Chapter 5: The Conditions

“Hey, Mister!”

At Alcar’s shout, the portly figure in the red robes stopped, and half-turned. Then, Alcar’s heart skipped a beat for a moment when he saw the face. An orc!

But no. This was a half-orc, common enough in some of the Imperial provinces, and widely considered to be civilized – even intelligent. And judging by his robes and staff, Olynka had been right. The guy was a spellcaster.

Alcar hurried on, coming to the side of the robed half-orc. “Wait up! I want to speak to you.”

The half-orc looked around, but didn’t break stride. “Do I know you, kid?”

“No,” said Alcar, “but I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance! My name’s Alcar. I don’t think I’ve seen you in the poor quarter before, sir. In fact, we never see wizards around here. They don’t let us through to the merchant quarter, you see, sir.”

The half-orc growled deep in his throat, and looked straight ahead again. “I’m a sorcerer – not a wizard. Sorcery is a scientific discipline.”

They were about to turn into Wanderers’ Way, the main winding thoroughfare that led from the graveyard to the gates of the city quarter, and a much busier street with many carts and pedestrians.

“A sorcerer! That’s what I thought – I just used the wrong word. Hell, that’s so exciting. Man, I’ve just finished my schooling for the day, and I’m well regarded by the schoolmasters, believe it or not. I can read, and I am hard working to boot.”

Alcar knew he was exaggerating, particularly on the latter point. But he could read, and he did have an enthusiasm for learning. It was just that this had rarely coincided with anything that his schoolmasters had wanted to teach him.

The half-orc turned, moving southward through the city, but Alcar kept pace. “So, uhm... they call me Alcar, sir – Alcar son of Beldin, the cobbler.”

The orc grunted, and then let out a soft sigh. “Well met, young man. And I am known as Master Maluhk.”

Alcar nodded at this confirmation – Olynka had been right. But should he tell the sorcerer about their meeting with Warlik? The lizard warrior had indicated that they pair were no longer on speaking terms. Perhaps he should keep that bit of information to himself, for just now.

“I see,” said Alcar after a pause. “Well, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Master Maluhk nodded fractionally at this, but then fell silent as they walked past a broad and rich-smelling area where fish and poultry were sold on dozens of grim-looking wooden tables. After a further minute, the half-orc looked back at his youthful follower. “What exactly is it that you want from me, kid?”

“Ah, very kind of you to ask, man! The thing is, I’ve always dreamed of adventures. I tried out for the city watch, and I’ve tried learning to wield a sword. But like I say, I am a reader at heart, a man of letters.”

“So the city wouldn’t take you.”

“That’s right, mister! In my defense, that was mainly due to age, rather than to my clumsiness. But to be frank, on reflection I am not at all keen on the idea of getting wounded. I’d rather hit them from a distance, if you hear what I’m saying. The gremlins, goblins and orcs, you know? Uh... apologies. Not all orcs, obviously.”

“Obviously.” The road widened out, and while tall crumbling slum buildings rose to their left, the right hand side opened up into a small square with trees and several stone benches. Master Maluhk now paused, pulled a pipe and a bundle of snaggleweed from an inside pocket of his red cloak, and began to pack the pipe. “So, you are in search of adventure.”

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Alcar had followed Maluhk to the square, and now stood watching as the sorcerer lit his pipe and began to puff blueish sweet-smelling smoke across the tree-lined area. “Aye, Master Maluhk. I can’t shoot or wield a sword, and I’m not particularly large or strong. But I have leadership qualities, and like I said, I enjoy book learning. I believe that I could learn the noble art of magic.”

Master Maluhk looked like he was trying to suppress a smile, leading to a snort, and then an unrepentant belly laugh. “You want to be a spellcaster,” he said, a moment later, having taken control of himself again.

“Yes, sir. If you are hiring.”

“Hiring? No, no... why don’t you ask the healers? They might take new recruits?”

Alcar shuddered. “Oof – that’s not for me. I hate blood, and besides, like I said, I want to go out and see the world, not stay here and heal soldiers.”

“Hmm.”

“I mean,” continued Alcar, “don’t you take, like, apprentices, or whatever? I’m a useful guy to have around the place, I promise. Any job you want done, big or small, I’ll do it for you.”

For the first time, Maluhk looked seriously interested in what Alcar was saying. He took several more deep puffs of his pipe, looking furtively around, and nodding to himself. Then he took a step closer. He was at least six inches taller than the young man, and his eyes were yellow with sinister slit-like pupils rather than round ones. “Now that you come to mention it, kid, I do have a couple of tasks needing done at my tower.”

“Anything – you name it! If I have to prove myself, well...” Alcar trailed off, appearing lost for words for the first time. “The thing is, sir, this part of the city has not been good to me, or to my family. I’ll be out of here the first chance I get.” He shook his head. “Dirty streets, no money, crime... not like the merchant quarter, so I hear. This is by far the worst area of Katresburg. Even the food is unsafe.”

Maluhk glanced towards the street. “That’s true enough. But I guess poor people need to go somewhere.” He nodded a few times, apparently thinking. “Very well, kid. You know what – I will give you a chance to prove yourself. As it happens, there is a job that I need doing. But I will have to muster up a few more local youths to take part. Whoever, does the best job, I will seriously consider them for an apprenticeship.”

“Marvellous!”

:And there will be certain conditions, you understand?”

“Anything, sir!” Alcar was suddenly beaming. A chance? That was all he needed.

“Number one.” Maluhk waved the pipe in front of him, as if writing the number in the air. “This is only an application. You are not an apprentice sorcerer yet. If you complete a task for me, a difficult one, then I will take you in as an apprentice. Understand?”

“Yes – absolutely.”

“Number two – no payment, even if you are successful. Apprentices are not employees, and don’t pick up wages. On the other hand, I do not charge you a fee for instruction, so consider yourself lucky. If you succeed – and again, it’s a long shot – then you will be provided with accommodation, either here or at the College of Sorcery in Varia City.”

“Uhh...” Alcar hesitated. If there was one thing his parents had told him to do, that was get a paying job. But surely it was only a matter of time before a trained sorcerer could start earning big money, he reasoned to himself. Once you had learned magic, you could probably pretty much just conjure money out of thin air. He’d be rich! “Agreed,” he said, after a slight hesitation.

Maluhk nodded, peering at Alcar keenly. “Number three – no compensation in the event of your death. I don’t want Beldin the cobbler or the rest of your damned clan banging on my tower door just because you were stupid enough to get yourself killed.”

“Yes, sir! I won’t even tell them about it.”

“So you accept?”

“Without any doubt, master. The conditions are all very reasonable.”

Maluhk shook his head. “Don’t call me ‘master’. Not yet, anyway.” He smirked, revealing sharp, yellowing tusks which showed signs of decay. “If and only if you become an apprentice sorcerer, then you can refer to be as Master Maluhk. For now, ‘sir’ will suffice.”

“Yes, sir.”

“So,” said Maluhk, now turning towards the street and emptying the last of the ash from his pipe, “I’d best be moving on. Come to my tower tomorrow morning. Salmon Street, by the westernmost point of the city wall. The job I have in mind will be taxing, so come prepared as best you can. This is your chance to prove yourself, Altimar. Who knows – perhaps you will even be a great sorcerer like me one day. Now show this token at the gates to the merchant’s quarter. Be there at dawn tomorrow.”

With this, Maluhk fished a small black engraved gem out of his robes and handed it to Alcar, then began to stride quickly away, his speed belying his bulky figure.

“It’s Alcar, actually,” said Alcar, as he watched the sorcerer depart. “Not Altimar.”

He peered at the departing figure, and then turned towards home with a broad grin.

A chance. That was all he needed.