The Cast Die

Vac’s journey was slow. He walked through several villages on his journey, volunteering for some simple farm work each time to get small amounts of money. The currency itself was different from what he was used to, as it held an image of the king, and was made of silver and gold. Asclepius’s village had also technically been a farming village, but the way they operated was very different. He'd assumed it was the standard here, but the other villages he came across were more like what he knew as they used more traditional farming methods.

Finally he reached the central route to the capital, that countless merchants used. He'd rented a post-chaise for this last stretch with some of the money Asclepius had given him. He hadn't wanted to rely on it too much, but he had no choice for this last part of his intended journey.

As he traveled, he came across a merchant caravan being attacked by bandits. His driver stopped at a distance and suggested they turn back for a while. ‘The situation looks rough, but I could step in and help. With the advantage of surprise, I could take out a couple of them.’

With that decision made, he took his bag and sent the driver back. He snuck up from behind and knocked down a couple of the bandits. As he did, he noted their style and strength. They were relying on unarmed combat, and they had a unique magic that seemed to age and wear out the skin of those they touched. Their fierce style reminded him of someone, though he couldn't put a finger on it.

The bandits noticed his actions and began to rush at him. With that, he pulled out the die. He didn't want to stand out right now, so he tried to rely on a single type of magic as he fought, and he chose earth. He threw a smoke bomb, and then shook the earth under their feet based on where he remembered them to be. As the smoke dissipated, he launched rocks at the bandits.

Just as he thought it would be fine, one of the bandits managed to close in with a lightning fast lunge. ‘Shit, these guys are fast!’

Before he could react, he was struck in the stomach. The force of the blow made him release the die, but he grabbed it again. Before he could react, his arm was grabbed onto. Almost immediately, he felt his body go weak, as his skin began to wither. He instinctively lashed out, releasing a burst of wind that send the bandit flying. Vac fell to his knees panting as he inspected his hand for injuries.

‘My body doesn't feel weak anymore, but my skin is still kind of wrinkled up. Weird. I guess that's what Pluto’s magic is like. Wait, shit, I used my wind manipulation!’

As the bandits withdrew, he heard murmurs coming from the guards. ‘Should I run? But that's probably a bit too extreme of a decision to make right now. Hmm.’

As he considered the decision to make, one of the guards who'd gone to report the situation to the head merchant came back to invite Vac to meet the merchant.

‘Well, why not. Maybe they can bring me to the capital and arrange a meeting with that king.’

With that decided, he accepted the invitation. The name of the merchant was Pasio, and the man was cordial, but something about the man reminded Vac of Acutus, the wily old man from back home. So when Pasio asked for his story, he gave a half truth. He'd technically only been seen throwing rocks, as he'd only shaken the ground once, while under the cover of smoke and he'd kept it localized to the location of the bandits.

“Greetings, Pasio. I'm a follower of Jupiter. I was recently forced off of my home, Aeolia. I am seeking a way back, and chose to head to meet King Pyrrhus, as I thought he might be sympathetic to my plight. I was simply mimicking the powers of Ceres using my wind manipulation, as I did not want to stand out. I'd appreciate it if you could assist me in meeting the king.”

Pasio sat there in silence for a short while, but eventually burst into a smile and replied, “Why of course! I can grant you an audience with the king, though it'll take me a while to pull the necessary strings. In exchange, you can simply put in a good word and remember my name whenever necessary. In the meantime you can stay with me and help me out in selling my wares. Is that agreeable to you?”

Vac nodded, and then asked, “If you don't mind, could you tell me more about those bandits?”

Pasio nodded and answered, “Why of course. The bandits belong to one particular sect of the followers of Pluto. It's a shame. The other sect is wonderful, but they get a bad reputation due to the others.”

‘Sects? Interesting. Back home, we didn't really have things like that.’

Vac had more questions, but he was also tired from fighting the bandits. And so he sat inside with the merchant, trying to regain his energy while watching outside the carriage and carefully answering any questions the merchant asked.

True to his word, the merchant arranged a private audience with the king, but not before using Vac as a showpiece. By the time he reached the king, word had already spread.

As Vac entered the chambers, he gave a short bow. The king was a middle-aged man with fierce black eyes who wore black and gold ceremonial robes and a golden laurel wreath for a crown. As Vac entered, the king said, “Your reputation precedes you, Vacuus Venti. How may I be of service to you?”

‘I hope this works.’

After taking a deep breath, Vac began to share his story.

Medea had been playing with Solaris and Ladon, her pets when she was called for by a messenger. The young boy gulped upon seeing them, but he managed to keep his cool while bowing to the princess as he said, “King Pyrrhus, your father requests your presence.”

‘Hah, Father my ass. He is not and never will be that.’

But Medea didn't say any of that. She simply smiled and responded, “Of course. Tell King Pyrrhus that I'll be there soon.”

As the messenger left, she turned to her pets, patted them on their heads and said, “I'm sorry guys. We'll play later. Go back to your nest for a while.”

They whimpered, though it sounded more like a growl from them, but they obeyed her and left. With a sigh, Medea quickly headed to her chambers, wore her typical ceremonial clothes for greeting guests, and left for the dining hall.

‘I wonder who his guest is this time? I thought he'd given up on arranging a ‘friend’ for me after last time. Ridiculous, as though I need or want such a thing, least of all from him.’

As she entered the dining room, she gave a slight bow as she said, “You called for me, King Pyrrhus?”

Pyrrhus faked a smile as he answered, “Indeed, daughter. I'd like you to meet our guest, Vacuus Venti.”

‘Vacuus Venti? I haven't heard that sort of name before.’

She observed the guest. At first glance he appeared to be a boy around her age, decked in fine clothing. But he looked strangely uncomfortable in those clothes, and more significantly he had markings on his face that were signs of mana poisoning.

‘And a pretty severe one at that. Interesting, this one is different.’

As she took her seat, she asked, “So what's your story, Vacuus Venti?”

She listened to his story as they ate, while asking the occasional question. ‘He seems uncomfortable, though it seems to be from the food and look of the place rather than from the questions.’

As she listened, she got the basic picture of his story. Her adopted father simply sat and observed, because he'd already asked everything he wanted to know before.

As the meal ended, she decided to have some more fun with this guest. ‘It’s not everyday someone this interesting comes along. A follower of Jupiter who wields an artifact stolen from the Romans. There's so much for us to do.’

Once they were done, she got up and with a short bow said, “I'm done with my meal, King Pyrrhus, so I shall take my leave. Would it be alright if I spent more time with Vac here later on? After you're done of course.”

Pyrrhus smiled and answered, “Of course.”

‘I can let him have what he wants this one time.’

With that, she left the room.