Broken by Magic: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (Dragon Gate Book 3), page 28
“Do you think he’ll survive the arena?” Tinder asked in a lower voice. “And will we get to leave? Or get stuck fighting those dragons he mentioned?”
“I don’t know that either.” It surprised Tezi that Sergeant Tinder was asking her opinion.
Back home, all the senior mercenaries had barked orders, assuming rookies like Tezi knew nothing and that they had all the experience. Back home, they did. But here, Tinder and Fret were as lost as Tezi. Even worse, they didn’t have magical weapons to help protect them.
“If I have to use a broken sword to fight a dragon, I’m going to hide behind you and your axe.” Tinder waved at the big weapon. “That’s why you need to master it. With a mage’s help. You need to figure out exactly what it can defend you from so you know how to best use it.”
“I’ll ask.”
“Good.” Tinder thumped her on the shoulder. “I look forward to hiding behind you. Have some of those buttery pastries on the table over there.”
Tezi blinked. “Why?”
“So you’ll get a little chunkier. The way you are right now, it’s going to be hard to hide behind you.”
“Perhaps,” Dr. Fret said from where she was knitting, “you should eat fewer of the buttery pastries, thus to facilitate your scenario.”
“My girth is all muscle,” Tinder said. “Besides, I’d have to fast for months to be skinny enough to hide behind our rookie.”
Tezi took a deep breath and headed over to ask Rivlen to spar with her. She was frowning out the window and scribbling notes again as a massive, scaled creature with horns on its head did its best to eviscerate the four gladiators facing it.
Tezi waited for her to finish writing.
“What do you want?” Rivlen frowned at her.
Tezi got the impression the captain didn’t like her and wouldn’t appreciate this interruption, but Rivlen had tried to protect her from Tonovan, so maybe she would be willing to help again.
“Good afternoon, ma’am,” Tezi said. “I’m seeking a mage to attack me in numerous ways while I hold my axe so I can get a better idea of what it can and can’t protect me from.”
Rivlen eyed her up and down, then glanced back at Malek. Hoping to foist the task off on him?
“What are you doing?” Tezi pointed at her notes. “Can I help?”
Maybe if she assisted Rivlen in finishing her task, she would be more inclined to spar.
“Taking notes on the creatures that come out in the arena and what their vulnerabilities and favorite attacks are so I can give them to Lord Malek to study. He should be over here studying them himself.” Rivlen frowned in his direction, but he and Jak had their eyes closed, concentrating on their magic, and Malek didn’t look over. She made a disgusted noise.
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate your assistance, ma’am,” Tezi said.
“There’s no guarantee that he’ll face any of the creatures we’re seeing today, but he might. There can only be so many types of animals caged down there, right?”
“Presumably so.”
As the creature below chomped one of the gladiators on the shoulder, another man sprang in, using a sword to find a gap between its scales. With a great roar, he delivered a deadly blow. Their enemy squealed and tried to stomp them into the ground, but the gladiators scurried back, one helping the injured man away. After a few more blows, they managed to defeat the scaled creature. It was one of the few victories for humans that Tezi had seen.
“That was a dragon-steel sword that he used to get under the scale.” Rivlen wrote another note, then put the pen and paper down. “I don’t suppose you’d like to lend your axe to Lord Malek for his fights?”
“If he asked for it, I would.” Tezi would prefer to keep it, since they’d already been attacked once in their suite, but if it would make a difference for him, she would lend it to him. But wouldn’t he want to use the weapons he was most familiar with?
“Would you?” Rivlen squinted at her. “I can’t read your thoughts when you’re holding that.”
“My thoughts are uninteresting, but I’m glad to know it has that capability.” The information encouraged Tezi. That meant that new mages she encountered shouldn’t be able to dig into her memories and learn that she’d killed their kind. Too bad so many existing mages—and zidarr—knew about that.
“Do you want to spar with weapons?” Rivlen asked. “Or for me to attack you with magic?”
“Both if you’re willing. I’m trying to improve as well as learn the axe’s capabilities.”
“Do you really think you’ll be able to keep it?” Rivlen waved toward the center of the room where the furniture had been cleared for sparring. “I’m surprised someone hasn’t taken it from you yet.”
“Maybe if I learn to use it capably enough, I’ll be able to prevent those who try from succeeding.”
Rivlen grunted skeptically, but she grabbed her sword, and they sparred together for the first time.
Since Rivlen was older and more experienced, Tezi expected her to overpower her quickly, knock her to the floor, and return to her note taking. Instead, Rivlen gave advice and ran Tezi through drills. The repetition was useful for imprinting defenses into her memory. In between drills, Rivlen tried several magical attacks on Tezi. Most of them breezed past, as the attacks in her previous battles with mages had.
“It doesn’t create a barrier around you, does it?” Rivlen asked. “You’re just somehow impervious to almost everything.”
“Yes, ma’am. As far as I can tell. At least when it comes to magic. Physical attacks can still get through.”
“I wonder how much of a swordsman Tonovan is.”
“Pardon?”
“If you attacked him, and he couldn’t use his magic, I wonder how the battle would go.” Rivlen shook her head. “I’m sure he’s capable with a blade, even if he’s no zidarr. I’ve had training as a military officer, so he would have too. And you’re… Don’t take this the wrong way, girl, but you’re a neophyte.”
“I know I am. But with time, I plan to change that.”
“Yeah.” Rivlen ran through more drills with Tezi, spending more time with her than she would have expected.
Though tired, Tezi set her jaw and worked with determination, longing to grow stronger, faster, and more capable.
After an hour, Rivlen lowered her sword. Sweat dampened both of their faces.
“It’ll take years for you to get good enough to challenge him,” Rivlen said.
“Tonovan? I’d hoped to avoid him.” Tezi set aside the axe to wipe her sweaty palms and drag a sleeve across her damp face. “Especially since he’s surrounded by his own fleet. I’m afraid there would be repercussions if I attacked him.”
Too bad. Maybe Uthari’s military fleet would be less loathsome if Tonovan weren’t in charge. If he were dead. Then he wouldn’t be able to maul any more innocent women. It might be worth dealing with repercussions—with being tortured and killed—if Tezi could take him out of the world and leave one less overpowered mage around to torment people.
“I’m not sure who would take his place,” Rivlen said, reading her thoughts now that she wasn’t holding the blade. “But you’re not the only one who hates him.”
Tezi gripped the axe’s haft again, having enjoyed the mental privacy. “Every terrene human woman he meets probably does.”
“And plenty of mage women.” Rivlen’s lips thinned.
“You, ma’am? Did he…” Tezi trailed off, having a hard time imagining someone as powerful as Rivlen being molested or harassed in any way.
But when Rivlen had faced off against Tonovan, he had gotten the upper hand.
Rivlen hesitated and glanced around the room, but the others were all occupied and weren’t paying attention to them.
“When I was a younger officer, yes.” Rivlen shrugged, as if it didn’t matter that much.
Tezi couldn’t imagine that.
“I’ve grown more powerful since then,” Rivlen added.
“But not more powerful than Tonovan,” Tezi whispered.
Rivlen clenched her jaw but couldn’t deny it. “Powerful enough that he would be stupid to paw me over. Any distraction, and I’d knock his head off.”
“I hope he leaves you alone, but I wouldn’t mind seeing his head knocked off.”
“I’ll bet.” Rivlen gave her and the axe an assessing look again. “Would you be willing to help that scenario come to fruition?”
“Uhm. Are you suggesting… working together?” Tezi lowered her voice and glanced at Malek. “To kill Tonovan?”
“Maybe.” Rivlen also spoke quietly and glanced at Malek again. “It couldn’t be an assassination, not when he’s in the middle of the fleet, surrounded by allies and King Uthari himself. But if he attacked us, and we defended ourselves against him… it’s possible we wouldn’t be punished.”
Tezi thought it was possible Rivlen wouldn’t be punished, but she’d already seen how quickly mages would kill terrene humans even for defending themselves against their kind. Still, if Tonovan were dead, wouldn’t it be worth her life?
“You must hate him as much as I do,” Rivlen said, though she couldn’t have read Tezi’s thoughts, not with the axe back in her hands.
“I hate them all,” Tezi growled before remembering she was facing a mage. “All those who think it’s all right to kill or rape us just because we don’t have the power to fight back.”
She thought Rivlen would catch the slip and berate her for it, but all she said was, “Yeah. It makes you want to train hard and become more powerful so there’s never anybody above you who can do that to you.”
“Those of us without magic don’t have that option.”
“Most with magic don’t have it either. There’s a limit to how powerful everyone can get. No matter how good you become, there always seems to be someone stronger.” Rivlen glanced at Malek again.
Tezi couldn’t interpret that glance, couldn’t tell if it implied something more than that he was more powerful than Rivlen. “Has he ever… done anything? To you?”
Rivlen shook her head. “No. He’s just more powerful than I am. It doesn’t bother me that much when it’s someone… honorable and fair. But I don’t think he’ll strike against one of Uthari’s officers, so I wouldn’t be able to convince him to help me against Tonovan, not if I were the one to goad Tonovan into an attack. I think Jak would help, but it’ll be a while before he’s ready. He doesn’t have a dragon-steel weapon.”
Rivlen squinted at Tezi.
“I’d help.” Tezi felt uneasy admitting that aloud, even if she’d already admitted it to herself. What if Rivlen was lying to her and would end up telling Tonovan about this conversation? That Tezi wanted to kill him? “Even if it meant my death. As long as it would keep him from tormenting others.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Rivlen nodded curtly, then lifted her sword. “Let’s spar some more and see if the axe can defend you against mental attacks.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Not long after that, several guards and servants arrived, pushing aside the curtain and entering the suite.
We are here to collect the warrior for the arena, a mage guard spoke into their minds, looking at Malek. You will be housed with the other combatants and have your first battle in the morning.
Malek and Jak stood, exchanging long looks with each other—and a telepathic conversation?
Tezi gripped her battle-axe in case Malek decided not to go through with it, instead attacking these men and leading the group in an escape attempt.
“I’m ready,” was all he said.
He pressed something into Jak’s hand—the key for the portal?—and stepped away. Jak’s face twisted with distress as he watched Malek join the guards.
Rivlen grabbed the notes she’d been taking off the table. “These may help you, my lord.”
She handed them to him.
“Thank you, Captain,” Malek said formally, perusing them before folding them and putting them in a pocket.
“You’re welcome, my lord.” Rivlen saluted him.
Do not forget your armor, one of the guards said.
“You mean my costume?” Malek asked.
They did not reply, but one pointed to the skimpy leather loincloth and harness that had been brought for him.
Malek retrieved the costume—Tezi agreed with his term for it—and joined them again.
Jadora stepped out of the bedroom, lifting a hand toward Malek, as if she wanted to grab him and pull him back, to keep him from risking himself.
He gave her an even longer look than he’d shared with Jak, but he didn’t say anything aloud. As he walked out with the guards, he and Jadora held each other’s gazes.
“Good luck,” Jadora whispered.
Malek inclined his head once.
Jadora lowered her arm, though she kept watching the doorway long after he’d stepped into the corridor with the guards and disappeared from sight.
“I don’t know what she thinks is going to happen between them,” Rivlen muttered.
“Professor Freedar?” Tezi asked.
Jadora glanced at them as she walked back into the bedroom.
“She doesn’t have any weapon capable of hiding her thoughts,” Rivlen said.
“And she’s thinking about… Lord Malek?”
Rivlen nodded curtly. “It’s forbidden for zidarr to have romantic entanglements. I’m sure he’s told her that and doesn’t return her interest. She’s just a terrene human. That can’t intrigue him.”
Just when Tezi was starting to think Rivlen wasn’t as bad as the rest of the mages… Though if Rivlen was attracted to Malek herself, that might explain her feelings. Of jealousy?
“If he were going to have a relationship with someone,” Rivlen said, “another mage would make more sense. A powerful mage. Someone closer in stature to him.”
Yes, attraction. There it was.
“Didn’t you just say that was forbidden?” Tezi hoped Rivlen was practical—and fair—and wouldn’t take out her disgruntlement on Jadora.
“Yes.” Rivlen shook her head. “He won’t likely get involved with anyone. And if he did, it would have to be just sex, not anything emotional.” Did she look wistful as she said that?
Since Tezi couldn’t read minds, she was left guessing, but it would probably be better if nobody had sex with anyone.
Jak walked over, looking weary from his training, though it had only involved sitting cross-legged and doing who knew what with his mind.
Tezi braced herself, though he hadn’t tried to flirt with her, at least as far as she could tell, lately. He only nodded to her, said she was looking fearsome with the axe, and faced Rivlen.
“Malek said to keep training with you if you’re willing and not busy.” Jak gestured to Tezi, as if to say he would wait if they weren’t done.
“I could use a rest,” Tezi admitted.
Jak lowered his voice. “He also said we should come up with a plan in case… that ruler doesn’t keep her word about letting us go, and he doesn’t survive.”
“He will,” Rivlen said.
“But in case he doesn’t,” Jak said. “We have to figure out a way to get out of the city. Mother has one of those discs now, so we might be able to escape through the barrier, but he wasn’t sure it would get us all out. Even if it does, he said their mages are powerful, so we’d have to worry about them chasing us back to the portal—and catching up with us.”
“Very powerful.” Rivlen winced, as if she had first-hand experience.
Maybe she did. When Rivlen and Jadora had returned from the greenhouse the other night, they’d looked rough. Or, more specifically, like they’d been roughed up.
“We’ll keep training, yes.” Rivlen gripped Jak’s shoulder and nodded at Tezi. “So that we’ll be ready when we have to act.”
The curtain at the door stirred again, not to admit guards this time. Zethron stuck his head in and spoke in the local language, one Tezi hadn’t picked up any of yet.
Jak and Rivlen also shook their heads and shrugged, but Jadora must have heard him, for she stepped out with her backpack on and a notebook in hand.
“Mother?” Jak asked uncertainly.
“He’s taking me to their library so I can research dragon steel,” Jadora said.
“Uh, you’re going alone with him?” Jak looked at Rivlen and raised his eyebrows.
Rivlen grimaced, as if she didn’t want to go out again with them, but she stepped toward them. “I’ll go with you.”
Zethron shook his head, then pointed at Jadora, at himself, and finally at the curtain. The boots of guards were visible under it. Several sets of boots.
“He says he could only get permission for me to go with him,” Jadora said.
“Mother,” Jak said. “Your last outing with him did not go well.”
“You shouldn’t venture out into this city without protection,” Rivlen added.
“I know, but we don’t have a choice,” Jadora said.
“Malek won’t approve,” Jak said, looking to Rivlen for backup.
Rivlen nodded in agreement.
“Malek knows about this,” Jadora said. “He wants to know how to work dragon steel for King Uthari, and he thinks I might be able to figure it out.”
Tezi blinked at that. How would a terrene human learn how to do something none of the mages on all of Torvil had been able to figure out?
“But we don’t care about the dragon steel.” Jak pointed at his chest and then his mother’s. “We just need to find that plant, so Uthari lets Grandfather go. That’s what you said.”
“It’s not here,” Jadora said. “The secrets to working dragon steel are.”
Zethron headed for the curtain, and Jadora followed.
Rivlen grabbed her weapons and strode after her, but as soon as she stepped into the corridor, several guards lifted their hands and barked orders at her in their language. Rivlen looked like she would force her way out anyway, but some of those guards must have had magic, for she stumbled back inside, as if knocked back by wind.
