The Fae Mage

by Whiskey Flowers

  “Glen” Darla said looking around the tables at the people seated around him. “Who are these people.”

  “None of your business” Ruby said putting on a snooty tone. “Can't you see I was having fun before you disturbed me?”

  “I am his sister” Darla snapped.

  “Oh” Ruby said in an innocent tone.

  “You never told us you have a sister” Katherine said with a smile. “Karen did you know Glen had a sister?”

  “I didn’t” Karen said from the other table.

  “Glen who are these people?” Darla asked again.

  “Family” Glen said as he looked around him.

  “They are not your family” Darla said looking in disgust.

  “And how would you know?” Ruby asked. “Point out someone here that makes him feel as welcomed as we do girl.”

  “I am not a girl, I am a mage” Darla snapped.

  “So is he” Ruby said as she smiled at Glen.

  “He is a very good mage” Karen said turning her chair around to join the conversation. “Do the thing with the light baby.”

  Glen smiled as he looked at Karen, she was twenty and was addicted to exercising. Him and Karen talked rarely, Glen was always in training and so was she when she didn’t have a customer. Today though she had his back, Glen let his little ball of light fly all around Mother’s children and they clapped in delight as it changed colors then landed on Karen’s hand and winked out.

  “You are embarrassing us” Darla said. “Why are you even here? If your friends knew your secret that you are more than you appear I bet the fact that you know magic wouldn’t be enough.”

  “Is she talking about you being a half goblin or something?” Karen asked. “Or was it nymph? It was something to do with the color of your eyes.”

  “Darla what do you want?” Glen asked. “I lived a very short walking distance away from you and your big house and you rarely had anything to say to me once you grew up.”

  “Here comes another one” Monica said from another table. “How do you know all of these people.”

  “Through my father” Glen replied.

  “Fae” Tavin said looking around. “Who are these lovely people you are hanging around with and do they know what you really are?”

  “Everyone meet Tavin Zale” Glen said. “In addition to being rich and a powerful mage he possesses an unusually small penis. You really must see the wee little thing sometime, it is as cute as a newborn puppy.”

  “What?” Tavin said surprised.

  “Well let us see it, don’t be shy” Ruby said.

  “How dare you” Tavin said angrily before Katherine shut him down.

  “He seems mad” Katherine said. “It is nothing to be ashamed of. I have never seen a wee little one before except on a babe. Don’t worry, most women don’t think size really matters. As long as you know what to do with the little guy I am sure you will find a girl. I mean you are a rich mage.”

  “You and me outside, right now” Tavin growled.

  “You don’t have to show it to him outside, I am the one that wants to see it” Ruby said.

  “Shut up whore!” Tavin said angrily.

  “He called me whore” Ruby said. “I think I should cry myself to sleep.”

  “You are much too pretty to do that” Katherine said. “Why don’t you come dance with me?”

  “I want to dance” Ruby said. “Will you dance with us Karen?”

  “I would love to” Karen replied.

  “No one is playing any music” Darla said annoyed.

  “We don’t need music” Glen said as he got up and walked past an angry Tavin and held his hand out to Monica.

  Glen walked to the empty floor space that was normally used for dancing and started to sway with Monica. Monica had taught him how to dance, Glen did not feel he was very good at it but Monica was a great partner. Glen moved her across the floor and was laughing when he saw the rest of Mother’s children up dancing and laughing with no music playing. People looked at them oddly at first, people dancing with no music. Eventually a brave man stood up and walked on the dance floor, he quickly found himself dancing with Ruby and Karen. Musicians eventually started playing as more people joined in, Glen eventually sat down after dancing with four people, one of which was a woman he didn’t know. Darla was there to talk to him immediately afterwards and sat down next to him.

  “Now that we are alone, who are those people?” Darla asked.

  “You can't sit now” Darius said as he sat next to Glen annoying Darla. “There are only two of us here and I can't dance with everyone.”

  “You are the only two of what?” Darla asked. “Wait a minute, are all of you Fae? Is that what is going on?”

  “Fae?” Darius said surprised. “How did you know? Who told you?” Darius finished acting like he was caught in some kind of lie. Glen marveled at his acting, being one of Mother’s children meant someone would have to be a great actor and assume many personalities depending on the situation.

  “That is it!” Darla said raising her voice. “That is why you all look the way you do. You have done nothing but cause scene after scene since you arrived and everyone’s eyes have been on you.”

  “Keep it to yourself” Glen said in mock nervousness as Darla got out of her seat.

  “We have to keep going along with this” Darius said smiling for the first time since Cyrus left. “Grab your things, I will get the rest of them to get their stuff and leave. We can find other places to eat at, Mother gave us enough money.”

  Glen grabbed his things and practically ran out of there with the rest of his group trying hard not to laugh. A couple of the women had gotten little love notes before they left which they shared with the group. Everyone ended up in a poorer section of town. It was weird and amazing to Glen that everywhere they went they gathered attention. It was like the princess or the king and queen had come down, people looked and pointed at them and everyone seemed so friendly. The day and night practically flew by, a game was made out of discreetly identifying customers in their everyday life. Glen had spotted two and both women made it a point to look away from him. Glen wasn’t going to push anything and just enjoyed being out. The mages would be sent off early tomorrow morning, Glen thought he wouldn’t make it that far as he started to get tired. As soon as Glen was about to take a carriage along with Darius, Darla appeared again except this time she was with her friend Melody Fields. Melody had always had a slight crush on Glen despite everything and spent most of her time hiding in the background and blushing.

  “Are you leaving to go back to wherever you are living?” Darla asked.

  “I am tired” Glen replied. “Of course I am going back there. Hello Melody.”

  “Hi, um Glen” Melody said. Melody was a stick thin girl who had a face covered in freckles and had wild unruly curly red hair.

  “I didn’t know there were this many of you in the city” Darla admitted. “I am glad you ended up finding people like yourself.”

  “So am I” Glen replied.

  “Well aren't you going to really introduce me to your friend” Darla asked.

  “You want to meet me?” Darius said in mock innocence. “I thought your kind hated people like your brother.”

  “Where is your mother at Darla?” Glen asked. “Does she know you are here cavorting with the Fae?”

  “My mother doesn’t need to know” Darla said. “Besides, Melody wanted to see you. At home everyone would have said something. Well unless you are talking to one of those girls I saw you with.”

  “You wanted to see me Melody?” Glen asked. “I didn’t think I was your type with my poor magic.”

  “I don’t have any magic” Darius replied as he stuck out his hand. “I am Darius.”

  “You don’t need any magic” Darla said and smiled.

  “It’s not that I don’t like you” Melody said as a small light appeared and floated above her. “It’s just that, well you know what would happen to me
if anyone knew.”

  “Then why are we here?” Glen asked as Darius elbowed him.

  “Do we really need to ask?” Darius said and gave Glen an odd look. “Unless you don’t want someone like me talking to your sister. When will we ever get a chance to hang out with people that we can be ourselves around? Tomorrow all of this goes away.”

  “What happens tomorrow?” Darla asked.

  “Tomorrow we are not going to be out” Darius said. “People like us will not really be accepted if we were out all of the time. If we were, people would find out all about us and cause us trouble.”

  “Is that why you don’t want anyone to know where you live?” Darla asked. “You are all in some secret Fae colony? No wonder father was very silent on where you went.”

  “Don’t tell father anything” Glen said forcefully.

  “We can both have our secrets” Darla replied. “It was hard following you all over the place without being seen. Those girls and that woman kissed on you just to get to me, didn’t they?”

  “Maybe” Glen said then laughed. “Was your brother angry I said he has a wee little peepee?”

  “That is what he was so red about” Melody said and covered her mouth to stop a giggle.

  “That wasn’t very nice Glen” Darla said. “You may think Tavin is heartless but he is very self-conscious about his looks. That was made all the worse by having you so close. How many times do you think he has heard whispers or knew what other people were thinking when they saw the both of you together? Too bad they couldn’t take Tavin’s magic and stuff it into the Fae’s body. He heard that a lot.”

  “I doubt that seriously” Glen replied. “None of the mages can stand me for any reason other than father. My life was filled with nothing but insults and putdowns about my eyes, the way I look or anything else. Only time I had freedom is when I went with Da on his trips.”

  “Have you talked to father?” Darla asked.

  “Of course I talked to Da, he is my greatest friend” Glen replied.

  “You know about the points and how he refuses to give any to Tavin or my mother?” Darla asked.

  “I do” Glen replied. “I am staying out of it, your mother tried to sell me to a whorehouse across the kingdom. Father only knows of her threatening it but she actually had people come by once. Their big fight was over me because I refused to be the stable boy and lover of some disgraced minor noble that was caught raping a servant’s son.”

  “My mother would never” Darla began as her face fell. “Well I am glad you are not out there selling your body.”

  Glen and Darius shared a look then a little laugh. Darla didn’t catch it but Melody looked at them oddly as Glen moved over closer to her. Glen could hear her breath catch in her throat and knew her mind was somewhere else. Glen didn’t stay out for long, they group went to a small tavern that was still open and had a little to eat and drink before eventually leaving to go back home.

  CHAPTER 6

  “You all seem like you had a good time eating that horrible food and flirting with whoever you could find” Mother said.

  “Us?” Darius said innocently.

  “Especially you” Mother replied. “Or do you think I do not know about the mischief you and Glen were involved in with those mages.”

  “They told everyone we were Fae mother!” Katherine said with a giggle. “People hounded us, it was the most fun I have had in a long time. A lot of well to do young men, men and old men were out to get me after that.”

  “I think I could have made some very good money” Ruby said. “It was there for the taking but we took on no new customers like you said. I did finally go out to visit the competition though, I don’t know how the girls can live like that.”

  “I know you and a few others took a few of those women out to eat Ruby” Mother replied. “They need a helping hand but they are not stock that I can use here.”

  “Well can we do something about it then?” Ruby asked. “It was heartbreaking mother, a lot of them are very young girls with nowhere to turn.”

  “I have pondered about getting into the lower parts of this life but I do not want to ruin my brand” Mother said. “I am known for only taking the best, each of you started off like an uncut ruby. I can shape you, cut you and polish you into something great. I cannot do the same thing with them.”

  “Please mother there has to be something you can do” Ruby said.

  “You sound like Joyce” Mother said. “Every few years this argument comes up with her. Ruby you are almost out of here anyway and you have a sizable amount of money saved up. Maybe I can do something, find Joyce and we can all sit down and talk about it later. As for the mage thing, I meant Darius and Glen went out on a double date with two young mage girls.”

  “You did?” Katherine asked.

  “It was just my sister and her friend Mother” Glen replied. “No one important.”

  “I thought your family did not like you” Mother said. “Except for your father.”

  “They don’t which was surprising that she followed me all across the city and was waiting for me to be alone” Glen said.

  “I don’t think it is a good idea to see them again in that capacity” Mother said. “You could jeopardize everything you have here. Relationships like that are doomed to end in heartbreak, once people find out what you are it will spread through your common friends like wildfire and you will be crushed. Ask Joyce or one of my older children if they have ever seen it happen before.”

  “Yes Mother” Darius said as Glen could see he was a little disappointed.

  “Now it is time for you to burn off all of that horrible food and get your bodies and mind where they need to be” Mother said. “Glen, Samuel is here for your sparring, you are supposed to have a big match next week?”

  “Yes” Glen replied. “Against someone from the Onslaught school. They are upset I beat their giant and now they want me to fight someone else. This fight will pay five silver, it’s a lot for someone as low ranking as I am.”

  “Five silver?” Katherine asked confused. “I can make more than that, why don’t you leave?”

  “Because he wants to be a duelist” Mother said shaking her head. “Even though it will jeopardize his place here.”

  “I have already made one hundred and fifty two gold dueling” Glen said. “The bets people place on me is where it is at. I have enough for a commission.”

  “Ruby has more than that stashed away” Mother said. “And that is just what I am keeping for her, not including what she has saved on her own. That still seems like a lot of money.”

  “My father bet nine gold on me and I bet the six I had gotten from the party” Glen said. “I was not expected to beat the big man they had me up against so I was given odds of ten to one. I don’t think I will ever see another windfall like that again but I think I will do okay. My customers all came out to watch me fight and they all bet a gold on me. The more people I can get to bet on me, the more money I can make.”

  “And you are using me to find more women” Mother asked.

  “It was Samuel’s idea” Glen said. “Well not really but he told me of a few duelists that did the same thing.”

  “In one of the skin houses” Mother replied. “Well enough of that talk, go train and make sure you train hard to get rid of those cakes I saw you eat.”

  “You were watching me?” Glen asked.

  “Of course I was watching you my child” Mother said. “A group like yours is bound to attract unwanted attention and people will seek to do things to you.”

  Glen nodded and went to the backyard and saw Samuel was already there along with one of the men Mother had hired to spar with Glen. Antony was his name and Samuel had him outfitted from head to toe in armor and the man carried a shield and a short mace.

  “This is what you are up against” Samuel said. “Before I start all of that though I think it is best for you to stay out here with Mother for a while.”

  “Why is that?” Glen
asked.

  “Some of the others heard about the money you made and they are a little angry you didn’t split it with them” Samuel replied.

  “Why would I split that amount of money with them?” Glen asked confused.

  “You shouldn’t” Samuel said. “But I have never made that much money in one go before, the most any of them have ever made is a single gold and you walk out with a lot more than that. Nothing but trouble brewing so watch yourself is all I am saying kid. I let them know if they harm you that I am going to tell your old man and he is trouble they don’t want but they are angry drunks.”

  “I guess thanks for the warning” Glen said still confused.

  “Now let's get down to business” Samuel replied. “Kurt Roberts is the second best duelist in Onslaught. He is strictly top tier, he has the size, strength and skill to fight at that level. He fights with a mace and shield. If you use your staff Onslaught said they will throw in a full gold on top of the five silver you are supposed to get.”

  “I want the staff” Glen replied. “Mother replaced my old one and took it out of the money she is holding for me. My new staff has a metal core, she said she had it made by a mage.”

  “How is the weight on it?” Samuel asked.

  “Heavier than what I am used to” Glen admitted. “But I can still swing it around alright.”

  “Well that is good to hear” Samuel said. “Men like Roberts only have the best gear, his armor will reject most of your blows if you attack him the way you did the Breaker.”

  “So I should jab him then” Glen said. “Staff jab after staff jab after staff jab?”

  “Most likely” Samuel said. “He is going to try and snap your staff like Breaker did. All that armor though is going to make it hard for him to do so. When you fight we are going to alternate going for legs and going for the head. Nothing else will get through, the legs can be tripped up and the staff ringing off his head can make him see stars. The key I think is to stay moving, whenever he lowers his shield to see you pump that staff in his face. When he covers up try and trip him up. If we can get either his shield or mace away from him then we can really go to work. Without his shield he has no way to protect his face, jabs to his legs and jabs to his breastplate will soften him up a bit. It won't do any damage but it will make him stop. If he keeps both the mace and the shield then make him come after you, he will get frustrated eventually by you scoring with the jab even if his armor is soaking it up. Roberts likes the big one hit finish but he hates being attacked repeated. You have range on you I don’t think he is ready for, he is probably waiting for your sweeping attacks like you did with Breaker, that’s if he is taking you seriously at all.”