He Leaves The Book

Earnest stood in the middle of the misfit boys’ base, stunned. He stared at the last page of the journal that he was holding, at the last words, “Morgan Avanath”. He didn’t know what to do. He was in way over his head. Rosalind was in greater danger than he had imagined. No, this was exactly what he imagined, which only brought him a feeling of deep dread. He didn’t know what to do.

Earnest realized that he had been standing still for some time, lost and stuck staring at the same page. He had to get out of there. He closed the journal and placed it back on the stack of books that it had rested on earlier. He gave the base a quick scan with his eyes, but his mind was distracted. He went back to the door and exited the base, leaving it almost exactly as he had entered it. The base may not have changed much, but a different man emerged from its depths. Reading that journal of atrocious experiments and magics would deeply disturb anyone, but to know that its magic was being used on his loved one…

He headed back through the forest, towards the village. His body was full of adrenaline, and made way at a quick pace. How was he going to deal with this? How was he going to save Rosalind? How the hell did this situation happen? Who was Morgan Avanath, and how did the misfit boys have their disgusting, putrid notebook? Earnest felt anxious… panicked… trapped… hopeless. With his mind racing all over the place, a random thought surprisingly managed to make its way past the noise. He needed help. Earnest needed to ask for help.

Earnest’s mind finally started working in one direction, it started forming a plan. He needed help from the knights, specifically the Royal Arcana Corps, but it would take time for them to arrive at such a remote location. He could also request help from the church, which specialized in combating dark magic. However, the nearest church that had a priest capable of doing something about this might be quite far as well. He could also seek assistance from any local mages or witches, but it seemed like there weren’t any in Knottori. He would have to head to the previous town on his trip, Lindow, to seek out this type of help.

Earnest arrived back at the inn and continued his hurried pace inside. There weren’t many people in the dining area, and it seemed like the kitchen was still in the prep phase. He saw the innkeeper, and raised his voice to ask a question.

“Hi miss innkeeper! I need to send some letters urgently. Where can I send them out?”

“Slow down ‘ere boy, catch your breath first! Our courier delivers letter ‘n packages once a week. I think they left yesterday, so it’ll be another week ‘til letters go out again.”

Earnest knew waiting wasn’t an option. Delaying the letters would increase the wait for help to arrive, increasing the danger that Rosalind was in. He decided that he would travel to the town of Lindow to deliver his letters personally and to seek help there. He shouted his intentions to leave for Lindow to the innkeeper as he ran up the stairs back up to his room. He grabbed his backpack and other equipment and ran back down the stairs and straight out the door.

Earnest embarked back the way he came just the other day, slowing his rapid pace to a more sustainable one. He was thankful that he had managed to rest so well last night, as his body had enough energy to keep up with his mind’s demands. He left Knottori before dinner time, and continued into the dusk as the sun set lower and lower in the sky. The trip between Knottori and Lindow took one full day by foot, and any traveler with sense would avoid traveling at night. However, Earnest was beyond sense at this point, and planned on traveling through the night. He could rest after he reached Lindow and sent letters to the knights and church, but for now there was no rest since every minute counted.

The sun began to conclude its day, coloring the sky orange and pink as it slipped behind the horizon. Chilly winds began to blow as Earnest continued, one foot in front of the other. Lucky for the lonely traveler, the moon kept him company, tinting the landscape with a gentle blue light. As the temperature continued to drop, the landscape that he traversed felt more and more otherworldly. Earnest felt like he was in another world compared to the world he knew just yesterday. He carried on with great unease in his heart, hoping that everything would be okay in the end, at least for Rosalind.