Aakuta: the Dark Mage (12 page)

“But you healed a soldier of the Aritor clan,” protested the soldier. “Lord Druck heard of it from the Aritor lord. You must help.”

“So that is how you found me,” snarled Aakuta. “That squad leader broke his vow to me. Now he must die.”

“No, no,” the soldier shook his head vigorously. “That is not true. I was with Lord Druck when he spoke to the Aritor lord. The squad leader was punished for refusing to give your location. Another soldier in the squad that you attacked told us of your location. Nobody must die, Aakuta. I come begging for your help in saving a life. Why can’t you help?”

“You and your people are none of my concern,” retorted the dark mage. “I want to be left in peace. Now flee before you die.”

“I will die if I return without you,” protested the soldier. “Lord Druck will pay you well for your help.”

“I have no use for your gold,” scowled Aakuta as his arm rose menacingly, “nor your life. Prepare to die.”

“Wait!” shouted the soldier. “If you kill me, Lord Druck will just send another, and another, until you are bothered every day. Even if you have no use for gold, Lord Druck does. Go aid his son, and take his gold. Charge enough and he will never bother you again.”

Aakuta lowered his arm and remained silent for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm.

“What did your lord tell you to offer me?” asked the dark mage.

“He did not specify a figure,” answered the soldier. “He instructed me to tell you that he would pay more gold than you could imagine.”

“And what figure do you feel would be outrageous enough to spread the word that I am to be left alone?” inquired Aakuta.

“I know he would gladly pay a thousand gold to have his son healed,” shrugged the soldier. “Perhaps ten thousand gold would make Lord Druck wince.”

The soldier was startled when Aakuta suddenly laughed evilly. Whatever humorous thought had passed through the dark mage’s mind, Aakuta did not share it.

“Have you brought a horse for me?” asked Aakuta.

“I have,” nodded the soldier with a gasp of relief. “It is yours to keep. I explained that you would need a way to come back here when you were done.”

“You think well for a clansman,” quipped Aakuta. “Let’s get this over with. I wish to return to my studies.”

The soldier led the way down the steep incline. When he reached the bottom, he turned to make sure Aakuta was following him. The dark mage was nowhere in sight.

“Come, come,” Aakuta snapped impatiently. “I do not have time to waste.”

The soldier spun and saw Aakuta already sitting on the spare horse. He shook his head and swiftly mounted his own horse. The soldier rode along the narrow trail at a fairly fast pace and was surprised to see that Aakuta had no trouble keeping up with him.

“How far is your estate?” asked Aakuta.

“Half a day’s journey,” answered the soldier.

“Bah,” grumbled the mage. “Stop your horse.”

The soldier cursed under his breath as he halted his mount. He had managed to convince the dark mage to accompany him, and now it looked like he had changed his mind. He wondered what he could do.

“Get off the horse,” ordered Aakuta as he dismounted.

The soldier complied, and Aakuta walked forward with the reins for both horses. He stared into the eyes of each horse as he mumbled some unintelligible words. The mage finished by brushing his hand lightly over each horse and then mounting one of them.

“Get back on and let’s ride,” commanded the dark mage.

The soldier mounted his horse as he shook his head in confusion. No sooner had he mounted than his horse started galloping. The soldier hung on tightly as both horses raced along the road.

“You owe me another horse,” shouted Aakuta. “These will die when we reach your estate.”

When they arrived at the Kamaril estate, the horses did indeed die. Aakuta marched up the steps of the mansion without a glance backwards. The soldier ran up the stairs and opened the door for the mage.

Lord Druck immediately appeared and stood gazing at the mage covered entirely in black. He waited patiently for the mage to bow.

“Where is the ill boy?” Aakuta snapped. “Take me to him.”

A look of astonishment fell over the lord’s face, but the soldier swiftly intervened.

“Follow me,” the soldier said as he led the way towards the staircase leading upstairs.

Aakuta followed the soldier while Lord Druck and a host of important clansmen gathered and also followed. The soldier led the way to a private room and opened the door. Aakuta swept through the door and stood by the side of the bed. The boy’s body was covered in oozing boils and his eyes were swollen shut. Aakuta stood and stared at him.

“Well,” snapped Lord Druck as clansmen squeezed into the room, “are you just going to stand there looking at him? Do something.”

“Get out,” Aakuta said sternly.

“Get out?” echoed Lord Druck as everyone in the room stiffened. “This is my home, and that is my son. Do not tell me what to do.”

“I said to get out,” shouted Aakuta. “Either you leave, or I will.”

People fled immediately, but Lord Druck stood his ground for almost a minute before departing and grumbling under his breath. The soldier closed the door as he left, leaving the dark mage alone with the sick boy. Aakuta shook his head as his eyes ran down the boy’s body. He stooped over the boy and ripped the tunic from his body. Some of the boils on the boy’s chest began to bleed from the wrenching of the cloth.

Aakuta was about to throw the tunic on the floor when something pierced his hand. He looked down with a rage of annoyance on his face. He saw a small pin decorated in the colors of the Kamaril clan. The pin indicated that the wearer was a member of the lord’s family. He pulled the pin free from the cloth and stuck it in his pouch. He tossed the tunic to the floor and leaned over the boy.

Aakuta closed his eyes and began chanting verses that he had learned in his youth. His large hands stretched out, one resting on the boy’s head, the other grasping the boy’s arm. For over an hour Aakuta chanted with his eyes closed and his hands unmoving. When he was done, he opened his eyes and released the boy. His head spun as he staggered across the room. Finally he dropped to his knees and retched. For several minutes Aakuta retched and remained on his knees. Finally he composed himself and rose. He walked to the table where a basin of water and cloths sat. He cleaned himself up with the available water and walked back to the bed. He looked down at the boy and nodded. His hand reached out to the boy’s shoulder, and he shook the boy. The boy’s eyes opened and grew wide as he gazed upon the dark mage.

“Who are you?” he gasped as he bolted upright.

“I am Aakuta,” replied the dark mage. “I am the one responsible for saving your life. Without my help you would have surely died. Get cleaned up and dressed, but remain in this room until you are called for.”

The boy look down at his chest and gasped. The boils were completely gone. He inspected his arms and legs and could not find a single boil.

“How did you do this?” questioned the boy.

“I used part of my life to save you,” snapped Aakuta. “In turn you owe me a debt of great magnitude. You will never speak of this debt to anyone. You will repay me when I ask it of you. Do you understand?”

“No, I don’t,” the boy shook his head. “If a debt is owed, surely my father will pay it.”

“Oh your father will pay,” laughed Aakuta. “Do not worry about that, but what I speak of is between you and me. I am a wizard, a powerful wizard. I used magic to heal you, and I can use magic to destroy you. You will pay me this debt when I ask, or you will die as you were just about to. If you mention this debt to anyone, you will die, as you should have. If you do not understand this basic tenet of magic, then perhaps I have just wasted my time saving you. Shall I end your life now?”

“No, no,” the boy shook his head vigorously. “I may not understand, but I will obey your instructions. I will tell nobody of my debt, and I will repay it when you ask. Do not give me back that pain.”

“Very well,” Aakuta smiled. “Stay in this room until you are called for. I am sure that your father will want proof of your healing.”

The boy nodded and Aakuta left the room. There were people outside the room, trying to see in, but Aakuta closed the door immediately.

“Do not touch that door,” Aakuta stated sternly as he made his way downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs he stopped and looked around. People stared at him curiously, but the mage paid no attention to them. He listened intently for the sound of the lord’s voice. When he heard it, he turned and strode towards it. Aakuta walked into the meeting room where Lord Druck and an officer were talking loudly. They both turned to look at him when he entered.

“I believe there is the detail of a fee still to be settled,” Aakuta declared as he approached the lord.

“Is he going to live?” asked Lord Druck.

“Do you question my skill?” retorted the dark mage.

Lord Druck ignored the question and nodded to the officer. The officer ran out of the room.

“Your doubt disturbs me,” Aakuta said seriously after a few moments of silence. “You think nothing of summoning me here to utilize my power, yet you doubt the results. You have what you demanded. Now it is my turn to make demands.”

The officer ran back into the room, gasping for breath. “He is as good as new,” the officer reported. “There is not a sore on his body. He was out of bed and getting dressed. I can’t believe it.”

“Bah,” scowled Aakuta. “Shut the door.”

Lord Druck nodded and the officer closed the door.

“It would appear that you do have power indeed,” Lord Druck smiled for the first time. “Such power would be very helpful with my neighbors. Their clan grows by leaps and bounds, and I am sure that their army will attack us soon. Perhaps you will stay and help us defeat them?”

“My fee,” Aakuta retorted. “I will not discuss anything until I am paid. You owe me gold and a horse.”

“Of course,” nodded Lord Druck. “Your services are very valuable, and you should be paid promptly. I will have my officer go and get you a bag of gold. One thousand gold should be well worth your trip here.”

“I think not,” scowled Aakuta. “Is your son’s life worth only one thousand gold? My fee is one hundred thousand gold.”

“One hundred thousand?” shouted Lord Druck. “Are you mad?”

“Not mad,” smiled the dark mage. “I do prefer to be left alone, though. My fee is one hundred thousand in gold. You may issue me script with your signature. In fact, I would prefer that to carrying so much weight.”

“That is preposterous,” blustered Lord Druck. “Nobody is worth that much.”

“That is too bad,” growled Aakuta. “I will just put your son back the way he was then before I leave your estate.”

“What?” shouted Lord Druck. “You will do no such thing.”

The officer, who had been standing by the door, drew his sword. Aakuta spun, his right arm rising swiftly. A power shot through the air from Aakuta’s fist to the officer. The officer’s arm, and the sword he had drawn, went flying across the room and thudded into the far wall. The soldier screamed in agony, but Aakuta ignored him. Loud banging on the door began as people tried to get the door open, but it would not budge. Aakuta turned and glared at Lord Druck.

“Make your choice, fool,” sneered the dark mage. “Pay me, or I restore the sickness to your son.”

The Kamaril officer rolled on the floor and screamed in agony. People outside the meeting room banged loudly on the door and shouted with alarm. Aakuta glared at Lord Druck from the safety of his black hood, and the lord seethed with rage.

“Shut up!” Lord Druck shouted at the wounded officer. “I will pay your price, fiend, but you will never find another contract in all of Khadora.”

“That suits me well,” snarled Aakuta.

Lord Druck hastily wrote a script for one hundred thousand gold and placed his seal upon it. He hand the paper to the dark mage.

“Are you going to heal my officer before you leave?” he asked.

“Do you wish to enter into a new contract?” snickered Aakuta.

“Never!” swore Lord Druck. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”

Aakuta put the script into his pouch and turned to face the door. He extended his arm and waved his fingers towards the door. Suddenly, voluminous billows of smoke rose from the door as it began to glow brightly. The pounding and shouting beyond the door ceased, and the dark mage smiled. As the door burst into flames and fell to the floor, Aakuta stepped through the empty doorway. The people in the hallway scattered upon the sight of the dark mage stepping through the smoke and fire. Aakuta smiled inwardly and marched out the front door of the mansion.

“Get me a horse,” Aakuta snapped at the guards outside the mansion.

“What is going on in there?” questioned one of the guards.

“There is a fire,” shrugged Aakuta. “Get me a horse and be quick about it. I wish to be home before sunset. Move. Now.”

The guards looked at each other with indecision. They knew the mage had been summoned by Lord Druck, and they had seen his horse die upon arrival. Aakuta turned to glare at one of them, and the man ran towards the stables. He returned quickly with a horse, and Aakuta mounted it and rode towards the gates of the estate. He turned on the road that went past the estate. He had not ridden more than ten minutes when he heard a horse galloping behind him. He turned and saw the soldier that had been sent to his home to summon him.

“You must flee like the wind,” warned the soldier. “Lord Druck is sending a squad of soldiers after you. They will cut you down and retrieve the script Lord Druck gave you.”

Aakuta merely nodded. “Why do you risk your life to tell me this?” he asked.

“My life has been doomed since morning,” answered the soldier. “I would have been killed if I had returned without you. Now I will be killed because I did return with you. Lord Druck is in a rage. I have no choice but to flee. We must hurry.”

“What is your name?” asked Aakuta.

“I am called Werner,” answered the soldier. “Can you make our horses run as you did before?”