiced defensive spells. Kelvich tied Zollin to a post so that he couldn’t move. His hands were secured behind the post as the Sorcerer threw small, bean-filled sacks at Zollin, who practiced catching the sacks in the air before he was hit. He was exhausted by mid-morning from his long walk and the constant practice.

  “I need to rest,” Zollin complained.

  “Push yourself,” Kelvich said, throwing another bag, which made it past Zollin’s defenses and hit the helpless Wizard on the shoulder.

  “Why? I’m too weak to stop anything. Please let me eat something. I’m about to pass out from hunger.”

  “Hunger is weakness. Don’t let it control you.”

  “Everyone has to eat,” Zollin cried.

  “Not you – you’re not like everyone else.”

  Another bean bag made it through his defenses and hit Zollin on the head. He was getting angry, but he felt so weak, so tired. He was trembling despite the bonds that were holding him to the post. He focused on the ropes, imagining them snapping and setting him free. He pushed the thought out, but the ropes were too strong without the aid of his staff and willow belt. He slumped, getting hit with another bean bag.

  “Come on, you’re not even trying,” Kelvich complained.

  “I’m too exhausted.”

  “No, you’re not. You only think you can’t do it.”

  “Do what?”

  “Whatever you can imagine,” Kelvich said, hurling another bag.

  Zollin pushed the projectile off course and it flew wide. He was straining at his bonds again, trying to break them, but he was too weak.

  “You can do this. You haven’t even begun to tap into the reservoir of power inside you.”

  “I’m using all I’ve got,” Zollin said.

  “No, you’re only using the overflow.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “And I can’t explain it to you,” Kelvich said. “You have to discover it. And you need to find it soon if you’re going to survive.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll see,” Kelvich said. Then he turned and walked into the cabin.

  Zollin was relieved at first. He expected the lesson to be over, for Kelvich to come out and untie him. His mouth watered as he thought about the food they would share over lunch, perhaps the rest of the pork he had purchased from the butcher in the village. But the Sorcerer never came out of the cabin. Zollin yelled at the old man, begged him to help, but he was alone.

  Snow began falling shortly after midday, and a cold wind seemed to rush down from the northern mountains. Soon Zollin was aching with cold, his hands stinging, and the wooden post felt like ice to his back. His arms and legs grew stiff from the lack of movement. The snow soaked his clothing until he was shivering uncontrollably. He tried again and again to break the bonds, but he just couldn’t do it. Finally, as the afternoon waned, he fainted from exhaustion.

  When he woke up, he was in the cabin, wrapped in warm blankets, his clothing drying near the fire. He was so tired that he could hardly move. He looked around the room and saw Kelvich sitting in a rocking chair, his feet near the fire, dozing. He wanted to be angry, but he was just too weak.

  “Food,” he managed to croak.

  Kelvich stirred, “Ah, you’re awake. Good, I’ve got some broth here for you.”

  Zollin wanted meat, not broth, but he was so weak that Kelvich had to help to a sitting position. The warm liquid was the most delicious broth Zollin had ever tasted. He spooned the broth down and looked up. He felt better, stronger, but not well. His arms and legs still felt heavy, his stomach was full, but he was still hungry.

  “It’s best not to rush things,” Kelvich said.

  “It’s best not to leave me tied to a post in the freezing cold,” Zollin said bitterly, his anger returning with his strength. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but I don’t like it. Don’t ever leave like that again. And another thing, I’m not practicing without my staff and my belt again.”

  “I understand your anger,” Kelvich said, his tone as mundane as if he were discussing the weather.

  “No, I don’t think you do,” Zollin said, standing on shaky legs. “Until you’ve been left helpless in a snow storm you don’t know how I feel.”

  “You weren’t helpless.”

  “Let me explain how this magic thing works,” Zollin said, his voice getting loud. “I can only do so much without rest. Every time I use magic, it drains me. I need time to rest and recover. I trusted you, but I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Good, you shouldn’t trust me. I would have thought that was clear from our last lesson.”

  Zollin was confused, but he was too angry to ask questions. He was tired of all the cryptic threats and hints about greatness. He was just a regular Wizard, as if there was anything regular about being a Wizard. He stood on shaky legs.

  “I’m through,” he said, even as he closed his eyes to stop the room from spinning. “Give me some dry clothes and your horse. You can pick it up from the Inn the next time you walk all the way into the village.”

  “You’re in no condition to go anywhere,” Kelvich said. “Besides, the snow is still falling and the trails will be filled by now. You can stay here until it clears.”

  “No, I’ve had enough. I’m leaving.”

  “Sure, if that’s your decision I respect that. I’ve got some clothes in that cubby in the back room that you can wear. Help yourself.”

  Zollin made it about halfway across the room before the dizziness and his shaky legs got the better of him. He fell to the floor and lay still. Kelvich closed his eyes and waited for the Wizard to stir.

  When Zollin finally felt like moving, he managed to roll over. The Sorcerer’s indifference to his plight infuriated him. He wanted to scream and shout at the man, but he didn’t have the strength to back up his threats. Besides, his anger obviously didn’t faze Kelvich. He struggled back to his feet and managed to sit at the table. There was bread and cheese laid out, and Zollin helped himself. He ate ravenously and waited for Kelvich to object, but the Sorcerer seemed to be asleep in his chair.

  The dull grey light that managed to pass through the thick clouds was fading quickly, and the snow was falling heavily. It wasn’t quite blizzard conditions, but the amount of snow falling was substantial. Zollin knew that, as weak as he felt, he would never be able to make it back to the Inn that evening. When he felt strong enough, he walked slowly back to the room at the rear of the little cabin. He stayed close to the rough-hewn log walls so that he could steady himself when he felt dizzy. He found a bed in the back room and fell across it. He wrapped the blankets tightly around his fragile body and fell asleep.

  Chapter 21

  “He should have returned by now,” Brianna argued.

  “He left on foot, remember?” Mansel said. “I don’t th
ink you’d want to walk home in all this snow.”

  “He might have gotten caught out in the storm. We should at least go make sure he’s alright.”

  “If we go out we’ll be the ones getting caught in the snow,” Quinn said. “The paths are filling back up and it’ll be a while before we can make our way to the forest again.”

  “So we’re just going to sit here and do nothing?” she asked.

  “No, of course not,” Quinn said. “We’re going to drink ale and tell stories and stay warm by the fire.”

  Brianna leaned down close to the Master Carpenter, her voice strained but quiet.

  “He’s your son. Don’t you even care about him?”