The Sword of Ages: The Mage Breaker Book 1 (6 page)

BOOK: The Sword of Ages: The Mage Breaker Book 1
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              Korvan then turned around and smiled at Tanner as he got a running start and kicked the downed man full in the face, laying him out on his back. Korvan placed his sword tip against the man’s neck and pressed down slightly. With his other hand he pulled out his wand and began burning the man’s legs. The condemned man roared in pain but if he moved the sword would surely skewer him. The smell of burnt flesh made Tanner sick as he took out an arrow, knocked it and put it into the dying man’s skull. Korvan looked at the arrow and turned around enraged, shouting the whole time.

              “You dare interfere with justice?” The wizard said as he stormed over to Tanner.

              “That wasn’t justice you twat” Tanner said as he got up in the wizard’s face. “That was you torturing a man!”

              Tanner towered over Korvan and could see he made the wizard a little nervous, the wizard backed up a few places and let a knowing smile leave his lips. Korvan went over to the far side of the arena and was stroking his wand with a nasty gleam in his eye.

              Soldiers came down off the barricade and drug the dead man with the arrow in his head and piled him atop the first dead guy. The man with the red sash came down snarling at Tanner and he could see barely contained rage.

              “That man killed the best prostitute in Daum and you let him off easy” the man in red sash said.

              “That poor bastard is still dead aint he?” Tanner shot back. “You got what you wanted”.

              “I hope you suffer archer” the man with the red sash said loud enough for the crowd to hear.

              “And I hope you catch rotten crotch from bedding whores you tosser” Tanner said as he spat on the ground. “I bet after I am finished with this one you don’t have the stones to pick up a sword and face me one on one in combat”.

              “If you survive this boy I will be happy too” the man said as backed up.

              “You have been accused of stifling recruiting and threatening to kill the king’s soldiers, a wizard among them. How do you plead?” the man with the red sash asked.

              “I told them tossers to stop trying to burn down our town” Tanner replied. “If I was stopping recruiting then why are all the men from Kol here, myself included?”

              “Don’t weasel your way out now” The man with the red sash said as he was helped out of the square. “Now fight!”

              Tanner quickly nocked an arrow and sent it as he saw Korvan readying a spell. A strong wind suddenly came which knocked the arrow off course. Tanner drew another arrow and was about to send it when fire shot out at him. The fire was too quick for him as Tanner instinctively ducked, he could feel some heat but did not feel the flame. Tanner opened his eyes and could see fire stopped in front of him; maybe the wizard had a range limit. Tanner knocked his arrow and fire into the middle of the inferno, suddenly the fire stopped. Tanner looked up and saw Korvan was grazed in the arm; he looked down at his arm as a red spot was rapidly forming. Tanner knocked another arrow and let it fly in haste, the shaft stuck proudly out of the bicep of hand hold the wand. Korvan screamed as he dropped his wand and Tanner knocked another arrow and sent it without aiming as good as he should have, the arrow stuck into Korvan’s right shoulder. Korvan screamed and grabbed at his wand just as Tanner took off towards the wizard gripping the iron arrow. As soon as Tanner closed the distance he saw his mistake. Why didn’t he just stay shooting arrows into the wizard? Now Korvan had his wand in his opposite hand and chanted, just as Tanner got towards him fire shot out around Tanner.

              The fire should have hit him full on but it stopped a couple of feet from Tanner. Tanner looked around the blaze and could see the fear and confusion in Korvan’s eyes. Tanner took a step and held out his hand to grasp the wand, the flame died suddenly as Tanner grabbed the wand and snapped it in two. Tanner then held his arrow aloft and was going for the killing blow but paused and turned to address the crowd.

              “I believe this man to be an idiot and a twit” Tanner said as he hoped his voice would carry. “I will let this poor idiot live if that tosser in the red sash would bring his ass down here and face me one on one. If he has the bollocks I am just a boy and he is obviously older than me. I will give him until the count of ten to drop down inside this place with me. He can back up his boastful words or be labeled a coward”.

              Tanner turned around and could see the wizard was trying to pull himself together; Tanner held the iron arrow to his throat and began counting. When he got to ten the man still didn’t come down. Tanner sighed and looked at Korvan and said loudly, “Do you renounce your claims against me? We can both leave here alive or only I can leave the choice is yours!”

              Tanner could hear how silent the crowd was, before Korvan could answer he could hear the unmistakable voice of the king ordering him to be seized. Tanner looked around and saw men enter the area and knocked another arrow, if he were to die at least one of them would be going with him.

              “Come on then you lying fuckers, I’ll get at least one of you sure as spit” Tanner said as he aimed towards and older man who looked like he might be in charge.

              “Drop your weapon!” Tanner could hear the King say behind him.

              “Sod off you tosser” Tanner replied. “I’ll not go out listening to some idiot, I won your little game and at least one man will know the penalty for cheating me”.

              “That is the king you are talking to!” Tanner could hear the guard he had an arrow trained on say.

              “Well why don’t you come over here and teach me my lessons” Tanner said as he could see if he let the arrow loose it would go through an eye socket.

              “Enough boy, you will drop that weapon or you will die right here and now” Tanner could hear the king say.

              “I was a dead man anyway” Tanner said as he was about to fire. Suddenly he could see the warriors facing him look up towards the king, Tanner was about to release his shot when the king himself landed off to his right and started walking towards him. Tanner spun his arrow towards the king but the man kept coming until he was right up in Tanner’s face.

              “I said drop your weapon” the king snarled.

              Tanner was unsure of what to do, if the king wanted him dead he could have ordered him shot soon after the match. Tanner dropped his weapon on the ground and folded his arms.

              “Follow me” the king said as he walked towards a wall that people started rapidly taking apart.

              Tanner followed the man and could see the faces on the crowd around him. They looked as shocked as he was all except Golden who looked down right relieved. Tanner followed the King into the inn where no less than twenty heavily armed guards were all on the bottom floor. The King sat at a nearby table along with his wife the Queen.

              “Who are your parents?” the King asked.

              “I don’t know, they died and I was young. Thinking about them never put food on my table” Tanner replied.

              “You will show some respect while you are in my presence young man” the Queen said as she took a sip of something in her cup.

              “You sound like you were raised out in the country” the King stated.

              “I was raised out in the country Your Majesty but that doesn’t make me daft or inferior to any of these city folks”. Tanner replied.

              “Now that I see him up close the resemblance is uncanny” the Queen said to her husband. “Young man, have you always been able to repel magic?”

              “I don’t know nothing about jinx flinging or how to stop it” Tanner replied.

              “I have a proposition for you” The King said but continued before Tanner could answer. “I want you to undergo special training and be the personal servant to the princess, you would be paid handsomely”.

              “No offense to you all Your Majesties, but why would I want to do a fool thing like that?” Tanner asked. “I make okay money as a Tanner and I don’t have anyone out to kill me, well not anymore since I don’t think Korvan wants another dance. I’m me own man, well I will be after this war is over and I can go back to me business”.

              “What if I told you it is not a request?” the King replied.

              “So then what you telling me is that you are making me a slave to wait hand and foot on your little girl because I passed your little test? I would rather go back out in the square and die with some dignity than to be a bootlicker”.

              “Your job would be more than just as a servant, you would also be her personal body guard” the King said as he bored into Tanner. “Furthermore you would only be needed until the end of the war, if we win you will never have to work again and a small cottage along with a stipend will be paid for you until you die”.

              “You mean to tell me, you will put food in my belly and a roof over my head until I die in return for watching over your little girl? No offense to you but I’m smarter than that, what is the catch?” Tanner asked as the king gestured for him to take a seat.

              “From time to time you may be called upon to do other military things” The King said as he rubbed his chin. “How good are you with a sword?”

              “I was taught by me uncle since I could talk, I’m no Golden but I can more than hold me own” Tanner replied.

              “Golden?” the Queen asked confused.

              “Golden is the name of my best friend and he is destined to succeed at everything” Tanner said thinking about his friend. “He was already the best swordsman in our entire village and none of us were surprised when we found out he had magic in him. If you don’t know the name now I’ll bet my life you will in twenty years, everyone will”.

              “Perhaps” the King said getting back serious. “My offer?”

              “Who wouldn’t accept an offer like that?” Tanner grinned. “I’m only needed until this war is over and I won’t have to spend it out in the cold gutting some poor tosser who was unfortunate enough to be sent into war and placed in front of me”.

              “Your language young man” the Queen reminded.

              “I’m sorry your majesty, I’m not used to being all proper like” Tanner said apologetically.

              “You have a high opinion of your skills” the king stated.

              “If I don’t believe in me Your Majesty who will?” Tanner replied. “If you are talking about that fight in the square, that wizard had me scared to death. But when his magic went all sixes and sevens I knew I had the fight. And if that dandy in the red sash could take me then I don’t deserve the name my uncle gave me and should be food for the worms”.

              “What is your name?” the Queen asked.

              “My name is Tanner your majesty” Tanner replied.

              “Tanner I think you are the baby of Geddon, my brother’s head assassin” the king said as he eyed Tanner. “Geddon had an unusual ability, known only to the royal houses. He could cancel out the magic of others. It was rumored he fell for a serving girl and wanted to escape the life of an assassin. My brother wouldn’t let him so he ran off. My queen would know Geddon’s face better than I though”.

              “Geddon was for me what you will be to my daughter” the Queen said as Tanner could see tears threatening to form. “My father was the greatest magician in all the land and he had Tavor’s ear. Many sought to replace him and tried to do so by assassinations. When Geddon’s uniqueness was discovered, he was my undercover protector until I married your King. At first only my father knew Geddon’s secret, he was a humble man who killed three wizards over the years who tried to assassinate me. When Tavor found out he had other uses for Geddon, I know he killed many Ketian wizards before the war with Tavor even started. The last time I saw him he had an important need to leave Tavor and wanted me to take him with me. I knew Tavor never would let me so I turned him down. I can see the fear in his face even today, you look a lot like him”.

              “No disrespect to you all Your Majesties but I’m no Tavorian, I’m a Ket through and through” Tanner began. “If this story were true that my real Da was some lackey assassin, that has nothing to do with me”.

              “Why do you call him a lackey” the King asked with curiosity.

              “Because he never was his own man” Tanner replied. “I have been running me own business since my uncle passed. I make my own money, no one tells me how to spend it or how to make it. I can have a day off and do whatever I want. I’m not under anyone’s thumb, the only reason I am here because it is the duty of any man to protect his country in war time. This Geddon was a lackey who probably never took a vacation or just simply rested without being told too”.

              “Maybe as you find out more about him your opinion will change” said the Queen.

              “As for now I need you to gather your belongings and report to the third floor” the King said as he got up.

              Tanner rose out of his seat and waited for the king to walk away. Tanner looked around at the stoic faces of the guardsmen around him, big burly men carrying dangerous looking axes and swords and armored to the teeth. Tanner thought himself lucky that this lot wasn’t sent after him, he doubted he could have killed a single one of them. Tanner walked out of the inn and passed the guards stationed at front and made his way over to his horse who had a very nervous looking Golden around her along with Thomas, Jack and Patrick. As Tanner neared the group he broke out into a smile.

BOOK: The Sword of Ages: The Mage Breaker Book 1
9.19Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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