The Sorcerer's Ascension (The Sorcerer's Path)

by Brock Deskins

“There is a pretty strict limit to how far apart the two openings can be," the wizard patiently explained. "The Academy would be much too far away for this kind of spell.”

  “I heard wizards can teleport to anyplace they wanted. Why not teleport us there?”

  “Teleporting is a risky thing, much too risky for any living thing; particular if you don’t have a fixed, properly prepared place set up to teleport to. Even then, the odds of all of you ending up in the right place, or even the same place at the same time are not good enough for even the most experienced wizards to hazard,” answered Allister. “Now let’s be on our way before this thing wears off. It is not as easy to create as I make it look. It’s enough to make a man tired and hungry, even a man as experienced as me.”

  Master and new student stepped through the magical gate and emerged onto the street. The wizard came to a stop and briefly closed his eyes while Azerick stumbled dizzy and disoriented.

  “Try and stand still, boy, and focus on a solid object. The feeling will pass in a few seconds,” instructed the old mage.

  Azerick did as he was told and true to his word, the dizziness passed and they continued on their way, the wizard toting his alchemic set, Azerick carrying the worn bag full of books, clothes, and a few personal belongings.

  CHAPTER 14

  Azerick attended The Academy on the sponsorship of Magus Allister. The first time he had come to The Academy he had seen very little of the grounds during the day, but now he took the time to examine it in all its splendor.

  The Academy was actually three separate schools. One section was dedicated to the study of magic; one instructed students in martial training, while the other, and far larger, taught purely scholarly pursuits to the noble and wealthiest of Valeria’s citizens. The martial training included tactics, small and large-scale troop movements, mounted combat using swords, bows, lances, and all manner of martial weapons.

  The three schools maintained their own dining halls, training grounds, libraries, dormitories, and classrooms. The only part of the campus they shared was a large park that separated the three schools that called “the commons.” The campus was comprised of three massive central buildings where the students from each school took their meals, attended classes, studied in the library, and housed.

  The Martial Academy also boasted an archery range, tilting lanes, a large field to practice maneuvers, and a stable. The Magus Academy had their own practice field as well where they practiced ranged and area effect type spells. The Buildings and towers were all alabaster white. Several towers came to a point, sheathed with red, fire-baked clay tiles. Glass made up of dozens of huge hexagonal panes capped two of the Magus Academy towers and used as observatories. The two, glass-domed towers housed two of the largest telescopes in the kingdom and used to study and track the moon and the stars.

  Allister showed Azerick to his room and got him settled in. A servant issued him bed sheets, a pillow, and blankets as well as two robes that served as the Magus Academy uniform to wear as long as he was on Academy grounds. He was trying on one of the robes when another student walked in.

  “Oh hi, I didn’t know I had a roommate this year. I did not have a roommate last year. I hope you don’t snore. I hope I don’t snore! I’ll apologize now for snoring just in case I snore because I don’t know if I do or not. I’m usually asleep when I’m sleeping, so It’s hard for me to say whether I do or not,” the new boy spouted out nervously.

  “Okay,” Azerick said, drawing the word out in confusion. “I’m Azerick, and you are?”

  “Oh sorry, I’m Franklin, but my friends call me Rusty.”

  “Because of your hair?” Azerick asked.

  Rusty was tall, a good six inches taller than Azerick was but probably weighed twenty pounds less and had a head full of bright red hair.

  “No, it’s because it takes me a little while to get the hang of things after the summer break—and winter festival break, and spring festival break, and just about any break in school longer than a week. Sometimes my spells don’t go right after I have a break in study and I set things on fire. When that happens I tell them it’s because I’m rusty, so everyone started calling me Rusty.”

  Rusty talked fast and in a nervous fashion, his eyes constantly darting around trying to look at everything at once. “So what’s your favorite sphere?” Rusty asked. “Mine’s fire!”

  “Sphere? I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You know, sphere, element; like fire, water, earth, wind, or astral.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t have one yet.”

  “Really? How long have you been studying? I’ve never seen you at The Academy. Where were you apprenticed before?”

  “This is my first time here or anywhere. I’ve never studied magic before,” Azerick answered, feeling more than a little awkward.

  “You’ve never studied before? At your age? How did you get in here then?”

  “Magus Allister sponsored me and brought me here. When did you start studying?

  “Most of us start at around six or seven years old. Man, I’ve never heard of anyone starting the Magus Academy at your age. The Martial Academy maybe, but it’s going to be hard for you to catch up. You should be an apprentice by now, maybe even a journeyman if you were really good. I’m an apprentice myself, but I hope to graduate to journeyman by the end of the year. You start out as a novice, but don’t worry. I’ll help you so you don’t get stuck with the kids too long.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  “What does your father do? He must be pretty important to have enough influence to get you into the Magus Academy at your age.”

  “He was a ship merchant, but he’s dead now. Magus Allister saw me do some things, and I guess it impressed him enough to get the rules bent for me.”

  “Well that’s good, and he’s a pretty powerful wizard around here, so you must have something going for you. Let me help you unpack,” offered Rusty.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Rusty showed him a small bookcase, table, and desk where Azerick could set up his things and he began unpacking.

  “Whoa, where did you get that alchemic set?” Rusty exclaimed when Azerick began setting it up on the table.

  “I bought it in town.”

  “You must have had quite an inheritance to buy a set like that.”

  “I had some money, but it’s mostly gone now.”

  “It looks like it’s been used. Did you use it?”

  “Yeah, I made a few things with it.”

  “You said you never studied before. What did you make?”

  The question made Azerick hesitate for a moment. “I made a potion to help a person sleep, help with pain, speed healing, and a type of really flammable oil.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty high level stuff. Where did you learn how to brew it?”

  Azerick showed him his book on alchemic theory and practice as well as the book on magic that Allister had let him keep. He showed off the few cantrips that he had learned from the book to Rusty.

  “And you learned all that just from the book without any help? I learned those spells in my first couple years, but I would never have been able to do it without a real Magus to teach me. No wonder Magus Allister brought you here. If you learn everything that fast you’re probably going to be one of the most powerful wizards to leave here in the past hundred years!”

  “I don’t know about that. I just hope I can learn enough not to embarrass myself. I’m still not sure if I’m really cut out to be a wizard or not. I think I would like to be though,” Azerick said.

  “I’m sure you’ll do fine. You probably won’t even be in the baby class that long.”

  “The baby class?”

  “Yeah, that’s what some of the kids who have been here a while call the novices, mostly just the jerks, not me.”

  “Are there a lot of jerks in this school?”

  “There are some. Mostly it’s the wealthy kids from old families that think they’re better
than everybody else. My father is one of the ministers of finance for the Duke, but our money and family doesn’t go back that far. He was just an accountant for some moneylender until about ten years ago, and then he got the ministry position. That’s how I was able to get into The Academy. You have to kind of watch out for them, they like to group up and pick on the younger kids and those whose family doesn’t have that much influence.”

  “I can take care of myself, but thanks for the warning.”

  Azerick went to place his book back on the bookshelf and stepped on the hem of his robe.

  “How can anyone stand to wear these things? There’s no way you could fight in this without wrapping yourself up and falling,” Azerick cursed as he kicked at the bottom of his robe.

  “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. It’s only required for graduation and formal occasions. Most people wear whatever they want. Some wear the school robe, some wear their own robes, and fancy ones made of silk and have all kinds of ridiculous patterns in them like they’re already some high Magus or something. I think they look like idiots.”

  “I can imagine.”

  Azerick pulled the cumbersome robe off and changed back into his charcoal and hunter green outfit replete with short cloak. It was not the richest-looking clothing, but it was still in good shape. He and Rusty continued talking for another hour or so and quickly became friends. Late that afternoon, a bell tolled from across the common.

  “What’s that for?” Azerick inquired.

  “That’s the dinner bell. C’mon I’m starved.”

  The two wizards in training raced down the stairs and entered a large hall filled with benches and tables. They got in line and were served with the best-looking assortment of food Azerick had seen in a long time.

  “Look at this food!” the former street rat exclaimed.

  “Yeah, kind of an army chow deal here, but it’s not too bad,” Rusty replied, being far more accustomed to eating a richer fare.

  Azerick was soon engorging himself and drinking fruit juice. The food made him feel better than he had in a long time. Rusty was doing most of the talking since Azerick was far too busy putting food into his mouth to get any words to come out of it. Azerick felt a tingling at the back of his neck, his street sense alerting him that someone was at his back.

  “Hey, Rusty, what are you going to set on fire this year? Maybe this time it will be your hair, not that anyone would notice,” came a snide remark from behind Azerick.

  “What do you want, Travis?” Rusty asked, suddenly looking ill at ease.

  Azerick looked over his shoulder at the newcomer. He was About Azerick’s age, dressed in a fine robe of blue silk with the cuffs and hem bordered in black. Strange designs and sigils sewn into the silk with silver thread adorned it. Of course he was not alone, bullies never are. He was backed up by three more richly dressed, but not quite so gaudy, boys about the same age.

  “You bringing in strays now, Rusty?” Travis taunted, looking down his nose at Azerick.

  “Do you have some kind of problem with me?” Azerick said as he got to his feet.

  “I have a problem dining with peasants whose only business here should be mucking out the stables," Travis sneered.

  “Azerick, just ignore them. You don’t want to get into it with them,” warned Rusty.

  “Yes, stableboy, you don’t want that, I assure you.”

  “Actually you should be glad I’m here. It just so happens that I just came from the stables and you should be happy to know that I gave your mother a good brushing and a nice bag of oats. I heard she was a good ride, but I'm not sure if they meant under a saddle or under the sheets,” Azerick fired back.

  “You…how dare you! I’ll kill you!” the enraged young man sputtered as he withdrew a wand from his robes and pointed it at Azerick. “Take back those words this instant, or so help me I’ll kill you where you stand!”

  “Azerick, do it, take it back!” Rusty cried in panic.

  “Pfft, with a stick? You will have to point something at me far more dangerous than a twig if you hope to intimidate me. You are not even holding it properly. Here, let me show you how to use it.”

  Travis glanced down at his wand and, in that split second, Azerick’s hand snaked out in a flash, snatching the rod way. Travis looked up, prepared to demand his property back when Azerick struck out and slapped him hard across the face with it. The bully, now on the defensive, raised a hand to cover the stinging welt already beginning to form on his face only to receive its twin on the other side by an equally swift backhand blow.

  Travis lunged at the commoner who dared strike him in an attempt to retrieve his wand. Azerick ducked a shoulder and drove him back into two of his friends that were standing behind him. The third member of Travis’s gang rushed forward. Azerick turned and lunged for the table, scooped up the heavy wooden tray, and cracked it across the boy’s forehead.

  The boy flew backwards into a pair of spectators seated at the table behind him, knocking them over onto their table and upsetting their trays. The rich boy and two of his cohorts were back up and charging. Azerick jumped onto his table, ready to continue his defense when a booming voice resounded across the dining hall.

  “That is enough!”

  Azerick and all four of his tormentors suddenly found themselves suspended above the tables and benches. Travis continued to curse and threaten him. Azerick reached down, scooped up a baked potato, and hurled it, striking him between the eyes.

  “I said that was enough! What is the meaning of this?” demanded a man in robes.

  “Magus Morgarum, he stole my wand and hit me with it—twice. He also he hit me in the face with a potato, shoved me, and hit Thad in the face with a tray. He must be thrown off the grounds immediately!” Travis demanded.

  “The Headmaster decides who attends this school, Apprentice Beaumonte, not you. What do you have to say for yourself?” he demanded of Azerick.

  “I was just defending myself.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Whatever force was keeping them suspended was suddenly absent, sending all five plummeting onto the floor and tabletops.

  All five students soon found themselves standing before Headmaster Dondrian. He wore the typical wizard garb Azerick had seen most of the other mages wear about campus. His robes were a rich silver with mystic symbols and runes stitched in black silk thread. He was mostly bald, what hair he had was all in a two inch wide strip running from one ear, wrapping around to the other ear, and starting to grey at the temples. His lips were a bright red like someone had created them by slashing a blade across solid flesh and carried a sheen do to his constant habit of licking them. He sat quietly during each boy’s telling of the events within the dining hall until he felt he had heard everything he needed to hear.

  “Young master Azerick is here at the request of our own Magus Allister. Regardless of his background or social standing, you and the other students will afford him the same courtesies as every other student. I will not tolerate the hazing of any student for any reason whether they are new or of a lesser social class,” Headmaster Dondrian calmly explained.

  “Yes, Headmaster, I’m sorry. We were just having fun with a new student is all, and I guess we got carried away. What about my wand?”

  “You know that wands like that are dangerous and expressly forbidden to be owned or possessed by students. I will give it back to you when you return to your home for spring festival. You and your friends may go. Azerick, please stay here a moment.”

  Azerick steeled himself against the rebuke he knew was coming and prayed that they would not throw him out of the school on his first day.

  “Azerick, as I told the other boys, you are here at the request of, and as a personal favor to, Magus Allister. I hope you realize how great an opportunity he has granted you.”

  “Yes, sir, I do.”

  “Then you must conduct yourself as such. You are not on the streets anymore. You are attending one of the most prestig
ious institutions in the kingdom, and you will conduct yourself appropriately. Your actions are a direct reflection not only upon yourself but also upon the man who argued quite strongly for your presence here. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Headmaster.”

  “Then you may go, and remember what I said,” Headmaster Dondrian said as he dismissed him.

  I’ll remember what you said, but if you think I’m going to let a bunch of puffed up nobles run roughshod over me you are sorely mistaken. Academy and Allister be damned, Azerick fumed as he walked down the stone halls of The Academy and returned to his room.

  He had just entered the hall leading to his room when Travis and his friends stepped out of an alcove, blocking his path.

  “Don’t think this is over, peasant. You made a big mistake and a powerful enemy. If you knew who my father was, you would know they could never throw me out of The Academy, but they’ll toss your low-born butt right back into whatever gutter Allister dragged you out of.”

  “I really don’t care who your father is. If I’m pressed, I’ll defend myself. It would be a whole lot better if you just left me alone.”

  “Better watch your back, poor boy,” Travis warned as he and his friends walked away.

  “I can’t believe you did that!” Rusty exclaimed as Azerick entered the room they shared. “That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen; stupid but incredible. No one has ever stood up to them like that before.”

  “It wasn’t that big of a deal. I’ve stood up to a lot scarier guys than them before.”

  “Still, you better watch out for them. They pick on almost everybody. With what you did to them today, and being poor, they’re going to be after you.”

  “I’ll be careful. I’m not afraid of them, but I don’t want to get kicked out of school either. It has been a dream of mine almost as long as I can remember. Travis said no one could kick him out of The Academy. Why can he get away with so much?

  “His father is Duke Ulric’s Cousin. I don’t know what that makes him, but whenever he gets in any kind of trouble, his father is able to fix it and he’s back in a day or two. Eventually they just stopped punishing him for most things, but don’t worry, I’ll help you keep an eye out for them as best I can. Will you show me your alchemic set?” Rusty begged.