I slowly removed a ring from my index finger. It was the only ring I had on; all my others rested in a pocket within easy reach should the need arise.

  “I ask to present this ring as evidence for promotion.”

  My master replied. “Bring it forward and place it upon the cloth before the adjudicators.”

  I walked up the small double set of three stairs and placed the polished Dwarven copper ring upon a black silk cloth on the table before my master.

  After I returned to stand at the center of the circle, my master said, “Explain yourself and this object.”

  I bowed once before all three mages. “I purified the metal used in this ring and crafted it myself. Five sockets are within it, and five magical gems are set within each socket.

  “The first gem is a tourmaline and is primed to release an extremely rare air elemental Lightning Bolt spell once per day. The second gem is a ruby and is primed to release an extremely rare blood elemental telepathy spell once per day. The third gem is an emerald and primed to release an extremely rare earth elemental Lesser Shard spell once per day. The fourth gem is a topaz and primed to release an extremely rare fire elemental Combust spell once per day. The fifth gem is a sapphire and primed to release an extremely rare water elemental Dehydrate spell once per day.”

  My master asked. “Is that all?”

  “No master adjudicator. The ring itself is also primed to release an Elvin racial specialty spell known as Woodsong once per day. The will of the user activates all spells and effects. All spells are known and understood upon wearing the ring.”

  I had not yet cracked Damascus's code to allow me to create a ring whose primary ability would be a spell released up to three times each day. I was close, but it still eluded me. Initially, I planned to insert the Mage Blast I spell, but it was weak and unimpressive. It was my only offensive spell, which would have been a typical spell for insertion, but I decided to go with the Elvin spell since it showed versatility and would connect me to my magestaff should I need to call for it.

  There was a lot of awed murmuring around the room. The ring I produced was far beyond the level of an apprentice, and aspects were beyond any mage. The crafting of Dwarven copper was impressive but more of a show than deep magical insight. However, the five sockets in a ring were unheard of and created quite a stir. Many smiled broadly and waited for similar reactions from the adjudicators.

  Wizard Draconis was the first to speak. “Are you telling me, young apprentice, that you made a magical ring with an embedded spell, added five sockets, and then coaxed extremely rare gem elemental spell effects without help from another mage?”

  I was not sure why he was asking me that question. I had just explained as much. “Well, yes, master adjudicator. It is the rule that I do this all by myself.”

  There was some muffled laughter around the room.

  “I see.” Said Wizard Draconis. “Impressive, very impressive.”

  My master was the next to speak. Usually, the presiding adjudicator waited for the other two mages to complete their questions before speaking, but there were several unusual aspects to my trials today.

  “As any master faculty in our hall can attest, apprentice Gwydion has shown unusual talents for one so young. As a part of his course of studies, he has performed significant magic in the presence of his masters without the intervention of another. I, too, find his work impressive.”

  Two votes of yes. It must be unanimous, and the most demanding approval has yet to come.

  Master Drammult remained silent for a long minute. People began murmuring again, wondering what was keeping him from what should have been an obvious pronouncement.

  Finally, he leaned forward and spoke. “These are indeed remarkable claims. And I, for one, would like to understand how you accomplished this, apprentice, if you did accomplish this all by yourself.”

  My master replied before I could say anything. “You have heard testimony that the apprentice has done many remarkable feats in the presence of his faculty.”

  “I do not dispute that claim, specifically. But were any present to witness the creation of this remarkable object?” Master Drammult turned to me. “Were any masters present when you created this ring?”

  “No, Master Drammult. I did it by myself.” I said.

  “Then there are no witnesses. That is my point,” he replied.

  Master Draconis turned to Master Drammult. “I am confused by your question, Master Drammult.”

  “In what way?” He replied.

  “Did you have assistance at your journeyman trials stage?”

  Master Drammult spat back, “Of course not. I did it myself.”

  “But how can we know that you did not have any help when you went to trials?” Master Draconis asked calmly, ignoring the heat of Master Drammult's anger.

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  “Because I passed.” Master Drammult responded angrily.

  “But did those present doubt your word, the word of your master, the word of your faculty administrator, or the word of the assembled guild faculty that you accomplished this alone?” Draconis asked quietly.

  “Stay out of this wizard.” Master Drammult spat.

  Master Draconis began to glow in an eerie blue color. The room became utterly still. He addressed Drammult in return. “As master and adjudicator, you may address the boy however you choose. But I am a respected peer, and you will take a far different tone with me, or after this proceeding ends, you and I will have words, and I assure you it will be short. Do I make myself clear? Enchanter?”

  Master Drammult actually licked his lips nervously before replying. Wizards were dangerous. Very dangerous. By imperial law, a wizard could arrest any mage for any reason and hold a trial for actions against the state or magecraft. While it was true that powerful magics and their very life swore wizards to act in accord with their oaths, it was not unknown for accidents to occur. If wizards were dangerous, an old wizard was doubly so. On top of this, all mages of master rank and above had the right to challenge another mage of equal rank or above to a trial of honor. The trial of honor could be a magical duel to the death if at least one chose it. Similarly, journeymen could challenge each other, but masters could not challenge a journeyman, although they could defend themselves should a journeyman launch an attack.

  “I apologize for the tone of my words. I am unaccustomed to having my judgment questioned concerning students. I take my role as master and here as adjudicator very seriously.”

  “As do I.” Said Master Draconis as he sat back, accepting the apology without directly acknowledging it.

  Master Drammult changed his approach. “Allow me to rephrase my question, or at least explain my reasoning. The actions required to create such a ring are unusual at best. Typically, we might find a single socket created for a magical ring. Some talented mages might attempt three sockets under a Rule of Three spell, but even that is dangerous. This apprentice has created a ring with five sockets. That is unheard of, and I am curious about how he did it. It is not beyond the scope of the authority of the adjudicator to request an explanation of the steps used to confirm the level of knowledge needed to construct the device.”

  My master gasped. “You want him to reveal his patron secrets to you. That is barbaric!”

  “I am within my rights.” He responded.

  “He is a patron and is not required, even under promotional trials, to reveal magical revelations that he has discovered to further the careers of petty, ambitious mages.” My master retorted.

  Master Drammult clenched his fists. “It is within my right, and I demand his explanation.”

  “This cannot happen in an open hearing,” Master Draconis replied.

  “Then I exercise my right to a closed hearing. Vacate the room except for the apprentice and the adjudicators.” Master Drammult announced.

  My master was white with fury. “You dare? Here in my home?”

  It was Master Drammult’s turn to become calm and smile. “You invited me, Master Glimmerblade. And yes, I dare. In fact, I insist.”

  Wizard Draconis placed his hand upon my master's arm. “It is highly unusual, but he is within his rights.”

  Fuming, my master tapped the silver bell again, perhaps a little more forcibly than he should, and many mages placed their hands over their ears. He said tensely, “The room will be vacated and an honor guard will seal the doors.”

  He looked to where the two journeymen had leaned the silken parcel against the wall. “You two will be the honor guard. Seal the door upon the last person’s exit.”

  They nodded and helped ensure all mages exited, cast me a knowing look, and departed. The door shut, and a hissing sound ensured that it was magically sealed.

  My master turned to me. “Apprentice, you will answer any question posed to you by an adjudicator truthfully. You are not, however, required to share any knowledge that infringes upon patronage, even under trials. Do I make myself understood?”

  “Yes, adjudicator.”

  Master Drammult glared at my master, but a sudden smile played about his lips. It gave me a cold shiver along the back of my neck.

  He reached over and picked up the ring. He withdrew a magnifying glass and began to inspect it. My master’s jaw worked back and forth angrily, but he said nothing. Master Drammult then pulled out a jeweler's eyeglass. I had used something similar hundreds of times when inspecting or shaping gem facets. Master Sundance had a set of thick eyeglasses that looped over his prominent nose and ears. However, Master Drammult’s device had runes along its sides and struck me as something more than a mere glass.

  My master spoke. “Adudicator Drammult, do you have a question for the apprentice now that we have vacated the room at your insistence?”

  Master Drammult ignored him. “Your work has a special quality about it. It almost seems to come from an earlier time. Have you studied texts outside of the normal courses of readings?”

  He was a clever one. “I am not exactly sure what you mean, Master Adjudicator. I took the same classes that my peers took. We read many books. I have been blessed sometimes to see connections between previously unconnected things.”

  He pondered my answer. “You stated that you created the ring yourself, even purified the metals yourself.”

  “Yes, adjudicator.”

  “Where did you learn these skills?”

  “Locally with a jeweler.”

  “Who is this jeweler?”

  “Master Sundance,” I replied.

  “Is he a mage as well?”

  “No, adjudicator.”

  “Is he human?”

  He was a wily investigator, for sure. “No, adjudicator, he is a dwarf.”

  “So, he is a dwarf but not a mage.”

  “That is correct, adjudicator.”

  “Did he teach you to cast these advanced spells or imbue sockets?”

  So close and dangerous, but I answered honestly, “No, adjudicator. As I said, he is not a mage.”

  My master said, “This is a journeyman trial, Ichabod. Can we move it along? We do have others to get to today.”

  “I am within my rights.” He responded, using the same argument again.

  Master Draconis said, “I have been lenient with you because you are within your rights to ask such questions. But you begin to stray, and we are within our rights to insist you move along. Two adjudicators to one, you are asked to get to your point.”

  “Unless I feel the need for arbitration? Perhaps the archmage needs to be brought in to quiet both your fires.” Drammult suggested, using yet another rule to regain some of the composure he lost with the wizard.

  My master smiled. “Why, Ichabod, that is an excellent idea. You can personally request the summons of the archmage to a journeyman trial. I’m sure more than one of your colleagues in the capital would love to learn your reasoning for such an unorthodox demand. Shall I unseal the chambers on your insistence that the archmage be summoned?”

  Seeing that he was not getting anywhere and not realizing how close he had been to discovering the secret about Archcrafter Damascus’s book, Master Drammult turned back to me. He said, “You see, apprentice, the trouble I have is that you just don’t appear to be that bright. I doubt you have the knowledge, skill, or insight to create such a work. I think that the only cleverness in you is an art for deceit. You tricked your masters into thinking you are brighter than you are and that someone else has secretly taught you how to do these things. For whatever reason, we may not understand; someone has taken you under their tutelage and shown you things that most of your masters here do not know or understand. Probably nothing that would escape the eyes of masters in the capital, but here, you have gotten away with it. In short, I think you are a liar.”

  Both my master and Master Draconis chastised the rudeness of such an accusation. They were becoming increasingly angry, and then it hit me. Master Drammult was trying to make me angry. He insulted me, he insulted my master, he insulted my school, he insulted my integrity. All because, as a master, he cannot directly challenge a lesser rank, especially a mere apprentice. But if I were to challenge him, he could accept. He accepted that he would not get the secrets of my craftings from me. My master would find a way to ensure that. But he could drive me to destroy myself, and these mysteries die with me.

  I could play this game, but I would have to be very, very careful with my words…