Journeymaster 1
“Letter!” Bikk shouted through the window of Fu’s residence. This was a common happening, but it still didn’t prevent Fu from almost smudging all the work he had been slaving over that morning.
“Augh!” Fu turned with a scowl. “Why can you not–”
Before he could protest further, the letter in question was shoved into his face.
“It’s got an important looking seal, even!” the Manorite teased. “What trouble are you in now?”
“None,” he huffed and put down his pen. As much as Fu didn’t want to humor Bikk by taking the note, he was now interested, too. So, he took it but made sure to open in a way the other man couldn’t see.
“Heeey! Hey! Not fair!” Bikk complained, leaning so far into the window that Fu thought he would certainly fall.
“Mind your own business,” he grunted, eyes narrowed as they slid over the contents of the letter.
“What’s it say?”
“Let me read it and I may tell you.”
“Alright… alright…” Bikk huffed and resigned himself to leaning halfway through the window.
Usually the sounds of interest Fu made would just be to annoy the man. But this time, the sounds were genuine, his eyes widening more and more as he digested the content of the letter. He was forced to read certain paragraphs more than once just to break through the wall of comprehension. Even then, he hardly believed what he read.
“What is it? Is it bad?” the man’s expression was grim now, watching his friend’s reaction.
“I am not sure,” Fu answered, slowly lowering the letter. “The Masters want to review me. They want to place me in a Journeymaster position.”
“Whoa. What’s that?”
“Journeymaster is a rank awarded to those who they see as potential Masters,” Fu told him.
“Master? You?” Bikk rolled forward on his elbows, laughing. “Master Fu… that has a nice sound to it.”
Fu wasn’t laughing, though. Something was odd about this. “It is too soon, do you think?”
“Soon? For you?” the man answered, looking serious. “Give me a break. Everyone knows you’re the great protégé here. The kid who came in and turned every class upside down.”
“That is an exaggeration,” Fu grumbled.
“You’ve been here how long now… three… four turns?”
“Mostly. Yes.”
“Who else has learned elemental magics… holy magics… mind magics… and battle stances… so quickly, all at the same time?” Bikk pointed to the piles of books that lay at the end of his bed. “We can hardly get you out of a book.”
“Perhaps,” Fu muttered quietly.
It was true. Seasons ago, when he found himself unable to leave the Manor, Fu decided to take control of the situation and make them sorry that they ever decided to take him away from home. He devoured every book of magic he could find on every topic, learning everything from the elemental powers to healing energies to mind magery that he could find.
He made a complete nuisance of himself in any class he was assigned, and slowly began to grow in popularity as the non-conformist force within the school. Eventually, he placed out of all of his classes, much to the relief of the Headteachers, who began refusing to allow him to attend at all. It wasn’t long before his stern demeanor and sharp tongue frightened students and teachers alike.
During this, Fu discovered that the Masters who ruled the Manor let him get away with it all. It was almost as if they were watching him, looking for and encouraging the very behavior he displayed. Part of him was irked at this, as he didn’t want to give the Masters what they wanted in any way, shape or form. The other part of him reveled in the ability to say and do pretty much anything he wanted without being disciplined.
In fact, if this letter meant anything, he was being rewarded for his attitude.
“They are crazy,” Fu finally said.
“Did you think anything less?” Bikk smirked.
The Manorite and his sister, Nikko, had become two of his trusted friends over the passage of time. Fu didn’t tolerate many people and their ignorance, but their presence wasn’t fully unpleasant to him. In fact, Fu was working quite hard at finding ways to win Nikko’s attention, and eventually hoped to be a prospective choice in the more-than-friends category.
That was, however, a thought for another time.
“So what does this mean?” the man asked, breaking the silence.
“I am not fully sure yet,” Fu answered. “I suppose I’ll be given more authority. Perhaps a research or Headteaching position. They recognize me as more than a student at this point.”
“Like your father?” Bikk asked. Then he winced, remembering that he wasn’t supposed to talk about that.
“No one knows what my father is,” Fu frowned, letting his friend off the hook.
It was true. Father wasn’t exactly a Master. Still, he wasn’t a Journeymaster either. He was something… unranked and unusual. Which was about right.
“Sorry,” the Manorite apologized anyhow. Bikk got a little carried away sometimes, but he was a good guy to have around in a general sense.
Fu just nodded knowing that the man wouldn’t feel right unless given some sign of forgiveness, even when one wasn’t needed. He returned his attention to the letter, deciphering the instructions provided there.
“Is that it, then? You’re a Journeymaster? Just like that?” Bikk asked, once again interrupting more logical thought.
“Not exactly,” he answered. “It appears that I must go before the Chamber to be approved. It is usually not so hard, I hear. If one is going there, one has already been chosen. It is more a matter of ritual and policy.”
“Which the Manor has boatloads of,” the man muttered under his breath.
“I thought you liked such things?”
“It’s… hard to say anymore. Things are changing,” Bikk admitted.
“It has taken you this long to recognize that?” Fu gave him an arched eyebrow.
“Just… stuff I’ve been reading. Stuff that Nikko had,” the Manorite told him, seeming somewhat reluctant to talk about it.
Anarchy’s Newsletter…
Fu didn’t speak the name aloud. He didn’t need to. There was only one thing that people meant when they said they had “been reading.” Few, however, spoke openly of the act.
Nikko’s interest I can understand. But Bikk changing his mind… that is unusual.
Still, it was hard to argue with the truth. One either embraced it or tried in futility to debunk it.
Like the Manor.
“Well,” Bikk quickly changed the subject, not looking very comfortable, “When’s the big day?”
“Tomorrow evening,” Fu answered.
“They waste little time,” the Manorite frowned.
“Never,” he nodded. “Not the Manor.”
“Well, I better get back to my rounds,” Bikk excused himself. “And you need to get ready, I’m sure.”
“Wish me luck,” Fu gave a slight smile.
The Manorite just laughed, “Luck? You? You don’t need luck. You have everything you need already.”
“Fine, fine,” the mind mage waved him away.
Bikk smiled as he pulled his head from the window, voice more sincere, “Good luck, Fu. I know you’ll do fine.”
“Thank you, Bikk,” Fu nodded as the man vanished from view.
He returned his attention to his scrawled notes with a sigh. It was hard to concentrate now with the letter lying right next to his pen. For a while, Fu peered back and forth between them. Then, with a different thought, he fished under his books and pulled out the latest issue of the Newsletter. He frowned sharply, one finger running over the strangely pressed page.
I am not sure what they think they have planned for me… but I have other plans.