Reborn- Journeyman

by Luka Petrov

  “Who else knows about this book?” Cecily thought out loud and there was a flair of competition in her voice, she wanted to see who would find it first, but she had utter confidence in herself. She would not allow anyone to beat her, especially if everyone would not accept her as wholly as the most impressive explosive mage. If she even managed to find one but she spoke before the smoke had gone through my head. Surrounded with the call from the darkness as it beckoned me outside and it had become comfortable. I knew that I would have to follow that if I wanted to know where the evil from within. “Obviously it is old, and others must have read it and realized where the Demon Lord is.”

  “Any clues on who else might have read it?” Yves asked this time and she looked at me and Cecily with expected answers. I knew that I and Cecily would know, we were creatures of darkness that would always know to some degree to not be kept from such a thing. The only answer that was going to be given to her was a nod which earned us a huff from her. She wasn’t pleased with the number of words that were not spoken between us.

  That was all too amusing as she craned her head and wait for a word...anything.

  “Another thing, we should also be to teach you two some spells,” I told the two of them and they would have to remember the spells that they would have to learn. They braced themselves and I could see the hunger in their eyes. They craved the power but wondered if I was ready to feed yet. Not that it mattered, I would be fed. Now that wasn’t important. Training these two, were they were just helpless little things that needed more than their low-tier spells to fight against the Demon Lord himself or else they’d end up like Agnes.

  That thought was nothing short of horrific.

  “We can head to the Enchanted Forest in the morning, the other side where the Demon Lord stays and practice. Surely, we could not do extravagant spells in this inn with paper-thin walls.” Yves chimed in and that was a good idea. No need to rush our plan just yet since we needed to gather the strength for it first. I was so grateful that we had Archmage McAllister on our team. I would have never guessed that he was Hamon’s brother. For now, we would have to train as much that was possible in terms of spells. Deep down, I knew that this night would not end peacefully. Not that I had any intentions for that because if that was the case then there was no point in training them. They were more than just pretty faces; they were people with immeasurable power.

  That had to reminded so many times.

  The following morning, we left before dawn. The three of us practiced the spells I had taught them in the Enchanted Forest, shrouded by the coverage of the foliage. It was reminiscent of Draererth, when we practiced at the target range and the dueling square. It was long and there was hardly enough work involved for them to sweat but they had used up their manas and felt delirious.

  Which was fine, I had to make sure the rest of the group was fine. That nothing had been comprised as they trained but nothing had. And eventually, they had learned the spells to some degree. There was no better practice than real-life but that would have to be put to the test. Soon. There was a grim expression on each of our features as they had practiced all morning.

  It was late morning now. And we were slackened with exhaustion because of not only lack of sleep but the fact that our mana reserves were depleted. But it was time to search through the alleys of Gilmore to find the streets that sold things that were not supposed to be in the market.

  Everyone’s heart raced but we were ready regardless of it or not. We had an archmage to assist us with the Demon Lord. We looked through each alley, our pace slowed as our eyes narrowed now and then. We gritted our teeth and waited.

  But eventually, we would find it. It could never hide for too long.

  “The old black-market dealer at the back that is within the darkness.” For lack of better words, shiny bald head was the one who could take us there just because of the bone alone. That was more than enough.

  We all sucked their breaths and had no choice but to find the ingredients we were going to need for the ambush.

  Yves asked, “Ed, what are we looking for? We don’t need to buy ingredients for our spells, we use the power of the arcane.”

  “I need to buy a spell book similar to the one I have. The one that has no name. Lord Abraxas must believe this book is the actual spell book for the lost spell, Runes Explosion. Trust me on this one,” I replied.

  And with the magic, the dark one that lurked around as if ready to strike at any moment necessary. We were able to watch how a deal went down when they come back. Nonetheless, we trekked from alley to alley to find the correct worn-leather bound book that the Demon Lord would believe was a legitimate spell book.

  And I knew how to find it, it was the same as the calling of darkness. How it wanted me by its side no matter how much I rejected. I would not go willingly to be an obedient slave. As we pasted many sellers who looked sultry and hardly seller worthy, I saw a tendril of the darkness near me as it remained showed away.

  We went straight to the small-time seller and they only looked at us with grogginess that could not even show anger. This person was clearly not having a good day as they sold their wares. But that was none of my concern. My gaze was fixated on what we wanted and all we had to do is make sure that this was sealed. However, something felt amiss. The seller looked up at us and saw the desperation though I wish they had not seen it. There was money reflected from their gaze as they would ask or it as always.

  “How much will you take for this.” I extended my hand and one index finger pointed towards the leather-made book that looked similar to my spell book. I had to have it, anyone else would only prove to be futile and weak when paired with that magic. I had my lips drawn tight into a taut wire rope. I knew that this was the one with the way dark magic spiraled around him. How it smelled of death and things unholy.

  It befitted the Demon Lord but how it got into the hands of mere humans was more curious than anything. Surely, Lord Abraxas would believe that this was the ancient spell book, the very book he needed to learn the lost spells from. The lot looked between one another and their gazes reflected the interested that remained in each of their gazes despite the blankness that was reflected from their faces.

  “10 gold.” The person across from us that was hooded said with an infinite amount of finality. But that was his first mistake because my gaze flickered to him and he saw that. I would not take anything for that much even if it was the book I needed. I would just wear, and tear again become the person they needed me to be so that I could save them.

  However, I would not bend myself backward in paying for this. A glare in my eyes could be seen as I look as I waited for her next coupling. Not that it mattered, I just wanted the price to be a bit more lenient. Luckily, I had worked hard enough to have money, but 10 gold was still far too much to play with. I took a deep inhale of air and though my mouth before I released my own arrogance against him.

  “Too hefty of a price,” I said and challenged the gaze of the seller to me, there was a sternness in my voice that would not accept the price given. They looked pensive and I could see the sweat perspire as thin beads on their forehead. As they wanted to get rid of the curse, but I have no idea what it was. Only that this book alone would be the much-needed clue I had to get to find the dark tower that contained the Demon Lord and Walter.

  As I said this, I saw that the seller of this small kick-start store was going to challenge me. There was twitch on their mouth. They knew who to ask the money and power from, but it wasn’t me. Since the seller believed it to by my companions beside me.

  “8 gold then, child.” Only 2 gold coins down. That alone was not nearly enough. Far too high and they needed it lower or we would not be able to purchase the book that weighed on whether or not we could extend.

  There was a frown that began to crease onto my face because of the price offered. Nothing short of an insult towards me. I had to make that known with my expression alone. They had to realize that I wasn’t just so
me idiot. My lips curved downwards as I had the familiar knit of my eyebrows together but there was also a wrinkle on the bridge of my nose as I scrunched up at the seller who looked at me with a blank look.

  Damn them.

  I showed my displeasure openly and the store-keeper faltered as they were unsure what to do. So I laid my last offer on the true price of the book that would be mine for the taking if this artisans had proven themselves to me. There would now be a hiss as he spoke, “Seven gold. Final.” I angered over the scam that had come to be.

  “6 gold and you got a deal,” I argued with the person that had done their best to try and oversell this book to me. However, they could hear that this time my voice was firm with a resolve that would not weaken no matter what. I could see the gaze within the seller. There was no room for them to say no to me. I could give them the money they needed, and 6 gold would already be more than enough for them. I knew if I blanked out then I would owe them more but thankfully I remained focused enough to stinky another bug, their nest had to be big.

  “Fine.” The voice grubbed out as it was handed the six gold coins they were offered. And before they could say anything, nothing but the sound of the three of us scattering off could be heard. Not wanting to stay in this alleyway for much longer despite the need to buy the book, I led us out of the alleyway and far away from the black market. If we stayed there, I knew I would be at my wit's end unable to save anyone we were with.

  We, the trio that we were had bought the book but was quick to duck out of the alley, the appearance we gave was suspicious but that would have to settle. If we stayed there any longer than that, there would be implications for them. We would undoubtedly give someone a signal that we were up to no good. Then of course, they would figure out that I was a wanted person, a fugitive. The dark magic that could be felt seemed to ache and reach out for me in the darkness. Not that I wanted to stay there any longer. The weird itch that I felt crawl against my back had to be one of the many eyes that watched over me.

  For a couple of good reasons: for me to make a mistake that is worthy as punishment or to snatch me for the Demon Lord.

  Either one was enough, the strongest mage in history would be gone if given the chance. And I could feel the darkness around me. With a grim expression, I nodded towards the girls who followed me despite this and were willing to risk their lives. For now, we would duck towards an empty alley that would provide us with the privacy that we exceptionally desired.

  “Now let’s write the runes that will detonate once they are read, shall we?”

  Chapter Ten

  Now, I had the book, we were ready to write the runes inside the replica spell book, and they would detonate once they were read, rendering damage. I could not wait! What a surprise for Lord Abraxas. This was our last chance for us to save my friend, Walter, from his servitude of the Demon Lord. He had risked my life for me, and I needed to repay this debt since my life was saved because of him. My lips pressed together in a thin line as I remembered him and the sacrifice, he made for me. Not only that Agnes had died as well, but we also had to achieve our revenge and put a stop to Lord Abraxas, the Demon Lord had gone too far.

  We all looked at one another before we opened the book in an alley, away from the curious eyes of the public. This book would be the Trojan horse, but it reeked with evil. Dark clouds surrounded this horrible creation. Despite this book being used for our spell, I was mesmerized by the mysteries it held. I had seen that Yves and Cecily expectantly looked at me to open the book, with a sigh I had no other choice. My fingers brushed against the cover as my gaze narrowed towards what I held in my hand.

  “Are you going to open it, Ed?” Yves asked in a straight-forward manner as she looked curiously towards the book at my hand. Her clear eyes held no expectation, just her hunger for knowledge which was to be expected. We would need to examine the book and make sure we were able to carefully write in the explosive runes.

  This made my lips twitch for a moment; I knew that she was just as curious as to the contents of the book in my hand as I was. I nodded with no answer given for now, however, not before a glance was given towards Cecily who looked bored, she probably expected nothing from the book. There was nothing to expect. We had to carefully write in the runes that would detonate upon reading it.

  Her interest always lied elsewhere, preferably towards explosion and ruin and not exploding runes. I would have thought she would get behind something like this, but she was not amused. Books were boring to her, even if they would eventually explode, but I wouldn’t dare say that. So instead, I cleared my throat and opened the book carefully for the time being. The book itself looked suspicious from the worn leather to the yellowed pages as if it was made to look old yet the ink didn’t seem fresh. I set these emotions aside as we skimmed through the pages with only the sunlight, that peeked between the buildings, as a source of light.

  “Find anything yet, Ed?” Cecily questioned him in a bored tone and as I glanced at her and knew that if I didn’t hurry, she would just figure out the problem herself. “Find a prominent place to inscribe the runes?”

  Though she might cause an explosion or two and act like a bull in a china shop, Cecily had to understand that in order to beat the Demon Lord, we needed a subtle maneuver. Abrupt explosions would not solve anything and that wouldn’t sit well with me if I allowed that to happen. I had to relay to her the truth with a firm tone so she wouldn’t commit to a brash action. For now, I leaned against the brick wall of the building next to me. It was used as leverage as I comfortably skimmed through the book to seek the place to write the spell that would damage the Demon Lord.

  “Not yet, I need to somehow squeeze in this spell, so it is the first one he reads. Maybe I should label it cleverly, such as All-Powerful Spell or something to that effect. This is going to need an artists’ hand, so be patient.” I scolded her before I returned my attention back to what was in my hand.

  That’s where the spell had to go.

  “Right here, right after the first page.” I pointed at a page that was left blank. This book, although exuded an odd aura, a dark aura, was the perfect Trojan horse to present Lord Abraxas with.

  Both of them had leaned towards the book to have a better look at the spell I was writing. Although both of them were on the weaker side, they were ready to commit to the plan we had once we had conjured up. And now that we had the first part of the plan ready to go, we needed to get the rest of the sequence of events in order. Soon, we’d be ready to storm the tower.

  “What are we waiting for?” Cecily asked as a grin was slowly etched onto her face, excitement sparkled from the reflection of her eyes.

  I knew that she was glad that she could finally be part of the action. This was a better option for her than her previous position which was rooted at the academy we were students at. On the other hand, Yves had a grim expression that was hard to ignore. I knew that he was the more level-head of the two; we had similar personalities in that aspect. This wasn’t going to be an easy battle, and we needed to be prepared explicitly, every step of the way. I was not going to be caught off guard again and have another member of my team die on me. I needed to be assured that we were beyond prepared. We had to be prepared. I tucked the book into my bag and began to get ready for our trip to the Evil Tower.

  It was time.

  Once we had gathered the necessary tools, there was no choice but to go now.

  We stopped by the inn to get McAllister. He was waiting for us in the lobby, worried. We dodge through the village, bypassing any villagers that might recognize me and we kept to the shadows. There was no need for the four of us to be stopped or seen yet. This was a secret mission that had to be done without the Demon Lord’s attention on us before we would arrive there. I took one last look at my scenery around me, the village of Gilmore was one of comfort in a sense. The surrounding land had become familiar as the back of my hand and I had hoped to some degree that we would be able to return from this.


  No.

  I knew we would return from this. My new life as Edward MacAra depended and hinged on the fact that we would be able to defeat the Demon Lord and save Walter. There would be no hesitation or self-doubts. With that in mind that only made our way to the Evil Tower that more important.

  “You three, remember to stay behind me when we reach the tower,” I ordered both of the girls and the archmage who followed me, my gaze remained focused forward as I didn’t spare them a look. Though the sentence sounded like a strict order what was left unsaid was: I’ll protect you all.

  I didn’t have to look at them to know that they shared a glance with one another. I usually wouldn’t spare such words but since Walter was gone, and the guilt felt heavy on my shoulders followed by the death of Agnes. These words needed to be said.

  “We’ll fight by your side, Ed,” Yves said, although she was younger than me, I knew she was clear-headed. This answer wasn’t given with brash over-confidence but with the fact that we had been side by side as a team this whole time. Our growth was not done by our individual efforts but grown by our collective accomplishments. I was comforted by the presence of the archmage, if all else failed, he had a high enough level to protect us.

  Those words followed the silence as I found myself at a loss. Unable to answer right away, instead, I looked around to make sure the path we followed was the right one. Though this was also my way to sidestep this conversation.