not overly powerful mages, but powerful enough to beat Eric and Samuel in their current decrepit states.
Samuel raised his hands and showed them his empty palms.
‘Parley!’ he called over in the Old Tongue, but the two remained defensive.
‘
‘Tay panna, tay panna,’ Samuel called, moving in closer.
‘Hold there, Turian,’ one of theNorth-men replied in the language of magicians. He was a portly and elderly man with a red,scruffy beard. ‘No need to go butchering our language. We understand the Old Tongue as well as you. What do you want? Quickly, before you die.’
‘A truce,’ Samuel called, edging closer.
‘Hold there!’ the magician’s mate called, summoning an inferno of magic around himself, and Samuel stopped dead in his tracks. ‘We can make no truce. It’s clear these desert pigs want us to kill each other. And we’re not going back into those accursed cells.’
‘We can bargain with them,’ Samuel continued. ‘The four of us against ten of their warriors. They expect entertainment, but if my friend and I fight you two, it will be a slaughter. We are clearly outclassed. He is a poor magician to begin with and I am no magician at all, as you can surely tell. If we cannot entertain them, they will simply increase the odds until we are dead.’
‘That’s your trouble. The sooner we kill you the sooner we can be free.’
Samuel saunteredcloser tothem, looking as helpless as he could. ‘They will never free you. We have been here many weeks and they expect us to fight until we are dead. However, if we can take on greater odds and give them a good show,we have the chance of freedom.’
The two seemed hesitant. ‘I don’t trust you, Turian.’
The crowd was unsettled and taunts began to fly. A row of spear-men stood from their seats at the top of the wall, and three hundred sharpened missiles came to the ready, bristling towards them like a row of spines along the wall. The spear-men began to draw back their arms. Somewhere from up above came the smell of magic. Wizards were also preparing their spells.
‘Do you at least want to ask them or not? There is nothing lost, but make your mind up before they spear us all.’
‘How will you speak with them?’ the red-bearded man asked.
Samuel was almost close enough-just about three steps away. Their power was at hand, but they had prepared themselves for the magic-to-magic warfare of magicians, not for close-ranged physical attacks from a man with no power. His goal was not to convince them of anything, but just to keep them occupied while he closed the gap. He hoped to position himself so that, when it was time to act, he could have Red Beard between himself and the other one who had readied his spells-and he had done nicely. ‘We can talk to that one, up there,’ he said and pointed high up into the stands. The position of his arm was just right, so that his elbow was aimed directly into Red Beard’s face. Their heads turned to follow his finger and,in that instant,Samuel leapt.
He shot out with his elbow, springing across the final distance between them and he put his body into the blow with everything he could. The point of his elbow struck the North-man square to the cheek. Red Beard’s head spun like a top, almost to the rear,before his body gained the sense to begin spinning and follow it. As his fellow returned his gaze from the crowd and had just begun to open his mouth with surprise, Samuel turned about and brought his other elbow over and down onto the nape of his neck, driving down with all his force. The second Garten’s eyes rolled back into his head and he crumpled like a swooning lady. His magic vanished as he dropped, but the firstNorth-man was still gasping and staggering about.
Samuel swept the man from his feet with a kick across the back of his knees and finished with a kick to his ribs that left the man gasping for air like a fish out of water. The Gartens were still very much alive, but in no state to do anything but writhe in pain.
Some in the crowd continued jeering, but a few did stand to their feet to cheer and whoop. Slowly, the spear-men lowered their weapons and sat backontheir seats. The threat of magic receded.
Samuel turned from the pair ofNorth-men and started back towards Eric. He heard the nearest door behind him open up and the sound of feet on sand, as Paatin spear-men trotted out and circled the defeated Gartens. He tried not to listen as he heard them thrusting their spears into theNorth-men over and over. He had hoped it would not come to that, butwhat wasdone was done; there was nothing he could doto save themnow.
‘We live another day,’ Eric stated flatly.
‘We do,’ Samuel said.
‘But it’s only a matter of time until we meet our end here, Samuel. I am sure.’
‘I will think of something. The Queen wants a show of magic. We cannot give it to her if we are dead.’
Eric was quickly dragged away, but Samuel was again taken before the Paatin Queen.
‘Are you actually trying to disappoint me, Samuel?’ she asked forlornly. ‘How can I believe all the wonderful things I have heard about you if all you do is brawl like a street-thug? You act more like a drunkard than a magician,and I have any number of those to throw to their deaths. Unless you are of some worth to me, Samuel, I think you know what will happen to you.’
‘Give me some time,’ Samuel said. ‘If you let my friendsoutfrom the dungeons and give them time to recover their strength, we will fight together and give you a spectacle the likesof whichyou have never seen before.’
‘A spectacle? I did hear that the destruction of Ghant was a marvel to behold,terrible and beautiful. None of my wizards could achieve such utter devastation, yet I would not like something like that happening in my city. I am not altogether foolish, my dear. Your friends will stay in their cells. I will keep them safe and wellcaredfor and under watch in my dungeons-away from harm’s way. Do not think you can do anything, Samuel. My Paatin wizards are ever close at hand and here in my city, I am akin to a god.’
‘Then I will need something else if I am to give you a show.’
‘Something else?’ she enquired with a smile. It seemed as though she actually enjoyed his brazenness. ‘What is it?’
‘Your ring.’ He folded his arms and waited patiently, noting the moment of comprehension on her face that followed.
‘So this is why you refuse to use your powers, Samuel? Why,you don’t have any! How delicious. The Saviour of Cintar is no magician at all, but a common man, stealing his power from the gods.’
‘Oh, I am a magician,’ he corrected, ‘but my power was lost. Lend me your ring, and I will show you what can be done with it.’
She looked truly amused by his suggestion. ‘I am not so foolish, Samuel. This ring never leaves my finger. You will have to find your power or die. I will grantyou three days.’
She gave a flick of her wrist and turned her bare back to him, leaving Samuel to be escorted back to his room.
Three days to find a plan or die. Three days to free the others, steal the ring, kill the Queen and escape to freedom. It seemed quite a challenge. If he did not meet it, he would be forced into the arena again, and he doubted his luck could hold for anotherchallenge.
Samuel stalked about his room, eating from the bowl of apples and drinking water from his porcelain jug, knowing that the others were still starving in their cells, buried under a mountain of stone. Lomar was their only hope, for he was still free and in the city, yet he had no idea if the man even knew they were alive. With his magic, Samuel was sure he could accomplish anything, but that damned Balten had taken his ring and,without it, he was helpless. He spent the morning feeling skittish and lost, desperate for some solution to pop into his head.
‘Need to stretch your legs?’ came a voice from the door and Samuel turned about, startled. It was Utik’cah, standing in the open doorway.
‘You surprised me,’ Samuel said. Then he had time to absorb the desert-man’s words. ‘What do you mean? I can leave?’
‘Of course,’ the dark man returned solemnly, bowing his head. ‘Alahativa grants you her courtesy. You may roam the palace and grounds to your leisure.’
‘Do you trust me?’
‘That is not important, Lord Samuel. We have been commanded not to stop you, but we will keep your friends. You know the consequences if you do not return to your room.’
