The Weapon Bearer (Book 1) (56 page)

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Jace entered the smoky great hall to see King Atmos sitting on the dais. Captain Lorusk and a young boy remained at a side table pouring over reports, and maps. The torch light reflected off the grotesque suits of animal armor, casting shadows about the walls and pillars. He felt the tension in the air and imagined that it was as thick as or thicker than the smoke from the torches. His tan cloak let him blend into the wood surroundings of the hall. It billowed out behind him as he marched to the King’s feet. Kneeling, he crossed his hand across his chest. “I have come as you requested, my king,” he said with bowed head. The king stood off to the side of his golden oak throne and stepped down to Jace’s level.

“Stand, Jace. We have a problem in Deuterium. I require your more subtle skills on a traitor in our midst.” Jace stood and the king placed a hand on his back and ushered him to the table the captain and the King’s champion were at.

“Who is this traitor, my king?” The earth wizard, Brandon, came from behind a curtain to join all the men at the table. The map on the table was the area near the border of the Fire Realm. The map was marked with towers and military outposts. Numbers and names of officers lay next to each unit on the map.

“Let me ask you a question first, Jace. How well do you know your student, Kilen?”

“I know him as well as any other recruit you have sent me to train over the years. If he is his father’s son, maybe a small amount better.”

“Do you indeed know he is his father’s son? Did Dylan Everheart ever introduce you to his son?”

“No, after the War of the Water Realm, I did not see him again to introduce us.”

The king turned to face him, “Did he ever tell you about his children, Jace?”

“I don’t remember him mentioning that he had children, but Dylan did keep to himself most of the time.”

“Then how do you truly know that this is Dylan’s son. I mean, sure he looks like Dylan, but do you have any hard evidence that he is the man’s son?”

“There is no evidence that I can provide that can tell you for sure that he is his father, other than finding the man to answer.”

The king started to walk around the table to stand on the other side between Lorusk and his champion. A moment later Brandon whispered something into Atmos’s ear. The king moved small papers around the table, never holding one for long enough to read its content. “Tell me about his skills, Jace.”

“He is smart in books, maps, adding, and from what I have heard, strategy. His skills with magic seem to grow everyday without an end of his capabilities in sight. He has little to no skill in the sword, but is growing fast from Gortus’s teaching. He is ready to be a weapon bearer at this moment if you were to test him. I would recommend you let him study longer and he will probably surpass my skills as a scout.”

“That, Jace is one of the reason’s he is to be eliminated as soon as possible.” The king paused to let his direction sink in, or to see Jace’s reaction. He wasn’t quite sure which Atmos wanted. “He has improved too quickly for us to believe that he was untrained before coming here. He is too skilled in magic to have never been trained before. He accomplishes feats that only seasoned veteran wielders can perform. The boy walks and fights while using elementals! That skill is rare even amongst elder wizards. He has become too dangerous for this kingdom to keep unchecked.”

“Perhaps he is a powerful tool that you could wield towards your enemies.” The king held up his hand to stop Jace from talking. He looked over another report before meeting Jace’s eyes once more.

“My advisors and I have already come to a conclusion that it is too coincidental that he has risen in power so quickly. In this matter I will have no rebuttal, Jace. I simply cannot let a potential threat rise so close to the heart of my kingdom at such a time as this.”

Jace’s face was as stoney as ever but inside he was twisting with anger, while listening to the king. He seldom let his emotions show, but he felt close to Kilen like he hadn’t any other. Perhaps it was because deep down, he knew that Kilen was Dylan’s son. “A time such as what, my lord. You have no definite enemies yet. Just rumors of enemies that we haven’t even had a chance at diplomacy with.” Captain Lorusk drew his sword and held its point in Jace’s direction.

“YOU will watch your tongue when speaking to my king or I will cut it out!” Venom rolled of his tongue as spittle landed on the reports on the table. King Atmos placed a single hand on his hilt and the Captain lowered it.

“No need for that, Captain. I would sooner cut yours out before his. He is open to speak to me as he wishes. This is one of those times that I need to hear it.” He turned to face Jace one more time, “I need you to kill this boy Jace. With all the training that he has received, you are the only one that knows what he is capable of.”

Jace stood silent as the king waited for a reply. Slowly he lowered his eyes and head. “I cannot do this task, my king.” Lorusk began to shout something but was cut off by a raised hand from the king.

“Cannot or will not, Jace. There is a difference. I need to know that difference. If you cannot, perhaps I should take what imbuement’s you have been given, and let you retire. If you will not, perhaps you should face the traitor bowls for disobeying your king. I would hate to see either, Jace.” Jace thought for a moment. Being a weapon bearer was the only thing that allowed him to live through most of the missions the king sent him on. He could not go back to being just a soldier. He knew that he would surely die if he did. On the other hand, he knew that he would surely die if he faced the traitor bowls. He had no choice but to complete the king’s task.

“I will carry out your request, my king.” Atmos smiled and nodded his head. He rounded the table and held out his hand to Jace.

“I am glad you could see things my way, Jace. Someday I will prove to you that you did make the right choice.” Jace gave the king a nod of the head and turned to leave without a salute. He heard the captain start around the table after him but was stopped by the king. “Jace,” the king said in a tone that told him there was more. Jace stopped but did not turn around. “I cannot express my concern for subtleness in the matter. Next year there will be much potential for second generation wielders coming to this army. I cannot have them scared off because one dies.” Jace nodded his head again in understanding. “One last thing, you have until tomorrow at sunset. We cannot afford for his strength to be increased anymore than it has been.” Jace all but stormed out of the great hall.

Max was about to wake Kilen, but instead used his icy fingers to strike a match and light a candle in the early morning darkness. The candle lit the room and his body gave off sparkles and rainbows on the walls. Max thought he would never get over having a body of ice. He felt no pain or tiredness. He was made of pure elemental magic. He noticed Kilen’s eyes were already open when he turned around.

“I still am a little creeped out by having an elemental wake me in the morning. To think only three short weeks ago I had never even seen one. Now I’m being woken up by them every morning.” Max gave a small chuckle and filled a cup with water dripping off his fingers.

“Well if you want I could, not wake you. I would much rather be out learning how to use this water magic. I will have to say that being out here is a lot better than being stuck in your brain.” They both laughed.

“I’m sorry, Max. I didn’t mean to take your spirit. If I could have stopped it I would have.” Max turned his elemental body to face Kilen even though he could look out of the back of his head. It was the funny thing about being an elemental, you looked where you wanted. Your eyes could be anywhere in that element.

“Do not be sorry, Kilen. Joahna always told me that being a wizard was a gift. A gift with lots of consequences and responsibilities, but a gift nonetheless.” Slowly Max started to steam himself into a smaller version of the water elemental. The steam filled the room and Kilen used a washcloth to wipe himself clean in the heat and steaming water. When Kilen was finished Max moved the water into the cracks in the floor and into the crawl spaces, and finally he melted himself into an empty pitcher. Kilen felt the concussion and steadied himself on the bed post. He was getting better at controlling it, but it still made him a tiny bit dizzy.
I think I understand Joahna better now that I have been able to control an elemental as much as I have. I think that it’s similar to being a wizard.

Only when you are a pure elemental you can’t die,
Joahna said, joining the conversation. Kilen dressed himself after wiping the sweat and water from his body.
Kilen, in my solitude I remembered a small bit of information that most wizards and wielders pass down when they teach. I will pass it down to you now if you would allow me.
Kilen nodded his head while looking into the mirror.
In some situations a particular element is not available to be used, so you should always carry some with you. This is in case you need to use it in an emergency. I often carried a skin full of lamp oil. When I needed the extra heat I would pour it out on the ground and light it for the extra strength in magical power. You should always carry a water skin or bag of stones that you can use in such an emergency.

“Is this some way to win back my trust, Joahna?” He had stopped dressing and gave the coldest stare that he could muster while looking in the mirror. Kilen did his best to stare into his own eyes as if here were talking to another person. He was in such deep thought about what Joahna had said that he didn’t see Leroy enter the room.

“I can come back later if you want, Kilen.” Kilen cleared his throat and continued to dress.

“No, no. I was just practicing a little of what Jace taught me. Being a scout isn’t all it seems on the surface. I thought it would be mostly navigation, tracking, and wilderness survival, but it’s much more than that.”

HA, quick thinking, and good cover, Kilen,
Max chuckled in his head.

Leroy smiled and moved to clean up the water left from Max’s transformation and steam bath. He looked around the room as if he was trying to piece together what had happened and where the water had come from. “Well, don’t let me interrupt. The more practice you get the better you become at it, is what my father use to say. Uhg, I can’t believe I just quoted my father.” He shook his head while whipping down the desk and shook Kilen’s book like it had water on it. Then he flipped through the pages. Finding none wet, he returned it to its place. Kilen ate and downed the pitcher that Max had filled and grabbed a water skin before running out of the room.

“Thanks, Leroy. We will see you later.” Leroy gave a small wave in return and Kilen jogged out of the barracks, eager to start the training for the day. He wondered what Alexander could teach him with wind magic. He thought that the wind would probably be the weakest magic in offense. For a change it should be a pretty easy day.

Joahna spoke in the back of his mind,
It was an attempt to reconcile myself but it was also something that all wielders should know.
Kilen had almost forgot what he was talking about with Joahna before Leroy entered the room. He stopped and thought over what he remembered Joahna saying. It could save his life in an emergency. He bent and filled a pocket with sand from the training field. He had on his side a water skin for use while he was training. He would have to remember to fill it throughout the day. Kilen felt a warm glow inside the back of his mind, it was the emotional knot that was Joahna.

“It’s a start, Joahna.” It was all he could find the strength to say. Every time Joahna spoke or Max spoke of him he was reminded of Twilix’s face the day he had pushed her word to the limit. He had hurt a woman that had only ever tried to help, a woman that had shown him compassion at every turn. No, it wasn’t enough to reconcile what Joahna had done. He continued to the arena where he knew Gortus was waiting.

He was where he always was, kneeling in the middle of the circle of blood. Kilen joined him and freed his blade, laying it in the dirt in front of him. They prayed just like they always had then rose to start the day’s training. “In the middle boy, until you learn to stand against the world.” While Gortus retrieved the practice swords Kilen flexed and stretched his body. He felt strange whenever he was near Gortus. The lack of magic in his body seemed foreign. He looked down at his arms and for the first time realized that his body was changing. In the short time fighting with Gortus his body had thickened and grown. The skin had become tighter over muscles and veins. He knew that he was becoming a warrior. It was just what Gortus had promised. Kilen watched Gortus return and hand him a sword. The recognition of his body’s changes invigorated his confidence. He tightened his grip on the wooden handle, testing his strength. The infatuation with his improved body had caused him to miss Jace walking into the arena.