Mage, Man

"I'll take dinner in my study later." He said as he swept out of the kitchen.

I spent my day cleaning up the kitchen, and familiarizing myself a bit more with the labyrinthine corridors. I thought about having a bath but by now the water in the tub was quite cold and I wasn't sure if August would appreciate me refilling it with hot water just for my benefit. I returned to my room and despite what the wizard had told me was surprised to see no signs of fire. My own clothes, the bed sheets and wall looked exactly as expected. I re-read some of the book I had borrowed but felt like I now wanted a different subject. I would return it later when I brought the old coot his supper.

I reheated the stew from the night before but made sure to add salt and pepper and also stirred in an egg to try to add some flavor. I tasted it and grimaced. It was passable, it tasted mildly better than the previous evening's attempt.

As expected, August was in his study when I arrived at eight with his meal. He barely gave me more than a glance as he poured over a heavy book. He had on a pair of large, rounded glasses and appeared very involved with his reading. He actually could have passed for a wise grandfatherly type if I didn't know any better.

I moved to the edge of the wide desk and set the food there. "What are you reading?"

He didn't look up. "I'm committing a new spell to memory. It's not easy, it requires concentration." He said brusquely.

"What does the spell do?" I asked, interest creeping into my voice.

"What do you care?" He inquired, still feverishly reading the current page.

I shrugged. "Just curious, I'm returning the book I borrowed." I said as I placed it on the edge of the desk.

August turned his attention to the small book I had set down, inspecting it to ensure I hadn't somehow damaged it over the course of the single day in which it was in my possession.

"Fine." He said. "But it doesn't go here. Put it back over there." He gestured vaguely behind him to where more than a dozen shelves overflowed with books.

"Umm..." I started.

I guessed my face must have shown my uncertainty because August let out a huff and turned to face the bookshelves in his chair.

"I keep them in more or less alphabetical order after classification." He explained. "Plumbing, P, would be over there, under 'Sciences of Men.'"

"Sciences of Men?" I wondered aloud.

"Nevermind, it goes over there." He repeated and swiveled his chair back around to face his desk.

I took the book over to the section as instructed and pushed it back into place among similar titles. I glanced back and saw August still absorbed in his studies, absently running a hand through his short grey hair. I decided to find a book to borrow on my own. It would likely be best if I didn't disturb the mage again. I scanned through many titles across a myriad of subjects. There was so much here, it was intimidating. Everything from mythical beasts and races, to science, philosophy, poetry and even a section with fairy tales and children's books. I carefully took many from the shelves, skimmed through some pages and gently returned them. I happened to be flipping through a tome about agriculture when August surprised me by sneaking up quietly.

"You miss your farming days?" He asked.

I jumped and bobbled the book in my hands, lucky to catch it before it could become damaged.

"Good lord! Don't sneak up on me like that!" I exclaimed.

"Hm. I expected you to grab a book and be done with it." He mused. "You really do have a curious nature don't you?" He eyed me with somewhat of a grin under his moustache.

I felt a flush of embarrassment and my face reddened. "I didn't know there was so much I didn't know." I expressed truthfully. "I want to learn more. There's just so much beyond my small town."

He gave me something of a smile. "Don't ever be embarrassed about admitting you don't know something. These are the first steps to learning anything." He emphasized. "Here, we need to find you somewhere to start."

"I don't mean to distract you." I said. I felt vaguely uncomfortable at his perceived compliment. .

"Nonsense! I told you, if it helps keep you occupied and out of my hair, it's to my advantage to keep you reading."

August found me a thick book on the subject of biology. Biology, as it turned out would provide me the base understanding for all living things in the world. It was hard to believe, but everything living in this world was connected by very similar, tiny things inside of them. It was much more difficult to comprehend some of the ideas in this book compared to the one about plumbing but I read and re-read most chapters. Still, by the end I believe I understood much of what I read and found it absolutely fascinating. It took me a little over a week to finish. During that time I made sure each meal was on time and made to the best of my limited skill. The corridors took forever to sweep and clean, but I certainly had the time. I washed the old man's clothes, drew his baths and basically stayed out of his way. It wasn't a life I would have chosen, but the knowledge I was slowly gaining was rewarding in its own right. I gave up friendship and a life of working outdoors for a mostly solitary existence where I could focus on expanding my mind. It didn't seem to be an entirely fair exchange, but at least I was able to find something positive in my predicament.

The next day I was returning the biology book with August's breakfast to his study. I found him, not at his desk but a smaller, low table in an out-of-the-way corner. There was some sort of game spread out before him that he was focused on intently.

"Where do you want your food?" I asked.

"Hm?" He looked up at me. "Oh, over here is fine."

"I finished that biology book. It was... really interesting." I said as I approached.

"Well, about time." He replied without looking up from his game.

I walked the plate over to him and set it on the table next to the game. In front of him was a board covered in small squares, making some sort of pattern of blue and red. There were small, expertly carved figures sitting around the board on several of the squares. Some looked like humans, I thought, as well as mages and still other beings I could not place.

August caught me scanning the board game and said, "It's called Conquest. It's a strategy game."

"Is it fun to play?" I asked idly.

"I wouldn't call it fun, exactly." Replied the mage. "It takes foresight and prediction to be any good."

"Are you playing against yourself?" I asked, as it appeared that he was.

"Well naturally." Said August. "It's somewhat exhilarating, trying to outsmart myself. I haven't succeeded yet though!" He chuckled, amused by his own cleverness.

I gave him a dubious look. "No wonder you aren't having fun." I remarked.

He furrowed his brow at me. "What's that?" He asked in an unfriendly tone.

"You can't beat yourself in a game where you know what moves you're going to make. That's... ridiculous." I said.

August leaned back in his chair and folded his arms tightly across his chest. "Well what would you suggest?" He asked petulantly.

"Teach me." I offered simply.

The old bastard broke out laughing. He laughed until he had tears in his eyes. I clenched my jaw tightly.

"Fine. Play with yourself you wretched old shit!" I shouted at him.

I was about to leave when he held up his hands in protest. "Okay, very well, calm down. Let's see how much you can grasp." He said. There was still laughter in his voice. I wanted to punch him in the teeth.

We spent the next hour sitting in chairs facing one another, the man and the mage. He explained the basic rules, how each piece moved across the board, their advantages, disadvantages and the object of the game. The idea was to conquer your opponent's castle but in order to do so you needed to deploy units carefully over the board while still maintaining enough defense in front of your own castle. It didn't seem overly difficult, just a lot of rules to remember.

The game began and with each move made I watched August carefully. As expected he was a tricky opponent. It became clear in a hurry that this was a game he knew well. As I made my own moves, some of them must have appeared amateurish to him as I would see a sly smile curve the sides of his mouth. The game only lasted for perhaps an hour and in the end I was soundly defeated. I slumped in my chair.

"You win." I conceded.

I waited for him to laugh again, or gloat outright but instead he said, "That was closer than I expected. Would you like to play again?"

We played close to a dozen games that morning and afternoon and I began to see strategies unfold before me and also get a better feel for August's playstyle. He was covert in his movements, he never overextended and rarely allowed more than half of his units to go on the offensive. What I started to discover though was if I could also force myself to be patient he would eventually grow bold and send more units away from his castle. It took three more games to use this information to my advantage but in our fourteenth game I had enough room to skirt around behind his last line of defense and capture his castle.

August was stunned. His eyes were huge behind his glasses as he replayed in his head what had just transpired. He stroked his long grey beard thoughtfully. I sat back in my chair with my hands behind my head, a hard-earned grin on my face. The mage looked up and surprised me with a smile of his own.

"Well done." He admitted.

We were about to start another game when it suddenly occurred to me to check the time. There was an ornate standing clock on the far side of the study and I balked when I saw the hour.

"Damn! I'm sorry!" I cried out as I jumped to my feet.

August stared at me in alarm. "What, boy? What is it?!"

"It's late, I haven't made dinner, I'll go make it immediately!" I shouted, about to sprint from the room.

"Oh that." Said the mage as he sat forward again in his seat. "You can make it later. Let's have another game first."

We wouldn't always play Conquest together, it usually ended up being a couple of nights a week, but it was what I looked forward to the most. It was a chance for me to prove my worth to the man, a chance for me to prove my ability to myself, and ultimately, a lot of fun to play. I enjoyed matching wits against the mage and I could tell he relished the same chance. I still wouldn't beat him often, but it did happen every now and again, and when it did, I was always rewarded with a kind word and smile from him.

It was out of nowhere while I was cleaning breakfast dishes late one morning that August suddenly appeared in front of me and I nearly dropped the dish I had been cleaning. I had never seen him in the kitchen before so his sudden presence caught me completely off-guard. I backed away slightly and he cocked his head at me.

"Don't sneak up on me!" I blurted out. "I'm not doing anything I shouldn't."

August gave a quizzical expression. "What? No, I didn't think you were. I wanted to... educate you."

"For some reason when you say those words I worry to their true meaning." I said, making a sour face.

"Oh hush, it's nothing bad." He said dismissively. "But if I'm, I mean we're going to keep eating your cooking for the foreseeable future, it needs to get better."

I turned my palms out and raised my arms. "Well, you're nothing if not direct." I said, insulted.

"I am that." He agreed. "Now, watch me, and ask questions."

He began to show me where everything was laid out in the kitchen, which of course I already knew in the weeks I had spent here. But he went on to show me what all of the odd tools could be used for. Measuring of course, but some kneaded dough, certain knives were better for meat, some bowls were made for beating eggs and others were especially for cakes. I don't know how much I retained, but I liked finding out the purpose for things I had dismissed out of hand. He then had me taste each of a couple dozen dried herbs and spices. He told me I should also taste them again after they had been cooked or soaked.

"Don't be afraid to try new things." He suggested. "They won't all work, but some will, and remember how those came to be."

"You clearly know your way around food." I stated as he bustled around the kitchen. "What do you need me for? You can obviously make better dishes."

He stopped what he was doing, folding some herb leaves into bread batter, and gave me a funny look.

"Well, I do like cooking, I just find there's never enough time." He said after some consideration.

I scratched my head. "Except, you do have time. I mean, you don't have to just read all the time. Do other stuff you enjoy." I suggested.

He tugged his beard thoughtfully. "I'm not always reading." He decided. "I play Conquest with you. I rather enjoy that."

"Well of course you do. But I should really stop letting you win so much, see how you enjoy it then." I mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear.

He cackled. "HA! Haha!" I let out a small laugh in response. I hadn't expected him to find my aside quite so amusing.

"You can be quite witty, boy." He admitted, giving me another warm smile.

"Yes well, I certainly try." I replied, and then, to my original point added, "But what else is there to do around here? I'm interested on my own behalf too." I added.

"Well, I'm sorry that your life here is so mind-numbingly tedious for you." August quipped.

I rolled my eyes. "I will admit that life in the magedom isn't quite the misery I had anticipated." I said. "But I live here now too, and I can't just read books in my room. Humans need to stretch their legs, see new things, see the sky sometimes."

I gave a deep sigh. I knew that by being here I was sparing my friends the lonely life of servitude that I had gained with my arrival. I knew that if I continued to help August with his daily tasks and life, he wasn't sending fire and storms down below, at least, I didn't think he was. Even so, if I could improve my time here, I would do whatever was in my power to make it happen.

I must have looked pretty pathetic because August's voice became quite gentle, almost concerned.

"Tomorrow then. I can show you a special place in the tower I think you might like." He looked around the kitchen and added. "Don't forget some of the lessons I showed you today. My tongue might very well depend upon it." He cackled again, to himself, and strolled out of the kitchen.

I shook my head, but realized I was actually appreciative of his advice in the kitchen today. I wasn't sure what he had in mind for tomorrow, but I was grateful for that too.

CHAPTER 4: EXPLORATION

After the morning bath and meal, I was leaning against the outside of my chamber door waiting somewhat anxiously when August came ambling down the hall to meet me.

"See?" He said as he neared where I was standing. "Not reading or playing a game."

"I wouldn't have believed it save for my own eyes." I stated.

August led me down the nearby hall which terminated near the laundry. I gave a frustrated snort.

"I swear if you brought me down here to show me the laundry room..." I began with a frustrated tone.

He gave me a sideways glare. "Would you like to see what I want to show you or not?" He snapped.

"By all means." I said dryly.

"Give me your hand." He said.

"What?" I asked.

"Give me your hand, boy!" He demanded and stuck his own large hand out in front of me.

I had never touched the mage before and the prospect suddenly filled me with a peculiar feeling in my stomach. I reached out, almost timidly, though I couldn't explain why. He grasped my hand in his which was surprisingly warm. I suspect, due to his pale white skin I had assumed he would be cold or clammy.

He turned my hand until my palm faced the wall. "Do you feel that?" He asked.

In fact there was an odd sort of buzzing emanating from the wall, or more accurately, from within the wall.

"Yes, like a sort of buzz?" I asked in wonder.

"Very good. I didn't bother to hide this passage overly well so if you feel around you'll know it by the energy of the spell concealing it." August said. "Now, feel through until you sense a switch."

He guided my hand with his into the invisible void where moments before I could sense only stone wall. With August's help I felt a solid-feeling lever on the other side of the wall and pulled it back. I realized I could hear and feel a small door opening inward.

"Is it a door?" I asked. August gave me a shove in the small of the back and I went stumbling forward.

I braced for hitting a wall and instinctively closed my eyes. A moment later, when there was no impact, I opened them again. We were in a smaller hallway leading forward to where a brilliant light flooded the far end. I looked over my shoulder at August and was also amazed to see behind him it appeared that there was no wall, no illusion, just the far side of the hallway from which we entered.

"What kind of magic is this?" I wondered aloud.

"Simple illusory magics. One of the easiest spells to learn in fact. Deceiving only one sense is child's play." He boasted. He ushered me forward.

When we reached the end of the short passage I stepped out into broad daylight. There were plants surrounding us, many of them colorful greens and exotic looking. I could see tall trees and lush, climbing vines. Further away were bright flowers and shrubs. A large stone fountain was set in the middle of the circular room and enormous panes of glass formed a dome for the ceiling. Beyond the glass roof I could see clouds and sky trailing lazily overhead. As I stepped fully into the room, I was staggered by its sheer size and beauty.

"It's a greenhouse." I said as I began to poke through some nearby foliage.

"Indeed it is." August agreed. "This is where I grow herbs for the kitchen and certain plants for alchemy." He stepped up beside me and placed his hands on his hips. He looked quite proud of this place. "I like to come here during the day sometimes to read, enjoy a cup of wine. I rather think I did a good job, don't you?" He inquired.

I could tell he was fishing, not subtly for a kind word, but I had to admit it was quite beautiful. "It's amazing what you've created here, old man." I declared, nodding as I did.

"Old man!" He barked. "I'm not so old! Why, I'm in my prime! I've lived half a dozen of your lifetimes and plan on several more!" He said with more than a note of indignation.

I raised an eyebrow. "No need to be so defensive. But that's an awful lot of grey beard and not so much grey hair is all." I said casually.

He puffed and crossed his arms tightly to his chest. "I share something nice with you and you insult me!" He said crossly.

I absently put my hand to his robed shoulder and gave him a reassuring pat. "Wasn't my intention, I promise." I stifled a smile, knowing he wouldn't receive that well. "You are older than me at least, but I won't call you old again, at least when you're around." I finished.

He visibly relaxed a little. "It catches up with you." He said quietly.

"What does?" I asked.

He gave a small sigh. "Age, growing older. You're right of course, I'm not quite the young hellion I used to be, but I don't feel like I'm even close to being done."

His abrupt candor made me forget he wasn't human in that moment.

We reached the round fountain where water spilled from many tiers of heavy stone, and sat on the wide edge, next to one another.

"What do you still need to do?" I asked.

"You and your curiosity." He shook his head. "The truest sign of youth."

I gave a short laugh. "I'm a grown man, yet you call me boy, and speak of youth! That's just as insulting to me!" I assured him.