Battle Mage: Forging New Steel (Tales of Alus Book 9) (27 page)

Sighing as his shoulders drooped slightly with his mistake, Sebastian replied, “With Leros and several others watching, I tried a basic spell cast into the blade and it held; but then I greedily tried to pull energy from the earth for a strike. It overloaded the weapon and the metal shattered cutting me from leg to wrist.”

He held up his right hand and the others noticed the rune on his arm as much as the pink scar.

“Where the rune is?” Collin asked followed quickly by, “Which is apparently another story?”

“He didn’t have the rune yet,” Ashleen said shaking her head at the ease of their distraction.

“Anyway,” Sebastian continued, “I failed to take proper precautions like using the stone skin spell and several large fragments cut me up and knocked me out from the pain. If Ashleen hadn’t managed to use a healing spell, I might not have made it.”

Yara’s eyes looked at the wilder fearfully. It held the worry she had for the mage who took too many chances with his life, but a new fear of Ashleen’s bond with Sebastian was there as well. The others in the group were looking at the lightning wilder with questions about this turn as well.

“I guess that it was a good thing that I had been trying to teach Ashleen various spells including healing,” Sebastian nodded.

The wilder added, “The practice with a similar spell trying to create the right metal helped. It is the spell Sebastian uses for bringing his mind into the metal. I use another spell that comes from earth magic, but luckily for him it translated. After trying to heal him to safety I lost consciousness and we were both brought to the hospital.”

“Which slowed down progress on the next Hollow Sword, but we finished it yesterday,” the mage said and called his magic into the oval rune on his wrist. It lifted above the arm and he used the right to draw out a sheathed sword from the expanded oval.

Olan looked at his forearm and asked in awe, “Can I do that with this thing too? That shaman didn’t tell us it could do something like that!”

Nodding to his friend, Sebastian replied as he released the magic to the portal to return the tattoo to his arm, “I am not sure if he knew that it could. A rune on a warrior without inherent magic probably can’t do it, but I have figured out at least some of what can be done with these two runes by adding magic.”

He drew the sword, though several eyes continued to look at the mage in shock at the demonstration of magic. While wizards and battle mages were common, the use of magic around the general population was rare. It was part of why the king had created the Winter’s Edge tournament where wizards could unleash inspiring magic for anyone to see.

The sword shone and the runes lacing the metal glinted in the light as they walked. “I haven’t tried to test it out, but this one is made from different strengths of metal forge welded together and hammered into their final shape. We used magic to finish it again, but whether we got it right this time has yet to be discovered,” the novice sword smith explained though they followed little of what he meant.

“Who is ‘we’?” Yara asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“Ashleen has been acting as my helper.”

Laughing at the remark, the wilder added, “I have become the owl’s apprentice, though an apprentice to someone who has only made three swords is probably an overstatement since we are both learning as we go.”

Shaking his head with an embarrassed smile on his lips, Sebastian replied, “You explode one sword and suddenly you lose all credibility.”

“As if you had any as a sword smith anyway,” his blonde apprentice retorted with a warm smile for him in spite of her teasing.

“Well, it looks like you two have kept busy without us,” Collin replied feeling tension building in Yara, if not between the others. “You’ve become a smith and started to figure out the rune magic. How did you get the second rune? Did Maura figure out how to transfer it to you?”

He shook his head at the earth wizard and explained, “No, after discovering a new trick with the protection runes, I was able to copy the runes I have access to so far. I gave Maura a copy of the protection rune and made one of hers before testing what could be done with it by adding magic to the oval rune. It seems to act along the lines of the portals made by the emperor’s warlocks, which will hopefully shed more light on that.

“We got lucky to make one work to return, but I haven’t duplicated it since.”

Before he could get distracted by talk of portal magic; Sebastian quickly added in an offhand manner, “I haven’t tried to copy Mecklin’s runes yet; but it shouldn’t be any harder than the others. I’ll have to sit with him one of these days and do that.”

Yara wrinkled her nose in distaste saying, “You are going to be covered in blue ink at this point. Do you even need them when you have magic? I admit this portal is handy, but you can make shields and weapons anyway.”

Ashleen countered, “A few marks on one’s skin are a small price for being able to pass them on to others. Sebastian can probably begin passing them to normal soldiers soon. Even other mages will probably want them.”

Frowning at the other girl’s intrusion into her conversation, Yara looked ready to argue; but Sebastian held up his hand stalling them a moment. “I think for those who don’t want them to be seen, there may be a way to have the runes without making them noticeable, at least for those with magic to adjust them.”

The battle mage held up his left arm pulling his magic to the runes. They glowed though less brightly than when he expanded the shield. Using his mind to control the runes, the glow shifted and changed colors until it appeared to become transparent to the point that they disappeared.

“Amazing,” Yaroma suddenly said surprising them all; since the mermaids walking with Olan had remained out of the discussion as they listened to the others talking about magic.

Ashleen nodded and asked, “You just figured that out now?”

“I was thinking about it since I discovered magic could alter them,” he admitted. The oval glowed for a second before disappearing from sight as well. No one would know they were on his skin until he activated them again.

Olan laughed and said, “And that is why you are the owl.”

The walk into the city through the south gate took a long while. Once inside, they turned towards the inner wall guarding Grimnal Castle. Olan had to go to the mage garrison building to check in with the officers in charge. Collin and Nara were joined by Yara for a trip to the central wizards’ college, though the girl didn’t look very enthusiastic about separating from Sebastian so soon.

Meanwhile, the mage was followed by the remaining girls until they returned to the Black Smith Inn. The sisters sat exhaustedly at a table with Ashleen where they received drinks and a snack while he talked with Hilda about renting a room for Yaroma and Naoromi. Though they had been with him for months, the mermaids were not used to such long walks. They were literally fish out of water, Sebastian thought with a smile.

Hilda moved behind her counter to find the key for a room across from his own and said, “You seem to surround yourself with beautiful young women, young master. Too many women can lead to big trouble.”

“Tell me about it,” he replied with a rueful laugh, “but these two are just a couple stragglers that I picked up along the way. They decided that they owed me for saving their people and followed me.”

“Strays? Have you become a young lord with servants now? I thought that you were a falcon battle mage,” the older women said so evenly he couldn’t be sure if Hilda was teasing or being straightforward.

“They wanted to help with my mission supposedly, but they never returned home,” he said with a shrug, “but at least it isn’t a romantic thing. I have enough trouble with that already.”

Raising her eyebrow curiously, the woman reflected, “Really? You have this girl staying with you. Is there more that I don’t know? We do try to run a reputable establishment, young man.”

Holding up his hands in defense, Sebastian shook his head replying, “Nothing like that, no; but I am stuck between her and another young woman. I am drawn to both, but I originally thought that I should be loyal to the one I met first. Now I am struggling to decide if she is the correct one, when I feel as strongly for Ashleen.”

Sliding the key to the mage, Hilda shook her head and said, “That sounds like talk for a bartender, not the owner of an inn.”

He nodded as he took the key from the counter. “True, but at least you’re married and have probably had to decide if Ivol was the right man for you.”

Shrugging Hilda stated with a chuckle, “There are days when I still ask myself that. Good luck.”

Sebastian walked back to the table dangling the key from his forefinger for the women to see thinking that Hilda hadn’t been much help, though it was hardly her job to answer such questions for him. The sisters stood up looking unhappy to use their feet again, but he carried their packs and led them to their room.

After the two dark haired girls disappeared into their room to rest, Sebastian walked back with Ashleen wondering about his conversation with Hilda.

Apparently such thoughts were on the wilder’s mind as well. “Did seeing Yara again help you to decide?”

He shrugged. “Seeing her was good, but I don’t know that it helped anything.”

Sighing, the blond haired wilder asked, “Does this mean you want to go back to the forge to work on a new sword?”

Sebastian shook his head, as her question made him decide to test the newest piece he had created. “Let’s go outside the wall and test this one. Leros knows what they can do, so I don’t have to call him or the other wizards for every trial.”

“Fine, but use your stone skin this time, please. I can’t very well carry you to the hospital if I pass out trying to heal you again.”

He laughed and replied, “Deal.”

Chapter 15- Mending Fractures

As promised, Sebastian remembered to use the protection spell to cover his body, but he was also more careful in conducting the test on the new Hollow Sword. Normally cast spells were used easily enough first, just like the failed sword had been able to do. Introducing more power into it from the earth, the owl checked the weapon after each gradual increase until he noticed the beginning of fractures along the outer edges of the blade.

The novice smith released the last of the magic from the blade and knew that he would have to try and refine the sword with his magic. If they could find a way to remove the weaknesses in the blade, it might still be salvageable.

On the trip back to the inn, Ashleen said, “If any other battle mage were to use this or the last one, it would have been considered a success.”

Nodding, Sebastian agreed, but answered, “True, but if the weaknesses just form slower using less power, eventually it will fail as well. I don’t want to send mages into battle with weapons that might harm them before even fighting the enemy.”

“You are a harsh judge of steel, owl,” the girl replied with a giggle.

As the afternoon moved into night, he gathered the mermaids making sure all three girls were dressed well enough to go to the Eternal Phoenix. They had tried a few other places, but the restaurant was most central to all the buildings his group had found for lodging. Olan had joined Mecklin and Frell in the mage garrison, while the wizards were housed in one of several guild halls.

Even between the elemental schools in Hala, the wizards had created factions that needed separate quarters. It was often a surprise that the country of Southwall had survived the onslaught of the emperor’s forces when there was so much division among its defenders. Soldiers didn’t trust magic users. Wizards and battle mages tolerated each other, but barely got along as the wizards viewed the mages as inferior. While most battle mages got along with one another and suffered feeling different from the others, they often cooperated with the other two the best.

Within the wizards’ schools, however, those with more power still had created a mostly unspoken hierarchy and specialists tended to separate from the other schools unless put together for a mission. While most wizards managed to get along, it was still a potential fracture within the forces. Like his sword, Sebastian wished that such weaknesses could be fixed. Even using him as a bridge, there were many who put up walls between him and those they considered different.

Pulling two tables together, the larger group managed to still be close enough to talk though the room continued to get louder as new patrons came for dinner and few left as they waited for the evening’s entertainment to begin. Sebastian looked at Yara dressed in an attractive sun dress of yellow. While it was her guild’s colors, it was also one of her favorites. She sat on his right, while Ashleen chose to sit across from him. The wilder’s blue eyes often met the healer’s green eyes in brief stares, but conversation flowed towards the more superficial side.

Talk of his time in the Silver World and what it was like or how he had managed to break from there with Ashleen mixed with the time the others had spent waiting in New Harbor.

Collin addressed one of the problems they had in the city, “Count Terris doesn’t seem to be doing anything to stop the talk of rebellion from Ensolus’s spies. I am pretty sure that not everyone preaching about creating a new kingdom in the south is just from the emperor any longer.

“Since you disappeared, we have been watching the sentiment grow. Taverns and restaurants are full of the conversation. Too many complain about being taxed by a king of the north for a war that has nothing to do with them.”

Olan complained, “It has nothing to do with them until orcs and trolls are crashing through their streets. Most of the southern cities don’t even have walls to defend against an attack. Only the royalty sitting in their castles have any real protection.”

Nodding, Collin continued, “Whatever the emperor’s plan really is, apparently trying to divide Southwall against itself is part of that plan.”

“Southwall was made from several smaller countries that banded together against a common foe. Much of the men and women ruling the cities are related to King Alain in some way. I think Count Terris is a cousin or something,” Sebastian spoke as he thought about what the emperor was trying to do.

They had found evidence of his hand from one side of Litsarin to the other and more spies tried to instigate a war with their allies supposedly to reclaim their land. While they misled the more naive among the population, hearing that possible lords and leaders of Southwall’s cities might be among those listening to their words was certainly worrisome. He could only imagine what King Alain would think hearing such news. Sebastian guessed that being king with such ungrateful people magnified any worries a simple battle mage might have.

By the time the music started, the group was more than ready to think of something else. Spending time with friends dancing and drinking was a good way to try and lighten their moods, but for Sebastian new trials were coming.

Yara gave him a significant look and drew the mage away to the dance floor. While the wilder frowned a little, she allowed herself to be pulled onto the dance floor by one of several admirers. Ashleen had become a bit of a regular of late while they had waited for their comrades to catch up and being an attractive young woman who could dance well, she had become quite popular.

“You two are close,” Yara stated almost as soon as they got into hold and took their first steps as a couple.

Sebastian nodded giving her unasked question little impetus by letting her make him defensive. Answering truthfully, the man replied, “We were friends before being stranded by ourselves for weeks on the island in the void. There was no one else around, though there were some animals to hunt.

“Then when we returned, the others had duties so the days were spent together. She’s a pretty good companion and has been trying to learn what I can teach her.”

Puffing out an annoyed breath of air letting him know that was not the information she expected of him, Yara tried again. “She is quite pretty and I think that she likes you a lot.”

The words were left on the air as the music played as she expected him to respond.

His answer made her frown as he said, “She is and does.”

Trying to take a page from his book, the healer tried to remain calm and asked, “Do you still love me?”

“I do,” he replied with a nod averting his eyes pretending that navigating the crowd of dancers around them required his attention. “But if you are trying to ask if Ashleen has tried anything, then yes she has.”

“And how did you respond?” she asked worriedly.

“I told her that to be fair, I would open up myself up to the possibility that I was only being loyal to you because we met first. I gave her a chance to see which relationship felt right,” he candidly admitted. Like the research wizards, Sebastian had needed to test both potential loves. The young man knew that he loved Yara and they had been together in every way. While Bas didn’t want to be one of those men who slept with a woman only to move on to the next conquest, Ashleen was like another side of his soul and he thought that he felt as much love for her. The problem was these were women he truly cared for, not two pairs of boots he was comparing for fit that had no emotions.

“You did what?” the girl asked looking hurt as her voice lowered in surprise.

The young man looked into her green eyes and felt their pull even as he noticed tears fighting for release. “Our relationship has been strained since the Grimnal’s island and I am not sure why. Whether it has something to do with what we are or something else, I do not know; but you pulled away from me. It made me wonder if your being a healer and I being a battle mage always in combat might be too much of a strain.

“I could see it in your eyes when I had to kill those orcs and men that you hated that I took their lives. You heal and try to save lives; but even having the ability to heal, I fight the emperor’s army and that leads to death. Maybe our differences are just too much to overcome.”

“I had to pull back or Maura might...”

He stopped her with a shake of his head as they both knew it was just an excuse. “We were close on the ship for over a month with Maura around, even before we made love. She might have made you cautious, but you pulled away, especially after Sardon.

“You barely talked to me and that would be as suspicious to her too, I think. No, something else was keeping you from being with me.”

Yara looked away unable to face the truth or tell him why it had happened. “The healers forced an examination on me when I returned. They know that I am not a virgin anymore.”

The words were a diversion and the test had been expected. “And?” he asked trying to understand why she warned him of this.

“I am not pregnant, if that is what you are worried about,” the girl retorted angrily.

“I wasn’t worried about it. You said that as a healer there were ways that you could prevent it and I had my magic to know that it was true, before you pulled away,” Sebastian replied calmly as the mage tried to decipher the intent behind the girl’s words. Magic was infinitely easier than solving a woman’s mind, he thought.

“They asked me if there was someone that would prevent them from assigning me to my next post,” the girl said barely loud enough to be heard over the music.

“And what did you say?”

Her feet stopped and the two became another obstacle to avoid on the floor, even as Sebastian could feel them facing a different kind of obstacle between them. Yara looked up to face him and he saw that tears were on her cheeks.

“I think that I should take the next position. We were separated for half a year and came back together. It was an amazing time, but maybe you are right. Maybe our differences became more apparent the longer we were together. I don’t know.”

“Or maybe the closer to Southwall we were, the more you realized that we would have to fight to remain together here,” he stated feeling the truth even as she gave him excuses. The fact that she was ready to move on told him that Yara wasn’t sure she could put up a fight to stay together. She was only seventeen and he only twenty. With so many years ahead of them, perhaps it was simply not the right time to decide how they would spend the rest of their lives.

The girl could tell that he wasn’t trying to be mean or judgmental. Sebastian was simply stating what he felt she couldn’t say.

“Maybe,” Yara acknowledged and she asked, “Do you hate me for giving up so soon?”

Leaning forward, he kissed the girl that he loved on her forehead smelling the flowery scent in her hair. She always smelled good to him and he hated the thought of letting someone go that he truly cared about. Love wasn’t too strong a word, but they were young.

Pulling back to look at her, the mage freed his hand to wipe her tears and shook his head. “You’re seventeen and have a full life ahead of you. The healer guild doesn’t want you to be married or having children so young, and I don’t think that you are ready for that fight either. We have too much to do yet, but if it is meant to be, I think that we will be together again.

“We’ll part as more than friends, but for now that is what we need to be.”

The girl sighed and asked, “Could you kiss me on the lips one more time at least? I don’t want to end this with a kiss on my forehead like you are comforting some child.”

Managing a laugh despite feeling like he was losing something even after his time apart and with Ashleen, Sebastian tilted her head back to lean in and kiss Yara. The passion was still there between them, but a sadness knowing that it wasn’t meant to be, at least for now, was in that kiss as well.

As they finished the dance, Yara said, “You don’t have to rush to take her to bed just because I can’t have you for now.”

“We haven’t gotten close to that,” he replied.

The healer’s eyes looked at him appraisingly and she shook her head. “Really?”

“I am not saying that she didn’t offer, but I still thought of you and me together,” he said with a shrug leading the girl back towards their table. “I wouldn’t do that because I knew that would hurt you and that wasn’t fair either. Besides, as much as I think I may love her, I don’t think I am fully ready to move on to someone else yet.”

“Does she know that?” the girl asked looking to the table where Ashleen sat talking with Serrena.

“I didn’t say she isn’t fighting it, but Ashleen knows that I have to take it slow. My mind isn’t on relationships like that right now anyway. Magic takes up too much of my attention right now. Maybe that is the problem with us? Maybe my need to discover new magic just doesn’t make me a good boyfriend?” he finished with a laugh.

“You were a good boyfriend and lover,” she assured him. Other women had claimed men needed their ego’s caressed from time to time as they were more fragile than they let on, but Yara also thought of their time together and thought that it was true.

Sebastian opened the door to the room and helped hold up Ashleen as he did. The girl had let a few men buy her drinks and she had gotten drunker than her legs could stand.

He hadn’t told her the result of his talk with Yara yet. The wound was too fresh and he honestly worried what Ashleen would do if she knew the healer was no longer an obstacle for them.