Chapter 13
"After I finish off those rotten Espers, I'm going after you losers," muttered Marcus, inspecting the charred remains of his hat.
They were walking across a vast grassy plain. On the horizon loomed a large and forlorn looking fortress. Doma castle was on the frontier of the Eboshi Confederation but there had been no war for centuries, so it had been languishing here alone.
"Aww, c'mon! We got out alive didn't we?" asked Octavia brightly.
"Barely," said Julian, more to himself than anyone else.
"At least we didn't come back empty handed," said Serpentarius.
Marcus grasped Serpentarius by his collar and shoved him into the ground. "You smart ass! We did come back empty handed!" he yelled.
He looked up in stunned amazement. "Marcus.."
Marcus stuck his boot on Serpentarius' chest. "I ought to kill you for that!"
Julian and Octavia managed to grab his arms and pull him off. "Marcus.please!" pleaded Julian.
"Stop it!" said Octavia.
Serpentarius sat up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His unruly green hair spilled over his face and his amber eyes glowed with malice. "Let him go. If he wants a fight, I'll give him one."
Octavia released her grip but Julian held on. "We're supposed to fight Espers, not each other!" he pleaded.
Marcus broke free of Julian's hand but didn't make a further move. "You're not worth it Ghost."
Serpentarius flinched at the nickname. "You brat! You don't even realize what we got from that fight!"
"What did we get?" asked Julian.
"Queen Lethe must have asked those Espers to bring Magus Melchior to Styx. She's planning a war," said Serpentarius.
"We'd better report this to the garrison!" said Octavia, running off.
Marcus looked ashen, but nodded. Julian helped Serpentarius to his feet and ran after her. They soon reached the gate that opened before they announced their presence. They walked into the inner courtyard. Around them were battlements that were crowned by narrow towers. Ahead of them stood the main hall with ornate double doors. A soldier ran out to great them.
"Mr. Gallowglass?" asked the soldier.
"Here," replied Marcus, raising his hand.
"Magus Balthazar is expecting you," he said.
"Huh?" asked Marcus. "How did that creepy old geezer know we were.never mind. Show me to him."
The soldier escorted him into the main hall and they went to the right through a small side door. It led into a cozy study filled with volumes of books on every table and chair. Even more volumes were crammed into bookcases that lined the walls. Bending low over the table was an ancient man with a long twisted white beard. He wore a cobalt blue long sleeved robe with gold trim. He adjusted his glasses and looked up from the decaying parchment. He fixed Marcus with a gaze through his glasses that made his brown eyes look huge and monstrous.
"Magus.what a surprise," said Marcus nervously.
Balthazar took off his glasses and wiped them on his sleeve. "Not really. This is my home away from home," he said genially.
"But surely you're needed at the Temple of Poltergeist.."
"Everything in time my boy," said Balthazar. He gestured for Marcus to sit, who did so after moving some books off of it. "Now tell me about the battle at the Temple of Goddess."
Marcus thought carefully before he answered. He knew the Magi had a reputation for foreseeing the future, but he wasn't sure why Balthazar was so interested. "Well, there were three Espers.."
Balthazar held up a withered hand. "Wait a minute son, forget about the Espers. Who else was there?"
Marcus tried to avoid loosing his temper. "I'm not used to being debriefed by a Magus. Usually the Academy does this."
"Please indulge me," said Balthazar earnestly.
Marcus sighed and went on. "Okay, other than the three Espers there was the Raj. Myself, Saint Drostane, Finisterre and Serpentarius."
Balthazar folded his arms like a teacher patiently waiting for an answer from the class clown. "And?"
"Oh, you mean the Magus Melchior?"
Balthazar permitted himself a small smile. "Yes. Melchior." The smile faded. "You've been a bad boy Marcus."
Marcus licked his lips nervously and started to speak but stopped.
"Just explain one thing to me. How is it that you think you can attack a Magus and trash the holy grounds of the Temple of Goddess?" Balthazar stared at Marcus with naked contempt.
Marcus struggled to speak but found he couldn't think of what to say.
Balthazar's gaze was painful to Marcus. "Never mind. Anyway, you are just a gnat in the eye of Poltergeist. You'll be useful when the war comes, but you're not good for anything else."
Marcus stood there.
"From now on leave the other Magi to me. Do we have an understanding?" He rose and rolled up the parchment.
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Good. I'm leaving," he said walking past Marcus out the door.
Marcus shook his head to clear it and glanced around the room. He frowned and walked out, where Julian and Octavia were waiting.
"Did the Magus go by here?" asked Marcus.
"Yep!" said Octavia. "He was very nice too!"
"He seemed to be heading toward the stables," offered Julian. "Do you want me to catch up with him?"
"No." Said Marcus slowly. "That's fine."
Octavia looked worried. "What did he want?"
Marcus looked lost. "I don't remember."
"After I finish off those rotten Espers, I'm going after you losers," muttered Marcus, inspecting the charred remains of his hat.
They were walking across a vast grassy plain. On the horizon loomed a large and forlorn looking fortress. Doma castle was on the frontier of the Eboshi Confederation but there had been no war for centuries, so it had been languishing here alone.
"Aww, c'mon! We got out alive didn't we?" asked Octavia brightly.
"Barely," said Julian, more to himself than anyone else.
"At least we didn't come back empty handed," said Serpentarius.
Marcus grasped Serpentarius by his collar and shoved him into the ground. "You smart ass! We did come back empty handed!" he yelled.
He looked up in stunned amazement. "Marcus.."
Marcus stuck his boot on Serpentarius' chest. "I ought to kill you for that!"
Julian and Octavia managed to grab his arms and pull him off. "Marcus.please!" pleaded Julian.
"Stop it!" said Octavia.
Serpentarius sat up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His unruly green hair spilled over his face and his amber eyes glowed with malice. "Let him go. If he wants a fight, I'll give him one."
Octavia released her grip but Julian held on. "We're supposed to fight Espers, not each other!" he pleaded.
Marcus broke free of Julian's hand but didn't make a further move. "You're not worth it Ghost."
Serpentarius flinched at the nickname. "You brat! You don't even realize what we got from that fight!"
"What did we get?" asked Julian.
"Queen Lethe must have asked those Espers to bring Magus Melchior to Styx. She's planning a war," said Serpentarius.
"We'd better report this to the garrison!" said Octavia, running off.
Marcus looked ashen, but nodded. Julian helped Serpentarius to his feet and ran after her. They soon reached the gate that opened before they announced their presence. They walked into the inner courtyard. Around them were battlements that were crowned by narrow towers. Ahead of them stood the main hall with ornate double doors. A soldier ran out to great them.
"Mr. Gallowglass?" asked the soldier.
"Here," replied Marcus, raising his hand.
"Magus Balthazar is expecting you," he said.
"Huh?" asked Marcus. "How did that creepy old geezer know we were.never mind. Show me to him."
The soldier escorted him into the main hall and they went to the right through a small side door. It led into a cozy study filled with volumes of books on every table and chair. Even more volumes were crammed into bookcases that lined the walls. Bending low over the table was an ancient man with a long twisted white beard. He wore a cobalt blue long sleeved robe with gold trim. He adjusted his glasses and looked up from the decaying parchment. He fixed Marcus with a gaze through his glasses that made his brown eyes look huge and monstrous.
"Magus.what a surprise," said Marcus nervously.
Balthazar took off his glasses and wiped them on his sleeve. "Not really. This is my home away from home," he said genially.
"But surely you're needed at the Temple of Poltergeist.."
"Everything in time my boy," said Balthazar. He gestured for Marcus to sit, who did so after moving some books off of it. "Now tell me about the battle at the Temple of Goddess."
Marcus thought carefully before he answered. He knew the Magi had a reputation for foreseeing the future, but he wasn't sure why Balthazar was so interested. "Well, there were three Espers.."
Balthazar held up a withered hand. "Wait a minute son, forget about the Espers. Who else was there?"
Marcus tried to avoid loosing his temper. "I'm not used to being debriefed by a Magus. Usually the Academy does this."
"Please indulge me," said Balthazar earnestly.
Marcus sighed and went on. "Okay, other than the three Espers there was the Raj. Myself, Saint Drostane, Finisterre and Serpentarius."
Balthazar folded his arms like a teacher patiently waiting for an answer from the class clown. "And?"
"Oh, you mean the Magus Melchior?"
Balthazar permitted himself a small smile. "Yes. Melchior." The smile faded. "You've been a bad boy Marcus."
Marcus licked his lips nervously and started to speak but stopped.
"Just explain one thing to me. How is it that you think you can attack a Magus and trash the holy grounds of the Temple of Goddess?" Balthazar stared at Marcus with naked contempt.
Marcus struggled to speak but found he couldn't think of what to say.
Balthazar's gaze was painful to Marcus. "Never mind. Anyway, you are just a gnat in the eye of Poltergeist. You'll be useful when the war comes, but you're not good for anything else."
Marcus stood there.
"From now on leave the other Magi to me. Do we have an understanding?" He rose and rolled up the parchment.
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Good. I'm leaving," he said walking past Marcus out the door.
Marcus shook his head to clear it and glanced around the room. He frowned and walked out, where Julian and Octavia were waiting.
"Did the Magus go by here?" asked Marcus.
"Yep!" said Octavia. "He was very nice too!"
"He seemed to be heading toward the stables," offered Julian. "Do you want me to catch up with him?"
"No." Said Marcus slowly. "That's fine."
Octavia looked worried. "What did he want?"
Marcus looked lost. "I don't remember."