The Weapon Bearer (Book 1) (44 page)

“Actually, it’s more of the battle strategy, history, and maps classes that I will need help with.”

“That won’t be a problem. I should be able to teach you but you will probably want to go to a few classes just to make sure. Sorry Bowie, I have another appointment to make today and I need to eat dinner before I can make the appointment.”

“That’s ok. By the way, thank you for sending Leroy to go to town with me last night. We had a good time and won a few dice games as well. That kid sure can throw knives. He made all the money I lost on dice back and then some.”

Kilen was already walking out of the arena while he spoke, “No problem. Oh, by the way Chit is an armor bearer. Keep an eye out for him, will you?” Bowie nodded to Kilen and then went back to shouting commands at the new recruits. Kilen meant it as more of a warning, than as looking out for their friend Chit. Kilen wanted as much time possible to search for Jace so he made his way to the kitchens in search of an early meal. He found Leroy outside the kitchen looking at a pile of thick stones, cook pots, and travel stoves.

“I’m telling you Master Harvel, I will not cook anymore inside that kitchen until the heat pans out. Those fire wizards are making too much heat and it’s causing my recipes to be robbed of their nutrients. It’s build an outside kitchen or I go back to scrubbing pots.” Harvel scrubbed his stubble covered chin with his knuckles as he thought.

“Fine, but by tomorrow you had better be able to make more of those Kapal dishes.” Master Harvel waved his ladle around his head yelling at Leroy like he had done when they had first arrived. “The King is quite fond of them. He said that I had better start making them for his champion also. I gave the King my word I would provide it for him. You had better hurry and start making your kitchen and making me some proper food.” He walked away still muttering to himself about some fool champion eating too much as it was.

Leroy started to pick up the stones and set them in a ring. He didn’t notice Kilen walking up behind him. “I can help if you want, Leroy.” The young boy looked up while still holding a stone in two hands.

“I could use the help. Have you ever built a cooking ring before?”

Kilen smiled, “I helped build a couple for spring fest a few years ago. Of course, the inn keeper just told me what to put where.”

I believe we can help him better than just moving stones around Kilen,
Max announced.
I have some experience with earth magic, perhaps I can describe it to you just like Brent did on the way here. You need to practice with earth magic anyway, so I might be able to provide help in that area.

Joahna joined in,
I think this is a great idea. Tell the boy to step back and let Max guide you.

“Leroy, can you step back. I think I can build one a lot quicker with magic than both of us can together.” Kilen put a hand to his sword to gain as much control over the magic as he could muster. He wanted to ask why Max hadn’t attempted to teach him before this. He was thinking of multiple opportunities where Max could have taught. Leroy took a few steps away and braced himself for feeling Kilen’s earth-shaking magic.

First, feel the rocks just as you feel the water in the air. See them and know that you can move them just like water. When I learned, my teacher taught me to sculpt with the stones, seeing them as putty instead of solid stones. You need to change your perception of rock and see what it can be instead of what it seems to be.

Kilen muttered under his breath, “See the rock for what it can be, and not what it is.” He closed his eyes and felt the rocks. They were different than the water. As he looked closer he saw that in some ways it was the same. Small pieces of water made up a puddle, drop, or stream. Together they formed a mass that held together to become something larger than themselves. Kilen looked at the rock and found smaller pieces of earth formed together to make the stones. These pieces were small and sometimes made of different types of minerals. He felt each one and then attempted to move them like he moved the water. Each piece resisted his movements. He pushed harder, using more and more of his mental force to move the minerals inside the stone.

Be careful,
Max said just before the stone exploded into particles of dust. The bits sprayed Kilen, Leroy, and a couple of soldiers that were passing by. It looked as though Kilen was an old book on a bookshelf covered with dust. Leroy looked about the same.

He smiled at Leroy, “Let me try one more time.”

Max chimed in,
Maybe it’s not like water all flowing in the same direction. You need to…re-arranged the particles. Stacking them on one another to form what you want to make. This skill is finer than amassing one large ball of one type of element. Inside the stone are many types. You must re-arrange them like stacking toy wooden blocks on each other.

Kilen found a stone of his liking and began again. This time the particles started to move inside, each mineral switching with its neighbor until it had formed a square block with like minerals surrounding it. Kilen moved and picked it up and sat it away from the others. Kilen worked faster on the second stone and faster again on the third. Leroy moved the finished blocks and began building them in a circle on the dirt. Soon Kilen and Leroy had formed a stone block cylinder. Kilen remembered how they needed to be sealed with mortar so that no smoke or heat escapes. It needed a door to put firewood in and a chimney to let out the smoke. Kilen pushed the seams of the blocks together to make a solid mass. Then, as he imagined the rocks to be clay, formed a door for the fire and a chimney in the back. Leroy watched in wonder as the structure took form, seemingly of its own accord. Leroy smiled and was excited seeing structure. He gave a few adjustments to the design. After it was formed Kilen smiled at his handy work. The feelings were reflected from Max inside his head.

“I’m sorry Kilen, I have nothing for you to eat. I got tired of the food being burnt and over cooked. I stopped making it so I could collect the stuff for this cooker.” Kilen held up a hand to stop Leroy from gibbering.

“I think you have given me more that you thought today. Let’s just go and get whatever they are serving everyone else today.” Leroy nodded and ran off to find some food. Master Harvel soon returned to examine the new cooker. He moved to sit beside Kilen.

“Can you make more of those, Master Everheart?”

“I’m sorry, my name is Kilen. Yes, I can make more of them. If you find the materials for me.”

The scrawny man perked up, “I will find the materials for you. What can I pay you to make them for me, Mas…uhm Kilen?”

“Actually Master Harvel, I quite liked making it. If you find the materials and continue providing for Leroy the ingredients for his food I will gladly make you a few more. It will give me the opportunity to practice my skill in earth magic.” Kilen turned to see Chit and Brandon both looking at him from another table. Chit was red in the face and looked to be quite angry. Brandon on the other hand, lowered his head, showing his approval of the use of earth magic. Leroy returned with three plates and some boiling tea.

“See what I mean? I put the water on then fetched the stew. By the time I had returned it was already boiling.” Kilen cooled the tea in the kettle using his skill in water and poured himself a cup of tea at the perfect temperature. Leroy poured himself some and they sat and talked about what else they could make from the stones that would aid in the cooking. Master Harvel was supposed to teach classes on how to cook food and decided to use the stoves for his classes. He said it would save his kitchen from being destroyed by new recruits. When Kilen was finished eating he excused himself and told Leroy he would see him later in the room. He departed and pulled the cloak’s hood about his face as he walked out the castle’s side gate which was set aside for soldiers.

He had thought a lot about where to find Jace and how to begin, but the truth was he knew little to nothing about the man. The only thing he did know was that everyone knew him as a different name, he shopped at specific shops in town. Kilen decided that he had better start by visiting the same places that he knew Jace shopped and move on from there. He would see if he could get any information from shopkeepers while he was there. Kilen moved casually amongst the people of Deuterium, finding his way to the run down shops. His water vision was being pushed to its limits constantly and he pushed it as far as he could around him. He was watching for people following him or acting strange. Soon he was passing by Izabel’s shop and he decided to go inside. When he cleared the doorway he saw the shop was empty and the plants had all been cut short. He could see the counter and the box with the scale inside from the front door. He walked to the counter and knocked on it a few times. Izabel came from the back wearing a bright green dress and had her hair done up in a bun. The same long stake was sticking out the side waiting for its next victim.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up.” she smiled from behind the counter, “You’re friend said you would be dropping by today.” Leroy didn’t mention that he had been there already.

“Did he come and get more herbs?” Kilen asked. She looked back, confused.

“No not that friend, the other one. He was about this tall, a little older than you. He said you would be stopping by, and when you did he wanted me to give you a message.” Kilen knew exactly who had been there. Jace.

“What’s the message then?” Kilen got frustrated that Jace would so obviously predict his movements when he knew nothing of Jace’s. He was chastising himself for not paying closer attention to his movements.

Her sweet honey of a voice spoke such frustrating words. “He said that when you stop thinking like a farm boy and start thinking like a weapon bearer you will find him. He said your work was finished when you gave up or found him and he would know either way.” Kilen thought the words over. It had given him no more clue where to find Jace.

“Well I’m here now, so is there anything I can do for you?” Still frustrated, with the words he tried to think of something else.

“I was hoping that you would have brought that boy with you. I got all cleaned up and put on one of my best dresses and yet again you didn’t bring him.” She put her hands on her hips and reminded Kilen of what his sister looked like when she was pouting. When Kara did that he would ruffle her hair and push her down until she stopped her pouting . He knew that if he attempted with Izabel he would be likely to lose an eye or a hand in the process. Instead, he tried to think of a neutral solution in his response.

“I was going to bring him but I didn’t want him causing any more problems. If you don’t mind I will grow your plants out today and send him to collect tomorrow. If you don’t mind of course?” She looked him over and finally gave a nod in agreement. Kilen closed his eyes and felt every struggling plant in the room. Soon they bloomed to life, growing rapidly into tall plants. Each produced its own scents, flowers, and seeds. The room was filled with bursting plant life and Izabel twirled in wonder, giggling.

“I don’t think that I will ever become tired of seeing that. It’s a wonder how these plants grow like that all the time…but much much slower. May I do another casting of you, Kilen?” He smiled and nodded, knowing it would be the same as before. She found her bag of bones and purple book under the counter and performed her ritual. She held her hands to the sky and casting the bones along the counter. They skidded to a stop in a different formation than before. Izabel clicked her tongue at the bones, “seems your enemies stack against you, Kilen.” He looked up in confusion.

“What enemies?” She shrugged and looked through her book and showed Kilen pages showing the two bones on top of each other meaning “enemies.” She showed him the identity bone meaning the person getting the casting. Enemies stacks lay on every side of the identity bone, showing it was surrounded.

“Well, it seems that you have been making some enemies and they have found each other and are working to come at you from all sides.” Feeling very isolated and alone, Kilen wanted to draw his sword in the middle of her store. He looked about as if these enemies would jump out at him as he stood there. She laughed, “it’s some time away yet, silly. See how the bones don’t touch the identity bone, that means you have time to find them and prevent them from attacking.” She frowned while she searched though the book, “Although it doesn’t say how long. Strange.” Kilen swallowed, he desperately wanted to know the amount of time he had before they attacked, but knew it was no use.

“Thank you for…well the message and the casting. If you don’t mind, I have some more errands to get to. I will send Leroy tomorrow to collect some herbs.” He attempted to smile, then turned to leave the store. He was freighted and now found himself avoiding shadows and alleyways. He heard Izabel whistling as he passed the windows of her shop, as if it was just another day. He knew now she was crazy. She had just told him that he could be attacked at any time, by a lot of enemies. She wasn’t worried at all. In fact, she was happy and whistling. He kept moving through the city, towards the shop he had purchased his cloak from. He felt as if eyes were watching his every move. He pushed his vision in all directions until Joahna spoke to him.

C
alm down, it’s some time yet before we are attacked. We cannot be frightened by enemies that we don’t know or we would live in fear of every moment. Instead, we must see as Jace told you. We must always expect an attack. He said that spies could be anywhere, which should tell you that you should always think of yourself as being in danger. Just prepare yourself for an attack at all times. Let your enemies think that you’re not prepared and you shall prevail.
Kilen took the words to heart and felt Max bolstering his courage. He felt a little better and thought about how he had prepared himself by pushing his vision out. He did something he thought would be unpredictable by his enemies. He turned down an alley that was shadowed by the tall buildings. He felt the water surrounding him and beggars and homeless people in the corners and under garbage as he moved through the dark alley. One man he saw had only stagnant water inside him. He knew now that he was in the darker parts of the city when he passed by the dead man. When he felt as if he was out of the eyes of his enemies on the street he gathered his strength and leapt to the top of the building and scrambled onto its roof. He now stood high above the city and he could see into the castle grounds and the roofs of all the buildings surrounding. Kilen looked up at the three massive trees that shaded the noon sun from the city. In the evening sun he knew that he should be searching the city for Jace, but he had no idea where to look for him. Instead he sat thinking of the message relayed to him, picking it apart as though it were a word puzzle. He spoke aloud to the roof and the two men inside his head, “Stop thinking like a farm boy, and start thinking like a weapon bearer. What do you think that means.”