The Stones of Magic Page 4

  Chapter 4

  Mach found himself nodding in and out of sleep while laying in a tub of hot water. Somehow, the water was heated from downstairs and brought up through pipes to the rooms above. He did not think too much on it, after all he was only going to be here for a little while and there was no use trying to find out details of something he may never again use. But the idea was neat and perhaps when he found his mother he might try and find a way to do this same thing in his own home.

  The heated water felt so good that he thought he might be willing to just boil himself alive as the hot water reddened his skin. He had not known he was this tense, though he guessed he should have known that he would be. The last few days had been close enough to hell for him.

  But one question kept coming to his mind in the heat of the water. What was he to do? He wanted to go home and see if he could find his mother. But what if he were to fail? Was it not better to leave the search in hands better suited to this?

  On the other hand, he wanted to join these two on their adventure. This was the kind of thing he had always wanted to do, always dreamed of doing since as long as he could remember. But he did not think that those two would wait around for him to find his mother. He always wanted to travel, that is why he wanted to sail the seas in the first place...Gods, what am I to do?

  For the first time in his life, he was completely uncertain of what he was supposed to do. He knew that if there was any chance of finding his mother, it rested in the hands of the Gargoyles of Madtu. They were smart, strong and something far more than he could ever be. If she was found by them, she would be in the best of hands and they would certainly get her the help she needed.

  But he wanted to make sure that she was found. He wanted to be the one to find and rescue her. But yet, what was this fear he had in following his heart and leaving Bastra’s company? There was something about them, something that felt as if he were being drawn to this little quest of theirs.

  Mach was slipping into a slumber. His eyes grew heavy and his mind began to slow. He dreamed about days long gone. His father had often gone out to sea or else he would have left on foot. He was gone more often than not, but that was the way life was when an individual chose a life of map making.

  He remembered the sadness that would come when his father would leave home and the joy it brought both him and his mother when his father would return from any of his journeys.

  For the first time in a long while, he remembered vividly the day that his father did not return alive. He had been six years of age.

  The suns were shining brightly above, the sky clear of all clouds. The ship his father left on had docked at the port. Everyone seemed to be overjoyed at their return, but he had been having feelings of dread since early that morning and he knew something was wrong. He had usually been very happy on the days any ship docked at the port, so why feel bad now?

  But when he saw his father’s ship that day, turning into the cove of their home, and when he did not see Dan standing at the bow of the ship, as was custom for his return home, he knew for a fact that something was wrong. Only the deck hands were up top as well which only added to his sureness.

  Normally, the entire crew would be up above readying themselves for docking. But when a group of men hauled a stretcher wrapped in white cloth up from the decks below, his heart seemed to have stopped and he went numb. It felt like the whole world had stopped moving except for those people carrying the stretcher. His father had not been among the men carrying that stretcher and it was in that moment that he knew what had happened.

  He stood in a field surrounded by the now familiar mist and smoke. Above him he saw the three suns high in the sky, all three were crimson red through the thick smoke in the air.

  The laughter came, that laughter that made him shiver to the very marrow of his bones.

  “You think you can take me on, boy?” The voice laughed tauntingly just out of sight among the mist and smoke. “You don’t have a chance!”

  “I will stop you!” he said loudly into the smoke, his anger and courage mixing to give him the strength he needed but did not feel he had. “If not for my own revenge, than just to stop you from hurting anyone else”

  The laughter grew louder to his ears. “Your father didn’t stand a chance and neither will you!” Suddenly from out of the mist, the vague human shape of his enemy with blood red eyes gleaming in the shadows of the smoke and mist, charged at him. He raised his sword and blocked the strike that came from out of the mist. The enemy’s face, so distorted by smoke and haze and his own fear, was right up against his own. He could smell the putrid breath, the wild red eyes glared into his, making his skin tingle with fear and hatred

  “You will never defeat me! You are weak just like your father...” The voice echoed off as the world clouded up around him.

  He blinked heavily and found himself walking in a small field surrounded by trees. By the looks of the sky, the third sun had set a while ago, darkness was thickening with every passing moment. Just as it was back home in the hills, the shadows of the trees made the darkness more sinister. Although he saw that he was moving, he could not hear any sounds coming from his own footsteps. His breathing was as silent as the wind. He was as quiet as a wraith.

  Mach realized he was not alone when the faintest of noises reached his ears. There was a man near him, though he took no notice to him. This man was middle aged if he were to have guessed. His long brown hair was already turning grey slightly, it hung out of his hood, his features hidden slightly by the nights’ shadow but still discernible enough.

  The cloaked man bent down to check something on the ground but in a moment’s time, almost faster than thought, he was up and running through the trees, something large in his arms and Mach could not seem to keep up.

  He woke with a start, sweating as though he really had been running through the forest. He was almost gasping for breath as though the air around him did not exist. It was full night now and the water had turned ice cold. The red moon was visible through the window in his bath, as was another on the other wall of the room. The yellow moon, known as the moon of storms for its seeming ability to affect storms, was peaking over the buildings of the city. Through the faint moonlight, he could barely make out the washroom. There was someone in the room with him. He could see the outline against the window.

  “Finally awake, are you?” It was Mendoll's voice and through the glow of the window he could see the old man looking out into the night.

  “Yea, how long was I asleep?” he asked, sitting up in the tub to reach the drain plug that had kept the water inside the bowl.

  “Not too long, though you may turn to a prune soon enough.” Mendoll said getting up from his perch on a chair. “Just wanted to make sure you were alright. I saw you were not in your bed, so I thought I would check to see where you were. Wouldn’t want you to run off and do anything stupid.”

  Only just realizing that Mendoll may have been sitting there long enough to hear something, said with a laugh, “I didn’t talk in my sleep, did I?”

  Mendoll was at the door by then. He stopped and turned to face him. Even though it was dark he could see the look on the Healers face, “only a bit, my boy. Only a bit.” His expression was a face full of concern and worry. “Better get off to your bed before you turn into a mer-person or something of the like.” A smile crossed his face for a moment before Mendoll turned away and left Mach in his cold bath.

  Smiling slightly to himself, he rose from the bath and got dressed. He walked slowly through the darkness to his room and fell onto his bed, his hair still soaking wet. The warmth of the night air was just right to put him to sleep immediately.

  He woke in the morning after a night of dreamless sleep, something that he was deeply grateful for. He did not want to experience anymore of those odd vivid dreams he had been having since the attack on Selane.

  He dressed quickly and left his room for breakfast. Both Bastra and Mendoll were already up an
d ready for their day. They had been talking about what they would need for the trip when he walked in, such as foodstuffs that would not go bad and what they needed for weapons and transportation. Even with Bastra’s ability to fly, it would take them days to reach the eastern fort on foot.

  Mendoll looked closely at the list he had made. “With the amount of supplies we are going to get, it would be best to move by horseback. Anything other than that would be senseless. Of course, you could always carry all the gear, but I highly doubt that you want that weight on your shoulders.” Mendoll explained.

  “Amusing, old man. No, I do not want that kind of weight. As for the horses, that is easy for you to say,” Bastra said jokingly “can you see me on a horse?”

  Mendoll chuckled but answered earnestly. “I can imagine that, actually. No, I was referring to the horses carrying the supplies and you doing what your people do best. Besides, if we are on the horses we can keep up with a steady flight from your end.”

  Bastra chuckled. “That is true, but what about the horses carrying the supplies and you two. Won’t they be far slower that way?” Bastra asked seriously.

  “Now that is an easy answer, old friend.” Mendoll said with a smirk on his face, “My horse will carry the blunt of the goods. Should be about the same weight as one of us. A simple spell to control it will get the horse to follow us without any trouble.”

  “But what will you ride?” Bastra said sarcastically

  Mendoll waved airily and said, “I will ride Chariine, of course. She came back shortly after we parted company for the last time. I will ride her as we head to the east, so the horse I am to get from the guard will carry the packs while we ride. Meanwhile you take flight. It should work out nicely so long as the total weight of our gear does not exceed that of a normal person.”

  “Where are we going first?” Mach asked trying to get involved in the conversation without seeming to intrude. He was still not sure why he was going to follow them at all, but something in him was telling him to follow them closely.

  “To the east. There are three forts along the border. However, getting where we need to go from there is another story. Far easier said than done, my boy,” Mendoll said, “I already know where we have to go in the end, the only problem is getting there.”

  “Where is that?” Mach asked with a large chunk of bread in his mouth

  “Exactly where the king said, into Gehnith. Did you not listen to what the king said?” Bastra said calmly before taking a large drink from his mug.

  “Indeed.” Mendoll said seeing the look on Mach’s face. “The very heart of our enemy, I already have most of the information I need. I only need to confirm a few things. And that means a trip into the heart of the beast’s lair”

  “Could be dangerous.” Bastra pointed out. “You want to go with us or would you rather stay at the fort? I think together we may be able to convince the king that you are not capable and would be better at finding stranded and lost people from Selane. Whatever you choose, choose it now. We won’t wait more than a day for your answer.”

  Mach had to think about it only for a moment. He wanted to go back to Selane and search for his mother. But what kind of help could he be in any kind of search? Would he not be better suited to helping these two in gathering the information that will bring justice to the man responsible for Selane’s fall? And if they found him, maybe he could bring his own justice to him.

  Perhaps he would be useless with either task. But they just told him they would not wait for him. Bastra was right about one thing, he had to choose now. “Bastra, you said that the Elder of Madtu was sending someone to search for any survivors, right?” Mach asked while he stared at his meal.

  Bastra nodded. “Indeed, he did. I know the Elder well enough to know that he himself is probably out searching the forests and the waters to find anyone that may need help. Chances are they have rounded up most of the survivors already. And I am sure that they already have formed some kind of force to help the village with any fighting if it is still going on.”

  Mach, deciding that he could not do a better job at searching for his mother, or for that matter anyone else, than the group of hunters and trackers from Madtu, gave his answer in a voice close to a whisper.

  “I want to go with you guys.” He said finally.

  “Good.” Mendoll answered spiritedly, “Finish up your breakfast and go to the guards training facility. There is one located at the south end of the capital. Just follow the road outside and head around the palace. When you get to the south side gate, you head straight down that road. You will come up to the guardhouse near the walls of the city.”

  Mach finished his meal without another word, retrieved his scimitar from his room, and followed Mendoll's directions. The day was bright with almost no clouds above. But there was a feel in the air that may bring a storm later on, if ever there was a time for him to get the training over with it was now. He walked the path and was at the guardhouse before the day guards had even arrived for the beginning of their day. He found the Captain quickly and reported to him for his survival training.

  The Captain was short on words but quick to begin. Within mere moments he was geared up with light armor and gear and put to work. The exercises were easy enough for him to master, they were just simple moves that his father had already taught him years before he had died. Simple exercises that were meant for strengthening the body and increasing stamina. The survival training was nothing more than simple tracking and understanding of the gear he would be using. Things that he would have wanted anyways had he not been ordered to do it.

  However, when it came to the combat portion of the training, he stumbled over it like a newborn calf. Although the Captain was kind about it, telling him that he was doing well for someone his age, he knew that he was lousy at fighting.

  He had thought that he was good with a sword long ago, or at least decent in the ways of combat. However, his time spent sparring with the trainee soldiers taught him a lot that would sure help him in the coming days. Especially if I come face to face with that bastard!

  The survival training and exercises had only taken a few hours. However, the combat training took most of the afternoon away from him. By the time the second sun had begun to set he had improved considerably, but still had a long ways to go before he could be considered competent. He was informed that he was the quickest to learn that the Captain had ever seen come to his post. After working through the day with only one small break to eat a quick lunch, he was famished by the time his training had ended and walking back to his room was difficult.

  By the time that he reached the inn, the last of the daylight was beginning to fade. The third sun having set already, he had walked back under dark skies. Twilight brought out few stars but he found himself entranced by them anyways. The torches’ lights of the city dimmed the stars slightly, but they were still up there in as much of their glory as could be beheld.

  He was so enthralled that he nearly walked past the inn. It was Mendoll's voice that had brought him out of his brooding.

  “Thinking of home?” Mendoll asked kindly as Mach walked passed him.

  “Hmm? Oh, yea, I was actually. I just wish I could see it one last time before we leave. How did you know?” Mach asked.

  Mendoll stared up into the sky. “You had the look your father would have when he was thinking of you and your mother. Every time I had ever been around him, he seemed to be talking about the two of you.”

  He sighed. “I don’t remember him, Mendoll. I try and try, but I just can’t seem to remember all those things we used to do together. I mean some things I still remember, and clearly too. But there are some memories that I can’t recall.”

  “Not surprising, you were only six after all, were you not? It’s been nearly eleven years now since you last saw him.” Mendoll said casually.

  “Are your memories fading too?” Mach asked

  “That is the way of memories, my boy.” Mendoll said solemnl
y “They fade into time, merging with other memories. Lost within our own minds. I guess after enough time we will completely forget them.”

  “No.” Mach said with sureness in his heart, “I will never forget him so long as I live.”

  “Perhaps not, only time will tell.” Mendoll said shrugging his shoulders, “now, come in get something in your stomach. I am sure that the food they gave you out there today was not at all satisfying. After that, let’s get some sleep, we start out tomorrow morning just after first light.”

  He was tired enough that his appetite seemed to have vanished. Though after a few helpings of the casserole the inn’s cook had prepared, Mach regained most of his hunger and was able to demolish several plates with fair ease.

  He slept lightly that night. Either it was the prospect of the coming morning or else the third helpings he had eaten were upsetting his stomach. In either case the slightest noises would wake him.

  Morning came quickly. The night was just beginning to vanish from the sky when he rose out of his bed. He was ready for departure and was halfway through eating his breakfast before Mendoll had even left his room.

  “Sleep well?” Mendoll asked the moment he saw Mach sitting at the table. The Mage tore a chunk of bread from the loaf at the table in half and poured himself a mug of cider.

  “Good enough” he said through a half full mouth, “I want to get out of here as soon as possible. I do want to go with you guys, but I am afraid that if I stay any longer I will lose my nerve.”

  Mendoll smiled gently at him. “Afraid, huh? I know that feeling well enough. Sometimes you end up running from the very thing you desire to obtain. Done it myself a time or two. I remember there was a girl where I was born. Thought she was the one for me, but I ended up leaving to train my skills and become an Adept. Thought that by doing that she would surely love me in return.”

  “What happened?”

  Mendoll stared at the piece of bread for a moment. “I returned more than two decades later, full Adept Healer. She had gone and gotten married, though with reluctance I had come to find out. See, she loved me already and it was with a heavy heart that she married my best friend. Had I just gone to her right away, at the beginning, and told her how I felt, she would have waited for me but she never knew how I felt about her. I ran from her instead of to her. She did the only logical thing, not knowing how I felt and all, or whether or not I would ever return.”

  He thought that is was ridiculous for that to happen. If they had loved each other than they would have ended up together. As though he had read Mach’s mind, Mendoll added one more thing for his thoughts. “Perhaps we had both been running. Never will know for sure. But you see what I did, right? The thing I wanted most was to be with her, but I ran off and followed my second desire instead of my heart’s desire. And I lost out on a lot of love.”

  “Did you ever find anyone else?” he asked gently.

  Mendoll shook his head. “Never. I left home for the last time and came here to Eldour. I had already been promised a place in the Kings court. After all, every king would like to have an Adept Healer in their palace. I had planned to bring her with me, another mistake. I should have known that she would never leave her family behind. Of course, I could have joined one of the many courts back home. However, I never did. I have not been home for over eighty years now.”

  “Where is Bastra, isn’t he going to eat anything before we leave?” Mach asked, only than realizing that the Gargoyle was not there.

  Mendoll shrugged. “I believe he already ate. I think he is out picking up the supplies we ordered yesterday. He said he would do as much last night and that he would be out before the dawn came.”

  As Mendoll finished explaining, the door to the inn opened and Bastra walked in. He was holding several large sacks, each looked as though they could have been used to carry a human body apiece and the way they were slung across his back they may well have held bodies in them. Some of the sacks clanked as he dropped them down to the floor.

  “I got everything we need.” Bastra announced, “Including the armor and a new weapon for the boy.”

  Mach was at a loss for what to say as the last words left the Gargoyle’s lips. They had gotten new armor and a sword for him?.

  Bastra laughed at the look on Mach’s face and the piece of bread still hanging out of his mouth. “Chainmail and leggings made of mithril. They are Elven enchanted, if the arm-smith is truthful. Very light and very durable. You will find that they are far lighter than the gear you had been training with yesterday. Did not come cheap either. However, seeing as the king is paying for them, I figured that I would get the best I could find. I guarantee that you will not find these things among the guards’ gear.”

  Bastra opened the sack that had made the clanking noise. Pulling out the mail from the bag, a faint blue color came from silver of the mail as the sunlight streaming into the room from a nearby window hit it. Laying the mail across a chair, he then pulled out a pair of leggings that did the same. This was far more than Mach could have ever hoped for, but there was the thought of when was he going to use them.

  Bastra pulled a sword from his back that was at least half Mach's height. The blade was as wide as his palm and double-edged, it gleamed white in the sunlight from the windows. He reached for it hesitantly and when his hands gripped the sword he was surprised at its weight. It was nowhere the weight of any of the swords in the training center. Truth was that it felt lighter than any sword he had ever had the pleasure of holding.

  “Those should do well enough until we can find better.” Mendoll said, “Unfortunately, this country does not come by the best in weapons and armor that I have seen. As far as I know there are not many items better than Elven enchanted gear, but there are some.”

  “This is fine with me.” Mach said breathlessly with utter admiration for the weapon he was holding.

  “So we are loaded,” Bastra, said clapping his hands together and rubbing them lightly. He was speaking almost as though he were reminding himself of what lay ahead. “We will head east from here. Over the hills to the northern most station that guards our borders. We ride ‘til mid-day or until we find a suitable site for the horses to rest. Whichever comes first.”

  Mendoll nodded. “Indeed, we should be at the north fort sometime around mid-day tomorrow. Once we arrive at the fort, we will take rest that night and then continue on the next morning.” The Healer said. “At least, that is what I have planned. It should be easy enough so long as there is no interference.”

  “We have to cross a river before we go into Sirunre, don’t we?” Mach asked

  “That is correct,” Mendoll answered. “There is a river that separates this kingdom from Sirunre, but we should be able to find a way across easy enough. That is why we are stopping at the fort first.”

  Bastra looked up toward the roof as if he were looking at a map. “But not just any river, it is more of a canal that connects the North Sea to the South Sea through the mainland. It is not a very large channel, truth be told. But it is very deep and unlike a normal river, this canal does not have fresh water. There have been rumors of a hydra in that area as well, so it may become hazardous. Reports have come in as recently as last week of it being there. Considering that most hydras prefer the salt water of the open seas to fresh water lakes, that channel is a perfect hiding spot for one. So you are forewarned that it will be very dangerous to cross it.” Bastra continued

  “Yes indeed, but we will worry about that when we get there.” Mendoll said, “let us first finish our breakfast and be gone from here before the suns rise to much more.”