After their conversation and a bit of time for Kori to compose herself and to realize just what she’s gotten herself into this time.

Ortik? Really? No wonder Ylst said this was going to be hard… If I fail again…

Korse directs her to the Elder’s Chambers to meet with her new teacher. “He’ll be expecting you, you’re not exactly late, but you may want to hurry along.”

“Wait, you’re not coming?” Nerves threading their way into her voice.

“Not after arguing against this, no. I can’t say I’m happy about this, but if it’s what you want then I cannot stop you.” Korse’s visage serious and displeased.

“I don’t want you to be mad at me, you’ve done so much, but if I still have a way forward to learn magic… I can’t say no…” Clearly torn between Korse’s feelings and her drive to learn.

“Off with you now, if you’re going to do this then do your best.” Giving her a brief smile and then a shooing motion.

Kori quickly readies herself and heads out, looking to Korse with a smile as she departs and receiving only a slight nod of his head as acknowledgment. She makes her way to the central chamber and its open door towards the Elder’s Chambers, a few other Kobolds waiting nearby to discuss one matter or another with the Elders.

Kori enters the chambers, though some waiting Kobolds seem to take some offense of her just walking straight in, the room laid out before her is much as she recalls. Three low tables arrayed facing the entrance and a pair of low brasiers, this time sitting cold, in the corners, several of the same Kobolds that she had seen previously sitting arrayed behind the tables. There are fewer of the Elders than the last time she was present here, likely off seeing to their duties like Korse and Ylst.

Chieftain Ortik sits at the center of the tables listening to a burly Kobold discussing something to do with ore deposits with one of the other Elders, an equally bulky woman with rough scales and a no nonsense look seemingly perpetually on her face. As he spots her entry, Ortik shakes his head and points to a corner near one of the brasiers before returning to the discussion. The discussion continues for several long minutes, apparently a new vein of cobalt and nickel which may also contain silver if they’re lucky and the merit of starting an additional branch in the mines to pursue it even though they do not currently have market for the cobalt.

By the time the miner finishes speaking, Kori has learned significantly more than she had previously known about mining and trading its products with the surface town, not that it was a particularly interesting topic.

After the miner leaves, as well as the Elder he was primarily addressing and whom she has come to know to be Elder Tuli, or sometimes Foreman Tuli which is likely her class, the next Kobold waiting outside peeks their head in as the room clears only to see Chief Ortik hold his hand out to halt them, “A moment please. A matter of decorum must be discussed first.” Looking over to Kori, still standing where she was instructed, her fidgeting likely not going as unnoticed as she had hoped.

“Apprentice Kori, please come here.” As she begins approaching the center of the room where the previous supplicant had been standing, he shakes his head, “No, here, to me, apprentice.” She falters mid step at the tone of his voice, clearly expecting his directions to be completed correctly the first time and not to repeat himself.

Kori walks around the side of the tables behind the other Elders and approaches the chief, seeing him shake his head while he looks her over. “I expected you earlier and not to appear before me dressed in the robe of a mage. Get rid of it. There is still another 2 hours of listening to petitions from the Clan, you will wait there,” Pointing to the wall behind and to the side of where he had previously been sitting, “Do not speak unless I request something of you. If I give you a task, complete it quickly and quietly, then return to your spot.”

“Yes, Chieftain.”

“You will refer to me as Master or Spiritcaller Ortik.” His voice somewhat curt.

“Yes, Spiritcaller Ortik.” She takes her directed spot, only after a pointed look at her robe and a raised brow remembering that she was ordered to be rid of her robe. Removing it and the belt before placing them on the floor, left in only her waist wraps and feeling much like she had the last time she was here six months prior.

I’m starting to realize why they both said this was the most difficult apprenticeship in the Clan…

The next two hours passed at a glacial pace, Kori left to only her thoughts as she stood against the wall waiting for a request or even a word towards her that never came. Discussions about the catch of fish slowly dwindling, increased demand and prices from the surface for their stone, apparently a city some distance away was expanding their walls and quarried stone was in high demand, more discussion of the new mineral vein after Elder Tuli returned, and resolving squabbles and conflicts. To say that she was bored would be a serious understatement. She tried to run through the skill exercises with her mana, stopping at a sharp look of disapproval from Ortik before she’d even begun pooling the mana in her palm.

Sometime around midday Ortik stood and declared that the meeting would be ending after the current petitioner, much to the disappointment of anyone else waiting. After less than a minute more of discussion, likely the shortest time any other Kobold spent laying out their issue or desire, the meeting was ended and Ortik stood from his seated position.

“Come.”

He did not look to see if she obeyed and simply began walking into one of the tunnels at the rear of the room, his stride precise and his posture ridged as he walked, Kori trailing behind finding it difficult to keep up even if his pace didn’t seem to be particularly fast.

“Apprentice, I had heard from Ylst that one of your failings was that of discipline, if anything she understated her criticism. You are here to serve as my aid and to learn the ways of the spirits. To commune with the spirits is to be tested in mind, body, and soul, should you be found wanting in that test you will be consumed.” As he speaks Ortik arrives at a door unlike any other that Kori has ever seen, a pair of stone doors well over a meter tall blocking the tunnel. “This is my den, my workshop, and my sanctuary.” Pushing open one of the large doors as though it weighed less than one made of wood, “Your first duty as my apprentice will be to clean the chamber on the left, it is small, but it is where you will stay until such a time as you join the Circle proper, or your apprenticeship ends. There is a change of clothes,” Pointing off to a shelf near the same door on the left, “There, you will wear that garb at all times until I say otherwise.”

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Kori looks to the neatly prepared stack of a leather tunic and britches with an odd sash of deep red fabric laying atop it.

“Wait, I’m supposed to stay here? What about the brood chamber?” Kori lets out with some surprise; it seems that she won’t even have the reprieve of returning to her own den in the evenings by the sounds of things.

“Was that a question apprentice? I believe I have already told you how to address me and that was most definitely not as I had instructed.” Ortik turning to look at her, disapproval painted on his face.

“Uhh… Sorry, Spiritcaller Ortik?” Unsure of exactly what he wants from her in response.

“Hmph. Discipline indeed…” He shakes his head looking at her. “I’m not sure what Ylst or Korse told you, but you were clearly not prepared for today, I expect you to be ready and able to serve if we are to continue this apprenticeship.”

“They didn’t tell me anything, Spiritcaller, I have only been told that this is my only option to continue pursuing a path of magic. Until shortly before I arrived this morning, I had not even been informed that it was you who would be teaching me.” Kori’s frustration showing through slightly in her voice, her speech speeding up as she goes on. “I don’t know anything about the duties of the Circle, or their rules.”

“I see… It is the same for most apprentices that come to us I suppose. While we are a central part of the Clan we do not interact with the hatchlings and they do not receive an education in our social structures until their apprenticeships generally. And I will not instruct you again, use my full name, or master, or you may depart now.”

Kori gulps and nods, “Yes, Spiritcaller Ortik.”

“Since you are ignorant in our purpose, I will give you a brief explanation. The Circle serves the Clan in many direct and indirect ways, we commune with the spirits to receive guidance and warnings of ill tidings, we employ our magics to strengthen our warriors or weaken our foes, we heal our injured and we create remedies and poultices to treat our ill, we are few because it is a rare and difficult path and our ways are kept secret to ensure that they remain unknown to those who would wish harm upon the Clan.” Ortik speaks with pride as he goes on.

“As a normal apprentice you would spend months at the beck and call of the Circle, aiding them in all of their duties and learning our ways as we go. You are not a normal apprentice, you are My apprentice, and I am a strict master to serve.” His tone once again severe and authoritative, “You will attend every meeting, assist in every task, and learn not only the ways of the Circle but the ways of a leader. You will be expected to progress more Skills and to do so faster than your peers, for if you are to be the chieftains apprentice you are to be peerless.”

“What are the Skills that you want me to learn?.. Spiritcaller Ortik.” Stumbling at the end to remember to address him as instructed.

“I have heard from Elder Ylst that you have struggled with [Mana Control] and have been completely unable to attain the correct state of mind for [Meditation], we will forgo these skills for the time being, you are not to attempt the exercises shown to you by the mages again, especially not within the Elder’s chambers as you had earlier.” A scowl on his face as he continues, his tone displeased but voice still steady. “We will begin with [Basic Herbalism] so that I may gauge your work ethic on something untainted by past failures.”

Kori nods in response, unwilling to speak once again.

“In addition to that I will have a Matron assigned to further your education in reading and writing, arithmetic, economics, and other topics valuable to a leader within the Clan. I expect you to pick up and raise at minimum the Skills [Basic Mathematics], [Negotiation], [Basic Calligraphy], [Basic Oration], [Basic Herbalism], [Mana Control], [Invoke Spirits], [Spiritual Communion], and [Mental Resistance].” Listing out several skills that he expects her to pick up, the number of which dwarf the few she’s attained in the last 6 months on her own.

“That is a lot of Skills, Spiritcaller Ortik. May I ask why [Mental Resistance]?”

“It is helpful when dealing with spirits, they may attempt to cloud your mind to break your focus and escape your grasp before you can banish them from this plane. These are just the bare minimum I expect of you to not fail your apprenticeship six months from now. Should you succeed then you will be inducted into the Circle as a proper apprentice, I will not subject them to your presence until it is earned. They are upset enough as is for my taking an apprentice from outside…”

“Now, I believe I instructed you to get changed and begin cleaning out your den. If you haven’t gathered as much yet let me tell you plainly, I do not like repeating myself. I expect the chamber to be free of dust and debris and any belongings transferred from your brood chamber by time for dinner, which you are responsible for fetching from the cooks. There are rags in the room and you can gather water in the cleansing chamber across the way. Dispose of any junk out in the hall by the doors, it will be collected this evening.” Clearly dismissing her.

This might be harder than I thought… I can’t believe he wants me to call him ‘Master’…

As she enters the chamber she’s been directed to clean Kori finds that it is much, much larger than she expected, her little den in the brood chamber a rough cube around a meter on all sides while this is very near to being six times that in size, two meters by three, and even a bit taller too. There is an elevated sleeping area already layered with leather pads, though caked in dust and smelling a bit musty, and even a small table to one side. The room is covered with dust and several random pieces of wood, earthenware jugs, or other debris set about as though it has been used for storage for many years.

The rest of the day is spent attempting to make something useful out of the space, first piling all of the things to one side while she cleans it, then sorting the useful items from the pile, cleaning them, and moving them to the clean side before disposing of the various debris and cleaning the now cleared side.

When it’s all said and done, she has a space that half her clutch could curl up in relatively comfortably. She even found some of the junk to be useful, a pitcher for water and a couple of earthenware vessels to drink from that were still intact, and a few that weren’t, a dried out inkwell that she thinks she may be able to recover, several bone pens to go with it and a few other odds and ends, more that she can claim as hers, at least to use for now, than she’d ever had before.

The garb she had been provided was also of greater quality than expected and actually fit her quite well. The brown leather tunic ending mid thighs and her britches extending to her knees, new enough that it was still somewhat stiff and without patches or places where they were visibly mended. The red circle of fabric confused her slightly, as it is much too large to wrap about her waist, but upon asking, with the correct form of address thankfully, she was informed that it is to be worn from the shoulder to waist, as a symbol that she serves the Chief.

With her task finished she finds Ortik sitting at a low table, set for dinner, and clearly waiting for something.

Oh no… I was supposed to get dinner…

“I will go fetch dinner now… Uhh… Where do I fetch dinner from exactly? Spiritcaller Ortik.”

After a somewhat exasperated sigh, “Of course you wouldn’t know… I will take you this once. Only because not showing you would make you late for reasons out of your own control.”