Short Story- Apprentice Folly

I am a dead man.

’The words rang through Darius’ head as he stumbled through the dark cavern. His black hair hung around his shoulders, wet from perspiration. The apprentice robes he wore, those of white, where stained and torn from this perilous journey he took. He was starting to have second thoughts about his motives for being in the dark and foul cave.

The young mage was only months away from graduating his apprenticeship, and would soon be a full magi. He had only one test to complete and it would be his. Is it worth it?  His confidence had always been shaky, ever since his father had sent him to the school for aspiring magi, especially this particular school which was for those of the white robes. They had taught him nothing about true power in magic, only lessons of honor and patience along with a few pitiful spells.

Damn them!  The curse echoed in his mind as he tore his robes from a jagged rock under foot. He continued on, his torch giving little light. He did not enough dried agu root to cast a light spell. He hoped he found what he sought soon.

Darius first heard rumors of the cave during a recess from class one afternoon. Master Filosar was speaking with a few other white robed colleagues outside by the small grove of willow trees. The day was pleasant, so most huddled in small groups under the warm spring time sun. Darius had few friends, most stayed away from the rat faced looking boy, speaking in hushed tones when he walked by, followed by laughter.

 He ignored most of it, and spent most of his time ease dropping on the hierarchy of teachers hoping to find some hints on anything he would possibly need to know in any of his studies. On this particular day he heard something.

“The students seem quite eager this year Master Filosar.”

That was the rotund Master Gravius, professor of herb lore at the academy. His robes barely fit him, at it seemed he grew fatter by the minute. Darius always grimaced when he was around him, the odors of a fat man’s body along with the pungent smells of the many different herbs and components the man worked with. Master Filosar turned his slim face with a smile, the sun reflecting off his bald scalp.

“Yes Master Gravius, it does seem we have quite a few adept magi in the making. We may gain some ground on those of the darker persuasion this year.”

“Speaking of the dark robes, I certainly hope that cavern was sealed off. Damn them and their evil magic’s. They tainted these parts those few years ago.”

“I sealed it personally my old friend. The only key to open it lies in my study. A small black rock cut from the opening, placed inside the gap into the face of the cave opens the door. The foul magic there would not permit any of us to completely seal it, so we had to settle for locking it. However, what sees all, but allows none to see remains locked inside. No one will gain access to the charm ever again.”

“I hope so; its magic is far too tempting, even to those of us of the white robes. I have a class soon my friend, I must be leaving. I will see you at the auxiliary meeting tomorrow afternoon. Good day sir.”

“Good day Gravius”

Darius smiled widely as the two men took leave of each other. So they hide the true power from us! Darius rubbed his hands together. He had to find this charm. Certainly no little bauble could be that evil. He would merely find it and use it towards his finals, if it truly saw all; it must be able to help him in his exams. I wonder what they meant by allows none to see though? Darius shrugged and ran off to his next class, all the while dreaming about this new discovery.

The next few days dragged on with droning boredom for Darius. He hadn’t the opportunity to search out the key, Master Filosar seemed to be almost living in his study, and finals were only a week away. He had to find out at least where in his study he kept the key, that way when he went to snatch it, he wouldn’t have to search and possibly get caught. He decided to feign a reason to speak with the Master in his study, and he would have to do it soon.

The next morning before classes, Darius went to Master Filosar’s study and knocked on the door. Darius smiled thinly as the Master bellowed enter. Darius walked in and flashed the teacher a wide and warm smile full of innocence. He sat down in the chair across from the Master who sat behind his large oak desk.

“Can I help you Darius?”

“Umm, yes Master Filosar. I was wondering…umm” Darius eyes darted around the room looking for something or somewhere that would reveal the key to the cave. The Master has said it was a small black rock. There was nothing on his desk save for a few scrolls and a spell jar. The book shelf was crowded with books. Then there was always his filing drawer… Darius looked back at the Master knowing he was taking too long to answer the man.

“I was wondering, if you knew…excuse me, had a book I could use?” Filosar looked at the young puzzled for a moment then smiled again.

“I have many books young man, any one in particular?”

Again Darius eyes searched the room. Damn it! Where is this thing hiding!

“Actually there is one in particular. You see, I have a friend…and acquaintance that has a charm that was passed down in his family. He is a religious person….a…” Darius was starting sweat, and was sure the Master knew what his motives were. Get a hold of yourself you dolt! Just calm down and act like nothing is going on, you are just here to borrow a book! Darius took a breath and smiled again at the Master.

“What I am trying to say is he is an acolyte in the church, planning on becoming a priest. He didn’t want an old family heirloom that may be evil making a bad impression upon him to the temple. He asked me if I could find anything out about the charm…find out if it is a good charm or an evil one.”

“Well Darius, you could always bring the charm here and I could…”

“No!” Darius realized he yelled that too loudly and composed himself again. “I’m..I’m sorry sir; I just meant that I was wishing to conduct this study on my own…to further my skills”

“I see.” The Master studied Darius for a moment and then flashed him another warm smile. “I think I may just the tome for you.” Master Filosar rose from his desk and began to browse through the many books on the book shelf behind the desk.

While the Master had his back turned to him, Darius once again searched the room with his eyes for the key. Where is it! His eyes settled on the Master back and then above him. On the top of the book shelf was a row of rocks, all different shapes, and colors. Most were quite exquisite, quartz and precious stones. One however, was quite plain and gaudy looking. A plain black rock… That’s it! Almost as if the Master heard Darius’ thoughts, he spun around, but then smiled again.

“Here it is Darius. Most extensive, has most of the evil and dark objects we have on record here at the school. If this charm of your friend’s is indeed evil, it should be in these pages. God speed young man, and I hope this helps your…friend.”

“Thank you sir. I appreciate your help greatly. I will return this as soon as my study is complete.” Darius ran out of the room clutching the book top his chest, a wide grin on his face. He day dreamed through the rest of the day waiting for the chance to research the charm, and when the time was right grab the key out of the Master’s study.

Long after all the students had gone to bed, Darius quietly slipped out of his shared quarters and went to the solitude of the library. The vast reading room of the library was empty, the rows of books standing on their shelves stoically, like a silent sentry guarding the room.

Although his feet were slippered, he still winced at the echoes his footfalls made. Shuffling quietly to the closest table, Darius quietly opened the old tome, clenching his teeth as the ancient leather binding creaked. He flipped through a few pages; irritated moved the candle he had closer to see better. After an hour or so, he was beginning to give up hope that the charm would be catalogued in the book.

He leaned back and rubbed his eyes, and absent mindedly flipped the book to its last page with one finger, his eyes widened. Leaning forward squinting in the low light, he cracked a smile. The bastards put it on the last page, must have been the most recent artifact catalogued.

Running his finger under the flowing script of the description, he read in a low whisper.

“The Globe of Seeing. Ancient crystal globe, crafted by magi of the Black Robes in and around the Age of Enlightenment (see footnote 98 for listing of names and dates). The powers of the Globe are still mostly unknown to us. What is known however is that the Globe provides the user insight to any subject he/she so desires. Common sense would tell us that this would prove an invaluable tool to archivists and historians. However, study has shown that a mage of the White Robes is not truly capable to wield its power, no matter his level of skill and rank in the Art. An unfortunate member of our ranks attempted to harness the power of the Globe, and quickly went insane. We cannot know for certain if it is possible for one of our ranks to control it, and do not wish to further sacrifice important members of our society in further study.

Information acquired from captured members of the Black Robes has told us that there is no information or knowledge withheld from the wielder of this Globe. Therefore it was decided the Globe must be kept in safe keeping by our ranks in order to keep this powerful and valuable tool and artifact from the clutches of the Black Robes.”

Darius leaned back and rubbed his chin. The description had scared him a bit, but this was his only chance. Well I am not exactly a white robe yet, most likely it will not affect me as it did the others. The worse than can happen is it will tell me nothing.

Convinced of his plan, Darius nodded to himself and left the library quietly, slipping the tome in his sack. His stride took him right to the Master’s study. The lock was simple enough, however Darius was surprised that there was no magical ward placed on the room. Shrugging to himself, he slipped into the room, and went right to the shelf where he saw the key yesterday.

Reaching up, nearly toppling onto the shelf, he suppressed a yelp of glee when he finally grasped the rock. Quickly he dropped it into his sack and left the room resetting the lock on the door. There were no classes tomorrow, so he would return to his room for a quick nap, and leave for the cave with the rise of the sun.

That was only hours ago, and Darius now wished he had stayed in bed. His feet hurt, sweat stung the scratches and cuts he had received as he drove deeper into the cave. He came to a dead stop when he reached a point where the cavern separated into two tunnels. Raising his arms and then dropping them down in disgust, he plopped on the floor, looking at the two paths.

Now what? Damn, from the way they talked about it, it was just supposed to be a sealed cave, not a damn labyrinth! Shaking his head, he laid it back on the moss covered wall and closed his eyes. He soon cracked one eye open when he saw light through his eyelids. Out of one of the corridors came a blue light, almost pulsating. He smiled and stood, his hope returning. Smugly, he walked into the corridor with the light.

The walk was not long this time, after a short while he entered a large open cavern, one he could not see the ceiling to. It was circular in shape, the walkway going all around the room with a gaping hole in the center. He looked down the chasm, and saw nothing; it was deep enough to where it was shrouded in darkness. Looking up at the source of the light, he saw what he was looking for.

The Globe sat upon a stone dais in the center of the chasm on a small island of sorts. On the other side of the walkway that encircled the chasm was a stone bridge that went across the chasm to the island and the Globe. Wildly he ran around the walkway to the other side. The Globe pulsed greater as he approached the bridge, and he also began to hear some sounds.

Stopping about halfway to the bridge, he looked around trying to decipher the sounds he heard. It was all jumbled; a murmur. He continued his way around, this time walking slowly. He noticed as he got closer, the murmur became more understandable. About a quarter of the way to the bridge, he definitely knew it was a voice of a man; the words however were still undeterminable. When he reached the bridge, he looked across its span at the Globe which pulsed frantically now on the dais. The voice now was understandable. He cocked his head to make sure he heard correctly.

“Who seeketh the knowledge of the Globe?”

The sentence was repeated over and over again, like a mantra. Shrugging, he went to place a foot on the bridge. He jumped back with a yelp as he was zapped with a blue shock of magical lightning as his foot touched the bridge. The voice once again rang out, this time with more determination.

He placed his hands on his head and shook it. Can nothing ever be simple! For the first time since he entered the cave, he looked down on himself. He robes were torn, and he had gotten them so dirty they almost looked black now. Shrugging again he decided to answer the disembodied voice.

“I am Darius Waylander! An appr…a Mage. I seek the knowledge of the Globe!” Darius heard a low hum and the first block of the bridge glowed blue. He began to realize what he had to do. Stepping on the first stone, he stopped and looked forward. Ahead of him, he saw three more such stones which made up the bridge, they were dark. He had to most likely answer three more questions before he reached the dais on the other side. Looking up he waited for the voice again. Not soon after the voice echoed through the cavern.

“Why doth thee seek the Globe?” Biting his lip, Darius took a deep breath and thought about this one. Nodding to himself he spoke out to the voice.

“I seek enlightenment. Knowledge that only the Globe can provide!” The next stone glowed blue, Darius stepped forward. Once again the voice rang out.

“Doth the knowledge thee seek in anyway bring harm upon others?” This was not hard; Darius did only plan on using the Globe to help him pass the test. He was thinking about returning it when he passed, but know that he was so close to its power, he thought maybe he would keep it for a while.

Perhaps it could help him make some money, he would need funds to build a tower and stock up on the herbs he would need as a full Mage. That wouldn’t hurt anyone really. It could also protect him from others who wished to him harm. If they got hurt, he would only be

defending himself. Shrugging he accepted his reasons and was convinced he wouldn’t do anything to intentionally hurt someone.

“No. It will cause no other any harm” The next stone glowed blue, he stepped forward. He smile was wide now; he wasn’t that far now and he could smell victory.

“Will thou sacrifice anything to obtain this knowledge?” He had come this far, there was nothing that would stop him now.

“Yes.” The fourth stone glowed blue, and he giggled in delight. Only one more step and he would be on the island with the Globe.

“What is the color of thy robes? Know that only one of the Black Robes may obtain the Globe. If thee are otherwise, thee are free to leave this place.”

Darius’ eyes blinked. He had not expected this. The book said that White Robes had attempted to use the Globe, so it shouldn’t matter what he answered. Seeing it asked that question and he was wearing white robes, Darius decided the voice could not see him, it seemed to be an automatic enchantment that answered and asked with automatic responses.

This was not a right or wrong answer, most likely a fail-safe placed by the White Robes so no one would attempt to take the Globe. Besides, even if it could see him, his robes were dirty enough to look black. There was no harm in answering with a small lie.

“I am of the Black Robes.” The island in which stood the dais glowed blue and Darius stepped forward. He laughed with glee. Reaching out towards the Globe, he jerked back dejected when it zapped him. He muttered a curse and yelled at the disembodied voice. “What is the meaning of this! I have answered your questions and stand before the Globe! It is rightfully mine!”

After a moment, the voice boomed back. “Thy hath sought the Globe and its knowledge. Thy have admitted to sacrificing anything, and sacrificed thine own robes for they were white when thee entered the cave. Thy hath pledged to be now of the Black Robes, and thus the Globe is thine and here is the knowledge you seek. However being of the Black Robes, thee should already know the answer to the question. The more of this there is, the harder it is to see. What is it?”

The Globe grew brightly, and Darius mouth hung open. He did not say he would become one of the Black Robes! What in hell was going on? Snarling he plucked the Globe from the Dais and shook his fist at the voice.

“What does it matter?! I have the Globe, and the robes I wear are merely that, robes.” The voice let out a booming laughter and then spoke once again.

“Thine robes may be only clothing, but they now reflect thy heart and soul, and much like thy heart and soul, the answer is Darkness.” The light of the globe began to sputter. His breath coming in short gasps, Darius knew had to get out of the cave.

He turned towards the bridge and stopped when the stones fell, leaving him stranded on the island. The voice repeated the word darkness, and Darius let out a scream as the Globe’s light flickered and died, shrouding him and the cavern in darkness.

On a grassy knoll overlooking the cave, sat Master Filosar and Master Gravious. They picked at grapes from a basket they brought with them on this beautiful spring day. They watched the blue light that emanated from the cave flicker and die, they both shook their heads. With a rumble they watched the cave collapse upon itself. Turning to Gravious, Master Filosar stood and brushed off his hands and robes.

“A pity. He had potential that boy. Came this far and failed his final exam.” Gravious nodded and also stood beside his colleague.

“A pity indeed. The lure of the Black Robes can be strong, and even among our apprentices it can reach out. However it is better he perished in his Final than to survive and increase the number of our dark counter parts.”

“Very true my friend. Come, the few who have passed their Final now await in the courtyard, let us go congratulate them.”

Taking one last look at the rubble of the cave, the two magi walked away down the knoll to the school below.