He looked up to see the King’s sorcerer was now stood the other side of the finely dressed man, and it then dawned on him just who he was seeing, “The king!” he uttered under his breath. “Your Majesty,” Aryan finally said after being gestured to speak. “This is the boy?” The king’s sorcerer said sharply before the Master could say anymore. “It is…” Aryan replied, before being interrupted again by the same man.
Leo thought he was awfully rude, but knew he needed to keep any such opinion to himself. It was the king who spoke next, “And it is this boy that killed the escaped prisoner?” and Leo felt his heart thumping again, thinking he was going to be in serious trouble for killing a man. “I am sorry Sir,” he blurted out, “I thought Master Aryan was in trouble…and I thought I could help…” he rambled before he realised what he had just done.
He could hear Aryan sighing next to him, and thought he had probably just gotten his Master in trouble too. The king’s sorcerer shouted for him to be silent, in a voice so loud it reverberated around the room, startling Leo in the process. “Oh do be quiet Daron,” the king snapped waving his hand, “We should be thanking the boy, not admonishing him.”
With those words Leo suddenly felt a little easier, and stood albeit nervously, watching as the king approached him. Leo tried to stand still, but thought his nerves were getting the better of him, as he could feel his hand shake, “Don’t be nervous lad,” he heard the king say, “You say his name is Leo?” the man asked aiming the question to Aryan. “Yes Majesty, Leo, one of our newer students,” he replied.
“A newer student, and yet you say more powerful than anything you have ever seen?” the king said asking a further question.
“I think the incident with the prisoner is testament to that, Majesty,” Leo heard his Master reply.
Leo looked and listened as they spoke about him, as if he were not even in the same room, and although it made him feel he wanted to speak, he thought he had pushed his luck far enough already. “Perhaps the prisoner had all but expended his energy when the boy fired,” the sorcerer known as Daron said, clearly doubting one so young could possibly be as powerful as Aryan had made out. “No Sir, I myself could not touch him and was almost depleted, Had Leo not intervened I am certain I would have been bettered,” Aryan said arguing his case.
Daron scoffed again, only this time to be shouted down by the king, “Oh stop being so bloody argumentative.” The monarch stepped up beside Leo, “He’s probably worried you are going to be more powerful than he is,” he whispered to Leo, causing him to snicker, which in turn only appeared to rile Daron even more. Aryan shook his head a little in disbelief, with all that was going on at the moment, and the king’s most powerful sorcerer was behaving like an idiot. “Why not just see for yourself Daron,” he eventually said, although not asked to speak. The king looked his way, and nodded, “Yes Daron, just do it.”
The king’s sorcerer stepped nearer Leo, and after checking with him that it was okay for him to do so, he placed his finger tips on either side of his head. Daron did not gasp or make any sound for that matter, and just nodded his head before removing his hands. The man then turned to his king, “I accept the lad has substantial power, I will train him myself if you wish,” he said catching Leo by surprise. He immediately looked over to Aryan for help, and his Master just smiled, which he thought was not helpful at all.
It was the king who spoke next, asking if Leo was comfortable in having special one on one training with Daron. “Yes he can be a bit of a grump at times, but he can help you far more than any of the Masters.”
“Does that mean I won’t have lessons with my friends?” Leo asked, feeling everything in his life was about to change yet again. After the king looked first towards Aryan and then to Daron, they seemed to have made up some unspoken deal.
Without another word being said the king turned about and headed for another door off to the side, and Daron and the large warrior followed quickly behind. The King’s sorcerer turned in the doorway, “See he is given a black belt. I don’t want people thinking I’m tutoring an absolute beginner,” the man said talking to Aryan, “And you be ready in the practice yard at seven in the morning,” he added pointing to Leo, before disappearing off through the exit, closing the door behind him.
With the king and his guards gone from the room, it was left for Aryan and Leo to head back out of the door they had entered, passing the guards on the outside and back down the corridor. They walked silently at first, the only sound being the noise of their boots on the floor, before Leo decided to ask the same question he had earlier. “So will I not be with my friends anymore?” He said stopping suddenly. Aryan also paused and turned to the young apprentice and smiled, “Of course you will, Daron will just teach you for an hour or two each morning. I’m afraid it just means you will be up and about a little earlier than your friends though,” he said gesturing they should continue onwards.
After they had passed down the corridors and back up and down several sets of steps, they emerged back into a place Leo recognised as the guild building. The Master then suggested they head for the dining hall, “I’m absolutely famished,” he admitted. Leo enquired as to whether they would still be serving food at that hour, and despite Aryan thinking probably not, he suggested that being a Master did have its benefits. “Leave it to me,” he said, “I know a few of the kitchen staff, and I’m sure they’ll find us something.”
The corridors in the guild were all but deserted, and the only other people that seemed to be about were cleaners, who were busy brushing the floors, in the dim glow of the flickering lamp lights. Although rather than head straight for the dining hall, Aryan asked Leo to wait in the foyer a few minutes, before dashing off up the stairs. It seemed far longer than that, and Leo was just thinking the Master had forgotten all about him before he noticed the man return, clutching something in his hand.
“Here,” Aryan said handing Leo a new belt, “You’d better use this tomorrow or I’ll have Daron after me.”
“I thought blue and red were the next belt colours for apprentices? and Master’s belts are grey,” Leo said looking down at the new item in his hands. “What does black represent?” Aryan placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder, and started heading toward the dining hall, “It means you are not a person to mess with,” his Master told him. Although that was not really much of an answer, Leo left it at that, as he realised the hall was almost in complete darkness.
Unsure how they could proceed without lighting a few lamps, Leo was impressed when the Master beside him, flicked his fingers. A small globe light appeared just affront of their position, and he watched as Aryan lifted his hand up and the ball of light floated up toward the ceiling and just hung there. “Now that is impressive,” he said as a large part of the hall became illuminated in an eerie bluish light. Aryan grinned, “You may be powerful Leo but you still have a lot to learn,” he said before heading off towards the kitchen area.
Leo just stood a little while staring up at the small globe of light that just hovered above their heads, nodding, thinking that was something he would like to learn. Realising Aryan was fast leaving him behind, he quickly run to catch up, and stepped up behind him, as they entered through the service door and into the kitchen.
Leo had never seen inside this room before, and was surprised to see so many people still working. The smells of cooking filled his senses and his stomach suddenly reminded him of why he was there. He looked around at just how vast the room was, with so many ovens and preparation areas with staff working at them, he was glad when one of them looked over and notice Aryan. The Master waved his hand, and the cook, a middle-aged man, wearing a white apron hurried over to them.
Leo decided to let Aryan deal with the cook, as he continued to have a nosey around, as his attention was drawn to a woman cutting. Her skill with a knife was clear to see, as he watched the blade slice up and down so quickly it looked almost a blur. “Come on,” he heard as Aryan grabbed him by the arm, “Let’s go and
sit back in the hall.” Leo just nodded and let himself be led back out of the door into the dining hall that was still lit up by the magical globe Aryan had created a little earlier.
“How long will that last,” Leo asked pointing up to the ball of energy.” Aryan shrugged, explaining it would depend on how much energy he had put in when creating it. “Alternatively I can do this,” he said clicking his fingers, making the room dark again. Aryan however, quickly regenerated another light, “I would like to learn that,” Leo said as he watched the kitchen doors open and a man carrying a tray head towards them.
Chapter 11.
Leo, as quietly as he could, slipped from beneath the blankets of his bed. It was still early, and the room all but dark, still awaiting the morning sun to illuminate it properly, as its residents still slept. Leo grabbed his robe, boots and new belt, and crept silently out of the dorm and into the common room, where he thought it better to get dressed. As he passed the beds of his sleeping friends, he glanced over at each, but in the half-light of morning could make very little out.
The common room, was also gloomy, and Leo decided to light a few lamps to enable him to see properly. He wished he knew the tricks used by the masters to do such things, or more impressively the orb of light Aryan had used to do the same job. Unfortunately, he had not yet been taught either, and so had to rely on the more usual way of lighting a lamp.
After dressing in his black robe, and pulling on his black shining boots, he then unravelled the new belt he had been given, thinking of the words Aryan had told him the previous night. Without further ado he wrapped the new belt around his waist and tightened it, and looked admiring himself in the large mirror hung on the far wall of the common room. He cast himself a smile and pulled his hood over his scruffy un-brushed hair and peered out from within, thinking how mysterious he looked.
Without further ado, he thought he best go and make his way to his lessons, although the thought of being taught by Daron, the King’s own sorcerer, scared him somewhat. The man had shown him absolutely no sign of kindness during their previous meeting yesterday, and Leo thought, had been nothing but quite offish. As he made his way down the staircase, and into the foyer, he was surprised once more to see he was not the only person about, as many of the staff who kept the guild running behind the scenes were already working.
As he stepped outside into the morning air, Leo inhaled deeply. There was a slight chill, but at least the sky above looked clear, and he knew in a few hours the sun would make it another beautifully warm day. After puffing out his cheeks, in a bid to settle his nerves, he headed for the back of the main building and towards the area they used for practices.
As soon as he turned the corner he spotted another dark robed figure off in the near distance, and knew it would be Daron waiting for him. Thinking it was he who was late, he hurried his pace just a little, before stopping some ten paces away from the sorcerer. With his hood up over his head as Leo had, Daron made a far more intimidating figure than he did, and after a moments silence Leo thought it best to apologise for his tardiness.
Another silence followed and Leo thought of saying something else, but decided against it, and instead waited patiently. He was glad that after what seemed far too long, Daron eventually lowered his hood, to reveal his aging face, “You are not late. If anything you are much earlier than I thought you would be,” he said calmly, surprising Leo with his mild demeanour. “Most of the youths your age think that the morning starts about three hours from now. It is good to see you think otherwise.”
Leo lowered his own hood, and smiled, thinking how all the years of him having to get up early to feed the animals and ready breakfast for his so called family, had perhaps set him in good stead for early morning starts. Daron then looked at him, as if trying to judge or assess him, and walked slowly around as one might a prized animal, and Leo was left to watch, turning his head as the man circled him. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude,” Daron eventually said, as he turned to face his young apprentice, “Seeing another with great power is a very rare thing, very rare indeed.”
Daron went on to explain that having a larger power source than that considered the norm by most sorcerers, was so uncommon, he knew of only one other. “Can I check once more,” the man asked, as Leo nodded it was fine for him to place his hands on his head again if he so wished. Leo noticed that when Daron checked the power he had, he did not gasp or quickly move away as even some of the other Masters had done when they had sensed his energy. Instead the King’s sorcerer just nodded before slowly moving his hands back down, “You have the potential my friend, to be very powerful. However, with that power comes a great price,” the man added suddenly not making it sound quite so appealing. Leo thought, why did there always have to be a ‘However’ when anybody said anything good about him.
He listened further as Daron warned him that although his power may be greater than a normal sorcerer, it did not make him immune to danger. In fact, quite the contrary, because he was a greater threat, it would ultimately make him a more important target, “And just because you have more power, does not mean you cannot be killed,” the man told him. “A top ranger could be stalking us now as we speak, and have two arrows through your heart before you even know he or she was there, so whatever you do, don’t think your invincible because you are far from it.”
The warnings did not end there, and Leo was beginning to wonder when any actual practice would start, but that was evidently not just yet. Daron continued on, about how having great power would not only make you a target for your enemy, but would also alienate you from your friends; words which suddenly grabbed Leo’s attention far more. He waited for the sorcerer to finish talking to ask the one question that had been going around, in his mind again and again.
Leo first checked it was okay for him to ask a question, as the old man nodded that was fine, gesturing his hands out for him to continue. “You say you have only ever known one person with similar power before… Can I ask who that was?”
“A fair question. Although it should be who that is, not who that was,” Daron replied.
“The person you speak of is still alive today?”
Daron smiled, causing the wrinkles on his face to looked far more pronounced, “You’re looking at him,” he said.
With that declaration made, Daron went on to tell Leo how he had been a massive problem for the guild when he had been taken in so many years ago. At that time no one knew how to handle him, nor how to teach him what was best. A sad look appeared on the old sorcerer’s face, “Accidents happened Leo, and people got hurt because of this,” he said. Leo could see the pain on the man’s face, and although he would have liked to have known just what happened, he thought it best not to ask. Perhaps if Daron wished to tell him at a later date then so be it, but he thought not to push for an answer.
Leo then thought of another question, “Is there a chance there are others like us?” he asked.
Daron nodded, “Quite likely yes. Although as in your case, if you had not been brought to the guild, and shown how to access your power, you may never have known.” Leo nodded his understanding, remembering one of his earlier lessons, about if the power was not used it would merely dwindle away to nothing.
Eventually, Daron suggested they try something out, as he asked Leo to create a blast of energy similar to that he had used in his previous lessons. “I do not want to kill you!” Leo replied thinking back to when he had done just that with the escaped prisoner, despite there being a shield. Daron chuckled, “Don’t worry, as powerful as you are Leo, you have much to learn. Come on I need to see what you have got, and what you can do, before I can start teaching you.”
After a few awkward moments, Leo finally stepped back a few paces and did as was asked. He immediately saw the glimmering effect of Daron’s shield as the surge of energy flowed from his fingertips, although he kept it brief, just in case. However, it was soon apparent he need not have worried, as he watched his attack merely dissip
ate away, as it hit the old sorcerers shield. “Not bad, “Daron told him, “Good control too, cutting it short as you did. Took me a while before I could do that.”
“Well I have already had a few lessons with Aryan, Sir,” Leo said keeping things formal.
“And it seems he has taught you well.”
Daron, although impressed with Leo’s understanding of the way power was used for attacking, did not want to work on that side of his skillset. “I need you to work on shielding,” Daron told him, before explaining his reasons. Leo listened, although only partially agreed with what he was being told. Surely if he was more powerful than most other sorcerers then he could overcome them easily by just attacking with his stronger power, and this was something he suggested to Daron when asked if had any questions.
The Sorcerer did not shout, nor in any way show any anger at having his reasoning questioned, but merely started explaining. He firstly used a scenario whereby perhaps you did not want to kill the other person, “Perhaps you may need to capture him alive, how will you do that when he is still intent on killing you, and you have limited shielding skills,” Daron suggested. Leo nodded, true he thought, perhaps such an occasion might arise, albeit probably unlikely.
Daron then suggested he show him something else, and asked Leo to ready another attack against him. The younger of the two again stepped a few paces back and readied to repeat his actions, just as he had done a little earlier. However, just as he lifted his arm out to target Daron, he felt it being forced back to his side, and realised with horror, he could not move. “You see Leo, a shield does not have to be cast over yourself,” Daron said keeping the force of shimmering light holding his young apprentice in place. Despite Leo trying to wriggle free, he had to admit defeat, and eventually he felt the shield dissipate away letting him move again. This particular lesson had certainly been an eye-opener to him, “So much to learn,” he mumbled to himself, although it was clear Daron heard the remark as well.
The Apprentice Sorcerer: The Caldronian Guild Page 9