Chapter 1

Magnus put the last piece of his clothing in the bag and closed it with a barely audible sigh. No more reasons to delay. No more excuses to prolong the moment. It was time. He took one last look at what used to be his room, the place where he slept his whole life - all nineteen years of it. Change is hard, Magnus. That is what his father used to say.

“It is hard, but this time it is also necessary...” Magnus thought, shouldering his bag and going out the door. His mother and father were out in the field, working it. He would have been there as well if things turned out differently. But there was no point dwelling on things he couldn’t change.

He crossed the field, wishing to say goodbye to his parents. This was the most difficult part. Well, second most difficult. Saying goodbye to Lina would be even harder.

“Mother, father ... it is time for me to go.”

“So, you are sticking to your decision then ... All right, son. It is your decision to make. I wish you good luck, and I want you to know you can always return home,” John said with affection and solemnity in his voice.

“Oh, Magnus ... Why do you have to go ... Stay with us, son, we will find a way to make it work ... please,” Miriam said with tears in her eyes. Magnus could barely contain his own tears. He had to be strong for all of their sakes.

“I will come back, one day. I will not forget you. I love you both,” Magnus said, his voice trembling.

“Oh, my beautiful son ... We love you so much. Oh gods, I will wait for the day you come back to us...” Miriam said, crying now. John just nodded, but his eyes were glistening as well.

“Where is Lina?” Magnus asked after a moment of solemn silence.

“She is at the edge of the forest, gathering mushrooms,” his father replied.

Magnus turned to go. Delaying it any longer would be torture. After making several steps he turned around to wave at his parents who were watching him go, holding each other in an embrace. Magnus hurried his steps with a wrenching feeling in his gut. One last goodbye before his new life began. A little while later, he saw his sister picking mushrooms beneath a tree. He smiled. He loved his little sister so much. He knew this would be so hard on her. They had always been close. Lina smiled when she saw him coming her way.

“Did you come to help me pick mushrooms? What took you so long?” Lina said and smacked his arm.

“Ouch!” Magnus said, rubbing his arm in an exaggerated way, but smiling all along. Then, as he looked at his sister’s eyes, his complexion turned sad and serious.

“Lina ... I have talked to you about this before ... It is time for me to go...”

Lina’s smile vanished instantly, replaced with fear and anxiety.

“No! I don’t want to hear about it! You are not going anywhere!”

“I am so sorry pumpkin, I wish I could stay, but I can’t...”

“No, you are making this up! You just want to go and leave us ... to leave ME...” she said with a sad face that would melt stone.

“Don’t say such things Lina ... you know I love you more than anything ... I HAVE to go...”

“Then take me with you!”

“Yeah, right ... I can barely take care of myself. It is going to be hard for me ... especially if he doesn’t accept me ... Either way, where I am going there is no place for a thirteen-year-old girl. Not to mention it would completely destroy Mother and Father. No Lina ... I have to go, and you have to stay, my pumpkin...”

“That is not fair!” Lina said, bursting into tears.

“I know it’s not ... I know...” Magnus said, embracing her.

“Will I see you again...?” Lina asked when she found her voice.

“It might take a long time, pumpkin, but I promise you, we will see each other again,” Magnus said, finding the strength to smile at his sister. “Now, this will be hard on them, so I need you to be strong and comfort them, help them,” Magnus said, wiping the tears from her face. Lina nodded sadly and then hugged him hard. He bent to kiss the top of her head and then slowly and gently eased himself out of her embrace.

“Don’t forget what I said, pumpkin. I will be back one day. Until then, take care of our family, be strong for them,” Magnus said and then turned to go, offering one last encouraging smile to his little sister. Lina watched her brother go into the big wide world, tears streaming down her pretty face.

“Soon I will have to find a place to camp,” Magnus thought as the world around him was slowly being drained of light. He had been walking the whole day and he was beginning to feel it in his muscles. He could probably continue walking, but traveling during the night would be quite reckless, and he would be exhausted long before reaching his destination. No, he had to camp for the night. He soon found a suitable spot and he began gathering firewood. Sometime later, he was sitting in front of the fire and eating his modest meal. He glanced at his bag.

“All my worldly possessions can fit in one bag,” Magnus thought with a chuckle.

“A change of clothes, some rations, several coppers, and a knife ... If anything, I am probably safe from bandits ... Hell, they would even take pity on me and leave me some coppers, maybe even a full silver coin,” Magnus mused with a smile. “The fire should be enough against natural nightly predators, so I don’t think I am in any real danger here...”

When he finished eating, he stretched out on the ground. The ground was much harder than his bed. It was not his first time to sleep on the ground, though. He wasn’t some pampered nobleman, complaining about the lack of comfort. The farm life he had led so far certainly wasn’t easy and comfortable. Putting his hands under his head, Magnus closed his eyes and went deep into his thoughts.

“Tomorrow evening I should reach Fairfield ... Maybe I will even have time to find Brennus ... Otherwise, I will just sleep in an inn, and try to find him the following day. I just hope he accepts me as his apprentice ... Either way, he is the only wizard I have ever heard of, and I don’t know what to do if he doesn’t accept me ... Maybe just find some work so I don’t starve and see what happens next? Yeah ... how did I even get here...” Magnus asked himself, even though he already knew the answer.

“Magic ... such a strange, rare thing ... so why me? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone having magical abilities, nor has anyone I know ever talked about people who could do magic ... Wizard Brennus is the only exception...” Magnus thought, as his mind wandered off to that moment of his life when he realized things would never be the same again.

He was barely 18 then, and he was lying in his bed and fantasizing about the miller’s daughter, a pretty plump girl, a little older than him, and Magnus would have loved to squeeze her big breasts and ... and then it came ... Magnus had felt a funny sensation in his eyes and just like that, the table next to his bed went on fire! He couldn’t believe it. There had been no candle on that table, there had been nothing there that could have set it off. He quickly rose and dabbed at the fire with his blanket. Even if it wasn’t a big fire, it was hard to put down ... it didn’t feel natural. In the end, he had to quench it with a jug of water. He was so restless that night...

The following days he managed to put it all out of his mind, but a couple of months later, another incident happened. He was in the kitchen, thinking about Mrs. Adams, a widow who owned a farm several miles east of their own. She had a son and two adult daughters, and the daughters were fine-looking, but it was Mrs. Adams who always drew his eyes. She was a curvy woman, and she always provoked him in some seductive way when he was around. She would either lean forward, so he could see into her bosom, or she would bend over as if picking something from the floor and thus show him her rump in all its curvy glory. Damn, he would have loved to bury his face in that round piece of heaven, he would ... and then it happened again! Two clay pots that hung in the kitchen simply exploded, showering him with debris and injuring his arms in a few places. It was a wonder he hadn’t been injured any worse than that. That was when he finally realized he wasn’t just an ordinary farm boy. No, there was something else in him, and he was clearly a danger to himself, but more than that, he was a danger to his family. Next time maybe he would injure his parents or his sister ... Hell, these things tended to happen when he was aroused, so what would happen when he actually lay with a woman? He could burn the whole house down! No ... This was the only decision he could have made. He was an adult now, he had to go and try to learn about his ability ... his curse, and hopefully learn to control it somehow.

His parents knew the truth, and understood the need, even if they were devastated to see him go. So now, all his hopes resided on the wizard who had often been seen in Fairfield, and who would hopefully be willing to take him as his apprentice ... and teach him.

Worrying as those thoughts were, his body was too tired for him to stay awake for long. Soon enough he drifted into sleep, while the fire kept going for quite some time, before slowly dwindling to embers. When Magnus woke up in the morning, the embers were already cold. He stretched his limbs, ate his modest meal, and then continued his journey. Here and there, he passed other travelers, some on a horse, some with horses pulling their carts that contained their product, and the closer he got to Fairfield, the more people he encountered. In the afternoon, he could already see the smoke from chimneys, and just before evening came, he finally stepped into the town itself.

Fairfield was a sizeable town. Its importance came from the fact that the town was located on major merchant routes. Food, grain, and other farming products, but also iron and copper, important ores for the kingdom, passed through the town in considerable amounts. That fact brought a large portion of trade to the town, so the town grew, its economy completely oriented around trade and the needs of merchants. The town was run by its mayor and a small council. The mayor was appointed by the king, and the council was elected among influential citizens, but merchants were the true masters of the town.

Magnus watched the vast number of houses, and the river of people that crawled on its streets. It was his first time in a town of this size. Before Fairfield, the largest town he visited was Brook’s Creek, and it was a town in name only, it was actually just a large village. With a hint of apprehension, he joined the stream of people walking its streets. He needed to find Brennus or an inn before nightfall. Feeling cautious, he asked around for an inn and soon he was directed towards the largest inn in the town – The King’s Pride. There were other inns, closer than King’s Pride, but he figured he was going to get the best information in the most important inn in the town.

The night was already falling when Magnus entered The King’s Pride. The smell of roast and baked bread hit his nostrils and his ears were immediately assaulted by the cacophony of voices. The inn was big, very big. There were a lot of tables filled with people, mostly men, but there were women too, and all wearing decent clothes. This was obviously a respectable place. Feeling out of place, Magnus walked to the bar.

“Um, hi. I would like to rent a room, please.”

The innkeeper eyed him up and down with a dismissive look.

“Can you afford a room, boy?”

“I ... think so. How much is it?”

“A room and a meal will cost you one silver piece.”

“Huh, that much?” Magnus replied, his hopes going down.

“This is the best inn in the town, lad. You might want to search for some cheaper inns at the rim of the town...”

“It is night already ... Do you have anything cheaper to offer to spend the night? I am not picky.”

“Well, for a few coppers you can sleep in the corner of the common room, but you will be sleeping on the floor, not on a cot,” the innkeeper replied apologetically.

“That is not a problem. Thank you.”

Magnus looked around the inn once again. It was hard to spot anything among so many people.

“Sir, do you by any chance know wizard Brennus? Is he in town, perhaps?”

“What business do you have with him, lad?” the innkeeper replied doubtfully.

“I need to ask him about becoming his apprentice,” Magnus replied, trying to look confident.

The innkeeper raised an eyebrow, and then, trying to hide his smile, replied.

“You are in luck, boy. That is him right there,” the innkeeper said, pointing. “The man in the blue vest.”

“Some luck finally!” Magnus thought and went to the table the innkeeper pointed to, suddenly aware of the attention he was attracting.

“Good evening, Sir. Are you Wizard Brennus?”

“I was, the last time I checked, lad,” the man replied. He was dark-haired with streaks of grey, and had an elongated nose and a sizeable beard. His intelligent eyes studied Magnus with amusement.

“Great! My name is Magnus, and I want to become your apprentice,” Magnus said matter of fact.

The statement provoked several chuckles from the nearby tables, and Magnus soon realized he was becoming the center of attention.

“Is that so, lad...” the wizard replied, an amused smile appearing on his face.

“Yes. I believe I have magical ability, or however it is called, and I would like you to teach me to use it, to control it.”

“I see. You are obviously prepared to pay for this, lad? The apprenticeship for a skilled wizard is no small thing.”

“Eh, of course, I am prepared to pay, to work for it...” Magnus replied, insecurity seeping into his voice. He noticed the inn had gone mostly quiet, and so many eyes observed the scene, obviously expecting entertainment.

“Really? So you can afford to pay me five hundred gold pieces for a three-year apprenticeship?” The wizard asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Five hundred gold pieces!?” Magnus said with disbelief. “No, I don’t have that much money...” Magnus replied, his shoulders slumping down in defeat.

“How much do you have?”

“Seven coppers...” Magnus replied in a quiet voice.

“How much?”

“Seven coppers,” Magnus replied with more force this time. He realized he was being the butt of a joke.

Laughter erupted all over the inn. The wizard just chuckled good-naturedly.

“So I am supposed to just give up on 499 gold, 99 silver, and 93 copper pieces?” Brennus replied when the laughter settled down a bit.

“Well, I can work...” Magnus replied, prompting another bout of laughter.

“That is most commendable, lad,” the wizard replied when he finally found his breath.

“Tell you what, why don’t you find work and start saving, and we can meet again in this inn in say ... a thousand years?” Brennus said with a chuckle, provoking a third eruption of laughter.

Magnus went crimson with shame and anger. There was no need to laugh at his misfortune. He threw a challenging look all around himself.

“I am sorry lad, really, but being an apprentice to a skilled wizard is a very expensive thing. The knowledge is rare and tough to master, and it takes so much time to teach it and much more to learn it. You should probably turn to something else. You look like a strong and able lad, after all,” the wizard said with a hint of remorse. He had a good laugh, but he clearly didn’t want to rub it in. Magnus nodded and walked away, flustered and defeated. He went to the bar and ordered a beer from the innkeeper.

“Here you go, lad. On the house,” the innkeeper replied with some remorse. Magnus took a swig of the beer and then put his head in his hands.

“The lady over there would like you to join her table,” the waitress said, poking Magnus on the shoulder. Magnus turned his head to look at the pretty waitress. She must have witnessed the scene. Her eyes were full of amusement.

“Why? Am I to amuse the crowd some more?”

The waitress just shrugged.

“I think she really wants to talk to you, but what do I know.”

Magnus sighed.

“All right, then.”

Magnus walked to the table the waitress pointed out. There was just one person occupying that table. Magnus saw a beautiful woman, in her early twenties by his estimate, with long, wavy, dark red hair, and blue eyes, dressed in expensive clothes. He anticipated this might be about making fun of him, so he had an angry attitude walking over, but he felt the anger dissipate as he stared at the beauty in front of him.

“Um, ma’am you asked for me?” Magnus said, his voice brimming with uncertainty.

“Yes, please sit, my boy.”

Magnus sat down with unease. He felt somehow trapped, as he couldn’t fathom why would such an obviously beautiful and classy lady want something to do with a farm boy.

“You are probably wondering why I invited you to my table,” she said after a brief pause.

“Eh, yes...”

“First let’s get some food and drinks, so we can talk comfortably,” the lady said, waving at the waitress.

Several minutes later Magnus was eating roast with an appetite and drinking wine. The lady just sipped at her wine.

“Now, I guess introductions are in order. My name is Fiona,” she said with a disarming smile.

“I am Magnus,” Magnus replied putting down the food. It was impolite to talk with your mouth full, especially to a lady.

“Magnus. Such a nice name,” she said with a hint of mischief. There was something in that smile that made Magnus blush right away. Fiona chuckled at his reaction.

“Anyway, Magnus. I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation with Brennus.”

Magnus made a sour face, making her chuckle once again.

“Oh, I didn’t find it that funny, my boy. I thought you asked a reasonable question there.”

“You did? So he made up that talk about the cost of his teachings?” Magnus said feeling the blood rise in him.

“Oh no, Magnus. The price he told you is perfectly reasonable, I am afraid. He was teasing you, but he said the truth. The apprenticeship to a wizard or a sorceress is very expensive.”

“Oh...” Magnus said, deflating once again.

“But you shouldn’t lose hope, Magnus,” she said with a smile and waved her hand. His glass was lifted slowly towards his hand. He grabbed it instinctively, but kept watching at the glass and Fiona with awe.

“You ... You are a sorceress?”

“Yes, I am.” She said, smiling and looking him in the eyes. Magnus felt almost hypnotized.

“Eh, so ... would you be willing to take me as an apprentice? I mean I have no money ... I am willing to work hard for it, but I can’t even dream of my work being worth even a small portion of that sum...”

“Let’s say I am willing to consider it. But first, tell me. Why do you think you have magic abilities?”

Magnus told her of his two episodes, omitting the parts about fantasizing about women. He was blushing while he was telling the story, so she must have guessed something, as she was smiling the whole time.

“Hmm, all right. That does sound like a manifestation of magical ability. Tell you what, Magnus. Tomorrow morning I will test your abilities, and if I am satisfied, we will work something out. You can even sleep in my room tonight. Beats sleeping in some filthy corner, doesn’t it?” she said with a smirk.

Magnus stared at her, feeling both apprehension and excitement. He couldn’t believe it. There was a chance to become an apprentice after all! And to such a beautiful and classy sorceress. She invited him to sleep in her room ... Magnus blushed again, wondering about the implications ... but then he dismissed them. No way she would want anything like that with the likes of him ... She was just being kind.

“Ma’am, I couldn’t thank you enough! Of course, I accept. I will just go and grab my bag...”

“Of course, Magnus. When you finish with food and drink, my room is up the stairs, the first one to the right. Knock three times,” she said, rising from the chair. He nodded with enthusiasm and then went to get his bag. As he was walking away, she watched him appraisingly.

“He might just be perfect ... Tall, well-built, and strong, thanks to the farm life, no doubt. He is also quite handsome and I like his dark hair and his piercing eyes ... Yes ... We will see tomorrow if he can be what I need him to be. It has been so long since I had a real plaything...” she mused as she feasted her eyes on his muscular form. A few minutes later, she rose from the table and went to her room.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

“Enter!”

“I am here, ma’am,” Magnus said with unease. He was obviously uncomfortable being in the room of a lady. The room was relatively big; It had a double bed, a wardrobe, and a table. There was also a large copper bathtub in the corner of the room. Fiona obviously enjoyed being comfortable.

“Excellent. Now as I said, I will test you tomorrow after breakfast, and we will see if we can find a way to make this work. I assume you are tired after walking the whole day, so it is probably best if we go to sleep right away.”

“Of course. Thank you so much, ma’am. Shall I just stretch myself in that corner?”

“Oh, Magnus. I didn’t invite you to sleep in my room just so you could sleep on the floor. The bed is big enough for both,” she said with a hint of a teasing smile showing on her beautiful face.

“The ... the bed?” Magnus asked, blushing hard. “But ... Is that appropriate ... I mean, for you ... I mean I wouldn’t dare...” he kept stumbling over words. Fiona just watched him with a playful expression.

“We won’t be lying next to each other, my boy, of course. I am a lady, after all,” Fiona said with an air of haughtiness.

“Of course, of course ... I would never dare to presume...” Magnus hurried to say, once again blushing visibly.

“You can sleep at the bottom of the bed, Magnus. I will lie normally and you can lie across at the bottom of the bed, and we can both point our feet towards the same spot. I understand the bed might not be wide enough for your height, but I am sure you can manage.”

“Yes, I can sleep in almost any spot ... Well, if that is what you wish ... I am terribly sorry for inconveniencing you like this.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Farmboy he might be, but he has nice manners ... Hmmm, I wonder...” Fiona mused as a torrent of thoughts rushed through her mind, most of them impure.

“Good. Now you go lie down and then I want you to close your eyes so I can get into the bed as well.”

“Oh, all right,” Magnus said and moved to get into the bed with his clothes on. Stripping himself in front of a lady never even crossed his mind.

“No, no Magnus. You can’t get into my bed with dirty clothes. I want you in your small clothes only. I will turn my back so you can strip without embarrassing us,” Fiona said, trying to suppress a mischievous smile. The boy was so bashful and mannered ... There was so much potential there. Biting her lip, she turned towards the wardrobe. With a subtle flick of her hand, she created a magical mirror on the surface of the wardrobe, angled in such a way that only she could see what it was showing. She felt a stir of arousal as the clumsy strip show commenced.

Feeling very self-conscious, Magnus removed his boots, then his shirt and pants, until the only thing covering his body were his small clothes. “Thank the gods I’ve decided to change them just before the trip...” Magnus thought with relief. He was always mindful of his hygiene, but it was likely that being in such a sophisticated presence, his standards were still inadequate. Meanwhile, Fiona was enjoying the show in the mirror. She watched his tanned muscular chest and licked her lips. Even his legs were muscled. Remarkably, he didn’t have much body hair. One more plus. “Too bad I can’t see through clothes with magic. It would be interesting to see if he is equally ‘muscled’ down there ... Although that bulge is telling ... He must be aroused by all this,” Fiona thought, feeling some sudden heat. Damn her mage libido.

Magnus lay on the bed and covered himself with a blanket. His feet were hanging from the side of the bed.

“All right, Magnus, now I need you to close your eyes. I need to get ready for bed as well.”

Magnus nodded and turned his head. He also covered his eyes. Fiona started stripping, watching in her mirror for his inevitable peaking. It never came.

“His manners are impeccable ... almost chivalrous ... I wonder if I can use it...” Fiona thought as she got into the bed. She was surprised at how excited she was feeling about all this.

“You can open your eyes now. Good night, Magnus.”

“Good night, ma’am.”

Tired as he was, Magnus still found it very difficult to sleep. The bed was quite comfortable, but the excitement, the fact that he was sleeping in the same bed with a gorgeous woman...

“What if I get aroused and create an incident again? That would be so embarrassing ... No, I have to think positively. I have struck some good luck tonight. Everything will work out ... Yes...” After fighting with his restless mind for a while, he managed to fall asleep.

Magnus sensed light on his eyelids, and coming half awake, he felt as if someone was hugging him. Trying to fight his sleepiness, he opened his eyes, squinting at the light that was coming through the window. It was still early in the morning. He turned slightly, trying to identify the touch he was feeling on his face and chest. Then he saw it. Those were Fiona’s feet! It seemed she somehow rolled on the other side of the bed during the night and even slid down a bit, and now the sole of her left foot was on Magnus’ cheek, and the sole of the right one was on the side of his bare chest. He tried to move away slightly, but Fiona moved her feet towards him, seeking contact. He had to stay in this awkward position as he didn’t want to risk waking her. It was strange, but somehow, the silky touch of her tender feet felt so good, so arousing. It didn’t take long before he felt his cock straining in his small. He always had morning wood, but the touch of Fiona’s feet was simply an overkill. He knew there was no getting it down easily. He considered getting out of bed, but he had such a huge erection, it would be impossible to hide it. What if she woke up and saw it?! She would certainly see him as a pervert or something. At the very least, she might just kick him out of her room, and then he could say goodbye to his apprenticeship. No, he was gonna stay like this until she woke.

“Gods, I’ve never known such torment...” Magnus thought, relishing in the incredible sense of arousal, but also feeling ashamed of it. He remained in the same position for a while, obsessing about how to get his erection down. Every now and then she would move slightly, rubbing her foot on his face, on his lips even. The touch of her delicate feet was so intoxicating and it was only making things worse. After a while of this amazing torture, he finally heard her stir. She lifted her head a bit and looked at Magnus with a smile on her face.

“Good morning Magnus, I hope you slept well,” Fiona said, still keeping her foot on Magnus’ face.

“Yes, I did ... Thank you, ma’am,” he said in a raspy voice.

“I must say I slept very well,” she said, yawning and stretching her arms.

“Why is she still keeping her foot on my face!”

He did endure her foot for a long while now, but now she was awake and she was acting like it was the most natural thing in the world. It made him feel both thankful and angry at the same time, and he still had that damn erection.

“Your body has made such a wonderful cushion for my feet, I could really get used to this,” she said with a chuckle, rubbing his face with her foot. “Anyway, I hope you didn’t mind it much. I must have rolled a lot in my sleep,” she added and finally moved her feet away.

“Oh, it was fine...” Magnus said after clearing his throat.

“I suppose we should get up for breakfast. What do you say, Magnus? Let’s have some food before we get to business.”

“Ma’am, do you maybe want to get up first? I will keep my eyes closed until you leave the room.”

“Oh, you don’t want to get up yet? Why is that Magnus?” she said with a playful smile. She caught him glance at his midsection. She knew exactly what his problem was.

“Eh, I just feel, a lady should always come first. I was raised like that.”

“Oh, such a gallant young man. Well all right, close your eyes then.”

Magnus closed his eyes and waited. He heard her get out of bed and then he heard her use the chamber pot. After a couple of minutes of hearing the rustling of her dress, he heard the room door open and close. He sighed with relief. He got out of bed, his spear still pointing up, but he knew that after emptying his bladder it would get better. A couple of minutes later he went downstairs and joined Fiona at her table.

“Help yourself with food Magnus, don’t be shy. I am sure farm life has built up your appetite.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Magnus replied and dug in.