Nim
22 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Random
He was trapped, tricked into putting on the necklace that now bound his powers of magic. He cursed himself for being outwitted and raged against the constraints of the amulet. He had been so careful to make them believe he was doing what they wanted and trying to get them instead to do what Nim wanted. Instead, it had all gone terribly wrong, and they got what they wanted… A tamed wizard. Only he wasn’t going to give them a tamed wizard, he’d fight them every step of the way. He knew they could read his emotions, so was expecting it when they clouted him repeatedly over the back of the head for thinking he would win in the end. It almost drew a smile to his face, but the pain didn’t allow that.
…
It had all started so well, Nim been initiated into the Mage Academy and progressed through the ranks to become a full wizard at the normal pace of twenty years of study and subservience towards his elders. Another trick, to appear normal and gain the trust to get access to the information he wanted. He used his guile and ability to see texts he wouldn’t have seen otherwise, his quick memory so that he could recite it word for word, and his sleight of hand to borrow tomes that shouldn’t have left the watchful eye of the Librarian. Nim hadn’t been slacking in those years, and he was one of the more powerful wizards in the country, if not the realm. But instead of using all that magic, he preferred his natural talents to get what he wanted. It still looked like magic to the unlearned, but other wizards knew it wasn’t and so he was able to almost disappear from their notice. After all, who heard of a great wizard who didn’t practise magic… No one had suspected. Until now anyway.
…
Nim had been in the town of Helmket, in the market checking for anything interesting that had been brought in by traders, normally there wasn’t much, just the odd item that was overpriced and needed to be re-allocated to someone more likely to appreciate it. He noticed an unusual bracelet and went to admire it. It was silver plated, with some wonderful engravings of a woodland scene with a number of animals and plants. It was being sold at solid silver price and although it was pretty enough to be worth a bit extra, it was certainly not worth the amount that the trader was trying to get for it. Nim had hardly taken a single pace away from the stall when he accidently bumped into someone and raised his hat as he side stepped out of their way. Slowly perusing the surrounding stalls, he heard the commotion start almost next to the trader’s stall, an argument between two large burly men. No one wanted to get involved directly, but they were all paying close attention to the pair, waiting for the first punch. Nim smiled inwardly and edged a bit closer to the arguing pair. He’d prepared this encounter with these two, signalling it by walking into someone and lifting his hat exposing two fingers to the watchful duo and signalled the side of the area he wanted them to go by side stepping to the left, and palmed the bracelet whilst the crowd’s interest was elsewhere.
Nim also knew this particular trader had a habit for over charging the poorer people as well as being physically violent to women. Something Nim always found to be appalling. So it was only right that the silver plated bracelet was gifted to a ragged looking girl in the street selling hot pies, with a word of caution not to sell it on near that particular trader, and Nim whistled happily as he went on his way between mouthfuls of tasty pie. But that was just for fun, and he needed to be able to pay for some items he had ordered from a contact. His own morals dictated that he would not fiddling them, as he ordered and received exactly what he wanted even if it was a bit on the illegal side of the law.
Nim had asked a long time ago for them to keep an eye out for a number of books, including a specific book that he was interested in, The Dark Practices of the Eastern Tribes. A particularly detailed account of some of their customs and some magic rituals that Nim found interesting and could come in handy should he ever be out that far. News had come to him yesterday that it had been found and so it was time to gather cash and other items in earnest now so he could have a nice long read tonight.
…
It was the end of another gruelling day. He had been forced to follow the wagon they had tied him to, whilst having several people with sharp swords standing near him at all times. He was dangerous. He was powerful. He was a fool. Nim was now being stripped out of his clothes and searched. Every item he had acquired during the day would result in a broken bone and he wasn’t allowed to heal it until the sun rose the next day. Today he had palmed some flowers, pebbles and herbs, feigning stumbling to pick them up, as they made their way to their destination. Nim had gathered a lot. They started on his fingers and toes to cripple him for the night and worked their way over the rest of his body. Some bones had to be broken in more than one place. It was indescribable agony, it was burning hell, it was what Nim wanted. With his body consumed with the pain, his mind was free to think of his plans without them knowing. He had a number of plans, some waiting on opportunity, some he needed to wait for a specific time of day, others were just gathering the items he needed. They would regret the day they decided to try and make him do their bidding.
…
Nim had always had a knack for making plans; some came to him on the spot, taking advantage of a choice situation. He had learnt quickly at the Academy and always used them to his advantage. So far, he’d not encountered any trouble in the town where he currently stayed as he always had a plan and then a backup plan, and sometimes plans within plans. With most of his scams it was easier to make himself appear to be either innocent or the victim. It was said that you couldn’t fool an honest man, and Nim always made sure not to try. People who prayed on others and were guilty of something were less likely to run to the police in case they were caught too. So he went to his next mark, one Nim had been saving for when he needed a lot of valuables quickly or before he left town for his next place of interest.
Nim knew of a warehouse that was supposed to be a soap making factory, employing young homeless children and other unwanted citizens to make the cruel harsh lye, but in fact it was an organised breaking and entering gang. They took the young kids and forced them through the narrow bars on windows and then told them to open the front door so that the others could get in. It was a simple operation, but the fact that they starved the kids to keep them thin and forced them to make enough soap to fool authorities made it a place Nim felt deserved a loss in profits. He had been past the warehouse almost twice a week on made up errands so the people there didn’t suspect him when he turned up with a letter for one of the bosses. The letter was coded to say “Police on way. Hide loot. Make soap” as Nim had learnt the code about a month after getting into this town. If anyone not knowing the code read it, it simply read as “The red flowers that grow in the mountains make a good fragrance for the soap at this time of year”.
As he walked away after delivering the letter, he watched as the boss in charge ordered the kids about and made a note of who he sent off and where they were headed. Going down into a little alley that was deserted, he shimmied up a drainpipe onto the roof and made his way quietly back to observe. He was glad that it was a flat roof as he could stick to the middle and not be seen by anyone looking up, another thing he had tested well before this day. Nim made his way to the skylight, made sure he wasn’t casting a shadow over it and peered in at the hubbub of activity going on inside. He had made sure the code was unclear about the time of the police arrival, so they would cease all “normal” activity of stealing for the “normal” activity of making soap, giving him longer to grab the goods and make a stealthy retreat. But first, he had to find out which of the places the kids had been told to stash the goods in, and which were booby trapped and by what.
…
It was morning and Nim had spent the night with broken ribs that hurt him as he breathed, broken fingers and arms so he couldn’t undo the bindings that tied him to their wagon, broken toes and legs so he couldn’t run away even if he could undo the bindings, and a broken nose as well as a beaten and bruised body for still defying them. Everything had hurt. He was kicked out of his stupor and told he could heal himself now as they had a lot of work for him to do. He opened one of his eyes, wanting to make sure where everyone stood. One time they would all be in the right place and instead of healing himself, he would be able to transfer the pain onto everyone of them at once. That would be a wonderful morning, even though it wouldn’t lead to his escape as the one who controlled the amulet he wore would stop him using his magic instantly. But they all had to be within sight and a certain distance. They weren’t today, so he began the painful experience of healing himself, working first on his ribs and bruises there so he would be able to breathe a little easier. The pain of healing was the same as the pain of breaking. It was not something Nim would ever enjoy, but was still necessary for him to be able to plan without them knowing what he was thinking or feeling. He healed his crippled fingers next as best he could straightening them out on the wagon, so as to be able to hold his arms and legs and nose in place to heal them as straight as possible.
When he had finished he opened the other eye and waited. He knew the amulet hadn’t cut off his magic yet, it was another test. Would he attack them or would he be rewarded with breakfast. They had left this longer and longer, testing his will and resolve, but he knew it was futile to even think of attacking them, as he would be instantly stopped, beaten again and not allowed to heal himself until the next morning. A fortnight of walking and forced to do chores with bruises on top of bruises and no food had made him finally accept the impossible situation he was in. He shifted position to lean against the wagon, and watched as they went about their duties ignoring him as if he was a harmless pet. Nim scowled and waited, keeping his thoughts and feelings as blank as he could. They would get no sport from him this morning. He inspected the rope tying him to the wagon. It was replaced every night and day now as he had tried to use magic for it to help heal him and then break. They had caught onto that fast. Still, one day they would run out of new rope and he might be able to act on this plan.
An hour later as Nim was beginning to think he wouldn’t get any food anyway, one of them came up with a bowl of scraps and tossed it down at his feet. They spat in it before walking off. Nim waited. He refused to act like a grateful snivelling animal once food appeared. He counted off a minute and then went to look in the bowl. It was terrible. A mix of leftovers from the previous night, plus some rotting fruit and some milk all mixed together. He wondered if he should just refuse to eat it, but he knew from experience that this was his only meal of the day and he needed to keep his strength up. Nim sighed and bent to pick up the bowl and go sit down by the wagon. He plucked out the fruit, picked the mould off with his fingernails, and ate it. He then pulled out out the bits of meat and vegetables from the stew last night and ate that, and then he picked out anything else that was put in there that was inedible such as cigarette butts, rocks, and insects and then drank the fluid that was left. They were cruel to him, and became even more so as he ignored their jeers and jibes to get him to react so they could beat him. If only he hadn’t put this blasted amulet on, he’d be able to blast them all to ashes.
…
After the kids had hidden the stashes of loot and set the booby traps, they had left the area to go and make soap with the rest of the crew. Nim now knew the best locations to get the most valuables with the least hassle. But that would result in that child being beaten for losing it, so instead Nim would have to siphon off a bit off each stash so the kids wouldn’t be blamed exclusively. It would mean that the gang would know they had been robbed from, but they wouldn’t know who by, as long as he was careful. Onto the next part of his plan… Summoning the police. It was a tad risky but it would mean no one would be by the goods whilst the police were about so as not to draw attention to it. And the police had to follow step by step instructions in order to cover themselves, so it would give him about half an hour to get what he wanted and get out. He shimmied back down the drainpipe, and went to another friend, giving him a handshake and leaving him with a gold coin, and asked him to make the call in a few minutes. Nim’s friend nodded, and Nim went back towards the warehouse, this time going round to a side entrance where the bosses usually stood smoking, but was now abandoned as they were on alert for the approach of the police.
He sat on the steps so as to look less obvious, and waited. Sure enough, the police turned up when he expected them too, and he slipped in through the side door and up to the rooms where the kids had hidden the stash whilst there was chaos as the police tried to get the kids to line up against the wall with the adults. Smiling to himself, Nim went to the un-booby trapped stashes first and stuck a handful from each into his coat that was lined in several places so as to conceal as much as possible. He then deactivated the easiest of the booby traps by hand, keeping an ear out for the police but they were too busy trying to count the kids and keep them in the same place to bother doing a search of the other rooms. Grabbing a handful from each of the previous booby trapped stashes, he inspected the final booby trap. It was a good booby trap, as it would alert everyone in the warehouse that it was being opened… Nim thought for a second, and then decided to use his magic to freeze it so it couldn’t go off whilst he picked out a choice diamond and then unfroze it to re-set it. It was such a small trace of magic that all mages could do, and even some trinkets could be cast it, that he felt safe in the knowledge that they wouldn’t instantly think of a wizard doing it.
He then started to make his way out, but not back though the side door, all exits and entrances would be covered by the police by now. Instead he stood on the desk to reach the skylight he had previously peered through, and lifted it straight off. He’d been working on the sealant for some time now so that this would work, and was glad that it was quiet as well as easy. Nim then hoisted himself up by his arms, they ached with the strain, but he could heal any trace of that away tonight, and then positioned the skylight back into place, complete with fresh sealant, and had a lie down on the roof until the police left. Nim then went straight to his contact and exchanged the stash for his book and was showed a pretty necklace that was supposed to be magical and also from the Eastern Lands. Nim took it to examine, but was more interested in the book. He spent the rest of the day and all of the night reading the book and learning.
…
They were coming towards him now; they untied him from the wagon freeing his hands and the rope. It was going to get changed again even though Nim hadn’t bothered to do anything with it, they were on constant guard around him. They surrounded him, making sure he couldn’t escape. Without magic he wasn’t useless, which they had found out quickly enough in his first days of capture. They had thought all they had to do to control him was stop him being able to cast spells, but how wrong they were. Nim knew that had made him more valuable to them, and more dangerous. They had expected a meek mage that would do anything so as not to be hurt, instead they had discovered a powerful wizard who used anything and everything to get what he wanted. What they planned to do with him eventually wasn’t a mystery, some of them had tried to goad him into a temper with the information. Nim was going to be a slave for life, sold to the highest bidder, and forced to do whatever the buyer wanted, magical or otherwise. They would break him, they would make money, they would pay eventually. Nim knew from the fortnight of travelling with them, that now would be more tests, they knew he was powerful, even though he’d hidden it well. But one time he had blown through their protective circle once to try to get away, but they had caught him again, as he was miles from anywhere and on foot. The beating from that had lasted almost a full day. He was sure he would have lost teeth without the healing magic.
Sure enough, the one in control of the amulet came to stand in front of him. “You know you must kneel when I approach.” She said scornfully and cuffed him over the head with a wooden club. Nim knelt. The blow made him dizzy and he licked his lips and tried to steady himself. He was not getting enough food and losing too much blood even with the magic sustaining him, one day he would not be able to get up. One way or another he would be free of them. She grasped his hair and yanked his head up so she could look in his eyes. “You will never be free. You are a slave now, and always will be.” Nim stared defiantly back into her eyes. She had fierce violet eyes. They were the eyes that had tricked him into putting on the amulet. He would never trust her again.
…
After Nim had finished reading the book, he closed his eyes and thought about what he had read. The Eastern Tribes were certainly eccentric about manners, constant bowing and not asking questions as well as having hair cut to certain lengths to show their status, and having a strict hierarchy that could only be changed by blessings from the Gods. It was all rather confusing, Nim supposed he would understand it better by being there, and indeed he was happy to travel there. Even though they liked to keep mages as little more than pets, he was more than able to cope without using his magic for a long time thanks to his other skills. And it was about time for a change of scenery, especially since the gang he had just robbed would be searching for anyone that they could blame and then punish. So he had spent the next day collecting in debts and paying off debts and beginning to gather the things he needed to travel. The necklace lay in the bottom of a bag, almost forgotten. He had had a look at it, and it was certainly more than just a pretty piece of jewellery, but Nim knew not to do anything more magic related until he was well out of town so as not to be caught.
…
She laughed at his defiance towards her. She twisted his hair and tilted his head back until it hurt. She knew exactly when he felt the pain, due the linking nature between him and her via the amulet. It allowed her to skim through the surface of his thoughts as well as know how he felt emotionally. Nim hated her. Nim hated all of them. Nim would destroy them all. She laughed again. “No Nim, you won’t hurt us ever. We’ll sell you and then disappear from your new life as a slave and you’ll never be free and never find us again.” Nim raged inside, but kept himself from trying to free his head. Any movement now would result in being beaten until he stayed still. “You are learning. This is good. Now, call lightening onto that tree on that hilltop. And remember Nim, if I feel you doing anything else, you will regret it for a long time…” She pointed out the lone tree about a mile away as she released her grip on his hair. She wanted lightening did she; well Nim would show her lightening. He knew that he should be keeping the extent of his powers hidden, but his temper ruled him now. He stood up, straightened his clothes and then pointed at the tree on the horizon, amid a pale blue sky and called out. From nowhere dark clouds roiled in, a thunderstorm of lightening and torrential rain appeared out of the calm blue sky. He looked at her, “It will continue all day if you want it to.” He felt triumphant. He felt alive. He felt sick when he saw the greed on her face. “You will fetch a very good price.”
…
He had left almost the same day, having had time to sleep during the hot afternoon and setting off early evening with the cooler air. Nim had decided to buy a semi-decent horse to ride and carry his belongings as it would take a long time to reach the Eastern Lands where he was eventually headed to. He would be stopping along the way in the towns of Lightsbridge, Howsover, Marden and Poppleton, the length of each stop depending on how fortunate the lowlife of the towns were, and how fortunate he would become by relieving them of that fortune. Nim enjoyed the rides between the towns, he was on his own, but he enjoyed the quietness and felt calm during the weeks of travelling. The horse was patient and enjoyed munching on the grass as she walked in the right direction. Eventually he reached the Eastern Lands, and that’s where the trouble began.
Upon arriving at the town of Jessep in the Eastern Lands, which was enclosed in a high stone wall, with gates at the four points of the compass, he tried to enter the town, stating himself as a traveller who wished to see the glorious culture of the Eastern Lands. He was asked to get off his horse with his belongings and enter the waiting room for someone to get his signature on some papers that would allow him into the town. The horse was led away to be fed and watered whilst he waited, so Nim guessed that this process would take a while.
