The Mage of Orlon: The beginning (5 page)

“
So, you are the human that has given my daughter so much trouble?
You do not look like much, even for a human.
Your clothes are strange to me, and you carry no weapons.
What business do you have in my kingdom?
”

“
No business your majesty, I fell from the sky and when I came to, Lela said I was trespassing.
She threatened to kill me on the spot, but my dress and mannerisms perplexed her so she brought me here to see you.
She thinks I am some sort of magician or something.
”

At those words the king turned to Lela.
“
Is this true?
You believe he is the next mage of Orlon?

With unflinching eyes she answered,
“
Yes your majesty I do.
”

The armored soldier laughed.
“
Your majesty, no offense, but Lela brought him in alone.
With the power the mages wield, he could have killed her easily, he is no mage!
We should kill him and leave his carcass for the forest creatures to feast upon!
”

The king eyed his soldier wearily,
“
Dellenor he may be the next mage of Orlon.
He just might not know it yet.
”

Dellenor hated this human; in fact he hated all humans.
They were slow both in wit and combat.
He would rather slaughter the few remaining humans and be done with the whole business!
The king
’
s voice cut through Dellenor
’
s thoughts.

“
Then we shall test him.
”
The king smiled.
“
If he fails then he dies quickly, and if he passes he will most likely die painfully.
”

“
Human, the test is quite simple.
You will approach the statue of the mage and touch the red stone.
If the arms unfold then you will take the object and become the new mage of Orlon is that clear?
”

“
All but the part of a quick death you mentioned earlier.
”
Nate squeaked.

“
If you are not a magic user the statue will impale you on a spike.
”
the king said with a smile.
“
Are you sure you are a magic user?
”

“
No, but I don
’
t want to be a prisoner either, so what choice do I have, but to try?
”

“
Ha, spoken like a true mage, being a mage is not about using magic to quickly fix problems; it is about seeing the whole picture before you act.
”
The king stated flatly.

Nate slowly approached the statue the red jewel gleamed like an evil eye.
Nate closed his eyes and laid his hand on the implement of his demise.
A loud spring popped causing Nate to jump.
Much to his surprise the arms were open showing a key dangling from the top hand.
Nate quickly snatched the key, and jumped backwards.
The hands clapped together and spikes shot forward where Nate had been standing a few seconds earlier.

“
You avoided the second trap like you knew it was there, very good.
Lela take young
…
Nate was it?
Take Nate to his room.
”
The king said thoughtfully.

With a slight bow Lela said,
“
Yes your majesty.
”

“
Your majesty I must protest, this human just got lucky and you did tell him about the first spike.
Just let me take care of him and we would have no more trouble.
”
Dellenor sneered as he looked at Nate.

“
Dellenor as you know I am king over our people, I will not be ordered around by you!
”

Realizing his mistake Dellenor bowed with his apology,
“
I am sorry, I overstepped my bounds your highness.
It will not happen again.
”

“
See that it does not!
”
The king snapped.

After witnessing the exchange Nate went quietly with Lela until he thought they were out of earshot.

“
I thought I was going to be let go?
Instead I have a room now?
”

Lela looked at the confusion on Nate
’
s face,
“
I never said you would be let go, but now you are a guest instead of a prisoner.
The benefit is as soon as you collect your things, you will be more than welcome to leave and set up a home somewhere else.
”
Lela snapped.

With a mischievous grin Nate countered with
“
I thought you would pass me off to someone else, and be rid of me.
”
he mimicked her voice.

It was too much; Lela whirled on Nate with her hunting knife bared and against his throat.
“
Make no mistake, if I had my way I would be done with you one way or the other, but the king enjoys tormenting me with tasks I do not want, so the sooner we get this done the better!
”

Having said that, Lela turned and the knife clinked in its sheath as she stalked ahead.

Nate let out the breath he hadn
’
t realized he was holding.
What was her deal?
One minute she seemed to like him the next minute she is ready to cut him apart.
Only one word came to his mind,
“
Moody.
”
He hadn
’
t meant to say it out loud, worse yet he saw Lela come to a complete stop, and turn around with a scowl that could probably kill most people with fear.
With a nervous smile Nate called ahead,
“
Coming.
”
the cheeriness in his voice broke enough to show his discomfort.

The door was five feet across, but when it was opened the room was only three feet deep.

“
What the hell?
Lela I thought I had a key to a room, not a closet.
Not that I am not grateful, but
…
.
”

Lela cut him off,
“
The key is magical idiot!
”
She snatched the key from Nate and slapped it into the ornate keyhole in the back of the closet.
With a click the wall moved inward and to the left.
The new room was black as pitch.
“
Ragnin!
”
The candles around the walls burst into flames.
Nate was left open mouthed gazing into a room forty feet by eighty with an impossibly high ceiling.
In the middle of the room was a heavy table with only two things on it an old book and a candle.
The candle drew Nate
’
s attention; its colors swirled and mingled showing every color imaginable.
The book was worn around the edges; the pages had yellowed with age.

“
Lela, did you light all those candles with that one word?
”

The rage she had felt earlier had been replaced with a more even temperament.
It was a simple spell, and yet he did not know it.

“
Yes, it is a general spell used to light candles Nate; most people can do that much magic.
Why do you not know this simple spell?
”

“
Lela, my world doesn
’
t have magic, we want light we flip on a switch.
”

“
Switch, what is that?
”
Lela asked with her head cocked to one side.

“
It
’
s electricity, umm, science, I guess.
”
He stammered.

“
Is this science magic?
”

“
Kind of, but it is more like explaining things that seem like magic, but aren
’
t.
”

Lela gave Nate a long look, what he was saying was impossible, but then again nothing he did seemed quite right for her world.

“
So you know no magic what so ever?
Then how did you arrive in our world as you exclaim?
”
Lela demanded.

“
I picked up a coin that started twirling on its own, it split an opening like a black line, and I was sucked in.
”
Nate said recounting his less than graceful entrance into this bizarre world.

“
You must be lying, a mage that does not know any magic at all would be killed to easily, and Zorn would never select someone such as that to succeed him!
”

“
Lela you seem to know a lot about what Zorn would and wouldn
’
t do or like.
How well did you know him?
”

“
I knew him better than you would ever understand, and stay out of my personal affairs!
”
Lela snapped.

“
Why do you hate me so much?
Who was Zorn to you?
Why was I chosen to deal with your crappy attitude?
”
Nate yelled.

“
I understand that you might still be pissed at me for sneaking out, but you hit me and shot me with an arrow before that so what is your problem with me?
”

Nate
’
s temper had flared to life, there was so much he didn
’
t understand that he needed to so he might survive until tomorrow.
Just when he thought she would storm off, Lela let out a deep breath.

“
Fine, you want to know?
It is not like the whole kingdom is ignorant of that day and my mistakes
…
my disgrace.
Look, look at my hands to see what Zorn meant to me!
”
Lela pulled off her gloves and showed two scarred hands to Nate.
Her hands looked like she had grabbed a hot piece of pipe straight out of a forge.
Nate took a step closer to her and looked at her hands.
“
How did this happen?
”
He asked in a quiet tone.
Lela jerked her hands away from Nate and jammed them into her ever present gloves.

“
You already know that part.
”
She said flatly.

“
I do not, and that is the truth.
”
Nate countered.

With a hint of understanding Lela realized the extent of what Nate might know.

“
You really do not know do you?
”
She said with a laugh that had no joy in it.

“
When you had the dream about Zorn, when do you wake from sleep?
”

Nate replied
“
When the arrow hits him and begins draining his life.
”

Smiling slyly
“
You remember nothing else?
”

Nate thought for a moment and then remembered
“
He said something and I saw this candle start to burn, then I wake up screaming.
”

With a deep breath and a sigh Lela licked her dry lips.
“
It is true he was struck down by that cursed arrow, but he ignited the candle of resurrection, it should have kept him alive, but the arrow had magic I did not know it possessed.
”

“
I had given Zorn a breast plate that covered where the arrow would hit, added protection the previous mages did not have.
I gave it to him because I loved him.
I knew him when he was young and brash.
He pursued me relentlessly, but I knew it was folly to get involved with a human, even as a mage he would die of old age before me.
I even told him this, but he said he did not care he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.
Eventually, he won my heart, something that I did not even offer as a prize.
He became a powerful apprentice mage.
I should have been happy that his odds of surviving the Dark Queen
’
s attacks had gone up.
”

“
The nightmare you have about how Zorn died is both true, but not the whole truth.
The arrow did pierce the breastplate, but only the tip got through, I have had deeper cuts from sharpening my hunting knives when I was a youth.
He kept getting weaker, I ran into the room they took Zorn to, the healers were unable to help him.
I ran up to the table and grabbed the arrow.
That is when I knew what was draining his life away, the power jumped from him to me.
It burned, but I held on with all my might trying to wrench the shaft from my beloved
’
s chest.
The power was draining my strength that is when he opened his eyes.
With all his strength he pulled my hands from the arrow, pushed me back and the next moment I was back in the chambers we shared, I ran to the doors, but they were sealed by magic.
He had put me in our chambers to save me from myself.
He knew if I could reach him again I would try to save him, even at the cost of my own life.
I beat the doors smearing my blood all over them, finally the doors weakened enough for me to open them, I ran as fast as I could I reached his side in time for him to say I love you Lelana.
The life faded from his eyes and I was left alone.
”

“
So now you have the rest of the nightmare, my half.
”

Lela fell silent, Nate couldn
’
t think of what to say to her.
What do you say to someone who has lost a love that could cause you to trade places with them in death?

Finally, Nate breeched the silence.
“
Teach me Lela.
”

Lela was lost in her own reopened wounds when his words penetrated the grey veil that had covered her life for so long.

“
Teach you what Nate?
”
Lela asked.

“
Magic, I have no magic, or even a realistic idea of how it works and this obsidian queen will probably want me dead too, so teach me magic.
”

Lela was floored, she was no mage.

“
I do not know much magic Nate, only a few spells.
You need a mage to teach you.
”

Nate eyed her
“
And are there any mages running around to teach me?
”

Looking at the floor Lela said the answer they both knew.
“
No.
”