Around ten the next morning, the inn was filled with all those who wanted to apprentice
with the Archmage. To get the opportunity to learn magical spells moved one up in the
entire society, either to Adept or even Mage status. Both earned one a vastly better
living. Hence each year many came here hoping to be chosen this year.
Precisely at ten, Archmage Nadia Oldrich made her appearance, suddenly
appearing in their midst. Zoran suspected that she had most likely used a teleport spell.
She was old, seventy-five, with long white hair tied into a bun on her head. She leaned
on a staff, probably magical, Zoran concluded. While her body was old, her mind was
sharp as was her eyes. The barkeeper led her to a side table in one corner, where she
would conduct her interviews. Unfortunately, she was now on the opposite side of the
room from where Zoran and his new friends were sitting.
“Darn, we’ll be last,” Karel spat on the floor, a bit angry that he had not chosen a
better location, closer to the Archmage. Zoran was beginning to think that Karel was
often angry or at least was easily annoyed.
“Patience, Karel,” he whispered, straining to hear what the Archmage was asking
a small boy.
“She probably has a quota,” Bernard commented in his usual monotone. “Hope it
isn’t filled before she gets to us.”
“Look, she is definitely casting a spell on them after she’s finished with them,”
Zoran pointed out. “You can see the tiny flash of magic.” All watched the next young
man as he was interviewed.
“Right, I missed that,” Zdenka commented.
“Well, I see it too,” Karel added. “I’ll make it a point to tell her not to cast spells
on me when I get my interview!”
“We saw it too,” Emil added softly.
Zoran was calm; either she would accept him or not. If she didn’t, why, he would
just move on elsewhere. Yet with his new friends, he saw just how much they really
wanted and needed to be chosen. Even the two strange twins were extremely eager to be
chosen. Time passed as one by one the many others in front of them met with the old
woman and then peacefully left the inn. None that left seemed the slightest bit upset
about not having been chosen, Zoran observed. He concluded that must be part of her
enchantment spell, a wise move to defuse disappointment, anger, and resentment. More
left. He began to wonder just how selective she actually was going to be!
By the time only their small group remained, only one woman in her mid-twenties had been chosen. With long brown hair and blue eyes, she was sitting over by
the bar, patiently waiting. The look of utter elation told all that she had been chosen this
year. When it was finally down to their group, Karel got up and rushed over to the
Archmage, before anyone else could get up. Zoran smiled and decided that he’d go last.
To everyone’s utter amazement, Karel punched his fists high into the air, calling out,
“Yes!” He quickly joined the young woman by the bar.
Jarka quickly took his place, before the others could react. Zoran suspected that
the thief, no matter her skills, was not likely to be chosen to become trained in magic.
She would be his last choice. To his surprise, she too, grinned widely, and swinging her
hips seductively, walked over to the bar, joining Karel, who punched the air with his
victory fist once more for her sake. “Guess I might as well get it over with now,” Bernard
said, rising and walking toward the Archmage. “Good luck to the rest of you.”
A minute later, one very surprised Bernard looked back at the tiny group and
smiled, moving to join those at the bar. Now the twins took their turn, both going at
once. Zoran suspected that the Archmage would chastise them for coming together.
After all this was a one on one interview. Indeed, she appeared to be about to do just
that, when Emil pulled something from his pocket and handed it to her. To his surprise,
the Archmage motioned for both of them to step closer. They began talking, talking for
quite some time.
“They are taking far longer than anyone else, even if you take into account that
there are two of them. Well, they are strangers. Perhaps she is having a more difficult
time deciding about them,” Zdenka concluded.
For ten long minutes the Archmage talked with Emil and Renata before finally
motioning them to join the others by the bar. Both twins had a pleased smile upon their
yellowish faces. “Go ahead, Zdenka; give it your best shot,” Zoran urged her forward. At
first, Zdenka was a bit timid, but then strode forcefully over to the Archmage.
Zoran found himself praying that Zdenka would also be chosen. He wondered
why? He’d only just met her, but he did like her — quite a lot. She was, well, she was
fascinating. Zoran couldn’t think of any better term. Then she too joined those at the
bar, and it was his turn to face the Archmage Nadia Oldrich. He walked up to her and sat
down as she motioned for him to do.
“Name please and origin city,” she asked, as if she had asked that question a
million times before, which she probably had. “No lies please. Merely the truth. What
you say will be held in the strictest of confidences.”
“I am Zoran. Er, I’m not sure if I ought to answer the rest, Archmage Oldrich. You
see, such knowledge may well put you in some danger.”
“I see. Son, I am now seventy-five years old. Been an Archmage for over half a
century. Let me be the judge of all that, if you please. However, I sense that I need to say
more. You have my solemn word that what you say to me will not be repeated by my lips
under any circumstances.”
“How about mentally to others?” Zoran found himself blurting out. As a Duska,
he could well read other’s minds, if he just had to do it. Certainly, he and his sister could
communicate mentally across space. As soon as he said this, however, he realized that he
had made a grave mistake. Her eyebrows rose sharply, and she stared even harder at
him for a moment.
“Yes, mentally as well. Now, I repeat, your full name and origin city.”
“Zoran Vladislov of Dorum.”
“I thought as much, Duska, youngest son of the tyrant Baron Kazimir, are you
not?”
“Yes, Archmage. I have been trained for a year or so under his Archmage Milos,
but I cannot stomach his attitude and his blind following of Kazimir and now Radek. I
want no part of their ruthless ways. Besides, someone has been trying to kill me. Tried
three times now. Obviously failed. I’ve run away. I have been very careful to cover my
tracks; no one will be able to follow my Shadow Walk. Here, I am called just Zoran, no
surname. I want my identity to be a secret, if possible.”
“I do know some twenty spells, but I must know more. I would be very honored
indeed if you could take me on as one of your students. I know that you are against the
Baron and all that he stands for; we are allies, more or less. Please accept me. I will work
hard and do as you ask.”
“Thank you for being honest with me. I suspected as much. Simply Zoran it is.
Now then answer me this. You enter a room only to find a table with a bag containing
one thousand gold coins in it. Sitting at the table is a young man who is bleeding badly
from a sword wound. You see no sword in the room. Cowering against the back of the
room is young mother, shielding a small child. What do you do?”
“I go to the man and apply pressure to stop the bleeding and bandage him. As
soon as possible, I ask the woman what has happened here and if she needs assistance,”
Zoran replied without hesitation.
“What about the bag of gold?”
“Who gives a darn about a bag of gold anyway? We’re talking about people’s lives
here, not money. You can always work and make more money, but it is very hard to
create life once it is gone.”
“Fine. I accept you as an Apprentice Mage, Zoran. Please bring the others to my
tower’s door in an hour. I will meet you all there. It’s been a pleasure speaking with a
true Duska for a change. The world is full of rotten Duska’s these days. Until then.” She
vanished as suddenly as she arrived.
“Did she take you?” Zdenka asked.
“Yes, I am to bring us all to the tower’s door in an hour. I guess we have an hour
to get our things together.” Zdenka smiled, very pleased that her nobleman was also
selected.
“Well, I must admit we are the strangest bunch of new apprentices that she’s
accepted,” Bernard commented, slightly interested.
“Yes, I have to admit that,” Jarka agreed. “A thief, an archer, a dog trainer, a
falconer, a fighter, and two total strangers to these parts. Weird indeed, but then who
can say?”
“I am Zuzanna. I am to be your maid and am going to become an Adept!” the
young woman added, not wanting to be left out.
“Forgive me, Zuzanna. I am called Zoran,” he said apologetically and introduced
the others to the older woman. She then left in a hurry to go pack her things, while they
did the same, though most had little to pack.
Right on time the group stood before the towering stone circular building. Zoran
knocked on the door, and a man in a robe opened. “Hi all, I am Marek, door warden. If
you will follow me, please, I’ll take you to the meeting room.” He led them down a short
hall which opened into a large, square room, fully carpeted and with numerous chairs.
Archmage Nadia was there waiting for them. “Welcome new apprentices. First,
Marek will show you to your private rooms here on the first floor. Bernard’s yours will
be the closest to this room and the front door. I trust you will keep your dogs in there
until you get the chance to take them back to your kennels. After you drop off your
things, meet back here, and we will discuss many things. Marek,” she motioned with her
hand and he led them through the first side door on their left.
Indeed, a long circular hallway lay before them. Each was given a small dorm
style room, perhaps ten by fifteen feet, with bed, desk, and chair, frugal by any standard,
but comfortable. Zoran suspected he would be spending very little time in here, sleeping
mostly. Five minutes later, they sat down in the large meeting room.
Chapter 5 Beginning Lessons
Archmage Nadia began her explanation, “I suspect that you are wondering just why I
chose all of you this year. I admit, with a couple exceptions, you are indeed an unusual
set of choices. However, I will do my best to teach all of you as much magic as you can
comprehend. You see, the limiting factor is really your intelligence, not how diligent you
are at studying, or how well-bred or wisely read that you are. You may expect that the
spells each of you learn will not be the same as everyone else in your group. Personal
identity plays a role in this as well. Do not concern yourselves if one of you cannot learn
a specific spell. It is not a reflection on them, rather on their areas of interest and needs.”
“Three of you already have had some training. I’ll be up front with you. Emil and
Renata know around a half dozen spells of varying power and casting difficulty levels.
Zoran has already done serious study with another Archmage and has two dozen spells
at his command. You seven are a team. You will work, study, eat, and play together for
the duration of your stay here. I will expect that you will assist one another with any and
all things. If one or more members of your team fails to act as a responsible team
member, I reserve the right to discharge him or her from my tower. Every team must
have a leader; yours will be Zoran. Do not ask why I have chosen him. In time, you may
understand my choice. Questions?” No one said anything, though Zoran wondered why
he had been chosen. Could it be because he was Duska?
“Now then, times are changing. Events are unfolding at a more rapid pace than
ever in the past. I find that I must change my methods as well. This part you may like,
but we shall see. In the past, I would take my time training those that I deemed worthy
of learning magic. However, now I find that speed of training has become most vital.
Hence, you may expect that I will be pushing you hard to grasp and use magic. Much
may depend upon your group mastering magic very quickly. If you find the pace too
difficult, please let me know. In a way, you are all my guinea pigs in this. I am not too
old to change my ways; that is a joke by the way. I am seventy-five years old, if you didn’t
know.”