“Thank you Alec,” Jake was first to say as he finished and went to stand. Mason quickly followed the appreciations, and as Leo realised he had not yet done so, likewise quickly followed their lead. Alec just waved another hand, “My parents are quite wealthy,” he told them, but not in any way that sounding like he was bragging. In fact, quite to the contrary, it was clear Alec was almost embarrassed by his family’s rich lifestyle, “It is the least I can do, and I’m only too happy to share it with friends,” he added.
After a short respite, and having finished their drinks, Alec was the first to stand, “I just need to go back to one of the stalls over that way,” he said pointing to where they had already been browsing. Leo quickly stood and offered to walk back with him but Alec shook his head. Noticing Leo looked confused as to why he was being rebuked, Alec explained that it would perhaps be a little easier for him, if he did not have three Sorcerers with him, whilst shopping, “It seems most people walk the other way when they see you lot coming,” he chuckled.
As the three sorcerers watch their friend disappear off between the trees and back out into the bustling streets, Mason commented on how he would have thought there was enough books in the guild library to last anybody ten lifetimes. Jake chuckled, “Yes you would think so, yet Alec seems to want another anyway,” he added. Leo merely smiled at the remark, as he suggested they make a move, and wait for their friend at the predefined position a little further up the main street, nearer to the guild buildings.
As they slowly walked, Leo noticed how once more the people gave them a wide berth, as they had a little earlier. It was observing this behaviour that got him wondering, as to the reason why people felt so uneasy in the presence of sorcerers. As far as he had seen, his faction had not done anything to warrant such a behaviour, or perhaps something had happened in the past that had made the people feel this way. He had always known that they were indeed mysterious people, but as to why people feared them, he was unsure.
Chapter 13.
With their hoods up over their heads, keeping their identities hidden away from the folk of Surmont, the three apprentice sorcerers, awaited the return of their friend from the Literary guild. Alec had taken a little longer than they had thought, but Leo for one had not even considered about going back to the guild without him.
They eventually spotted him hurrying up the street towards them, carrying a large book under one arm, whilst trying to place his coin purse back into his pocket. They then watched on in horror, as another man barged their friend to the ground, before grabbing Alec’s money and after stumbling a little, headed back down the street. Leo for one, needed no second invitation as Mason shouted and started giving chase, and Jake quickly followed.
As he ran, Leo could feel his anger raging, that someone would dare do such a thing, especially to one of his friends. With his hood obscuring his view a little, he spotted the man some twenty paces off looking over his shoulder straight at them. Leo did not really think as to what he was doing and merely thrust a hand out hoping to stun the man. Instead a burst of energy surged forward, completely obliterating a market stall the robber had just passed. The trader and his customers had to dive for cover, as the contents flew skyward in a burst of flame, before coming down and showering anybody unfortunate enough to be close by.
Naturally the screams of the people, and the noise of the explosion drew attention to the three sorcerers giving chase to a man, who once more looked over his shoulder to see where they were. Mason thrust a hand forward, and unlike Leo with his attempt, succeeded in just sending forth a small amount of energy, striking the perpetrator and sending him to the ground.
Leo, on seeing the robber dealt with, turned to check Alec was okay, to see his friend just a few paces behind them. Jake prodded the robber with his boot, as the man on the ground groaned in pain, before picking up the discarded coin purse, which he duly passed back to Alec as he joined alongside. Leo stared down at the man on the ground, and despite the fact he was clearly in pain, wanted to cause him much more; an anger he had never felt before.
Fortunately, Mason pointed out to a group of soldiers shoving their way through the growing crowd. Leo also noted the two black-robed figures who were approaching just to the left of them, although they did not have the same problems with the crowd being in their way.
One of the guards came over to speak to Alec, avoiding any contact with the three young sorcerers, enquiring what had taken place. He told the man he had just bought a book and was putting his coin purse away when he was barged over by the man on the floor. His friends, he told the guard as he gestured to the three sorcerers beside him, had given chase and caught the thief. The guard nodded, looking only briefly towards Leo, Mason and Jake, before giving an order to two soldiers, “Take him away,” he said before turning to another man involved in the incident.
Leo watched on as the stall holder, kept pointing his direction and had the horrible feeling nothing good was coming of this. “I think we should slip away,” Jake said, “Whilst we have chance. The guards can deal with him now, and Alec has his money back.” Leo was just about to agree, when he noticed the guard who had questioned Alec, talking to one of the two sorcerers that had arrived at the scene, and pointing at him.
Before he could say or do anything else, the two sorcerers stepped up to them. Leo noticed they had the emblem of the city guards emblazoned on their sleeves, but aside from that, they had little difference in appearance to themselves. Leo felt his arm being grabbed, and went to pull it away as one of them spoke, “You can come quietly young man or we can do this the hard way.” Both Mason and Jake immediately jumped to his defence, “Excuse us, we were the ones who stopped the robber. If you lot were doing your job properly then we would have not gotten involved,” Jake spat.
It was quickly apparent neither of the sorcerers took kindly to being questioned, especially by an apprentice, “One more word from either of you and you will be joining your friend in jail,” one hissed back from under the cover of his hood. It took a few moments for those words to sink in, until the penny dropped that he was being sent to prison. It was Alec who spoke next, “May I ask why you are arresting my friend?” he said trying to remain calm and not inflame the situation any further.
There was a short silence, before one of the two sorcerers replied, “Your friend here is being charged with destruction of property, endangering life, and probably a few more things when we delve a little deeper into what happened.” Alec took a deep breath, “He was just helping me…You surely cannot think Leo deliberately damaged that market stall…” he replied but was cut short as the man raised his hand. “No more…Come on you,” the man said as he pulled on Leo’s arm leading him away.
Realising whatever they said or did was not going to change the two arresting sorcerer’s minds, Mason, Jake and Alec knew they needed to get back to the Guild and seek help there. Leo did not resist as he felt himself being led away, and not wanting to get in any more trouble he kept his opinions to himself. The crowd once more parted letting him and the two sorcerers through, before closing behind them.
Leo did glance back to see if he could see his friends, but they had been lost in the crowd, which also vanished from view as they turned down one of the side streets. The two men escorting him remained silent as they walked, leading their young prisoner back to their headquarters for questioning.
Eventually Leo found himself taken into a small walled yard, with three buildings situated within, where he also noticed a couple of other black robed sorcerers. He was manhandled through one of the open doorways and into a small office area, where another sorcerer was sat behind a large desk. This man made them wait a few moments whilst he finished writing on the piece of parchment in front of him, before looking up and staring at Leo. “Well take your hood down,” he snapped in an aggressive manner. Leo did not argue and quickly used the arm not been held to do as was asked.
The man behind the desk, he noticed, also wore the symbol of the City
Guard on his sleeve, although his had some other marking as well, which Leo presumed probably showed him as some kind of higher rank. The two men beside him, eventually lowered their own hoods, and Leo saw the faces of the men for the first time. Both were probably in their thirties, whilst the man behind the desk was probably older than that by a good ten years or more.
“What is the charge?” the older man eventually asked, as if it was a chore him even having to do that.
“Destruction of property, endangering the public, resisting arrest,” the man to Leo’s left said.
“I did not resist arrest,” he snapped, feeling he was not going to be getting a fair trial here.
The man behind the desk shouted for silence, before staring at Leo. “You seem very young. What year is your apprenticeship in?” he eventually asked.
“First year…Sir,” Leo replied pointing to his belt which indicated as much, before realising it was not white anymore, although he hoped by being polite the man might not make up any other charges.
After nodding for a few moments the senior man added, “First year, and yet you wear the belt of the king’s sorcerer. Steal it did you boy?” he asked. Before Leo even had chance to reply, the man spoke again, “I’ll add theft of property and suggest to the guild you are excluded for impersonating a higher rank.” Leo went to open his mouth, but such was the shock, no words seemed to come out.
What followed was merely a blur, as Leo’s mind wandered off from the reality of the situation. The men with him were still talking yet he did not listen, instead he started fearing his new better life was about to end. Various plans of escape ran through his mind, although he was unsure whether he should pursue any of them. After all, once his friends returned to the guild, they would surely send one of the Masters to help sort out this awful mess. That was until he remembered all the Masters were in some important meeting, which meant any intervention on their behalf was not going to be forthcoming any time soon.
With the voices in the room getting louder, Leo was brought back to his senses by a blow to the head, as one of the two guards struck him, probably far harder than necessary. “Stop day dreaming boy,” The man behind the desk shouted, “And give me your name.”
Leo grimaced, lifting his hand up and rubbing the side of his head, before glaring at the man who had just struck him.
“Try it boy,” the man said defiantly almost goading Leo to attack him, “I could have you wrapped up and dangling from the roof by your feet before you know it,” he added sounding cockily.
“What is your name?” the man shouted again, slamming his hand down on the desk, getting frustrated at Leo’s complete lack of cooperation. “I’ve had enough, throw him in one of the cells,” he ordered the two guards. “I am not being put in a prison cell, I have done nothing wrong,” Leo replied defiantly, shaking his arm free from one of the guards.
Leo instantly felt a magic shield surround his body, clamping his arms tight to his side. This however, was not like the shield Daron, the king’s Sorcerer, had used during his lesson. This shield lacked anything like the power of that one, and Leo was all but certain he could break free from it; if only he could concentrate. He could hear the three men laughing at him in the room as he wriggled and writhed, trapped inside the glimmering shield of energy, and felt his anger slowly rising.
With that same laughter ringing in his ears, Leo had all the motivation he needed, and thought of a way to break the shield. He did not know why or where the idea had come from, but thought it might have been something Alec had told him, something his friend had read in one of his books. He would create his own shield, but have it emanating from his own body, and thus, if he recalled the theory correctly, pushing the entrapping barrier outwards, forcing the person casting it to either strengthen it or release it.
Leo turned to the man at his right hand side, and watched as his own shield started pushing against the one holding him. The smile on his face turned to one of horror, as Leo easily pushed it away from his own body, and despite the man’s best efforts Leo continued to do so. What Leo had not counted on, was just how big his own shield would get, and so quickly. With the shield holding him in place, quickly broken, his own shield expanded shoving the two men beside him across the wooden floor.
The man behind the desk got the shock of his life as it was also shoved across the floor, trapping him behind it, squashing him against the back wall. Leo let go just in time, as he realised all three men were in danger of being killed, and without waiting any longer, made a dash for the door. Knowing if people saw him running across the yard, it would only draw attention, he pulled his hood back over his head, and slowed to a walk, all the time hoping no-one else got in his way. With his heart pounding so hard, he tried to remain inconspicuous, as he left the yard and picked up the pace a little as he turned into a side street.
With his head in a spin, he felt nothing but panic, as he realised the enormity of what he had just done, and knew he could not even return to the guild. Surely, he thought, that would be the first place they would look to find him, and now he had escaped from the guards, he was an outlaw, on the run. With no money or supplies, nor even anywhere to sleep, the thought of returning home to his step-mother even seemed a better option.
Knowing being dressed in his black robe, would likely make finding him even easier, despite the benefits it gave, he thought he would firstly need to find some clothes. For now, though, he needed to get off the streets and hide away until dark, and then he could make a break for it, using the cover of night to make his escape from Surmont.
After pacing several lesser used streets, half expecting to be grabbed at every turn, he eventually found what he hoped was a good hiding place. Not entirely sure where he was in relation to the guild or the exits from the city, he slipped through a gap in a broken fence and into a small garden. The house, or what was left of it, looked like it had succumbed to fire, and although he could see half of the roof gone, the rest still appeared in good condition.
After walking round the back of the property and barging through a blackened door, he found himself inside what he thought was the kitchen. Although it was clear people had cleared out anything of worth that had survived the fire, there were still a few pots and pans hanging from hooks on the wall. He pushed on, making his way into what he thought the dining room, which was bereft of any furniture, and decided this was as good a spot as any to rest.
Leo, used to being alone, sat with his knees pulled up to his chest, and sobbed. His new life, one that had so un-expectantly changed his life for the better was over, and with nowhere to go, he was unsure of what to do. For the first time in his life he actually felt alone and struck by a fear he had never felt before. Surely now his source of magic had been opened up to him, he would be classed as dangerous, and duly hunted down like the other rogue magicians.
Chapter 14.
In the guild building Alec waited impatiently outside the main hall, which was being used by all the masters for their meeting. Jake and Mason were with him, and despite every effort they had made to enter, they had been told in no uncertain terms to leave. They tried to think of others who may be able to help their cause, but were unable to come up with anybody suitable, even to the point of thinking perhaps the second or third year apprentices might be able to aid them in some way.
They were just resigned to having no option but to sit and wait outside the hall, when the door opened, and Kian stepped outside. Although clearly not happy two of his apprentices had tried to barge their way in to what was a private, and very important meeting, he remained calm. “What is it you boys want?” he asked, “I should not even be out here,” he added waiting for a reply.
Alec decided he was best to try and explain, although his first attempt turned in to nothing more than a ramble, causing Kian to tell him to stop and start again. “Leo is where?” he asked, catching that part at least. Alec took a deep breath and tried to explain again, this time pausing every sentence to see the Sorcer
y Master had understood. The Master looked at Jake and Mason, more so to see if they had anything to add, rather than check what Alec had said was true, but they just nodded. “Come on we must help him,” Alec said clearly getting frustrated at the lack of movement his Master was making.
Kian looked back at the door to the hall before looking down the corridor, as if trying to decide what he should do, before he made his choice and sprinted off. The three young apprentices had little option but to follow or be left standing in the corridor, as they watched the Master head for the foyer.
Kian pulled to a sudden stop, not to let the others catch up, but because he had just thought of something else. “Alec?” he asked checking the literary apprentice’s name, “I need you to let someone else know,” he added before darting for the nearest of the classrooms on the ground floor, as opposed to the exit. The three youngsters all looked at each other, none of whom had a clue what the Master was up to, but followed nonetheless.
After scribbling out a note and signing it, Kian handed it over to Alec, “I need you to take this to the palace. Tell them it is urgent that you see Daron, the king’s sorcerer and that you personally hand this to him,” he added handing over the folded piece of parchment. Alec took the paper and nodded his understanding, and although he was a little disappointed he was not going to help Leo directly, he did not argue and headed off for the exit.
The Apprentice Sorcerer: The Caldronian Guild Page 11
