A Bright and Shiny Life

I wake up in the lukewarm bath feeling that my obsession with the orb is silly. Remey already told me who the orb’s owner is and what house they’re a part of. It’s a medium sized one hoping to make it big by the name of Talhal, and the mage being named Pytor.

I’ll build my power and influence to try to find an opportunity to take it, or more likely gain enough favour with them that they’ll let me use it. But right now, there’s little I can do.

Besides, it’s just a substitute for the real power gained from Anar. I see now that my desire was only so consuming because of my period of fasting. Adding it to Anar’s blessings will be good, but not necessary for greatness.

Or at least that’s what I feel flush with Anar’s boons. If I ever want to stop being dependent on them, then that orb is the first real hope of achieving that. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s out of reach for now.

I got this room because it overlooked where the Twisted Lily is docked. Edward offered to have me stay with him at his acquaintance’s place, but I declined in order to be closer to the orb, saying I want to experience the port life for a few nights. It’s inconvenient because I have to meet Edmond for his lessons at dawn, but I manage to get back before they start unloading.

I wander the docks and pay a large copper to a dozen random children with a promise of another to the first one to tell me of a noble paying the Twisted Lilly a visit. On the second day I get a bite, and rush down to the docks under concealment to find a green carriage with floral highlights in front of the ship with a cruder transport wagon behind it. A noble man with similarly decorated clothes is standing by the carriage watching the crew lower a crate down to the wagon.

He glances in my direction and I duck into the shadows, but it was just a random look. Gathering courage, I walk past the dock close enough to make out the crest on the carriage and confirm it’s the Talhal family picking up the orb. The man has arcane symbols dotted throughout his outfit, so I can only assume he’s Pytor.

With the elite mage picking it up himself I can rest assured it’ll get to its destination, since the only way for it to be waylaid at this point is with an obvious display of brute force from their opposition. It’s not impossible, but at the very least I’d hear about a major magical battle taking place in the empire’s most peaceful district.

I find a high building to wait at and watch as the crate is loaded, then trace the wagon’s slowly rolling route through town to the east gate towards the capital. It's where I expected it to go, though I suppose they could double back. If they do, then I content myself that it’ll be beyond my ability to track.

My new obsession sated for now, I go back to the inn and force finish learning the healing spell in another boiling bath. Once again there’s a compromise: I can only cast it on myself, but I’m sure I can overcome it in time. If not, then at least it’ll fulfill my goal of disguising my healing ability.

Regardless I am advancing my training much quicker than anticipated. Part of it is likely not accounting for the multiple sacrifices I’ve made recently which have boosted my magic power. Another is spending so much of my travel time in private rooms that I can study freely and the last is figuring out my new bargaining tactics. Regardless of the ratios I’ve managed to learn all but one of the spells I was planning to some degree in only a little over two weeks of the two-month limit.

I spend the rest of the day spending my newly earned coin. Strictly on mission items, of course. I spend two gold coins on a dedicated anatomy book full of detailed drawings, another for “Herbs of the Central District” and two large silvers on a trio of miscellaneous history books. The book seller also has quality leather satchels big enough to fit two or three books at once with a nice shoulder sling and side pockets for various things. Apparently, they have a deal with a local leather crafter. I buy one for another large silver.

I had planned on waiting to buy any books that I didn’t immediately need until the capital, but weight won’t be an issue anymore since I’ll be traveling on carriage. Still, I do show some restraint in buying only books on fields I have prior knowledge of and that I could theoretically be able to carry if the carriage was lost. I also spend a large copper on replenishing my bullets, and another on loose paper.

At sunset I take Edward’s offer of staying with him.

The host isn’t in as this is their winter home which they are letting Edward stay at for a few days before meeting them in the capital. The servants are quiet and polite, leaving me a bell to call them before going about their other duties.

I eat dinner with the Grahm family, a lavish meal with tender meat, seared vegetables, soup, nuts, and a cake afterwards.

I’ve had cake once before. We killed a noble that was about to eat some and Gebal said I should have it. It’s one of my fondest memories.

This cake is better. It’s moist with cream and berries and copious sugar. If I had to choose between this and frozen cream then I would choose frozen cream, but I would connive to get both.

“So, what do you make of our Edmond?” Tiffany Grahm, the lady in her mid-twenties who is Edmonds mother, asks after he goes to bed.

I shrug. “He’s a good student. Good focus and intent to learn.”

“Do you think he’ll become a great mage one day?” She asks.

“It’s impossible to say. Very few geniuses show remarkable talent at this point, and even those I suspect are just hearsay or random chance. He’s hit the standard milestones within the normal timeframe. He could become an elite, but he’s more likely to be mediocre.”

She laughs for a bit too long. “Well, you’re certainly honest. I’m glad I convinced Eddy to take you up on your offer. You’re much cheaper than other mages, and you’re not making promises to try to get close to us.”

“A mage who debases themselves tends to be mediocre at magic, but I don’t know if that would affect their teaching. For all I know it might make them better… When you reach the capital you should find a teacher to take Edmond. Since he’s already passed the initial stages, you should be able to find someone to continue his education for a percentage of his future earnings for an amount of time.”

“You won’t do it?”

I shake my head. “I’m only a fledgling myself. I can start the path with him, but he’ll need someone more experienced. I’ll continue teaching him until we reach capital in order to increase his chances of interesting a good teacher, but after that I’ll just be in the way.”

She nods. “… It’s a pity we didn’t talk on the boat. You were always in your room when I was walking the ship the first few days, and I mostly stayed shut in after the pirates. I went by your room a few times, but you were always chanting and I didn’t want to disturb you. I didn’t see any of the fighting of course, but I heard you played a major role in it. I thought maybe you might be a powerful mage already and that you would be a good permanent teacher.”

I shake my head again. “If I was a powerful mage, I would have blown the ship out of the water from over the horizon. Or rather, they would have divined my presence and not try to attack us at all.”

“Have you seen magic like that? Your name is Caethlian, right?”

“… yeah. A few times.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s fine.”

She smiles. “Well, it’s late and you’re probably tired. You may be an almost powerful mage but you’re still a child, and children need their rest. The servants will run you a bath and bring you a night gown. Feel free to ring for anything else you might need.”

I take her up on the offer of a bath. I’ve never had so many in such a short timeframe, but I am enjoying it more and more. I think I will have two a day in the capital, especially if my residence has a tub like this. Much bigger than any I’ve used before, enough to lay flat on the bottom and fully emerge my whole body without splashing over the sides. Plus, it’s ceramic so I don’t get splinters on my butt.

The servants are concerned about how hot I want the water, but I persuade them I’m perfectly fine with the fire loop. I do still get odd looks when I use lesser firestream to heat it up more though.

I have an attendant who does stuff like add sweet smelling soaps and oils and scrubs my back for me. It’s nice. I would always just put the cloth on the edge of the tub and rub against it which could be a little painful if I did it too hard. They also do stuff like fetch a book stand and turn the page for me so I don’t risk getting it wet.

After about an hour or two they mention that the candles are getting low and seem a bit annoyed. A pity. Having an attendant was nice and I was planning to get one when I reached the capital, but not if they’re going to rush me. Maybe they’ll have a different attitude if I’m the one paying.

I suggest that they’re welcome to attend to other tasks and that I would be fine on my own, but they insist that would be neglecting their duty. I’m not used to the ceramic tub and could slip and hit my head while getting out then drown.

I sigh and let them help me out of the tub then towel me off. This is the worse part since I’m unused to so much physical contact. I tense the whole time expecting a sudden attack through the towel, but none comes. Definitely no assisted towelling when I get my own attendant.

The feather mattress is better than the one at the Bubbling Otter and I fall asleep instantly, waking up with Edmond impatiently saying it’s time for his lesson.

I apologize, put on the provided slippers and robe, strap my new book satchel on and rush out to the garden where we hold the lesson.

“So, what spell do you want to learn first?” I ask Edmond.

I’ve taught him a half dozen cantrips already, all useless except as a foundation for other spells (not including the candle lighter). Still, he gets amusement out of them. A particular favourite is one that produces a weak gust of wind at a distance which he uses to propel a toy boat across the garden pond.

“The sling one!” He says.

“Oh, um that’s probably not a good starting point.” I say.

“Aw, why not?”

“Well, to learn that I’d have to teach you how to shoot a sling or other projectile weapon.”

“All right!”

“Which would take all my remaining time with you. Also, if you’re going to learn a combat spell you should learn something for self-defence first, which that spell isn’t good for since it depends on being armed.”

“But the sailors said you used it to kill loads of pirates!”

“I did. But that was a particular use case, and I had to stop once I ran out of bullets. It’s the fourth combat spell I learned for that reason. I’ll write down the chant for you to learn on your own, but I won’t start you on it. A better spell to start would be lesser firestream followed by personal shield.” I say, demonstrating each.

“Hm, I don’t know, they’re nice but doesn’t every mage know stuff like that? Mom said they’re going to try to get me a teacher, but I need something to stand out to get a good one. Something like the sling spell.”

I nod. “A good thought. I’ll write them down for you to learn on your own anyways. Unfortunately, that only leaves a plant growth spell.”

“Uh, that’s fine, I guess.” His face says otherwise.

“Ah, well, I was going to teach you a divination too. We’ll start there, and if we’re lucky then by the time I teach you it I’ll have learned something else to pass on to you.”

We spend the dawn making his own crystal pendulum with materials I previously expensed to his father. He eagerly learns it and I suspect he’ll have mastered the basic method tonight.

Once he’s done with his lesson, I wander the gardens looking at the plants and referencing some of the unknown ones in my new herb folio. There are a few rare medical herbs (and fewer rare poisons). I cast concealment and surreptitiously collect a few seeds to grow later. I even cast plant growth on a few to push them to the point of harvesting.

I could have asked the Grahms for permission, and they’d probably say yes. But I don’t see a reason to risk the staff objecting.

I get called into breakfast where we eat another lavish meal (by my standards), and I’m told that we are leaving tomorrow morning after the lesson if I don’t object. I don’t, so the servants start preparing our departure throughout the day. I am glad since I was a little worried they might get the most out of our deal by delaying the journey, but it seems the owner’s hospitality is not limitless and they’re expecting them in the capital soon.

I spend most of the day at the library reading books of mundane knowledge, and occasionally taking breaks by going back out to the garden. I do take a three-hour bath before sunset so I would have more time to sleep on the excellent bed before dawn.

Everything is prepared smoothly, and we leave on time after Edmond’s lesson in the garden. The carriage ride is dull. I thought it would be fun to watch the scenery glide by, but it quickly becomes monotonous.

The horses themselves are much more exciting since I’ve rarely encountered them not being ridden by people trying to kill me. They’re a bit intimidating, but I got over that this morning by walking up to one and staring them in the eye as if daring them to try something. The handlers were alarmed, but the horse backed down, so it worked out.

Everyone spends the ride either reading or napping, except Edmond who’s practicing with his crystal pendulum. I alternate between reading the anatomy book and trying to learn animal communication by targeting the horses.

The day drags on and the carriage gets stuffy, so I declare I’m going to the roof. Edward protests but Tiffany just laughs as I open the door and pull myself up. I lay somewhat uncomfortably on the stacked luggage, but it’s better than below. What’s the point of spending so much money on a carriage if you’re not going to hire a mage to inscribe comfort enchantments?

Edmond obviously wants to join me but is instantly forbidden.

The experience of watching the lush scenery roll by is much better on top. Trees line the road, allowing the sun to flit through in a lulling pattern. Beyond are fields of golden grains and other agricultural endeavours. Workers busy planting for a second harvest or herding sheep, goats or cattle. Then some hills or a clear running brook. A more heavily wooded area with a deer peeking through the foliage and birds calling about.

It’s warm but not hot, so I use my cloak as a pillow and lazily study– repeatedly falling asleep. I get a slight sunburn, but it’ll heal in a few hours of shade.

The roads are full of travellers like us though most aren’t in as luxurious of rides. Most are pedestrians, many are trade wagons, and a sizable amount are soldiers.

I tense as the first column marches pass us, going for a dagger but forcing myself to freeze. I instead nervously practice drawing and sheathing my invisible knives as they pass to calm down. They can’t be here for me, just an exercise, but it’s hard to relax with memories of people in armour like that killing my comrades…

Until around the fourth group when their presence comforts me. Telling me how safe the central district’s highways are. The safest in the world, a point of imperial pride. No bandits would dare attack honest travellers in the central district... It’s annoying how rapidly I learn to accept them.

One interesting thing to note about them that’s different than in Caethlon is the equipment. More melee infantry with shields and shorter spears, and more archers with crossbows, all of them heavy. Back home almost every archer used bows, but here they all have crossbows instead.

I can only assume the imperial army felt that bows were better suited against our hit and run tactics due to the shooting rate, as most engagements I was part of only lasted long enough to shoot a heavy crossbow once, and only if it was pre-loaded. Likewise, maybe they thought the shields would be too cumbersome and preferred the longer spears for some reason.

Or maybe they train troops in various methods, and it was just luck of the draw what legions were sent to us. If not, what might be different in the fighting expected in this side of the empire for them to so radically change their equipment?

We spend the next four days like this, staying the nights at fancy inns. The Grahms pay for my room out of some sort of propriety due to me being their guest. Technically it was part of the agreement, but I didn’t expect this quality from them.

I find a wounded cat at one of them, which I toss in a bag and bring to my room to use as a target for learning my healing spell the rest of the way.

I make a breakthrough late that night and suddenly feel the cat god’s favour after I close up the wound. I make a sign accepting the boon and I feel nimble, and my perception, particularly night vision, hearing and smell suddenly jumps up.

I feed and water the cat in hopes it’ll want to come with me, but it jumps out an open window when it’s sated. Pity, I enjoyed petting it, and without showing constant affection to one of their ‘children’ the cat god will likely retract their boon in a few days. Still, I can easily find more in the capital, and I wasn’t expecting it so soon anyways. Fully learning the healing spell is much more exciting in any regard.

I celebrate by going down and having a few drinks, spending a silver on myself and another on some random travellers who happily tell me all sorts of interesting stories about lands in the distant east– Hyclion and farther. I have a notion of them from my history books, but it’s nice to hear stories from people who claim to have actually been there.

Admittedly I find their stories dubious, as they also claim to have been to Caethlon, but gets so many things wrong about our culture as to be obviously lying. For instance, they claim our standard mode of funeral involves dancing naked around a cremation pyre and using the ashes in strange fertility rites. Absurd, we would never use fire. Still, I find their bluster entertaining, so I don’t mind paying for them, telling myself that it’s social training and not my recently discovered tendency towards frivolous spending.

In the middle of the fifth day, we arrive at the capital. The carriage gets us through the gates without issue, and I take my leave of the Grahms after we go through. Edmond is still learning healing and lesser firestream, so I tell them to wait until he’s finished before seeking out a teacher. The healing should be able to attract someone good, and the firestream will hopefully cinch it.

“Take these.” Tiffany says, handing me two unsealed letters, one addressed to an Isabel Grahm, and the other to the owner of the house in Tibrous. “The first one is for my mother, and the second is for our patron. If you ever need help, then go to whichever is closest and at the very least they will contact me if they don’t handle the problem themselves.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.”

“No, thank you. For all you’ve done.” She says before speeding away leaving me a little confused.

Why would they thank me? They paid an extraordinary sum for my services and got me to capital at least a day faster and much more pleasantly than I would have on my own. (I suppose I could have hired a carriage for myself, though I wouldn’t have thought of it.) Yes, their son’s future is radically altered because I taught him at a discount, since they likely couldn’t have afforded a proper teacher’s initial lessons. But it should be clear that I did that for my own benefit, not theirs.

Confused, I continue to dwell on it as I make my way to the address Tanyth’s letter says is my contact’s office.