A Scholar's Dream (Part 1)

With the commotion over, Arnold walked with unchecked haste up the stairs to his office. He waved off Sen’s complaint; whatever it was, it had to wait. Chase stood by the door to his office, waiting patiently.

“Enter,” Arnold said as he turned the corner, he waived his hand with only three fingers extended, unlocking the door. He was in too much of a hurry to bother with a key.

“What do you mean it wasn’t our beast?” Arnold asked as he closed the door, “The scouts were certain it used magic. There were three separate accounts!”

“Your scout’s reports were correct, Arnold, the troll was awakened but the fire it wielded didn’t compare to what you’d told me. The extent of its magic was roasting meat, not melting solid rock.”

The old dwarf felt the sweat build on his forehead, “Why is it always one problem after another!?” he fumed and began to pace as he clutched his face. “If not an awakened troll, what could it be? It’s not drake season and there haven’t been any dragon sightings in the last year. I’m at a loss.”

“An elemental, an old one” Chase said with little enthusiasm.

The words carried an uncomfortable weight, “Pardon?”

“Mere speculation on my part, but it is the only other monster that comes to mind with this much firepower.”

Arnold rubbed his creased brow “First it was the eruption and Harold’s madness, then that young man with amnesia vanished like dust in the wind. Now a potential elemental is upsetting the ecosystem, and an automaton has reawakened. It’s like a curse really has befallen the island…I should have turned down this position.”

Chase turned away from the stressing dwarf and retrieved two crystal glasses and a bottle of amber liquor from a cupboard. He set the glasses on the nearby desk and filled them two-thirds of the way.

“Have a drink my friend, you don’t want to overwork your heart.”

Arnold gave a reluctant sigh and joined Chase, “Offering me my own liquor,” he mumbled before taking a glass and seating himself by the window.

“You aren’t supposed to fill the glass this high,” Arnold commented as he took a sip. He let the liquid swirl around his mouth, so that the flavour was felt all along his tongue before finally swallowing it.

“What am I going to do?”

Chase held his glass close to his eye, admiring the amber liquid. “Focus on the problems at our door. I’ll keep investigating our mystery fire monster, free of charge of course, but I want you keep an eye on that mushroom, something is off about it. And fret not about the automaton, Sintri already has plans to deal with it,” he said and then downed his glass.

“You’re supposed to sip it,” Arnold stated blatantly. “But thank you, I’ll have the twins watch over the myconid; if it tries anything, they’ll stop it.” He took another sip, “How do plan on finding our fire monster? Any leads?”

“Not a definite lead, couple of scorch marks and footprints but I’m certain it left the forest. The last of its tracks pointed west, so it can be anywhere between Sintri and here. It’s a massive area, no doubt, to comb through but I’m certain it won’t stay silent. The mana left behind by its first forest fire was... unstable. Only a matter of time before it overheats.”

“I can launch an additional quest to aid you, if need be.”

“The offer is appreciated but I need no assistance. I shall handle it alone.”

***

Kairan and the girl walked in silence. He used the time to gauge his new captor. She was short and frail, hardly an obstacle, but his binds restrained him from making any attempts at escape.

After a short period, they arrived at a quaint little cottage located just on the edge of what was the craftsmen district.

The girl withdrew a key from her dark robes, slotted it into the door and with a faint click, unlocked it. The two stepped inside; Kairan, still unfamiliar with his height, knocked his cap on the door-frame as he entered the small, dimly lit room. A powerful smell of paper and ink wafted over him, and the floorboards creaked underfoot.

The girl pulled back her hood, “I finally did it!” she cheered, before immediately realizing the state of her home and began desperately trying to reorganize the mess. Amongst papers saturated with ink, a large diagram left on display over the table, and numerous books lying about, Kairan found it surprising that not a single grain of dirt was visible. Despite this, her face had gone a bright red.

Quite the writer, Kairan thought, flipping over a piece of paper with his big toe, Let’s hope that is all she is good at.

“Say girl, I shall be blunt. What is it you want with me?” Kairan stared down at her, his eyes narrow.

She straightened up and adjusted her glasses, “You really do talk like us!” she reached out and began trying to pry open his mouth without so much as a thought to safety, or that she might lose a finger. All the while bombarding him with questions, such as if he had a tongue or if he could use telepathy, and what would happen if tried using it while speaking.

“Oi, what is wrong with you!?” Kairan jerked his head back trying to keep her inquisitive assault at bay. Unsuccessfully.

Satisfied with her exploration of his mouth, she grabbed ahold of him, planting an ear against his chest. “Two hearts!” she said, astounded.

It was then that Kairan had enough, “Enough, get off me!” he yelled, the words nearing a snarl. He vigorously shook her off, but she sidestepped gracefully, circling him while commenting on his rash behaviour.

There were several mumbles about the structure of his physiology, before a finger poked him in the back.

Kairan twisted around, trying to keep an eye on her, only for her to stroll through the blind-spot in his vision back into the centre of the room.

“You are my answer to everything!” she announced, her eyes gleamed with passion and excitement.

“You are quite the odd one, girl,” he said eventually, his tone blunt.

“Odd? And what leads you to draw that conclusion? And what do you mean by that?” she asked with folded arms.

“Well, most importantly, you’ve taken me, an apparently dangerous monster, into your home and seemed to care more about the mess you’ve left behind. Almost as if you believe you are entertaining an important guest.”

She cocked her head to the side, “Would you not consider yourself a guest?”

Kairan blinked; he was dumbfounded. “No.” The word hanging on his lip, “I’m standing here bound in rope, a prisoner, of course I don’t consider myself a guest.”

“The ropes, of course. Yes. Sorry, I’d completely forgotten them,” she said quickly and began clearing notes from the nearby stool, “Sit here,” she instructed.

“Alright then. I don’t quite understand how you could forget these ropes. Personally, I feel they’re rather visible,” he said, complying with the girl’s order.

“Do you want help?” There was a hint of snarkiness in her words.

“I’d be very grateful. Please”

“Then no more comments. Hmm, it appears to be rather tough to undo,” she observed, tugging on the ropes at his back.

“If it’s any help, those adventurers did enchant the ropes, not even I can break them anymore. It’s almost like they are made of iron. I doubt you could just untie them.”

“An enchantment you say?” she walked in front of him, holding her chin while in thought. She accepted his challenge with another excited smile. “Such a simple spell, it won’t even take me a moment to break it.”

An invisible glow crept into her eyes, and she began examining the ropes. “Ah ha, here we go. It’s a transmutation spell,” she said cheerfully clicking her fingers.

One hand placed upon his back, she raised her free hand, miming the artistry of a calligrapher, and set to work. Broad strokes twisting into neat curves and edges. The very air was her canvas and for a quill, she substituted her index finger.

As she worked, sweat began to build across her brow; despite her boast, the arcane lock that held the spell in formation was sturdy. Archaic even. Then, just as her prediction: a moment later her sign-weaving stopped. A faint purple flame flared within her palm, quickly growing exponentially.

“Woah, easy. Hold on a second,” Kairan said squirming away from the flames, as the girl was about to place her hand against his binds.

“For what reason?” she inquired, shooting him a short glance.

“You aren’t just trying to burn me, are you?”

She chuckled, “Worry not, this type of flame has no heat,” she reassured him. The purple flames enveloped his binds, breaking the enchantment and alleviating the burdening weight. It was then that that his thoughts betrayed him, twisting the girl’s narrative before she’d even begun to spin her own tale.

“So, do you feel more like a guest now?” she asked, pushing her chest out and holding her hands on her waist. “Ooh, if not, I know what can fix that. Please give me a moment.” The girl turned her back on him and moved to the barren fireplace, but not before retrieving a thick, brown book from the table.

Kairan stretched his shoulders, letting the blood flow once more as his eyes brushed the room for a second time. A kitchen, living space and bedroom all in one. One door and two windows - both smaller than his shoulder width.

“It seems I’ve found myself in the company of yet another mage. And here I thought your type were meant to be rare?”

She chuckled to herself, “I’m surprised you know what a mage is, I can’t wait to probe your mind and find the extent of your knowledge.”

“Sorry, you are going to probe what?”

“It’s nothing to fear, merely a poor choice of phrasing on my part. I look forward to learning all that you know. Your life, experiences, all of it.”

She continued before he could add any input. “Regarding your question on the rarity of mages, yes. We tend to be rather rare but well, this little island you call home is part of a region known as the Frontier – the place you are bound to find the most mages at any given time.” She finished preparing the fireplace, but instead of lighting the kindling within conventionally, she opened her book and placed a hand over the wood. A few seconds later it erupted into a controlled blaze, after which she nestled a kettle amongst the flames.

“Other than, of course, an academy or royal court.”

As the room began to warm, the girl removed her robes and sat down across the table and stared at him, expectantly. An awkward silence passed, as Kairan gauged how likely he could make an escape before having a fireball thrown at him.

The silence prompted her, “Tell me about yourself?” 

Kairan looked about the room, his eyes falling on several bottles filled with dissected material, “…There’s not much to tell, least not much that I’m certain you’d believe.” Against his better judgement, he joined her at the table. 

“You underestimate my desire; your apprehension only seeks to bolster my willingness to extract your knowledge.”

Kairan reclined against the backrest of the chair, there was no threat in her words, but their inclusion gave him an eerie feeling.

“How is it that you are so calm in the presence of a dangerous monster that had adventurers fearing for their lives.”

An almost devilish smile took to her lips as she started rummaging through a stack of paper before withdrawing her prize. “Well, I happen to be something of a journeyman Mycologist.” She displayed her prize to him, several papers inked with diagrams of different myconid variants flanked by passages of descriptive text Kairan struggled to translate before the pages were whisked away.

“I’ve catalogued a handful of the myconid species that call this side of the island home. So, the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew something was obtuse: your shape, muscular figure, physical mouth, so many differing traits.”

The girl removed her glasses and began cleaning the lens on the edge of her skirt. “As for why I’m so comfortable, consider it intuition with a little educated support. Just from our few interactions I’ve already deduced that I needn’t fear you.”

“Oh, how so?”

“You seem to enjoy communicating and have a degree of intelligence I would deem greater than that of your usual myconid.” Satisfied with the cleaning, she slid her glasses back on, “Your eyes are different to that of your kin. I can’t fully say but they don’t feel as angry; instead, there is something else hidden within.”

“Then if my grasp on the situation is correct, you want to document me; the rare myconid that speaks with its mouth? How exactly would you be going about these experimentations because I really don’t want to hurt you, little girl, but if you plan on dissecting me, I will fight back.” His eyes narrowed, the fire reflected within, giving them a dangerous glow.

“Most certainly not. Even the smallest drops of my own blood leaves me faint and queasy. So, I tend to study my specimens from afar, when I’m in need of samples I’m forced to approach the adventurers for assistance. Sen would also do the dissecting and bottling for me.”

She grew silent, distracted with a thought. “Is this why you’ve been so cautious? Were you afraid I was going to start chopping you up like some malicious butcher to use in some dastardly experiments and concoctions?” she said with a sly smile.

Kairan let out a deep exhale, sinking slightly into his chair, “…I suppose that was partly the case. Apart from the fact that you also did purchase me, I had my scepticism.”

Her brow furrowed for a second but relaxed almost immediately. “Are you referring to the contract of ownership?” She untucked a small paper from the folds of her dress, unfurled it. Elegant swirls of ink covered the page, their message lost on him, but he could assume the general meaning. The guild permitted ownership of the beast to the current buyer to do with as they saw fit.

“If this is a problem, consider it void,” she said, noting his hard stare at the paper. With barely a second thought, she’d thrown the contract into the fire. “Now we stand on equal ground, correct? I hold no power over you, never did, and only wish to converse. One intelligent being to another.”

Kairan’s eyes were frozen on the gnarling paper as it warped within the flame’s clutches. “If only just for conversation, then I find no reason to deny your invitation,” he finally said.

“Yes,” she gave a quiet cheer. She joined him again at the table, her eyes wide with excitement. “Then I must know, where did you learn our language and vocabulary? Wait, I need to take notes, give me a moment.” She shuffled about, searching for blank paper, and a quill and inkwell.

“Before we get to your question, I have my own. I wish to know if this research is but simple curiosity or if there is an ulterior motive.”

“Ulterior motive? You possess a talent for making something mundane sound ominous. I can assure you that my intentions purely stem from an origin of research…That would hopefully be the spark that ignites my future as an academic. Allowing me admittance to the Arken Tower.”

At the mention of it being for academic purposes Kairan felt a tingle run down his spine. It pulled on him to leave, to run.

Instead, he shivered. Ignoring the presence or simply too oblivious to notice it.

“Then I’m afraid I cannot entertain you. While I may have the night for conversation, I do not have the time for science experiments; especially if you plan to write a thesis.”

“Wait but you said-. Why can’t you help me?” she panicked, nearly springing to her feet.

“I’m on a quest; I don’t really have the time to delay any further. But I am immensely grateful to you for saving me, so if there is something I can help you with, name it, but I really don’t have much time to waste on experiments.”

“Would you be open to a deal, please? If for you, this quest is so important to you, surely, you’d want to be fully prepared. You would need supplies, and something more than just pants? I can aid you: food, water, anything at all. I only ask that in return you help me for just one day.”

“Why?”

Her hands balled into fists as she supported herself against the table. “My dream is within reach. Without you, I will never become a scholar at the Arken Tower. I can’t afford the tuition, and I don’t have a talent for the level of magic that would earn me a scholarship. My only option is appealing to their council bearing authentic proof that I have accumulated a wide range of knowledge from different fields and able to pursue research to a deeper level.”

Kairan held her pleading stare. The desperation in her eyes made him feel…uncomfortable. He’d never been looked at with such eyes.

Now it made sense, the mess of diagrams and papers, the bottles of salts and reagents, everything. The diagram still resting on the table, its contents were not a seemingly random distribution of dots and patterns like Kairan had originally assumed; it spoke of celestial movements and meridian measurements.

His eyes swept across the room; he was positive he would have noticed a zenith telescope. As expected, nothing. Could she see them with the naked eye alone? Impressive, if that were the case.

She was a practitioner of several fields.

“So, by studying me, you will get into this Arken Tower?”

“Exactly,” her tone growing cheery, “Will you help me?”

Kairan sighed. He pondered on her request. If she could uncover the truth about this body, maybe he’d be one step closer to uncovering what happened and who that figure was.

“Fine. One day, after which, I’m leaving.”

“Thank you!” she said repeatedly with far more enthusiasm than Kairan was comfortable with, as she grabbed hold of his hand. He resisted the urge to free it from her grasp. The crackling flames turned the room into a dance of light and shadows.