Magician Prince Read Online Free PDF Page A

that connected the barracks on the right with the
mess hall on the left. Baryn was staring down the hall apparently
unsure of which way to turn. “Let me help you with those,” offered
the herald relieving Baryn of several bags and leading the way. “We
have not yet been introduced. I am Gryte Lordscry, Master Gilkame’s
personal servant.”
    Baryn rotated his now unencumbered shoulder.
“Thank you. That was an awful load to bear. I am Baryn of the house
Axebeard- no sir name.” Being without a sir name of one’s own was
unusual although not completely unheard of among humans. Nobility
had their family names and commoners tended to take on sir names in
a complicated system based on their profession and skill. Lacking
any skills of note a human would revert to using their hometown as
their sir name, but to have no hometown would mean that the human
was either born outside of common society or…
    “Where are you from?” asked the herald
although he thought he might already know the answer.
    “Colum,” the old man answered plainly.
“Across the sea, when I heard what happened I had to come and see
it for myself. Is it true?”
    “Then it would seem you have knowingly walked
into a hornet’s nest, my friend,” answered Gryte, “Colum was
destroyed last year along with Baj at the start of the Magician
Uprising. Hundreds of magicians were set free during that massacre,
but the most troubling thing is that it is believed that the
slaughter was caused by one magician according to the accounts of
the few survivors.”
    Baryn said nothing, but his expression was
dark.
    Gryte continued, “Ever since then, we have
been at war with the demons. One of the domains fell as well and it
was only the quick thinking of our king and prince that kept the
magicians from destroying the rest of the domains and freeing their
kin. They relocated all of the magicians to a hidden location and
are blocking their magic with a special collar developed by Master
Gilkame.”
    They reached a staircase and began ascending
without a thought. “That is amazing.” Baryn wondered, “How could
such a device work? Is he a… magician?” Baryn’s voice fell to a
whisper on the last word.
    “I do not understand it myself, but the
collars work and Gilkame is no magic user. There are two magicians
in the palace that are collared. One is the former court magician,
Sane. Like you he has no sir name, but for him it is because he is
a sorcerer.” Sorcerers were such a rarity even among magicians that
they were commonly only known by one name throughout history. “The
other is a magical aide to Prince Janus. That one came from Baj a
month or so before the prison was destroyed.”
    “Bad luck for him,” Baryn noted.
    “Good luck for us,” Gryte jested. The herald
opened a door near the top of the tower, but not quite all the way
up. “Your masters will be staying here,” he said as he led the old
servant into the room. “My master’s room is one above this and his
workshop is above that. It goes without saying, but you will not be
permitted to ascend the tower beyond this point without approval
from Sir Gilkame.
    “You will be staying in the men’s servant
quarters along with the rest of us common rabble,” Gryte nudged
Baryn comically and the old man forced a laugh.
    Once all of the luggage was carefully
unpacked the servants hurried down to the mess hall to get a quick
bite. Being members of the serving class, they were at the beck and
call of their masters and had to find time to eat while their
masters were concerned with other matters. Right now Gilkame would
be showing his aunt and cousins around the castle and undoubtedly
impressing them with his clout and connections to the royal family.
The servants ate a hearty venison stew in bread bowls that was left
over from the previous night’s dining.
    “Having magicians in the castle is
dangerous.” Baryn asked, “What if their collars were to fail or get
removed?”
    “I don’t like