During the days that followed, I learned a lot about the guild, and strangely, didn't steal anything.
Downstairs was the library, the guild shop, the kitchens and the communal dining area. Upstairs were the rooms for the apprentices such as myself. Maze had his quarters in a tower along the eastern wall of the guild.
Then were was the grounds outside. Between the store and Maze's quarters was a memorial garden for renowned heroes of the guild, whether they'd been good or evil – I learned that the guild didn't discriminate against the Heroes it turned out for being either, and provided for both equally.
On the northern side of the grounds were the training areas – the archery range, sword pit and magic range. I didn't expect to be much good with magic, not after seeing some apprentices using lightning or fire on the straw dummies they were using as targets. Behind there, was the guild's woods.
I didn't meet Whisper until several days after my arrival. She was a bit taller than me, and had darker skin. She called me farm boy often, but otherwise kept mostly to herself. That is, except to make sure I actually got up in the morning.
"Come on! Get up, farm boy," she half-shouted at me, as I pulled myself out of bed sleepily. "Are you always this slow in the mornings?" she asked. I just shrugged, dressing. "The Guildmaster wanted you down at the sword pit over an hour ago!"
"Oh."
"You'd better get moving, farm boy. You're late enough as it is."
"Whatever," I yawned back.
I didn't hurry. I was late already, a few more minutes wouldn't make much difference.
The Guildmaster remained kind and gentle, of course.
"I see you finally got up," was all he said. He opened the gate into the sword pit, which was only really a small area walled off, and gestured to enter. Inside was one of the straw dummies. "I want you to hit that as hard as you can. Keep on going until I tell you to stop."
It seemed completely pointless, but there wasn't anything else to do, and it'd at least give me something to beat up.
The dummy seemed to just spring back from every blow I landed on it, not doing much. I was stronger than most other kids in Oakvale had been, but not that strong.
"You don't seem to be doing much to it," he remarked. "Here. Take this stick, and try again."
I guess I wasn't going to be trusted with a real weapon just yet. With the stick though, I managed to at least damage the dummy a bit before knocking it over.
"Much better, boy."
"Adam!" I snapped at him. "I've got a name, does no one know how to use it?"
"Easy there." He snapped his fingers, and the straw dummy was back up again. "Take out that anger on the dummy, and see if you can't do better than last time."
I didn't bother to reply, attacking the straw dummy again and knocking it down in just two blows.
"Happy now?"
"You've got some strength there, and a sharp temper. Not bad at all. I think that'll do for now. You're a little small to be using a bow, and too young for magic just yet.
Maybe you can make yourself useful to others around the guild, or study in the library for when you're old enough to continue your training."
Study? Me? Like hell was I going to do. Make myself useful? Well, it would earn me money. Since no one here held me in suspicion of every crime, I'd have plenty of opportunities to look into that while I did so.
That was pretty much all I did for the next few years, actually. I did steal a bit, but I kept it quiet. My original thought that I'd be able to get off easier was wrong, because I was new they automatically suspected me.
When the Guildmaster turned to my training with real weapons, he was startled to find a skilled swordsman in me, and a fair archer too. We had an argument over magic, or 'Will' as he preferred to call it.
"I don't see the point to it. I have a sword and a bow, what more do I need?"
"The world has more than enough swordsman and archers, boy," he told me. "Anyone can take them up and learn them, but the Hero's use of Will is what sets us apart and above them. You must show mastery over Will as well if you wish to graduate."
With that ultimatum delivered, I had no choice. I was hardly a gifted pupil, but I picked up the simple lightning spell. It was good for a little amusement in a pinch. I'd hide in a bush, wait until other apprentices passed and give them a short sharp shock. Maze rather bluntly told me to pack it in after I caught him, or he'd teach me a lesson I wouldn't soon forget.
When I finally hit my sixteenth birthday, I had a bit of deja vu. Whisper waking me up and telling me the Guildmaster wanted me on the far side of the river again, where the melee training would take place.
"Late again, Adam," he said disapprovingly, seeming to have finally learned to use my name. I was forever getting in trouble for snapping on people who didn't use it.
"So what?"
"On your own head be it... in the ring, both of you," he told us. "You'll be going through a real melee test against each other."
"Okay, farm-boy," Whisper said. "Let's see what you've got!"
"Not so fast," the Guildmaster warned as Whisper drew out a long spear, taller than she was. "You'll do it the way I tell you. You'll practice blocking first Whisper, and Adam you see how many times you can break through that. Don't worry about harming each other. The Guild's native magic will keep you safe." He was wrong on that score, but Whisper didn't know about that, and even I didn't know until much later.
I drew the heavy iron sword he'd reluctantly given me, and made some show of feeling out her defences. The spear gave her reach enough to block most blows any apprentice would have known, but I was more skilled than that. A feint high left her open low, and the reverse worked too. It was just too easy.
"I think that's enough," the Guildmaster stopped me after several blows. "Clearly you should be the one blocking, Adam. Now it's Whisper's turn to attack."
Whisper stooped into a kind of half crouch, holding the spear in both hands now. She jabbed forward, and I rolled aside, prompting the Guildmaster to remind me I had to block instead. Spoilsport.
I settled for deflecting her strikes more than blocking, sending them flying wide of me. She did score one glancing blow on me, just above one hip. I almost retaliated, but decided to save it for later. That turned out to be useful.
When the Guildmaster stopped us again, a giant hulking guy with dark skin similar to Whisper's, and yellow armour with many scratches on had joined us.
"Ah, Thunder," the Guildmaster greeted him. "Back from the Arena?"
"It was easy. You should have been there," he said to Whisper. "Now, what's this I hear about some farm-boy you've got her pitted against?"
"Adam, one of our wayward apprentices. He has a few issues with his personality-" I snorted. Problems. I was just fine the way I was. "But he's skilled. We're just about to test them together now."
"You can beat any old farm-boy, Whisper. Show me what you can do."
"Don't think I'll go easy on you because you're a girl," I warned her.
She answered with swift stab at me, but her aim was bad and I struck home easily. The Guildmaster had set us loose on each other without any limits this time. I didn't give her a chance to strike back, making her block where she could, retreat when she couldn't and losing terribly to me.
It wasn't really a fair fight. I didn't want it to be.
Finally, the Guildmaster called us off again.
"That's enough!" he snapped sharply, not seeming to be as gentle as he looked. "I think we can see the outcome of this."
"That was all wrong, Whisper!" Thunder accused. "Come with me, and I'll show you how it's meant to be done. And you!" he turned to me. "If I ever come up against you-"
"I said enough! This isn't the time for threats!"
Whisper and I didn't talk to each other much after that. She and I built up more of a rivalry out of it, and during the time before our final tests, we spent a lot of time in the Guild's woods testing each other. She only ever came out on top when she surprised me with a few Will techniques I didn't know.
It wasn't long after that day when I was finally called for my final test, also in the Guild woods. The Guildmaster met me just outside to tell me about it.
"I expect you're wondering what the final test is, eh? You'll find out in the woods. Go to the log at the top of the hill. The rest is up to you."
Hardly what you'd call helpful.
Once I was out of his sight, I pulled out the bow. I didn't like to fight at range, but it was better than letting opponents get up close. There turned out to be no need, as Maze waited for me at the log.
"You finally made it, I see."
"Just get on with it. What do I have to do?"
"Quite simple. Defeat me, using all that you've learned during your time here – and all three disciplines, don't forget. Now, put that bow away and get your sword out. Hit me – if you can."
I still held Maze responsible for robbing me of vengeance back in Oakvale, so probably overdid things a bit. He didn't seem to care too much about getting hit, let alone being shot full of arrows when he told me to use them instead. He did comment at some length on my lack of skill with Will, but stopped after I threw a fireball at him. I'd picked it up off one of the other Apprentices. It was slightly more difficult to cast, but it took him off-guard. He'd been expecting lightning.
"I think that's enough," he told me, picking himself up and brushing himself off. "I see I was right to bring you here. You've picked up more than enough to prove yourself."
"So that's it? I'm a Hero now?"
"Not so fast. You still have to receive your Guild seal in the Chamber of Fate."
That ceremony was reputed to be impressive, but I didn't see much in it. Maze and Thunder stood behind the Guildmaster trying to look important, while the Guildmaster went on about being a Hero, and the path ahead and other things. I didn't really pay much attention.
Whisper and I graduated at the same time, both receiving our seals in front of the remaining apprentices. I noticed a few resentful looks from those apprentices who had been here longer and still not graduated yet. Just to rub it in, I gave them a self-satisfied smirk.
So I'm nasty. Like I've said before, what do you expect of me? I wasn't even trying to be nice, and morals are pretty much a foreign concept to me.
