Quill

92. A Cake to Cry on

Wiser from experience, if only a little, Martel did not stay out late with Maximilian. At an almost decent time, they returned to the Lyceum, one of them singing songs that seemed incongruent with his refined upbringing. Lacking the courage to correct Maximilian on his misplaced confidence as a minstrel, Martel was happy to bid him good night and get some sleep.

With his life returned to a state of normality, Martel attended to his usual Solday tasks. In fact, a tiny part of him almost ...

91. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Arriving at the apothecary, Martel wondered a little to find Mistress Rana present. She rarely spent this much time in the workshop, though Nora had been absent for some days, going on her trip to visit the Stone of Archen, which did leave certain tasks unattended.

"What do you have for me today, mistress?"

She turned around to look at him. "Plenty. But there is something we should discuss first."

Martel swallowed. He thought everything had been resolved, leaving him in the ...

90. Good Things Come in Small Sizes

Martel ended up spending his afternoon in the apothecary as well, churning out the strange alchemical liquid that Master Kelsos needed. It was not a potion, rather the reverse; a person spat into the liquid, and if they were ill, it changed colour. Martel did not observe that part of the process, though, busy grinding ingredients and preparing reagents.

Next day in the morning, when he returned to the workshop, he found Mistress Rana already present and working. He stood, waiting for hi...

89. A Little Knowledge

When Martel woke on Malday, he did not feel better. Even though he had both slept yesterday afternoon and now through the night, he still felt tired. And despite the mild weather of late summer, he was cold the moment he pushed his blankets away. He really wished he could simply lie back into his bed, but he had breakfast duty and needed to report to the kitchen. He dragged himself there only for the matron in charge to cast one look at him and command him to leave, lest he got everyone sick....

88. Specks of Red

A muted band trotted the weary steps through the city from the slums towards the centre. Martel coughed, feeling cold and tired to the bone. All in all, they had walked for hours crossing the slums first in search of Sparrow and afterwards her captor. With little to show for it.

"Do we tell someone?" Martel hoped that at least something could be salvaged from this. Perhaps if they related the story to the right authority, it would lead somewhere.

"And tell them what? That we faile...

87. Dealings in the Dark

Back at the derelict house, the three mages and their younger companions found the scene as described by Mole. Sparrow, crying and shivering, jumped at Weasel and clung to him as soon as she saw him. It took a while to calm the girl down and get her to relate her story.

"I was going to the harbour to get into the fruit crates when I passed this house with an old man in the door," Sparrow began to say, her breath appearing in hefty gasps. "He promised me apples if I would carry some fire...

86. Chasing Fortune

Martel thought about Sparrow, the little girl with wheat-coloured hair, dirt on her face, and her arm wrapped in a bandage made from his shirt. "Do you know where she went? Where she was last seen?"

Weasel nodded. "Yeah, I've had Badger and Mole track her steps, but they lost the trail. And I can't send my younger ones out searching after dark, especially not with a child-snatcher on the loose."

"I will go look for her," Martel declared.

"I thought you said your magic can't ...

85. Sparrowhawk

With Solday came another free afternoon Martel had to take advantage of. He had spent all his coin – an easy feat, since he never had more than a few silvers at a time – and promised the children more supplies, leaving him to his only recourse. After the lunch bell, he went to the workshops.

Master Jerome raised an eyebrow seeing him. "Again? Boy, you better not be gambling."

Martel quickly shook his head. "Not at all. I just need to buy something, not for me."

"Still? G...

84. A Hidden Gem

Although he managed to catch more sleep, Martel still found it hard to concentrate next morning. Fortunately, his morning lessons in theory of magic were always interesting; as they did not involve practical magic, they were also less demanding.

Today, Master Fenrick had brought a wand to class. He had done so earlier, the same one, from what Martel could tell. Wood entwined with silver thread and a small gem sitting at the tip. "When I last showed this to you, I remarked upon the silve...

83. The Wiles of Weasel

Martel yawned his way through his morning duties. Going to the slums after the evening meal and returning late at night left precious little time for sleeping. Several rounds of this had begun to take its toll. Fearful of making a mistake in the apothecary, Martel worked very slowly, so his brain had a chance to keep up with everything his hands did. Mistress Rana chided him several times, making him nervous and thereby giving him further reason to work slowly. Fortunately, she eventually ret...

82. Heal or Hurt

Healing class meant plenty of different chores to carry out in the infirmary, though with each passing fiveday, the nurses were more inclined to teach Martel how to actually care for the ill and injured. He readily listened whenever they showed him something and would happily come running from across the hall to watch a procedure, however simple.

The fact that he was a few years older than other novices who took this course did not hurt either. They had come to learn magic at the Lyceum...

81. Alliterative Argumentation

Walking into the apothecary, Martel was pleased to find Nora there as well. Always a talker, she happily answered Martel's questions.

"What herb helps with colds and runny noses?"

"You'll want hound's tongue," Nora helpfully explained. "Just the roots, mind you, and best crushed into a pill. But just chewing them works as well. The leaves are good against bites from mad dogs, hence the name."

"What about if someone has lice?"

Nora cast him a glance and took a step away...

80. A Man of Means

When Solday came around, it meant a fiveday had passed since the riots. News arrived that the tenth legion defending the Savena delta, the famed Legio Astra, had held back the Khivans; it helped to calm the mood in the ensuing days, though brawls still broke out, and few people left or entered the Khivan enclave.

Arriving in the workshops, Martel found Master Jerome acting more subdued than this usual jovial self. He did not make jests, and he gave Martel the easy task of scraping ink f...

79. Not Quite an Alchemist Yet

Martel spent most of Glunday digesting the events of the previous day. Without more red clover, Eleanor would not be able to make another attempt at the elixir, and he saw no reason to reveal her attempts to anyone. He had been involved in a few troublesome matters himself, which others had overlooked; he certainly was not going to tell on one of his only friends.

But Eleanor's illicit labours made him think. He had acquired some basic understanding of alchemy and the works of an apothe...

78. Homebrew

A decent night's sleep helped alleviate some of Martel's discomfort, whether physical or emotional. Besides that, as he arrived at the infirmary to do his stint for the fiveday, the sight of the sick patients reminded him that matters could be much worse. Only those suffering from strange and unusual maladies stayed at the infirmary; all others were sent home with a bandage, potion, or Master Kelsos' healing, depending on the nature of their need and the size of their purse. Thus, Martel surv...

77. The Scent of Jasmine

Martel woke, feeling all sorts of uncomfortable. His body was too hot from sleeping in his clothes. His face felt weird and stiff with a sharp pain as a reminder when he touched his wound. Lastly, his head pounded like a blacksmith's hammer against the anvil. Changing out of his robe, he tried his best to clean the blood from his temple without causing himself too much hurt. Washing the rest of his body, he put on something clean and made his way to the dining hall in the hopes that food woul...

76. Tempers Flaring

Not every Solday working for Master Jerome could be as simple and easy as last time; instead of removing ink from parchment, Martel was needed in the laundry. He worked his bell in silence, distracting himself from the tedium of the task by thinking about magic and his progress.

When his two hours were done, he approached the artificer. "I was wondering if I could do any work for you? Even if just a bell. So I can send a letter to my mother," Martel explained.

"Far be it from me t...

75. Starlight

On Mondays, Martel had alchemy duty before his first class. He went there as soon as second bell rang, though Nora still arrived before him. Yet neither had time to begin their work before Mistress Rana appeared from within her laboratory. "When I prepared this the other morning," she said sharply as she passed through the apothecary to grab the bowl of red clover leaves, "I had twelve. Now I have only nine. Would either of you care to explain?"

The novice and the apprentice looked at e...

74. Lightning from a Clear Sky

Next day's alchemy work passed without much incident; once again, Martel worked alone, which he did not mind. By now, he knew every part of it well; the little workshop felt familiar with its cupboards full of ingredients and salves, tools on the tables, and plants hanging from the air.

He did his labours until the bell rang. Upon hearing it, Martel cleaned his tools and workspace, put aside the finished ingredients, and took out his key that he could lock up once he left.

The doo...

73. Lucky Clovers

Glunday passed without significance, and before Martel knew it, a fiveday had passed, leading him to his second lesson in the infirmary. If it could be called such, considering he did not seem to learn much, certainly not about magic; it felt more like his Solday duty of assisting Master Jerome.

Like last time, the nurses put Martel and the other novices to work with practical chores. Yet in between, the head nurse took the time to explain something about this or that patient, such as s...

72. Who Watches the Watch

Another fiveday nearing its end, Martel reported for duty in the workshop of Master Jerome. He smiled as always seeing the jovial artificer, whose many skills and supervision kept the Lyceum running. "Master Martel, it must be Solday! Did you see our new watch?"

"I did! It looks amazing! All the things it can predict and keep track of, it's a marvel."

The artificer smiled. "Indeed! Master Fenrick has been busy ensuring the astronomical calculations are correct, but even he is sati...

71. The Source of Silver

When Martel arrived in the apothecary, only Nora was present. She gave him mortar and pestle along with instructions, and he began to make powders.

"How are you enjoying the infirmary?" She gave him a wry look. "I noticed you the other day, making the rounds. I don't miss doing all that menial work."

"It's not so bad." He gave a shrug to seem casual and conceal the fact that being around sick people still made him uneasy. "Not too different from helping out in the kitchens or assi...

70. Recipe for Trouble

Martel ended up spending most of his free bell that same afternoon with Shadi, falling back into the easy ways of their friendship. He took her to the statue of Atreus in the western courtyard and the arena in the eastern, recounting his duel with Cheval to her great amusement. When she left the Lyceum with her father, he already looked forward to seeing her again on Solday.

But it would be a while before they reached the end of the fiveday. Waking up on Glunday, Martel went to the Hall...

69. New Times

For two fivedays, Martel's life was peaceful. His skills with air progressed to Master Alastair's satisfaction, paving the way to continue with more advanced studies. Even better, he had his last class in empowerment magic. Reynard allowed the occasion to pass without ceremony, and Martel was only happy to avoid any attention from his ill-spirited teacher.

His enthusiasm waned a little, as he learned he would instead have a class on healing to fill the slot on Maldays. Not that he thoug...

68. Elemental Power

The celebration at the estate of Cheval had taken an unexpected turn for Martel, but none accosted him, and he spent the evening mostly to himself – despite her promise to stick by him, Eleanor had to spend her time on the dance floor. It allowed him to ruminate on his situation, whether he could stomach working for someone like the duke of Cheval, and if not, how to refuse. Upon his return to the Lyceum, he had yet to find any answer.

At least Pelday provided him with one comfort as ...

67. An Offer to Refuse

Martel was led through corridors winding around the palace until he had lost his bearings. He did notice that they ascended to one of the upper floors before the servant knocked on a door. "Wait here," he bade the novice and entered the room. Martel stood a brief while, looking at his surroundings. They were less ostentatious, with portrait paintings filling the walls rather than frescoes. Martel guessed they were ancestors or relatives of the duke, all of them stern-looking men and women in ...

66. The Right Touch

Solday, usually Martel's easiest day of the five, proved busy. After working in the apothecary and assisting Master Jerome, he had to get a message to Shadi that he would not be able to meet. It cost him a trip into town and one of his few pennies to Badger, who happened to be the first of the street children that he met. His message dispatched, Martel returned to the Lyceum where Eleanor waited for him in the entrance hall.

"Good, you are back. Did you handle your errand?"

He nod...

65. Cordial Communications

Going to his class on Manday, Martel reaffirmed his conviction to stay out of trouble. He had barely been involved in anything since spring, and the last few days had been a temporary lapse in judgement. For Martel, it was back to focusing on his studies.

This was made all the easier with school becoming more interesting in the next month. Master Alastair had promised that once he grasped the basics of elemental magic, they would continue to more advanced spells. The dreadfully tedious ...

64. The Burning Gate

All through Glunday, Regnar's plan rumbled around Martel's head. It did not involve doing anything wrong or fighting, but he would almost have preferred that; instead, it depended on Martel participating in a performance. Having tried that a few times, Martel already knew he disliked having everyone's attention on him, waiting for him to fail. The pressure only increased knowing that if things went poorly, they could not expect to gather the money to get the troupe released.

Martel was ...

63. A Cunning Plan

A few questions to the regular peddlers at the theatre square revealed the truth. The city guard had appeared and rounded up the actors, arresting them and confiscating most of their property. Beyond that, nobody knew anything. Martel went back towards the Lyceum unsure what to do. He had no influence personally, but maybe he could convince Maximilian or another of importance to intercede on their behalf. But once returned to the school, he discovered that his plan would have to wait. Both Ma...