God-Kissed: Book 1 (The Apprentices)

by Clark Bolton

  “Ok, maybe he has found some maps in that library.”

  “I’ve seen some, they are there and I’ll have him come ready with them.”

  “I’ll ask Xajac to be there also. These dwarves are turning out to be a great asset.”

  “Yes, among many others … including a gnome now I hope.”

  After Berdtom arrived from the city they assembled around the hall table in the evening where Un Papp had laid out a number of maps. Some were small representations of Astrum and surrounding lands and others showed a more worldly view, complete with giant turtles at the margins and dragons wrapped about cities. Everyone was quite impressed by them and soon all were searching for Urbourkas on them.

  “Do you know it Un Papp?” Autbek asked as he studied the map nearest him.

  “Yes, O’t, it is known as Urbourkas Monastery and it is in the land of Irgalash.” Un Papp pointed out an area of the map that was poorly filled in.

  Murac scoffed. “Irgalash, been there, and if you need something from them good luck. They are a dead people … they just don’t know it.”

  Autbek looked up to ask, “What do you mean?”

  “They are practically living in a desert and don’t have much interest in the rest of the world. Other than some fisherman you will not see many of them because they are very few in number.”

  “Don’t judge them to harshly, Murac, they were once a great peoples who have since lost their way.” Eifled said in their defense. “You’ll find Urbourkas one of their last treasures since most others have long since been buried or taken.”

  Autbek had the distinct feeling there was story there that Eifled had to tell but looked reluctant to. “How long will it take to get there and back, Murac?”

  “Hmm, this time of year, seven or eight weeks either way.”

  “You're talking months!” Haspeth exclaimed. “Months at sea in a tiny boat just to get a couple of rings!”

  “Busy are you?” Castor asked.

  “Yeah, busy living in a rather comfortable tower … bloody well thank you!”

  “Thought battle-mages traveled to the next battle. You know ever ready … ever willing!”

  “Enough.” Autbek growled to get the two to stop.

  “O’t, perhaps this needs to be put off!” Berdtom commented as he studied some maps. “Look these maps don’t even agree where it is.” He pointed out two different locations on two different maps.

  “You’ll find it there about, Tom.” Eifled remarked as he pointed to one of the maps.

  “Can’t, Tom, that much I know.” Turning to Murac he asked, “Can you find us a ship able to take us there and back?”

  “That’s not the issue, O’t. Give the gold and we will get you a fine ship but as Tom says can you afford to be away for so long. You’ve got apprentices to teach among other things.”

  Autbek furrowed his brow. “Then they will have to come with me.”

  The girls looked at each other in shock, obviously they had not thought they would be going anywhere. “O’t, I will go with you if you want me too.” Onaleen announced.

  “Good! Then that’s settled.” He looked to Berdtom for confirmation he had accepted the decision, but he looked unsure.

  No one spoke for a while until an unnoticed guest spoke up. “Can’t you fly there?” Appaloupe asked. Then when everyone stared at him with surprised looks on their faces he added, “I mean you’re mages ...right?”

  “We are not that skilled I’m afraid.” Autbek replied with a frown.

  “Yea … and anyway I’m not flapping my wings that bloody far!” Haspeth put in.

  Murac leaned over to study the map for a moment, running his finger first from Astrum to where it showed Irgalash to be, and then on down to the very bottom. “Is this the direction of Un Sha?” He asked of Un Papp and Eifled who both nodded yes.

  “We are not going there too are we?” Haspeth asked innocently.

  Murac ignored the question. “Un Papp, how are the Un Garrethzatch gnomes getting to Astrum?”

  Autbek could see where this was leaning, but as they waited for Un Papp to reply he soon realized the monk was not going too. “Don’t you know Un Papp?”

  Un Papp’s face remained calm and unchanged as he remained silent, but Appaloupe had an answer. “I know I think … they are flying here. Right?” Appaloupe looked to Un Papp for a confirmation that never came.

  Autbek furrowed his brow as he thought about three odd looking birds flapping their wings all the way from Un Sha. “Flying! As bird’s you mean?”

  “Yea … I mean I don’t know, ship maybe … don’t they do that sometimes?”

  Berdtom asked Un Papp softly, “Un Papp, is there a flying ship of some kind on its way here?”

  The whole room went deathly quiet and chills ran up many a spine as they looked from the monk to the array of maps before them. It seemed possible to them as they looked to the mythical creatures illustrated on them.

  Finally Eifled spoke, “The Un Sha are tight lipped about such things, Tom, but I will admit to hearing rumors of such vessels before.”

  “Could we ask for a ride back?” Castor inquired. “I mean if they come here they pass close to Irgalash so why not on the way back?”

  Again the room was silent as all pondered the question. Finally the monk bowed and spoke. “They will not be heading back even if they come from Un Sha Temple; such vessels roam to their own worlds when their journey is complete.”

  “What!” Haspeth exclaimed. “What’s he mean by worlds.” He asked Autbek.

  “Hush!” Autbek told him. “Un Papp, are you saying they will come by some flying vessel, all the way here to the city?”

  Un Papp bowed slightly again. “This is unknown to me, Autbek, but in the past such has been done with important matters.”

  Berdtom spoke up. “This one is pretty import to Un Sha, is it not?”

  “It is, sir, so I think a ship may be coming.”

  Autbek furrowed his brow as he tried to work out the logistics. “When, and will they take us?”

  “I am sorry, Autbek, but of the details I know nothing.”

  “Appaloupe?”

  “Sorry, only know it should be soon as that’s what my masters mentioned.”

  “Murac, can we do this?”

  With a big inhale of air and a cold stare at the maps, Murac replied, “Yeah, sure … why not. We will need to be ready at a moment’s notice so we should pack now before morning.”

  “Neustus might see them coming?” Castor added.

  Autbek thought that a real possibility. “Yes, and maybe just maybe the viken could too.” He looked to Pemmesa who had been quiet up until now. “Go to them in the morning…do you know how to find them?”

  “I can help find them I think.” Resbeka said.

  “Good, the two of you take an escort at first light. Tell the viken this would be a great favor we would owe them. Any information they can give us will help!”

  “Ok.” Pemmesa replied hesitantly.

  “Now, everyone coordinate with Murac on what to take and have your stuff ready before midnight if at all possible.”

  “What if they come while we are away?” Resbeka asked.

  “Then we hold them for as long as it takes for you to return.” He knew that maybe it would not be possible to do so, but did not want to seed doubts in her.

  Berdtom looked over at him with a concerned look on his face. “You’re planning awful fast, O’t!”

  “I know no choice I think. Are you coming with us?”

  “I can’t spare the time, O’t! But … pass up a ride in the clouds I will not!”

  “Eifled, you are welcome to come.” Autbek said earnestly.

  “Not so tempted as you might think, O’t, though Urbourkas has called to me before I’ve been warned by friends in the past that it is no place for an old man to visit.”

  Autbek nodded in understanding as he had forgotten for the moment just how old Eifled was. Though the man would not d
ivulge his age such a trip would likely be unwelcome.

  They broke up quickly as they rushed to pack and to write letters of instruction and notification to the many others that would be affected by their absence. It dawned on Autbek and the others that they had passed beyond a simple group of young people setting out to learn a bit of magic.

  Chapter 25

  Pemmesa and Resbeka did not return until almost noon on the next day making Autbek and the others very nervous. They had been taking turns on the third floor of the tower, watching with Neustus for a ship to appear.

  “I think it will come at night.” Castor guessed.

  “Could be right.” Autbek replied as he signaled for the two returning girls to come over to the table where they sat planning the details as best they could of their trip.

  “We have some news, but I’m afraid it is not much!” Pemmesa said as she sat next to him, exhausted from her trip

  “Well anything, Pemmesa, is more than what we have now!”

  She smiled and then told them what had happened and what they had learned. With Pemmesa’s help the viken had cast a divination much like what they had seen before in the alley where they had first met the viken. In the fires they saw strange lights that caused the whole sky to become multicolored and to fill with lightning. Pemmesa did not have any idea of what day this would happen on but she thought it would be soon and that it would be at night.

  Autbek shared a smile with Castor at his comment before. “That’s a lot really. Now get with Murac, as you see the rest of us all have our packs lined up there, ready to go.”

  They spent many hours going over the lists of scrolls to take, making many corrections that involved unpacking and repacking. At night they lost a lot of sleep either from taking their turn at watching the stars or from being too nervous to sleep. After several days of this Autbek invited the viken to come and wait with them hoping to better cement their relationship.

  The viken accepted the invitation gladly and soon there was three of them camped out beside the tower since there was little room in the courtyard due to construction. The three women included Adelm and they did not seem to mind at all the accommodations as apparently they traveled a bit in the countryside.

  “O’t, look here I’ve got a bunch of herbs the viken gave us.” Onaleen announced as she placed several small bundles of leaves wrapped in parchment on one of the hall’s tables. “These I’ve been researching with Un Papp, they have strong healing properties. Oh and he found some healing spells I think.”

  Autbek smiled, pleased to hear she was making some progress in the healing arts at least. “Looks promising, Onaleen, now how about we work on a cantrip.” He felt rushed to move them along, just as he had done with Haspeth and Castor over a year ago.

  “Really? I thought … I mean ok.” She was eager but at the same time apprehensive over the many warnings he had given her over the past months about the horrors of casting magic when not ready.

  “I’ll teach the first one I learned when I was about eight or nine.”

  “Eight! You must think me stupid O’t not to be able to do it yet.”

  “No no! I had already been studying arcane-script for a year or two by then. You're coming up fast on a year, though I know it’s not the same since you had to study at home and such.” Their classes near the palace he hoped would pay off now even if they were a poor substitute for the intense training most apprentices got from living with their masters.

  He got out a blank parchment and then thought for a moment. “Now how did that go?” he muttered trying to remember the simple cantrip. “INUS!” he muttered as he pressed his finger on the sheet producing a large ink looking stain.

  “Oh! That’s it; I mean can you write with your finger?” She tried not to make it sound like it did, which was that she was not impressed though she was.

  “Not really, not unless you say it over and over, though you can draw a bit. Now I’ll draw the symbol and you say it … I know you’ve seen it enough times in class.”

  She watched him draw the symbol with a quill and then he had her try. “INUS.” She whispered as she put her finger to the parchment, but nothing happened.

  “No … put your finger first, close your eyes and picture the rune in your mind as you say it loudly!” He was nervous now that she might do more than he told her to do as often first time apprentices started picturing all kinds of symbols with some startling effects.

  “INUS!” Opening her eyes she saw nothing.

  “Again! Now picture it mostly first keeping your finger down.” He watched her do it several times and then finally an ink spot appeared. “Wow, great!”

  Her eyes snapped open at his words. “Oh, I did it!” She squealed like only a teenage girl could. She kissed him then and then she proceeded to try and calm herself so she could repeat it.

  Trying not to let her bouncing bosom distract him he commented, “When you get really good at this one you can put a spot on a wall at ten paces, which can really upset your mother.”

  She ignored him and proceeded to do spot after spot, after spot.

  “Congratulations you're a mage!” He said with a big smile after watching her for a minute.

  She stared deeply into his eyes after he said this trying to determine if he was teasing her. “Am I, O’t?”

  “Afraid so, now you can spend the rest of your life as I … an outcast … though a very important one!” He joked.

  “No, not an outcast, a person of great knowledge and respect I think!” She sounded like she had convinced herself of it.

  “Sure! Now go get one of the other girls before it gets dark.” He watched her sexy body move to comply then he chuckled to himself as he wondered what the other two girls would say when they succeeded.

  Turned out Resbeka thought it should be kept a secret and Pemmesa, who already been doing stuff with the viken, thought not so much of it. “Great!” He told the three of them as he got up to inform Castor and Haspeth that they would have to be teaching cantrips from now on, though he thought Castor’s illusion cantrips might not work for the girls.

  That night nothing again happened and so much sleep was lost by all. Some had spent much of the night chatting with the viken around their small campfire burning next to the tower. The nights were getting much warmer as summer approached and so it became a great opportunity to teach and learn.

  This pattern was repeated for several nights until it became routine. Sitting at the fire on a blanket listening to viken talk of wood spirits and the power of the earth to heal was refreshing but Autbek and some of the others came to think of it as incomplete or perhaps an art largely of the past and so mostly forgotten. He could not help but compare them to Tel Sok, the mage of Ingretti, who though clearly capable of magic, seemed little more than a shadow of what the Ausic Mages must have been.

  These thoughts he discussed with his apprentices when others were not present. This and little bits of information on Ausic lore that Un Papp had provided as well as some bits from Eifled’s research. It sounded to most of them that the Ausic had been the height of sorcery in a bygone age and that unfortunately had not passed on much of its knowledge to the present.

  “I think the viken think me very powerful.” Pemmesa confessed at one point. “I can see they know almost no arcane-script so have to cast from the heart, as they call it.”

  Autbek furrowed his brow. “I think the same, Pemmesa. You are talented but I think they don’t understand that you have just begun to be a mage. Perhaps if they had arcane-script knowledge they could help pierce this veil of mystery around those visions you see in the fire.”

  “I do think you are right, I mean how can I be of any use to them without your teachings, O’t.”

  “Wisely said I think.” He thought her smart to understand where she was in ability.

  After a while sitting in silence Onaleen suddenly asked him, “O’t, can we try one of those healing spells Un Papp found?”

  “Hmm … I don�
�t know, are any of them cantrips?” He was concerned she was going to try something beyond her abilities.

  “I don’t know … maybe!”

  He had her lay the scrolls out on a table for him to review. As many arcane-script scrolls had markings at the top of them he looked to see if these did. Finding some had he began to think about his theory again that these markings were Ausic in origin and were a system intended to indicate the level of difficulty or perhaps the level of Ausic mage needed to use them safely.

  “This one is.” He announced pulling one from the group of about a dozen.

  “How can you tell so quick?” Haspeth asked looking over Autbek’s shoulder.

  “The markings here … you will see this on some cantrips, though I think most lack them now. I’ve been thinking the Ausic have rated these in the past but most copies have lost that information.”

  “Do you think I can cast it?” Onaleen said with eyes wide.

  Autbek smiled and then proceed to intently study the scroll. It was definitely healing he decided from the many arcane symbols on the spell that fell into that category. He then searched the margins and turned the scroll over to see if there was any notes on it as often there was with some spells. Mages liked to comment on how to cast things and to explain the purpose of the spell.

  “Hmm, mentions abrasions but not much else. Anyone here got a cut they want healed?” He said with a big smile.

  “The battle-mage could likely manage one of those I think.” Castor joked.

  “Yea … hold still!” Haspeth answered as he waved his fist about.

  “Hmm, we need a test subject … not a person though.”

  “How about one of the dwarves; who is that offal one?” Resbeka asked.

  “Now now, none of that. We need an animal maybe.”

  “That’s cruel!” Pemmesa cried.

  “Spoken like a true viken.” Haspeth commented which brought a scowl from her.

  “Hold on … I’ll get a chicken.” Castor announced as he headed down the tower stairs.

  Nobody objected as they sat quietly waiting. When he got back he set the bird on the table and then proceeded to pull a few small feathers off one of its legs near its foot. This caused the bird to dance around a bit.