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Mages of Asmadur

Part 4

Wufei woke up early, even though it had been after midnight when he finally went to sleep. He had been lying awake for many hours thinking about what Alex had said. It had been a nasty and spiteful remark, intended only to rile him. Nevertheless, it was hard to forget those words. Relationships between two males were not uncommon amongst Asmadur's mages, but an affair between a master and his apprentice was considered highly inappropriate and was generally frowned upon.

Wufei turned his head. Outside the bedroom window the sky was dark, as the moon had nearly set. The boy stifled a yawn, as he climbed out of bed and into the shower. He turned the faucet to cold. The chilly water washed away the last traces of sleepiness. He was shivering, but bright awake when he toweled himself off.

Everything was quiet; everybody else was probably still sleeping, when the young mage slipped quietly out of the castle. He raised his head and looked into the sky. The first streaks of golden light lined the clouds above. A few early birds had woken and started their morning songs. It smelled of sweet flowers and grass. It was a wonderful morning, perfect for meditation.

Wufei settled down under a large tree just outside the castle. From there he could see a small garden. It was a lovely place, beautifully maintained, with a large fountain, sculptures and several stone benches. But what was strange about it was that every rose, every tulip, every flower in the garden was black. Wufei had never seen anything like it before. He made himself a mental note to ask Alden about it, as he closed his eyes and cleared his mind for meditation.

Wufei wasn't sure how long he had been sitting like that. He opened his eyes when he felt the presence of his master. The mage didn't seem to notice him, but headed straight for the garden. He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark trousers, but no robe this morning.

From where he was sitting the boy could watch Treize. The mage cut a couple of long stemmed roses and headed back inside without wasting any time. Wufei saw him walk through the front door and moments later his presence completely disappeared. The boy assumed that he had used the phasing platforms in the hall to leave the castle like he did every morning.

It was still early. Alden probably didn't expect him for breakfast for at least another half an hour, and Wufei wasn't hungry yet anyway. He decided instead to get some of his chores done early. He had noticed that, despite of the downpour that he has caused the day before, the herb-garden already looked like it needed watering again.

#####

He was standing by the window, watching the sun rise over the eastern mountains. A soft morning breeze played gently with his long, silvery hair. His tall, lean body was clad in a pair on black trousers and a black mage's robe. The dark colors stood in deep contrast to his pale skin. His face was handsome, with high cheekbones and intense ice-blue eyes. He looked just the way he did five years earlier. He hadn't aged at all.

But he didn't know that. In fact he had no memories of anything that happened before the day he had woken up in this castle. His master had told him that he had bee injured, and that his memories would return in time, but to him it wasn't fast enough. He wanted to know…no he needed to know more than he was being told. Somehow he had the feeling that his master was completely truthful with him.

The young man closed his eyes, as he searched his mind. But there was nothing. It was like his memories were hidden behind a wall; a wall that he just couldn't break down. He gave a frustrated grunt and tried harder.

"Don't push yourself too hard. You know what happens if you do."

The young man spun around, startled. "Master, I didn't hear you approach."

"I'm leaving now," the other man said. "I shall be back tomorrow morning."

"Will you take me with you, Master? You promised you would some day."

"And I shall; but not today. You are not ready for that yet. I will not risk everything I have been working for over the past five years because of your impatience." The heavy fabric of his robe rustled as the man turned on his heels and started to walk away. At the door he stopped, and without even turning his head he added. "You will not leave the castle while I'm gone. Do not defy me again, Milliardo. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master," the blond replied passively.

#####

By the time Wufei was ready for breakfast the herb-garden was not only watered but also weeded. He had a nice feeling of accomplishment and had also worked up a good appetite.

"There you are, Master Wufei," Alden greeted him as he walked into the dining room. "Master Treize asked for you. He is waiting in his study."

"Thank you, Alden," the young mage nodded. "I'll go and see him right now."

Wufei walked upstairs and to the east wing. A few minutes later he knocked at the door to his master's study.

"Come in."

The boy opened the door and peered into the room. "You wanted to see me, Master?"

"Yes." Treize gestured for him to step closer, but didn't invite him to sit down. "Let me just finish what am doing, then we will talk." He turned back toward his desk.

The room was only dimly lit by a few candles. The windows were covered with heavy curtains. The young mage remembered what Alden had told him about nobody, not even the servants being allowed to enter this study, and he wondered if Treize was hiding something. Guardedly he let his gaze wander. The room was moderately furnished. Several large bookcases lined the walls. Two chairs stood right and left of a large fireplace. Treize's heavy desk was the centerpiece of the room. Wufei's eyes fell upon a picture, standing on the mantel of the fireplace, next to a vase with roses. He was close enough to recognize the master mage and a young man, with long silvery hair. The other man stood behind Treize, with his arms loosely around his master's neck and his head resting on his shoulder. Wufei swallowed.

He almost jumped as Treize closed the heavy, leather-bound book he had been reading with a bang.

"I was talking to Lady Une this morning," his master said as he turned his chair to face Wufei. "I assume you know why she called?"

"Yes, Master."

"Although there is no excuse for your actions I wonder if you can at least give me some kind of explanation."

The young mage shook his head. "As you say, there is no excuse. I made a mistake. I should not have let them bait me and let my anger get the better of me."

"You are correct," Treize agreed, giving Wufei a stern look. "It was a mistake. Now that you are my pupil, your mistakes become also my mistakes. And I don't like to make mistakes."

"I understand." Wufei lowered his gaze. "I'm prepared to accept any punishment you seem fit."

There was a long moment of silence. The young mage could feel his master's gaze upon him, but he didn't look up. "Very well," Treize finally said. "Since it seems as though I can't leave you without supervision, you leave me no choice but to take you with me when I travel to the Western Forest."

Wufei jerked his head up. For a moment he thought he didn't hear right. He had wanted to go, but hadn't dared to ask Treize to take him along on the trip. He had never been anywhere but near the village he had grown up in and at the academy. He had envied Trowa, who always came back with stories to tell after spending time at the Maguanac camp. "You are taking me with you to the Western Forest?"

"Try not to look too excited. This is supposed to be your punishment. And I assure you it won't be a pleasure trip." Treize told him. "You may go now. Have breakfast and meet me in the library afterward. We have to finish those charms and we have some other preparations to make."

Wufei nodded. "Yes, Master."

###

Treize continued to stare at the door even after it has closed behind his apprentice, until a quiet noise of somebody clearing his throat ripped him from his thoughts.

"You are still here?" he asked in a slightly amused tone of voice. "Didn't anybody ever tell you that it isn't polite to listen in on other people's conversations, Lady?"

"You didn't terminate the connection, so I thought you didn't mind." A small orb on the mage's desk started to glow in a bluish light, and then Lady Une's image appeared in it.

Treize turned to face her, a sly smirk on his face. "Oh I did, didn't I? My mistake then, I suppose."

"I hope you know what you are doing, Master Mage."

The mage gave a quiet snort. "What did you expect me to do? Chain him up and throw him into the dungeon? He got into a fight. It's not like he committed murder."

"You best don't let Master Mage Barton hear you talk like that." Une told him seriously. "He is already been raising hell about the incident."

"I'm sure he would see things a lot different if his apprentice would have been the victor in the brawl. Don't worry about it, Lady Une. And leave Barton to me, I'll deal with him. As for the boy, he is my apprentice. I will treat him as I see it fit."

"And I would never argue with your decision, Master Mage," she assured him. "It's just that there are still people who would like to see you expelled from the magic council. I don't think it is wise for you to make any more enemies right now."

"I'm very well aware of that, Lady." He gave her a soft smile. "And I'm also aware that I have a few very loyal supporters on the council. Thank you for your concern."

She nodded curtly. "I'll leave you then, Master Mage. But there is one more thing I wanted to mention. Wufei is an excellent student, but he is also fiercely competitive. When he gets irritated he sometimes tends to forget his own limitations and pushed himself further than he should."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. Good bye now."

"Good bye." The light in the orb dissipated and Lady Une's image faded away.

#####

"Are you ready?" Rashid asked his new apprentice.

Trowa nodded as he stopped onto the phasing platform. He had been ready for this moment for the past five years. Ever since he joined the academy the Maguanacs had become the closest thing to family he had ever known. Now he only needed to finish his apprenticeship and he would truly become one of them.

The young mage closed his eyes as he felt a familiar tingling sensation spread through his body. When he opened them again he was standing in the entrance hall of the Maguanac compound. Seconds later his master materialized on the platform next to him.

"Will I be staying in my old room?" Trowa asked.

The tall, broad shouldered mage nodded. "I moved your luggage already into your room. Why don't you go, change into something more comfortable. Then find Abdule and the two of you see me in my quarters."

"Yes, Master."

As Trowa walked through the inner courtyard he was greeted by several Maguanacs. He returned their greetings with a smile and asked if they knew where Abdule was.

"Last time I saw him he was in the library," Ahmad told him.

"Thank you." Trowa gave the man a quick wave and hurried to his room. It was the very room he had shared with another young apprentice of Rashid's when he came to visit this place for the first time. I'm sure Quatre would be proud of me, if he could see me now. He always told me that I could do it, even if I didn't believe it myself.

Trowa changed into a short sleeved shirt and a slighter summer robe before he headed to the library, at the south end of the compound. When he entered the room he found Abdule sitting at one of the larger tables, writing. Abdule was Rashid's second in command and in charge whenever their leader was away. He has also been Trowa's mentor when the boy had been preparing for his entry examine for the academy, and the two of them had become very good friends.

"Hello Abdule," Trowa greeted the man.

The Maguanac looked up and gave him a friendly grin. "Hello Trowa, when did you get here? Does that mean the boss is back too?"

Towa nodded. "We just arrived. Master Rashid wants to see us in his quarters."

"Give me a minute to finish up the report."

"No problem." The young mage took a seat. As he sat there waiting a thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Abdule?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"What really happened to Quatre? Rashid only told me that he had died. But he never mentioned how. Do you know?"

Abdule's usually cheerful face darkened. "I'm sorry, kid, but I can't answer that question. I'm afraid you will have to go and ask the boss or Master Mage Treize."

Master Mage Treize; there was that name again. Trowa frowned. Who was that man, and what did he have to do with Quatre? What would he know about the boy's death?

#####

"Wufei, do you have any idea why your summoning spell went wrong yesterday?"

The boy looked up, surprised, and shook his head. "No, Master Treize. I have been trying to figure it out, but I have no idea what I did wrong," he admitted.

He and his master were sitting in the library. After finishing making the charms, and Treize had suggested that his apprentice should read up on Dyrewolfs, Rhakhars (1), and other creatures they might encounter on their trip.

"What do you know about Ji'hyl?"

"Um… Ji'hyl, or magic energy, gives us our power."

The master mage nodded. "That's right. It's what makes us mages different from normal human beings, and allows us to use magic. It's in our blood; we are born with it and it is passed down from generation to generation.
We use it every time we use magic. But we don't have an infinite amount of it, that's why using too much magic can lead to exhaustion. When we are born we have simply enough magic energy to sustain us, and unless we train and increase our magic skills that will never change. It can give us great power, but since we just can't live without it, it can also be a weakness. It's all a simple matter of finding the right balance and knowing your own limitations."

Wufei nodded. He knew most of that already. It was one of the first lessons every student was taught when entering the academy.

"And did you know that magic energy can also be found in nature? In fact Asmadur has several so called "hot spots" where great quantities of it can be found. One of those spots is right here. My ancestors chose the location for this castle carefully. A mage's powers will be amplified by the magic energy that surrounds him."

Wufei's eyes grew large in amazement. No, he didn't know that before. "So, that's why my spell backfired?"

Treize smirked softly. "Yes. You didn't do anything wrong, your just used a little more magic than you could handle."

"But I didn't notice any difference while we were making charms." The boy frowned.

"Because we were inside," his master explained. "The castle is, you could say, insulated. I suppose my ancestors figured that it would be annoying with something like your thunderstorm accident would keep happening. Keep this in mind, and be more careful when you use magic outside the castle. The next time it could cause more damage than just a simple thunderstorm."

"I'll remember that, Master." Wufei nodded. "But you said there are other "hot spots" in Asmadur. Do you know where they are?"

"Well, one of the largest ones is located in the east of the Kashlana desert."

"Is that why the Maguanacs base is located there?"

Treize nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"I have always wondered why somebody would build such a large compound in the middle of the desert. But it makes sense now."

There was a moment of silence as Treize turned his attention back toward the book he was reading. Wufei wondered if he should take the opportunity to ask the mage about something that was bothering him.

"Master Treize, may I ask you a question?"

"Yes," the master mage looked up at the boy.

Wufei hesitated for a moment before he said. "Yesterday, while I was at the academy, one of the older pupils told me that you didn't want me as your apprentice. He said Master Mage Dermail persuaded you to take me. Is it true?"

Treize's continued to gaze at Wufei, but didn't answer right away.

"You don't have to lie…"

"I didn't want to take any apprentice, period," the mage finally said. "I assure you, Wufei, that it had absolutely nothing to do with you personally."

"May I ask why?"

There was another moment of silence before the master mage answered evasively. "I didn't think I was ready to deal with the responsibility."

Wufei frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.

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T.B.C.

Author's Note:

(1) Rhakhars - feline predators that are about the size of a Leopard or Jaguar, but appear bigger due to their shaggy fur, Rhakhars are solitary animals that only pair up during mating season, their powerful jaws allow them to crush even bones, Rhakhars kill by piercing their prey's skull

Check out my Sims companion website to this fic. It has not only background info but you can also take a virtual tour through the academy and look at photos of some of the characters. More will be added as the story developed.
I made 2 entry pages. If you have a slow computer or one that doesn't allow java applets please use this link

http://www.gundam-wing-fanfiction.net/sims/academy1.htm < p class="MsoNormal">
For java enabled computers use this entry page. The java version is a little cooler IMHO.
http://www.gundam-wing-fanfiction.net/sims/academy.htm

Feedback is greatly appreciated, constructive criticism is welcome :-)