The Mage Apprentice (Ceil's Journey Part I)

By Evan Drake

© 2019, Evan Drake, All Rights Reserved

Ceil closed her eyes inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled. The scent of ink and parchment filled her nose. She could feel her fur relaxing as she continued her deep breathing, focusing only on her presence at that moment. The feel of the emerald green apprentice robes she wore, the feel of her soft pads on the wooden floor, and her breast as it rose and fell in a steady rhythm with her breathing. She ignored the bird chirping outside her window, the distant voices from the other mages on the grounds below.

            With her eyes still closed, she held out her right paw, imagined a point sitting in the middle of her palm and focused the aether around that point, feeling the mystical energy gather around the imagined spot. She risked opening her eyes but saw nothing.

“Come on, damn you, work!" Ceil grunted. She focused intently on the aether in the air.

            Slowly, a small bead of light formed as the aether gathered and increased in intensity, putting a smile on Ceil's face. She focused more aether into the spell.

            The bead of light expanded to the size of a chicken egg. Ceil felt the heat of the energy on her face. Pain began to creep up her forearm. She clenched her teeth against the pain and focused more power.

            The light doubled in size. It hovered over Ceil's palm, yet she felt it's weight pushing down on her paw. The spell pushed against the invisible bonds holding its shape, squeezing every part of Ceil's paw. The crackling energy made her fur stand on end. Ceil clutched her wrist and gathered more energy.

            Not yet. It needs more power.

            The ball of light swelled to the size of a melon. The weight and the pain forced Ceil to one knee. Sparks flew from the spell, filling the room with the sound of crackling lightning. Papers flew around the room in the storm of gathering aether.

            The spell was becoming unstable. Ceil tried to back it down, but instead, the energy swelled.

            Shit, shit, shit.

            The pain in her arm worsened. It felt as if countless little needles had burrowed under her skin, piercing every nerve. Her paw strained to hold the energy in place as it continued to slowly increase in size.

            Ceil pointed the spell at the open window and released it. The backlash dislocated her shoulder and shoved her back into the bookcase, causing several books to rain down on her head.

            The explosion from the released aether was deafening. The room shook and the window shattered as did every glass vial and mirror in the study. A wave of heat washed over her. Books and stones were thrown everywhere. Ceil curled into a ball on the floor, shielding her head from any shrapnel.

            Ceil didn't lift her head until the room became silent. Her room was ruined, glass, stones, and loose paper everywhere. The explosion took out her entire window, leaving a massive hole large enough for three canids to fit through side-by-side. The window, now reduced to a twisted metal frame, had been embedded in the bed. Thanks to the residual aether from her spell, the air was hard to breathe. Ceil swore and approached the large cleansing crystal sitting in the middle of the study. The dark blue gem had been broken in half by a flying stone but still lit up at her touch and began cleansing the toxic air.

            It was not the outcome she had in mind. Now how was she going to explain this to Deana and the arch-mage?

            Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hurried paw steps outside her door. A second later, the door swung open, revealing an older vixen in a disheveled purple robe breathing heavily. Deana looked around the room, her green eyes wide in panic.

            “I'm fine, Deana," Ceil said before the vixen could launch her slew of questions. “It was just a small miscalculation on my part."

            Deana frowned and stepped into the study, straightening her robe and auburn fur. “You call this"—she motioned to the mess around her—“a miscalculation?"

            Ceil took a moment to pop her shoulder back into place. She hid her injured hand behind her back and put on the most innocent smile she could muster. “It's nothing too serious."

            Deana raised a brow. Ceil quickly looked away. An admission of guilt, but she had a hard time lying when Deana looked at her that way. She swore to herself when she heard Deana cross the room.

            “Let me see your paw," Deana ordered.

            Ceil sighed and held out her left paw.

            “The other one."

            Ceil slowly revealed her right paw, avoiding her sister's gaze. She winced when Deana touched it.

            “Do you have any idea how much damage you've done to yourself?" Deana sighed. “Come on. We need to get that treated." She pulled Ceil behind her as headed for her room.

            Ceil kept her gaze on the ground as she was pulled through the halls. She didn't need to see the look on Deana's face to know she was furious. The apprentices lived on the other side of the massive castle from the licensed mages which meant being paraded past her fellow trainees. Her peers whispered to each other as she was half-dragged through the hall. Normally, she didn't flinch at their awkward stares and whispers, but now they were discussing her failed spell, again.

            It was her greatest shame, even more so than being her father's bastard daughter. In Vulpran, magical ability was everything. A family was judged on the skill of its mages if any. Having even one mage in the family gained a higher status than the wealthiest noble family. Ceil's magical ability was the only reason why she was acknowledged. She knew the other mages were watching her, just waiting for her to fail. Worse, every time Ceil failed, it reflected poorly on her teacher. She didn't even want to think about Arch-mage Liana was going to say when she saw the state of her room.

            The joke was going to be on them when she succeeded, however. Once her spell was finished, she was going wipe the smug looks off all of their faces.

            Ceil could smell traces of the archmage's scent when she entered Deana's room. It was no secret the two were lovers. Though no one dared say it, it was likely the only reason why Ceil was accepted into the second most prestigious mage college in the country. Mage or not, she was still the unfortunate result of a married canid's late-night romp with a whore.

            Deana sat Ceil down and went to the shelf on the far side of the room. Deana grumbled under her breath as she snatched different colored bottles off the shelves. Ceil couldn't hear what her sister was saying, but it couldn't be anything good. Deana eventually returned, carrying bandages and jar of medicinal salve. She started rubbing the salve on Ceil's paws. Ceil looked at her paw and almost fainted by what she saw. Black streaks were carved into her flesh in places where her grey fur was missing.

            “You're lucky you aren't going to lose your paw," Deana said. “How many times have I warned you not to overdo it on your spells? The stronger the spell—"

            “The greater the risk to the caster," Ceil finished. “I know. But if I can perfect the spell I'm working on, I'll become a licensed mage for sure."

            Dean raised a brow. She leaned so close to Ceil's face she almost thought her sister was going to kiss her. She wished that were the case when Deana sniffed her.

            “Have you been drinking?" Deana asked.

            Their faces almost touching, Ceil couldn't look away, but it was hard not to crumble under her sister's scolding glare. “Not a lot?" Ceil said sheepishly.

            Ceil winced as Deana squeezed her hand. She likely didn't mean to, but she had no room to complain. “You practiced that spell drunk?!"

            “Of course not! I only had a few drinks."

            Deana sighed and resumed treating Ceil's burns. “Lemme guess, after a 'few drinks' you decided to practice your spell even though you know practicing combat magic in your room isn't allowed?"

“Not entirely," Ceil said slowly, gauging Deana's reaction to avoid inciting more of her sister's wrath. Not that she could go anywhere if she did. “It's just the combat chamber is booked until next month! I couldn't wait that long, and I'm not allowed to practice on the grounds anymore."

“Because you were being reckless as always. It took two weeks to melt all the ice and the grass in that area still hasn't grown back."

            Deana finished coating Ceil's paw in the salve and began wrapping it in a bandage. “Your spell is too dangerous. It takes too long to build the amount of aether you need, and it's hard to control. Even if it does work, the residual aether it creates means you will only get maybe two uses out of it before the air becomes toxic."

            “If it works, you won't need to use it more than that."

“That's not a good thing. It's hard to aim, so it's useless in a duel. But the blast radius means it's a risk to allies as well," Deana added, giving her an admonishing stare. “As your teacher and your sister, there's no way I'm allowing you to continue your research."

Ceil opened her mouth to argue but quickly lost the nerve to protest under her sister's scolding stare. “I'm sorry," Ceil said. “It's just there's a lot of pressure on me to get something done."

Deana finished wrapping Ceil's paw. “Do you know why I chose you as my apprentice?"

“Because father told you to?"

“Well, yeah," Dean said sadly. “But also because I saw your potential. You are a skilled mage, but you need to stop rushing things. It takes even the most skilled of mages, decades to create a new spell, and even then they don't always finish. Take your time and don't rush it. No one expects you to perfect this overnight."

Ceil gave her sister a false smile. Her status as a mage was the only thing protecting her and her mother from reprisal. Until she became a reputable mage, there was no time to take things easy. “I know. I'll try to be more careful."

Deana returned the smile. Ceil knew her sister saw right through her lie. “I'm sure you will. You stay here, while I go inform the arch-mage we need to have your room repaired, again."

Ceil sat quietly for a few moments after Deana left before leaving. She moved with a purpose, ignoring anyone she passed in the halls but ensuring to hide her bandaged paw in her robe. The college was built like a maze, but after living there for seventeen years, she grew accustomed to the labyrinthine passages. She went straight for the kitchens below the main hall.

The kitchens (or the dungeons as the apprentices called them) were unusually silent today. It was normally always noisy as the cooks prepared the food or the occasional pair of mages sneaking into the storeroom for some alone time. Since it meant not having to explain why she was down there, Ceil thanked her luck and headed for the storeroom at the far end of the hall. The door was supposed to be locked, but everyone knew where the spare key was.

Her destination was a seemingly ordinary wall at the back of the massive storage space. She looked around for anyone watching and pressed her uninjured paw against the stone wall. She closed her eyes and focused the aether on the runes etched into the walls.

The room filled with the sound of shifting stones as a small section of the wall just wide enough to squeeze through slid forward. Ceil quickly entered the secret passage and pushed the wall back into place.

No one knew the college's exact history. There was speculation it used to be a prison, but it was unproven. By the time it became a prestigious mage's college, it had already been abandoned for several centuries. There existed tons of rumors of hidden passages, secret tombs, and buried treasure which some of the newer apprentices spent their free time searching for.

Ceil took the torch from its holder and ignited it using two loose stones on the ground. She could've just as easily ignited the torch with magic, but the aether was denser down here. She didn't dare use any spells for fear of causing a chain reaction. With torch in hand, she descended the narrow spiral staircase, brushing aside the newly formed cobwebs. There was an immediate change in the air the moment Ceil descended. The aether was thick enough in the air to create a thin grey mist. Her pawsteps echoed off the walls. She regretted not grabbing her shoes before coming down here. The ground left a gritty feeling on her pads.

The stairwell eventually opened up into a massive circular room. Ceil assumed the room was meant to perform some kind of ceremony. It had a high ceiling and no windows, and the walls were decorated with faded paintings of warriors of old. There were multiple doors, leading to the other passages snaking even further beneath the college.

Ceil never explored the other passages. The aether got denser the further she descended, and that was dangerous. She had no business in the other passages anyway. What she desired was the only other thing in the room besides herself, the stone statue in the room's center. It was modeled after a male fox, likely some kind of war hero, Ceil thought. The “hero" stood in a heroic pose in his full suit of armor, a hand resting on his sheathed sword. The other hand was outstretched, palm outward as if preparing to launch a spell.

The moment Ceil approached the statue, a voice entered her mind. “So, my favorite mage's apprentice returns. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The technique you taught me was a complete failure," Ceil said. She held up her bandaged paw.

“It should've worked. If it failed, it is because of something you did."

“I followed your instructions to the letter," Ceil shot back. “Gather a massive amount of aether around a single point and shape it to your will. Before I could gather enough aether, the spell became unstable."

“It's because you're thinking about it too much. Aether manipulation is like moving your body and must become second-nature. You mages have become so weak over the centuries. There was a time when all mages could create all kinds of powerful spells as easily as breathing."

Ceil glared at the statue. Proper aether manipulation was a magical skill beyond advanced. Even the arch-mage hadn't mastered it. Even if she devoted the rest of her entire life to it, she likely wouldn't achieve the skill she needed.

As if sensing her thoughts, the statue said, “I know a way for you to learn. A technique used by the mages of old. I can teach you if you like."

Ceil snorted. “The same way you taught my last technique? I'm starting to feel you knew I was going to fail and kept the secret hidden on purpose. Well, I'm not playing your game. Keep your hidden techniques."

“Are you sure? Before you met me, you were just a talentless mutt leeching off your family's name. And now you're one of the most skilled mages in the college. You even become archmage yourself. Are you sure you want to give it all up?"

Ceil raised a brow. “What do you care if I succeed or not?"

“I don't, but it gets dreadfully lonely down here with nothing but the spiders to keep me company."

“You survived this long before I showed up. I'm sure another mage will stumble across this place eventually. Because I listened to you, my family name is in jeopardy. I won't betray the only canid to look after me." She spun and started to leave the way she came in.

“What happened to serving the royal family? All the wealth, power, and prestige you could ever want?"

Ceil stopped. Every part of her screamed to keep walking. She shouldn't even be talking to a statue anyway. It was unheard of. To this day, she had no idea what magic was used to create a talking statue. But the statue had a valid point. “And you can provide those things?"

“Of course. I can provide knowledge. Spells and magical techniques mastered by the mages of old. I can teach them to you."

Ceil approached the statue. “And in exchange for this information?"

“I want you to design a spell that will allow me to leave this place. It has been so long since I left this place, felt the sun on my face, the wind caress my skin. Find me a way out of this place, and I'll share with you all of my magical knowledge. You'll become the most powerful mage in Vulpran."

The idea of being the most powerful mage in Vulpran struck a chord with Ceil, but how was she supposed to make a statue move on its own? The only magic she could think of doing anything even close to animation was necromancy. But no one ever succeeded and it was illegal. Just studying it was enough to earn her a lifetime in prison assuming she wasn't executed.

 “I can't take risk it."

“Pity. But my offer stands should you change your mind."

“It won't, but if it gets you through the day." Ceil left the statue in the darkness.

Once she reached the top of the stairs, she extinguished the torch and returned it to its holder. She then activated the secret door and returned to the storeroom.

A male fox and wolf stared at her as she emerged through the secret passage. The wolf she recognized as another apprentice, but the fox was not. She knew because he wore a tan shirt with dark brown trousers which were currently around his ankles, unlike his companion who wore green robes like hers. Judging from the heavy musk in the air and them being joined at the hip, it was easy to tell what they were doing there. Apprentices were allowed to have relationships, but bringing outsiders into the college wasn't. Not to mention many families liked to maintain the magic in their blood and a relationship with a non-mage was not allowed.

“I won't tell if you won't," Ceil said. The two males nodded and Ceil went on her way.

She didn't bother to stay discrete. Her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't accept the statue's offer if she wanted to. How could she explain to Deana the sudden improvement? She looked at her bandaged paw. Deana was right; even if the spell could be learned, the toll it took on the body was too high. Ceil was certain the statue knew that, too.

The first place Ceil went to after going upstairs was to the baths to wash her footpaws than to grab a pair of shoes. Her pads were beginning to hurt walking in the stone passages. Thankfully, no one spoke to her in the halls, and she didn't see Deana again.

Once she had cleaned up and grabbed some shoes, she went back outside, planning to head into Stonewatch to grab a drink or ten. A large number of mages had gathered on the grounds and were staring up at something. Ceil followed their gazes and saw the damage her spell had done to the outer wall.

Ceil ducked her head and quickly moved on.

The mage's college sat at the top of Stonewatch, a large city carved into the side of a mountain in the northern section of Vulpran. While technically a part of the city, the arch-mage was solely responsible for the college and those who attended.

Ceil took the stairs into the city. Almost no one bothered with the tall stone staircase, instead using the elevator which was faster and easier. But she didn't want anyone to know where she was going.

There was a small tavern located in the lowest part of the city. It had a reputation for drawing unsavory characters, so everyone there knew to mind their business and making it a popular hangout for shady business deals. The place was emptier than she expected, but that worked more in her favor. She quietly sat down in the corner then threw her hood over her head.

She wasn't sitting there long before hearing a voice ask, “Hello, and welcome to the Drunken Vixen. How may I serve you?"

Ceil looked up to see the fox she caught in the storeroom earlier that day. Upon closer inspection, she saw he was closer to her age and far thinner than she originally thought. one of his ears was larger than the other and scarred as if something had chewed on it. The ash-furred fox blushed deeply at the sight of her.

“Hello again," Ceil said, smiling widely. “Didn't think I'd see you here."

The fox's tail ducked between his legs. “I-I don't know what you mean."

“I think you do. But that's not what I'm here for." She set down a pouch of silver coins on the table. “Bring me a pint, and for the rest of the night, I don't want to see the bottom."

The fox nodded and hurried off to fulfill her order. Ceil spent the remainder of the afternoon getting drunk and watching the other patrons come and go. Left to drink in peace, she wondered over if her sister had mulled things over with the arch-mage and what would happen if she didn't.

She was well into her fourth or sixth drink when she heard Deana's voice. “You mind if I have one of those?"

Without even looking up, Ceil waved Deana toward the empty seat next to hers. “Sure thing. My treat. It's the least I could do for the trouble I caused." She waved the fox over. “Grab another pint for my friend here and get me a refill while you're at it."

Deana sat quietly until the fox returned with her drink. Even after receiving her drink, she said nothing and traced her finger over the rim of the tankard, leaving her drink untouched.

“What's wrong?" Ceil asked, dreading the answer.

Deana sighed and continued to stare into the mug of ale. “Lianea gave me a choice. Either give you up as my student or you have to leave the college."

Ceil jumped to her feet. “What? She can't do that!"

“She can, and she has. She's been under a lot of pressure since she let you in, and her relationship with me doesn't help matters. You've been given way more freedom than you should because of your skills, but there's no ignoring what you did today. What you did was reckless and dangerous. It's a miracle no one was hurt—you especially." She tipped the tankard and drank until it was empty. “I should never have given you permission to work on that spell."

“But you didn't," Ceil said. “I worked on that spell without your permission."

“Which proves my point! I should be keeping an eye on you, but I give you more freedom than I should. Then you go and get carried away! You perform all kinds of crazy magical experiments, and I never ask what you're doing or where these ideas are coming from."

“Hold on, that's it. If I show Arch-mage Lianea where I got my research from, she'll have to let you stay." She drained the last of her ale and turned to leave the tavern.

Deana grabbed Ceil by the shoulder and forced her to look the older vixen in the eye. “Wait, what? What are you talking about?"

Ceil shook herself free and left the tavern. She wobbled back toward the elevator leading up to the college. It was so simple! How could she have forgotten the statue? Once Lianea saw it, she would forgive everything or be so distracted she wouldn't remember. Either way, it was perfect.

Deana wasn't far behind. She cornered Ceil on the elevator. “Ceil, what do you mean? What are you going to show the arch-mage?"

“It's easier if I show you."

“Show me what?"

“You'll see."

Deana wasn't satisfied. She continued to bombard Ceil with questions the entire walk to the archmage's chambers. Ceil ignored her teacher's questioning, she ignored the world spinning around her, and she ignored the strange stares she got from everyone who saw her. Her mind was racing with all the things that were going to happen. She was going to fix everything. She would get credit for the discovery and everything would be okay.

Ceil reached up to knock on the door and staggered into it. Deana gently pulled her away.

“Listen to me, I don't know what you're thinking, but don't. You're drunk. You're only going to make things worse."

Ceil pushed past her and went back to the door. “No, I won't. Trust me. I'm going to take responsibility and clean up my mess."

She reached up to knock on the door again when it opened and Arch-mage Lianea appeared in the doorway. Ceil usually found it hard to look at Lianea. The black-furred wolf stood a full head taller than she, and the arch-mage gave off an air she wasn't one to cross. She folded her arms across her chest and stared down at Ceil. Whether from the alcohol or her determination to fix her mess, Ceil wasn't bothered by Lianea's intimidating stature.

“I want to show you something," Ceil said, smiling. Liana frowned at her.

“She doesn't mean it like that!" Deana cried. “It's just she feels bad about the damage she caused and hopes to change your mind."

“There is nothing to change," Lianea interjected, her voice laced with annoyance. “I honestly thought I was being quite lenient with you Deana. If you believe I'm going to look the other way—"

“Just follow me and I promise, you'll be so happy, you'll forget all about me almost blowing myself up," Ceil interjected. She grabbed the arch-mage by the sleeves of her silver robe and pulled her down the hall.

Lianea could've easily pulled free, but she allowed herself to be pulled down the hall. The entire walk, Deana apologized profusely for her sister's behavior and asked Lianea not to judge Ceil too harshly.

Lianea said nothing until Ceil led them to the wall in the back of the storeroom. “What are we doing here?"

Ceil ignored her and activated the runes on the wall. She didn't try to hide her enjoyment at the looks of surprise on Deana and Lianea's faces.

“Ceil, how did you find this place?" Deana asked, breathlessly.

“Shh. You'll spoil the surprise," Ceil whispered. She squeezed into the passage, lit the torch, and descended the staircase. Her smile grew when they reached the circular room at the bottom of the staircase. Lianea looked around, unable to find the right words.

“This is what you wanted to show me?" Deana asked. “Ceil, how did you find this?"

“That's not the best part," Ceil said. Her cheeks hurt she was grinning so much. She led them to the room's center. “Check it out. A magic statue."

Deana stuck a finger in her ear as she tilted her head at Ceil. “I'm sorry, did you say a 'magic' statue?"

Ceil nodded. “Yes, it talks to me. This thing knows so much about Vulpran's history and different magic practices. I've been coming down here for years learning what it knows."

Deana stared at Ceil, her mouth hanging open in horror.

Lianea sighed and approached the statue. “You're wrong. This isn't a magic statue. I wandered down here myself when I was an apprentice. I thought this statue possessed special powers, affected by the dense aether down here. I learned, years later, it was me who was being affected by the aether. It caused me to hallucinate. I sealed off the passages leading down here to protect the apprentices."

Ceil shook her head furiously. “No, I heard the statue speak to me! It even asked me to find a spell to set it free!"

Lianea and Deana exchanged horrified looks. Then Deana grabbed Ceil's shoulders. “Please tell me you haven't been doing what it sounds like," Deana asked, her voice trembling. “Have you been trying to animate that statue?"

“Ow, you're hurting me."

“Answer me!" Deana roared, her voice amplified by the empty room.

Ceil shrank in her sister's paws. “N-No! I haven't! I haven't even accepted the statue's offer!"

Deana pulled Ceil closer and stared into her eyes. Ceil maintained eye contact though the crazed look in her sister's eyes scared her. Eventually, Deana released her and let out a relieved sigh.

“I'm sorry, Deana, but this just proves what I said before," Lianea said gently. “She can't study under you anymore. If word about this were to get out—"

Deana stared at the ground like a scolded child. “I know," she whispered. “Simel was looking to take on another apprentice. I'll talk to him in the morning."

“Good. In the meantime, we will close up this passage and say nothing about its existence to anyone," Lianea said, throwing a warning look in Ceil's direction.

“No! Don't you try to convince me I'm mad!" Ceil cried, her hackles rising. “This statue talks!" She turned to the statue. “Go on, say something!"

The statue was silent.

Lianea pulled a silver amulet out of her robes. The amulet was well-crafted into a nonagon with a large sunstone in its center. “This amulet protects the wearer from the dangers of aether myst. That's why your statue isn't responding and proves it was nothing more than a hallucination. The secrets it shared with you were nothing more than things you already knew."

Ceil stared at the arch-mage in disbelief. This whole time she thought it was magic, and it had been nothing more than something she created in her mind? The way Deana looked at her, like something precious that had been broken, Ceil couldn't stand it. When Ceil was a pup, Deana looked at her that way all the time.

“Deana…you believe me, right?"

Deana turned away. “Come on, Ceil. We shouldn't linger down here."

Deana gently steered Ceil toward the stairwell. Deana held a hand over her muzzle, unsuccessfully trying to stifle her soft sobs.

Ceil felt numb inside. She didn't remember climbing the stairs and leaving the hidden passage, being led back to Deana's room, or staying there the whole day. Just a blink and she was in a different place, viewing the cloudy night sky through the window.

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