Read Master Mage for Free Online Page A

building standing in
the center of the compound. Thad no knowing of what was happening
but, intrigued, followed them, glad for any break from the grueling
work.
    Inside the building, Thad found a large
selection of food placed on a long table in the middle of the room.
While the selection was large, the food looked bland and tasteless.
Despite the look of the food, Thad’s stomach was grumbling and
protesting, so he quickly filled his plate.
    Looking around for a place to sit, Thad
noticed that none of the officers seemed to be in the building.
Shrugging his shoulders, Thad found an open seat near some of the
workers he had spent most of the day with.
    Thad watched as the soldiers devoured
the food on their plates. He saw one soldier place everything solid
between two pieces of bread and eat what looked like a
sandwich.
    Just as it looked, the food was bland
and tasteless. What appeared to be chicken tasted the same as what
he thought was beef. He tried to eat the food with the same
enthusiasm as the soldiers, but before half his plate was cleared,
most of the room had already been cleared. The only soldiers
remaining were those who had been late to the dining
hall.
    After his meal, Thad rejoined the
workers outside, though he was already feeling the effects of his
heavy meal. As the day moved on, he became more sluggish and ended
up spending more time watching the work being done than
participating in it.
    When the sun was near setting, a large
bell sounded to signal the evening meal. Everyone immediately
ceased working and began putting away their tools for the day.
Thad, in no mood for another repeat of the midday feast, wandered
back toward the general’s cabin.
    As soon as he was inside, the smell of
freshly cooked food assaulted his nose. Thad followed the
tantalizing scent into a room in the far corner of the building to
find the general along with the other officers enjoying a banquet
far more appetizing than he had found in the dining
hall.
    “Ah, Master Torin, I am glad to see you
join us. I had sent some men out to invite you to the midday meal,
but they reported you had already made your way to the mess hall,”
the general said, offering him a seat. “You will find the food here
is a bit grander than the standard soldier’s fare.”
    “I can see that,” Thad replied,
conflicted. The officers were in charge, and he could see them
earning their elevated status over the years. It just didn’t seem
right that the backbone of the force was eating tasteless lumps of
meat while the officers dined like nobles.
    “I have seen that look before,” the
general said, shaking his head. “It’s the fate of life, boy. It
would be impossible to cook and prepare enough food of this quality
for the entire force. It just wouldn’t be practical, but for a
small number, it’s easily accomplished. I know it doesn’t seem
fair, lad, but few things in life are.”
    Thad took a seat and accepted the food,
though he felt a little guilty about it. The officers talked about
a great many things while they ate. Everything from troop morale to
increases in the nightly watch skipped across the table as they
ate. Though the discussions at the table were enlightening, they
were also incredibly boring, so Thad snuck out at the first chance
he saw.
    Outside, Thad found the compound
teeming with different groups of gathered soldiers. Thad started to
head back toward the barracks, his body sore and tired from the
strain of the day’s work, when he spotted a familiar face out of
the corner of his eye. Thad quickly turned and headed through the
crowd of soldiers, trying his best not too lose sight of his
target.
    Exiting a large crowd, Thad noticed the
man enter a small cabin on the edge of the compound. Thad picked up
his pace and was soon knocking lightly on the door to the
building.
    “Thad, what in the abyss are you doing
here?” Monique asked, her face clearly showing her surprise. “Come
in,” she added awkwardly.
    Inside, the