Border wars book nine of.., p.12
Border Wars: Book Nine of Crystals of Memory, page 12
When he landed, people cheered. Including Depak, who moved in on him quickly.
The older man seemed concerned but was also hiding it well behind his dark mustache.
“How pressed are you?” The words were spoken softly, so as to not shame him.
Anders let his head play back and forth to the sides.
“I’m out of breath, but only as much as if I were running for that same time? I could do it again, I think, without stressing myself too much. It won’t work for vast travels, but as mentioned, if you don’t have a ladder, or need to get over a river quickly, it should work. It wasn’t painful to do or anything.”
They started to talk about how it was done, specifically, and the tricks he’d used to smooth power flows and measure his own output, for efficiency. Rest day or not, everyone wanted to learn the trick, so he held a small class for it. It took about an hour, for the whole thing, then several people took to the air. Lissa and Salina had the easiest time, being so powerful, of course. Mary had the least fun with it, since even with the new spells on the action, it took too much energy for her to be comfortable with. Then, she was best at working with the Devica, not the form of magic they were using, currently. Also, the woman, dressed in a walking robe, in a nice light green that day, not her uniform, had still managed to fly for ten minutes. It simply hadn’t been pleasant for her.
That working with Devica, was in the works, but Anders hadn’t really done much that way, himself. He could make himself heard, by shouting at them, and when he made illusions they could see and hear those as well as anyone might, he thought. Far, who was still up in Istlan, at the school, had suggested as much. He’d wanted Mary trained in regular magic first however, so she’d have that skill and not be reliant on her energy being friends to get everything done all the time.
Which, Anders had to allow, the woman was, more or less. Trained as a full mage, that was. Not perfectly so, but she could do almost anything magic could, at a good level of complication. By the time they were back home, the former prostitute should be able to move to the next set of lessons. Which, if possible, meant the rest of them doing that as well.
It would, he thought, be an interesting change to the curriculum.
Chapter eight
The trouble, Anders noted, with taking a break in the middle of nowhere, was that his friends truly didn’t have anything to do. They’d grown used to throwing themselves into work, constantly. To seek improvement in all things, at all times. Then, for some reason, a good one he knew, everyone was basically being told to sit and do nothing.
To rest their bodies and minds, recovering from the stresses of the last months. Only, it was nearly impossible to do. He felt that way for himself, at least. That simply sitting and being wasn’t enough. It meant he worked, constantly at one task or another, for the first day, and then, in the evening, he did so with Walden and Niven on illusions, for an entertainment.
Which was still using too much energy for the boys. They’d been fed a late meal of fine seeming pies, cakes and treats, with rich sauces and meats, along with several types of cheese and sweet fruits. Some of those were even real, having been plucked from the jungle. That had been nice, he thought and well received, but everyone tried to work on memorizing sixty new spells that night as well. Just like they all had been doing. Depak tolerantly allowed it, but at the end, when both Niven and Walden had managed fifty-nine new spells in an hour, Anders had to shake his head.
“This is done for the next two days. Princes Lissa, you get to go next, with a listing of new spells, but again, two days. Rest. Everyone! Catch up on letters home or something...”
Everyone stared at him, as if he were being a bit pushy. Which was, naturally, the simple truth. Instead of calling him well deserved names for doing it, Niven came back over and smiled at him.
“Mage Anders, could you help me with a message to my father? I haven’t learned any of the communication spells yet.”
The words got him to blink, but then nod.
“Your mother as well, if you like? I can connect to both of them. Walden... I can send something for your mother as well? Also to Prince Daren.” The man was his main instructor in magic, after all. In other things, such as languages, as well. Given that had meant Daren learning such things first, so that he could teach them and uphold his duty, it was probably a good plan for the boy not to forget him for too long.
They wrote the messages out, which were simple recounting of what they’d been doing so far, leaving most of the dangers out, since mothers didn’t need to hear about their children nearly dying, and even if a bit late, all off the messages were sent, by Anders, that night.
Only one of them went in the old style, that being the message for Niven’s mother. The rest were simple, in comparison.
To start with, Anders simply contacted Baron Kilroy directly. The man was, conveniently enough, speaking with both Baron Belford and his wife at the moment of contact. They weren’t doing anything adult or too secret, being in their chambers or not.
“You know, Nico, I think we can open the gem trade faster than that. There’s risk, shipping such things on the ocean, but that’s going to be true of all endeavors between Barquea and Istlan.”
The voice was relaxed and seemed pleasant, for Kilroy. Not that the man was mean, truly. Not to Anders.
For his part, the connection made, he simply spoke.
“Baron Kilroy? It’s Anders Brolly...” He waited, in case the man wished for him not to speak at the moment.
There was a sound then, which might have been the man jumping.
“Ah! I have a message coming in, from Prince Anders?” It took a moment, but the meaning of the words, which were a trifle strained, became clear to him.
The baron didn’t know if they were hiding his ability to listen and speak to people at a distance or not. So, even from his friends, he took pains to hide it, in case it wasn’t to be shared.
“I think they both know of this ability already? Baron Belford does at the very least and keeping anything from his wife that way seems unlikely, given the location.” They were both stationed at the court of Sula Darian, after all. They didn’t have a lot of other people from Istlan to talk to, other than each other.
Plus, Lady Belford was actually one of the great powers of the world.
A thing that she’d mentioned to her husband, at least in passing.
Kilroy laughed.
“He was just telling me that you both understand he can communicate more freely now? Is something wrong, Anders?”
Taking a moment, he tied both of the others into the spell, muttering the secret names he had for them, and then simply spoke, not showing any visions at the moment. That got too confusing, for all it could be useful at times.
“Nothing is wrong at all. Niven and the others are simply being forced to take a break for three days, to prevent over work, so he penned a missive to you, I have that here, to pass on?”
That was read off, quickly, since for all the boy loved his father, it was fair to say that he also didn’t truly know the man. Not well.
When that was done, Lady Belford spoke, her words sounding slightly odd.
“Is he truly learning that quickly? Attempting sixty such spells in an hour?”
“Yes. Everyone here is, really. He and Walden both managed to learn fifty-nine tonight. Both Lissa and Salina were only one or two under that. Everyone else, including the smallest child, Princess Sabine, managed fifty at least.” Anders had actually done them all, the first time, that night, but he hadn’t mentioned it.
After all, he didn’t get a chest of gold for getting it done.
The lady spoke then.
“Oh... My. That’s special then. They’re learning in days what one would expect a master to absorb in decades. Are all of your students to be pressed to such levels, do you believe, Master Mage?”
The title at the end, not a real one, was pointed. A bit playfully, but with a dark undertone to the words.
He thought before speaking, however. After all, that could alter the balance of power in the world rather quickly. Everyone traveling with him, including Ezola and Mary, the furthest behind and the weakest of them, could be expected to live for many centuries already, just with what they knew at that moment. There was no reason to think they wouldn’t improve for a long while, as well.
“No. Not really. Most students, even at the college, will go much slower than this. These are the instructors and advanced individuals, so far. We’re changing the focus to practical work as well, for the rest of the journey. Knowing spells and parts of spells only does so much, after all.”
Those words were snorted at.
“No doubt!” The lady seemed slightly mollified at least, so changed the subject. “Is there news from the front there, as of yet?”
He considered that and shrugged.
“Truly? Not much. The Natech have pulled back from the lines of the borders. All of them. We had one attack, a rather powerful one, by a force of two hundred armed men, likely hired bandits and a magic user... Really, she had a Devica with her. There was a powerful blast of energy, but she was destroyed by Salina. Niven and Walden protected Prince Naveed, who was also doing that for himself, so they weren’t harmed too much by it. Enough to need healing, for Walden and Niven, but they’re both fine now. Everyone is. Now, poor Collin nearly died.”
Kilroy gasped.
“One of the hostages? Is he well now?”
Anders nodded, no one seeing it happening.
“He is, now. He’d learned enough of magic to shield himself well, but noticed that the carriage holding Prince Roald and Princess Sabine, the small children with us, was unguarded that way. So he threw his shield out, to protect them. Using all of his magic, nearly to death just from that. The dark cloud stripped the flesh off his back, to the bone. We managed to save him and his mind is well, even after that. It was truly close, though.” He paused, then took a breath. “Oh, you heard that he and Princess Salina are betrothed?”
Baron Belford cleared his throat.
“We have! That was after he saved her siblings?”
“No, before that. They both seem to be taking it seriously, even. So, that’s good news on one front. Now, I have more messages to pass this night, I can be in touch more often, if that’s not unwelcome? I fell off from doing that each day for a bit, but it’s a poor habit, not communicating with people like that.”
He didn’t know why he thought that was, but Ambassador Belford spoke up.
“See to that, please, if you have the time, Anders. Also, contact your mother? If you haven’t been, that is. Mothers always worry for their children gone to war.”
That sounded about correct, so he nodded.
“It will be done. Have a good rest.”
Then he broke the line and sent Niven’s mother her message, using the old form of communication. It took longer, but unlike Mistress Belford, Baroness Kilroy didn’t know about the new system at all. After that, he set up a more advanced line with Prince Alpert, after checking to make certain the man wasn’t busy. He was reading at a desk, going over some complicated numbers, but that was all.
“Prince Alpert? It’s Anders Brolly.” That probably sounded wrong, using his name like that instead of merely saying it was Anders.
The man was his father, after all. A thing that he’d legitimized, there in Yanse, where he ruled as regent for the time being. The fellow, not overly old at all, gasped.
“Anders? How are you?” He sounded oddly conversational.
“Good. Near the border of the Natech lands, but not too close for the moment. Mage Walden wanted to send a letter to his mother, so I figured it would be extra special if you passed it to her yourself.” He was about to explain the jest when the man grabbed paper, pen and a clean sheet of parchment, readying himself to write.
“I stand ready.”
The letter of course, was in Yansian, meaning Anders had to go slowly, but the Prince was doing well in that language now, even in writing. It was impressive to see the improvement that way, in fact. When the short letter was taken down, the man blew on it, to help the ink dry.
Anders grinned.
“There! Now you just have to deliver that, then read it to her since she isn’t well lettered. Totally in keeping with your duty there, no doubt!”
The Regent of Yanse chuckled.
“Isn’t it, though? Walden is perhaps one of the greatest magic users available to us here, in Yanse. Young, but if I won’t do my duty to him now, what reason will he have to return such when we have need of him later? Besides, this way I get to speak to you. Is all well there?”
“It is. Truly, it seems that the war, as it stood, has dried up on us totally. There was a single large attack, directly on us, the mages, but we destroyed the enemy totally. Even at that, it felt off. Hired swords from Barquea were used, and a single magic user, ridden by a Devica. The Devica fled after the host died. Not seeking to fight us or take revenge. That... I’m not certain, but it sounds as if the Devica was being enslaved and forced to act, somehow.”
They didn’t run when their friends had been hurt, otherwise. Not against mere people. If it had wanted them dead at the time, they would have been. Instead it simply left the area, not even bothering to speak or call out a warning. It was odd, to say the least.
There was more writing then, which was the man either working on something else or taking down what Anders was telling him.
“That sounds different than I would have expected. Is there something amiss there, do you think?”
He did, of course.
“I don’t know what it might be. Not as of yet. Still, we have a side trip in the offing, to visit a local nobleman. That’s a political situation, for Naveed and the Sula. Though Naveed did mention it being boring for me, personally, which is a thing I’ll have to bear up under, apparently. Then, I am in the top ten here, which means something more than I’d been thinking, I gather?”
The idea was one that he’d struggled with a bit, to be truthful. Prince Alpert was the second heir of Istlan, which meant that he wasn’t all that important politically back home. Moving to Yanse as regent for his tiny son had been a major, if temporary step upward for him in the world. In Barquea, being the tenth placed in line for the seat of Sula seemed oddly more powerful than that. A thing that Anders hadn’t really considered in his time there at all.
Alpert sighed.
“Yes, I think that’s correct. Aisla has been mentioning some matters to that end. How she, if she moved to Barquea, would be able to control armies or demand resources that even Robarts doesn’t have control over here. That you, too, would be allowed to do those things if you wished.”
Anders simply nodded.
“Which is even worse than I thought. I’m...” He did his own sighing. “I won’t lie and claim that part of me doesn’t wish for power. The issue there is that portion of me, the one that I think of as Anders... I’m the one who led an army to conquer an entire land. Who killed their way across that kingdom without losing even a moment of sleep over what I’d done. That man... Should not lead. If I was only Farad Ibn Istel, then perhaps that would work. We’re mixed however, and... I can’t ever allow that to happen. Even if that sounds wise of me to say, that wisdom isn’t enough to stifle my true nature forever.” He chuckled a bit then, after that stark admission. “This is why we need to protect Leopold and teach him well. He can be worthy to rule there, I think. When I get back, we need to set a tutor for him, in magic. Perhaps Niven Kilroy?” The boy was young, but so was Leo.
There was a pause then.
“I don’t know the name...”
“Baron Kilroy’s oldest son. He’s... Nine still. Ten soon. Also a full mage and wizard already. Don’t let this out, but in a field of amazing magic users, he’s the best student. Trust me, it’s impressive to see. Walden is also doing very well, even in that field, too. Both of them managed to learn fifty-nine new spells in an hour last night. If they get sixty in an hour, they earn a large chest of gold and gems each. That’s for everyone. In Yanse and Istlan at least. Perhaps other places, if they can show me they have that skill down. I’m going to be doing some mining and coin making soon! My guess is that at least five of the people here will meet that mark inside the next week or two. Possibly more than that.”
He felt rather proud of his people, for a moment.
Alpert whistled in appreciation.
“That’s... Amazing. I... Aisla...” There was a bit of sound in the background. That of a person entering a room. “I’m on with Anders, down in Barquea. He was just reporting to me that two of his men managed to learn fifty-nine new spells in an hour yesterday?” He sounded questioning.
Aisla, his side mother, gasped.
“No... You must have misunderstood... That’s impossible. Even learning one in an hour is a feat that I’ve only seen one person do. That being Anders. I...”
“Aislana cofete, fen ot” He included her in the far speaking spell instantly, since they were just sharing information that she was allowed to know for certain.
“Hello, Mother.” He’d never called the woman that before, but she made a pleased sound at the idea, which was nice to hear. She claimed to be his mother, married to his father as she was. That she actually meant it had always been a strained idea however.
For him.
She, it seemed, simply meant it.
“Anders! Now, what is this? Someone did five, or nine new spell parts in an hour? That’s...”
“No. Fifty-nine. The worst person out of the twelve trying it was in the high forties, or perhaps fifty even. Full spells, too. Not just parts. Single words to perform a full task. Lissa was well past fifty, I don’t know the exact number, there. Salina was leading us, so she doesn’t count for that one, today. There’s a prize, of a full chest of gold, silver and gems for anyone getting sixty in an hour.”
There was a moment of silence, then a laugh.
