The Lightning Mage

  CHAPTER 1

  “Jonathan” Joshua Thunder said as he looked at his son. “Your mother and I have done all we can to teach you what we know. You have to go to the tower now, the kingdom will be expecting you.”

  “Is it really as bad as you say it is father?” Jonathan asked.

  “You have been sheltered here Jonathan. The Archmage knows I have a son and also knows you have magic. We can wait a few more years but then questions would be asked about if we were going to send you at all. Nobles are going to hate you on sight, but hopefully you can do better than I did.”

  “You did okay father. I have never known hunger and I have a decent enough place to lay my head.”

  “Me and your father could have done better,” Sara said, looking at her son. “We are both stubborn and vengeful. We were motivated to get married to each other out of mutual hatred of the nobility, more than out of love for on another.”

  “Bollocks!” Jonathan said, laughing. “I see the way you look at each other and I know what those stupid little trips you send me all over town for is really about. You are as in love as anyone I have ever seen.”

  “We are both commoners Jonathan,” Joshua said. “Both of us could have married nobles if we wanted to and you would have had it better than you will when you finally leave us.”

  “If you were with other people then I wouldn’t exist,” Jonathan argued. “What has come over you both? Why are you so negative?”

  “Jonathan, I do love your mother,” Joshua said. “But the only reason I am with her and not some minor noble is because of your grandparents.”

  “I thought my grandparents never met mom,” Jonathan said.

  “They didn’t,” Joshua said. “When war comes the kingdom likes sending their mages to turn the enemy back. The first line of combat is always commoner mages. My father and mother were on that front line. Noble mages hang far back to the rear. They only attack when there is opportunity without risk. My parents both died fighting the Raelinians. This was before they had even gotten their own kind of magic. For their sacrifice to the kingdom, all I got was a letter and the rest of their pay for the month. Noble children would have received their parents entire pay until they reached the age of twenty five. I got five silver to help make things work. While normal people look on me with awe, noble mages do not. My ability to work multiple magics at the same time once put me in the sights of a few magical families. After how I was treated by our so called betters, I declined every offer and had my heart set on your mother.”

  “I was with your father for much the same reason,” Sara said. “My mother had been killed so I wanted nothing to do with any noble for any reason. I had suitors, almost any girl does. They expected me to be so shocked that some noble wanted to give me a try, that I would fall right in line with their plans for me. I refused to even pretend to play along with their machinations. Like many commoners, I may not be able to work many magics, but I have a huge well of magical energy.”

  “In a mage duel I can take out stronger mages using my lightning,” Joshua said. “My well is small though, so I do not have many bolts in me. If I fight a mage capable of withstanding my first couple of blows then I am done.”

  “I have the energy but not the power to put behind my strikes,” Sara said. “Your grandfather does not have magic at all, which was probably the only reason he is still alive today. Me and your father both knew our shortcomings and decided to get married to each other because we knew our child would be something special. Noble mages are typically stronger than commoners, but not in your case. I can only think of a handful of families that have produced mages who could stand up to you. It is that reason that they will hate you even more.”

  “How strong am I compared to them?” Jonathan asked. “You never let me even be around other mages.”

  “And you have enjoyed your childhood because of it,” Sara asserted. “I wanted you to have it different than your father and I. We were scared just thinking about what the future held for us. We hope you will never feel this way. No matter what happens to us, marry a noble. In the long run it will be worth it. Many nobles will never accept you. Even if you are married to one of them they are likely to look down on you. But even so your life will be easier.”

  “Are they really that bad?” Jonathan asked.

  “They are worse,” Joshua stated. “But you are a Thunder and we come from proud stock. We are the only two people I know of right now that can use lightning. That is a trick I don’t think many will be able to accomplish. Your earth magic is also something I doubt anyone is ready for. I already know you will do all commoners proud just like your mother and I did. ”

  “I thought you said nobles wanted you,” Jonathan queried.

  “It is no secret that mages would much rather marry mages regardless of their status,” Sara said. “Marrying a commoner mage is the only way to keep magic alive in the kingdom without inbreeding. Your father and I were aberrations, we both had rare traits that nobles wanted in their bloodlines. They wanted the size of my magical well and your father’s ability to handle multiple spells. But the poorer noble mages who sought us out were idiots. You can’t talk down on someone you are trying to partner with and expect them to enter a marriage with you. In my case it was even worse. Mage women have a very good chance to have a mage child. For this reason many non-magical nobles wanted me. It is like a double edged sword, the noble mages don’t really want to marry a commoner but they also do not wish for us to marry a mundane if we have magic. Your grandmother received death threats for daring to fall in love with a mundane commoner. When it became obvious that me or your father would not be kissing the feet of any nobles, things got even tougher. Well let's get your things, you won’t need much on our trip.”

  “You will be studying the entire time” Joshua said. “I know you will do me and your mother proud. When things get tough there, I want you to remember something...”

  “That I am a Thunder and I come from proud stock,” Jonathan said, finishing his father’s thought.

  Jonathan was excited to be leaving. He had never even met another mage before. His parents kept him in the small town of Ethridge. They had always told him it was for the best. Jonathan didn’t even own a mage's robe. His friends knew he was a mage since Jonathan had shown them small tricks. But he always felt like an outsider, like he had no one who knew what it was like to be him. The other boys were busy learning some trade, like smithing, carpentry or anything else involving their hands. Some of them even were in training to join the army. Jonathan figured if he didn’t have any magic that he would have joined them. At night they talked about their training and Jonathan had no similar occupation he could converse about. The girls in the town were interested in him. But his parents were strict in chasing away anyone he was remotely interested in. Jonathan didn’t mind too much since women were a subject he was in no hurry to rush into.

  Jonathan groaned as the traveling dragged on, his parents insisted on renting a carriage so he could learn on the way. And they all stopped at almost every small town they came across. They seemed sad and excited at the same time Jonathan thought – sad he was leaving and excited in their certainty that he would excel. When Jonathan finally reached his destination he thought it was odd the rest of the trip had to be done on foot. Jonathan thought he could have more easily flown to wherever he was going but his parents wanted to walk.

  Jonathan gazed at all of the mages walking the street and was both awestruck and terrified. These men and women looked like they didn’t have a care among them. They walked like the world moved around them instead of the other way around. Jonathan looked down at his robes. He had never wore the garment before but he noticed a difference in his robes and the robe
s of the people around him. Jonathan’s robes had a white stripe outlining his hood. He hadn’t thought that this was so significant but now that he saw robes of others, he realized how much he stood out.

  His parents had told Jonathan the majority of the mages in Magus Mazuli would be noble but he hadn’t understood the scope of the class difference they were talking about. Ethridge boasted no nobility. Jonathan had assumed nobility would be somewhat like the mayor and council. But they were not even close.

  Magus Mazuli was a mage town. Anyone there who was not a mage was in some type of business that catered to mages. All of these businesses were paid by the crown. Everything in the small town was free for mages. This included rooms at the small inn, food from the vendors, new robes and anything else a mage could imagine. Small homes were given to any mage who wanted to settle there. Jonathan had often begged his parents to take him but they were strictly against it. They had explained that most mages were noble and would look down on them at every turn. Noble mages were a breed all their own. They even looked down on other nobles who were lacking in magical power. Jonathan found his destination easily. The mage tower stood out among the smaller buildings and was located at the center of town.

  “Are you ready for this?” Joshua asked. “Right now you look absolutely stunned.”

  “This place is crawling with mages,” Jonathan replied.

  “That it is,” Sara said.

  “I haven’t seen one commoner mage since we got here,” Jonathan said, looking around.

  “They are here alright,” Joshua said. “You are going to be unique, even among them. You'll be at least as unique as I was anyway.”

  “Because of my lightning?” Jonathan asked.

  “Because you have two mage parents and the majority of them do not,” Sara said. “Most of them do not have any mage parents at all. They were just born with the gift. The commoners you will see in the mage tower are mostly the result of dalliances and affairs from times past. Fewer and fewer commoner mages like yourself are being found. When they are it is a perfect scandal for one of them to date a mundane. But I told you this already. Which reminds me... your grandfather’s gift.”

  “A gift from Pawpaw?” Jonathan asked, surprised.

  “It is already here,” Joshua said, beaming. “It is not the best but it is far from the worst one either. Your grandfather is worried about you being here. He remembered the tales your grandmother used to tell him. You can tell him about it Sara.”

  “Your grandfather gave you one of his prized horses,” Sara said smiling. “Kel comes with a small carriage made to seat four. The horse and your new carriage are already at the town stables. It is located on the outskirts of town. Finding someone to drive you around town shouldn’t be too hard. You are going to have a decent amount of money in the bank. Noble and commoner mages are paid on a different pay scale of course. While we make good money compared with the average peasant, we make a quarter of what noble mages are paid. But we also do paid side jobs all the time for the crown which boosts our pay significantly.”

  “Why do you have to work extra when most noble mages sit on their rears?” Jonathan asked. “We all do the same job. Our job is even tougher since we are always the first people to fight.”

  “It is a very effective way to get magic out of the hands of commoners” Sara replied. “As a mage you quickly get used to the finer things in life. Only a commoner with an ax to grind or some special friendship would not go for a noble. Once married into a noble family, your pay increases to parity. You are lucky just like I was that your grandfather is a well off commoner. Nobles did not have anything, except for a title, they could offer your grandmother not to choose him.”

  “I am from one of the only families of commoner mages. Trust me when I say that I felt the sting of having little money,” Joshua said. “In Magus it is not too bad. Everything here is free. But there are study trips you have to take outside of Magus Mazuli. Then you will be able to tell the difference.”

  “It is mean is what it is” Sara stated and Jonathan could tell his mother was angry. “The only reason I see for that study is to embarrass those with little coin. Vashing is two days away walking. There is a clear divide for the haves and have nots. There are four inns in Vashing, only one of them is on the good side of town. The rest double as taverns in the worst slum you have ever seen. Your assignment is always in the nice part of town so you have to get up early and walk there. Just thinking about it makes me angry and I never had to deal with any of it.”

  “Well fix yourself dear,” Joshua said. “Let’s get Jonathan settled in the tower. It is already going to be a scandal when we get there.”

  Jonathan wondered why his parents were so worried but had to admit he was uncomfortable. Any mage they saw looked at his family oddly and some even sneered. Jonathan guessed they were right when they said it was unusual for a commoner mage to have two commoner parents. Jonathan thought it was obvious Sara and Joshua were his parents. Jonathan was tall and thin like his mother. But he also had the sunken dark eyes and serious expression of his father. Jonathan was happy to have them as his parents. He hoped they were just worrying for nothing.

  Jonathan was impressed as he stood in front of the Tower of Magus Mazuli. He thought it was strange they had to walk there but realized he would have missed out on the sights he was now seeing if they had ridden in a carriage. Magus Mazuli had some weird rules. No horses in town had to be the weirdest one. But Jonathan had to admit the place was kept spotless. Around the tower were several one story buildings. He followed his parents inside of the tower and around some corners where they finally stopped in front of an ornate wooden door. Joshua rapped on it a few times and the door opened to reveal a spotless stone room that had been painted white. Joshua and Sara stepped inside first. Jonathan followed, wondering to himself why someone would go to all the trouble of painting stone white – despite liking its appearance.

  “I am here to enroll my son in the tower,” Joshua said.

  “Your son?” A thin older woman queried, as she looked at Joshua and Sara, then on to Jonathan. This woman was not a mage. Jonathan thought that it looked like she does a lot of paperwork as he stared at the mounds of paper on her desk.

  “You are both together?” the woman asked.

  “That we are,” Joshua said.

  “Two commoners?” the old woman said in amazement. “Well I don’t see that happen every day. What is your name lad?”

  “Jonathan Thunder,” Jonathan informed her.

  “Well Jonathan, tell your parents goodbye. You belong to the tower now,” the old woman said. “Any things you brought with you, including your robe, have to go with them. The tower will provide everything you need henceforth. Your first stop should be for the supplies you will need. You can find supplies in the room next door to me along with directions to get to your new accommodations. You can change your robe there and hand it off to your parents.”

  Jonathan watched the thin old woman write his name down and mutter something to herself. His parents were not exaggerating when they told him he would be considered to be somewhat unique. Jonathan decided he would keep it to himself that he was a commoner with two mage parents. He doubted it would come up in conversation. But if it did, he would deal with it at that time. Next door he was given new robes, some other simple clothes, boots, writing supplies, a spell book and hygiene items. As Jonathan switched out of his robes in a small dressing room, the man serving him let it drop that the Tower was not in session and that most people would be arriving next week. Jonathan was happy his parents did not linger. Both sadness and worry were evident on their faces as they gave him a quick goodbye and departed.

  The place Jonathan was given to stay was actually outside of the Tower in one of the low-rise buildings he had seen when he was walking up. Jonathan had expected as much from the barrage of information his mother and father had dumped on him on the way into the city. Male commoners all slept together in a big dorm room fil
led with decently expensive beds. Female mages, commoners or not, were housed in the tower. His mother had told him it was so they could better mingle with the other mages there. It was likely female commoner mages would either marry someone they met in the tower or someone they met through the people they met there.

  Jonathan found a bed near the center of the room and put his things in the large chest at the foot of his bed, with the exception of his spell book. He flipped through the pages of the book and smiled at his parents. They were often gone either doing some work for the kingdom or helping his grandfather out with his business. Despite this, they had always made time to train him. Jonathan already knew most of these beginner spells and how to use them.

  Jonathan was told that there was a clear divide between the average commoner mage and a noble mage. Noble mage families had been intermarrying with other noble mages for years, so their magic was stronger. It was not unheard of for a noble mage to be able to cast two spells simultaneously or to combine magic to make a new spell. Noble mages also had a lot of magical energy at their disposal. And that well of magical energy often refilled a bit faster than commoners.

  The noble mages here would also be familiar with magic, he knew. Many of the spells Jonathan was looking at would also be known to the nobles. In the rear of the book the power intensive spells were detailed. These spells took a lot of energy and could not be cast by just any mage. Jonathan’s father Joshua found it hard to cast a fireball, for example. It was too power intensive and involved separating his magic from himself and still having control of it. Joshua could cast a fire spell. But fire was easy as long as the spell came out of your hand, like a spout, and stayed attached. Fireballs had to be cast, then controlled with no physical contact. His mother Sara could have done the magic in theory, but she had another limitation. Joshua just didn’t have the magical energy to pull it off, Sara didn’t have the ability to cast two spells at once and a fireball contained a small amount of wind magic. Jonathan didn’t doubt that his mother could have cast many fireballs with her big well of magical energy. But the spell was closed off to her, just like it would be to many commoners.