The Third Apprentice
Read The Third Apprentice Online
Authors: Lana Axe
The Third Apprentice
Tales from N
ō
l’Deron
Lana Axe
Text copyright © 2014 Lana Axe
All Rights Reserved
Cover art by Michael Gauss
For Eric, whose help has been invaluable.
M
aster Imrit’s
cottage stood at the edge of The Barrens, far from the bustling cities of
Ky’sall. He demanded vast quantities of breathing room to train his
apprentices, who would achieve the rank of master under his expert tutelage. At
his advanced age, dozens of such apprentices had been trained within the walls
of his small cottage, and each of them had gone on to successful careers. He
was highly selective about the young mages he was willing to take on, and this
year had been no exception. Two mages had been selected and had proved
themselves worthy students. Alongside Taren, the young mage Imrit had raised
himself, they were ready to embark on their final task as apprentices. If they
returned, they would return as masters of their craft.
“We must make ready!
We must make ready!” the old man repeated to himself as he buzzed through his
house.
Trailing behind him
as always was his young, blond-haired servant Vita. She saw to the master’s
every need, and today was no exception. She smiled to herself to see him move
so gracefully through the rooms, making sure he hadn’t forgotten to give his
apprentices anything they would need for their journey. Shaking her head, she
attempted to suppress a grin as he dawdled here and there. Everything the
apprentices needed had been prepared days ago—she had seen to that herself.
Still she followed as he continued his meticulous double and triple checking of
the house.
Though Vita was not
a student of magic, she had grown quite fond of Master Imrit. He was a kind man
and could be rather amusing at times. His treatment of her had always been
kind, despite her lack of status. A servant wasn’t usually treated so well in
Ky’sall. Vita considered herself lucky to have Imrit as her employer. Despite
being so far from the cities where she had grown up, she enjoyed her life and
work here at the edge of the woods.
“There it is, there
it is,” he mumbled. “I almost forgot.” Picking up a small phial from the
cupboard, he stuffed it down into his pocket. “That’s for later,” he said,
winking at the girl. “Now, where are my apprentices? This is their big day,
after all.”
“They’re crafting
the last of their potions,” she informed him. “Or they were, last I checked.”
She had been following Imrit through the house for nearly an hour, so she
hadn’t laid eyes on the apprentices in at least that long. Chances were, they
were still upstairs.
“Well, hurry and
bring them down!” Imrit scolded. “I can’t wait all day!” Though his tone was
gruff, his face held back a smile. All his life he had dreamed of this day, and
now it had arrived. The finest apprentices he had ever trained were setting
out, and they would return with the object he desired most—one that could grant
him eternal life.
Vita hurried up the
stairs and quietly knocked on the door to the laboratory. It creaked slightly
as she pushed it open and stepped inside no farther than the length of her
foot. The laboratory was off-limits to her in all manners except conveying
messages. The apprentices cleaned and dusted the area themselves, for fear Vita
might disturb something she shouldn’t. Curiosity had never come into play. She
had no interest in the lab or the potions inside. There was enough work to keep
her busy without having this area to worry about as well.
“Master Imrit is
ready to see you off,” she said, her thin voice barely reaching the ears of the
students. She paused a moment before exiting, hoping for some sort of
acknowledgement.
“We’re on our way
down,” Taren said, stuffing one last bottle into his leather shoulder bag. How
long would this journey take? His nerves were already getting the better of
him. His mind was swirling with so many possibilities. Since leaving the
cities, he had been nowhere but the Mage’s College and Imrit’s cottage. Heading
out into the unknown was not part of the comfortable life he had hoped to lead.
His plans were to master the art of herbalism and spend countless hours in a
laboratory. Mixing potions and concocting new brews were his passions, unlike
most students of the arcane. Still, there was much need for mages who were
efficient potion crafters, and he had taken a liking to it.
The other two
apprentices finished their work and headed down the stairs along with Taren.
They were both more skilled than him when it came to elemental magic. Tissa had
perfected the art of air magic, giving her the power to pull energy from the wind
itself. Djo had studied so many years of fire magic that he thought he could
solve every problem with flames. Once he nearly set the cottage ablaze, but
Master Imrit had been quick to suppress the fire despite his slowing reflexes.
Unlike Tissa and
Djo, Taren had spent a number of years under Master Imrit’s care. Usually an
apprentice would spend only the last year of study directly under a single
master’s instruction. Taren, however, had been unable to pay tuition and was forced
to leave the Mage’s College. Master Imrit saw something special in the boy, and
decided to take him under his wing and continue his education free of charge.
He had proved a kind and patient father figure, something Taren had never truly
known. When the time came for Imrit to choose his final group of apprentices,
he had chosen Tissa and Djo after carefully scrutinizing every detail of their
academic records. Taren nearly fell over when Imrit announced that he himself
would be Imrit’s third and final apprentice. Never before had anyone been
considered for an apprenticeship to a master wizard without being enrolled in
the College. Taren expected to make a living as an herbalist despite his lack
of a supreme title. Imrit, it seemed, had other ideas. Taren had joined Tissa
and Djo in their final year of study, and was now ready to take on his final
challenge.
As the trio reached
the bottom of the stairs, Master Imrit’s eyes twinkled with delight. “Ah,” he
said, “to be young again.” Chuckling to himself, he turned and headed outside
the cottage, the three apprentices following behind.
The sun beamed high
in the east, its rays filtering down through wisps of white cloud. It was still
early, and the birds clamored from their perches amid the trees. The Barrens
stood foreboding only a few hundred yards from the cottage, their presence ever
daunting to any who passed by. Though the trees there grew taller than anywhere
in Ky’sall, there was no vegetation on the ground. No flowers, no shrubs, no
plants of any kind grew in the tainted soil of The Barrens. How the trees
thrived there was a mystery, even to those of magical abilities. Rumors of
curses and accidents by various wizards abounded to explain the mystery of The
Barrens, but none of those stories had ever been confirmed. Master Imrit
enjoyed the solitude that being near such a land brought. It was rare to find
travelers in the area, and he was seldom bothered by peddlers, which left him
free to pursue his magical studies in peace.
Imrit led the way,
dressed in his finest indigo robe with gold embellishments. For the past year,
he had dazzled his students with talk of a lost symbol that held incredible
power. An ancient sorceress was said to have possessed it, and her tomb was the
symbol’s last known location. The apprentices were tasked with retrieving it
and assisting their master in unlocking its secrets. Rather than give them each
a separate task to fulfill their duties as apprentices, Imrit decided it was
best if all three of them worked together to find the symbol. His only regret
was that he was too old to accompany them on the long and difficult journey.
“Come now, don’t
fall behind,” Imrit said without turning around. He quickened his pace as he
approached the tree line.
The apprentices
followed behind, occasionally glancing at each other. Their eyes were wide, but
their faces were expressionless as they attempted to suppress their anxiety.
Stopping at the edge of the woods, Tissa brushed imaginary dirt away from her
yellow robe. Fiddling with her light-brown hair, she awaited further
instruction from her master. Her stomach felt as though a million winged
creatures were trapped inside as she stared into the woods.
Djo stood tall, his
chest high in an attempt to appear confident. His deep-red robe flapped
slightly on the wind, adding to his kingly appearance. With his sandy-blond
hair and stunning blue eyes, he already had the look of royalty. Inside, his
heart was pounding, but he was determined not to show any fear. This was the
final step in achieving his dream, and nothing would hold him back.
Taren’s eyes
glanced at each of his companions and his master in turn. He made no effort to
hide his apprehension. His chest moved visibly with each breath, and he
constantly tugged at the clasp of his dark-green robe. He looked everywhere
except into the forest. Though he knew he would soon be inside it, he had no
desire to think about it. Whatever was to come would come, but for this moment,
he was standing in a familiar land that was safe and comfortable.
“At least one of you has to succeed,” Imrit
announced. “It will be easier if all of you can stay together, but that might not
be possible. Whoever is strong enough to retrieve the symbol will have earned
the rank of master. We will unlock the symbol’s power together, sharing in its
glory.”
“One of us?” Taren
asked, his voice quivering slightly. “What of the others?”
“They will likely
be dead,” Imrit replied, hanging his head low. “Your chances are better if you
work together, and it might not be possible to complete the mission alone. I
cannot say.”
The three
apprentices exchanged worried looks, none of them daring to say a word. They
could almost read each other’s minds, and each was frightened by the prospect
of taking on this journey alone. Most apprentices completed their final tasks
solo, thus earning the rank of master on their own. Their situation was unique,
though. Master Imrit had finally discovered the symbol’s location, and he would
break any rule to see that it was found and placed in his care. The challenge
should prove great enough for all three to qualify as masters.
“Head south through the woods until the wool looks
strange, and then continue until it’s normal again,” Imrit declared. “One of
you must succeed.”
Wool?
Taren wondered.
Has he lost his
mind?
None of the apprentices had any idea what he meant by those words.
“It’s imperative you don’t use magic until you are
beyond the borders of The Barrens,” the elderly master added. “There is a
creature living in these woods who detests its use, and it will find you should
you choose to disobey. Avoid the path at all costs, and good luck to you.”
Djo was the first
to step forward, disappearing inside the dense trees of The Barrens. He did not
look back. Taking a deep breath, Tissa followed him into the woods.
Reluctantly, Taren lifted his right foot and stepped forward. Looking over his
shoulder, he saw the proud smile on his master’s face. It was only slightly
comforting to know that Imrit believed in their abilities. Why else would he send
them on such a journey? Shaking his head, Taren pushed his way between the
trees, immersing himself within the strange woods.
Though the light
had been bright outside the woods, inside it was dark, as if dusk had already
arrived. There was no vegetation on the ground—only stray rocks and fallen
limbs littered the forest floor. His two companions had stopped as well to take
in their surroundings. It was obvious none of them felt comfortable, but going
back would only disappoint their master.
A single north-south
path ran through the forest. This path would lead them on their journey, but
they had been warned not to set foot upon it. Magic was forbidden here, and the
path contained traces of ancient magic from the elves who had built the road
long ago. Now the path was little more than packed dirt, visible only because
of the difference between its dark color and that of the yellow-brown forest
floor. The ground appeared to consist of decomposing leaves that had fallen
from the massive trees. The air was stale, and a claustrophobic feeling set in
upon the three of them.
Taren looked back
once more to say goodbye to his master, but the forest had swallowed him
completely. There was no sign of Imrit or his cottage in the distance. A sense
of panic came over him, but he pushed it aside, determined not to look foolish
in front of the others. Still, he would be more at ease if he could at least
spot the smoke rising from his master’s chimney. Straining to see past the
dense line of trees, he could see nothing but more forest. He felt as if he’d
walked into another world entirely.
The trio silently
began walking, carefully watching their steps as they went. They kept slightly
right of the path, making sure not to step on it but also not to stray too far.
There were no visible landmarks, and they would easily lose their way if they
lost sight of the road. None of them had skills as woodsmen, so tracking each
other would be impossible if they became separated. For that reason, they
remained close to one another despite having to constantly split up to maneuver
around the trees.
Taren observed no
visible signs of life within the woods. There was no birdsong, and there were
no squirrels running up and down the massive trunks. He thought it remarkable
that there were no limbs at his level, which was likely the reason no deer or
other creatures could be seen. If there were any living creatures in this
forest, they must exist high above the canopy. Taren paused momentarily to look
upward, wondering how tall these trees must be. They rose for miles, it seemed,
blotting out the sunlight above with their thick leaves.