Apprentice Storm Mage

By Douglas Van Dyke, Jr

Fire and Ashes! The city is burning!

Young mage’s apprentice Thomena is gifted in the elements of wind and water, but she yearns to learn the secrets of fire. When she discovers another mage is the one starting fires around her city of Orlaun, her resolve is tested by tragedy and roaring infernos. She needs to win the trust of the toughest heroes around, the fire-fighting vigiles, but they are hard to impress. Can she save Orlaun before the fires consume all Thomena cares about?

Pick up this coming-of-age adventure which opens up a new chapter in the fantasy realm of Dhea Loral.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Douglas Van Dyke, Jr
• Release date: Jan 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781949060065

Douglas Van Dyke, Jr

Douglas was born on Nov 28th, 1971 . He got to live many different places while growing up, courtesy of the assignments the US Army offered to his father. Too quiet and too shy for too long, there was always dreams of other worlds and places...and the desire to write about them.He got into fantasy role-playing games in his mid-teens. The first such games played on a computer were offered by a Commodore 64. Often Douglas and his brother would create their own tabletop fantasy games and rules as well, all using very basic 6-sided die. Eventually, they also got into Dungeons and Dragons*. As MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) appeared, he tried a hand at several of them and made several new friends across the internet. To this day he has friends whom he meets in tabletop role-playing games, as well as online adventures. Many of his characters evolved in games, and each developed their own personality.Inheritance of a Sword and a Path is the second book he has written, though the first published. It starts The Earthrin Stones trilogy, set in the fantasy world of Dhea Loral...a world he created for tabletop role-playing. The Widow Brigade is set in the same world, but a different locale and characters. While The Earthrin Stones trilogy servers as a good overall introduction to Dhea Loral, The Widow Brigade is focused on the dwarf widows of Tok-Maurron and their struggles. Douglas continues to write novels and think up short stories, while pondering the changing world of print vs ebooks.Douglas lives with his wife and two young autistic children in Minnesota. He works in health care, serving people’s healthcare needs in imaging. When most people see him, he is wearing scrubs.FUN FACTS:Most influential authors: R.A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Joel Rosenberg, Terry BrooksFavorite meal: Sausage and pepperoni pizza, with a PepsiFavorite role-playing class: Rangers lead the wayHobbies: Online fantasy games, collecting swords, local Pathfinder games (Paizo)–Graduated high school at age 16, then faced resistance from the state of Wisconsin because they felt no one under 18 should hold a full-time job.–Lived on an army base in Germany for 3 years.–Most loved RPG character endured a long campaign in which he lost twelve horses out from under him and more magical weapons destroyed than he could count. The Dungeon Master finally let him earn an unbreakable sword and an intelligent, high-level monster mount. The sword melted in acid and the mount was accidentally killed by a party member.–Wouldn’t be surprised if he has Asperger’s Syndrome, since the more he learns about it in his oldest the more it sounds like his own childhood. Douglas sees no point in trying to diagnose it since he’s an adult.–Won the middle school spelling bee, but didn’t last long in the regional contest.–Played the following characters in school plays: Blackbeard the Pirate, Squanto, Mr Smee (Capt Hook’s First Mate), and.....R2 D2, whose lines were all beeps and whirring noises.–Spent several years in Civil War reenactments, portraying the Red-Legged-Devils of the 14th Brooklyn, NYSM.

Book preview

Apprentice Storm-Mage

Storm-Mage Chronicles, Book #1

Copyright 2020 Douglas Van Dyke Jr

Published by Douglas Van Dyke Jr at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Introduction

One: Assignment

Two: Praetorian Vigiles

Three: Snowball Antics

Four: Training

Five: Suspicion

Six: Old Market

Seven: Storm-Mage

Eight: Shaken

Nine: Seeking Answers

Ten: Apprentice’s Perseverance

Eleven: Alarms in the Night

Twelve: Confrontation

Thirteen: Forge & Anvil

Fourteen: Theocris and Adeline

Fifteen: Gray-Eyes

Sixteen: Assignment’s End

Appendix A - The Calendar of Dhea Loral

Appendix B - Dieties Commonly Worshipped in Dhea Loral

About Douglas Van Dyke Jr

Other Books by Author

Connect with Douglas Van Dyke Jr

Introduction

This story starts on Doyal 32nd, 1249. This precedes events in Inheritance of a Sword and a Path by eight months, and Pilgrims with Blades: Pressed Into Service by six years. As with many adventures in Dhea Loral, you may meet characters from other storylines, but they are not meant to spoil anything, only add to this living world.

Thank you to all my fans for your continued support and uplifting comments on these stories.

Thank you to my family for helping me out, my gaming friends for inspiring some of the situations my characters find themselves, my new editor Rebecca Jaycox for all your efforts, and Noah Elowyn for his artwork on the cover.

Let’s not forget, dedicated to those brave men and women who rush into a fire, when everyone else is trying to get out.

One: Assignment

City of Orlaun, Doyal 32nd (Summer), Year 1249 After Covenant

The girl held a hand up near the floating snowflake, which was at least one foot tall. She turned her palm slightly, allowing its crystalline facets to sparkle, as it spun in the heat of the summer sunlight. A thin mist clung to the delicate structure, shielding it from melting. The girl raised her other hand. Fingers twitched as she whispered arcane syllables. Like a painter at work, the motion of her finger coincided with new crystal growth in the snowflake's pattern. Despite how her brow knitted in concentration, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. This was undoubtedly her largest snowflake ever, born and forged in the sweltering heat.

There you are, my young storm-mage. The owner’s voice crackled like paper, interrupted by a coughing fit. He sat beside the girl on the steps of the academy’s main hall. His skin and robes likewise as rumpled as his voice. I was looking for a cool bench in the shade, but I believe you've set up the nicest spot right here. I don't think I've ever seen such a snowflake, and you created a huge one, in the month of Doyal.

The thirteen-year-old girl gave a minor turn of her head, her shoulder-length, black hair gliding across her mage guild tunic. The apprentice kept focus on her creation, even as she addressed him. Master Jonah, I've never liked that title. Storm-mage? Just because I do well with water and air elemental spells, I don't see why that has to tie me in with storms. I don't want people confusing me with a follower of Juliastan.

Master Jonah understood her reluctance to be compared with the God of Storms and Cataclysms. Juliastan supposedly balanced the forces of nature in the world, but whenever a natural disaster happened near folks’ homes, they cursed him. Master Jonah nodded. Very well, Thomena, I will keep that in mind.

The aging mage paused to fan his face with his hands. Thomena, sharing his discomfort to the hot sunlight, adjusted her spell further. The protective mist coating the snowflake swelled out even more, forming a cloud of cool droplets around their heads. The old man lifted his face to the cloud and loosed a relaxed sigh.

You see? This is the best use of magic. Quite underrated. His revived voice strengthened a little. Too many pupils come through this mage guild with minds bent towards throwing powerful lightning and fire. Their thoughts are fastened on old tales and visually impressive destructive spells. Few enough come with humble minds trained on helpful potions and spells designed to sustain an easy livelihood for the common peasant. He paused, considering a memory before speaking. I remember an ambitious young lad that came in one day hoping to blast a hole in a stone wall. By the time he graduated his apprenticeship, he'd made a tidy gold sum off enchanting light spells on quills at the bard's college.

By this time, he'd noticed that Thomena's distraction by his words had allowed the giant snowflake to warp slightly. The redirection of her mist to cool them had left her conjuration vulnerable. He pointed to call her attention to it, but she didn't immediately respond. Her consideration appeared inward as she absently chewed her lip.

Master Jonah shrugged and continued voicing his thoughts as he savored the cool mist. This is the best magic, right here. Practical and playful. Laud about an explosive spellblast if you like, but I'll take a soothing mist on a hot day.

At that statement, the young apprentice finally jerked away from watching him and focused on repairing the snowflake. Her posture sulked a bit, as she kept silent.

Jonah didn’t miss her reaction. Ah, that explains it. He narrowed his eyes at her.

Thomena briefly glanced at him, frowning, before snapping her eyes back to her warped creation. Explains what?

The master mage's back once again found its rigidity, sitting straight and tall on the steps, as if he was on his chair at the front of class. You were asking around for me this morning. This is about you wanting to dabble in fire spells, isn't it?

Thomena's shoulders drooped worse than her snowflake. It never hurts to ask. I promise to be responsible. I work very hard to keep safety in mind when practicing spells.

The old mage offered a brief nod. Aye, you're one of the most responsible apprentices I've ever had. Also, one of my most accomplished. I know you don't like to brag. Part of the humility of that Codex religion of yours.

The girl’s brow lowered, It’s a common religion.

Jonah bowed slightly, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound bad. Lots of people here follow it. Few adhere to it as fervently as you do. Anyways, we were talking about you wanting to study something you shouldn’t.

Thomena said nothing as he watched her. His fingers tapped his knee as he paused in thought.

It's a guild edict, not my rule. We don't explore fire-based schools until age fourteen. You're still a year short, if I recall.

Thomena hung her head. Her snowflake consisted of nothing more than a crumpled gob of levitated melting snow. The cold spell-mist blew but lost much of its focus.

Oh, don't give me that attitude, the master snapped. Thomena sat up as straight as she would when called to attention in class. Her mist refocused for both of them, but the snowflake remained unrecognizable. I spoke with Master Korrelothar. He has authorized you to help him with a request from city officials. Help out our city, Orlaun, and maybe we can see about increasing your responsibilities.

The girl's eyes snapped up and her smile brightened. Thank you! I'll see him at once.

Master Jonah put up a restraining hand, Aye, well, keep one thing in mind. He's an elf and they respect patience. Don't go barging into his office and making a fool of yourself. I'm not promising anything.

Thomena leaned over her knees and stood up, her arms kept busy keeping the water gob afloat.

Master Jonah motioned to it. What do you plan to do with that?

What I promised myself earlier, she said.

Thomena took a few steps into the courtyard lawn. Mouthing a new spell, she threw her hands to the sky, arms and fingers outstretched. Her face turned skyward, eyes closed. The water spread out in the air before drizzling down in a light shower. As soon as it splashed down on the girl, she squealed, scrunched her shoulders inward, and her fingers curled like claws.

Peeking one eye open, she admitted, That was colder than I thought it would be.

***

Thomena quick-stepped out of the Grand Mages’ Hall, her gray eyes aglow and her lips in a grin, as she looked over the two gifts in her hands. Her long legs almost tripped skipping down the entry stairs. Her dark hair bounced about her shoulders as she managed to keep her balance, despite her eyes’ focus on the wands she carried.

Thomena, someone shouted across the academy courtyard.

The sound of her name broke her concentration and she nearly stumbled in her long skirt and leggings. A group of four students approached, led by a boy only a year older than her. Startled out of her thoughts, Thomena reflexively covered her newest treasures in one sleeve behind her back. As the students approached, she chided herself for overreacting. It wasn’t like she had anything to hide. Master Korrelothar hadn’t sworn her to secrecy.

Bealak and the other students in the group noticed her attempt to conceal the wands. It felt atypical for Thomena, whose strict adherence to The Codex kept her more honest and open than most. Didn’t mean to startle, Bealak said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. We were just curious about the wands. After all, we’re not usually allowed them outside unless it’s attached to a lesson.

And you just came out of the Grand Mages’ Guildhall! noted another, a practicing diviner named Mileah.

Thomena had spent her childhood with these students, having attended classes together, or simply crossed paths often within the confines of the academy. Bealak's extra year allowed him to study fire spells, and he had a talent for various enchantments. Mileah focused on divining and foretelling types of magic, yet had a habit of being late to lectures. Corbin, also a year ahead of her, was mastering battle spells. He felt that a mage's greatest asset lie in destructive magic, and she’d seen him wield fire and lightning. Finally, her quiet roommate, Auney, humbly focused on scrolls and arcane research. Thomena had always valued Auney’s advice.

Thomena held the wands out for the other youths to examine. Master Jonah gave me an assignment. These are to help with the needed spells for it.

You must tell us, Gray-Eyes! Corbin insisted, using a nickname given to her due to her silvery-gray irises.

Thomena held up a white wand containing sparkly reflections in the wood grain. This one helps with an ice shield—

Like the one you use in defensive exercises? Bealak interrupted. The apprentice had seen the spell firsthand, since it was Thomena's primary defensive aura. He’d tested her defenses with his flame spells in practice duels. Bealak often came out on the winning side, but neither student ever suffered more than a healing potion could immediately remedy.

Auney cocked her head to the side. Isn't that a mere cantrip; one you can already cast? Why would you need a wand?

Thomena cleared her throat until all eyes were upon her. If you allow me to finish, we'll get your curiosity fed quickly enough. The rest quieted. Thomena continued, The low-ring version is indeed a self-only shield. My assignment will involve casting it on others, so I need to wield the spell at the first ring level. The wand will not only allow me to cast the higher version, but also several times a day. I'll need to shield a few people at once.

Bealak began to babble. Casting it a few times on others? Why in Dhea Loral would...

He slowed to a stop when Thomena narrowed her eyes at him. His voice dropped in volume, as he sheepishly added, Sorry.

Thomena held up the other wand, red and black swirls coloring the wood to the tip. Since you interrupted, I get to show you how this one works.

The others knew Thomena wasn't much for pranks, so Bealak readily accepted his fate while the others watched. The apprentice storm-mage spoke syllables as she touched the tip of her wand to his