CH 3 Middle Age
BY SW MO HERMIT
MY THANKS TO ANNE N. MOUSE FOR BETA READ AND SUGGESTION.
After the excitement of the battle and cleaning up the mess, Warren tried to return to a more pastoral, sedate life. He found he enjoyed the slow, simple life he had here. Of course, being a Wizard, he didn't have the backbreaking work the common man had. He watched his people and the townspeople toil in hard physical labor day in and day out and felt somewhat sad that all they knew was hard work with very little joy in their life. He wanted to do something about that but felt as if he was limited in what he could do. He did try to provide good food and what creature comforts he could for his people but still wanted to provide more.
Warren and Gloria still held morning "office hours" in the common room of the local Inn for those who needed healing or other wizarding work. The Innkeeper even agreed to stop charging them for the space when he discovered his business increased significantly with them there. It seems the people who came to see the Wizard purchased a drink or meal or both much of the time. Some even purchased a room for a day or two. The days Warren and Gloria weren't there, profits for the Inn were less and he noticed.
Afternoons, Warren and Gloria returned to the island to work there. Sometimes they worked on projects for customers, sometimes on personal projects. Of course, both of them spent a lot of time studying magic and trying to develop new spells or remedies for illness too. At first, Warren spent a lot of time perfecting his last discovery, teleportation. With a little practice, he found he could teleport to any destination he could see easily. It took some time for him to be able to teleport to a place he had been but, for limited distances, he could finally do that although he had to be able to visualize it clearly in his mind's eye for the teleportation to work. Try as he might, however, he could not teleport back to his home reality.
One evening Warren popped back into the house from a quick trip to town and was complaining to Gloria about his inability to return home once again. She said, "My Lord Husband, do you not realize only a very few can travel the dimensions? You're extremely lucky to have the ability to, as you call it, teleport. I only know of three wizards who can travel between the dimensions like my Father does. Only a few others can teleport and many, in fact, most of them can only jump, as we call it, to places they can see. Even if they can see the location they're going to they are still very limited as to distance. Most can only go what you would call a quarter mile. Perhaps, if he ever comes to see us Father can teach you how to travel the dimensions, assuming you harbor the power for such a spell."
"Oh, I didn't know. I thought it was all the same thing."
"No, my dear. I don't know how to do either, though I've tried to follow as you explained the teleporting to me. It takes great ability to teleport and to use the mind magic to lift and throw objects as you do."
A dejected Warren gave Gloria a tight hug and kiss before he returned to his office/study and his never ending quest for knowledge. He decided he had teleporting and the lantern spells down pat so he turned his attention to other work.
The years passed, and Warren's knowledge and reputation grew. His small town prospered and grew into, for the times, a fairly large city. No one knew for sure but it was rumored there were over 4,000 people living in the town. Thanks to Warren's insistence on good hygiene and his limited ability to produce medications and treat illness and wounds they were very healthy. Infant and child mortality plummeted causing great growth and much adoration for the Wizard Warren. He and Gloria were credited for keeping everyone healthy because of "spells" rather than just the simple cleanliness they demanded.
As the town grew Warren also insisted on installing sewers to handle the waste. Instead of pulling their water from the river, he made them locate springs and pipe the water to town. They used all the water from two springs thus insuring a clean, safe drinking water supply as well.
Apprentice hopefuls continued to arrive, convinced he could teach them how to become a powerful wizard as he was. Many had the desire but no talent and were sent on their way. Others were accepted into what had become a school system for the city. After they mastered reading, writing and arithmetic (the 3 R's—Readin', Ritin' and 'Rithmetic) those who had potential for some sort of magic were taken to Wizard's Island for further training.
The training on the island was broken down into classes as was any proper school curriculum. Every magically capable person had to take the entry level class. There was no set time limit to complete the course of study, rather they studied until they passed the exit exams or it was determined they never would (or the student voluntarily left or was expelled for some reason). This course consisted of what Warren and Gloria called Magic Theory, Ethics, and Introduction to Health and Medicine.
After completing the entry level class the hopeful Wizard or Wizardess could specialize if they so desired (There were separate classes for those few who were unable to become full Wizards such as the Healers and Hedge Witches previously mentioned). Some wanted only to enchant items, some only to learning healing magic and a few only to travel strangely enough although most wanted to be generalists and study it all. The various specialties took various lengths of time for the course, once again, not "graduating" until they could pass the exams.
As was bound to happen, one day a young woman appeared in town hunting Warren the Wizard. He had already left for the day so the Innkeeper graciously agreed to rent her a room and sell her meals until he returned the next day. She was waiting on him in the common room when he popped in the next morning.
The young lady screamed, jumped and almost pushed her chair over backwards when Warren popped into existence only a couple of feet from where she was sitting at his normal table. After she recovered somewhat she pulled a small club from her belt, confronted Warren and said, "You Son of a Bitch! What's the idea jumping out at me like that? Now get the hell away from me before I hand you your ass."
Of course, Warren was somewhat upset because he startled the woman. Most people around knew he popped in and were no longer surprised. Also, no one, but no one dared sit at his table as this woman had done. He said, "I'm sorry I startled you lady but if you don't put that stick away right now I'm going to stick it up your ass. This is my table and I use it for business. I'm surprised no one told you that."
"Who the hell do you think you are, the Godfather or Superman? I think this table belongs to the Inn here for their customers to use. Now leave me alone, I'm waiting on Warren the Wizard then I'll be on my way and you can have the damn table."
Warren laughed and said, "What can I do for you?"
"Nothing you oaf. I'm waiting on the Wizard I said."
"Yes, I heard you. I'm Warren, the local Wizard. Now, how may I help you?"
