The Elementalist : Next of Kin: The Kothian Chronicles (15 page)

With a wave of his hand, Joren signalled for his colleagues, still stood in line behind to remove their hoods. Mikel was surprised to see some of that number was made up of women, although all of them had the distinctive red hair like Maxim. "You have women...," he uttered looking over to see if anything one particular caught his eye. Joren chuckled, "Yes we have women, just like you..."

"Mikel," Maxim said letting his father know the name of his friend.

"No I meant you have women soldiers..." Mikel added realising his earlier sentence had made him look possibly more foolish than usual.

Joren shook his head this time, "We do not have soldiers Mikel. We have not had a war for nigh on a millennia, nor do we want one."

Mikel was not sure he understood the purpose of the others if they were not soldiers. They certainly stood and obeyed as if soldiers would he thought, but decided to leave it at that.

Anden finally stood, "Perhaps we should make our guests comfortable. Ramon can you please arrange some tables and chairs to be moved, and refreshments brought in." The seer nodded, although a menial task, he did not question the authority of his new king. "We can talk in a less formal way if we are more relaxed," Anden suggested. Joren smiled, "As you wish your highness. May I ask some light refreshment be given to my people," he enquired politely.

"Of course, although I am sure it would make things a little less tense if they did so in another room perhaps. I think you have already worked out for yourself, that we would be unable to do you harm even if we wished it," the king added. "Maxim is our most powerful magician, and although he acted bravely, was obviously no match for your good self."

Joren nodded, "As you wish, although I would like it noted I am not happy with you using my son in such a way."

"Duly noted my Lord," Anden replied in a courteous, but slightly condescending manner.

Chapter 18.

Despite the work continuing on in the back ground, setting up the feast in celebration of the king's coronation, Anden and the others sat around two tables pushed together, along with their uninvited guest from across the seas. The young king sat at the head of the table, with Zack to his right and Maxim to his left. Along one side sat Commander Denny Porter, Danton, Darion and Katria, whilst along the other sat Ramon and the man claiming to be Maxim's father.

As refreshments were placed upon the table for people to help themselves, Joren firstly explained about Maxim's mother. Icenians were explorers, always looking for lands where magic flourished; and although pregnant, she was due back home before her time to give birth. However, something had delayed her much longer than anticipated, and as Kothia was a nation that punished those who could wield powers, she had been forced to take great care whilst travelling; often forced to make her way by more traditional means of transport than utilise her powers.

"What happened?" Ramon asked, clearly as interested in the story as Maxim was. Joren turned to look at the seer, "I am not sure," he replied. He went on to explain that he had felt her life cease, and with it he had always assumed the babe she had been carrying. "Perhaps Maxim was earlier than anticipated?" Ramon suggested, "It can happen from time to time," he added. Joren shrugged, "Perhaps, I guess I will never really know."

Anden had listened intently to the story, although he had another more important question that he needed answering. "Tell me my Lord," he asked using Joren's title rather than name, "What are you going to do now? I mean you have found Maxim, and he is well and alive...What are your intentions?" With all eyes on the Icenian Lord, he had known the question would come sooner or later, just not quite so soon in proceedings. Deciding that delaying the truth about his intent would serve no great purpose, he told them. "I am here to take my son home," he said simply and plainly.

As all eyes turned to Maxim awaiting his reaction, it was actually Zack who spoke first, "Perhaps he is already home. After all, Max was born in Kothia...Surely that makes him one of us."

Joren smiled at the young man sat beside the king, "I sense you have a particular bond with my son, and I understand that losing him would be painful for you, but Maxim is an Icenian Noble and is needed to fulfil his birthright."

Maxim kept quiet, as others spoke about him as if he were not even in the same room, never mind sat at the same table. Instead, he decided to help himself to a little wine, poured from one of the decanters in the centre of the table, and few slices of fruit from a plate. As he looked along the line, he noticed Darion doing the same thing, and afforded himself a smile at the old man barely even listening to a word that was being said.

Danton spoke next, and asked Joren, "What if Maxim does not want to go? He has friends here, close friends," he gestured to Zack as an example. "Staying is not an option," Joren replied a little more sternly than perhaps he actually meant.

"We need Maxim here," Anden said calmly, "He is our best weapon against the invading hordes from Bosaria, and we cannot afford to lose him now."

Joren slammed his hand down on the table, "My son is not a weapon to be used in your petty wars. He is an Icenian Noble, not some tool in your armoury," he snapped.

Maxim thought it was best to intervene now before things started getting out of hand, "Father," he said using the moniker for the first time," Perhaps you could help us. Push the invaders back to their own lands, and then I will travel to Icenia with you," he added hoping he was pleasing both parties. Maxim looked around for response, and could see Zack's face instantly sadden at his remark. "Son, you have much to learn. The Icenian do not interfere in other nation's squabbles. We are a peaceful nation, yes we have great power, but we use it to enhance our lives, not conquer."

Maxim shrugged, "Then I shall not be returning with you Father. I am pleased to have met you of course, and I am glad I now know my origins, but as it has already been pointed out, I was born here, my closest friends are here, and I shall not desert them in their hour of need." With Joren and the others stunned into silence, Maxim shoved his chair back, stood up and walked towards the door.

"That went well," Darion finally piped up as Maxim slammed the doors to the dining hall behind him. Everyone then turned to glare his direction, "What?" he asked innocently. "Seems to me ginger bloke," he said pointing to Joren, "You got two options. You either force him to go with you, although of course you would have to fight all us as well. You might think you are all powerful, but trust me one or two of us know how to kill a man if needs must...magician or not."

The others waited for Joren to reply, hoping he did not feel offended by what was little short of a threat. "Really old man...and what might option two be?" he eventually asked.

"Go talk to the lad. You can't come barging in here, expect him to drop everything for a man he until an hour ago never even knew existed," Darion said sounding far more sagely than usual.

Anden thought they best leave things so they could discuss them at a later time, although Zack reminded them he and Maxim would be taking his own father back in the morning. "Then you are welcome to stay Lord Joren," Anden said as he stood. "You and your people are welcome to join in the festivities later, and rooms can be found for you to stay." Realising this was something not going to be easily resolved, Joren also stood, "It is High Lord, your highness," he said sounding rather deflated, "I accept your hospitality; all I ask is that I can speak alone with my son." Zack went to object but Anden spoke to soon for him to do so, "Go find him, High Lord," he said emphasising the title, "Make your peace."

Danton walked alongside Ramon, running over the previous conversations in his mind. He stopped suddenly, "So Maxim is noble born after all. You know Ramon, if played right, we may have ourselves a very powerful ally." The seer stopped as well, "Yes I was just thinking the same thing, but how do we go about it?" he replied scratching at the back of his head. Danton shrugged, "Well if anyone can smooth over the situation to our advantage you can Ramon," Danton smiled patting his colleague on the shoulder before continuing onwards.

Joren did not need to search for his son, as he could detect where he was. As the man walked along the corridor those walking the other way moved aside for him to pass; news that cloaked magicians had stormed the coronation had spread rapidly. These strange people had magic so strong they could not be stopped, or at least that was the rumour going around.

Anden finally made a trip out of the keep and up onto the inner wall, where there was a crowd gathering in the town below, all wanting to catch a sight of their new king. Despite the chill in the air, the people had waited patiently for their young monarch to appear, and when he did, they erupted into a loud cheer. Anden rather bashfully gave them a wave, a little embarrassed by all the sudden attention he was receiving. Now the people in the streets had seen him, they would likely start their celebrations, most of which would probably go on long into the night.

Joren knocked on the door, and despite it already being slightly ajar, he stood waiting for Maxim to invite him in. He found his son sitting glumly on the edge of his bed, staring vacantly at the floor. "I am sorry Maxim...I am afraid I am all new to this fathering business. I ran through our meeting over and over in mind, hoping that when we spoke I would get it right," Joren said sitting himself down beside his son. "That is okay...I'm still pinching myself that you are real. I always thought I had no real family," he replied looking over to the man sat beside him.

Despite the two talking, it would have been obvious to anyone listening in, that doing so was awkward. Maxim soon realised that he was not quite the person his father had thought, or at least expected him to be. With one being a High Lord from a far off land and the other from the streets of a Kothian town, it was clear that the two had little in common, apart from the fact they had the same magical blood flowing through their bodies; this common factor at least gave them a subject to talk about.

Maxim explained the story of how he had first discovered his magical ability, and Joren listened on nodding from time to time as he spoke. "We would have sensed your ability in your early years, and nurtured it," the man told him, "As it was, your abilities were clearly suppressed, and only came to the fore when your life was in danger." Maxim nodded; it all made sense he assumed.

"Father," he said changing the subject just a little, "Are all Icenian people blessed with magical abilities?"

Joren shook his head, "Not everybody no, although most do. Those that do not are treated no differently, and make their way through life using other skills perhaps a magician does not have."

Maxim then asked him the question that had just a little earlier caused them a problem, only this time he spoke the words more as a kind of general enquiry. "Why can't you help us Father?" he asked looking the man straight in the eye.

Joren gave a wry smile, "Believe me, if it meant getting my long lost son back into my life I would. Unfortunately it is our policy not to interfere in the squabbles of others," he reiterated once more.

"So you have all that power and won't help those in need? Why even bother nurturing your skills if you have no intention of ever using it?" Maxim asked wanting to know more.

Joren sighed and explained how the Icenians used their skills for more constructive means. "It has allowed us to create architectural wonders, great buildings far grander than any you would see in Kothia," he replied, before realising his son was not impressed by the answer he had given. "I am sorry Maxim I cannot do what you ask of me," he said knowing he was not helping the relationship between himself and his son.

Maxim also realised that this was as awkward for his father as it was him, and decided to leave that subject at least for a later debate. Instead, he asked about his mother, "What was she like?" he said realising he knew absolutely nothing about her. Aside from the few images in his mind of a young woman, passed genetically down to him, there was a void. Joren spoke freely about the woman he had loved, still did, and even after all this time still felt the pain at her loss.

Learning that his mother was a kind-hearted, loving person, made Maxim feel all warm inside, and despite the fact there were obvious boundaries between himself and his father, it was also clear that there was already a link between them. The young elementalist was unsure as to whether that connection was something to do with them both being magical or whether it was the start of a much deeper feeling as father and son should have.

Meanwhile back in their room, Mikel was sat beside Melia and Samuel, as the two younger members of their group, Connor and Tia played with Shadow. "So does this make Maxim some kind of royalty then?" Mikel asked nobody in particular. Melia shrugged, "I don't know...Perhaps it does, and the bloke did say that he was some High Lord of...where ever it was," she replied clearly as unsure as Mikel was. "It would be a sad day if he was to be taken from us," Mikel uttered leaning back on his bed, not realising the words he spoke would be heard by everyone in the room.

Connor suddenly stopped, and stepped up to where Mikel was slumped, "My master would never leave me...If he is going then so shall I...I must pack," the youngster said clearly upset at the thought. Melia stood and placed a friendly hand upon Connor's tearful cheek, "Nobody is going anywhere just yet," she said softly. "Some people just need to be a little more thoughtful about what they say," she said through gritted teeth whilst staring at Mikel. Several moments of silence passed, before Mikel finally realised what Melia was getting at, "Oh right...Yes...Sorry," he said trying to backtrack as to what it was he had actually said.

Mikel felt a little annoyed at himself, for being so thoughtless, especially just when he was beginning to think he and Melia were getting along of late. Just as Danton had predicted, since Maxim's return, Zack had returned his attentions away from Melia and back toward the elementalist. "Sorry," he whispered to Melia hoping it would at least make things better. She turned to look at the sincerity on his face and gave him a warm smile as if to say it was okay, before she placed her hand upon his. Feeling his heart thumping in his chest, he let Melia entwine her fingers with his own and lay there with the biggest smile he could muster upon his face.