The Young Mage Ch. 01

"Mom, Dad... I will go around and make some inquiries nevertheless. I will return home before nightfall," Magnus said, climbing onto his horse. He galloped away towards the neighboring farm.

***

Dusk had already fallen upon the quiet farm when Magnus returned to his father's house. He had been riding from one farm to another, trying to find some new information, something his neighbors might have seen or heard that day... yet his efforts proved to be fruitless. No one had seen or heard anything... In fact, the only true reaction was the one he had gotten from old Tom...

"She is a beautiful young girl, my boy... Slavers are always on the lookout for those..."

The words grated on Magnus' mind.

"There is almost nothing worse than getting into slavers' hands..." Magnus thought, feeling anger stir inside of him. "I will find her, and when I do, gods themselves won't be able to help those that harmed her in any way..."

Magnus entered the house finding his parents were still up and obviously waiting for him. He told them he suspected slavers were the culprits and saw them both shudder.

"Mom, Dad... I really hoped to stay with you for some time but that isn't possible anymore. Tomorrow morning I will set off in search for Lina. I give you my word I will find her... or I will bring destruction to those that took her."

"Oh stay with us, son... We can't lose you as well..."

"Miriam..." his father said. "Magnus made a decision... the only one a man can make," he said, watching his son with pride. Magnus nodded solemnly.

"I will be fine, mum... I am more than capable of taking care of myself..." Magnus said and then told them everything about his apprenticeship, about magic, about all the things he had done, all the countries he had seen. Moon was high up in the night sky when Magnus finished his story.

"I will find her... it might take a while, but I won't stop until I find her and bring her home..." Magnus said and then took a deep breath. "...or until I am certain she is dead... In which case I will not stop until I bury her murderers and kidnappers," Magnus said with solemn determination. His father nodded and his mother took Magnus' hand and kissed it, her tears wetting his knuckles.

"Be careful, son... and come back to us."

***

Dawn had barely broken through when Magnus mounted his horse and set off from his home once again. He decided to travel southwest to Quickriver, a town on the border of Vistania and Merania. Merania was a country southwest of Vistania, functioning as an alliance of free towns. It was a country where a lot of trade happened as its southernmost part had access to the sea. When Fiona and Magnus had traveled to Ashad a couple of years ago, they had heard the town's name being mentioned in reference to the slave trade. They had had no chance to confirm those rumors since they crossed the border into Ashad much further to the east, yet Magnus felt it was his best bet. King Tristan of Vistania was fighting the slave trade vigorously, but it was such a lucrative business that slavers always managed to corrupt key officials in administration and army, who then turned a blind eye towards their business.

As Magnus was riding away from his home, he decided there was one more spot to visit before he departed from the farm. He rode south for a couple of minutes, farmland turning into meadows...and there it was... The tree he had visited in his mind so many times was in front of him once again. It was the same beautiful meadow, the same faithful old tree that had witnessed some of his happiest and most carefree moments in life. A spot where he had always been so happy and at peace. His mind wandered for a minute, remembering how Lina had wanted to teach him how to dance right under this tree... It had been a dance of her own invention and Magnus smiled, remembering how persistent she had been about teaching him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The meadow would be so beautiful when the sun was fully up but he didn't want to delay any longer. The search for Lina was all that occupied his mind now. He mounted his horse again and rode off, heading southwest.

A week later, Magnus rode into Quickriver. It was a medium-sized town, which prospered by trading with the free towns of Merania. Merania had very lax slavery laws, so it made sense that slaves were smuggled over the border. After making some inquiries among the townspeople, Magnus decided not to stay in the best inn in the town or even the second best.

"I need to pick a seedy place that attracts people who might be involved somehow... I have no time or patience to play a long and careful game, I need to bring them out, one way or another," Magnus thought as he rode through some side streets, searching for a suitable place...

"There... It looks inconspicuous enough, so it might be the right type of place... I will try my luck there," Magnus thought, turning his horse towards an inn he had spotted. He pushed through the doors and found himself in a not-so-large common room. About half of the tables were occupied by patrons who were speaking mostly in hushed voices. Maybe he found the right place, after all. Magnus crossed the common room, pretending to be uninterested in curious stares that followed his every move.

"Innkeeper! I would like a room for the night. Also some roast and potatoes and a large bottle of your best wine!"

"All right sir... Pick a table and a serving girl will be with you in a moment," the innkeeper said, eyeing him up and down. Magnus was dusty from the ride, but his clothes were fine.

"Here you go sir!" a plump serving girl said with a practiced smile. Magnus dug in. He had been eating mostly dried meat and cheese during the trip, so freshly roasted meat and potatoes and some vegetables on top seemed like a true feast. After taking care of his hunger, Magnus started filling his glass with wine, making sure everybody could witness his excessive drinking. The patrons were oblivious to the fact that the wine was being magically processed, of course. Magnus was heating up his drink, making alcohol evaporate due to the fact that it had a lower boiling point than water. He would cool it down the same way and then he would theatrically drink up the resulting drink which barely had any alcohol in it. Magnus didn't care much for the taste but he decided he would suffer it for the greater good.

"Innkeeper!" Magnus said, faking a drunken voice.

"Is there any entertainment here?! Maybe some exotic girls? I feel like fondling something!" Magnus said, banging on the table and laughing.

"Err, I am sorry sir, we are not that kind of inn... I run a respectable business..." the innkeeper said, frowning.

"Yes, yes! But surely you can arrange something eh? I mean, everybody knows slaves are being traded in this town!" Magnus said out loud and then as if realizing that he shouldn't have said it, he put a finger on his mouth and then laughed once again.

"Sir, I don't know what you are talking about..." the innkeeper said, visibly uncomfortable.

"Ah! Yes, yes! You know what? I will go up to my room and you try to get me a couple of juicy slave girls! I mean, regular normal girls..." Magnus said, winking conspiratorially at the innkeeper. "Just make sure they have a pair on them, you know... Ahhh! There is nothing saucier than a slave girl!" Magnus said, getting up and staggering up the stairs towards his room. His climb was followed by many curious and angry eyes. Magnus entered the room and locked the door. He looked through the window. The night was falling on the town and lamps were being lit in front of taverns and inns and inside people's homes. He took a big breath.

"I did my little show... now I can only wait and hope I managed to annoy the right person," he thought, extinguishing the lamp and lying on the bed, fully clothed.

Hours passed. The town was firmly in the grips of the night and there were no more lights to be seen through the windows of townspeople's homes. The silence was almost complete, save for the occasional dog barking. Then, there was something. Magnus woke to the sound of clinking outside his door. The sound was hushed, but just as he could cast a sound barrier, Magnus could also enhance the sound coming from a certain source and he made sure to enhance the sounds coming from his door and window.

"Here we are..." Magnus thought, casting a sound barrier to prevent the sound of floorboards creaking, and then got up from his bed and moved to the corner from where he could watch the door.

"These are either amazing lock pickers or they had a key..." he thought when the doors opened to let in two silhouettes, barely distinguishable in the faint light coming from the window. As they approached the bed as quietly as they could, Magnus noticed they held clubs in their hands. Magnus cast a sound barrier for the whole room and closed the doors using his kinetics.

"Let's see who we have here..." Magnus said, lighting the lamp from afar, using a tiny amount of fire magic. The men turned around, visibly surprised and startled by the sudden light. After a moment of indecision, they rushed towards Magnus swinging their clubs. Magnus lashed out with kinetics in an almost lazy move and the thugs stopped in their tracks and watched wide-eyed as their bodies were being lifted up in the air and their clubs being torn out of their hands.

"Gods! A mage!" one of the thugs exclaimed. Fear was evident on his ugly face.

"Yeah... Now, unless you want me to turn you into frogs speak up! Who sent you?" Magnus said, looking at them with angry eyes. The thugs looked at each other and then ugly-face spoke.

"Eh, no one sent us... We mixed up the rooms it seems..."

"Is that so..." Magnus said, waving his hand. The clubs flew up and accelerated towards their faces, stopping only an inch from their foreheads.

"Speak up, or I will beat the crap out of you and then turn you into pigs so you can serve as dinner for the hungry guests," Magnus said, making a serious face. The thugs whimpered but didn't say a word.

"All right then," Magnus said, the clubs moving away to the end of the room and then accelerating towards their faces.

"Stop! I will speak..." the other thug said, his face beading with sweat. "It was the innkeeper..." he said in a faint voice.

"The innkeeper sent you? Are you taking me for a fool?!" Magnus roared, waving aggressively and making the club swing towards the thug's face.

"I'm not! I swear it! He was the one who paid us to do it! We were supposed to beat you and tie you up and then take you to his cellar... Then we were supposed to take your horse away... That's all I know, you must believe me!" the thug said in sheer panic.

Magnus relaxed his posture.

"It makes sense... If asked, the innkeeper would probably claim I got up early and left the inn... I would have likely ended up as a slave... Well, we will see about that," Magnus thought, preparing to tie up the thugs. Morning was still far away and he could use some sleep before confronting the innkeeper. After tying up the thugs, he laid them down in the corner.

"Good night, gentlemen. Don't try to untie your bindings because they are reinforced by magic. Also, nothing that happens in this room can be heard outside. I suggest you try to sleep and spare me the effort of shutting you up myself," Magnus said, extinguishing the lamp and getting into bed once again.

***

"Ah! What a great night's sleep!" Magnus said, stretching his arms and coming down the stairs. It was very early in the morning and the common room was empty, save for the innkeeper.

"Perfect..." Magnus thought as he walked towards the bar. The innkeeper was staring at him with bulging eyes.

"Ah, my most gracious host. I had the greatest of sleep tonight. I will recommend your inn to all my friends!" Magnus said, giving a wide smile to the innkeeper who couldn't hide his surprise.

"I am glad..." the innkeeper replied with apprehension, finally finding his voice.

"So," Magnus said, still smiling. "Where are those slave girls I asked for?"

"Uh, eh... I umm don't know what... I mean, I don't do those things..." the innkeeper said, in a raspy voice.

"You don't? Strange, considering you decided to send those two fine gentlemen to my room last night... Did you mistake them for slave girls? Oh, my friend! I got things to teach you about anatomy!" Magnus exclaimed. The innkeeper became as pale as his apron. Finally, finding some courage, he grabbed a knife and interposed it between himself and Magnus.

"Stay away or I will stab you!"

Magnus chuckled, waving his hand. A sound barrier enveloped the room. There was no need to wake the guests of this fine establishment. The innkeeper felt the knife being torn out of his hands and he flew backwards, crashing into wine bottles.

"Now listen carefully," Magnus said approaching the innkeeper and lifting him up with his hands this time. "I have no patience for the likes of you. Tell me where the slavers' lair is or I will bring this inn on top of your head!" Magnus said, pulling the innkeeper's face an inch from his own. He felt the innkeeper's panicked breath on his face.

"I don't know anything!"

Magnus's face twisted in anger and he looked towards the ceiling. The boards above started creaking.

"I, I really don't know anything... Please! I am just a poor innkeeper..."

"SPEAK!" Magnus roared.

"I, I don't..."

Magnus glanced at the ceiling again and the boards started cracking ominously.

"All right! Their hideout is to the west... One hour ride... just follow the river... There is an abandoned farm, with a green roof... That is all I know, I swear!" the innkeeper blurted, his face sweaty and panicked. He kept looking above him, waiting for the roof to come down on his head.

"If I discover you mislead me..." Magnus said ominously.

"It is the truth! I swear it!" the innkeeper said quickly.

"All right, then. You will join your buddies in the room. I wouldn't want you to alert anyone before I had a chance to visit them," Magnus said, tying him up.

"But the roof... You broke the boards!"

"No, I haven't. What you heard is the enhanced sound of a couple of twigs being broken. It might come as a surprise to you, but I can manipulate sound. That is why no one heard our little conversation. I know you were wondering about that," Magnus said, putting him over his shoulder and carrying him up the stairs to his room.

***

"I hope that weasel didn't mislead me..." Magnus said, taking a mouthful of water from his waterskin. He had been riding west for a while now. After several more minutes, he started having doubts, but then he finally saw a building. At first glance, it did look like an abandoned farm. Moving closer, he saw the roof had been painted green, yet the color had faded over time. This was the place. It was possible that this was just an abandoned farm where the innkeeper had sent him to buy some time. Magnus came closer and dismounted. He would soon find out which one was true. He walked towards the entrance keeping an eye on the windows. For a second he thought he saw some movement.

"Maybe that bastard wasn't lying after all... How do I do this? Shall I pretend I am a buyer? Ah, to hell with it. I have no patience for this scum. I'll just go in and deal with them," Magnus thought, his stride becoming more determined.

"Knock knock!" Magnus said and then kicked at the door, enhancing his kick with kinetics. The doors crashed inside, making a lot of noise. He heard hurried footsteps and the sound of swords being unsheathed. And then they came at him. A dozen men carrying swords or axes came rushing at Magnus, shouting battle cries.

"Get him!" one of them called out. Magnus raised his hands and lashed out with kinetics, aiming to daze and knock them out. As much as he hated slavers, he didn't like spilling blood. The slavers crashed into one another or got slammed into the walls and furniture. Magnus took a fast account of his enemy. Some of them were lying unconscious, some were on the ground, moaning, and a few were about to rise up. Magnus took control of a club with his kinetics and used it to knock out the remaining slavers. Using his kinetics, he threw all the weapons that slavers had in the nearby river. Just in case. He went further inside the building and then took a turn around the corner. He thought he spotted someone and then heard a snapping sound. By pure instinct, he ducked and then he felt a gust of air on his face. A crossbow bolt had missed him by not more than an inch. He lashed out and sent one of the slavers flying into a wall. Coming closer to see if the slaver was out, Magnus crouched in front of him and was barely able to see movement in the corner of his eye. Once again, he dodged to the side instinctively.

"Ahh!" Magnus released a painful moan, feeling a sharp pain in his arm. He turned and lashed out without thinking, just in time to stop another stab at him, this time at his chest. The slaver flew back, crashing into a cupboard and crying out in pain. Magnus rose to his feet, feeling something warm and wet on his arm. He saw a big gash that was bleeding heavily. He took a breath for a moment and let his mind work on its own, feeling a cooling sensation in his arm. Magnus tore off his ruined sleeve, using it to wipe his arm, and looked at his arm again. The only trace of a wound was a thin pink line, four inches long. He turned towards the slaver he had pushed into the cupboard. He was about to knock him out as well, but then he stayed his hand.

"I think this was the one who was giving commands..."

Magnus removed the slaver's belt and used it to bind his hands behind him.

"Wake up!" Magnus said, slapping the slaver who was still dazed from the crash.

"Wake up I said!" Magnus said, shaking the man violently. The man came to, looking at Magnus in panic.

"I am looking for a nineteen-year-old girl named Lina!"

"Huh... what?"

"Listen to me you piece of scum. A young girl named Lina, dark hair, pretty, about..." Magnus said and then stopped. He was about to say Lina's height, but then he realized he didn't know how tall she was now. He hadn't seen her for so long, and he forgot to ask his parents. The slaver looked at him in confusion.

"Are you stupid?! A girl named Lina; you took her almost a year ago from a farm near Fairfield. Where is she? What happened to her?!" Magnus said, his emotions betraying him. Anger was obvious on his face and slaver was looking at him in fear.

"F... from a farm near Fairfield?" the slaver said, genuinely perplexed.

"Yes! Where is she?!" Magnus said, shaking the man.

"I... we never take anyone from Vistania... It would be terrible for business..."

"What are you talking about? You are trading slaves over the border. You took her!"

"We trade slaves, but those are all slaves from other countries... We never take any slaves from Vistania... If we did, King's wrath would be upon us swiftly... The officials we bribe would never look the other way if we were taking our own people... It is the truth!" the man said looking at Magnus fearfully.

"You are telling me that whoever took her isn't operating out of Vistania?" Magnus said, a crease of worry showing on his face. He had put all his hope into this plan.

"That is very likely so... No group that operates in Vistania would have taken a slave from here... It would create so many problems... and we get more than enough slaves from other countries," the man said, a glint of greed showing on his face. Magnus watched him with obvious disgust.

"Where are the slaves?"

"Eh..."