Scorcerer Among the Stars - Chp. 1

Calvin was hiding in the barn’s loft, reading his favorite book.  ‘Victor’s Victory’ was the stirring tale of how a lowly farm hand rose to become the king.  For a 14 year old farm boy like Calvin, the story had everything that mattered.  There were epic battles and enchanting maidens.  The tale was filled with both tragedy and triumph. But, best of all, there were sorcerer’s wielding magic.

With his feet up on a hay bale, Calvin used the morning light coming through the large open window to read.  He was so engrossed in the tale, he didn’t hear John walking up the stairs.

“Calvin! What in the hells are you doing?  Why aren’t the cows milked?” John shouted while planting his hands on his hips and scowling.

Startled, Calvin fumbled his book while trying to sit up straight.  As his mind returned to reality, shocked free from the book’s hold, he locked eyes with an irate father figure.

“Hey John.  Why haven’t you started tilling field three?  You know we have to get it seeded by the end of next week.  Last time I checked, there was still like 40,000 units that need to be plowed.  That’s going to take a few days at least,” said Calvin with a fake smile.

John stared at the little trouble maker and debated whether it was worth engaging in an argument.  Feeling the weight of his past verbal defeats, his shoulder’s slumped in defeat.  It just wasn’t worth it.  His day had barely started, and he was already tired.

Calvin could see John giving up without a fight, and decided to throw him a bone.  “Don’t worry, I’ll go see to the animals.  Does Sarah want me to grab a chicken for breakfast?” he asked.

John smiled and said, “No, don’t worry about it.  Sarah is heading into town today.  You and I are on our own for breakfast.  After you finish with the animals, ring the bell and I’ll come help you in the kitchen.”

Turning away, he started to walk back down the stairs.  Snapping his fingers as if he just remembered something, John then turned and added, “Oh, and Nathan might be stopping by with some more lumber for the fence over in field 2.  Don’t let me forget to ask him about the nails I ordered.”

Calvin was only paying half-attention while he collected his blanket and his book.  “Sure thing John.  No problem.  See you in a few hours.”

After John left, Calvin debated whether or not he had time to at least finish the chapter he had been on.  Shaking his head, he decided he’d rather get through his chores and get some breakfast.  Heading down the stairs, he daydreamed about Victor and his cohorts facing the hordes of Absalon, and the witch-king’s blood riders.

Calvin went about his duties.  He milked and fed the cows.  Collected the eggs and spread the feed for the chickens.  Fed the horses, and dealt with the pigs.  By the time he finished, he was covered in sweat and grime.  Leaning against a fence post, he scraped his boots across the lowest plank.  He mumbled to himself, “I bet Victor didn’t miss having to deal with manure.”

The sun was fully up by the time he got to the house.  Calving took off his shirt while heading toward the washing station behind the kitchen.  Along the way, he rang the large bell three times to let John know he was done.

While he was wiping himself down, he heard people chattering.  Looking over, he saw Kevin and Megan walking around the side of the house.  He wasn’t surprised at their timely appearance.  They always seemed to arrive right before breakfast.  They were smart like that.

“Hey guys,” he said.

They walked up, smiles on their faces.  Kevin said, “Hey Cal, where’s Sarah?  I don’t smell breakfast.”  Megan slapped him upside his head for being so obvious, and Calvin chuckled at their antics.

Calvin tossed his soiled shirt into the hamper, and grabbed a fresh shirt from the basket hanging on a hook above it.  Putting it on, he said, “John said she had to go into town.  He and I are on our own this morning. You’ll have to live with sausages and hash.”

Megan said, “It’s no problem.  We’re grateful for the invitation.”  She offered Kevin a dirty look, and he said, “Um.. Yeah.  Thanks Cal.  Anything is fine.”

Smiling, Calvin led them inside and got to work.  The kitchen wasn’t small.  It had a large center island with 5 stools.  They had installed a new refrigerator a few years ago, and they even had a stove powered by runic carvings.  It cost a fortune, and John still complained about it.

While Megan took a seat, Kevin went for the cookie jar.  Calvin shook his head at their predictable behavior and got started on breakfast.  Then the small talk started like it always did.  Megan was reminding Kevin of all the tasks that needed to get done.  And Kevin was complaining at how much needed to get done.  Calvin sighed as he listened to the same conversation he had heard for years being repeated.

John stepped into the kitchen, and smoothly joined Calvin at the stove.  Neither of them said anything.  They went about their tasks with practiced familiarity.  Calvin’s mind wandered like it always did at times like this.  He wondered if there was really adventure to be had in this life, or was that only found in stories.

All too soon, they were at the table eating.  The conversation was lively and happy.  Megan, Kevin, and John discussed the day’s goals and then planned the next few weeks.  Calvin just sat in silence and listened.  It wasn’t like he had nothing to contribute, but they just went over all this yesterday.

After breakfast, Kevin went to deal with the animals.  Megan headed over to deal with the vegetable garden.  Calvin and John went to put some work into field three.  Just like they did the day before.

The only difference was that Sarah wasn’t around.  But over the past 3 years, she’d spent more and more time in town.  She had taken a job at the schoolhouse, and it wasn’t all that uncommon for her to be absent.  Calvin was happy for her.  It must be nice to get off the farm and see something new.  Not to mention that she had introduced him to books.

Calvin loved John and Sarah both, but he felt that only Sarah really understood him.  She could see that he wanted more, and did her best to make him happy.  Sarah had always been the glue holding their little family together.  Everyone loved her.

When Calvin was 6, his parents were killed when bandits raided the merchant caravan they were traveling with.  Death’s like theirs were rare, as bandits weren’t a serious issue.  But in the aftermath of the Neiling-Markshir war, there were plenty of ex-soldiers who had taken up banditry in order to eat.  It was just bad luck that Calvin’s parents were killed.

Sarah was his mom’s best friend.  She had forced her husband John to take him in.  They already had two children, Nathan and Irene, but they were almost ready to leave the nest at that point.  Sarah argued that they could use the help on the farm.  John caved, like he always did.  Ever since then, Calvin had been part of their family.  Sarah had made him feel welcome, and held him when he missed his parents.

Living up to his part of the bargain, Calvin worked hard.  He did his chores, learned all that the older couple had to teach.  And now, as of last year, he was a man grown.  He was 14 and could go out looking for an apprenticeship or just leave and make his own way.

Thoughts of the infinite possibilities bounced around Calvin’s head as he worked with John to plow field 3.  While John led the draft-horse Calvin held the plow straight.  They worked until dusk, frequently taking breaks for water and to rest their legs.

Sarah had arrived home in time to make dinner, and everyone was glad to see her.  Nathan, John and Sarah’s son, had shown up at some point.  Calvin smiled as everyone enjoyed their dinner.  But he barely listened to the conversation.  He had heard it all before.

After helping clean the dishes, Calvin left to go sleep in the loft of the barn.  He had gotten into the habit years ago, and didn’t see a reason to change it.

On the way to the barn, Calvin looked up into the night sky.  The stars painted a tapestry of wonder across the heavens.  The red moon was bright in the sky, and there were no clouds hiding the constellations that he had memorized.  Each one had a story.  Smiling, he clutched his book tight and wondered, ‘What is the life of a star-walker like?’

He knew they were up there.  Most of the crops he grew made their way to the stars.  Maybe someday he’d see where they ended up.  It was said that they traveled on flying carriages.  Runic workings the size of buildings powered cities that floated in the black.  Planet wide battles, and demons ripping holes in reality.  Up there… up there was magic.

Sighing, Calvin brought his eyes back to ground and cursed himself for wanting what he couldn’t have.  If he wanted a life of adventure, it would have to be here on Soldiva.  He was pretty good with a bow, and Nathan had taught him how to use a staff.  It might be time for a change.

That night, Calvin fell asleep staring out the open window at the stars, and then dreamed of being King Victor leading.  With his sword bathed in flame, he led his cohort against hordes of demons.

Waking up before dawn, Calvin rushed through his chores.  He even managed to get to the house before Kevin and Megan showed up to invite themselves to breakfast.  Washing quickly, he rushed into the kitchen to talk to Sarah.

Opening the door, he said, “Hey Sarah, can I talk to you about something?”

She was standing at the stove, tending to several pans.  Without turning around, she said, “Sure dear.  Is everything all right?”

Nodding, he took a seat at the center island and wrung his hands nervously.  Tentatively, he said, “It’s like this.  I was wondering how you’d feel about me maybe joining the guard in town.”

The silence hung heavy in the kitchen, and the sizzling sound from the pans seemed to echo in Calvin’s ears.  Unable to stand it, he added, “I was just thinking about options.  It might be nice to see a little more of the world.  Travel a bit.  There isn’t a war right now, so it should be safe to join the army.  I could travel all across Neiling and maybe even farther than that.”

Staring at her back, he could see her shoulder’s slump.  She looked tired, and it broke his heart.  Shooting to his feet, he rushed to her side and hugged her tight, trapping her arms in his embrace.

As he was about a foot shorter than her, he had his head buried in her shoulder.  He mumbled, “I’m sorry.  Don’t worry, it was just a thought.  I’m not going anywhere.”

Sarah awkwardly reached up and patted his arm, and said, “It’s fine dear, I’m OK.  I knew this was coming.”

Releasing her, he looked up into her eyes.  He could see the resignation on her face.  She offered him a half-smile and said, “Someday you will head off and do amazing things, I just know it.  But maybe you can wait a bit.  How about you stay until the end of harvest season.  We can talk more about it then.”

Calvin recoiled a little.  That would be months from now.  And she didn’t even agree.  This was her, ‘I don’t want to talk about this’ voice.  She used it when she wanted to avoid an argument.  She wasn’t going to let him go.

Seeing right through him, she said, “Don’t worry.  Someday you’ll get your adventures.  But for now, you are needed here.  It’s time you grow up a bit, and realize that you have responsibilities.”

His heart broke all over again, and he felt his legs weaken.  He wasn’t going anywhere.  He’d grow up here, take over the farm, and then die.  He’d never see anything but crops and cows.  Tears were clouding his vision, but he tried to stay strong.

He forced a smile, and said, “Sure Sarah.  Someday.  I think I’m going to go hunting today.  Let John know that I’ll be in the south woods.  Thanks for listening.”

Nodding, she leaned over and grabbed a thick rye loaf broke it in half.  Taking half, she scooped out some of the insides and filled it with eggs and chopped sausage.  Handing it to Calvin, she said, “All right.  Just be safe, and make sure you’re back before dusk.  You still have your afternoon chores to get done.”

His smile faltered, but he took the bread bowl.  After mumbling, “Thanks. I’ll be back in a few hours.” He rushed off to the loft in the barn so no one would see him cry.

After running up the stairs, his control collapsed and his tears started flowing.  Standing with his hands clutching the bread bowl to his chest, Calvin let himself go.  Even Sarah didn’t want him to leave.  He hadn’t felt this alone since he was a child.  Blankly staring forward while choked back sobs, he saw his book sitting on the hay bale he had slept on the night before.

The thought of what Victor would do in this situation turned his stomach.  A feeling of rage boiled up.  Calvin’s face was covered in tears and snot, but now his features were warped into a mask of fury.  He wasn’t a child anymore.  Back then, he didn’t have any options.  He had to stay here.  But now, he was legally an adult.  He could do whatever he wanted.  He could just leave.  They couldn’t stop him.

Looking down at the bread bowl in his hands, he stared at it with hatred.  Comfort food wasn’t needed right now.  It was time for action.  He set the bread bowl down, then went to his chest to change his clothes.  He needed to think, and a hunt would give him plenty of time away from the farm.

Putting on his leather bracers, he strapped a quiver with 30 arrows to his back.  He tied his two hunting knives to his waist, and collected his pack.  Leaning down, he picked up his bow.  It was polished teek wood, and the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.  He had asked Nathan to drive him into town to purchase it.  It was his most prized possession.

After giving it a quick rub down with a cloth, he strung it.  Feeling ready, he picked up his breakfast and went downstairs.  He didn’t want to talk to anyone, so he carefully made his way out of the barn.  He threw the bread bowl in the slop bucket for the pigs, and filled his canteen from the hose.

In less than 5 minutes, he was jogging toward the woods.  Looking over his shoulder, he smiled as the farm shrank in the distance.  It wasn’t really freedom, but it was one step closer.

The canopy of the woods blocked out the morning sun, and Calvin finally slowed when he entered the shade.  It felt like a cool blanket covering him on a hot summer’s day.  He dropped into a crouch and made his way silently through the trees, letting the sounds of the forest hide his presence.  Calvin lived in the moment.  And for a while, he forgot the betrayal he felt when Sarah placated him like a child.

The hours passed, and he stalked the woods like a phantom.  His arrows felled two rabbits, and now he was stalking a deer.  Calvin knew he would have to return after this, but he wanted to return with a stage across his shoulders.  That would show them that he was ready.  They might not like his choices, but they would have to respect them.

In the distance, he saw the stag munching on some foliage.  Calvin quieted his breath and watched his steps.  Delicately, he pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back.  Stringing it, he crept forward, preparing for his shot.  He must have been only 30 paces away when he saw the stag snap to attention.  He froze.  Calvin was sure that he hadn’t been seen.  Looking left and right, he tried to see what startled his prey.

Like a shot, the stag took off.  Calvin took two steps forward and raised his bow and smoothly drew the arrow to his cheek.  Sighting the deer, he sighed and lowered his bow, releasing the tension.  It was already too far away and was now lost to the trees.  ‘What had spooked it?’ he wondered.

Staring at the trees where the stag had disappeared, he wasn’t prepared when he heard a growl from behind him.  Snapping to attention, he drew the arrow to his cheek and spun around into a crouch.  About 5 units away was large wolf with his teeth bared.  Calvin’s heart sped up, but his hands were steady.  The staring contest lasted a full 5 seconds before he heard some noises from all around him.  He was surrounded by a pack.  ‘Shit,’ he thought.

He released his arrow but didn’t bother to watch it fly, he needed to move.  Figuring that the safest route was through the wolf he had just fired at, he ran after his arrow.  Hearing a yelp, he looked up from his feet to see the wolf limping, as his arrow had tagged it in the shoulder.  Veering toward the wolf’s weakened leg.  He kept a tight hold on his bow, but sprinted as fast as he could.  He needed to get out of the ring.  He didn’t make it.

150lbs of snarling terror slammed into Calvin’s side teeth first.  As he hit the ground, the wolf that hit him ripped into his shoulder, luckily missing his neck.  His bow was lost, Calvin dropped it when he was hit.  He rolled onto his back and tried to get his hands under the wolf’s chin.  The last thing he wanted to do was feed it his forearm.  While his injured left arm attempted to fend off the wolf’s snapping jaws, he drew a knife from his belt and started stabbing up into its chest.  He felt the warm splash of blood as he stabbed as fast as he could.  The wolf tried to hop off him, and Calvin didn’t try to stop it.

As the wolf limped off to die, he rose into a crouch, knife held at the ready.  His eyes darted around, and he counted 6 more wolves circling him from about 5 units away.  They were moving in and out of sight, using the trees as cover.

Panting with panic, his heart raced.  His wounded shoulder throbbed, but the adrenaline numbed the pain well enough.  Drawing his second knife into his off-hand, Calvin started spinning slowly, trying to keep an eye on everything.  The situation was about as bad as it could get.  The irony of this being just the type of adventure he was hoping for was the last thing on his mind.  In fact, he had never felt so focused.  He felt like a spring from a wagon, ready to erupt into motion.

As the seconds passed, he grew more angry at their hesitation.  “Come on!” he shouted, his face contorted in fury.  He was going to kill every last one of these mangy mutts.

Sensing movement on his left, he spun to face it.  An airborne wolf was rapidly closing the distance, and Calvin met it with a hug.  His knives dug into it’s sides as he turned his upper body to dodge it’s jaws.  Spinning, he managed to land on the wolf.  But before he could celebrate, he was bounced around as they piled on him.  He felt their jaws clamp onto his calf, already ruined shoulder, and arm.

Screaming in pain, Calvin was furious.  This was not how it was supposed to happen.  No.  This was not how it was going to happen.  He wasn’t going to die in a forest in the middle of nowhere.  Calvin was meant for more than this.

As his anger burned in his gut, and tears streamed down his face, he shouted out his defiance, “Get off me!”

Like a bomb exploding, the wolves were thrown from him.  It was like he had erupted with a wave of force.  The wolves slammed into trees and flew off into the bushes.  Calvin was left panting on the ground, white knuckles gripping his knives, and his wounds bleeding freely.

As the wolves got up to regroup, they slowly started to circle him again.  But this time they paused.  The air around Calvin started to move.  Dust along with leaves from the ground rose into the air and started circling him.  Soon the air howled, and Calvin rose to his feet.  He felt like energy was pouring into him.  It was like he was stumbling half-asleep all his life, but now he was drinking coffee.  He closed his eyes in ecstasy and spread his arms out to his sides.  The wind whipped past him, and he felt like he was being held up by the current.

The wolves wanted no part in what was happening, and ran the moment the wind started moving.  Calvin felt the wind die down, and he felt like air released him.  As the feeling of weightlessness left him, he lowered his arms to his sides and looked around.  The forest was silent.  Everything in the area had left.  The quiet was deafening.

That silence was shattered by a voice piercing his mind like an ice pick.  A powerful female voice said, “Congratulations on your awakening.  If you are injured, try and find someplace to recover, and we will do our best find you.  But if you’re capable, please head to the nearest settlement.  Agents have been dispatched to your nearest population center.  You are hereby drafted into service.  Long live the Empire.”

The connection ended as quickly as it came.  Calvin stood in the middle of the forest, still holding his bloody knives.  He was covered in blood and petrified in shock.  Eyes glassy, he looked around slowly and asked himself, “What the hell is the Empire?”