Mouvar's Magic by Piers Anthony

Author:Piers Anthony [Anthony, Piers]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780727846099
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 1992-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Return Engagement

It was hot on the battlefield. A different location than before, but almost the same situation as the last time Zady had made war. The one big difference was that rather than a war between orcs and humans it was a war of malignants against benigns, with humans and orcs expendable by both sides. Another difference was that both sides were better equipped—especially Zady's.

Kelvin stood feeling like a fool with the equipment Mouvar had somehow given him throughout the years. He had on two belts: his sword belt and the belt holding his antimagic weapon. On his hands were the gauntlets, and on his feet the boots—his last gift from Mouvar—that made the levitation belt unnecessary. In his hands, but firmly in contact with the ground, was the chimaera's copper sting. He looked to Helbah, who was staring out over the ground like a seasoned strategist; on her shoulder, sharing her staring, was Katbah, her familiar, also known as the creature called a cat.

"Not yet, Kelvin. I'll tell you when."

"I wish Horace was here," he complained. Actually if Horace had been present he would have feared for him. Dragons were not among the most vulnerable of creatures, but they were as susceptible as humans to magic attack. Even with all the will he could muster Kelvin doubted Helbah could counter the spells Zady would throw at Horace.

The human army in the dung-colored uniforms emblazoned with blood-red tridents began their advance. Zady had somehow obtained both uniforms and men, probably through magic. There might be dead people reanimated in that line, Kelvin thought with a shudder, or even look-alikes from other frames. How would he feel if he met his own brother—or someone who appeared to be his brother—out there sword to sword? He knew he would not feel good, and as never before he hated that there were wars and that he, very much against his desire, was a hero of bloody conflicts.

General John Knight, Kelvin's father, was conferring with General Sean Reilly, known in more normal times as St. Helens, father-in-law to the Roundear. Neither man had worn a uniform for well over twenty years. Now, looking at them from the relative safety of this ridge, Kelvin thought them both the very picture of professional soldiers. Both men were clad, as was he, in the grass-green uniforms bearing Helbah's sun-and-moon symbol. His father, and undoubtedly St. Helens as well, would be wishing they had lasers and jetpaks instead of swords and horses. Alas, the lasers and jetpaks had long vanished, and would never have held their power over the years. Kelvin wondered about science that was limited and magic that lasted until the power was ended by a spell. Of course Mouvar's gifts to him were of science origin, but then magic and science at some point merged. Mouvar's weapons would not have lost their power, he hoped, and according to popular theory they never would.

Now the two generals for the Alliance were riding in different directions, each to his own troops.

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