Teryn shook his head to clear it. He wasn’t quite sure why King Christopher set him so much on edge. It was probably the room. It was designed to intimidate and put opponents at a disadvantage. That made sense.
Just say it, Terwain pressured him.
I don’t think I can do it, Teryn replied. Fighting Death Beasts is one thing, but killing other humans is entirely another. I’m sorry, I know I said I’d do anything but I’m not sure if I can.
You don’t have to actually do anything, Terwain countered in a reassuring tone. But if you want the sword and the knowledge I can give you, you’re going to need to give the king something he can get behind.
I don’t know. He bit his lip to stall.
Think of Valeria, Terwain urged. Look at her over there. She looks so happy. Don’t you want her to stay that way?
Teryn looked over at Valeria and saw her slightly smiling face. She looked back at him and her smile intensified. Her smile gave him the strength and resolve to say what came next.
“I intend to get revenge on the Xerczan Wizard’s Guild.”
King Christopher let out a low whistle. “A bold plan. And an understandable one, given the circumstances,” he said, glancing at Valeria as he did so. “But how?”
“With the Fhyrrstorm. Using its magicks, I can put an end to the Guild’s villainous actions once and for all,” he said after a time.
As he spoke the words, he started to come to terms with them and own them in a way he hadn’t before. Somehow, it felt like the right path. The only path, to be honest.
The king let out a long, deep breath. “The Fhyrrstorm? My, you are an ambitious one. Still, if anyone could pull it off, I guess it would be you.” The king shrugged. “And I certainly have no love for the Xerczan Wizard’s Guild. Their demise would suit me well.”
Teryn’s eyes brightened. “Then you’ll let me have the blade?”
Christopher put his hand up. “Not so fast, Mr. Auroch. I will need . . . something in return.”
“But I don’t have much to offer. I’m but a humble wizard. The Guild doesn’t pay that well. Surely, you know that.”
“I am not after trinkets, dear Teryn,” the king said, his eyes glimmering in the torchlight. “I want you. Come work for me. Do this simple thing, and you can have the Sword of Power and a contingent of wizards to help channel the spell.”
Teryn sighed. He really didn’t want to sign a contract with another world power. Though his freedom from the Guild had been short, it had also come at great cost, and he was wont to sign his future away again. Still, he wasn’t sure what else he could offer in return.
“Okay, I’ll work for you, but not for forever,” he said at last. “And not for free.”
“Of course not, Mr. Auroch. I am sure you will find the pay here much better than you did back at the Guild. As are the . . . fringe benefits.” The king’s tone was unusually cryptic. “And while I will not ask you to work forever, I will ask that you stay on for at least a little while. Say, five years or so.”
Teryn winced. Five years was a long time to him, being only seventeen and all. Still, it was far better than forever, and he figured he could probably find a way to weasel out of it eventually.
“Deal,” he said, nodding his head.
The king’s lips curled upwards in a broad, wicked-looking smile. “Oh, before I forget, there is one more tiny little detail. The Swords of Valor. When you are done with them, you will give them all to me.”
“What?” Teryn exclaimed. He blinked his eyes in disbelief. “That’s not fair!”
Christopher shrugged. “Try to see it from my angle, Mr. Auroch. I cannot very well have someone of your talent level run amok with three artifacts of such power, can I? That would be a threat to the kingdom.” He stroked his chin for a moment. “Still, I suppose I could let you borrow them from time to time as needed. So long as you continued to work for me, of course.”
Don’t stress that part too much, Terwain interrupted. Once you have the blades linked to you and the advanced magical knowledge I have, he won’t be able to do much to stop you. It’s an empty threat at best, not that he would know that. A child with a wry grin appeared in his mind, bobbing his head.
Even with Terwain’s reassurance, Teryn was unconvinced. The king of Coontan, while known for being a hero to his own people, was mostly unknown to him and undoubtedly a shrewd negotiator. This whole thing was far too easy. Still, he had little choice if he wanted to ensure Valeria’s safety.
His face contorted into a deep frown and he lowered his head. “It looks like I have no choice,” he said after a long pause. “Very well, I accept your deal.”
Christopher clapped his hands together. “Excellent,” he replied coolly. “But just to be sure there is no backing out later, I have prepared a contract to that effect.”
As he said that sentence, he reached into his robes and produced a long, rolled-up piece of parchment. He held it out to Teryn, who took it tentatively with one outstretched hand and unfurled it.
The fact that the king had prepared a detailed contract ahead of time for something he couldn’t possibly have known about whooshed right over the poor mage’s head as he looked at the massive document. He tried to read the words of the contract, but they were tiny and made his head spin. He used a magnification spell, but the words eluded him still.
No matter, he thought. It’s not like I plan to follow through on it anyway.
He glanced up to see that the king had extended a quill pen in his direction. Teryn reached out to grab it and
