Whalen was interested in everything Alex’s friends had to say. He seemed to be almost overflowing with energy as he asked all kinds of questions about what had happened on their adventure. He seemed most interested in the minor points that Alex had neglected to mention in his letters, and he listened closely to every answer.
“You turned old Kappa into a donkey?” Whalen laughed. “Exactly what he deserved. I’m pleased that Trion saw it that way as well, and chose to leave him in that form.”
“It seemed the most fitting thing to turn him into,” said Alex.
“Of course it was. You have become very good at reading people, Alex. I am impressed with your judgment on this adventure.”
“Thank you,” said Alex.
“Now, to business,” said Whalen in a slightly more serious tone. “Bregnest, I take it you have not had your final feast with this company or declared your adventure at an end?”
“That is correct,” said Bregnest. “I thought perhaps tonight or tomorrow we would take care of that final part of our agreement.”
“Tomorrow night would be better,” said Whalen, looking at Bregnest with his eyebrows raised.
“Then tomorrow night it shall be,” said Bregnest with a slight bow.
Alex thought it was odd that Whalen wanted them to wait; he wasn’t a member of the company, after all.
“Now then, with your permission, Bregnest. I would like to have a good long talk with Alex,” said Whalen.
“He is free to do as he wishes until tomorrow night’s feast.”
“Very good,” said Whalen with a nod. “If the rest of you will excuse us. Alex, we have a great deal to discuss.”
Alex was puzzled, but decided that Whalen had his reasons. With a quick nod to his friends, Alex followed Whalen out of the dining room and toward the back of the Swan.
Whalen led Alex to a small room with two comfortable chairs, a small table with a lamp, and a large fireplace. The curtains in the room were pulled shut and the lamp and fire were both burning brightly.
“Have a seat,” said Whalen, closing the door behind them.
Alex sat down in one chair, and Whalen sat in the other chair, looking at Alex for what seemed like a long time.
“I suppose you know what I want to talk to you about,” said Whalen in a serious tone.
“No,” Alex answered nervously.
“I want to ask you to do two things, and then to let me do a third,” said Whalen. “First of all, I want to ask you to take your staff.”
“A . . . a staff?” Alex asked in shock. “But I’m still in training, I still have so much to learn.”
“Exactly. You have learned that you still have much more to learn. That is perhaps the hardest thing for any wizard to discover.”
“I . . . I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t.” Whalen chuckled. “Thinking that you know everything you need to know and that you understand everything that is said is what keeps most wizards from ever becoming really great.”
Alex was confused by the statement, but then felt like a small light suddenly came on in his head as he understood what Whalen was saying.
“The second thing I want to ask you is to swear an oath to obey wizard law,” Whalen said.
“The staff and the oath don’t go together?”
“Oh, no. Most people who find out that they’re wizards, or I should say potential wizards, run right out and buy a staff. Some wait until they’ve had an adventure or two, and some wait for an oracle to tell them to buy a staff.”
“But you told me not to buy a staff,” said Alex, confused.
“Of course I did. Any fool can buy a staff, and some can even manage a good deal of magic with one. You, on the other hand, managed a good deal of magic without a staff, which makes your deeds far more impressive.”
“When do most wizards take the oath?” Alex asked.
“Many never do,” said Whalen sadly. “You see, the oath is only given to true wizards—those who have managed at least four great wizard tasks.”
“What four tasks have I done?” Alex questioned, thinking back over his adventures and wondering what Whalen would consider to be a great wizard task.
Whalen smiled. “Your interest in this matter shows good sense and humility, both things that help make a truly great wizard.”
“But what four tasks have I done?” Alex asked again. “I mean, I know I’ve done some good things, but nothing great.”
“Don’t be too sure about that,” Whalen replied. “The first two tasks were completed during your first adventure. Bregnest told me about them after your return, and I’ve done some checking since then to make sure he was right.”
“What did I do?”
“First, you defeated the wraiths at the ruins of Aunk. Few wizards could have done that at all, and fewer still without a staff.”
“But I didn’t know what I was doing,” Alex protested. “And besides, I was only able to defeat the wraiths because of Moon Slayer.”
“Ah, yes, your magic sword. Personally, I thought having the sword choose you should have counted as a task, but the council didn’t agree with me.”
“The council?”
“I’ll explain that in a minute,” Whalen replied with a wave of his hand. “Your second task was killing the dragon Slathbog and destroying his carcass.”
“Again, that was mostly because of Moon Slayer.”
“The sword helped, of course,” agreed Whalen. “However, you looked into the dragon’s eyes. I know of only one wizard who has ever done that and lived to tell the tale. You, however, broke the dragon’s magic and his will—a great task indeed. Then you turned him to ash with a single command, which I believe should also have counted as a separate task.”
“Yes, but—” Alex began.
Whalen held up his hand. “Your third task should have been destroying the goblin shaman in Norsland, but I think it best that we keep that quiet for the time being. So, your third official task was destroying the lower library of the Tower of the Moon and driving away the evil shadow that was trying so hard to get it. And your fourth task was stopping a war in Athanor, which could easily have spread to other kingdoms in Alusia, as well as to other lands.”
“But in Athanor I hardly did any magic. It only worked out because I tricked Varson into doing what I wanted him to,” said Alex before he could stop himself.
“You may not have used much magic, but you did display a good deal of cunning and common sense. You came up with a plan and made it work.”
“All right,” said Alex after a few moments of silence. “If you say these are great wizard tasks, I will believe you.”
“Excellent! Now, for the council I mentioned. There are nine wizards on the council—myself included—who work to fight evil, help train young wizards, and uphold wizard laws.”
“And this council has decided I’ve managed four great tasks and they want me to take an oath?”
“Yes, we have and we do,” Whalen answered. “As your teacher, I would like you to take a staff, and the council would like you to take an oath to obey the wizard laws.”
“And what are these laws?” Alex questioned, worried he might have already broken some of them.
“Oh, they’re simple rules, nothing too difficult to do or too hard to remember. The most important part is that you promise not to do evil and that you try to do good whenever and wherever you can.”
Alex sat thinking about everything Whalen had said, and he felt unsure of himself. If he accepted his staff, he would be considered a true wizard, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He had hoped to continue learning with Whalen, but maybe that wasn’t a possibility.
“I know this is a lot to take in all at once,” said Whalen in a kindly tone. “Perhaps you were hoping to continue your studies, or undertake an adventure as my apprentice. I, however, believe you are already a true wizard and that it is time for you to take your staff. I will always help you if I can. And as your sponsor, I will expect you to keep me updated on what you’re doing.”