Light in the Barren Lands: Travail of The Dark Mage Book One (7 page)

On several occasions Delia had suggested he create other ice cream machines to sell, saying they would fetch a very high price. But he had declined. The last thing he wanted was to spread more magical items around the world. As it was, too many were already out there. He worried that others might try to duplicate what he did, and without the knowledge learned back home on Earth, things could go wrong. Well did he remember his and Jiron’s time beneath the sands in Baerustin.

With bowls filled to brimming, the kids ate furiously despite repeated warnings to take it easy in anticipation of a second bowlful. James watched as spoonful followed spoonful in rapid succession. It was only a matter of time before…

“Ow!”

Brainfreeze.

As his son complained most abjectly about his head hurting, all James could say was, “Maybe you’ll listen to me next time.” He couldn’t help but grin at his son’s discomfort.

Jira too was feeling the affects though she did a better job at hiding the fact. Fortunately, such is the nature of brainfreezes that they never last long and the pair soon had their bowls emptied and ready for more.

James always made lots of ice cream whenever he did, and a second bowlful was readily dished out. “Take it easy this time,” he advised. Perhaps it was the warning, or maybe the memory of the pain from earlier, but whatever the reason, they ate at a more reasonable rate.

“This is really good, James,” praised Aleya, before taking another bite of the frozen goodness.

“Thank you. But I have to admit, the stuff back home would put this to shame,” he explained. “I still haven’t perfected the process.”

“It’s fine dear,” Meliana assured him.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love this.” To accentuate his point, he took a large helping, much too large and his back teeth paid the price. “It’s just not up to what I remember.”

“So what is the next game on the agenda?” asked Jiron.

“The egg-toss,” he replied. About to continue, he was interrupted by the appearance of a small creature roughly two feet in height. With skin the color and texture of cowhide, it wore a woolen cloak with hood pulled over its features. A gnarled wooden staff several inches taller than itself was gripped in the creature’s left hand.

“A ship has entered the outer perimeter master,” the creature announced.

“Understood,” replied James whereupon the creature up and vanished. The little creature was a magical construct, something that presented itself to James no matter where on the island he happened to be should a vessel of any kind come within three miles of the island. Magical sensors situated in strategic locations along the ocean floor continuously searched for possible intruders. Most of the time though, it was nothing more than a merchantman sailing past.

“Could it be father?” asked Meliana hopefully.

“I would think so,” James replied. “You keep things going out here and I’ll see.”

“Can I come?” asked Kenny.

His father shook his head. “Sorry, bud. But you know you are not allowed in my study.”

“Oh
rat poop
!” he exclaimed.

“Kenny!” his mother admonished.

Jiron immediately cast a disapproving glance to his daughter. It was no mystery where Kenny had learned that particular expression.

As Kenny offered his apologies and the adults began explaining the proper way to speak to grown-ups, James headed off toward his study with a grin that would not be denied. He wasn’t nearly as upset by Kenny’s exclamation as Meliana. Though he wouldn’t admit it to his wife, he thought it cute.

He found Lorri inside straightening the front room, with a duster in hand. “Why don’t you go join the fun?” James asked.

She turned toward him and said, “It would not be proper, sir.”

“Nonsense,” he replied. “You and Sty are like part of the family.” Over the past five years, he tried his best to bridge the gap between employer and servants with her and Sty. Sty was much less formal than his wife and would joke with James when she wasn’t around. Lorri on the other hand has always done no less than what she deemed proper given the circumstances. Not pressing the point, he continued past and made for his study. Once inside with the way closed, he crossed to his scrying table and quickly located the ship.

It was in the right position for it to be Kendrick’s. He found it south of the island and just a bit to the east, a lone ship upon the water. Despite being in the right spot, he knew by the cut of its lines, it wasn’t Kendrick’s. For one thing, this ship was much larger, boasting a third mast.

Moving in for a closer look, James enlarged the image and saw that it flew the Empire’s flag. The sailors upon its deck were dressed in Empire sailor attire, civilian not military. By this time, he well knew the difference. “A merchant,” he muttered to himself.

The ship was not moving in his direction, rather, it was heading northward as if on its way to Port Haeydan, a Cardri port farther up the coast. But it was out of the shipping lanes for this area. Perhaps it had been caught by the same storm that had delayed Meliana’s father and had simply been blown off course.

Just the same, he watched it for several more minutes to ensure that it had no plans to turn and make for his island. When he was satisfied the ship would continue past, he canceled the image and returned to the party.

A few short seconds after James ceased his observation of the ship, a hatch opened and a man emerged from the hold. Glancing up to the sky with a half-smile, the man soon had the ship’s course altered until it was heading west.

Ice cream, cake, the inevitable singing of
“Happy Birthday,”
a tradition unique to this island, all had to be completed before the presents could be opened. Sure, Kenny pleaded for the order of events to be altered, mainly for the opening of presents to come first, but such was not to be. The presents came last. After all, once they were opened, play would commence should he receive any gifts that would warrant immediate examination.

First came the gifts from Jiron and family. Jiron’s sister, Tersa, had sent along one of her teddy bears as a present. This one had a jingle-type bell within both paws, an idea James suggested last year when she mentioned competition was heating up. Married as she was to a baker and eight months along with their second child, she had not been up to the trip over.

Next was one made by Aleya, and to no one’s surprise, turned out to be a smaller version of the bow she carried. The dozen arrows accompanying it had blunted points so they posed little chance of causing damage. Kenny whooped when he saw it and was all set to go “kill” a neighboring tree when his father quickly explained he still had a couple more presents to open first.

Jiron gave him a wooden, carved horse with rider. Obviously of interest to the boy, it still didn’t garner the reaction of the bow.

From his parents he first received the presents all children dread. Clothes. A new tunic, trousers and shoes, not to mention the half dozen each of underclothing and socks to round out the ensemble. True to form, he faced such gifts with barely concealed disappointment. The sunken face and quick placement far to the side of his other gifts denoted their rank in childish pleasure.

His mother’s gift was greeted with only slightly more interest. It was a wooden replica of his grandfather’s ship,
The Zephyr
. “It floats,” she explained with a grin.

“Wow!” he marveled. Putting it quickly aside, he turned his attention expectantly to his father.

“Hmmm,” began James. “Seems to me you have more gifts here than any one boy should have.”

“No, he doesn’t,” argued Jira.

“Jira!” admonished her mother.

Jira had the good sense to look chastised.

James grinned at his son as he whipped out a small stick roughly twelve inches in length. “But I suppose one more wouldn’t hurt.”

“Ooh,” said Kenny as he stared at the stick in his father’s hand. “What is that?”

“A magic wand, of course,” he replied.

“For
me
?” he asked excitedly.

His father nodded. “There are three different spells you can cast with this.”

“What are they?” Kenny asked. Reaching out for the wand, his attempt to take it was forestalled by his father shaking his head.

“Not yet. First, let me show you how this works.”

Meliana cast James a questioning look. “It isn’t dangerous is it?”

“Not in the least,” he assured her. “Just simple things really, and the magic required is minimal.” Casting his gaze back to his son, he asked, “Ready to do some magic?”

Kenny nodded quite vigorously.

“Okay.” Moving away from the table a short ways, he said, “Give it a flick and say
‘Lights’
.” Demonstrating for his son, James flicked the wand and said, “Lights.” Instantly, three globes the size of apples formed in the air before him. Red, yellow, and blue, they danced in the air.

“Wow!” exclaimed Kenny.

After a minute, their color began changing and soon there were green, white and gray bobbing balls. “To cancel it, merely say…” pausing a second, he said, “End.” Instantly, the three balls disappeared.

“Can I have it now?” asked Kenny anxiously.

“Not yet,” he replied. “Still have two more to go.” He waited until his son calmed down. “Next you just say…,” flicking the wand through the air, “Play ball.”

Appearing on the ground was a soccer-sized ball that glowed a dull red. “Go ahead and kick it,” James told him.

“Kick it?” Kenny asked warily.

His father nodded.

Giving it all he had, he kicked the glowing ball. Reacting as any ball would, the glowing magical construct sailed across the yard and into the trees.

“It’s gone!” his son wailed.

“Not quite,” James assured him. “Return,” he said and the ball rematerialized back in its former position. He glanced to Jiron. “He never gets to play with anyone, so now he can play kick the ball without having to chase it all over the place.”

“Nice,” admired Jiron.

“What’s the third spell?” asked Aleya.

“Levitation,” he replied. Moving back to the table he touched an empty bowl and said, “Rise.”

Kenny watched in fascination as the bowl levitated three inches into the air.

“Down,” James said and the bowl returned to the tabletop. Turning back to his son, he extended the wand. “Here you go.”

Snatching the wand from his hand, Kenny soon had three balls dancing in the air while at the same time levitating all sorts of things found upon the ground. When he tried to levitate Jira, nothing happened.

“It only works on small things and nothing living.”

Disappointment filled his face for a fraction of a second before Jira suggested they try to see how many stones they could get in the air at the same time.

“You’re going to have things floating all over the place pretty soon,” chuckled Jiron.

James shook his head. “I thought about that, so I made sure each spell would only last about a minute before ending.”

Meliana patted him on the back. “Good thinking.” Already there were over a dozen floating stones, sticks and other small items in a rough line between where Kenny had received the wand and the edge of the forest where he and Jira stood now. Fifteen floating globes of varying colors danced in the air, and the glowing ball every once in a while would sail across the lawn from a well placed kick.

James grinned as he watched his son tap another stone, this time one the size of his hand, and make it rise in the air. His enjoyment was short lived however when the hooded creature appeared again before him. This time, instead of a gnarled staff, it held a spear and its cloak was darker.

His grin faded fast as his eyes fell upon the spear. The creature had only two aspects. One was when a ship entered the outer perimeter. At such times, it carried a staff. The second was when a ship, other than one that was expected, encountered the Glerhan. Then, and only then, did the creature appear with a spear. For no captain would dare to brave the shoals of The Dark Mage’s island.

The look on his face alerted Meliana that something was amiss. She glanced to the creature that remained silent and immobile for a second then back to her husband. “James?” she asked nervously.

“A ship has encountered the Glerhan,” he explained.

“Father?” she asked.

He shook his head. “It wouldn’t appear if it was your father,” he stated. “It knows your father’s ships.”

“What is it?” asked Jiron.

James turned toward his friend. “Trouble.” About to explain further, he was interrupted by a surge in the island’s magic grid.

“The Glerhan have been vanquished,” announced the creature.

“What?” he exclaimed. Though only magical constructs, it would have taken a mage of some power to have overcome them. The reserves he had allocated for their use had been sizeable. Apparently though, they had not been large enough.

“Get the kids and everyone else into the house,” he said to Meliana. Then to Jiron, “We have visitors, and I don’t think they’ve come for the party.”

Jiron nodded and unconsciously rested his hand on a knife hilt.

“Kenny!” Meliana shouted, a breath before Aleya called Jira’s name.

“Come with me,” James told his friend of many adventures. Without waiting for a reply, he broke into a run for the house. A touch of magic flung the front door open before he reached it, scaring Lorri half to death. Racing through, he said to her, “May be trouble. Stay inside.”

“Gracious!” she replied as he flew past and to his study. “Sty!”

Once in his study, he quickly had the harbor appear atop the scrying table showing where
The Water Sprite
had deposited Jiron and family the day before. A ship packed with armed men was heading straight for the dock, from the looks of it, it was the same one he saw earlier.

A call was sent to his golem defenders. Unfortunately, Rocky was the only one close enough to make any difference. The others were too far away. By the time they arrived, he was sure it would be over.

“Doesn’t look like all that many,” commented Jiron.