by Clark Bolton
Haspeth stuffed some more honey covered bread into his mouth and mumbled that he did. So looking to Murac for volunteers, Autbek smiled apprehensively as Murac motioned two of the guards to stand in front of the table.
“Hold your place now men … you get a couple days off for this … won’t hurt a bit.” Murac told them as he signaled Haspeth.
Wiping his hands on his pant legs, Haspeth then picked up the scroll and after several quick scans of the short bit of arcane-script he began to cast. With just nine short syllables he caused the two men, who were wide eyed and a bit white in the face, to collapse slowly to the ground.
“Ah, man!” Haspeth exclaimed as he peered over the table at the two sleeping men. “Can you wake them up!” He asked of Murac.
Moving up to the first man, Murac placed his boot on the man and rocked his arm sharply. “Get up, private … come on!”
The man opened his eyes just as a heavy sleeper would and looked around to see who had awakened him. “Ok.” The man muttered sleepily.
Autbek waited for both men to be awakened then cast the same spell again upon them with the same result. It was obvious this was going to be a very useful spell as it completely knocked them out without causing them to take a hard fall.
“Ok, let's wake them up and try this next one on them.” It was a hold spell that was intended to freeze a person’s muscles so they could not move. He was excited now and felt the awesome power of magic as he cast from a scroll. The spell was too difficult for Haspeth yet, so he had to do it.
“Ahh … ahh!” The two cried as they realized they could not move. The spell did not stop them from speaking and still allowed them to stand but not do anything more than that apart from breathing. The area of effect was supposed to be all men within about three paces of the spot the spell was target on, so he figured he could get three men if he was lucky.
“Excellent, O’t, now let’s see something bloody!” Murac said obviously tormenting the two guards a little. “Like more of those missiles our battle-mage used on the dead!”
Haspeth smiled and stepped up and proceed to send a missile at a large rock not twenty paces away.
“Pssst!” The rock went flying a few paces and now was missing a large chip.
Several of the guards, those who were not frozen at the moment, cheered a bit for Haspeth, who bowed and stepped back to let someone else cast. Autbek stepped up and cast the same spell.
Pssst, pssst, pssst, pssst!” Four small missiles of light flew from his fingertip to obliterate the rock.
“Wow!” Haspeth cheered, as did several others.
Swollen with pride and feeling like a true mage, Autbek warned everyone, “Get behind me for this one!” When everyone was behind him but the two guards, who still could not move, he kindly stepped past them and cast from the scroll he was carrying.
“CRAACK!”
No one, not even Autbek, was prepared for the concussion that occurred as a bolt of lightning issued forth from his hand to strike yet another rock. It had been about twenty paces away but was now nowhere to be seen, particularly since everyone was trying to blink away the searing image of a lightning bolt from their eyes.
Several of the guards had actually started running along the wall that formed the tower’s courtyard but had stopped now, apparently convinced there was no more lightning coming. Everyone's ears were ringing and except for Murac they all looked to be in shock.
“Now that is what I was looking for mages!” Murac yelled out as he slapped one of the held guards on the shoulder playfully.
Shaking his head in disbelief at what he had just done he went back to his pile of scrolls to see what else he could afford to cast. He had a fireball one but after this last one he was afraid to cast it. Turning now to look toward the walls of the city, just a thousand paces away, he wondered if anyone from there had seen it. That’s when he noticed Onaleen’s party riding toward them.
She was accompanied by the two guards Murac had sent and a young woman of about her age. The two women looked a little uncomfortable on horseback but certainly no worse than his other two apprentices had been at first.
Waving them over he put down the scrolls and dusted himself off, trying to make himself presentable. They were way earlier than he had thought they would be.
“Help the ladies down Gentlemen!” Murac commanded of the guards who then moved in to take control of the horses and help the two down.
Clearing his throat as best he could while wishing he had something to drink, Autbek moved up to take Onaleen’s hand as she curtseyed. “Welcome Onaleen, so glad you found your way.”
“Thank you my lord!” Onaleen said with a beaming smile.
She was beautiful, he thought as he followed her long brown hair down to her bosom and then to her toes. Dressed in a stylish cloak and long flowing dress the girl was taking his breath away. When she introduced her friend he actually missed the girl’s name.
“Oh, yes. Pleased to make your acquaintance! Now then we were just practicing a bit.” He laughed as he turned back toward the table. Then he realized that the two guards were still standing there helpless. “Oh, um they are just held for a bit … a spell.”
“Oh!” Onaleen said, a bit alarmed.
“No … no … they are fine it will wear off in a few minutes I’m sure … or maybe.”
“Great, Onaleen!” Haspeth said as he stepped up to rescue his friend. “Some of us have been dying for you to come, and very much wishing for you to join us here in this humble tower!”
“Yes, some of us more than others!” Castor called out from beside the tower where he and Lita had been sitting.
“Oh, really.” She replied as she looked to her friend who had a sour look on her face. “We … I mean yes that would be something.”
“Did you hear the thunder?” Haspeth asked.
“Yes we did, but there are no storm clouds.”
“Shall I tell her, or will you?” Haspeth teased as he looked to Autbek.
Autbek tried his best to look calm and respectable as he replied, “Well it seems that would be me … who did that!”
“Oh my!” Onaleen said with a smile. “How so, I mean was it …”
“Magic!” Castor yelled out.
Autbek gave the kid an annoyed glance. “I was demonstrating some offensive spells for Murac here. Oh I’m sorry did you get introduced to her and her friend?”
“Later, O’t, let’s continue with the demonstration!” Murac said as he shook the two held guards again to see if they could move yet.
The other guards did not look too enthusiastic but Haspeth and Castor certainly did, and since he was more than willing to impress the ladies he picked up a scroll from the pile and turned to give Onaleen a smile. “Ok, here is a fireball then!”
This time he focused on a rock considerably further away. As he cast the short spell a glowing cinder shot forth from his finger, and at first he thought it would be much like the missile spell Haspeth adored. However, when the cinder reached its target there was another thunderous boom, though not nearly as loud as the lightning bolt it still rattled nearly everyone.
“Ahhh!” Haspeth screamed in ecstasy as a great ball of fire fully ten paces across consumed the area about the targeted rock. A wave of heat then rolled back over everyone for a moment then was gone.
Autbek ducked down for a moment in surprise then quickly recovered to stand and see what Onaleen had thought of it. The two girls were hugging each other now as they scampered toward the horses who were themselves now running away in terror as the guards had given up on holding them by the reins.
Seeing the girls hurrying away along with the running horses brought another cry of glee from Haspeth. “Oh … yeahhh!” He pointed at the frightened girls, which he found hilarious.
“Wait, it’s ok!” Autbek yelled as he hurried to catch up with them. “We are done! Won’t do any more … it’s ok!”
Murac had a big smile on his face as he slapped the two guards
again, who still could not move. “We are done boys … and you have earned your time off!”
Castor walked past the table to follow Autbek. “That went well!”
“Gods! They are really scared!” Haspeth announced, now a bit sorry he had yelled.
Autbek waited patiently for Haspeth to escort Onaleen’s friend back down the stairs. The poor girl was still crying a bit and wanted very much to go home, but he was not going to let this end this way he promised himself. Now alone finally with Onaleen he began to apologize for perhaps the tenth time.
“Please, Onaleen, don’t think that this is what we do here normally. Again, it was the first time we have ever done anything like this and as you can see no one was harmed. It … was just a little … scary.”
Onaleen had recovered herself pretty much completely now and looked a little ashamed even. “It’s ok, O’t, she just did not really come prepared for this kind of thing. It was short noticed she had, and she was so kind to come today … I just feel so sorry for her.”
Autbek smiled at her, impressed that she was so concerned for others and seemed able to calm herself easily. “I’ll send her a nice gift … some flowers … and more … I promise!”
“Oh, she would like that I think, O’t.”
“Now, ummm … how about you staying here … and becoming an apprentice.”
She frowned for a second then said, “I’m afraid my father would not allow it. I only just got out of the house today with my mother’s help. He is so worried about me and … magic! I don’t think he would ever let me out again if he thought I was coming to be here.”
“It’s time, Onaleen … time for you and time for Pemmesa and Resbeka.”
“I don’t know … I’m not sure I can.”
She was being honestly supportive of her father he could tell. “Well, it’s either Autbek or the Earl’s wrath! Take your pick!”
She chuckled for a moment. “Ok, Autbek.”
“Good! Now tell me what do you think of your progress so far with arcane-script … I can tell you I’m impressed with you and the other girls.”
She answered by detailing what her family thought of her studies and being selected by an eagle and having to come to the palace and meet the Mage-Councilor and all. Apparently her father was convinced she would be forced to work with toads and mushrooms by moonlight and to consort with creatures of the night.
“Toads and mushrooms! Wow, have not had to do much of that yet have you.” He laughed, now feeling a little more comfortable with the girl. “Would you though?”
“Ha-ha … oh my!”
“No really … I need … we need a healer, and if your talents lay in that area you may have to work with some strange reagents. I know I mentioned it to you three before.” He was being serious now since they all hoped one of these three girls marked by the Dieknotkow would turn out to be a healer.
Her face went blank for a moment. “What kind of reagents?”
“Yea … um toads and mushrooms, for potions of healing. In fact I have one right here that I got from the library. It’s the simplest one I could find and I think I might be able to just do it.”
She took the scroll when he offered it to her and looked in shock at the list of ingredients and instructions. The scroll was many pages long and filled with things she had never even heard of. “Oh, I don’t think I could do anything like this. It’s way too much I mean this first one here…powdered lime gecko tail?”
“Yea, I know, but I think we can find a suitable substitute, here somewhere I have some information on doing just that.” He moved a few things around on his desk as he tried to remember where he had put that scroll.
“Autbek … I don’t know … I kind of thought I would learn to be a generalist like you are!”
He stopped searching and looked at her for a moment. Figuring he was about to lose this opportunity to get a healer forever he quickly came up with a plan. “It’s ok, Onaleen really. I mean Haspeth and Castor knew nothing either and they were found the same time as you. Hold on!” He ran over to the stairs and called down for Haspeth.
Walking up the stairs Haspeth found Autbek standing about nervously and Onaleen sitting, equally as nervous. “You need something?”
“Yes, now how long have you been with me?”
“Oh, gosh pretty close to two years I guess.”
“And did you know anything about alchemy then?”
“Nope.” Haspeth looked at Onaleen for a moment to see what she was thinking. The girl looked concerned again. “Can make some pretty nasty stuff now though!”
“Right, and just like arcane-script all it takes is someone to teach you.”
“Yep.” Haspeth replied thinking that was what Autbek wanted to hear.
“Onaleen, you have seen him do a few cantrips in class and I know you have been aching to try … right?”
Onaleen grimaced a little but did not reply.
“Just think of who you can help … and if it turns out you’re a battle-mage like Haspeth here, or even an illusionist like Castor, well that is fine. We just really … really want you to give it a chance.”
Onaleen thought for a moment. “A healer…really? I mean I could help people?”
“YES!” Autbek cried as he rushed to hug her then stopped himself suddenly and decided to settle for a nudge to her shoulder.
“Ha, ok.” She laughed nervously.
“You start as soon as you can! Oh, and tell Resbeka and Pemmesa to come too!” Autbek beamed.
“I’ll try, Autbek.”
“Great! Now if I don’t hear from you in a few days I’ll send some guards!” He tried his best to make it sound like a boast but was not sure he pulled it off. “Oh, we will have to arrange an oath ceremony … but don’t worry it can be a private one … only need a court scribe or two to record things. We can even tell your father after the fact!”
Autbek smiled as he pictured for a moment the breasts of the three girls as he glanced at Onaleen’s ample cleavage. All had jiggled nicely while he had cleaned them with a cantrip, and one had considerably larger nipples then the others. All in all he preferred Onaleen’s breasts, they had-” He shook his head to get the dirty thoughts out of his mind. “Um, yes please say you will join us.”
They talked more and at one point he even considered introducing her to the Dieknotkow but then decided that would be too much on her first visit to the tower. He did not want to frighten her off, not to mention the other two girls. Finally he sent her on her way with official letters for her induction into the Earl’s service and one each for the other two girls.
Feeling happy with himself he went up to check on Neustus who appeared unconcerned and largely unresponsive today. The man-bird just stared out the window for the most part though he did accept some fruit that Autbek cut up for him, which was not surprising since Neustus ate a lot more than he used to.
Castor came walking up the stairs in a hurry just then. “There you are, O’t! Murac wants you … some fellow just showed up.”
“Really. Who did he ask for?” They descended the stairs to have a look.
The person in question stood in the courtyard next to Murac who was talking politely with him. The man had a strange southern look to him, not unlike some of the people Autbek had seen at the docks, mostly sailors on foreign ships. The man had a long staff and a massive looking backpack that seemed to run from above his shoulders on down to his calves.
“Ah, here is the Vis Mage-Councilor now.” Murac turned to introduce the man.
“Greetings, be welcome.” Autbek said, and noticed then that the man was barefoot, and though winter was at an end the ground was at times covered with frost on early mornings.
The man gave a long graceful bow and then seemed to be assessing Autbek carefully. Smiling the man blinked slowly as he studied Autbek’s face and then that of Castor.
“He has yet to give us a name.” Murac said with amusement.
“I am not meaning disrespect, kind sirs, but I
must be sure I have found who I seek.”
Autbek could guess he figured who this was. They had been expecting an Un Sha monk and this looked like it just could be their new librarian.
“We can guess who you are … but we too must be careful.” Murac put in before Autbek could say something similar.
“Ah, yes, we have been expecting a monk and if you would be so kind as to say from which temple you have arrived from we can be confident it’s you.” Autbek turned to look to Haspeth and Castor to confirm they were in agreement.
Neither side spoke for a moment until Castor asked, “Did you bring something about Sta’s?”
The monk smiled and bowed again. “I am from temple Un Sha, and I have come to serve.”
“Great! We have been waiting for you, though we did not really expect you so quickly.” Autbek said with relief. The man was a little young maybe to be a librarian but other than age he looked the part of a southern monk.
Smiling, Murac asked. “So, you got a name … Un Sha monk?”
“I am called Un Papp.”
“Welcome, Un Papp. Why don’t we find somewhere for you to put down your pack; looks a bit heavy.”
“The library kind sir, if I may. It will be comfort enough.”
“Ah, sure, right this way.” Autbek then lead Un Papp to the library. The man paused only a moment to gently let down his pack then he walked around the library for a few moments then proceeded to kneel and pray.
Castor, Haspeth, and Autbek looked at each other nervously not sure what to do. Fortunately it was a short prayer and so soon Un Papp was asking serious questions.
“Is this then the library of the mage Yoss Thie?”
“Yes it is.”
“The entire collection, sir?”
“Um, yes … except for a few scrolls upstairs and here about it is. Is it what you expected?”
Un Papp bowed low and remained there for a few seconds. “Sir, it is magnificent!”
The three of them smiled and chuckled at the monk. “Wait until you read from it!” Castor added. This got a bigger smile from the fellow.
Autbek shifted some benches aside. “Now please, make yourself at home. I’m sorry that Berdtom is not here at the time but he should be available soon if he has not yet left on his journey. Hopefully with something to add to the library.”