TST (11 page)

“So what are you going to do today?” Azerick asked as he poured honey onto his oats then did the same for Delinda.

“Tend the garden as usual. The cold is making many of the plants lose their leaves and Lord Xornan gets very angry if he sees them on the ground. I also need to tend the spices in the hot house,” she replied. “Will you be going back to the vault?”

“I suppose I had better. I don’t know how long Xornan expects me to take but I had best show measurable progress or he may find me something less enjoyable to do.”

“I cannot imagine there are too many less enjoyable tasks than organizing a bunch of dusty books, scrolls, and trinkets,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

“I actually enjoy it. Not the organizing so much, though that is not so bad, but I also get to research the artifacts and scrolls. Most of it can be rather dull I will agree, but you can also find some useful knowledge in some of those books and scrolls.”

“I guess I would think differently if I were a powerful wizard. Let me know if you find anything that rakes the leaves or waters the plants.”

“I’m a sorcerer, not a wizard and I am not that powerful,” Azerick corrected her.

“I’m afraid I do not know the difference. Enlighten me oh not so powerful sorcerer,” she begged teasingly.

“An invisible energy exists that wizards and sorcerers tap into and shape to create their spells. They call it the Source, the source of all arcane magic. If you could see it, it would look like a river of liquid silver,” he explained.

“If it is invisible, how do you know what it would look like if you could see it?”

 “I saw it once when I first tapped the source as a sorcerer. It was kind of an accident. Another student at the school I was at said some things that got me really angry. I accidentally connected to the Source and drew too much power and I passed out. I was told that I was very lucky that I did not kill myself and everyone around me.”

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “A wizard must use material components to make a connection to the source then shapes it with gestures and words of magic. A sorcerer is said to have a natural connection with the source. We can touch it and harness its power without needing reagents to create a bridge to it. We also shape our spells differently. Wizards can memorize spells they find on scrolls or in books. Sorcerers must create their spells on their own through their own study. It takes longer but we can harness more power and more efficiently than wizards.”

“What did the other student say to you to make you so angry? Did it have something to do with the pain you try to hide behind your eyes?” she asked him and grasped his hand in hers.

Azerick took another deep breath and debated whether to tell her everything. Would she think he was a monster? A murderer? He warred with these thoughts for only a moment before deciding that he would keep nothing from her. She had a right to know everything about him. He told her what Travis had said about his mother and what had happened to her. He told her about his father and his revenge on the thieves’ guild and the man that killed his mother.

She had tears in her eyes as she got up from the table. For a brief moment, he was terrified that she was going to run out the door but she came around the table and held him tightly.

“I’m so sorry for you, for what you have gone through, and what you have lost. And now you are here, forced to serve this vile creature and risk your life fighting in The Games.”

He held her tightly and whispered into her ear. “It’s all right. As long as I have you here, I am happy. Every day I learn more and every battle I fight I get stronger. One day, I will be strong enough and I will get us away from here, I promise. I will take you away and we will be happy. We can put all this fighting and death behind us. For you I will even let go of my mourning and forget about this vengeance that is in my heart,” he promised her.

“I love you, Azerick.”

“And I love you, Delinda,” he swore and kissed her passionately.

She finally pushed him gently away. “It is getting late and we need to see to our tasks.”

“I suppose you are right. I fear I may not be able to focus on my work with you occupying my mind,” he sighed.

“You better pay attention to your work and make sure Lord Xornan is pleased!” she commanded and thumped his chest smartly with her small fist.

“I’ll do my best,” he promised and kissed once more before they separated and sought out their duties.

Azerick stepped into the main hall on his way back to the tower stairway. Zeb and nearly the entire crew of the
Sea Star
that Lord Xornan purchased were enthusiastically polishing the marble and silver planters. They all looked up as Azerick entered the large chamber and Zeb shot him a thumbs up and gave him a wink as he crossed the room.

He now realized where Cook had gone in such a hurry. The former sailors gave him a loud whoop and cheer as he mounted the stairs. Azerick’s face burned in embarrassment but his comrades’ good cheer put a smile on his face nonetheless.

Azerick pressed his hand to the silver plate and entered the vault once more. He began skimming through the stacks of books once again, setting aside those that dealt directly with magic and spell casting. These he would read in detail whenever he decided to take a break from sorting the others.

Azerick and Delinda were able to spend four more nights together before the master of the tower returned. Azerick was arranging the last of the books when the gate flared to life once more. A worn-looking Lord Xornan, two humans, and two beaten and battered minotaurs stepped from the barren world on the other side of the gate and into the vault. The gateway snapped shut as soon as the last guard crossed through.

Here is another item for you to attend to,
the psyling stated and thrust a black, rune-engraved staff into his hands.

Without another word, Lord Xornan and his guards exited the chamber and filed down the stairs. Azerick looked at the dark rod and threw it into the corner of the room. He could feel the malevolence of the awful power that it contained and he wanted nothing to do with it. That particular item would be the last one to be studied if ever.

He stayed in the vault late that night to avoid the master of the tower, toiling away at his duties. By the time he decided to quit for the night, or early morning rather, he had most of the books arranged in a logical order, indexed, and cross-referenced in a catalog that he created. The dozen or so books that he had left would require further study to determine the subject matter and author. He retired to his room exhausted and alone. He already missed Delinda’s warm body next to his. With a sigh of longing, he crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep.

Azerick awoke all too early as the weak morning sunlight oozed through his narrow window. He was still tired, his night’s sleep had been far too short, but he decided he had better get up and get back to work. Maybe he could find something out about what had happened to Lord Xornan and his guards. He hoped he would see Delinda before he went back to the vault.

Azerick stepped into the warm, fragrant kitchen a few minutes later and was overjoyed to see Delinda already sitting at the small table talking to Cook.

“Good morning, lad,” Cook greeted him. “Let me get out of your way and fix you a plate.”

Cook got up, grabbed his plate, dropped it in the sink, and started fixing the young sorcerer some breakfast. Azerick walked over to the table, leaned down, and kissed Delinda good morning before taking a seat across from her.

“It looks like your night was as late as mine was,” Delinda surmised by the tired look mirrored in his own eyes.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to bump into Lord Spider-face so I worked late. What about you?”

Delinda smiled at him. “You should not say such things or even think them,” she admonished, which Azerick just waved off with a flick of his hand. “I had to tend to Lord Xornan and his guards until just a few hours ago. I have to go see to him again soon. I was waiting here for you or else I would have already seen to him.”

“What happened? He had ten guards when he left.”

“I guess whoever owned the thing that he wanted was reluctant to part with it. It happens sometimes,” she answered with a shrug. “So what did he bring back that was so important?”

“A staff. One with a very evil feel to it. I do not like it. I hope I can avoid having to deal with it, at least for a while.”

“Please be careful. I don’t know much about magic but I know some of it can be very dangerous.”

“I will, love, I promise.”

Cook set a plate of food in front of him and a hot cup of strong tea then he busied himself with the few dishes in the sink.

“I’ll leave you to your breakfast. I need to go check on Lord Xornan before he starts calling for me. He does not handle pain well and can be quite difficult when he is convalescent,” she said as she got up and kissed him before leaving Azerick to his meal.

Cook took advantage of the recently vacated chair and sat down with his own cup of tea. “How are you holding up, Azerick?”

“I’m doing all right I guess,” Azerick replied.

“From the looks of it you are doing a bit better than all right,” Cook said with a glance at the door Delinda had exited and gave him a conspiratorial wink.

“Yeah, I guess I am. She is really great.”

“She’s a good catch. Best hold onto her, lad. I heard you are going to be fighting again soon.”

“So I heard.”

“You be careful out there, do you hear me? You got a lot of friends here and none of us want to see you get hurt,” Cook told him earnestly.

“I am glad to hear it. I’ll be careful, I always am.”

Cook laughed at his assertion. “You, careful? Hardly, son, we know you better than that!”

“I’ll be fine,” Azerick assured him.

“Now that I’m more inclined to believe,” Cook said and gave him a slap on the shoulder.

Azerick finished eating and went back to the vault. He started working on sorting the scrolls next. There were a lot of them and were not going to be as easy to identify and catalog as the books had been he soon realized. It took him two days to figure out a method of organization. Once he was able to determine that, the work went a bit faster. Several scrolls had been penned by wizards or sorcerers in ages past and contained significant power. These he separated as he did the spell books and other tomes directly relating to magic.

It was on the third day after the master’s return that Lord Xornan came to see him in the vault chamber. Azerick was studiously reading over several scrolls and noting their context and author, when available, and adding them into his indexing journal when the psyling strode through the door.

I see that you have been making satisfactory progress in your task. I was afraid that Delinda might have been an unfavorable distraction on you. I am pleased that that is not the case. I value her work and would be loathe to be forced to dispose of her.

Azerick flushed at the mention of Delinda then his face burned with rage at the master’s mention of disposing of her. “I am doing my work as best I can. Delinda is not interfering in the least,” he said through gritted teeth.

It took all his effort not to shout and issue impudent threats at the vile creature for daring to hint that he would send away or harm his love.

Do not be overly concerned, my pet. She shall remain safe so long as you do as I instruct you. You will be fighting in The Games in three days. I hope you prepared.

“I am always prepared,” Azerick replied with restrained hostility.

I know your magic is always at the ready. I am referring more to your state of mind. It is even more important that it is prepared than the power you wield.