Battle Mage: Winds of Change (The High King: A Tale of Alus Book 11) (38 page)

Cheers went up at the surprise moves, but Sebastian wasn't through. "The electric charge," he stated gripping the glowing chains. Electricity flowed along the chains into the harpoons creating sparks each time they struck the glowing shield around Elzen, who seemed content to remain within his comfortable cocoon while Sebastian used him as target practice.

Releasing his flow of magic to the runes, the harpoon changed back into one and retreated to the blue ink of his arm before becoming invisible to anyone's eyes. He nodded to Elzen, who released the flow of power into his dome letting the runes return to his forearm.

Addressing the mages and three wizards, Sebastian taught those listening, "With our magic, we can make the runes do more than they were originally designed to when I was given them. Our soldiers can be safe in their defense and use the extra benefits of the runes, while our mages and wizards can use less energy to fight while manipulating powerful spells.

"There may be more abilities we will find in using them, but you can see how these simple pieces of magic on our skin will make not only our corps more powerful, but the entire army. With these we can hurt the Dark One like never before."

Not realizing that he was making a speech, the rousing cheer from those gathered around him surprised the young man.

As the noise subsided, Sebastian added, "Now we just need to find more people who can pass on the runes to our mages and soldiers as well as the wizards who would like to use them as well."

Everyone who had a rune had seen him or Elzen clone the magic to pass it on. While Elzen knew less of what each rune meant, he could duplicate them and that was all Sebastian asked out of the others. He hoped to figure out more useful runes, but if no one else helped him in that regard but could recreate the runes for others, the mage would be satisfied.

Returning to Helmar and his apprentices, the owl mage said quietly, "You can hold every rune on your body, but if you don't have the will to use them or the skill to use them properly, they are just decoration. I'll train you three and any others you wish on how to use or recreate the runes, but you need to trust me when I tell you that knowing how to fight is as important as the runes."

While the two men nodded, Ilira seemed more reluctant to agree. Sebastian didn't think it was because the girl didn't, but more that she seemed against the process as a whole. She didn't fit as well with Helmar and his apprentice Nefen.

Before the morning practice ended, the mage asked the wizard about the girl away from other ears. It was potentially a touchy subject best spoken of in private, or at least between the two where it would be hard to eavesdrop on the conversation. "Helmar, why is Ilira with you and Nefen? You two seem at least physically ready and I can see a certain amount of what I expect to see in someone trying to find a way to fight, but Ilira appears less inclined to be here."

It was a tentative questing for information, at least for someone better at fighting than diplomacy.

Helmar's green eyes flicked to the girl taking a break with Nefen near a cooler of water, one of a few brought out to the mage training ground. Returning most of his attention to Sebastian as he answered quietly while making sure that no one moved too close to hear, the wizard replied confidentially, "She was a concession made for Wizard Gotleim. He is against the changes these runes might bring to our guild. Gotleim wasn't the only one who thinks arming healers is against what our history teaches us.

"There are fewer wizards who believe we should listen to a battle mage or attempt to become weapons. Stories of wizards having their magic foul up to the point of being unable to heal if they use harmful spells riddle the teachings. Such warnings should be heeded, I will admit; but this is something new which could help us get around our limitations."

Sebastian nodded at hearing these things. It wasn't surprising that some wizards would see his new magic as something to be ignored and left to the battle mages. While he had his problems with Magnus, the fire wizard was one of a minority willing to consider the benefits his corps could bring to the wizards.

"I haven't come across any problems healing and I have had to fight to the death since I began using that magic. While I can't be sure why that is true, it still is and there are other battle mages healing as well.

"If the restrictions of magic are true and the runes can help get around them, I am glad that I can help you find the way. Just remember that going from just healing and with no real weapon experience, you may not get the answer you are hoping for."

"That is why only three of us were spared to try. I risk being unable to heal, if we are wrong; but it is a risk I feel that needs to be made," Helmar acknowledged.

As the sun neared its peak in the sky, his students began to disperse. Sebastian thought that maybe a few more mages might be able to create the runes or even heal with more training. His goal remained finding others to spread the spells and runes to the rest of Southwall's army.

His goal didn't necessarily correspond with his little sister's as Katya pounced on him almost immediately saying, "Come on, Bas, I had the cooks prepare you some of your favorite foods. There will even be cake!

"Stop fooling around here, so we can eat!" the girl demanded with a grin.

Gifts for birthdays were rare among the corps, so Sebastian expected nothing. They needed to travel light until they retired. Even then many of the military lived spartanly after leaving their positions, since they were used to it from being cadets onward. It also made what to do for him easier, he supposed as the mage walked into the lunch hall and found many of his friends waiting to celebrate with him.

They didn't shout surprise, but Sebastian was even so. The mages and wizards from his former team were there near the front of a group of wizards and mages there to greet his entry. Some were teachers in the school from his cadet days as well, though they were few in number considering how many years it took to graduate to falcon.

After taking in the well wishes, Sebastian sat with his sister on one side and Ashleen on the other. He leaned closer to the wilder and asked, "Did you know about this?"

"Your sister told me that it was your birthday and that she had gone to Falconi Garrett in particular to try throwing this together," she answered with a smile. "It isn't every day that you are basically told that you are an adult and that your country owes you for your service."

Sebastian enjoyed the meal. Normally set up for a buffet; special plates had been brought to the table. Casseroles, steamed vegetables with some buttered or seasoned beyond the average fare served to the hundreds of students and staff, smelled like the meals his mother had made him when he was younger. A special beef, marinated in some way that accentuated the flavor and made the man's mouth water, was the focal point of the meal.

A layered cake of chocolate and vanilla frosted with more creamy chocolate was a lavish gift in and of itself. Such treats were a rarity to be found by those serving the country. How the girl had managed to have one made had him curious, but it was rude to fish for such answers to a gift.

After the cake, Katya did ask to make sure of how her meal had gone with her brother, "Did you like it?"

Smiling warmly at his sister as his full stomach told him that he was probably lucky to be working with the wizards in the afternoon just so he could work it off, Sebastian nodded answering her, "It was all excellent. I don't know how you managed to arrange all this. Since you're only a novice, I would have thought that it would have been impossible actually."

Overhearing the comment, Falconi Garrett, who sat across from him but a few seats to the left, answered, "Your sister is fearless, kind of like her brother. She came to me reminding me that it was your twenty-first birthday and told me that she hoped to give you a special dinner since you were working here.

"I couldn't resist her enthusiasm," the older mage chuckled.

"I had to use Falconi Garrett's name a few times to keep things moving, but once I had the menu figured out, it was just a matter of passing on some of mother's best secrets to get us to here," Katya giggled looking pleased with the results of her efforts.

Sebastian shook his head thinking that it all was very close to what he would have expected at home, if their mother was in the mood to cook her best. Their family was large enough that most meals, while good, were not at the level of her best unless their mother had a good reason to spoil them.

"I guess that it is good that you watched and helped mom while she cooked then."

Ashleen added, "If this is what you used to eat, perhaps I need to find a way to be invited to your home."

Dubiously eyeing the pretty blond beside him, Sebastian queried, "I'm sure your father could have found cooks at least as good."

"They don't view food the same way in Kardor, I don't think," she laughed. "I suppose there were enough good meals, but my father had more important things to do than finding a chef who could make the best dinners."

"Your mother didn't cook?" Katya asked in surprise.

"Not well, so pretty much no. Father didn't marry her for her cooking skills. It was an arranged marriage between lords, but at least they wound up liking each other. Not every marriage like that ends in bliss."

Katya looked curious enough to ask more, but like her brother, she was cautious when others weren't forthcoming. Being a diplomacy wizard added to the girl's knowledge of when to probe and when to let things go, even if he was pretty sure that his sister wouldn't forget and would find a time to learn more in the future.

As the meal wound down and the time to walk to the fire wizard's courtyard neared, Sebastian thanked everyone for the dinner. Ashleen followed him as usual. The remainder of his entourage might change a little, but the support of his girlfriend was unwavering. Sebastian knew that, if she wasn't there, he would definitely miss her.

"Congratulations on your freedom, or whatever your sister was calling it," Magnus said catching sight of the mage entering through the courtyard doorway.

Ashleen frowned and corrected the fire wizard sitting on one of the stone benches waiting for the mage to arrive, "Most people would just say 'Happy birthday', Magnus. I guess manners weren't taught to you fire wizards here."

There were dozens of wizards waiting, including quite a few wearing white from the apprentices. Unlike the cadets of the battle mages, novices had been excluded by the faculty. It was judged that anything that could be learned by the full wizards could be transferred to the beginning wizards. There was a standard way of teaching the younger students that the faculty refused to change, even if his new spells could help everyone.

Understanding that young wizards had the potential to lose control quite easily, which was why the basics centered on teaching them to learn how to manage their power; Sebastian didn't take offense to their choice. He was a mage and knew from his younger sister's experience this year that a wizard's power was like a bomb without a timer just waiting to go off to create destruction. Letting the wizards teach the way they wanted was fine with him. He had enough students even without them.

Magnus looked amused as he sat surrounded by several other wizards, who seemed to hang on his every word. Most were full wizards though a few were apprentices as well. It hadn't been that long since the man had graduated and he still had friends here from his novice days.

Standing to answer the wilder's complaint, Magnus brushed at his blond hair as if the move was designed to cause the girl's ire to falter. "Well, I think they reserve that class for diplomacy wizards. Maybe I'll have to ask Katya about it some time?

"Happy birthday, even so, Bas."

"Thanks," he replied obligingly, though the mage wasn't feeling overly thankful for Magnus' well wishing. It was better than the abuse the wizard had been capable of as a youth, however.

"So will you try to teach us portal magic along with these runes of yours?" the fire wizard asked falling in beside him.

"I thought High Wizard Darius had already taught White Hall by now."

Walking beside the mage, the taller man mused, "It's not an easy type of magic to learn or maybe it is just the way the man teaches. Few wizards have been able to create a gate and I hear tell that is true in all the cities Darius has brought his stones."

"I guess that I could start with it, if everyone doesn't mind waiting on the other spells," Sebastian said taking in the looks of the other wizards, who were close enough to hear the conversation. To his surprise, they looked hopeful. Apparently the wizards hoped that it was just the teachings of the outsider wizard that led to so few being capable of portal magic. They were so desperate they were now turning to a battle mage for instruction.

"Well, I guess that is where we can start then," he answered and felt the shoulders of the healers following him droop in disappointment.

Chapter 20- Using Gates

Spending time teaching the concept of portal magic went as well as expected. The general idea and way he used the spell were something Sebastian was able to share with the wizards, but it was harder to translate the magic to them since he cast in a battle mage style. Eventually the owl pulled out his map and let the wizards try to feel the magic associated with the marks on it. Each colored marking fit a gate, whether it was one of his, a gate from Darius, or those created by the Dark One's warlocks. As the wizards processed through, he noticed Magnus holding back until the end.