Trial by Sorcery

by Richard Fierce

  “The door to the left is the dining hall,” Surrel said. “You can stay in there until the ceremony if you want. Although the Provost has assigned you a room, you won’t be allowed to enter it until your Curate has outlined the school’s rules.”

  “Do I have to stay in there?” I asked.

  “No, of course not. Feel free to wander the academy. The gardens outside are my particular favorite.”

  “Thank you for bringing me here,” I said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  With a slight bow of her head, Surrel left back the way we’d come and I entered the dining hall. Like the market, a swirl of different scents assailed my senses and I knew it would be hard to keep from eating more than I should with the ceremony later. I joined a line of students and grabbed a tray from one of the stacks.

  As we slowly walked forward, a long wooden bar was covered with various foods. Freshly baked bread, cheese wheels, steaming mutton, baked turkey … it was more food in one place than I had ever seen. I took a little bit of everything and by the time I reached the end of the bar, my tray was full.

  I spotted an empty table and sat down, then glanced around at the other students. Everyone was focused on eating or talking. The two nobles I had seen earlier were sitting together. If they were like other nobles I had met, they probably saw themselves as better than everyone else and wouldn’t be caught dead talking to a low born like me.

  Disappointed, I cast a final glance around the room and began eating. The flavors that hit my tongue were delicious. I’d always loved my mother’s cooking, but this school’s food put her to shame. The spices from the meats set my tongue aflame, but thankfully there was a pitcher of water at every table. I poured myself some and took a long drink, swishing the cool water around in my mouth to ease the burning. It wasn’t overwhelming, but I had never grown accustomed to spicy food. I was the oddity of my family.

  By the time I’d cleared half the tray, I slowly became aware that the general sound of the dining hall had grown quiet. I looked around and noticed that several students were looking in my direction. I turned the other way, but I didn’t see anything that would have drawn their attention.

  And then it hit me.

  I was using my mangled hand to eat with. The other students were staring at me.

  3

  “A cripple thinks he’ll be able to ride a dragon?”

  Despite the many times I’d heard similar things hurled in my direction, the words stung me emotionally. I swallowed the food in my mouth and took a drink, then turned to see who said it. One of the nobles, the one named Simon, was smirking at me.

  I thought about just ignoring him, but for some reason I couldn’t explain, I decided to confront him.

  “What was that?” I asked.

  Simon’s smile grew larger and he popped a grape into his mouth.

  “I said, a cripple thinks he’ll be able to ride a dragon.”

  “Who said I was a cripple?”

  “Look at your hand, low born. It’s as mangled as a dragon’s toy. How would you hold the reigns? And what about wielding a blade? How would you fight on the back of a dragon?”

  The hall had gone silent as Simon spoke, and all eyes were on me.

  “I can wield a blade just fine,” I replied. “And I’ll learn to hold the reigns.”

  “Oh? Prove that you can hold a sword,” Simon said. “Challenge me to a duel.”

  Just as I was going to respond, a familiar voice spoke.

  “Such unbecoming speech from a noble. And even worse, from someone who thinks they are worthy of something simply because they were born with a different shade of hair color.”

  It was Maren. She stood a few feet away from Simon, arms folded across her chest. Her black hair spiraled down her shoulders. Though she was a low born like me, she was very imposing at the moment.

  Simon was also taken aback momentarily, but he stood up and glared at her.

  “How dare you speak to me like that, low born!”

  “I should say the same to you, considering Eldwin here is a Noble by Deed.”

  Simon looked at me and I flashed the insignia on my shoulder to him. His face reddened and he opened his mouth to say something but stormed out of the dining hall instead. The other noble got up and left as well. Maren came over to my table and sat down.

  “I could have handled it,” I said. “You know you just made an enemy, right?”

  Maren shrugged. “I’ve been surrounded by enemies my entire life. What’s one more?”

  There she went, saying something that didn’t make any sense. As low borns, we were the lowest in society, but we weren’t surrounded by enemies. I ignored her comment. My throat had gone dry and I drank some more water.

  “You hungry?” I asked.

  “No. I ate in the market. I found that delicious smell. It tasted even better.”

  “What was it?”

  Maren shrugged. “Some exotic meat. I’ve never heard of it. How’s the food here?”

  “Delicious,” I replied. “Probably the best food I’ve ever had.”

  “You don’t get out much, do you?” Maren laughed.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing.” She waved a hand dismissively. “There’s a few hours before the ceremony. Any plans?”

  “No?” I said, then took a bite out of the bread on my tray. It was light and fluffy.

  “Good. You can come with me.”

  I finished chewing and asked, “Where?”

  Maren leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper. “To see the dragons.”

  “What?” My heart fell from my chest into my stomach. We couldn’t just go wandering into the dragon stables! Or could we? I washed the bread down with some water and lowered my voice. “Are we allowed to see them? We’re not even sworn in yet.”

  The smile on Maren’s face told me everything I needed to know. She was a troublemaker. I leaned back in my chair and frowned at her.

  “I don’t want to be kicked out of the school. I can’t be.”

  “You won’t get kicked out,” Maren chided. “If anything, we’ll be forced to clean the dishes or something like that. As you said, we’ve not been sworn in yet. How can they kick us out if we aren’t part of the student body yet?”

  I knew it was stupid, but her logic had a ring to it that I couldn’t deny. I stared at her in silence, wanting to tell her no, planning to end this insanity immediately. When I spoke, I found myself agreeing to go with her. I pondered how that happened as I followed her down the long hallways, passing robed students and teachers alike.

  “Have you been here before?” I asked. She walked with confidence as if she’d walked these halls a hundred times.

  “No. I’ve seen maps of the school, though.”

  Maren had memorized maps of the place? I shook my head. She was lying. Maybe she was some third- or fourth-year student pretending to be new and only wanted to get me into trouble? I was about to turn back when we reached a small wooden door that was relatively hidden by the shadows. If she hadn’t stopped at it, I would have walked right past without noticing it.

  “Here,” she said softly, but her voice carried along the hallway. “This is a door used by the servants. It leads outside near the entrance to the stables.”

  I have to admit, I was afraid. The risk of being caught and kicked out of the Citadel was something I didn’t want to chance, but the idea that dragons were just outside that door was too tempting.

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  Maren nodded, that blasted smile on her face. She twisted the handle and pushed the door open. A wave of heat washed over me. Although I knew it had only been a short time since I’d entered the Citadel, it had felt like days had passed. The sun was still high in the sky and it beat down mercilessly. Maren led the way and I followed closely behind her. About fifty paces to the left was the large opening of a cave that led below ground, a massive burrow beneath
the Citadel that served as the stables.

  “There are two guards a few feet inside,” Maren whispered over her shoulder. “We’ll need to sneak past them.”

  Guards? Oh, great. My doubt began to gnaw at me again. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” I said. “We should wait until it’s officially time for us to see them.”

  Maren turned to look at me. “Are you a chicken?” she asked. “All I’m hearing is you balking.”

  Despite my fear, that made me laugh and I snorted. Maren winked at me and turned back around.

  “They’re playing dice,” she said. “Don’t drag your feet and we should be able to get by without them noticing.”

  We slipped into the shade of the cave’s entrance and my eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom. Maren was right. The two guards were sitting cross-legged on the ground and they were taking turns dumping dice out of a wooden cup.

  As we slinked past the guards and continued lower underground, the air became cooler. It was pitch black for fifty feet or so, then everything was illuminated by torches that lined the walls on either side. Spaced intermittently on either side were smaller caves, though they were still vast in size.

  I glanced into one and saw giant eyes glittering in the darkness. I’m certain my heart skipped a beat and I was distantly aware of Maren talking, but I couldn’t make out the words. The massive outline of a dragon’s head moved toward me and I could smell something acrid in the air. My legs went stiff. I was frozen in place, too afraid to move. The dragon drew nearer and inhaled through its nostrils.

  My clothes fluttered from the pull of the air and the dragon snorted once, then opened its maw. I was going to die. There was no doubt in my mind as I saw the razor-sharp teeth of the beast. Then the dragon made a choking sound and before I could force my legs to move, a foul-smelling mucus flew forth from the dragon’s mouth and splattered all over me.

  Disbelief alone kept me from vomiting. The dragon backed away and disappeared back into the shadows of its cave. I turned to look at Maren. Her eyes were wide, her mouth agape. I thought for sure she was going to start laughing at me, but she didn’t.

  “What is this?” I asked lowly, horrified.

  “I think it’s dragon phlegm,” Maren replied.

  “I’m trying not to freak out,” I said.

  “At least it’s not acid. Then you’d be dead.”

  Now she started laughing. I did, too. I had forgotten all about the guards until I heard their boots cracking along the floor as their silhouettes came into view.

  “Come on, this way!” Maren said. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along behind her. I nearly slipped in the puddle of phlegm on the floor, but thankfully I kept my balance. We ran further into the cave, going deeper into the darkness until there were no sputtering torches on the walls. The blackness was absolute, and Maren slowed her pace. She continued to hold my hand as we walked. I convinced myself it was only because she didn’t want to lose me in the darkness.

  “Where are we going?” I whispered.

  “Away from the guards,” Maren replied.

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I know that. I mean, where exactly are we going? The exit is behind us.”

  “There is always more than one way into a place,” Maren said. “Considering who your father was, I’m surprised you don’t know more about the school. Or dragons.”

  She was right. My father had never really talked about the school or the things he did as a dragoon in detail. I had always assumed he wanted to keep that part of his life separate from the rest so that he could have some semblance of normalcy.

  “Stop,” Maren said. “I think it’s right around here.”

  “What is?” “I asked.

  “The secret door,” Maren said. “I need you to lift me.”

  “How exactly?”

  “Just put your hands together so I can use them as a step.”

  I bit my lower lip. She clearly had forgotten about my hand. I cleared my throat.

  “Yeah, that’s not going to work. I’ll have to wrap my arms around your waist and lift you that way.”

  “That should work,” Maren replied. “Just don’t get any ideas.”

  I snorted in reply and bent down slightly, then wrapped my arms around her midsection and lifted her.

  “Higher,” she said. “I can’t reach the ceiling.”

  Maren wasn’t heavy but trying to lift her higher was a little awkward. I grunted as I bounced upward and readjusted my arms a little lower. Her thighs pressed against my head and despite her warning, I couldn’t stop the flow of inappropriate thoughts that spun around in my mind. She made noises as she stretched to reach the ceiling, which didn’t help at all.

  A moment later, there was a brief screeching sound. Light from above filtered down into the cave around us and Maren pulled herself up through a manhole. She offered her hand to me and I jumped a few times, but I couldn’t reach her. She disappeared for a few seconds, then reappeared and dropped a rope down.

  “Try this,” she said.

  I grabbed ahold of the rope and climbed up. The manhole opened into a plain stone chamber. I laid on the floor beside her, most of the dragon phlegm still wet against my skin. I frowned in disgust.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  Maren giggled in response. “The women’s bath chamber.”

  4

  A few hours later, after I had cleaned the dragon phlegm off and washed my clothes, I sat in the school’s temple with the other hopefuls. There were roughly a hundred of us and the building was a cacophony of voices.

  Maren had left me alone when we escaped the women’s bathing room, and thankfully the mens hadn’t been too far away. I was able to get away with at least some shred of my dignity. To her credit, Maren hadn’t said anything about my dragon encounter other than she’d never heard of anything like that happening before.

  Neither had I, but what did either one of us know about dragons? Not much. I looked around the room and spotted Maren a few pews over. The temple’s layout was simple. Rows of pews on the left and right, divided by a walkway down the middle, and an upraised dais at the front. Large stained-glass windows behind the dais portrayed a dragoon riding a massive red dragon. I knew that dragons had different colors, but I didn’t know how many there were. I’d seen a blue one earlier, and there was a red one on the glass. My thoughts were interrupted when the school’s master called for attention.

  I craned my neck to see around the person in front of me and saw the master was tall and thin. His age was indeterminate to me. He was at least in his sixties, but I only thought that because his hair was entirely gray, including the short beard that clothed his chin. I didn’t think I would be able to hear him from where I was sitting, but his voice boomed across the entire room.

  “Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Citadel. I am Master Pevus, head of the school. This is our largest group of hopefuls in many years. Let us hope that this is just the beginning of changing times.”

  Master Pevus shuffled around the platform and looked out at us, peering in every direction before nodding to himself. That was odd. Was he looking for someone?

  “As many of you probably already know, we do not accept every potential student, even if they pass the three tests. The reason for this is not for you to know. Suffice it to say that there are things here that will remain a mystery, no matter how many years you devote to your studies.”

  He inhaled a deep breath and tightened his grip on his wooden staff. I tilted my head curiously. That staff hadn’t been there before. Or had it? I blinked and looked at the person next to me, but if they were aware of the same thing, they didn’t show it. I turned my attention back to Pevus.

  “The servants are setting up the feast and we will all move to the dining hall in the next few moments. Please wait until they have finished laying everything out before you start partaking of it.”

  Master Pevus turned his head and cleared his throat, then contin
ued speaking. “I’ve heard the whispered rumors going around about the new color of dragon that will be in the bonding ceremony.”

  At this, muted conversations sprung to life around me. Master Pevus raised a hand for silence.

  “I can confirm those rumors are true. We typically have reds, greens, and blues, but this year we will see a few black dragons in the mix. It has been a long time since we’ve had black dragons, so we have brought in a teacher who will aid in your training should a black dragon choose to bond with you.”

  I tried to picture what a black dragon would look like, but considering I’d only seen one dragon, my imagination fell flat. He had just named off four colors, though, and that seemed like a lot to me. Of course, I was completely uneducated about dragons, so I was probably wrong. Maybe there were hundreds of different colors.

  “Those of you familiar with the Citadel may notice some recent changes around the grounds. To alleviate the questions directed to your Curates, just refer yourselves back to my original statement about mysteries. If you annoy your Curate with unnecessary questions, you’ll find yourself cleaning dishes or some other unsavory task.”

  I made a mental note to remember that. The last thing I wanted to do was get punished. After all, I had to live up to my father’s respected memory. Master Pevus walked slowly down the center aisle and glanced up and down the rows of pews.

  “I will lead the way to the dining hall. Beginning with the last row, you shall follow behind me. Once everyone from the row has fallen into line, the next row will do the same. Repeat this for every row.”

  I turned around to watch Master Pevus lead the way. As he commanded, everyone rose from the pews and got in line, following him to the dining hall. My row was ahead of Maren’s, so I didn’t get to talk with her much as we walked. There were whispered conversations around me. I eavesdropped on a few of them and learned that people on the border of Osnen were reporting strange things.

  One conversation, between two young girls, revealed that rumors were being spread about the return of the someone called the False King. I didn’t know who that was, but I listened intently anyway. Apparently, everyone thought he had died years ago.