15 A Quiet Life

When I first started living with Master, my primary duties were cleaning up the stone tower and cooking. Cleaning was no problem. It was part of the daily routine we had to do at the orphanage. Cooking, however, was completely new to me. Master patiently taught me the basics of cooking. He was skilled at foraging, hunting, and fishing, which he eventually taught me to do later on.

Master didn't have an extra bed, so he prepared for me a makeshift bed out of pillows and a thick blanket. It was much more comfortable than the wooden beds with thin mattresses they provided for us at the orphanage. I slept by the warm fireplace.

It felt very strange to wake up surrounded by books every day. The orphanage always lacked books that four children had to share one copy. They were simply too poor to afford enough of them for everyone. They relied on donations. Of course, a poor community wasn't enough to sustain an orphanage's expenses.

One book from Master's collection caught my eye. I simply stared at it. I wasn't sure if he would get upset if I touched it without his permission.

"Are you interested in that book?" Master noticed me.

"Yes," I replied.

"You can read it, little one."

"It looks very hard to read."

He pulled out the book from the shelf and scanned its pages.

"Indeed it is. It's a book on alchemy. Even those who are most proficient at reading will not be able to understand this book."

"Why is that so?"

"Alchemists are very secretive about their knowledge. They hide their true meanings beneath words." He opened to a page that contained a drawing of the sun and the moon. Its pages look faded but you could still read the writings. "The sun and the moon bask under the light of the heavenly flame. The rivers wake up to a new dawn. Out of dust, life. Out of darkness, an enduring soul."

I gazed at the page in awe.

"This page contains the recipe for the most sought after metal, lunatia. It's the pride of the alchemists."

"The beautiful metal you made?"

"Yes. That metal."

He closed the book and placed a hand on my head. "You are one who loves knowledge, little one. Feel free to indulge yourself in learning."

"I read very slowly. I don't understand many words."

It was true. I had little confidence in my ability to read difficult books.

"Everyone was there at one point in their lives. Don't let insecurities hamper your progress, Aliciel."

"Aliciel?"

"From now on, you will be called Aliciel."

A new name. I welcomed the idea.

"And what will I call you?" I asked.

"From today onwards, I will be your master. You shall gradually learn the teachings of old and new, of the hidden arts and the apparent." He picked up the chunk of lunatia sitting on his desk. "Perhaps one day, you will be able to produce this as well."

Every day, Master made sure to teach me one new thing, whether it was a lesson on history, about alchemy, or on another subject. I spent time reading and practicing drawing out letters. I grew more knowledgeable each day. Master was pleased with my progress.

On some days, he took me out fishing or hunting, and told me a little about his experiences in the outside world. This didn't happen very often, but when it did, it was one of my favorite days.

"There is a city called Anbernel where you will find a marvelous clock tower. People travel on boats through canals. When I first went there, the wind blew away my mask while I was purchasing some leather. The shopkeeper saw my face and fainted," he narrated while we were waiting for the fish to bite.

"Were you born with that face?" I asked curiously.

He grew silent. It seemed like a sensitive topic. "I had this head from the very beginning."

He said nothing more afterwards. I did not press further.

When it was almost sundown, we packed our things and prepared to head back to the stone tower.

"Do you miss your village, little one?" he asked suddenly as we walked home.

"I do not," I said honestly.

"I see. That is a good thing."

"Do you miss your home, Master?"

"I am already home."

"I mean your original home."

"There is no such thing."

His vague answers made me more curious about his origins, but whenever I asked questions related to it, he never gave me a straight answer. It was like a past he wanted to bury. I eventually gave up and stopped asking.

The life I had with Master was quiet and peaceful. I was more than satisfied with my new home. At that time, I thought we would continue living like that for a long time, but fate had a different plan for us.