Chapter 9: The Empire

Albaric surveyed Ace suspiciously, "You've never been interested in this before. Have you met someone? Is that why you're suddenly interested?"

"No, I haven't," Ace diverted the questions, "I was just curious. It doesn't matter,"

"Okay. I hope it's nothing serious because we're leaving here in a few days,"

"We are?"

"I've been...summoned," Albaric said with some chagrin, "I have to go back to the Empire for a bit,"

Ace had considered that they might be leaving this place. He felt reluctant to leave but knew that this would come eventually.

"Don't look too happy about it," Albaric laughed.

Ace's eyes shot up. In his distraction, he forgot Alabric was still sitting across from him.

"It's not that I'm not excited, it's just..." he tried to think of a way to end the sentence.

Albaric interceded, "You're still thinking about your master, aren't you?"

"No," Ace lied.

Albaric smiled, "I have some good news that might take your mind off it,"

Ace listened patiently as Albaric told him the news:

"Do you remember that friend I told you about? The one I wrote to? Whilst we're in the capital, I'll take you to see him. He may be able to help with your magic problem,"

Ace's eyes widened with excitement, he leant forward eagerly, "Really? What kind of person is your friend that they know about such things?"

"You'll see," Albaric grinned.

Within a few days, they set off back to the west. Although the sword Saint had taught him how to ride a horse, it was the first time riding for such a long time. Ace felt tired and stiff by the time they reached the hills which enclosed the capital.

However, upon seeing the brilliant white royal palace crowned on the mound which centred the capital, Ace felt his spirit renewed. Though the Elf country had its charms, the capital shun with a singular light. It was dazzling and bright, eminent but cultured.

Entering the city, they found themselves in the heart of the market district. An exotic array of stalls promised strange wonders from the Empire and beyond. The scent of food carried in the air and the whole place was inundated with visitors. It was colourful with flags and decorations, strewn across from the market to the grand square.

There was a great statue made of white marble in the centre of the square where a minstrel was playing. A crowd gathered around to listen to the song. Ace hurried over excitedly, but he noticed Albaric trailed slightly.

When they got in-ear reach he heard the sound float merrily through the warm air. It was a sad song in spite of the cheerful disposition of the mistral. He detailed a warrior who died and Ace realised it was a description of the statue behind.

A statue of a woman gilded with gold held a sword to the sky. Finally, at the end of the song, Ace heard the words, 'Empress'. Ace turned to Albaric to question it but, he found in Albaric's expression a sombre stare that arrested him from doing so.

They ventured up the hill towards the royal palace. It was almost sundown before they arrived. They found the palace bathed in soft red sun. Ace couldn't help but feel anticipation at the sight of it. It was just as he imagined. Regal with an impressive courtyard, a flower-filled garden and then the palace itself: a white cascade of pillars and steps leading up to a corridor of doors.

"Ace," Albaric turned to him before they crossed the threshold, "It's too late to meet with the Emperor. Let's go find my friend since we have the time," Albaric suggested.

Albaric led him up a staircase and they came to a door that led into a long passageway. Ace stared up, in front of him was a tall stone tower. It was all but enclosed aside from the window slits embedded in the walls, but even they were too dim to see through. They walked through another small courtyard before reaching a door. To Ace's surprise, when they opened it, instead of the small column which the tower had promised, they stepped into an extensive library. Albaric paused.

"Hmm. It's different from what I remember. Maybe I went the wrong way,"

Just as he said the words, a young man stepped out hurriedly from another room with a pile of books in hand. At first, the young man didn't seem to take much notice but then as he got closer his eyes widened. A friendly smile warmed his face and he called out:

"Old man, what are you doing here?"

Albaric patted the young man on the back jokingly, "You'll wound my pride if you call me that now!"

Ace stepped forward. There was something about the young man's warm and open manner that made him excited for their introduction. The young man didn't appear to be much older than Ace himself. He was tall and lanky but he had a good-natured smile. His most striking feature was the white markings along his almond skin. He met eyes with Ace from underneath a heap of curly flaxen hair and smiled.

"Who's this?" he questioned.

Albaric turned back by way of introduction, "This is Ace. He's my apprentice,"

"Ah!" the young man laughed, "Then we will have a lot to talk about. I'm Bird. I'm also an apprentice here, although my official title is assistant,"

"Assistant to who?"

Bird let out a snort of laughter, "To the grand wizard, who else?" he said in such a way that Ace could tell even when poking fun, it was in good humour.

"The Grand wizard?" Ace glanced at Albaric, who smiled as if the joke had been revealed.

"I'll take you to him," Bird said leading the way.

They walk the staircase further up the tower. Bird knocked and then they waited until a reply came:

"Come in."

The room had the same feel as the library. It was musty with the scent of old books, organized to some degree but still filled to the brim with worn tombs. A large desk faced the door and as they entered a man rose to greet them.

Suddenly, Ace recalled his master's words. Before him was another student of Lord Clover. The grand wizard looked to be a man of thirty, clean shaved with light brown eyes hidden behind glasses and dark hair swept behind in a ponytail.

Once more, Ace was left with the strange impression that he was too young to fit the role. Ace had imagined a bearded old man wrapped in a dark cloak like the old storybooks. Yet in spite of this misconception, Ace felt intimidated by the wizard's hard stare nonetheless.

"It's been a long time," the wizard shook Albaric's hand.

"The place looks different. Was this room always so big?" Albaric inspected the room

"I've had to make a lot of changes to accommodate all the new students," the wizard said with a distinctly restrained smile. Then he met Ace's gaze. The wizard's hazel eyes rested there with an inscrutable expression that made Ace uncomfortable. The eyes reminded him of the desert snakes whose eyes turned yellow just before they were about to attack, predatory and cunning.

"Who is this?"

"Ah, my apprentice," Albaric said proudly.

"Apprentice?" the wizard repeated. There was a note of disapproval in his voice, "I thought you said you didn't want to teach. Isn't that why you left the army?"

Albaric shrugged, "I changed my mind,"

The wizard's eyes still had not left Ace, "You must be something special to manage to convince the General to teach you. Is this the boy you spoke of?"

Ace noticed a cold look came into Albaric's eye but he still made no attempt to correct the wizard. He gave a small nod. Ace shared in Albaric's apparent discomfort. In truth, he had done nothing to earn such a position - student of the Sword Saint sounded far too grand for him. He suddenly felt guilty that he had such a highly prized palace when others were more deserving.

With apparent satisfaction, the wizard asked "What's your name?"

"Ace,"

"So, Ace, we shall see what is so special about you," the word's felt like they were designed to provoke, but Ace gave no reaction.

This time Albaric piqued up, "Well it's as I said. He was born without magic,"

"Impossible," the wizard said with a dark smile, "Where did you find him?"

"He was just a street kid," Albaric replied guardedly, "I just found him like this,"

"How can you be sure? Maybe his magic just hasn't awakened yet?" the wizard said in a condescending tone.

"See for yourself," Albaric said with a smug undeterred smile.

"Give me your hand," said the wizard.

Ace hesitated then held out his hand. The wizard held it in his for a moment. His eyes widened but he quickly disguised it by sitting back in his chair. Ace glanced at Albaric confused, but he didn't meet his gaze.

There was however a marked difference in the expression of the wizard. He stared at Ace suspiciously then back to Albaric.

"I need to talk to you," his earlier manners were replaced by an impatient glare this time on Albaric.

Albaric smiled, "I thought you would," then to Ace, he said, "wait outside for me, okay?"

Ace obeyed and took himself outside the study door. Just as he did, he heard snippets of the conversation.

"You wouldn't play me for a fool, would you old friend?"

"Of course not,"

"Then tell me quickly, where did you really find that child?"