The Weapon Bearer (Book 1) (58 page)

He started gathering water outside the tornado, hoping to weigh down Alexander by clinging ice to his clothing, but again the water and ice was added to the cyclone. The vortex was swirling with shards of ice that meant sure death to any that entered it. With it growing with every attempt Kilen made to thwart Alexander’s attacks, he decided it would probably be better to just attack the tornado itself. Kilen gathered some water to his eyes and opened them as far as he could. The water splashed the sand from them so that he could see. With renewed, pain free vision Kilen squinted in case of another attack on his eyes.

He focused on the water already gathered inside the vortex as it maintained its place around him. He latched on to each particle or shard that he could with his mind and began spinning them in the same direction as the wind. Soon all the water in the vortex was under his control again and was increasing its speed. He needed to slow the rotation or stop it altogether. Kilen focused his will and reversed the direction of all the particles of water. It took a few moments but the water started to slow then stop within the wind. Kilen’s brow was beading with sweat from the effort he was putting forth. Then the water started to move in the opposite direction as the wind and dirt. The particles collided and smashed against the sand, but still moved in the opposite direction.

The two vortexes struggled for control of movement and slowed at each other’s efforts. Kilen noticed that Alexander had landed on the ground and was now focusing on the magic he put forth. The hair on Kilen’s arms and neck started to rise. Then a single flash of light broke Kilen’s concentration. Thunder clapped and he realized that a bolt of lightning had freed itself from the struggle in the vortexes. The concussion was different than the one’s in his head. It lingered in his chest as he struggled to get a grasp on what happened. It must have shaken Alexander also, for the wind now ceased. Then he looked up at Kilen as he started to stand. A blast of wind struck Kilen from the top, forcing him to kneel. His magic enhanced strength should have helped but he had used most of his energy in the struggle to maintain control. While kneeling, a second blast struck him in the chest as it came up from the ground. It sent Kilen flipping head over heels into the air until he landed on his back. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs. He coughed and sputtered, trying to recuperate.

Alexander strolled by, ignoring Kilen who was lying on the ground and mumbled to himself. Then he spoke, “I have never seen that before. Let us be off to the library, Mica.” He walked about ten paces before Mica whispered to him. He turned still looking at the ground and spoke, “Kilen, that is all for today. Please make a better effort next time.” They both turned and walked away without as much as checking to see if he was uninjured.

Slowly he stood and tried to brush the dirt from his clothes, but realized that it was not just on his clothes but in them. He would have to change into a fresh set. It would probably take him the better part of a week to remove the sand from his ears, nose, and other crevasses. He was glad that he was near his barracks and went inside to change. He slowly removed his clothes and poured sand out of most of them. He would wash himself down but he lacked the energy to summon an elemental or gather water for himself out of the air. He knew that it was going to be a painful night searching for his mother in the city. He decided that he should probably get to Leroy as soon as possible and maybe get a little extra to eat. He hoped that it would at least restore some of his strength.

Fresh shoes and clothing seemed to help a little, but he knew it would not help to break in another new pair of shoes while leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He put on his sand lined boots. Jace said new boots was half the reason he keeps knocking tiles loose. Jace met him at the barracks door and turned him around to go back into his room. “Get a pack and pack some things in it. Things that you will need on the road; a day of rations, half your gold, your bow for hunting, and if you have one, a map.” Kilen started packing, not understanding why he needed these things. Unless Jace had found out his mother had left town and intended to chase after her.

“What’s going on Jace?” He stood still for a moment, turning a little redder at being questioned.

“We are going to find your mother, like I promised. Now pack your things.”

“Did she leave town? Why do I need all this stuff? We should be able to catch her on foot even if she was riding fast. She won’t have magic to aid her.”

Jace tapped his foot for a moment trying to gather his words, “I need you to look like a newly arrived traveler. It will give us a reason to be looking for a woman in town. Now, when we are looking if I should find out that she left town I will tell you the name of the town in which she is traveling towards. You will drop everything and run to find her. You will not turn back until you find her. Do you hear me, Kilen? You will not return to Deuterium until you find your mother. Don’t stop even if you have to travel all the way to Humbridge to do so.” Kilen nodded his head and Jace moved to help him pack. Kilen struggled to put the pack on his shoulders after the day’s trials. Jace noticed and poked around on Kilen’s body. “They pushed you too far. You won’t be full strength for a few days. We will need to see Leroy before you…” He cleared his throat, “Before we leave to search.” He pulled Kilen out the door and seemed to aid him in heading towards the kitchen.

They crossed the field quickly and found Leroy about to leave with dinner for Kilen. They sat down and Jace checked over his weapons as Kilen ate. Two plates went down fast and Leroy was all out of his special food. He retrieved some of his dried meat and a couple tarts that he had made. Kilen washed it all down with a mug of water. Before he could bite into a tart Jace yanked him from the table. “Let us be gone, Kilen. We have much city to search and not enough light in the day.”

They quickly departed for the main gate which was unusual for Jace. Kilen thought he always left through the side gate. The guard at the gate stopped him from exiting, “Purpose for entering the city, Master Jace?”

“We have a mission to perform before midnight Lieutenant. One I was assured by the King shall be above all others. We should be back before midnight.” With the last bit the lieutenant nodded and motioned for them to pass. Kilen thought the exchange was odd, but trusted Jace’s judgment. When they were far enough out of earshot of the guards Jace turned to Kilen in a hushed voice. “Rough times within the city walls. Keep your eyes open and watch for anything. There have been random attacks in the city and we are unsure who is conducting them. If we see them we will run for the city walls in different directions. I will find you on the wall and we will resume our search from there.” Kilen nodded his head in understanding. He hefted his pack higher on his shoulders and followed Jace as he started a fast pace down the streets. A few shops into their search Jace found a good clue that he would find the woman searching the market in the evening. They immediately made their way to the market.

Kilen assumed his normal spot, laying face down on the tile roof while observing the comings and goings of the market. Today Jace didn’t whittle, but instead seemed to watch all directions at once. Kilen assumed he was watching for any sign of the trouble. Kilen stretched his arms and fingers while watching. The food seemed to be having an effect on his energy already. He dropped the contents of one of Leroy’s tea bags into his water skin and took a drink.

Two black-cloaked figures walked to the center of the market and then to the mouth of an alley way. Kilen nearly fell off the roof when he saw them. One was about the same size as his mother. He scrambled back up the rooftop to meet Jace. He seemed to be staring right into the hoods of the two figures. Without looking away he spoke in a whisper, “Kilen, you must listen to me now. You’re mother is here. You have to go to her and get her out of the city. You need to escape the realms of King Atmos.” Kilen started to ask why but was cut off by an upheld hand. “The king has ordered your death because you are threat to his kingdom. He says it’s because you are gaining in strength too fast not to have been trained to take him down. Most of the veterans think that it is because you now have two marks on your blade and could one day take the Water Realm from him. Go to your mother and get out of the realm. I will follow you when I can. Before you go you will answer one question true. Tell me now, is your father alive?”

“I…I don’t know,” Kilen couldn’t find the words to say anything else.

“Very well. We will find him later. Go to her and get out of town,” Jace scanned the roof tops as Kilen did as he was told. He slid down the tile roof into the alley way and started to cross the market. Before he reached the center it had dawned on him that Jace was sacrificing himself to help Kilen escape death. Jace was defying the king by helping him escape.

Kilen approached the cloaked figures and saw his mother’s face smiling back at him. In the other hooded cloak was a frustrated Izabel. “Hurry let us be out of the open,” she waved them on further into the alley. Kilen noticed smoke rising from a couple of streets over and then an excited Jace with swords drawn waving them on. “Jace will hold them off. We need to get underground,” Izabel started to walk down the alley with Sahera, but Kilen stood his ground, watching the man defying a king to save his life.

Soon arrows whizzed in from three directions and Jace knocked them away with a gust of wind. Kilen jumped to the rooftop to get a better view of what was happening. Four archers and two swordsmen were leaping from rooftop to rooftop trying to close the distance with Jace. Vines latched on to the attackers at Jace’s command. Some fell into alleys below as the vines stopped them in mid jump. Kilen thought, ‘this is what a real weapon bearer is’, as he watched Jace fight on. In his mind Max and Joahna screamed at him to move and run with Izabel and Sahera, echoing their commands in the alley below. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t leave Jace behind. Kilen strung his bow and knocked an arrow. The first shot bounced off a rooftop and attracted the attention of one of the archers. Kilen leaped closer and was able to get into range to use his magic. He froze the string on archers bow and watched it snap when he pulled it back to return an arrow. With magic strength he jumped into the archer, throwing him into the next roof over. It didn’t withstand the impact as the man broke through the roof, crashing into the building below. Jace heard the crash and turned to look at what had happened.

A man that had been thrown to the street below leapt to the roof behind Jace with arrow knocked and at the ready. Kilen tried to warn Jace but it was too late. Jace turned to receive an arrow into the chest. He slumped onto the roof top, clutching the shaft sticking from his chest. Joahna screamed in his head,
SUMMON ME!!
Without delay Kilen focused on his water skin and Joahna, the elemental, burst forth. The ice hawk grew in size as it flew through the air. The attackers panicked and started firing arrows at Joahna with no response. Kilen made his way to Jace while the attackers were busy fighting an immortal bird.

He gurgled when he spoke, “Run.” Jace’s eyes fell back into his head as Kilen held him, but his heart still beat on. Kilen lacked the skills and the strength to heal such a deep wound but he probed the water in his body to see what he could do. He felt the void that was the arrow’s tip. It was barbed and would cause more damage coming out than going in, and it was stuck in Jace’s lung. Kilen felt alone, and then he knew what he had to do.

He yelled out so that Joahna would hear him, “I need to get to Twilix!” With what energy he had left he picked up Jace and moved as fast as he could from rooftop to rooftop towards the castle walls. Joahna soaring in the sky attacked with blasts of ice and slicked roof tops to keep the attackers away. Once on top of the castle walls he leapt down into the training grounds and made his way to the first guard he could find. “Where is Twilix? He needs Twilix,” he pleaded.

“In the king’s courtyard,” the guard said in a rush. Kilen knew exactly where it was, but didn’t remember how to get there from inside the castle’s twists and turns. He looked up and jumped from window to window until he was on the highest peaks of the castle walls. When he found it, he jumped without regard to how he landed, then soon realized he had let the earth magic take control. He was determined to save Jace’s life.

Joahna flew underneath him and saved him from falling the entire way. The elemental hawk soared in a downward spiral until Kilen could leap off to the balconies surrounding the courtyard. Kilen examined Jace once again and noticed that the arrow’s tip had moved farther into his chest. He needed to hurry.

With one last leap Kilen landed in the trampled grass of the court yard. The moment his feet landed Joahna must have left his elemental because a concussion hit his brain and Kilen blacked out. When his eyes opened again Twilix was frantic and yelling at Captain Lorusk who was tugging at Kilen’s sword in his sheath. The Captain slapped Twilix away then ripped the chainger from Kilen’s neck and freed his father’s blade from the sheath. Kilen wasn’t ready for the magic to be ripped from his body. He had used too much during the day. He succumbed to darkness.