Read Online Battle Mage: The Dark Mage (Tales of Alus) by Donald Wigboldy Jr - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Donald Wigboldy Jr
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than a decade old, so one could assume a man who has lived for over twelve hundred years still exists wherever he is imprisoned.”
“You don’t know what happened to him?”
The man was beginning to look annoyed at the divergent line of questioning. “Only a handful of people know what truly happened and where they imprisoned the Grimnal, but that hardly matters now. What matters is that my vessel has passed the test. The emperor will see my accomplishment and reward me I am sure of it.”
“Garosh made it sound like the emperor still had to test it first,” Palose mused while trying not to deflate the warlock’s moment with doubt.
Smiling even still, Atrouseon stated, “I could see that Garosh was surprised. It worked perfectly. He was the closest anyone came to perfecting a body for him, but this one will finally let him take a new form.
“The emperor will test it with his greater power and my vessel will surely contain his magic this time.”
Palose noted the third tank with the dark haired girl inside. Just a child in appearance, though perhaps close to the physical changes of a teenager, her existence had been explained, but he wondered if that was her true purpose. “What about her and the one that nearly succeeded? Will they simply throw these bodies in some dump after all the work?”
Giving a sigh of disappointment, the warlock replied, “They weren’t made the same way you were. This isn’t a necromancy spell. They aren’t your brothers and sister through magic, if that is what you feel.”
He shook his head. There was no attachment for these blanks as they had been called. A certain disappointment that these creations had no association with the magic that created him was there, but he doubted that the girl was going to be discarded if she was simply the female success that the boy was.
“If the boy can hold the power, and so can this girl, then will the emperor not want the potential vessel to remain available should the first fail or be slain?”
“The emperor is beyond worrying over male or female and his power is so great that he could change the body to suit him anyway. Keeping her in permanent stasis is tempting, but I am not sure how feasible. Either way it will be the emperor’s decision on what to do with the two survivors.”
A moment of silence sat between them. Both men were good at keeping their thoughts and secrets to themselves. Neither liked speaking for no reason, so silence held no awkwardness for them.
“Until the emperor can claim the body, we need to set up protection for them. During the day, I will be working here and can watch over them. When I leave, you will be here to watch over and protect them for me.
“Can you defend them against warlocks even?”
Palose thought a moment and wondered how modest he should be. He had humiliated the three apprentices without breaking a sweat, but should someone come for the vessels how much could he do? “In close I can probably stop most warlocks faster than they can create their spells. Someone like Garosh might be too powerful to stand against, but most warlocks can’t fight and I know weapons as well as battle mage magic.”
The last admission sparked something in Atrouseon as he asked, “Have you been able to learn the basics from the books I gave you?”
Using the slow chant to call up a fireball, Palose left it to hover a moment between them before snuffing it out giving proof of his control. It was much slower than his mage version, but that wasn’t the point. He could use warlock spells. His memory and ability to harness magic had grown since his return.
Answering the question after his demonstration, Palose replied, “I returned two of the books that I have completed. My battle magic might be quicker in a close fight, but I can understand and perform most of the spells from the books you had me start with already.
“Do you think that you could steer me towards books that might let me understand
“You don’t know what happened to him?”
The man was beginning to look annoyed at the divergent line of questioning. “Only a handful of people know what truly happened and where they imprisoned the Grimnal, but that hardly matters now. What matters is that my vessel has passed the test. The emperor will see my accomplishment and reward me I am sure of it.”
“Garosh made it sound like the emperor still had to test it first,” Palose mused while trying not to deflate the warlock’s moment with doubt.
Smiling even still, Atrouseon stated, “I could see that Garosh was surprised. It worked perfectly. He was the closest anyone came to perfecting a body for him, but this one will finally let him take a new form.
“The emperor will test it with his greater power and my vessel will surely contain his magic this time.”
Palose noted the third tank with the dark haired girl inside. Just a child in appearance, though perhaps close to the physical changes of a teenager, her existence had been explained, but he wondered if that was her true purpose. “What about her and the one that nearly succeeded? Will they simply throw these bodies in some dump after all the work?”
Giving a sigh of disappointment, the warlock replied, “They weren’t made the same way you were. This isn’t a necromancy spell. They aren’t your brothers and sister through magic, if that is what you feel.”
He shook his head. There was no attachment for these blanks as they had been called. A certain disappointment that these creations had no association with the magic that created him was there, but he doubted that the girl was going to be discarded if she was simply the female success that the boy was.
“If the boy can hold the power, and so can this girl, then will the emperor not want the potential vessel to remain available should the first fail or be slain?”
“The emperor is beyond worrying over male or female and his power is so great that he could change the body to suit him anyway. Keeping her in permanent stasis is tempting, but I am not sure how feasible. Either way it will be the emperor’s decision on what to do with the two survivors.”
A moment of silence sat between them. Both men were good at keeping their thoughts and secrets to themselves. Neither liked speaking for no reason, so silence held no awkwardness for them.
“Until the emperor can claim the body, we need to set up protection for them. During the day, I will be working here and can watch over them. When I leave, you will be here to watch over and protect them for me.
“Can you defend them against warlocks even?”
Palose thought a moment and wondered how modest he should be. He had humiliated the three apprentices without breaking a sweat, but should someone come for the vessels how much could he do? “In close I can probably stop most warlocks faster than they can create their spells. Someone like Garosh might be too powerful to stand against, but most warlocks can’t fight and I know weapons as well as battle mage magic.”
The last admission sparked something in Atrouseon as he asked, “Have you been able to learn the basics from the books I gave you?”
Using the slow chant to call up a fireball, Palose left it to hover a moment between them before snuffing it out giving proof of his control. It was much slower than his mage version, but that wasn’t the point. He could use warlock spells. His memory and ability to harness magic had grown since his return.
Answering the question after his demonstration, Palose replied, “I returned two of the books that I have completed. My battle magic might be quicker in a close fight, but I can understand and perform most of the spells from the books you had me start with already.
“Do you think that you could steer me towards books that might let me understand
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