Battle Mage: Winter's Edge (41 page)

The falcon gestured for the boys to leave their side of the field and watched as the two duelists set up across from each other.

“Do we want to set up substitutes like at Windmeer since we don’t have a team of wizards to make sure that we don’t kill each other with a stray spell?” Sebastian asked noticing just three wizards stood with them, if they even knew the spells of protection.

Magnus noted a pair of practice dummies for the cadets’ weapon’s training. “Perhaps we should think of safety first. I wouldn’t want to kill you before you could go to Winter’s Edge and more importantly I don’t want you to kill me,” he laughed good naturedly.

A pair of cadets was set to moving the two dummies where Magnus and Sebastian indicated and quickly moved away.

“You need the usual ten seconds to set your defenses?” the wizard asked the mage with a grin.

“Probably not,” Sebastian said as he gathered several wooden practice staves and three metal rods. Used for weapons in different scenarios so that cadets could learn to be versatile in a fight, the rods and staves would settle for stand-ins for the normal props allowed at Winter’s Edge. It wasn’t considered part of the duel gathering materials to use for differing spells. As long as a wizard didn’t cast a spell to get ready, nearly everything was allowed.

Magnus on the side of the field brought nothing, which was to be assumed of a fire mage since that type of magic rarely used other components for a spell. Fire merely needed air to be effective.

When they were ready, Embrell raised a hand checking with each man. Dropping his hand, he declared, “Ten seconds to prepare.”

Sebastian repeated his technique of the three shields. So far they had yet to fail him in a match; Magnus on the other side surprised him by using two mage shields called similarly. Between the two, glowing, blue shields the wizard had to go back to the slower casting of the fiery, solid walls that Sebastian had seen with other fire wizards. A solid defense of three walls to guard his flammable target, Sebastian thought and both were finished with time to spare.

“Match on!” Embrell shouted after a few seconds of waiting longer.

“Lance, lance!” Sebastian commanded launching two of the air wizards’ lances at Magnus’s walls. A wave of fire rose up heading towards Sebastian’s target with a single command of power from the wizard surprising the mage slightly. It was as powerful as any fire spell Sebastian had seen in a duel, but the wizard had used a mage’s speed to attack with it.

The two lances pierced the wave as Sebastian concentrated on damaging Magnus’s walls. The first shield collapsed instantly with the first hit. A second impact into the fire shield went deeper and even cracked the third wall. Instead of crumbling, however, the fire seemed to regenerate healing itself.

“Gust!” Sebastian ordered created a strong wind to try and hold back the wizard’s wave of fire. It wasn’t enough as it broke the first wall. The wave faltered between the wind and thick shield ending the threat for the moment.

Fireballs swarmed through the air as the wave subsided. Another mage command style spell, the swarm followed the wave quickly hoping to overwhelm the mage’s last two walls before he could recover.

Sebastian flipped a wooden staff to hand as he summoned power from the earth to create a counter to the fire. Shields about a foot in diameter appeared to stop the fireballs about midway between the wizard and the target. This time it was the mage who returned fire as Magnus reacted to his nullified threat.

Creating air lances around two of the metal rods, the mage sent the pair of spears through the air towards the two walls. White hot fire shields appeared midair in a similar way to his mage shields. One of the spears crumbled as the sheathing wind gave out and the rod inside melted like ice before a blaze. The second pierced both walls driving a stake into the ground directly before the practice dummy. Once again the fire wall healed, but the second mage shield was gone.

Worried over how easily Sebastian had pierced his defenses, Magnus quickly called forth another pair of mage shields on either side of the fire wall. While the wizard built his defenses, the mage called forth a more powerful spell.

“Tornado,” he commanded. The word drew Magnus’s attention even as his defenses were set. It was a new spell for a mage.

A burning wood smell made its way to Sebastian’s nostrils as the wooden staff in his hand began to give under the draw of power. His foot kicked up a second shaft to his hand before he tossed the used piece of wood aside. His spell grew in strength as his concentration held the winds as he desired.

Spinning faster and faster, a spout of concentrated wind began making its way across the field pulling up dirt and brown grass as it ripped at the ground. Magnus tested the growing tornado with a powerful fire wall that merely shattered and joined the wind in a burning torrent. A second attempt only added to the flames as the tornado began to light up the courtyard feeding the flames rather than snuffing it out.

Sebastian maintained the spell and augmented it with the wizard’s own fire as it stalked slowly across the yard. Winds whipped at hair and clothing. The mage only managed to control the powerful entity with the power he stole from the earth. A third staff was needed and the second used up weapon crumbled to ash as it fell to the ground.

Blue shields were raised desperately by the wizard across from him trying to stave off the inexorable power of the tornado. More shields were raised by the spectators as debris swept around the enclosed courtyard.

No shield could stall the fiery tornado’s path, however, and the dummy began to burn as it was picked up by the magical construct. Magnus backed away from the area having lost and not wanting to remain any closer to the tornado of fire. It was up to Sebastian to rein in his monster, but it fought him for control.

“Gust, gust,” he commanded sending a pair of forceful winds into the sides of the monstrosity to slow it’s speed. The efforts worked and he was able to drain the wind of both fire and speed before it reached the far wall of the courtyard.

Looking at his hand, the third staff turned to powder in his grasp as the job was done. His knees gave way forcing him to kneel in relief in the ash of three wooden staves. Breathing a sigh of relief, the mage had to consider whether he should try such a spell again. The power of it was magnificent, but he had barely managed to control the beast.

He heard clapping from a single set of hands quickly joined by others. Darkness hovered at the sides of his vision. The mage had almost pushed too far. Even augmented by the power of the land, it was still his body that was part of the conduit needed to use that power. Like the wood staves, the energy of the earth could burn him up if he wasn’t careful. He didn’t know the limitations of using his magic like that and he was afraid that finding out would be the end of him.

“Amazing!” Magnus proclaimed as he walked up to the kneeling mage as he gathered his strength back. “Where did you learn that spell? Have you become an air wizard now? You know more importantly how did you manage to pull that off? I can tell that it took an immense amount of magic to cast. You shouldn’t even be able to do that.”

Taking a proffered hand, the mage stood facing the slightly taller wizard seeing that his silver eyes held both humor and curiosity.

“Perhaps once the tournament is over I will share my secret,” he replied hoarsely. The fire and smoke paired with his over use of magic had dried his throat and mouth uncomfortably.

It was Yara to his rescue as she stole a bottle of water from one of the mage’s tables.

“I will hold you to that,” Magnus said pointing to the mage’s face. “Don’t think that I won’t.”

Passing the bottle of water to Sebastian, who took it and began to drink gratefully, Yara glanced at Magnus looking surprised. Noticing a good natured grace in the face of defeat from a rival, the young woman wondered at how the wizard had changed from mere months ago. A defeat in the battle circle had left the young man angry and bitter for days. He had even tried to undermine Sebastian with other plots at Windmeer before that terrifying battle where the mizard had risen up to lead their company to defeat a horde of the emperor’s army.

She wondered at what could have happened to change Magnus so drastically. Could it truly be that he respected Sebastian the way he said? It seemed like it might be at least one motivator.

The girl finally had to say, “You’re taking the loss surprisingly well.”

Shrugging, he replied, “He seems to find a way to surprise his opponents and thus finds a way to win. How can I be angry when he beat me here? This is basically practice after all. I wanted him to come at me with something I hadn’t seen before and he did. Though as they say I should have been careful what I asked for.”

Sebastian shook the fire wizard’s out stretched hand. The mage also found the wizard’s changes surprising, but at least it was a good surprise.

Magnus was rejoined by his friends and added as he turned to walk away, “But just remember, Bas, I’ve seen this trick now too. I’ll come up with something better by the time I see you again as Winter’s Edge. Trust me.”

Giving a tired wave and grim smile, Sebastian watched the wizards go.

“A fire tornado?” the girl asked after the battle mages had a chance to congratulate him and ask how he had done so many air spells. They entered the nearest door into the school leading them through the battle mage’s wing this time.

He shrugged and emptied the last drop of water into his mouth. Eyeing the empty flask, Sebastian knew that he needed to head to the eating hall for some food. The duel had been incredibly draining. He wondered if using Bairh’loore would reduce some of the strain, but looking at Yara his mind returned to her question answering, “I’d seen a similar spell used during the matches at Windmeer. If I can keep using different styles of magic, then perhaps no one will be able to keep up with my switching up schools and spells.

“If I can keep these wizards guessing, I think it will give me a much better chance, don’t you?”

Sighing, Yara replied, “Just try not to kill yourself in the process. I’d hate to lose you when we just finally freed me to be a wizard to be with you.”

“Agreed,” he replied giving a kiss on her head in the empty hall. Maybe they didn’t have to hide their relationship, but they didn’t necessarily want to go flaunting it too much yet.

The couple moved through the mage’s wing going deeper into the school where they would find some food.

Chapter 23- A Matter of Family

“What do you mean that you aren’t coming?”

The ambassador frowned at Sebastian as he stood in the stable courtyard looking at the falcon. It was a courtyard filled with men and women on their horses as well the ambassador’s carriage with its team of horses already hitched and ready to go.

“I’m sorry, Lord Romonus,” the mage began patiently, “as I’ve said before, my team and I need time to train for the tournament. After a few days, we’ll set out for Hala as well, but we have a commitment where we’ll need to stop again. It’s not fair to hold you up and the plan has always been to send you from here with new men to escort you.

“Falcondi Pikun will take over for the remainder of your trip with his squad. The school is also loaning out three wizards with their apprentices. I assure you that you will be completely safe, especially since you will be traveling through much tamer lands to the east.”

“This is very disappointing,” the round man added as he adjusted his flat hat covering his bald head. “I was really hoping to see and hear more of your new take on the battle mage magic. Perhaps with Deiclonus’s insight we could even bring some of it back to Kardor with us to help in our fight with the emperor.” With just a slight pause for effect, the ambassador, added, “Maybe, with your commanders’ permission of course, I could even convince you to bring a team to our humble lands to teach us your methods someday. The stories of your wins in the duel arena have even made it to my aging ears. There must be some techniques that you could share with us. Any help would be appreciated I assure you.”

There it was, the mage thought. After weeks of subtle hints and attempting to ingratiate himself with the mage and various other wizards in the castles along the way, the ambassador finally made the offer that Sebastian had felt the man and his daughter had been trying to make tempting. For the mage, a soldier by nature for most of his life, it was hard not to be blunt and refuse the man in a direct way. Luckily, the past year had been teaching him more of the nature of wizards and their take on politics and relationships.

“Well, ambassador, if you stay for the tournament, I suppose that you will see me there again anyway. If you still wish to discuss the matter further, we can always see after Winter’s Edge is over.” Sebastian knew that there was no way that he would ever go to Kardor to stay. There was nothing there for him. Ashleen was a good friend and beautiful perhaps, but he had Yara and Southwall was where his heart had always been. The new amount of traveling over the last year was the most the mage had ever been away from White Hall since he had left his home over five years ago to become a battle mage.

Lord Romonus could only nod, though his agreement appeared a bit forced to Sebastian. His wizards and daughter were in earshot of the conversation and Ashleen, in particular, appeared disappointed that he would no longer be traveling with them. In fact, as Sebastian began to leave after a wave to Falcondi Pikun who was already on his horse, the silver haired girl hurried over to him before he could leave.