The door gave a prolonged creak as Samuel pushed it open, revealing the large empty room that was his father’s study. It was as he’d expected it to be. Towering bookshelves ringed the outer wall of the room, fully stocked with books of all kinds, both slim and thick. Their covers ranged from worn and ancient leather to glossy, brand-new with shiny lettering proclaiming their titles.

The few sections of the wall not hidden by bookcases were dominated by large hanging frames, displaying large maps and unfurled scrolls. Towards the back of the room, perfectly centered, lay a desk. It was constructed of some kind of dark wood and had obviously been polished recently. The trim and corners of the desk were inlaid with what looked like gold, though Samuel suspected it to be highly polished brass. Nevertheless, it was an impressive piece of furniture, easily five times as big as the desk he’d used at home.

A large, high-backed chair was placed against the desk, along with two other, slightly smaller but almost identical chairs that were placed across the desk, their backs to the door. Despite his negative opinion of his father, Samuel couldn’t help but admire the room. It could take him years to read all the books, he thought. Even though he’d lived in a remote village most of his life, he’d done quite a bit of reading in his time, but even he didn’t recognize the majority of the titles on display here. He walked along the bookcases, lightly running a finger along the spines.

It was a wonderful room, he thought to himself. He’d always thought he’d inherited his love of reading from his mother, but it seemed that his father had also shared the obsession. It didn’t do much to improve his mental image of the man, but he obviously couldn’t have been stupid, as he’d imagined him. A man who spent this much time and effort to collect this much knowledge couldn’t be too gormless.

With a sigh, Samuel walked away from the closest bookcases and examined a map on display. It depicted the city of Gorteau and much of the surrounding countryside. It even stretched so far as to show glimpses of the Dagorra Forest, and the desolate range of mountains to the east. Samuel searched his memory for a few moments trying to remember the name. Estavor. That was it. Samuel had no idea who or what Estavor had been, but he knew that was the name of the mountain range.

His mouth twisted in a wry smirk. Even though this was his first trip ever to Milagre, Samuel’s maps carried far more detail than what was shown here. I’ll have to replace that when I can, he thought to himself. Though he had to admit, drawing an accurate map of that size would take him a while. He moved on, then received a jolt strong enough to shock him out of his deep thoughts.

In the next display case was a sheet of parchment, perhaps a foot long. It seemed to be the ramblings of some mage, judging by the text, though badly damaged from a fire. It wasn’t the marks of damage that caught his eye, but a line of text towards the center.

I feel as if my mind is slipping away from me. The other wizards, my colleagues, and even my pupils scorn me and call me a madman. But I know I hear him. He calls to me in my sleep, just as he did then, in the cave. I must find him, but I do not know how. I ask the great librarians of Milagre and Sheran, but they are just as clueless. I know he is real, but it seems that none know of him. Yet I must find him. Arcana awaits me. Perhaps I--

Arcana. Samuel thought, grounded to the spot with the shock of suddenly seeing the name. That was the name the…. Thing had given him. It had told him its name was Arcana and told him to find it. Just as it had most likely told this rambling mage. Samuel looked to the end of the parchment searching for a name but cursed as he saw that the name had been burned off.

He heard the door open and whirled around. He was expecting to see Arthur, perhaps coming to see where he’d gone off to, but instead saw a short slim figure silhouetted by the light of the hallway. He instinctively moved away from the scrap of parchment, though he wasn’t sure why.

“Hello?” A quiet voice, sounding more than a little nervous, came from the figure in the doorway. “I heard a noise and thought…”

Samuel took a deep breath, composing himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m just looking around the study.”

The figure seemed to relax as well and walked a little farther into the room. As the light of one of the study lanterns covered them, Samuel was able to make out more details. It was a girl, he realized. No, he corrected himself, it was a young woman, possibly a year or two younger than himself. She had mousy brown hair that was cut short to frame her face, and it looked like she’d just rolled out of bed. To complete the image, she was wearing a dressing gown that looked two sizes too big for her, reaching all the way to the floor.

“Master Bragg? Is that really you?” She spoke softly, taking a few hesitant steps closer to him.

Samuel avoided rolling his eyes at the mention of his father, but just barely. “I take it you’ve mistaken me for my father.”

She put a hand to her mouth, suddenly blushing. “Oh! I’m so sorry. Yes, you must be Samuel. Arthur said he was going to fetch you.”

Fetch him? Samuel felt a small flare of indignation but quickly smothered it. Feeling a faint sense of amusement, he smiled at the girl. “What did you think? My father’s ghost was roaming around his study late at night?”

Her wide eyes became a little less so. “Well, as a matter of fact, yes.”

Samuel laughed softly. “Sorry, just me. No ghosts here.”

“Well not tonight, at least.” She smiled back at him. “My apologies, but you do look a lot like him. And you’re pale, so I thought…”

Samuel laughed again as her voice trailed off. “It’s a side effect of my job. I spend all my time indoors, so I’m pretty pale.”

Another noise, this time a knock at the door, distracted them. One of the junior cooks, under Seamus’ tutelage, had appeared at the door. He was carrying a silver tray, holding a coffee pot, two mugs, and a bowl and spoon.

“Oh hello, James.” The girl said. “I just met Samuel. Is that coffee?”

James nodded. “ Master Seamus guessed you’d be in here, young master. I came to bring you some coffee, and to let you know that dinner will be another hour.”

Samuel smiled warmly, glad to see the coffee. He took the tray from the man’s hands and walked it over to the large deck. “I already said enough with the ‘young master’ James. Just Samuel is fine.”

The young cook nodded. “Of course, young ma- I mean, Samuel. Please enjoy your coffee.”

He left the room, closing the door behind him. Samuel noticed that the girl gave a little jump when the door snapped shut and was now staring around the room, looking at everything but Samuel. She’s not tense as a cat at all, Samuel thought to himself sarcastically. He scooped several spoonfuls of the sugar into a mug, then poured some coffee in, stirring it gently.

“So what’s your name?” He asked softly, not wanting to startle the girl again. Despite his best efforts, she still whirled suddenly when he addressed her.

“Marie!” She squeaked, perhaps more forcefully than she intended, for she took a small breath and repeated herself more quietly. “Marie Del, they call me. I don’t know my family name.”

She blushed and looked down at the floor as she said this, looking extremely flustered. Samuel smiled patiently. Those who didn’t know their family name were usually orphans, he thought. Maybe she’d been employed by his late father, he thought.

“Did you know my father well, Marie?” He asked before taking a sip. He tried to keep his tone relaxed and friendly.

“Very well! I helped him keep the library in order.” She said, gesturing to the bookshelves around them. “He didn’t have much interest in them, but he let me read in here whenever I wanted.”

So apparently his father hadn’t read the books himself, Samuel thought. Somehow, that didn’t surprise him. He probably bought the books just to fill the space, he thought sourly. Then what Marie said sunk in.

“You maintained the study for him?” Samuel’s interest wasn’t assumed anymore. He leaned forward eagerly, ignoring how Marie averted her eyes and blushed at the renewed attention.

“Yes, that’s right.” She said meekly to her shoes. “All the decoration is my design, and I’m the one that organized the books.”

Samuel moved from where he was leaning against the desk and crossed to the sheet of badly burned parchment. If she had indeed chosen what was displayed in the cases, then perhaps she knew about it. Once her gaze lifted from her feet to look at him, he pointed.

“Do you know what this is?” He asked the question bluntly but patiently.

He knew the truth as soon as her smile widened. There was a sudden light of enthusiasm in her eyes as she nodded in confirmation. “Oh yes! It’s a little-known entry torn from the journal of Archmage Peran!”

“Archmage Peran?” Samuel queried. He’d never hear of the title Archmage nor of this Peran person.

“Well, rumor says that he wrote it, but he denies it.” Marie continued. It was as if a dam had broken open, Samuel thought. The subject was obviously of great interest to her, and it was that enthusiasm that was making her shyness fade away. She even took a few more steps closer to him, her eyes wide with the same passion that all experts had in their field.

“Archmage Lucian Peran. He’s a great man!” She continued, hardly pausing to breathe. “He’s one of the seven great Archmages of the Mage’s Guild, and he’s invented over fifty spells in his lifetime! He’s been all over the world researching unique types of magic, trying to always find something new!”

Now it was Samuel that was flustered. Marie had moved in so close, there were only a few centimeters between their faces. He could see golden flecks in her brown eyes, and he couldn’t help but notice that she had a small but straight nose, a bit like a button. But he pushed his embarrassing thought to the side as his unanswered question occurred to him.

“But what is this entry?” Samuel made to reach for his coffee cup again, putting a few feet of space between himself and Marie. “Why do people say that it was written by him?”

She frowned thoughtfully, and Samuel looked away hurriedly, composing himself. “Well, there are some who believe that it’s his handwriting. It looks very similar to some of his most recent works. Here, I’ll show you.”

Samuel looked up just in time to see her shuffle over to one of the bookcases. She stood still for a moment, scanning the shelves for her target, then she reached out and plucked a thick tome off the shelf. It was one of those that looked to be in excellent condition, Samuel noticed, with more of that gold lettering. Marie brought the book over to him and held it out for his inspection.

“A dissertation on magic and it’s chaotic nature.” Samuel read aloud. He looked at the author’s name on the bottom and saw that it had been written by Archmage Lucian Peran.

Then Mari balanced the book in the crook of her left arm and opened it to a random page. Samuel thought that she was stronger than she looked, as the book was obviously heavy. Then his attention was snagged by a body of text in the book, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The lettering inside the book and on the parchment displayed in the glass case did look similar. Not identical, he thought, but similar.

“Hmm. I see what you mean,” Samuel said slowly. “But it could have just as easily been written by anyone. Have you ever met him?”

She shook her head slightly, a slight look of disappointment partially supplanting the enthusiasm there. “No. He spends all his time either in his tower or in the library of the Mage’s Guild. And only guild members are allowed in there. I tried to become an apprentice, but I’m no good with magic.”

Samuel studied her thoughtfully, but she was in the background. At the forefront of his mind was the announcement he’d received by courier, back in Harlest. He no longer had to worry about traveling costs now that he lived in Milagre, so it might be worth his time to give the college inside the Mage’s Guild a try.

“When is the Mage’s Guild opening for a new class?” He asked, trying to sound as if this was a throwaway question.

“Tomorrow.” She responded at once. “Why?”

Samuel didn’t answer for a while but continued to look from the book to the piece of burned parchment. Then, he heaved a deep sigh and returned his gaze to the shy girl before him. All at once, he felt an urge to tell her the truth. To have at least one person who he could confide in, and not have to pretend that he knew what he was up to.

“I want to join the Mage’s Guild.” He said wearily. “I got an advertisement while I was in my village, and it seems like a good opportunity.”

She nodded, understanding. “Well of course it is. If you’re anything like your father, you should be able to get in without a problem.”

Samuel shook his head. “You don’t get it. I want to join the Mage’s Guild because it’s a stepping stone.”

Now her eyes showed confusion. “A stepping stone? What do you mean?”

Samuel opened his mouth to explain further, but a discreet knock on the study doors interrupted both his reply and his train of thought. The door opened a few inches, and Arthur’s face appeared. The steward looked a little nervous as he realized he’d interrupted a conversation, but showed no hint of surprise at finding Samuel here.

“Beg your pardon, young master. Dinner is ready in the dining room downstairs. We’re all waiting for you to join us.” Then, as his eyes swiveled to the girl in the overlong dressing gown, he added, “Marie, what are you doing here? Go get dressed properly and join us as well.”

Samuel caught the barest hint of Marie’s furiously blushing face as she hastened to obey, scurrying towards the door in her peculiar shuffling gait. Arthur disappeared from the doorway and she followed him, pausing briefly to smile shyly back at Samuel where he stood by the desk. He blinked confusedly at the expression, but she whipped out of sight before he could ponder it further.

I must be more tired than I thought, Samuel thought to himself. He normally prided himself on his unshakeable composure, but somehow he’d managed to be shaken up twice in one day. First, he had lost his temper with Arthur, allowing his annoyance at the man’s snobbish attitude to get the better of him. Now he felt himself flushing at the actions of a total stranger.

As he exited the study, closing the door softly behind him and pacing down the hallway, he wondered briefly what Sera was up to. No doubt she was being kept busy in the Nook Inn, serving patrons and overseeing the distribution of food and drink. As he padded down the large staircase in his new soft woolen slippers, he imagined her, hair tied back to keep it out of her face, save for that one strand that always seemed to break free and drape over her smiling brown eyes.

He shook his head vigorously in an attempt to clear it, but only succeeded in conjuring up a new mental image. This time it was of Marie, of the gold flecks in her coffee-colored eyes, widened with joy as she discussed her favorite topic. It was the kind of fascination he understood. He imagined that same swoop of enthusiasm as he heard a new story, or found a rare, little-known bit of knowledge that had been thought lost to the ages.

He came to the dining room quicker than expected, unconsciously guided by the sound of softly chattering voices. As he entered from the dark hallway, he saw a brightly lit room, dominated by a large table that had enough chairs to seat twenty to twenty-five people. Nearly all the table was occupied at the moment. Not only Arthur and Shigeru but also all of his guard was seated. They had changed out of their armor and were instead wearing clean tunics, and their hair was still damp from the baths.

Everyone assembled gave a warm sound of welcome as they spotted Samuel. One of the soldiers gave him a thumbs-up, and another joked about him getting lost in the manor. He grinned easily at them, moving to the only empty seat at the table. Whether coincidence or intention, it was at the opposite head of the table from Arthur. Ignoring this, he noticed Shigeru was seated directly to his right, a fact that pleased him immensely. Shigeru replied to his smile with a silent nod of welcome.

No sooner had he sat down than Seamus appeared from a side door, leading the two junior cooks in tow. The first one, James, bustled out carrying a large pot of fragrant beef stew, placing it carefully in the center of the table. The next, a brightly smiling slightly rounded girl, placed several loaves of bread and pots of coffee along the table. She winked cheerily at Samuel as she placed one of the pots right next to him, and he grinned his thanks.

“Well, isn’t this cozy. And that stew smells magnificent!” Samuel exclaimed. Several of the soldiers made noises of agreement, leaning towards the enticing scent of the stew.

As with all master chefs, Seamus lived for the praise that his food would gain from those who ate it. He grinned at the eager expressions of Samuel and the soldiers. He noticed that Arthur was calm and controlled as ever, but dismissed it. The steward never liked to show emotion, but he looked hungry as well. The round cook began ladling generous servings into bowls, passing them around the table.

“You sound just like your father,” Seamus said in mock reproach. “That man had an inexhaustible appetite.”

Samuel ignored the comparison to his father, suddenly becoming aware of just how hungry he was. That was only to be expected, he thought, as he had been unconscious for nearly a week. In that time he was unlikely to have had any food, so he might as well cut himself some slack.

And indeed, it was a delicious stew.