4.69: A New Binding

“Maybe it’s like the Lake of Inquisition,” I suggested, “and you can only get to the service corridors if you have, like, access.” I pulled up a handful of green grass and let it drift through my fingers. We were back in the valley again, away from the school crystals and the janitors, where we’d be able to see any students coming within earshot.

“The same kind of access?” Kylie asked. “The janitors can obviously find the Lake of Inquisition, if they lead both of us there. Maybe the trigger for getting into both places is the same, and you’ll be able to find a way in.”

“Maybe. Or maybe not. Even if it is, I don’t see how that would help us. I couldn’t get in following the janitor, so I have no idea how I’d go about finding the way in.”

“The notes and maps,” Kylie said. “Our friend made extensive maps of the school. Maybe it’s a path like any other, and you just have to take the right route. Maybe his maps will show the way.”

“Maybe. But there’s a lot of them, and they’re all pretty hard to read. We can start looking, but it’s going to take a really long time, and there might be nothing to find.”

“Well, do we have anything else to try?”

“… Yeah,” I sighed. “Maybe. There might be a way to kind of… glean information non-suspiciously. From people who know more about the school than us.”

“Just because the Fiore told you about the Lake of Inquisition doesn’t mean that he – ”

“No, not him. I… have another source.” I stood up, reluctantly.

“Where are you going?” Kylie asked.

“To do something I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to do.”

Twenty minutes later, after a brief explanation to Kylie, some time to clean up, and a few minutes to put together what the hell I was actually doing, I headed for the hospital ward. Malas was alone when I walked in, putting away clean hospital gowns.

“Kayden,” he said, sounding unsurprised. “How have you hurt yourself this time?”

“I haven’t, actually.”

“Oh!” He barely even tried to hide the shock on his face. Alright then. How can I…?”

“Awhile ago, you offered me an apprenticeship,” I said. “Is the offer still open?”

“Yes. If you want it.”

“I do.”

“Well then, I’ll get a contract. And you’ll need your surveyanto to supervise the signing, of course. Might I ask, why? You didn’t seem at all keen on the idea when I suggested it.”

I was prepared for this question. “I have friends who’ve had… bad experiences with apprenticeships in the past. Talbot – do you know Talbot?”

“I know seven Talbots, but from context I assume you mean the blind Change magician?”

“Yeah, him. He was taken advantage of, and escaping his apprenticeship was really hard. And I’m still worried about Cheryl; I mean, she has no support network at all. And, well, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t really trust you.”

Malas frowned. “Kayden, you’re constantly asking me to scan your body and cast magic on you. You’re aware that if you’re uncomfortable with your healthcare provider, you can always – ”

“Oh, I know you always act in what you assume is my best interests. That’s the problem.”

“This is about that criminal trial, isn’t it?”

“It’s about the six months before the criminal trial when you let me keep thinking that my curse was a danger to everyone around me that had nearly killed someone.”

“And I’m sorry that you went through that, but if I had told you right away –”

“Yeah, I know, you’ve already explained your reasoning. You kept information from me in order to manipulate me to make the decisions that you thought I should make. Decisions that also oh-so-happened to support your political interests. And now you want to be my master? How can I possibly trust you not to do that again?”

Malas cocked his head. “But you’re agreeing anyway.”

I shrugged. “It’s still the best of my options. You’re right; healthcare would be a good career for me. I’m not exactly diplomatic but I do like to help people, and I have a knack for potions. And any career that relies on at-will casting is out for me, because my spell doesn’t do anything. I kind of figured I’d probably end up in a potion factory somewhere, but… honestly, that job sounds like it’d get really boring after a couple of years. And, at this point, impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“Because of Fionnrath. If Kylie goes to Fionnrath, I have to go with her. And if I do, you know what I’ll be, there? I’ll be their prophet’s familiar, and nothing else. And I’d never be able to leave, at least not for very long, because they’d never let Kylie leave. This school that I’m under contract with, the school that’s supposed to protect us, is throwing us to the wolves for political expediency, so it didn’t really turn out to be any safer than an apprenticeship after all, did it? I don’t exactly trust you, but I know you have the welfare of your students and patients at heart, and I have the support of friends and allies here. In Fionnrath, I’d have no one except Kylie, and we’d be surrounded by people I trust even less. They tried to kill her.”

“If you’re my apprentice, I’ll have a little more leverage to try to reverse the Council’s decision,” Malas said, “but that doesn’t guarantee success. You might still have to go to Fionnrath. If not right away, then eventually. We could arrange transport for you to come here to train, but...”

“If I have to go, then I’d rather go there as a doctor’s apprentice,” I said. “Better to be training in a useful trade that I can make my own life with, than just being someone’s familiar.”

Malas nodded. “I’ll get a contract, then, while you contact your surveyanto.”

Ten minutes later, we were in Fiore’s office. I was sitting next to Fiore, with Malas sitting across from us, where I usually sat. It felt strange to be… on Fiore’s ‘side’, I guess? Most of my interactions with him had been sort of antagonistic, in a friendly sort of way; when we met, it was usually because I wanted something out of him, or he wanted something out of me. This felt more like when we’d been brought to see the High Council. I got the sense that he was arguing directly for my interests as he and Malas pored over the eleven page contract together.

“A minimum of ten hours per week sounds harsh,” Fiore said, tapping a paragraph. “I know your apprentices routinely put in twenty to thirty hours, but to set a minimum – ”

“That’s for Fionnrath,” Malas explained. “If the Council is set on letting them take him, we need something to pull him back here. I won’t let them keep him from training on some time technicality.”

“And if we successfully reverse the Council’s decision?”

“Do you really want to gamble on that?”

“No, no; you’re right. As for the starting date, you don’t want him right away?”

“I find that things go a lot smoother when transferring students at the end of the semester. It keeps the time periods neat and gives them time to finish up any classes they might want to test out of, in case they want the education credits before transferring into an apprenticeship.”

“That makes sense. I was wondering why we lost the Cottingly girl so suddenly. That must be why.”

Malas shrugged. “I think that had more to do with her close friend and ex boyfriend dying unexpectedly on campus than anything. I’m surprised more of his friends didn’t leave, actually. It was a tragic loss.”

“What do you think, Kayden?” Fiore asked me, just as I was starting to get annoyed at being spoken about like I wasn’t there.

“Huh?”

“About the contract. Minimum of ten hours per week working with Malas, a living stipend and board – which, given Malas’ claim on the school, I assume his apprentices just lodge on-campus with the school students?” he shot an enquiring look at Malas, who nodded. “Ah, perfect, so you wouldn’t even need to move out of your current room, unless you go to Fionnrath of course. Ah, promise of a medical education and certification, apprenticeship terminated when Malas Aksoy has determined that you are worthy of medical certification, or under normal early termination rules. Apprenticeship to start at the beginning of next semester. That’s about the gist of it; does that sound acceptable?”

“Uh… yeah. That sounds fine.”

“Excellent.” Fiore handed me the contract. “To read over and make sure you’re happy with the details. Shall we meet again in, let’s say, three days, to renegotiate anything that Kayden finds unacceptable and take the vow?”

“That sounds good,” I said faintly.

Malas nodded. “Three days is fine. Do you want another copy to go over more thoroughly yourself, Fiore?”

“Thank you, kuracar.”

I walked out, a little dazed, contract in my arms. Signing it felt like it would be a monumental step, even though logically I knew it’d be moot once we fulfilled the prophecy. Whatever happened then, I didn’t think that being Malas’ apprentice would factor into the fallout.

Besides, if we didn’t find some way to save him, Malas would die.

I pushed that out of my mind, but the other thoughts in there weren’t any more pleasant. All I could think about was how, normally, I’d take a contract like this to Max. Max would go through it, highlight any pitfalls, tell me what I should do. But now, well. Now I’d have to find someone else.

The next morning, I sat in the library, with Magistus and di Fiore.

“Aww, you’re leaving us, too?” Magistus asked, flipping through the contract. “First Gertrude, now you?”

“Malas lives at the school,” I pointed out. “Being his apprentice doesn’t mean I have to move. In fact, with the whole Fionnrath thing, this should keep me on campus more often.”

“The thing you need to watch out for in these contracts is the completion clauses,” di Fiore said, snatching a page from Magistus’ hands and skimming it. “Although I really don’t think you have anything to worry about, with the kuracar. He’s got a bunch of apprentices and they never seem to have any problems with him. If you’re looking for issues, you’re better off interviewing them than trying to puzzle apart this legalise.”

“And the stipend,” Magistus said. “Gotta check the stipend.”

“Oh, yes! Make sure you’re getting enough money to live off, that’ll be important for you. Sorry, I forgot for a moment that you’re poor.”

“I’m not poor!”

“Sorry, ‘financially challenged’.”

“I’m not – !”

“Whatever.”

That afternoon, I sat down with Talbot.

“I hope you know what you’re getting into,” he said.

“I never know what I’m getting into,” I said. “But this is the best option open to me.”

“Why, because he might be able to save you from Fionnrath? Just make sure you’re not getting into even deeper trouble with this. Don’t forget; the only thing that’ll tie you to Fionnrath is Kylie. That bond might break, or you might find a way around your restrictions. Putting your own chains on to spare you from being tethered by hers might not be a smart decision.”

I thanked him for his advice. I couldn’t explain to him why it wouldn’t matter. I couldn’t explain to him what we planned to do to Refujeyo.

The next day, Casey, my lawyer, read through the contract with a critical eye. “It seems pretty standard,” they said. “A little strict on the minimal hours, but medicine is a busy profession. If you want an apprenticeship, I see no reason not to accept this one, especially since the master has a proven track record of multiple successful apprenticeships. Just remember that once you sign this and take the vow, there’s no going back, so be certain that you actually want to be a doctor.”

And then we were in di Fiore’s office again.

There was no reason for me to be nervous. Nothing to be apprehensive about. There was no reason not to take this apprenticeship. Even without the whole Child prophecy thing, everything I’d said to Malas about this being my best option had been true. And with it… well, it wouldn’t matter either way, soon enough.

So there was no reason for me to be shaking. There was no reason for me to have to take deep, even breaths to steady my hand long enough to sign the contract, there was no reason for Fiore to have to hold my hand still while he pierced my thumb to drip three drops of blood onto the paper, there was no reason for my voice to catch while I repeated after my surveyanto and recited vows, promising to fulfil my responsibilities to my new master as he promised to fulfil his to me. I was dizzy with relief when it was over, because whether it had been a mistake or not, it was done, irreversible. I didn’t have to decide any more.

“Well then,” Malas said with a smile. “You have two weeks plus the holidays to wrap up any of your current classes, if you wish to do so, and after that, your apprenticeship will be in effect. Of course, if you want to get started on learning early, you can drop by to see me at any time. It will be a pleasure working with you, Kayden.”