The Black Mage: Apprentice

by Rachel E. Carter

  "I have led us for two years."

  "And only once to victory - which you wouldn't even have been able to do without me." It felt good, I realized, to speak out.

  "Last year we failed because of your and Ella's flagrant disregard for orders!"

  "Your orders were wrong!"

  "I was the leader, even if my orders were wrong you should have listened to me!"

  "So I should just blindly follow an idiot?"

  "Enough!"

  Both us stopped arguing as Eve stepped in between us. The girl, usually soft spoken, was unusually loud.

  "I don't want to hear about any more of our past battles. We won one, we lost one. For everyone's sake I am going to offer myself as commander. I don't agree with Ryiah's assertion that Darren was chosen for his bloodline – I happen to think he is very good at leading - but I do think it would be a nice change to let someone else take the reins for a day. And, no, Ryiah, I don't think it should be you. You and Darren are too much alike. Both of you are risk takers. It's time we had someone who approached things more cautiously."

  I bristled at that last insinuation. That Darren and I were the same in anything irked me to no avail. I was not reckless. Darren didn't look too happy either.

  "I second Eve." Ray stepped forward shooting me an apologetic smile. I remembered our first-year trials and the stunt I had pulled during our duel. Maybe I was a little reckless.

  "I, as well."

  "Me too."

  Within seconds the mentees had all agreed to a change of leadership. Even Ella and Alex. The only person who did not was Priscilla but she was outvoted.

  "Sorry, Ry," Ella murmured as Eve launched into strategy talk. "I'm sure you would have done well but I think everyone knows Darren would not be very cooperative if it was you, and we need all of us working together to win this."

  I sighed. Once again the non-heir had found a way to make my life difficult. No one wanted me as a leader if it meant our most powerful fourth-year was against it.

  How could I have ever fallen for someone like him?

  We spent the next hour following Eve's directives. I had to admit she knew what she was doing. Having a father in charge of the Crown's Army had made her the ideal commander for a mock battle in Devon. She had the Alchemy apprentices busy mixing magicked oils to strengthen the weak armor our team was supplied. Restoration was already scouting the southern district, looking for possible safe houses to mark with our agreed upon sign.

  Combat, of course, was busy planning the attack. Eve led the discussion, citing the best and worst locations for an ambush.

  The entire township of Devon had been evacuated for our mock battle. All around the edges of its agreed upon border were families of merchants, farmers, nobility, and any of the King's Regiment and Crown's Army who had received the day off. They were all watching alongside our factions' masters and Commander Audric.

  It was intimidating.

  For the day's event each team had been allotted five horses, six breast plates, five chain mail shirts, a handful of wooden shields, six poleaxes, five halberds, a rucksack of woolen bandages and salve, and a small barrel filled with the ingredients Alchemy needed to cast their potions.

  We quickly divvied up the components and gave the second-year mentees the spelled plate armor, halberds, and horses. They would need the most advantage and plate armor was too heavy for quick movement on foot.

  Eventually, it was time to begin.

  ****

  I fell hard, my palms slapping the ground and the rustle of small metal ringlets ringing in my ears. Moments later a spiraling torrent of ice slammed into the wall behind me, just inches from where my head had been. I barely had time to choke out a small gasp of relief and then I was on my feet, sprinting as fast as my legs could carry me.

  I threw up a barrier behind me and prayed it would hold. It was a costly casting – something I usually didn't like to invoke since the sphere tended to drain my magic's stamina much faster than a shield. It was a combination of phantom currents: steel, wind, and crackling power all thrust into a giant purple globe. But I didn't have time to predict my pursuers' next casting – not while I was out in the open.

  My feet pounded along cobblestone as I searched for a safe house, wishing desperately I had remembered Eve's instruction from earlier that morning. The mock battle had been going on for three hours and I already seemed to have forgotten most of our strategy.

  "You can't run forever, Ryiah!" Laughter echoed down the street. I kept running.

  Alex and the rest of his Restoration mates had spent twenty minutes going over the safe houses. Our signal was supposed to be a small splatter of mud at the bottom right corner of the doorway, inconspicuous to all except one who knew exactly what to seek… but try as I might I could not spot any in the buildings I passed.

  I must have heard wrong.

  I knew a safe house had to be somewhere close – just two shops further and I would be crossing into the northern half of the city where the mentors patrolled. At the start of our pre-battle planning the masters had assigned us the southern section. Which meant if I didn't pass a safe house soon I would be forced to turn back and face my two attackers alone. It was reckless to go into mentor territory, and there would be no help there.

  If I found a safe house nearby I could get another Combat apprentice to help me take on my two followers. The houses here weren't just a haven for Restoration and mentees in need of healing, they were also where Alchemy and Combat mages could confer until they were ready to come back out of hiding. If I fought the mentors pursuing me now I would win - but it would cost almost all of my magic to do so. And who knew how much attention the attacks would draw. If more mentors spotted me I'd be forced to surrender in a second.

  I needed help.

  This was exactly what Eve had warned against. It was the reason she had asked us to patrol and scout in pairs. Our team was counting on the fourth-years mentees to secure victory – all but one of our Combat second-years had already surrendered during the first two hours of battle. More than ever we needed my magic.

  The original plan had been for the Combat mentees to travel in packs of two: one fourth-year and one second-year each, with Eve, Darren and their second-year mentee as our sole grouping of three. We'd been instructed to carefully scout the city limits and take out any solo Combat mentors that might be foolish enough to enter the southern territory alone.

  Unfortunately for us, the mentors had also traveled in packs. Which was how, when we did cross paths, Priscilla, Ella, Ray, and I lost our mentee partners as well as their horses in a lightning-quick skirmish.

  Now we were all separated, scattered across the city, seeking the others we had lost track of before. I thought I'd seen Ella take off east – the direction I'd been heading in - but everything had happened so fast and I wasn't sure of anything anymore. I'd been cut off from the others when the third-years had caught up to me twenty minutes back. Theo and Merrick had refused to give up chase and I'd spent most of my energy ducking and dodging since.

  There. I sprinted toward the doorway with the telltale sign. The casting I'd been holding onto was starting to give me a headache – I needed to end it now before I wasted any more of my magic. I dropped my casting just as I tore open the door to find Priscilla, two of Alex's Restoration mates, and Ruth staring wide-eyed at the street behind me.

  "You idiot!" Priscilla screeched. "You led them right to us!" But before I could argue she had shoved her way past me and cast out a large assault of flying daggers. One of the mentor's own blade's caught her shoulder and the highborn swore loudly.

  I stumbled back after her, panting heavily, and helped Priscilla's casting. One of the blades hit Theo's horse and it reared, throwing off its rider.

  Merrick tried to take on his cousin directly but a large torrent of power knocked him off his feet before he had the chance. Priscilla and I raced forward with our halberds and got the two mentors to surrender before they could cast out anythi
ng else.

  As soon as the mentors had said the words Priscilla and I went back into the safe house while a Restoration mage came forward to escort the two out of the city. The woman bore a red silk robe that proved she wasn't a part of battle in case any of the others came across her while she escorted the surrendered apprentices to the palace infirmary.

  "Erik, do you have any more of that healing balm? It looks like Ry needs some for her leg and I need you to see to my shoulder."

  My head swiveled to Priscilla. I couldn't keep the surprise from showing on my face. Now that we were out of danger she was still helping me.

  "Don't look so surprised, lowborn, I'm not about to let my disgust for you as a person keep me from trying to secure a victory." Priscilla's tone was anything but kind.

  Well, that at least made sense. She wanted to win, even if it meant playing nice.

  I took a steadying breath as the Restoration apprentice treated the deep gash on my leg. It had happened when I'd tried to save Phillipe, my second-year partner. Much good it had done me. "How long have you been hiding out here? Have you seen any of the others?"

  Priscilla sniffed. "I got here a half hour before you did. And no, I haven't been reckless enough to risk my neck without backup. I have no idea where the others are."

  "I think we should go find them." I helped the apprentice finish wrapping my leg.

  "Are you mad? You only just got here!"

  "But what about Ray and Ella? What if they didn't find each other like we did? We can't let the mentors pick us off one by one! Like Eve said, we only have strength in numbers when we are going up against the mentors!"

  "We should wait for them to find us. How do you know they aren't already together? Maybe they are with Darren and Eve."

  "Priscilla, don't be a coward."

  "I helped you, didn't I?"

  "Well, help me again. Help our whole team."

  "I am helping the team. I'm helping the ones in here right now."

  Ruth interrupted Priscilla. "You know Ry is right. You two have to find the others. Eve's plan stated you were only to use the safe houses if you were injured or alone. Once you have help you need to go back out there and fight."

  ****

  Priscilla kicked a pebble across the street, sulking, as she studied the houses behind us. We were back-to-back scouting as we made our way through the southern streets of Devon. Both of us were looking for any of our teammates, another safe house, or potential enemy mentors.

  "I hope you know what you are doing."

  I didn't respond. All of my senses were focused on the path in front of me. If we came across a pack of mentors we needed to spot them before they us. We could not afford to get caught off-guard. Again.

  "Don't think that I didn't know you were trying to steal Darren away from me in Port Langli."

  That caught my attention. It took all my effort not to divert focus as I said quickly, "Priscilla, now is not the time."

  "But it's the only time I don't have to worry about running into you with your pack of friends. So, yes, now is the time."

  I felt my face start to heat up. My blood was racing and I knew it had nothing to do with the stagnant landscape in front of me. I forced myself to swallow. "It was a mistake - I thought he loved me." It hurt to say the words aloud. Especially because if I said much more I knew the pain would come flooding back, and I'd be powerless to stop it. No matter what I said or how I acted, I still loved him. It was a disease I was fighting to cure.

  "Let me let you in on a little secret, lowborn: he doesn't love me either."

  I stumbled and barely had time to catch myself.

  "He never has. Probably never will. But that's the way of the Crown and you of all people should know better than to try and change him. If you want proof, just look to Shina – excuse me, Princess Shinako - the next time the two of them are together." Priscilla sounded bitter.

  "What are you talking about?"

  "People like Darren place power – and wealth - above all else. If Blayne hadn't secured that princess Darren would have done so himself. It doesn't take a fool to see what he's after."

  "You don't love him?"

  Priscilla laughed. "Love Darren? Of course not. Love is for fools not smart enough to see the path in front of them. That's the difference between you and I, Ryiah. I see the truth and accept Darren for what he is. You just see what you want to see. It's why I will wear the crown and bear his children while you are left wondering why you were never good enough."

  I wanted to turn around and tackle her to the ground. She was deliberately using this mock battle to bait me. The highborn knew I wouldn't dare attack her while we were being observed by an audience. "I don't believe you. You wouldn't be jealous of Shina - you wouldn't have spent every moment you could tormenting me - unless you saw something you were afraid of."

  Priscilla laughed scornfully. "Even if I was doubtful for a second or two, it's obvious the prince has moved on from whatever tryst the two of you shared on that mission. Why else would he have moved up our wedding date?"

  I felt as if the ground had slipped right out from under me. "W-what?"

  "That's right. The night of the ascension ceremony – right after you made that whole scene with the platter - the king announced the new date. You had already left the ballroom by then, of course, but then again it is your nature to rise to dramatics anytime something is not going your way. Like the pig's blood. Really, Ryiah, it was a harmless hazing and you-"

  "Stop talking, Priscilla!"

  "What are you-"

  I turned around and slammed my palm over Priscilla's mouth and dragged her to the side of the closest building to our left. Not one moment later a cluster of mentors appeared, one of them wearing a black armband. It was Ian.

  Priscilla stopped trying to claw my hand and let out a low gasp, pointing at the green-eyed fifth-year. I nodded. Now we knew who was commanding the mentor's team.

  We stayed in hiding until the patrol had passed and then we looked to one another.

  "We should follow them," I said before she could speak. "We should try to pick them off one at a time."

  "We can't be heroes - we need to find the others first."

  The two of us stared at each other stubbornly.

  "Fine. How about we continue to follow them and look for the others at the same time? It's possible they know where the rest of our team is and are heading in that direction anyway."

  She sighed, "Fine. But don't do anything reckless, Ryiah; we all know you have a reputation."

  I glared at her. "Let's go. If you waste any more time insulting me we will lose sight of them!"

  The two of us took off in the same direction as Ian and his two accomplices. We trailed stealthily behind, using the tracking skills the Ishir regiment had taught us during our desert stay.

  We had gone on for about twenty minutes when we caught sight of another safe house.

  Priscilla raced ahead to see who was inside while I kept a lookout nearby, hidden behind some brush. A minute later she emerged with Ella. I breathed a sigh of relief: Ella was still okay and I could see Alex and another Alchemy mentee inside.

  Ella followed Priscilla to my hiding spot. She wore a funny expression. Probably at the idea of Priscilla and I as partners.

  The three of us continued tracking the mentors to an armory on the northern side of the city. We had just set up watch a quarter of a mile away when a loud crash sounded behind us.

  Before I even had the chance to cast up any sort of defense, Ella and Priscilla were sent sprawling into the wall behind me. I whirled around to see Bryce and Loren smiling.

  "Surrender?"

  Ella and Priscilla attempted to stand. Bryce cast out two swords at their throat and Loren pressed his poleaxe against mine. "Don't try anything," Loren warned, "I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to."

  "Bryce," Priscilla's voice was sickly sweet. Ella made a gagging sound but our teammate continued. "Please, let us go, or, at least, me
. You can trust me. You know me."

  The mentor laughed shortly, not swayed by the friendly tone of his highborn friend. "You are such a liar, Priscilla. The second I let you go you'll free these two lowborns to impress your betrothed." He cleared his throat. "Surrender now. Say the words, or this will get a whole lot worse."

  Ella's eyes shot to me and I swallowed. I could see her question: would I pain cast to try and set us free? Loren's blade was close. If I could press into it…

  "Don't even think about it, Ryiah. We've been following you three since that safe house you pulled Ella out of," Loren said quickly. "If you do, our first order of business after we take out the three of you will be to get your brother and his friends. We won't give them an option, we'll just let them burn. Wonder how long it'll take the Restoration mages to treat Alex in the infirmary afterward?"

  My stomach clenched. I knew Loren was a friend but in that moment I hated him for playing my twin against me. I opened my lips to speak.

  A huge flare of light and a loud boom. The ground shook.

  A rush of thick gas flooded the air around me.

  I couldn't see anything as I choked back my breath. I could hear crying and someone shouting but everything was hazy. A second later I lost control of my balance.

  As I fell, I wondered absentmindedly which Combat apprentice – mentee or mentor - had cast enough magic to make the rest of us weak enough to lose track of our limbs.

  Two sets of arms gripped mine and pulled me up, running and dragging me out of the fog. I followed as best I could but I wasn't much help. At some point I must have lost track of consciousness because the next thing I knew, cold water was being splashed into my face.

  I spit out a mouth full of water, sputtering.

  My vision cleared and I saw Darren and Ray clutching a bucket with Eve leaning against a bed frame shortly behind them. We were in another safe house - only this one didn't have a Restoration or Alchemy apprentice in sight. Ray saw the question in my eyes and said, "They were caught," by way of explanation.