In Pursuit Of Wisdom (Book 1) Read Free Page B

after day he rose and proceeded to embarrass his fellow students, and still they gravitated toward him, breaking bread and sharing stories.
    Xaro was a dangerous man, and it was increasingly obvious that he was developing a cult following.
    The Master-At-Arms trusted him less than a thief in rags, and asked Thorax regularly to take this man from his midst.  He had hoped the ogre would be the answer to that prayer.  Bertram ground his teeth as his ogre howled in pain.
    “I accept.  But I will choose your spear, and I will choose your horse.  Standard issue, both.  Survive, and I will do you one better than allow you to take your Test.  This shall be your Test.  Defeat the griffin, and I shall brand you a True Warrior myself.  The battle shall be held tomorrow.  Are we agreed?”  Bertram narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest.
    Xaro smiled.  “Agreed.”
    He flicked his wrist and a hidden dagger flew into the back of the ogre’s hand, which was holding a wicked, curved throwing blade he must have had stored inside his wide belt.   The ogre screamed as Xaro’s knife bit deep, and stared at the dark blood streaming from his hand.  The ogre dropped his throwing blade and looked up at Xaro, narrowing its red eyes and boring them into him.
    “ You called for healers—where are they?” Xaro asked.  “Please silence your pet, or my next throw will silence him for you.”
     
     
     
    ~Magi~
     
    “Look at the size of that place,” Kyle commented.  Having grown up in Fostler, another relatively small village like Brigg, both he and Magi were awed at the immensity of the buildings in the city of Gaust.
    “Aye, someone important lives here.  Maybe Lord Corovant.”  Sindar, too, seemed impressed.  “He is the lord of this city.”
    “FISH!  Buy two fresh!” a peddler shouted from the side of the street.  The whole place smelled of waste, fish, sweat, and salt.  “A copper apiece or two for three!” as he rubbed two notched, beat-up coppers together beside a row of hanging fish, still dripping.
    “Good sir, where might we find the library in this great city?”  Magi asked.
    “Library, eh?  What does a group such as you want with books?  Manny the fish merchant will give a fish away if the big one can even read.”  The merchant cackled with laughter that stopped as suddenly as he started.  “Manny thinks you’re not from around here, no —not from here at all.”
    Sindar grabbed Magi’s robe and yanked him away from the merchant.  “Our business is our business.  Sorry to have troubled ye.”  He glared at Magi as they shuffled away down the street.  Behind them, the voice of the merchant was fading, “ Manny’s fish is best!  No trouble for the outsiders!”
    A block later , both Sindar and Lionel rounded on him.  “I thought Marik said you were one of his smart kids.  How dimwitted can you be?”  Lionel said.  “Act like you belong in the city, and let Sindar or I gather information.  Do you want every cutpurse in the city targeting us?  This isn’t Brigg, where a scandal to Phillip is a dispute over the price of horseshoes.  People get killed for horseshoes in the city.  We don’t need the attention.”
    “I’m sorry.  It was just an innocent request for directions.” Magi was floored by both the tongue-lashing and his naiveté.
    “Lad, there be no innocent requests.   Marik wants ye hardened up a bit—I see why now.  Get yer feet moving and like the Ranger says—keep yer trap shut. ”  Sindar let his gaze linger as Magi stared at his enormous head with its jet black eyes and jet black hair and beard.  He nodded, but didn’t drop his gaze.
    “Not to get us off topic, but how do you propose we find the library if we don’t ask?”  Kyle put voice to the obvious question.
    “We never said anything about not asking.  It’s a matter of who we ask, when we ask, where we ask, and how we ask ,”  Lionel said with a grin.