Hellion Mage

by James Green

  A sumptuous carpet covered the polished stone floor and sunlight filtered in from windows high above. Faintly heard music, bright and fast-paced, got louder as we approached a set of tall double doors. The music was catchy, with a thumping beat. It made me want to march, or to beat on a drum.

  Just before those doors was a small side room that seemed to be used to store coats. Renault directed us to place our weapons there. Once Ulmar and I had done so, he summoned a guard and posted him at the door.

  “Your weapons will be safe here,” Renault promised.

  I’d never dreamed of having an enchanted shield, so I had to put my trust in the guard as he shut the door behind us.

  We continued the short distance down the corridor to the double doors. When Renault swung them wide open, the music hit us like a wall. On the far end of the hall, a group of five musicians stood on a stage while they played their hearts out. Two brass instruments in the front, a big set of drums in the back, and two different stringed instruments played music unlike anything I’d heard.

  The wide floor of the main hall was empty except for one person, a stunning redhead in a bright green gown. The beautiful woman spun joyfully around the floor, and her hair trailed after her like a wave of fire. She was lost in the joy of the music and didn’t notice us enter.

  A thin older man leaned against the wall, spectacles low on his nose. His hair was brown, thinning on top, and cut close to his head. He turned his attention to us as we entered. He frowned and then made a cutting motion with his hand to the band.

  It took them a moment to notice, and when they did, the music stumbled to a halt.

  “Hey!” Duchess Amber protested, facing the band. “What’s the matter guys? I was really enjoying that!”

  The band leader shrugged and pointed at us.

  “Your grace, we have visitors,” the thin bespectacled man said.

  She turned to us, a frown marring her pretty face. The expression vanished immediately as soon as she saw Anastasia, turning into a wide smile.

  She squealed in delight and seemed to skip across the floor toward us. “Ana!”

  Anastasia embraced her, returning the smile. “Your grace, I’m sorry we interrupted your dancing.”

  “Stop that, Ana,” the Duchess admonished her. “You call me Amber, remember? And who are your friends?” She turned her luminous green eyes on me and Ulmar.

  “My name is William, your grace. I am a Beast Mage sworn to the Queen.”

  “Pleased to meet you, William,” she said with mischievous smirk. Then her eyes found Mithra sitting at my feet and widened.

  “Oh, and you have a puppy!” she said, squealing in excitement. She dropped to her knees and began scratching Mithra behind his ears. She moved her face close to his, and he gave her a lick on the cheek.

  “But he’s no regular wolf pup, is he?” Amber asked as she looked up at me.

  “No, your grace,” I answered. “He’s a hellion wolf.”

  “You’re lovely, aren’t you? Yes, you are,” she said to Mithra in a squeaky baby voice. It was adorable. Mithra’s tail thumped the floor rhythmically as he panted.

  “Your grace, you must be more cautious,” the bespectacled man said from behind her. “That is a hellion. It could have attacked and seriously wounded you. I do not know who thought it wise to allow it into the main hall. I will be having a word with Renault.”

  “Lord Jancier, I appreciate your concern for my safety, but this precious puppy wouldn’t hurt me. Would you? No, you wouldn’t. Besides, you know that I could turn him into a pile of ash in a heartbeat.”

  I felt a bit of alarm from Mithra, but it soon faded; his enjoyment of Amber’s scratches seemed to outweigh any threat she might have been.

  She gave Mithra a last scratch and stood. “I’m sorry, I’ve been very rude. What is your name, good sir?” she asked Ulmar.

  “I am Ulmar, a knight in the Queen’s service, your grace. I am very pleased to meet you.”

  She favored him with a brilliant smile. “You are welcome here, Ulmar. You all are, of course. Let me introduce my closest advisor, Lord Jancier. Without him this Duchy would not run anywhere near as smoothly.”

  He shook our hands primly. His hands were soft—that of a man that had never lifted a tool or a weapon. His handshake was limp and weak. I immediately disliked him.

  “Come, it’s time for lunch,” Amber said. “Join me. I can see in your eyes, Ana, that you have business to conduct. We can discuss it over a meal, can we not?”

  “Yes, of course,” Anastasia said.

  “William, would you escort me to the dining hall?” Amber asked, gliding up to me.

  I only had a vague idea of what she meant. “Sure.”

  She held onto my right arm, and we proceeded down the hall. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anastasia give me a strange look. A flash of some unidentifiable emotion crossed her face and was gone.

  Amber caressed my arm—scarred, tan, and muscular—with her right hand, her finger idly following a long scar.

  “I didn’t expect a Beast Mage to have so many scars, or to be so muscular,” she said, looking into my eyes.

  “I’ve only been a Beast Mage for a couple of days, actually. Before that I was just a common spearman in the Queen’s Seventh Gar near Kostick.”

  “Oh my,” she said, drawing in a breath. “You must be the son of a noble house, then?”

  “No, your grace. I’m as low-born as they come, I’m afraid. My father was a Lord I think, but I don’t know who he is. I’ve only met him once when I was a child.”

  She didn’t say anything, only gripping my bicep tighter and pressing her breasts against my arm. Her impressive cleavage felt soft through the thin gown. She wasn’t nearly as endowed as Anastasia, but they fit her frame perfectly. Her sweet scent was intoxicating.

  Far too soon we were at the dining hall, and the servants preceding us threw the doors wide. Other servants had just finished setting the table and scurried away as the Duchess and her guests approached.

  The table was long, made for far more people than were here now. One end of it had place settings for five.

  Amber took her seat at the end of the table, the chair larger and slightly grander than the rest. “William, please sit here to my right,” she instructed, and I took the seat next to her.

  Lord Jancier sat across from me on Amber’s left hand, and I got the distinct impression that I’d stolen his place.

  As soon as we sat, servants appeared, filling our wine glasses with dark red wine and setting bowls of rich, meaty soup in front of us along with bowls of bread. I found what I hoped was the right spoon and had a mouthful. My tongue tingled from the spices, and the heat continued down to my stomach. I washed it down with a swig of wine that didn’t taste halfway to vinegar. If this was how the nobility normally ate, I could see why everyone wanted to be one of them.

  Mithra sat at my side, looking expectant, so I gave him a roll. He let it drop to the floor and looked at me like I’d played a poor joke on him.

  “Now, Ana, tell me what I can do for you,” Amber said, after having tasted the soup.

  “We’re here for two reasons,” Ana said, forgoing the soup entirely. “The first is our missing man, Lord Mercer. He was dispatched here to negotiate the transfer of Grimjaw from your Duchy to the crown and take control of the beast.”

  “Oh, yes,” Amber said. “That was weeks ago. He’s missing? He was a rude man; I didn’t like him. I told him he couldn’t take Grimjaw, not for what he was offering. When he asked me if he could enter the catacombs to view him, I was reluctant to agree, but it seemed churlish not to. I believe he left the city soon after.”

  “Without Grimjaw?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Amber said. “The old man is still wandering around the home Father made for him in the catacombs. He grows more confused by the day. He needs a new master soon. Perhaps that will be you, William?”

  “Uh, maybe,” I said, not wanting to tell her that t
aming Grimjaw might be beyond me. “Why do you call him old man?”

  “Frost Tortoises live a very long time, and Grimjaw is old,” she said, a sad look crossing her face. ”He has been in our family a long time. I used to play with him when I was a little girl. He’d put out my fires when I made them too big.”

  “Your fires?” I asked.

  “The Duchess is a powerful pyromancer,” Jancier said.

  “I am! Let me show you. It’s a bit dark in here don’t you think?” She raised her right hand.

  “Your grace,” Jancier objected, but she ignored him.

  I didn’t think it was at all dark in the dining hall. Sunlight was streaming in from the high windows and filling the hall.

  With a smile, Amber pointed a finger at a single candle on the candelabra in front of us. Her eyes turned orange and a bright surge of fire engulfed the candle and the top half of the candelabra itself. The candle turned to liquid and splashed the table underneath with hot wax. The candelabra itself sagged slightly as the intense heat softened the gold.

  “Drat! I’ve been practicing that, too,” Amber said with a pout, her eyes having returned to their natural emerald green.

  “Her grace may be a powerful pyromancer, but she is lacking fine control over her powers,” Jancier supplied.

  “I’m very good at burning things. Lots of things at once, even. Lord Jancier is right though; fine control of my fire is still difficult. I was so hoping to impress our guests, too.”

  A servant wearing heavy gloves swiftly and discretely removed the melted candelabra from the table.

  “Pardon me, your grace, but did you see Lord Mercer leave the city?” Ulmar asked her.

  “No, I was avoiding the man,” she replied.

  “I did,” Jancier interjected. “He was upset that he failed to come to an accommodation with her grace regarding Grimjaw. He said he planned to return to the Queen for further instruction.”

  A wave of servants flooded out, removing the soup bowls and spoons. Another wave followed them and set plates in front of us. Three tiny, delicate-looking roasted birds were artfully arranged on the dishes. I had no idea how to eat something so small. Pick it up and nibble around the bones?

  “Oh, I hate these.” Amber frowned at the birds on her plate. “You have to eat them whole, bones and all. I just don’t like it.”

  Amber picked up her plate and set it down on the floor in front of Mithra. He eagerly scarfed down the birds one at a time with much crunching. When he was done, I gave him mine as well.

  “Your grace, may I see Grimjaw?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Amber said, lightly touching my arm. “I’ll escort you to see the old man once we’ve finished our meal. Just you, though. He’s cranky, but you’re a Beast Mage. I can’t guarantee he won’t attack someone else. He still remembers me, most of the time.”

  “Your grace, I must object,” Jancier said. “The catacombs are no place for you, especially without your guards. It isn’t proper and is far too dangerous.”

  “Don’t be tedious, Jancier,” Amber replied, and he shut his mouth before he produced a miffed expression.

  The final course was some beef, and I finally managed to get something to eat. The servants even brought a plate for Mithra, much to Amber’s delight. I guessed they thought if they hadn’t, she’d simply give this course to him as well. She might well have.

  When dinner was over, Amber stood and pushed her chair back. “William, if you will accompany me to the throne room? That is where the entrance to the catacombs is.”

  “Of course, your grace. I need my spear and shield, though. My armor too, really.”

  “Renault will fetch all of that for you, won’t you, Renault?” she said.

  “Yes, your grace,” I heard him say behind me. I hadn’t even known he was there.

  “Have fun in the catacombs, lad.” Ulmar leaned back in his chair and sipped on his wine. Anastasia was talking with Jancier and didn’t look up as we passed her. She seemed a little annoyed, and I wondered whether she was jealous of how Amber had taken to me. I doubted it, but there was something about the way Anastasia had suddenly turned cold toward me.

  Amber hung off my arm as we walked along the carpeted hallways. Her conversation flitted from topic to topic like a restless bird. Mithra padded along behind us, radiating a feeling of satisfaction from his meal.

  Renault met us at the entrance and bowed as we approached. “Master William, your armor has been cleaned and serviced. Your spear and shield have been retrieved. All of it is waiting on the dais near the throne.”

  “Thank you, Renault,” Amber said breezily as she walked past him and the guards posted, not slowing.

  The throne room was small, cozy almost, nothing like I’d expected. Barely one hundred feet long, which was tiny by throne room standards as far as I could tell. That, and the walls were lined with weapons and armor. Some of it was broken—a cloven helm here, a shattered shield there. Some of it, however, looked exceptional. Magical, even.

  “What is all this?” I asked.

  “Trophies,” Amber said. “When one of my ancestors defeated someone formidable in battle, they would take a trophy and hang it here on the walls as a reminder of the might of our line. Most of this is generations old.”

  We walked slowly down the hall as I inspected the trophies. None of them were marked in any way. I wondered if there was anyone still alive who remembered which trophy went with which epic battle. I suspected not. Then a weapon caught my eye.

  It was in an old style, slightly longer than my spear. The point was longer, a leaf-shaped blade shining in the reflected sunlight. The wood of the haft was worn smooth by use. The counterweight had a vicious pyramidal point. It called to me as it hung on the wall. I stopped in my tracks.

  “Your grace, may I?” I asked.

  “The spear? Be my guest. And William, when we’re alone like this, please call me Amber.”

  I broke free of her arm and reverently pulled the spear from the wall. I could sense the magic in it, and once I held it, my Brand presented its information to me.

  Rime, Spear, Rank E

  Rime allows the wielder to spawn a powerful Ice Wave attack

  I did a quick two-handed spear drill as I spun Rime in a series of mock attacks and blocks. Thrust, parry, cut, block. I heard a gasp of breath from Amber but finished my sequence.

  I looked up to see that her cheeks were a bit pink and her lips were slightly parted.

  “This is a very nice weapon,” I said. “Whoever your ancestor was, he picked a great trophy.”

  I went to return it to its place on the wall when Amber spoke.

  “Do you want to keep it?”

  I turned back to her. “Really?”

  “Yes. I want you to have it. It’s just going to sit up there collecting dust otherwise. Take it.”

  “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said with an infectious grin.

  “In the catacombs, are we likely to meet anything hostile? I want to try out the effect on this spear.”

  “Sorry, no,” she said with a laugh. ”There’s nothing but rats and a few stray Saprophytes down there”

  “What’s a Saprophyte?”

  “You’ll see!”

  Chapter 6

  My equipment was waiting for me where Renault had promised it would be. I buckled on my armor and strapped the shield to my back.

  My old spear—issued by the Queen’s Seventh Gar—stood leaning against the wall. I couldn’t just leave it there but what would I do with a second spear?

  Amber had just been patiently waiting while I geared up and laughed hard when she saw what I was going to do. With mock reverence, I hung my old spear on the hooks where Rime had rested for so long. It looked good on the wall, and I smiled back at Amber.

  “Great idea!” she said. “No one will notice the difference, I’m sure. If they do, who cares. Let’s go see the old man.”

  Beh
ind the dais, a hallway led to a steel gate, thick bars rooted in the solid stone of the floors and ceiling. Two of Amber’s palace guards were posted there, crossbows slung and spears at the ready. They wore expensive looking chain armor and livery in the Duchy’s colors. They straightened up and came to attention when they saw the Duchess approaching with me on her arm and Mithra padding behind us.

  “Your grace. You’ll be entering the catacombs?” the older of the two asked, a sergeant’s chevrons visible on his right shoulder.

  “Yes, we’re going to visit Grimjaw,” she replied.

  “I’ll summon an escort for you, your grace,” the sergeant replied and nodded to his companion.

  “That won’t be necessary. William here will keep me safe, won’t you?” she asked.

  “Yes, your grace,” I replied.

  The younger guard who had started to hurry off stopped in his tracks and came back.

  “Are you certain, your grace?” the sergeant asked, sounding concerned. “Saprophytes can be dangerous, and the lieutenant has warned all of us to be careful of Grimjaw. He’s going feral, they say, now that the Duke has passed on, rest his soul.”

  “I’m not afraid of the old man,” she said. “He’d never harm a hair on my head, even without Father there. William here is a Beast Mage, come to bind Grimjaw back to useful service, in any case.”

  I still didn’t know what a Saprophyte was, and it seemed like I really should since the guards were warning her about them.

  “Sergeant, would you mind telling me what a Saprophyte is?” I asked.

  “Sir, a Saprophyte is what they call themselves, but they’re just filthy addicts,” the sergeant said to me. “They eat mushrooms and live in their own filth, down there in the dark. Most of them worship what they call the mushroom goddess, whoever she is. They’re a damn nuisance generally but depending on what kind of mushroom they’ve eaten they can be violent. They’ll rob you if you give them a chance.”