The Enchanter of Rangel: Child of War Book 1 (14 page)

             
“Why would the Queen even let us act as her executioners? She surely must have her own men to preform that sort of thing.” Patrick said as he looked over the gray courtyard.

             
“Sure she does, but where is the fun in that? Nobles pay top dollar to get in there and make bets on who is gonna win or not. Men fighting against the Queen’s best means no money made at all, men fighting against unknowns though; there is money to be made there. No offense to you, but chances are everyone wants to see a child of war go down, probably lots of bidding against you, especially if your opponent is as armed as you will be. I wish I had the money, I’ll bet heavily on ya unless the Queen sends her armored goons out to make the match interesting. She was thrilled to take our little group apart with her armored goons, you should’ve seen her face when outta nowhere Patrick killed her captain in one blow. It was magical I tell you Xander, magical.”

             
“Well Wyclef, what time are we allowed to turn in?”

             
“Xander we aren’t like normal slaves you see all down trodden. The High Witch gives us a degree of freedom round here she does. Just be prepared to die for her on a moment’s notice is the only payment she wants. We one day will be like the Palace Guard if Patrick is to be believed, even able to marry. Imagine that, free from being slaves and marrying. He says it’s all up to the Queen to make that happen though. The High Witch is gonna request it, we will see how that goes though, I don’t trust no royals.”

             
“Well then I am going to sleep, where is that at exactly?”

             
“Follow me Xander.”

             
Xander followed Wyclef into the building Wyclef told him was for the High Witch. After climbing down the first flight of stairs, Wyclef placed him in a small room with a rope attached leading down.

             
“I didn’t expect us to be living in the same quarters as the High Witch, how is this possible? I was taught all magic users placed themselves above the common rabble” said Xander wondering if there was some mistake.

             
“Aye lad, but there is good reason for keeping us here. If this place is ever attacked, as the first line of defense your job is to pull that rope to ring the bell on the lower levels. If the worse happens, as the new guy you are the first to die. This is the biggest building on the campus, all of us live here protecting the High Witch, the lower the level, the worse the fighting. Many other witches of stature look down on us not knowing why she tolerates us when she is more dangerous by herself. I don’t quite know why myself so we train hard, trying to keep our position.”

             
“Thanks for the talk Wyclef, what time is wake up?”

             
“It’s whenever you want it to be Xander, most of us are up and out of here before sunrise. We do leave behind a small number of men just to make sure no one tries anything. After she is awake, they then join us as well.”

             
“I might like it here if it wasn’t for the whole slave thing Wyclef.”

             
“Right now that is just a title. We have it better than a lot of so called freemen. When was the last time you seen anyone on commitment eat steak for dinner. That spread for chow wasn’t for show, we get that everyday.”

             
“You have a point there Wyclef, but I miss my family, I miss my mom.”

             
“You will get over it soon boy, trust me. Mine spent me childhood reminding me I wasn’t a girl and therefore was worthless as shit. I couldn’t care if her or my uppity sister died. Get some sleep kid, we normally have watch on the lower levels, but until you make it as one of us, you can just relax.”

             
Xander watched as Wyclef walked away and shut the door. Being excited about his new found position but scared of the arena, Xander could not sleep well. Thinking about the armor the Queen’s men must have, Xander needed something to offset their advantage. He figured he would have a slight speed advantage, but since dueling with Patrick he was not going to rely on that solely. What he needed was answers, perhaps his dad could help.

             
Xander opened his book and went to the last page. Activating the sign he thought about the Queen’s armored men.

             
Ah they were a nasty bunch Xander. Real slow moving but hard as hell to bring down. Most fight with a shield as tall and wide as a man made of solid Rangelian oak. Hard to see them behind it, they can’t move it all that well but they didn’t need to. These had to be the biggest men in all of the Queendom. I wanted to face them again, my swords did great damage to their armor but the men underneath did not sustain any great damage. What I thought would work though if we ever got the chance was to focus more on damaging that shield than anything else. It seemed that the damn thing was on some type of wheels, I never saw them fight with it on unlevel ground and it moved almost unnaturally if it was only muscle moving it. Of course you still have their swords to deal with. Most of them carry a great axe or Warhammer, with a small sword attached to their sides. The sword won’t cut through most armor, it is just to finish off and unarmored opponent. If they are facing and armored opponent, then the heavy stuff came out. My sword had some effect on them though. Not the kind I made the normal troops with, but my personal sword. The strength amplifier I put on it made me more than a match for them and twice as quick.

             
Xander put the book down, maybe the sword he had, had a strength amplifier spell on it. He had never figured out what it did besides repairing itself but now that made since. He thought about one of his very first enchantments on the axe handle. If he would have thought about using strength on the wood instead of making it lighter, he probably could have been really devastating. What he needed was a sword capable of his talents. He didn’t really need an unnaturally sharp sword, he needed a sword that could have strength and speed attached to it. You didn't need to chop a man’s head off to end the fight, a small poke in the throat Xander thought would work just as well. Xander drifted off to sleep thinking he would get a sword from the armory and bring it back here to try out his idea.

Chapter

             
Xander had just arose when he heard his door opening. Patrick, easily recognizable by his humongous frame entered his small room.

             
“Wake up kid, got some bad news for you” said Patrick looking down and Xander.

             
“I’m awake, what’s up?”

             
“The Queen is having a ball at the palace. She is speeding up this month’s executions, to give the visiting nobles a show. That means you are set to go on first thing in the morning. I wish we had more than just a day to teach you, but that’s life. There is a wagon waiting for you upstairs, you are the only one of us going today. My mother and the other witches will be there, but no men. If you make it, my mother is throwing her own ball tonight for all the magic users and their families. You are invited if you make it out of there, now get the lead out and get a move on.”

             
Xander grabbed his gear and headed to the wagon, once on it, he remembered he needed to make a sword that he thought was capable of beating the armored behemoths. Xander looked around the capital as he was driven to the arena, with the sun just rising, the city looked absolutely foreboding. Xander sat there in his thoughts as they neared a building that could only be thought of as the arena. Unlike the other buildings, this one was circular. Xander was told to get off by the wagon driver and handed over to a man with looked like he could have belonged to the city watch, but his uniform was slightly different, he must have been a special arena guard Xander figured.

             
“I feel sorry for you boy, you don’t look more than 16 summers. Even for a child of war I don’t wish it on a boy so young. You with them hexfingers huh?” said the guard.

             
“Yes sir, they sent me here to either win and join their group guarding the witches, or die like any other slave.”

             
“I don’t trust the going ons there lad, witches needing protection, who heard of something like that?  Well anyway I see you are already armed, I don’t know anything about who you will be battling, but even in the shape you look to be in, I think he is going to bigger than you. I don’t know why they send you all in here without any armor, but it’s just as well.”

             
Xander thought about the leather armor they were going to find for him today, they never got the chance, just then Xander heard a sound that sounded like thunder itself was storming through the arena.

             
“Don’t get so jumpy lad, that there is the sound of the Queen entering the building. She normally would never be here so early, but that is the unmistakable sound of the Palace guard marching in their heavy armor. Anyway follow me to the slave pens where you will be sized up.”

             
Xander followed the man to what looked to be a little more than cages, just wide enough for a man to stand in with his arms folded with no depth to it to allow seating. Looking around, Xander could see many other men already in their cages in nothing but their small clothes if they had them or nude if they didn't. All they were allowed to keep was a single sword.

             
“Hurry up and take all that off boy, the gamblers will be here in a minute to either buy you outright or bet for or against you in the arena. Since I have never seen anyone willing to pay 100 golden crowns for a slave, I doubt you will be bought. So strip down and stand inside so I can lock you in. I will be outside, so if you need anything, tough.” Said the guard as he walked away after locking Xander in, shaking his head the entire way.

             
Xander was lucky his room had the basic necessities in it, namely fresh small clothes. He looked around his environment and was about to try to get another slaves attention when a group of women walked in. Looking at them, Xander figured the oldest one to be no more than twenty if that.

             
“I told you getting here early would be a treat Aubrey, have you ever bet before?” Said a girl Xander found obnoxious instantly after hearing her speak.

             
“Not even once Mellony, my mother forbids it! Look at the poor things, out ready to meet their makers, may the gods have mercy.” Said Aubrey.

             
Looking at the way the other girls fluttered around her, Xander soon figured out he was looking at the next heir to Rangel. The women flocked from cage to cage commenting on various slaves bodyparts, whether they had ever seen soap and how long they would last once in the arena. Xander soon lost his train of thought until they were in front of his cage.

             
“Look, he has red hair Emma!” said the one called Mellony. “I have never seen an actual red before, it’s a child of war right here in the arena, how scandalous!”

             
“Well he certainly looks like he has seen hard work, he is built like one of the palace guards” said Princess Aubrey.

             
“You there slave, how old are you?” said another one of their group Xander did not know the name to.

             
“16 summers my lady” Xander said as he was careful not to make eye contact.

             
“16! He is as young as we are, why are you in the arena slave, what job did you walk out on?” said the one Xander identified as Mellony.

             
“No job my Lady, the High Witch sent me here. If I survive I get to live in the Academy. If I die I don’t.”

             
“Isn’t Patrick leading some guard force for his mother, Aubrey? When are you two getting married anyway?” said Emma.

             
“My mother absolutely forbids it, wants me to marry a nobles son with a non-magical mother. I have fighting her off, she wants me to marry Duchess Franks son Toby.”

             
“That would be a good match Aubrey, his family has lots of money and would really help your family keep peace, the Franks are well liked and philanthropists to boot. The public loves rich people who are so stupid they give money to the less fortunate. It’s just money wasted though if you ask me, the men are going to eat anyway, they don’t need meat to survive, their gruel is enough.” Said Mellony as she looked Xander up and down.

             
“For a child of war he is kinda cute” said Emma walking around Xander’s cage. “Nice butt too, pity he will probably die this morning, he would have made an excellent diversion whenever I get bored.”

             
“Keep it in your pants tart” said Mellony before continuing. “You slave, take off those small clothes so we can see all of you.”

             
“Take off what my Lady” said Xander not sure if he heard her right.

             
“What are you deaf slave, the small clothes, take them off so we can see what a child of war really looks like. I heard your privates have red hair all around them and I want to see for myself.”

             
Just as Xander was beginning to pull his clothes off the entrance door opened and in walked some other women, these much older than the group before him.

             
“Emma this is where you are at. Your little field trip is over, and Princess what would your mother say about you in a room with filthy naked and near naked slaves. It is not proper in polite society, you ladies go find your seats or other entertainment. There are plenty of nice noble boys seated just to the right of the Queen who would love to have you as company.”

             
The girls said nothing as they left the room. The older women stayed in there and had an older man write down some notes about each of them; what he wrote Xander wasn’t sure since the women spoke in whispers. Different groups of women came and left and took note of the men in the room. Looking around Xander could see he was in better shape than nearly all of them; many looked like they starved somehow before they were brought in. Whatever the case, Xander did not see a swordsman between them although he knew looks could be deceiving, not seeing much muscle tone told him his hunch was probably correct. Xander thought long and hard about whether or not he had the heart to kill of them, he finally settled on he would make it quick so there would be no suffering. It what seemed to be hours to Xander, he was told to dress in whatever he had brought with him. Him and the other slaves were then brought together in a cage facing the arena. At the center he could see a heavyset woman in a large red coat begin to speak.

             
“Ladies, you are here today to see criminals get the reward they deserve. Without rules we would all be savages, and rule breakers must be judged accordingly. Normally we would let one of the nobles slaves fight other slaves, but as our tradition, we have a treat for you today! Our noblest citizens have all brought their best men to fight in the arena for the honor of killing these most vicious criminals! We have old men, we have young men, big men and small men. We even have a child of war waiting to die for your amusement! The Queen has graciously stipulated that any slave who survives will be given the choice to have their freedom back and a writ absolving them of the commitment! Sit back and enjoy what we have for you! First up is Duchess Bereguard’s best fighter, a fiercely quick gentleman and the father of her children, I give you Jackson Bereguard!”

             
Xander peered through the cage at the man who had just walked into the center of the arena. His gray around his temples and the way he was sweating in his armor told Xander this man probably put on a few pounds and wasn’t as fast as he once was. Still he had a long dagger strapped to the back of his armor somehow and a thin but wicked looking sword at his side. The woman in Red came over with three of the men in uniform Xander had saw the gate keeper in early and they opened the gate.

             
“Which one of you lot is ready to die first” the sweaty woman said.

             
Xander stepped forward but was instantly pushed back.

             
“Not you child of war, you are our main attraction! Everyone wants to see you die, I’ll tell you when its your turn, you there hiding in the back, come forward and fight or we will kill you where you stand!”

             
Out came a thin looking man in what Xander would guess in his late 40’s. He should have been completed his commitment and Xander wondered what did he do. The man walked out to the center and faced Jackson Beregard. Despite his lack of conditioning, Xander didn't see the fight fair at all as his opponent could barely move faster than a child and was soon stabbed in the stomach and beheaded. The woman in red picked the head up and held it high for all to see as the crowd cheered wildly. Xander looked and could see the princess draw back in horror, this must be her first time at such a spectacle, her friends though seemed to be enjoying themselves.

             
One by one Xander saw men go out there and die, with their opponents going out of their way to embarrass them before finally killing them. One unfortunate man had both arms cut off and his own sword rammed up his arse before he succumbed. Watching made Xander both angry and nervous, Xander figured he would take his own life before something like that happened. Looking around, there had been at least 30 men before the first fight, now Xander was one of five. They took some type of break after the last fight, probably so all the rich could relieve themselves. Xander and the other slaves sat in a circle when suddenly the man to his right was struck by a rock.