Adventures of a Scribe

by Michael Deyhim

  BLURB

  Edward Monteger has grown up in a family of scribes learning about the world around him through books in his family’s shop. Not wanting to be consigned to his fate scribbling away all day or managing a shop, he takes matters into his own hands. Striking forth into the wide world, he makes friends on his journey, and experiences the joy of victory to the agony of defeat.

  Set in a Fantasy LitRPG world there is balance of all aspects one might expect to find from crafting, mana, and fighting. Discovering the forces that control his world Edward is a scientist at heart without knowing the word or even the concept behind it. Struggling against monsters, humans, and the forces of necromancy, he overcomes hardship to grow as an individual and as an adventurer.

  ADVENTURES OF A SCRIBE

  MICHAEL DEYHIM

  Adventures of a Scribe

  Version 1.0

  Copyright ©2016 by Michael Deyhim

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  ISBN: 978-0-9984473-0-8 (E-Book, MOBI)

  ISBN: 978-0-9984473-1-5 (E-Book, EPUB)

  ISBN: 978-0-9984473-2-2 (Paperback)

  Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

  CONTENTS

  About the Author

  Disclaimers

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  My name is Michael Deyhim and I am your author, feel the power of my almighty pen! First I want to thank you for reading my book. I have been working for over a decade to improve my ability to write well. There have been great successes and I count this book the foremost among them.

  I enjoy reading, writing, chess, Supreme Commander, and hiking. I have an older and younger sister and two loving parents. I dislike e-mail, anything that requires upkeep, and mushrooms. They are a fungus and I am strongly anti-fungus. My dream for the future is writing for a living.

  I would also thank Royal Road Legends. They got me off to a strong start and the support from their community has been a light in the darkness. Next I would like to thank Deanna, my amazing sister who took the time to go through and help edit. She gets a big thank you for putting in the effort to make this book great.

  Finally I would like to thank my father who despite driving me off the wall at times with his lectures has always wanted the best for me. Thank you.

  DISCLAIMERS

  The world I have built in this story is what one would call a Fantasy LitRPG. LitRPG stands for Literature Role Playing Game. It takes elements of the RPG genre and the fantasy genre to make something new and exciting in a story setting. There are three issues I would bring up about this book that would rate it PG-13. There is no book rating scale but I the movie rating system in America works well enough for my purposes.

  First there is violence. While violence is not the center of the story it is part of the action. Unfortunately in a fantasy setting things are done with swords and other weapons that are similar in nature. Unlike phasors from Star Trek this makes things a bit messier. It is not overly graphic but it is enough to give a heads up for sensitive readers.

  The second issue concerns age. I bet the majority of people never realized the age of majority was around twelve until the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Now the age is from sixteen to eighteen, twenty one if you consider being able to drink here in the US. Due to in story elements this age of twelve is reinforced. I don’t have a problem with older protagonists but it makes no sense in this setting when people die far sooner than eighty. When the lifespan is short, it is all about living in the moment.

  The third issue concerns alcohol. The setting is medieval. While there is mana and other things that can ensure the safety of drinking water, it is mostly ale. This is still common across Europe to a certain degree. In America it was prohibition that really nixed the idea of drinking alcohol. It wasn’t for getting a high, but rather insuring safety of the drink. People literally dumped their shit into the water supply so…yeah.

  I hope you enjoy the story.

  CHAPTER 1

  “Edward Monteger.” My mother yelled. I winced at her harsh tone, knowing nothing good was going to happen. I stood up straight and smoothed out my shirt as she closed the shop door. “What were you thinking when you asked Priest Hendric about his healing chants?” My siblings gave me a quick look before quickly fleeing out of the room.

  I didn’t say anything, it would just make the situation worse. I kept staring down at the counter top as the silence stretched on. I glanced up and saw her glare. I gave in to the force of it and spoke up, “I just was curious about how they work.”

  “Edward, I understand you are curious, but you don’t ask about skills like that. At least it isn’t as bad as asking for someone’s status.” She let out a small sigh and looked away from me. “People are talking. We haven’t lost any business yet but we might.”

  “I won’t-“

  “No. This time there will be consequences. For the next ten-days you will not work in the shop but instead work at the chapel under Priest Hendric to learn respect.” She normally put me to work around the shop as a punishment but apparently she was hoping that someone else would straighten me out. At least it was better than the beatings some of the other kids got for getting into trouble.

  “But my studies. I am almost done with the Alsarian Tome and it is leaving in three days.” With my parents being scribes I often read manuscripts waiting to be picked up while manning the counter. I really wanted to finish this manuscript since it described why chants were necessary in relation to skills. It was one of the few books I had seen that broached the topic.

  “You should have thought of that before you caused so many problems. That is why it is a punishment. Next time it will be for three ten-days.” It was so unfair. I clenched my jaw so I wouldn’t cry. There was so much to learn and mother just didn’t understand.

  “You start at dawn tomorrow, and work till sunset or when Priest Hendric dismisses you. Do you understand?”

  “Yes mother.” I said quietly. I knew from past experience that arguing would only make things worse.

  “Good. Now you put me behind on the Callow manuscript. I want you to dust the whole shop, even the rafters.” I looked at my mother. “Don’t give me that look. I want this place shining. Today Edward.” I walked over and grabbed the bucket underneath the counter.

  I followed my mother as she went to the back room. The light runes gave off a warm glow as she took her seat at one of the work stations. My father was absorbed in his work and didn’t look up. My two older brothers and sister gave me a quick look before focusing on their tasks. Being the youngest and not yet of age met I got to mind the shop and do all the chores while they improved their skills.

  I went by them and out the back door to the courtyard. It took a short time to pump out the water into the bucket. Then I made my way back to the front of the shop. No customers had come in so I went and grabbed a lemon from the chill box in the kitchen. Using the knife off my belt I cut out the citrus smelling fruit into the water and stirred it up.

  With that completed I began the very boring process of wiping down every surface in the shop. There were four main items we sold in the shop. First were all the tomes. Most of them were custom jobs for nobles or rich merchants, but we kept a couple of religious and historical texts up front. Nothing fancy or unique, but they
clearly showcased what the shop was about. There was a fully illuminated manuscript in a glass covered case on its own stand that was one of father’s better works.

  A laborer would earn about five to ten coppers a day. There was about a hundred coppers to a silver, depending on the coinage and if the coins had been shaved. Though the hundred to one exchange rate was what most people used. A basic tome with a hundred folios cost twenty silver. A full manuscript like the one on display cost around two gold pieces or two hundred silver.

  The exchange rate was based on the demand for the metal. Most of the demand came from various mages and how well mana could flow through the metal in question. There wasn’t a hundred times more silver than gold out there. The purity of metal for various types of mana experiments was the driving factor behind demand and was what determined the exchange rate.

  The second item we sold were maps. The price ranged wildly and this was where my siblings and I first learned the art of scribing. All the master copies were kept in the back and my mother was the one who routinely dealt with people selling off other maps or information. I took a small jar of oil and carefully wiped down all the leather carrying cases we sold as well.

  The third item the shop sold were raw supplies. This included ink, parchment, bindings, and a number of other writing implements. Since the shop bought in bulk and insured quality, almost all the people who wrote stuff down on parchment came to a scribe shop to save the trouble of accumulating everything themselves. This tended to be nobles and scribes working for guilds for the most part.

  The final item we sold were runes. Those were my mother’s specialty. She would carefully write down the rune and then imbue it with mana. The most common one she made were light runes and cost twenty copper each. There were heat and cold runes also. The runes would last half a year to a full year when she charged them and were one of the biggest sellers.

  My mother knew a couple of other runes but their utility was low and the mana required to imbue one was high enough that most people didn’t want to pay her extra to perform the task. That was the entirety of Illumination a medium sized scribe shop in the best merchant district in Azalon.

  I carefully wiped down the shop windows. Glass was expensive and if broke a single pane I would definitely be feeling it on my backside. Though my parents normally didn’t beat my siblings or myself they had made an exception when Galric had broken a pane of glass. I wiped the windows down while I thought over my punishment. The punishment wasn’t too bad, but it was still annoying. My mind went back to one of my favorite manuscripts that was originally written by Philosopher Phillius.

  He had written about the proper way to think. One must let go of emotions and look at the facts, only then will truth be revealed. No one was going to help me with my research and my efforts to learn about mana. That was a fact and after getting yelled at so many times that was just the way it was. Knowledge was guarded incredibly closely, especially everything to do with skills which were the foundation of all abilities.

  I wanted to understand mana, the world, and everything else. Where did mana come from? How was the status table used? What were all the skills out there? That last question was particularly frustrating. There were a large number of common skills which related to various jobs, but there were also quite a few that were hidden or had unique requirements. The nobles and people who learned these skills kept this information locked tightly away.

  The mages were even worse than the nobles in maintaining their monopoly. The laws in place were incredibly harsh for attempting to steal skills. One could share their own skills with others, but outside of family or apprenticeships it was a huge taboo. The church often gave out sermons on the dangers of sharing skills with those unprepared and it had taken root at all levels of society.

  I remember once when my father had to copy a unique skill book and had to do it at the noble’s estate. The risk of letting a skill get into the hands of other people was considered a disaster. Even working under my parents at the Illumination didn’t get me that much information on skills. Phillius was right about one thing. The only way to be sure about something was to observe it by oneself.

  The big thing I wanted to learn about was the blue panel of the Gods. There were a couple of texts on it, but there were two facts about it that mattered at the moment. The first was that humans unlocked the panel at age twelve naturally and was considered a coming of age point in people’s lives from being a child to an adult. The other way to unlock the panel was to fight a number of monsters alone and survive.

  The risk wasn’t seen as worth it by most people, even by nobles. By training beforehand one would naturally raise their points when the panel was finally unlocked. It was also a taboo to talk about ones panel and status, the same as talking about skills. It had been stupid of me to ask about the healing chants Priest Hendric used, but I didn’t see the harm since it was healing and I had thought he would be understanding.

  Phillius also noted that there were never losses, only missed opportunities and one just had to look. He had mentioned about how a war had broken out near his home. While he could have trembled in fear he used the opportunity to learn how injuries affected people and worked to heal them. I needed to do the same thing. I would turn this punishment into an opportunity. I would unlock the blue panel of the Gods and know my status.

  The only place where there would be things to fight and kill were the sewers if the rumors were to be believed. Since Azalon was built on a hill the sewers descended in levels from the Dukes castle all the way to the docks where they unleashed their filth into the bay. There were large rats and other things the deeper one got and the closer one came to the docks. In addition I had read that the city had been rebuilt two hundred years ago after an invasion with the current sewers being built on top of and replacing the old system after the war was over.

  I would prepare for the next nine days and then on the tenth day I would ask to leave early and apologize to Priest Hendric so he would let me go early. That should give me enough time to go into the sewers and kill some monsters to unlock my status panel. I needed equipment and a plan if I was going to survive and not get found out. My mother was scarier than any monster I had read about.

  ***

  “Priest Hendric, may I have a moment of your time.” The older priest turned towards me.

  “Yes child.” He had a gentle smile on his wrinkled face. His white beard matched his gold and white robes he wore.

  “I wanted to apologize again for my rude behavior ten-days ago and thank you for giving me this opportunity to repent.” I bowed my heads toward him as a sign of respect and submission.

  “Hmmm. It is good to learn humility. The Gods of Light and Order show us the way. You might not think it, but I was a trouble maker like you when I was younger. Even served the country for a while which helped me put that urge to rest.” I lifted my head gave the old man a look, since I found that statement hard to believe. “Don’t look so surprised. Us old people used to be young once. I have noted how hard you have been working and to apologize again this morning, you want something.”

  I blushed in embarrassment, since my simple plot was discovered. Hopefully he wouldn’t realize the rest of my plan. “I wanted to ask if I could leave early today since everything has been wiped down and cleaned in the chapel.” It was looking incredibly nice and smelled pleasant as well. The next time I came for one of his boring sermons with my family it would smell nice at least.

  “Hmmm. I suppose you have learned your lesson and nine days of work is good enough. Very well you are dismissed for the day. I hope I don’t see you back here as a punishment.” He patted me on the head. I was tempted to swat his hand off by that would ruin everything.

  “Thank you Priest Hendric.” I gave a short bow and quickly left the chapel. It was still early morning which was perfect for the rest of my plan. I shouldn’t have been surprised how easily he saw through me. The old man was cannier than he appeared. I needed to remembe
r while I had book smarts other people had experience and not to underestimate the benefit such experience could give.

  I made my way through the church complex to the sewer entrance located near the kitchen and living area. I had stored my gear in a closet there with the cleaning supplies. The first item I had hidden was a simple set of worn out clothes I had bought from one of the other kids on my street for a couple of coppers. I said I was going to use them as cleaning rags. I didn’t dare foul up my actual clothes in the sewers. I also wrapped a spare shirt around my nose and mouth to hold off the smell.

  I tucked the two light runes into the cloth around my head. I had managed to take from the shop and get activated by one of the older boys in the neighborhood for two copper. Mana only became unlocked when one’s blue panels became unlocked, which was a big reason for attempting this. Mana was the key to many abilities and I needed it if I was going to learn about it. The light runes would only last for a couple of days with the mana the boy could infuse into them, but that was more than enough.

  My leather shoes were replaced with slightly large worn boots to keep the filth off my feet. I had a small pouch on my side with a single healing potion and room for any loot. The last and most valuable item was a short sword with a scabbard. To me it was heavy and long, but all the cleaning had not left me weak. I had read two books on sword fighting and felt moderately prepared.

  I knew books weren’t a substitute for experience. The advice for amateurs was to keep to simple slashes and jabs. Overhead blows were a good way to get one’s stomach cut open and anything fancier was more risky for me than anyone else. Keep moving and stick anything I came cross with the sharp end.

  I had spent all two hundred and fifty copper I had to gear up for this adventure. I had to succeed. That was entire savings I had from my time manning the shop and gifts from my parents. I gave my sword a few practice swings after attaching the scabbard to my side. It would have to do.