A Soldier's Life

Chapter 112: Raelia (POV)

Raelia walked the promenade in the King’s Palace, following the mage. After being sent home by her brother from Macha, she spent two days recovering in the Rookery. She had been mucking nests and showing the newest class of Griffin Riders how to care for their saddles and tack.

Then news came of the Telhian ruthlessness.

The mages of the Telhian Empire had torn down the city’s outer walls with earthquakes. It was completely unexpected and devastating. She had been worried her brother had perished in the attack, but he had managed to retreat with remnants of the army. She had not seen him in the last three weeks, but at least she knew he was okay. She heard he was preparing the defenses in the city of Tanal near the border as the Telhians had already marched on Guiracas.

Her anger at the news had made her put in a request for a new griffin, but she was denied. The Master Griffin Tamer told her she would have to spend the next two years cleaning and teaching before he would consider giving her another hatchling to raise. At first, she had been angry; the kingdom needed trained Griffin Riders, and she was trained, but then she was reminded how she had failed her mount.

She wanted to get revenge on the Telhians, as many friends and comrades had been killed. She had been abused herself, taken captive by a legionnaire, and forced to attack one of her brother’s bodyguards. She had been questioned by a number of mages at the Magus Scholarium and had her aether resistance tested five times. One mage even checked to ensure she wasn’t a doppelganger, as the idea that a legionnaire could force her into a dimensional space seemed too absurd.

Maybe she could fight as a soldier or Ranger if it could not be in the skies. She had all the qualifications to be a Ranger, and many Griffin Riders came from the Ranger’s ranks. She went to the Master Tamer and asked to be transferred. He looked disappointed but granted her request the next day. She was assigned to the fourteenth Ranger squad.

She was frustrated to learn the fourteenth Rangers were assigned to Magus Scholarium. The Magus Scholarium was in the capital. It was a free magic school for anyone who had the potential to be a mage. Their sprawling campus outside the capital included fifty thousand acres of woodland. The fourteenth Rangers patrolled this area. She later learned her brother had placed her there to protect her. This infuriated her, but she would do her duty and look for a chance to fight the Telhians. Raelia’s new commander was Jalon Leoyra. He was an ancient-looking human who was deceptively strong and quick. He must have been taking essences to maintain his youthful physique. Today, she was following Jalon to meet with the High Mage Traeliorn Kelran.

She watched the young mage students wandering the campus, absorbed in their little world. Children, she mussed, not realizing a battle was happening just a few hundred miles to the west. They climbed one of the tallest towers in the Magus Scholarium. The circular stairs wrapped the outer wall with windows every twenty steps she noted. The view rolled from the campus to the woods she presided over. They reached one of the upper floors, and the door was open.

“Enter!” a commanding voice sounded. She followed Jalon inside. She was here to take notes and run messages if needed, not to participate. Raelia had never met the High Mage Traeliorn Kelran before, but she could feel the power oozing off him just seeing the powerful elf. He took up her concentration, and she missed the ice drake curled in the corner of the room.

The white-scaled creature yawned, and its predatory fangs had her step back. Traeliorn laughed. “Girl, Kylma is about as dangerous as a puppy. I don’t think she has hunted a day in her life.” The drake belched a cold mist toward the mage in a challenge. “Go stretch your wings, Kylma. Your disrespect toward me is embarrassing me in front of my guests.”

The glistering white-scaled drake stood and unwound its body. Kylma was much larger than she had guessed. The drake was slowly stretched and then dove out a nearby window. Traeliorn shook his head. “Failed in taming that one, but she does make a good conversationalist.”

Raelia couldn’t help but voice her disbelief. “You can talk to drakes!” Jalon gave her a harsh look for breaking protocol in front of the High Mage.

The High Mage laughed. “No. But that is the point. I have had a dozen wives in my life, and all we did was get into arguments. Kylma doesn’t talk back, so I never lose the argument!”

Jalon shook his head. “He has been married thrice, Raelia. You will find our High Mage is prone to exaggerate everything. Now, Traeliorn, why did you request my presence? Do you need more ingredients for your summons?”

“My apprentice just sent a communication. His two hellhound guards have been killed,” the High Mage said seriously.

Stolen story; please report.

“Is Vaeril injured?” the old ranger asked concerned. “Do you need us to retrieve him?”

“No, it was just a single scout. But now he has no protections while he sets up the next summons. I would like to portal one of your rangers to protect for the next month,” Traeliorn requested.

The old human huffed angrily. “The council does not agree with your methods, old friend. Putting your apprentice out in the Empire to summon and unleash beasts is a danger to him and innocent people.”

The air suddenly crackled with blue sparks. Traeliorn power emanated, and he screamed at the old Ranger, “They killed my grandson in Macha! I would kill every citizen of the Empire if I could!”

The old Ranger did not back down. “How many times are you and your apprentice going to open gates to elemental planes and other dangerous lands? One of these times, the creature you summon will be too strong for you to control. You cannot hide your fatigue from me, old man! Our days of saving the world are over. We are retired! Your grandson made his own choices.”

Raelia suddenly wished she could be anywhere but here. The mage could snuff out the Ranger with a thought. The air slowly cleared, and they both calmed down. Raelia stepped forward unexpectedly. “I will go.”

Both sets of wisened eyes turned to her. Raelia stood tall. This was a chance for her to get back into the fight. Jalon said, “Your brother sent you to my care, Raelia. I will not send you to your death in the Telhian Empire.”

Raelia smirked as she was accustomed to using people’s words against them. “You just said the High Mage’s grandson made his own choice. I want to make my own choice.”

“I like this one, Jalon,” the High Mage smiled. his blue eyes twinkling in victory.

Jalon threw up his arms in disgust. He pointed at Raelia. “Burn her face into your mind. When word comes, she is dead, know it was just as good as you doing the deed yourself!”

“I am prepared to accept that. Leave her here, and I will help her prepare for her duty,” the High Mage said gravely.

Raelia felt she was slightly over her head. The High Mage addressed her after Jalon left angry. “You know he is right. I have sent more young men and women to their deaths than I can count to fight the Telhians. Every one of them is burned up here,” he tapped his temple.

“I am willing. Feel no guilt, High Mage,” Raelia reaffirmed.

“Your primary task will be to watch Vaeril while he is sleeping.” He sighed. “Let me see if I can find a few things in this mess to help you in your task.” The old elf slowly went through his extremely disorganized closets.

She was given a thermal stone fire starter, a wand of aetheric missiles, three dungeon-grade healing potions, and a ring of sustenance. A fortune in artificed gear to help alleviate the summoner’s guilt that he was sending her into severe danger.

Later that evening, she was waiting on Traeliorn, who was gathering materials to summon a wyvern near the Telhian capital. An old human woman came into the office unannounced. She immediately started yelling at the High Mage, “You old geezer!” She walked up to him. “You are leaving again to summon one of your beasts!”

“My third wife,” the High Mage told Raelia with a small smile. “You are in for a show.”

“You idiot,” the gray-haired woman continued. “Just let it be. Why don’t you help the rest of the High Council figure out what in the dragon’s fire the Telhians are up to south of Macha!”

“I don’t care!” He rebuffed. “If the emperor made an appearance there, then I might for a chance to snuff him out. Until then, I will show his people how inept he is at keeping them safe!”

“If you confronted the emperor, he would banish your soul to the void!” The woman barked at him. She waved a finger at him angrily. She stormed out angrily after some more back-and-forth screaming. Raelia wished she could have faded into the wall during the screaming session. The white drake returned during the argument and just ignored the two mages as it curled back into a ball and went to sleep. This seemed commonplace for it.

Raelia slept in a room below, and the next morning, the High Mage opened a portal in his office. Raelia’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “How?” It usually took a few mages together to open a portal.

The High Mage winked. “Lots of practice. Also, my apprentice has an anchor I can latch the portal to. Shall we?” He gestured to the portal. Raelia picked up the heavy pack of food and gear and entered first.

She appeared inside a cave with a young elf focused on a metal plate. The apprentice, Vaeril, was contributing his own aether to maintain the portal. His golden hair was matted with sweat, and his green eyes focused. Traeliorn walked through next, just in his mage robes. He turned and faced the portal and asked, “Well, are you coming? Or do I have to walk?” He sounded irritated, but the ice drake eventually emerged, and the portal snapped shut.

Raelia stared at the Vaeril as he panted from the effort. Traeliorn seemed unconcerned as he looked around and nodded. “Vaeril, have you moved a good distance from where your pets were killed?”

“Yes, Master. I am twenty miles from where I was discovered,” he answered.

“Good, this is Raelia. She is a trained Ranger and will be your protector,” Raelia waved at the apprentice. He was kind of cute, and his deep green eyes were mesmerizing. He did not seem as impressed with her.

Traeliorn continued, “I am heading north to summon another wyvern. I want you to summon some hill giants and send them,” he considered for a moment, “send them in the direction of the scout that killed your hounds.” The apprentice nodded happily.

“How many hill giants?” he asked as the High Mage was mounting the ice drake.

“Two. You cannot handle any more than two,” he advised and then was in the air. Raelia marveled that he did not need a saddle to ride the drake.

Vaeril looked her over and sighed, disappointed his protector was a young female elf. Raelia read his eyes, “I am a skilled Ranger and used to be a Griffin Rider.”

He cocked an eyebrow and slowly nodded appreciatively. “Good. Come, we have a few miles to walk, and I will be setting up a summoning circle while you watch my back.” The pair started walking, and Raelia started up a conversation with the young mage. It was unsurprising that they were almost the same age. Raelia thought this was going to be a good assignment. She would help get revenge on the Telhians, and maybe she would make a new friendship.