Adventures of a Scribe

by Michael Deyhim

  I put the journal away and returned downstairs for dinner. I ate quickly and returned to my room. I did not want to speak to anyone. I kept going through my pack and cleaning it. The last item was my sister’s journal.

  It was painful to read. Her marriage was an unhappy one. She did go to Goldtown on her own to manage the Baron’s holdings and to travel a bit. Reading between the lines it had been a compromise between her and her husband. There was still the passage about opening up a new caravan but other than that there was no clue how the Lich came to be in Goldtown.

  I would need to head to Azalon to report the news to my parents. I definitely did not want to do that but I had to. I really had to tell them. How am I supposed to say that Clarissa is dead along with their unborn grandchild? I lay there in bed tears coming down my face until I had no more to shed.

  CHAPTER 8

  I chose to walk back to Azalon. It would take over a month but I needed the time to come to grips with what had happened. It also gave me a chance to work on the Chant of Lightning. I only had a single active ability Shock which allowed me to shock whatever I was touching.

  My hand always felt numb after using the ability. It was fairly useless but the only one I had managed to unlock after gaining the skill. I kept working on the chants but none of the other abilities were unlocked. I was probably missing some form of understanding and just kept working on that one ability. If I could increase my level in that skill hopefully I would be able to unlock more abilities.

  Thankfully no one tried to stop me from leaving Raftin or pursued me. It had been a good choice to bring back the Baron to take attention off of me. I always liked to acknowledge which choices I made were good and which were bad so I could learn from them. Going on this caravan was a bad choice. I got lucky once again by surviving but everyone else had died.

  The more I thought about it the more lucky I realized I was. The Lich targeted the priest first probably as the greatest threat. Then Karn came in and fought the monster while I made my escape. If it weren’t for both of them I probably would never have made it out of there alive. I was thirteen now and level thirteen. I had missed my birthday but it didn’t seem that important.

  I looked at my rough hands. While I had fine control, swinging a blade around did not keep my hands soft despite how hard I tried. Already a few callouses was developing. I had noticed that while my hands grew used to the hard work of swinging a blade I had been lost a bit of feeling. I wondered if there was mana for keeping one looking amazing. Beauty mana, that almost made me laugh out loud at how silly it sounded.

  I knew mana was claimed to be capable of anything but I still found the idea hilarious. The mage with that mana would probably make a lot of money though. All the nobles would definitely pay for the service especially the women. I wouldn’t argue with some way to use mana to clean myself from the dirt and grime that continually seemed to find and stick to me.

  It was just another thing separating me from my past life. I wanted to become strong and develop my skills and while I had made tremendous progress my life was hanging by a thread the entire time. “For a road traveled is a risk taken and a lesson learned.” I murmured the quote out loud from my favorite philosopher, Phillius.

  Thinking back on it, there had been a number of warnings that I had ignored. I had been lucky and Yonson had been right. It was painful to even admit that. I was alive and was moving forward that was what mattered.

  ***

  I got to Azalon late in the afternoon. The overcast skies that had followed me mirrored my mood and the conversation I was about to have. I reached the gate to the city just before they closed it for the night. I walked up the hill to the Illumination, each step heavier than the last. I had reviewed what I wanted to say a hundred times while returning to the city but I still felt at a loss.

  I reached the shop just as Grenda was leaving the shop after closing it up. “Grenda.” I spoke up.

  She spun around and was startled slightly. “Edward was it?”

  “Yes, I was hoping you could let me in to speak with my parents.” I said.

  “I suppose I could let you in.” She gave me a look.

  “Thanks.” I wanted to say more but we were just acquaintances. She let me in the shop and walked me to the back where the kitchen was located.

  “Clarance, Edward is here. I am heading out for the night.” My mother spun around and looked at both of us.

  “Thank you Grenda for letting him in. I will see you tomorrow.” Grenda gave a slight nod and then left. “Edward what is it.”

  “You should get father.” I said. She looked like she was going to interrupt but then left the kitchen. I took a seat at the table. A few moments later both my father and mother came into the kitchen and took a seat.

  “What is it Edward? Why are you back?” My mother asked. My father just stared at me quietly.

  “I…Clarissa is dead.” There was a long moment of silence. “She had been living in Goldtown managing her husband’s holdings there. The entire town was killed. I had gone there as part of a caravan. I barely managed to escape alive.” I looked off to the side. I pulled out the journal from my pack. I put the journal on top of table. “This was her journal.”

  My mother burst into tears and let out a sob. I bowed my head. “How did she die?” My father asked. His voice cracked at the end.

  “It was a Lich. It called itself the Shadow of Aurulian. It countered my mana while fighting a strong swordsman. The corpses…the corpses came back. I managed to escape, barely.” I said. My mother got up and left the kitchen in tears. My father just sat there in silence.

  He finally picked up the journal and began looking through it. Despite the thicker and insulated walls the building had that blocked out sound, I could hear my mother sobbing. “I thought the Shadow of Aurulian was a necromancer.” My father said.

  “That is just what the Lich said. I know he used to be a necromancer.” I said. My father looked up from the journal and stared at me. “I had no chance. If Karn hadn’t been fighting it, I never would have survived.”

  My father got up suddenly and gave me a hug. “I am glad you are still with us.” He whispered. After letting me go he went back to the journal. I went to tend to the half-finished dinner mother had been making.

  I made sure the stew was properly cooked before placing the pot on the table with ladles and bowls. I ladled out a bowl for father and myself and ate. Mother came down, here face clearly streaked with tears. She got a bowl of stew and sat down.

  “We should have a funeral.” Mother said. Father looked up at her.

  “Yes, we should. We can go talk to Priest Hendric tomorrow morning. No matter what else she was a Baroness.” Father said.

  “What happened to her husband?” Mother asked and looked at me briefly.

  “I saved him. I had to get food so I went back to the town. The Baron had been with the caravan and had remained in one of those secure carriages the nobility has. I took him with me back to Raftin. I warned the people there what happened but I don’t know anything else what happened after that. He was probably delayed arranging for transportation back here and answering questions.” I said.

  “He locked the carriage and didn’t let anyone in. It was terrible. People were ripped apart I… I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” I had another spoonful of stew and felt ill and it wasn’t from the stew. I got up from the table and went upstairs to my old room to fall asleep.

  ***

  “Hello Edward.” I spun around in the darkened room and a pair of glowing eyes were staring at me. “You have been a naughty boy.” The skull shaped visage seemed to appear from the darkness itself. I tried to speak but my tongue refused to obey my commands.

  “You ran away. Why did you do that? I just wanted to eat your soul, just a taste.” I screamed and screamed while the Lich slowly came towards me.

  I woke up gasping for air. Just a dream, just a dream. I kept repeating that mantra to calm myself down. I had sur
vived through the wilderness, the nights, and various monsters. I just needed to breathe. I wasn’t going to die. I was safe in Azalon and in the Illumination.

  I got out of bed and relieved myself in the bathroom downstairs. I then walked outside to the pump in the courtyard. It was still before dawn and no one was up yet. I cleaned myself off and washed out the worst of the dirt on my clothes. With that completed I made my way into the city to buy some bread.

  Thinking about what I was doing, it appeared my life had come full circle. I let out a small snort and shook my head. I purchased the bread from the bakery and made my way back home. “Edward?” A voice called out. Spinning around with a hand on my sword I saw Helen, George’s sister.

  “Helen, it is good to see you.” She definitely looked very nice. Her auburn hair she had always taken pride it was particularly impressive. If she had on a nicer outfit she could easily have been mistaken for a noble. I took my hand off my sword and gave her a smile.

  “So where is my good for nothing brother.” I could tell she was part joking.

  “He was around Gilleth Forest fighting goblins and wargs the last I heard. He probably stayed to assist the Royal Army if he hasn’t come home yet.” I wasn’t going to share everything, but I could at least pass on news that he was alive.

  “That is good. He better treat me to a nice gift.” Helen said while giving me a look. I had two older brothers so I knew what she wanted and decided that spending some time together may be just the thing I needed to take my mind off my troubles. Something completely different that wasn’t about mana or death.

  “I would love to escort the Lady to an event worth of her consideration.” I said in a formal tone. “Any suggestions?” Helen put a finger up to her lips and made a thinking face.

  “An evening for a meal at the Eternal Light.” She gave me a grin. While not the most expensive restaurant in the city it would definitely cost a couple of silver.

  “Two days from now, I shall come by your parent’s shop later today to escort you.” Helen smiled and then turned to leave.

  “I will see you then Edward.” She walked away. I shook my head and returned to the Illumination. I went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast as I had always done.

  “Brother!” I spun around and saw Galric.

  “Rothgar, it is good to see you.” I replied. We grabbed each other in a hug.

  “So what brings you home?” He asked and my mood plummeted. I explained what had happened to Clarissa. At the end of it his smile had departed.

  “That…that is a story. At least you didn’t let her become an undead.” He looked away.

  “Yeah, that is all I could do. I was a coward.” I said. Rothgar grabbed my shoulders.

  “No one could stand and face such a thing. I am glad you are still with us, otherwise we would never have known what happened. I am glad she was put to rest.” Rothgar said. Our parents came downstairs and we had a quiet breakfast.

  “Rothgar, why don’t you take Edward to go meet up with Galric. Your mother and I are going to take the day off.” We both agreed and left the store.

  As we walked down the hill towards the Merchants Guild I talked to Rothgar about some of my travels. He smiled a bit when I talked about Bran and his intense dislike of fish. The walk was far too short as we came to Galric’s apartment.

  Rothgar knocked on the door and it opened to Galric and a younger woman who was hurriedly putting on some clothes. “This is a surprise.” Galric said. The woman finished getting dressed and rushed out. “Sorry about the mess, I was having a lot of fun last night.”

  “We can tell. Sit, there is important news we must discuss.” Rothgar said. I told my story to my last family member and there was an oppressive silence. Galric got up and got out three mugs and a large jug.

  “I was saving this for another time. But this seems as good as any.” He opened up the jug and poured us all a finger width of amber liquid. “Don’t ask, just drink. For Clarissa, the girl who stole my brushes and painted on my face while I was asleep. The sister who…” He then drank and we followed right after. It burned my throat going down and I let out a cough.

  “Little brother, you need a greater tolerance.” Galric poured us all another drink. “We just will need to build it up.” After that it was a blur of drinks, singing, and fanciful stories. Thankfully Rothgar kept a saner head and was able to get me back to the Illumination in one piece.

  The next morning I woke up and felt like I had gotten into a fight. I managed to drag myself out of bed and clean myself up. I stumbled my way downstairs, mother had already prepared breakfast. “I am glad to see you are alive. Drink this.” She handed me a mug of water. I drank it and felt a bit better.

  “Thanks.”

  “At least you didn’t do anything stupid and Rothgar was there. There is a ceremony after breakfast.” She said and I just nodded.

  Going to the church and listening to Priest Hendric talk about Clarissa and offer her blessings for having moved on made it seem so much more real. It was a small ceremony. I ignored everyone who wished me well and made my way home. I just lay in bed only getting up for meals and some quiet conversation.

  It was just after mid-day following the ceremony that I pulled myself out of bed and made myself presentable. I then made my way out into the city and purchased a single flower. With that done I made my way to see Helen. She met me outside her parents’ shop, she really seemed to have an extra sense to be ready when I was. I wondered if it was a skill of some kind. “Edward, I see an amaryllis. So dramatic.” She smiled at me and took the flower from my hands.

  “Hello Helen.” I said.

  “I heard about what happened. I never knew her really well, but Clarissa had the nicest green eyes. I was always jealous of them growing up.” Helen said.

  “She had too much of a temper.” I said.

  “Hmmm, well she married very well. To a Baron no less. I wonder what chances the daughter of a fletcher might have.” She said while leaning against me and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

  “A bit forward of you.” I replied while trying to contain my blush.

  “My parents are asking around to find a good match. I am not happy with my prospects.”

  “So you want to marry me? An adventurer?”

  “A scribe and a successful adventurer.”

  “I never really thought about things like that. I just wanted to…do something different.”

  “Boys, that is why you need a woman to help manage things.” She gave me a smile.

  “So what do you want to do? You were always the prettiest one of the kids our age, but what do you want to do with your life?” I asked.

  “Travel a bit, manage a household. Maybe wear some expensive dresses.” She gave me a grin.

  “My money pouch is not that deep.”

  “Honestly, this is just a bit of fun. Matchmaker Ulnera is looking into prospects but I can only hope for someone as good as you.”

  “Your beauty should have men falling over themselves.”

  “But not you?”

  “I can see a flower in a forest, but I can cast my gaze beyond the flower.” I was glad for everything I had read so I could handle this conversation. I had never remembered Helen being this intense.

  She grabbed onto my arm and leaned into me so she was whispering in my ear. “Let us just enjoy this moment.” I smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever.

  ***

  I left Azalon the day after to make my way towards the capital Antioch. I had enjoyed the evening I had spent with Helen. It was calming in a weird way to just hang out and go on a date. Something so pointless and normal helped settle my head. Life would go on, I just had to keep moving forward.

  I reached the capital. It was a simple matter to rent a room for myself for an entire year and get two meals a day for fifteen copper. That meant over the three hundred and sixty days in a year I would be paying fifty four silver. I also worked out a permanent pass to the library instead
of paying the daily fee for twenty silver which would hopefully save me quite a bit.

  I had made sure to get a room in a half decent part of town, but where I would be left alone. There was an older man who rented it out to earn some extra money and a tavern was next door for easy meals. It wasn’t the same level as comfort as my parents’ home in Azalon but it was decent enough.

  While I had a lot of money, I had learned the importance of keeping it. I deposited a gold into my account at the Adventurers Guild and then I got to work. I kept up with my exercise every morning. Despite living in the city I didn’t plan on going soft.

  While there was daylight I spent my time reading at the library. I had attempted to meditate at the same time but with the world fading into the background of my perceptions and my eyelids closing, it was near impossible to read and meditate at the same time.

  When it started to get dark I would return to my room and work on Toughness by cutting myself. I would let the blood go into a bucket, which I would empty really early next morning and repeat the process. While I was healing and working to recover I began to work on my chants or meditate if I was low on mana.

  My work at the library was centered on runes and attempting to devise a language or system for them. The problem was that I had no understanding of anything about the language. I had fifteen runes to work from. The order of writing the symbols mattered as well as the symbols. There was nothing in common between any of the runes except the charging and discharging portions of them.

  The swirls, lines, and other markings were all different and there was anywhere between three and five layers in the rune as it was written on the paper. It was frustrating and aggravating. I scoured the books in the public library but once again the wall of hidden knowledge kept me locked out. There were history books and various pointless manuscripts on trivial things, but nothing on mana or skills that would be useful.