PART I - MEET THE TRAINERS - THE WARLOCKS

Vanis saw a group of tents that all had signs colored blue with various symbols in them, so he left the others, reasoning it was likely where all the Wizard specialist tents were assembled.

As he approached, he could hear the faint whispers and see covert pointing. Word had obviously spread quickly through the camp. Vanis sighed and walked down the row, looking for the green flames.

Within short order, he found it. A medium-sized, purple-ish tent. Large enough for six normal sized people to comfortably share. The floor had a simple and functional carpet over the ground, as well as several sitting pillows around the edges.

“Hello?” Vanis said, walking through the door flap.

“Greetings!” said a purring female voice. Vanis peered into the shadows and saw a pair of black eyes staring back at him. Only the whites of her eyes outlined the amber dots of her irises.

“Oh, hello there,” Vanis responded. He pushed the door flap open a little more to allow more light in. It fell on a gold-furred Lionkin that was simply lounging on one of the pillows, her tail periodically flicking to and fro.

The robed Catkin rose in a single silky, fluid motion and extended her paw. “I am Fynisse, Master Elf. Welcome to the Warlock tent.” She gestured grandly.

“I thank you for the warm welcome, Warlock Fynisse. I am Vanis,” he said, taking her hand and bowing slightly. “I presume you are not the Trainer?”

“Ha! I am barely a Warlock!” Fynisse said, throwing her hands into the air. “I only unlocked my class three weeks ago, and somehow managed to get cursed a week later. So here I am with no idea what I’m really doing. I guess we eventually summon minions or something?”

Vanis chuckled. “That is correct. I have a Summon Imp skill, but they are very weak at Iron tier. We will be able to summon other types of beasts and Demons as we reach higher tiers.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I didn’t think I was going to be a Warlock growing up. I figured I would end up a Scholar like my parents. But Warlock it is. Do you know if we are the only two Warlock recruits?”

“I have no idea,” Vanis said.

“You were with that Ogre, right? The one that cut off that Dwarf’s beard?”

“I was. I am. We actually are housed together. His name is Tazrok, and he really is a pleasant man, for an Ogre. As long as you don’t pick on someone you shouldn’t, that is.”

“Wow! I’ve never met an Ogre, I’ve only heard scary stories about them.”

“Well, you have nothing to fear from him. Say hello should you ever get a chance. I’m sure he would appreciate it.”

“I’ll do that,” the Lionkin said excitedly.

The tent flap rippled again and a small Fairy entered. “Warlocks?” he asked.

“Yes, we are,” Fynisse said. “I’m Fynisse and this is Vanis.”

“A pleasure, I guess,” the Fairy said, looking around. His eyes fell on Vanis. “Hey, I know you, don’t I?”

“I’m unsure. I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Master …” Vanis let his inquiry trail off.

“Yeah! I know who you are! I’m Dunilawal, but most people just call me Dunni. I used to be on the staff of Duke Rallaxe. You and I have never actually met, but I was in the room with you when you met him.”

“Duke Rallaxe is a fine person. It was a pleasure to meet him.”

“Yeah, he’s not bad. He was easy to work for; never asked for stupid things. Unfortunately, when I got my class six months ago, he cut me loose so I could go study. I’ve tried but haven’t been able to get any skills to unlock except something called Ritual Circle, and that just makes glowing lines on the ground. I thought I would volunteer and get Conscripted to get all my skills instead. Seems like a quick and easy way rather than endless study.”

“You’ve only had your class six months? How old are you?” Vanis asked.

“Me? Sixteen.”

“Same here,” Fynisse. “I’m sixteen as well, although my birthday was just last week.”

“Oh my goodness, I’m ancient,” Vanis muttered under his breath before quickly adding, “A belated birthday to you, Miss Fynisse.”

“Aww, thanks, Vanis! Dunni mentioned you meeting the Duke? What was the occasion?

Before Vanis could respond, Dunni jumped in. “Do you know who he is?”

“Um, no?”

Vanis quickly waved Dunni quiet. “My father is someone of some importance, but truly I am just a recruit right now.”

“Someone of some importance?” Dunni said in disbelief. “Kitty-girl, he’s Prince del Montano! I heard he was here, but didn’t know he was a Warlock.”

“Oh!” Fynisse said. After a moment, she added, “Who’s that? And don’t call me Kitty-girl!”

“The son of King Feldwin?”

“Oh!” Fynisse said again. “Who’s that?”

Dunni sputtered and Vanis smiled to himself.

“Do we need to bow or kiss your boots or something?” Fynisse asked Vanis.

“Oh please, don’t,” Vanis said. “As I said, I am just a recruit. If you feel you need to do something, just be polite.”

“I can do that, your Royal Whoeveryouareness.”

Vanis rolled his eyes and sighed, dreading how many times he was going to have to have some form of this conversation. However, the Catkin's lack of knowledge was surprisingly refreshing.

“Royal Whoever…” Dunni spluttered. “Look Kitty-girl, you need to give this man…”

“Do NOT call me Kitty-girl!” Fynisse said, bending slightly and jabbing a finger hard into Dunni’s chest. “Just because you know who this Elf is and I don’t, doesn’t give you permission to talk down to me.” Her eyes flashed with what appeared to be a green flame for a moment. “Got it!”

Dunni started to open his mouth, and then wisely chose to simply nod vigorously.

“Good!” Fynisse snarled. “That’s what I thought.” She crossed her arms and turned her back on both.

“Kitty’s got claws, doesn’t she, your Highness?” Dunni said quietly, before adding a growling noise.

“Oh shit, now you’ve done it.” Vanis said as Fynisse spun and raised her paw, claws suddenly extended. Vanis quickly grabbed her wrist and twisted it behind her back. He held her tight.

“Let me go! I’m going to rip his eyeballs out and use them for dice!”

“Both of you stop,” Vanis said. Dunni wiggled his fingers in a taunting motion and Fynisse struggled to free herself, intent on ruining Dunni’s day.

“What’s going on in here!” a commanding voice called from the tent entrance.

Fynisse let out a hiss at Dunni while he continued taunting.

“Two teenagers flirting with each other,” Vanis said, struggling to keep the Catkin from getting free. He spun her and pushed her back slightly, putting his body between the two. “You, stand over there!” he commanded to Fynisse, “And you, stop provoking her,” he added, pointing a hard finger at both.

Dunni backed up with a stupid grin on his face, while Fynisse’s face was hard. A low growl could be heard coming from her chest and her eyes smoldered with anger.

“Stop behaving like ten year olds,” Vanis said harshly. “Grow up. You’re Warlocks. Act like it.”

“Everything under control, Recruit?” the man at the door said.

“I believe so,” Vanis responded, casting another quick glance at both of the young Warlocks.

“Good,” the man said. “Now all of you at attention. Now!”

Quickly Vanis straightened, and he noticed the other two slowly did as well, although Fynisse was still casting a strong glare at Dunni.

“We’re going to have to work on that, too, it seems. And lad,” the man addressed to Dunni, “don’t ever provoke a lady who is better armed than you are. Otherwise, you deserve what you get.”

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Fynisse let out a happy grunt at Dunni being dressed down. The man turned to her. “And you. If you need to rip him apart, don’t take his eyes. We can’t heal that very well and we need him for the war. Just scratch the hell out of his arse. We can fix that and he won’t be able to sit for a week.”

Stifling a smirk, the Lionkin nodded vigorously. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

The man grunted and paced back and forth, closely looking over the three Warlocks. Now out of the glare of the tent's entry, Vanis could see he was another Elf, sporting close-cropped gray hair and a purple robe. He had leaned a knotted, rune-inscribed wood staff against the tent’s wall by the entry.

“Recruits Dunilawal, Fynisse and Vanis, right?” he asked. “Dunilawal? Did I hear you say you go by something else?”

“Uh, Dunni … um … sir?”

“Dunni it is then. Show me your Warlock blocks.”

The three recruits presented their blocks, confirming they were Warlocks.

The man nodded, gesturing for everyone to sit and joining them. “Alright, I guess this is what I’ve got to work with. I am Warlock Trainer Terrin. You three are the recruits for this training term, so welcome. I’m actually pretty easy to work with. I just ask that you study hard, do what you are told, and pay attention. If you can do that, you’ll easily come out of here at mid or even high Silver tier. I’ve actually had one recruit hit Gold. He never slept and studied constantly, but it can be done. I’m happy if you can hit Silver.”

Both Dunni and Fyniesse gasped at the prospect of Silver, or even Gold tier.

“I’ll keep today brief, because there’s not much to say. Training starts three hours after sunup, or about an hour after breakfast is over. There will be a thirty-minute and ten-minute bell. When you come to the training field, there will be a Warlock flag standing where we are to gather. I’ll bring field rations for everyone for a mid-day meal. Make sure to bring your filled waterskins. Does anyone here not eat meat?”

Nobody said anything.

“Good, that keeps it simple. Feel free to grab more from the breakfast meal and bring it along. Just make sure it isn’t going to go bad in the sun. I’ll let you know if we'll be working on the move outside of the camp, so you can plan accordingly. You don’t want something heavy if we need to be mobile. Normally we’ll be on the training field or at a site not far from here where we can practice summonings without others around. Also, know that I absolutely detest body odor, and I’m sure the Lionkin’s nose isn’t fond of it, either. Please shower or bathe daily. I know the camp rule says three days. My rule is daily.”

Fynisse slightly deflated at the thought of having to be in the water even more frequently.

“Do any of you have any of your skills yet? Or any skills outside your Warlock class?”

The two young Warlocks shook their heads. “What about you?” Terrin asked Vanis.

“Yes, Trainer. For Warlock I have Summon Imp and Deathbolt, along with Ritual Circle, of course and the Control Summoning perk. I also know the Illusionist’s Dancing Light skill as well as the Bard’s Inspiring Melody.”

Terrin nodded. “Bard huh? Your mother’s idea?”

“Yes it was,” Vanis said lightly.

“Thought it might be. The Bard stuff is probably useless for combat, but you could do some interesting things with that Dancing Light skill. Work on improving it with practice when you have time. We don’t have any Illusionist recruits here this term, so you’re on your own for practice for now. But in a the latter part of the term, we have some Illusionists coming to help with training, so you could seek one of them out if you needed assistance.”

“I will endeavor to do so.”

“Good. Any questions from anyone so far?”

Vanis had none, but Dunni slowly raised his hand.

“What is it,” Terrin said tiredly.

“When do we get our worms?”

Terrin groaned. “We’ll get to it, kid. Relax!” He caught Vanis’s eyes and then rolled his own.

Dunni seemed to deflate with a slight pout.

“A few last things, especially for you two kids since you have essentially no skills. Being a Warlock isn’t easy. Summoning a Demon is the easy part, but if you don’t have your wits about you, they will break free and rip your throat out. I’ve never lost a recruit to stupidity, and I don’t want to start with any of you. Everything will come in time. You will not do it all on the first day. If you were to try, you would die horribly. Realistically, just know we won’t be doing any summonings for at least a week, and none outside of my presence for at least two, if not three. In fact, no using any skills without my presence.”

“And my illusionist skill?” Vanis asked to get clarification.

“That can’t hurt anyone, and you had it when you arrived, so feel free to practice it in your house or on the training field, not anywhere else though. However, people might appreciate that Bard skill out in the garden or other social gatherings. What instrument would you need?”

“My best would be lute,” Vanis said, “but I’m proficient with the flute as well, and in a pinch can use my voice, although not at the level to be a perk.”

“I’ll see if I can find either one of those instruments for you to use, then, and let the officers know you have permission to use your Bard skill outside of the training area. The Bard class goes with the Scholars for training, so you’ll have to be solo, although a few staff have some musical talent as well if you wanted to play with others. Make sure any recruits know you have special permission, because, again, we don’t want to encourage somebody to do anything off the training field.”

“Absolutely,” Vanis said.

“Can all of you read?” Terrin said.

All three recruits nodded.

“Good. Let’s talk about your worms. These things are worth more money than any of you will see in your lifetime. Well, maybe not you,” Terrin added, gesturing to Vanis. “Whatever you do, do not open them, drop them or lose them. They cannot be easily replaced. When we are done, you will go directly to your bunkhouse and put your worm into your footlocker and not touch it until you are told to. Staff will be visiting each of you to assist later today, and can even knock you out first if you’d like. There’s no shame in that. I needed to be when I got mine.”

The two young Warlocks gulped loudly.

“Once your worm is opened, you have less than fifteen minutes before it dies, so make sure you’re ready. Also make sure to use the toilet, you don’t want to crap yourself while you’re out of it overnight. The whole thing is painless, although I’ve heard it does feel strange. There might be a little bleeding, but it won’t hurt and this is normal. Any questions so far?”

All three heads shook.

“You’re going to feel like you're exceedingly drunk tonight, so a light soup meal will be brought to you. Don’t eat too much or you’re going to vomit on yourself. The best thing to do is to eat a little for strength, and then just lie in your bed with your eyes closed. Don’t walk around and hurt yourself, please? You’ll start to get some of your skills after a few hours, and that can be disorienting, so try to sleep if you can. Tomorrow, you will still have some skills to receive, but you should have them all by early afternoon. Last chance for questions.”

Nobody said anything. Terrin nodded and turned to a basket by the entrance. “I have your worms here. Report directly to your bunkhouses and put them immediately into your footlocker to keep them safe. Got it?”

Everyone nodded in confirmation.

Carefully, Terrin handed each of the recruits a small wooden box. Each was painted with a blue circle with a green flame. A small lock sealed the box closed. but a small round ring attached to the box sported a piece of string with a key on it.

“Alright, kids, you’re dismissed. Vanis, would you stay for a bit?”

“Certainly,” Vanis replied.

The other two Warlocks left the tent, carefully holding their wooden boxes.

“Tell me, Prince Vanis, what do you think of them?” Terrin asked. “Any thoughts on what might help them learn?”

“The Fairy is looking for shortcuts and volunteered to receive the Curse, so he probably needs a good scare to get his attention. At that point, he might shape up and take things more seriously.”

“I can make that happen. And the girl?”

“She seems eager and happy to do the work, just brand new to the class; less than a month, and not even her Circle spell. I would have no initial concerns except to keep from overwhelming her and have patience for her naivety.” Vanis said. With a questioning look he asked, “Why do you want my opinion?”

Terrin hung his head and sighed. “I am two-hundred and sixty-six years old. I’ve been around a long time and have seen a lot. I wanted to retire to a nice forest cabin somewhere, but the Commandant is a dear friend and convinced me to come be the Warlock trainer.”

Vanis furrowed his brow.

“I sometimes don’t have the patience for kids these days. I’d consider you one of them except you’re nearly twice their age and your upbringing requires a higher level of maturity.”

“How may I help?” Vanis asked.

“Just act as a babysitter and help keep them on task and out of trouble? Maybe keep them from killing each other, at least until they sneak off together somewhere? I just don’t have a lot of patience for the immature crap. How is your Ritual Circle skill?”

“Very good, actually,” Vanis said. “Or so I’ve been told.”

“Good, I am going to use you for demonstrations, and maybe we can both work with one of them directly on mastering it, since it’s so critical.”

“Of course, I am happy to do all I can to help.”

“I appreciate it,” Terrin said. “The Scryer’s report said you had some Curse damage?”

“Yes, but apparently it’s not serious. He did recommend a visit to the Healer today, if possible, otherwise tomorrow.”

“Get your worm to your house and take care of that tonight. You can see the healer tomorrow. By the way, I am curious, why don’t you already have a Symbiote? You certainly could have had one if you wanted.”

“It wasn’t a good use of it. My royal duties would never have allowed for much work with my Warlock class, so why waste it on me? Better someone else get it. That changed, of course, once I was Conscripted.”

“I see,” Terrin said, nodding. “Prince Vanis, I’ve long admired your father. He’s a good man. I don’t know much about you, but I’ve also never heard anything negative.”

“I can only hope someday to be half as honorable as my father.”

“You got a raw deal on that whole heir-apparent mess. I’m glad to see you don’t have a negative attitude about it.”

“Oh, I do have a very negative attitude about what happened, Trainer Terrin, but I also know I can’t do anything about it at this time because of my Curse and … politics. Dwelling in anger will do me no good at all. Once my time is done under Conscription, I have some plans brewing that may be quite uncomfortable for some people.”

Terrin smirked at the vague threat, then extended his arm and placed it on Vanis’s shoulder. He extended his other hand. “Duwana, Your Majesty.”

Vanis reached forward to clasp Terrin’s wrist. “Please, I am only a recruit, Trainer Terrin. Duwanai.”