Read Online The Reluctant Mage: Book One in the Zandar Series by R. E. Donnellan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: R. E. Donnellan
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end your kick past your target. If you are kicking a kneecap, end your kick behind your adversary’s knee.”
Chapter X: The Imperial Orphanage
After the best night’s sleep he had in weeks, Marko woke up to his uncle’s light shoves. “Get up, Marko. Get used to waking up before dawn. The sooner you get used to it, the easier it will be for you at the school.”
Marko started to get out of his bed, but was stopped by his aching body.
Was that from practicing in my sleep or a lumpy mattress?
Marko changed into his cleanest set of clothes, packed a small backpack of his essentials and proudly strapped on this short sword. He followed his uncle down to the common room for a light breakfast of bread and cheese. “I’ll be back in three months m’boy. I will check in on you to make sure you are getting settled in.”
“Thanks Uncle Kris. I appreciate everything you are doing for me. I will try to represent the family well.”
“I am sure you will, never doubted it for a moment. Now let’s get you there before classes start.”
They left the inn and walked up the hill on Simmons Street. Marko wondered who Simmons was and what he did to deserve a street named after him. After several minutes, they started walking alongside a tall wall made up of red stones. At the top of the wall were small statues of men spaced every ten yards or so. He almost bumped into his uncle as he was studying the statues.
They had stopped at a large gate. The two doors were made of a dark wood banded in some kind of metal. His uncle rapped loudly on one of the doors and waited. Marko looked up the street and saw that people were beginning to walk to work and run their errands. He turned around when a door in the larger gate he had not noticed opened up. A slightly stooped man peered through the door at his uncle and then Marko.
“May I help you?” he asked.
“Thank you, yes,” his uncle replied. “I have here a new student for you. I would like to speak with the headmaster to arrange for his tuition and boarding.”
The man looked quickly at Marko. “Certainly, sir. Please follow me. The headmaster should be in his office.”
Marko followed the two men through a wide courtyard in the shape of a large rectangle. The courtyard was surrounded by three-story buildings made out of the same red stone as the wall. The courtyard itself was made of crushed stone, probably slate, he guessed. The man led the two of them to the far building at the end of the courtyard. He saw several men departing from the front entrance. Each man was wearing a dark blue tunic and carrying books.
The man led then through the front door and up a wide staircase to the third floor. He stopped at a desk were a boy roughly the same age as Marko was sitting. “Baltar, we have a new student with us. Would you check to see if Headmaster Sorrell is available?”
“Yes, Teacher Milsevic. One moment, please.” The boy got up from his desk, walked over to a slightly opened door and quietly went inside. Here was there for only a moment, when he came back and gave him a nod.
The three of them walked into a large office. Both sides were lined with tall bookshelves. At the end off the office was a large desk with a man getting up from behind it.
“Welcome to the Imperial Orphanage. I am Headmaster Sorrell. I have been told that you have a boy that would like to enroll?”
“Yes, Headmaster. I am Professor Norac of Comte. I would like to enroll my nephew here, Marko Kunich. I have all the necessary fees available for payment.”
“Certainly, Professor, certainly. And how old is Marko?”
“He turns fifteen next month. I know he is starting here late, but I have verified his bookwork. In fact I would consider him slightly ahead of standard. His mother is a former student at the Universite and has tutored young Marko since he was a babe. As far as blade skills, he is
Chapter X: The Imperial Orphanage
After the best night’s sleep he had in weeks, Marko woke up to his uncle’s light shoves. “Get up, Marko. Get used to waking up before dawn. The sooner you get used to it, the easier it will be for you at the school.”
Marko started to get out of his bed, but was stopped by his aching body.
Was that from practicing in my sleep or a lumpy mattress?
Marko changed into his cleanest set of clothes, packed a small backpack of his essentials and proudly strapped on this short sword. He followed his uncle down to the common room for a light breakfast of bread and cheese. “I’ll be back in three months m’boy. I will check in on you to make sure you are getting settled in.”
“Thanks Uncle Kris. I appreciate everything you are doing for me. I will try to represent the family well.”
“I am sure you will, never doubted it for a moment. Now let’s get you there before classes start.”
They left the inn and walked up the hill on Simmons Street. Marko wondered who Simmons was and what he did to deserve a street named after him. After several minutes, they started walking alongside a tall wall made up of red stones. At the top of the wall were small statues of men spaced every ten yards or so. He almost bumped into his uncle as he was studying the statues.
They had stopped at a large gate. The two doors were made of a dark wood banded in some kind of metal. His uncle rapped loudly on one of the doors and waited. Marko looked up the street and saw that people were beginning to walk to work and run their errands. He turned around when a door in the larger gate he had not noticed opened up. A slightly stooped man peered through the door at his uncle and then Marko.
“May I help you?” he asked.
“Thank you, yes,” his uncle replied. “I have here a new student for you. I would like to speak with the headmaster to arrange for his tuition and boarding.”
The man looked quickly at Marko. “Certainly, sir. Please follow me. The headmaster should be in his office.”
Marko followed the two men through a wide courtyard in the shape of a large rectangle. The courtyard was surrounded by three-story buildings made out of the same red stone as the wall. The courtyard itself was made of crushed stone, probably slate, he guessed. The man led the two of them to the far building at the end of the courtyard. He saw several men departing from the front entrance. Each man was wearing a dark blue tunic and carrying books.
The man led then through the front door and up a wide staircase to the third floor. He stopped at a desk were a boy roughly the same age as Marko was sitting. “Baltar, we have a new student with us. Would you check to see if Headmaster Sorrell is available?”
“Yes, Teacher Milsevic. One moment, please.” The boy got up from his desk, walked over to a slightly opened door and quietly went inside. Here was there for only a moment, when he came back and gave him a nod.
The three of them walked into a large office. Both sides were lined with tall bookshelves. At the end off the office was a large desk with a man getting up from behind it.
“Welcome to the Imperial Orphanage. I am Headmaster Sorrell. I have been told that you have a boy that would like to enroll?”
“Yes, Headmaster. I am Professor Norac of Comte. I would like to enroll my nephew here, Marko Kunich. I have all the necessary fees available for payment.”
“Certainly, Professor, certainly. And how old is Marko?”
“He turns fifteen next month. I know he is starting here late, but I have verified his bookwork. In fact I would consider him slightly ahead of standard. His mother is a former student at the Universite and has tutored young Marko since he was a babe. As far as blade skills, he is
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