Master Mage Read Online Free PDF Page A

merchants from Rane had been banned
from the country, and with the snows coming, most people were
keeping close to home in front of the fire. As a cold wind blew
through the air, forcing Thad to pull his cloak tight around his
shoulders, the thought of a nice fire seemed like pure
bliss.
    Once the sun began to set, Thad
continued on for a short time until the darkness was so thick he
could no longer see the road. Unable to continue further, Thad
unsaddled Lady and pulled a bag of oats out of his magically
extended pack. After Lady was fed and brushed down good, Thad
pulled his own heavy bedroll from his pack and started making a
fire.
    Within moments, Thad had a large blaze
roaring to stave off the frigid air. Watching as the fire burned,
Thad wished he had brought a few traveling companions with him.
Alone, Thad had no choice but to cover the burning coals with dirt
to ensure he didn’t wake to find himself or the countryside on
fire.
    Pulling the thick blankets around him
closely, Thad curled into a tight ball. After a few moments, his
body heat warmed his blankets, and he was able to drift off into a
relatively peaceful sleep.
    The next two days seemed as uneventful
as the first, and Thad quickly started to grow bored. At first, the
peace and quiet was much enjoyed, but Thad had spent so much time
in the company of others that the quiet surroundings felt void and
lonely. When he caught the first glimpses of the new fort, Thad
could have yelled for joy, knowing it means an ending to his lonely
travels.
    From the position of the sun and the
distance to the fort, Thad knew that it would be nearly impossible
to reach it that day unless he wanted to risk killing his horse.
Sighing, Thad decided to travel as far as he could with what
daylight was left so he could arrive at the fort even an hour
earlier the next day.
    That night, as he sat near the fire,
his spirits were high once again. He cared little for whom he would
have the company of on the morrow just as long as it was
someone.
    You could always talk to
me.
    “I fear that I might start to lose my
mind if I talk to you too much. Even worse, I might start to think
like you, then the world would truly be in danger,” Thad replied
half-jokingly.
    You might have company
sooner than you might wish.
    Without a word, Thad drifted into a
meditative state and used his magical senses to check the area.
Thuraman had been right. Less than fifty yards off and moving
slowly, five men with small magical dead areas
approached.
    “Tell me when they near the tree line,”
Thad told his staff as he began to search through his pouches. Thad
pulled fifteen metal slugs from his pouch as well as two thick
metal rings. At first, Thad had to use his own stores of magical
energy to fire the metal slugs at the Brotherhood soldiers. To
alleviate that need, he had made rings that acted on the slugs with
their own stored energy. They could only fire six to seven before
needing the recharge for a span of days, but it was easier and
faster than using his personal stores of magic.
    Other than his slugs, Thad pulled out
the magical orbs that would cause vines to grow. The vines were not
a very offensive spell, but they would ensnare the soldiers so he
could reduce the number he had to fend off at once. “What are they
doing?” Thad asked Thuraman once everything was ready.
    They have spread out along
the tree line and are staying still.
    “They must be waiting for me to go to
sleep. Might as well oblige them,” Thad said, setting his staff
down next to the rest of his gear. When he crawled into his
bedroll, he was careful to conceal his sword under its
folds.
    His eyes closed, Thad reached out with
his mage sight. It wasn’t as clear as a picture he could see with
his normal vision, but thanks to the void spots created by the
white metal, Thad could easily tell where the five men were. The
assassins waited until almost a half hour after Thad lay down
before they started to move.
    Thad’s first