by Clark Bolton
The younger boy mostly split his time between his mug and doodling on some parchment with a piece of chalk, which was something he often did. The boy’s talent as an artist always made Autbek think about somehow working that in with some type of spell casting but so far he had not come up with anything.
Berdtom sat next to Haspeth and called for a drink, which was not too hard as Haspeth had one girl hovering about him picking up coins from him at every opportunity.
“Yes, sir.” She replied to Berdtom’s request, obviously not pleased he had joined their little party.
“I’ll have one too please miss.” Autbek called to the girl as she was walking away but got no reply, which disappointed him as she was kind of pretty.
“Spend some coin on her O’t, shall give you a smile then.” Berdtom suggested with a grin.
“Yea O’t, you know how to do that yeah!” Haspeth blurted out loudly.
This got a laugh from Castor who had been sipping away at an enormous pewter mug that was in danger of completely obscuring his entire head due to the height of the table. His two friends would never let him live down the way he had given away gold when he first came to Astrum.
The drink began flowing and minstrels arrived to play popular tunes on flutes and stringed instruments. The four indulged themselves with various roast meats and potatoes, cheeses and even wine until they had a regular circuit of servants coming and going.
Autbek worried a little about the time but guessed their master would not miss them tonight, not after the long day at the construction site. So he sipped his wine and went back to looking after Castor who was starting now to ignore his repeated suggestions not to drink so much.
The conversation kept turning to women, and even Berdtom kept encouraging it as he patted and teased an occasional wench. When Haspeth put his arm around a girl and told her how he worked in the palace Berdtom did not even raise an eyebrow.
“Mind your bragging Haspeth.” Autbek warned.
“What! Oh, yeah … yeah!” Haspeth replied, letting the girl go, which was what she wanted as the barkeep had called to her several times.
“Nice girl for you!” Berdtom remarked as he sipped another ale.
“You think so?” Haspeth asked as he turned his head to look for her. The girl noticed and gave him a wink. “Ahhh!” he chortled through his drink.
“You need one Autbek.” Castor remarked as he slowly worked his way through his first pint.
“He does!” Haspeth chimed in. “You need to get your number one student after class … what’s her name?”
“Onaleen!” Castor blurted out. “He’s reminded us more than once that he thinks of her as more than a student.”
“I have! Don’t recall that.” Autbek said as he began thinking of her. “You know I had a strange dream about her once. It was a bit weird-”
“Oh oh oh ...yeah a dream!” Haspeth yelled out as he stood up with drink in hand and then proceed to make vulgar movements with his hips.
Castor and Berdtom began laughing loudly at his antics despite Autbek’s obvious disgust.
“Ok, ok … stop it.” Autbek hissed, trying to keep from making a scene but Haspeth just kept going at it. It was obvious he had drunk too much.
“Onaleen … Onaleen!” Haspeth grunted loudly.
“Enough!” Autbek snapped as he stood with fists clenched.
Pleased at getting a rise out of his friend, Haspeth closed his eyes and began moaning loudly. “Onnnaaaleennn … Onnnaaaleennn!”
“EN FES!” Autbek suddenly yelled as he gestured at Haspeth.
Haspeth took a step back and spread his arms as he stared down at his own crotch in shock. A great wet stain appeared and quickly spread down both pant legs.
“Ohhh!” Castor yelled in delight at the sight of Haspeth pissing his pants. Then both he and Berdtom began laughing loudly as Haspeth’s face turned red.
Haspeth slammed down his mug then pointed at Autbek and yelled “FENT!”
“PFFT!” Autbek let out a great noisy fart.
“HA HA HA HA!” Castor laughed so hard he fell backward off the bench to the floor.
Infuriated and wanting to end this fight Autbek motioned violently with his right fist at Haspeth while casting his second cantrip of the evening. “DAKI!”
Haspeth was knocked backward as if struck hard in the stomach. He landed on a couple of chairs after stumbling backwards four or five steps. Fortunately the chairs were occupied by a couple of men who managed to catch him somewhat and thus slow his fall to the floor.
“Enough!” Berdtom yelled as he stood and grasped Autbek’s arm. Autbek jerked away and headed for the exit.
Castor had stopped laughing and regained his feet, letting Autbek pass by without further comment. He then went over to help Haspeth up, who had a sick look to his face.
“I’ll take care of him, you take care of that one.” Berdtom said to Castor as he laid a silver piece on the table and moved to follow Autbek out the door.
Tempers had cooled by the time the four had walked back to the palace. Haspeth and castor lagged about ten paces behind the other two the whole way. At the North Gate to the palace Berdtom bid them goodnight and went on back the way they had come.
The room was strangely quiet as they each crawled into bed. After extinguishing the candles with a wave Autbek lay in the dark for a while and then decided he needed to apologize to his friend, after all he could have really hurt him.
“Sorry Haspeth.” He said softly to the ceiling. There was no reply from the dark and that made him feel even more remorseful.
After a long pause Castor could not resist a comment. “A fart spell … hey … that’s the best you had!”
“Shut up you little bastard!” Haspeth replied half-heartedly. “I didn’t see you cast shit!”
They shut up after that, compelling Autbek to get the last word in. “Enough … let me get some sleep!” He then closed his eyes and fell asleep trying to think of a way to get Castor over the hurdle of casting his first real spell. Other than opening the rune-locked door to the mages wing, Castor had shown little practical advancement in the “craft.”
Autbek’s worst nightmare was confirmed a few days later. After inviting Sterncast and Autbek into his office the Mage-Councilor announced his plans for the both of them.
Clearing his throat, Tenric began, “The two of you are accomplished apprentices now and I think you're aware you exceed the others by some considerable distance. Since I will require you Sterncast to labor full time on the construction of the academy I deem it correct not to encumber you with affairs of state. So these things will fall to Autbek, particularly since he is born of them and a born citizen of Bene Aimont and so I think more comfortable to serve as the academy’s representative in the Earl’s court.”
Autbek did his best to keep a blank face as he prepared himself mentally for the part that he figured was inevitably coming. He needed to feign surprise at the office that was about to be bestowed upon him.
“Autbek, you have been given a solemn responsibility. One that holds privilege and requires a considerable amount of tact and patience which I think you have the most of.”
“Yes, master.” He replied humbly.
“So I’ve convinced his lordship the Earl to bestow upon you the office of Vis Mage-Councilor. There will be a ceremony a few days hence, after which you will be required to attend various court functions in my stead. I’ll be heavily occupied as will Sterncast in overseeing the engineering of the academy’s construction.”
“Yes, master but may I ask why me, and by that I mean why not one of the many lords here in the palace that we work with.” He felt he had to at least protest in some fashion to make it seem like it was news to him. Anyway maybe he could talk his way out of it.
“Nonsense Autbek, it must be a mage, and as we all are aware you are the closest to that.”
“Yes, master.” He replied. He figured that stung a bit with Sterncast who stood silently beside him
.
Tenric dismissed them and neither said a word as they walked back to their respective quarters.
When the day of the ceremony arrived Valice scheduled a meeting with Autbek in Autbek’s private suite outside the mages wing. Valice showed up with a small entourage of courtiers who proceeded to congratulate Autbek while they laid out suitable clothes for him.
Asking if any met his approval Autbek decided to pick out the black robes that best mimicked what his master usually wore, and what he had worn the last time he had been before the Earl.
“A good choice I think Autbek.” Valice said sincerely. “Subdued, yet remindful of the power that lies behind it.”
Autbek grunted as he allowed the other men to dress him, wondering now what court functions he would have to attend. In his mind he pictured himself sitting with a host of other lords at a feast listening to boring speeches made by even more boring lords.
On their walk to the ceremony Valice cautioned him on not becoming a pawn to others. “Best keep your own counsel and delay making any decisions apart from the Lord Mage-Councilor. When in doubt hold your tongue still. Berdtom and I are always available for you Autbek to help with responses, enquiries and the like.”
“I know Valice. I don’t think I want to say a word to anyone about what my master might want or do.”
“Well now don’t be a bore either.” Valice chided as they entered the court.
There they found a line of similar honorees, about a dozen in all who were also having offices or recognitions bestowed upon them. This was a relief to Autbek who thought he might be the sole center of attention.
So after watching four or five recipients go before him, he figured he had the process down and it looked like he would have to say little more than “I’m honored your lordship.” Feeling now a whole lot calmer he scanned the crowd of attendees that numbered over a hundred unfamiliar faces.
“I suppose I should not be surprised I don’t know anyone.” He muttered to himself then stopped to focus his eyes on a familiar looking young man. It was a kid dressed as an acrobat or some other entertainer. “Castor!” he said a little louder than he intended.
When the boy saw Autbek’s eyes upon him he returned a wicked smile and then proceeded to ignore him. Scanning the crowd further for Haspeth, who he supposed was likely to be here if Castor was, he found no one else except maybe Berdtom. But he could not be sure since the man was far back in the crowd.
When he was summoned before the Earl, who was seated on a very throne like chair, he graciously bowed and accepted the large gold medallion that the Earl laid around his neck. Tenric was there as were several others of the Earl’s inner circle. Fortunately this event was something that happened monthly and so soon everyone filed out of the court after bowing as the Earl left.
Autbek had to stand in the entrance hall and respond to an endless number of well-wishers. They all looked to be just as confused as to the status of his office as he was. Some asked him his duties and where his offices might be to which he responded that he did not know yet.
It was toward the very end of the event that the ladies came calling. Most of them were escorted by their mothers who seemed intent on introducing their daughters to him. Valice stood beside him the whole time, and it seemed the man knew nearly all their names.
“They seek strategic nuptials Autbek.” Valice said softly to him as he paused to introduce yet another teenage girl and her mother to him. “Don’t think too much of it.”
“Ah, ok. I won’t then.” He replied as he smiled and kissed the hand of another girl. All the perfume was getting to him now, though he had to admit he liked it a little. It was kind of like a drug he thought. “Why me, I mean my office seems rather unimportant don’t you think?”
“Inconsequential now maybe, but not so I think a short time from now. Anyways they have no idea what they are in for but they won’t pass up an opportunity that just might pay off later.” Valice replied then again introduced another lady.
“Pay off?” He asked as he tried to nonchalantly wipe his own spit off his lips where it had been accumulating kiss after kiss.
“Yes Autbek, they want you to sleep with their daughters … or at least claim that you did so. Mostly after marriage though … mostly.” He said with a grin.
Autbek now found himself staring down the cleavage of the young lady curtseying in front of him. His mother would approve he decided. Not about the cleavage he joked to himself but about marriage to this rather pretty young thing kneeling before him. Embarrassingly he found himself getting aroused. Thinking suddenly about his father’s likely disapproval of the girl’s lineage helped put a stop to it.
“Sorry Autbek, but it looks like the upper crust of ladies won’t be calling on you today. Do give it time though.”
“Who would those be Valice?” He asked, glad now that the last of the teenagers had excused themselves. But he did take the opportunity to stare at them as they walked away.
“Why the princess, and her peers Autbek. The daughters of counts, viscounts, barons and the like. A pity don’t you think.”
He thought for a moment and then answered honestly. “Nope, I don’t think so at all.” The last thing ever he wanted to write in a letter to his dad was, “Hey dad, I married a princess.” The Runeholden family would be livid with the notoriety.
“How in the hell did you get into the reception? And since when did you want to be an acrobat?” Autbek asked Castor as soon as he could track him down in the mages wing. The boy had disappeared sometime between him getting the medallion from the Earl and his meeting all the young ladies afterwards.
Castor just shrugged and continued on one of his doodles. He had some colored chalk now and had been working on one for some time.
“Maybe I should change the runes on the door!” He threatened half-heartedly.
“Hmm … don’t matter I used to get out before the spell anyway.” He bragged.
Autbek looked to Haspeth questioningly to see if he had known of this before. Haspeth shrugged.
“You little sneak-thief, you mean all this time you’ve been sneaking out and you haven’t told us.” Haspeth demanded to know.
“Now it would not be sneaking if I told you about it.” Caster replied. Holding up his drawing proudly he offered it to Autbek.
Autbek took the parchment and studied the face on it. It was a young lady but he was not sure who. “Hmm … very pretty, I’m impressed, but who is it?”
“That’s the one whose butt you liked, Lord Vis Mage-Councilor!” he yelled hurriedly as he raced out the door and around the corner.
“That little bastard!” Haspeth exclaimed as he looked over Autbek shoulder at the drawing. “He is pretty good though.”
“Yeah, wish I could find a way to tie it in with spell craft though.”
“She pretty? I mean the rest of her.” Haspeth asked as he reclined on his bed with the drawing.
“Never mind, I don’t even recall her name and don’t wish to.”
“Can I meet her? I mean can you introduce me ‘cause she looks chewy.”
“Chewy … dare I asked you what that means?”
“Chewy, like sweetmeats … you know something you want to put your lips on.”
Autbek furrowed his brow and then tried to think again what to do about Castor. “Hey you remember reading about classes of mages? You know what I mean, not about sorcerers and arch mages and such but more about specialists.”
“Hmm?”Haspeth said absently.
“Put the damn drawing down and listen to me!”
“Oh, yes your lord Vis Mage-Councilor master sir.” Haspeth said as he sat up to place the drawing carefully on his own desk. “Castor! Can I have this?” He called out loudly in the direction of the open door though there was no sign Castor was still about.
Autbek shook his head impatiently. “Haspeth, help me here!”
“Oh, umm … yea. You know I used to dream about being one of those when I first got here. One of
those charm casters.”
“Mesmerist.” Autbek corrected him.
“Yea, mesmerist, one of those who could like make people do whatever he wanted.”
“Nice Haspeth, remind to stop training you.”
“Yea but just think of what you could do!” Haspeth grinned as he stared into space.
“I can think of what you would do, and I’m sure it involves women. Not unlike that one there.” He added pointing to Castor’s drawing.
“Yea, she’s a keeper!” Haspeth then proceeded to tie the parchment to his bedpost.
“Haspeth, when you’re done come with me to talk to the librarians I got to find out some things about specialists.” This produced a moan but Autbek ignored it.
Walking to the library, which consisted of three large rooms and a few small ones he and Haspeth, began asking questions of the two librarians. As usual they did not want to be bothered but Autbek could see their aged minds starting to whirl and so with some persistence he got them thinking about it and then searching.
“We don’t have much I’m sure, least not that’s been read yet so I don’t think we can help you!”
“Please try.” Haspeth pleaded. He always had trouble not showing contempt for the two ever since they first taught him arcane-script. The two were remorselessly strict instructors.
Autbek got to thinking for a moment as he watched them shuffle about slowly. It was agonizing to watch, but what if someone or something with the power to locate things by sight were to come in here and search for them. “Haspeth.” he said as he pulled him to the side out of hearing of the librarians. “I got to go memorize a few things. Please stay here for a while and try to keep them moving!”
With a quizzical look on his face he agreed. “Ok, for a while!”
It was the middle of the night and Autbek was standing at the locked door to the tower. Behind him were Haspeth and Castor, each holding a single candle. Handing his candle to Haspeth he prepared to cast a minor spell. He knew the key was in Dasring’s room where the man and Plis, the other caretaker of the Dieknotkow, slept, but he felt the spell was safer than trying to grab the key without waking them up.