บท 3: The Hydra bone axe and magic

The next day I walked down to the seat and asked for breakfast. I needed 1 bronze coin to pay for it. Breakfast was freshly baked bread and soup, which seemed odd, but was still a good meal, odd or not. After breakfast I roamed to the carpenter work shop and the dwarf was waiting for me outside.

"I don't remember telling you my name yesterday" said the dwarf "It's Vorot Darkhelm"

"And My name is Lucas, it's nice to meet you. Is it okay if I call you Vorot?" I enquired.

"Yes, is it possible for me to call you Luke?" asked Vorot. I nodded and smiled. We were going to chop down a tree to allow repairs to be made to the road.

The tree was a Blue Spruce and was rather large in height and width. Vorot had a good quality axe with him which he said was made from the bones of a ferocious Hydra, that in the legends attacked the city when it was small and still in creation, but was stopped by a fearless Hero. He gave the axe to me and climbed to the highest possible part of the tree where he tied a rope, that he had been carrying, to the top most tip of the tree. He jumped down and grabbed the end of the rope and pulled.

"Do you mind cutting the tree down?" asked Vorot Darkhelm.

"No, I don't mind." I replied.

A crowd had gathered by then. They were chatting to one another, and seemed excited when I took the first swing at the tree. We took turns to cut the tree but I took the last hit. I was hoping it would land on some humans and give them some fatal injuries. but none the less I was relieved that it had been chopped down.

Vorot gave me three Gold coins, two Silver coins and four Bronze coins.

"I don't need any more help, I am going to retire to a cottage soon. I just need to pack up and go. You can also keep that axe," said Vorot Darkhelm.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, have it at no extra cost."

"Thank you Vorot Darkhelm, I hope we meet again"

I was wondering what to do now. I heard some one in the crowd say "wow! He could become a Guild member" but I went to a blacksmith to make something out of the Hydra bone axe.

He said it would take him one week to make the sword I wanted. I asked him if there were any magician in the city and he informed that in the observation tower was a wizard or so he had heard. I left the axe with him and departed. I asked people for directions and eventually reached the observation tower. I knocked on the door, a slit in the door opened and a man said

"I'm not interested in joining the magic military!"

"I am not asking you to do that" I assured him.

"Oh good but if you aren't here to advertise then what do you want?"

"I would like to learn more about magic."

"Really? from me?" he seemed surprised. "Yes, yes, come in!"

There were lots of books and empty shelves. There was a desk to one side and a sofa to the other. "Please take a seat" he invited. I took off my boots and took a spot on the sofa.

"First we have to see what attributes you may have."

He brought out an odd object, and held it above my hand and said "This is not possible." He took off his glasses and sauntered to one of the shelves from which he took off four books and gave them to me. The titles of them were, White Magic, Black Magic, White and Black Magic and Physical Enhancement.

"I don't know how it is possible but these are the attributes you have and the only one I can help you with is physical enhancement. You can have the White and Black Magic book for four bronze coins for I have no use for it and it is a waste of space!"

I gave him the amount he wanted.

"Do you mind if I stay here for a while?"

"No, no, not at all, if anything, you need to if you want to learn Physical Enhancement. For three bronze coins and some cleaning work I will teach you all I know."