Underdog Mage Chronicles
Page 3
Lance eyed the Master. He couldn’t run from here even if he wanted to, and getting the crystal off his hands would feel good. The gold would be enough to take care of his expenses for a good amount of time and on weekends when they were allowed outside, he would have ample spending money.
“I want to stay here and learn,” Lance said, holding out the crystal. He felt confident in his decision.
Master Sellius took it quickly and tucked it into his robe. “I’ll make sure to take it to the storage area immediately. I’ll have someone bring you your gold later. For the next few days I will ensure there is a guard placed outside your room at all times.”
“Thank you,” Lance said.
“No need to thank me,” Sellius replied. “You are one of us now. We take care of our own. I see great potential in you. Don’t let me down.”
* * *
The next morning came faster than Lance would have preferred. It took a long while to fall asleep after everything that happened and he awoke feeling more tired than before.
He stumbled into the training room at the last second and took his seat as Master Lenora gave him a warning look.
“I will remind everyone that part of passing on to the next level robe requires making it to class on time,” she stated, although it was clear the words were directed at him.
Lance listened as much as he could, but with everything weighing on him and his thoughts like a bowl of mush, it was difficult to remember everything the Master said. She moved fast and today was filled with specific details instead of the broad, general outlines of yesterday. Magic turned out to require a tremendous amount of knowledge, preparation, concentration, and practice.
The week went by in much the same way, each day bringing a wealth of information. Lance was excited to practice the art of magic, but Master Lenora insisted it not be for a few more weeks. Charlotte informed Lance that a red robe was able to ask to take their test whenever they felt ready. There was no time frame and no limits to how many times the test could be taken. The test, however was extremely difficult and combined all of what they learned into a grueling hour.
The weekend came fast, and with it a freedom Lance was unused to. They were allowed to leave the palace grounds so long as they returned before nightfall on Sunday. With plenty of gold now in his pocket, Lance wanted to experience a good meal and purchase something just because he could. The dark visitor never returned, so the guard was dismissed.
Charlotte agreed to walk with him into town, her smile making it difficult to speak straight. He felt like a dolt every time a word came out of his mouth, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, when he bumbled words, which was more often than not around her, she gave a light giggle and a reassuring nod to him.
Lance knew his way around town just as well as Charlotte, but he usually skipped the marketplace because he had no money. Today was different. He could buy something expensive or stay at a fancy inn if he wanted.
They passed a flower stand and Lance asked Charlotte to stop.
“One rose please,” Lance said, handing the man a gold coin. The man handed Lance several silver and copper coins in return. Lance took the rose and handed it to Charlotte, who frowned.
“I didn’t expect that reaction,” Lance said, scratching the top of his head.
“I’m here at the palace to focus on my training,” Charlotte said with a serious look on her face. “I… I can’t let anything distract me.”
“It’s just a flower,” Lance said. He realized his mouth was hanging open in surprise and he quickly closed it.
“I’m here to learn. That’s it,” Charlotte replied. “I think it will be better if we go our separate ways for now. I’ll see you back at the palace.”
Before he could say anything else, Charlotte was off. Lance sighed. He stood there with the flower still in his hand, not understanding what he had done wrong. He didn’t understand women. It was just a flower. He thought he was being nice.
Lance glanced up to see the seller looking at him and shaking his head. “No refunds.”
Chapter 5
Lance made his way through the streets in a sour mood. He had never been good at talking to girls, and now that he was crippled and half blind, any sliver of confidence he had before was gone.
He took a side street off of the main market and kicked a rock down the cobblestones. It wasn’t like he had tried to make a move on her. It was just a flower…
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard a noise behind him. By the time he turned around, there was a knife pointed into his stomach, poking his skin with its sharp blade. It was at this moment that Lance wished he learned how to cast a spell. All the rules and laws of magic wouldn’t help him in a situation without knowing how to carry out any sort of practical application.
The man before him was shrouded in the shadows of a black hood, his formidable size blocking out Lance’s view of the alleyway.
“The crystal. Hand it over now,” the stranger demanded in a harsh whisper.
Lance held up his hands to show they were empty. “I don’t have it.”
“Cut the heroics,” the man hissed. “The crystal or I’ll pry it from your dead body.” He pressed the knife forward and a trickle of blood crept down Lance’s stomach.
“I swear it!” Lance exclaimed. “Look! I only have gold. Take it!” He opened his pockets to show the coins.
“I don’t want the gold. I want the crystal. Where is it?”
Lance looked down and saw the ivory handle of the knife curled into the shape of a skull. The man didn’t strike him as the type to make bluffs. Passing up a pocket full of gold made that clear.
“They took it from me,” Lance explained, looking around for anyone else, but the alleyway was clear. Once again he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“The mages have it? Then you need to get it back. I will return next weekend to this spot and you better have it or I will cut a part of you off that will not grow back. If you tell anyone, and I mean anyone, I will gladly cut that little girl friend of yours up into tiny pieces as well. Is that clear?”
Lance nodded.
“Good,” the man said, patting Lance’s shoulder as if he were a puppy learning a new trick. “I’m glad we are on the same page. This was a productive talk. Now if you don’t mind, I prefer to leave without the guards chasing me,”
The last thought Lance had before the hit in the back of the head knocked him unconscious was that he had better learn magic in the next week.
* * *
Lance was torn between asking the Masters for help or perhaps the city guards. If they set up a trap, they could capture one bad guy. But what if he was being followed? What if they grabbed him or Charlotte as soon as they saw him walking to the guard station or speaking with a Master? Maybe he could just write a letter and pass it to Master Sellius. He would know what to do.
“Hey,” a familiar voice said from behind him in the mage quarters.
Lance jumped at the sound and Charlotte laughed.
“Listen, I wanted to apologize to you for the way I acted yesterday,” Charlotte said. “I just have been so stressed with preparing for my test and everything going on that I realized you were just being nice.”
“That’s okay,” Lance replied. “I… I understand.”
“Good. Care to walk with me to class?” Charlotte asked.
“How could I refuse?” Lance asked rhetorically. They walked in mostly silence through the halls, Charlotte making sure to walk at a pace Lance could keep up with. It was more embarrassing for him than it was thoughtful. He didn’t want her sympathy.
Lance struggled with making small talk when there were so many difficult decisions he had to make and he wanted desperately to share them with her. He couldn’t drag her into this. She had been nothing but kind to him since he got here.
“I’m scheduled to take the test Friday again. I think I’ll pass it this time,” Charlotte told him. “I’ve been practicing all day.”
“When I pass, I can’t be seen hanging out with red robes.” She grinned at his surprised expression. “I’m kidding. Thanks for the good luck. I’ll need it. Like I said before, the tests are insanely difficult.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great,” Lance added.
“How are you acclimating to all of this? I know it must all be a shock to you.”
Lance shrugged. “It is, but I’ve survived worse. I think this is what I was meant to do. Took me long enough to find something I’m actually interested in.”
“Good,” Charlotte said. “I have a good feeling about you, Lance.”
He turned his head to hide his blushing. Changing the subject, he said, “Hey, Charlotte, when do they teach me how to actually use magic?”
She opened the door to the training room. “Probably today. If not, definitely this week. But don’t be in such a hurry. Rushing it will cause a mistake and those can be very dangerous when it comes to this.”
Lance nodded. If only she knew how much of a hurry he was in.
* * *
“Look out!”
Lance ducked under a thrown rock, stumbling as he put pressure on his bad leg.
“You can’t keep trying to dodge them,” Quincy said. “Eventually, you’ll have to try a shield spell. This is ridiculous! Can I be paired with someone else? Maybe someone who knows what they’re doing?” He put the rocks back into the bucket by his feet.
Master Lenora walked over to them. “No. Your partners are your partners for this exercise.”
“He doesn’t even know how to make a shield,” Quincy replied. “He’s useless. Look at him. It’s like trying to train a duckling.”
“Then teach him,” Master Lenora said. “You know the basics. Show him.”
When she walked off, Quincy began to pelt the rocks faster and with greater aim. Lance was sure some of them would leave bruises. He finally had enough and held out his hands and concentrated on the image of a metal shield.
Lance closed his eyes and felt his blood moving faster. He latched onto that feeling and kept the image of the shield in the forefront of his mind.
Clang!
Lance opened his eyes to see Quincy holding his side in pain. The rock he threw bounced off of a metal shield floating in front of Lance.
“You little punk!” Quincy yelled. He held up his hand and the metal shield flew to the side, slamming against the wall. Lance’s focus gone, the spell wavered and the shield disappeared.
“Listen closely to me,” Quincy told him, stepping up to mere inches away from Lance’s face. “Quit talking to Charlotte and stay out of my way. You don’t belong here. You belong on the streets with the other trash. Stay out of our way and keep your head down. Let the real mages succeed.”
Lance thought about punching him, but the man was both physically stronger and more capable in magic. It wouldn’t end well, at least not right now. Plus, Lance knew he was already on thin ice with Master Sellius. Any further trouble making could cost him his place here.
Lance clenched his fist. Quincy was supposedly a noble’s son and had no idea how much hardship and torture Lance had been through. He had no idea what it was like to wonder when another meal would come around.
“We’re just friends,” Lance told him.
“Of course you are,” Quincy said. “It’s not like you have a choice. Charlotte is out of your league. I’ve seen the way you look at her. So long as you know your place and don’t get in our way…”
“Everything okay over here?” Master Lenora asked, coming up behind them.
Quincy gave Lance a dirty look and then backed away from him.
“Just teaching him about the order of things,” Lance said.
“Carry on,” Lenora said. “I want your shields in perfect shape, especially if you plan on taking the test any time soon.” Both of them waited until she walked on.
“Charlotte and I are taking the test Friday,” Quincy said. “Once we both pass, you’ll be stuck here with the red robes until you eventually give up or they kick you out after two years. What? Did you think they just let you squat in the palace forever? Tick tock Lance.”
* * *
That night found Lance standing outside Master Sellius’ door. The people who were after him were not just simple thieves. They were killers. The situation he found himself in was dangerous. The wrong move could be fatal.
Lance took a deep breath, his mind made up. He held his hand up and was about to knock when a voice behind him made him freeze in place.
“Lance?”
Lance lowered his hand and turned around to find Charlotte standing at the end of the hallway, clearly stopping after passing this hallway from another one. He came closer to her.
“Hey,” Lance said.
“What are you doing?” She questioned.
“I was going to talk with Master Sellius,” Lance replied.
“Oh, okay… well, I was going to ask if you wanted to talk for a bit, but goodnight,” Charlotte said and turned to leave.
“Wait, is everything okay?” Lance asked. She looked completely different than her normally bright affect. Her posture was slumped and her eyes looked worried.
“I thought you were going to talk to Master Sellius.”
“That can wait until tomorrow,” Lance said, in part relieved he was given an excuse to delay.
Charlotte motioned for him to follow. “Good. Let's go for a walk. There’s stuff I need to think through and I could use someone else’s opinion.”
As they walked down the hallway, Lance waited for her to initiate the conversation. Clearly something was bothering her. He wanted to tell her about the situation he found himself in, but she was the one who needed advice and he didn’t want to risk putting her in harm’s way.
“I received a letter today,” Charlotte said. She wiped her long, brown hair away from her eyes and sniffled. Her eyes had the red tell-tale signs of a recent cry.
Lance nodded and waited for her to tell more. He wasn’t great with women, but he knew well enough that sometimes it was best to be a good listener.
“It was from my father,” she continued. “He said that he was proud of me and wants me to stay here and complete my training, but that he is dying.” She took in a shuddering breath as her eyes filled with tears again.
“I’m… I’m so sorry,” Lance said.
“If I visit him to say goodbye, it will take me a week of travel. By the time I got back I would be kicked out of the mage quarters. The maximum leave time is three days and only upon rare circumstances is that given out. He knows I want to come to him, but he says he absolutely forbids it. What do I do?”
Lance wasn’t sure if he should give her a hug or comforting words. Instead, he chose to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“I don’t know much about you or your father, but it sounds like he is very proud of you and he knows you will be successful. I think he is happy knowing you will make it, and seeing him risks all of that. I can’t make that choice for you, and I cannot imagine having to make such a tough decision, but I would say do what feels right.”
Charlotte considered his words and then grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Thanks. I think I know what to do.”
Chapter 6
Greyson watched as the patrols paced the courtyard. He dangled his feet off the edge of the balcony and picked a piece of apple out of his teeth with the point of his dagger.
“They’ve almost doubled the guard duty since your climb,” Greyson mused.
“Aye, I can see that,” Martin replied. He leaned on one knee and surveyed below. His leathery, tanned skin was lined in scars, his face devoid of any expression. He stood there watching and waiting.
“Good, because I was starting to think you’ve lost your touch,” Greyson said. “Your failure has made it much harder to enforce ou
r threats.”
“I spooked the hell out of him,” Martin countered. “It wasn’t for nothing.”
“No, you made us look like amateurs. I scared him in the streets. I shouldn’t have to clean up your mess. He should never have escaped in the first place. I should throw you off the roof for the lack of foresight.”
Martin’s face displayed the slightest hint of fear, his muscles tensing.
“But I am all about second chances,” Greyson added. “I am nothing but a fair man. Their treasury is too well-guarded to break into. Otherwise I would have done it myself. The only way to get that crystal is for the crippled to get it back from the inside. I want you to remind him of that tonight. I don’t want him to get any brave ideas.”
“My pleasure,” Martin said.
“Try to be quiet about it this time and not alert the entire palace,” Greyson warned. “We have enough trouble as it is without the city watch on our backs. They’re getting harder and harder to pay off nowadays.”
Martin nodded.
“Where do we stand on setting up the exchange?” Greyson asked.
“We have the time and place picked out and both sides are in agreement of the terms,” Martin replied.
“Good, then we need to make sure that crippled delivers. If not, both our heads will be on pikes. The Drakaran don’t mess around. If we say we have something, then we better have it. I don’t know about you, but I like where my head is.”
* * *
Lance found it extremely difficult to concentrate on training. He worried about Charlotte and her father. He had anxiety about speaking with Master Sellius tonight. Most of all, he feared what would happen to him when his actions were set into motion. The choice he made here would dictate whether or not he would live. If he was wrong and Master Sellius was unable to help, it would not go well.