THE DRAGON MAGE: THE KNIGHT MAGE 2, page 16
John had seen a torture table before and thought it was inhumane, the construct he just put around the screaming crossbowman was the same thing except it was vertical. John used his power to hold the man like a shield as he had the mace in his other hand. The other four did not know what to do when John engaged them, John was swinging the heavy mace as hard as he could while the other men did nothing but cower behind their shields. The other crossbowman took a shot that ended up in the leg of the man John was using as a shield as the Duke angrily called the match off.
“Pathetic!” Duke Tide screamed. “All of you are pathetic. You are letting one man embarrass you like children. Go and get out of my face, I will deal with you all later.”
“He might need a healer” John said as he dropped the crossbowman he was holding up to the ground. “Maybe the Morningstars can help fix him up.”
“This isn’t over” Duke Tide said as he narrowed his eyes at John.
“I should hope not” John replied. “If whatever you are giving Chance turns out to be some sort of magical healing I may need more of it and you sound like you are the only one who could make such a thing.”
Duke Tide stomped away angrily as John let a little smile appear on his face. The Defiler had watched the entire match and still had a shocked look on his face. His son Wesley was snuggled up to some young girl and looking wild eyed as John walked over.
“Dive away from the crossbowman behind you and use air magic to throw one of the nets off course” John began. “With any luck you can blow the net back on one of them, once the nets are out of play you can take to the air and start flinging spells. I recommend going after the crossbowmen first.”
“Y-you already knew what they were going to do?” the Defiler said shocked as his voice raised a few octaves.
“Of course” John replied. “You may believe the Knights of Justice are a bunch of wannabes but they do teach you how to read your opponents. I didn’t know about the nets but I figured the rest of it out quickly enough. I think Wesley would be able to beat them if he had the right game plan, I barely broke a sweat out there. Next fight I can really put the pain on them, try to shoot me with an armor piercer. He should be lucky I only broke the shoulder; in a real fight his brains would have been splattered all over the place.”
“That was exciting” Princess Kimberly said as she walked over with Candice and a girl John had never seen before. “Even Candice was shocked at the outcome.”
“You were lucky” Candice snapped.
“Do you really believe that cousin?” Princess Kimberly asked.
“No” Candice said as the fight left her voice.
“You shouldn’t” John laughed. “In a real fight I would have slaughtered that group. They should be lucky they got the chance to fight me, any false security they had is now shattered. Maybe now they can begin to actually train.”
“Why would you train men you know are going to go after your family?” Princess Kimberly asked.
“I wouldn’t” John replied. “Everyone here knows I am a weak mage; I have been saying it for everyone to hear. Once these men see battling me is pointless then they would stop dreaming.”
“Well I am glad we are not fighting with Kirby anymore” Princess Kimberly said. “And I think they are stupid for letting you get away.”
“Are any of you going to introduce me?” the other girl said. John took a look at her and thought she was in her late teens. John didn’t know what, but something about her let John know that she was also a Tide. Her hair was a plain brown but she had it tied up some intricate way atop her head. She was cute in her own way John thought. She was shorter than the others around her but looked a little curvier than the rest of them although it could have been her dress.
“John this is my cousin Relly” Kimberly said.
“Esmerelda” the girl corrected and gave John a slight curtsy.
“John Thunder” John said as he stuck out his hand.
“I thought your family name was Nightmare” Relly said confused.
“That was just to let the other guards know that I shouldn’t be taken lightly” John replied. “It seems the Dragonknights were not all that impressed but you can't win them all.”
“Well it is nice to meet you John Thunder” Relly said. “Kimberly told me you are caring for a dragon so small that it can ride around your shoulders.”
“Chance can but my shoulders are getting crowded with her on them” John laughed. “She barely fits, hopefully she can continue growing up big and strong like her mother. I got her from Lord Owen himself.”
“Lord Owen” Relly said with a slightly disgusted face before her smile returned. “I hear he has a speckled female.”
“He does” John replied. “Hope is Chance’s sister. He also has an orange and a blue. He had a red but gave it to Oren once they bonded.”
“Oren is bonded?” Candice said a little shocked. “I had heard about the dragons but, who else knows this?”
“Don’t know” John replied. “Whoever Lord Owen wants to tell. All I know is that none of them are for sale, well at least not to anyone that is attending this party.”
“He is just being selfish” Candice snapped. “I bet he is happy my brother died, Herschel and Jaden would have taken him and his white dragon out. That dragon of his isn’t even a good fighter, it is only good at fighting other dragons.”
“That doesn’t make sense” John replied.
“That white dragon would get slaughtered in war” Candice said.
“Probably” John said. “But the rules are the rules and Lord Owen won fair and square. Whoever his replacement is can do things his or her way.”
“A lot of things are going to change” Candice said. “The Lord of the Dragonknights has already been decided.”
“It has?” John asked.
“Why do you think Benson hasn’t been around pestering me” Kimberly replied. “The older people think we are a good match but I bet Candice or Relly wouldn’t marry him either.”
“I think this is going to be interesting” John replied.
“You thought they were going to fight” Kimberly replied. “But they are not, the Dragonknights and the Order of the Flame will work together, my uncle will see to that.”
“Enough about dragons, I came over here to meet you” Relly said. “It seems you could use a friend with Lord Owen retired.”
“You want to be my friend?” John asked. “I may seem like an idiot who knows how to fight but I am also an idiot who knows his way around nobles.”
“You are not a noble” Gerald said. “Don’t pretend to be one Thunder. Your father was just a powerful mage who lived in the Bissell palace. Living around nobles does not make you one.”
“In the end it doesn’t really matter does it?” John asked. “I didn’t need to be a noble, there were plenty of nobles in Kirby, only one man could say he was the Queen’s champion.”
“Well you are not her champion anymore” Gerald said with a smile. “Here you are just a man that knows some magic.”
“Well since there are only four of us then that leaves me in good company” John replied. “That still doesn’t answer my question with Lady Esmerelda though, like who sent her?”
“What do you mean who sent me?” Relly asked.
“Well I know your family is the strongest in Kirby” John said looking around. “It was no mistake that you sought out the Morningstars, having them on your side puts you in an even better position. Your family hates me, you don’t have to deny it. My father has killed people belonging to your family and it is easy to hate me instead of looking at facts.”
“What do you mean by facts?” Princess Kimberly asked.
“Well we were in a war” John replied. “If they had killed my father could I really hold it against them? He would have killed them if he could have and they have the right to protect themselves. I could be an angry little shit to if I wanted to, a lot of good men I knew fell to dragon fire. I could use that to be a total knobber but I don’t. I don’t because we were in a war, in war nothing is personal. At least it shouldn’t be once everything is over unless my father went out of his way to make someone suffer.”
“That makes sense to me” Wesley Morningstar said. “Is that why you are trying not to be enemies with me and my father?”
“What sense would it make for us to be enemies?” John asked. “We had our disagreements but they are in the past. I do not think either one of you did anything illegal to me in Kirby and I can't blame your father for attacking me when he saw me again. Besides, I think we are all going to be needed to fight off the Blood Priests. Downey may have a great end game being protected by these mountains but I doubt the king wants to lose too much land on the other side of those mountains.”
“So you want to share” Gerald said. “This kingdom is big enough for the three of us as long as you know who the top dog is.”
“You can have it all” John said. “I never claimed to be mage and I don’t need any of the fame that goes along with it. If I did then why would I leave Kirby? You and the others may not have liked it but I gave up being the most famous fighter in the kingdom and a good chance at a barony. Why would I come here to have something similar?”
“You wouldn’t” Gerald said as he glanced at the princess. “Unless you have bigger goals.”
“Don’t you start that” John said laughing. “Don’t you dare start that up. I am a private citizen quite capable of doing things without getting wrapped up in that.”
“What did I just miss?” Princess Kimberly asked.
“Nothing Your Highness” John replied. “Just two enemies ending a private war.”
“Now that everyone is knowledgeable that you are not a noble” Relly said. “Kimberly said that you brought her here on your magic dragon.”
“Not really a dragon” John said. “Just something made to look like one.”
CHAPTER 12
“Alright you” John said looking at Chance. “You are way too big to follow me everywhere I go.”
Chance crouched down and sprung at John, she had gotten faster and her added size was more than enough to knock him down. John fell and tried to power Chance off of him, she outweighed him now and easily held him down when he wasn’t using any magic.
“Alright you can come to” John said. “I have to get more of that stuff they feed you, you are almost as big as your brother and sisters. Maybe I will make Duke Tide give me double or triple my normal fee.”
“I don’t know why you still go there” Oren said. “Duke Tide is using you to fight your own people, are you really going to be okay when they fight against other mages?”
“Duke Tide has been wasting his money” John replied. “And I was able to sneak out some of his magic food. Hopefully your dad can figure out how he is making it and why does it make dragons grow up so strong.”
“I don’t think it makes them grow up stronger” Oren replied. “I think it just makes them grow up faster but I still don’t see why you bother with the Tides. Chance can hunt her own food now and will be full grown in three years without any help from those people.”
“I am slowly eliminating enemies and making decent money” John replied. “When I have to travel with Princess Kimberly, the Queen is not as combative as she was when I first met her. I could even argue that she is nice sometimes. Duke Tide still hates me but it is becoming more out of frustration than actual hate and the rest of his family including Candice is not as knobbish as they once were. In fact, I would say all of them are pleasant if they believe you are not trying to rise above them. The things they care about and the shit I do are two different things.”
“And I bet it doesn’t hurt they have been trying to throw Relly, Candice and any other woman they can find at you” Oren said as he raised an eyebrow.
“They have tried but found out it was pointless” John replied. “I am not ruled by what is in my pants. They are currently using the dragonfeed but just like you, they know it won't last forever.”
“Have they tried money?” Oren asked.
“Of course they did” John replied. “But I make a decent amount from the King every month and he has given me my own ideas for a business.”
“Taking people back and forth over the mountains” Oren said. “Dragon riders can't do it and the small tunnel that was dug straight through has an enormous waiting list and wagons are not allowed.”
“I take people and wagons” John said. “And my prices keep going up, normally only merchants with dragons could trade beyond the mountains, now many people are setting up on the other side. If I wanted I could just focus on that and could soon become a very rich man.”
“What do you want out of life John?” Oren asked. “I always wanted to be a Dragonknight, now I have the means to do so. My father already reached his goals and is now setting out to become a dragon breeder. What do you want to do?”
“I am already doing it” John replied. “I am just living life without people telling me how they want me to live it. I can date anyone I want, socialize with anyone I want, basically do what I want without people angrily trying to get me to do something else. I was always under constant pressure back in Kirby, I don’t have any pressure here.”
“I suppose that makes sense” Oren said. “Look up, my father is finally coming back. Why does he have to bring her with him?”
“They are working things out, you should let them” John said. “I know your mother has been a total tosser but you can't deny she has been trying.”
“Father should have just kicked her out” Oren said.
John watched Frost and Graffy land, Marsha’s dragon Graffy was a striped and was a horror to be around. Most dragons were uncomfortable around mages but Graffy took things to the next level. Graffy hated John and like most other dragons barely tolerated Frost. When John and Frost were together Graffy was uncontrollable. John was happy to see Graffy break off but now had to deal with Frost, Frost got along decent with John, so did all of her children for whatever reason. Frost though did not like Chance, John was unsure of the reason. Frost had abandoned her baby and thought she wouldn’t make it, now that she did Frost wanted to take on the mother role but Chance never saw her that way. Chance only listened to John and cowered whenever Frost was around. Owen said it made his dragon angry which was why she always snapped at her smaller daughter. Owen landed as Chance went behind John, Owen got off of Frost and had an odd look as he walked over.
“Dragons” Owen said. “The Tides special meal is nothing but ground up dragon meat mixed with a few vegetables. Dragons are not normally cannibals, older dragons especially. Dragonmeat must appeal to younger dragons, I don’t think it would do anything for older dragons. I think Duke Tide has been going after dragon carcasses or wild unbonded dragons for the meat. Whatever it is I cannot recreate it and I don’t want to, I am just going to do things the old fashioned way. I have enough here to start off well, I even have a buyer for Boxy.”
“You are selling the blue?” John asked.
“For a lot of money” Owen said. “When I fly with Frost, most of her children fly with us. It is a good way to show off my brood. Baron Tild’s youngest daughter happened to see Boxy and it was obvious they would bond if I let the ceremony happen. Despite Benson, the Tild’s barely have any Dragonriders in their family. I gave him an outrageous price due to his desire to please Duke Tide over the years and the many times he has dismissed me. He looked angry but agreed instantly, I was waiting for him to turn me down so I could raise the price by half.”
John listened to Owen talk about what he was going to do with the money. It was enough to put a middle class family up for life and was the biggest prize he had other than Patches, the name he gave the speckled dragon. The bonding process looked dangerous to John, there was a reason there were not any child dragon riders around. The process involved getting bit by the dragon and the dragon biting itself. The open wounds are rubbed together over a period of a few days, getting reopened if necessary. Dragons would force the bond if left alone, no one knew why the dragons wanted the bond but it was known that dragons and their bonded could feel each other’s emotions and speak to each other through them. Chance would one day meet someone she would want to bond with and John wouldn’t keep her from them.
“John I need a favor from you” Owen asked.
“Sure” John replied.
“I want you to try out for the Dragonknights with Oren when the time comes” Owen said. “I know you don’t have a bonded dragon but I know the rules, it only says to be in possession of a dragon and you have Chance.”
