The Weapon Bearer (Book 1) (43 page)

Behind Gortus was a set of greaves, new shield, armor for the arms and hands to match Kilen’s various pieces. “It’s a shame you forgot to bring your helm today,” Gortus said, tossing the arm guards to Kilen. “You had better pay particular attention to protecting your head today.” Kilen fumbled with the metal, trying to put it on with little luck. Gortus grunted and moved to help put on the pieces. “As I said, today we start a new age, with you standing. It will be considerably harder but you also gain the ability to talk.” When Kilen was standing in the full armor and hefting the shield to test its weight, Gortus stepped in front of him. “Today, all you have to do is stand. Do you understand?”

“Just stand here?” Kilen asked, thinking it was some kind of trick. Gortus smiled a wide vicious smile as he nodded his head. Kilen wondered if it was a strength building exercise or testing him to follow orders. He soon came to find out the wicked truth. Gortus stepped outside the arena to a stack of wooden practice swords that Kilen hadn’t noticed. He tossed one to Kilen and then without a moment’s notice, he hit Kilen’s shoulder with an upward arcing swing. The wooden blade shattered as it struck home on Kilen, sending him to the ground. Kilen looked up at Gortus, who was walking to retrieve another blade. Kilen stood quickly and readied himself. At that moment he remembered how Sgt. Wells had hit him repeatedly during his short stay in Keepers. If Gortus hit him with that force the same number of times as Sgt. Wells did, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to stand much longer. This was a defense building exercise, he was finally learning the blade.

Gortus returned with another wood sword in his hand and stood in front of Kilen. “I believe in learning by doing. So I will teach you to defend yourself because you will have no other choice. When you have become sufficient enough to defend yourself while standing we will start moving. Do you agree with my training strategy?”

Kilen smiled raised his shield, “I don’t have a choice.” By luck, Kilen managed to block a couple swipes of the flurry that came at him. The second round ended when Kilen received a blow mid-body doubling him over, followed by an attack to the back of the legs. The attack to his legs swept his feet out from underneath him and sending him sprawling onto his back. His head hit hard on one of the pebbles that Gortus had scattered in the arena for Kilen to crawl on. His head spun. Max was unable to help this kind of dizziness.

“The dragging and crawling ages were to teach you to overcome pain and gain a sense of what your body could handle. Unfortunately, I don’t think that you would have stopped dragging yourself until you were dead. Being able to block out that much pain means you will be able to finish the standing age a lot sooner than I.” Kilen reached up and found the pebble still lodged in his skin and mass of hair. He pulled it out and felt the trickle of warm blood go down his neck. He took his time rolling to all fours while the blood changed directions to the front of his neck and chest.

“Are you going to stand, or do we need to go back to crawling?” the sentence was simple but it said mountains. Kilen rose to his feet and took a fighting stance, still dizzy from hitting his head. The blows continuously landed as Max tried to help Kilen by shouting,
Dodge, shield, or sword to counter the attacks.
It seemed like forever before Leroy arrived with the noon meal, which Gortus immediately attacked just as he had been attacking Kilen. Leroy began rubbing salves into the bruises and scrapes that he could find along Kilen’s exposed areas. He wrapped a bandage around Kilen’s head, warning him to clean it later that day. Kilen looked up from eating and noticed Mary stomping along the training grounds, splitting any group of soldiers that stood in her way. They had obviously been warned of her temper as a fire wizard. When Mary stepped into the blood ring, her emotions took on a look that Kilen had seen only once from her. The day he had fought her and won in battle. Gortus grunted at her and she smiled at him. Kilen then remembered that any wizard or weapon bearer that comes near Gortus loses their ability to use magic, and with that they lose the emotional detriments. This was the first time that Kilen had been around Mary with no anger, no wizard attributes. It was just plain Mary.

“Kilen, I hoped I would catch you during a quiet moment. I wanted to let you know that I met your sister and she is doing well.” She smiled a devious smile, “I also gave her a bit of work to do. I have found that she is performing very well.” She pointed at the plates of food they were eating, “She’s the reason the cooks can’t get the temperature right, the reason the castle is sweltering, and the reason why no nobles have been able to get into bath water the last couple of days. She provides the castle’s heat a little too well.” She smiled again at the deviousness of her training style.

“Thank you very much, Mary. I wish I had time to battle you again, but it seems that with training starting now I won’t have very much time to spare.”

Gortus interjected, “I had hoped to match you against her next week. I wanted to test your new skills on an opponent that would not pull punches.”

“I won’t be needing your…skills as much now either, Kilen. The king has another armor bearer he would like to train me against. If all works out I should be going into town twice a week. Don’t worry, though I made a promise. I will still check in on your sister for you.” She put her hand on Kilen’s leg for reassurance. “Keep training hard. She is a sweet girl and I don’t want to see her down there forever.”

Kilen perked up at finding a clue to her whereabouts, “Down where?”

“Why, underneath the castle, of course. That’s where all the fire wizards are. Their rooms have pipes in them that lead up to different parts of the castle. Your sister uses my tip and focuses all her efforts into the pipes.” Mary smiled despite of herself.

Leroy threw his hands in the air, “Well that’s why I can’t cook anything right. I’m going to have to go to making my own fire like we did in keepers now that I know where the fire comes from.” Leroy kept complaining to himself as he wandered off towards the castle’s kitchen.

Mary stood as he left, “I would love to stay and chat, but with present company I think I had better leave. Train hard, Kilen.” With a nod, Mary walked away and very soon regained her stomping rampage through the training grounds.

Gortus stood after finishing his plate of food and started to pick up the scattered pieces of broken practice swords. “Seems as good a place as any to stop for the day. Brandon, the earth wizard, requested that you meet him outside your barracks a little after noon today for some earth magic training. You should go to him now. Then you are to find Jace in town for scout training after the evening meal.”

“Where would I find him?” Kilen asked.

Gortus stopped with arms full of what had become kindling, “I think that’s the training. You’re supposed to find him.” Kilen’s mind raced. He had no idea where to find Jace. He knew nothing about the man, except for where he shopped. He decided that he would have to start there. “You had better get going, Brandon isn’t as patient as other wizard trainers.” With a nod, Kilen turned to go and jogged his way to the barracks door where he found Brandon walking up.

“Wizard Parker, I only just found out that you are supposed to train me now,” he tried to remember anything that Brent had told him about his brother. The only thing Kilen really knew was that Brandon had killed trainees by pushing them too hard too fast. That is exactly what Kilen needed, to train fast.

“Very well, let’s get started then. I was told my brother tried to do his best to train you in earth magic on the journey here, so I’ll be testing your abilities.” Kilen held his hand on the sword, ready for anything. The wizard knelt down and stuck a single seed into the ground. Standing he said, “Make it bear fruit.” Kilen thought that it was an easy enough task. He felt the seed and forced it to grow, providing water from the air and nutrients from the ground it sprouted and grew. The seed grew to a waist high bush and sprouted large black berries. One of which was plucked from the bush and plopped into Brandon’s mouth. “Very good,” was all he said, as he filled a small cloth with berries. “I will see you in one week at this same hour for more training.”

Kilen was confused, this lesson only lasted a few moments and had taught him nothing. “Wait, uhm. Are you supposed to teach me something?”

“I am sorry, Kilen. I wish that I could, but my brother gave me specific instructions not to push you too hard. He had words with Twilix, also. You’re blackout during her training has put us on a very slow training path. Remember one week from today, right here.” He was popping more berries in his mouth even as he turned to leave. Kilen watched him as he walked away, while stretching and testing his bruised muscles.

We will have to practice on our own if he cannot teach us more. I have learned some of the earth magic,
Max said.
I use to be an armor bearer of earth, but they don’t let you carry any imbued materials while still getting use to the fire armor, just in case you decide to leave or you destroy them while burning yourself up.

Kilen agreed, but didn’t speak because of the people around now enjoying fresh berries he had provided. He moved inside to his room and found a stack of clothes on the bed, including a pair of worn leather boots that had been broken-in to perfection. He took his time getting out of his armor and changing into his newish clothes. Kilen had nowhere to be until after evening meal and enjoyed doing some of his own work. He polished his armor and sword, patched his clothing, organized his wardrobe and chest, and even had time to work in his book. Still, there was not enough to keep him busy, so he picked up the bow Bowie had bought him and strapped it on. At least he could get some practice on the bow before he had to find Jace. He crossed the training grounds and found Bowie in the same uniform as the full soldiers, standing with a patch on his chest showing the rank of a sergeant. The trainees he had were all new and were fumbling to keep up with his commands and instructions. Kilen leaned on a post setting out distances on the range until Bowie saw him observing.

“John, can you take over with this lot? I have a weapon bearer to attend.” A couple of the trainees stared slack jaw at Kilen when Bowie shouted. “Finally decided to pay your friend a visit, eh? well, it’s about time.”

“Sorry, I have been a little busy lately, but I have been trying to make it over here. Is this a good time?”

“Are you kidding me, it’s always a good time. I took this position was so I could train you whenever you could come by. Oh, I’m also the tester for the bow skills so if you want to test out now, and save yourself a week of training…”

Kilen stretched the bow string on the bow to test its strength, “Let’s just see if I can hit the target before you try and test me.”

“That’s fine with me. By the way, I heard about your fight with the fire wench. Nice job.”

Kilen turned to face Bowie, “The fire wench is the council seat for the Fire Realm and she’s helping train Kara so that she won’t be stuck in a dungeon below the castle. Please don’t call her that again.”

“Yeah sorry, I didn’t know.” He paused before resuming the conversation, “She’s helping Kara, eh?”

“Yes, and checking on her because I won that match on the field. She killed the last wielder that went up against her. I was just trying to help Kara.”

“You don’t have to try so hard Kilen. I am here to help, remember? My pay as a sergeant will more than cover her training costs. Here, let’s just get some shooting in. It will calm you down.” Bowie showed Kilen where to stand and handed him a quiver of arrows. “Remember, elbow straight out, string and knock to the cheek, release at the pause in your breathing, and use only the first two fingers to pull the string.” Bowie had given him these instructions before and they had helped tremendously. Kilen concentrated very hard on his breathing, holding the bow at full extension with little effort, thanks to his rings. He released the arrow and it struck the outside of the target. “Again,” Bowie commanded. Kilen pulled another arrow and made adjustments to his aim, then let a second arrow fly. It landed closer to the middle of the target. Bowie pulled Kilen by his shirt back to the next further post. “Try this one, but this time put your elbow just a little higher. Remember it should be straight out and level. If you were in a battle formation it would pointing up at an angle to match the archer to your right.” Kilen pulled the arrow tight and pointed his elbow as Bowie had instructed. He let the arrow fly and it landed between his first two shots. Bowie smiled, “Congratulations, you just passed archery.” Kilen lowered the bow and turned to Bowie with surprise.

“You don’t have to take it easy on me, Bowie. I really want to learn this.”

“Don’t worry. That was farther than what John had required before I took over. Just keep coming back and training with me and I’ll do my best to make you even better.” Kilen nodded and Bowie dug into his belts pouch to produce a small silver pin. “Keep this pin. It will be presented to the armies’ commander the day before graduation. All the classes you pass will have one similar. The more you have the higher in status you will be amongst the soldiers in the army.”

“Thanks, I need as much time as I can get to train in some of the others. This will put me ahead of the schedule that I was going to have to keep.”

“Yeah, any little bit helps. In order for me to keep the rank I have to pass a few classes, also. I might come looking to you for advice.”

Kilen smiled, “I have a book with a lot of good information on herbs, cooking, and the like.”