Another Stupid Trilogy

by Bill Ricardi

  It was clear that Leeson was moving from strength to strength. His mind was agile, as were his fingers. His voice was strong, as was his will. Having worked with him for just three days, I understood. I understood why he was two years ahead of his classes. I understood why he had such a passion for magic. And I understood why he wanted to go right to the source when learning this new spell: He would undoubtedly create some of his own one day.

  Which made the fourth day even more of a mystery to me.

  Try as he might, even understanding each component of the spell individually, the young lord couldn’t seem to cast the spell. The silver sacrifice stayed in his hand. There was no sensation of inspiration, no hint of mental enhancement. He watched me perform the spell twice more, but that only seemed to fuel his frustration. After countless attempts, I called it a day. To the lad’s credit, he wasn't angry with me, but he was clearly angry at himself.

  I discussed the situation with Rick and Will at dinner that night.

  “He’s brilliant. He understands all of the concepts. It looks like he’s doing everything correctly. And then nothing happens.”

  Will shrugged. “Maybe he isn’t ready for that level of power yet? We didn’t really check into his mastery levels. We were told second hand that he had a grasp of some of the advanced techniques, but didn’t personally observe them.”

  Rick asided to Will, “Mary Johanson said that he had mastered some second year spells, so the raw power should be present.” The taller human absently sprinkled salt over his baked potato. “It’s difficult to know what’s in a student’s mind when they’re casting a spell. A mental distraction or aberration is more than enough to stop a spell from working.”

  I latched onto that theory. “What do you mean?”

  Rick shrugged, “I mean… Will, what was it that Arcanist Vodin said about preparing your mind for elemental spells?”

  The smaller human looked like he was deep in thought for a few seconds. Then he recalled, “Oh right. When you’re casting fire magic, you need to be aware of your intentions. Even the thought of water, or ice, or moisture could cause the spell to fizzle. He called it ‘subjective clarity’. Does that help you, Sorch?”

  My mind was racing. “Rick, when you use the spell, what’s in your mind?”

  He hesitated, but I insisted, “Be honest, I won’t be insulted.”

  Finally the human answered, “Money. I mean it’s a fine spell Sorch, but not one that I would personally use every day. It takes away from the volume of spells that I can cast and the benefit to me personally is questionable unless I have some kind of intensive study session I would need to attend.”

  I turned my gaze to Will, but he was already nodding. “Profit, yes, same here.”

  I murmured to myself, “And for me it’s… advancement. Knowledge. Power.”

  We ate in silence for a little while. Finally Rick asked, “Do you think you know what’s happening then, Sorch?”

  “I think I might. If you’ll excuse me, I need to head home immediately after dinner. There’s something I need to look up.”

  I burned the midnight oil. Not to read some obscure text, but to review my own notes. Particularly the diary entries that I had made just after I got the spell to work in the first place. Suddenly it all fell into place. I had discovered the missing element that would make a spell work for a poor orc and a couple of shopkeepers, but not a privileged and intelligent young man.

  I walked into our fifth and final tutorial session with confidence. Leeson was slouched in his seat, looking a bit defeated. We couldn’t be more different in that moment. It was time to bring the lad down to my level.

  “So after reviewing my notes, I believe I know why the spell isn't working for you, Leeson.”

  He glanced up at me, daring to have a little bit of hope. “Yes?”

  “It’s because you’re a ponce.”

  For a lad so pale, who knew that he could summon so much blood to his cheeks?

  “Excuse me?!” the teenager sputtered, clearly angry.

  I yawned. “You know, a fop. A dandy. A hairdo.”

  Leeson stood up, fists clenched. “How dare you? You know nothing about me!”

  A toothy smirk was my reply. But I added, for good measure, “I know that this spell requires something that you don’t have. Need. It requires you to need something, and to have the ambition and the desire to reach out and grab it. You don’t need anything. You can just send out a servant for whatever you want. Or you can ask mommy and daddy.”

  The young noble was shaking with rage. “I have ambition! What in the hells do you know anyway, you glorified swamp rat? I’ve earned my place in the world of magic, nothing was handed to me!”

  I shouted right back at him, this time hurling a piece of silver at him, which he caught deftly. “Then cast the damned spell, boy, or quit wasting my time!”

  And he did.

  That transformation from angry young man prior to casting the spell, to consummate magician during the casting, to beatific cherub as he basked in the intellectual rush of Augmented Intelligence… it was a beautiful thing to watch.

  “Oh!” was all he said afterwards, eyes unfocused as he coped with this new sensation.

  I was grinning ear to ear. As he adjusted to the augmentation, I explained. “The missing element was drive, Leeson. We were treating this like a technical exercise. And technically you were doing all of the right stuff and things. But when I cast the spell, it’s my lifesblood. When Rick and Will cast the spell, it’s about their livelihood. The spell has to be an expression of genuine need, genuine desire. Your desire to advance in the world of magic and be independent are excellent examples. I’m going to update my notes and have the lads update theirs as well.”

  He took a few deep breaths. The red in his cheeks was no longer anger, it was shame. “Sorch, I didn’t mean what I said about being a swamp rat, I do apologise. I was just…”

  I waved the apology off. “You were angry, and I made you angry, and that was intentional and entirely my own doing. It should be noted that you are not in any way a ponce or a fop, you’re a remarkable young man. Just look what you’ve achieved. You’re the first outside my circle of friends to cast this spell.”

  Now it was Leeson’s turn to smile. “I had a good teacher.”

  “Yes well, let’s not pack up the wagon just yet. We’ll spend the rest of the day deconstructing the spell, you can have a nap after lunch so that you’re ready to memorize it again, and we’ll make sure that you can summon that desire into your mind in a less stressful circumstance.”

  After the rush of being able to cast the spell wore off, Leeson needed to sit down. I wasn’t exaggerating when I outlined the after-effects of Augmented Intelligence on humans. The young man looked like he had been lifting heavy weights all morning. I filled the next hour of tutoring time by giving the lad a verbal critique of his performance. That allowed him to get his wind back. After lunch and a brief period of sleep, we both memorized our spells once again.

  As I predicted, the young noble was able to recast the spell after a good rest. His technique was, if anything, better than my own. We both made some final notes, and started to pack up for the day. But before he went away to partake in his family’s weekend activities, I had a little surprise to spring upon him. The sun was setting over Limt as I unwrapped our little treat and showed the human.

  “A-are you sure this is alright?” the lad stammered, looking at the glass of port wine that had been poured in his honor.

  I snorted. “Asks the lad who quite clearly knows a thing or two about distilling white lightning.” I took a sip from my own glass. My eyes slowly closed in visceral pleasure, as the heat of the alcohol and the wonderful fruity tang washed over my senses. “Besides, it had better be alright. Your father sent the bottle.”

  He chuckled. “Oh! Alright then.” The raven haired lad raised his glass silently to toast his father from halfway across town. Then he too imbibed, and melted in his seat a
s the powerful port washed over him. “Oh, this is from the old cellar.”

  I nodded. It was the best wine I had ever tasted, though admittedly I didn’t have a lot to compare it to. “So what’s next for you Leeson?”

  He licked his lips before taking another long sip. “In a couple of weeks I’m taking my finals. The Youth Magic exams. They determine a lot of things, one of them being possible placement at the Arcane University. I’ll be putting your spell to good use as I study.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Ah, so the timing of this was quite deliberate. I’m glad it worked out for you. Best of luck on your tests.”

  He chuckled a bit. “I just… I want to get in. I don't want to wait another year. I’m ready.” He glanced up from his glass to look me in the eye. “What’s next for you, Sorch?”

  I let another portion of the lovely quaff roll over my tongue and down my throat before I answered the young man. “I’m going to be a caravan guard and then I’ll be participating in Will and Rick’s northern expedition. Departure is only a couple of weeks away now.”

  Leeson raised his glass to me, and I to him. We finished our victory drink in silence, both of us already thinking ahead to the next big chapter in our lives.

  Chapter 9

  The bishop, garbed in a red short sleeved knit vest and matching silk pants, jotted down some notes in a neat, tight script. “And you said you’d prefer the first edition of ‘The Start of Things to Come’, correct?”

  I nodded. “If that’s possible. I have to stay within my budget of course, so the second edition will have to do if access to the first will be expensive.”

  The leader of the Temple of Vinara nodded his understanding. “We’ll treat your money as a single pool so as not to go over budget, don’t worry about that young man. All fees, including our commission, will be accounted for in advance.” He puffed out his chest a bit, “And given my legendary powers of negotiation, I believe you can expect at least half a dozen of the high priority items on your list.”

  I chuckled softly. “I leave the matter in your more than capable hands, padre. Will and Rick send their regards.” I bowed, travel cloak rustling.

  The older clergyman returned the bow. “Kind of you to relay that, Sorch. May Vinara bless you and keep you all, and may your upcoming journey be a great success.”

  I left the temple with a spring in my step. The next three weeks would be an adventure unlike any that I had experienced in my life. It was more than a trip into the mountains. It was an outing with my new friends and companions. They showed me their trust twice over: Using their influence to get me hired on as a fellow caravan guard, and signing me on as a junior partner on their subsequent mountain expedition near the city of Ice House.

  This meant that I would achieve short term stability in my financial situation. The 60 gold that the caravan job paid would easily cover my rent on the dockside apartment for the duration of our trip. I had the caravan company pay the fee directly to my landlord. Given his rather colorful nature, I made sure to get the receipt in writing.

  The potential profits from the expedition were, of course, unknown. The nature of exploration and adventure is risk, and the reward is never certain. On average, the guys said that their share of the proceeds topped a thousand gold pieces worth of merchandise that they could resell in The Magic Shop. On this trip, the profits would be split nine ways, with each of the senior partners getting two shares, and myself getting one. So if all went well, and this was an average trip, I could end up with at least a couple of hundred gold pieces. Not bad for a month on the road.

  As numbers and ambitions danced through my head, I made my way to the northern tip of Limt. The north gate out of the city was affectionately known as Adventure Alley. The reason was clear. The eastern and western gates into Limt carried day to day caravan traffic; just normal shipping throughout the territory and up and down the coast. You know… boring stuff and things. The northern gate was only used for longer and more dangerous journeys. The road only led to Ice House, which was both an adventuring hub and the gateway to the northern continent. Thus: Adventure Alley.

  Outside of the north gate was a collection of large compounds, each one belonging to one of the major caravan companies. Their services were not cheap. Most grains, cotton, certain kinds of vegetables, and the vast majority of fish had to be shipped into Ice House. So the cost of living, as one might imagine, was quite high. These caravan companies profited from the shipping of scarcities into Ice House, trade and messaging between the northern and southern continents, and shipping spoils of the adventure trade back to the southern cities. They could also take advantage of price differences between Ice House and Limt, if they had spare capacity. For example, fish was far easier to catch in the ocean than in the occasional unfrozen stream or underwater lake found in the mountains. Quickly packed and salted, the relatively cheap commodity could be sent to Ice House at a severe markup. And once they arrived, the naturally frozen state of things near Ice House made storage of fish and meat a trivial thing.

  I was particularly excited to be meeting one of the other full partners on the expedition. Apparently, Rick and Will knew this partner from the Arcane University, even though he wasn’t a mage. They seemed to delight in telling me absolutely nothing about this man, simply informing me that it would be worth the wait to find out about him in person. I played along, not wanting to be a spoilsport.

  The fourth and final full partner, I would apparently rendezvous with up in Ice House. The guys were being even more mysterious about our final adventuring companion. They didn’t take any satisfaction in that particular vagueness, however. Will and Rick genuinely didn’t know much about the personal life and history of the final partner, outside of their talents and their reliability.

  I made my way to the compound of Advanced Scouting and Commerce, the particular caravan company that we would be working for and travelling with on this trip. The wooden sign hanging from the administrative building, which I was able to read quite easily given my improved Common, said: ‘Need something? Just A.S.C.’ I groaned softly at the pun.

  Rather than walk into the office to inquire about my companions, my gaze was drawn deeper into the compound by a series of hoots and whistles. Two conspicuous humans were waving frantically in my direction. The smaller man was even jumping up and down, as in if it were possible to miss Rick and Will making such a racket. I walked over to them, dodging porters and caravan managers as they finished securing cargo across the two dozen horse drawn wagons.

  Rick gave me a handshake, and Will gave me a surprise hug. I was still getting used to friendly physical affection. It was unheard of in my tribe and in any tribe I had ever had dealings with. I discovered that it made Will smile when I thumped him on the back and squeezed his shoulder. For a moment I pondered what would happen if I tried to hug Shaman as a casual greeting. He would probably have Lizzy bite me.

  Greetings done, Rick excused himself so that he could supervise loading The Magic Shop’s own cargo. Will mentioned, “Our guard duty pays for the transport of two large trunks. So we take orders from merchants in Ice House, due for delivery every other season. It pays for the help that we hire to keep the shop running while we’re away, and most of the expedition’s expenses. I’m going to square away the invoices, so feel free to… oh hey! You should meet Toby, our partner. He’s in the second tent to the left, just over there.”

  I glanced over to where the small human was pointing. “It would be my pleasure.” I started to head towards the tent in question.

  “Oh Sorch!”

  I paused, “Yes Will?”

  “Ummm, don’t freak out. Okay?”

  I paused to reply, “Of course not.” Then I headed over to the tall, dusty tent. I might not be worldly like my new friends, but I could certainly stay composed when meeting a business partner. I opened the tent flap and stepped inside. I mean, did Will think I was some sort of hi-

  “Holy lizard crap!”

  The word
s fell from my lips before I could restrain myself. Even with Will’s warning, I was ill prepared. Toby was… there was no other way to describe him. Toby was a minotaur. A bull man, standing my height and half my height again. He towered over me. Golden brown fur covered the parts of the great beast’s body that were not covered by chainmail and leather. He wore no boots at the moment, preferring to allow his well groomed hooves to meet the ground unshod. Thick black horns curled above the minotaur’s alertly perked ears.

  But what really surprised me was that jovial, booming laughter.

  “Holy lizard crap indeed. If my nose does not fail me, I smell an orc! That’s amazing. Rick said that I would be surprised by our new junior partner, and he was right. Step into the lamp light please, and let me see you without the silly hood up.”

  It was like Toby’s voice penetrated my skin and shook my very bones. It wasn’t just the volume, it was also the baritone timbre of the bull-man’s voice. Despite this, I felt oddly at ease. He seemed to be in an excellent mood. One might even say he was jolly.

  I removed my hood and my gloves, “Pardon my outburst sir, I haven’t ever met one of your kind. If I might say so sir, you are a physically impressive specimen.” As I had been asked, I stepped into the lamp light so that it illuminated my green hued skin.

  Toby grinned. His teeth were perfectly white and perfectly square, the picture of perfect dental hygiene. “You are always allowed to speak the truth in my presence, Sorch the orc! I encourage it. In my case, I have met others of your kind. I’ve met orcs in both neutral and adversarial situations. But I’m happy to have the chance to ally with such a well spoken representative of the species.”

  I’m not sure why, but something about the minotaur’s tone made me believe that his words went beyond flattery. The sincere compliment brought a slight flush to my cheeks. I stammered and managed a subdued murmur of thanks.