Broken Mage by D.W. Jackson Read Free Book Online

breaking his fast so he figured now was
good a time as any to try out his new meat.
    It didn’t take long to set up two of
his walls for protection. He thought about setting up all three but
it didn’t seem necessary unless the water was hiding some dangerous
beast. The more he thought about it the more likely it seemed but
it wasn’t as if he was going to sleep.
    Thad didn’t have any wood to cook with
but he had learned that he could easily cook the meat using heat
without fire. All he had to do was arrange a few stones as if he
were building a fire. He placed the meat on the stones and then
concentrated on them heating up. Within moments the stones would
start glowing a bright red. Thad was sure it would also work well
for smoking but it was one thing he had been unable to figure out
how to make an enchantment to do for him. And while the magic
involved was not great, having to sit there and concentrate for
hours on end while the meat dried didn’t seem like a good use of
his time. Not to mention the energy used would offset the
benefit.
    After his meal was cooked Thad knocked
the still glowing stones into the water. He had learned what a hot
stone could do to an exposed foot and was in no hurry to experience
it again. The fish smelled appetizing and thankfully it’s glowing
ended when it had been descaled. Thad had eaten a lot of
unappetizing things in his life but he didn’t think he could eat
something that glowed in the dark.
    He anxiously took his first bite
chewing it slowly. It was a very juicy and tender, its flavor was
odd but not in a bad way. As he ate Thad thought back to his time
at the palace and how the cook often had sent out a rich butter
sauce with the fish.
    As he ate Thad watched the fish
swimming and remembered how the mages of the past had made a moss
that filtered smell as well as a small organism that ate waste,
breaking it down into the best fertilizer found in the northern
kingdoms. Had they studied other living things that could produce
the same effect and isolated the beings particular skill? If that
was true Thad might be able to learn how to make something glow
without the constant draw of magic if he studied the unique
fish.
    He had plenty of time while he walked
and thanks to all of his enchantments his magic was mostly freed
up. There would be a slight chance that it would distract him from
noticing an impending danger. After giving it a lot of though he
decided it would be more prudent to stop a little earlier and study
the fish before he laid down to sleep rather than risking getting
himself injured by inattentiveness.
    With his meal finished Thad took down
his magical walls and started his walk following the river. Most of
the time the tunnel allowed him plenty of room but every so often
the path would disappear. The first time this happened it took Thad
awhile to figure out how to continue on. He could see where the
tunnel widened more but at the fast pace the water was traveling
there was no telling how far it would sweep him downriver if he
tried to swim. Not to mention it would be impossible to tell if all
his magical items would survive the trip.
    He had finally tried a series of
different maneuvers to cross the water. After a few attempts he had
found a successful tactic. All he had to do was cast the same spell
on his left foot that was on his right stump. The added height did
make him a little off-balance when he stepped but it allowed him to
walk on the water with little trouble. Though the water wasn’t hard
it still registered as a solid object below him and the spell
responded in the same way pushing him up.
    As long as he didn’t stand still for
more than a few seconds he could move across the water’s surface
without trouble. He wasn’t sure why the water just didn’t part
sending him to the bottom of the river but who was he to argue with
what worked.
    The first day of travel went well all
things considered. And when he found a place where the tunnel
widened