Ascendant (26 page)

“
I won
’
t, sir,
”
Koren said, surprised. It
had never occurred to him that there were different types of wizards, and that
not all of them could throw fireballs.

“
Mwazo has his own kind of
strength, he is our expert on potions, and the arcane arts. There probably isn
’
t a scroll about wizardry
that old Mwazo hasn
’
t
read. And, he has looked deeper into the enemy
’
s dark heart than anyone else dares.
”
Shomas shivered at that
thought, and waved his index finger in a circle, as if to ward off unseen evil.
"That takes a special kind of strength that I do not have."

“
And Madam Chu?

“
Madam Chuuuu,
”
Shomas drew the name out,
“
she is a
mysterious one, isn
’
t
she? One of the court wizards of the emperor of Ching-Do, she is, and we
’
re fortunate she was
visiting my homeland when the message from Paedris arrived.
”

 
“
There are more wizards
that you four, sir?
”

“
Oh, yes, but there aren
’
t many of us, that
’
s for certain. No, the
three of us are the only senior members of the Wizard's Council who could get
here, before winter snows close the roads. There are other wizards, but not
many, not many. Too few of us, compared to the ranks of the enemy.
”
Shomas
’
voice trailed off, and he
stared at the ground. Suddenly, he brightened, stopped his horse, and dropped
to the ground.
“
Here,
look, around this old tree, I think we
’
ll
find the roots Mwazo wants. Bring your shovel.
”

Koren brought
a late supper to the four wizards, who were engrossed in reading. The supper
was late, because the wizards had risen from bed late, eaten a late breakfast,
then an early lunch, then a second lunch around the hour Shomas Feany called
'tea time'. There were books and scrolls covering every table, every shelf, and
stacked four deep on the floor. Koren had to set the food tray in the hallway,
and clean off a table, before he could set the plates and bowls out for the
wizards.

Koren studied
the four wizards, who were all lost in thought, their noses buried deep in
books or scrolls, absent-mindedly sipping cups of tea. There was Paedris, with
his dark hair and beard, from the land of Estada in the south. Madame Chu, from
Ching-Do, so far to the east that Koren could scarcely imagine anything so far
away. Shomas Feany, with the red hair and freckles of many people from his
northern land. And Lord Mwazo, who had the dark skin and tightly curled black
hair of his land far, far to the south even of Estada. Four wizards, from
different lands, all together here in Linden, all for a common cause, whatever
that was. Koren marveled that he, a boy from a simple farm in poor village of
an unimportant county of Tarador, could be here, now, with four powerful and
mysterious wizards. He was on his way out of the room, treading a narrow path
through the scrolls, when Lord Mwazo cleared his throat.
“
Boy.
”

“
Yes, sir.
”
Koren bowed to the
wizard. Lord Mwazo was a stickler for formality, and quick to take offense when
he thought he was not being given proper respect as a powerful master wizard.

“
Paedris,
”
Mwazo said, without
looking at Koren,
“
It
is time. Nowhere do the scrolls tell us what we need to know.
”

“
No,
”
Paedris shook his head,
“
it is almost dark, and we
dare not act while in the enemy
’
s
element. Tomorrow, in the sunshine, we shall find the answers you seek.
”

“
That we all seek.
”
Madam Chu added.

Paedris
nodded.
“
That
we all seek, yes.
”

Mwazo waved
his hand dismissively at Koren.
“
Away
with you, boy.
”

Koren bowed
again and backed out the door, burning with curiosity. Lord Mwazo had wanted
Koren to stay for something, something Paedris thought too dangerous to attempt
in darkness. What wizardly act would need Koren to be involved? He shuddered.
That night, Koren did not sleep well at all.

The next day
dawned cloudy, with a chilly drizzle. The wizards had, for a change, gone to
bed early, and so they were up early, and hungry. Koren fetched breakfast, then
a mid-morning snack, then lunch. Still, the sun did not shine, and Paedris
counseled patience, for he predicted sunshine in the afternoon. And to Koren
’
s surprise, while he was
clearing away dishes, the rain lifted, the clouds parted, and within an hour
there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Paedris summoned Koren to follow, and the
four wizards led the way to the platform on top of the wizard
’
s tower, under the sunny
sky. The top of the tower was one of Koren
’
s
favorite places to be, for it commanded a great view over the castle, the royal
palace and the city, far out into the countryside.

The wizards
sat on the benches which were built into the stone wall around the top of the
tower, and Paedris told Koren to stand in the center.
“
Koren, don
’
t be afraid, we only need
to ask you some questions.
”

“
Yes,
”
Shomas added with a
friendly smile, a few simple questions.
“
Sometimes,
a wizard needs to work with, well, with-
“

“
With a person who doesn
’
t have any magical power.
”
Paedris suggested.

“
Yes, someone without any
magical powers, to compare, you understand?
”
Shomas finished with a questioning glance at
the master wizard.

“
I understand, Shomas, I
mean, Lord Feany, sir.
”

“
Tell us about your family.
”
Madam Chu spoke up
abruptly. Since the day she had touched Koren
’
s forehead, she had hardly spoken to him.

Koren looked
at the floor, his face burning red with shame.
“
I'm sorry, ma'am, but I  don
’
t have a family.
”

Chu
’
s stern expression
softened, as did her voice.
“
Koren,
tell us about your parents, your mother and father, and their parents, and
brothers and sisters. Everything you can remember; their names, where they came
from. Everything you can remember. The good and the bad. There was good, wasn
’
t there, Koren?
”

Koren blinked
away a tear. Yes, before he caused his family to be exiled from their village,
there had been good times, much more than bad.
“
My mother
’
s family I never met, they were from far
away, I think. Her parents were traders, she met my father when the traders
stopped in our village to repair their wagon. My mother has relatives, that
’
s where my parents were
going when they, they left,
“
Koren was about to say when they left
me.
“
le-left our village. They never told me where
they were going.
”
So I could never find them, Koren added to himself. Koren told them everything
he could remember, about his uncle Ander, and his father
’
s parents, who died when
he was very young.

“
Your family were farmers
and traveling merchants, then.
”
Shomas said.
“
No
family stories of, oh, say, wizards, or knights, that sort of thing? Bladewell,
hmm, there was a Sir Bladewell, a knight a long time ago, are you related to
him?
”

“
No, sir. I don
’
t think so. No knights,
and no wizards. My father
’
s
uncle supposedly had a horse who could count to ten, but I think that was just
a story.
”
Why
were four wizards interested in his family history?

“
Hmmmf.
”
Lord Mwazo looked down
his long nose at Koren.
“
Common
peasants, then.
”

“
You
were also born a common peasant, Cecil.
”
Madam Chu admonished the proud wizard.

Cecil
?
Koren
’
s eyes
grew wide. He had never heard that Lord Mwazo had a first name.
“
Is it true, sir?
”

“
None of your business,
boy.
”
Mwazo
snapped.
“
Lord
Salva, we waste time, while the sun sinks in the sky.
”

Paedris
nodded, and Shomas rose to speak with Koren.
“
Koren, we
’
re going to do something, it
’
s important, and you won
’
t be hurt, I promise you.
”

“
Am I to be tested, sir?
”
Koren asked anxiously.

“
No,
”
Paedris hastened to say,
“
it is us who will be
tested. We need you to serve as a, as a, focus.
”
Paedris avoided looking Koren in the eye,
and his words did not ring true. The hair rose on the back of Koren
’
s neck. Paedris was lying
to him, again.

“
Yes, the test will be for
those who do not believe their own senses.
”
Madam Chu looked pointedly at Mwazo, who snorted.

Koren
swallowed hard, and nodded, and stood still. The four wizards stood around him,
joined hands, and began chanting, strange foreign words. He began to feel warm,
the way he had when Madam Chu touched his forehead. The feeling of warmth
started at his toes, and swelled as it climbed his body, until the top of his
head was uncomfortably warm. He felt faint, and his knees shook.

Suddenly, the
wizards stopped chanting, and the warmth went away. All four of the wizards
seemed slightly dazed, and Lord Mwazo fell to his knees, his face ashen.
“
Lord Salva, I apologize
for doubting you.
”
Mwazo gasped.

Madam Chu
knelt at his side, concerned.
“
Cecil,
do you need help?
”

“
No, no, Wing, I am fine,
thank you.
”
For the first time, Koren saw Mwazo smile.

“
We have hope!
”
Shomas exclaimed, and
threw his arms around Koren in another crushing hug that took the boy
’
s breath away.
“
The legends say-
“

“
The legends are
inconclusive, Shomas.
”
Mwazo rose unsteadily to his feet, supported by Madam Chu.
“
I have made it my life
’
s work to study the
legends.
”

“
Nevertheless, we do have
hope.
”
Paedris
said.
“
Hope,
and opportunity.
”

“
And danger.
”
Madam Chu added.

“
Yes, danger. Koren, you
may go now. It
’
s
a nice day, why don
’
t
you take Thunderbolt out for a ride?
”

“
Yes, sir.
”
Koren bowed to the four
wizards, and hurried down and out of the tower as fast as his shaky legs could
carry him.

The joyous
feeling of the wizards was short-lived.
“
What
does this mean?
”
Shomas asked .
“
Out
of nowhere, this immense power falls into our laps, and- and
we
can
’
t
use
it
! The boy is too young to control such power himself, and if we
channeled such power through him, we may kill him.
”