Wizard's Sword (The Battle Wizard Saga, No.2)

Wizard′s Sword

Book Two of the Battle Wizard Saga

Copyright © 2013 C. M. Lance

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

http://CM-Lance.com

Cover Design by Mike Lance

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The following names are used in the saga you are about to read. Note that the Old Norse language has merged into Norwegian, Swedish, German, Finish, and Icelandic.

Aðalbrandr – Ah′–dthul–bronder

Old Norse – Aðal (noble) + Brandr (sword)

Andras – Ahn′– drass

Great Marquis of Hell, having under his command thirty legions of demons

Giselle – zhee-zel´ (French, not the German Gee´-zel-uh)

An Amazon warrior and daughter of the Amazon Commander

Sigurd – Sig′–erd (as in Signal)

Modern form of Old Norse name Sigurðr

Sig (victorious) + Vard (guard)

Thorval – Thor′–vul

Modern form of Old Norse þórvaldr

Thor (thunder) + valdr (ruler)

Sig glanced down at his great-grandfather strapped on a rolling cot. He had lapsed into a coma almost a week ago. Until recently, he′d been the world′s most powerful Battle Wizard, leading the fight against Black magic. Then anyone would have guessed him to be a hale and hearty sixty-year-old.

Now, every one of his 193 years weighed heavily, reflected in his parchment thin skin and almost translucent white hair. The prognosis for recovery wasn′t good. The only known cure for the demon leaching the life force out required finding and killing the Dark Mage who′d summoned it. Unfortunately, the Mage hadn′t left a forwarding address before he escaped through another dimension.

Turning forward, Sig caught a sympathetic glance from the werewolf′s amber eyes in the rearview mirror. Only a few months ago, Sig believed that the world of magic had passed him by. Now Rick, a werewolf he′d just met, was chauffeuring him and Grampa Thor to Northwestern University in Chicago, where Sig would begin studying the Physics of Magic and the University Medical School would try to keep Grampa alive while they sought another cure.

Despite knowing it was futile, Sig patted Grampa′s shoulder before he climbed through to the front of the cargo van and twisted down into the passenger seat.

"How is he?" Rick asked.

"No change. Respiration and heart rate are still slow, but thankfully steady." He tilted his head to see behind through the side mirror. "Arthur, I mean Professor Herman, is still following us in my pickup truck. Darn, I need to practice calling him Professor."

"Not a bad idea. He′s old school and likes formality around the university. He′s a nice person despite being the Dean of the Physics of Magic School and one of the more powerful wizards in the world, but he is a bit of a starched shirt. If you slip up, you′ll learn to recognize 'the look′."

"As his student assistant, do you get 'the look′ often?" Sig asked.

"Not as much as in the beginning. But, yeah, sometimes I do and it still makes me feel like an idiot. He′s made it an art form. With one glance, he can make you feel like you′re standing naked in all your stupidity. So, remember to call him Professor."

"Yeah, he wanted me to call him Arthur while we fought together to kill the Basilisk and spiders the size of Dobermans. I have to get used to 'the Professor′ thing. I hope I don′t forget."

Rick arched an eyebrow when he looked over to Sig. "Who killed the Basilisk?"

Sig sighed. "Technically you did, but who held on to it while you rooted around trying to remember your lessons on medieval monster lore?"

"During the time we fought it, the Professor was out cold. Maybe you should call
me
Professor." Rick said as poked his muscular chest with a thumb.

"Professor is not the name I′m thinking of calling you." Sig said, casting him a droll expression. He looked back at the Professor following them. "He sure is nice, volunteering to drive my pickup truck to Chicago so you and I can talk about school things."

"Since you′re arriving mid-semester, everything is already happening. Classes are going full tilt. Social life is hopping. You′re behind, and need to catch up. On top of that, the Professor wants you to stay with him and I′m pretty sure he doesn′t want to have to catch you up on student life."

"That′s nice of him to offer, but I kinda thought student housing would be more fun."

"It might be more fun for you, but it could be bad news for the other students."

Sig gave him a quizzical look. "Why would it be bad for other students?"

"Duh… A Dark Mage has been trying to kill you. Practitioners of the black arts aren′t concerned about collateral damage. If he tracks you to the university, it won′t matter to him, or her, if your entire floor is wiped out just to kill you."

"Oh… I didn′t think of that. I don′t want to put anyone else in danger, even Professor Herman."

"The Professor has been fighting against the Black for more than ten times longer than either of us has been alive. His home is probably the safest place you can find. He′s wrapped it in wards and enchantments that will stop or weaken any magical attack."

Sig thought of Madeline, the witch who had betrayed him and left him for dead, buried in a cave. "Are there many women Dark Mages?"

Rick pondered the question for a few moments. "Now you′re getting into terminology that will be part of your studies at the university. Warlock, Wizard, Sorcerer, and Magician are names given to male practitioners. Females are called Witch or Sorceress, although a few may be classified as Magician. Even rarer are female Mages. Scholars will argue for hours about titles, classifications, and where magic comes from. It may be the result of the ability to draw on the forces of earth, fire, water, and air. Alternatively, it can combine with chemical formulation, herbs and roots, or combinations of all that. Then there are arguments about measures of magical strength. Others measure proportions of…."