Chapter 5: Chapter 4 (Moving Up)

Clearing out the rest of the undercroft proved to be, as the Acolytes had expected, a very quick ordeal. He’d finished a thorough sweep of the entire underground structure in less than an hour. He’d even located the entrance to another floor under the one that had already been found. Still, he let the Acolytes rest for three hours after sharing the news with them. Then, once they were in good shape and recovered from the trap in which they’d been sealed, he led the efforts in cataloging and recovering everything they found.

There was no hint of the identity of the mage that had created the undercroft. This came as a shame to Robert, who was very interested to know about the man or woman. They were clearly a gifted mage, a genius for their time. The simple fact of the complex runes and mastery over chaotic beasts spoke to that. True mastery of Chaos, centuries before the first recorded chaos mage. Of course, there were plenty of old records that featured mages interacting with Chaos. But that was in the beginning during the First War, when mortals were desperate for a power to use against the unnatural beasts that roamed the land.

“This place has existed since before the Fracture,” one of the Acolytes said, using the library’s term for the last days of the end of the Battle of the Planes when the world had been split into many pieces.

Robert was inclined to agree but thought that they should be sure. “How can you tell?”

The acolyte turned to him and held up the thick tome they’d been examining. “This is a detailed account of the growth of her magic. She also accounts for the other magicks that exist in the world.”

“And?” Robert raised an eyebrow. “That’s no indication of the time. She might not have known about some others.”

“Well, it’s dated,” the acolyte said, pointing to the top of each entry.  “The dates seem to align with the international standard of history. She wrote this in the Era of Chaos.”

Now that came as a huge surprise. Robert strode over quickly and peered down at the book, but realized quickly that he couldn’t recognize the language written. Even a quick cast of magic over his eyes didn’t reveal the intent of the words. Probably enchanted to prevent others from reading it, he thought. “How can you understand this?”

The acolyte shrugged. “I speak Welsik.”

“She was Welsik?” Robert rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “What was a Welsik mage doing so far away from their home?”

“Well, if the dates match, then this was before the Fracturing.”

Robert let out a low whistle as he took the thick tome from the acolyte’s hands. “If that’s true, then this is a major piece of history we’ve found.”

The other man nodded, his face making it clear that he understood the full significance. “It represents a side of the history of magic that we hadn’t seen yet. It could be ground-breaking.”

“No wonder Archmage Moran was so interested. If we can learn more about this mysterious woman, then we can fill the gaps that exist in our understanding.”

He gently put the tome into one of the pocket dimension runes on his left forearm. “Keep looking for more. The sooner we can get this cleared out, the sooner we can all go home and rest.”

“More like spend the rest of the day and night reading through what we can,” another of the acolytes said snidely. That earned a laugh from all of them, Robert included. They got to work with a will, removing any scroll or book they found. Though he didn’t want to, Robert made sure to recover all of the non-literature treasure, sure that Archmage Moran would want them. As the funder and leader of the expedition to uncover magical sites near the summoning stones, he was of course entitled to any valuables found inside.

Like most mages of considerable power, the woman who made this undercroft had gathered a sizable amount of wealth in gold, silver, and gems. Most of these were in locked or trapped chests, but Robert had no issue retrieving them and throwing the content into a large burlap sack. It felt like he was raiding the tomb, which in a way he was, but he kept on stubbornly. The sooner he finished, the better. Still, he wished that he didn’t have to be a part of the efforts to steal from another mage, even if the mage in question had been dead for centuries. It felt… disrespectful, as though there was the possibility of revenge.

The most valuable pieces he removed was actually from a statue located at the furthest end of the undercroft. It was a woman carved of dark stone, clad in long sweeping robes and bearing many rings and a glowing ruby amulet. The stone in the amulet was the actual gem, about as large as Robert’s hand. In spite of the fact that the stone had been set over a thousand years ago, it still radiated a faint amount of magic. He could feel it swirling inside the container as he pulled it free of its stone setting. It didn’t react to the removal, but it definitely was foreign mana.

“That will be worth further study,” he muttered to himself. He wrapped the ruby in a cloth, tucking it into the satchel at his waist. He didn’t want to risk the unknown side effects of putting it in one of his storage spaces. “Okay, I’ve got the last of it. Let’s get out of here, everyone, and I’ll put up a barrier.”

Spectators and members of the Mage’s Guild had arrived by the time they were finished and sent down ropes to haul the acolytes safely out of the undercroft and into the warm evening air. Robert simply cast a quick flying spell to exist himself. As soon as they were clear, one of the mages from the guild went around the opening in a wide circle, creating a new seal to prevent strangers from getting in. When he’d finished, he grinned at Robert. “Don’t want anyone getting in and ruining the site.”

He nodded his understanding, having heard tales of that sort of thing happening many times before. “Good thinking.”

“We’ve arranged safe transport for the tomes and valuables,” the mage told him. He spoke with a distinct Welsik accent. “The acolytes informed me that you’ve uncovered quite a bit of gold and gems.”

Robert handed over the large ruby and the rest of the treasures he’d collected, which were all placed into a new storage space. Finally, the mage held out a folded piece of parchment and a small leather sack, so small that it couldn’t have held more than a dozen coins. “Your payment was deposited with the Adventurer’s Guild, and this is a gift of gratitude from Archmage Moran. Use it wisely.”

He said the last line with a wry grin as if amused. Taking the pouch, Robert peered inside curiously and felt his jaw drop. The pouch was filled with a substance that looked like powdered glass, but which he recognized at once as Acquite. It was a rare material used in crafting the most legendary weapons and items in the world. He didn’t have nearly enough to forge a weapon, but it was enough for other, more magical purposes. He couldn’t help but let out a gasp of surprise.

“But this stuff is priceless,” he said, lifting his head to gape at the mage. “It’s two thousand gold for just a pinch of it.”

The mage gave a slow nod. “Worth more than you’d make in ten years. He knows. But he’s also incredibly glad that the expedition has finally revealed something, not to mention that his crew wasn’t killed or the undercroft destroyed. Take it as a gift, and don’t question it.”

He tied the pouch shut carefully, then nodded his understanding. “Does Moran want to speak to me about what I witnessed?”

The mage was already turning on his heel and striding away, but threw over his shoulder, “No need. The acolytes will write their reports. You’re free to return to Milagre and begin your next contract.”

“My next contract?” Robert asked blankly, not sure what the man had meant by that. But at that exact moment, the messaging stone in his pocket grew warm, indicating that someone was trying to contact him. He pulled it free at once. “Yes?”

“Adept Robert Samson,” a tired and slightly snide voice emanated from the stone. “Please report to Captain Serrano for your next contract as soon as you can. Arrangements have already been made with the Adventurer’s Guild, excusing you from general contracts while you take on your next request.”

It took him a while to recognize the voice, as his thoughts were moving too quickly. He knew that one request tended to lead to the next quickly enough. It was one of the reasons that even just the first personal request was so important. If you did it well, it opened you to more specialized work in the future. But to be contacted so soon after he’d finished the first job? That was virtually unheard of.

The stone continued to glow even after the message had ended, meaning that a response was expected. He held it closer to his mouth and spoke briskly, already on the move back to the settlement. “I’ll be there soon.”

Tucking the stone away back into his pocket, he broke into a run. The ceiling of the undercroft had been just short enough to force him into a half-stoop to avoid smacking his head against the support beams. It was a minor inconvenience but served to make his neck and shoulders stiff. Now he reveled in the feeling of the open air, even letting out a laugh of relief to be out of the cramped space as he conjured up a strong wind. Just as they reached the strength required to lift him, he jumped into the air, rocketing upward, flying toward the settlement.

It was indeed a different teleportation attendant when he returned to the Mage’s College in Milagre, this time a girl with mousy brown hair tied into a short ponytail. She smiled, giving him a respectful bow. She was a Journeyman in green robes. “Welcome back to Milagre, Master Samson. I hope you enjoyed your day out of the city.”

“In a manner of speaking,” he said idly, brushing a bit of dust off of his robes. “Do you know if the Registrar is still working?”

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She shook her head, looking perplexed. Normally, Masters did not speak to the Registrar unless they had an apprentice to enroll. “Adept Silver retired at the eighteenth hour, sir.”

“Alright then,” Robert said, knowing he sounded distracted. He ran one hand through his red hair to put it back into order. “Guess I’ll try again tomorrow, then. If I can remember.”

He wouldn’t remember, of course. He’d thought of reporting Taron, the Dragon-Kin in Captain Serrano’s office. He hoped that he at least wouldn’t have to deal with him on his return trip. It wasn’t unheard of for a Captain to have multiple squires or apprentices, of course, but Serrano had struck him as particularly simple, even spartan when compared to his counterparts in other organizations.

Thankfully, Taron was not there when Robert returned. Instead, it was a young half-elven woman with jet-black hair. She smiled warmly as he entered the office, and rose. “Master Samson, I presume? Captain Serrano is very pleased with your effort on the contract you were given.”

Robert smiled back, more out of relief that she was so much more pleasant than her fellow. “It was my pleasure. A challenge for sure, but nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Her smile widened. “That’s excellent! I know Captain Serrano has another request for you. Let me just see if he’s free to receive you.”

She ducked into the Captain’s office for a few moments, then returned. “He’s free now, Master Samson. You can go straight in. No need to surrender your weapons.”

Robert, who had been halfway through unbuckling the sword at his waist, hesitated, then shrugged. He supposed that his performance on the contract had earned enough trust from the experienced Captain. “Very well. Thank you.”

As before, Serrano was seated behind his large wooden desk. Now, of course, much of the light in his office came from candles, filling the room with a faint perfume. Robert sniffed at the air as he entered, mildly surprised. Noticing his action, Serrano looked up and grinned. “A present from my wife. I enjoy the smell. I hope it’s not an issue for you.”

“Not at all,” Robert replied smoothly. “I enjoy the smell of juniper berries, actually.”

The Captain looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned easily. “I wondered what the scent was. Seemed familiar for some reason, but I couldn’t place it.”

Still in a jovial mood, he gestured Robert to one of the chairs across from him. “Now. I’ve received a report on how you handled the situation, and you were given very high praise.”

Robert said nothing, offering what he hoped was a humble shrug of his shoulders. The Captain appeared not to notice. “I was surprised, pleasantly so, if I had to speak the truth.”

“Not much is expected out of someone on their first request,” Robert agreed, nodding his head. “I understood the situation when I accepted. I’m just glad I was able to meet the expectations.”

“Oh, you passed them. In fact, the Adventurer’s Guild already has two more contracts. One requests you by name, and you’re very well suited to the other.”

That piqued Robert’s interest at once. “What’s the request for?”

“It comes from Master Silver, the Archmage of Alchemy. He says that the enchantments in his workspace have been weakened and that you were one of the mages involved in creating them the last time around.”

Robert nodded, smiling at the memory. “It was part of the test for my third year. I could do much better work this time around.”

“That’s what he’s hoping. In addition to the standard contract payment, he says he’s offering a copy of his personal alchemy journal.”

With wide eyes, Robert smiled. “That’s a high honor. Only Archmage Bragg has been given a copy before. What’s the other contract? I could probably take care of both.”

“Well, it’s a bit more humdrum, I’m afraid. There’s a roost of common criminals entrenched somewhere in the Market District of Sheran. The Royal Guard can’t track them down, and several parties have tried and failed to locate them. But you’re registered as a master in search magic, and you show proficiency in combat.”

Again, Robert nodded. “I could take that on. Is it time-sensitive?”

Captain Serrano peered at the sheet of parchment holding the details, and shook his head. “No time mentioned. Just as quickly as possible. If you haven’t resolved the issue in a week, I’ll assign another to look into it. A short timeline, I know, but you can use the College to travel there quickly, can’t you?”

“I can. I’ll help Archmage Silver tomorrow, then head to Sheran tomorrow.”

Serrano rose and extended his arm, shaking hands with Robert. “Thank you again for your help today, Master Samson. Seeing how you resolved that emergency, I feel comfortable saying that you’ll do very well within the guild. I imagine it won’t be long before you’re up for some of our highest-level requests.”

“Thanks for that,” Robert laughed. Then he went serious as he remembered a question from earlier. “I’m curious. There was a crowd of people outside earlier today when I got the contract. They didn’t seem happy to see me. Is there a reason for that?”

Serrano frowned thoughtfully. “I know that another party tried to take on the contract before you were requested. Perhaps that explains their mood toward you? I know that securing contracts can get competitive at times. If it’s an issue, speak with the clerk and he’ll register a formal complaint.”

Robert waved that away. “It’s not something worth raising an issue. I just wondered if perhaps it was something that I’d done.”

“Ah,” The Captain replied thoughtfully. “Well, I think you should put it from your mind. It’s impossible to avoid bumping a few egos as you rise through the ranks. But if they give you any trouble, do let the guild know. Good night.”

Robert gave a slight bow at the dismissal, then exited the office. The half-elven woman was waiting patiently for him holding a copy of each contract, and she handed them over with another cheery smile. “Good night, Master Samson. Don’t work too hard tonight.”

He had to laugh at that. “No more work for the day. I’m off to get a good meal at Mandra’s.”

The woman smirked at that. “Hard to resist that. Well, enjoy your evening.”

“You as well.”

The sky was warm and balmy when he left the guild then. Even the Issho-Ni training grounds were quiet, as all classes had ended for the night. There were a few white-robed figures present, but they were either lounging in the comfortable evening air or performing minor chores. They greeted him with friendly nods and waves as he passed, but ignored him for the most part. He gave the same sort of casual respect not really interested in any conversations at the moment, his mind already occupied with whatever treat he’d get at The Heron in an hour or so.

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