01 Battle Mage Tale of Alus

  Battle Mage: A Tale of Alus

  By Donald L. Wigboldy Jr.

  Copyright 2011

  Tales of Alus: Battle Mage

  Prelude

  The world had run much as it always had and then there was a change. A world of nations and set continents was lifted and a new order formed to confront the force that had disturbed the old.

  The Dark Emperor, an evil creature from a different world which had disturbed Alus once before, had decided to get his revenge for his imprisonment by the Grimnal and three other immortals of the land. Using one of the immortal's own grandchildren, the Dark One brought his imprisoned armies and assassins onto North Continent but only after creating a cataclysm which changed the very shape of the continent and the oceans surrounding it. Mountains fell. Oceans retreated as new mountains rose up creating islands great and small. Men drowned and merfolk were forced into the air. Entire countries disappeared, while others lost land to the sea and still others found their ports in the middle of wasteland.

  Then the dark armies came and attempted to sweep away the survivors and take all of the north for the Emperor. A time of war fell upon all the lands of man in the north and many of the surviving nations were crushed beneath the hordes of the Dark One, but not all fell.

  Hala, ancient capital of Marshalla, stood and gathered the surviving nations to form a new union, the union of man. King Raithe, the king of Marshalla and also the betrayer who had sold out his world to the Emperor, became a turncoat once again and stood against the Dark One with his great ancestor, the Grimnal himself. Like the world, Raithe had suffered an upheaval of his spirit. Forged from the fires of destruction, the Grey King, as he was now known, became the champion of man and his own people flocked to his banner.

  With the remaining lords of what had once been Maris, Caldor, Cadmene and Marshalla; a much more humble Raithe under his grandsire's watchful eye forged new alliances. The four kingdoms dissolved and reformed as a new entity aptly named Southwall. Along with the name, a new purpose drove the men and women of Southwall. The construction of the single large wall had already begun even before the first talks began among the new allies.

  By the time Southwall was formed Hala had already built nearly half a mile of what would eventually become a forty foot high wall that would span the entire upper portion of the southern peninsula where the countries lay.

  New forts were built along with the wall to fortify the construction as the wall grew with a speed that amazed even those who created the mammoth stone fortification.

  The enemy had not missed the efforts of those it wished to destroy; but, with the help of a new breed of wizard and the new armies raised to fight the dark menace, the building continued and soon the dark armies fought not only the armies of Southwall in the field but the well guarded walls of the new barrier.

  With time, nearly forty years to be exact, the last of the great wall was complete. Numerous battles with the Emperor's forces may have caused a need for continual repairs to its length, but the Great Wall of Southwall stood and the dark armies retreated at last back into the Dragon's Spine Mountains.

  It was at that time that three new schools arose. There was Green Hall in the west formed from the former capital of Maris once known as Oapril. Red Hall formed in the former country of Cadmene. But perhaps the greatest of all was White Hall in Caldor.

  White Hall was a center of learning for not only wizards and a training ground for soldiers in all the arts, but was also the first to create a new role. A call had gone out for anyone with magical abilities great or small. Two groups heard the call. First, there were the wilders or adepts. These were untrained wizards of true magical might and became "true" wizards at first before forming their own division of adepts. The second group were those with a talent for war that none of the others possessed. They were more than just soldiers, however, these men and women were forever called battle mages.

  Chapter 1- The Difference

  The sun shone down upon the courtyard through a thin haze of fog still stubbornly sticking to the mid-morning air. Finches and sparrows chirped and sang from the nearby gardens or as they soared over the ten foot walls separating the Court of War from the neighboring gardens. White Hall and its accompanying towers loomed to the south of the long courtyard throwing shadows over much of the grounds below. The Tower of War was dark against the morning light and its shadow nearly touched the base of forty foot protective walls.

  Above the sounds of the birds, multiple clangings could be heard as sword met shield or sword on sword. In the Court of War more than a dozen men worked at perfecting their art. Four pairs of grey shirted men exercised their skills against one another as four older men in black coached or quietly watched their students at play. A thirteenth young man, also of the grey, performed a dance with his blade.

  Wind flowing up Hill moved to the Bear stands Alone. Iron Jacket met Thrush from the Thicket. Maneuver after maneuver followed as he pictured his invisible opponent moving to counter his own. Back and forth he fended and struck. Press an advantage then retreat as the momentum shifts. Protect and attack. Force and defend.

  Dark blond hair began to drip with sweat. The grey shirt darkened. Tanned arms glistened and his palms tried to moisten and make his grip tenuous. A shift of the leather coated handle scraped away most of the moisture and stiffened the grip as he shifted back to the better hold once again. Tirelessly the young man fought his invincible foe. His breathing came through parted lips as lungs called for more air.

  Two of the pairs picked up towels to dab at damp brows as the men in black gave comment on their performance. Chuckling heralded some comments. Frowns followed others. The men walked back in White Hall through the small door at the base of the Tower of War. The other men continued work as a new trio, one black and two grey followed much the same as those before.

  The other pairs tired. One of the teachers called a halt as a sword caught a shirt slicing the material cleanly. The young man with the torn shirt hugged his opponent briefly knowing he owed his life to the other who had barely pulled his swing enough to avoid killing his friend. The students and teacher spoke as they walked towards the little door and commented on what had gone wrong. The sound of blades clanging continued and a new pair came into the courtyard followed by their watcher before the last of the early morning groups retreated inside to contemplate their performances.

  The thirteenth man shook his head free of sweat as it threatened to drip into his eyes. The invisible opponent smiled and backed the young man off with an invisible thrust that only the two could see. The dance went on.

  A door opened in the eastern wall. The sun had risen nearer to noon. The grey dripped and danced without seeing three men looking in from the doorway. Quiet laughter and talking wafted in with the singing of finches and chirps of sparrows. One dressed in a white robe trimmed with red points spoke and the others laughed again. The grey saw only his opponent and the dance goes on.

  The three are joined by a fourth. His trim is also red like his freckled cheeks. He comments on the grey and is again greeted with laughter. Stepping further through the doorway. The freckled blond chants a short phrase and conjures with his hands briefly before thrusting his palms at the ground. Dust rolls quickly in a small ball straight for the young man in grey.

  An explosion of dust jumped up nearly at the feet of the swordsman. The grey stumbled and spit dust. A hand wiped at the dirt stinging both eyes as laughter carried to a now attentive young man.

  "Ha ha, Sebastian," the young wizard called jeeringly to the half blinded young man. "You call yourself a battle mage? What good is all this training if you can't see, boy?"

  "Magnus, you jerk!," the boy in grey snapped and sheathed his weapon into a plain, leather scabbard. "You just ruined my exercise. I hope that you're proud of yourself."

  The man in white glanced to his friends with a smile and replied, "As a matter of fact, I am. You know something though, I just don't get why you socalled battle mages need such a nice courtyard to play in. I mean really, the real soldiers don't have these kinds of courts. They go outside or behind the kitchens or something, but here we real mages have to hear all your banging back here day after day and for what I ask you? This could be a pretty nice garden if we let some of our nature and earth mages in here. Sounds good actually." He turned to one of the others with a blue stripe instead of red. "Make a note, Linus. I think maybe Arrimus or Mishael might enjoy the challenge, don't you?"

  "Like the founders would allow you to do such a thing, Magnus," Sebastian replied with a frown of annoyance. Both students knew that the young wizard was just making idle threats, but the comment still rankled.

  The wizard shrugged, "Maybe not now, but one day they'll see that your kind aren't worth all this effort. After all, it's not like you're truly in a wizard's class. A real mage could shatter those little swords of yours and any wimpy magic that you can barely force up. By the gods, I just don't understand why we have to put up with you all.

  "I say let's put you where you'll do some good. The infantry or maybe just the cooks. What do you have to say about that, Sebastian?"

  With a look of calm that nearly dripped with ice, the man in grey answered firmly, "The history of the last eighty years would prove you wrong. It was the battle mages and soldiers protecting you wizards that even let you survive long enough to use your fancy magic. We have our own. Its quick, effective, and has killed a lot of the Dark One's creatures over the years."

&
nbsp; "Bah, that's only partially true and besides any real soldier can say that much. Bring on a horde of kiriaks or armored viles and its the wizards that you'll be crying to save you all."

  The other student battle mages and instructors had stopped and taken note of the conversation. Frowns ringed the group as they slowly formed up only a few paces behind Sebastian. The grey shook his head. "You regular wizards need us lowly battle mages and the soldiers as much as we need you. That's the whole point of White Hall, isn't it? This school isn't just filled with wizards or soldiers. We have a little of each type of soldier and wizard here so we can learn to appreciate each type and learn to work together."

  "Oh, peace and love for everyone," Magnus clasped his hands, tilted his head and fluttered his eyes in a girlish manner as he sang out in falsetto. "Bah!," his voice dripped with scorn as he continued, "Save it for someone who can't see the truth. I would wager my magic can defeat anything you can ever muster, Sebastian. Shoot we don't even need soldiers to fight for us when we can create our own from thin air." The mage's hands came together like he was holding a two-handed sword and suddenly a flaming blade shimmered into being. "Come on, Sebastian. You've been practicing all morning. If you're any good, you'll prove me wrong."

  "This is stupid, Magnus," the battle mage began, but was quickly interrupted as the wizard leapt towards him swinging the fire blade. His own weapon came up instinctively to catch the attack. The smell of burnt hairs on his arm and forehead made the young man's nose itch almost instantly.

  A second strike and Sebastian nearly dropped his sword as it threatened to burn his hands. The leather smoked from between his fingers. "Sword!," the word triggered thought and flame leapt up the blade even as the third stroke caught his blade with the force of a hammer.

  Sebastian's weapon shook free of his fingers with the jarring impact. "Shield!," he cried out frantically. A shield shimmered around his left arm. The blue glimmer cast a chill towards the wizard who lashed out once again with his flaming sword. Only a few impacts and the shield began to tear even as Sebastian was rocked back again and again.

  Suddenly a blast of wind caught the grey forcefully across the chest. The wizard, he noted now, had started chanting and used the sword with only one hand as the second now pointed to where his chest had just been.

  Sneering down at the fallen student, Magnus frowned and shook his head, "Like I said, I can't figure it out. You may have something on regular soldiers, but it hardly seems worth the effort."

  "Novitiate Magnus, desist!," a voice called from behind the assembled battle mages. "Anyone can win when he attacks an opponent by surprise. Such behavior is intolerable, however, and cowardly. I will have your teacher notified of your actions here today."

  A strong looking man dressed from head to toe in black stepped forward and faced the young mage. There was a coldness in his eyes that could chill most men to their souls. Even an arrogant man like Magnus was forced to swallow a moment to regain his composure, but regain it he did and the attitude that flowed from it. "Falconi Garrett, how nice to see you too. Have I done something to warrant your attention this morning?"

  "I would say so, boy," the demeaning name caused the wizard to flush even more red beneath the sunburn and freckles. "When you attack anyone in White Hall, whether wizard, mage or man, you become my problem or another's. This time it was my privilege. Now apologize and show you have at least a little honor, novitiate."

  The wizard stood still a moment before looking down and saying, "I'm sorry that I beat you around and I'm also sorry that you aren't good enough to do anything about it, Sebastian."

  "Magnus!," the falconi growled.

  "I accept," the grey replied abruptly cutting off his elder. "Next time I won't let you get away with it either, Magnus."

  A bit of surprise stole into the mage's eyes. A moment later, he answered, "We'll see." The wizard turned away followed by his followers who all shared much the same expression. The door closed and Sebastian busied himself with retrieving his sword and cleaning it before replacing it in its sheath.

  The students and their teachers moved back to their areas and began again. A new trio stepped into the courtyard with raised eyebrows at the unusual activity of the courtyard. Eyes also strayed to the Falconi standing over the young battle mage.

  "Why?"

  Sebastian stood up again and asked, "Why what, sir?"

  "I told him to apologize and he insulted you. You, however, accepted the insult when I would have demanded more from that arrogant little pup."

  Shrugging indifference, the younger man replied, "He said nothing inaccurate. I should have been better ready for him. We all know what his kind can do. I didn't fight well. He won. I'll remember for next time though."

  The older man chuckled though the sound didn't seem like amusement. The laughter never touched his eyes at least, "I suppose you will at that. Let me ask you something though. What will you do to win next time?"

  The younger man shrugged. "I'll be ready for those tricks at least and expect that he'll try more."

  The falconi nodded. The young man had a quiet intensity that he had seen only rarely in his years of fighting. He knew from experience that those tended to be some of the best. "I expect that he will. You're Sebastian, correct?"

  The younger man nodded.

  "I hope to see you in falcon brown one of these days, lad. Maybe then you can prove that hothead wrong about us."

  Chapter 2- The Right to Fight

  The kitchens were in a separate building from the school and dorms. The walk wasn't long, though a winter's walk tended to feel longer than anyone cared to experience. It was still summer, however, and winter's harshness was still months away. The day had turned out well despite the early fog and many of the students were taking advantage by eating their meals outside.

  Sebastian sat inside glad that the crowd was light. Picking at his food, he was starting to feel the stares of the other students both mage and soldier. Apparently, his morning's failure had already spread as far as the common soldiers' barracks. Whispers and hands over mouths couldn't conceal what their eyes betrayed.

  What the young mage didn't understand, was why this was such big news? Battle mages fought and won or lost everyday. No one made anything out of that usually. A minor thing like a surprise attack should have been a minor note against Magnus, but it seemed like the rumors were painting a rather disappointing picture for his end of it.

  "This seat taken?"

  The voice from behind him was a familiar one. Turning in his seat, Sebastian smiled weakly. "If you really want to sit with a battle mage who can't even beat an apprentice wizard, go ahead, Sylvia."

  "Me too," a male voice belonging to another friend, Elzen, barely preceded his leap onto the opposite bench. The young man grinned up at a still standing Sylvia.

  The woman showed no change to her expression. Placing her tray down carefully on the edge of the table, Sylvia lifted the bench's end with Elzen still on it and gave the mage a stiff shove sending him sliding down a good three feet before setting the bench down again. Taking the newly cleared seat and pushing Elzen's tray over to him, she sat and raised an eyebrow at Sebastian.

  "Yeesh, ya could o' asked me ta move for pity's sake," the smaller trainee responded to the taller girl. Sylvia had the other by a full two inches and, though the young woman looked slender enough and feminine, was much stronger than anyone would guess. "Strong as an ox, ain'tcha and pushy ta boot."

  "Yeah, and don't you forget it, runt," Sylvia added with a sharp elbow to the ribs.

  "Oof! Do ya see what I have ta put up with, Bas?"

  The pair were still grinning even as they picked on one another. In Sebastian's opinion, if the two were any closer they would have been brother and sister, though he had known enough of those that weren't close at all. They sobered as one and Sylvia asked again, "So what happened?"

  "What is everyone saying happened?" he asked carefully.

  "They say that you and Magnus got into a fight and the wizard disarmed you before leaving you in the dirt."

  Bas grimaced. "I'm so glad that you don't like to sugar coat things, my friend."

  "You asked," the girl replied with a cherubic expression.

  "And, as usual, you answer with the subtlety of a bull in a glass shop," Elzen agreed.