‘Perhaps I can try to guide him to our cause.’
‘Very well, but take great care. I’m sure he has been noticed already, and others will be seeking to sway him. It is fortunate we found him first. We don’t want to lose another one to their side, at least not until we learn what makes him so special.’
‘It could be nothing-a simple curiosity.’
‘Or it could be something. He plays with the makings of a Great Spell as if it were trivial. Such a spell could prove pivotal-for either side-and at this, such a crucial time. We just cannot afford to take chances.’
A moment’s silence.
‘Yes, I agree,’ the voice sounded almost optimistic.
‘Very well. I will trust you with the task. Do whatever it takes to earn his trust.’ The second speaker finished.
‘I shall,’ the initial speaker finished gruffly and Samuel was sure he had heard this person before, somewhere in the real world beyond such haze-ridden dreams.
Some days, Samuel found it harder to use magic than others. The teachers said this was normal, as a certain frame of mind was needed to use magic, but it frustrated Samuel greatly. At times, casting a spell was as easy as taking a breath, and these times were exhilarating. As more months passed, the bunkhouse became a constant display of various magic feats, with each boy practising the skills that best suited him. Samuel would lean against the balcony banister and watch closely. He had the advantage of being able to see the weaves of magic they made, and quickly learned how to read every flow and turn of power. The weaker boys’ magic was composed of thin and wispy strings of energy, which wavered and shuddered, barely able to hold together long enough to form a spell. Strong spells were rich with tendrils of energy, and the magic flowed smooth and sure.
It was a simple matter for Samuel to copy the simple spells, for he merely had to summon some magic and bend the weaves to match whatever spell he desired. More complex spells, however, were another matter. There were far too many weaves and flows to remember, and by the time he finished placing the final parts of the spell, the first parts had already dissipated. It proved difficult to copy such spells, but Samuel kept trying every day. Each success gave him only a moment’s satisfaction before he began again on something even more difficult-and each failure filled him with frustration and rage.
Whenever Grand Master Anthem returned to visit them, they would all show off their greatest feats, but Samuel was disheartened by the man, and would only show him his simplest effort. The old man seemed to sense Samuel’s mood and soon stopped asking to see his spells. He seemed kind-hearted enough, however, and liked to talk about all manner of things, but Samuel could never shake the feeling the old man was playing with him, asking him questions that seemed innocent enough, but were set to bait and test him-what for, he could not even begin to guess.
Each student had his daily chores to do around the school. Samuel supposed it was to teach them humility or something-he did not care, for he enjoyed the time to himself so he could contemplate his spells. Sometimes, they had to do digging or something very difficult and dirty, but most of the time, it was just a matter of some simple cleaning and sweeping. Samuel, however, enjoyed working in the stable most. He tried to swap his chores with the other boys whenever he could and the other boys generally accepted the trade readily. They could not understand why Samuel liked to work in the dusty stables so much. Samuel, however, felt entirely comfortable there. The smell of the hay and chaff and leather and all the other distinct fragrances somehow made him feel at home.
The long hours attending to the horses and equipment passed quickly and there was only the occasional hurried arrival or departure of one Master or another. It was a perfect place to practise his spells. These days he was experimenting with spells of Moving and Lifting. He had no problem lifting smallish objects and could even spell himself to be as light as a feather-if only for brief moments. Doing so, he could leap quite far and land very lightly, touching the earth with barely a sound. The spell required much exertion and took some time to prepare. Any time he lost concentration the spell would fail and Samuel would drop suddenly out of the air to land on his backside. He kept such spells to himself, for he felt he was progressing much better than any of the other boys and he did not want them to learn his secrets. Any time someone asked to see what he was practising, he would show some mage-lights, or some simple illusion to keep them happy. They would usually nod and say ‘what a fine spell’ and be content with that.
‘What of the boy?’ the thin voice asked. Samuel had not been disturbed for some time, but tonight his dreams were once again interrupted by impatient voices.
‘He goes well. Every day I feel he is stronger, but he keeps much to himself for some reason I cannot guess. He has few friends, but they are well skilled. It is a good sign.’
Again, that gruff voice seemed familiar to him.
‘We should look into his past-his family, everything. Everything about him seems genuine, but it could be another ruse. Tread carefully with your investigations. If we raise our heads now, we could lose them.’
‘I will keep that in mind,’ the gruff speaker noted.
‘What from the library?’
‘Nothing more than we already know. Perhaps the arrival of the boy is a good sign. With him, we may not need any more of the books. Perhaps he has a role to play.’
The thin-voiced speaker was not so sure. ‘Perhaps, but we will continue on our current course nonetheless. I’m sure the Council also know about him by now, but they have said nothing. They will be watching him closely and I will need to divert their enquiries as best I can. I feel many threads focussing on this one boy.’ Then the voice took on hushed tones. ‘Quiet! I feel a spell!’
With that, the voices ended.
One warm yet cloudy day, it was announced that the apprentices had been working hard and performing well, so from now on they would be permitted to enter the city during daylight hours. They were reminded to be on their best behaviour at all times. The Adept were always venturing outside the school walls and many apprentices saw it as a chance to catch up with the older students and see what interesting things waited in the city.
Many boys went out into the city every afternoon from that time on, but Samuel preferred to stay at school and practise his spells. Each day the two Erics would come looking for him and urge him to go out with them. He would refuse, saying that he had too much study to do and they would laugh and leave him be. It was obvious to Samuel that when anyone began to wander the city, their studies suffered and he had no wish to slow down his learning by any amount at all. Eventually, however, the Erics convinced him that such experience was a necessity for good magic and then his curiosity got the better of him and the lure of the city drew Samuel out through the school gates with a childish grin.
The streets of Cintar were like a rabbit’s warren-all twisting and turning, so that Samuel would have become hopelessly lost if not for the aid of his friends.
‘Aren’t you glad you finally came with us?’ Eric Pot asked and Samuel laughed and nodded.
‘Yes, yes. The city is indeed as wonderful as you said,’ he had to admit. There was always a sense of some undiscovered excitement around every corner, for there were so many people and things to see, the likes of which Samuel could never have imagined. Although he was away from his studies, Samuel had to confess that there was also much to learn in the city.
They explored the markets, bazaars and stores and talked with the merchants and people they met. The city folk always spoke with them respectfully and always offered to give them some goods without charge. If it was food, they gratefully accepted and the three of them often feasted on strange foreign fruits and edible things they had never before seen or tasted. Some were strange and unpalatable, while other things were delicious and exquisite.
One morning, all the classes were cancelled due to a sudden important meeting of the Masters, and so Samuel, Eric Pot and Eric Goodfellow took the chance to explore the tent markets in the city’s eastern district. Here, a vast square had once been, but now the sky was hidden by tents and pavilions that pushed up tightly against each other. Poles, from which all colours and manner of cloths hung to form tents and covers, towered into the sky. Pegs were hammered into the ground and ropes stretched from them in every direction to hold the great poles in place. Every rope was adorned with flags, banners and streamers, giving the place a fantastic air. Delicious smells
