The Nine Bishops

Startled awake, Mika took a moment to catch her breath. Another dream, another rude awakening. This was not the father-daughter reunion she’d imagined. Being killed by him while he said he loved her! She looked down to see if she was wounded for real. Just as after the last dream, she was perfectly whole, though the spot where she’d been struck felt cool to the touch.

Mika resolved to talk to Master Beng about her dreams after all, since he had alluded to knowing something about them in their first conversation. She looked around her room. Nothing had changed but for the plate of food that had been placed on her desk, evidently the supper Tink had promised to bring her. Hungry, she got up and quickly devoured it—some kind of steak and mashed potatoes. It was already cold, which meant she’d been asleep for a while, perhaps all night. But she thought she’d never tasted anything so delicious in her life. She decided to ask Tink who prepared it.

Feeling rested and full, Mika departed the room with her belongings. Though she was hoping to get settled to the point where she would not need to travel with everything on her back, she was still uncomfortable leaving her few possessions unattended. She wanted verification from Master Beng himself that she was officially an Eagle.

When she got to the common area of the guild house, Mika saw a woman she didn’t recognize, about seventy years old, sitting in a rocking chair, knitting.

“Good morning, I’m Mika,” she said enthusiastically.

The woman looked up and returned Mika’s smile. In the blink of an eye she was no longer elderly, but a beautiful young woman, blonde and blue-eyed. The transformation caught Mika by surprise.

“Nice to meet you, Mika. Welcome to the guild! I’m Roxanne!” the woman said. “I’m sorry if I startled you, but I wanted to make myself more presentable.” Roxanne smiled, got out of her rocking chair, and gave Mika a hug.

Strangely, the hug felt natural and welcome compared to some of the hugs Mika had experienced with strangers. Mika didn’t hesitate to ask about Roxanne’s power, since it was so obvious.

“So, what is your magic then? Changing ages?” Mika asked, amazed to be meeting her first Eagle mage.

“That, among many other things,” she said playfully. “A smart mage never reveals her secrets! So how are you liking the guild?” Roxanne asked.

“Well, it’s technically my first day, so I’m trying to figure things out still. The place feels empty. Are there others around?”

“There’s only six of us, you know. Well, not including you. It’s Lawrence, Pudge, Manard, Doc, Tink, and me … that’s it!” Roxanne explained happily.

Mika knew the Eagles were selective, but five mages was far fewer than she’d anticipated. The book she had read indicated there were over fifty Eagles, at least in their heyday. Other guilds had numbers in the hundreds. There was no way the War Eagles could compete with other guilds with so few members, even if they were all Bishop-level quality.

Everything Marie had said was becoming more real to Mika. The War Eagles were meeting fewer of her expectations by the hour, and she was beginning to feel unsure of her decision to stay. Maybe Zaya was right, she thought. But for now, Mika decided to make most of her situation.

“Do you know where Master Beng might be? I need to talk to him, actually.”

“Lawrence? I heard him stumble in late last night. He should be down in his study, but who knows what state he is in.” Roxanne was smiling. Mika was beginning to realize that she was a very upbeat and positive woman.

“In that case, I’ll leave you to your knitting. I need to go speak with him,” Mika replied.

“It was nice to meet you, Mika. I’ll be seeing you later!” Roxanne exclaimed, returning to her work.

Mika made her way down to the basement, where Master Beng’s study was. Tink was already down there, organizing things in the historic space. It was now extremely tidy, in contrast to the day before. When Tink saw Mika walk in, he stopped what he was doing to greet her.

“Good morning, Mika. Sorry about your dinner last night, by the way. I saw you were asleep and I thought just to leave it in case you woke up,” Tink said apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it! In fact, I ate the food this morning and it was absolutely delicious. Was it you who made it?”

“Yeah. I’ll make sure to get you something fresh next time. It’ll taste a lot better, I promise you. So what brings you down here?” Tink said, resuming his organizing.

“I’m actually here to talk to Master Beng about the contract I completed. Is he around?”

“Yes, but you might not want to talk to him right now. He’s not much of a morning person,” Tink suggested.

“It’s pretty urgent, though,” Mika added.

“Well, I guess that now that you are an Eagle it’s best for you to see for yourself what he can be like,” he said, as if Mika was about to learn a lesson.

Tink did Mika the honor of banging on the door to Master Beng’s study. After several knocks, the door slammed open.

“Tink? Is that you?” a groggy voice croaked from somewhere on the floor. “Be a good boy and go whip up something fried for me,” Master Beng groaned. Mika peered in to see Master Beng lying in a pile of bottles and papers on the floor, facedown.

“Master Beng, Mika is here to discuss something with you. I’ll go make you some of my potato fritters right now,” Tink said. He whispered “good luck” to Mika before he ran upstairs to the kitchen.

“Who is Mika?” Master Beng asked more groggily, and clearly hung over.

The question had been aimed at the departed Tink, but Mika replied, as boldly as she dared: “Master Beng, I’m the one you asked to complete the contract. You said if I completed it, I would become an Eagle.”

“Well, did you complete it?” Master Beng asked, his voice muffled because his face was still facing the floor.

“Why yes, would you like to see it?” Mika answered.

“Bring it over here!” Master Beng said, shifting to make himself more comfortable.

Mika was unsure of how to hand it to him, since Master Beng made no attempt to get up. Mika slowly approached the drunk guild master. Without even looking at the contract, Master Beng said, “Welcome to the War Eagles. Go talk to Tink and he’ll square you away. Now let me rest for just a minute.”

Mika, feeling annoyed and disappointed by Master Beng’s behavior, left without another word, contract still in hand. She looked at the contract, again. This time it had an additional signature. How did he sign this? Mika wondered as she went upstairs. By then she followed her nose and found Tink at work in the kitchen, cooking on a cast-iron skillet. A very fat, balding man was watching him over his shoulder. He looked to be almost fifty and had at least three chins. He was the fattest man Mika had ever seen.

“That smells amazing,” Mika said, to get their attention. But neither looked at Mika. The fat man, who was running his tongue over his lips, didn’t take his eyes off the food in the skillet, as though he cared about nothing else in the world.

“Oh, Mika, that was shorter than I expected,” Tink said, acknowledging her presence though he kept his eyes on his work. “Hope you aren’t too discouraged by the way the master acted. Maybe a potato fritter will lift your spirits.”

He’d read her emotions perfectly.

“Yeah, that would definitely lift up my spirits,” Mika said, her mouth watering at the sight of the fritters.

Tink found a plate and loaded a handful of potato fritters onto the plate. Mika was confused; it appeared to be only enough for one person, but he seemed to be finished cooking. The fat man looked at Tink hopefully, and Tink nodded. In a moment there were four identical plates with potato fritters on them. The fat man grabbed one of the plates immediately and began eating.

Tink grabbed two plates and handed one to Mika. “I’ll be right back,” he said, making his way towards Master Beng’s study. Mika seized the opportunity to introduce herself.

“Sorry to interrupt your eating, but I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Mika,” she said, smiling.

The fat man kept eating enthusiastically, but muttered one word: “Pudge.” Had Roxanne not mentioned that one of the other mages in the guild was named Pudge, Mika would not have known what he said, since he had a fistful of food in his mouth.

Mika waited for him to engage, but he continued to wolf down the food. She tried again. “So, how long have you been a War Eagle?”

“Ten years,” Pudge responded, still shoveling food into his mouth.

Tink returned to the kitchen. Mika took one bite of her potato fritter and immediately loved it. Even though she had already eaten, she couldn’t resist indulging in such a delicious treat.

“Where did you get so good at cooking?” she asked Tink.

“Food is kind of my specialty, but it’s kind of a long story. I forgot to mention this to you earlier, but we actually need to go get your crest before the induction ceremony tonight,” Tink said, quickly changing the topic.

“Oh, really? What’s the crest?” Mika replied excitedly. She hadn’t known there would be a formal ceremony.

“The crest is basically the tattoo that all guild members have. If you want to be a full-fledged Eagle, you are going to have to get one,” Tink explained.

Mika felt dumb. She knew the tattoo was called a crest but had forgotten. The prospect of getting her crest was exciting. “So, when and where are we going to get it?” she asked.

“We actually need to leave now. You have an appointment at Crest Hall, where they do all of the crestings,” Tink explained.

Mika had been so engrossed in their conversation that she just noticed now that Pudge had left the kitchen, taking one of the plates of potato fritters with him.

The two set off, walking together along the beach boardwalk. This time, Mika, feeling sheepish, noticed the many signs warning mages to stay off of the sand, which she had missed before. She waited until they were some distance from the guild house to ask about the fritter-eating mage.

“So, what is Pudge’s problem?”

“Don’t think anything of it. That man only cares about food. It’s nothing personal. In case you were wondering about his magic, it’s an odd form of Projection and Manipulation. He can duplicate just about anything,” Tink explained.

“Even people?” Mika asked curiously.

“I’ve wondered that myself. It’s a question he won’t answer, as if there was some bad history involved.”

Mika and Tink talked about the guild and the members she had met, but nothing too specific. She simply wanted to know more about the people she was going to be sharing guild life with. Tink seemed able to answer almost any question. Mika was about to ask him more specifically about his own story, when he announced, “This is it. We’re here!”

It was an elegantly ornate building, bedecked with a banner that read Crest Hall.

“Do you think you can find your way back? I have to go get things for the induction ceremony tonight,” Tink asked.

“Oh, I thought we were going to go back together,” Mika said. “I should be fine to get back on my own. I have a map, anyway. Do you know how long this is going to take?”

“I honestly don’t know much about the cresting. No one really talks about it. We also haven’t had anyone join the guild since I’ve been around,” Tink explained. He reached into his satchel and pulled out an envelope with a War Eagles seal on it. “Master said you will need this when you go in there. It has instructions for Gaston, the one who will be administering the cresting,” Tink said, handing over the envelope.

“Okay, I guess I will see you later today, then,” Mika said, smiling as she waved him goodbye.

The building’s lobby was empty but for a front desk with a bell on it. On the wall above the counter were eight banners, each with the crest of one of the public guilds. Mika rang the bell. Momentarily, a long-haired man dressed in fine red clothes, wearing a beret, appeared.

“You must be Mika. I was expecting you,” he said. “I had to alter my whole schedule today because you are the first person in a while requiring a crest. My name is Gaston, and I will be the one administering the crest. If you would come to the back with me…”

Mike followed his lead to a room furnished with a single chair in it and a table on which an assortment of needles was laid out. Mika, slightly alarmed, wondered if she was about to have surgery performed on her.

“If I may have the letter you were given,” Gaston asked, holding out his open hand. Mika handed him the sealed letter, and Gaston asked Mika to sit in the chair, which she did without hesitation. Mika had expected to at least have a conversation with Gaston, but he was being very businesslike and not at all personable. As he broke the seal and read the letter inside, Gaston’s face turned pale, and then he looked at Mika.

“Is something wrong?”

“I’m not supposed to ask you this, but do you know what you are about to go through? You seem way too calm,” Gaston said, visibly perspiring.

“I’m supposed to get my crest, right?” Mika said, confused.

“I mean, do you know why people do not look forward to getting their crest?” he asked nervously.

She didn’t understand. She knew getting the crest was going to be unpleasant, but it was nothing to be afraid of. “I don’t get what you mean. Is it more painful than any other tattoo? Doesn’t it also depend where you get it?” Mika asked.

“I can tell you have no idea what kind of agony awaits you. Most people fear this more than anything. What do you know about the cresting?” he asked, intensely.

“Not much, really. All I know is that it is the official mark if I want to call myself a guild member,” Mika responded.

“I try to avoid building a relationship with those I crest, because I do not enjoy administering them. But I feel obligated to tell you this, based on what your guild master requested,” Gaston said, adjusting his beret nervously. “Guild masters provide me the ink to crest you. There is one drop in this letter, which is enough for me to complete the cresting. The color of the ink, however, determines how painful the cresting will be. Consider it a final test to see how willing you are to join the guild,” Gaston explained.

“So, how do I pass the test?” Mika asked, wondering if the answer was not as obvious at seemed.

“The ink has an Incantation in it that will make your whole body feel agony. You see there are dozens of colors to choose form. Your master chose red ink, which is the most painful ink. It will be worse than any pain you can imagine. As long as you submit yourself to the ink, the ink will hold. If at any point you can’t bear the pain or ask me to stop, the ink will evaporate and you will never be able to join your guild,” Gaston replied darkly.

Mika had no idea that the cresting was this extreme. She was no longer excited. In fact, she felt fearful about what was about to come.

“How long will this take?”

“It entirely depends. You can ask me to take a break, so it can take as long as needed, but you never get used to the pain. Like I said, as long as you are willing to continue, the ink will hold. Once the crest is complete it will hold forever. I have never administered red ink before. There are only a handful in history that even have red ink. That is why I had to know if you knew what you were getting yourself into,” Gaston said. “If you don’t want to go through it, I wouldn’t blame you. There are only two reasons why your master would have chosen red ink. It was either to test you, or to ensure that you fail, since nothing but agony awaits you.”

Mika was afraid but determined. Master Beng had a red crest. It doesn’t matter if he wants me to fail. I won’t! Mika thought. Even if the War Eagles were ridiculed, Mika knew she ultimately wanted to be one.

“I’m not leaving without that crest,” she said, with grim determination.

Gaston was about to protest, but one look at Mika’s face convinced him he wouldn’t be able to change her mind.

He sighed. “Where would you like to get it, Mika?”

She pointed to the top of her left hand. That answer was easy. She’d always known where she wanted the crest.

Gaston nodded and grabbed one of the needles from the tray on the table. He carefully dipped the quill into the tiny ink spot on the letter. He looked at Mika and asked for her hand. “Remember, if you ask me to quit at any time, the ink won’t hold and this will be over. We can take as long as you would like, as long as you are willing to continue. I’m sorry in advance. There’s nothing personal. Are you ready?” Gaston said, as though still hoping she’d back out.

Mika nodded with utmost certainty. Gaston slowly brought the needle down onto to Mika’s hand. As soon as the thin point made contact, her entire body was shot through with immense pain. Mika gave out the loudest cry she had ever made. It felt like her skin was being ripped off all over her body. Tears sprang into her eyes.

“Shall we continue? It won’t get any less painful,” Gaston asked, worriedly.

Mika looked down at her hand and saw a tiny speck of red: one step closer to being an Eagle. Gritting her teeth, she knew she wouldn’t be able to endure the pain for herself. She would endure it for her aunt and uncle. This was for Bella, and for dear Sam.

“Continue,” she told Gaston, “and don’t stop for any reason.”