no one answered, Councilor Nillo gestured to his right. “Magus Cune, you were the final trial judge; do you approve the advancement of this Apprentice?”
What! The trial judge has direct approval of advancement? So that was his game. I should have guessed he wouldn’t simply stand by and let me advance. A shuffling sound came from his left, and Lebuin looked over. Magus Cune stepped down from the platform where he had been standing and approached Lebuin, where he stood shoulder to shoulder with him, facing the council.
Cune smiled and gave a slight bow to the council members. He then turned and faced Lebuin directly. “Council of the Guild, I wish only to publicly acknowledge Apprentice Lebuin’s achievements here, and I am pleased to report he is ready to hold the badge of Journeyman.”
There go my chances for another year. Lebuin sighed in acceptance of defeat.
“Apprentice Lebuin, you are found ready, worthy, and recommended for the badge of Journeyman. You will now deposit with the Guild a token of your own creation.”
Wait, what just happened? Lebuin’s thoughts raced in circles. Cune didn’t veto my advancement? But that means I am going to be a Journeyman. Why wouldn’t he stop it? Looking at Cune, he saw the same evil smirk the Magus had worn during the test. This was another moment of extreme pleasure for Cune, at Lebuin’s expense. But Lebuin couldn’t figure out why.
Realizing the ceremony would be stopped until he produced a token, he pulled the ship out of his pocket and held it out. Two of the council members, Nillo and Crawstu, smiled at it. After a moment it floated from his hand and hovered between him and the council. Cune moved back to his position in the crowd, as all four of the council members held up their right hands and an aura of power enveloped the ship. It reached out then to all the assembled Magi. At last, it reached out for Lebuin. When it touched him he felt it lightly resting on his shields, which he dropped, then it connected with his skin at the center of his torso. The energies filled his whole being. His vision shifted involuntarily to Magi sight and his little ship was enveloped in a sphere of energies with tendrils floating out to all the Magi present, himself, and one extra, almost invisibly thin, which went straight up. Glancing up, he noted that it went up through the ceiling and beyond his ability to perceive.
Councilor Crawstu spoke first, her voice bouncing off the walls with a resonance Lebuin had not heard before. “Do you, Lebuin, voluntarily accept to abide by, support, and if necessary enforce the Laws of Magic of the Guild of Argos Magi, from this day until the end of your days?”
“Yes, I do,” Lebuin said, and he felt a vibration in the magical connection through the token.
Councilor Dicha’s light tenor voice also vibrated off the walls. “Do you, Lebuin, voluntarily accept the duties, badge and rank of Journeyman to the Guild of Argos Magi?”
“Yes, I do,” Lebuin said, and felt another vibration.
Councilor Mica’s normally silky-soft voice practically shook Lebuin to the floor. “Do you, Lebuin, voluntarily accept the rule of Lord Argos and this, the Guild of Argos Magi, in the name of Lord Argos, from this day until the end of your days?”
“Yes, I do.” This time something almost tangible was pulled from Lebuin, passed through the connection to each Magi, and as it came back to him, a small fragment broke off and went up the tendril through the ceiling. The remainder returned to Lebuin. Lebuin was shocked to have a general feeling for where every Magi in the area was. It wasn’t like being able to see them, but more a general feeling that someone was close and a sense of their direction.
Councilor Nillo’s deep baritone voice practically shook the foundation of the building. “In so accepting the Laws of Magic, the rule of the Guild, and the duties and rank of Journeyman of the Guild of Argos Magi, you are so made Journeyman
What! The trial judge has direct approval of advancement? So that was his game. I should have guessed he wouldn’t simply stand by and let me advance. A shuffling sound came from his left, and Lebuin looked over. Magus Cune stepped down from the platform where he had been standing and approached Lebuin, where he stood shoulder to shoulder with him, facing the council.
Cune smiled and gave a slight bow to the council members. He then turned and faced Lebuin directly. “Council of the Guild, I wish only to publicly acknowledge Apprentice Lebuin’s achievements here, and I am pleased to report he is ready to hold the badge of Journeyman.”
There go my chances for another year. Lebuin sighed in acceptance of defeat.
“Apprentice Lebuin, you are found ready, worthy, and recommended for the badge of Journeyman. You will now deposit with the Guild a token of your own creation.”
Wait, what just happened? Lebuin’s thoughts raced in circles. Cune didn’t veto my advancement? But that means I am going to be a Journeyman. Why wouldn’t he stop it? Looking at Cune, he saw the same evil smirk the Magus had worn during the test. This was another moment of extreme pleasure for Cune, at Lebuin’s expense. But Lebuin couldn’t figure out why.
Realizing the ceremony would be stopped until he produced a token, he pulled the ship out of his pocket and held it out. Two of the council members, Nillo and Crawstu, smiled at it. After a moment it floated from his hand and hovered between him and the council. Cune moved back to his position in the crowd, as all four of the council members held up their right hands and an aura of power enveloped the ship. It reached out then to all the assembled Magi. At last, it reached out for Lebuin. When it touched him he felt it lightly resting on his shields, which he dropped, then it connected with his skin at the center of his torso. The energies filled his whole being. His vision shifted involuntarily to Magi sight and his little ship was enveloped in a sphere of energies with tendrils floating out to all the Magi present, himself, and one extra, almost invisibly thin, which went straight up. Glancing up, he noted that it went up through the ceiling and beyond his ability to perceive.
Councilor Crawstu spoke first, her voice bouncing off the walls with a resonance Lebuin had not heard before. “Do you, Lebuin, voluntarily accept to abide by, support, and if necessary enforce the Laws of Magic of the Guild of Argos Magi, from this day until the end of your days?”
“Yes, I do,” Lebuin said, and he felt a vibration in the magical connection through the token.
Councilor Dicha’s light tenor voice also vibrated off the walls. “Do you, Lebuin, voluntarily accept the duties, badge and rank of Journeyman to the Guild of Argos Magi?”
“Yes, I do,” Lebuin said, and felt another vibration.
Councilor Mica’s normally silky-soft voice practically shook Lebuin to the floor. “Do you, Lebuin, voluntarily accept the rule of Lord Argos and this, the Guild of Argos Magi, in the name of Lord Argos, from this day until the end of your days?”
“Yes, I do.” This time something almost tangible was pulled from Lebuin, passed through the connection to each Magi, and as it came back to him, a small fragment broke off and went up the tendril through the ceiling. The remainder returned to Lebuin. Lebuin was shocked to have a general feeling for where every Magi in the area was. It wasn’t like being able to see them, but more a general feeling that someone was close and a sense of their direction.
Councilor Nillo’s deep baritone voice practically shook the foundation of the building. “In so accepting the Laws of Magic, the rule of the Guild, and the duties and rank of Journeyman of the Guild of Argos Magi, you are so made Journeyman
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