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

Sig held up a hand. "Whoa, I can′t absorb a semester in a nine hour car ride" he protested with a laugh. Trying to follow Rick′s explanation, felt like the words were crashing into his brain in a jumble, with no order.

Rick shook his head with disgust. "If you want to be serious about it, only vain practitioners and useless scholars care about titles. The Professor will answer to Warlock, Wizard, or just about anything even though, rightfully, he should be called Archmage because of his power. The main classification you should be concerned with is between those who manipulate White magic and those who draw on Black magic."

"I suppose there are gradations there as well." Sig said with a smile.

Rick fastened him with a serious look. "There are no gradations. There is no dabbling with Black magic, no playing around. Once you touch the Dark, there is no going back. That′s the penalty for touching it. It won′t let you go."

"You make it sound alive."

"It′s worse. It′s everlasting evil. I′m glad I′m a Were. There′s never a temptation to access it. "

Rick turned back to the road while Sig absorbed what he′d heard.

Suddenly Rick raised his right hand off the steering wheel and waggled his finger. "Now back to your question about female Black magic practitioners. Men are more likely to draw on the Dark. It′s a power thing, although it′s said that women who seize Black magic are the worst. Studies indicate, however, that the proportion of male to female Black magicians hasn′t changed since climate change affected the world′s magic."

Sig took the opportunity to show that he knew something about magic. "The change came about when the polar caps, the Greenland ice sheet, and most of the glaciers melted, running into the seas. The weight burden on the Earth′s crust shifted, causing the axis of rotation to wobble and adjust. Because of that, Ley lines altered and grew stronger, making access to magic easier."

Rick spared him a benevolent smile. "Ah-so Grasshopp-ah. You have been studying more than math and physics."

Not sure whether he had received a compliment or a dig, Sig faced forward. After a moment, he looked at Rick out of the corner of his eye. "You′re sure it′s not too much trouble for the Professor to put me up at his place?"

Rick chuckled. "I don′t think it′s completely altruistic. He has plenty of room. His estate, although not ostentatious, is a bit more than one would expect on a Dean′s salary. Besides, I′m sure that he recognizes the benefit of your ability to turn into a nine foot tall, seven hundred pound Battle Wizard. So what if you don′t have any more magic than that? At least you′ll be able to change light bulbs in tall ceilings."

Sig frowned and fiddled with the talisman, Aðalbrandr, hanging from the chain around his neck. Grampa Thor had given it to him before falling into his coma. The sword-shaped talisman was the source of his power and his frustration.

After they checked Grampa Thor in at the university research hospital, the Professor pulled up to the gates in front of his home, ahead of the van.

Sig was impressed. The home sat on a slight hill, well back from the ornate wrought iron gates. An imposing eight-foot tall stone and iron fence circled the estate and massive masonry pillars supported the gates. The drive ran through them and circled in front of the house.

Professor Herman walked up to the gates, turned to wave at Rick and then began pushing on the gates as they slowly opened.

"Doesn′t he have an opener for the gates?" Sig asked.

Rick smirked. "When he waved, I pushed the opener. He′s not opening the gates himself. He′s checking the wards that he put in place to secure the property. He′s just pretending to open the gates for any nosy neighbors."

When the gates were open, he stepped out of site behind one pillar for a few moments and then walked across to disappear for a moment behind the other. A small flash of light followed by a puff of smoke rose from each.

Apparently satisfied, he waved to Rick again with a smile before getting into and driving the pickup to park behind the van in front of the house.

"The first order of business is to familiarize Sig with his new home," the Professor said after they alighted from their vehicles. "Rick, you should come along for a refresher. I expect you′ll be spending more time here."

When Rick stood next to Professor Herman at the top of the steps, Sig again noticed their disparity. The Professor was tall, about half-a-foot taller than Sig′s six feet. Slim and dapper, even after a nine-hour drive, he sported a neat, dark black beard trimmed to a point on his chin and the tips of his mustache. Unlike his beard, gray stranded through his thick black hair.

Rick contrasted sharply with the Professor. Although appearing short in comparison, he was only an inch or two shorter than Sig. Rick′s stout frame made him appear even shorter, although almost none was fat. With his straight brown hair trimmed evenly at an inch all over, and dense musculature, apparent even under the baggy hoody and tear away pants, he looked like a college linebacker.

Most striking was the contrast between Rick′s intense amber eyes and the Professor′s hooded black eyes.

The tour of the house included pointing out various wards and enchantments to be aware of and to avoid. Professor Herman indicated the location of Sig′s room, the all-important bathroom locations and the even more important kitchen with its large walk-in cupboard and built in refrigerator. Once he understood the layout, Sig unloaded the pickup and moved in with Rick′s help.

Afterwards, Rick took Sig for his first culinary experience at one of Northwestern′s campus eateries. "It′s not nearly as good as you′re used to at home, but you can get mass quantities at reasonable prices and some of it is actually good. We′re early; there may be pie left. They make one of the all time great cherry pies."

"I love cherry pie."

"Get it when you get the rest of the food. If you come back later for dessert, it′ll be gone."

"You betcha."

"I haven′t decided whether I would rather live on pizza, burgers, or hot wings."

"No salad or vegetables?"

Rick turned and looked seriously at Sig. "Salad and vegetables aren′t food. It′s what food eats."

Sig chuckled. "That′s right. I forgot; you′re a carnivore."

"To the core. I always get the four-meat pizza, only because they don′t make five-meat pizza. The cheese and crust hold the meat together for my convenience."

Sig smiled as he dished up Caesar salad to go with his four-meat pizza.

Rick snorted derisively at the salad as they moved down the line to the desserts. "Look, there′s only one piece of cherry pie. You take it this time since you′re the guest—today. Next time I′ll fight you for it."

Sig bowed from the waist and said with a smile, "Thank you." As he reached for the pie, a rough push from behind shoved him away from the counter. He almost dropped his cafeteria tray.

When he caught his balance, he turned and found himself facing a wall—a wall clad in a denim jacket and holding the last piece of cherry pie. He looked up, and up, to see a large homely face sneering down at him. "You dwarves don′t need this. The football team takes priority."

He was the biggest person Sig had ever seen.

As the giant turned away, Sig set down his tray and started to follow him. Rick grabbed his arm and said in a low voice, "Don′t. He′s part troll and mean as a stepped-on-snake. You could make mincemeat out of him in your supernatural Battle Wizard form, but not in this shape even with your black belts. He′s ten inches taller and outweighs you by almost two hundred pounds."

Sig looked down at Rick′s hand on his arm. He started to pull away and Rick pulled harder. "Not a good way to start your college career."

"Being pushed around isn′t a good start." Then he cocked his head and gave Rick a quizzical look. "I thought you said that the unwritten rule around campus says not to give away that you have magic, what about him?"

Rick shook his head. "I don′t know if he knows he′s a troll."

"If you know how can he not know?"

"I got some of his hair and a friend ran DNA tests.  I was conducting a 'research′ project. I didn′t say where I got the hair. Only Professor Herman and I know."

"Why did you run tests?"

"My project involved categorizing the characteristics of non-normals. I got to wondering about him he fit a profile. We go to the same barber. He finished just before I showed up for a haircut. On impulse, I swiped some of his clippings.

"The DNA tests say that what you see there is what you get when you cross a human and a troll. He′s Northwestern′s only first team All America defensive tackle – as a freshman. Six-feet-ten and three hundred and seventy-five pounds. He′s only half troll; he passes for human."

Sig glanced over at the tackle laughing with three other very large people. "Just barely… he just barely passes for human." He looked back at Rick and grinned. They both laughed.

"Oh, let me tell you the good news. He also works in the physics department. You′ll get to be buddies."

Sig groaned, "Great. I knew I shouldn′t have backed down."

"Don′t worry about it. He′s an asshole to everyone. Who knows, you may get a chance to go head-to-head in your other shape. Don′t forget, that′s the only shape he has. It must be boring when you can′t turn into an elegant wolf with a lustrous pelt whenever you please."

Sig raised one eyebrow, nodded, and shrugged.

After finishing their meal, they drove Sig′s pickup to the Game Room near the main campus. Three of the tallest women Sig had ever seen together preceded them into the room. They were all gorgeous if you like tall, shapely, and well muscled. Sig decided that he did. Rick watched with an amused smile as Sig′s eyes followed them.

Sig had never dated. He lost interest after Dad died from a lightning strike that Grampa Thor and the Professor attributed to the Dark Mage. Then Madeline came into his life. The prettiest, nicest, smartest girl he′d ever met, but she turned out to be a witch and tried to kill him. Trapped, frozen underground by the first girl you liked puts a damper on any dating interest.

Now he felt interest stirring. Something stirred in the region of his belt, maybe south.

The sensation Sig had went beyond physical attraction. He had a feeling in the back of his skull, similar to the black magic radar that the zombies and demon activated in him before they attacked, but it felt pleasant this time.

"Women′s volleyball team. They′re Amazons," Rick said.

"You′re telling me. They must be six-two or three."    

"No, I mean they′re members of an Amazon tribe, women warriors."

Sig′s head whipped toward Rick. "Holy crap, is Northwestern full of circus freaks like us?" Maybe that explained the feeling he got from them.

"Yes and no. There aren′t that many in absolute numbers, but it seems like there′s darn near every kind of legendary monster on this campus that you can find. We frequent the same places. I guess us 'circus freaks′ maintain a low profile together, away from the normals. It makes it a bit easier and, after all, we do have things in common."

"Do they like guys?"

"Oh, yeah. They seem to, but Weres don′t appeal to them. We get along OK, but no action. They seem to like big guys. You′ll see them with basketball or football players."

"Not martial arts or fencing guys?"

"I understand some of them practice martial arts, but that′s just from overhearing talk. Maybe you can find out more." Rick said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Best two-out-of-three falls with them could be fun. Do you want to be on the bottom or the top?"

Sig rolled his eyes and swatted Rick′s arm.

"You like them, I can tell."

Sig scoffed. "Yeah? How can you tell?"

"You′re blushing and your heart rate has picked up."

Sig′s eyes narrowed as he looked at Rick.

"It′s hard to hide emotional swings from the senses of a Were."

Sig shrugged and nodded toward the women, "They look like they have the full complement of breasts. Aren′t they supposed to cut one off for archery?"

Rick smiled, shook his head, turned, and flicked his finger over his shoulder for Sig to follow him as he sauntered over to the table where the three women sat. The blond looked up and nodded to him with a smile. The other two glanced up expressionlessly.

"I hear that y′all play around in martial arts. Can anyone get in on that?"

The one who had smiled shook her head. "Sparring with an untrained fur ball who can lift the front end of a car isn′t my idea of a good time. Now if you want to compete with bow and arrows or spear; we might consider it."

"Oh, I′m not asking for me. I′m asking for my friend here." He indicated Sig with a thumb over his shoulder.

Three sets of eyes zeroed in on Sig. "Do you have any training?" The blond asked.

Sig nodded. "Karate and Kendo."

"Belts?"

"Third black in Karate."

Her eyebrows rose. "Kendo?"

"They don′t have belts in Kendo. I just received my fourth Dan. I′m now qualified to teach."

She gave him a quizzical look. "Only fourth?"

Rick chimed in, "He won the State Fencing Championship too."