The Attack of Ganhai Mountain by Jason Richard (fox in socks read aloud txt) 📕

Chapter One
A shaky plan

Ganhai Mountain stood imposing above them, surrounded by clouds at the top. They couldn't see it, but they knew that above those clouds, on the very top of this tall imposing climb they would find the palace that housed the sorcerer Hurvun.
Leevan stared up, trying to picture what it would look like, but found he couldn't, so he went back to what he was doing. He was a magician, and like the other magicians in the camp he had an amulet shaped like the sun and wore robes, though theirs were flowing and colorful while his were wrinkled and brown. He scratched his arm. The robe itched too, and he guessed that wasn't the case for the others.
They wouldn't constantly remind him that his robe probably itched if that was the case.
The other magicians and some of the warriors were talking next to the fire, but Leevan was staring intently at a rock.
It wasn't as unusual as it sounds. He was trying to make the rock invisible, but that was proving taxing. You see magic is all about negotiation. If you want to create a wooden staff that shoots fireballs, you have to convince the fire not to burn the wood, convince the wood that it won't get burned, and then convince it to produce fire. The specific wording of the spell is a little more complicated but you get the idea.
He was trying to convince the rock that it didn't want to be seen, though he was having trouble coming up with a reason for it. Why would a rock prefer to go unseen? He came up with one, but…
He spoke the words of the spell, which of course it wasn't in normal speech. He was speaking the words of the Twyla, the beings that ordain all magic. There wouldn't be much point in telling you exactly what he said. Magicians always enchant themselves so that their magic words are forgotten by any that hear it. After all, magic is a precious commodity.
Roughly translated, he probably said something like, "Wouldn't you prefer not to be thrown around?" Because, after all, he had seen this rock thrown by a few of the warriors who had been bored recently. "People can't throw you if they can't see you. Why don't you avoid the light?"
After speaking this in the language of the Twyla it had the desired effect. The rock disappeared. He reached his hand out and felt the rock, but he couldn't see it. He grinned to himself. This didn't usually happen.
However, what happened next seemed to occur quite often.
"What are you doing?" asked a voice behind him.
Leevan turned nervously. There was Maelin, looking at him with confusion. He was slightly older than Leevan, with black hair and a yellow robe. Leevan stuttered trying to answer him.
"Uh...uh...trying...trying a spell."
"Oh," he said, turning from confused to smug in less than a second. "I should have guessed that's why you looked stupid."
"I…I got it to work"
Maelin looked genuinely surprised, "Really? What's this spell do?"
"It...it makes you invisible...like this rock I tested it with."
He showed Maelin, who felt around, touching a rock he couldn't see. He seemed even more pleasantly surprised now.
"Well I'll be. It works," said Maelin. "I guess you'll be making a talisman or a ring for it soon eh?"
"Yes. I figured it would work well against Hurvun. He shoots lightning from his eye you see, and never misses."
"I know that."
"Right...uh...of course you do...but I figure, since its eye magic, he can strike anything he can see and the lightning goes straight for it. If he can't see it, he can't strike it" He was feeling pleased with himself now.
"I'll admit," said Maelin. "That's clever. How does it work?"
He was loath to share it, but they were both part of the order of the sun, as shown by the amulet they both wore. The rules said they had to share spells between them.
"I convinced the rock that it didn't want to be thrown anymore, and couldn't be if people didn't see it."
"Maelin frowned," how can that apply to people?
Leevan hadn't thought of that, "Well" he said nervously. "I suppose...you could turn yourself invisible...if you get thrown a lot"
Maelin smirked, "If you get thrown a lot? Well...that should apply to you easily enough, but not to anyone else." He chuckled. "Call me when you get a useful spell won't you?"
He laughed and walked away. Leevan felt like a moron. He left the rock where it was and walked back towards camp. He never was good at coming up with spells. Why did he have to embarrass himself all the time? They were about to attack the palace of Hurvun, a cyclops, and one of the most dangerous sorcerers alive.
What use would he be?

Chapter Two
True value.

Under the shadow of Ganhai mountain, the army camped, waiting for tomorrow to start their ascent. Leevan sat alone, watching the other magicians talk. No doubt Maelin was telling them bout Leevan's pitiful attempt at an invisibility spell. He watched them jealously. They all had spells they specialized in, but he didn't. Sometimes he wondered why they kept him around.
"Hey boy," said a gruff voice. "Why aren't you sitting with your fellows?"
Leevan turned and saw general Hevman of the soldiers that were camped behind him. He was an older, scruffy looking man with quite a few scars on his face and scratches on his metal armor. He wasn't wearing his equally scratched helmet, and Leevan didn't blame him. The headdress on that helmet looked ridiculous, but of course all soldiers of the Ciniceros empire word them. Still, the general always looked imposing when he had his square shield and spear.
Of course all he had at the moment was his sword.
"They're not my fellows," said Leevan, fingering his sun amulet. "We're part of the same magician's order, but we're not fellows."
"Hmm," said the general, putting his helmet to the side and sitting down. "I notice your clothes aren't as colorful as theirs"
That was true. Maelin had yellow robes, and some were dressed in red or green, but Leevan's were a dull brown.
"I'm not much in demand as a magician," he said. "Quite poor. You see that Maelin there? He has enchanted himself with the ability to see magic spells, so he knows instantly how an object is enchanted or what powers another magician has. Dalib, there, in red with the staff? That staff of his shoots fireballs. Then there's Bendon, who can grow smaller or bigger depending on which of his rings he's wearing and there are a few other magicians with their own abilities here"
"You're point?"
"Magic spells are complicated and they take a while to perform. They're hard to use in the heat of battle, so most magicians give themselves enchanted objects or simple powers to fight with. They set those up beforehand, something specific to them that they can use at a moment's notice. Instead of reciting a long incantation to shoot fire, the staff already has that power and can be used instantly. I have nothing like that."
"Hmm, why is that?"
"Because I can't come up with one. I could use one of their spells, but generally you're looked down upon if you use the spell another magician invented. I mean if you use it as if it were your own. I could use those spells in a bind, actually speak the incantations, and no one would think twice but I have no spells of my own. I can't fight with magic the way they do."
General Hevman looked at him curiously. "Then why do they keep you around?"
Leevan answered honestly, though he didn't like the answer. "Sometimes in a fight I'll come up with a spell. Not anything that can be used again mind you. I mean...I once saved us from some slefah by making them shed their skin early. It incapacitated them long enough for us to get away, but making snake like creatures lose skin before they're ready isn't a useful spell in other battle situations. Most of the time I just fight with a sword and it's not even a magic sword. Except for these occasional spells, I'm like a normal fighter. No magic."
The general looked at him thoughtfully, and then did something unexpected. He chuckled. Leevan looked at him, not understanding.
"Boy," said the general. "You're more valuable than you realize. Take some advice from a real solider, and one who doesn't use any magic, having a special skill is fine and all, but the real challenge in a battle is being able to adapt. Sometimes you have to deal with things you don't expect to, something your pre-planned skills won't account for.
"Trust me on this; being able to come up with a plan in the middle of a fight that's related specifically to the task at hand is more valuable than having something planned for a lot of tasks. We go up this mountain here to face Hurvun and he might have something their powers can't handle. If you can think of something on the spot that can beat it that means you will have led us to victory. They need you...and you know what? I think they know it."
Leevan thought about it. It made a certain amount of sense, but what the general didn't know is that Leevan never actually did much fighting. The other magicians always killed the enemy before he got a chance. He had moments that helped, but it never seemed like anything the others couldn't have handled on their own eventually.
General Hevman could see he hadn't quite helped. "I'll let you sleep on that," the older man said. "Just remember, the best soldiers are the ones who have their wits during the fight, not before."
He picked up his helmet and walked off, Leaving this young, rather confused magician alone. They were going to start their attack tomorrow, climbing up the mountain. As he sat there, looking up to where he knew the palace must sit, Leevan wondered just how valuable he would be when all was said and done.
The Attack of Ganhai Mountain: Part Three
They go up the mountain, and Leevan feels insignificant compared to everyone. Well, almost everyone.

Chapter Three
The Climb Begins.

The camp gathered up its forces and supplies, rolling up the tents and putting out campfires, in order to prepare for its ascent up the mountain. All the magicians in their colored robes were arming themselves with their magic weapons. Maelin had a wand in his sleeve, Dalib had a staff, and Bendon kept trying on his rings, turning various different sizes, very large and very small. There were other magicians of course, and they all had different powers, but they all had one thing in common.
From time to time they would all shoot Leevan smug looks, as if daring him to show his magical weapons. As it was, Leevan had only his normal, everyday sword and knowledge, which wasn't looking like