The Apprentice Sorcerer: The Caldronian Guild

by Andrew G. Wood

  Brodie nervously held out his soft pale hands, and the Warrior looked down at them, "Your son is to fat Madam. Moreover, it would appear he has never done a day's work in his life. His hands look softer than my ten-year-old daughters do," he scoffed before walking on. It was clear Brodie's confidence was gone, as he turned to step beside his mother. She took a firm grip and told him to stand back in line; There were after all still other Masters to pass by again.

  Leo watched on, getting rather bored by the whole repetitiveness of the event. It was clear none of the Masters were particularly impressed with the standard of the remaining candidates, as he thought obviously having more in number had not produced more in quality. As the final selections were made, all but the Sorcerer Master headed back towards the wagons.

  "I'll take the boy," said a low hoarse sounding voice.

  Leo's stepmother clapped her hands excitedly. "See Brodie...Oh I am so proud...," she said kissing her son on the cheek, before Brodie stepped proudly forward.

  "No... Not you..." The hooded figure said. The sorcerer threw back his hood, revealing a much younger face than Leo had expected, as Brodie stepped back, clearly puzzled, and unsure of the mysterious man before him.

  "You..." the Master said pointing past them all.

  Leo's stepmother stepped forward..."No... My son is the wisest choice."

  "I don't want your son madam, I want that lad there," He said pointing to a very surprised Leo.

  "You do not want him...that worthless piece of dirt is no use to anybody," she snapped back in reply.

  "Step forward," The man shouted over to Leo, waving for him to near. As he did, his stepmother placed a hand across to stop him. He went to move aside, but she slapped him hard across the head, "Get back to where you belong," she hissed, giving him a shove.

  The sorcerer waved his hand and his stepmother was brushed aside, "Come on," the man said holding a hand out to Leo. He stepped forward without giving so much as a second thought, his face still red and smarting from the slap, he had just received. "Is this your mother?" the man asked. Leo shook his head answering in the negative, "Good, then I will not have to compensate such a vile woman," he added placing his arm about Leo's shoulder.

  "Do you have your possessions?" he asked looking Leo in the eye.

  "No Sir, I do not really own anything worth bringing," he replied a little timidly, thinking that any moment he was going to be shoved back into the crowd.

  Leo felt no remorse or sorrow at leaving his so-called family behind, and could still hear his stepmother cursing behind him, as he walked away with the stranger. It was also clear his selection and the subsequent incident had drawn the eyes of the crowds, who once more sprung to life, filling the air with their voices.

  He did not feel the need to glance back even once, and as far as he was concerned, he had no family. Once they had approached the line of wagons, the man asked his name, "Leo, Sir," He replied, feeling as nervous as he had ever felt in his entire life. He watched the man reach over to the wagon, and another black cloaked figure passed him a bundle.

  "Very well Leo, when you are ready put this on," he was told as it was passed on to him.

  Leo simply nodded, realising he was being given his own robe, and quickly undid his own shirt, before discarding it to the ground at his feet. After opening up the bundle, he pulled the robe over his head, and letting it drop over his body. Although the material looked as if it were roughly woven, Leo actually thought it much softer than he had first thought it would be.

  His new Master then passed a white belt, "As you progress you wear different colour belts. White indicates you are now an apprentice to the Master’s of Sorcery." Leo could barely even comprehend the words, and that he was certain that he would be told any minute to remove the robe, and get back to where he had been standing. This surely could not be happening to him? It was all so unreal.

  He stepped up into the back of the wagon, where there were already three others sat quietly, dressed just as he now was. He noticed they all had their hoods up, and so decided to sit down with his in the same position. He was not certain if he was to speak or not, and as he did not feel comfortable around other people, he thought it best that he remained quiet anyway. Perhaps he thought, that If the others spoke to him, he would speak then, hoping it was considered polite if he did.

  There was a sudden jolting moment, as he felt the wagon moving, although where they were heading next, he was uncertain. One thing he was sure of, was that he was now free from the torture of home life. Free from the beatings, hunger and abuse he had been forced to endure for so many years, and although feeling very nervous, he leaned back in his seat and let the wagon carry him away. He peered up just slightly from under the cover of his hood, as he watched the crowds starting to disperse. The selections from Hepton had been made, and those not making it could try again in a year or so, or whenever the next intake was due. For some, like Brodie however, the chance had probably gone as he would be deemed too old, not that Leo cared.

  Chapter 2.

  Leo had no idea how long they had travelled as he had watched the town he had called home, slowly disappear into the distance. The long train of wagons and carriages appeared to meander along the dirt roads, and off in the distance he could see other farmsteads and villages, none of which he knew the names of.

  Those sharing the wagon with him had remained in total silence, although from time to time, he had noticed them all peering up from underneath their hoods, just as he did. He wondered who they were and where they were from, although he doubted they could be as nervous as he felt. He was not sure if it was the hunger he felt or butterflies in his stomach, but whichever it was seemed to be causing it to be making some strange rumbling noises.

  He turned his head quickly as he heard a noise from further up the line, and could see they had reached another town, although which one, he did not know nor really care. He was uncertain as to whether he should remain seated or whether he was allowed to walk around and stretch his legs, and was thankful that the answer came to him. The Master approached with his hood up. He passed them a basket, "Help yourselves to some refreshments," he said. “If you wish to walk about please feel free to do so, but please just stay close to the wagons." With those few words, the man turned around and walked off.

  Leo waited for one of the others to make the first move, as a young girl of a similar age to himself threw back her hood and opened the basket. He watched as her long fair hair dropped over her face as she leaned forward. The others in the wagon followed her lead, and threw back their hoods, and for the first time Leo got to see the faces of each. Aside from the girl opposite, there were also two boys. One of which looked a little older, with short-cropped dark hair and a rounded face. The other was again of similar age to himself, with a more defined look and blonde hair.

  He waited for the other three to help themselves to the food first, before he leaned forward to help himself. Inside the basket were slices of buttered bread, slices of ham and beef, as well as a variety of fruits. There were also some cups and a flask, although what it contained, he had no idea. He thought it best not to appear greedy and took just two pieces of bread and a little beef, before sitting back to start eating, thinking he could not recall being offered such a feast.

  As he ate, he looked around at the faces of the others, who all appeared to be doing the same as he was.

  "Hi, my name is Mia, I am seventeen," the girl sat opposite said, introducing herself first.

  "I am Corey, and I'm nineteen," the older looking boy added.

  "And I'm Mason, and I'm sixteen" said the other lad.

  Leo nodded, and smiled at each in turn. After swallowing his mouthful of food, "I am Leo...nice to meet you all. Oh, I am sixteen as well." He hoped his introduction sounded okay, as he took another bite whilst glancing around nervously.

  There was more than enough food, so much so, much of it went uneaten, before Mason decided to open the flask and see what they had to drin
k. After holding it up to his nose and taking a sniff, "I think its wine," he said. "Anyone want some?" The others all said they would, and Leo decided once more to follow their lead. If truth were told, he had only ever tasted it once when he was much younger, although he could not remember what it had tasted like. Mason poured a little into each of the four cups and passed them round; a show of kindness quite foreign to Leo.

  "Thank you," Leo said gratefully, as he took a tentative sip, not sure what he was going to be tasting.

  "Hey a toast," Corey said, holding his cup aloft. "To the future! Now we are all apprentice sorcerers, and hopefully all new friends," he added.

  Leo copied the others by holding his cup aloft, before drinking back his wine. He managed to stop himself from coughing it back up, but only just, although he was not sure whether his face gave away the fact that he found the taste, not quite to his liking. After helping himself to an apple from the basket, more to take the taste from his mouth than for any reason of being hungry, Leo leaned back in his seat. Mason asked if anyone else wanted more wine, Corey did, but neither he nor Mia took him up on the offer.

  After tossing his apple core out of the wagon, he stood and stepped down. His legs were feeling a little stiff, as he walked a short distance up the line of stationary wagons and carriages. There were several other people doing the same as he was, all wearing different coloured robes, moving about, all looking as lost as he was. He wondered how long they would have to wait here before moving off again, as he looked skyward, noticing the sun had already passed its zenith, meaning it was now afternoon.

  After just standing and watching for a while, Leo noticed a black robed figure returning his way. "Come on Leo. There is nobody else suitable for us here," his new Master said as he reached him. Leo just nodded and followed the man back to the Wagon, and was surprised to see him climb up and sit himself down. "We shall be moving out again soon, our next stop will be Surmont."

  "My name is Kian," the man said introducing himself to the small group for the first time. He threw back his hood, revealing the much younger face than Leo had first envisaged, before telling them he was twenty-seven years old and had been a Master for the last two years.

  "I thought as a Master, you would be much older," Corey said, asking the question the others were probably all thinking. Kian simply shrugged and smiled, as he explained each class, whether it be sorcerer or warrior, had five such Masters; although he was by far the youngest out of all the others.

  Kian spoke further as they all waited for the wagon train to start moving again, and asked they all put their hoods back up again, when it did. Before the question was asked, he told them the reasoning behind it. Apparently, all sorcerers were thought of as secretive, almost mysterious people, and that keeping themselves hidden away under a hooded robe, just played along with that perception. There was apparently another Master out recruiting from a different part of the country, although how much success the other Master had had, he did not yet know.

  "You probably all want to know why I selected each of you?" Kian then asked them as the wagon finally started moving again. The group all pulled their hoods up, but they continued to talk, as Kian told them that people with magical potential emitted a strange aura, and that this energy was best nurtured in a person's late teenage years, although there were some exceptions. If that person was not taught to utilise the power during that time, then eventually the energy subsided and dwindled away. "Obviously you all showed those signs, it is one of the first things we teach you how to detect as an apprentice," he added.

  Leo glanced at the town the Masters had just visited, thinking if what Kian had said was true, he wondered why he had been the only one picked from Hepton.

  "Is it rare...this aura...energy thing?" Mia asked

  "About one in a thousand usually have it," Kian replied, "Although, that is only the first factor in selecting you," he added from beneath his hood. Before he then went on to say the most important thing he looked for was a good heart and character; although judging this was far more difficult and often left to a hunch.

  "How do you know if someone has a good heart?" Mason asked.

  "I cannot really explain. It seems a little skill I have, I can usually tell just by looking at people if they are kind hearted, or at least I hope I can" he replied.

  Kian then used Leo as an example. Apparently, Leo's stepbrother Brodie had also showed some signs of magical energy, but he could sense that the young man was cruel. "Dark hearts make dark sorcerers...something we try to avoid at all costs. Part of our job as magicians, is dealing with such people who have learned to utilise magic and not under the training of the guild."

  He told them that as far as he could tell they all showed a good character, and a strong aura of energy. "I also look for other traits. I'm sure you'll all prove my decision to take you as a good one," he added smiling, before realising none of them could actually see his face anyway. After telling the others of who he was, he then asked them to talk in turn, and each give a little information on their relative backgrounds.

  Time passed by surprisingly quickly as the wagon slowly bounced about along the road. The small group chatted openly and appeared to get along quite well, and Leo felt as good as he could ever remember. Despite only having spent a few hours in their company, he felt he knew them all quite well already. They all seemed friendly, and despite still being nervous about what lay ahead, he also felt a little contentment, a somewhat strange feeling he had not felt before.

  "That's where we are going," Kian suddenly said pointing over to their left, before the whole group peered that direction to see the city of Surmont coming into view. "Have any of you been before?" he asked. They all replied that they had not. "I've never been more than a few miles from Hepton," Leo added, feeling more confident than he usually did, and being the first to speak.

  Leo finally added excitement to the list of feelings he was experiencing, and even though they were still a few miles away, he could tell Surmont was an enormous place. Kian told them the inner part of the city was surrounded by a wall some fifty feet in height, and that the newer buildings had grown up around it. The guild was situated inside the walls, along with the palace and the homes of the wealthy and privileged. The guild itself was split further, depending on the class. Alchemists, herbalists and healers were on one site, whilst warriors, rangers and sorcerers were on the other, and the Literary Masters and their apprentices were situated beside the Great Library. "We all have our own buildings though, as well as our own dorms. I hope you don't mind Mia but all sorcery dormitories house both males and females together."

  "I don't mind," she replied, as Leo was certain he could see a smile peering out from under her hood.

  When they arrived, they would be shown to their beds, and further cloaks, as well as new boots and underclothes could be collected from the stores. After that, Kian said he would give them a quick tour of the grounds, and then finally to the dinner hall. This vast room was apparently used by all the various factions, and aside from meal times, it was also occasionally used for presentations or important assemblies.

  Kian did however, ask them to observe a few simple rules. Firstly, they were to wear their robes at all times, and if they were out in public, their hoods should be raised, unless asked to reveal their face. Once they started learning magic, it was only to be used on other people if supervised, and requested for them to do so.

  "What happens if we use magic on somebody we shouldn't?" asked Corey.

  "Well obviously it would depend on what you did to them, and who it was. I warn you all now though, if found guilty, it could mean anything from a solitary cell to having your head removed from your shoulders," Kian replied. It had been the first time any of the group had heard him speak in such a way.

  "Duly noted Sir!" Mason added.

  Kian also asked that all apprentices refer to all Masters as 'Sir'. They were all fair people, but insolence, rudeness or just lack of manners was not tolerated.
Contrary to their titles, some of the Masters were actually females. "You refer to those as Ma’am," Kian added. Of all the different factions, the sorcerers were fewest in number, although this however did not mean they were treated as inferior. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as he explained that of all the groups, those that wielded the power of magic were most respected.

  As they reached the outskirts of the city, the long line of wagons moved along the main street, and the people moved aside for them, allowing them to proceed unhindered, and Leo noticed how they stood by and watched them pass. He had never seen so many people before, dressed in all manner of clothes, some elaborate to the extreme. They passed by rows of shops, and Leo was beginning to wonder if he would ever have chance to browse them, of course he knew he could not buy anything though as he had no money, but he could enjoy looking nonetheless.

  It was evidently clear that it was not only Leo who was awestruck by the sights, as the others also had their heads turned. Even more so when Mason spotted the massive wall and elaborate gateway that they now approached. Stood at its entrance were soldiers, all dressed in immaculate uniforms, and each held a halberd in one hand and had a sword hanging from a belt. The guards stood motionless as the wagons were allowed to pass by, and Leo could not help but stare as he did.