Runic Apprentice, page 9
part #1 of The Rune Mystic Series
He wondered if Master Tanner was included in that suspect list in her mind, given what Lia and he had talked about, but there was no way he was asking that question. There was another however, he’d thought there were ten mages acting as guards for the king.
“Four?” he asked.
Cassandra nodded, “The king gets four of the ten mages assigned from the top ten in the competition, the other six are split up two each, for the queen, princess heir, and the young prince. Princess Vida is only sixteen, so I suspect that Queen Delphine will rule until Vida reaches her majority, but that’s all up in the air.
“As for us, Mistress Aubrey is livid, and swears that Gabon would have never made a foolish mistake like that, and not cast a spell to check for poison. It is possible he was put under the influence of a foreign life mage assassin, but that leads to all sorts of other questions. I’ll let you know if any determinations are made. We’re just lucky the king was eating alone, he missed lunch with his family today because he was closeted with his generals. It seems Vemor is starting to make noise on the southern border again.”
Sam asked sarcastically, “Any more good news?”
Cassandra didn’t look amused, “Is all that not bad enough for you?”
Sam shook his head, “Sorry, it’s overwhelming.”
Cassandra nodded, “Humor can be comforting in times of trouble, but try to restrain yourself from using the lowest form of it during tragedy.”
Sam blushed, but didn’t try to defend himself.
She continued, “We have a class to get to. In any case, we have an enemy that likes to use poison, so today we’re going to go over the life spell runes to detect, remove, or in the worst case, cleanse poison from a body. These three runes are not a current requirement to reach mage for our discipline, but I plan to change that.”
She activated a rune on herself before she started to draw three runes on the large slate behind her desk, and he wondered what spell she used and why, but was afraid to ask. Neither Sam nor Lia would’ve felt the spell, as it didn’t reach out into the world in any significant way. Even he didn’t have more than a vague idea what it was about from so far away. He also imagined if he was patient it would be explained at one point in his apprenticeship.
The three runes were very similar at the core of them, all three of them had to find the poison after all. The only differences were in subtle gradations at the end, to either inform the caster in some way that something was poisoned, to target and destroy the poison, or to target and cleanse the poison out of a body.
He decided he’d definitely be putting those on the item that held his convenience spell runes. He might go through his whole life without encountering poison, but it seemed imprudent not to check all the time, just in case. They were in very close orbit of the power in the kingdom, after all.
Cassandra pointed at the first rune, “This is the detect poison rune. It’s an area spell, and it will encompass an entire room. Anything that is poisoned will glow obviously to the caster. As it’s a life spell, that glow will be in the caster’s mind only, and not a true illusion all can see. As some of you know, only fire, water, and air can create true illusions all can see.”
“True illusions?”
Cassandra smiled, “Yes. Life can effect minds, so there are spells that will make a whole room of people see an illusion, but it’s not really an illusion. It’s a forced hallucination, and of course anyone shielded against life magic won’t be able to see it, nor determine what anyone else is seeing.
“Moving on, the middle one is to cleanse food or drink of poison. It literally destroys it in a way to preserve the food and drink for consumption, making it safe to eat or drink. However, it would be harmful to cast on a person.”
She pointed at the last spell rune, “This rune not only filters the poison out of a body, but it will also repair the damage done by the poison up until that time, assuming the poison victim is still alive of course. This spell would work on the food, so can anyone tell me why there’s three, instead of just the first and the last?”
He took a guess, “The third spell would probably take a whole lot more magic. Not just to activate, but to run its course.”
It really was a guess. Sure, he could feel what the spells did, and he’d even be able to draw them perfectly now that he saw them, but how much magic it took he’d have to learn the hard way. Just like magical theory, and everything else in life.
She grinned, “Good guess. Yes. Almost five times the amount of magic as the second. Handling your magic so you’re never completely drained is perhaps one of the most important lessons to learn. Magic shouldn’t be spent carelessly, the least amount necessary to do the job right should always be used. Being helpless in the wrong place or time means your death, and perhaps the death of someone you care about, or even the death of a stranger that is an innocent. Of course, as a new apprentice there will be times it happens, another learning experience, and because your magic is so small in the beginning.”
He said, “Yet, there are spells that are just as easy to use your hands instead of magic, like lighting a candle, cleaning your room, or shaving.”
She smirked, “Yes, but don’t forget, it’s all a balance. It’s at least as important to work your magic every day to safe limits while preserving enough for emergencies. If you don’t work your magic, it atrophies, like any other muscle in your body. I wouldn’t advise using those kinds of spells on the eve of a war, or if you’re already expended past what you consider safe levels. But… cleaning your room, and taking care of your body, right before you practice channeling and go to sleep, is a wise use of them.”
He supposed he could see that.
She added, “Those spells are usually very cheap as well, magic wise.”
Lia asked, “Could there be a poison that spell doesn’t detect? Something natural to the body, added to unsafe toxic levels.”
She replied, “Good question, but not that anyone knows about. I won’t say it’s impossible, but how do you think we’re sure they were poisoned? Aubrey herself was summoned and tested the corpses using the first spell on the board. Obviously how they cast it, not in rune form. It came back positive.”
She looked around at each of us.
“Study these and learn them. Be cautious, the king’s death doesn’t bode well, and we’re in for some turbulent times, I think. Be wary of anyone from the other disciplines that approaches you, breaking custom and tradition of the towers as well.”
He asked, “Especially fire, death, and air?”
She smirked, “Lia’s been filling your head I see… Yes.”
Lia blushed.
Sam asked, “What if Gabon didn’t forget. Would there be an appreciable difference between a negative result and spell failure?”
Cassandra nodded, “No, it wouldn’t feel different to the caster. It’s possible the poisoned food was shielded, and he did cast the spell. It’s still unlikely however, people on guard duty should be shielded themselves and have detect magic going as well. They should’ve felt such a spell. It’s a mystery, as I said, and we could come up with conspiracies and circumstances to explain it all afternoon, which are meaningless without proof. Good thought though.”
As if reading his mind, Cassandra turned to Olin and said, “Detect magic is a common spell you’re required to learn.”
She said, “Study these three runes for the rest of class. I expect you two, Lia and Sam, to have them written for approval by me by end of day tomorrow. Olin, you have a week of channeling practice to get through first.”
He nodded in agreement. He just hoped he wasn’t poisoned before then. That did seem doubtful though, no one knew he was a mystic, and otherwise he was just a rather ordinary new apprentice, with no political power or capital at all.
The rest of class Cassandra worked on some paperwork at her desk, while they studied the spell runes. He was done of course. He could have written all three in the dark while asleep, but he was far too keyed up from all the dark drama of the king’s death and the towers being in confusion to let boredom set it.
He wasn’t sure if this was a typical class or not, probably not. Yesterday Cassandra had been engaged and talking spell theory with them until the end of it, but he had no basis to determine if yesterday had been odd, or if today was. Sure, the king had been assassinated, but that was circumstantial at best as far as class time format went. Time would tell. He guessed in the end, that classes would be a little bit of both.
He knew one thing. Magic, a dead king, three towers that wished to rebel if all to different extents, and trouble on the southern border in the form of Vemor troop movements were all very complicated. His new life was far more complex than his old one.
Chapter Twelve
The sun was half set, and warm against his skin as he left the mage tower complex for the first time in two days. They had a couple of hours before dinner after class which was free time. He suspected he’d normally be holed up in the library and learning during that free time, and use the time after dinner for personal relaxation, but he had things to do.
He also had his first stipend, partial since there were still three weeks before the next official payout, which was burning a hole in his pocket, but he knew he needed to make it last a few weeks.
Lia grinned, “Feeling free? Even the thirty-foot-high domed ceiling in the center arena can close in on you, if you don’t get out enough.”
He nodded, “A little, yes. Thanks for coming along.”
She said, “No problem, it’s a rule not to go alone, and I can show you around. You can pay me back next time I want to go shopping.”
He was dressed up in his leathers, all his robes in his hands. The main purpose of his trip into the vast city was to get the robes correctly tailored to his body. He also briefly wondered how Sam got away with bending that rule, not to travel the city alone as an apprentice, but on balance pushed it out of his head. It wasn’t that important to him.
They walked through the noble district right down the main road he’d came into the city on. They didn’t have to go all the way to the market district, there was a tailor in the merchant district, on the other side of the noble housing.
The cool breeze felt good against his skin, along with the warm afternoon sun, but there was also the city stench. It would take time to get used to it, he imagined.
The vast mansions started to give way to more modest but still elaborately decorated homes, and his eyes flittered from one thing to the next, while he did his best to navigate between all the people on the streets and the horses and wagons moving down the wide main street. It was all a little overwhelming, but he did his best to play that off before Lia, without too closely examining why he even cared what she thought about his provincial outlook and upbringing in a small village.
Lia said, “There isn’t much you can’t find on this street, or the surrounding ones to either side. The merchant and market districts are also well patrolled by the guard. There are some dangerous parts to the city, so it isn’t wise to wander around where we don’t need to. The tailor I go to is near here, she’s fairly priced and does a lot of business with us, so isn’t overly intimidated by us mages, which can be a problem in some stores.”
“A problem?”
Lia nodded, “Some merchants are intimidated by us, which leads to them caving too much during haggling. A good thing for us perhaps on the surface of things, but that leads to resentment, and nasty rumors. No one wants to admit to cowardice when they weren’t even intimated by actions, so instead they complain they were taken advantage of, or even threatened, whether that’s the reality of how things went or not.”
He quipped, “So were not universal loved and adored?”
She grinned, “Just me.”
He laughed.
They walked into the tailor shop, and a wizened lady quickly took measure of him as he walked up to the counter.
She smiled, “Welcome to my shop. Janice at your service. You need those robes fixed?”
He guessed that was obvious, with a pile of five silver robes in his arms.
He nodded, “I do.”
She said, “Hand them over, it’ll take me about an hour. Two copper per robe.”
“You need to measure me?”
She smiled, “Already did, young man. When you walked in. Don’t worry, it’ll be my fault if you don’t like them and I have to do them over.”
He chuckled, “Fair enough,” and handed over the robes. He didn’t even bother to haggle, it was a decent price.
She nodded to Lia, and she moved into the back room leaving them standing there.
Lia asked, “What else?”
He wasn’t sure. Weapons, clothes, food, paper, and all the tools of their mage trade were provided by the towers. He was never one to be weighed down by a need for things. Of course, that probably had a lot to do with never being able to afford things before.
“I’m not sure I really need anything else. I’ll just put myself in your hands, you promised to show me around?”
She grinned, like he’d granted her heart’s desire, “Like to live dangerously then, let’s go.”
He chuckled, but it was a bit nervous sounding, which made her giggle.
She said, “The tower does supply us everything we need to live, and even what we need when we go on assignments after our apprenticeship. Not to mention all the metal, jewelry, and weapons we need, as well as what we specifically request to place runes on. We can request anything reasonable from stores. Generally, that means the stipend will go toward improving what they do provide, like fixing our robes, and toward luxuries. Like dinner, nicer soaps, or a show, or something to liven up your room.”
She took him to a couple of general stores, a place to get nicer linens, and showed him where a couple of playhouses were. She also showed him places to avoid, where the owners were unpleasant to mages, and where an alternative store was that would treat him right. She spoke almost non-stop and he tried not to get overwhelmed by all the information.
He did wind up buying a spare leather outfit, as well as a few sets of cotton clothes for underneath for comfort. He didn’t get much else, but maybe next time after he’d thought it through. The hour passed quickly, shopping wasn’t his favorite thing, but an animated and happy Lia was good company.
He tried on all five robes over his leathers at Janice’s insistence, and he was more than satisfied with the results as he looked into the full-sized mirror in the shop. After paying, the two of them headed back to the tower. He had just enough time to put it all away, and to wash up before dinner.
He also realized he wouldn’t have to worry about poisoning at meals at all, as long as he ate at the tower with the others. He felt Cassandra cast the spell before they dug in. That night, after dinner, they all spent a little time together chatting before they turned in for the night.
The next two weeks went quickly and followed a similar schedule as the first day. Wake up, practice channeling under Cassandra’s guidance, weapons class where he struggled to perfect his forms, followed by lunch. After the afternoon class, he spent most of his later afternoons in the library reading through the spell books. Then dinner followed by unwind time, and bed.
After that first week there was only one change for the second. He was declared competent at channeling, and his channeling practice moved to nights right before bed. He was competent too, he really didn’t have to think about it anymore, his mind and body knew what to do. His new morning activity was writing runes for Cassandra to go over, and she questioned him to make sure he understood its purpose and limitations of the spell, and then practice casting it. Everything else stayed the same.
He’d also gotten two metal bracers which were rather large and had plenty of space for runes, much more than on a ring, or other jewelry. Once approved, he scribed the spells he’d learned onto the inside of the bracers. Including the five spells he’d need in the upcoming competition, and the spells to check, remove, and cure poison.
It was kind of haphazard at that point, he’d been using the bracers for everything, and would continue to do so until he had a solid understanding of all the spells available in the library, and he could pick out which ones he wanted to have available to him at all times. Then, and only then could he plan out his permanent mage accoutrements, which would be the bracers, weapons, and perhaps rods and rings if needed. He wasn’t sure yet.
It’d be months, probably close to a half a year, before he knew most of the runes available. Outside of the advanced multiple rune spells of course. Planning before then would be a waste of time. Like trying to build a house before deciding on the size of the rooms.
Cassandra was a little amazed at his speed of learning, he’d been taking her five new runes every morning to approve. That was thirty-five rune spells scribed into his bracers, at the end of his first week doing it, two weeks since he’d arrived. Still, it was in the bounds of possibility. He was certainly putting in the time in the library.
What he hadn’t told her was he’d learned about twenty runes a day, not just five. That would have bent her credulity too far. It was just the other hundred and five he’d learned that first week wouldn’t be put on his bracers, he saw no reason to, yet at least. They were useful spells he was sure, but not for everyday use, at least not in his current apprenticeship. In short, he was cherry picking the ones he thought most useful to him in that moment, given his duties as an apprentice, and prudence in safeguarding himself. He could always scribe them once he was a mage, when he didn’t need to do so under her watchful eye any longer.
Besides the bracers he’d requested one other thing of stores. He now had a perfect duplicate of his sword for practice, except of course with dulled edges. It’s weight, balance, and length were exactly the same.
He also decided rather firmly not to mess with creating new spells, at least not unless it became necessary at some point. The library seemed rather complete, though granted he wouldn’t know that until he’d learned the whole thing. At least in that one endeavor, he had a huge edge as a mystic, though it was still an effort.
