Chapter 33 #2
“Good. Because later, the rumor in Fort Silver and among the barge cadres, was that not only was Oz Carnavon still alive and a free man in the Core, but now he was managing a magical academy for the brutal enforcer Gaul Haddar… While Haddar somehow went back to the Core and in the span of one day went up two ranks? The stories that came back through the gate were all very confusing.”
“Haddar won a duel against a mad rank ten who was the real assassin. Then he wanted to go back to hunting pirates, but before doing so, he declared the formation of an academy, as was his right as a newly appointed master wizard, and merely delegated the management responsibilities to me in his absence. We all look forward to his return. It’s all very standard really. ”
“Uh huh.” Pivorotto looked around our haunted ruins, obviously too smart to buy in to my line of trogshit. “And where are the rest of your students?”
“They’re… on a field trip. They should be back soon.”
“And how many students do you have in need of testing services?”
“About a dozen. Well, it was. A couple of them left us and, sadly, two died… Yesterday.”
Pivorotto winced. “That’s unfortunate.”
“And to be perfectly honest with you, two more of our students are at the healers being treated for their wounds. I’m still not sure how we’re going to pay for that. It’s been a hell of a week, sir.”
“It sounds like Gaul Haddar’s academy has gotten off to a rocky start.”
“A bit. We do have potential, though.”
“Such potential is what they always say during the funeral services of young mages after they tragically obliterate themselves. Do you have any instructors?”
“We’re still working on that.” Pivorotto had always struck me as a decent and honorable sort, so I wasn’t going to waste his valuable time trying to slap a coat of paint on a turd and try to convince him it was a nugget of gold.
“To be perfectly frank with you, sir, all we’ve got is an official proclamation that we’re a school.
We’ve got very little element to work with, no money, and this fine establishment you see around you, that we only got for free because nobody else wanted to be pestered endlessly by the restless dead.
Except now we’re beholden to the gang lord who rules this slum for letting us live and practice here.
Our recent desertions and casualties are a result of us going on an adventure in pursuit of the rent.
That’s just the beginning of our problems, as this morning has presented me with a deadline for another seemingly insurmountable challenge, and I shall not bore you further with my tale of woe… We do still need a tester, though.”
The old man seemed genuinely concerned for me. “This is quite the trial you’ve taken on here, Mr. Carnavon.”
“It’s never boring, I’ll say that. But with rank comes prestige and opportunity.
In the off chance we somehow figure out our current problems, nobody was going to want to join an academy if they can’t rank up.
The other testers showed me what your organization charges, and there’s no way we can afford anything even sort of approximating that.
I got the distinct impression we’re beneath their contempt. ”
“Don’t mind them.” Pivorotto waved one hand dismissively.
“When the Council made getting our approval mandatory for everyone’s progression through the lower ranks, it was good for organized wizardry in general, and it was especially good for my guild’s business, but some testers developed an elitist attitude because of it.
I feel we should be servants, not masters.
My purpose is to help the talented reach their potential.
Or in your case, the untalented, but fixated. ”
I chose to take that as a compliment. “Thank you.”
“Tester Ritter gave you the standard rate, which is what we can soak the proper academies of the Collegium for. They can afford it. But each tester is an independent contractor, so we have some leeway in how we choose to spend our time. As long as we kick back a percentage of our labor, our guild is satisfied. That’s why I’m here. ”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Sometimes when we are contracted by poorer nobles to test their subjects for magical affinity, testers can agree to work for a pittance compared to our normal rates under an agreement that, should those ranked subjects grow in wealth or prestige, we will be compensated accordingly later. This provision is seldom taken advantage of, because most testers aren’t the gambling sort. ”
“Are you?” I’d never heard of him frequenting the card tables around Fort Silver.
“Not really, no… but you could probably twist my arm into stopping by your academy periodically to test your people. No more than once or twice a year at most. It would be a day of my choosing, at my convenience. On my own schedule, of course, whenever I return home to the Core between my usual paying contracts.”
I was stunned. “That’s incredibly charitable of you.” Then I grew suspicious, because from what I’d seen here, it was rare for anyone in the Core to ever do anything purely out of kindness. Practically everyone in this city always had an angle they were working. “What’s the catch?”
“A wise question. But there isn’t a catch that I can think of.
To be fair, Mr. Carnavon, I’ve been doing this a long time.
I’ve put away enough for a comfortable retirement.
I’ve traveled to more kingdoms than I can remember, tested tens of thousands, and I’ve watched the light go out of their eyes when I shattered their dreams and told them they’re destined to be mundane.
It’s uncommon to have anyone test as a zero and then come back and try again and make rank one later.
And most of those received a great deal of help from a wizardly relative or parents wealthy enough to afford a tutor and an endless supply of element to play with.
To pull it off through your own experimentation, with a single element, in an environment where practicing spells was forbidden, is a miracle. ”
And to think just this morning I’d been asking Saint Persistence for a miracle. Little had I realized, he’d already granted me one in my life. “From what I’ve seen from our other students, we’re not as rare as you think. There’s others who’re willing to put in the work too.”
“That’s heartening. Are you a religious man, Mr. Carnavon?”
“I am, sir, yes.”
“Are you familiar with Saint Sabriel?”
“I’m not, but there are a whole lot of them to keep track of.”
“Indeed. The gods have appointed a saint for every virtue and condemned a notable fiend for every vice. One of my favorites is the Saint of Greater Purpose.” He lifted a chain from around his neck and showed me a medallion that he wore next to his heart.
It had a beautiful woman’s face on it, and was obviously enchanted.
“Sabriel’s revered among the flotilla settlements of the mist lands where the Planes of Water and Air meet.
That was my first assignment. I bring her up because the way the cadre folk are talking about you back in Fogo reminded me a bit of her story.
She, too, was condemned to nothing, but thwarted destiny, made her own way, and went on to do great and important things. ”
“I like her already.”
Pivorotto put the medallion away. “After I heard you were looking for me, I asked around about your academy and what you were doing down here. I was told about this gaggle of rejects, teaching each other spells they cobbled together on their own. The gossips of the Collegium have noticed, and they’re eagerly awaiting your failure.
But for me, what you’re doing harkens back to the early history of magic, from before the Council organized everything.
Back when there were no codified schools and we were taming wild magic from scratch.
I suppose mostly I want to help because I’m curious to see how this works out. ”
“It’ll either be brilliant or total shit. I can promise you that!”
He laughed. “Splendid. Then I’ll draw up a basic contract. For now, I will consider my time a tithe to Sabriel. In the future, your academy can pay me what you can, when you can, and in the meantime, I’ll stop by periodically to test your best and watch the show.”
I couldn’t believe this good fortune. Having a real official tester for our little academy would grant us more legitimacy.
Word would spread that one could improve here and make it official.
The number of recruits would grow, and with them, so would our combined knowledge of magic.
The Academy of Outcasts would be on our way!
Now all we needed to do was survive tomorrow and we were set. I still had no idea how to do that, but as I learned in my short life, you mine the Red one swing of the pick at a time.
“You have no idea how much I appreciate this. We won’t let you down.”
“Once the contract is filed, other testers may stop by unannounced to audit my work for accuracy, but I doubt any of them will ever bother coming down to the Under Slump. I’m a bit odd in that I don’t mind the smell.
It’s unfortunate the rest of your students are away—or recently deceased—as I’ve got a bit of free time this morning before my wife needs me to run errands. ”
“I could test again.”
“I admire the spirit, but you’ve only been a rank one for a few months. Progressing that fast is unheard of unless you’re some kind of prodigy.”
“I only tested as a one a few months ago. Which was just confirming what I’d been working on for years before.
I only knew four spells then, all Red-based.
I’ve mastered more than double that now and added Clear and Black.
I’ve played around with ten other spells in the meantime, but haven’t gotten them down yet.
I’ve practiced a lot, spent every spare Tetar on element, and put my spells to good use, producing effects on demand, even under pressure. ”
I wasn’t even exaggerating either, because there’s no pressure quite like make this work right now or I’m gonna die.
Pivorotto nodded along at my list of efforts. “This is why no one has ever accused a hotlander of being lazy.”
We had bums just like everyone else; ours just had a tendency to get tossed overboard before they caused too much trouble for their cadre. “If the early ranks are based purely upon a measure of magical affinity, and I’ve doubled what I know from when last we met, then I’m confident I’m there.”
“It’s not a measure of labor, but of results.
However, I suppose the test itself doesn’t require much element to fuel it, so there’s no harm in giving you a chance.
” He removed a white bracelet from his wrist, which I recalled he’d said was a material called ivory, carved from the tusks of a creature known as a doom whale, which came from the same plane of existence as Trax.
“Don’t be disappointed when you’re found lacking. ”
“Disappointment hasn’t stopped me yet.” I took hold of the charm. “Ready.”
There was no vocal component to the testing spell, and Pivorotto remained nonchalant.
I think a tester’s specialty was more about reading and interpreting the results more than any sort of difficulty in launching the spell itself.
With their value being derived from the accuracy of their judgment, it was no wonder their guild kept their formula a secret.
There wasn’t any way to deceive a tester as far as I knew, but just in case it helped, I tried to focus on the various enchantments I had stashed on me.
That extra second of effort was likely pointless, but it gave me something to do other than be nervous while Pivorotto read my aura or whatever baffling thing it was that testers did.
Last time, the charm had turned ice cold. This time, it surprised me, as the ivory went hot. Not enough to burn a callused Fogo hand, but it probably would’ve caused someone from one of the lesser realms to flinch and let go.
“Well, I’ll be a manticore’s uncle…” Pivorotto gave me a big grin. “You continue to surprise me, Ozwald Carnavon, mage of the second rank.”
That made me grin like an imbecile. “I knew it. I fucking knew it!”
“Maybe you’re onto something down here, or perhaps it’s the canal water.
Well done. I don’t have a log book handy, so I’ll need to go and record this in the tester’s hall immediately.
I suppose I’ll need to start a new book for the Outcast Academy anyway.
Your entry in the Argent’s book was already filled from listing off all your crimes! ”
“Considering the nature of the students we attract, you’ll want to buy a book with plenty of room to write.”