“You are beyond stupid” Tavin raged.
“Why is that?” Glen asked. “You were going to turn me in anyway. Darla would eventually end up with whoever that Gregory person was. The only thing you don’t like is that she will now do so without you getting paid any money.”
“I will get my money fool” Tavin said. “I am still an elite level mage.”
“No you won’t” Glen replied. “Why should they pay you for anything now? They may still welcome you to the family and give you a nice place to stay but that is based on their sister’s comfort, not yours. You won’t ever get the chance to get anyone else, I have read the law in its entirety many times. Anyone of foreign blood does not get to marry multiple times, you are going to be stuck with the sister. If I were them I would make sure you don’t have any money either, you can’t be allowed to gain any influence. All you will have is a nice place to stay and some nice clothes. A letter has already been anonymously sent detailing what should happen to you.”
“I will still have it better than a Fae bastard” Tavin raged.
“Maybe” Glen said. “I think my ride is here.”
“What ride?” Tavin asked as a woman’s voice could be heard.
“There you are” Mage Tiffany said angrily.
“Hello” Glen said as he climbed to his feet.
“I will be taking charge of this one” Mage Tiffany said as she showed the guard some papers. “This one is mine, lawfully taken from the enemy as my personal slave.”
“What about the other one?” the guard asked.
“I have no idea who he is” Mage Tiffany said. “Hurry up and get up Glen.”
“You don’t have to keep looking back, I am following you” Glen said.
“You made me look like a fool” Tiffany said shaking. “Not only did you run away but you took others with you.”
“Why wouldn’t I run?” Glen asked. “Wouldn’t you have ran?”
“I thought we had something” Mage Tiffany said. “Something more than slave and master.”
“You told me to go away” Glen said.
“Because you are a damn Fae” Tiffany said angrily. “I let you inside of me, you are going to spend your life making it up to me. I bet you are surprised to see me, I found out where you were and where you have been. Think about that the next time you start to run away.”
“Yes” Glen replied. Glen had sent her the note and gave her a time on when he thought he would be locked up.
“Get in the carriage” Tiffany said angrily. “You are coming to my home where you will not have it as easy as you did. You are going to actually have to work.”
“I did work for you” Glen said. “I made your meals, washed your clothing, washed your body, did your hair, kept up your gear, kept up your horse, played songs for you and kept your area clean.”
“Well, you know what I mean” Tiffany said. “You did all of that but you got to sleep with me. You will not get the chance anymore. When I get a husband you will be like any ordinary slave.”
“As you wish” Glen said and didn’t believe anything the woman was saying. Tiffany was angry but she kept moving her eyes all over him. As they got closer to wherever they were going Tiffany continued to rage but she had gotten closer and closer to him. Glen thought he was extremely lucky to find out Tiffany lived near the prison closest to the Cube, the ride in the carriage was a short one and Glen found out she had two other slaves, a man and a woman that looked like they were a couple. All it took was a single night to put Tiffany out, Glen had gathered enough money from her house left well before the sun rose in the sky. She would be angry when she awoke but she would never see him again he thought. Glen made good time running, he didn’t bother to hide once he jumped a traveler and took his horse. The horse he only kept for a day before switching off. Reaching the kingdom was done in less than week, his constant moving and little sleep got him here and he only wished Darla would join him quickly as well. Devastation was obvious, every sizable town he stopped in looked like it had been burned to the ground. His father David was right when he said the enemy was looking to humble the rich. Travel inside of the Kingdom was easier, Glen did not expect anyone would be looking for him here. The royal army had considerable presence near the border but no where else, the Salsians were just a bigger nation and Glen doubted the king wanted to get involved in a war inside of their homeland. Getting back to his city or what was left of it took around two weeks, Glen was not in a hurry and had enough money to buy food and other items he needed.
The first place Glen went to visit was his father’s home, like the other big homes near it, it was burned to the ground but it looked like someone had began to cart off most of the wreckage as the area looked cleaner than the surrounding lots. Glen went into the yard and could see men were at work, his father was drinking some water as his stepmother Martha was crying and trying to get his attention.
“Hello father” Glen said as David jumped up so quickly his water went flying.
“Glen!” his father cried as he gave him a hug. “Glen you are back, I heard you were taken.”
“I was taken” Glen replied. “I escaped though.”
“Have you seen Darla?” David asked.
“I have seen her and I know where she is at” Glen said. “Getting her back is going to be the hard part. We had a plan but I don’t know how she is doing.”
“So you left her?” Martha said angrily.
“I don’t remember seeing your ass do anything to save anyone” Glen said just as angrily.
“Are you talking to me?” Martha said as she raised her hands towards Glen.
“Blast him and I will blast you just as hard” David said.
“Are you going to let him talk to me like that?” Martha asked angrily.
“We are not together woman” David said. “My divorce went through before the attack. Glen owes you nothing, I owe you nothing.”
“I am only worried about my daughter” Martha pleaded.
“I need to tell you the whole story father” Glen said. “Maybe if you hear it from the beginning.”
Glen told his story despite the anger Martha was showing every time she heard about what Tavin had done. David himself was outraged by whoever Protector Gregory was but told Glen enough about the Protectors to let him know these men were masters with weapons as well as their magic. Fighting one of them would have been stupid, Glen was happy he never tried to take on Gregory but the man also had done nothing to deserve it. He wanted Darla and Glen couldn’t blame him, she was a pretty girl with strong magic. Martha had called him a coward for not saving Darla until David told her to go do it alone, the way she had raised Tavin was to blame for their predicament more than anything. Martha declined storming into Salsia and fighting her way through their army, Glen wasn’t surprised and knew she was still angry.
“Did you save your money?” Glen asked.
“Of course I did” David replied. “When my divorce became official I took my half of me and Martha’s combined wealth and had it turned into gold. I bought a lot of smoked meat and grains, food that wouldn’t spoil and sealed it and my money away. Getting it back was easy when I got out of slavery.”
“You were a slave?” Glen asked shocked.
“Yes” David said. “They were finding and killing male mages without any remorse, one of the most difficult things I had to do was get rid of the bodies of a bunch of young boys around your age that they slaughtered in a tent. Whatever the three different stories they had floating around I can tell you the real one, mages were separated and killed if they were male. If Tavin had stayed he would have been killed as well. They took all of the young women, anyone who looked under thirty were kidnapped and brought back. I pretended to be an ordinary peasant, the woman you called mother helped me pull it off. I was whipped, beaten and barely fed during the war, once it was winding down and I knew the Salsians had to fall back because they were losing ground I escaped, not before I torched and killed four Protector
s, a couple of Senators and their guard. They were having a big meeting and never saw me coming as I unleashed my biggest spells and fled. They could do nothing but take the loss, especially since I fled to the royal army. I was even honored for it, it was the most devastating blow ever struck against the Salsians.”
“I am glad you are okay” Glen replied. “I saved a little money as well, hopefully my little house is still standing.”
“I am sure it is although someone may have moved in that you have to kick out” David said. “Only real buildings standing are in the slums.”
“So what now?” Glen asked.
“It seems like all we can do is wait” David said. “I am going to send a letter to this Protector Gregory, I have to know one way or another how Darla is doing.”
“Give it a few weeks father” Glen said. “I ran or rode nonstop to get here. Darla will have to be more creative in getting here and she can take care of herself.”
“I just wish you all left together” David said.
“There was no way” Glen said. “Maybe I could have but not her. Protector Gregory had many people at the Cube who thought Darla was ridiculous for not wanting the man. Mage Giraud, Mage Glenda and Mage Rolan watched her every step and never hesitated to tell her how successful Protector Gregory is. We tried going out once, we were immediately followed by men believing to be working for the Protector. I confronted them to leave her alone, one said something nasty and Darla sorted him out quickly. Before we could even finish our meal we had an entire contingent there to watch her, me and Gilbert eat.”
“This does not sound like the kind of man that will be satisfied” David said. “Tell me about these Fae women and the goblin.”
“It figures you would want to know about them” Martha said angrily. “Our daughter is in danger and you want to hear about some damn Fae.”
“Martha what is it you want?” David asked. “Over this last year I have more than made it known where I stand on our relationship. The only reason you are allowed on this land is because it is jointly owned by both of us. I am not sending Glen away and I do not care what you think about it. I think our divorce signified what I stand for.”
“I want our daughter back!” Martha yelled.
“Then go get her” David said. “Get up and go get her. But you have been hounding me since I came back.”
“You never asked me how I got away” Martha said.
“Because I do not care” David replied. “I do not care at all.”
“You are being so hateful to me” Martha said. “I gave you a daughter!”
“Yes you did” David replied. “And also was a horrible wife during our time together. Our daughter is practically grown, you didn’t answer my question though.”
“I want things to go back to what they were” Martha said.
“I don’t" David replied. “I don’t ever want to go back to ignoring my son for you to feel better. I had him before I knew you, it is not like I cheated. I don’t want anything to do with you so I don’t understand why you are here.”
“Well where am I supposed to go?” Martha asked. “This is my home too.”
“This is your home” David admitted. “And there is a lot of it, so why are you over here with me?”
“You let him tear us apart” Martha said.
“And you coddled that damn son of yours until he betrayed our daughter to further his own ambitions” David said. “Your son did that.”
“Your Fae bastard could be lying” Martha snapped.
“My son has a father” David replied. “And we both know that sounds like your son. Regardless of whether Darla makes it here or not I am sure we will find out the truth. I say we make a wager, if Glen is lying then I will disown him as soon as we find out and will never speak to him again. If he isn’t then you forfeit your part of this land.”
“I’m not giving you my share” Martha said angrily.
“Why not?” David asked. “Not only will I disown my son I will give you my half.”
“Well your Fae could get Darla to lie” Martha said.
“I know not even you believe that” David said.
“Father I have things I have to do” Glen said. “I will be by here tomorrow.”
Epilogue
Glen had read the letter more times than he cared to remember, each time he was just as angry. Darla had been caught escaping, she was with Protector Gregory and was his second wife. Tavin had played a part in her capture, he pleaded for his sister to be kept separate and not given to anyone. One of the guards followed his commands and Darla was taken just as she was about to escape. When her letter finally reached home, three months after Glen had returned he was both happy to hear she was alive and sad about her life. Glen was unsure if he could rescue her but he knew one man that wouldn’t live long enough to regret his actions. Glen strolled into the estate in search of his prey, it was the middle of the night and the lights in the home were off. The door was unlocked, Glen knew strong mages believed themselves to be immune from attacks but Tavin would find out he was wrong. Glen gripped his staff and silently went up the stairs, he couldn’t hear any noise which was what he wanted. Glen searched room after room, some contained people but Glen correctly thought they were slaves or servants since the rooms were simple and did not have the space Glen thought the master bedroom should have. Glen found him, Tavin was in a dimly lit room sleeping next to a woman and was sprawled across the bed. Glen brought his staff up and was going to bring it down hard when he had an odd feeling he was not alone and turned. Glen knew it was luck instead of skill but the result was the same, the crossbow bolt stuck in his staff as the firer looked shocked as Glen bounded towards him. The man dropped his crossbow and pulled out a sword, he wasn’t fast enough as Glen had struck him three times with his staff and sent the man down. Glen picked up the sword and buried it into the man’s chest and knew Tavin was awake.
“Is that you Fae?” Tavin asked. “I thought it would be your father who came for me, this seems like his type of thing.”
“It is just me and you” Glen said as he picked up his staff and turned to face Tavin.
“I am shaking in my boots” Tavin said. “If I were wearing any. What did you think you were going to do? Come in here and kill me? What was your plan for when I woke up? Did you think you and your little stick was going to beat me? Did you think I was stupid enough to live here without having a guard?”
“My plan is still the same” Glen said.
“Well I think I will get some money if I turn you in” Tavin said. “That Tiffany girl has been looking for you, so has a few others who once held me captive. I am just wondering if it is easier to kill you and be done with it, money isn’t everything when you have as much as I do.”
“You betrayed your kingdom and your family” Glen said.
“Oh please Fae” Tavin said annoyed. “Just look at me, I am rich with a lot of power. My wife is a bit simple minded but what is in between her legs is as good as any other. The Salsians treat mages far better than back at the kingdom. You should have stayed, Fae or not you would have eventually received some sort of payment, it is how the Salsians keep mages happy enough that they do not leave the empire.”
“You can’t take this money with you” Glen said as he got into a fighting stance.
“I have had enough of this” Tavin said as he sent ice shards at Glen. The ice shattered on Glen’s shield and Tavin was staring in shock as Glen closed the distance. The next spell Tavin was going for was interrupted as Glen’s staff caught him in the stomach. Tavin backed up and threw on a shield as Glen beat away at it with his staff. Glen could see the desperation on Tavin’s face, as soon as he dropped the shield Glen was going to tear him apart. A scream sounded that made Glen jump, it was Tavin’s new wife and her distraction gave Tavin the second he needed to drop the shield and use one of his concussive blasts which knocked Glen across the room.
“Good job girl” Tavin said as he held his stomach.
> “Tavin what is happening” the woman said.
“Nothing for you to worry about” Tavin said as a similar concussive blast plastered him against the wall.
Glen was up and crossing the room, Tavin’s wife cast a spell at him which blew him sideways and made him lose his footing. Glen hit her with the same spell he gave Tavin, she flew off the bed and crashed into the wall. By the time refocused on Tavin he saw Tavin was going into some intricate spell, lightning tore across the room and collided with Glen’s shield, Tavin was surprised to see Glen was matching him spell for spell.
“It is not going to be that easy” Glen said as he blocked another lightning strike from Tavin.
“How is this possible?” Tavin said backing away.
“I am going to show you how the spell should work” Glen said as he went through the motions. Tavin surprised him by jumping out of the window, Glen did not see the move coming and rushed over only to back away from a fireball. Glen was going to go after him when the woman in the room with him started screaming. Glen wanted to punish the loud woman but didn’t have the time as he fled downstairs and out the door to look for Tavin. Tavin had just gotten on a horse and was fleeing quickly, Glen knew by the time he got to his own horse Tavin would most likely be too far ahead, even if he caught him Glen didn’t have a plan for fighting Tavin. Glen had surprised Tiffany in her bedroom, the mage didn’t have time to be angry as Glen went after her, intent on filling up his magic. She would probably sleep for a day Glen thought, Glen let her handle business until she dropped unconscious from the act. The extra energy he received let him battle Tavin, it was leaving him now as the shield he had made took a lot of energy to block Tavin’s strikes. The only benefit Glen could see is that he was sure Tavin broke his ankle from the fall, his paranoid step brother was lucky he kept a saddled horse at the ready or he would have been done for. Glen jumped on his horse and went the other way, Tavin was running towards Protector Gregory which was not the way Darla was.
The Fae Mage Page 15