by Clark Bolton
Stepping forward with a scroll in hand Sterncast unrolled it and then proceeded to mount it on the stand using several paperweights. Dasring, who had been gazing out the open window, announced excitedly, “There is a full crowd early this morning master!”
Autbek could see now the pennants and tents of the Summer Festival far in the distance. Until just then he had forgotten all about the festival. The sight of it and the sight of the man-bird facing it was the most intense scene he could ever recall.
Stepping away from the man-bird Tenric indicated that he should come forward and view the scroll. “Now Autbek tell me what this spell is intended for.” Walking up to the stand Autbek began reading the arcane-script, being careful to not trigger any key phrase within and thus risk an uncontrolled release of arcane-energies.
The spell was nearly a full page long and quite complex, but not so to the point that he could not guess at its nature. It was for transformation of a living being into another form though he could not tell to which the target would be transformed.
“Master, it’s a spell of transformation.”
“Good!” the mage replied with a smile as he began studying the spell himself. “Actually it’s a spell of polymorph, allowing one to transform a being into a whole host of different creatures. And today we shall use it just as it was used on the day we found you.”
Autbek stepped back as the mage waved him away, wondering what to make of the man’s words. He then noticed the other servant was holding a large pouch of some liquid he guessed. It took him but a moment to realize that it held the blue-dye he was now so familiar with.
Tenric began chanting from the scroll and the air in the room seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. At the last moment, when the end of the scroll was reached, Tenric turned to the man-bird and pointed with one last syllable leaving his lips. As he did so the scroll crumbled and fell to the floor where it turned to dust.
Autbek watched in amazement as the man-bird’s arms transformed into wings and his feet into talons. It looked as if the man-bird would fall to the floor but the servants were ready. They sprang into action to quickly bring a small timber that they held between them up to the feet of the bird so as to provide a perch. Then low and behold a great brown eagle stood balancing itself precariously on the timber as the two walked slowly to the window.
Handing the pouch of dye to Dasring, Sterncast quickly stood back again. Then with a great screech the eagle grabbed the pouch from the man and launched itself out the window. Autbek could not resist stepping forward to see if the eagle would be able to truly fly. The bird dropped out of sight for but a moment then was aloft and on its way toward the festival.
“So, got this figured out yet Autbek?” Sterncast asked with a smile. He had just waved his hand and muttered a cantrip to light the candles and lamps in the workroom the two of them had just entered. They had just come out of the tower after watching the eagle for a few minutes as it circled the festival far in the distance.
“You must teach me that one.” He replied staring at a candle. He was sure he would never get tired of using it.
“Sure, as soon as you teach that one for getting that damn dye off things.”
“Fair enough, I shall do that now if you like.” He volunteered.
“Ok but don’t dodge the question. Did you understand what the master did today?” Sterncast pressed.
“I think so.” Autbek could see the man considered himself a step above and that he was in a way being a bit condescending. Nonetheless Autbek explained that he believed the Dieknotkow was doing their master’s bidding, which was to locate people who had magical talents and who could then be drafted into the Councilor’s service. Tenric had explained some of this after the eagle had flown off; emphasizing the fact that he believed no mage elsewhere in the world had such a tool at his disposal.
“Yes, and that is why you arrived here so blue!”
“Must you remind me of that?” Autbek replied. “That pouch nearly knocked my head off.”
“Perhaps the more it hurts the more talent the vitamin has.” Sterncast chuckled.
“If that were true it would have knocked my head clean off.” He countered. As Berdtom had often advised him to, “Take the openings you are handed.” His reply did seem to take the humor out of Sterncast, making Autbek wonder if the man truly thought him arrogant.
The two did manage to remain cordial as they proceeded to teach each other cantrips. Autbek found the other a skilled caster, though it took longer for him to teach Sterncast the cleaning cantrip then it took Autbek to learn the lighting cantrip.
It was after several rounds of practice on both their parts that Sterncast had them turn their attention to a small apparatus about the size of a man’s hand. He explained that they would maybe soon need its use as the thing was a magic divination device designed to locate the very blue dye that the eagle now carried
“It works by casting this locate cantrip upon this end.” Sterncast explained as he unrolled a miniature scroll and handed it to Autbek. “They are fairly easy to replace so feel free to keep that one and use it if you must. Now the biggest problem you may have is that it will point out the nearest pouch, not just the nearest victim and so unless you use this shielding cantrip to temporarily hide a pouch it will point to the wrong thing.” He produced a second scroll and gave it to Autbek to keep.
“Wow, this is amazing.” He said as he examined the instrument. It looked much like a compass, complete with a small well to hold the water on which the tethered needle would float. “You put just water in here?”
“You do, but be sure to keep any bubbles or crap from interfering. “You’ll also have to place it on a solid level surface to work.” He went on to demonstrate the device just before they were interrupted by the ringing of bells followed by shouting.
“It has found a target!” They heard someone yell. Bells had been rigged up so that someone in the tower could signal when they saw the eagle descend upon the crowd.
“Come!” Sterncast said as he handed one instrument to him and grabbed another for himself. “Hopefully our guards at the festival will catch sight of the target before he gets far.”
“Gets far… I mean do you think they will run?” He guessed the answer was yes as he himself had quickly left the scene when he was struck by the dye.
“More so than you did I would think! People have been spreading rumors about the eagle and folks don’t want anything to do with it.” Sterncast replied as they hurried through corridors and out into the courtyard. There they found a couple of guards waiting with horses for them, one of which was Autbek’s.
Mounting up the four proceeded as fast as they dared through streets and alleyways to reach the eastern gates of the city where the festival lay. Even with their rush to get to the festival they found themselves soon bogged down by traffic as hordes of townsfolk as well as visitors moved to join the festival.
They did not reach the east gate before Sterncast called a halt. “I’ve been informed by the Lord Councilor that the boy has been found and is on the way to the castle.”
Autbek found himself both thrilled and disappointed at the news. He was enjoying the chase but was also eager to learn who had been the target of the eagle. “How do you know?” he asked Sterncast.
The group had turned and was slowly moving through the streets now. “A message spell.” he replied softly so as not to be overheard. “Our master has called us back.”
“Ah.” Autbek grunted as he pondered how such a spell might be used. The Runeholdens did not teach one to their students but the more he learned of mages the more he wondered what his masters had kept from him.
They arrived back in the courtyard shortly after others of the Councilor’s guards had arrived, with a young man they were told by the stable boys. The two apprentices quickly proceeded to the mages wing were they beheld a tall man of about twenty sitting in the middle of a small group that included two of the men-at-arms, Lusric and several of the servants.
The young man was totally blue in the face and speechless.
Autbek first impression of the latest apprentice in waiting was that he reminded him of a slacked jawed village idiot that he knew back in Runeholden. The man just sat there and blinked as servants brought him water and attempted to clean him up a little as they reassured him he was in good hands.
They asked him several times his name before he finally replied. “I’m Haspeth … ah, I’m Haspeth” he repeated as he looked for reassurance to Lusric who was doing his best to keep his distance from the blue dye.
“Um ok, you’re Haspeth” Lusric told the confused young man.
“Seems you have a new blue brother.” Sterncast said turning toward Autbek. “Best you make use of that famous cantrip of yours.”
Autbek just about commented that Sterncast too knew the cantrip now but kept his tongue still. Sterncast was the senior apprentice, that was clear and until Tenric gave more instruction on how ranking worked in his service it was best not to upset anyone, particularly if they later turned out to be your boss.
“Ok” he said as he moved to pull up a chair next to Haspeth. The servants were preparing to mix the reagent for removing the dye into a basin of water. “That’s ok, that won’t be needed. I’ll use a spell which will work much more quickly and easily.”
Haspeth looked at Autbek in horror. “What now? Ohhh … a spell! I’ve done nothing … nothing. Please my lord!”
“Now be still.” Autbek then began the casting gestures with his hands but had to stop when the fellow began shrieking.
“Ahhh … oh lord please I beg of you. Please please … oh gods”.
Autbek first impressions of the man continued to go downhill as he stepped back and held up his hands to indicate he was not casting anymore.
“You want us to hold him down my lord.” one of the guards asked with enthusiasm.
“No!” Autbek replied. “And please don’t call me a lord … I’m just an apprentice here.”
“Yes my lord” the guard replied in a deadpan tone.
He almost lost his temper as he turned to stare at the guard who at first met his gaze, but then after a moment the man’s face began to go white. “Enough ok!”
The man’s voice was weak this time as he replied, “Yes my … sir.”
Satisfied now with getting some respect Autbek turned back to Haspeth who was sobbing now with his eyes closed. Autbek chastised himself for forgetting how terrified people could be of magic. It brought out the worst in people as his instructors at Runeholden had took every opportunity to remind him of.
“Look, Haspeth” he told the man as he had one of the servants pass over a small mirror. “Look at yourself here in this mirror.” He had to make the man hold the mirror and then he had to ask him again. “Look in the mirror.”
Haspeth looked and then he groaned, “Ahhh … oh my gods.”
“It’s ok … it’s ok. I can remove the dye.”
“Oh gods!”
“Stop saying that now. I can remove it only if you let me cast a spell. Now it will do you no harm, it simply removes the dye.”
“Huh. I don’t know sir.” Haspeth moaned and then he proceeded to go on about his mother and about how he was away from work today at the festival and that he would surely lose his job.
“Stop talking!” Autbek finally barked. “Let’s just get this done, ok?” The man seemed a little calmer now so Autbek quickly cast the cantrip and gestured with a sweeping motion near the Haspeth’s cheek which instantly became clear of the blue dye. “See?”
Looking in the mirror seemed to take his mind off his mother and so Haspeth calmed some but still had a crazed look in his eyes as Autbek used the cantrip over and over until the fellow’s face looked normal again.
Shortly thereafter Autbek and the two other apprentices were called back to the tower by Tenric. They found him hovering over a wide ornate bowl. Autbek learned later that this was Tenric’s scrying bowl, and through it he could see things at great distances and even into the interior of buildings.
“The bird returns, and I think because of the large crowd I will send him out again.” Tenric announced setting the servants and apprentices into motion. They produced another sack of dye and so prepared for the return of the eagle. They did not have to wait long.
The eagle landed upon the window sill and allowed Tenric to approach it. The mage whispered to the creature for a few moments then motioned for the dye. Handing the pouch to the bird himself he then stood back and watched with a smile as the eagle launched itself again into the sky.
They made a space in Autbek’s room for Haspeth who laid down on his new bed and curled up in a ball as he watched the people work around him. Autbek took it upon himself to inform him as to what was occurring and why.
“You have been chosen, Haspeth. It’s a very special privilege that has been bestowed upon you. I too was chosen by the bird and now you too will be required to join the Mage-Councilor’s service as a mage apprentice”
The fellow said nothing as the news sank in. At least he would not have any “lord” issues Autbek guessed by the look of his cloths, as he was likely just a common citizen of Astrum. Turning his attention to the locator instrument Sterncast had entrusted him with, he decided to make some copies of the two small scrolls that were crucial to its function. He informed Haspeth that he had to step out to retrieve some writing supplies but got no response from him.
Returning to sit now at his small desk next to Haspeth, who still was curled up on the bed, he began the exacting task of copying the scrolls, something he was very good at or so he had been told by adepts at Runeholden. The scrolls contained very short spells and so it took only half an hour to complete a copy of the first one.
“Excuse me sir, how much does it pay?” Haspeth asked without warning.
“I’m sorry.” he replied as he had been concentrating on the next scroll.
“The apprenticeship sir, does it pay well for I’m sure I shall be sacked by my employer, especially since I have not returned today.”
“Ah, well it’s still early but I don’t think the Lord Councilor will let you leave just yet.” He now remembered something Haspeth had moaned some time ago about being an assistant to some clerk or other and being away at the festival.
“Oh, but he will let me go though won’t he sir?”
“Yes he will most assuredly do so. Now as to the pay I’m afraid I don’t know but I’m sure it will be more than a clerk makes.”
“Really? Are you sure because Ned my boss makes over thirty coins a month at times.” He paused for a moment then added, “That’s a lot.” This seemed to indicate he did not make so much.
“Coins? What kind of coins, you mean like gold coins?”
“Ha, oh gosh no!” Haspeth said as he finally decided to sit up on the bed. “Just regular coin.” He seemed to feel better now as he watched Autbek copy the scroll.
“You mean like this?” he asked retrieving a gold mark from his tunic. Berdtom had returned one to him after spending the rest bribing the palace staff.
“Wow!” Haspeth exclaimed as he stared at the gold. “Did they give you that here?”
Autbek looked confused for a moment as he tucked the coin away. Then he recalled what his family and Berdtom had told him prior to this trip to Astrum. Most townsfolk barter for their goods and so many never see gold but rather make do with copper and silver.
“No, but after speaking with his Lordship the Earl I know we are considered valuable to him…more than a clerk anyway.” Which made him wonder what his pay would be though he knew having such a wealthy father would make any salary seem worthless.
“You spoke with his lordship?” Haspeth gasped.
“Yea, he gave me an audience when I refused to enter service to the Mage-Councilor.” The fellow was staring at him now which was making him uncomfortable. “Look just relax and you're going to have to live with the fact that you will be swearing service to Lord Tenric. Whatever it pays, trus
t me it’s worth it. I’ve been here only a few days and have had the time of my life and so I think shall you.
“My lord?” A meek feminine voice from the doorway caught the two’s attention suddenly. “Sorry, sir!”
Autbek turned and found himself staring at a lovely girl, about his own age he figured. She was well dressed and well-manicured, except for the fact that her face had a blue hue to it.
“Yes, my lady.” He replied as he stood. Her blue skin was partially masked he noticed by some sort of white cream, which also he noticed was amply applied to her bosom. The girl was beautiful.
“Oh no sir, please I’m Miss Onaleen.” The girl replied as she curtsied, indicating she was not of noble birth.
Autbek watched her go down and back up like a flower, causing an odd exciting feeling in his muscles suddenly. He had never seen any girl in Runeholden dressed like this. It would have been scandalous with the way her neck and cleavage were exposed. Then there was the perfume. He had smelled plenty of perfume in his day but not like the one Onaleen was wearing. “Miss Onaleen, how may I be of service?” He asked as he cleared his throat.
“Please sir, I mean I should call you sir yes? I overheard your conversation with this gentleman here.” She said, motioning toward Haspeth.
“Yes, that’s fine. I’m here for a while it seems and as an apprentice I think I should suspend the title for a while.” He chuckled; trying to make it sound like it meant nothing to him, though with this beautiful girl it suddenly had more attraction.
“Yes, sir. I watched, I mean my two companions and I watched you with master Haspeth, and we noticed now that he has the blue dye gone from his face.”
“Ah, yes … I umm … did that.” He suddenly could not decide if he should boast about his cantrip, which a Runeholden never did, or if he should downplay it so as not to frighten her.
“But how sir?” She pleaded. “We’ve tried everything, even the potion they gave us but so far our skin is still stained this awful blue.”
