The Calligrapher's Apprentice

[Dr. McNinja]

Now that Dongja was in the Omniverse, he found that many of the rules were much more lenient. For example, though he was not of drinking age, many taverns in Dalaran simply let him in. It was probably due to the fact that Dongja was traveling with a Master of Dalaran.

This particular tavern, the Flying Donkey, was very alien indeed. The walls were wood, not paper, and the air felt damp and dinghy. It was perfectly likely that the inside of all taverns felt damp, but Dongja wouldn't know. In particular, Dongja noticed that the building was filled to the brim with very loud drunks, casting random magic (again, Dongja noticed, without writing the corresponding characters) almost as pranks.

Having been sat at a table, the three of them sat quietly amongst the rabble. Master Millet ordered a "Tong-Ba", whatever that was, and had bought Dongja a type of grog-like meal. He had called it a pie. This was not a pie. But it was still the first meal Dongja had in what he perceived as days.

"So let me get this straight," Master Millet groaned, "Ogong stopped a desert from blowing up by breaking his hon and casting three Words of Power all by himself?"

"I mean, I was there," Yeo-Ee-Pil replied, "But pretty much, yeah."

"That idiot," Dongja sighed, "Master Barley told us not to even cast one."

"Yeah, just one of those might break YOUR hon," Master Millet snickered, "Ogong had a chance, at least."

Dongja shot him a brief glare before realizing it was not his place to glare. Yeo-Ee-Pil snickered.

"Alright, so to work this out, I'm going to need your full cooperation, Dongja."

"You know that I am always obedient, Master Millet."

Master Millet snorted. "Yeah, right."

The old man scratched his bald spot.

"I'm guessing you never met Omni, then."

"Who?"

"Omni," Master Millet grunted, "That big white asshole with no eyes and the giant mouth."

Dongja shuddered. What a horrible thing that this Omni must be. "I think I'd remember that."

"He owns the place."

"The Flying Donkey?"

"No, no," Master Millet grunted, "The Omniverse. At least, as far as I know. He snatches people from their home worlds and drags them into this place to play."

"That's kidnapping."

"On a divine scale, yes. You want tea or something? It's different here, but it's still pretty good."

Dongja watched as a neighboring table turned the water into a rat, and back into water again. He thought about the horrible bitter stuff that was the beverage equivalent of a thistle branch that Master Millet used to drink in their home world. Dongja gulped.

"No, thanks."

"Suit yourself."

Master Millet waved his fingers, and frowned tensely. A tiny prismatic cloud folded out over the old man's mug, and started raining into the mug, filling it with the beer he was drinking earlier. Dongja stammered.

"Master Millet, how.... are you doing that?"

"Magic."

"No, like, without the calligraphy."

"Oh!" Master Millet leaned back, slightly surprised. "Wow, you're behind, kid. Okay. So this entire world is made of different worlds."

"Right," Dongja said, thinking about the strangely dressed people back at that Council.

"Which means different forms of magic."

"Uh-huh."

"So, as it turns out, most worlds don't have calligraphy magic. They cast it differently."

"How?"

"Are you even listening?" Master Millet sighed, "There are fifty-thousand different worlds, all with their own type of magic. Some of them, there's an inner source of magical energy that you expend, like energy in a body. Some of them, like us, are borrowing power from another higher source. Some of them, you burn coal in a box and a small glass thing emits light for hours. They're all here, Dongja. All of them."

Master Millet raised his hands, and a glowing prismatic rock crumbled into reality.

"And here, they're all fueled by Omnilium."

Dongja caught himself staring at it in wonder. It was quite beautiful, and it filled with a warm sort of feeling. Master Millet clapped his hands, and the "Omnilium" disappeared.

"Basically," he continued, "This rock can make anything you want. Tools, toys, weapons, fire, water, metal, hell, I've seen a strong Prime make a whole house. Anything."

"Can it..." Dongja paused, checking if this was a stupid question, "Can it make people?"

"A shitload of it, yeah," responded Master Millet, "They're called Secondaries. You'll see them everywhere. Most of the people here are Secondaries."

"And they can use Omnilium?" Dongja gasped, "Is that how they make babies here?"

"What? No! They do it the usual way." Master Millet flinched. "I think. I don't know, actually. But Secondaries can't use Omnilium anyway. Only Primes. Like you and me."

"Yoe-Pil, too?"

"Nah, he's a Secondary. No offense, Master."

"None taken," the staff mumbled sleepily.

"So I can make anything I want?"

"With practice," Master Millet nodded, "Which means that we have some good news."

Dongja blinked rapidly. "What?"

"It means that the limits you had back home?" Master Millet smiled, "You don't have them anymore. Not only do you have Ogong's body, and thus his abilities, but you are theoretically only limited by how much Omnilium you have."

"How do I do that?"

"You entertain Omni," Master Millet responded.

Dongja raised an eyebrow as Yoe-Pil napped on the bench nearby.

5832/7500 words (MS Word).

• Meet the Council of Dalaran
  
• Be assigned a Master
  
• Train
  
• Train some more
  
• Train even more
  
• Earn respect of superiors
  
• Be admitted into Mages' Guild