Battle Mage: Winter's Edge (9 page)

             
Feeling a strange sensation in the air, the mage tried to concentrate on what was bothering him. It was as if he could feel a wizard, but the magic was twisted in a way that seemed vaguely familiar. Closing his eyes, Sebastian let his senses find the source. Guessing what it was, the mizard smiled as he opened his eyes and used one of his newest spells, “Dance.” Unlike the former finger play, the mage let fly a handful of thin tendrils towards the wall where the shadows were strongest. The crackle and sizzle of the tendrils drew everyone’s attention as well as a yelp as the hidden wizard cried out in surprise.

             
A young apprentice wizard, identified by the white robe striped with black and silver, lost control of his stealth spell in the face of the surprise. Brushing frantically at his robe and black cloak, the young man with black hair and thin goatee quickly turned an accusing glare on Sebastian. “Hey, you could have killed me!” the apprentice cried out indignantly until the realization of what spell had been used dawned on him. “Hey, where’d you learn that?”

             
Chuckling in response, Sebastian asked in reply, “To what do we owe the pleasure? Are you spying or practicing? Or both maybe?”

             
Glaring angrily at the battle mage and noting the other men all staring at him intently. “I am Apprentice Gildoyne. I was sent by Master Leryn to test my skill with stealth.”

             
“Curse you, Gildoyne!” Another wizard appeared from beside the doorway linking this yard to the next. “Not only can’t you hide yourself from these mages, now you’ve gone and run your mouth. What am I going to do with you?” The full wizard nodded to the gathered falcons and cadet begging almost sincerely, “I’m sorry, mages, forgive us our intrusion. Testing this apprentice seemed wise except that he obviously disturbed your attentions. He wasn’t supposed to fail so abysmally.”

             
Grabbing the apprentice by the arm angrily, Leryn berated the younger man quietly before exiting the yard.

             
With the distractions gone, suddenly falcons and cadets both began to question Sebastian as to the lightning. Sighing, the mizard knew that the rest of the morning was going to be another impromptu magic lesson.

              The office of the falcondi held more books than Sebastian would have thought possible for a mage to possess. While trained and schooled, most mages leaned towards their sword arms over reading most days. A dark wood desk with scattered papers and filing boxes littering the top was backed by three bookcases most of which were two thirds full of various tomes. Several were about magic theory and Sebastian wondered, not for the first time, how many mages had been trying to work out the spells of the full wizards over the past one hundred fifty years without success.

             
Falcondi Warner put the paper he was reading back onto the desk acknowledging the falcon. “I hear tell that you’ve learned another spell today,” the falcondi said getting straight to his first point.

             
“True,” was his reply. “I picked up some lightning tricks. I’m not sure how many mages will have the talent for it. It requires extended draws on earth and air magic at the same time and I have found few battle mages that seem to have an affinity for more than one type of magic beyond the basics.

             
“I can teach the basic lightning bolt, but the extended lightning is an open ended draw on the earth. It’ll take some practice and the ability to channel the power for extended time.”

             
The falcondi sat quietly and gestured for a demonstration.

             
“Dance,” the mizard ordered the basic taste of the sparks. “It takes more concentration to maintain it also, but if they learn the sparks and the control…” the sparks twisted into tendrils nearly a foot long playing from his hand, “then doing this length or longer is possible.”

             
“They said you struck an apprentice wizard with the magic,” the falcondi looked somewhat angry.

             
“With a very weak amount of the power, it was enough to feel a tingle but not much more than that. I was just letting one of the diplomat wizards know that he wasn’t clever enough with his sneaking in our yard.”

             
Clearing his throat, his superior continued, “Even so, we don’t strike wizards just for the sake of it, falcon. Revealing your magic so randomly is probably not wise either. Some of the wizards, hell most of them, already are worrying over what you’ve accomplished with the changes to our magic. We don’t need them stepping in the way of what you can do.”

             
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “What can they really do to stop it? It’s my mind that finds the magic and creates it. If they feel that my taking their kind of spells and making them my own is stealing or something, I’d have to fight that with all my being. They don’t own magic and besides we’re on their side.”

             
Standing, the falcondi started to pace. “I’m not necessarily saying that. It is more like the fact that they may not want to show you their magic anymore and I hear that’s the way you learn it easiest.”

             
The falcon shrugged, “I’ve also done things they’ve never done before. Does that mean I should tell them not to try it?”

             
With a sigh, Warner decided to change the subject. “Your kardorian friends have put in a request for guards all the way to Hala. Their lord asked Lord Dorwyn himself. I guess he was having trouble finding more guardsmen in Falcon’s Keep willing to travel in this weather.”

             
Feeling the answer unstated, Sebastian asked, “I assume that I am to go, sir?”

             
The man shrugged. “You’ve been at the wall keeps for over half a year. Even with the few weeks following your injuries aside, that’s a long time. Maybe you’d like to stop by home or White Hall on the way back from guard duty.”

             
“It would take weeks to get there in good weather, sir. I doubt that I would truly have the time to spare for such trivial things.”

             
A little chuckle left Warner and he replied, “If you’re given a leave after a mission, you should take it. Besides, the wall will still be here.”

             
“Who will be squad leader and how many of us are you sending, sir?”

             
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Warner said, “I’m surprised that you assumed that someone else will lead, though in this case you are correct. We’ll send three falcons and an eight man squad. As far as I know there will be no wizards, since the Kardorians already have three. I think that Lord Dorwyn is really more concerned about keeping tabs on them than worrying over another attack on their way to Hala. Falcon Markun will lead and Rilena will be your third.”

             
Sebastian knew Falcon Markun. The man was about ten years his senior. He was a solid falcon but not so remarkable as to have earned a falcondi position though those were hardly common since the ranks thinned to fewer positions in the upper hierarchy of the corps. The man had also been on several dignitaries details and been along for merchant disputes so he knew how to handle people. Rilena was his friend and the brunette beauty had both charm and grace when she wanted to show it off. A quick wit and a charming smile from a woman could disarm almost any man, and Rilena had both.

             
“When do we leave, sir?”

             
“In two days. Now remember to be careful with any new magic you might learn along the way. These may be our allies, but it hasn’t always been the case with Kardor and such secrets should be guarded. You never know what the future will have for us.”

             
He didn’t bother to tell the falcondi that the lightning spell had been learned from the apprentice from Kardor. Shortly after the warning, Sebastian was dismissed for the afternoon.

Chapter 5- Two Places at Once

              The evening arrived and dinner was spent with Rilena and Dougren, two of his closest friends and regular dining partners at Falcon’s Keep, once more. A handful of falcons and as many cadets had moved to sit with the mizard for dinner as well, which had become common place when the mizard revealed his latest trick. Between mouthfuls, Sebastian answered their questions about the lightning magic and if he thought there was more that could be done with the twin element spells.

             
Such questions could get annoying quickly. The other battle mages all looked at Sebastian as if he was methodically breaking down all the wizards spells just for them. The fact was that he was just flying by the seat of his pants with no real direction never seemed to get through to them no matter how often he tried to get that through their heads. Sebastian often wondered why someone else didn’t try to learn something for themselves since it was proven that it could be done. The mizard didn’t think it should be beyond the bulk of the mages to try their own attempts. They learned his spells after all, so they had the ability to learn new magic obviously, which left Sebastian puzzled as to why only he could achieve anything.

             
Thoughts like that could prove frustrating. After all, the mage did enjoy learning new things. He just got tired of having to train everyone else and, if the mizard didn’t come up with any new spell soon enough for expectations, everyone seemed to be waiting with drooling jowls for the next magical meal. There had also been spells that just couldn’t be passed on easily.

             
That was another reason why he had told no one of his new staff. Sebastian had also not mentioned his theories of being being able to tap the earth’s energy. It was still mostly theory at this point anyway and the staff had come from that line of thinking, which led him back to refusing to try explaining new magic that he himself was still trying to figure out.

             
“Are you ready for a long ride in the cold, Bas?” Rilena asked in the lull of questions from the rest.

             
“Most of the time the cold doesn’t bother me,” was the reply. “It might be nice to get out of here for awhile though and, if we do ride all the way to Hala, I’ve never been to the capitol. It might be nice to see where Southwall started from, I guess.”

             
“Perhaps,” she replied before popping a grape into her mouth. Her dark eyes seemed contemplative. “So I wonder if your wilder friend will come see you tonight. We’ll be traveling with them, correct?”

             
“I would assume the wizards are assigned to the ambassador, so yes.”

             
Falcon Farlev, who was next to Sebastian, asked, “She’s a wilder, right? I heard that wilders can cast spells sort of like a battle mage. Is this true?”

             
After a moment’s thought, Sebastian replied, “I would guess trying to generalize the way a wilder uses magic would mean that for each wizard it would be different. In Ashleen’s case, she has an affinity for lightning and I’ve seen the magic release from her without a word. I’m sure for some wilders they have to cast as any wizard with their spells and chants. All I can tell you is the one I know, since she’s the only one that I’ve ever met.”
              “Speaking of whom,” Rilena gestured towards the doorway and Ashleen, who appeared to have dragged her fellow apprentice Wendle after her.

             
The wilder waved as she realized they were spotted. Gliding over, Sebastian could tell that her ankle was feeling better. “So we haven’t missed the dancing despite Wendle dragging his feet all the way over here,” the girl grinned. Wendle sighed. This obviously wasn’t his idea.

             
“It should be starting soon,” Rilena replied with a smile and nearly grinned at the male wizard’s discomfort. “What’s the matter, wizard? Your look would make me believe that you’d rather not be here.”

             
Servants began moving the tables towards the walls as they were cleared. The table of battle mages began to disband to let the staff do their work. Some even started to help clear as they hoped to get the dancing started sooner.

             
“I tried to tell Ashleen that I am not much of a dancer but she insisted. I am afraid that I may injure any partner foolish enough to try and dance with me.”

             
A glint of amusement in her eyes, Rilena stated, “Then perhaps you just need a patient teacher. I think that I may be up to the challenge. If I can survive these club foots,” she gestured at all the male mages near her, “then I am sure that I can help an apprentice like you.”

             
“I hope your boots are sturdy,” the apprentice chuckled in reply. The man looked at the fetching brunette and seemed intrigued to at least try.

             
As the musicians began their first tune, Ashleen quickly found Sebastian to draw him out to the dance floor. He thought that he spotted several disappointed men around the room. The wilder was very attractive even in a less fancy pale blue dress than the previous night’s attire. It was made from a thinner, lighter material that came down to just above her heal tops, and somehow managed to make the girl’s silvery blond hair seem to gleam with its own light. With silver jewelry and matching silver belt, though not necessarily needed to secure this dress, she was every bit the look of an air wizard at her best.