Chapter 22: Planning ahead.

Darien

Using the wall for support, Darien dragged himself along the familiar route within the sewers. The arrow in his leg from Lee’s first attack was still there and helped block the loss of blood. With his current health, he was unable to risk a heavy bleed effect.

The boastful comment Lee had made echoed in his mind constantly. A never ending loop of mocking that even now refused to believe Darien had any chance of winning.

You trained me too well, Darien.

Replaying the scene in his mind for the hundredth time, Darien limped further into the depths of the sewers.

You trained me too well, Darien.

“I taught you a lot, but not everything.” Darien hissed back to his thoughts the same way he’d hissed back to Lee.

The moment Lee had said the words ‘time for your rule to end’, Darien had dived to the left. He knew Lee’s specialty was the bow so the chances were that he’d use a bow to attack. With that knowledge, he’d attempted to avoid the shot that was no doubt being loosed.

Lee had been taught well though and he knew Darien perfectly. He knew that Darien was skilled and that he favored his right. That meant only one thing: Darien would dive left and rotate his body to throw a dagger back. When throwing something at someone who is behind you, a backhanded throw is weak and hard to aim.

No. A person like Darien would never accept that; he’d spin left and throw the dagger straight. That was almost exactly what Darien did and exactly what Lee had aimed for.

As Darien dived left, his whole body shifted. Everything except the left leg he was using to pivot on. The arrow had never been aimed anywhere else and pierced his calf instantly. The blow had knocked Darien off balance and the dagger he threw missed by wide margin.

“You taught me too well, Darien.”

“I taught you a lot, but not everything.” Darien hissed from the floor where he landed. Pushing himself back up as Lee nocked another arrow, Darien steadied himself, “Like I said, you aren’t up to the task.”

“Says the man hopping on one leg.” Lee mocked and drew the string of his bow.

Activating ‘Adrenal Rush’, Dariens time slowed. It didn’t do anything to increase his speed or agility, but it did make time appear to slow down. It was an assassins skill used to turn 3 seconds into 15. Watching the arrow fly towards him in slow motion, he moved his body in an equally—agonizingly—slow motion and turned out of the way. It was like trying to turn while neck deep in a muddy swamp. He barely twisted enough to dodge the arrow that flew for his heart but managed it.

Adrenal Rush over and 30 seconds until he could activate it again, he quickly pulled two more daggers from his belt and launched them at Lee.

The fight had not been easy. He’d never guessed that Lee had grown so much since their training sessions together. Lee had used every trick Darien ever taught him and more. Darien too used every skill he had and even improvised a little.

When the fight finally ended, a broken arrow shaft was still lodged in Darien’s leg and his health was in the deep red. He’d received a message through God’s Window that informed him of his health status. The arrow in his leg along with other wounds were still causing damage. Watching his health bar expecting the end to be near, his health grew a single point and instantly fell again. A few moments later, the strange phenomenon happened again. 1 Health regenerated and instantly disappeared again.

He wasn’t sure how long he watched it for, but by time he regained his wits—the sun had already come up. Even then, his health was not regenerating thanks to the arrow in his leg and the wounds on his body. Remaining so close to death, Darien wasn’t sure what to do about it. He could visit a sanctuary and pay for a healer, but he wasn’t sure he could even trust them, not after Scrim revealed that he has men working for the Sanctuary. There was only one place for him to go. Only person he could trust.

Pushing a brick in the wall of the sewer, Darien waited for the wall to open. When at last the cogs and mechanisms started shifting and the door opened, Darien prayed to the God he doesn’t believe in.

Please let him be home.

Your wound has become septic. -1 Health

---

Tobi

“Are you really going to wait out here all day?” Selene asked as she opened the door to Bernie’s Spindles. Tobi had told her they planned to stay in the area all day and make sure nothing happened to her, but she didn’t think it was necessary. She had already explained to Tobi that Scrim hadn’t taken her by force. He’d told her that Tobi had been captured by a man named Kleetz and she was in danger. He promised to rescue Tobi but he had to get her somewhere safe.

Despite the explanation, Tobi refused to let her too far out of his sight. Not in Chadú anyway—not whilst Kleetz and Scrim were still out and about.

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll keep ourselves occupied. We’ll just stay close by whilst we occupy ourselves. Maybe I will teach the Talin chess or something.”

Selene still looked doubtful but she dropped it and went inside. She’d been looking forward to working at the tailor shop most of the night so they’d set off pretty early. Even if Tobi was planning to sit at the door all day, she had no intention of skipping out on some paid work.

Looking to the Talin who was busy admiring his reflection in the shop window, Tobi smiled and looked around for a table and chairs. There was no point getting out his chess set if had no table to play on. There wasn’t a chance he was using his Timeless Chess Set on the dirty floor; it was far too valuable.

I guess playing chess is out of the question… Tobi mused due to the fact there was no table or chairs in sight. The only place likely to have some to spare was the cafe down the road but it hadn’t opened yet.

Deciding instead that he’d just read for a while, Tobi sat on the floor beside the shop door and opened his bag. He still needed to finish learning Malanchite and the book was still in his bag somewhere. He just had to find it.

Rooting around until his hand found what felt like a books cover, he pulled it out.

Ellenestri’s Diary? I completely forgot about it.

Flipping a few pages into the book, Tobi confirmed that he still couldn’t read any. He doubted the language was Talin in the first place but he still thought he’d check. Now that he was officially learning the language, he should have been able to decipher basic words if he spotted any.

Putting the book back and taking a mental note to return to it later, He searched his bag again. It didn’t take him long on his second attempt to pull the Malanchite book free from all the boxes stacked inside.

“Is reading fun?” The Talin asked as Tobi turned to the first page.

“Depends what you’re reading. I will teach you if you want, but it will have to wait until I can get hold of an easy book in a language you know.”

The Talin didn’t really seem to care and shrugged to emphasize the matter. Tobi expected that he was interested really but didn’t want to let on. Letting the moment pass and leaving the Talin to his own business, he began to read Malanchite for the first time since he first got the book off Vallen.

---

Vallen

“Sir?”

Stopping as he was about to enter the grounds of the Mage Guild, Vallen turned back to face the youth that called out to him.

“Sorry sir, excuse me, I am here to deliver a letter?”

“Are you telling me you are delivering a letter, or asking?” Vallen replied with amusement.

“Er...telling, sir. It arrived by boat just an hour ago. I was sent to deliver it straight away as it is addressed to a mister Vallen Chaucey. He owns this guild.”

“He does?” Vallen replied with mock surprise, “I thought he simply ran it for the King. I know him though...would you like me to take the letter for you?”

“Could you? That would be a great help, thank you. Please get it to him quickly though. The one who gave it to me said it was very important and paid me a full silver not to lose it.”

Smiling, Vallen rubbed the boys head, “Well here then, for your good work.”

Passing a silver to the boy, Vallen laughed as his eyes lit up and handed the letter over in exchange for the silver.

Seems he is having a lucky day.

Watching the boy run off in high spirits, he chuckled to himself again and began opening the letter. Pulling out a piece of paper that had been sealed with wax the same way the envelope had been, Vallen turned it over.

For the eyes of Vallen Chaucey and no other.

Hm. I don’t recognize the handwriting. Why didn’t I think to ask the boy where the letter had been delivered from? The only person I know overseas right now is… ~ “Tobi.”

Quickly breaking the seal and opening the letter, Vallen scanned the words as quickly as he could manage. Most of it was worded in a way that sounded apologetic but he did get to the point eventually. Rereading certain sections of the letter repeatedly, Vallen finally lifted his head from the parchment.

---

Tobi

Finishing the book hadn’t taken nearly as long as Tobi expected. It wasn’t even noon yet and he’d already translated every word. To his surprise the book had actually been quite interesting. It told the Malanchite version of the war 500 years earlier. They’d mostly stayed out of it but they did get involved whenever the fighting entered their lands. They were quite an interesting species too.

From the desciptions in the book, the Malanquit were a race of spiders. Incredibly clever and resourceful spiders, but still spiders no matter how you spin it. The races were many too. Not as many as Arachnids in the world, but at least 14 kinds. Their sizes ranged anywhere from that of a tarantula to a beast three times the size of a horse.

Tobi couldn’t imagine talking to a spider, but the Malanquit could definitely learn and speak other languages if they chose to. The book even claimed that their leader was not only able to speak Dragon, but once chased a dragon out of their lands. Many parts of the book seemed exaggerated though so he wasn’t sure if he should believe it.

The most interesting part of the Malanquit in Tobi’s opinion was their abilities concerning common spiders. They couldn’t just communicate with them, they could control them. Literally. They dominated the will of the little bug and forced them to do their bidding. They used their little cousins as spies to gather information on their enemies—and in some cases bite and poison their enemies.

He’d not yet mastered the language of Malanchite though, it would take several more books at least before he managed that. With the story he’d just read, he couldn’t wait to visit a library and grab more books. Maybe even find a Talin one so that he could better teach the Talin to read. Assuming of course that the Talin wrote any books at all.

“Tobi.”

Looking up to the Talin who’d stood like a statue the entire time he read, Tobi turned his attention to the direction the Talin was looking.

Oh, Sax. I almost forgot about him.

Standing up and dusting himself off as Sax approached, Tobi smiled and gestured for him to come over.

“Hello. Am I late?” Sax asked as soon as he reached Tobi and looked up to the sun in the sky.

“Not at all. Early maybe. We’ve been here all day.” Tobi answered happily.

“Really?”

The Talin grunted in response. He was obviously bored from standing guard all day without any real need to do so.

“Why on Earth would you sit here all day?”

“We have our reasons. Come on we’ll go sit at that Cafe.”

Moving down the street and across the road, Tobi pulled a chair out for the Talin before taking one for himself that faced the store. He never said so out loud, but he wanted the Talin to keep an eye facing the opposite direction—which was why he pulled the chair out for him.

“So. Why did you want to meet with me?” Sax asked taking a seat of his own.

Ignoring the question as a waitress walked over, Tobi ordered them all drinks and waited for her to leave.

“I want to talk to you about Lord Baylon. You said he is going to end slavery if he becomes the next King, right?”

Shifting in his seat and checking the area before he replied, Sax gave a small nod and dropped his voice, “He plans to, but a lot of people in this city are against it. A lot of the people in the country are against it. Even his father advised him to reconsider. Why do you ask?”

“Again, I have my reasons.” Tobi answered, “Right now I am just wondering what you hoped to gain by stirring up the crowd in the Sanctuary. Even if the entire city was in support of Baylon, they don’t get to decide who becomes the next King. So why bother?”

“They may not decide who is King, but they can make his rule difficult. I believe Baylons men have what it takes to win, but he will make many enemies when he tries to end slavery. It’s not a bad idea to start gathering your supporters early.”

Agreeing with his reasoning, Tobi thought it over, “Let’s say you get the supporters you need or want. How long after he becomes King will slavery be ended?”

“We’re being watched.” The Talin noted as Sax was about to answer.

“I knew that already,” Tobi answered unconcerned, “If we’re asked, I will just say it was a chance meeting and he offered to buy us drinks. Let me know if anyone comes closer. You were saying, Sax?”

“Yeah. I am not sure. As soon as he is confident he can do it without a rebellion he will attempt it. Why are you being watched?”

Accepting the drinks from the waitress and giving her a small tip, Tobi swirled the cup and tried to figure out if he should help Baylon or not—and if he could; how he would manage it.

“Watched, guarded...what’s the difference? Don’t worry about him. Selene has witnessed what it is like for some slaves. She is against slavery and agrees with Baylon. So, Selene and I are willing to help Baylon win the throne if we can.”

“Just you and the white Priestess?” Sax asked glancing at the Talin.

“The Talin is free to choose for himself. I am not his chief. If I were I’d have given him a new name instead of calling him Talin all the time.”

Sax raised and eyebrow but the Talin barely shown no signs of having been listening until he finally answered, “You may not be Turok, but I do what you say.”

Tobi nodded his thanks and turned his attention back to Sax. He truly had no idea how to help Baylon and only decided he would because of his promise to Selene. He had to do something about slavery if it was possible and Baylon provided a near perfect solution.

“Well, we need supporters for when he takes over...but we also need information. There are rats in this city that live in the sewers. Thieves and murderers. We need to root them out. There is also a rumor about a woman that has many slaves secretly working for her. We need to know if it is true and if so; who she is. If Baylon takes the throne and the slaves are freed, she will lose all her power and influence. She is definitely a threat if the rumors are true.”

Slaves working for a woman? — “I don’t get it.” Tobi confessed, “How do the slaves give her power and influence?”

Sighing and watching two women in a slaves garb walk by, Sax nodded at them both, “See the one holding the water vase? She is a slave to a merchant near the docks. He treats her well but he also takes advantage of her position as a slave. Now, if the woman really exists that has slaves working for her, what kind of information do you suppose that slave has about her master?”

Tobi frowned and began imagining logbooks, tax books, shipment orders, secrets that would ruin him if his competition found out. The amount of things she could know was immeasurable. She could know nothing at all, but Sax had implied she would know a lot—maybe know everything.

“It looks like you understand,” Sax noted with a satisfied nod, “Now what about the slaves of other people. Politicians, judges, other merchants, the Guilds, the men in the Kings army. What about the slaves that work in the Palace? If the woman really exists, she could have a slave who would have the opportunity to kill the King.”

Bubele. Tobi thought instantly as he remembered how dangerous Darien had claimed she was.

“OK, I might be able to help with the sewer rats and maybe the slave woman. Before that though, we have to make sure he wins. I think it was Captain Horts that told me Baylon will be using his own men in the tournament. People he will actually put in positions of power when he is King. Is that true?”

Sax nodded as he swallowed a mouthful of hot Lemon Tea with obvious discomfort, “Others have offered to be his champion if he pays them or rewards them, but Baylon refused. He wants to show the people that his own men are capable of the jobs they will be performing.”

Tobi chewed on his bottom lip. The only method he had of helping Baylon actually become the King was to lose his chess match against Baylon’s champion. That didn’t necessarily mean Baylon would win though, only that Darien might lose. Or at least—the man that employed Darien would lose.

“I can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. Give me some time to think of something. If I need to have a meeting with this Lord of yours, do you think you can arrange it?”

“I might be able to,” Sax answered doubtfully, “when would you like the meeting to take place?”

“A week before the tournament. I have other things to handle before then. If you need to find me…” Wondering himself how Sac could get hold of him, Tobi was stumped.

“Well, where are you staying? I will come to you.” Sax offered.

Shaking his head no, Tobi knew that wasn’t possible. Having Sax show up at Darien’s was definitely a bad idea, “No, go to Sal’s Copper Lantern. Ask for his son and leave the message with him. Nobody else.”

Downing the remains of his drink, Sax nodded and stood up, “I will do it, but when next we meet, I want you to explain everything to me.”

“Like what?” Tobi asked in surprise as he also rose to his feet.

“Why you really want to help. What you are getting out of it and how you plan on helping.”

Without another word, Sax walked away.

“He is a funny man.” The Talin noted without humor. Tobi didn’t know what he meant but nodded in agreement just the same.

---

Darien

Darien woke to the worst headache of his life. Putting a hand to his head as he tried to sit up, he felt hands push him back down again. In a state of Panic he tried to struggle but was restrained easily. The last thing he’d remembered was his health bar being at one.

No…. Darien thought as he realized where he was and relaxed, My health wasn’t zero, it dropped to nothing. I died.

Opening his eyes a little in the gloom, a few windows from the Gods hovered in front of his vision.

You are dead.

You have been revived.

All stats reduced by 50% for 1 hour.

Licking the inside of his mouth and his lips, he tried to generate enough Saliva to speak. Only a dusty cough managed to escape his mouth though as he tried to ask what happened. His saviour seemed to understand just the same and moved back to where he lay.

“I found you in the basement. The wall hasn’t been opened in so many years the cogs and hinges have rusted and become stiff. Good thing though, or I wouldn’t have heard it opening. I arrived in the basement just as you passed out...and then you died.”

“If I died, how am I alive?” Darien asked remembering horror stories of necromancers. Not that any had been heard of or seen in the past five-hundred years.

The man chuckled as he walked away from the bed back to his workstation, “Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. Feel your chest if you don’t believe me. The undead don’t have a heartbeat.”

Darien’s heart had started to race already so feeling for his heartbeat wasn’t necessary. Now that he knew he wasn’t actually an undead or anything, he started to calm a little and look around the room. Mostly it was just a table in a typical looking alchemist store. The difference being the bed Darien lay on and the fact they were in a normal house—not a shop.

“You still haven’t answered how I am alive.”

The man returned with a small potion in his hand and a smile on his face, “Drink this, it will help you get your strength back. Oh come on...why would I heal you if I just planned on poisoning you afterward.”

Looking at the potion doubtfully, he took the gamble and drank it. Even though this man was the only one he trusted in his time of need, he didn’t actually trust him much at all. He’d only survived so far by doubting everybody and doing what it took to survives.

“I got the idea on how to save you from a farmer, funnily enough. He raises cattle just outside the Eastern gate. Among his many skills is a special one called Animal Healing. It works just the same as the Priests healing magic, but I had never heard of one working on animals before. During a visit to him two years ago, one of his calves died and he brought it back to life. You can imagine my surprise. I asked him for every detail. He said that it rarely works, but he explained it anyway.”

“Well?” Darien prompted as soon as he realized the man had finished speaking, “How did he do it?”

“No idea. Didn’t understand a word of what he said.” The man chuckled in response, “What I did understand is this: You have to pump the chest to keep the heart moving and if possible, pump air into the lungs. At the same time, you cast healing magic on them. There is one important rule though; it has to be done within 30 seconds of death. At least that’s what he said. None come back after 30 seconds. You get that long to bring them back. I revived you instantly, but waking you up again was impossible. I tried everything.”

“How long was I unconscious?” Darien asked in alarm as he sat up and caused a wave of dizziness.

“Twelve-hours? Give or take? It’s already evening.”

“I have to go!” Darien called as he sat bolt upright and hopped off the bed. He was still dizzy and weak but he didn’t have a choice. Lee’s dead body was still on his roof.

---

Tobi

“How did you like it?” Tobi asked as they left Bernie’s Spindles.

“It was fun. I’ve never worked in an actual shop to make clothes before. Would have been better if I learned something about Tailoring though. I am a higher level than Bernie so it ended up me showing her a few things. There was one good outcome though.”

“Oh? What was that?”

“I learned about that Lord Baylon a little.” Selene answered proudly.

“Ah.” Tobi replied having wanted to put the subject off a bit longer. He’d not figured out a way of helping Baylon yet so he didn’t want to get her hopes up. There was also the problem of the quest. When he first took the quest on, it came with harsh penalties and decent rewards. It hadn’t updated to help Baylon though and it made him feel as though he was supposed to continue helping Darien.

“ That’s it? Ah?...Don’t you even want to know what I learned?”

“I do, it’s just that Baylon has 10 champions and the only way I can think to help him is to lose at chess.”

Selene shook her head excitedly as she linked him, “That’s not true. A man came in the store today to give his daily gossip to Bernie and everything was about Lord Baylon. Apparently he misunderstood one of the rules. It says; ‘10 champions must be selected. You can choose to be one yourself if you so wish’. Or something like that.

Anyway, Baylon only chose seven people and himself. His Swordsman was supposed to do the chess tournament because the role he will have under Baylon would be a commanding officer. His ambassador for dealing with other countries was also entered for the Judging. He’s two champions short and has nobody to fill those empty spaces. He is looking for suitable men right now.”

Thinking Baylon must be an idiot for making a mistake like that, Tobi’s mind shifted to agree with Baylon instead. Why couldn’t you have one person win multiple games? That was just stupid.

“So how do we come into this?” Tobi asked. There was still the problem of Baylon wanting his chosen champions to actually fill those roles when he became King, “Actually, what are the other games anyway?”

“I wouldn’t call them games anymore, to be honest. Most of it is boring stuff. It isn’t even a tournament. It’s all about proving yourself to be capable as the country’s next ruler. The first few days are like events. Swordsmen come from around the country and even world to compete. The final four are selected at random to face the champions. If none win, it is considered a loss to them all. If more than one win, they face each other and decide a winner. Bernie said it is rigged though to ensure at least one of the champions will win.”

“How is it rigged?” Tobi asked instantly. Even the Talin’s head turned in surprise.

“Think about it. You are a swordsman and you fight in a competition all day. When the day is nearly finished, you face a fresh opponent that hasn’t done anything strenuous all day. What kind of chance would you have?”

Logically it made sense to Tobi, and yet it didn’t. A simple heal refilled your health and an energy potion can refill your energy bar. Aevitas wasn’t really a place where you could use simple strategies like that for an advantage.

“Are you actually thinking that it’s not a disadvantage?” Selene asked looking at his face intently.

Tobi shrugged and guided her gently round the corner. She didn’t seem to have noticed yet that they weren’t going home—for lack of a better word.

“What makes you think it’s not a disadvantage?”

Sighing, Tobi put his thoughts into order and explained it to her quickly. How potions and heals rejuvenated you plenty so you shouldn’t be tired for any match.

“That’s how a Traveler thinks. It doesn’t work that way for us. Well, normal people anyway. Those of us that need to sleep every day instead of twice a week. You and the Talin might be fine at the end of the day, but normal people are worn out. Have you ever used an energy potion?”

Tobi shook his head, he never had. He’d never needed to.

“I have. I had been cleaning the church all day and I was really tired. To boost myself to finish I took an energy potion that perked me right up. The speed I lost that regained energy was not worth the price of the potion. I may have got my energy back, but I was still fatigued so I lost the energy at least three times faster than normal.”

“Does that happen to Travelers too?” Tobi asked, wondering if an energy potion might stop him from ever needing to sleep again. He doubted it, he tended to sleep due to mental exhaustion rather than being physically tired.

“From what I heard, Travelers don’t suffer from fatigue. Their energy level directly relates to fatigue and exhaustion. They don’t even get muscle cramps or pins and needles, can you imagine? I’d love that.”

Hm. That’s a good point actually. No matter how much work I do, I never get cramp or anything. A slightly numb ass if I sit still too long but it disappears the moment I move.

Frowning as his thoughts swirled in his head, Selene laughed, “Hard to imagine isn’t it. Must be nice though. That’s why we always charge more when selling energy potions to Travelers.”

Looking at Selene in surprise, he felt cheated. Not that he ever bought one, but it still sounded like a scam. Then again, everyone believed he was a person of Aevitas anyway. How did they even know who the Travelers were? Unless they only sold more expensive to known Travelers.

“Ah,” Tobi called as his mind returned to the subject they were actually discussing, “You were supposed to be telling me about the other games.”

“I want to know about that Politics one.” The Talin noted. Tobi hadn’t even realized he was paying attention, let alone cared.

“Probably the most boring one of all. Ambassadors and Traders are coming from all over the country and even other countries. They are going to have private meetings with each of the chosen champions in turn. After they have met all four, they are going to cast their vote on whose deal they would have accepted. In the case of not accepting any deal, they don’t cast a vote. The people don’t get to take part in that one at all.”

“What will they discuss?” The Talin asked.

Selene shrugged, she could only guess, “Border agreements, peace treaties, price of fish, taxes...who knows?”

“What about chess?” Tobi asked thinking of his own tournament.

“I thought you would ask. That’s why I chose to explain the swords one before. It’s the same deal. They all play all day and then against the champions at the end. I am confused though, wouldn’t that give the advantage to the challengers instead of the champions? You said it’s all about experience right?”

Tobi nodded before changing his mind and shrugging, “After a while some people get fed up, bored or tired. They lose the will to play. It is as much a battle of wills as a battle of minds. I think I would rather play from the start. At least I wouldn’t have to sit around all day like in the Cohol tournament.”

Walking up the steps in silence as she considered Tobi’s words, Selene stopped suddenly and asked where they were.

“The library.” Tobi answered with a smile and continued into the building.

---

Entering the library with Selene and the Talin in tow, Tobi looked straight to the reception desk and walked over. He didn’t have any specific book in mind but wanted anything that was either Talin or Malanchite so he could master both languages. Preferable Malanchite, he was quite interested the race known as Malanquit and hoped to find out more about them—as well as their abilities.

The receptionist looked up as they approached but she shown no signs of kindness at seeing them. In fact, if Tobi didn’t know better, he’d swear she was annoyed at being disturbed.

Putting the thought out of his mind, Tobi plastered on a fake smile and greeted her. No response came as she stared back at him and waited.

“I was just wondering if you had books written in the languages Malanchite or Talin?” Tobi asked hoping that she’d at least answer the question.

“Foreign languages are upstairs.”

Without another word the woman looked back down at the book she was reading. Tobi didn’t recognize the language but he was used to dealing with this kind of person. If she thought she’d get rid of Tobi by showing a stubborn and unprofessional attitude, she was severely underestimating Tobi and his family.

“How many language do you know?” Tobi asked making it plainly obvious he was looking at the book she was reading.

“I know every language in this library.” She answered with a huff and returned her attention back to Tobi. The look in her eyes seemed to dare him to try speaking again. It was a challenge worth accepting.

Reaching into his bag, Tobi pulled out his Diray of Ellenestri and turned it to a random page. Hiding the title of the book from her, Tobi asked her what language was written on the pages.

Staring at the pages for a good few minutes, the woman finally frowned, “I don’t know. What book is that?”

“I guess there is a book in the library you can’t read afterall.” Tobi gloated whilst also disappointed that he couldn’t learn the language in this library.

Putting the book back away, he could tell the librarian was still interested. Now he had her attention, he asked again about Malanchite and Talin.

“Neither the Malanquit nor the Talin write in a traditional sense. The books were written by either humans, dwarves or elves. There aren’t many, but you will find them on the final aisle. The majority of books are Elven and Dwarven, a few Racian. Now I answered your question, you answer mine. What language is that book?”

Tobi shrugged, “No idea. Can’t even read the title. What’s the rule for borrowing and buying books here?”

“Two books per person. A deposit is required per book that you get. You will only get the deposit back when the book is returned. The deposit depends on the value of the book. All books are to be returned within 7 days or you lose the deposit.”

“And buying a book?” Tobi asked again as she seemed to have forgotten that part of the question.

“Depends on the book and how many copies we have. You can always just write a copy of it if you want one.”

“OK, thanks.”

Turning away and heading for the stairs, Tobi felt the gaze of the librarian on his back. Looking over his shoulder to check, she really was. The intense stare seemed to be at his bag and was no doubt fixed on the book within. Not that she could actually see it, but she knew it was there. He hadn’t found out what her linguistics level was at, but she knew every language in the library, so it was probably high.

Either way, he wasn’t going to make much progress for the Diary whilst he remained in Chadú.

“What book is that?” Selene asked as they reached the stairs, “I’ve never seen it before. And I am pretty sure the title said Diary.”

“I will tell you later, in private. Somewhere without ears.”

As Selene gave him a questioning look and a subtle shift of her eyes to the Talin and back, Tobi guessed the meaning. She was asking whether or not the ears he referred to was the Talin. Shaking his head no subtly, Selene relaxed a little and nodded.

The second floor of the library took Tobi by surprise. They’d walked through the door expecting rows of bookcases and instead found themselves in a cosy room full of comfortable reading chairs and small tables. There was a little cafe section at the end too that sold sandwiches and drinks. Most chairs were taken by scholarly looking types but there was a few young people too.

“Over there.” Selene whispered as she gestured to another door on the opposite wall.

Guided by Selene, Tobi continued through and found himself in the actual library. The first thought that came to his mind was his bag; ‘Bigger on the inside’. Looking up into the 2 story high bookcases, Tobi wondered how they were supposed to get books from the top.

“Come on,” Selene urged as she pulled on his arm, “the books you were after should be this way.”

---

Darien

Darien couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so weak. Holding his bruised ribs and struggling for breath as sweat drenched his clothes, he looked from the alleyway to his house. Guards were already standing outside with others no doubt inside. He wasn’t really surprised to see them either. All the buildings in Chadú had flat roofs and each was taller than the next. Everyone used their rooftops for hanging laundry or some other function. His own neighbour was growing fruit trees on his roof and was no doubt the one that spotted Lee’s body.

Dropping back against the wall of the alley and slipping down to the floor, Darien tried to eased his ribs with a gentle massage and considered his options. The house was owned by one of his aliases; a Mister Jarod Hunt—a man he’d actually killed himself many years earlier. The same man that had once tried to kill him on that very street. He’d assumed the identity about a year after he’d killed him but it hadn’t been easy. Jarod had been a wanted criminal for various murders, so he first had to declare himself as a different person that had the same name. At least that much had been easy—Jarod was in his mid forties and Darien was only just turning 20.

I can’t go introduce myself as Jarod with these wounds… Darien mused as the pain in his ribs eased into a dull ache. I should just disappear for a few days and heal up. Maybe claim that I have been away for the past week or two and don’t know why his body is there.

Shaking his head at the crappy excuse, he had a feeling that his house would be lost to him. There were things there that couldn’t be lost though; he needed a way inside to get the items that were important to him and his business.

Looking back around at the corner in hope of seeing a familiar face among the guards, Darien winced at the spasm of pain and sighed. He’d once heard about Travelers in Anderon that didn’t suffer things like bruising and scars. They could break a bone but they hardly felt it and a simple heal spell would cure them instantly. How envious he’d been when he heard about them. How envious he was now with the possibility of cracked ribs punishing him everytime he moved.

Spotting a couple of kids walking by, Darien called them over.

“You look bad mister, are you dying?”

“I will be fine. Want to do a little job for me? 20 coppers in it for you if you do.”

“Depends on the job.” One of the other kids called as he took the lead spot among them.

“Find out what the guards are doing at that house. My friend lives there and I want to know if he is OK.”

“Why don’t you ask yourself?” The boy asked with a cocky arrogance.

“Don’t do it then, if you don’t want my copper I will just keep it.”

Sensing the loss of coin, the first boy stepped back forward and pushed his friend out of the way, “The owner of the house is missing but the guard think he is either dead or on the run. The neighbour found a body on the roof. All the town is talking about it, you see them whispering everywhere. People are saying that the dead body belongs to the King of the sewer people.”

“They are saying the dead person is who?”

Rolling his eyes as if Darien knew nothing, the boy pointed to the guttering at the side of the road, “You have heard of the sewer people, right? Some people call them Rats. Well the person on the roof is their King. Or that’s what people are saying.”

“Not the King!” The second boy snorted as he shoved his friend aside, “Its his second in command. I heard one of the guards call him Lee. Everyone knows that the King is called Darien.”

Darien nodded his head, “Him I have heard of. So its not him but one of his men? Do you know why he was there?”

The boys shook their head. Satisfied that he’d not given anything away, Darien gave them 10 coppers each and thanked them for their time. He’d considered giving them more but most of his fortune was locked inside that house and he didn’t know if he’d be able to get any of it back. The guards were no doubt stealing bits and pieces at that very moment.

Pushing himself back up with the help of the wall, Darien turned back down the alley. He had a few places he could go, but there was one in particular he thought he should check on. If nothing else, there was at least a healer living there with him that might be able to fix his ribs.

---

Tobi

Left alone in the stacks, Tobi searched through the books for one that might be interesting enough to read. Selene and the Talin had given up a while earlier. The Talin couldn’t read in the first place so the tight spaces between the racks were quick to get on his nerves. He’d stood in the central aisle where he at least had space to turn until Selene also got bored. She’d chosen an Elven book to improve her linguistics and had grown increasingly bored whilst waiting for Tobi.

Eventually, Tobi got annoyed with their huffing and puffing so told them to go back to the cafe area and wait for him. Selene agreed happily and practically dragged the Talin after her. He liked they were getting along but he wasn’t so sure he liked the fact he was glad to be alone. It felt like his first moment of real peace in weeks. Maybe months.

Distracted by his thoughts, Tobi picked up book after book,. He skim the first page without paying attention and put it back; only to do the same thing again with the next book. He didn’t even notice when he started skimming words he couldn’t even read. He’d long since moved passed Malanchite but he’d yet to find a Talin book. He was pretty sure his linguistics skill would let him read Talin, but he wouldn’t know until he actually tried.

Opening yet another book to see a picture of the human anatomy, Tobi closed the book again and began putting it back. Only then did he actually regain enough senses to read the title.

Origin of Magic. Vol 1.

Blinking at the title as his mind replayed the title over and over, Tobi’s mind finally clicked into place. He couldn’t remember who told him exactly, maybe Vallen, probably Lorry—but he definitely remembered being told that Arcane magic was the first magic. Thinking he finally had a hint about his abilities, he put looked at the books in his hands. Keeping only one of the Malanchite books, he put the rest down and set off for the reading lounge area.

Spotting Selene sat at one of the larger tables with a quill and some paper, Tobi walked over. At a glance he could tell what she was doing straight away. She was teaching the Talin he human alphabet. Or more precisely, she was teaching him to read.

“Finally got your books?” Selene asked as he took one of the sofa-chairs next to her.

“No, but I found one that is interesting and one to raise my linguistics. I will come back tomorrow to look for others.”

Selene nodded and turned her attention back to the Talin. He was busy writing the letter P and sounding the letter out as he wrote it. Tobi was glad he was learning to read, but he was happier about the fact he could stop worrying about them and just read his book.

Maybe now I will finally learn how to use my magic properly.

***

Back to Main Page

***

Authors Notes:

Spoiler :

Starting with an apology for the late delivery of this chapter. I planned on uploading it two days ago at least but ... *shrugs* Didn't actually have a title for this chapter. With so little actually going on for Tobi and everything else happening around everyone else... I wasn't sure whether to time skip Tobi and share the other stories, or show his tiny steps forward and include other people as little side stories. *sigh*

Huge shout out to Griix for helping me with the majority of the chapter. I seriously can't thank you enough for the time you gave me whilst I was struggling with this.

One of the biggest reasons for my delay is the fact that I have actually started to rewrite this story from the beginning. I am way happier with the rewrite than this version and it has started taking over my life a little. I almost considered dropping this story and sharing the rewrite instead.

Chose to continue with this instead for those of you that have been following this far; I will continue to follow my original design until the end so I hope you all continue to enjoy it. As for the rewrite, I am undecided for now. Perhaps when I finish this one, I will share the rewrite version with you all.

Much Love.

Aspirer <3

Fixed the issue with the box. I saw that I closed it with [/align] instead of [/window]

Sorry for the error to those that visited too quick for me to make the change <3