Wood, Stone and Bone Read online

  Volden was a simple farming community set near the Red Road, and served as a major stopping point for travelers and traders. Lush greenery could be seen everywhere. Fields dotted the landscape. They pushed up against the woods nearby. Since it was late spring shoots and stalks were pushing up the soil while other fields were being plowed, or prepared for rotation.

  After a few minutes of walking the terrain changed. The fields gave way to flat ground which became a winding, packed dirt road. I knew that this path led from Volden to the Red Road based on the maps I’d seen. I was glad there was no one out yet, except for the farmers. And they only paid me the tiniest amount of attention as I passed. I was just another passerby, and they had more important things to do than stare at a mage. To be honest, Rosa was drawing the most looks. And she was just basking in the attention.

  In no time at all I was within spitting distance of the wooden walls of the town, and came to a stop in front of the gate. A sleepy looking young man stood near the entrance, idly holding a spear.

  “Pass or permit?” the guard inquired as I approached.

  “Pass,” I said, showing off my necklace. He glanced at the bronze tag and nodded, marking its details down in a thick ledger at his side.

  “Please avoid making any trouble while in Volden. The Adventurer’s Guild branch is down the main street. It’s in the Terracotta Pavilion. Just look for the red roof,” the watchman said in a bored tone. “And if you need accommodations, there are rooms available at the Fountain House.”

  “Thank you,” I replied with a short bow before making my way past the gates. Rosa waved politely at the man as we entered.

  Finding the Guild’s base in Volden was easy, the red roof easily distinguishable, and we slipped inside.

  Like most Adventurer Guild houses, it served as a bar and diner, both for adventurers and their clients but also the townsfolk who lived nearby. Only two people were awake yet, though. An elderly woman in the back preparing breakfast, and a teenage boy cleaning off the tables.

  “Ah, welcome!” the boy said when he spotted me. “We’re not open for breakfast yet.”

  “That’s fine, I’m actually here to drop off some items that were requested,” I said, waving off his concern. “Is there anyone here to whom I can turn them in?”

  “Do you have the quest receipt?” he asked, and I nodded. The movement caused Rosa to get dislodged from her seat on my hand she flew up, smacking me lightly on the shoulder to show her disapproval.

  The young child stared in surprise at the graceful Fey-kin before shaking his head. “Please come this way. I can take care of it.”

  He led me to a counter in the corner of the room. Next to it sat a wooden board with numerous requests stuck to it. As the boy fished out the files looking for my quest information I browsed the missions available.

  Most were D-rank requests for simple pest extermination. It seemed there were some minor Dire-breed running amok. That made sense, of course. The Dullwilds were nearby, and the massive forest was chock full of Ambient Mana. Perfect breeding grounds for magical mutations.

  “Um, excuse me, are you Jellik, by any chance?”

  I turned back to the boy, musings interrupted. In the back of my head I could hear Rosa and Tara trying to muffle their giggles at the name. I held back a snort. Don’t know why they’re always making fun of my fake name.

  “I am. Is my paperwork in order?”

  “Yes. You had two D-rank quests: one delivery of alchemy reagents, and one order for a hair growth potion?”

  I nodded, and removed the requested items from my Dimensional Pocket. Of course, simply making the items pop out of my hands would look odd, so I reached into my robes pockets and made a show of rummaging around in them for the requested items. Let bystanders think I had a Bag of Holding or some other method of transportation.

  First came the pale brown hair growth serum, all bottled up nicely. The boy checked it with a magic item to ensure it was authentic before smiling. After that I removed a bundle of tumbleshrooms and pink-foot clover. Again, they were examined to check for freshness and once that was over the young clerk handed me my payment.

  “Here you go, sir! Two silver and three copper.”

  “Thanks,” I replied, scooping the coins into my pockets. I’d slide them into my body later.

  “By the way, I was supposed to meet someone here? Has a gnome with wavy yellow hair stopped by recently?”

  “Do you mean mister Marl? Yes, he’s here. I believe he is staying at the Fountain House. But he usually comes by for lunch. Did you want to wait?” the boy asked.

  I shrugged. “Sure, why not. Do you have any E-rank requests that’ll only take up the morning?”

  He nodded and fetched one from the board, showing it to me. Hmm, fixing a well, huh? Shouldn’t be too hard.

  .

  Apparently wells and their pulleys are not that simple to fix. Who knew?

  I walked into the Terracotta Pavilion around noon soaking wet. I’d fallen into the well when I was trying to repair the pulley system that raised and lowered the bucket for collecting water. It took a while to escape; I was forced to resort to stretching out my limbs to pull myself out.

  Afterwards I consulted Tara for advice on fixing the mess I’d made, since when I had fallen I had ripped the winch from its socket. After chuckling at my expense she helped by looking up a ‘How To’ book on building, and I finally finished the repair work just in time for lunch.

  I wasn’t particularly hungry, but my contact was here, and that was what mattered.

  “Over here, Jellik!” An energetic waving arm beckoned me towards a small table where a gnome was sitting.

  “Hello, Marl. Good to see you.”

  “Likewise, Jellik. Or should I say, Jelly?” The diminutive blond gnome giggled at his jest.

  Marl was a traveling artist and painter who acted as an occasional spy for the headmaster of the Academy. I’d been surprised when Arnolt had introduced him to me, since I remembered meeting him way back when I was newly born during a festival. He’d painted Liliana a beautiful portrait.

  To find out he was an informant for the City of Magic and its lord was a shock to say the least.

  Still, we got along well. He helped me find places where I could train safely, and in return I mixed up exotic paint for him. It was easy to produce all sorts of things from my Pocket Dimension. It was like a workshop inside my soul where I could brew potions and other substances. Paint was thus an easy enough material and price to pay for his assistance.

  “Anything new?” Marl asked as he dug into a hearty lunch.

  “In my studies or in my personal life?” I asked, waving over a waitress. After she took my order I turned back to the well-traveled gnome.

  “Both,” he said around a mouthful of salad.

  “Well, in my studies things are going well. I should be able to take my qualifying exams for the Alchemist’s Circle next month. They’re impressed by the sheer number of potions I can produce at once, as well as the quality. I really need to thank the headmaster for setting this all up with them.”

  “Having a portable workshop that is literally inseparable from you must have helped with that,” Marl pointed out. I nodded my head.

  “Indeed. I can do the work of a dozen men all on my own without having to lift a tentacle. That alone has caught the eye of the alchemists. Still, I’m a bit hesitant in accepting their offer for membership. If I do join them I won’t have as much time to spend at the Academy, and my traveling would be somewhat curtailed,” I griped.

  “But on the other hand, you’d have access to their more exotic ingredients,” Marl reminded. I bobbed my head in silent agreement.

  “I’ll deal with that problem when I have to,” I decided with a sigh. Rosa sensed my mood and patted me on the shoulder comfortingly. She was completely dry, since she had avoided falling into the well with me. She’d then spent the time I was trying to escape laughing at me.

  “How goes your fie
ld studies?” Marl asked, washing down his meal with a tall mug of ale. I shrugged, the motion causing my gelatinous body to jiggle underneath my illusion.

  “It goes,” I said evasively. The spy raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s hard trying to study Oozes,” I admitted. My food arrived, and I carefully picked up a fork and popped a chunk of chicken into my ‘mouth.’

  I mimed chewing, carefully letting my illusion mimic fingers holding the utensil and cheeks bulging as I ate.

  “They’re surprisingly elusive,” I said, ignoring the snort of laughter from Marl and Tara.

  (You said ‘elusive!) Rosa giggled. (It’s funny because it sounds like ‘illusion,’ and you’re wearing an illusion!)

  I wished I had real eyes. If I did, I would have rolled them. “Yes, yes, Rosa, it’s hilarious. Why don’t you go see if anyone will feed you? That young couple over there looks like fair game.”

  With a squeal of glee, the ruby Carbuncle shot off, leaving Marl and I alone at the table.

  “Anyways, as I was saying, Oozes tend to be very adept at hiding. They are weak and skittish by nature. I mean, a toddler can step on a new born one and kill it, they’re that pathetic,” I continued. “So, they avoid appearing before people. While they like to congregate in places with ample magical energy, they also like to make their dens in dark hidey holes. Ferreting them out is a chore.”

  “Alright, makes sense,” Marl admitted. “But something tells me that’s not the only problem with them.”

  “They’re drawn to me,” I revealed, voice low. “Because of my ‘unique’ nature Oozes of all kinds are drawn to me. Once I find them they sort of latch on, like over-eager puppies. It’s hard getting them to leave me alone once I’ve collected all the data.”

  “Again, that makes sense, given your, um, ‘royal’ disposition,” Marl agreed, keeping his voice quiet as well. “But can’t you control them?”

  “Not very well,” I said, unable to keep a hint of melancholy from my tone. “I can tell they’re trying to speak with me, but I can’t return the favor. I’m far too different. They don’t understand me, and I don’t understand them.”

  I ate some more of my food. It was a well-cooked chicken dinner, but I didn’t have the heart to enjoy it.

  “I don’t dislike what has happened to me, and I would never be angry at Liliana for giving me a soul, but I can’t help but wonder what it’d be like if I’d never become self-aware. Would my kin recognize me? Would I be able to communicate properly?”

  I sighed and put down the fork. “It’s all conjecture anyways. I’m far too advanced now to ever consider myself a typical member of their species. It’s hard straddling the fine line between two different worlds.”

  Marl nodded sympathetically. “Preaching to the choir. Gnomes are a minority wherever we go, even in our homeland these days. Plus, we’re not even treated like real people a lot of times. In Orria we’re ‘too elfish,’ and in the Domain we’re ‘not elfish enough.’ It’d make a lesser man cry.”

  I nodded absently before turning around in my seat.

  “Rosa! Put that down right now! That is not for you, young lady!”

  At the bar the crimson Fey was holding a bottle of wine out of the reach of a waiter, whom I recognized as the boy from earlier. She was laughing airily, content to torment the poor kid. At my words the Carbuncle pouted but complied, returning the drink to the bar top.

  “Sorry about her,” I apologized.

  “It’s fine, she didn’t do anything harmful!” the boy replied, hastily waving it off.

  I nodded before turning my attention back to the tiny delinquent and addressed her through our mental link. ‘What have I told you about not playing around when it might make someone else angry?’

  (Only do it if they are a bad guy?) she replied, tilting her head innocently.

  ‘Well, yes, but only prank someone in a way that won’t cause them too much annoyance. If you’d let go of that wine bottle, accidentally or otherwise, it could have been dangerous. Certainly would have made a mess. And then I’d be the one who’d have to pay them back for the damages.’

  Rosa looked down sadly. Her hurt expression gave me a pang of guilt, but I reigned in my impulse to forgive her immediately.

  ~Come now, she didn’t mean it like that,~ Tara replied, joining in on the telepathic conversation.

  ‘I know, but her antics could be a problem in a town or city. Some people don’t have her sense of humor.’

  “Don’t do it again, OK?” I scolded Rosa out loud. She nodded and I patted her on the head. I reached into a pocket and withdrew a copper coin.

  “If you’re hungry or thirsty, actually pay for it. Here, get yourself something.”

  Her smile quickly returned and she flew off, the copper disc held close to her chest. A few quiet chuckles came from the other patrons at the sight of Rosa carrying an object that was about a fourth her size.

  “Sorry for getting distracted,” I said to Marl who shrugged it off.

  “No worries. Anything else to report?”

  “Unfortunately. That person who uses cursed plants attacked me again last night.”

  “That’s the fifth time this month!” Marl exclaimed. He quickly looked around the room after his outburst before gazing at me in worry.

  “Are you still being followed?”

  “Probably. But I can’t detect him unless he strikes first. His magic makes the soil ‘taste sour’ according to Rosa. As for me, it’s vile and greasy on my senses,” I revealed. “But we know that he never attacks when I’m in a settlement or around large numbers of other people. He’s tormenting me, toying with me. It’s all a game. I can tell.”

  “Headmaster Cantos agrees with that assessment. He also asks that you keep a very close eye on anything out of the ordinary. He’s making inquiries about this odd kind of magic, but until we know who and what we are dealing with we must remain vigilant.”

  I nodded at Marl’s comment.

  “So, anything on your end?”

  Marl scratched his chin. “I might have something. It’s just a rumor, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell you about it, but it might make you interested.”

  “What is it?”

  Marl leaned in and I drew closer.

  “A while back I was in the town of Tywood in Brune and I heard people talking about a bunch of talking Oozes.”

  I froze and stared at Marl in shock.

  “Talking Oozes?” I repeated. He nodded.

  “Yes. I did some looking into the rumor, and I discovered that apparently strange Oozes capable of speaking Common had been sighted around the Cove Reach region, down south near the Blue Salt Gulf and Arv Prith. It seems to have some basis in fact. People around southern Brune have reported this over the past few years, but they’ve increased in sightings recently.”

  “If they can talk, then they might be like me,” I whispered. A part of me was in disbelief, but another, stronger part wanted to ditch everything and go looking for them.

  “I don’t think there is anything like you,” Marl said with a playful laugh. “But if you want to look, I won’t hold you back.”

  I felt a sensation of giddiness bubble up in my soul. But I had other things to do before I could go searching.

  “Hey, Marl, do you know if the Fountain House has any rooms available? I’d really like to have a real night’s sleep in a real bed after so long.”

  Chapter 3: On the road work

  Evening could not come soon enough, I decided. After having lunch with Marl I took another simple E-rank job from the Guild’s request board to keep myself busy. I was not a fan of idleness.

  So after weeding an elderly farmer’s field I was ready to relax and have a nice evening in a real bed. Dusk was just barely beginning to fall across the land as I returned to my lodgings.

  The Fountain House was a lovely two-story building with a fountain next to it. The cute stone babies and angels that decorated it spewed water into a basin, which could be c
ollected and used by guests.

  The room I had rented for the evening was small. It had a single bed and a narrow strip of a window, and that was it. But, it was all I needed.

  “Alright Rosa, be sure to wake me up if anyone tries to enter the room,” I said, lying down on the bed and reverting into my spherical form as I did so. I snuggled into the pillows and sheets, creating a comfy nest of sorts, and one by one closed off my senses to the outside world. In no time at all, I was blind to everything, and could perceive nothing.

  With no distractions I began to meditate and sank into my Mindscape where an opulent bedroom awaited me. It was based on Liliana’s room back at Palestone Castle in Sanc Aldet. A huge four poster canopy bed dominated the center of the room, with finely made wooden dressers and shelves placed around it. The window above the bed showed off memories rather than the actual outside world, and a set of doors were at the far end of the room.

  “Been awhile since you’ve stopped by, Jelly,” a feminine voice called out to me from a corner. A tall bespectacled beauty stepped away from one of the bookcases and walked over to me. I greeted her with a fond hug.

  “Hello, Tara.” The Spirit of Knowledge hummed as she returned the gestured. As she pulled herself away I took a good look at her.

  Tara had the appearance of a stern young woman, her parchment colored hair drawn up into a bun. She wore librarian robes and a pair of black rimmed eye glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. From behind them piercing black eyes gazed out at me and the world I had crafted as my mindscape.

  Once, she had been an artificial being created when I accidentally fused with a magical artifact known as Akasha’s Brain, which was able to instantly record any book that passed through it. In time though Tara had grown into her own independent being. Her pseudo-soul had evolved into a true Spirit of Knowledge, and she and Rosa had been my constant companions since I’d left on the journey.

  She was unable to exist outside of my Mindscape, however. Tara’s true form was a magical monolith, and though she was still connected to it and the vast amount of information the Mage’s Academy possessed, she could not move without my assistance. We were working on a solution to her limited mobility, but sadly certain issues had cropped up that kept us from researching further. Namely, the constant attacks from the mysterious mage.