Fable
A/N: For those aware of 'tales of Albion', I will be using my original storylines for background, so my background isn't the 'canon' version of Albion's history. Not that matters at the present moment…
Chapter 7
"Just remember to relax your muscles, you mustn't try to focus too hard, otherwise you'll just end up getting your face singed,"
Archie half smiled at the Will practice teacher's advice, but quickly turned his attention back to the dummy set up six feet in front of him, placed in the middle of the Will practice area. Archie stood at the entrance to the bridge crossing the gap between the main practice areas and the Will practice area, facing in the direction of the waterfalls, which gave a continuous, relaxing drone of falling water. The perfect spot to practice the ways of the Will. Clouds blocked out the sun overhead, and the air had grown chilly in the guild grounds since Archie's duel with Whisper, just an hour ago.
It had been explained to Archie, during his first three years at the guild, that the Will, though considered to be magic, was considered to be the power one had over one's environment. No one really knew the source of the Will, though it was a power in the environment believed to have been present since the beginning of the world. Since that time, man had discovered how to wield it for his own benefits, though modern scholars were arguing that the Will was growing weaker, and as a result, it was becoming more difficult to access, though not impossible. For this reason, students at the guild practicing magic were given Will stones, rocks that, when held by someone taught the methods of the Will, allowed apprentices to call upon it with greater ease. Archie, however, did not need a stone, and it was recommended by instructors to do without one if possible.
Will training had begun with mental exercises and meditation; relaxation balanced with focus were key to using Will powers, but Archie had found he excelled more easily at accessing the Will than his fellow students. Though this was the case, his teachers had insisted that he continue with the basics for the next few years, learning only simple Will powers, such as levitating pebbles. Only today would he be learning a more 'dramatic' spell; summoning lightning.
"Remember, find the image in your head, and focus on it. Oh, you may also find that this spell takes more out of you, so don't be surprised if you suddenly feel tired." The teacher advised again. Archie nodded; using Will powers also required physical endurance, and he had been warned many times not to attempt any particularly draining spells for his own safety.
Archie turned back to the dummy, and reached out his hand, relaxing his muscles, and visualizing a chain of lightning springing from his fingers in the direction of the large red bull's eye painted on the dummy's chest. He took careful breaths, and droned out all noises, trying instead to hear the crackle of lightning in place of running water.
Calling upon past exercises, he focused the image of the spell in the space around him, focusing the energy in his body in the direction of the dummy. Archie felt a quick spark in his hand, and nearly lost focus out of excitement (as he had done when he had first levitated a stone), electricity laced itself around Archie's hand like a coiling snake, seemingly materializing from nothing. For a moment, Archie could only stare in disbelief at the crackling blue substance winding around his forearm. He could feel the warmth through his clothing, but his brows furrowed as the electricity grew more erratic.
"Hurry! Cast it!" the instructor yelled urgently. Archie regained his composure, and thrust his hand forward.
The lightning seemed to uncoil from Archie's hand, and leapt at the dummy, hitting it with full force in the chest. Archie stood a moment, as the dummy crackled with the power of the Will, and then was still. Archie took a few more deep breaths, hiding his excitement under his unsmiling lips, he turned to face the Will teacher, but found that he had suddenly lost his balance; he began to fall forward, when the instructor caught him by the shoulder and hauled him to his feet, revealing an impressed smile on his wrinkled face.
"Didn't I tell you to be careful?" he asked, still smiling. Archie found his footing again, and managed to stand without the instructor's aid.
"Still, I don't see very many students performing that efficiently with the Will." The instructor's smile widened even further.
"You have performed excellently with your exercises today," Archie inclined his head slightly.
"Just remember, you still have that essay to turn in." the Will teacher declared. Archie's eyes widened. He had forgotten all about his essay.
Every few months, the guild tutors would set an assignment, usually in the form of essays, to be written and then returned in the same month. This month, Archie and his classmates were given the task of writing an essay on a hero that inspired them, and why, with a minimum of four hundred words. Archie still had the next half of the month to finish the essay, but he had only written a few sentences on Thunder, and suddenly he didn't seem like the right hero to write about. The tutor spotted the worry in Archie's eye.
"Don't worry, you'll get it done on time, you always do. I do suggest you head off and get some work done on it though, so head along." The teacher said, gesturing toward the guild castle. Archie began to run past him, but the teacher held his arm up, as though just remembering something.
"By the way, Maze is back, if you wanted to know." The tutor told Archie, and then walked off himself. Archie smiled to himself, glad to hear the news; Maze was hardly ever at the guild, but when he was there, he always had good stories to tell about the happenings in the outside world. A moment later, and Archie was off and away towards Maze's tower, smiling all the way.
FABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLEFABLE
"Bandit attacks on the rise?" the guild master asked incredulously.
"I thought the council had hired more guards to patrol the roads, to keep-"
"It doesn't matter how much money the council puts into paying more guards, those bandits are always somehow one step ahead these days." Maze stated with as cold a voice as the draft that floated up to his quarters from the grounds, despite the roaring fire place, which bathed both the guild master and Maze in orange light. The guild master muttered a curse under his breath. He downed half of his glass of wine in one gulp. He couldn't help but agree. The council, Albion's ruling body, set in place supposedly after the fall of the old kingdom, was made up of men that had grown ever more distrustful of the guild, and had grown to keep the guild out of government affairs.
"Yes, yes, always a step ahead… You don't suppose they have someone spying on council affairs?" he glanced at Maze out of the corner of his eye.
"With the money they've been getting, they can certainly afford to. It was worse enough with Twinblade, with him in charge, the bandits have been-" Maze turned in surprise to see the guild master hurl the remains of his glass into the flames, his bushy brows furrowed, and a deep snarl hidden under his moustache.
"Don't speak of Twinblade! Skorm rend his head from his shoulders!" the guild master shouted crudely. Though taken aback, Maze retained an aura of calm, and turned his attention back to the flames, which had engulfed the wine greedily. Maze sighed.
"Do you know how much I spent on that wine?" he asked quietly, a smile tugging at the ends of his lips. The guild master's features softened, and he chuckled a few moments, before his features hardened again. He set down the now empty glass and turned back to Maze.
"So what's the body count today?" The guild master asked evenly.
"Three heroes dead the last two weeks." Maze stated after a long silence. The guild master exhaled slowly as though recovering from a serious blow.
"Avo have mercy…Please tell me They weren't high ranking." The guild master asked, clutching a hand to his chest. Maze shook his head, the guild master sighed.
"Still a terrible loss, none the less." The guild master stated, making his way over to the wine case set next to Maze's book case.
"Thousands more gold pieces worth of training, equipment, bedding, housing, services… All down the drain." He said, picking a wine bottle, and returning to the glass on the table as he unscrewed the lid of the bottle. Maze shook his head as the guild master continued.
"Not to mention the cost of repairs… to old, weathered wood that can't be replaced thanks to our mutual friend among bandits blocking the roads…" the guild master was about to pour himself a new glass, hesitated, and then drank straight from the bottle. Maze groaned as he ran a hand through his hair. After a long moment, the guild master finished glugging down wine, and winced as he set down the bottle, then turned to Maze again.
"That…" the guild master paused a moment, regaining his composure from the powerful blood red liqour.
"…Coupled with the fact that the council is slowly pulling out their funding… is killing us – no, this," The guild master paused, gesturing around them.
"The guild and everything it has come to represent." The guild master finished. Maze shook his head.
"Did the guild really represent anything positive in the first place?" Maze asked, raising an eyebrow. The guild master scowled.
"It meant something to me, when we made it different, we gave it meaning." The guild master argued defiantly, pointing at himself with his free hand. Maze scowled.
"Yes, yes, we turned the guild into a haven of mercenaries obsessed with glory, who commit crimes in their own time, working away at the council's trust, and therefore working away at us." There was a tense silence for many seconds, before both men relented, and the atmosphere was calm between them again.
"We can only hope the apprentices we train now will be able to live longer than a few years," The guild master said with a sigh, but the mage's eyes quickly brightened.
"Of course, we do have a few talented students-"
"Archie and Whisper, correct?" Maze asked. The guild master nodded, a small smile forming under his moustache.
"Especially Archie, he's quite gifted in all areas…" the guild master's smile faded, and then was uncomfortably silent, catching Maze's attention more than if the man were to bellow.
"… But I fear he is reckless." The guild master finished. Maze nodded his agreement.
"We have time to correct that-"
"There's something else, though…" the guild master was silent again, and stared deep into the flames. Maze gazed intently at the guild master, waiting for him to continue. After a moment, the guild master turned his attention back to Maze, a worried look in his eyes.
"He's not quite like the others… like others that we've trained…" the guild master paused, trying to find the words to describe his meaning.
"There's something unnatural about him." The guild master finally said. Maze pulled up a chair from beside his bookshelf and fell into it with a heavy thud, gazing knowingly at his friend.
"I know what it is you mean; that he hasn't many friends, but that's on account of his injuries, and besides, he does have companions, he is good friends with Nelsa I hear, and with Whisper," the guild master averted his gaze.
"Besides, the boy has more time on his hands to train, and he enjoys it, from what he tells me."
Over the past few years, it had become a ritual for Archie to meet Maze whenever he arrived from outside the guild. During these meetings, Archie would ask dozens of half silent questions about the world outside, and Maze had developed an interest in Archie's training, so they would talk about that also.
The guild master nodded, but the look of worry was still in his eyes.
"You shouldn't be worried, all this means is that Archie is independent, and if you are worried, then take it up with Nelsa. But you shouldn't be, I saved that boy for a reason, he will do great things, I'm sure of it." Maze stated, falling easily back into his chair, a look of surety on his face. The guild master was taken aback; he had never seen Maze so certain of a student before. Then again, Archie was something else…
"Well," the guild master said with a furrowed brow.
"I'll be off I think, going to try to organize for a carpenter to come…" the guild master gazed down at the wine bottle in his hand.
"May I keep this?" he asked, raising his enclosed hand. Maze rolled his eyes and nodded. The guild master nodded in gratitude, crossed the room, and made his way down the stairs. Maze sat in his chair, contemplating the words of his friend.
Maze trusted the words of the guild master, and Maze knew there was truth to his words… There was something odd about Archie. More than Maze was willing to let on… for the present moment.
'But that doesn't make things any different,' Maze though determinedly; that wouldn't change the fact that Archie would become a great hero, do great things. Maze nodded to himself, and hesitantly turned his head in the direction of the bookcase, a particular cover caught his eye, and he flinched away as though slapped, and he thanked Avo that no one was present to see the evident fear in his eyes. The fear was quickly gone, however, it was replaced again with determination.
He had to believe that Archie would fulfill his expectations, or everything would fall apart around him.
The wizard reluctantly glanced back at the red covered book at the top of his book case, and looked away with a shudder, his hard expression gone again, replaced by fear.
He had to.
Hurried footsteps interrupted Maze's thoughts, and he stood abruptly from his chair; his fear now hidden under a cold mask as he turned to face the stairway. A moment later, Archie leapt to the top of the steps, and spotted Maze. He nearly smiled, were it not for the angry look on the wizard's face.
"Shouldn't you wait for permission before entering?" Maze asked, trying to maintain his fake anger, but unable to resist smiling. Archie chuckled in response, and made his way to the chair opposite Maze's. The two of them sat down.
"So," Maze began.
"What has happened here in my absence?
A/N: I'm so, so sorry for a lack of updates. I've suffered from immense writer's block, and moments of "what happens now?"
So I figured I'd just do a chapter on the state of things, setting the stage as it were, and don't worry, things should get a bit more interesting in the next chapter or two… As for what Maze knows… That will be explained later. As a side note, I may come back to earlier chapters a bit later on and patch them up.
Thank you to all those that have read and reviewed the story this far.