Apprentice

by Nicholas Hale

  The feeling passed. Once again he was his old self. The room was still silent. Gawain stood up.

  "Carry him to his room and one of you stay with him at all times. He is not to be left without watching even for a second. If he so much as bats an eyelid, I wish to know immediately."

  One of the mages began casting a spell. He probably wished to carry him using magic, thought Gawain. He interrupted before the mage finished his spell.

  "No! No magic! We do not know what effect any spell could have on him. Carry him by hand."

  Two mages picked him up and exited the room. Gawain stood, thinking. After a short while he spoke.

  "Rhaen. With me. We're going to the library."

  Without waiting for a response, Gawain moved toward the door. Lorian had done something reckless, but it was done. Gawain had absolutely no inkling of what was happening inside.

  He needed to know exactly what Lorian's spells did, and would need to increase Lorian's chances of survival. This was a delicate situation. Destroying Lorian's barricade of spells would mean that he could possibly kill him. There was only one solution, and Gawain found it...appealing, in a way. He would have to find a way to surpass the wards and enter the prison himself. Gawain's mind boggled at the thought of what he would find.

  Lorian might be a prodigy, but Gawain was the arch-mage and keeper of Castle Norvind, master of the Lumen. He wasn't a helpless commoner to sit by idly and watch. If anything, Lorian's actions had shown him that with magic, there is always a way.

  For the second time in a eight hundred years, he felt the thrill of uncertainty. The same feeling that he had, when he stepped onto the terrace and first caught sight of Anacalor.

  His body shivered with every step toward the library.

  And his heart beat with anticipation.

  Chapter 38

  Each of the Black Raven guild-masters had his own hall. Each guild-master had complete autonomy of one section of Archon. Autonomy, as long as he paid his dues to the Ravenlord, master of the Black Ravens.

  Very few people knew the Ravenlord's identity. Gale was sure Renal was one of them. Next to the Ravenlord, Renal was probably the most powerful man in Archon. His guild being in one of the prime locations in Archon fetching possibly the highest income of all the guild-halls that were part of the Black Ravens.

  Gale had narrated the entire tale to Renal and the rest of his lieutenants the same way as he had to Balthus. Six times. Lieutenants were second in command to the guild-master. They earned a percentage of the guilds income, were in charge of territories and sometimes held smaller halls but they ultimately reported to the guild-master.

  Right now, he was leaning on a wall in Renal's personal chambers in the guild-hall. Renal was in a meeting with one of his lieutenants. Gale didn't remember him. New blood, he guessed. But then again, there was a lot of new blood. He had dealt with the Ravens before, but never with the lieutenants.

  He hadn't even seen Renal after he entered Garvin's employ.

  And now, Renal wasn't letting Gale out of his sight. Gale wasn't too thrilled when he first found out that he was going to remain in the guild-hall indefinitely. It wasn't probably the safest place in Archon with a Summoner running around killing the Ravens.

  He made it a point to be as close to Renal as possible. If anyone in the guild would come out alive when things went bad, it would be Renal. Their enemy might be a Summoner, but Renal didn't get where he was by being stupid. True, he was brilliant with a sword, among many other weapons- Gale had witnessed that first hand. He also had significant knowledge of magic. Gale was sure he was an amateur spell caster at the very least. But Renal's greatest asset was his intelligence.

  To rise in the ranks of the Ravens meant you had to assess your situation and act accordingly. Always. There was never room for error. In a world of theft, backstabbing and corruption, one wrong move could leave you dead in a gutter. This was why Gale was unable to fathom why Renal was doing what he was doing.

  "Three more men around his residence. At a safe distance. He has to return there some time. Even Summoners have to sleep. And has Illazehra had any success?"

  Illazehra was one of the mages under the pay of the Black Ravens. Renal had put her to task tracking down the Summoner. Gale knew she was probably not too enthusiastic about finding the Summoner. No one in their right mind would be. Just as the three new men Renal was stationing around the Summoner's house.

  "She said she would visit the house today. She keeps insisting that her school of magic is not suited to tracking. She suggests—"

  Renal cut his man off.

  "She will do what is asked of her. I'll not suffer any more men to die in that wretched house. We have lost enough already."

  Gale had been keeping an ear open during his time at the guild-hall. Besides the four men Balthus had mentioned. Six more men went missing. Two more had died to traps in the Summoner's house when they went there to see if they could find out anything useful. Renal had men posted around the house watching it for the Summoner. And he wanted Illazehra to inspect the house and see if she could track the Summoner. This was stupid.

  "Anything else I need to know?" asked Renal.

  The young man hesitated. He looked to Renal for prompting. Renal's face appeared a stone. The new blood decided to speak. Good. Renal wasn't the sort of man who put his hand on your back and comforted you with assurances that you can speak your mind.

  "It's about Ceívar..."

  Gale knew of Ceívar. One of the more senior lieutenants in Renal's hall. Besides being as good with a blade and just as ruthless, he was everything Renal was not. Renal lived in monastic discipline never giving in to his baser urges. Ceívar was a man of more...carnal tastes. He had risen from the level of a street thug, forced into the Ravens because they would not tolerate freelancers.

  Gale always thought the man only wore the mask of a loud and boorish thug—that it was merely an appearance. A man like him didn't live as long as he did without brains. Nor rise in the ranks as quickly as he did.

  "Speak," said Renal.

  "He's not really hiding the fact that he's displeased with your...decision. He believes it would be better to turn the boy over to the Summoner once we find him."

  Renal looked thoughtful. Gale thought he saw a smile flash across his face for the briefest of the moments.

  "And the others? Are there any more who are voicing their opinion as such?"

  Of course, there would be. Renal's plan to hunt down the Summoner was suicidal.

  "A few more, but none as vocal as Ceívar —"

  "Their names."

  "Thanril, Selvyn 'the pike', Darius..."

  The boy recited a few more names. But Gale was stuck on the first one. Thanril. One of the older Ravens. He was there even during Gale's own days with the guild. Never ambitious and not a man of great talents, he was content with his position in the guild. He often stayed out of the politics and never took sides. As such he never rose beyond Renal's position in the guild. A man with his standing in the Ravens, with a little more effort could achieve higher rank and perhaps even a guild-hall of his own. Yet Thanril was content enough to stay on under Renal.

  "Well done. You may go now."

  "Should I—"

  "You need not concern yourself with this matter anymore. It will be taken care of. I do expect to know about Illazehra when you give me your next report. You may tell her that she has the rest of the day to find me an answer."

  New blood nodded and made his way out of door. Renal turned to Gale.

  "Good man. Glen, we call him. Short for Glendon. Young, but he's proven himself."

  Why was Renal telling him this? In fact, why was Renal telling him anything?

  "So... Gale. You're an old Raven. Remember when we served together under Sirius? You would have been at least my second in command had you remained. Maybe had a few choice shares?"

  The lieutenants held in high favor were given percentages from most of the illicit ventures of
the Ravens. It was done to prevent unnecessary and wasteful power struggles. The only way to rise to the position of a guild-master was the death of your predecessor. The percentages were meant to spread the wealth. Ceívar himself had chosen some of the brothels in Archon. Some of the more ambitious lieutenants could make use of the guild-hall's resources to carry out operations of their own. If the guild-master sanctioned it. And they gave a sizable cut to the guild. A mutually beneficial arrangement.

  Gale shrugged in response. True. Had he remained with the Ravens, he might have acquired some wealth. But not as much as he had under Garvin. Of that he was sure. The Ravens always kept tabs on their former members. But even the great Heartrender would know only a fraction of the wealth that Gale had acquired.

  "You think you should have remained with us? Under Sirius?"

  It was a loaded question. Gale left the guild under very unusual circumstances. Circumstances that Gale knew Renal was aware of.

  "What do you think? Sirius would have let me live?" asked Gale.

  Renal's eyes narrowed.

  "What are you implying?"

  "After that business with Gilligan, things really went downhill for me. Sirius was out for my head. And you knew that."

  "I assure you I didn't. Besides, I recall saving your hide with Gilligan in the first place. Things were going great for you until you decided to stick your nose in where it didn't belong."

  Gale decided to remain silent. Gilligan. He could still feel cold sweat forming all over his palms as he thought about the old thief. There were many questions surrounding the entire incident. It was when Gale tried finding the answers that he found many blades aimed at his back. It had gotten to a point where he was forced to leave the guild and take up employment under Garvin.

  "In any case," continued Renal, "the past is the past eh? Out of Garvin's mansion and back in the guild-hall again."

  "Yes. It was only by good fortune that I escaped the mansion. I don't think I can go through that again."

  Renal gave a hearty laugh.

  "You bastard," he said, still laughing. "Fortune had nothing to do with it. You're a Raven and you calculated the whole thing. I knew you from when we were both recruits. Your escape was no accident. You have a knack for smelling out trouble. Were you to go through it again, you would still survive. You're right; Sirius did want you dead. You slipped out from under his nose and ended up with Garvin. And now Garvin lies dead, and yet here you stand. Alive and well."

  That was partially true. There were many instances in his life when he escaped death by a hairs-breadth. What was Renal getting at?

  "So give me your opinion. About this entire mess my guild-hall is in. Put that nose of yours to work. Do you sense any danger?"

  Barely, thought Gale. Then again, he never knew until it was almost too late. But there was still a certain safety behind the walls of the guild-hall.

  "Not really. Do I think you can kill the Summoner? Yes. He's a mage like any other and he'll die like any man. Just that he won't die so easily."

  "That's true. I do have some of my best men out looking for him."

  "You could ask the Ravenlord for Garren."

  If there were a man he knew who could kill a Summoner, it would have to be the legendary assassin Garren Winters. He worked strictly for the Ravenlord and sometimes the guild-masters. Renal was foremost among the guild-masters and could call upon his services. Gale had seen him a few times. A very unremarkable man in appearance. But the exact opposite by reputation. If Garren Winters marked a man for death—that man would die. Whoever or whatever he was.

  "Would that I could. He's away in Ryga under the Ravenlord's business. His needs come before mine, I'm afraid. And Garren often takes time—a luxury we cannot afford."

  "I still don't understand. Finding Toskk is far easier than finding the Summoner. And far less dangerous."

  "I'm not a fool, Gale. And neither are you. You think I don't have my own men out looking for the boy?"

  "Then you do wish to turn him over to the Summoner..."

  "I wish to find the boy...as insurance. He has something that the Summoner wants. This egg or whatever it is. But I do not intend to let the Summoner live."

  It wasn't Gale's place to question Renal's logic. Renal continued.

  "Being a guild-master isn't the same as being a lieutenant, Gale. I wouldn't expect you to understand completely. The Ravenlord has eyes everywhere. For all we know, little Glen who just spoke to us could be reporting to him. I cannot afford to show any weakness. The Summoner has killed more than a dozen of my men. The Black Ravens look out for each other. It's not often possible to keep the guild in order by pleasing everyone. There are men whom I have significantly displeased. Men who would gladly see me lose favor with the Ravenlord. They're all watching my reaction to this…unfortunate incident."

  "So you wish to kill the Summoner as a show of power?"

  "If I can. I know my limits. But for now, this hunt serves another purpose as well. Can you take a guess?"

  Gale thought for moment. It wasn't gold. He knew how the Ravens thought about gold. They always weighed the risk against the profit. And attempting to kill a Summoner was too risky for any amount of wealth. The only effect Gale saw in this was Renal's men getting upset. Gale had a small flash of insight and spoke.

  "Some of your men will see this as an opportunity to betray you."

  Renal nodded in approval.

  Gale thought it was a stupid thing to do. There was surely an easier way to root his enemies out, and definitely a better time. Had he not seen the carnage at Garvin's mansion?

  "Your concerns are noted," said Renal probably noticing a look of distress on Gale's face. "But for now, I have a job for you."

  So, that was it. The answer to why he had been told so much. There was no mistaking Renal's tone. This wasn't an offer; it was a command. A final one at that.

  "You have a talent for smelling trouble, as I have already said. You're also far more talented than you would have people believe. If you're still half the man you were when we were both recruits, that's enough for me to entrust you with this."

  Praise from Renal. That was rare.

  "But what makes you perfect for this job is that you are an outsider. The men loyal to me in the guild are well known. And any enemies I have will know well enough to keep their distance from them and not speak a treacherous word in their presence."

  "What makes you think they'll trust me enough to involve me in their plots?" asked Gale with some anger, forgetting for a second whom he was speaking to. But he was certainly uncomfortable getting deeper into this mess, as Renal himself put it.

  "You have a better chance of infiltrating them than my men. Nearly all the men know that you have been brought to the guild because of your experience with this Summoner. If they see you working for me, it is very likely that they think it's some work related to the Summoner. I doubt anyone would suspect you to be involved in more...political matters. And my attention being occupied with the Summoner, my enemies will move fast. They would want to take advantage of this opportunity to bury a blade in my back."

  Gale was tempted for a second to do it himself. His 'nose' for danger was starting to smell things now. It might not be half bad an idea for someone more rational to take Renal's place. Someone who would just find Toskk and hand him over to the damned Summoner. Renal ignored Gale's look of displeasure and continued.

  "You will, of course, not be alone. You will work in close conjunction with one of my men."

  "Then we're back where we started, aren't we? Your enemies see me talking to your man, they'll know I'm on your side."

  "Oh, but not all my men make a public show of loyalty to me. There are some who oppose me in front of others, under my own orders. Their very purpose is to root out my enemies. This one is a good friend and has served me well in the past."

  "Whom will I be working with?"

  Gale would know any man that was a friend of Renal's. Trust takes a long ti
me to earn in a guild such as the Black Ravens. This man would have been there during Gale's days at the hall as well.

  "Ceívar," said Renal, allowing himself a smile.

  A moment of revelation. Gale understood a lot of things. Especially how Ceívar always survived despite his many supposed shortcomings.

  His boorishness, his thirst for violence, his ambition. As Gale had always thought, it was a front. Many bits of interactions with Ceívar became clear now. Renal had done a good job in setting up Ceívar in the position that he was. That of an opportunist, good with a blade, but not too bright. Any conspirator would try and make use of him. But Gale recollected that he always noticed a streak of shrewdness and alertness underneath the debauched expression he always had on his face. He only hoped that no one else in the guild, especially Renal's enemies, had noticed that.

  "I will have word spread that you're free, but that you're still helping us hunt down this Summoner. You are to head back to your room in the Bottomless Keg. Ceívar will find you there."

  "I still don't get what's in this for me," said Gale. He might have been a little scared earlier, but he began to remember his old days with the Ravens. Renal and he had been the same once. The fact that Renal was guild-master now certainly complicated things, but he could speak his mind to the man.

  "You'll be doing me an immense favor. Think of this as a chance to redeem yourself."

  "Favor? If you're talking about Gilligan, I did my part. Maybe you don't remember…"

  "This isn't about Gilligan. This is about what followed after that."

  "Followed after?" asked Gale, genuinely confused. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. I left right after that incident."

  "Exactly. You left. When do you recall anyone leaving the Ravens?"

  Never, thought Gale silently. He was on edge for months after he had left, paranoid that the Ravens would send assassins after him. Sirius had grudgingly agreed to let Gale enter the employ of Garvin, but it was said that the Ravens never forgot. There were rumors of men being killed for deeds they performed as long as twenty years ago.