A Clash of Power (Chapter 2)

                                                 Chapter 2  Master and Student



         Kay was out of breath by the time he turned onto the street where he and his master lived. The time it took to run from the tower to the house usually took half the time it did this day, the crowds of people had not dispersed as soon as Kay hoped they would and Kay had been trapped in a cage of unsympathetic people not making it this far until the sun had completely disappeared. Kay was so busy thinking of excuses to tell Master Haywood that he almost passed the two story house where he and his master resided. The building was one of the newer houses in the village, built in the last fifty years. Steeling himself and taking a last deep breath, Kay marched like a soldier to battle up the stairs that lead to the large front door.

         The room directly inside of the house was usually light by the fireplace on the opposite side of the room, several lamps were spread through the rest of the house. Kay was immediately relieved to see that Master Haywood was not waiting for his arrival with his cane in hand. Kay walked to the table near the fireplace where he discovered two untouched plates of food sitting. The food surprised Kay, he had expected to at least be denied dinner for his tardiness. The table was dotted with candles like always and the plates were loaded with mutton, one of Kay’s favorites. Despite the fact that Kay was very hungry, having not eaten since the morning, he was weary. In the past Master Haywood would rig meals to explode into dust when he bit in. Before Kay started towards the table he cast multiple revealing spells that would inform him if the food was indeed a trap. Once Kay was satisfied that there were no traps in the food he walked beside the table. Taking one last precaution, Kay snatched a poker from the stand beside the roaring fireplace and poked the meat set on the plate, when nothing happened he felt foolish for doing so, Kay set the poker back down. The moment Kay sat down to enjoy the trap-free meal he heard footsteps coming from the next room. Kay had just enough time to stand up from the table before Master Haywood strode in, cane in hand.

         “I- I’m sorry for being late master.” Kay quickly apologized stumbling over his words  “Th-there was a crowd of people blocking my way and I-”

         “I know about the crowd.” Master Haywood began, putting a hand up to silence Kay. His characteristically deep voice rumbling over the cracking of the fire. “You should have left the tower earlier. Now sit.”

Kay sat back down, resigning himself to an unpleasant fate. To his astonishment, Master Haywood sat at the table as well. The last time Kay had been late returning from the tower Master Haywood had made him sweep the floors of the house from night until day broke.

         “We have things we must discuss, about your future.” The man sat across from Kay and started eating the other plate of food.

         “My future?” Kay asked, making an attempt at stirring the plate of mutton sitting before him. This was the first time master Haywood mentioned what would happen after he left his apprenticeship.

         “Yes. I’m sure your aware that our time as master and apprentice is coming to a close. I’m sure you know that soon you will travel the world on you own, forced to find your own way. Good. I’m also sure that you have never seen the land farther than the northern lake we trained at today.”

         Kay shifted in his seat, embarrassed by his isolated life. To his surprise Master Haywood gave a low chuckle.

         “Boy, hardly anybody your age has seen much of the world these day. There have been less and less people coming and going from this village lately. Anyway, when you leave on your journey of ‘self-enlightenment’ you will need to do so alone. Now I won’t have you making a fool of yourself and embarrassing me.” Master Haywood paused to lift a fork full of the delicious looking mutton to his mouth.

         “What would you have me do?” Kay asked, now curious as to where the conversation was heading.

         “I’m going to have you travel to Solman, a city in the north.” The master began, still chewing his meat. “It’s far enough away to expose you to different kinds of people, but still close enough so I can come get you if you get it too much trouble.”

         Kay didn’t exactly know how to react. His master spoke in such as casual tone, he didn’t want to overreact and look like a fool.

         “When do I leave?” Kay asked in what he hoped was a very neutral tone. Apparently his uncertainty was not lost to his master though as he gave another throaty chuckle.

         “In a few days. As luck would have it a trading caravan arrived earlier today. You will travel with them to a village called Laiwyn, then you will part and continue on to the city.”

         Kay was truly at a loss for words. The prospect of traveling out of the village excited him to no end, but he also felt the tinge of fear of the unknown. When he parted with the caravan he would be truly alone for the first time in his life. Kay stabbed a piece of the meat in front of him and brought it to his mouth. It took a moment to chew the soft piece of meat, his mouth had gone dry from imagining all of the possibilities that his trip would present.

         “We will get you prepared in the next few days.” Master Haywood said, breaking the silence that had fallen at the table. “I’ll also teach you some of what you need to know in order to stay out of trouble.”

         The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Kay could only pick at his plate, too stunned by the conversation that had just taken place to try to eat. The moon continued to rise as Kay’s meal grew cold. Kay sat there even after Master Haywood left the table.He finally left the table when the moon became his only light, his dinner still sitting there.

         Sleep did not come easily to Kay that night. The wind blew the branch of an old tree against the shutters of his window. Kay could only lie there with an empty stomach and allow his mind run with every scenario that came to his head about his oncoming journey. Thieves, monsters, lightning, princesses and queens, Kay thought of everything, good and bad that could happen. Clouds covered the moon and it began to rain, the wind whipped up in intensity and Kay thought his windows would blow wide open. The rain eventually fell into a soothing rhythm and it lulled Kay into a restful sleep.

      Kay’s dreams that night were anything but restful. In them he saw people, monsters, large mountains. In his dreams he saw flashes of lives as though he was living them. He was a king, ruling with a just hand with Lucia by his side, all of his people loved him for he had united them in a time of war. Everything was just in his kingdom until one day a man came to his kingdom. The man wore a black cloak and never looked anyone in the eyes. It seemed as though every person he passed either became sick or went mad. Soon there was nothing left of Kay’s kingdom, soon even Lucia succumbed to this taint. As Kay Mourned over the loss of his queen the man appeared before him. Kay struck him with his sword but it just passed through the cloak. When the man stepped towards him, Kay retreated back only too trip on a stone. The man leaned over Kay. As a last resort, Kay threw back the Man’s hood. Underneath were two empty eye sockets and a mouth stitched shut. Kay screamed, and when the man touched Kay’s forehead with a finger, he knew pain as he had never thought possible.

      Kay was a beggar, squatting on the side of the road in some unknown village. He had lost all of his meager coin when a thief held a knife to his throat. It had been a few days since he had something substantial to eat. Kay was sitting in an alleyway when a strange man walked through the town gates. He wore a pitch black cloak and never revealed his eyes. Everyone in the village seemed to be afraid of the man, including Kay. He did his beat to stay away from the man as he strode through the village. Even as Kay was trying to be as silent as possible, he was still noticed by the black cloaked man. The man beckoned Kay towards him with. one finger, and Kay obeyed. When Kay was standing next to him the man reached under his cloak and brought out a large pouch and handed it to Kay. When Kay opened it he gasped. The inside of the pouch was filled with gold, enough to live on. Kay began to thank the man but he was already walking back towards the gates. Before he had left the village completely he turned back to Kay, and beckoned him again, to follow him. Kay ran after the man, whoever he was.

      Kay was a madman, running though the forests with the animals, eating the raw meat from the hunt. Kay was a thief, a soldier, merchant. When he finally awoke to the single ray of sunlight streaming through his window. Kay found he was covered in sweat. It took several minutes for him to get his breathing under control, even then he could not stop shaking. Looking out of his window, Kay saw the sun was still low in the sky. When he was finally calm, Kay got out of his bed and started to get dressed for the day.