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Elias of Eradal Chapter 1
"Do not be afraid!" The booming voice echoed from the blinding light.
"I am not afraid." Elias scoffed. He knew that he was still asleep. Although he had never experienced a vision before, he had read enough about them to recognize one when it appeared.
"The gods have seen great potential in you, Elias son of Sylus." The disembodied light echoed. "Your skills have set you apart and you have been chosen to be a champion of your people. Succeed in this task and you will save kingdoms from ruin and achieve the recognition you deserve."
Unlike most people who would have been shocked and humbled by what was clearly a divine vision, Elias accepted the being's words calmly. Something like this had been a long time coming. He was a prodigy after all. He had quickly surpassed almost every wizard he had studied under. Although he was still considered an apprentice, he had accomplished more in his seventeen years than some wizards achieved in a lifetime.
"What is this task then?" He asked boldly. With his skills and abilities, he was confident that he could handle anything that was thrown his way.
"Deep in the heart of the Koval mountains far to the north, a great beast slumbers. A wicked and terrible creature capable of grinding cities to dust. It has lain there for centuries, but now it stirs. Should it fully awaken, it will cover all the land in darkness unknown since ancient times."
"Go north. Kill the monster." Elias summarized. "Sounds easy enough."
"Would that it were." The voice answered patiently. "This beast cannot be slain by normal means, be they physical or arcane."
Elias was beginning to wish that this deity or angel or whatever it was would hurry up and get to the point. Despite his usually flippant tongue, he managed to keep this thought to himself.
The voice continued. "There is a blade of pure darkness, protected by a foul sorcerer dwelling in the swamps at the foot of the mountains. This sorcerer is a servant of the beast and hides away the one weapon that could be its undoing. Obtain it. Use it to slay the evil creature. And your lands will be safe for generations to come."
Cracking a grin, Elias nodded. It was a proper quest, like the heroes of old. It was about time too. He was beginning to think that all of his considerable skill was going completely unnoticed.
"I'll set out first thing in the morning." He said confidently. Already, he was planning out his conversation with his master. Master Sato would not be pleased, he surmised, but the old wizard would have to let him go. It was a divine vision after all.
"Blessings of the gods go with you, Elias of Eradal." The light and the voice slowly faded away and Elias awoke in the darkness of his room in Master Sato's small home.
A smile spread slowly across his face as he slid from his bed. He had work to do.
"I need a guide to the Koval mountains." Elias said for the fourth time that morning. He did his best to keep his tone even, but his frustration was evident.
"Why you looking to go there?" The stocky man asked with an equally unimpressed voice. "Downright creepy those mountains are."
The conversation was nearly formulaic at this point. Elias could have predicted the man's responses before he made them. "There is magic there that I need to study."
The man appraised him skeptically. "Wizard are ye? A bit young, hmm?" Snorting at Elias's obvious glare the man continued. "Aye I can take you there. We'll have to swing wide `round the marshes though."
Elias shook his head emphatically. "No. It needs to be through the swamp. I've business to attend to there as well."
"Ha!" The man guffawed. "You're daft, boy. Those swamps swallow up travelers like you."
Sighing impatiently, Elias nodded at the answer he had seen coming. The citizens of Eradal were proving to be too superstitious for their own good. "I can pay." He jingled the weighty coin purse at his belt for emphasis.
"Isn't about money." The man said the same thing as the one before him. "No amount of gold's gonna bring me up out of those waters. It's a cursed place, lad. Best forget this errand of yours."
When Elias had informed Master Sato of his intention to leave, the ancient wizard had been skeptical.
"How do you know that it was a vision?" He had asked in his thick eastern accent.
Master Sato was one of the most renowned wizards in all the Five Kingdoms, and also one of the few practitioners of the mysterious eastern magic. Elias had relocated to study under Sato after superseding his former mentor, a master wizard from the kingdom of Falheim, at the age of fifteen. Sato was a strict but fair tutor, and Elias had learned much under his instruction, including some of the intricate dance-like spell forms that eastern magic was known for.
"I could feel it, Master." Elias had responded. "It was unlike a dream in every way. I know that I must complete this task."
Elias had not discussed exactly what his quest was with his master. It did not seem appropriate to tell people precisely where he was going and why. He also feared that, if he shared how important the gods seemed to believe this mission to be, then Master Sato might decide to accompany him. If that were to happen, then Elias's name would be barely a footnote in the retelling.
It had taken some doing, but eventually Sato had granted Elias his blessing. Elias had promised to return to his training when the task was done, although secretly he was beginning to wonder exactly how much more Master Sato had to teach him. The lessons seemed to be slowing down, just as they had with his previous master, who had been embarrassed to be surpassed and tried to delay the inevitable.
Now though, as he turned away from the stocky traveler, Elias wondered if maybe he should ask for Master Sato's help at least in finding a guide that would travel through the marshes. That however would inevitably lead to questions that Elias did not want to answer.
With an irritated sigh, he turned toward the apothecary. There were other things he still needed for his trip. Ingredients for spells and potions as well as basic supplies. This dilemma could wait until he had fully readied himself.
Elias suddenly felt the familiar tingling of magic as the protective ward he had placed around his coin purse was activated. It was common practice among wizards with the skill to do so to use small warding spells to protect against pickpockets. It was not nearly a fatal spell, but it certainly gave the potential criminal a nasty shock. As Elias heard a soft cry from behind him, he knew that it had done its job.
"Thieving scum!" He spat angrily as he whirled around to face the would-be thief. To his surprise he saw a young boy rolling around in the dirt behind him, groaning in pain and rubbing his left hand frantically. The spell was designed to cause a simple muscle spasm. Painful, but quite temporary.
"Cor!" The boy cursed loudly, wincing as already the intense pain began to fade to a throbbing ache. "You didn't `ave to do that!"
"And what?" Elias challenged haughtily. "Let you walk off with my money? Watchman!" He called out over the noise of the crowd, trying to attract the attention of one of the daytime guards that patrolled the market district.
"'ang about!" The boy shakily began to get to his feet. "Don't call for the guard!"
"Stay still." Elias commanded. "Or I'll bring you down again." He knew that if the boy decided to bolt it would be unsafe to try to stop him with magic in such a crowd, but he counted on the young thief not being party to that information. The tactic paid off at least long enough for Elias to get close enough to lock his hand around the boy's slender wrist. Firing magic into a crowd was incredibly dangerous; but enacting a spell while maintaining physical contact with the target was child's play for Elias.
"Ow!" The young boy complained as Elias's grip wrenched his still tender muscles. "Don't do it again!" He pleaded, looking around with fear in his eyes.
The thief looked a fair few years younger than Elias. As most street criminals were, he was scrawny and shabbily dressed. His dirty-blonde hair was gathered into several tight braids that ran from the front to the back of his head and then collected into a very short tail at the back. Elias wondered how much of the dirty blonde was natural, and how much was actual dirt.
"Watchman!" He called again, beginning to get frustrated.
"They'll lock me up!" The boy whined but didn't dare to struggle.
Elias scoffed. "You should have thought of that before you tried to steal from me."
"I didn't know you was a wizard or noffing." The boy begged as if that made his crime more excusable. "Don't call for the watch." His face twisted with concern.
"And why wouldn't I?" Elias had an almost poetic sense of right and wrong, crime and punishment. He fervently believed that justice should be swift and impartial. However, looking at the frightened boy whose wrist was now locked in his grasp, he couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him.
"I can elp you!" The boy's eyes suddenly lit up in recollection. "I know people, lots o' people! I eard you was looking for someone."
Despite mild irritation at finding out he had been eavesdropped on, Elias considered this. It couldn't hurt to see if the boy knew anything worthwhile. He could always have him taken away by the guard later if it didn't pan out.
"I need a guide." Elias eventually said. "Through the swamps at the foot of the Koval mountains. Do you know someone who has been there, or knows their way around?"
The boy's face split into a wide smile that was surprisingly missing only one tooth on the upper right-hand side. "I reckon I do. I know a bloke who's been all `round. Places no decent folk'd ever go... No offense." He added quickly.
"Who is this `bloke' and where can I find him?" Elias resisted the urge to ask what a common criminal knew about the things "decent folk" did.
"'is name's Kole. I can take you to `im if you want." The boy suggested eagerly.
Elias eyed the kid suspiciously. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that the boy had all but forgotten about trying to rob him only moments ago. He seemed to genuinely want to help. "Show me your hand." Elias ordered but didn't wait for the boy to comply but pulled in the wrist that he was still holding on to. Passing his hand over the boy's closed fist several times and murmuring the words to a spell he had only used in practice; he finally released his grip.
"Ow!" The boy yelled, more in surprise than actual pain. The sigil marking that appeared on the back of his hand would have caused a slight prick, but nothing compared to the warding spell he had tripped earlier. "Why'd you do that!?"
"It's a binding." Elias told him. "Try anything, and my magic will be able to find you."
"Oh..." The boy looked at the small dark rune on the back of his hand then back at Elias. "For `ow long?"
Elias rolled his eyes. "It will fade in several hours."
The boy sighed in obvious relief then smiled again. "I'm Avi by the way." He stuck his hand out.
Eying the extended hand, Elias made no move to accept the gesture. "Just take me to this friend of yours. And make it quick."
When the boy first dashed off into the crowd, Elias thought he was trying to bolt, but Avi stopped suddenly and looked over his shoulder to see if Elias was following. Elias realized that the young boy had taken his `make it quick' command at face value.
Shaking his head, Elias made his way through the crowd trying to keep up with the nimble youth. He had to admit that it was impressive how easily Avi navigated the crowded streets. He slipped in and out of Elias's view but always stopped and waited for him if he got too far ahead. Like a fish through water, he slid his way through packed crowds and across streets.
It took Elias a moment to realize that they were leaving the market district. His attention was so focused on following after Avi that he had not even noticed as they began to near the seedier parts of town. That, he supposed, shouldn't be too surprising considering Avi's profession, however he knew he should keep his wits about him. There were all too many muggings and worse that went on in areas like this.
Elias rounded a corner to find Avi stopped only a few feet in front of him. He nearly tripped himself to avoid running headlong into the boy.
"'ere we are!" Avi announce cheerfully, pointing to a shabby little inn tucked between dilapidated buildings.
"I hope this friend of yours is a better guide than you are a thief." Elias remarked.
"Oi!" Avi protested indignantly. "I'm bloody good, you just got magic is all. I would'a knicked that purse easy as..." Avi stopped himself, realizing what he was saying. He peered at Elias out of the corner of his eye before continuing. "Anyways. e'll be right inside. Always angs around here."
The inn was dimly lit and rowdy, despite it only being the late morning. Elias suspected that this was the type of place that was rarely quiet. Avi didn't seem to notice the deplorable state of both the building and it's cliental as he sauntered up to a big man who was seated on a bench leaning against one of the support beams of the building.
Even sitting down, it was obvious that the man was very large. His shoulders were broad, and Elias guessed he was well over six feet tall. A scantily clad woman sat on his lap, stroking his face sensually and whispering in his ear. The man did not seem to be paying much attention to her though. His head was rested against the pillar and his eyes were closed. It looked like he was barely conscious.
"Oi, Kole!" Avi snapped his fingers in front of the man's face.
Kole's eyes flicked open lazily. He blinked several times as he took in Avi, then Elias, then the woman on his lap. Sighing heavily, he picked her up gently and set her on her feet.
"Off you go, love." He gave her a more-than-friendly pat on her rump, and she returned a sultry look as she disappeared into the bar.
If not for the fact that he either currently was or had recently been heavily inebriated, Kole would have been an impressive specimen. He was relatively young, probably in his mid-twenties. His light brown hair was short, and he had a slight five-o'clock shadow around his face. Despite his immense size, he appeared to have hardly a shred of bodyfat on him. Wearily, he leaned down and grabbed a tankard half-full of a yellowish-brown liquid that Elias would not have trusted and took a swing before returning it to the floor by his boot.
"'oo was zat?" Avi asked, hitching a thumb in the direction the promiscuous girl had gone.
"'oo was zat?" Kole mimicked Avi's thick undercity accent. "Not your business boy."
"Cunt." Avi spit neatly into the mug Kole had just drank from.
Kole's bleary eyes glared dangerously at the boy. "What do you want, Avi? Who's your... oh-so fancy friend?" He accentuated this last with an ambiguous hand gesture that hinted at his current mental state.
Elias could agree that he was a bit overdressed. Although he shunned the flowing and often ornate robes that many wizards favored, his black leather longcoat decidedly marked him as an outsider.
"Kole, this is... well I forgot is name." Avi admitted. "But e's a wizard. And `e needs a guide."
"No, no, no." Kole grabbed up the tankard Avi had just spit into and drained it. Elias winced. "I don't do that work anymore. I'm retired." He slurred.
"Come on you drunken oaf!" Avi nearly shouted. Elias had to admit being impressed by the boy's tenacity, addressing a man that could probably tear him in half. "'e's going to them haunted swamps. Y'know the ones."
This caught Kole's attention. He looked up at Elias and studied him as closely as his unfocused eyes could manage. "Those swamps'll be your grave, boy."
Elias sighed. It was a shame, he would almost regret turning Avi in to the guard. "Yes, yes, I've heard it all..."
"Wait!" Kole threw up a hand cutting him off. "I'll do it."
The witty remark died on Elias's lips. Usually he had a sharp rejoinder for just about anything, but this had taken him off guard. "Um... You will?"
The big man stumbled to his feet. He had almost a head of height on Elias, and Avi looked positively miniscule next to him. "Why not? Thrill of adventure and all that."
Possibly due to the man's obvious inebriation it was quite apparent that he was not sharing something. Nonetheless, Elias was not in a position to argue. Kole had agreed to guide him and seemed to be the only one in town willing to do so.
"Well... Alright then..." Elias spoke cautiously as if at any moment Kole might retract his offer. "Did you have a price in mind?"
Kole gave him a puzzled look as if that thought had never occurred to him. "Oh... why don't we negotiate that when we get back. If we live that long."
Elias cocked his head curiously but shrugged. "Suit yourself. Meet me by the north gate in two hours. I need some time to finish my preparations. And I'm sure you have... things to pack?" He voiced this as somewhat of a question as he examined Kole's haggard appearance.
Giving Elias a nod and a lazy salute, Kole ambled over to the bar and promptly ordered another drink. With a sigh, Elias shook his head. At least he knew where he could find the man when he was a no-show. He whirled on his heels and made for the door, not wanting to spend another minute in that hovel.
"Wot about me?" Avi asked, halting Elias in his tracks.
"What about you?" Elias retorted, although he supposed he owed the boy some form of gratitude, even though it was fair payment for his attempted crime. "Just make sure your friend here gets to the north gate and we'll be even. If not, that mark on your hand will turn to rot and make your fingers fall off."
This was not true and the horrified look on Avi's face made Elias almost regret spinning the yarn. Avi rubbed gently at the small rune then looked forlornly back at Kole.
"And..." Elias shrugged awkwardly. "Thanks."
Avi gave him a confused look as Elias made his exit, squinting against the mid-day sun, a glaring reminder of how dim and dusky the establishment had been. Mentally he ran through his checklist once more. A guide had been his most pressing concern, now with that settled it took him a moment to fall back into his rhythm of gathering what he needed.
Just over an hour later found Elias back in the market district, in the same apothecary that he had been headed for when he encountered Avi. Since then, he had traded in his simple shoes for a sturdy and comfortable pair of high and durable leather boots, perfect for long travel. His pack over one shoulder was nearly full as well, with all of his traveling essentials. The leather satchel-bag on the other shoulder and several small pouches on his belt were what he used to contain everything he needed for the more complex spell-work. He had brought along a few of the more useful books that he had collected in his studies; the kind with incantations too long to commit to memory, or rituals that required very specific recipes and conditions.
This was of course what brought him to the apothecary in the first place. Gemstone dust, dried herbs, and other staples of certain types of spellcasting were hard to come by anywhere else. Paying for what he needed, he gathered up the ingredients and began to organize them neatly into his satchel. Stepping outside, he was in the process of affixing a small pouch of powdered bloodstone to his belt when a voice came from behind him.
"Wot's all that?" Elias jumped and nearly spilled the expensive powder all over the ground. Before he turned around, he knew already by the thick accent who it was.
"Avi...? Have you been following me?"
Sheepishly, the younger boy kicked at the dirt. "Well... didn't want me `and to burn up if ye got too far away... or somefing..."
Elias growled in displeasure. "That is not how it works. What about your friend? I warned you what would happen if he failed to meet me at the gate."
"He'll be there." Avi assured. "Kole always does wot `e says."
Avi sounded confident but Elias was less so. He wished that he had been able to find a proper guide and not some lowlife drunkard, but he supposed it would take someone desperate to be willing to get him where he needed to go.
Although not confident in his guide's abilities, Elias was more than confident in his own. As long as this Kole could get him through the swamps, he felt certain he would be able to protect himself and deal with all threats that might present. The gods themselves had chosen him after all.
"So?" Avi's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"So, what?" Elias's irritation was evident but Avi pressed on anyway.
"Wot's all that? All the stuff ye put in yer bag."
"Thinking of trying to rob me again?" Elias glared down at the small boy.
"No way!" Avi declared, shrinking away from the withering stare. "Just curious's all... They don't let people like me in them fancy shops."
Elias took in a breath and let it out, then forced himself to soften his tone. "Powders, mixtures, ingredients for spell-casting or potion making."
Avi's eyebrows rose as he looked back at the unassuming apothecary. "Blimey. You're a proper wizard huh?"
Although it came from a young and seemingly impressionable street criminal, the statement gave Elias a sense of pride. "That's right." He chose to omit the detail that he was technically still an apprentice. Despite the fact that Avi had tried to rob him only a little over an hour ago, Elias had to admit that the lad was endearing to some degree. He was earnest and wore his thoughts on his face plain as day.
Rolling his eyes, Elias sighed. "I only have a couple more stops to make before meeting your friend at the gate. Would you like to accompany me?" He told himself that he only made the offer because he knew the boy would continue to shadow him anyway.
Avi's face split into his toothy smile. "Really?" Quickly he recovered and put on an air of nonchalance. "Suppose so."
One of the last few stops that Elias needed to make was with the cartographer. Even though he had a guide, he knew he would be foolish to not be as prepared as he could. Inside the dim shop tucked away at one end of the market district, Elias found copies of dozens of different maps of various regions. All of them were meticulously hand-drawn with great attention to detail.
Having heard the bell over the door jingle, the cartographer himself soon appeared from a back room.
"Hey!" The old man cried, noticing Avi first who was carefully but curiously unrolling a map of the Ghenye deserts far to the south. "Get out of here you! If you've stuffed anything in your thieving pockets, I'll..." The bespectacled man paused, noticing Elias for the first time. "Oh... good day sir."
"It's alright." Elias assured. "He's with me."
The mapmaker looked back at Avi who had immediately rerolled the map and placed it back with the other copies. He gave the boy a suspicious look but eventually turned back to Elias. "Of course, sir. How can I help you today?"
"I need maps of the Koval mountains, and of the swamps at their base. Do you have such a thing?"
The old man frowned, thinking. "I do have the mountains, ah... most of them anyway. The swamps though... Well I'm afraid the only one that I have is... embarrassingly incomplete. So few people venture there and return, sir."
"I'll take it all the same." Elias answered, knowing he would do no better anywhere else.
"Of course, young sir." The man fished out the maps of the mountains but had to dig around in his storage for a while to find the swamps. When he rolled it out on the table, Elias saw what he meant. Where all the cartographer's other maps were detailed and intricate, this map, if it could be called that, was mostly just a series of twisting lines and shapes. "It's not my business sir, but If you're thinking of going there, I'd advise you to reconsider."
"You're right." Elias agreed. "It isn't your business." He plunked down several coins, probably more than what the maps were worth. "Good day."
The cartographer simply shook his head and collected the coin as Elias carefully stored his maps away. Avi on the other hand was suitably impressed by the exchange. As they left, he caught Elias's eye.
"Where'd ya get all that dosh?" He sounded truly amazed. "Five farthings for a bit'a paper?"
"Not just a bit of paper." Elias corrected. "A good map can mean the difference between life and death." He purposefully chose to ignore the first part of Avi's question. It was embarrassing to admit that his money came from an allowance from his parents that was sent to him monthly. As an apprentice, he rarely had much to spend it on and had accumulated quite a sum.
"Wish I ad a bit'a coin like that." Avi mused, then looked sidelong at Elias. "Sorry bout tryinna take it from ye..."
Rolling his eyes, Elias made a deliberate beeline toward the northern gate of the city, indicating to Avi that time was up, and that his cohort had better come through... or else.
As usual, the north gate was inundated with those coming and going to and from the city. The commerce within Erania, the crown jewel of Eradal, was the envy of the Five Kingdoms, bringing wealth and prosperity to those savvy enough to claim it, and attracting a host of all sorts to seek their fortune.
"It's been two hours." Elias announced as they stood to one side of the gate. After much consideration on compromising his morals, Elias had decided that, even if Kole didn't show, he would not turn Avi in for theft. However, he wasn't ready to let it go quite so easily as to tell Avi that.
"Not yet." Avi pleaded. ""e'll be here!"
"I've been here." A deep voice cut in sarcastically.
Elias and Avi turned to see Kole leaned casually up against a wall behind them, partially hidden in the shadow of two buildings.
"Good of you to... turn up..." Elias trailed off as the big man pushed himself off from the wall and stepped into the light.
It almost did not look like the same man that Elias had met in the rat-infested tavern only a few hours before. His stubble had been shaved, his short greasy hair had been combed back, and he stood with straight posture that accented his impressive height. Furthermore, he had traded in the dirty and stained tunic that Elias had seen him in before for a mostly clean doublet with a well-fitted leather cuirass covering his midsection. The polished pommel and hilt of a hand-and-a-half sword stuck out over one shoulder.
"Wow." Avi chortled. "ow come ye never get all fancied up fer me?" The small boy teased.
"Who did you steal all this from?" Elias commented, eying the ensemble up and down.
Kole locked eyes with him. "From the body of the last person to ask too many questions." His tone was deadly serious, but his face split suddenly into a wide but ambiguous grin.
Over his shoulder, Kole carried two packs. One large and heavy looking, the other smaller and lighter. The lighter of the two he swung down from his back and tossed to Avi.
"Wot's this?" Avi examined the bag.
"Doesn't look like your fancy friend is investing in a pack horse." Kole remarked. "And I am not one. So, you'll have to carry it yourself."
"Wait a minute..." Elias frowned.
"Ya mean it?" Avi's face lit up in excitement.
"No." Elias stated emphatically, trying to head off this conversation.
Kole nodded, ignoring Elias completely. "About time you stopped crawling around the sewers. You smell bad enough already."
"Rich comin' from you." Avi retorted with a giggle.
Elias decided it was time to put an end to this before it got too far out of hand. "No." He repeated more forcefully. "You are not coming."
The shine left Avi's eyes as he dropped his gaze to the ground. "Oh..." He said dejectedly.
Kole didn't say anything but gave Elias a perplexed look as though he had not understood what he had said. Holding the big man's gaze, Elias was determined not to back down.
After several tense seconds, Kole shrugged. "Suit yourself." He began to walk away. Avi looked between the two of them in confusion.
"Wait." Elias insisted in frustration. "He'll just slow us down." He protested, ignoring the indignant look Avi gave him. "This is not a holiday."
Kole stopped and turned back. "Sounds like that'd be my concern, not yours."
Grinding his teeth Elias took a deep breath. "I won't be responsible for him. Or you for that matter. It will likely be dangerous. If he must come, then it's on your head."
Once again, Kole displayed a slightly too enthusiastic grin that made Elias feel like he was being mocked. "Brilliant." He bumped Avi's shoulder gently. "A bit up his own ass, isn't he?" He said as though Elias couldn't hear him plainly. Avi giggled.
With a sigh, Elias hoisted his pack and turned to the gate. It was going to be a long trip.