Chương 9: Micah - 1.1
"Do you understand, Micah?" He inquired.
"Yes, Grandfather."
His gold eyes met mine. We gazed into each other for a moment. His eyes began to glow.
"I see you too." Alacaster smiled. "Since you finished Circle Theory, we began Artifice."
The power waned in his eyes as he arose from the table. He gathered the chips and placed them onto a patchwork of Muncher Skin before rolling it tight. The metallic fur of the hide contained the mana within the chips. He walked toward the door to his library.
"Follow me." He implored.
In the library was a pedestal, on which sat a bracelet. Grandfather traced a sigil in the air over the bracelet and outflowed hundreds of books. With gentle strings of mana, he guided each tome, grimoire, chronicle, ledger and treatise to their proper place on the shelves. Hard-glowing steps of light formed in front of the circular shelving for us to climb.
"For starters, Complex Circle Sewing.'' Alacaster said as he pointed to several books. "The Properties Compendium, Dwynnen's Trinketeering as well as Artifice Basics volumes 1 and 2."
"When is the challenge?"
"It was in 5 days." My grandfather replied with a smirk.
"That long? Okay."
I began to feel grief as my mind trailed off to his death tomorrow. Before the memory shifted, I saw him extend a finger coated in gold light. He flicked my forehead.
His voice, growing distant, "Wake up."
I picked my head up and wiped the drool from my chin and the table.
Some of the lands' best scholars have postulated that human memory is fallible. Every time you remember something, no matter how vivid you believe the scene to be, small details change and then the memory is restored with the bastardized version.
During my lucid dream, I reexperienced a memory with Morley the Marquis, but my mind changed a memory once again. I believe he did not flick me five years ago. Another treasure corrupted.
I darted my watery eyes toward the table, choked down the rising grief, and wiped my tears onto the collar of my shirt. I looked at where the children were below. The table, still sandstone, sat empty.
Turning back to the books, I skimmed through Therion's Thesis Toward Transient Tonics until I found '...The properties of the Hearthfire Berry can be divided into two of the elements, Life and Energy. The ratio is such that the berry is twice as energetic as it is vivacious. A fine healing elixir can be brewed by pasting a portion of berries and adding 3 portions of blood from a self-healing animal. Inscribe daily on the pot the Life Circle and brew for one lunar cycle…'
'Since the berry is more of Energy than Life, a stronger potion should be possible emphasizing its Energy property.'
Then, I cross-checked Helena Hazelton's Holistic Herbalism Handbook. Under the Hearthfire Berry, Helena left a note, 'Therion has a simplistic elixir recipe, but if you boil and gel the beast blood beforehand the dietary upset is avoided.'
I placed the books down and walked back to the shelves.
"Could you show me any books for self-healing beasts?" I asked the light.
The passive glow burst into life and moved in front slowly heading towards the ladder up. I climbed to the next level. We passed through the Introductory Spells Section and ascended another ladder. My luminescent companion parked itself in an aisle of the Magical Monsters Section. It floated back to above my shoulder.
No… not that one either… I raked my fingers across the spines of many tomes. Ah! Perfect, an Adderley's work. Suppose I should have a seat on the floor.
Quickly skimming through Oswin's Tome, I learned the blood most potent is from the immortal living forest, the Mosskeeper, but the most common is from a small fish from the west, the felinqua. Journeying to the Farraway Archipelago would take several cycles. Guess the felinqua will do. Back to Gwydion. Back to Morley Manor.
After placing the tome back, I descended the terraced floors. From within my shirt, I pulled out the sack with the Aurorian Crystal. I used the gem to trace the sigils on the door and stepped back. The sigils flashed, illuminating the giant brass work. The massive door sundered itself down the middle and hinged open. Passing through, I saw Knight Gareth with a look of surprise on his face.
"Morley, how?" He asked.
"Secret."
Shaking his head, Knight Gareth responded, "Very well, until tomorrow."
I followed the streets back to the East Ward and found my house. Forcefully, I swung open the front door then lumbered into the kitchen. Using my new crystal, I opened my bracelet and emptied out the bread and cheese onto the countertop. Entering my room as exhaustion finally caught up, I collapsed onto my bed and slumbered throughout a dreamless night.
Morning came with a beam of sunlight through my window. I pulled myself out of bed and locked my bedroom door. Flipping my bed on its side, I revealed an empty floor.
During my apprenticeship, Mister Larkin and I worked on an artifact. We made a trapdoor that uses Aether to look like the surrounding floor. I reached into the wood and pulled a level, opening the small door. The odor of burnt coal and fresh dirt wafted up my nostrils.
As I descended down a ladder, I grabbed the rope underneath my bed, pulling it down to cover the hole. Down here is my personal library and treasure trove. I opened the bracelet and pulled out the chest. I placed the Aurorian Crystal within a safe with alternating layers of stone and metal. Stone to evenly disperse magic into the metal and the metal to insulate the interior from mana.
I placed a spare lock onto the chest from Mister Larkin. I riffled through my parchments on the desk to find my designs for a suit of armor and longsword.
"Finally, Weapon Proposal 13." I mumbled as I found the right paper, "Balderstone, Mister Larkin? Really? These are three pristine unworked Vexcrystals... along with two chunks of melanite."
I traced my finger along the proposal page, 'A magic-proof armor coating, 1 part ground Vexcrystal, 10 parts liquid latex. Coat onto an armor of Plate Thundersteel. The perfect armament for such an armor would be a Thundersteel Sword coated with the same mixture. All together, 5 pounds of Vexcrystal, 50 pounds of latex, and 55 pounds of Thundersteel are needed.' Grabbing my quill, Addendum: an Aurorian Crystal socketed onto an Energy Circle in the hilt.
"I might not be able to create magic, but I will be able to fight it."
Lifting up my mattress, I climbed onto my bedroom floor as I heard footsteps down the hall.
*knock* *knock* *knock*
"Someone is here for you." Mother announced on the other side of my door. "Hurry."
She walked away. I gently lowered my bed onto the floor, without making a noise. I opened the door, beyond the hallway standing in the light was a man in a tailored suit wearing a three-point hat and a cloak. On his shoulder rested his greying pony-tail. From his pocket, a chain of a watch sagged to its clip on his coat. I began to run down the hall.
"Uncle!"
"Dear boy! Look how you've grown! You need to eat more meat, you still have no muscles." he replied as we gave each other a warm hug. "Gather your things. We need to leave."
"Leave? Uncle Ulysses, you just arrived."
Uncle Ulysses began, "I have news from your father. I am afraid that I have committed a sin against you. I have some letters for you, back at Morley Manor. Grab your possessions and join me in the carriage."
"Uncle, I can't. I have an assignment due, and I need to give Knight Gareth his dinner, and I-"
"Micah." He gave me a stern expression, before he smiled. "Come, tell me on the way. It is time you see the world."
He slowly walked toward the door, "Quickly," he said as he went outside.
Motionless, I stood there, staring at the door. My eyes slowly wandered to Mother who continued making herself breakfast as if nothing happened.
Might need to eat. A slice of cheese sat on the counter. I devoured it as I turned toward my room.
Everything. I must bring everything. I hope the bracelet can fit it all. I thought as I locked my door. I tipped over my bed and entered my sanctuary. Out from the safe, I retrieved the Aurorian Crystal and activated my bracelet. My books, tools, materials, writings, chests and safes, I needed them all. The crystal on the bracelet dimmed as its storage filled. I grabbed a leather satchel and went back topside.
I filled my satchel with my desk-stuff, so that Mother noticed I packed some things. Lastly, I grabbed the framed painting of Grandfather and gently placed it into a separate fold of the satchel.
I donned my white traveling cloak and made for the street. In front of the house was a white carriage drawn by four gryphons. My Uncle's attendant opened the door and offered me a hand. He helped me into the carriage where I sat opposite Uncle who was looking out his window.
"What is so urgent?"
Uncle turned his head, making eye contact asked, "Have you ever seen the Vibrant Valleys around Aetherhaven?"
"No? Why must I leave to see some hills?"
"You said you had some commitments, where at? Who to?" Uncle asked.
"My Alchemy Teacher, Mister Eoric, I owe him a complete formula for a potion of the Hearthfire berry. One of the Knights of the Library, Sir Gareth, I bring him meals so he remains full even after feeding his wife and children."
"Very Well." With a knock he said out the window, "The Academy Ward then the Gardens."
The ridged harness of the gryphons transferred every movement into the body of the carriage. Several large jolts made me tense up, as the gryphons began to warm up their wings. A massive gust of wind pushed through the window and into my face. The gryphons lifted us off the cobblestone and into the air.
We flew through the air and we passed several other carriages as well as some individuals on flying mounts.
"Should you not wish Iliana and Larkin a good bye?" Uncle asked.
"I probably should."
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực