“These are my orders,” Quint told the soldier behind the counter.
“I am to deliver this to the officer in charge,” Quint said.
The soldier pulled a distasteful face and called out for the Officer of the Day. A man came out and took Quint’s orders. He casually unsealed the envelope and looked at Quint before reading.
“Interesting, a hubite. Come with me,” The officer said. He led Quint down into the basement to an office with a large window looking out into the corridor.
“A new worker,” the officer said. “This one is a Level 3 and has been given the rank of corporal. I’m sure you know what that means.”
The woman in the office looked at the orders. “I do. He will have to work in a full uniform and take up one of my two extra rooms.”
The woman didn’t sound happy.
“I’ll leave him to you. He is to participate in field operations. We won’t schedule any magic sessions. He needs time and experience to catch up.”
The woman blinked. “Level 3, you say. A prodigy to learn how to get his hands dirty, but I doubt he will do any catching up while he’s down here.”
“Whatever. We have our orders from headquarters.” The officer winked at the woman.
She laughed and nodded. Quint didn’t know what communication was exchanged, but it wasn’t favorable for him. It was clear he was assigned to be a servant.
“Come with me,” the woman said.
Quint noted that after she read the papers in the sealed envelope, the officer snatched them back. Quint followed the woman to his new home.
The woman was correct about the uniform. The other servants wore gray uniforms. Quint had to wear his black uniform, but his duties were the same.
He mopped floors and emptied garbage. When required, he used some simple strings in his work, like lighting candles and lanterns and cooling off hot rooms before meetings since the weather was heating up.
The other servants ignored him. Some had magical capabilities, but none could match Quint.
After a month of duty, he opened a third-floor door and found a library. It was dark inside, but he lit a magic light and perused the books. There were two shelves with books and folders dedicated to wizardry as well as books in a language Quint couldn’t read.
No sign warned him of trespass, so he began using the library at night after his duties when the building was mostly empty. On an off day, he bought notebooks, pencils, and folders to document his reading.
Since the training camp focused on teaching strings, Quint missed out on a good grounding in the philosophy and origin of magic, and Quint started with that. It was quickly apparent that the underlying magic theory was given little emphasis at Fort Draco. Even Pozella hadn’t given him the insight he was learning, but then the trainers were focused on teaching strings, not magic theory.
Quint learned that energy absorption was thought to be a critical differentiator between those who could manipulate magic and those who couldn’t. Quint wasn’t so sure it was that simple, but being sequestered in the basement of the Strategic Operations building wouldn’t help Quint gain much power.
After cooling a conference room, Quint began rearranging the chairs when a group of officers filed in. He waited for them to go through the door before leaving. The last one to enter was a familiar face.
Talia Occo, his city guide, walked in carrying portfolios. He noticed lieutenant badges on her shoulders. She stopped and gave Quint a smirk. He hadn’t expected such an unfriendly greeting.
“Amaria, bring the handouts,” a colonel said.
She lifted her chin and walked directly to the colonel. Quint caught her glancing at him as he left.
Amaria, he thought. Even her name was false. Quint suspected his tour wasn’t a success. Other than being released from the service or executed for not measuring up, Quint couldn’t imagine a worse outcome after his testing.
At least he still was the only servant with a private room. All the others shared rooms, and Quint was often reminded of the fact. However, he never neglected his duties, and other than his nocturnal self-study, he abided by the rules he was given.
Quint knew he was moving too fast through the magic section, so he branched into military strategy and history. With nothing else to do, Quint was absorbing more than what the books at the fort had to offer, and the library had become his new home.
When he had a day off, Quint walked around Bocarre with his sleeves rolled up to absorb more sunlight. He could feel his magic strengthen when he returned to his building. He approached his superior, the woman in charge of the servants.
“Is there a place on the grounds where I can get some sun rather than wait for my days off?” Quint asked.
The woman worked her lips in thought. “Out the back, there is a courtyard lined with chairs. You didn’t hear me mention it. Wizards go there all the time. You might not be welcome, but you have never complained about your situation, and I owe you something for how you’ve handled your post.”
Quint gave the woman a grin and a salute. “Thank you, ma’am.”
He expected a frigid response from everyone, and his superior had thawed out enough to make his day. After a short break in his schedule, he stepped out the back door and found the courtyard.
“Corporal,” an officer said, “bring me some of that pink punch you people serve.”
“Yes, sir,” Quint said. He quickly went to the kitchen and had a cook prepare a tray with a snack. The officer was still seated. Quint didn’t know the officer's rank since his uniform tunic was off.
“Your drink, sir,” Quint said, putting the tray next to the officer.
“I didn’t think. Are you here to get some sun?”
“I just found out about this place, sir,” Quint said.
“What level?”
“I am a Level 3, sir, but I am too young for a commission.”
