The Mage From Nowhere, page 22
“What are we discussing?” Tarak asked as he reemerged from the apartments wearing a shirt.
“I don’t have time right now, Callie. Continue speaking to Charlie about it as I think on it more.” Leon put his hand on Tarak’s back and shoved him toward the entrance to the great hall.
“A pleasure as always, princess!” Tarak started to say as Leon pushed him again. “You look—all right, I am going!”
Leon pushed him a third time, then grabbed him by the back of his neck as they reached the base of the stairs. The defiant fucker was too damn tall. Leon pulled his head down.
“Listen to me, boy. I’m deathly serious with you right now. Stop flirting with the princess. You’re one slip up away from being thrown into the dungeon, especially now with your killing of thieves rather than apprehending them. You might’ve lived your life without consequences until now, but things have changed. She is the daughter of the king, and she is engaged. You’re only causing trouble for her, and more so for yourself.”
Leon pushed Tarak away when he was finished. Tarak bent his head as if to work out the kink in his neck, then took on a serious look.
“So the king wants an explanation? Fine. I would like one as well. I would like to know what I am supposed to do with three men who attempt to kill me after they take all of my possessions. What is the answer if not to stop them by any means necessary? What would you have done, Leon the Brave? Would you have let them get away? We both know the answer to that. I have been told you were found in the dungeon not that long ago. You killed sorcerers who stole from you, did you not?”
“I am not an example for you to take after.”
“And why not? Now you are the king’s most trusted sorcerer. You are powerful and I imagine wealthy. I even heard that mana has given you long life, like it will me.”
“I can see you’ve been an inquisitive shit.”
“Correct.”
“I am only in this position because the king needed me when he came into power. He had no coin left after the rebellion and no way to continue paying the salary of the army he’d garnered to overthrow the corrupt king before him. War loomed and dteria threatened his people at home…dteria which was created by your family, by the way. Much of the reason we had to fight and lose so many good people was because of your bloodline, so forgive me if I’m not so welcoming to a younger version of what might once again become a giant pain in my ass. Take my advice, Tarak. Control yourself; start correcting your behavior before it’s too late. I waited too long, and now look at me. Come on. We are late.”
Tarak followed Leon up the stairs but not without complaint. “You cannot blame me for my family.”
“No, but I expect you to understand what happened so you can see why some of us are cautious about you. I hope all your inquisitions were not just about me.”
“You are not that interesting. I am now informed all about the war of dteria and the demigods, as my aunts and uncles were once known. Michael spoke to me about everything.”
“Then you must know that we are still dealing with the effects of the war. It is at its worst in the Kingdom of Rohaer, south of here, where the system of food distribution was most disrupted to feed the massive army of our enemies. The king regent there is the king’s most trusted friend, Barrett Edgar. We’re looking for ways to communicate with him that aren’t continuously disrupted. What I saw from you just now makes me think you might one day have a quick means of travel like us wind mages and other sorcerers, like Jon Oklar, who learned a spell we once called dvinia.”
“You speak of my gravity spell?” Tarak asked.
“Precisely. With your ability to heal, there is little risk of you disabling yourself with a rough landing. Practice, and make sure you don’t kill yourself. All right, we’re here. Keep quiet unless you are asked a question, and leave your attitude at the door. No emotion is better so you come off less as the young sorcerer with little control you are and more as a responsible adult, which I hope one day you will be.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Leon brought Tarak into the jury chambers and told him to take a seat, pointing at a section where others normally waited to be heard by the king. It was empty right now. Then Leon walked past an ugly middle-aged man approaching the king and returned to his seat on the other side of the room. Rick handed him a parchment with information about the man standing before them. As Leon suspected, this was Orvyn. What was strange was his last name.
“Orvyn Nyvro?” Leon questioned. “Your name is the same forward as it is backward?”
“Yes,” Orvyn answered. “My parents had a sense of humor, but alas, I do not. Sire…” He bowed in front of the king. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Barrett Edgar has spoken very highly of you.”
The king gave a quick bow of his head. “And he you, Orvyn. We appreciate all you have done to supply Lycast with grain.”
Leon did not get this far in life without judging a few people by their looks, and Orvyn looked absolutely deplorable. He was bald as a pig, pale as a sick child, and wrinkled deep to the sides of his eyes as if he slept with a scowl.
Leon usually wanted less to do with the affairs of the king because they took considerable time away from drinking or relaxing with the beautiful Gwen Forrester at the end of the day. But upon seeing the face of the person responsible for providing a break to the guards patrolling the one road connecting the kingdoms, Leon knew he had to learn more about how this came to be.
“Catch me up, Orvyn,” Leon interjected. “How did you come to have all of this power?”
“And you are?”
“Leon Purage.”
“I’m more curious as to how you have not heard more about me. Aren’t you the king’s most trusted sorcerer these days?”
“I’m a little busy,” Leon said, managing to suppress a more pointed response. “Enlighten me.”
Orvyn appeared angry, unusually angry, like the kind of rage that overcame a man just before he let go. Yet he only let out a raspy sigh.
“I have earned my trust through repetitious provisions to your people,” he lectured. “I have saved countless lives that would’ve been lost to starvation. I did not come all this way to be interrogated. I should be thanked for what I’ve done for Lycast.”
“You have our gratitude,” Nykal said, casting a warning look at Leon. “Forgive him. Leon has been hardened by time in the dungeon before the war. What brings you all the way to Lycast? Surely not just for a face-to-face.”
“I wish to expand my service to your kingdom,” Orvyn answered. “My associates have recruited a group of trustworthy men and women here. I came to meet you but also them. I could get started immediately. I guarantee I will lower the cost of grain and produce more growth at the same time, and you will hardly notice I am here until you see the results. All I ask is lordship over Koluk. My research tells me it is the best place for my new headquarters. It is surrounded by farmers and, even more importantly, by fertile land that is not being utilized as it should.”
“You will have your answer before nightfall,” Nykal said. “I invite you to stay in the castle tonight.”
“Thank you, but I have business that takes me elsewhere.”
“Very well.”
Orvyn bowed slightly before leaving.
Leon spoke before anyone else could. “I don’t trust him.”
“Well, Barrett Edgar does,” Nykal answered. “And he’s the one who has been doing business with Orvyn. Barrett has not been wrong about anyone.” Nykal put up his hand as Leon opened his mouth. “This discussion is not about trust in Orvyn. It’s whether we grant him lordship of Koluk.”
A group formerly known as the Thieves’ Guild, and now as The Bracket, had become responsible for the city of Koluk, a place where criminals once found new names and lives for themselves. The leader of The Bracket, Syrah Fielder, had proven her dedication during the war. She was someone Leon trusted, not Orvyn Nyvro.
“I understand you both have concerns.” Nykal seemed to be addressing Leon and Lord Langston. “However, Koluk is the place for Orvyn at this time. With The Bracket there, his actions can be monitored. He will be watched, and this should not come as a surprise to him. If he has a problem with it, then we have a problem with him.”
At least Nykal seemed open to disagreement. He always listened to Lord Langston more so than he did Leon, and it seemed that the rich bastard finally had something worthwhile to say, so Leon let him.
“If you think Orvyn is right, then I’m with you.”
You ass-kissing fuck. The two of them looked at Leon, and Nykal didn’t seem to like what he saw. He glanced at the analyte advisor next.
“I do not know Orvyn well enough to make a decision,” Zarin said. “There are few analytes in Koluk now, and there will probably be more as time goes on. I ask that they are treated fairly once he is lord.”
“I will ensure that when I speak with him. Leon, anything to add?” Nykal asked.
“Why not stick him in Koluk for a time without giving him the power of a lord?”
“Because people are starving and he produces results,” Nykal responded. “Any suspicious behavior will be reported.”
Leon supposed he trusted The Bracket to monitor Orvyn most of the time, but he might want to make sure on his own.
“Yeah, fine,” he said.
“Then the matter is concluded,” Nykal announced. “Now for the final speaker. Tarak! Come stand in front of us.”
Leon watched Tarak calmly stand before the most powerful men in the kingdom, wearing an expression as if he was waiting to order an ale. The boy had no fear, and that had better change soon.
“May I explain myself?” he asked.
“Go ahead,” Nykal responded. “Start with how you were robbed on a road deemed safe.”
“I traveled in the wrong direction for some time.”
Lord Langston swatted a hand in his direction. “This fool,” he muttered to the king, then told Tarak, “You had the tracker ring. How could you possibly travel in the wrong direction?”
“I was told which road to take, and I thought I was on the right one. I became engrossed in Charlie’s book. I did not use the tracker ring for some time. Then I was robbed and my throat was cut.”
“So you would have died without your innate ability to heal?” Nykal asked.
“Most likely. I could not let the three of them get away. I rode hard to Reuben and convinced him to give me the other tracker ring, which I used to track them back to Newhaven.”
“What happened in the brothel?” Nykal asked.
“I gave each of them a chance to surrender. They fought in hopes of escape. One showed himself to be a sorcerer of fire and struck his comrade while aiming for me. Two of them died before the last one gave up.”
“How did you end up cutting open the neck of one?” the king asked. “That is an unlikely place to strike someone unless on purpose.”
Michael spoke from outside the room as he hustled to stand beside Tarak. “I was the one who cut the thief’s neck. I apologize—” He stopped to catch his breath. “I just heard of this interrogation, or I would’ve been here sooner. Tarak tackled the fire mage and was about to subdue him with those boulder fists, but the mage blasted him off. I didn’t want the fire mage getting up and burning us anymore—my clothes were already on fire—so I swung at him while he was on the floor. His head happened to be nearest to my blade. He tried to roll out of the way, so I nicked him in the neck.” Michael clicked his tongue as if imitating a mild version of the sound it had made. “Blood everywhere. It was horrific.”
Nykal glanced at Lord Langston.
Lord Langston spoke. “You go weeks without slaying any criminal during an arrest, and I’m to believe that the first time Tarak is with you, it is unavoidable?” He paused. “I think it is more likely that you would lie.”
“I have lost criminals who have gotten away because killing them was the only way to stop them, and I chose not to,” Michael retorted. “They had not tried to murder one of our sorcerers, however, like these criminals had. At first I thought it might have been unnecessary when Tarak cut down the first analyte who tried to fight his way past us, but after more time I have come to realize that his instincts were right. We couldn’t let them get away this time, no matter the cost. If they were brazen enough to cut Tarak’s throat and leave him to die, they have probably murdered others.”
Lord Langston glanced over at the king. “Tarak still showed an incapability of following direction. If he is not to be punished, he should at least have responsibility taken away from him.”
“I do agree that he is not ready for more responsibility,” Nykal said.
“What does more responsibility mean?” Tarak asked. “Stopping crime?”
“Until something more suited to your skills comes along. You might want to take that into consideration, if you do not enjoy acting as a constable.”
“I do, surprisingly. It satisfies me to rid the city of horrid people. There were a couple of arselickers from my time I would have liked to arrest as well. Nasty fuckers, they were, accused of all sorts of…” Tarak paused. He must’ve noticed the stares of offense.
Lord Langston gestured at Tarak in frustration as he spoke to the king. “He swears before us like speaking to his fellow lowlifes during a tavern binge. He is more animal than man. I say cut him loose before he seriously damages your reputation.”
“Leon?” Nykal inquired. “Have you seen any behavior from Tarak that would lead you to a decision?”
Leon thought about Tarak’s incessant chasing of the princess that, if mentioned, would surely result in Tarak being thrown out of the castle, nay, the city, tonight.
“I have one question before I give my answer,” Leon said.
“What is it?”
“Whose responsibility is he going to be?”
“That should not matter,” Nykal said. “We decide now if he is—”
“More trouble than he’s worth,” Leon interrupted. “And I say that depends on who he’s causing trouble to. I want to know. Is it going to be me?”
Tarak raised his hand. “I would rather take direction from Charlie.” He dropped his hand. “If you want honesty.”
The king shook his head. “Charlie is not an instructor and is busy with multiple endeavors including metalworking and deciphering the changes to sorcery. Although he may be enthusiastic to speak with you about mana, as he is with anyone, his time is better spent elsewhere.”
Leon opened his mouth to voice his insult.
“And so is yours, Leon,” Nykal said before even glancing over at Leon.
Sometimes I swear the bastard has eyes pointing out of his ears.
“So what are you suggesting we do with Tarak during his probation stage?” Leon asked.
“I do agree with Lord Langston that he is more trouble than he’s worth…if he requires you or Charlie to guide him for the next few weeks.”
“I do not need an instructor,” Tarak answered quickly.
“No, more of a babysitter,” Lord Langston replied.
“There is some truth to that,” Nykal said. “Unfortunately. You are simply too reckless with your power. I am not sure you can be trusted without some sort of chaperone.” He sighed and looked at Lord Langston. “This might’ve been a mistake after all.”
“I’m glad you agree.” He stood up and announced, “I vote to absolve Tarak from his responsibility to King Nykal. Who is in favor?”
“I abstain,” the king said.
“Who votes in favor?” Lord Langston said.
“You would really get rid of me just because I—?”
But Michael put his hand over Tarak’s mouth and shook his head. “Best not.” Then Michael asked, “Can I vote to keep him?”
“You may leave,” Lord Langston said.
“Ah.” Michael dragged his feet as he headed to the door. He shot many looks back, appearing hopeful someone might allow him to return.
“Hurry up, Michael,” Lord Langston said.
“Bah.”
Everyone waited until he was gone to resume the voting, though Leon could pretty much feel Michael lurking just outside the doorway.
“I vote to keep,” Zarin said.
Lord Langston groaned. “You always vote against me, no matter the subject.”
“That is not true,” Zarin replied.
“Yet you vote to keep someone who has killed two of your beloved analytes.”
“They are not beloved. Analyte criminals make life more difficult for the rest. They needed to be stopped at all costs.”
All gazes fell on Leon, including Tarak’s.
Apparently he had a vote in this, and Rick didn’t. Leon wasn’t usually present in the meetings, but the king seemed interested in his opinion enough to grant him this decision.
“Do you want to be here?” Leon asked Tarak.
“Yes.”
“Can you stop fu—messing up?”
“I can.”
Leon gave it some thought. “I can’t be responsible for him,” he told the king, “or I’m going to murder him. But I think it’s too early to kick him out.”
“Assign me something difficult,” Tarak said.
The king focused his gaze. “How is that to help?”
“My task was too easy. I brought Charlie’s book for entertainment. Assign me something difficult and see how I handle it. I will not need instruction or babysitting in that case. And if I get myself killed, then your decision will make itself.”
“If he wants difficult, then send him to Rohaer to speak with Barrett,” Lord Langston suggested. “Have him find out what’s happening to our messengers.”
“How far is it to Rohaer?” Tarak asked.
“Many days riding,” Leon answered.
“Whatever my task, I require more time to practice my spells. Is not the reason I am so desired because of my potential? I cannot practice while riding my horse.”
A short silence passed.
“I have decided what we will do with you,” Nykal said. “Because no one has time to babysit you, you will have to be responsible for yourself. That means you will train most of the day. When you require a break, you may patrol the city.”
