The main reason the horde had not overrun them yet was that the Xandians held the land with the most potential for the portals. The horde could only send one or two men through the smaller wormholes and vortexes that were periodically forced open. If they were able to control one of the main portal sites then they could send their forces through at a much higher rate. Even owning the land the portal was on they’d need to wait for the correct timing to open the portal which could take years. Another reason the horde had not overwhelmed them yet was that the same places the portals were strong at were also strong in the forces needed to summon and use magic. This was compounded by the fact that where the Xandians built their manors they devoted cycles of their time to building and reinforcing the magical defenses of that land. Over the eons this meant these locations had some seriously potent levels of defensive magic scorched into them.
There was another possibility for strengthening their ranks. The Xandians had been around for two millennia at this point and in that time they’d branched off all over the world. In the early days they had not had global telecommunications satellites to stay in touch. A lot of Xandians had fallen out of touch and gone native. The ancestors of those people were all over the planet and probably outnumbered the known Xandians by tens of thousands. Over the years as Xandians had been identified they had been brought back into the fold where appropriate but no concerted effort had ever been made to try and round them all up. Chris and Omasa worked up an order to have testing criteria drawn up to allow for the security group to screen for Xandians. If they could bring large numbers of people with great magical potential back into the fold that could sway the upcoming battles in their favor.
The planning seemed to go on forever. Every time Chris thought they’d thought of everything more information would come to light to make their plans need to be redrawn. Omasa used the planning sessions to instruct Chris in all the tactics and strategies and histories of other battles fought. The classes Chris attended now were mostly either one on one or in lecture halls with students who were of the age to take their trials. Chris was treated with deference and great respect but the only people he continued to confide in were Nicole and Brent. They had become a very tight knit group and when not in other classes they could often be found poring over old tombs up in the locked portion of the library. Brent was moving forward in his knowledge enough that he was starting to look for ways to put his theoretical portal knowledge into practice.
Everything was moving in the direction Chris wanted it to be moving but it seemed to be moving at the speed of glaciers going uphill. Global warming seemed to be more likely to win the war against the horde than the Xandians at this rate. As Chris grew in his skills he began to chafe at the constraints of the island. He read report after report about the atrocities the horde routinely committed. Children kidnapped, politicians controlled, churches corrupted, the list just went and on. The death and destruction around each of the reports he reads weren’t just numbers to Chris. He had Randall and Steven describe what they’d seen. Both Randall and Steven were looking pretty haggard. They had been doing this for a good while now and the last year had been especially intense.
The sight of children tortured and people taken for no reason ripped at Randall and Steven. They were under strict orders not to engage and they understood and agreed with the reasoning behind not engaging but it was beginning to make them doubt their own honor. Omasa and Chris listened to them as they began to ask permission to engage when they encountered specific instances of evil they thought were especially horrific. Basically anything that had to do with children they thought should be made an exception. Chris agreed. Randall and Steven were given permission to act as vigilantes where their honor demanded it with specific instructions to make it obvious they were acting alone. There was a good chance they’d just signed up to be brutally murdered but they left the meeting smiling and happy for the first time in a long time. Like true warriors they wanted to face the enemy with blade in hand when honor demanded it.
Chris also wanted to face the enemy with sword in hand. Knowing they were still years away from building up their forces and tracking the enemy to the point they were ready to take them out in a single sweep Chris turned his attention fully on his training. The instructors thought he had been quick to learn before. He was unstoppable now. Sword in hand he routinely held his own against multiple seasoned knights on the practice field. With staff and sword he could weave battle magic that hadn’t been seen in years. He was skilled in multiple forms of mage craft as well and a master already at controlling the ebb and flow of the powers around him. Deciding that enough was enough he went to see Locasta.
Locasta looked up from her desk after inviting Chris into her private sanctum. She saw the resolute look on his face and gave him a smile. “You’re here to tell me you’re ready for the trials and want to get them knocked out as soon as possible. Right your majesty?”
Chris nodded. “Yes mistress. In martial, mixed and magic I’m at the top of all my classes. I’m ready to take the trials.”
Lacosta nodded. “You are at the top of your classes. That’s to be expected though with your lineage. You’re measured on a different scale than the rest of the students here since you’re a royal. Even on that scale though you’re excelling. Just now turning fifteen and ready to take on the world. The trials for a royal take a bit of time to get prepared.”
“How long would you say it would take to get them setup?”
“Probably about six months to get them all lined up. There’s a lot of prep work that goes into them.” Lacosta smiled at the downcast look on his face. “Luckily for you we reached the same conclusion about your readiness for the trials about six months ago and started getting prepped about three months ago after we planned them out and got them approved. If you’re ready we can get the first trial rolling in about a month then the other two soon after that. Once you commit to the trials you’re bound to complete them so make sure you’ve no doubt you’re ready. Remember these are royal trials which eclipse the normal trials students have to complete to graduate.”
“How do I commit?” Chris asked. He was wondering if he could go ahead and knock out the commitment piece right now instead of waiting.
“We’ll send someone to collect you in about a month’s time. You’ll be taken to the tower of testing where you’ll commit to the trials for martial, mixed, and magic to the masters of those disciplines. You’ll swear an oath to show up and pass the trials. You’ll acknowledge that failure to pass the trials could result in madness or death. In your case failure could have negative consequences on the entire kingdom your highness so please do not take this lightly.”
“Do you think I’m ready?”
“I thought you were ready about a year ago but I’m glad we’re not doing it until now because you’ve progressed an amazing amount in the last year your highness.”
“Thank you mistress. I’ll await the messenger.”
Chapter 24: The Wyrm from Another World
Chris continued his schedule of classes and tutoring sessions. He continued meeting Brent and Nicole in the library after dinner to hear what Brent had learned that day and to just spend some time with them. Those after dinner discussions were a great way to end the day. They helped them all to decompress before they ended up back in their halls sleeping with their faces in some book. Randall was not due back to the island to report in for another few weeks. Now that Chris had cut them loose to act on situations they felt warranted to act on they had to maintain more of a separation from the island. Any attacks they carried out had to look like it was just them doing it and not a crown endorsed operation.
Chris had finally figured out why he didn’t have a crown yet. He hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about it but Brent had found the details of a coronation ceremony in one of the old scrolls he was reading through. The crown of a royal was a custom made and custom charmed work of art and magic that took a few years to complete. When Chris
was finally crowned after passing his trials the crown might still need more time to be completed. The crown of a royal was not just for ornamentation. Powerful charms of illusion and protection were woven into it. The crown would help amplify certain psychic powers of the royal wearing it. It would appear as a simple band of gold with blue and green gemstones set in it. It was designed to be light and comfortable since it was meant to be worn at all times.
Chris figured he’d probably get the crown about the same time he got his personal suit of armor. The armor, like the crown, took so long to make that it wasn’t practical to make someone a suit until they had reached their full growth. Having taken the charms classes and spent a weekend charming a spoon to spin in the air when he clapped his hands. Chris now understood how long it took to charm something and the amount of work it took. The charmer had to set up the spell perfectly. In the case of the spoon he had run through the spell a few times in his head to get the spell perfect in his mind. Then he had imbued the spoon with the spell and linked the spell to the force used to compel it. It took a while and it was draining. It was made more difficult since he’d decided to create his spinning spoon charm in the library. Brent and Nicole kept giving him funny looks that would set them all off into gales of laughter. He supposed he did look odd staring intensely at a spoon for hours at a time.
His guard let Chris know at lunch that it was time to go over to the tower to begin the trials. Brent was up in the library studying but Nicole offered to walk with him over to the tower. Nicole had to stop at the entrance and watch as Chris and the knight guarding him headed up the stairs together. At the top of the stairs was the large wooden door Chris remembered from his first visit here to be tested. He knocked on the door and then he waited with a quickening heartbeat as the door was opened.
The knight took a position outside the door and Chris walked into the tower. At the top of the inner set of stairs he went into the small room where he had been tested. Inside the room this time there were several people standing around. All of them were very high level members of the various magical orders. Chris recognized a few heads of the noble families and members of the council as well. Standing slightly in front of all of them were Wessel, Omasa, and Penny. As Chris entered the room everyone bowed deeply and then stood up as Chris returned the bow and asked for everyone to rise.
Lacosta emerged from the back of the room. She smiled at Chris then addressed him more formally.
“King Kristobal Alexander Eronin, commonly known as Chris, you are welcome here in this chamber. You have come of your own will to accept the challenge of the royal trials. Be it known to everyone that these trials may result in your death or deformity. The trials are not to be taken lightly. Once you consent to the trials you are honor bound to complete them. Do you wish to participate in the royal trials? Are you ready for challenges in the realms of the martial, the mixed, and the magical?”
“I am.” Chris stated simply. His head was still wrapping itself around hearing his formal title and Xandian name spoken out loud for the first time.
“Thank you your majesty.” Lacosta continued. “A royal must pass three trials to graduate to prove himself worthy. If you should fail any part of any of the three trials you will not pass. There are no second chances or do overs. You will have three mentors appointed to you. One for each of your trials. These mentors will provide you with details of the trial to the best of their knowledge. You are well known to these mentors. Sir Omasa of the High Protectors, Warlock Wessel of the Clan Emptor and Miss Penny. Do you object to any of them being your mentor for these trials?”
“Given a hundred years to pick I would have settled on the same people you have chosen for me. I do not have any objections.” Chris said. He meant it too.
“Excellent your majesty. If none here have any objections to these trials commencing then we may move forward.” Lacosta paused to give anyone with an objection the time to speak up. None did so she described the next step in the trials process to Chris.
“The trials have been selected. You will be informed on what you need to accomplish for the trial by your mentor. Pass or fail for these trials should be easy to judge. If you survive and achieve your objective without breaking any of the guidelines your mentors give you then you pass. This royal trial induction is now complete. The next time we meet in this tower will be to congratulate you or mourn you. Good luck your highness.”
The mages began to file out past Chris. Each stopping to congratulate him on being ready so young to stand for the trials. Most of them assuring him that he’d be fine. Everyone eventually filed out except for Omasa. He motioned for Chris to come over and have a seat with him at the large wooden table in the middle of the room.
“Well your highness. You’re young but I think you may still have a chance. I just hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into. The council has lined up some trials worthy of a royal.”
“When do I start?” Chris asked. “Are you able to tell me about them yet?”
“You started about ten minutes ago when you agreed to the rules in the induction ceremony. There’s no stopping this trial train now so we better get you ready. For your first trial you have to slay a dragon.”
“Excuse me?” Chris asked. As far as he knew there was no such things as dragons. Or at least none had been dragged through a portal and had its picture taken and that picture put into one of the books Chris had studied while here.
“What do you know about dragons?” Omasa asked him.
“Not too much. Just what everyone knows I guess. They like gold, they breathe fire and you need the son of a legendary city guard to shoot a giant arrow through a tiny missing chink of armor to kill them.”
“So your knowledge is pretty much limited to what you learned from the Hobbit?” Omasa asked him with a wry smile.
“Unless any of the scenes from Puff the Magic Dragon are relevant then yes.”
“Ok. Dragons are real but they’re not like you’re thinking of them. They’re basically giant armored snakes with really bad attitudes. They live in tunnels underground and eat livestock. They can get to be about thirty to forty feet long but most of them are a lot smaller. They don’t breathe fire but they do have faces and forked tongues and really big teeth. There only real weakness is inside their mouths. Everything else is covered in scales that are as hard as armor. The scales also make them pretty impervious to a direct magical attack. Pretty much a great martial trial for a royal.”
“How come I haven’t read anything about the dragons?” Chris asked. He’d looked through all kinds of old books in the library and read about tons of creatures that had come across from the other dimensions and creatures that had existed back on Xandia. Nowhere in that reading had he come across a giant man eating armored worm.
“They’ve mostly been a thing of legend. The first mention we have of them is in Greek mythology where Apollo killed a giant she-snake to save an entire village. Then there is St George and several others scattered throughout history. They’ve mostly been treated as legend up until we got proof they’re real.”
“When did we get the proof?” Chris asked.
“About eight months ago. Otherwise your martial trial would have been something you don’t need to be a Greek God or Catholic Saint to beat. Lucky you. The dragon is on an island off the coast of Africa. It’s right by one of the spots where there is a good amount of potential for small temporary portals to form. So we assume it popped out of a wormhole that got opened to its planet. On a side note we also now think there may be more to the meaning of the term wormhole.”
“When do I go? I assume I go to the island, slay the dragon and then move on to the next trial?”
“That’s about the size of it. The plan is to leave tomorrow afternoon. We can spend the rest of today and tomorrow morning getting your weapons together. You’re going to want armor and a few spears. This is not going to be an easy task your majesty.”
“Let’s get on it then.”
&nbs
p; Chris and Omasa spent the next few hours selecting weapons out of the armory. The best tactic Omasa could think of was to charge the dragon and when it opened its mouth to eat him shove the spear into its brain. They didn’t have an account of exactly how Apollo or St George had gone about their slaying so they were going to have to wing it. Chris was also going to have to walk around on a pretty decent sized island trying to find the dragon so that should be exciting.
Omasa had Chris turn in early for the night to get some extra sleep. Chris ended up lying in bed until the early hours of the morning trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep. It’s hard to do when you know you have to go literally slay a dragon when you wake up in the morning. Chris met Omasa at the armorer first thing in the morning to pick up the special spears and finish getting fitted for the armor he’d be wearing. Once they had that taken care of Chris went to meet Nicole and Brent for lunch. Chris and Omasa made arrangements to meet on the tarmac afterwards to start the trip to the island where the dragon had been spotted.
Son of the Keeper: Book 1: Principles of Magic Page 20