01 Covenant Rising by Nicholls Stan

Author:Nicholls, Stan [Stan, Nicholls,]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-04-10T21:22:52.671000+00:00

'No, don't do that. We've occasionally reaped benefits from granting these people an audience. I suppose it's the usual motley bunch?' 'More or less. There's one who might be of real interest though. A sorcerer called...' He took out a folded parchment and consulted it. '...Frakk. I'm told he's come up with some useful innovations in the past, of a minor kind.' B'Any idea what he has this time?' 'No. But he says...' He looked at the parchment again. 'He says it's something revolutionary and potentially of great use to us.' 'They all say that. We'll have him up first, see what he has to offer.' They emerged into a large courtyard with high walls on every side. Clansmen were combat training, their clattering swords ringing crisply in the morning air. Others fought with staffs, or loosed arrows at straw targets.

The group of postulants had been kept well away from these activities. They sat on benches at the far end of the quadrant. As the Bastorrans came into sight they got to their feet, and some tried to push forward. Guardsmen held them back, blocking their way with staves. 'Let's get through this as quickly as possible, shall we?' Ivak said. Devlor nodded. He called out to the guards, 'Send over the sorcerer Frakk!' The man in question came out of the crowd. A short, plump individual with a red face, he looked discomposed. He was accompanied by a skinny youth, taller than him and no more than a third of his mass. Some of the others waiting grumbled under their breath. dGuards shoved the pair forward. The sorcerer approached the paladin leaders diffidently. He respectfully whipped off his wide-brimmed floppy hat, revealing a bald pate and nearly tripping on his overly long cloak in the process. The boy came after him, struggling with a large, obviously heavy leather bag. eaching the Bastorrans, the wizard performed an ungainly bow. 'Gatleff Frakk at your service, masters.' he boy stood open-mouthed, until a swipe from Frakk's hat had him bobbing too. He dropped the bag. xFrakk glared at the lad. 'And this is my apprentice, Mudge.' The boy blushed. ll right,' the elder Bastorran told him, 'you can cut the formalities. Our time is short. What have you to show us?' P'With your permission, Clan High Chief.' 6'Yes, yes, get on with it.' The wizard beckoned to a group of burly helpers at one end of the courtyard. They stood by an unhitched wagon. At his signal there was a flurry of spitting on hands and rolling up of sleeves. Then they set to pushing the wagon in his direction. It trundled to a halt in front of the wizard and the paladins. Frakk's helpers backed off. d'I'm about to demonstrate a radical development in both the potent art and ambulatory warfare,' the sorcerer announced. He looked to his dopey young assistant. 'The bag, boy. The bag.' VMudge snapped out of it. 'Oh. Yes, master.' He bent and undid the bag's fastening, then strained to lift something out of it.

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