Chapter 13

After an awkward and quiet, but delicious breakfast the next morning with Kalculus, Lady Sylvia, and the stately steward Denarius, Kalculus ushered me into his study. Inside it sat a plain desk opposite his ornate one.

“I want you to write the sum of these expenditures.” He promptly slapped a thick stack of papers on my desk.

“Here.” He pointed to a thick brown ledger on top with a feather bookmarking an empty column.

I noticed two things almost immediately. First, I couldn’t make heads or tails of the symbols. Second, it looked like it was being written right to left instead of left to right, judging by where the column sat in the ledger.

Noting my hesitation, Kalculus groaned and rubbed his temples.

“You would be incompetent. I suppose it makes sense that you’re illiterate.”

I felt a little heat rise in my face.

“I can count well enough; I just don’t know the symbols yet.”

Kalculus grumbled and stormed to a corner of a room, brushing off a dusty wooden slat.

“This is what we give to children.” he muttered. He looked at the slat for a second longer, a trace of something sad behind his serious expression. It surprised me, and I wondered what it meant. Then he slapped it on the desk in front of me.

On the right side of the rectangle was burned and painted into the wood a series of small coins, and on the left the corresponding symbol in which I guessed was this nation’s written language. It hadn’t even occurred to me how strange it was that I could talk to these people and vice-versa, as it was a world away. But the written language unfortunately was very different.

These first symbols were pretty easy to interpret. The symbol next to a singular copper coin was obviously “one”, then two, and on and on.

When it got to twenty copper coins, an upside down ‘v’ connected them to a single silver coin. In the US we counted in 100s, but it looked like this world grouped by twenties. So 20 copper was a silver, 20 silver was a gold. I was pretty stoked to get my first breakthrough.

Three soft knocks at the study door shifted our attention. Without looking up, Kalculus grumbled, “Report.”

Roquette replied from the other side of the door:

“Pardon, Sir, the Archmagus wishes to see you.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.”

I could see the age in Kalculus’ wrinkles when he groaned.

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“Send him i–” before he could finish his sentence the Archmagus burst through the door, a jovial smile playing across his lips.

The Archmagus, unlike Kalculus, was not accompanied by guards. As an archmage I guessed he had little to fear. He carried a staff with a brilliant gem affixed to the top similar to the one on the burgundy robes of his house. I could feel the incredible magical power in the staff which emanated a powerful buffet of crackling and swirling auras.

“Kalculus! The cog that turns the kingdom! Ever so good to see you in such good health. Kalculus sighed: “Hello, Magnus.”

The Archmagus smelled pleasant, and there was something about him that told me I could trust him.

“Aww” the Archmagus said, “You don’t look too happy to see me, Kalculus. It really has been too long.”

I thought I could hear Kalculus mutter “not long enough” under his breath.

I stifled a chuckle.

“What is it that you want this time, Magnus? We are quite busy.”

“Now, now, that is not a tone between friends.” I have something that will doubtless help you with your basket full of paperwork, if you can believe it.

“Oh?” Kalculus sounded less than amused and definitely skeptical.

“Yes, old friend. No doubt you have several requests to commission levees on the shores of Lake Iridesca to combat the flooding in Tabaskil. Those are expensive, yes?”

Kalculus grunted as the Archmagus continued.

“It turns out we’ve found the source of the flooding. There’s a tear in the wild mana that’s causing the unusual storm, and I think our young lord - he nodded to me - may be able to seal it.”

I shook once involuntarily and my eyes bulged.

“Me? What about me can help?”

“Well, you see, your magical abilities, - he put his hand to the side of his mouth - I’m keeping them on the hush hush for you, your transformational abilities, might help seal the mana leak.”

“Now you keep your dangerous theories to yourself,” asserted Kalculus. “There’s no need to poison Titus here with your untested nonsense.”

I thought better about correcting him about my name. And what was his beef with the Archmagus? He was at the least better behaved than Kalculus was.

“But.. if I can help, it would still be helping you with your work.” I offered. Kalculus groaned.

“Ach, fine then. I assume you’re leaving now? He shot a piercing glance at the Archmagus.”

“Why of course dear friend, we’ll be back in two days. Come, young lord Alaster.”

Without waiting, the Archmagus was out the door taking long strides down the hallway in carefree haste.

I moved to walk past Kalculus when he snapped my wrist with a grip of iron.

“Boy.” His tone was sharp now as he looked in my eyes. “The Archmagus is a flatterer. Use that wit of yours. Also, that boar of yours won’t help you on the lake; earth magic’s natural weakness is water.” Then without another word, he returned to his work.

It felt like he was telling me this to protect the return on his investment, not because he genuinely cared what happened to me. Still, that part about earth magic being weak to water was definitely helpful. I was going to have to find a new form. Maybe I could transform into a cool sea dragon or something.