God Mage (2 page)

“The forest should still be over twelve miles
away,” Hayao said with a since of awe. “How can you even see it let
alone land an arrow near it.”

“Magic,” Bren said with a fake smile.

“A coward’s tool,” Arashi said distastefully.
“A real man relies on his own strength and skills.”

“Magic is a skill and power that I can
command. What is wrong with using it to keep myself and others
alive?” Bren said emotionlessly.

“Don’t mind him, my lord,” Hayao said, his
voice steady and even. “Samurai all tend to look down upon any form
of battle that is against their so-called code of ethics. If it was
up to them all, war would be done on open battlefields with just
the strength of their sword to win the day.”

“Sounds fun to me,” Cass said laughing. “No
wonder the Katanga love to come here to fight. It is truly the
perfect place for them to hone their skills. Speaking of which, you
should really start working on your own skills with a sword
some.”

The idea of practicing with the sword seemed
pointless, but Bren pushed that thought aside. No matter how strong
his magic was, it was not a cure all, though he couldn’t imagine a
time when there would be instances where a sword would be
preferable to magic. “You might be right. How about tonight after
we make camp?”

“Really, you’re not going to start up your
other practice instead?” Cass asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t think I need to practice the other
right now,” Bren said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I have
learned what I need to in that area; the rest I can train anytime
now, but sword work is something best done with a partner.”

“That is good to hear,” Cass said, patting
him hard on the back.

“My lord, by tonight we will be in my
village,” Hayao said, looking slightly worried.

“Will it be a problem if we practice in the
village?” Cass asked trying to make his voice sound worried.

“I do not think so, my lord, but some of our
younger clansmen might wish to challenge you. Most of them have
never been outside of the village, so you will be an oddity and…”
Hayao said, his voice trailing off as he fished for the right
words.

“You are afraid that we might accidently hurt
one of them or maybe the other way around,” Bren said, finishing
Hayao’s statement. “I am sure that we can all act like adults. If
we get injured, then it will just show how lacking in skills we
are.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Hayao said, bowing
slightly. “The young do tend to be a bit temperamental, and I don’t
want any problems arising.”

Bren bowed his head back and turned his
attention back to the front. They would reach the village tonight.
That was good news.

Once they reached the forest, they found it
too dense to pass with their horses. Bren didn’t like the idea of
leaving them behind but could think of no way except using his
magic to rip apart the forest and he didn’t want to go that far
just for a little extra convenience.

The forest looked overgrown, and if Hayao had
not been leading them, he would have sworn that no other human had
passed through it in a century. There were no paths, but as he
followed behind Hayao, he started watching him, observing Hayao as
he looked closely at the trees they passed. Bren started to look
too and began to notice small scratches on the bark of the trees
they passed. Had he just seen one, he would have thought it was
just a large mammal marking its territory, but as he began to see
more and more, he began to understand that it was how Hayao
determined he was on the right path.

After more than an hour of walking, they
encountered a steep mountain face. Hayao walked along the face of
the mountain, letting his fingers run against the cold stone. When
he suddenly stopped, Bren and the others looked to the hooded man,
who gave them a weak smile as he pushed against the wall, which
gave way, swinging open to reveal a dark passage beyond. “Welcome
to the village hidden within the rock,” Hayao said, signaling for
them to enter the narrow entrance.

As soon as Bren entered the tunnel, he found
himself in complete darkness. Without thinking, Bren called a ball
of light to float in front of him. He could tell that the tunnel
was not natural. The walls were too smooth, and he could see a
faint light coming from the far end.

A
s the tunnel opened
up, Bren let go of his magical light and looked around him. The
village was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was almost
like something one might see in a dream. The houses were made of
wood with thatch roofs, but that was not what caught Bren’s
attention. It was the large building that sat in the center of the
town.

Hundreds of young boys from the age of five
up were sectioned off and training. It looked much the same way
that the Katanga trained with the exception that it looked much
harsher. Bren could also sense the use of magic in the air, though
he couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from. Letting his senses
narrow, Bren looked for any place where the flow of magic was
concentrated.

Following a small stream of magical energy,
Bren found a small group of older students sitting on the ground
meditating. “What are they doing?” Bren asked Hayao, who looked at
him with a worried look.

“I am not allowed to talk about things such
as that,” Hayao said. “We need to first talk to the village elders
and announce our presence.”

Hayao led Bren and the others to the large
building. As the doors opened, Bren could sense a feeling of power
coming from inside. It wasn’t overpowering but still made him feel
tense. The feeling got more pronounced as they moved further in.
When the last door opened, Bren found the source of the power.

Behind a large golden-edged desk sat four
older men. Though old, Bren could tell that any of the four would
be a challenge in a fight. Not only were their bodies well trained,
they could also use magic, though the way that it flowed around
their bodies was slightly different than Bren was used to.

“You have returned before your contract has
been concluded Hayao,” said the elder man in the middle wearing a
deep, dark blue robe with odd symbols embroidered on it.

“Yes master. My contract was signed over to
this man,” Hayao said, bowing and waving his hand toward Bren.
“Lord Torin.”

“Lord Torin, it is an honor that you grace us
with your presence. We have heard much of you over the past year,”
the elder said with judging eyes. “What has brought you to our
village?”

The question was asked with a slight hint of
anger to it. The real question the elder was asking was why Bren
and the others had dared to come to the village. “We have come for
sanctuary. The Brotherhood is after me. Hayao said that we could
find refuge here while we plan our next move.”

The elder nodded his head then looked toward
Hayao, who looked as stalwart as ever, though Bren could see the
insecurities that were raging in side of him. It looked like a mix
of red and black were fighting for control in the center of his
chest. “Master, the Brotherhood has killed the Miko of the Ice
Temple. Lord Torin avenged their deaths and drew the wrath of the
Brotherhood. I believed it only right that we shelter him during
this time.”

“Hayao, I believe the Brotherhood have
already been after Lord Torin; also, from the news we have
acquired, Lord Torin earned the Brotherhood’s wrath for another
reason.”

“That is true,” Bren admitted. His words drew
the Master’s glare, but he didn’t stop Bren from speaking. “I did
go after the Brotherhood for my own reasons, though I will admit
that I did find their senseless slaughter of the shine maidens to
be more than slightly disconcerting. If you ask us to leave, then
we shall, but I hope that you will allow us to stay. At least for a
time.”

“It is not that simple, Lord Torin,” the
elder said with a slight frown. “This village is kept secret. If we
decide that you are a threat, you will not be leaving. That aside,
for now it is too late for us to stop your knowledge the location
of our village, so tonight, you will be provided lodging until we
decide your fate.”

The elder’s words were a dismissal as well as
a warning, and all of them knew it. Without saying another word,
Bren and the others left the room and followed closely behind
Hayao, who led them to a large building near the edge of the
village.

As they neared the house, an older man in his
late fifties greeted them with a stern glare and a stiff bow. “Son,
I heard that you have returned and with guests as well,” the man
said, his voice rough and uneven. “It is a pleasure to have you as
guests within our home. Hayao, once your friends have settled,
father wishes to have a word with you.”

“What is his problem?” Cass asked as the
older man disappeared into the house.

“Please forgive my father’s rudeness; it was
not directed toward you,” Hayao said bowing. “The truth is that if
you are deemed a danger to the village, not only will you be killed
but my clan will be severely punished for allowing you into the
village.”

“If there was such a threat in us coming,
then why would you bring us to your village?” Bren asked, trying to
sound concerned, though he didn’t feel it.

“The Miko are considered sacred, even more so
among our people. My sister was one of those chosen to enter the
Ice Temple as a Miko, and her blood covered the temple grounds
along with the others. You avenged them, even if that was not your
intent. For that I am grateful, and I am willing to take the
chance. You are a good man, and I am sure that the masters will see
that as well.”

“I believe you have too much faith in me,”
Bren said with a sad smile. “I am just a man after his own goals. I
have done nothing because it was the right thing, or because it was
just.”

“That may be so, but you do not seek to hurt
innocents. Even if your actions are not done for the good of
people, the way you go about it is. This says much about a man,”
Hayao said bowing.

Bren could think of nothing to argue with the
man, and after a moment, he was wondering why he was even trying
to. Hayao led them into a small room near the edge of the house in
what looked like an older section. It was a bit drafty, and though
it was near the end of spring, it was still slightly chilly inside
the building. Once they had all settled in the large room, Hayao
dismissed himself to go deal with his own problems.

Bren opened the door to the room and looked
at the large courtyard in front of the house. “We don’t have
anything else to do,” Bren said, looking at Cass while holding up
his sword.”

“I don’t think real swords would be a good
choice,” Cass said looking at the black blade of Bren’s sword.
“Think we could find a couple of straight sticks that are sturdy
enough to take a few rounds.”

Bren looked at his sword and remembered what
it had done to the Brotherhoods soldier’s swords. “Yes, it might be
best if we found something else,” Bren said, looking around the
open yard. There were only two trees and both of them were
meticulous trimmed so that no spare limbs stuck out, and the ground
itself looked as if someone had picked up every stray leaf.

Bren casually walked over to one of the trees
and pulled a small bud off it. He knew that he could make the bud
grow but that wouldn’t be enough. Bren placed his hand on the trunk
of the tree and let his mind drift through a small stream of energy
that linked the bud and tree. Unlike a person or animal, the tree
didn’t have a conscious stream of thoughts, but it did have
memories and though they were simple, they pulled at him and made
him feel euphoric.

The bud in his hand twisted as it grew. As
the bud spilt off, the small thin limbs began to come together
until he held two long swords. Once the swords were finished, Bren
turned and handed one to Cass who lifted it in his hand and gave it
a few practice swings. “Very nice,” Cass complemented. “If I didn’t
know better, I would swear that I held a real sword in my
hand.”

Bren and Cass took their positions, standing
only four paces from each other. Cass started the attack, coming at
Bren with an overhand strike. His hand slipped slightly causing the
strike to lose a lot of its power. Stopping the attack, Cass looked
at his practice sword. “One second,” Cass said before running back
inside and grabbing an assortment of pieces of thin leather that
were often used to make temporary repairs for leather armor. Using
a small dagger, that normally hung on his hip, he began to cut
small strips, and then wrapped them around the wooden handle of the
sword. Once he was done wrapping his own sword, Cass cut a few
extra strips and tossed them to Bren.

Once both of their swords were wrapped, they
once again faced off. The sword felt a little better in his hand
with the makeshift leather grip added. Cass made the same move
coming in with an overhead strike. Bren shifted his weight slightly
and raised his sword. Suddenly, he noticed that Cass’s body
flickered slightly, and Bren knew, though he was not sure how, that
Cass was about to change the direction of his sword. Bren let his
right leg drift back slightly and angled the blade of his sword
just a bit. Cass swung his leg behind him and pivoted, turning
completely around and coming at Bren with a backswing.

As Cass made his move, Bren stepped forward
and came in with a diagonal slice that caught the trained warrior
in the collarbone before Cass could complete his strike, forcing
him to hit his knees. “How did you do that?” Cass asked as he got
back to his feet. “Last time we sparred you could barely block that
attack.”

“I knew what you were going to do,” Bren
admitted. “I could see the change in your body.”

“Interesting,” Cass said without a hint of
anger in his voice. “Let us see how well that new body of yours can
really move.”