Hello, a request to those who read Swamp Boy. As some of you might have noticed this story just got a review that absolutely tanked its “Character Rating.” I sent a private message off to the reviewer, I told him (At least I think it’s a him?) I have no objection to his review, people take away different things from a story and different people have different perspectives. We discussed some points in my story and I feel that I adequately explained what was going on my main character’s personality and emotional state, he on other stuck by his review which is his right.

But despite the fact that my story has received many glowing reviews (which I hope it still deserves) because his review was one of only three “Advanced Reviews,” and since he only gave my story a HALF STAR “Character Rating” (which I am not upset about and if you believe that I’ve got some golden magic pickles to sell you) that rating was destroyed and many people look at the “Character Rating” to decide if they are even going to read a story. So if some of you who have already reviewed Swamp Boy could alter your reviews to the “Advanced Format” or if a few of you who have not yet reviewed the story would do so, I would appreciate it. To those of you who don’t like my story, Please Don’t Review it! ;) Thank you.

I have received negative comments and a review regarding James’s actions, development and maturity. Below is a spoiler with my justifications for his behavior. Remember he is still several months away from turning eighteen when this chapter ends.

Spoiler :

The Life of James Drake

At the age of three James was sold to the Swamp Witch Lauren. His family was forced to sell him because they had all been poisoned and they needed the cure that the Witch offered them. Lauren promised to treat their child kindly and raise him as her apprentice but instead she used him cruelly and sucked both blood and magic from him.

When he was eight and a half years old he made his first trip back to Ester’s Village. At that time, because of his behavior and scrawny bruised appearance it was easy for the villagers to guess that he wasn’t being well treated but the locals did not personally witness any physical abuse. That fall he made his second trip to the village and the locals saw the same thing. While this village is far from Sweet Port or any other major Gulf Kingdom city, the villagers (the Mayor or Mack Phelps) could have sent off a message that would have eventually brought an investigator from the Mage Guild. Instead they did nothing because they were worried about losing their cheap source of magical potions.

When James was nine and a half, the Witch disappeared while he was away. He guessed and hopes that she was probably eaten by a crocodile. Needing to trade for supplies, he made and delivered the needed spring fever potions to the village. James did not tell the villagers about Lauren’s disappearance, because he was afraid that someone else would seek to enslave him. He makes a few comments to Mack Phelps (the general store owner, chapter one) about the cruel conditions under which he lives. All he gets back are some empty words and nothing else.

In chapter three, James has just turned eleven and he saves a young girl who was bitten by a poisonous spider. Because of that action the villagers find out that the Witch and he; had possessed poison cures all along which they had never offered to sell. James never made the offer because Lauren never did and he didn’t know that the local inhabitants needed them. When James attempts to leave the village he is surrounded by an angry crowd and knocked down by thrown stone. He might have been stoned to death except for the intervention of Lieutenant Alex Smith and Sergeant Donna Simms.

In chapter four he is almost twelve and he meets, for the first time, Colonel Ellen Rivers in the early fall. She is a high ranking Army Officer and she treats him respectfully. While she does get a lot of magical items from James at bargain prices when compared to the cost of the same things in Sweet Port, she pays exactly what the villagers have been paying all along.

When he is twelve and a half, Ellen launches her attack on the Eastern Empire and for the next three years James helps the Fifth Regiment. After which he is coerced into attending the Royal University, when he arrives at the school, he is almost sixteen. At the end of chapter nineteen, James is around seventeen and a half.

James’s Motivations

The Swamp Witch died when James was about nine. He lived in fear (for the next 2.5 years) of her return or of someone else attempting to enslave him and thus ending his freedom. That is why he remained distant from the people of Ester’s Village. Remember they never did anything to protect him from the Swamp Witch but even so, he never cheated them and he sold them excellent products for a better than fair price.

Additionally, he was sold by his parents, who are considered to be locals by the inhabitants of Ester’s village, another reason not to fully trust them. As for James’s parents motivation in selling him as an “apprentice” he doesn’t know the full story or of their desperation.

(End of chapter 2) Two of Ellen’s people, Lieutenant Alex Smith and Sergeant Donna Smith step in and prevent James from being quite possibly stoned to death by the inhabitant of Ester’s village. This causes James to be even more wary of the villagers but he now begins to see Alex, Donna, Ellen and even the Army in a slightly positive light, remember they are the first people to actively step and save him from any pain. Alex’s and Donna’s actions make quite an impression on him.

During the war while he wasn’t paid promptly and in immediate combat situations he did not always receive all of the help that he deserved (something that happens to too many people in combat) he was always treated with respect by members of the Fifth Regiment and by Ellen. The common soldiers with the Army also treated him well. It was some of the mages and noble officers with other units that treated him disrespectfully.

Excerpt from chapter 18, James is speaking. “I had and still have a lot of anger towards the Witch that had enslaved me. I readily and without realizing it for many years, transferred that anger to the Wizards of the Eastern Empire, even though I had no personal experience with them at the time. Don’t get me wrong they are a horrid and evil bunch but being young and dumb, I leaped to strike back at something similar to the Witch Lauren.”

As for him making magical items that is activity and profession that James clings to; it is his identity, with it he can see that others value him and without it, he worries that he’s just an ex-slave swamp rat. While James can handle being alone for months at a time, he is not by nature a hermit and he subconsciously yearns for human interaction and wants something to replace the family that sold him. A family that he can’t even remember and a family, who as far as he knows has never tried to reestablish contact with him even though he is now free and fairly successful. While saying all of that he does enjoy making new things and figuring out puzzles. He is very much like an absent minded professor.

James is still maturing and growing wiser but he like the story Swamp Boy; are a work in progress. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.

There is a character list at the end of this chapter that too is a work in progress.

If you spot any flaws in this chapter please leave a comment, thank you.

I am now working on the next few chapters of The Defective Hermit, I hope to release one fairly soon.

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Chapter 19: Queen Ellen

Dean Marks and Professor Julia King upon hearing Ellen’s screams hurried into James’s suite.

They stepped around the weeping Princess to see the sight that had so affected her. The arrival of both mages was a fortunate thing for James Drake. The two women were magically powerful, and skilled with both potions and healing spells. While healing spells were inferior and less effective when compared to magical concoctions, they could be adjusted on the fly, so to speak, and tailored to better suit the immediate needs of a patient, if the magic user casting the spell was both powerful enough and skilled enough, that is.

If Drake had been so gravely injured anywhere else he probably would have died even with the potions that were being so wastefully used on his body but the attack had occurred in the Royal University where four of the most preeminent mages in the Gulf Kingdom lived and worked.

Mage Julia King took charge, ordering the Sergeants to cease administering potions, since she had to get control of the magical mess that they had created. She mentally conceded that the men had probably saved young Drake’s life but now it was time for more precise work.

Using her own highly trained witch sight she examined his body. His right arm and both legs had been essentially destroyed but thankfully his torso and left arm had only minor burns, while his head was almost completely untouched. She let her own magical field or aura seep into the young man’s body before her. He was in shock and she took steps to stave it off while keeping him unconscious. She became aware of her friend Greta coming to her side and magically linking with her, so as to bolster what she was doing with James.

Next Julia used her expertise and senses to determine what potions the desperate bodyguards had used on James; seeing the empty potion flasks on the floor simplified matters for her. The Sergeants had apparently used two large five dose flasks of the Drake’s Healing Concoction and the first three doses from his regeneration series. She snorted, it was a waste of potions, especially the large number of healing doses used on the scorched body but it was nothing too outlandish and she could work with the resultant magical muddle.

For the next hour, she labored on her patient. Professors Black and Sanchez arrived as well and they too lent their power and skill to stabilize the severely injured young man. It would take months for James to heal; their goal now was to bring him back from the brink of death so that the regeneration series would have a chance to repair all of the damage to his charred body.

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Head Proctor Ridge and her Assistant Proctors were securing the scene along with the Royal Guardswomen. Most of the assassins were dead but two of those attacked by Victoria had been merely clubbed unconscious. The former Constable was now desperate to hear what her new prisoners had to say. This school was her responsibility and she was furious that some group had dared to launch an attack on the Crown Princess here. Fearing that the unconscious men were wizards, she sent one of her assistants into the suite to acquire some of the magical suppression potion that she knew James’s bodyguards always carried with them.

Her assistant returned with the requested concoction, and also conveyed a warning about how a healing potion would remove the magical suppression effect.

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Ellen was watching fretfully as the mages worked on her dear friend, when she got word of large columns of smoke rising from the direction of the Navy shipyards.

Sighing, she once more assumed the controlled demeanor of a Crown Princess and General; she left two of her Royal Guard behind to help protect James, and then left for the Royal Palace with her six remaining Guardswomen.

Upon arriving at the Palace she found the patrolling Palace Guards had been increased fourfold. She was welcomed home by her noticeably upset mother and younger sister. They all went to the Royal Heir’s official office, to await news of what was going on. Crown Princess Ellen’s first action upon sitting down at her desk was to write out an order, instructing the Army to send soldiers to secure and protect the Royal University as well as the severely injured James Drake.

The Colonel who received the written order, liking how the Royal University was located almost directly between the Pelican and Swan Bridges sent two full companies to protect the prestigious school and the famous young magical genius.

The Royal Family became increasingly worried that nearly an hour after Ellen’s own return that they still had no word about or from the King. Fifteen minutes later word did arrive in the form of an soot and ash covered Navy Lieutenant who with halting speech informed them that the King along with others, had been killed and that a great number of Navy ships that were under construction had been completely destroyed.

During the preceding hour, other nobles or their representatives had also gathered at the Palace for news about what was happening.

The Queen, the Royal Heir and the Crown Ministers set aside their anguish and immediately began discussing the situation, if perhaps not quite as calmly as they should have been doing. Young Princess Rose sat, holding hands with her mother and quietly cried throughout the short meeting. A decision was reached, it was irregular but there was a sufficient number of the nobility present and what with the Kingdom apparently under attack it was decided that there was simply no time to lose, so.....

Ten minutes later, Baron Clarence Robinson the Minister of Justice, appeared on a balcony that overlooked the large Palace Ballroom where the many of the Gulf Kingdom’s Nobles were gathered together waiting for news. He began to address the crowd.

“My Lords and Ladies, I come before you to give you sad news. Today our King was slayed using foul means. Teams of assassins who we suspect were either from the Eastern Empire or the Kingdom of Fata launched a cowardly attack on our Monarch while he was inspecting two warships soon to be launched. Numerous other innocents were killed as well and a great number of our almost completed warships were destroyed. The surviving Royal Family, the available Crown Ministers and the Royal Advisors upon hearing of this sneak attack, fear that there is no time to waste in securing the necessary Royal Authority to respond and make decisions for our Kingdom.

Over a year ago and with wide acclaim, Princess Ellen Rivers was named the Royal Heir to the throne. Today I ask you to confirm, accept and acknowledge her as your new Monarch. I will grant you privacy and return in one hour’s time, if any of you have an objection or seek a delay in naming Crown Princess Ellen as our Queen, please present it then.”

An hour later, no objections were raised and Crown Princess Ellen walked out onto the very same balcony, with her were her mother and sister, both of whom were dressed in black mourning dresses. As for Ellen, she was dressed in black as well but she was wearing her old General’s Uniform which had been hastily dyed black by her tailor with the assistance of a mage who worked in the palace. The late wife of King Rivers with shaking hands and tear filled eyes, crowned her oldest daughter to the cheers of those gathered below on the ballroom floor.

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Queen Ellen put aside her grief and worries over James’s condition and set to the task of getting her Kingdom’s Capital back in order.

One of her first visitors was Countess Brenda Green, Minister of Intelligence. “Your Majesty, please accept my profound condolences on the loss of your father. Also I would like to tender my resignation for my failure in keeping him and this Kingdom safe.”

Queen Ellen looked at her sharply. “Nonsense Brenda, the Royal Intelligence Service is barely a year old. We have no experience with these types of things and we are all, having to learn while on the job. This was a costly lesson and I’m sad to say that I expect that there will be more of them but we will never get any better, if those people who learn these harsh lessons quit and move onto other things. I know that you’ve had little time but have you learned anything yet?”

“Angry Marines and workmen caught one of the groups of assassins and all of them were killed save one, but he is sorely injured, when he is fit to talk he will be questioned.

When we fought the Eastern Empire their attacks on Sweet Port were either more subtle or more overt. Ships under construction were delayed, damaged or destroyed through means that almost seemed like bad luck at times. Then there were the frequent raids by their Imperial Marines, where they destroyed much of the older sections of Sweet Port along with docks located there. Now we have enemy forces that sneak into our Capital and then launch military style overt attacks. A subtle attack can be defeated by an alert sentry while we have our own Navy and Army to defend against conventional military style assaults.

But to face this new threat, I or someone else will need a different kind of armed force for internal security within this Kingdom, a force that can catch small powerful groups that have snuck in and defeat them with superior training, arms and magic. James mentioned equipping Royal Marines so that they might board enemy ships and free our enslaved countrymen. I think and I fear that is exactly the type of soldier or guard that we will need now to protect ourselves here.”

Ellen sighed. “Brenda, get with General Howard, we need more rune wrights if that is the case but we’ve barely even started our search for people who have that kind of ability. Perhaps the General can send out recruiters to locate those with any sort of magical potential and return them here to Sweet Port for training. Normally it takes a mage with witch sight to find such people but thanks to James’s new visors and goggles, a trained person without magic should be able to make the same determination, though we will need a great many more of his witch sight concoctions to make such magical eye-ware which might be a long time in coming thanks to his severe injuries.” The new Queen finished sadly with tears in her eyes.

“How is he Ellen?” The Countess asked softly.

“He’s lost both legs and his right arm. Greta told me that if he makes it through the next twelve hours or so, that he should live but it will take months for him to heal and get his full strength back.

Oh, I just remembered, I am certain that Head Proctor Ridge captured a few of our assailants and I think that they are in better shape than the one that you already have in custody.”

Hearing that new bit of knowledge, Countess Green bid a hasty goodbye and immediately left for the University. She briefly thought of that matchmaker that she had previously contacted regarding James Drake. Perhaps in a few weeks time, if Dame Elizabeth has found the right girl, they might somehow arrange an introduction while the young mage is a captive of his own sick bed.

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Late in the evening of that same terrible day; the Queen, the Crown Ministers and the Royal Advisors all gathered in the Palace to hear the final a report about what damage had been down to the Kingdom.

Admiral Taylor began, “Besides the loss of our Monarch and his Guards; sixty-two craftsmen and forty-seven Navy personnel were also killed. There are at least another sixty-eight people that have been injured with varying degrees of severity. Of the fourteen heavy frigates that were set to launch during the next six months, twelve of them have been completely destroyed. The financial loss alone; is almost 200,000 gold pieces.

I am not ignoring the dead but we must persevere and go forward if we hope to remain free. It had been my plan to equip those frigates with a new type of small auxiliary boat based on Drake’s own Coble which was used so effectively in two different sea battles. Six or even four of such craft on each frigate; would make a formidable addition to our forces. Thanks to young Drake, I know that our own brigs can be made invisible if we make some slight modifications to their bowsprits. Two such vessels are even now being altered and James’s shipwright has been contracted to build cobles for us. Two of those small magical boats will be given to each brig, being swapped out for two other small craft that those vessels normally carry.

The first keels for our new light frigates were laid only four days ago, hopefully they should be ready within seven months time and each of them will carry two to four cobles.

As you might expect, we have a desperate need for rune wrights and enchanted items in order to defend this Kingdom and attack our enemies. So, somehow we must find a way to acquire those resources.”

He sat back down and Dean Marks rose to her feet. “It has been an awful and tiring day. I am pleased to announce that it appears that Mister Drake will live.” Subdued and brief cheers ran around the conference table, it was more for forms sake rather than anything else because everyone was simply too emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted for anything else. “The company that we University Mages have formed with James should be able to meet many of your magical needs except for two of his potions. We currently are unable to make his stone making concoction as effortlessly and efficiently as he can and we are completely unable to make his witch sight potion.” Mere seconds ago polite cheers were voiced, now there were several vocal expressions of dismay, Greta Marks continued. “Hopefully within two weeks James will be healthy enough where he can once again, with aid, be able to make that concoction.” She resumed her seat.

High Mage of the Mage Guild, Baron Philip Wright now stood, he was the only person who had not cheered Greta’s first announcement. The Baron’s daughter was married to one of the Dean’s estranged brothers. Greta had severed all ties with her birth family and changed her last name to that of her maternal non-magical grandparents when her father, Mage Baron Wolfgang Faust, for the fifth time stole one of her magical accomplishments and credited it to one of her two less gifted brothers.

It had taken Greta Marks years to establish herself as independent of the Guild and become Dean of the Royal University, despite the many roadblocks the Mage Guild and her birth family had thrown up in her way. But now she was a huge thorn in the Guild’s side. What with the treachery of the former Mage Guild Representative, Greta was now frequently called on, instead of the new Guild Representative and even High Mage Wright, to advise the Throne. Philip mentally sighed, he was fairly honest with himself and he had to concede that Dean Marks had a right to her anger and more worryingly for revenge too. She was highly skilled in all the magical arts and over the years she had vanquished many foes in magical duels but now with that new company she would be even more formidable. The High Mage began speaking.

“Dean Marks your student’s invention of a witch sight potion is truly a wondrous thing. Might you not urge him to share its formula with the Guild so that we can help with its production during these desperate times?”

“I am sorry High Mage, but James feels that he has given enough to the Guild for which he has received no share of the profits. However, because of this new conflict, he might have shared that new concoction’s recipe with the Guild but despite his best efforts he has been unable to teach either Julia King or myself in how to concoct that potion. We have wasted hundreds of gold coins worth of precious ingredients, during our attempts to manufacture that concoction and we have failed every time. We have not given up but I must say that if Professor King cannot learn to make that potion, then there is no other magic user within this country, besides James Drake, that can do it either.”

Philip Wright barely suppressed a sigh. Mage Julia King was another accomplished magic user that the Guild had angered and even though she wasn’t acknowledged as such, she was indeed the foremost potion concoctor within the Gulf Kingdom, so great was her skill that the High Mage was astonished that she was unable to make Drake’s witch sight potion. “What about his new runes of movement?”

“The new company has the ability to fill all of the orders for all of the items requiring the new runes. We feel that the Guild has enough rune work what with all the kraken spears, kraken tubes, ship shields, lookout tables, and communication boards that our Kingdom’s military forces need.”

This time, the High Mage wasn’t able to suppress his sigh, as he sat back down.

Countess Green now stood. “Thanks to the actions of University Proctor Ridge and a “spill your guts” potion from Professor Julia King we now know who some of our attackers were. It seems that our country has been penetrated by groups, composed of both wizards and immunes. An immune is apparently what the Kingdom of Fata calls a rune wright. These groups or teams work for the Institute of Cooperation. That ministry or department controls the Police and Secret Police within the Kingdom of Fata. The Institute is also in charge of intelligence gathering and special actions, meaning sabotage and assassination, both inside and outside of that Kingdom. The immunes that I and Proctor Ridge questioned; knew that all the IC teams that launched those attacks today would be withdrawing afterwards but they are almost certain that there are still other IC teams within the Gulf Kingdom. Both men were fairly low level and not told everything but they did overhear enough to convince me of that fact.

I also learned something else; some of the IC teams work for or even own garbage hauling concerns which remove trash from governmental buildings and from the offices of the powerful within this Kingdom. To put it bluntly they search through our waste looking for discarded documents and even hastily written notes that might provide them with information that they can use either strategically or tactically against us. I recommend that from now on, that all paperwork in any office, no matter how innocuous, be incinerated on site.”

Exclamations of consternation and outrage now swept the table.

Just then there was a knock at the Conference Room door. This being a secured meeting and since Countess Green was already on her feet, she answered it. After a quick whispered conversation, Admiral Taylor was called over to speak with the visitor.

He listened for a moment and then shouted a single invective that a nobleman and officer shouldn’t know. He turned to the others there. “I have just been informed that several hundred Navy personnel, mostly those who work or regularly visit the Admiralty Building have fallen ill over the past few hours. The Healers that are tending to them say that they have been poisoned and that there is nothing that we can do. If you will forgive me, I must leave and see if there is anything that I can personally do, to comfort those poor souls.”

Dean Marks rose to her feet. “Let me go with you, perhaps I can help and someone should send for Professor King, she might be tired now, but she is one of this Kingdom’s foremost potion experts and healers.”

After those two left, Ellen called for Chief Constable Osyka George to be sent for. More poisonings might have already happened or will happen and steps must be taken to limit any loss of life.

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Potions had been painted onto the undersides of the five major bridges within Sweet Port. Runes had been engraved as well and small wooden potion casks had been hidden next to those solidly constructed stone bridges. Those tiny barrels had been painted with a concoction that was slowly dissolving the wood and releasing their contents.

There was always moisture near a bridge, so no one would take it amiss if they saw the undersides of those bridges coated with water. But this night things were a little different. The water was seeking out every crack in the bridges, where the liquid would then suddenly freeze forcing the cracks to become just a little bit wider. Then the water would just as abruptly thaw and penetrate still deeper into the now larger cracks, where it would freeze yet again. This occurred on average about five times per hour, on bridges that because of Sweet Port’s mild climate might only see freezing temperatures once every two or three years.

The majestic Pelican Bridge was one of the greatest engineering achievements of the Gulf Kingdom. It was over three times as wide and over twice as long as any other bridge within the city, and it rose over forty feet above the water level of the Haven River even during the spring thaw, when run off from the Great Western Sky Mountains made the river swell.

The most skilled Imperial spy and sabotage cell had been assigned that glorious edifice and they had spent two weeks working on that one bridge whereas the other two cells had only taken one week performing their destructive preparations on the four bridges that they had been assigned to obliterate.

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Mages Marks and King worked tirelessly at finding a cure for the poison that was literally eating away at the bodies of those people who had ingested it. They and the other people skilled in magical healing lost patient after patient despite giving them healing and even regeneration potions. The poison had a necrotic effect and absolutely refused to be purged from the bodies of those affected.

Julia and Greta were busy in James’s workshop and they did have some success with one of his poison antidotes, while not able to affect a complete cure it did seem to slow down the poison and delay death. Working with that as a basis and the rare ingredients that James had recently brought back, the two women performed a miracle and just before dawn they invented a way to eradicate that terrible poison from a human body. But it would also take healing potions and the regeneration series to return those terribly ill people to full health. Sadly, too many of them were so far gone that because of organ failure they didn’t have enough time for those magical restoratives to work.

It was at about the same time that the Constables realized that the stone bridges throughout the City were falling apart. The destructive process had started eight hours ago, so when it was finally discovered that something was wrong, it was long past the point of no return. Not only did the collapse of those bridges eliminate the ability to cross four rivers without the aid of a boat but it also caused those associated rivers to be blocked, so small craft and barges could not now travel up and down them.

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Late that afternoon, after that terrible night and morning of poison death, another meeting was held in that same Royal Conference Room that hosted yesterday’s meeting.

Just as yesterday, Admiral Taylor began the meeting; his eyes were sunken from lack of sleep. “To my profound regret I must inform this Council that last night and this morning, the Navy lost 122 officers and 127 sailors of various ranks. Without the skill, dedication and knowledge of Mage Greta Marks and Mage Julia King that number would have been over twice as large. Many of our people will take a month or more to heal and will need almost constant nursing during that time. Those two mages along with others that they recruited, have performed and are performing, prodigious work making the antidotes, the healing concoctions and the first dose of the regeneration series that were and are necessary for this life saving miracle.

Both these gifted ladies are either too busy, or perhaps they’ve rightfully collapsed from exhaustion, to attend this meeting.”

Countess Green rose to her feet. “We’ve only started to investigate this poisoning but preliminary results seem to indicate that “IC” trash haulers poisoned the food or water within the Navy cafeteria that is located in a wing of the Admiralty Building. As you might expect, those workmen did not show up for this morning’s refuse pickup.

As everyone must know by now, there are five fewer bridges within this city. I would like to point out how the attacks yesterday morning and perhaps the poisoning as well, all seem to be extremely blatant assaults on us but how the demolishment of our bridges, in comparison, seems to be an almost casual thing, which reminds me of how our old Imperial foes used to operate. So much so, that while we know that yesterday’s actions were performed by Fata’s IC teams, I suspect that it was Imperial Agents that destroyed our bridges. If it wasn’t for the fact that all five of our major bridges, collapsed at nearly the same time we might have possibly labeled this odd event as natural occurrence, just like all of those other misfortunate things that happened to this Kingdom during our long war with the Eastern Empire. So there is a possibility that our Kingdom will soon be at war with the Eastern Empire once again. I have little evidence at this time but so much has caught me by surprise that I decided to give voice to my worries so that all here might be ready if the Empire does break the recent treaty that they signed with us.”

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I woke up and I really hurt. Emile was sitting by my bed, except it wasn’t my bed it was someplace even more ornate though it didn’t look like the Royal Palace. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he caught me staring at him.

“James, how are you doing lad? You gave us all a terrible fright, but Mage Julia says you’ll heal with time. Countess Donna Smith has been by daily to check on you, and even the new Queen has come by when she’s had time to, though she’s awfully busy now what with her father’s death.”

“Water,” I croaked.

“Of course my boy, I’m sorry, I should have known.” Emile looked quite distressed for not having guessed my need. He gently lifted me up and helped me slowly sip from a cup. He took his time and he didn’t let me drink too much. He set the cup back down and then shifted some pillows to prop my back up.

“Nena has been worried sick about you. We’ve been taking shifts seeing to your needs, those three girls of ours have been helping out as well but don’t you worry, Nena and I have been taking care of all the nasty bits. Everyone will be happy to see you finally awake. Them mage friends of yours, kept you sleeping for the first two days because they were afraid of the pain that you might experience, if you woke too soon. But you’ve been asleep for over three and half days, so we were beginning to worry.

The Dean herself compounded a new burn ointment out of your scar cream and we’ve been putting that on your body. Those two servants of yours will be happy to bring you a meal once we get a little more moisture into you. Nena hates to admit it but they’re both better cooks than she is, although she’s not too bad herself and no one would ever throw her off a ship after sampling her food.”

I looked at the stump where my arm had once been and sighed; then using my left hand I flipped off the blanket covering my lower body and let out a bigger sigh.

“I’m sorry James, you lost your legs and right arm but your own potion will soon have you set to rights, just like it gave me back my teeth.” He gave me a big grin, showing off his new chompers.

Emile gave me some more water; I sipped it and then I took control of the cup with my left hand. “You said that Ellen is now Queen?”

“Yep, the same day you were attacked, so was the King. Not only was he assassinated but some saboteurs from Fata poisoned a whole bunch of Navy folk, destroyed fourteen new frigates and demolished five bridges, including the Great Pelican Bridge.

Because of all that, the Minister of Justice and the Nobles all got together and crowned Ellen as Queen as soon as they could. They all knew that it’s not a good idea to leave a ship without a captain during a storm and it looks like we’ve got a heck of a blow coming our way.”

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King Ambroos Von Legion read the report that Consul De Leest had sent him. The Monarch had to admit that he was both impressed and pleased with the destruction wrought on the five Sweet Port bridges by the Imperial spy cells. All five bridges had been completely obliterated without a stone left standing, even the enormous Pelican Bridge, while the technique and the magic used by the Imperial Agents hadn’t been very dramatic the results certainly had been.

As for De Leest’s IC teams, Ambroos was just a tad disappointed. He had been hoping for a slightly higher mission success rate with more of the teams escaping, such results would have put greater fear into the Gulf Kingdom. He mentally tallied up the score in his mind; twelve heavy frigates had been destroyed where he would have considered six a success, so that was definitely a win. King Rivers had been eliminated but his daughter was still alive, which left Ambroos feeling somewhat dissatisfied. On the other hand, she was a mere female even though she was credited with defeating the Eastern Empire, the King of Fata was convinced that it was only her stroke of luck in finding James Drake, a gifted magic user, and enlisting him to her cause that granted her victory over the Empire. The King was by nature and his upbringing, dismissive of non-magical people and he was more than a bit angry at the failure of the two IC teams to assassinate Drake and the Crown Princess. He consoled himself with the fact that at least that particular inventive mongrel mage would be healing for many months and thus causing him no more headaches for a time. Though he was bothered by how Mages Marks and King were able to develop an antidote for the poison that Payne’s team had used. That particular toxin was a product of years of research and was intended to be an unstoppable terror weapon. It was also expensive and dangerous to make.

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I couldn’t get rid of Emile, Nena or the girls. There was always at least one of them in my presence, offering to get me something to eat, fluffing my pillows, tucking me in or helping me to wipe my ass. They were driving me nuts! Nena would softly sing to me and stroke my head when she thought I was sleeping. The girls who never seemed to be apart, would always talk about how they were really good girls despite the things they had been forced to do. Emile would call me a good lad and seemed intent on telling me his life’s story, in a foolish attempt to impart some wisdom into my poor beleaguered brain. Sergeants Sanders and Russell seemed to be highly amused by all of it.

My old suite had been badly damaged and I had been moved to the Dean’s Apartment in the Royal University. When Greta took over the job she didn’t want to move since she was perfectly comfortable in her old suite which was only slightly smaller and less luxurious compared to what I was ensconced in now.

Emile was looking much better nowadays after the red longevity potions and the regeneration series. He could now stand up straight, he had all of his teeth, his skin looked wrinkle free and he had only a hint of gray in his hair. Nena who had both the blue and the regeneration series looked even better.

Four days after I awoke, my business partners came walking into my bedroom, Dean Marks began speaking.

“James, we know that we should give you at least another week to recover before bothering you but the Kingdom desperately needs your aid. The five bridges that were destroyed have caused untold difficulties with travel here in the city and the common people are terrified, of the possibility, of enemy wizard assassins lurking behind every corner.

Because of that fear and other factors, there is a desperate need for your witch sight potion. Julia and I have already recruited certain members of our advanced potion classes for our new company. And we were wondering, if we assigned a few of them to you as your assistants, do you think that you could make some potions for us whenever you feel physically up to the task, of course we want you to take frequent rest breaks whenever you grow weary. We certainly don’t want you straining yourself.”

I was so bored and my new family was driving me so crazy that I leaped at the opportunity. “I would be happy to help Dean Marks. Is it only the witch sight potion that you need?”

“No, we would also like your stone making concoctions as well. The city desperately needs replacements for the Pelican and Otter Bridges. Additionally, there is another matter that Professors Black, Sanchez and I would like your aid with. We were wondering about your movement runes, how they can propel things quite efficiently and powerfully through various mediums like air and water. Would it be possible to adapt them and place them on leather fire hoses so that water or perhaps even sand might magically flow through those hoses? If it is feasible, it would greatly aid with the bridge rebuilding projects that Professor Tanner is in charge of.”

I closed my eyes, thought about her query for a moment and then spoke. “The runes would have to be on the inside of the hoses and they should be customized for whatever they are moving but it should be possible. While moving water, perhaps only one section in a very long hose, might need runes but if moving sand, I suspect that the entire hose would need to be enchanted.”

We talked some more, and when we ended our conversation, I wanted to start back to work immediately but they say me yawn. I was told firmly that I should resume resting and that things wouldn’t be ready for me until midmorning, tomorrow. How does one resume getting some rest? That almost sounds like a contradictory statement to me.

The next day I was brought to my workshop in a palanquin chair, where I met my two new assistants. Li Mei Tsao and Valentina Colombo, both girls were taking the advanced potion class and from what I saw of their interactions with one another, they seemed to be friends.

It seems that Professor King had them well trained. My first day with them, we were only able to make one witch sight potion, before I had to take a nap. Upon waking up, they helped me with getting caught up on my homework. The next day we made two witch sight concoctions with me taking a nap between each one. It seems that both girls have parents that own and operate successful restaurants within Sweet Port; amazingly I’ve been to neither eatery. Valentina brought me in a sample of food which she reheated as a snack for me. It was made of layers of meat, cheese, and noodles, and it was covered with tomato sauce. It was delicious.

Emile’s and Nena’s adopted daughters at first didn’t seem to like my new assistants but at the end of the day things seemed to be better. Once again the two girls aided me with my homework and even helped the trio with basic reading.

The third day, Li Mei brought in some food. It seemed to be her family’s restaurant’s signature dish. It was small pieces of fried boneless chicken covered with a spicy, sweet, orange sauce and served over a bed of rice. It was beyond delicious!

------------------

Baronetess Elizabeth Gomez read the report forwarded to her from Countess Green about James Drake’s current behavior and daily routine. She was pleased with how things seemed to be going. With the aid of Countess Green, Elizabeth had carefully investigated all of those females deemed suitable to be his laboratory assistants. After careful consideration she found Valentina and Li Mei to be the most suitable for the job. Both girls were born of common non-magical parents. The two young ladies were also intelligent, gifted magically and were excellent cooks. Elizabeth had always ascribed to the theory that the fastest way to a man’s heart was through his stomach and thanks to Count Alexander Smith she knew that James Drake had voracious appetite for well cooked meals. The two young females and their families had no idea about Elizabeth’s plans which made its chance of long term success even better. Of course Julia and Greta had some information but even they thought that James needed some friends, so neither mage had disagreed when Countess Green requested that they assign Li Mei and Valentina to James.

-----------------

It was over three weeks since her father’s murder. Queen Ellen was attending the launching ceremony for one of the two heavy frigates that had survived that terrible day. The workmen had labored hard to get the ship ready, in another week her sister ship would be completed.

Drawing her sword she touched the bow of the ship and said. “I NAME THEE GULF’S REVENGE!” Next week, her younger sister would launch the GKS Vengeance.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

A partial character list, if you spot any mistakes please leave a comment, thank you.

Spoiler : Swamp Witch Lauren, dies when James is nine.

James “Iron Balls” Drake, Current Age: 17

**Personal Servants:

Phillip Turner

John Cooke

**Assistants:

Marine Sergeant Roy Russell, formerly with the Fifth

Former Slaves who are related to Roy

Felix, Theo Russell, RW, father of Sergeant Roy Russell

Oscar, Hunter Russell, RW, younger brother of Theo, wife remarried, an angry man.

Army Sergeant Richard Sanders, formerly with the Fifth

Li Mei Tsao, student mage Royal University, 17

Parents own successful restaurant in Sweet Port, made friends with Valentina at the Royal University because of similar background.

Valentina Colombo, student mage Royal University, 17

Parents own successful restaurant in Sweet Port, made friends with Li Mei at the Royal University because of similar background.

Emile, former Fata slave

Nena, former Fata Slave

Miscellaneous:

Vella, 16

Bari, 15

Patria, 14

**Ester’s Village Characters:

Mack Phelps General Store

Diane Phelps daughter

Jacob Hansen

Bethany Hansen

Gloria Hansen, daughter, poisoned by spider and saved by James

Marcus Daniels Blacksmith

Innkeeper Rebecca Marshall

Mayor Michelle Star

Boat Builder Michelle Powell, her brother is the local lumberman.

Son, Simon

The Adam’s Family

Benjamin Adams Father

Margaret Adams Mother

Frank Adams seventeen

Linda Adams fourteen

Hope Adams eight

Karl Adams four

They sold James for medicine which he had also needed, they also received a few coins. The Witch or their neighbor might have poisoned their well or they might have been working together. James does not know who they are at this time.

**Royal Family

King Richard Rivers, deceased chapter 18.

Queen Consort Grace Rivers

Princess Rose Rivers: 18 years old.

Prince Edward: 32 years old, in forced retirement and confined to a small estate.

Crown Princess Ellen: 28 years old

Prince Matthew 21, deceased.

**King Richard Rivers (dead 18), Ministers and Close Advisors

Crown Princess Ellen Rivers crowned Queen in chapter 19.

Paul Howard, General of the Army, Duke

Samuel Taylor Admiral of the Navy, Count

Philip Wright High Mage of the Mage Guild, Baron

Walter Cooper Minister of the Treasury, Baron

Clarence Robinson Minister of Justice, Baron, daughter Lucille

Countess Brenda Green, Ministry of Intelligence, Royal Intelligence Service

Dean Greta Marks of the Royal University

**Sweet Port

Shipwright: Sofia Overgaard

Nicklas Overgaard, husband, lost 19 years ago, presumed deceased

Daniel Overgaard, was 11 lost 19 years ago, presumed deceased

Hannah Overgaard, was 8 lost 19 years ago, presumed deceased

Naja Overgaard, age 24

Gill Overgaard, age 21

Chief Constable Osyka (Eagle) George, female

**Royal University

Old List:

Dean Reynolds, dismissed

Proctor Micah Powers, dismissed,

Professor Greta Marks, now Dean Greta Marks

New List:

Dean Greta Marks teaches potions but she is expert in all form of magic.

Professor Mage Julia King specializes in botanist and potions.

Professor Justin Brown, Biology

Professor Mage Sara Sanchez specializes in spell casting and runes.

Professor Mage Quentin Black specializes in spell Casting and runes.

Professor Montgomery Tanner, Mathematics and Engineering

Professor Heather Lee, Composition

Head Proctor Victoria Ridge, Former Constable, Rune Wright

**Personal Friends:

Lieutenant Alexander Smith, Now Captain (retired) he is a count. His cousin David (blonde hair) tried to hurt/kill James.

Sergeant Donna Simms, Now Lieutenant (retired) she married Alex and they both received promotions and medical discharges.

Shirley Gonzalez: student and family friend of Donna Simms. One year younger than James.

**Fifth Regiment:

Colonel Ellen Rivers, now Queen?

Captain Nancy Carter, now a major

Major Annette Williams, now Governor General of captured territories.

Major Frank Timmons

**Matchmaker Dame or Lady Elizabeth Gomez, Baronetess

**Gulf Kingdom Navy

Ship: Gulf’s Pride, Heavy Frigate

Commodore Barbara Nelson

Commander Rachel Bell

Ship: Gulf’s Pride

Ship: City of Sweet Port (Sweetie), Heavy Frigate

Ship: The Gulf Protector, Heavy Frigate

Captain Ni Tien (female), very pretty and graceful

Ship: Nemesis, Brig

Captain William Wong, father was Captain of the first Gulf’s Pride.

Ship: Challenger, Brigantine

Ship: Sprint, Brigantine

Captain Rong Simms (male)

Ship: Gulf’s Revenge, Heavy Frigate

Ship: The Vengeance, Heavy Frigate

**Royal Guard

Sergeant Coahoma (Red Panther) Oklahombi, formerly with the Fifth

**Sixth Liberated Schooner:

Reyes, acting Captain

Emile, blind in one eye, missing teeth and old, now with James, chapter 18

Jarvis

Margo

Delta angry and has magic

Vella, young girl 16, now with Emile and Nena

**Liberated Brig: Staghound/Iron Balls

Roka, Captain

Nena, oldest female slave on board, with Emile and James

Minnie

Patria 14, former Captain’s slave

Bari 15, former Captain’s slave

Franco, first officer

Rudolf

Personal Enemies:

Lord Bartholomew Thomas, Mage Guild representative with the King, deceased. His younger brother is Derrick Thomas who tried to injure/kill James.

**The Kingdom of Fata

The King of Fata Ambroos Von Legion, age 48

Wives 3:

Madeleine, age 46

Elise, age 44

Olivia, age 43

Concubines 12:

Children:

Four boys

Braam, age 28

Aart, age 25

Aldert, age 18

Diede, age 16

Two girls

Elke, age 24

Aleid, age 17

Known Bastard children:

6 boys

6 girls

Departments within the Kingdom of Fata

Office of Taxation: Compulsor Landgrave Orville Cormier

Department for Revenue Assessment and Tax Collection: Legate Baron

Department for the Education of Supervised Peoples, Legate Baron

War Office: Imperator Landgrave Andre Talon

Department of the Navy: Navarch Duke Andrew Hyde

Marines: General Count

Department of the Army: Marshal Baron

Institute for Cooperation: Police, Secret Police, Intelligence Gathering and Special Actions, Consul Count Fabian De Leest.

Police/Secret Police: Marshal Baron Valiant Clavet

Intelligence Gathering and Special Actions: Legate Viscount Arnou Rouleau

IC Team Leaders within the Gulf Kingdom during chapter 18.

Wizard Dylan Payne, Target Admiralty Building, success/escaped

Wizard Alexander Johnson, Target King and Shipyard, success/unknown

Wizard Paul Lanteigne, Target Shipyard, success/escaped

Wizard Pierre Lalonde, Target James Drake, failed/deceased

Wizard Olger Bomhof, Target Shipyard and King, success/escaped

Wizard Alex Wolters, Target the Princess, failed/deceased

Landgrave Griffin Thorne, commanded first invisible schooner fleet.

Viscountess Dalphyne Gamble, commanded second invisible schooner

Eastern Empire Spy Cells, chapter 18

Wizard Zachary Miles, Targets Otter and Swan Bridges

Wizard Spencer Dobson, Target Pelican Bridge

Wizard Robert O'Neill, Target Red Stone and Black Stone Bridges

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