The Wand-Maker's Debate: Osric's Wand: Book One by Ashley Delay, Jack D. Albrecht Jr Read Free Book Online Page B

the elves and humans, and I nearly had my head taken off by an angry lion. It was a good thing the dwarves allowed the humans to represent them for this. If a dwarf were here, there would have been trouble, even if they sent only a messenger. The dragons took off with their passengers before there was bloodshed!” He exclaimed, hammering a fist into his open palm.
    The silence that filled the room was palpable as the enormous nature of what had been spoken set in. Osric eyed each man in the room, seeing his own thoughts reflected in their expressions. There had never been a war of the scale it would be, if it happened. Most of the wars of the past had been before wands. The death toll of those wars was great, but relatively small considering magic could not be used effectively. It came down to who had the largest force. The wars that had taken place since wands were created were over quickly. The death toll was minimal, as wand wars were usually ended by a quick strike to the opposing leadership. One side, with clever tactics, could overwhelm the opposition quickly, with very few losses.
    A world war would be different; billions could die in such an event. Wands had made magic readily available for the first time in history. Not that they did not have magic already within them, all species did. It was the creation of the wand that made it possible to use magic effectively as a weapon. Since their creation, magic had grown at an exponential rate. With that growth, all sorts of applications had been devised, from the helpful, to the unthinkable. To introduce that kind of force on a worldwide arena would see death on a scope never before imagined. Osric knew he could not dwell on his fears. He hoped there was still time to discover what had happened before that occurred.
    “Thank you, James. If you hear anything else, you will be sure to tell me?” Osric asked briskly. He still had to focus. If the culprit was located then the whole disaster could be averted.
    Osric consumed the meal James had provided quickly, yet still savoring the man's skill. There was herb crusted fish, roasted potatoes, corn and honey cakes. He didn't know how James prepared such delicious fare on a rickety cart, but Osric was thankful for the ability. While he ate, they talked about what must be done. He explained what had happened in the throne room, when the unicorn collided with him and the pearls started glowing. He sent Dru back to assist with the rescue of survivors, and asked Kenneth to find out who brought in the goblet of pearls. That would free him up to figure out what had happened to him; why he had survived, and the strange event with the wand he was given. He figured he should start with Gus, since the unicorns did not speak. After making the plans, he again thanked James for the meal and information. James promised to keep his ears open and hound all incoming messengers for as much information as he could pry from them, and they all set out on their respective assignments.
    Osric followed the path toward the edge of the forest along the east side of the palace grounds. Kenneth had seen Gus casting stabilizing spells along the weakest points of the collapsed palace earlier that day. As he passed by the group of unicorns in the grass, he paused to watch them for a moment. Their white hides glistened in the sunlight, muscles rippling with each graceful movement. They alternated between grazing on the wild berries growing near the path and gazing longingly at the toppled palace walls. As he watched one of the magnificent creatures cross the expanse of grass to another berry bush, it seemed as though the unicorn willed the ground to move under him, rather than walk upon it. The fourth unicorn had saved his life, he was sure of it, but he didn't know why, or how, or what had happened to it afterward.
    Osric continued along the path and the sound of someone shouting caught his attention. He veered off into the trees to investigate.
    “You're an