Pawnee’s Task

From the Wizard’s Book of Knowledge - Jarrell Empire 084

INITIATE:

1. The introduction level for a student in the art of becoming a wizard.

2. Steps of hard meaningful labor to prepare the student for advancement to become an Apprentice



Pawnee’s Task

         Night had fallen over Grand Acres, a small town with a big name, a town with only 203 people and of that 76 of them live in the village and camped outside Castle Fannie.

Castle Fannie is considered the premier school of learning. If you had a desire to become a wizard your first choice would be Castle Fannie your second choice would be short of disgrace.



         In their small homes with their tables sitting outside their doors, from sunrise to sunset the villagers would sell their wares to the students or student want-a-bee’s that were foolish enough to buy them at such high prices, they mostly sold herbs, charms, potions, scrolls and spell books.



         The teachers would look at the wares, scowl or laugh at the merchants, but never buy; the school did the buying and the prices were always in the favor of the school. Four times a year a caravan of traders would show up to sell or trade with the school or with the other villagers, this was considered the highlights for Grand Acres, feasts and entertainment would occupy every ones attention for a full seven days,  once in a great while a trader from the caravan would just stay behind and setup permanent quarters in the village, but even for this to happen, they had to be approved by the village elders and it always depended on what they had to offer the villagers, sometimes the school itself got involved in the village affairs, telling them who they could allow to stay or even who had to go, the villagers were complacent with this arrangement, not to mention the protection they received from the school or a few of the other merchants that had knowledge in the art of spell making.



         This was also the time many young boys and girls of the age of six or seven would come to compete for a chance to become a student at the school, the teachers would watch them perform what magic they were capable of doing, spend time talking with some them and pick out the ones that held the most potential. Out of possible fifty or more competitors, four or five would get to walk into the castle flanked on both sides by the teachers and walking behind the schools headmaster. The villagers were particularly proud when one of their own was picked. This was also a time for promotions, the initiates would become apprentices, even the apprentices would be promoted to a higher apprentice rank.

          It was all done in a ceremony to boost the moral of the villagers and the traveling traders, the initiate would walk up onto a platform, a stage to show off what he or she has learned and be presented with his or her new apprentice robe, the apprentice robe was white with a gold stripe circling around the edge of the sleeve. Once you become an apprentice you are then ready to start your lessons to go up in rank, there are four more apprentice ranks, blue, green, red and black, after you have achieved the rank of black, you will become a conjurer and will start wearing a fully colored robe, once again starting with the gold and working your way up to black. If you made to that point you would become a wizard and would receive a cloak and set out into the world to make your name or fortune for yourself.



         The moon was full on this night and on its beginning journey across the crimson sky.  Pawnee rose from his bed, still fully clothed, he walked to his one shutter window, and cracked it open just a small fraction he peeked out into the darkness of the night, music filled his ears the music coming from the village and the villagers yelling, boasting, laughing and having a great time, this was the third night of the festivities, tomorrow night will be the promotions and even if he was not going to be one of the lucky to walk the platform, he would show them that he has what it takes, by the end of the festivities his name, Pawnee would be on everyone lips, this would be his night, his night to shine, Pawnee’s heart seemed to have added an extra beat, the normal ‘thump-thump’ was now ‘thump-bump-thump’ he took a long breath and watched as it left his lips in a cool fog when he exhaled, he was ready for the challenge.



         Three had gone before him and failed in their task, they were over confident and went in too quickly, Pawnee waited until he was sure that everything was in place, he kept his eyes open and watched, he paid close attention to the coming and going that happened in the castle and particularly on his task.



         Going over to the basin he splashed some water on his face, it was cold and a shiver ran down his body, he liked this feeling, it made him come alive, it made his senses feel a level higher, after a good shake he turned his attention towards his bed, that was where he had the tools of his trade. They were wrapped up in a small black pouch, hidden inside his pillow. Pawnee lifted one end of the pillow and ripped the seam open, pulling out some of the wool stuffing, his hand grasped the pouch and pulled it out, he unrolled the pouch and it held six more smaller pouches and a strap, his fingers lightly danced across the pouches, he shivered in anticipation, he Pawnee tonight would be the one to accomplish this momentous task.

***

         His father and mother had tried to persuade the High Order Farred that he was too young, he was too inexperienced, that he was not mature enough to be sent to the castle, but Pawnee pleaded his own case to the High Order Farred, he showed him what magic he could perform.



         Pawnee insured the High Order Farred that he could perform well enough to be picked as an initiate and taken into the castle, his father backhanded him and knocked him down, but Pawnee’s resolve was strong and he stood right up again and started to speak louder of what he could do, but that didn’t stop his father from giving him another backhand across his face and sending him sprawling across the room, “hush and mind your place youngling” his father spat out at him, his mother covered her face in her hands and silently wept, again Pawnee rose wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his own backhand and continued to speak directly to the High Order Farred, who just stood there staring at Pawnee, his father raised his hand high again to give Pawnee another backhand, Pawnee braced himself, he never took his eyes off of the High Order Farred or slowed in his speech, the backhand never came.



         High Order Farred reached out and snatched his father’s wrist when it reached the peak of its arc. This quick grab not only startled his father, who was quick in his own right, but it even caught Pawnee off guard, he had never seen anyone move with such lightning quickness, the High Order Farred’s cloak had not even flickered.

Pawnee’s eye were locked onto the High Order eyes, they were cold and dark, Pawnee knew he would lose all ground if he looked away, so he continued to stare as his stomach turn and his mouth ached.

He gave Pawnee a slight nod of his head.



         “The youngling shows strength and commitment, that added with his ability to do magic, I find him to be a suitable candidate for the castle” his voice was leveled, no anger, no excitement, just one level tone as if he was talking to himself in a mirror, Pawnees mother wailed loudly behind her hands and his father went limp and bowed his head in acquiescence.



         “He’ll come with me now and I’ll take him to the castle when the time is ready” releasing the wrist that he held in a stone grip, it dropped down and swung loosely by its owners side.



         His father grabbed his wife’s arm and shook it roughly, he dropped down onto one knee and bowed his head, his wife followed suit even as the tears still streamed down her face.



         “As his High Order Farred wishes, so it shall be” they had both said to him in unison.



         “So it will be” High Order Farred replied



         He took Pawnee by the arm and directed him out the door.



         Pawnee knew as soon as the door had closed behind them and the lock clicked, his mothers tears had stopped and his father was smiling and hugging her and the two of them were dancing around their small room “we did it” his father was probably saying “we fooled the High Order Farred, your one of the best criers I have ever seen” he might be saying to his wife and swing her around “Pawnee will go to the castle and he’ll make us proud, he’ll make us famous, the High Order Farred will bestow many honors upon us”



         Pawnee spent the next seven weeks studying and practicing his magic under the watchful eye and tutelage of three instructors. Instructor Patroon schooled him in the art of illusion magic; Instructor Milian schooled him in the art of destructive magic and Instructor Detec schooled him in the art of stealth and combat.



         He learned many things and every fourth day he was brought to High Order Farred office, where he would show what he had learned from the instructors.



         On each of these times High Order Farred would sit relaxed in his high back chair and watch Pawnee perform everything the instructors had taught him. When Pawnee made a mistake, High Order Farred would put up his hand to halt him and simply say in a leveled voice.



         “You have disappointed me, you will stand there until I say different and you will observe your surroundings while also reflecting on your mistake” he then would rise from the chair and leave the room, leaving Pawnee to stand there.



         On his very first night he was brought into the office, he had yet to learn anything and was told to stand in front of the desk until he was told different and to observe his surroundings, as soon as the High Order Farred left the room Pawnee walked around and observed everything in the office, he looked at the books that lined the cases along the walls, there were books on learning magic, books on alchemy, books on politics, books on history, books on combat, books on armor, books on spells, books on subjects he had no clue to what they were about.



         He studied the weapons mounted on the walls and in their cases, in one such case along the wall between two bookcases were five jeweled encrusted daggers, above the case on that wall were two battle axes crossing each other, behind the desk, above the window was a long sword and under that was a short sword, on the opposite side wall was another case and inside it were a set of darts and a dart blower, above the case was a unstrung bow and a quiver of arrows, above the door was a giant battle hammer.



         He took notice of the desk and the red and blue rug it sat on, he took notice of the assorted art work hanging on the walls, some paintings, some tapestries, he took noticed of the two large wooden chests that sat side by side behind the desk.



         After an hour left in the room he heard the door knob turning and went and returned to the front of the desk.  High Order Farred strolled past him and took his place at his high back chair, wrapping the bottom of a new color cloak of deep red around him, he stared at Pawnee silently, Pawnee could see the coldness in those eyes, yet he did not fear them, but they frightened him all the same.



         High Order Farred tapped his fingers on the right arm of the chair, while his left hand poked at a quill on his desk.



         “You have disappointed me” with that same level tone voice.



         This level tone was unnerving Pawnee, it held no malice to it, but it did tell him he should be frightened of it.



         “Your High Order I did as you ask of me, I observed my surroundings” the words tumbled out faster then he realized. He had said them, that was that, it was not what he should have said, he mentally berated himself for being so quick with his mouth, what he should have said was ‘forgive my failure your High Order, it was not what I had intended, please grace me with your knowledge so that I may not disappoint you again’ but it was too late now, he could not take back what was a grave mistake.



         The tapping on the chair stopped, the poking of the quill ceased, High Order Farred leaned towards the desk, the creaking of the chair could be heard as he leaned forward, letting his eyes do the silent talking, Pawnee’s stomach twisted in a knot.



         “What was asked of you?” High Order Farred inquired.



         Pawnee was becoming more unnerved, that voice; he wished that there was some sort of anger in it; the voice was soothing, relaxed and dangerous, very dangerous.



         “To stand here and observe my surroundings” Pawnee answered.



         The High Order leaned in closer



         “And who told you to do this?”



         The knot tightened, Pawnee was confused, it was him that told him what to do, what type of question was this, what type of answer did he expect, more importantly what answer should he give him, then it dawn on him what his mistake was, he did not address him as his High Order.



         Pawnee dropped down quickly onto one knee and bowed his head.



         “Forgive me my High Order Farred, no disrespect was intended, the long journey and hunger have made this poor excuse of a boy before you, slow of the mind”

He’ll remember to address him correctly from now on or the punishment, he was sure would be severe.



         “Your High Order Farred, it was you who instructed me to stand here and observe my surroundings”



         He leaned back in his chair.



         “Rise” he waited until Pawnee was standing before speaking farther “and did you do as you were told?”



         Pawnee spent a mental moment thinking about it, he was not going to be rash, but rather more calculated in how he replied. He was told to stand there and observe his surroundings, no more precisely, he was told to stand there until told different and observe his surroundings. He didn’t do as he was told, he blundered around the office like a troll searching for food.



         “No, your High Order I did not do as I was told, I was instructed to stand here until told differently and to observe my surroundings, instead I wandered around the room observing everything, I had made an error and did not pay close enough attention to his High Order’s instructions, a mistake that I will rectify immediately” he hoped that would be enough to keep himself from being punished, he doubted it.

***

         Taking the strap he wrapped it around his waist and used it as a belt, there were six slits in the strap and the six smaller pouches that would fit snuggly into the slots on the belt, each pouch had a particular tool inside and fit into a certain slot, he double checked the knot he tied the belt with, he could not afford for the belt to come loose, everything had to be perfect, more than perfect tonight if he was going to finish his task, Pawnee checked each pouch and their content without looking, he knew what each pouch carried and was capable of doing when he needed something from it.



         He looked at his white robe hanging next to the head of the bed, and he smiled, ‘they will know that it was I who completed the task’ he thought to himself, he pulled out of one of the pouches a small pin with a sharp point and pricked his finger, squeezing the finger the blood started to ooze up, he smeared the blood on the white robe over the breast where the heart would lay if he had been wearing it, he smiled inwardly to himself, he formed the letter ‘A’ taking the pin, he stuck it in the robe over the letter that he just created with his own blood.



         He heard a voice below his window; the voice was always there near midnight.  The talk was about the festivities which was better than the talk about ‘what did you learn today?’ One of the men below his window was commenting on that his younger brother was in the competition and hoped that he got picked, the other person sounded like a female and wanted know how she could keep in touch with one of the trader’s sons, there was something else said about blond hair and strong hands, Pawnee heard enough, it was trivial talk compared to what they were going to be talking about tomorrow, he walked over to the door, putting his ear on it he waited, he could hear the air flow entering and exiting his nose, plus the extra bump coming from his heart, but he waited, those were not the sounds he wanted to hear, any second now his mind told him, then the sound he was waiting for came, footsteps passing his door going west, Pawnee started to count 1, 2, 3 all the ways to 25, once he reached 25, he opened his door a crack and peer through the slight opening down the west corridor, he saw no one, opening the door a slight bit more just enough to stick his head out, he peered down the east corridor, it was empty, as it should have been, he stepped out and closed his door very quietly.





         He pulled a small black bar out of one of the pouches and ran it along the door, until he heard the locking bar from inside slide over, returning the black bar to the pouch Pawnee gave two quick glances in both directions, saw nothing, even if someone had come he was prepared with a story of why he was out of his room at this time of night, he would tell them that he need to use the privacy room and nothing more would have been said or thought of it, but if that did happen, it would cause him to abandon his task and wait another time, that was not a pleasant thought, Pawnee wanted to accomplice his task tonight, the thought of a delay gave him a shutter, once in the corridor he headed silently east keeping his ears alert for any sounds, his foot steps were calculated strides to take him to his next spot in a certain amount of time, when he was next to a silvery grey suit of armor standing on a pedestal, he stopped and leaned on the wall next to it, closing his eyes, he started the task of concentration, his body started to shimmer and become translucence, he stepped up on the pedestal and slid into the armor, right through solid metal.



         This was the part he hated the most, the feeling of being hot and cramped inside, but most of all he hated the feeling he was being watched, that feeling seem to stay with him each time he did this, it felt like the previous owner of the armor was still inhabiting the metal suit, the first time he tried this; that feeling of being watched held him inside for three long agonizing hours, after that he could not stand it anymore and exited the suit, once outside of the suit he was able to rationalize that it was the suit that caused the feeling. Now back in the suit after many trial runs he waited again for the sounds of the footsteps to return, he could see through the eye slits in the armor, so he would not only hear the footsteps but be able to see the person go by him, at last he could hear the footsteps they were coming closer from the east, he could hear the keys banging against each other on every other step, the soft thump of a foot hitting the cold stone floor, he got a quick, but good look at the initiate that walked by, it was Kempner, his black hair with the round red spot in the front, the size of a gold coin, some kind of fluke birthmark, instead of having it on the body as most other people did, his was in his hair this made it easy to spot him coming from anywhere, he was a very good student and very conscious when it was his turn to patrol the corridors, the word around the castle was about his thirst of knowledge and capacity to retain everything he read, saw or did, other students whispered around that ‘Red Dot’ the secret nick name that the other students called him, made him out to be the future headmaster of the school or the future head of the wizard’s guild.



         Pawnee took great pleasure in knowing that Kempner was the patrol initiate tonight, he could kill two birds with one blow, once he finished his task and it was discovered that it happened on Kempner’s patrol, it would look bad for him and could shaken Kempner’s confidence.



         As soon as Kempner was out of his limited vision he started to count again 1, 2, 3, this time he counted to 57, at 57 Pawnee turned himself translucence again and slid out of the armor onto the opposite side and dropped down to the floor, he took a deep gulp of fresh breath and let the watching feeling subside from his conscious, as he did this he let his body become a solid form, he didn’t wait long, he was on a timetable and every second counted, as soon as he felt he took enough time Pawnee sprinted towards the stairs that would take him to the teacher’s quarters, from there everything was going to be easy, the first door at the top of the stairs was the Headmaster’s Elm-Mott quarters and there was no patrols on this level, the first thing you see are two suits of golden armor on each side of  Elm-Mott’s door, the right hand side named Chula-Vista Spur and the left one named Milano.



         Pawnee cringed at the looks of them, he knew each and every crevice of these suits, all initiates had to spend their first week under supervision of Teacher Abbott scrubbing and polishing them for three hours a day, that was not what made the chore so distasteful, but it was the way it had to be done, Chula-Vista with the right hand in small clockwise circles and Milano with the left hand in counter clockwise circles. Teacher Abbott kept close watch on this; he remembers once getting caught not doing it in Teacher Abbott’s way, Abbott had come up behind him grabbed his wrist and rang the armor hard three times with his knuckles, bellowing out “counter clockwise, clockwise…counter clockwise, clockwise…counter clockwise, clockwise, if you don’t know the difference boy there is a whole hallway that can be scrubbed the same way, do not let me see you deviate from your task again, the next time I won’t be so easy on you, you will start your three hours again starting now and you have better make sure that I don’t see a speck of your poor unworthy blood on it” Teacher Abbott released his wrist and stepped back to watch. 



         Pawnee’s knuckles were split open and a trickle of blood was flowing out, Pawnee was not going to let Teacher Abbott know the pain his knuckles were feeling he just started polishing over, wiping away his blood, Pawnee once saw Teacher Abbott walk up to an initiate who was scrubbing the floor and push his forehead into the floor for not scrubbing in small enough circles, when the initiate raised his hand to check his forehead, Teacher Abbott stepped on his other hand, which sent the initiate sprawling face down onto the floor “boy” Teacher Abbott bellowed out, so everyone could hear and see “I don’t remember giving you permission to check your forehead, you deal with your head and your blood on your own time, not mine, now scrub that floor.”



         Now Pawnee stood in front of those suits of armor once more and didn’t have to polish them, nor did he have to think about those blasted floors again, no his polishing days were over, after finishing his task tonight he’ll no longer be a initiate, he will become a full fledge apprentice, months before they said he would be ready, his talents were far more advanced than the other initiates, he was ready and he’ll prove it tonight.



         Standing in front of Headmaster Elm-Mott’s Quarters, Pawnee closed his eyes and concentrated, once again his body shimmer and become translucence, Pawnee inclined his head into the door, so only his head entered the room, the room was bathed in darkness, a slither of light broke though a crack in the shutters from the window, giving him just enough visual light to see.



         The Headmaster was sleeping, completely covered in a wool blanket, he stepped through the Headmaster’s door and let him body become solid, he silently crept over to the side of the bed, with practiced stealth Pawnee removed a dagger from his pouch, raised it up, with his other hand he grasped the Headmaster’s throat in a firm grip, Pawnee felt his own breath become withheld as he did this, it startled him, this was in fact his first real kill, without a second thought he plunged the dagger into the Headmaster’s heart, a stab of pain went though his chest, then suddenly his body went ridged as if grabbed by a giant hand, a light started to shine in a corner of the room, he slowly looked over as if time had slowed to a snails pace, there sitting in the corner was the Headmaster Elm-Mott bathed in a light that was brightening the room, Pawnee looked back at the body he just stabbed and pulled the blanket from the head, his eyes could not believe their sight, what his eyes behold was not Headmaster Elm-Mott’s face, but his own face, his own eyes staring up meeting his is total terror, he looked down where the pain he felt in his chest and saw the blood slowly flowing out of his heart, glancing back at Elm-Motts, his voice was weak “h-how-w” his throat was too dry to finished the question.



         Elm-Mott’s finished the question for him “how did I know?” standing up and walking over to him, meeting his eyes to Pawnee’s “my great-great-great grandfather told me, he met you several times and now he looks forward to meeting you again for the final time”



         Pawnee could feel his life slipping away, but even with his dying breath Pawnee could not understand, he never met the Headmaster’s great-great-great-grandfather, he stared into Elm-Mott’s eyes, he was not able to turn away, he saw a light growing bigger, it was not growing it was coming towards him, it looked white, he thought it was the soul-taker, but the soul-taker was suppose to wear black not white, the light coming towards him wasn’t white, it was silver, the closer it got to him the more he could make it out, it was a silver person and he was holding something in one hand and pointing down with the other hand, Pawnee was now able to see, it wasn’t a silver person at all, it was a suit of armor and it was silvery grey and pointing down at it’s base, Pawnee looked down, the writing said TOLAR – Empire Wizard – Campbellton Empire 501 to 561.

He reopened his eyes, unable to speak or move he stared at the headmaster “that there Pawnee” said the Headmaster “is my great-great-great-grandfather, I have slow down your time, before you go, I would like to say that if you were not an assassin you would have made a great wizard, but at last this is not to be”



         Pawnee closed his eyes and could see the suit of armor much clearer, he knew this suit of armor, it was the one he slid into each time, the one that gave him the feeling that he was being watched, all this time he was being watched, he was being watched by a ghost from the past, his task spoiled by a ghost, he would never be an apprentice assassin, he looked back to see the object the suit of armor was carrying, it was the sword, Tolar’s sword, stretched out to give the final plunge, he felt his soul being pulled from his body, being drawn into the tip of the sword, he saw his own body crumble to the darkness and vanish, all light became extinguished, ending Pawnee, and with that his task.



         Headmaster Elm-Mott’s released his grip on Pawnee as soon as he saw the life begin to leave his eyes, Pawnee’s body dropped to the ground and the one in the bed just vanished.