Magus (Advent Mage Cycle) (16 page)

We chose to go by boat.

Shad still wasn't up to full strength yet, but three days out of the crystal had done a lot to restore him. He was capable of walking on his own, for short stretches of time, and his balance was much better. We had all debated on leaving him here to recuperate, and picking him up later, but in the end decided that might be a bad idea. There would be no one to fend off his rabid fans, since we were all leaving. And besides, it was an easy trip. He could rest in the boat, and again in Q'atal. It wasn't like anyone but I would be working when we got up there, after all.

There was just one hitch in these plans.

I couldn't get Xiaolang on the boat.

He kept offering all sorts of excuses to put off boarding the boat. At first I didn't realize there was a problem, but after the third excuse in fifteen minutes, it became obvious that
something
was going on.

The shipyard in Jarrell was a very busy place, filled with cargo, people, shipping equipment of all sorts, and vendors. I had to duck around and in between all of it in order to reach Hazard's side. He was standing there, watching his captain, and chuckling to himself.

I turned to see what Hazard was laughing about, but nothing struck me as funny. Xiaolang was arguing with the Captain of the ship about something, one hand waving emphatically to emphasis his point. The Captain—a large man with a protruding belly and a drooping mustache—was arguing back just as vehemently. Even in this din of noise, I could hear his voice, if not the words. "What's so funny?"

"The Cap'n," Hazard answered, voice rich with humor.

"You've lost me, Hazard."

"Ah, that's right, you wouldn't know, would you?" the question was apparently rhetorical, as he didn't pause for my reply. "On riverboats, he does all right, because he's so close to the shore. He figures he can make it, if he tries hard enough, and latches onto something floatable. But here, across the gulf…" Hazard shook his head again, nearly laughing all over again. "Captain Xiaolang of the Red Hand," Hazard gestured grandly, smirking. "Youngest captain in Ascalon history. Perfect soldier. Sinks like a hammer."

Ahhhh.
That was the problem! "Doesn't he realize that we can't possibly drown?" I demanded in exasperation.

Hazard blinked at me, clueless. "What do you mean?"

"Hazard, think about this," I chided. "I'm an Earth Mage. The ship is made out of wood. Even if we did spring some kind of serious leak, I could make the wood grow and patch it up again. Or, if we were somehow tossed out of the ship, I could raise a patch of the sea floor so that we'd have something to stand on. As long as he's in my company, he
can't drown.
"

Hazard's mouth opened, closed, and then he hummed thoughtfully. "You know, I never thought about it like that. Garth, I'm
so
glad you're with us."

I gave him a mocking bow in acknowledgement. "Thank you. Now, grab your captain, and let's go. We're wasting time."

"Right."

~*~

Despite my many assurances to Xiaolang that he could
not
drown while he was with me, he still kept a nervous eye on the open sea around us. Just watching him started to make
me
a little nervous. I felt like picking up a clue-bat and hitting him over the head with it a few times.

All of us were on the foredeck of the boat, well out of the sailors’ way. I chose to move over to the right side, where Shad was sitting, before I gave into temptation and said something to Xiaolang. He gave me an understanding smile as I approached. "Getting on your nerves?"

"I know there are just some things that people can't help, but he's making me nervous," I growled.

"I understand," Shad assured me ruefully. "Why do you think I'm sitting over here? How much longer should this trip take, anyway?"

Jaunten knowledge came to the rescue, and with only a brief glance at the (barely visible) shoreline, I was able to answer the question. "About an hour, perhaps two."

"Thank God, Goddess, Saints, angels, sprites and little pink elephants!" he exclaimed.

I snorted, amused at the expression. "I haven't heard someone say that in the longest time. Not since my grandfather died."

"Hey now! No cracks about my age, you young whippersnapper!”

I started laughing at the mock-serious frown on his face.

“Show some respect for your elders,” Shad continued severely. He sounded so much like a crotchety old man that I lost it, my laughter completely uncontrollable. I was laughing so hard that it got
him
started, and in no time, we were hanging off each other and laughing like loons.

That, of course, got Hazard’s attention, and he had to know what we were laughing about so hard. I tried to explain, but every time I got half way through the sentence, I’d remember what I was explaining, and start chortling all over again.

“Obviously I’m not going to get anything sensible out of you two,” Hazard noted. He was grinning, apparently amused at our being amused. “Well, at least
someone
is having fun on this trip.”

I pointed an accusing finger at Shad. “He started it!”

“I did not!” Shad protested, grinning broadly. “You started making wisecracks about my age!”

“I was just making an innocent observation!” I protested.

Hazard, hoping to get an explanation, pounced on that. “What observation?”

“Shad said something that I haven’t heard since my grandfather passed on,” I explained.

“Now isn’t that a remark on my age?” Shad demanded. “Isn’t that cruel? Here I am, a poor old man, and he’s commenting on my age.”

“Shad, if you’re a poor old man, then I’m at death’s door,” Hazard retorted. “You were what, twenty? When you were put into the crystal, I mean.”

“About twenty-three,” Shad admitted.

Hazard nodded, as if that didn’t surprise him. “I’m thirty, so you have no room to talk.”

“But you know,” Shad had an impish light in his eyes that I didn’t trust at all, “out of all of us, Garth looks the oldest.”

“Because of the white hair,” Hazard agreed. “You’re what, Garth, twenty-eight or so?”

I blinked at this. “You’re way off, Hazard. I’m seventeen.”

The silence that followed my statement was so absolute that it would make a graveyard at midnight seem lively. They both stared at me so incredulously that I almost felt like defending my age.

“
Seventeen?!”
they gasped, nearly in stereo.

I tugged a strand of my hair into view, peering at it thoughtfully. It was long enough now to hang just past my shoulder blades, and I was thankful that Chatta had chosen such a good hair-clasp for me. That much hair would surely get in my way. “Does it really make me look that much older?”

Shad nodded vigorously. “It really does.”

“I wish I could dye it back…” I muttered in resignation.

“Dye doesn’t hold?” Hazard studied my hair curiously.

“Not at all.” I smoothed my hair back into position, determined not to let it bother me. “As Chatta pointed out, when magic changes something, it's difficult to change it back.” I thought about it a bit longer, before something occurred to me. “Actually, I guess it’s a good thing that I look so much older. Most people would be a little nervous about a teenage Mage.”

“There is that,” Hazard agreed. “Actually, I might have been a little nervous when we first met if I’d known your real age. This side effect is probably a good thing, Garth.”

“Probably.” I’d still be relieved when I hit fifty, though.

Xiaolang carefully inched his way towards us, an eye on the sea the entire time. “Garth, tell me we’re close.”

I sighed. If we make it to Q’atal without me strangling Xiaolang, it will be a miracle of holy proportions.

~*~

Xiaolang was
much
better once he had his feet on solid ground again. He looked like some sort of crab as he scrambled down the gangway, but he definitely regained his confidence once he was away from the ship, and the sea.

Some Jaunten ancestor of mine must have been this far north at least once, because I had an idea of where I was. Q’atal didn’t actually extend its borders all the way to the shoreline—actually, there was a Solian city port that hugged the rugged coastline. We had to go another mile inland before we actually reached Q’atal.

Our Ascalon Captain was his usual commanding self, and started giving us directions once we were completely unloaded. “Hazard, you and Shad go find us an inn somewhere. Take Hayate with you.”

I noted that neither Night nor I were mentioned in these orders. “What about us?”

“We need to go report into the City Council, and get an idea of where to go,” Xiaolang responded. His forehead was furrowed slightly as he thought. “I’m not sure how much groundwork has been laid for this. I know that my superiors talked to the
Remcar-ol
and reached some sort of an agreement that they would accept help, but I’m a little shaky on the details. We need to talk to someone who knows what’s going on.”

That made perfect sense to me.

“
If it’s all the same to you, I’ll go with them.
” Night was rather irritable, like a grizzly just waking up from a long winter nap.

This was so far outside of Night’s normal behavior that I gave him a worried once-over. “Are you all right?”

“
If you must know, I feel a little queasy.”

Shad choked, trying to stifle his laughter behind one hand. “Are you suggesting that you got seasick?”

Night raised his head, and with great dignity, refused to answer him.

Poor Night. I very carefully
didn’t
smile. “Go on, then. I’ll stick with Xiaolang and get an idea of where we are supposed to go next.”

The group left, with Night grumbling about how he wanted nothing more than cool water and shade. I watched him in bemusement. I didn’t know that horses
could
get seasick. Or maybe Night was an exception to the rule?

Xiaolang seemed perfectly comfortable with the city, as he struck off confidently through the streets without asking for directions first. I had to scramble to keep up with him. For a short person, he walks
really
fast.

"Xiaolang!"

The Q'atalian pivoted about, turning toward that hail. His face lit up in a sincere smile and one hand waved in greeting. "Magavero!"

A tall man in the black and red uniform of Ascalon was rapidly approaching us. He was lean, with brown hair graying at the temples, dark eyes, and skin leathered with too much sun. But the smile on his face was just as delighted as Xiaolang's, which wiped years from his looks. As I watched, he grabbed the younger man in a fierce hug, which lifted Xiaolang's feet from the ground. Judging from Xiaolang’s reaction, he didn’t mind—the greeting was returned with equal force.

"Burn my eyes, boy, but I'm glad to see you." Magavero finally let Xiaolang go, but he only retreated a foot or so, eyeing the Captain thoughtfully. "What are you doing up here?"

"Nice to see you as well, sir. And I might very well ask
you
the same question," Xiaolang parried.

Magavero's face fell slightly, becoming more professional. "Border patrol," he answered in slightly clipped tones. "There've been more raids, Xiaolang."

Xiaolang didn't say anything, simply nodded in curt understanding; but his dark expression stated quite plainly how he felt.

I didn't like seeing that expression on my friend's face. I came to stand beside him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. His head turned sharply, looking at me. "I best get to work, then," I said quietly.

As I had hoped, his anger and grief fell away, and a smile chased its way across his face. "Indeed. Forgive me, I'm forgetting my manners. Magavero, this is Magus Rhebengarthen of the Jaunten." With sadistic cheer he added, "You'd probably know him better as the Advent Mage."

Magavero had been faintly surprised at the word "Magus" but at my ludicrous title, his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

I gave Xiaolang a dirty look. "You just had to say it, didn't you?"

"But of course!" he sing-songed brightly. "What's the use of having friends, if I can't torment them?"

I silently swore to myself that I'd pay him back for this later.

"Garth, this is Major Kin Magavero," Xiaolang continued the introductions, ignoring my dark scowl and the Major's discomposure. "He was my mentor before I joined the military, and a good friend."

Remembering at the last second that Solian's greet each other by touching palms, I lifted my hand in greeting. "Ainlie."

Magavero touched his palm to mine, his hand rough with sword calluses. "Ainlie, Magus."

"Garth," I corrected him with a smile. "I'm not a formal person."

The Major blinked at this, but thawed noticeably. "Understood, I'm not a formal person either, usually. Now I'm truly curious, why
are
you here?"

"Garth thinks that he can put a protective barrier around Q'atal," Xiaolang answered. He looked like the cat that knew how to open the canary cage.

Actually, it was
Night
that thought I could do this, not me. But I wasn't going to argue. There'd be no point.

Magavero was staring at me like a man waiting for the punch line of a joke. "A barrier? Around a whole
country
?"

"The key word in that statement," I told him dryly, "was the word
think
. I'm not sure if I can do this or not. Earth Mages in the past were able to do it, however, so I think it's feasible." I had been doing a great deal of practicing with barriers, ever since that fiasco with Chatta trying to do building wards. I had a better grasp on how to do it now. It helps when I put up barriers around natural earth, instead of something manmade—like buildings.

After a stunned moment, Magavero got his mouth working properly again. "Is this difficult magic?"

"Is the sky blue?" I drawled.

The Major's face cracked into a grin. "I'll take that as a yes. Can we do anything to help you?"

"I need some information," I admitted. "Are all of the Q'atalian people in the country right now?"