Michael Mathias: The Wizard and the Warlord

He’d been married for only a few weeks, and already High King Mikahl Collum was fighting desperately to keep his myriad of duties from coming between him and his beautiful bride. His good friend and adviser, Lord Alvin Gregory, was working himself ragged trying to lighten Mikahl’s load. Lord Spyra and General Escott were helping as well. This day however, Mikahl had no choice but to leave Queen Rosa’s side and see their unexpected guest himself.

Borg, the Southern Guardian of the Giant Mountains, was a personal friend, and Mikahl had no intention of brushing off a chance to see Urp, Oof, and Huffa. The three great wolves had carried Mikahl, Hyden Hawk, and Vaegon the elf out of the Giant Mountains and across the Evermore Forest once. Grrr, the proud and fierce leader of the pack, had sacrificed himself to save Mikahl. The people of the realm unknowingly owed a great debt to that wolf. Had he not saved Mikahl, the demon wizard Pael would have taken the city of Xwarda and used the Wardstone to destroy all that was good.

Why the wolves were here with Borg, instead of at home with King Aldar, Mikahl didn’t know. He was glad they came, though. The messenger had arrived breathless and wide-eyed just moments ago with news of the giant’s sudden appearance at Dreen’s northernmost gate. Very few kingdom folk had ever looked upon a real giant. The half-breed giants who fought alongside the High King in the recent war against Dakahn were as close to a giant as they had seen. Borg was a pure-blooded giant. He stood over fourteen feet tall and was proportionately as human-formed as the next man, save for his huge slab of a forehead.

Lord Gregory had to act quickly to keep General Escott from manning an unnecessary defense against the visitor. Borg was no enemy, but even still, a fifty-man mounted troop was dispatched to escort him through the streets of Dreen to the modest castle the monarchy was residing in while the dwarves built the new palace. Mikahl imagined the wolves were worrying the newly promoted general and the people of the city to death. A demon tore through Dreen only three turns of the moon earlier and destroyed a score of homes and thrice as many people. Borg wasn’t nearly as big or as ugly as the demon had been, but he towered over the Red City’s low buildings just the same. There was no doubt he was frightening the citizens. It couldn’t be helped. Mikahl knew the people would relax after they saw him welcome Borg, though. He smiled as the excitement of the reunion coursed through him.

Mikahl hurried outside to the castle’s entry yard, which was really just a glorified horse pen. The knot of armed men forming up outside staggered him.

“Commander Lyle, please get these men out of here,” Mikahl ordered.

“But, Your Highness,” the man argued carefully. “General Escott said-”

“I don’t care what he said,” Mikahl snapped. “Borg is my friend, and no more threat to us than a ladybug.”

“But the wolves?”

“The wolves are even closer to my heart than the giant is!” Mikahl’s voice betrayed displeasure at being argued with over the matter. Already he could see the giant a few streets over, striding quickly closer. A sack holding something the size of a barrel keg was thrown over his shoulder.

“Out of my sight now,” Mikahl yelled. “All of you, and if any of you so much as thinks of harming one of those wolves, you’ll be pulling the Lord of Lokar’s cart around with Ra’Gren!”

Just then, a massive white-furred wolf leapt the wall that surrounded the castle yard and charged full speed at the High King. To their credit, at least a dozen of the archers scattered among the soldiers drew arrows and aimed at the wolves. Luckily for them, no one loosed. Even when the great wolf’s huge paws landed on the High King’s shoulders and sent him onto his back, they held their arrows. Commander Lyle was suddenly terrified. The shoulder of the wolf that was strolling leisurely past him came up to his chin. His hand went to his sword hilt but stopped when he saw Mikahl fighting away nothing more than slavering tongues and wagging tails. The warning growl of another wolf directed at the archers snapped the commander into action. “Double time it out of here, now,” he screamed, and the men started complying.

Within seconds three wolves were crowded over Mikahl, all wagging away excitedly. He spoke loving greetings to them while three other great wolves came over the fence and paced around the yard, watching their pack mates.

The two gatehouse guards looked stupefied. They wouldn’t have been able to stop the wolves from getting into the castle yard had they tried their best, and they knew it. Then a gigantic boot, with a wolf-skull for a buckle, stepped down before them. One guard fell to the ground unconscious and the other ran into their weather shelter and shut the door with a bang. It sounded as if he pulled the bolt shut after himself. General Escott and his fifty-man escort were left outside the locked gate, unable to even see inside, much less defend the king if it became necessary.

“King Mikahl,” Borg boomed and bowed at his waist politely. “King Aldar sends his regards. The wolves somehow managed to get him to let them come with me.”

“Hey, Borg,” Mikahl called, trying to sit up. “The bark lizard cloak looks great.” Far better than the patchwork goatskin cloak he’d last seen the giant wearing. Borg still wore the menacing-looking wolf skulls on his belt buckle and boot shins, though, and his tree trunk staff looked to have a few new dark, sticky stains on its end.

“Haw,” the giant barked out a glum laugh. “It does look good, but it makes me sad when I think about what Loudin lost for bringing the skin to me.”

“Aye.” Mikahl took a moment to remember his friend and the horrible death he had found in the Giant Mountains.

“I brought you a present,” Borg said, dropping the oversize patchwork sack to the ground with a dull thud. A putrid smell roiled through the air. “I’d rather present it to both you and the Lion Lord, if he is around.”

Mikahl finally got to his feet, but stayed where he was scratching the three great wolves behind the ears in turn. “It stinks,” he observed of the sack, while wondering what was inside it.

“You should be glad you weren’t the one carrying it for days and days,” the giant chuckled. “And this is from Hyden Skyler.” He held forth a scroll that looked tiny in his huge hand.

“Hyden?” Mikahl froze, feeling a sudden wave of hope wash over him. “He’s really alive? You’ve seen him?”

“He is,” Borg answered simply. “He told me about the giant you two found in the Dragon Queen’s dungeon. I wish you had killed her and her wizards more slowly.”

“Aye.” Mikahl nodded his agreement as he put the scroll in his pocket for later.

He couldn’t remember the name spoken by the emaciated giant they had found. He had it written down, though, and had been planning on making a journey into the Giant Mountains to tell Borg. A pang of guilt came over him. It should have already been done. He dropped his head in shame. “Who was she?” he asked.

“My sister,” Borg replied. “You did her honor by avenging her death, Mikahl. I have brought you a small token of my appreciation. Is Lord Gregory here?”

“Aye,” Mikahl said. “I’ll send for him. My new palace is being built with rooms to accommodate your people. I’m sorry I can’t invite you into this one. Would you like some refreshments?”

“A keg of ale will suffice for now,” Borg said. “Maybe a boar, or a doe, for later.”

Mikahl laughed. “I’ll have someone cart something around from the kitchen for you.”

He told a steward to fetch Borg a keg and to summon Lord Gregory to the yard, then he jogged the short distance to the kitchen himself. He commanded the cooks to prepare a feast. The head cook looked at him crazily when he told them to roast three full boars instead of just one, but he didn’t dare argue with his king. As Mikahl was returning, he heard Borg’s booming voice outside. He stepped back around to find Lady Trella and Queen Rosa speaking to Borg from the second story balcony of Lady Trella’s apartment. Rosa giggled girlishly and gave Mikahl a wave, and then the two women disappeared back inside the castle.