Rising of a Mage (16 page)

“Hey Cannen, Is everything ok.”

“Anwar I did it. I went to make the proposal at the castle. I couldn’t get an audience with the king, so I had to make my proposal to one of his advisors. He took my information, and said he would send someone if the king was interested. Not an hour later the king himself was standing in front of my smith. The king, Anwar. He came to me. He asked how many of the swords I could make. I told him six; he said he wanted all six. He gave me a sword and said to start with that and make five more like it. I told him it would take three months and he agreed. Eighty crowns a piece, Anwar. That’s four hundred and eighty crowns, Anwar. You take half of that. You’ll leave Kampar like a wealthy merchant.”

“No you keep it, Cannen.”

“No. Anwar, you must take half; you are already giving me my own smith. You have to take half or I won’t do it.”

“Alright, Can, calm down. We will split it then.”

Cannen smiled at his brother. “Thank you, Anwar. Just don’t forget about me when you’re famous, eh.”

As Cannen turned to walk out, Anwar stopped him. “Hey, Cannen! I’m going to be imbuing this ring in two weeks. You want to watch me do it?”

“Watch you? Really? Well, yeah, that would be great.” Anwar nodded, and Cannen left.

Anwar spent the next two weeks studying his spell. Checking and rechecking everything to confirm that the spell he created would work. He was confident that it was going to work. The only way to be sure with things like this was to do it though. A few days before he was to complete his final item and be ready to finish his book, Anwar went to get the components he would need; they were all gems.

“Ah Master Anwar, good afternoon sir.”

“Good afternoon Danner.”

“What can I get for you today, sir?”

“Two topaz, one emerald, an amethyst, and a gram of diamond dust.” “Ah, something special indeed, sir. That’s going to be forty-eight gold crowns, sir.”

Anwar flinched at that. It was still a more than fair price, but a lot of gold. Anwar had now depleted their savings to less than forty gold pieces and a handful of silver. Mariah had agreed to it though, and they would make it back with the raiding party over the winter. Anwar had not told her about the two hundred and forty gold pieces they were going to have on top of that. He would keep that a surprise for later.

The morning he was to finish his final item he met Master Gabrielle in his study. His brother was already there. Anwar was carrying his staff in one hand and the small bag of components in the other. Master Gabrielle looked at the staff accusingly.

“I’m going to need it,” was all Anwar said. Gabrielle nodded, and they all followed Anwar to the casting chamber. Mariah and Cannen did not know what to make of that little exchange. Cannen dismissed it, as he had no idea what to make of any of this. Mariah had a little better idea, and it worried her. Once they were in the chamber Anwar explained the importance that Cannen watch and only watch. He explained the risk of interrupting him or doing anything that would break his concentration. Cannen said he understood.

Anwar went to the table. The other three stood against a side wall where they could watch but would not interfere. Anwar slid the ring his brother had made for him off his finger, the ring with the rose with a circle around it imprinted on it. He set the ring on the table. Then he dumped the pouch of diamond dust over it and cast the spell of hardness. When he was finished he laid the two topaz, the emerald and the amethyst in front of the ring. He took his staff and cast a magical shield over all of the items. He held the staff in his hand. The staff would endure half of the drain and therefore allow Anwar not to drain himself completely in attempting this spell. As he began casting, the first topaz dissolved, but it did not absorb into the ring; it was absorbed into the shield. Gabrielle realized as the topaz was absorbed into the shield that the magical barrier was there. It began to glow yellow. Anwar continued casting the spell and the second topaz dissolved and was absorbed in the spell.

“What is he doing” Gabrielle said quietly to himself, but Mariah had heard it, and now she really was worried. As Anwar continued with the spell, the emerald dissolved into the shield. Anwar could feel the energy being sucked out of him. As he spoke the final words of the spell, the amethyst was absorbed into the ring, and then the shield was sucked into the ring. They all watched as the glowing orb over the ring shot into the ring and then they heard Anwar grunt. As one, all three sets of eyes went from the ring to Anwar, who bent over and vomited. Anwar stood and looked at them. He could see the worry in his brother’s face as well as Mariah’s, but Master Gabrielle had a big grin on his face. He spoke the final word that would seal the magic, smiled back at him, and stood up straight. He looked back at Mariah and Cannen.

“I’m ok. The last part of the spell took a lot of energy all at once; that is why my stomach relieved itself.” They all followed him back to his room were Mariah forced him to get in his bed, not that he could have stopped her if he wanted to.

“I will have the book finished in a few more days, Master Gabrielle, and then I will reveal the secret of all the items I have created these last weeks to you. I assure you, you will be both surprised and delighted.”

“I have no doubt, Master Anwar.” Anwar assured his brother that he was ok. He explained that this was the most powerful magic he had ever wielded. He kissed Mariah, winked at her, and then he was asleep. Anwar stayed in bed for three days. Whenever woke, Mariah would bring him a cup of broth and some bread. He would eat it and then lie down and fall asleep again. The fourth day Anwar woke refreshed. He still felt very drained and he knew it would be another week or more before he recovered, but, if he had not used his staff, he would have lost consciousness, like he had when he created Mariah’s coat, but would not have woken for weeks. He spent the rest of that day explaining the creation of the ring in his book. He listed everything he had read that lead him to his conclusion and the creation of the spell. He had cast a very powerful magical barrier over the ring. When the topaz were absorbed into the shield, they strengthened and reinforced it. When the amethyst was absorbed into the ring, it inverted the spell and forced the inverted spell into the ring. Now, y\the ring, instead of shielding him from magic, would absorb the magic and allow him to use that magical energy to replenish his own lost energy or use that energy to cast magic from the ring. He explained that he did not intend to rely on the ring; in the event magic was used against him he would cast his shields but, if his barriers were destroyed, the magic that got through would be absorbed by the ring while he worked another barrier.

Anwar gave himself a week to recover. Then he and Mariah went to meet Master Gabrielle. His magical energy was not fully restored, but nearly so. He would be fully recovered by morning. They met Master Gabrielle in a courtyard. First he demonstrated Mariah’s knives. Then he asked Master Gabrielle to throw a fire ball at him.

“You don’t have a shield up.”

Anwar winked at him. So Master Gabrielle cast a fire ball that shot straight at Anwar. Mariah screamed. Master Gabrielle felt panic rise in his chest, but then, just before the fireball reached Anwar, it was sucked into the ring on Anwar’s hand.

“What spell did you cast on that ring? I Have never seen anything like that.”

“It was a spell of my own creation. The outer item was a spell I created by modifying a number of other spells which I explain in detail in this book.” He handed the book he had written to Master Gabrielle. Then he handed him a ring that had KG stamped on it.

“Put it on and speak the command words KAMPAR GABRIELLE.” Master Gabrielle did so, and then he was standing in his office next to his window. Anwar appeared in the room, holding Mariah’s hand.

“I knew it would work. That ring is a ring of teleport; it will teleport you to where you are standing from anywhere in the world. You may pass it on to the guild master who replaces you, if you choose, but the command to activate that ring and bring them to where you are standing will forever be KAMPAR GABRIELLE.”

“This is the greatest gift I have ever been given. Thank you, Anwar. And, thank you for this book I am sure it will be enlightening and, as I promised, I will make a copy and have it sent to Heavens Dale. He looked down at the book Magical Items and their Creation BY Anwar Alamira. He looked up at Anwar and smiled. That is the name I will be known by from hence forth. Gabrielle nodded, sat down, looked at his ring, and then began reading the book written by his former apprentice.

Chapter Thirteen

The Attack
on Kampar

A
nwar lay in his bed a few weeks after the testing of all the items he had created, and the book he had finished. Mariah was lying in his arms. They were both awake but it was still early. They both lay there and enjoyed each other’s company.

“Are you still planning on coming with me when I leave?”

Mariah looked up into his eyes. “I’m afraid.” she paused, but before he could respond she smiled at him “that you are stuck with me, my love.”

“Ah, and what a pleasant tick you are.” They both laughed. “Winter is still a few months away. When spring comes, trading caravans will begin leaving the city again. I think we should ride with one of them. I am sure there are a lot of merchants that would love to hire three members of Captain Anthony’s raiding party to protect their caravan.”

“Three?”

“Jabaal asked me a while back if he could travel with us when we decided to leave the city. If he still wants to come, I think it would be nice to have another friend along. What do you think?”

“I think it’s as good a time as any, and Jabaal is a good friend. It would not be wise to turn away a trusted and capable sword arm.”

“In six months then we three will begin out journey wherever it takes us.” “It’s settled then,” she said as she kissed him.

Mariah told Master Gibbins of their plans to leave Kampar in six months.

“A sad day it will be indeed when my most promising apprentice leaves me. It would seem I will have to begin doing my own work again. Mariah, you are the most gifted apprentice I have ever taken. It is past time I released you from my tutelage.”

“Sir?”

“You match me in nearly every aspect of healing. You can create shields. Your aptitude in healing exceeds that of most of the priest of this guild. Henceforth, you are a full priest of the guild of Kampar.” He lifted a thick leather bound book from his desk. “This is a book of healing spells of true mastery in the art. In it, you will find spells of healing far greater than any you have learned so far. There are spells to reattach severed limbs, even for the regrowing of severed body parts, healing of the blind, the giving of unnaturally long life. There is even a spell in here that is said to be able to restart the heart after it has ceased beating, along with a number of other spells. The only spell I am capable of casting from this book is the reattachment of severed limbs. I have no doubt that you will surpass me in this one day and be capable of more of its spells then I was ever able to do.”

“Thank you sir. You have been like a father to me and I will be saddened to leave you. It is the path I have always known I would take, however.”

He hugged her and a single tear ran down her cheek. When she looked at him there were tears in his eyes as well.

Anwar went to find Jabaal. He found him standing guard at the main gate of the city. “Six months, Jabaal.”

“What?”

“In six months we are leaving Kampar. That is, if you still wish to leave with us.”

“If you’ll still have me, my sword is yours.”

“Very well. Our first road will lead us to the city of Ambar.”

“Sounds good to me, but why Ambar.”

“Master Gabrielle recommended it, and it seems as good a place to start as any.”

“I’d follow you into the demon’s gorge if you chose to travel there.”

“You are a good friend, Jabaal, and it will be a pleasure to have you as a traveling companion.”

As Anwar turned to walk away a horn sounded, and then another, and then they were heard all over the city. He spun around. “Jabaal, what is that?” “An army is marching toward the city. Anwar, we’re being attacked.”

Mariah was back in her room thinking about what had just transpired between her and her mentor when she heard the horns.

“An attack? Anwar! He went to the gate to talk to Jabaal.” Mariah threw on her coat, strapped on her sword, tucked her bow string in a pocket, and threw her quiver over her shoulder. She grabbed her bow and Anwar’s staff and sprinted to the gate. As she approached the gate she saw guards piling up the stairs onto the walls. No one was firing, which meant the attack was not in range of the walls yet. She had made it before it started. Then she saw Anwar, standing on the wall above the gate. Dozens of magical bolts were flying from each hand, followed by fireballs. Guards all around him were yelling and cheering him on. “Well, almost before it started.” She bolted to the stairs nearest the gate. She pushed her way through the guards until she was on the wall next to Anwar. He looked down at her and smiled. She handed him his staff.